Past and present of the city of Quincy and Adams County, Illinois, Part 27

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 27

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The chief and almost the only special po- litical excitement of this year was confined to the democratic party.

It was over the election to the United States Senate, of a successor to Sidney Breese, whose term expired on the 4th of March. His oppo- ment for the canens nomination was James Shields, who died recently, after having been the recipient of more varied distinctions than almost any other man of his day. The position which Adams county, with its large and able delegation to the General Assembly, might as- sume was important and indeed, largely deter- mined the result. Breese was the more learn- ed. the abler and older publie man, having a political record of prominence as old as the state history, but he was not possessed of pop- nlar manners or disposition and he had also fallen out with his junior colleagne in the Sen- ate, Douglas, then the rising man of the state, and already almost, as he afterward was, omnipotent in Illinois. Shields was a genial, magnetic man. of fair talent, and he presented himself to the people with the fresh prestige of Mexican war wounds and honors.

The two aspirants visited all sections of the state and Quincy with the rest. Breese here obtained an instruction in his favor to the leg- islative delegation from this connty, but after the legislature had convened, a democratic pub- lic meeting, held at the court house. passed re- verse resolutions which instructed for Shields. The latter was elected, but on taking his seat at Washington was confronted with the charge that he had not been nine years a citizen of the United States, which he really lacked hy several months. This faet was well known at the time of his election, but it did not prevent

his being chosen, although his rejection was a certain consequence. On failing to maintain his senatorial seat he appealed to the legisla- ture at its special session in October, and was easily re-elected. Time had now cured his dis- ability. It is a singular fact that a strong fac- tor among the many influences which eonduced to Shiekls' success at this time, was his well- known opposition to slavery extension (a ques- tion that had now begun to permeate all the polities of the land) and that it was his faith- ful adherence to his friend Douglas in 1854 on the passage of the Nebraska bill (reluctantly given, for he disapproved its policy ), that pre- vented his renomination and threw him out of the line of political promotion in Illinois.

Among the exciting local events of the time was the murder of Major Prentiss, who was found dead in the street near the court house on Christmas eve, evidently killed. He was a well-known citizen, who had mingled much in local polities, and his violent death created a great sensation. Murders were infrequent in those days, and whenever they did occur, the murderers rarely escaped detection and pun- ishment, a marked contrast with the record of «rime in later years. In this case, West, who was charged with the offence, was, in the fol- lowing year, tried and sentenced to a three- year term of service in the penitentiary.

With its period of wilting siekness and de- pression : the depletion from emigration : the doubtful early prospects of erops and dull sea- sons of business, latterly revived : the radical changes in public relations, this was one of the most eventful years of Quincy history: the more also it may so be considered because with the latter part of the year began a "boom" of prosperity : an advance in real estate vamnes. in population, in business activity, which, rapidly developing in the following year, continued un- ahated for the next ten years.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

1850.

CALIFORNIA

EMIGRATION.

CHOLERA, FIRST

SUCCESSFUL MEDICAL

SOCIETY. CENSUS

TAKEN. POPULATION OF COUNTY AND CITY

26,508. PRIVATE BANKING BEGUN. TEMPER-

ANCE AGITATION.

FISCAL STATEMENT OF

CITY. PERIOD OF PROSPERITY. LOSSES BY

FIRE. TWO GERMAN NEWSPAPERS, FALL

ELECTIONS.

STEADY GROWTH.

PROPERTY

VALUATIONS.

The ice blockade of the winter of 1840-50 was of brief continuance. The river closed in 1849. on Christmas day, and opened on January 29th.

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PAST AND PRESENT OF ADAMS COUNTY.

giving good average navigation throughout the year. and not closing at all during the winter of 1850-51. The dreaded cholera which had so fearfully scourged the city in the previous year, returned, but its ravages were compara- tively light. About fifty was the estimate of the total number of deaths. The exodus to California continued, notwithstanding that the returning pilgrims of the year before brought but little to show for their venture, and gener- ally gave dissuasive advice to those who were smitten with the gold fever: but the report of a single case of success in the mines, no matter how doubtful its eredit, would ontweigh all else, and the stream of treasure-seeking adven- turers still unbrokenly flowed west ward.

