USA > Illinois > Woodford County > History of Woodford County : Giving a brief account of its settlement, organization, physical characteristics and progress > Part 2
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HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY.
or opposed, tinkered and half-soled, and then "referred." Attempts were made to have the proposition submitted to a vote of the inhabitants of the territory to be or- ganized into the new county. But on the twenty-sev- enth day of February, 1841, the bill was finally ap- proved by the governor without such submission. It was entitled, an Act for the formation of the County of Woodford, and I suppose this name was selected by Uncle Tom Bullock to perpetuate the remembrance of his old county in Kentucky. The first section of the act describes the boundaries as follows : "Beginning at the southwest corner of Livingston county, thence on a straight line to the northwest corner of the southwest quarter of section twenty, township twenty-five north, range one east of the third principal meridian ; thence south to the northwest corner of the southwest quarter of section twenty-nine, township and range aforesaid ; thence west to the Tazewell county line; thence north one and a half miles ; thence west to the center of town- ship twenty-five north range two west, of the third principal meridian; thence north to the line be- tween townships twenty-six and twenty-seven ; thence west to the Illinois river; thence with said river to the northwest corner of Tazewell county; thence with the northern boundary of Tazewell and McLean counties to Livingston county ; thence south to the place of beginning. "
The second secton provides for the election of county officers, on the second Monday of April, 1841. The election was to be held at Versailles and the places for voting for Justices of the Peace in the county. The
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HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY.
third section provides that the poll-books shall be re- turned to Versailles, to Matthew Bracken, John W. Brown and Morgan Buckingham, three Justices of the Peace. Section four assigns Woodford County to the eighth judicial circuit, and directs the judge thereof to appoint a Circuit Clerk and hold courts therein as soon as organization is effected. Sections five, six and seven provide for the disposition of suits begun previous to organization ; the jurisdiction of officers already elected, and the proper disposition of the school fund. The eighth section locates the seat of justice at Versailles for two years, upon the condition that the inhabitants should provide a good and suitable building for courts and other public business ; and directs an election to be held at the end of the two years for a permanent lo- cation of the seat of justice. The place chosen must receive a majority of all the votes polled, and give se- curity for a donation of at least fifteen hundred dollars for erection of county buildings. Section nine fixes the share and the time of payment of the McLean county debt, by those who had been citizens of that county ; and the tenth and last section places Woodford in the same senatorial and representative district with McLean and Tazewell.
On the 17th of February, 1843, the legislature passed an act to add to Woodford County all that part of Tazewell lying north of the line dividing townships twenty-five and twenty-six, north; with the proviso that the annexation should be approved by a ma- jority of the legal voters of each county. A special election was held in both counties, but it seems the
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HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY.
measure was not adopted. This addition would have given us Washington, and possibly have given Wash- ington the county seat. On the 28th day of February, 1843, the line between Woodford and McLean counties was permanently established, as follows: " beginning at the southwest corner of Livingston county, running thence west three miles, thence south six miles, thence west three miles, thence south two and a half miles, thence west three miles, thence south one mile, thence west one and three-quarters miles, thence south one mile, thence west one-fourth of a mile to the corner of Wood- ford County." This constitutes the present boundary.
According to section nine of the original act forming Woodford County, those who had been citizens of Mc- Lean county were, after 1844, to pay twelve hundred dollars of the McLean county debt. On the 1st day of March, 1843, the legislature repealed this section, and thus relieved the citizens of this obligation.
It had been provided by the original act that after two years the seat of justice should be permanently located by an election to be held at the usual places of voting in the county ; but on the 28th day of February, 1843, this part was repealed by an act appointing James K. Scott, of DeWitt, Joseph L. Sharp, of Fulton, and John H. Harris, of Tazewell, a commission for the purpose of locating the county seat of Woodford County. These commissioners were to meet at Versailles on the first Monday in June, 1843. They were to be duly sworn and locate the seat of justice upon the faithful consid- eration of "geographical boundaries, convenience of inhabitants," present and prospective settlements, eli-
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HISTORY OF WOODFORDCOUNTY.
gibility of situations and such other rights as they might think proper. The act further provides that when the said commissioners shall have made the location of the seat of justice they shall make report thereof to the County Commissioners' court, who shall make due record thereof, and direct the application of the dona- tion required in the original act. On the sixth of March following a supplemental act was passed appointing Levi A. Hannaford, of Peoria, and John H. Bryant, of Bureau, additional commissioners to act in conjunction with those already appointed. This commission located the county seat at its present situation, and the neces- sary steps were soon taken by the County Commission- ers to erect public buildings, which are those in use at present.
