Past and present of the city of Quincy and Adams County, Illinois, Part 21

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 21

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1845.

POPULATION OF CITY AND COUNTY, 19,399. BUSI- NESS STATEMENT. JOHN WOOD, MAYOR. SPE- CIAL TAX FOR SCHOOL S. MORNING COURIER, FIRST DAILY NEWSPAPER. COLONIZATION SOCIETY FORMED. MORMON TROUBLES CON- TINUED. JUDGE (. L. HIGBEE. COUNTY

SEAT QUESTION AGAIN.

The first constitution of Illinois prescribed, as a basis for the periodical legislative appor- tionments, that a census should be taken in 1820 and every fifth year thereafter. The re- turns as made by Capt. Kelly, who was the state enumerator for the year 1845. gave a population to Quincy of 4,007. First ward, 1,406; Second ward, 1,182: Third ward, 1,419; colored, 66: subject to military duty, 987. These figures taken in connection with the pre- vious date, show that there had been an almost uniform doubling of the population during each five years since 1825. There are no cer- tain figures for the first ten years. Quiney did not, then, find a place on either the state or national eensus of 1825 or 1830. In 1825, the year of its location, it had a dozen resi- dents. In 1830 it is estimated that there were about 300. The first reliable figures are from the state census of 1835, which places the population of the town at 753. Following this there appears a vensus made by order of the town authorities in 1837-38 which reported a total of 1,653. In 1840 the national census reported a population of 1,850. A eity census. quite carefully taken in 1842. showed an in- crease on this up to 2,686, and in 1845 there is reported 4,007, indicating an even, regular growth through twenty years. In later years this large regular percentage of periodical in- erease has much fallen off.

Adams county, including Quincy, at this cen- sns of 1845, had a population of 13,511. to which. adding 5,888 in Marquette, gave a to- tal of 19,399, showing that the city had abont one-fifth of the whole. The relative growth of city and county has been as follows: In 1825 the county, with perhaps 300 in Han- eoek. had 2.186: Quiney, probably by the end of the year, 50 or more. In 1830 the county population was 2,186, of which some 200, about one-tenth. were in the village. Five years later

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by the state census the county has 7,042 and the town 753, still about one-tenth. Five years farther on. in 1840, the county contained 14,- 476, and the city 1,850, this being one-eighth of the whole. In 1845. as above stated, the city had a little over one-fifth; in 1850 the county had 26,508 and the city 6,902. over one-fourth: in 1860 the county figured 41.323 and the city 12,362, nearly one-third: in 1870 there were 56,362 in the connty to 24,062 in the city, a proportion of three-sevenths. and in 1880 the county showed 59,148 and the city 27,268. almost one-half.

In connection with the census taken at this time a earefully compiled schedule of the bnsi- ness of the city reported, of stores. 29 dry goods, 21 grocery and provision, 1 book, 3 hardware, 2 wholesale grocers, 2 wholesale iron. 2 cloth- ing, 4 druggist, 1 shoe. 2 leather: of shops, 21 shoe, 17 tailor. 9 wagon makers, 3 tin, 13 black- smith, 9 paint, 6 saddle and harness, 4 turn- ing. 2 barbers, 3 machine, 12 carpenters, 1 cigar; of factories, 4 chair. I threshing ma- chine, 1 fanning mill, 1 bucket ; 2 shingle ma- chines, 1 carding machine, 2 lathe machines, 1 ropewalk : 7 hotels. 3 bakeries, 3 confection- eries. 5 pork houses. 4 livery stables, 6 steam flour mills. 3 steam sawmills, 1 distillery. 3 soap factories, 3 brickyards. 2 tanneries. 3 watch and jewelry stores. 6 butcher shops, 2 printing offices, 16 churches, 3 military com- panies. 52 licensed teams.

John Wood. the whig nominee, was rechosen mayor at the city election in April by a ma- jority of 138 over J. II. lolton. The whigs at the same time elected two ont of the three aldermen. Dr. J. B. Conyers in the First. Dr. T. N. Ralston in the Third ward ; and the demo- erats elected Samuel Hutton in the Second ward. This result gave to the whigs for the first time since 1841 the political control of the conneil and they at once proceeded on the "lex talionis" principle to act up to the ex- treme extent of their power by making a clean sweep-out of all the former city officials. John L. Cochran was appointed city clerk as the successor of General Leech. Mr. Cochran re- signed before his year term of office expired and was sneceeded by Judge Snow. who con- tinned to hold the office for two following years and so long as the whigs retained a ma- jority in the city council. At that time and for some years later the office of the eity clerk was more important than it is at present.

