USA > Illinois > Greene County > Past and present of Greene County, Illinois > Part 9
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To the best of our information there is only one person left in Carrollton who wit- nessed and remembers the events of which we have written, and that person is James C. Ashlock, who has been a resident of the county for more than seventy-five years, and as a coincident, Mr. Ashlock came into our office while the above was being written and vouches for the accuracy of the statements. At that time he was living on his father's farm five miles east of Carrollton, and. al- though he did not witness the Cavanaugh execution, he did witness the tremendous downpour of rain and the crowds of men and women returning home, the women mostly bareheaded, having Jeft their paper bonnets strewn by the roadside. And, further, Mr. Ashlock afterward removed the gallons up- on which Cavanaugh expired. Hat he might plow over the site.
The county records show the Inguinal townships of the county to have been Oder Creek, Maquapin, Center. Apple Check. Dia-
74
PAST AND PRESENT OF GREENE COUNTY.
mond Grove and Mauvaisterre. In 1832 the precincts were quite differently named. Maquapin, Otter Creek and Apple Creek re- main, but we have in addition Eastern, Car- rollton, Piasa and Mount Airy. The fol- lowing table of election returns, as we find it in the records, will show the vote of the county and its precincts in 1838. It seems that in that fall, by a clerical error in the re- turn of votes to the secretary of state, the number of votes cast for Stephen A. Doug- las. for representative in congress, was incor- rectly stated, whereupon the "Little Giant" appeared before the county commissioners and asked that a correct return be made. The court therefore ordered the clerk to make return to the secretary of state as fol- lows :
Precincts
Stephen A. Douglas
John T. Stevens
John Stevens
Mount Airy.
85
36
Jerseyville
80
85
Richwoods
74
47
Camden
25
74
Wilmington
70
I3
Piasa
36
59
Eastern
84
45
Apple Creek
95
48
Lorions Prairie
186
1.45
Kane
40
46
Otter Creek
4
42
Bluffdale
12
63
Carrollton
568
254
67
It will be noted that at this time Carroll- ton contained more than one-third of the population of the county.
In 1836 a financial excitement captured the people of the county which manifested itself in the rage for laying out towns. Everywhere along the river and highways, and even in remote, out-of-the-way places, towns were laid out and beautifully execut- ed plats were drawn and printed and adorned the walls of public buildings, while post-
ers and handbills were freely circulated an- nouncing frequent sales of corner lots. each setting forth the great inducements offered by the location for the investment of money. Each of these paper towns aspired at no dis- tant day to become a place or city of com- mercial importance. In each lot was hidden a wealth to the purchaser which was sure to develop itself in time. We find on the rec- ords of the county forty-two town plats. Among the projected towns which have not yet reached the height of their projectors' ambitions may be mentioned : - Randolph, Hartford, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Tener- iffe, Salisbury, Delaware, Concord, Nor- walk, Columbiana. Rivesville, Centerville, Bloomfield, Homer, Shipping Point and Al- bany.
The state banks issued floods of paper, prices rose enormously and speculation was rife. Men of foresight kept out of debt. but soon, when the collapse came, those who invested heavily in corner lots were ruined and in their fall carried down many a wor- thy man's earthly all.
In 1838 the county received a great ac- cession to its treasury. The legislature in 1837 passed an act to inaugurate the most gigantic system of internal improvement that the most visionary enthusiast could con- ceive of. By that act, entitled ".An act to establish and maintain a general system of internal improvements," in force February 27, 1837. before the population of the state amounted to one million inhabitants, there was appropriated $10.300,000 to improve rivers and build railroads. One hundred thousand dollars was to improve the Great Wabash river: $100,000 the Illinois river ; $100,000 the Rock river : $50,000 the Kas- kaskia river, and $50,000 the Little Wabash river. There was appropriated to improve
75
PAST AND PRESENT OF GREENE COUNTY
the great mail route between St. Louis and Vincennes, $250,000; to build a railroad from Cairo to the terminus of the Michigan canal, $3,800,000: for a railroad from Aton to Mount Carmel, and to Equality, in Gal- latin county, $1.600,000; to the Northern Cross Railroad from Quincy to the Indiana state line. $1,800,000; for a railroad from Peoria to Warsaw, $700,000; for a branch of the Central Railroad, $600,000; for a railroad from Alton to the Central Railroad, $600,000; for a railroad from Belleville to Mount Carmel, $150,000; and for a railroad from Bloomington, McLean county, to Mackinaw, $350,000. . All of that large amount was borrowed on the credit of the state. It was doubtless supposed that the representatives in the legislature from those sections of the state in which the vast amount of money was to be appropriated would. of course, not oppose the measure ; but from those counties lying outside of the line of the contemplated railroads. it was feared there might be sufficient opposition to defeat the scheme. Hence it was pro- posed, no doubt with a view of quieting op- position, to donate a certain amount of money in cash to those counties-in other words, to bribe the members to support the bill. Accordingly the act in one of its sec- tions made this provision : "That there shall be appropriated the sum of $200,000 of the first money that shall be obtained under the provisions of this act to be drawn by the sex- eral counties in a ratable proportion as to the last census made, through which there is no railroad or canal to be made at the expense or cost of the state of Illinois, which said money shall be expended in the improve- ment of roads, constructing bridges and other works." The representatives from Greene county were Franklin Witt, Cyrus
