USA > Illinois > Woodford County > The Past and present of Woodford County, Illinois : containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c.; a directory of its tax-payers; war record of its volunteers in the late rebellion; portraits of early settlers and prominent men; general and local statistics etc > Part 26
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282
HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY
whispered Judge Brown to the Justice. Drawing himself up with much dig- nity, 'Squire Brown replied : "There is no appeal, sir. I allow no appeal from this Court, sir."
William Rockwell, one of the stockholders of the Hanover Company, came from Massachusetts, and settled in Metamora Township in 1835. He took the contract for building the Court House, but afterward sub-let it to David Irving, by whom it was built, as noted in another chapter. Mr. Rockwell also took the contract for building the Episcopal Church, the first church erected in Meta- mora, but died before it was finished. His residence in the village of Meta- mora is noted for the material having been mostly brought from Cincinnati, and as an example of the substantial manner in which buildings were put up in those days, the timbers, many of them, are sufficiently strong for a railroad bridge across the Illinois River.
Levi P. Morse came with his father, Parker Morse, from Vermont, in 1835. They settled near Low Point, but in a short time removed within the present limits of Metamora Township. L. P. Morse, though but a boy fifteen years of age, drove one of the wagons through by land, a distance of nearly 1,000 miles, and did not sleep in a house during the journey. The Morses were the first Abolitionists known in Woodford County, and still take pleasure in narrating the assistance they lent to the fugitive slaves, when fleeing across the State toward the land of freedom. In those early days Abolitionism, was very unpopular, even in Illinois, and time and again, those holding to its principles were indicted by the Grand Jury, for aiding slaves to escape from their owners. The Morses came in for their share in the persecutions, as they were among the most daring conductors on the underground railway. Joseph Morse, an elder brother of L. P. Morse, had been indicted, and, it was said, tried very hard to get himself martyrized by being put in jail. He was arrested and refused to give bail, although several old citizens offered to go on his bond, and there was no other resource left but to take him to jail. Woodford County had no jail then, and the Sheriff started with him to Tazewell County. Not having the requisite papers, the jailer of Tazewell refused to receive him, and so he was left like " a stranger in a strange land," without home or friends, and not even a prison that would receive him within its somber walls. They were very con- scientious men, had been born and bred to look upon slavery as a sin, and, doubtless, deemed it their duty to assist all slaves to escape from bondage so far as they were able to do so, though slavery was acknowledged and upheld by the laws of the land.
Thomas Warren, from Tennessee; David Irving, from New Jersey; James Mitchell, from Indiana; Hon. Joel A. Ranney, from Vermont ; Joseph Morley, from Maryland; Rev. E. B. Kellogg, from New York ; Judge Painter and Humphrey Leighton are all old settlers of this township. Joseph Morley set- tled here in 1834, and was a soldier in the war of 1812. He is an old man now, and feeble both in mind and body. His mother died about two years ago,
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HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY.
at the age of 104 years, retaining her energies to the last. Judge Painter, as he is usually ealled, is an old settler, and the hero of an interesting "cow case," as Solon Shingle would say, which is often humorously told at his expense. Painter had a eow that was disposed to be a little " roguish," and annoyed his neighbors a good deal by breaking into and destroying their gar- . dens, until, as a relief, he finally decided to convert the unruly beast into beef. Some time afterward. he met Dr. Leamon, an early practitioner of the town, and a little high tempered sometimes. "That cow of yours," said the Doetor to Painter. "was in my garden yesterday, and has totally ruined it."
"I guess you are mistaken. aren't you, Doetor." inquired Painter in his easy, good natured way.
" No, I am not mistaken," said the Doctor. boiling over in his wrath, "and the next time she gets in my garden, I'll shoot her. She has been the plague of the town long enough."
" All right," said Painter, "but you are sure it's my cow. Doctor ?"
" Of course I am sure of it: do you think I am a fool ?" bawled out the Doctor.
" Well," returned Painter, " I butchered that cow about two months ago, and sold half of her for beef: have eaten the other half myself, and I'll be - if I didn't think she would cease-annoying my neighbors, but it seems I was mistaken."
Hon. Joel A. Ranney is one of the "Green Mountain boys," and eame with his father's family to this township in 1837-8, where he still lives. Mr. Ranney was elected to the State Legislature in 1876. Rev. E. B. Kellogg was the first Episcopal preacher in the town, and was instrumental in building the first church.
