USA > Illinois > White County > History of White County Illinois > Part 3
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
Poplars .- The Cottonwood is a well-known, large swamp tree, of but little account. The Quaking Asp, or American Aspen, is a true poplar, and is common.
Tulip-Tree .- This is not a poplar, though often so called. It has also been called white-wood and cucumber-wood. It used to be common in this region, but being very useful for box lumber, it has been pretty well cut out.
Walnuts .- The Black Walnut, for its richly shaded dark wood, is the most valuable tree of the forest. Specimens in the North have been sold for as much as $1,200 a tree, as they stood on the ground ! Consequently it has become scarce, as a large tree. White Walnut, or Butternut, is found occasionally. The wood is much used at the present day for veneering.
Maples .- Three species of maple are found in White County : 1. Hard, Sugar or Rock, with a variety called Black. 2. Red or Swamp. 3. White or Silver. The two latter are soft-wooded.
Hickories .- These are, botanically speaking, members of the Walnut family. At the head of this class of trees stands the West- ern Shell-bark, for its fruit and its wood; but it is not so common as formerly. Akin to it is the common Shell-bark or Shag-bark, which, by the way, is much more common East than here. The "Small-fruited " Hickory occurs in this region. Of those bearing soft-shelled nuts, the most common are the Bitter-nut and Pig-nut; the next the Mocker-nut or White-hearted Hickory, and lastly the favorite Pecan. A few specimens are found which, by the fruit, seem to be a cross between the Small-fruited Hickory and the Pecan.
Ash .- Of this family the white was once the most common; but, being a valuable tree for fuel and lumber, it has become compar- atively scarce. It has also been called Black Ash, Blue Ash and Gray Ash. The Red Ash, the Green Ash and the true Blue Ash are found in this county. The last three are of but little value.
Lin, Linden or Basswood .- One species is abundant, and one scarce. The latter species has larger leaves, with a silvery white and fine down underneath.
Birch .- River or Red Birch is common, and Cherry or Sweet Birch more rare. Both flourish in low grounds and along the principal streams.
Catalpa .- Of this there are two species, both rare in this county.
Digitized by Google
--
203
HISTORY OF WHITE COUNTY.
One is much more hardy than the other, and valuable for fence posts, etc. Its time of flowering is three weeks earlier than the tenderer kind.
Hackberry .- A few specimens of this tree are still found. It belongs to the Elm family and is not a valuable tree.
Coffee Tree .- This denizen of the forest has always been rare. The tree is best known by its beautiful compound leaves and glossy beans.
Honey Locust .- Common. Valuable for hedges, and in the ex- treme northern portion of the Union it is hardier than Osage Orange, and therefore better for this purpose.
Sweet Gum .- This tree has somewhat star-shaped leaves, yields a fragrant white gum, and that which grows among other tall trees yields the most valuable lumber, taking the place at once of pine. walnut and cherry. Although the botanists recognize but one spe- cies here, difference of situation produces so great a difference that the people say there are at least two varieties,-the yellow or red wooded and the white-wooded, the first mentioned being valuable and the other almost or quite worthless.
Black Gum, called also Sour Gum, Pepperidge, Nyssa and Tupelo, is not at all akin to the preceding. It grows to full forest height. Its black, acid berries are not edible.
Cherry .- The Wild Black Cherry is common.
Beech. - This very common tree of the Lake region and the East is represented by a few specimens in this county.
Cypress .- The American Bald Cypress may be found in White County. It is more common further South.
2. LOW TREES.
While a few under the preceding head scarcely ever reach the height of the tallest forest tree, those which we shall enumerate under this head never reach the average height of the forest, and range down to less than twenty feet, where they mingle, in classi- fication, with "bushes " and shrubs, treated under the next sub- head.
Buckeye .- The Smooth, Ohio, or Fetid Buckeye occurs in the river bottoms.
