History of White County Illinois, Part 11

Author: Inter-State Publishing Company
Publication date: 1883
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 831

USA > Illinois > White County > History of White County Illinois > Part 11

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).

The year 1849 was a plentiful and prosperous one on the Wabash. The hand of Providence seemed to reach forth to the assistance of all to plenty. All branches of business were active and paying good dividends to the capital employed. The farmers who tilled the soil were making money, besides improving their farms by adding new fields to their plantations. The only excitement that was moving the quiet of the people on the Wabash as well as in the hilly regions was the gold fever. The discovery of gold in large quantities had just been made public, and all the rage was, " Ho, for California, the El Dorado of the world!" Quite a num- ber of White County's most useful and daring young men, as well as some brave old gray-headed fellows, set their faces toward the setting sun to try their luck in making a fortune. Their courage was highly commendable, even should they fail in a bold attempt to acquire wealth; and the result of these bold and daring advent- ures was, that but few bettered their condition in amassing a fort- une. The most of them returned to their first love, the shores of the great Wabash, much wiser, if not wealthier, men. Somne few remained on the shores of the Pacific, and of them I have not learned of a single one that acquired a fortune. I am satisfied that the Wabash Valley is the grandest field for a young man to com- mence the battle of life. If he fails to become rich, or a great man, there is one thing certain, he can always have plenty to eat, and clothing enough to keep from freezing, besides having lots of fun, if he has in his bosom a good, kind heart. It has been my lot

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to travel from the East to the West, from the North to the South, from center to circumference of this great American Union. Tell me not of fine locations for homes; give me Egypt. It is the finest country in the United States for a poor man. It is a natural para- dise. Here you find all the boy babies born Democrats, for the very air is Democratic, and every person a natural Democrat. All stand upon a level plane. No aristocracy can abide in Egypt. It is true, occasionally a small nest of self-styled or cod-fish aristoc- racy may be found in the small towns, but they are powerless to do harm only to themselves, for they enjoy the contempt of all good people.

In 1849 the discharged soldiers who had served in the Mexican war received from the General Government their land warrants, and either made entry in their own names or transferred their warrants to some other person, and the result was that a great quantity of land was transferred at the land-office at Shawneetown by the Gov- ernment to persons who laid their warrants on the public lands in Southern illinois. Many valuable farms in White County to-day date their titles to these purchases. Ishmaelite, with these war- rants, purchased a full section of land in Edwards County, and to- day the same land could not be purchased for less than $30 per acre. When bought from the General Government it did not cost on an average over 85 cents per acre, besides the gratuity from the Government of 100 acres to each soldier who served in the Mex- ican war. Thie was the opportunity for prudent men to avail themselves of by securing a good home for life. But few profited by the generous act of the Government, and let their warrants go for a small sum of money, and of those who laid their warrants, many sold out their homesteads and became tenants of landlords. Such is the folly of life.

EARLY MARKET PRICES.

From an old memorandum book kept in this county in 1831-'33, we learn the following prices at that time for the commodities named: Corn, 15 to 374 cents a bushel; wheat, 50 to 75 cents a bushel; salt, $1 a bushel; molasses, 33} cents a gallon; coffee, 20 to 25 cents a pound; beef, 22 cents a pound; whisky, 50 to 624 cents a gallon, or 188 cents a quart; raw cotton, 123 cents a pound; fence posts, 10 cents each. From the same book we learn that one school at least was taught for $8 a scholar for a year's tuition. A year was probably about ten months.

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HOME-MADE.

To make shoes, some of the pioneers took cow-hide, got the hair off it by soaking it in wet ashes in a trough, then soaked it in oak bark, to make a kind of leather. Shoes made from this, when wet and dried, became as hard as bone. Sunday shoes were made of home-made jeans, and summer garments were often made of flax.

LET BY-GONES BE BY-GONES.

Hosea Pierce in early day removed to Western Missouri, where he died, at the advanced age of eighty-seven years. His two boys were named Russian and Prussian, generally shortened to Roosh and Proosh. The latter still lives, and is one of the old stock of men who " helped make the country," as he says. Some years ago he was in Evansville, where he met a man named Ledbetter. In earlier day, when Proosh's father was sheriff, he executed the sen- tence of hanging upon one Ledbetter. Proosh and the Evansville man introduced themselves to each other, when Proosh added, “I reckon my father hung your father." " Yes; I guess he did. Let's take a drink," replied Ledbetter. Proosh rejoined, " We can't help what our fathers did," and he readily enough proceeded to take the drink.

