'^-^ 1» yyf> > :^:>:r:>" >• ■>33C*>. ' >3C2: LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. PRESENTED BY UNITED STATES 01 AMEEIOA. 1^- i^- ►x) "-"aie* >,>j> .. T^- >:>>,. 3Sie^ ^ >..■> . -^-V > >:» K»^:3>> >>> ■r^ -.i^r > >'3 -.1, >i2> • -^. ; • ^^ J'l^)-^ T>">:>> 1S» i> ^>^>S36 SOB* - rs> - •"::» > »» ^ ► , ■* '"J » ^3> } ->-»>>■:«*> . TO. >>> . -: s> no J» -V>^ ;>:» ^^t '--^^^ ^^K> :«L>.V.2>>^ 3> si> :^J&^' ■^V ->» 23Br ^ ;:> '•o ^^^< ^^3 »» i :> 3> O ^ HISTORICAL SKETCH OIP JERSEY COUNTY, iLLiisrois. 9Jeltvevexl ctt tTer'seyville, July ^ir, 187G, B'Y" ^y OF CO;, 1876. \.,y JACKSONVILLE, ILL : CoridKR Steam Pkintino House. 1876. -J-U' ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. In the preparation of this sketch reference has been dah to the following authorities : Western Annals, Reynolds' History of Illinois, History of Illinois, by Davidson & Stuve, Atlas of Greene and Jersey Counties, Records of the Circuit and County Courts, and the History of Jersey ville, by Rev. L. Grosvenor, 1853. And the writer desires to mention valuable assistance rendered hin; by Messrs. L. R. Lakin and F. M. Roberts, of Carroilton'; M. E. Bagley, T.J. Selby, Hon. R. M. Knapp, O. B. Hamilton, J. H. Buffington and Wm. McDow, of Jersey County. Imperfect as the sketch is, it would have been still more so without their help. Historical Address. Within the current year, an editorial in the Christian Union expressed some surprise at the idea of the great West partici- pating to any great extent in the rejoicings of our Nation's Cen- tennial, because the West had only been settled and developed within the last fifty years. It would, perhaps, excite a smile to assure the learned writer, that on the score of antiquity Illinois is but very little behind Plymouth Rock, and that the smoke of Saratoga had barely settled when a conquest for the American arms was achieved, without shedding a drop of blood, which added territory as great in extent as the inhabited area of the original thirteen colonies. Ninety-eight years ago to-day. Col. George Rogers Clark, with one hundred and fifty-three men, acting under commission from Patrick Henry, then Governor of Virginia, captured Fort Gage and the village of Kaskaskia from the British, and thereby ended forever the rule of England in the Valley of the Mississippi. It is not my purpose to dwell on the particular incidents of this expedition. When I think of the audacity of the design, the small means at command, the hardihood displayed, with the splendor of the result, I can sym- pathize fully with the sentiment of Joe Daviess, when speaking of Clark and his achievements: "When I think of this I feel like Moses at the burning bush — ' Put oflTthy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.' " Kaskaskia, Cahokia, and Vincennes fell successively into the hands of the conqueror, and an empire was redeemed from the baleful infiuence of British rule. True, Vincennes, while held by a sergeant and one priv^ate, was recaptured by Lieut. -Gov. Hamilton — the British '' hair- buyer," as he was called by the "long-knives; " but in February following, Clark marched across the country and retook the post, and Lieut. -Gov. Hamilton with it. And this was the end 4 History of Jersey County. of the Revolutionary War, so far as Illinois was concerned ; for Clark, by a master stroke of diplomacy , had succeeded in attach- ing the French population and their Indian allies to the fortunes of the colonies. If the means had permitted Clark to have pushed on and taken Detroit, and thus ended British domination on this side of the lakes, it is probable that the defeat of St. Clair, the death of Crawford, and the closmg expedition of " Mad Anthony " would have been vmnecessary. " So impor- tant were Clark's achievements considered, that on the 23d of November, 1778, he and his brave officers and men were voted the thanks of the Virginia House of Delegates for their extra- ordinary resolution and perseverance in so hazardous an enter- prise, and the important services thereby rendered the country." "In October, 1778, the Virginia Assembly erected the con- quered country, embracing all the territory northwest of the Ohio claimed under this conquest and otherwise, into the county of Illinois" — a pretty extensive county, which has since been converted into five large States, containing a population now exceeding 10,000,000. Col. Clark continued to be the military commander of all the western territory, both north and south of the Ohio, including Illinois. " Col. John Todd, then residing in Fayette county, Ky., who, under Clark, had been the first man to enter Fort Gage, was appointed lieutenant-commandant of the county of Illinois." "In the spring of 1779 Col. Todd visited Kaskaskia, and began at once to organize a temporary government for the colonies." On the 15th of June he issued the following proclamation: JOHN TODD'S PROCLAMATION, JUNE 15, 1779. Illinois (County) to-wit: Whereas, From the fertility and healthy situation of the land? border- ing upon the Mississippi, Ohio, Illinois, and Wabash rivers, the taking up of the usual quantity of land heretofore allowed for a settlement by the government of Virginia, would injure both the strength and the commerce of the country; 1 do, therefore, issue this proclamation, strictly enjoining all persons whatsoever from making any settlements upon the flat lands of said rivers, or within one league of said lands, unless m manner and form of settlements heretofore made by French inhabitants, until further orders herein given. And, in order that all the claims to land in said county may be fully known, and some method provided for perpetuating, by record, the just claims, every inhabitant is required, as soon as conven- iently may be, to lay before the person in each district appointed for that purpose, a memorandum of his or her land, with copies of all their vouch- ers; and when vouchers have been given, or any lost, such depositions or certificates as will tend to support their claims; the memorandum to men- tion the quantity of land, to whom originally granted, and when, deducing the title through various occupants to the present possessor. The number History of Jersey County. 5 of adventurers who will shortly overrun this country renders the above method necessary, as well a,s to ascertain the vacant lands as to guard against trespasses which wdl probably be committed on lands not on record. Given under my hand and seal, at K iskaskia, the loth of -Tune, in the third year of the Commonwealth. 1779. JOHN TODD, JR. " Three hundred family boats arrived at the Fulls of the Ohio in the spring of 1780, mostly destined for Kentucky, Among the immigrants to Illinois we note the names of James Moore, Shadrach Bond, James Garrison, Robert Kidd, and Larkin Rutherford, the two latter having been with Clark. They were from Virginia and Maryland. With their fiimilies, they, without molestation in those perilous times, crossed the Alle- ghanies, descended the Ohio, stemmed the Mississippi, and landed safely at Kaskaskia." "James Piggott, John Doyle, Robert Whitehead, and a Mr. Bowen, soldiers in Clark's expe- dition, also shortly after settled in Illinois." In 1 7S5 "came Joseph Ogle, Joseph Worley, and James Andrews, all from Vir- ginia, and each with a large family." In the following year the settlement was further augmented by the arrival of James Lemen, George Atchinson, and David Waddell, with their fam- ilies, beside several others." Col. Todd was killed in the battle of Blue Licks, Ky., August 18, 17S2, and was succeeded in com- mand of Illinois county by a Frenchman named Timothy de Montbrun, concerning whose administration, either as to acts performed or the time it continued, we have no certain account. The ordinance of 1787 was passed on the 13th of July of that year, and up to 1790 there was literally no civil government in Illinois; although on the 5th of October of 1787, Maj.-Gen. Arthur St. Clair had been appointed by congress governor of the Northwest Territory. In the summer of 17S8, the governor and judges (Samuel Holden Parsons, James Mitchell Varnum, and John Cleve Symmes) met at Marietta, the first seat of gov- ernment, and adoj^ted and promulgated a code of laws for the whole territorv. While some counties were laid off in Ohio, nothing was done for Illinois until February, 1790, when the governor and his secretary (Winthrop Sargent) arrived at Kas- kaskia. " The country within the boundaries of our present State, extending northward to the mouth of Little Mackinaw Creek, on the Illinois, was organized into a county, which was named after his excellency, St. Clair, and may be called the mother of counties in Illinois." It was divided into three dis- tricts, with three judges — John Edgar, of Kaskaskia; John 6 History of Jersey County. Baptiste Barbeau, of Prairie du Rocher; and John D. Moulin^ of Cahokia; each to hold court in the district of his residence. Court was to be held every three months in each district. Wm. St. Clair, brother of the governor, was appointed clerk and recorder of deeds, and Wm. Biggs, sheriff. The county-seat was located at Cahokia. There was only one lawyer (John Rice Jones) in Illinois. Isaac Darneille came into the territory before the year 1800." The wars with the Indians retarded the settlement of the country from 1790 to the treaty of Greenville, August 3, i795- After this the tide of emigrants began to flow steadily into the territories. In this year the governor divided St. Clair county by running a line due east to the Wabash, through the New Design settlement, in the present limits of Monroe county, naming the county south of said line Randolph, in honor of Gov. Randolph, of Virginia. On the third Monday of Decem- ber, 1798, an election was held for a delegate to a territorial legislature, which was convened in Cincinnati on the 23d of January, 1799. Shadrach Bond was elected delegate from Illinois. By act of congress approved May 7, 1800, the Northwest Territory was divided, and the western part was called Indiana, with the seat of government located at Vincennes. Wm. H. Harrison was appointed territorial governor, John Gibson, secre- tary, Wm. Clark, John Griflin and Henry Vanderburgh, judges. January 3, 1805, the governor ordered an election for a territorial legislature, to meet on the 7th of February ; and Shad- rach Bond and Wm. Biggs, from St. Clair, and George Fisher,, for Randolph, were elected delegates. By act of congress approved February 3, 1809, all that part of Indiana Territory lying west of the Wabash river should, after the first of March following, constitute a separate territory, and be called Illinois. The population was estimated at about 9,000. Ninian Edwards, chief justice of Kentucky, was ap- pointed governor April 24, 1S09, and Nathaniel Pope, secre- tary; Jesse B. Thomas, Alexander Stuart and Wm. Sprigg, judges. Secretary Pope arriving first in Illinois, appointed Elias Rector attorney general; John Hay, sherift; Enoch Moore, coroner, and seventeen justices of the peace. On the nth of June following. Governor Edwards assumed the duties of his History of Jersey County. 