a I E> RARY
OF THE
U N I VERSITY
OF ILLINOIS
977.353
UliAols
HISTORY
OIF
COOm.
GIVING A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF ITS SETTLE-
MENT, ORGANIZATION, PHYSICAL
CHARACTERISTICS AND
PROGRESS.
IB3T
B. J. RADFOKD.
PEORIA, ILLS.
W. T. DOWDALL, PRINTER, 117 MAIJST STREET.
18V7.
( 7 7, 5S 5
(I i
CHAPTER I.
PAGE.
DESCRIPTION, NATURAL HISTORY AND EARLY SETTLERS. . . 7
CHAPTER II.
ORGANIZATION OF COUNTY 22
CHAPTER III.
DOMESTIC AND SOCIAL LIFE 29
CHAPTER IV.
AGRICULTURE AND FARM PRODUCTS 40
CHAPTER V.
MANUFACTURES, TRADE, &c 50
CHAPTER VI.
POLITICS, LAW AND MEDICINE 67
CHAPTER VII.
EDUCATIONAL AND RELIGIOUS MATTERS. . . 67
PREFACE.
This brief account of the settlements and early life
in Wood ford County has been prepared under the
auspices of the Old Settlers' Association. The infor-
mation has been derived from many sources, and the
accounts have sometimes been vague and contradictory,
but it is believed that what is here recorded is reliable.
There is no doubt much left out of this work which
ought to be included, but it has been impossible to
come at it. It would be well for all those who are in
possession of facts and incidents, which would be useful
in a revision of this history, to send them to Col. B. D.
Meek, Chairman of the Committee for this work. Com-
pleteness and accuracy require that such a revision
should be made as soon as it can be done thoroughly.
As before said, many have aided in gathering up
what is here included, but especial mention should be
made of Dr. Jas. S. Whitmire, John Clark, Dr. J. G.
Zeller, Dr. A. Reynolds, Aaron Richardson, Peter Yance,
Winton Carlock, John Summers, Jas. G. Bayneand Col.
B. D. Meek, who have diligently assisted in hunting up
facts and incidents.
May these pases call up pleasant reminiscences in the
minds of the old, and stimulate the young to usefulness
by their examples and their great successes in the face
of difficulties and hardships.
B. J. EADFORD.
EUKEKA, ILL., April 14, 1877.
HISTORY OF
WOODFORD COUNTY.
CHAPTER I.
DESCRIPTION, NATURAL HISTORY AND EARLY SETTLERS.
Woodford County is ,very irregular in its boundaries,
and the calculation of its area is somewhat difficult, but
it contains not far from five hundred and fifty square
miles. I have, with much care, calculated the geomet-
ric center of the county and find it to be somewhere in
the northeast quarter of section twenty-two, in Roanoke
township. The greater part of the county is prairie,
the timber being confined chiefly to the bluffs and bot-
toms along water-courses. Much of the original timber
has been cut away, but compensation has partly been
made for this by the planting of groves and orchards
upon the prairies. The favorite trees for these groves
are black walnut and maple. Black locust promised
much at one time, because of its rapid growth and ex-
cellent and durable wood, but about twenty years* ago
it was attacked by borers so vigorously that all the
8 HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY.
groves have been destroyed or rendered useless. The
timber is found chiefly in the southern and western
portions, along the Mackinaw and Illinois rivers and
their tributaries. The other portions of the county are
not only destitute of forests, but also of any considera-
ble streams. Water for stock is usually obtained from
wells, and can generally be secured at a depth varying
from twenty to fifty feet, and for a few years past
pumping by wind power has been becoming more and
more general. Many valuable sorts of timber are
natives of the county. Black, white, red and burr oaks
are common ; some black hickory and considerable
white hickory. The black walnut and the wild cherry
furnish very beautiful cabinet wood, which for beauty
of marking, and fineness and richness of luster are ex-
celled by nothing I have ever seen in our modern
furniture warehouses ; the sugar maple also furnishes a
hard, durable and beautiful cabinet wood, as well as the
ash, both of which are found in our forests. Red and
white elms are common. Among other varieties may
be mentioned cotton-wood, sycamore, mulberry, red-bud,
crab-apple, plum, willow, hack-berry, sumac, hazel,
dog-wood, elder, prickly-ash, &c. But the greater part
of ihe county is prairie, arid when first settled was des-
titute of trees or shrubs, and was entirely occupied by
herbaceous vegetation. The chief part of this was grass,
of a coarse sort, which went under the common names
of prairie grass and slough grass. These were of vig-
orous growths, the culms, or flowering stalks, sometimes
growing as high as seven or eight feet, and afforded ex-
cellent pasturage. There can be but little doubt that
HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY. 9
these natural pastures in Woodford County supported
herds of bison, deer and other animals for centuries, nor
are evidences lacking that our vast western prairies
were inhabited by civilized people long before history
began to be written. The grasses which grew in the
sloughs and along the margins of the ponds were
coarser and taller than those which grew on the up-
lands, and both localities were occupied by several
varieties. There is very little of these native grasses
now to be found in the county, and it is probable that
the soil, having been cultivated, is rendered unfit for
their production. The broad prairies were thickly inter-
spersed with bright flowers, nodding their gay heads in
the wind, as far as the eye could reach. Chief among
these were those of the helianthus, or sunflower family.
Flowers of this sort had a dark central head, surrounded
by spreading rays of yellow or purple leaves, and were
of many varieties. The ponds and sloughs were gor-
geous with beautiful bright colored lilies, and many
other species of wild flowers aided in ornamenting
nature's broad flower garden the prairies.
The burning of the prairies in the fall exposed the
farms of the early settlers to much danger, and some-
times rendered travel dangerous if the wind was high.
The tall, rank grass would be killed by the sharp frosts ,
and in a few days become dry and combustible. In a
strong wind a billow of fire would sweep over the plain
and lick up this grass with the speed of a race horse
Those who crossed wide prairies at such times of year
usually carried some means of lighting a fire, and in
case of need the grass was fired and a space soon
10
HISTORY OP WOODFORD COTNTY.
burnt, which afforded a safe retreat from the approach-
ing danger. Matches would have been a great boon, but
there were no matches in those days. The early settlers
were compelled to keep fire, or depend upon the some-
what uncertain supply of flint and tow. It was some-
times found necessary to send to a neighbor's and
" borrow fire." The farmers would usually select some
calm day, as soon as the grass would burn, and fire a
strip about their fields, on the sides from which danger
might be apprehended. Several neighbors would collect
together, and all except one would be well armed with
bundles of brush. The unarmed one would kindle a fire
a few yards from the fence, and by means of brands
conduct it in a line parallel with the fence. The men
and boys with the brashes would arrange themselves
close on either side of the fire line, and as soon as the
burnt strip was wide enough to preclude all danger of
being crossed by a fire coming in from the prairie, would
whip out the flames, thus leaving a broad, black strip
around the field. If this precaution was neglected the
settler often paid pretty dearly for his carelessness.
Many among us still remember the midnight alarm of
the prairie on fire, and being hurried out of a comforta-
ble nap to fight the destroying fiend. A praire-fire at
night is a beautiful and fearful sight, and the roar of
the flames may sometimes be heard for several miles-
These are things of the past now, but it is well for our
children to know the dangers and hardships through
which their present comforts and conveniences have
been brought to them.
The origin of our prairies has long been a puzzle and
a subject for investigation and controversy among scien-
HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY. 11
tific men. It is evident that for ages the forests and
prairies have lived neighborly, side by side, without
either encroaching upon the other's territory. Why
such different soils and products so close together?
Many theories have been advanced to account for the
treeless and shrubless character of the prairies. It
has been asserted that the soil was too dry for trees ;
that it was too wet; that there was too much acid; that
the prairies are the product of annual fires, which only
permitted the growth of perennial grasses and annual
herbs Nearly all are agreed, however, that our prai-
ries were once the bottoms of extensive lakes and rivers,
of which our ponds and sloughs are the lingering rem-
nants, growing smaller and smaller as the country is
raised. In Minnesota, among the numberless lakes, we
perhaps see prairies in state of preparation, and much
the same condition of affairs as prevailed in Illinois
hundreds of years ago. This theory seems to carry
with it the conclusion that the great lakes to the north
and northeast of us once extended over a great portion
of Illinois, and that VVoodford County was a part of the
bed of Lake Michigan. The theory also predicts that
in time, if left to natural agencies, these irreat lake sur-
faces will become prairies, and a few little ponds and
muddy sloughs their only vestiges. Before dismissing
the subject of the prairies, it may be said that, evidently,
the best preparation of prairie land for the planting of
trees, is to break the clay subsoil by digging through it
and filling in with some loose material that shall afford
some sort of an artificial drainage.
Woodford County, geologically, is situated near the
northern limit of the great Illinois and Missouri coal
fields, which extend into Indiana, Kentucky, Kansas,
Arkansas, Iowa and Minnesota. It reaches as far south
12 HlSTOtJY OF WOOBFORD COUNTY.
as northern Texas, and probably covers an area of
100,000 square miles. Near the Illinois river the coal
comes nearly to the surface, but on the prairies the prof-
itable veins are from 300 to 600 feet from the surface,
requiring deep shaft mining. Two attempts at mining
of this character have been made, one at Minonk, and
one near Metamora. The shaft near Metamora was
sunk to the depth of 130 feet. At a little over fifty feet
a seam of coal was found about one foot thick. At
about 125 feet a three inch seam was met with, and
at the bottoai a seam about three feet and a
half in thickness. Only about one-third of the thick-
ness, in the middle, of this seam is good coal. A
boding was made from the bottom of the shaft about 80
feet and no considerable coal found. The shaft at Mi-
nonk is nearly 600 feet in depth, and coal occurs as fol-
lows : at 325 feet a three-foot seam, which is evidently
the one met with at the bottom of the shaft near Meta-
mora. A very thin seam at about 330 feet, while at the
bottom is found a seam of excellent coal nearly four
feet in thickness. The uplands of the county have, eve-
rywhere, just beneath the soil, beds of diluvium or drift
which will average almost a hundred feet in thickness.
