USA > Illinois > Adams County > Quincy > History of the city of Quincy, Illinois > Part 28
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PAST AND PRESENT OF ADAMS COUNTY.
be raised to apply upon the state debt than was needed or proper. Hence. property was valued low to accord with the arbitrary standard of the two mill tax. while for the raising of the necessary revenne. the state and corporations could easily meet the demands of their budget by increasing the percentage on these low val- nations.
CHAPTER XXIX.
1851.
PROSPERITY, THE YEAR OF "HIGH WATER." WHIG AND HERALD CHANGE PROPRIETORS. CHANGES IN THE JUDICIAL DISTRICTS. JUDGE SKINNER. RAILROADS AGAIN, ROUTE CHANGED FOR BROADWAY TO CEDAR STREETS. SAM HOLMES MAYOR. NIGHT PO-
LICE. NEW BANKING LAW. CHURCH ON NINTH AND STATE COMPLETED. STRUCK BY LIGHTNING.
I'mtil the 1st of February, '51, the river re- mained open with l'air navigation. It then closed for a week, reopening. It carried throughout the year a most extraordinary "boom" late into the fall. when it became finally ice-blocked on the 16th of December. This was the Mississippi's greatest. most tri- mmphant year, when the waters of the upper Mississippi reached a height above the measure of any carlier mark. Its food in 1844 exceeded any in general recollection. although some old settlers asserted that the river had been known to be higher in 1832 and 1826, and there was also an Indian tradition that some time late in the last century it had attained an height never since equaled. Be that as it may, the certainty is, that the rise of 1851 surpassed that of any within the memory or measure of white men. The summer was very rainy, but the chief vol- ume of the Hood came from the north. While this npper portion of the stream was thus un- precedentediy high. below the mouth of the Illinois and of the Missouri, which had been vastly swollen in 1844, it did not reach the sum- mit water mark of that year. The rise began early in April, upon already full banks. As it continued to swell and passed above the measurements of 1844, the old settlers shook their heads with "yes, but it won't reach the 1832 or 1826 figures." However, when. on the 6th of June, the measure showed 5 feet G inches above the mark of 1844 they gave up.
It was a mighty food. like a vast sea stretch- ing from bluff to bluff. Here, on the city side, above and below the town. it washed the foot of the hills, filling Front street so much as to make it impassible and entirely stopping the operation of the mills. No small temporary
addition to the population of the place was made by the incoming of many Families who had been "drowned out" of the "bottoms" and crowded into the tenement houses in the lower part of the city. A peenliar occurrence beside was, that late in the fall, when ordinarily the river is at its lowest. a second swell came down, filling the lands and overflowing the banks as much as is usually done at the regu- lar annual rise in June. It does not appear that this huge flood injured to any very great degree, the business interests of the city, al- though it much increased the sickness, which was extensive, and quite fatal, during the greater part of the year.
The dreaded cholera revisited the city in a more violent form than it had appeared the year before, but much less destructive than the scourge of 1849. For eight or ten weeks in the late spring and early summer it pre- vailed with varying fatality, leaving almost as suddenly as it came, with a record of about 160 deaths. As in its earlier comings, it came upon the people alnost without premonition. and its advent was a shock and terror. The first cases noted were in the south part of the city. in the Odell Family, where, in the short space of four days, the mother and three chil- dren were taken and died, and another child followed within a week. Thirty deaths oc- eurred during the last week of May, twenty- eight being from cholera. The same feature was marked at this time as had been noticed on its two former visits, that on the Saturday and Sunday of each week it was the most fatal. and that during those days about one-half of the deaths occurred. The death roll of this year bears the names of an unusual number of prominent persons and "old settlers." Espe- cially of these were E. W. Clowes and Ryon Brittingham, brothers-in-law, both early and substantial citizens. John B. Young, one of the pioneers, who came to this country from Ken- tueky at an early date, with somewhat more of means than the generality of the people then had, settled first in the south part of the county, and moved thence to Quincy. To his enterprising action the city owes many of its best early improvements. There died also W. E. T. Butze, John Glass, early German immi- grants: Dr. Il. G. Weoboken, a German physi- cian of unusual skill and attainments: Dr. J. W. Newland: Charles Morton. the best known and most popular "land man" in the state; Mrs. MeDade: Miss Sarah Wood: Ex-County Judge Andrew Miller and many others of like notable position. Among the most conspicu- ons and regretted of these was, probably. S. M. Bartlett, editor and associate owner of the
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PAST AND PRESENT OF ADAMS COUNTY.