7 office. Some changes took place in the appointments. John Hay was reappointed clerk of St. Clair county, an office he con- tinued to hold until his death, in 1845. In the place of Rector, Benjamin H. Doyle was appointed attorney-general; but he resigning, John J. Crittenden was appointed; but after a few months he in turn resigned, and his brother, Thomas L. Critten- den, was appointed. By the census of 18 10, the total popula- tion was found to be 13,282, of which 16S were slaves, "a gain of about 400 per cent, in the precedmg decade." At this time Wood river was the northern bc5undarv of settlements in Illi- nois. The Indian title to the lands lying northward had never been relinquished. Not long after this the Indians became ex- ceedingly troublesome, stirred up by Tecumseh, the worthy successor of Pontiac. Still further aroused by the battle of Tippecanoe — in which Illinois, like Kentucky, lost some of her best men — followed by the massacre at Chicago, August 15, 181 2, and at a still later period by the massacre at Wood river in 1814, there was ample employment for the ten companies of rangers, as well as for all the regular troops which the govern- ment could supply. During the war period but small additions were made to the population. Forts and stockades were built, and the people were in a state of constant alarm. Still, in the way of law-making, the territorial legislature was equal to the emergency, and some of the most astovmding statutes may be found in the doings of that period. Let us look back a little. On the i6th of September, 181 2, Gov. Edwards, by proclamation, organized the counties of Madi- son, Pope, Gallatin and Johnson. An election was called for members of the territorial legislature on the Sth, 9th and loth days of October, and by another proclamation the legislature was to convene on the 25th of November. The members of the council were: Pierre Menard, of Randolph, president; Wm. I^ite?s> °^ S*^* Clair; Samuel Judy, of Madison; Thomas Fergu- son, of Johnson; Benjamin Talbott, of Gallatin. John Thomas was chosen secretary. The house of representatives consisted of Wm. Jones, of Madison; Joshua Oglesby and Jacob Short, of St. Clair; Geo. Fisher, from Randolph; Philip Trammel and Alexander Wilson, of Gallatin; and John Grammar, from Johnson county. Their clerk was Wm. C. Greenup. Edwards county was organized at the session of 18 14. At the session of 8 History of Jersey County. i8i5-'i6, the counties of White, Monroe, and Jackson were organized. The enabhng act for Ilhnois to form a State government be- came a law April i8, 1818. The convention met at Kaskaskia in July, 1818, and closed its labors on the 36th of August fol- lowing. Fifteen counties were represented, as follov^^s: St.. Clair, Jesse B. Thomas, John Messenger and James Lemen, Jr.; Randolph — Geo. Fisher, Elias Kent Kane; Madison — Joseph Burroughs, Benjamin Stephenson. Abraham Prickett; Gallatin — Michael Jones, Leonard White, Adolphus Frederick Hubbard; Johnson — Hezekiah West, Wm. McFatridge; Edwards — Seth Gard, Levi Compton; White — Willis Hargrave, Wm. Mc- Henry; Monroe — Caldwell Carnes, Enoch Moore; Pope — Samuel O'Melveny, Hamlet Ferguson; Jackson — Conrad Will, James Hall, Jr. ; Crawford — Joseph Kitchell, Edward W. Cul- lom; Bond — Thomas Kilpatrick, Samuel G. Morse; Union — Wm. Echols, John Whittaker; Washington — Andrew Bank- son; Franklin — Isham Harrison, Thomas Roberts. Jesse B. Thomas was chosen president, and Wm. C. Greenup secretary of the convention. The State was admitted on the third of December, 1818. On the 30th of July, 1S17, (the year is not certain in authori- ties — I have examined some placing it as late as 1S19), Auguste Chouteau and Benjamin Stephenson, on the part of the United States, bought at Edwardsville, of the Kickapoo Indians, " ten millions of acres of land, lying between the Illinois river on the northwest, the Kaskaskia on the southeast, the Kankakee on the northeast, and the Mississippi on the soutliwest." And on the 2oth of August, Benjamin Parke bought for the United States, of the Kickapoos of Vermilion, all the lands on the Wabash. In consequence of these purchases, the richest lands of the State were thrown open to settlement. A year prior to this, certain persons had made small settlements south of the Macoupin creek, but at the request of Gov. Edwards they removed to Madison county, and remained till after the Indian treat}- at Edwardsville. The first settlement made in the present limits of Jersey county, is given as June 10, 1817, by David Stockton and James Whitesides; but this date is exceedingly doubtful. From Hon, L. T. Whiteside, of Whitehall, I learn that his father, James Whiteside, made in this prairie two improvements; History of Jersey County. 9 one afterward sold to Judge Brown, and the other is known to us as the John Brown farm; and that he moved to Morgan county in 1821. Samuel Thomas made the first permanent set- tlement ndrth of the Macoupin, in iSiS. Next to these we locate the settlement near the Piasa, ni 1S19, though some claim that it should date from iSiS, as this is given as the time when the Carrolls, Cummings, and others came into that portion of the county. So nearly as can be ascertained. Judge John G. Lofton, John D. Gillham and others came into the county from Madison (it was all Madison then) in 1S19, Joseph White and his son-in-law, Orman Beeman, came about the same time. Judge Hinton tells me that he saw Col. John R. Black here in the same year. In the year following, John Brown and others came from St. Louis county. Mo. The oldest entries of land I find to have been made January 5, 1S21, by Jehu Brown, John Evans, John Thornton, and Gershom Patterson; Silas Crain on the 22(1, and Philip Grimes on the 23d of January, 182 1. These were all in township 8 north 12 west of the third principal meridian. Entries were made by John Evans in town 6-13, on January 15th, and George Finney on Februar}^ 26th of that same year. Col. John R. Black is probably the oldest continued resident now living, dating from 1819; and Wm. McDow stands next, dating from 1824. Thos. McDow, familiarly known as the "'Squire," came and settled in 1823, and resided there (in 7-1 1) until the time of his death. The first settlement on Otter creek was in 1828, by Thomas White, Jasper Terry, and others. The first entry at Jerseyville was made by Joseph M. Fairfield, October 20, 1823; the second, five years afterward, by Lindsey H. English (August 21, 182S), now of Sangamon county. A man named Ballard built the first cabin, and sold it to James Faulkner in 1827. It was in 1821 that the counties of Greene, Fayette, Montgomery, Lawrence, Hamilton, Sangamon and Pike were laid off, and Carrollton was made the county-seat of Grene. The present county of Macoupin was included in the limits of Greene until the year 1829. Joseph Russell and Silas Hamilton made large entries of public lands in the present limits of Jersey county in 1830. The settlements made in this county were of the same character as of the southern portion of the State — very largely from Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee; although many of them had resided tor a few years preceding their loca- lo History of Jersey County. tion here in the older settled portions of Illinois, especially in that part now known as Madison county. In due time North Carolina, Ohio and South Carolina contributed a respectable part of the volume of immigrants. The reason of this will be obvious on a moment's reflection. Every pioneer coming into the wilderness left relatives behind, who, being charmed with the reported fertility of soil and beauty of the prairie landscape, desired in due time to follow and share in the advantages so easily secured. At a later period this was emjDhatically true of those who came from Ohio, and at a still later period, of those who came from New Jersey. Ami the same remark is true, in a limitetl degree, of those who came from Vermont. Hence, while so many were relations, all were neighbors, and all within the limits of the county were friends. Hospitality and sociability prevailed everywhere, both from necessity and choice. We come now to the civil jurisdiction of Greene county, which was organized by act of the legislature in the winter of I S3 1. The first court held was a called session of the circuit court, on the 36th day of April, 1821, with the late Gov. John Reynolds as circuit judge. Thomas Carlin, for one term gov- ernor of the State, was sheriff; Samuel Lee, Jr., clerk, and Jacob Waggoner, coroner. Of the first grand jury called, Gen. Jacob Fr}' is the sole survivor — Cyrus Tolman, another mem- ber, having died the present year. The first session of the county commissioners' court was held in Carrollton on the first day of May, 1S31, and there were present John Allen, Jehu Brown and Seymour Kellogg as com- missioners, and Samuel Lee, Jr., was appointed clerk. At this session the commissioners to locate the seat of justice reported, under date of February 30, 1821. This report was signed by Thomas Carlin, John Allen, Thomas Rattan and John Huitt. Of these, John Huitt is the sole survivor. The county-seat