USA > Illinois > Vermilion County > History of Vermilion County, together with historic notes on the Northwest, gleaned from early authors, old maps and manuscripts, private and official correspondence, and other authentic, though, for the most part, out-of-the-way sources > Part 69
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Joseph Allison lived on section 25 in 1830. The first Methodist meetings were held at his honse, and he continued an earnest and active friend of the church.
Garrett Dillon was one of the first to settle in Pilot Grove, and was interested in the work of religion and education. He did much to build up society here. He died while he was on his way home from attending the yearly meeting of the Friends in Iowa. He was a most excellent man, and his loss by death was deeply felt in the community. His daughter, Mrs. Fletcher, still lives at Pilot Grove; his son, Will-
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iam, died at Georgetown; John was killed in Missouri by a falling tree; Mrs. Harrold, another daughter, died here, five of her eight chil- dren surviving her. Marion has long been one of the leading business men at Ridge Farm; John is also in business there; W. P. is on a farm, and Mrs. Dice and Mrs. Fellows reside there.
Nathaniel Henderson built the first shanty in Harrison's purchase, and Wiley Henderson built a house there. Amos Bogue had a farm there. This point of land became known as the "lost lands," because of its sections being numbered different from the lands about it. Set- tlers squatted on it and were anxious to get titles. Finally a sale was ordered, and most of those who lived on the lands secured them by purchase.
The land lying between the timber and Ridge Farm was called the " Texas country," because for a long time it was so wild. It began to fill up about 1845, and now embraces some of the finest farms in the township.
Charles Brady walked from Centerville, Indiana, in 1831, and took up a piece of land about three miles south of Yankee Point. He got forty acres, with Jackson's signature to the title deed, and built a slab house on it. He died there, and his son Enoch lives at Ridge Farm, where he is engaged in running the grist-mill.
John Fletcher came from Ohio in 1836, and lived near Vermilion Grove. He came to Pilot Grove in 1839, where he now lives. He worked around for a while, wherever he could find work -mauling rails and making brick - until he had earned enough to buy a piece of land. His father had entered eighty acres in Pilot Grove in 182S. He is, and long has been, a leading man in the township, and in the society of Friends, of which he is a member. For many years he has been on grand juries in the courts of the county, and is recognized as a man in whom the utmost confidence can be placed. He has raised seven children, some of whom still live near the old homestead. John Haworth, who now lives in Watseka, had a farm here when Mr. Fletcher came here to live. His present wife, who was Mrs. Haworth, has three children, who live in Thorntown, Indiana, one of whom is a preacher. His farm lies along the west side of Harrison's Purchase, and. from the understanding which is current as unwritten history in regard to that matter, the writer has derived the following: When General Harrison was down on the Wabash some Indians stole nine- teen horses from his camp, and a half-breed offered, for a suitable com- pensation, to pilot a party of soldiers to where the stolen horses were concealed. This is the highest timber-land anywhere in this vicinity. and can be seen a great distance. The pilot led this way ; but whether
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the Indians were detected here and the property restored is not stated. Harrison, in the course of negotiations with the red man, purchased a piece of land which may be described as triangular at its northern end, but having the Wabash river for its third side. The apex of this tri- angle is a roek which was ont on the prairie a mile north of the grove, the northeast side being a line run from that rock toward the sun at ten o'clock on a certain day of the year, and reaching the Wabash river a few miles north of where it becomes the boundary line of the state. The western line is a line run from the rock directly through a huge elm tree which did stand and now lies in the fence a few rods from John Fletcher's house, extending south through Edgar and Clark connties, and terminating in the northern part of Crawford, thence east to the Wabash River. At the time of the earliest settlement here there was an old shanty, very dilapidated by time, near the old elm tree, which rumor says had been 'used at the time negotiations were going on here.
