Portrait and biographical album of Knox county, Illinois, Part 127

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 127

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Among others who made donations to this institu- tion, besides Mr. Lombard, were E. G. Hall, who gave $10,000, and L. E. Conger $10,000.

A few years ago a theological department was es- tablished, which has been quite successful. At the last commencement exercises the first class in this department was graduated. Belonging to the Uni- versity are two literary societies, the Enesaphian and the Philomathean, which are strong in membership ( and are doing good service. The Alumni Literary Society is another attractive feature of Lombard, and is attended by the Faculty and the Senior Class.

Rev. E. L. Conger is the financial agent, and has secured during the past year many valuable dona- tions. Alfred Knowles is President of the Board of Trustees. Lombard University is one of the very creditable institutions of learning, not only to Knox County, but to the State. It has done much to ad- vance liberality of thought, civilization and culture.

St. Joseph's Academy.

HIS Catholic institution of learning was es- tablished in 1879. The building was com- pleted in the early part of that year and the Academy was opened in September. The building was erected and the school established by Father Costa. The building is a large, commodious brick structure, erected at a cost of $30,000, and is situated in the western part of the city of Galesburg, corner of Academy and Knox streets, on a high eminence overlooking the town.

It stands on the highest ground in the city. It is under the direction of the Sisters of Providence, who came from St. Mary's of the Woods (Indiana). This institution was established by the Sisters of Provi. dence from Ruille, France, and is located about four miles west of Terre Haute.

In the St. Joseph Academy are 14 Sisters, at the head of whom is the Mother Superior, a very estima- ble, accomplished and devout lady, whose life is de- voted to this school. At present there are 350 pupils, male and female, many of the latter boarding at the Academy. The curriculum consists of a four years' course of study, embracing a primary, interme- diate and senior, and includes all those branches of study essential to a thorough preparation for the duties of life, as well as a classical course. There are departments of music, plain and fancy needle- work, painting and drawing. The scholastic year consists of four terms, each comprising a period of 11 weeks, the first term commencing on the first Monday in September. The building is heated by steam, lighted with gas and has water conductors. The rooms are lightsome and airy and pleasantly arranged. A beautiful little chapel is one of the pleasant features, where services are held every morning at 8 o'clock. Adjoining this and communi- cating by folding doors is an elegant art gallery.

Western Business College.

OMETHING over 20 years ago this College was established by H. E. Hayes and J. B. Marsh. It was first located in the upper story of the Colton Block. It changed hands several times, when, in 1873, J. M. Martin be- came the proprietor and removed the institu- tion to the third floor of the Allen Block, corner of Prairie and Simmons streets, where it is still located. Ill health compelled Mr. Martin to retire from the arduous labors of the College, and, March 17, 1883, M. H. Barringer became the proprietor and still holds this position. A thorough system of bookkeeping is taught at this college, under practical and busi- ness-like principles. Naturally accompanying this course are arithmetic, penmanship and commercial law. There are taught here also telegraphy and short-hand. Mr. Barringer has improved the sys- tem of teaching bookkeeping very much. The busi-

- -

1021

KNOX COUNTY.

ness transactions that enter into the course of in- struction are not imaginary, but real deals. The department of correspondence is also of the same character, and is extended to numbers of other col- leges in Chicago, New York and elsewhere. Under Mr. Barringer's management, this college has become a very popular place to secure a business education. The average attendance during the past season was 125. M. H. Barringer, Principal ; Jennie E. Bene- dict and Winona Edgerton, Assistants ; George W. Thompson, Lecturer on Commercial Law.

Public Schools.

HE first public school, as has been men- tioned on another page of this work, was taught by Prof. N. H. Losey and Miss Lucy Gay in the storehouse of Mr. Chambers, in the summer of 1837. This was used for a school building until what was called the " Old Academy " building was put up, when the school was opened there. In 1839 a district school- house was erected on the northeast corner of the Public Square. As the scholastic population in- creased, other districts were laid out and buildings erected, until in 1857 there were eight. About this time efforts were made to grade and consolidate these schools. Nothing, however, was accomplished until 1859, when the eight districts were made one, partially graded, and A. B. Campbell, George Churchill and J. H. Knapp were elected Directors. After much labor a charter was granted, giving to the School Board more power than was extended to them under the State law. In 1867 a School Board was elected and organized under this charter. Rufus B. Guild was the first Superintendent. He only served a short time, and was succeeded by J. B. Roberts, who served until 1874, when he was suc- ceeded by Mathew Andrews.

