USA > Illinois > Vermilion County > History of Vermilion County, Illinois, Volume One > Part 12
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the middle of January, 1874, until April, 1874. An elec- tion was then held to fill the offices for the next year, April, 1874, to April, 1875.
About the time the village was incorporated public sentiment demanded better schools. A board of directors was elected-G. C. Davis, A. L. Armstrong and William Moore. The first need was a suitable school house. Whether a centrally located building should be built at a good sized cost or whether numerous cheaper scattered buildings should be built, became an issue. William Moore was one of the most earnest advocates of a big central building, and this plan was adopted and resulted in the erection of the Honeywell School building, the first in Hoopeston.
The second village administration was headed by N. L. Thompson, president of the Board of Trustees. The third village administration-1875 to 1876-was headed by S. P. Thompson, as president. The last village administra- tion-1876 and 1877-was headed by Samuel Noggle as president.
In April, 1877, the city of Hoopeston was incorporated. The establishment of a saloon in the outskirts of the vil- lage some months before had aroused resentment on the part of many citizens of the thriving little city and the first election issue was, "No license for saloons." To settle this matter once and for all, a number of the leading citi- zens gathered, just before the election of city officers, in a little room on Main Street, about where the Dyer-Knox Building now stands, to decide the future policy of the city regarding the liquor traffic. At this meeting it was deter- mined that a city could be built, with sidewalks, streets and schools without the aid of revenue from saloons and from this little gathering the edict went forth to the world
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that Hoopeston was pre-eminently and distinctively a tem- perance town, and that saloons would not be tolerated. The next step was the finding of a mayor and a city coun- cil who could-and would-conduct the affairs of the young city on this basis. Jacob S. McFerren, known at that time as "The Boy Banker," was asked if he would accept the mayorality under those conditions. He agreed to do so and said to the committee: "If you will find me a council who will serve me, I will serve without salary, so that the money ordinarily paid out for that purpose may in part make up for the loss in license revenue." Such a council was found and elected as follows: Aldermen : First Ward, Thomas Williams, N. Towell, Jonathan Bedell; Aldermen, Second Ward, A. M. Fleming, John N. Miller and Joseph Crouch. W. M. Young was elected as city clerk; A. Randles as city treasurer; A. E. McDonald was city attorney. A. H. Young, police magistrate; D. P. Haas, marshal and superintendent of streets, J. Diehl. It was found that the unpaid services of the council and officers was illegal and that their acts were void. In order to obviate this it was voted to pay the mayor a salary of one dollar per year and the aldermen each fifty cents.
Under the able direction of the first city officials the new municipality prospered and grew fast. At the close of the administration it was estimated that the population of the city was around two thousand persons. Establish- ment of the custom of a nominal salary for the mayor and board of aldermen, a custom that is observed at the present day, is an outstanding event of this first administration.
Mayor Jacob S. McFerren was re-elected without oppo- sition in April, 1878. W. M. Young had been re-elected as city clerk and S. P. Thompson was named to serve as city treasurer. A. E. McDonald was re-elected to the office of
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city attorney, and William Glaze became police magistrate. The second city administration was marked by continuing growth of the new city. Settlers were coming in from the eastern states and land values rising. Many of these came to the new town to make their home while others located on the farms surrounding it. No action industrially was taken until in 1880, however, although the first agitation in this line of endeavor properly belongs to the division of time 1878 to 1879.
In April, 1879, when the time rolled around for the next city election, efforts were made to have J. S. McFerren again make the race for mayor, but he refused the honor.
The name of Alba Honeywell was presented and he was chosen for the office. There was no change in the other offices of the city government with the exception of the election of J. H. Dyer as city attorney and the naming of T. B. Tennery as city marshal and superintendent of streets.
In the summer of 1880, Stephen S. McCall, an expe- rienced canner from the State of New York, came west on a prospecting trip, trying to find a place where sweet corn would grow in sufficient quantities to warrant the establishment of a canning factory. He was attracted to Hoopeston and so impressed was he with its possibilities as a corn canning center that he established the first corn canning factory here. The old brick building which had served as headquarters for the Snell, Taylor & Mix Con- struction Company housed this first canning factory which was a financial success from the start, later to become known as the "Illinois Canning Company."