.A. Davis and Revelle A Foghh The bribe could not seduce them font the catfrei duty ; they voted against the ink - abilis senators, General James Turner and bilin Allen. The sum of $30.256 - Greene county's portion of the $200,000. The com missioners' court, through agents appointed for that purpose, loaned the money out in violation of law. With a portion of it. however, the bridges spanning Apple creek and Macoupin were built. Another portion was appropriated toward improving the road from Carrollton and White Hall to the mouth of Apple creek by throwing up em- bankments through the river bottom and bridging lakes, of which work not a vestige now remains. The Macoupin and Apple creek bridges were about the only permanent benefit the county ever received from the fund. It was another manifestation of the same spirit that originated the movement which brought about the division of the county.
Jerseyville was a new town, and these interested in her prosperity thought that nothing would do more to give an upward impulse to the price of lots than the locition of a court house in that village. If a new county were formed from the southern half of Greene county, Jerseyville would become the county seat and thus rapidly grow. It is also said that some points north of Car- rollton favored the movement in the hope that the county seat of Greene county might thereby be moved. To these arguments wis added the more substantial and cogent rel- son that the county was too large for con- venience or effective organization. In ef fort was made to divide the county 1 1830. but although the bill passed the general as- sembly, it was rejected by the people The northern and southern portions of the com-
76
PAST AND PRESENT OF GREENE COUNTY.
ty voted for the division, but the central district was opposed to the measure. The vote taken August 5. 1839. stood as follows :
For erection of Jersey county. 1239
Against erection of Jersey county 714
Majority for 525
During the year 1837, Nathaniel Graves, a prominent citizen of Pike county, commit- ted a deliberate murder. He was arrested and brought before the circuit court of that county, and brought by change of venue from that county to Greene county, where the trial took place before Judge Jesse B. Thomas in June, 1838. The case was one of the most important that had engaged the attention of the court for many years, and Stephen A. Douglas, Thomas H. Benton and other distinguished advocates were em- _ ployed upon it. Every device known to law was employed to clear the prisoner but with- out avail, and he was sentenced to be hanged on Wednesday, October 3, 1838. The pris- oner was remanded to jail, and to all ap- pearances devoted himself to making prep- arations for death. The jail then in use by the county was the plain stone structure now owned by the city of Carrollton and used for a city prison, and was considered quite secure. The time wore on until the Sunday before the day appointed for the execution. The prisoner was visited by his father and other friends, and appeared resigned to death. . At night he divided what money he had among the guards, saying he would have no more use for it. The next morning Graves and a young man named Thurston. who had been serving out a jail sentence, were gone : a small hole had been dug under the floor and so out. But it was a very Small hole, and many who saw it felt confi-
dent that no man ever crawled through it. It was quite generally suspected that money was used with some one to assist him to es- cape. Graves was never recaptured and so effected a most remarkable escape from the gallows. Thurston afterward returned and related the adventures of himself and Graves in making their escape from the county ; but he would never tell by what means they made their escape from the jail. Graves was afterward heard of in Mississippi, where it is thought he died.
In 1838 Amos H. Squires was appoint- ed treasurer of the county. He had occu- pied positions of trust before, and was re- garded by all as one of the most upright and substantial men of the county. Two or three years after his appointment, having about three thousand dollars in his hands, he absconded and for a year or more he could not be found. At last he was apprehended and brought to trial in the April term of 1844, at which time the county brought an action for debt against him and his bonds- men, Alfred Hinton, John W. Scott, Wylie Wilder, William Rainey and Young Wood. The suit was successful and the county ob- tained a verdict of three thousand and thirty- eight dollars and forty-eight cents. A new trial was granted and the case taken to Jer- sey county. The final result was that by means of some technicality. Squires escaped punishment and the county pocketed the loss.