Paroparo .- Well known throughout the Ohio River Valley for its banana-like fruit, which some persons learn to like as an article of diet. To "learn to like " them one must merely taste of them, at
Digitized by Google
204
HISTORY OF WHITE COUNTY.
times far apart, and when hungry and under the most favorable circumstances. Even then many will fail.
Persimmon .- Common and more edible than the preceding. Persons abroad do not know much about them, from the fact that they cannot be shipped to a great distance. Before they are per- fectly soft they are inedible, and after that they decay too rapidly for shipping to market. Some one might make a little money at drying and canning them.
Mulberry .- The red is the only species found in this county.
Crabapple .- Two species are found here, but neither is as abundant as elsewhere.
Thorn .- There are five species of thorn in this region, goner. ally known as Red Haws. The most common are Black or Pear and the Cockspur.
Box. Elder, or Ash-leaved Maple, is common.
Rod-Bud, or Judas Tree, is common in this vicinity, and is well known by its purplish crimson tops in early spring before the leaves appear.
Sassafras and Spice-Bush, almost the only two members of the Laurel family in the United States, are both common in this county. The latter, however, is a shrub.
Service or June Berry .- Rare.
Alder .- Smooth Alder, of the Birch family, and Black Alder or Winterberry, of the Holly family, occur in White County.
Dogwood .- The Flowering Dogwood is a common, low tree; the other dogwoods are mentioned under the next sub-head.
Hop Hornbeam is found occasionally.
Wafer Ash, a tree whose bark and leaves yield a fetid odor, is sometimes found. Is sometimes also called Hop Tree and Shrubby Trefoil.
Holly .- Two species of holly occur along the Wabash.
Willows .- Six species of willow are found in this county, rang- ing from shrubs to small trees.
BUSHES AND SHRUBS.
Dogwoods (the Silky and the Panicled Cornels), Butter Bush. False Indigo, Wild Hydrangea, Burning Bush, Bladdernut, Com- mon Elder, three species of Sumach, Wolfberry, Coralberry, Wild Black Currant, two species of Gooseberry, Black Haw, White Rod, Shrubby St. Johnswort, Mistletoe, Spice Bush, Prickly Ash,
Digitized by Google
205
HISTORY OF WHITE COUNTY.
two species of Plum, and two species of Hazelnut, are all that come under this head in White County.
VINES.
Grape .- The Winter or Frost Grape is common, but the Sum- mer Grape, a delicious fruit, is very scarce, if indeed it can be found at all in this county. In early days it was common, but the vines have been destroyed by reckless grape gatherers. The Virginia Creeper, or American "Ivy," is abundant throughout the West.
Poison Ivy .- This occurs almost everywhere, sometimes as a small shrub, when it is called Poison Oak, and sometimes as a large vine reaching to the top of the tallest tree. It has three leaf- lets to each leaf, while the Virginia Creeper has five; and young Box-Elder is distinguished from Poison Ivy by whitish bloom cov- ering the leaf-stems and green twigs of the former.
Virgin's Bower occurs, but rarely.
A Clematis akin to Virgin's Bower, conspicuous for its feathery seeds, is common.
Moonseed is common everywhere. This has erroneonsly been called Sarsaparilla.
Climbing Bittersweet is a twining, woody vine, found occasion - ally. It bears orange-colored berries, in clusters which are con- spicuous in autumn, resembling wax-work, by which term they are indeed sometimes called, and have been used in ornamentation. This vine is also called simply Bittersweet, but the true medical Bittersweet is a plant of an entirely different order and appear- ance, not a vine, and not growing wild in this county.
Vetches .- This term may comprise several small herbaceous vines of the pea and bean family, occurring frequently in the woods, but of no great consequence.
Hop .- Occasional.
Wild Pea Vine, or Hog Peanut, is abundant.
Wild Balsam Apple, called also Wild Cucumber, and by many other local names, is a vigorous, herbaceous vine, bearing a bur- like fruit, like that of the Jimpson-weed, and flourishing about cul- tivated grounds.
