The History of McLean County, Illinois; portraits of early settlers and prominent men, Part 37

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 37

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).

GEN. GRIDLEY'S RECOLLECTIONS.

The following statement was given by Gen. Gridley to a short-hand reporter as a conversation, and written out by the reporter subsequently. It does not pretend to be anything more than a slight sketch of prominent facts, given as an interview.

"I came to this county the 8th day of October, 1831. This county was organ- ized by an act of the Legislature during their session in the winter of 1830 and 1831. This city was laid out in June, 1831, by the then County Commissioners John Cheney, of Cheney's Grove; Timothy D. Hoblit, of Big Grove (now in De Witt County), and Jesse Havens, of Haven's Grove. The first sale of lots was on the 4th day of July, 1831. They were sold by the County Commissioners. The proceeds of that sale amounted to about $300, which was used to build a Court House. The land in the original town of Bloomington was donated by James Allin to the county for that purpose. This county before that time was a part of Tazewell County. There were not over ten or a dozen families in Bloomington when I came here. There were Col. Latta, Dr. Baker, Dr. Wheeler, James Allin, David Trimmer, Robert Guthrie, William McKisson, and there were a few others. Mr. McKisson was not married at that time, but married shortly after. I recollect old John Dawson. When I arrived in this county, he was residing sixteen miles east of Bloomington, on the Indian Camp. I don't know of any Indians being there at that time. He was a man of strong good

342

HISTORY OF MCLEAN COUNTY.

principle, natural good sense and a thoroughly honest man, with a strong will, of great kindness. Integrity and hospitality to strangers were the general characteristics of the early settlers of this county, treating a stranger as well as an acquaintance with the greatest kindness. Of the early settlers of this county, I never knew of but one family that were inclined to be dishonest. Some of them are here now, and some of them went away. John Dawson had early acquired a good deal of property, and was considered quite a wealthy man, but he lost a good deal and gave security for a good many.

" Old Dr. Baker came to McLean County in 1830 ; he was a very excellent man ; he never practiced medicine. He was Clerk of the Board of County Commissioners and Clerk of the Probate Court; was Postmaster several years. He was a kind, gen- erous-hearted man, giving information with regard to real estate and business matters generally, within his knowledge, without compensation. He died about six years ago.

" There were no Indians around here when I came, except a few Pottawatomies, who had their homes up in Indian Grove, in Livingston County.

"In the spring of 1832, we raised a company for the Black Hawk war. Mr. L. Covel was the Captain and I was First Lieutenant and Baldwin was Second Lieuten- ant. The company consisted of fifty-six mustered men, each man furnishing his own horse and equipage. Leaving here in June, we were attached to Stillman's Battalion at Peoria. Arrived at Dixon, on Rock River, a few days later, and there learned that Black Hawk was about thirty miles up the river. We were to await, at Dixon, the arrival of the main army. The volunteers in Stillman's Battalion numbered just 206 men. The men were very anxious to go and clean out the Indians, and not wait for the regulars. So we went on and came up with the Indians, six or seven hundred strong. a little way on the other side of what is now called Stillman's Run. I cannot say much about the fight, but this, and that is, we got most beautifully whipped in the fight with the Indians. We only lost one man from this county, and his name is Joseph Draper ; he was in our company. After the fight, we returned to Dixon, thirty miles distant, the best way we could.

" Soon after the battle, we were sent back to this county and mustered out of serv- ice. Soon after this, another company was formed and mustered into the service. That company was commanded by Capt. John H. S. Rhodes, who was killed on the I., B. & W. Railroad, about two years ago.

FINANCIAL CRISIS OF 1837.

"The great financial crisis was in 1837, but it was beginning to be felt in 1836. It was caused by the Government of the United States withdrawing its deposits from the banks, and also by the wild speculations in real estate at that time, and consequently the establishment of State banks, and wild-cat banks sprang up in every direction in their stead.

" The greatest number of wild-eat banks sprang up in Michigan. They started so many in that State that they found difficulty in getting names for them all. To give you an idea of the number of banks at that time, if you had $1,000 in bills, there would be in that $1,000 the bills of over two hundred different banks. The Michigan money at that time went by the name of red-dog, as the bills were most of them printed on red.

