USA > Illinois > White County > History of White County Illinois > Part 50
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Joseph Tuggle, born Sept. 11, 1834, in Jasper County, Ga., is a son of Benjamin and Mary (Holland) Tuggle, natives of Virginia. They both died in Smithland, Ky., in 1864, Mrs. Tuggle preceding her husband by only eleven days. Mr. Tuggle was reare on a farm in Georgia, remaining with his parents till he was nineteen, when, in 1854, he married Adaline IIarrison, a native of Georgia, and went to Shelby County, Tenn., and lived on a farm one year. He then went to Phillips County, Ark., and remained a year; then to Independence County and remained two years. At the break- ing out of the war he went to Memphis, Tenn., and ran a ferry-boat across the Mississippi River six months. In March, 1863, he came to White County, Ill., and settled on the banks of the Wabash River, now known as the McCallister farm. He lived there three years, and then moved down the river about a mile and staid two years. In 1869 he settled on his farm on section 33, where he still resides. He owns eighty acres on sections 32 and 33, 120 acres on section 28, in a good state of cultivation, and 250 acres on the bottom lands of this township. His wife died Feb. 9, 1869. They were the parents of nine children, three living-Eveline, wife of John Epley; Isabella and Lawson. Jam es, Georgie Ann Benjamin
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Mahalie and two not named are deceased. Mr. Tuggle was married Sept. 29, 1869, to Mrs. Ellen Gaston, daughter of William Ste- phens. They have three children-Charles, James and Clara. One died not named. Mrs. Tuggle died Jan. 3. 1882. Mr. Tuggle has always been a Democrat. He has served as Road Commissioner one term.
Joseph Ward, son of Willis C. and Elizabeth (Myers) Ward. was born in Emma Township, White Co., Ill., March 18, 1856. He resided with his parents till his marriage. Ile was married Feb. 21, 1878, to Sarah J. Williams, daughter of Wyatt and Rosanna Williams, old settlers of Hawthorne. They have two children-Grace May, born March 3, 1879, and Harry R., born Aug. 23, 1880. They lost one daughter, Rosa, when she was twenty months old. Mr. Ward has 340 acres of fine land, 280 of it under a good state of cultivation.
William Willis Chauncey Ward, deceased, was born Feb. 10, 1824, in Pennsylvania. His parents were William Manley Ward, and Electa (Ames) Ward, both natives of Pennsylvania. His father's occupation was that of a carpenter. In 1834 the family removed to White County, settling in what is now Emma Township, where they remained continuously, with the exception of one year passed in Kentucky. Our subject passed his youth on his father's farm, attending school in the winter time. At the age of eighteen he left school, and worked steadily on the farm until he was twenty-one. July 28, 1845, he was married to Elizabeth Myers, a daughter of John and Jane (Austin) Myers, both of whom died while Miss Myers was quite young. After their death she lived with her grandfather, Elisha Austin, a farmer of Emma Township. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Ward commenced farming in the northwestern part of the township, where they resided until Mr. Ward's death, which occurred July 19, 1882. Mr. Ward was an earnest Republican in politics. Religiously, he and his wife were faithful and consistent members of the Missionary Baptist church. They had nine children, of whom six are now living- Mary, now Mrs. Greer, living in Emma Township; Electa Ann, now Mrs. Walter Parks, living about four miles south of Carmi; Joseph Warren, farmer in Emma Township; Thomas, farmer in Emma Township ; Benjamin and Jane, now living with Mrs. Ward in Carmi, whither she removed Aug. 1, 1882. Mr. Ward was highly thought of by all who knew him, and was a man of integ- rity and ability. In his death the community suffered a great loss.
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ENFIELD TOWNSHIP.
This township is bounded on the north by Mill Shoale, on the east by Carmi, on the south by Indian Creek, and on the west by Hamilton County. It is a full Congressional township, and is officially known as township 5 south, and range 4 west of the third principal meridian. The surface is undulating, but not hilly. It is principally timbered land and in an agricultural point ranks among the finest in the county. It contains a class of agriculturists who have made the best improvements throughout the township. There is a large creek, called Seven-Mile Creek, in the eastern part of the township, running in a northeasterly direction, and empty- ing its waters into the Skillet Fork. In an early day this stream was called Big Creek by the pioneers. It was changed to Seven-Mile Creek by old settlers living some distance from it, from the fact that it ran across a tract of land known as the Seven-Mile Prairie, which is seven miles long, and about two and a half miles wide.
The Shawneetown branch of the Ohio & Mississippi Railroad intersects the Louisville & Nashville Road at this point, a full account of which is given in Chapter X., entitled "Progress."
