Portrait and biographical album of Knox county, Illinois, Part 123

Author: Biographical Publishing Company, Buffalo and Chicago; Chapman Brothers, pub
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Chicago : Biographical publishing company
Number of Pages: 1130

USA > Illinois > Knox County > Portrait and biographical album of Knox county, Illinois > Part 123

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996

KNOX COUNTY.

County Buildings.

HE first court-house, which was only temporary, was the residence of John B. Gum, on section 32, Henderson Town- ship, where the first term of the Circuit Court was held, Fri- day, Oct. 1, 1830. After the location of the county seat at Knoxville, in 1831, the County Commissioners contracted for the erection of a court-house. The entire cost when finished and furnished was $395-43. It was com- pleted in the spring of 1831, and was a log building, two stories high, containing several windows, and was quite an impos- ing structure for those days.

In 1836 the County Commissioners decided to have a new court-house, and on September 6 instruct- ed the Clerk to advertise for plans. On the 10th of March, 1838, the contract was let for the sum of $15,450, with the agreement that the building should be completed by May 1, 1840.

It was erected in the center of the northern por- tion of the Public Square at Knoxville, where it still stands. It is a two-story brick and contains six rooms. At that day it was regarded as a very fine court- house. Since the county seat was removed to Gales- burg, it has been used for offices, and as a hall for entertainments.

The new court-house served the purposes of the county until 1873, when the county seat was re-

moved to Galesburg. Here a temporary building was erected for county offices and court-room, which is still occupied. The question of building a new court-house commensurate with the demands and the wealth of the county had long been a subject of thought and conversation by the people of the county and their representatives, butit was not until 1884 that the subject assumed any form. At the annual spring elections of this year most of the townships instructed their Supervisors to take steps for the erection of a county building. Accordingly, at the meeting of the Board in April, the matter was brought up and it was determined to have a new court-house, which was the most important work un- dertaken since the organization of the county. A committee was appointed from the Board to espe- cially look after the matter, consisting of Messrs. Gale, Robertson, Sloan, Charles, Hardin and Leigh- ton. The first thing to determine was the needs of the county, and then what the county could or ought to pay. This done, plans and specifications were called for. The design selected was the one pre- sented by E. E. Myers, of Detroit, Mich. The site, the east half of College Park, had already been donated by the city of Galesburg. It was hoped by the committee that the court-house could be built in accordance with the plans for $100,000. But the low- est bid received, which was $114,311.52, by Dawson & Anderson, of Toledo, was accepted, with the agreement that the building should be completed on or before Sept. 1, 1886. The corner-stone was laid June 24, 1885, under the auspices of the Masonic

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KNOX COUNTY.

Grand Lodge of Illinois. Some 40 lodges were here from different parts of the State. Grand Mas- ter Alex. T. Darrah and nearly all the officers of the Grand Lodge were present. After the deposit of records, papers, etc., the Grand Master laid the stone with the beautiful and impressive rites of the fraternity.

The architecture of the new court-house is al- most purely Norman. It is three stories high, with a basement, and stands facing the east. On the northeast corner rises in beautiful proportions the tower to a height of 141 feet, on a bed of concrete 18 inches thick. Up to the grade line the walls, which are heavy, are stone, and above this line brick, with stone facings of Bedford limestone.

In the basement are the steam heating arrange- ments, and also a complete ventilating apparatus with exhaust fan and pipes, which connect with every room in the building. The court-room is pro- vided with a grate, and so arranged that the ashes drop into a pit in the basement. The foundation for the floor of the first story is of wrought-iron beams, stayed with cross rods, with a formation of brick arches between and leveled up with concrete. The other floors are similarly constructed. Iron stairways lead from one floor to the other. The windows are of heavy plate glass, and are shaded with inside blinds. The floors in all the rooms are made of hard pine, that of the corridors of marble and encaus- tic tile. The roof is constructed with iron rafters, with corrugated-iron arches between, filled up with concrete and covered with slate. On the first floor are located the offices of the County and Circuit Clerks, the offices of the Sheriff, County Superintendent, Recorder and Treasurer, and County Judge.

