♦
^
OF
JACKSON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
(jJ-iviiig some account of every
TOWN AND CITY
IN THE COUNTY,
CARBONDALh, ILL.
E. NEWSOME. PUP.LIBHER.
Special Collec^mfiil !!'.|j | j||! ;
ttHL
ILLINOIS
[UNIVERSITY
AT CARBONDA]
Morris Library
ft
o'Ej'lJf?
> OF
JACKSON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
Giving some account of every
TOWN AND CITY
IN THE COUNTY,
Together with a description of the Physical
Geography of the County, and the nav-
igation by steam of its prin-
cipal river.
CARBONDALE. ILL.
E. NEWSOME, PUBLISHER.
1882.
CONTENTS.
PREFACE, Pagu i
PHYSIO AP GEOGRAPHY;
Introduction, 3
Physical Divisions, 5
Civil Divisions, G
The Hiolior Level, 8
The 'Lower Level, {Upper Bottam,) ... .11
■ ' (Loice?' Bottom^) .... 12
The High Lands, 15
Streams, 18
Geologica] Divisions, 23
STEAM NAVIGATION OF
l^IG MUDDY RIVER, 24
HISTORICAL SLETCHES,
Pomona 41
Eltham, 43
Gillsboro, 44
Harrison, 44 gt ^ ^^
Elkville, 50
De Soto, 53
Makanda, 55
Boskjdalc, 57
Dorchester, 60
Mount Carbon, 04
Grand Tower, 75
Brownsville, 84
Murphysboro, 90
Carbondale, ..107
' ' (Educational History,) 127
PREFECE.
This sketch of past events that have
transpired in Jacksox County, Ij,l., does
not pretend to be a liistory of the county,
but only a sketch of hici dents as they come
to knowledge of the writer, either from in-
formation received from others or from
persojial observation. Knowing that there
are many persons in the county- to whom
the incidents here related are unknown,
either because of their youth, or their recent
arrival and settlement in this vicinity, it
was thought that to such persons, this sketch
would be interesting, by giving a view of
the past, so that they can better understand
the present.
'2 9'r-'yi^^
2
Mr. Ben. Boone, who was born in this
county soon after its first settlement, had
taken great pains to gather the facts and
dates about the early settlement of the
county, intending to publish it soon, but^
unfortunately, his manuscript was con-
sumed by lire, and Mr. Boone died since
that time, therefore the public has lost such
a history as can never be replaced, for he
was the only man that could have written
it. He, however, has furnished the writer
with a short account of the first settlement
of Brownsville, which is used herein.
PHYSICAL GEO&RAPHY
*
OF
JACKSON COUNTY,
ILLINOIS.
Introduction. ■
i
]
Before •coinmenciiig these sketches, it •
will be well to give some idea of the terri-
tory of the countv. Frst, it will be neces- i
]
sarv to locate the county and describe its j
boundaries. Jackson County is situated
in the south-w^est part of Illinois. It is
])Ounded on the north bv Perrv Countv, on' -
4
the east by Franklin and Williamson Coun-
ties, on the south by Union County, on the
south-west by tlie Mississippi l^iver which
here divides the state of Illinois from Mis-
souri, and on the north-west by Randolph
County. It consists of townships T, 8 and
9, in ranges 1, ^, 3, 4 and 5, also township
10 in ranges 1, '^^ 3 and 4, with a small por-
tion of township 11, in ranges 3 and 4, in-
cluded between Big Muddy and Mississippi
Rivers.
The north, east and south boundaries are
township lines, except that portion of town-
ship 11, in which Big Muddy River is the
county line. The western boundary is a
line commencins: at the north-west corner
of township seven in range four, and run-
ning in a south-westerly direction until it
intersects Degognia Creek, the boundary
line then follows that creek to its mouth,
then down the Mississippi River to the
mouth of Bijr Muddy River.
Physical J>ivisioiis.
The county is diviiaMl into tliree groat
natural divisions: tlic; hilly hind and tin*,
two portions of lev(}l land, one on eacli side
of" the hillv portion.
The western boundary of the hilly land
is well defijied by a blutl, which in many
places becomes a precipice. The line b(*-
tween the brokcui country and the eastern
level, or rolling land, is not so well defined,
and in some places the level changes to
rolling land, and that to hills very gradual-
ly; but in other places the line is more
definite. The upper level and rolling land
lies in the north-eastern part of the county,
and the lower level in -the soifth- western
part.
The lines dividijig the levels are both
curved, thus )(. A quarter of a circle would
nearly represent either of them. Placing
6'
the.n with the convex side towards each
othir, w.>uld leave a space between them
to rep:'e>3!it th.^ hilly land, which is broad
at each end but narrow in the middle, and
at this narrow place, Big Muddy River?
which drains most of this county and sever-
al others, breaks throng on its way to the
Mississippi.
* ^^^
Civil Divisions.
It would be well, perhaps, before [)ro-
ceeding with the subject, to give some ac-
count of the townships into which the
county is divided. .
A Congressional township is a square of
six miles, and therefore contains 36 sections
or square n^ies, and are numbered east or
west bv ranges from the third principal
meridian, and north or south by townships
from a base-line. In this county the ranges
arc all west, and the townships all south.
7
Elk Township consists of Town 7 South
Range 1 West.
Yergennes, Town 7, Range :l.
Ora, T. V, R. 3.
Brad%, T. 7, R. 4, and that part of T. 7,
R. T) that lies in this county.
DeSoto, T. 8, R. 1.
Somerset, T. 8, R. '2.
j.evan, T. 8, R. 3, and that ])art of the
north row of sections in T. 0, R. 3 lying-
north of Big Muddy River.
Kinkaid, T. 8, R. -i, and the north row of
sections in T. 9, R. 4.
DeGognia, fractional townships 8. 4, and
8. 5.
Carbondale, T. 0, R. 1.
Murphysboro, T. Vj, R. 2, and that part of
[}. )), Ivino; east and south of Bio; Muddv.
Fountain Bluff, that part of 9. 3, west of
Big ]\[uddy. and fractional township 9. 4,
except the north row of sections in both
townships.
8
Makanda, T. 10, R. 1.
Ridge, 10. 2, and that part of 10. 3, lying
east of Big Muddy.
Grand Tower, parts of 10, 3., 10. 4.,
11. 3. and 11. 4., lying between Big Muddy
and the Mississippi.
The Hi«lier Level.
The physical div^ision in the north-east,
which is level olr rolling, includes the fol-
lowing townships:
Elk^ which is nearly all level, and con-
tains the greater part of Elk Prairie, and a
part of Six-mile Prairie. Little Muddy
River runs through the township. The
banks of that stream are low, the bottoms
broad and swampy, containing mau}^ large
]>onds. A small rise of the water overflows
the v.'holv3 bottom.
DeSoto^ the northern part of which is
verv much like Elk. Biq; Muddv runs
0
through it, entering from the east, and
running out at the south-west corner,
making many large bends in its course.
For instance, tlie town of DeSoto is two
miles north of the rail-road bridge, but on
-going east from the town, you would come
to the river in less than a mile; or going
south-west, half a mile would bring you to
it again. The southern part of the town-
ship, near Big Muddy River, is rolling.
Carbondale^ which is all contained in
this division, except the part that is east
of Drury Creek, and a spur of hills which
runs up within sight of the city, about a
mile to the south-east.
Vergennes^ is all in this division, being
mostly level, but rolling in the south-west
where Beaucoup {Bo-koo^ Creek drains it.
Somerset^ is mostly rolling, and is the
best situation for farms of any in the
county, although there is some level, wet
land in it. Beaucoup Creek runs through
10
it from north to south, then it enters Big
Muddy, which stream winds through the
south-east corner of the township.
Murphysboro^ is about one-third in this
division and the remainder in the hills,
the line dividing the divisions is very in-
definite. The north-eastern part is hilly;
the hills becoming higher and the ground
more broken towards the west, terminating
in a rocky precipice overhanging the river.
Levari^ is partly in the rolling division
and partly hilly. The Murphysboro and
Chester road is nearly the line until it
strikes the hills at Mr. Levan's farm. This
ridge of ground runs in a north-easterly
direction, and ends in a narrow ridge in
Section 3.
Ora^ is partly rolling and partly hilly.
The southern part is cut up by Rattle-
snake Creek. The western part is hilly,
running out to a high ridge on the line be-
tween Sections 11 and 2, overlooking a
great portion of Perry County.
11
The Lower Level.
UPPER BOTTOM.
The lower level is the Mississippi bot-
tom, and includes all the land between the
bluffs and the Mississippi River, (except
some hills hereafter mentioned.)
The line of bluffs leaves the river at
Rockwood, Randolph County, and runs in
nearly an uniform direction, about south
68 deg. east, to Big Muddy then nearly
south to Union County. The bottom is
divided into two parts, often called the
upper and lower bottoms.
The upper bottom consists of the greater
part of Fountain Bluff township, and a
part of Degognia and Kinkaid townships.
It. is characterized by having large lakes
and ponds scattered over its surface, so
a great part is usually covered with water.
The swells or ridges between the ponds,
are of the richest soil possible, and where
u
not cleared, are covered with a dense
growth of timber, and also under-brusli
full of running briers, so thick as to be
almost impassible.
The lakes and ponds, at certain seasons,
are alive with Avater-fowls of various kinds,
such as swans, geese and ducks. It is the
hunter's paradise. In very dry seasons,
the water all evaporates, and a person can
walk over them. The Big Lake is nearly
two miles in width and covers several sec-
tions of land.
LOWER BOTTOM.
The lower bottom is composed of the
township of Grand Tower and part of
Fountain Bluff,* It has no large ponds
or lakes, but many swamps, and large
open places called "glades." These glades
*The l)Ouin]aries f>f townships as herein de-
scribed, docs not correspond with Westbrook's
map of Jackson County, for the reason that the
townships have been reorc^anized and many
'langes made since its publication.
. 13
run in a nortli-west and south-oast direc-
tion nearly, and are parallel to each other.
These glades are swampy, and destitute of
trees. The swells between them are of
very rich soil and well timbered. Much of
this land is devoid of under-brush but cov-
ered with long grass, making an excellent
natural pasture.
Usually, where there is a bottom, there
is also a river in it as the principal feature,
but the greatest natural curiosity about
this bottom is that the Mississippi does not
run through it, l)ut breaks th^iough the hills
a shorter way. In traveling on the Grand
Tower Rail-road, we cross the bottom, and
then come to a high over-hanging cliff of
rocks without coming to the river. It
seems as if some convulsions of nature had
opened a gap through the Missouri hills,
and let the river through, leaving part of
the hills on the east side of the stream.
14
There are three of these hills, the largest
of whicli, called the "Big Hill," is four
miles in length from north to south, and
nearly two miles from east to west; a por-
tion of it being three hundred feet above
the level of the bottom. Its surface is
very broken and not fit for cultivation.
The north end is the highest. There is a
precipice all the distance along the north
end and part of the east side, in some
places rising perpendicularly one hundred
and tw^enty-five feet above the rail-road
track. The south-west corner also is pre-
cipitous.
About a mile south of this hill, and close
to the river, there is a narrow, ragged,
and rocky ridge nearly a mile in length,
called the "Devil's Back-bone," with a
rock apparently pushed off its north end
into the river, called the "Devil's Oven."
This ridge is low and narrow in the middle,
where a branch of the rail-road track ran
15
through to the iron furnaces, situated on
the side next to the river. A little farther
back from the river, and farther south, is
"Walker's Hill," having precipitous sides
all around except on the south. The tpp
is partly in cultivation.
The town of Grand Tower is between
this hill and the river, also between the
two last mentioned hills and the Big Hill.
These hills are not- connected with any
other hills, nor with each other. ^:
When the Mississippi River rises vei*y
high, it runs through the lakes and glades
into Big Muddy, and surrounds the whole
country containing these hills, as it did in
1844, and in 18&i.
The High Lands.
The division of the high lands is very^
wide at the northern and southern ends,
16
but quite narrow in the middle, at which
point Big Muddy, which drains all the up-
per level of this county and several others,
breaks through the hills on its way to the
Mississippi.
The dividing ridge which separates the
valley of Big Muddy from Mary's River is
called Campbell Hill; running from near
Rockwood,RandolphCounty, in a northeast-
ern direction, south of the town of Camp-
bell Hill and on to the Perry County line.
Another branch of the ridge runs in an
eastern direction, and ends abruptly near
the north-east corner of Ora township.
On this point a person can stand and
look to the north beyond Pinckneyville,
and see DuQuoin in the north-east. South-
ward, the view opens a long distance.
There is also another branch of the same
ridjje that runs south of Rattle-snake
Creek, and ending near the line between
. 1'
Ora and Leuim townships, passing along
by Mr. Le van's place. At the church on
this hill, a person can see the hills east of
Drury Creek, by looking- across ]Slurph3'S-
boro and Carbondale, which are both in
the same line. The width of tlie hilU' por-
tion near Big Muddy from Indian Creek to
Kinkaid Creek, is only about four miles.
