USA > Illinois > Adams County > Quincy > History of the city of Quincy, Illinois > Part 20
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Referring to the school question again, it appeared that an examination and report made a few months before this petition was presented on the 7th of February. as to the condition. cost, etc .. of the public schools, did not fully agree with the report above named. Then the full statistics showed that there were five private schools in operation in the city. aggre- gating one hundred and six pupils. and four public schools with three hundred and ten scholars registered. and with an average daily attendance of two hundred and seventy-five. The expense of sustaining the public schools was stated to be $1,800 per annum. and the cost of each pupil per quarter $1.63. about $6.50 for the year. The general condition of the schools was at this time less satisfactory than it had been ever before.
Purchase was made by the city. or rather
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cession made by the county to the city, of the south half of block one, in the original plat of Quiney, to be forever used for publie pur- poses only. This was that portion of the block which in 1825 had been set apart as a "burial ground," and used as such until 1837. The city had been gradually obtaining possession of portions of the north hall of the block, and finally secured it all. Later the land passed into the hands of the Board of Education and a large brick school house was there erected. which stood for many years. This arrangement between the city and county, which had been under consideration for some years was a judicious one, as it afterward proved, providing as it has a convenient place for the courthouse, which was erected in 1876, for which no other location could have been so easily seenred. Not so satisfactory, however, was the result of an- other effort, long and quite persistently made, to have a poor house, constructed mutually by the county and eity. After months of negotia- tion and committee conferences. this scheme, mainly from unwillingness on the part of the county authorities, fell through entirely.
The Quiney Herald made its periodical change of ownership, as it used to ahnost annually in those days. Louis M. Booth and R. B. Wallace succeeding E. A. Thompson in the possession and control of the paper, adding much to its credit and influence.
The political excitement which pervaded the country in 1844 to a degree rarely paralleled at any presidential election, (certainly never exceeded in the west) was felt with full in- tensity in Quincy. Its enthusiasm had here as everywhere else been preparing during the past four years, and its open activity began at the city election in April, constantly increasing until the close of the presidential battle in November. The whigs all over the land, mind- ful of their sweeping success under Harrison in 1840, and the treachery of Tyler, which had wasted all the fruits of their victory and rallied by their idolized leader, Clay, were all expeet- ant of national success. This they would have undoubtedly secured but for the introduction of that "side issue" the "amexation of Texas," which broke the whig strength in sev- eral of the southern states.
On the other hand. the democratic party, anxious to redeem their great defeat of 1840, and to regain the ascendency which they had so easily maintained for three successive presi- dential terms, especially strong in the south and west, were active, earnest and aggressive. The whole country was in motion.
As an illustration of how all absorbing this contest became, a hundred men went from
Quiney to Peoria to attend a whig convention, hiring a steamboat and being absent the entire week.
At the city election in April the whigs placed in nomination for mayor. John Wood, and H. V. Sullivan, F. W. Jansen and G. B. Dimock for aldermen ; believing, as it was then thought that it is a party duty, by which only its repute and strength can be sustained, to allow no names to be offered as proper publie servitors, save such as are fit and respected. The demo- crats re-nominated Enoch Convers, who had held the office for the two years last for mayor, and B. F. Osborne, J. HI. Holton and James H. Luce for aldermen. Both tickets were excep- tionally strong. The whigs elected their mayor by a majority of 113 in a total vote of 793, and all of the aldermen except Jansen, who was beaten three votes by Holton.
This election was contested, but unsuccess- fully. and the council, which was democratic, elected democrats to all subordinate city offices.
The mayor's salary. by a party vote, was fixed at $200 per annum. the elerk's at $150. At the state election in Angust for county officers, members of the legislature and member of congress, the democratie ticket was suc- cessful by unexpectedly large majorities, run- ning in the county from 149 to 286. JJudge Douglas was re-elected to congress over D. M. Woodson by 149 majority in the county, falling somewhat behind his ticket on account of dis- satisfaction over his decision in the county division cases. Jacob Smith was chosen state senator over Abraham Jonas by 21I majority, and Peter Lott, Wm. Hendry and Warren Mil- ler, representatives. over Geo. C. Dixon. W. B. Gooding and John Dunlap. J. M. Pitman was elected sheriff over W. H. Tandy. An abolition legislative and county ticket received from 133 to 166 votes. At the presidential election in November the democrats carried both city and county by a majority of 215, Birney, the aboli- tion candidate, receiving 149 votes.
