Past and present of the city of Quincy and Adams County, Illinois, Part 35

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 35

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).

170

PAST AND PRESENT OF ADAMS COUNTY.

seemed needful at the time to assume and ultimately brought vast advantage, but were burdens none the less for a long aftertime. To tide over these aceruing liabilities and tem- porarily restore the city credit, a loan was ordered by the council and an issue of $75,000 of bonds authorized to provide for the same. This, of course, became an addition to the permanent city debt, which was now to be further increased by the subscription of $100,- 000 to the Quiney and Pahnyra Railroad. The Hannibal and St. Joe road was now nearly completed. It was constructed under govern- ment aid as a military road, by a large donation of publie lands. The desire had been that it should branch at Palmyra with one or two termini on the east, one at Hannibal, the other at Quiney. The plan through the influence of political complications failed and it cost Quincy $100,000. A company was organized to build this connection and having obtained the neces- sary authority from the legislature, applica- tion was made to the city council for a sub- seription. The conneil voted a subscription of $100,000 subject to an endorsement by the people. The election was held on the 4th of April, resulting in a vote of 942 for and 11 in opposition. Upon this an issue was ordered of bonds to the above amount running 20 years with S per cent interest and the road was speedily built. Palmyra also voted $30,000 to- wards its construction. This was the last in- vestment of the city in railroads until about twelve years later.

This $100,000 subseription to the Quiney and Palmyra railroad was not completed as origi- nally suggested and intended. The first prop- osition was that Quiney should give $100,000 and that Palmyra and the Missouri counties interested would give an equal amount, one- half of which ($50,000) was to be voted by Palmyra. On this expectation and understand- ing, the election was ordered by the council. The outside interests did not come up to their promise but Quincy did, taking as usual the heavy end of the log, and the road was rapidly Imilt mainly on the basis of the city subserip- tion and the credit given by the same. The Quiney and Toledo road, from Camp Point to Meredosia, to which the city had voted $200,- 000, was during this year, under the active management of General Singleton, placed under contract in May, rapidly pushed forward and so far finished to Mt. Sterling by Christ- mas that the ears were then rimming and a pleasant celebration was held at that place largely attended by people from Quincy. The construction of this road was by the aid and interests of the Toledo and Wabash with which it beeame consolidated a few years later.

The assessed valuation of city property for the year was $3,020,895. On this was levied a tax of one-eighth of 1 per cent for school and one-half of 1 per cent for ordinary purposes to which was added a three-eighths of 1 per cent for railroad purposes and later again of 1 per rent special tax to meet the interest on the Toledo R. R. bonds issued in January of this year. It appeared to be the idea of the coun- eil in these times, to provide by special tax for the aceruing interest on each separate issue of railroad bonds. This was a praiseworthy plan, which if it had been carefully carried out might have lightened the load which the city was compelled to shoulder with its great pile of overdue and maturing bonds, swelled by years of delinquent interest.

The entire debt now was $707,060.73 of which $500,000 was from railroad subscription and all of this except about $11,000 drawing inter- est. The estimated revenue for the year 1857 was placed at $75,000. a dark ontlook, when the resource and hability figures were placed alongside each other in contrast.

The enumeration of the houses, an essential in every city, was now for the first time ordered by the council. Their first resolution formulat- ing this project, was an amusing absurdity. It prescribed that each 25 feet of lineal curbstone measure should constitute a number, that Front street should be the base for streets running east and west, the figures alternating across the street every 25 feet, and this part of the plan has continued excepting that some dozen years later the convenient Philadelphia sys- tem, as it is called, was adopted which makes the initial figures of each honse number to correspond with the initial figures of the street bounding the block.

