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 40
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THE FIRST POST OFFICE.
In 1857, the first post office was established in El Paso, with Wm. M. Jenkins Postmaster, and was a small affair for some time after it commenced operation. Mr. Jenkins was commissioned a Postmaster by James Buchanan, soon after his inauguration as President. He held the office for four years, and was sncceeded by a Mr. Buckley, who held the office but a few months, and then resigned. Mrs. Robinson was next appointed to the office, and in turn was succeeded by Mrs. Willis, who, after a while, resigned. Her father, J. H. Moore, the present incumbent, was appointed during the Presidential term of Andrew Johnson, and has held the office ever since. Mr. Jenkins relates that, for several months after he received the post office, he carried the whole establishment in his hat, as a matter of convenience, and when he met a person for whom he had a letter, would take off his hat, sort over his letters, and hand out the coveted epistle. This is the first account we have of the penny post system in Illinois. Mr. Jenkins occupies his same old store house, the first one built in the city, though he has made several changes since he commenced business in it, twenty odd years ago. For several years, he occu- pied a farm some distance from town, lost considerable money during the war, made a trip to Colorado and the Rocky Mountains, and, after "swinging 'round the circle," returned to his original quarters and resumed his old busi- ness of grain buying. The present firm is Jenkins & Evans, and they handle annually abont one hundred and fifty thousand bushels of grain, principally corn and oats, with occasionally a car load of rye. Mr. Jenkins built a grain elevator in 1871, at a cost of about fifteen hundred dollars, with a capacity of 12,000 bushels.
McClelan & Seery* built an elevator here in 1874, which cost them $3,400, and has a capacity of about twenty thousand bushels. They deal extensively in grain, handling annually over three hundred thousand bushels, the larger portion of which is shipped East, though, in 1877, they shipped about one hundred thousand bushels South, the first grain of any consequence shipped to Southern markets from this section for a number of years.
* Geo. W. Rouse was a partner at that time, but was afterward bought out by Seery.
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HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY.
The first grain elevator was built by Geo. W. Fridley, in 1860, which cost about six thousand dollars, with a capacity of 20,000 bushels. It is at present owned by Wm. Shur, a banker of this city. Graft & Webster also built an elevator soon after Fridley's, which was burned in 1863, when they built a larger one upon the same site, at a cost of about seven thousand dollars, with storage room for 25,000 bushels of grain. They built a large planing-mill, in 1865, which was operated successfully until 1875, when it and their elevator were both burned. Neither has since been rebuilt.
THE MILLS.
The first mill built in El Paso was by H. & E. Ives, a few years after the town was laid out. It was a two-story frame, and did a good business until 1869, when it was burned. The firm then built the present large mill on the West Side, at a cost of $30,000, and which proved to them a white elephant. They became involved, and the mill was sold, which, after passing through several hands, an unfortunate investment to all who touched it, the machinery was finally taken out and removed to Iowa, where there was a more remunera- tive field for a mill of its capacity. The building still stands, an empty shell, a monument of the unfortunate enterprise.
Geo. L. Gibson built a magnificent mill on the East Side, in 1868, at a cost of $33,000, which, like that on the West Side, proved another losing in- vestment. In the early settlement of this section, it was supposed to be a fine wheat country, but the experience of late years seems to have reversed the order of things, and the crop is decided to be a failure, and its cultivation, except for family uses, is almost, if not entirely, discarded. Hence, the losses sustained in these costly mills. Had the extensive growing of wheat continued, no doubt they would have paid well on the investment. This splendid mill was sold, finally, for the small sum of $5,000, and is in the hands of Wilson & Torres of St. Louis, agents of parties in the East, who design moving it West, perhaps to Kansas, where there is plenty of work for a mill of its caliber, which is four runs of buhrs and complete in all its appointments.
The lumber business of El Paso is an extensive branch of trade. McKin- ney & Co., handle yearly about 1,000,000 feet of lumber, and half as many feet of shingles, with a considerable quantity of laths and lime. Cassell & Harper have recently begun business in this line, and are working up a trade.
As already stated, the Jenkinses kept the first store in El Paso. S. T. Rogers opened the first drug store in 1859, and Dr. S. O. Kerr was the first regular physician, and still practices his profession in the city and vicinity.
MANUFACTURES.
J. P. & C. E. Piatt, carriage manufacturers, turn out between sixty and seventy carriages and buggies annually. They work half a dozen hands through the Winter, and generally eight or ten during the Summer.
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HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY.
Christ & Brown manufacture wagons, carriages. etc., and, like the last men- tioned firm, are doing a good and constantly increasing business.
