USA > Illinois > Menard County > Past and present of Menard County, Illinois > Part 11
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Orleans market. Some two or three months Wore consumed in grinding the load. the bolt- ing being done by hand. This proved an un- fortunate venture. Overstreet and David Hurt never returned. They were stricken with dis- case and died in the Crescent City. she ti. Hurt returned, broken in purse and in -pirit.
In an early day Jonathan Dunn built a steam grist mill here and after operating it a year or two he sold out to Strawbridge & Croft. They attached a distillery to it and ran the two to- gether for a time, but this has long since been a thing of the past. In 1856 John Overstreet, a relative of the pioneer, and Alexander Hale built a brick steam gristmill at an outlay of eleven thousand dollars and began operations in [856. It was a very fine mill and for many years it did a fine business. It has long since ecased to be. Salzenstein, the Hebrew mer- chant. did as much for Athens, financially. per- haps, as any other man. The first blacksmith slop in the village was opened in 1832 b Charles P. Smith. He was followed later by Thomas Tabor and William Brown. A pottery was operated here in the early times by John Pierson. and it did a paying business for a time. Goble & Sacket and also one Ramsey tried the same business at a later date. Tradi- tion says that there was once a cotton-gin here. but this must have been before "the winter of the deep snow." as, for some reason. no cotton was raised here after that date. At one time "Old Salty," as Mr. Salzenstein was called, brought a bale of clothing to this place : a num- ber of persons were present when it was opened and in a short time cholera broke out and a number of people died from it. It was observed that those who were first stricken with it were those who were present when the goods were opened.
The history of the churches. schools. business. ete .. is to be found in another chapter.
SAANDRIDGE.
By Sandridge we do not mean the voting pro- cinet of that name, but the settlement that was made north of that of Petersburg and west of the Sangamon river, on to the west line of the
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county. In Petersburg we included the Little Grove, running almost as far north as the vil- lage of Atterberry. But it is no matter about fines; we are giving settlements and the old settlers, and in doing this lines play no part. This section, like the rest of Menard county. is prairie, with groves of timber interspersed, giving it the appearance of a giant farm. with orchards planted here and there. This see- tion is a little more rolling, perhaps, than other portions of the county. with rich and pro- ductive soil, save a portion in its northern part. where ridges of sand prevail, giving the name to the locality.
Few indeed antedate the settlers who came fir-t into this locality. There is. however. greater trouble in determining who was in reality the very first white man to locate here than in any other part of the county. "Who was the first settler of Sandridge?" Who will answer the question? Thirty-nine years ago this question was propounded to the oldest. "in- habitants" at that time, and the replies did not agree. One said most emphatically that it was Jesse Armstrong : another. just as old and just a- reliable, said it was Royal Potter; and a third, just as good a witness. said it was Wil- liam Sampson. Now. who can settle the dis- pute ? It will never be settled. They were all here in 1819. and if there is any preponderance in the testimony it is in favor of Mr. Arm- strong. He was from Tennessee and laid a claim near where Concord church now stands. the cabin being about a half mile almost due south of the church. After a few years he re- moved to Arkansas and later to Texas, where he died. William Sampson was from Ken- tueky and made improvement about a mile east and a little north of Armstrong's claim. Hle "kept batch" for awhile but was married in 121 or 1822 to Hannah Schmick. After mak- ing several improvement- in Sandridge he finally crossed the river to the neighborhood of Greenview, where he died. His sons are all dead, too. Potter was from Tennessee or Ken- tueky and made improvement on land that now is a part of the Shipley estate. This land he afterward sold to Sampson and Sampson sold it to Reason Shipley, George and Jesse Miller came here in 1520 and located in the northeast
