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 27
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utmost surprise found that they had stopped at his own door-yard gate !
BEE-HUNTING.
During the early settlement of this part of the State, one of the prevailing customs of the pioneers was "bee-hunting." Often a small company would travel many miles into a wild, unsettled country, in search of the sweet-flavored honey of the wild bee. Large trees, containing many gallons, and often a barrel, were fre- quently found by bee-hunters. The little, busy bees would be carefully watched as they flew heavily laden with the richest extract of the flowers that were purely native and unknown to the present generation. They always took a "bee line" for their homes. This was a correct guide to the sturdy hunter, who had studied with care the ways of the bee and by their knowledge took advantage of the little inseet. Once on the trail, good bec-hunters were almost certain to capture the rich prize. After the bee tree was discovered it was no trouble to get possession of the honey. The tree was felled, and the hunters would rush for their booty ere it was lost by running out upon the ground.
MANNERS AND CUSTOMS.
We copy a very interesting and graphic article from the "History of Washington," by John W. Dougherty, upon the social habits and customs of the people of this community. He says :
"We know but little of the social habits of the people in those days," referring to the time the first settlers came to the county. "Their appreciation of education is shown in their efforts to estab- lish schools, temporary at first, but finally permanent. Their reli- gious zeal is shown by their successful efforts in establishing churches, and their Christian liberality by the number and variety of them. Nor are we informed in regard to the amusements indulged in by the young folks; but, being young folks, we have no doubt they found many ways of robbing Old Time of loneliness. It would be unfair to suppose them, especially the ladies, destitute of fashonable aspirations, but the means for gaudy display were very much circumscribed in those days. The male attire consisted chiefly of buckskin, or homespun cloth,-we might add home-woven, the loom being far more common in or near their rude huts than the piano or organ. They were not, however, destitute of musical
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taste, and many of their vocal performances would compare favor- ably with our present choirs. We may safely say they sang with the spirit. Most of the ladies, also, wore homespun, which they manufactured from wool, flax, cotton, and the bark or lint of the nettle, colored with such ingredients as nature provided, without the aid of art. A few even adopted buckskin. How many yards of the latter article were required for a fashionable dress in those times, or in what particular style they were cut and trimmed we are not informed, and must leave the ladies to draw their own con- clusions. These dresses certainly were durable, and shielded the wearer in out-door exercises incident to the planting, attending and gathering of crops, in which pursuit the ladies in all new countries assist.
" Another of the prevailing fashions was that of carrying fire- arms, made necessary by the presence in the neighborhood of roving bands of Indians, most of whom were ostensibly friendly, but like Indians in all times, treacherous and unreliable. These tribes were principally Pottawatomies. There were also in the northern part of the State several tribes of hostile Indians, ready at any time to make a murderous, thieving raid upon the white settlers; and an Indian war at any time was an accepted probability ; and these old settlers to-day have vivid recollections of the Black Hawk and other Indian wars. And, while target practice was much indulged in as an amusement, it was also necessary for a proper self-defense; the settlers finding it necessary at times to carry their guns with them when they went to hoe their corn. In some instances their guns were stacked in the field and the laborers worked for a certain dis- tance around them, and then moved the guns to a certain position and again proceeded with their work.
"These were only a few of the hardships incident to pioneer life, which was largely made up of privations, inconveniences and dan- gers. They had few labor-saving machines and no reliable markets. Even communication by letter with their distant friends and relatives was rendered difficult for want of proper mail facilities, and some- times for the want of money to pay the postage on the letters sent to them,-the postage then being twenty-five cents for a single let- ter, many of which remained in the office for weeks on account of the inability of the persons addressed to pay the postage."
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HISTORY OF TAZEWELL COUNTY.
PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL.
