USA > Illinois > Vermilion County > History of Vermilion County, Illinois : a tale of its evolution, settlement and progress for nearly a century, Volume I > Part 19
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milion County, Illinois, and settling near Higginsville. Francis Dougherty was another newcomer to Vermilion County in 1830. He was a native of Maryland but had lived in Ohio for some time previous to his coming to Vermilion County. He became an extensive landowner in this section and died in 1860. Robert Price came from Pike County, Ohio, crossing the country in wagons. He was yet in time in his coming in 1830 to suffer the privations of pioneer life. He died in 1850. He was the father of four children. James Rees was one of the band of Friends who did so much for the moral uplift of the county in its formative state. He came in 1830 and was a farmer all his life. He commenced the nursery busi- ness in 1854 and did much for the improvement of this section. He compiled a valuable history of that section, but it never was put in print and his son carried it to his western home and lost it in a fire. Mr. Rees was the father of eight children. He taught school for ten years.
Alexander Church came from Virginia in 1830 and farmed Mr. Caraway's land for a while when he bought land in section 28. This was the school sec- tion which has been given in lieu of the saline section 16. Congress gave all of section 16 to the state for school purposes, but another law reserved all saline lands to the state. The saline section had been taken possession of by the men who were making salt and living there, hence this section was given in lieu of it. John Boggess took up land in sections 29 and 30 in 1830. He made a good farm and continued to live there up to the time of his death in 1875. Mr. Boggess came from Monroe County, Virginia. He was married in Greenbrier County of the same state to Jane Gillespie McCorkle. He came with his wife and family of small children to Vermilion County and stopped at Brooks Point for a short time. Mr. and Mrs. John Boggess were the parents of eleven chil- dren. Six of these children were born before they left Virginia. One died in young manhood. Five of them were born in Vermilion County, and all but the three mentioned lived to have families of their own. Mr. Boggess and his wife were both buried in Oakridge Cemetery. Of Mr. Boggess' children the eldest was William, who died young; Diana, who became the wife of Joseph Griffith and the mother of four children : Rebecca, who became the wife of William Ray, the brother of Dr. Ray; Elizabeth, who became the wife of Butler; Harvey, who married the daughter of Harvey White and was the father of four boys ; Charles, who married Huldah Patterson and became the father of two children; America, who became the wife of James Davis and the mother of two children; Enoch, who was married three times and the father of nine children; Melissa, who died early, and Julia, who died in infancy, and John W., who married Valura B. Piper and became the father of four children, two of who died while small.
John A. Church was a baby of but three years when his father brought him to Vermilion County in 1830. He lived all his life within three miles of the farm upon which the family settled. His mother was Ruth Caraway, the daughter of Charles Caraway. Rev. John Villars was a prominent citizen of Vermilion County, coming in 1830. His parents were strong Methodists, and he was licensed to exhort in 1823. This was in Ohio. In 1830 he came to Illi- nois to Vermilion County and settled about four and a half miles east of Dan- ville. In 1833 he was licensed by the M. E. church to preach, but in 1838 he left that church and joined the United Brethren in Christ, in which church he
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labored until his death in 1858 as a minister. In 1852 he went to Wisconsin and remained for five years, but returned in 1857. He then went to Nebraska, where he died the following year. Mr. Villars laid out one of the abandoned towns of the county, platted under the name of Shepherds town.
The missionaries of the Mormon church came to Vermilion County in 1831 to get converts. They did their work in Newell township, and had some suc- cess. This faith had but just been established the year before this, through a claimed revelation made to Joseph Smith in Ontario County, New York. The missionaries sent to Newell township were Orson and Parley Pratt. The former afterward became a prominent leader in the church at Salt Lake, although while here, Parley was the better one of the two. The center of the operations of these two missionaries was in Blount township. The first preaching place they made was at the house of Olive Miller. Afterward the occupied the Eckler's school house, and made appointments at Harrison Oliver's and John Chandlers. The wife of the latter was a sister to Swinford, who was a preacher in the faith, and she favored it while her husband neither approved or disapproved of the doctrine. They had a number of followers, among whom were Elders Sherer, George Morey, Coon, Packard, Jackoway, and others whose names are not now available. In preaching, these Mormons called themselves the children of the Kingdom and they made pretence of healing the sick and even went so far as to say they could raise the dead. They, however, made no demonstration of that power. Consider Scott was among their converts, being one of the very first. Harrison Oliver, Louis Neely and OliverMiller all were converts to the doctrine and, taking their families, went to Independence with the mis- sionaries when they left Newell township. A number of their converts would not go with them, however.
