USA > Illinois > Peoria County > Peoria > Peoria city and county, Illinois; a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Vol. I > Part 43
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"In 1847 Mr. Phelps secured the establishment of the Elmwood postoffice. He was postmaster and mail contractor, the mail being brought twice a week from Farmington, although, if I remember right, the pay was only for one mail each week. At twelve years old I qualified as deputy postmaster and also as mail carrier. The office was kept first in the house of William J. Phelps, in a cherry desk which was made for the purpose by the neighborhood cabinet maker, Isaac West. It is still preserved in the family as a historic relic. Mr. Phelps afterwards built an office twelve or fourteen feet square by the roadside near the house. When the postoffice was moved to town, this building was sold to Mr. Neagley for a shoe shop."
Coal was discovered on the land of William J. Phelps near the village of Elmwood in 1835. It was first obtained in small quantities by stripping off the ground and was used principally by the blacksmiths. When coal stoves were introduced for heating purposes the mining of coal became an industry but was confined to drifting into the hillside. It was not until 1866 that coal was mined for commercial use. In that year William E. Phelps formed a partnership with James Lee and put down the first shaft in the timber west of William J. Phelps' residence on the southeast quarter of section 18. The hoisting was done by horse power. About this time William J. Phelps became a member of the firm of Phelps & Lee, and in the fall of 1867 a shaft was sunk on the southwest
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quarter of section 17 near Elmwood, and a steam hoisting plant installed. A couple of years later another shaft was sunk near by, and the two being con- nected, the first one was conducted as an escapement shaft, which is supposed to have been the first in the state, affording absolute security to the men below.
The Elmwood Coal Company in 1869 built a narrow gauge railroad to the mines and arranged shipping and retail yards in the village. The same company sunk another shaft in 1873. At present the mines are running full capacity and employing a number of men.
THE CITY OF ELMWOOD
Elmwood was incorporated as a village February 27, 1867, and as a city, May 24, 1892. It now has a population, according to the census of 1910, of 1,390, which is a decrease of 170 since the census of 1900.
To the building of the Peoria & Oquawka railroad may be ascribed the in- centive for the founding of Elmwood. William J. Phelps, one of the early set- tlers of the township, was a director in this road and owned a large tract of land in its immediate vicinity, which he readily recognized would be greatly enhanced in value by having the railroad contiguous thereto. It is presumed that it was largely through his influence that the road was swerved from its original intent to go by way of Farmington and run through this tract, after which Mr. Phelps, in 1852, made a plat of the future city and at once began to sell lots. The first house to be built was by George Rodenbaugh on block \' in the summer of 1852. About the same time Dr. Swisher built on lot 2 in the same block, and Levi Richardson put up a house in block R. In the summer of 1853 Porteus B. Roberts built a residence on block Q. In the winter of 1852-3 .A. S. Andrews was induced to move his store building from Newburg to Elm- wood, and in the following spring the store commenced business. This was the pioneer mercantile establishment of Elmwood. It was located on the north- cast corner of lot I, block W. In the summer of 1853 Walter T. Brewster and Addison L. Tracy erected a brick store building on lot 1, block Q. This building a few years ago was remodeled and is now a structure of modern appearance.
William J. Phelps established the first bank in Elmwood about the year 1865. His cashier was Harlan P. Tracy. The headquarters of the financial institution were in the rear room of Tracy's dry-goods store. Soon, however, after the con- cern had gotten in good running order, a bank building was erected, which has been in use for that purpose to the present time, being now occupied by the banking firm of Clinch, Schenck & Lott. The name of this first financial con- cern was Phelps & Tracy. It was so known until 1875, when Mr. Phelps retired and Fred B. Tracy became cashier and partner with his uncle, the firm name being changed to H. P. Tracy & Company. In 1883 the bank failed and the Farmers & Merchants Bank was organized by Edwin R. Brown, of Elmwood, and Delos S. Brown, of Peoria, brothers, which was sold in 1887 to Thomas Clinch and W. H. Lott, who had in the meantime opened a private bank. Henry Schenck was taken in as partner and the style name of Clinch, Schenck & Lott adopted, under which the bank now maintains a prominent position.
The Elmwood State Bank was organized in 1891, with a capital of $25,000, later increased to $50,000. In 1898 it went into the hands of J. D. Putnam as receiver.