Asa Folger came from Indiana in 1829, and commenced tanning near Elwood. This business was then of considerable importance, and the habit of farmers then was to get their leather from the tannery and make their own shoes, or take the leather to a shoe-maker to get it made up. No farmer thought he could afford to buy shoes. Elam Henderson relates that by the time he was ten years old his father set him to work to make his shoes, over home-made lasts, out of home- made leather. After civilization had progressed far enough westward so that tanyards were within reach, the hides were taken there and marked and put into the vats. In due time the leather was ready to be made up. He was a leading member of the Society of Friends, and his children grew up worthy members of that faith. After a few years he sold, and bought a farm of John Thompson, in the southern part of the township, where Mrs. Folger now resides. He had ten children, all of whom are living. Three are in Kansas ; one in Missouri ; John lives on a farm in Harrison's Purchase ; Uriah near Ridge Farm ; Mrs. Reynolds and Mrs. Mills live near Elwood meeting-house, where they have large families growing up around them. Mrs. Dubre and Mrs. Ellis live near Pilot Grove. John is a recorded preacher of the Friends society, and spends a portion of each year in visitations. Uriah is also a preacher.
The earlier settlers at and near Elwood were Mercer Brown, Exum Morris, David Newlin, Nathan Thornton, Elisha Mills, Isaac Smith, Wright Cook and Zimri Lewis. They organized and maintained the Friends meeting there, and were honored and esteemed eitizens. Els- bery Gennett took up a farm near Pilot Grove early. He patented a
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HISTORY OF VERMILION COUNTY.
glass moth-protector for bee-hives, and made a great success of it finan- cially. He was a queer old man. His oddities were long the subject of remark.
There were many early settlements along the Little Vermilion, in the northeast part of the township. Thomas Whitlock came here from Tennessee in 1828. He had united with the Baptist church when a boy, and all through life retained a lively interest in the cause of re- ligion, and was a strong promoter of the church of his choice. He was a man of intelligence, of firm convictions, and of great force of charac- ter. For more than twenty years he was a justice of the peace, and was almost annually on the juries of the county. He was always in- terested in politics. The first vote he cast was while he was in the military service, voting for his old leader, Andrew Jackson. He was engaged in teaming over the mountain roads in Tennessee, and when he came to this state emigrated in one of those old-fashioned " prairie' schooners," whose prow and keel rise on a curve, to prevent the con- tents from rolling out when going up and down hill. He acquired about seven hundred aeres of land. He had thirteen children, four of whom are living. He died in 1878, aged eighty-two years. His was an active, busy, nseful life. Thoroughly conscientious in all his deal- ings, undertaking whatever work he had to do with christian fortitude, training his children in the way he loved, he lived a devoted life and sleeps in an honored grave. His son James lives in Vigo county, Indi- ana, and has five children. Isaac lives in a neat farm-house close by the church which his father had done so much to organize and build up, and has four children. John lives at Eugene, Indiana, and Benja- min on the old homestead. Alfred Parks, who was another early pro- moter of the Baptist church here, and long a deacon, lives north of Georgetown with his son-in-law, Elwood Bales.
Though not one of the early settlers, space must be allotted here for a notice of Mr. Thomas Millholland, who came here from Edgar county in 1856. He was an elder in the Presbyterian church here, and was devoted to the cause of religion. He was the father of thirteen chil- dren, only one of whom died in infancy. He had been a militia officer in his younger days, and when rebellion arose, though sixty years old, he was intensely interested in the cause of the Union. Colonel Jacques and Lieut. Davies were addressing a war meeting at George- town, calling for volunteers to fill the depleted ranks of the grand army of the Union; but the volunteers were not forthcoming. The old man was present, and stepped forward and enlisted ; others soon followed his example. He went out to battle, but soon came home to die; the spirit was willing, but the flesh was weak. Nine of his chil-
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dren and their mother survive, of whom Amos and Mrs. Martha Hen- derson reside here.
Enos Campbell came here in 1834 from Tennessee, and a large family live in the vicinity yet. Alexander Campbell came here at the same time, and settled just across the line in Georgetown. He is now eighty-three years old, and still attends to his large farming interests. He has eight sons and four daughters. Hogan and Abraham live here in Elwood; Robert and Mrs. Patty in Missouri ; Mrs. Whitlock in Homer, and Mrs. Day in Penfield.
