USA > Illinois > Peoria County > Princeville > Township histories, Peoria County, Illinois; Princeville, Akron, Millbrook, Jubilee, Hallock, Radnor > Part 2
USA > Illinois > Peoria County > Akron > Township histories, Peoria County, Illinois; Princeville, Akron, Millbrook, Jubilee, Hallock, Radnor > Part 2
USA > Illinois > Peoria County > Millbrook > Township histories, Peoria County, Illinois; Princeville, Akron, Millbrook, Jubilee, Hallock, Radnor > Part 2
USA > Illinois > Peoria County > Jubilee > Township histories, Peoria County, Illinois; Princeville, Akron, Millbrook, Jubilee, Hallock, Radnor > Part 2
USA > Illinois > Peoria County > Hallock > Township histories, Peoria County, Illinois; Princeville, Akron, Millbrook, Jubilee, Hallock, Radnor > Part 2
USA > Illinois > Peoria County > Radnor > Township histories, Peoria County, Illinois; Princeville, Akron, Millbrook, Jubilee, Hallock, Radnor > Part 2
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The first railroad assured Princeville Township was the Peoria & Rock Island, now called the Rock Island & Peoria. It was built between 1868 and 1870, the township giving it $50,000 in bonds. The Buda Branch of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, projected a little later, was, however, completed first, and it received no bonus from the township. The
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Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad crossed the township from east to west in 1887, making a junc- tion with the Rock Island & Peoria at Princeville, and with the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy at Monica.
Monica was platted first under the name of Corn- well, in honor of Solomon S. Cornwell. The name was soon afterward changed to Monica. It is located on Section 21, on the divide between Spoon River and Kickapoo Creek, giving it a good drainage. The "Q" Road had been built two years before this station was given. One theory is that the company were angry because no bonds had been voted them, and they gave the township no depot until the competition of the Peoria & Rock Island forced them to it. The post- masters in succession have been W. W. Hurd, L. L. Campbell, P. R. Ford, Etta Lincoln, Jane Ford and G. R. Campbell, the present incumbent. The first general store was built and started by Andrew D. Rogers, on the southwest corner of Block 9. This building was burned in 1890, and the same corner burned again in 1896. The third building is the present large store of Mrs. Wilts. In 1897 one of the three grain elevators burned. But one strange thing in the history of Monica is that no dwelling detached from stores, has ever been burned. The boarding house at the oil factory was moved to Monica and used as a hotel, and still stands, remodeled, on the northeast corner of Block 14, the residence of Lemuel Auten. The next hotel was P. R. Ford's, which burned in 1884. The next was R. M. Todd's, built in 1888, now managed by G. A. Keith as "The Empire." W. P. Hawver moved from West Princeville when Monica . was only surveyed in the oats field, and has been a merchant there ever since.
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The Mt. Zion Methodist Episcopal Church building was moved from West Princeville in 1877, and en- larged and repaired at a cost of about $1,300. The church was a part of the Princeville M. E. charge prior to 1894. In September, 1894, it was organized and, with Laura (of Millbrook Township), became the Monica charge. Rev. Thos. J. Wood was the first pas- tor, followed in succession by Revs. P. S. Garretson, 1895; O. M. Dunlevy, 1896; H. C. Birch, 1898; H. C. Gibson, 1900; James G. Blair, 1901. The Monica Blue Ribbon Club, in the '70's, was a very large and enthusi- astic Temperance Society. Monica's population now is about 225, with the following persons in business, be- sides those already mentioned: W. W. Day, grain and lumber; J. D. Rathbun and J. F. Kidder, general merchandise; Alice Wilts, general merchandise and hardware; Auten & Auten, bankers (Lemuel Auten in charge) ; William Saunders, restaurant; D. W. Gross and W. P. Jones, physicians; George Conover, black- smith; Walter Byrnes, barber; Wm. George, harness; R. M. Todd, livery; J. Duffy, agent Chicago, Burling- ton & Quincy Railroad; James Curren, agent Santa Fe R. R .; A. J. Hayes and Miss Jennie Burns, principal and assistant, Monica schools.
