USA > Illinois > Sangamon County > History of Sangamon County, Illinois, together with sketches of its cities, villages and townships, educational, religious, civil, military, and political history, portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens > Part 91
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THIRD COURT HOUSE.
On the 6th day of February, 1830, John Todd, Asa S. Shaw, and Garret Elkin were appointed by the County Commissioners' Court to contract for the building of a brick court house on the public square, to be constructed after the plans furnished by John Moffett and David S. Taylor. The agents were authorized and instructed to superintend the construction of the building, subject to orders from the court. On the 3d of March, the Commissioners reported to the court that they had entered into contract with two parties, one for the brick work, at $4,641, the other for the wood work, at $2,200, making a total of $6,841. This building was completed early in 1831. It was a square building, two
stories high, hip roof, with a cupola rising in the center.
FOURTII COURT HOUSE.
A special term of the County Commissioners' Court was held on Saturday, April 5, 1845, to take into consideration the proposition for the purchase of ground for the erection of a new court house. The County Attorney, Stephen T. Logan, was instructed to purchase lots of James Dunlap and Robert Irwin, on the northeast cor- ner of the square, provided a good deed could be made by the parties. The ground was pur- chased and a contract entered into with Henry Dresser, on the 11th day of April, 1845, for the construction of the building.
From the time the brick court house was erected, all the business of the town collected around the square. When Springfield was se- lected as the future capital of the State in 1837, with a pledge to raise $50,000 to assist in build- ing the State House, also to furnish the land upon which to place it, it was not an easy matter to agree upon a location. If land was selected far enough from the existing business to be cheap, then the $50,000 could not be raised; those already in business around the square re- fused to contribute, because the State House being so much larger and more attractive, would draw the business after it, thus injuring the value of their property. After discussing the question in all its bearings, it was found that the only practicable way to settle the question was to demolish the court house and use the square for the State House. Then those around it would contribute to the $50,000 fund to the extent of their ability.
The court house was accordingly removed early in 1837, and work on the State House com- menced. This square, with the court house and other buildings on it, were valued at the time at about $16,000.
Having thus summarily disposed of their court house, and having engaged to do so much towards building the State House, the people of Sangamon county were unable to undertake the building of another. To supply the deficiency, the county authorities then rented a building that had been erected for a storehouse by the Hon. Ninian W. Edwards. This building, at the west side of Fifth street, five doors north of Washington, was used as a court house for about ten years.
Having such a large amonnt of money to raise for the payment on the State capital, the county was unable to do anything towards the building
556
HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY.
of a new court house at the time, and the finan- cial crisis of 1837 coming on, it was not until 1845 that an effort was made to erect a new building. As already stated, a contract was now made for a building, the cost of which was to be $9,680. It was erected according to con- tract, and occupied until the purchase from the State of the old capital building, when the offices were removed. Subsequently the court house was sold, and a fine brick block now occupies its site.
FIFTH COURT HOUSE.
The fifth court house is the old State House, purchased of the State, for the sum of $200,000. To this sum might be added $70,000 paid by the city for the grounds of the new State House, which was a part of the contract by which the o'd building was surrendered.
VILLAGES AND STATIONS IN THE COUNTY.
Distances from Springfield.
PLACES. MILES.
PLACES. MILES.
Auburn. 15
Lanesville 17
Barclay.
Loami .. 18
Bates. 13
Lowder .. 28
Berlin. 133
Mechanicsburg 14
Bradford. S. 5
New Berlin. 16
Breckenridge. 13
Pawnee .. 17
Buffalo
14
Pleasant Plains
17
Buffalo Hart 13
Richland.
12
Cantrall. 101
Riverton.
Chatham.
9
Rochester
8
Clarksville 12
Rolling Mills, S.
2
Cora, S
64
Salisbury. 12
Curran.
9
Sangamon, S. 5
Dawson. 11
Sanger, S. 6
Farmingdale, S. 83
Sherman 8
German Prairie, S. 4
Water Works, S. 4
Illiopolis. 23
Williamsville. 13
Island Grove. .19
2
TABLE OF DISTANCES FROM SPRINGFIELD TO
Alton 72
DuQuoin .. 168
Ainboy
151
East St. Louis. 95
Aurora.
