The History of Livingston County, Illinois : containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c., Part 52

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 52

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

In 1848, George Sardinia and Xenophon Richards, their sisters and brother- in-law Russell Nelson, made the first settlement on the prairie. They were from the State of Michigan. This was the year of the completion of the Michi- gan and Illinois Canal, and from this time forward, for several years, a good many emigrants came from Northern Ohio and Indiana and Southern Michigan by way of the canal. The Richardses settled in the vicinity of the site of New Michigan, and named the locality after their native State. These were enter- prising and progressive men. When they went so far out on the open prairie to select their location for a home, they were pitied by those who lived near the timber, and admonished that they would scarcely survive a single Winter. They also deprecated their loss of social privileges and of neighborly protection against thieves, with which the country was then infested. However, after awhile their sympathy turned to ridicule, and finally to opposition, as the prairie settlers were stirring fellows, and the " settlement on the plains " bid fair to rival the timber people. One of the first things proposed by them was to organ- ize a school for the benefit of their own children, and the children of those who might settle near them. A few years later, a move was made by them to estab- lish a public school at this place, which met with decided opposition, as it was believed it would injure the one already in operation in the edge of the timber. However, gradually the opposition wore away and this neighborhood became popular to such an extent that it was proposed to lay off a town at the place. This, as before intimated, was done by Martin A. Newman. As soon as the town had been platted and it had become known that a trading point was to be established here, settlements in the vicinity were frequent. By this time it had been ascertained that the land was of a better quality than that in the immedi- ate vicinity of the river. Coal was beginning to be mined also, which made the prairie people more independent in regard to fuel. Then, too, the canal was completed, and lumber could be had at Ottawa, instead of the necessity of going to Chicago for it. M. A. Newman started a little store in the new vil- lage ; other parties opened blacksmith shop, shoemaker shop and other branches of business, and soon New Michigan was the most thriving village in the county. The town also drew about it men of education, intelligence and piety, and churches were soon organized and houses of worship erected. In 1854, the Great Air Line Railroad, which proved to be all that its title suggested, was projected, and thus a further impetus was given to the prosperity of the village and township. Before the date last mentioned, a large number of families had made their appearance in all parts of the township, among which are remem- bered Otis Whaley, son-in-law of Moses Rummery. C. G. Cusick, Otho and

535

HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.

son Otho F. Pearre, Horace H. Hinman, Flavius Manley, Alexander Savage. James and Thomas Gibson, Eben Norton, Charles Decker, George, James and William Applegate and Joshua and son David McIntosh. Whaley and Hin- man were both of the Abolition school, not only as pupils but as teachers ; and they never let a picnic or meeting of any kind pass but that a good word was said for the negro. Hinman was a man of education, as well as of ideas, and enforced his doctrine in such a manner as to almost overcome opposition.

He was the first School Commissioner after the adoption by the State of a school system.

Otho Pearre was a man of intelligence, and was highly respected by the cit- izens of the town. Joshua McIntosh was a local Methodist preacher-a man of much native talent and an impressive talker. David McIntosh is one of the best business men in the county ; has been School Treasurer of the township nearly twenty years; and as Representative in the Legislature from this dis- trict, made a record which does honor to himself and his constituents.

In 1856, there existed no doubt in the minds of the inhabitants of New Michigan and vicinity, that this would be a town of more than ordinary impor- tance. The Air Line Railroad had been surveyed through the township, and reports were current that English and American capitalists were interesting themselves, with a view to making this a national cast and west railroad. It is not surprising, then, with this prospect in view, and with the intelligence and culture of the community, that a move should be made to establish in their midst an institution of learning of a higher grade than that afforded by the common schools. Accordingly the Livingston Academy was founded. The projectors and proprietors of the scheme were Washington Houston, William Strawn, Otis Whaley, C. P. Paget, Eben Norton, C. G. Cusick and Moses Rummery. With such men as these as organizers, the project was sure of accom- plishment ; and a building and a corps of teachers were soon on the ground. The first year, E. B. Neville was put in charge of the institution. Though the proprietors and many of the citizens were enthusiastic in regard to the enter- prise, they doubtless left out of account a few necessary elements of success, among which was the necessary growth of the town, which was dependent on the completion of the railroad, and from which was to come, in a great measure, the support of the academy. The school was kept up one year; and then, for two years, the building was idle. In the Fall of 1859, O. F. Pearre was em- ployed, and took charge of the school for three years. During his adminis- tration, through a good deal of hard work, the school was quite prosperous. However, at the end of the period named, Mr. Pearre accepted the position of Principal of the Dwight school ; and then the academy drooped, and finally died. The building of other railroads-the Illinois Central and the Chicago & Alton-attracted the attention of merchants, mechanics and tradesmen to other points. and in a few years New Michigan, with its institutions. lost rank. It continued to be a local trading point, until within a few years, when it was

