USA > Illinois > Tazewell County > History of Tazewell 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. History of Illinois Digest of state laws > Part 15
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Vermont-Bears the French name of her mountains Verde Mont, "Green Mountains." Its motto is " Freedom and Unity." It was settled in 1731, and admitted into the Union in 1791. Area 10,212 square miles. Population in 1860, 315,098; in 1870, 330,551. She gave to defend the Government, 33,272 soldiers. Capital, Mont- pelier. Has 3 Representatives, and 5 electors. Governor, H. Fair- banks, Republican; term, 2 years; salary, $1,000.
Virginia .- The Old Dominion, as this State is called, is the oldest of the States. It was named in honor of Queen Elizabeth, the " Virgin Queen," in whose reign Sir Walter Raleigh made his first attempt to colonize that region. Its motto is Sic semper tyrannis, "So always with tyrants." It was first settled at James- town, in 1607, by the English, being the first settlement in the United States. It is one of original thirteen States, and had before its division in 1862, 61,352 square miles, but at present contains but 38,352 square miles, equal to 24,545,280 acres. The population in 1860 amounted to 1,596,318, and in 1870 it was 1,224,830. Rich- mond is the capital. Has 9 Representatives, and 11 electors. Gov- ernor, F. W. M. Halliday, Democrat; salary, $5,500; term, 4 years.
West Virginia .- Motto, Montani semper liberi, " Mountaineers are always free." This is the only State ever formed, under the Constitution, by the division of an organized State. This was done in 1862, and in 1863 was admitted into the Union. It has an area of
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23,000 square miles, or 14,720,000 acres. The population in 1860 was 376,000; in 1870 it numbered 445,616. She furnished 32,003. Capital, Wheeling. Has 3 Representatives in Congress, and is entitled to 5 Presidential electors. The Governor is H. M. Mathews, Democrat; term, 4 years; salary, $2,700.
Wisconsin-Is an Indian name, and means "Wild-rushing channel." Its motto, Civitatas successit barbarum, "The civilized man succeeds the barbarous." It is called " The Badger State." The State was visited by the French explorers in 1665, and a settle- ment was made in 1669 at Green Bay. It was admitted into the Union in 1848. It has an area of 52,924 square miles, equal to 34,511,360 acres. In 1860 its population numbered 775,881; in 1870, 1,055,167. Madison is the capital. She furnished for the Union army 91,021 soldiers. Has 8 members in Congress, and is entitled to 10 Presidential electors. The Governor is W. E. Smith; politics, Republican; salary, $5,000; term, 2 years.
TAZEWELL COUNTY COURT-HOUSE.
AMERICAN OLEOGRAPH CO. CHICAGO,
HISTORY OF TAZEWELL COUNTY.
CHAPTER I.
SETTLEMENT AND ORGANIZATION.
LA SALLE'S EXPLORATIONS .- FIRST ATTEMPT TO SETTLE ILLINOIS.
T O TAZEWELL county belongs the honor of having within her boundary the soil first turned by white men in the great State of Illinois. To it we must also look to find the scene of the first attempt made by Europeans to settle our grand and noble State. On the third day of next January (1880), it will have been just two hundred years since LaSalle with his little band of Frenchmen stepped from their canoes, which rested upon the placid waters of the Illinois, upon the shore now embraced within the limits of this county. This little fleet of canoes contained in all thirty-three daring, resolute explorers, and were led by the indomitable will, genius and enthusiasm of the most noted of French explorers, Rob- ert Cavalier de LaSalle. This famous explorer had conceived the plan of opening water communication between the Gulf of St. Law- rence and the Gulf of Mexico. It was this truly grand and com- prehensive purpose that seems to have animated him in all his wonderful achievements and the matchless difficulties and hardships he encountered.
It was in the consummation of this idea of LaSalle's that brought the little band down the beautiful stream named in honor of the Illinois Indians who dwelt upon its banks, and landed them on its eastern shore. Seven years previous Joliet and Marquette, the first Europeans to discover the Illinois, had wended their way up to its course on their return from their famous voyage down the Missis-
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sippi. Being truly a leader, foremost in every enterprise, every thought, every move, we do not doubt that the dauntless La- Salle himself was the first to alight upon the shore,- was the first white man to set foot upon the soil of Tazewell county. Thus it will be seen that here is a spot truly historie,-a place noted for being the first in one of the greatest States of the Union where civilized man made his first attempt to establish himself.