"White's Grove," to the west and north of Monica (named from Hugh White), may be said to have set- tled rapidly after the coming of Esq. Joseph Arm- strong in 1856. The White's Grove Baptist Church was organized December 9, 1871, with fourteen mem- bers. The pastors have been in succession: A. D. Bump, 1872; J. M. Stickney, 1873; E. M. Armstrong, 1876; J. M. Bruce, 1882; E. M. Armstrong, 1883-85; A. R. Morgan, 1886-90; T. Phillips, 1891; S. Gray, 1894-98; E. Quick, 1901. Jackson Leaverton has been
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Superintendent of the Sunday-school. The church now numbers 22 members.
The early Princeville community seems to have been more orderly and law-abiding than the average frontier town. The "Atlas Map of Peoria County" says of Princeville Township : "It is settled mostly by high-toned, moral and religious people, who came from the Eastern and Southern States. Of the nine- teen townships in Peoria County, its people rank first in education, religion and public spirit." It is not known now who may have been the author of this sketch, but his remarks were not far out of the way, even including Peoria Township among the nineteen.
Taking the Civil War as a dividing line between early and present Princeville history, no question of greater import-even to Princeville's welfare to-day- could be raised, than the personal character for godli- ness, integrity and learning of the quiet, determined teachers. They, from time to time, settled and taught, labored and made homes, and left their impress on the young in this now thriving town. Among these teachers there are still remembered the names of An- drews, Aldrich, Allen, Auten, Breese (the first Pres- byterian pastor), Burnham, Carlisle, Clussman, Cooper, Cunningham (pastor and teacher), Cutter, Cutler, Egbert, Foster, Farwell, Goodale, Hinman, Kimball, Means, Munson, Noyes, Page, Julia Rogers, Ann Rog- ers, Stanley, Stone, White, Wright, and others, no doubt as significant but not now recurring to memory. Private schools were conducted at different times by Mrs. Hannah Breese, first in a little building on lot 6 or 7, Block 9 -- conceded to be the first frame building in Princeville, and near the west end of the large Hitch- cock building-and later, in her home, now the resi-
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dence property owned by Mrs. Willard Bennett, on the Princeville-Akron township line about 80 rods north of Canton Street; by Mrs. Lydia Auten at her home; by Miss Julia Rogers in the little house occupied by Guy Bouton on North Street, north of lot 3, Block 1; by Mrs. Ann Rogers at the home of her brother-in-law, Peter Auten; by Miss Lizzie Farwell, at the home of Wm. C. Stevens; and perhaps by others. Mr. Wm. C. Stevens, already mentioned as the founder of Prince- ville Village, was a gentleman of education, culture and public spirit, and was prominent in all educa- tional and public matters.
It was in the fall of 1856 that the demand for higher education encouraged Mr. Milton S. Kimball to start a school in the Presbyterian church, which later developed into the first Princeville Academy. A two-story frame building was erected on the south side of Main Street on lots 3 and 4, Block 14, just east of the present public school square. Rev. Jared M. Stone and Rev. William Cunningham were other successful principals. The academy flourished with a large at- tendance, drawn from wide territory. The war, how- ever, virtually killed the school. The building was sold and moved to Canton Street for store purposes, it being the building long occupied by E. C. Fuller, now by J. L. Searl's grocery, located on the west side of lot 7, Block 12.
A number of the pupils of this old academy, with other citizens, some of whom had gone East to college, in later life desired a similar academy for their chil- dren. As a result, another Princeville Academy was started in 1887, being conducted until 1900 by chang- ing Boards of Management, who bore the responsibility and constant expense of the school. Sessions were held
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the first year in the old Seventh Day Adventist church; the next two years in the new chapel rooms of the Pres- byterian church, and from 1890 on, in the Second M. E. church building, purchased by Edward Auten for the purpose. A still greater number of young people from the later academy were fitted for college study. The principals of the later academy were, in succession : James Stevens, 1887; C. F. Brusie, '88; B. M. South- gate, '90; Edwin B. Cushing, '91; H. W. Eckley, '93; T. H. Rhodes, '94; Ernest W. Cushing, '96; Royal B. Cushing, '97; J. E. Armstrong, '99-1900.