It was an observable and somewhat enrions fact that of the hundreds who went from this section to California in 1849 and 1850, many more of the second-year emigrants made there their permanent home than of those who were of the year preceding, and that among the number who have thus remained, the larger proportion came from the emigration of the county outside of the city. The second emi- gration was made up of a more stable element. and men moved away from their former homes with more fixed intentions and better arrange- ments, and a great many took along their fami- lies.

The public excitement was still at the full and the interest as rose-colored as ever, with that novelty and hope which even at this long later day attaches to every idea of California. Time had not at all tamed the early eagerness of adventure, and all reports from the few who had as yet returned were accepted just as the hearer wished. In one respect the interest had changed. Danger was no longer dreaded as attendant on the trip across the desolate, track- less. savage-hannted plains, or over the long tortuous ocean route, but an equal apprehen- sion arose from the attested rumors that chol- era had waylaid and was doing fell ravage among the traveling trains.

Sickness and pestilence are the saddest of inflietions at home, but when they reach after the far-off wanderer, away from care and sym- pathy and resonrees, they bring tenfold ter- rors, magnified by wild rumor and fancy. The cholera was fearfully fatal in places on the plains, though the stories of its progress were naturally much exaggerated. A special anx- iety was felt in Quincy, for the reason that with the earliest reports that the disease had broken ont among the emigrants, came also the news of the death of Charles Steinagel, one of the most active and prominent German citizens of this place. Quite a number of Quincy and Adams county people died of this disease, but

the conditions of the climate, the pure air and the altitude of the country were repellants to the pestilence, which otherwise might have reaped a fearful harvest.

Among the now fixed institutions of the place. the Adams County Medical Society, as at present constituted, dates its origin in this year. Several attempts had been made by the resident physicians during the preceding ten or twelve years to form a local medical associa- tion, but the efforts were short-lived, and this was the only successful organization. It com- meneed with a membership of ten. Drs. Ral- ston, S. W. Rogers, Roeschlaub, Hollowbush. Wilson, Watson, Shepherd, Leach, Chapman and Elliott ; all familiar names for many years in the past. Of these, all but three (Chapman, Elliott and Shepherd) were from the city, and now, thirty-six years after its formation, two only of the original members of the society survive. Dr. L. T. Wilson, of Quiney, and Dr. L. Watson, of Ellis, Kan.

The seventh national census was taken this year by E. H. Buckley and W. R. Lockwood, Deputy United States Marshals, appointed for that purpose. Prior to this time, as prescribed by the constitution of 1818, a state census had been taken every ten years, intermediate to the time of the national census, for the pur- pose of apportioning the representation in the state legislature, which is established every five years : the framers of this first constitution, rightly foreseeing that with the rapidly in- ereasing population of the state, this repre- sentation would soon become unequal and un- certain if dependent for its accuracy on the decennial federal census. This state census was taken in 1825-35 and 45, but the provi- sion therefor, under the economic influences of the time, was omitted in the state constitution of 1847, and also, unfortunately, left out of the constitution of 1873. so that every alternate readjustment of representation in the state leg- islature is now based largely on guess work.

The returns of this census, which was quickly and correctly taken, gave a population of 16,901 to Quiney, and to the entire county, the city included, 25,508. This placed Adams county after Cook and Quiney next to Chicago on the record as the most populous county and city in the state, a relative position which they maintained during the twenty succeeding years.

The private banking business of Quiney be- gan with this year. After the suspension of the State Bank of Illinois, with its branch in Quiney, in 1842, there was for some years much difficulty in conveniently obtaining eastern ex- change. This was an especial embarrassment to the mercantile business of the place. At

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PAST AND PRESENT OF ADAMS COUNTY.

