USA > Illinois > Edgar County > Our first one hundred and fifty years : Hunter, Stratton, Elbridge Townships, 1818-1968 > Part 5
USA > Illinois > Edgar County > Stratton > Our first one hundred and fifty years : Hunter, Stratton, Elbridge Townships, 1818-1968 > Part 5
USA > Illinois > Edgar County > Elbridge > Our first one hundred and fifty years : Hunter, Stratton, Elbridge Townships, 1818-1968 > Part 5
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One of the sources of pastime for the young people in the settlement was Mr. Boland's singing school. They would flock Sunday afternoons at some neighbor's cabin, and occasionally at night, each family taking it by turns furnishing house-room for the "singing school" and the young people taking it by turns furnishing tallow candles to light the scene.
In what is now Hunter Township there were probably more villages and ham- lets than any other township and none have ever developed to any size and as to- day the county has none.
Cambridge City was laid out with the intention for it becoming the county seat of Edgar County. It was the oldest city in the county. The record of the plat bearing date August 2, 1820. It was surveyed and laid out by John F. Thomp- son. The entire plot contained over 71 acres. The city presented a very beautiful appearance-on-paper-but when Paris was laid out soon after, and the
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locating of the county seat there, it forever put an end to the bright hopes of Cambridge City. It was thought that there was never anything in the way of busi- ness at Cambridge City. It is believed the town of Baldwinsville was founded on the same place as Cambridge City. A Post Office and a store was kept there by a man named Baldwin. The last store to run in this town was by Mr. Perry Martin, who died only a few years ago.
Huffmanville was named after David Huffman on whose land it was located and who kept a store and a post office there since the discontinuing of that at Baldwinsville. The post office was discontinued and for some time the store was operated by Thomas IcFall. J. Dawson kept a small store in the township and had a post office which was called Dawson Post Office. The place consisted only of a store, post office and a blacksmith shop.
There was at least a Post Office at Clay's Prairie at one time.
The first goods sold in Edgar County of which they had an account of was by James Dudley, whose first effort in mercantile transactions was in the way of a peddler, and afterward he opened a small store at the house of Daniel Lane liv- ing on the west side of the present Township of hunter.
William Whitely was one of the earliest settlers in Edgar County and located at North Arm. He was one of the first Constables appointed in the County and also served as Sheriff one term being elected in 1828.
Col. Jonathan l'ayo was the first Cicruit Clerk of the County, which office he held, with the exception of two years, until 1848. The first election ever held in the County was held at Mr. Mayo's house in the Spring of 1818. There was only 14 votes cast.
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CHURCHES OF HUNTER TOWNSHIP
NORTH ARM METHODIST CHURCH
The first sermon preached in Hunter Township and perhaps in Edgar County was by Reverend Joseph Curtis, a local preacher of the Methodist Church. He came to the settlement in the Spring of 1819. During the year, he formed a class at the residence of Col. Mayo. Reverend Curtis preached occasionally, also did a Reverend Love. During the winter of 1822-23, Reverend John W. McReynolds, who was one of the early settlers, came in and the next Spring succeeded in getting this class included in the regular work by Conference and the Reverend H. Vreeden- burg was appointed the first circuit rider, the house of Col. Mayo being used as the house of preaching. The first camp-meeting ever held in the County, was near this spot in August, 1823. Reverend Vreedenburg in charge, assisted by Reverend McReynolds and Dr. James. At this meeting occurred more than twenty conversions. Reverend Vreedenburg was returned to the circuit and is termed the founder of Methodism in Edgar County.
The "Old North Arm Church" as it was called, is the one just mentioned as established by Reverend Joseph Curtis, in 1819. It was organized at the house of Col. Mayo, but in a short time they moved their place of meeting to Mr. Curtis' house, where for twenty-four years, they worshipped. At the end of this time the North Arm Methodist Church was built and dedicated in the year about 1843. The first ministers to occupy the new church were Reverend Mr. Hargraves and Reverend Mr. McReynolds. This first church building was some distance east of the second North Arm Methodist Church, which was built in 1876 under the Minister of Reverend Mr. Hedges. This church was in the Vermilion, Clay's Prairie, Ashland and North Arm Circuit, until it closed its doors about 1952. The church building was later sold and is now used as a Community House.