The first pioneers who came to this township were Thomas Rut- ledge and the Miller family. The first named came from Kentucky and settled on section 21, in 1813. William and James Rutledge came soon after and settled on section 27. The Miller family came from Henderson County, Ky., in 1813. Samuel D. Miller settled on section 22, near his brother James. He was among Indians, but worked very hard, having learned the brick and stone mason's and plasterer's trade. He married Margaret A. Thompson, of Kentucky; his children were Samuel B., Roxana N., Joseph M. and George F .; Mary A. died at the age of eighteen years. Robert Miller first located in Indian Creek Township, but soon after came to this township and settled on section 21. John Miller settled on section 21 in 1823, but came to the county in 1813. James Miller helped to raise the first mill in Carmi. He used often to lie behind logs in the edge of the woods at night to watch for the Indians, as they
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were very troublesome. Wm. J. Veatch was also an early comer. He was born in Henderson County, Ky., in 1813, and came to this county with his family in 1815. His father died in Oregon in 1580, aged 93 years. Oct. 26, 1837, William J. married Galitha Wallace, and they had thirteen children; ten were raised to adult life. One son, Jesse H., was lost at the burning of the U. S. steamer General Lyons, on his way home from the war, where he had served over three years.
The early settlement made at Seven-Mile Prairie was of emi- grants from Tennessee, a very moral and intellectual community of people, comprising the Gowdys, Orrs, Millers, Fields, Johnsons, Trousdales and Andersons. These old fathers laid the foundation, and to-day are found the good fruits of their labor-an upright com- munity of citizens, unsurpassed in religion, morals and intelligence, anywhere in Southern Illinois. John C. Gowdy, a former Repre- sentative of White County in the State Legislature, was a man of fine attainments, and one of the best reasoners that ever repre- sented the county.
The privations of the pioneer families in this township were in some respects very great, cut off as they were from all social, religious, educational and commercial advantages. Of course they enjoyed these in a limited degree. The first settlers were those who greatly valued such privileges, and though they were for many years without school-houses and churches, managed to find some facilities for enjoying themselves both socially and relig. iously. The greatest privation arose from the want of the means of communication with the outside world. The absence of rail- roads, or even good wagon-roads, rendered the locality almost inaccessible to postal and commercial facilities, and traveling for other than business purposes was out of the question.
The first settlers were all farmers, after a fashion now unknown. They raised corn and a few vegetables, and, like their red neigh- bors, depended largely upon their rifle for subsistence. They used the hominy block for grinding corn, which consisted of a hole dug out in one end of a block of wood in which the corn was pounded with a maul or iron wedge; some used a sweep, similar to a well-sweep, to assist in raising the maul. The citizens raised their own flax; carded, spun, and wove it into cloth, which consti- tuted their Sunday clothes as well as their every day clothes. In preparing for camp-meetings, which were very common in those
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days, they all strove to have their linsey clothes finished for the occasion.
Their houses were but little superior to those of the Indians, being merely little cabins, erected only with the help of the ax and perhaps an auger. No locks, nails or any other articles of iron entered into their construction, but such devices as could be wrought out on the ground by the use of the tools named, and of such material as the locality afforded. The only boards used for any purpose were such as could be hewed out of logs. Many interesting events occurred, some that were very sad, and others the extreme opposite. A man named Morgan was shot and scalped by an Indian in the spring of 1815, while he was grubbing near where the junction of the railroads now is, at Enfield. The Indian was going northward. He was pursued some distance, but not overtaken. Morgan was buried in the grave-yard at Enfield, on the hill, by a persimmon tree.
Mrs. Gowdy wakened one morning and found her father's house full of women and children that had been brought there by the men who had become terribly frightened at something, they knew not what. It was soon ascertained, however, that the cause of the scare was occasioned by a neighbor pounding on a log to frighten wolves away from a newly-born calf.
The first school in the township was probably taught by Thomas Rutledge, on section 21, in 1818; it was a subscription school. Matthew Parks and Mr. Bostwich taught in 1819, and Enos T. Allen, who was also an early surveyor here, taught in 1820. Peter Miller commenced teaching in 1827 and taught several terms. Martin Johnson, Mr. Guinn, Renben McCasor, John J. Miller, Rev. James Alexander also taught in an early day. Thomas Rutledge was a Justice of the Peace for about eight years; after- ward went to McLean County, Ill., where he died several years ago. Mr. Bostwich left soon after he finished his teaching, and has never been heard from; Enos E. Allen taught many years in this county; afterward moved to Hamilton County, where he died about 1850. Peter Miller came. in 1813, from Georgia; taught two terms, then engaged in farming until his death in 1843.