Morning-glory .- The most common plant of this order, grow- ing spontaneously beyond the bounds of cultivation, is the Hedge Bindweed, or Rutland Beauty. Eight species of Dodder (" Love-
14
Digitized by Google
206
HISTORY OF WHITE COUNTY.
vine") may be found, all rare except one. It appears like orange- colored thread growing on the tops of weeds.
Bindweeds .- Black Bindweed, arrow-leaved Tear-thumb, and climbing false Buckwheat occur here and there. The first men- tioned is sometimes a pest in fields.
Wild Yam, Green Brier, Carrion Flower, etc., are common in the woods.
Besides the above, there are several species of plants which are sometimes called vines, but are not strictly such. They grow mostly prostrate on the ground, but neither climb nor twine; for examples, Goose-grass, Bracted Vervain, Yellow Honeysuckle, etc.
NATIVE HERBS.
The most common wild herbaceous plants, especially in earlier days, were wild Sunflowers, Coneflowers, Spanish Needle, Stick- seed, Tick-seed, Rosin-weed, Sneeze-weed, Yarrow, Asters, Flea- banes, Golden-rods, Thoroughworts, Iron-weeds, Fireweed, Thistles, Catch-fly, Wood-sorrel, Spring Beauty, Anemones, Violets, Milk- weeds, May-Apple, Loosestrife, Wild Parsley, Dogbane, Sweet Cice- ley, Bedstraw (Cleavers and Goose-grass), Gerardia, American Pennyroyal, Wild Mint, Water Hoarhound, Giant Hyssop, Red and Yellow Puccoon, Beggars Lice, Wild Phloxes (Sweet William). Ground Cherry, Richweed, Potentilla, Wild Touch-me-not, Three- seeded Mercury, Horse-tail, Cat-tail, Arrow-head Trilliums, Solo- mon's Seal, Spider-wort, and the Ferns. Ginseng, locally called "sang," was common in early day, but, on account of its market able value, it has been about all cradicated from our woods; and for the same reason, its supposed value, it has never been con - sidered a weed.
In addition to the foregoing, we may add the following, as occur. ring more rarely, but were still frequent and were either prominent or interesting in some feature: Adam and Eve, Adder's Tongue. Agrimony, Alum Root, Avens, Baneberry, Beard-tongue, Black Snake- root, Blood-root, Blue Flag, Bog Rush, Boneset, Buck Bean, Bull Rush, Bush Clover, Cardinal Flower, Club Rush, Cohosh, Colum- bine, Cress, Crowfoots, Cudweed, Culver's Physic, Dragoon-root, Dry Strawberry, Dutchman's Breeches, Enchanter's Nightshade, Evening Primrose, Feverwort, Fog.fruit, Fool's Parsley, Foxglove, Gentians, Goat's Rue, Golden Alexander, Greek Valerian, Ground- nut, Groundsel, Hawkweed, Hedge Nettle, Herb Robert, Hibiscus,
Digitized by Google
--
-
HISTORY OF WHITE COUNTY. 207
Horsemint, Honewort, Hound's Tongue, Indian Turnip, Ladies' Slipper, Lead Plant, Leaf-cup, Leek, Liverwort, Lousewort, Lu- pine, Marsh-mallow, Marsh-marigold, Meadow Rue, Monkey Flower, Mouse-ear, Mugwort, Nettle, Pepper-and-Salt, Pond-weed Pond Lily, Prairie Burdock, Rue Anemone, Selfheal, Seneca. Snake-root, Squill Star-grass, Trumpet-weed, Venus' Looking-glass, Virginia Snake-root, Wake Robin, Waterleaf, Water Parsnip, Water Plantain, Wild Ginger, Wild Indigo, Wild Larkspur, Wild Rye, Wild Pepper-grass, Wild Sarsaparilla, Wild Touch-me-not, Worm-seed, Yellow Pond Lily.
WEEDS.
These are introduced herbs, growing spontaneously in cultivated and waste grounds. These, of course, have not been purposely in- troduced from the East and from Europe, but their seeds have been unavoidably brought West in the shipment of goods and oth- erwise.