ROMANTIC, BUT TRUE.

About 1815 a man named John Pond opened a clearing in what is now Indian Creek Township. In a few years he had neighbors, and the community was called the " Pond Settlement." One day in October Pond was called away from home to help some new. comer raise a cabin. He left his wife and two little boys at home, and was absent all day. On returning at night he found his wife killed and scalped in the cabin, and his two little boys scalped and lying in the corner made by the old-fashioned stick-and-mnd chim- ney joining the cabin wall. All three were lying in pools of blood which had poured from their ghastly wounds. Pond lost no time in calling on his neighbors, and before midnight a pursuing party of vengeance was formed. It was learned that three Indians of the Pe-anke-shaw tribe had been skulking about the settlement; and as this tribe was then living out in the western part of the State, in the vicinity of the Okaw (Kaskaskia) River and Big Muddy Creek, the chase promised to be a long one.

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Three men-Pond, Hosea Pearce and Trousdale-were the party of men who proposed to have retribution. They were well mounted while the Indians were on foot. From indications it appeared that the killing had been done in the morning; and as this pursuing party could not start until the following morning, the Indians had twenty hours start. The trail was found by noticing the disturbed condition of the wild pea-vines in the little prairie westward. With eager heart and piercing eye the men pushed forward. The woods in those days were open underneath, there being but little underbrush, and the pursuers soon reached the Okaw. On the prairies the grass grew high, and a fugitive could be easily followed through them.

Not, however, until the fourth day did the party discove "fresh sign." The next morning at sunrise they found in the Okaw Bottom three Indians making their breakfast off a wild turkey. Each white man picked out his Indian, and fired at him. One of the guns missed fire; two Indians fell dead. They hunted for the other Indian all day, but failed to find him, as he made for the river and they lost his track. The white party, therefore, had to return to their homes with their vengeance but partially satisfied.

A few years later the white population around Mr. Pond became too dense for him, and he moved farther west. The incident of the massacre and the pursuit faded away from the memories of old settlers, amid the bustle of the in-coming civilization. But years afterward still, when one of the actors in the foregoing scene, Hosea Pearce, had become an old man, he, too, felt that the country was becoming too thickly settled for his comfort, and emigrated to Western Missouri, where lands were cheap, of which he could obtain a plenty for the "boys." One of Trousdale's sons was with him. These two were away from home one day, and at night stopped at the house of a middle-aged man, living on a fine and well-furnished farm. After supper, in the course of conversation, the host ascertained the county where Pearce formerly lived.

" Do you know any one in the Pond Settlement?" inquired the host.

"Why, that is right where I lived," replied Pearce.

"Did you ever know John Pond? "

"Yes, sir."

This started Pearce to talking, and told all about Pond and the killing of his wife and boys, the pursuit, etc. Pearce was an

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interesting narrator, and he told the story as vividly as the facts would allow. Then the man said; " Well, stranger, I reckon that story is about as true as any you ever told." And as he said this he stepped to the high mantel-shelf on which stood a clock; this he opened and took out a little parcel wrapped in whitish paper that showed the marks of age and much careful handling. While he was doing this Pearce was getting mad at the doubt thrown on his veracity by the words of the man, who, as he stood slowly opening the little parcel and noticing the change in Pearce's countenance, said: " Now don't get excited at what I said. I only meant it to prove what I am going to show you is trne." By this time he had taken from the paper a little tuft of flaxen hair which seemed to be grown from a piece of skin the size of a dol- lar. As he held it up he said. "Here is the scalp of one of John Pond's boys;" and bowing down his head and parting the hair from the crown, revealing a shining bald scar, and placing his finger on the spot, he added, " and there is where it came from!" (Tableau.)

Old Hosea had forgotten that while both boys had been scalped, only one was killed, although both were left for dead. He had forgotten, too, that among the trophies of the dead Indians the things most highly prized by Pond were his boys' scalps, which he recovered.

PUBLIO MEN.

In the early laws of Illinois, we find the following use made of White County men:

John Marshall, David Apperson, Samuel Hays, Leonard White and Samuel R. Campbell, were appointed commissioners Dec. 23, 1816, to receive subscriptions for the Bank of Illinois at Shawnee- town.

Willis Hargrave and William McHenry, were the two mem- bers from White County in 1818, with about thirty others from other parts of Southern Illinois, who in convention assembled at Kaskaskia formed the Constitution upon which Illinois was admit- ted into the Union as a State. Mr. Hargrave also was Speaker of the House of Representatives in 1835.