The hills south of Big Muddy, near Mt.
Carbon, have no well defined limit, but
chansre into lower land e-raduallv. From
the south-west corner of Carbondale town-
ship, the limits of the hills pass along the
south boundary line till they cross Drury
Creek, where they rise high and run north-
ward to the Big Craborchard Creek. An-
other ridge west of Drury runs northward
almost to the city. All of Makanda and
lildge townships are very hilly, with deep
and rocky ravines having precipitous sides.
This is true of the township of Bradley^
and parts of Degognia and Kinkaid^ but
18
especially along Kinkaid Ci^ek and the
bluffs that overlook the Mississippi bottom.
The hills around Cedar Creek and its
branches are also very precipitous and
rouo-h.
Streams.
Besides the Mississippi on the western
border, Big Muddy River enters the county
on the east oi DeSoto township; its general
course is a little south of west, until
it breaks through the rocky barrier, as be-
fore stated, then it follows the line of the
bluff southward, but leaves it just before it
reaches the county line, and then strikes
across the bottom to the great river, enter-
ing it by several channels, making two
islands.
It is a very crooked stream. At one
place a subterranean rock runs out from
19
the blutf westward and then north-west
turningr the river that course instead of al-
lowinof it to run to the south. The river
has then to find its way back to the hlufl',
but it soon meets another line of rocks,
that starting from tlie Big Hill, runs east
then north-east then nearly north; that
brings the river back to the bluff again,
running nearly north, where it strikes a
high wall of rock and turns at an acute
anoxic to the south. This is called "Swal-
low Rock," from the large number of the
nests of those birds stuck on the rocky
wall.
The streams which enter Muddv from
• 1/
the north, are first. Little Muddv cominjr in
from Perry County, and running through a
flat swampy country. Next is Beaucoup
Creek, also from Perry County. The two
Pattle-snakes rising near Ava, run east-
ward and enter Beaucoup not far from
20
Gillsboro, and together enter Big Muddy
near the south-east corner of Somerset.
Kinkaid Creek is in the hilly country,
and rises west of Ava, runs a south-east
course through deep ravines and by pre-
cipitous rocks then enters Big Muddy at
Sand Ridge Station, near the rail-road
bridge.
Mary's River and branches drain the
country west of the Campbell Hill and run
westward through Randolph County into
the Mississippi.
Degognia Creek begins near the north-
east corner of section 4, T. 8, R. 5, runs to
the south then to the south-west and falls
into the Mississippi. This creek is the line
between the counties of Jackson and
Randolph.
The two last mentioned streams do not
run into Big Muddy; with the exception
of these and a few small streams that flow
. 21
from the hills into the lakos, all the rest
are branches of that turbid stream.
South of Big Muddy, the Big Crabor-
chard enters the county nearly east of
Carbondale, runs to the west a mile and
receives Drury, which rises in Union Coun-
ty near Cobden, then runs northward
through a deep valley, between rough hills
to the junction with the larger stream, and
together they flow northward and enter
Big Muddy south-east of DeSoto.
Little Craborchard rises in Midge town-
ship and runs through Carbondale town-
ship until it enters its larger namesake.
There are several othes small streams
running northward to Big Muddy, of which
Lewis Creek enters at the Fish-trap shoal.
Cedar Creek enters the county from the
south, and runs northward about four
miles, where Poplar Camp joins it, then it
runs west, receiving Cave Creek from the
south and Sugar and Bear Creeks from the
22
north: then it enters Big Muddy below
the Swallow Rock.
Grassy Creek, a branch of the Big
Craborchard, crosses the south-east corner
of the county.
Geological Divisions,
Drawing a line about south sixty degrees
east, (S. 60° E.) across the county so that
it passes about two miles to the south of
Murphysboro and Carbondale, that line
will be v^ery near the southern limit of the
coal formation; abundance of coal being
found north, but only a few scattering
beds south of that line. The vein at Mt.
Carbon is five feet in thickness, and farther
north, at the Gartside mines, it is over
seven feet.
Draw another line parallel to the first,
but south of it a few miles, and so as to
23
run through the northern part of the city
of Grand Tower, and.it will cross {\\o.
Union County line before it reaches Ma-
kanda. North of that line is sandttone,
and south of it is limestone. The limestone
land is full of sink holes, funnel-shaped
hollows, with each a subterranean })assnge
for the rain-water that falls into it. The
two hills at Grand Tower are limestone,
but the Big Hill is sandstone, some of it is
ver}'- white and was used for carving pil-
lars and capitals for the State House at
Springfield.
Bald Rock is a spur of the limestone hills
that terminates in a large, naked, rocky
point, overhanging Big Muddy. It is
composed of fossil shells, is hard and will
bear a high polish. It is a grayish marble.
An attempt was once made to quarry it
for marble, but there are no roads to it.
A long time ago it used to be made into
lime.
STEAM :S'A VIGATIOJSr
OF
BIG- MUDDY RIVER.
There are many difficulties in the way of
the navigation of Big Muddy River, the
most serious of which are the shoals,
several of which exist. The shoal at Mt.
Carbon, iust below the bridg-e, extends
quite a distance, including what was
known as the Upper and Lower Fords.
The most remarkable one is the Fish Trap
Shoal, so called, because it was such a
good place to set a fish-trap. This shoal is
at the mouth of Lewis Creek, where two
rail-roads cross each other, and is the larg-
est and most serious obstruction, the river
beinsr nearly three times its usual width at
25
this place. There is another shoal at
Worthen's place, and just below, a rock
rises like a table in the middle of the river
which is covered during- the time of high
water. i\.t the mouth of Rattle-snake
Creek, just above the Bald Rock, is another
shoal. All these mentioned are rocky and
permanent obstructions. At the mouth of
Muddy, a shoal of mud is often formed dur-
ing a rise of the Mississippi, if Muddy ])e
low at the same time. But when Muddy
comes down in her strength and spreads
out over her banks, after the larger river
has retired, then like a braggart when his
superior is absent, she shows what she can
do by cutting out the mud bar, and making
for herself a deep channel again.
Another difficulty in the navigation of
this stream is its extreme sinuosity. Be-
low Sand Ridge it is very crooked, with,
some very acute angles, the most remark-
able of which is at the Swallow Rock
26
where the river is running N. 15^ E. and
makes a sudden turn along the foot of the
rocky wall, running south.
Here appropriately comes in a little sto-
ry about Batteese, a French darkey. He
was going down the river on a barge with
Mr. Kitchen by moonlight. On arriving at
this place, Batteese, who had never been
there before, was looking at the high rocky
wall that arose on the right hand side
above the tree tops, then he looked for-
ward to the sudden turn, but saw trees
only; he, little thinking that the river ran
between his position and that wall, sud-
denly exclaimed in terror, at the same time
holding up both hands, "J!/?*. Kitchen!
3Ii\ Kitchen! the river takes to the woods
here!''''
About the first account we have of a
steamer navigating Big Muddy River, was
about the time of the first settlement of
Murphysboro, when a small steamboat
named "Omega steamed up to Mt. Car-
bon. Rather strange that the boat bearing
the name of tlie last letter of the Greek
alphabet, should have been the fiist; it
ought to have been called AI[)ha.
It was not until the year 1851 that any
other boat attempted the voyage. On ac-
count of shoals, the boats had to navigate
during the time of high w^ater, and account
of the sudden bends, thev could not navi-
gate in a strong current, therefore the time
selected is when the great river rises,
which usually happens in June. In 1851,
the Jackson County Coal Company having
a large quantity of coal already on the
banks of Muddy, just below Mt, Carbon,
(on the ground now occupied by coak-
ovens,) chartered the "Walk-in-the- Water,"'
a new ferryboat that had just arrived in
St. Louis, to bring down a load of coal.
She went, and in a few days arrived at St.
Louis with a load, also with two })arges in
28
tow. That was the first introduction of
this coal to the public, and was then pro-
nounced by the foundries and gas works of
that city, to be the best coal west of Pitts-
burg. The company then being confident
of selling any quantity of coal, bought the
Walk-in-the- Water, because she was a
strong boat and suitable for their purpose.
She left St. Louis again May, 30th 1851,
at 10 o'clock A. M., and arrived opposite to
Preston before night, at a place selected
for a landing, and afterwards called
"Sheffield Coal Yard." On the first day of
June, the boat started on the first of her
regular trips, which continued until the
tenth of July, usually going up the river
one day and returning the next; the load-
ing being generally performed in the night
to avoid the heat. During these trips the
Mississippi was rising continually until
about the middle of Julv, and submero-ed
all the bottom lands, this being the highest
20
water ever known, with the exception of
the flood in the summer oi' 1844, whicli ex-
ceeded this by four feet. The boat had the
best time possible for navigation, as far as
related to having plenty of water.
In navigating this river by steam, a
great difficulty was experienced in making
the turns at the acute angles of the river;
more especially at the turn north of Con-
ner's old steam mill, near a rock called
"Sinner's Harbor," also at the one at Swal-
low Rock. In many places, the boat
would swing around sideways and strike
the overhanging trees which line the chan-
nel the whole distance; then either the
trees or the boat had to tear, often both.
At the sharp turns before mentioned, they
had to shut off steam and push her around
with poles.
At one time, a snag, that leaned out
from the bank and hung over the river,
struck the boat on the .side of the cabin.
30
rubbed along until it came to the first win.
clow, when it pushed in its ugly head and
tore out the whole side from thence to the
stern. It went into the bunks and stole a
blanket which was left hanging on the end
of it. The man, who occupied that bunk,
said that he would not have cared so much
for the loss of the blanket, if the snag had
not taken his tobacco also.
Another day, when a family was on
board with their teams and stock, moving
from the Half-moon Island to escape from
the rising water, the boat struck a tree
and showered the large limbs on the deck,
one of which came near hitting Temples;
it frightened his horses. Another struck
the chimney and punched a hole in it, and
nearly upset the pilot-house, disturbing the
pilot in his reverie. This is a sample of
what occurred more or less on every trip,
so that by the time the boat had finished
her trin.-j, she looked like one of the boats
. 31
that ran the blockade at Vicksburg during
the war.
At one time, by some mistake in the
bell signals, they ran the boat ashore; sIk;
ran several trees under water and tore olF
one of the guards. Every one expected
her to sink, but, on examination, it was
found that the hull was not injured at all.
After making several trips, the pilot,
Smith, put on a steam whistle. Very few
boats carried whistles at that time; they
were just coming into use on the fast
boats. Smith delighted to awaken the
echoes and alarm the natives with its ear-
splitting scream. When he passed the
Swallow Rock with it the first time, sever-
al men and women were standing on the
rock above, looking down at the boat,
when the pilot let on such a sudden
scream, that some of the women were very
much frightened and started to run. He
whistled at every bend, and when he
32
arrived at the mines, nearly the whole pop-
ulation was there to see what was coming,
for most of them had never heard the
sound of a steam whistle before.
It was commonly said that Henry
Dillinger and George McKinney dug out
the channel of Big Muddy River; and one
day, when the boat ran among the trees
more than usual, Mr. Holden, the superin-
tendent, who was on board at the time,
suddenly called out, '•'• George McKinney V"^
"Here I am, what do you want?" answered
George. "Why did you make this river
so crooked when you dug it, instead of
making it straighter?" asked Holden.
George replied, „Well, Mr. Holden, we had
to dig most of in the dark, and could not
see to make it any straighter, so I guess
you will have to put up with it as it is."
On the 6th of June, the pilot, Smith was
at supper, the boat going up the river his
assistant, Jukes, being at the wheel, when
33
suddenly, a largo log appeared in the way
reaching across the channel. Smith jumped
up and ran to the pilot-house, ])ut by that
time the boat had struck the log; he then
put on all steam and made her climb over
it. If she had not been a stout boat she
would certainly have been sunk there, but,
she was not injured by it.
One day, they passed a house floating in
the river. It was a log house with a clap-
board roof. The house was sunk low in
the water with only the roof above the sur-
face; there was a hole in it where some
person had pushed aside the boards, ap-
parently to escape, having in his flight left
a pair of old pants on the roof.
The water was so high that in going
down the riv^er, no land could be seen be-
low Sand Ridge on the west side, and none
on either side below the Bald Rock, but
the whole of the bottom lands were sub-
merged. The Mississippi River was then
34
four or five miles in width from bill to hill.
Durinfy the risino- of the water. Bio-
Muddy reversed its course, the water run-
ning up stream towards its scource with a
strong current for more than a month, and
carrying large quantities of drift, so that at
one time the crew of the boat found the
principal channel between Half-moon Is-
land and the main shore choked with drift.
They worked all day trying to get it loose,
cutting at the logs with axes and using the
boat to pull it apart; but they did not suc-
ceed. The boat retired for the night.