Quincy Whig, who died on the 6th of Septem- ber, after a sickness of eight days. the event making sad impression. Mr. Bartlett was a man of marked traits of character, of fair in- tellect, excellent judgment. well experienced in the essentials of his profession, with a frank, outspoken nature, earnest in believing what he said and equally earnest in saying what he believed, a clean private character. He had during his fifteen years' editorial control of the Whig secured a strong reputation through- out the west, and the especial confidence of the political party of which the Whig was a recog- nized organ. He was a native of New Eng- land. eame early to the west and had worked as a journalist and printer in St. Louis and Galena prior to his settling in Quiney. He was but 38 years of age at the time of his death.
After the death of Mr. Bartlett the interest which he had owned in the Whig was pur- ehased by John T. Morton, who, as editor, in connection with II. V. Sullivan, published the paper for several years. This was the first change that had occurred in the ownership and management of the Whig since its estab- Jishment. in 1836. The Herald about this time went through with one of its many changes, being bought by P. Cleveland & Co. Mr. Cleve- land was a ready, rapid, somewhat verbose writer, more polished, but less vigorous in style, than Brooks, the former editor, who now be- came the publisher and associate editor. Un- der their management. which continued for two years, the paper extended its popularity and political influence considerably more than its financial condition.
The old Fifth judicial cirenit, originally in- eluding all the counties in the Military Traet and taking in the northwestern section of the state, formed, in 1829, was by an act of the late legislature divided and a new cireuit made. composed of the counties of Adams, Hancock, Henderson and Mercer. This broke up many of the old time legal associations and limited. to some extent. the practice of the Quincy lawyers, who had for over twenty years been accustomed to "follow the circuit" twice a year and appear at the bar of each county in the tract. Many of them had local partners in the counties outside of Adams. O. C. Skin- ner, a prominent lawyer of Quincy, who had resided in Carthage before coming to Adams county, and while there had rapidly risen to the leading position at the Hancock bar, a reputation which he well sustained in Quincy, was recommended by the bar for the judgeship of the new eireuit. The desire was then, as it had been at the first judicial election, to keep the contest from becoming political. This time
the wish succeeded. The circuit. on a party vote. was undoubtedly whig, and Skinner was a most radical ultra democrat, but his high judicial capacity was recognized and, no oppo- sition being made, he was unanimously elected. Some effort was attempted to bring party feel- ings into the election for proseenting attorney, but it ent no figure, and J. H. Stewart. an ex- perienced lawyer from Henderson county, a whig. but not a politician, was elected to that office.
Finally the railroad matter, that for two years past had "dragged its slow length along." which had been the topic for strife, talkative, publie meetings, legislative action, and had engendered no small amount of per- sonal biekering and animosity, was, by the general action of the citizens, taken out of its troubles and placed on the pathway towards certain and early completion. A law had been passed through the general assembly at the last winter's session legalizing the assessment by the city of Quiney of a special tax to meet the interest on any railroad bonds that it might thereafter issue, and the city council promptly provided an ordinance in furtherance of the provisions of this law. Another legislative ae- tion in the same direction was the law which authorized the construction of a railroad from some convenient point on the line of the North- ern Cross Railroad, within Adams county, run- ning thence on the most eligible and prae- ticable route through the Military Bounty Traet and terminating at the most convenient and eligible point at or near the southern termination of the Ilinois and Michigan Canal, prescribing also that such road should not run east of Knoxville in Knox county. These two judieions attachments to the railroad projeet clinched the heretofore somewhat doubtful public confidence in its management and lifted it at onee to an assured success. The effect of the first of these special laws was to sub- stantiate the credit of the city in its intention to sustain the enterprise by a bond subserip- tion, and the other promised an eastern con- nection by railroad and canal by way of Chi- cago and the lakes with the already finished. progressing thoroughfares which would be im- mediate on the completion of the Qniney end of the route. This was far preferable at the time to the building of a road towards the centre of Illinois with an indefinite prospeet of its continuance farther eastward. Large Jocal subscriptions were now made, amounting in Quiney to between $50,000 and $60.000. and also in proportionate liberal figures along the proposed route of the road in this and the ad- jacent counties. The precise line was not at
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PAST AND PRESENT OF ADAMS COUNTY.
once decided upon or made known, and agents . the whig nominee. At the same time C. A. and advocates were sent to the various local- ities between Quiney and Galesburg to arouse public interest and solicit subscriptions ; prom- ising always. of course, that the community which offered the most money would be sure to secure the road.
