The history of Adams County Illinois : containing a history of the county - its cities, towns, etc. a biographical directory of its citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late rebellion; general and local statistics, portraits of early settlers and prominent men, Part 77

Author:
Publication date: 1879
Publisher: Chicago : Murray, Williamson & Phelps
Number of Pages: 1254

USA > Illinois > Adams County > The history of Adams County Illinois : containing a history of the county - its cities, towns, etc. a biographical directory of its citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late rebellion; general and local statistics, portraits of early settlers and prominent men > Part 77

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HISTORY OF ADAMS COUNTY.

the highest premium at the last county fair; two dealers in millinery and ladies' furnishing goods, two dealers in stoves and tinware, two livery sta- bles, two saloons, one firm of shoemakers, two of house carpenters, two firms of blacksmiths, one wagonmaker, one mason, one barber, three tailors, etc.

The village of La Prairie is on the C., B. & Q. R. R., thirty miles from Quincy, laid out and platted by H. Dills, A. C. Marsh, O. L. Skinner, H. T. J. Ricker, Hiram Rogers, Benjamin Bacon and Obediah Gibbs. It has two general stores, owned by R. H. Bacon & Co. and Col. J. M. A. Drake; one wagon shop, one shoe shop, two harness shops, two churches, one drug store and a graded school. In the year 1878 there were shipped 176 car- loads of stock and 32 car loads of hay.

LODGES.

La Prairie Lodge No. 267 was organized Oct. 6, 1858. The charter members are as follows: John S. Tout, 1st master; John W. Dills, 1st warden ; John W. Byland, junior warden; B. F. Tolman, secretary; A. P. Hoyt, H. D. Dills, W. H. Martin. It has forty members, and is in a flourishing condition.

CHURCHES.

United Brethren in Christ .- This church had its origin in the year 1774. William Otterbein, of Baltimore, Md., organized a congregation in Baltimore, May 4, 1774. The church is Armenian in faith, and itinerant in supply of its people with the gospel. In the government of the church the people rule. The delegates to the general conference are elected by the laity. The general conference meets every four years. The bishops are elected every four years; and the presiding elders every year by the annual conference; the leaders and stewards, by the class. The church has forty- three conferences, and 150,000 members. The church has a prosperous mission in West Africa.

The Centennial Church was built in the year 1875, and dedicated by Bishop J. Dickson, of Decatur, Ills. The church or class was first organized at the Union Church, west of the Centennial, in the year 1863, by Rev. N. A. Walker. The class now numbers about one hundred mem- bers. The present pastor is Rev. J. H. Snyder; presiding elder, N. A. Walker.

La Prairie Class was organized March, 1879, by the election of John Prather, leader, and N. Robbins, steward. The class has a membership of thirty-six members. The society is making efforts to purchase the church house of worship of the Missionary Baptists in the town of La Prairie. The appointment was first taken up by Rev. J. B. King, and then filled by N. A. Walker; and the present pastor, Rev. J. H. Snyder, held a meeting during the latter part of February and early part of March of the present year, assisted by Rev. N. A. Walker and Rev. I. Valentine. Forty conver- sions and thirty-six accessions to the church is the result of the efforts.

PAYSON TOWNSHIP.

The village of Payson is situated fifteen miles southeast of Quincy, Ills., and ten miles from Hannibal, Mo., on a beautiful rolling prairie. In the year 1833 the land upon which Payson now stands was entered at the

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HISTORY OF ADAMS COUNTY.

