Portrait and biographical album of Henry County, Illinois : containing full-page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county, Part 99

Author:
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Chicago : Biographical Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 850

USA > Illinois > Henry County > Portrait and biographical album of Henry County, Illinois : containing full-page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county > Part 99

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OODHULL Gazette, published at Wood- hull, by William M. Repine, editor and proprietor, is a sprightly and interesting sheet. It was started March 20, 1885, un- der very peculiar circumstances. The orig- inator and present proprietor of the paper was foreman of the Woodhull Dispatch office in 1884-5. During the time the Dispatch editor be- came seriously infected with "the end of the world is at hand " hobby. The whole business of the office was left in his hands, when the proprietor started for Creston, Iowa, to meet "the Lord coming on the clouds." Mr. Repine, the foreman, supplied the people with the paper for several months under very trying and financially embarrassing circumstances, when, in March, 1885, the Dispatch editor, still being off in Iowa and without any prospect of his returning to Woodhull, the Gazette was, with tlie advice of the most prominent citizens, brought into existence.

The Gazette has at present nearly 600 paying sub- scribers, with new subscribers almost daily. It is mostly circulated in Henry, Mercer and Knox Coun- ties, but several copies go to 16 States and Territo- ries. The paper is reasonably well patronized by advertisers and the office does a fair amount of job work. The office is fitted out with two new presses and a large assortment of type, plain and ornamental.

The Gazette makes local news a specialty, and the editor is an uncompromising Temperance Prohibi- tionist. The Gazette will be more enterprising and interesting than usual during the next year, as Mr. Matt. Duhr, an experienced journalist, will contrib- ute quite extensively to its pages, among other ar- ticles " Sketches of the Bishop Hill Colony " and " On the Whisky War-Path."

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HENRY COUNTY.

Other Papers.

5000 N Jan. 1, 1856, was published the first num- ber of Tenney, Hardy & Co.'s Advertiser, a small quarto sheet to advertise their own business. It was issued monthly and was continued for a year, when the material of the office was purchased by C. Bassett, who changed the name to The Kewanee Advertiser, enlarged it to an eight-page, four-column quarto, and published it as an advertising medium. Its publi- cation was continued until December, 1863.

July 4, 1863, Mr. Bassett issued the first number of the Union Democrat, a weekly Democratic paper, which he continued to publish until Nov. 24, 1864, and on April 26, 1866, he commenced the publica- tion of the weekly Kewanee Advertiser, a five-col- umn quarto, which he continued until Nov. 23, 1867.

The Public School Messenger, a sprightly little

sheet devoted to educational work, was published by Superintendent of Schools W. H. Russell. It was first issued in January, 1870, and made its monthly appearance for about two years.

In 1874 and 1875 a small sheet devoted to the interests of the Congregational Church was publish- ed monthly by the pastor of the Church, Rev. James Tompkins, called Our Home Paper.

The Woodhull Dispatch.

OODHULL is well represented in the newspaper line, having two well-edited papers. The oldest of these is the Dis- patch, which is now in its sixth volume. It is a seven-column folio, well gotten up, and a credit to the community. O. B. Kail, the proprietor, is an active, stirring man, giving much attention to independent religious and political thought, and other matters generally.

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HENRY COUNTY.

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54 ...

Tua for the mon.

HIS county did not exist when Black Hawk and his dusky warriors marched and counter-marched over its territory, pursuing and being pursued in savage war by Gov. Reynolds and his " Rangers " and hastily gathered little army of Southern Illinois pioneers. And its people, as citizens, perusing and garnering its early history, have no direct concern in the story of the last regularly organized Indian warfare that was the finis of the chapter of the red man's his- tory East of the Mississippi River. Nor did the county in its municipal capacity have any direct concern in the Mexican War of 1846-7. It sent no Henry County company or organized squad to any war until the late War,-the Rebellion,-when it may be said the county received its baptism in fire and blood, paying heavy tribute in the sacrifice of many of its best sons upon the lighted fires on the altars of a wide and general patriotism ; a patriotism never ex- celled, and pushed with a courage that never faltered and never for a moment relaxed until the last armed foe of the Union had laid down his arms and sued for peace.

It is now over 20 years since grim-visaged war has

passed away from all our land, already the longest continuous period of profound peace so far in the present century ; and everything in our national his- tory betokens an indefinite continuance of these peaceful blessings.