The soda water establishment of Hayward & Stoddard is quite an enterprise in its way. During the Summer months. they average about 300 boxes of the cooling beverage per week. They have at present a branch at Fairbury, which does about two-thirds as much business as the factory here.
The El Paso Brewery is a flourishing institution of the kind, and manufac- tures large quantities of the drink that does not intoxicate.
One of the most popular inventions of the times has the honor of being made by an El Paso man-Harper's fly trap. The sales of this trap have reached the enormous number of 100,000 yearly, and it has been shipped to every State in the Union, the West Indies, South America and Europe.
CHURCH ORGANIZATIONS.
If the people of El Paso are not extremely religious, it must be their own fault, for they are well supplied with houses of worship. The first church formed seems to have been by the Presbyterians, who organized a society on the 11th of May, 1857, under the Rev. Wm. T. Adams, and who was installed as the first regular Pastor in the Spring of 1864. That year the church was built at a cost of $3,200 without furnishing. It was dedicated in December, 1864, by Rev. W. W. Harsha, D. D., then of Chicago. The edifice is a mod- ern frame, 36x60 feet, was free of debt when dedicated, and, unlike the majority of churches of the present day, has ever remained so. Rev. Mr. Adams re- mained Pastor until 1867, when failing health compelled him to resign the charge, since which time they have had no regular Pastor, until the engagement of Rev. Geo. B. Black, recently. The present Board of Elders is as follows : A. S. McKinney, Dr. D. W. Lamme, Philip H. Tompkins, Samuel Sturgeon and M. T. Polhemus.
The Methodist Episcopal Church was organized about 1857, with Rev. Rumsey Smithson as Pastor, and Rev. Z. Hall as Presiding Elder. Later, Rev. Mr. Smithson was dismissed from this branch of the church for political reasons-it is said, for sympathy with the South, during the late war-when he united with that division, known as the Methodist Episcopal Church, Sonth. The present church edifice was built in 1864-is a frame building, and cost $7,000. The Pastor is Rev. J. S. Millsap, and the society numbers 300 members.
The Baptist society was organized in January, 1858 with thirteen members, under the pastoral administration of Rev. William Branch. The church was built in 1864; is a frame edifice, 36x66 feet, with a recess of nine feet addi- tional. It was dedicated by Rev. S. S. Strinson, in December, 1864, then Pastor. The present membership is seventy-five, and Rev. S. B. Gilbert was the last Pastor of the congregation; no settled preacher is in charge at the present time. The Deacons are David Evans, William Haynes and L. B. McOmber. The
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HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY.
Trustees are David Evans, D. A. Dix, D. C. Stoddard, Charles Clute, William R. North and B. S. Roper. S. K. Hayward is Treasurer and D. C. Stoddard, Clerk.
St Mary's Roman Catholic Society was organized, in 1863, by Very Rev- erend Father Terry, of Ottawa, who, with Father Toner, as assistant, adminis- tered spiritual consolation to the society for one year. In November, 1864, Rev. Francis A. Keenan became the first resident Pastor, remaining in charge for nine years. Father Keenan roughed it for several years. there being no regular parsonage. The church was commenced in the early part of his admin- istration, and the original edifice finished sometime in 1865. The wings were added to the building, in 1872, and recently the entire structure has been newly painted and frescoed, which, added to the original expenditures, makes the church cost, in round numbers, about $4,500. Its seating capacity is about 500; the present membership is 140 families, with, perhaps, about 500 mem- bers, all told. The church has a statue of the Virgin Mary, which cost $80; and one of St. Joseph, $70, at Munich, Bavaria. The Father Matthew Society is a temperance organization. under the charge of the church ; also an Orphans' Society is in its charge, and a large and flourishing Sunday school. Rev. Thomas S. Keating is the present Pastor, and succeeded Father Costa, in the holy office, in 1874, since which time he has administered the affairs of the church, and is much loved by his congregation. The Catholics have a very handsome cemetery, north or east of town, well laid out and kept in nice order.
The Christian Church was built in 1865; is a modern frame, and cost $2,000. The society was originally organized by Elder John Lindsey, July 4, 1864. Messrs. John Hibbs and D. P. Harber were appointed Elders, and F. I. Barnard and Cyrus J. Gibson, Deacons. Elder R. B. Roberts was the first regular Pastor; Prof. Kirke is at present in charge, and has 60 members upon the records. The church board is as follows: J. H. Moore and H. C. M. Keefer, Trustees; J. H. Moore, John I. Lemon and H. C. M. Keefer, Elders; John Williamson, C. D. Ogden and T. T. James, Deacons.