Its inenmbent then was both clerk and comp- troller combined, as the daily business of the city passed almost entirely through his hands he was expected to supply whatever was lack- ing of business education or qualification in

the mayor. The first city mayor, E. Moore, chosen in 1840 and again in 1841. was a method- ical, practical business man and had been se- lected for that position over other more popu- lar and representative men for the reason that it was thought best to have such a man to handle the helm at the commencement of the young city's career. His two immediate snc- cessors were not practical business men, and their clerks, Woodruff. Leech, Cochran and Snow, were all men of more or less experi- ence and mark in their time, and really ran the city machinery. The duties of the mayor were then very light. except on occasions, most- ly confined to overlooking labor on the streets, he being ex-officio street superintendent. Mr. Cochran was an Englishman, a man of rather unusual acquirements, was by profession a civil engineer and teacher, had been prominently connected with the public schools and as a mathematician he had not then and probably has never had his equal in Quiney. He could do what not one in millions can-run up in his mind the addition of four figures and de- elare the result as acenrately as others could add up a single column. He was one of the notable men of the place in his time. A few years later he removed to California.

The city council voted a salary to aldermen of two dollars for each regular and fifty cents for each special meeting: before this time they had been paid nothing. Urgent requests were made upon the city fathers to organize a "night watch," but they deeided that the city did not need it and could not afford the ex- pense. The city obtained from the legisla- Inre during the preceding winter the relin- (nishment of the railroad street (now Broad- way) which seven years before had been grad- ed from Twelfth street to the river, and also secured from the United States the title to what is known as the "Tow Head," the point of land lying between the bay and the river, measured then as containing 207 aeres, which it probably greatly exceeds at present.

Judge Thomas resigned his position as judge of this cirenit to take a similar place in the northern part of the state and his place was temporarily filled by Judge R. M. Young. In Angust N. H. Purple was appointed, who held the office for the three following years and until the new constitution of 1848 changed the judicial system. Indge Peter Lott. who had been elected to the legislature in 1844, resigned his seat in February just at the close of the session and was thereupon immediately appointed cirenit clerk, displacing C. M. Woods, who had acceptably held the office for many years. At this time, and before 1848,

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the judges possessed the power of appointment of clerks. An indignation meeting of the members of the bar was held at onee to make objections to the removal. This movement was not so much aimed at Lott, who was per- sonally popular and more capable than Mr. Woods, but it was intended as a protest against the summary style in which the latter's head was taken off.

Changes consequent on the election of the democratie presidential ticket in 1844 were made in the federal offices in Quincy. Dr. Samuel W. Rogers became postmaster; Samuel Holmes and Dr. Hiram Rogers respectively register and receiver of the public land office, and all continued in their respective offices un- til removed in 1840, when the whig adminis- tration came into power.

At the session of 1844-45 the General As- sembly passed an act amendatory of the city charter authorizing the assessment of an an- nual tax which should be applied solely to the support of the city schools. This was conditioned on its approval by a popular vote of the city, and at a special election, held on the 11th of April, although the proposition was persist- ently and bitterly opposed by the faction which had always fought the free school sys- tem, it was adopted by a most decisive ma- jority and thence became a permanent en- graftment upon the city charter. This was a very important measure: indeed, it was the foundation stone of free school prosperity. There was in it, however, this one serions defect-that the money thus raised passed through the possession of the city council and its manner of appropriation rested in their control, and it was not until many years later, when this defect had become seriously appar- ent, that by the legislative enactment which created the Board of Education and decreed a complete severance of this fund from the other revenues of the city, the independent school system was completed and assured. The assessment of 1-8 of 1 per cent, as authorized by the law, was made.