The State banking law of 1819 designated James Gray, Leonard White and James Ratcliff as a commission to open the books for subscription of capital stock, commencing the first Monday of April, 1819.

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An act was approved Feb. 26, 1819, appointing Samuel Hays, Stephen Hogg, Harrison Wilson, James Ratcliff and Leonard White commissioners to locate the " seat of justice " for Franklin County, sometime during the month of April following, and their reward was $2 a day for the time necessarily employed in this task, for twenty days or less.

March 24, 1819, an act of the Legislature was approved, grant- ing relief to Benjamin R. Smith, Sheriff of the County of White, who had collected the tax due from the county in money receiv - able at the land offices, which the latter refused to accept.

In 1827, Leonard White, John Black and Benjamin Cummins were appointed commissioners by the State Legislature to select and designate such portions of the Gallatin County Saline reserve, not exceeding 30,000 acres, as were suitable for water-works, Con- gress having assented to the sale of that quantity. The selection of these lands were to be of such as were least useful for salt- making, within the reserve, and the water-works were to be con- structed in such a manner as to promote (not obstructing) the navigation of Saline Creek. They were to select the situations for the water-works, and twelve acres of land for each situation. James Caldwell was appointed commissioner to sell the aforesaid lands.

FIRST EVENTS.

The first birth of a white child in this county (within Mr. Land's recollection) was that of his sister Susan, in March, 1811, who afterward married George McHenry, and is now living in White- side County, Ill.

The first marriage was that of John Stom (or Stumm) to Patsey Poole, April 8, 1816. This, however, may not have been within the present limits of White County.

The first preaching in White County was at John Hanna's, by a Methodist minister. The Methodists and Baptists at first met at Robert Lands and held prayer-meetings.

The first corn raised in the county, as remembered by Y. Land, was in 1809, by Peter Kuykendall.

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CHAPTER V.

LEGAL.

In this chapter we compile such matters as relate to the organi- zation of the county and townships, the courts, the bar, the public buildings, etc.

ORGANIZATION AND GENERAL DIVISION.

White County was cut off from Gallatin County and organized pursuant to an act passed by the Legislature of Illinois Territory, Dec. 7, 1815. It was named after Leonard White, a prominent public man of Gallatin County, elsewhere referred to in this vol- ume. For a short time it included all the territory of Eastern Illi- nois to and including the site of the present great city of Chicago. White County was thrown into the Second Judicial Circuit March 31, 1819; the Fifth, Dec. 29, 1824; the Fourth, Jan. 12, 1827; and lastly the Twelfth, Feb. 1, 1851.

In December, 1819, the County Court consolidated the county into two townships, to be called East and West, and divided by the line between ranges 7 and 8 east. Samuel Hogg, Ambrose Maulding and David Proctor were appointed judges of the first election in West Township, and William Hosick, Joseph Pumroy and John Hanna for the same in the East.

In 1821 Hamilton County was cut off from White, and the county seat located.

Jan. 22, 1829, the Legislature established the following as the north boundary line of White County: Beginning at the south- west corner of section 18, township 3 south, range 5 east, and running thence along the middle line of township 3, to the southeast corner of section 13, township 3 south, range 9 east, for the county of Wayne; and from thence east along said line to the Bonpas Creek, or the Wabash River, as the case may be, for the county of Edwards.

The south line of the county was once described in law as " be- ginning in the eye of the millstone in Moon's mill " at New Haven!

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Feb. 10, 1858, the Legislature enacted "that the section line running east and west through the center of township 7 south, in ranges 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 east of the third principal meridian, shall constitute and stand for the county line divid- ing said counties, for revenue and all other purposes. Said line shall commence at the southwest corner of section 18, in town- ship 7 south, in range 5 east, and shall run thence due east along and with the section line to the Little Wabash River."

Feb. 28, 1854, the Legislature amended the last clause of the foregoing, so that it should read: "Said line shall commence at the southwest corner of section 18, in township 7 sonth in range 5 east, and shall run thence due east on said section line to the southwest corner of section 17, in township 7 south, range 10 east, thence north on the northern line of said sec- tion to the center of the Little Wabash River, and down said stream to its confluence with the Great Wabash River."

The second section of the last mentioned act provided for an election to be held in the counties of Hamilton, Saline, White and Gallatin, to sanction or reject the above measure; and the third section repealed the act of Feb. 10, 1853.

VOTING PRECINCTS.