An Interesting Relic .- Captain Thomas Sheridan, proprietor of the Sheridan House, Enfield, was one of the finest school-teachers in early day; and he still has in his possession a book in which he kept a careful record of the pupils' attendance, an abstract of a grammar, arithmetic, system of bookkeeping, etc .. diary, accounts
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specimens of penmanship, etc. The school schedule commences with the year 1831, and continues a number of years. From the department of memoranda we obtain a number of items for this history of White County, especially the prices of the most common commodities of that early day.
CHURCHES.
Bethel M. E. Church, situated on the west one-fourth of section 12, was organized in 1852 in the house of Robert Hawthorn, Sr., by Rev. John Prince, with the following named members: James Sweaton and wife, John Proctor, Robert Hawthorn, Sr., and wife, Robert Hawthorn, Jr., and wite, Christopher Sallee, John Moody and wife, Mrs. Jane Sallee, Alexander Cane, and Mary E. Haw- thorn. The first pastor was John Gilham, and he now lives at Mount Vernon, Ill. Meetings were held in private houses for two years during the winter, and in the summer they worshiped in an open shed built for that purpose on the farm of John Hawthorn. They built a hewed log house in 1854, 36 x 26 feet, and in 1881 it was replaced by the present frame edifice. It is 40 x 24 feet and cost $800. Rev. John Prince was a local preacher, and was a res- ident of Hamilton County, Ill., where he died in the pulpit while attempting to exhort in the village of Logansport.
The society now has sixty communicants. Services every three weeks by Rev. R. Oliver, of Carmi; prayer-meeting every Tuesday and Sabbath evenings; Sabbath-school every Sunday morning; Robert Hawthorn has been Class-Leader for twenty-five years; Na- than Caley is Superintendent of Sabbath-school. The following are the pastors who have served: Revs. John Gilham, J. W. Johnson, James Johnson, John Sheppard, Morrison, Williamson, John Deeper, Albert Ransom, Benjamin Pearce, Walker, C. S. Lingen- felter, R. M. Carter, Wilson, Baldridge, Flesher, M. Scothern, William Murir, James W. Morris, R. Oliver.
Wesley Chapel was organized on section 28, in a frame honse, in 1866. There are now seventy-five members. Services are held every alternate Sabbath; Sabbath-school every Sunday; prayer- meeting and class-meeting each alternate Sabbath. The present pastor is Rev. Silas Greene.
MILLS.
The first horse mil! was built in 1814 by James Rutledge on section 22, which consisted of a shed built on posts in the ground,
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under which was the mill for grinding or cracking corn. In 1827 it was moved to section 1, and owned by Sidney Smith.
A horse mill was built on section 8 by John Upton as early as 1826. One was also built on section 16, in 1843, by Mark A. Mil- ler, to which he added some modern improvements, such as French burrs, and a hand bolt; and later he attached a belt from the wheel to the bolt, so that the team both pounded and bolted the flour at the same time. He ran it almost constantly, day and night, until 1858, when he rented it ont and moved to Enfield.
The first steam flouring mill in the township was built by the Orr brothers in 1865, an account of which is given in the history of the village of Enfield.
TANNERIES.
The early settlers tanned their own leather and made shoes for their own families. They put their hides in a small hod of water in the creek, which they removed in from seven to nine days, then lay the hides on a bench and scraped the hair off. They then put it into a trough of ooze made of oak bark, where it was kept till tanned, or partly so; then made into shoes by sewing; no pegs were used then.
The first tannery was built on section 7, by James Nelson, about 1830. The vats were holes dug in the ground, 4 x 6 feet, and walled with oak puncheons. The bark was ground on a wooden crusher, similar to the old wooden cane-mill. This tannery was carried on about fifteen years.
A tannery was built in Enfield in 1860 by John Dennison, which was an improvement on the former, having a cast-iron bark crusher, and other modern improvements. Mr. Dennison sold to William Henn in about 1863, and it afterward came into the hands of Wilson Story. It was discontinued in 1866.
FACTORIES.
Charles Parkhurst built cotton gins on section 25, about the year 1827, and ran it three or four years. He afterward operated & carding machine for three years; then his son John built a carding machine in 1840, where West Union now stands, and ran it until 1865.
Samuel Abbott built a wool-carding machine on section 1, as early as 1824, which he ran for several years; it was propelled by
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horse-tread power. In 1855 the machine burned down. Mr. Ab- bott was born in Vermont in 1790, and died Oct. 8, 1867.
