USA > Illinois > Clay County > History of Wayne and Clay counties, Illinois > Part 22
USA > Illinois > Wayne County > History of Wayne and Clay counties, Illinois > Part 22
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91
This question, as well as others we have noticed elsewhere, was the theme of hot de- bates for many years. From week to week and from season to season the debate would go ou, gather in interest, intensity and mag- mitude like the rolling snow ball, and they were brought down to comparatively modern times; so recent in fact that we are enabled to give almost the complete effort of one of these budding Demosthenes. We were told the gentleman is still living, but we did not learn his name. But the mighty effort ran as follows:
" Mr. President: What are (I want to know !! ) more beautifuller, that was ever seed in this great nateral world !! than a nateral steamboat running up a nateral river !!! "
And the man sat down exhausted and im- mortal. It is supposed that the great con- troversy that had run so high and for so many years ended exactly here. What more could be said on the great theme?
Nothing could more appropriately close the history of the county than the following sketch of Dewey:
One of the active, earnest, tremendous preachers, of the Hard Shell persuasion in the good old honest times in Wayne County, was the Rev. Israel Dewey. He was an in- dustrious man, and there was a power and fascination about his wonderful sermons that
177
HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
makes us greatly regret that we cannot make a pen picture of some one of his many efforts that would carry to the remotest posterity, to edify them and impart also some of the great pleasure tasted by the good people of Wayne during his active and pions life. There were no short-hand writers in Dewey's day. Per- haps it is quite as well there were not, for while the stenographer might have taken down the words, and a Hogarth might have painted the man in all his ragged eloquence of posture, as he stood with his hand to the side of his face looking at a crack, and warm- ing to his work, and the froth from his ear- nest lips flying all over his nearest auditors, but who, except Allec Moffit or Capt. Bill Stewart, could have given his heavenly tone- those nasal blasts that went direct to fright- ened sinners' souls like the crack of doom. It was once said of the great poetic songster, Byron, that-
"He touched his harp
And nations heard entranced."
But Dewey in the country puncheon- floored meeting house, was the sublime preacher, who was like the great and rapid river that runs on forever. Like any true child of genius, he had his times of special inspiration, and his most intimate admirers had learned him so well that they could gen- erally tell when he was in one of these great moods the moment he commenced his sermon. The only pulpit in Dewey's time -- at least the only kind of pulpit he ever used-was a split-bottom chair, and if he pranced up to this with his head up and that triumphant smile that sometimes was seen on his face, and a slight swagger in his shoulders, his best judges knew that Dewey was himself again, and they braced themselves to with- stand the torrent-nay, the plunging Niagara of his eloquence.
" Bretherens and sisterenes-ah. I am
going to preach-ah, Dewey's sentiments to day-ah, and I don't care a rotten possum skin-ah whose toes it hurts-ah. My text can be found in the leds of the Bible-alı, and in the two-eyed chapter of the one-eyed John- ah. Now there's brother one-eyed Bob Gray- ah, and he can see as far into the kingdom of heaven-ah as any other one-eyed man-ah, who don't wear no specks-ah. Aint that so. brother Toliver Simpson ?"
And then the good man would begin to warm up with his theme, and he would un- button his shirt collar, then his vest, and as the cyclone increased he would fling aside his coat, and then roll up his shirt sleeves, and by this time the great preacher, in the eloquent language of Andy Hunter in his great Democratic speech, would sweep all before him " like a cyclone of the desert, like a cyclops of the sea !" By the way, when Ham Sutton asked Andy what he meant by " cy- clops of the sea. " " Damfino," said Andy, in innocent simplicity.
Dewey in his day had few equals, and no superiors among the numerous powerful preachers of his persuasion. Like his kind, he preached not for pelf or fame; his carriage horses were a yoke of breechy stags, that were scanty in their make-up except the horns. He attended his appointments to preach on foot. with his rifle on his shoulder. A gentleman now living in Fairfield tells us the first dime he was the happy possesser of he got from this good preacher for "minding " a deer he had killed on his way to church, and hung up, and then secreted his gun in a hollow tree and washed his hands and went on and preached his sermon, and then returned and had the venison taken home.
