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 84
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Col. Abel Woolverton, one of the best known of the early settlers in this township, settled in 1849 on section 18. two miles northeast of the Point. His was probably the first settlement out on the prairie, and as others came in his name was given to the neighborhood, and is so called vet. He came from Perrysville, Indiana, and had been in the Blackhawk war. He received the title of Colonel from his foster-brother, Gov. Whitcomb, of Indiana. He was only able to enter a quarter- section at first, but afterward took land in sections 17 and S. He engaged in farming, enduring the hardships consequent on early settle- ment on the prairie, raising cattle, fighting rattlesnakes and wolves with the same bravery he had the Indians. There was no market for anything but at Chicago, and there he had to go, over bleak prairies, through rain and mud, which latter was often one of the worst hard- ships the early settler had to endure. Points of trading at this time were Danville and Attica. Col. Woolverton was a competent sur- veyor and did considerable work in that line. Col. Woolverton died in 1865. Of his children. George, a young man of bright prospects. was killed near Richmond, in the rebellion : Charles still lives on the farm which his father brought into cultivation, and Thomas lives near on part of the same land. down the branch from Col. Woolverton's, about a mile and a half toward the Fork.
Churchill Boardman settled in 1845, and made a farm. His son lives near Rossville yet. Capt. Mckibben, so well known to the early settlers of this county, lived a portion of the time in the same neighbor- hood. He had done valiant service fighting the Indians, had served as deputy sheriff' and sheriff, and was probably as well known as any man in the county. Charles Leighton settled in the neighborhood about the same time. He still resides there at the age of nearly ninety years.
Charles Wier was early, and Mr. Smart, who soon went back east, and settled just north of Bicknell's Point. on the Chicago road. Robert Crane (whom most of the early settlers persist in calling Cream) made an early settlement. Robert Davison entered what is now known as the Webb farm. but returned to Myversville. John Chenoweth. from Per- rysville, came in and remained one year. He died at Perrysville, and Charles Wier purchased his land. Mr. Glover lived three or four years on the land now owned by L. F. Goodman. Robert Anderson took land just west of the Davison place.
James Holmes came from Kentucky, and settled on section 16 (21- 11). in the south part of Ross, where his son John was born forty-three
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years ago, so that he is one of the oldest natives of the northern part of the county. Mr. Holmes was elected a justice of the peace in 1846, six years before township organization was effected in the county. He was reelected when Ross was organized, and for a number of years in succession was elected assessor and collector of that township. He was a man of few early advantages of school education, but of strong good sense, and was a very acceptable official in all the positions he filled. He settled among the very first on the Jordan, and sold to Thomas Gundy, and entered the land known as the Tomlinson farm, and at one time owned forty acres where Alvin now is. He brought up a family of eleven children, who nearly all survived him. He en- gaged in farming, raising cattle and hogs. He was an honored mem- ber of the Christian church, and of the Masonic and Odd-Fellows fraternities. He died in January, 1864, at the time of the terrible cold which prevailed all over the country, and it was several days before arrangements could be perfected for his funeral. His wife died in 1848, during the time of the high water, which is said to have marked the highest ever known on the Wabash. She was buried in the Kight burying ground, and the neighbors were obliged to make a raft to convey the remains to their final resting place. Of his six chil- dren now living three are daughters : Mrs. Mark Wilson, Mrs. Jesse Prather, Mrs. John Turl, and three sons : John, Phillip and William.
All the northeast part of the township was open prairie and uneul- tivated until the railroad was built. William Allen, Esq., was the pioneer in the northern part of the township. He came from Ohio in 1844, and taught school three miles south of Danville, in the Jones neighborhood. He afterward taught in the Duncan neighborhood, in Newell, and married there in 1848. He then lived in Danville awhile and practiced law, and served as assistant to W. D. Palmer, county superintendent. In May, 1850, he took up a farm on the high land northwest of Hoopeston, where a beautiful spring had attracted atten- tion, and afterward bonght more. This was believed to be one of the finest farms, or at least would become one of the finest farms, in the county ; and so old Thomas Hoopes considered it for three years after he bought this land for ten dollars an acre. The old hedge, which runs along near the Hibbard Honse, was the south line of this farm, and the county line the north one. Allen was county assessor while liv- ing out here, and after selling out went back to Danville, thence to Perrysville, and, in 1858, back to East Lynne, where he again pio- neered, being the first settler in the northern part of Butler township. One son is engaged in law at Rossville and one danghter at East Lynne ; the others are with their parents at Hoopeston. Mr. Allen has
45
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seen this part of the county blossom into fruitful farms. When he first struck plow on his farm here, for miles in all directions, nothing met the eye but prairie-grass ; even the great herds of cattle, which after- ward were seen in these parts, were absent then.