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NORTH ARY CATHOLIC CHURCH
"ost of the early history of the Catholic Church in Edgar County, Illinois, centers around the Brown and Reynolds families.
On the suggestion of Father Stephen Theodore Badin, the famous Missionary under Bishop Flaget of Bardstown, Kentucky, and the First Priest ordained in the United States, a group of Catholic Kentuckians, most of them earlier settlers in Maryland, and originally from Englad, arrived at the "North Arm of the Prairie" in the spring of 1817. They were led by Aloysius Brown, who was born in Blanden- burg, Maryland, in 1793. They settled on land made available for entry by the Harrison Purchase Act of 1805. This land was offered for sale at $1.25, an acre, or $50.00 for forty acres. Accompanying Aloysius Brown was his young wife, Elizabeth Drury, and their first child, Magnus.
In the spring of 1818 Monica Brown, the oldest sister of Aloysius, arrived at the North Arm, accompanied by her husband, Barnaby Reynolds. Barnaby was her cousin to whom she was married with dispensation in Bardstown in 1813. Father David performed this marriage ceremony. He later, in 1815, became Bishop David of Bardstown. She was a direct descendant, on her mother's side, of John Rey- nolds, who came to Maryland as a Redemptioner in 1660. Barnaby's brother, Ig- natius Aloysius, was an acolyte at her marriage, and he became the second Bishop of Charleston, South Carolina, in March, 1844. He was the uncle of Sister Anastasie Brown of St. Mary-of-the-Woods; and Dr. Richard Bohan, for many years professor of Commerce and Finance at St. Marys Academy and College, was Monica's grandson.
Aloysius Brown's oldest daughter, Nancy, was born in North Arm in 1817, and educated at St. Mary's Female School in Vincennes, became a Sister of Charity in 1839, at Emmetsburg, near the first American home of the Browns in Maryland, on their arrival from England with Lord Baltimore's colonists. She died at Emmets- burg in 1852, and was buried there.
James Harrison Brown, son of Aloysius, was born in North Arm, September 10, 1819. His daughter, Alma Brown, was Sister M. Borromeo of the Sisters of Provid-
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ence. The Brown children and the children of all the settlers at North Arm had friendly Kickapoo children for their playmates. Sister Borromeo entered St. Mary- of-the-Woods, May 8, 1897. She is the author of a "History of the Sisters of Pro- vidence," the first of two volumes of which was published by Benziger Brothers in 1949.
Anne, another daughter of James H. Brown, Sister M. Gertrude, born at Elkhart, Wisconsin, where her parents resided for a short time after their departure from Edgar County, also became Sister of Providence in 1863, and died at St. Marys in 1927.
James Brown's grandson, James Russell, born in North Arm, has two daughters with Sisters of Providence. Irene, Sister Francis de Sales; and Loretta, Sister M. Theodore. Those sisters spent twenty years as Missionaries at Kaifing, East Honan, China. They returned to America and taught in Chicago schools.
Aloysius Brown's youngest daughter, Jane, born at North Arm, October 13, 1825, entered St. Mary-of-the-Woods, January 23, 1844. She became Sister Anatasie. She was elected the third Superior General of the Sisters of Providence in 1868. She served two terms in that office, and was assistant superior for several years. She died at St. Marys, August 10, 1918.
Within a few years after the arrival of Aloysius Brown several Kentucky fami- lies located with them in the North Arm settlement. Amongst these were the Blan- ford, Lightfoot, Bodine, Blackman, and McCarthy families. Father Badin appointed Aloysius Brown their leader and preceptor. In this capacity he acted betimes as school master. He taught the children to read and write; instructed young and old in their religion, and was in effect a pioneer user of the present day methods of the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine in this area. He baptized and officiated at marriages.