was located at Carrollton, on land donated to tiie new county by Thomas Carlin. At this session John Wilkins was licensed to keep a tavern on the Fiasa, about one mile south of Delhi. In later times Mr. Wilkins was known to many of the citi- zens of this county as tke father-in-law of Perley Sillo- way, one of our early sheriflfs. Twenty lots owned by the county in the town of Carrollton were ordered to be sold. At the regular June term of this court, held on the 4th of June, History of Jersey County. ii 1 82 1, the county was laid off into military districts. The first district is described as follows: Beginning at the southwest corner of the county, thence north and east with the county line to the southeast corner of township 7, range 10 west; thence north to the line between towns 7 and 8; thence west to (^tter creek and down the same to the Illinois river; thence down the river to the place of beginning. It will be noticed that this company district included the present towns of Grafton, Otter- ville, Newbern, Delhi and Brighton — a large field froin which to gather a militia company. The second companv district to consist of township 8 north and ranges 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 west (including the present towns of Fidelity, Jerseyville and Fieldon — the most populous parts of Jersey county). Elections were ordered in each of the company districts for one captain, one first lieutenant and one ensign. John D. Gillham, John Waddle and Samuel Kinkead were appointed judges of that election, which was ordered to be held at the house of Thomas G. Lofton. Gershom Patterson, William Adair and Nathaniel Rowdon were appointed judges of the election in the second district, and this election was to be held at the house of John Thornton. At this session Ira Kelley, Samuel Kinkead and Jehu Brown were recommended to the governer (Shadrach Bond) as suitable persons for the office of justice of the peace. On the 6th of June the court proceeded to lay off all that part of the county lying south of the line line between townships 7 and 8, with the attached parts, into one township, to be called Otter Creek ; and all south of the Macoupin and north of Otter Creek, with its attached parts, into one township, to be called Macoupin town- ship. John Findley and John Wilkins were appointed over- seers of the poor in Otter Creek township, and Abiram McKin- ney and Joseph Piggott were appointed overseers of the poor in Macoupin township. Jurors were selected at this term for the ensuinsr term of the circuit court^ and I find the following named residents of what is now Jersey county: Ezekiel Gillham, VVm. Davidson, Ger- shom Patterson, John D. Gillham, James Whitesides and Philip Grimes. All these I have known personally, though some of them passed long ago from the scenes of earth, and none of them are living to-day. 12 History OF Jersey County. At a special term of the county court, held on the 13th of June, Gershom Flagg, father of the Hon. W. C. Flagg, of Madison county, was allowed six dollars for surveying the town of Carrollton. During the summer, or the preceding one, a bold and daring robbery was committed in the night time, at the house of an English family by the name of Dixon, then residing where Ad- dison Greene, Esq., now lives. Wm. B. Whitesides, then sheriff of Madison county, and Maj. Robert Sinclair, were identified as principals, and the sum taken was something over $i,300. An alarm was made, pursuit was instituted, and the robbers were apprehended. But, through the assistance of friends and con- federates, the supposed guilty parties ultimately escaped. Sin- clair was tried, found guilty and escaped before sentence, at Carrollton, at May term of the circuit court in 1823. The peo- ple's witnesses were Wm. Dixon, John G. Lofton, James Barnes, Thomas G. Lofton, Wm. Davidson, Ezekiel Gillham, John Findley, Wm. Finkard, Henry Hopkinson, Charles Gear and Joab White. Wm. B. Whitesides forfeited bail, but his securi- ties afterward bringing him into court, he w^as discharged with- out trial. He had worn out or bought off the principals in the prosecution, and so was allowed to go " scot free." Sinclair was afterward heard of in Arkansas, a member of the territorial legislature. This affair created an intense excitement at the time, and was the talk of the country for ten years after. Hon. Joseph Philips was judge of the circuit court at the spring term of 1822. At the October term of that year Thomas Reynolds was judge, and again at the spring term of 1823. In the September term of 1823, and then until the May term of 1825, John Reynolds was judge. From the latter date until the April term of 1827, John York Sawyer was judge. From this date until Jersey county was organized, Samuel D. Lock- wood was judge. John G. Lofton was the first probate judge, as I find an allowance made him of $30.12 1-2, in full for his service as judge of probate until he went out of office, and $5 for recording deeds. This was at the December term of the county court in 1822. He had been in that year a candidate for lieutenant-governor. Among the jurors for the spring term of the circuit court in 1822, I find the names of Edward Carroll, Joseph White, Robert Avery, Joseph Piggott and John Gunter- History of Jersey County. 13 man, who resided in the south part of the county. In August of that year I find that Joseph Piggott, Thomas Arnett and Charles Gregory were elected county commissioners. Their first term commenced on the second day of September, 1822. At the March term of 1823 Joseph White and Benjamin Brown were appointed overseers of the poor for Macoupin township, and John D. Gillham and Joab White for Otter Creek township. In September, 1824, Jehu Brown, Abraham Bowman and Charles Gregory were present as commissioners. March, 1825, Josiah T. Askew and were appointed over- seers of the poor for Otter Creek township, and Major Dodson and Alexander Smith for Macoupin township. June, 1826, Otter Creek election precinct, John G. Lofton, John McDow and Thomas Cummings, judges of election, and the election to be held at the house of John G. Lofton. Elections for Macou- pin precinct to be held at the house of Francis Colean, with Samuel Gates, Nathaniel Rowdon and Alexander Smith, judges. Joseph Piggott, Jeremiah Smith and Jehu Brown appear as commissioners at the September term of 1826. In June, 1827, the south part of Greene county was redis- tricted, as follows: Otter Creek district includes all that part of Green county lying south of the line dividing townships 7 and 8 north, elections to be held at the house of Samuel A. Lofton. The judges of election were John McDow, John G. Lofton and Walter Cresswell. Richwood's district is bounded as follows: Beginning at the southeast corner of township 8 north, range 12 west; thence north to the northeast corner of said township; thence west to Macoupin creek, and down said creek to the Illi- nois river; thence down said river to the line between 7 and 8; thence east to the place of beginning. Elections to be held at the house of Abraham Borer, with Gershom Patterson, Daniel Cox and Dennis Carrico as judges. Macoupin district to in- clude all the rest of the territory south of the Macoupin creek lying in Greene county. Elections to be held at the house of Lewis Means, with C. J. Gardiner, John Green and Alexander Smith as judges. At the September term of 1828, John Barnett, Alexander King and Charles Gregory appear as commissioners. This leit the territory south of the Macoupin without a representative in the county court. In the next election this was rectified, for 14 History of Jersey County. in September, 1830, Cyrus Tolman, Thomas Cummings and Cavil Archer appear as commissioners. At the June term, 1S31, the following persons were appointed judges of election: Otter Creek precinct — Jasper Terry, John D. Gillham and John McDow; Richwood's precinct — Gershom Patterson, Matthew Darr and Francis Colean. Ordered, that Otter Creek District for the election of justices and constables, be divided as follows: Commencing at the corner between sec- tions 36 and 31, from thence on a direct line to the southwest corner of T. 7 N. R. 11 west; from thence due north to the southwest corner of section 16, in town 8, N. R. 1 1 west; thence due east to the county line; thence south to the southeast corner of said county; thence due west to the place of beginning; and that the foregoing bounds shall constitute a separate district, to be called the Piasa district; and it is further ordered that the election be held at the house of John Wilkins, in said district, and John Wilkins, William Draper and James Simmons were appointed judges of election. Woodbury Massey was licensed to sell goods for one year from April 27, 1S31. Elections for Otter Creek district to be held at the house of George Slaten. These items are given to show who were living here, and to show how thinly the land was settled. In September of this year occurred one of the vilest murders ever recorded in the annals of the county. Samuel Lofton, son of John Lofton, now residing near Fieldon, in this county, a young lad, was sent from the Macoupin to Mills's store, on the Mississippi river, to collect a small sum of money, which he did. On his return he fell in, at Carroll's tan-yard, with an Irishman who went by the name of James Sullivan, who got up to ride with him; and on the way, when fairly out of sight, the boy was killed and the money (fifteen dollars) was taken from him. The murderer escaped. This was Saturday evening. The boy's parents supposed he had stopped with friends near Gillham's Mound, and were not uneasy about hmn until the days wore away and no tidings came; then search was made, and the vul- tures guided to his remains. I was present when the inquest was held by Coroner P. N. Rampey, and saw the burial which followed. The next spring Sullivan was apprehended in New Orleans, brought back to Carrollton, tried, convicted and exe- History of Jersey County. 