Past and present of the city of Quincy and Adams County, Illinois, Part 14

Author: Collins, William H. (William Hertzog), 1831-1910; Perry, Cicero F., 1855- [from old catalog] joint author; Tillson, John, 1825-1892. History of the city of Quincy, Illinois. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1905
Publisher: Chicago, S. J. Clarke Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1228

USA > Illinois > Adams County > Quincy > Past and present of the city of Quincy and Adams County, Illinois > Part 14

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Looking with natural ambition and proper judgment to the necessity of soon becoming a city, the trustees, late in November, appointed Samuel Holmes, General Leech and J. E. JJones a committee to examine the city charters of Alton, Chicago and St. Louis, and to draft a

city charter for Quiney. the same to be sub- mitted to the board and if then approved, to be presented to a meeting of the citizens and it approved likewise by them a copy to be sent to the legislature at the special session. A special session of the general assembly had been called to meet on the 9th of December. The charter as prepared was presented to the trustees and approved on the 30th of Novem- ber, and on the following week was approved by the citizens. some slight alterations being made.

But although a city charter had been pre- pared and approved both by the board and the people, all was not yet smooth sailing. Faction had still its part to play, and there were now stirred up the same elements which, existing then, today and forever, did, do and always will, thrust themselves into the van of every publie movement, and either destroy the meas- ure by reason of the disgust which their asso- ciation creates, or after being ignored in their wished for prominence, seek to annoy and em- barrass its success.

The story is almost ludicrous. At a meeting held on the 13th of December, by the malcon- tents, it was resolved that the proposed charter was "anti-republican in its features, oppressive in its tendencies and premature in its object and design." A protest was made to the legislature against its adoption, unless it should "be first shorn of its anti-republican features. to-wit- First. a property qualification to the right of holding office. Second, unconstitutional restric- tion on the right of suffrage. Third. exorbitant power in the council to control and affect ( ?) the interest of the people in relation to ferries, " etc.

The trustees were greatly exercised by the ru- mored action of this meeting, and appointed a committee to call upon the secretary and ob- tain a copy of the resolutions. This commit- tee, after much delay, reported that the sec- retary had twice refused to give them a copy, but that after calling upon him a third time they obtained what they desired "by offer and payment of two-bits. " Thereupon the trustees resolved that "in the opinion of this board the proceedings of the meeting are disrespectful to this body, both in the getting up resolutions. as two previous meetings of the citizens had sanctioned the actions of the board (with some minor amendments) among whom were some of the main leaders and officers of the last meet- ing."

This amusing account of the struggle over the charter concludes the record of opposition to the city organization. The charter became a law during the current winter, without op-

PAST AND PRESENT OF ADAMS COUNTY.

position in the legislature, and was almost unanimously ratified by the people in the fol- lowing March (1840).

A financial report covering the period from July 1. 1838, to April 15, 1839, the time when the second town charter went into operation, showed the expenses to have been $3,460.38, and the receipts $4,338.76.

Thirty steamboats arrived during the last ten days of April. A number of new business enterprises were begun. Whipple and Wyeke started a woolen mill, just north of the town on what is now Cedar creek, and Bond, Morgan & Co., a bakery, these two being the earliest to any extent in the town.

Skillman's eirenlating library was com- meneed in connection with his book store.

The slavery question was still an issue. An anti-slavery and a Colonization society were formed.

Several large meetings were held to consider the Mormon matter, at which strong sympathy was expressed for them, and a denunciation of the conduet of the Missourians, a sentiment which. a few years later greatly changed.

This Mormon immigration, which had so sud- denly commenced in 1838, continned during the early part of this year, but later in the year it began to flow away towards their new pur- chase at Nanvoo, and before the next winter had set in most of these strange people had left. the city. The story of their perseention had given an impetus to their proselytism, and be- side those who came from Missonri and the eastern states, there were large foreign acces- sions.

