USA > Illinois > Christian County > Past and present of Christian County, Illinois > Part 9
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PAST AND PRESENT
forsakes them when they reach a point or station in life in which they feel that they are independent.
The want of conveyances. the compara- tive isolation of the people, the necessity of depending upon your neighbor to a great extent : the common motive of securing a home, that induced this people to take up their abode in the wilderness, were all ele- ments that educated them in the line of free hearted, unselfish citizens, the same as the elements of plenty and the ability to purchase whatever you desire, the want of a common motive, except to see who can get rich the quickest are educators of selfish- ness and greed that exist to such an extent with the people of today. On the one hand, we have the warm, open-hearted, un- selfish pioneer, who lived not for himself alone, but for his neighbors as well and was ready at all times to make any sacri- fice to benefit his neighbor, and it seems to have been an unwritten law with these people that they were honest with one an- other : on the other hand, the citizen of to- day is selfish, unwilling to accommodate a neighbor: unable to appreciate a friend's (listress and his actions in life are promoted largely by greed, and the more congested the population the greater seems to be this characteristic in the human family.
The fame of the fertile prairie of Illi- nois had reached even to the state of Con- necticut, and as early as 1836 a band of people sent Rev. Gideon B. Perry and Thomas H. Hewitt to Illinois to prospect. locate and enter a large body of desirable land. It is said these representatives trav- eled over most of the northern part of the state, as well as Christian county, and finally decided to locate in the northeastern part of this county, on the west side of Flat Branch. They entered 10,000 acres
of land, which was divided and allotted by atiction among the members of the colony in North Stonington, Conn.
Some of these colonists came in the year 1837. and others in the year 1838, but before leaving home they had selected their location and determined upon laying out a site for a city upon the lands entered, and also upon the erection of some public build- ings. The principal persons composing this colony were Thomas P. Chapman, Nicholas Sanders, William S. Frink, Benj. F. Chap- man, Gideon Wilber. Elija Palmer, Allen P. Peabody, Frederick Fitch. Wm. S. Pea- body. Rev. A. Ackley, Elias S. Peabody, Amos Peabody. Thomas Skiff, Thomas Millard. Samuel Peabody, Samuel N. Pea- body, Paris Pray, Horace Morgan, John D. Brown. Deacon Smith, John P. Will- iams. Andrew B. Chapman and C. Tyler Chapman.
Immediately upon their arrival they began the work of building their homes; a large six-room house was built by the company as the writer is informed, in which Thomas B. Chapman resided.
The gatherings of the colony were held in this house : this was the place where they assembled for a long time for public wor- ship. This house or home was the centre to which all of the colonists in that locality were attracted : 160 acres of land entered by this colony was appropriated, before di- vision, for the founding of a city, to be called "Stonington City." It was surveyed and platted in lots and blocks, under the direction of Gideon B. Perry. "chairman of the executive committee of Stonington" colony. It contained a public square, park, 42 blocks and 504 lots, with many streets, and is recorded on page 390 of book 47 in the recorder's office of Christian county. This is a transcribed record.
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This city never materialized ; the lots were used for agricultural purposes and after- ward the plat was vacated and the land disposed of as a farm.
A charter was secured for the founding of a school, to be known as "Brush Col- lege," which was never founded. They did, however. provide for good schools in that locality, and because of the number of people that came together they had many advantages that did not come to the settlers who came single handed or in smaller numbers. The large house spoken of above is remembered by many of the children that were born in Christian county belonging -to that colony. They say it was a place to which they would all go for pleasure, re- ligious service and public meetings gener- ally. It sat upon a high knoll. and in the early days, when occupied by Mr. Chap- man, was a guiding star to those who trav- eled across the prairies.
Springfield was the point to which these people mostly went to do their trading and frequently upon their return it would be after night before they reached their homes -when it was known that any of the people of the colony had gone to Springfield or elsewhere, Mrs. Chapman, commonly known as "Aunt Martha," would place a light in the window to serve as a guiding star for those who were trying to cross the prairie. It was very difficult to keep your course in traveling across the prairie after night. and the light in the window kept by this old lady was to the traveler upon the prairie what the lighthouse is to the mariner upon the sea.