SCHOOLS.
The progress made by schools in this township is shown by the following, which is taken from the county superintendent's report:
1860 .- Six schools taught by eight male teachers and two female; 372 pupils, fifteen of whom were under six years of age; sixty-two to seventy-five scholars to each school; 291 scholars were males, and 171 females; 744 persons in the township were under twenty- one; six districts and six school-houses; of the latter, four were log and two frame; length of school, six months; there was one private school in the township; teachers' wages, $25 to $35 a month; amount paid teachers, $1,140; township fund, $1,241.38; State fund, $667.54; raised by tax, $755.80; paid township officers, $25; total amount received, $1,550; expended, $1,430.
1882 .- Number of males under twenty-one, 489; females, 539; total, 1.028. Of these, 706 are over six years of age ; there were 9 ungraded schools and 1 graded; total number of months of school, 59 ; average number of months, 5 9-10; pupils enrolled, 548; num- ber of male teachers, 8 ; female teachers, 5; total days' attend- ance of pupils, 40,701. There are 9 framne school-houses and 1 log ; number of private schools, 2; number of pupils in private schools, 243; number of teachers, 8. Highest monthly wages paid male teachers, $42.50; female, $30; lowest monthly wages paid any male teacher, $22 ; female, $20 ; amount earned by male teachers during the year, $1,800 ; female teachers, $450 ; amount of district tax levied for the support of schools, $1,083; estimated value of school property, $3,240; value of school apparatus, $40; amount of bonded school debt, $4,200; number of those between twelve and twenty-one, unable to read and write, 15; income of township tund received during the year, $108.58; received from county su- perintendent, $894.48; compensation of treasurers, $71.96; dis- tributed to districts reported in this county, $931.1 ; total amount received during the year by township treasurer, $7,888.46 ; total expenditures for the year ending June 30, 1882, $4, 765.42.
TOWNSHIP OFFICERS SINCE 1872.
Supervisors .- Jonah Morlan, 1873; S. J. Foster, 1875; Mark A. Miller, 1876-'7-'80-'1-'2
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Clerks .- J. D. Pearce, 1873; A. M. Miller, 1574 ; John N. Wil- son, 1875; John W. Caley, 1876-'7; C. A. Oldham, 187S-'9-'80; A. E. Welch, 1881; John N. Wilson, 1882.
A88688078 .- Allen P. Veatch, 1873; G. H. Brockett, 1874; A. H. Trousdale, 1875; Jolin C. Wilson, 1876 ; A. M. Miller, 1877; Na- than Caley, 1878 ; Alex. F. Trousdale, 1879; A. H. Trousdale, 1880; Henry P. Sneed, 1881; George Long. 1882.
Collectors .- Frederick Kirk, 1873; W. A. Jordan, 1874; J. D). Pearce, 1875; John N. Wilson, 1876 : William H. Baird, 1877; D. M. Orr, 1878-'9; John N. Wilson, 1880; William Long, 1881-'2.
Commissioners of Highways .- George C. Gentry, 1873; P. M. Orr, 1874; Jonah Morlan, 1875; George C. Gentry, 1876; John N. Anderson, 1877; G. W. Lough, 1878; Byrd L. Fulford, 1879; John N. Anderson, 1880; George W. Lough and John S. Walker. 1881: Thomas Long, 1882.
Justices of the Peace .- James II. Gowdy and Nathan Caley. 1873, 1877, 1881.
Constables .- M. T. Jordan and A. G. Foster, 1873; A. G. Foster and William R. Miller, 1877, 1881; William Kirk, 1881.
ENFIELD.
Although but very few years have passed since the town of En- field was founded, it is difficult to realize the changes that have taken place in its appearance and surroundings since then, or that so much has been accomplished in so brief a period. Where now stand stately public buildings, school-houses and churches, spacious stores and business houses, busy mills and work-shops. elegant resi- dences, surrounded with evidences of refinement and culture, taste- ful cottages, the homes of a thrifty and contented people, miles of sidewalks, filled with all the busy life of an energetic and prosper- ous town, but a generation ago was an unpeopled waste. the beauty of its site unknown, save to an occasional hunter or the Indian mound. Many are still living in the town in the enjoyment of a hale old age, who aided in the foundation of the new town. and erected some of its first rude buildings. They have lived to see the log cabins replaced by large and substantial buildings, have seen the little town spread out until its well-built streets extend in all directions, and the little village has become an important busi- ness inart.