So far all was correct, but the other part of the council resolution, established a double base for streets running north and south, one at Broadway and the other State street, with a mixed prescription for affixing of dupheating numbers which would have puzzled the oldest inhabitant to have found his way into or ont of the city had he looked to these figures for guidance. It proved so practically absurd and confusing when put in operation, that it was abandoned and Maine street made the base from which to number north and south respectively. This enumeration of houses was done, under a contract with the council, by MeEvoy and Beatty, who at the same time prepared a city directory. It was ernde compared with later publications of the kind, but was by far the most thorough and complete of any that to this date had been prepared. All the earlier direc- tories, contained the same skeleton sketch of the town settlement, a few off-toht old stories

171

PAST AND PRESENT OF ADAMS COUNTY.

and very incomplete lists of names with great lack also of accurate designation of residences, ete. This book amplified all that was valuable in earlier directories in regard to city history, government, business and general condition, and contained about 4,500 names with resi- dence and business carefully located by num- bers.

From this enumeration of 4,500 the estimate is a fair one that the population of nearly 11,- 000 in 1835 by the state census had now grown to above 12,000. This was proven by the census of 1860, three years later, when it was reported at 14,362.

This 1857 directory, so correct and concise in most particulars, fell into the stereotyped error of all such publications, by assuming the population of the place as 20,000. This tendency to over-count population is common with census takers and reporters, and always finds a ready endorsement in beliefs.

There were twenty established churches at this time in the city, eighteen Protestant and two Catholic. Services in fourteen of these were conducted in the English language, and in the others, in German.

The city had made a few years before, the very judicious purchase of eight acres of land lying south of and adjacent to Woodland C'eme- tery, known as the Hospital Grounds. There was no decided idea as to what special nse this ground should be applied to. but after some disagreement in the council, the "Poor House" building was ordered to be erected at a cost of about $2,700, and the ground became de- voted to that use and also for a work honse some time later.

For the first time there came up in the council for consideration the liquor or saloon license question in the shape of a local option, such as then had not even a name, although the principle has now become a national issne. Petitions were poured into the council protest- ing against the granting of grocery or saloon lieenses, ( which meant the same) on portions of a street or in blocks where a majority of the property owners or those doing other business there objected. The council took the position that they would be governed by such remon- strances in the matter of granting grocery licenses, and adhered to this restrictive policy tenaciously. except when, as very often, they didn't. It is a suggestive fact connected with this matter. and with the council legislation then (and which colors all legislation on this subject ) that the grocery license for the pre- ceding year amounted to $4,721, being more than the amount received from all the other licenses combined, proving itself to be the most fruitful source of revenue obtainable by the

city. and of course to be gently handled for expediency's sake.

The local improvements, permanent in kind, both public and private. for which Quiney has always been especially noted, went on the same as heretofore. As indicative of the extent to which improvement had been carried, a diseus- sion came up during this year, to which the writer was a party. and from it a wager was made as to the amount of brick sidewalk then existing in the city. On this a calculation and measurement taken, showed that there were thirty-three miles of such walk constructed, al- most all of it twelve feet in width and in some cases sixteen feet wide. No other city in the United States, great or small, old or new, at this time was equally improved in this respect, and this feature continues. This extensive sys- tem of street improvement and completion. originated with the first years of the city, par- tially from necessity, and due also to a spirit of enterprise. The broken nature of the ground compelled an unusual amount of work in the form of levelling and making passable the thoroughfares, and these again demanded to be protected by the laying of gutters and side- walks, and this custom spread into portions of the city farther perhaps than there was an actual need for such work to be done at the time. Seven streets, Broadway. Vermont. Hampshire, Maine. State and Delaware were at this time passably graded from the top of the hill to the river and during this year the grade of Jersey was completed.

The systematizing of the city surveys and grades progressed under the direction of the city engineer, who reported having placed 250 stone monuments as points of reference at the street intersections. The "Publie Square," which for twenty or more years had known no other name, was now formally, by resol- tion of the council. christened Washington Park. Private improvements, both in amount and valne, far surpassed what had been made any former year. Nearly all of the costly and imposing four-story structures of the south side of Maine between Fourth and Fifth, faeing the square were erected during this season. The two fine buildings of E. K. Stone. imme- diately east of the Quiney House, the Lomolino building. now owned by John Leaman, a few doors farther east, by far the most expensive constructed edifice in the city. and the most elaborately finished, costing nearly $20,000. and the four-story houses of Flagg and Savage. at the corner of Maine and Fifth, were all com- pleted and ocenpied early in the fall. The rental of each of these last named houses was $2,000 per annum. The Metz building, on Maine street east of Fifth, was now built, and the

I72

PAST AND PRESENT OF ADAMS COUNTY.

