The History of McLean County, Illinois; portraits of early settlers and prominent men, Part 33

Author: Le Baron, Wm., Jr. & Co., Chicago, Pub
Publication date: 1879
Publisher: Chicago : W. Le Baron, Jr.
Number of Pages: 1092

USA > Illinois > McLean County > The History of McLean County, Illinois; portraits of early settlers and prominent men > Part 33

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were never sure, being, in fact, in one of the frontier counties of the State, Woodford not yet being organized, the territory of Tazewell extending to the Illinois River, north of which was the disputed ground, where, in 1831 and 1832, Black Hawk's bands roamed and massacred at will, and the public mind was in constant alarm from rumors of anticipated outbreaks. There were also bold and venturesome settlers scat- tered along the groves and creeks of Woodford, at this time citizens of Tazewell, and also a few in the Vermilion timber, in what is at the present time in Livingston County, but who were, at this date, included in the county of Tazewell. We shall see, in a short time, that at a later period Blooming Grove and its neighbors raised a company of rangers for sixty days' service on the frontier of McLean, who, under Capt. J. H. S. Rhodes, performed good service from the head of Mackinaw to the Vermilion, besides hearing of more important work in the Black Hawk war.

Our settlers were occupied in not only securing an education for their children, in clearing and fencing farms, raising food and obtaining clothing, but they were compelled to think of their defense against a common enemy, and we need not wonder that their lives were anxious and laborious. We are surprised that they found time to participate in the Presidential elections of 1824 and 1828, which took place during this period. Tradition informs us that the voters were generally Jacksonians-even as late as 1832, only six in the county having voted for Jackson's opponent. In 1824, the State gave two electoral votes for Jackson, and one for Adams, and the indignation of citizens in this part of the State knew no bounds when the election of Adams was proclaimed. In 1828, the vote was for Jackson, with little opposition except on State and minor officers. Elections in those days were different from what we have seen in later years. People voted for men, and not as much for measures. Party lines hardly existed, or if they did, the State was so strongly Democratic that opposition was confined to a choice of candidates. Nomina- tions were not made by conventions until in later times. Men became candidates and ran for office on their merits, and the result, perhaps, was about the same as now, though the means for accomplishing it might differ. To vote against a candidate par- took of the nature of a personal affront, and many of the contests were peculiarly bitter and aggravating. Offices were sought for with as much avidity as at present. In the formation of new counties men saw opportunities for new offices as tempting, no doubt, for their honors as we have seen them in later times for their emoluments.

The center of population and influence was in the Orendorff neighborhood, about four miles southeast of our city, where, at William Walker's house, Mr. Allin opened a store late in 1829, where there was, as early as 1824, a log schoolhouse, and where, from indications, it was thought, as early as in 1826, quite a village might one day be built. Blooming Grove was, in 1827, well settled as a farming neighborhood. It was surrounded on all sides by a belt of farms, some of them quite large, all of them valued highly by their owners. These owners had most of them built comfortable log houses, had con- structed many miles of rail fences, and had broken and cultivated a large area of prairie- land. They were employed, as were all the pioneers of the day, in subduing nature, but with it all they were social and happy, having a care for the morals and education of their growing families, and making for the times one of the pleasantest settlements in the new and growing State. There was in the neighborhood more than the usual amount of warm-hearted friendship and neighborly affection. All were equal in social state and dignity. Fashion was not then the inexorable goddess we are accustomed to meet in

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these modern-perhaps we may add-these degenerate days. Our pioneers were proud to be attired in home-spun, woven by the busy housewife of the period, while such a thing as a carriage or buggy was unknown in Blooming Grove. Husbands went to church on foot; their wives rode the horses, carrying with them such of the children as were too young to make their way by walking. If the good wife was clad in a calico of durable texture and fast color she was as happy as the fine ladies of to-day robed in vel- vets and sealskins. The religion of the times favored a very rigid and severe adherence to plain and unadorned attire, making, as it would almost look to us, rather a virtue of a necessity, although a few years later, when the rapid accumulation of wealth rendered display a matter of easy accomplishment, we shall find large numbers of the pioneers, from motives of principle, refraining as carefully from any vain show or unnecessary orna- ment as they did in the primitive times of which we are now writing.