Next day, a squad of men was left at the
drift to cut it loose, which was quite a job,
for the channel was blocked up with it for
a mile. The boat went up the larger
chute next to Burk's Island, and backed
down the little chute, east of Half-moon
Island, which was so narrow that it was a
difficult matter to keep the boat out of the
trees.
The following* day, when the boat re-
turned, the drift was all gone, and Zeri
Byers was found there asleep in a skiff
He had been left there to tell them that
the channel was open, but dozed off, and
the boat would have passed by him without
his knowledge of it, but some one saw him
and gave the alarm, "A man in a skiff."
The whistle was blown and Byers suddenly
awoke looking much surprised and bewild-
ered to find the boat so near to him.
One day, the steam ferry-boat, "Jones-
boro, that ferries at Willard's Landing,
came up and followed the Walk-in-the-
Water up to the mines at Dorchester, took
on a load of coal and returned.
Some enterprising genius at Chester put
a small engine on a flat-boat, and built a
cabin on it, fixing a wheel at the stern;
and with his nondescript craft he made
several trips up Big Muddy River to Mt.
Carbon, taking up goods for the merchants
36 ^
at Murphysboro. At a sharp bond, the
^yalk-in-the-Wate^ and his boat came very
near ha vino* a collision. J. 31. Morgan,
who was on the small boat, having some
goods brought up for his store in Murph^'^s-
boro, looked out rather surprised; for if the
boats had met, in all probability the small
one would have been sunk.
During the rising of the water, the town
of Preston opposite the coal-yard, was
nearly all swept away. The mighty river
not only carried off the houses, but took
away the ground first, and of course the
buildings rolled into the river and floated
away. When the water subsided, there
were but three or four houses left of the town.
After the Walk-in- the- Water had done
takino- out coal for the season, she went to
Thebes and loaded with steamboat lumber.
Mr. Gross took command of her and then
she started for St. Louis. She took a baro-e
loaded with staves and hoop-poles in tow
:57
at the mouth of Muddy. On the 20ih of
July, 1851, she struck on a sand bar, and
there she stuck; as the water was falling,
the prospect of getting her off looked du-
bious. She got off, however, the next day
and again started on her voyage up the
river. On the 28th, a storm overtook the
boat and sank the barge. They had to cut
her loose, she then floated off full of water,
the staves and hoop-poles covering the sur-
face of the river for a long distance. The
boat landed at St. Louis after dark that
same night.
In the summer of 1862, the Walk-in-the-
Water, having been repaired and a new
cabin built on her, one story higher than it
was before, started on her regular trips,
boating coal out of Big Muddy; but the
pilot, being accustomed to the boa,t, and
acquainted with the crooked channel, with
the experience of the preceeding summer,
did not run the boat among the trees and
38
tearher up so much as before, but she fin-
ished her trips with jut looking like she
had run the blockade.
In 1853, the Walk-in-the- Water again
appeared on the scene; but having shown
the way to navigate Big Muddy by steam,
she had company all the season. That
Chester man, having built a larger boat
than he had in 1851, had put his engine
and wheel on her, and named her the
"Silver Lake," made several voyages up to
Mt. Carbon.
This year, the Illinois Central Rail Road
was in process of construction, and several
small steamers were employed to convey
rail-road iron up the river to the rail-road
bridge, four miles north of Carbondale.
These boats, together with the Silver Lake
and the Walk-in-the- Water, made Big-
Muddy quite a lively stream for two
months. During that time a person could
scarcely go near the river without seeing a
. :!9
steamboat go by, or heariijg the whistle
sounding through the forest. These boats
jiot only carried iron to the rail-road, I)ut
one day, one of them took up a locomotive?
which was landed on the north bank of the
river and hauled up on the track. By the
aid of that engine the track was laid from
the river, northward. The- boats also
landed iron at the mouth of Sugar Creek,
which was hauled on wagons to a point on
the rail-road two miles south of Carbondale.
After the year 1853, the Walk-in-the-
Water had the river to herself as before.
She continued her annual trips for several
years, until ijiere came a time when, for
two summers, the Mississippi failed to rise
high enough to float her over the shoals;
the coal accumulated on the banks of Mud-
dy, and much loss to the company was the
consequence. They extended their horse
rail-road to a point below the Fish -trap
Shoal, and piled up coal fhere. When the
40
Mississippi did rise, the coal was all taken
out, but the company soon afterwards
abandoned the mines. Thus was Bijr
Muddy left to its original solitude for years
afterwards. About the time of the re-
opening of the mines at Mt Carbon, a boat
made a voyage up to that place, f>ringing
some of the heavy machinery. Since then
the river is again silent and forsaken, nev-
ermore to be disturbed by the prow of a
steamer, for the river is spanned by three
vvacron bridfres and four rail-road bridgres,
thus precluiing navigation in the future.
il
HISTORICAL SKETCHES
OF THE
TOWNS AND CITIES
OF
JACKSON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
Pomona.
When tj^e Cairo and St. Lonis Rail Road
(Narrow Gauge,) was opened through from
Murphysboro to Cairo, a town was laid off
in Cave Creek bottom, in section 28, Town
10 South, Range 2 West, in Ridge Town-
ship, and named "Pomona."
Very soon dwelling houses and store
houses were built, ])ut no station house
42
was erected by the rail-road company for
some time; they only made a side-track
and platform. Some parties built a saw-
mill on the west side of the rail-road, and
ran it awhile, but getting into difficulty,
the sherrilF levied on the machinery. Dur-
ing the absence of that officer, the parties
took the engine, which was one of those
on wheels, and rolled it on a flat-car, then
put on the saw and frame and ran the
whole to East St. Louis. This was long
spoken of as "the town where a saw-mill
was stolen and taken away."
Some time afterwards, the company
built a station house. Other parties built
a saw-mill and a flour-mill on the west side
and near the site of the mill that was said
to have been stolen.
Pomona is now a lively little town and
is doing considerable business. A few
years ago, it was incorporated, and elected
municipal officers.
i:itht\iii.
A slaticii was made where llse Caiioand
St. Louis Rail Road crosses Cedar Creek
in the northern part of Ridge Township,
and a station house was built. Some par-
ties built a saw-mill there also, and very
soon houses began to spring up in the
woods, and it seemed that a prosperous
little town would be the result. The new
village recieved the name of "Eltham."
After running for some time, the mill
was destroyed by lire, but another one was
built in its place. Some time afterwards
this mill shared the fate of its predecessor.
The station house was also consumed in
the same conflagration. The town was
abandoned to its original solitude, with the
exception of passing of trains, and the
post-office was removed three miles farther
north, to Gillmore's mill.
44:
Gillsboro.
Mr. John M. Gill owned land in the
south-east corner of Ora Township, in sec-
tion 3(3. Here he laid off a town on the
Cairo and St. Louis Rail Road, which runs
through this land^ The town was named,
"Giilsboro."
This village had a late start, but bids
fair to become a lively place. It now con-
tains several store houses and dwellings,
also a saw-mill and a post-office.
Harrison.
About eight or nine years ago, a railroad
line was surveyed from Mt. Carbon to
Pinckneyville, and running through the
north-west quarter of section 34, Town 8
South, Range *-? West. This land had been
• 45
purchased by the Carbondale Coal and
Coke Company which proposed to make
the road. The general financial panic
coming on about that time, the project was
postponed indefinitely.
A few years ago, the company com-
menced work again by erecting a long row
of coke ovens on the land before described;
they also sank a coal shaft a mile or so
farther westward. They then built a rail-
road from Carbondale to run by the ovens
and shaft and connect with the Cairo and
St. Louis Rail Road ,about two miles north
of the station at Murphysboro.
The com]3^ny then built a rail-road from
the ovens to Pinckneyville where it con-
nects with other roads leadino; to St. Louis.
They can now ship coal or coke directly to
that city.
Around the ovens, the dwellings of the
workmen form a village called "Harrison."
46
Campbell Hill.
Many years ago, a post-office was estab-
lished at the cross-roads in section 9, Town
7 South, Range 4 "West, and was called
"Bradley." A store was opened and goods
sold to the farmers living near. The peo-
ple also built a church close by. This is
just west of the ridge called Campbell Hill.
When the Narrow Gauge Rail Road was
built, the people near Bradley Post-office
tried to have a station there, but some
other parties tried to have the station at
another place three fourths of a mile farther
north-west, and succeeded. At that place
lots were laid off, a side track made, and
two stores and a blacksmith shop built.
This new town was called "Bradley."
Meanwhile, Mr. Mohlenbroch, thinkhig
it very awkward to have the post-office at
one place and the station at another, raised
• 47
the enthusiasm ol" the peopK^ and l.y the
influence and liberahty of liimsell' and
others, laid off a town at the post-office,
built a large Hour mill, and finally induced
the company to make a station there also.
As the other town had already appro-
priated their name, they called this town
"Campbell Hill."
Soon dwellino- houses and store houses
sprang up on the ground. One of the
store houses at Bradley was rolled up on
two flat cars and by the aid of mules,
moved to the new village. A side track
was made and a station house built; the
mill was soop up and in operation, and the
town outgrew its rival. It is now a prosper-
ous little town, while Bradley is forgotten.
48
Ava.
Mmy yeirs ago, a man natnad Wright
settled at a point on the Murphysboro and
Chester road, in section 25, Town 7 South,
Range 4 West, on a high ridge between
the head waters of Kinkaid and Rattle-
snake Creeks. Here he built a saloon near
the road, displaying the sign, "Head
Quarters." In this house he dispensed the
"ardent" to his neighbors and to thirsty
travelers for many years. The place was
known as Head Quarters far and near, and
the character of some of the inhabitants of
the vicinity was such as might have been
expected, with a branch of the bank of his
infernal majesty in their midst so long.
Some years ago, several houses and store
buildings were erected, and Head Quarters
began to look like a town. When the
Cairo and St. I.ouis Rail Road was l)uilt
. 40
and a station made there, the land owners
and the rail-road company laid olF a town
and named it "Ava."
After the rail-road was opened, the town
began to increase rapidly. Many of the
rowdies in the neighborhood have been
brought to justice or run off; but some
acts of violence have been committed since
the road was opened, such as throwing
the train off the track. It is to be hoped
the influence of the more moral class of
citizens, whose wealth and industry build
up the town, will gradually diffuse intelli-
gence and purify the community.
Ava is now a flourishing town, contain-
ing many fine buildings, some of them,
including the post-ofiice, are built of brick.
A newspaper has been published there for
several years.
50
Elkville.
About the year 1857, certain land own-
ers, thinking it would be a good thing to
have a town in Elk Prairie, Mr. Ashley,
who was then division engineer of tlie
southern division of the Illinois Central
Rail Road, having assured them that a sta-
tion would be made there, laid off a town
in section 17, Town 7 South, Range 1
West, in Elk Township. Mr. Ashley set
men to grade the side-track. The citizens
appointed a day on which to sell lots at
public auction. When the day arrived, a
large crowd assembled, and the sale was
progressing in a lively manner, when they
were surprised by the scream of an extra
train approaching rapidly from the north.
As the train came to a stand among them,
some? of the people gathered around it and
found that it contained what fail-road men
51
expressively called the "Royal family,"" or
the President arid other chief officers of the
rail-road company'. Mr. Osborn, the Pres-
ident, asked in apparent surprise, "What
is ffoino: on here? What does this crowd
mean?" When informed, he said, '"''There
lo'dl he no station here. Stop that sale at
ONCE." He was informed that Mr. Ashley
had the side-track graded and was going-
to make a station there. The President
turned to McClellan, his chief engineer,
who was present, saying, "Did you give
Mr. Ashley such orders?" Mr. McClellan
denied having given any such orders. The
train returned to Centralia, and the Presi-
dent, ill a rage, telegraphed to Mr. Ashley,
asking, „Who gave you orders to make a
station in Elk Prairie?" The answer was,
"McClellan." The President replied, "He
denies it. Come up on next train and con-
front him." Then Ashley was angry, he
52
said to those around him, "Yes, I will go
and make McClellan acknowledge it.''''
When he met them at Centralia, he still
insisted that McClellan gave him verbal
orders to make that station, and that officer
still denied it until Ashley shook his big
fist at ' Little Mac's nose and made him
own to it in Osborn's presence. It seems
that they had made a mistake and wanted
to make a scape-goat of Ashley, but could
not succeed. The matter was hushed up
the town was killed, and laid dormant for
many years, until after McClellan had been
commander of armies, when he so gallantly
didn't take Richmond, and had run for the
high office of Prcsidint of the United
States, but was defeated by Lincoln.
Some time after the war was over, the
town plat was revived, lots were sold, a
station house built and side-track made.
Then people began to erect dwellings and
store houses. It is a small town, and is
not likely to grow much. There is no
hotel or public accommodation for travel-
ers arriving by the trains.
DeSoto.
