Past and present of the city of Quincy and Adams County, Illinois, Part 15

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 15

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Capt. Joseph Artus, from Kentucky, an old time Ohio river steamboatman, came this year, to remain until his death, some forty years later. Ile was known and noticeable every- where as a quaint. earnest man, with an abont evenly balaneed reputation for oddity and shrewdness. He was a most inveterate "old line whig." tying his faith with unfaltering devotion to Henry (lay. It must have almost made the jolly old man's bones to have turned in their coffin when published as he was after his death, by ignorance, as a "lifelong abolitionist," a politieal distinction which he held in especial dislike, although a derided anti- slavery man, as were most of the whigs.

Capt. C. J. Swarthout, from New York, set- tled here this year, and was a marked and ac- tive character for some years. Who that once saw and knew can ever forget the form and features of that keen, shrewd, stern old eynic, his erushing comment and scathing satire on whatever aroused his mereiless wit to seize and worry; also Thomas Jasper, from Kentucky, who became popular, prosperous and prominent as sheriff. mayor and representative in the legis-

Jature, his latter years being clonded by pecuniary troubles and mental deeay; G. B. Dimock. a most thorough type of the un- smoothed practical yankee. for many years a prominent merchant and manufacturer: S. M. Bartlett, the well known cabinet maker, a Mass- achusetts man, associated with town and city matters almost throughout his life; Thomas Redmond, a man of mueh native ability, who rapidly grew into being the most powerful political factor in the city, filling with marked sagacity and snecess many municipal positions and also achieving legislative honors; Timothy Kelly, the earliest representative man of that Frish element which flowed so rapidly hither at this period, in connection with the railroad then being built, a much respected man whose brave life ended in the Mexican war at the battle of Buena Vista.

Besides these, came Wm. Shanahan. R. S. and T. C. Benneson, Edward Miller, C. M. Pomeroy. Allen Comstock, and to the county yet later associated and identified with the city the fam- ilies of Clement Nance, T. H. Castle, T. Durant, Andrew Redmond, F. Collins, of Columbus; Henry Kent. John Sharp, the Berrians and Ar- rowsmiths, of Ellington, Thomas Payne, of Marcelline, and others.

The town board in 1838 at its first meeting in Jannary appointed John Wood and Joel Riee a. committee "to report the most beneficial and snitable places for improvements, as well as some plan to protect the community against the ravages of fire." This committee recommended the purchase of four ladders of 15, 20, 25 and 30 feet in length: six fire hooks, and twelve buckets. "as the commencement of a system which may be extended and improved with the growth and experience of the place in conner- tion with the increase of its resources, so as the more fully and perfectly to protect our citi- zens and their property against the ravages of fire." These purchases were made and became the initial of our present fire department. This committee also, in the matter of improvements, recommended "that $200 be appropriated for the improvement of Delaware street. whenever $300 is furnished by private donation." and that $1,000 be appropriated towards the grad- ing of a street from the public square to the river. this first to be offered to those who pre- ferred the grading of Maine street. conditioned that they would give bonds to ensure the sub- scription and payment of whatever said grad- ing would cost exceeding the $1.000 appro- priation. Should, however, the Maine street people not aceede to the proposition, it was to be offered to those who desired to have Ilamn- shire street opened. The maine street people

PAST AND PRESENT OF ADAMS COUNTY.

declining and the Hampshire street folks ac- cepting and complying with the conditions, the grading of that street from Fourth to Front was ordered and begun in March.

This was the first important public improve- men that the town had undertaken. It was the first straight line communication between the village on the hill and the business on the river bank ; the only route before this time having been by a devious road which cork screwed around among the hills and ravines from near the foot of Vermont street up to about where the market honse now stands on Hampshire. The grade level at Hampshire and Fourth had already been established. That on Front, which depended so much on where Mr. Holmes' door- sill might happen to be was now definitely fixed by Mr. Parker and some civil engineers employed on the Northern Cross railroad. the work on which had begun here a few months be- fore.

At the June election. John Wood, I. O. Wood- ruff, Samuel (. Rogers, Samuel Holmes and J. B. Matthews were chosen as trustees: on or- ganization John Wood was made president : 1. O. Woodruff. secretary ; Andrew Johnston, at- torney. and Robert R. Williams, treasurer.

