The History of Livingston County, Illinois : containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c., Part 23

Author:
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: Chicago : W. Le Baron
Number of Pages: 884

USA > Illinois > Livingston County > The History of Livingston County, Illinois : containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c. > Part 23

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At the election held in 1843, the following vote was cast : For. Congress- John Wentworth, 111; Giles Spring, 66. For County Commissioner-Charles Jones, 84; Augustus Fellows, 50. For County Clerk, D. S. Ebersol, 122 : Wm. K. Brown, 28. For School Commissioner-Samuel Boyer, 136. For Recorder-D. S. Ebersol, 121; S. C. Ladd, 16. For Probate Justice-Truman Rutherford, 82; Wm. K. Brown, 49. For Treasurer-Truman Rutherford, 92; Lyman Bergit, 45. For Surveyor-Amos Edwards, 67; Orin Phelps, 39; Franklin Oliver. 38.

At a special election held in November, the following votes were cast : For Probate Justice-Andrew McMillan, 46 ; Augustus Fellows, 37; S. S. Mead. 5. For County Treasurer and Assessor-McMillan, 46 ; Fellows, 37 ; Mead, 5.

At the August Election in 1844, for Member of Congress, John Wentworth received 110; B. S. Morris, 61. For State Senator, S. G. Nesbitt received 106; G. W. Powers, 66. For Representative, James Robinson received 106 : E. B. Myers, 63. For County Commissioner, Andrew McDowell received 104: Walter Cornell, 65. For Sheriff, R. P. Breckenridge received 97; Thomas Sawyer, 71. For Coroner, John Blue, 113.

At the Presidential election in November, James K. Polk received 109: Henry Clay, 66. Birney did not receive any votes in the county.

On the 2d day of December, the following minute is entered of record : " This day comes Andrew McMillan, Treasurer of Livingston County, and makes settlement with the Court, and pays over to the Court $13.00 in county orders and 20 cents in specie, it being the whole amount of funds received by him." It is hardly necessary to add that McMillan did not default to the county during his term.

In 1845, the same Treasurer reported and turned over without default, 20 cents in silver. There is no record of what his commissions amounted to.

At the March Term, 1845, Hugh Taylor was rented the jury room, for a store, and the court room for three months, on paying $3.00 per month.

Andrew McMillan was appointed to take the census for that year.

At the June Term of the County Court, D. S. Ebersol resigned the Clerk- ship, and S. C. Ladd was appointed Clerk.

At the regular election in August, Murrell Breckenridge was elected County Commissioner ; Augustus Fellows, School Commissioner; S. C. Ladd, Clerk ; S. S. Mead, Coroner. And at a special election in December, S. C. Ladd was elected Recorder. C

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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.

And again, Hugh Taylor appears of record in the following :

Ordered, That Hugh Taylor & Co. romove their goods, chattels, etc., out of the Court House by the 1st day of November next ; and if they should fail to do so, then they shall pay additional rent

As they were already paying the sum of $3.00 a month, this seemed like a threat to ruin their business.

At the regular election held in August, 1846, A. C. French, for Governor, received 124 votes ; T. M. Kilpatrick, 60. John Wentworth, for Congress, received 124 votes ; John Kerr, 58. James Robinson, for Representative, received 122 votes ; Bissell Chubbuck, 42. R. P. Breckenridge was elected Sheriff; Charles Jones, County Commissioner, and John Blue, Coroner.

In 1847, Isaac Hodgson was elected Commissioner ; S. C. Ladd, Clerk.

In September, the County Court contracted with Henry Jones, J. H. De- moss and Philip Rollings to build the bridge over the river at Pontiac, for $450.

An election was held in March, 1848, to vote upon the new Constitution and the separate articles. The vote was, for the Constitution, 71 ; against it, 25. For the separate article in relation to colored people, there were 89 votes ; against it, 12. For the two-mill tax, which was intended to pay off the long past due State debt, 71 votes ; against it, 35.