On the second floor is the Circuit Court room, the County Court room, the law library, private rooms for the Judges, State's Attorney's and Master in Chancery's offices, consultation and witness rooms. The court-room is 47×57 feet in dimensions, with high ceiling and a commodious gallery for the use of visitors. The hall on this floor is a spacious one, with fine arches over the passage ways. The third floor is arranged principally for jury-rooms, but has a small court-room, or hall, for the use of the Super- visors or other purposes. This structure is elegant is every way, inside and out. In the inside there is no attempt in the finishing and furnishing at much embellishment, but everything is neat, tasteful and

substantial. The building is a credit to the good taste and judgment of the people who erected it, and a monument to their culture and refinement.

Jail.

HE first jail erected in the county was con- structed of logs. The contract was let to John G. Sanburn, Sept. 14, 1832, for $250. It stood north of the court-house, on the west side of the Square. With the growth of the county came the increase of offenses against the law, and this primitive log prison became too small for its patronage. In 1841 a contract was let Alvah Wheeler to build a brick jail, who in 1845 completed the building. It was a two-story brick and stone building and stood on the northeast cor- ner of the Square. It is now used as a tenement- house.

In the latter part of 1873 the Board of Supervis- ors finally decided to erect a new jail, and advertised for plans and bids. The plan of William Quagle was accepted, and January 14, 1874, a contract was let to Ira R. Stevens for $34,000. The building was completed in the fall, and was occupied by the Sheriff Oct. 3, 1874, and subsequently the prisoners were transferred from the old jail at Knoxville. It is a two-story building with basement, and attractive in its architecture. In front are rooms for the resi- dence of the Sheriff and offices. The basement is of stone, the superstructure of brick, trimmed with stone. The jail contains 30 cells, 41/2 by 7 feet, and 71/2 feet in height, with 6-inch stone walls. The doors of the cells are all locked from the dining hall, and so arranged that the attendants are not required to come in contact with the prisoners. In the rear portion of the second story of the dwelling part are the female and debtors' apartments, consisting of three large and airy rooms. Here also is a sleeping apartment for the Turnkey and a bath-room. A

good fence surrounds the grounds, which are well kept, adding much to the general appearance.

The present condition of the building is indicative of the good and efficient management at the hands of the county's able and gentlemanly Sheriff, J. A. Stuckey.

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KNOX COUNTY.

Almshouse.

OR many years after the settlement of the county, the provisions for the poor were very limited. In 1856 there was a farm and a small building for the keeper's family and the inmates, who were necessarily crowded together. Many of the paupers who were idiotic or insane were assigned to two small chambers. A very small cell was fitted up for " crazy Hannah " so that she could not hurt herself.

March 5, 1856, the Board of Supervisors purchased the west half of the southwest quarter of section 21, Knox Township, for a Poor Farm, for $3,000. In 1866 the Board of Supervisors appointed a committee, consisting of Rufus Miles, L. E. Conger and Cephas Arms, to superintend the construction of an alms- house. Another committee was appointed to select a location. A majority of this committee selected and purchased the northwest quarter of section 24, Galesburg Township, for which they paid $8,000; but this was not used and the land was subsequently sold for $9,000. The Board of Supervisors secured additional land adjoining the old farm, and decided to make that the permanent location. When this was determined, a contract for the erection of a build- ing was let to William Armstrong, for $26,000. This amount was increased to $39,037.21, for furni- ture, heating apparatus, and stocking the farm. This only completed the main building and the west wing.

In 1876, in accordance with the original plan, a contract for building the east wing was awarded to Parry & Stevens, for $17,000. The work was soon completed, which gave to Knox County one of the finest and best arranged almshouses in the State. It is of gothic style of architecture and constructed of brick and limestone. The design was the work of W. W. Boyington, of Chicago. It is two stories high, with basement. It has 166 feet front by 80 feet in depth, and having in all about 100 rooms. In the nrale department on the main floor are dining-hall, sitting-room, chapel, and sleeping-rooms with bath- rooms attached. In the chapel, religious services are held. This room is also used for funeral services. The whole is heated by steam, the heat being sup- plied by radiators. Several of the rooms are made additionally attractive by the presence of beautiful and fragrant flowers. There are at present 115 in- mates, who are about equally divided between the sexes. The farm embraces 140 acres of rich land, and is located about one mile north of Knoxville. Twenty cows are kept for the use of the almshouse.

The almshouse has been under the management for many years of Dr. McClelland, the County Phy- sician, who seems to' be endowed with special quali- ties to take charge of an institution of this kind. Dr. McClelland is also well qualified for his position, and is affectionately regarded by the inmates. The institution altogether seems as complete in all its arrangements as is possible, and that reflects great credit upon the people of Knox County.

