History of St. Clair County, Illinois. With illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 90

Author: Brink, McDonough & Co., Philadelphia
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia : Brink, McDonough
Number of Pages: 530

USA > Illinois > St Clair County > History of St. Clair County, Illinois. With illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 90

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Soon after coming to Lehanon, Mr. Blanck went to live with James M. Whittaker, with the object of learning the English lan- guage. He made rapid progress, and in after life spoke the English with so much correctness, and freedom from foreign accent, that it could not be told that he was not a native of this country. After remaining a few months at Judge Whittaker's he entered the store of Col. Hugo Wangelin, then in the mercantile business at Leba- non, and was employed by him two years. When sixteen he went to St. Louis with a view of obtaining a situation in that city. He was without friends, and remained at the hotel four weeks, some- times lonesome and despondent, before he was able to secure any- thing to do. He was then given employment in a dry goods store, and remained four years in the same establishment. He was active and industrious, and pleased his employers so well that they regret- ted to dispense with his services, and offered him an increase of salary if he would remain. He had made up his mind, however, to go into business for himself, and in the spring of 1854 came to Lebanon, and purchased, partly on time, a small stock of goods from the firm of Sargeant & Wangelin, and embarked in business on his own account. His only capital at that time was some money which he had saved while in St. Louis. He kept this store in a frame building at the corner of St. Louis and Mill streets, and was afterward in business uninterruptedly at this location up to the time of his death.

He went into business at the time of the building of the Ohio

and Mississippi railroad through St. Clair county. When he came to Lebanon from St. Louis he was a passenger on the locomotive which made the first trip over the road from East St. Louis to Lebanon, then the eastern terminus. The building of the railroad, and other circumstances, made business active in Lebanon, and Mr. Blanck prospered from the start. He made the best of his oppor- tunities, and rapidly accumulated money. In 1858 the old frame structure in which he made his first attempt at a business career, was supplanted by a substantial brick building, which is still stand- ing, though it was partly destroyed by fire after Mr. Blanck's death,

and has since been rebuilt. He was married at Lebanon on the 1st day of January, 1855, to Miss Jennie Cape, who was born in Washington county, Missouri. Her father, William B. Cape, was a native of Virginia, and died in Washington county, Missouri. Her mother, Amy Carty, was born in Kentucky, and is still living at Carrollton, in this state. The death of Mr. Blanck occurred on the 15th of April, 1878. He was then in the forty-fifth year of his age, in the prime of life, and in the midst of a business career. which up to that time had been more than usually successful ..

He was well known as an enterprising and active business man. Though, with the exception of attending night-school in St. Louis, he had no advantages for instruction in this country, yet he had acquired by wide reading, a valuable stock of information, and was a good English scholar. While living in St. Louis he had acquired a thorough knowledge of the French language. He possessed re- fined tastes, and was a lover of music and works of art. He was identified in some capacity with the government of Lebanon for many years ; first as city register, then as treasurer, and afterwards as member of the board of aldermen, in which he served as chair- man of the finance committee. He was especially interested in the public schools, and was regarded as one of the most active members of the board of education. He was an honest, upright, and useful citizen, and a man who attached to himself many warm personal friends. His death was a loss not only to his immediate family, but to the community at large. He was generous in his disposition, charitable to the poor, and will long he remembered for his many good deeds. His grave in the cemetery at Lebanon is marked by a handsome monument, erected to his memory by Mrs. Blanck. He was a democrat, but took no active or conspicuous part in politics. He had been brought up a member of the Lu- theran church, but in Lebanon attended, with his family, the Methodist church, from which he was buried. His oldest child, Ida Belle, is now the wife of James D. Baker, who is engaged in the banking business at Lebanon. The youngest, Amy Elizabeth, married Charles W. Harrison, of Belleville.

SUMMERFIELD PRECINCT.

HIS precinct lies in the extreme north-east corner of the county, the greater part being in T. 2 N., R. 6 W., with a strip one and a half miles wide and four long, from the north of T. 1 N., R. 6 W. It is bounded on the north by Madi- son county, east by Clinton county, south by Mascoutah, and west by Lebanon precints. The surface is a pleasantly undulating prairie, con- taining numerous high and beautiful building sites. The soil is rich and productive, and many fine, highly-im- proved farms may be seen within its borders. Several small streams, tributaries of Silver Creek, flow westwardly through the precinct, and furnish drainage to the lands and a supply of water for other purposes. There are several small patches of timber scat- tered over the territory, which supply the demand for fencing, etc. The Ohio and Mississippi railroad runs from east to west through the precinct, entering it on section 24 and leaving on section 28.