certain seasons of the year, during tax-paying time, some relief was afforded by the land agencies who at that period were drawing upon their eastern clients, and it was not an infre- quent custom for the merchants to send to St. Louis, or even to the branch bank of the State of Missouri at Palmyra and there purchase drafts by which to remit and make their pe- riodical payments to their eastern creditors. For a year or two before this time, Mr. Newton Flagg had been engaged in selling exchange in a quiet way, and his business grew so greatly that in the fall of 1850, in partnership with Charles A. Savage, with whom afterward I. O. Woodruff was associated, the banking house of Flagg & Savage was opened ou the south side of Maine street, between Fourth and Fifth, afterwards removed to the corner of Maine and Fifth, where for years was transacted a large and Iuerative business. The house suspended in 1857, and resumed a few months later. but after a hard struggle of one or two years, finally closed in 1860. It was the first perma- nently established private bank of the place. The earliest in date, however, was that of J. H. Smith and A. C. Marsh, who opened, on the 5th of March. near the corner of Maine and Fourth, under the Quincy House, the "Farmers' and Merchants' Exchange Company." It was not strong, however, and its existence was brief.

The temperance sentiment, which at this time was all pervading throughout the country, took possession of Quiney with a force unknown be- fore or since. Many and large petitions were presented to the council protesting against the liquor traffic, and the granting of licenses therefor. In deference to these an election to obtain the wishes of the people was ordered to be held on the 9th of March. There was a singular accord of feeling expressed on this matter. The people, the politicians and the press worked all one way. The Whig. Herald and Journal vied with each other as to which should be foremost and most radical in the cause, and the result was that out of a poll of 578 (being about two-thirds of the entire vote of the eity) all but 45 votes were given against license, making a temperance majority of 488. The council immediately thereupon assembled and passed an ordinance forbidding the retail sale of liquor and also revoking the licenses already issued.

The proprietors of the Northern Cross Rail- road held a meeting on the 15th of February, and, after subscribing $10,000 additional stock. reorganized the company by the election of J. W. Singleton, I. N. Morris, N. Bushnell. N. Flagg and J. M. Pitman as directors, with I. N. Morris as president : S. Holmes, secretary, and Ebenezer Moore, treasurer. The board gave

notice that on the 1st of April the railroad com- pany would take possession and claim the ex- «Insive use of that portion of the roadbed lying within the city. A committee was appointed by the council to confer with the railroad com- pany upon the matter. This property referred to was that part of Broadway west of Twelfth street extending to the river, which had been relinquished by the state to the city prior to the purchase of the remainder of the road by the railroad company. As the city's title was secure and the railroad company had really no use for the property claimed, action on the subjeet went no further. Subscription books to the stock of the road were opened on the 2nd of April to remam open for thirty days. No additional stock was taken. Prior to this period, about the first of March, the president of the road asked from the city a subscription of $150,000. It was not responded to. The time had not yet come. The engineers, Messrs. Whittle and Shipman, published two exhaust- ive and excellent reports of their survey, etc .. in which they estimated the value of the road as purchased at $120.000. Farther than the labor of the engineers in their survey, no work of any consequence was done upon the road during this year.

The fiscal statement of the city for the year ending April 1, 1850, was a well-prepared and favorable showing. The amount of bonded in- debtedness was reported as $33.373.43, of which $20,000 had been created by the refund- ing operations of the past year. when by the issue of this amount of bonds, which realized, when placed on the market. $18.400. all the then matured bond obligations of the city were taken up and a balance of abont $1,500 in cash, was left in the city treasury for "pocket money." It was a judicious, well-managed operation. All of the bonded debt mentioned ahove would mature consecutively during the next ten years. The outstanding vouchers in circulation amounted to $1,994.26. about the same as at the end of the last fiscal year, but there was at this time cash on hand to meet these liabilities. The total expenditures of the «ity for the past twelve months had been greater than during any preceding year. but this was unavoidable, as, in addition to the natural increase of expense with growth, the year 1849 had made many and unusual de- mands upon the public purse. The prevalent pestilence had caused the nuisance, poor house, pauper and other accounts to swell to a large figure, and there had been completed and paid for, during this year, one of the costliest im- provements ever made by the city. This was the grading of Sixth street from Maine to Fer- sey, which involved the filling of a ravine twen-

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PAST AND PRESENT OF ADAMS COUNTY.

ty feet deep running along the entire length of the block.

