USA > Illinois > Vermilion County > History of Vermilion County, Illinois : a tale of its evolution, settlement and progress for nearly a century, Volume I > Part 27
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Other newcomers in the sixties were: S. B. Holloway, in 1862; J. A. Lewis and L. B. Wolf, in the same year, and D. D. Evans and Alexander Bowman in 1864. M. A. Harrold came in 1861, and S. R. Tilton and G. W. Tilton and W. J. Henderson came in 1862. Of these, Mr. S. B. Holloway was connected with the omnibus line for many years. He came from Ohio, where he was born and where he married his wife. Mr. Holloway had run steam sawmills in various towns before he came to Danville, and came here directly from In- dianapolis. Mr. Holloway lived in Danville the remainder of his life.
Mr. Lewis came from England and was a contractor and builder. His home has always been in South Danville. L. B. Wolf came to Danville and for some time kept a bakery, but in the course of time became one of the Dan- ville Lounge Factory Company, where he is at present.
D. D. Evans, school teacher, editor and attorney, was always a credit to Danville. After practicing law for some time he was elected county judge, and after that known as Judge Evans. Mr. Evans married Mrs. Elwilda (Crom- well) Fithian and their home was a pleasure to enter.
Alexander Bowman came to Danville from Champaign. So intense was the public feeling when he came that when he was looking around on the pub- lic square, he was very near to being arrested as a political spy. Mr. Bowman laid out more towns in Vermilion county than any other man.
M. A. Harrold settled in Ridge Farm in 1861.
The Tilton brothers came to Catlin in 1862 from Indiana. Samuel came first, but enlisted in the service and was severely wounded in the battle of Kenesaw Mountain. A ball entered his right breast and it was some time be- fore it came out of his back. He was incapaciated for service, but he returned to his regiment and remained until the close of their term of service. Then he went to his parents' home in Indiana and later came back to Catlin. Mr. Tilton married Miss Vance, the daughter of Maj. Vance.
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George Tilton came to Catlin about the time his brother did, but he re- mained there all the time. He taught school, was bookkeeper and salesman, and then formed a partnership with_J. C. Sandusky under the name of San- dusky & Tilton. They sold general merchandise. The Tilton Bros. have been associated together in the mercantile line during all the years they have lived in Vermilion County.
The great amusement at Conkeytown in the later fifties and early sixties was the debating club, which held its meetings at the Cass school house. There were some eloquent and convincing debates, in which William Milton and John Lee, Samuel Rawlins, Hiram and Alex. Catlett, William Davis and Z. C. Payton took part.
An interesting document was not long ago discovered by Mr. Hole, the postmaster at Ridge Farm. It evidently belonged to his father and bears date of August 23, 1862. It is the charter of the Union League of America; num- ber of local chapter, 1054. The eight charter members who signed are as fol- lows : Jonah Hole, E. Goodwin, A. B. Whitney, James Price, Elisha Hamil- ton, T. D. Weems, D. J. Hunt and Thomas Henderson. This organization was a counter one to the Knights of the Golden Circle, and the fact that such a council existed is proof of an organization of the latter in the county. It is well known that over the state line in Indiana the Knights of the Golden Circle were strong. This Union League of America had passwords, signs, and the grip, and the members were oath bound. This charter is printed on parchment and is signed by Mark as G. Pres., and George H. Harlin as G. Sec.
There were two riots in Danville which tell the state of public feeling bet- ter than multiplied words could do. While the state of sentiment was intense all over the country, yet on the borders, as it might have been called, the con- ditions were a little different. Danville was near to the people who felt most keenly the ravages of war and at the same time it was in touch with those who felt as intensely the necessity of the struggle to preserve the Union. Other localities let men wear a butternut pin unmolested and had men mustered out of service and go about their business without arousing the desire to kill.