180
Edwardsville. 90
Batavia .187
Effingham. .108
Belleville 110
Elgin. 227
Belvidere. 240
ElPas
Evanston. .196
Braid wood. 124
Freeport. 198
Bushnell. 89
Fulton. 201
Cairo. 245
Galena 249
Canton 100
Galva. 157
Carbondale 188
Galesburg 116
Carlinville 38
Geneseo
179
Centralia 132
Jacksonville 34
Champaign 85
Jerseyville. 92
Charleston. 92
Joliet. 147
Chicago. 185
Kankakee 136
Clinton
43
Kewanee 146
Danville
112
La Salle 119
Decatur
39
Lincoln. 28
Litchfield. 59
Macomb 100
Pinceton 157
Mattoon. 81
Quincy . 112
Mendota. 135
Rockford. 226
Moline .. 183
Rock Island 180
Monmouth. 116
St. Charles 191
Morris. 157
Sterling 175
Murfreesboro 185
Streator 108
Ottawa 134
Taylorville 27
Pana 42
Urbana.
87
Paris
118
Warsaw
135
Pekin
79
Waukegan 220
Peoria
89
Wilmington 132
Peru.
121
Woodstock 236
RAILROAD ACCIDENT.
On Saturday night, August 16, 1873, a passen- ger train and coal train on the Chicago & Alton Railroad collided near Lemont, the boilers of the engines of both trains exploding and fatally scalding about sixty persons, four of whom were citizens of Sangamon county.
John W. Smith, was taken to Chicago, where he died Monday, August 18.
J. R. Fleury, died a few hours later than Mr. Smith.
Noah Divelbiss, jr., and' William Little died, not long surviving the accident.
The remains of the four were brought to Springfield and the funeral services of the entire number took place in the rotunda of the State House. Previously the City Council and citi- zens met and passed resolutions of sympathy. During the funeral hours business of all kinds was suspended. A song, inscribed to the friends of the deceased, written by Mrs. Albert Smith, was sung on the occason. The words are as follows:
" God of the mourner! if among Thy angels, One there may be more pitiful than all, Tell them that here full many a heart is breaking, Tell them that here we groan beneath a pall.
"Fierce is the tempest raging all around us, Many the burdens that we bear to-day,
But Thou art mighty, merciful and tender, Come and sustain us, in Thine own best way.
" Hast Thou not said Thy grace is all sufficient, Canst Thou not wipe each falling tear away ? See, Lord, we come with hearts all crushed and bleeding,
Bind up our wounds and comfort us we pray.
" Death, like an army bearing swords and banners, Bore off our loved, without one farewell said, Heedless alike of all our tears and sighing, Trampled them low, with swift, relentless tread.
" Thou who dost smite not willingly but sadly, Thou who dost hold our loved ones in Thy hand, Grant us, though here no good-bye word was spoken,
A glad good-morning in the Better Land."
Dixon. 163
Woodside, S. 6 Junction.
Bloomington.
59
557
HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY.
Appropriate remarks were made by Rev. A. Hale, Rev. H. W. Evrest, and Governor Bever- idge. An immense crowd followed the remains to the grave.
John W. Smith was one of the well known and highly respected citizens of Springfield for a period of forty years. He was born in Shelby county, Kentucky, in 1820, and with his parents removed to this county in 1833. His early life was that of all pioneers, battling with adversity, poverty and privation. His perseverance enabled him to overcome all obstacles in the rugged path of life; his integrity insured for him the respect and merited the confidence of all. He held many public offices with honor to himself and credit to his constituents. In 1852, he was a member of the legislature, sheriff in 1860, and in 1862, was first elected mayor of Springfield. Under President Lincoln he held the office of Collector of Internal Revenue, and was by Gov- ernor Oglesby appointed a State House Commis- sioner in 1865, and served in that capacity a short time. Further political preferment he ob- tained by being elected mayor of Springfield in 1871 and re-elected in 1872. He was also ap- pointed warden of the Penitentiary by Governor Beveridge, May, 1873, which position he credit- ably filled until his untimely death, August 18, 1873, occasioned by injuries received in the rail- road accident on the Chicago & Alton Railroad.
TERRIBLE ACCIDENT.
Friday morning, November 29, 1872, a terri- ble explosion took place at the mills of the Spring- field Iron Company. The rolling mills, in order to keep pace with its rapidly accumulating orders for work, had been running their mills to its full capacity night and day, and on the morning mentioned, Thomas Robinson, who had special charge of a battery of seven boilers, each of which was twenty-eight feet long and forty-two inches in diameter, in which steam is generated for a half dozen engines located in various parts of the mill, was on duty. At four o'clock, just as one gang of hands were relieving another, a terrific explosion took place, shattering the boiler-house, and throwing down the smoke stack, turning the boilers upsidedown and end for end, and killing
Robinson instantly and scalding J. C. Miller in a terrible manner. There were other workmen injured in various ways, but none fatally. The cause of the explosion was in not paying atten- tion to the condition of the water in the boilers.
FEARFUL RAILROAD ACCIDENT.