In 1881 a third ward was added to the political divi- sions of the town. In 1881-1882 occurred some of the greatest industrial development of the city. J. S. Mc-
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Ferren had again been called upon to head the city govern- ment in the capacity of mayor and William Moore and A. H. Trego were elected as aldermen from the second ward of the city. M. D. Calkins and C. W. Gay were the alder- men from the first ward while L. W. Anderson and James Hanna were the first aldermen to serve from the newly organized third ward of the city. Harlin M. Steely served as city attorney from 1881 to 1882. Addition of a new city official was also noted during his period, David M. Binga- man serving as superintendent of streets.
Influenced by the success of the canning factory estab- lished by S. F. McCall, in the summer of 1882 J. S. Mc- Ferren, A. H. Trego and A. T. Catherwood incorporated the Hoopeston Canning Factory.
Attracted by the great quantity of tin cans needed here by the two factories, the Union Can Manufacturing com- pany was established, later to become a branch of the American Can Company.
Mayor Jacob S. McFerren served the city in the capacity of its chief executive for three consecutive terms from 1881 until 1884. In April, 1884, he was re-elected despite his protest and on April 21 resigned to be suc- ceeded by Samuel P. Thompson who served out his unex- pired term. The name of James H. Dyer first appears in the history of Hoopeston in the 1882 administration, his first political office being that of alderman from the third ward.
The First National Bank was incorporated in 1882 by J. S. McFerren, being the outgrowth of the bank estab- lished by that pioneer when he had come to Hoopeston as a settler. It was the city's first financial institution.
Industries established up to the end of this year- 1885-had all prospered and grown to many times the
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size of their initial start. So great had been the almost miraculous growth of the new town that it was referred to as "the metropolis of the prairie."
From 1885 until 1895 saw the growth continued and steady under the administrations of the following mayors: 1885-88, H. L. Bushnell; 1888-89, A. H. Trego; 1889-90, W. P. Pierce; 1890-1891, W. P. Pierce; 1891-93, W. R. Wil- son; 1893-95, James H. Dyer.
In 1895, under the administration of James H. Dyer, the first street improvement in the form of paved streets had been done. The paving program put through in that one year was the greatest in the history of the city up to the present date. In 1897-98-99 this was continued.
John L. Hamilton was at the head of the city govern- ment as mayor in the year 1900, when the fourth ward was organized.
The year 1900 was devoid of street improvement and it was not until 1901, when J. S. McFerren was called upon once more to head the city government that this line of improvement was resumed. Mayor McFerren served until April, 1903.
In the year 1902, J. E. Whitman was granted a fran- chise by the city council for the establishment of a tele- phone exchange in the city limits and before the end of the year a new industry was in flourishing condition.
James A. Cunningham took over the reigns of the city government in April, 1903, and remained the city's chief executive until the year 1905, when he was succeeded by Fred Ayers, who served until 1907.
In November, 1905, the granting of a franchise to C. J. Wakeman to manufacture and furnish the city with illumi- nating gas took place.
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C. S. Crary became mayor in April, 1907, serving until April, 1909, when H. C. Finley replaced him to serve until April, 1913.
The accession of I. E. Merritt to the post of Mayor of Hoopeston was marked by many interesting facts, the period between 1913 and 1918 being remembered as pro- ductive of many civic benefits that have had a lasting good effect upon the city. Mayor Merritt was fortunate in his board of aldermen, the men given him by the people of Hoopeston in his two terms being of a calibre that made it possible for the doing of many things for the advance- ment of the city.
The rest room at McFerren park, which had been given to the city by J. S. McFerren, was built and the balance paid on the cost of construction of the pavilion at the park. The lagoon at McFerren park, one of the beauty spots of the pleasure grounds can also be credited to Mayor Merritt and his co-workers, as well as the beautifying of the grounds by the setting out of many trees and shrubs, which people of Hoopeston are today enjoying. Municipal improvements included the sinking of two wells at the city pumping station improving and increasing the city's water supply for both domestic and fire protection use. Con- struction of a city septic disposal plant is another achieve- ment of the Merritt administrations, deserving of com- ment, as is the fact that the vault was placed in the city building and later improved. This vault holds the records of Hoopeston since its organization, the minutes of each council since the first, presided over by J. S. McFerren, and other valuable data such as election records, etc., which each year become more valuable. Cluster type lights were installed throughout the business section of the city. Dur- ing Mayor Merritt's administration a police matron was
لميحسم
PUBLIC LIBRARY, HOOPESTON, ILL.
