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 28
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Mr. Miller has been twice married. His first wife lived only one year. His daughter, who was born during his first mar- riage, is living in Kentucky.
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On the 18th of March, 1827, he married Mrs. Belle McGar- vey, the ceremony being performed by Bishop Morris. She is an excellent lady, and during their whole wedded life, a period of forty-five years, she sympathised with him and worked with him in the cause of Christianity. They have had three boys born to them, all of whom are living.
While in Kentucky Mr. Miller was dissatisfied with the in- stitution of slavery, and for that reason he determined to leave the State. His wife disliked this very much, but when she saw how much Mr. Miller was annoyed by the condition of things around him, and how much he wished to go, she said, like a prudent wife : " Husband, in case you wish to go, now is the time. I will not stand in the way. Our children will soon be waited on by slaves, and it will then be hard to break away."
In 1835 he came to Bloomington, Illinois. Here he went into mercantile business in partnership with John Magoun, and afterwards with John Magoun and Judge McClun. He entered a great deal of land and had a large city property.
In 1856, Mr. Miller was elected State Treasurer of Illinois, and so well and faithfully did he fulfill the trust reposed in him that he was re-elected in 1858. Mr. Miller's long and useful life was brought to a close on the twenty-third day of Septem- ber, 1872. His funeral was largely attended; the Masonic fra- ternity, of which he was an honored member, taking an active part. At the Quarterly Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, held October 14, 1872, in Bloomington, resolutions of respect were passed to the memory of Mr. Miller. The follow- ing is one of the resolutions passed :
" Resolved, That our faith is an unfaltering one that the de- parted, who has so long been to us a brother, a counselor and a friend, is now among the angels and the redeemed in heaven, where we hope to meet him when the journey of life is ended."
WILLIAM H. TEMPLE.
William H. Temple was born December 10, 1811, at Rich- mond, Virginia. His ancestors emigrated from England at an early day. IIe was one of eleven children, but of these only five grew to manhood and womanhood. When he was four years old his father, who had been a merchant in Richmond, removed
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with his family to a farm in Davidson County, Tennessee, about four miles from Nashville. Here William worked on the farm in summer and attended school in winter, from his sixth to his sixteenth year. At that time he obtained a situation as clerk in a dry goods and hardware store in Nashville, kept by a jolly Scotchman. Here he stayed four years, when his father sold out and moved to a farm in Shelby County, West Tennessee. Here William lived until December, 1835, when he came to visit his uncle in Bloomington. He came with no intention of remaining, but concluded to stay one year as a clerk for J. W. S. Moore, and at last settled here for life.
In February, 1838, he married Miss Mildred Elizabeth Parke. This lady was born in Virginia. She came to Illinois in 1835. She is still living, and also her mother, Mrs. Parke, who is now seventy-three years of age. Mr. Temple's marriage was blessed by the birth of ten children, all of whom are living.
In the fall of 1838 he commenced business on his own account. There were then in Bloomington only five stores. These belonged to J. E. McClun, Baker & Son, O. Covel & Co., James Allin and William H. Temple. Trade was small, but profits were larger than at present. Some of his first and best customers were old James Price, John Benson, Jesse Funk, Isaac Funk, Omey Only and Bailey Harbord. The last four are now dead. Business was then done on the credit system. The customers traded for a year before they paid up, and perhaps even then they failed to square their accounts. Mr. Temple has sold goods longer than any other merchant in Bloomington, having continued in the business from 1838 until 1871. This period of time covers a great many financial crises. In 1837 the United States Bank suspended payment, and nearly all the banks in the country did the same, which made money very close. In February, 1842, the Illinois State Bank in Springfield suspended and money became so scarce that sometimes people could not pay the postage on letters sent to them. Postage on letters was then from eighteen to twenty-five cents. The failure of the State Bank was caused by its making heavy loans to farmers in McLean and adjoining counties, and the failure of the farmers to pay. But by the breaking of the bank a great many farmers made their fortunes ; for the bank paper could be bought
