USA > Illinois > McLean County > The good old times in McLean County, Illinois : containing two hundred and sixty-one sketches of old settlers, a complete historical sketch of the Black Hawk war and descriptions of all matters of interest relating to McLean County > Part 12
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Mr. Larison was a great hunter. Although the game was made comparatively scarce by the winter of the deep snow, yet the skillful hunter could find it. The big game was deer and turkey and it was well worthy of the hunter's exertions. Mr. Larison says that he has killed " a power of deer and turkey."
Mr. Larison worked hard for two years on his farm at Kicka- poo and then removed to Bloomington and bought out a drink- ing saloon. In those days saloons were patronized by nearly every one and the saloon-keeper was one of the most honored members of society. It is said that Abraham Lincoln once sold liquor at retail when he first came to Illinois. Some years after- wards when Lincoln took the stump against Judge Douglas, the latter alluded to Lincoln's calling in early western times; but Lincoln retorted that while he had officiated in one capacity on
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one side of the bar, Judge Douglas had officiated in the other capacity on the other side !
In 1835 Mr. Larison ran for constable at the solicitation of his old friend, General Gridley, and was fortunate enough to be elected. He served in that capacity for five years, and in 1840 was elected sheriff of McLean County for two years. He was the third sheriff of the county, but he was the first one who took a prisoner to the penitentiary. The prisoner, whose name was Webb, had been arrested by Larison for passing counterfeit money. He was one of that numerous band of counterfeiters and burglars that infected the western country, and had just ar- rived from the Rock River Valley. As soon as the prisoner was remanded to jail a certain individual of Bloomington began to plot to release him, for the band of thieves had agents in every town. But Mr. Larison "got wind" of this little arrangement and carefully guarded the jail, and had the pleasure of seeing Webb tried, convicted and sentenced to the penitentiary for five years. Mr. Larison carried the counterfeiter to Alton, and has every reason to suppose that for five years he did the State sub- stantial service.
Occasionally the early settlers enjoyed themselves by dancing and the pleasures of society. At these pleasant gatherings Mr. Larison was usually the fiddler, and he did what he could to make things lively. Judge Davis was a great dancer in those days, and could step around very lively, but he was not quite so heavy as at the present time. About five years ago some peo- ple in Bloomington got up a dance in the style of the early days. Mr. Larison acted in the capacity of fiddler, and the company had a grand time.
In 1850 Mr. Larison was anxious for a chance to hunt, and went to California with a company of sixty persons. They had a great time of it, and Mr. Larison did not return for two years. While crossing the plains they came upon the great game of the West, buffaloes. Some of the party mounted their horses and started for them. The buffaloes, of course, made as good time as they could to get out of the way. Mr. Larison did not have his own horse near, so he borrowed one with little ceremony, and started. He soon came across a buffalo which had taken refuge in a hollow, and gave chase. He rode up by the side of
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it and was about to shoot when the ferocious beast turned upon him and, to make matters more troublesome, his horse refused to get out of the way or move until the buffalo was within about fifteen feet of him. But when the horse saw the danger he sprang out of the way. Shortly afterwards Mr. Larison dis- mounted and shot the buffalo, but did not kill it. John W. Dawson, after snapping a few caps at the animal, held Larison's horse while the latter tried again and succeeded in bringing the buffalo down. They had a great many interesting adventures. When they came to Sweetwater they heard of a place a few miles above them called Devil's Gate. It seems to be a ledge of rock cut through by the washing of water. It is about two hun- dred feet high and not far from perpendicular. Near the top of this ledge Fremont made his sign, and of course all persons who pass that way must do the same and gain for themselves a cheap notoriety. The most of the company went to the top by a wide circuit, but William Hodge (a son of W. H. Hodge) climbed up this ledge of rock two hundred feet, almost perpendicularly, and when he came within twenty or thirty feet of the top he found it so steep that it seemed impossible to go further, and equally impossible to retreat. In order to climb the remaining short distance the young man pulled off his boots and threw them up to the top. One of them landed safely, while the other tumbled down two hundred feet to the bottom. But the young man suc- ceeded in getting to the top. Now it so happened that a party from the company went to visit the Devil's Gate and while there were suddenly astonished by a boot which dropped down among them. They carried it to camp and found young Hodge coming in barefoot. He had dropped one boot and thinking the other of no use threw it away. Mr. Larison had a little experience of this kind. He tried to climb a steep ledge, and when part way up, at a giddy height, he found it impossible to retreat, and a little green bush growing from a crevice in the rock was all that made it possible for him to proceed.