15 cuted, giving as his true name Patrick Cavenaugh. He was the first man hung for murder in Greene county. The county clerk having died, Edward D. Baker was, at the June term, appointed clerk pro tem.' Roads from Eminence and the mouth of the IlHnois river ordered viewed. Woodbury Massey and George Finney were severally licensed to sell goods. James Mason was authori/x'tl to keep a terry, S. 15, T. 6, R. la- in December Gregg McDaniel and George Smith took out mer- chants' license. In June, 1S33 Hugh McGiil paid merchant's license, and Thomas Barnett was allowed to erect a mill on Otter creek; and in September, iS33,J. Daggett, Evan Blair and T. W. Whiting were appointed trustees of school lands in T. 6, R. 12 W. The year 1S34 brought in Thomas McDow to the county court in place of Thomas Cummings, and Cavil Archer in place of Alex. King; and these were continued as commissioners until 1S3S — a term of four years. It was during this period that the principal industry of the country became the laying off of paper' towns and speculating in corner lots. The wildest schemes were advocated with impunity, and fortunes were made or lost as men could be found to contribute to the general mania. This was the case not onlv in Jersey county, but all over the State. I have not the dates before me of but a very few of these towns. Camden, at the mouth of the Illinois river, is probably the oldest, having been surveyed March 11, 1832, but prior to that I. N. Piggott had begun a town called Eminence, on the Mis- sissippi river. I am not certain that it was ever laid off and the plat recorded. We ha\e seen that James Mason had established a ferry at Grafion, m 1S32. From small beginnings the land was cleared and the town of Grafton was surveyed — the atlas says in April, 1836, while, if I had testified from memory, I should have given the date at least two years earlier. At the session of the legislature in the winter of 1834, a charter was procured for the Grafton Manufacturing Company, with James Mason, Silas Hamilton and others as corporators. This com- pany was not organized during the lifetime of the corporators. Jerseyville was laid off by Lott Sc Daley, October ist, 1834, and having the county-seat established here probably saved it from the death of the rest of the paper towns. As a matter of curiosity, I may be permitted to name a few of these speculative i6 History of Jersey County. ventures. Beginning at the southeast corner of the county, we have Randolph; next a multitude of additions to Grafton; Nev^- bern — not the Newhern of to-day, but another lying somewhere near two miles to the southwest. Upper Grafton, Hartford, Philadelphia, Pittsburg, TenerifFe, Salisbury and Delaware are now recalled as being the outcropping of this branch of indus- try. The United States Bank was about winding up, and the other banks issued floods of paper; prices of labor rose, and along with it all the commodities that go into trade, includ- ing clothing and subsistence, until, instead of being producers, we became importers of bread. Prudent people foresaw the result, and kept out of debt, but the speculators were almost universally crushed. Corner lots became a drug in the market, the paper towns dried up, and with a few exceptions have so re- mained unto this day. If there had been gas and moonshine in the time of speculation, it was not so in the result. The distress was real. And in the breaking down of these speculative for- tunes many good people were carried away in the wreck. The crash came in February, 1S37. This ended town-making and town speculations, so far as Jersey county is concerned. But during this period of speculation there had been some substantial progress made. Farms had been commenced, new and better houses were going up, barns here and there were visible; still there was not, after the crash, much money, and the little in the hands of the people was of very uncertain value. Then followed the days of internal improvement by the State;, and because Greene county was not on any of the projected lines of road, she took her share of the spoils in money, and prudently loaned it out. One-third of this came to Jersey, and was by her carefully expended upon the three principal thor- oughfares within her own borders. By the side of present taxes it is only a drop, but in the ddy of which I speak, $6,000 was a ver3' considerable sum of money. The vote on the separation of Jersey from Greene occurred August 5th, 1S39, and is thus entered on the records: Vote for the erection of Jersey county 1239' Vote against the erection of Jersey county 714 Majority for 525 But what of religious culture and of education at this time? At this date the religious element gathered only in two churches,. History OF Jersey County. 17 \vith a single exception — the Methodists and Baptists. 1 have not the dates for the organization of the Methodist classes, but presume, from the families who came here, that there must have been a Methodist class in the neighborhood of the Gillham camp ground in 1820. The first Baptist church south of the Macoupin was organized at the house of Judge Jehu Brown, in November, 1S33, and this is now known as the Kane Baptist Church. A second Baptist church was organized at the house of Judge Lofton, on the 25th of Februar}^, 1S37, known as the Salem Baptist Church. At a somewhat later day a Baptist chm-ch was organiz-ed on Borer's creek, but it became extinct, and so remained until rallied bv Elder J. V. Rhoads, about 1S39, and this church is now known as the Lebanon Baptist Church. Among the preachers of an early day were the brothers Joseph and 1. X. Piggott, C.J. Gardiner, Miles, Otwell, and Phelps, for the jMethodists; and Elders John Clark, Sears Crane, ]VIajor Dodson and his sons Elijah and Fletcher, for the Baptists. On the i ^th of February, 1S34, Revs. Thomas Lip- pincott and Elisba Jenney organized, at the house of the late N. L. Adams, a Presbyterian church, with eighteen members. And these were all the organized churches in the present bounds of Jersey county, at the date of the organization of said county in 1S39. But there was not a meeting-house, a building erected exclusively for public worship, in the whole county. Of course croakers bewail the lack of sociability and the hospitality of the pioneer times, but they would hardly be willing to go back to the sermons in jorivate houses, with the auditor seated on a rail or slab bench through the time of a two-hours' discourse, and yet these were among the luxuries of the good old pioneer days. We say nothing of the preaching, as to style or quality, save that it was adapted to the culture of the times. But what of education, and where were school-houses then.'' Very few were they. At Grafton a modest frame building of one story, another at Jerseyville, another in Lofton's Prairie, with perhaps a half-dozen more in prairies round about, and in the woody regions log houses of most primitive style in point of construction. And all these had been erected by the voluntary labor and contributions of the people. No tax had then been levied — the common school system of Illinois had then no ex- 1 8 History OF Jersey County. istence. To this general statement there was one exception. The late Silas Hamilton, dying in November, 1834, left $4,000 for the benefit of his friends and relatives in his neighborhood, $2,000 for the erection of a school-house large enough for a place of public worship, and $2,000 for the endowment of a primary school. This building was erected by his executors upon the ground selected by himself, in the summer of 1835, and in June, 1836, the first school was begun, sustained in part by subscriptions and in part by the interest of the endowment fund. Hence this school is now forty years old, and has been> until the establishment of graded schools under the common school law, the foremost school of the county. Having thus given a slight survey of the situation, let us now return to the history of Jersey county, beginning with its organ- ization in the fall of 1839. Jersey ville had been incorporated as a town for about two years, or from July, 1S37. October 14, 1S39, the county commissioners' court met. Pres- ent — Thomas Cummings, Solomon Calhoun and Amos Pruitt, commissioners. Richard Graham not having filed his bond, R. L. Hill was appointed clerk pro tem. George H. Jackson gave bond as recorder, Joseph Crabb as school commissioner. J. N. English had been elected sheriff and John R. Black treasurer; N. R. Lenton, coroner. E. M. Daley was authorized to buy books for the county, R. L. Hill to buy a stove for the office, and Solomon Calhoun and R. L. Hill to build a clerk's office on the square. Two weeks thereafter, (October 28), Richard Gra- ham filed his bond, and was duly installed as clerk. At the regular term, December 2d, Thomas Cummings drew the short term, one year, Calhoun two years, and Pruitt three years. Peyton C. Walker built the clerk's office for $220, to be paid for in eleven orders. At this time the grand and petit jurors were allowed 75 cents per day each, and the Backxcoods- man office received $5.50 for printing blanks. Thomas Vance was appointed agent to loan internal improvement fund. The county was divided into seven precirrcts: Phills Creek — David Myers, Josiah Jackson and Elijah Barnes, judges of election; Jerseyville — John Anderson, Robert B. Robbins and George H. Collins, do.; Richwood's — Thomas Vance, Stephen M. Richey and Reuben S. Spencer, do.; Delhi — Wm. Draper, Wm. Hack- History of Jersey County. 