In 1863, the German Lutheran Church was built in El Paso. The society removed to this place, from Kappa, in 1860, under the pastoral charge of Rev. Mr. Young. The first Pastor, after the church was built, was Rev. Mr. John- son. The building cost, originally, $1,500; but, in 1875, it was re-modeled at an additional cost of $1,700, and a parsonage attached, which cost $900. Rev. Mr. Burfriend is Pastor, with a membership of thirty-four. The services of this church, from its first organization, at Kappa, down to the present, have been conducted in the German language.
The German Evangelical-sometimes called the Albrights-an offshoot of the Methodists, after flourishing for several years, and becoming, to some extent, Americanized, split up, and the modern wing bought the Congregational Church,* while those still clinging to ancient customs kept the old edifice, and continued to worship in the good old way.
# The Congregational Church has long ago ceased to exist in this city.
J. K. Davisa (DECEASED) LINN TOWNSHIP
com
421
HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY.
The Methodist Episcopal Church South, a number of years ago, made an effort to establish a society in this city, but never succeeded. The Episcopal Church has organized a society here, but no church edifice. The Bishop of the Diocese visits them occasionally, and confirms those who wish to unite with that branch of the church.
THE MASONS.
The Masonic Fraternity has one of the finest halls in El Paso, it is claimed, that there is in the State outside of Chicago, and numbers among its member- ship many of the very best men in the city. The order is represented as follows :
El Paso Lodge, No. 246, was originally organized as Panola Lodge, in October, 1857, but was removed to El Paso in October, 1862. John D. Park was the first Master, and also held the office when the Lodge was removed as noted above. Cyrus P. Shar is the present Master, and W. S. Gibson, Secre- tary. When the Lodge was chartered, in 1857. J. H. Hibbard was Grand Master, and H. G. Reynolds, Grand Secretary. A few years ago, some of the members split off and formed a new body known as Woodford Lodge, No. 654, but it was soon discontinued.
Mackey Chapter was organized under dispensation, August 31, 1868, by Geo. W. Lininger, Grand High Priest of Illinois, and Daniel Lewis was ap- pointed first High Priest ; P. H. Tompkins, Secretary. At the annual session of the Grand Chapter of the State, held in October, 1868, a charter was granted, and Mackey Chapter, No. 130, formally constituted. James Thompson was elected first High Priest under the charter, an office he still holds, and the pres- ent Secretary is S. M. Ferrell.
Cœur de Leon Commandery was organized under dispensation, August 19, 1873; Sir Lewis Keyon of Peoria was "borrowed " to serve as first Eminent Commander. The dispensation was issued by Sir Daniel Dustin, Grand Com- mander of Illinois, as was also the charter under date of December 4, 1873, and the body legally instituted under the charter as Coeur de Leon Commandery, No. 43, Knights Templar. Sir James Thompson was first Commander after the body was chartered, and Sir P. H. Tompkins, Recorder. At present, Sir S. M. Ferrell is Commander and Sir W. G. Randall, Recorder.
Bavaria Lodge, No. 327, I. O. O. F., was organized October 7, 1866, and worked for a while in the German language, but in late years has changed into English. It is in a flourishing condition at present, and D. Dunn is Noble Grand; J. Batram, Secretary. There was an English lodge of this order some years ago in the city, but it has ceased to exist.
SCHOOLS AND SCHOOL HOUSES.
The city of El Paso is divided into two school districts by the Illinois Cen- tral Railroad. The West Side, or that portion of the city lying west of the rail- road, is known as School District No. 5, and has a large frame school building which cost, originally, $2,500. In the Summer of 1877, an addition, termed
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HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY.
the High School Department, was made to the edifice at a cost of $1,700. It is a graded school, and employs five teachers. Miss Lou M. Hager is Principal ; and has for assistants Misses A. E. Painter, Clara Davidson, Mary D. Hoag- land and Emma L. Worthington, with an average attendance of about 200. The Directors are Messrs. J. J. Cassell, W. K. Hoagland and A. S. Mckinney. Pupils are regularly graduated, a full academical course given and diplomas issued in the High School Department of this institution, and the following are some of the branches required to be perfected before the pupils can receive a graduate's diploma : Physical Geography, Botany, Zoology, Natural Philoso- phy, Physiology, etc., etc., in addition to the ordinary common school course. The West Side is justly proud of its school, and with good cause it seems. It bears the name of being one of the best, if not the very best of common schools in the county.
