USA > Illinois > Stark County > History of Stark County, Illinois, and its people : a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume I > Part 29
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Mr. Seeley's father, a man well advanced in years and not phys- ically strong, was the only man about the place. After conferring with his daughter-in-law he decided that it was better to let the Indian have the corn, although the 50 cents was less than half its value. When the saek was filled the Indian threw it across his pony and de- parted, no doubt laughing in his sleeve at the trick he had played on a white man. A few days later he returned with the same sack, or one very neh like it, and another half dollar. But this time Mr. Seeley was at home. He was not afraid of the "Big Injun" and promptly informed him that it would take two such coins to purchase the corn. This time the Indian, not having the requisite sum of money, was compelled to return to his people empty handed. Mr. Seeley noticed that the red man was quite sullen as he mounted his pony and knew that in some way the Indian would endeavor to get even for the insult.
About a year later, while the Indians were eneamped at Walnut Grove, Mr. Seeley and a neighbor, one of the Sturms boys, rode over one day to see how their Pottawatomi friends were getting along. At that time there was a French trading post not far from the Indian camp, where gunpowder and whisky were among the leading com- modities offered for sale. As Mr. Seeley and his companion ap- proached the camp it was plain to be seen that the Indians had been to the trading post. The discordant shouts and yells told as plainly as words that the Indians were on a spree, while now and then would be heard the report of firearnis.
It was a custom among the Indians that when they wanted to "go on a drunk" one man was either drafted or volunteered to stay sober to prevent the drunken ones from killing each other. Mr. ''nl 1 14
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HISTORY OF STARK COUNTY
Seeley and his friend carried their rifles and rode forward to the camp, knowing that the sober Indian would probably be able to control those who were drinking, or, if not, they could take care of themselves. Upon entering the camp a group of half-drunken savages came up to them with a small cask of "fire-water" and invited the white men to join them in a social drink. Sturms first took the little keg and held it to his mouth for a few moments as though drinking, after which it was passed to Mr. Seeley. But just as he was raising it to his lips the Indian to whom he had refused the eorn the year before rushed out of the crowd, snatched the keg and exclaimed: "Mean white man, no sell Indian corn, he no have fire-water." The insult of the preceding year was wiped out.
While all this was taking place the squaws were busy gathering and hiding the arms, for fear that their men folks would either assault the white men, who had been kind to them, or injure each other in a drunken brawl. The keg of liquor was quickly carried away by the roisterers to a neighboring thicket and Mr. Seeley rode away without fear of any further enmity on the part of the Indian.
HUNTING IN EARLY DAYS
When the first settlers eame to Stark County game of all kinds was plentiful and the pioneer depended more upon his rifle than upon his flocks and herds to furnish the family's supply of meat. Boys were early taught to shoot and it was no unusual thing for a twelve- year-old lad to bring in a wild turkey or report that he had killed a deer which was too heavy for him to earry. Among those who achieved distinetion as hunters were the Sturms boys-Henry, Nicholas. Sam- uel. Matthias and Simon-all sons of Matthias, who settled in the county in 1834. Clad in rough frontier garb and armed with the old Kentucky "hammered barrel, hair triggered" rifle, they knew every "(leer liek" in the country round. Henry Sturms used to say that he had killed as many as thirty deer in one week and dragged them home by tying them to the tail of his horse.
They never earried their rifles on Sunday, and one Sunday morn- ing, about 1845, while Henry Sturms and one of his cousins were re- turning home from church, they diseovered a large buek, slightly wounded, lying in the water of Spoon River, where he had doubtless erept to conceal himself from his pursuers. Henry leaped from a bluff some eight or ten feet high, landed squarely upon the bnek's shoulders, seized him by the horns and foreed his nostrils under water,
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HISTORY OF STARK COUNTY
holding him there by main strength until he was almost suffocated. The deer wa's then despatched with a heavy pocket knife, such as every frontiersman usually carried, and the two youngsters dragged the deer home, which was but a short distance from the place where they found hin.
Bnt. while deer and such animals were hunted for food, there was an occasional wolf hunt for the purpose of lessening the number of these animals that were preying upon the few domestic animals of the settlers. Two or three years after Isaac B. Essex and his associates settled along the Spoon River, in what is now Essex Township, they were invited to join with those living about Princeville, Peoria County, in a wolf hunt. Minott Silliman, Benjamin Smith. David Cooper, the Miners, Reeds, Daniel Prince and several others joined in the hunt and a number of wolves were killed. Another great wolf humt was "pulled off" in 1845, in which over one hundred settlers par- tieipated. Harvey L. Ross, while still in his "teens," eaught twelve wolves one season in steel traps set near the eareass of a dead horse.