General Land Office by Hon. John Wood, E. B. Kimball, and Bracket Pottle. In the fall of '34 Deacon Albigence Scarborough, of West Hart- ford, Conn., came into the township and purchased the land of the above named parties, and in the spring of '35 he laid out the village of Payson. He had associated with himself in the laving-out of the village and the sale of the lots, P. E. Thompson and James C. Bernard. The village was named by Deacon Scarborough after the Rev. Dr. Payson, of Portland, Maine, who was a great favorite of Deacon Scarborough, and from which the township afterwards derived its name. In the year 1835 Deacon David Prince, Jas- per Whitcomb and others, came to the place. In '36 Deacon Scarborough, Deacon Prince, and Captain John Burns, commenced the building of the wind-inill, which was completed about three years afterward, at a cost of thirteen thousand dollars, and this put an end, for a time, to the importa- tion of flour. The first sale of town lots took place on the seventh day of August, 1836, and the major part of the lots that were sold were purchased by the citizens themselves, very few being sold to outside speculators, and thus the curse which has weighed so heavily on other Western villages was avoided. Twenty per cent. of the purchase money of the lots sold was donated by the founders, by previous agreement, for the purpose of build- ing a seminary, and also four acres of beautiful land to erect the said build- ing upon. That probably gave the impetus to the educational interest of Payson that has been kept up to the present time; and, no doubt, too much credit can not be given to Deacon Scarborough for his liberality in donat- ing the beautiful town lot, for, if we are rightfully informed, that was donated by him individually. There is a district school-house erected on the said lot that cost, when built, about twelve thousand dollars. This building will accommodate three hundred scholars.

In the year 1835, Deacon Prince arrived with a stock of goods from New York, and opened the first store. A year or two afterward, J. C. Ber- nard and Joseph Norwood established themselves as merchants. Joseph E. Norwood was the first Payson postmaster. The Congregational Church was organized May 6, 1836. Those forming the church were A. Perry and wife, J. J. Fielding and wife, A. Scarborough and wife, Thomas Kond and wife, J. Boger and wife, B. Pottle and wife, D. Prince and wife, D. E. Scarborough, Mrs. Ellen Gustavus, Miss L. Pond, Miss Emily Scarborough; Mr. Cole, of Kentucky, was their first pastor. We have been unable to find any record of the members of the Methodist Church to show when the church was organized, but it was at an early date. Rev. J. Montgomery, minister in charge. The Christian Church was organized February 15, 1868, with twenty-six members. The churches all have good houses of worship. There is one Masonic Lodge with a large membership; they own a fine hall, worth about four thousand dollars. There is also a Chapter organized.

In 1833 Robert G. Kay and Wyman Whitcomb, with their families, settled in the township. After the township organization in 1850, R. G. Kay was elected the first supervisor; he served two years. Wyman Whit- comb was elected on the third year after the organization. Prominent among the residents of Payson and vicinity are J. K. Scarborough. B. Pottle, R. G. Kay, Wyman Whitcomb, Jasper Whitcomb, J. O. Bernard. A. T. Cook, W. D. Perry, Dr. Shepherd and others, but the want of space prevents further mention.

There has also sprung up a thrifty, young village on Stone's Prairie,

Gev. Baker PAYSON TOWNSHIP

R. W. Farimore PAYSON TOWNSHIP

Albert W. Larimer PAYSON TOWNSHIP

Hood ford Laurence PAYSON TOWNSHIP

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HISTORY OF ADAMS COUNTY.

called Plainville, or more improperly called Shakerag, and by ail appear- ances quite a business place. There are two stores doing a very lucrative business. The name of the post-office is Stone's Prairie. There are black- smith and wagon shops, and all such business is carried on in order to accommodate the farming community, without going off to larger places to get small jobs done. John Delaplain and A. V. Vining appear to be the founders of the burg. Wm. Shinn is one of the prominent men and early settlers. There is a prosperous Methodist Episcopal Church in the south- west part of the township, known as the Fall Creek Church.

The town of Payson has won a deservedly high reputation for its choice fruits. Of all the towns in Adams county, it is admitted, in this regard, to have the pre-eminence. Indeed, it is questionable whether any locality in the State surpasses that of Payson in the quality, variety, and amount of fruit grown. Any reference to the history and early develop- ments of this interest, however briel' and imperfect, can not therefore fail to interest our readers. The first apple orchard, worthy of the name, which has come to our knowledge, in the town of Payson, was planted by that pioneer and advocate of all true progress, Deacon A. Scarborough, in the spring of 1838. His stock consisted of one year old trees, purchased in St. Louis, but raised in Ohio.