One of our prominent Quiney lawyers nearly came to grief in this endeavor. He had made a speech in a little town in an adjoining county and demonstrated that there was the natural route for the road, almost the only feasible line, that they needed it, and all that was wanted was for the people to subscribe liberal- Jy. so that some other place wouldn't "buy the road away from them. " and made a capital and well satisfied impression. The next day he had & meeting in a rival town about five miles away, and there "spoke his piece" over again with telling effect, when he was suddenly in- terrupted by a fellow calling. "Why. Mr. W .. that's just what you told us yesterday over in M -: you said the road was bound to come through our town and oughtn't to go anywhere else." To any other than this most adroit of legal gladiators this would have been a crusher. He was staggered for the moment, but recov- ered with, "Well, gentlemen, I did say some- thing of the kind to those fellows over there and the gudgeons all believed me." Brown and MeDonough counties voted, the first $25 .- 000, the second $50,000.
At a public meeting of the citizens of Quincy on January 24th, it was proposed that the city should vote a subscription of $100.000 and pur- chase the interests of the company which owned the road for $20.000 in stock. This latter ar- rangement was perfected. and the council. on the 27th. ordered an election to be held on March 1st, upon the proposition to subseribe $100,000. which resulted in an almost unan- imously favorable vote. 1,074 for to 19 opposed. At a meeting of the stockholders on the 22d of March, which was largely attended. N. Bush- nell, J. M. Pitman. Il. Rogers. J. D. Morgan and L. Bull were elected directors by the indi- vidnal stockholders. Mayor Holmes represent- ing the city, which had the larger portion of the stock. casting its vote in the same direction. The directors organized by electing N. Bush- nell, President : J. O. Woodruff. Secretary, who soon resigned. and was succeeded by John Field, and he soon after by JJohn C. Cox. S. D. Eaton was appointed Chief Engineer, and in April work began at the corner of Twelfth and Broadway.
At the April city election Mayor Samuel Holmes was rechosen by a majority of 268. out of a total vote of 984, over M. B. Denman.
Savage, Thomas Redmond and Geo. W. Brown were elected aldermen in the First. Second and Third wards. This election of two whigs and one democrat made the council a tie politically and was the basis for a good deal of dissension and harsh feeling in that body. This feeling had been shown somewhat in the retiring coun- eil. where after the board had voted to raise the mayor's salary from $250 to $350, he re- fused to receive it because it had not been unanimously voted.
Mr. Loek filed a notice of contest for the seat given to Mr. Redmond, who had beaten him by 17 votes. This was finally withdrawn, but re- mained long enough to stir up considerable per- sonal feeling, and when the selection of a city clerk came up (this officer at that time being elected by the council). no choice could be se- eured for several meetings, not, indeed. until after 75 fruitless ballotings. There were two democratic aspirants for the place, each of whom seenred two votes. one of these votes coming from a whig alderman, while two of the whigs voted for a whig candidate, thus pre- venting the mayor's having an opportunity to decide the choice by his casting vote. After a couple of weeks' wrangle. however, the demo- crats in the council "rose to the occasion" and adopting a motion to eleet by resolution. chose Mr. Cleveland clerk. He had held the office for the two past years, and it was partly from some dissatisfaction towards him and partially growing out of the unwillingness of the whigs to select the city officials until the Lock-Red- mond contest was settled, which caused this struggle over the clerkship. It was the first occasion of personal, political strife. that had appeared in the council, which in the early days had very little of that demonstrative ele- ment which not unfrequently wakes up its ses- sions nowadays.
Owing perhaps to this dissension and delay over the organization of the council no formal fiscal statement for the past year was pub- lished, but the city affairs appeared to have been well conducted and its credit sustained, though the debt had somewhat increased.
Mr. Holmes was a skillful business man, with unusual aptitude for public business and well acquainted with the city's history and wants. and made a highly commendable record as mayor.