Bob Gray and Toliver Simpson were solid, thrifty farmers, and were foremost among the best people of the county. They were pious, good men, and they never failed to be in their
178
HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
places when Dewey preached, and when he made a point in his sermon and would say, "Aint that so, brother Toliver Simpson?" or "Brother Bob Gray ?" they would nod their affirmative approval, and in this way they were as much of the essential of the ser- mon as the text itself. Had they staid away from church any time, it is supposed Dewey would have signally failed in at least that sermon. They were the loving Davids to Dewey's eloquent Jonathan.
Dewey's life and works were purely those of a good and holy man. He feared naught but the lake of fire and brimstone, and he poured hot shot and chained balls of doctrinal theology into the ranks of all deluded Bible readers who failed to understand the good Book as he did.
He has gone to his fathers, and sleeps the sleep of the just. His day and times have passed away forever. Let his memory be cherished, and his good works be not forgotten.
CHAPTER XIV .*
CITY OF FAIRFIELD-TIIE ORIGINAL PLAT, WITH NUMEROUS ADDITIONS-GROWTH AND DEVELOP- MENT-SOME OF THE FIRST HOUSES AND OLD LANDMARKS-MERCHANTS AND MERCHAN-
DISING-TAVERNS, MILLS AND FACTORIES-THE COURT HOUSE-CHURCHES, SCHOOLS AND NEWSPAPERS-FREEMASONRY AND OTHER BENEVOLENT OR-
DERS-INCORPORATION OF FAIRFIELD-TOWN BOARDS, ETC., ETC.
F ROM the birth of the human race, the sons and daughters of men have shown a preference for each other's society, and de- veloped a tendency to congregate together in numbers. At first this was more for protec- tion than for social intercourse. But as people became more enlightened, and civil- ization advanced, the social inclination grew stronger, and as a result towns and cities were built, thus bringing multitudes together into a closer relationship. The social prin- ciple in man is strong. He may be proud, domineering, or all that is bad, but to con- fine him with Diogenes in a tub, or a Pla- tonic lover in some brilliant sphere, were an intolerable punishment. Solitary confine- ment is, and ever must be, the keenest corrective trial. A man may rave about his independence, and desire a whole universe to
himself, hollow to resound his massive tread, and mirrored to reflect his noble form; but therein he stifles the outgrowing inclinations of his own heart, and does not guess how sensibly he would feel the want of the com- monest expressions of social life and social intercourse. Prometheus, chained on his crag, amid the eternal snows, and gnawed by the vulture; and Simon Stylites ou his lonely column, are apt types of such a dreary life, and solitary, friendless creature. In- dividual isolation is unnatural and inhuman. The disposition to gather into towns and cities, on the other hand, is both natural and human.
The pioneers understood this, and both for protection and for social enjoyment and intercourse, and for humanity's sake, and perhaps for other reasons, they laid out towns and built up villages. Something of
*By W. H. Perrin.
1 79
HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
this character gave birth to Fairfield sixty- four years ago-a period when there was doubtless, not two hundred people in what now forms Wayne County. The fathers of the enterprise (of making a town) had an eye for the glorious and beautiful; neither were they utterly devoid of romance. They dis- played their exquisite taste in the selection of a site for a town-a site that is not ex- celled by that of any town in the State- being a slight elevation in the middle of a broad, beautiful and level plain, and their romance cropped out when they called it "Fairfield." No fairer field could certainly be found in Southern Illinois than the plain surrounding Wayne County's beautiful capi- tal.
Fairfield was laid out as a town in the year 1819, and is situated at the junction of the Springfield Division of the Ohio & Miss- issippi and the Louisville, Evansville & St. Louis Railroads, thirty miles east of Mount Veruon and fifty-three miles north of Shaw- neetown. The first sale of lots took place November 8, 1819. The plat was surveyed by John Johnston, County Surveyor, under the direction of George W. Farris, Thomas P. Fletcher and Alexander Clark, the then County Commissioners. The original plat was not recorded until September 4, 1825. The range of lots on the south of original plat is 1123x1113 feet; the range of lots on the north of plat 1113x92 feet, and the re- mainder of lots 111} feet square; streets sixty feet wide and alleys eight feet wide- Water street is only forty feet wide. This was the original plat of Fairfield, and to the town as laid out emigration was invited. Where attention had been paid to details, it could not be expected that the matter of settlement had been overlooked, and hence many people flocked into the new town as soon as laid ont and surveyed, and the place
quickly became a scene of bustling activity.