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for thirty-seven and a half cents on the dollar, and many who were owing the bank bought up its paper and paid their indebt- edness. Mr. Temple remembers that his friend, Isaac Funk, was security to the amount of six thousand dollars for a farmer named Albert Dickinson, who lived on Money Creek. Mr. Dickinson gave Mr. Funk a deed of one thousand acres of land for it, and Mr. Funk bought bank paper for thirty.seven and a half cents on the dollar and paid the loan, thus making in this little transaction $3,750. People who had a little cash in those days could make a fortune in a few minutes. In 1841, the year previous to the failure of the State Bank, the bankruptcy law was passed and many people took advantage of it and failed. This was during Harrison's (or rather Tyler's) administration. At that time the best butter was sold for five cents per pound, corn from eight to ten cents per bushel, and wood for one dollar per cord. Game was plenty, and quails sold for twenty-five cents per dozen. On the other hand, many things which farmers bought were exceedingly high. Calico was thirty-seven and a half cents per yard (now twelve and a half cents), and it may well be supposed that ladies were very economical in their dresses. Seven yards of calico were considered sufficient for a dress, and the largest took only eight yards, but now twelve or fifteen yards are thought necessary. People usually wore home- spun which they brought to a tailor to be cut and then carried it home to their wives to be made into garments. There were then only two tailors in Bloomington and no dressmakers or shoemakers. A couple of cobblers were kept busy mending boots and shoes, but not in making them. The best imported calf-skin boots sold for five dollars. The merchants in Bloom- ington usually bought their goods in St. Louis, but Gridley and Covel bought in Philadelphia. When the river was sufficiently high, goods were brought by way of Pekin. This was usually done in the spring ; but in the fall the river was low and goods were hauled by team from St. Louis. The mail to St. Louis or to New York was carried by land.
Mr. Temple has many pleasant recollections of the old settlers. Ile was three times in partnership with Allen Withers, of whom we have written a sketch, and found him to be at all times the soul of honor. Owing to long sickness and infirmity
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Mr. Temple failed in business about two years ago, and in this trying period his integrity and fine sense of honor compelled him to give up everything to his creditors, except the house and lot where he lives. But he may be sure that in all of his hours of trial his old friends will have for him the warmest respect and the most tender sympathy.
Mr. Temple is now quite broken down in health ; he is much troubled with rheumatism, so much so that his right arm cannot be used. He is about five feet and ten inches in height, is slen- derly built and walks a little bent, as if with age and care. He is a man of delicate sensibilities and of a rather nervous temper- ament. His eyesight is good, though his hearing has partially failed. His features are rather small and his nose sharp. His hair is gray, but he has plenty of it. His uprightness and honesty are written in his countenance. All who dealt with him while he was a merchant speak particularly of his fairness and strict integrity.
JAMES DEPEW.
James Depew was born January 8, 1800, in Botetourt County, Virginia, fifteen miles from Fincastle, the county seat. ITis grandfather on his father's side, named John Depew, emigrated from England before the Revolutionary War. He was too old to serve in that contest, but his two older sons were engaged in the whole of it. He emigrated from England to New Jersey in 1745, when he was twenty years of age. Then he moved to Rockbridge County, Virginia, and thence to Botetourt County. Here he resided until his death, which occurred when he had reached the advanced age of eighty-five years. He raised six sons and one daughter, all of whom grew up to years of discre- tion. Elijah Depew, the father of James Depew, was the fifth child. The mother of James was of the race of Ben Burden. Ben Burden was a notable man. He came to America from England and shortly after signalized his arrival by capturing a buffalo calf and sending it to England as a present to Queen Elizabeth. The Queen showed her appreciation of it by grant- ing him one hundred thousand acres of land in the Virginia Valley, between the Blue Ridge and the Allegheny Mountains. Ben Burden's daughter married a man named Peck, and Peck
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was James Depew's grandfather. Peck was a German, and received from Ben Burden, with his wife, a gift of one thousand acres of land. He lived to be one hundred and twelve years of age. When he was over one hundred years of age a man named Harvey made him drunk with wine and bought his land for four hundred dollars. The Pecks sned Harvey and the case remained in court for seventy years before it was decided, by which time the old generation of Pecks were all dead. But the new gener- ation won the case; nevertheless, Elijah Depew, whose wife was a daughter of Peck, never received any of the money, as he left Virginia in 1816, and did not learn of the matter until the money had been divided.