The Express train going north on the Chicago & Alton Railroad, Thursday, April 12, 1660,
met with a fearful accident, the only wonder being that the loss of life was not much greater. Traveling at the rate of about twenty-five miles an hour, it had just reached the bridge, about three miles north of Springfi ld, when the tim- bers of the structure gave way, precipitating the train some twenty or thirty feet into the stream- bed below. The bridge was constructed upon trestle-work and was about two hundred feet long. It was broken down about halt its length. The accident happened when the locomotive had reached about half the length of the bridge, it going down at that point. The tender lay under the locomotive and the baggage car jam- med up against it. All the cars of the train went down the embankment and all were badly smashed up, but, strange to say, only two per- sons were killed, though a number received injuries.
STEAM BOILER EXPLOSION.
On Wednesday, March 5, 1856, both flues of the boiler in Huntington's planing mill exploded with terrible force, throwing a portion of the boiler a distance of one hundred and twenty yards, and entirely demolishing the smoke-stack and shed under which the boiler rested. George K. Johnson and Mr. Wilson were seriously in- jured by the catastrophe.
CENSUS REPORTS.
TOWNSHIPS.
1880
1870
Auburn
2,085
1,303
Ball,
1,048
989
Buffalo Hart.
576
538
Cartwright
2,050
1,851
Chatham.
1,377
1,460
Clear Lake
2,033
1,566
Cooper.
871
785
Cotton Hill.
1,150
754
Curran. .
1,068
1,000
Fancy Creek Gardner.
1,265
1,270
Illiopolis
1,322
1,829
Island Grove
1,003
1,099
Loami ..
1,556
1,460
Mechanicsburg.
1,784
1,443
New Berlin. .
964
954
Pawnee.
1,133
1,293
Rochester.
1,320
1,440
Salisbury.
691
698
Springfield.
3,486
2,447
Capital.
19,763
17,364
Talkington.
1,064
973
Wheatfield
772
Williams
1,667
1,279
Woodside.
1,638
1,385
Total.
52,993
46,352
This is a gain in ten years of six thousand, six hundred and forty-one, or fourteen and one-third per cent., a very reputable showing, when it is
1,307
1,195
558
HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY.
considered that from 1873 to 1877, the city, in common with her neighbors, suffered a decrease, in consequence of the great financial depression of the times.
A few of the townships have fallen off, and others appear to have done so, when, in fact, they have gained. Auburn has acquired twelve square miles of territory from Pawnee, so that, instead of Pawnee losing, the two townships together have acquired nearly twenty-four per cent.
Capital township corresponds exactly with the city of Springfield, and in 1870 the per cent. of gain is nearly fourteen.
Wheatfield township has been organized from Illiopolis since 1870, so that the gain of Illiopo- lis, as it then existed, is over fourteen per cent.
OUR LEGISLATORS.
As is well known, the sessions ef the legisla- ture last much longer than the average citizen thinks they ought. The following song, written as a parody on the familiar temperance song, " Father, dear father, come home to me now," is supposed to have been written by the wife of a rural member, who neglects his farm and family, by remaining at the Capital too long in the spring:
"Husband, dear husband. come home to me now, From the city and State House so warm,
'Tis lonely without you, why do you not come And see to the things on the farm?
You told me when you were elected last fall,
If I would but once let you go,
You'd surely return before April was past,
And I really believed 'twould be so. Come home! Come home! Come home! Dear husband, kind husband, come home.
"Husband, dear husband, come home to me now, Come home e're the spring time is through; The old brindle cow has got a white calf,
And the young lambs are bleating for you.
The hens have been setting a fortnight or more, 'They soon will be off with their broods,
The old speckled turkey has stolen her nest Away in the brakes or the woods.
"Husband, dear husband, come home to me now, The garden needs spading for peas,
The boys should be picking up stones in the lot, And you should be trimming the trees.
When will you get through with bills and resolves, Stop talking of license and rum,
Of railroads and tunnels, and other such things, And tend to your business at home?
"Husband, dear husband, don't write to me more Of the theater, lobby and club,
Nor dinners you have eaten at Parker's and Young's But hurry away from the hub.
Yes, hurry back home, your Betsy is sad,
Her heart so honest and true; All winter she's slept in the bed room alone, And say, dear husband, have you?
"Husband, dear husband, come nome to me now,
Come home, while the birds sing in May,
And let not the smiles in the gallery there
Distract you, or tempt you to stay,
The voice of your Betsy is calling you now, Come home; for you know what it means,
I'm getting quite nervous about you-come home! And we will have cow-slips for greens. Come home! Come home! Come home! Dear husband, kind husband, come home!