343

HISTORY OF MCLEAN COUNTY.

" The real estate speculation, which was one of the causes of our financial trouble in 1836 and 1837, was mostly in starting up towns and speculating in town lots. Town lots here at that time brought as high as $150 a lot. After the crash came, they would not bring over $5 apiece. I went to Philadelphia in 1836, and sold about $20,000 or $30,000 worth of lots, and these very same lots, after the panic, could be bought at any price ; and the purchasers of a good many of the lots I sold at that time, and, in fact, the majority, never thought it worth while to pay the taxes on them. The lots here in Allin & Gridley's Addition would not bring over $4 or $5, and the parties in the East let them go for taxes.

" During the time of the real estate speculations, a great many towns were laid out all over the country ; in fact, most everybody was laying out towns or wanted to. A good many of these towns never came to anything, and then again, some of them did well. At that time, Mr. Jesse Fell laid out Clinton, and I think he can be proud of that town, for it is a good, thriving city. The people living around Big Grove. De Witt County, wanted a town, and as the settlement was around the edge of the Grove, they all wanted a town right in the center, so it would be easy of access and to suit them all. We had a sale there and it was a very good one. I do not remember just what the lots did bring apiece, but I think the sale amounted to $600 or $700. As a town, it was a failure, like a good many others.

" In 1836, Gen. Bartholomew laid out a little town and called it Clarksville, not far from Lexington; but that town, like the one in Big Grove, was a failure. Mr. James Brown and myself laid out Lexington, sixteen miles north of Bloomington ; that was a good location and they have a fine town there.

" Gen. Covell and myself, about the same time, laid out LeRoy ; that is sixteen iniles east of Bloomington, and that was also a success.

THE BANKRUPTCY LAW.

" The bankruptcy law of 1840 took effect in the spring of 1841, and cost a man about $25 to get through. Every person that had done any kind of business here was entirely used up.

" All the bankruptcy business was done at Springfield, in the court there; and I had fifty-one cases in that court from this section of the country. Every man that had been engaged in business here took the benefit of the law.

" The assignee's labors were light as the assets were small, and sometimes they were nothing, as everybody was broken up, and book accounts were of no value whatever.

" In those days, when we run a mill by horse-power, the horses walked on a large round platform, and the horse kept on walking but never got any farther. Mr. Solomon Dodge got a notion into his head that by putting a wagon heavily loaded with stone in place of the horses, it would answer the same purpose. So he fixed up his mill, and on a certain day he gave notice that all would be ready to start. On that day, people flocked from far and wide to see the wonderful new motive power. Well, he got everything ready, and yelled out to his brother to cut the string which held the wagon-tongue to the side of the building, and to his utter amazement the mill stood as still as when the wagon was tied up. The adventure was a failure.

344

HISTORY OF MCLEAN COUNTY.

LAWYERS.

" Jesse W. Fell was the first lawyer, Welcome P. Brown was the second and Judge David Davis was the third. George S. Markley was the fourth, and then came Albert Dodd and myself. Albert Dodd was drowned in the Mackinaw while coming home from a political convention in 1840. The first Court House was a small frame building, and set in the middle of the square, in the same spot where our present magnificent Court House now stands. It was only a one-story structure, and was built at a cost of $300. The first Court was held in a part of Dr. Stipp's house. Judge Lockwood presided. The Court was not in session over five minutes-there was no business to be done.

" John H. Pugh, John T. Stuart and several others that have taken prominent parts in our history, were in attendance at that Court. The new brick Court House was built in 1836. Mr. Munsell, of Paris, Edgar County, was the contractor. Judge S. D. Lockwood was the first Judge. Judge Treat succeeded him. Judge Logan was here for a short time, perhaps for two terms of Court. Judge David Davis succeeded him. The district comprised at that time about sixteen counties. After Judge Davis was appointed on the Supreme Bench by President Lincoln, Judge John M. Scott was elected in his place, and he was our Circuit Judge until he was elected to the Supreme Court of this State, and he was succeeded by Judge Thomas F. Tipton, and he was followed by Judge Otis T. Reeves, who is still our Judge for this district.