■ ]3eSoto was named after the Spanish
traveler who, in his search for the Fountain
of Youth, discovered the Mississippi River,
and was buried on its banks.
This town is situated in sections 16, 17,
20 and 21; but mostly in section 20, in
Town 8 South, Range 1 West. It was laid
off in the woods at the time of the building
of the Illinois Central Rail Road, about
the year 1853. It is of the same age as
Carbondale.
The rail-road company owned land in
section 20 and laid off lots west of the rail-
road, also a row of fractional lots east of
the road. Otlier parties laid off lots on the
54
east side, but the streets in the two plats
do not correspond with each other.
The business part is on the west side ex-
cept the hotel. Most of the town is oh the
west side. The town ^rew to its present
size in a few years then stopped. There
has been very little improvement for many
years. A few years ago a fire destroyed
nearly half of the business portion, and
very few of the houses have been rebuilt.
The town is situated in a fiat country,
with Big Muddy nearly half way round it;
the river being about a mile east of the
town, two miles south and half of a mile
south-west.
DeSoto is not much of a business place.
Sometimes it has almost the appearance of
a deserted town, many of the front store
houses being empty. There are several
churches in the town, some of them are
very good looking buildings. Two flour
mills were there, but one has been removed.
00
Makanda.
When the route of the Illinois Central
Rail Road was laid off, the engineers had
to follow the valley of Drury Creek
through the hilly country in the southern
part of Jackson and the northern part of
Union Counties. This valley has the ap-
pearance of a great crack or fissure in the
hills, with mostly precipitous sides, and
through this runs Drury. A person can
almost imagine a convulsion of nature that
opened a crack running north and south
for miles, making ragged edges and broken
rocks tumbling down the steep sides, then
afterwards the gap gradually partly filled
U]) with soil washed from the hills.
A mile and a quarter north of the coun-
ty line, in the west side of section 27,
Town 10 South, Range 1 West, the com-
pany built a water tank and a boarding
56
lioiise, mide a station and called it
'Olakaiida."
Sometime about the year 1863, Mr.
Zimmerman laid oif town lots on the east
side of the rail-road, and several houses
and stores were erected. Mr. Martin Rey-
nolds had built a mill for sawino- lumber
and grinding grain in 1861, on the west
side of the creek and rail-road, which are
here close together. About the year 1866,
lots were laid off by Lummis and also by
Evans on the west side, and afterwards on
both sides by T. W. Thompson and others.
There is quite a romantic looking village
nestled in the valley and up the steep
rocky hills on each side, where the houses
perch one above another on ledges.
The church is up on a high point overlook-
ing the town. The company has built
two brick tanks and a passenger house
at that place.
This town is in the midst of the fruit
region, and is an important place in the
57
fruit season. It would soon become a large
town if there was room enough to build
one; but, cramped up as it is in sucli a
narrow valley, there is not much chance
for it to grow.
IJuring several years, a box-factory was
in operation in the south part of the town,
which supplied shippers with fruit-boxes,
but it was removed. The mill that Rey-
nolds built near the bridge, was operated
for many years by O'Fallon, but he re-
moved it to Gillsboro a few years ago.
Other parties set up a grist-mill and box-
factory on the same site.
The school house is on the west side at
the foot of the bluff. The inhabitants of
Makanda and vicinity are industrious and
intelligent people.
Boskydale.
This is scarcely to be opnsidered a town,
but as it has a name, and is about such a
58
place as Eltham once was, although not a
rei^^Lilar station, vet it must not be omitted.
When the Illinois Central Rail Road
was in process of construction, the builders
used a large quantity of stone for culverts
and ballast. This stone was quarried in
the north-east corner of section 9, Town 10
South, Range 1 West, in Makanda Town-
ship, and half way from Makanda to Car-
bondale. They made a track across Drury
Creek and loaded the cars in the quarry.
After the road was finished, and the com-
pany had quit using the stone, the quarry
track was taken up, but a side-track was
left for the convenience in switching irreg-
ular trains out of the way.
When the State of Illinois was erecting
the Normal University at Carbondale, the
red sand-stone used in that structure, was
taken from this quarry, and after that was
finished, much stone was shipped to distant
parts by Mr. Johnson.
59
In 1876, Mr. K» P. Purdy brought a saw-
mill to this place, setfting it up near the
side-track for convenience in loadino^ lum-
ber on the cars.
At the same time, Mr. S. Cleland, who
was then owner of the quarry land, laid oil"
town lots on the west side of the rail-road
opposite to the mill, and named the place
"Boskydale." Several houses were built
and a few families dwelt there. Mr. Cle-
land made a business of quarrying stone
and shipping it to distant places for build-
ing purposes. He employed a gang of
men in th*i business.
More houses were needed, therefore Mr.
E. M. Hanson laid off an addition in 1877,
and several more houses were erected.
The town is in the valley of Drury. It
is not likely ever to be much of a town. It
has already gained a bad character for
rowdyism. Murder has been committed
there.
60
Dorchester.
This is one of the towns that was, and is
not. It existed only about seven years.
It was a mining town; and when the mines
were abandoned, the miners left the houses
vacant.
In the year 1850, the Jackson County
Coal Company opened their first mine three
fourths of a mile south of Murphysboro, in
the south-west quarter of section 9, Town
9 South, Range 2 West. Mr. E. Holden
was superintendent. Their mines were all
tunnells. The miners were mostly from
Scotland, therefore many persons called
the place "Scotch Town." Quite a num-
ber of houses were built for the men to
reside in, for most of them had families.
The Scotch were some of them zealous fol-
lowers of Joseph Smith, but not of Brig-
ham Youno;, at least not outwardly- Mr
Edwin Hanson built a store house and kept
Gl
store there. Thef company built a large
boarding house ami Mis. Willis took
charge of it and cooked for the boarders.
The miners who had no families and the
young men that worked for the company
above ground, boarded there.
For several years this was quite a busy
place, and a good market for the produce
that farmers have to sell.
The miners, aS; usual, were a rowdy sot,
especially when they were drunk. One
night the miners were oifended at some-
thing that Zeri Byers had said, about them
making so much noise that he could not
sleep. The next night they got drunk and
danced and ^vvore, and threatened Byres;
thus they kept up a row all night to the
disturbance of the whole community.
Mr. Kitchen, a-carpenter, who boarded at
another house, heard them, and next day
he reported them to Mr. Holden, who sent
for them at once to come to the office, and
62
to their surprise, he paid them off and told
them to leave the place immediately.
One peculiarity about Holden was, that
he would not employ an Irishman on any
terms. He seemed to have a deep seated
hatred of that nationality. He was a per-
fect gentleman, and treated all well who
did their duty, and if they did not, he
would soon pay them off. If he approached
a gang of workmen and found some of
them resting, he would go and sit down by
them if they sat still until he came to them,
but if they got up and went to work at his
approach, he would discharge them.
The company hauled the coal out of the
tunnels to the bank of the river, about one
fourth of a mile, in cars drawn by a mule,
on a rail-road made with wooden rails with
straps of iron nailed on them. Valentine
Taylor was the driver of the mule during
the first year. This was the first rail- road
in Jackson County. The coal was piled up
'63
on the bank of the river where it waited
for water sufficient to float it off.
In the spring of 1851, the Walk-ln-the-
Water, a new boat that was originally
built for a ferry boat, had arrived at St.
Louis, and the company chartered her to
go up Big Muddy to bring a load of coal.
She made her first trip in May, after the
Mississippi had risen considerably, so that
Muddy was filled with back-water. This
boat took her load of coal, also two barges
loaded with it, to St. Louis, and the com-
pany introduced it to the foundries and
gas-works, where it was pronounced to be
the best coaj west of Pittsburg, and it soon
became known to the public.
After the boat had brought her first load
of coal, the company purchased her, and
then she made regular trips up Muddy one
day, loaded during the night, returned next
day and unloaded opposite the town of
Preston; thus supplying the steamboats
M
with coal, for most of them used only
wood before that time.
The coal was boated out every summer
y at the time of the rising of the Mississippi.
The business prospered, but there came a
time when for two years the river did not
rise high enough for the boat to cross the
Fish-trap Shoal, and the coal accumulated
on the river bank, while their coal-yard on
the Mississippi was empty and their custom
lost. They extended their rail-road past
the shoal, but the expenses ate up the
profits and the work was abandoned, the
town deserted and the houses removed.
It is now only a farm and is owned by the
G. T. M. M.&T.Co.
Mount Carbon,
The Mount Carbon Coal Company was
organized and chartered nearly forty years
ago, and they commenced to mine out coal
G5
that long ago. Tney opened a mine where
the coal crops out on the bajiks of Big
Muddy River, at Mt. Carbon, about iialf
way between the upper and lower fords, or
where the hills come to the river just J)e-
low the bridge. The present rail-road runs
over the mouth of the old tunnel. There
was not any large quantity mined in those
days. Sometimes a flat-boat was loaded
and floated down the river. Some of them
would sink on the route, for that kind of
navigation was very dangerous. There is
one of them sunk about half a mile below
the mines, full of coal; but it is probably
now covered with mud.
The company built a mill of several sto-
ries in height on the north bank of the river
below where the bridge is now, that was
used for the purpose of sawing lumber and
grinding corn. It ran for many years.
Richard Dudding was boss of the estab-
lishment.
66
After some time, the company quit
working the mines and the mill also, and
evervthino; was silent and neglected during
many years. There were no buildings
at Mt. Carbon except the old mill, (which
has long since rotted down and disap-
peared,) and the ferryman's house, which
was just above the mill. John Minto was
ferryman for many years after Dudding
had left the place; and, occasionally, Minto
dug coal to supply the blacksmiths. The
mine was so low that every high water
filled it and left mud all over it. iVfter
Mr. Minto left the place, Mr. Wilson was
ferryman until the bridge was built, when
the ferry was no longer needed. '
After the Jackson County Coal Compa-
ny had built their wooden track rail-road,
the Mt. Carbon Company procured a char-
ter from the legislature of the state, for a
rail-road from Mt. Carbon to the Mississip-
pi River. The Jackson Company then
G7
obtained an amendment to the eflect that
the new road would have to cross the older
one at the same grade as the latter road.
The two companies, as represented by
their respective superintendents, Mr. Hold-
en and Mr. Dudding, were working not
very harmoniously, but sometimes contrary
to each other; yet the two gentlemen be-
came warm personal friends.
The Mt. Carbon Company thus laid
silent and quiet as far as working anything
was concerned, for many years, including
the whole of the time that the Jackson
Company was at work, except the time
when the chartered rail-road was to be
commenced to save the charter, ])udding
had men at work a few days, and in the
expressive language of Holden, they
"cleared out a txtrnip patch?''
The old company tried to do nothing
more, when sometime about the close of
the War of the Rebellion, they sold out to
68
another company, who obtained a new
charter under the same corporate name,
"Mt. Carbon Coal Company."
With Mr. Henry Fitzhugh as superin-
tendent, they commenced work in earnest.
At first, their office was in John Hanson's
residence in Murphysboro. They built a
saw-millnear the place where the mill is at
present. They set up the engine that is at
No. 2 shaft, and ran a slope, commencing
under the old county road. The engine
hauled coal up an inclined plane. The
rail-road from Mt. Carbon to Grand Tower
was commeiiced and pushed through vig-
orously. The foundry and machine shop
were built, and a small steamer came up
the river bringing machinery and other
heavy freight; but much of their machin-
ery was brought by rail-road to Carbon-
dale, and from thence hauled on wagons to
its destination.
G9
As soon as the rail-road was completed,
they began to ship off coal to Grand Tower
to supply boats, and to send in barges to
St. Louis and other places. During the
time they had sunk several sliai'ts. Two
that were sunk in the Hat north-east of the
depot, could not be worked, because there
was so much water and the roof was too
thin and covered with quicksand, therefore
they were both abandoned.
A shaft was sunk south of these in the
edge of the hills, called No. 1 shaft, and a
rail-road track was laid to it. No. 2 shaft
was sunk near the slope, so that the same
engine could hoist from both.
During this time, the row of houses
between the depot and the bridge was
built, also nearly fifty dwellings in the flat
on the north side of the river. Houses and
shanties began to accumulate on the hills;
miners came flocking in. It was but a
short time before there was a large popu-
70
lation of miners, and money was plenty in
the country. Especially did Murphysboro
profit by it, and began to wake up from a
long sleep and grow into city-like propor-
tions; but, with its growth and prosperity,
it also became vain, and obtained a city
charter, including the Mt. Carbon works
in the city limits. This arrangment
displeased the company, because they did
not want to pay city taxes, after having
furnished the money that had built the
city; so the city and the company pulled
contrary to each other for some time.