Elijah Depew came to Orange County, Indiana, in 1816, where he settled as a farmer. James Depew received some edu- cation in Virginia and continued his studies in Indiana during the winter months. In 1824 he made a trip to New Orleans on a flatboat, with his brother and a man who owned half the boat and cargo. The cargo consisted of two hundred bushels of potatoes and eight hundred bushels of corn. They started from the east fork of White River on the fourteenth of February and arrived at New Orleans on the twenty-ninth of March. The latter part of their journey was made rough by storms, but they went safely through them. They realized very little from their venture, scarcely making enough to pay expenses. After selling the cargo James returned by steamboat, while his brother stayed some time longer to dispose of the cargo. While he was in New Orleans a terrible storm occurred, which sank twenty flat-boats. All of these things made such an impression on James' mind that he declared that one journey was enough.
James Depew's father died July 24, 1824, and James and his brother took charge of the family until 1831. James Depew then married Judith Hill in Orange County, Indiana. She had come to the new country with her parents from North Carolina. She died in April, 1846, and Mr. Depew has never since been married. He has had a family of six children, three of whom are now living.
In November, 1834, James Depew went with a company of nine persons to look at the far West, and decide where to locate. They started from Peoli in Southern Indiana. At Indianapolis
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the mother, sister and brother of James Depew remained behind. The remaining six proceeded to Chicago which was a little town of perhaps seven hundred people. Ile enjoyed himself shooting black squirrels which were then very plenty. Very little of interest was to be seen in Chicago. It was a muddy little place and one of their company, David Adams, a New Englander, could not be induced to invest six hundred dollars in Chicago property ; indeed, hardly any of the party would then have taken property there as a gift and settle on it. From Chicago they went to Ottawa, which then contained a few little houses among the bluffs. Here the party separated. James and two others went to Danville, crossing the big prairie near Pontiac. From there he returned to Indiana. In the spring of 1835 James Depew and his two brothers came West with all their effects and wives and children, (the elder brother was married, the younger not). At Blooming Grove Mr. Depew commenced farming on land rented of his cousin. He afterwards farmed for seven years where Normal now stands on land owned by James Miller. Mr. Depew has bought and sold some real estate in Bloomington, has acquired a competency and now enjoys his old age among his happy and grateful children. When he came here Bloomington had about two hundred inhabitants, and he has been most agreeably surprised at its magnificent growth. He hauled the brick and mortar for the present court house, from the first story up.
James Depew is of medium height, has gray eyes, reads common print without spectacles. His hair is white and he has plenty of it. In his younger days he was very active, and he has always enjoyed the best of health.
MATTHEW IFUSTON HAWKS.
Matthew II. Hawks was born April 4, 1804, in Clark County, Kentucky. His father's name was Lewis Hawks, and his mother's maiden name was Elizabeth Blanton. His father was of Ger- man and Scotch descent. His father's remote ancestors were a family, which came at an early day from Germany to New York, where the brothers scattered. When Matthew Hawks was four years of age his mother died, and when he was twelve years of age his father also died, and Matthew was left alone in the world.
