USA > Illinois > Adams County > Quincy > Quincy and Adams County history and representative men, Vol. I > Part 62
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HOME OF THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
president. The prime functions of the bureau are to keep its members informed as to classifieation of freight, changes in tariffs and the regu- lations and charges enforeed by the different transportation com- panies tending to effect the business of local manufacturers and mer- chants. Besides this information, which the commissioner is legiti- mately bound to furnish to the members of the bureau, in his zeal to be of general service Mr. Boswell is continually exceeding his duties and collecting a mass of data ealeulated to set forth the progress and logieal future of Quincy, by which eapital is drawn thither and the city's good points generally exploited. He has also proved a prac- tical agent in the improvement of various transportation facilities of the locality.
THE BANKS OF QUINCY
The banks of Quincy, the history of which spans more than four- score years, have endured through mueh stress and not a little storm,
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by reason of the foresight and conservatism of those who founded and developed them and because of their substantial backing in the local community. The Bulls, the Rickers, the Parkers, the Gardners and other strong guiding hands gave them an impetus in the upward and right direction. Their life was trembling in the balance until such men as these eame to their assistance some sixty years ago.
BRANCH OF THE STATE BANK
The earliest banking institution of Quincy was a branch of the State Bank of Illinois, established in 1836 with J. T. Holmes as presi- dent. E. J. Phillips cashier, and successively (up to 1878), John M. Holmes, C. B. Church and JJ. K. Webster. This bank was at the southwest corner of Maine and Fourth streets in a large, square two- story frame building, long since removed. It suspended specie pay- ments in May, 1837, but continued to do business until 1842, and with the failure of the parent bank in that year, it went into liquidation in 1843.
FLAGG & SWAGE OPEN A BANK
From that time for several years no banking facilities existed, nor indeed, so dull were the times, did any appear to be necessary until 1850. N. Flagg and C. A. Savage opened a banking house under the name of Flagg & Savage. Mr. Flagg, who had been a bookkeeper for some years, as also Lorenzo Bull, then engaged in the erockery and hardware business, through arrangements with brokers elsewhere, had for some months previous been selling exchange; but the house of Flagg & Savage was the first private bank of deposit and exchange. It was located about four doors west of Fifth Street on the south side of the public square and subsequently was moved to the corner of Maine and Fifth, later occupied by the Messrs. Bull. About the same time, or shortly after. Flagg & Savage commeneed business, JJonathan H. Smith opened a banking house on Maine Street in the third store from Fourth Street, which had but a brief existence.
SEVERAL, FMLURES
About 1852 Ebenezer Moore, J. R. Hollowbush and E. F. Hoffman. under the style of Moore, Hollowbush & Co., started a banking in- stitution on the north side of the public square where now stands Ricker's Bank. These two houses (Flagg & Savage and Moore, Hol- lowbush & Co.) were erippled in 1857 by the failure of S. & W. B. Thayer, to whom they had made large advances, and were compelled to suspend. The former firm resumed about eight months later, but in 1860 was forced to elose permanently. The firm of Moore, Hollow- bush & Co., after a somewhat longer suspension, was partially revived under the name of Moore & Sherman, but discontinued finally about the same time with Flagg & Savage.
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OLD BANK OF QUINCY
The Bank of Quiney, owned by Messrs. Mattison & Boon, eom- menced operations in 1856 in the northwest corner building under the Quincy House. During the suspension of the two houses named above their business was large, being the only house of the kind in the eity. In 1860 or 1861 this bank closed.
QUINCY SAVINGS BANK
In 1857 the Quiney Savings and Insurance Company, afterward the Quincy Savings Bank and now the First National, was opened at the northwest corner of Hampshire and Fifth streets, removing in 1856 to the present location at the corner of Fourth and Hamp- shire. In 1864 this institution was organized as the First National Bank.
JOHN WOOD AND H. F. J. RICKER
Flaeks; Jansen & Co., afterward Flaeks & Company, began busi- ness as bankers in 1859 at the southeast corner of Maine and Fourth streets, and in the following year (1860) transferred their business to John Wood & Son, who again sold, in 1865, to H. F. J. Ricker. Since 1860 Mr. Ricker had been doing business as a banker on Hamp- shire Street between Sixth and Seventh, and soon after purchasing of Wood & Son moved to Hampshire between Fifth and Sixth, south side, where he remained until the occupation of his present place in 1876, on the north side of the square, intermediate between Fourth and Fifth.