Mr. Larison was a hundred and four days on the plains. On his route he found many things new and strange. He saw In- dians, of course, but during his trip he saw a new variety, the Digger Indians. They live in holes in the ground, and this cir- cumstance has given them their name. They are the lowestin the
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scale of humanity, and are as innocent of clothing as Adam and Eve in the Garden before the fall. They show very little inge- nuity, and rely upon their bows and arrows to kill their game. Sometimes they build brush fences a half a mile or more in length. Two of these fences converge and form an acute angle with a small opening in the angle. The Indians then collect in large numbers and drive deer and other game between these fences, and as it comes out at the angle parties of Indians shoot it down with arrows.
While in California Mr. Larison transported goods from the. sea-coast inland about one hundred and fifty miles to the mines, which were between the summits of the mountains and the val- leys. There he traded groceries and provisions to the miners. But it was during the season of 1850 and '51 when there was a drouth. During the winter when rain was expected it continued perfectly dry, and the miners could not wash their gold. They had great heaps of earth piled up ready to be washed when the rain should come and the water should flow down the moun- tains. But the rain did not come, the miners were "dead broke," and Mr. Larison lost about twelve hundred dollars in his speculation. Hle then left and went to mining, but it was a year before he made enough money to bring himself home.
The society in California was hard, there was no safety for life or property, and that man was in danger who had money or a good mule. The miners had a very sure way of stealing mules. When a stranger came along with a good mule, some tough old miner would claim that he had lost the mule a few months before, that it had been stolen, and he would bring up four or five of his companions who would swear to his state- ment. The stranger was brought before a justice, who ot course was obliged to decide in accordance with the weight of evidence and give the miner the mule ! Mr. Larison bought a very fine mule at Rough and Ready. It was a splendid creature, coal black, with three Spanish brands. It was sure-footed, and would pick its way carefully with its heavy load through the dangerous defiles and over the mountains. After traveling two hundred miles, and having kept it for a long time he sold the mule to Solomon Baker for seventy dollars. Baker enjoyed possession of the animal but a very short time. He was incau-
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tious enough to leave his companions, and before long a stalwart miner laid claim to the mule and brought on a gang of villains who all swore the animal away from the unfortunate Baker. The latter came back on Larison, who, in turn, was obliged to refund the seventy dollars and pay also twelve dollars costs for the crime of having owned a pretty black mule ! But some- times this little game does not work. Occasionally the owner of the mule has proof unexpectedly near. One of the party happened to be riding a mule ten miles from Rough and Ready, when a hard-looking character claimed the animal and said he could produce his witnesses at Rough and Ready. The owner said "come right along," he had some witnesses there too. This rather astonished the strange claimant, and he concluded he had " struck the wrong lead."
When Mr. Larison had made enough money by mining to come home he left the hard society of California. He was de- lighted with the climate, and would have been glad to have lived there if it had not been for the lawless people who first settled in that golden country.
Mr. Larison is a man of rather less than medium height and not heavily built. In his younger days he was heavier, but he had a severe attack of erysipelas and has never since been so healthy and strong. His eyes are small, but show good sense. His hair and beard are becoming a little gray with age. He seems to be a man of very good judgment. He has plenty of courage, and it is safe to say that he has never aban- doned any enterprise on account of fear. He is very cheerful, and his conversation is very interesting, particularly when he talks of early days.
Mr. Larison has had nine children, of whom seven are living. They are :
James M. and Lee Larison, live in Bloomington.
Sarah, wife of A. S. Tompkins, lives in Hittle's Grove, Taze- well County.
Melinda F., wife of Henry C. Fell, lives in Normal.
George W. Larison lives in Arrowsmith township.
Greenberry Larison, jr. lives one mile northwest of his father. John, familiarly called Jack, lives at home.
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RICHARD A. WARLOW.
