USA > Illinois > Mason County > The History and Mason Counties, Illinois > Part 70
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The principal burying-ground of the township is connected with this build- ing. Expensive and tasteful monuments mark the final resting-place of many of her early settlers in this cemetery. The first interment was that of Robert Cross, which occurred in 1852. Since that date, many of his associates have put aside the burden of life, an fare sleeping, sweetly sleeping. in the same beau- tiful inclosure. Indeed, the names of most of the early settlers are found here among the sleepers.
The Christian Chapel, located in the same section, was erected in 1866, at a cost of $900. Joseph Lybarger and wife, William E. Magill and wife, John Hines, William Atwater and wife, were the earliest members of the Church. Elder Andrew Page was the first Pastor. Elders Judy and Haughey have labored for the congregation. the latter of whom occupies the pulpit at present. The religious zeal of the early settlers often led them to travel a distance of ten iniles or more to attend " meetin'," and that, too, riding after an ox team. Now, a man or a woman who will do that will, unquestionably, be saved. They might have walked, no doubt, but for the sake of religion they were willing to sacrifice ease and comfort, and ride.
William Atwater and Elizabeth Ringhouse were married in December. 1840, Isaae Parkhurst, Justice of the Peace, officiating. This was. doubtless. the first marriage celebrated in what is now Quiver Township. As this section was at that date a part of Tazewell County, Mr. Atwater obtained his license at Tremont, the county seat.
The earliest practitioner of whom we have any record given was a Dr. Buckner, from Cass County. The exact date of his coming cannot be ascer- tained. He also combined school-teaching with his practice. Drs. Allen and E. B. Harpham were early practitioners among the denizens of Quiver, the lat- ter of whom is at present a resident physician of Havana. The first birth in the township was that of Fidella Lybarger, a daughter of Joseph Lybarger, the first settler. She was born in 1837. A widowed sister of Henry Sey- mour's, Mrs. Maria Elan, who died in 1838, was, perhaps, the first death to occur in this part of the county. The year following, 1839, the death of Mrs. Henry Seymour occurred.
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HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY.
The political status of the township has been largely Republican since the formation of that party. During the days of Whiggism and Democracy, the old Whig party was in the ascendency. Throughout the late civil war, she furnished her complement of brave boys to the rank and file of the army, and many of her noble sons attested their fealty to the dear old flag by yielding up their lives in defense of its honor in the hour of its greatest peril. As an agricultural district, Quiver compares favorably with other portions of the county adjacent. Her resources are mainly derived from her vast annual products of corn, wheat, rye, and the other cereals cultivated here.
TOPEKA VILLAGE.
The village of Topeka is situated about seven miles northeast of the city of Havana, on the P., P. & J. R. R., and is the only village embraced within the limits of Quiver Township. It was surveyed by J. W. Boggs, for Moses Eck- ard and Richard Thomas, in 1858. In order to secure the town site, Eckard and Thomas purchased 180 acres of David Beal, and 80 acres were made into a town płat. Forty acres were donated to the railroad company in order to secure the station. The first residence in the village was erected by J. L. Yates, in 1860. He was a blacksmith by trade, and had been plying his trade at McHarry's Mill, prior to locating in the village. He was followed. a short time afterward, by E. Y. Nichols, M. D., who built the second residence, and, as a matter of course, was the first resident physician of the place. Harrison Venard was the third resident of the place. Venard was from Ohio, and, in company with a Mr. Rosebrough, who was also from the Buckeye State, opened the first store in the village, near the close of 1860. The firm of Venard & Rosebrough, after a few months, became that of Venard & Mussel- man. A second store was opened in 1863 or 1864. by Musselman and Aaron Littell. The latter came from New Jersey, but had settled in the county and in the township in 1843. Others came in from time to time, and other stores and shops were opened, till, at one time, Topeka seemed to be on the highway to prosperity. But, like many of our Western towns, it attained its growth almost in the dawn of its existence, and, for some years past, it has remained stationary. A grain warehouse was built by Moses Eckard, in 1860. R. W. Stires, of St. Louis, was the first to operate in grain at this point. R. R. Simmonds, of Hlavana, and Porter & Walker have operated in grain at differ- ent times. The grain was handled in sacks and shipped on flats. In 1875, Flowers. Allen & Sherman built a very small and cheaply constructed elevator; this has been but little used since its completion. Low & Foster, through W. H. Eckard, handle the grain at present. About seventy thousand bushels is the average amount handled annually. A neat and substantial passenger depot was erected by the railroad company in 1872, which adds to the appear- ance of the village. Harrison Venard was the first agent at this point. W. H. Eckard is the present gentlemanly agent, and has held the position since
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HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY.
