USA > Illinois > Woodford County > The Woodford County history > Part 20
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Panola Township
John Brewer and his wife, Rebecca, came from Ohio in 1836 and settled in Section 17, the first family in Panola Township. A school was later located on the northeast corner of the farm and a group of United Brethren communicants held services there regularly. Two other groups used the school for occasional serv- ices. In 1868, the three groups built a small parsonage two miles cast of the school in the southwest corner of Section 11, but continued to worship in the school house.
They built the first church on the site of the parsonage in 1875 at a cost of $1,920. The name Shiloh was adopted. Methodists met in several schools in the township, and. with increasing frequency, in the new church. The number of Methodists in- creased in the township while United Brethren diminished, so in 1899, at the re- quest of the United Brethren, the church came under Methodist jurisdiction. It did not have a resident minister but shared
a minister with Gridley, where the minister resided.
In 1909, a new frame church was built at a cost of $5,610, including furnishings. It was dedicated January 2, 1910. On May 16, 1948, the congregation merged with the Methodist congregation in El Paso, he- canuse case of transportation and decrease in population in the area had reduced church membership. The building was sold for $625 on April 20, 1950 to Davis Broth- ers of Minonk, who dismantled it. A me- morial marker was placed on the site on September 15, 1956.
A Baptist congregation was organized in Panola in 1857; however, it was about ten years before they built a church. W. A. Nelson was ordained there June 8, 1889. The congregation dwindled and the church had not been used for several years when R. L. Beshers bought it in 1912. The win- dows in the east end of the Christian Church in El Paso were secured from the
NAPA1/4M P HENRY
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14
The Shiloh Methodist Church, dedicated January 2, 1910; the congregation merged with the First Methodist Church, El Paso, in May 1948. The buikling was razed in 1951. It was located on the site of a former United Brethren Church, built in 1875.
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Panola church when it was dismantled. The bell was installed in the tower of the Evangelical United Brethren Church in El Paso in time for the Thanksgiving serv- ice in 1911.
A group of Methodists had a class at Panola in 1857, one of seven such groups which met in the freight house on Novem- ber 6 and 7, 1857, for a quarterly confer- ence. Zadok Hall, a pioneer Methodist minister, presided. The Panola group later became part of other Methodist congrega- tions and never built a church in Panola.
Porter Bassett bought the freight house years later and moved it to his farm on Panther creek, near St. Mary's cemetery. It was remodelled for a barn, and is still in use.
The Baughman cemetery in the north- west corner of Section 3, was deeded to the Cemetery Association on December 29, 1877 by John Baughman. One-half of the acre plot was a gift; the rest was purchased by the association.
Rev. Msgr. Murray V. Haas
Murray V. Haas, son of Ralph and Anna Murray Haas, was born July 20, 1912, and received his grade school education at the Pauley school in Panola township. Later he attended St. Bede's Academy, Peru; St. Louis Preparatory Seminary; and Kenrick Seminary. He was ordained June 6, 1937, in St. Mary's Cathedral, Peoria, by the Most Reverend J. 11. Schlarman, D.D.
His first assignment was as chaplain at St. Joseph's, Wedron, Illinois, where he served a year before going to Peoria as as- sistant pastor at St. Mary's Cathedral. He beeame pastor of that church in April, 1944 and served until 1967-a total of over 29 years in that parish. In 1967 he became pastor of St. Bernard's parish in Peoria.
George W. Krug, Sr.
George Krug was one of the earliest farmers in this area to realize the impor- tance of selection of seed in order to pro- duce a better corn crop. Seeking a higher yield from his Panola Township farm, as
early as 1906 he began selecting ears from strong, standing stalks, approximately four feet from the ground. During the winter the ears were checked for weight, smooth- ness and starch content. In 1919, encour- aged by M. L. Moser, Woodford County farm adviser, he entered the County Farm Bureau yield test. In 1920 and 1921, he won top honors among 11S growers who entered the tests. Krug's utility type corn became the most widely used open-polli- nated corn in the area and many persons grew and sold it for seed, though he never received a royalty for the use of his name.
Mr. Krug was born January 21, 1879, on the Krug farm in Section IS, and spent his life there. He was a son of Michael and Katherine Benson Krug, who came to Panola in January 1857. He married Louisa Bayer of Minonk, March 4, 1904. Mr. Krug died July 25, 1942.