Richard A. Warlow, son of Benjamin Warlow, was born March 20, 1822, in Oneida County, New York. The family moved to Ohio, and in the fall of 1834 they came to Dry Grove, McLean County, Illinois. There they settled on a farm bought by Joshua Bond, an uncle to Richard. The family soon became acquainted with the people in the West, and during the fall of their arrival had a great corn-husking frolic. The inconven- iences of the country were severely felt, and Mrs. Warlow often said she would be perfectly satisfied if she could only have what wheat bread she wished to eat. The paradise on earth would be prepared, if she could have an unlimited supply of wheat bread.
Mr. Warlow sustains all that has been said of the great change in the weather of 1836, and speaks of the geese which he saw frozen fast to the ice which covered the ground.
In the fall of 1836 Mr. Warlow, sr., entered land a little north of Brown's Grove. There he built a little cabin of split logs, roughly notched and fitted and covered with bark. In this cabin three of the Warlow boys lived for a while, and cut rail timber and hauled it out of the grove. In February the family, which then numbered eight, moved down to their log cabin, which was twelve by fourteen feet. This cabin was near the place where R. A. Warlow now resides, in Allin township.
Mr. Warlow's opportunities for obtaining an education have not been good. For two winters he attended school in Dry Grove. After he was twenty-one years of age he boarded and attended a subscription school at Dry Grove for twenty days, but at that time the school-house burned down and his school days were ended. When he began work for himself he engaged in various occupations ; he worked at pump making; for many years he ran a threshing machine, and for a short time he at- tended to a saw-mill. He was handy at everything and suc- ceeded well.
Mr. Warlow tells a pretty hard story of the prices of things in early days. In the year 1844 he attended a sale of stock at Dry Grove, and there bid off' a yearling steer for $3.50 and was allowed one year's credit. After keeping it for a year or more he sold it for nine dollars ! R. A. Warlow obtained his start by
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raising corn and selling it in the neighborhood for twelve and a half cents per bushel. With money so obtained he bought the Clark estate at Stout's Grove. It consisted of about one hun- dred and thirteen acres, and he paid four hundred dollars for it. He afterwards sold out in order to enter land at Brown's Grove; but when he was ready to enter, the land office was closed. The charter had been passed for building the Illinois Central Railroad, and no land was sold until the company had selected what belonged to it. But when the Illinois Central Company at last obtained its land the remainder of the unen- tered government land was all sold at once. When the sale took place the speculators were numerous. They would allow a farmer to buy a hundred and sixty acres of land for a farm, but this was all. If the farmer attempted to buy more they would bid up on the land until he was driven off altogether. Mr. Warlow afterwards bought land of the railroad company, and now owns six or seven hundred acres. He has been once burned out, and has lost some money by becoming security, but other- wise has had good fortune. The good luck, which always at- tends the careful and industrious farmer, has been with him, and he is prosperous.
Mr. Warlow married Miss Lavinia Bosarth, April 29, 1849. He has had seven children, all of which are living. They are : Leslie, John, Belle, Ellen, Julia, Charlie and Annie.
Mr. Warlow is six feet and an inch and a half in height, is rather spare but muscular. He has dark and rather straight hair and dark eyes. His features are prominent, and his face is somewhat long. He is a good-natured man and very kind. He attends to his business, sees quickly what will pay, and manages all of his affairs well. He is very straightforward in his deal- ings.
JOHN B. THOMPSON.
John B. Thompson was born January 31, 1793, in Culpepper County, Virginia. His father's name was William Thompson and was of French descent. William Thompson enlisted in the Continental army when only sixteen years of age, and served until the close of the revolutionary struggle. William was sometimes up to his capers, and one little trick which he played
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came very near winding up his career as a soldier. He by some means obtained possession of two kegs of powder, which had been wet and were taken out to dry. He fired them with a slow match, and the excitement which followed may be imagined. The soldiers of the entire camp were called into line, and great efforts were made to discover the perpetrator of the trick, but without success. William Thompson was in a number of severe engagements. When the war was ended and peace declared, he returned to his farm. He became a minister of the gospel of the Baptist denomination, and lived to a ripe old age. He was married to Elizabeth Gardner, who was born in Albemarle County, Virginia, but who was of Irish descent.
