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 85
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CHURCHES, SOCIETIES, SCHOOLS, ETC.
The Methodist society was organized in 1872 by Rev. B. F. Hyde, of Rossville, and presiding elder Rev. Preston Wood. The preaching
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was at first in McCracken's store. It took some time to get matters started in this town, so that the preachers could have regular places for preaching the Word. The circuit at that time included Schwartz, East Lynne and Antioch, Rev. A. H. Alkire being pastor. In 1873 Rev. W. Lang was pastor, J. W. Phillips, presiding elder. Dick School-house and Bridgman School-house were added as regular ap- pointments. In 1874 J. Muirhead was pastor, his pastorate continuing three years. During his time the church was commenced. It is a fine structure, very pleasantly located, with a beautiful spire one hundred and thirteen feet high. It is in the Gothic style of architecture, 34 x 56, to which has been added an extension for a class-room, 16 x 40. The building is yet incomplete, and has cost $3,300. In 1877 Rev. H. M. Hoff was appointed to this circuit, and still remains in the work. The present membership of the church is eighty-six ; J. Lakin, Thomas Smith and M. G. Miller, class leaders. The Sunday-school under the superintendency of E. B. Row is in a flourishing condition, numbering about seventy-five, and is maintained all the year.
The United Presbyterian church was organized in May, 1872, by Rev. J. D. Whitham, who lived at that time at Sugar Creek, near Rankin, and when the wave of migration carried many members of the church from Paxton to Hoopeston, he collected them together and organized a church of twenty-two members, with T. C. McCaughey, G. M. Kirkpatrick and R. M. Knox as ruling elders, who still continue to officiate. Thirteen of the original members still continue here. Rev. R. C. Wyatt served the church for two years as stated supply. At first the meetings were held in the only "synagogue" in town, Mc- Cracken's store. Rev. R. C. Hamilton, from Ohio, preached to the congregation for three months. Rev. E. D. Campbell, Rev. J. H. Gibson and Rev. G. W. Torrance successively labored, and Rev. T. A. Houston is present supply. While Mr. Gibson was in charge the church was built -a neat, substantial edifice 36 x 55, with session room attached -at a cost of $1,500. The church numbers forty-eight. The Sunday-school is the continuation of the original Union school, of which Dr. McCanghey was superintendent, and who still continues the same relation. The school numbers about one hundred, has twelve teachers, and is interesting and successful.
The Baptist church was organized by Rev. G. T. Willis, from Cham- paign, in 1873, with twelve members. He continued to preach for two years. The church belongs to the Gilman Association, and has simply kept up its connections, and has no church or pastor.
The First Presbyterian church of Hoopeston was organized on the 3d of May, 1872, by Rev. A. L. Brooks and Rev. Mr. Steel, a commit-
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tee of the Bloomington Presbytery, with eighteen members. E. R. Strauss, W. Maxwell and L. W. Anderson, elders. Mr. Steele preached one year one-third of the time. Rev. M. Lynn supplied the church for one year. In the fall of 1877, Rev. A. L. Knox, formerly of Heyworth, was employed to preach, preaching each morning and evening, and at Victor school-house and Ross school-house, afternoons. The present elders are D. B. Crane, H. Lukens, Josiah Jones, John Miller and John Palmer. The Sabbath-school numbers about sixty, with H. Lukens, superintendent. The church numbers thirty-six, and has no house of worship, but meets in Clark's hall.
The church of Christ (Christian) was organized June, 1873, by Elder Rawley Martin with twelve members. J. M. R. Spinning and J. S. Shirley, elders; J. Hawkins and Thomas Roof, deacons. Elders Roe and A. R. Owen were successive pastors of the young church, and Rev. C. Austin the present preacher. The church edifice was built in 1874, is 36×50, a neat substantial building with steeple, and cost about $1,800. The present membership is sixty-five, and present officers are John Williams, J. Hawkins and George Chamberlain, elders; Wmn. Bloomfield and Joseph Green, deacons. "
There were representatives of the Friends here at Hoopeston from the laying out of the new town. Joseph M. Satterthwait was one of the original proprietors of the town. In 1872 he built a commodious dwelling, corner of Third and Penn streets, into which, during the fall, himself and wife, Isaac T. Lukens and wife, and Miss Edith Mul- len, moved. Here, in their new home, the first meetings were held, which were continued, according to the rules and discipline of the Friends, twice a week - first day and fifth day - for a year. In 1873 R. M. Lukens, wife and daughter, joined the pioneers of that faith here. Mr. Lukens had a building erected on the corner of Third and Main, and arranged it for a meeting-house. His proposition to the Friends to occupy this met with very general acquiescence. It was here, in the fall of 1873, that the first public meetings of the "Rich- land Meeting of Friends" were held, where they continue to meet. Several of their number have passed away, and others have come in, keeping a steady growth, not only in numbers but in that channel of love and friendship becoming their christian profession.