THE OLD SETTLERS ASSOCIATION
In the issue of the Carrollton Gazette for September 30. 1871, the following invita- tion was published : OLD SETTLERS MEET- ING .-. As the matter has been so often spoken
77
PAST AND PRESENT OF GREENE COUNTY
of in the papers and by a large number of the old settlers of Greene county and it would seem appropriate that such a meeting should be held on my farm, a cordial invi- tation is hereby extended to all citizens who were residents of the county before the 'deep snow' to assemble in the grove one-quarter of a mile south of my residence ( it being on the south end of the first eighty acres of land settled in this county) on Saturday. Octo- ber 21, 1871, at ten o'clock a. m. The ob- ject of the meeting will be to organize an 'Old Settlers Association' for Greene coun- ty, and to listen to addresses appropriate for the occasion. Should the weather prove un- favorable for an outdoor meeting at that time. I am requested to say that the meeting will be held at the court house in Carrollton instead of the grove on my premises. As this matter has been. so generally agreed upon by our citizens, it is expected that a large and interesting meeting will be held and that all will give special heed to this the first meeting of the old settlers.
"Respectfully, "SAMUEL THOMAS."
The 21st of October was a bright, pleas- ant day and about one hundred and fifty old settlers, together with a large concourse of younger persons, assembled in the beautiful Thomas grove, southwest of Carrollton. This wood is located on the south end of the first eighty acres of land entered by Mr. Thomas in 1818, and selected as a squat- ter's claim some time previous. At about cleven o'clock the Carrollton cornet band played an old-time selection and the com- pany was called to order by David Pierson. Esq. Colonel Jacob Bowman was chosen chairman and, on taking the chair, invited Rev. C. J. Gardiner to offer prayer. This
: energible gentleman kaceledigpour liv yo Quel leaves in front of the apesyer sin! and, while the man guel best way home a solenmity was mandiesel lemme die occasion, and words appropriately copies- ive were uttered. myoking the Mesmg of God upon those whose lives had beat of love spared in His merey and bescecling o con- tinuance of divine favor. The floor they suggested that the appointment of a count mittee on permanent organization would Le in order : whereupon Messrs. David Phere), Esq .. Thomas Black, C. J. Gardine Tartans Howard and T. J. Short were chesem O1 motion Hon. D. M. Woodson, Trye L Hinton. Peter Hobson, Isham Luzles anij Martin Bowman were selected as : camnive tee on resolutions. At this point the chase- man, than whom there is none more -killed in the management of a dinner party, re marked that the committee would need some litttle time in which to prepare their reports -that the good wives and daughter- were present with bountifully ladened basket- that the hour had arrived and tha tables would be spread upon the green, and. while the band struck up another good od tune the meeting adjourned for dinner.
The dinner was bountiful in quantity. dainty in preparation and the best in quality. and was thoroughly enjoyed by all After an intermission of an hour, the band rei - dered another selection, whereupon Colonel Bowman called the meeting again . . or ler and asked for the report of the contuttee on permanent organization. David Pierson. Fsq .. chairman, presented the Gabovalle . "Your committee would respections nie ommend --
"Ist. That a society be formel to be denominated "Old Settlers Spory of Greene County.
78
PAST AND PRESENT OF GREENE COUNTY.
"2nd. That the officers consist of a president, ten vice-presidents, a secretary and a treasurer.
"3d. That the following persons be chosen as such officers: President, Captain Richard Robley, of Bluffdale; vice presi- dents, Samuel Thomas, Judge Alfred Hin- ton, General Jacob Fry, Major J. C. C. Parks, Anthony Potts, Peter Hobson, Mar- tin Bowman, Rev. C. J. Gardiner, Judge Thomas J. Short and David Pierson ; secre- tary, H. L. Clay; treasurer, Colonel Jacob Bowman."
Remarks, consisting in the main of in- teresting personal reminiscences by Samuel Thomas, Judge Hinton, Major Parks, Gen- eral Fry, Hon. D. M. Woodson and others followed and occupied the time until quite late. In the course of some general re- marks Judge Isham Linder, Judge Hinton, Thomas Black, Jonas Ward, David Pierson and others it was ascertained that Mr. Mar- vel Morris and Judge Linder had been resi- dents of the state longer than any one else present, the former for sixty-two years and the latter for sixty-one years. Captain Richard Robley was the oldest man present, he having been born in 1790.