As we have already said, the formation of Woodford County was chiefly due to the efforts of Thos. Bullock, Sr., and through his influence Versailles enjoyed the distinction of being the capital for two years. The " good and suitable building " required by the legisla- ture for the public business seems to have been promptly furnished, and I am informed that it still rears its venerable gables in the neighborhood, being used as a barn. In this building, in September, 1841, was held the first circuit court in Woodford County. Judge Samuel H. Treat was on the bench, and among the attorneys at this first session were Abraham Lincoln, the gallant Col. Ed. D. Baker, David Davis, Stephen T. Logan, Jno. J. Harding, Jno. T. Stewart and A. Gridley.
The first county officers were as follows: Jos. Meek, Josiah Moore and James Boys, County Commissioners,
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HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY.
and John J. Perry, Clerk of county commissioners' court and Recorder ; J. B. Holland, Judge of Probate ; S. S. Parke, Surveyor ; S. J. Cross, Circuit Clerk ; Wm. S. Magarity, Sheriff; William Hoshor, Coroner ; Jas. S. McCord, Treasurer ; Joshua Woosley, Assessor, and W. R. Rockwell, Collector. The political organization as effected above remained till 1850, when the present township organization was adopted, after much discus- sion, excitement and speech-making, and strenuous opposition. The county commissioners have been superseded by the board of supervisors, and other changes effected not necessary to be enumerated here. The county at present comprises seventeen townships.
CHAPTER III.
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DOMESTIC AND SOCIAL LIFE.
The progress which Woodford County has made in civilization can be traced no more plainly in any re- spect than in the conveniences, appointments and meth- ods of domestic life. From a domestic condition differ- ing but little from that of the Indian, a change has been made to the comfort, elegance and luxuriousness of the highest and most artificial civilization in a single gen- eration. The first settlers of the county dwelt in log cabins of rude and hasty construction. No lumber was to be had. Saw-mills had not been erected, and the pine lumber, now so common, was unheard of. Many of the cabins contained but a single room ; and a double one, of two rooms, was a luxury many a family could not afford. The matter of ventilation, of such serious consideration in modern architecture, gave them but little trouble, except, perhaps, that it was a little too easy of accomplishment. The logs of which the house was built were sometimes hewed, so as to present a smooth surface on both sides of the wall, but often they were notched and laid up hastily; the pressing needs of the settler's family not permitting the hewing to be done. The cracks, of irregular shape, between the logs were filled with clay, made into a sort of plaster. If the domicile was so pretentious as to display window-
D
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HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY.
lights they were made of oiled paper. The doors and floors were made of puncheons, or rough boards, split from trees and battened together with wooden nails or pegs. The roof was covered with clap-boards, or some- times thatched. The heating apparatus was the fire- place with its bright, hospitable face. The chimney was built of split sticks, piled up in a rectangle, pen fashion, and plastered inside and out with clay mud. Wooden pegs, driven into the wall, or clap-board shelves resting upon pegs, answered the purpose of wardrobe, cupboard and bureau. Tables, benches and bedsteads were of such rude construction as the skill and imple- ments (usually an ax and an augur, with a hunting knife or jack knife) of the pioneer could effect.