Paris Pray and B. F. Chapman resided on the opposite side of Brushy Branch, and had to cross this branch to reach this home in the colony : they were great church goers, and in times of high water the only way
which the branch could be crossed was by canoe, so they prepared, from a hollow log, a canoe, that was kept for use on all occa- sions ; Chapman and Pray used to cross this creek in this canoe, and it is said that Chap- man was a large man and somewhat awk- ward, and Pray used to make him lie down in the canoe and keep still for fear he would tip it over, while Pray would row across.
No doubt the people of this colony had many good times and they had the correct idea of the early settlement of a new coun- try. The committee who selected the lands for this colony acted judiciously, as these are today among the most valuable lands of Christian county, and many of them are occupied at the present time by the de- scendants of these colonists.
The people composing this colony were thrifty, energetic and law-abiding citizens. They were of a religious character, and ob- served the laws of God and their duties as Christians with as much scrupulousness in the wild west as they did in their old stead- fast home in Stonington, Conn.
This colony was a blessing to Christian county, and aided very much in building it up, and in inculcating a spirit of fairness and a due observance of the laws: many of the important offices of the county have from time to time been occupied by mem- bers of this colony.
From the best information that the writer can obtain, a general settlement of the prairie land did not begin until after the building of the Illinois Central Railroad, and of the Alton & Terre Haute Railroad (now the Big Four), and Mr. Walker in- forms me that even as late as 1854 that there was no settlement between his home. then in the south part of Johnson township and Robinson creek in Shelby county, ex- cept one place owned by Lane, afterwards
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known as the McCoy farm; that the towns of Pana and Rosemond were not then in ex- istence: it was about this time that the prairies began to be settled.
The town of Pana was first laid out and settlement commenced in about the year 1855, and the postoffice for that locality that had been located near Stone Coal was then removed to Pana, and shortly after, in about the year 1856 or 1857, the town of Pana was incorporated, which is now a prosperous city. Prior to 1856, the only families then living in Rosemond town- ship, were those of Reed. Wolf and Blackburn, then living in or near Bell's Grove. In 1856 the colony from Massa- chusetts, composed of Benjamin Hawley. O. M. Hawks, Brainard Smith, Mr. Mar- vin, Benjamin Warner and John Putnam, came to this county and purchased a tract of about 2,000 acres of land in Rose- mond township, and named the town Rose- mond. The five houses for these families were framed in St. Louis and all alike, and were brought across the river on the ice and shipped out on the Alton & Terre Haute road on the first train that came to Rose- mond.
These houses were erected near the village now called Rosemond; the name of Rose- mond was selected by this colony before they left Massachusetts. The first Sunday after arriving in the village, these families organized a Sunday school and held public worship, the Congregational church was organized there in the summer of 1856: set- tlements at about this time began to spring up along the Alton & Terre Haute Rail- road and the Illinois Central Railroad ; with the coming of the Illinois Central Rail- road a colony of French settled near what is now known as the village of Assump- tion, and the town was then called Tacusah.
The other railroads traversing the county were not located until much later, and the towns on these roads sprung up after 1868.
The credit for the early settlers of this county is not due to the man alone, but the woman of that day was equally as cour- ageous, and is, perhaps, entitled to even more credit, the man could relieve the monotony of the routine work by the many excursions to mill and to market, but the wife and daughter were compelled to re- main at home and in practical solitude dur- ing these days of anxiety; the husband raised the sheep and flax, the wife carded and spun the wool and spun the cotton, and wove it into linsey for dresses for them- selves and into jeans and made out of that raiment for the husband.
"Every house contained a carding, loom and spinning wheel, which were considered by the women as necessary for them as the rifle for the men. The loom in use was a rudely-constructed one, consisting of two pieces of scantling running obliquely from the floor to the wall ; later, the frame loom came into use and was a great improve- ment." It is said that the rattling of the loom, the whirr and buzz of the spinning wheel and the song of the maid at the wheel were among the delights of the household, and the women were proud of their ability to perform this work and the amount they could do and the perfection of the cloth that they could make by these processes. It is also said that in many instances when the men would gather together for the pur- poses of having a log-rolling or house- building or corn-husking or occasions of that character, the women also assembled with their spinning wheels and that the music of the many spinning wheels was de- lightful to listen to.
