USA > Illinois > Peoria County > Peoria > Peoria city and county, Illinois; a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Vol. I > Part 44
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LAWN RIDGE
Lawn Ridge is upon the land dividing Peoria and Marshall counties, and one of its first settlers was Nathaniel Smith. It is a flourishing little village and trading point and has a population of 320-an increase of 120 since the census of 1900. There are two churches, those of the Methodist and Congregational faith. On the Peoria side of the dividing line is an agricultural implement con- cern, a meat market, blacksmith and repair shop and hotel. Here was also estab- lished a postoffice.
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EDELSTEIN
Edelstein owes its birth to the building of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe railroad through the township. It is a flourishing village located on section 18 and was founded in 1887 on land owned by Samuel Burns. A. J. Ramsey built the first store building south of the railroad but afterward removed it to the north side in 1887. That same year Robert A. Green erected a grain elevator and not only handled grain but coal, tile, seeds and live stock. Since then the elevator has changed hands several times. In 1894 the firm of Kendall & Cline built an elevator northwest of the depot near the site of the old one, which had been destroyed by fire. The structure was later removed to Akron, a station
on the Chicago & Northwestern railroad. In 1889 J. A. Potter erected a store building, which was managed by his son Anthony Potter about one year, after which it passed through the hands of several owners. In the fall of 1888 C. Y. Brayton crected a building and opened a general store, which he continued to operate until his death. He was succeeded in business by his wife. That same year F. W. Rotterman established a hardware business and M. J. McDonna a blacksmith, wagon and general repair shop. A drug store was established in 1891 by W. R. Peck, who was appointed postmaster in 1893. Edelstein has other industries, and a very well kept hotel.
WEST HALLOCK
West Hallock is but a hamlet, half of which is in Akron township. It con- tains a cheese factory, which has been in operation for some years. There is also a general store, feed mill, blacksmith and machine shop and general wagon and repair shop.
SCIIOOLS
The first school taught in Hallock township was erected on Lewis llallock's farm and taught by Lucia Root during the winter of 1829 and 1830. The first schoolhouse in the district was erected near Joel Hicks' place on section 32. It was built in the fall of 1836 and afterwards removed to the Hallock farm. A school was taught during the summers of 1839 and 1840 in a log cabin where the residence of Isaialı Nurse was afterwards located, in the northern part of the township. Fiducia Bliss was the first teacher. In 1841 a building for school purposes was built in district No. I. It was built of brick and was 18 feet square. Sarah Fosdick was one of the earlier teachers. An old log cabin in district No. 5 first answered the purposes of a schoolhouse. It stood near O. N. Miller's dwelling and continued to be used for school purposes until 1851. Joseph Gallup was its first teacher. In both the districts just mentioned more modern buildings were erected in 1856. School district No. 6 was originally composed of parts of Peoria, Stark and Marshall counties but was set off into its present limits in 1860. The present schoolhouse was erected at a cost of about $1,400.
The structure now occupied in West Hallock district as a public school was first intended as an academy. It was erected in the fall of 1856 and after being used about five years for academical purposes, was turned over to the school trustees and has since been conducted as a public school. The schoolhouse in district No. 4 stands on section 32 and was erected in 1870. In 1894 the village of Edelstein was made an independent school district and that same year a building was erected at a cost of $1,000. At this time there were only twenty- three school children of school age. There are now about one hundred.
CHURCHES
The Seventh Day Baptist church is located in the village of West Hallock. It was organized in 1852 by Elder Anthony Hakes, of Berlin, New York, who
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came to the township in 1845 and was followed about three years later by his brother Daniel Hakes, and John Simpson. They with others held meetings from house to house but when the academy building was erected it was offered and accepted by the Baptists, wherein to hold their meetings. On the 3d day of September, 1852, at the home of Elder Anthony Hakes, the Seventh Day Baptist church was organized by Elder Stillman Coon, with fourteen charter members. Elder Coon served as the first pastor. The growth of the member- ship made it necessary to erect a house of worship and that year the present church building was built at a cost of $5,500. It comfortably seats 250 people. Elder Hakes was ordained to the ministry in 1856, and had charge of this con- gregation for a number of years.