With this moneyed reliance before them and the obvious need of school room facilities, the school trustees agreed to appropriate $300 to- wards the erection of a suitable and sufficient schoolhouse and the city council voted an issue of seven $100 bonds for the same purpose. Finding that the necessary cost of the build- ing would be twelve hundred dollars the coun- eil increased its appropriation by two hun- dred dollars more. This was the first publie school building in the city. erected on the ground where now stands the Franklin school- house on South Fifth street.

The Morning Courier, the first daily news- paper of Quincy, made its appearance on the first of November. It was a small affair and died after a few weeks' sickly existence. The Whig commenced the issue of a tri-weekly which was kept up from time to time, with but little satisfactory result. The newspaper men were all anxious and were urged by the publie to "branch out." and several attempts were made to meet this wish by the two old- time journals during this and the two succeed- ing years, but they invariably found that the time had not yet come and had to fall back to their previous weekly edition.

The summer was very sickly and said by some to be more so than any season since 1832 and 1834. Business fairly held its own, though not especially active. Wheat averaged through the year about sixty cents, running from abont fifty cents in July to seventy-two early in December. and falling to sixty cents at the close of the year. Ilogs sold 'during December at about three dollars. There were packed in the winter of 1844-45 a few more than the preceding one. Nearly forty thou- sand barrels of four were claimed to . have been manufactured during the year. The mill- ing business had become very large. It was in the hands of men of means and experience and was rapidly extending. Navigation, which had been difficult during the latter part of the year, suspended on the first of December.

fair amount of public improvement marked the progress of the year. , This was specially shown on Front street, where sev- eral large brick warehouses were erected, add- ing much to the appearance of the city from the river. The landing was also completed in its extension to the foot of Maine street. Mat- ters of temporary local interest were many .. A very large and general demonstration was made on the fifth of July, when Judge Lott delivered an eulogy on General Jackson, who had died in the month preceding.

A colonization society was formed in April, with quite a large membership and much seem- ing earnestness. These societies nsed periodi- cally to spring up immediately after each pres- idential election, intended to become a check upon the slavery excitement which always at- tended these struggles. Annal attempts were made by publie meetings and pressure upon the city council for action by them to obtain a free ferry, but they failed, as usual, the ferry owners offering to transport "all Missourians and Quincyites (excepting wood wagons) for $400 per annum, but the council would not agree to the terms.

The two local troubles, which, like a public

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dyspepsia, had periodically broken out during the past four or five years-the Mormon and the county seat matter-still stayed uneured; the first of these causing something like the former excitements. With the killing of Jo- seph Smith in 1844 it would have seemed as if the predominance of the Mormons in Han- eoek and their influence in the adjoining coun- ties was broken. But it was not so. The scepter of the prophet fell into the hands of men of more determination and ability than he had possessed; men who for their own pur- poses elung to the control of the county, and thus, of course, a bitter feeling and disturb- ance continued. Men generally went armed and in groups, fearing strife. Fatal collisions and destruction of property still often oc- curred. Finally the killing of some promi- nent Mormons, also of Dr. Marshall by Sheriff Deming, and again of Frank Worrell by (as it was charged) Sheriff Backenstos, who had been elected as Deming's snecessor by the Mor- mon vote, and the taking possession of Carth- age by Backenstos with an armed force from Nanvoo, causing another flight of the citizens of Carthage and Warsaw, compelled again the attention of the governor. He ordered ont in September the volunteer militia from Spring- field, Jacksonville, Quiney and other places, numbering several hundred men, under the command of Gen. John J. Hardin, and sent them to the scene of action. Quiney was thus once more "ronsed by war's alarms." The presence of this imposing force gave temporary qniet to the county. The rifle company from Quincy remained in Hancock county but a few days, but immediately after their return they were ordered back, and from late in October through the following six or seven months as a mounted company, they were stationed in and patrolled Hancock county, successfully preserving order.

The condition of affairs in Hancock was very deplorable and such as could only be controlled by bayonet rule. In the county the "Latter Day Saints." as they called theni- selves, possessed an overwhelming mmerieal strength, held all the offices and used their power with consistent boldness. In all the bor- dering counties, especially in AAdams, feeling was intensified against them and frequent mass meetings were heldl denonneing the Mormons and demanding their expulsion from the state. The law seemed powerless. Judge Purple, the successor of Judge Thomas on this cirenit, de- «lined hokling the usual fall term of court in Hancock.