Saturday, April 14, 1861, was an eventful day in Henry County. The wires that day told the terrible story of the firing upon Fort Sumter. Men met each other with bated breaths; they were stunned by the blow, and in a dazed sort of way one asked the other meaningless questions, and heard not the answers often, but continued to ask still other ques- tions; and they began to gather in knots and small crowds, and in time began to discuss the terrible news. Then the majority began to doubt the truth of the story-they could not at once believe that the flag of our common country had been fired upon by its own citizens. Every variety and shade of belief and disbelief, nearly as numerous as the individuals constituting the crowd, were entertained and ex- pressed. Very soon any one who had anything to say, whether his own opinions or fresh news from the seat of war, would quickly command an eager sur- rounding of earnest men. The day wore away and the long night of painful interest came. But few could sleep, and many did not even retire and try to rest. Sunday morning dawned, and the early hour found many gathered around the telegraph office at the depots eager for more news.

The news of the firing on Sumter traveled slowly

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then compared with now, and all day long and all night again Sunday night people were in the gravest doubts and fears, and faint hopes that the first story would prove a false alarm. In the meantime the public sentiment was fast crystallizing into form; the stun of the first blow was passing off, and a deep-seated anger was rapidly settling in men's souls. But the next day, Monday, confirmed the first reports, giving the complete details of the bombardment and surrender of the fort, and the further news of the call of the President for 75,000 troops, and Governor Y'ates' proclamation calling together the State Legis- lature in extraordinary session to enact such laws and provide such measures as the exigencies de- manded. This instantly settled the questions in men's ininds. The stars and stripes were flung to the breeze from cupola, public buildings and private residences, and everywhere bells were rung, thedrum and fife were heard at the head of the people. All business was stopped, and the people in mass rushed into the streets. Men cheered the flag as they had never cheered it before; it looked very different to them to what it ever had; it had been fired upon by rebels; it had been hauled down and trailed in the dust by treason. The excitement of the 48 hours was a pent-up Utica that now burst forth in greatest fury. Without waiting the action of the Governor, the people began to enlist and get ready to go to war. Israel G. Heaps, of Annawan, placed his name at the head of the roll, made up on the 22d at "that place. (See his sketch, page 194.)

The people came together in every town, village and school district in the county. Fiery and patri- otic speeches were made, the sharp notes of the fife floated upon the air and drums were pounding vig- orously, if not musically.

Among the civilians of Henry County to be counted one of the first soldiers to enlist for the war, was Hon. E. C. Moderwell, attorney at law and in- terested in the cattle business in the West. He came to Henry County in 1866, after the war was over. Born in Crawford Co., Ohio, March 6, 1838; a graduate of Jefferson College in the class of 1859. Major Moderwell was one of the few who enlisted in the army before the war: that is, his enlistment preceded by 24 hours President Lincoln's call for 75,000 troops. l'here are very few now living of the fifty millions of Americans of whom this can be said. He was in Washington city, and instantly upon the

arrival of the news of the firing on Fort Sumter, he, with others in the city, organized a company for the protection of the capital; and of the very first to en- roll their names in this company was E. C. Moder- well, and thus he was in the war before war was actually declared, and in first one place and then another stayed until the war was over.

As rapidly as the calls came for more troops, Henry County was never loth in filling its quota. The 112th Regt. Ill. Vol. Inf. was largely recruited from this county. This was known as Gen. Henderson's regiment. The Major was James M. Hosford,. of Geneseo, commissioned Sept. 20, 1862, resigned Feb. 1, 1863. Major Tristam C. Dow succeeded him. Adjutant Henry W. Wells, was commissioned in September, 1862, and was mustered out for promo- tion, in the Tennessee Heavy Artillery, in Novem- ber, 1863. He was succeeded as Adjutant by Brad- ford N. Thompson, who was promoted as Captain, and his successor was Gilbert R. Woolsey. The Quartermaster of this regiment was George C. Al- den. In the above command was Company A, mostly from Annawan. The Captain was Tristam C. Dow, who was promoted and succeeded by Cap- tain Asa A. Lee, who was killed Nov. 18, 1863, when Captain John L. Dow was put in command, promoted from First Lieutenant, and was succeeded by James P. McChesney, he by L. W. Browning and he by T. J. Williams. These had all been promoted in regular order. In 1865, Jesse Goble was made Second Lieutenant.

Company C of this regiment was from Cambridge and the southwest part of the county. The first Captain was John J. Briggs ; then John B. Mitchell. The First Lieutenant was A. P. Petrie, and the Second Lieutenants were H. Starboudy and W. Gillespie.

· Company D was from Cambridge and Woodhull, and the first Captain was A. A. Dunn; the First Lieutenant, H. G. Griffin, and the Second Lieuten- ant was S. L. Patterson, succeeded by James H. Clark, now of Princeton.