SCHOOLS.
In no respect does the public spirit of the people of Hoopeston show a better development than in the matter of schools. No sooner had the village got under way than a live board of directors was elect- ed-G. C. Davis, Mr. Armstrong, and Wm. Moore - who proceeded
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at once to put the school in running order. The first need was a suit- able honse. It became a question whether the district should build a good, substantial, well-proportioned, large school-house,-one within whose walls all could be accommodated, and whose spacious propor- tions, beautiful surroundings and pleasant appointments would inspire the pupil, and awaken taste, love of school and culture,-or whether cheap, scattered buildings should be erected, in which a strict grade could not be instituted. The former was wisely chosen, and it was through this decision that the Hoopeston public schools have become known far and wide as among the best in the country. This action necessitated a heavy debt, but it is now well-nigh wiped out. In what-
HOOPESTON PUBLIC SCHOOL BUILDING.
ever the directors have done to make the schools more effective, the people have cordially seconded them, and the result has been that the officers have felt sustained. The present directors are: W. R. Clark, Win. Glaze and Joseph Green, under whose excellent administration the school has attained the highest standard of success. In 1877 the pre- sent principal was employed. His work has given such general satis- faction that a large number of pupils have come in from the country around about to perfect their studies as teachers, or business men, or farmers, and farmers' wives. During the past year nearly four hun- dred dollars has been received from foreign pupils for tuition. The Hoopeston Normal School is held each summer, under the direction of
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Prof. T. B. Bird, where teachers and those about to teach are pre- pared for their work. The success of their school is not more a matter of pride to the directors and teachers than of gratulation to the citi- zens.
SOCIETIES.
Star Lodge, No. 709, Free and Accepted Masons, was chartered in 1872. The charter members are: George Steely, William Moore, Will- iam Brillhart, Cyrus Hartwell, J. S. Crane, Thomas Williams, Jona- than Bedell, E. D. North and J. M. R. Spinning. J. Bedell was first master. The present officers are: Dale Wallace, W.M .; P. F. Levin, S.W .; R. Miskimmins, J.W .; J. S. Powell, Sec .; J. A. Cunning- ham, Treas .; L. R. North, S.D .; T. C. Baxter, J.D. ; P. W. Silver, T. Lodge numbers about seventy. They have a fine lodge room in the bank building.
Hoopeston Chapter (under dispensation) numbers fourteen mem- bers. William Moore, H.P .; P. F. Levin, K .; J. A. Cunningham, Scribe ; Dale Wallace, See. ; Thomas Williams, Treas.
Hoopeston Lodge, I.O.O.F., was organized September, 1872, with the following charter members: W. F. Rader, N.G. ; Sydney Teller, V.G .; B. F. Stites, Sec. ; John Burns and H. Shaver. It numbers forty members. The following are present officers : W. F. Rader, N.G .; A. F. McKnight, V.G .; Thomas Wolverton, R.S .; B. F. Stites, Sec .; J. Wyford, Treas. It meets every Tuesday evening.
As soon as Hoopeston took shape, and the active, live men who had come to stay set abont putting in motion every measure which would improve their condition, with this view the Hoopeston District Agricultural Society was formed, on the 12th of July, 1873. Cyrus Hartwell was elected president ; J. Ellis, vice-president ; Thomas Will- iams, treasurer ; G. W. Seavy, secretary. The stock was fixed at $5,000, but afterward increased to $10,000. The society got thirty acres of land half a mile west of the railroad, enclosed it, erected stalls, floral hall and mechanics' hall, laid out a good track, and in six weeks from the date of organization, held one of the largest and most successful fairs ever held in this portion of the state. The receipts of the first fair were $2,100. Since then, an amphitheatre has been built, music stand, officers' stand, dining hall, a building for exhibition of fine car- riages, and other necessary buildings. Shade trees have been set out, and everything put in first-class order. The society has given more attention to offering liberal inducements to fine stock than to fast horses, and has been a decided success from the first. There is a splen- did supply of water on the fair grounds. The premiums have been paid in full in cash each year, without deduction. The society is in the
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hands of men who generally make a success of what they undertake, and the success thus far shows that it is being run on business princi- ples.