At the regular election in August, the vote for Governor was: For A. C. French, 135. For Congress, John Wentworth, 108; John Y. Scammon, 62. For Senator, Wm. Reddick, 131. Murrell Breckenridge was elected Sheriff ; Henry Jones, County Commissioner, and John Blue, Coroner.

At the judicial election in September under the new constitution, John D. Caton received eighty votes for Supreme Court Judge; Lorenzo Leland, seventy- seven votes for Clerk of the Supreme Court; B. F. Fridgley, sixty-three votes for Judge of the Ninth Circuit ; T. Lyle Dickey, forty-seven for Judge ; Bur- ton C. Cook, eighty votes for State's Attorney, and S. C. Ladd, eighty votes for Circuit Clerk.

At this election, Dickey was elected Judge, and was for some years our Cir- cuit Judge.

At the Presidential election, Cass received 130 votes ; Taylor, 82 votes ; and for the first time in our history as a county, the third party received a vote. Four votes were cast for the Van Buren electoral ticket, upon which were the names of such veteran Abolitionists as President Jonathan Blanchard. For the first time also, the vote indicates a healthy increase of population in the county. Up to this year, the vote had been very nearly uniform.

"In March, 1849, the bridge which had just been completed and accepted by the court was carried away by a freshet, and Rollings and Demoss were ordered to save what they could of it, and report what portion of it could be used.

At the election May 20th, M. B. Patty and L. E. Rhoades were elected County Commissioners At the November election, J. C. McMillan received

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161 votes for County Judge ; S. Miller, 2. S. C. Ladd, 137 for Clerk ; Jason Tuttle, 8. James Bradley, 114 for County Justice of the Peace; Philip Rollings, 95 for same ; W. G. McDowell, 55. Franklin Oliver, 73 votes for Surveyor ; Amos Edwards, 53. Walter Cornell was elected School Commis- sioner, and J. D. Garner, Coroner. 55 votes were given for township organiza- tion out of a total of 164 votes cast ; not a majority.

That all the offices were not vastly remunerative is evidenced by the following order at the October term of the Commissioners' Court : " Ordered, that Andrew McMillan be allowed ten dollars ($10) for services as County Treasurer for two years."

The County Court under the new Constitution organized December 31. 1849. J. C. McMillan, County Judge ; Philip Rollings and James Bradley, County Justices, and S. C. Ladd, Clerk.

At this time first appeared the constitutional clause in the oath of office : "I do solemnly swear that I have not fought a duel, nor sent or accepted a chal- lenge to fight a duel, the probable issue of which might have been the death of either party, nor been a second to either party, nor in any way aided or assisted in such duel, nor been knowingly the bearer of such challenge since the adop- tion of the Constitution, nor will be engaged in such duel during my continuance in office."

That our foremost citizens earned their bread in those days is drawn from the following recorded order : " Ordered, that John A. Fellows be allowed sixty two and one-half cents for chopping wood for county." It does not appear whether his services, like McMillan's, were of two years' duration.

Murrell Breckenridge was elected County Judge at a special election in Sep- tember, 1850. Henry Loveless was elected Sheriff, and Joseph Springer Coro- ner, in November. At the regular election in 1852, the vote for Secretary of State was for Alexander Starne, Democrat, 209; B. S. Morris, Whig, 161; Erastus Wright, Anti-slavery, 11.

For State's Attorney, D. P. Jenkins, 158 votes; M. E. Hollister, 85; W. H. L. Wallace, 22. For State Senator, Burton C. Cook, 207; William Paul, 10.

For Representatives, C. I. Starlech, 207 votes ; C. R. Patton, 203; A. A. Fisher, 159 ; George M. Radcliffe, 156 ; William Strawn, 26. Strawn was on the Anti-slavery or Abolition ticket.

The four Anti-slavery votes of 1848 seem to have grown into eleven this year,

Mr. Wallace, notwithstanding his small vote for State's Attorney in the county, was elected, and proved a very acceptable officer. He was a son-in-law of Judge Dickey, and went with him into the army, where he yielded up his life at Shiloh. He is spoken of as a brilliant lawyer and a very popular man.