The early settlers were not entirely without preaching. Says an old pioneer on this subject: "The ministers of the Gospel of the Savior of the world hunted us up and preached to what few there were ; therefore we did not degenerate and turn heathen, as any community will where the sound of the gospel is never heard. I shall not give their names, though sacred in memory, for they were not after the fleece, but after the flock, because they had but little to say about science and philosophy, but spoke of purer things."
EDUCATION.
Though struggling under the pressure of poverty and privation, the early settlers planted among them the school-house at the ear- liest practicable period. So important an object as the education of their children they did not defer until they could build more comely and convenient houses. They were for a time content with such as corresponded with their rude dwellings, but soon better buildings and accommodations were provided. As may readily be supposed, the accommodations of the earliest schools were not good. Sometimes school was taught in small log houses erected for the purpose. Stoves and such heating apparatus as are now in use were unknown. A mud-and-stick chimney in one end of the building, with earthen hearth and fire-place wide and deep enough to take in a four-foot back-log, and smaller wood to match, served for warming purposes in winter and a kind of conservatory in summer. For windows, part of a log was cut out in either side, and may be a few lights of eight-by-ten glass set in, or just as likely as not the aperture would be covered over with greased paper. Writing benches were made of wide planks, or likely puncheons, resting on pins or arms, driven into two-inch auger-holes, bored into the logs beneath the windows. Seats were made out of puncheons, and flooring of the same material. Everything was rude and plain ; but many of America's greatest men have gone out from just such school-houses to grapple with the world and make names for themselves, and have come to be an honor to their country. Among these we can name Abraham Lincoln, our martyred President, one of the noblest men ever known to the world's history. Stephen A. Douglas, one of the greatest statesmen of the age, began his career in Illinois teaching in one of these primitive school-houses.
But all these things are changed now. We no longer see the log
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school-house. Their places are filled with handsome frame or brick structures, which for elegance and beauty of design, rival those of older settled countries; and in place of the "masters," who were " looked up to" as superior beings, and were consulted on all matters of law, physic and religion, there are teachers of liberal culture, in- telligent and progressive, many of whom have a broad and compre- hensive idea of education, and regard their labor as something more than teaching merely in order to make a living-more than a knowl- edge of a great number of facts in the universe of mind and matter. It means culture, the educating, developing and disciplining of all the faculties of the human mind. It is the comprehension of the entire being of man ; and the school or teacher who takes charge and care of the young should provide the means and methods for carry- ing forward the process in all departments of their complex natures, physical, mental and spiritual.
MARKETS.
The earliest settlers of the county went to St. Louis with what little produce they had to sell and the merchants bought all their goods in that city. Soon, however, Peoria and Pekin became mar- kets, and produce was wagoned to those cities and from there sent south on the river. There was at that time no sale for corn, or com- paratively none, and wheat would bring only a small price; so that really there was no impetus given to the raising of grain of any sort, except for home consumption, until the advent of the railroad. At that time improvement began. The great resources of the county which had scarcely supplied more than home demand, were then turned to supply the wants of thousands. That occasion, the advent of railroads, was the commencement of agricultural development. It was the commencement of the manufacturing institutions the county can now boast of; it was the building of her thriving cities and towns,-indeed it was the beginning of progress.
The people of this county experienced considerable trouble getting to Peoria before the construction of the bridge across the Illinois. It consumed so much time to cross on the slow-going ferry, especially when there was a "big day" at that place, or when the river was high. To the settlers who lived on this side of the river the Peoria merchants offered inducements by paying their toll across and back if they would trade to the amount of one dollar. The pork-buyers would also pay the ferriage of those who would bring them pork,
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and besides give them dinner and feed their team. This induced many to go there in preference to Pekin.
In those early days large crops of all kinds of grain could be raised, but the prices were exceedingly low. Dressed hogs would bring $1.10 per hundred pounds, while wheat would bring 25 cents per bushel. At present, when hogs are considered very low, they are worth alive $3.50 per hundred, and wheat 95 cents per bushel.
C. R. Crandall tells us he sent a load of grain to Chicago to ex- change for shingles to cover his first house with. Indeed, many of the early settlers hauled their produce to that city.
