USA > Illinois > Adams County > Quincy > History of the city of Quincy, Illinois > Part 17
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State and county officials were to be chosen and a vote taken on the proposition for a con- vention to revise the state constitution, or to make a new one. This project was warmly supported in Quiney for the reason that some thought it pointed a way out of the county difficulties (which it did six years later) and was carried by a majority of 625 in the whole county, out of a total vote of 2,680. It failed in adoption by the state, however, on account of conditions with which it was burdened, and it was not until five years later that the gen- erat desire to change the original constitution of 1815 was pressed to a successful result.
The democratie candidate for governor. A. W. Snyder, of St. Clair county, died shortly after his nomination, and Judge Thomas Ford. a former resident of Quiney. was selected in his stead. Against him the whigs put up Joseph Duncan, who had been elected governor in 1834 and had served as a member of congress for several years earlier. There was also in the field an abolition state ticket. The whigs nomi- nated for the legislature O. 11. Browning. A. Jonas. R. P. Starr. Peter B. Garrett and Alex Fruit, all of whom. with the exception of Fruit. were elected by majorities ranging from 150 to 900, the feeling in regard to the county seat matter making this partly personal and cans- ing a great latitude in the vote, although really none of the candidates on either side were pub- liely supported with reference to this issue. The democratic nominations were A. Wheat. Wm. Langhlin, Jacob Smith. I. Hendrickson and W. Sympson. Of these Mr. Wheat only was chosen. The whigs elected their full county ticket. W. II. Tandy as sheriff, over Thos. Jas- per. and Jonas Grubb as governor, over .I. J. Jones. Duncan, for governor, carried the coun- ty over Ford by a majority of 155 in a vote of
2,995, the abolition ticket receiving 75 votes. This was the last time up to this date :1886) that the county has given anything but a demo- cratie majority on the state or presidential ticket.
The county seat question, which was still hanging unsettled in the courts, was a con- stant subject of irritating discussion among the people all through the year. A newspaper. the People's Organ, was started in Quincy. advo- rating the retention of the county seat here. and a paper was also published in Columbus, advocating the removal, yet the only distinct issne made at the polls on this question was in the election of Wm. Richards, who had been nominated for county commissioner as the QQuiney candidate, by 180 majority over J. Tur- ner, who represented the Columbus interest. Singularly enough, so far as the legislative candidates were concerned, although they were known to have diverse and decided views in rogard to this issne, it was tacitly kept quiet, although it undoubtedly affected the votes that were cast for them.
This contest broke over the iron lines of party, split many personal friendships and shiv- ered the popular power of not a few prominent men who became unfortunately misplaced in the struggle. Frequent meetings were held over the county and broad latitude of personal disputation was not uncommon. Newspapers wore started especially devoted to this issue. Public and private crimination was frequent. It was an especially good time for the wags and satirists to shoot at their selected game. A hot controversy ensued over the validity of a bond of $75,000 given by the Columbus party to insure the erection of the necessary public buildings at that place.
On this question the two leading lawyers of the county dittered widely. Browning pro- nouneed the bond defective. Williams, who then lived in the southeast part of the conuty. said that it was good, or it might be made so. After a six months' canvass the election came off on the 2d of August and out of a vote of 3,181 Columbus claimed to have succeeded by 91 majority.
There were over two hundred more votes polled upon this question than at the same time were cast in the congressional contest.
The county commissioners recorded the result as above, and Quiney at once appealed. The commissioners, although they had declared the result of the election, did not. as the law re- quired them to do, remove the offices to Colum- bus. A mandamus was applied for and Judge Douglas, who was then on the bench of the cir- cuit court, ordered, on the 6th of September.
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a compliance by the commissioners with the prescriptions of the law. The commissioners, however, who had each his own individual as well as official opinion and interest in the mat- ter, found an easy way "how to do it." Two of them. El Seehorn and Win. Richards, fa- vored Quiney as the county seat, while the third one, George Smith, was a Columbus man. Con- segmently, at the several sessions of the board while Smith always attended. Seehorn and Richards only attended alternately and the consequence was that at each meeting there was a tie vote. The question was thus worried along during the season until in the following vear it assumed a new shape which finally resulted in a temporary division of the county.