In 1805 the Thompson family moved to Madison County, Kentucky, and in 1812 they moved to Boone County, same State. On the 24th of June, 1813, John B. Thompson was mar- ried to Polly Steers, who was born August 4, 1791, and was of Irish parentage. He remained in Boone County until Septem- ber, 1829, when he determined to seek a home in the far West. He was not in affluent circumstances, and he did not like to live in the midst of slavery and bring up a family there. His outfit consisted of a four-horse wagon, one yoke of oxen, a few cows, and a little money. After a journey of twenty days he pitched his tent on the Mackinaw, about five miles east of where Lex- ington now stands. After looking around in various places he at last settled in the old Delaware Indian Town, situated on the banks of the Mackinaw. Many of the Indian lodges were then standing, and he used them for stabling and other purposes. The appearance and prospects of the country were not then very bright, as the people were obliged to go long distances for the necessaries of life. They were obliged to go nearly a hundred miles to mill. Mr. Thompson's house was a large sized log cabin, with a clapboard roof, and greased paper windows. When the " mansion " was built, Mr. Thompson went to Orendorff's mill, down on Sugar Creek, and, in his absence, as the family was without breadstuffs, it was necessary for the children to grate and pound the corn to make the meal.
During the spring of 1830 Mr. Thompson was very busy com- pleting an improvement on his farm. It seems that when the Indians were there, they had eut down many trees for the pur-
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pose of burning the tops, and in some places had eut enough to make a little Indian farm or patch for growing corn. With this clearing Mr. Thompson had about fifteen acres under cultivation and raised a fair crop during the first season.
During the latter part of December, 1830, Mr. Thompson, with his brother-in-law, John Steers, each with a team, started to mill. They had been gone only a few days when the deep snow began to fall. Not anticipating the great storm, they kept on - their course, obtained their loads of meal and returned to within eleven miles of home. By this time the snow became so deep, that they were compelled to leave one of their wagons and double their teams to an ox-cart, in order to travel. They each took a sack of meal and succeeded in reaching home. But this did not last long, and the families were obliged to pound corn during the remainder of the winter, though they had plenty of meal only eleven miles distant. While the snow was on the ground, Mr. Thompson made an unsuccessful attempt to go to Indian Grove, a distance of ten miles, to see his brother-in-law, Martin Darnell, who was the only settler there. Mr. Thompson did not make another attempt to go there until the deep snow was partly melted, when he and John Henline were successful in making their way to the grove. The Darnell family were in good health, but had lost the day of the week, and were ob- serving Saturday as the Lord's day of rest.
The Mackinaw is a very uncertain stream, and sometimes rises very high, and Mr. Thompson built a canoe to be used in this stream when it overflowed its channel. It was used several years for this purpose until a bridge was built.
During the year 1831, many people came to the western country ; the older settlements were strengthened and new ones were formed. Society was then forming, election districts were formed and officers were chosen. During that year Mr. Thomp- son was elected justice of the peace, and served in this capacity for eight years. He assisted in the organization of the county and was one of the first grand jurors. He was at Bloomington when the county seat was located, and saw the stakes driven with a " nigger head " mall.
During the Black Hawk war in 1832, the settlers on the Mackinaw were very much afraid of an attack by the Kicka-
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poos, who had a camp at Indian Grove, and a fort was builtat the house of John Henline to afford protection. A full deserip- tion of this matter is given in other sketches, and it is unneces- sary to repeat it here.
The early settlers were not immortal, and occasionally had a funeral, and this of course made the services of an undertaker very convenient. Mr. Thompson made coffins out of lumber dressed down from split puncheons.
In 1834 immigration to Illinois was strong, and all comers met with a hearty welcome at their cabins. But money was liable to great fluctuation, as the land was in market, and settlers made great efforts to collect money enough to enter their im- proved claims. This they were sometimes unable to do, and their improvements were in some cases sold at a great sacrifice.
John B. Thompson is a man of fine appearance, rather above the medium height, with dark complexion and dark eyes. Ifis head is a little bald ; his hair, which in his younger days was very black, is now partly gray ; in walking his step is quick, but not so buoyant as formerly ; he retains his original vigor of mind, is a fluent talker, and while speaking of the country and telling how "it used to be," he is very animated and earnest. It is said of him that "he is quite a young man, to be nearly eighty-one years of age."
On the twentieth of April, 1873, the wife of Mr. Thompson died, after a happy married life of nearly sixty years. All of their living children, seven in number, were present at their mother's funeral. They are :
Eliza Travis, born March 31, 1814.