Company G was from Galva and vicinity. The first Captain was A. W. Albro, succeeded by James McCartney. Thomas G. Milchrist was First Lieu- tenant; he was transferred to the 65th Regt. and succeeded by E. K. Mock; and Second Lieutenant T. J. Townsend was commissioned March 31, 1863. Company H was recruited from all parts of the

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county, but largely from Cambridge. The first Cap- tain was G. W. Stroufe; and the First Lieutenant was T. F. Davenport, and the Second Lieutenant Elisha Atwater, and on his promotion Joel Newman succeeded to the command.

Company I was from Geneseo and vicinity. Captain, J. E. Wilkins; First Lieutenant, George Lawrence; Second Lieutenant, H. S. Comstock, suc- ceeded by Henry Fones, June 7, 1863.

Company K was from Geneseo and vicinity. Cap- tain, Joseph Westley, resigned April 12, 1863, when Captain E. H. Colcord was put in command of the Company; First Lieutenant, C. G. Gearheart, re- signed Jan. 31, 1863, on promotion, when E. H. Colcord became his successor. He had been Second Lieutenant, and, when promoted, Jacob Bush suc- ceeded to his place as First Lieutenant. In turn, Bush was promoted and S. W. Weaver became First Lieutenant April 12, 1863.

In the 109th Regiment, Col. John H. Howe be- came the Colonel, succeeding Col. T. J. Sloan, Dec. 15, 1863.

Company A of this regiment was from Kewanee and vicinity. Captain, Ralph A. Tenny, resigned, and Capt. E. C. Raymond took command, July 9, 1863. First Lieutenant, J. A. Pratt; killed June 26, 1863, E. C. Raymond succeeding him, and on his promotion, D. Ames Bigelow became First Lieu- tenant. Second Lieutenant, E. C. Raymond, suc- ceeded by W. F. Dodge.

Company F, M. B. Potter, Captain, succeeded by N. H. Pratt, Aug. 7, 1863; E. W. Taylor became First Lieutenant, promoted from Second Lieutenant, when E. R. Breckans became Second Lieutenant.

The first Lieutenant-Colonel of the Ninth Regi- ment was H. J. Humphrey. He was succeeded by Anthony R. Mock, Dec. 5, 1864. Col. Mock was promoted from Captain of Co. B, a company princi- pally raised in Geneseo, of which the first Captain was H. J. Humphrey ; second Captain, T. W. O. Broffet ; third Captain, Ransom Harrington; fourth, A. A. Mock; fifth, T. J. McNair. The First Lieu- tenants were T. W. O. Broffett, R. Herrington, C. P. Mannville, Thomas J. McNair and J. C. Kilner.

The Second Lieutenants were R. Herrington, A. R. Zinzie, J. T. Showalter.

Co. C of the Ninth Ill. Inf. was from Geneseo. The Captains were J. S. Buckles, C. W. Blakemore, F. H. McArthur and S. A. Davidson. The First Lieutenants were C. W. Blakemore, J. W. Brackett, A. R. Mock, C. R. Marshall, S. A. Davidson and Stephen Pettys. The Second Lieutenants were F. A. McArthur, C. M. Marshall, S. A. Davidson and F. W. Harding.

Co. H, of this regiment, was from Kewanee. The Captains of this company were in succession, Lewis D. Bishop, C. T. Scammon, F. W. Swerby, and the First Lieutenants were Edwin W. Luce, T. W. Stephenson, A. H. McClure, F. W. Swerby and James H. Murray.

In the 57th Regiment was Co. D, from Bishop Hill, Galva and Kewanee. The Captains were Eric Forsee, Eric Johnson, P. M. Wickstrum, and the First Lieutenants were Eric Johnson and Eric Berglend, and the Second Lieutenants were Eric Berglend, P. M. Wickstrum, G. E. Rodeea, A. G. Washner and Olof Anderson.

Co. H was from the southern part of the county. The First Lieutenants were Nelson Flansbury and Alexander B. Hanna. The Second Lieutenant was Geo. Welch.

Part of Co. A of the 33d Regiment was from Ke- wanee and Cambridge, with J. A. Mckenzie Cap- tain.

In the 17th Regiment a part of Co. D was from Galva, Kewanee and Cambridge, with H. C. Bush as Captain.

Co. D of the 83d Regiment was from Wood- hull and vicinity.

Co. A of the 42d Regiment was from Kewanee, with Lieut .- Col. C. Northrop, who was promoted from Major. F. A. Atwater then was Major, E. S. Church Captain, then J. S. McFadden, then H. M. Way. First Lieutenants were A. Bennett and W. H. Gier.