The East Side, or District No. 4, has a large and elegant three-story and basement brick school house erected in 1869 at a cost of $21,000. Previous to its erection, the district had a very comfortable frame building. Miss Jennie Fishburn is Principal. Teachers : Miss Emma C. Waite, Miss Maggie Miller, Mrs. Ida B. Duff, with an average attendance of 200 pupils. It is a graded school, and first-class in all its branches and departments. The present Direct- ors are Wm. Wheeler, Jas. P. Ferrell and Dr. D. W. Lamme.
THE BANK BLOCK.
The magnificent brick block, on the West Side, containing the banking rooms of Shur, Tompkins & Co., with several elegant stores, is the finest block of buildings in the place, and would be creditable to any city in the State. It is three stories and basement, and the second is owned by the city, who uses it as a city and public hall, while the third story is owned by the Masonic Order, and the entire block was built a few years ago by the banking firm, at a cost of $60,000.
The Bank of El Paso was organized in 1866, by John G. Ferguson and E. T. Disonay, who acted as Cashier. They first commenced business in one cor- ner of Aug. Strathman's furniture store, until a banking building could be procured. In March, 1867, Messrs. W. & O. A. Shur were admitted to an interest, and the firm changed to Shur, Ferguson & Co. They moved into the building erected on the East Side for them, by Geo. L. Gibson, and in the fol- lowing June, P. A. Simmons was made bookkeeper, which position he still holds. Mr. Ferguson withdrew his interest in 1868, on account of ill-health, and his place was supplied by Philip H. Tompkins, under the firm name of Shur, Tompkins & Co., which is the present style of the firm.
A newspaper was first established in El Paso in 1864, and a short time after, John T. Harper and D. B. Fisk started the Journal, which at one time had, perhaps, the largest circulation ever reached by a country weekly newspaper. After many changes in the ownership, it has passed into the hands of Carrier &
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HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY.
Coleman, who run it on the Independent plan, taking no particular side in the politics of the day.
The El Paso Cemetery is handsomely laid off grounds, beautifully orna- mented and well kept. It contains 40 acres of land, surrounded by a substan- tial fence, and thickly set in grass. Many fine monuments and marble columns show the love felt by surviving friends for the dear ones that are gone. The first death in the city of El Paso is supposed to have been three little children of Isaac Jenkins, who died with scarlet fever in the Winter of 1857-8, and so near together that all three were buried in one grave. A child of Levi Darling is said by some to have died during the Summer previous to the death of Jen- kins' children, but we could not ascertain the facts definitely. The first mar. riage in the city is accredited to Eben Hotchkiss and Miss Celia Bano, about 1857.
GENERAL BUSINESS.
Referring to the general business of the City of El Paso, we make the fol- lowing extracts from the address of Dr. Lamme already referred to: "The amount of goods sold annually is about $400,000 ; agricultural implements sold annually, $100,000 ; coal, about 1,000 tons, or 400 car loads. Goods, including products of our own shops, not far short of $600,000, annually. * Grain is the chief export, and it is estimated that at least half a million bushels of grain is handled at this point alone, to say nothing of what is bought at neighboring points by our merchants."
The following is the railroad business at this place for the year 1875, taken from same address :
Ticket sales of the I. C. R. R. $ 10,165.15
" T., P. & W. R. R.
12,737.10
Freight received by 1. C. R. R.
tons, 17,487
30,937.45
forwarded “
7,434 28,521.05
66 received by T., P. & W. R. R.
10,590
25,737.99
66 forwarded “
66 25,390 34,066.00
Total freight forwarded and received.
60,901 $142,154.74
LIBRARY.
Early in the history of El Paso, an attempt was made for a public library. But with so many other demands upon her finances, little was done toward the enterprise. About the year 1873, the subject was taken up by the ladies, and a meeting called at the residence of Mrs. W. G. Randall, who had been most active in infusing interest into the project. After considerable discussion, and not without some opposition, a library association was finally formed, with the following corps of officers : President, Mrs. Dr. Stockwell ; Vice President, Mrs. J. J. Cassell ; Secretary, Mrs. D. O'Brien ; Treasurer, Mrs. W. R. Bigham ; Librarian, Mrs. S. H. Worthington.
The library contains about 800 volumes, is in good condition, out of debt, and adding continually to the number of its volumes.
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HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY.
The present officers are as follows : President, Mrs. S. T. Rogers ; Vice President, Mrs. A. O. Shur ; Secretary, Mrs. S. H. Worthington ; Treasurer, Mrs. W. G. Randall ; Librarian, Mrs. W. G. Johnson ; Executive Committee, Mrs. George M. Young, Mrs. Dr. Cole, Mrs. J. Crawford.