Amos Thompson entered four hundred acres of land here in 1853, but never resided on it after the railroad was built. His sons came here and turned the raw prairie into city lots.
Thomas Hoopes, for whom Hoopeston was named, is a good sam- ple of the better class of those fortunate people who have greatness thrust on them without ever praying for it or entertaining any strong faith in its coming. He grew up to stalwart manhood in Chester county, Pennsylvania, and emigrated to Harrison county, Ohio. Lived in Marion awhile. and in 1853 bonght the farm of Wm. Allen. He came on here in 1855 and commenced work as best he could. He bought some land of D. C. Andrews and C. J. Hungerford, and under- took to get it into shape to get a living from it. He bronght eight hundred sheep with him, and by taking in a herd of cattle to tend each year, he managed to keep inside of his expenses. There was no place for stopping on the Chicago road from Bicknell's Point to the "red pump," near Milford, when he made his home on the big prairie. The first year he had to go over to the Jordan to buy corn, and pay seventy- five cents a bushel for it ; since that time he has managed, by careful economizing, such as he is master of, to raise enongh for his own use. He did not go into wheat very extensively, as many others did about that time, bnt raised corn and oats. Within three years he got about three hundred acres into good cultivation, having over one thousand acres in prairie grass to keep a herd on. Wool was his principal crop, which was more reliable than now. The vast range was suitable for the health of his sheep, the absence of neighborly dogs was favorable, and, by keeping up in a close pen at night, they were safe from the attack of wolves. Wolves, though apparently bold when they have a free field for escape, are cowards when hemined in by a high fence. They would not climb into an inclosure where the sheep were in a crowd; they seemed to fear being penned in. He did not raise many hogs, but kept his flock of sheep and herd of cattle increasing. He never drove cattle to the markets, being satisfied that he knew enough to raise cattle, but was not sharp enough to try any risks of a speculative nature. In 1859 he sold a thousand sheep, and during the war he sold off the remainder, thinking that if the war kept on there would not be young men enough left in the country to take care of what he had, and if it did not continue, his sheep would fall in price. His nearest neighbors. for some years, were Col. Woolverton and Churchill Board-
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man. He had no more idea of seeing a city grow up on his farm here than of seeing a volcano ; and when the road was built, and Snell, Taylor & Co. wanted to buy him out, he had no desire to go into any specu- lation in eity lots, and sold them a thousand acres for just what he believed it was worth. Now, at the age of 73, he has a quiet home in the little city which the railroads forced on him, and looks upon the last years of his life as almost a dream.
Alba Honeywell was born in Cayuga county, New York, and received a good education, and very early got into the anti-slavery and temper- ance work as a disciple of Garrison, Wendell Phillips and Beria Green. He was an agitator by his very nature, and devoted his time to writing and speaking for political and moral reforms. In fact, it was impossi- ble for any one who had once drank at the spring of man's brother- hood which flowed from the inspiring brain of William Lloyd Garrison to cease preaching abolition upon every occasion. The hero who could say " strike, but hear," did not need to use arguments to induce such minds as Honeywell's to take up the refrain for universal liberty. He had charge of "Box Brown" during his tour, in relating his wonder- ful escape from American slavery, packed in a dry goods box. This story, as he told it, in his plain, simple language, how he had permitted himself to be nailed up in a box and shipped north as freight, consigned to the abolitionists, carefully marked " this side up with care," was in- tensely interesting ; and people crowded to his meetings to hear from his own lips the story of his "abolition," as they do nowadays to an " agricultural hoss trot." The carelessness of the boat hands in stow- ing the box away upside down, leaving him for some days without the power to help himself to the little food he had prepared for his journey, was one of the most interesting parts of his story.