The first riot was on August 24, 1863, and was a disgraceful as well as lamentable affair. John Payne was the father of several boys and was him- self a man who sympathized with the South. On the other hand his son-in-law was a stanch upholder of the Union. One of his sons wore the emblem of the Northern sympathizer in the shape of a pin on his coat that was made from a butternut. Such an ornament was not unusual to see on men's coats at this time. Lyman Guinup, a business man of Danville and Colonel Hawkins, a soldier from Tennessee, were together. Mr. Guinup was himself a soldier. Seeing this pin when particularly impatient with the ornament, these men snatched it from the coat of John Payne. A fight followed, and in the struggle Payne was shot. Later a preliminary investigation was held in a magistrate's office on West Main street, about where the King block is now located. A crowd assembled, and William M. Payne, who was the sheriff, has- tened to the scene. As he passed the store of William M. Lamm, which stood where the Danville National Bank now stands, or on the southwest corner of the public square, he called Mr. Lamm, who was at the store door, to go
CAPT. T. J. MCKIBBEN
GEORGE MCKIBBEN
MAJOR THOMAS MCKIBBEN
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with him and assist in quelling the disturbance. They hastened on together. This was about one o'clock p. m. As they came within bullet range, a shot was fired and Mr. Lamm fell mortally wounded. No demonstration was then made, although the Southern sympathizers gathered on the corner of Hazel and South streets. The reports were circulated that the friends of John Payne of the same views were intending to burn the town that night. The next morning . the courthouse grounds were full of horses which had been ridden into town during the night by the farmers who had strong Union sentiments. George Barker was arrested, tried and convicted for shooting Mr. Lamm, and was sent to the penetentiary. William Lamm was one of the leading business men and a member of the board of trustees of the North Street Methodist Church. His death was a severe loss to the community. His sons, John M., Stamper Q. and Edward C. Lamm are living in Danville now and are among our prominent citizens.
The other riot in Danville occurred on the evening of October 1, 1864. This was on the evening of the day of a big republican rally. The election, which was to give President Lincoln a second term, was not far away, and politics ran high in Vermilion county, as elsewhere in the country. It was but the day before this that the Twenty-fifth Illinois Volunteer Infantry was mustered out of service in Springfield. The soldiers had come home and not yet put aside their suits of blue, and of course were very conspicuous in the streets. Among these returned soldiers were three of the sons of Thomas Mc- Kibben, Capt. Jeff Mckibben, George Mckibben and Henry Mckibben. George Mckibben was not an aggressive young man, but rode into town that morn- ing with his friend Francis Gundy in good health and spirits. They put up their horses in the Pennsylvania House, says Mr. Gundy who lives in Bismark, in Newell township, and went about town. The day passed without any dis- order, although many threats were reported to have been made. About half past five o'clock, Mr. Gundy went to the place where the horses were in waiting and took them both out, riding his own and leading that of George Mckibben to the public square. Finding his friend, Mr. Gundy told him it was time to go home. But George Mckibben excused himself with the re- mark of having anxiety for his brother Jeff, and said he thought he would not go home that night, but look out for his brother. He did not seem to be in the least uneasy for his own safety. So it was, Mr. Gundy took George Mc- Kibben's horse back to the stable and went on home by himself. This is the story as told by Mr. Gundy, the friend of George Mckibben.
The story is taken up at this point by Mr. Hiram Ross, who was an eye witness of the shooting. Mr. Mckibben and Mr. Ross, together with George Mckibben and Henry Mckibben, were all standing about six o'clock p. m., on the southeast corner of the public square across the street from where the Interurban station is now located and they were called across the street by Dr. Faris and Dr. Lemon, who were on the opposite side of the street. The men called to them to come over and shake hands and make up friends. The boys went over without thought of fear, and the men backed into the store, the boys following. No sooner did they get in than the door was closed behind them and the two men stepped behind the counter and the shots began to fly in the direction
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of the Mckibben boys. The air was full of smoke and all was confusion for a minute, when Henry Mckibben called out that he was hurt. The men who did the shooting made their escape through the back window and Mr. Ross looked about for George Mckibben to find him shot dead with a bullet in his temple and Henry Mckibben sure he was mortally wounded. Mr. Ross hurried Henry Mckibben to Dr. Fithian's office, and does not know anything about what hap- pened afterward, excepting as hearsay. An examination of Henry Mckibben showed the bullet had not penetrated his body, but was lodged in his clothing and fell to the floor when his body was badly bruised on the left side where the ball had struck him in the region of the heart.