There were reported as being in the city at this time, 44 stores and 9 churches. Wheat rated at au average of 50 cents per bushel throughout the year. and the crop was un- usually large.
The first Mormon war, which broke out in Hancock county during the summer of 1844, produced an excitement in Quiney, such as had not been since the time of the noted Nelson riots eight years before. A similar and almost equal excitement pervaded here two years later in 1846, when there came the second war, which resulted in the thorough expulsion of the Mormons from Nauvoo. These stormy troubles had so long been apprehended, that they
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created no surprise, yet the final outbreak came in such a shape as to startle and shock the entire community.
About daylight on the morning of the 28th of June the city was ronsed by the clang of the church bells and a call for the people to assem- ble at onee at the courthouse. Then and there appeared a delegation of well known citizens of Warsaw, headed by Wm. H. Roosevelt. who, with most exciting declamation and under an extreme evident alarm, which lent sincerity and drew sympathy to their appeals, announced that Joseph Smith. the Mormon prophet. and his brother Hiram, had on the day preceding been killed in the Hancock county jail; that several thousand revengeful Mormons were marching upon Warsaw, which place was per- haps by that time sacked and burned. Also that Governor Ford, with his attendants had probably been killed, and they besought the assistance of the people of Quincy.
Following this were some equally exciting and intemperate speeches by two or three of our town talkers, who are always on hand on such occasion. While the position of these self- exiled runaways from the place where they should have remained for its defense was some- what derisively viewed, yet the situation was, or was likely to become serious. It was well known that the Smiths were arrested and con- fined under guard in the Carthage jail, and that Governor Ford with a small escort had gone to Nauvoo on the day when the murders were committed. A committee of twelve citizens had been appointed at a meeting held here a few days before to mediate. if possible in the dissensions between the Mormons and their opponents in Haneock county. Now at once the full force of the city was promptly or- ganized and sent to the scene of action. A special meeting of the city council appointed a vigilance committee consisting of one alderman and three citizens from each ward. But the most practical action taken was that of the mayor in detaining the steamer Boreas, abont to leave for St. Louis and sending it back 10 Warsaw, near the middle of the day, with an improvised military battalion of about fonr hundred men. This was composed of the Quiney Rifles, the German and Irish companies, and a volunteer force of between one and two hundred citizens. variously armed. under the command of Andrew Johnston as captain, and James T. Baker as first lieutenant. the whole under the command of Major Wm. G. Flood, who had been conspienons in the Black Hawk war twelve years before.
The city trembled with anxiety and the land- ing swarmed with spectators. This feverish
feeling continued till greatly allayed when Boreas returned in the evening with the news that the Mormons, instead of rising to avenge the death of their prophet. were quiet and rowed by their apprehensions and these dis- plays of military force; that no reprisals had occurred : that Governor Ford was unharmed ; and that "order reigned in Warsaw." It is strange that it was so; strange that there was not one or more of the many reckless and des- perate characters who infested Nauvoo to rouse. as easily might have been done. the feelings of these thousands of credulous fan- aties into a wild wave of revenge, which. if it had been set in motion, would have swept de- struction within twenty-four hours all over Hancock county. It was not done, however. and the Mormons were cowed and powerless for the time.
While there was much in these matters that appeared farcieal, and in the condnet of sonte of the parties concerned even worse, yet there was much ground for apprehension. demanding the effective action so promptly assumed by our people. Quiney, from its position as the largest near neighboring city, was the first called upon to interpose and furnish force to put down these disturbances, and it became a sort of eivil and military headquarters during this and the war of two years later, so much so as to connect its history permanently with both of-) easions.