Hon. Lyford Marston was born in Massachusetts and emigrated to Kentucky, where he became a law partner of Hon. Garrett Davis, the last of the old whig senators of that dark and somewhat bloody ground. About 1859 he came to this county and settled on his farm northwest of the present city of Hoopeston. He has been a successful farmer and stock-raiser. In 1878 he was elected to the state legislature by a very flattering vote, and gave a very close and attentive care to the duties of his position.
CHURCHES.
The Antioch church, which was built on section 34, about two miles from the southern and two from the eastern line of the township, was the outgrowth of a union effort for securing the necessary house of worship for that part of the town. Elder Stites at an early day had preached there at the house of James Holmes, who was a member of
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that - the Christian - denomination, and others of that connection followed. Father Connor preached there in 1870, and Elders Hubbard and Stipp, since. Rev. Mr. Warren is now serving the church.
The Methodist class, that worships in the same place, has belonged to the Rossville circuit, and has been served by the same pastors who have labored at Hoopeston. The church is a neat and commodious building, and by the terms of its building is to be free to be occupied by all christian denominations. Noah Brown and Mr. Brillhart were trustees, and were largely instrumental in collecting the means to build, which was subscribed liberally by all the neighborhood.
The first town meeting held in Grant township after it was cut off from Ross, was held in the Owen school-house, April, 1862. The fol- lowing are the officers who have been elected since that time :
Date. Vote. Supervisor. Clerk.
Assessor. Collector.
1862 ... 95 ... J. R. Stewart. A. M. Davis A. M. Davis W. W. Smith.
1863 ... 89 ... J. R. Stewart. A. M. Davis. A. M. Davis. . W. W. Smith.
1864 ... 98 ... J. R. Stewart A. M. Davis. A. M. Davis J. R. Smith.
1865. .. 78. .. J. R. Stewart A. M. Davis E. B. Jenkins. J. R. Smith.
1866 ... 100 ... Fred. Tilton A. M. Davis. E. B. Jenkins . A. Warner.
1867. .. 143 ... Fred. Tilton A. M. Davis A. M. Davis. Wm.Brillhart.
1868. .. 152. .. Ira Green. A: M. Davis A. M. Davis. Wm. Moore.
1869. .. 134 ... Ira Green. A. M. Davis A. M. Davis. . Wm. Moore.
1870. .. 183 ... C. Hartwell A. M. Davis A. Warner Wm. Moore.
1871 ... 201. .. C. Hartwell A. M. Davis. A. Warner W. W. Duly.
1872 ... 240 ... W. F. Youngblood. A. M. Davis.
A. Warner W. W. Duly.
1873 ... 302. .. W. F. Youngblood. A. M. Davis.
L. Marston T. W. Harris.
1874. .. 373. .. W. F. Youngblood. A. M. Davis. J. F. Marquis .. T. W. Harris. 1875 ... 315 ... W. F. Youngblood. A. M. Davis. Wm. Glaze W. W. Duly.
1876. W. F. Youngblood. A. M. Davis J. F. Marquis. .J. F. Marquis.
1877. W. F. Youngblood. A. M. Davis. J. F. Marquis .... W. I. Hobert.
1878. .. 528. .. W. R. Clark. .B. F. Stites J. F. Marquis. . . . W. I. Hobert.
1879. .. 576. . . W. R. Clark. B. F. Stites Thos. Wolverton . W. I. Hobert.
Justices of the peace have been : James Holmes, E. B. Jenkins, W. D. Foulke, A. M. Davis, Wm. Moore and L. Armstrong.
The record of Grant township on the matter of railroad aid is very similar to that of nearly all other railroad townships. The legislature of the state in response to an almost universal demand for more liberal facilities for railroad building, passed in 1869 the act known as the refunding act, or, in common parlance, the "Tax Grab." There were many localities in the state like the one here in northern Vermilion, that were destitute of railroad facilities. There was not sufficient in- ducement for any company to build roads to such places in the mere prospect of business to be transacted, and the counties and townships wanting the roads could not well afford to give the bonds necessary to go on with the enterprise, so the plan was adopted of making the other
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counties help pay for the investment. An act was passed giving to the counties, cities, towns or townships which should vote aid for rail- road building under the provisions of this aet, all the state taxes which should be raised on the railroad so built, and on its property, and all state tax on all increase of assessment over the assessment of 1868, as a fund to help pay the bonds issued in aid of railroads.