This is a most singular deposit and extends almost to the
southern limits of the state. It is composed chiefly of
yellow and blue clay with some sand and gravel. Imbed-
bedded in this material are rocks and boulders of all sizes
and shapes, which have evidently been brought from a
distance. It also abounds in fossils of plants and ani-
mals unlike anything now exisiting in this region. This
singular mixture has been a great puzzle to geologists. It
was first called diluvium because it was believed to have
been caused by Noah's deluge ; but this supposition
was finally abandoned. It is now generally believed by
HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY. 13
geologists that all this material was brought, or drifted,
here from some place further north. It is, therefore, now
called " drift." The clays are sometimes called boulder
clay because of the rocks distributed irregularly
throughout them. The reasons cannot here be enumer-
ated, but there are many for believing that this deposit
was made by a great sea of ice, or glacier, which grad-
ually crept down from the north, bringing with it these
vast amounts of matter, and extending about as far
south as the Ohio river.
The first comers found many sorts of animals here,
which are at present nearly extinct. Among birds,
there were quails, prairie hens and wild turkeys, all in
great abundance, and all excellent for food. Many
sorts of the feathered songsters are still with us, but
their numbers have been too .much thinned by useless
and shameful warfare. Among our wisest laws are
those for the protection of the birds. Snakes were
plentiful, especially on the prairies, the largest species
sometimes attaining the length of eight or ten feet.
The most dreaded was the venomous rattlesnake, which
was very common, but now, happily, is rarely seen.
Stinging flies and mosquitoes were produced in count-
less numbers by the sloughs arid ponds, and at certain
seasons of the year ware a vexatious pest to man and
beast. A large bloodthirsty fellow, known as the
"Green-head fly," drove an unceasing business during
the latter half of the summer, and was an object espec-
ially dreaded by horses and cattle. They are about ex-
tinct now. Prairie wolves were numerous and familiar
neighbors. They gave the early farmer nocturnal con-
14 HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY.
certs, and paid themselves from his sheep pen, or Ids
tender piglings. They seemed to be born dyspeptics
and were always hungry. They would prowl in gangs,
and it was unsafe for a man to be among them alone at
night. One of the favorite methods of exterminating
them was the circle hunt, and was conducted as follows :
Upon a set day the settlers would gather at an appointed
place on horseback ; a captain was appointed and
orders were given. As large a territory as practicable
was enclosed and the game driven towards a central
point, agreed upon before hand. When the game was
finally penned by riders near together the work of kill-
ing begun. The wolves which escaped through the line
were chased down and dispatched with clubs. Deer
would also be often taken in the circle. Bounties were
offered by the state for wolf scalps, and wolf hunting for
a time became profitable. Money was scarce, and it
was sometimes easier for the settler to get enough
scalps to pay his taxes than enough money. The poor
wolf has about succumbed to this unceasing warfare,
and we have seen his lank, familiar visage for almost
the last time. To his old neighbors and acquaintances
this is a matter of small regret, which argues that Canis
Lupus was a bad citizen. There was a few foxes and
many deer which afforded sport in the way of the chase.
Deer and fox hounds had then some excuse for exist-
ence, but now their occupation is gone. The groves
abounded in squirrels, and raccoons were common.
Coon hunting was chiefly prosecuted at night, and was
splendid sport for boys and dogs. A fight between a
large " coon " and the dogs was an exciting and inter-
HISTORY OF WOODFOKD COUNTY. 15
esting spectacle. A wise old cur who knew how to kill
a coon, enjoyed an enviable reputation among the boys
and his canine associates. A good "coon dog" was an
important member of the family. Many an inexperi-
enced cur got the conceit taken out of him by a short
tussle with a full grown raccoon. Badgers 1 were occa-
sionally met with, and now and then a black bear or a
panther. Wild cats and skunks, and other animals
common to the Mississippi Valley, were here. As be-
fore said, most of these creatures, little and big, are
fast becoming extinct, and it would be useful in after-
time to have carefully prepared specimens of them all.
It should be part of the work of our public schools to
collect, classify, name and preserve all these objects.
The numbers of wild animals were greatly diminished
by the deep snow of the winter of 1830-1. This snow
began Dec. 27, 1830, and fell to the depth of three or
four feet, and lay on the ground until vast numbers of
animals perished.
There were a few Indians in the county at the time of
settlement by the whites, but the two races did not come
into conflict to any extent. The advancing wave of
civilization seemed to follow up the retreating wave of
barbarism. The first settlers encountered a few Indi-
ans, chiefly Pottawotomies, and in 1832 were involved
to some extent in the Black Hawk war, but the active
operations were further north than Woodford County.
A number of the early settlers were engaged in this
war, some of whom are still living among us. This war
is remarkable for the fact that both Abraham Lincoln
and Jefferson Davis were engaged against Black Hawk.
16 HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY.
The poor Sac Chief little thought that he was waging
war with palefaces who would become so much greater
chieftains than himself.
The first white man who settled in the limits of this
county was one JBleylock, who was found in the river
bottom, near Spring Bay, as early as 1819. A few
years after this, pioneers began to make settlements
here and there, but the number did not increase very
rapidly till about 1835. I have endeavored to collect
the names of settlers in the various neighborhoods up
to this date, and the result will be found in the following
table. It includes all those who located in the county
previous to 1836, so far as could be ascertained, but no
doubt there are some whose .names do not appear here :
HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY.
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CHAPTER II.
ORGANIZATION OF COUNTY.,
For about fifteen years after their first settlement the
localitie-s, mentioned in the first chapter, were included
in the boundaries of McLean and Tazewell counties, the
dividing line between the tw T o running north and south
through the present town of Eureka. Up to this time
settlements had been made near the timber and along the
water-courses in all parts of the present territory of the
county, but the prairies were unoccupied. Some places
acquired considerable importance, in the early times,
w r hich are at present almost abandoned. Bowling
Green was a thriving village, where goods were sold,
and shops were established ; she also possessed her
share of professional men. Her streets were named in
honor of the then chief cities of Illinois : Chicago,
Peoria, Springfield, Danville and Bloomington. Ver-
sailles was laid out with much care. The streets at the
four boundaries were called, respectively, North, West,
South and East, whilst the intermediate ones had 'such
appropriate titles as Peoria, Chestnut, Bloomington,
Walnut, State and Locust. The settlement at Metamora
was called the settlement of Partridge Point. It was
afterward called Hanover, and finally Metamora. El-
Paso, Eureka, Minonk, Secor and Roanoke were un-
HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY. 23
born, and there was little to indicate that these would
ever be centers of population and trade. Not many of
the younger portion of our people would know where to
locate Ross's Point or Travis's Bridge. Yet these were
formerly places of great note, and I rind Travis's Bridge
now near Mt. Zion church, in Cruger township, men-
tioned in the legislature of 1840 as one of the impor-
tant and well known places in the state.
By the year 1840 settlers had become numerous, and
it began to appear that new counties must be formed
lor the convenience of the people. Both McLean and
Tazewell counties were very large and many of the set-
tlers remote from the places of holding courts. A few
men about Versailles, under the leadership of Thomas
Bullock, Sr., made an effort in 1840 to secure th6 forma-
tion of a new county, with Versailles as the seat of
justice. A petition to the legislature was prepared and
circulated. There was a movement at Washington
about the same time to form a new county with Wash-
ington as the county seat. Most of the settlers on the
west side of Walnut Grove, then Tazewell county, fa-
vored che latter project. Uncle Tom Bullock got infor-
mation of the plans of the Washington men, and with
great energy pushed the circulation of his petition and
as soon as possible laid it before the legislature. The
other party, finding themselves too slow, were compelled
to take the defensive, and soon appeared with a remon-
strance. Excitement ran pretty high, and the journals
of the two houses show that the bill for the formation
of Woodford County had a long and doubtful embry-
onic period. It was frequently called up and advocated
24 HISTOEY OF WOODFOED COUNTY.
or opposed, tinkered and half-soled, and then "referred."
Attempts were made to have the proposition submitted
to a vote of the inhabitants of the territory to be or-
ganized into the new county. But on the twenty-sev-
enth day of February, 1841, the bill was finally ap-
proved by the governor without such submission. It
was entitled, an Act for the formation of the County of
Woodford, and I suppose this name was selected by
Uncle Tom Bullock to perpetuate the remembrance of
his old county in Kentucky. The first section of the
act describes the boundaries as follows : u Beginning at
the southwest corner of Livingston county, thence on a
straight line to the northwest corner of the southwest
quarter of section twenty, township twenty -five north,
range one east of the third principal meridian ; thence
south to the northwest corner of the southwest quarter
of section twenty-nine, township and range aforesaid ;
thence west to the Tazewell county line ; thence north
one and a half miles ; thence west to the center of town-
ship twenty-five north range two west, of the third
principal meridian ; thence north to the line be-
tween townships twenty-six and twenty-seven ;
thence west to the Illinois river; thence with said river
to the northwest corner of Tazewell county ; thence
with the northern boundary of Tazewell and McLean
counties to Livingston county ; thence south to the place
of beginning. "
The second secton provides for the election of county
officers, on the second Monday ot April, 1841. The
election was to be held at Versailles and the places for
voting for Justices of the Peace in the county. The
HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY. 25
third section provides that the poll-books shall be re-
turned to Versailles, to Matthew Bracken, John W.
