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 22
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EPIIRAIM PLATTE.
Ephraim Platte was born in Monmouth County, New Jersey, September 22, 1804, near Barnegat Inlet. His father, Jonathan
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Platte, was of French descent and his mother, whose maiden name was Emilia Brindley, was of English. Jonathan Platte was a sailor and owned a small trading vessel. At the opening of the war of 1812 his vessel was three times intercepted by the British and once was stopped, while he had a cargo of pig-iron covered with lumber. The iron was afterwards melted into cannon balls. Mr. Platte's vessel was at last burnt by the British, but he was allowed to go. Nearly all of his property was invested in this vessel, and when it was burnt he went into the service of the United States. He was a lieutenant under the command of Col. John Fieldenhousen and was stationed at Paulus Hook, near New York. At the close of the war he bought a vessel, with which to engage in the coasting trade, as before. When Ephraim Platte was ten years of age he was ap- pointed a cabin boy. But Mrs. Platte did not wish the family brought up in that way, as she did not believe the morals of the children would be improved by a life on the water. She in- sisted that the family should try their fortunes in the West, and her influence prevailed. In 1816 the family went to Green Coun- ty, Pennsylvania, and there worked a farm for two years. Then they moved to Licking County, Ohio.
Ephraim Platte married on the 15th of December, 1824, Susan Platte, a distant relative, in Licking County, Ohio. In the spring of 1833 he came with his family to McLean County, Illinois. During that year he traveled from Bloomington to Fox River and made a claim on Indian Creek. There he intended to settle. On his travels nearly every family he saw was stricken down with fever and ague. Mr. Platte's wife died December 11, 1833, and his youngest child died a few weeks previous. Mrs. Platte was a remarkably good woman, very amiable in her dis- position and anxious to please. She died on Money Creek and was buried at Haven's Grove. Her death changed the plans of Mr. Platte. His two children were sent back to Ohio. In the fall of 1836 he came to Bloomington and worked at the carpen- ter's trade. This has been his business principally ever since.
Ephraim Platte married Mrs. Sarah Woodson, March 7, 1837. She was a widow and had four children. She is still living and the marriage has been a very happy one.
Jonathan Platte, the father of Ephraim Platte, died in about
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the year 1849 in Washington, Tazewell County. After his death his wife received a pension. This continued until her death, which occurred in 1860. She had then reached the age of nearly eighty-four years. Of her family of ten children, four boys and two girls grew to manhood and womanhood. At present only two are living, one besides Mr. Platte.
Ephraim Platte had six children by his first marriage, but only one is living. This is Calvin W. Platte who now resides in California. He was a soldier in the Mexican war. By his second marriage Ephraim Platte has had seven children, of whom five are living. They are :
Susan, wife of John R. Stone, lives in Bloomington.
Charles D. Platte lives in Bloomington and is foreman of the establishment of Gillett & Case, jewelers. He was a soldier in the army during the rebellion, served first under the call for three months. He enlisted in the Thirty-ninth Illinois and served during the war, was wounded in the left shoulder and yet carries the ball. He was in many of the great battles on the James River.
William H. Platte was a soldier in the Fiftieth Illinois Vol- unteers and was discharged on account of disability. He died in Arkansas near Little Rock.
Albert L. Platte lives in Bloomington.
Maria, wife of Louis A. Burk, lives in Bloomington.
George D. Platte lives at home.
Ephraim Platte is about five feet and seven and one-half inches in height and weighs about one hundred and ninety-cight pounds. He has a sanguine complexion and white hair and beard. He was never much of a speculator, has had property, which is now very valuable, but he did not keep it, as he had no idea that Bloomington would grow to its present proportions. He was a warm supporter of the Union cause during the rebel- lion and wished to enter the army, but age prevented. Mr. Platte possesses a great deal of mechanical talent, and his son, Charles D. Platte, is very much like him in this respect. The latter is a skilled workman in Gillett & Case's establishment and his skill really amounts to genius. Ephraim Platte is very libe- ral in his religious belief, but insists on strict morality. In poli- tical matters he was originally a Jackson Democrat, afterwards
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a Free Soiler, and was a member of the Republican party when it was organized.
HON. JAMES B. PRICE.