ASSESSMENTS FOR 1881.
Townships.
Lands.
Lots.
Personal.
Total.
Illiopolis ..
$349,680
$40,150
$124,905
$514,735
Wheatfield. . .
372,030
87,411
459,441
Cooper.
295,843
7,657
69,340
372,840
Mec'anicsb'rg
443,995
50,024
156,207
650,226
Buffalo Hart ..
236,760
41,426
278,186
Pawnee.
414,285
10,454
100,940
525,679
Cotton Hill
295,350
70,942
366,292
Rochester .. .
399,543
11,341
89,971
500,855
Clear Lake.
325,916
31,671
140,440
498,427
Williams.
510,315
51,475
144.271
706,061
Ball ..
349,680
63,726
413,406
Woodside. .
449,978
43,285
69,715
562,978
Fancy Creek. Auburn
581,716
55,573
154,795
792,084
Chatmam
415,850
16,144
76,727
508,721
Curran.
367,487
2,462
110,261
480,210
Gardner
460,575
92,829
553,304
Salisbury
85,416
5,950
25,818
117,184
Talkington.
458,042
6,717
104,101
568,860
Loami.
432,718
7,392
86,107
526,217
New Berlin. .
310,311
29,650
90,540
430,501
Island Grove.
356,462
15,607
119,566
491,635
Cartwright.
1,053,610
34,210
207,443
1,295,263
Capital.
488,380
175,500
258,769
922,649
*Springfield. .
3,721,900
1,521,963
5,243,863
.
*City of.
DISTRESSING ACCIDENT.
On Sunday, May 12, 1867, Mr. and Mrs. S. W. West visited Howlett's flouring mill to witness the operation of the machinery. In passing a large driving gear. to which were attached sev- eral smaller wheels, Mrs. West's dress caught in the larger gear, and although her husband caught her and attempted to draw her out, she was wrenched from his grasp, crushed among the wheels and instantly killed.
TWO CHILDREN KILLED BY LIGHTNING.
A rain and hail storm occurred at Springfield, Wednesday night, February 16, 1870, and dur- ing the storm four children of Elder George Brent, pastor of the African Baptist Church, were lying upon the floor asleep, between the
554,168
9,580
129,844
693,592
Hanson Robinson
561
HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY.
stove and wall, the lightning ran down the flue, striking two of the children and killing them in- stantly. The two other children, and three other persons who were in the room at the time, although partially stunned, were uninjured. No marks of the destructive current could be found upon the bodies of the two children killed.
TERRIFIC EXPLOSION.
On Thursday morning, September 5, 1867, the boiler of the City Mill, of E. R. Hickox, exploded, entirely destroying the mill, and com- pletely demolishing the office, engine house and machinery. The explosion was of such force as to entirely fill the air in the vicinity with timbers, boards, shingles and fragments of the boiler. The report and concussion were like the discharge of a cannon, shaking the buildings and windows several blocks off like an earth- quake. Five persons were in the mill at the time of the explosion, but no one was killed. The loss was estimated at $15,000.
A RETROSPECT.
One hundred years ago the Revolutionary war was in progress. A small colony of fearless men were battling for their rights with one of the most powerful nations of the earth. Thir- teen States, extending back from the sea-coast but a short distance, with but three million in all, of men, women and children, white and colored, comprising the whole. The great West was unknown. True, a few adventurous spirits had pushed their way through this uninhabitable waste, and in the name of the King of France, proclaimed it part of that realm ; but in their wildest imagination it is doubtful if they ever conceived the idea that in less than a century of time it would be inhabited by a thrifty, en- terprising race, and be the most productive region of the world.
Seventy-two years ago, less than three-fourths of a century, the Territory of Illinois was organized, with Ninian Edwards as its first Governor.
Sixty-three years ago the State government was organized and Illinois entered upon a new period of its existence. At this time only the southern portion of the State had been settled, the fair prairies of the central and northern part remaining as they came from nature's hand.
Sixty-five years ago Robert Pulliam erected a cabin and remained some months in what is now Ball township.
Sixty years ago the county of Sangamon was organized, containing at the time less than five
hundred inhabitants. Sixty years-from 1821 to 1881-with its joys and sorrows, its trials and disappointments, have passed into history. The old and middle-aged of the first years of the history of the county have passed away. They fought a good fight in reclaiming waste places; they finished their course, and now rest from their labors, while "their works do follow them." The young of that day are now aged men and women, who have lived to see the wilderness " blossom as the rose," and now calmly await the summons to " come up higher."