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KNOX COUNTY.

Tun for the Imon.

0 greater evidence can be adduced of the patriotism of the people of Knox County than that presented in her record of the War for the Union. The love of coun- try implanted here by the early settlers did not die out, but was strengthened by time. The re- port of the great guns which sent their destructive shot against Fort Sumter had hardly ceased to echo before the people of Knox County rushed to arms, and call after call was responded to with alacrity dur- ing the years of the Rebellion, and neither age, infirmities nor youth kept them from offering their services, their lives on the altar of their country. Over 4,000 of as brave men as ever marched against an enemy went out from Knox County, many never to return ; some to die before the deadly missiles,some in trenches and on battle-fields, others in horrid, cruel prisons and in hospitals.

The first to resent the act of treason in Knox County, and probably the first in the State, were G. W. Bainbridge, Wm. McBride and Joseph Gibbs.

When the fall of Fort Sumter had been flashed by

the electric wires over the country, Mr. Bainbridge, though in the middle of the night, mounted his horse and rode to Jonathan Gibbs' in Lynn Township, and calling the old " squire" up, made known to him the news, exclaiming, with bated breath, "Our country is in danger and we must go to her aid." Mr. McBride and young Gibbs, who had been aroused from their slumbers, then came in, and here, before the mid- night lamp, this trio of young patriots took a solemn oath, administered by 'Squire Gibbs, "that they would remain true and loyal to the Union." To make the scene more impressive, the old gentleman, in trem- bling tones, exhorted them to be faithful and true and he would look to them for protection. Could the people of the Southern States have witnessed this scene, it is not unreasonable to suppose that, at least, there would have been less States to secede.

Early the next morning these brave boys rode into Knoxville to offer their services to the country. No call had been made yet for troops, and no enlist- ments could be received, but they left their names. Subsequently they enlisted in the 1st Ill. Vol. Cav.

At the first call for troops Knox County very quickly more than raised her quota, and so continued until nearly the end of the struggle.

President Lincoln issued a call Dec. 21, 1864, -which was his last-for 300,000 volunteers. At this time there were comparatively few able-bodied

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KNOX COUNTY.

men in the county, enlistment was slow, and it was thought that, unless there was some extra inducement offered, a draft, which patriotic people much disliked, would have to be made to meet the quota. A draft had been ordered to take place Feb. 15, 1865. Ac- cordingly the Board of Supervisors, who had ever been prompt and ready to do everything in their power to assist the cause of the Union, passed a resolution offering a bounty of $300 for each acceptable recruit. A resolution was also offered and passed at this time exempting soldiers in the field, or those that might hereafter be, widows who have sons in the army, or who may hereafter volunteer, from the payment of the bounty tax levy.

From the first appeal to arms, the people of Knox County, with a generosity and a devotion unexcelled by any county in the Union, looked after the boys in the field and provided for their families at home.

Soon after the first enlistment, the Board of Super- visors made an order for the support of volunteers, pending marching orders. At the same meeting (May 13, 1861) a resolution was passed for a com- mittee to be appointed to inquire into the expediency of the Board appropriating a sum of money for the support of families of citizens who had entered the service of the country. The following day the Com- mittee reported : "The Committee are of the opinion that the county should make provisions to secure from want the families of volunteers during their ab- sence on service." There were many acts of this Board during the war equally as generous and patriotic, which were fully sustained by the people. Another resolution was, that the Sheriff be required to erect on the court-house a suitable standard with the flag of the American Union thereon, which should be displayed during the sessions of the Board and the Courts. Bounty funds were liberally appro- priated by this Board, and everything was done that could be to assist those in the field and provide for those they left behind at home.

Space will only permit a brief mention of the war or the incidents connected with it. We think this

work would be incomplete if it did not mention Mrs. Bickerdyke, " Mother Bickerdyke," as she was affec- tionately called, who went from this county to the camps and hospitals to alleviate the sufferings of the wounded and cheer their hearts. She was one of the first to go into the camps and the last to come out. She instituted many reforms in the hospitals and made many a poor soldier happy. One of her memorable acts was to come North and secure 200 cows and 1,000 chickens and take them back to Memphis for the use of the soldiers.