The Princeville public schools have grown and im- proved. A high school course is offered, including Latin and twelfth grade work, under the principalship of William M. Beale. The four large assembly rooms of the brick building are taxed by the ten upper grades, and the primary grades occupy Edward Auten's acad- emy building, under the able instruction of Miss M. E. Edwards. Miss Mina Edwards, Miss Etta Powell and Mr. Harry O'Brien are the teachers of the intermediate and grammar grades. The Board of Directors is as follows: H. J. Cheesman, President; E. D. Minkler, Secretary, and David Kinnah.
The Presbyterian Church, organized August 16, 1834, as Prince's Grove church, was the first to have a house of worship. The log school house became too small for the meetings, and a frame structure was built in 1844 in the southeast corner of block 12. This was built at a great sacrifice on the part of Mr. Stevens, Thomas Morrow, Dr. Cutter, Erastus Peet and others. Thomas Morrow, Erastus Peet and William Clussman each hauled a load of lumber from Chicago. It was a great day when the church building was "raised." The entire community assembled, the men and boys
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to aid in the raising, and the women and girls to pro- vide the refreshments. This house was used by the church society until September 6, 1866, when the main part of the present church was dedicated. The chapel rooms were added in 1888 and $1,000, bequeathed by Miss Mary C. Clussman, was expended for installing new seats, furnaces and other repairs in 1899. The ministers in succession have been : Calvin W. Bab- bitt, 1835-38; George G. Sill, 1838; Robert F. Breese (first pastor) 1843-51; Robert Cameron, 1851-57; Geo. Cairns, 1857-58; Jared M. Stone, 1858-64; Wm. Cun- ningham, 1864-71; Arthur Rose, 1871-77; Samuel R. Belville, 1877-86; Charles M. Taylor, 1887-95; D. A. K. Preston, 1896-97 ; Charles T. Phillips, 1897 -. The Sun- day-school Superintendent at present is C. J. Chees- man.
Rt. Rev. Philander Chase, Episcopal Bishop of Illi- nois, preached occasionally in the stone school house. A Congregational organization existed for a short time with the Rev. B. F. Worrell as pastor, sometime in the '50's.
. The Christian Church society flourished in the '50's, with a building on Canton Street (lots 5 and 6, block 14, just east of the present public school square), the building later being removed and used as the old village hall. The membership of this church was large- ly merged, early in the '60's, into the Seventh Day Ad- ventist Church, which was starting new. The latter society purchased the first M. E. church building in 1866 and used it until about 1888. Since then the soci- ety has most of the time met at the home of Elder L. D. Santee. Familiar names in this church were the Blanchards, Blisses, Vancils, Merritts and others.
The Methodist Episcopal Church has had services in Princeville almost `from the beginning of the settle-
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ment. The "circuit riders" preached first in Aunt Jane Morrow's fine log cabin (a palace among log houses), on the northwest quarter of Section 30, Akron Township; then in the old log school house, and later in the stone school house. They came once a month and later twice a month, as their circuits were shortened. The first M. E. church building was begun in 1853 and finished in 1854, on lots 1 and 2, block 16, the building later being sold to the Seventh Day Adventist Church, and now a barn on the south side of South Street, south of lot 5, block 24. The next church was built about 1867, on lots 7 and 8, block 24 (Edward Auten's Academy building), and was used until the erection of the present edifice, corner of South and Clark Streets, in 1889. The early preachers up to 1856, some of them circuit riders, were, Revs. Pitner, Whit- man, Cummins, Hill, Beggs, Chandler, Luccock, Royal (Sr.), Royal (Jr.), Stogdell, Jesse Craig, Gregg, Grun- dy, Gaddis, Reaek, Morse, Appleby, Dodge, Giddings, Rhodes and Mills. The list from 1856 on, is as follows, the date after each man's name being that of his coming : Revs. J. S. Millsap, '56; E. Keller, '59; W. J. Beck, '60; G. W. Brown, '62; S. B. Smith, '64; S. Cavet, '66; G. W. Havermale, '68; M. Spurlock, '69 ; E. Wasmuth, '70; J. Collins, '73; W. B. Carithers, '74; W. D. H. Young, '77 ; S. Brink, '78; J. S. Millsap, '81; M. V. B. White, '82; H. M. Laney, '83; F. W. Merrell, '85; Alex Smith, '88; R. B. Seaman, '93; J. D. Smith, '96; J. E. Conner, '97; John Rogers, '99; R. L. Vivian, 1901.