James B. Price was born July 24, 1792, on a farm in Meck- lenburg County, North Carolina, about fifteen miles from the town of Charlotte. His father was Welch and his mother Irish. In 1804 his father emigrated to Kentucky. Mr. Price's life has been the life of a hard-working farmer, with plenty of work, and otherwise not very eventful. He heard a great deal of the beauty and fertility of Illinois, and obtained a book which particularly set forth the advantages of this territory. It told what reliable people and good neighbors the Indians were, &c., &c., and when Mr. Price read this book he at once decided to come to Illinois.
Ile visited Illinois every year from 1829 to 1833, when he moved here with his family. During his visit in 1829 he bought a claim consisting of a log house and a few acres of land, and on his road home he stopped at Vandalia and entered one hun- dred and sixty acres. He came to Illinois to settle in 1833, with his brother-in-law. Mr. Price entered a good deal of land at various times, worked hard, raised stock, and throve well.
Mr. Price assisted in organizing McLean County, and has fulfilled his duties as a citizen in a public capacity as well as in private. He has been School Commissioner and School Treas- urer for many years. He served one term in the Legislature, at Springfield, in 1849 and '50. He was then fifty-seven years of age. During that session he assisted in getting the Illinois Central Railroad bill passed. Stephen A. Douglas made two great speeches in favor of it. It was during this session that General Shields and Sidney Breese had their great contest for the United States Senate, which resulted in the election of Shields.
Mr. Price lives two miles southeast of Bloomington, on the Indianapolis, Bloomington & Western Railway. When he came there he found only a few families, the Rhodes family, the Oren- dorff, the Hendrix and the Baker families. He was always on good terms with the Indians, and sympathized with them very much. He says that when they were paid off and moved West,
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many of them passed his house and wept bitterly at the thought of leaving. This was before Mr. Price settled in Illinois in 1833.
Mr. Price received his little schooling in North Carolina and Kentucky, and it was little enough. His study and application certainly did not drive him into consumption. He appears like a man southern born, is about six feet in height, and walks erect. He is somewhat hard of hearing, but all his other senses are good. He has always been very honest in his dealings, is very kind-hearted, and would not knowingly injure the smallest crea- ture. He looks as if he would live another ten years. He is much - respected, and is almost worshipped by his grand- daughter and her husband, who keep house for him.
He married, February 10, 1814, Mary H. Wall. It was a remarkably happy marriage, and both parties possessed always the confidence and respect of each other. They had five chil- dren :
George Price, whose sketch appears in this work, lives on his farm, next adjoining that of his father.
Robert D. Price was born April 5, 1818, and died September 27, 1842.
John Price, whose sketch is in this volume, now lives in Bloomington.
Rachel C. Price was born October 25, 1825. She was mar- ried first to Dr. Short, of Bloomington, and after she became a widow she was married to Mr. Dent Young, who lives now on the plains near Cheyenne. She is now dead.
Charles Luther, who is unmarried, lives with his father.
GEORGE W. PRICE.
George W. Price was born October 3, 1816, on a farm in Warren County, Kentucky, ten miles east of Bowling Green. His ancestry was Welch and Irish. He received the usual edu- cation of those days, that is, was sent to school three months in the year until he arrived at the age of seventeen.
In the year 1829 his father, James B. Price, moved three families from Kentucky to Missouri, in a four-horse wagon. On his return he visited the country around the present city of Bloomington, as a sister of his wife lived there. The soil pleas-
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ed him so well that he bought a claim consisting of a log house, log stable, and one hundred and sixty acres of land. He re- turned to Kentucky, and on his way he entered the land at the office at Vandalia. In 1833 he sold out in Kentucky and came to Illinois. He now lives, at the age of eighty-one, on the land he first entered. He has bought much land since that time, principally timber. He brought with him from Kentucky two whipsaws, which were put to good use by George Price and his brother Robert. These young men sawed by hand from two to three hundred feet of lumber per day. At one time, in a race, George Price and a negro sawed two hundred feet of white walnut lumber in five hours and seventeen minutes. From No- vember, 1833, to November, 1835, he helped to saw thirty-two thousand feet of lumber ; but by this time the steam-mill was built, and the whip-saws were hung up to be kept as relics of early days. After the building of the steam mill, Mr. Price went into partnership with Mr. Platte in making chairs and other furniture.