The Hoopeston Library and Leeture Association was organized December 30, 1872, and Hon. Lyford Marston elected president; R. Casemut, vice-president; G. W. Seavy, secretary ; W. Gloze, treasurer ; S. E. Miller, librarian. The membership fee was fixed at one dollar per year, and had fifty members. The interest in it has not been main- tained as it should have been.
The Sunbonnet Club is an exelusive society of youngerly ladies, which has among its objeets the support of a library association. Mem- bership to the library association is subject to an annual fee of one dollar. Membership to the club is not dependent upon a property qualification, but on the expressed will of all the members. All that outsiders know of the qualifications of membership is that a sunbonnet is indispensable, and that the Lauras are very apt to be admitted. Whether the members are all striving for a laural crown is mere con- jecture. The officers are: president, Addie Reame; vice-president, Jennie Dyer; corresponding secretary, Laura Fleming; treasurer, Laura Calkins ; secretary, Laura Smythe.
INCORPORATION.
On the 12th of January, 1874, a petition was presented to the county court of Vermilion county by W. R. Clark and fifty-six others, praying for incorporation as a village under the act of 1872, with the following corporate limits: the east half of seetion 11, the west three- fourths of section 12 (23-11), and the south half of the southwest quarter and the southwest quarter of the southeast quarter of section 1, and the south half of the southeast quarter of section 2 (23-12). The court entertained the prayer of the petitioners, and appointed an elec- tion to be held at the store of William Brillhart, January 31, to vote for or against such organization, and appointed W. R. Clark, T. J. Corr and J. S. Dellose judges of such election. At such election 174 votes were cast, 98 being for and 76 being against such incorporation. The conrt ordered an election to be held Saturday, February 28, for six trustees for the government of said village, and appointed the same judges to conduct the election. At that election 172 votes were cast, and the following trustees were elected : T. J. Corr, J. Bedell, N. Danner, W. R. Clark, S. P. Thompson, L. North.
The board of trustees proceeded to organize by electing T. J. Corr president and J. M. R. Spining, elerk. A vote of thanks was unani- monsly returned to L. Armstrong, Esq., for swearing the trustees into
.
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office. J. W. Hawkins was appointed street commissioner, G. W. Seavy, police constable, and J. S. McFerren, treasurer. At the regu- lar annual election, April 21, W. R. Clark, S. P. Thompson, N. L. Thompson, Thomas Watkins, W. A. Brillhart and L. Armstrong were elected trustees ; A. H. Young, police magistrate, and J. S. Powell, clerk. The salary of the clerk was fixed at $100. Just how this flourishing village got into the order of cities seems to be a mystery. Certain it is that there is no record of any action taken, by vote or otherwise, to get into city organization. Indeed it is said that at the time of this metamorphosis there was no law on the statute books per- mitting the change from village to city, and that the entire proceeding was illegal. The only reasonable explanation is that Hoopeston, like the parliament of Great Britain, could do anything, and it just naturally moved out from its outgrown position of village, and took orders in the city line, with a kind of " who's afraid ; bring on your almanac" air. The question of its right to do so is yet unsolved. The present officers (1879) are: A. Honeywell, mayor: W. M. Young, clerk; Mr. Bedell, treasurer; H. H. Dyer, attorney; J. Miller, A. M. Fleming and Joseph Crouch, aldermen.
At first Hoopeston was three-headed, as has been heretofore ex- plained. The effort of those who had her best interests at heart was to combine these three and condense the business as much as possible on Main street, so that now her finest structures are found on that street. The buildings which were put up by Snell, Taylor & Co. have gone into disuse. The Hibbard House, at the time of its building, was the finest hotel in the county, and the stores are almost all unoc- cupied. The line of Market street has been pretty nearly abandoned by MOORE & MSFERREN REAL ESTATE the mercantile gentlemen, although some good stores remain there. The fine bank building built by Mr. CHRONIOLE OFFICE CHRONICLE OFFICE McFerren in 1876 is 24 x 60. brick, two stories and basement. It is a very neat building, nicely trimmed, and is occupied by Mr. McFerren as M'FERREN'S BANK BUILDING. a bank, and with his partner, as a real estate office, and by H. H. Dyer as a law office, on the main floor. The entire basement is occupied by the "Chronicle " office editorial and press rooms. Above, the Masonic fraternity have an elegant lodge-room. The building cost $5,000, and is the finest building in
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town. W. R. Clark and Dr. T. J. Roof built, in 1877, the two-story brick double store across the street, west from the bank. It is 50 x 100, occupied by the proprietors below, and by the Odd-Fellows over Dr. Roof's, and as a public hall over Mr. Clark's. The building cost $7,500. Thomas Hoopes, the same year, built the double briek store north of the bank. It is 45 x 80, and occupied for stores below and offices above. It cost $7,000. The little city contains a number of other substantial business houses and residences that would appear respectable in any town in the west.