536

HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.

overshadowed by Streator; and later, when the Chicago & Paducah Railroad was completed, and a station established within a short distance, the place, as a business point, was entirely abandoned. One of the churches was moved away. all of the stores were closed, the post office was abolished, and the academy having been a few years before consumed by fire, nothing remains but a few dwelling houses, as a monument of blasted hopes.

The first church building erected in Livingston County was the one known as the " Old Bethel," of this township. Although a very modest looking affair, as it now stands, weather-beaten and decaying, it outranks all its present contem- poraries, in the one thing that makes it interesting in antiquity. It does not look as though it could have cost more than $300 at first ; and probably it did not. It was sold some years ago, by its original owners, for half the amount named. It is thirty feet wide, by forty in length, and the ceiling is only eight feet in height. It is built mostly of hard-wood lumber, weather-boarding and all. As much of the lumber as could be obtained in the neighborhood was used in its construction ; the balance, such as shingles, window-sash and a small amount of pine boards, were brought from Ottawa. Amos Lundy, Ewin Houchin and Henry Lundy were some of the principal originators of the enterprise. Amos Hart, once Sheriff of Livingston County, and Orlando Chubbuck, now a lawyer of Streator, have immortalized themselves in connec- tion with this house, as its architects and builders. The building was com- pleted in 1848, and stood for nearly nine years-the only house of the kind in the county. The old church now belongs to the United Brethren society. but is not at present used for any purpose.

The United Brethren also have a comfortable house of worship in the village of New Michigan.

The first attempt at newspaper publishing was made here in 1853. Thomas Cotton, who has been mentioned in several other townships as a preacher of the Methodist denomination, was the projector of the scheme. The name of the publication was the Vermilion Herald. He obtained quite a number of sub- scribers and issued the first number. It is said to have been quite a sprightly little paper, and great hopes were entertained that it would be successful ; but after careful calculation of expenses and profits, its proprietor concluded that it would break him up, and he did not issue a second number. He had obtained a good many cash subscribers, and on all of these he called and tendered the price they had advanced for the paper. About three years later, the first copy of the Livingston County News, published at Pontiac, made its appearance.

One of the most sad and mournful accidents that have occurred in the county, happened here September 13, 1877. Three young men, Clark Cusick, Isaac Rummery and James Scovell, undertook the job of cleaning out an old well, on the farm of C. G. Cusick, formerly owned by Otho Pearre. The well was about thirty-five feet deep. Rummery was let down by means of a rope, and when within ten feet of the bottom, he let go of the rope and fell. Perceiving that

537

HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.

an accident had occurred to their companion, Cusick hastened down to his relief. but had not been let down more than fifteen fcet, when he also fell. Then young Scovell, who was a grandson of C. G. Cusick, was let down ; but he fell before he had proceeded ten feet. Assistance was obtained as soon as possible. and some old well-diggers coming upon the spot pronounced the well infected with "damps," or carbonic acid gas. Burning straw being thrown into the well. and instantly being extinguished, proved their theory correct, and that the per- sons at the bottom were dead. Grappling irons were then brought into requi- sition, and three hours after the bodies had all been brought to the surface. The names of the parties will be recognized as descendants of some of the first settlers, and most esteemed citizens of the township. The accident cast a deep gloom over the whole community.