L. F. Feilitzsch was born in Hungary, and, at the age of 18, volunteered under the Emperor Maximilian. He was on the staff of the unfortunate monareh in Mexico, and after participating in many of the battles of that stormy period, was captured by Gen. Diaz, the present President of the Mexican Republic, but escaped, and finally made his way to Havana. He was wounded eight times during the war, and at its elose took the remnant of the ill-fated army back to Vienna. Broken down in health, he went to Lake Geneva, in Switzerland, where he spent some time. In 1868, he eame to the United States ; studied law. and was admitted to the bar in 1871. and at present is Master in Chaneery for Woodford County.
THE FIRST POST OFFICE.
Black Partridge Post Office, mentioned as the first in Woodford County, was the first in Metamora Township. It was kept by James Boys, at his own house, about three miles north of the present village of Metamora. It did not last very long, and, after its discontinuance, Rev. Wm. Davenport petitioned the Government for an office to be ealled Hanover. But there being another
284
HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY.
Hanover in the State, he was requested to find some other name, and Partridge Point was adopted. Davenport was the first Postmaster, although Parks kept the office at his saw-mill, and attended to the business of it. But being more. trouble than profit, Parks soon gave it up, and R. T. Cassell, at the vil- lage of Hanover, as Metamora was then called, became Postmaster. The mail was carried by the Chicago and Bloomington stage coach. and all of the mail along the entire route in one four-bushel bag together. The stage passed Hanover in the latter part of the night, and, when it was very cold and very dark, the stage would hold up and the driver throw out the bag. Mr. Cassell says there were but three newspapers and one magazine taken at the office, and as he knew on what days to look for them, when they were not expected, he would drag in the mail bag and shut the door, and in a moment or two pitch it out again without opening it, so as to keep the driver from waiting long in the cold. If anything was in the mail, it was stopped at Belle Plain, the next post office, twelve miles distant, and returned next trip, under the supposition that it had been sent on through mistake. There were but two mails a week, and the papers and magazine above mentioned, with an occasional letter, were the usual amount of mail for this place. The postage on letters then was twenty-five cents, and, in a newly-settled country like this was at that period, twenty-five- cent pieces were about as scarce as letters.
The church history of Metamora Township is given under the head of Metamora Village. There are no churches outside of the village in the town- ship, but several near the line, which draw considerable support from this town- ship. Mount Zion Church, near the head of Walnut Grove, but situated just over the line in Cruger Township, and the Ormish Church, near the line between Worth and Metamora, are both liberally patronized from this town- ship, as well as from those in which they are located.
THE FIRST DEATH, MARRIAGE, ETC.
The first death, of which we have any account in the township, occurred in the family of Daniel Sowards. Two daughters of his died in the Winter of 1833-34, in the old block house, already referred to in these pages. His wife also died soon after. The first marriage is supposed to have been Joseph Verk- ler. a step-brother of Peter Engle, Jr., who was married about 1832. A sister of Verkler's was married soon after, and Mary Brickler was also married a short time after the Verklers. The latter's first marriage was with a man named Aubier, who went to New Orleans soon after their marriage and was drowned, and a few years later his widow married Marcelin Farver. This last marriage ceremony was performed by a Presbyterian minister, but as neither the bride nor the bridegroom could speak English, the Rev. Christian Engle acted as interpreter. The first child born in the township, Mrs. Farver thinks, was George Kingston, and was born in 1832. This is the first of which we have any definite information. Dr. Hazard is supposed to have been the first doctor
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HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY.
in the township, but, being a man of very dissipated habits, did not amount to much as a physician, and was thrown from his horse one day and killed. Dr. J. S. Whitmire was probably the first resident physician in the township, and has been a regular practitioner here since 1846, with the exception of his period of service as Surgeon in the United States army during the late war.
When Mr. Ray came to Metamora Township, the settlers were doing their milling at Crocker's and Hoshor's, down on the river, in the present township of Spring Bay. Previously, they had gone sometimes to a little horse mill near 'Groveland, in Tazewell County. The first road through the township was the State road from Chicago to Bloomington and Springfield. It run through Ray's farm, by the old block house and by Peter Engle's, who kept a tavern and the stage stand. This was the first tavern in the township, and mentioned in the general history as the first in Woodford County. The stage changed horses at Engle's. it also carried the mail, and was probably Uncle Sam's first travels across the prairies of Woodford. The first saw-mill was built by the Park's Brothers for the Ilanover Company in 1837, one mile north of the village of Metamora. and was purchased some years later by Wm. H Delph, as already stated.