During this year's administration was begun the organization of a night police, and the sec- ond revision of the ordinances was made under the supervision of the mayor.
Prices in all things were rising. as they had been for the past two years, beef at eight cents
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PAST AND PRESENT OF ADAMS COUNTY.
and mutton seven cents per pound, and other necessaries in proportion, made living some- what more expensive than it had before been. Real estate advanced rapidly in demand and value. One sale indicates this proportionate progress. The ten acre tract at the southeast corner of Maine and Eighteenth streets. now known as the Collins property, which had been bought five years before by the late Secretary of State. Cooley, for $1,000 ($100 per acre), was now sold for $2.525, or $252.50 an aere, cash. no improvement of value being on the ground. All over the city, as there was also throughout the country, real estate was in eager demand and was changing owners rapid- ly and at rising figures.
Money was plenty and easily obtained, and the adoption of the State Bank law gave broader opportunities for the establishment of "money factories," as they were called, and for a greater increase in the amount of paper circulation. A enrious feature in regard to the bank law, which went into operation at this time, was the sectional character of the con- test. It was partially made a political issue. The whigs all favored it, the democrats gen- erally opposed it. The southern section of the state strongly democratie, was almost solid against the law, the central belt, which was whig, and the northern portion, then demo- cratie, favored it. Chicago voted thirty to one for the law, and yet, as a curious commentary on this, is the fact that when the law was rati- fied by far the larger number of the banks organized under it were located in the southern part of the state, where it had received the greatest opposition. The majority for the law in the state was 62,221.
Much of handsome and substantial building was done during this year. The fine brick church long known as the Centre Congrega- tional, at the corner of Fourth and Jersey, a branch of the 1st Congregational Society, was commeneed.
It is now owned by the Baptists. The Pres- byterian church, on Maine street, was enlarged and improved, and the Lutheran church, now replaced by the imposing structure on the cor- ner of State and Ninth, was completed.
Touching this latter, a mishap occurred sad to those who were the sufferers but amusing to worldlings. By some error or oversight the lightning rod placed along down the outside of the steeple was carried as far as the belfrey and there landed, hanging there with no con- nection to the earth. The lightning caught on the tip of the rod, followed it down and when it eame to the lower end spread itself, shiver- ing the steeple and setting it on fire. The flame
was soon extinguished, but the splintered steeple remained as a reminder that Provi- dence cares no more for its own buildings than any others, unless they were properly finished. It was rather a shock to the faith of some good people.
CHAPTER XXX.
1852.
GOV. CARLIN. FIRST DAILY MAIL BY STEAMER. THE WHIG BECAME A DAILY. IMPROVE-
MENTS. BOOM IN BUSINESS, MILL BURNED. FIRST OFFICIAL REPORT OF THE SUPER- INTENDENT OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS. KOSSUTH INVITED TO QUINCY. RAILROAD WORK CAR- RIED ON. WHITNEY. THAYER. THAYER BY A POLITICAL MISTAKE, ELECTS TRUM- BULL TO THE U. S. SENATE. POLITICAL CHANGES. MAYOR'S SALARY RAISED TO $300. POLITICAL.
A second vote was taken at the town elec- tions in April, on the question of the continu- anee of the township organization system in the county, which had now been in operation for two years. It was sustained by a vote of 1,532, with but 222 cast against it, two towns only, Ursa and Beverly, voting to fall back to the county conrt system. Quiney, as at the former election on this issue, did not vote.
This was a severe season for the farmers in this section of the state, owing to the ravages of the army worm and other inseet pests, which did extensive injury to the early crops. The river opened as early as the 8th of February, closing for the succeeding winter on Christ- mas day. Navigation was unusually good in the early part of the season, and the water rose to within three inches of the great flood of 1844. and about five feet less than that greatest of Hoods in 1851; but it ran very low in the fall, so much so that the St. Louis packets were not able to make their trips above Quiney after the middle of November.
The first regular daily mail by steamer was established in April from St. Louis to Galena, which was continued for many years, until superseded by the more rapid railroad convey- ance. Before this time occasionally mail mat- ter had been carried on the boats and messen- gers appointed to take it in charge, but it was only occasional and never became permanent until now.