"Col. Baker practiced here, and was one of the most eloquent speakers I ever heard. Judge Davis practiced law, before his election to the Judgeship, in partnership with Wells Colton, who afterward moved to St. Louis and was killed there in the great fire of 1849. He had a great deal of ability, and had an excellent legal mind, and would have been a very prominent man in the legal profession if he had lived. Gen. Covel came to Bloomington in May, 1831. He was Postmaster for a time, and Clerk of the Circuit Court for many years. He went to Washington to take a position under Polk, in about 1845, and died while there. He was an upright and honest man.

" Col. E. D. Baker was the finest speaker there was at the bar. He was truly an eloquent man. While he was in partnership with me, he never examined any case or prepared any himself, and, in the financial part, he never looked at the books, but came to me and took it for granted that everything was all right. I remember one case that we were very much interested in (and one of his prominent traits was his great fondness for ladies' society), and we desired him to make a careful examination of the papers. In the evening, we had a gathering at our house. I put the papers in my pocket, and, during the evening, I had him come out in another room to look over the papers. He took them, put them in his pocket without examining them, and, to my surprise, he knew as much about them as though he had given them a careful and thorough exam- ination ; but that was one of the peculiar characteristics of the man, and I never saw a man that could equal him in summing up a case.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

" Abraham Lincoln was one of the first lawyers that practiced at this bar. When Mr. Lincoln had a good case, he was invincible ; when he had a poor case, or one in which he thought he had not justice on his side, I would rather be against him than any man I know. When he had an idea that he was in the wrong, he could not take

345

HISTORY OF MCLEAN COUNTY.

the same interest, and I could win nine eases out of ten of that kind when Mr. Lincoln was on the other side.

STEPHEN A. DOUGLAS

practiced at this Court. He never amounted to much as a lawyer ; that is to say, he never took rank with Lincoln and Baker. Douglas was District Attorney for this Dis- triet. When he came here he always stayed with me, and always, up to the time of his death, we were warm personal friends. As a man, he was honorable and just. As District Attorney he was not a success, and I don't believe he convicted one case out of ten that he was interested in.

" I was elected to the Legislature in 1840. Welcome P. Brown was my opponent. In that memorable campaign, we got up a monster procession and went from here to Peoria. We had a large canoe, hewn out of a tree, and put on wheels, and in it we had twelve of the soldiers of the war of 1812. The canoe was drawn by twelve horses. We stopped in all the towns on the way-Mackinaw, Tremont and others-and held meetings there, and they were good ones, too. Everybody turned out. I don't know of any of these soldiers now living. *

THIE ILLINOIS CENTRAL RAILROAD.

" At the time of fixing the location of the Illinois Central Railroad, in 1851, I was in the Senate. There I met Robert Rantoul, and, by an arrangement with him, I secured the location of the road within five miles of the line of Town 22, Range 2 east, which brought it to within two miles of Bloomington, and on the same line as Decatur and Clinton. They had to build fifty miles of the road within two years from the time they obtained the charter, and they built that fifty miles from La Salle to Bloomington. There was a great pressure brought to bear. They first contemplated building the road from Cairo up the Wabash, then to Galena; then again, they were worked upon by another element to run the road by another line, taking in Peoria and Springfield ; the strong point in favor of the last proposed route was that they would have a paying trade much sooner than by any other line they could run. It was true they would not get so much land, but the increase in trade, at the outside, would more than pay for the difference in the amount of land. At the time the Illinois Central Railroad came into Blooming- ton, we had a population of 2,500 inhabitants. The Chicago & Alton Railroad was built from Springfield to Bloomington in 1854. The name of the road at that time was Chicago & Mississippi Railroad.

BANKING.

" I commenced banking in Bloomington in March, 1853. The charter for the McLean County Bank was obtained in March, 1853, and was to run twenty-five years. My partners at the time were J. Young Scammon and J. A. Burch, but, before the end of two years, I owned the entire stock. My deposits for the first five years were about $200,000. The next thing in that line was a kind of broker's office, started by John R. Smith & Co., and their place of business was where Phoenix Block now stands. But the next regular bank that was established here was the La Fayette Bank, south-® west corner of Center and Jefferson streets, in the year 1857. In the first place, I had Missouri State bonds, but they commenced to decline and I exchanged them for Illinois bonds and lost $12,000. John R. Smith held on to his and lost by it. If he had exchanged them when I did, it would have been better for him. The amount of bank capital invested here in Bloomington now is about $800,000. After the State Bank

