USA > Illinois > Adams County > Quincy > History of the city of Quincy, Illinois > Part 4
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Commissioners, ripened to a result. Passing, with all the people of the place in procession. over the broken bluff's and through the grassy woods to the narrow, prairie ridge that crept across what is now Washington Square, they halted about the spot where is now the bronze statue of John Wood. Here. driving a stake into the ground, with all the formality and im- pressiveness that could be brought to bear, they officially announced that the Northwest quarter of section two, township two. range nine west, was from that hour the county seat of Adams County. Then, reverently placing their hands upon the top of the stake. they christened the place "Quincy."
John Quincy Adams had been elected Presi- dent and on the preceding 4th of March, took possession of the White House, and just about the time of this visit of the commissioners, the inaugural address of "The old man eloquent," which had been delivered to Congress some two months before, had been brought in the mails. It formed. of course, a topic for conversation between the Commissioners and the citizens. and Kellogg, a warm Adams man from Morgan. sore over a recent political struggle. said. "In our county, they've named the county seat Jacksonville, after General Jackson." "Well," said some one from the crowd. "let's call our county seat Quiney, and we'll see which comes out ahead. Jackson or Adams," It was car- ried by a unanimons vote.
As the county had been ealled Adams and the town christened Quiney. an attempt was made to have the stream that flows into the river at the foot of Delaware street. named ".Johnny Creek." so as to complete the se- quence of the cognomen. It failed to stick.
Another query abont names occurs in the case of "The Bay," which stretches along the foot of the bluffs for about three miles above the city. "Boston Bay" it was called in the earlier times and on the older maps, as some say. because "a Bostonian once navigated his eraft up this bay, mistaking it for the main channel of the river." The more reasonable theory is, that it took its name from a French trader by the name of Bonston, or Boistone, who lived on its east bank.
A notable event occurred shortly after this visit of the Commissioners, the first of its kind, and hence the cause of no small sensation in the infant community. It was the marriage of Amos Baneroft to Ardelia Ames. Whether these young people were stimulated to this step by a laudable ambition to be the first local pioneers in the good work invented by old Adam, or whether they were influenced by that which makes young folks nowadays "go and do
20
PAST AND PRESENT OF ADAMS COUNTY.
likewise." it is not now material to inquire; sufficient is the fact that theirs was the pioneer wedding. the first marriage solemnized in Adams County. The venerable Mr. Bancroft afterward removed to Missouri, where he died February, 1875.
The first election was held for county offi- eers on the 2nd of July at "Keyes' Cabin." where the Presidential vote had been taken the fall before. Whether the old teapot officiated again is not recorded. About forty votes were polled. These forty votes inchided probably almost every man in Adams County; those in the attached territory on the north, and also anybody else who chose to vote. Our unselfish and unsuspicions ancestors were not sensitive on the suffrage question. Age, residence, or other qualifications were matters that they in- quired into very little. Their reasoning was that any one who came along, unless Indian or negro, had a right to vote, if not here some- where. and hence perplexing questions were rarely asked. The commissioners chosen, were Peter Journey, a Jerseyman by birth, who lived at the foot of the bluff about ten miles south ; Willard Keyes. a native of Vermont, resident, as we have stated, about the foot of Vermont street, and Levi Wells, a native of Connecticut. Mr. Wells then resided in the south part of the county near Payson, but soon moved to Quiney, remaining in the city until his death. The es- timated population of the county at this time, was seventy. On the 4th of July. the newly chosen officials met for organization at the house of Mr. Keyes. They appointed as tempo- rary clerk (subsequently making the appoint- ment permanent). Henry H. Snow. Mr. Snow (or Judge Snow, as he was always named in later years) was a single man. He had arrived in Quiney but a few days previous. He was a native of New Hampshire, a man of good eler- ical attainment. qualifications much needed in those days, and with an unusual fund of gen- eral intelligence. lle soon beeame the incum- bent of nearly all the official positions in the connty. His name is perhaps, more directly associated with the records and public business of the place than that of any other of the ear- lier settlers. Earl Pearce was appointed con- stable and Ira Pearce depnted to take the een- sus. The Pearce family lived near where the Alexander farm now is, five miles sonth. Joshua Streeter, John L. Soule, Lewis C. K. Hamilton and Amos Baneroft were appointed justices of the peace.