The township of Newtown was organized April 6, 1858, by the election of Supervisor and other officers. This part of the county had, prior to this time, been set off as a voting precinct, with Judges of Election, Justice of the Peace and Constable, and was called the "New Michigan Precinct." Charles Decker. whose name will be recognized as one of the old settlers, had served in the capacity of Justice of the Peace from the establishing of the precinct in 1854. until the organization of the town in 1858. The first Supervisor was Eben Norton, who is the only man serving on the Board at the present time who was a member at the first meeting. Since 1858, the Super- visors in succession have been as follows: Eben Norton, C. H. Hart, Otho Pearre, David McIntosh, Chester Manley, Jacob Phillips, David Hoobler, Z. R. Jones and Stephen Hinds. The following is a complete list of the town- ship officers as returned for 1878 : Stephen Hinds, Supervisor ; William A. Phillips, Clerk ; John S. Paget, Collector ; David McIntosh, Treasurer of Schools ; John Forsythe, Assessor ; Z. R. Jones and E. Sheibley, Justices of the Peace; F. M. Davis and A. J. Fulwiler, Constables, and Jacob Phillips. James Mortlan and Z. R. Jones, Road Commissioners.

In 1855, when the present system of schools was adopted (which indeed was the first public school system adopted in the State), Newtown Township had more schools within its limits than any other in the county. More attention was given to education in this locality than in any locality within forty miles. Though one township reports eight more children than this, Newtown had twice as many schools, and 171 scholars in the schools against 110 in any other.

A few items extracted from the report of John Hoobler, first School Treasurer. will doubtless be interesting. In many particulars, as compared with other townships at that date, they will be found much higher.

Number of schools. 4

Number of persons under 21 345

Number of scholars in attendance at schools 171

Highest wages paid teachers, per month. $ 33 33}

Amount paid for support of schools 1,421 00

538

HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.

For the purpose of comparing with the present, a few items from the report of D. McIntosh, for the year 1877, are also given.

Number of schools.

Number of persons under 21. 493

Number of scholars in attendance at school. 293

Number of persons between 6 and 21 340

Number of teachers 21

Whole amount paid teachers. $2,705 00

Total paid for the support of schools. 3,511 00

In the selection of teachers, this township has almost always been very fort- unate. Some of the best schools in the county have been taught here, and many of the best teachers have been educated in these schools.

As might be expected from the sentiments which had prevailed in this town- ship for many years prior to the war which liberated 4,000,000 of slaves, many of the young men shouldered their muskets and marched to the scene of action, thus proving by their acts their belief in the doctrines taught them by their fathers. Some never returned alive. The names of a few are given as remem- bered : Henry F. Houston was killed at Gallatin, Tenn. ; John Benrick was killed by accident in Tennessee ; Wm. R. Houchin was killed at Bowling Green, Ky. ; Franklin Hoobler was accidentally killed at Buck's Lodge, Tenn. Some others, whose names we could not get, died either of wounds or of army diseases, some in hospital and some living till they had reached home, dying among their friends and kindred.

Newtown Township consists of a little less than a full Congressional town, the west line of the township being Vermilion River, which cuts off all of Sections 30 and 31 and parts of 7, 18 and 19 of Township 30 north, Range 4 east of the Third Principal Meridian, and throwing this territory into Reading Township. The river, however, flows through the northeast corner of Section 30, Range 3, and these add about two sections of that town to Newtown, thus making the township consist of, about thirty-four full sections. In the general appearancet of its surface it much resembles Sunbury, which lies on the east, being somewha Tolling. About one-sixth of the land is covered by the timber of the Vermil- ion and Mud Creek. These streams of water, together with some small tribu- taries, furnish stock water to almost all of the farms in the western and southern parts. Coal is believed to underlie the whole township. Considerable mining has already been done in the west part, along the river, where the coal crops out.