Catholicity came to Princeville with the early Irish and German settlers, At that time there was no Catholic church nearer than Kickapoo or Peoria, to which places they were accustomed to drive. While
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the present Peoria Diocese was part of the Archdiocese of Chicago, the Catholic people of Princeville Township were ministered to by priests from Peoria City. On Sep- tember 7, 1867, the Rev. J. Murphy was appointed first Rector of the Princeville Parish, and his succes- sors have been in turn, Father Albrecht, Rev. Chas. Wenserski, Rev. Father Moore, Very Rev. J. Canon Moynihan, Rev. H. Schreiber (1881), Rev. P. A. Mc- Gair (1884), Rev. C. A. Hausser (1891), Rev. C. P. O'Neill (1901) to the present time. It was in Father Murphy's time that the old Presbyterian church was purchased and made into a Catholic house of worship. Father Albrecht built the present rectory, and, during Father McGair's time, was erected the present beauti- ful brick church for "St. Mary's of the Woods."
The first paper published in Princeville was the "Princeville Weekly Citizen," by G. T. Gillman, which started in the summer of 1868 and lasted six months. The next was the "Princeville Times," by C. A. Pratt, established in July, 1874, and run four months. The next was the "Princeville Independent," the beginning of the present "Princeville Telephone." Editors in succession have been J. E. Knapp, March 10, 1877; J. G. Corbet, September 29, 1877; J. G. Cor- bet and H. E. Charles, October 13, 1877; J. G. Corbet and P. C. Hull, October 18, 1878; J. E. Charles and P. C. Hull (P. C. Hull, Editor), October 3, 1879; J. S. Barnum, B. J. Beardsley, Beardsley Bros. (B. J. and G. L.), and the present owners, Addison Dart, Harry D. Fast and Keith C. Andrews. The "Princeville Re- publican" was started February 2, 1898, by George I. McGinnis, and has continued a prosperous weekly under his direction to the present time. The "Prince- ville Academy Sol" ran as a school monthly from 1893 to 1900.
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After the platting of original Princeville in 1837, additions were made and subdivisions surveyed ad- joining, as occasion required. The original village is five blocks square, with the park in the center. W. C. Stevens' subdivision on the south and west was platted in 1864 (plat filed in 1869) ; lot 27 of this sub- division was re-subdivided into several smaller lots in 1877, and some of them, in turn, were included in 1887 in McGinnis & Russell's addition. Lots 15 and 16 of the first subdivision were platted in 1897 into Hoag & Ward's addition. On the east of the village, in Akron, Day & Hitchcock's addition was laid off in 1869. This was at the time of building the Peoria & Rock Island Railroad, and the lots were disposed of at a great auction. People thought that Princeville, hav- ing a railroad, was destined to be a city, and paid prices far in advance of values thirty-three years later, in 1902. The promoters of the addition re- served some of the best lots that they might themselves "get the benefit of the rise," but they missed it in not selling all out at first. W. C. Stevens's addition on the west (including the school house square) was platted in 1871, and part of it vacated in 1877.