Previous to the adoption of township government, there were eight election precincts in White County, bounded as follows :

1. Indian Creek, corresponding to the present Indian Creek Township, and comprising Congressional township 6 south, 8 east, and the north half of 7 south, 8 east.

2. Enfield, comprising all the territory in the county north of Indian Creek Township, south of Skillet Fork, and west of Seven- Mile Creek.

3. Burnt Prairie, all the territory in the county between the Skillet Fork and the Little Wabash.

4. Carmi, east of Enfield, south of Skillet Fork on the west side of the Little Wabash, and on the east of said river south of sections 27, 28 and 29 of township 4 south, 10 east, and extending south to Lick Creek, west of the Little Wabash, and east of that river to the south line of sections 27 to 30 of township 5 south, 10 east.

5. Grayville, east of Burnt Prairie Precinct, and south to the south line of sections 9 to 12 of township 4 south, 10 east,-the last line extending eastward to the Big Wabash.

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6. Fow River, east of Carmi Precinct and south of Grayville to the south line of sections 35 and 36, of township 5 south and 14 west.

7. Prairie, all south of Carmi and Fox River precincts, and between the two Wabash rivers.

8. Herald's Prairie, on the north by Lick Creek, on the east by the Little Wabash, on the south by the county line and on the west by Indian Creek Precinct.

TOWNSHIPS.

By reference to the election returns in the next chapter, the reader may see the several votes taken in this county on the sub- ject of township organization. At first the people did not fully understand the advantages and disadvantages of such a form of gov- ernment, and gave the proposition a very light vote; but in the fall of 1871 a "majority of all the votes polled " were cast in favor of it, and township government was adopted. Early in 1872 the first officers were elected, and a list of these and all the succeeding officers is given respectively in each township history.

By reference to the map, after the preface in this volume, one may see at a glance the territory comprised in each township, namely : Mill Shoals, the south half of Congressional township 3 south, 8 east, and the whole of 4 south, 8 east; Enfield, 5, 8; Indian Creek, 6, 8, and the north half of 7, 8; Burnt Prairie, the south half of 3, 9, and all of 4, 9; Carmi, 5, 9; Herald's Prairie, 6, 9, and the north half of 7, 9; Gray, the south half of 3, 10 and 11, and of 3 south, 14 west; Phillips, 4, 10 and 11, and 4 south, 14 west; Hawthorne, 5, 10 and 11, and 5, 14; Emma, 6, 10 and 11, and north half of 7, 10 and 11, and an insignificant fraction of 8 south, 10 and 11 east. Carmi and Enfield are the only Congres- sional townships in the county; Mill Shoals, Burnt Prairie, Indian Creek and Herald's Prairie, are each a township and a half, while all those between the Wabash rivers are irregular,-Gray contain- ing less than a Congressional township, and each of the rest consid- erably more.

CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS.

The districts into which White County has been thrown for rep- resentation in Congress are as follows:

1818-1832 Illinois was one Congressional District.

1832-Second Congressional District: White, Hamilton, Jeffer-

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son, Wayne, Edwards, Wabash, Lawrence, Clay, Marion, Fayette, Montgomery, Shelby, Vermillion, Edgar, Coles, Clark and Craw- ford.

1843-Second District: Johnson, Pope, Hardin, Williamson, Gallatin, Franklin, Hamilton, White, Wabash, Edwards, Wayne, Jefferson, Marion and Massac.

1852-Ninth District: Alexander, Pulaski, Massac, Union, Johnson, Pope, Hardin, Gallatin, Saline, Williamson, Jackson, Perry, Franklin, Hamilton, White, Wayne, Edwards and Wabash.

1861-Thirteenth District: Alexander, Pulaski, Union, John- son, Williamson, Jackson, Perry, Massac, Pope, Hardin, Saline, Gallatin, White, Edwards and Wabash.

1872-Nineteenth District: Richland, Wayne, Edwards, Wa- bash, Jefferson, Franklin, Hamilton, White, Saline, Gallatin and Hardin.

1881-Nineteenth District: White, Hamilton, Gallatin, Saline, Hardin, Franklin, Jefferson, Marion and Clinton.

White County's representation in Congress is given in the next chapter.

LEGISLATIVE.

Up to 1872 the Senatorial and Representative districts were kept distinct. Since that date they are coincident, under the con- stitutional provision for minority representation. At present this county, with Hamilton, Wabash and Lawrence counties, consti- tutes the Forty-sixth " Senatorial " or " Assembly " District.

COUNTY COMMISSIONERS' COURT.

