USA > Illinois > White County > History of White County Illinois > Part 27
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These principles are strikingly illustrated in the history of nearly all villages. Those that are passed by and left "out in the cold" by the railroads decline, while the railroad towns get ahead. Before the day of railroads transportation had mainly to be carried on by navigation. Hence we naturally open this chapter with an account of the several attempts to improve navigable streams ef- fecting the interests of this section.
THE GREAT WABASH.
As early as Jan. 13, 1825, an act was passed incorporating the Great Wabash Navigation Company, with too great jurisdiction.
In 1825 the Harmony cut-off was so narrow that one could dam off the water with a board; but by 1834 it had become so large as to threaten the navigability of the main channel, and the General Government stopped it up and deepened the main channel. The Government also dammed the Turkey Island chute near the mouth of Fox River.
The act of Jan. 13, 1825, incorporating the Wabash Navigation Company, was amended Feb. 12, 1835, prohibiting any change in the river, except between Mount Carmel and the head of the Little Rock Rapids, and permitting the company to construct mill races
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or water-powers along the aforesaid route, but not obstructing nav- igation. The mendatory act also compelled the company to pay for their right of way such amounts as may be assessed by a committee. Work might be commenced as soon as fifty shares of $25 each were taken, and must be commenced within four years from June 1 following.
On page 95 of this volume is given an account of the great inter- nal improvement scheme adopted by the State of Illinois in 1836. Here we recite that portion of the act of the Legislature establish- ing it which relates to White County.
"The improvement of the navigation of the Great Wabash River in that part of the same over which the States of Indiana and Il- linois have concurrent jurisdictions, for which improvement the sum of $100,000 is hereby appropriated; which appropriation the Board of Public Works are hereby authorized and required to ex- pend in said improvements, in conjunction with the State of In- diana, in equal amounts and for like objects. And the said Board of Commissioners of Public Works are hereby authorized and em- powered to co-operate with the Board of Internal Improvement of Indiana, or with such other authority or authorities of said State as are or may be put in charge of the expenditure of appropriations made by the State of Indiana for the improvement of said river in the survey and examinations of the obstructions to the navigation, and in the location, construction, completion and management of all works, at the joint and equal expense of both States, which by the joint boards or other authorities aforesaid may be deemed of the greatest utility, to render said river navigable to all stages of wa- ter, for steam and other boats, in that part of said river above specified; and also in the disposition, use and management of the water-powers created or rendered available by the construction of said works of improvements.
" And the said Board of Commissioners of Public Works are hereby authorized and empowered to enter into agreement and compact on the part of the State of Illinois, with the Board of Internal Improvement of the State of Indiana, or such other author- ity as said State has authorized or may authorize and empower to enter into such agreement and compact on the part of said State of Indiana, for the joint and mutual co-operation of the two States, in the said survey, location, construction, completion and manage- ment of the improvements and works hereby contemplated; and for the joint and mutual use and management of, and jurisdiction
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over, all hydraulic power created or made available thereby; which agreement and compact, when ratified by the Governor of the State of Indiana, shall be valid and binding on the State of Illi- nois."
The above regulations were to be carried out according to the laws of the State of Indiana wherever the latter may be in con- flict with these provisions, until the discrepancies should be remedied by Legislative enactments.
For the Little Wabash, $50,000 was appropriated, " to render the navigation thereof safe and practicable for stream, keel and flat boats; and the said board shall have due regard to the great- est and most useful amount of water-power to be created by the works they may erect for the improvement of the said river for the use of the State. And the said Board of Commissioners of Pub- lic Works, in the construction of dams across any of the rivers aforesaid, are hereby authorized to construct and keep in repair suitable chutes in the said dams, for the accommodation of the ordi- nary flat-boats, and others descending navigation in the rivers, when - soever in their opinion the costs and practicability of construction, and the interests of the State, will justify the construction and maintenance thereof.