"Timber Subdivisions" of two and one-half and five-acre lots, were made by Stephen French on the northwest quarter of Section 13 in 1854 and 1857; by heirs of Thomas Morrow on the southeast quarter of Section 12 in 1869; and by William Morrow on Sec- tion 19, Akron Township, in 1876. The lots in all of these subdivisions were disposed of at public auctions. Farmers found it more necessary then to have timber to use than they do now in the days of lumber yards and wire fences.
The first burying ground iu Prince's Grove was on
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Section 25, near its north line, and about sixty-four to seventy-one rods west of the northeast corner of the section, where a few sunken graves may still be distinguished. The number of people buried here is variously estimated at from ten to twenty-five. In the White's Grove district a burying ground was located on the northwest quarter of Section 8, about fourteen rods from the north line (twelve rods from the road) and thirty-five rods west of the east line of said quarter section. Thirteen graves may now be distinguished. The present cemetery in the northwest part of the incorporated village was first used in 1844, the first burial being that of a daughter of George I. McGinnis, named Temperance, who died September 14th of that year. For many years graves were placed at random, when, in 1864, the survey into lots, paths and driveways was made. The original cemetery has been enlarged by three or four successive additions. The Catholic cemetery on Section 7, Akron, was laid out in 1875.
Early stone quarries were those of B. F. and J. Z. Slane, on the southeast quarter of Section 24; of Austin and T. P. Bouton, on Section 25, and the smaller one of Thomas Morrow on Section 12. The Slane brother's quarried both sandstone and limestone, burning the latter into lime. This was a grey lime, suitable for everything but a white finish. Limestone was also used in Princeville from the quarry of James Byrnes in White Oak, Jubilee Township.
During the first few years of the settling of the township, coal was not known to be here, and when it was first dug up or seen lying on top of the ground, its utility was not known. Mr. Archibald Smith remem- bers very distinctly the first load hauled to the school
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house on Section 8-he thinks in the year 1847-hauled by Sam White from the James Morrow farm on Section 18. It was then called "stone-coal." Charles Plum- mer later operated a bank on the same farm and Wm. Hughes had a famous bank on Section 7. At some of the coal banks the settlers would go and dig for their own use as they pleased. In the later years coal has been mined in various parts of the township, shafts being the thickest north of Princeville Village. The banks now operating (1902) are those of Jackson Leaverton, on Section 18; of Graves Bros., on Section 10; of W. C. Ricker and of Robert Taylor (on the Alford farm) on Section 11; and of Higbee & Cutler, on Section 24-the last mentioned being within the corporate limits of Princeville, and employing the largest number of men.
Brick yards were operated by Erastus Peet and George I. McGinnis in the early days on Sections 30 and 7, respectively, both in Akron. James Byrnes of Jubilee Township, James Rice and W. H. Gray fur- nished brick for some of the stores now standing. Gray's brick yard was in the northwest corner of the village, northwest of the cemetery, where an excava- tion in the hillside may still be seen. It was brick made by Gray that went into the present school build- ing. E. Keeling started a brick yard in the south- east corner of Section 12 in 1887. He sold out in 1892 to Edward Hill, who has ever since manufactured and sold a large quantity of brick.