They had no stoves upon which to do
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their cooking ; that was done before the fire- good appetites were the rule and not the exception." place, and usually the Johnny cake and other species of corn bread were served up for din- "The bread used at these frolics was baked generally on Johnny or Journey cake boards, and is the best corn bread ever made. The board is made smooth, about two feet long and eight inches wide; the ends are gen- erally rounded. The dough is spread out on this board and placed leaning before the fire; one side is baked and then the dough is changed on the board so the other side is presented in its turn to the fire. This is Johnny cake, and is good if the proper ner while mush and milk was the favorite dish for supper; in the fireplace hung the crane ; the Dutch oven was used in baking. The streams abounded in fish, which formed a healthful article of food: many kinds of greens, such as dock and polk, were eaten. The truck patch furnished roast- ing ears, pumpkins, beans, squashes and potatoes, and these were used by all. For reaping-bees, log-rollings, house-raisings, the standing dish was pot pie; coffee and womaterials are put into it and it is properly baked."
tea were used sparingly, as they were very dear and the hardy pioneer thought them a drink fit only for women and children. They said it would not "stick to the ribs," but you talk to an old settler today and he will tell you that the bread baked in the old fireplace in the old fashioned way was the best bread he ever ate; that nothing equalled it. In those days many wild fruits grew in the timbers and berries which were gathered and prepared by the housewife and every effort made upon her part to make the meals palatable, and indeed they were palatable and healthful. There being no church house or regular services of any kind to call the people together, they no doubt "cheerfully accepted invitations to house-raisings, log-rollings, corn-husking's or a bee of any kind ; to attend these gath- erings, they would go ten and sometimes more miles. Generally with the invitation to the men went one to the women to come to a quilting ; the good woman of the house . where the festivities were to take place would be busily engaged for a day or more in preparation for the coming guests. Great quantities of provisions were necessary, as dyspepsia was unknown to the pioneer, and
REYNOLDS' HISTORY.
"At all log-rollings and house-raisings, it was customary to provide liquor; ex- cesses were not indulged in, however. The fiddler was never forgotten. After the day's work had been accomplished out doors, and in, by men and women, the floor was cleared and the merry dance began. The handsome, stalwart young men whose fine forms were the result of their manly out-door life, clad in fringed buck- skin breeches and gaudily-colored hunting shirts led forth the bright-eyed, buxom damsels, attired in neatly-fitting linsey woolsey garments to the dance, their cheeks glowing with health and eyes sparkling of enjoyment, and perhaps of a tenderer emo- tion."
Log-rollings, house-raisings and corn- huskings are not entirely out of the memory of persons living at the present day ; many of the older inhabitants remember well oc- casions of the character of these, and that they were very enjoyable affairs. The amuse- ments were simple, but pleasant, and af- forded a great deal of pleasure to those who participated therein.
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A good description is given of a corn- shucking of the oldlen time in Reynolds' Pioneer History of Illinois, in the following language :
"In pure pioneer times the crops of corn were never husked on the stalk, as is done at this day, but were hauled home in the husk and thrown in a heap. generally by the side of the crib, so that the ears, when husked, could be thrown direct into the crib. The whole neighborhood, male and female, were invited to the shucking, as it was called. The girls, and many of the married ladies, generally engaged in this amusing work.
"In the first place two leading expert husk- ers were chosen as captains, and the heap of corn divided as nearly equal as possible. Rails were laid across the pile so as to desig- nate the division, and then each captain chose, alternately, his corps of huskers, male and female. The whole number of working hands present were selected, on one side or the other. and then each party commenced a contest to beat the other, which was in many cases truly exciting. One other rule was, that whenever a male husked a red ear of corn he was entitled to a kiss from the girls. This frequently excited much fuss and scuffling, which was intended by both parties to end in a kiss. It was a universal practice that taffia or Monongahela whisky was used at these husking frolics, which they drank out of a bottle, each one, male and female, taking the bottle and drinking out of it, and then handing it to his next neighbor, without using any glass or cup whatever. The cus- tom was common, and not considered rude. Almost always these corn-shucks ended in a dance. To prepare for this amusement fiddles and fiddlers were in great demand ; and it often required much fast riding to obtain them. One violin and a performer
were all that was contemplated at these in- nocent rural games.