L. & C. H. BULL ENTER BANKING FIELD
In 1862 L. & C. H. Bull commenced business in the building for- merly oceupied by Flagg & Savage, corner of Fifth and Maine. Their institution was organized in 1864 as the Merchants & Farmers Na- tional Bank. In 1874 the National Bank was discontinued, the par- ties continuing business under the above name.
Thomas T. Woodruff operated a banking house from 1860 to 1870 on the west side of the square about the middle of the block.
The Union Bank, later at the corner of Hampshire and Fifth, opened in 1869, in Geise's Building, north, adjoining the old court- house, and in 1875 removed to the former site.
E. J. PARKER'S BANK
E. J. Parker's Bank, operating on Fifth Street, west side, ad- joining that of the Messrs. Bull, was opened in 1874.
The German-American Bank of Gustav Levi & Co., opened in
....
QUINCY LOOKING SOUTHEAST FROM THE COURTHOUSE
MAINE STREET EAST FROM FOURTH, QUINCY
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1875 on Fourth Street, a few doors north of Hampshire, and discon- tinned in 1877.
H. A. Geise & Son commeneed in 1876 in the building formerly used by the Union Bank.
CONSOLIDATION OF THE BULL AND PARKER INTERESTS
Under date of April 30, 1879, announcement was made of the con- solidation of L. & C. H. Bull's Savings Bank and E. J. Parker & Co.'s Commercial Bank under the name of L. & C. H. Bull, with Joseph W. Emery as cashier. E. J. Parker & Co. moved their office to that of L. & C. H. Bull. The business of the two banks under the new name was continued under the personal management of the active members of both firms.
STATE SAVINGS, LOAN AND TRUST COMPANY
In November, 1890, the old firm was authorized to reorganize under the state law as the State Savings, Loan and Trust Company, with a paid-up capital of $300,000 and a term of ninety-nine years. Lorenzo Bull was president; Charles H. Bull, vice president, and Edward J. Parker cashier. Business was formally commenced Janu- ary 1, 1891.
In January, 1893, the bank occupied a massive new building on the south side of Maine Street between Fourth and Fifth streets. Its main front was of rich Missouri granite, and the interior was elegant and modern for twenty-five years ago. Its trust department was opened in August, 1898, and the institution was one of the pioneers of the state in that regard. In the following December the First National Bank went into voluntary liquidation and was ab- sorbed by the State Savings Loan and Trust Company. Lorenzo Bull had resigned as president of the old organization in the previous July. W. S. Warfield became president of the consolidated bank, with E. J. Parker as cashier and C. H. Bull and Judge S. B. Mont- gomery as vice presidents.
ROBERT W. GARDNER AND EDWARD J. PARKER
Mr. Warfield served as president until the end of 1905, when he was succeeded by Robert W. Gardner, head of the great Governor plant, and the foremost industrial leader in Quiney ; a leader also in brotherhood and philanthropy, perhaps the best and most generally beloved of all its citizens. He headed the affairs of the bank with characteristic zeal and ability until a few months before his death, December 28, 1907. He had suffered a stroke of paralysis in the preceding September, so that his death was not unexpected. Mr. Gardner was in his seventy-sixth year, and left generous bequests to several churches, Blessing Hospital, Woodland Home and the Free
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Public Library. As to his family, he left a widow, a daughter and two sons.
Edward J. Parker, who had been cashier of the bank since 1863, succeeded to the presideney, and continued thus until his decrase March 1. 1912. At that time he had enjoyed the longest identifica- tion with one bank of anybody in his profession in the State of Hli- nois. Mr. Parker's first wife was a niece of Lorenzo Bull and his second wife, a daughter. After Lorenzo Bull's death in November, 1905, Mr. Parker moved to the old Bull homestead on Maine Street between Fifteenth and Sixteenth streets, and there he passed his last years. The strong characteristics of Mr. Parker's character were patience, persisteney and absolute devotion to any cause or institu- tion to which he had pledged his faith and work. The strength of his active life was chiefly devoted to the beantification of Quiney, the building up of the State Savings Loan and Trust Company and the conservation of an ideal home. He left his fortune to his wife, with- out reserve: which was quite characteristic of him and the absolute faith which he had in his life companion and co-worker. Mr. Parker was identified with numerous charities, and his widow has assumed the labors in these connections which dropped from him with his passing.