The company had laid out the fiat north
of the river into lots, as an addition to
Murphysboro, but they afterwards vacated
the plat, and for a time talked of removing
the houses. They did indeed build fifty
houses for the miners, on the highest ridge
at Mt. Carbon. Afterwards, the city char-
ter was so modified as to exclude all south
of the river, thus leaving out all the works
71
and buildings of the company except those
in the flat.
■ Wishing- to ship coal by the Illinois
Central Rail Road as well as by the liver^
the company extended their rail-road to
Carbondale, and there formed a junction
with that road. They next Ijuilt two iron
furnaces at Grand Tower. About this time
the company obtained a new charter under
the title of the "Grand Tower Mining,
Manufacturing and Transportation Com-
pan3^" The rail-road, which had heretofore
been called "Mt. Carbon Rail l^oad," was
afterwards called "Grand Tower and Car-
bondale Rail Road."
Mr. Fitzhugh died during the first year,
and was succeeded by Mr. A. C. Bryden,
after him Mr. H. V. Oliphant had that of-
fice; since his death, Mr. Williamson, the
present superintendent, controls the affairs
of the company.
72
Tiie company have been much troubled
with miner's strikes; which sometimes
lasted for several months at a time. At
one time, during a prolonged strike, they
brought coal from Cartersville, Williamson
County, Illinois, to supply boats at Grand
Tower; and from Brazil, Indiana, to sup-
ply the iron furnaces. At another time,
after the men had held out on a strike for a
long time, the company sent for fifty col-
ored miners and set them to work. They
then discharged nineteen of the strikers,
and the rest soon went to work again, to
prevent their places from being taken by
the colored men.
The company became involved in a
$200,000.00 law-suit, and their works went
into the hands of trustees, but the work
was continued.
During this time they had sunk shaft
No. 3, half a mile from the station, and ran
a rail-road track to it.
This company having bought the land
that had belonged to the Jackson County
Coal Company, proceeded to make use of
it. The site of Dorchester was made into
a farm; the fifty, houses on the hill are on
that land; so also is No. ^ shaft.
This company has been much troubled
with fires. First, the saw-mill was burned,
and when it was rebuilt, the precaution
was taken to place the mill and the boiler
at some distance from each other. The en-
gineer''s office at Grand Tower was burned
with most of their plats and drawings.
No. 1 shaft suffered a similar fate, destroy-
ing the works on the top and ruining the
hoisting engine. The shaft was never used
again. The rail-road bridge across Big
Muddy near Sand Ridge was consumed,
but immediatly rebuilt. Nearly all the air-
shafts have been burned at times, injuring
the ventilation in the mines for a time.
The station-house and store, which were in
tli3 sa.ne building, were destroyed, and
they were rebuilt separately.
A tunnel was opened west of the first
opening, but it was not worked much for
several years. It has been used more re-
cently.
When the panic of 1873 came on, the
work was nearly all stopped, miners left for
other places. No. 2 shaft only was worke d,
and thcLt only two or three days in a week.
This state of things continued or grew
worse for sev^eral years. In the spring of
1876, Big Muddy rose so much higher than
usual that No. 2 shaft was filled with
water, and it took a long time to pump it
out. The iron furnaces cooled, one of
them collapsed; very few boats were run-
ning on the Mississippi, therefore there was
not much demand for coal, and for awhile
only the tunnel was worked. Most of the
larjie crowd of miners that used to be there
The houses on "Fiddler's
75
Ridge," which once had funned a louii;
street, are most of them taken away. Tiius
the large business at Mt. Carbon ahnost
came to a stand.
In 1880, business began to revive. The
company erected a long row of coke-ovens
on the ground on which Holden stored his
coal thirty years before. No. 3 shaft which
had been unused so long, was again alive
with miners, and the subterranean passages
once more reverbarate with the sound of
the pick and the shout of the mule-driver.
The houses are inhabited, and prosperity
is returnino^.
Grand Tower.
In the year 1673, seven Frenchmen, in
two birch-bark canoes, started from Green
Bay, and went down Fox River, then down
Wisconsin River, and on the 17th of June
<b
entered the Mississippi. The swift current
swept them rapidly down, past the pictured
rocks at the mouth of the Illinois River,
then past the Devil's Oven and the
'''- dangerous''' Grand Tower.
This is the first mention of the Grand
Tower, which is a tower-like rock rising
out of the river near the Missouri shore,
and directly opposite to the south end of
the sharp ridge called the "Devil's Back-
bone. This rock is considered dangerous
to this day. When the water is high, an
eddy starts at a rocky point near the
"Tower" and reaches half a mile or more
down the river, the outer edge of this eddy
where it joins the main current is full of
whirlpools. When a floating tree gets into
one of these, it stands erect for a moment,
then disappears beneath the surging water.
Skiffs or other small craft are served in the
same manner, and life has thus been lost.
The danger to steamboats is that they are
77
careened and turned out of their course,
and for the time become uncontrolable.
Sometime in the early settlement of the
West, a keel-boat load of emigrants with
their goods, was ascending the river. At
this point, the unusally broad river is quite
narrow, being about three-eighths of a mile
in width, and confined between rocky
shores, making the current is very swift;
the boat could not ascend easily, therefore
the emigrants landed to walk past this
place; the men to pull the ropes, the wo-
men and children to go at their leisure.
Suddenly, they were attacked by Indians
that had been hidden amongst the rocks.
The emigrants were all killed except a
boy twelve years old, who hid amongst the
rocks, near the place where the iron-works
were recently located. On the highest
point on the south end of the Devil's Back-
bone, graves have been found, but whether
of Indians or white men is not known.
78
That boy that escaped, after he was grown
up, pursued that gang of Indians one by
one, until he slew the last one on an island
in the rix-'er.
Many years ago, Marshall Jenkins settled
where the south part of the town is now.
After steamboats beg-an to navio-ate the
river, he kept a landing and a wood-yard.
The place was known as Grand Tower
Landins: or Jenkins' Landinsr. x\fter the
death of Jenkins, James Ev^ans married
the widow. He built a warehouse and
opened a store, and the place was called
Evans' Landing, but it was always known
as Grand Tower. Elisha Cochran settled
near the south end of the Back-bone. The
grave-yard was close to the foot of that
hill, between that and Cochran's house.
Several other families lived there, and the
school house was sometimes used as such.
The location is suitable for a landing.
It i?> a strip of level ground between the
79
river and Walker's Hill, whicii rises just
back of it, having precipitous, rocky sides.
This hill is not connected with ajiy other
hill, but is entirely surrounded by low land.
The Back-bone before mentioned is a
sharp, rocky ridge, nearly a mile long,
running along the river bank; the southern
end being close to the river, and highest;
the northern end and the middle leavino-
a strip of level land between the hill and
the river. There is also a narrow strip of
level ground between this hill and Walk-
er's Hill, where the two lap past each
other. A detached portion of the Back-
bone juts out into the river, forming the
"]J>evil's Oven." Nearly a mile north of
this is the "Big Hill," which is very high,
about four miles long and two miles wide;
it is also surrounded by low lands and the
river which washes its western base. Its
sides are mostly precipitous, at the north
end rising perpendicularly one hundred
81)
and twenty-five feet. The formation of
the whole neighborhood is peculiar, and
the impression made on the minds of the
early settlers caused them to name so many
things after his Satanic Majesty.
When the Mt. Carbon Company built a
rail-road from Mt. Carbon to Grand Tower,
the land owners at the latter place, Jen-
kins, Evans and the company, each laid off
town lots, and sold them rapidly for a
while. Soon a town sprang up as if by
magic. All the river front was built up
with stores, hotels and other business
houses; thus the obscure landing place
sprang into a young city at once. Although
it is a good location for a town, yet hereto-
fore, there had been almost no communica-
tion with Murphysboro or the interior of
the county. The only road went through
four miles of the muddiest ground that can
be imagined, and was absolutely impassi-
ble at some seasons of the year. But the
81
rail-road remedied all that in a short time,
and made a pass way through at all times
of the year.
The company began to ship coal on
barges, and also to furnish steamboats with
coal. The following: vear, the rail-road
was extended to Carbondale and connected
with the Illinois Central Rail Road; then
passengers and freight were landed at
Grand Tower for various points along that
road, and the town still grew, and ex-
tended northward towards the Big Hill,
first, by building that part called "Red
Town," afterwards by other additions.
The company built two iron furnaces on
that side of the Back-bone next to the
river, and ran a rail-road track through the
middle of the ridge where it is the lowest.
Soon another company built a furnace at
the southern extremity of the city. This
is usually known as the lower furnace. So
Grand Tower, with three furnaces, one
S2
rail-road, and a regular packet to St. Louis,
g-rew and prospered, until it extended from
the lower furnace nearly to the Big Hill,
or almost two miles in length. Then came
reverses. The lower furnace stopped for a
long time, then fired up and continued in
operation for a season only to stop again.
It remained cold and silent for many years.
The upper furnaces met with accidents.
Sometimes one of them would fall to pieces
full of melted iron, which hardened as it
cooled, and it required a long time after-
wards to cut it out before they could begin
to repair the furnace. Then the company
met with trouble and fell into the hands of
Trustees. For a short time but one fur-
nace was in operation, then it too became
silent and deserted. The company almost
quit shipping coal, and everything became
dull. Some of the merchants left the town
and removed to other places. The town
had passed its period of prosperity; for,
83
like Mt. OarboiH, it was dependent on the
company, and when they ahnost quit work-
ing, the business of the towns languished.
The upper furnaces have been disman-
tled, the costly machinery removed and
everything that could be of use taken
away, showing the intention of making no
more pig-iron at that place.
About the year 1880, business began to
revive, and the town began to resume
something of its former bustling appear-
ance. There was talk of the lower furnace
again being started.
Thirty years ago, a gentleman, looking
far into the future, predicted that the iron-
ore of Missouri and the coal of Jackson
County, 111. would meet near Grand
Tower, and along the river bank would be
a long row of iron furnaces. This has
been only fulfilled in part; the time is yet
to come its entire accomplishment.
84
Brownsville.
The following account of the early set-
tlement of Brownsville, was kindly fur-
nished by Ben Boone, Esq.
"Brownsville was incorporated by the Legis-
lature held at Kaskaskia in March, 1819. Jessee
Griggs, John Ankeuy, James S. Dorris, Dr.
Matthew Taylor and William D. Ferquay were
Trustees. Brownsville was begun to be im-
proved in the fall of 1816, or spring of 1817.
The town had been laid out and some improve-
ments made at that early date. In 1817 to J 819
it looked town-like. The first settler was Jessee
Griffors and family. Conrod Will resided near
the salt-licks, outside of the town site. In 1817
to '18, a goodly number of persons settled in
the town. Those I recollect were, Peter Kini-
mel and family, Cyrus F. Kimmel, S. H. Kim-
mel, A. W. Kimmel, -^ Litchbarger and fam-
ily, Katharine Schwartz and family. Conrod
Will, S. H. Kimmel, James S. Dorris and James
Harrold, all had stores. Lemon was a hatter,
lie had a family : Henderson and Fild were sad-
dlers; John Queen, attorney; W. Taylor and
Davis, doctors; Burton and Richard J. Hamil-
ton, lawyers; Marion Fuller, James Findley,
85
John Lucas, John G. Clark, J. Kuuca, Porter,
John Tinnun and David Burkey, were carpen-
ters; Neff, Chamberlain and Howe, school
teachers; Haltboru was a blacksmith, so was
Grun. A. M. Jenkins and his sister, Liza came
to town.
This is th^ history of Brownsville to 1819 or
thereabouts."
When Jackson County was organized,
Brownsville was the county seat. The
town was situated in the south part of sec-
tion 2, Town 9 South, Range 3 West. The
court house was a frame building, and was
situated in the middle of the square. The
site of the town was on a level ground be-
tween Big Muddy River on the south and
the hills on the north. A slough runs
along the foot of the hills, which is
filled with back-water from the river, al-
though the level land is above the usual
high water mark. It was a beautiful site
for a small town; rather contracted in
width, but indefinate in length. Some of -
86
the residences were built up the side of
the hill and overlooked the town.
Brownsville continued to be a flourish-
ing town until the county seat was removed
in 1843. There were several st(jres around
the square. Among the residents there,
were John M. Hanson, 13. H. Brush, Rob-
ert H. Marron, and Dr. James Robarts
who are well known to the present resi-
dents of the county.
On muster day, election day or court
week, the citizens from the country around
would go there, not only to attend to the
duties of the day and do their trading at
the stores, which often consisted of ex-
changing 'coon skins or venison hams for
coifee &c., but, not having the modern
means of disseminating news, the newspa-
per being seldom seen, they met to hear
and tell the news. What enjoyment it was
to those farmers who would often be for a
week at a time without seeing a human
87
face except those of their own families, to
meet (;ach other and exchange items of
news or tell "yarns." They would have
their fun, hut nearly every one would
drink, and many get drunk, as a conse-
quence, fighting was often the order of the
day. Sometimes Iri Byers and Peter
Keifer would meet in a crowd and try who
could tell the most unlikely stories. Thus
did they amuse themselves like true
pioneers.