19 ney and James Cummings, do. ; Mississippi — John D. Gillham, David A. Thompson and Chancey Brown, do.; Otter Creek — Thomas Hamilton, James Dougherty and Coe Edsall, do. ; IIH- nois — David Utt, Thomas Johnson and Samuel Hoye, do. The circuit court held a special session on the day of ; Hon. Wm. Thomas, judge, and Robert L. Hill, clerk. The following served as grand jurors: Elijah Van Home, fore- man; Wm. Draper, John D. Gillham, Thomas Hamilton, Sam- uel L. McGill, James Davis, John Corson, George Hoffman, Josiah Rhoads, John Hawkins, Henry Coonrod, Mebane An- derson, John Kimball, George Smith, John Brown and Robert B. Robbins. This session was for one day only. Judge Thomas remained on the bench until the spring of 1841. He was succeeded by Hon. Samuel D. Lockwood. At a called session of the county court held on the 13th day of January, 1840, Elijah Van Home, Solomon Calhoun and Thomas L. McGill were appointed a building committee for the new court-house, and the plan submitted to the court was ap- proved, but on the 4th of June following the plan was with- drawn and a new one substituted. In the August election of 1S40, Chauncey Brown and Cyrus Tolman were elected commissioners. John N. English was re- elected sheriff, George W. Lowder was elected collector, and Aaron Rue, coroner; and in March following it was entered of record that the court was satisfied with the action of Jersey ville on the court-house question. At this session Joseph Crabb was removed from the office of school commissioner, and R. L. Hill was appointed, but refused to serve. On the 21st of June Jos- eph Crabb was reinstated. At this session Grafton was made an election precinct, and John Keyes, Paris Mason and William Williams were appointed judges. August 14, 1841, George H. Pigues filed his bond and look the oath as school commissioner; September 8, 1841, he resigned, and James Harriott was ap- pointed, gave bond and took the oath of office. Solomon Cal- houn was assessor, and George W. Lowder was collector. The first five marriages recorded are as follow: John P. All- corn to Mary Hawkins, Oct. 17, 1839, by David Myers, J. P.; Thos. Jackson to Rebecca Cowan, Oct. 17, 1839, by David Myers, J. P.; David Arnspiger to Jane Stephens, Oct. 20, 1839, by Da- 20 History of Jersey County. vid Myers, J. P.; Nathan C. Swann to Mary Ann Patton, Oct. 31, 1839, by John Keyes, J. P.; James G. Swann to EHzabeth A. Rallston, Oct. 31, 1S39, by John Keyes, J. P. In September, 1842, Wm. Pahner appeared as county com- missioner, James Harriott filed his bond as collector, and Coe Edsall as assessor. September 25th, 1S43, Thomas Carroll was sworn in as county commissioner, Thomas L. McGill was elected recorder, and Coe Edsall assessor, and George W. Lowder was elected county clerk and took the oath of office. August, 1S44, Maurice Armstrong was elected county commissioner; August,. 1S45, Ambrose Wyckoff, do.; August, 1S46, Benjamin Cleaver, do.; August, 1S47, James McKinney, do. The election for members of the constitutional convention was held in April of this year, and Dr. A. R. Knapp and Wm. Bosbyshell were elected for Jersey and Calhoun, over David E. Brown, Benj. F. Child and E. A. D'Arcy. On the accession of Judge Lockwood, R. L. Hill was reappointed as clerk of the circuit court, and at the spring term of 1841 J. A, Chesnut was appointed prosecuting attorney pro tem. In August, 1842, Perley Silloway was elected sheriff, and John Brittain, coroner. In August, 1844, they were re-elected, and in August, 1S46, Jonathan Plowman was elected sheriff, and George Hoffman, coroner. In 1848 Plowman was re- elected, and Wm. Loy, coroner. At the September term of that year Judge Lockwood retired from the bench, and the bar called a meeting and expressed regret ; and in May, Hon. David M- Woodson went on the bench as judge of the circuit court. In the following election, Murray Cheney was elected sherifT, and Tnomas L. McGill, clerk of the circuit court. In August, 1S53, Smith, a murderer, moved his case to Scott county, and was there convicted and hung. In 1S52 Thomas L. McGill was re-elected circuit clerk, and J. M. Hurd, sheriff. In 1S54 Jonathan Plow- man was again elected sheriff, and Benjamin Wedding, coroner. In 18^6 Benjamin Wedding was elected sheriff, T. L. McGill, clerk, and Felix Burney, coroner. In 1S5S Charles H. Bowman was elected sheriff. In i860 Marcus E. Bagley was elected circuit clerk, Wm. H. Cummings, sheriff, and Lewis Johnson, coroner. In 1863 C. H. Bowman was again elected sheriff, and James L. Beirne, coroner. In 1S64 Marcus E, Bagley was again elected History of Jersey County. 21 clerk, Thomas J. Selby, sheriff, F. W. Besterfeldt, coroner. M. E. Bagley was appointed master in chancery in April, 1S67. In June, 1S67, the Hon. Charles D. Hodges was elected jiu'ge of the cir- cuit court. In the preceding election (November, 1866) C. H. Bowman was again elected shei'iff. In 1 868 James Henry Belt was elected sheriff, Sidney Noble, coroner, M. E. Bagley, cir- cuit clerk, and a reappointment made for him as master in chan- cery. In 1870 Stephen H. Bowman was elected sheriff, and E. L. Herriott, coroner. In 1S72 C. H. Bowman was rc-eiected sheriff, E. L. Herriott, coroner, and M. E. Bagley, circuit clerk. Charles H. Bowman dying on the da}^ of , Stephen H., his son, was elected to fill the unexpired term, on the 15th of February, 1873. In November, 1874, Augustus H. Barrett was elected sheriff, and is the present incumbent of that office. Turn we to the records of the county court, and resume with the adoption of the constitution in 184S. In the election of that year James A. Piggott was chosen commissioner, and served until December, 1S49, when George E. Warren entered upon duty as judge, with James McKinney and Jacob Lurton as asso- ciates. This court continued until the close of 1852, with Geo. W. Lewder as clerk. In 1853 Judge Warren was re-elected. Jasper M. Terry and Charles H. Bowman were elected associ- ates. In 1856 J. Murray Bacon was elected associate in place of C. H. Bowman. In 1857 O. P. Powe)l was elected judge, and R. R. Eley and Wm. Williams, associates; Andrew Jackson, clerk, and J. F. Smith, treasurer. In 1861 Richard I. Lowe was elected judge, Jacob Lurton and Larkin Richardson, associates, Andrew Jackson, clerk, and John E. Van Pelt, treasurer. In 1S65 Judge O. P. Powell was again elected judge, William H. Allen and Phineas Eldridge, associates; Andrew Jackson, cleii:. In 1869 J. M. Hurd was elected Judge, Caleb Noble and G. W. Gorin, associates, and Thomas J. Selby, clerk. In December, 1873, Robert A. King was appointed and commissioned bv the governor to fill the unexpired term of J. M. Hurd. In 1873 Wm. H. Allen, I. R. Eley and Edward Colean were elected commissioners; Robert A. King, judge; Thomas J. Selby^ clerk; James M. Young, treasurer. In 1874 G. S. Compton was elected commissioner, and in 1875 Wm. H. Fulkerson was elected commissioner, and John Stout, treasurer. This brings the list of county ofiicers to date. 22 History of Jersey County. The first session of the circuit court was held in the old school- house; the second session was held in the First Presbyterian church, which at that time was neither plastered nor seated. The court-house was built in 1S40, and cost about $6,000. Among the records I find a second subscription, made in 1840^ because the first had not been large enough to cover the cost of the building. Additions, repairs and improvements have been made from time to time, until, without being extravagant or pretentious, it presents an appearance of neatness and comfort un- surpassed by any county building of the same age, within the circle of my acquaintance. Some sixteen or seventeen years after the courthouse was built, the county erected two fire-proof offices for the records of the two courts. And while these improve- ments have been going on about the square, it must be borne in mind that the general average of farm-buildings, school-houses and churches have more than kept pace with the county build- ings. When I came into this county, in 1831, there were only two brick buildings in it — one belonging to Maj. Patterson, which was blown down by a tornado in that same summer; the other, built by John D. Gillham, in the summer of 1S30, is still standing, and is now forty-six years old. There wery very few frame houses and still fewer frame barns in the whole county. No one of the present generation can imagine the beauty of this wilderness, who did not pass over it in that early day. There can be no doubt, I apprehend, that still greater changes will be manifest in the forty-five years to come, when, instead of one railway, you will have them reaching out from your beautiful county -seat in every direction. The fiscal statement of June, 1S48, after the county had been organized nearly nine years, shows the following footings: Amount of orders issued during the fiscal year $4,538.80 Amount of orders paid, including cash in treasury 4,538.80 Of course the cash on hand was but a small part of this latter amount. But seven years later a very considerable advance had been made, as the following will show. In 1855 the levy stood: For State purposes $7,485.29 For County purposes 6,073.48 For Special purposes 2,350.86 Total $15,909.63 To show the advance in the science of taxation, I now give History of Jersey County 23 the list for 1S57. Total value of real and personal, $2,374,735, of which lands and town lots were $1,725,295. On this valua- tion the state tax was $11,161.25; the county, $9,498.94; school, $4,749.27, and special tax, $17,227,67, making a total of $42,- 637.33 — nearly a three-fold increase in the space of two yearS' Eight years later we find the wealth still increasing, for in 1865 the levy made this showing: For state, $18,581.06; county, $34,104.30; school, district, etc., $13,459.28, making a total of $66,144.64 — a gain of over fourteen thousand in eight years. At this time there were 29,802 acres of wheat in culti- vation, 20,785 acres of corn, and 4,771 of other field products. But in four years a large advance was made. In 1869 the account stood: State taxes, $39i75i'97, and the county $50,- 848.99, making a total for the year of $90,600.96 — a gain of nearly $24,000 in four years. However, the account for 1872 shows that the capacity for taxing had not been exhausted ; then the state tax was $24,731.70, and the county levy was $77,829.96 — making a total of $102,561.67. The services of judges of probate were for the following times : Joseph G. Scott, from October, 1839, to September, 1847. J. M. Hurd, from September i, 1817, to December, 1849. Geo. E. Warren, from December, 1849, to December, 1857. O. P. Powell, do R. I. Lowe, do O. P. Powell, do J. M. Hurd, do Robert A. King, do 1S72, to the present time. There have been five county clerks since the organization ot the county, viz. : R. L. Hill, whose term of service was 2 weeks, October, 