USA > Illinois > Union County > History of Union County > Part 11
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"Instead of being handled under scientific methods as a crop, timber is often 'mined.' When forestry is practiced in timberland management, the mature trees are used as 'earned interest,' while
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younger growing trees are left intact as the 'capital stock.' The economic and soil-protective values represented by a forest in a healthy growing condition are thus permanently maintained.
Since 1905 the area of the national forest system has more than doubled and has been extended to the Lake States, and the East and South. Equally important to placing this increased area under intensive protection and administration, is the work of the Forest Service in cooperation with States and private timberland owners in the operations of forestry, range management, and wood utilization; and the provision of employment on a large scale in times of economic depression.
"There still remains a vast amount of forestry work to be done in addition to managing the National forests already establish- ed. Recent studies indicate that more than 200,000,000 acres of timberland are so depleted, or so located, or of such value for public service that private management reasonably cannot be ex- pected to meet the requirement of public interest therein, at least not without undue subsidy. Public acquisition and management of these lands, therefore, appears to be the most feasable course. A fair share of this job for the Federal Government, considering the financial ability of the states, appears to be a little more than half of the entire job.
"Moreover, it becomes increasingly clear that Federal aid to State and private forest owners, and perhaps some degree of regulation, are needed to meet adequately, the interest of the na- tion as a whole in the management of other forest lands as well.
"Throughout the forest areas there is a large task of making the forests contributo more fully to the solution of the problem of rural poverty and to the development and maintainance of a satisfy- ing rural culture. Integration of forest work with part-time farming to provide an adequate livelihood for people living on the small farms of the forest regions is an example of this type of adjust- ment.
"In summary, the work of the Forest Service is directed toward determining and apply measures for making our woodlands and related wild lands contribute in fullest degree to the lives of our people and to the solution of various national problems."
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CHAPTER XXVII THE SHAWNEE PURCHASE-THE C. C. C. CAMP
The Shawnee Purchase which now includes what was former- ly known as the Illini and Shawnee Purchases was forest land pur- chased under the Clark McNary Act which provides for the purchase of lands for watershed protection primarily and for the preservation of natural and timber resources. The land was also purchased in 1933 for the purpose of making use of the recreational possibilities. wild life and timber possibilities. It includes most of the hill land in Jackson, Union, Alexander, Massac, Hardin, Pope, Johnson and Saline counties. It comprises a total of about 794,900 acres.
In Union County the Shawnee Purchase includes the high hills in the north and west parts of the county.
In acquisition of large blocks of timberland small acreage which is suitable for cultivation or timberland is often acquired. This causes the government to accumulate a problem of providing for the former tenants of such land. In most instances the tenant is glad to sell to the government so he may move nearer to a hard road or a town. However, about twenty tenants have remained on the land in Union county.
These people come under the rehabilitation program of the Department of Agriculture. They are given tenure permits and where the land is good enough pay an annual rental of one to three dollars and fifty cents. Rent of the buildings amounts to about ten dollars per year and all buildings remaining on the land are repaired and put into a usable condition. If persons are attempting to re- main on land which is too poor for cultivation, they are encouraged to move to a better location. If the land is too poor to yield a livelihood the tenants are assisted by the government until they have moved to better ground. The tenants are required to work under a crop rotation plan.
As soon as the land became the property of the government, foresters examined the timber marking trees suitable for timber now, and planting new trees of short leaf pine, tulip poplar and black walnut.
The shortest rotation timber crop production is black locust fence posts which requires a growing period of seven or eight years. Next comes pulpwood and next soft timber which requires thirty or thirty-five years to mature.
As soon as the trees are inspected and the amount of salable timber ascertained, a sale is advertised and individuals make pur- chases of this timber. The one who purchases it is required to use a method of selective logging, that is, he is allowed only to cut trees that are marked and they must be felled in such a way that younger trees around them are protected.
Since government land is not taxable, it has been agreed that the county shall receive 25 percent of all revenues derived from the sale of materials produced on forest preserves which are
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given to the state to be distributed to the count ;.