EARLY OUTLAWRY
In the preceding chapter mention is made of the Mutual Protection Society, which was organized to protect the settlers against the depre- dations of bandits and horse thieves. The history of every frontier shows that such settlements have been the resort of men who would rather live by robbery than by honest labor. Then the reign of law was in its infaney, courts and prisons were at some distance from the "margin of eivilization." and the outlaws stood a much better chance of escaping the clutches of the law. Early in the nineteenth century the notorious John A. Murrell organized what was probably the first regular chain of horse thieves and highwaymen, which extended from the Ohio Valley to the Southern States, where there was then a great demand for horses. A stolen horse could be eoneealed throughout the day in some convenient thicket and at night passed on to the next station in the chain, until the market was reached.
Even after the death of Murrell, gangs continued to operate in Indiana, Illinois and some of the ad joining states. John Driscoll and his two sons-William and David; John Brodie and three of his sons; Samuel Aiken and his three sons: William K. Bridge and Nor- ton B. Boyee: Jack and William Britt, were some of the gang leaders that managed the affairs of the outlaws about the time Stark County was settled. They were the men who planned the robberies, provided
300
HISTORY OF STARK COUNTY
alibis for those who were so unfortunate as to be arrested, furnished hiding places for the stolen booty, laid out the route the stolen horse was to be taken, concealed the members of the gang from the officers of the law, and sometimes took a hand in the robberies themselves.
Some twenty-five or thirty years ago, W. H. Adams. in one of his "Pioneer Reminiscences," published in the Brimfield News, tells of three men who came to John Lafferty's in April, 1838, pretending that they were looking for land. Mr. Lafferty had come from Ohio two years before and located in Knox County, not far from the present boundary of Stark. On the night of May 1, 1838, the "land buyers" disappeared and the next morning Mr. Lafferty discovered that a team of fine black horses he owned was missing. About the same time John Miller. Sewell Smith and Robert Colwell reported that they had lost horses. A posse was soon organized to trace the thieves. The balance of the story is thus told by Mr. Adams:
"Meantime one Roantree, of Henderson Grove, arrived at Mil- ler's house with the information that two horses were in charge of a boy at Washburn's Grove. John McCoy was sent to investigate. identified the horses as Lafferty's, and then started in search of the posse, meeting them on the way to Washburn's. Arriving there. they relieved the boy of the horses and began making preparations to hang him. The boy was greatly alarmed, of course, and Mr. Miller, taking advantage of his fright. led him to one side and promised to intercede for him if he would give information that would lead to the capture of the thieves. This the young fellow was glad to do, and when ques- tioned by Lafferty and Colwell. told them that the rendezvous was in the Winnebago swamp. That night the party started for the swamp, taking the boy with them to act as guide, and about daylight came to a spot near the rendezvous. Just before sunrise one of the robbers came out of the brush hut and was captured by John Miller. Two others. alarmed by the scuffle, jumped from the hut and attempted to make their escape, but were overtaken and captured.
"The horses and saddles were then collected and the victors and vanquished proceeded to another grove to try the robbers. The court was organized, the boy's statement was noted. each of the settlers identified his horses, after which a vote was taken upon the guilt or innocence of the prisoners. The verdict was unanimous in favor of their guilt and the trio were hanged. At Spring Creek. on the way home, the posse was fired upon by friends of the men they had just executed, but no one was hurt. The fire was returned briskly and thus ended the adventure of the early days of May. 1838.
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HISTORY OF STARK COUNTY
"In June following, Colwell, Joe Drummond and some others happened to pass that way and one of the party called attention to three bodies swinging from the branch of a tree. Colwell said: 'I wonder if them aint Injuns hung by the whites during the Black Hawk war?' Drummond, turning to him, said: 'Dad, them's horse thieves: you didn't shoot 'em, you hung 'em,' to which Colwell merely replied: 'I guess they're dead,' and the party left the scene of the tragedy."