Mr. Hiram Ross who lives in Danville, tells this story, as nearly as possible. as it is here given : Mr. J. W. Giddings was at that time a young man, the son of William Giddings whose home was on South Hazel street almost opposite the home of Dr. Lemon. He takes up the account at this place, telling of the dis- tressing scene he witnessed. He tells how he was at the gate of his home and saw men running down the alley. among whom was Capt. Jeff Mckibben, with others of the returned soldiers. He was at the gate of Dr. Lemon's home when the crowd reached there and he saw Capt. Mckibben with some other man go into the house and appear presently with Dr. Faris between them. Dr. Faris had their promise to protect him until he could have the benefit of the law. That this promise was made in all good faith there could be no doubt in the minds of those on the outside of the house. That Jeff Mckibben thought he could give this protection is equally as certain to anyone who heard him speak that night. But Capt. Mckibben was not dealing with his company of disciplined soldiers : it was a mob he faced and a mob growing more and more furious every minute. A mob that could not reason, nor yield obedience to orders if these were in the direction of law, and a consideration of another's rights.
Before the act could be prevented, the helpless prisoner was struck, and the mob had closed around him and hastily fired shot after shot into his body. thus taking another life to pay for the one already lost, and all done in blind, unreasoning passion. How far this mob would have gone will never be known had not Mr. Thomas Mckibben, the father of the dead boy, held them in check as no other man could have done. The mob would listen to him, and it is well they would. He stepped on a box on the street so that all could see him as he reminded them that his loss of a son was greater than could be that of any of them; and he pleaded with them and demanded that the men form- ing the mob would disperse and do no more harm.
Captain Jeff Mckibben, who is yet living, tells the story of the scene at the home of Dr. Lemon in his own words as follows:
"It was the evening of Oct. Ist, 1864. There had been a big republican rally in Danville on that day. In the evening I had just ordered my horse from the barn of the old - -Hotel to start home when some person (can't call to memory who) called, "Captain, your brother is shot." I says, "I haven't heard any shooting." This man pointed down the street on the public square. I immediately ran down to where the crowd was gathering. As I came up to the crowd, my brother Henry and Hiram Ross came forward and met me. Hiram Ross said, "George is killed." They were on their way to Dr. Fithian's office.
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I saw that Henry was shot. I asked him who shot him. He said, "Dr. Ferris and don't let him get away." I says, "Where did he go?" Some person called ont that he went down to Dr. Lemon's house. I said that I would get him. I immediately started for Dr. Lemon's house. A large crowd followed. When I arrived at Dr. Lemon's home, I went to the south entrance. Dr. Lemon opened the door with a revolver in his hand. He told me to halt. I did so. I says, "Dr .. Lemon is Dr. Ferris in your house?" He said that he was but I could not enter his house. At that I stepped forward and told him that I would give him just ten minutes to deliver me Dr. Ferris or down would come him and his house. He said that he would deliver to me, Dr. Ferris in ten minutes. I told the people that were there not to molest Dr. Lemon nor his property, that he had agreed to deliver me Ferris. While standing there some one supposed to be Dr. Ferris opened the upstairs window and fired a shot down at me. The bullet went into the ground close to my left foot. In a few moments Dr. Lemon came down stairs to the front door and called for Capt. Mckibben. I immediately answered him. He said that Dr. Ferris wanted to see me up stairs alone. I ran up stairs and Ferris met me at the head of the stairs, jammed his gun against my chest. I knocked it aside and grabbed his arm with my left hand and my gun was against his head in a second. I told him to surrender. He dropped his pistol on the floor and commenced to beg for his life as I started down the stairs with him. I told him he had forfeited his life but that he should have a hearing in his case. When I got to the foot of the stairs out on the porch some person struck him with a piece of wood and he fell forward on the walk. As he fell a number of shots were fired into the body. I called out to them to cease firing- not to shoot a dead man. The firing stopped and someone called out to haul the d- rebel np the street and some parties grabbed him by the legs and up the street they went.
I immediately crossed the street and met my father standing there alone. I said, "Father, I thought you had gone home." He said, "I had started and heard of this trouble so came back." At that moment some person came up, (can't call to mind who) and said, "Capt. your brother is dead." I said, "I think not, that was only a flesh wound." At that father says, "Poor George is dead." That was the first knowledge of my brother's death. I am glad that I did not know he was dead at the time. If I had known it, I would probably have killed Dr. Ferris. I did not kill him nor I did not shoot at him. Now I have given the account of the killing of Dr. Ferris as I remember it. I think it is correct."