When we come to consider the culinary arrangements of these old-time households we are sensible of occupy- ing a comfortable vantage ground. We need not re- move from the parlor or sitting room to find the objects of our investigation. The same apartment often served for the parlor, dining room, library, kitchen, cellar, storehouse and bedroom. There were no cooking stoves in those days. The meals were prepared at the fire- place. Sometimes, for lack of vessels, the bread and potatoes were baked in the ashes, while the meat was roasted on a spit, or twig held over the fire by hand. The well-to-do settlers had ovens, pots, kettles, frying pans, &c. Corn bread was usually baked in hot ashes and coals, without vessel of any sort. For baking bis- cuits a round, shallow oven was used. It was of iron, and tolerably thick. The biscuits were placed in the oven which was set upon the coals in front of the fire-
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HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY.
place. A heavy lid was placed upon the vessel and a shovel-full of coals on top of that. The biscuits were then subjected to heat from both sides, and came out nice and light. I remember to have seen among the old residents an apparatus for baking thin cakes from bat- ter. These cakes were very toothsome, and were called waffles. Waffle-irons were made of two rectangular pieces of iron, about six by eight inches, which fitted together in such way as to form a mold, or matrix, which would make a cake about half an inch thick. Each half of the mold was attached to an iron rod three or four feet long. These rods were pivoted together near the molds, and the irons were opened and shut scissors- fashion. The batter being put in the waffle-iron was thrust into a hot place in the fire, and in a few seconds there was turned out a sweet and beautifully indented waffle. The modern pancake is a degenerate and sorry descendant of this cherished ancestor.
Fruits were stewed for immediate use, or made into pies. For winter they were jammed or preserved. Both processes were very expensive on the account of the scarcity of sugar ; and a small quantity of such delica- cies was stored carefully away to be produced only on extra occasions. The modern processes of canning fruit were unknown ; apples were not yet being produced, and the long winter's subsistence consisted chiefly of bread and meat. Many a lad was rejoiced at the advent of some distinguished visitor, because of the proba- bility afforded thereby of seeing, and possibly tasting, a little preserves. Vegetables, pumpkins and hominy were cooked in pots or kettles, set over the fire. After
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HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY.
a time an improvement was adopted in the shape of a long iron arm, fastened to an upright iron rod attached to the jamb in such way as to turn readily in any di- rection. This arm could thus be turned so as to bring a pot suspended from it over the fire or back against the jamb, out of the way. This was called a crane, and was considered a wonderful convenience. Cooking stoves did not come into general use until near 1850, the first having been introduced about ten years before.
Before apples were to be had the staple fruit was the golden and classic pumpkin. The pumpkins were pared and cut into pieces of convenient size for drying. They were then run upon strings and hung up along with red pepper pods, seed corn and jerked venison, articles at once useful and ornamental in the settler's homely cabin. Crab-apples were sometimes gathered and buried in the ground for winter use. Walnuts, hickory and hazel nuts were abundant, and the younger fry sub- sisted largely upon these. In the way of flesh the pio- neer's family was usually well supplied. In addition to the domestic animals and fowls, which were soon intro- duced, the country abounded in excellent game, as men- tioned elsewhere, and the Mackinaw, Walnut and Pan- ther creeks were full of choice fish. Milk and butter soon came to be plenty, but tea and coffee were costly and rare luxuries. Wild bees were plentiful, and many a hollow tree furnished the early settler with delicious honey.
Among the early settlers store-clothes were out of the question. The garments, as well as the fabrics of which they were made, were the products of home industry.
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HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY.
These fabrics were linen, jeans and linsey. The linen was prepared from the flax, raised and manufactured by the rude implements then at hand. The breaking, hatcheling, spinning and weaving of flax, with their poor facilities, was a slow and laborious work for our fathers and mothers, and a nice piece of home-made linen was an article of great value. Linsey was made of linen, or usually cotton, chain with fine woolen fill- ing. This constituted the chief winter wear of the
women. Jeans was made in much the same manner, except that the filling was heavier than for linsey. It was usually colored brown with walnut bark, or ren- dered more beautiful and expensive with the familiar blue dye. A well fitting suit of linsey or blue jeans was both handsome and durable, and there was a laud- able emulation among housewives to produce the best and prettiest fabrics of this sort. The wool for these fabrics was either dyed before carding or in the hank. The settler would shear his flock about the beginning of summer, and the wife and children would put in their spare time preparing the winter apparel during the season. Before the establishment of carding mills, which was about the year 1831, the whole process of preparing wool was carried on at home. The first thing to be done with the wool, after being thoroughly cleansed, was to card it. The cards consisted of two thin boards, about four inches wide and one foot long, thickly set on one side with fine, short bent wires ; at the side of each was attached a short handle. With a pair of these instruments an accomplished lady of the period could quickly and skillfully work a pile of snowy
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HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY.
wool into smooth, even rolls. These rolls were then spun into threads, which were reeled into hanks. the yarn was then twisted by means of the spinning wheel, and run upon "quills." The thread was then ready for the loom. After the materials were ready an expert weaver could produce five yards of jeans in a day. Some of the earliest settlers wore buckskin clothing, but this never prevailed to any extent in Woodford County.