FORT CREVECŒUR BUILT.
Through the difficulties encountered with the Indians, and the machinations of his own men, LaSalle was greatly retarded on his journey southward. Winter had overtaken him, and to protect him- self and followers, and to provide for them comfortable quarters in which to pass that dreary season, he resolved to ereet a fort. His good judgment led him to a spot upon the eastern bank of the Illi- nois, the site of the present Wesley City, and upon the southeast quarter of section one, Pekin township. Here upon the extremity of a ridge, protected on either side by deep ravines, and extending to within two hundred yards of the water's edge, he built a fort which he christened Fort Crevecœur. The meaning of the French name is heart-breaker. Why LaSalle should have chosen so sad a name we know not, unless, perchance, by a prophetic vision he glaneed into the future and foresaw the sad ending of his enterprise. Or, it may have been thus named as indieative of the misfortunes they suffered here, or from its having been the site of a bloody bat- tle between the brutal Iroquois and Illinois Indians.
To fortify the bluff thus selected, the point of which at the time was about one hundred yards further from the river than it now is, his first move was to dig a diteh behind and connect the two ravines. He thus severed the point upon which the fort was to be constructed, which contains about eighty acres, from all connection with any land of the same altitude. This bluff rises to the height of from 160 to 180 feet, and to increase the altitude of its different sides, which nature has made steep and rugged, an embankment encircling its outer line was thrown up. To make the fortress still more impregna- ble a palisade of heavy oak timber, twenty-five feet in height, ex- tending around the entire fortification, was constructed. This being completed, buildings for the accommodation of the men were erected within the enclosure, and the little band went into snug winter quarters.
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The fort was admirably located, and commanded full view of the river for miles above and below ; and its high, perpendicular sides, heavily palisaded, could not be easily ascended by the foe. Thus advantageously situated a small garrison could have defended it from the combined attack of all the neighboring Indians, at least until the supply of provisions failed.
THE JESUIT PRIESTS.
Fortunately, however, the fort was never used to protect the men from Indian hostility, as they remained peaceable and friendly with the garrison. Indeed, it was used more as a sanctuary than a fort- ress of military power. Fathers Hennepin and Membre and old Father Ribourde labored daily with the neighboring Indians. But even the zeal and earnestness displayed by those early Jesuit mis- sionaries in spiritual matters failed to make any perceptible impres- sion upon the filthy savages. Hennepin preached twice every Sun- day, chanted vespers, and regretted that the want of wine prevented the celebration of mass.
A VESSEL COMMENCED.
The fort having been fully completed, LaSalle set about to build a sailing vessel with which to descend the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico. Thus we see that the first timber felled by the axe of civ- ilization, the first mechanical labor performed, and not only the first fort built but the first vessel put upon the stocks in Illinois, were all done in Tazewell county.
HENNEPIN SENT ON HIS FAMOUS VOYAGE.
In the mean time LaSalle sent Hennepin, with Accau and Du Gay, on his famous voyage of the discovery of the upper Mississippi. They left the fort on the last day of February. After a year's sojourn among the Indians of that region Hennepin returned to Europe, where the account of his exploits and the description of this beauti- ful country was published in several languages. He subsequently, however, attempted to rob LaSalle of his well-earned and deserved honor by giving a false account of his discoveries, in consequence of which much of his writings are discredited.
LEGENDS OF THE MISSISSIPPI.
LaSalle could not obtain any satisfactory information from the Indians in regard to the Mississippi. All his inquiries had elicited
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HISTORY OF TAZEWELL COUNTY.