The most familiar weeds in this section of country are Smart- weed, Knot-weed, Pig-weed, Thorny Amaranth, Lamb's-Quarter, Dog-Fennel or Mayweed, Bull-Nettle, Jimpson, Poke, Indian Mallow, Pursley, Sparge, Shepherd's Purse, Pepper-grass, Chick- weed, Common Mallows, Gill, Bouncing Bet, Milkweed, several species, Silkweed, Figwort, Motherwort, Catnip, Hoarhound, Mullein, four Vervains, Burdock, Cocklebur, Black Nightshade, Dandelion, Toad Flax, Sow Thistle, Sneezeweed, Ironweed, Plan- tuin, Goosefoot, Richweed, Ragweed, Horse -- weed, Camphor-weed, etc. The Thorny Amaranth has been introduced since the com- mencement of the last war, apparently from the South.
Olover and grass, as they grow on the commons, are scarcely considered weeds, on account of their great utility to live-stock, while many field and garden plants, when cultivated for their products are considered useful, are weeds when they come spon- taneously in the way, obstructing the desired cultivation of other plants.
Plants " escaping from cultivation," as Spider-flower or Cleome, Bouncing Bet, Bittersweet, Parsnip, Stonecrop, Sunflower, Prince's Feather, Lungwort, Horse-Radish, Gill, Indian Heliotrope, Morn- ing-Glory, Buckwheat, etc., are weeds or not weeds, according to whether they come in our way or not.
The term " botany " includes all mushrooms, toadstools, mildew,
Digitized by Google
208
HISTORY OF WHITE COUNTY.
rust, etc., varying in size from that of a flour barrel to a micro- scopic point. Most fungi are microscopic, and many living germs are so minute and so low in the scale of organization that they are neither vegetable nor animal. The germs of decay are living "organisms," not known to be either vegetable or animal, and are mostly of the species called " Bacterium." Nearly all discolora- tions of leaves are due to the presence of minute fungi or kindred organisms, which are as symmetrical as wheels, and often beauti - ful. Pear-blight and apple-blight are now believed to be caused by bacteria or other germs of disease, and nearly all diseases of plants, as well as inany affections among men, are now supposed by the medical profession to be caused, or at least accompanied, by such germs, in countless millions.
The amateur botanist, at the present day, finds but little interest in rambling through the woods of Illinois, because by pasturage nearly all the native plants are killed out, and their place supplied by a few insignificant weeds and grasses. But the seeker after fungi, mildews, rusts, etc., finds a much richer field than he could have found fifty or seventy-five years ago.
" Malaria " signifies bad air; and the badness consists of disease germs, but it is not known whether these are vegetable or animal, or neither. These germs are very numerous in their genera and species, and most of them are always more or less present. Hence it is always better to counteract them by preserving a vig- orons state of the body than by seeking antidotal poisons.
ZOOLOGY.
This term refers to the whole animal kingdom, and as a science is divided into "zoology " proper, or the natural history of quad rupeds, ornithology (birds), ichthyology (fishes), herpetology (rep tiles), entomology (insects), etc.
Quadrupeds .- The most conspicuous wild animals of pioneer times in White County were deer, bears, wolves, panthers, wild cats, foxes, raccoons, opossums, skunks, otters, muskrats, minks, " easels, ground-hogs, squirrels and moles. No buffalo or beaver have been known in this county since its settlement by the whites. The largest buffalo lick in the county existed on the Skillet Fork. An old buffalo trail used to be traceable about five miles southwest of Carmi, running southeast and northwest, and remains of beaver dams on the Big Wabash. Deer were abundant. Dozens and
---
--- -
Digitized by Google
209
HISTORY OF WHITE COUNTY.
scores were often seen in single herds. Ninian W. Young, of Carmi, says he counted 102 deer at the lick near his place in one herd, or series of herds almost continuous. Often saw as many as fifty in his wheat-field, even as late as 1850-'5. They ate a great quantity of his standing grain. In one winter, in this county, Peter Miller killed a hundred deer, Rhodes killed sixty-four, Charles Williams sixty-eight, and many others in proportion. Only the hides and hams were saved, the former bringing fifty cents a pound in the market and the latter thirty-seven and a half cents a pair. Many farmers fed deer flesh to their hogs.