"Hess House." since become the "Occidental," was enlarged so as to become the largest and most commodious hotel in the place.

Equal with the many improvements made, was the transfer and sale of property to an extent such as had not before been known, and at rates progressively high. A somewhat lengthy recital of some of those is worthy of note, as showing how well known property in the rity was valued then in comparison with former and subsequent rates. The purchases were made mostly by our own people, but in a number of cases by speculators from abroad. The fifty feet at the southeast corner of Maine and Fifth streets ( a short unoccupied lot ) sold for $305 per front foot. The small lot at the southeast corner of Hampshire and Fifth, with the brick house on it, still standing, brought $7.705. These and many other of the sales made during this year were at publie anetion. A lot on Fifth street, immediately south of the old courthouse ground, 25 feet front, was pur- chased for $430 per foot. this being the highest price up to this time which had ever been paid for city property. The Thayer building. a three-story brick at the corner of Maine and Fourth. embracing 50 feet ground, where the public library building is now being erected, was bought by JJames Parker for $15,000. On Front street at the corner of Maine two large brick warehouses, these also being the prop- erty of the Thayers, who failed about this time. sold for $11,000 cash. The quarter of the block at the southwest corner of Broadway and Fifth, then and ever since used as a Inmber yard. changed owners for $20,000. In other parts of the city farther away from business centers many sales were made at correspondingly high figures. In Monlton's addition the half of two large lots was sold for $2,180, the entire two lots having been purchased the year before for $2.000, property on the corner of Vermont and Twelfth, $22.00 per front foot. Ground on the hillside on Maine, west of Third, brought $170 per foot. A large sale was made of ground on Ninth and York for $5,000 to the Dick brothers, which became the foundation of their great brewery. Outside of and near the city the same high rate of value ruled, and many transfers were made. Eighty acres, a mile and a half north of town, which had been pur- chased but a few weeks before for $16,000 was offered at auction and sold at an advance of nearly $4,000. There never before, except about 1835-36, when the town was comparatively small. has been recorded so lively a traffic in property based on the growing prospects of the place. and most of these investments, like those of the earlier date, proved remunerative.

The widening business of the city stimulated

the idea of forming a "Board of Trade," an institution always of value to a commercial city and of which in like name or character Quincy has had so many. This was the first organiza- tion of the kind. It was formed in May with C. M. Pomeroy as president and a large mem- bership of most of the prominent business men of the city. It centered interest, was useful, and like several other such of later existence lasted but a year or two, from some fatality which seems to unfortunately attach to such associations, and is noticeable chietly as being the first enterprise of the kind formed in the city.

The business showing of the year was active and generally prosperous notwithstanding the failure of the largest business house of the city (the Thayers, whose store, mill and distillery comprehended much the most extensive oper- ations, that up to this period had been carried on in the place) and also the suspension of two leading banking houses. The winter business of 1856-57 was fair, though less than usual in some branches. Navigation had been free for a portion of the season. It was suspended by the river being frozen, from December 8th to the 15th of the last year, was resumed at the latter date, and continued until the early part of Jan- mary when the ice became fast, and so stayed until the 18th of February when it finally opened for the season, affording good boating facilities until the last week in November, then became very low, but remained open with only occasional running ice throughout the follow- ing winter.

The season was a memorably cold one. On the 9th of February occurred one of the most severe snow storms within memory, followed by rain, sleet and an intense cold, covering the country with ice and almost suspending travel. even on many of the railroads. Springfield could only be reached from Quiney by going by the way of Mendota and Bloomington.