Then Father Lawrence Picot came to North Arm on his missionary rounds in 1831, he found twenty Catholic families who had not seen a priest in more than six years. When Bishop Brute visited them in 1835, he found sixty families, and they "consoled him by their zeal and piety ... truly zealous for their religion,
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talking of a Church which they would soon build." They did build it with bricks made by Aloysius Brown and Father LaLumiere (a native of Vincennes, ordained in Bardstown by Bishop Flaget in 1833) dedicated it to the service of God in 1837, and not in 1849 as generally believed. Mr. Brown also made and furnished the bricks for the first Academy at St. Mary-of-the-Woods. In 1837 Bishop Brute re- named Thralls Station, St. Mary-of-the- Woods and appointed Father Buteux to its pastoral charge. This fine priest henceforth divided his ministrations between that charge, St. Josephs, Terre Haute, and St. Aloysius, North Arm, the latter being the largest of the three charges.
Mentioning Thralls station brings to mind the fact that Joseph Thralls married Sarah Mattingly, in Nelson County, Kentucky, in 1815. They lived in North Arm in 1824, and a son Isaac was born to them there. These are probably related to our Father Mattingly and his family of Paris, whose ancestors also lived originally in Maryland.
In addition to his visit to North Arm in 1835, Bishop Brute is known to have called on the Browns later, on at least one occasion, when making a Confirmation Journey to Chicago.
Another distinguished visitor at North Arm was Bishop Van de Velde, who was consecrated the second Bishop of Chicago, February 11, 1849. He visited St. Aloysius Church twice between that date and 1853. His last visit was in 1853 on his way to Natchez, to which See he had been transferred because of ill health. Father George A. Hamilton, his Vicar General, was stationed in North Arm at that time as its first resident pastor, locating there in 1846. Father Thomas Ryan, his successor, was appointed according to some records in 1850, but it is hard to reconcile this statement with the fact that Father Hamilton seems to have been been continuously in charge there from the date of his appointment until 1853.
Mother Theodore Guerin, the saintly foundress of St. Mary-of-the-Woods, visited the Browns "to their great Joy and Consolation" when nature was hard on the settlers in 1845, and many of them were planning to leave as they afterward did, However, some known descendants of the Blanford, Bodine, Blackman and
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McCarthy families still reside in their area.
The Reynolds family lost three children in a short time with Malaria fever early in the 1840's. The constant recurrence of this malady caused the entire Brown-Reynolds group of families, including married sons and daughters, to leave Illinois in 1846
The Church was organized in Paris in 1849. Services were held in various places in this new town after that, until Father Joseph Vahey had a permanent Church and Rectory constructed on Railroad in 1863.
In 1885 Father Joseph Postner took charge of Paris and North Arm Churches, and remained until 1898, endearing himself to the people of all faiths, by his fidelity to duty and zeal for souls. During this pastorate he laboriously raised $15,000.00 for a new Church which his energetic successor, Father Lee, built here on ground once used by a Presbyterian Academy. The corner stone was laid in 1899. The building was ready for limited use late in 1900, but the formal Liturgical dedication did not take place until September, 1902. Besides the Church in Paris, which seats nearly 600, Father Lee had erected at the same time the present church at North Arm, seating about 150 people, and replacing the church dedicated by Father LaLumiere in 1837.
It will be of interest to many to know that T.F. (Frank) Egan was Treasurer of the North Arm congregation for 46 years, and that his father, John Egan, held the same position o f trust for twenty-five years before him.
St. Aloysius Cemetery, North Arm, is the oldest Catholic Cemetery in the eastern section of Illinois, containing graves of people who resided as far west as Mattoon, and as far North as Champaign.
The North Arm Church has also been kept in good condition by the generous contributions of the few members now left to maintain it. With the extension of rural electrification to the area, the Church was equipped with electric lights in 1948. Special gifts include vestments and a statue of the Sacred Heart from Mrs. Bridget Sullivan and daughter, Grace. Sources for information-Brief, Historical Sketch of the Parishes at North Arm and Faris.