The Congregational church was organized June 5, 1854, with the following members: William J. Phelps, Mrs. Olive B. J. Phelps, Walter T. Brewster, Z. E. Spring, Mrs. Avella G. Spring, Warren II. Chapman, Mrs. Susan S. Chap- man, Mrs. Ann L. Tracy, Rev. F. Auten, then a recent graduate of Union Theological Seminary, of New York, became the pastor but died about a year thereafter. About 1855 a building for religious services was erected. Previous thereto services were held in an unfinished room over the store of A. L. Tracy. After the death of Rev. Auten, Rev. R. Rudd supplied the pulpit for a few
STREET SCENE IN ELMWOOD
ELMWOOD SCHOOL
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THE NEW YORK PUBLIC D. AKY
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months. Rev. J. Steiner became the regular pastor in August, 1856, and re- mained until 1858. He was followed by Sherlock Bristol, who came in 1858. He remained two years and was followed by W. G. Pierce, who commenced his labors April 21, 1861. During the war of the rebellion Rev. Pierce acted as chaplain of the Seventy-seventh Regiment of Illinois Volunteers for about one year. His ministry closed with this church in 1871 and for some months there was no pastor, the pulpit being supplied by different clergymen. Rev. Albert Fitch was a supply. In 1872 Rev. Allen J. Van Wagner, who had just graduated from the Chicago Theological Seminary, was called and entered upon his labors. In the fall of 1872 he was ordained and installed as pastor. His successors were Rev. L. R. Royce, W. R. Butcher, W. S. Pressy and Arthur Miles. In 1893 the church building was remodeled at a cost of $10,000. It has a seating capacity of about 400 and many of the modern conveniences.
June 5. 1856, Revs. Daniel F. McFarland, William A. Fleming, John C. Hanna and Ruling Elder Andrew Rogers met at the Methodist Episcopal church for the purpose of organizing a Presbyterian church, which was accomplished. An- drew D. Rogers was selected as ruling elder and M. Bush, John Bodine, George Griggs and Levi Richardson, trustees. Rev. D. F. McFarland was the first pastor. By reason of many removals and other causes the church membership had dwindled and interest had waned to such an extent that on December 20, 1859, an organization was effected with twenty-three members as the First Presbyterian church of Elmwood. The elders elected were William Simpson, George L. Lucas and Joseph Warne. A house of worship was purchased from the Congregational society, which had been located at Newburg about two miles away and moved into the village. It first stood on the tract of land now known as West Park but in 1877 was moved to its present site. Rev. James E. Marquis was the first pastor of the reorganized church and remained until his death, which occurred February 22, 1863. The pulpit was then supplied by George N. Jolinson for about one year. In June, 1864, Rev. James H. Smith was called to this charge and ministered to the people until 1867. He was followed by Rev. John R. Reason, a supply, whose pastoral relations continued until 1880, after which, until 1885, the pulpit was supplied by Revs. A. C. Wilson and C. C. Kerlinger. In 1885 Rev. C. C. B. Duncan became the pastor and remained until 1890. He was succeeded by Rev. W. H. Mason. In June, 1895, Rev. B. Y. George was called. The old church which had been removed and remodeled at a cost of about $1,200, was discarded in 1891 for a more modern structure, erected at a cost of $7,000. The membership now numbers about 160.
Elmwood has always been forward in its educational institutions. The town- ship and village had their private and public schools as soon as enough children could be gathered together for the purpose. In 1885 a movement was made in Elmwood for means of higher education and to that end the Elmwood Academy was established. Professor Don Carlos Taft and Miss Anna Somers were the pioneer teachers in this institution and the academy gained a wide and most en- viable reputation. Classes were held in the Congregational church for ten years, when the district and graded schools came into existence and later the high school. For the latter a building had been erected which was destroyed by fire. It was replaced by the present handsome structure, which is substantially built of brick and stone. A board of seven members and a faculty of twelve teachers are in charge.