The Forest Service also maintains a fire protection program. Approximately thirty or forty guards are employed part time espec- ially during the fire season of September to November and Febru- ary to April fifteenth. Towermen are employed during all seasons to man the towers which overlook the forest area. A central dis- patcher is kept on duty to relay messages from the tower men to fire fighters.
The reforestation program is supposed to eventually restore the land to a point where the timber industry can be revived and continued.
Natural resources in this area are also protected and leases are made to prospectors for oil, silica, fluorspur and other minerals, also for gravel deposits.
The land was purchased under the emergency relief pro- gram and for this reason, fourteen Civilian Conservation Corps Camps were established in the area in order to give employment to a large number of young men and also to utilize the available labor in carying on the reforestation program.
There were three types of camps in the area, soil conserva- tion, forest service and state forest preserve. The state and federal government cooperated in their program.
Each camp had a quota of 200 men with a supervisory force of eight men. The supervisory force was composed of a camp superintendent, a forester, three foremen, a chief mechanic, an en- gineer and a truck trail locater.
Five rangers, members of the permanent forest service set- up were asigned to each camp. There was also a military force in. each camp for the purpose of maintaining order. This consisted of two officers from the regular army or the reserves.
These C. C. C. Camps provided labor for soil erosion projects, for fire fighting and for road and other construction projects in the forest preserve.
Three large recreation facilities were developed, Giant City, Camp Dixon Springs and a picnic ground near Robbs, Illinois.
After the C. C. C. Camps were diminished, the W. P. A. completed the work that had been started. There are now only five camps in the whole Shawnee Purchase area and only one of these is in Union County.
One development carried on by the C. C. C. Camp in co- operation with the state forest preserve was the building of a nursery where young trees are grown. These trees have been used by various programs in the state, such as highway landscaping, re- forestation of forest areas, and sale to private concerns.
One of the largest projects attempted by this program is the Crab Orchard Lake Project in Williamson County, Union County's neighbor. This project is planned as a flood control measure and will affect Union County inasmuch as the northern part of the
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county is a watershed and some of our creeks which overflow each spring causing much damage to our crops will be protected by the large reservoir.
The permanent impmovements made by the C. C. C. labor in Union County are landscaped areas in the State Forest Preserve, the building of the forest service headquarters in what was former- ly the Jonesboro fairground and the Lodge and picnic grounds at Giant City which is partly in Union County. The roads of these spots were also built by C. C. C. labor.
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CHAPTER XXVIII MANUFACTURING AFTER THE CIVIL WAR
Manufacturing in Union County had been moved from the homes to small individually owned concerns by the time the Civil War was over. During the following forty years an even greater change took place. Building was one of the leading industries so that saw mills, brick kilns, etc., came into being.
By this time flour was manufactured by steam and roller mills and lime was manufactured from our large limestone deposits. To take care of the barrelling of lime and flour, a cooperage plant was in operation.
In 1856 David Davie and Daniel Goodman were operating the largest and most extensive mills in this part of the state, The Flora Temple mills. This mill changed hands several times during the ensuing years. Other mills were in operation during this period which manufactured less than 100 barrels of flour per day.
In 1856, Jessie Lentz and James DeWitt built an extensive wagon, plow and repair shop in Anna where they manufactured and repaired wagons, plows and farm implements. Later on the Wil- loughby-Seger wagon and repair shop was in business, also the Stokes Company. Since horses were used for farm work these were among the leading businesses of the county . In 1879, J. W. Dandridge started a saddle and harness factory here. These busi- nesses were of great importance in the community until the decade following 1910 when motor driven vehicles replaced the older types of conveyances, etc.
R. B. Stinson carried on an extensive barrel factory near the railroad into Anna where he employed 30 men and manufactured 50,000 barrels per year and other packages for shipping fruit and vegetables. Later names connected with box factories were F. P. Anderson and James Wood. At present three such factories are operating in the county, the Randall L. Lawrence Box Factory in Cobden; the H. A. DuBois Box Mill in Cobden, and the Fruit Grow- ers Package Company in Jonesboro.
The firm of Finch and Shick manufactured lime for com- mercial purposes manufacturing as much as 300 barrels per day. In 1879 Hunsaker and Richardson, Edwards and Carmack and J. E. Lufkin all had lime kilns.