By Father Cronin
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CLAY'S FRATRIE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
The present structure of the Clay's Prairie United Methodist Church was built in 1873. But as early as 1860 Clay's Prairie was mentioned in the conference minutes of the Edgar Circuit. Samuel Hunter, Grandfather of Mrs. Ray Brengle, Mrs. Forrest Elsberry, and Carolyn Hunter, collected donations to get enough money to start the construction of the present building.
The lumber was sawed at a saw mill owned by the father of Winfield and Frank Scott and stood just a short distance west of where the church now stands. The logs came from the adjoining woods. Prior to the completion of the new church, services were probably held in homes or in the Clay's Prairie schoolhouse.
In 1943 a new hardwood floor was laid and a chimney was built at the south- west corner of the building and a new and larger stove replaced the stove that stood in the middle of the building. In 1957 work was started on digging a basement under the entire church. The basement was finished in 1959 making room for a fur- nace with a stoker and 3 more Sunday School classes.
The church received its name from Henry Clay but he never owned the land on which the church stands. The land he entered from the government was south of the church.
Land deeded to Trustees of Clay's Prairie Chapel and the M.E. Church, March 1873 by Thomas and Emma Patrick.
The present Church Membership is 45 and Church School enrollment is 45 with an average attendance of 23. The present Minister is Reverend David Hutton. The Church School Superintendent is Paul Stafford.
By Amelia Black
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STATE LINE CHRISTIAN CHURCH
From an old Record Book of the State Line Church we find the record of January 11th., 1862 -
"We the Disciples of Christ at Clay's Frairie. In order to facilitate the Worship of God among us to constitute or organize ourselves in to a congregation taking the Holy Scriptures as our only rule of faith and practice, we, therefore, desire to be recognized by the Brethern as such under the name of the Church of Christ at Clay's Prairie.
For Elders - John Hunter, George Ahepley and William Holt. Deacons - Robert Barton, Vincent Stewart and James Watson. Secretary - Eli Martin.
At that time they had 77 members.
A note in the book written in 1960 "Mrs. B.F. Watson (age 84 years) said, "the first church meeting place was in Clay's Prairie Schoolhouse." Again a note said the State Line Christian Church, one-half mile West of Blanford, Indiana, on the Clinton-Paris road, was built in 1870. Native timber was used when the church was built on land donated by Edward Bruce. Active in erecting the structure were James Carney, Cy Henderson, James Watson, Jack Hunter, Richard Hobbs, Vincent Stuart and Alec Barton.
The church was again set in order by Elder W.W. Jacobs of Kansas, Illinois, August 31, 1887, with the following officers: Elders - James Watson, Eli Martin and Richard Hobbs. Deacon - George Tresner.
August 22, 1948, rededication services were held for the remodeling of the church. The church was raised and a basement dug under it, in which a new furnace was installed. Floors were sanded and a new carpet laid and the outside of the church painted. At this time the church had a membership of 100. There was a Ladies Aid Society of 24 members at that time. The present minister is Reverend Hamrick. The present Church School Superintendent is William Erwin, Jr. The church membership is 144 and the Church School average attendance is 60. Since 1909 there has been 480 people with their membership at the State Line Christian Church.
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POPULATION OF TOWNSHIPS
SOURCE: History of 1879 and Bureau of Census
TOWNSHIP
1860
1870
1930
1940
1950
1960
Stratton
1946
1621
856
822
729
642
Elbridge
1760
1807
1141
1118
907
792
Hunter
1029
885
822
464
415
FARMS AND GRAINS
At the time of the first settlements in Edgar County, 1817 to 1825 all kinds of produce and livestock were extremely low. Corn sold as low as 10 and 15 cents per bushel; Whear 372 cents per bushel; a cow and calf could be bought for $8 and $10; and a horse for $40. Bee-hunting was not only a pastime much followed but a profitable business for many persons in the community. Honey was often brought from the Embarrass timber in barrels by the wagon load and sold at 50 cents per gallon.