On the sixth of April, 1836, before George Price was twenty years of age, he started on horseback for Warren County, Ken- tucky, to attend to that most important matter, his marriage. The horse he used had never been ridden before without throw- ing the rider, and when he mounted the animal it made power- ful efforts to unseat him by jumping stiff-legged and kicking and springing, but at last became subdued. During the evening of the first day he came to Salt Creek, and found it overflowed, but crossed in a canoe, swimming his horse. He then attempted to replace the saddle, which he had taken off, but the horse was cold and frisky, and sprang in every direction. At last he tied the horse between the forks of a tree which had fallen, and sad- dled and mounted the animal. Then it commenced bouncing and jumping stiff-legged, but at last became quiet and he pro- ceeded. The next day he crossed the Sangamon River. On the night of the eighth occurred a great rain storm; the sloughs became creeks and the creeks rivers. In the morning he started, and at one place he traveled six miles with the water from six inches to a foot and a half in depth. He kept the road by the dead weeds, which stood high on each side. IIe swam two creeks that day, becoming wet to the waist. In the afternoon the weather be-
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came very cold and snow fell fast and thick, and Mr. Price lost his way in the blinding storm. But at night he came to the house of a " down-east " Yankee, who took care of him in the kindest manner. He received the best in the house, a brandy stew and some dry clothes. During that night a man died of cold near Farmer City. In the morning the ground was frozen hard and Mr. Price went on to the Wabash, over which he was fer- ried by a woman, Mrs. Taylor. The boat was leaky, but Mr. Price bailed for life, and for the handsome young lady in Ken- tucky. Towards evening Mr. Taylor came home, and Mr. Price stayed there overnight. The latter climbed upa ladder, and made his bed in the loft of the house. Soon after he retired he was awakened by the fall of his saddle stirrup on the floor of the room below. He looked through, a crack and by the dim light of the fire place he saw Taylor trying to pick the lock of his saddle bags. He sprang up, and Taylor immediately hung up the saddle and jumped into bed. Mr. Price kept a sharp look- out during the remainder of the night, as he had fifty dollars in silver money in his saddle bags. In the morning Taylor acted as though nothing had happened, and charged only thirty-seven and one-half cents for entertainment. He directed Mr. Price to William's Ferry, on the Big Wabash. Mr. Price was told to take the right hand road ; but when he came to the forks he con- cluded to take the one on the left. After going twelve miles he made inquiry at a house, and was told that the right hand road led far from the true direction, and was simply a wood road. He learned, too, that Taylor was a dangerous character, and probably had his own purposes in view in attempting to mislead the traveler. Mr. Price went on to Williams' Ferry, which he crossed with great difficulty in a ferry-boat. As the boat left the shore the overhanging branches of a sycamore came near brushing his horse into the water; but the intelligent ani- mal laid down in the boat and went under the limbs of the tree. After crossing he went to the Ohio River at Mt. Vernon, In- diana. The river was overflowing and large trees were carried down by the current. He went up twelve miles to find a ferry, and came to a little village, where the people were all on a spree. But eight men were hired to take him across. They had a boat which they worked with four oars and four pike poles. After
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drifting down the stream four miles the boat was landed on the Kentucky shore. There they found the bank twelve feet high, very difficult for the horse to elimb; but it was taken up by passing a rope around it and pulling, while the horse scratched and scrambled. The eight ferrymen received a dollar in silver, with which they could enjoy themselves on a spree for some time ; for a little money in those days would buy a great deal of whisky. He went from there to Bowling Green, Kentucky, and on the road met his intended father and mother-in-law, Jesse Adams, F. R. Cowden, and John Price, who were travel- ing to Illinois. He stayed with them over night and went on the next morning bright and early. He " steered for the object of his visit, about fifteen miles away, and at about ten o'clock his object saw him alight at the gate and walk to the front door." This was on the twenty-third of April, 1836. On the fifth of June his intended father and mother-in-law returned, and on the fourteenth of that month he married Matilda B. Prunty, an old schoolmate. On the thirteenth of September following he started back to McLean County, in a two-horse wagon. He crossed Mud River, Kentucky, by swimming his horses and taking the provisions and wagon in a ferry-boat. The boat sank when it reached the western shore, but the wagon was drawn out after great exertions. At Shawneetown he had great difficulty in crossing the Ohio River on a horse ferry-boat, but at last suc- ceeded. He went on to Saline River, near Equality, and found the stream very high and no ferry. He took off his goods, tied the wagon box down firmly to the running gear, tied some of his goods to the top of the box, and went across, swimming the horses. He made five trips, and on the last one brought over his wife. He then went to the Sangamon River. A heavy rain- storm came up during the night before he crossed it, and it was very high. He unloaded his goods and swam back and forth with one horse, carrying a bundle of goods above the water each time. The most difficult bundle to transport was a feather bed with fifty-four pounds of feathers. When his goods were across he hitched up his wagon, put in his wife, and came across. On the third of October, 1836, he arrived safely home. He was occasionally serenaded on his journey by the howling of wolves, but did not mind them much.