In 1886 the high school building was completed, at a cost of about $60,000. It is a three story brick structure, with light and airy school departments. Subsequently ward buildings were erected-one each in the 3d, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th Wards-at an average cost of $15,000. These buildings are now well heated and ventilated, with all the necessary apparatus. Telephones are placed in each building, which com- municate with the Superintendent's office in the

high school building. The buildings are all brick but one, which is frame, and the seven schools are all graded.

The school property is valued at $125,000. Ac- cording to the County Superintendent's report for last year, there were in all these wards of persons under 21 years of age 6.336, of whom 4,486 were of scho- listic age, 2,112 being enrolled. The highest wages paid male teachers were §188.89 per month, and the lowest $66.68 ; the highest wages paid female teach- ers were $88.89, and the lowest $35. The tax levy was $20,000. There is one library of 300 volumes. The present Superintendent is W. L. Steele, who has demonstrated a peculiar fitness for this position. There are eight grades and a year's high school course in the curriculum. The efficiency of these schools is due in a great measure to the fact that every person connected with them is permanent, from the Board down. The majority of the present Board has served from to to 15 years.

There are also three private schools, with 470, pupils, male and female.

The Press of Galesburg.

HE following is a brief history of the pres- ent press of Galesburg, and of those of which they are the outgrowth. This has been an extensive field for the burial of jour- nalistic hopes. In this respect it is not unlike all Western or new counties. Many papers have been established from time to time in this and other towns of the county. On the sea of journalism here many little barks were cast; they struggled for awhile against the elements of opposition, and then they went down to rise no more.

The press unquestionably is one of the most po- tent influences toward the development of a new country and the advancement of civilization. It is the vehicle for the dissemination of ideas, and the medium to which people must look to advertise en- terprises and projects for the advancement of their own or public interests. But where one newspaper succeeds one hundred fail. Yet the effort must be made. Through the sifting of chaff we get at the wheat; by the retort of the amalgam we get the gold.

REPUBLICAN-REGISTER.

This is one of the leading papers of the Military

1022

KNOX COUNTY.

Tract. It is the result of a union of the Galesburg Republican and Galesburg Register. The former was founded by Clark E. Carr and J. M. Prior, and the lat- ter in 1866, by Steve R. Smith, H. D. Babcock and W. J. Mourer. It was subsequently purchased by E. F. Phelps, who in a few months sold it to the present company.

The Republican was purchased in 1872 by S. W. Grubb, who published it till the close of the year. In December of this year the Galesburg Printing Company was organized, with a capital stock of $15,- 000, under the general incorporation laws, and the Register and Republican were purchased and the two papers were consolidated under the title of Republi- can-Register. The officers of this company were George N. Dieterich, President ; Z. Beatty, Vice-Presi- dent; S. W. Grubb, Secretary and Treasurer. Z. Beatty was the editor, and S. W. Grubb the business manager, which positions they still hold. Under this management the Republican-Register has been made prosperous and influential, with a large circu- lation. It a six-column quarto, Republican in poli- tics, progressive, and devoted to the interests of Galesburg. An extensive job-office is connected with this office, with steam-power, which has an enviable reputation for the excellence of its work, and is very liberally patronized. A daily paper is pub- lished in connection with the weekly.

THE PLAINDEALER.

In 1872 Judson Graves started a semi-weekly pa- per called the Republic, an eight-column folio. He continued the semi-weekly publication for about three months, when he changed it into a weekly. Sept. 5, 1874, the name was changed to the Plain- dealer, on account of the similarity of name with the other Republican papers in the county.

In December, 1879, Messrs. Emrich & Biggs pur- chased the office of this paper. They still publish the paper under the company name of the Plain- dealer Printing Company. The paper was enlarged to a six-column quarto in 1881. In politics it is an independent Republican sheet, and is issned every Friday. A good job departinent with latest improve- ments has been added to the plant, which has largely increased the business. The company have the rep- utation of doing excellent job-work. The papers are worked by steam.