Brown and Morgan Buckingham, three Justices of the
Peace. Section four assigns W"oodford County to the
eighth judicial circuit, and directs the judge thereof to
appoint a Circuit Clerk and hold courts therein as soon
as organization is effected. Sections five, six and seven
provide for the disposition of suits begun previous to
organization ; the jurisdiction of officers already elected,
and the proper disposition of the school fund. The
eighth section locates the seat of justice at Versailles
for two years, upon the condition that the inhabitants
should provide a good and suitable building for courts
and other public business ; and directs an election to
be held at the end of the two years for a permanent lo-
cation of the seat of justice. The place chosen must
receive a majority of all the votes polled, and give se-
curity for a donation of at least fifteen hundred dollars
for erection of county buildings. Section nine fixes the
share and the time of payment of the McLean county
debt, by those who had been citizens of that county ;
and the tenth and last section places Woodford in the
same senatorial and representative district with McLean
and Tazewell.
On the 17tii of February, 1843, the legislature passed
an act to add to Woodford County all that part of
Tazewell lying north of the line dividing townships
twenty -five and twenty-six, north ; with the proviso
that the annexation should be approved by a ma-
jority of the legal voters of each county. A special
election was held in both counties, but it seems the
26 HISTOEY OF WOODFOBD COUNTY.
measure was not adopted. This addition would have
given us Washington, and possibly have given Wash-
ington the county seat. On the 28th day of February,
1843, the line between Woodford and McLean counties
was permanently established, as follows : " beginning
at the southwest corner of Livingston county, running
thence west three miles, thence south six miles, thence
west three miles, thence south two and a half miles,
thence west three miles, thence south one mile, thence
west one and three-quarters miles, thence south one mile,
thence west one-fourth of a mile to the corner of Wood-
ford County." This constitutes the present boundary.
According to section nine of the original act forming
Woodford County, those who had been citizens of Mc-
Lean county were, after 1844, to pay twelve hundred
dollars of the McLean county debt. On the 1st day of
March, 1843, the legislature repealed this section, and
thus relieved the citizens of this obligation.
It had been provided by the original act that after two
years the seat of justice should be permanently located
by an election to be held at the usual places of voting
in the county ; but on the 28th day of February, 1843,
this part was repealed by an act appointing James K.
Scott, of DeWitt, Joseph L. Sharp, of Fulton, and John
H. Harris, of Tazewell, a commission for the purpose of
locating the county seat of Woodford County. These
commissioners were to. meet at Versailles on the first
Monday in June, 1843. They were to be duly sworn
and locate the seat of justice upon the faithful consid-
eration of ''geographical boundaries, convenience of
inhabitants," present and prospective settlements, eli-
HISTORY OF WOODFORDCOUNTY. 27
gibility of situations and such other lights as they
might think proper. The act farther provides that when
the said commissioners shall have made the location of
the seat of justice they shall make report thereof to
the County Commissioners' court, who shall make due
record thereof, and direct the application of the dona-
tion required in the original act. On the sixth of March
following a supplemental act was passed appointing 7
Levi A. Hannaford, of Peoria, and John H. Bryant, of
Bureau, additional commissioners to act in conjunction
with those already appointed. This commission located
the county seat at its present situation, and the neces-
sary steps were soon taken by the County Commission-
ers to erect public buildings, which are those in use at
present.
As we have already said, the formation of Woodford
County was chiefly due to the effort* of Thos. Bullock,
Sr., and through his influence Versailles enjoyed the
distinction of being the capital for two years. The
u good and suitable building" required by the legisla-
ture for the public business seems to have been
promptly furnished, and I am informed that it still
rears its venerable gables in the neighborhood, being
used as a .barn. In this building, in September, 1841,
wa^ held the first circuit court in Woodford County.
Judge Samuel H. Treat was on the bench, and among the
attorneys at this first session were Abraham Lincoln,
the gallant Col. Ed. D. Baker, David Davis, Stephen T.
Logan. Jno. J. Harding, Jno. T. Stewart and A. Gridley.
The first county officers were as follows : Jos. Meek,
Josiah Moore and James Boys, County Commissioners,
28 HISTOKY OF WOODFOKD COUNTY.
and John J. Perry, Clerk of county commissioners'
court and Recorder ; J. B. Holland, Judge of Probate ;
S. S. Parke, Surveyor ; S. J. Cross, Circuit Clerk ; Wm.
S. Magarity, Sheriff; William Hoshor, Coroner ; Jas. S.
McCord, Treasurer ; Joshua Woosley, Assessor, and
W. E. Rockwell, Collector. The political organization
as effected above remained till 1850, when the present
township organization was adopted, after much discus-
sion, excitement and speech-making, and strenuous
opposition. The county commissioners have been
superseded by the board of supervisors, and other
changes effected not necessary to be enumerated here.
The county at /present comprises seventeen townships.
CHAPTER III.
DOMESTIC AKD SOCIAL LIFE.
The progress which Woodford County has made in
civilization can be traced no more plainly in any re-
spect than in the conveniences, appointments and meth-
ods of domestic life. From a domestic condition differ-
ing but little from that of the Indian, a change has been
made to the comfort, elegance and luxuriousness of the
highest and most artificial civilization in a single gen-
eration. The first settlers of the county dwelt in log
cabins of rude and habty construction. No lumber was
to be had. Saw-mills had not been erected, and the
pine lumber, now so common, was unheard of. Many
of the cabins contained but a single room ; and a double
one, of two rooms, was a luxury many a family could
not afford. The matter of ventilation, of such serious
consideration in modern architecture, gave them but
little trouble, except, perhaps, that it was a little too
easy of accomplishment. The logs of which the house
was built were sometimes hewed, so as to present a
smooth surface on both sides of the wall, but often they
were notched and laid up hastily ; the pressing needs
of the settler's family not permitting the hewing to be
done. The cracks, of irregular shape, between the logs
were filled with clay, made into a sort of plaster. If
the domicile was so pretentious as to display window-
D
30 HISTOBY OF WOODFORD COUNTY.
lights they were made of oiled paper. The doors and
floors were made of puncheons, or rough boards, split
from trees and battened together with wooden nails or
pegs. The roof was covered with clap-boards, or some-
times thatched. The heating apparatus was the fire-
place with its bright, hospitable face. The chimney
was built of split sticks, piled up in a rectangle, pen
fashion, and plastered inside and out with clay mud.
Wooden pegs, driven into the wall, or clap-board shelves
resting upon pegs, answered the purpose of wardrobe,
cupboard and bureau. Tables, benches and bedsteads
were of such rude construction as the skill and imple-
ments (usually an ax and an augur, with a hunting
knife or jack knife) of the pioneer could effect.
When we come to consider the culinary arrangements
of these old4ime households we are sensible of occupy-
ing a comfortable vantage ground. We need not re-
move from the parlor or sitting room to find the objects
of our investigation. The same apartment often served
for the parlor, dining room, library, kitchen, cellar,
storehouse and bedroom. There were no cooking stoves
in those days. The meals were prepared at the fire-
place. Sometimes, for lack of vessels, the bread and
potatoes were baked in the ashes, while the meat was
roasted on a spit, or twig held over the fire by hand.
The well-to-do settlers had ovens, pots, kettles, frying
pans, &c. Corn bread was usually baked in hot ashes
and coals, without vessel of any sort. For baking bis-
cuits a round, shallow oven was used. It was of iron,
and tolerably thick. The biscuits were placed in the
oven which was set upon the coals in front of the fire-
HISTOEY OF WOODFORD COUNTY. 31
place. A heavy lid was placed upon the vessel and a
shovel-full of coals on top of that. The biscuits were
then subjected to heat from both sides, and came out
nice and light. I remember to have seen among the old
residents an apparatus for baking thin cakes from bat-
ter. These cakes were very toothsome, and were called
waffles. Waffle-irons were made of two rectangular
pieces of iron, about six by eight inches, which fitted
together in such way as to form a mold, or matrix, which
would make a cake about half an inch thick. Each
half of the mold was attached to an iron rod three or
four feet long. These rods were pivoted together near
the molds, and the irons were opened and shut scissors-
fashion. The batter being put in the waffle-iron was
thrust into a hot place in the fire, and in a few seconds
there was turned out a sweet and beautifully indented
waffle. The modern pancake is a degenerate^and sorry
descendant of this cherished ancestor.
Fruits were stewed for immediate use, or made into
pies. For winter they were jammed or preserved. Both
processes were very expensive on the account of the
scarcity of sugar ; and a small quantity of such delica-
cies was stored carefully away to be produced only on
extra occasions. The modern processes of canning fruit
were unknown ; apples were not yet being produced,
and the long winter's subsistence consisted chiefly of
bread and meat. Many a lad was rejoiced at the advent
of some distinguished visitor, because of the proba-
bility afforded thereby of seeing, and possibly tasting,
a little preserves. Vegetables, pumpkins and hominy
were cooked in pots or kettles, set over the fire. After
32 HISTOEY OF WOODFORD COUNTY.
a time an improvement was adopted in the shape of a
long iron arm, fastened to an upright iron rod attached
to the jamb in such way as to turn readily in any di-
rection. This arm coulS thus be turned so as to bring
a pot suspended from it over the fire or back against
the jamb, out of the way. This was called a crane, and
was considered a wonderful convenience. Cooking
stoves did not come into general use until near 1850,
the first having been introduced about ten years before.