It is an accepted tradition-a tradition borne out by local facts-that the first house in Fairfield was built by the Barnhills. They had entered the land from the Government, upon which the town was laid out, and had lived there for some time before, and thus may be termed the first settlers of the town, as well as the first of the township. This first house stood a little north of the present bank building, but on the opposite side of the street, near the marble factory. It has passed away with other landmarks of the pioneer days, and the spot now is only known by a few of the older citizens. The house was torn down by Mr. Womack, who built a residence upon the site which is still stand- ing, but which has been considerably en- larged and improved, and is now owned by Mr. Smith. John Barnhill built the second residence in Fairfield, on the lot where Mr. Thomas L. Cooper's handsome brick residence now stands. It was of logs, and was built by Barnhill just after his marriage, which took place about the time of laying out the town.
The elder Barnhill, the patriarch of the Barnhill family, died in Gallatin County be- fore any of the family moved to this section, as we have stated in a preceding chapter, and his widow came here with her children among the earliest settlers of the county. Hardin Barnhill was the eldest son, and John, men- tioned above, was the second, while Audley was the third and youngest. The family at one time was a rather numerous and promi- nent one- prominent in business and local affairs. but of no particular pre-eminence. They were honest, industrious, honorable, faithful and accommodating-kings among their kind, fine types of their class, with in- stincts keenly whetted in their struggle for existence against the wild game, the fero- cious beasts and the murderous savage. The
180
HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
Barnhills have now been dead for many years, with no lineal descendants surviving them nearer than the grandson of the Widow Barnhill-" Jeff" Barnhill, as he is called. Even he is growing old, and is becoming bent with age and infirmity. There is much in the history of the Barnhills that recalls a type of that day. They had been admirably trained, or had trained themselves, for their place in life, and in security and content had lived out their span, filling to fullness their measure of ambition.
The next residence in Fairfield was built where the new cemetery has recently been laid out. It was erected by a man whose name is now forgotten, but who was related in some way to the Barnhills. It was fol- lowed by a house put up by Samuel Leech, opposite Mr. Ed Bonham's residence. It was a log building and is still standing, but has been improved and modernized by receiving a coat of weather-boarding. An- other of the early residences was built by Dr. Parks, and is also standing. It is nearly opposite Mrs. Johnson's boarding-house, and, like the one above described, has been weather-boarded, so as to give it a modern appearance. The next building erected as a dwelling-house was by some of the Barnhills, and stood npon the site, or very nearly so. of Mr. Thomas T. Bonham's house. At this residence was dug the first well Fairfield ever had. It was dug by the Barnhills, but was for general use of the people.
The settlement of the town of Fairfield was sui generis. Nature had prepared a site for the town unsurpassed in beauty, while the community, linked together by family and business relations, was like a colony fitted and furnished for a career already marked out. This was the influence under which the town began its existence, and started on its course of successful experi-
ment. It is barely probable that, in order to secure a town by legal right, the Commis- sioners spent no great amount of time in can- vassing the claims of the different locations as a site for the future capital. The first and main object was to locate the county seat. The town now known as Jeffersonville was a formidable competitor for the seat of justice, and it stood those in hand, interested in Fairfield, to decide the question without delay, before the prize should slip from their grasp. This led, as we have said, to the site of Fairfield being chosen with but little dis- cussion. The years succeeding the laying- out of the town were not characterized by a rapidity of growth and development, but, on the contrary, both growth and development were rather slow, but the more sure, perhaps, for being slow. The brilliant prospects of the town had attraeted little attention from the ambitious and enterprising, and the puny village was moving on to fame and fortune at a slow pace. Like Longfellow's squash vine, "it grew and it grew and it grew," slowly, however, and at the end of its first decade of existence, it had, probably, less than a hundred inhabitants.