The Soldiers' Aid Society also did a noble work. They were ever active and untiring in their zeal to comfort the soldier and relieve his wants. These noble women could not fight, but they could aid and comfort the wounded and sick who did fight to save the life of the nation. Volunteers from Knox County were in most of the hard-fought battles of the South- west-Fort Donelson, Pea Ridge, Shiloh, Stone River, Vicksburg, Chattanooga, Nashville and many others, and in all they distinguished themselves for their bravery. There were soldiers from this county in the 7th, 8th, roth, 14th and 16th Infantry. In the 17th Infantry, which was mustered into the service at Peoria, Ill., May 24, 1861, there were 131 volunteers from Knox County. In all the regiments of infantry, to the 148th, Knox County was more or less repre- sented.

In the cavalry service Knox County was well rep- resented, in all 605 men. In the Ist Cavalry there were 152; in the 7th, 212 ; in the Irth, 108; in the 14th, 72, and a few in the 8th, 9th and 12th. There were also enlistments in the Ist and 2d Light Artil- lery, and quite a number of colored men who went out to join colored regiments. The service rendered by Knox County in battling against treason, and in the preservation of the Union, is one to be proud of by her citizens, although many of her bravest sons fell in the conflict for freedom and sleep in Southern graves, or returned to die and be buried at home, and although many seats were made vacant around her.

KNOX COUNTY.

Topographical.

UR favored country has but few localities more fertile than that known as the Mili- tary Tract. Knox County is situated in about the center of this district and contains an area of 720 square miles, divided up into 20 full townships. It is pretty well watered with one large and sev- eral small water-courses. Spoon River crosses the county in the northern part of Truro Township, and mean- dering southwesterly passes out near the middle of Chestnut Township. About the center of this county, run- ning north and south, the surface is higher and the streams run each way, emptying finally on the west into the Mississippi and on the east into the Illinois River.

Knox County contains within its borders no rugged scenes of grandeur, but rather the quiet beauty of finished and rounded outlines, of a surface clothed with far-reaching prairies and beautiful groves. The mean elevation of the county is about 600 feet above the level of the sea. There are but few springs, but good water can be obtained at a depth of from 15 to 60 feet. The county is largely undulating prairie, and interspesed with fine groves of timber, some of them quite large. In some parts of the county, partic- ularly along the water-courses, the country is quite broken. The soil is mostly a dark, rich vegetable loam. The drift is spread over the entire surface of the uplands to a depth of from 10 to 60 feet. It comprises a series of yellow and blue clay, which is occasionally mixed with sand and gravel. The original timber consisted of the oak varieties, eln), ash, hickory, black-walnut and the maples. In ad-

dition to these there were along the slopes and the bottom lands the sycamore, box-elder, linden, cotton- wood, locust, coffee-tree, wild cherry, wild plum, thorn, crab-apple, dogwood, redbud, hackberry and mulberry. The alluvial deposits are not extensive, seldom over a mile in width, and generally much less, and comprise the bottom lands along the water- courses. All the stratified rocks exposed in the county belong to the coal measures, and they com- prise a series of sandstones, limestones, clays, slates, and seams of coal, and represent the middle and lower parts of the series of coal No. 6 of the Illinois section to No. I inclusive. The upper seam, No. 6, is found principally in the eastern half of the county, and varies in thickness from four to six feet, and affords a good quality of coal. Mines have been opened and extensively worked in the western half of Victoria Township; also in Copley, Sparta and Persifer. In Elba Township, section 15, coal ap- pears along the bluff a number of feet above the stream. South of Spoon River there are a number of mines along Littler's Creek, on sections 26, 27, 34 and 35, in Maquon Township. The county has but a limited supply of good building-stone. In some portions there is sufficient for home wants. In Knox Township, sections 16 and 21, there is a bed of very good sandstone; much of this, however, is of but little value for building purposes. In the northwest quar- ter of section 16 is a rock of more value, which makes a very good building-stone. It is a dark drab- colored conglomerate rock. It is compact and suffi- ciently hard for building purposes.

Limestone for lime purposes is not found in any large deposits in the county. In Sparta Township, on section 24, it has been found in moderate quan- tity, and a very good quality of lime has been made here from it.

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KNOX COUNTY.

RAILROADS.