On the IIth of November, at a meet- ing held at the court house at Carrollton, as per resolutions passed at the first meeting. Messrs. D. M. Woodson, Isham Linder, Dr. J. B. Samuel, Alfred Hinton and T. W. Vigus were appointed a committee to draft a constitution and by-laws for the organiza- tion. The meeting then adjourned to hear the report of this committee January 8. 1872, at which time the report of the com- mittee was considered and a constitution adopted.
The constitution provided, among other things, that the society shall consist, first, of
all persons who at any time prior to the year 1830 were residents of Illinois, and such per- sons, upon signing the constitution, shall be designated as senior members; and sec- ond, all persons, residents of Illinois, who shall have resided in the county of Greene since 1845. such persons, upon signing the constitution shall be designated as junior members. The rights, privileges and im- munities of the senior and junior classes shall be held in common, without distinc- tion or preference; and, third, honorary members, who may be received by vote at any regular meeting of the association. The constitution further provides that the asso- ciation shall hold its annual meetings at some convenient place in the county, to be selected by the president of the association, on the last Wednesday of August of each year; that the association, by a vote of a majority present at a regular meeting, may expel any member for habitual intoxication, or grossly immoral conduct; that every member of the association, on signing the constitution, shall furnish the secretary, either orally or in writing, a statement, giv- ing time and place of birth, the year in which he became a resident of Illinois and of Greene county, and shall pay to the treasurer fifty cents and annually thereafter fifty cents, which shall constitute membership for him- self and wife, and the money thus paid shall be used to defray the contingent expenses of the association and for no other purpose.
The election which followed the adoption of the constitution resulted in the choice of the following officers : President, Samuel Thomas; vice-president, Alfred Hinton; secretary. H. L. Clay; treasurer, Jordan Howard ; precinct vice-presidents-John W. Huitt, Carrollton: James W. Gregory, White Hall; Isham Linder, Greenfield; N.
PAST AND PRESENT OF GREENE COUNTY.
M. Perry, Kane; John Roodhouse, Rood- house ; Martin Thorp, Fayette ; Richard Rob- ley, Bluffdale; George L. Burriss, Eastern ; Jesse C. C. Parks, Mount .Viry : L. J. Patter- son, Northwestern; Perry McConnathy, Mineral Springs : Perry Clendennin, Wood- ville : Michael Kinser, Walkerville ; Michael Waltrip, New Providence.
The second regular meeting of the asso- ciation was held on the fair grounds and was addressed by Hon. D. M. Woodson, Dennis Davis of Missouri and Judge Cyrus Tolman. In 1873 addresses were delivered by Rev. 11. 1. Guild, Colonel J. C. Winters and Everett Griswold. The meeting of 1874 was perhaps the largest and most inter- esting of any held by the society up to that time. Dr. S. HI. Culver, of White Hall, Dr. B. C. Wood of Carrollton, Hon. Newton Cloud of Morgan, and Hon. D. M. Wood- son of Carrollton made addresses. Music was furnished by a volunteer choir.
The death of Samuel Thomas. Heman Goodrich, Titus Vigus, Jesse C. C. Parks and Everett Griswold were cited and appro- priate resolutions passed. In 1875 about three thousand five hundred persons attended the annual meeting and listened to addresses by Hon. W. C. Flagg, of Madison county, Rev. B. B. Hamilton, of White Hall, and Hon. Joseph Morton of Morgan county. The death of Dr. J. B. Samuel was re- ported. In 1876 the address was delivered by Rev. B. B. Hamilton, of White Hall, as was also the address of 1877, on which latter occasion the death of the following settlers was mentioned: Anthony Potts, aged sev- enty-eight years : Edward Flatt, aged eighty- nine years; David M. Woodson, aged sev- enty-one years ; W. C. Rainey, aged seventy- nine years : William Webb, aged eighty-five years ; Mrs. David Wooley, aged eighty-one
years: Mr -. Mary A. Wiling et hity- two years: Mrs. Fiz ber Rien aged eighty year -. In 1878 M.gd & M Kropp of Winchester addressed 10 2.2019 The obituary record for the yom infofor the names of Mrs. Eliza Verdier, Ble Sich Gregory. J. W. Gregory, Joseph Goe Ms. Sarah Crist, Sarab Waltrip and Wemm Griffin.
At this meeting Afrel Hinton was elected president and Dr. C. Armstrong and Ed Miner secretaries and Jordan Howard treasurer.
The ninth annual meeting, held on the last Wednesday in August, 1879, wis ad- dressed by Hon. Joseph Gillespie, of Ed wardsville. The obituary roll showed that thirteen of the old pioneers had died since the last meeing. It was stated that three thousand people attended this meeting. David Pierson was elected president : Ed Miner, secretary: F. M. Bridges assistant secretary ; J. E. Price, treasurer.