Before apples were to be had the staple fruit was the
golden and classic pumpkin. The pumpkins were pared
and cut into pieces of convenient size for drying. They
were then run upon strings and hung up along with red
pepper pods, seed corn and jerked venison, articles at
once useful and ornamental in the settler's homely
cabin. Crab-apples were sometimes gathered and
buried in the ground for winter use. Walnuts, hickory
and hazel nuts were abundant, and the younger fry sub-
sisted largely upon these. In the way of flesh the pio-
neer's family was usually well supplied. In addition to
the domestic animals and fowls, which were soon intro-
duced, the country abounded in excellent game, as men-
tioned elsewhere, and the Mackinaw, Walnut and Pan-
ther creeks were full of choice fish. Milk and butter
soon came to be plenty, but tea and coffee were costly
and rare luxuries. Wild bees were plentiful, and many
a hollow tree furnished the early settler with delicious
honey.
Among the early settlers store-clothes were out of the
question. The garments, as well as the fabrics of which
they were made, were the products of home industry.
HISTOEY OF WOODFOED COUNTY. 33
These fabrics were linen, jeans and linsey. The linen
was prepared from the flax, raised and manufactured by
the rude implements then at hand. The breaking,
hatcheling, spinning and weaving of flax, with their
poor facilities, was a slow and laborious work for our
fathers and mothers, and a nice piece of home-made
linen was an a.rticle of great value. Linsey was made
of linen, or usually cotton, chain with fine woolen fill-
ing. This constituted the chief winter wear of the
women. Jeans was made in much the same manner,
except that the filling was heavier than for linsey. It
was usually colored brown with walnut bark, or ren-
dered more beautiful and expensive with the familiar
blue dye. A well fitting suit of linsey or blue jeans
was both handsome and durable, and there was a laud-
able emulation among housewives to produce the
best and prettiest fabrics of this sort. The wool
for these fabrics was either dyed before carding or in
the hank. The settler would shear his flock about the
beginning of summer, and the wife and children would
put in their spare time preparing the winter apparel
during the season. Before the establishment of carding
mills, which was about the year 1831, the whole process
of preparing wool was carried on at home. The first
thing to be done with the wool, after being thoroughly
cleansed, was to card it. The cards consisted of two
thin boards, about four inches wide and one foot long,
thickly set on one side with fine, short bent wires ; at
the side of each was attached a short handle. With a
pair of these instruments an accomplished lady of the
period could quickly and skillfully work a pile of snowy
34 HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY'-
wool into smooth, even rolls. These rolls were then
spun into threads, which wero reeled into hanks, the
yarn w as then twisted by means of the spinning wheel,
and run upon "quills." The thread was then ready for
the loom. After the materials were ready an expert
weaver could produce five yards of jeans in a day.
Some of the earliest settlers wore buckskin clothing,
but this never prevailed to any extent in Woodford
County.
The social customs among the early comers were of
the most natural and unostentatious sort. Hospitality
was a marked characteristic of the times. Gatherings
were frequent, and visiting a feature of social life much
more general than at present. Personal social equality
was secured by the necessary equality in circumstances
and belongings. Social distinctions, in our best civili-
zations, do not depend upon ability and character so
much as upon differences in personal surroundings.
Houses, furniture, vehicles and dress are the props upon
which the social grades of Christendom are built. Among
our fathers and mothers all were alike in these respects,
and the personal equality, which gave so much zest and
pleasure to social life, was a matter of course The de-
sire to excel in dress and domestic appointments, which
it is useless to deny is the sin and bane of modern soci-
ety, was never awakened in the hearts of our pioneers.
Circumstances made it impossible, and left room for the
exercise of their kindly and social instincts, and, no
doubt, gave them purer and sweeter springs of social
enjoyment than are now accessible. Long and frequent
visits among neighbors were prompted and hospitality
HISTOKY OF WOODFOED COUNTY. 35
quickened not solely by charity, though this in large
measure must be conceded to the early settlers. The
common and stereotyped invitation to " come and spend
the day," and the often acceptance thereof, were
prompted somewhat by the same instinct which led the
Athenians to spend their time in hearing and telling
some new thing. Visits and social gatherings were the
occasions of hearing and telling the news. A stranger
was received and entertained over night, without charge,
partly from the same motive which prompts a man to
buy a newspaper or a story book. Nor is this curiosity
a mean or useless thing. It impels to those investiga-
tions of history and nature which are constantly enlarg-
ing the bounds of our knowledge. Among the early
settlers these things gave point, interest and dignity to
fireside conversation ; but the news of to-day has large-
ly deserted social channels, and become an article of
commerce, leaving to neighborly and social intercourse
the emptiness and nonsense so wearisome and disgust-
ing to men of sense. The good old fireside talks of the
early life are a thing of the past. The matter and mo-
tive of them are found elsewhere, and, so far as this
generation is concerned, conversation is almost a lost
art. That it will be revived upon a different basis now
being laid in universal education can scarcely be
doubted.
In the way of gatherings there were house raisings,
weddings, funerals, elections, spelling matches, religious
meetings and parties. It was a duty no settler thought
of shirking to help his neighbor to raise his house or
barn. These were constructed of heavy materials, and
36 HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY.
the appliances were very rude. It was heavy and
dangerous work, and the raising of a large barn required
the united energies of a whole community. The early
elections were not by ballot, as now, but each voter
signified his candidate or candidates to the office viva
voce. This prevented the secresy and quiet now possi-
ble, and an election was a lively and interesting occa-
sion. Weddings were not the solemn and stately things
of the present ; but occasions of the utmost fun and
festivity. A funeral was a time of sadness Each mem-
ber of a small community possessed a larger importance
than the dweller in a large city, or dense population.
The early settler looked upon the loss of a member
much as a family does at the loss of a brother or sister-
There were no beautiful and guarded cemeteries. The
loved one was laid to rest on the lone hill-side in the
forest, encased in a rude coffin, made of boards split
from a tree. There were no burial cases none of those
*
innocent deceptions by which we persuade ourselves
that we keep something of our lost ones to ourselves,
and rescue the precious clay from corruption. It was a
literal returning of dust to dust, and could not be other
than sad. Spelling matches were a useful means of
education, but were engaged in perhaps more from the
enjoyment they afforded, and the sparking facilities en-
joyed by the youngsters, than from any sense of their
utility. Religious meetings were at first held in private
houses, and were thus semi-domestic in character, and
it is a matter of regret that along with the meeting there
has been too much of a tendency to banish to the meet-
ing house the worship and piety which should have
HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY. 37
been partly retained at home. Parties were usually
given over to the young people, and the boys and girls
generally managed to have a good time ; a little uproar-
ous sometimes with "hurly-burly," "spin the plate," or
"weevilly wheat," but, nevertheless, enjoyable and in-
nocent. There has been considerable change in the
matter of amusements and pastimes. The immense
amount of work to be done did not allow of so much
leisure as may be enjoyed now, but yet there would be
many seasons which could be spared to fun and recrea-
ation. One of the chief sports, half fun and half busi-
ness, was hunting. Every settler possessed a rifle, and
often each boy must have one, and the cabin would be
ornamented by several of these weapons upon their
hooks. Even now you may find, in the old farm
houses, many a long, trusty rifle which did its share in
the early day, in supporting the family. There it hangs
idly in its rack, and quickens the recollection of the old
man in the scenes and enjoyments of the days that can
return no more. It seems to have outlived its usefulness,
but well deserves a place in the family archives for what
it has done. Naturally enough, among a hunting people,
shooting at a mark was a favorite pastime. The best
shot among the pioneers was one who was held in
esteem ; and it was refreshing, not many years ago, to
see an old man carefully wipe his spectacles and show
the boys, in a very convincing way, how much better
they could shoot in the good old time than they can
now. In Walnut Grove there used to be immense num-
bers of squirrels, and in the early summer the people,
for miles around would collect at the old meeting house
38 HISTOEY OF WOODFORD COUNTY.
spring, on an appointed day, and enjoy what was called
a " burgout." A "burgout (pronounced burgoo) was a
feast, the chief feature of which was squirrel soup.
Early on the appointed clay the young men would be
abroad with rifles, in search of young squirrels. By
eight or nine o'clock these would begin to come in from
all directions with their game. By this time, the old
people and children had gathered together and the
work of preparation was begun. Large kettles were
suspended over the fire, and in these the dressed squir-
rels were deliciously souped. By common consent the
direction of affairs was surrendered to Uncle a Lijah"
Dickinson, who knew exactly how to make the best
soup. The young man who brought in the greatest
number of squirrels was the hero of the day, and di-
vided the honor, if not the authority with Uncle Lijah.
The soup was supplemented by the good things pre-
pared at home, and the feast was always one of bounty
and hospitality. It was always field at the old meeting
house spring, near the southeast corner of the present
college campus, and the memories connected therewith,
in many a heart, are pure and sweet as the waters which
bubbled up from its depths. Jumping and wrestling
were much in fashion, and it was an enviable thing to
be the champion in either of these respects. Among
indoor sports checkers, fox and geese and hull-gull were
vejy common. Books were scarce, and periodicals rare,
while musical instruments were confined chiefly to the
violin and accordeon. Croquet and base ball were un-
known, but there were bull-pen, town-ball, cat, horse-
shoe and marbles. These were excellent in their time,
HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY. 39
but we fear must give place to these new fangled things
which are not half so good, you know.
We close this chapter with the impression that change
has been, and still is, making rapid inroads upon the
manners and customs of our domestic and social life.
It stamps itself upon our intercourse and amusements,
upon our food and dress, upon our houses and conveni-
ences. Whether those changes are for better or worse
will be decided in different ways by different people ;
but looking over the whole field the conclusion is forced
upon us that there has been real progress in all depart-
ments of human life. That in the two-fold aspect of indi-
vidual and social improvement much has been done can
hardly be doubted ; and the retrospect fills us with hope
and high anticipation for our county and mankind.
CHAPTER IV.
AGEICULTURE AND FAEM PEODUCTS.