Hybrid seed corn pioneer-Lester Pfister.
Lester Pfister
The fact that George Krug, a painstaking corn breeder, lived less than five miles from Lester Pfister's home, and was readily available for discussion on common prob- lems, and that M. L. Moser county agent,
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Panola Township
encouraged them both, were two things that contributed to Pfister's consuming interest in corn breeding. Beginning with open-pollinated varieties, (including Krug's) he continued experiments in cross- breeding and selection of promising in- breds in an effort to produce a hybrid strain that would be a better producer. It was time and labor consuming work, often handicapped by limited funds and lack of understanding from less imaginative men of the community.
In 1926, he entered Krug corn in the lowa yield tests and received top honors. Ten years later he was marketing his famous 360 and 366 strains, laying the foundation for his recognition as an out- standing producer of hybrid seed, which has revolutionized corn production. Keep- ing pace with his corn production, Pfister's ingenious mechanical ability has produced a long list of aids to agriculture; some of them, created for corn production or pro- cessing, having been adapted to other crops as well.
The business has grown through the years. At the home farm in Section 27, a double building is the seed house, there is a sorting shed and a drier, with large underground vaults where foundation seed is stored. In 1940 the company acquired the former canning factory on Route 51 in El Paso, remodelling it for their special needs: on July 2, 1941, they purchased the former Beshers building on Route 24 and converted it into offices. The grading building west of the old warehouse was built in 1964, and the large steel warehouse was added in the same area in 1967.
The company had 6,511 acres in cultiva- tion in 1967. The family owns 1653 aeres and in addition, 4555 acres were either rented and farmed by Pfister company em- ployees: or the corn was raised under con- tract with the farmer.
Lester Pfister was born July 6. 1597. in Panola Township, a son of John and Emma ( Haas) Pfister, and married Helen Vogel: they had eight children, two of whom died in infancy. Their three sons, Jerry, Walter.
and Dan, now carry the major responsibili- ties for the complex operation.
Some Others and Their Activities
Dr. Gustavus Buttler was educated in Dresden, and graduated in Leipsic in IS59. He came to El Paso in 1866 and after several years moved to Panola, where he practiced medicine over 40 years. In the 1890's and early 1900's, he served at vari- ous times as president or clerk of the vil- lage board, and police magistrate.
Horace T. Allen was the first township clerk; Henry Saltsman, who operated the hotel, was the first township police magis- trate. Levi Hodgson, who settled on Sec- tion 25 in 1856, reported there were only 16 families in the township at that time.
Two elevators were built in Panola at an early date-one at the south and the other at the north. Jno. Evans owned one. F. S. Larison purchased the one on the south.
George and Carl Krug produced turkeys -from four to six thousand annually-be- tween about 1930 to 1945.
W. 11. Gardner, Lewis Geiger. Henry Hall and John Ward were carly residents who raised livestock. John Stonebraker (who died in ISS7) specialized in pure- bred Duroe Jersey hogs. Galloway cattle and Norman horses were popular for some years, but later Shorthorn, and Angus cat- tle, and Percheron horses replaced them. Sam Schertz, James Holt, John Koch were among stock breeders in the early 1900's.
Many farmers "sell their corn on the hoof" through the feeding of hogs and or steers, (the latter usually shipped in), but hogs more frequently are locally produced. Harold and Melvin Krug are among pres- ent day producers. Gene and Fabian Haas, Dean Bell, Lawrence Guard, Stanley Kel- sey, Alfred Stimpert, Gene and Glenn Schertz, are among those in the township who are regular cattle feeders.
Clement Stokes and son, Leo, have pure- bred Angus cattle, Southdown sheep, and Ilampshire hogs. Lco has exhibited the stock regularly at local and state fairs, and
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has also had blue ribbon winners at the International Livestock Show in Chicago a number of times. Participation in 4-11 Club and Future Farmers programs have contributed to their success, as it has with others in the area.
Though Panola, township or village, is small, the name has appeared a number of times in the listing of those who have achieved success in various fields. The list would include Dr. Richard Ostler Scho- field, whose research into the causes of heat stroke while he was chief surgeon and medical adviser for the companies en- gaged in the Hoover Dam project, resulted in the wide use of salt tablets by those who work in excessive heat.