1839. Richard Graham, do do 4 years, or until 1843. George W. Lowder, do do 14 do 1S57. Andrew Jackson, do do 12 do 1869. Thomas J. Selby, do do 7 years, and is the pres- ent incumbent. Since 1839 there have been but three clerks of the circuit court— Robert L. Hill, Thomas L. McGill, and Marcus E. Bagley. The latter is the present incumbent, and will doubt- less be his own successor. IS57, do I86I, 1S61, do 1865, 1865, do 1869, 1869, do 1872, 24 History of Jersey County. Jersey county, at the time of its organization, was a whig county, having a majority in favor of that party of about one hundred and fifty. But while this was true, the democrats always had a fair proportion of the offices, elected generally in consequence of the personal popularity of the candidates. On the disruption of the old whig party the democracy' came into power, and have uniformly carried the elections ever since. An exception to this occurred two years ago, but that was a division on purely local questions. The following, copied from the elec- tion returns, will give a fair idea of the status of parties and of the growth of population at the same time. I give the vote of Jersey ville in 1S37: July 1 — E. M. Daley, Milo Bennett and Mun-ay Cheney, judges, and Jos. G. Scott and Joel Corey, clerks. John Shaw, for representative, had 64 votes. John Greene, " " 50 " Total 114 votes. August 6, 1838 — Milo Bennett, Thos. Cumming's and George H. Collins, judges; Peter Perrine and John Lmberger, clerks. Cyrus Edwards, for governor, had 88 votes, Thomas Cavlin, " 78 Total 166 votes. Steohen A. Doughxs, for representative in congress 80 votes. John T. Stuart, '• " 85 " Total '. 165 votes. October 7, 1839 — John Anderson, Geo. W. Lowder and Geo. H. Collins, judges; R. L. Hill and Peter Machener, clerks. John N. English, for sheritf '. 164 yotes. George W. Lucas " " 141 W. D. F. Slaten 20, Irwin Little 7, and Joseph Piggott 7 34 votes. Total 339 votes. Joseph G. Scott, for judge of probate 197 votes. Isaac Darnielle, " " " 142 Total 339 votes. 1840~John Anderson, Geo. H. Collins and Penuel Corbett, judges; J. C. Graham and James Harriott, clerks. David M. Woodson, for representative 228 votes. A. W. Cavalry, " " 143 " Total 371 yotes. Wm. H. Harrison, for president 230 votes. M. VanBuren 150 " Total 380 votes. History of Jersey County. 25 To impart an idea of the growth of the county, I will now give, by precincts, the votes for two years, with an interval of thirty-two years between: 1842. 1874. Ford. Duncan. Jer.sevville, first poll 119 ho Jersevvillc, second poll 63 115 OtterCreck S 62 Piasa 67 93 Kichwoods 97 16 Graft.. n 18 36 Fhilo CreL'k 11 42 Illinois 26 41 Mississippi *> 41! Total 415 n3l Scattering -7 • otal voie^for governor 973 Wike. Beattv. .lereeyville, east 221 387 Jersevville, west 3-V2 •26(j Grafton 251 114 Kichwoods 156 78 Otter ereek 57 137 Mississippi 46 65 .lersey Landing Ill !t6 Piasa 88 91 Delhi ... 90 54 Phills Creek 118 106 Illinois 37 ■49 Total 1520 1343 It will be seen from this that the entire vote of the county in 1842 was not equal to the vote of Jerseyville precinct in 1S74, while in the county the vote has nearly trebled in that space of time. My recollection, however, is that the vote of 1842 was not a very full one, and the same would probably hold good of the vote in 1874. It would be a very safe estimate to put the vote of the county at 3,200 to 3,300. The population, by census returns, stands very nearly in the same ratio: 1840, 4,535; 1850, 7,354; i860, 12,061; 1870, 15,054. Gain in the first decade, 62 per cent.; in the second, 63, and in the third, 24 per cent. Taking the last as the probable increase since, and we should have a population a little less than 17.000. To one who has known this county for nearly a half century, the changes are marvelous indeed. Following the atlas, I find the number of voters to be 3,579, as given in 1870; 2,856 dwellings, 1,044 f^rms, 87,895 acres of improved land; while the wheat produced was 514,840 bushels, and of corn, 587,945; of oats, 73,120. Yet fifty years ago there was not one thousand acres of land in cultivation in the entire county. There are parties here now living, who were here then; as for example, our fel- low-citizen, J. T. Grimes, who was born fifty-six years ago, in sight of this ground on which we stand to-day; or Marcus Gill- ham, who was not quite nine years old when he came into this county, and has been a resident here for the last fifty-seven years; or Wm. McDow, who was also born in Madison county, and is now sixty-eight years old, and has resided continuously in the county for the last fifty-two years. 26 History of Jersey County. The following is the list of representatives and senators in the state legislature, with the dates of election: Repkesentatives — Samuel T. Kendall, 1842; James Harriott, 1844; Thomas Cumming's, 1846; Isaac Darneille, 1848; L. F. McCrillis. 1854; Wright Casey, 1856; J. N. English. 1860; same. 1862; R. M. Knapp, 1866; Thomas B. Fuller. 1868; Geo. W. Herdman. 1870; Robert A. King, 1870; Wm. McAdams. Jr., 1872; 0. P. Powell. 1874. State Senators. — A. L. Knapp, 1858; Wm. Shephard, 1866 and 1870, Mr. Shepherd resigned during the last term, and Wm. H. Allen was elected to fill out the remaining time. In 1836 there was formed in Lofton's prairie the first anti- slavery society in all this region Of country. Thomas McDow was the first president, and James Brown was secretary. In May, 1837, Owen Lovejoy made a speech before that society, al a meeting held in Lofton's prairie, and this speech was probably the first ever made by him in the State — it was not the last by several hundred! Connected with the agitation of those times, was more or less excitement in regard to an " underground rail- road," having a principal depot at Jersey ville, and branches ex- tending into the various settlements of the county. It was even thought that some of the citizens of the county knew more of these dark practices than good, law-abiding people should. In those days the anti-slavery agitators went a step further, by dis- solving their connection with existing parties and starting one of their own. In the 'contest of 1844, if the liberty party did not poll as many votes as the others, they made quite as much noise and attracted as much attention as any other party. How wisely they labored and prayed and suffered, history can now assure us. Certainly, among my treasures thei^e is no relic which I value higher than the records of the Lofton Prairie Anti-Slavery Society. Ver}' many of that society passed away before the agitation of their time had culminated in the war of the rebellion. In the Mexican war Jersey county had no organized repre- sentation. Several of her sons entered the ranks and did good service for their country in helping forward the conquest of • Mexico. Their names and their number are to me unknown, save in part, and hence I omit their mention altogether, lest the omission of some equally worthy should be construed into studied forgetful ness. But in the more recent war of the rebel- lion we are under no necessity of passing over the distinguished History of Jersey County. 27 services of her sons, for here Jersey county was represented in organized bodies ot volunteers — in the 14th regiment by com- pany F, led into the field by Captain, afterward General, S. M. Littlefield; part of company D, in the 27th regiment, by Lieu- tenant Brock; in the 6ist regiment by company C, by Captains Warren Ihrie and John T, Hesser; by company D, led by Cap- tains John H. Reddish and Daniel S. Keeley, the latter of whom was promoted to the rank of major; in the 97th regiment by company K, led by Captain B. F. Slaten, and company H, by Captain Mortimer B. Scott; in the 124th by part of company C, led by Lieutenant Terry; in the 12th cavalry by part of com- pany B, beside large numbers scattered through various com- mands, some of whom were found in other States. From the enrollment of 1S62 I find that Jersey county had 1,984 inen lia- ble to military duty, of which number 73S were then actually in the service. I may, in this connection, remark that every de- mand was met and every quota filled to the close of the war, notwithstanding the situation of the county on the border of the State, and the frequent presence on her soil of armed bands of guerrillas, horse-thieves and robbers. In looking back over the situation in those troublous times, we wonder that on the whole :so few lives were sacrificed in the conflict of the angry and dis- •cordant elements. It speaks well for the conservative influence of the sober, thoughtful people of the county, that the peace of ■domestic life was so well preserved. If Jersey county cannot boast of a long line of military heroes, •she can show that, for age and population, she is not behind any of her sisters in the matter of success in the civil service— -in the constitutional convention of 1847, having been represented by Dr. A. R. Knapp; in that of 1862 by the Hon. William H. Allen; in that of 1S70 by Geo. W. Herdman. She has furnished ii representative in congress for six years in the persons of the brothers Anthony L. and Robert M. Knapp, both of whom are still in the service of the country — the latter as Mayor of this beautiful city of Jerseyville, and the other at the capital of the -State as a lawyer of distinguished success. Forty-five years ago there was but one post-oflice in the pres- ent limits of Jersey county, and this was at Eminence, kept by I. N. Piggott. At a later date this was moved to Newbern 28 History of Jersey County. and its name changed; but prior to this removal Otter Creek post-office was established, and T. F. Brock was appointed post- master, but this office was turned over to Newbern, and there- fore discontinued. The second, in point of time, was at Kane, and Z. H. Adams was postmaster. The third, not counting Otter Creek, was at Jersey ville, E. M. Daley, post-master; the fourth at Grafton, Paris Mason, post-master; the fifth (a private office) at Otter Creek, J. M. Hurd, post-master. To these have been added Delhi, Fieldon, Fidelity and Elsah,but the dates and the order of