For neighbors, the Blooming Grove farmers had the settlers in Randolph's Grove, Dry and Twin Groves and Funk's Grove, voting in the same precinct with most of them at first, while they knew all the inhabitants along the Mackinaw, from its head to far below the old town of Mackinaw, in Tazewell County, with which county, it must be remembered, they were attached until a year after the period we are now discussing. The families at Cheney's Grove were also neighbors and friends, while people living in Macon and Sangamon Counties were almost as well known as those "around the Grove." Young women then thought nothing of a walk of five or six miles to make calls, while for visit- ing, a ride of thirty miles over the prairie was as easy as one could wish.

The early pioneers, those who came previous to October, 1829, could not obtain a legal title to their farms, as the General Government did not offer the land here for sale until October, 1829. Before this time all the land was held by " claims." The settlers had an agreement among themselves by which they allowed a man to " claim " about as much timber-land as he might need, generally not over 160 acres, upon which he might build his cabin and make his other improvements; and woe unto the speculator or new-comer whoshould attempt to " claim " land already occupied by a bona-fide settler. Blooming Grove was nearly all taken by these claimants before the land came into market, and some of the prairie adjoining was, of course, taken in the same manner. These claims were bought and sold, the purchaser coming into possession of the improvements together with whatever rights were considered as appertaining thereto. Many quarrels ensued from this state of affairs, though we do not find that Blooming Grove was the scene of any difficulties of much note.

When the land-sales came off in October, 1829, at Vandalia, there was a gathering of pioneers from the townships offered for sale, at which no speculator was allowed to purchase until all settlers had made their selections ; rather a high-handed proceeding, as it would now appear, but one which was justified by the condition of the infant settlements.

The records at our Court House show that John Hendrix entered the first tract of land in the Grove, October 9, 1826 ; but as he purchased the adjoining eighty on the 9th day of October, 1829, at which time the land all came into market, there is almost a certainty that the first record is an error, and that he bought both pieces at the same time in 1829.

A tract of eighty acres was entered on the 9th of October, 1829, in the names of Seth and Isaac Baker. On the next day, October 10, it appears that no less than

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eighteen of the pioneers of Blooming Grove entered their farms, indicating that a jolly crowd went from here to Vandalia at that time. Within a short time after this, it appears, nearly the whole settlement secured their homes.

Many of our pioneers borrowed money at the exorbitant rate of twenty-five per cent interest, in order to secure their farms. There was at that time no usury law in the State. There were very few capitalists, money being very scarce indeed. Some of the early settlers found it impossible to hold and pay for their farms at these rates, although they paid such a low price for the land.

Quite a number of our pioneers borrowed money for their farms of Dr. R. H. Peebles, of Vandalia, and his name appears frequently on our early records. He was regarded as a man of wealth, having loaned money over a large area. We have stated that this region was taken off from Fayette County, in 1826, and included in Vermilion County for a time. In 1827, Tazewell County was formed, as we have mentioned, and, in 1829, its boundaries were re-arranged, and the eastern portion of Tazewell, including Blooming Grove, was contained, nominally, within the limits of Vermilion from 1829 to 1831, but attached to Tazewell for county purposes. In the records of the County Commissioners' proceedings at Pekin, this district is often spoken of as the " attached " portion of Tazewell County. County lines were understood to be in a formative condi- tion, and it was entirely uncertain where they would eventually be permanently estab- lished, and hence one can realize that there was great interest felt in all schemes for the formation of new counties. The territory under consideration was " in the market," so to speak-ready for any project that might promise to benefit the interests of Blooming Grove. For several years, there was quite a conflict between the interests of a portion of the people living in what was then the " attached " portion of Tazewell and those in the western part of the same county. The latter were not by any means united in their interests, as Pekin was aspiring to become a county seat, while Mackinaw was striving to retain the prize then held.

One of the last acts of the Tazewell County Court affecting the interests of Blooming Grove Precinct was at the June term of 1830, when Judges of Election were appointed. They were John Benson, John Hendrix and John Cox. The election was ordered to be held at the house of William Evans. This being the year during which the project was carried out for the formation of a new county, and, having taken place after Mr. James Allin had opened his store at this point, it is altogether probable that Mr. Allin favored the holding of this election at the house of Mr. Evans, in order to enlighten the inhabitants of the Grove as to the eligibility of this locality as a site for the county seat, although the mere fact of his store being here might have been the main clement of " centrality" that entered into the case. At all events, it is quite cer- tain that this election at the house of Mr. Evans was the first public meeting of any kind that was ever held in the city of Bloomington.