The Plaindealer is well conducted, is a bright,

newsy paper, and has a circulation of about 1,200. The office is located on Main street.

PRESS AND PEOPLE.

This paper is the outgrowth, through many changes, of the News-Letter, or the plant of that paper, with the additions that have been made from time to time is the same as that now used by the Press and People. The News-Letter was established in 1850, under the editorial management of W. S. Gale, James Bunce and G. C. Lanphere. This paper took the place of the Intelligencer. It was an able advocate of measures affecting the interests of Gales- burg. It had an extensive circulation, not only about the county, but with the advocates of the Military Tract Railroad, a project which was then being worked up. Its columns were open and were generally pretty well filled with articles on the sub- ject of railroads, which secured marked attention. Its office was over a store on the south side of the Square. In 1852 it was purchased by S. G. Cowan, who issued it under the title of News-Letter and Henry County News. At the beginning it was neu- tral in politics, but later on it became a little tinct- ured with Free-Soilism. In the fall of 1853 J. W. Lane purchased it and changed the name to the Western Freeman. This was really the first political paper ever published in Galesburg. It was an anti- "slavery paper, which was then a very unpopular subject, in this part of the country at least. Its life was brief, but by no means delightful. In two short months the slave-power of the country quenched its life and it was entombed in their cemetery. The plant was purchased by Southwick Davis and Wm. H. Holcomb, who started the Galesburg Free Demo- crat, which was also an anti-slavery journal. The first issue of this paper was on Jan. 5, 1854. Novem- ber 30 witnessed another change in the office, which passed into the hands of W. J. Woods, with B. F. Haskins as editor. In March, 1855, Mr. Haskins was succeeded by C. J. Sellon, who only remained in the editorial chair a very short time. In July, 1855, S. W. Brown, R. H. Whiting and D. H. Fris- bie became proprietors ; several changes were made and in the summer of 1856 J. H. Sherman with C. J. Sellon took charge. On March 17, 1857, the first copy of the Daily Free Democrat was issued. J. H. Sherman was proprietor until 1865, passing through the war period, when Bailey & McClelland purchased

1023

- KNOX COUNTY.

the office and the name was changed to Free Press. In 1872 M. S. Barnes purchased the paper, and for some time he issued a daily and weekly. Mr. Barnes changed the name to the Leader and subsequently, in June, 1882, the name was changed to the Press and People. It is an eight-column paper and inde- pendent in politics, but advocates prohibition princi- ples. In February, 1883, Gersh. Martin purchased the paper and is the present proprietor and editor. The Press and People is a strong Democratic sheet, like its owner, who is a Democrat of the old Andrew Jackson school. It is ably conducted and marked for its bright editorials, and has a circulation of about 1,400. It is issued every Friday ; connected with it is a fine job-office.

Manufacturing Interests.

GALESBURG has become quite a manu- facturing center. Here are turned out goods which find a market in all parts of the world. A great deal of enterprise has been manifested both in the manufacture of the goods and in pushing the sale of them. The following is a brief review of the various indus- trial concerns of this order located at Galesburg :

BROWN'S CORN-PLANTER WORKS.

One of the greatest and most useful agricultural- implement inventions of the 19th century, if not in the entire history of the world, in the corn-planter, which was conceived in the brain of George W. Brown, and by him perfected and patented. With the personal history of this great inventor, only so far as it has to do with his invention, this article has nothing to do, and the reader is referred to the bio- graphical part of this work.

Mr. Brown was born on a farm in Saratoga County, N. Y., and there lived until he was 14 years of age, when he gave bis attention to learning the carpen- ter's trade. He remembers very distinctly the first canal-boat which passed through the Erie Canal. It had on board DeWitt Clinton and many other dis- tinguished people. He worked at his trade on the railroad from Albany to Schenectady, which road was 16 miles long, and when completed was re- garded as one of the great triumphs of the age. An excursion party of distinguished persons made the first trip over the road. The cars were about the size

of our omnibuses and were drawn by an engine named the John Bull.