A detailed account of the Mormon troubles would be too extended for space here. It will be remembered that five or six years before this date the "Latter-day Saints, " as they were self- styled. when driven from Missouri, first found am asyhun at Quiney, where their forlorn con- dition indneed a sympathy, which for a long time continued. Settling shortly after in the town of Commerce, in Hancock county. at the head of the Des Moines rapids, they changed the name of the place to Nanvoo, said some- what doubtfully. to be a word of Hebrew de- rivation, meaning either "city of beauty." or more probably "city of rest or repose." and here they rapidly increased. Thither flocked by thousands the devotees of this strange creed. most of them from England.
By the state census of 1845, out of a popula- tion of about 25,000 in Hancock county, the Mormons' portion was liberally estimated at from 16,000 to 17.000, giving to it the numeri- cal predominance in the county. When they finally left in 1846 their numbers were yet fair- ly estimated at From 16,000 to 17.000.
Either the vanity of Smith, or more likely the needs of his situation. forced him and his people into a false position and ran them rap-
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idly to ruin. They struck against that instine- tive sentiment of public justice which will never allow violation. He, imagining that he might have control of the county, congres- sional, perhaps the state, possibly the national polities, assumed an independence above every- thing. Ile took the military rank of Lieuten- ant-General, claimed the pardoning power for criminal offenses, which is the highest attri- bute of sovereignity; presented himself as a candidate for the presidency; petitioned and claimed from congress for himself and church a separate state independence. and in all his actions repudiated every idea of subordina- tion to state or federal supremacy.
This was the breaker on which was shat- tered his and his people's success in Illinois, the perversion of legal justice, of public rights. It was the "stocking" of the courts and juries, the subsidizing of officials and the open resist- ence to all magisterial authority whenever the tendency of such was "anti-Mormon" that brought about the crisis and ruin. The Mor- mons might fill all the county offices and pocket the fees; send members in their interest to the legislatures; dietate who should go to con- gress ; but grievous as these assumptions were they were borne until the quiet fiat went out and was practically enforced that they owned the courts: that no Mormon was to be pun- ished for any offense; or if he was convicted Joseph Smith would pardon him.
This was too much, and it brought about the civil war, when Hancock and the adjacent counties, hopeless of justice through the courts, turned out their military strength. on an unauthorized and illegal call, to put down and out of existence the Mormon rule in Illi- nois.
This gathering of troops in Hancock County, ostensibly to sustain and enforce law but real- ly. as everybody knew. for the purpose of driving or scaring away the Mormons, had now forced the attention of Governor Ford to the pending troubles and brought him to the scene. He had been extremely anxious to evade any action. During the canvass of 1842, when he was elected. his opponent, Gov- ernor Dunean, erowded the Mormon question into an unpleasant political prominence: and it had now become, with the protection and broad principles which the dominant party in the state had too recklessly given to these people, a very sore subject for the state au- thorities to handle.
The Governor, when compelled to meet the matter face to face, tried no doubt to act faithfully. but his alternations of boldness and indecision were painfully apparent and did
much to impair his future reputation as a public man. On reaching Carthage he found this large concourse of troops, several hun- dred in number, and at once assumed their command. A day or two later he disbanded the larger portion of them.
Smith, with several of his leading associates, on the arrival of the Governor, either from poliey or fear, submitted to an arrest, vol- untarily presenting themselves at Carthage, where they were put in confinement. Ifereto- fore he had on several occasions defied, evaded or escaped from legal service. The original charge on which he now was arrested was "treason. ' This writ was dismissed and he was rearrested on the charge of rioting; the special offense being his order and action in suppressing the Nauvoo Expositor. This was a paper which had been started at Nanvoo especially opposing Mormonism. But one issue appeared when Smith decreed it to be a "nuis- ance" and the press and type were openly destroyed. On the 27th the jail where Smith, his brother Hiram and two others were con- fined, was attacked by an armed mob, the gnards by agreement overpowered, and the Smiths were killed. From this came the ex- citement at Quincy of the next succeeding days. Governor Ford at the time when these events occurred was in Nauvoo. He heard of them just as he left the city on his return to Carthage, and from there on the 29th, with his staff, came to Quiney. People who have gone through the excitement and anxiety of a really great war may not know, yet it is a fact that a small war when people are not used to them is equally absorbing and excit- ing. The Governor's stay was of several days' duration and when he left early in July mat- ters seemed to have quieted down. But they were far from being so. The death of the Smiths did not, as perhaps had been expected. break up the Mormon association. On the contrary, with the prestige of martyrdom now attaching to the prophet's name, their numbers increased more rapidly than ever before.