In 1859, the Kirkpatrick Brothers had a pottery where they manufactured all kinds of stoneware, tiles, vases, pottery and fire brick. There has never been a pottery in Union County since the death of W. Kirkpatrick who was an artist in this line of work. No person sufficiently skilled in this art to carry on the work has come to the locality since that pottery has gone out of existence.
M. M. Henderson and Son began a cotton gin in 1866 but there was not sufficient need for this plant to enable it to stay in business so it was later changed to a planing mill.
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From 1865 to 1875, F. A. Childs and Bro. had a drain tile factory in operation.
Unlike today with our large packing house centers, the local supply of meat was killed and cured within the community. Since the Anna State Hospital was located in Union County, the demand for meat was large and the largest dealer in this industry was M. V. Ussery. During the year July 1881 to July 1882, he slaughtered 642 beeves, 156 sheep and 56 hogs and purchased 150 dressed hogs which he resold. He sold 32,000 pounds of hides from these animals.
While the same general industries, namely agriculture and its subsidiary enterprises still exist since 1900, many changes in manu- facturing have come into being.
With the use of more machinery and less hand work in manufacturing, most of these industries have become concentrated into industrial centers and finished products shipped into Union County to be sold.
The Green Brick Yard was probably the last industry of its kind in the community and it was discontinued because they could not manufacture their products cheaply enough to compete with larger manufacturers.
As mentioned before, manufacturers of fruit packages have become jobbers or retailers buying their stock from manufacturers in other centers.
Packing companies have moved to larger places and meat is distributed to local dealers by these large companies.
Clothing is bought in industrial centers by our retail mer- chants and the same is true of manufactured foods.
The 1900 tax lists show that 139 persons were taxed as manu- facturers of various products. Of these only five, the Defiance Box Co., W. P. Messler & Co., Bruchhauser Bros., T. A. Carlile, and the St. Louis Stone and Lime Co., valued their machinery at over $1,000.
Modern manufacturing has shown another change also, that of individual ownership to ownership by corporations or companies.
The 1939 tax list shows that the small manufacturer has completely disappeared in the county and only six manufactures whose personal property is assessed at from $2,000 to $35,500. These are the Anna Quarries, the Fruit Growers Package Company of Jonesboro, The Fruit Growers Package Co. of Anna, the Interna- tional Shoe Company, the Phoenix Flour Mills and the Atlas Powder Company.
The Anna Quarries has grown to large proportions since the beginning of the better road program in Illinois. It manufactures crushed rock, lime and building stone made from a very high grade of limestone of which there is a large deposit where the plant is located.
While there were several mills in the county in the past, the only one remaining is the Phoenix Flour Mills. It is interesting to consider that much flour and feed is shipped into Union County
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for consumption from mills as far away as Minneapolis and Kansas City.
The Atlas Powder Company is located in the northwest part of the county near Wolf Lake. It is located in this spot because of its isolation rather than any other reason. It manufactures ex- plosives used mainly in mining and all materials used in its products are shipped into the plant to be mixed. None are produced locally. Most of the people of the village of Wolf Lake earn a livelihood at this plant and its employees are probably the highest paid people in the county due to the hazards of the work and the skill neces- sary to produce the powder, etc.
The International Shoe Company is located in Anna, Illinois. It was placed here when the community raised funds to provide a building for the company. Five hundred people are employed here and few of them work less than eleven months each year. The salaries are in keeping with those of other such industries but it can be generally stated that each of the five hundred empolyees earns a living wage which is in keeping with the general standard of living of the county. During 1940 an addition to the factory is to be com- pleted which will employ an additional 150 persons.
During the World War period kaolin was taken from the Mt. Glen area in large quantities and shipped to users in other parts of the country. Since that time a small amount of clay has been ship- ped away but now plans are complete for a kaolin mill which will refine the clay which will in turn be sold to manufacturers of rubber tires, pottery, stoneware, whitewash, high grade tile, paper filling and coating, linoleum, oil cloth, paint of all kinds, cement, fire bricks, foundries, steel manufacturing, asbestos, enameling, and other clay products. Large deposits of the highest grade of kaolin clay are available in this area and the company expects to install a $75,000 plant which will employ about fifty people.