Enfield was laid out in the fall of 1853 by Dr. Martin Johnson. The County Surveyor was John Storms. The first houses were
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built by Nance and Wallace; each built a house the same day. They were log cabins, and the one Wallace built now stands near the M. E. church, is weather-boarded and occupied by Robert Johnson. The first frame house was built by the Orr Brothers, in 1854, in which they kept the first store. "Uncle Robert Orr" hauled their first stock of goods from Shawneetown in a two-horse wagon. The first blacksmith shop was built by Nance & Wallace, in 1854. 'T'he first saddle and harness shop was built by Wm. M. Gowdy, in 1855. The first mill, built in 1859 by J. H. Jameson, was a small grist and saw-mill, and run by steam-power; it changed hands a few times, and was burned in 1871. The same year it was rebuilt as a saw-mill by Stewart Benham, who also built grist-mill on the opposite side of the L. & N. R. R., near the depot; the grist-mill was removed to Burnt Prairie in 1881. In 1878 Harry Wood had a flouring mill added. John Orr built a carding-mill in 1860. It was soon afterward converted into a shingle-mill by Thomas Orr and Whitfield Gowdy.
March 9, 1815, one Mr. Morgan was killed by the Indians, on the spot where a small scrub-oak now stands, about twenty rods east of the Sheridan House. The Indians were pursued by Thomas Fields and others; the former discovered the place on the mur- dered man's head that had been scalped; it was lower down and farther back than was their custom of scalping.
Organization. - Enfield was incorporated as a town in 1868. F. H. Willis was the first President, and James H. Gowdy was the first Clerk. Since then the following officers have served: Presi- dents-A. L. Johnson. M. A. Miller (three terms), Jonah Morlan, W. H. Johnson, T. Rice, J. E. Willis (two terms), William May, J. H. Miller, and J. P. Campbell (two terms). Clerks-W. H. Johnson (two terms), J. E. Willis, Martin W. Field, E. N. Mil- ler, James II. Gowdy (two terms), C. A. Oldham (two terms), J. B. Odell, W. H. Hollinger, T. C. Ross, and J. T. Vaught. A town council was elected in 1869.
There is now a population of 800. There are three general stores, four grocery stores, one restaurant, four blacksmith shops, two of which have wagon shops connected, one shoe shop, a saddle and harness shop, three millinery stores, one barber shop, two steam flouring mills, five physicians, and one hotel, the Sheridan House.
Mills .- The City Mills were erected in 1865, by P. A. Orr & Co. They ran three sets of burrs, forty-two inches in diameter, and a
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capacity of thirty barrels. They make patent flour, and do custom and merchant work.
Harry Woodruff's Mill was first built as a saw-mill. It was bought by Mr. Wood in 1872, who built a flouring mill in addition. There are three sets of burrs and the latest style of machinery. The capacity is forty barrels a day, and do custom work entirely. Mr. Wood has a new boiler engine, forty horse-power.
EDUCATIONAL.
Southern Illinois College .- In March, 1873, at the meeting of the Ewing Presbytery of the Cumberland Presbyterian church, a committee was appointed to inquire into the propriety of building up a high school at some point in the Presbytery, with power to select location and appoint a Board of Trustees for said school. This committee met at Enfield, and appointed R. M. Davis, Chairman, and J. M. Miller, Secretary. A public meeting of the citizens of Enfield and vicinity was called, which decided that Enfield should be the site for the school. The citizens pledged themselves to help build up and support it, and the house was built and named " En- field High School." The building was sold in 1878 under a me- chanic's lien.
In 1879 the second Synod of the Cumberland Presbyterian church took hold of the work and appointed a committee to re- purchase the property, finish the building, have it chartered as a synodical school, and get the school started. The property was purchased for $1,500, and a Board of Trustees was appointed by the committee to carry out the plans. The school was named South- ern Illinois Academy. R. W. Purdue was appointed an agent to raise the necessary funds for the purchase and for furnishing the building. This sum, $2,500, was raised in a very short time. The Board of Trustees consisted of one member from each Presbytery and three resident members, namely: Rev. William Davis, of Ew- ing; Rev. J. M. Wyckoff, of Illinois; James Morrison, of Albion; S. S. Chance, of McLin; J. H. Gowdy, of William, Mary and J. E. Wil- lis, of Enfield. This board met Ang. 4. 1880, and employed Prof. M. A. Montgomery, a graduate of Lincoln University, Ill., as Prin- cipal. The building was completed, the debts liquidated as fast as they became due, and the school opened in September, 1880.
Prof. Montgomery is still in charge of the school, which is steadily growing in numbers and interest. By authority of th Synod, the Board of Trustees decided to re-charter the institution
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