County commissioners, otherwise called judges and justices, were at the head of the county government from the first to 1872, when the present supervisor system was adopted. We append a few of the most important or interesting transactions of the old court.

The first County Court was held Feb. 12, 1816, at the house of Lowry Hay, near Staley's mill, which he then owned. "Present, the Worshipful John C. Slocumb, Willis Hargrave, Joseph Pum- roy, Judges." Court was opened with prayer by Mr. Slocumb, a Methodist preacher. It was ordered by the court that the county be divided into three townships, as follows: Prairie Township, be- ginning at the mouth of the Little Wabash, up the same to the line

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between town 4 and 5 with said line to the Great Wabash. 2d, Fox River Township, including that part of the county in the forks above the line dividing town 4 and 5. 3d, West Town- ship, including all that part of the county west of the Little Wabash.

Aaron Williams, Sr., and Henry Jones were appointed Over- seers of the Poor in Prairie Township; Daniel Brown and Jonathan Stewart in Fox River, Samuel Craig and James May in West Township. James Rutledge was appointed Constable in West Township, and Needham Stanley in Fox River. Fence viewers were appointed as follows: John Hanna, Robert Land and James Garrison in Prairie; Thomas Mays, Samuel Davidson and James Rutledge in West; James Meridith, John Lucas and Daniel Boultinghouse in Fox River.

Court met again next morning, when James Ratcliff, Clerk of the Court, and Benjamin R. Smith, Sheriff, produced their official bonds, which were approved by the court. Samuel Hays, Stephen Hogg, Benjamin White and James Ratcliff were each allowed four days' pay for fixing the seat of justice, and it was ordered that the county treasurer pay them out of the first money in the treasury.

The report of the commissioners above named was received and recorded as follows:

ILLINOIS TERRITORY, WHITE COUNTY.

FEB. 8, 1816,

Conformable to an act of the Legislature of this territory passed the 7th of December, 1815, enacting a new county out of a part of Gallatin, known by the name of White county, we, the undersigned commissioners, having been appointed by said act to fix the permanent seat of justice in and for said county, did meet on the first Monday of this instant at the house of Lowry Hay, Esq. After being duly sworn, have taken into view the settlements, the geography of the country, the convenience of the people and the illegibility of the situation, we, the under- signed, do report the following as being the most eligible for the permanent seat of justice for said county: Beginning at a stake 19 18-25 poles north, 85° 20 west, from a hickory above the mouth of Hargraves Spring branch, on the left branch of the Little Wabash, when we proceeded to examine and lay out forty acres, out of which the proprietors (Samuel White and Lowry Hay) agree to

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make a donation to the county of twenty acres. Thence from the before mentioned stake south 45°, west 100 poles; thence north 45°, west 64 poles; thence north 45°, east 100 poles; thence to the beginning, in the center of which bounds is planted a stake des- ignating the ground for public buildings. The above described forty acres is a part of the northeast quarter of section 13, in town south, range 9 east. Witness our hand and seals this day and date first above written.

JAMES RATOLIFE, [SEAL.]

ST. E. HOGG, [SEAL ]

BENJAMIN WHITE, [BEAL.]

SAMUEL HAYS. [BEAL.]

It was ordered that Lowry Hay proceed to lay off a town on the ground designated above "agreeable to a plan that may be here- after furnished him." Daniel McHenry was empowered, in behalf of the county, to superintend the laying off of the town and dis- posing of the lots, and to meet the proprietors and make any arrangements with them for the advancement of the county's interest in said town.

Edward H. Piper appeared and took an oath, faithfully to dis- charge the duties of deputy clerk of the county. Hugh Collins, James Garrison and Samuel Slocumb were appointed to view and make a road the nearest and best way from the ford opposite the seat of justice on the Little Wabash, to intersect a road from Palmyra at the Edwards County line. Adam Crouch, David Cal- vert and John Camron were appointed to view and make a road from said ford, the nearest and best way on a direction to Kaskaskia, as far as the Seven Mile Prairie. Wm. McHenry, John Berry, Hugh Collins, Thomas Little and Joseph Lane were appointed to view and make a road the nearest and best way from the present seat of justice in a direction to the United States Saline, to the Gallatin County line. Thomas C. Brown produced a commission appoint- ing him Prosecuting Attorney, also a license to practice in the superior and inferior courts in the Territory, took the oath of an attorney at law and is admitted to practice in this court.

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History of White County Illinois, Part 11

Author: Inter-State Publishing Company Publication date: 1883 Publisher: Number of Pages: 831

Author: Inter-State Publishing Company
Publication date: 1883
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 831