In 1831 the inconvenience of having the Land Office so far away had be- come so great as to make some effort to change it imperative. Steps were taken to memorialize the governor to secure the location of a Land Office at Danville. This was secured, the district being created by an act of February 19, 1831. Francis Prince was made the first register and his commission was dated March 2, 1831. Samuel McRoberts was the first register and his commis- sion bore the same date. He remained receiver until 1840, having second com- mission dated March 4, 1835 and February 11, 1839. John C. Alexander was commissioned register with dates of November 5, 1833, June 12, 1834, and May 26, 1838. Stinson H. Anderson was sent a commission as receiver of money dated June 10, 1840, but he declined it. Thomas Jones was then appointed receiver, his commission being dated, July 27, 1840, but he, too, declined to serve. Then Lunsford R. Noel was appointed and sent a commission bearing date of October 20, 1840 and another December 29, 1840. He was commis- sioned again February 21, 1845, and once more on December 21, 1848. He had held this position for nine years. John Vance was commissioned register, August 25, 1841, and William E. Russell followed him, receiving his commission dated August 1, 1845. Daniel Clapp was commissioned register, July 12, 1849 and John H. Murphy was commissioned receiver September 20, 1848, and again September 2, 1850, the same date as the commission of Daniel Clapp as register. William E. Russell was the last man commissioned as receiver and
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his commission was dated March 30, 1853. Richard S. Malony was commis- sioned register March 28, 1853. William P. Davis was commissioned register, January 20, 1854, and John N. Drake had the last commission for that place, his bearing date of July 24, and January 6, 1856. The office was discontinued December 16, 1856, it having been in operation for twenty-five years.
By this time there were plans of many kinds to increase the facilities for travel. Since the main dependence was the waterways, every possible improve- ment of them was sought. There were many suggestions made to improve navigation of the Big Vermilion and the Danville people tried to slackwater it but that was found to be impossible and so Vermilion County petitioned Con- gress, as early as 1831, to grant a strip of land between Vincennes and Chicago for a railroad. Citizens of other counties joined them but it was of no practical help in solving the problem of transportation throughout the state. It was many a long year before a railroad was to run between Chicago and Vincennes.
There were many newcomers to Vermilion County in 1831. One of them was Reuben Partlow, who came from Kentucky and located in Danville. He was a wheelwright and cooper and lived in Danville working at his trade for a time, but at last took up a claim in Newell township, upon which he built a log house. Mr. Partlow remained there but a year when he disposed of his claim and re- turned to Danville, where he followed his trade for a time and later took up a claim on the Middlefork. His market was in Chicago and at one time he took a half barrel of honey and supplied the whole town, returning with a good portion of it. He lived on the farm on the Middlefork until 1853, when again he returned to Danville where he spent his remaining days. He died in 1866.
Aaron Dalbey was another who came in this year. His home, just before he came to Illinois, was in Randolph County, Indiana. He bought the farm afterward owned by George Jones and later bought three hundred acres of land on what was the well known John McFarland farm. He lived there all the remainder of his life. He was a prominent citizen and built the mill on the Salt Fork. He was three times married, having five children by the first, two by the second and four by the third wife. Mr. Dalbey died in 1855.
Asa Folger came from North Carolina to settle in the Elwood neighborhood. He was a tanner and shoemaker and he did this work for the settlers for miles around. Some times his business was so rushing that he employed four or five men. He was one of the best of men. He belonged to the Society of Friends and was, as were so many of these best of people, an influence for good to all who knew him. He died in 1850 and his wife, in 1880.