The chief industry among the early settlers of Wood-
ford County was farming. Many of them had been me-
chanics and tradesmen before emigrating from their old
homes, but they found little demand for their services,
and soon turned their attention to opening up farms.
Almost the whole country is tillable land, and the cul-
tivation of the soil is still the most important interest
and is likely to remain so. It will, therefore, be inter-
esting to note the progress of this business during .the
last fifty years. About the year 1824 some farms were
opened in the river bottom, near Spring Bay. About
the same time some prairie was broken, on the place now
occupied by Joseph Meek, by a man named Joseph Dil-
lon. The first comers either settled in the timber or at
the skirts thereof. They knew of the fertility of the
prairie land, and the comparative ease with which it
t could be brought into cultivation, but thought settle-
ments away from the timber would never be possible.
They little dreamed that they would live to see these
broad prairies one continuous ptretch of farms and
pleasant homes. They knew little of the treasures of
the coal mines under their feet, and less of the wonder-
ful possibilities suggested thereby. The many improved
farms on our prairies have chiefly sprung up since the
HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY. 41
days of coal mines and Chicago pine lumber. Many of
the settlers grubbed farms out of the thick trees and
brush, at great expense of time and muscle, when thou-
sands of acres of blooming, fertile prairie were in sight
of their cabins, unclaimed and unoccupied. The favor-
ite location, however, was at the edge of the timber,
where materials for buildings and fences and fuel were
at hand, and the farm extended from a half of a mile
to a mile into the prairie.
The out-buildings were usually a stable, a corn- crib,
a smoke-house and an ash-hopper. The stable, corn-
crib and smoke-house were usually of logs, and the
ash-hopper of clap-boards. The first frame farm
houses were very substantial affairs. The sills, plates
and corner posts being heavy, hewed timbers, mortised
and pinned together as substantially as the timbers of
a modern railroad bridge. Even to this day the old
settlers look upon the light, pine frames, now so much
in vogue, with a good deal of suspicion. Some of the
early barns were buildings of no small pretensions.
They were of the solidest materials, and sometimes f
considerable size. I remember one which was standing
till about the year 1850, on the farm now occupied by
Thos. Ray, near Eureka. This building was constructed
of logs hewed on two sides, so as to present a smooth
wall inside and out. They were about ten inches thick,
and some of them, near the base, were not far from three
feet broad. The barn was about thirty feet square, and
the walls, as I remember them, must have been sixteen
feet high, containing in the neighborhood of fifteen
thousand feet of hard lumber. The entire space within
42 HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY.
was occupied by a threshing floor, and triangular grain
bins, made by planking off the corners. This threshing
floor was made use of by the neighbors generally, be-
fore the days of threshing machines. They would haul
their wheat to the barn in the sheaf, distribute a quan-
tity of it about the center post and then put the horses
upon it. After a long time of walking round and round
the horses were taken out, the straw raked off and re-
moved, the wheat winnowed by means of shovels, and
taken home. The plates of this barn were nicely hewed
on four sides, were about ten by eighteen inches and
thirty feet long. The raising of such a building must
have required the united energies of the whole commu-
nity.
The oldest plank fences date back only about twenty-
five years, and before that time rails were the fencing
material. A few fences were made of sod, but these
were not common. The splitting and hauling of rails
was a work of great labor, but a good rail fence was a
substantial and durable affair. In late years the farmers
have turned their attention to the growing of hedges,
and many experiments have been made with plants of
various sorts. The only thing which so far has been
generally adopted is the osage orange, a native plant,
which grows, under favorable circumstances, to
a height of sixty feet. The wood is elastic and
fine-grained, and was much used by the Indians
for bows. The fruit is about the size and somewhat
the appearance of an orange. It has a juicy and
wholesome pulp, but is not much relished as an article
of food, having an uninviting taste and odor. The
HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY. 43
scarcity of stone forbids its use as a fencing material.
The early implements of husbandry were of the
rudest sort, and the methods slow and laborious. The first
plows used in Wood ford County were little better than
those in use in Asia twenty -five hundred years ago ; for
they had then wooden plows with iron shares, and these
were the only sort known to our fathers fifty years ago.
The best plow at that time was the Carey, with wooden
mold board, and the cultivator was the old time shovel.
Scouring plows were introduced about thirty years ago,
and were a great improvement, since they lightened the
draft, and, what is equally important, enabled the
farmer to turn the crust of the soil upside down, thor-
oughly pulverizing it, and covering up the weeds. Grain
was sowed by hand, and covered by means of harrows
or brush drags. Corn was planted by hand and cov-
ered with a hoe. Sod corn was planted in every third
furrow, and covered by the sod cat by the plow from
the next. Corn ground was u laid off" by running far-
rows with a shovel plow, four feet apart, both ways
across the field. This was a tedious process, but for
many years it did not occur to any one that a marker
might be used, which should make three or four rows
at a time. After a time hand planters came to be used,
and now we are all familiar with the splendid machines
for planting this most important of our products.
Many a young farmer will smile to be told that the
crows and blackbirds used to be regarded as formidable
enemies of the pioneer's cornfield. These birds were
in immense numbers, and cornfields were not numerous
nor large, and when the corn was young these thievish
44 HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUJSTTY-
imps exhibited great intelligence and commendable in-
dustry in pulling it up to get the grain which would ad-
here to the little stem, ft would require several hills of
corn to make a breakfast for a hungry blackbird, and
they did much mischief in this way. As an offset corn
was generally planted too thick, and what the birds
failed to thin, had to be thinned by hand, Even at a
distance of twenty-five years our back aches at the
recollection of that most hated of all pastimes, thinning
corn. It was, in our estimation, entirely " too thin."
Before the days of double shovels the proper cultiva-
tion of corn required three furrows to the row. The
older ones would do the plowing next to the rows and
leave the boys to " split the middles." Of all the mo-
notonous things in the tedious round and routine of hu-
man labor, there is nothing approaching in monotonous-
ly monotonous monotony the " splitting of middles."
But it has had its day, and has Ibeen laid aside with
many another tedious thing, which required neither
skill nor intelligence but stolid perseverance. At first
the harvesting was done largely with the sickle, or
reaping hook, but cradles were early introduced. Wheat
used to be a mu@h surer crop than at present, and the
old-fashioned harvest was a time of plenty in all re-
spects. Plenty of grain, hard work, fun and hot weather.
A stout man with a cradle could cut three acres of grain
per day, and it is still an open question whether a
reaper really saves much time orMabor. However, it
cannot be doubted that the present" inventions of har-
vesters and self-binders will leave no room for a discus-
sion of this sort. It being impracticable to market
HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY. 45
grain at all times as now, the wheat and oats were usu-
ally stacked and thrashed in the fall and winter. The
farms in August presented a cheerful sight, with their
green cornfields, golden stubble and huge stackyards.
Hay was not so much cultivated as now. Many depended
upon wild grasses, and meadows of tame grass occu-
pied only a small portion of the farm. Timothy was
the chief tame grass ; and sometimes in flat places was
a patch of red-top, or English grass, sometimes called
herds-grass. After a time clover was introduced and
has been found to be useful not only as an article of
food for stock, but also for re-fertilizing land which has
been exhausted by grain crops. The common red clover
is the variety which has been most used. Later claim-
ants for favor, however, have 1 ailed to supplant timothy
and clover.
For many years hay was cut with the scythe and
taken up by hand-rakes and pitchforks ; the methods
now in use, and the implements for cutting and hand-
ling being vastly superior to the old. These render the
raising of stock much easier than it could be done with-
out them.
Stock raising was not much of a business in Wood-
ford County before 1850, and has made great progress
in the last few years. The first settlers kept a few pigs
and cattle in a promiscuous way, with the pastoral idea
that they might furnish the family with milk and butter,
and meat and lard. The custom of raising and fatting
stock for market was unknown. After a time markets
were established on the Illinois river for pork, and the
farmers began to fatten a few hogs annually. There
46 HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY.
was no market except in cold weather, and the hogs
were all fattened in the fall and winter. Still later a
few men began to buy up the odd calves and steers a
settler might have, and these were prepared for market,
which was either St. Louis or Chicago. Stock raising
soon became profitable. It is true pork did not bring
much, but it did not cost much to raise hogs. The range
was large, and what with wild strawberries, blackber-
ries, and acorns and hazel nuts the pigs would take care
of themselves during the summer and fall and come up
at the end of the season having outgrown the knowl-
edge of most intimate friends, and ready for easy fat-
tening. Cattle would fatten and grow on the prairies
from middle of spring till Christmas, and there was lit-
tle thought of the time when all this range would be
fenced and owned by somebody, and pasturage would
be scarce and expensive. We see how that from these
rude and careless beginnings the raising of stock has
become an important and systematic part of farming.
Great improvement has been made in the breeds of cat-
tle and hogs, and our sleek and aristocratic Berkshires,
Chesters, Poland-Chinas, Durhams, &c., would hardly
claim kin with their ungainly and bony predecessors.
Attempts to improve our stock of horses by importa-
tions and careful breeding have been frequent in the
last few years, and the experiment has not so far ad-
vanced as to permit the extent of benefit to be fully de-
termined.
In the matter of poultry, turkeys, chickens, ducks
and geese were soon introduced, but there has been
great improvement made in chickens. The kinds upon
HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUiNTY. 47
which the pioneer preacher subsisted were tough and
poor in comparison wiih the tender and luscious ones
which tempt the modern ministerial palate.