The medical fraternity of the city compares favorably with any section of the country. Their names are as follows: Drs. S. O. Kerr, D. Lewis, A. Stockwell, A. Reynolds, Frederick Cole, J. Q. Adams and D. W. Lamme. Several of these gentlemen were in the medical department of the army during the late war, where they acquitted themselves with honor and distinction.
The bar is represented by the following legal gentlemen : Judge J. J. Cas- sell, Hon. A. M. Cavan, M. H. Cassell, W. S. Gibson, Walter Bennett, W. G. Randall and W. H. Bullock. Of these, J. J. Cassell was for several terms Judge of the Recorder's Court while in existence, and A. M. Cavan has served in the State Legislature as a member from Woodford County.
The city of El Paso has two very handsome little parks, one in each ward, and each park embraces one full block. They are enclosed by neat fences, are . elegantly laid out, filled with beautiful trees, and add materially to the beauty of the city. The name of El Paso was given the city in honor of the township, which bears the same name.
VILLAGE OF KAPPA.
The village of Kappa was laid out soon after the completion of the Illinois Central Railroad through the township, and was at one time a place of consider- able business. Long before El Paso appeared above the tall grass and the wild flowers of the prairie, Kappa was a town of note, running two or three large stores and dealing extensively in grain. The first store was opened by a Canadian, when the town was first laid off. A Mr. Reed, formerly of Spring Bay, was the second to go into the mercantile business in this little village. He kept the first post office in the village, and which was several years after the one kept by Horn in the township, some distance from Kappa. Reed afterward sold out to Asa Sparks, who continued some time in the trade.
C. Schafer, one of the successful merchants of El Paso, settled at first in Kappa. He says that it was then the best business point on the west side of the county. He was looking for a place to locate, and made up his mind that Kappa was the identical spot. He remembers seeing a hundred wagons at one time in the village, all loaded with grain and waiting to get to the scales to weigh their loads. He finally settled in Kappa, where he did a good business, until the completion of the Toledo, Peoria & Warsaw Railroad to the Illinois Central, which gave birth to the city of El Paso, and sealed the doom of Kappa. The atter place dwindled down to a small business, and trade flowed into El Paso. Mr. Schafer left Kappa and went with the crowd. The village now contains but one store, and a post office, kept by George Lollman, one church, and a school house, with a few residences.
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HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY.
CHURCHES.
The first sermon preached in Woodford County in the German language, was at Kappa in 1858, but the name of the minister we were unable to learn. A society of the German Lutheran Church was organized about that time, which met for a time in the Kappa school house. Rev. Mr. Roff succeeded to the charge, and in 1860 the society moved to El Paso, where it is noticed in con- nection with the city's history. Mr. North says that Rev. Mr. Gregg organized a Methodist class here in 1855. of ten members, with which he and his wife were numbered. The meetings for a time were held in the depot, and after- ward in the school house, until the Methodist Church, the only one in the vil- lage, was built in 1874. It is a very neat frame building, and cost $2,500. Rev. Mr. Kern is Pastor, and the society numbers about thirty-five members.
Kappa was given to the village as a name, by the Illinois Central Railroad Company, as was most of the stations along the road, and is supposed to be an Indian name or word.
MINONK TOWNSHIP.
This township is a full congressional town, and is designated as Town 28 north, Range 2 east of the Third Principal Meridian. It is situated in the extreme northeastern corner of Woodford County, and is bounded as follows : On the north by La Salle County ; on the east by Livingston County ; on the south by Panola Township, and on the west by Clayton Township. The land is quite level, there being scarcely enough fall to admit of effectual drainage ; and it was at first supposed that much of the township was too flat for tillable land, but by ample ditching, this has proved to be of the very best quality. The soil is of a very rich and productive character, and quite deep. It pro- duces immense crops of corn, oats and other grains. A large amount of pork and some cattle are raised.
The township is entirely devoid of timber and of running streams of water. However, many little groves of cottonwood and soft maple, planted by the earliest settlers, are now beginning to appear, and give the country the appear- ance of an old settled wooded country. The Illinois Central Railroad traverses the township, crossing the western part, about a mile from the western line. This road was completed through this section in 1854, and was the cause of the immediate development of this part of the State. The Chicago, Pekin & South- western Railroad crosses the Illinois Central at the city of Minonk, running through a small portion of the northwestern corner of the township, and thus supplying it with an immediate counection with Chicago and intermediate points.
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