In 1939 the Vulcan Heel Co. put a factory in Anna which employs an average of seventy-five persons annually in much the same manner the International Shoe Company employs its help.
There are still natural resources in the county which are not in use such as silica, fluorspar, possibly oil and many building- materials.
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CHAPTER XXIX THE HISTORY OF EDUCATION IN UNION COUNTY
The early development of schools has been discussed in a previous chapter.
There is no record available in Union County showing just when public schools became prevalent in the County. The "Jones- boro Gazette" published an article advocating improving public schools in 1850 but it is definitely known that private schools and subscription schools were in existence even after 1900.
In 1866, 53 teacher's certificates were recorded in the County records. They were for Sarilda Houser, D. E. Gallegly, Mary A. Anderson, William G. Kiser, Elizabeth F. Sams, John A. Treese, Solomon R. Turney, John Mowery, Amanda McElfresh, William C. Lence, Samantha Rich, Francis Marion Reed, James P. Baggott, W. C. Moreland, Thomas W. Ferril, Thomas J. Plater, Luella Barlow, Olive Love, L. T. Linnell, E. Caveness, John W. Tracy, Hezekiah A. Jones, W. S. Day, P. S. Vancil, Albert C. Rossiter, Thomas L. Bailey, Wilson Brown, Kate King, Lafayette Corgan, Edward Lipe, Benjamin Babcock, O. P. Hill, Came Mitchell, Maggie E. Doyle, W. P. Jones, John H. Horine, Augusta E. Swain, Eva Kratzinger, C. W. Collins, Ellen E. Dodson, John S. Millikin, Maggie Clark, Laura Walker, John F. Little, P. M. Hagler, George B. Boomer, James B. Roberts, Lecher Lott, George Barringer, Elijah Miller, R. T. Rines, E. P. Harris and Joseph A. Coker.
These people were listed as being natives of almost all parts of the United States so that the school children of Union County were getting a varied type of culture.
The earliest annual school report available, that of the school year 1886 and 1887 showed that 6645 children in the county be- tween the ages of six and twenty-one, 5492 were enrolled in public schools. There were 70 ungraded schools and 8 graded schools at that time and 131 teachers. There were two brick school building, 65 frame buildings and 10 log buildings in use that year for school houses. Twelve were built during the year. The average wage of the male teachers was $48 per month and that of female teachers was $31 per month.
Taxes amounting to $22,896.39 were levied for school pur- poses and school property was valued at $61,780.00 with $365 in- vested in libraries and $15.99 in school apparatus.
The school district treasurers that year were W. S. Gallegly, Lick Creek; J. H. Boswell, Mt. Pleasant; W. W. Karraker, Dongola; A. J. Miller, Cobden; M. V. Eaves, Anna; Jasper A. Dillow, Don- gola; Napoleon B. Collins, Alto Pass; Fred W. Metzger, Jonesboro; Levi A. Dillow, Springville; Calvin A. Smith, Cobden; Arthur A. Brown, Jonesboro; O. P. Baggott, Jonesboro; and John Wilkins, Grand Tower.
In 1900, of 7801 people between the ages of six and twenty- one, 5512 were enrolled in the public schools. At that time the length of he school year had been extended to six months or more and there was only one school in the County which was in session
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for a shorter period of time. There were 67 ungraded schools and 10 graded schools in the county. There were three high schools established by that time. Four of the school buildings were brick, seventy-three were frame and one was log. Only one new building was erected during that year.
There were two private schools, Union Academy and the parochial school in Cobden having 92 pupils and five teachers in the county in 1900.
In the public schools there were 112 teachers, the highest salaried man being paid $100 per month. The lowest salaried man was paid $25, the highest salaried woman, $40 per month and the lowest salaried woman $20 per month.
Teachers who had graduated from the Southern Illinois Normal University were Daniel B. Fager, Joseph Gray, Mattie O. Alexander, Henry W. Karraker and Maggie Bryden. Teachers who were teaching but still attending the Normal were W. A. Wall, Taylor Dodd and Thomas J. Anderson. The other teachers had not attended college but had obtained their certificate by examina- tion.