On the night of the 10th of January,
1843, the court house was discovered to he
on fire; the flames spread so rapidly that
nothing could be saved. All the books,
papers and records were destroyed, except
perhaps one or two small books that were
not in the court house at the time.
On the 13th of January, 1843, the coun-
ty commissioners met to make arrange-
ments for the purchasing of new books,
and empowered the clerk, D. H. Brush, to
88
purchase such books as were necessary to
carry on the county business.
Soon after this, there was a movement
among the people of the county to
select another place for a county seat,
and Murphysboro was located on the first
day of August, 1843. Soon after that time
the county seat was removed to that place,
leaving Brownsville to die. The merchants
and business men soon followed the court
house, and the old town gradually died a
lingering death. During s'iveral years the
people kept leaving the town; the deserted
houses rotted down, the owners of lots
were glad to sell at any price, and Richard
Worthen bought them cheaply, one after
another. In 1853, iie owned all* Browns-
ville. Very few houses were left on the
ground; some had been removed, many
had rotted down and had been burned, so
^Tr. Worthen burned all the rest except a
few for which he had use, to get them out
80
of the way. He made a farm of the town*
site, and it is now occupied by his descend-
ants. The town has run its race and has
ceased to exist.
It might be well to mention here the
Indian town at Sand Ridge, that was for
many years cotemporary witli Brownsville.
It was a settlement of the tribe of Kaskas-
kia Indians. The United States govern-
ment reserved for them a tract of land two
miles in length and half a mile in width,
including most of the ridge. Here they
had a town, and often met the white men
of Brownsville on friendly terms. A joke
is told on Robert Worthen like this: that
one day while he was passing along the
banks of Big Muddy when it was nearly
full, near the Indian town, he found a lot
Indian children at play. He began to
pitch them into the swelling river, one af-
ter another, just for fun, koQwing that they
would swim out. This sport he continued
00
for som.^ time, but the youngsters, not ap-
preciating the joke, made an alarm that
brought their mothers to the rescue. The
squaws took Bob and rolled him into the
river too, and left him to get out as well as
he could.
The Kaskaskia tribe decreased in num-
bers, and left their reservation. They went
to the Indian Territory and became incor-
porated with some other tribe.
3Iur pliy sb o ro ,
According to Mr. Boone's account, in
the year 1808, James Davis and Joseph
French with their families, settled the
place where Murphysboro is now. It
seems that at some time afterwards, the
iand became the property of Dr. John
LwOgan, who lived there many years, and
^here Gen. John A. Logan was born.
91
When the court house at Brownsville
was destroyed by fire on the night of the
10th of January, 1843, the people of the
county took the legal steps to have the
county seat removed to some other place,
and commissioners were appointed by the
county commissioners' court to select the
site of the intended town. Samuel Russell,
William C. Murphy and John Cochran
were the men that were appointed for that
purpose. They reported that "after due
examination of several places, a site was
chosen, situated in the south-west quarter
of Section 4, Town 9 South, Range 2 West,
on land belonging to Dr. John Logan."
Dr. Logan donated twenty acres for the
town plat. The location was made perma-
nent on the first day of August, 1843. The
land was laid out into lots and streets with
a central square for the use of the county
buildings. The county commissioners had
the plat recorded " and proceeded to sell
lots. The town was named after one of
the commissiouers, Mariyhifs Borough^
but the name was by common concent
joined into one word, the apostrophe and
the three last letters dropped, and spelled
Mitrphyshoro.
The first court was held in a frame house
that was moved there for the purpose.
Soon houses began to arise. The county
built a court house of brick in the middle
of the square. The court room was on the
lirst floor, and the clerks' offices up-stairs.
In the fall of 1845, the court house had
been finished, the walls of the Logan
House were going up, and the house was
completed soon afterwards; but it was only
two stories high. Dr. Logan kept hotel
in that houso. until his death which oc-
curred several years afterwards. Brush
and Hanson opened a store one block east
of the square, but after a while they dis-
solved partnership and kept separate stores.
93
The town was not long without drinking
houses, and that has been its curse ever
since.
Of the three commissioners who located
the town, William C. Murphy has been
dead a long time; Samuel Russell died a
few years ago; John Cochran is the
only one that lives to see the present
growth of the town.
County court was first held in the new
town on the 4th day of March, 1844, but
probate court was held in November, 1843.
From this time until 1850, there was very
little improvement; most of the buildings
were close around the square; and all,
with perhaps two or three exceptions, were
within the town plat. The town was sur-
rounded on three sides by fields, and on
the. south, where the land suddenly drops
down to the river bottom, by woods.
There were two roads leading to the south
part of the county, the principal one crossed
94
the rivjr at Mt. Carbon, either at the ford
or ferry; the other road crossed the river
at the Fish-trap Shoal, where the Cairo
and St. Louis Rail Road crosses.
There was no church or school house in
the town at that time, except a log house
that stood at the south side of the town, in
the edge of the woods, which was used for
both church and school purposes.
Murphysboro was a very dull place usu-
ally when there was neither court nor
election in progress. Circuit Court was
only held one week in the spring and one
week in the fall, and elections were only
once a year; but, at these times the farm-
ers from the whole county would crowd in,
aiid the town would then be lively, yes!
tjery lively — for even at that time there
were several "groceries" as they were then
called; they were not yet dignified by the
nanle of "saloons, but in them whisky was
cheap and abundant; drunkenness and
fighting were very common occurrences.
It was often the case that during the lime
that an earnest counselor was making liis
best effort before a jury, a fight wouhl be-
gin just outside of the court house, which
soon became exciting and general; the
crowd shouting, the audience in the court
room rushing out, even the court and jury
peep out through the windows. For a time
the counsel pleads in vain; no one hears
him as long as the fight continues.
Near the place where the south end of
the row of brick buildings east of the court
house is now, was a horse-rack; the ground
was beaten Ijollow by the stamping of the
beasts. One day during circuit court, after
a shower, when the hollow was a pond and
several horses standing in it, two men be-
gan to fight, their friends on both sides
pitched in, and there was a struggling and
surging mass of humanity, fighting, rolling
and kicking, until the whole pile rolled
96
into the water under the horses; the ex-
cited crowd meanwhile cheering or swear-
ing. The dogs that were present could
not long remain silent spectators, but soon
joined in the fray and did their best. The
court house was deserted, the groceries
emptied, and confusion reigned. Such a
sight; men horses, dogs, torn shirts and
mud mixed together.
The town began to receive a new impe-
tus in 1850. x\t that time the Jackson
County Coal Company began operations
about three-fourths of a mile south of the
court house, at the place they called Dor-
chester; and for the first time the people
of Murphysboro knew what sort of people
coal miners or colliers were. The com-
pany paid out money to their many hands,
aiiad moat of it found its way to the mer-
chants of whisky sellers of Murphysboro.
The town began t-o pixjsper, and many new
houses were epect^^d.
97
During the tlufe of tlie spring court, tho
Alton Presbytery met at Murphysboro.
They held their business meetings in the
old log school house, and continued in sos-
f-ions all the week. Each dav, during- the
recess of court at noon, one of ministers
preached in the court room. Rev. Norton
of xA.lton was moderator of the Presbytery.
During the same week, Big Muddy River
was very high, so that people had to ferr}-
from the hills at Mt. Carbon all the way
across the low part of the "flats.'' All the
hiofh bank where the north end of the
o
bridge now is, was covered deep enough
to ferry over. This flood was from head-
water runniiio: with a stronj; current.
In 1851, the Mississippi was very high;
the highest that was ever known except
the rise in 1844 which exceeded this by
four feet. This time it backed up the
river very high at Mt. Carbon. The Jack-
son Coal Company boated out their coal
98
with a small steamboat, which continued
her trips for nearly two months. This
company continued to work for several
years, and most of the money that they
paid out found its way to town, which be-
gan to grow and look more like a business
place than it had heretofore.
About the year 1854, Rev. J. Wood, a
Presbyterian minister, undertook to per-
suade the people to build a church in the
town, and by great exertions he succeeded
during the winter and spring following, so
far as to get the frame of a large church
built and the roof and siding on, so that
the weather would not spoil it; but there
it stuck; nobody would help it any farther.
Mr. Wood, in disgust, left and went and
built a church at Carbondale. The unfin-
ished house in Murphysboro remained in
that condition for many years, while sa-
loons prospered and increased in number,
but the church was used as a public stable
t^9
by every one wfio rode to town, to hitch
their horses in. When the town afterwards
l)ecanio prosperous, the old church was
iinisheci off and made into a theatre tmd
beer saloo?i. It is the same building- that
was afterwards called '"Concert Hall."
In the days when Judge Denning- pre-
sided at the circuit court, the people woidd
come on Monday morning, and often have
to wait iintil Tuesday or Wednesday be-
fore the judge would come to organize the
court. He was reported sick at the Logan
House. When there was too much noise
in court, the judge would tell the sherriff,
John Elmore, to have "silence in court,'*
then Mr. Elmore would go in a quiet man-
ner to the persons that were talking too
loud, aud whisper to them to keep silence.
Whenever a juror, witness or lawyer was
wanted, the sherriff called their names at
tlie door, for most of them would be in tlto
"groc^.ty^' or clo<^ about there. Irj later
100
times, David Williams kept a grocery just
south-east of the court house that was a
convenient resort of the thirsty citizens.
In those days, the county court, in se-
lecting a grand jury, on one occasion, said
to each other, "Let us have the best men
in tlie county, men of intelligence and hon-
esty on this grand jury." They went over
the tax list and selected the best men in
the county. When the grand jury met,
among other indictments, they found a bill
against the county court for the condition
in which the jail was kept. That court
did not think that they would try that ex-
periment again. At that time, the jail w^as
a small wooden house that stood near the
court house.
The first newspaper published in Jackson
County was printed at Murphysboro about
the year 1854. It was published by Bierer,
and was called the ''JACIiTSOI^ BEM-
OCEATr It fiourished for a few months,
101
then fell into the liaiuls oi' C)harh;y Cuin-
mings, who soon ran it into debt and
contempt, and abandoned the (enterprise.
There it ended.
About these times or sooner, James M.
Morgan, Tho's M. Logan and Lindort" Oz-
born built the mill at the foot of the hill.
In the spring of 1855, the county sold
«
the swamp lands at public auction at the
court house. These lands were given l)y
the United States to the State of Illinois,
and by the state to the county, to be sold,
the money to be used in draining the land.
By this means it was hoped that much good
land would be reclaimed and the greneral
health of th^ people improved. The coun-
ty needed a new court house about that
time. "The money belongs to the county,
and, although intended for a special pur-
pose, yet it will do the county more good
to build a court house than to dig ditches
inthe'Mit>si«^j7j7i bottoin.''^ • So it- wft? (3o-
10«
cided to do so, ignoring the rights of pur-
chsers, and most of the swamp land money
was used for that purpose soon afterwards.
'IMie new court house was built east of the
old building, and fronting on Main Street,
llie old house was not removed until the
new ijuiiding was finished and occupied.
The court room is above, and the clerks'
offices below. The house has been changed
around several times since it was first
built; and a few years ago, it was enlarged
by the addition of two fire-proof rooms
and a third story in a mansard roof, the
whole surmounted by a cupola and clock.
When the war came on, Murphysboro,
like every other place, became dull, and
business came to a stand. The Jackson
Cimnty Coal Company had long before
that time quit mining coal, the mines had
been abaudoued, the houses at Dorchester
deserted, and tlie steamboat disabled. So
nothing was left to make, any trade or btis^
103
iness, and tlie waf claimed tho attention of
all for a few years.
About the time of the end of the war, in
18G5, the Mt. Carbon Coal Company began
operations at Mt. Carbon. They sank sev-
eral shafts, and employed a large fo.ce of
miners and other hands. They built a
rail-road from Grand Tower to Mt. Carbon,
which was afterwards extended to Carbon-
dale. They went to work on such a large
scale that it threw all the works of the
Jackson Company into the shade. Mur-
physboro began to grow and prosper as if
by magic. Soon all the old town plat was
built up, and additions made, two by John
A. and Tho'^ M. Logan and one by Wil-
liam Logan, afterwards followed by addi-
tions by the Logans and others, which
were soon built up. The town obtained a
city charter, but in doing so, included
within the city limits all the works at Mt.
Carbon. This displeased tlw? Mt Carbon
104
Couip-iny, who had laid off all the flat into
town lots, and had built nearly fifty houses
on them. But they vacated the plat, and
liuilt fifty houses on the hills south of Big
]\Iuddy. The corporate limits were after-
wards so modified as to exclude all south
of the river.
