USA > Illinois > Stark County > History of Stark County, Illinois, and its people : a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume I > Part 28
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PRICES AND WAGES
Much has been said in recent years about the high cost of living, but, when compared with conditions of three-quarters of a century ago, the present day citizen has no cause for complaint. From old account books kept by a merchant of MeLean County, III., from 1830 to 1835, it is learned that unbleached muslin then sold for from 20 to 30 cents per yard: cambric, 40 cents; ealieo, 3715 cents; bed tieking, 40 to 75 cents; eoffee, 25 to 40 eents per pound: tea, $I to $1.25; salt, 3 cents: sugar, 10 to 1216 cents : nails, 1216 to 15 cents; tacks, 25 cents per paper: molasses, 3712 per gallon, and whisky, 50 cents. As the conditions in MeLean County and what is now the County of Stark were very much the same, it is fair to presume that the early settlers here paid similar prices for their goods. Then a tin pail holding a gallon and a half sold for 75 cents; pint tin eups, 15 cents; and a set of six common glass tumblers, 75 cents.
On the other hand the farmer sold his wheat for from 40 to 50 eents per bushel ; corn, 10 to 25 cents : potatoes, 20 to 30 cents; bacon, 312 to 5 cents per pound; butter, 10 to 15 cents, and other farm
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products in proportion. Not only were the prices low, but the farmer had to haul his produce several miles to market, often over roads where in bad weather an empty wagon would be about all two horses could draw. Farm hands worked for from $8 to $12 per month and often split fence rails for 25 cents per 100. Notwithstanding the low prices they received and the high prices of most of the stuff they were compelled to buy, the farmers of Stark County kept on with their labors, improved their farms, developed the country, and in time grew sufficiently wealthy to surround themselves with most of the comforts and some of the luxuries of modern civilization. When one stops to consider the obstacles the pioneers overcame and the results they accomplished, he cannot help but agree with Robert Burns that
"Buirdly chiels and elever hizzies Are bred in sic a way as this is."
LINCOLN AND DOUGLAS
The year 1858 is memorable in Illinois history for the joint political discussions between Abraham Lincoln, afterward President of the United States, and Stephen A. Douglas, called by his partisan ad- mirers the "Little Giant." The passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Bill only four years before had opened anew the subject of slavery. Doug- las had voted for the passage of the bill and in the debates with Mr. Lincoln he "met a foeman worthy of his steel." Many of the Stark County people tried to have one of the joint discussions held at Toulon, but prior engagements defeated the plan, though the two great orators, on their way to one of their appointments, each favored Toulon with a speech.
Douglas arrived on October 5, 1858, and was the guest of the hotel kept by B. A. IFall, which was democratic headquarters. There were then no railroads in Stark County, the "Little Giant" came in an open carriage, despite the rain, and was accompanied by Lieutenant- Governor Payne, of Ohio. At the hotel he was greeted by a large number of enthusiastic democrats and was welcomed by Martin Shal- lenberger in a short but appropriate address, to which Mr. Douglas responded briefly. After dinner he was escorted to the public square, where a platform had been erected for the speaker. So dense was the crowd that some time was spent in getting through it to the speaker's stand, many crowding forward to shake Mr. Douglas' hand. Although hoarse from his long campaign and the rain was falling. he soon
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warmed to his subject and the multitude stood for an hour or more listening with rapt attention to his utterances.
