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 28
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 28
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The land lying between Washington and High streets (80 acres) was entered by Morgan Buckingham, and that lying between High street and the Barnes place (80 acres) was entered by Isaac Buckingham, and by them transferred October 2, 1833, to Ira I. Fenn for $2,600. The Barnes property (160 acres), the Reddan, Hoffrichter and Jahu Buckingham places were originally entered by Jacob and Frances Reeder. South and west of this was 160 acres of school lands, divided into ten-acre tracts, now covered by Wilcox's, Henthorn's and Ball's additions, Mrs. Ramsey's farm and Johnson's Grove.
The town was laid off in August, 1831, and named Columbia, the sur- veys being made by John Stevenson, Surveyor of Sangamon, and Colby F. Stevenson, Surveyor of Putnam County. It was acknowledged Au- gust 19, before Thomas Gallaher, a Justice of the Peace at Hennepin, and was the first town plat recorded in Putnam County.
It is worthy of mention that at this time a large part of Northern Illi- nois was still a wilderness. Six years before a Mr. Schoolcraft traveled from Peoria to Chicago without finding a civilized habitation on the way. Chicago was not laid off, though a thriving village of forty or fifty houses,
.
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LACON-SURVEYED, CHRISTENED, STREETS NAMED.
with two hundred and fifty inhabitants and five stores covered the site. Peoria was a village of some promise, and the lead mines about Galena had been worked for several years, but the future cities of Princeton, Henry and Chillicothe had not a single inhabitant.
About twelve miles eastward Jesse Roberts had reared a cabin where his son Livingston now lives, and Geo. H. Shaw and Chas. Edwards had selected their future homes at the "Point." A few homes skirted the forest along the edge of Round Prairie, and a single settler looked out upon the fertile waste of Half Moon. Three and a half miles east of the river the hospitable log cabin of John Strawn stood, with its latch-string always outside, and upon the bluffs where they reside to-day stood the cabins of Lot and Joshua Bullman, with that of their brother-in-law, Bel- tha Griffith, hard by. On the south came James Hall and Newton Reeder, who built a little east of the dwelling afterward erected by Lundsford Broadus, where the latter's son Irving lives to-day. Further south an Ohio emigrant named Hamilton had made a claim which he sold to John Wier, and down the river Joseph Babb had opened a farm. John Arm- strong had made a claim on land afterward owned by Robert Rickey; in the neighborhood lived Geo. Easter, and north of town a family named Waughob and another named Lancaster had temporary residences.
The future site of Lacon was covered with a dense growth of coarse grass, and to make the surveys correctly William Strawn was mounted on a strong horse attached to a log of wood, with which he traversed the principle streets, thus enabling the engineers to run their lines.
The survey made, the streets named, the lots numbered and the place christened, it was advertised in the few papers in the State, and a pub- lic sale of lots held on the 28th day of September of that year. The auctioneer was John Knox, and Robert Barries acted as clerk; some fifteen persons attended the sale. Among the sales made were lot 1 in block 2, and lots 1 and 2 in block 21, to Jesse Sawyer; lots 7 and 8 in block 21, to Samuel Russell; lots 5 and 6 in block 2, to Henry K. Cas- sell; lots 3 and 4 in block 2, to Thaddeus Barney; lot 4 in block 8, and 1 and 4 in block 5, to William Haws; lots 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 in block 9, to A. N. Dening; lot 1 in block 6, to Elisha Swan; lots 3, 5, 6, 7 and 8 in block 8, lot 8 in block 6, and lot 2 in block 7, were bought by Jesse C. Smith and Joseph Johnson.
These sales were either made at the time or soon after, the considera- tion paid varying from five to ten dollars each. No improvements were
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RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME.
made this fall, but in the winter of 1831 H. K. Cassell, who was living on the Babb place, assisted by John Shaner, hewed and framed the tim- bers for a house, which he set up the spring following where Mrs. John McEntee now lives, but before completion the breaking out of the war changed his plans, and it was not finished and occupied until the spring of 1834. The windows and door frames were made of hackberry, split and smoothed with a drawing knife. The chimney was made of sticks, and the lime was obtained west of the river. In getting it to the bank he was assisted by Franklin Graves and George Sparr, obtaining it from the latter.