The Quincy companies that had gone to War- saw at the time of Smith's death remained but a day or two. but three months later they were again called into the field. As the Mor- mons showed no disposition to leave the state, and their numbers were steadily increasing, a movement was again inaugurated to effect their removal.
A grand wolf hunt was advertised to take place in Hancock in September, which was well understood to mean a raid upon the Mor- mons. The Governor again came to Quincy. having called out from Sangamon and Mor-
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gan counties and elsewhere a large force, and with them the Rifles and German company, who were again marched up to Hancock conn- ly on the 25th of September, and for a few days the city was filled with "war's alarms." After a week or ten days quiet was restored and the soldiery returned. An addition to
these excitements was the bringing down to Quincy under military guard of William and Shappe, who had been arrested on the charge of having been con- neeted with the murder of the Smiths. The guard was rather fareical since these men had voluntarily surrendered themselves. Still. this added to the excited feelings of the time. These men were examined here and bound over for trial. Subsequently, in 1845. trials were had in Ilancock county of several men charged with the death of the Smiths, but though it probably was known who took part in that affair no convictions resulted.
The bitter strife between the city and coun- ty, which had commenced several years before. abont the removal of the county seat, still "dragged its slow length along." It had, however, lost its special excitement for Quincy, for the reason that the issue had been now changed to a judicial contest over the divi- sion of the county. concerning which Quincy felt but a secondary interest. The Marquette people steadily refused to be thus ent away from Adams county, and they constantly voted at every general or special election, whenever this issne could come in, either against separate organization or for candidates for county of- fices, who were pledged not to qualify and assume office. These were invariably elected. The circuit and supreme court decisions had affirmed the law which established the new connty. and ignored all recognition of the ter- ritory therein as being a constituent portion of Adams county. But so long as the people in the eastern section of the county revolted against this arbitrary expatriation and con- stantly refused to organize all these judicial decrees were but paper bullets and totally in- effective.
Consequently for a number of years Mar- quette remained politically parentless. Four years later than this period. however, under the operation of the new state constitution of 1847-48 this local trouble was cured.
A clause was introduced by Mr. Williams and secured by his special action that "all territory which has been or may be stricken off by legislative enactment from any organized county or counties for the purposes of form- ing a new county, and which shall remain un- organized after the period provided for its
organization, shall be and remain a part of the county or counties from which it was originally taken, for all purposes of state and county.
CHAPTER XXII.
1845.
POPULATION OF CITY AND COUNTY, 19,399. BUSI- NESS STATEMENT. JOHN WOOD, MAYOR. SPE- CIAL TAX FOR SCHOOLS. MORNING COURIER. FIRST DAILY NEWSPAPER. COLONIZATION SOCIETY FORMED. MORMON TROUBLES CON- TINUED. JUDGE C. L. HIGBEE. COUNTY SEAT QUESTION AGAIN.
The first constitution of Illinois prescribed, as a basis for the periodical legislative appor- tionments, that a census should be taken in 1820 and every fifth year thereafter. The re- turns as made by Capt. Kelly, who was the state enumerator for the year 1845, gave a population to Quiney of 4,007. First ward, 1.406: Second ward. 1,182; Third ward, 1,419; colored, 66; subject to military duty. 987. These figures taken in connection with the pro- vions date, show that there had been an almost uniform doubling of the population during each five years since 1825. There are no cer- tain figures for the first ten years. Quincy did not, then, find a place on either the state or national census of 1825 or 1830. In 1825, the year of its location. it had a dozen resi- dents. In 1830 it is estimated that there were abont 300. The first reliable figures are from the state census of 1835, which places the population of the town at 753. Following this there appears a census made by order of the town authorities in 1837-38 which reported a total of 1,653. In 1840 the national census reported a population of 1.850. A city census. quite carefully taken in 1842. showed an in- crease on this up to 2.686. and in 1845 there is reported 4,007. indicating an even, regular growth through twenty years. In later years this large regular percentage of periodical in- crease has much fallen off.