Princeville Village was incorporated first as "The Town of Princeville," under a special charter, April 15, 1869, and again as "The Village of Princeville," under the general law, March 24, 1874. The incor- poration was started by. the temperance people to en-
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able the village to control its own liquor traffic, and as they hoped, to eradicate the saloons. The anti-license party carried the first election, but failed from 1870 to 1878, when they again came into power, this time for a term of two years. The license party ruled from 1880 to 1883, the anti-license from 1883 to 1885, and then it was a constant struggle, with varying results, until 1895. Beginning with May 1st of that year the anti-license party has been in control con- tinuously to the present time. R. F. Henry, F. B. Blanchard, J. B. Ferguson, Edward Auten, John F. Bliss and Milton Hammer, in the President's chair, and others, have been "war horses" in the fight against saloons. In the later years there have been different citizens' leagues, furnishing money and moral support for prosecutions. The temperance people, from the beginning of their efforts to prohibit the sale of liquors, up to the present time, have always found in Frank C. Hitchcock, entrenched in the castle which his father built and denominated "Almost a new Jerusalem," a foeman worthy of their steel. Af- fable, gentlemanly, and self-contained, he has com- batted the advance of temperance reform both at the elections and as a salesman at his place of business. Often, when the temperance people felt sure of suc- cess as to an election, or as to the result of a prosecu- tion brought against him for selling, have they found his success complete. But notwithstanding his ability and prowess, he has a number of times met defeat. If he has sold in the last few years it has been with- out legal sanction and to a very limited patronage of men believed to have been long ago confirmed in their habits. It is believed that not many drunkards are now being made from clean young men in the village.
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For a time some of the highly respected business men not only voted against the anti-license party, but ran on the other ticket, and served as license councilmen. Later many changed, and even of the few highly re- spected ones still voting for license, very rarely is one found to allow his name on that ticket.
The anti-license administrations since 1894 and 1895 have carried on the policy of making permanent improvements in the shape of brick sidewalks and graveled roads. The community has felt satisfied with this method of government, and has given the anti-license party a steadily increasing majority, until in 1901 there was not even any license ticket nomi- nated. The present village officers (May, 1902), are F. H. Cutler, President; S. A. Andrews, F. M. Beal, Geo. Corbet, A. C. Moffit, Peter Auten, Jr., and Wil- liam Berry, Trustees; F. W. Cutler, Clerk; R. J. Ben- jamin, Magistrate; and the following appointive of- ficers: J. H. Russell, Treasurer; James Walkington, Marshal; James Cornish, Street Commissioner. The first town hall was the old Christian church, previ- ously mentioned in this article, purchased by the vil- lage in 1873. The present brick hall, consisting of council room, fire engine, calaboose and upper hall, was erected in 1891, at a cost of about $5,000. The $4,400 of bonds issued for this hall are now paid off, and the village has an outstanding bonded indebted- ness at the present time of $3,300, incurred for part of the cost of brick sidewalks. The old plank walks are being replaced as they wear out by brick, until now there are about 50 blocks of brick walk and an equal amount of plank walk, kept in a fair state of repair. An effort has been made each year to gravel some of the roads leading out of town. In 1901 the
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last of them were completed, in that year about $600 being appropriated by the Village Council, and an equal amount being donated by the business men and the farmers who were benefited. A local telephone exchange was installed in 1901 by W. M. Keck. It is likely that the building of permanent sidewalks will continue and that electric lights and waterworks will only be questions of time.
Just as this article is prepared for the press it is announced that temperance parties have procured a six years' lease of the Hitchcock "castle" and made other arrangements which, it is believed, will end a part of the liquor selling in town. Another item of latest news is that parties are now asking for an elec- tric light franchise and contract from the village board.
The village has issued two editions of revised ordi- nances, one in the winter of 1877-78, when J. B. Fer- guson was President, J. G. Corbet, E. C. Fuller, J. F. Carman and V. Weber, Trustees, and H. E. Burgess, Clerk; the other, in 1899-1900, when Milton Hammer was President, N. E. Adams, C. J. Cheesman, Peter Auten, Jr., A. C. Sutherland, Thos. Blakewell and W. S. Weaver, Trustees, and F. D. Goodman and F. W. Cutler, Clerks (Goodman resigning and Cutler suc- ceeding). The first fire company was organized in the winter of 1875-76, and continued until 1899. Its first members were John G. Corbet, C. F. Beach, A. D. Edwards, Robert Pfeiffer, William Russell, J. B. Ferguson, Charles Blanchard, C. N. Pratt, H. E. Burgess, William McDowell, H. A. Simp- son, H. E. Charles. It had in its charge, first, a chem- ical. extinguisher ; and later, a chemical and hand rail force pump, which is still in use by the new fire com-
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