The Whig opened ont as a daily on the 22d of March, issning at the same time a tri-weekly. It was the beginning of the present Daily Whig, although it met with two or three temporary suspensions before it became substantially es- tablished. The uncertainties of the telegraph
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PAST AND PRESENT OF ADAMS COUNTY.
and the dearth of local matters of interest were the difficulties which hampered the establish- ment of a daily paper in those days.
The winter of 1851-52 was very cold and con- tinmed late into the spring. On the 10th of April there came one of the most severe and unseasonable storms ever known in the west, extending throughout the state and lasting for several days. The snowfall was from one to two feet in depth.
Much improvement was made in the general appearance of the place by the building of many handsome, tasteful private residences, a feature peculiarty lacking heretofore, and also of large and substantial storehouses. The city was growing fast. Among the needed and im- posing improvements was Kendall's, after- wards known as the City Hall, at the corner of Maine and Sixth streets, at a cost of about $20.000. This was notable as being the first public hall in the place. Before this time the Court House or the churches, if they could be obtained, were the only conveniences for lec- tures, fairs and all exhibitions of a like charac- ter. Mr. Orrin Kendall, the owner of this hall. was one of Quincy's most energetie and enter- prising men. He moved from here to Chicago, and, as though he had a passion for such plans, erected there a hall patterned almost precisely after that in Quincy and endowed it with his name, a handsome structure, which fell before the great fire of 1871. The stone Episcopal church, now the Cathedral, was finished during this year.
The boom in real estate property continued. An indication of these values was shown in the sale of what was then known as the "Mast cor- ner." so called from its owner, Michael Mast. an eccentric, popular little man. a tailor. the earliest German settler in the place, and the first tailor also. This property. 4916 feet on Maine by 100 feet on Fifth street, was sold in September for $4,165, about $85 per front foot on Maine. There were on it no improvements of value. The contrast of these figures is enrions with what the same property "went for" twenty-seven years before at the County Commissioners' sale. Then the entire corner lot. 99 feet by 198. of which the " Mast corner" was one-fourth, brought at anetion, $16.25, abont 17 cents per foot. Quite a handsome speenlation.
Business of all Kinds was active and extend- ing. There was in it a bustle, life and confi- dence that gave most sanguine promise for the future. With a fast increasing population. real estate rapidly acereting in value, money facil- ities all that conld be desired, eastern railroad connections assured. this was much the most lively and seemingly successful year that
Quiney had known since 1836. The staple business of the past winter had been up to the standard. Between 19,000 and 20.000 hogs were the reported product of the packing sea- son of 1851-52. about the average of the three or four preceding years. The great flour mill- ing business, which. for the last fifteen years, had been a specialty of Quiney, as ahead of any of the upper Mississippi cities, was increasing in proportion to its past standard, but it met with temporary misfortune during the year. Two of the largest of the half-dozen Hour mills rame to what is the frequent fate of such struc- tures. destruction by fire. These were the Wheeler & Osborn and Smith mills, on Front street. burned on the 17th of September.
So common had then become, as it still is, this fatality of steam mills, that it was said somewhat savagely. but suggestively, when these two went down. "Well. this makes four steam Hour mills burned in the last two years. Better call them steam fire mills." A tally of the grist mills in Quiney which have thus been cremated. would more than exhaust one man's fingers.
Among the chief manufacturing establish- ments of the place, and perhaps that which handled the heaviest transactions of any, was the Thayer distillery. located about one-half mile south of the city, whose report at this time stated the cost of the buildings, ete., to have been $30,000; that there was annually consumed 300,000 bushels of grain: $12,500 paid for cooperage: $4,500 paid to wood choppers : $8,000 to employes, and that there was capacity for feeding 2,000 hogs and about half that number of cattle, which each year was fully used.
The first published official report of the superintendent of the public schools was issued this year. Before this period. as required by law, a brief formal statement was annually handed into the council, and as briefly and for- mally placed away on file. A detailed report of the condition of the public schools was, on the commendatory recommendation of the mayor, ordered to be summarized and officially published, since which time this has been an- nally done, and it is only from this date that a fair history of the public schools can be made. the earlier records being meager or lost. The public schools had now. after many years of trial, ontlived all the opposition and prejudice with which they were at first assailed: were well managed. flourishing. and favored by the general public. There were two schools, large- ly attended. each with a primary department attached. employing in all eight teachers.
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