The market house strife, which had been vexing the community so long, came to a close during this year. The board endeavored to bny one hundred feet on the west side of Third, extending from Maine to Hampshire, for mar- ket uses, but could not get it, and then pro- posed to purchase lot 5. in block 8, at the corner of Hampshire and Third, which trade being made at last, allaved this old fester. There had been an election held in June at which the peo- ple by a vote of 207 to 101 decided against building the market house on the public square.

The public wells business, which was an equally vexing and deeper trouble, did not as yet dry up, though one of them did, so it was ordered to be filled up and another one ordered to be dug at the northwest corner of the square.

A census of the town taken in November showed a population of 1,850: males 1,020; females 830; over 14 years of age, 1,230; under 14 years, 620.

At the November meeting the board directed the attorney, Johnston, to draw up a petition to be cirenlated for signatures in the town, and presented to the legislature for incorporation as a city. This was completed, and on Decem- ber 17th prepared by the trustees, to be offered to the legislature, the boundaries being the same as those with which the city was incor- porated a year later.

The political representation, national and state, was somewhat changed during this year.

R. M. Young and J. M. Robinson were yet the U. S. Senators. Col. Wm. L. May, of Spring- field. was the member of congress. but he was succeeded by John T. Stuart, who was elected by 16 majority over Stephen A. Douglas, out of nearly 40,000 votes in a most closely canvassed district, which comprised all of the state north of the latitude of the mouth of the Illinois river. This was the first year when party lines between the whig and democratic parties were distinctively drawn. Thomas Carlin, long a state senator from this section, later and at this time receiver of the land office at Quincy, was elected governor on the democratie ticket by about 300 majority over his whig opponent. O. H. Browning held over as state senator. At the August election "Archy" Williams and Wm. G. Flood, the first a whig, and the other a democrat, were chosen to the legislature. Wil- liams had been in the previous legislatures as successor to Galbraith who had died. Wm. Il. Tandy was elected sheriff over Tom King. in rather a singular contest. Tandy. a very superior man, had been elected sheriff to fill the vacancy made by the defaleation and exodus to Texas of Sheriff Pierce. Now when the reg- ular election came up he was pitted against King, one of the most popular and well known men of the county. Then, and until 1848, voting could be made in any part of the county. and each party would secretly agree to mass their votes and take possession of certain pre- cinets. King's friends had a most glorious jollification over the first election returns, but the next two or three days bronght in the fig- ures from the outside precinets, and Mr. Tandy was elected. I. M. Hatton was elected coroner : Ralston was yet judge: C. M. Woods, circuit clerk : Billington, recorder, and Frazier, school commissioner.

Prior to 1838, the only newspaper in Quincy. or the section of county adjoining, was the Hlinois Bounty Land Register. founded in 1835. with name changed in 1837 to the Quincy Argus, and a few years later rechristened as the existent Quincy Herald. The first paper of any place becomes prescriptively historic. The original title of this journal, though now per- haps peculiar, had a then local significance. Congress had, as has been before told. devoted 3.500,000 acres of the public land. in that section of Illinois, lying between the Illinois and Mississippi rivers and extending northward 198 miles from their junetion, to the payment of bounties (160 aeres to each) to the soldiers of the war of 1812. This comprehended about three-fifths of the entire tract, and it also was provided that no land should be sold by the gov- ernment therein until all the bounties to the

PAST AND PRESENT OF ADAMS COUNTY.

soldiers were paid. Thus this part of the state became everywhere known as the "Bounty Lands." Later the government land office, and the private land agencies, representing to- gether all the nusoll and unimproved land in the tract, were located at Quincy.