AAdams county, including Quiney, at this cen- sus of 1845. had a population of 13,511. to which, adding 5,888 in Marquette, gave a to- tal of 19.399, showing that the city had about one-fifth of the whole. The relative growth of city and county has been as follows: In 1825 the county, with perhaps 300 in Han- cock. had 2.186: Quincy, probably by the end of the year. 50 or more. In 1830 the county population was 2.186, of which some 200, about one-tenth. were in the village. Five years later
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by the state census the county has 7,042 and the town 753. still about one-tenth. Five years farther on. in 1840, the county contained 14,- 476. and the city 1,850. this being one-eighth of the whole. In 1845, as above stated. the city had a little over one-fifth; in 1850 the county had 26,508 and the city 6,902. over one-fourth: in 1860 the county figured 41,323 and the city 12,362, nearly one-third: in 1870 there were 56,362 in the county to 24,062 in the city, a proportion of three-sevenths, and in 1880 the county showed 59,148 and the city 27.268. almost one-half.
In connection with the census taken at this time a carefully compiled schedule of the busi- ness of the city reported, of stores. 29 dry goods, 21 grocery and provision, 1 book, 3 hardware, 2 wholesale grocers, 2 wholesale iron, 2 cloth- ing. 4 druggist, I shoe, 2 leather; of shops, 21 shoe. 17 tailor. 9 wagon makers. 3 tin, 13 black- smith. 9 paint, 6 saddle and harness. 4 turn- ing, 2 barbers, 3 machine, 12 carpenters, 1 cigar: of factories, 4 chair. I threshing ma- chine. I fanning mill. 1 bucket : 2 shingle ma- chines. 1 carding machine. 2 lathe machines, 1 ropewalk: 7 hotels, 3 bakeries, 3 confection- eries, 5 pork houses, 4 livery stables, 6 steam flour mills, 3 steam sawmills, I distillery. 3 soap factories, 3 brickyards. 2 tanneries, 3 watch and jewelry stores, 6 butcher shops, 2 printing offices, 16 churches, 3 military com- panies, 52 licensed teams.
.John Wood, the whig nominee, was rechosen mayor at the city election in April by a ma- jority of 138 over J. H. Holton. The whigs at the same time elected two out of the three aldermen, Dr. JJ. B. Conyers in the First, Dr. J. N. Ralston in the Third ward : and the demo- erats elected Samuel lhutton in the Second ward. This result gave to the whigs for the first time since 1841 the political control of the council and they at onee proceeded on the "lex talionis" principle to act up to the ex- treme extent of their power by making a clean sweep-ont of all the former city officials. John L. Cochran was appointed city clerk as the snecessor of General Leech. Mr. Cochran re- signed before his year term of office expired and was succeeded by Judge Snow, who con- tinued to hold the office for two following years and so long as the whigs retained a ma- jority in the city council. At that time and for some years later the office of the city clerk was more important than it is at present.
Its incumbent then was both elerk and comp- troller combined, as the daily business of the vity passed almost entirely through his hands he was expected to supply whatever was lack- ing of business edueation or qualification in
the mayor. The first city mayor, E. Moore, chosen in 1840 and again in 1841, was a method- ical. practical business man and had been se- lected for that position over other more popu- lar and representative men for the reason that it was thought best to have such a man to handle the hehn at the commencement of the young city's career. His two immediate sue- cessors were not practical business men. and their clerks, Woodruff. Leech, Cochran and Snow. were all men of more or less experi- ence and mark in their time, and really ran the city machinery. The duties of the mayor were then very light, except on occasions, most- ly confined to overlooking labor on the streets. he being ex-officio street superintendent. Mr. Cochran was an Englishman, a man of rather unusual acquirements, was by profession a civil engineer and teacher, had been prominently connected with the public schools and as a mathematician he had not then and probably has never had his equal in Quincy. He could do what not one in millions ean-run np in his mind the addition of four figures and de- elare the result as accurately as others could add up a single column. He was one of the notable men of the place in his time. A few years later he removed to California.
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