DEATH OF LORENZO BULL
The death of Lorenzo Bull occurred November 2, 1905, his wife having preceded him from their earthly home two years before. The deceased was in his eighty-seventh year, and left the following son and daughters: William B., then of New York City: Mrs. Elizabeth G. Parker, wife of E. J. Parker; Mrs. Margaret B. Prudden, wife of Doctor Prudden, of West Newton, Massachusetts; and Mrs. Anna 1 .. Benedict, of Boston. The original Bull homestead was in North Quincy near Fifth; later, the site 'of General Morgan's home and now a part of the Cheerful Home. During the last fifty years of his life he resided in the large house at Maine and Sixteenth streets. Besides the work which he accomplished as a pioneer banker, he served as seeretary of the old public library for many years, was one of the founders of the Cheerful Home and, with his son, operated the Water Works until they were fairly established.
Mr. Parker was succeeded in the presidency of the State Savings, Loan and Trust Company, by Judge S. B. Mongomery, who had served as vice president sinee 1896, and is still in office. Charles H. Bull, the brother of Lorenzo, died November 27, 1908, while still holding the vice presidency, when he was sueceeded by Mr. Parker. In January. 1908, when Mr. Parker graduated from the cashiership of the institution to the presidency. F. W. Crane sucereded to the former office, which he still holds.
In 1906, the west half of the large and fine building ovenpied by the State Savings Loan and Trust Company was completed, mnking
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its accommodations as commodious and elegant as could be desired and placing them on a par with the best in the state. The growth of the business made it necessary to double the capital stock, in 1912, inereasing the amount from $500,000 to $1,000,000.
THIE RICKER NATIONAL BANK AND ITS FOUNDER
Mention has been made of the purchase of the John Wood Bank in 1864 by Henry F. J. Ricker. He was a native of Germany and in his youth came with his parents to Quincy. As a young man he was employed by John Wood, Charles Holmes, Albert Daneke and other early merchants of the city, finally formed a mercantile partnership with Leopold Arntzen, and gathered some capital and much solid reputation. About 1859-60, when immigration to the western country was at its height Mr. Ricker began selling steamship passage tickets, involving domestic and foreign exchange. The funds entrusted to him were carried in a market basket to and from his office and resi- dence, the former being near Seventh and Hampshire streets. The business so prospered that he moved to a better building at No. 508 Hampshire Street, the lower story of which he remodeled for busi- ness purposes. In 1864, when he bought the bank of his old em- ployer, Mr. Wood, he established at that number the combined enter- prises, which was the foundation of the Ricker National Bank.
In 1875 the business had so increased that Mr. Ricker bought the site of the present bank building on Hampshire Street between Fourth and Fifth, and erected thereon, in the following year, the modern structure still in use. In 1908-09, however, it was not only com- pletely remodeled, but what is the east half of the building was added to the original structure; the addition had a frontage of fifty feet.
The institution was a private bank until 1881, but on the fourth of April, that year, it was chartered as the Rieker National Bank of Quincy. The founder of the bank died Mareh 4, 1904, and there has been no change in the official management, viz .: Edward Sohm, presi- dent; George Fischer and J. R. Pearce, vice presidents; H. F. J. Rieker, cashier. The capital stock of the bank has been increased from time to time until it has reached $700,000. It has total assets of nearly $6,500,000; surplus and undivided profits, about $360,000, and deposits nearly $5,000,000.
QUINCY NATIONAL BANK
In 1887 J. HI. Ducker (the furniture dealer), Julius Kespohl, Louis Wolf and G. G. Arends, founded the Quincy National Bank, at the corner of Fourth and Hampshire streets. The bank was in- corporated the same year. The institution is managed by the follow- ing: W. T. Duker. president: G. G. Arends, vice president ; J. M. Winters, eashier. Its eapital is $100,000; surplus and profits earned, $85,000; average deposits, $1,130,000; resources, $1,415,000.
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MERCANTILE TRUST AND SAVINGS BANK
This institution was organized as a chartered bank April 10. 1906. with the Following officers : Fred Wilmes, president ; C. H. Castle, vice president ; Ilarvey G. Riggs, cashier. Mr. Wihus served as president until 1912, when he sold his interest in the bank and retired, being sucreeded by John L. Soebbing. Mr. Castle died in May, 1909, and the vice presideney was assumed by J. J. Michael. Mr. Riges has been the cashier and active manager From the first. The bank has a capital of $200,000; surplus and undivided profits of $90,000, and average deposits of $1,750,000.
ILLINOIS STATE BANK
The Illinois State Bank of Quincy was organized July 1. 1909, and its large and finely appointed building at Hampshire and Sixth streets was occupied in August, 1916. There has been no change in the man- agement, as follows: John Il. Best, president ; W. J. Singleton, vice president : William Rupp. Jr., cashier. The capital of the bank has been increased from $125,000, the first year, to $300,000 in 1914. The surplus and undivided profits amount to about $40.000 and the average deposits more than $2.000,000.