We are now approaching the time when the new county of MeLean was organized, and it is possible some of the actors may have been interested in the manufacture of new offices, as much as others were in the location of new county seats, and the combination of these inducements no doubt contributed to the formation of the county of McLean, as well as to the location of its capital, which was to grow into the thriving city of Bloomington. It will, of course, be remembered that Blooming Grove was in Fayette County until 1827, when the northern portion of Fayette was organized into the county

Nr. Orme BLOOMINGTON

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of Tazewell, on the plea that the increase of settlement rendered it impossible to hold this region as a dependency-one hundred miles from the county seat at Vandalia. The new county, Tazewell, had its capital at Mackinawtown, only twenty miles distant, and hence our settlers had not the excuse of inaccessibility, as before. Other reasons, however, existed for the organization of a new county, a careful examination of which will show good canse why a new county should be authorized. Tazewell County, as it then existed, stretched from the Illinois River to the present line of Iroquois County, or in that neighborhood, on the east, and to the Illinois River on the west and north, an immense territory, now occupied by about seven or eight counties. This district was rapidly filling with industrious settlers, and it was seen that new counties must be carved out of this territory at no distant day. The problem for those interested here at Blooming Grove was, to detach sufficient timber-land from Tazewell to form a good county. Prairie was then reckoned as so much waste-little better than a desert. After considerable scheming, a petition was taken to Vandalia by Thomas Orendorff and Mr. James . Latta, who secured from the Legislature a law for the formation of a new county, to be called McLean, which was detached from Tazewell at the session of 1830 and 1831.

The name McLean was given in honor of John McLean, who had been a Repre- sentative in Congress, and was greatly respected. He had also been twice a member of the United States Senate, and died in that office in 1830 ; and his death being a recent event, it was natural that a new county should be named for the magnanimous, noble man, who never had an enemy in his life. The law provided that a Commission should meet in the new county and proceed to locate its county seat, which was accomplished, as we shall briefly relate ; but we will first take a view of what was evident to those who were actors in the events of the times.

We should also mention that by this time there were a number of families along the Mackinaw, a good many at White Oak and Stout's Grove, while Dry and Twin Groves, Randolph's Grove, Old Town Timber, Buckles', Cheney's, and in fact all the groves were peopled with settlers; and in some places there was still left good tim- ber-land unclaimed, which, in a short time, as was well understood, would be as fully occupied with families as were the other tracts of timber in the county. In all this dis- trict the only trading-place was the store of James Allin, removed from the house of William Walker to what is now Bloomington, and situated at what is now the southeast corner of Grove and East streets. Of course, Mr. Allin did not supply all the goods that were used, as Mackinawtown contained stores, while many goods were purchased at Springfield, at Peoria, and at towns on the Wabash and other places. But it was foreseen that the new county seat would be a place of considerable importance, even to supply the trade already existing, while with the increase of settlement expected, busi- ness would become at some future time, extensive enough to sustain considerable of a town.

Mr. James Allin had opened his store at his new location in 1830, and made a purchase of land where the city of Bloomington now stands. Before the law organizing McLean County was passed, Mr. Allin formed his plans to secure the county seat, though we cannot say just how much mention he made of his designs. The famous decp snow came in the winter of 1830 and 1831, and was the means of preventing the assembling of the county seat Commission on the "second Monday of February, or in five

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days thereafter ; " but as soon as possible, as they say in their report, they made their selection of the site for the permanent county seat of McLean County.

A location was shown the Commission in the Orendorff neighborhood. At this time, in fact from 1823, William and Thomas Orendorff were the most substantial set- tlers, or very nearly so, were very influential, and they were men who could, no doubt, have secured the county seat near them, in what was then the oldest and best settled part of the Grove, had they made the attempt. Mr. William Orendorff remarked that he would not have his farm cut up by a little town, and made no effort, though impor- tuned by some of his neighbors. Mr. James Allin was always grateful to Mr. Oren- dorff for the stand he took. It was agreed by all parties that the name of the new county seat should be Bloomington, and it was thus named in the act incorporating McLean County.