The next meeing. August 28, 1880. was a good one not withstanding the extreme dry weather and the dusty condition of the roads. Rev. Elisha J. Palmer and Hon. Judge Burr and Fx-Mayor Brown of St. Louis were the speakers on this occasion. The report of the obituary committee showed that death had claimed twenty-seven of the members since the last annual gathering. The officers elected were David Pierson, president: Ed Miner, secretary : T. D. Price, assistant sec- retary : J. E. Brace, treasurer.
The eleventh annual meeing in August, 1881, was largely attended notwithstanding the dust and heat. The old settlers were en- tertained with addresses by Rev. B. B. Ham- ilton and Hon. James W. Enghsh. The obituary roll contained the names of fifty- four of the members of the society deceased
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PAST AND PRESENT OF GREENE COUNTY.
since the last meeting. Rev. B. B. Hamilton was elected president ; Ed Miner, secretary ; L. D. Price, assistant secretary, and Jordan Howard, treasurer.
On the occasion of the twelfth annual reunion, August, 1882, Rev. B. B. Hamilton, of White Hall, called the meeting to order. Hon. George E. Warren and representative John N. English, of Jerseyville, were the speakers. Twenty-six names were added to the list of those who entered upon their last sleep since the 1881 meeting. Officers elected were Dr. C. Armstrong, president ; Ed Miner, secretary ; Jordan Howard, treas- urer.
The old settlers, at their next reunion in 1883, were delightfully entertained with an address by Rev. John D. Johnson, of Athens- ville, who in addition to his speech sang in good voice the following ballad :
THE MUSICIAN'S HARP.
Years have come and passed away, Golden threads have turned to gray, Golden ringlets once so fair, Have changed to silvery hair. Soon I'll launch upon the tide- Onward glide with noiseless oar, Seeking for a brighter shore.
CHORUS.
Bring to me my harp again, Let me hear its gentle strain, Let me hear its chords once more, Ere I pass to yon bright shore.
Oh. those chords of magic power, Take me back to childhood's hour. To the cot beside the sea Where I knelt at mother's knee; But that mother, she is gone. Calm she sleeps beneath the stone, While I wander here alone, Sighing for a better home.
CHOR 'S.
Soon I'll be amongst the blest,
Where the weary are at rest. There with those that's gone before, Singing praises ever more, Now my boat is on the stream, I can see the waters gleam. Soon I'll with the angels roam, Dear old tide, I'm going home.
CHORUS.
Obituary roll at this meeting showed twenty-seven deaths. Officers elected were Dr. C. Armstrong, president; Ed Miner, secretary ; N. J. Andrews, assistant secre- tary; Jordan Howard, treasurer. The Dun- can sisters' quartette of White Hall furnished delightful vocal music, and a resolution of thanks was tendered them by the association.
Wednesday, August 24, 1884. was the date of the next reunion and a most enjoya- ble time was had; the old settlers were out in greater numbers than usual and the young settlers also. Judge Henderson and Hon. James W. English made the addresses. The officers chosen at this time were Edwin Wooley, president; Ed Miner, secretary; Jordan Howard, treasurer. Death roll ninn- bered thirty-six.
The fifteenth reunion, August, 1885, was attended by the largest gathering of any yet held. The audience was entertained with short speeches and reminiscences by Hon J. W. English, Nathaniel Miner and M. Slaten of Jerseyville, B. B. Hamilton and J. C. Winters of White Hall, and Senator R. H. Davis of Carrollton. Thirty-six deaths. Officers chosen : Edwin Wooley, president ; Ed Miner, secretary ; Jordan Howard, treas- urer.
The sixteenth reunion was a most enjoy- able one and was attended by a large con- course of the old pioneers. Hon. George E. Warren, of Jerseyville, was the speaker.
SI
PAST AND PRESENT OF GREENE COUNTY.
Obituary roll showed thirty-eight deaths. Officers selected : Joshua C. Winters, presi- dent : Ed Miner, secretary : Jordan Howard, treasurer.
On August 31, 1887. occurred the sev- enteenth annual reunion. Elder J. A. Berry, of the Christian church, Carrollton, delivered the address. Thirty-seven deaths reported. Officers, same as last year.
The 1888 meeting was not smaller in point of numbers and enthusiasm than any preceding. Short addresses were made by a number of the old settlers, and the Duncan sisters' quartette, of White Hall, furnished charming vocal selections. Sixty-two deaths. Officers: Singleton F. Greene, president : Ed Miner, secretary : Jordan Howard, treas- urer.
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