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 17
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The first addition to Bloomington was laid out by James Allin. The second addition was laid out by Jesse W. Fell and a certain Mr. White. The land was bought by them of William Evans and was a part of his original farm. Mr. Niccolls and Judge J. E. McClun bought thirteen acres of Mr. Evans and laid out a third addition.
Mr. Evans married in the year 1800 Miss Effie Winebriner. He had a pleasant family of children. His wife Effie died in 1839 after thirty-eight years of happy wedded life. In 1840 he married Mrs. Martha Day. He lived with her a contented and happy life until the year 1868 when he died at the advanced age of ninety-three years two months and seven days. Mrs. Evans is still living, and resides with her youngest daughter, Mrs. Hay- wood, who almost worships her.
William Evans was of mixed Welch and Irish descent, his father being Welch and his mother Irish. He had a tolerable common school education which he obtained at a district school near his birthplace in Pennsylvania.
William Evans was a quiet, unassuming man. He had in him a great deal of the " milk of human kindness." His good aets were done without ostentation ; he never allowed his right hand to know what his left hand did; and there are many who will remember his generosity until their latest day. IIe gave many building lots to poor widows and it is probable that all of
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his generous deeds will not be known until the final day when the Lord makes up his jewels. Mr. Evans possessed a remark- able influence over the Indians. These wild men of nature are wonderful in their quick and accurate estimate of character. They saw instantly that Mr. Evans was a man in whom they could trust. They rested often before his door and delighted in his presence. They often slept on his floor at night and some- times covered it, and he always made them welcome. He was a man who would have many friends wherever he went. The Rev. Mr. McElroy, who preached his funeral discourse, said :
" He was wont to say : ' A man always takes his neighbors with him wherever he goes ;' and was fond of relating the fol- lowing anecdote as illustrative of the truth: "Two men had emigrated at an early day to the West. They put up together at the same tavern at night. The landlord inquired of one where he was going and why he came to the West. "I am going to settle in the bottom here," said he, "and I came West to get rid of my troublesome neighbors." " You will have bad neighbors where you are going," said the landlord, and turning to the other he asked the same question. "I came West," said he, " because my farm was small and I desired to get more land, as I have a large family of children. I am going to settle in the bottom, and the only regret I have in leaving my old home is, I have left many good neighbors." "You will have good neigh- bors where you are going," said the landlord. "How is this ?" said the first, when we are going to the same place ?" " Sim- ply," replied he, " a man takes his neighbors with him when he goes. ' "
This quaint little story shows the influence of character and a kind and neighborly disposition.
Mr. Evans was a man of God, a quiet, earnest, devoted Christian. He united with the Methodist church in 1835 and patiently upheld the cross of Christ until the day of his death.
As to his personal appearance, William Evans was quite heavily set and weighed perhaps two hundred pounds. He was careful in business matters, and in his old age when sight and hearing had partially failed, his mind was always sufficiently clear to allow him to manage his business. All who knew Mr. Evans speak of him as a kind and excellent neighbor. He took
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great delight in playing the violin which was nearly always the musical instrument of early days. Music was a rare treat to the early settlers and the old airs played by Mr. Evans were gladly received.
WILLIAM DIMMITT.
William Dimmitt was born on a farm in Alleghany County, Maryland, about eight miles from Cumberland, in June, 1797. His father emigrated from England, but his mother was Ameri- can born. When he was three years of age his father died. After that he lived with his grandparents until he was married at the age of nineteen. He received his very moderate educa- tion partly in Ohio, where his grandparents removed when he was ten years of age, and partly in Illinois. He was considered rather an old scholar, as he did not remove to Illinois until he was twenty-eight years of age. He came to Illinois in 1825, and stayed the first summer on the Vermilion River, near the pres- ent town of Danville. In the fall he came to Blooming Grove, and located on the present site of Bloomington. Here, with the assistance of another party, he entered one hundred and thirty acres of land. He found, as settlers here, William Orendorff, William Walker, John Benson and the Rhodes family, consist- ing of John, Jerry, Samuel, Aaron and James.