only the information that the Father of Waters was inhabited by huge goblins, and an attempt to sail upon its boisterous waves was destruction. These stories were of course diseredited by LaSalle, but many of his men were superstitious, and really feared to visit that river, and deserted lest LaSalle should start an expedition in search of it. Soon, however, an incident occurred which enabled him to disabuse their minds of such fabulous stories. While hunt- ing in the vicinity of the fort, he ehaneed to meet a young Indian who had just returned from a distant war excursion. Finding him almost famished with hunger LaSalle invited him to the fort, where he refreshed him with a generous meal, and questioned him with apparent indifference respecting the Mississippi. Owing to his long absence he knew nothing of what had transpired between his breth- ren and the French, and, with great subtlety, imparted all the in- formation required. LaSalle now gave him presents not to mention the interview. With a number of his men he then proceeded to the camp of the Indians to expose their misrepresentations. Having found the chiefs at a feast of bear meat he boldly accused them of falsehood, and at once proceeded to substantiate his charges. The Master of Light, he declared, was the friend of truth, and had re- vealed to him the truc character of the Mississippi. He then gave such an acenrate description of it that the astonished but credulous savages believed he had derived his knowledge through supernatural agency. They at once confessed their guilt, and gave, as the reason for resorting to such artifice, the fact that they wanted him to re- main with them. This confession removed the principal cause of the desertion of his men.
LASALLE'S DEPARTURE.
On the 2d day of April, 1680, LaSalle bid adieu to his diminished band, and left it in the wilderness inhabited only by the wild beasts of the forests and the uneivilized, brutal natives, and hundreds of miles in advance of any frontier post. He placed the garrison in charge of his lientenant, Henri Tonti, an Italian. For a fuller account of the trials and difficulties encountered by Tonti than we ean give here, we refer the reader to the History of Illinois con- tained in this volume.
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HISTORY OF TAZEWELL COUNTY.
THE FORT DESTROYED.
LaSalle had no sooner left than the disloyal men among the gar- rison displayed a spirit of mutiny, which culminated in the almost total destruction of the fort by them, and all save six, besides the faithful Tonti, deserted. After the famous battle between the Iro- quois and Illinois Tonti was driven away.
Soon LaSalle returned to find the fort destroyed, tools thrown into the river, and the village of the Illinois, which numbered 8,000 in- habitants, a desolate waste. The vessel, however, was still upon its stocks uninjured. Thus disastrously terminated the first attempt to settle the State of Illinois and the county of Tazewell.
FIRST SETTLEMENT AT PEORIA.
The next attempt to settle this section of Illinois was made at the upper end of Peoria lake in 1778. The country in the vicinity of this lake was called by the Indians Pim-i-te-wi, that is, a place where there are many fat beasts. Here the town of Laville de Meillet, named after its founder, was started. Within the next twenty years, however, the town was moved down to the lower end of the lake to the present site of Peoria. In 1812 the town was destroyed and the inhabitants carried away by Captain Craig. In 1813 Fort Clark was erected there by Illinois troops engaged in the war of 1812. Five years later it was destroyed by fire.
FRENCH TRADING POST IN THIS COUNTY.
During the period from the time Laville de Meillet was founded in 1778, or at least after it was moved to the lower extremity of the lake, French traders had a regular established trading post on the Illinois near the site of old Fort Crevecoeur. They carried on an extensive commerce with the neighboring Indians, buying their furs with notions. At this business they became quite wealthy.
The "old French trading post," by which name it was known, re- mained at Wesley City for almost a quarter of a century after the first settlers came to the county. A large log building, about 30 by 60 feet in size and 10 feet high, was their principal store-house. Mr. B. F. Montgomery tells us that he visited the place in 1836, and in this building found a very large stock of skins and furs, which they told him were worth in their present state $2,000. The col- lection contained the covering of almost every animal of any value from the weasel to the buffalo.
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HISTORY OF TAZEWELL COUNTY.
The principal traders at this point during the early settlement of the county were Tromly and Besau, both of whom were well known by some of the pioneers. These French traders had lived, traded and intermarried with the Indians until there were many half-breeds throughout the neighborhood. They were quiet, peaceable people, and treated the settlers with the greatest kindness. Besau died at the old post many years ago. Tromly went to Kansas in 1844. The former had married an Indian squaw and reared a large family. One of his daughters, Mary Besau, who is said to have been quite beau- tiful and her personal appearance and bearing graceful, was married to a man by the name of Anderson. About the year 1845 he moved to Kansas, where, near Leavenworth, he resided when last heard from by any Tazewell county people.
These French traders cannot be classed as settlers, at least in the light we wish to view the meaning of that term. They made no improvements ; they cultivated no land; they established none of those bulwarks of civilization brought hither a half century ago by the sturdy pioneer. On the other hand, however, they associated with the natives ; they adopted their ways, habits and customs ; they intermarried and in every way, almost, became as one of them.