Mrs. William Orendorff, a lady of more than ordinary talent, better educated than the majority of the early settlers, and, withal, a person of fine personal appearance, ap- pears to be entitled to the honor of changing the name of Keg Grove to Blooming Grove, in 1824. From this, the transition to Bloomington seemed very natural and proper, and the name met with very general approval all over the county.

The county seat of Monroe County, Ind., was named Bloomington April 10, 1818, over twelve years before our town was laid out; so we cannot claim to have originated the name. There are now no less than thirteen Bloomingtons in as many different States, but our city is much the largest and most important of all.

A post office was established here, named Blooming Grove, with Rev. William See, Postmaster, on the 29th of January, 1829. Mr. See was the Methodist minister of this circuit for several years. He lived in this settlement much of the time after 1824, though in 1831, at the time of the location of Bloomington, he was living in Randolph Grove. Mr. See improved the Price farm on the east side of the Grove, and here the first post office was kept for a little over one year.

During the years between 1822 and 1831, all of Blooming Grove was either bought or " claimed" by settlers, and it was occupied by a class of hard-working, intelligent farmers, who were bent on clearing their land, making good homes for their families, with little thought of the glorious future in store for their settlement. Let us take a clear, unobstructed view of the condition of Blooming Grove Settlement as it existed in 1830, before McLean County was organized, when Bloomington had no existence, and in so doing we shall prepare our way for a better understanding of what followed. We have seen that the whole grove was occupied at the date we have selected. We find there were fifty families of whom we have learned the names, and it is likely there may have been a few others. The names of the heads of families are John Hendrix, Rev. E. Rhodes, Jeremiah Rhodes, William Orendorff, Thomas Orendorff, Rev. James Latta, Henry Little, John H. S. Rhodes, William Goodheart, William H. Hodge, William Lind- ley, Mrs. Benjamin Cox, David Simmons, John Benson, James Benson, George Hinshaw, Sr., William Chatham, Moses Dunlap, William Waldron, Anthony Alberry, William Thomas, John Canady, James Canady, Oman Olney, Joseph Walker, Sr., William Michaels, John Lindley, Joseph Bailey Harbord, Achilles Deatherage, William Walker, Timothy M. Gates, William Lucas, John Cox, Dr. Isaac Baker, Maj. Seth Baker, H. M. Harbord, Parr Rathbone, John Mullen, Michael Allington, Nathan Low, John Benson, Jr. and Benjamin Depew.

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Of single young men living in Blooming Grove in 1830 and 1831, we have the names of David Cox, Aaron Rhodes, Samuel Rhodes, Joseph Walker, Jr., Wilson Lindley, Cheney Thomas, Solomon Walker, Hiram Harbord, Moses Baker, Elliott Baker, William T. T. Benson, Jesse Benson, William Olney, Sylvanus Olney, Franklin Gates, Timothy Gates, William Canady, John Walker, Johnson Lucas, John D. Baker, James Rhodes, James K. Orendorff.

It is possible some of the above may have been rather young to be called men at the time indicated ; while it is likely there were a number of young men living in the settlement whose names are not mentioned in the foregoing list.

The following heads of families were living within what are now the city limits of Bloomington before the town was laid out, in 1830, while it is probable a few others- among them Dr. Baker and Rev. Mr. Latta-should also be included in this list ; but we have placed them in the list of those living in the Grove. In the whole settlement, there were fifty families : Henry Miller, James Tolliver, James Allin, John Greenman, Will- iam Evans, John Maxwell, John Kimler and James Mason lived in what is now the city of Bloomington.

Of young men then living in what is now the city of Bloomington, we find Will- iam Dimmitt, William Evans, Jr., Frank Evans, William Durley, Merritt L. Covell, W. H. Allen, William Greenman, Esek Greenman, Samuel Durley, John Durley and Sam- uel Evans.

A few of the latter were hardly grown men. The Guthries were not living here till just after the sale of lots, in 1831, after which time, we find them in Bloomington settlement, though living at first in what is now Major's Grove. Adam Guthrie and his brother Robert E. were among the most active of our early residents.