corner of this territory. near the Sangamon river. The Millers kept a ferry on the river and to this day it is called Miller's ferry. In days gone by a town was laid out and some im- provement made at this ferry, but on the Mason county side. Bannister Bond. who came from Tennessee, laid a claim on land about three miles due north of Petersburg, but in a short time located in Clary's Grove. He was noted for his powerful muscular development and physical endurance. He would cut timber and work it up into rails by day and then at night he would carry them on his shoulder to his clearing and build a fence with them. George Undspeth came from Monroe county. Alabama. in 1823. Elias Ilohimer. Reason Shipley. Jacob Short and his sons. Obadiah. James and Harrison. came in 1824. Hohimer and Shipley wore from Kentneky and were permanent citi- zons here from the time they came. Short and his son- were from Madison county. in this state. and first settled near Petersburg and then re- moved to Sandridge. Jacob Short was a ranger in the war of 1812 and did his country good service. The year 1825 brought large numbers of recruits to this part of the county. . lol Clary, who had settled in Clary's Grove in 119, came at this date. and with him came his sons. John A. and Ingh. William Armstrong and his brother Pleasant. Isaac Colson. William and James Rutledge, John Cameron. Charles Revis and his sons. Isham and Alexander. Absalom Mounts and his son James. Robert Davis. and doubtless some others were here before the close of this year. In a former history of this county it is said that George Kirby and Wil- liam Watkins, known as "Fiddler Bill." were settlers of this county before 1825. Now, the fact is that Mr. Kirby was born. not earlier than 1810. in Madison county. Ilinois. while Watkins was born in Menard county, and the very first settler in the county was not here till 1819. George Kirby and "Fiddler Bill" Wat- kin- were settlers in Sandridge when they were young men, but they lacked a long way of being among the first settlers. Watkins was the first white child born in the county, but that could not have been earlier than 1819, and he would have been quite a juvenile settler prior to 1825. The Armstrongs were from Kentucky and had
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PAST AND PRESENT OF MENARD COUNTY
settled on Indian creek before they went to Sandridge. Colson was from the state of Maine and settled in the northwest part of this section. The Rutledges were originally from South Carolina, but had lived for some time in White county, in this state. before coming here. Cameron was a brother-in-law of Wil- liam Rutledge and with him settled in the southeastern part of this section. They, of course, are dead. but many of their descend- ants are here. James Pantier and his son. David M .. came here in 1826. The elder Pan- tier was a Kentuckian by birth and was the second male white child born in the state, his father having accompanied Daniel Boone in his hunting and warring with the savage red- skins in "the dark and bloody ground." Ho settled near the site of Concord church and lived there till near his death, when he went to live with his son, David M. Pantier. Ile lies in the old burying-ground on the farm that belonged to Rev. A. H. Goodpasture. David M. Pantier died some fifteen or eighteen years ago. Among those coming in 1827 we name Thomas Dowell, John and James Yardley. Solomon Norris, Janne Runners, George Bow- man. and John Brahm. Sr. Dowell was from the south. and settled on the river bottom. near where the village of Oakford now stands. James Hud-peth. Mathias Young and John B. Colson were here before the deep snow. During the fall and winter after the deep snow. a large settle- ' ment was in and around where the village of Oakford now stands. Amos Ogden. Isaac White. Matthew Lowasberry and sons. Jona- than and Matthew. and other-, were among the delegation. Nearly all the settlers mentioned before were from the south, but these last named were from the northern and eastern -tate-, and they gave to the neighborhood the name of the "Yankee Settlement" to distin- guish it. Passing down through the years we find the list already given, increased by the names of William B. Cloe. Samuel Lown-berry. I-aac Ogden. Hayden Thomas, John Wald- ridge. John Kirby. Milton G. Combs. James Alrig. George R. Watkins. J. I. Short. James Potter and E. C. Stith. These were all here prior to the year 1810. All of these have cross- ed the dark river except Samuel Lownsherry
and Milton G. Combs. and they are nearing the crossing.