" When the first settlers came to the wilderness, " says an old set- tler, "they all supposed that their hard struggle would be princi- pally over after the first year; but alas ! we looked for 'easier times next year' for about ten years, and learned to bear hardships, priva- tion and hard living as good soldiers do. As the facilities for mak- ing money were not great, we lived pretty well satisfied in an atmos- phere of good, social, friendly feeling, and thought ourselves as good as those we left behind when we emigrated West."
CHILLS AND FEVER.
One of the greatest obstacles, and one which wielded a very potent influence in retarding the early settlement of this county, was the "chills and fever," or the "ague," or the "Illinois shakes," as it was variously styled. This disease was a terror to new comers. In the fall of the year everybody was afflicted with it. It was no respecter of persons; everybody shook with it, and it was in every person's system. They all looked pale and yellow as though they were frostbitten. It was not contagious, but was a kind of miasma that floated around in the atmosphere and was absorbed into the system. It continued to be absorbed from day to day, and week to week, until the whole body corporate became charged with it as with electricity, and then the shock came; and the shock was a regular shake, with a fixed beginning and an ending, coming on each day, or each alternate day, with a regularity that was surprising. After the shake came the fever, and this "last estate was worse than the first." It was a burning hot fever and lasted for hours. When you had the chill you couldn't get warm, and when you had the fever you couldn't get cool. It was exceedingly awkward in this respect, indeed it was. It would not stop, either, for any sort of contingency. Not even a wedding in the family would stop it. It
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was imperative and tyranincal. When the appointed time came around everthing else had to be stopped to attend to its demands. It didn't even have any Sundays or holidays. After the fever went down you still didn't feel much better. You felt as though you had gone through some sort of collision and came out not killed but badly demoralized. You felt weak, as though you had run too far after something, and then didn't catch it. You felt languid, stupid and sore, and was down in the mouth and heel and partially raveled out, so to speak. Your back was out of fix and your appetite was in a worse condition than your back. Your head ached and your eyes had more white in them than usual, and altogether you felt poor, disconsolate and sad. You didn't think much of your- self, and didn't believe other people did either, and you didn't care. You didn't think much of suicide, but at the same time you almost made up your mind that under certain circumstances it was justifi- able. You imagined that even the dogs looked at you with a kind of self-complacency. You thought the sun had a kind of sickly shine about it. About this time you came to the conclusion that you would not accept the whole State of Illinois as a gift, and if you had the strength and means, picked up Hannah and the baby and your traps, and went back "yander" to Injianny, Ohio, or old Kaintuck.
" And to-day the swallows flitting Round my cabin see me sitting Moodily within the sunshine, Just inside my silent door-
Waiting for the "ager," seeming Like a man forever dreaming; And the sunlight on me streaming Throws no shadow on the floor
For I am too thin and sallow To make shadows on the floor- Nary shadow any more!"
The above is no picture of the imagination. It is simply recount- ing what occurred in hundreds of instances. Whole families would some time be sick at one time, and not one member scarcely able to wait upon another. One widow lady at Pekin informs us she lost nine children from this dreaded disease !
COOKING.
To witness the various processes of cooking in those days would alike surprise and amuse those who have grown up since cooking
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HISTORY OF TAZEWELL COUNTY.
stoves and ranges came into use. Kettles were hung over the large fire, suspended on trammels which were held by strong poles. The long-handled frying-pan was used for cooking meat. It was held on the fire by hand ; or, to save time, the handle was laid across the back of a chair. This pan was also used for baking short-cake. A better article was a cast-iron spider, which was set upon coals on the hearth. But the best thing for baking bread was the flat-bottomed bake- kettle of greater depth, with closely fitting cast-iron cover, and commonly known as " Dutch oven." With coals over and under it bread and biscuit would quickly and nicely bake. Turkeys and spare-ribs were sometimes roasted before the fire, suspended by a string, a dish being placed underneath to catch the drippings.