346

HISTORY OF MCLEAN COUNTY.

broke, we had wild-cat banks, and plenty of them. We had some gold and silver, but coin did not circulate very much at that time. Out of one hundred banks, ninety of them were wild-cat. All that many of these banks had to depend on to keep them running was their deposits. They would take their bank-bills and place them in the hands of brokers to pay out, and they would leave their bonds as security ; so, in reality, they got nothing, and the brokers made all the money there was made. There was a man by the name of Jones who owned twelve different wild-cat banks.

JESSE W. FELL.

" He came to Bloomington a year later than I did, in the year 1832. He gave his attention to the practice of the law about two years after he came here, after which time he engaged largely in land operations, becoming interested in lands in the county of McLean, and also in the county of Cook, in the immediate neighborhood of Chicago. If he had continued in the legal profession and used the same energy that he did in his other public enterprises, he would have made his mark among the legal talent of the State and country. A man of indomitable will, thorough business qualifications, fine intellect, worthy of any trust, and whom I have known now forty years and known him intimately, and he stands without a blemish or blot on his character as a citizen and friend. ASHAEL GRIDLEY."

TOWNSHIP ORGANIZATION.

From the time when Blooming Grove was a part of Fayette County, till some time after the laying-out of the town of Bloomington, the local government was in the hands of County Commissioners, aided slightly by what were called precinct organizations. The voting was done by precinets, and a Justice of the Peace and a Constable voted for in each, after the year 1827-and these, with some other little affairs, were attended to at the elections-but the main business was done at the county seat by the Commission- ers. The first precincts were formed in Fayette County in 1826. In 1831, in McLean County, Blooming Grove Precinct was almost one-quarter as large as the county is now. It then contained over six townships, but it was afterward made smaller. Voting was always done in Bloomington, after 1829, even after the organization of the village. Then when the city was formed it was the same-all State and county elections being held under the precinet government. Under the township organization, in 1858, and ever since, it has continued in the same manner down to the present time.

In 1857, township organization was adopted in McLean County, and the new town governments were set in motion April 6, 1858. The new system was inaugurated by the election of the following Board, many of whom are historic characters, whose names often occur in our annals : Supervisor, John E. MeClun ; Assistant Supervisor, David Simons ; Collector, John L. Routt, recently Governor of Colorado ; Assessor, W. H. Hodge. Mr. John N. Larrimore was Town Clerk, and filled the office more than twelve years. The Justices were Z. Lawrence, S. B. Brown, M. H. Hawks, S. Johnson and Henry S. Herr. The Constables were John W. Allin, John W. Haggard, Alexan- der Steele, James Taffee and Norvel Dixon. This system of town government has con- tinued with very little change, down to the present time. The township of Bloomington now elects six members of the County Board of Supervisors. For the year 1879, these are Peter Whitmer, Supervisor ; Assistants, George P. Davis, Duncan M. Funk, W. T. M. Miller, A. Brokaw and Isaac Lash. In 1850, the total population of Bloomington Township was 1,554; in 1860, it was 6,930; in 1870, it was 14,590, of whom 3,898,

347

HISTORY OF McLEAN COUNTY.

were foreigners, and there were 235 colored persons. The township, outside of the city limits, had, in 1870, 1,829 inhabitants.

The township is six miles square, and ineludes nearly every acre of what was for- merly Blooming Grove. The city of Bloomington includes only about four square miles of Bloomington Township, and it takes in also about one square mile from the township of Normal-hence, we find the name Bloomington applies to a large tract of land- about thirty-seven square miles in all, but has a different meaning when used as a city, from what it has when the township is intended to be understood ; a fact that causes considerable trouble at our different elections.

The valuation of Bloomington Township, as equalized by the County Board in July, 1878, is $3,920,498. This is probably one-half of the actual value, assessments being now made in about that proportion. This valuation includes only the city and town- ship as found lying within the six-miles-square territorial township.