Among the numerous railroads projected by the great internal improvement system of 1836, none were proposed to run through White County. One was ordered from Shawneetown north westerly through Equality, Frankfort, etc., and one from Vincennes west- ward. And on account of this county being omitted from the list of the favored, it was said to be one of the "unfortunate " counties. As a placebo the Legislature subsequently made sundry appropri- ations from the saline fund for the benefit of White County.
The following joint resolution in relation to the improvement of the Wabash River, and to accept the terms of a compact between this State and the State of Indiana, offered by the said State of Indiana, was approved March 2, 1873.
" WHEREAS it has been certified to the Governor of this State that the Legislature of the State of Indiana has passed and adopted a joint resolution in relation to the improvement of the Wabash River, and to authorize a compact with the State of Illinois, approved the sixth day of January, one thousand eight hundred and thirty-seven, which said joint resolution in the words following, to wit:
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"'WHEREAS, the Legislature of this State at its last session appro- priated the sum of $50,000 for the purpose of improving the navigation of the Wabash River between its mouth and the town of Vincennes; and whereas it is believed that the construc- ion and use of the mechanical structures necessary to this object will require the occupancy of both banks of the river, thereby creating a necessity for mutual and concurred jurisdiction and con- trol between the two States. And whereas, the legislation here- tofore had on this subject by the State of Illinois affords ground for the belief that that State will co-operate with Indiana in making the necessary improvement on this portion of the river. Therefore,
"' Resolved, By the General Assembly of the State of Indiana, That, for the purpose of accomplishing the object herein set forth, and of securing to the citizens of both States mutual and equal participation in the benefits resulting therefrom, it be and is hereby proposed to the Legislature of the State of Illinois, that an argument or compact be entered into between the two States, the terms of which shall be as follows :
"' First, The States of Indiana and Illinois to have perpetual, equal, and concurrent control of whatever improvements may be made by them on that portion of the Wabash River which forms the boundary line between these States, to be exercised through such agents as may be appointed by the States respectively.
"' Second, To contribute equally in defraying the expense of constructing and keeping in repair such improvements, and the various works connected therewith.
" 'Third, The States to share alike in the profits of said im- provements, derived from the collection of tolls, water rents, or other charges.
"' Fourth, The tolls or other charges levied on said improve- ments shall be equal and uniform upon the citizens of both States, and upon the citizens of the United States.
"' Fifth, The improvements to commence at such points as in the present condition of the river presents the most serious ob- struction to the navigation.
"' Resolved, Further, that the acceptance of these terms by the State of Illinois, or by any agent of that State, duly authorized to act in the premises, shall be considered as a consummation of the compact without any further action on the part of this State.
"' Resolved, Further. that the State Board of International Im- provements be and they are hereby directed to take charge of the 30
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proposed improvements, on the part of this State, and that they be hereby authorized in conjunction with such agents as may be appointed on the part of Illinois, to adopt such plans for the over- coming of the several obstructions as to them may appear most conducive to public interest, having regard to the amount of the appropriations which have been or may hereafter be made by the State.
"' Resolved, Further, that as soon as the Board of Internal Im- provements may be officially advised of the acceptance of the terms herein proposed, by the State of Illinois, and of the appropriation by the State, of a sum for the improvement of the river, equal to that heretofore appropriated by Indiana, and also of the appointment of an agent or agents on the part of Illinois to act with them in carrying on the work, they shall thereupon be authorized, in con- junction with such agents of the State of Illinois, to commence the improvement of the river at such point or points where they may think the improvement most requisite.
"' Resolved, That the Governor be requested to transmit a copy of the above joint resol ution to the Executive of the Stateof Illinois, with a request that it be laid before the Legislature of said State.'
" And, WHEREAS, The Legislature of this State is desirous of co-operating with the State of Indiana, in effecting the improve- ment of the navigation of that portion of the said Wabash River which forms the line between the two States, and for that purpose, has, at the present session, appropriated the sum of one hundred thousand dollars ; Now therefore,
"Be it enacted by the people of the State of Illinois, repre- sented in the General Assembly, That the State of Illinois hereby accept of the terms of the compact proposed by and set forth in the above recited joint resolution of the General Assembly of the State of Indiana, in relation to the improvement of that portion of the Wabash River which forms the boundary line between the two States; and the said compact and terms are hereby declared to be binding on the State of Illinois.