Sixty years ago there was not a water or a steam mill in Sangamon county, all supplies of flour and meal, save the little ground on the old band mills, were brought from Edwardsville or St. Louis. At that time but one church edifice and a very small one at that, was in all the county. The people here were separated from friends, with no convenient means of communi- cation. The railroad, the telegraph, the tele- phone and the phonograph were unknown. Mail communications were not established, and the nearest post office was Edwardsville.
Fifty-six years ago Springfield, a village of a dozen log cabins, was selected as a permanent county seat.
Fifty-five years ago, Hooper Warren estab- lished the Sangamon Spectator in Springfield, the first paper in Sangamon county.
Fifty-one years ago the early settler enjoyed the pleasures of the "deep snow," an experience in his history that he loves to relate to the won- der and amazement of the younger generation.
Fifty years ago Sangamon county was called upon to furnish its quota for the first campaign against Black Hawk, and nobly did the men re- spond.
Forty-nine years ago the second call was made for men to drive out and capture the noted Black Hawk and his men, and Sangamon county re- sponded by sending an army of her bravest and best men, and to whom belongs the honor of his defeat and capture.
Forty-five years ago Sangamon county sent nine of her best men as representatives in the General Assembly, with instructions by all fair and honorable means to secure the removal of the State Capital from Vandalia to Springfield. The instructions were implicitly carried out and the Capital secured. All honor to the "Long Nine."
Forty-two years ago the Capital was removed from Vandalia to Springfield.
Forty years ago the whistle of the first locomo- tive was heard in Springfield.
65 --
562
HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY.
Forty-one years ago the great "hard cider campaign " was in progress and "politics run wild."
Thirty-five years ago the war with Mexico was in progress, a war which resulted in the ac- quirement of much territory, including Califor- nia, the Eldorado of the west.
Twenty-three years ago the greatest political debate in the history of the world was held be- tween Lincoln and Douglas, a debate which elec- ted Douglas Senator, and Lincoln President.
Twenty-one years ago, after one of the most exciting political campaigns in the history of the country, Abraham Lincoln, a favorite son of Illinois, was elected to the highest office in the gift of the American people.
Twenty years ago the news was flashed over the wires that ths rebels had made an attack upon Fort Sumter and compelled its surrender. Immediately the call was issued for 75,000 men, and supplemented a few days afterwards. for 300,000 more. The brave sons of Sangamon county, ever ready to respond to their country's call, rushed to the front, and upon the fierce battle-fields of the South many of them poured out their life's blood.
Sixteen years ago the lifeless body of the great and good Lincoln was brought back to that city and county he loved so well, and the whole Nation mourned.
Sangamon county in the past has always taken an advanced position. Never has it taken a backward step. Whether in the cause of reli- gion, temperance or education, it has always stood in front. Its history is full of important events. From the lessons of the past the duties of the future are made plain. May the lessons be well learned, and may all profit thereby.
SANGAMON COUNTY OF TO-DAY.
As it is impossible for the pen of the historian to do justice to the past, even so will we fail to properly present the Sangamon county of to- day. No county in the State can show a better record. In its churches, its schools, its manu- facturing interests, its public and private build- ings, in fact everything that goes to show a progressive people, it has taken a leading posi- tion. It has to-day an incorporated city, having a population of 25,000 inhabitants, ten incorpo- rated and as many unincorporated villages. It has a population of 55,000 thrifty and enter- prising per ple.
In the early day, citizens of Sangamon county met for worship in school houses, barns, or pri- vate dwelling houses, anywhere they were per- mitted, and glad were they of the opportunity.
To-day churches are upon every hand, from the plain, unpretending frame, where a few zealous men and women gather together "in the name of Jesus," to the imposing brick, with bells peal- ing forth a joyous welcome to one and all, come and " drink of the waters of life."
The old log school house has long since been displaced, and to-day are found, especially in the larger villages and the city of Springfield, school buildings of handsome architectural appearance, costing many thousands of dollars each. The comfort of pupils has been secured by the intro- duction of suitable seats and desks. Maps, globes, philosophical apparatus, music, libraries, commodious play-grounds, well ventilated apart- ments, beautiful plants and flowers, all are used as accessories, and the result is a humanizing in- fluence. A large revenue derived from taxation is annually raised, sufficient to maintain a schol- arly corps of teachers. In addition to the public schools, the Catholics and Lutherans have paro- chial schools, the Lutherans have a flourishing seminary, the Ursuline Sisters ( Catholics ) have a fine institution of learning in connection with the convent in Springfield, the Episcopal breth- ren have in operation a school in the city, and last, but not least, Mrs. McKee Homes' school, the Bettie Stnart Institute, is in a most flourishing condition. It will thus be seen the educational interests of the county are well provided for.
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