The present valuable and prospering Quincy Library dates its continuous existence from this Year. A similar institution had been created in 1837-38. based mainly on the voluntary con- tribution of books by those who saw fit to spare them. This plan proved too weak to endure, and within a year or two the enterprise was abandoned, or perhaps, might be said to have suspended, since the same parties who composed it afterward united in forming the present organization. The books, etc., on hand were returned so far as could be to the donors.
In March, 1841. the project was revived and an association made which was perfected in October by being incorporated under an old state law of 1823, relating to publie libraries. It opened on the 18th of April with but "a beg- garly account of empty" shelves, and in very unpretentious quarters, but by the close of the year it reported an accumulation of 735 volumes, and these were very well selected for a foundation stock. Its subsequent growth, though slow. has been healthful and now in the forty-third year of its existence it contains over 7,000 well-chosen publications.
A course of winter lectures. under the man- agement of the library, twelve during each sea- son, was commenced in December and con- tinned for many years. For the first few years the lectures were given by resident professional men and they constituted the special pleasant attraction of the winter during the period when, the river being closed, home resources had to be drawn upon for enjoyment and also added to the revenue of the association. There had been a small virenlating library kept at the bookstore of W. D. Skillman for two or three years past.
Until this time the council meetings had been held either in the courthouse, or latterly, at the private office of the mayor or the clerk. room was now rented on the west side of the public square, near the corner of Maine street.
which was furnished and fitted up to be exehi- sively used as a clerk's office and council room, and for general city purposes.
The first meeting of the city council was hell on the 23d of October, and the place con- tinued to be thus occupied for several years.
In Inne of this year were ordered and issued the first "copper plate" engraved eity bonds.
The work of macadamizing the publie land- ing from Hampshire to Maine street was begun in November and finished in March, 1842. Hampshire street had already been macada- mized from the public square to Front street and Maine street had been partially ent through the bluff.
A second military company, composed of Ger- mans, the Yagers, made its appearance with a large organization, which continued for sev- eral years.
The first soda water fountain was started hy Dr. Bartlett, who had then the leading drug store of the place.
Two semi-weekly packets regularly ran from St. Louis to Keokuk on alternate days and there was a daily line of packets between St. Louis and Galena, beside which two or three transient steamers passed each day on their way to Galena and Dubuque and occasionally to above those points.
The great mining industries in the north- western corner of the state and in southern Wisconsin, which shipped all their lead product by river, railroads not yet having come into existence, caused a great demand for steam- boat transportation by light draught boats on the upper Mississippi during the navigable sea- son. There were then probably twice as many through steamboats plying on the upper Missis- sippi as there are at the present date. Eleven hundred arrivals of steamboats were reported for the year 1841, which is probably a nearly correct figure.
There was reported at the same time $326,000 sales of merchandise: 50,000 barrels of Hour manufactured : 250,000 bushels of wheat : 95.000 of corn ; 50.000 of oats; 5.000 of beans, shipped away. and 12,000 hogs and 900 beeves packed. At the same time there were reported to be four common schools, containing 687 scholars, and five private schools, with 200 scholars.
The Adams County Medical Society held its first annual meeting on the 12th of April. A colonization society, one of the many that had been formed throughout the country to encon- age the migration of blacks to Liberia, and as a partial foil to what was thought to be the injurious influence of the abolition societies. held a second meeting on the 4th of Jannary. The society did not long exist. The Quincy
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PAST AND PRESENT OF ADAMS COUNTY.
Argus, successor to Bounty Lane Register, the oldest paper in the place, founded in 1835. sus- pended on the 19th of June, and on the 23d of September was reissued with a change of name, as the Quiney Herald, under which name it has since been and is now published.