The first settlements in this precinct were made prior to 1810, one mile south of the present site of Summerfield, in what is known as the Union Grove settlement. The earliest settler was Nathan Chambers, who located on section 33, near a small branch of Silver Creek, as early as 1806. Chambers was a man of some talent, and well adapted for the hardships incident to a frontier life. In 1811- 12 he built a fort on his place, which was known as " Chambers' Fort," where the neighboring families gathered for protection against Indian depredations. Mr. Chambers held several minor county offices in early times. We will mention the names of some of the earliest settlers in this vicinity :- Robert and James Moore, John Broom, William Padfield, Robert Farar, Samuel and Alfred Ryle, Henry Hutton, John Dew, a Methodist minister; Thornton Peeples, also a Methodist minister ; Dr. Anthony W. Casad, Ed- mond Randle, Malcom Johnson, Peter Wright, Wm. Lunceford and Samuel H. Thompson-a noted Methodist minister. William Pad- field was a native of Kentucky, and settled here in 1815. He had quite a large family, most of whom married and left descendants. The sons were-Thomas, William R. (who lived in a fine residence in the suburbs of Summerfield); Henry, James R., a farmer, resid- ing on section 34; Joseph, Hiram, and several daughters. Wm R. and James R. are the only sons now living. Mr. Padfield was a zealous member of the M. E. Church, and for a number of years had a camp-meeting ground on his farm. Joshua Barnes was an early settler, and also an early Methodist preacher and school teacher. Among the earliest settlers north of Union Grove may be mentioned W. W. Roman, Wm. Frazier, Michael Keith, J. McKeg, John Lord, Mr. Anderson, Joseph Schrougham, John Marney, Capt. Morris, Preston Utley, James Paydon, and others. The fol-

lowing are the land entries in this precinct in 1814, as taken from the county records: Daniel Simons, S. W. } sec. 33, 160 acres, Sept. 26; George Nichols, N. E. } sec. 34, 160 acres, Sept. 15; Pleasant Nichols, N. W. { sec. 34, 160 acres, Sept. 15; Nathan Chambers, S. W. { sec. 34, 160 acres, Sept. 15; Francis Swan, S. E. ¿ sec. 34, 160 acres, Sept. 16. The above are in T. 2 N. R. 6 W. Francis Swan, N. E. { sec. 3, 153 18 acres, Sept. 16; Nathan Chambers, N. W. { sec. 3, 154 acres, Sept. 15; Robert Frazier, N. E. ¿ sec. 9, 160 acres, Sept. 10; John Brown, N. W. } sec. 10, 160 acres, Nov. 24; John Nichols, N. E. } sec. 4, 154 17 acres, Sept. 26; Henry Hutton, S. W. } sec. 4, 160 acres, Sept. 10, are in T. 1 N. R. 6 W. John Wordsworth, who resides on section 16, is a native of Clinton county, Illinois, and settled in St. Clair in 1830. G H. Appel, a farmer on section 35, was born in Germany, and came to this county in 1834. John H. Calbreath, who resides on sec- tion 11, is a son of William Calbreath, who settled in this county about 1804-5. He was born here in 1825. Judge James Whitta- ker, an honorable citizen who resides in the northern part of this precinct, was an early associate judge, and has held other minor offices.

The first school-house was erected of logs in Union Grove at a very early date, and schools were held there for some time before other school-houses were built in this precinct. A church was also built in this settlement by the Methodist denomination about 1820; but soon after it was completed it was set on fire by some evil-dis- posed parties, and completely destroyed. It was soon replaced by another, even larger and better than the one before. The first mill was built by William Padfield in section 2 of T. 1 N., R. 6 W., about 1826. It was an ox mill, and the largest of the kind at that time in this part of the country. The building was about 60 x 80 feet, and five stories high. It was a grist and saw mill, propelled by ten oxen. Padfield's mill was known and patronized by the set- tlers for thirty miles around. Mr. Padfield also had a blacksmith's shop and store at this point, and at that early day there was con- siderable trading done here. The store was kept by Thomas Pad- field, and was opened as early as 1818.