In 1838 Deacon Scarborough also purchased of Mr. John Anderson, of Pike county, one bushel of peaches, consisting of choice varieties grown by Mr. Anderson on trees he had procured in the State of New Jersey. Mr. Scarborough paid one dollar for this bushel of selected fruit, when the ordinary selling price at the time, scarce as peaches then were, was but twenty-five cents per bushel. Some of the trees produced from this fruit have borne as fine peaches as have been grown in the county. Three of those early trees are still standing, and doing well, though he, by whose diligent hands they were so carefully planted and nurtured, has gone from the scenes of earth. The attention of other early settlers was devoted more or less to the important subject of fruit-growing, about the same time. But of them we cannot here speak in particular. The development of the fruit interest in the town of Payson, and indeed of all the region round about, is indebted, more than to any other individual, to that indefatigable excelsior in horticulture, Mr. William Stewart. The nursery and fruit business was ever after the great specialty of his life.

In laying out Payson, ample pains were taken to secure good educa- tional facilities for future generations, as the lot on which the present school is situated was reserved for an academy. In addition to this, 20 per cent. of the sales of the first one hundred lots were saved as a fund with which to build the proposed academy. The money was finally used to erect a school-house which served the township for many years. The pres- ent school building was erected in 1868, at a cost of $10,000, while other improvements augment the total to $12,240.

The Payson Farmers' Mutual Insurance Company was organized November 22, 1873. It commenced business immediately. In July, 1874, business amounted to $60,000. The first officers elected were A. T. Cook, president; J. O. Barnard, secretary, and H. L. Tandy, treasurer. January 1, 1879, the company had $294.390 insurance in force, which is limited to detached property, over one hundred feet from other buildings. The di- rectors are L. G. Carr, Robert Rankins, Alfred Seehorn, J. O. Barnard, John Aten, H. L. Tandy, S. D. Lewis, A. T. Cook, S. S. Nesbitt.

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HISTORY OF ADAMS COUNTY.

CHURCHES.

The Free Will Baptist Church was first organized in this township at what is now known as Hinchley's school house, on the 26th day of October, 1850, with a membership of nine persons, and assumed the name of the Payson Free Will Baptist Church, with Elder C. M. Sewall as pastor, under whose charge and efficient labors the church grew prosperous. In the year 1862, a house of worship was erected in the village of Plainville, and in June, 1862, the church was removed to Plainville, with a membership of 38, and assumed the name of the Fairview Free Will Baptist Church. The new house of worship was dedicated June the 1st, Elder S. D. Millay preached the dedication sermon. Present pastor, Elder D. C. Miller.

The Congregational Church of Payson was organized May 6, 1836. The following were received as original members of the church: Albigence Scarborough and his wife, Electa; Joseph Fielding and his wife, Clarissa; Brackett Pottle and his wife, Mary; D. E. Scarborough, Charles Whitman, Mrs. Nancy Scarborough, Mrs. Eliza Elles, Abner Perry and his wife. Adeline; Thomas Rand, and his wife, Mary S .; Joseph Bodger and his wife, Frances; David Prince and'his wife, Sophia; and Miss Louisa Pond. David Prince was elected deacon. On the 29th of the followingSeptember the articles of faith and covenant which the church now have were adopted. Rev. Mr. Hubbard remained till the close of the year. Rev. Wm. Cole, from Kentucky, succeeded him, beginning his pastoral labors May 1, 1837. Rules for church advancement were adopted the 23d of that month. Rev. Z. K. Hawley succeeded Mr. Cole in 1841. In 1842 their church building, which had been built a short time before, was burned; the members were obliged to worship in school-houses and cabins. In 1843 a wagon shop was fitted up for a church, and Rev. J. H. Prentiss became the pastor. The Rev Z. K. Hawley followed next, who in 1856 was succeeded by Rev. C. A. Leach, who continued until 1866. In 1863 steps were taken toward the erection of a new church, which culminated in the completion and ded- ication, on September 28, 1865, of their present beautiful edifice.