Part of Co. B was from this county, with First Lieutenants A. F. Stevenson and C. W. Jackson,

HENRY COUNTY.

755

RAILROADS,

ENRY COUNTY is well pro- vided with railroads, all parts of it being accessible to some point on a well- equipped road. Not only is this the case, but the roads lead direct to the best markets of the country, thus giving the farmer every advantage to market their produce. This is radi- cally different from the condition of the early pioneers of this section, as is illustrated by the following inci- dents : The first market for the early settlers was St. Louis, and about half the year this was as completely shut off as the ports of Europe to them. Then they would go to Galena, Peoria and soon they began to haul by teams their truck to Chicago. The " lead mines " were an uncertain market, and sometimes a drove of hogs, not a large one either, would com- pletely glut the market for weeks. Then the pioneer drovers would have to slaughter their stock and salt it down, provided they could get the salt, which often was not to be found. The writer even well remembers when Jacob Strawn, of Jacksonville, would often take possession of the St. Louis cattle market, and ride out on the roads leading to that place, buy all the incoming cattle, and by holding them compel the butchers to pay him his price.

The Secretary of the Old Settler's Society, T. F. Davenport, tells us of some of his experience in go- ing, with his brother Charley, to market at Chicago. The family came West when the boys were yet young, and being fresh from New York city they soon learned that they were in the rawest possible state of pioneer greenness. Their city dress and no- tions were rapidly and roughly rubbed off, and they took to squirrel-skin caps and were soon acclimatized to the rough life about them. In the summer of 1839 it was told about the country that James Glenn had been to Chicago with a load of wheat and had brought back a full load-loaded each way -- and had made the round trip in ten days. Tom and Charley Davenport heard of this remarkable feat, and begged their father to let them take the teams and go to Chicago. Consent was given. A half- bushel basket was filled with cooked provisions and on a bright September morning they started, loaded with 45 bushels of wheat and rr bushels of oats, the latter for feed. The first day they reached Portland, the next day Dixon, and on the evening of the fourth day they were at the Point -- nine miles from Chica- go. The fifth day they were in the city, sold their wheat for 55 cents a bushel, bought four barrels of salt and a few other things and started on the return, camping out the first night at the Point. The even- ing of the seventh day they reached Dixon, and ar- rived at home the evening of the eighth day, thus beating Glenn's time by nearly two days. Their total cash expenses for the entire trip was 25 cents paid

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for ferriage across the Chicago River. Tom remem- bers they sold their wheat to Frank Sherman -- one of the family that built the Sherman House -- and that he (Sherman) carried the sacks from the wagon into his little warehouse. The proceeds of this trip was all the money the family received or needed for the entire year, including their taxes on a 240-acre farm.

Maj. James M. Allan tells of his experience as a merchant at one time in Geneseo. He had invested all his capital and credit in goods, which he had sold to the farmers on credit. His stock was about sold out, and it seemed utterly impossible to collect any money. The people simply had none. He made up his mind to buy hogs and drive them to the Illi- nois River for sale or shipment there. He rode over the county, and soon his debtors had willingly turned him out over 400 hogs on their store bills. This was the greatest accommodation to the farmers, and opened up a possible way to the merchant to pay his bills and buy a new stock of goods. He had collect- ed his hogs and started on the long drive. There was three or four inches of snow on the ground. The first afternoon he drove about nine miles, and with the night came the most terrible snow-storm. In the morning it was blistering cold, and nearly two feet of snow on the level. What was he to do? It was impossible to turn back or go ahead. The hogs could not travel in the deep snow, and he had no feed to keep his hogs alive. But this was one of the sudden emergencies of the pioneers that had trained them to quick and effective actions. Mr. Allan con- cluded to make a snow-plow, and cut a way for the hogs to move. He made his plow, and was told that only oxen would do to pull it. The cattle were hitched to it and started off slowly. In a little while they literally came to a stop, bogged in the deep snow. This would not do, and the hogs were every moment getting only the hungrier. The Major could see the trouble with oxen was their legs were too short. He hitched horses to his plow, and the suc- cess was complete, and the plow thus made a canal through the snow, leaving about five inches of snow on the ground. The hogs were divided into as many · small squads as he could get men to take charge of, and started thus toward the river. He understood the animals well enough to know that if all started together they would bunch and crowd each other out of the plowed way into the deep snow, where

they could only helplessly flounder. Thus scattered for nearly a mile, the procession moved toward the river, which point was happiły reached, and Mr. Al- lan disposed of his property, and thus succeeded in collecting his debts from the farmers and replenish- ing his stock of goods.

Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Com- pany.