At the time of the early settlement of Metamora Township, there were quite a number of Indians in this section of the country, though no hostilities were ever committed by them against the whites. Even during the excitement of the Black Hawk war, the Indians in this county remained friendly to the settlers. But the influx of immigration finally crowded them out of the coun- try, and like the Star of Empire, they wended their way westward. Where their wigwams stood are now to be seen the elegant abodes of the white man. and their hunting grounds are flourishing farms.
THE SCHOOLS.
The first school in this township is supposed to have been taught by Miss Betsey Page, about 1836, in a little house that stood on Brickler's place. There are some, however, who believe there was a school taught previous to this, in a little log cabin, on the farm of Peter Engle, Jr., but of the history of these early schools but little can now be learned. The first school taught in Meta- mora Township, for which public money was paid, was taught by Miss L. K. Morse, a daughter of Parker Morse. The Trustees of the district, James Owens, Thomas Jones and Mr. Morse, made application for a portion of the public money for this school, and after many delays, and a vast amount of " red tape," succeeded in getting it. This was in 1836-37. From John W. Page, School Treasurer of Metamora Township, we obtain the following items taken from his last report to the County Superintendent of Schools :
No. males under 21 years, in township. 457
" females under 21 years, in township. 407
Total 864
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HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY.
No. males between 6 and 21 years 309
" females between 6 and 21 years
290
Total.
599
No. males attending schools.
277
* females
272
Total. 549
No. School Districts in township
10
" schools taught
10
" of graded schools
1
" ungraded .. ..
4
' male teachers employed.
7
female
14
Total
21
No. brick school houses.
" frame
=
8
-
220
Township fund for support of schools
3,127
Highest monthly wages paid male teachers 122.22
.6 .. female 52.80
Lowest
male
35.00
.. .. female 25.00
Whole amount paid male teachers. 2,065 94
female 2,115.78
Total.
$4,181.72
Like many of the townships in Woodford County, the early records are not come-at-able. The Treasurer, Mr. Page, has a cash book extending back to 1843, but it contains nothing that would be of special interest here.
In this township, the deep snow is a thing of the past, and there are none living to-day, who remember it through personal experience. The cold Winter of 1836-37, however, is vividly remembered by many. C. D. Banta related to us his remembrance of the " cold day," as it is still called. He and his brother had been to Washington, and after starting home, soon discovered how cold it was growing. Banta had on an overcoat with several capes, a fashion much worn in those days. It had been raining and his clothes were a little wet, when the wind blew one of the capes of his coat over his head; it froze in that posi- tion, and so remained until he got home and "thawed out." He states that in a moment of time, as it were, the water seemed to congeal and cease running in the wagon ruts. No one froze to death in this immediate neighborhood, but the suffering for a while was pretty intense. He remembers on another occasion of seeing the juice which had boiled out of the hickory logs burning in the large fire places, freeze and hang in icicles, notwithstanding the close proximity of the fire, and his testimony is corroborated by others who witnessed similar events.
2
Estimated value of school property of township.
.. apparatus. $ 16,170
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287
HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY.
THE RAILROAD.