At Vermilion City, where the Chicago, Pekin & Southwestern Railroad crosses the Vermilion River, the Vermilion Coal Company have sunk shafts from which immense quantities of the article are taken. The Western Division of the Chicago & Alton Railroad crosses the township from east to west, giving the township a direct outlet to Chicago by way of Dwight. The Chicago, Pekin & Southwestern Railroad traverses a small portion of the northwestern corner, and the Chicago & Paducah passes through the town from northwest to southeast.

539

HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.

The stations on the several roads in this township are Smithdale, on the Chicago & Alton ; Collins, on the Chicago & Paducah ; and Vermilion City, on the Chicago, Pekin & Southwestern.

VILLAGE OF COLLINS OR NEWTOWN.

The Chicago & Paducah Railroad having been completed through this part of the county in 1871, and a switch being laid at this place, steps were imme- diately taken to found a town. On the 7th of August, in the year mentioned. M. E. Collins, who had been actively engaged in procuring the location of the road, caused to be laid out, from the southeast quarter of Section 21, the plat sinee known as Collins. A few weeks later, October 18th, Jacob Kuns and David Hoobler laid out a second plat of eleven acres, from the same section. naming it Newtown. While the post-office, established here soon after, has always retained the name of Collins, the village has generally been known by the other name.

The first house in the limits of the village was a dwelling, brought by M. A. Newman from his farm. Chester Manley built the first dwelling in the town ; and M. E. Collins erected the first store building. David Hoobler and David Gouty moved a store room from New Michigan the same Fall. Soon after, J. & W. Hossack, of Odell, erected a small warehouse, built cribs and commenced buying grain. By the Winter of 1871-2, business was quite well established, and thus bid fair to be a town of considerable importance. Since that time, the village has continued to improve slowly, so that at present there are some twenty families in the place.

In the Fall of 1874, the Methodist Episcopal Church of New Michigan, following the example of other buildings, moved to the station. No school house has yet been erected, but one is contemplated, and will doubtless be built soon, as the wants of the town demand such accommodations.

VERMILION CITY.

This is simply a settlement made by the miners about the Vermilion Coal Co.'s works, on the Chicago, Pekin & Southwestern Railroad, at the crossing of the Vermilion River, a mile southwest of Streator. A plat of the place was made by A. C. Huetson, for J. M. Walker, President, and A. T. Hall, Secretary, of the Chicago, Wilmington & Vermilion Coal Company. The plat consists of fifty-one acres, from Section 2, Township 30, Range 3. In the record of the plat, the right of mining all coal beneath the land is reserved. The town consists of forty or fifty miners and other employes of the Company, a few of whom have families.

SMITHDALE.

This is only a station on the western extension of the Chicago & Alton Railroad. Wm. Shepard laid out a town here in 1870. The plat consists of thirty-two acres, from Section 8, but has never been improved, and the station- house is all that exists to indicate the presence of a town.

540

HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.

ESMEN TOWNSHIP.

It is not only interesting and instructive to look over a map of the country as it was in the olden time. but, in a sense, quite amusing. If we compare a map of the eastern coast of the United States, as published by the authority of the British government in the year 1700, with the more modern publications of like character. we shall find features so different in the two as would not only be surprising to people ignorant of the history of the country subsequent to that date, but which would cause no little astonishment in the minds of the well informed. Look at a map of the Northwest during a period just prior to 1765, and you will find it marked as " French Territory." Then this same territory, from the date named until 1778, is delineated as a "British Province." After this, from 1778 until 1787, what is now the State of Illinois appears a part of Virginia. After this, for thirteen years, with a vast amount of other country, it was called the "Northwest Territory." In 1800, when our grandfathers were going to school, they were taught to call the whole of Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and Michigan by the name of "Indiana Territory," and by this title it was known until 1809, when the map makers again had to change, and Illinois and Wisconsin were called the "Illinois Territory." In 1818, when our fathers began to study geography, the atlases in which grandfather and grandmother studied would no longer answer the purpose, for Illinois had then become a State, with boundaries co-extensive with what we now find them.

The changes which have come to the geographical features of the State since its admission into the Union are equally noticeable. The original num- ber of counties was only fifteen. These have been divided and changed so that we now have 102, each change being a source of grief to the map publishers.