Near the close of July or early in August. the first Circuit Court convened, as usual, at the cabin of Mr. Keyes. No apology was due Mr. Keyes for the public use thus made of his
house, since the fact is, that his was the only one of the three cabins in the place that had no women or children in it. At this term, lit- tle or no business was transacted farther than what was necessary to the organization of the conrt. The first formally coneluded legal busi- ness was at the succeeding term in October. At the session of the County Commissioners preceding the term of the Circuit Court, the panel of Grand and Petit Jurors being made out is said to have embraced every qualified juryman in the country except two, and one of those was under indictment.
John Yorcke Sawyer, the first circuit judge, was no ordinary man. He was a native of Ver- mont. lle possessed acquirements and legal arnmen, fully adequate to sustain the char- acter of the local bench in those days. In one respect, he was far beyond rivalry. Judge Saw- yer weighed nearly four hundred pounds, while. as an illustration of how extremes will often meet, his good wife could not bring down the scales at ninety pounds. The wags used to say that it took an active lawyer to get around the Judge, and when, in the little sixteen-foot square cabin of Mr. Keyes, where the first court was held, or even afterward in the twenty-two by eighteen court-room subsequently erected, his honor took his seat, the room seemed full of justice. Ile had a spice of jolly waggery at times :
Mrs. said he, to a country landlady as he picked up the plate of butter, "what's the color of your cows?" "Why, Judge." she answered. "they're all colors ; white and black and speckled." "So I should think. by the looks of your butter." was the Indge's reply. He was a fair lawyer. and a correct man. He remained in office but two years. The General Assembly at the session of 1826 and 1827 changing the cirenit court sys- tem, appointed Samnel D. Lockwood, in the place of Sawyer. He afterward removed to Vandalia and died there March 13th. 1836, while editing the Vandalia Advocate.
Neither Quiney nor Adams County, in those haleyon days, were blessed with any lawyers, but at this first session the Judge was accom- panied by the Prosecuting Attorney. James Turney. A. W. Cavarly, for many years after a prominent politiean from Greene County : Ben Mills, the most gifted man in the state of his day, who died at Galena some twenty years later : J. W. Whitney, the Lord Coke of famous "Lobby" memory : John Turney, and perhaps other members of the bar, from "below." H. Il. Snow was appointed circuit clerk. He was, as before stated, peculiarly qualified for positions of this character and for many years "swung
21
PAST AND PRESENT OF ADAMS COUNTY.
around the circle" of public trusts, efficient, faithful, and respected by all. He was Circuit and County Clerk, Probate JJudge, Justice of the Peace, Postman and Recorder, and kept singing school besides. He died honored and lamented in 1860. Colonel James Black of Van- dalia. was the first appointed postmaster and recorder. but a Few days' residence disgusted him with the primitive surroundings and he left, deputizing his duties to Mr. Snow, who soon succeeded to both positions. Levi Hadley was appointed sheriff. an excellent man, who, four years later, in 1829, fell from a steam- boat and was drowned while on his way to Galena.
These, and those previously named, were all the county officials appointed or thought neces- sary at the time. In the year following, an assessor and treasurer were appointed. Nicho- las llanson was the representative, and Thomas Carlin, of Greene County, was state senator.
Up to this time, Atlas, forty miles south in Pike County, was the nearest postoffice. There was received a weekly mail, carried on horse- baek. When Quincy became a "local habita- tion and a name" it received the benefit of this weekly mail, but it was many years before the mail bag came oftener than once a week. Ac- cess to the world without was by horseback. and when not in an especial haste, by keel- boat or canoe. Steamboats came "occasional- ly." stage coaches were unknown, and roads were not yet made. The heaviest duty that pressed upon our new county commissioners was the devising where roads ought to be. There ran at this time along the river bank. under the bluff. a faintly beaten track, made by the military travel, from Fort Edwards (Warsaw) south. There was also a road from near the cabin of John Wood up the creek, di- viding when it reached the higher ground. one path pointing towards Fort Clark (Peoria). and the other eastward, towards the Illinois river, at Phillips' Ferry.
Although the location of the county seat had been established and the name decided, the work was, as yet, far from being done. The N. W. 2-2 S. 9 W. had. it is true. been declared by the authorized commissioners of Illinois, to be the county seat of Adams County, but the land belonged yet to the United States, and Adams County could exercise no ownership over it until the same had been bought and paid for. The land was not as yet in the market. A serions, but perhaps unavoidable drawback to the ready settlement of the new states was the delay of the Government in completing its sur- veys and throwing the lands open to entry. For nearly ten years after the admission of the
State, only the bounty or soldier's patented lands of the Military Tract were within the reach of immigrants, the Government, or " Con- gress" land, as it was called, not being ready for entry or offered for sale. A very judicious aet of Congress, however, had secured to eoun- ties the right of pre-emption, or priority of pur- chase, whenever the land came into market. of any one designated quarter-section to be used as a county seat. The land above-mentioned had been, as we have seen, selected by the State Commissioners ; but the next step, and the most difficult, was the raising of the money (about $200) to deposit with the land office and thus confirm the pre-emption; and herein "lay the rub."'