John Whitlock eame here in 1830, and lived on the south side of the creek for three years, when he removed to the north side. He was an early friend of the Cumberland church here, and he and his family did much to build it up. Three of his sons became ministers of the Gospel, and two still live to preach the Word. Another son, William, lives in Georgetown ; Jacob, in Indiana, and Mrs. Campbell and Mrs. Cook, here. Now a feeble old man, the days of his labor passed, he will long live in the memory of his children as a faithful, consistent father. William Thompson, Golden Thompson, James Graham and Abraham Brown settled along the Salt Works road here in an early day. Abraham Brown, jun., lived a mile farther west. He is dead, but several of his children reside near. Foster Elliott also came here early; his son, Gosberry, lives near Liberty Church. William Rees came to Yankee Point with his father in 1838. A. J. Ramey came from Indiana in 1850. At that time, Wright Cook lived where Rees does. He lived there fifty years. He was one of the organizers and was a preacher of the Friends meeting at Elwood. He died a year ago. His widow and children, Thomas, Asa, Kesiah and Rachel, live in this vicinity. He was a worthy and much respected man. Zimri Lewis, another of the old guard who upheld the eanse of re- ligion, and a most estimable man, died near here in 1875. He was the father of fourteen children, all of whom died before him. Two of his grandchildren still live here.
Eli Patty lived at Patty's Ford, northeast of Elwood meeting-house. He came here abont 1848. He was an elder in the Presbyterian church. His son William gave up his life for his country ; he was a worthy and upright young man. One daughter, Mrs. Win. Patterson, resides in the township, and her mother resides with her.
John Rayburn was a minister of the Baptist denomination. He lived near the site of the old Baptist church. He is dead, and his son lives near Danville.
Eli Thornton was here at a very early day. He was a good car- penter and a good Quaker. He had a water-mill on the Little Ver-
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HISTORY OF VERMILION COUNTY.
milion at the Wright Cook Ford. He built it the year after the frost killed the trees in June (probably 1837). The frost which appeared in that month was severe enough to kill the leaves, which had the effect to kill the trees themselves in many localities. The mill was both a saw-mill and grist-mill. He run it until 1857, when the frame was sold to James Frazier for a barn. The stones lie there yet. Mr. Thornton went to Sadorus Grove. The Hall mill, on the state road south of Georgetown, has been long gone. Jonathan Haworth built a mill about half a mile from where Henry Mills now lives, at Cook's Ford, about 1830. He was a brother of James Haworth ; he died at the mill. Isaac Cook bought it and sold to Eli Patty. . The water dried up with the advancing civilization, and the mill went down.
Zackens Parhm, a good and beloved man of the Friends, and one who attended to his own affairs, lived near the Elwood Church early. He died in 1857. He had four daughters and one son. Mrs. Shires still lives here.
Joseph Ramey came here about 1850, following his sons, Asa and Jonathan, and lives in Georgetown, aged seventy-two years. He had ten children, of whom three are now living: Asa, on the farm in Elwood, Jonathan, in Georgetown, and Mrs. Wesley Cook, in Elwood. Nathaniel Cook, the father of Wesley, was an industrious and pious man, a good citizen and good neighbor. He resided on the farm which Ramey now owns. He died and left three sons and two daughters, who live in this township. Asa Ramey has eight children, two in Missouri, and the others at home.
Samuel Graham came from East Tennessee in 1828 to Yankee Point, where the widow Whitlock now resides. Jonathan Haworth had made an improvement there, and Mr. Graham bought it. He lived there two years, and then bought on section 6 (range 10). He preempted the northwest corner of the section, cut the saplings and made a cabin, and died there in 1833. His wife died in 1857. They were industrious and religious people. At their house the first Methodist meetings in this part of the township were held, and continued to be so held until a school-house was built. Their daughter married Mr. French, the first Methodist minister, and their son James continned to live on the place until 1873, when he moved to Georgetown. Mr. Walton im- proved the farm next west of Graham's, and moved to Indiana.
James Hepburn came to Engene in 1833, and the next year came to section 2 and entered eighty acres of land, made a cabin, and improved the farm his son Thomas now resides on. He died in 1850. He had eleven children : five are now living: Thomas lives on the old home-
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stead, Israel in Ohio, one in Missouri, one in Iowa, and Mrs. Lashley in this county ; one grandson, Thomas, lives in Georgetown.
Mr. Denio, who lived in this neighborhood, had in his cabin one of those odd old fire-places which were a enriosity even in those times. It commenced half way up the wall, and had room under it for half a cord of wood. They are believed to have gone out of date in Elwood.