The next day dawned and it was still raining, but the republicans seemed determined to make a greater showing than the democrats had done on the day previous. At an early hour delegations came pouring in from every township in the county, and even from the adjoining counties. It could easily have been seen, by the most casual observer, . that if Douglas was the idol of the democracy, Lincoln was the pop- ular hero of the republican party, which was still in its swaddling clothes. This vast assemblage rendezvoused on the Kewanee road, a short distance north of the town, to await the coming of the speaker. Oliver Whitaker acted as chief marshal. Forming the people in a hollow square, he instructed them to remain silent until he gave the signal for applause. Mr. Lincoln's carriage approached at a moder- ate gait, owing to the condition of the road, Mr. Whitaker waved his hand and the cheer that went up was so spontaneous and deafening that the horses attached to the carriage were frightened to such an extent that the safety of the occupants of the carriage was threatened. Says Mrs. Shallenberger: "Order being restored, the various dele- gations paid their respects to Mr. Lincoln and the ladies on horseback, decorated with state badges, rode up. The one representing Illinois was provided with a wreath of leaves and flowers, with which it is presumed she meant to crown or encirele the man they delighted to honor, but Mr. Lincoln very quietly said: 'Wear it yourself, dear, they become you better than me.' "
A procession was then formed claimed by many to be the largest ever witnessed in the county up to that time-and Mr. Lincoln was escorted to the Virginia Hotel on East Main Street. Here he de- elined any formal greeting and remained in his room until dinner was ready. After dinner he was escorted to the public square, where he spoke from the stand that Mr. Douglas had spoken from the day before. And, as at the Douglas meeting, the audience stood in the rain to listen to him who two years later was ealled to the highest office in the gift of the people.
In the campaign of 1860 these two men were the leading opposing candidates for the Presidency. Lincoln was elected and when the Southern States began to adopt ordinances of secession Mr. Douglas laid aside all former differences of opinion and became a firm sup- porter of the administration. As a "war democrat" he gained in popularity and many of his warmest friends were the most sincere mourners when the telegraph in April, 1865, flashed the message to
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the country: "Lincoln has been assassinated." In 1912 the Old Settlers' Association erected a monument upon the site of the platform from which these two great men spoke more than half a century be- fore. The monument is described in another chapter.
THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD
About the time of the passage of the bill known as the "Missouri Compromise" was passed by Congress in 1820, a number of persons throughout the free states began to act in concert in passing runaway negroes from one point to another on their way to Canada, where they would be beyond the reach of the Fugitive Slave Law. Such per- sons acted with great secrecy at first, but in a few years the operation of the system became pretty well known and was given the name of the "Underground Railroad." One of the best organized stations in the State of Illinois was the one at Galesburg. the route to which lay through Peoria and Stark counties.
Among the early settlers of Stark County were several who were opposed to slavery and, although they were members of church and good citizens, did not consider that they were doing wrong to violate the Fugitive Slave Law and assist the poor black refugees on their way to freedom. One of these was Rev. S. G. Wright, as the follow- ing extracts from his diary will show: "February 6, 1843-Another fugitive from slavery came along, making twenty-one that have passed through this settlement on their way to Canada. May 22, 1843- Saturday went to Emery settlement, but found so strong an antipathy against abolitionists that few would hear me preach, so I went on and preached at Toulon Sabbath morning. May 30-The grand jury found a bill against me and my elder, W. W. Webster, for harboring runaway slaves. June 24-Witness in case of The People vs. Cross, for harboring runaway slaves."
The last extract refers to the case of Rev. John Cross, who was indicted in Knox County for aiding in the escape of fugitive negroes. Before the case came to trial, Mr. Cross removed to Bureau County and a deputy sheriff was sent to arrest him and bring him back to Knoxville. Mr. Cross not only agreed to go willingly, but also fur- nished his team and light wagon for the trip. Leaving Bureau County on Saturday. they reached Oliver Whitaker's, at Osceola Grove, that night and Mr. Cross preached there the next morning. Before this he had been arrested and confined in the jail at Galesburg, but had been bailed out by some of his abolitionist friends. In his trial at Knoxville in 1843 he was acquitted.
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Elias and Nehemiah Wycoff came to Stark County before it was organized and settled in the Spoon River Valley, not far from the Peoria County line. They soon became identified with the Under- ground Railroad and no doubt furnished aid to many a runaway slave. In one of his pioneer sketches published in the old Stark County Sen- tinel, W. 11. Adams tells the following story, as it was given to him by Fountain Watkins, the principal actor, who was known as "the laughing abolitionist," on account of his sunny disposition :
"Some time late in the '40s Eli Wilson brought to my place a likely young darkey, who said he had been a waiter on a Mississippi River steamboat. Ile stayed with us for about a week and played with the boys in the woods. Some of our kind friends at Farmington sent me word one evening to push the boy ahead, as hunters were on his track. It would not answer to start that night, for it would be certain to invite pursuit. I finally coneluded to wait until morning and during the night studied out a plan how the old woman and me would go visiting the next day on horseback. As the fall winds were kinder hard on the women's faces, it was no more than natural for her to have on a veil. So the next morning I saddled a gray team I owned and had Peter put on one of my wife's dresses and a veil, and helped him to mount the horse with the side-saddle, just as though it was my wife. I mounted the other horse and admonished Peter not to talk unless I spoke to him.