In 1831 General Neal, of Springfield, in anticipation of trouble with the Indians, came to the settlement and organized the nucleus of a militia force, appointing John Strawn Colonel, and designating it the Fortieth Regiment of Illinois Militia. Black Hawk's re-crossing the Mississippi and Stillman's defeat are matters of history, and immediately thereafter Strawn was ordered to enroll whatever number he could and muster them in for duty. In obedience to this runners were sent out, and such as could bear arms assembled where Lacon now stands, May 20, 1832. The men were mounted, and each was armed with rifle or shot-gun, with haversack and powder-horn strung at the side.
The duty assigned them was to patrol the river and give notice of the approach of Indians. Their farthest march was to the Winnebago Swamps, but they never encountered the enemy. In a few weeks it was demon- strated there was no danger or need of military protection, and they were mustered out at Hennepin, June 18th of the same year.
In the summer of 1831 Elisha Swan brought a stock of merchandise to Columbia and opened out in a cabin built by Newton Reeder, standing in the Irving Broadus field, south of Mrs. Vernay's, near the foot of the bluff.
In the summer of 1833 he hewed out the frame of a new building and hauled it to where Henry now stands, intending to start a town and open business there, but finding the site covered by the Sixteenth (school) Sec- tion, and unable to procure titles at the time, he changed his plans and determined to set it up and establish himself in Lacon, which was done. This was in the fall of 1833, and hence to Elisha Swan belongs the lionor of being the first settler of this town.
The building stood on the ground afterward occupied by Miller's Brewery, since burned down. It was a one and a half story building,
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LACON-BUSINESS BEGINNINGS.
20x36, and served for a time as both store and dwelling. The boards for the floor were brought on a keel boat from St. Louis, but the weather boards and shingles were riven by hand. It was a rather pretentious building for the times, and served its purpose well. Afterward it changed hands, and for a number of years was known as the old "Gapen House."
Swan opened business soon as the building was completed, and here during the same year was born his daughter Louisa, afterward married to W. Robinson, and the first white child born in the place.
The firm name under which Swan operated was that of Swan & Deming, and their stock was unusually large and good. It embraced articles required by the new settlers, and also for the Indian trade, many of whom came in early times to barter furs, feathers or game for whatever suited their fancy. Stocks were brought from St. Louis on keel boats. Mr. Swan purchased one called the "Dido," which he loaded with wheat and took to St. Louis in the fall of 1833, his crew consisting of himself, Robert Bird, Jr., H. W. Cassell and two men named Chaplin and Bronson. Returning, they loaded with merchandise, making the trip in two weeks.
Mr. Swan extended his business as the country settled up and trade increased, and assisted largely in developing the interests of the town; but through an extended credit got into financial difficulties and failed, after which he removed to Naples, where he died a few years later of cholera. His wife was a daughter of Enoch Dent, and still survives.
In the spring of 1834 Cassell moved from his claim south of town to his residence in Columbia, and soon a well defined path between his house and Swan's store marked the line of what is now Water street.
In June of this year an election for Constable and Justice of the Peace was ordered for the precinct, and fifty votes were polled, the voting place being at John Strawn's.
In August of 1833 Thaddeus Barney and wife came from Northern New York, being the first emigrants from abroad to Columbia. Engaging board for himself and wife at Swan's, and afterward at John Wier's, he set about the erection of a cabin on the lot now occupied by Richard Boyd,-a part of which is still standing. It was two stories high, cov- ered with the usual "shake" roof, and had a substantial chimney of mud and sticks at the end. It was soon finished and occupied, but his wife getting sick, he became disheartened and disgusted, and determined to abandon the place forever. Packing their household goods, they awaited
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RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME.
the return of a boat known to be up the river, and had the inexpressible mortification of seeing her pass without landing. It was known to be the last trip of the season, and Mrs. B., utterly discouraged, declared her intention of going to St. Louis in a dug-out sooner than remain here. It was indeed their only recourse, and the suggestion was acted upon at at once. A few indispensable articles were thrown in, a couch made for the invalid, and the frail craft paddled out into the stream. They reached St. Louis in safety, and after three years absence returned to the town and opened the "Marshall House," long afterward the leading hotel in Lacon. Mr. Barney died in 1844 and was buried in the cemetery below town, and Mrs. Barney became the wife of John Rogers, with whom she lived until 18-, when she too died, and sleeps beside her first husband. She was formerly from Wheeling, Va., and while living here two nieces came to visit her from there, one of whom became the first wife of Robert Davis, the banker of Henry, and the other married William Hadley.