An election was called, May 11, 1867, to vote for or against giving $14,000 to the Chicago, Danville & Vincennes railroad, but the elec- tion was adjourned withont action in consequence of informality. June 3d an election was held, which resulted in 132 for, to 17 against, such aid. A special town meeting held on the 25th of August, 1868, to vote for or against $4,500 additional in aid of the same road, which resulted in a vote of 60 for, to 19 against. At a later date,- but the township records fail to show anything in regard to it,-a vote was had to take $25,000 stock in the Lafayette, Bloomington & Mississippi railroad. The bonds were issued, the stock was taken, but by a recent foreclosure of the mortgage the stock has all been wiped out, and Grant is not any longer a railroad stock holder. On the 27th of June, 1876, a special town meeting was held to decide, by a vote of the township, whether they would employ counsel to contest the payment of the bonds, which resulted in a vote of 135 for, to 17 against, sueh contest ; and a vote was also taken in favor of raising $4,000 by tax, to use in contesting the bonds. Hon. Charles H. Wood, of Chicago, was em- ployed, under the resolution of this meeting, to take care of the case in behalf of the township.
HOOPESTON - A CITY OF EIGHT YEARS.
Hoopeston is at the crossing of the Chicago & Eastern Illinois and the Lafayette, Bloomington & Muncie railroads; is situated on the high rolling prairie which forms the dividing ridge between the waters of the Wabash and the Illinois rivers, and in the artesian region, forty- two miles from La Fayette, twenty-seven from Danville, twenty-six from Paxton, and twenty-four from Watseka. When the railroads were built through here, in 1871, the entire country, for miles around, with the exception of the Hoopes farm, was an unbroken prairie, and with no trading point or railroad nearer than the places above men- tioned, it was known that this must soon become a place of consider- able importance. The two construction companies which were building these roads, Snell, Taylor & Co. and Young & Co., looked with covet- ous eyes upon this railroad crossing, both inwardly vowing that they would possess the prize. Both companies were in the height of their prosperity (this was in 1871, before the panic of '73 had knocked the
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bottom out of every railroad enterprise and construction company in the country), both being managed by shrewd, determined, positive men, who were not in the habit of being thwarted in their plans. Both, at that time, "knew no such word as fail." "When Greek meets Greek then comes the tug of war," and this struggle between the two contestants for this prize was about the only "war record " this young city ever knew. Young & Co., through their agent, Mr. Honeywell, made acceptable terms with the land owners on the east of the Chicago, Danville & Vincennes road, and supposed they had made terms with Mr. Hoopes ; but while they were like the servant of the prophet, "here and there," Col. Snell closed a bargain with Mr. Hoopes for one thousand acres of his land lying west of the junction, and forestalled Young & Co.
Mr. Hoopes knew enough to manage a good farm, but he doubted his ability to go into a scramble for selling city lots; for this reason he would have nothing to do with the business, but was ready to sell out to either party.
When Young & Co. found that they were defeated in their plan of getting control of all the land which would come into the town plat, they bent their efforts to make the most of what they had, while the other firm, intent on a like operation, hurried up the platting of their part, and making such improvements as should offer strong induce- ments to business men. In the rage for speculation three separate towns were laid out and recorded. Davis and Satterthwait laid out eighteen acres, on the 28th of July, where Main street is, and called it Hoopeston. Snell, Taylor & Co. (consisting of Col. Thomas Snell, of Clinton ; Abner Taylor, Esq., of Chicago, and James Aiken, who re- cently died in Chicago, with Mr. Mix, of Kankakee, as a special part- ner) laid out in November one hundred and sixty acres where the Hibbard House stands, and called it Leeds. Thompson Brothers laid out that east and north of the railroads, and called it North Hoopeston : and Davis and Satterthwait an addition to Hoopeston,-making, with some other additions, about five hundred acres in all.