"We struek out, taking a road that led in the direction of the east side of the mound, west of the Town of Elmwood. The road across the Kickapoo bottoms was lined on each side with a dense growth of high weeds and brush. While in this place we saw a team coming toward us with George Pierce and John Dalton in the wagon. I had been told that Dalton had been blowing around that if he ever caught me 'running off a nigger' he would have me arrested. I pulled out to the right and Peter to the left to let the wagon pass. I said 'Good morning,' and they said 'Good morning,' but we had not gone more than a rod or two when I heard George say: 'I'll be d -- d if I don't believe Fount has a nigger with him.' Here the road made a sharp turn, the ground was soft, and didn't we ply the bud and let the horses go until we reached the high ground at the mound. Here we pulled rein and looked baek. Not a soul was in sight. I told Pete that it was twelve miles to the next timber and we had to travel, as there was danger of them eusses following us.
"We reached the hazel brush south of Rochester, on Spoon River, where I hid Pete and started for town to find something to eat for the
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horses, the nigger and myself. Meeting Dave Frisby, I did not pre- tend to notice him, but he recognized me and said: 'Hello Fount! How do you do? Where are you going?' I replied: 'Just down here to find a girl; my wife is not very well.' To this Dave replied with a significant smile, 'You don't want a girl; you have a runaway somewhere in the brush and are on the hunt of something to eat. I know you, old fox, you can't fool Dave Frisby. How are the wife and babies, any how?' I said: 'Dave, where have you been?' He replied that he was in business in Rochester, and then came back to the subject of the fugitive: 'Say, Fount, you've got a nigger hid somewhere, and don't you deny it. Do you see that house over there? That is where Elias Wyeoff lives. I board there. He is a brother to Nehemiah Wyeoff', who lives just across the line in Stark County, and both are sound abolitionists.' I said: 'Dave, Wycoff may be all right, but you always said it was not right to help slaves get away from their masters.' He replied: 'Fount, you know I have also al- ways said slavery was wrong; then it is all right to set them free. Here's my hand on that.
"I knew I eould tie to Dave, so we shook hands and I went with him to the house. Mr. Wyeoff was not at home, but was expected in a short time. The horses were eared for and Frisby and I went out to Pete's hiding place. I gave the signal and 'the woman' stepped out. We introduced 'her' to the family and to Mr. Wycoff, who said he would be delighted to help anyone out of bondage. Pete and I had supper and soon afterward I informed our host that 'the lady' wished to make some change in her dress. She was shown into a room and I followed. Said 1: 'Pete, take off your dress.' Wycoff was some- what surprised and asked: 'Is that a man?' I said it was, that he had on one of my wife's dresses and that I wanted to take it home with me, because dresses were not overly plenty at our house. Peter slipped out of his dress and stood before us in a suit of broadeloth. Every- body laughed, and as soon as it was dark I started for home, leaving the fugitive in the care of his new-found friends and that night Mr. Wyeoff passed him along to the next station on the 'Great Southern & Canadian Underground Railroad.'"
Slavery was abolished by President Lincoln's Emancipation Proc- lamation in 1863 and many persons born sinee that time ean hardly realize that it was once a "divine institution" in the minds of some of the citizens of the United States. The above account of the Under- ground Railroad has been ineluded in this work that the present gen- eration may form some idea of the conditions that existed when the
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first white men settled in Stark County. They were not law-breakers, but many of them believed that no one man had a moral right to own another, and that it was a righteous aet to violate the Fugitive Slave Law. Sineere in these eonvietions, they did what they could in their humble way to assist the black slave on his way to liberty.