These last, like the others, naturally came to Quiney, where Joe Smith, their prophet, tem- porarily resided. Early in April, of this year. Smith ( who was a sort of town notoriety), with fonr other Mormons, fell into the hands of a party of Missourians, who, under some form or pretext of legal process, were taking them to the Boone county jail, but, while on the route, Smith and his friends got away, leaving the guards all sound asleep. Smith heralded it forth that the "spirit of the Lord had put blindness over his raptors' eyes," but the bet- ter believed story was that another sort of spirit had been temptingly applied to their lips. lhowever this escape may have occurred. whether by a miracle or not, it was a most tell- ing card to be thus played for the benefit of the sect. The condition of these people was very deplorable at this time. They crowded together in the barns, onthonses and sheds and many in huts and tents throughout the town. Some of them were almost entirely destitute. They kept np their religious services and observances, and

were for a time much more numerous than any other religions or ecclesiastical society, in the place.

There were many varieties of religions organ- izations here, but as yet, very few church strue- tures. Until this year the old Congregational "God's barn," on Fourth, was the only finished church. During this year, however, the Baptist. church on Fourth also, north of llampshire, and the old Methodist church, on Vermont south of the courthouse, was nearly finished. Also the Episcopalians finished and ocenpied their first church, a little long frame building on Sixth, north of Hampshire, which they occu- pied for many years.

Relative to this, as showing how much it then cost both to build a church and to attend church, we learn that Bishop Chase, then the Bishop of Illinois, writes that he found in Quiney a neat, small Episcopal church, erected at a cost of $400, and that all the pews were taken at a total rental of $200. The good Bishop in the same letter says that he passed through the flourishing town of Columbus, where there was being built a railroad to each river, east and west, and being in the centre of Adams vonnty, this place would, from these causes, become the county seat, an opinion which leaves to us the conclusion that he was much more to be relied upon as a prelate than a prophet. In November the first German Protestant church was dedicated. This is the brick building still standing on Seventh street, between York and Kentucky, which is at the present time the old- est church edifice in Quincy that is still used for religions purposes.

The election of Thomas Carlin in 1838 to the governorship of the state caused several changes among the political officials of Quincy and this section. Carlin, who had been receiver in the publie land office, was succeeded on the 8th of JJannary, 1839, by Samuel Leech, who had been Register, and on the same date, Wm. G. Flood, then member of the legislature, was made Register. These were then here and everywhere in the west very important offices, and it is a fact that through all the changes of political interest in the country, these land of- fires have been well filled, and especially were they so filled in this land district. The register had to record all applications for public lands, and the receiver to take and receipt for the money deposited to secure the applicant the patent and the future ownership of the land which he desired.

It can be easily seen that with incompetent officials in charge of such trusts, how much of vexations trouble might ensne, and with dis- honest and scheming men in control of these

PAST AND PRESENT OF ADAMS COUNTY.

offices and acting together, how plumply they could pad their own pockets and defraud the applicants for land, by knowing as they must and did know from having the surveys in their own possession, the character and estimate vale of unentered lands.

It was fortunate that the holders of these of- fices in the bounty land district were men equally of capacity and integrity, and it is well known also that after this land district, which, for fifteen years from its establishment was the most important one in the state, was abolished. because most of the public land within its him- its had been sold or given to the state as "'swamp lands," the transferred records showed a clearer face and less has come up against them for re-examination than any other of the old land distriets of the state. There was a notable line of trustworthy men who oc- enpied these offices and faithfully filled their trusts-Carlin, Alexander. Leech, Flood. Sulli- van. Asbury. Rogers, Holmes, Marsh and Ilanser were successively in charge until about 1859 or 1860, when the offices were transferred to Springfield.

The vacancy in the legislature, caused by Flood's appointment as register, was filled at a special election in November by Richard W. Starr, whig, who was chosen over Jacob Smith. democrat, by a majority of 100 in the county. There were 646 votes cast in the town at this election, while at the regular eleetion in August preceding, there were 671, from which some es- timate may be made of the probable population.

The political figures show that the whig ticket was successful in the town at this August election. Ebenezer Moore-who the next and the then following year was chosen as the first mayor of Quincy, a very excellent business man and a lawyer of moderate ability; Henry As- bury. now (1886) living and known to every one in Quiney: J. R. Randolph. an old-time lawyer of the town who might have been one of the first had he not been too lazy and who is now a judge in Rhode Island, and Charles Me- Kee (all whigs) were elected as magistrates. This was the first real politieal issne that had been brought forward to test the relative strength of parties in the town, and it fore- shadowed a decided predominance of power resting with the whigs, which they secured the next year at the first city election and for sev- eral years after, whenever they properly ex- erted themselves.