The foundation of our present admirable school system was laid during this year, not in 1842 as has been erroneously stated and sup- posed. It is a matter of regret that a com- plete history of the public schools of Quincy From their first inception has not been written. Such a record would be of exceeding interest now and to the future also be replete with valne. It could delineate the difficulties that confronted these institutions at the very begin- ning and afterward, beset as they then were by an extensive and bitter prejudice. also utterly withont moneyed means and having no corporate provision for their support. The free school system had not yet become a permanent public policy. Still less did it possess the facili- ties that it now happily enjoys. A compilation of this character, which would depiet with more or less minuteness the varying fortunes of the city schools throughout the past forty-two years as they have been affected by state and local legislations : by public opinion. by management, sometimes competent and faithful and some- times careless, and the gradual growth to the present proportions might be prepared. But all this would have to be gleaned from scattered fields, partly found in the brief proceedings of the council, but mainly from the records of the school board. which occasionally were seant. and the earlier portion of which were quite carelessly kept and sometimes yet more rare- lessly lost or destroyed. and also to a large extent from the recollections of those who were then personally associated or interested. Of these all the members of the council and most of the prominent citizens who favored the cause of the schools are dead (1886).
The first teacher in the male department, Mr. Dayton, and the first also in the female depart- ment, Mrs. Webster, are still living (1883) and resident here.
Prior to this period and for six years later the authority over the schools lay legally in the hands of the school commissioner of the county and the trustees of the districts adjoin- ing and embracing the city. Quincy being made a separate school district in 1847. Fortunate it was that a thorough accord between these county officials and those of the city existed during this entire time, and while the nominal direction came from the school trustees. the actual support and influence came from the council, which appointed an aunnal visiting
committee (which. however, had no real au- thority ) and provided by appropriations, etc., for the school support. The initial steps in these matters had been taken by the council in the previous year. but they had but little to go on. and were groping ahnost in the dark. The public, however, were widely awaking to the importance of the subject and pressing it strongly forward. In these sketches can only be given a skeleton statement of the progress of this matter each year -just so much as it attaches to and becomes a part of the gen- eral current history of the city.
A proposition was passed by the council in .July to rent the old Congregational church ( God's Barn ) on Fourth street, and the Metho- dist church on Vermont for school purposes. So far all was well, but it was found neces- sary to have the co-operation of the school au- thorities of the county and at a subsequent meeting in August a committee consisting of Dr. Ralston (whose special and earnest work in the cause entitle him to be called. if any one should, the father of our public schools) and Mr. Abbe were appointed to confer with the school trustees. An immediate conference was held and upon the report of this committee on the following week a resolution was passed by the council "that if the board of trustees would establish and maintain for one year from the 4th of November a system of common schools extensive enough to accommodate all the children of the city of Quincy, the city would appropriate for the rent of two rooms $165. payable quarterly ; also any sum not over $300 to fit up such rooms: also for salary of teachers. $800, in semi-annual payments, and that it should be the policy of the city to appro- priate from time to time what might be neces- sary to maintain these schools."
So inadequate, however, seemed the means and so much questioned was the authority for such action the part of both conneil and trus- tees that public sanction of their course was called for, and at a largely attended public meeting held at the courthouse on the 14th of September, where the whole matter was fully discussed. it was resolved that it was "pru- dence" and " justice" to establish a "perma- nent system of common schools immediately." and that the board of trustees for schools be instructed "to accept the proposition of the city council in which they propose to hire snit- able rooms and to appropriate $800 and with the funds now in their hands to immediately establish a permanent system of common schools in this city." At another meeting on the 18th the same resolutions, slightly varied, were again adopted.
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PAST AND PRESENT OF ADAMS COUNTY.
The board of school trustees, of township 2 south, 9 west, were somewhat slow to aet, but on the 27th of November they accepted the propositions of the council and established three school districts. all north of Maine street being the first, all south of Maine extending so as to include sections 10, 11 and 12 comprising the second, and all south of that, the third. the east line of the township ( what is now Twenty- fourth street ) being the eastern boundary. The council was prepared to promptly aet, and schools were ordered to be, and were opened on the 4th of December, one in the Methodist church "for large girls from all parts of the distriet." one in the basement of the Baptist church "for small girls and boys from distriet No. 1," one in the Congregational church "for large boys" and one in the Safford schoolroom on Fifth south of Jersey "for small girls and boys of distriet No. 2. all children residing in Quiney between five and twenty years of age free, but others in the township to pay tuition fees unless remitted by the council." They were all well crowded. The above gives, in brief, the action attending the founding of our public schools and the manner of their manage- ment when opened in December. They con- tinned, as before stated, to be run in a sort of partnership between the city and county school officials for the following six years.