1867. The Methodist Episcopal Church, the only house of public worship in the village, was erected in 1865, at a cost of nearly $4.300. Among the carly communicants, we find the names of Lewis H. Ringhouse and wife. Mrs. Susan Colwell, David Kepford and wife. Caleb Slade and wife. Phillip Brown. John M. McReynolds and family. Rev. T. J. M. Simmons was the first Pas- tor of the Church. It has since enjoyed the labors of Revs. J. G. Mitchell. A. M. Pilcher, G. M. Crays, and others. Rev. L. A. Powell is the present officiating minister. The congregation is in a prosperous condition, and work- ing harmoniously for the upbuilding of the cause. A Sunday school of fine interest is connected with the Church. The post office at Topeka was estab- lished in the latter part of 1860, or early in 1861. Harrison Venard was the first Postmaster. The salary at no time has been princely, and those who have kept it have endured it as a necessary evil rather than from choice. J. F. Ruhl is the present incumbent. A neat frame school building was erected in 1867. It is not grand and imposing in its appearance, but is amply suffi- eient to accommodate the village urchins.
VILLAGE INCORPORATED.
An act to incorporate the village of Topeka was approved by the Legisla- ture April 10, 1869. Under this act, Samuel R. Yates, Phillip Brown and Robert G. Rider were named as Trustees of the village, their term of office to continue until the first Monday in April, 1870. The Board organized by electing S. R. Yates, President : L. S. Allen, Village Clerk : Phillip Brown, Police Magistrate, and John Norman, Town Constable. The revenue of the village from license of any kind has been very limited, and whatever public improvements have been made have been paid for by direct taxation imposed upon the citizens, or by voluntary contribution. The members composing the present Board are the following : Phillip Brown, D. W. Flowers, W. II. Eck- ard. The village officers are : Phillip Brown. President ; Theodore Bell, Town Clerk, and Dr. J. W. Downey, Police Justice. The business of the place is comprised in one general store, one drug, grocery and hardware store. one confectionery and two blacksmith-shops. Dr. J. W. Downey is the resi- ilent physician, and is a well-read and successful practitioner. The population of Topeka does not exceed one hundred and fifty. Although the village site is the most eligible of any point along the route from Pekin to Havana, yet its proximity to the latter renders it altogether improbable that Topeka will ever be more than the pleasant little village of to-day, drawing its patronage and support from the immediate vicinity in which it is located.
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HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY.
FOREST CITY TOWNSHIP.
This township is known as Town 22 north, Ranges 6 and 7 west of the Third Principal Meridian. It is bounded north and east by Manito Township, south by Pennsylvania and Sherman Townships. and west by Quiver Township. It is the smallest of the thirteen civil townships into which the county has been divided, and comprises a little more than thirty-one sections in its area. In surface configuration, it is very similar to the adjacent townships of Manito and Quiver. Timber-land is found only in the northwest corner of the township. Fully five-sixths of its entire surface is prairie land, most of which is very pro- ductive The soil is similar in character to that found in general throughout the whole extent of the county-a rich, brown mold, freely intermixed with sand. The proportions of clay, etc., intermingled, vary somewhat in different localities-some being far more argillaccous than others. In the woodland portions, the surface often arises into bold, round bluffs, with mound-appearing escarpments so common to the landscape further south along the Illinois River. Quiver Creek, a small stream flowing in a general southwestern direction through the township, takes its rise near the village of Forest City and leaves the township near the northwest corner of Section 27. This, with artificial ditches constructed leading into it, efficiently drains a large amount of the prairie portion of the township. In 1862, when township organization was effected, this division received the name of Mason Plains. Prior to this, it had been designated as Mason Plains Precinct-a name given by the early Meth- odist ministers to their appointments in this section. This name it continued to bear until 1873, when, by an act of the Board of Supervisors. it was changed to that of Forest City Township. The reason for the change existed in the fact that difficulties and perplexities often arose in the shipment of matter, intended for Mason Plains, to Mason City, in the southeastern portion of the county.