This beautiful and useful animal, like all the larger quadrupeds, has long since been killed out, never again to appear except in confinement, either in parks or in the cages of menageries. The bears were of the black or brown species. The old residents of this county have many an experience to relate in connection with these curious creatures. Some of these anecdotes as well as some concerning wolves, etc., are rehearsed in the respective town- ship histories toward the close of the volume. The wolves were all of the large kind, and called "timber " wolves. Panthers, familiarly called "painters," wild-cats, or catamounts, jaguars, etc., were never abundant, but the few that did rove in these woods were the foundation of many a frightful story. The red fox still lingers here, but the gray and black varieties have long since dis- appeared. "'Coon-hunting " is still followed to a small extent along the Great Wabash. Opossums, skunks, otters, muskrats and minks are still common. Ground-hogs (chipmunks) and ground-squirrels are said to be all gone. There are some flying squirrels yet. The gray squirrel (some individuals black) was very plentiful in early day; comparatively few now.
Wild hogs were common in early day, and many a time had a person in the woods to climb a tree to avoid the attack of such as were enraged by the chase. These savage animals probably had not so great a difficulty in crossing the rivers with their young as we generally imagine, for a domesticated sow was seen only last year to swim the Little Wabash with her young on her back !
Squirrel Raid .- In the fall of 1834 there was a great immigra- tion of squirrels from Kentucky, which crossed the Ohio River by swimming, and made their way northward through Gallatin and White counties, over-running the country and doing immense dam- age to the corn crop. They were killed in immense numbers by the citizens, especially as they crossed the rivers and were ex-
Digitized by Google
210
HISTORY OF WHITE COUNTY.
hausted by the labor of swimming. They were then easily over- taken and slain by a club.
In the neighborhood where Phillipstown is now situated, a number of citizens banded together to see how many they could kill in one day. Among these was John Fraser, the father of James A. Fraser, so well known in this county. The men divided into two parties, of ten on a side, for the sake of competition. They were to scalp the squirrels, and meet at a certain place the next day (probably Sept. 10), and count the scalps. The result was 4,000 or 5,000 on each side. The defeated party, that is, the party surpassed in unmber of scalps collected, paid for the whisky used on the occasion, according to a previous understanding. They had a merry time; but they soon afterward went far beyond these numbers. They made up two parties again, and divided their ter- ritory by Crooked Creek. They made their raid on the poor but mischievous squirrels, and the day before Christmas they met and counted scalps, which numbered about 30,000 on a side !
The squirrels were numerous for some years after this, but they gradually diminished, without renewal by general immigrations, until they reached their present scarcity. They seemed to have emigrated westward.
Wolf Hunt .- There have been no so-called "circular " wolf hunts in this county, such as described on page 261; but some time previous to the Black Hawk war, some of the citizens assem- bled on Fox Island at a house-raising, at the conclusion of which they organized a wolf hunt. They rubbed asafetida upon their boots, for the purpose of attracting the beasts, and sallied out into the forest. One of the party, Wasden Driggers by name, pres- ently discovered the wolves were after him, and climbed up into the top of a fallen tree, whence he shot and killed one of the ani- mals; but either his gun missed fire or his ammunition gave out, and he had to commence hallooing for help. It was a long time, perhaps several hours, before any one found him, but he finally escaped unhurt. It seems that no other wolves were killed on this excursion.
The smaller species of wolf, generally denominated the " prairie wolf," has scarcely ever, it at all, been seen in this county.
From 1850 to 1860 the wolves in this region diminished to almost nothing, since which time scarcely any have been seen. They were so numerous and savage in Mill Shoals Township when
Digitized by Google
211
HISTORY OF WHITE COUNTY.