The track of the C. D. & V. road was laid through town on the 24th of July, 1871, and not a house nearer than a mile. The next day a few people collected to see the surveyors drive the first stake of the future metropolis of the prairie. Charles Wyman was the first to com- mence laying off' and selling lots. Messrs. Lukens Brothers, who are still in business here, were the first to purchase. On the 28th of July, Mr. Wyman's office, the first building, was built by J. C. Davis, who was the pioneer carpenter and did a prosperous business until he was repeatedly burned out. J. Bedell, who is yet here in trade, started the
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first grocery store. The strife between the different landed proprietors grew warm. The proprietors of Leeds built a large hotel three stories high and had it ready for occupancy that fall, and soon after that built the fine brick block, two stories high, and the five frame one-story stores and the large livery barn, all of which buildings now stand there practically unused. They put in wide sidewalks, set ont shade trees, graded up the streets and run the grade out a mile from their center. They made very liberal offers to such as wanted to rent buildings of them, but the lots lying between their improvements and the lands of the other proprietors they would not sell at any price. Their plan looks reckless now, in the light of eight years, but after the contest they had for the possession of the town, there does not seem to have been any other course for them to pursue. Had they permitted the lots joining the tracts of others to be put on the market first, they could hardly have expected to retain the business on their lands. The proprietors of the original town were pushing their lots into notice, and every person who purchased there became an attorney in fact to work np a sale of the remaining lots as fast as possible.
During the first season the lots along Market street, of North Hoopeston, were the popular ones, and nearly every business was located on that street, which became the thoroughfare of trade and commerce. Way out north of the railroad, for four blocks, buildings went up in quick succession, nearly all the stores, the postoffice, the printing office, and in fact nearly everything called business was in North Hoopeston. B. F. Stites was pretty nearly in the center of trade.
In October the postoffice was established and J. M. R. Spinning was appointed postmaster, a position he continued to hold until 1878, when Judge Dale Wallace was appointed, but the first mail did not arrive here, for some unexplained eanse, until the 9th of December, when it was brought. over from Rossville in an open buggy, which had to be provided for the occasion free of expense to the postoffice depart- ment. It was not until the 1st of January, 1872, that mail came by the trains.
In October of that year religions services commeneed to be held in the store of Mr. McCracken ; this was for some months headquarters for religious instrnetion and heavenly intelligence. The people were not so particular what a man's denominational credentials were; if he could preach, and was not above occupying " McCraeken's pulpit," they heard him gladly. Seavy & Wallace commenced the publication of the first and only newspaper ever published in Hoopeston, issuing the first number on the 11th of January, 1872, of " The North Ver-
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milion Chronicle." The first number gave a very full account of the " Early days of Hoopeston " -- the town was less than six months old, and was full of interest to every resident. The first number which came from the press was put up at auction and sold for $32.50; the few succeeding copies were also sold in the same way, commanding sums which made the young proprietors feel an assurance of certain success. It was a seven-column folio and contained abont six columns of adver- tisements. The following persons and firms made known their desire to do business with the citizens of Hoopeston and the surrounding prairie, in the first number: Whipple & Brown, S. K. White, G. C. Davis, Deamude & Lefever (of Rossville), Ed. Stemp, J. W. Elliott, G. H. White, Moffett & Kirkpatrick, J. Bedell, E. D. North, F. G. Hoffman, Miller & Brother, A. B. Perkins, R. Morey, Given & Knox, R. McCracken, Roof & Rae, Mrs. Robb, Dr. Anderson, Dr. McCaughey, J. C. Askern, Esq., J. H. Phillips, Snell, Taylor & Co., C. L. Wy- man and B. Sanders. The paper continued to be published under that name for a year and a half, and then the name was changed to the " Hoopeston Chronicle." After about four years Seavey & Wallace sold it, but a year later Mr. Wallace purchased it and continues to publish it. The " Chronicle " has always been a first-class local paper, and has received a liberal patronage from the enterprising, stirring citizens of this lively young city. It is republican in politics.
On the 1st of January, 1872, five months after the surveyor's stakes had been driven in the wild prairie, seventy buildings had been erected and the population was two hundred and forty-five, and by the 1st of January, 1873,-less than one year and a half,-one hundred and eighty buildings were up, the population had increased to eight hnn- dred, and seventeen miles of streets had been graded, three hotels built, a bank started, the principal streets provided with sidewalks, an ele- vator built, and over forty business houses in full operation. The history of Illinois may be searched in vain for a parallel to the sudden growth and development of the wild prairie. Ouly in the wild speculations of mining camps can the like be found. Chicago was many years in mak- ing a similar growth. Neither has this growth proved fitful and un- certain. The men who first pinned their faith to Hoopeston remain to realize, in a great measure, the full fruition of that hope. The failure of the speculative enterprise of Snell, Taylor & Co., after investing about $25,000 in buildings and improvements, is the only exception to the general success.
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