EARLY SETTLEMENTS.
So far as we have been able to learn, there were no settlements made in the limits of the township prior to 1840. Robert Cross and family came from New Jersey and settled in Greene County, Ill., as early as 1839. In 1842, Alexander, a son of Robert, came to Mason County and settled in Quiver Township, about a mile east of McHarry's Mill. During the summer, he fre- quently passed over this. section of the county, and from his statements we learn that, at that time, there were but five houses standing in what is now Forest City Township. These were all in the edge of the timber, in the north- west corner of the township. Four of them were occupied, and the following named persons are given as their occupants : A. Wintrow, Peter Himmel, A. File and Stephen Hedge. Wintrow came in 1840, and was, doubtless, the first
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HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY.
man to make an improvement in the township. Mr. Cross thinks that Himmel, File and Hedge all came in 1842, while Jerry Miller, who settled, in an early day, across the line in Manito Township, gives it as his opinion that Hedge did not come prior to 1844. Wintrow, File and Himmel came from " der Fader- land," and Hedge from Fulton County. The latter is supposed to have come originally from some one of the Eastern States, as he was a pronounced Aboli- tionist long before that sentiment found a secure lodgment in this section. The unoccupied building stood upon Congress land, and had, probably, been erected and occupied by a " bird of passage," who. after a short sojourn, plumed his wings and took his flight to regions farther west. Hedge, after a residence of some years, returned to Fulton County, of which he continued a resident up to the date of his death. Peter Himmel is the only one of the four now living. In the same neighborhood, at the time of which we are writing, there were living old man Ray, Riley Morris, Abel Maloney, and a few others just across the line in Manito Township, whose places of settlement and date of coming have been given in the history of that township. Settlements in the township did not occur rapidly for a number of years, owing to the fact, no doubt, that its availa- ble lands were prairie. About 1846 or 1847, Alexander Pemberton and a man of the name of Babbitt settled on the prairie across Quiver Creek. a short distance south of the present village of Forest City. They were the first to venture away from the woods. Alexander Cross came up from Quiver Township and made a settlement in 1848. The same year brought in William G. Greene and his brother. Nult Greene, from Menard County, and William Coolage, from Tennessee. The Greenes settled south of Quiver Creek, where William G., in a few years, possessed himself of a large tract of land. In 1852. he sold out his entire landed estate and returned to Menard County. He is now a resident of Tallula, and is engaged in agriculture and in the banking business. Ilis brother. Nult Greene, romoved to MeDonough County, of which he is at pres- ent a resident.
In 1850, the population was increased by the coming of August Webber. Greensfelter and Harfst. These all settled in the woods in the northwest corner of the township. They were from Germany, and formed the nucleus of the large German population which now occupies a large portion of the township. The spring of 1852 brought in William Ellsworth, Thomas H. Ellsworth. William Ellsworth, Jr., Joseph C. Ellsworth and their families. These all came from Fulton County, the three last mentioned being sons of the first, but all men of family. T. G. Onstot, from Menard County, came in the same year, and Fred Lux, from Pennsylvania. Most of them are still residents of the township. About the same date, George Nikirk came from Seneca County, Ohio, and purchased the landed estate of W. G. Greene, consisting of over two thousand acres. Mr. Nikirk did not live long to enjoy the comforts of his new home. He died in 1855, leaving to his family his large estate. Twenty years later, his wife followed him to the land of shadows, leaving her
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HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY.
children pleasant and comfortable homes, nearly all in sight of the old home- stead. The Nikirk brothers are among the most substantial farmers and busi- ness men of the township. John Bowser, also a resident of the township, was a Buckeye, from Seneca County, who came at or near the date of the coming of the Nikirks. From this date forward, settlements were rapidly made in the various portions of the township. The vast superiority of the prairie land for agricultural purposes began to be realized, and the settler no longer sought the shelter of the timber, with its too sandy soil, but pushed boldly out into the open prairie and began his improvements. Coming on down for a year or two. we find the names of William F. Bruning, Garrett Bruning, Carl Grumble, Silas Cheek, Fred Foster, N. Drake, John Martin, and others of whom time and space forbid that we should particularize, other than to say that they were all good, industrious citizens, and, by the improvement of their farms, added much to the wealth and prosperity of the township.