We have taken a great deal of pains to ascertain the names of all heads of fami- lies who were here in 1830 and 1831, before the sale of lots, and believe we have obtained nearly a full list. Of the names given as single men we do not feel quite as certain, though it probably includes the most of those living here at the time. We have men- tioned but few of those who were boys at that day, though it is evident there were a large number of children in the fifty families here at Blooming Grove. It is probable that the population of the settlement on the 4th of July, 1831, was between two hundred and fifty and three hundred-indieating a solid basis for the new town of Bloomington, which was about to start upon its career of fame and prosperity. By this time, many of the farmers at the Grove were in quite comfortable circumstances, and their growing ability to purchase comforts and luxuries for their families formed a much better basis for the establishment of a town than was dreamed of by the most of the pioneers of the day.

We have thus sketched, briefly, the outline of the early history of Blooming Grove, and have tried to make it perfectly clear that it was a thrifty, well-ordered, sub- stantial farming neighborhood, of itself almost sufficiently important to found and build a village of considerable future importance; while its location was such that the sur- rounding settlements were tributary to Blooming Grove, as a natural center. Taking this view of the matter, we see satisfactory reasons for the locating here of the county seat of the new county, and can proceed from this point with the history of Blooming- ton, remarking that Blooming Grove, as a part of the precinct, afterward township, of Bloomington, has an equal interest in whatever we relate of historical events after the years 1830 and 1831.

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JAMES ALLIN.

While we cannot pretend, in a work of this kind, to give much personal history, we will mention that the Hon. James Allin was born January 13, 1788, in North Car- olina. After several emigrations, he found himself, in 1821, at Vandalia, then the county seat of Fayette County, which included a portion of the territory now in McLean County. Mr. Allin was one of those far-seeing, shrewd business men, who plainly saw that the rapid increase of population in the new State of Illinois would result in the formation of new counties and the location of new towns, and he early conceived the idea of being interested in some one or more of the future towns or cities of Central Illinois.

In November, 1829, he came to Blooming Grove with a stock of goods which he commenced selling at the house of William Walker, near Mr. Orendorff's, in the south part of the Grove. During the following winter and spring, he was forming plans for future action. He learned before coming here from Vandalia that schemes were being matured for the formation of a new county from the eastern part of Tazewell, and on his arrival, he was of great assistance to the Orendorffs, Mr. W. H. Hodge, Mr. James Latta and others, who were in the movement.

Mr. William Lindley, who is now living on the south side of Blooming Grove, states that early in 1830 Mr. Allin offered to buy his claim, which covered Mr. Lindley's pres- ent farm, stating that he wished to start a town. Mr. L. told him his land was too flat and wet for that purpose, but if he would come with him to the north side of the Grove, he would show him the best town site in the country. Mr. Allin came, and they found that Mr. William Evans, who had a "claim " on 160 acres, wished to sell, and a bargain was soon arranged. This Mr. Evans was not related to the other William Evans who built the first house in Bloomington. He soon moved away to Missouri, or some- where else, and disappeared from our history. Mr. Allin built a house, which is still standing as a part of the family residence of Dr. Stipp, where he opened a store in one end of the building in March, 1830; and during this year he went forward with liis plans for the formation of the county and the location of the county seat. David Sim- mons came here in November, 1830, and at that time Mr. Allin told him there would be a town where we now see Bloomington. The Legislature had not passed the act for the incorporation of McLean County ; but Mr. Allin was confident of the outcome of the plans which were being matured. During the following session of the Legislature, Mr. Thomas Orendorff and Rev. James Latta went to Vandalia with a petition for a new county. Before they started, Mr. Allin rendered them valuable assistance by sug- gestions as to how they should operate for the passage of the bill for the new county. He had lived several years at the capital, and understood how these matters were man- aged in legislative halls. When the act passed, it named three men to locate the county seat, who were the parties Mr. Allin desired ; and when they met here they approved of the site, and reported in favor of locating the county seat "at the north side of the Blooming Grove."

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The History of McLean County, Illinois; portraits of early settlers and prominent men, Part 33

Author: Le Baron, Wm., Jr. & Co., Chicago, Pub Publication date: 1879 Publisher: Chicago : W. Le Baron, Jr. Number of Pages: 1092

Author: Le Baron, Wm., Jr. & Co., Chicago, Pub
Publication date: 1879
Publisher: Chicago : W. Le Baron, Jr.
Number of Pages: 1092