USA > Illinois > Marshall County > Records of the olden time; or, Fifty years on the prairies. Embracing sketches of the discovery, exploration and settlement of the country, the organization of the counties of Putnam and Marshall, biographies of citizens, portraits and illustrations > Part 15
USA > Illinois > Putnam County > Records of the olden time; or, Fifty years on the prairies. Embracing sketches of the discovery, exploration and settlement of the country, the organization of the counties of Putnam and Marshall, biographies of citizens, portraits and illustrations > Part 15
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Forty persons had united with the Church up to April, 1878, in addi- tion to the original fifteen, but a few deaths and dismissals had made the membership forty-six persons.
This religious Society, called the "Congregational Church of Christ of Hennepin," is organized on the "Declaration of Faith" adopted by the National Council of the Congregational Churches held at Boston in June, 1865, on the spot where the first meeting-house of the Pilgrims stood.
This Church, in a series of resolutions adopted soon after its organiza- tion, and circulated in a history of the Society published in pamphlet form, declared that,
WHEREAS, There is a tendency to the desecration of the Lord's day, by turning it from its proper use to a day of social visiting, a time for unusual feasting, for walking the streets and driving for pleasure, and in many other ways destroying its sacredness and hindering its usefulness for religious edification ; therefore,
Resolved, That we do earnestly protest against this prevailing sin, and call on Christians and all others to honor the Lord by a proper observance of His day ; and we do earnestly en-
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EARLY EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES.
treat all to " Remember the Sabbath day" by reading the Scriptures, by appropriate religious exercises at home, by meditation and prayer, by attending the ordinances of God's house, and by observing the day in every way as the Scriptures direct."
Another resolution recommends daily family worship, another de- nounces intemperance, and a fourth is as follows:
Resolved, That any deviation in business, society or politics, from the strict principles of integrity, as taught in the Scriptures, we deem a sufficient cause for censure.
THE SCHOOLS.
The first school in Hennepin was taught by Thomas Gallaher in 1833, in a log house almost diagonally opposite the present flouring mill site, on the lot now occupied by the public Hall.
In 1835, school was kept in the old Simpson Tavern, in the room used sometimes as a hall.
In 1836 there was a school in the old Presbyterian meeting house. In 1837 another was held in the old Court House.
Calvin Dickey in 1842 conducted a private school in a log cabin near where Mrs. Reed now lives.
In 1843 a frame school house was erected on High street, and soon after moved further up to near and east of the present public school build- ing, where a school was taught until the new house was completed.
All these schools were run on the subscription plan. The free public schools began in 1845, in the building put up by subscription as an acad- emy, that scheme having been abandoned and the property turned over to the district.
School houses were poorly constructed, and the rooms were shared by others than those seeking to climb the hill of science. One person tells us of finding a huge rattlesnake coiled beneath the benches, and occasionally a skunk would get under the floor and make it decidedly "warm" for the inmates while he remained. Mice were frequent visitors, and one of the pupils, now a staid and dignified business man, remembers how he and a chum used to place a boy's cap on the floor, with a stick to hold one edge up and a string to pull the stick out when the unsuspect- ing mouse went under to eat a bit of bread temptingly displayed, and how
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RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME.
they caught the mouse and then a wholesome flogging at the hands of the irate pedagogue. .
BENEVOLENT SOCIETIES. 1
MASONS.
October 3, 1849, the Masons of Hennepin obtained a charter and or- ganized Lodge No. 70. The first members, as named in that instrument, were John Pulsifer, Thomas Hartzell, Ben. R. Wardlaw, Wm. D. Mann, Nathaniel Applegate, John Folger, John Hall, Abram Phillips, Brown Searls and E. Mott. The officers were: Abram Phillips, M .; John Searls, S. W .; John Pulsifer, J. W.
The first lodge rooms were in Hartenbower's house, north-west of the Court House. They now occupy rooms in Mrs. Flora Zenor's building. A Chapter is connected with this Lodge, organized in 1879.
The fraternity are in a good financial condition, and keep their So- ciety in an active and sound state, numbering among its members many of the leading citizens of the community.
HENNEPIN ODD FELLOWS.
Hennepin Lodge No. 118, I. O. O. F., was installed March 24, 1853. The charter members were: Oakes Turner, Thomas H. Bradway, N. Pick- ering, John S. Margison and Wm. H. Smith. The first officers of the Lodge were: O. Turner, N. G .; J. S. Margison, V. G .; Wm. Eddy, Sec- retary; N. G. Pickering, Treasurer.