" Resolved, Further, that the Board of Commissioners of Public Works are hereby authorized and required to take charge of the proposed improvements on the part of this State; and that they be authorized, in conjunction with the State Board of Internal Improvement of the State of Indiana, or such other agent or agents as the State may appoint, to adopt and execute
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such plans for the overcoming of the several obstructions in the said river as to them may appear most conducive to the public interest; having due regard to an equal expenditure of funds on said improvements, by both States; and also to the amount of the appropriations which have been or may hereafter be made by this State.
" Resolved, Further, that the Governor be requested to transmit a copy of' the above preamble and joint resolutions to the Execu- tive of the State of Indiana, with a request to advise the Board of Internal Improvement of that State of the acceptance of the terms aforesaid, by the State of Illinois ; and with the further request to lay this joint resolution before the General Assembly of Indiana."
The following summary of the results of these acts of legislation we obtain from Aaron Franks.
The joint operations between Indiana and Illinois on the Grand Chain were commenced in 1834 and abandoned in 1836, without accomplishing any good. The "Grand Chain " is a rapids two miles down the river and due east from Wabash Station. It is 650 feet long, in which there was, and indeed still is, a fall of about three and a half feet. The companies, instead of deepening the main channel, worked only on the highest rocks in the bed of the stream, either widening the old channel or making a new one, which only tended to distribute the water over a greater surface. They prepared for their operations by damming off the water above, and carried them on by blasting and picking the rocks. These they removed to a total depth of about eighteen inches.
The next work on the Grand Chain was done in 1876-'7 by the United States Government, which expended about $90,000 upon it, but with no better results, committing the same error as was formerly made by the State Governments. It distributed the water over a greater surface instead of deepening the main channel. It is believed by parties in the vicinity that a few hundred dollars only expended in cutting a new channel through the sandy earth and damming up the old channel would have been sufficient to create a good navigable stream. To this day, during the month of September, only those boats which draw fourteen inches or less can pass over these rapids.
The " Little Chain " is another rapids further down the river, in which there is a fall of eighteen inches in 350 feet. Some work has been done by the General Government at this point, and it is supposed to be in progress now; but the improvement of nav- igation is still very doubtful.
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" Warrick's Ripples " is a small rapids just below the new cut- off and three miles below New Harmony. Here is a fall of about twenty inches in 200 yards. The Government commenced work at this point also in 1880, but as yet have not accomplished much.
THE LITTLE WABASH.
Feb. 15, 1827, an act was passed by the Legislature devoting a portion of the proceeds of the sale of certain saline reserve lands to the improvement of the navigation of the Little Wabash River; and George R. Logan, William Nevitt, Samuel Dagley, William McHenry and James Gray, some of whom were residents of this county, were appointed Commissioners to disburse the funds for the purposes mentioned. John Marshall, of Shawneetown, was appointed a receiver of a portion of the moneys, and William Wil- son another portion.
The act from which we glean the above items was a kind of " omnibus " act, treating of the unlike subjects of the saline re- serves, a penitentiary and the improvement of certain navigable streams in a scattering manner. On the subject of Wabash navi- gation we quote the two following sections:
"SECTION 23. All the net proceeds arising from the sales of land in the Vermillion saline reserve, under this act, are hereby appro- priated to improve the navigation of the Great Wabash River, to be disbursed in conjunction with the State of Indiana, when she shall set apart and appropriate funds for that purpose, in such manner as the States of Illinois and Indiana shall, by mutual laws, direct; and which money is hereby solemnly appropriated or set apart for that object, and to be applied to none other.
"SECTION 26. The commissioners for improving the navigation of the Little Wabash, or any person by them authorized, may enter upon and take possession of any land in or adjoining the said river, which may be necessary for improving the navigation thereof, and no more, which lands shall thereupon become a pub- lic highway; and the owner or owners of such land shall have the same remedy, and be entitled to the same compensation as is or may be allowed for opening public roads over improved land."
