USA > Illinois > Adams County > Quincy > History of the city of Quincy, Illinois > Part 14
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were for a time much more numerous than any other religions or ecclesiastical society, in the place.
There were many varieties of religious organ- izations here. but as yet, very few church strie- tures. Until this year the old Congregational "God's barn," on Fourth, was the only finished church. During this year. however, the Baptist church on Fourth also, north of Hampshire, and the old Methodist church, on Vermont south of the courthouse, was nearly finished. Also the Episcopalians finished and occupied their first church. a little long frame building on Sixth, north of Hampshire, which they ocen- pied for many years.
Relative to this, as showing how much it then cost both to build a church and to attend church, we learn that Bishop Chase, then the Bishop of Illinois, writes that he found in Quiney a neat, small Episcopal church. erected at a cost of $400, and that all the pews were taken at a total rental of $200. The good Bishop in the same letter says that he passed through the flourishing town of Columbus, where there was being built a railroad to each river, east and west. and being in the centre of Adams county. this place would, from these causes, become the county seat, an opinion which leaves to us the conclusion that he was much more to be relied upon as a prelate than a prophet. In November the first German Protestant church was dedicated. This is the brick building still standing on Seventh street, between York and Kentucky, which is at the present time the old- est church edifice in Quincy that is still used for religious purposes.
The election of Thomas Carlin in 1838 to the governorship of the state caused several changes among the political officials of Quiney and this section. Carlin, who had been receiver in the public land office, was succeeded on the 8th of January, 1839, by Sammel Leech, who had been Register, and on the same date, Wm. G. Flood, then member of the legislature, was made Register. These were then here and everywhere in the west very important offices. and it is a fact that through all the changes of political interest in the country, these land of- fires have been well filled, and especially were they so filled in this land district. The register had to record all applications for public lands. and the receiver to take and receipt for the money deposited to secure the applicant the patent and the future ownership of the land which he desired.
It can be easily seen that with incompetent officials in charge of such trusts, how much of vexations trouble might ensue, and with dis- honest and scheming men in control of these
PAST AND PRESENT OF ADAMS COUNTY.
offices and acting together, how plumply they could pad their own pockets and defrand the applicants for land. by knowing as they must and did know from having the surveys in their own possession, the character and estimate value of unentered lands.
It was fortunate that the holders of these of- fiees in the bounty land district were men equally of capacity and integrity, and it is well known also that after this land district, which, for fifteen years from its establishment was the most important one in the state, was abolished, because most of the public land within its lim- its had been sold or given to the state as "swamp lands." the transferred records showed a dearer fare and less has come up against them for re-examination than any other of the old land distriets of the state. There was a notable line of trustworthy men who oc- enpied these offices and faithfully tilled their trusts -- Carlin. Alexander, Leech, Flood, Sulli- van. Asbury. Rogers, Holmes, Marsh and Hanser were successively in charge until about 1859 or 1860. when the offices were transferred to Springfield.
The vacancy in the legislature, caused by Flood's appointment as register, was filled at a special election in November by Richard W. Starr, whig, who was chosen over Jacob Smith. democrat. by a majority of 100 in the county. There were 646 votes cast in the town at this election, while at the regular election in Angust preceding, there were 671, from which some es- timate may be made of the probable population.
The political figures show that the whig ticket was successful in the town at this Angust election. Ebenezer Moore-who the next and the then following year was chosen as the first mayor of Quiney. a very excellent business man and a lawyer of moderate ability : Henry As- bury, now (1886) living and known to every one in Quincy: JJ. R. Randolph, an old-time lawyer of the town who might have been one of the first had he not been too lazy and who is now a judge in Rhode Island. and Charles Me- Kee (all whigs) were elected as magistrates. This was the first real political issue that had been brought forward to test the relative strength of parties in the town, and it fore- shadowed a decided predominance of power resting with the whigs, which they seenred the next year at the first city election and for sov- eral years after. whenever they properly ex- erted themselves.
The entire vote of the county, including that of the town, was 1.742. a falling off of 300 from the vote given at the regular election the year before. and this year's vote was most enriously ou! up and distributed. For instance. Wm.