When Bloomington was laid out in 1831, Mr. Dimmitt had no thought of its future greatness and prosperity. But he lived to make six additions to the city. He sold these additions grad- ually as the demand for lots increased. He says that when the city was laid out the land was worth from five to six dollars per acre, but now much of it is worth from five to seven hundred dollars per foot. He says that at the sale of lots in 1831, forty dollars was a high price to pay for a lot.
When Mr. Dimmitt first came here the people suffered from that most disagreeable but not very dangerous disease-fever and ague. The changes in the weather were then more sudden and more severe than at present. He thinks the coldest winter was in 1843. On the tenth of March of that year people were crossing the river at Ottawa on the ice.
Mr. Dimmitt speaks well of the Indians. He always lived at peace with them; they were good neighbors. All trade with
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them was exchange. He served six months in the Black Hawk war. He went to Dixon's Ferry, where the volunteers were gathered together, but after the unfortunate defeat at Stillman's Run, about twenty-five miles northeast of Dixon, he was mus- tered out with the entire force, as the term of their enlistment had expired. He was well acquainted with John Dixon, one of the early pioneers of the West, and the founder of the pretty little village which bears his name. He was also well acquainted with Colonel John Dement, who was a Major and who made for himself so honorable a record during the Black Hawk war.
But those stirring times are gone. Nearly all of the early hard working pioneers, who are now living, have acquired a fair competence. Mr. Dimmitt has made some money by his good sense, good management and hard work, and he now enjoys the fruits of his labors. He has raised a family of ten children, three sons and seven daughters, all of whom are living. Al- though he is seventy-five years of age he is enjoying most excellent health, and we may indulge in the hope that, on ac- count of his vigorous constitution, it will yet be many years be- fore he is gathered to his fathers.
The "times" with the first pioneers were not flush. They received at first but a small return for their labor. Oats and corn brought from eight to ten cents per bushel ; wheat brought from forty to fifty cents per bushel, and pork ranged from $1.25 to $1.50 per hundred.
As to personal appearance, Mr. Dimmitt is about five feet and ten inches in height. His face is full ; his hair is white, but he has plenty of it, and his eye-sight is still pretty good. He made a fortune without expecting to do so by the sale of town lots. He has never held a public office, and never sought one. His taste has never led him in that direction ; he is a good American citizen ; he has lived a useful life, and the community where he resides is the better for his exertions.
ROBERT GUTHRIE AND REV. ROBERT ELTON GUTHRIE.
Robert Guthrie was a native of Pennsylvania, and was of Scotch and Welch descent. IIe was born November 1, 1795. His wife was Catherine Spawr, also a native of Pennsylvania, and a daughter of Valentine Spawr, late of McLean County,
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Illinois. She was of German descent. In the fall of 1826 Robert Guthrie moved with his family to Funk's Grove in Mc- Lean County, Illinois. His family then consisted of his wife and five children, named John, Margaret, Robert Elton, Jacob and Adam. He made his first improvement where the Chicago & Alton Railroad now enters the north end of Funk's Grove, before the land was in market. He had when he came but fifty cents in his pocket, and was fifty dollars in debt. IIe husked corn for Isaac and Absalom Funk for fifty cents per day and split rails for twenty-five cents per hundred, and it was very hard to support his family during the first winter. He was helped very much by his good luck in killing two fine bucks that had been fighting and had locked their antlers together so tight- ly as to be unable to get loose. He considered this a special interposition of Providence. These fortunate circumstances oc- curred when he had just lost some of his stacks by a prairie fire and when he felt very much depressed. The fire was one of the grandest and most terrible ever known in the West. It extended around the whole north and west sides of Funk's Grove, and the walls of flame moved rapidly forward. The whole heavens were lit up, and at midnight everything was almost as easily and clearly distinguished as at mid-day. In the morning the whole country was black, and many stacks and rail fences were simply smoking cinders.
At the end of two years Mr. Guthrie had a farm opened up, but was obliged to sell it in order to pay a note of fifty dollars, which fell dne. It was given for fifty dollars which he had bor- rowed of Mary Cox in order to come West. But she had in the meantime become Mrs. Kimler, and needed her money in order to get her outfit for housekeeping.