Dr. James J. Sheppard ( 1868-1914) pi- oneered in the field of commercial educa- tion at the high school level; his most ex- tensive work being done in New York City.
Orville F. Haas, son of Peter W. and Mary Hauck Haas, became vice-president of the General Electric Company in 1946, having responsibility for the company's activities and products in six states, with headquarters at Philadelphia.
Gus Raymond, ( 1900-1967) spent his boyhood in Panola, where he became in- terested in electronics through friendship with a radio ham operator. In 1950 he supervised the moving of the Western Electric plant from Chicago to Indianapo- lis, Indiana, without ceasing the operation of the plant, which manufactures tele- phone instruments and parts, "Hle dis- mantled one plant, built and equipped an- other while training workers in a third plant," according to a newspaper account. He was vice-president of Western Electric when he retired. He died in Punta Gordo, Florida, June 2, 1967.
A Tale of Violence
David J. Hedges built a fence across a public highway adjoining Section 9, which was taken down several times by neigh- bors. On May 9, 1868, he was rebuilding it when a neighbor, George W. Kingston, Jr., tried to dissuade him, finally taking a revolver from Hedges and starting across the field to his own home, located in the southeast 80 acres. Hedges followed him, armed with a hatchet. When the argument started again, Kingston struck lledges with a spade he carried and Hedges soon died. Kingston was charged with manslaughter and, after many delays, was brought to trial August 13, 1869. He was acquitted on the grounds of self-defense, but the high costs of the case and the resulting publicity caused Kingston to leave the community, where he had always had a good reputa- tion. An El Paso law firm, Ingersoll, Cas- sell, Burns, and Harper defended him.
Closely Associated with El Paso
Residents of Panola township have shared in practically all of the community concerns of El Paso. Panola businesses were very limited, and by the beginning of 1968, nonexistent. The majority of the township has been included in the El Paso Community Unit School District No. 375 since 1948, and the Fire Protection District since 1963. Since the Shiloh Methodist Church merged with the El Paso congre- gation, there has been no church in the township. Most of the area is covered by mail delivery from the El Paso post office. A continued improvement of roads in the township has made contacts easier and more frequent. So, for all these reasons and perhaps others, El Paso has become Panola township's town, at least for most of its residents.
Partridge Township
by
MRS. Hven MACMILLAN and MRS. FRANK POIGNANT
IN 1852, UNDER GOVERNMENT survey, Wood- ford County was formed into townships. At that time, Township 28 North, Range 3 West. which lies in the northwest corner of the county, took the name Partridge be- cause of its association with a Potawatomi Indian chief, Black Partridge. It was of- ficially incorporated with the other eleven townships in 1855. Partridge Township is bounded on the west side by the Illinois River and on the north by Marshall County; to the east lies Cazenovia Town- ship and to the south, Worth Township.
The flood plain of the Illinois covers many acres in Partridge. Bordering this plain, which is locally referred to as the "river bottom" or the "valley," are steep bluffs and hills covered with timber. Wind- ing through these hills are several creeks, notably Snag, Richland, and Partridge, making their way to the Illinois River. As is usually characteristic of hill streams, these can quickly become raging torrents after a good rain, and then, just as quickly subside.
For many years, hundreds of acres cov- ered by the flood plain were of little value as farming land. In the past 50 years, how- ever, artificial drainage has been employed and much of this drained land has made excellent farm land. Behind the bluffs, a great deal of territory which was woodland has, over the years, been cleared and is now under cultivation.
Partridge is a fractional township, and although it cannot compare with others in the county in agricultural resources, it does possess a wealth of natural beauty and a rich and early history. Its geographical make-up made it ideal for the Indian. The hills and woodland provided a good hunt-
ing ground for him, the river provided fish, the many springs gave him fresh water, and near them he built his wigwam or hut.
But there was a civilization long before that. It is interesting now to note in the book, History of Woodford County printed in 1878, these words about Partridge: "Here, tradition informs us, the Mound Builders once existed, and many traces and relies of this wonderful people are still to be found in this region. A number of these mounds were surveyed by seientifie men, but we do not know what report they made of their investigations. It is not likely that anything will ever be known of this strange race."