A RESOLUTION
For several years after the close of the Civil war, political senti- ment was very much divided over the enfranchisement of the negroes and the adoption of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth amendments to the Federal Constitution. The subject came before the board of super- visors of Stark County at the June term in 1866, when Mr. Ackley, of Penn Township, presented the following resolution:
"Whereas, section 1 of the constitutional amendment declares that slavery or involuntary servitude shall not exist in the United States or any of the territories thereof, and seetion 2 provides that Congress shall have power to enforce the foregoing seetion by appro- priate legislation, and
"Whereas, the 'Civil Rights Bill' was that appropriate legislation, therefore be it
"Resolved that Andrew Johnson, in refusing to sign. and in vetoing said bill, and in other aets has rendered himself unworthy the confidence or respect of all loyal and patriotie men."
Mr. Parks, of Elmira Township, moved that the resolution be indefinitely postponed, but the motion was lost. The resolution was then adopted by a vote of six to two, Mr. Parks and Mr. Rogers, of Valley Township, voting in the negative. The incident is here men- tioned to show the intensity of feeling that pervaded Stark County and how neighbors would differ in opinion. Andrew Johnson was then President of the United States and Messrs. Parks and Rogers felt that it was presumption on the part of a board of county super- visors to criticize his official aets or attempt to point out to him the course he should pursue. The majority thought differently, however. and placed themselves on record accordingly.
THE FIRST POLITICAL CAMPAIGN
As stated in Chapter VI, the first election for county officers was held at the house of Elijah MeClenahan. The settlers in what are now Essex, Penn and Osceola townships got the impression that the little cirele "at the hub," known as the "Henderson men," was
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organizing to pareel out the offices. As a matter of fact. the emolu- ments of any office in the county at that period would hardly pay the ineumbent for the labor he would be required to perform in the dis- charge of his official duties. But political honors appealed to the average citizen then much as they do in the present day, and the voters in the "out townships" decided to put up a fight in opposition to "the ring."
The Henderson men were chiefly from Ohio, Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee. Opposed to them were the Yankees of Osceola Grove and Penn Township and the Seoteh of Elmira. Among the latter was James Moore, who was a shrewd individual and well calculated for a political leader. He went to Osceola, where he enlisted the coopera- tion of E. S. Brodhead. a brother-in-law of Oliver Whitaker, and the two started out to organize their forces for the fray. In what is now Goshen Township they visited Ruloff Parrish and Conrad Emery, who had been decided on as one of the judges of election. That eve- ning a little cancus was held and the next day the two missionaries held a meeting at Lafayette, where they promised Jonathan Hodgson the office of county commissioner. This settled matters so far as that part of the county was concerned, Hodgson's friends becoming aetive supporters of the movement to down the Henderson men.
The next point was Massillon Precinct. or West Jersey Town- ship, though it was not then known by either of those names. Here the Eekleys. Dunns, Websters, Wycoff's. Trickles and their neighbors gathered and Stephen Trickle was decided upon as another available candidate for county commissioner. Thus the links in the chain were being welded. Moore and Brodhead next went to Wyoming, where the latter was well acquainted. and where the support of General Thomas and his friends was seeured. Then touching the settlements along the way, the two men returned to Osceola Grove, where a mon- ster "mass meeting." attended by probably twenty-five voters, was held. The "slate" was then completed by the selection of Minott Silli- man for treasurer, Jesse W. Heath for recorder. Oliver Whitaker for clerk. Augustus A. Dunn for sheriff. Calvin Winslow for the third commissioner. Dr. Thomas Hall for coroner and John W. Agard for surveyor.
Now came the work of "getting out the vote." Teams and wagons were pressed into service, every man was assigned to his post. and the women folks were persuaded to make a flag to be carried at the head of the procession when it moved upon the polls at MeClenahan's. This flag is thus deseribed by Mrs. Shallenberger:
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"What matters it that bed linen brought from across the sea must serve for bunting, a blue silk handkerchief be transformed into an azure field for the stars, and a pair of genuine English cavalry pants supply the scarlet ? It was a new combination and entirely successful, the result being a grand United States flag that seemed to inspire the men with all sorts of patriotic fervor."
The Henderson men, among whom were the MeClenahans, Perrys, Smiths, the several members of the Essex family, and their allies, were inclined to look with derision on the "Pennamites." as they called the Moore and Brodhead forces, and had published the threat that none of them should ever hold office in the new county, But they reckoned without their host. Even in that day "organization" counted for something in politieal campaigns, and the Pennamites had an organization that proved to be invulnerable when the final test came.