This paper properly proposed to represent and to make known to the world the values of the fair region whose resonrees were as yet unregistered and undeveloped. Mainly was it at first given to descriptions of the territory. its history, that of the several counties, notices of all kinds connected with the lands and the land business, and its virenlation became great- ly extended from this canse. The periodical advertisements of delinquent land sales in Knox, Fulton, Hancock and most of the con- ties of the traet were printed in its columns. Hence it was well entitled the Bounty Land Register. Later, of course, with more general settlements and the establishment of news- papers in the adjacent connties, the character of the Register became changed and its sphere contracted. During this and the immediately adjoining years, the Register and Argus under- went a kaleidoseopie change in its owner- ship and management. Young. Woods. Al- drieh. Bassett, Bradley, Morris, Pettitt, Karnes and Booth were off and on its owners and editors. It had a feeble existence until about the time that it came under the editorial charge of Austin Brooks, whose powerful partisan pen. aided as he was by some vigorous financial backing, invested the paper with an attractive- ness and political power such as few journals have, and which up to that time, it did not possess.

There came in now the second paper of the place, the Quincy Whig, the first number of which was issued May 5, 1838-11. V. Sullivan. proprietor: N. Bushnell and A. JJohnson, two yonng lawyers, as editors. A few months later. S. M. Bartlett, who had been previously editing a paper at Galena, came in as a partner of Mr. Sullivan, taking the editorial control, which association continued with but a brief interrup- tion, until Mr. Bartlett's death in 1852. Mr. Bartlett was a man of mumsual aptitude for his chosen profession, was everywhere recognized as one of the foremost journalists of the state, and under the prudent pilotage of himself and partner, the Whig rapidly rose to a position of influence and success which for many years it maintained. This mention of these pioneer jour- nals, and of their origin during the town's in- faney : the one commencing as non-partisan but finally becoming a democratic organ : the other. starting out as a representative of the whig beliefs, and the two traveling since for nearly

halr a century on parallel lines, is essential be- cause they mark an epoch in Quincy history. It is from them that the annals of the place sub- sequent to the date of their establishment must be largely learned. There was no river mail as vet, and none for some years later. A weekly mail by land from St. Louis and one also from Springfield gave the eastern news twice a week. The earliest eastern news, however. "in advance of the mail," as they used to call it, was from eastern or St. Louis papers, which passengers and the steamboat officers were ex- pected to provide themselves with and for which they had calls at every landing. Many improvements of a substantial nature were now made: a special committee, informally ap- pointed by the town board to look after the business transactions of the town, reported on December 12, that there had been to that date, during the year, 33 brick, and 170 frame houses erected, at a cost of $188,500; $425,000 worth of merchandise imported : $200.000 worth of beef and pork exported : $215,000 worth of Honr and grain exported. The report was a fair estimate except in placing the cost of the build- ings too low. A map of the town, the first one made, and a very good one, was gotten np by I. O. Woodruff. A military company, projected during the preceding year, now perfected its or- ganization. This was the noted Qniney Greys, Captain E. J. Phillips, which in all the elements that combine to make that most attractive of organizations, a volunteer militia company stood and stayed while it lasted, A No. 1. and has never been excelled by any of the fine Quiney companies of later times.

Navigation opened early and continued fair and long; the river closing abont the 10th of December.

Work on the railroad in the county and town created much bustle and added to business.

This railroad, projected by the state, as a member of its grand "international railroad system." intended to run from Quincy east- ward throngh Springfield to the Indiana line, was, or rather that portion of it between Quiney and Columbus was-placed under con- traet April 23, 1838 and active work npon it at once begun. As originally surveyed and par- tially graded it was to enter the town near what is now the corner of Broadway and Twen- ty-fourth street. Traces of this old track re- main. From there the line ran on Broadway directly west to the river bank. The intention then was to place a stationary power on the hill near Twelfth street, with an "inelined plane" therefrom down the river. Some fifteen years later, when the road had passed out of state possession, and work upon it was renewed, the

PAST AND PRESENT OF ADAMS COUNTY.

line was changed by a eut being made defleeting northwest from Broadway near Fourteenth, thenre winding its way through the bluffs and meeting Front street about at its intersection with Cedar. Most of the grading on this absurd piece of work was done, but not all. Better judgment and more skillful engineering fore- sight found that this measure only about one- half obviated the objections to the stationary power with its "ineline." and it was wisely concluded that it would ultimately be more economical in every way to abandon a grade which demanded a double locomotive strength to drag from the river to Fourteenth street such a train as could be hanled by a single engine thence through to Chicago, and, better to tap the original survey some five miles east, and reach that point by a little longer line. but a much easier ascending seale. This was done, but was quite generally thought then, as events have proven, that it would have been far better both for the road and the public if when the line was swung away from the old impractic- ahle surveys, the company had adopted a sonth- easterly route and entered the city from the south. This would have not materially in- creased the distance, would have afforded an easy passage through the bluffs, seenred more ample land room for future expansion : short- ened the length of the future bridge by one- half, and avoided much of collision with ror- poration interests. The influences governing at that time however decided differently and adopted the present northern route.