Richards, democrat, was elected county com- missioner by 398 majority. over J. Il. Driskell, whig; while Andrew Miller, whig, beat JJ. D. Morgan, democrat, for county judge, 436 votes, and again . II. Holton and Enoch Conyers, democratie candidates respectively, for record- er and treasurer, were elected, the first by 130 and the second by 269 majority over their whig opponents and again 1. Williams, the whig candidate for county surveyor, ran in by a ma- jority of 55. over a much more skilled man on the opposite ticket.
This was an evidence not infrequent in those days, but more rare in latter times, of indiffer- ence to partisan lines, and of how much more personal merit or popularity than party domi- mation controlled local elections.
J. H. Ralston, having resigned the office of eirenit judge in August, the governor appointed Peter Lott as his successor. which appointment was ratified by the legislature in December. Lott made a most satisfactory judge during the short time that he was on the bench. While somewhat too indolent and pleasure loving to be a deeply learned lawyer, he had singularly strong common sense, a very ready and candid intellect and much dignity and courtesy of man- ner. lle was legislated out of office in Feb- mary. 1841, by the law which made five addi- tional supreme judges. and imposed upon these nine judges cirenit duty. and repealed out of office the then circuit judges. Judge Lott's place on the bench of this circuit was taken by Stephen A. Douglas.
The immigration to Quiney was relatively not as large as during the few preceding years, so far as it numbers the names of men who in the past have been prominent and are now remem- bored. Among these were D. W. Miller, E. K. Stone. Robert MeComb. C. A. Savage, N. Pink- ham. A. Wheat. P. A. Goodwin. 11. S. Cooley, all familiar names to Quincy history.
CHAPTER XVIL.
1837.
POLITICAL. THE TWO WELLS AND THE MARKET HOUSE. PURCHASE OF MADISON PARK. ES- TAABLISHMENT OF STREET GRADES. FIXING THE "DATUM." PUBLIC LIBRARY STARTED. ROLL CALL OF NEWCOMERS. FIRE DEPART- MENT. GRADING HAMPSHIRE STREET. COUN- TY LAND REGISTER. QUINCY WHIG, QUINCY "GRAYS." RAILROAD WORK. QUINCY FINANCES. FIRST BOOK STORE. PRIVATE SCHOOLS.
Few changes occurred during the year 1837 affecting the political representation of Quincy. The national. state and local officials mostly ro-
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mained in their places. The exceptions being that Judge Richard M. Young, who had ac- ceptably filled the position of circuit judge for many years, having been elected to the U. S. Senate, was succeeded by J. H. Ralston. Judge Young was the first Quiney man promoted to a place in the national councils. He was a con- spienous figure in our early local and state annals, having occupied more various important publie trusts than any other Ilinoisian. Like his two predecessors, Sawyer and Lockwood. he was a lawyer of ability and learning, which his successor lacked. He was a Kentuckian by birth, early known in public life-having been the first practicing lawyer in the state, a mem- ber of the legislature in 1820, serving through several judicial terms, and always securing pop- ular respect and confidence. Ilis mental qual- ities were solid, not brilliant, but his judgment was especially regarded and his personal in- tegrity never questioned. Removing to Wash- ington he became clerk of the house of repre- sentatives and also commissioner of the general land office. His later years were sadly clouded and finally closed in insanity. His election in- duced some other official changes. Ralston's vacaney in the legislature was filled by the elec- tion of Archibald Williams, and C. M. Woods was appointed circuit clerk in the place of II. H. Snow, who had occupied that office from the foundation of the county in 1825. Snow also in February was supplanted as probate judge. which he had been for the same length of time by Wm. G. Flood, and at a later period Earl Pierce, having personally and financially disappeared in the supposed direction of Texas. was succeeded as sheriff by Wm. 11. Tandy, elected in November, for the unexpired term.