The entire vote of the county, including that of the town, was 1.742, a falling off of 300 from the vote given at the regular election the year before, and this year's vote was most curiousły ent up and distributed. For instance. Wm.

Richards, democrat, was elected county com- missioner by 398 majority, over J. H. Driskell, whig; while Andrew Miller, whig, beat J. D. Morgan, democrat, for county judge, 436 votes, and again J. H. Holton and Enoch Convers, democratic candidates respectively. for record- er and treasurer, were elected, the first by 130 and the second by 269 majority over their whig opponents and again J. Williams, the whig candidate for county surveyor, ran in by a ma- jority of 55, over a much more skilled man on the opposite ticket.

This was an evidence not infrequent in those days, but more rare in latter times, of indiffer- ence to partisan lines, and of how much more personal merit or popularity than party domi- nation controlled local elections.

J. Il. Ralston, having resigned the office of virenit judge in August, the governor appointed Peter Lott as his successor, which appointment was ratified by the legislature in December. Lott made a most satisfactory judge during the short time that he was on the bench. While somewhat too indolent and pleasure loving to be a deeply learned lawyer, he had singularly strong common sense, a very ready and eandid intellect and nmch dignity and courtesy of man- ner. Ile was legislated out of office in Feb- ruary, 1841, by the law which made five addi- tional supreme judges, and imposed upon these nine judges cirenit duty, and repealed ont of office the then circuit judges. Judge Lott's place on the bench of this cirenit was taken by Stephen A. Douglas.

The immigration to Quincy was relatively not as large as during the few preceding years, so far as it numbers the names of men who in the past have been prominent and are now remem- bered. Among these were D. W. Miller, E. K. Stone, Robert MeComb. C. A. Savage. N. Pink- ham, A. Wheat, P. A. Goodwin. I. S. Cooley. all familiar names to Quiney history.

CHAPTER XVII.

1837.

POLITICAL. THE TWO WELLS AND THE MARKET HOUSE. PURCHASE OF MADISON PARK. ES- TABLISHMENT OF STREET GRADES. FIXING THE "DATUM." PUBLIC LIBRARY STARTED. ROLL CALL OF NEWCOMERS. FIRE DEPART- MENT. GRADING HAMPSHIRE STREET. COUN- TY LAND REGISTER. QUINCY WHIG. QUINCY "GRAYS." RAILROAD WORK, QUINCY FINANCES. FIRST BOOK STORE. PRIVATE SCHOOLS.

Few changes occurred during the year 1837 affecting the political representation of Quiney. The national, state and local officials mostly re-

PAST AND PRESENT OF ADAMS COUNTY.

mained in their places. The exceptions being that Judge Richard M. Young, who had ae- ceptably filled the position of circuit judge for many years, having been elected to the U. S. Senate, was succeeded by J. Il. Ralston. Judge Young was the first Quiney man promoted to a place in the national councils. He was a con- spicuous figure in our early local and state annals. having ocenpied more various important publie trusts than any other Illinoisian. Like his two predecessors, Sawyer and Lockwood, he was a lawyer of ability and learning, which his successor lacked. He was a Kentnekian by birth, early known in public life-having been the first practicing lawyer in the state, a mem- ber of the legislature in 1820, serving through several judicial terms, and always seenring pop- ular respect and confidence. His mental qual- ities were solid. not brilliant, but his judgment was especially regarded and his personal in- tegrity never questioned. Removing to Wash- ington he became clerk of the house of repre- sentatives and also commissioner of the general land office. His later years were sadly clonded and finally closed in insanity. His election in- duced some other official changes. Ralston's vacancy in the legislature was filled by the elec- tion of Archibald Williams, and C. M. Woods was appointed circuit clerk in the place of Il. 11. Snow, who had occupied that office from the foundation of the county in 1825. Snow also in February was supplanted as probate judge, which he had been for the same length of time by Wm. G. Flood, and at a later period Earl Pierre, having personally and financially disappeared in the supposed direction of Texas, was succeeded as sheriff by Win. 1. Tandy. elected in November, for the unexpired term.