It is now 1968, and we have seen tre- mendons changes that have been made in 90 years, resulting in what we call the "jet age." These changes have included archae- ological advancements as well, and today more is known about this "strange race." A report from the Illinois Archaeological Survey informs us that these mounds in Partridge Township appear to date from the Middle Woodland Period. Thus, they would have an antiquity of about 2,000 years. The members of this survey, who work in cooperation with the University of Illinois, state that they have only just scratched the surface in their search for knowledge about prehistoric Illinois his- tory. How much easier it is for us to trace the history of Partridge Township to the early 1800's, beginning with the Indian chief whose name is so well known in this end of the county.
By the close of the ISth century, the Potawatomi Indians who were originally from the north, had moved into northeast- ern Illinois. They had a number of villages
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Woodford County History
on the Illinois River and its tributaries, be- ginning north of what is now Peoria, and on up past the mouth of the Fox River.
The village of which Black Partridge was chief consisted of some 30 to 40 wigwams scattered between Partridge and Richland creeks. Authorities do not agree as to the exact location of the chief's headquarters, for some place it just north of the Richland school, while others have it located a few hundred yards below the school, near a big spring. There seems to be no doubt, though, that the village was a prosperous one, the wigwams were larger than average and substantially built.
Like many of the Indian chiefs of that day, Black Partridge traveled widely by pony and canoe, and one can find his name on several land cession treaties.
At Ft. Dearborn, which is now Chicago, was a trading post established by John Kinzie, whose step-daughter was the wife of Lt. Helm, second in command of the
In the lobby of the Chicago Historical Society Library is a bronze statue placed there many years ago. tt consists of several life-sized figures, including two Indian men and one white woman. The one Indian is shown, with uplifted tomahawk, about to strike down the woman, Mrs. İlelm, and the tndian coming to her rescue is Black Partridge.
fort. Many of the Indians, including Black Partridge, were on very friendly terms with the Kinzie family with whom they did their trading, and Black Partridge visited often in the Kinzie home. Because of this friend- ship, Mrs. Helm's life was saved during the Ft. Dearborn massaere in IS12. Black Part- ridge knew the fort was going to be at- tacked, and although he and several other chiefs disapproved, they were outnum- bered by the young warriors who believed that the British would offer them gold in exchange for capturing Ft. Dearborn. Black Partridge warned the Kinzies of the coming attack, but during the flight for safety to Ft. Wayne, many of the fort's residents were massacred. Lt. Helm, how- ever, was captured and taken to an Indian village near the au Sable river where he was held for ransom.
During this period of the British War, there was much unrest between the Indians and the territorial authorities, and each regarded the other with suspicion. Two months after the Ft. Dearborn massaere, Gov. Edwards sent troops to the Peoria area because of a rumor that the Indians were gathering for the purpose of making a raid against the frontier settlements to the south. At this point, one account states that the troops headed purposely for the village of Black Partridge because it sup- posedły was the center of Indian disaffec- tion; another states that the troops learned from a trapper as they were coming north through Bloomington, that Black Partridge was away seeking to ransom Lt. Helm from the Indians on the au Sable, and that his other warriors were off on a hunting trip, thus leaving the village unprotected. Writ- ers do agree on the main aspects of the attack-the Indians were taken by surprise, and could make no effective resistance. The troops came down in two divisions, one sweeping down the point south of the Richland School, and the other some 30 or more rods below. The result was a massacre of defenseless old men, women and chil- dren. The village was burned, including great stores of corn, beans, dried meat and furs. The ponies were taken away, as were
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Partridge Township
many brass kettles, and quantities of silver and ornaments.
Having secured the release of Lt. Helm, Black Partridge headed for his village and on his arrival was greeted by this scene of wanton destruction. That he should have become embittered and desirous of revenge was to be expected. For a time after that, he went about enlisting the aid of other Indians, and in 1813, they made a futile attempt to prevent the U. S. Army from building Ft. Clark ( Peoria ). The old chief then wisely decided to sue for peace. For the rest of his life, he remained loyal to the treaty he signed in St. Louis in December, 1813. It is believed by many that he died in either 1819 or '20, and that he was buried somewhere near his beloved village by the big spring.
The first white man to live in this area was here at the time of the Indian chief's death. There seems to be little doubt that he was a man named Blaylock, although it is not known where he came from or where he went after he left this area. He was found living near a stream, still known as Blaylock Creek, in what is now Section 31. Although there have been many tales told about him, some undoubtedly exaggerated, they all tend to indicate he and his family were living in the style of the Indians. Their home was a thatched hut, they wore buckskins, and they hunted and fished for their food. Blaylock did not stay to make a settlement. After a few years, it is said that he left with a band of Indians when they departed for the west.