The persons initiated the evening of the installation of the Lodge were: A. H. Turner, L. E. Skeel, Wm. Allen, Wm. Eddy, S. B. Wharton and Willard White.
The Society is in a prosperous condition, and numbers among its mem- bers many of the prominent citizens of the town.
THE BUEL INSTITUTE.
This is not only the oldest Agricultural Society in Central Illinois, but the first formed in the entire West. The initiatory steps were taken to organize it, February 23, 1846, at Lowell, LaSalle County. J. S. Bul-
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FIRST AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY IN THE WEST.
lock was Chairman of the meeting, and Elmer Baldwin, Secretary. After some general debate and informal talk among thie four or five farmers assembled, a resolution was adopted "To form a society out of the friends of the movement living in that part of La Salle County south of the Illi- nois River, and so much of the counties of Putnam and Marshall as may choose to unite."
Elmer Baldwin, R. C. Elliot and L. L. Bullock, of La Salle, Ralph Ware, of Putnam, and Wm. M. Clarkson, of Marshall, were appointed a committee to draft a constitution and report.
March 18 another meeting was had at the same place, where a consti- tution was reported by the committee, and adopted. The first officers were then elected, and were: Elmer Baldwin, President; Ralph Ware, Wm. M. Clarkson and John T. Little, Vice Presidents; Dr. J. S. Bullock, Treasurer; Oakes Turner, Corresponding Secretary; L. L. Bullock, Re- cording Secretary.
They adjourned to meet at Granville the first Tuesday of June, when Mr. Baldwin was appointed to deliver an address. At this meeting and subsequent ones within a short time, one hundred and seventy persons were induced to sign the Constitution and pay into the treasury fifty cents, which constituted the membership fee. At this meeting arrange- ments were made for discussing important topics connected with farming, stock-raising, fruit-growing and the like, the question to be agreed upon at the previous meeting.
These meetings were to be held every three months, at some place easy of access within the boundaries of the Society.
At the first meeting at Granville the subject was, "The best mode of cultivating corn." At this meeting also an annual fair was decided upon, to be held at Lowell, on the first Tuesday of October.
These discussions took a wide range as to subjects, bringing within their scope everything relative to the farming interest, and at an early day, almost from the first meeting, people attended from a distance, com- ing on horseback many miles at inclement seasons of the year; and the ladies, too, became regular attendants at these gatherings, looking forward to their recurrence with pleasing anticipation. They were really profita- ble to the thinking farmer, and should be a feature of every agricultural society.
The meetings for debates were fixed for the first Tuesdays of Decem- ber, March, June and September each year, the place to be chosen at the
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RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME.
previous quarterly meeting; also, every member was requested to keep a memorandum of each crop planted, how tended, harvested, and the re- sults, and report. .
The Fair of 1846 was abandoned, in consequence of the great amount of sickness then prevailing throughout the country. The quarterly meet- ings, however, were regularly held at Lowell, Caledonia, Point Republic, Cedar Point, Granville and Magnolia in turn, and leading members deliv- ered addresses and read essays, while oral discussions were freely in- dulged in.
Though the general Fair was not held, a local exhibition was gotten up at the farm of Wm. Groom, October 3, 1847, and held under the aus- pices of the Society, but the record makes no mention of any premiums having been awarded.
The second regular Fair was appointed to be held at Granville, Octo- ber 6, 1848, and premiums were offered,-probably badges and honorable mention, as no amount of premiums is stated.
At the Third Annual Fair, which was held at Lowell, one hundred dollars was voted for prizes, and "two solicitors " were chosen to circulate among the people to raise the funds therefor. "The Executive Commit- tee were also notified that they place on their show bills a request that there be no horse racing in or near the show ground " !
All future fairs were to last two days; evidence that the last fair had been too extensive to be satisfactorily viewed in one day.
Granville was honored with the Fourth Fair. Upon this occasion the Society adopted a resolution as follows:
Resolved, That this meeting recommend that all male animals be not allowed to run at large.
They also considered it wise to advertise the coming exhibition, and to this end directed the committee to procure one hundred show bills and one hundred premium cards, and the committee were directed if possible to procure a "derometer" !
The membership fee in 1850 was raised to $1.50 per annum, and the next fair appointed at Hennepin.
The Fifth Annual Fair, the first at Hennepin, was duly held, and was rather more expensive than any of its predecessors, but seems to have been proportionately successful. The musicians cost $5.00, and the door-
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MR. GALLAHER'S "NIGGER- HEAD " GRIST - MILL.
keeper $2. The exhibitors of fruits donated their samples to the Society, which goods being sold at auction, netted as follows:
C. R. & N. Overman, Canton, Fulton County, $1.50.
Arthur Bryant, Bureau, 60 cents.