No record of the Presidential and Congressional vote of that year is found ; but it must have been about the same as above-Democratic, 208 votes ; Whig, 160; Abolition, 11. Total 379, indicating a population of about 2,000.

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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.

In 1853, the number of voting precincts had been increased by addition of Reading, New Michigan, Mud Creek and Avoca Precincts. Any inhabitant of the county will recognize these localities, although the precincts are known to the law no longer.

The vote at that election was : For County Judge-Billings P. Babcock, 243 votes : John Hoobler, 133. For Clerk, George W. Boyer, 221; O. Chubbuck, 118. For Associate Justice, D. McIntosh, 4; J. P. Garner, 74 ; Eli Myer, 278 ; Jolin Darnall, 228. For Treasurer and Assessor, Walter Cornell, 272; Philip Rollings, 94. County Surveyor-James Stout, 156; Charles Hustin, 73 ; Amos Edwards, 48 ; Nelson Buck, 58: E. B. Oliver, 21. For School Commissioner-Joseph A. Hews, 118; Eli Meyer, 103; H. H. Hin- man, 134.

This list, together with those elected to the minor offices at this election, embraces many names new to the records of the county, but which are now familiar as household words. The Breckenridges, the McMillans and other old families seem to have given way all at once to such new blood and new material as B. P. Babcock, James Stout, Louderback, Hinman, Boyer. Chub- buck and McIntosh, although Darnall seems to have have retained a place in official life.

New life was coming into the county. The first dash of the tidal wave of immigration was reaching us. The Chicago & Mississippi and Illinois Central Railroads were being built. Of the men whose names appear above, whose lives are well remembered, are B. P. Babcock, who, after a faithful term as County Judge, where he displayed the same clear. cautious and honest care in public which has always marked his private affairs. is now one of the largest farmers in the county, owning two splendid sections of land, upon which is Babcock's Grove, of which Isaac Funk once said, that " next to Elkhart Grove, he thought nature had made this the handsomest spot in this whole glorious State." Geo. W. Boyer, as his records in the different offices of this county show, was a singularly neat and efficient Clerk. Orlando Chubbuck, after having served an apprenticeship as an honest farmer and faithful citizen, read law, and now practices the same in La Salle County. David McIntosh, among many other, perhaps, as honorable things, has once faithfully served us in the Legislature. Jerome Garner was one of the first local attorneys at law. Eli Myer has passed away, leaving an honored name, which is kept alive by a large family of descendants. Walter Cornell still upholds the faith that has led him thus far, an honored, esteemed and beloved old man. Rollins is still with us, though he long since eschewed politics and office holding. Nelson Buck, after several terms of official service, and many years of active life, received an appointment to survey in Western Nebraska, and was, in 1869, massacred by the Sioux. H. H. Hinman still faithfully serves his day and generation as a missionary. after having lived many years in Africa. He now represents the Anti-Secret- Society Association in its crusade against Masonry and kindred clans. He was

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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.