The village of Oakford was surveyed and platted for the proprietors, William Oakford and William Colson, by surveyor A. J. Kelly. in March, 1822. The town plat contains sixty aeres and is in the midst of a magnificent. agrienltural district. The land on which the town is located belonged to Colson and Oak- ford spenred a half interest by using his inilu- ener getting a station there. A public sale of lots was made on the 11th of April. 1822. and over two thousand dollars worth were disposed of, and in a short time the work of improve- ment was begun. The first building was called the railroad store. a shanty in which was kept supplies for the railroad hands. Soon after the village was laid out William Oakford built a storeroom, and opened a stock of groceries in it. In the summer of 1822 a stock of goods for a general store was opened by C'alvin Atter- berry, who had been in business in "Bobtown." In 1813 Isaac Ogden and A. G. Colson bought Atterberry out. In January, Ist1. 1. W. Roberts bought Colson out and the firm became Ogden & Roberts. In October, 1815, they sold out to Sutton Brothers, who operated the store three years. and then sold out to S. L. Watkins & Brother. In June. 1823. H. A. Bennett. of Petersburg, opened a stock of drugs and shelf goods, in the old railroad store. This changed hands several times, and finally. in 1826, S. L. Watkins bought the establishment. In the spring of ISES Dr. J. D. Whitney and W. C. Roberts opened a drug Store. In 1876 (. . ). Maliby and John M. Walker opened a harness shop. The first dwellings were built in is ;? by Dr. J. D. Whitley and Charles Meyers. Thus the town started out and steadily grow from year to year. till it is a town of tive or six hundred inhabitants and is a good busi- ness point. The first marriages in the town Were: A. G. Colson to Rachael Skaggs. in 1×12, and b. W. Roberts to Carrie C. Ogden. in 1823. Dr. J. D. Whitley was the first prac- ticing physician there, and Dr. J. T. Miers, now of Petersburg. also practiced for a time. Dr. Bolinger practiced medicino there for a number of years, and died there two years ago.
PAST AND PRESENT OF MENARD COUNTY
They had saloons in the place during almost all of its history.
Oakford has not grown much of late years but is a substantial little business town. having two large general stores, carrying dry goods and groceries, one owned by Oliver Maltby, who has been in business in the place for over twen- ty years. There is one grain elevator, which handles a large amount of grain. Marion At- terberry owns a large drug store and also keeps a stock of hardware. They have also a black- smith shop and a splendid little hotel. They have not neglected the matter of education for they have an excellent school building of four rooms, fully equipped with all that a modern school requires. The veteran teacher. I. A. Hartley, is at present superintending the educa- tion of the youth of the village and surround- ing community. Some years ago the Method- ist church, which formerly stood some four miles southwest of the town. was moved to the town. During the summer of 1901 the house was remodeled and is now one of the neat and comfortable houses of worship of the county. The congregation also owns a comfortable par- sonage on a lot adjoining the church. Five or six years ago the town built a good town hall. at a cost of about one thousand dollars. Oak- ford has a very fine farming country around it. and the trade of the town is equal to that of any town of the same size in central Illinois.
ROCK CREEK.
"Time writes no wrinkles upon the brow of Old Ocean. as upon those of the fading race of man." With some degree of truth. the same might be said of the country on Rock creek. The last eighty years. it is plain to be seen. has wrought as little change on the general ap- pearance of the country as upon any part of this county. The storms and sunshine of more than four score years have ilung light and shade over its hills and vales since the men, whom God made white, laid their claims and built their cabins in its sheltering timber. These cabins have rotted away, their weight-pole roofs are gone, and the smoke is seen no more as it curls from the low top of the mud-daubed stiek
chimney, and the wild game is gone forever. but the timber has been better protected than in other localities, while the hills and fields and rippling streams have been less distorted by the hand of civilization than elsewhere. The little stream. Rock creek, which gives its name to this settlement. flows almost cast. in its gen- oral direction but it meander, in its course. dallying and playing on its way. as if charmed by the beauty of the scene and loath to mingle its waters with the turbid. murky flow of the Sangamon. The territory that we include in what we term "Rock Creek" include- what is known as "Wolf county." Why this name was ever given to this section we cannot learn. After diligent enquiry for many years. we have no idea why the name was over applied.
The first cabin over built by a white man in this settlement is said to have been put up Dy Amor Batterton. Amor Batterton was from Kentucky and built this cabin on Rock creek in 1819. Some claim that he came to this vicinity in the fall of 1818, and put up the cabin but that it was not occupied till the next year. No matter how this may be. it is beyond dispute that he settled here in 1819. He reared a large family and many of his descendants are still living in this county. The same year that Batterton settled here. a man by the name of Ratliff and his four sons .- James. Job. William and Joshua. James Fisher and George Gamerel settled in the timber along the creek. Jacob Miller settled at Farmers Point in 1819. Solomon Keltner and William Stephenson came also in 1819 or 1820 and located in the same neighborhood. Rev. James Simms and his son- in-law. James Black. also came in 1s19-20. and took claims. They were from Kentucky and Mr. Simms told the following story, which we give as he told it. and the reader may set his own estimate upon it: "That he was a Cumberland Presbyterian minister, a great re- vivalist and a leader at the camp-meetings. Hle established a camp ground soon after he came to the neighborhood. which for many years was the scene of an annual camp-meeting. and that some of the remains are still to be seen on the sacred spot." This man Sinuns must have taken an active part in temporal as well as spiritual things, for he was the first repre-
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PAST AND PRESENT OF MENARD COUNTY
sentative in the legislature from Sangamon particulars whatever. Elihu Bone died in 1856. county. But the camp-meeting story seems a little lisby. for no such man was known to the historians of the early Cumberland Presbyterian church in Hinois. AAbsalom Matthews came also this year. This comprises the settlement up to the year 1821. when the following ro- eruits were added to those already here: Tarl- ton Lloyd. George Miller, Marshall Duncan. David S. Taylor. Matthias. James and William Yoakum, and perhaps others whose names are forgotten. Lloyd was born in Virginia in 1981 and died in 1885 .- over a hundred years old.