Underhill & Co., La Salle, 65 cents.
A. R. Whiting, Lee County, $1.10.
Cyrus Bryant, Bureau, 65 cents.
Mc Whorter & Co., Mercer County, $1.22.
L. P. Pennington, Whiteside County, $1.20.
H. N. Shooler, Putnam County, 70 cents.
This indicates that the Fair was widely known and well patronized.
The Treasurer's' report for 1851 exhibited: Admissions $74.00. Ex- penses-music $5.00; printer $22.25; premiums in full, $15.50; and cash above all expenses, $144.80.
This Society is entitled to the credit of first suggesting to the Govern- ment a Bureau or Department of Agriculture. In June, 1851, the sub- ject came up and was fully discussed by the Institute, and the result of this debate was a petition, signed by the leading farmers of Putnam, Mar- shall and La Salle Counties, which was forwarded to our Representatives at Washington, in which was set forth the importance to the country of agriculture, the basis of all pursuits, and urging upon Congress to protect, foster and encourage it. Thus the matter came before that body from a respectable source, and was not only heard, but acted upon, and resulted in forming the Department of Agriculture, as stated.
The Fairs were held at Peru one or two years, but the disadvantage of moving about without permanent buildings or grounds; the growth of the Society, and the importance and increasing size of its annual exhibi- tions made a permanent location necessary, and the Society settled upon Hennepin as central and sufficiently accessible from all directions for the purpose.
Fairs are held here every year, but of late years the exhibitions of this veteran Society are overshadowed by the greater magnitude of the neigh- boring fairs at Princeton, Wenona and Ottawa.
THE GALLAHER AND OTHER MILLS.
The pioneer mill for grinding any kind of grain in all this region of country was put up by Thos. Gallaher, Sr., in the fall of 1828. The
.
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RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME.
burrs were "nigger-heads," or dark granite boulders found upon the prairies, such as geologists tell us belong to the "drift" period, and were brought here from high northern latitudes some hundreds of centu- ries ago. Mr. Gallaher dressed these firm-grained rocks himself, drilled holes in them and wrought upon them at odd spells for a long time, ex- hausting a large stock of patience upon their stubborn and ragged outlines before he could reduce them to a fit shape and finish for his purpose. The mill was built on a hill or slight elevation in Section 30, one mile south of Florid. The building was of logs, sixteen feet square. A shaft was set up outside, and holes mortised in it for arms. A raw-hide band was stretched around, connecting the shaft with the upper stone, and with two or four horses was made to revolve, and thus turned the stones. In this primitive manner a couple of bushels of corn could be ground in an hour. One of these old burrs was sold to a Mr. Trusten, who removed it to Sandy Creek, where it was used for a time, and afterward fell into the hands of Mr. Bowers, and now is a step in front of Morrill's store in the village of Magnolia. At first the corn-meal, bran and all were delivered to the customer, but a year or so after a sieve was added, when he also began to make wheat flour, improvising some sort of bolting apparatus.
Two years thereafter Mr. Gallaher employed Mr. Shugart to make cog-wheel gearing, which greatly accelerated the speed, and a bolt was also put in. With four horses-two on each sweep,-he could now grind and bolt about three bushels per hour. At this time there was no flouring mill nearer than Salt Creek, Sangamon County, eighty miles away.
About 1832, Hollenback built a mill near Magnolia, the second in the County, greatly relieving the pressure on the Gallaher mill, which up to that time had done all the grinding for the settlers for many miles around.
Gallaher's mill continued to run until about 1836.
In 1831, Simeon Crozier erected a water power mill on Cedar Creek, which attracted some little custom from the north-eastern corner of Gran- ville Township.
A mill located at Vermilionville ground much of the wheat for the farmers of this region, and sometimes they patronized John Green's mills, at Dayton, four miles, above Ottawa, on Fox River.
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INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES OF PIONEER LIFE.
CHAPTER XXIII.
GREAT SNOWS.
OR several years, beginning with 1828, heavy falls of, snow were experienced, of which the early settlers have vivid remembrances. In that year Thomas Gallaher, Sr., brought up from Dillon's settlement 150 head of cattle, eighty sheep, and 100 hogs, known as the Shaker breed, having been brought from Ohio. He had secured a crop of hay, but it was beneath the deep snow that everywhere covered the ground, and could not be reached. There was an abund- ance of "mast" that season, and his hogs took to the woods, and rooting beneath the snow, fared well. Many of them escaped to the bottoms and became in a measure wild. His cattle and sheep fared worse, many of them dying.