It had been provided in the general law that this road should be specially pushed forward in advance of other public works. It was com- menced in 1837. and by the time the interna- tional system collapsed, perhaps two-thirds of its grading had been completed. in the state. The first rail, and also the first in Illinois, was laid May 9th, 1838, and on the 8th of Novem- ber of the same year the first locomotive in the state, and probably the first that ever traveled west of Pittsburg, ran over the eight miles of track, immediately east of Meredosia, which by that time had been put in passable condi. tion. Within a year and a half after the road was put in running order from Meredosia to Springfield at a cost of $1,000,000 it was run. or rather it crept. after a fashion for several years between these two points.

The track, though up to the standard, was cheap in contrast with what is known nowa- days. Instead of the chaired T rail there were wooden stringers crossing the sleepers (or ties as they are now called) and spiked down upon the stringers were flat bars of iron about six- teen or eighteen feet long. These were then

and are yet known as the "fat rail," fit now only for light local use, but at that time gen- erally used. The ends of the fat bars were constantly curling up and received the appro. priate name of "snake heads"-looking like a prairie snake with the fore part of his body erect. The pressure and weight of the train on the central part of the rails bent them and forced the ends to fly up, loosening the spikes. and not a week, indeed hardly a trip passed, when the train was not snagged and stopped by the "snake heads" passing up between the wheels, or was checked up while the engineer and firemen went ahead to spike down the rails. And the truth is, because we were there and know (boys were boys then as much as they are now), it was a very attractive orenpation for youthful energy with its contempt for the whizzing "loco' that consumed the entire day in its travel from Springfield to the river, and with the natural juvenile sympathy for what is pounded down as constantly as those Hat bars were, it was we say very attractive work for the boys all along the road, to rival each other in loosening those battered spikes and al- lowing the Hattened snake heads to again assume an upright position. Such was the road, a mere fragment of the great "improvement" scheme. It was run by the state for some years at a constant loss.

In 1848-9 that portion of the road between Springfield and Quiney was sold by the state for $100,000 in state securities. The section lying east of the Illinois river was taken by the Springfield and Jacksonville company. Parties in Adams and Brown counties formed a company and were incorporated and organ- ized as the Northern Cross Railroad company. being possessors of all the franchises covering that part of the old state road between Quincy and the Illinois river. They obtained with their charter the right to make a branch of their road northward under certain conditions. This company seenring large local subserip- tions, diverting the line northward at Camp Point. completed it to Galesburg, where it met the Chicago-Burlington road. and was finally merged therewith, under the present name of the Chicago. Burlington and Quincy railroad. That portion of the original road east of Camp Point was at a later date constructed in similar manner. and by some of the same parties, and finally became part of what is now the Wabash railroad.

This slice of old-time railroad history, well known to parties in the past. is not so generally known at present, and is told in connection with this joint railroad story, although the story

PAST AND PRESENT OF ADAMS COUNTY.

rus into events belonging to a twenty years' later time.

As one enterprise suggests another, so did this project of a railroad, to run through the central and upper portion of the county, led to a rival movement which resulted in the in- corporation and organization of the "Quiney, Griggsville, Jacksonville and Springfield Turn- pike company." More than this was not done, and it is to be regretted; for it was many a year before the railroad communication was complete, and during the time of its non-com- pletion, for many a year the "mind wagon" and the "bone breaker, " held undisputed sway over the route.