Frederick Hecker arrived in the United States in autumn, 1848, a voluntary exile. Hecker was born in Eichtersheim, Baden, Sep- tember 28th, 1811, had received a splendid education, became a most distinguished jurisprudent and ardent politician. Hecker was the acknowledged leader of republicanism in south Germany, organized as such, an insurrection against the existing monarchy, in the spring of 1848, was defeated at Kandern, and fled into Switzerland. After a brief stay, he emigrated t) America. Another revolutionary attempt, promising a better success, re-called Hecker to Europe, where he arrived in July, 1849, just in time to

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HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY, ILLINOIS.

learn that his most cherished dreams of freedom and popular sov- ereignty would have to remain dreams for ages yet. Hecker re- turned the same year and settled in this township, near Summer- field. His home was known as the most hospitable one far or near, and of the thousands that came in the course of years to pay their respects to the revolutionist and philosopher, not one departed but was most favorably impressed with the amiability of host and hostess. Hecker died on the 24th of March, 1881, and was buried on the 28th. His funeral was the largest ever witnessed in St. Clair county. A dozen states sent delegations, and the friends that participated in the solemnizing of the day, are to be numbered by thousands.

VILLAGE OF SUMMERFIELD.

This place, like many others in the west, sprang into existence with the building of the railroad through this part of the county. It was laid out in the spring of 1854, by Thomas Casad and B. T. Kavanaugh. At the time it was laid out, the site was covered with a growth of small timber and underbrush ; not a house was within its limits. The first building was erected by Samuel S. Casad, soon after the survey was made, in the spring of 1854. It was a small one-story frame dwelling, situated on block eight, lot four, and is still standing, and forms a part of. Peter Kullmann's store-house. In one room of this building, Mr. Casad kept a small stock of general store goods, and it was only a few months until a post-office was established, and Mr. Casad was appointed post-master.

Samuel S. Casad was not only the first resident of the village, but also the first merchant, and did much toward building up the place. He soon erected a second house, on the lot just north of the first, and the following fall, John Wakefield, Rev. Thornton Peeples and Dr. Walker, each erected dwellings about the same time. Dr. Walker was the first resident physician. The present large steam flouring mill was being built iu 1854, and a blacksmith shop was also opened in the same year. In the spring of 1855, Andrew Hall and Thomas Casad erected several tenement houses, and this year the population was considerably increased. A two- story frame building was erected by H. Beetle, who opened a hotel, the first in the place. Mr. Casad continued the only merchant un- til the completion of a store-house by Rev. Thornton Peeples, in the summer of 1856, when Bradford & Brother, of St Louis, laid in a stock of clothing. The next store-house was built by John Wake- field, early in 1857, and that spring Wakefield & Phillips opened a general stock of goods. In the same year Rev. Thornton Peeples erected another store, and a general stock of goods was opened in it by the firm, Peeples & Dew." This year a broom factory was erected by a stock company, composed of enterprising men, and operated successfully by Haven & White for several years. In a severe storm the building was blown down, and was never rebuilt. There were several stores and minor enterprises establi hed in 1857 and '58, and since then the village has grown gradually, and like all places, there have been numerous changes in the business circle. S. P. Dew, Joseph R. Padfield, John M. Casad, Charles Wakefield, Heury Ruth, George Bumb, John Schupp, Dr. A. W. Casad. Gar- ret and Jacob Vogt, Charles L. Dew, Julius - Winkler, Joseph Trenz, George Peters and Jacob Schuster, were among the early residents, and business men not above mentioned.

The first school was a private one, taught in the rear of Rev. Peeples' store-house, in the summer of 1856, by Miss Lucy E Dew. It was a three-months' subscription school. ; The first public school building was erected in 1860. It is still standing near the new one, and is now being used by the German parochial school. It is a brick, one story high, 36x40 feet, with two rooms, and cost, when

built, $4,000. The present fine brick structure was erected in 1874, at a cost of $10,500, including furniture. It is 40x60 feet, and two stories high. The entrance projects from the main building and runs above the roof, forming a tower, in which swings a bell. It has four school-rooms and employs four teachers.

The Methodist denomination built the first church, which was completed in 1857. It was constructed of brick, in size about 40x60 feet, with basement, where the public schools were first held. This building was torn down in 1874, and their present fine brick church was built on the same spot.

The Mennonite church is a one-story brick structure, about 30x45 feet, and was erected in 1858.

The German Methodist church was erected in 1864. It is a brick building, about 24x36 feet. The Evangelical Lutherans have a brick church about 30x40 feet, which was erected in 1865.

Summerfield was incorporated under the general law as a village in 1866.