The M. E. Church .- The first class in this church in Payson was organized in 1835. All meetings for worship were held in private houses until the winter of 1842. On March 18, 1840, the society met for the pur- pose of electing trustees and becoming incorporated according to the laws of Illinois. At this meeting Charles Pope, Wm. Thompson, W. B. The Gooding, Harvey Brown and V. W . Bernard, were elected trustees. lot on which the present church building stands was obtained and the erec- tion of a building begun in the spring of 1841, but the building was not completed until the fall of 1842. Its size is 26x36; its cost $1,150. At the Illinois annual conference, held in 1847, Payson circuit was formed of territory previously constituting part of Columbus circuit, and A. Don Carlos was appointed preacher in charge. The first quarterly conference for Payson circuit was held in Payson, November 13, 1847, A. L. Risley, presiding elder. Peter Cartwright was the first elder on this district, and the first quarterly conference held within the present bounds of Payson circuit (then part of Columbus circuit), met in a log house which is still standing, a mile and a half southwest of Payson. The old church building being too small to accommodate the congregation, it was removed and a new one erected in 1854; size, 35x55; cost, $3,550; trustees, George Sin-

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HISTORY OF ADAMS COUNTY.

nock, George Hewes, George Baker, James Shinn, William R. Gabriel, A. U. Thompson, William Crewdson, William Thompson, and T. W. McFall. This building was removed in 1878, and the present one erected; size 40x70; cost $5,350. The present pastor, H. C. Adams, receives $900 salary and parsonage free. The parsonage is owned by the church, conveniently located, and cost, with the lot, $1,750 in 1870. The present membership of the church is 154. The number enrolled in the Sunday-school is 160;

George Sinnock, superintendent. The amount contributed by the Sunday- school for missions in 1878, was $88. The amount given by the church and school for the various benevolent objects of the church, $208.50. The present officers of the church are: Stewards H. Long, S. E. Hewes, N. Rouse, W. A. Mitchell; leaders, A. Lehman, George Sinnock, Jas. Inman, George Murphy, and Daniel Hughes.

Baptist Church .- The organization of this church in Payson took place on the 8th of March, 1834, before the town of Payson was ever platted. The meeting for the purpose of organizing was held at the residence of W. H. Tandy, about three miles north of the present site of Payson. The original members were Robert G. Kay and wife, Gabriel Kay and wife, W. H. Tandy and wife, and Charles M. Morton. The new organization took the name of the Bethany Baptist Church of which the Rev. John Clark be- came the pastor. The meetings were held in the dwellings of members, alternating from one to the other. The scattered settlers in this country then came long distances to attend these religious meetings. Early in the summer of the next year (1835), for the better accommodation of the increas- ing congregation, they erected a log meeting house in a grove a short dis- tance north and east of Gabriel Kay's residence. The first religious meeting was held in this new house of worship the first Sunday in July of that year. As soon as the town of Payson became a reality they abandoned their place of meeting and removed to Payson. At the first sale of lots in Payson, which took place in April, 1837, they purchased a site for a house of worship, and soon after commenced erecting a frame building upon it, the members doing the principal part of the work with their own hands. They completed and dedicated this new house in 1838, and soon after changed their name to correspond with the name of the town, and have been since known as the Payson Baptist church. This second house was the home of the church for the following twenty-seven years, when in 1865 it gave place to the better and more commodious one they now occupy; this last building costing about $6,000.