Another force in the development of the county was Joseph Smith, who came in 1831. He was an Englishman by birth, and his father brought him to Vermilion County, Illinois, in the latter part of this year of 1831, having spent a short time in Elmira, New York, and yet some more time in Chicago before coming here. They bought a small farm near Potomac, but they dis- posed of this property in a few years and moved to Myersville, this county, and took charge of the old water mill at that place. After running the same for several years Mr. Smith became a resident of Danville and formed a partner- ship with John L. Tincher .. They bought a flour and hominy mill, but Mr. Tincher
C. E. LORING
JAMES A. DICKSON
JOHN PEARSON
J. M. DOUGLASS
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soon sold his share to Mr. Giddings and the mill was afterward conducted under the name of Smith and Giddings. A strange thing was connected with this partnership and mill, since both men died and the building burned within the one year.
Reece Cook came from Indiana in 1831 and first settled at Grate Creek, but afterward went five miles northwest of Danville. He was married after he came here to Miss Hartly, whose parents came the year before.
Harvey Cloe came from Kentucky and settled in Georgetown township. He married Miss Eslinger, a native of Vermilion County. They lived in the same home until after her death, when he married Miss Colwell for his second wife. While there had been a log house on the rear of the old Pennsylvania House property built by Bluford Runyen in 1828, this at one time famous tavern was begun and completed in 1832 by Samuel J. Russell. This building was on the west side of Vermilion street about half way between Main street and the first street north. It was a good house for its times and completed with the Mc- Cormick House in caring for the traveling public.
The first newspaper was started in the county in 1832. William Delay is said to have been its editor at that time. Whether his term of editorship came at so early a date is but a matter of memory and, should the date be an error, there is no doubt that he was editor of it at a very early period in its history. William Delay was a man typical of the times. With sympathy all with the southern states and the institution of that section, he looked forward to that institution being extended into the territories, and even had a hope that Illinois should become a slave state and to that end put forth every influence. He was courageous and reckless, a man of strong will and ready effort. His brother was of the same stamp, and together they joined the Mounted Rangers and took part in the Black Hawk war, serving in protecting the section about their camp in Vermilion County after the war was ended. In 1845 Mr. Delay moved to Oxford, Miss., where he became a leader in political affairs. He was sent as a delegate to the Charleston convention in 1860. He was a shrewd politician. and understood the conditions in the country; it is said that upon his return he predicted the downfall of his party and the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, and also the following Civil War. Mr. Delay afterward became captain of a company in one of the regiments of the Confed- erate army.
The year 1832 marks the beginning of the Goshen Baptist church. Although the organization was made in this year, services were held in private families. and at the Davis school-house, and the Stearns school-house for three years before a church building was put up. As was the case in almost all the other churches of this denomination in the county, Elder Freeman Smalley and Elder G. W. Riley were the leaders. Benjamin Smalley was the preacher in this church for many years. It was in 1832 that the Black Hawk war called forth many of the men of Vermilion County. The fact that Black Hawk had re- turned to Illinois was known only to those who read the Springfield papers, or took their news second hand, and the citizens of Vermilion County had but vague rumors of the impending trouble, until one morning when church service was disturbed with a cry of the stranger who came into Danville shouting "The In-
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dians ! The Indians!" This church service was conducted by Rev. Kingsbury in the room of the second story of the Cunningham store, where it was accustomed to be held. It was broken up while the stranger told his tale of Indian cruelties feared by the people of the sparsely settled northern Illinois. The inhabitants of the Fox River country and Hickory Creek were fleeing from their homes through fear of the dreaded enemy. They drove their cattle and other stock before them and some bareheaded and others barefooted hurried on to Dan- ville. Then the report of Stillman's defeat came, and all sorts of rumors made the certainty of the Indians coming down upon this section, killing, burning and destroying in every direction a reasonable fear. At any cost the flying fugitives must be relieved at once from the pursuit of the Indians. A call was made at once for a forlorn force to go to their assistance. In less than two hours there were thirty men volunteered to go and by three o'clock in the afternoon were on their way, under the leadership of Dan Beckwith as captain. Immediately the Vermilion County Militia were concentrated at Danville and put upon the march. Every part of the county was represented in this body by many of its best citizens, Col. Hubbard among the number, under the command of Col. Moores, with John H. Murphy acting as his aide. The year after the war was over those of Vermilion County who were in the Illinois Rangers went into camp near Danville, awaiting release, and the effects of this part taken by this county in this war were felt for some time.