appointment I have not within i^each. It is in the memory of some now living when all our mail matter was brought from Alton, at that time the nearest post-office to the settled portions of the county. The first newspaper established in Greene county was by Paris Mason, at Grafton, with John Russell, of Bluffilale, as editor. It was called the Backwoods?natz. This was in 1837, and its publication was continued until after the organization of Jersey county. It was then sold to a joint-stock company, and its publication resumed at Jerseyville by A. S. Tilden, in the spring of 1840. At a later period Tilden retired and Fletcher & Parenteau were printers and publishers. This office was burned down, and Fletcher went to Carrollton and published the Advocate in 1842. Then Wm. H. Allen published the Grafton Phcenix, and this was continued until 1844. After this a paper was started at Grafton, and then removed to Jersey- ville, after a while changing its name and appearing in 1849 under the name of the Prairie State. But after many changes of editors and proprietors, this office was also burned. The two papers now published have had a varied histor3', but under their present management have achieved so much of a success that they may now be considered permanent institutions. The yersey County Democrat, by J. I. McGrady, and the y<.rsey- ville Republican, by Wm. H. Edgar, have fairly earned the popularity they now so eminently enjoy. In a thanksgiving sermon preached by Rev. L. Grosvenor, on the 24th of November, 1853, I find the following passage: " If we had in Illinois, or in the town of Jerseyville, an efficient and comprehensive system of public schools, such as they have ni Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio, and even in some particular towns in our own State, we could very well do without a semmary, established by History of Jersey County. 29 private funds. But is there a present prospect th.it the general apathy with regrard to pubhc schools will give place to a zeal in this behait, which will produce a system that will give to the children of Jerseyville anything like a thorough education ?' ' After tile lapse of twenty years, Jerseyville is prepared to answer'this question affirmatively. Illinois now takes a rank to which she is fairly entitled by wealth and population. She is not one whit, in her zeal or effectiveness of her system, behind her elder sisters of the east. And Jerseyville, in her graded school, can show as thorough work as in any school of like grade in the east or west. I have, in the previous part of this sketch, given an outline of the schools at the organization of the county. Through' tlie kindness of your efficient superintendent of schools in this county, I am permitted to present a summary, as I have gleaned it from his very full report of 1874. Whole number oi children under twenty-one years of age, 7,874; number over six and un- der twenty-one, 5,245; whole number ot school districts, 70; of districts having school five months in the year, sixty-six; not so much as five months, two; no schools, two; whole num- ber free public schools sustained, fifty-seven; months taught, 466; whole number pupils enrolled, 3,563; of these 1,785 are males, 1,778 are females; whole number of teachers, 100; of these fifty-four are males, and forty-six females; number of graded schools, seven; number of days' attendance, 2689,166; number of private schools, three. Total number of pupils in private schools, ninety-four. Volumes in district libraries, 247. Number of school houses, sixty-nine; of these three are stone, ten brick, ten log, and for- ty-six are frame. Amount of district taxes received from coUec-- tor, $40,962.60; amount of interest from township fund, $3,- 164.3S; amount from State school fund, $6,163.43; aggregate receipts from all sources, $71,791.80; amount paid to teachers, $29,293.85; amount paid for new school houses, $16,439.20; amount of township fund's principal, $41,786.96; amount of dis- trict taxes levied, $49,513.52. Of those who have filled the office of superintendent since the county was organized, I may be permitted to mention in their order, Joseph Crabb, James Harriott, B. B. Hamilton, Hiram Bridges, H. H. Howard, Wm. 30 History of Jersey County. J. Herdman, C. H. Kuapp, and the present incumbent, Wm. H. Lynn. Looking over the field, tliere is doubtless much that could be made better, and yet, ascontrasted with the beginning of things, how grand the result! We shall begin the new century with a promise of progress in the future such as the fathers never dreamed of beholding. Let us now turn to the progress of the county in religious matters. It has been noted that at the organization of the coun- ty, there was not a house in it built exclusively for a place of worship. Since that time there have been erected, and are now standing, the following houses of worship: For the Methodist Episcopal church — at Elsah, Grafton, Salem, Shiloh, Meadow Branch, Otterville, East Nevvbern, Jerseyville, Fidelity, Ebene- zer, and Jerseyville, colored; (total, ii.) For the Baptists — Jerseyville, Otterville, Antioch, Fidelity, Lebanon, Paradise, and Jerseyville colored, (7.) For the Presbyterians — Jersey viUe First and Second, (2.) For the Cumberland Presbyterians — Newbern, Otterville and Ficldon, (3.) For the Catholics — ^Jer- seyville, Grafton and Fieldon, (3.) For the Lutherans — Jersey- ville and Fieldon, (2.) Total now in use, twenty-eight houses. Parsonages are owned — by the Methodists, 2 ; by the Catholics, 3; Presbyterians i, and Baptists i. This gives a house of wor- ship for about every 541 of the population, and besides this it is to be borne in mind that several churches have built two houses within the thirty-seven years of which we are speaking. It is a matter of regret that I cannot give even an approximate value to these houses. If we estimate them as making an average of $5,000, we should have church property worth $155,000, includ- ing the value of parsonages, estimated at $2,000 each. Further- more, there are a number of organizations without a place of worship, save as they are permitted to meet in the district school houses. Taking all these into account, and we shall find the number of churches organized as about thirty -five. There is a Sunday-school attached to each one of these churches, or nearly so, there being enough Union and Mission schools to make up the difference, and this would give one-half as many Sunday- schools as school disiricts; and if there is an average attendance of 100 — and I think that would be a veiV largfe averasre — it History of Jersey County. 31 would leave about 2,000 boys and efirls out of the Sunday-school over six years old. It will be apparent, by and by, that some- thing more is needed than to pile up brick and rriortar, in order to educate and evangelize the crowds of young people who are coming on. The house of worship and the school house are almost indispensable conditions — but they are only elements — in the grand work of training a people to virtue and haoplness. It has been said, " There is no royal road to learning"; and so, in like manner, the blessings of a worshipping, devout heart are only to be secured by a patient "continuance in well doing ". "Let us now proceed to the history of the Societies for mu- " tual relief, brotherhood and benevolence." The Pioneer among these was the Jerseyville Division, No. 16, Sons of Temperance, organized August 4th, 1847. Charter members: G. C. Wood, E. J. Palmer, N. L. Adams, A. P. Brown, VVm. B. Nevius, T. L. McGill, A. B. Morean, C. H. Kn.ipp, P. C. Walker, F. Osborn, George Wharton, A. P. Staats and W. J. West. Nearly or quite 500 members were initiated; three Grand Worthy Patriarchs were taken from its membership; a hall worth something near $3,000 was built; but in the round of the years, the workers grew weary, and retired from the contest, allowing their property to pass from their hands, and the cause to die in the house of its friends. Bro. G. C. Wood was the first W, P., and N. L. Adams first W. A. Franklin Section, No. 9, Cadets of Temperance, was organ- ized Sept. 28, 1848. The charter members were: T. A. Boy- akin, W. Leigh, D. Sunderland, D. S. Yates, P. D. Cheney, F. Potts, H. N. WyckoflT, W. Cook, R. J. Hill, E. Miner, C. H. Vandike, P. Updike, and W. A. Potts. R. J. Hill was elected W. A., and D. S. Yates, Secretary. The Jerseyville Union, Daughters of Temperance, was organ- ized April 21, 1853, with twelve members: Mary Combs, Sarah Hansel, Sarah Culver, Mary A. Smith, Mary Osborn, F. Mau- pin, Marilla Levine, Elizabeth Dunsdan, Martha Nichols, Mary Snediker, Miss Lawrance and Elizabeth McGannon. This, like the preceding, belongs to the defunct institutions. Perhaps one cause of falling away may have been the faikire to carry the pro- hibitory liquor law of 1S54. While Jersey county gave a major- ity for the law of some 420, it was defeated by some 14,000 or 33 History of Jersey County. more votes in the State. A stronger reason may be found in the fact that very many of these members became identified with other organizations, and preferred w^orking with them, rather than in the Division of Sons of Temperance. Prior to 1847, there was a County Temperance Society in ex- istence, with branches in all the principal neighborhoods, but this was short-lived. The Washingtonians spread over the country like a prairie fire, and only lasted for a single season. To-day there is a moi'e crying need of a good working organi- zation of temperance men than ever before. The Jerseyville Lodge, No. 53, ot Odd Fellows, was institu- ted May 5, 1848. Charter members: P. C. Walker, A. C. Hutchinson, Samuel Cowan, James H. Bringhurst, and C. H. Roberts. Twenty-seven members were admitted, among whom were Geo. E. Warren, Wm. Yates, Jonathan Plowman, W. Casey, N. L. Adams, James C. Perry, R. L. Hill, and Perley Silloway. Wm. Yates was elected N. G.; R. L. Hill V. G., and C. H. Roberts Secretary. The first Odd Fellows' hall was built in 1851, at a cost of $3,000, on Main street; this was afterwards sold, and a new hall erected on Pearl street. This is probably one of the best lodge rooms, outside of the larger cities, in the State. The Odd Fellows have been fortunate in the matter of good, steady, reliable members, faithful officers, and have consequently enjoyed a larger prosperity than any kin- dred institution. The Jerseyville Encampment, No. 30, of Odd Fellows, was instituted in 1853. Charter members were: W. Casey, C. H. Roberts, P. C. Walker, N. L. Adams, E. A. Casey, A. L. Knapp, and L. Grosvenor. L. Grosvenor was elected C. P.; E. A. Casey H. P., and N. L. Adams S. W. But this organi- zation was very far from being a success; and, after some years of trial, its charter was surrendered. In 186-, a new effort was made; the camp revived; a new charter was obtained, with the same numbers as before, and, I understand, is now in a healthy, flourishing condition. The Morning Sun Lodge, No. 94, of Free Masons, was or- ganized under dispensation, June 35, 1S50. Charter members: A. B. Morean, R. S. Holenback, Luther Corey, Solomon Cal- houn, N. L. Adams, C. H, Roberts, B. F. Page, E. J. Taylor, History of Jersey County. 