Elmwood is essentially a residence town, although it has good markets for grain and stock and well appointed mercantile establishments. When the town was about three or four years old John Regan, of Knoxville, established the Elmwood Observer. The first number appeared January 6, 1858, and continued to be issued weekly until May, 1859, when it ceased publication. On May 19, 1860, the Chronicle was founded by Woodcock & Son, of Peoria. It only existed about two years, owing to the enlistment of O. F. Woodcock in the Civil war, his son having preceded him in that patriotic duty and become a member of the
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Seventy-seventh Regiment of Illinois Volunteers. In the interim between June, 1862, and 1866, Elmwood was without a newspaper. July 19, 1866. John Regan resuscitated the Observer and about the same time O. F. Woodcock brought the Chronicle again to life as a republican paper. On the 7th of November. J. A. Somersby took charge of the Chronicle and continued its publication until May 9, 1872, when R. P. Childs succeeded him in the editorial chair. On the 4th of July, 1872, Joseph P. Barrett, of Peoria, and E. R. Brown, of Elmwood. took charge of the paper and on the 15th of August following, sold it to Alpheus Davidson & Son, who published the sheet until after the campaign of that year. when the plant was removed to Canton.
John Regan began the publication of the Messenger, March 6. 1874. This paper met with considerable good fortune and was successfully conducted until the death of its editor, John Regan, in 1891, when it began to lose control of affairs and in 1895 suspended publication by passing into the hands of the Courier. J. A. Somersby published the Industrial Journal from May 30, 1874. to January 6. 1876, and W. P. Gifford and A. M. Swan published the Central Illinois News about six months during the year 1876. John C. Snyder published the Express. a semi-weekly paper, devoted to the greenback cause, for a few months and then suspended.
The Gazette was born in Brimfield, November 4. 1875, and was published there until July 2, 1879. when it was removed to Elmwood. Here it was issued as an eight column folio but it was soon thereafter changed to a six column folio, semi-weekly. I11 1881 the paper passed into the hands of W. E. Phelps, who continued its publication until 1883. when M. H. Spence took charge of it and it is today the leading paper of the city.
The Courier was started in December. 1894, by Albert McKeighan and in 1895 purchased the plant of The Messenger, which was discontinued. From 1895 to 1905 the Courier had several proprietors. In June of the latter year the Beardsley Brothers, of Princeville, bought the Courier office and resurrected the Messenger, at the same time suspending the publication of the Courier.
AKRON TOWNSHIP
Akron had settlers within its borders as early as 1831. It was organized in 1850, and the first election was held at the house of Ebenezer Russell. April 2, 1850, at which time Simon P. Chase was moderator and Richard Kidd clerk. There were sixteen votes cast. Benjamin Slane was elected supervisor and all but three of the sixteen electors were selected at this election for some office. Akron is in the northern tier of townships and has for its neighbor on the west, Princeville, on the south, Radnor, on the east, Hallock, and on the north, Stark county. The land is quite fertile. Part of it is rolling and the rest level, flat, corn-producing soil, which was originally covered with prairie grass, excepting a narrow strip of timber along the western border. There are two small streams of water which drain this territory-one in the eastern and one in the western part of the township.
To llugh Montgomery is given the credit of being the first permanent settler, coming here in 1831 and locating on section 7. That same year James Morrow and Daniel Prince settled on section 31. and Thomas Morrow on section 18, where he built a log cabin. As is usually the case, settlements were first made near the timber, as prairie land in early days was not considered of very much value for cultivation. This took the first settlers to the western part of the township but gradually the pioneers ventured on to the prairie and opened up farms which vied in fertility with those near the woodland. The growth in settlement in this township was not very rapid but by 1860 it had reached its ultimate point.
This township has no town or village that can be called entirely its own. On the western border is the village of Princeville, a small portion of which
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lies within the confines of Akron and within this strip is the Seventh Day Bap- tist church and parsonage, a store, cheese factory and a number of residences. There is a small station named Akron on the line of the Chicago & Northwestern railroad, which was laid out a short time after the completion of the road, but has not grown in dimensions worth mentioning.
At a town meeting held in 1854 it was decided to build a town hall. The building, 26x18 and 11 feet high, was erected that same year and served the purposes of a schoolhouse and town hall until 1866. In 1865 the voters of the town joined with those of district 5 in the erection of a two-story building, the lower part of which was used for school purposes and the hall above for public gatherings and business meetings. In June, 1900, the authorities of Akron town- ship bought the interests of school district No. 5 in this building and moved it on to another part of the lot.