WEAVER CITY.
A city which came into being and disappeared without a history, was laid out by George Weaver where the L. B. & M. railroad crosses the Indiana line. The town plat as recorded and afterward vacated, consisted of four blocks on the north half of section 6 (23-10).
BIOGRAPHICAL.
Watts Finley, Hoopeston, farmer, was born in Dearborn county, Indiana, on the 4th of November, 1833. He is the son of David and Nancy (Miller) Finley. His parents removed the same year to this county and settled near Catlin. In the spring of 1846 his older brother, David, enlisted in Capt. Lewis Payne's company of an Indiana regi- ment ; fought at Buena Vista, Vera Cruz and Cerro Gordo; died at Puebla of scarlet fever in March, 1847. In the spring of 1855, he, in company with his brother Miller and his sister Nancy (now Mrs. Sam- uel Frazier, of Danville), settled on a farm of two hundred acres, in sections 24 and 25, town 23, range 12, where he now lives. He has made stock-raising his principal business, and has been successful in accumulating a handsome property. He is one of the substantial and sterling citizens of Grant township, and is held in universal esteem. He was married on the 17th of April, 1859, to Miss Margaret Davis, daughter of Amaziah Davis, deceased. She was born on the 16th of April, 1834. They have three children : David, born on the 29th of August, and died on the 30th of September, 1860 : Mary, born on the 25th of February, 1863; Charles, born on the 6th of September, 1867. Mr. Finley owns seven hundred and forty acres of land, worth $26,000. He is a republican. Mrs. F. is a member of the M. E. church.
James W. Smith, Rossville, merchant, was born in Vermilion county, Illinois, on the 18th of December, 1833, and is a son of William and Catherine (Yeazel) Smith. He was brought up to till the soil. When eighteen years old he moved to Edgar county, Illinois, and in 1869, to Labette county, Kansas, returning to Edgar county in 1872. He re-
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turned to his native county on the 1st of January, 1879, establishing his home in Rossville, where he is at present employed in the store owned by his brother, John R. Smith. He has followed merchandising six- teen or seventeen years, most of the time in Grandview, and the rest of the time at Paris, Edgar county. He has traveled through twenty- eight states of the Union and some of the territories. From 1862 to 1865 he was deputy provost marshal for Edgar county, under Dr. Wm. Fithian. He was educated principally at the high school at Grand- view ; he was local correspondent of the "Cincinnati Gazette " during the years 1874-5. He married on the 10th of February, 1852, Miss Frances L. Smith. They have two children living: William W., and Nellie, wife of John Tate. Mr. Smith is a republican in politics.
Frederick Tilton, Rossville, farmer, was born in the Province of Quebec, Canada, on the 5th of March, 1821. He is the son of Abiel F. and Cynthia (Thompson) Tilton, and was descended from English blood. Three brothers named Tilton came from England about two hundred years ago : one of them settled in New Hampshire, one in Virginia, and the other, it is thought, in Pennsylvania. Abont 1812 his parents went to Canada to make themselves a home ; his father was a native of New Hampshire and his mother of Massachusetts. In the spring of 1835 he emigrated with his parents to Medina county, Ohio, and the next spring they continned their removal to Illinois, and lo- cated in Danville. In the fall of 1838 his mother died and the family was broken up and scattered; his two sisters returned to Canada to live with their aunt. In the winter of 1839-40 he and his brother David carried the mails between Danville and the " Buckhorn " tavern, five miles north of Bunkum, in Iroquois county. There was unusually good sledding at that time, and they drove a sleigh sixty miles a day for six weeks - his brother driving from Danville to Milford, and he from Milford to the " Buckhorn " and return. About 1842 his father moved up on the Middle Fork, ten miles northwest of Danville, in the present limits of Blount township. In the spring of 1853 he settled where he now lives in Grant township, section 29, town 23, range 12, He has a fine farm of six hundred acres, valued at $18,000. He has been principally engaged in stock-raising. He has been supervisor of Grant township two terms, and is one of its most highly-respected and substantial citizens. He is liberal in his political opinions, but inclines to independence of all parties. He was married on the 15th of April, 1846, to Affa K. Horton, daughter of David Horton, of Habersham county, Georgia. They have eight children : Mary, George, Sarah, Jane, Charles, Alice, James, Jesse.