Fall Creek Chapel Society .- The church was built in the summer of 1852, by George Folkvod, of Quincy, and was completed in time to be ded- icated on Christmas of the same year, by the Rev. J. L. Crane, of the Illlinois conference, and the 5th street charge Quincy. There were two class-leaders, James Shinn and Thomas Crocker. At that time the oldest and most prominent members were these two class-leaders, Hugh A. Taylor, Martha Taylor, S. A. Edmonds, R. Wilton, Joseph Crocker, Robert Rankin, Jane Rankin, Washington Taylor, H. S. Taylor, Jesse Rankin, Amada Rankin, and a number of others whom we are not able to name, and who have passed to their final rest. R. L. Edmonds, who is now a resident of Payson township, was a prominent member of this church when the meetings were held at the Fall Creek school-house. There are now only six of the original members of this church living, two of them have moved away, leaving only four now in active membership. R. M. Davis

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HISTORY OF ADAMS COUNTY.

was the preacher in charge when the church was dedicated. The society had paid for the church and every debt incurred in its building, and has never been in debt since. The lot on which the church stands was donated by S. A. Edmonds, at the time the church was built. The society is now in a prosperous condition, and has connected with it a large and flourishing Sunday-school, which is doing great good in the moral training of the young people growing up in the neighborhood. This church has educated a number of ministers, while the Sunday-school has about 140 pupils. It has given over $5,000 for home and foreign missions, and one of its members, Mrs. Anna Scott, has devoted her life to missionary work in India. The following are the pastors who have officiated in the church: John Clark, Ezra Fisher, Jesse Elldge, Thomas H. Ford, Norman Parks, Calvin Greenleaf, William Hawker, Hamilton Robb, Charles Sparry, J. O. Met- calf, Jonathan Merriam, D. Mattock, S. W. Ferguson, L. Osborn, P. P. Shirley, Niles Kinne, Robert L. Gibson. H. C. Yates, and G. W. Huntley.

RICHFIELD TOWNSHIP

Is situated south of Liberty, west of Beverly, and east of Payson, and its southern boundary is the county of Pike. Three years after the organiza- tion of Adams county the first settlement of this township was made, having been first settled by Jacob Franks and A. N. Penrod, in the fall of 1828. On December 6th David Lock and Joseph Linthecum came, in 1831; Dixon Tungate, N. D. Harris, in 1832; Aberdeen Mallet, in 1833. These all brought their families, and soon the township began to be filled up by a class of good and industrious people, among whom were Goldsbury Chil- ders, John B. Atherton, Sanford Harris, Solomon Cusic, Henry C. Holm- bock, Henry Cleveland, James and Jefferson Long, Nathan Harris, I. Hun- sacker, and others. The first child born in the township was a daughter to David Lock ; hers also was the first death. The first mill was built about 1840, on MeCrary Creek. It is still in good running order under the supervision of Allen Lewton, does a great amount of grinding and makes first-class flour. In 1843 the first saw mill was built but is now moved away. The first school-house was built on section 19, in 1839. The first school was taught in 1836, in a private honse, by Mr. Frampton, who fol- lowed the Mormons to Utah. The first J. P. was Jesse Evans, who also was the first supervisor. A. H. Pellet and Ira Tyler were supervisors for many years, the latter now filling the office. The first church was built by Samuel Lock, in 1853, a Methodist Episcopal church, on section 30. The first store was built in 1845, by Nahma Tyler, who came to the township in 1840, and located on section 16, and was engaged in merchandizing until his death, which occurred in 1858. His widow, who afterwards married Mr. P. Howard, still runs the store, which is in the town of Richfield. It is a small place, located on the line of sections S and 17; it contains quite a number of small dwellings, an M. E. Church, blacksmith and wagon shop, two stores. It has a daily mail, which is a great advantage over many surrounding towns. The township has seven school-houses, most of them good substantial buildings. Richfield township contains four churches, one Baptist and three Methodist Episcopal. The township is filled up by a good class of people, intelligent, industrious, who have made homes for themselves and desirable farms. The surface of the country is quite rolling and somewhat broken. It was originally about three-fourths timber. Much of the soil is rich and productive, and the farmers have

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HISTORY OF ADAMS COUNTY.

nice looking residences-in fact, the writer must say that he found a good, kind-hearted set of people, who took pleasure in furnishing all items and dates contained in this description of the township. Many thanks to them for their kindness, and long may they live to enjoy their beautiful homes and the luxuries of an independent and easy life.