one of the first to espouse Abolition sentiments in the county, and never let his light be hid under a bushel, or anything else. James Stout-no one living in the county from '55 to '70 but knows the intrepid, earnest, positive, lively, jagged and, perhaps, " sassy " Jim Stout. In early life, he had tried teaching school in Kentucky, but gave more attention to teaching the negroes the ety- mology of the word " freedom " than his employers approved of, and he left town between two days, without calling around to get his wages, and believes to this day that blood-hounds were on his track until he forded the Ohio River. With a not very passive nature, the little experience he had there set every drop of blood in him on fire, and he became the fiery champion of down-trodden Africa from that hour. He was possessed of a vast fund of indignation, and never failed to surround all his efforts with the glitter of attraction which that gave. At one time he helped "steal a nigger," as the phrase went, the story of which must have a place here. A fugitive slave had been taken and was before the court at Ottawa, to have his case legally determined. Stout, with some other Abolitionists, was in attendance. With most of them, it was probably their first experience, and no well developed plan was agreed upon how they might best help the slave. After as patient a hearing as could be given under the great excitement, the Court decided that the fugitive must be sent back to his master. While the opinion of the Court was being delivered, a breathless silence reigned in the court room. The Abolitionists, embracing many who hardly accepted that title, were undecided. The crisis had arrived, and Stout, carried away with excitement, sprang upon a table and shouted, " I move we form ourselves into a committee of the whole, to carry this poor slave back to slavery and bondage ! " The entire room was at once in an uproar which passes all description. While attention was thus called to the mover of this resolution, the slave was spirited out of the window, put into a close carriage and, quicker than it can be told, was on his way to Canada. The parties engaged in this rescue were arrested and tried for the crime, for it was a crime to help a fugitive away. Stout refused to employ any counsel, refused the aid of the Court, who offered to assign him a legal adviser, and persisted in defending his own case, and by his quick, sharp wit, he was cleared. All that could certainly be proved against him was his motion. His line of defense was that he had only proposed to carry the fugitive back to slavery and bondage, but the prosecution endeavored to show by the witness, Judge Caton of the State Court, before whom the former hearing had been had, that Stout, the defendant, did not mean what he said when he proposed to carry the slave back to bondage. The question was asked Judge Caton, "What is your opinion of the intent of the defendant in making that remark ?" "I object! " shouted Stout. In the course of the discussion which followed, in regard to the right of an answer to the question, Stout sprang to his feet and demanded " a subpoena for God Almighty ! He is the only one who knows my intent." Defendants were not then competent witnesses. The Sheriff jocularly remarked that he would find it difficult to

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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.

serve such a subpæna. Stout sharply retorted, "You can, for it is written, ' He will be found of those who diligently seek Him.'" This turned the tide, and he was acquitted, while the others were convicted and fined. Mr. Stout, after being several years editor and proprietor of the Pontiac Sentinel, was appointed, in 1869, Receiver of Public Moneys, at Boise City, Idaho, by President Grant, where he now resides. He was possessed of more fire for the fluid ounces of blood he contained, and more fight to the square inch, than any resident of Livingston County, unless history is at fault.

At the election in 1854. which occurred in the midst of the political excite- ment in regard to Kansas, the county seems for the first time to have given majorities for the Whig and Anti-slavery, or, rather, Anti-Nebraska candidates. The vote for Congressman was : For Jesse O. Norton, 319; J. N. Drake, 207. For Representatives-F. S. Day, 317 ; David Strawn, 331 ; J. L. McCormick, 185 ; George W. Armstrong, 201. For Sheriff-W. B. Lyon, 187 ; M. Breck- enridge, 133; M. B. Patty, 69; Jerome P. Garner, 104. For Coroner-Laban Frakes, 178; Jacob Streamer, 171; Ira Loveless, 118. For Surveyor-T. F. Nor- ton, 267 ; I. R. Clark, 80; N. Buck, 115. Jesse O. Norton was a Whig, a resident of Joliet, and has been nearly all the time in public life since that election until his death about two years ago. Of the Representatives voted for that year, two are well known in the county. G. W. Armstrong has served more terms in the Legislature of this State, probably, than any man now living. David Strawn. though not a resident of the county, had a large landed interest in it, and was subsequently the builder of the Chicago & Paducah Railroad. In 1855, Walter Cornell was elected Treasurer and Assessor ; H. H. Hinman, School Commis- sioner ; I. R. Clark, Surveyor ; Thomas Croswell, Coroner. Dwight Precinct had been added. No records of the important election of 1856 are on file. At the election of 1857, two more precints had been added-Nebraska and Days, the latter embracing what is now Broughton and Round Grove. At this election, about 1,000 votes were cast. For County Judge the vote was: For Henry Jones, 510; O. Chubbuck, 436. For Associte Justice-John Darnall, 469; J. P. Morgan, 497; Decatur Veatch, 453; Jacob Angle, 473. For Clerk-S. S. Saul, 525; S. L. Manker, 427. For School Commis- sioner-J. H. Hagerty, 480 ; J. W. Strevell, 465. For Surveyor-Nelson Buck, 493; James Stout, 444. For Treasurer-J. R. Woolverton, 488; James Gib- son, 447. For Township organization, 738: against, 40. This was the last election held under the old county organization. Township organization went into effect the next year.