MAPLE STREET SCHOOL, HOOPESTON, ILL.
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named, which custom has been followed by each succeeding administration to the present day.
The next mayor of Hoopeston, 1917 to 1919, was Wil- liam Moore, one of the pioneer citizens of Hoopeston, who became Hoopeston's "war mayor," serving during the troubled times of 1917 to 1919, entirely through the world conflict. Just a few days before he was inaugurated, the world was startled with the declaration of war voted by the United States Congress and it was his duty to guide Hoopeston through the troubled days of mobilization, when executive tasks were almost doubled due to the demands of the military. How Hoopeston responded to the call for service issued by the President of the United States, Wood- row Wilson, it is sufficient to say here, that under the able guidance of Mayor William Moore and his council, aided by the patriotic citizens of this section, Hoopeston came through the period of stress with flying colors, making a record that has been equalled by few cities of the same size in the state and that has been excelled by none in the nation.
The period from 1919 to 1925-the three administra- tions of Mayor John A. Heaton, are marked by many things wherein the city of Hoopeston was advanced. Mayor John A. Heaton at the time of his retirement from office in April, 1925, had served for six consecutive years, three terms, he being the only mayor of Hoopeston to be accorded that distinction in the over a half century since the founding of the city. Mayor Heaton took office in April, 1919.
In 1922 an improvement was first proposed that was later to be consummated by Mayor Heaton and his co-workers and that perhaps will stand for many years as the most outstanding improvement of the entire six years. This was the providing of a more adequate water
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supply for domestic use and for fire protection to the city. It was not until 1923 that actual work was started at the waterworks resulting in the sinking of an extra well, erection of a new reservoir and the maintaining of both pressure pumps at the institution in such condition that either can be used at any time to carry the load of ordinary usage while the other is free to supply water for an emergency.
Hoopeston during the six years of the Heaton admin- istration experienced one of the greatest industrial booms of its entire fifty year existence. Not in the matter of new enterprises establishing themselves here, but in solid and substantial growth of those already here. The taking over of the Sprague Canning Machinery Company, by the Sprague-Sells Corporation was perhaps the start of this growth or at least its greatest contributing factor. Immense additions to the factory of The American Can Company on West Main Street, completed in 1925, make this plant of the great corporation the largest in the point of floor space, in the United States.
The Illinois Canning Company, with the building of new barns in 1925, and the making of many other extensive improvements to their buildings increasing their floor space and general capacity is another improvement worthy of note at this time. It has been computed that the indus- trial wealth and capacity of the city almost doubled in the six years from 1919 to 1925, a fact that not only is worthy of recording for the past, but that augurs a bright pros- pect for the future.
Such was the condition of the city in 1925, when the first cycle in the history of Hoopeston was completed by the accession of the second generation to posts of power and responsibility. In 1922 had occurred the death of J. S.
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McFerren, guardian angel of Hoopeston. His sons, Wil- liam McFerren and Donald J. McFerren took up the work of building for Hoopeston where he had left off. William McFerren was named the president of the First National Bank, following in the footsteps of his father in the bank- ing business.
In 1925, Donald J. McFerren fulfilled the hopes of those who had ever been the friends and followers of his father, when he became a candidate for mayor and was elected without opposition to the office so many times filled efficiently and wisely by his father.
Of the fraternal organizations the Masonic Lodges are the oldest in Hoopeston and of the patriotic organizations, the Grand Army of the Republic. Ira Owen Kreager Post, of the American Legion, is the youngest of the patriotic organizations and the present generation leaders are made up of those men who gave of their lives to the mili- tary forces of the United States.
Hoopeston's first civic commercial organization was styled the Hoopeston Business Men's Association and for many years served the needs of the growing city, until 1919, when the need for more unified effort became appar- ent. Therefore, it was determined that a Chamber of Com- merce should be established and on August 5, 1919, A. M. Keller, I. E. Merritt and Ellsworth Iliff were selected as an incorporating committee and became the incorporators of "The Hoopeston Chamber of Commerce."