IMPLEMENTS.
The agricultural implements used by the first farmer here would in this age of improvement be great curiosities. The plow used was called the bar-share plow. The iron point consisted of a bar of iron about two feet long, and a broad shear of iron welded to it. At the extreme point was a coulter that passed through a beam six or seven feet long, to which were attached handles of corresponding length. The mold-board was a wooden one split out of winding timber, or hewed into a winding shape in order to turn the soil over. Sown seed was brushed in by a sapling with a bushy top being dragged over the ground. In harvesting the change is most strik- ing. Instead of the reapers and mowers of to-day, the sickle and cradle were used. The grain was threshed with a flail, or trodden out by horses or oxen.
WOMEN'S WORK.
The men were not called upon to endure alone all the hardships and labor of frontier life. The women also had their physical labor to perform, and much of it was quite arduous. Spinning was one of the common household duties. This exercise is one which few of the present generation of girls have ever enjoyed. The wheel used for spinning flax was called the "little wheel," to distinguish it from the "big wheel" used for spinning yarn. These stringed in- struments furnished the principal music of the family, and were operated by our mothers and grandmothers with great skill, attained without pecuniary expense, and with far less practice than is neces- sary for the girls of our period to acquire a skillful use of their costly and elegant instruments.
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The loom was not less necessary than the wheel. Not every house, however, in which spinning was done had a loom; but there were always some in each settlement who, besides doing their own weaving, did some for others. Settlers, having succeeded in spite of the wolves in raising sheep, commenced the manufacture of woolen cloth ; wool was carded and made into rolls by hand-cords, and the rolls were spun on the "big wheel." We occasionally find now, in the houses of the old settlers, one of these big wheels, some- times used for spinning and twisting stocking yarn. They are turned with the hand, and with such velocity that it will run itself while the nimble worker, by her backward step, draws out and twists her thread nearly the whole length of the cabin. A common article woven on the loom was linsey, also called linsey-woolsey, the chain being linen and the filling woolen. This cloth was used for dresses for the girls and mothers. Nearly all the clothes worn by the men were also home-made. Rarely was a farmer or his son seen in a coat made of any other. If, occasionally, a young man appeared in a suit of "boughten " clothes, he was suspected of hav- ing gotten it for a particular occasion, which occurs in the life of nearly every man.
Not until the settlers had supplied themselves with the more use- ful articles of clothing and with edibles of various kinds, did wheat bread become a common article of food. It is true they had it earlier, but this was only served on extra occasions, as when visitors came, or on Sundays ; and with this luxury they would have a little " store coffee." " The little brown jug" found a place in almost every home, and was often brought into use. No caller was permitted to leave the house without an invitation to partake of its contents.
PLEASURES OF PIONEER LIFE.
The history of pioneer life generally presents the dark side of the picture ; but the toils and privations of the early settlers were not a series of unmitigated sufferings. No; for while the fathers and mothers toiled hard, they were not averse to a little relaxation, and had their seasons of fun and enjoyment. They contrived to do something to break the monotony of their daily life and furnish them a good, hearty laugh. Among the more general forms of amusements were the "quilting-bee," "corn-husking," and the "apple-paring," and in timbered sections, "log-rolling " and " house- raising." Our young readers will doubtless be interested in a
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description of these forms of amusement, when labor was made to afford fun and enjoyment to all participating. The "quilting-bee," as its name implies, was when the industrious qualities of the busy, little insect that "improves each shining hour" were exemplified in the manufacture of quilts for the household. In the afternoon ladies for miles around gathered at an appointed place, and while their tongues would not cease to play, their hands were as busily engaged in making the quilt ; and desire was always manifested to get it ont as quickly as possible, for then the fun would begin. In the evening the gentlemen eame, and the hours would then pass swiftly by in playing games or dancing. "Corn-huskings" were when both sexes united in the work. They usually assembled in a large barn, which was arranged for the occasion; and when each. gentleman had selected a lady partner the husking began. When a lady found a red ear she was entitled to a kiss from every gentleman present ; when a gentleman found one he was allowed to kiss every lady present. After the corn was all husked a good supper was served ; then the "old folks" would leave, and the remainder of the evening was spent in the dance and in having a general good time. The recreation afforded to the young people on the annual recurrence of these festive occasions was as highly enjoyed, and quite as inno- cent, as the amusements of the present boasted age of refinement and culture.