A coal-shaft was sunk at this point several years ago, but was never successfully worked. Coal was discovered at a depth of three hun- dred and eighty feet ; the vein, however, was but three and a half feet in thickness, which was too small to be profitably worked. Summerfield, situated as it is in the heart of a rich and populous farming district, makes it a good point for shipping and general mercantile business. The precinct and village together have a population of 1,676, both well supplied with churches and schools, which are liberally maintained. Summerfield has two secret socie- ties ; the Summerfield Lodge, No. 342, A. F. & A. M., was chartered in 1860, and has a membership of twenty-four. The Summerfield Lodge, No. 163, A. O. W. M., was chartered March 12, 1880, and has twenty-eight members. Both societies are in good working order.

The Summerfield Mills as stated above, was built in 1854, by Casad, Wakefield & Co. In 1859 it was purchased by C. Eisen- mayer, the present owner, who enlarged the building and capacity. It is an excellent mill, and contains seven run of burrs and six pairs of rolls, with a capacity of manufacturing two hundred and fifty barrels of flour per day. Several fine brands of flour are manufactured, most of which is shipped to the eastern states and to various parts of Europe. The building is about half brick and half frame, five stories high. Everything is well arranged, and it is among the best mills in the county. A large cooper shop is car- ried on in connection with the business. Employs in all about thirty-five men

In 1880 Ruth & Whitaker erected an elevator on the railroad, just east of the depot. It is constructed for handling all kinds of grain, and has a capacity of 5,000 bushels storage.

PRESENT BUSINESS FIRMS-TRADE OF 1881 :

General Stores-J. Winkler, S R. Whitaker, E. Pausch & Bro.,

J. E. Kreibbiel and P. Kullman.

Drug Store-W. B. Taggert.

Physicians-J. H. Hewitt, J. A. Close.

Bakery-William Bloch.

Hardware and Stoves-Jacob Braundel.

Hotels-Sewell House ; Prairie House, Joseph Trenz, proprietor ;

Tremont House, John Miller, proprietor. Shoe Shops-Louis Tecklenburg, Jacob Seitz, Charles Antoine.

Blacksmith Shops - George Bumb, Frank Grimm, Sen., Frank Grimm, Jr.

Wagon Shops-Phillip Bauhenz, Louis Landwehr.

Barber Shop-Jacob Schuster, Jr.

Harness Shop-Christian Trost.

Saloons-A. Lerch, A. Seger, John Appel, T. McDonald, Phillip Fischer.

FARM RESIDENCE OF JOSEPH P. WHITAKER, SEC.16, T.2, R. 6, (SUMMERFIELD PRECINCT, ST. CLAIR CO., / L

RESIDENCE OF WM. R. PADFIELD, 1/4 OF A MILE WEST OF SUMMERFIELD, ILL.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

W. R. Sadfield

MRS. W. R. PADFIELD,

ONE of the oldest residents of St. Clair county, was born two miles and a half south of Summerfield, on the 30th of September, 1821. His ancestors formerly lived in Maryland, and from there moved to Kentucky. His great grandfather emigrated from England and settled in Maryland. His grandfather, whose name was Wm. Padfield, was born in Maryland, and during the Revolutionary war served in the American army as the driver of a provision wagon. His father, Thomas Padfield, was born in Maryland, in the year 1792. In 1793, when he was not yet a year old, the family moved to Kentucky, and settled in Christian county, near Hopkinsville. They were among the early residents of that part of the state. Thos. Padfield was one of the Kentucky soldiers under Gen. Hopkins, in the war of 1812-14. He took part in Harrison's campaign against the Indians, and was present at the battle of Tippecanoe. He came through Illinois as early as 1811, and that year also visited St. Louis.

In 1815 Mr. Padfield's grandfather moved with the family from Kentucky to Illinois, and settled about three miles south of the present town of Summerfield, on the place which was afterwards the residence of Col. Fred. Hecker. Mr. Padfield's grandfather made the first improvements on the Hecker farm. He died at this place at the age of seventy-five. The settlement in this neighbor- hood, called Union Grove, was one of the earliest in that part of the county. Mr. Padfield's father was twenty-three years old when the family made their home in Illinois. Soon after his arrival he opened a store at Carlyle-the first one ever in existence in that town. After carrying on this store for three or four years, the goods were moved to Union Grove, where Mr. Padfield's father continned the business. Thomas Padfield was married at Carlyle to Temperance Hill, daughter of Major Isaac Hill. She was born in Georgia. Her father, Major Hill, was in the war of 1812, and during that campaign commanded a fort near Greenville, in Bond county.

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This is the fort near which Tom. Higgins had his celebrated fight with the Indians, and Mr. Padfield's mother was in the fort at the time of the encounter, which was in plain view of the garrison. Major Hill also served in the Black Hawk war.