OTHER BANKS
The financial institutions mentioned are all located in the central business District of Quiney. With the expansion of the city several minor banks have been established in outlying territory. Of these are the Broadway Bank, with a branch, of which W. H. Middendorf is president : the State Street Bank, a private institution at the corner of that thoroughfare and Eighth Street, in which W. HI. Govert. II. C. Sprick and Walter A. and Harry J. Heidbreder have long been interested : and the South Side Branch Bank, on South Eighth Street, of which John A. Berlin is manager.
CHAPTER XVI
CAMP POINT
EARLY SETTLEMENTS IN TOWNSHIP-PETER B. GARRETT AND THOMAS BAILEY-PIONEER CHURCHES-RISE OF GARRETT'S MILLCAMP POINT PLATTED INFLUENCE OF THOMAS BAILEY-BAILEY PARK AND TIIE OPERA HOUSE-THIE MAPLEWOOD HIGH SCHOOL-OTHER RESIDENCE ESSENTIALS-THE CAMP POINT JOURNAL-THE TWO BANKS-THE CHURCHIES-FRATERNITY TEMPLE AND SOCIETIES- THE INDEPENDENT ORDER OF ODD FELLOWS LODGES-WOMEN'S ORGANIZATIONS.
The pleasant, progressive village of 1.200 people, known as Camp Point, northeast of the central part of the county on the Chicago, Burlington & Quiney Railroad, is at the headwaters of the south branch of Bear Creek, and its site and vicinity still bear proofs of the natural charms of the early times which made the neighborhood such a favorite camping ground for Indian and white alike. The point of timber which originally extended into the prairie has been virtually obliterated by cultivated farms and the expanded village, but, even from the landscape of today, it is not difficult to reconstruct the Indian Camp Point of the '20s and '30s. When a petition was circulated to seeure a postoffice at Garrett's Mills, it was thought that the name mentioned was too long and the " Indian" was omitted.
EARLY SETTLEMENTS IN TOWNSHIP
The earliest settlements in the township were made at and near the village of today. Daniel Smith and James Lasley, brothers-in- law, came to the locality in 1828 and established homesteads on see- tions 28 and 29, two or three miles west of the present site. In the fall of 1829 Mr. Lasley sold his improvements to Jezreel Shoemaker, who continued to reside there for several years. Messrs. Calley and Rand, the latter Calley's son-in-law, located on the northeast quarter of section 27, in what was to be the edge of Garrett's Mills, or Camp Point. Jonathan Brown, who established his homestead in section 3, was the first resident in the northern part of the township. In 1831 a Mr. Lock, who had settled the year before on the northeast quarter of section 22, transferred his land and improvements to William Wilkes, whose descendants still own the place. Samuel MeAnulty,
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William MeAnulty and Lewis MeFarland settled in the extreme northern portion of the township (section 3) in 1832.
PETER B. GARRETT AND THOMAS BAILEY
Peter B. Garrett located in section 26, during the fall of 1835, and immediately commenced to form the nucleus of the little settle- ment, which, for some years afterward, retained his name. The first schoolhouse in the township or on the site of the village was built on his land in 1836, and a man named Brewster was the first teacher. The second was built on section 29. about three miles west, in the spring of 1840, and Thomas Bailey, afterward one of the founders of the village taught the first class in it. As several families had now settled in the northeastern portion of the township, a third school-
RESIDENCES AT CAMP POINT
house was erected on the southwest quarter of section 12, and P. W. Leet was employed as its teacher.
OTHER DISTINGUISHED CITIZENS
Among the citizens of Camp Point who have attained some dis- tinction James E. Downing. Thomas J. Bates, Jacob Groves and Dr. Samuel Mileham served in the State Legislature. Richard Seaton, John W. Roth and Edward P. Smith served as sheriff. Thomas Bailey, a pioneer who grew wealthy with the progress of the com- munity gave the Bailey Opera House to trustees for the benefit of the worthy poor and he purchased the former Adams County Fair Grounds and gave them to the village for a park which is officially known as "Bailey Park." George W. Cyrus and Hezekiah G. Henry served on the state board of equalization. William L. Honnold, a mining engineer who spent many years in the gold mines of South
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Africa, became the assistant of Herbert Hoover in administering relief to the sufferers in Belgium and later came to New York where he became head of the American Board of Relief. Silas Lasley became a district judge in Kansas. Richard Kimber became a super- intendent on the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad. Albert Crawford became assistant general passenger agent on the same rail- road. Robert A. Beckett and Thornton L. Welsh served in the Kansas Legislature.