AILROADS form one of the important factors in the de- velopment of a country. They have been the means of open- ing up our broad domains to settlement, and by them our civilization has been so rapidly advanced, while at the present day they form a large portion of the wealth of the country. It is now 59 years since the first railroad bar was laid in the United States. From the year 1827, which marks an epoch in the history of this nation-that year which inaugurated the genesis of our railway system-the laying of track, under many forms of improvement, has gone rapidly on until to-day there are upward of 150,000 miles of railroad in our country, extending from ocean to ocean and penetrating every State and Territory in the Union and employing over 700,000 men and women. From the day the first locomotive was built, in 1829, they have been constantly increasing in numbers until they can now be counted by the tens of thousands, and they are the lever that is moving the business of the country.

From the beginning of the agitation of railroad building in this county, which was about as early as that of any other part of the State, the people have been very earnest and active on the subject. The people of this county-the early settlers-being largely from the Eastern States, were naturally among

the first to desire to be connected by rail with that part of the world whence they came.

The gigantic system of internal improvements which was inaugurated by Legislature in 1836 in- cluded the building of many railroads in the State and involved the expenditure of about $30,000,000. Soon after the enactment of this law certificates of internal-improvement stock were eagerly sought for and readily taken, contracts were let, and work com- menced in different parts of the State. Hundreds of thousands of dollars were squandered in this way before the year expired. The financial crash, which swept over the country, came on, and the internal- improvement system of Illinois, which apparently began so auspiciously, went down, leaving the State in almost hopeless bankruptcy. Fortunately, how- ever, Knox County was not affected by this, save in a general way. She was among the few favored counties who received the money instead of railroad schemes on paper.

Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad.

HEN Galesburg was first settled, railroads were comparatively new and were re- garded as an experiment. Natural and artificial water-courses were then regarded as the best means of transportation and commercial intercourse. On Feb. 12, 1849, the Legislature granted a charter to the Peoria & Oquawka Railroad Company, with a capital stock of $500,000, divided into shares of $roo each. Under

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KNOX COUNTY.

the provisions of this charter a certain amount of stock had to be subscribed by February 12 following, before grading could commence, and other conditions were imposed which were burdensome and were modified by the next session of the Legislature. The corporation was to be managed by a board of nine directors, to be chosen annually by the stock- holders from among their number. The following persons were appointed as Commissioners to receive subscriptions to stock : Samuel B. Anderson, James Knox and Daniel Meek, of Knox County; Alexander Turnbull, James W. Davidson and Wyatt B. Stapp, of Warren County; Preston W. Martin, John Mc- Kinney and Robert M. Patterson, of Henderson County ; and Wm. S. Maus, Alfred G. Curtenius and Isaac Underhill, of Peoria County.

The first railroad meeting held in Knox County was held at Knoxville, Sept. 9, 1849, the object of which was principally to provide for the general as- sembling of the citizens of the county on the 9th of October. John Johnston acted as Chairman and John G. Sanburn, Secretary. There was a large and enthusiastic meeting and speeches were made by James Knox and Robert S. Blackwell. A motion was made and carried in favor of voluntary taxation to provide funds to prosecute the work. The esti- mated cost was between $500,000 and $750,000.

The people of Oquawka refused to aid the enter- prise, and Burlington coming forward with the neces- sary subscriptions, the route was changed to the latter place and the former was left out. The company spent all their money and exhausted their credit in building the road from Burlington to Kirkwood. A resolution was adopted requesting the Commissioners of this county to correspond with those of the other counties in order to bring about a concerted action in the matter. Meetings were held throughout the county and a good deal of interest was manifested. The Knoxville Journal, then owned by John S. Win- ter, was very zealous in its advocacy of the cause and did much good in awakening an interest in railroad matters. A meeting was held in Galesburg, Nov. 29, 1849, when several residents of the place spoke in favor of the enterprise. A large meeting was again held in Knoxville, inaugurated by the peo- ple of Peoria, at which Judge Purple presided. The idea entertained by the people of Knoxville at this time was that the road would build up Peoria and thereby bring manufactories nearer to them.

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Portrait and biographical album of Knox county, Illinois, Part 123

Author: Biographical Publishing Company, Buffalo and Chicago; Chapman Brothers, pub Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Chicago : Biographical publishing company Number of Pages: 1130

Author: Biographical Publishing Company, Buffalo and Chicago; Chapman Brothers, pub
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Chicago : Biographical publishing company
Number of Pages: 1130