The town proceedings grow in interest and importance. On the 20th of February the trus- tres adopted an elaborate revision of the town ordinances, rearranging the same and correct- ing former errors. Oddly enough, they par- tially repeated a previous blunder by omitting in the first seetion (on limits) to give any boundary line on the west This, however, was not so bad as the blunder in the ordinances of 1824, where the boundaries were altogether omitted. It would almost appear that our old town Solons were either infected with the prev- alent pioneer prejudice against inclosures, or that they feared to confine the bursting aspira- tions of the budding young community. This error was corrected in a subsequent revision made in the following September, when a much broader and better revision of the ordinances was made, especially regarding taxation and revenue. Street improvements now began to be considered. Commercial alley was opened, this

being the first corporation movement, affecting permanently the original surveys. The small- pox being quite prevalent, a pest house was es- tablished and the necessary sanitary regula- tions ordered.

The tax assessment for this year was $1,- 219.75. of which $475.11 was reported as col- Jected by the middle of June. At the annual election in June, John Wood. W. P. Reeder. Joel Rice, J. T. Holes and I. O. Woodruff were chosen as trustees. Holmes became president. Woodruff secretary. W. Williams treasurer, and John MeDade collector.

With this period began the trouble about the publie wells and the location of the market. which were themes for town action and town talk for many an after month. The water ques- tion, which was comprehended in the project. to have a couple of wells dug at the corners of the public square, is with its attendant strifes. an amusing affair to look back at now; but it was then a matter of as much relative import- ance and serions discord in public councils and private controversy as the water works ques- tion is to our good people today. A well had been ordered to be sunk at the northwest cor- ner of the square and a party had contracted to dig it. He began to dig and all the thirsty souls adjacent with hopeful interest saw the well gradnally sink, but the workmen also sank from sight: work ceased, and water had not come. At the JJune meeting the board deter- mined to eurb the independence of this well digger if they couldn't curb the well, and ap- pointed a committee to "ascertain whether he intended to finish it or not." The committee reported that he said not. Another man was engaged, but the result was the same. He proved to be, though a well digger, not a well doer. The job was again thrown up. Finally, after a year's travail, at the first meeting in January, 1838, it was ordered that the well be filled up and another dug at the southwest corner of the square, which was done successfully. Other wells were made, which remained for several years, latterly used chiefly as feline cemeteries.

The market honse question was a much more serions source of strife. A part of the com- mity wished to have the market house built on the public square. An equal or larger por- tion objected. After several meetings and much disenssion it was ordered that Maine street should be the place in which to ereet a market house, that the street should be widened west of Sixth street, on the north side, as far as the alley, twenty-five feet, and on the south side "as much as possible." This proposition, after several sessions of the board had acted and reacted. resulted in a report from the last

PAST AND PRESENT OF ADAMS COUNTY.

committee appointed, at the meeting on Decem- ber 30th, that they could not buy the land wanted on Maine street, and so ended the market house war for this year, while another committee consisting of I. O. Woodruff and John Wood was appointed to worry over the question during the coming year.

The negotiations which had been long pend- ing in regard to having a new burial ground were concluded at the June meeting of the board by the purchase from E. B. Kimball, at the rate of $75 per acre, of the 8 56-100 acres. now known as Madison Park, at the southeast corner of Maine and Twenty-fourth streets. This ground was platted and laid off in lots. valued at $10 each. The first sale was made October 10th, and quite an amount was at once realized, nearly one hundred lots being bought. From this date the old burial ground on the south half of the block where the present conrt- house stands «Jefferson Park ) which had been used since 1825, was abandoned. and the great- est portion of the bodies there interred were removed to the new cemetery. Much interest at first was taken in the new cemetery, partly from dissatisfaction with the old one; but it soon became evident that the new location was equally undesirable, the ground being too Hat and wet. To remedy this, it was ordered that on three sides the cemetery should be sur- rounded by a ditch. Ten years later, when Woodland cemetery was laid out, on so much more beautiful and appropriate ground. inter- ments ceased at this Maine street cemetery, and most of the bodies buried there were gradually transferred to the "Woodland"-it being in many cases the second removal. Still not a few lie on both of the old grounds.

Contract was made by the board with the Quincy Argus during the latter part of this year to print their proceedings for five dollars a year. Considering the fact that the Argus was the only paper published in the place, and of course must have a monopoly of the prices. this arrangement indicated either a marvelous streak of liberality on the printer's part- peculiarly difficult to appreciate nowadays-or showed that these proceedings were not con- sidered as amounting to much. At the meet- ing on September 4th. the board established the grade of Hampshire street from the public square to the river, and therewith the grade of Front street.