Big Muddy coal soon had such a name
that other parties began to buy or lease all
the coal lands about Murphysboro. Joseph
Gartside sank four shafts north of town,
and the Lewis Company one shaft. The
Cairo and St. Louis Rail Road (Narrow
Gauge,) was constructed from St. Louis to
Murphysboro, thus giving an opportnnity
to all those mines north of town to ship
coal directly to St. Louis. During the coal
excitement, another rail-road was surveyed
to run from Mt. Carbon to Pinckneyville,
but it was dropped and nothing more was
(ione about it. The Gartside mines and
the Ijcwis liiinos gave employment to a
105
large number of men, and thus the city
continued to grow and prosper. All the
land between the town and the new rail-
road was laid ofl' into lots, and some build-
ings erected before the panic came in 1873,
after which, the mines began to slacken
their work, the prosperity of the town soon
stopped, and the erection of new buildings
ceased, except where old ones had been
destroyed by fire.
Twice within a few years has the block
east of the court house been consumed by
fire, both times endangering that building.
The block south of the square and the one
north of the square have both been burned
and the old wooden buildings replaced by
brick edifices. The largest mill has also
been destroyed and rebuilt.
For many years, the town has had its
share of newspapers: the Argiis^ the Era,,
the Independent and the Tribune. There
are now several churches and a fine brick
106
school house as successors to the old log
house which has disappeared long ago.
This town, which has been built by the
coal interest, came to a stand when that
interest was nearly dead. The coal is there
in inexhaustible quantities, and will be in
demand ao-ain some day.
^; ;Jc 3j: ij: :f;
In 1880, business began to revive after
seven years of stao^nation. The coal com-
panics again commenced to work on a
large scale. The Mt. Carbon Company
built a lono' row of coke ovens near their
road. The Carbondale Coal and Coke
Company, which had been for years mining
coal at Carterville, now sank a shaft north
of Murphysboi'o, and built a row of coke
ovens north-east of town and named the
place "Harrison." They also ext^i;ided the
Carbondale & Shawiieetowu Rail Road to
Harrison and westward to comiect \yith the
Narro'^v Gnag ). Next, the^: made a raiU
road from Harrison to PinckneyvlUe in
Perry County.
The city is now improving rapidly.
Several good buildings have been erected
recently, including a city hall. Most ol'
the space between the old town and the
Narrow Gauge has been tilled up with
houses. One street runs northward to the
Fair Ground, and other clusters of houses
scattered out to the north-west. The city
bids fair to still increase for some time to
come.
(Jarboiidale.
Upon examination of old records, the
following item was found.
•'Oct. 11th, 1853. About this time the Illinois
Central Rail Road was commcaced, and some
persons laid off a town in Section 21, Town U
South, Ran^e 1 West, and on the raii-road, and
■ called it 'Cnrbondaley
108
The town was owned bj' a company of a
dozen persons, but the deeds to all the lots
were signed by John Dougherty and wife.
The surveying was done by William Rich-
art, who was county surveyor at that time.
The hrst public sale of lots, was about
the 4th day of January, 1853. It was very
cold weather at the time; still a great
many persons attended the sale. When
the terms of the sale were read, they in-
cluded a condition that every deed was to
contain a provision to the effect, that no
intoxicating liquors should be sold on any
lot, on penalty of the forfeiture of said lot
to the inhabitants of the town for the use
of schools. Several persons who had come
with the express purpose of purchasing a
lot on winch to set up a drinking shop,
went away disgusted when they heard the
terms. The sale proceeded however with-
out them, selling the even-numbered lots,
and resi-rvino; tlic odd-numb(M'ed lots for
. 100
priv^ate sale. The public sale was not eom-
j)lete(l that day, but on the l'-3th day of
April, the remainder of the eviMi-nunibored
in-lots were sold.
Mr. J. 13. Richart was the first resident
of the town; he lived where R. Romig now
resides, on the hill south of the south-west
corner of the square. Aso-ill Conner built
a house on the north side of Main Street,
about fifteen rods west of the square, and
soon occupied it. Col. D. II. Brush had a
store in the small loo- house that is now
used by him as an office. It has since l)een
removed, for at first it stood east of the al-
ley, where tl>^ brick building is now. Al-
fred Sintrleton built a house where the
north end of Chapman's block is, then sold
it and built a hotel where Brunn's build-
inors are. John Dunn built a lojx house on
the north side of Main Street, about fifteen
rods east of the square, and Edwai'd IXve-
lev iMitlt a liousf iust -^ast of the alley.
110
where .lames Scurlock's brick building is.
Dr. Richart built a house on what has been
since known as the Storer property. D. H.
Brush built the first mill and soon after-
wards sold it to Henry Sanders. (It was
burned in 1880.) Estes and Clements had
a shop in the east part of the town where
they manufactured wheat fans.
Preaching was very irregular for some
time at first. Rev. Ingersoll and others
preached occasionally in Col. Brush's new
store house, at the corner of West and
Main Streets; or in a grove of young oaks
near to the place where the Presbyterian
Church is now; afterwards in the shop of
Estes and Clements. The Methodist Epis-
copal Church was the first church that was
erected in the town. It was built in 185G.
Miss A. E. Richart taught the first school
^n a house on the west side of West Street
and north side of the alley between South
and Walnut Streets, Charles Marten had
Ill
a boot and sho(3 shop on tlie hill where Ivo-
mig's coffin shop stands. A young doctor
hung- out his "shingle" at the same place,
but the otlier doctors were alxvjt to prose-
cute him for mal-practice, when he emi-
grated. John Dunn sold out to Mrs. Jane
Jirush, who afterwards was married to ]Jr.
Israel Blanchard. She died shortly after
that event. A. litigation arose between
Dr. Blanchard and Col. Brush, guardian of
the heirs of Mrs. Blanchard, which lasted
several years. D. N. Hamilton came here
and occupied the house just vacated bv
Blanchard. James Edwards and Isaac
Rapp came here and first built a dwelling
house for Col. Brush, where he resides at
this time. Dr. Ri chart had a store house
built whicli was afterwards occupied by
Dr. Storer. After Storer's death, the old
building was removed to make room for
the brick block next to Richart and Camp-
!>eirs building. James M. Morgan had a
112
store where Pricket's drug-store is; it was
afterwards used for the post-office by Rev.
Jerome, then the house was removed to
make room for a brick structure.
The post-office was first in Brush's store,
at the corner of West and Main Streets,
and R. R. Brush was post-master. Then it
was kept by George Bowyer at the corner
of West and Oak Streets, in a house long
since removed. After this by James
Hampton at the corner of North and East
Streets, in a house that has been removed
to give way for E. Robertson's brick house.
After this in a house now occupied by
Wm. Gray, on East Street north of the
square; then in the house now used as a
butciiers shop at the north-east corner of
the square; Edward Diveley was post-mas-
ter at both of the last mentioned places.
Rev. William Jerome kept the office in the
house that stands two doors east of the M.
E. Church when it stood on the site of
113
Pricket's drug-store. That was duiinij- tlit*
war of the rebellion. It was kept in a
small room that stood two doors south of
Pricket's; then in the butcher''s shop at the
north-east corner of the square for the sec-
ond time; then in a house at the corner
east of Gager's hotel, at the north-west
corner of the square. The house was
burned on Christmas day. 1870. The office
what was sav'ed from the fire was kept for
a short time in the house next south of the
Brush building; then romoved to the sec-
ond room from the corner south of Gager's
hotel. At the last four places, R. W.
Hamilton was post-master. Next post-
master was John H. Barton, who removed
the office to the east side, next door north
of Pricket's, and it remained there until
the Chapman block was rebuilt after it had
been burned, when it was removed to the
middle of that block and remains there.
Mr. Barton whs succeeded bv S. AValkor.
114
Tho altitude of Carbondale is as follows:
The rail-road track at the Central depot
is 150 feet above the level of low water at
Cairo; and 408.48 feet above the level of
the ocean.
The highest point on West Main Street
is 185 feet above low water at Cairo, and
443.48 above the ocean.
The lowest point on East Main Street is
27 feet lower than the rail-road track at
the depot.
The irround floor of the Normal Uni-
versity is 439 feet above the level of the
ocean.
From the begnining, Carljondale was
started on the anti-liquor principles, which
has continued to be a characteristic of the
town ever since.
At the election for incorporation, the
majority were in favor of incorporating.
Soon after that, th*^y had an election for
trustees ; two tickets were put out to be
115
voted for, one in favor of giving liconsc to
sell alcoholic liquors in the town, and the
other opposed to it. The anti-lioense tick-
et was elected by a large majority. The
following persons were elected to be the
first board of trustees;
James M. Morgan, Pre&ide7it.
Gabriel Sanders,
James M. Campbell,
Asgill Conner,
Alfred Singleton.
The board of trustees met and proceeded
to pass ordinances for the government of
the town. When they came to the prohi-
bition of whisky selling, they had a long
discussion on the subject. Four were for
prohibition, but J. M. Morgan, whose name
had been on both tickets, was in faver of
granting license, and argued the cause
eloquently, but failed- to convince any one,
and had to give it xip with four steadfast
votes against him. That decided the
116
character of the town on the license ques-
tion for. the future.
There was much opposition to the pro-
hibitory law, and some persons tried to
evade or defy it, chief among whom was
James Hampton. He sold liquor in a
house that stood where Elijah Robertson's
brick store is, at the north-east corner of
the square. He was sued and lost the suit,
then took an appeal to the circuit court,
but still persisted in selling liquor and was
sued again, so that he had several suits on
the docket at the same time. When he
was beaten in his suits at court, he estab-
lished what was called a "6/iVic? tiger;'*'' it
vras an arrangement by which a person
could buy liquor and pay for it too, without
any one seeing who sold it. Hampton
thought that then he was safe from prose-
cution, but they sued him promptly and
p^roved that he was the owner of the estab-
lishment, and fined him again. He tried
1 i I
to be oieot(Mi to he one of.tli*,' trustees, but
bis party was defeated worse than ever
He fought the law with m Tjerseverance aiici
determination worthy of a bettei cause,
hut finally left town in disgust, after spend-
ing many years in the vain attempt to es-
tablish a whisky saloon in Carbondale.
On the 4th of July, 1854, the rail-road
track having been laid from Cairo to Car-
bondale, the first train came up from the
south to this station. The bridge across
Big Muddy was not then built, and the
track was laid no farther than here at that
time. A large concourse of people, most
of whom had never seen a train before, as-
sembled to see the cars come in. The news
had been spread abroad some time before,
and a large mnltitude was the result. The
freight house had just been finished, and a
dinner for all the crowd was set therein.
When the train arriv&d, crowded with peo-
ple from Cairo and Jon esboro, there was
us
great rejoicing and wonder. Maj. Hamp-
ton, marshal of the day, could scarcely
keep the people off the track in front of
the advancing engine; but there was no
accident that day; all passed off peacefully.
Some showers fell that day in places,
and some next day in other places, but
that was the last rain for over six months,
except a few light showers in some locali-
ties; but most of "Egypt" was dried up.
The corn crop failed, the grass was dried
up, the live stock starved and the people
nearly so, before another crop could be
made. During the fall and winter, the
rail-road was completed to the central and
northern part of the state, and corn was
shipped to the southern part and sold at
82.00 per bushel. That was a high price,
but it saved the lives of the people; and
some of the stock also.
The year 1855 was remarkable for the
heavy cro^") of wheat, and for a v<>ry rainy
119
season in harvest time. Notwithstanding
the rain, a larg^ crop of wheat was saved.
It was during the Crimean war, when the
large wheat-producing regions of Russia
were shut up by the war, consequently the
price of wheat was higher than usual.
Merchants were in Carbondale buying
wheat, and the town was filled with farm-
er's wagons all day long. Money soon Ije-
came plentiful, and farmers were relieved
from the financial pressure that the dry
year had brought. on them.
The price of wheat reached over $1.(K»
per bushel on average; at one time reach-
ing $1.25. Before this, the price had been
only 50 cent per bushel, and had to be
hauled a long distance in wagons and the
pay taken in store-goods.
At this time the town was growing rap-
idly; houses were being erected; town-lots
sold high and still went upward. Several
persons who owned' out-let?, had them
120
subivided into small lots. At this time,
there was but one hotel in town, the "'Car-
bondale Hotel," but J. M. Campbell built
a larger one on the same place where the
Newell House is now, at the corner of East
and Main Streets. It was a large frame
house, two and a half stories high, with a
wing at the south-east corner. Some years
after this, J. T. Powell built a two story
brick hotel at the north-west corner of the
square and named it "Union House." The
name was afterwards changed to "Planters
House." Alfred Singleton built a two
story frame hotel on East Main Street,
which was afterwards called "Hundley
House.'
Every Spring, an election for a new
Board of Trustees was held, and for many
years, national politics was forgotton, and
the only question up at these elections was
ichUky or miti-whisky. IJr. Blanchard, in
a speecli attempted to introduce politics
into the contest, by saying tljat tht- lust
hoard of trustees that passed the anti- whis-
ky ordinance, were ail Black Republicans.