The vegetable garden contributed its share to the set-
ler's table. Potatoes, beets, cabbages, onions, beans
peas, and the like, grew in the virgin soil with such
cultivation as the women could give them. The chief
improvements in these matters being the early varieties
of such vegetables as have been cultivated from the
beginning. Cultivation and experiment have made a
gain of from one to two months in the producing of our
more important garden vegetables. An advantage not
enjoyed by the newcomers is the possibility of getting
good and reliable seed. In the old time seeds must be
saved from year to year, and new varieties and fresh
seeds were hard to get. The garden usually afforded
a space for a display of flowers. The kinds were nqt
numerous, but, though old fashioned and of unpretend-
ing titles, were beautiful and sweet. It seems that the
chief improvement that has been made has been in the
matter of names. The beauties which used to gladden
our eyes did not rejoice in the high-sounding titles of
the modern flower aristocracy. We had no Dicentra
Spectabilis, no Gladiollus, Gilia Coronopifolia, Passi-
flora Caerulea, Fuchsia Microphylla, Albizzia Julibris-
sin. No one can deny that there must be an incalculable
amount of beauty, delicacy, rarity and agony which
demand such extraordinary verbal exponents, but, as
in many other things, it sometimes happens that the
magnificence of the name is more easily seen than of
the thing named. We are sometimes pervaded with a
48 HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY.
sense of the ridiculous when we notice some poor, little,
misshapen "body addressed as your Majesty, or some
short, dumpy, Esquimau-legged specimen dubbed your
Highness. But however incongruous the thing must be
done, and lie is but an uncharitable boor who refuses to
see the qualities suggested by these grandiloquent and
appropriate titles. It is not unusual to see sensible
people, neglecting the learned, the beautiful and the
truly great, gathering about some scion of effete aris-
tocracy, bowing and scraping, and pretending to admire ;
nor is it unusual in these days to see sensible young
men and women, oblivious to roses and pinks, bestow-
ing care and praise upon some pompously named little
weed which has neither grace, elegance nor perfume ;
and is only recommended by its name and rarity. In
the good old days there were pinks, and roses, and hol-
lyhocks, and touch-me-nots, and violets, and lilies, and
thb broad prairies were a vast flower garden themselves.
The chief house-plants were such as are sometimes
seen in old fashioned families nowadays, and are likely
to become of some consideration because of their rarity,
although not usually exotic ; namely, children. It is
worthy of remark that some of the most troublesome
pests with which the farmer has to contend, were orig-
inally introduced as rare plants and choice flowers by
romantic and sentimental cultivators.
The weeds during the first few years of the country
did not offer much hinderance to cultivation. The soil
was free from noxious seeds, and the farmer could tend ^
with his single plow, forty or fifty acres of corn ; and it
seems that the improvement in cultivators has not been
HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY. 49
more than sufficient to counterbalance the increasing
crops of weeds. New sorts are constantly met with, and
many a farmer is coming to the conclusion that he has
been trying to cultivate too much ground, until his land
is foul with all manner of villainous growth. Fewer
acres to the hand and more thorough and repeated at-
tacks seems to be the only remedy.
We have seen that fifty years have made a marvelous
change in nearly everything pertaining to agriculture in
Woodford County. Some of these changes have been
for the better, some for the worse, but that the direction
has been such that we may call the whole movement a
progress cannot be denied. We may safely say there
has been a great and gratifying improvement. In com-
fort and independence, in security of person and prop-
erty, in social and political importance, in moral worth
and respectability and downright enjoyment of the best
gifts of Nature, there is probably no people in the
world which surpasses the farmers of Woodford County.
CHAPTER V.
MANUFACTURES, TRADE, ETC.
'Woodfurd County has not made the same progress in
manufactures as in other branches of industry. About
fifty years ago mills for the preparation of flour and
meal began to be thought of, but most of the necessary
articles were made at home. Indian corn was pounded
in a mortar dug out of a stump or trunk of a tree. This
was a slow arid laborious process. In a few years horse
mills were established, by means of which wheat was
ground. The flour was sifted and bolted by hand.
Gradually improved machinery and methods have been
introduced, until grades of flour are produced equal to
those anywhere in the world. This bracnh of business
has suffered much in the last ten years because of the
almost constant failure of the wheat crop in Central
Illinois.
Iron manufacture lias never flourished to any extent
among us. Blacksmiths' shops were early needed for
the repairing of vehicles, shoeing of horses, making of
hails and supplying other needed aiticles, bat beyond
something of this sort little has been done to the pres-
ent time.' We have had our boot and shoe makers from
the beginning, and good mechanics of this class are to
be found in all of our towns, but there is nothing in the
shape of a manufactory of this sort in our county. In
HISTOKY OF WOODFORD COUNTY. 51
the making of wagons and carriages we have a little
better showing, and in several places considerable cap-
ital and skill are at present employed. As we have
seen, the manufacture of fabrics was at one time an ex-
tensive domestic industry, but it seems never to have
got beyond the limits of home. We have no establish-
ment for the manufacture of cloths, and perhaps the
nearest approach to it are the semi-domestic factories of
traditional rag carpet.
Without being more specific in details, we may state
briefly some of the causes which have hindered the growth
of the county in the above respect. In the first place la-
bor and capital have found ready employment in agricul-
ture and trade, which have seemed to offer surer and
speedier returns. In time past factories have seemed to
flourish best where agriculture flourished least, and the
energy of the people turned into the channel of manu-
facturing only when denied any other. This fact often
separated the factory and the product upon which it op-
erated by wide distances. It put the cotton mills in
Massachusetts and England, hundreds or thousands of
miles away from the staple upon which they feed. We
are beginning to find that this is putting asunder what
Q-od has joined together. If Woodford County can
produce wool it is but reasonable to suppose that she
can manufacture that wool into cloths, and make it
profitable. If we can produce excellent and abundant
brom corn, we can produce excellent brooms in im-
mense quantities, and it will be wise for us to look about
to see if there be not some of these complementary in-
dustries to which we can turn our hands. Instead of
USURY
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
UR8ANA
52 HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY-
making endless failures in spring wheat it would be
better to raise flax, and then operate factories that would
utilize both the fiber and the seed. That our county is
well adapted to agriculture will probably be seen to be
the very reason why it is well adapted to certain sorts
of manufacture; but curiously enough these are the
very sorts that have received least attention.
Another reason assigned for our slow progress in
manufactures is the scarcity of fuel, but immense coal
deposits have recently been developed upon two sides
of us, and the very best bituminous coal can be had by
deep mining, at any point in our territory. Besides
there is much difference in the amount of fuel required
to carry on the different sorts of factories, and those
manufactures of which we produce the raw material in
greatest abundance require comparatively little fuel.
The first settlers had but little money of any sort,
and but little chance of getting more. It used to be
that letters were paid for at the place of delivery, and
sometimes, if the letters came far, the sum would amount
to twenty-five cents in silver. I have been told by those
who know, that a settler would often be compelled to
wait fiom a week to a month before he could scrape
up enough money to get his mail. This sounds like ex-
travagant talk, but there is che best of reason for be-
lieving that many among us, who are now wealthy
farmers, were often put to such straits as these. At first
whatever was raised in the way of grain, over and above
the needs of the family and the new immigrants, was
permitted to waste, there being no market. Pretty soon,
however, a market for grain and stock was established
HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY". 53
at Fort Clark (Peoria), and then at Spring Bay. Pork
would sell from a dollar and a quarter to a dollar and
a half per hundred weight dressed, wheat about three
bits a bushel, and corn for almost nothing. They were
usually paid for in high priced goods and paper money.
This money was of the most doubtful character, and
the settler never knew whether it would be worth any-
thing when he wanted to use it. The hardy pioneers of
our civilization did not sit down and whine over these
hardships, but were wide awake and took every advan-
tage of circumstane.es. If they could do a little better
at Pekin, some one would be sure to find it out and tell
his neighbors, and if the market should drop there they
would go to Peoria, or even away off to Chicago Many
a load of grain has been hauled the latter distance from
our county, and hogs have been driven to the same
market, in the rigors of winter. The distance which
produce had to be hauled, and the lack of information
with respect to the markets, left little room for the ex-
ercise of discretion and foresight in the disposal of a
crop. The farmer would hear that a good price was
being paid for wheat in Peoria, or Spring Bay, and
would quickly clean up a load and put for market.
Bat he was often too late, and the market had broken
down. I was told by an old settler that once, in a very
dull time, he took a load of wheat to Pekin. To his
surprise arid delight he received fifty cents a bushel,
and that too, in bright silver. With great joy he re-
turned home and hastily prepared another load to be
taken next day, meanwhile sending the good news to
his neighbors. The news spread rapidly, and the next
G
54 HISTOEY OF WOODFOKD COUNTY.
morning our settler put out with bis load for Pekiu.
But imagine his chagrin when he discovered that the
market had fallen nearly one half, and the only money
being paid out was the doubtfullest sort of "shinplasters."
He was compelled to dispose of his wheat thus, and in
different mood from the day before, wended his way home
as the evening shadows gathered about him. But all
this time the news had been traveling, and he met teams
from away east of Panther Creek, hurrying wheat to
Pekin to ,uvt the silver half dollar per bushel. It seems
that some of the early graft n buyers in certain " ways "
and "tricks" resembled the "heathen Chinee," very
closely.
By and by things began to improve. By 1830 steam-
boats began to ascend the Illinois river, and take pro-
duce from Pekin, Peoria and Spring Bay, to St. Louis
and New Orleans, In 1840 Munn & Scott established
themselves in Spring Bay as grain buyers and general
merchants, and trade was divided between Chicago and
the points below. The opening of the Illinois and
Michigan Canal was a great step for the commerce of
Wooford County, and when the Central Railroad was
completed in 1852 we began to feel assured of our fu-
ture. Since that time new roads have been built, and
markets and places of trade have been established
within easy reach in all parts of the county. Unforeseen
circumstances have brought our pioneers, who used to
wonder what disposition they could ever make of the
products of their rich soil, to the verj^ door of the great-
est grain and stock market upon the globe.