Additions .- The plat of the town accord- ing to the original survey has already been given, and comprised its area for nearly twenty years before the increase of popula- tion demanded room, room! The want of room has been the cause of many of the bloodiest wars known to history. It has been the plea of every robber-chief from Nimrod down to the present day. Tamerlane, when he descended from his throne built of 70,000 hnman skulls, and marched his savage battal- ions to further slaughter, doubtless said, "I want room." Bajazet was another of kin- dred tastes, and " wanted room." Alexander, too, the " Macedonian Madman," when he wandered with his Greeks to the plains of
181
HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
India, and fought a bloody battle there, no doubt did it for -- " room." Thus it was in the olden time, and thus it is in the fast age of "Young America." We all want room -- room to grow up, to expand, to spread out -- in short to gather in everything in reach and sweep all before us. This prevail- ing trait of our American energy and enter- prise led to an addition being made to the town of Fairfield in 1837, followed by a number of others of later years. Fiddeman made the first Addition after the original plat, which is dated July 19, 1837, and re- corded May 19, 1838. Hugh Stewart made an addition June 1, 1840, which was surveyed by William L. Gash, County Surveyor. Felix Barnhill's Addition bears date July 16, 1841, and George L. Slocumb's December 4, 1851. Turney made two additions -- one dated Angust 25, 1852, and the other Feb- ruary 14, 1853. Isaac C. Sailer made two additions dated as follows: December 30, 1872, and January 7, 1873; Rinard made three additions, dated November 22, 1870, January 3, 1874, and May 16, 1874. On the 3d of April, 1873, Hiram F. Sibley made an addition, and Rider Brothers April 30, 1874. The Railroad Addition was made September 22, 1871; Hayward's Addition September 6, 1881; G. J. George's, May 9, 1881, and Shaeffer's Addition made about 1882, but is still unrecorded. These additions, together with the original plat, comprise the present area of Fairfield. It covers ground enough for a place of 10,000 inhabitants, but its cit- izens have laid out their grounds, improved their lots and built their houses with an eye to the fact already mentioned-room. Fair- field ought to be a large town. It has every natural facility for becoming so-a lovely site, a healthy location, with two railroads crossing at right angles, and a wealthy com- munity surrounding it. What more is
needed? Energy, enterprise, go-ahead-ative. ness, and live, wide-awake business zeal and management. The natural surroundings can not be improved; let but the people do as well as nature, and Fairfield will yet be a great city.
Stores. - Samuel Leech was the pioneer merchant of Fairfield. He opened out a stock of goods in a house erected for the purpose near his residence. His store was finally burned, but he continued in business several years longer, and then engaged in politics. He held all the county offices, and if there had been more offices he would doubtless have held them, too. He was also Postmas- ter. He was one of those characters who seem to appear just where and when they are most needed. His finger-marks are still to be seen, and tell to those who have succeeded him the story of his handiwork, and have inscribed his epitaph upon the hearts of the thousands who are reaping the fruits of his labors and his foresight. A man named McFadden was the next merchant to Leech. He was from Mt. Vernon, Ind., but did not remain here long. His store stood on the corner now occupied by Ball's shop. A man named Gold, from Shawneetown, was the next merchant. He sold goods in a house opposite David W. Barkley's, on the east side of the street. A residence now stands upon the lot, and is occupied by Mrs. Barger. But few now living are aware that a business house ever stood there. A man named Redd succeeded Gold in this house, continuing bus- iness in it for several years. The next effort in the mercantile line was a copartnership between Leech and Rigdon B. Slocumb. They remained in partnership for about five years, when Leech retired, and Slocumb car- ried on the business some years longer, but then embarked in politics. As a politician, his record will be found in another part of this volume.
182
HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
Caleb Williams next entered the mercan- tile trade. He appeared upon the scene about 1829. Both his residence and busi- ness house are still standing, and constitute but one building. He lived in one end, and sold goods in the other end. It stands on the corner, just across the street from Joseph Ball's saddle and harness shop. It was of logs, but has been weather-boarded. C. I. Ridgeway was afterward associated with him as a partner, and together they built the house now occupied by Bonham as a store, and continued in it until 1844-45. They built the house one story only, and the pres- ent proprietors have added another story.