In 1832 the postal route was established from Chicago to Vincennes by way of Danville. The wagon road had taken the place of the old trail, and along this road the mail was now to be carried three times per week. Among the newcomers to Vermilion County during this year are to be reckoned the follow- ing: Harvey Stearns, John Dicken, Daniel P. Huffman, John B. Hildreth, John Brady, Francis Dougherty, Joseph Richardson, Jesse Smith, Abraham Mann, Sr., John Newlon, George W. Wolf, John Pearson, James Waters, J. K. Richie, Thomas F. Collison, Henry Oakwood, John Kyger, Aaron Dalbey, Jesse Davis, William Fisher and David Fisher.
Harvey Stearns was born in Vermont, but went to New York, where he lived until after his marriage with Miss Fannie Lockwood. Together they went to Ohio in 1814, where he bought a small farm and remained on it until 1832, when he came to Vermilion County, Illinois. He reached here after the govern- ment had stationed troops to protect the settlement from the Indians. Mr. Stearns was the father of eight children. He died in 1847 and his wife sur- vived him until 1877. His son Alvan was sixteen years old when he came into the county and he walked all the way from Ohio driving cows, sheep and hogs. His younger brother, Calvin, walked with him. Living sixteen miles from Dan- ville the young man was often obliged to go that distance to call a physician after night. Their market was Chicago and many times he drove there to sell his wheat and bring back groceries and other supplies. Mr. Stearns was greatly trusted by men, as is shown by his having been made assessor and collector for many years, as well as having administered a number of estates. Among the estates which he administered are to be numbered those of his father and father- in-law, Mr. Lee, also Aaron Hardin, William Clutter, Alfred Hardin and the immense estate of Mr. Yount.
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5000
John C. Dicken's father, a native of Kentucky, came to Coleman's Prairie, Vermilion County, Indiana, and was the third settler there. His son, John C. Dicken, came to Vermilion County, Illinois, in 1832, and settled in Elwood township. There he married Hannah, the daughter of William Golden. They were the parents of ten children. Mr. Dicken moved to Georgetown in 1853 and in the following fall he went on to Ridge Farm. He put up a store and carried on general merchandise for several years. He then went to Newman and built the first store in that place. He sold goods there two years, then re- turned to Ridge Farm, where he died in 1873. His wife died thirteen years before him.
Daniel P. Huffman came from Kentucky in the fall of 1832 and settled in Newell township, and the family homestead did not pass into strange hands at his death, which was the case with too many of the early settled farms. Mr. Huffman did not live to make much of a farm, since his death took place within four years. His wife survived him twenty-one years. Since there was no bury- ing ground within ten miles, the parents were both buried on the farm, in a pleasant place, a few yards from the residence.
John Brady was a native of Virginia and his wife of Ohio, where he took up his residence and remained until 1832. At that time he came west and took up land in Danville township. Here they were among the early settlers, and they lived the remainder of their lives at this place. Mrs. Brady died in 1848 and Mr. Brady survived her until 1855.
Francis Dougherty was the master of both the trades of shoemaker and stone-mason, so that in coming to Vermilion County in 1832 he found much need of work in both lines. He lived in Vermilion County until his death in 1860. He was born in Maryland. His wife, Christian, died in 1851 at the ad- vanced age of ninety-one years. When Mr. Dougherty came to Vermilion County in 1832 he settled on the Little Vermilion river in Carroll township, about one and a half miles northwest of where Indianola is now located, where he stayed over winter, and then bought land from the government one mile north of where Fairmount is. Of their family of children, Samuel Dougherty mar- ried Jane Dalbey, the daughter of Aaron Dalbey.
Aaron Dalbey also came to Vermilion County in 1832. His first wife and the mother of Jane Dalbey was Christina, and at her death was the mother of five children. Mr. Dalbey's second wife was Nancy Kizer and his third wife was Henrietta Catlin. Jesse Smith was a native of Virginia and migrated to Ten- nessee at an early age. Thence he came to Vermilion County in 1832 and settled on section 18. He was a tanner and a farmer. His first entry of land con- sisted of 160 acres, which he added to from time to time. His produce, to find a good market, had to be taken to Chicago. At that time the best price was $1.50 per hundred for pork and a good cow would be sold for not more than $10.