A CENTURY AND A HALF OF PEACE.
Year after year rolled by until quite a century and a half had passed since LaSalle stepped ashore from his skiff, before the aborigi- nes who occupied the territory embraced within the present boundary of Tazewell county were molested by the encroachment of the white man, save the French traders above referred to. Generation after generation of natives appeared upon the wild scenes of savage life, lived, roamed the forest and prairie, and glided over the beautiful, placid Illinois in their log and bark canoes, and passed away. Still the advance of civilization, the steady westward tread of the Anglo- Saxon disturbed them not. The buffalo, deer, bear, and wolf roamed the prairie and woodland, the Indian their only enemy. But nature had destined better things for this fertile region. She had been too lavish in the distribution of natural advantages to leave it longer in the peaceable possession of those who had for centuries refused to de- velop, even in the slightest degree, any of her great resources. She accordingly directed hitherward the footsteps of the industrious, enterprising pioneer. Before, however, proceeding to recount his
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HISTORY OF TAZEWELL COUNTY.
advent, we wish to speak of the different tribes and families of the Indians who dwelt in this portion of the State.
DIFFERENT INDIAN TRIBES.
At the time the earliest European explorers visited the State the various tribes of the Illinois confederaey dwelt upon the banks of the Illinois river. They were the Peorias, Michigans, Tamaroas, Kaskaskias, and Cahokas. This once powerful confederacy was almost exterminated by the wars with the Iroquois, the Foxes and Sacs, and the Pottawatomies. During the latter part of the seven- teenth century hard and desperate battles were fought upon the land of this county between the different tribes. Hundreds of brave warriors had fallen beneath the tomahawks of other tribes, until acres of the land now possessed by the nobler race were strewn with the dead and dying. After a famous contest in the year 1680, between the different tribes of the Illinois confederacy and a chosen band of brutal Iroquois, the latter, who were victorious, earved upon the trunks of the largest trees upon the shore of the Illinois river hieroglyphies, representing the chiefs, the braves, and different bat- tle scenes.
From about the year 1780 to 1832, the time of the Black-Hawk war, the Kickapoos dwelt in the western and southwestern part of the county. Their principal village was in Logan county. The Pottawatomies, however, were the chief occupants and immediate predecessors of the whites.
. For some years after the first settlers came wigwams were scat- tered here and there over the county. The kind and generous Shaubena, with his band of Pottawatomies, had his principal camp and wigwams on the bank of the Illinois river near where the gas- works of Pekin are now located. Another extensive camping ground was on the Mackinaw river, near the present town of Mack- inaw. Old Machina was the chief of this band. The Kickapoos had made a treaty shortly previous to the coming of the first settler, by which the whites acquired all their land. When the whites came, however, to settle and occupy the land the Kiekapoos were angry, and some of them felt disposed to insult and annoy the settlers. When John Hendrix came to Blooming Grove the Indians ordered him to leave. Not long afterwards they frightened away a family which settled on the Mackinaw. Old Machina ordered one family
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away by throwing leaves in the air. This was to let the bootanas (white men) know that they must not be found in the country when the leaves of autumn should fall. In 1823, when the Orendorffs came, Old Machina had learned to speak a little English. He came to Thomas Orendorff and with a majestie wave of his hand said : "Too much come back, white man : t'other side Sangamon." The Rhodes family were also ordered away. These families settled in the eastern part of this and western part of McLean counties, but at the time and for years afterwards was all Tazewell county. These things appeared a little threatening, but the settlers refused to leave and were not molested.
When the Black Hawk war broke out in 1832, the Indians liv- ing here were very much like the whites in some particulars. The pale-faces looked upon the neighboring red men with suspieion, and feared they would be massacred by them, while at the same time the Indians experienced a like timidity. They watched the whites closely lest they should arise up some night and butcher their squaws and papooses. Controlled by this feeling they began to emigrate. Shaubena went north and located at Shaubena's Grove, DeKalb county. In the early part of the deeade between 1840 and 1850 he returned and spent two winters at Pleasant Grove, in Elm Grove township.