"Towards dark, and the supper half over, then it was that a bustle and confusion com- menced. The confusion of tongues at Babel would have been ashamed at the corn-shuck- ings. The young ones hurrying off the table, and the old ones contending for time and order. It was the case nine times out of ten, that but one dwelling house was on the premises, and that used for eating as well as dancing.
But when the fiddler commenced tuning his instrument the music always gained the victory for the young side. Then the dishes, victuals. table and all, disappeared in a few minutes, and the room was cleared, the dogs driven out, and the floor swept off ready for action. The floors of these houses were sometimes the natural earth, beat solid, sometimes the earth with puncheons in the middle over the potato-hole, and at times the whole floor was made of puncheons.
The music at these country dances made the young folks almost frantic, and some- times much excitement was displayed to get on the floor first. Generally the fiddler on these occasions assumed an important bear- ing and ordered, in true professional style, so and so to be done; as that was the way in North Carolina, where he was raised. The decision ended the contest for the floor. In those days they danced jigs and four- handed reels, as they were called. Some- times three-handed reels were also danced.
In these dances there was no standing still -all were moving at a rapid pace from the beginning to the end. In the jigs the by- standers cut one another out, as it was called, so that this dance would last for hours. Sometimes the parties in the jig tried to tire one another down in the dance, and then it
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would also last a long time before one or the other gave up.
The cotillion or stand-still dances were not then known. The bottle went around at these parties as it did at the shuckings and male and female took a dram out of it as it passed around. No sitting was indulged in, and the folks either stood or danced all night, as generally daylight ended the frolic. The dress of these hardy pioneers was gen- erally in plain homespun. The hunting shirt was much worn at that time, which is a convenient working or dancing dress Sometimes dressed deer-skin pantaloons were used on these occasions, and moccasins -rarely shoes-and at times bare feet, were indulged in.
In the morning all go home on horseback or on foot. No carriages, wagons or other vehicles were used on such occasions, for the best of reasons-because they had none.
Dancing was a favorite amusement and was participated in by all.
"Alike all ages; dancers of ancient days, Have led their children through the mirthful maze,
And the gray grandsire, skilled in gestic lore,
Has frisked beneath the burden of three- score."
There were many other amusements in- dulged in by the settlers of that day, and while it is said that they were more athletic and rude than those of today, they certainly had the virtue of being as innocent as the amusements of today, and were not suscepti- ble of being called demoralizing.
"Among settlers in a new country, from the very nature of the case, a higher value is set upon physical than mental endow- ments. Skill in woodcraft, superiority of muscular development, accuracy in shooting with the rifle, activity, swiftness of foot,
were the qualifications that brought their possessor fame. Foot-racing was often practiced, and often the boys and young men engaged in friendly contests with the Indi- ans. Every man had a rifle, always kept in good order ; his flints, bullet moulds, screw- driver, awl, butcherknife and tomahawk were fastened to the shot-pouch strap or to the belt around the waist. Target shooting was much practiced, and shots were made by the hunters and settlers with flint-lock rifles that cannot be excelled by their de- scendants with the improved breechloaders of the present day. At all gatherings, jumping and wrestling were indulged in and those who excelled were thenceforward men of notoriety. Cards, dice and other gambling implements were unknown. Danc- ing was a favorite amusement. It was par- ticipated in by all. At the shooting matches which were usually for the prize of a turkey or a gallon of whisky, good feeling gener- ally prevailed. If disputes arose they were settled often by a square stand-up fight, and no one thought of using other weapons than fists. They held no grudges after their fight, for this was considered unmanly; it was the rule that if a fight occurred between two persons the victor should pour water for the defeated as he washed away the traces of the fray, after which the latter was to perform the same service for the former.