Seeing the necessity of procuring feed for his stock, Mr. Gallaher sent his son Thomas, Jr., and a young man named Kelly to Crozier's, in La- Salle County, where it was reported feed could be had. They had a sin- gle horse between them, which they alternately rode. They did not suc- ceed in finding corn, and were returning by Bailey's Point, when they struck a swampy place north and east of Granville, where Kelly got wet and froze both his feet. The locality was long after known as Frozen Point. 1
Mr. Gallaher's stock became so weakened toward spring, by reason of scanty feed, that he feared their entire loss unless more nutritious food could be had, and the nearest or most feasible place where it could be procured was some distance below Peoria.
He and Mr. Kelly went to Hennepin, (the young man's feet still much swollen, the result of the freezing), where they hoped to get boats from the Indian traders, but none were to be had. He next visited Shick- Shack's camp, hoping to obtain canoes, but the chief and his men had gone to "Coch-a-Mink," as the Indians called Fort Clark, with his boats loaded with furs. Although unsuccessful in both these attempts, Mr. Gal- laher was not a man to be discouraged. His cattle and sheep were
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RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME.
not only on short allowance, but his family were " out of meat," and he felt that something must be done at once; so he determined to push on to the probable land of corn. Young Kelly, though suffering severely, insisted on accompanying him, and together they started on foot. The river was high, and the streams emptying into it were swollen by the melting shows. They had neither guides nor assistance, but reached their destination safely.
They found there plenty of corn and meal, but no boats. Here again Mr. Gallaher's grit was put to the test, and getting a couple of axes, he and his man went into the woods, and cutting down a suitable tree, made and launched a large dug-out. Purchasing one hundred bushels of corn, fifty bushels of corn-meal, a barrel of salt and some groceries, they started for home, and after many days of hard work, they reached the head of what is now the Sister Islands, and landed. This was about the second week of April. Grass had begun to grow, but as yet there was but little feeding for stock. Having no way to haul his grain to the farm through the woods, he drove his cattle to the boat, and there fed such of them as could get to the river, and others were assisted until all were able to sus- tain themselves.
But the great snow was in 1829-30, according to some, and in 1830- 31 according to others, though it is possible both seasons were noted in this respect, and each statement is correct. It made the prairies one uniform level, over the frozen surface of which footman easily trav- eled; but the sharp hoofs of the deer cut through and made their capture easy. Stock was kept in groves convenient to the cabins, and subsisted on the tender tops of trees cut down to "browse" upon. There was much suffering among the few settlers in the vicinity. A man traveling on horse- back was reported lost in the snow, and his remains were found the fol- lowing spring, south of Peru. According to Mr. Smiley Shepherd's recol- lection, it came between Christmas and New Year, falling constantly and drifting for three days, and then crusted over so that the Indians were enabled to run upon the surface. It lasted until February 16, the day of the total eclipse of the sun. The next day the weather turned warm, and the snow melted and disappeared four days thereafter.
A man traveling in a wagon, near Florid, was caught in the snow and had to abandon his vehicle, where it remained till spring. An- other person named Swainford, in attempting to cross from Granville to Florid, had to abandon his horse. Returning next day he found it had
.
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THE PIONEER LASS WHO "OUT-RUN DAD."
been killed by the wolves. Another man started with a hog in a sled to go from Gallaher's to Hennepin, and got fast in the drift. He went to a neighbor's, and on his return the hog had loosened the cords that bound her and struck out for itself. He cut off its tail as a mark, and let her go, and the next season found her and a litter of nice young pigs doing well. She had managed for herself in a creditable manner.
The summer of 1836 was exceedingly cold and backward. Corn in the neighborhood of Hennepin, and especially on the bottoms and low places, was cut down when from eight to ten inches high, on the 16th of June, but as the stalks had not yet jointed, they grew again. The weather continued cold until fall, which came early, with freezing spells, and but little of it matured. The following spring the farmers had much difficulty in procuring seed corn, and many sent to the southern part of the State for supplies.
ODD CHARACTERS.
The settlement of a country is usually preceded by a lawless, ungov- ernable, uncivilized race, that hang on the verge of civilization and seem to think their free and easy existence the acme of enjoyment. As a rule they are open-hearted, brave and generous, and their vices all "lean to virtue's side." They have a weakness for poor whisky, a contempt for danger, are prompt to resent an insult, and ready at all times for a fight. Usually they are honest, but being tempted, are liable to fall, and often become bandits and robbers.