The election of 1858 will ever remain a memorable one. Douglas and Lincoln were before the people of the State as representatives of the two politi- cal ideas of the day. Douglas had separated from the President, and stood upon the platform of Popular Territorial Self-Government, called in derision, " Squatter Sovereignty," holding the doctrine that the people of each Territory had the inherent right to decide for themselves whether they would have

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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.

slavery in the Territory or not ; Lincoln, the chosen representative of all the various shades of political and moral opponents of slavery, conservative himself, held strongly the view that slavery could not be interfered with in States where it already existed, could be prohibited in Territories by Congress, and in States it could only be abolished by State authority.

These two leaders were candidates for the United States Senate, and made a very thorough canvass of the State. There was a third ticket in the field, which represented the ultra State Rights doctrine, that slavery could not even be kept out of a Territory, either by State or Territorial authority, but as property, slavery would go wherever the Constitution went. This ticket, how- ever, seems to have got but two votes in the county, one at Pontiac and one in Dwight. If this was, as was said at the time, a Postmaster's ticket, it probably could not now receive those two Postmaster's votes. A rapid increase of population, together with the excitement consequent on the interesting contest increased the vote to double that of the year before. The county gave about 200 majority to the Republican ticket. There were then twenty-three town- ships in the county. The vote was : For State Treasurer-James Miller, 1,001; William B. Fondy, 789. For Superintendent of Instruction-Newton Bateman, 998 ; A. C. French, 790. For Congress-Owen Lovejoy, 986; G. W. Armstrong, 794. For Representatives-Alexander Campbell, 1,003 ; R. S. Hick, 1,000; S. C. Collins, 784 ; William Cogswell, 776. For Sheriff- William T. Russell, 987; Joshua C. Mills, 806.

At the special election in 1859, W. G. McDowell was elected County Judge, and in November, the vote for Treasurer was : For Philip Cook, 739; J. S. Gumm, 620. For School Commissioner : I. T. Whittemore, 728 ; A. E. Harding, 616. For Surveyor : E. W. Gower, 498; T. F. Norton, 442; N. Buck, 417.

The interest taken in the Presidential election of 1860 was sufficient to call out a very full vote. The entire vote polled was 2,563. Lincoln received 1,475; Douglas, 1,088. The majority of Yates and Hoffman was about. the same. For Congress, Owen Lovejoy received 1,451; R. N. Murray, 1,097. It is interesting to notice that in all these recorded votes, Lovejoy always lacks a few of the full party vote. He was such a pronounced Abolitionist that, probably, in nearly every county, there were some who called themselves Re- publicans who would not vote for him. Way down in the heart of many others who did vote for him; there was undoubtedly a rebellion against voting for so pronounced an Abolitionist. Still, he was one of the most brilliant men of his day. Those who had the opportunity to hear him on the canvass will remem- ber him to their dying day, as one of the very ablest and most interesting pub- lic speakers they ever heard. To those who used to hear him in the pulpit, before he became an official, the same clear elucidation of doctrine, the same fearful, rugged, pointed portraiture of wrong and error, is well remembered. The vote for State Senator for that year was : For Washington Bushnell, 1.464 ;

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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.

for John Hise. 1,074. For Representatives-A. J. Cropsey, 1,474; J. W. New- port, 1,475; H. H. Brower, 1,092 ; Daniel Evans, 1,097. For Circuit Clerk- James W. Remick, 1,345 ; Ben. W. Gray, 1,229. For Sheriff-E. R. Maples, 1.547 : James M. Perry, 1,023. For Coroner-Thos. Croswell. 1,475; T. B. Norton, 1,043. For State's Attorney-C. H. Wood, 927; G. H. Watson, 859; Joshua Whitmore, 829. For Constitutional Convention, 1,743; against, 120.