J. H. Fraser moved there in 1856, that the dogs were generally afraid to go to the woods.
Birds .- The most prominent wild fowl of earlier day was the turkey, of which there were great numbers, in flocks except during the pairing season. Being useful for food, many were killed by the pioneers. They are very scarce at the present day.
Prairie chickens have ever been found in this region, but are much scarcer than formerly.
Quails have also been abundant in White County. From 1835 to 1840 they were present in unusual numbers, by immigration They even crowded into dwellings, flew against the windows, and were caught in vast quantities. Many were drowned in the river. Their greatest immigration was made one spring, when they, like the squirrels, seemed to be traveling northward.
Pigeon emigrations have also been known in this region. At one time in the early history of this section of the country, they passed overhead in such great numbers as perceptibly to darken the sky. The branches of the trees, when they alighted, were bent and broken by their weight; indeed, it appeared that a large portion of them were flying about all night, seeking in vain for " bed-room, "and oh, what a chattering !
Fish .- The rivers and lakes of White County furnish a respect- able quantity and variety of the finny tribe. Buffalo and mud ca are abundant, and the channel cat are occasionally caught. Black or green bass are common, weighing three to four pounds, some- times as much as six or seven pounds. Rock or striped bass are sometimes found in the rivers. Pickerel are common. White sal- inon occur in the Big Wabash, where Mr. Damron, the well- known hotel-keeper at Carmi, once caught a specimen weighing thirteen and one half pounds. In that river also native carp are found. The bream, or "tin-mouth," a ravenous speckeled flat fish, is sometimes caught, but it is not a fine "game" fish. It aver- ages about two pounds in weight, and furnishes good food for the table. Eels occur in respectable numbers. River sturgeon is sometimes found; and there are a few sun-fish. Dog fish, or "grin- nell," are common. Suckers and minnows are of course abun- dant. Gar are plentiful, especially at some seasons.
The hard-shelled or snapping turtle, the soft-shelled, the land and the map turtle are all common.
Fishing is generally good in the Big Wabash, but the dam at New Haven, near the month of the Little Wabash, prevents the
Digitized by Google
212
HISTORY OF WHITE COUNTY.
ascent of fish in the latter to a considerable extent. Besides these two principal streams, there are a number of lakes in the county containing, especially at certain seasons, considerable quantities of good game fish. The largest of these is Clear Lake, which is about twelve miles south and a little east of Carmi, a half mile wide and two miles long, and derives its name from the clear- ness of its waters, when not disturbed by rains. It appears to be fed by springs about its bed, which is in quicksand. The sur- roundings are picturesque. Then there is Drew's Pond, about. eight miles east of Carmi and a little south, smaller than Clear Lake. Also the Miller Pond, and a dozen or more smaller lakes, all of which afford good fishing.
Of snakes in this region, the most noted are the moccasin, the timber rattlesnake, black racer, which is plentiful, black and gar. ter snakes, spreading viper or adder, milk or house snake, copper- head, American ring-snake and the grass snake. These reptiles. however, are all diminishing in numbers, as the county becomes more densely populated.
Three or four species of lizard abound in this region, but like the toads, they are innocent and of no consequence.
Wild beex and honey were abundant during the "wild " days of White County's career. The old settlers all have experiences to relate in connection with bee-hunting and discovery of large Fields of honey. For ten or fifteen years past scarcely a bee tree has been found.
ARCHEOLOGY.
This term relates to the remains of art left us by aboriginal nations; as, mounds, skeletons, arrow-heads, skinning-hatchets, stone-axes, pottery, ornaments, etc., most of which, in this country. were made by the Indians and some possibly by other and more civil- ized nations which preceded them. On pages 17 to 30 of this work the Indian question is presented at length. Many ethnologists believe that the tribes of Indians which the whites are now driving out of this country, at some stage of their former nationa! existence, were fully adequate to the building of all the mounds and the manufacture of all the implements of the chase and of war- fare which we now find scattered all over the West. Indeed, it is not really certain that any different race of people ever existed in this country. However this may be, we find within the limits of White County many of these ancient remains of art, of which a
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.