CHAPTER XX.
1842.
NAVIGATION OPENS EARLY. PUBLIC SCHOOL
TAX. ENOCH CONYERS, MAYOR. BUSINESS STATEMENT. MAIL FACILITIES IMPROVE. AGI- TATION OF SLAVERY QUESTION. BURR. WORK AND THOMPSON SENT TO PENITENTIARY FOR ABDUCTING NEGROES FROM MISSOURI. ABO-
LITIONISTS ORGANIZE POLITICALLY.
DR. EELLS. THE FOREIGN VOTE. STRUGGLE OVER THE COUNTY SEAT QUESTION. THE SILK WORK FEVER. GOOD SLEIGHING.
During the very mild winter of 1841-42 the river did not completely close at Quincy and navigation was practicable throughout the en- tire season. Open water-or "easy boating." as steamboat men were wont to term it when- ever the river was even with its banks and free from ice obstruction -- came now unusually early in the upper Mississippi. Indeed. it may be said to have come rather too early for the business interests of the place.
Twenty-nine steamboats, among them several of the great "New Orleans boats," were regis-
tered as arrivals during the two weeks, ineluid- ing March 21st and April 4th. This was an unprecedented token of business activity at so early a period and resulted in the early ship- ment of a large proportion of the packed pro- vision and stored grain that had accumulated during the winter, making the after part of the season comparatively dull.
The cereal yield throughout this section and the west generally was above the average in quantity, so much so as to cause prices to grade very low. Wheat sold in July at from 37 to 40 cents per bushel and in September the price had fallen to 31 cents.
The public school system, which had been sue- cessfully inaugurated late in the preceding year. had worked well and been steadily growing in favor, yet the opposition to it was not as yet fully suppressed. The number of pupils, which was daily increasing. cannot be accurately given, but as an indication of their prosperity it may be stated that the leading and largest school, conducted by Mr. Dayton. with two assistants, had an average attendance of about 150 scholars, and the number of pupils at the other schools was proportionately large. The city was still cramped in means for full support of the schools. A deficiency of $630.77 was re- ported at the end of the first year, and to par- tially meet this an appropriation of $300 was ordered by the council and a bond for $1.400 from which this $300 should be deducted was issued as a provision for the support of the schools to run over and be applied to the ex- penses in 1843.
At the same time steps were taken to obtain such an amendment to the city charter or addi- tional legislation that would provide for a sep- arate tax, to be independently assessed and ap- plied solely to school support.
The movement in this direction brought out an expression of sentiment from the German population, which was then and had been for a few years past greatly on the increase-that tended as much as any one thing could, to put down opposition to education and establish the permanence of the school system.
An application was prepared, sanctioned by the city council and the school trustees, for the assessment of a special tax for school purposes. A petition for the legislature was gotten up and circulated among the Germans in remonstrance against the above-named proposition and asking that Germans should be exempt from the impo- sition of a tax to support schools conducted in the English language. This evoked a public meeting of the Germans, with George Sehul- theis as chairman and Charles Maertz. secre- tary. which meeting resolved that naturalized
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PAST AND PRESENT OF ADAMS COUNTY.
Germans were Americans and were fostered by. stood by and expected to sustain and be pro- tected and pay For the same laws as native born citizens. This decided and proper position taken by the Germans stopped all demagoguing in that direction and fixed the future of the public schools. One or two publie protests were made against this meeting, but they ended in nothing and the parties soon would gladly have them forgotten. It was not, however. until two or three years later, when, through the passage of a law authorizing the levy of a tax of one-eighth of one per cent on the hundred for school uses, that the system assumed an in- dependent strength.