The score or two of residents of Quincy and the vicinity as yet had little money. Mount Pis- gah could almost as easily have been lifted from its base as the required amount for such a purpose have been furnished by our hand- ful of pioneers.
Fortunately a Mr. Russell Farnham. a well- known, liberal "river trader," the first who took out a peddler's license from the county. had the money and would advance it if he could have some personal assurances of its ultimate return. lle regarded the infant county as a very mythical institution, in a business point of view. On being thus assured, he. loaned the money ($200) and took the note of the Com- missioners. dated August 17th. 1825. seeured by H. H. Snow and David E. Cuyler as en- dorsers. This note was taken up and another given by the commissioners without endorsers, dated September 6th. 1825, payable May 15th, 1826, with 10 per cent interest from August 17th. 1825. This note was held by Farnham, and no payments were made on it until April 10th. 1829. when $205 were paid, and on the 1st of May. 1830. the remainder was paid. Mr. Farnham died not long afterward, of cholera, at Portage de Sioux.
With this money the patent was obtained, but not without much tribulation. It was well known that the quarter was fractional. while the precise number of acres was uncertain. The commissioners deposited as much of the money as they thought necessary, desiring to use the remainder for other purposes. They were ad- vised that their deposit was probably too small. Another installment was added and still the matter appearing doubtful. they were informed that if they would deposit the whole amount ($200) the patent would be at once issued to them for 160 acres, and the difference be re- funded whenever the exact measure of the quarter was ascertained. This was done and this is the reason why the patent or deed from
22
PAST AND PRESENT OF ADAMS COUNTY.
the United States conveys 160 aeres, while. as was subsequently ascertained on working out the field notes, when filed, the real area was but 154 acres.
The deed from the United States was not made until the 13th of February. 1832. It con- veys the N. W. 2, 2 S. 9 W. to the "County of Adams and its successors."
On the 9th of November the commissioners made an order that there should be a survey and plat prepared of the quarter section on which the county seat was located, and that a sale of lots should be hell on December 13th. They appointed Snow surveyor and he. in con- junetion with the commissioners. laid out the town in equilateral blocks, except where the diagonal directions of the river and the frac- tional proportions on the east and south varied the plan. Five streets were platted. running east and west ; the central one called Maine and the others named respectively, York. Jersey, Hampshire and Vermont. after the states from whence came the three commissioners and the clerk, six streets running north and south, after Front were, consecutively numbered from the river eastward.
In making this survey and plat. the leading idea with all was to reserve for the "public uses" the highest, most central and level ground so far as was possible. These surveys were made entirely in rods, not feet. The blocks. lots (where not fractional of necessity) and the streets, were uniformly laid out thus: Blocks twenty-four rods square; lots twelve rods deep. and six rods wide : streets four rods wide, except Maine street, which was given five rods. Block number twelve (now Washington Park ) was reserved as a public square. It was choice ground for such a use, and in relation thereto. "many a hard fought battle at the polls was made to preserve the public square from desecration by those who could conceive no other utility for the square than to make it the receptacle of every building that could be thought of, from the court house and the jail to the butcher's stall." The first butcher in Quincy spiked a wooden bar to a tree in the square. and hung his meat on it. When the community consumed the meat. and he con- cluded it would be ready for further consump- tion, he killed another animal. Besides the reservation above stated. there was also set apart a strip of land along the river for the purposes of a public landing, and all the tier of lots on Fifth street, between Maine and llampshire for "publie uses." Also that por- tion of the present Sixth street with all east thereof: now known as Block 31, 32, 33, 34, 35
and 36; and the front tier of lots along the river from Maine street south. were marked on the plat as "nappropriated ground," remain- ing thus until laid off in lots on a supplemental plan March 4th. 1828.
In 1826, the sonth half of what is now called Jefferson Square was reserved as a "burial ground for the people of Adams County. " and the lot on Fifth street immediately north of the court house for school purposes.
The sale occurred as ordered. having been duly advertised in the St. Louis and Edwards- ville papers, on the 13th day of December. It was continued from time to time, as the county commissioners ordered, and the last of the lots were sold in 1836. about the time the second court house was built.