Abraham Smith was the first to make a farm out on the Ridge. The prairie land north and west of Pilot Grove was the last to be brought into general cultivation. For twenty years after good farins existed along the "Points " and the groves this beautiful prairie lay open, being entirely destitute of cultivation. When Abraham Smith and his brother William concluded to sell their farm at Vermilion Grove and bring the Ridge farm into cultivation, they were eautioned against the folly of going there to live. They were told that no one yet was ever known to live out on the prairie; that he would never have any neighbors, and could not expect to have meetings or schools. He thought, however, that the land was better for farming purposes than that in the timber, and that he could better afford to hanl his rails and wood out to his prairie home than to try to bring the timber land into cultivation. His wife, who is a sister of the Canadays, and who still lives on the place, says things did look pretty rough when she came here to live on Christmas day, 1839. They had moved from East Tennessee, and lived a few years near her brother's at Vermilion Grove. Mr. Smith commenced improving this farm in 1839, and built a house on the east side of the state road, which they moved into in the winter. Four years later he sold this to Uri Ashton, and built the house on the west side of the road where his widow still resides. When he came the stage route from Danville to Paris was already established, and the next spring four-horse coaches were put on the route, and soon a post-office was established, though it was some time before neighbors began to settle near. He was obliged to " keep tavern," and entertain any who came along, as there was no one to send them to. The coaches made a trip a day, going from Danville one day and return- ing the next. The wolves were so troublesome that they wonld chase the chickens into the yard.
Thomas Haworth was the first to join Mr. Smith in moving here and making a farm, in 1841, just north of where Mr. Smith lived. Uri Ashton, who was next, only remained a few years and sold to Mr. James Thompson, who is also gone. It soon became evident to the active mind of Mr. Smith that there would be a business center here soon ; he built a blacksmith and wagon-shop, and soon after, about 1850, a store. About 1855 he, with some others, built the large three
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HISTORY OF VERMILION COUNTY.
story steam mill, which cost about $10,000, and did very good work until it burned in 1863. The shop and store stood south of his house, and it was not until the town was laid out that the buildings were put up where the village now is. Mr. Smith was an honored member of the Society of Friends : in political principles a radical abolitionist of the most pronounced type, and was an energetic and active business man. He died in 1863. He had seven children, five of whom are living: One son lives in Iowa, one in Kansas ; Mrs. Clark lives in Paris : Mrs. Pierce lives with her mother on the old homestead, and Mrs. Haney near by. His brother, Dr. Isaac Smith, lived early east of where Gibson's store now stands, at Vermilion Station, and his brother Jesse lived southeast of the Vermilion meeting-house, where his son George now lives. The other farms around Ridge Farm were slowly brought into cultivation after these pioneer ones, and gradually became one of the finest farming tracts in the county, thereby justifying the radical judgment of Mr. Smith, who seems never to have doubted its great value. One marked feature of farm-life in Elwood is that there are no large farms like those we find in the other townships on this south- ern tier. The men seem to have been moderate in their desires, and none of them attempted to hold great bodies of land, or to buy up all the farms adjoining them.
RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS AND CHURCHES.