SCHOOLS.

Aker's School District No. 7, is a rock building constructed in 1871, at a cost of $1,000. The present board of directors are James Hendricks, S. Fruitt and M. Doran, and the first teacher was Mr. Cram. The school district has forty schools subject to taxation, and the last teacher was H. W. Forgy.

Richfield District No. 1, situated in the northeast corner of the township, is an excellent school; the building is frame and well furnished. The num- ber of children in the district is seventy-five, and the present board of directors are J. Bennett, J. Hendricks, J. W. Moore, and the present teacher is Sarah Jamieson.

Pin Oak District .- The building, like a good many of the school " houses," is nearly ready to be replaced by a new one. The school-house is well furnished, and the school was conducted under the care of Mr. E. Sellers, who is a young man of excellent ability as a teacher. The present board of directors are James F. Young, Vincent Ridgley and A. Hull.

Wagy School .- First building was built in 1845, and used for a good many years. The new building was built in 1861, and Wm. McKee taught the first school in the new building. The district has about sixty scholars subject to taxation. The present board of directors are Wm. Fusselman, Jacob Wagy, Clayton Carbaugh, and the present teacher is Mrs. McLain.

Morgan School formerly was a log building, and used for many years. The new building was built in 1873, at a cost of $800. The district has about seventy children, and the school averages twenty eight scholars. The present board of directors are John Callaway, George Morgan and Thomas Gilkie; present teacher, Caroline Beltz.

Rose Hill District No. S .- The district once had an old frame build- ing, located half a mile south of the present school-house; it was built in 1855, and in 1875 the new stone building was built at a cost of $800; is unex- celled by any house in the township; is nicely furnished, and they have an excellent school, well regulated and under a good state of discipline; and the teacher, A. B. Call, who taught their winter school, will not soon be forgotten by the pupils. The present board of directors are Hugh H. Morrison, Samuel McLain and Cornelius Bradley.

CHURCHES.

Richfield Chapel is located in the town of Richfield; it is a fine building, put up at a cost of $1,000, and is conducted under the care of Charles Cleavland Morgan, Tyler Rice, and others; it has a large member- ship, and has had some excellent ministers. Rev. W. McKendrey is present minister.

The Baptist Church, located north of Richfield, is a good frame building; they do not have regular preaching.

Shiloh Chapel, situated on section 30, was built in 1853, by Samuel Lock, at a cost of $1,000. The first preacher was the Rev. Mr. Northcott. At the time of the organization the board of trustees was Wm. Goding,

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HISTORY OF ADAMS COUNTY.

Joseph Linthecum, Henry Lyle, Wm. Holcombe, Jacob Baker and Benja- min Fahs. The church has a good many members, and has had a good many different ministers; among them was Rev. Sanford Bond, who is now deceased. He was an excellent minister, and long will be remembered. The church has had many changes. Quite a number of the old members have died. The present board of trustees are Philip Fahs, John Callaway, Pembroke Lock and Joseph Smiley. There is excellent Sabbath-school, under the superintendency of Philip Fahs.

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The history of Adams County Illinois : containing a history of the county - its cities, towns, etc. a biographical directory of its citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late rebellion; general and local statistics, portraits of early settlers and prominent men, Part 77

Author: Publication date: 1879 Publisher: Chicago : Murray, Williamson & Phelps Number of Pages: 1254

Author:
Publication date: 1879
Publisher: Chicago : Murray, Williamson & Phelps
Number of Pages: 1254