The tax levy for school purposes in 1900 was $35,277.25 as compared with $22,896.39 in 1866. The value of school property had increased to $80,080 with $931.80 invested in libraries and $4374 in apparatus. The fonded indebtedness was $11,790.
There were three four year high schools in the county, one supervised by Anson L. Bliss, an eight month school, where the teachers were paid an average wage of $40.83 per month and the cost of maintaining the school was $19.62 per pupil; one by John W. Jenkins, a seven month school where the teachers were paid an average of $62.50 per month and the cost for maintaining the school was $19.89 per pupil! and a third taught by William L. Toler, a seven month school where the per capita cost per pupil was $34.91 per year.
In 1937 the total number of pupils enrolled in public schools was 4,349, a decrease since 1900 which is in the same proportion as the decrease in population. 915 of these pupils were enrolled in high schools. There were about 131 teachers in the county as com- pared with 112 in 1900 and all but seven had training above a four year high school. Thirty-one had bachelor degrees and two had masters degrees. The salaries ranged between $400 and $1400 per year with one exception which was a salary between $2200 to $2400 per year in elementary schools and in high schools only one teacher was paid less than $1000 and the others all received between $1000 and $1600 per year except one who received between $2700 and $3000 per year. This made an average annual salary in the county of $997.42 or more than $100 per month.
$195,499 in taxes were levied for school purposes in 1936. The districts owned school property valued at $593,800 with $104,- 245 worth of library equipment and school apparatus. The bonded indebtedness of all the districts was $152,000.
In 1937 there was only one private school in the county, the parochial school in Cobden which had 38 pupils and three
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teachers.
There were 78 schools in Union County in 1937 and no new ones were erected.
The enrollment of pupils. in high schools has increased over 40 per cent during the last ten years and the number of tuition pupils in high school during that period has increased over 80 per cent.
Over the rural schools is a county superintendent of schools who is elected by a vote of te people. At present Russell D. Rendle- man holds the position. He coordinates the work of the schools in the county and is quite active in state organizations.
During the past year the health program which he sponsors had made rapid strides in progress. Medical and dental examinations have been provided for all pupils and if defects are found, the pupil is advised to go to his personal physician or dentist. The work was accomplished through the cooperation of the County Medical Society, all dentists in the county, approximately twenty-five volun- teer workers, the National Youth Administration, the Anna City School Nurse, nurses from near-by counties, the County Superin- tendent of Schools and the County School Nurse.
3765 children were examined and 2021 were found to have defects. Of these defects 1505 were throat defects, 302 gland de- fects, 230 trachoma suspects, 131 nose defects, 80 nutrition defects, 79 nose defects, 71 athlete foot, 65 skin defects, 57 posture defects, 41 thyroid defects, 38 lung defects, 29 orthopedic defects, 22 ner- vous defects and mental defects and 18 scalp defects.
A comprehensive health program is planned for 1940. and 1941.
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CHAPTER XXX HISTORY OF PUBLIC ASSITANCE IN UNION COUNTY BEFORE 1830
Since the earliest organization of the state in 1818, provision was made for the care of the poor. There were only nine instances of public relief recorded in Jonesborough Township during the first ten years after 1818. Public assistance in Union County up to 1870 fell into two types: outdoor relief, relief given to the family or per- son in his own home; or boarding home care, relief given in the form of cash payment to some other person for caring for the needy person. The latter type of care was known as "bidding off" paupers. It was advertised throughout the county that a pauper would be "bid off" at the court house door and the person making the lowest bid was allowed to keep the needy person in his home for periods of from three months to a year. At the end of the agreed period the pauper was again "bid off." The amount paid to the person for keeping such poor persons ranged from seventy- five to one hundred fifty dollars per year. Outdoor relief included medical care, nursing care, burial expenses, food and clothing for the person or family in need in his own home. The amounts allowed for this type of care varied from small amounts given at irregular Intervals to amounts given quarterly or even annually for care.
Children were usually "bound out" rather than "bid off." These procedures differed in that the person to whom the child was bound was expected to provide for the child until it reached ma- turity and he was not paid by the county for the care of the child. In some cases, relatives were ordered to support the needy person by the court. In case of the death of a needy person his personal property was sold to meet his burial and other expenses.
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