After his marriage, Thomas Padfield settled two miles and a half south of Summerfield, on a farm now owned by W. R. Padfield. He moved to Summerfield in 1869, and died in November, 1873. His wife had died previously in 1863. He was a man of indus- trious habits, and his time was constantly spent in some useful em- ployment. He was first a member of the Whig party and after- wards a Republican.

W. R. Padfield was raised in the country, and attended the old- fashioned subscription schools, held in log school-houses with punch- eon floors and slab benches. He went to school as much as he had op- portunity, but most of his education was obtained at home, nights, without instruction, by the light of a brush wood fire He was married in June, 1853, to Miss Caroline Alexander, daughter of John Alexander. The Alexander family came to Illinois from Pennsylvania, and settled near Shiloh. She died of consumption within a few months after her marriage. Mr. Padfield engaged in farming on his father's old farm, two miles and a half south of Summerfield, and lived there till he moved to his present residence just west of Summerfield in 1880. A view of this place appears on another page. He owns three hundred and fifty acres of land south of Summerfield. Beside his residence adjoining Summerfield, he is the owner of considerable property in that town. His second marriage took place in the spring of 1863, to Anna Klein, a native of Manheim, Germany. She died in the spring of 1874. His present wife. to whom he was married in the spring of 1875, was Elizabeth Klein, a sister of his second wife. She was born on the ocean while her parents were coming to this country. Her father is Powell Klein, of Mascoutah. He has two children by his last marriage, whose names are Damon and Sideros, the former now five and the latter less than a year old. Mr. Padfield has been a member of the Republican party ever since it first started, and voted for Fremont in 1856, the first Republican presidential candi- date. He is a member of the Masonic lodge at Summerfield. He was elected Justice of the Peace in 1874, and has filled that posi- tion with satisfaction to the people. One of the characteristics of his administration of this office has been his desire to have parties to a suit settle their disputes without litigation, and in this he has been generally successful.

DR. EDWARD PARKS BLAND

Is a resident of Summerfield precinct, and was born in Amelia county of the Old Dominion, on the 13th of December, 1813. The family to which he belongs was of English origin, and occupied a good position in that part of Virginia The subject of this sketch was raised in Virginia. He acquired a liberal education, and for a time was a student in William and Mary College. Soon after leaving college he came west, and reaching the neighborhood of St. Louis, took charge of a school at Bridgeton, St Louis county, Mis- souri. He was only temporarily engaged in this occupation. Hav- ing made up his mind to enter the medical profession, he entered the old McDowell College in St. Louis, and attended lectures dur- ing the winter of 1846-7. He began practice in St. Louis county, Missouri, but in 1848 became a resident of St. Clair county; and undertook the practice of his profession at Fayetteville. He was a resident of that place for seven years, and then in the year 1855, removed to Mascoutah, where he was engaged in the practice of ·medicine till 1861.

While living at Mascoutah he married (on the 9th of April, 1856,) Julia Ann Padfield, daughter of Thomas Padfield. The Padfield family was one of the earliest to settle in the north-eastern part of St. Clair county. Mrs. Padfield's great-grandfather was born in England, and on coming to America settled in Maryland. In 1793 her grandfather, whose name was William Padfield, moved from Maryland and settled in Christian county, Kentucky. Her father was born in Maryland, and was not a year old when the family moved to Kentucky. He was in the war of 1812-14, served in General Harrison's campaign against the Indians, and was present at the battle of Tippecanoe. He is said to have opened the first store that was ever in the town of Carlyle. He married Temper- ance Hill, daughter of Major Isaac Hill, who was one of the first settlers of Carlyle, and a soldier both in the war of 1812-14 and the Black Hawk war.

Dr. Bland, in 1861, became a resident of the town of Summer- field, where he engaged in the practice of his profession. In 1870 he moved to his present residence in section 35, T. 2 N., R. 6 W.

He has since retired from the practice of his profession, and has been engaged in farming. Dr. Bland has taken an active interest in politics. He was warmly attached to the democratic party. His views have been thoroughly honest and sincere, and of that ad- vanced and positive type which characterized all his mental con- victions. During his active life he was a man of much mental activity, and formed his views regardless of the opinions of others. He possessed a mind of great candor, and was free, outspoken and fearless in the expression of his sentiments. He cared little for popular favor. As a physician, he had a good reputation, and was regarded as a man of broad and liberal education.

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History of St. Clair County, Illinois. With illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 90

Author: Brink, McDonough & Co., Philadelphia Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Philadelphia : Brink, McDonough Number of Pages: 530

Author: Brink, McDonough & Co., Philadelphia
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia : Brink, McDonough
Number of Pages: 530