At the election in April the democrats elected all the city officers-Enoch Conyers as mayor, over H. Asbury, by 90 majority : and John B. Young. 1. I. Holton and J. D. Morgan, alder- men, over H. V. Sullivan. George Chapman and G. B. Dimock. Later in the year John Abbe resigned. C. Swartout was chosen to succeed him as alderman from the First ward. The new council at its first meeting changed all the city officials. I. O. Woodruff succeeding S. P. Church as city clerk. Dr. J. B. Conyers was appointed city physician, with an annual salary of $100-"he agreeing to give the same to the schools." The salary of the mayor was fixed at $250. he also to attend to the duties of street superintendent, and that of the clerk at $200. The city was reported as owing, on the 1st of January, $22,380.
On the 16th of April. by ordinance, a com- plete system of grades of streets thronghont the city was established, embracing all from Broadway to State, and in past farther south. and from Front to Twelfth (then called Wood street ). This was the first comprehensive plan of action in regard to city grades that had been adopted, and though slightly changed occasion- ally, since on almost every street has been ad- hered to.
A carefully compiled special census of Quincy, taken during this year. reports the population to have been 2.686. The other data secured at this time are of peculiar value for the reason that they indicate the business con- dition of the place more in detail than appears in any similar schedule of earlier date.
The report shows that the city then con- tained 464 frame. 138 brick and two stone buildings the committee not seeing fit. per- haps being too proud. to make mention of the more numerous log honses ; there were also 20 dry goods, 19 groceries, 1 book. 1 hide and leather, 1 iron. 2 shoe, 2 milliner, 3 drug stores. 9 hotels. 8 boarding-houses, 9 churches (there were several societies without a church buikl-
ing), I reading-room. 20 lawyers. 12 physicians. I dentist. I government and 3 private land of- Hees, 3 insurance offices or agencies. 2 commis- sion houses, 6 pork houses, 2 bakeries. 2 bath- houses, 1 ropewalk, I tanyard, 4 brickyards. 1 iron foundry. I market house. 3 lumber yards. 3 breweries, 1 woolen mill. I castor oil and 2 soap factories, 1 shingle mill. 2 water mills. 3 steam Hour and 2 steam sawmills, 2 hatters, 11 shoemakers, 4 watchmakers, 2 gunsmiths. 6 house and sign painters, 6 masons. 6 plasterers. 9 chair and cabinet. 12 carpenters, 10 wagon and coach, 12 blacksmiths, 4 saddle and har- ness, 3 barbers. 11 tailors, 7 butchers, 7 cooper shops. 2 printing offices.
There were two regular weekly newspapers. the Whig and the Herald, the latter also semi- weekly, and during the summer and fall there was issued a spicy paper, the People's Organ. advocating Quincy as the county seat or the division of the county.
The amount of provisions prepared was abont the same as in the preceding year, 12,000 hogs being packed, and the milling business was also about the same : the mills shipped away nearly 25,000 barrels of flour.
Mail facilities had improved. The two east- ern semi-weekly stages now came in as tri- weeklies on alternate days, making it practi- cally a daily mail. although not always afford- ing the earliest news. In addition to these there were two mails carried north. one south and one west into Missonri.
The "hard times" that had commeneed with the financial crash in 1836-37 caused by the par- tisan destruction of the United States bank and the suspension of most of the other banks in the country, continued as before. and. indeed. it was not until three or four years later that business here or anywhere in the country came to a condition of assured confidence and pros- perity. The debtor class was very numerons and still struggling under the prostration of half a dozen years. Money was fearfully scarce. State bank and Shawneetown bank pa- per. which had been the chief enrrency of the state in times past, was now at a discount of from 36 to 40 cents and most all other bank cir- enlation was proportionately discredited. Eeon- omy such as would seem niggardly during the past thirty years was universally practiced, and under these there came a slow but substantial increase of population and advance of prosper- ity. both in the city and county.
There was more than the usual amount of local publie excitement throughout the year. growing ont of the agitation of the slavery question and also from the differences over the proposed division of the county. which last
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