NE of the strongest railroad corporations in the country is the above named, and its management furnishes the public with the best of accommodations. Its equipments for passenger travel are the very finest, and its capacity and arrangement for general traffic are unsurpassed. It has always, perhaps, kept a better road than any other company in the West. The road bed is about perfect, the tracks smooth and firm, and the rolling stock of the first-class. The passenger coaches have always been elegantly fur- nished, and the trains run closely to time. A double track now extends almost all the way between Gales- burg and Chicago.

This company controls and operates about 4,500 miles of road, about sixty miles of which are in Hen- ry County. The main line-that running from Galesburg to Chicago-passes through Galva and Kewanee, and the St. Louis Division passes through the Western tier of townships, while the Galva & Keithsburg Branch starts at Galva and runs almost due West, passing through Nekoma, Woodhull and Alpha, thus affording the southeastern, southern and western portion of the county ample railroad accom- modation.s.

The main line of the Chicago, Burlington & Quin- cy Railroad, or at least that portion running from Galesburg to Chicago, was originally chartered the Central Military Tract Railroad. This road was or- ganized at Galesburg, Ill., in Feb., 1851. Its charter gave them the privilege to construct a railroad from Galesburg to some point on the Chicago & Rock Is- land Railroad ; but June 19, 1852, the charter was so ammended as to give them the right to connect with any railroad leading directly or indirectly to Chicago. Sheffield was the point they first thought of aiming

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for, and contracts were let in 1851-2 for building the road to that place. Subsequently, however, they determined to meet the Chicago & Aurora Road at Mendota.

This change was caused by the following circum- stances : While the Peoria & Oquawka road was being slowly worked up by local subscription alone, Mr. C. S. Colton chanced to meet United States Sen- ator J. W. Grimes, of Burlington, Iowa, in Boston, Mass., and Mr. Wadsworth, of Chicago, President of the Chicago & Aurora Railroad, a branch of the Chi- cago & Galena Railroad ; and after consultation they concluded that an independent route direct to Chi- cago was the most feasible. Soon after this James W. Brooks, President of the Michigan Central Rail- road Company, and James F. Joy, both of Detroit, Mich., interested themselves in the Central Military Tract Road. They proposed that if the people along the route from Galesburg to Mendota would sub- scribe $300,000, they would furnish enough more to complete the grading of the road and laying of the ties; and when that was done they could borrow money on the bonds of the enterprise to complete the road and set it in operation.

Two years of fruitless effort to raise the necessary funds were spent, Eastern capitalists refusing to in- vest where the Legislature reserved the right to fix the rates for fares and freights. Accordingly, anoth- er meeting was held at Galesburg, and a charter drafted principally from the charter of the Illinois Central Railroad, which obviated the objection re- ferred to in regard to fixing rates by the Legisla- ture. This charter gave the company the entire. control over their property the same as any other personal property, with full powers to fix rates of transportatation. Mr. C. S. Colton was delegated to visit Springfield, and to secure the passage by the Legislature, which he did; and this same char- ter was the foundation of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, which is to-day one of the most magnificent systems of railroads in the world.

In 1852, another survey was made from Gales- burg to Mendota. Oct. 14, of this year, the Central Military Tract Company increased their stock from $100,000 to $600,000 and elected the following 13 directors : J. W. Brooks, Henry Ledyard, J. F. Joy and G. V. N. Lothrop, of Detroit; I. H. Burch, C. G. Hammond and John H. Kinzie, of Chicago; Chaun-

cey S. Colton, W. Selden Gale, James Bunce and Silas Willard, of Galesburg; William McMurtry, of Henderson, and John H. Bryant, of Princeton. They elected Mr. Brooks President, J. M. Berrien and David Sanborn, Secretary and Treasurer. Work was pushed rapidly forward, and by Sept. 11, 1854, the cars reached Princeton, and during October and November the track was laid through this county and the first locomotive, the Reindeer, passed over it with a construction train. About 1856, the Chicago & Aurora, the Northern Cross, the Peoria & Oquawka and the Central Military Tract Companies were all consolidated under the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company. This name was derived from the terminal points. J. W. Brooks was elected President of the new road. This road opened up one of the most magnificent sections of the United States, known as the Military Tract, the northern line of which passed through the middle of Henry County. Upon the building of this road settlers began to pour in, and within five or six years every quarter-section of land was taken, and to-day it is one of the high- est cultivated sections in the country.

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Portrait and biographical album of Henry County, Illinois : containing full-page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county, Part 99

Author: Publication date: 1885 Publisher: Chicago : Biographical Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 850

Author:
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Chicago : Biographical Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 850