The following persons were selected to control the des- tinies of the new incorporation for the first year: George E. Evans, treasurer; Mac C. Wallace, John F. Ost, William Moore, I. E. Merritt, Ellsworth Iliff, Ore M. Ross, W. C. Welty, E. J. Boorde, F. C. Moore, I. N. Heaton, Mark R. Koplin, Charles W. Warner, Otto Ogdon and Walter Trego.
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A charter was issued by the Secretary of State and the new organization was ready for business. Orren I. Ban- deen was employed for the period of one year as secretary.
On December 9, 1920, a meeting of the membership body was held, the constitution and by-laws were adopted and the following board of directors elected for two years, ending December 1, 1922: G. H. Couchman, Dr. Fred E. Earel, Dr. John A. Heaton, Thomas Martin, W. A. Miski- men, L. W. Singleton. For one year, ending December 1, 1921: Dexter Crandall, George Lester, D. J. McFerren, A. W. Murray, Otto Ogdon and Walter Trego. At a spe- cial meeting held December 14, 1920, the board organized by electing the following officers: Dexter Crandall, pres- ident; G. H. Couchman, vice president; E. E. Yates, treas- urer; O. I. Bandeen, secretary.
On November 16, 1921, H. B. Zabriskie, of Paterson, New Jersey, was employed to succeed O. I. Bandeen as secretary of the Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Bandeen had resigned to go to a larger city. Mr. Zabriskie served dur- ing the first six months of his term satisfactorily and had started to serve his second period of six months, when the board of directors terminated its contract with him to permit the secretary to go to another Illinois city. Paul Weber was named as the president of the Chamber for the year 1922 and was serving at the time Mr. Zabriskie ended his connection. From then until April, 1923, the Chamber was without a paid monitor, when Howard N. Yates, of Fairbury, Illinois, was given a six months contract.
George E. Evans, one of the principal figures in the organization of the Chamber of Commerce and for many years one of the staunchest supporters of the civic body was elected president in December, 1922, to serve during
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1923 and executed the contract with Mr. Yates as secre- tary.
At the conclusion of his six months service, Mr. Yates returned to Fairbury Association of Commerce, as its secretary and the Hoopeston organization was again left without a paid adviser.
In December, 1923, G. H. Couchman was named as president of the organization to serve during the year 1924. It had been determined that the civic organization would do without the services of a paid secretary for a time in order to recuperate their finances as well as to try out a new system. In the fall of 1924 it was decided, how- ever, that a paid secretary was a necessity to the organiza- tion, and Miss Bertha York, a native of Hoopeston was selected.
In December, 1924, Paul E. Weber was elected to serve another term as president.
The first attempt to found a public library in Hoopeston came in the year 1872, when the Hoopeston Library and Lecture Association was organized on December 30. The Hon. Lyford Marston was elected president, R. Casemut, vice president; G. W. Seavey, secretary; W. Gloze, treas- urer, and S. E. Miller, librarian. There were fifty mem- bers of this association, which after a few years of exist- ence was permitted to die out, interest not being sustained in the project.
Following the organization of the Mary Hartwell Cath- erwood Club in Hoopeston in 1895, the movement for a free public library was again taken up and, sponsored by this powerful organization, soon had become a fact. From its founding until January 21, 1905, the library was housed in the city building on North Market Street.
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The first board of trustees for the Hoopeston Public Library was appointed by Mayor John L. Hamilton, and confirmed by the city council in June, 1898. The members were Mrs. Mary Hartwell Catherwood, Mrs. Lillian C. Warner, Mrs. Anna Phelps and Messrs. William Moore, A. H. Trego, H. L. Bushnell, A. L. Shriver, James H. Dyer and William J. Sharon. The first meeting of the board was held July 6, 1898, and organization was effected by the election of A. H. Trego as president and A. L. Shriver as secretary.
The library was formally opened on Monday evening, November 23, 1898, in a room set apart for it by the city council in the new city building.
In November, 1903, Andrew Carnegie gave three thou- sand dollars for the establishment of a free public library here, later amplifying this sum with two thousand five hundred dollars in December, 1903; two thousand one hun- dred and thirty dollars in January, 1904; two thousand three hundred and seventy dollars in March, 1904, and two thousand five hundred dollars in August, 1904, making a total of twelve thousand five hundred dollars.