There was but little speculation in the origi- nal "town quarter." Although it had been ex- tensively advertised. when came the sale day. few outsiders were present to buy, and the resi- dent neighbors had no means after buying their corn bread and bacon to spare for speculative purposes. The only Foreign purchaser was a Dr. Mullen, an army surgeon, who happened to be present. at the time of sale and bought a few lots. All the other lots sohl were taken by the town and county people.
Deeds were not given at once, as the title had not at the time of the first sale been formally received. Several years elapsed before complete conveyances were made. and. in the meantime many of the original purchasers hav- ing assigned their bonds, the title in such cases was made by the commissioners direct to the assignees. The terms were one-fourth cash, and the remainder in three annual payments.
The following are some of the prices paid : Lots 1 and 2. block 19, being the sonthwest cor- ner of Fifth and Maine, running half way to Fourth street, was bought for $30.00. The other portion of the ground to Fourth street, now including the Dancke building and the QUINCY (Newcomb) House, was bought for $46.00. The corner. 99 by 198 feet. on which now stands the QUINCY (Newcomb ) House brought $27.00, the highest price paid for prop- erty located around the square. Two hundred feet north from, and including the old post office corner on Fourth street. was struck off for $29.00. The Park corner (Maine and Fourth ). 99 feet on Maine street and 198 feet on Fourth. sold for $18.25. The corner of Maine and Fifth on which stands the Flach's building, soll (99 feet on Maine street and 198 on Fifth) for $16.25.
The following is a schedule of the first day's sale :
23
PAST AND PRESENT OF ADAMS COUNTY.
Block
Lot
Price
Block
Lot
Price
5
₾1
$ 6.00
17
$ 4.00
5
3
21.00
17
3
6.00
5
4
20.50
17
1
12.25
5
5
25,50
17
5
5.00
6
3
30.00
17
-1
10,00
li
+
20.00
17
]
18.25
18.00
13
4
11,00
1×
3
14.50
13
5
18.00
1×
5
14,50
13
7
9,00
18
6
12.50
14
5
5.50
18
18
4.50
14
14
15
3
19,50
15
12,00
19
1
27.00
15
15
6,50
19
16.00
15
8
10.00
16
1
15.00
20
1
16,25
16
. >
6.50
20
17
8.00
17
1
5,50
The ground on which now stands the QUINCY (Newcomb) House brought the high- est price of any on the hill. Rufus Brown, the first hotel keeper, bought it for a tavern stand, for which purpose it has always been used. It was part of the high. narrow prairie ridge that ran northeast and southwest across the public square, and was of course. in demand. Lots on the river bank stimulated the most competition. The only honse on the quarter seetion was the rabin of Willard Keyes. The highest price paid for any one lot was $38.00 and proportionately for others in block five and six on Front Street. The reason was, that there. Keyes had settled the year before, and an unfriendly acquaint- ance forced him to bid high to save his improve- ments. It may he said. however, in passing, that the worthy pioneer lost nothing. eventual- ly, by his purchase. For instance, thirty years later, a part of lot three, block 6. one hundred feet in depth. he sold to the writer at the rate of $100 por front foot. The whole lot 99 by 198 feet. had cost him in 1825. $21.00.
The first courthouse was located by order of the Commissioners. December 17th, 1825. on lot six. block eleven. This placed it in the edge of a natural grove on Fifth street, near the corner
of Maine, where now stands what is known as the Dodd building. It faced west. "At the meeting on December 16th. 1825. the County Commissioners ordered that the sheriff let 10 the lowest bidder the work of building a court- house, to be twenty feet long. eighteen feet wide, of hewn logs seven inches thick and to face
len inches, to be laid as close together as they are in l. Rose's house, " cthis was the cabin of lohn Wood. the first and modei house of the place, in which Wood and Rose lived), the lower story to be eight feet high. the building to have nine joists, eight sleepers, to be covered with clapboards and to be completed by March 15th. 1826. The work of putting up the logs was let to John L. Soule, for $79.00. The other contractors were Willard Keyes. $25.00: John Soule, stairways, etc., $32.00; Levi Hadley. chimneys, etc .. $49.50. Some minor contracts called for the finishing work to be completed by May 15th. 1826.
The organization of the county, of necessity. developed and made mutually acquainted the scattered immigration that had slowly come in during the past two years.