Jan. 18, 1836, the Legislature declared the Little Wabash River a navigable stream up to the northern boundary line of Clay County.
In keeping with most of the Government work on the Wabash Rivers, the result of the foregoing legislation was simply the
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formation of a company who sent a squad of men up and down the Little Wabash to cut down some trees and really obstruct nav- igation more than help it. Frank E. Hay was President, and North Storms, Secretary, of this company.
The first mill at New Haven was a grist-mill, was built on the right bank of the river. Subsequently a saw-mill was erected on the opposite bank, using the same dam. Between 1860 and 1869 the works were neglected and the dam was washed away. Then a lock and dam were built, by an appropriation of $30,000 or $35,- 000 from the State, obtained by the intercession of R. S. Graham and James Fackney. C. S. Conger, now Circuit Judge, was the civil engineer who surveyed the level from New Haven to Carmi. This work has been a real improvement to the navigation of the Little Wabash, but lately it has been somewhat neglected; rubbish has collected at the upper end of the lock. rendering it of no use, but the dam is still good, furnishing a good water-power.
As the scheme for the improvement of the Little Wabash was made to cover the work of bridging the stream at Carmi, at this point we are naturally introduced to the general subject of bridges; but as these can be treated in the respective township histories, we place the matter there.
SKILLET FORK.
Jan. 27, 1837, the General Assembly of Illinois anthorized "Charles J. Weed to build and continue a mill-dam on the Skillet Fork, at the mill shoals, on the west half of southwest quarter of section 20, in town 3 south, of range 8 east, at or near the place where the late mill-dam stood," provided it be built within three years, be not more than eight feet high, with an apron of twenty feet slope, etc.
March 4, 1837, the Little Wabash River was declared by the Legislature a navigable stream and public highway as far up as where it is crossed by the National Road (running from Terre Haute to St. Louis), and the Skillet Fork a similar stream up to Samuel Slocumb's mill, in Marion County.
FOX RIVER.
Feb. 21, 1839, the Legislature declared the Fox River, "from its confluence with the Great Wabash River up to the center line east and west of section 29, in township 4 south, of range 14 west," to be a " navigable stream and public highway."
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FERRIES.
On the Big Wabash there are Ashworth's, Marshall's, Williams's, New Harmony and Grayville ferries. Most of these, of course, were established by the Legislature in early day, and the rates of ferriage also prescribed, or left by the Legislature with the County Courts. Webb's Ferry, formerly just below Grayville, is abandoned.
On the Little Wabash there are ferries at New Haven and near Mr. Campbell's, between New Haven and Carmi. The other ferries on this river and all those on the Skillet Fork have long since been replaced by bridges.
ROADS.
The first road to become well traveled in White County was along the Big Wabash from New Haven to Village Prairie, Ed- wards County, where there had been an Indian trail. The next road was from Shawneetown to Carmi. From these branches were soon established to what are considered the oldest points in the county, and all these, of course, regardless of any survey.
Below we give the legislation concerning the roads of White County:
Dec. 26, 1828, the Legislature enacted " that the road leading from Carmi, in White County, to Collins's Ferry, on the Big Wabash, is hereby declared a State road." Jan. 20, 1829, " that part of the county road from James Garrison's to John Baker's, in White County," was declared a State road, and the road that had been laid off between those places was vacated.
Feb. 9, 1831, an act of the General Assembly was approved ap- pointing as Commissioners Wm. McHenry and Philip Underwood, of this county, and Daniel Boltinghouse, of Edwards County, to lay out a road from Carmi to Albion, crossing Crooked Creek at or near Mitchell Stokes's.
Jan. 24, 1835, a Legislative act was approved authorizing the County Commissioners of White to review and re-locate any State road in the county, in the same manner and under the same re- strictions as other roads in said county may be reviewed and re- located, provided no State road shall be altered at the point where the same may cross the county line.