At the ammal city election in April there was no party contest. The democratic ticket, headed by Mr. Holmes, was successful over an independent tieket by a decisive majority ; Holmes receiving 569 votes against 394 for R. S. Benneson, the independent nominee for mayor. At the same time, Amos Green and II. L. Simmons, democrats, were elected alder- men in the First and Second wards. John Wood only, in the Third ward, being chosen on the independent ticket. The city council was de- cidedly democratie, and the organization and action for the year was radically the same. There had been an election held all over the county on the 2nd of April for town officers under the township law. now for the first time going into operation, but the city, though de- «lared as one of the towns, decided not to hold an election.

With the satisfactory condition of the city finances and its credit placed in a better shape than at any time before, there came now an active advance in business, which increasingly continued for the next half a dozen years, slowing down after that time until in 1861 it was revived by the war times, when there was plenty of money and so many interests and al- most everybody, for a time, lived off the gov- ernment. This revival of business life and industry was all over the land as well as here. By some it was attributed to the stimulus of the California goldl coming into circulation; by one-half of the politicians it was credited to the national administration being whig, and this was as zealously denied by the other half. Again, and with some degree of truth, so far as it concerned Illinois, it was elaimed that the new constitution, by its having redeemed the bankrupt credit of the state, had encouraged and invited immigration. It was really, how- ever, besides the effect of the above influences. the natural periodical return of prosperity, and confidence that regularly appears after a pe- riod of depression.

In Quiney the effects were early and evident. It was a year of bustle and improvement. Two daily packet lines of steamers were running to St. Louis in addition to the Galena and St. Paul boats, two or three of which passed every day. Property rapidly advanced in value. For instance, the two large lots in Nevins' addition of the southeast corner of Maine and Twelfth streets, where now stands the Webster school house, and which had been offered for sale in the year before at $500, now were bought for school purposes by the city for $2,000, and to- day probably the same property without the

buildings thereon may be easily called worth ness structures were erected. The MeFadon's, Rogers', Mauzey's buildings on the north side over $50,000. Many superior substantial busi- of the square; Kendall's, since called the City llall, at the corner of Maine and Sixth ; Luce's buiklings, on Fourth, south of Maine, where for a long time the post office was located, and a number of other permanent and costly edifices were erected, giving better appearance to the city. Some handsome private residences were constructed. This was a feature in Quiney's appearance which was sadly neglected before. Now it equals any other city of its class in the state, in the number, variety and elegance of its private residences. Then, and up to this pe- riod, there was next to nothing to show of at- traetiveness in this line, nothing but what would be second or third class today. The old Wood, Keyes and Young mansions and two or three others were about all. The Leavitt house, perhaps the most pretentions and expensive private residence of its time, was built this year. It stood on the corner of Vermont and Eighth, was afterward purchased by General Singleton, and now is built over and forms a part of the St. Mary's School.

With the general business stimulation, man- nfaeturing enterprise which is always the surest indication of local prosperity, became active. A larger number of factories of a valuable and durable kind were established than had ever been before. Among them were the Phoenix works. by the energetie and enterprising Com- stock Bros., in the fall of the year, and about the same time the cotton factory of Dimock & Gove, which did a successful business for some years ; also the planing mill of Chase & Seripps, the first large concern of the kind in the city which had been working in a small way before, now extended its business, and a number of other factories beneficial to the place and which have continued snecessfully, originated with this year.

There were severe losses by fire. of which there was an unusual number. In Jannary the large brick steam flouring mill and distillery, known as the "Casey Mill," situated near the Bay, about where the freight depot now stands, was entirely consumed. It was the most ex- tensive concern of the kind in the city, being a four-story structure, with surrounding build- ings, originally ereeted by Messrs. Miller, at a cost of between $20,000 and $25,000. The prop- erty afterwards passed into the hands of Capt. Casey and other parties, who expended on it some $15,000 more. It was a serious loss to the business of the place. Later than this, also on the 30th of March, Kimball's mill, at the foot

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PAST AND PRESENT OF ADAMS COUNTY.

of Delaware streeet, went the way of all mills. This also was a large establishment, and an old landmark. It was the oldest steam mill in the city, erected in 1831, although much enlarged since.