The Union Baptist church, located at Union, on section 26, was at one time connected with the Chillicothe Baptist Society. It was organized June 19, 1858, with twelve members as follows: Thomas B. Reed, Sanford Reed, Amy Sullivan, Simon Reed, Walter S. Evans, Sarah Kirkpatrick, Mary Baggs, Francis Reed, Nancy Sprague, Levi Sprague, C. Reed, Amy Reed. In July, 1858, Anthony Hakes was chosen pastor and preached once in two weeks. Soon after the or- ganization the Methodists and Baptists of the neighborhood joined and erected what is known as the Union church. It was occupied by these societies in com- mon until 1873, when the Baptists bought the interests of the other society. In 1894 the Congregational church of Edelstein was organized with twenty- seven members, who came from several denominations. Soon thereafter, or on the 4th of August, 1894, the corner stone of the church building was laid and the church was dedicated December 30th following, by Rev. James Tompkins, of Chicago, Rev. Stephen Burdick, of West Hallock, and Rev. Charles Marsh, of Lawn Ridge. The building cost $2,800, which was practically all paid before the dedication. Rev. Charles Marsh was the first pastor and filled the position until July, 1900, when he resigned, since which time several ministers have sup- plied the pulpit. For the Methodist and Catholic churches, see articles under those titles.
HOLLIS TOWNSIHP
The above named township is situated in the extreme southeast part of the county. It has for its eastern and southern boundaries the Illinois river, on the west is Timber township, and on the north Limestone township. Hollis is much broken by the river bluffs, La Marsh creek and its tributaries. The land, which was formerly mostly covered with timber, has been cleared and converted into fine farms. The lower bottom land, however, is interspersed with small lakes. Part of this low land is protected from the river by artificial means. The river bluffs are filled with coal and at several points mining operations are carried on. The township was formerly known as Lafayette Precinct and was named for Denzil Hollis, an early settler, who came from England. His grave, by a vote of the township in 1897, was enclosed by an iron fence. The township was organized April 2, 1850, and on that day the first election was held at the house of William Martin. John McGee was moderator and John F. Buck, clerk. At this election the following were chosen: Supervisor, Stephen C. Wheeler; town clerk, George Jenkins; assessor, Albert G. Powell; collector, David Goodwin ; overseer of the poor, Denzil Hollis : commissioners of highways, John Houghtaling, James Clark, John Duffield; justices of the peace, William Martin, Sr., Miles M. Crandall ; constables, S. D. Buck and David Goodwin.
The first white person to settle in this township was Andrew Tharp, who came in 1826 and died in the winter of 1844-5 of "black tongue," a contagious disease which it is said killed nine persons in the neighborhood in that year. William Scott, with his family, arrived in this community in 1827, coming from Terre Haute in a one-horse wagon. He located a quarter of a mile east of the present site of Mapleton. Aholiab Buck, with his wife Annie, natives of New Vol. I-18
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York, settled on section 6 in 1831, and soon thereafter their neighbors were Peter Muchler, Captain Francis Johnson and Moses Perdue. They were joined a little later by William Tapping, James Clark, William and Abraham Maple, William and John Martin, Robert Buchanan and wife, Moses Dusenbury, a Mr. Franks, Hugo Jones and Sidney Ann his wife, John Jenkins, John Rahn, Jesse Jones, John Hornbaker, William S. Powell, Ansel Haines, Samuel Watrous, William Johnston, Thomas J. MIcGrew, Samuel Hootman and Isaac Maple.
The first steam grist and sawmill erected in the township was by Captain Francis Johnson in 1834. The building was put up on La Marsh creek and was a two-story frame, the first of its kind in the community. Near by was a brick yard, also conducted by Mr. Johnson. He was one of the victims of the "black tongue" already described in this article. The mill became the property of Thomas J. McGrew in 1847, who ran it until 1856, when it was destroyed by a terrific wind storm. In 1836 Moses Dusenbury brought the first hand grist mill to the township, the burrs of which were sixteen inches in diameter. In 1838 Mr. Dusenbury was killed by falling with his blind horse over the high bank on the west branch of La Marsh creek. Thomas Stevens erected a two-story building for a sawmill in 1839 on the west fork of La Marsh creek but in June, 1872, the mill, with the dam, was washed away by the highest water ever known here.