A representative man of this class was Dave Jones, of unenviable no- toriety. He was brave and fearless, and when news came of the massacre of the Hall family, and all were paralyzed with fear, he saddled a horse and rode alone to the scene of murder. He once ran a foot race with an Irishman for a sum of money. They were to go to a certain point and return, and the Irishman started off at his best, while Dave walked leis- urely down the track until meeting his opponent on the return, he knocked him down, came in first and claimed the stakes. The Irishman deter- mined to get even with him, and when Dave was drunk, beat him so badly that, believing the man would die, he fled the place. But Dave recovered, and lived for many a day after. For years there was not a session of court in which he did not figure as defendant in cases where the people were plaintiffs. He was the first occupant of the Hennepin jail, and its frequent tenant afterward. For several years he lived in the tin-
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RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME.
ber west of Granville, where he raised a family as wild and untamed as himself. He had a stout, healthy daughter, a dozen or more years old, whom he undertook to send to school, but with the perverseness of her sire, she refused, telling him flatly she would n't go. She was fleet of foot, and when Dave essayed the persuasive virtues of a healthy-sized whip, she ran away, with her irate sire in hot pursuit.' Not far from the house was a pond of water with a substratum of deep mud, round which she skipped, but Dave, hoping to cut her off on the opposite side, dashed through. The depth was greater than expected, and he emerged covered with mud and half drowned, though he continued the race to the school house, where pupils and teacher set up a laugh at his plight, in which Dave too joined, -his hopeful daughter shaking her sides with mirthful- ness, and exclaiming, "Golly! I out-run dad."
" In the spring of 1832 a dead Indian was found in the creek, near the present site of the Bureau Valley Mills, with a bullet hole in his back, showing that he came to his death from a rifle shot. The corpse was taken out of the water by Indians, buried in the sand near by, and the affair was soon forgotten. Jones said while hunting deer in the creek bottom, he saw this Indian setting on a log over the water, fishing, when all of a sudden he jumped up as though he was about to draw out a big fish, and pitched headlong into the water, and was drowned when he came up to him. Two other Indians disappeared mysteriously about the same ยท time, who were supposed to have been murdered, and on that account it is said the Indians contemplated taking revenge on the settlers.
"One warm afternoon Jones, with a jug in one hand, came cantering his old mare up to the Hennepin ferry, saying that his wife was very sick, and would certainly die if she did not get some whisky soon. In great haste Jones was taken across the river, and on landing on the Hennepin side he put his old mare on a gallop up the bluff to Durley's store, where he filled his jug with whisky. Meeting with some old chums, he soon be- came intoxicated, forgot about his wife's sickness, and spent the afternoon and evening in wrestling, dancing 'Jim Crow,' and fighting with some of his friends.
"It was long after dark when Jones started for home, but on arriving at the ferry he found the boat locked up, and the ferryman in bed. Jones rapped at the door of the ferryman's house, swearing if he did not get up and take him across he would pull the house down, and whip him besides. But all his threats were in vain ; the ferryman could not be moved. Jones
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THE ADVENTURES OF "DAVE" JONES.
went down to the river, took off the bridle reins, with which he tied the jug of whisky on his back, then drove his old mare into the river, and holding on to her tail, was ferried across the river, as he afterward ex- pressed it, 'without costing him a cent.'
"One afternoon, while Dave Jones was engaged in cutting out a road from Hennepin ferry through the bottom timber, his coat, which lay by the wayside, was stolen. Although the value of the old coat did not ex- ceed two dollars, it was all the one Jones had, and he searched , for it throughout the settlement. At last Jones found his coat on the back of the thief, whom he arrested and took to Hennepin for trial. The thief was at work in Mr. Hays' field, immediately west of Princeton, when Jones presented his rifle at his breast, ordering him to take up his line of march for Hennepin, and if he deviated from the direct course, he would blow his brains out. The culprit, shaking in his boots, started on his journey, while Jones, with his rifle on his shoulder, walked about three paces behind. On arriving at Hennepin, the thief plead guilty, being more afraid of Jones than the penalties of the law, and was therefore put in jail. After Jones had delivered up his prisoner, he got drunk, was en- gaged in several fights, and he too was arrested and put in jail. At that time the Hennepin jail consisted of only one room, being a log structure, twelve feet square, and Jones being put in with the thief, commenced beating him. Seeing that they could not live together, the thief was libe- rated and Jones retained. At this turn of affairs, Jones became penitent, agreeing to go home and behave himself if they would let him out. Ac- cordingly, the Sheriff took him across the river and set him at liberty; but Jones swore he would not go home until he had whipped every person in Hennepin, so he returned to carry out his threats, but was again arrested and put in jail.
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