These changes have not only brought markets to ou
HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY. 55
door, but with them have brought accurate daily infor-
mation of markets all over the country. A settler on
the prairie in Roanoke township to-day, can know more
of the markets in New York and Liverpool yesterday,
than he could h'ave known forty years ago of the mar-
kets of Peoria and Spring Bay the day before. Postal
privileges, which were formerly scarce and costly, are
now enjoyed to the fall and at but little cost. Our first
settlers had to get their mail from Peoria and Mackin-
awtown, and these places were far away from many of
them. After a time post offices were established at
Washington. Metamora, &c., and the settlers felt that
with a post office within ten miles and mail every week
things were getting handy. If we could drop our daily
mails and daily newspapers and go back thirty years
we should have a better realization of the disadvan-
tages with which our fathers and mothers had to con-
tend, if we should be compelled to give up no other con-
veniences than these.
Goods began to be sold at Spring Bay, Metamora,
Versailles and Bowling Green, and for many years
these were places of considerable trade. Not many fine
goods were brought, and such as were for common use
were sold at high prices. It sometimes happens that a
bushel of wheat will buy a calico dress, but in the olden
time a bushel of wheat would often fail to pay for a
single yard. ,Ten bushels of corn would often be
thought a good price for a pair of boots, but' our
early settlers often saw the time when a team couldn't
carry .enough corn to market to secure one pair of sto-
gas. There has been great improvement, not only in
56 HISTOEY OF WOODFOKD COUNTY.
prices, but in the quality and variety of commodities
sold, and in the matter of general merchandise it seems
that an unrestrained competition has had its full and
legitimate effect. It is probable, as hinted above, that
this business has been overdone in this county. There
are too many merchants and clerks and not enough
manufacturers and working men, and it seems that there
is a substantial reward awaiting the prudent investment
of capital in suitable industries. With all her resources
developed, and all her energies wisely directed, Wood-
ford County will be the home of an intelligent, healthy
and happy people.
CHAPTER VI.
POLITICS, LAW AND MEDICINE.
The citizens of Woodford County have always taken
much interest in politics, and political gatherings and
speech-making have been customary for many years.
Up to the formation of the Republican party in 1856 the
two prominent parties were Whig and Democrat, but
the Democrats were in considerable majority. There
were a few citizens, living chiefly above Metamora, who
possessed an intense hatred to southern slavery, and did
not respect the Fugitive Slave Law. Investigation
before the grand jury showed, that in all probability,
there existed in this vicinity one of what were called
" the stations of the underground railroad " These
were nothing more nor less than hiding places for fugi-
tive slaves who were trying to make their way to Can-
ada. The stations would be at convenient distances,
such as could be driven or walked in a night, and the
fugitives would travel in the darkness, and tind con-
cealment, shelter and provisions during the day at the
hands of people who thought they were doing right in
thus defeating a cruel and unjust law. It seems that
there was a station in Tazewell county, one in Woodford
and one in Bureau county, connecting with others
north and south, forming a continuous line from the
slave states to Canada. There existed many such lines
58 HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY.
as these running through the northern states, and many a
poor negro followed them to liberty. The existence of this
station soon became known to the citizens of the county,
but many did not seem to wish to interfere, and had
little inclination to wrest the captive from the hands of
his helpers and send him back to slavery. Some, how-
ever, regarded them as law-breakers, and much preju-
dice was stirred up, and at times excitement ran very
high. I believe, however, that little or no violence was
ever resorted to in Woodford County on this account.
Since 1856 the two prominent parties have been the
Democratic and Republican. The Democrats have al-
ways been in the majority, and have usually controlled
the county offices. When the rebellion broke out in
1861, with but few exceptions, political questions were
made of secondary importance, and our county was
among the first to furnish troops for the preservation of
the Union. From the best information it seems that,
first and last, we furnished about fifteen hundred sol-
diers to the Union armies, being fully one- tenth of the
entire population. There was little or no public dis-
turbance among the people during the war, and I think
it may be truthfully said that Woodford County bore
her full share of the terrible burden with patience and
cheerfulness.
During political campaigns immense open air meet-
ings have been customary in our county, and our citi-
zens are familiar with the oratory of Lincoln and Doug-
las, and Trumbull, and Allen, and Yates, and Dickey,
and Ingersoll, and scores of others prominent in the
political world.
HISTORY OF WOODFOBD COUNTY. 59
About twenty years ago the American party had or-
ganization and a jrood many adherents in many parts of
the county, but I believe it does not exist as a separate
organization at present ; although there are those who
still advocate the principles and doctrines which it then
advocated. Prohibition has figured to some extent of late
years as a political issue in the county but has never
succeeded in controlling elections to any extent. The
Temperance party in 1869 seemed to possess more vigor
and shape politically than since, not, perhaps, because
our citizens are indifferent as regards the matter, but
because the prominent political organizations have not
been willing to regard temperance as a legitimate polit-
ical issue. There was as early as 1851, at Metamora, a
society known as ''Division 33, Sons of Temperance, of
the State of Illinois," with printed Constitution and By-
laws and Rules of Order. About 1856 a large public
meeting was held in the Christian church in Walnut
Grove and strong resolutions against the liquor traffic
were prepared and generally si'gned.
The Democrats and Republicans have been repre-
sented for a number of years by party newspapers, the
Democraticjocated at Metamora, "The Woodford Senti-
nel? and the Republican, 'the " Journal? at El Paso.
In 1854 there was put forth, by C. McKinzie, a pros-
pectus for the "Woodford County Times? to be devoted
to news and politics. It was to be Democratic. I be-
lieve this was the beginning of newspaper enterprises
among us. Metamora long enjoyed the preeminence
of being the only place of publication in the county.
In the year 1865 the^'ElPaso Journal" was commenced,
60 HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY.
and in the year 1867 tho "Eureka Journal" The news-
papers of the county at present are the "Sentinel" Met-
amora ; the "Journal" El Paso ; the "Journal"
Eureka, and the "Times" Minonk.
The early administration of justice, of course, partook
somewhac of the irregularities and peculiarities charac-
teristic of this art in all new countries Justice is a
goddess who possesses wonderful powers of adaptation
to circumstances, and makes her abode with the rude
backwoodsmen as contentedly as with the learned and
wealthy. Among our fathers the best facilities for pun-
ishing crime were not always afforded, and sometimes
it happened. in new countries that the friends of law and
order are in the minority. It so happened in some por-
tions of Illinois. Probably the most impudent defiers
of the law, and thost? who most provoked the wrath of
the settlers, were horse thieves. These fellows occa-
sionally coupled with their regular vocation, by way of
variety, burglary and highway robbery. There existed,
no doubt, throughout the west a numerous and organ-
ized band of these desperate villains They seem f o
have got the start of the law, and sometimes secured
the election of members of the gang to local offices. To
counteract these dangers the early settlers united in an
organization known as the " Regulators." These often
made short and unceremonious work of horse thieves
and robbers. Our county suffered considerably from
these depredators, but our citizens never found the op-
position to law strong enough to resort to lynch law.
Among the early settlers legal knowledge and advice
was not always attainable, but the juctices and officers
HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY. 61
were usually men of great practical sense, and un-
doubted integrity. Their methods of getting at truth
and fairness were sometimes excentric and original, but
it is probable that equal and exact justice was done as
often as by our present more refined, technical and in-
volved processes. Lawyers were scarce, and suits were
sometimes disposed of in a way which might provoke
a professional smile, but somehow it all averaged well,
and the majesty of the law was vindicated and main-
tained. Even after the organization of the county, and
the circuit court brought in such men as Lincoln, S. T.
Logan and Davis, there was a free and easy way about
courts and lawyers which would be refreshing if it
could be revived at present. While Judge Treat was
presiding at Versailles he would frequently summon
the lawyers from their contests with the settlers in
jumping and horse-shoe pitching to attend to their busi-
ness indoors. The officer would sometimes find Lin-
coln at these sports, with coat off and full of excitement,
when needed in court. In those days the court room
was the scene of the utmost good humor and hilarity.
Jokes and anecdotes were current, and attending court,
in the days of my boyhood, was better than a circus.
The same spirit has not always characterized our legal
proceedings, arid I have witnessed in cur county some
disgusting and humiliating spectacles of bullying,
brow-beating and abuse. It is believed, however, that
this is a thing of the past, and that our bar is at pres-
ent characterized by a higher tone. Without attempt-
ing to blame any one in particular, it is well for the
fraternity to see to it that coarseness and profanity
H
62 HISTOBY OF WOODFOKD COUNTY.
shall never again become so prevalent as formerly.
For a long time after the removal of the county seat
nearly the whole bar resided at Metamora, but lawyers
are found at present in all parts of the county. The
first licensed attorney was John B. Holland, who went
to California in 1849, and died there. Prominent among
those who have first and last expounded the law in our
midst, and taught our people the eternal principles of
justice, are S. P. Shope, Welcome P. Brown, C. H. Chitty,
John Clark, R. T. Cassell. A. E. Stevenson, Briggs and
Meek, E. D. Davidson, Harper and Cassell and a lot of
younger men whose names will probably figure in his-
tory by and by.
But it is time now that we should turn our attention to
another important class of men, the need of which is
felt in all communities', whether barbarous or civilized
the medical fraternity. Communities feel the need of
and appreciate the doctor long- before the lawyer, the
pedagogue or even the preacher. Among rude people
the "Medicine Man" shares the honor with the Chief,
and the dignity and authority of both offices are often
blended in the same individual; while among civilized
and polished communities there is no more useful or
respected man than the competent and conscientious
physician.