Abraham Mann, Sr., was one of the early settlers who made a lasting impress on the county. He came in 1832 and made his way into the interior of Illinois, here to bear an important part in making the county. Although coming directly from England Mr. Mann did not come without some knowledge of conditions in the new world. His father had been in the Mississippi valley during his early manhood and had then gone to spend his last years in England. He had doubt-
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less told his son of life on this side of the water and made him familiar with conditions of living here.
Mr. John Mann, the father, came to America while yet it was counted among the colonial possessions of Great Britain. He came in the interest of a London firm dealing in paints and oils, of which he was a member. He located first in New Orleans and penetrated into the interior of the Mississippi valley when but few settlements had been made on either side of the great river. Passing up the Mississippi in a canoe, he went as far north as the St. Anthony Falls (later Minneapolis and St. Paul), trading with the Indians and shipping his cargoes down the river to New Orleans. After the Revolution, Congress gave him grants of land in Louisiana to the amount of thirty thousand acres, to compen- sate him for the losses he had suffered because of the war. Later, after Amer- ica was no longer one of the British colonies, Mr. Mann returned to London where he lived the remainder of his life. Abraham Mann, Sr., his son, was born in Leighton-Buzzard, Bedfordshire, England, October 4, 1785. Determining to make the new world his home, he sailed, with his family, for the United States, taking passage at Liverpool on a sailing vessel which, after a voyage of seven weeks, reached the harbor of New York. He was in company of his brother-in-law, Joseph Smith, and they made their way by way of the Great Lakes to Detroit, Michigan, where they bought saddle horses and rode across the country to Danville, Illinois, settling near Danville, which was at that time but a small town. For miles just beyond the timber about Danville, the great prairie stretched, most of it yet belonging to the government. Mr. Mann en- tered a claim of six hundred and forty acres on which he built a pioneer house of logs. He entered land from time to time, until when he died he had an estate of five thousand acres to leave to his children. It is impossible to tell all that Mr. Mann did for Vermilion County. He was a power in the advancement of the county, both in the business efforts he put forth in Danville, and the im- petus he gave the agricultural interests of the county. He was very prominent in public affairs and was in sympathy with and promoter of every measure tending to make a firm foundation for the development of the county as yet in its infancy. The vast estate near Rossville is a monument to his thrift and longsightedness, and the neat little brick church, well known as the Mann Chapel, made from brick which he himself burned, is equally a monument to his interest in the general welfare along moral, as well as intellectual and social lines. Mr. Mann's wife died seven years after he left England and was buried in the pri- vate burial grounds, and he died in 1875 and was buried by her side.
J. J. K. Richie came to Georgetown with his mother and grandfather, a lad of six years, in 1832. His father died when he was a baby. They wintered in Georgetown and in the spring moved to a farm southeast of the village. This was his home only a short time and during his boyhood he changed resi- dence several times. When he was old enough to take care of himself, how- ever, he settled in the county and spent his manhood in the place where he was brought by his grandfather when a boy. John Pearson was born in Avon, New York, and began his connection with Vermilion County when he was thirty years old. He was a graduate of Princeton College and had read law with Judge George Hosmer while yet living in Avon. He came west, locating in
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Ravenna, Ohio, for a time, but later started for a more favorable place to prac- tice his profession. He started for Chicago, but stopped at Detroit to visit friends. At that place he took a sailing vessel for Chicago, reaching his desti- nation early in June, 1832. He found conditions such that it was not safe to stay there unless he remained in the fort, and that Danville was the nearest place of perfect safety, there being a company of rangers stationed there, so he came here on horseback to look at the town. During his absence the first steamer arrived at Chicago, bringing Scott's troops, but as well bringing the cholera, and a regular exodus was made from Fort Dearborn. Mr. Pearson's family was taken from the fort and taken to the summit, there to await his return. He. took a wagon back and brought them to Danville, where he began the prac- tice of law. He was appointed by the legislature to the office of Circuit Judge, his circuit being Cook, Will. Iroquois, DuPage and DeKalb counties, This took him to Joliet for his home and later other business caused him to locate in New York city. But his interests were in the west, and he left the east, making the long trip to California, where he had many experiences, and finally returned to Danville, where he spent his remaining years. Judge Pearson died in 1875.
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