Samuel H. Ingersoll, who became a citizen of Mason County in 1855, deserves more than a passing notice. He was born in Medina County, in 1828. In 1849, he went to California, where he remained till 1855, at which date he became a citizen of Mason County. In 1859, he led to the nuptial altar Miss Lois A. Van Orman, of Ohio, and soon after located on one of those beautiful undulations or prairie-swells a short distance south of Forest City. His business was that of farming and milling, and his rare judgment and busi- ness-tact rendered both a financial success. His popularity with, and ability to serve, his friends and neighbors may be best attested by the fact that he was called at thirteen different times to a seat in the County Board of Supervisors by the citizens of his township. It was in this position that his judgment and influence were largely useful, not only to his own immediate constituency, but also to the people of Mason County. His death occurred in 1877. Recently, as a tribute of respect, Mrs. Ingersoll has erected to his memory one of the finest monuments in the county. The site selected for his burial is one of the finest in this section of the county. It is known upon the public records as the Nikirk Cemetery, and is so situated that it commands a view from all parts of the surrounding country, also from the passing trains on the P., P. & J. Railroad, on which road Mr. Ingersoll was an important shipper, and of which he was an interested friend.
SOME OF THE EARLY INCONVENIENCES.
Much the same surroundings and inconveniences greeted the carly settlers of this township as did those of Manito and other adjacent portions of the county. Their marketing had to be done a long way from home, and the time required for getting their crops to market was almost equal in length to that required to raise them. Their principal trading-points were Havana, Mackinaw and Pekin. Their milling was done at Mackinaw or across the river in Fulton County. The journey to Mackinaw consumed four or five days, governed
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HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY.
somewhat by the length of time they had to wait for a " grist " to be ground. Simmonds built a mill on Quiver Creek, in quite an early day, and a few years later, MeHarry's Mill, on the same stream, was erected, so that those coming in a few years subsequent to the date of the earliest settlements made in the township, were denied the exquisite pleasure of going to mill at Mackinaw, and on Spoon River, in Fulton County. While there were many inconveniences and hardships to be endured by the early settlers, they had many things of which we cannot boast to-day. They had game of almost all kinds, which could be had for the simple act of killing. It did not require hunting, for there was a superabundance on every hand. Alexander Cross states that on one occasion, he counted forty deer in a single herd, as they rose up one at a time, and then they began getting up so fast that he could not keep the run of them any longer. Thomas II. Ellsworth takes the " trick " and goes fifty-six better. Wild game of all kinds was so abundant that the farmer did not dare to cut up his corn in the fall and place it in shocks ; if he did he was sure to come out in the spring minus one-third to one-half of his crop. The marshes and sand hills around the head of Quiver Creek were famous hunting-grounds in an early day. But the march of civilization, the dense settling-up of the country and its improve- ment into fine and productive farms, have driven out all the larger kinds of game, and we have nothing left save that which is commonly found in the older settled portions of our country. Vast and mighty changes have come upon us during the forty years last past. Forest City Township has never had a grist-mill erected within her borders. McHarry's. in Quiver, and Shanholtzer's. in Man- ito, supply the deficiency. The Peoria. Pekin & Jacksonville Railroad, put in operation in 1859, is the only railroad line in the township. It passes diagon- ally through the northwest corner of the township, in a southwestern direction. giving to it about four miles of track.
EARLY PREACHING, SCHOOLS, ETC.
The first preaching, as was customary, was at the houses of the pioneers, and among those who ministered to the spiritual wants of the people in an early day, we find the names of Revs. Gardner. Rutledge, Randall, and the venerable Peter Cartwright. These were missionaries in the M. E. Church. Rev. William Perkins, a Presbyterian divine, occasionally preached in the township, but was regularly engaged in the work at Topeka. Transient min- isters of other denominations discoursed at times to the people, but none remained to effeet church organization save the Methodists. After the build- ing of schoolhouses, preaching was transferred to them, and they were made to serve the triple purpose of meeting-house, schoolhouse and voting-place for the precinct. The first school building erected in the township was the one now known as Union No. 1. and is situated about one and one-half miles south of the village of Forest City. It was built in 1854, and John Covington was the first teacher. Others were built as the increase of population demanded, and
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HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY.
at present cach district is supplied with good frame buildings. The "old log schoolhouse " of the days of auld lang syne has faded away, and comes to us only in visions of the past.