EARLY SCHOOLS AND FORMER PUPILS
The first schoolhouse in the village was built in 1855 on the lot where Charles S. Huber's residence now stands. The first teacher was a Mr. Clifton. Another schoolhouse was built in 1861 on lot num- bered seven in block twenty-two in Benjamin Booth's addition. The two distriets were consolidated in 1866, forming the present district No. 104 and the result was the erection of the building which became famous as "Maplewood." The third schoolhouse was destroyed by fire in 1855 and a new building was erected on the corner of the southeast quarter of section 15 and is now known as district No. 103.
The first school in district No. 101 was held in a log building on the northeast corner of section 2. A frame building was erected on the same corner in 1856 but some years later was moved to its present location near the southwest corner of section 2.
A schoolhouse was erected in 1844 on the northwest corner of sec- tion 4 which was burned during the winter of 1854. The territory was then divided and the building known as "Primrose" was erected in 1855 and is now known as district No. 102. Another building was erected near the northeast corner of section 5 and is now district No. 106 and known as the "Coffield." District No. 105 is the successor of the second schoolhouse built in the township. The schoolhouse is located near the center of section 29. District No. 107 is the suc- cessor of the first schoolhouse and the building now stands on the center of the west line of section 25. The schoolhouse in distriet No. 108 is situated on the southeast corner of section 17 and is locally known as "Highland" school.
Among the number of prominent citizens who attended Camp Point schools may be named Judges Albert Akers and Lyman Me- Carl : Attorney Samuel Woods; William L. Honnold, mining engineer in South Africa : James E. Craver, superintendent of the western division of the Northern Pacific Railroad: Robert A. Backett and Thornton L. Welsh, members of the Kansas Legislature ; Isaac Cutter, Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Masons; J. Baxter Bates, for many years editor of the Bloomington Pantagraph: Supreme Justice Fletcher Sharp, of Oklahoma; and Mrs. Kate Sumney, of Omaha, noted as a suffrage orator.
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PIONEER CHURCHES
The first church building in the township was also erected in its northeastern section (12). The Methodists were the builders and called the church Hebron, the society by that name still being main- tained by the denomination mentioned. The second house of worship was erected by the Cumberland Presbyterians, a short distance west of Camp Point, but the building has been razed and the society dispersed.
WHISKEY RAID
It is said that the first mercantile enterprise put on foot by Thomas G. Stevens, in 1850, came to a sudden end-pronounced by some un- timely, by others, most timely. At first, when he sold only groceries, his project met with general favor, but when he added whiskey to his stock a strong contingent of "drys" objected. They held a meeting, raised a fund to buy out his stoek of liquor, and, althoughi the owner protested that he desired to sell at retail as a more profitable plan, his business views were ignored, the purchase money was tendered, the barrel of whiskey rolled outside the store and its contents poured on the ground.
FIRST TOWNSHIP OFFICERS
The population of the township increased slowly for several years and the township was politically organized in 1849. The first officers eleeted were Thomas Bailey, supervisor ; John Adams, clerk: John Downing, assessor; Vixen P. Gay, collector; Peter B. Garrett, Ebon C. Downing and Samuel MeAnulty, highway commissioners; Lewis MeFarland and James Robertson, justiees of the peace. The office of supervisor has been filled by the election of the following citizens : Thomas Bailey, James E. Downing, Vixen P. Gay, Silas Bailey, Thomas J. Bates, Richard A. Wallace, George W. Cyrus, Charles V. Gay, Fred A. Morley. Matthew W. Callahan, James R. Guthrie, Levi Cate, and Alexander Thompson. The present officers are Alexan- der Thompson, supervisor : John O. Ward. clerk : George W. Omer, as- sessor : Henry C. Welsh, highway commissioner; George W. Cyrus and George W. Franeis, justiees of the peace; George Grumny, con- stable.
RISE OF GARRETT'S MILL
Industrial life first sprouted in the northern portion of the town- ship in 1838, when John Newland erected a horse mill for the grind- ing of corn on the north half of section 5. But nothing like a manu- fueturing center appeared until 1844. when Peter B. Garrett erceted a carding machine on the present site of Camp Point and during the
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following year added a grist mill. The power for both was furnished by a tread wheel worked by oxen. Later steam power was added and the plant developed into the modern mill owned and operated by W. A. Berrian & Company. Casco Mill was built in 1866 by Thomas Bailey, Silas Bailey, William L. Oliver and Ormond Noble. It has been long since dismantled.
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