One of the most notable instances in the history of this township was the contested election case of 1868. In this election $30,000 in bonds were voted. for the construction of a railroad. The vote stood 124 for the issuing of the bonds and 122 votes against. The matter was taken into court and after four years' litigation the supreme court determined that the election was illegal and that the supervisors could not be compelled to issue the $30,000 bonds voted for the purpose. In this trial much bitterness of spirit was engendered and a number of prominent lawyers were engaged. Among them were the late Robert E. Ingersoll, of Peoria, Adlai E. Stevenson, of Bloomington, Judge John Burns and George C. Barnes, of Lacon, Judge Hezekiah M. Wead and Henry B. Hop- kins, also of Peoria. The present officers of the township are: M. J. McDonna, supervisor ; B. W. Heath, township clerk ; George Ortley, assessor ; George Del- heimer, collector ; Charles A. Timmons, justice of the peace.
Shortly after the settlement of the township a schoolhouse was built on the northwest corner of section 19 and became famous in its day. It accommodated as many as sixty scholars, children coming from all directions as far as Spoon river to the northwest, and the center of Jubilee township on the southwest. It was used on Sunday as a place of worship and the remainder of the week as a school room. This was also the polling place for quite a while. It was destroyed by fire about 1849 and the next schoolhouse to be built was near where the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe railroad crosses the public road, one mile east of the west line of the township. It was not long after this that the township was divided into three school districts. The schoolhouse just referred to was in district No. 1. In some of these districts school was kept for a few months in the year but as soon as the township was fairly settled, it was redistricted into nine districts, remaining so to the present time. There are now nine substantial frame schoolhouses, each accommodating about thirty pupils. The largest en- rollment of pupils was in the period between 1870 and 1880, when there were 349 pupils out of 409 persons of school age, and from $10, the first wage paid, the stipend for teachers has increased to an average of about $45 per month.
The church building of the Seventh Day Baptists stands on the east line of section 24. This religious society was organized September 3, 1852, through the efforts of Anthony Hakes and a few others. In 1870 the present church building was erected, at a cost of about $6,000.
The Amish church was organized about 1870 and for a number of years services were held at the homes of members. In 1880 a church building was erected, with modern conveniences, for meetings and also for various socials and the like. Christian Straitmatter served as pastor for the organization until 1895. Since then the pulpit has been filled by Ludwig Herbold and Frank Wortz. The fact that there are but two churches in the township is no indication that its citizens are not disposed toward religious matters, Within easy driving dis- tance are two churches at Lawn Ridge, two at Edelstein, three at Dunlap, three at Princeville and one at Stark, which give the people ample facilities for gratify- ing any desire they may have for church going.
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Up to 1860 the settlers of this township received their mail at Princeville and Southampton but about the year 1860 a postoffice, named Akron, was estab- lished four miles east of Princeville and T. P. Burdick was appointed post- master. His successor, William Sanders, was appointed three years later and he distributed the mails until 1866, when the office was discontinued, but it was reestablished in 1870 near the center of the township, Mrs. Deming serving as postmistress. She resigned about a year later and William Houston succeeded her and retained the position until the office was discontinued, owing to the es- tablishment of a rural delivery route from Princeville, which supplied the needs of the people in a much better and more expeditious manner than the stationary office, as the mail is brought daily to the door of each house in the township.
This is essentially an agricultural community and practically all of the inhabi- tants are engaged in tilling the soil, which is rich and yields abundant harvests to an intelligent and prosperous people. The township has good roads, bridges, churches, schools and all that goes to make for a life of happiness and content- ment. Its railroad facilities are very good. In 1871 the Peoria & Rock Island entered the township, and since the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe has been built across the township from cast to west near the center. In 1901 the Chicago & Northwestern ran a line across the township a half mile west of the castern border. Akron is a station on this road near the southeast corner of the town- ship.
HALLOCK TOWNSIIIP
Hallock township is bounded on the north by Marshall county, on the east by Chillicothe, south by Medina and west by Akron townships. It is quite bluffy in places and has considerable timber land, the bulk of which runs through its center from north to south, varying in width from nearly four miles on the north to a little over one mile on its southern boundary. Most of the land, how- ever, is very fertile and comprises some of the finest farms in Peoria county. It is well watered, the streams being pretty equally scattered over the township. The township was organized in 1850 and named after its first settler, Lewis Hallock. The first town meeting was held at the house of Reuben Hamlin in Northampton on Tuesday, April 2, 1850. William Easton was chairman and Charles Barker clerk. The latter was finally elected moderator of the meeting and Robert Will, Jr., clerk. At this election the following officers were chosen : Walter S. Evans, supervisor ; Erastus C. Root, assessor ; Lyman Robinson, clerk ; Isaiah Nurse, Joel Hicks and Simon Reed, commissioners; Jesse Jenkins, over- seer of the poor ; Munson Hinman, town clerk; William Easton and Nathaniel Chapin, justices ; Augustus Barton and Eliphalet Russell, constables.