PRODUCTS OF AGRICULTURE FOR 1870 AND LATER FOR EDGAR COUNTY
YEAR
WHEAT
RYE
CORN
OATS
SOYBEANS
1870
260,643 Bu.
37,508 Bu.
2,107,615
290,679
1959
811,180
25,816
8,987,754
276,054
2,345,799
1964
1,203,993
8,652
10,457,137
157,626
2,289,968
In the year 1928 there were 7,000 acres of Soybeans grown in Edgar County In the year 1967 there were 97,800 acres of Soybeans grown in Edgar County with 3,325,200 bushels harvested. In the year 1967 there was a corn yeld in Edgar County of 17,236,800 bushels.
From the Bureau of Census of 1950, the Bureau reported the average value of land and buildings for all farms in Edgar County as $45,435, per farm. The tabulation shows a total of 1886 farms in the County. One-half of all the families in the County reported incomes in excess of $2,452 for the year - this figure being reported as the "median" family income for the County. Only 37.7 percent of the families reported incomes of less than $2,000, while 13.5 percent
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reported incomes of more than $5,000 a year.
Total retail trade in the County for 1948 was $21,057,000 through 316 stores.
Total value of farm products sold in Edgar County in 1949 was reported as $17,792,000. The principal items were: all crops, $10,397,000; livestock and products, other than dairy and poultry, $6, 418,000; dairy products, $542,000; poultry and poultry products $439,000.
Land in farms in county totalled 368,000 acres, according to the census report, while crops were actually harvested in 1949 from 273,000 farmland acres.
The Census report shows that 1,520 of the County's farms were served by Central Station Electricity and telephones were reported on 1,338 farms.
There were 1,702 automobiles on farms in the County and motor trucks on farms numbered 1,059. Tractors were counted as 2,813. Only 373 of the farms reported to be without tractors, horses or mules.
As of June 22, 1953, the Edgar County Department of Welfare administers the categorical program of public assistance. This includes four categories. The number in Edgar County receiving assistance under these four programs are as
follows:
Old Age Pension 620 Blind Assistance 15
Disability Assistance 34
Aid to Dependent Children
63 Families(which includes 215 persons).
From the 1960 Bureau of Census, we find the Median Income for families of Edgar County $4,283.00.
33.5 % under $3,000.00.
7.7 % of $10,000.00, and over.
91 % of men 18 to 24 years of age are working.
36 % of men over 65 years are working.
6.1 % of workers are unemployed.
17 % of workers are in manufacturing industried.
33 % are in white collar occupations.
10 % of workers work outside the county.
55.4 % of workers who worked in 1969 worked 50 to 52 weeks of the year.
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A list of purchases, sales and labor from an account book of Thomas Lesher, the father of Mrs. Myrtle Frye, whose home is one and one-quarter North of Vermilion, Illinois.
1885 Dec. 24 Sold 20 hogs, 1650 lbs. @ $ 3.25 $ 53.63 1886 Feb. 17 8 lbs. lard .64
Feb. 17
10 lbs. flour
.25
Feb. 20
27 lbs. side meat 2.43
Apr. 7
42 Bu. potatoes 2.27
Apr. 7
7. Bu. seed corn 4.20
Oct. 11
Chopping 3 cords of wood
1.50
Nov. 10
107 Bu. corn @ 25¢
26.75
1888
Feb. 22 112 lbs. bacon
1.15
Feb. 22
1 Bu. corn
.50
Feb. 22
1 1b. Honey
.25
Feb. 22
2 lbs. Butter
.36
Aug. 18
Thrashing 2 day
.50
Aug. 24
Plowing 1 day
.75
Aug. 25
Plowing 2 day
.37
Aug. 27
Plowing 1 day
.75
Aug. 28
Flowing 3/4 day
.55
1889
Oct. 11
1 load Hay
1.50
1890
Apr. 7 18 Bu. oats @ 20¢
3.60
May 6 1 Bu. corn
.50
June 2 1 Barrel Salt
1.20
July 19
2 tons Hay
8.00
July 19
¿ ton hay 2.00
Aug. 27
Stack of hay
18.00
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THE EDGAR COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY
This Society or Fair was organized during the summer of 1854. The officers elected were: Silas H. Elliott, President; Leander Munsell, John TenBrook and William Kile, Directors; S.P. Read, Secretary and William Kile, Treasurer.