33 Wm. P. Campbell, and Asa Snell. B. F. Page was elected W. M.; A. B. Morean, S. W., and Wm. P. Campbell, J. W. For several years, this lodge maintained its organization, and new lodges went out from its borders — first, Fidelity, and then King Solomon's lodge at Kane — and, after these, Full Moon lodge at Meadow Branch, but since removed to Grat'ton. These organizations subtracted so much from the strength of the Morn- ing Sun lodge, together with its own internal difficulties', that its charter was surrendered, and the lodge ceased to exist. A new lodge has since been chartered, under the name of Jersey ville lodge, which has had a remarkable degree of prosperity. The record of the Chapter is as follows: Masonic — Jerse.yville Chapter, No. 140, R. A. M. Dispensation granted February 4, 1870. by John M. Pearson. First meeting, February 11, 1870; First officers: John L. White, H. P.; Robert M. Knapp. E. K.; Morris R. Locke, E. S. First work done on Febru.u-y 12. 1870 — Bro. James A Locke made M. M. Date of charter, October 7, 1870. Charter members: Geo. L. Hassett. Robert M. Knapp, Andrew Jackson. Smith M. Titus, Joseph B. Schroder, John N. Squier. Morns L. Locke. Ludlow P. Squier, Wil- liam L. Hassett. Milton D. Robbins, James S. Daniels. Nicoll F. Smith, Jr.. James H. Belt. Charles E. Miner, James A. Locke, Stephen H. Bowman, Robert Newton and Hiram McCluskey. Regjular convocation, Mondiiy after the full moon in each month. Present officers: Morris- R. Locke, M. E. H. P.; Ludlow P. Squier. E. K.; Ho?atio N. Belt. E. S.; James A. Locke. Secretary; Stephen H. Bowman, treasurer; Rev. Nathan E. Har- mon, chaplain; James S. Daniels. C. ot H.; Charles E. Miner, R. S.; Jos- eph G. Marston, R. A. C. ; David M. Houghtlin, G. M. of 3d V.; Benj. F. Calhoun. G. M.. 2d V. ; Lewis Y. Mc Adams. G. M. 1st V.; Wm. 8. Bren. ton. Geo. M. Trook. stewards; James Eads, sentinel. During the current year, an organization of the Knights of Pythias has been effected. Knights of Pythias, — Antioch Lodere. No. 65; instituted April 5, 1878, with the following charter members: Geo. W. Herdman, Geo. C. Cockrell. Wm. H. Edgar, A. H. Barrett. Robert B. Leak. W. S. Bowman. J. 1. Mc- Gready, James P. Holcombe, Samuel Snedeker. Bart. Wedding, Henry T. Nail, Geo. M. Eaton, H. D. Stelle. Charles E. Casey, Elias Cockrell, Henry Nevius, John Wiley, James H. Bothwell. Henry D. Field and Win. Scott. Officers as follows: Geo. C. Cockrell. P.O.; "Geo. W. Herdman, C. C; Henrv T. Nail. V. C; W. S. Bowman, Prelate; Geo. M. Eaton, M. of E.; Charles E. Casey. M. of F.; H. D. Stelle. K. of R. and S.; A. H. Barrett, M. at A.; Henry Nevius, I. G.; John Wiley, 0. G. "^ Some other organizations have had an existence (which flour- ished for a season, and then died) that need not here be enu- merated. The present status of the Odd Fellows may be in- ferred when we state that lodges may be found in good working order at Jersey ville, Elsah, Grafton, Otterville and Fieldon — with an encampment at Jeiseyville. Masonic lodges may be 34 History of Jersey County. found at Jerseyville, Fidelity, Grafton, Otterville and Fieldon — with a Royal Arch chapter at Jerseyville. The banking interest was first represented by A. M. Black- burn and others — next finding a rival, after a number of years, in the house of Darcy, Teas & Cheney — and these giving way to Wm. Shephard & Co., and Shephard & Son, and again to Bowman & Ware, while, in the meantime, Cross & Swallow started a new institution, which has been changed to Cross, Car- lin & Co., and latterly to the First National Bank of Jerseyville. Manufacturing has largely gone into the shape of flouring mills. The large production and the excellent quality of wheat raised in Jersey county seemed to demand this; hence, some four mills have been built at Jerseyville, two at Grafton, one at Jersey Landing, one at Fieldon, one at Fidelity, one at Otter- ville, and one at East Newbern. Some of these have been burned down, and others rebuilt and enlarged, so that the general aver- age has been more than adequate to supply the home demand, and leave a large surplus for shipping. A paper mill was started at Jersey Landing, with a fair pros- pect of success, but, when burned down, it was not rebuilt. Other interests have at times been started, but, in turn, have fail- ed. Geo. Wharton laid the foundations for a large business in the way of manufacturing agricultural implements, but a suc- cession of bad seasons drove him away, and that department of industry has since been prosecuted by Robert Newton, whose energy and enterprise seem to be in a fair way to achieve an honorable and distinguished success. The Jersey County Agricultural and Mechanical Association has been successful from the start. It has never failed to pay its way. Tact in administration, zeal in the work, with judicious advertising, seem to be the elements which have contributed most largely to its prosperity. Its premium list for the current year shows no step backward upon its predecessors. While larger and more wealthy counties have failed, this society has written "Excelsior" upon its banner, and has made every year an improvement upon that which preceded it Of course, with such a spirit, agriculture has received an impulse and direction commensurate with its position as the great industry of the people. . , History of Jp;rsey County. 35 We close this review by recalling the contrast presented at the first settlement, about sixty years ago. To those who watched the departure of the pioneer from his eastern home, the lines of Brainerd seem most fitly to apply: Far away from the hillside, the lake and the hamlet, The rock and the brook, and yon meadow so gay; From the loot- path that winds by the side of the streamlet, From his hut and the n^rave of his fnend far away. He has fjone where the footsteps of man never ventured. Where the glooms ot the wild-fangled forest are centered, Where no beam of the sun or the sweet moon have entered, No blood -hound has roused up the deer with his bay. He has left the green valley, for paths where the bison Roams throuah the praries or leaps o'er the flood ; Where the snake in the swamp sucks the deadliest poison, And the cat of the mountains keeps watch for his food. But the leaf shall be greener, the sky shall be purer, The eyes shall be clearer, the rifle be surer. And stronger the arm of the fearless endurer. That trusts naught but Heaven in its way through the wood. Light be the heart of the poor lonely wanderer. Firm be his step through each wearisome mile. Far from the cruel man, far iVom the plunderer, Far from the track of the mean and the vile. And when death, with the last of its terrors, assails him. And all but the last throb of memory fails him. He'll think of the friend, fur away, that bewails him, And light the cold touch of death with a smile. And there shall the dew shed its sweetness and lustre. And there for his pall shall the oak-leaves be spread; The sweet-briar shall bloom, and the wild grapes shall cluster, And o'er him the leaves of the ivy be shed. There sliall they mix with the fern and the heather. There shall the young eagle shed its fir.st feather. The wolves, with their wild dogs, shall lie there together. And moan o'er the spot where the hunter is laid. Now, when the East and the West are riveted together with iron bands; when, from the great valley, the seaboard can be reached in a little more than thirty hours — what wonder the buffalo and his hunter should be counted among the things of a by-gone time? That the prairie and the .swamp alike should yield to the hand of culture.' That the wilderness, and the sol- itary place, " wh(jre no man dwelt," should be made the home of thronging millions? In this wonderful development, the people who are before me to-da}' can proudly say: " We and our fathers have contributed our share. " And in this Centen- nial Anniversary of the Great Republic, can charge the rising 36 History of Jersey County. generation to be mindful of the energy of patriotic sires who^ by patient toil, subdued the wilderness; by deeds of valor, over- came the savage foe, and raised up memorials of virtue in the churches which they planted, in the schools which they nour- ished, in the commerce which they cherished, and in the asso- ciations which they established. That from the heights to which our country has arisen, there ma}- be no descent, no falling away. Upward let them rise, onward let them press; and, when another century shall pass, the sun, in his circuit round the earth, will shine upon a world redeemed from the tyrannv, the darkness, and the superstition of ages, as the " Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Man " shall be everywhere acknowledged. HISTORICAL SKETCH JERSEY COUNTY ILLin^OIS. DELIVERED AT JERSEYVILLE, JULY 4th, 1876, B- B. HCJ^nVCILTOl^- JACKSONVILLE, ILL : Coin?iEB Steam Pbinting House. 1876. 1"^ c- C_ <^ <-uC,_<^'<^' s cxc<: c" . ■ C «:-'-'^ ' 5 cc- c C t' :^ S$^- i, cc c C * g. tcC '<•..■ C C- i'«^,c:C ' V cc C-C... C 'CCS' ^L.. <*:<-! -C.- =^c 'C« «:; c. <. C HX:«r • < d «x::< < ■ 'C. •«;< j<' c <:. ^s: CTt- ■