The social customs among the early comers were of the most natural and unostentatious sort. Hospitality was a marked characteristic of the times. Gatherings were frequent, and visiting a feature of social life much more general than at present. Personal social equality was secured by the necessary equality in circumstances and belongings. Social distinctions, in our best civili- zations, do not depend upon ability and character so much as upon differences in personal surroundings. Houses, furniture, vehicles and dress are the props upon which the social grades of christendom are built. Among our fathers and mothers all were alike in these respects, and the personal equality, which gave so much zest and pleasure to social life, was a matter of course The de- sire to excel in dress and domestic appointments, which it is useless to deny is the sin and bane of modern soci- ety, was never awakened in the hearts of our pioneers. Circumstances made it impossible, and left room for the exercise of their kindly and social instincts, and, no doubt, gave them purer and sweeter springs of social enjoyment than are now accessible. Long and frequent visits among neighbors were prompted and hospitality
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HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY.
quickened not solely by charity, though this in large measure must be conceded to the early settlers. The common and stereotyped invitation to " come and spend the day," and the often acceptance thereof, were prompted somewhat by the same instinct which led the Athenians to spend their time in hearing and telling some new thing. Visits and social gatherings were the occasions of hearing and telling the news. A stranger was received and entertained over night, without charge, partly from the same motive which prompts a man to buy a newspaper or a story book. Nor is this curiosity a mean or useless thing. It impels to those investiga- tions of history and nature which are constantly enlarg- ing the bounds of our knowledge. Among the early settlers these things gave point, interest and dignity to fireside conversation ; but the news of to-day has large- ly deserted social channels, and become an article of commerce, leaving to neighborly and social intercourse the emptiness and nonsense so wearisome and disgust- ing to men of sense. The good old fireside talks of the early life are a thing of the past. The matter and mo- tive of them are found elsewhere, and, so far as this generation is concerned, conversation is almost a lost art. That it will be revived upon a different basis now being laid in universal education can scarcely be doubted.
In the way of gatherings there were house raisings, weddings, funerals, elections, spelling matches, religious meetings and parties. It was a duty no settler thought of shirking to help his neighbor to raise his house or barn. These were constructed of heavy materials, and
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HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY.
the appliances were very rude. It was heavy and dangerous work, and the raising of a large barn required the united energies of a whole community. The early elections were not by ballot, as now, but each voter signified his candidate or candidates to the office viva voce. This prevented the secresy and quiet now possi-
ble, and an election was a lively and interesting occa- sion. Weddings were not the solemn and stately things of the present; but occasions of the utmost fun and festivity. A funeral was a time of sadness Each mem- ber of a small community possessed a larger importance than the dweller in a large city, or dense population. The early settler looked upon the loss of a member much as a family does at the loss of a brother or sister. There were no beautiful and guarded cemeteries. The loved one was laid to rest on the lone hill-side in the forest, encased in a rude coffin, made of boards split from a tree. There were no burial cases-none of those innocent deceptions by which we persuade ourselves that we keep something of our lost ones to ourselves, and rescue the precious clay from corruption. It was a literal returning of dust to dust, and could not be other than sad. Spelling matches were a useful means of education, but were engaged in perhaps more from the enjoyment they afforded, and the sparking facilities en- joyed by the youngsters, than from any sense of their utility. Religious meetings were at first held in private houses, and were thus semi-domestic in character, and it is a matter of regret that along with the meeting there has been too much of a tendency to banish to the meet- ing house the worship and piety which should have
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HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY.
been partly retained at home. Parties were usually given over to the young people, and the boys and girls generally managed to have a good time ; a little uproar- ous sometimes with "hurly-burly," "spin the plate," or "weevilly wheat," but, nevertheless, enjoyable and in-
There has been considerable change in the nocent.