One of Hoopeston's most generous public-spirited cit- izens, Alba Honeywell, donated the grounds upon which the library was to be built and on January 21, 1905, the new library was thrown open to the public, with fitting dedica- tory services.
Coincident with the growth and development of Hoopeston came the organization of the leading religious denominations. A religious spirit and a high moral tone have prevailed here from its beginning. Hoopeston has the following churches: First Methodist Episcopal Church, The First Church of Christ, The First Presbyterian
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Church, The United Presbyterian Church, The Univer- salist Church, The First Baptist Church, Saint Anthony's Catholic Church, The Society of Friends, The Christian Science Church, and The Free Methodist Church.
A RESIDENCE STREET, INDIANOLA, ILL.
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ENTRANCE TO McFERREN PARK, HOOPESTON, ILL.
CHAPTER XII
TOWNSHIPS AND VILLAGES
CATLIN TOWNSHIP: CRADLE OF VERMILION COUNTY-BUTLER'S POINT- THE FIRST MILL- EARLIEST SETTLERS - JOHN PAYNE -PIONEER TEACHERS-"GRANDMA" GUYMON-VILLAGE OF CATLIN-ITS FIRST MERCHANTS-HISTORICAL POINTS OF INTEREST-CARROLL TOWN- SHIP: ITS ORIGIN-NATURAL RESOURCES-"INJIN JOHN" MYERS- OTHER PIONEERS-EARLY PHYSICIANS AND TEACHERS-RELIGIOUS GROUPS-INDIANOLA.
CATLIN TOWNSHIP
The cradle of Vermilion County is a name that might well be applied to Catlin Township, for within its confines was made the first permanent settlement, Butler's Point, and the Salines that drew the first white people to this county, following the decline in the fur trade, were located along the northern border, the operation of which drew the first settlers in this township, so that Catlin Township is always thought of in connection with the Salt Works.
The township was laid off from Danville, Vance, Car- roll and Georgetown Townships in 1858, after the Great Western Railroad was constructed and in operation, and drew its name from an official of the railroad, after whom the already existing station of Catlin had been named.
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James D. Butler came from Vermont in 1820 and he with Asa Elliott, Francis Whitcomb and Mr. Woodin were the first settlers at what was known as Butler's Point, at the point of the timber running out into the prairie west of the present village of Catlin and on what was known as Butler's Creek.
Mr. Butler came direct to this county from Clark Coun- ty, Ohio, where he had lived six years after coming west from Chittenden County, Vermont.
Asa Elliott established his home at Butler's Point in 1822. The first meeting of the county commissioners was held at the Butler home and the first circuit court session of the county was held at the Elliott home. This home was also the scene of the first religious meetings in that section, with Father Kingsbury, who went there to preach to the Indians. The first Sunday School in the county was estab- lished by the Methodists at the Elliott home in 1836.
The first marriage of a white couple in the county con- cerned residents of Butler's Point, that is the marriage of the first white couple in what is now Vermilion County, although it was then part of Edgar County.
This was the marriage of Cyrus Douglas and Ruby Bloss, the latter living at the Salt Works. It was really a double marriage for Annis Butler, daughter of James D. Butler, and Marquis Snow were also married.
This double ceremony was performed January 27, 1825, at the home of Squire Seymour Treat at Denmark, the grooms having made the trip to Paris to secure the necessary licenses.
Annis Butler was born in 1805 and was sixteen when she came to Butler's Point with her father. Following the death of Marquis Snow and the death of Cyrus Douglas' wife, she and Douglas were united in marriage and she
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lived until March, 1877, when she died at her home in Fairmount. Her marriage is touched upon at more length in the chapter on the Salt Works.
James D. Butler built the first mill, or "corncracker," ever used in Vermilion or Champaign Counties, in 1823. It consisted of a "gum" or section of a hollow tree, four feet long and two feet in diameter. Into this was set a stationary stone, with a flat surface. The revolving burr was granite boulder, or "nigger-head." The stones were easily procured from the top of the ground and were dressed into circular form, and the grinding surfaces fur- rowed to give them cutting edges. In preparing them, Mr. Butler used such tools as he could manufacture at his hand-made forge, and a hole was drilled on the upper side of the rotary burr, near the rim. A pole was inserted in this, and the other end placed in a hole in a beam some six or eight feet directly above the center of the hopper.
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