Metamora Township enjoyed railroad agitation at least twenty-five years ago. In 1856, a route was surveyed for a road, known as the Tonica & Peters- burg Railroad. The next year it was graded through the township, when the work on it ceased. This constituted the township railroad facilities until 1870, when it was completed to the village of Metamora, under the title of the St. Louis, Jacksonville & Chicago Railroad. When completed thus far, it became the property of the Chicago, Alton & St. Louis Railroad Company, who put on the rolling stock, equipped it in good style, and changed its name to the West- ern Division of the Chicago, Alton & St. Louis Railroad. With a subscription of stock from Metamora Township of $50,000, the road was completed through to Washington, where it taps the Toledo, Peoria & Warsaw Railroad and makes connection for the East and West. The following extract from the Woodford Sentinel of that day pretty clearly evinces the interest the people felt in their railroad :
Thursday, October 27th, A. D. 1870, will be long remembered by our citizens, for on this - day was it that the first train of cars entered our town. During the day, groups of people might be seen here and there along the grade, their eyes turned toward the north, watching the approach of the locomotive as she moved along in the wake of the track layers. Four o'clock was given as the time when the cars would reach the depot grounds at the foot of Mt. Vernon street, but long before this hour, an immense concourse of citizens had assembled, and by half past 3 both sides of the railroad grade from Chatham to Partridge streets were completely packed with human beings. On came the track layers, the spike drivers in close proximity, and the engine with its train taking up the rear. As the track layers were spanning Chatham street. with the iron, the old six-pounder belched forth its fire and smoke, and the quick report that. followed announced to the outside world that Metamora was a railroad town, ready to take her place among the great business marts of the country ! Then followed an appropriate air from the brass band, and, amid cannonading and music and cheering, the track layers worked on until darkness set in, they seeming to partake of the general excitement.
A lunch had been prepared for the workmen, consisting of crackers, cheese, bread and cake, to which ample justice was done At the conclusion of the feast, cheer after cheer went up for Metamora and her citizens, followed by cheers and " tiger . " for the St. Louis, Jackson- ville & Chicago Railroad.
The day following, the ladies of Metamora gave the workingmen a grand public dinner in the open air, and never did men enjoy a meal better than they. At the conclusion of the dinner, we aimost wished that we had been a woman instead of an editor, so long and loud were the cheers that went up from the throats of these hard-working men, and so earnest were the " God bless yons" and prayers for the happiness and prosperity of the ladies of Metamora.
WAR RECORDS.
Metamora Township has one old soldier of the war of 1812, Joseph Morley, now over 80 years of age, and three survivors of the soldiers of the Mexican war, viz .: John W. and Samuel T. Page, and James Rickets, connected with the County Farm. In the late war, Metamora did more than her share, but for a failure to get credit for all she furnished, was finally subjected to a draft. The following officers were from this township : Major R. L. Sidwell, One Hundred and Eighth Illinois Volunteers ; Capts. O. A. Burgess, Co. G. Seventeenth
288
HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY.
Illinois Volunteers, and Wm. Magarity, Co. - , Eighty-sixth Illinois Volun- teers : Lients. F. F. Briggs, Co. E (the color company of the regiment), One Hundred and Eighth Illinois Volunteers, and Benj. E. Page, Second Sergeant of same regiment and company. Drs. J. S. Whitmire and A. H. Kinnear were in the medical department, the latter as Surgeon of the One Hundred and Eighth Illinois Volunteers, and the former as Assistant Surgeon of the Sixth Cavalry, but afteward promoted to Surgeon of the Fifty-sixth Volunteer Infan- try. Dr. Z. H. Whitmire was Surgeon of the Board of Enrollment of Eighth District of Illinois, from 1863 to 1865. There were so many private soldiers went from the township that it is rather difficult to get the names of all, their companies and regiments, but so far as can be obtained, their names will be given in the general war record in another department of this work. A recep- tion was given in the Summer of 1864, by Metamora, to some of the returned soldiers, and was an interesting affair. Adino Page, Esq., delivered the wel- coming address, and the toasts of the day were responded to by Rev. I. A. Cornelison, Judge Chitty, Capt. Rowell and Elijah Plank, Esq.
Politically, the township has always been Democratic, though the Republi- cans poll a strong vote. An organization called the Good Fellows was formed during the war, which, while it was apparently simple and absurd in its organ- ization, was productive of much good. Edward Kipp, an old resident of the town, was the Grand High Mogul of the institution ; the membership embraced the very best citizens, and one of the leading principles inculcated was, that everybody should say what they pleased upon all war and political questions, and no one of opposite opinion should take offense. The faith was pretty strictly kept, and thus much hard and bitter feelings avoided, and the opposing political parties got along in comparative peace.
The township received its name from the village of Metamora, which hore the name long before township organization.
METAMORA VILLAGE.