While Mr. Guthrie lived at Funk's Grove he had his corn ground at a mill at the north end of Twin Grove near the pres- ent M. E. Church on the old Dan Munsell place, then owned by Mr. Matthew Harbord. IIe shelled his corn by scraping the ears on the edge of a fire shovel held over a wash-tub, and his sons took it to mill on horseback. There they were obliged to wait to get it ground, and when their turn came they hitched their horses to the mill and ground their grain. These boys, John and Robert Elton Guthrie, aged respectively twelve and
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nine years, sometimes had a hard time of it going ten miles on horseback to mill, but the children of the carly settlers learned to be men when they were very young. At the mill was nearly always a crowd of men and boys waiting their turn to grind their grain. They passed their time in racing their horses, running foot races, wrestling, jumping and fighting. They felt obliged to exercise their muscle in some way all the time.
After selling his claim and improvements in 1829, Mr. Guth- rie moved to Money Creek, about nine miles northeast of where Bloomington now stands, on a place now owned by Benjamin Ogden. Here he built a hewed log cabin, fenced and broke from forty to sixty acres of land, and began to get a good start once more. But the land came into market in the meantime and Mr. Guthrie was unable to enter it and was again thrown out of a home.
The winter of 1830-31 is remembered by all as the winter of the deep snow. Three days before the snow began falling, Mr. Guthrie and Frederick Trimmer started for St. Louis with teams and wagons to haul goods for James Allin, who had opened a small store where Bloomington now is. They intended to be gone only ten days or two weeks, but they did not see their families again for five weeks. They were obliged to leave their goods, wagons and Mr. Guthrie's oxen about fifteen miles the other side of Springfield, and came through with Mr. Trimmer's horses to break the way. During this time their families were in a state of anxious suspense, and were obliged to live on boiled corn; indeed, during the whole winter they had very little to eat except pounded meal. During that winter Mr. Guthrie sent his children to school, though they had to work their way for a mile through snow that reached nearly to their necks; but when it became packed they walked over the crust.
In the spring of 1831 Mr. Guthrie moved to Major's Grove near where the Chicago and Alton railroad shops now stand. There he improved a farm for Mr. James Allin. But in the fall of 1832 he gave up farming, built a house on the southwest cor- ner of Front and Lee streets and began the business of plaster- ing and carpentering, and continued it until the day of his death, which occurred in the spring of 1846. He was buried in the Bloomington cemetery. His wife who died in 1856 now rests
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beside him, and four of their children, Jacob, Rebecca, Thomas Haines and Catherine Elizabeth are laid there also.
Robert Guthrie was about five feet ten inches in height, was slenderly built and a little stoop-shouldered; had dark hair in his younger days, dark eyes and swarthy complexion. He was not a very excitable man, was a kind father but strict with his children, and was a sincere but unostentatious Christian. He was temperate in all of his habits except the use of tobacco.
REV. ROBERT ELTON GUTHRIE.
Robert Elton Guthrie was born in Pickaway County, Ohio, on the Fourth of July, 1819. His life is pretty well shown in the foregoing sketch of his father. When his father took up the business of plastering and carpentering, the eldest son John was apprenticed to Lewis Bunn to learn the trade of blacksmith, while Robert learned his father's trade. He was a stout lad and soon became quite skillful in the use of tools, and a great sup- port to the family. His services were so important that he went very little to school, only five months to Mr. Amasa C. Wash- burn in an old log school-house that stood in the crossing of Main and Olive streets.
In the spring of 1835 Mr. James Miller and his brother-in- law, Mr. Moore, came to Bloomington, and this so strengthened the Methodist community that they built a church and finished it in the fall of 1836. This was done under the charge of Rev. Zadoc Hall now of the Central Illinois Conference. Before this all religious services had been held in the court house. In the fall of 1836 Rev. S. W. D. Chase was stationed at Bloomington under Rev. John St. Clair as presiding elder. During the fol- lowing winter the community was awakened by a great revival and among the converts were John, Margaret, Robert and Jacob Guthrie. This revival had a great influence upon the morals of Bloomington.