The old staple winter industry of the place showed some falling off from the record of pre- vions years. About 38,300 hogs only aggregat- ing in weight of product 8.989,462 pounds were packed during the winter, some 5,500 less in number than were put up in the year before, although not so much less in weight. This or nearly the same percentage of decrease in the pork product of the year, was general in the west at this time. Other manufacturing inter- ests evidenced increasing business and success. The stove foundry business among others, had already grown to be very extensive, furnishing a large area of country, and employing many workmen. One. the Phoenix stove works of Comstock & Co., reported as its annual busi- ness, running into the winter of 1856-57, hav-

I73

PAST AND PRESENT OF ADAMS COUNTY.

ing made of cooking stoves 5,518, heating stoves 1,488, parlor stoves 2,460, a total of 9, 456, in the manufacture of which they used 987 tons of coal. 20,000 bushels of coal and coke and 200 cords of wood, employing an average of 60 workmen whose wages amounted to $30,232.42, and the aggregate business of the firm was over $100,000. This was the larg- est of the several stove foundries, but work was done by others in equal proportion, amounting altogether to about $200,000 of manufacture of this kind in the city.

The "Quiney Savings and Insurance Com- pany" which became the First National Bank of Quincy, opened as an exchange and bank- ing house, early in August. This made the fourth banking house now in operation, the others being the "Bank of Quiney," and the two firms of "Flagg & Savage" and "Moore, Hollowbush & Co." The two latter failed a few weeks later. Quiney had now its first ex- perience in a financial disaster and panic, but somewhat strangely. though there was much of excitement. business operations generally were but slightly affected. There was a money panie all over the country in the fall, especially wild in the west, and many failures, all the great banking houses of St. Louis being forced to suspend and bringing down with them houses with which they were associated or which were dependent upon them. This told with some effect in Quincy. One of the indirect causes for this condition of affairs, was the horde of private state chartered banks which flooded the country with their handsomely pic- tured promises to pay, and which were seat- tered everywhere with most christian benevo- lence but unebristianlike were finally found to be without any redeemer. The monetary panies and business depressions in all past time may be mainly traced at almost every period of disaster to these home-made banks of state law parentage. There had been no suspicion of in- solveney attaching to any of the Quiney banks though failures elsewhere were daily being published, when the town was surprised on the 28th of September to see the notice on the door of Moore, Hollowbush & Co. of their sus- pension and at the same time was spread, the news of the failure of S. & W. B. Thayer. A co-incident case occurred about twenty years later when the failure of the largest business house of the city brought with it the suspen- sion of the largest bank. The house of Flagg & Savage was equally or still more crippled by the failure of the Thayers but held the con- fidence of the publie in its solvency to such an extent that the run upon them was slight, but about six weeks later it was compelled to close doors, resuming after a short period of sus-

pension, but finally gave up and permanently closed. The failure of these three houses was for a long time felt by many but caused no marked depression in general prosperity.

The permanent failure of the banking house of Flagg & Savage which occurred several months later, and after their temporary re- sumption, was a much regretted affair. While, as before stated, the closure of this and the other banking houses had no serious influence on the current business, for the reason that the vity was in healthy progress and its business was peculiarly strong and solvent, yet the breaking down of this bank was generally felt to be a personal and publie sorrow and mis- fortune.

It was the first private banking enterprise of the city. Its proprietors were free, gener- ous, lavish indeed of their and to whatever was of a public interest or a private charitable ap- peal, and the personal popularity of the insti- tution and its managers was well nigh univer- sal. At the time of their first suspension, so strong was their hold upon the public con- fidence and sympathy that a notice was pub- lished, signed by quite a number of the wealth- iest citizens, expressing faith in their sol- veney and offering the assistance of their in- dividual eredit and means. No such guarantee was made at the time of their final failure in 1860. It would have been useless if given and was not asked for.

The year was a somewhat peculiar one in its «limatie conditions, with varying temperature and less healthy than usual. The city was somewhat severely secourged and scared still more by a smallpox visitation during mid- summer and again in the fall. The matter was met and promptly provided against, by unusual system on the part of the city authorities, or rather by the mayor. Mr. Thayer, the same whose financial failure occurred about this time, who as mayor, however, proved to be one of the most capable and efficient business men that ever filled the position.