The fourth house in Columbia was a two-story log cabin built by Geo. Snyder, in the fall of 1834, but was not occupied until the following spring. With Jacob Reeder he came from Ohio on the steamer Joe Da- viess, with their respective families, Mr. R. buying a log cabin and an acre of land near where John Hoffrichter's slaughter-house stands, for $40.00. The forty acres adjoining was still in market, and was entered by him. Snyder's cabin stood west of Fisher's brick house and next to the distil- lery. He kept open doors to the new settlers, and was genial and hospit- able in the extreme. The rooms were partitioned with cotton cloth, and a some-time occupant has humorously told how its scanty proportions served for a drug store, a harness shop, a law office and a young ladies sleeping apartment, besides the families of the owners and numerous boarders and visitors.
Dr. Robert Boal visited Columbia this year, but did not remove to the place until later.
In 1834 came Jesse C. Smith and Joseph H. Johnson, from Cincin- nati, Ohio. The former at one time was doing business in Wheeling, Va., where he became acquainted with John Wier, which fact probably induced him to visit the new town. Smith and Johnson journeyed on horseback, sometimes camping on the way. They proposed, if a suitable place could be found, to go into the milling business, and Strawn, to secure their location in Columbia, made them a liberal donation of lots in the new town. The site selected was that now occupied by the Lacon
331
LACON-EARLY LETTLERS IN THE VICINITY.
elevator. The castings, machinery, etc., were brought from Cincinnati, and the mill was opened for business in 1835-6. By their agreement with Strawn they were to pay the nominal sum of $10 for each lot "donated," but Strawn's partners refused to confirm this, and the Courts compelled them to pay $50 per lot. The sums advanced were all repaid after the mill was completed.
Though Columbia had made little progress at this time, the country to the eastward was rapidly filling up, and those living in the vicinity may very properly be named in this connection. Three miles below town Joseph Babb had located in 1831, and built a double log cabin, where he dispensed a generous hospitality. He had a son named Benjamin who succeeded to the estate, and several daughters married to well-known citi- zens. He died in 1835, and at his request was buried on the point of the high bluff near the road north of his house, so that he could see (as he expressed it) "his old friends and neighbors when they passed by."
Near where Henry Wier lives, two men named Hurlburt and Hardesty had made a claim and built a house, which they sold to Hezekiah Crane. In the old cabin upon the brow of the bluff John Wier lived, having set- tled there in 1832. He bought a claim of 240 acres of Samuel Hamilton for $500, and entered 240 more at the same time.
Among the prominent settlers in these times was a family named Waughob or Walkup, who emigrated to the County from Pennsylvania, along with John Strawn. It consisted of William Waughob and wife,- the latter bed-ridden-two sons and four daughters, one of them married to a man named Easter, who built a cabin where the brick school house, two miles below Lacon, stands.
Another emigrant was James Shaner, who made a claim where James Hall lives, and built a part of the old house, which is still standing. Mr. Waughob laid claim to the property afterward owned by the Bullmans, and to various tracts elsewhere. He entered the eighty acres where St. Clair Bullman lives, but got into litigation, and part of it went to Judge Caton for services. He was the first, also, to claim the Shafer place. Mr. Waughob, Sr., died in the fall of 1831. He was the first person interred in the Broadus Cemetery. Mrs. Waughob died October 6, 1838. The only living representative of the family living in this County, so far as we know, is an old lady named Overmire, who lives on Sandy Creek. Of George Easter, wedded to one of the girls, it is said he at one time broke
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RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME.
his leg, and there being no doctor nearer than Hennepin, John Wier set the limb, and the man got well.