From the very first the interests of this township, in its religious, moral, educational and political matters, were largely in the hands of the Friends. They were among the very earliest here; their decided views, their homely ways and the influence of their godly lives have moulded the manners and the welfare of the town. For all time to come this influence will be felt; no one can estimate or weigh it, but every one knows and feels it. John Haworth and Henry Canaday and their children, and George Haworth, whose age and faithful chris- tian life made him from the first a leader in society, and the one to advise in all such matters, within the first or second year of their life in the new country at Vermilion Grove, in the year 1823, commenced meeting together in what is called "indulged meetings," in a cabin which stood about one hundred yards north of where Haworth's saw- mill stands. George Haworth was the principal speaker, or preacher ; it is not thought that he assumed the title, but he was looked up to as such. The indulged meetings were regularly kept up according to the custom of the society, two days in a week. In 1824 a meeting-house was built right where the Vermilion meeting-house now stands. It was built of hewn logs, larger and nicer than any of the houses in the
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neighborhood. By this time the little Society of Friends had increased somewhat in numbers, and from that time, now fifty-five years, the fires on the altars at Vermilion have never been permitted to go out. They have, like all other denominations, often found their religious zeal moderating, but there has been no time when they have permitted their meetings to be discontinued. There is a very general knowledge on the part of all in regard to the religious belief and methods of the Friends, but no very clear conception of their church government and system. The central idea of their system is the separation from all form and ceremony. All their action is based upon individual consent of the members. The "meeting" is "set up" where "two or three assemble together," if they desire an organization ; no ecclesiastica} authority being asked for or permitted. The organization is the act of the united members of the society, but when done must be done in accordance with the rules of the society. A time-keeper is selected, and a secretary and treasurer chosen. No one makes a motion ; no question is put to vote, the custom, - perhaps it ought not to be ealled the form of action,- is this : Some member suggests a certain proposi- tion, as, the name of a proper person to act as secretary, or the name of a suitable person to aet on a committee. If the member has in his mind reasons for making the suggestion, he may state them. Time is given for others to state whether or not they agree with the suggestion, or whether they " have unison " with the proposition. If during this waiting time no one signifies a want of unison, the matter is taken as having been decided in the affirmative, and that decision is announeed by the elerk, not as having been "carried "; but he states that he has entered the following minute, which he reads, giving an opportunity again for general assent to the minute. If, as very rarely oecurs, oppo- sition is offered, and such negative view seems well founded, or well fixed, the clerk would not deem himself authorized to enter the minute. This system of conducting business is the method adopted in all the society meetings from the lowest to the highest, or yearly meetings. No voting by ballot ever oecurs; an agreement is obtained and the fact of that agreement recorded.
Any member who thinks the business has been transacted, instead of moving an adjournment, says: "I think we might now have the final minute read." After time is given for others to signify their unison with the view expressed, the clerk writes in his record the minnte of adjournment, or the close of the meeting. This is in busi- ness meetings, of course. In the regular religious meetings all this is dispensed with. There is no opening or closing exercise, benedic- tion, or form of any kind. The person who is time-keeper, when the
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HISTORY OF VERMILION COUNTY.
time arrives to begin the meeting, invites the elders present to a seat in the desk or bench which fronts the congregation; two or three of them sitting in those usually occupied by the men, and as many of the women in their own desk, and anyone on either side of the house, either in the desk or in the benches, that desires to say anything, does so, or a hymn is sung, or a prayer offered. Usually, at this day, the men sit with their heads uncovered, though this is governed merely by the convenience or desire of the individual. The women, a few of them still wear the bonnets which have long been the distinctive in- signia of the Friend, and some wear dresses of " Quaker drab," or brown. These items of dress have, however, largely disappeared from the assemblages at the meeting-house, and a broad-rimmed hat or shad- shaped coat is seldom seen in Elwood. After all have taken part in the meeting who choose to, the time-keeper leans forward and shakes hands with his next neighbor, - an act which is followed generally through the congregation, and the meeting is out, this hand-shaking being the only " benediction," and the only thing which amounts to a form. No sacrament is administered, neither baptism or the Lord's supper. Marriage, which in some churches is recognized as a sacra- ment, is of course recognized, and must be solemnized in due form, and while not deemed in any sense a sacrament, retains its position more nearly a ceremony. No form of ordination for the ministry is recog- nized, but provisions are made for an oversight of him who preaches, or who visits other congregations or meetings to labor with them. When one thinks he has a call to preach, a committee is appointed by the preparative meeting to which he or she belongs, who seleet over- seers, who aseertain what facts they ean in regard to the daily life and religious character of the person, and report to the monthly meeting. Elders are selected by the monthly meeting, who inquire into his doc- trinal soundness, and if all, including his ability to preach the word and instrnet, is found right, a certificate is given him. A preacher so aceredited may ask of the monthly meeting anthority to visit meetings in any part of the country, and if such authority is granted, as it always is unless some good reason is known for its refusal, a minute is given him by the clerk. With this as his credentials, he has the authority to visit all congregations covered by the minute, and call meetings, and labor with them as long as the spirit indicates that his labors are effeet- ive. No salary is permitted to be paid to the preacher, but paying his traveling expenses when on these visits is not prohibited,-indeed, is encouraged and expected. No order of elergy, or title, is known among them. Their society is a standing protest against priests, bish- ops, livings and titles.
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