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George Price worked for his father for two years after his marriage, and then built himself a house, where he now lives.
On the twenty-sixth of December, 1836, occurred the sudden change in the weather, when, Mr. Price thinks, the mercury must have fallen from forty degrees above zero to twenty de- grees below in less than fifteen minutes. The ground was cov- ered with a slush of water and snow, and suddenly a wind came from the west, a fine flour of snow fell to the ground and the cold became most intense. By the time Mr. Price could run two hundred yards to his house, the slush was so frozen that it bore his weight. The change was so sudden and severe that some geese, which had been playing in a lot near by; had the points of their wings frozen in the ice and it was necessary to cut them loose.
The first tax paid by Mr. Price was in the spring of 1839, and it amounted to $1.57. He paid, up to the year 1861, in the aggregate, $885.49, but during the last twelve years he has paid $3,741.19, and he thinks this has been due, in some measure, to the Republican administration.
Mr. Price has been a life-long Democrat. He voted for Martin Van Buren, James K. Polk, General Cass, Franklin Pierce and for James Buchanan under protest (Douglas was en- titled to the nomination). Mr. Price voted for Douglas in 1860, with a good will, in 1864 for MeClellan under protest, and in 1868 for Seymour under protest. Mr. Price thinks the Demo- cratic party has been sold out by August Belmont on two dis- tinet occasions, and that it is now time for the latter gentleman to retire from politics altogether.
Mr. Price has had fourteen children, of whom ten are living, five boys and five girls. They are :
Ann, born February 22, 1840, wife of Stephen Triplet, lives in Normal.
Hetta, born September 22, 1841, wife of George Horine, lives in Bloomington.
Jane, wife of Moses G. Harbord, born February 8, 1845, lives in Oregon.
Chase Price, born September 24, 1846, lives at home.
Belle, born September 13, 1848, wife of John M. Payne, lives in Oregon.
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Scott, born March 23, 1854; Ada, born January 12, 1856 ; Perry, born May 25, 1858; Minor, born March 12, 1861, and Frank Price, born August 6, 1863, live at home.
George Price is of medium height, is strongly and squarely built, has black hair and beard, though slightly sprinkled with gray. He seems to enjoy the best of health, and the physicians' bills he has paid on his own account cannot have been many. He has been very upright in his dealings and careful in the man- agement of his property, and as a result has succeeded remark- ably well in life. "Fortune favors the brave," and Mr. Price's success has undoubtedly been greatly due to his pluck. Not many men would face the storms and swim the creeks and rivers as he did, though his accomplished lady was in every way worthy of his exertions. His lady, Mrs. Price, who came on the ro- mantic wedding journey from Kentucky, is a woman of fine taste and quick perceptions.
JOHN J. PRICE.
John J. Price was born April 13, 1823, ten miles east of Bowl- ing Green, in Warren County, Kentucky. His parents were of Welch and Irish stock. He had three brothers and one sister, and of these, two brothers, George and Charles Luther are living. John J. Price was brought up to be a farmer. His father's fam- ily came to Illinois, October 15, 1833, and his father still resides where he then settled, about one and a half miles southeast of Bloomington. John J. Price worked for his father until the former was twenty-one years of age. He then began life on his own ac- count. He traded in stock and horses and drove them to Chi- cago. For the last eighteen years he has been engaged in buying and shipping grain, principally for the Eastern markets. During 1852 and '53 he was engaged in the boot and shoe busi- ness, but with that exception has been engaged as before stated. He served one term as Sheriff of McLean County, being elected to that office in 1854.