After his conversion Robert Guthrie determined to be a min- ister of the gospel and considered this his solemn duty. He studied, when he could snatch a moment's time from his work, and recited to Rev. Richard Haney, who had succeeded Mr. Chase as pastor of the church at Bloomington. At the Illinois Annual Conference held at Jacksonville in September, 1841,
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Mr. Guthrie was admitted on trial on the recommendation of the quarterly conference of Bloomington station. He was ap- pointed to travel the Wauponsett mission and his work that year had for its outposts the Mazon settlement, South Ottawa, Ver- milionville, Long Point, Pontiac and Indian Grove, where the town of Fairbury now stands, and all the intermediate territory. He made this circuit every three weeks, with nineteen regular and from two to six extra appointments. This kept Mr. Guth- rie very busy, and he was obliged to read and study in the sad- dle while going from point to point. For his year's salary he received fifty dollars from the missionary fund and twenty-five or thirty dollars collected on his circuit, paid principally in arti- cles of clothing, money being almost out of use at that time. At the close of his pastoral year he was presented with some half a dozen pairs of socks and fifteen pounds of wool. He carried the wool to Ottawa on horseback and sold it for an order on a store for three dollars. The result of his first year's work was the addition of twenty-five or thirty members to the church. The following year was marked by a sweeping revival, which ex- tended over the whole circuit. The next five years were spent by Mr. Guthrie in the traveling circuits in the southern part of the State, which was then all within the Illinois Conference. He was many times troubled with regard to his financial matters, as his salary was barely enough to keep him in the necessaries of life. The great flood was in the year 1844, and as his work em- braced the section of the country bounded on the south and east by the Mississippi and Big Muddy Rivers, and on the west by the Kaskaskia, he had great difficulty in traveling from one point to another. He was often obliged to ride through water on the bottom lands for many miles, and sometimes was com- pelled to swim his horse. His salary for this labor was one hun- dred dollars a year, and was paid by the people in calves, pigs, corn, oats, castor-beans, pork, hoop-poles, barrel staves, barrels, and orders on stores ; nevertheless he was happy, knowing that he was engaged in a useful and blessed work. In 1844 he was appointed to the Jonesboro circuit, in Union County, and re- ceived only forty-five dollars for his salary. At the close of the conference year, on the twenty-sixth day of August, 1845, he was married by the Rev. S. W. D. Chase, his presiding elder, to
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Miss Lucy Kelsall, at the residence of her father, in Randolph County, and she has been his good and helpful wife ever since. At the next conference Mr. Guthrie was elected and ordained an elder. For the next year he was appointed to the Nashville circuit, and during the following year to the Sparta circuit, where he promptly began his labor. But at the second quarterly meet- ing he found his pay so small that he was obliged to resign his charge and work for his support. He rented a small farm, the one formerly owned and occupied by his father-in-law, then re- cently deceased. His worldly goods were then very few, and he and his wife and child were forced to live for some time on corn bread. But he was fortunate enough in February to kill three deer, which greatly assisted him. He worked hard and succeed- ed well, and by the next conference he was free from all finan- cial embarrassments and again went into the work of the minis- try. He was appointed to Rushville station, in Schuyler Coun- ty, but at the end of the year was again in financial difficulty. The year following he was appointed to the Beardstown circuit, but his financial embarrassments became so great that he re- quested to be located, and went to work at his trade, carpenter- ing and plastering. He worked at Beardstown in the winter, during the day, and preached every other evening, as a great revival of religion was in progress there. Rev. Mr. Rucker and himself conducted the exercises, and great good was accom- plished. By the time the conference met during the following summer, he had relieved himself of his financial troubles by his hard labor, and was again ready to work in the ranks of the itinerants. He was appointed to the Springfield station, where he labored with success for two years. After this he was ap- pointed to fill the East Charge in Jacksonville, which he did for one year very pleasantly and successfully. In the following year he was appointed agent to sell scholarships for the Illinois Con- ference Female College. This was done against his better judg- ment, at the request of Rev. J. F. Jacques, the President of the institution, and B. Newman, the financial agent. After this ap- pointment was made, while Mr. Guthrie was returning from Jacksonville, in company with Rev. William Hindall, Dr. J. C. Finley and Samuel Elliott, Dr. Finley said : "Guthrie, I th-th- think the B-Bishop has spoiled a t-t-tolerable good pr-preacher
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to m-make a v-very poor agent," to which Mr. Guthrie replied : " I fear so, Doctor." The appointment was not a success, and that year ended his work as a financial agent.