The first Fair was held in October, 1854, on the farm of Z. H. Magner. The enclosure consisted of a rail fence and with the exception of a few sheds constructed of lumber hauled to the ground by S.H. Elliott, in which were dis- played goods from the store of Paris, the trees furnished protection from the sun and storm. There were no stables, or even stalls, for the use of stock, but horses and cattle were hitched to trees, and pigs and poultry were dis- played in a manner to suit the owners. A number of the merchants brought samples of their goods to fill up, and on the whole, the exhibition was a con- sidered a success. Four hundred and twenty-eight entries were made, and these, with the funds received from admissions, were sufficient to pay all premiums in cash. However, as the Society was but just starting and in need of money, and most of those to whom premiums had been awarded were really interested more in the success of the enterprise than in the small amount received as premiums, they donated their prizes back to the Society.
Perhaps but few fairs have since been held that caused more real enjoyment and were more generally voted a success than this first expotition in Mr. Mag- ners barnyard.
The fair under the name of Edgar County Fair was organized in the year 1861. The Edgar County Fair has always been a non-profit organization. The Society has never made a cash dividend to its stockholders, the profits being held in the treasury to meet future contingencies, or expand on improvement of the grounds. The Edgar County Fair held in September, 1878, was larger than any held before. The total entries aggregated 1,980, and the whole amount paid in cash premiums was $2,523.50. In addition to this, the current expenditures and amounts paid for improvements were $1,331.38, making a total paid out of $3,855.33, all of which was realized from the receipts of the Fair. The Fairs
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have had their ups and downs since their first organization - have had to dis- continue on account of times and money but there has always been a group to re- organize and start again.
The 1967 Edgar County Fair was held July 23-28, 1967. Officers, Dewey Wheeler, President; Max Huffman, Vice-President; Charles A. Johnson, Secre- tary-Treasurer and Frank Clinton, Ray E. Lange, Dewey Wheeler, J. Fred Richey, Arthur North, Dr. Ray L. Taylor, Raymond Kizer, John R. Mattingly, J. Ward Watson, Max Huffman, Robert Elledge and Harlan Watson, Directors.
The total premiums paid in 1967 were 3 41,073.71. The total number of animals and articles exhibited 2,546. The total number of exhibitors 437 The total expenditures $ 73,306.77 The total income § 71,835.16
At the 1966 Edgar County Fair Miss Carolyn Geiling was selected to serve as the Edgar County Fair Queen during the year 1967.
In July, 1967, Miss Jan Day of Vermilion, Illinois, was selected to serve as the Edgar County Fair Queen during the year 1968.
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SCHOOL REPORT OF 1897 - By Mr. William Roth
The following statistics showing the condition of the Public Schools of Edgar
County in 1897 -
Number of persons under 21
12,429
Number of persons between 6 and 21
8,618
Number of Districts
187
Districts having school 5 months or more
135
Total number of months school
934
Total number of pupils
6,786
Male Teachers
111
Female Teachers
147
Ungraded Schools
132
Graded Schools
4
Private Schools
1
Total amount paid teachers
$ 44,192.07
Total expended for support of schools
65,665.52
Estimated value of school property
96,989.00
Principal of Township Fund
56,010.72
The first school in the County was opened in 1820 in a little log build- ing erected on William Whitley's land in the neighborhood of North Arm. The honor of teaching this first school was claimed by several different persons, but the credit is generally given to Amos Williams.
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