James M. Campbell, who was present, be-
came very angry at once, and wanted to
whip Blanchard for calling him a Black
Republican; "for," said Campbell, "I was
born and raised a Democrat, and I am a
better Democrat than ever you were, and I
don't want you to call me a Black Repub-
lican^ for I was one of the board that
passed the anti- whisky ordinance, and I am
for it still." Alfred Singleton remarked to
Blanchard that only two out of the five
men on the.board were Republicans and
three were Democrats, * It was with some
difficulty that Campbell's friends prevented
him from attempting to whip Blanchard
on the spot. This transpired in the hotel
that stood on the site of the Newell House.
At the elections for trustees, the whisky
party were defeated every tim<', and th(^
1 •)•)
temperance ticket elected by a large ma-
jority. Some of the elections were very
exciting. At one of them, a man called
J. M. Campbell a liar. Campbell struck
him, and a general row was the result, in
which Blanchard snapped his pistol among
the crovvd. He said, "if it had fired, some-
body would have been hurt." But order
was finally restored, and voting proceeded
as usual.
The town continued to grow all this time
by the addition of many new buildings in-
cluding the Presbyterian Church. The
population increased until the beginning of
the war, when like as at all other places,
everything stopped, and nothing was
thought of but war. Times were very ex-
citinor then, and the under-current of feel-
ing was stirred both with the friends and
enemies of the government. Troops came
here suddenly, and left a guard at the rail-
road brii^ge on Big Muddy River. The
123
4th 111. cavalry came here and camped in
the grove that has since been used as h
place for public speaking; they also occu-
pied the field adjoining, that now belongs
Dr. Allyn. Volunteers were forming com-
panies and marching to join new regiments.
Men going off, many of them never to re-
turn; women at home weeping for those
loved ones that were leaving for the seat
of war. Then followed the long dreary
time, when the news of battles came, vic-
tory or defeat, days of rejoicing and days
of sorrow; but peace came at last and the
absent ones returned, not all, but what
was left of them. Many families were
happily reunited; but many women looked
in vain, watching every train for those who
never came, until despair settled down on
them and they looked no more.
After the war was over and the men re-
turned to their homes, the town began to
prosper, and buildings began to be put up.
The farmers had beg-un to cultivate cotton.
At one time there were about a dozen cot-
ton-gins in town, so that in autumn, the
place had very much the appearance of a
Southern town, for cotton was everywhere,
and the bales were piled up on the depot
platform ready for shipment. The price
was high, money was plenty and business
lively.
Sometime during the war the Illinois
Central Rail Road Company built a hand-
brick passenger house, and the old freight
house was afterwards used for freight
alone, until April, 187G, when the passen-
ger house was ^et on fire by lightning and
consumed, then a room in the old freight
house was awain used for a ticket office-
The passenger house was soon rebuilt and
occupied.
During the war, the hotel that Campbell
l^uilt was destroyed by fire, and was not
rebuilt for many yeais, when the Lir^e
Newell House was reared on the same sit<%
and was opened early in 1874.
The Chapman block on the west side cf
the square was burned, also two frame
houses on Christmas, 1873. It was rebuilt
in the summer of 1874.
The first house that was destroyed by
fire in this town was the residence of Will-
iam B. Spiller; it was situated on the
south-east corner of lot No. 86, where the
alleys cross in the rear of the Gager House.
The second fire was Rapp's carpenter
shop, and tlie third was the old Carbondale
Hotel.
The Mount Carbon Company had com-
menced work at Mt. Carbon and made a
rail-road from that point to the Mississippi,
for the purpose of shipping coal to market.
After a few years, they extended their road
to Carbon dale and made a' junction with
the Illinois Central; then thev shipped
126
both coal and pig-iron by that route, and
})rought iron ore that way also, after they
had established furnaces at Grand Tower.
Sometime after this, the Carbondale and
ShawneetownRail Road was made from the
former place to Marion, and the coal mines
at Carterville opened. That coal also had
to go via Carbondale, and, although there
are not many coal mines close to the town,
yet from the quantity of Mt. Carbon and
Carterville coal that is shipped from this'
station, the town has well earned its name.
About 1868, theChristianChurch was built.
J. M. Campbell said he was going to spend
the summer building churches, as he was
not in other business. He and Mr. Robert-
son and others erected a handsome brick
church. The Baptists also had erected a
very neat brick church. At the dedication
service, the house was full of people, the
other, churches, not havii^g any s^rv;ice that
day, and a subscription ^ya^.. ra,ised in^ the^
congregation, of about $1,700.0(), suflTicicnt
to pay off the debt that had been contracted
in building the church, before they went
out of the house. Some time afterwards,
the other brunch of the Metliodists erected
a frame church in the nortii-west part of
the town, opposite what was tlien General
Lojran's residence. There are now fivti
churches for the white people and three
for the colored folks.
Soon after the first settlement of the
town, the people wanted a house in which
to have a public school. The citizens met
together to consult about it, and it was
agreed that ,it would be too long to wait
until they could have a school house built
by the district; for the free school law was
a new thing, and the district but recently
organized; therefore they made up money
enough right there to build the house, and
set the carpenters to work. In a few
weeks the West Side School House was
us'
ready for use. Mr. Eel. B.ibcojk tauofht
the first school in the n^w house, assisted
by Miss Ross.
Soon after this, a committee of three
preachers, sent by the Alton Presbytery,
visited Carbondale as well as other towns
alonor the Illinois Central Rail Road, for
the purpose of selecting the most suitable
location for a colleo-e for Southern Illinois.
After talking with citizens of several towns,
they were favoral)ly impressed with the
liberality and public spirit of the citizens
of Carbondale, and concluded that this was
the place for the college. The committee
then called a meeting of the Alton Presby-
tery to have them confirm their selection.
That body met in the new school house
and there received offers from various
towns, which were represented by delega-
tions of respectable citizens. Jonesboro
and Anna both made liberal offers, but
could not asrree to have the buildinjr on
the hill between the two towns. (Rev. W.
S. Post was one of tlie delegates from
Jonesboro; he afterwards preached here
regularly in the fanning-mill shop, and
later, became pastor of the Presbyterian
Church.) The Illinois Central Rail Road
Company telegraphed to the Presbytery
that they would give o)ie thousand acres of
land at Odin to have the college at that
place. The citizens of Carbondale sub-
scribed lands and money in a liberal man-
ner, which together with the temperance
character of the place, most favorably im-
pressed the Presbytery, and that town was
selected as the place to build the college.
The next question to be settled was, "in
what part of the town shall it be built?''
Those in favor of locating it in the north-
western part, were about to gain their
point, when Henry Sanders offered thirty
acres of land in the southern part of the
town in addition to what he had already
130
given, if they would build it on that plat of
ground. That settled it. Tt was at once
decided to accept his oiFer. They next ap-
pointed trustees to carry out the project,
and then adjourned.
Soon after this, tlie East Side School
House was erected. Both school houses
were built upon out-lots that had been set
apart on the town plat for that purpose. At
the same time, four building lots were set
apart for churches and one out-lot for a
cemetery.
The work on the college was begun by
laying a good foundation. It was proposed
to erect only the rear part of the building
to begin with, and that was all that ever
was built. Some person made bricks, or at
least attempted to do so, but made instead
a most miserable failure, and nothing more
was done for a year or more. There stood
the brick-kiln crumbling Imck to its origin-
al contUtion near the pond from vt-hich it
i;3i
had been dug. The financial panic of 1858
prevented any farther progress for a time.
After this, another effort was made, a kihi
of brick was burned and the walls built.
Then the work went on slowly for a while,
but was finished at last. During this time
a preparitory department of the college
was conducted in J. M. CampbelTs build-
ing, but was soon abandoned.
After the college building was finished,
W. S. Post taught school in it; but it was
not used for a college or high school as it
was intended to be used. The public
schools becoming too full, the directors in-
stituted a high school and rented a room.
At one time it was kept in the Grain
House, a building that stood near the pas-
senger house, and Hon. Isaac Clements
was principal. The East and West schools
were usually called Side Schools. Thus
the public schools prospered while the col-
lege did not succeed.
i:3>
Daring tlio war, the laud that had been
o'iveii to l^uild and start the college with,
was not available to use in paying off the
debts incurred in erectina; the buiidinof,
therefore it was sold to pay its own debts.
Brush and Canipljell, who were the princi-
pal creditors, were the purchasers.
The building was unused for years, ex-
cept occasionally, when the school directors
used it for a high school, when Mr. Luce
tiught school therein. The public schools
still prospered, and Carbondale was famed
for the encouragement given to the cause
of education by the citizens thereof.
The Christian denomination wanted to
establish a college somewhere in Southern
Illinois, and*, after examining several towns,
finally selected Carbondale as the place.
They purchased the college building, and
opened their school at once under the
maiiagement of Rev. Clark Braden, with
a:, a:-:-: --.i-)^: -I'.'jd cM'ps of assistar.t teachers.
. 133
This school prospered for several years,
and students came from all the counties of
Southern Illinois to attend it. A success-
ful normal class was organized which sent
out teachers qualified for their work. A
paper was puplished in the interest of the
school called the "Herald of Truth." The
fame of the college spread abroad, and
Carbondale was known as a place of edu-
cation. The public schools were so full,
that the directors could not rent a house
large enough to accommodate the high
school comfortably, and, several times they
made a contract with Mr. Braden to take
the high school pupils and give them the
benefit of the college along with the regu-
lar students. The reputation of the town
for temperance and education induced
many families to make there home there;
thus adding to the good order and pros-
perity of the place. Such were always a
desirable accession to the communitv.
134
A convention of the friends of education
was called. They met in the college grove.
At that meeting, a proposition was made
to make an effort to have a bill passed by
Legislature for the establishment of a
Normal University for Southern Illinois;
because the Normal at Bloomington is too
far to the north. The bill was finally passed
and commissioners appointed to select a
suitable location for the institution. Sev-
eral towns bid more than they could pay
in any reasonable time, and it was finally
located at Carbon dale, after the city, (for it
had just become a city,) had pledged it-
self to pay $100,000 and several tracts of
land, including the college building, which
was purchased from the Christian Church
for that purpose. Mr. Braden expected to
continue to teach in the old building under
the authority of the state, until the new
building should be completed, but the
Governor decided that the Normal school
. 135
could not be legally taught except in tlie
house that the state would provide for that
purpose; therefore the college was c1os(h1,
and the students sent home until the new
building was finished. The contract for
the erection of the new building; was let to
James M. Campbell, and as a part of the
payment he took the old college, which he
sold to the school district for a public high
school.
The foundation of the Normal University
building was laid. The ceremony of laying
the corner stone was attended by a large
concourse of the Masonic order.
When th(i first story had been built, and
the workmen were hoisting joists in the
centre of the building, they fell on J. M.
Campbell and killed him. That put a stop
to all work. The workmen left, business
was dead, the town ceased to improve, and
the building remained just as it was for a
long time, until Mr. Campl)elPs estate ai.d
136
and his contract with the State of Ilhnois
could be adjusted. After that was all set-
tled, which required a long time, the con-
tract for the completion of the building was
let to other parties, and in due time was
finished.
On the first day of July, 1874, the Nor-
mal University was formally opened. A
vast number of people assembled to take a
part in the exercises. The opening speech
was made by Dr. R. Edwards. After that
Gov. Beverido-e made an address to the
Trustees and Faculty, and presented the
keys to Dr. Robert AUyn, the Principal,
who then made a lengthy speech on the
dutv of Teachers. He was followed bv
addresses from several others.
The institution has been in operation
ever since, and knowledge has increased.
In 18G9 the town obtained a charter and
organized a cit}^ government. J. B. Rich-
art, who was the first resident of Carbondale,
137
was also tlie first Mayor of the city. The
charter contained a clause Drohibiting: the
granting of license to «ell intoxicating
liquor's, without a vote of the people in
favor of that policy. A fe w yeai-s after the
charter was obtained, a direct vote was
taken on that subject, and the temperance
party gained it two to one. Tn 1873, the
city adopted the ''General Incorporation
Act'' instead of the original charter.
The east side school house has been en-
larged to accommodate the colored people
who constitute about one-fifth of the popu-
lation. In 1881, there were 442 colored,
and 1774 white persons.
The population for the last nine years*
(not including students whose homes were
elsewhere,) was as follows:
In 1872—1600. In 1877—2014.
In 1873—1648. In 1878—2029.
In 1874—1785. 1879 not counted.
In 1875—1878. In 1880—2102.
In 1876— ? 985. in 1881— 3216.
i:}8
Although the ''Normal" debt lies heavy
upon the citizens, yet the educational in-
terests and the absence of saloons are the
chief sources of the prosperity of the city
and will ultimately release it from the bur-
den. These characteristics are the chief
glory and honor of this young city; may
it long continue so.
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