The following year he was appointed presiding elder of the Quincy district, and traveled it for three years in succession. He felt greatly encouraged with the prosperity of the church in inost of the pastoral charges. Rushville, Mt. Sterling, Clayton, Columbus, Menden and Plymouth all had special visitations of grace and a large increase in membership. But the salary was small, and after three years he was changed to Decatur station. Here he spent one of the happiest and most successful years of his life. The church enjoyed a revival and paid off a debt on its property of more than four hundred dollars. He says "there is no more warm-hearted people for a minister to labor with in the Illinois Conference than is found in the Methodist church and congregation of Decatur." In the fall of 1858, Mr. Guth- rie was appointed to the charge of the Bloomington district as presiding elder, and was continued at that work for four years. During that period nearly every charge in the district enjoyed revivals. The charge at Bloomington, under Rev. I. C. Kim- ber, and afterwards under Rev. L. C. Pitner, and the charge at Leroy, under Rev. Ira Emerson enjoyed very extensive re- vivals.
During those four years Mr. Guthrie laid up enough money on a salary of nine hundred dollars to buy a quarter section of land to which he could retire when age or infirmity should pre- vent him from continuing his labors in the ministry. It is the southwest quarter of section eleven, in Belleflower township, McLean County, and cost four dollars per acre.
In 1868, at the urgent solicitations of his friends, Mr. Guth- rie became a candidate for the office of Circuit Clerk of Me- Lean County. He was elected and held his office four years. He never held any other public office, and at the expiration of his term did not come forward for re-election.
Robert Elton Guthrie is five feet and eleven inches in height, is well set, well proportioned, and has a broad chest and broad shoulders. His hair was dark when young, but now is rather gray. IIe has a high forchead, hazel eyes, good countenance, and a healthy constitution. As will be seen in this sketch, he
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prizes very highly his Christian experience, and wishes to see the power and influence of Christianity extended.
ADAM GUTHRIE.
Adam Guthrie was born March 10, 1825, in the town of Cir- cleville, Pickaway County, Ohio. His father was Scotch-Irish, and his mother was German. He was one of a family of twelve children, eight boys and four girls. It is worthy of remark that nearly all of our old settlers were members of very large fami- lies, the children usually numbering from eight to twelve, and in one case twenty-one. Adam's father came to McLean Coun- ty with his family in September, 1826. He bought and sold land claims in McLean County until 1832, when he came to Bloomington and invested some money in town lots. After building a house he began to work at plastering, but never ae- cumulated much property. Adam, being only one year old when his father came to McLean County, received the education of a pioneer school boy. Mr. Washburn, of whose life we have written a sketch, was one of his teachers. Young Adam at- tended school in winter and helped his father in the plastering business during the summer. In 1846 his father died, and . Adam learned the trade of plastering of a Mr. Lawrence, usually called Squire Lawrence. After two years' service for Lawrence he went to work on his own account, and has continued at this business until the present time, when not interrupted by the duties of public office. From 1865 until 1873 he has held the office of assessor, and has performed his duties carefully. Mr. Guthrie also acted as deputy recorder from 1868 to 1870 for his brother, who was clerk of the Circuit Court, from 1868 to 1872. In 1870 he took the United States census in district number seven.
Adam Guthrie married, in 1849, Miss L. L. Butler, of Bloomington. The marriage service was performed by the noted Wesleyan minister, Thomas Magee. He has now an in- teresting family of three children, two boys and one girl.
Adam Guthrie has plastered or helped to plaster nearly two hundred houses, and has indeed earned his bread by the sweat of his brow. The price paid for plastering is now much greater than it was twenty years ago, nevertheless Mr. Guthrie says that
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more money could be made by the contractor in early times, be- cause the price of labor and material was so much less. In early days the wages of the best workmen were from $1.00 to $1.50 per day, while they are at present from $3.00 to $3.50.
During the late rebellion Adam Guthrie enlisted as a private in the Ninety-fourth Illinois, and was soon made corporal, but after serving eight months he was discharged on account of ill- health. He participated in one engagement, that of Prairie Grove, on the seventh of December, 1862.
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