Mr. Brown waa appointed Roadmaster of this rail- way, but it was not to his taste and he soon resigned. Some relatives of his had gone to the then Far West and wrote glowing accounts of the country and of what ·he might accomplish there by his trade. These let- ters set him to thinking, but he did not think long before he acted. He purchased a wagon and filled it with his worldly possessions, and with his young wife started for the prairies of Illinois. During the trip it rained much of the time, and they had a slow and disagreeable journey, arriving at their destination in July, 1836.

He located on a farm near Tylerville, in Kelly Township, Warren County. He traded his team for So acres of land, and went to work on his farm and at his trade. By continuous labor he made a com- fortable living only. There are many houses in this township upon which he worked and several which he built alone. He also worked at Galesburg and Knoxville. Aside from these duties, Mr. Brown was often called upon to repair the rude farming imple- ments then used. This undoubtedly directed his mind, which was mechanical by nature, to the study of farm machinery. He experimented a great deal and made many plans and models. One day in 1846, John S. Winter came to him and found him in a deep study. He was very lightly dressed, having on only a straw hat, a hickory shirt and a pair of pants, and was seemingly reflecting upon the possi- bilities of the future.

As early as 1848 the cultivator had been invented and was used by those who could afford it. These implements were necessarily somewhat of a rude character when Mr. Brown began his experiments, and he soon conceived the idea of converting the cultivator into a corn-planter. Under the light of his first discoveries Mr. Brown must have felt as joyful as did Archimedes of old, when he discovered a great philosophical principle.

The first plan of Mr. Brown was to drop the corn, at the same time placing the shovels of the cultiva- tor as wide apart as he wished the rows of corn ; and with boxes of corn on the beams back of the shovels, so arranged that the center of each box could be be directly over the middle of the furrows made by the shovels. A slide appearing adequate, it was necessary to move it so there would be an aperture

IO24

KNOX COUNTY.

in the center of the bottom of each box large enough to allow from three to five kernels of corn to pass through at one time, which would naturally fall into the middle of the furrows behind the shovels. This slide was operated by a man walking behind ; heavy wooden wheels made from sections sawed off from logs were attached to the cultivator back of the boxes, which rolled along, covering the corn and leveling the furrow. This invention seems very sim- ple now, like all other great inventions after they are discovered and we become familiar with them. It was simple enough to find this continent after the way was prepared by Columbus.

Our inventor continued his experiments, making improvements and gathering new ideas, until the

invention, Mr. Brown determined to stake all he possessed on its success. He had already sold everything about the farm, even to his best horse, to secure his patents and perfect his machine. He now sold his farm for what he could get and borrowed additional money and took the risk before him. There were very few farming implements for the purpose of marking ground, and everything had to be made by hand. He soon became heavily in- volved, and had the friends who loaned him money called on him for settlement, he could not have raised a dollar. He was an honest man, however, and bore an excellent reputation, which characteris- tics were at this time invaluable to him. His credit- ors did not press him, but were willing to give him

ESTABLISHED A.D. 1853

CEO.W.BROWN MANUFACTURERS OF

BROWN'S

OSCILLATING &

CHECK ROWERS

ROTARY DROP

PROw

CORN

SULKIES

PLANTER,

AND

LEIDY

FAVORITE

CORN

WALKING CULTIVATOR

STALK CUTTER'S

INCORPORATED A D. 1880

GALESBURG,ILL.

spring of 1851, when he constructed his first com- plete corn-planter of the present style, and from that time on he has continued to make improvements in his machine. During the past winter he added another valuable improvement to the planter.

In May, 1851, as soon as the ground was ready for planting, he drove out his new planter and put in his first crop of seed. The planter worked charmingly.

The following year Mr. Brown planted 16 acres for himself and four acres for Alfred Brown in Knox County. In the spring following he commenced the manufacture of ten machines, but on account of his limited means only succeeded in finishing one. It was about this time that, having absolute faith in his

a fair trial. He had, however, to pay exorbitant rates of interest, sometimes as high as 3 per cent a month. This is the rock that brings the ruin of many an inventor. Mr. Brown steadily kept his object in view, and continued to manufacture his planters, and in 1853 pursued his operations in Shanghai, in Warren County, during that year com- pleting 12 machines. During that summer one of these machines planted 300 acres of corn. In the following year Mr. Brown manufactured 100 planters and in 1855 300. At the close of this latter year he moved his factory to Galesburg, where he could ob- tain better facilities for the extension of his business. During his first year at Galesburg, he manufactured

LEIDY

1025

KNOX COUNTY.