he settled where he died. He said there were two cabins ou the place when he came. One of these was twelve by sixteen feet and into it he moved his family, in which they lived till the next summer. Two years later he built a howed-log house, eighteen by twenty feet ; after- ward this was weather-boarded and a frame ad- dition built to it. This house was standing a short time ago, but it wore the marks of time. looking weather-beaten. moss-grown and near ils end. Lloyd had nothing when he came here. only a few household articles,- no stock or money. Soon after he came he bought a cow from Shipley .- probably Reason Shipley. giv- ing in exchange for it a wagon : he also bought another from George Greene, giving a feather bed for it. He was a soldier in the wir of 1812. werving under Captain Henry West. Fourth Regiment, and was in the battle of New Orleans. This Miller settled in the Sangamon botiom, and Duncan on what is known as Gar- den Prairie. Taylor bought the place origin- ally settled by Batterton and also the claim of Matthews. The Yoakums were natives of Vir- ginia intt had migrated to Kentucky in an carly day and from there they came to Illinois, first stopping in Madison county, and after a while they went to Montgomery, where they stopped a while, and then came on to Menard. Samuel Combs came from Kentucky in 1821 and settled on Rock creek, and two years later. in 1826, his brother. Jonas Combs, came and settled near him. They are both dead many years ago, dying on the places that they settled. Elihn Bone came from Tennessee, in 1821. and bought a claim from a man named Flynn, on Rock creek. Of this Flynn we could learn no
Isaac Cogdell was a Kentuckian by birth and came to Rock creek in 1826. He died twenty vars ago, on the old homestead. The father of Isaac Cogdell, Joseph Cogdell, was a Baptist preacher, and came to that settlement in 1523. He died in 1828, his being one among the first deaths in that little settlement. Rev. John M. Berry, a Cumberland Presbyterian minister. came in 1821. and soon after organized a con- gregation of that church, on Rock creek. He was a man of unblemished Christian character and of great power. He was the "apostle" of his church in central Illinois, He died in C'lin- ton. Illinois, sometime in the 50%. Elijah Houghton came from Kentucky and settled on Rock creek in 1821. His father, Aaron Hough- ton, was a native of New Jersey. though of English stock. He was a soldier in the Revo- lutionary war. He emigrated to Kentucky. when it was, indeed. "the dark and bloody ground." it being the battle-field of the south- ern and northern Indians, as it was later the battle-field between the northern and southern whites. Elijah Houghton was a man of con- siderable prominence in the community and died in 1852. A. M. Houghton, a son of Elijah. and who was born in Illinois, was a very prominent man in this section of the state. He was known far and near as "Hickory" Houghton. No man in central Illinois -food higher in public regard than he. His word was as good as his bond : his judgment was good on every subject: and no man's counsel was songht more than his. He died some years ago in the same house in which he was born. at the age of nearly seventy years. His widow is still living, at the home of her daughter. Mrs. John S. Hurie, within a short distance of the old home. Charles Houghton, a brother of Elijah Houghton, came in 1821 and settled on the farm afterward owned by Isaac Cogdell and on which Cogdell died. In the period of 1826 to 1828. there were several additions to the settlement : Robert Johnson. Jesse Vowell. Michael Davis and William Irwin came in that time. d. H. Smith was also an early settler here. He was a son of Sammuel Smith, of Rhode Island. who married a Rhodes, of the family of Rhodes for whom. it is said. Rhode Island was
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PAST AND PRESENT OF MENARD COUNTY
originally named. C. J. F. Clark may also be ranked as one of the early settlers of this soc- tion. He was one of the first county commis- sioners of Menard county and was the first county judge, after the county was organized. He served eight years as judge and four as commissioner. He died many years ago. in Ca-, county.