The town proceedings grow in interest and importance. On the 20th of February the trus- tees adopted an elaborate revision of the town ordinances. rearranging the same and correct- ing former errors. Oddly enough, they par- tially repeated a previous blunder by omitting in the first section (on limits) to give any boundary line on the west This, however, was not so bad as the blunder in the ordinances of 1824, where the boundaries were altogether omitted. It would almost appear that our old town Solons were either infected with the prey- alent pioneer prejudice against inclosures, or that they feared to confine the bursting aspira- tions of the budding young community. This error was corrected in a subsequent revision made in the following September, when a much broader and better revision of the ordinances was made, especially regarding taxation and revenue. Street improvements now began to be considered. Commercial alley was opened, this
being the first corporation movement, affecting permanently the original surveys. The small- pox being quite prevalent, a pest house was es- tablished and the necessary sanitary regula- tions ordered.
The tax assessment for this year was $1,- 219.75. of which $475.11 was reported as col- lected by the middle of June. At the annual election in June, John Wood, W. P. Reeder. Joel Rice, J. T. Holmes and I. O. Woodruff were chosen as trustees. Holmes became president, Woodruff secretary. W. Williams treasurer, and John MeDade collector.
With this period began the trouble about the publie wells and the location of the market, which were themes for town action and town talk for many an after month. The water qnes- tion, which was comprehended in the project to have a couple of wells dug at the corners of the public square. is with its attendant strifes. an amusing affair to look back at now: but it was then a matter of as much relative import- ance and serious discord in publie couneils and private controversy as the water works ques- tion is to our good people today. A well had been ordered to be sunk at the northwest cor- ner of the square and a party had contracted to dig it. He began to dig and all the thirsty souls adjacent with hopeful interest saw the well gradually sink, but the workmen also sank from sight; work ceased, and water had not come. At the June meeting the board deter- mined to curb the independence of this well digger if they couldn't curb the well, and ap- pointed a committee to "ascertain whether he intended to finish it or not." The committee reported that he said not. Another man was engaged. but the result was the same. Te proved to be, though a well digger, not a well doer. The job was again thrown up. Finally. after a year's travail. at the first meeting in January. 1838, it was ordered that the well be filled up and another dug at the southwest corner of the square, which was done successfully. Other wells were made, which remained for several years, latterly used chiefly as feline cemeteries.
The market house question was a much more serious sonree of strife. A part of the com- minnity wished to have the market house built on the public square. An equal or larger por- tion objected. After several meetings and much discussion it was ordered that Maine street should be the place in which to erect a market house, that the street should be widened west of Sixth street, on the north side, as far as the alley. twenty-five feet, and on the south side "as much as possible." This proposition, after several sessions of the board had acted and reacted, resulted in a report from the last
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PAST AND PRESENT OF ADAMS COUNTY.
committee appointed, at the meeting on Decem- ber 30th, that they could not buy the land wanted on Maine street. and so ended the market house war for this year, while another committee consisting of 1. O. Woodruff and John Wood was appointed to worry over the question during the coming year.
The negotiations which had been long pend- ing in regard to having a new burial ground were concluded at the lune meeting of the board by the purchase from E. B. Kimball, at the rate of $75 per acre, of the 8 56-100 acres. now known as Madison Park, at the southeast corner of Maine and Twenty-fourth streets. This ground was platted and laid off in lots, valued at $10 each. The first sale was made October 10th, and quite an amount was at once realized, nearly one hundred lots being bought. From this date the old burial ground on the south half of the block where the present court- house stands (Jefferson Park) which had been used since 1825, was abandoned. and the great- est portion of the bodies there interred were removed to the new cemetery. Much interest at first was taken in the new cemetery, partly from dissatisfaction with the old one; but it soon became evident that the new location was equally undesirable, the ground being too Hat and wet. To remedy this, it was ordered that on three sides the cemetery should be sur- rounded by a ditch. Ten years later, when Woodland cemetery was laid out, on so much more beautiful and appropriate ground, inter- ments ceased at this Maine street cemetery, and most of the bodies buried there were gradually Transferred to the "Woodland"-it being in many cases the second removal. Still not a few lie on both of the old grounds.
Contraet was made by the board with the Quincy Argus during the latter part of this year to print their proceedings for five dollars a year. Considering the l'aet that the Argus was the only paper published in the place, and of course must have a monopoly of the prices, this arrangement indicated either a marvelons streak of liberality on the printer's part - peculiarly difficult to appreciate nowadays-or showed that these proceedings were not con- sidered as amounting to much. At the meet- ing on September 4th, the board established the grade of Hampshire street from the public square to the river, and therewith the grade of Front street.