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His father had, before his death, moved to Jessamine County. At the age of fourteen Matthew Hawks was apprenticed to a man named Hugh Foster to learn the tailoring business. He served his time as an apprentice faithfully for five years. Mr. Foster was one of the best of men and treated the orphan under his charge as a father would his son. This kind treatment was appreciated and the sensitive and grateful apprentice never dis- appointed the master, but often sat up until twelve or one o'clock at night in order that some contract might be fulfilled at the time promised. He remained with his old master for eight years after the apprenticeship was ended. When he was twenty-two years of age Mr. Hawks was married to Elizabeth Campbell, with whom he lived until November, 1832, when she died of consumption. In 1829 he went to Hopkinsville in Christian County, Kentucky, where he engaged in business with his brother and remained with him until 1835. In 1834 he was married to Elizabeth Major, the daughter of William T. Major. In the fall of that year he came to Illinois to look at the country, with his father-in-law, who had bought land in McLean County. Mr. Hawks himself bought property here before he saw it, though he intended to go to Chicago. He came to Blooming- ton on his way to Chicago, but found that the road to the latter place was simply a trail, and exceedingly dangerous to travel by one not accustomed to it. He went back to Kentucky that fall and returned to Bloomington the following fall with the intention of buying land and going to farming, but some of his friends persuaded him to go into the dry goods business with which he was acquainted. He started in business in Washing- ton, Tazewell County, where he remained three years and then came to Bloomington, where he continued his business until 1845 on twelve months credit. But he found it impossible to make money and stopped and went into the oil business and to wool carding and cloth dressing. He was anxious to obtain flax-seed and advertised the country thoroughly for that purpose and succeeded in getting three bushels only. He sowed the three bushels and during the next year re-sowed all the flax seed gathered from his first crop, raising thirty acres of flax. He then loaned seed to the farmers for planting. All this was done for the purpose of starting the oil business. In the meantime
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he was carrying on the wool earding business. He carded wool from May until September, running three large machines. After that he made linseed oil and sent it to Chicago by team, for seventy-five cents less per barrel than he could send it now by railroad. There he found ready sale for it, but at moderate prices. He retailed the oil in Bloomington for seventy-five cents per gallon and sold about a barrel in a year. He manufactured from one to two barrels per day in the season for running. The oil cakes, weighing six or seven pounds each, were sold for a eent a piece, and were used for fuel. He once received an offer for his oil cakes from St. Louis, but it was so low that he could not have delivered black dirt there at such a figure. He sold oil at St. Louis and Chicago, but the latter was the better mar- ket, and there he found very honorable men to deal with. In the St. Louis market he could not find one honorable man in the commission business ; they would " chisel" him every time he dealt with them. He often took oil to the St. Louis men and when it was low he would tell them to hold until it came up, but when it rose they would sell it and report to him that it was sold while low, and they pocketed the difference. In addition to this they would charge eartage, storeage, cooperage and a half dozen other things; they would swindle him on the guaging at the rate of a gallon per barrel, and at last he refused to send oil there any more. When a man named Flint, at Pekin, wished to for- ward some oil to St. Louis for Mr. Hawks, the latter refused, unless the cash was paid before the barrels of oil were rolled on the steamboat. But when he shipped to Chicago he dealt with a Mr. L. M. Boice, who was one of the most honorable men in the commission business. Mr. Boice would charge interest on advances, but would allow interest on sales as fast as made. The people were then troubled by counterfeiters more than at pres- ent, as less care was taken at that time in the engraving of bank bills. Mr. Boice would paste such counterfeit bills as he received in his book for reference. But at one time a clerk knowingly passed a counterfeit bill and Mr. Boice discharged hin immedi- ately, saying that any one who would cheat a customer would cheat an employer. Mr. Hawks thinks the honorable course pursued by the Chicago commission merchants was one great cause of the growth and prosperity of that city.
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On the whole Mr. Hawks did pretty well with the cloth- dressing business, but the oil business was much poorer. During one year he worked up ten thousand bushels of flax-seed. He thinks the raising of flax prepares the ground for wheat. Mr. Samuel Barnard had a piece of ground sowed to wheat which followed a crop of flax. He threshed out one acre to find the yield precisely, and it was forty-two bushels of the best of wheat.
In 1850 Mr. Hawks sold out his business in Bloomington and went to Lacon, Marshall County, and kept a hotel, then went to Pekin and there engaged in the same business. When the rail- roads started up a year or two afterwards, he left the hotel busi- ness and in 1853 came to Bloomington and kept a boarding- house for twelve or fifteen years.
Mr. Hawks has had four children, one born during his first marriage and three during his second. They are all married, and he has children in the third generation. His children are : Mrs. Sarah Munsell, wife of Zerah Munsell, lives at Chenoa.
Mrs. Margaret Lander, wife of Richard M. Lander, lives in Bloomington.
Mrs. Mary Reeves, wife of O. T. Reeves, lives in Normal.
Tom Jefferson Hawks was named Tom to prevent him from being nicknamed, but he is now nicknamed Thomas. He lives in Bloomington.