The early settler that became a permanent fixture or attachment to this county was of a peculiar type. As before explained, some of these localities were settled by colonists, others by neighborhoods coming from the same locality in other states, and with these they brought many of the customs of the particular locality from which they came. Some of them were fond of hunting, others of horse-racing. I am told that in an earlier day the horse-racing gatherings were great
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occasions, that people would come from all parts of the county to a horse-race, and much time, money and energy were spent upon this class of amusement, but with the men fond of horse-racing and other amusements came also the church-goer, and those who delighted in assembling for religious wor- ship. True, they had no church houses, but the home of the Christian settler was readily converted into a place of religious worship. and his larder not unfrequently supplied the attendants on such occasions. The Sabbath clay was duly observed by many of these people, and the man of God, with his bible in his hand, was an instrument for doing good, and in fact did much in the education and training of the young.
We can refer to two men of central Illi- nois, who were typical preachers of that day: Peter Cartwright and Aaron Vande- veer-and while they differed much in their habits and type, yet they were both strong- minded, fearless ministers, and went about doing much good, with but little remunera- tion.
Vandeveer was a resident of this county, Cartwright of Sangamon, and these men more than once put to shame and routed "the common bully," who prided himself in being a terror to the community in which he lived ; while the ministers, of which these mentioned were two types. were not highly educated, yet they were men of good sense, sound judgment, with a deep-rooted con- viction of right from wrong, and just such men as were needed for the building of this county; too much cannot be said in praise of the early settler who revered the laws of God, and sought to do unto others as he would they should do unto him.
It is said that the Rev. Aaron Vandeveer and the Rev. Peter Cartwright had often heard of one another, but had never met.
It was customary in those days to travel on horse-back, and almost every person had a pair of saddlebags that he threw on the back of his saddle. As they were riding along in the same direction, Cartwright overtook Vandeveer ; they conversed for some time ; cach concluded that the other was the man he wanted to see, and finally Vandeveer turns to Cartwright and says : "I would take you, sir, to be a Methodist preacher." "Ah," said Cartwright, "and why?" "Well, from the tone of your conversation and the white cravat you wear." Without making any answer, and after riding a little further along, Cartwright says to Vandeveer : "And I would take you to be a Baptist preacher." "And why?" says Vandeveer. "Well, from the tone of your conversation and the bottle I see sticking out of your saddlebags." It must be remembered that Vandeveer was a Baptist preacher of the old persuasion, and with that denomination at that day it was not uncommon for them to take a little for the stomach's sake, but did not use it to excess.
The lands of Christian county were not all registered for entry in the same office. Some of them were registered at Spring- field, some Edwardsville and some Van- dalia : the selecting and entering of the better lands by the earlier settlers and speculators was in that day one of the leading business interests of this locality, and was to some remunerative.
The records of the county disclose that some speculators entered thousands of acres, purchased at a very low price ; it often hap- pened that on account of the location, beauty or fertility of a particular tract of land ob- served by different persons at about the same time, that great racing contests were had as to who should reach the land office first and enter that tract of land, something sim-
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ilar to the contests that have been going on in the territories for the last few years, which have attracted the attention of the whole world.
An amusing incident is told of two old settlers near Clarksdale, W. T. Hewitt and Y. B. Clark, who were leading citizens in that locality. A spirit of emulation, if not rivalry, grew up between these men; each of them desired to be the more prominent, to obtain the larger landed estate, and this at times led each of them to oppose the other in obtaining what he desired; it is said that there was a nice tract of land located near Clarksdale that Mr. Hewitt wanted and Mr Clark also desired this piece of land. and by some means he had learned that Mr Hewitt was going the next day to the land office to enter it, so Mr. Clark, instead of waiting until the next day, started that night, rode all night, reaching the land office early in the morning and obtained the much coveted prize. They were both hearty, strong-minded, level-headed, active men, and while they were not classed among the earlier settlers, they came here at a day when the county needed such men, and both did a great deal towards the advancement of the part of the county in which they lived.
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