Hallock township is one of the first to have been settled, Lewis Hallock having come here about the year 1820. He took up some land in what is now called Hallock Hollow, where he built a log cabin. He was a single man but in the winter of 1829 he married a Mrs. Wright, daughter of Hiram Cleveland, and brought her to his cabin. To them was born a child, Clarissa, who afterward married Henry Robertson. He was a man of upright character and honest in all his dealings and lived on his farm in the hollow until his death, which oc- curred April 1, 1857, at the age of sixty-one years. When a young man he had immigrated to the great west from Long Island and lived among the Indians in Wisconsin and elsewhere, gaining his livelihood by hunting and trapping.
From all accounts Hallock must have lived in his cabin alone for some time before other settlers came into the neighborhood, for it was known that there was no person here beside him until 1825. In that year Aaron and Simon Reed immigrated from Jackson county, Ohio, also Moses and Samuel Clifton, Joseph Meredith, Francis Thomas, Resolved and Hiram Cleveland, Cornelius Doty, William Wright and Gershom Silliman and family. In 1830 came Joel Hicks and family and Jeriel Root and sons, Erastus C. and Lucas. Most of these located
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near the north end of La Salle prairie. Joseph Meredith settled on section 12 in 1830 and kept a small tavern for the accommodation of stage drivers and travelers. It was on the main road between Galena and Springfield.
Roswell Nurse and son Isaiah, and Ebenezer Stowell arrived in the township from Chenango county, New York, walking to Buffalo and thence by water to Toledo. From Toledo they walked the entire distance to this township, carrying their rifles and other necessaries on their backs. At that time they found no settlement north of Northampton. In the fall of the same year, however, Erastus Root located on section 3, northwest of Northampton.
The winter of 1831 will ever be remembered by the pioneers for its deep snow and drifts. In many places the snow was three feet deep on the level and the drifts were in some places fifteen to twenty feet deep. The cold was steady and intense. Game was almost exterminated. "The winter of 1831 was an ex- ceptionally severe one all over the west. During the winter two men, strangers to the settlers, named Dr. Franklin and McMillan, with six yoke of oxen and two sleds, loaded with goods and bound for Prairie du Chien, stopped at Simon Reed's and after a stay of about a week, they built another sled and hired a man by the name of Cooper, who with them started sometime in the month of January and were soon caught in a terrible northeastern snowstorm which filled up their track and caused them to lose their way. Night overtook them when out on the prairie near Boyd's Grove and they turned the oxen loose and tried to reach Boyd's on foot. Two of them perished and the third-McMillan-got there the next morning, badly frozen. Eleven of the oxen were frozen to death. The other came to Meredith's."
A number of the settlers of this township took up arms against the Indians in the Black Hawk war, enlisting in Abner Reed's company. Among them were Thomas Reed, Lucas Root, Edwin S. Jones, Elias Love, James Doty and Simon Reed. The latter was commissioned as teamster and served until the close of the war. Doty was killed in the battle of Sycamore Creek, May 14, 1832. The Pottawottomies had towns in this vicinity, one on the land of Emery Stillman in Medina township, one at Smith's Springs, between Rome and Chilli- cothe, and the other on Senachewine creek, not far from its banks.
The first available mill for the settlers of this township was built on Sena- chewine creek by William Moffatt, in Chillicothe township, in 1834. The first and only mill of any consequence built in the township was put up by Thomas Ford in 1836 on the northeast quarter of section 13.
NORTHAMPTON
The village of Northampton was laid off by Reuben Hamlin on section 13 in July, 1836, and the first house to be built in the place was used as a tavern. It was ereeted in the winter of 1835-6 by Reuben Hamlin, who presided over the welfare of travelers therein for many years. He was a native of Northampton, Massachusetts, and being the founder of the village, named it after his native place. Aaron Reed, one of the pioneers of the township, located near this village and Nathaniel Chapin, a native of Massachusetts, was early a prominent resident of Northampton. He held the office of justice of the peace for some time. The village now has a population of 58, just two less than it had in 1900.
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