The year 1838 was a steady progressive year despite the hard times. Considering the limited means that the town possessed, a great deal was effected, and was done with judgment and economy. The grade on several of the principal streets was established : Hampshire street was made passable from the public square to the river: a bridge was built over the creek on Delaware near Front: a fire department was organized : the cemetery enclosed, and a sys- tematie plan of action and improvement insti- tuted. exceeding what had been done in any previous year. A summary of the receipts and expenditures during the year ending June 9. 1838, exhibits as received, from taxes, $1 .- 775.49: show license, $25.00; subscriptions to grade Hampshire street, $370; sale of cemetery lots, $255, which with $206.49, on hand at the commencement of the year, gave a revenue of $2,631.98. There was expended during this time, for the cemetery. $956.11: public wells. $109; hooks and ladders, $56: streets and bridges, $1,070; fees, commissions and sundries, $379.59, leaving a balance in the treasury of $61.28. The liabilities of the town were re- ported as amounting to abont $2,700, much of which was on the Hampshire street improve- ment account, and was amply offset by notes given for the same, umpaid taxes, and amounts due on the cemetery lots which had been sold. The current expenses of the town were very light. No salary was given to any of the offi- eers. The collector and treasurer were paid by commissions on what passed through their hands. This year for the first time, an allow- ance of $50 was voted to the secretary. It was proper. The board paid no office rent. They met regularly at Mr. Woodruff's (the seere- tary ) office. had his services, used his furniture, firewood and probably his stationery, and there was justice in their aet of making this allow- ance. All the work of the town was done on the cheapest of systems. As an illustration : Jerome .1. Swazey was appointed to take the census of

the town; he was also directed to present the petition for incorporation as a city, to all the voters. He was allowed $10 for his quite lengthy and responsible work.

During this, or late in the preceding year, the first regular book store made its appearance. It was opened by Wm. D. Skillman, of Lexing- ton, Kentucky. This business was purchased a few years after by Newton Flagg, who had been clerk with Skillman. Some ten or twelve years later, it was transferred to J. R. Dayton, and is now, (1883) with changed proprietors and name, probably the oldest continuous mer- cantile business of the city. An earnest meet- ing was held on the 13th of December, for the purpose of founding an academy or high school. A great deal of interest was manifested in this movement by all classes. Articles of incor- poration had been previously obtained, but the project moved no farther. The wrong parties sought to father it and it was a failure.

This failure was unfortunate and long re- gretted. Such an institution could have been had and was needed. This was long before the establishment of the present public school system. There were a number of private schools. Bradley, Hollowbush, Safford, Miss Katurah Wood, the Misses De Kratft and others kept good schools, but like all individual enterprises of this nature, the facilities were not broad and the standard of scholarship not of the highest.

Political feeling during the summer canvass of 1838, swelled higher than it had ever ran before. It will be remembered that then, and until 1848, all elections, other than the presi- dential, came off in August, and hence most of the political canvassing ran through, and ran ont during, the spring and summer months.

Presidential strifes were not nearly so im- portant then as now, and occurring only onee in four years, the November elections excited less interest and usually called out only about two-thirds of the vote.

The elections in 1836 had not definitely de- clared the political status of Illinois, while that of Adams county remained equally uneertain and did not become a fixed condition until 1844. The whig and democratie nominations at this time were made with the particular intent to develop the strength of their respective parties, and there appeared but two candidates for the governorship. This was unusual. In Adams county also a local bitterness attached to the struggle from the fact that it was the residenee of Thomas Carlin, the democratie candidate for governor, who had also been an extreme partisan, and as such roused much local op- position as well as support. He was elected over Cyrus Edwards by a majority in the state

PAST AND PRESENT OF ADAMS COUNTY.

of 5.947 out of a total vote of 63,502, carrying the county also by 284 majority in a vote of 2,014. These figures, both in the state and county more than doubled the aggregate vote cast at the governor's election in 1834, indicat- ing a proportionate increase of population dur- ing this four years. At this same election. Stephen A. Douglas, candidate for congress, re- ceived 131 majority in the county over JJohn T. Stuart, 153 less than that given to Carlin, while Archibald Williams, whig, and Wm. G. Flood, demoerat, were elected to the legislature, beat- ing P. W. Martin and Jacob Smith, the other whig and democratie candidates, showing as before stated that the political complexion of the county was as yet uncertain.

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Past and present of the city of Quincy and Adams County, Illinois, Part 15

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