In the fall of 1831 James Hall came to the country and settled where he has ever since lived, and there likewise came with him a man named Johnson, and William McNeil, afterward brutally murdered. In the spring of 1832 came the Bullmans-Lot and Joshua. The latter was married at the time, and Lot afterward wedded Ann, daughter of Joshua Babb. With them came a brother-in-law named James Smalley and built a cabin on the hill north of Joshua. His wife died not long after and he wedded Mary, daughter of James Orr, afterward Mrs. Asa Thompson, who still lives in the enjoyment of a green old age. He was something of a speculator, and along with Mr. Orr laid out the long forgotten town of Bristol, on the grounds of the latter north of John Fisher's. Only one lot was sold and this was traded for a box of hats in St. Louis, which never came, so the expected future Chicago dropped out of existence. It never had an inhabitant. A little south of this William Feazle, who died a few years ago, lived in a cabin built by Virgil Lancaster. He was mar- ried to a sister of Silas Ramsay, and one day while standing by a fire- place a bolt of lightning struck her dead. In the field at the bottom of the bluff north of Joshua Bullman's lived a man named Beltha Griffith. He sold his claim to Fenn, Howe & Co., and here Ira and Norman Fenn and their families spent their first winter in Lacon. The place where Henry Fisher lives was first settled by a man named Gage.
The Vernay place was entered by Robert Iliff, who sold it to David Vernay, whose widowed companion still lives there. In the Irving Broadus field not far from John Hoffrichter's slaughter house stood the cabin of Jacob Reeder, owner of the Barnes' property, which he sold soon after to Theodore Perry, who first improved it.
We now return to Columbia. The year 1835 brought little change. Work upon the new flouring mill progressed slowly. The building was large, and facilities for construction were wanting, so that it was nearly two years from commencement to completion. It was set in operation in the fall of 1836, and at once gave an impetus to the business of the place. People came to it from an hundred miles away. The Grand De Tour plow works were just starting in business, and came here for their first supplies. In 1838-9 there was a great scarcity of flour in Galena, and Johnson loaded five teams, with ten barrels each, and sent them there, realizing $20 per barrel.
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FLOURING MILL BUILT-FERRY ESTABLISHED.
During its construction the proprietors kept a store in a small build- ing opposite, now owned by Mrs. Conroy, the license for which was issued by the Commissioners' Court of Putnam County, June 1, 1835. For some time they kept "bachelor's hall" with their employes in a log building, on Water street, one block north of the distillery. The cellar of this building was quite a resort for snakes, which paid unceremonious visits to one of the proprietors (Smith) as lie lay sick upon the floor above.
The mill did a flourishing business up to 1857, when, owing to the death of one of the partners, it was sold at administrator's sale, and was bought by William Fisher & Co., for $2,000. They expended a large sum in enlarging and improving, and had just ordered new boilers for it when it took fire and burned down, about the year 1855.
In March, 1832, Swan obtained a license from the authorities of Put- nam County for the establishment of a ferry, paying five dollars for the privilege. Formerly crossing had been done in canoes, and if anything bulky was to be taken over, two were lashed together and a platform laid upon them. Horses or cattle were made to swim. Mr. Swan put on a small boat, but the amount of travel at the time was very small, and the enterprise far from being profitable.
Roads had previously been surveyed eastward toward Metamora and to Caledonia on the way to Hennepin, and in 1836 the Commissioners' Court ordered the survey of one from the bank of the river opposite Columbia westward, to intersect the road running from Peoria to Galena. Previously there had been no authorized road coming to the ferry.
The year 1835 witnessed various improvements. 'The proprietors of the town, to induce settlers, made offers of certain lots at nominal prices to those who would erect houses two stories high, and on those conditions two or three were built, one of them by Philip McGuire, a single man, and another by William Burns, a relative of John Wier.
The cemetery below town was laid out in 1836. It was thickly cov- ered with hazel brush at the time, and scattering oaks of various sizes. The first person interred was a daughter of Virgil Lancaster, and the second was James Henthorn, who died in September. He assisted in forming the Methodist Society and was its first class-leader.
About this time, too, or a few months earlier, Barrows & Case built a steam saw-mill at the lower end of town, and the same year Dennis Barney erected one on the Babb place, three miles below, and not long after added a wool carding and fulling machine.
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RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME.
The new settlers began raising sheep at an early day, and in the course of time Mr. Barney's modest venture grew into a first-class carding and wool dressing mill, 45x46 feet, three stories high. He was on the high road to prosperity, when on the night of June 14, 1843, it took fire and was entirely destroyed. He had no insurance, and the loss was irre- parable. He began again in a small way at Crow Creek, but met with poor success.
Dr. Condee was the first physician in the place. He came in 1834 and taught a term of school in a cabin south-west of Irving Broadus' place, built by William Waughob. He became a partner of Dr. Boal, and built a residence across the railway track from the packing house, into which Dr. Boal and family moved on their arrival, and wherein their daughter, Clara, wife of our eminent townsman, Colonel Fort, was born. The house still stands on Broad street, east of the Pomeroy cooper shop.