matter of amusements and pastimes. The immense amount of work to be done did not allow of so much leisure as may be enjoyed now, but yet there would be
many seasons which could be spared to fun and recrea-
ation. One of the chief sports, half fun and half busi- ness, was hunting. Every settler possessed a rifle, and often each boy must have one, and the cabin would be ornamented by several of these weapons upon their hooks.
houses, many a long, trusty rifle which did its share in Even now you may find, in the old farm
the early day, in supporting the family. There it hangs idly in its rack, and quickens the recollection of the old man in the scenes and enjoyments of the days that can return no more. It seems to have outlived its usefulness, but well deserves a place in the family archives for what it has done. Naturally enough, among a hunting people, shooting at a mark was a favorite pastime. The best
shot among the pioneers was one who was held in esteem ; and it was refreshing, not many years ago, to see an old man carefully wipe his spectacles and show the boys, in a very convincing way, how much better
now. In Walnut Grove there used to be immense num- they could shoot in the good old time than they can
bers of squirrels, and in the early summer the people, for miles around would collect at the old meeting house
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HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY.
spring, on an appointed day, and enjoy what was called a " burgout." A burgout (pronounced burgoo) was a feast, the chief feature of which was squirrel soup. Early on the appointed day the young men would be abroad with rifles, in search of young squirrels. By eight or nine o'clock these would begin to come in from all directions with their game. By this time, the old people and children had gathered together and the work of preparation was begun. Large kettles were suspended over the fire, and in these the dressed squir- rels were deliciously souped. By common consent the direction of affairs was surrendered to Uncle "Lijah" Dickinson, who knew exactly how to make the best soup. The young man who brought in the greatest number of squirrels was the hero of the day, and di- vided the honor, if not the authority with Uncle Lijah. The soup was supplemented by the good things pre- pared at home, and the feast was always one of bounty and hospitality. It was always held at the old meeting . house spring, near the southeast corner of the present college campus, and the memories connected therewith, in many a heart, are pure and sweet as the waters which bubbled up from its depths. Jumping and wrestling were much in fashion, and it was an enviable thing to be the champion in either of these respects. Among indoor sports checkers, fox and geese and hull-gull were very common. Books were scarce, and periodicals rare, while musical instruments were confined chiefly to the violin and accordeon. Croquet and base ball were un- known, but there were bull-pen, town-ball, cat, horse- shoe and marbles. These were excellent in their time,
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HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY.
but we fear must give place to these new fangled things which are not half so good, you know.
We close this chapter with the impression that change has been, and still is, making rapid inroads upon the manners and customs of our domestic and social life. It stamps itself upon our intercourse and amusements, upon our food and dress, upon our houses and conveni- ences. Whether those changes are for better or worse will be decided in different ways by different people ; but looking over the whole field the conclusion is forced upon us that there has been real progress in all depart- ments of human life. That in the two-fold aspect of indi- vidual and social improvement much has been done can hardly be doubted ; and the retrospect fills us with hope and high anticipation for our county and mankind.
CHAPTER IV.
AGRICULTURE AND FARM PRODUCTS.
The chief industry among the early settlers of Wood- ford County was farming. Many of them had been me- chanics and tradesmen before emigrating from their old homes, but they found little demand for their services, and soon turned their attention to opening up farms. Almost the whole country is tillable land, and the cul- tivation of the soil is still the most important interest and is likely to remain so. It will, therefore, be inter- esting to note the progress of this business during the last fifty years. About the year 1824 some farms were opened in the river bottom, near Spring Bay. About the same time some prairie was broken, on the place now occupied by Joseph Meek, by a man named Joseph Dil- lon. The first comers either settled in the timber or at the skirts thereof. They knew of the fertility of the prairie land, and the comparative ease with which it could be brought into cultivation, but thought settle- ments away from the timber would never be possible. They little dreamed that they would live to see these broad prairies one continuous stretch of farms and pleasant homes. They knew little of the treasures of the coal mines under their feet, and less of the wonder- ful possibilities suggested thereby. The many improved farms on our prairies have chiefly sprung up since the
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