William H. Thompson, born January 12, 1818.
Simson E. Thompson, born February 29, 1820. James F. Thompson, born September 13, 1822. Cirenia J. Cunningham, born October 3, 1824.
David L. Thompson, born January 20, 1827.
George W. Thompson, born September 11, 1832.
Mr. and Mrs. Thompson have had three children who are now dead, making thus in all a family of ten children.
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JACOB SMITH.
Jacob Smith was born April 21, 1821, in Switzerland County, Indiana. His father's name was Charles Smith, and his mother's name before her marriage was Elizabeth Adams. Charles Smith was of Irish descent; that of his wife Elizabeth is not known. Charles Smith was not confined to one occupation. He was sometimes a farmer and sometimes a flatboatman on the Ohio River. He was a captain in the militia and held this position until death, which occurred in the fall of 1832. During the spring of 1833 the Smith family of seven children, four girls and three boys, came with their mother to the head of the Mackinaw, about five miles above where Lexington now is. Their journey was a hard one, as it was rainy and muddy. They broke down on one Sunday, and an old Quaker on his way to church stopped and helped them to mend the wagon. That was the way the spirit moved him. They bought a claim of one hundred and sixty acres of land, with a cabin on it and twelve acres fenced and broke. But during the latter part of the summer the family took the ague; it was a family affair and all came down with it. This discouraged them so much that in the fall of the year they went back to Indiana. There they remained a year, and in De- cember, 1834, started again for Illinois. At Indianapolis it began snowing and continued until eight inches of snow covered the ground. They stopped in an old shanty for a week, by which time the roads became broken and smooth and they again started on their journey. When they came near Terre Haute they found it difficult to get a place to stop, but at last a good man named Steele took them and charged them nothing for entertainment. When they arrived at Cheney's Grove they had twenty-five cents in money, which they used to buy a bushel of corn meal. They went on to the head of the Mackinaw, where they stayed one year and then moved back to Cheney's Grove, where they made a permanent location. Mr. Smith has lived near Cheney's Grove ever since. For the last twenty-eight or nine years he has lived on his place, about a mile west of the grove, in Arrowsmith township. He farmed for a while on old Jonathan Cheney's place. For a long time he was not riehl enough to afford a strap for a line with which to guide his horses, but used linn bark.
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Mr. Smith has hunted deer, wolves and wild hogs. The lat- ter he considers very dangerous game, as their tusks grow out long, forming the most effective weapons for fighting. At one time, while hunting, he saw a dog take a wild hog by the ear; but the hog threw up its snout and struck its tusk into the breast of the dog, penetrating to the heart at one stroke, killing the dog instantly.
Mr. Smith married in April, 1842, Rosanna Newcom. He has had seven children, but only three are living.
Ethan Allen Smith, the eldest son, enlisted in the 116th Illi- nois Volunteers, during the late war, and died at Memphis, Tenn., of typhoid fever.
Charles W., Annie J. and Joseph Smith live at the home- stead with their father. Albert, Mary Ellen and Lucinda J. Smith are dead.
Mr. Smith is about five feet and eleven inches in height, has brown hair, rather gray whiskers, and light grayish-blue eyes. He is broad-shouldered and very muscular. He has worked hard, has saved his earnings and never gone security for any one. He would rather pay a debt or lend the money than go security for it. He has never sued any one or been sued. He has a fine farm, well arranged, and certainly ought to enjoy life.
BLOOMINGTON TOWNSHIP.
JOIIN HENDRIX.
John Hendrix was born December 9, 1790, in Virginia. Ilis parents were Susannah and William Hendrix. The Hendrix family moved to Champaign County, Ohio, and there John Hendrix married Jane Britton, in about the year 1813 or 1814.
In the fall of 1821 John Hendrix and John W. Dawson came with their families to Sangamon County, Illinois, where they arrived about Christmas time, and there remained during the winter. In April, 1822, the Hendrix family came to what is now called Blooming Grove. Mr. Dawson came with them, but left his family in Sangamon County. An old man named Segar was also with the company. Mr. Hendrix settled on the place now owned by Oliver H. P. Orendorff. This was the first set- tlement made within the limits of the present McLean County.
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