Dr. Ferris had been taken through the streets and left on the side of the walk by the courthouse, and no one went to him, although he was yet living, until near midnight, when he was taken into the courthouse dead. Dr. Faris was a Virginian, and he felt very bitterly the results of the war. It is now claimed that he had served in the Union army, but this claim has not yet been proven, and though he might have once been pledged to the cause of the union, that can make the circumstances of his death in the way it was only the more sad.
CHAPTER XX. AFTER THE WAR
CONDITIONS FOLLOWING THE CIVIL WAR-NEW COMERS IN THE DECADE IMME- DIATELY AFTER THE CLOSE OF THE WAR-BUILDING OF TOWNS AND CITIES- PROGRESS IN THE NORTHERN PART OF THE COUNTY-DEVELOPMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES.
The division of the history of Vermilion County by the date of the Civil war is not an unreasonable one as can be seen by a careful reader of any record of events before that time and since.
Changes in conditions were the inevitable following of the end of that struggle, not only in the South, but all over the country, and Vermilion County was no exception to this universal state of matters. Apparently the army was disbanded and its members went back home to take up the life laid down three or more years ago. But in reality that was impossible. The intervening years had been filled with experiences which changed plans and ideals, and even modes of life. The people of this country were not the same people nor could they regain their former condition.
In Vermilion County, up to this time, the increase in population had mainly come from the increased families. While some new comers had found their way to this section, the affairs of the towns and of the county were man- aged by the descendants of the early settlers. The natural increase of values had made certain distinctions in the communities, and certain men had found themselves in power because of the wisdom of the choice of their fathers or grandfathers in the selection of land when first coming to the west. There was more of a community of interest than is possible under any other cir- cumstances. Men knew each other better when their fathers had known each other; it was easier to calculate what a man would do when his father's life was as an open book to read. But there is more danger of a concentration of power in a community when generation after generation lived in the same place. Deeper friendships are developed, but on the other hand, more bitter enmity is always engendered, and a community misses the chance of growth while having the privilege of intimate association. Those who had gone to the service had met new experiences and met new people. They had found that the world was not bounded by the limits of their own community. The entire country had grown less narrow and found that the world had something in it other than own interests. Vermilion County boys were not the exception.
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Home had perhaps grown more dear because of contrast, but never again would it hold the place it had before. The nation had grown from its period of de- pendence and provincialism. Where men had gone, they came back with a wider outlook. Old plans of work for one or another were put aside, it may be, on account of some one who went away but did not come back.
Immediately following the close of the war, many new comers made their homes in Danville. Unlike the early settlers these were largely from the east- ern states. The south came to the county in its infancy, and when the next time of change came it brought the east to Vermilion County.
The newcomers differed in another way from the early settlers in that they sought the towns rather than the country, and the villages and county seat in- creased in size more rapidly than did the country districts, at this time.
Mr. J. G. Holden came from Ohio, being a native of New Hampshire and having spent his youth in that state and New York. His fathers family came to Illinois in 1851, when he was sixteen years old. They settled in northern Illi- nois and he remained in New York state clerking in a grocery store. Later he went to Ohio and went into business of his own as a merchant. There he remained until 1865, when he came to Danville and made it his permanent home. Mr. Holden later went into the lumber business with his yard on Hazel street, just north of Main. He built up a fine business, which he kept as long as he lived, and since his death has been carried on by his eldest son, Nathan.
Mr. Holden was prominent in the affairs of the city. He was at one time a member of the city council, a member of the board of education of Danville, and held all prominent offices in the Agricultural Society. He was sent to the state legislature and while on the county board of supervisors was chairman of the committees which had the building of the new court house to see about. Mr. Holden died at his home, corner of Walnut and Williams streets.
Edward S. Gregory was another eastern man who came to Danville in 1865. He went into the drug store of I. Partlow, where he remained for five years. He was elected marshal of Danville in 1868 and held that office for six years. He was then elected sheriff of Vermilion County and remained in that office for six years.
Mr. Gregory married Miss Anna Maxon. Dr. George Wheeler Jones and his brother James located in Danville about this time. Like many other young men they had gone into the army before they had selected their locations for homes. Dr. Jones had begun his practice of medicine in Terre Haute from which place he enlisted, but the younger brother went into the service when he was but eighteen years old. Coming back, the most promising location ap- peared to be Danville, Illinois.