Many things happened in those early days that would be looked upon now as a matter of course and not of any especial interest. For instance, Moses Perdue set out the first vineyard in 1832. Mr. Franks in 1837 had a brick yard in the township, and John Rahn in 1839 was running a tan yard, which continued in operation until 1871. In 1838 John Martin brought from near St. Paul, Minne- sota, the first pine tree, which was set out by William Tapping, and it is still standing. In 1838 the Maple brothers set out chestnut trees. By 1855 apples had become plentiful and the Maple brothers were running a cider mill by hand power. In 1853 William T. Stackpole set out fifteen thousand apple trees on section 15, and in 1854 he built a two-story brick house and brick barn, which are still standing. Orchard Mines in the neighborhood gets its name from having had an orchard of forty acres on the land. Few of the trees, however, are left standing. In 1848 Moses Perdue brought the first cook stove into the northeast part of the township. In 1839 John McFarland built the first blacksmith shop near the northeast corner of section 5. It was constructed of logs. William Van Norman was the first blacksmith. In 1840 James Clark erected a black- smith shop which is still standing. In 1858 the Maple brothers erected a three- story steam saw and grist mill at a cost of $5,800. In 1832 the first coal bank was opened at Little La Marsh creek. The coal was hauled by oxen to Egman Lake, where it was loaded on boats for St. Louis.
HOLLIS VILLAGE
is situated in section 11 and is near the point where the old Illinois River railroad, afterward the Peoria, Pekin & Jacksonville, formed a junction with the Peoria & Hannibal railroad, the former crossing the river on a bridge which a few years ago burned and has never been rebuilt. The Toledo, Peoria & Western now occupies and uses the track of the former roads from Peoria to this point. The Peoria & Pekin Terminal railroad also runs through the northern portion of this township, crossing the river to Pekin on its own bridge, lately constructed. Hollis was laid out September 8, 1868, by E. J. and M. A. Jones. Its inhabitants are principally miners.
MAPLETON
is located on the east half of the northwest quarter of section 20 and was laid out in 1868 by John T. Lindsay, of Peoria, and Samuel Gilfoy and William
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T. Maple, of Hollis township. It is a coal town and on a spur of the Toledo, Peoria & Western railway which branches off to Kingston. The mines at Maple- ton are practically worked out but in the immediate vicinity are mines operated by James Walker, of Mapleton, and W. E. Foley. There is a schoolhouse, with a seating capacity of 80, which was built in the year 1873.
REED CITY
This is a city more in name than in fact, nor is it a village nor town. It is not really even a hamlet. A bright future was anticipated for it, however, when it was laid out by the Buckeye Coal & Coke Company, composed of speculators from Ohio, who had bought up the coal rights in this vicinity. While the pro- posed village did not materialize the mines are still operated by the Newsam brothers, who also have a general mercantile establishment. Eventually the min- ing company changed its name to that of the Reed City Coal & Mining Company, and gave to the village the name of its principal stockholder, Mr. Reed. This gentleman in 1889 erected a school building and hall combined, at a cost of about $40,000 and endowed it with sufficient funds for its maintenance. It is called the Reed Institute and is for the free use of the residents of the village. Mr. Reed became the sole owner of the mining property consisting of over one thousand acres, and at his death left it to his widow.
SCHOOLS
Under an act of the legislature of 1836 and 1837 the electors of this township held an election at Johnson's mill, April 14, 1838, for the purpose of determining whether or not the township should organize under the school laws just re- ferred to. Twelve votes were cast for and only one against the proposition. On the same day five trustees were elected as follows: Aholiab Buck, John Duf- field, Nathaniel Clifton, Andrew Tharp and Richard Hayes. On the 12th of May the trustees met and appointed Nelson Buck the first township school treas- urer and laid off the township into three school districts. This was the beginning of the public school system in Hollis township. This was not by any means, however, the beginning of the schools in this community. There were private schools as early as 1836, when Israel I. Hurd taught a number of children in a log house on the bluff. The following year he taught a school in a log house belonging to Moses Perdue which was erected on section 11. This building had two rooms, each with a fire place built of brick from the yards of Mr. Frank. Mr. Perdue gave the use of the larger room for the school children. About 1838 Miss Mary McFarland taught school in a log house which stood on section 4. There are now four district schools in the township beside the Reed Institute. Also a union school with Timber and a union school with Limestone, Logan and Timber. All these have good buildings and are maintained up to the standard of district schools throughout the county.