The residents of AAdams and Hancock Coun- fies are almost completely embraced in the fol- lowing list and their families:
Willard Keyes. Joshua Streeter, John Wood. Asa Tyrer. Earl Wilson, Daniel Whipple. Sam- uel Seward. Henry Jacobs. Jesse fox. John L. Sonle. Dr. Thos. Baker, JJohn Droulard. Ira Pierce. Hezekiah Spillman. Benjamin MeNitt. II. 11. Snow. Jeremiah Rose, from QUINCY and neighborhood : Sammel Stone, L. C. K. Hamilton, Peter Journey, Levi Wells. Fernando Slayton. Ebenezer Harkness. Abijah Cadwell. the two John Thomases. Rial Crandall, Levi lladley, Amos Bancroft. Daniel Moore. Thos MeCraney. Zepheniah Ames. David and Ames Beebe. Elias Adams, John Waggoner, Justus 1. Perigo, Jesse Coxe. Daniel Lisle. from the southern part of the county : Inther Whitney. Peter Williams, Hiram R. Hawley, Lewis Kin- ney. Samnel Croshong. George Campbell. Rich- ard Worley, From Hancock and the northern section : and Wm. lashley. Jeremiah Hill. Ben- jamin Iler, David Ray. Wm. Snow. James Adams. Silas Brooks, Jas. Green, Thomas Fore- man. William Barritt. Cyrus Hibbard and Mor- rel Marston, from different localities. Most of these came into the county during this or the preceding year, and the names may be recog- nized as those of families now residing in the county.
14
7.00
6.00
19
19
:)
16.75
15
12.00
19
18.00
19,50
19
14.00
14.00
13
6
20.00
17
6
5.50
10,00
li
18.50
18
2
11.50
13.25
9.50
19.00
14.25
38.00
19.00
2+
PAST AND PRESENT OF ADAMS COUNTY.
CHAPTER VIR.
1826.
POLITICAL. FIRST LEGISLATIVE MENTION OF QUINCY. COUNTY COMMISSIONERS' SALE OF LOTS. FIRST HOTEL AND HOTEL PRICES. FIRST GENERAL STORE. FREE AND EASY SO- CIAL LIFE.
The second year (1826) of Quiney's existence as the county seat saw slight and slow changes in its appearance and population. The same may be said of the county, which, however, grew a little faster. Trade, that great quickener of prosperity, was, from lack of production and market, as yet almost altogether wanting.
The general political record for this year shows the election of Ninian Edwards, former territorial governor and first United States senator, as governor, and Wm. Kinney, a Bap- tist clergyman, as lieutenant governor. They were men of very different personal appearance and characteristics. Edwards was a gifted, polished, proud, self-conscious gentleman, while Kinney, a shrewd, aspiring politician, and adroit on the stump. had none of these qualities. Joseph Duncan of Morgan county, one of the best publie men of the past. was elected rep- resentative to congress. (Illinois was then en- titled to but one), over Daniel P. Cook. (a most able and popular man, the son-in-law of Gov. Edwards). who had held this office for several years.
The special session of the legislature of 1825- 26, passed January 22nd, 1826, a state reap- pointment act, under which Pike, Adams, Schuyler, Fulton and Peoria counties and the region north, were constituted a representative district, which elected Levi Roberts and Henry J. Ross to the lower house of the general assem- bly. At the same session, a senatorial district was established, comprising the same counties, with the addition of Morgan. As this law changed the former senatorial districts, a singular proviso was added, to the effect that if in the new district thus constituted, the senator to be elected should be chosen from Morgan County, the then sitting senator (Car- lin) should hold over and be considered as the senator for the old district of Adams. Archi- bald Job was elected from Morgan, and thus Carlin, who resided in Greene county, remained as the senator. It was charged that there was a job in this legislation, but what it may have been was of but temporary interest and soon forgotten.
The first legislative mention of "Quincy" was in that session of 1826. when commissioners were appointed to locate a State road from
Quiney to Springfield. This was done, but for many years its line was only known by the "blazes" on the trees through the untraveled forest. A law passed January 27th, 1826, im- posed a graded assessment upon the several counties of the Military Tract, for the State revenue. Under this act. the assessment against Adams county was fixed at $200 per annum. The Judiciary law, which had been operative for the past two years was remodeled at the session of 1826-27 and new appointments made of cirenit judges. To the circuit composed of the Military Tract, with a few counties east of the Illinois river added, Samuel D. Lock- wood, of Jacksonville, was assigned, succeeding John Yoreke Sawyer. Judge Lockwood, a most superior man, held this position until 1831.
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