Dr. Jones opened a practice in the city and surrounding territory, and at the same time they formed a partnership under the firm name of Jones Broth- ers, and carried on the business of a drug store. Their store building was on the corner of Main and Hazel streets. The building yet stands in good con- dition, having housed a drug store for forty-five years. In the store diagonally across the street on the southwest corner of Main and Hazel streets, Yates & Murphy had a dry-goods store.
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The Danville Lumber & Manufacturing Co. was the outcome of the part- nership made by Mr. Holden and Mr. E. A. Leonard, when they came from Defiance, Ohio, in 1865, and went into the lumber business. It is true that it was many years after they made and gave up their partnership that this establishment was organized, but the beginning was made when Mr. Holden and Mr. Leonard came from the same town in Ohio in the same year and together went into the lumber business under the firm name of Leonard & Holden. In one year he bought Mr. Holden's interest and conducted the busi- ness alone until 1871, when the firm became Leonard & Yeomans. In 1873 the Danville Lumber & Manufacturing Co. was established and continued until the death of Mr. Leonard. They did a good business for the times and it was one of profit. Mr. Leonard was born in St. Lawrence County, N. Y., in 1828, and died in Danville, Ill.
During these first years after the war, the list of attorneys was increased by William A. Young, J. B. Mann, E. Winter and F. W. Penwell. Mr. Young came from Indiana. Mr. Mann is a native of New Jersey. Mr. Winter was born in Kentucky, but came to Indiana while very young, coming to Danville in 1870; and Mr Penwell was a native of Indiana. All of these men have become successful lawyers and made themselves known outside their own county. Mr. Young did not begin the practice of his profession until he had spent much time in other employment. He taught school rather extensively in southern Illinois. He enlisted for the term of three months, but soon had enough of army life. He was engaged as recruiting officer in Indianapolis, and at last began his practice. At first it was under the firm name of Penwell & Young, where they both made their reputation, and were considered the rising lawyers of Vermilion County.
Mr. Joseph B. Mann is one of the best known lawyers of the state. He is well read, clear in his statement of a case, and is generally on the winning side. He was born and spent his youth in the east, coming west to the Mich- igan University to study law in 1865, and graduating from that school in 1866. He then came to Danville and went into the office of O. L. Davis. He was admitted to practice law in the courts of Illinois in the following year. He was taken into the firm with Judge E. S. Terry. When that partnership was ended he went into the firm with Judge O. L. Davis. Since then he formed the firm of Mann, Calhoun & Frazier, which was one of the strongest in eastern Illinois. Mr. Mann married Miss Lucy Davis, daughter of Judge O. L. Davis. Mr. Mann changed his residence, his new location being Chi- cago, but he afterward returned to Danville. Mr. Mann has perhaps a wider acquaintance throughout the state and surrounding territory than any other resi- dent of Vermilion County.
Mr. E. Winter is but one generation removed from England, his father being an Englishman. He was born in Indiana. In 1864 he enlisted in Bat- tery F, First Indiana Heavy artillery, although but seventeen years old, and was in several heavy engagements. After he came to Danville he helped or- ganize Battery A, and soon was made captain of it, since which time he has familiarly been called Captain Winter.
B.E.B VERF LION
ENERAL INSURANCE A INTY QUILDING ASSOCIATION,
THE PLAZA, SHOWING COAL MINED IN VERMILION COUNTY
OLD COURT HOUSE AND JAIL
JOHNSÉGE
GROCERY STORE ON MAIN STREET
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Mr. Penwell moved to Illinois with his parents in 1853, but did not come to Danville until 1873. He enlisted from Shelbyville, the home of his parents. He was in the service for three years, after which he went to the Michigan University and studied law, and was admitted to the bar. When he came to Danville he went into partnership with Judge Henry under the firm name of Henry & Penwell. Three years later the firm was changed to Penwell & Young and remained that. It was about this time that the Abdill brothers came from Perrysville and opened a hardware store. The firm of Abdill Bros. was dissolved in time and Mr. E. C. Abdill carried on the business. When he died his sons, Charles and Harry, carried it on for some time under the name of E. C. Abdills' Sons. In about. 1898 the store passed into the hands of another firm and the name of Abdill, which was connected with the hardware trade for so many years was lost to Danville. Mr. George Abdill is and has been a broker in Danville since going out of the hardware busi- ness.
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