The first Sunday school organized in the township was at the house of Thomas H. Ellsworth, in the spring of 1853. William Ellsworth was the first Superintendent. It continued at the residence of Mr. Ellsworth till the build- ing of the schoolhouse in 1854. when it was transferred to that point. It finally became the nucleus of the first Sunday school established in the village. A number of those who took part in the first organization are at present resi- dents of the village. and take a lively interest in the Sunday-school cause. There are two church edifices in the township outside of the village-the Ger- man Methodist, or Albright, and the German Lutheran, or Lutheran Evangel- ical. The Albright Church was erected in 1856, and, as the congregation grew in numbers, the building in a few years became too small to accommodate it. In 1865, they rebuilt and greatly increased the size of their house. The Church owns forty acres of valuable land, and upon this stands the church building and parsonage. A neatly laid-out and kept cemetery also occupies a portion of the tract. Their Church property has an estimated value of not less than $7,000. It is, perhaps, the wealthiest congregation in Mason County. Most of its members are well-to-do farmers, living in this and adjacent town- ships. The building is located on a gentle rise of ground, from which a com- manding view of the country may be had on all sides ; its tall, white spire, point- ing heavenward, presents a pleasing appearance to the traveler passing over the line of the P., P. & J. Railroad. The Lutheran Church was built a year or two later, is in the same portion of the township, about one and one-half miles south of Bishop's Station. It is also a frame church, and cost about $1,200. Regular services are held, and a flourishing Sunday school is connected with it. Forest City Township has a large per cent of German population, and. as is usually the case, they are thriving, enterprising citizens, possessed of finely- improved farms, well stocked. Taken throughout its whole extent, this town ship compares favorably with other portions of the county in its adaptation to the growth of corn and the other cereals common to this latitude.
VILLAGE OF FOREST CITY.
The village of Forest City was surveyed, in 1859, by J. F. Coppel and Alexander Cross, for Walker, Kemp, Wright and Waggenseller. The original plat contained forty-seven acres. An addition of forty acres lying east of the original town was made in 1865 by D. S. Broderic. The lines of original sur- vey were run north and south, but were never recorded. The plat, as recorded, lie ; parallel with the railroad line. The village is located seventeen miles dis- tant from Pekin and thirteen from Havana. It was, at one time, quite an exten- sive grain mart, but the growth of Mason City on the east, and points on the I., B. & W. R. R., south, have deducted largely from the amount of its annual
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HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY.
shipments. Alexander Cross built the first residence on the town site, and occupied it in the latter part of 1859. The house is still standing, and has been converted into an office by Dr. James S. Walker. Thomas II. Ellsworth built a residence and became a denizen of the place in 1860. Josiah Jackson, S. T. Walker, T. A. Gibson, E. T. Nikirk and others were among the earliest citizens of the place. Cross & Walker built the first storeroom and began merchandising in 1861. In 1864, or 1865, Rodgers & Bros., built the second store-building in the village and opened up a stock of general merchandise. The business interests of the village continued to grow till, at one time, it had four good stores in full blast. In 1861, Messrs. Cross & Walker built a grain warehouse and began purchasing grain. The grain trade increased so rapidly that in 1864 they built an elevator at a cost of $6,000. It has a capacity for storage of 40,000 bushels. The grain interests of the village, at present, are looked after by S. T. Walker, agent for Smith. Hippen & Co., of Pekin, and Z. Midler. The annual amount handled approximates 250.000 bushels. Quite an amount of hogs and cattle are shipped from this point. The trade and traffic of the village reaches, perhaps, $40,000 per annum. The post office was estab- lished in 1861. and Alexander Cross was appointed Postmaster. He received his commission from Montgomery Blair as Postmaster General. Mr. Cross has acted continuously from his first appointment down to the present time, and has been efficient and accommodating. as might readily be inferred from his long continuation in office.
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