Once or twice a year, owing to the amount of business done by the gang, an "adjuster" would pass up the Spoon River Valley to pay each member of the gang his share of the ill-gotten gains. Charles S. Payne, of Wyoming, frequently saw this man and described him as "a gentleman of very solemn demeanor, wearing green spectacles, and talked very little."
Mr. Adams also relates another incident of an attempted robbery in 1844. A trader named Smith, located at Rochester, had about two hundred cattle, which he wanted taken to the Chicago market. As there were no railroads at that time, he employed John Emery, a member of one of Stark County's pioneer families, to drive the cattle across the country. Accompanied by John Pratz, Michael Smith and Elias Lafferty, Mr. Emery started for Chicago with the cattle. At the old tavern known as the Nine Mile House, on the Desplaines River, he sold a part of the herd, receiving therefor $200 in gold coin. Upon reaching Chicago he found out that he could sell the cattle to better advantage by having them slaughtered and disposing of the dressed beef. Smith. Pratz and Lafferty returned home, leaving Emery in Chicago.
While all this was going on some of the Britt gang were watching Mr. Emery's movements. When his companions left him alone in Chicago the Britts surmised that he would travel home alone after the cattle were sold, carrying the money with him, and began making their preparations to relieve him of it. The cattle were slaughtered, the meat sold, and Mr. Emery, with the $200 in gold and $1,100 in paper curreney, started for Rochester. The first night ont he passed at the Nine Mile House, where he met Jack and Bill Britt. The next moru- ing Emery and the two Britts rode together to Paw Paw Grove, where Jaek stopped while Emery and Bill rode on to Princeton, where they passed the night. At Princeton Mr. Emery was intro- dueed to a woman and her son, from Meadville, Pa., who were on their way to Carson Berfield's, in Stark County, and offered to guide them the rest of the way.
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HISTORY OF STARK COUNTY
That evening two strangers, well dressed and mounted upon fine horses, arrived at the hotel in Princeton. They were the two members of the gang assigned to the work of getting Mr. Emery's money. Not being apprised of the arrangement that had been made between Mr. Emery and the woman, the two highwaymen were surprised the next morning to see a carriage drawn up in front and Mr. Emery's horse saddled ready for the start. They hurried to the stable and saddled their own horses, but were again surprised to see the lady and her son come out of the hotel and greet Mr. Emery as an acquaintance. After she had stepped into the carriage she asked the cattle drover to hand her his satchel and overcoat, which he did, and then turned to mount his horse. Just then the two would-be robbers appeared upon the scene. It seems that the landlady, suspicious of the two well dressed strangers, had warned Mr. Emery and told some of the guests of her suspicions. These guests were now on hand to see what was going to happen. When Mr. Emery gave the woman in the carriage his over- coat and satchel, one of the robbers asked: "Are you going with them folks?"
Mr. Emery answered in the affirmative and then drawing his money from his pocket said: "Here is over one thousand dollars in paper, and here (drawing a purse from another poeket) are $200 in gold. I would like to see you try to get it. As soon as you came in last night I saw by Bill Britt's actions what your business was and knew who set you dirty, contemptible, thieving skunks on my track. You can follow me if you think it will be healthy, or you can go baek to Paw Paw Grove and tell Jack Britt that you failed to get my money. Then you and the Britts can all go to hell together."
As Mr. Emery uttered the last words he swung himself into his saddle, gallantly lifted his hat to the assembled guests in front of the hotel and rode away, the carriage following. The two erestfallen bandits watched him for a few minutes and then departed in the oppo- site direction. Mr. Emery reached Rochester in good time and turned the money over to his employer.
THE MORMON PROPHET
It may not be generally known to the people of Stark County that Joseph Smith, the founder and first prophet of the Mormon Church, was captured in this county a short time before his tragie death in the jail at Carthage. the county seat of Hancock County, Il. When the Mormons were driven from Missouri they went to a beauti-
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HISTORY OF STARK COUNTY
ful bluff, overlooking the Mississippi River, in Hancock County, where they founded the City of Nauvoo. Robberies and murders committed in lowa were traced to Mormons and the people along the Mississippi in that state and Illinois began to elamor for their re- moval. Matters finally grew so hot that in the early spring of 1844 Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum sought safety in flight.