CHAPTER XI.
THE REBELLION.
FIRST INDICATIONS OF THE WAR.
T HE brightest pages of the history of this county are those which record the acts of love and devotion to the Union of her people -the sacrifices made during the dark and trying days of the Rebellion. Well may the people of Tazewell county be proud of the record they made both at home and in the field during the war traitors inagurated against the Union. It reflects honor upon their heads, and as future generations look back through history they will bless their names for so strenuously upholding the best government ever instituted by man.
When, in 1861, the war was forced upon the country, the people were quietly pursuing the even tenor of their ways, doing whatever their hands found to do- working the mines, making farms or culti- vating those already made, erecting homes, founding cities and towns, building shops and manufactories-in short, the country was alive with industry and hopes for the future. The people were just recov- ering from the depression and losses incident to the financial panic of 1857. The future looked bright and promising, and the indus- trious and patriotic sons and daughters of the North were buoyant with hope, looking forward for the perfecting of new plans for the insurement of comfort and competence in their declining years. They little heeded the mutterings and threatenings being wafted from the South. They never dreamed that there was one so base as to attempt the destruction of the Union their fathers had purchased for them with their life-blood. While thus surrounded with peace and tranquility they paid but little attention to the rumored plots and plans of those who lived and grew rich from the sweat and toil, blood and flesh, of others.
The war clouds grew darker and still darker, the thunders of treason grew louder and louder until April 12, 1861, when the fear-
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ful storm burst upon the country and convulsed a continent with its attendant horrors.
On that day, the rebels, who for weeks had been erecting their batteries upon the shore, after demanding of Major Anderson a surrender, opened fire upon Fort Sumter. For hours an incessant cannonading was continned; the fort was being injured severely ; provisions were almost gone, and Major Anderson was compelled to haul down the stars and stripes,-that dear old flag which had seldom been lowered to a foreign foe: by rebel hands it was now trailed in the dust. How the blood of patriotic men of the North boiled when on the following day the news was flashed along the telegraph wires that Major Anderson had been forced to surren- der! And nowhere was greater indignation manifested than in Tazewell county.
THE FIRST CALL FOR TROOPS.
Immediately upon the surrender of Fort Sumter, Abraham Lin- coln, America's martyr President,-who but a few short weeks before had taken the oath of office as the nation's chief executive,-issued a proclamation calling for 75,000 volunteers for three months. The last word of that proclamation had scarcely been taken from the elee- tric wires before the call was filled, men and money were counted out by hundreds and thousands : the people who loved their whole gov- ernment could not give enough. Patriotism thrilled and vibrated and pulsated through every heart. The farm, the workshop, the office, the pulpit, the bar, the bench, the college, the school-house, -every calling offered its best men, their lives and fortunes, in de- fense of the Government's honor and unity. Bitter words spoken in moments of political heat were forgotten and forgiven, and, join- ing hands in a common cause, they repeated the oath of America's soldier statesman : " By the Great Eternal, the Union must and shall be preserved."
Seventy-five thousand men were not enough to subdue the rebel- lion ; nor were ten times that number. The war went on, and call followed call, until it began to look as if there would not be men enough in all the Free States to crush out and subdue the monstrous war traitors had inaugurated. But to every call for either men or money there was a willing and ready response. And it is a boast of the people that, had the supply of men fallen short, there were women brave enough, daring enough, patriotic enough, to have
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