Metamora, the county seat of Woodford County, is situated on the western division of the Chicago, Alton & St. Louis Railroad, about one hundred and thirty-six miles southwest of Chicago. It was originally called Hanover, and was surveyed and laid out by the County Surveyor of Tazewell County for the Hanover Company in 1836. who owned the greater portion of the land. The Hanover Company was composed of the following gentlemen, viz .: Dr. Warner, of Bloomington, Rev. Wm. Davenport (agent), Dennis * and William Rockwell, William Major, Jacob Cassell, John T. Jones, D. P. Henderson, J. L. James, Joseph Taggert, - Israel, and owned 12,000 acres of land in the immediate neighborhood. The village retained the name of Hanover until a year or two after the removal of the county seat to this place in 1843. It having been ascertained, when getting the post office, that
* Dennis Rockwell lived in Jacksonville.
1
289
HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY.
there was another Hanover in the State, the question finally came up for a change of name. After much discussion, and the proposal of several names, Peter H. Willard, then a prominent merchant of the place, proposed the name of Metamora. accompanied with the information that the name had been sug- gested by his wife, and as a compliment to her it was unanimously adopted. The first post office established in the village was called Partridge Point, on account of there being another office in the State called Hanover. After the name of the village was changed to Metamora, that of the post office was also changed to harmonize with that of the village. As already stated, John W. Page built the first house within the village corporation in 1836, the year the village was laid out. The first house erected purposely for a tavern was built by Samuel S. Parks in 1843,* who had it opened in time to accommodate visit- or's to the first session of Circuit Court held after the removal to this place of the county seat from Versailles. This tavern is still standing, and, with some changes and additions, is known as the Metamora House. Alfred Baker opened a blacksmith shop in 1837, which was the first in the township.
" Week in, week out, from morn till night, You could hear his bellows roar ; You could hear him swing his heavy sledge, With measured beat and slow."
THE FIRST STORE.
As stated in another chapter, the first store in the village was opened by Wilson Tucker, who was soon followed by Israel & Weeks. Both of these establishments were of short duration. The first permanent store was that of Parks', who brought a stock of goods from Philadelphia and opened where Dr. Z. H. Whitmire's office now stands. In 1843, Peter H. Willard opened a store in the village of Metamora. He was a partner of Munn & Scott, of Spring Bay, and for years the two houses were operated by these parties, Willard attend- ing to the house in Metamora, while Munn & Scott managed that at Spring Bay, and superintended the shipping of grain, a branch of business they carried on very extensively. After amassing a considerable fortune, Mr. Willard sold out and removed to St. Louis, but in a short time went to Chicago, where he now lives and is a prosperous merchant on Wabash avenne. To his wife, a woman of fine literary tastes, belongs the honor of bestowing on the village the beautiful Indian name of Metamora.
In 1851, a foundry was built in the village by L. C. Blakesley & Co., and flourished for some three or four years. They made mill work a specialty, but through bad management, a lack of means to carry on such an establishment, they became involved and finally failed, pulled up and removed their traps to another field.
The Woodford Sentinel was established in 1854, by a man named Shep- herd. After passing through the hands of several parties, Power & Harl
* Parker Morse, Sr., had kept a tavern in the village several years previous to this.
1
290
HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY.
became the proprietors in 1866, and in June, 1877, Mr. Harl bought out his partner, and now owns the entire paper. He has been connected with the Sen- tinel for the past eighteen years. The paper is Democratic in politics, and is the only one of a like political faith in the county. Its local department is pre- sided over by that bright and facetious writer, Cass Irving.
VILLAGE ORGANIZATION.
The village of Metamora was incorporated as a town, under the statute of Illinois, on the 8th of January, 1859. A meeting of the legal voters was held at the Court House, in Metamora, and sixty-one votes in favor of incorporating and three against it were polled. On the 15th, a Board of Town Trustees was elected as follows : Samuel J. Cross, James S. Whitmire, William Lamson, F. F. Briggs and H. L. S. Haskell. The Board organized on the 22d of February, by electing Samuel J. Cross, President, and Edgar Babcock, Clerk, who were duly sworn and qualified before Elijah Plank, Justice of the Peace. On the 25th of April, 1875, it was re-organized as a village, and the first Board was A. H. Kinnear, N. Portman, Garman Gish, J. B. Knoblauch, F. F. Hirsch and A. E. Nesmith. The present Board is composed of the following gentlemen, viz .: A. H. Kinnear, President ; John Leys, W. J. Cassell, Garman Gish, Peter Schertz, A. H. Wilson and Chas. D. Delph, Clerk.
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