The above includes all the early settlers whose names we could learn, though doubt- less some were missed who deserve to be men- tioned among them, but when we look back over a period of eighty-five years. it is not strange that many of the pioneers who came to this wilderness then and remained but a short time, or died in a few years. are forgotten by the few left. We are soon forgotten.
"If you or I to-day should die.
The birds would sing as sweet to-morrow : The vernal Spring her flowers would bring. And few would think of us with sorrow.
Yes. he is dead. would then be said ;
The corn would floss. the grass yield hay, The cattle low. the summer go.
And few would heed us passed away.
How soon we pass! How few, alas! Remember those who turn to mold! Whose faces fade. with autumn's shade. Beneath the sodded churchyard cold :
Yes. it is so. We come, we go- They hail our birth. they mourn us dead. A day or more, the winter o'er, Another takes our place instead."
It is with no intention of injustice to any one that we quote these lines. They are beauti- fully pathetic and as true as beautiful. None mis- us when we pass away but our immediate relatives and in a little time they forget us and laugh as merrily as when we sat by their side. Such is life, and such is human nature; and it is well that we can forget and that time does thus heal our sorrows, or life would be- come a burden that none of us could bear.
Most of the first comers to Rock Creek were from Kentucky and Virginia, where timber and running water existed in profu-e abundance. and they looked upon the timber that bordered Rock erek and the Sangamon a- a -rond
paradise. They then regarded the prairies as barren wastes, lit for nothing but pasturage. and this was the reason that all the first set- tlements were made along the water courses. in the edge of the timber. Drive wells were un- known and to move out on the open prairie would have been considered as great an act of insanity as to attempt to cross the desert with- ont water.
One of the very first religious organiza- tions formed in Menard county, was the Rock Creek Cumberland Presbyterian church. It was organized by the Rev. John M. Berry. some elaim as early as 1821 or 1822. certainly not later than 1823. Rev. John Simon- came a short time prior to the organization of the society and these two veteran pioneers and preachers of the gospel laid out a camp-ground in the timber of Rock creek and held camp meeting, there for many years. It was the good seed sown in good ground that brought forth the abundant harvest in after years, which is still seen in the Rock Creek Cumberland Presbyterian church. The church building stands near where the camp-ground was lo- cated. The first start at a place of worship was the shed that was put up on the camp- ground. but some time later they put up a log house, which was used for a number of years as a schoolhouse and also a church. Some years afterward they erected a frame church of ample dimensions to meet all their wants. and this house served all their purposes till some twelve or fifteen years ago when they put up the house that they how worship in. as neat and comfortable a country church as can he found in this or any other county in central Illinois. They also have a comfortable par- sonage, standing near the church. The Rev. J. W. Elder is their pastor. A cemetery ad- joins the church. This is beautifully located. tastefully laid out and is kept with the greatest care.
The first school in this settlement was taught by a man of the name of Compton. in a little log cabin on the claim of Tarleton Lloyd. This school was taught in 1821 and 1825. The fol- lowing year Ira MeGlassen taught a school in a cabin on the claim of Elijah Houghton. the old "Hickory" Houghton place. Illustrative of
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PAST AND PRESENT OF MENARD COUNTY
the schools of those days, a story is told of an occurrence that is said to have taken place in thi- vicinity. A young man learning that a certain neighborhood was contemplating hav- ing a school if they could secure a teacher. visited the community and was referred to a certain citizen, who. he was told. was empow- ered to deal with him. He called on the old gentleman who said they wanted a school teacher, and that he was to examine him as to his qualifications. He set the young follow to reading in the Bible, in the genealogical part of Genesis where were numberless hard names to pronounce. After reading a chapter or two the old man stopped him with the remark that he thought he could teach their school. Then he told the young man to write out a certifi- cate of his qualitication, which. when done. he handed to the old man to sign. The latter said to him: "You just sign it too with my name, and I will make my mark as I can not read nor write." This is not an unreasonable story by any means. In Menard county not fifteen years ago, and under our boasted free school system, there was a school district in which not one of the three directors could write his name.
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