The order for the above is curiously worth publieation, both because this was the first de- finite recorded movement towards a uniform system of grades, with an initial point, at the corner of Hampshire and Fourth. and also from the oddity of its language and provisions. It

reads thus: "Ordered, that the grade of llamp- shire street be fixed as follows: The summit at the corner of Hampshire and Fourth parallel with the top of the stone foundation at Messrs. Skinner and Berry's store. then descend on a grade of seven feet to Third street. then, on leaving Third, to descend on a regular grade to Front street, and terminate with the doorsill of the warehouse of Mr. Holmes."

What "Mr. Holmes" is meant one cannot know, but as all the Mr. Holmes' of that day are dead (and Messrs. Skinner and Berry also ) and their houses have long since been destroyed, one must search here or elsewhere for a Holmes doorsill and a Skinner and Berry foundation to ascertain the precise grade of Hampshire and Front. It is of course to be presumed that Mr. Holmes did not elevate or lower his door- sill while the grading was going on.

The population of the place was reported as 1,653-a liberal estimate. not far out of the way. but from which ten per cent or more might safely be deducted. The courthouse on the east side of the square. midway between Maine and Hampshire, was completed. but not fully oc- enpied until the following year: the first court being held there in 1838. This was the brick building which was burned in 1875-as was its log predecessor in 1836-it being the second courthouse of the county; the present superb stone structure wherein "justice is dispensed with"-as the wags express it-being the third. Talk was had about grading and enclosing the public square, but this was not done until three or four years later.

The first German Lutheran and the first ('atholie (St. Boniface) churches were or- ganized during this year, also the first Epis- copal church (St. John's) which for many years was on the east side of Sixth, between Ver- mont and Hampshire. later removed to the cor- ner of Hampshire and Seventh, now the C'athe- dral.

A public library was instituted about this time. based chiefly on individual contributions of books. Its career was short; the reading taste of the town being not yet sufficiently gen- eral to sustain it; and after it died, and the books-what were left of them-were returned to the original donors. no such permanent insti- tution existed until the present Quiney Library was established in 1841.

A movement towards the formation of a mili- tary company was agitated, resulting as a suc- cess during this and the following year in the formation of the "Quiney Grays," a most model military organization, which in its drill, perfec- tion and esprit de corps. and attractive associa- tions. has never been excelled by any of the

PAST AND PRESENT OF ADAMS COUNTY.

excellent Quiney companies of later times.

During the winter of 1836-7 Anton Delabar built the first Quincy brewery on Fifth street, between York and Kentucky. It was destroyed by fire. It was for several years the only brewery in the place. The branch bank of the State Bank of Illinois, was formally opened here on the 4th of December, at the southwest corner of Maine and Fourth streets.

This year, like the two preceding and two following years, was an advent period for "old settlers." We take the arbitrary dictum of calling those old settlers who settled here be- fore 1840, for the reason that of the living and remembered men of Quiney, who have seen and been part of its growth, an especially large pro- portion of them came here, young men, he- tween 1835 and 1840-a few earlier than the former date- and there are now, or until lately were living, still vigorous after nearly half a century of active Quiney life and laden with the weight of years over three score and ten. temporary line must somewhere be lain, and in ten or twenty years the chalk mark may be moved forward to another decade.

Among the well known old settlers who came this year were Nehemiah Bushnell, from Con- nectient, who steadily grew in legal recogni- tion, to be considered at the time of his death in 1873, as the most erudite lawyer of the state, and Andrew Johnston, of Richmond, Va., where he now resides, long a leading lawyer here. These two, in the following year-1838-were the first editors of the Quincy Whig.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Past and present of the city of Quincy and Adams County, Illinois, Part 14

Author: Collins, William H. (William Hertzog), 1831-1910; Perry, Cicero F., 1855- [from old catalog] joint author; Tillson, John, 1825-1892. History of the city of Quincy, Illinois. [from old catalog] Publication date: 1905 Publisher: Chicago, S. J. Clarke Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1228

Author: Collins, William H. (William Hertzog), 1831-1910; Perry, Cicero F., 1855- [from old catalog] joint author; Tillson, John, 1825-1892. History of the city of Quincy, Illinois. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1905
Publisher: Chicago, S. J. Clarke Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1228