An episode of this year was a rattling earth- qnake shock in July, which pervaded the Mis- sissippi Valley and was pronounced by old in- habitants as the most severe of any that had shaken up the country since the famous great earthquake of 1811. The names of a number of well known citizens passed to the death roll of the year. Among these in March, was the Rev. Joseph Kunster, of the German Catholic church, who had been resident here for a num- ber of years and became more than usually well known and influential generally. Mr. Alexander Savage, a former citizen of Maine and for several years resident in Quincy. died in the latter part of July at the age of 77. Mr.

174

PAST AND PRESENT OF ADAMS COUNTY.

Levi Wells, one of the few remaining real pioneer founders of county and city, ended an honored life on JJuly 11th, aged 64. Mr. Wells had long been an Illinoian, dating his citizen- ship farther back than any other of the old settlers. He was born in Connecticut in 1793; came to Illinois (which was then a territory) in 1818, a year before the advent of his two later life pioneer associates, Wood and Keyes. both of whom survived him. He came to Adams county (then Pike ) in 1824; was in 1825 elected one of the first three county commissioners, with Willard Keyes and Peter Journey. This office he held during the first three years of the county history and early times of Quiney. He was averse to publie positions, and held no other in after life. He early in life engaged in mercantile business, and was the possessor of a large property in and adjacent to the city. Ile was of a decided religious nature, being one of the founders of the First Presbyterian (now the First Congregational church) and of the present Presbyterian church, in which he was the leading elder from its organization until his death. Ilis philanthropy kept pace with his religion and his charities, though unob- trusive, were many and judicious, and his long life here was attended with publie and personal respect, as was his death, with regret.

A marked increase appeared about this period, one that continued for some time after. in the foreign immigration, which had rela- tively fallen off of late years. This was almost entirely German. The earliest foreign en- graftment to any great extent upon the popula- tion of the place had been of Germans, about 1834, a few as early as 1833, and the immediate succeeding years. In 1836 and thence along until 1839-40, a very large settlement of Irish came in, induced by the state, public improve- ments and the railroad labor required here at the time. These mostly remained, and a large percentage among the Irish families of the city now count back their coming to that date. Later on, about 1840. and for ten to fifteen years, a steady stream of German immigration flowed in, very largely some years, which had. however, began to gradually decrease, and now in 1857. for some reason not apparent here, it revived again. One steamer in May landed one hundred emigrants who had shipped direct from Germany for Quiney, and other arrivals in like character and number came in from time to time during the season. It was an odd, though it had become a common sight, a few years before, to find in the early morning, the entire publie landing covered by these families with their multifarious honse- hold goods of every description, many of them eumbrous articles, whose bulk and weight made

the cost of transportation to infinitely exceed their value, and perhaps among the scores of newcomers not a single person was able to speak or understand the language of the land where they had come to make a home.

The political record of the year after the spring election, had little of interest. there being no general election in the state, exeept for county officers. The only important federal office in the city, that of postmaster, was filled by the reappointment of Austin Brooks, editor of the Herald. At the fall election a so-ealled "independent" ticket for county officers was put into the field in opposition to the nominees of the democratic party. Nominally "inde- pendent," it was composed of and supported by the whigs, who, though their party organ- ization was abandoned, had not as yet chrys- talized completely into the republican party, of which they then and since formed the main numerical strength in the north. The election resulted in the usual democratie success. W. Il. C'ather (re-elected), Alex. Johnson, and Wilson Lane being chosen for county judge. clerk and treasurer, respectively, over W. S. Lee, John Field and Thomas Durant, by about 700 majority, with the exception of the vote on «lerk, Field, a very popular man, carrying the city by nearly 250 votes, though beaten in the entire county by about the same figures. The general democratic majority in the eity aver- aged about 100. The vote of the city at this election was 1,327, that of the county (city in- (Inded) 3,870. There was a surprising falling off in the vote given at this election, as com- pared with that of the last year, and also at the mayor's election in April, proving how utterly defective and unreliable election re- turns are as a basis for estimating population. The population of both city and county were unquestionably rapidly increasing, vet the county vote of 6,229 in November, 1856, had now dropped nearly two-fifths, and that of the vity, which amounted to 1,730 eight months before, fell away nearly one-fourth.

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 35

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