The County School Superintendent's report for 1878, shows a total of 361 children enrolled in the public schools of this township outside of the city. Of children of school age, under twenty-one years old, there are 761. The total expenditures for the schools for the same period were $4,406. The township school fund amounts to $6,264. There are nine district schools, and the schoolhouses are valued at $10,000. Thomas J. Bunn is Township School Treasurer. Taxes are very light in the township, but very heavy in all that portion which lies within the city corporation ; and, from all we can learn, we believe those living outside of the city limits are very well contented with township organization, which, while it includes also the city, allows the city Board of Education to manage the schools, and the city government to control the police and other matters.

TOWN OR VILLAGE ORGANIZATION.

It has been impossible to learn the history of the first organization of the corpora - tion of Bloomington. The original town site, bounded by North, East, West and Front streets, was enlarged in 1831 by an addition platted by James Allin ; and other additions, to the number of over fifty, have been made from time to time.

As early as 1838, there was a town, or, more properly, a village organization of all the territory included in the original town and its additions, with a Board of Trustees, President and a Clerk. Seth Baker was President in 1838. There was an act of the Legislature passed in 1838, relating to the government of the "town of Bloomington," and this aet was afterward amended, with a proviso that it should be voted upon by the people of Bloomington. This was done, and a Board of Trustees elected, who took their offices on the 1st day of July, 1843. A full record of their proceedings was kept by Merritt L. Covell, who was the Clerk, and from this date we find complete records at our City Clerk's office. Bailey H. Coffey, M. H. Hawks, John Magoun, James T. Walton and William Gillespie were the Trustees ; Matthew H. Hawks was chosen President ; Wells Colton was made Attorney, Joshua H. Harlan, Treasurer, and William McCullough, Constable. It appears that a " grocery license " was placed at $25 per year, and that during the year 1843 there was only one " grocery " licensed. This would indicate that our " city fathers " did not know how to run a town on tem- perance principles much better than their successors.

We find there was no City Hall in those days, as, November 20, 1844, the Trustees met at the store of A. J. Merriman ; December 24, another meeting convened at the

348

HISTORY OF MCLEAN COUNTY.

store of M. H. Hawks, while, May 14 of the next year, the meetings were held at the County Court House. In the year 1845, the total amount of taxes to be collected for the year was only $82.

In 1847, the Western Whig was the official organ. In 1848, we find the Trust- ees were John Foster, John N. Ewing, W. G. Thompson, George W. Minier and C. P. Merriman. The latter gentleman was chosen President, and A. J. Merriman, Clerk and Treasurer. Mr. George W. Minier, then teacher of a seminary or select school, now living at Minier, Tazewell Co., Ill., was village President in 1848, and John M. Scott, now Justice of the Supreme Court of this State, was the Clerk. An election was held March 5, 1850, " for or against " incorporation as a city. There were 164 votes for the city charter, and 26 votes against. This might be taken as indicating a small population, not over one thousand, but there must have been a light vote, as we learn that at a census taken in 1850, by William McCullough. the total number of inhabitants was 1,611.

CITY ORGANIZATION.

After the varying experience of precinct and town or village governments, the rapid growth of Bloomington required for its proper development a full and complete city government with all its powers and capabilities, and in 1850 the change occurred. Rev. David I. Perry was the first Mayor, and the first Aldermen were Jay N. Ward, Bailey H. Coffey, William Gillespie and E. Thomas. John M. Scott was City Clerk and Attorney. The succession of Mayor and Aldermen has continued without inter- ruption from that day to the present. Improvements were made gradually at first, consisting of sidewalks and better streets, followed soon by fire-engines, street-lamps, police and the numerous conveniences of a city life. The city of Bloomington pursued at first a very conservative, economical course. Until after 1866, there was no debt. All improvements were paid for out of current taxation. Its present debt of $120,000 is mainly in 8-per-cent bonds, two-thirds of it being the cost of the Water Works. The school debt is managed by the government called the Board of Education, which is independent of the City Council.

From what we can learn of the history of our city government, it appears to have been constantly growing in the confidence and respect of the public, and its offices were generally filled with honorable gentlemen.

The following persons were elected Mayor in the year placed opposite their names :

David I. Perry 1850 E. H. Rood 1865

Charles P. Merriman 1851

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 McLean County, Illinois; portraits of early settlers and prominent men, Part 37

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