The order for the above is curiously worth publication, both because this was the first de- finite recorded movement towards a uniform system of grades, with an initial point, at the corner of Hampshire and Fourth, and also from the oddity of its language and provisions. It
reads thus: "Ordered, that the grade of Hamp- shire street be fixed as follows: The summit at the corner of Hampshire and Fourth parallel with the top of the stone foundation at Messrs. Skinner and Berry's store, then descend on a grade of seven feet to Third street, then, on leaving Third, to deseend on a regular grade to Front street, and terminate with the doorsill of the warehouse of Mr. Hohnes.'
What "Mr. Hohes" is meant one cannot know, but as all the Mr. Holmes' of that day are dead tand Messrs. Skinner and Berry also ) and their houses have long since been destroyed. one must search here or elsewhere for a Holmes doorsill and a Skimmer and Berry foundation to ascertain the precise grade of Hampshire and Front. It is of course to be presumed that Mr. Holmes did not elevate or lower his door- sill while the grading was going on.
The population of the place was reported as 1.653-a liberal estimate, not far ont of the way, but from which ton per cent or more might safely be deducted. The courthouse on the cast side of the senare. midway between Maine and Hampshire, was completed, but not fully oc- enpied until the following year: the first court being held there in 1838. This was the brick building which was burned in 1875-as was its log predecessor in 1836 it being the second courthouse of the county: the present superb stone structure wherein "justice is dispensed with"- as the wags express it being the third. Talk was had abont grading and enclosing the public square, but this was not done until three or four years later.
The first Gorman Lutheran and the first C'atholie (St. Boniface) churches were or- ganized during this year, also the first Epis- copal church (St. John's) which for many years was on the east side of Sixth, between Ver- mont and Hampshire. later removed to the cor- ner of Hampshire and Seventh, now the C'athe- dral.
A public library was instituted about this time, based chiefly on individual contributions of books. Its career was short: the reading taste of the town being not yet sufficiently gen- eral to sustain it: and after it died, and the books-what were left of them -were returned to the original donors, no such permanent insti- tution existed until the present Quiney Library was established in 1841.
A movement towards the formation of a mili- tary company was agitated, resulting as a sile- vess during this and the following year in the formation of the " Quiney Grays. " a most model military organization, which in its drill, perfec- tion and esprit de corps, and attractive associa- tions, has never been excelled by any of the
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PAST AND PRESENT OF ADAMS COUNTY.
excellent Quiney companies of later times.
During the winter of 1836-7 Anton Delabar built the first Quincy brewery on Fifth street, between York and Kentneky. It was destroyed by fire. It was for several years the only brewery in the place. The branch bank of the State Bank of Illinois, was formally opened here on the 4th of December, at the southwest corner of Maine and Fourth streets.
This year, like the two preceding and two following years, was an advent period for "old settlers." We take the arbitrary dictum of calling those old settlers who settled here be- fore 1840. for the reason that of the living and remembered men of Quiney, who have seen and been part of its growth, an especially large pro- portion of them came here, young men, be- tween 1835 and 1840-a few earlier than the former date-and there are now, or until lately were living, still vigorous after nearly half a century of active Quiney life and laden with the weight of years over three score and ten. A temporary line must somewhere be lain. and in ten or twenty years the chalk mark may be moved forward to another decade.
Among the well known old settlers who came this year were Nehemiah Bushnell, from Con- necticut, who steadily grew in legal recogni- tion, to be considered at the time of his death in 1873, as the most erudite lawyer of the state, and Andrew Johnston, of Richmond, Va., where he now resides, long a leading lawyer here. These two, in the following year-1838-were the first editors of the Quiney Whig.
Capt. Joseph Artns. from Kentucky, an old time Ohio river steamboatman, came this year, to remain until his death. some forty years later. Ile was known and noticeable every- where as a quaint, earnest man, with an about evenly balanced reputation for oddity and shrewdness. He was a most inveterate "old line whig," tying his faith with unfaltering devotion to Henry Clay. It must have almost made the jolly old man's bones to have turned in their coffin when published as he was after his death, by ignorance, as "lifelong abolitionist." a political distinction which he held in especial dislike, although a decided anti- slavery man. as were most of the whigs.