Working their way northeastward, they reached the old state road running through Goshen Township. On this road was a schoolhouse that overlooked the old Indian camp on Indian Creek. One morning at recess a fine covered carriage drawn by a team of beautiful gray horses drew up in front of the schoolhouse. In the carriage were two men, both wearing silk hats and showing other evidences of prosperity. who inquired the way to Osceola. Almeron M. Harris, afterward a captain in a Missouri regiment in the Civil war, was one of the scholars who happened to know the road to Osceola. Covered carriages were rare in those days and the school children spent some time in speeu- lating who the rich gentlemen were who could afford such a turnout.
Not long after the carriage had passed the pursuing officers ar- rived and also made inquiries at the schoolhouse. Young Harris described the men and the carriage, and directed the officers to Osceola. That afternoon they returned with the two Smiths as prisoners. They were taken back to Carthage, confined in jail to await trial, and on the night of June 27. 1844, the two brothers were assassinated. The death of Joseph Smith left the Mormon Church in a disorganized condition for a time. but a new prophet was chosen and the Mormons took up their march for Utah, where they founded Salt Lake City. It is not certain why the fugitives were inquiring for Osceola, though it may have been that they expected to find friends there who would keep them concealed until it would be safe for them to leave the coun- try. If such a "friend" dwelt at Osceola he kept his own counsel and nobody ever found out his identity.
A POLITICAL ECHO
About a year after the beginning of the Civil war an organization of Southern sympathizers grew up in the North. This society, or secret order, was known by various names. such as "Knights of the Golden Circle," "Sons of Liberty." ete. Along the Ohio River. in Southern Illinois and Indiana, the order flourished, but farther north its members were not so numerous. In September. 1876, a writer in the Chicago Tribune gave what purported to be a history of this
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HISTORY OF STARK COUNTY
organization. According to his account the Sons of Liberty in Illinois had a well concerted plan to capture Camp Douglas in November. 1864, release and arm the Confederate prisoners confined there, and "carry the war into the enemy's country." The writer named several prominent men of Illinois who were interested in the above plan, among them being Martin Shallenberger, of Toulon. As a plain matter of fact. the writer of that so-called history of the Knights of the Golden Circle had evidently not made a very thorough investiga- tion of the facts, for none of the men he mentioned entertained any idea of such action. It was but an echo of days when sectional and political feeling ran high, when neighbor was arrayed against neigh- bor, and rumor as to the treasonable inclinations of this or that individual was prevalent all over the North.
CHAPTER XVIII
STATISTICAL REVIEW
POPULATION AT EACH UNITED STATES CENSUS-CONSTITUTIONAL CON- VENTIONS-CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS-GENERAL ASSEMBLY-HOW STARK HAS BEEN REPRESENTED IN THE LEGISLATURE-OFFICIAL ROS- TER-LIST OF PUBLIC OFFICIALS SINCE 1839-VOTE FOR PRESIDENT AT EACH ELECTION SINCE 1840-SUMMARY OF THE PRINCIPAL EVENTS CONNECTED WITH THE COUNTY'S HISTORY.
Illinois was organized as a territory under the laws of the United States in 1809, and December 3, 1918, will witness the elose of her first century of statehood. Since the organization of the territory, the growth in population, according to the United States census reports, is shown in the following table:
1810
12,282
1820
55,162
1830
157.445
1840
476,183
1850
851,470
1860
1.711.951
1870
2,539,891
1880
3.077,871
1890
3.826,351
1900
4,821,550
1910
5.638,591
Four score and six years have passed sinee Isaac B. Essex built his humble eabin about three miles southwest of the present City of Wyoming, and thus established the first white man's domicile within the confines of what is now Stark County, and more than three-quar- ters of a century have elapsed since the county was organized under the provisions of the act of the Illinois Legislature, approved on March 2. 1839. The first United States census taken after the county
305
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HISTORY OF STARK COUNTY
was organized was in 1840. Since that time the growth in population has been as follows :
1840
1,573
1850
3.710
1860
9,004
1870
10,751
1880
11,209
1890
9.982
1900
10,186
1910
10.098
From this table it will be seen that the greatest proportionate increase in any one decade was from 1840 to 1850. when the growth in the number of inhabitants was from 1.573 to 3,710, or nearly three- fold. Twiee in the history of the county there has been a deeline dur- ing a census deeade-onee from 1880 to 1890 and again from 1900 to 1910. The deerease in population during these periods is due chiefly to the opening of new government lands in other parts of the country, which offered inducements to men of moderate means to aequire homes and farms of their own with a less outlay of capital. Just as between the years 1840 and 1860, when land was cheap in Illinois, other states contributed to her growth, so she in turn con- tributed to the growth of other seetions of the country that presented such opportunities as were found here in Stark County during the twenty years immediately preceding the Civil war. The deerease in population between the years 1900 and 1910 affeeted all parts of the county about alike, as may be seen by a comparison of the last three official census reports, given by townships, to-wit:
Township
1890
1900
1910
Elmira
884
893
841
Essex
1,210
1,188
1,131
Goshen
1,017
1,212
1,145
Osceola
1,484
1.663
1.377
Penn
1,022
998
931
Toulon
2,579
2,553
2.834
Valley
810
788
821
West JJersey
976
891
818
Total
9,982
10.186
10,098
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HISTORY OF STARK COUNTY
The people of Stark County have no cause for humiliation in the decrease in the number of inhabitants. Fifty counties in the state showed a decrease between the years 1900 and 1910 and in some of them the deerease was two thousand or more. In the counties in which large cities are located the census shows an increase, evidence that in recent years there is a tendency among the people to crowd into the cities, and in Stark County the cities of Toulon and Wyo- ming both show an increase in the number of inhabitants during the census period. Notwithstanding the falling off in population. the wealth of the county has not decreased, the taxable value of the prop- erty and the agricultural products for the year 1914 showing that in these respects Stark County has more than held her own.
CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTIONS
The first constitution of Illinois-the one under which the state was admitted in 1818-was adopted twenty-one years before Stark County was organized. It remained the organic law of the state until a second constitutional convention was ordered by the Legislature in 1847. In that convention the district composed of Stark and Mar- shall counties was represented by Henry D. Palmer. The convention assembled at Springfield on June 7, 1847, and remained in session until the last day of August. The constitution was ratified by the people at an election on March 6, 1848, the vote in Stark County being 233 to 84 in favor of the new constitution, which became effective on April 1, 1848.
Another constitutional convention met at Springfield on January 7. 1862. and completed its labors on the 24th of March following. Peoria and Stark counties formed a distriet, which was represented in the convention by Julius Manning and Norman II. Purple. The constitution framed by this convention was rejected by the people at an election held on June 17, 1862. In Stark County the vote was 993 for rejection to 485 for ratification.
The present constitution of the state was adopted by a convention which assembled at Springfield on December 13, 1869, and adjourned sine die on May 13. 1870. For this convention the state was divided into sixty-one distriets, from which eighty-five delegates were chosen. The counties of Peoria and Stark again formed a delegate district. which was represented by Henry W. Wells and Miles A. Fuller. The constitution was ratified by the people on July 2. 1870, and be- came effective on the 8th of August following. Stark County cast 609 votes in favor of the constitution and only 65 in the negative.
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HISTORY OF STARK COUNTY
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS
When Stark County was created in 1839 the State of Illinois was divided into three Congressional districts. Putnam County. from which the greater part of Stark was taken, was one of twenty-two counties comprising the Third District. consequently Stark became a part of that district and remained so until the apportionment under the act of March 1, 1843, when the state was divided into seven districts.
Under this apportionment Stark, Jo Daviess, Stephenson. Win- nebago. Carroll, Ogle, Lee, Whiteside, Rock Island, Henry, Mercer, Henderson, Warren, Knox, McDonough and Hancock constituted the Sixth District.
The census of 1850 showed that the state was entitled to nine rep- resentatives in Congress, and by the aet of August 22, 1852, the Legislature apportioned or divided Illinois into nine distriets. The Fourth District was composed of Fulton, Henry, Knox, Marshall, Mason, Mereer, Peoria, Stark, Tazewell, Warren and Woodford.
By the aet of April 24, 1861, the state was divided into thirteen districts, Stark becoming a part of the Fifth, which was composed of Bureau, Henry, Knox, Marshall, Peoria, Putnam and Stark. It was afterward diseovered that the eensus of 1860 entitled the state to fourteen representatives and the error in the apportionment aet was corrected by eleeting one congressman from the state at large.
The eensus of 1870 showed that Illinois was entitled to nineteen congressmen. By the aet of July 1, 1872, nineteen distriets were created, the first eleetion under the new apportionment occurring in November of that year. The Ninth Distriet under this act consisted of the counties of Fulton, Knox. Peoria and Stark.
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