Dr. Condee returned to Rushville, Indiana, and died in 1838.
In 1835 a man named O'Neal opened a store and built a cabin where the Eagle Mill stood, which passed into the hands of William Hadley.
Dr. Effner was the second physician. He came from Bloomington in 1834, and began a two-story log house on the corner opposite the old brick hotel. It was not completed until some time after, and fell into the hands of Fenn, Howe & Co., who sold it to a man named Boyle. It was burned down in 1856 and the lot sold to James Hadley, who built a two- story frame building thereon, since burned down.
Another physician of Lacon was a Dr. Wolfe. He was addicted to drinking, and when the saloon keepers here refused to longer sell to him, took a couple of jugs and went to Chillicothe. He swam the river and got them filled, and returned in like manner, losing one of them on the way. With the other he reached home, mixed the liquor with opium, and drank himself to death.
In 1835, too, came Gen. Jonathan Babb and Nelson G. Henthorn, who reached Columbia on the 30th of September, and took up their temporary abode with friends below the town. The General began at once the con- struction of a substantial frame house near where the office of the Phoenix Mill long after stood. When that was built, the old house was removed up town, and still stands.
In 1835 Ira I. Fenn, a young and rising young lawyer, of Dayton, Ohio, in company with Samuel Howe, journeyed West on horseback, visiting Lacon and the country surrounding. They were so well pleased
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LACON-THE PORK - PACKING INTERESTS.
that they purchased a half interest in the new town, and prepared for re- moval. They were the pioneers of the so-called Lacon Colony, embracing the three brothers Fenn, viz: Ira I., Norman and William, the Rev. Augustus Pomeroy and Dr. Robert Boal, with their respective families, William Fisher, Augustus Pomeroy, Jr., and Samuel Howe, a single man. Later in the season came William Hancock, Hartley Malone, H. L. and H. P. Crane. They were all men of character and standing, and would exert an influence for good in any community. To them more than any others Lacon is indebted for its good name, its social standing, and its high literary and moral status.
The name of Fisher deserves more than the brief mention accorded above. William, who preceded his older brother, had been doing busi- ness with the latter at Rossville, Ohio, but dissolved partnership, and purchasing a two-ninths' interest in the new town of Columbia for $4,000, became a partner in the firm of Fenn, Howe & Co. As this market seemed overstocked with goods, he took a portion of their stock to Hen- nepin, and remained until the completion of the brick on the south-east cor- ner of Fifth and Main streets, when he returned to Lacon. In the fall of 1838 he withdrew from the firm to form that of William Fisher & Co., and opened a store in a building north of Reil's livery stable. They also be- gan packing pork, and the first year cut up 750 hogs, mostly from La Salle Prairie, west of Chillicothe.
It is proper to state here that the first pork packed in the place was by Fenn, Howe & Co., in 1837. Swan also went into the business, cut- ting up, in 1839, 3,000 hogs.
Jabez Fisher having decided to concentrate his western business in Lacon, extensive preparations were made, and the old slaughter house below town and several other buildings were erected in 1840. In 1849-50 the brick packing house was built at a cost of $10,000. At the time it was considered the most complete of its kind in the West. The number of hogs packed by them ranged from 750 (the first year's product) to 11,000, and the amount annually paid out varied from $50,000 to $300,000. It was no unusual thing for steamers to take on an entire cargo of pork and its products and proceed to New Orleans without breaking bulk. It furnished a market for all the surrounding country, and hogs were driven here from territory now covered by eleven counties.
Auother important interest connected with it was the coopering busi- ness, employing throughout the season from six to twenty men. The
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RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME.
pioneer cooper was Samuel Pomeroy, and the business was the means of bringing. to the place such men as Calvin Chapman, Abner Shinn and George F. Wightman.
The currency in circulation at the time was pretty nearly worthless, and would not be received for taxes. There was little gold or silver in circulation, and the financial situation was deplorable. Mr. Fisher brought good money, and such was the confidence in his integrity that tax collec- tors gave public notice that "Boston money," as the funds he paid were called, would be receivable for all public dues. To his credit be it said- and no finer tribute could be paid - that during his long business life this confidence was never shaken.
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