July 20, 1837, George R. Logan, John Shipley and Reuben Long were appointed by act of the Legislature Commissioners to lay ont a State road " from or near the house of George R. Logan, in White County, to Tecumseh, on the Great Wabash River," dur- ing the following antumn.
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The State road from Carmi to Mount Carmel was re-located in 1841, and its crossing of Mud Creek fixed.
As the county became more densely populated and the roads more numerous, they were placed in charge of the county -firs the commissioners and then the supervisors.
MISCELLANEOUS REMARKS.
The year 1838, throughout the State of Illinois, was all life and business, caused by the gigantic scheme of internal improvements inaugurated by the State to build several thousand miles of rail roads, canals, stage-roads, bridges, and other public institutions. Another cause was, the State had chartered a bank with the mother located at Springfield, with branches at various points in the Stato for the convenience of the people. Every person could borrow money, and nearly every sharp Alick quit work and took a con- tract on the public works, or went into business in same capacity. It was delightful to see those new business men put on airs. Many an old hard-fisted, horny-handed farmer who, by close living and hard work had laid up some money, took it into his head that his son William or John was well adapted to the mercantile busi- ness, and straightway went to the bank and " soaked " his home- stead for money, to enable him to set up his promising son in a store. The jeans were hung up in the loft, store clothes were put on, and a stock of goods purchased and put on the shelves. The young merchant would open out with fine prospects, but in nine cases out of ten, in less than three years the store was closed, and dad's farm sold under a foreclosure of mortgage to the bank, or creditors who had furnished goods. Then the old man would be- come a tenant of some of his former neighbors, or light out for Texas or Arkansas, with less wealth but much more wisdom. This picture was plainly in view in 1841 and 1842 throughout all "Egypt. "
July 1, 1838, Amos Kendall, Postmaster General, had let a con- tract to Daniel Hay, of Carmi, to carry the United States mail from Shawneetown, Ill., to Vincennes, Ind. Four horse coaches were to be used in transporting the mails. Powhattan H. Bag- well, of Mt. Carmel, sub-contracted with Hay, in taking the line from Grayville north fifty miles, while Hay retained that part of the line from Grayville south fifty miles. Says Samuel Martin : " I well remember that eventful day. I was then the hostler for the only hotel in Grayville-a log structure on the corner of Main
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and North streets, Mrs. Susan St. Aubin, proprietress. At five o'clock P. M. I heard the horn of the approaching coach from the south, and immediately a response rang out from the north. It was all excitement in and about the hotel. The two coaches met at the front of the house, each crowded with distinguished men connected with the line. When old Daniel Hay stepped from the coach my very heart swelled within me, knowing he was the great man that caused this grand enterprise to be put in operation. If Martin Van Buren, then President of the United States, had called to me to put up his horse, I should have turned upon my heel with proud disdain to receive that tall gray-haired man, Daniel Hay. " These coaches were retained on the line till July 1, 1842. September, 1838, brought to a close the brilliant career of the cele- brated race mare "Dove " on the tracks near the present town of Hawthorne. For five years she had met the fleetest horses of Ken- tucky, Tennessee and Indiana, and in every contest showed them her heels for large stakes in money, horses, etc., but finally "Snowball" met the little lady upon her own heath and carried away her lau- rels and almost bankrupted her backers. On that disastrous con- test with the " Snowball" many were the admirers of the " Dove," who left the race-course at Big Prairie without a stake in money, and not a few could be seen returning homeward, packing thei saddles upon their backs, their last and only horse passed into the hands of the backers of "Snowball." It was a regular sedan for he sportingmen of Southern Illinois, as many thousand dollars were lost upon that race. It was not uncommon at one of these races to see several thousand people assembled, and great crowds would camp on the grounds for days, engaged in gambling in various games. It was a good thing for White County that "Snowball " came and broke up that gambling camp-ground. William Will- iams, her owner, sold the " Dove" to the owner of "Snowball " and she was taken South.
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