Some of the first pioneers who settled in Partridge Township in the early 1830's, were Francis Ayers, "Red" Jo Belsley, Jos. K. Johnson, Louis deGuibert, Philip Bet- telyune, John M. Klingman, Daniel and Samnel Hedlock, Dan Sowards, Benjamin Younger, John Sharp, Chauncey Baker, and John and Isaac Snyder.
Probably the first actual settlement in Partridge was made by Francis Ayers, who came by way of Ohio, although he was born and reared in New Hampshire. He built a cabin near Metamora in 1830, but
after a year sold it and moved to the Part- ridge Creek bottom.
After Ayres, came "Red" Jo Belsley. Mr. Belsley, coming from France, also went first to Ohio before coming to Ilinois. Al- though land was cheap in Ohio, it was even cheaper here. For at that time the greater part of Illinois was uninhabited, even unsurveyed, and ground was sold by the government to the frontiersman for $1.25 an acre. Mr. Belsley made claim to a tract on Partridge Creek, later sold it to Joseph Johnson, and he settled then in Worth close to the Partridge line.
Mr. Johnson came from Pennsylvania, stayed for a while in Ohio, and then came to Partridge in 1833. After buying Mr. Bel- sley's land, he soon became a prominent man in the settlement, operating and own- ing both a saw mill and a grist mill. He was also the first blacksmith in the area.
In 1833, Mr. Louis deGuibert came from France and settled in Partridge, spending his first night at "Red" Jo Belsley's. Mr. deGuibert had served as a soldier under Napoleon, and had fought in the battles of Austerlitz, Nina and Wagran. Because of his courage he was made Chevalier of the Legion of Honor. This was presented to him on the battlefield by Napoleon himself. During his childhood, Mr. deGuibert had witnessed the French Revolution, Jater he enlisted as a private soldier and rose to the rank of captain of the infantry. He had marched and fought over half of Europe, had watched the death of half of his com- pany before a single discharge of artillery at Austerlitz, and in another engagement was one of eight survivors of a company of 71 men.
He came here, then, in 1833, to a pioneer settlement where he endured all the hard- ships accompanying the life of a frontiers- man. But, he was a man of excellent mind and humor, and like so many of the pioneers, was richly endowed with de- termination and courage. He had brought workmen with him from France, and by the following year had built a saw mill which was long known as the Old French Mill. He lived to see his labors well re-
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Woodford County History
warded and became a man of comfortable wealth before his death in 1866. His son, Louis A. Jr., married Lizzie Hoshor, the daughter of another prominent pioneer, and to this marriage were born eight chil- dren. It has been said by some of the pres- ent residents who are descendents of early Partridge settlers, that to know the history of the deGuiberts is to know the history of Partridge Township.
Associated also with much of the early history of the township were the Snyders. Nicholas Snyder and his wife came from Germany with their two sons, John and Isaac, and a daughter, Elizabeth. After a time in New York, they came to Illinois and settled south of Spring Bay in 1828, where several more children were born. John, at an early age, came to Partridge Township, and began clearing and farming land. His brother, Isaac, as soon as he was old enough, also acquired land in Partridge and made his home here for many years.
Several other settlers came from Pennsyl- vania, such as John Clingman, Philip Bet- telyune, George Ruckle, and Chauncey Baker.
In 1960, when he was 87 years old, Mr. John C. Snyder of Metamora, whose par- ents were John and Lovina Baker Snyder, wrote the following account of his grand- father, Chauncey Baker. "About 1834, Grandfather Baker walked from Pennsyl- vania to Illinois and took up a claim east of Chillicothe, built a cabin during the summer and in the fall walked back to Pennsylvania. Then, the next spring, he loaded his family in a one-horse wagon and again walked (there was no room on the wagon to ride) back to Illinois. Later he built a two-story house which was the best in the neighborhood at that time, In this home he raised quite a large family of which my mother was second oldest. I still have the rifle carried on this trip which Grandfather used to kill game along the trail for food."
The Bettelyunes settled in Partridge in 1836. Some years later, Mrs. Bettelyune, recalling some of their early experiences, said that saplings were eut to build their
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