The election of Col. Cropsey as Representative marked the first election of a citizen of the county to either house of the General Assembly. Heretofore, candidates had been selected from other counties in the district, this county not being deemed of sufficient importance to be entitled to representation. He soon left us, however, for he early went into the military service, and soon after removed to Nebraska, where he has been honored with more distinguished official recognition.

At the June election in 1861, the unanimous vote of the county was given to Hon. C. R. Starr for Circuit Judge, who remained upon our bench until he resigned in 1866.

At the November election, in this year, there were three tickets in the field. A Union ticket was formed, which was composed of an equal number of Dem- ocrats and Republicans. Disaffection was caused in both parties, however, and party or independent tickets were named. For Delegates to the Constitutional Convention of that year, Perry A. Armstrong received 1,153 votes, and Alex- ander Campbell 1,115. On county officers the vote was: For County Judge -Jonathan Duff, 918; N. S. Grandy, 191 ; W. J. McDowell, 245. For Clerk -R. B. Harrington, 822; J. F. Culver, 511. For Treasurer-Samuel Max- well, 818; J. R. Woolverton, 312; T. W. Brydia, 224. For Surveyor- Nelson Buck, 925; T. F. Norton, 403. For School Commissioner-J. W. Smith, 1,096; C. M. Lee, 217.

The Union ticket was elected, but it did not stop the war.

Robert B. Harrington and Samuel Maxwell, who this year came into official notice, were influential men, and both very popular and efficient officers. Mr. Maxwell removed to Missouri soon after his two years' term closed. Mr. Harrington served two full terms as Clerk, and after a short but eventful resi- dence in Mississippi, struck Nebraska, and at Beatrice now serves the public acceptably as Receiver in the Land Office.

In June, the new proposed Constitution was submitted, and received 852 votes to 1,466 against. This Constitution was not adopted by the vote of the State.

At the November election, the vote for State Treasurer was-Wm. O. Butler, 1,099 ; Alex. Starne, 938. For Sheriff-Job E. Dye received 1,036 votes, and S. H. Putnam, 902. For Coroner-Thomas Croswell, 1,056; S. B. Norton, 971. For Congress (at large)-F. C. Ingersoll, 1,096: J. C. Allen, 954. For Congress, Eighth District-Leonard Swett, 1,110; John T. Stewart, 938. For Member of Legislature-J. O. Dent, 950: T. C. Gibson, 950; M. B. Patty, 976; A. A. Fisher, 1,085; Franklin Corwin, 1,098; Albert Parker, 1,097.

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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.

This county composed, with La Salle, a district, and the three former were elected by 150 majority. Of these latter, Mr. Corwin was after this repeatedly elected, was twice elected Speaker of the House, and afterward represented his district (the seventh) in Congress.

In 1863. M E. Collins was elected Treasurer, Nelson Buck Surveyor. and O. F. Pearre School Commissioner.

The Presidential vote in 1864 was: For Abraham Lincoln, 1,746; George B. McClellan, 1,100. Seven towns-Nebraska, Reading, Rook's Creek, Belle Prairie, Sullivan, Owego and Nevada-gave Democratic majorities, the latter two by only one majority each. R. J. Oglesby for Governor, William Bross for Lieutenant Governor, Sharon Tyndale for Secretary of State, O. H. Miner for Auditor, James H. Beveridge for Treasurer, Newton Bateman for Superin- tendent. S. W. Moulton for Congress (at large), S. M. Cullom for Congress, Washington Bushnell for Senator, and Franklin Corwin, John Miller and Jason W. Strevell for Representatives, each received 650 majority. Wm. T. Ament was elected State's Attorney, E. W. Capron Coroner, and Amos Hart Sheriff by the same average vote. This was Mr. Cullom's first election to Congress, although he had already served the Springfield District in the Legis- lature. was Speaker of the House, and had been a candidate for Congress at a preceding election. He continued to be our Representative in Congress until 1871. He subsequently served two terms in the Legislature, and was then elected Governor.

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The History of Livingston County, Illinois : containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c., Part 23

Author: Publication date: 1878 Publisher: Chicago : W. Le Baron Number of Pages: 884

Author:
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: Chicago : W. Le Baron
Number of Pages: 884