Capt. C. J. Swarthout, from New York, set- tled here this year, and was a marked and ac- tive character for some years. Who that once saw and knew ean ever forget the form and features of that keen, shrewd. stern old cynic. his erushing comment and scathing satire on whatever aronsed his merciless wit to seize and worry : also Thomas Jasper, from Kentucky, who became popular, prosperous and prominent as sheriff, mayor and representative in the legis-
lature, his latter years being clouded by pecuniary troubles and mental decay; G. B. Dimock, a most thorough type of the un- smoothed practical yankee, for many years a prominent merchant and manufacturer: S. M. Bartlett, the well known cabinet maker, a Mass- aehmsetts man, associated with town and city matters almost thronghont his life: Thomas Redmond, a man of mueh native ability, who rapidly grew into being the most powerful political factor in the city, filling with marked sagacity and snecess many municipal positions and also achieving legislative honors; Timothy Kelly. the earliest representative man of that Irish element which flowed so rapidly hither at this period, in connection with the railroad then being built, a much respected man whose brave life ended in the Mexican war at the battle of Buena Vista.
Besides these, came Wm. Shanahan. R. S. and T. C. Benneson, Edward Miller. C. M. Pomeroy. Allen Comstock, and to the county vet later associated and identified with the city the fam- ilies of Clement Nance, T. H. Castle, T. Durant. Andrew Redmond, F. Collins, of Columbus : Henry Kent. John Sharp, the Berrians and Ar- rowsmiths, of Ellington, Thomas Payne, of Marcelline, and others.
The town board in 1838 at its first meeting in January appointed John Wood and Joel Rice a committee "to report the most beneficial and suitable places for improvements, as well as some plan to protect the community against the ravages of fire." This committee recommended the purchase of four ladders of 15. 20, 25 and 30 feet in length: six fire hooks, and twelve buckets. "as the commencement of a system which may be extended and improved with the growth and experience of the place in connec- tion with the increase of its resources, so as the more fully and perfectly to protect our eiti- zens and their property against the ravages of fire." These purchases were made and became the initial of our present fire department. This committee also, in the matter of improvements, recommended "that $200 be appropriated for the improvement of Delaware street. whenever $300 is furnished hy private donation," and that $1.000 be appropriated towards the grad- ing of a street from the publie square to the river. this first to be offered to those who pre- ferred the grading of Maine street, conditioned that they would give bonds to ensure the sub- seription and payment of whatever said grad- ing would cost exceeding the $1.000 appro- priation. Should, however, the Maine street people not accede to the proposition, it was to be offered to those who desired to have Hamn- shire street opened. The maine street people
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PAST AND PRESENT OF ADAMS COUNTY.
declining and the Hampshire street folks ae- cepting and complying with the conditions, the grading of that street from Fourth to Front was ordered and begun in March.
This was the first important publie improve- men that the town had undertaken. It was the first straight line communication between the village on the hill and the business on the river bank: the only route before this time having been by a devions road which cork serewed around among the hills and ravines from near the foot of Vermont street up 10 about where the market house now stands on Hampshire. The grade level at Hampshire and Fourth had already been established. That on Front, which depended so much on where Mr. Holmes' door- sill might happen to be was now definitely fixed by Mr. Parker and some civil engineers employed on the Northern Cross railroad. the work on which had begun here a few months be- fore.
At the .Inne election. John Wood, 1. O. Wood- ruif. Samuel C. Rogers, Samuel Holmes and J. B. Matthews were chosen as trustees: on or- ganization John Wood was made president : 1. O. Woodruff, secretary: Andrew Johnston, at- torney, and Robert R. Williams, treasurer.
The market honse strife, which had been vexing the community so long. came to a close during this year. The board endeavored to buy one hundred feet on the west side of Third, extending from Maine to Hampshire, for mar- kot uses, but could not get it, and then pro- posed to purchase lot 5. in block 8, at the corner of Hampshire and Third. which trade being made at last, allaved this old fester. There had been an election hold in June at which the peo- ple by a vote of 207 to 101 decided against building the market house on the public square.
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