LA MARSII BAPTIST CHURCH
The Baptist church at Maple Ridge is one of the oldest in the community. It was organized November 27, 1838, with fourteen members, all from Guernsey county, Ohio. Among them were Isaac and Sarah Maple, Robert and Rebecca Buchanan, Abram Maple, William and Mary Maple, Hugh and Sidney Ann Jones, Mrs. Harker and Eliza Jones. Rev. A. M. Gardner, pastor of the con- gregation at Peoria, presided over the La Marsh congregation and continued in that capacity until 1848. In January, 1849, Elder William E. Ely became pastor, giving the congregation half of his time. In 1849 the Baptist association met here, holding its sessions in a barn for want of a house of worship. Among the ministers were Rev. Henry G. Weston, of Peoria, and Rev. L. G. Minor, who
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remained after the session and held a revival which continued through the fol- lowing year and during which time there were fifty-two baptisms, which brought the membership of the church up to 102 members. In 1851 Elder Ely closed his pastorate and was succeeded by Elder Joel Sweet, who preached at Trivoli half of his time. He was succeeded in 1855 by Elder John Edminster, who continued for some years. Soon after the revival meetings herein mentioned, a house of worship 30x35 feet was erected, at a cost of $1,000. The first deacons were William Maple and John McGee.
LIMESTONE TOWNSHIP
In his carefully compiled and excellently written history of Peoria county, the late Judge McCulloch, in writing of Limestone township, had the following in part to say: "The settlement of Limestone township was almost contempo- raneous with that of Peoria. But reaching back many years prior to the advent of the American settlers, it has a history of its own. As early as the year 1723, while yet a part of the French dominion, one Philip Francis Renault ob- tained a grant of a tract of land one league in front on the lake or river, and extending back five leagues on a stream claimed to have been the Kickapoo. If this claim has any solid foundation to rest upon, it may be inferred that Renault, whose principal business was the development of the mining interests of the country, and who had smelting furnaces not many miles from St. Louis, had made an exploration of the Kickapoo valley, and finding the hills filled with coal, had procured this grant to himself. It has been claimed for him that he had also discovered lead in this vicinity, but this claim has not been verified by more recent researches.
"At a later period, about the year 1765, we find Jean Baptiste Maillet ob- taining a grant from the authorities of Great Britain of 1,400 acres at the mouth of the Kickapoo, one mile in front on the river and extending back two miles in the country. This grant took in part of Limestone township. It was sold in 1801 to Isaac Darneille, the first lawyer who ever lived at Peoria, and by him to Colonel William Russell, of the United States army, who made an effort to have the claim confirmed by the government, but failed.
"At a still later period, about one hundred years ago, it is known that several of the inhabitants of La Ville de Maillet had lands in cultivation on the Kickapoo bottom in this township, or very near it in Peoria township. Thomas Forsyth, who was an American, had a field of twenty arpens; Simon Roi, Antoine Roi and Francis Racine jointly had a field of thirty arpens, adjoining one of Antoine Cicare; Hypolite Maillet had one of fifteen arpens adjoining one of Francis Montplaiser-all situated on or very near the Kickapoo, which was then called the Gatinan (or possibly the Coteneau). These farms were all vacated during the war of 1812, when the village was destroyed.
"It is said that Abner Eads, one of the first settlers at Peoria, for a time resided in Limestone ; but it seems that Joseph Moffatt and his three sons, Alva, Aquilla and Benjamin, were the first settlers. They came in 1822. Alva and Aquilla settled on section 13 and continued to reside thereon, or in the im- mediate vicinity, during their lives. The Harker family came in 1829 and settled near the southwest corner of the township, giving the name of Harker's Corners to the vicinity where four townships met. Henry W. Jones came at an early day and settled in the north part of the township. From him, or members of his family, we have the name of Jones' Prairie and Jones' Spring, situated on and along the Farmington road. James Crowe also came about the same time as Jones, but on account of Indian troubles in 1832, he went back to his home in Ohio, but returned in 1834 and settled in the north part of the township. James Heaton came in 1834 and Pleasant Hughes in 1837.