Mr. Hawks is five feet and eight inches in height. He is strongly made and seems a very solid man. He has always been remarkably healthy, was never sick enough to be in bed. He has the full possession of all of his senses, has a healthy red face and seems to enjoy life. He seems to be a good man of busi- ness ; he likes to see men do business honestly and wishes dis- honesty rebuked. He is a very cheerful man, loves a joke and appreciates wit and humor. He has been a kind father to his children ; he never struck one of them in his life, and this plan has been remarkably successful. He has raised two children not his own and has ever been careful to govern by kindness. He is one of the most tender and kind-hearted of men. He left Kentucky on account of slavery, as the goodness of his heart would not allow him to remain longer than was necessary in the presence of that terrible evil; more than that he thought it no place to raise children. He has always been kind to orphan children,
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for he remembers that he was himself an orphan. He loves to talk of the early settlement of the country, and thinks he enjoyed himself more in those early days, when people helped each other and raised each other's houses, than he ever has since. Ile was twice justice of the peace in Bloomington. He resigned during his first term, but was re-elected. While serving as justice of the peace he had the pleasure of marrying Captain John L. Routt, who is now Second Assistant Postmaster General.
SAMUEL LANDER.
Samuel Lander was born January 21, 1798, in Clark County, Kentucky. His father's name was John Lander and his mother's name before her marriage was Sallie Skinner. John Lander was of English and Yankee descent. His grandfather, Henry Lander, came from England and lived to be one hundred and fourteen years of age. Sallie Skinner was probably of German descent. In 1816 the family came to Christian County, Ken- tucky. There Mr. Lander lived until 1835 when he came to Illinois. The journey was a pleasant one. They traveled by team in company with three other families, numbering sixteen persons in all. They camped out by the way and enjoyed life in the open air. They arrived in Bloomington, October 20, and for a few weeks Mr. Lander's family lived with the families of Ludwell E. Rucker and John Enlow, in a little shanty about six- teen feet square. It was made of rails and was weather-boarded with clapboards split and shaved. This shanty had been put up by Mr. Lander sometime previous to his settlement, when he canie to the country and bought land. IIe afterwards made an addition to the shanty by moving a little eighteen feet square cabin up from the woods. He made a chimney for it by laying up brickbats without mortar, because of the cold weather.
Mr. Lander commenced farming and raising stock. The wolves troubled him and he troubled the wolves, and at last suc- ceeded in getting the better of them.
The finances of the State of Illinois were in a fearful condi- tion from 1838 to 1847. " Money was then a great rarity." Men of the best of judgment were discouraged, and land within two miles of Bloomington sold for a dollar per acre. Wheat, pork, cattle, everything sold for a song. During the winter of 1841
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and '42 Mr. Lander and several others put their hogs together in a " bunch," took them, about five hundred in all, to Chicago, and after they were butchered the meat brought two dollars per hundred. Mr. Lander took oxen to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and there sold them for between twenty-five and forty-five dollars per yoke. Cows were sold there for twelve or fourteen dollars, and bacon hams for five cents per pound. During the spring of 1842 Mr. Lander sold three barrels of lard for three cents per pound. He took some first rate horses to Chicago and sold them for between twenty-five and thirty-five dollars a piece. This was in 1844. During the following year he sold a hundred fat wethers for one dollar and sixty cents a piece. Men sunk money in Bloomington by buying pork for $1.50 per hundred, nett. Mr. Lander wishes the rising generation to take note of these prices, and if they feel discouraged, he wishes them to think how much better off they are than their fathers were, and go to work with renewed energy. The present is their opportunity.
The tide began to turn in 1847. During that year a constitu- tional convention was held. Judge David Davis was chosen a delegate from McLean County, and Mr. Lander was selected to represent McLean and Livingston counties. This convention showed clearly that the people of the State of Illinois were reso- lute and earnest in trying to pay their State debt and relieve themselves from their financial difficulties. A two mill tax was levied to meet the interest on the public debt, and confidence was restored. This honest attempt on the part of the people to meet their obligations was worth untold millions to the State of Illinois. Its credit improved at home and abroad, and pros- perity came again.
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