The building known as the "marble front," was for many years a landmark, and was well known over a large district of country. It was built by Wesley Staten, who manufactured hats, and used it both as store, warehouse and factory. Archibald Roberts, mentioned in the history of Barnhill Town- ship, was for some time his partner in busi- ness. The house stood south of Bonham's store, and on the opposite side of the street. The trade of hatter was as common and as popular a trade then as that of blacksmith, as the merchants did not bring on hats in those days like they do now, but they were manufactured by the hatter the same as plows were manufactured by the blacksmith. The hatter bought all kinds of furs, and these he manufactured into hats at his leisure, or as his trade demanded. The back end of Staten's building was used for storing furs, and was without a floor other than the ground. In one corner of the room a well had been dug, which was quite deep and without curb or box. One day, when a number of custom- ers were in the store, a small child wandered into the back room, and accidentally tum- bled into the well. Staten, as luck would have it, saw it fall in, and without a mo-
ment's hesitation jumped in and rescued it, to the great joy of its nearly frantic mother.
This brings the record of the mercantile business down twenty years from the date of laying out the town. In 1839, Jacob Hall opened a stock of goods in Leech's old store- honse, north of Bonham's residence. Later on he built a storehouse on the lot where Mr. J. F. Smith's photograph gallery stands. He then sold goods for awhile on the south side of the square, with John Truesdale as a partner, and in swinging around the circle, he next had his store in the old corner house -now Ball's harness-shop. Mr. Hall is one of the active business men of Fairfield. For forty-two years he has been actively engaged in the town as a merchant and a banker, and energetie business man, with but one short interruption during the time. He is still a stirring, wide-awake, energetic worker. The elder Bonham was perhaps the next mer- chant to Hall. He commenced business about 1843-44. where the old Jackson House stood. From this stand he went to the corner brick (Ball's harness-shop), and thence to the present Bonham store. This brings the business, however, down to a late day, when it is not an easy task to keep trace of the new stores as opened. The town now embraces a list of merchants, who for cour- tesy, business energy, and genuine polite- ness, are not surpassed by any place in the country. They are, to a considerable extent, successful and prosperous, and command the confidence of the people.
The first bank ever in Fairfield, and the only bank of issue, was the Corn Exchange Bank, started in the spring of 1856. It was owned by W. S. Vandusen, and had a circu- lation of $750,000, secured by Illinois State Stock. It continued in existence until the commencement of the war, when it was closed up, as were all similar institutions, and in
183
HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
the final wind-up of its business it paid 95 cents on the dollar. Vandusen sold out his interest to a man named Osgood, of Joliet, and he to one Charles Keath, who also lived somewhere in the north part of the State. Keath was the owner of the bank when it was wound up and ceased business. Mr. Jacob Hall was cashier from the beginning to the final closing up of the institution. He, however, continned the exchange part of the business, buying and selling exchange, as banks do, until the organization of new bank- ing facilities in the town.
The bank of Bonham & Co. was started some six or eight years ago, and comprised in the firm Messrs. Ed Bonham, Charles Beecher and William Sailer. They still carry on the banking business in all its branches, and have a neat and commodious bank building west of the public square. Forth, Robinson & Boggs, started a bank some years ago, but continued the business but a short time.
Mills and Factories .- The manufacturing industries of Fairfield are few, and mostly unimportant, being confined chiefly to mills. Hardin Barnhill built the first mill in the town in a very early day. It was a horse mill, and stood just across the street from Mr. Thomas Cooper's residence. l'robably the next mill was built by Bonham & Tarles, and was a steam mill. It was both a grist and saw mill, and did well for the time. It finally burned. Ephraim Johnson built the next mill on the creek north of the bank, which was also a steam mill. It was bought by the owners of the Sucker Mills, after the erection of their mills in order to get. it ont of their way. Next came the Fairfield Mills. They were built by John Gaddis, about 1875-76, and were afterward burned. Then the present mills were built. After their completion. Gaddis sold, in the spring
of 1883, to Benheimer, who has greatly im- proved them. He has put in all the modern machinery, including the roller process, and guarantees to make as good flour as is made by any mill in the country. Tho Sucker Mills precede the Fairfield Mills in point of time of building them. They were put up in 1867. at a cost of $20.000, by Rider Brothers & Rinard. They were started with four set of buhrs, three for wheat and one for corn. In 1870, the firm changed to Rider Sons & Rinard, and in 1873, Rider & Rinard retired, when the firm became Rider Brothers. They refitted the mills in 1882, putting in the roller process at an additional cost of $6,000, and increasing their capacity to 100 barrels per day. The mills are located near the O. & M. depot, and obtained the name of "Sucker Mills," in consequence of the original proprietors all being "Suckers.''
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.