On the 15th of January, 1857, he married Miss Henrietta Olney, a very amiable lady from Joliet. While he served as sheriff no very remarkable circumstance happened. The people of the West were at that time more free-hearted and credulous than at present ; and if the sharpers and confidence men, who
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are so numerous now, had operated in the early days they would have secured a harvest. Occasionally they did appear. It became Mr. Price's duty to arrest one such gentleman on a requisition from the Governor of New York, and the young swindler, who appeared so handsome and gay, was obliged to serve a term in Sing Sing. While Mr. Price was sheriff he was also collector of taxes in the county. The taxes amounted to a little more than $100,000 per annum. The collector visited the various pre- cincts of the county, giving notice of his coming by advertise- ments. In each precinct he remained one day to receive the taxes due. His pay for collection was nearly four per cent., and the office was worth about three thousand dollars per annum.
Mr. Price is a shipper of stock, and has had a great deal of experience with railroads. He thinks the farmers who are con- tending against the railroads should do the work thoroughly or not at all; for if it is only half done the railroad officials become more extortionate than before. They allow no accommodations to shippers, and when special rates are asked for, the officials say : "Go to the Grangers."
Mr. Price has had a pleasant life. His early days were marked by the incidents usual to early settlers, but he did not have so hard a time in finding a wife as his brother George ex- perienced. The latter was obliged to brave many storms and hair breadth escapes and swim many rivers to obtain his bride. J. J. Price did nothing of the kind, but his wife thinks it would have been very beneficial to him to have had such an experience. It would have called out his resolution, and he would have ap- preciated his lady much more.
John J. Price is of medium stature, has broad shoulders, is very active and has never been sick. He has an aquiline nose and sharp, penetrating eyes. He is a good business man, leads an active life, and is on the trains every day. All his senses are good and he bids fair to lead a long and busy life.
LEWIS BUNN.
Lewis Bunn was born September 16, 1806, on a farm in Wal- nut Creek Township in Ross County, Ohio, about four miles from the town of Delphi. His father, Peter Bunn, was a farmer and land speculator ; he was a Pennsylvania German, while his
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mother was an English lady. Lewis Bunn was one of twenty- one children ! His father was twice married. From his first marriage sprang eight children, and from his second, thirteen. Lewis was the youngest but three.
Lewis received his scanty education in a school formed by the farmers who clubbed together and hired a teacher, to whom they paid three or four dollars per quarter and board. Such a schoolmaster usually taught during the winter months and worked a farm in summer. The school-houses were simply log cabins. When Lewis was seventeen years old his school days ended. He had then acquired very little knowledge, indeed the chance for acquiring knowledge was very limited. At the age of eighteen he was sent to Chillicothe, and apprenticed for four years, to learn the trade of blacksmith. He learned his trade rapidly and well, but he was not satisfied with his education, and took private lessons in his leisure moments. When his ap- prenticeship was ended he moved to Clark County, Ohio, where he stayed three years.
In 1831 he was married to Margery Haines, of Xenia, Ohio. His marriage was a happy one, and was blessed by the birth of five children, three boys and two girls, four of whom are now living. His wife afterwards died.
In 1833 he moved to Bloomington, Illinois. Here, in 1846, he married Lucinda Blewins. By this marriage he has had five children, all of whom are dead. When he came to Bloomington he followed his trade and continued at it until 1859, when he retired from business. Immediately upon his arrival at Bloom- ington he connected with his trade the manufacture of agricul- tural implements, and in those days he was enabled to make this quite a profitable business. Oliver Ellsworth, who died about a year ago, was for eighteen years Mr. Bunn's partner. Their ploughs, which they made by hand, were in great demand and were called for even from Texas. They bore the trademark of Bunn & Ellsworth, and are still well spoken of. The price of one of their ploughs at that time was eleven or twelve dollars, while a plough made by machinery at the present time costs from twenty-two to twenty-four dollars. Mr. Bunn thinks this remarkable difference is due partly to the high price of labor, and partly to the high price of steel. A carpenter earned in
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those days one dollar per day ; at present he earns from three to four dollars. The steel used by Bunn & Ellsworth was Ger- man and American, while that used at the present time is cast- steel. They formerly obtained their steel from St. Louis whence it was shipped to Pekin by water, and from there it was brought overland to Bloomington ; but when the Illinois River was low it was hauled here from St. Louis, a distance of one hundred and seventy miles. It cost for hauling this distance from seven- ty-five cents to one dollar per hundred pounds, and after all of this trouble and expense the ploughs were sold for eleven or twelve dollars a piece.
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