The long-talked Female Seminary, for which there had been yearning and movement for many months past, opened finally in October, in the buildings on the south side of Maine, near Sixth, which had for some years past been used by Miss Doty for the same purposes. It began under the supervision of Miss Catherine Beecher and a corps of teachers, with nearly one hundred pupils and fine prospects of suc- cess, which, however, were doomed to disap- pointment, as it lived hardly a year, sinking with itself a good deal of hope and more or less money beside.

Among the public events of the year were the observances on the death of General Taylor, the second President of the United States, who had died in office. A publie meeting was called by the Mayor and proper preparations made, and on the 27th of July, with formal accompanying ceremonies, an impressive ad- dress was delivered at the Market House by Judge Peter Lott. Judge Lott was the most felicitous orator for such oceasions in the city. and had performed a similar duty nine years before, on the oceasion of the death of Presi- dent Harrison. Several persons who had oc- cupied places of more or less prominence in past Quincy history, passed away from life dur- ing this year. Judge Jesse B. Thomas, one of the oldest and ablest legal men of the state, who had presided over this judicial eirenit, suc- ceeding JJudge Douglas, in 1843, and residing for some years in Quincy, died at Chicago on the 17th of February. Governor Ford, a citizen of Quiney and practicing lawyer as early as 1833, afterward Supreme Judge and Governor of the state, died at Peoria during the month of November. A more personal as well as general feeling of regret was occasioned by the death of H. S. Cooley, who died at New Orleans on the 21st of March, of consumption, and was buried here by the Masons with a good deal of publie display. Mr. Cooley came to Quiney from Maine, in 1840, and at once became con- spienous. He was made Quartermaster General of the state in 1843, appointed Secretary of State in 1846, elected to the same office in 1848, and held it until his death. He was a man of fair talent, active and ambitious and, had his life been longer, would probably have contin- ned to rise in political distinction.

The newspaper business exhibited the same advanced energy and enterprise that marked other callings, but it could not be fairly said

to be as profitable and stable. There were two weekly German papers issued, both moderately democratie in politics. One, the Illinois Courier, published by Linz and Richter, came out in April and continued for several years. The other, the Wochenblatt, had but a short life, dying out with the sudden disappearance "be- tween two days" of its publisher. The three other journals were the Herald. Whig and the Journal. The latter had somewhat of an in- voluntary chameleon reputation. It was charged by the Whig with being a democratie sheet, and as severely attacked by the Herald for its whig proclivities. The editor, L. M. Booth, an old newspaper man, had the luek or non luck to often be freighted with this un- certain reputation. He was somewhat in the situation of the two Irishmen, strangers who met and each thought that he recognized the other. After a grasp of the hand and a second look, both started back. and one of them says: "Faith and we're both mistaken, I thought it was von and yon thought it was me, and it seems it is neither of ns." His paper did not prosper. and he left in April, promptly, like the Wochenblatt editor, for California, where he soon embarked in a similar business. The Jour- mal fell into the hands of C. M. Woods, who changed, in May, the name from People's Jour- nal to Quincy Journal, and on the 20th of No- vember commenced the issue of a daily paper. There had been two brief efforts to carry on a daily publication in Quiney (once, in 1845, and again in 1847) ; each lived but a few months. Mr. Wood's Journal was published at the price of ten cents a week. It had difficulties (sus- pended once or twice), but after some changes in name and ownership, was merged into and became the present Daily Herald, the oldest continnous daily of the city. Another journal, the Columbus Gazette, was started during this summer, but its existence was short and its eir- enlation light and mostly confined to the county and its own immediate neighborhood.

Journalism then, thirty-six years ago, was laden with less labor, but also owned less eon- veniences, than since and now. Local news was scant and hard to obtain, and the manu- facture of the same was a vet undeveloped art. Early news from abroad came at variable pe- riods. As illustrative of this, one of the weekly journals, in two successive issues, tells its read- ers that it has "no, dispatches again this week. owing to the storm," a somewhat significant comment on what the telegraph was in those days.

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Past and present of the city of Quincy and Adams County, Illinois, Part 27

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