Charges, countercharges and proseentions were plentifully made by both parties. but pun-

ishments failed to follow. Jake Davis, state senator from Hancock, charged with complicity in the killing of the Smiths, was relieved from arrest by an order from the senate. Backen- stos, indieted for the murder of Worrell, with which he was undoubtedly connected, had his trial moved to Peoria county in December and there obtained an acquittal. A strange career was that of this man-a shrewd. daring adven- turer, with an almost repulsive, desperado bearing and look. Ile ran his course success- fully here and shortly after obtained a com- mission as captain in the regular army, where he served for several years and until his death. What political or other service or merit se- enred for him such a sineenre, usually so diffi- eult to attain, was a question much asked then and never yet answered. These neighboring troubles continued to be a source of interest and excitement in Quincy until the final for- cible expulsion of the Mormons in the fall of 1846.

Judge Channey h. Higbee, whose sudden and lamented death is in the minds of all at this time, the most satisfactory and popular man who had presided in the courts of this section of the state since the time of Judge Purple, was singularly and specially connected with the movement that finally drove the Mormons from the state, a movement which began in 1844 and succeeded in 1846. Ile was the edi- tor and proprietor of the Nauvoo Expositor : the paper which was destroyed and suppressed by Joseph Smith after the issue of its first number in 1844. Higbee had to run away to save himself from violence. This extreme at- tack upon the freedom of the press did more than anything else could have done to excite a hot prejudice against the Mormons far ont- side of where their local and personal bear- ings were felt and known.

The county seat (which had now become a county division) question made its periodical appearance. At the August election Marquette again voted not to organize; Judge Purple af- firmed the decision of Judge Douglas (from which Judge Young, while temporarily holding court. had dissented) that Marquette was at- tached to Adams for judicial purposes and thus the eastern part of the county remained in that most anomalons position of being and yet not being: paying no taxes, having no representa- tion and only known in the courts. As War- ren waggishly said, "Marquette without any fault of her own had been several times pun- ished. She was born against her wish and had been twice killed-once when she was de- capitated from Adams and next when she was legally hung-to Adams."

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CHAPTER XXIV.

1846.

BUSINESS INCREASING. WOODLAND CEMETERY. PROGRESS OF PUBLIC LIBRARY. "MISSION INSTITUTE." MEXICAN WAR. QUINCY SENDS SOLDIERS. ANNUAL FINANCIAL STATEMENT. MORMONS DRIVEN FROM THE STATE.

The winter of 1845-46 was exceptionally cold, more so than winters had been for several years, yet the temperature, though low, was even and regular and the season throughout was unusually pleasant. Much snow fell early and late, giving a long continuance of good, smooth sleighing. The river, which had closed early in December, opened late in January, af- fording easy navigation until the 26th of Feb- ruary, when it again iced over; finally becom- ing free on the 7th of March, with a full-bank rise such as rarely occurs at so early a time in the year. Later, however, in August, the lowest stage of water in the upper Mississippi that is recorded during the twenty previous years was reached and the summer and fall navigation became difficult and uncertain. Busi- ness throughout this winter, owing to the cause above named, the opening of the river in mid- winter, and also to the general high prices, was quite brisk ; more so, probably, than it had been at any former corresponding period. About the same amount of pork was packed as had been during the winter before, but the priees ruled much higher and a larger circula- tion of money was the consequenee.

The close of this year (1846) showed a de- cided increase in the stability and variety of all branches of business. The four mills of the city, which had by this time become the most extensive in their manufacture of any of the river north of St. Lonis, were estimated to have shipped away nearly seventy thousand barrels of flour during the year, being abont double the manufacture of the previous year. The wheat crop of the county and vicinity was unusually large and fine in quality, though there was a good deal of Anetnation in its prices, ranging from 65 to 70 cents in the spring down to 38 and 40 in August, and again rising to the first-named figures later in the season. Real estate, which had been "a drug" for several years, began to show a fixed, uni- form value connnensurate with the steady con- dition of general business. Sales were not nu- merons and not at such figures as had ruled in the wild, speculative days of 1836, but they were stable. As a citation of the worth of property at that time. faeing the public square, which has always determined the general value of land throughout the city, the old "Land