600 corn-planters, and the next year 1,000. The business has been gradually extended until the fac- tory now turns out as high as 7,000 planters during a single year.

After the Brown Corn-Planter had been used to the satisfaction of the few who first adopted it, it was difficult to introduce it generally or get the pub- lic to understand its merits and value. With many it was a " new-fangled concern." It was not the old hoe, the use of which never failed to make the corn grow. They could see that the machine ran nicely over the field, but did it drop the corn in proper quantities, in the right places, and was it well cov- ered ? These were objections which first met the in- ventor on every hand, and to overcome these he had about as much difficulty as when first getting up his machine. All these objections and doubts were finally overcome, and thenceforward he had no diffi- culty in selling the planter to those who could afford to pay for it. The business increased, new machine- ry was put in, and buildings erected, until during the latter part of the war, when there came a de- pression in business, things began to look very blue for Mr. Brown. The war had circumscribed the sale of the planter very materially. His machines were scattered throughout the country, in warehouses and in depots, and were absorbing a vast amount of capi- tal. He had been persuaded to manufacture that year 2,000 more planters than his judgment dictated, which proved to be that number more than there was any demand for. They had been sent about the country at considerable expense, and were on his hands. He was also in debt. Matters indeed looked very dark, and the majority of men would have sur- rendered, but Mr. Brown was not the man to easily give up; he had passed through so many hard strug- gles that he could not now stop or go back. He se- cured a loan of $25,000, called in his planters and stored them in warehouses. The war closed and the battle-field was deserted. Swords were turned into plowshares and spears into pruning-hooks. There was great activity in the agricultural districts, and the Brown Corn-Planter became in great demand. From this time on the prosperity of the inventor and manufacturer steadily progressed until the present time.

When the usefulness of this planter became gener- ally known many manufacturers in different parts of the country commenced the construction of these ma-

chines without any regard to Mr. Brown's rights of patent or personally. He protested against this and appealed to the manufacturers to desist or to pay him a royalty. They refused, and proceedings were in- stituted in the Federal Courts for redress. After many delays and appeals, the contest was finally settled by the Supreme Court of the United States, which declared that George W. Brown was the in- ventor and sole patentee of the planter. This de- cision brought the infringers on his patent forward for a settlement, and they were called upon to pay a royalty to him for all the machines they had manu- factured.

In 1875 the large and splendid new Corn-Planter Works of Mr. Brown were completed, and the 23d of September following the event was celebrated with appropriate ceremonies. Hon. Clark E. Carr, of Galesburg, the distinguished orator of the Prairie State, delivered one of his characteristic addresses upon the occasion. The buildings comprise foundry, machine shop, blacksmith-shop, polishing-room, pat- ent-room, wheel-room, paint-rooms, warehouse and office, in all covering 30,000 feet of ground. They were erected at a cost of about $60,000. Since then Mr. Brown has made many other improvements, and now has a manufacturing capacity of probably 20,000 implements annually. He has also continued to de- vise new improvements and attachments for the planter until it would seem that there were nothing more to be done for its perfection. Into every ma- chine goes the best thought, the best materials and the best mechanical skill. To perfect his machine has been his constant study from its inception.

The sale of the Brown Corn-Planter is not limited to any State or Territory of the Union, and has ex- tended into Mexico, Europe, Asia and South Amer- ica. The manufactory has been one of the princi- pal factors in the growth of the city of Galesburg. Mr. Brown also manufactures the cultivator, to which he has added very valuable improvements. Also the Brown Check-Rower and Stalk-Cutter.

We have thus briefly given some of the essential points in the history of the Brown Corn-Planter. The long, weary days and nights of hard study, the doubts and the hopes, the intense anxiety pending success endured by the inventor, no language can express. Its success has been as complete as its benefits are immeasurable, and places its inventor among the foremost men of the age, as a great bene-

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Portrait and biographical album of Knox county, Illinois, Part 127

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