John R. Smith, Rossville, merchant, was born in Vermilion county,
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Illinois, on the 1st of March, 1836, and is the son of William W. and Catherine (Yeazel) Smith. He was reared amidst the surroundings of agricultural life ; moved into Ross township in 1851; attended school at the academy at Galesburg, Illinois, during the school year of 1856-7. Since that time he has been employed in merchandising, farming, hotel- keeping and mail-carrying. At present he keeps a general store and is doing a good business in Rossville ; is affable, accommodating and gentlemanly. He has been constable in Grant and Ross townships ; col- lector in the latter two terms, and deputy sheriff under Lyons Parker. He was married on the 3d of March, 1859, to Josephine R. Stewart. They have five living children : Ellen Minerva, Alfred F., Herbert, Jesse, Harry. He is a republican. Mrs. Smith is a member of the Presbyterian church.
Albert Comstock, Rossville, farmer, was born in Lennox, Massa- chusetts, on the 7th of September, 1807. His parents were Stephen and Clarissa (Sheldon) Comstock. When he was ten years old his father moved to New York and settled between Canandaigua and Geneva. After a residence of six years in that place he went to Cha- tanqua county, Pennsylvania. In May, 1837, the subject of this sketch came to Illinois, and after stopping a while at Danville, settled on the North Fork near Mann's Chapel, and first improved the farm which he afterward sold to Clark Green, who now owns it. Six years later he began the improvement of the farm on which the Red-top school-house stands, selling the same in 1854 to Alvan Gilbert, by whom it was sold to Thomas R. Winning, its present owner. He next improved where he now lives, on the southwest quarter of section 4, town 22, range 12, moving on the place in the above-mentioned year. He was married on the 17th of April, 1828, to Roxanna Fish, who was born on the 18th of March, 1809, and died on the 11th of December, 1836; mar- ried second time on the 7th of August, 1837, to Rhoda Ann Green, who was born on the 10th of May, 1819. They have eleven children living and dead : Samuel, born on the 18th of May, 1829, died the 30th of the same month ; Charles, born on the 9th of May, 1832; Mary Jane, born on the 31st of July, 1834; Ephraim, born on the 28th of November, 1836, died on the 17th of May, 1837; Benjamin C., born on the Sth of August, 1842, died on the 13th of September, 1846; Ira, born on the 28th of February, 1844, died on the 27th of July, 1862; Gny, born on the 28th of February, 1844, died on the 27th of November, 1864; Clarissa, born on the 12th of December, 1847; Perlina, born on the 8th of January, 1850; Albert, born on the 30th of May, 1853; Lewis, born on the 2d of March, 1856. All the living children are settled within one and one-fourth miles of the old homestead. Mr. and Mrs.
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Comstock have been faithful laborers in the vineyard of their Lord and Master for fifty years: they and five of their children are mem- bers of the Presbyterian church. Mr. Comstock owns two hundred acres of land worth $8.000. He is a republican.
Benjamin F. Stites. Hoopeston, cabinet-maker and furniture dealer, was born in Cincinnati, on the 20th of July, 1833, and is a son of Ben- jamin and Susan (Stewart) Stites. In the spring of 1837 his parents emigrated to Vermilion county, Illinois, and settled in Blount town- ship, at the Rickart Corners. The next year they moved and located two miles south of Myersville; lived there till 1857, and then went to Paxton, Ford county, where his father died, on the 6th of December, 1860. His mother still resides there. The subject of this sketch went to Paxton to live in the winter of 1853-4: farmed the first year; in 1855 set up a store on the prairie and sold goods eighteen months. In the fall of 1856 he sold out, and emigrated to Benton county. Arkan- sas : worked there at carpentering, milling and farming. He invested in six hundred acres of land. Immediately after the presidential elec- tion of 1860 he narrowly escaped by stratagem, with his family, from the toils of the fire-eaters, and came north, abandoning and losing all his property. In 1861 he went into the furniture business in Paxton. and in the fall of 1871 moved to Hoopeston. He worked two years at carpentering, and then opened a furniture store, which he still keeps. in connection with his manufacturing and undertaking. He is serving his second term as town clerk of Grant township. He was married on the 15th of June, 1859, to Martha A. Dunn. He has nine living chil- dren : Frances E., Charles A .. Benjamin A., Carrie Louisa, William H .. Samuel. Susan, Katie and Martha A. In politics he is a greenbacker.
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