Office Ilotel," the "bedbugs'retreat" as it was quaintly and correctly called, was sold at aue- tion. It was an old two-story frame structure of about one hundred feet front on Hampshire, near the corner of Fifth. The building was near- ly worthless and the property was purchased only at its ground value. It sold for from $38 to $43 per foot. At the present date (1885) the ground value of the same property would be probably estimated at about four hundred dollars per lineal foot. The city purchased in July, For school uses. three-fourths of the north half of what is now Jefferson square. fronting on Broadway, for $512.50. A few years after the remaining fourth was obtained at about the same price. This secured to the city the entire ownership of the block. The south half had been bought from the county about two years before.

Woodland cemetery was laid off in April. It originally contained somewhat less than forty acres. At the following session of the legislature, by an aet approved January 16th, 1847, authority was granted to Mr. Wood, who had established the cemetery, to make a per- manent contract. under which after his death it should pass into the control and partial own- ership of the city.

Eleven years after this time, in 1857, four and sixty-five one-hundredth acres were added. making the final total area of the cemetery a little over forty-three aeres. An extensive sale of lots was immediately made and the rec- ord shows that by the 13th of May there had been three burials. Right after and during the succeeding fall and winter a great number of bodies were removed hither from the city cemetery at the corner of Twenty-fourth and Maine, and a few from the old burial ground on Jefferson Square. But few interments were from this time made in the former cemetery. now " Madison Square."

Quite a stirring sensation was created on the morning of the 18th of August. a good deal intensified from its blending with political feel- ing, when the good people of the eity awoke to find that again some graceless vagabond had barked the large tree which stood in the cen- ter of the public square. This tree had re- placed the handsome el that had been de- stroved in a similar manner six years before. Public feeling heated at once against this see- ond exhibition of vandalism and the city conn- «il at a special meeting offered a reward of one hundred dollars for the detection of the parties who had committed this outrage. The affair was easily traceable. like the previous case, to a petty political spite, and the anthors and actors were pretty well known, but the

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difficulty of securing positive proof and shrewd manipulation of the matter by parties who were anxious to conceal their own indirect respon- sibility. caused it to gradually pass out of thought without any conelusive legal action or exposure.

The Quiney Library, now in the sixth year of its existence, reported the possession of eleven hundred vohmes, showing its condition to be fairly prosperous. This was a much fa- vored institution during the early days of the city. Its establishment and management was judicious. Generous donations of standard books, carefully selected, of money, and the earnest, personal care and attention of a num- ber of thoughtful and intelligent men ensured to it a foundation of permanence. Its resources were, of course, limited, and for several years its main reliable income was derived from the winter course of lectures. These were altogether given by home leeturers, cost nothing, and were popularly attended, being the weekly inter- esting gatherings of the winter. Many of these lectures were of a high order of interest and value, such as few places in the West of equal population could produce. They were alnost altogether given by our professional men, and the qualifications of the representatives of the three "learned professions" in Quincy at this time were very superior. Bushnell, Johnston, Lott, Browning, Warren, Dixon, Randolph. Gilman, among the lawyers: Giddings. Moore, Marks. Foote, Parr, of the clergy : Taylor, Nichols, Ralston, Rogers, from the medical ranks, and others were mostly men of ednea- tion. culture and experience, and were also per- sonally popular and attractive, hence their lee- tures were always creditably intellectual and fully relished. It was the fashion to go to the lectures and, of course, everybody went. The annual revenue from this source, although it was not large, proved sufficient to sustain the library ontside of its current expenses during the first hall a dozen or more years of its ex- istence. The Tri-Weekly Whig, which had been started by Bartlett & Sullivan in October, 1845. suspended on the 21st of April. This was one among the many unsuccessful experiments made by the two permanent weeklies, the Her- ald and Whig, to establish daily or tri-weekly journals, each ambitious to be the first in the field, during the first two decades of our city history. They were all ushered into the world with hope and promise, but all died before teething time, and their many skeletons whiten ont past times, like buffalo skulls on the plains, none of them lasting over a year. The period had not yet ripened for such enterprises. A fair degree of general and permanent improve-

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Past and present of the city of Quincy and Adams County, Illinois, Part 21

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