The original number of voting precincts in Livingston were only Center, Indian Grove and Bayou; but these were divided as the county settled up, until 1858, when there were nine. In the year named, twenty townships were organized out of these, and since then ten more have been struck off, making at present thirty separate organizations.

The township of Esmen, like many others of the county, has worried the map makers. In 1835. there was nothing except the creeks, the little strips of timber on their banks, and a sea of grass ; but since then, changes have been so frequent and marked that, almost before a chart of the township was off the press, a new one was required.

The first permanent settlement made in this township was by John Chews, from Ohio, in the year 1835. However, some young men, whose names are not remembered, came into the neighborhood a year or two before, and built a cabin, planted a little corn, and did a good deal of hunting and fishing, but had left the country before Chews came. At this time, all the country between Mud Creek (where Chews settled) and Pontiac, and for forty miles to the east, was an

541

HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.

open plain. At Pontiac were two or three cabins, occupied by the Youngs and Weed, who eventually laid out the county seat and became the proprietors of the town. There were yet no stores at Pontiac, or any other kind of business carried on either there or at any other point in the county ; and Mud Creek. from all appearances, seemed as likely to become the metropolis of the county as any other location. The county had not been yet laid out. but was included in other county limits. The canal from Chicago to La Salle had not yet been built, though it had been talked of; and so the nearest market was Chicago. The early settler, however, cared but little for markets or shops. His gun and his hoe supplied him with all the real necessaries of life. including clothing : and as for luxuries. he had left them behind when he set his face toward the then far West.

Chews lived, like all pioneers, both a hard and an easy life-hard as taking into account the many comforts and advantages which abounded in the . ountry from which he had come, and easy as regards the amount of actual labor per- formed to eke out a living. He remained in the township until about 1860. the date of his death.

The next settler was Wm. K. Brown. He was a mail contractor, and car- ried the bags from Ottawa to Pontiac and Indian Grove. He located in the northwestern part of the township, and made this his stopping place, and soon after obtained an order for establishing the Sunbury post-office at his house. Though in Esmen Township, it was north of the Creek, and was at first called by the name which the adjoining township now bears. What few mails were then brought to this part of the country, were, of course, brought on horseback : and, though postage was three to five times what it is now, and mails were car- ried for a very small salary, the postal service was not, in this part of the coun- try, self-sustaining. The post-boy, with his fleet horse and shrill horn to apprise the community of his approach, has become almost legendary, his place having been usurped by the steam horse and his fiery driver.

James Funk and William Ross settled in the grove, in the southern part of the town, now known as Babcock's Grove. They had been in the township a few years, when, in 1848, B. P. Babcock came from New York and bought them both out. They each owned an eighty of the grove, and, thinking to better their condition, sold their claims and removed to other parts.

" Judge " Babcock, as he is more familiarly known, came from Utica, in the year last named, and, being highly pleased with the appearance and location of the little grove, which has since borne his name, concluded to make this his home. Funk and Ross had each built a little log cabin, near where the Judge's residence now stands, and into one of these he moved and resided until he could erect a better house. Even at the time he came to the country it was but thinly settled, and neighbors were few and far between. He relates that, while moving his goods from Chicago to his future home. and when within twenty-one

542

HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.

miles of the Grove, he came upon a cabin, on the Mazon Creek, which proved to be the abode of one Salt Marsh. Babcock stopped here to water the horses, and while thus engaged the proprietor of the domicile came out and conversed with different parties of the moving company. Just as the Judge was about to move on, the resident of Mazon said to him : "Stranger, are you not the man who lately bought the grove just this side of Pontiac ?" and, on being informed that he was right in his suspicions, he continued : "Well, now, as it is late in the day, and you are to be neighbors, I would like to have you unhitch your horses and stay with me over night, so that we may become acquainted." This fur- ther illustrates the very cordial and friendly feeling that existed in those times. The stranger was perfectly welcome, and all seemed glad to contribute to each other's comfort and welfare. The petty jealousies which exist in older-settled communities were unknown.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

The History of Livingston County, Illinois : containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c., Part 52

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