"This township can boast of having had the first, if not the first two, flouring mills in the county. George Sharp, one of the county commissioners and a
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prominent business man of Peoria, died about the close of the year 1830. He was at the time of his death a partner in business with John Hamlin. He had an interest in two mill sites (then regarded as personal property), one across the river in Tazewell county and one on the Kickapoo. That in Tazewell county was sold to his widow for $50, from which circumstances it would appear that no mill had yet been erected. He also had a bolting cloth appraised at $35. which was sold to his son John for $20. No sale is reported of the mill site on the Kickapoo, which evidently went to his partner Mr. Hamlin. It is not certain that the mill had then been erected on the Kickapoo, but if not thien erected. it is very certain that preparations had been made looking to that event. In a biographical sketch of Mr. Hamlin, published some years ago, it is said that he, in connection with two young men named Sharp, had erected the mill known as Hamlin & Sharp's mill, and this would seem probable from the fact that George Sharp had two sons, John and Francis, the former having purchased the bolting cloth at the administrator's sale. Be this as it may, it is evident that the mill was erected and had been put in operation as early as the year 1831, and continued in the hands of the same proprietors, Hamlin & Sharp, until the year 1833 or 1834. The exact location of this mill had apparently been forgotten for many years, for Mr. Ballance, who in 1832 had been one of the viewers to lay out a road past the same, says in his 'History' that 'a stranger might almost as well seek for the site of Nineveli or Babylon, as the site of these mills.' The road mentioned was one laid out by the county. commissioners from the Knox county line to Peoria and, having followed the route by courses and distances to the Kickapoo at the mill, it there struck a straight course north 79 degrees, east 865 poles (2.7 miles) to the north corner of block 13 (corner of Madison and Main streets), Peoria. The point where it crossed the Kickapoo was a little north of the center of section 12, about one-half mile north of the present Lincoln avenue ( formerly Plank road) bridge. This is further shown by the following facts :
"About the year 1833, Joshua Aiken and Robert E. Little, both men of wealth, came to Peoria and engaged in the mercantile business in partnership. Together or singly, they obtained title to about 1,000 acres of land in Horseshoe Bottom and its immediate vicinity. They also purchased the Hamlin & Sharp mill and at once proceeded to enlarge and put it in perfect order, so that it be- came a mill of high standard, capable of producing fifty barrels of flour per day. It had a very large custom, its patrons coming from the whole country within a radius of sixty miles. Much of the flour here manufactured was shipped to St. Louis by flat boat. Aiken & Little had become possessed of the mill as early as the spring of 1834, possibly a year before that time. In June of that year Rev. Flavel Bascom, a Presbyterian missionary stationed in Tazewell county, took his grist there and found Joshua Aiken, from whom he obtained information which afterwards led to the organization of a church at Peoria. They paid cash for wheat and it is said that more money was paid for wheat at that point than in the whole town of Peoria. The money issued was that of the Quinne- baug Bank, an eastern institution, which the Peoria merchants denounced as un- worthy of credit because its issue would not go at the land office, but the secre- tary of the treasury being appealed to, issued an order that its money should be received in payment for land and its credit was at once restored. They bor- rowed the money and secured its repayment by mortgage upon a large amount of real estate, four thousand dollars of it remaining unpaid at the time of Little's death in 1842. Mr. Aiken, seeing the importance of capital in a new country, went east and formed a copartnership with George P. Shipman, and, together with Hervey Sanford, Charles Monson and Eli Goodwin, purchased the north- west quarter of section 9. 8 north, range 8 east, and proceeded to plat it as Monson & Sanford's addition to Peoria. Although this plat was not recorded until August 15, 1836, yet it had been made and lots liad been deeded by it as early as June 4th of the same year. First street on this plat was afterwards
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adopted as part of a public road from Peoria to Aiken & Little's mill. About the same time Robert E. Little, together with Orin Hamlin and Augustus Lang- worthy, laid out the town of Detroit above the Narrows. But that which most concerns the present narrative is that on April 9, 1836, Joshua Aiken, George P. Shipman and Robert E. Little laid out a town on the southeast quarter of section 12, and the northeast quarter of section 13, town 8 north, range 7 east, which they named Peoria Mills. It covered nearly, if not quite all, of the south- east quarter of section 12, one tier of blocks extending southward on section 13 and overlooking Horseshoe Bottom. The main street ran nearly east and west and was located a few rods north of the present Lincoln avenue road. Fifth street crossed Main street at right angles.
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