After the grand exit of 1832 the Indians, who had roamed at will over the prairies and through the forests for centuries, returned only as visitors. Devoted to the sweet memories of departed kindred, one would occasionally return alone and with a melancholy spirit. He would hunt the burial mound and silently and sadly commune with the loved dead. You see the native red man no more. He is only of the past so far as Tazewell county is concerned. Should one pass through the principal thoroughfares of your eities robed in his native costume he would exeite the wonder and curiosity of all, the old as well as the young.
THE WAR OF 1812.
During the war of 1812 Tazewell county was the seene of one of the most effective engagements against the Indians waged in Illinois during that war. Gov. Edwards had collected an army of about 400 men in the southern part of the State, and set out in the latter part of October, 1812, for the seat of war. This was in the neigh-
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borhood of Peoria lake. At the same time Gen. Hopkins started with 2,000 mounted Kentucky riflemen. His destination was the same point, and Edwards expected to work in concert with the noted General. However, when his men had marched about 90 miles aeross Illinois prairie into the enemy's country they became wearied, and regardless of the General's protestations, turned about without even secing the foot-prints of an Indian, and started on a hasty homeward march.
COURSE OF THE ARMY.
Edwards with his brave and courageous Illinois rangers continued on. It may be remarked that in this little band were three men, all of whom subsequently became noted governors of Illinois. Leaving Fort Russell they marched up through Sangamon and Logan counties, striking Tazewell at the point in Hittle township where Sugar creek makes its exit. On this creek the troops found an old deserted Kickapoo village. These tenantless bark wigwams were painted up here and there with rude savage devices, mostly rep- resenting the red-skins scalping whites. This provoked the warlike indignation of the little army, and the village was assaulted, set on fire and destroyed. After this, fearing that their nightly camp fires would reveal their approach to the Indians, whom they hoped to surprise, the marches were continued till midnight. The course of the army was now northward through Hittle, Little Mackinaw, Mackinaw, bearing westward through Deer Creek, striking Morton, and entering Washington near the center of its southern line. From this point they took a direct course for the Black Partridge village of Pottawatomies, located at the upper end of the lake, on the bluffs in Fond du Lac township. Before coming up to the town Lieut. Peyton, with a small party, was sent to Peoria. He made no dis- coveries. The army moved rapidly but cautiously forward, and late in the night preceding the attack camped in the western part of Washington township.
THE VILLAGE RECONNOITRED.
It was now desirable to reconnoitre the position of the Indian town, that the army might know how, when and where to strike. To perform this perilous duty four of the bravest of men stepped forward and volunteered their services. All of them subsequently won enviable reputations in public life. They were Thomas Carlin,
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and Robert, Stephen, and Davis Whiteside. They proceeded to the village and explored all the approaches to it thoroughly without dis- turbing the wily savage. The town was found to be about five miles from where the army was encamped, and situated on a bluff separated in part from the high lands by a swamp through which ran a small stream (Ten Mile creek). The low banks of this stream were covered by a rank growth of tall grass and bunches of brush, so tall and dense as readily to conecal an Indian on horseback until within a few feet of him. Recent heavy rains had rendered the ground additionally yielding, making it almost impassable to mount- ed men.
A NIGHT ALARM.
That night within the fireless and cheerless camp of the rangers all was as silent as the grave. A deep and solemn gloom settled over the men. The long marches lost the charm they at first possessed, and instead of being jovial and frolicsome as they were then wont to be, they were fatigued and sulky. They were in the enemy's country and feared an attack at any moment. They reposed upon their arms, with their horses tethered near at hand, ready sad- dled to be mounted in an instant.
During the night, when scarcely a whisper disturbed the air, a gun was carelessly discharged by one of the men. This of course caused the greatest consternation in the camp. The treacherous and subtle foe was momentarily expected, and the men regarded that as the signal for attack. All the horrors of the night attack at Tippe- canoe, then fresh in the minds of every one, presented themselves to the active imaginations of the rangers. Every white-coated soldier at that battle, it was said, was singled out in the dusky morn- ing and killed by the savages. Every soldier who happened to have on a light-colored coat distinctly remembered this, and in an instant not a white coat could be seen. Soon, however, the voice of the Governor assured the men that the firing was merely accidental, and all became quiet again.
FIRST INDIAN KILLED.
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