The morning of the first Monday in April (election day) dawned clear and bright and each faction began the work of marshaling its hosts. Wagons drawn by four horses and filled with voters left Osceola Grove at an early hour for the voting place. Among the Scotch settlers were several musicians, who brought their instruments with them, and as the procession moved along the sound of "pipe and pibroch echoed through the glen." At every settlement fresh detach- ments of men joined the ranks, and by the time they reached Me- Clenahan's the Pennamites were sufficiently strong to awaken some alarm among their opponents. As they approached the voting place with their flag flying, the band playing, some in wagons, some on horseback and some on foot, James MeClenahan is said to have made the inquiry: "Where in God's name did all these men come from?"
Colonel Henderson, the acknowledged leader of the opposition. was seated upon the fence, eally watching the arrival of the Penna- mites. When all were assembled he mounted the "horse-block." read the act of Legislature calling the election, and nominated Doetor Richards, MeClenahan's brother-in-law, for chairman of the meeting. This proposition was promptly voted down by the Pennamites, who then put forward the name of William Parks, who was elected after some confusion. Then the rest of the Moore and Brodhead program was carried out with something of the "steam roller" methods of modern polities. Whitney Smith and John Finley, the men pre- viously selected, were installed as judges of the election and the "slate" went through without a hitch. As soon as the result of the election was declared, the vietors went to the grove, where they found their horses and vehicles all safe, and then commenced a jubilant
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demonstration over their victory. Says Mrs. Shallenberger: "They took out their instruments of music and flung their flag to the breeze, driving up and down the road in the most exultant fashion. In the first flush of victory they surely forgot to be magnanimous toward the disappointed. But now, after thirty-five changeful years have swept by, and heads are white and bowed that then carried the honors of early manhood, perhaps too proudly, there are those who remember with a twinge of remorse, the bitter reflection of Colonel Henderson, uttered in the moment of defeat: 'I made the d-d little county, and this is my reward.' In view of all that he had accomplished for us. they freely say, we were ungrateful. But they did not reason thus that night in 1839, but loading up every straggler they could find. commeneed a sort of triumphant march toward Wyoming."
Upon arriving at Wyoming the cavaleade drew up in front of Whitney Smith's store, and as many of the men had not eaten any- thing since early morning, Mrs. Smith began bustling about to pre- pare something for them to eat, while Whitney brought out a good-sized demijohn filled with whisky to furnish the "liquid refresh- ments." While the demijohn was passing from hand to hand-or rather from mouth to mouth-among the Osceola men in the wagon, some one hit the horses a cut with the whip, the purpose being to carry off Smith's whisky. But some of the more sober ones in the party insisted that this was not a fair deal and that the demijohn should be returned to its owner, to whom it was explained that the whole thing was merely intended as a joke.
There had been no lack of whisky during the day and the fresh supply received at Wyoming put the men in good shape to finish up the day's celebration in gorgeous style. On the way baek to Osceola Grove they stopped long enough to serenade several of the settlers. receiving more to eat and drink. It was almost daylight the next morning when the delegation reached Osceola and some of the best eitizens of that little community did not get the cobwebs out of their brain all that day.
The next year came the presidential campaign, when the whigs, under the leadership of Colonel Henderson, carried the county for Gen. William H. Harrison by a majority of thirty-three over Martin Van Buren, the democratie candidate. The victory for "Old Tippe- canoe." as General Harrison was fondly designated, took some of the sting out of the defeat at the first county election the year before.
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INDIAN RETALIATION
When Henry Seeley built his cabin at "Seeley's Point," in what is now Penn Township, in 1834, some of the Pottawatomi Indians were still living along Indian Creek and a portion of the tribe for several years after that date came regularly to winter at Walnut Grove. Mr. Seeley and his family kept on good terms with these Indians, and as Mr. Seeley himself understood their language, he, traded freely with them. In 1835 he raised a good corn erop and when the band eame to the winter quarters in the grove that year he sold them corn for themselves and ponies. One day, while Mr. Seeley was attending to some business in Peoria, an Indian eame to his cabin with a large sack, which he wanted filled with shelled eorn, tendering a silver half dollar in payment.
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