The prevalent diseases among the early settlers were
remittent, or intermittent, fevers in the late summer and
fall, and pneumonia in the winter. Against the first
there seemed to be no adequate means of defense. The
immense quantity of vegetation exposed to the heat
and moisture as the summer advanced produced miasma
HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY. 63
in such quantities that no locality escaped. It would
sometime happen that not a single family in a settle-
ment would be free from malarial affections, and often
whole families would be stricken down with ague, and
no one able to care for the others. In this condition
they would be cared for by the neighbors, and many
acts of kindness and self-sacrifice thus called out are
remembered by the old settlers with lively pleasure.
If the present generation has wherein to boast over the
last, it is not in the matter of hospitality or good Sa-
maritanism.
At first the settlers were compelled to depend upon
their own knowledge and resources in combatting dis-
ease. Now and then a man would couple with his
farming the healing art, and some of these, by observa-
tion and experience, acquired a considerable degree of
skill, and were usually regarded as oracles by the
neighbors. Sometimes this office would be assumed by
some old lady, who, combining a little experience, good
sense and superstition with a deal of good nursing and
encouragement, often succeeded marvelously. Inas-
much as these practitioners usually gave their services
for nothing, and enjoyed the confidence of the people,
the early physicians found it difficult to get a foothold.
There was another fact, however, which made it hard
for the first regular practitioners. The people of the
county had largely imbibed the doctrine of Dr. Samuel
Thomson, and they looked with much suspicion and
prejudice upon these u Old School " or " Calomel " doc-
tors. Dr. Thomson taught that since minerals were de-
rived from the depths of the earth, their use would drag
64 HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY.
the patient down into the grave ; but that vegetable
medicines would raise the body up, inasmuch as it is the
nature of vegetables to spring up from the ground. Dis-
ease was attacked by means of such weapons as lobelia'
cayenne pepper, ceffee, number-six, steaming and sweat-
ing. Those fellows who gave calomel and let blood and
drew blisters were regarded with some distrust if not
aversion.
It was, perhaps, as well when each family had to keep
its own medicines and often to administer them by guess,
that the nostrums were of such character, instead of
more potent drugs, which might have done infinitely
more harm. But so deeply do prejudices relative to the
healing art take hold of people that they are with
difficulty overcome. I think some of the old settlers
would almost as soon have died according to Thomsoni-
anism as to have recovered under the ministration of
calomel, etc. Things are changed now, and lobelia no
longer claims authority to set up its rule in every
disordered stomach, arid will no longer cure all mala-
dies. But to return to the doctors.
The first regular physician among us was Dr. Hazzard,
who settled near Germantown in 1836. After eleven
years of usefulness he was thrown from his buggy and
killed. Dr. Wm. C. Anthony, another regularly edu-
cated physician, located at Bowling Green in 1837, but
left soon after the county was organized. " Medicine
men " of this sort did not accumulate very rapidly, and
the next one did not put in an appearance until 1846.
At that date Dr. J. S. Whitmire, then a young man,
took up his abode at Metamora, and for more than thirty
HISTOEY OF WOODFOKD COUNTY. 65
years has waged a successful and unrelenting warfare
against the diseases which beset our frail tabernacles,
in all parts of the county. A little more than a year
afterward came Dr. R. B. M. Wilson, but he soon re-
moved to Washington, Tazewell county, where he has
since resided. Although not a resident of our county
he, as well as Dr. G. P. Wood, was a frequent visitor at
the households of our early settlers. Among those who
have combatted the ills to which flesh is heir, may be
found the name of A. Reynolds, who pioneered the way
against Thomsonianism about Bowling Green, begin-
ning his campaign in 1848. Dr. J. G Zeller was one of
the first physicians in the western part of the county,
where he is still in successful practice. There were
some physicians of the eclectic school among us, some
years ago, who practiced with considerable success.
Among these were Richard Bard, of Versailles, and Drs.
Springgate and Tandy, of Eureka. The eclectics are
still represented by Dr. Maloney, of Washburn, and
Dr, J..M. John, of Roanoke.
In 1870 was organized the Woodford County Medical
Society, which holds frequent sessions for the advance-
ment of medical science, and the discussion of questions
connected with tho profession. In this association no
one is admitted to membership except those who have
received a diploma from some, medical institution au-
thorized to confer degrees. The present membership
is as follows : Drs. Whitmire and Kinnear, Metamora ;
Cole and Lamme, El Paso ; Crawford, Lichtenberger
and Rosenberg, Eureka; Blanchard, Minonk ; Morgan
and Wilkinson, Roanoke ; Slemmons, Benson ; Dar-
66 HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY.
ling, Low Point ; Garrett, Newkirk and Tweddale,
Washburn ; Dr. Gill. Prominent among the fraternity
is Dr. Wilcox, of Minonk, who has found opportunity
to engage to some extent in politics, with success ; and
Dr Z. H. Whitmire, who was for many years in partner-
ship with his brother, at Metamora.
CHAPTER VII.
EDUCATIONAL AND EELIGIOUS MATTERS.
Great progress lias been made by us in educational
matters. The first school of which I can find any trace
was kept in a little log hut near where E. B. Myers af-
terward settled. It was in the year 1832. Not long
afterwards Joshua Woosley taught near the head of the
grove. About the same time, away over in White Oak,
on the place now owned by Winton Carlock, old Abner
Peeler began the training of the backwoods youth. A
little later still, down in the Uncle Jimmy Harlan neigh-
borhood, intellectual culture was attempted, and this
time by a lady. Mary Ann Brown heads the list of
educators of Montgomery township. Somewhere about
1835 the settlers on Ten Mile, in the western part,
erected a school house, and George Hopkins undertook
the arduous task of instilling through eye and ear and
spine the rudiments of learning. This was one of the
first school houses, and lest our youngsters should get
a wrong notion of it I will attempt a description of the
primitive school house. It was nearly square and built
of logs. For light a log was left out of one side. The
opening was sometimes converted into a u window " by
being filled with greased paper for glass Again it
would be filled by a broad board, which being let
down upon pegs upon the inside, answered for writing
68 HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY.
desk. Writing could only "be attended to when the
window was open, and if it was cold or windy there
must have been some attendant inconvenience. At one
end of the room was a fireplace which had a lively,
cheeriul air in winter, when it was put to its best to keep
out the cold, but had a dreary, vacant goneness about
it in summer. Of all the sad. fancy-smothering, regret-
ful things an old-fashioned, gaping fireplace, with its
black, sooty jambs and funereal ashes and idle dog-irons
is the chief. Housewives used to fill them up with
boughs of trees and asparagus bushes, or something of
that sort, before screens were thought of. But nobody
attempted to relieve the desolation of the school house
fireplace. Like a ruin in the wilderness or a carcass
upon the plain it was left to its lonesomeness. A stove
looks like something, even when not in use, but an un-
used fireplace is a great yawning emptiness. But we
were talking about the old time school houses. \The
benches consisted of a rough slab with four rude pins,
and required no other tools in their construction than
an ax and big auger. Maps, charts, globes and black-
boards were unknown, and the searchers .after knowl-
edge had few helps in their tasks ; nor even many com-
forts. If one of our modern teachers should be thrust
into such surroundings with his work he would be apt
to abandon the field in utter defeat. And yet the pio-
neers in education wrought patientjy and successfully
through all these disadvantages and laid well the foun-
dation of learning and intelligence in our midst.
The first school about Spring Bay was kept in the
house of Benjamin Williams, by a man named Ellmore,
PISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNT Y.
and the first school in Partridge was taught by Mary
Curry; A sort of itinerant school was taught at Low
Point, in 1837, by Miss Love Morse. It was kept one
week at the house of James Owen and the next
at the house of Parker Mofse. Miss Morse kept a
schedule of attendance at the school, and the expenses
wi-re paid out of the state treasury, according to the
record. This was probably the tirst free school ever
taught in northern Illinois.
There were many trials and difficulties in the way of
the early pedagogue which the modern one does not en-
counter. One of these was the necessity of boarding
around. Hash was more abundant than money, and
when the settler subscribed for a scholar, scholar and a
half, or two scholars, or any other number, he stipu-
lated to pay part of the price by boarding the "ma'am"
or "master." By a curious law this would throw the
.teacher most of the time into the most unpleasant quar-
ters. If a family was lare, the same cause which
would furnish many pupils and require the pedagogue
to board longer with the family would also leave little
room for his accommodation. By this plan, however,
the teacher became familiar with all sorts of people,
accommodations, fare, houses and all degrees of clean-
liness, and what he lost in comfort and convenience he
gathered up in experience. He had good opportunity
to acquire that facility of adaptation to circumstan-
ces the becoming all things to all men which contrib-
ute so largely to success in any calling ; and the chances
to study all species of the genus homo in their native
haunts was most excellent. Another trial was the in-
i
70 HISTOKY OF WOODFORD COUNTY.
subordination of the pupils. Muscle was a thing much
relied on in those early days, and the successful teacher
must be able to thrash the biggest boy in school, or his
authority was constantly in danger. Pluck and gener-
alship were rieces&ary qualities. Holidays were not
granted, as now, by legal enactment, nor upon formal
petition, but by forcible expulsion of the master from
the school house. They were days of time-honored
mutiny and legitimate rebellion, which threatened to
extend to all the other days of the calendar. All honor
to the heroes who maintained their ground on these
doubtful battle-fields. Among these honored ones of
the long ago will be found the names of Noel Meek, Sr.,
E. B. Perrin, the wonderful scribe, A. B. Cram, Holcomb
Bobbins and many others ; but probably he who has
battled longest and most successfully in the cause of
education in Woodford County is A. S. Fisher, who has
persistently worked in this field for nearly thirty years.
When we turn from the state of affairs described
above to contemplate the present condition of educa-
tional matters in our midst, it seems almost incredible
that all this change should have been wrought in a sin-
gle generation. But so it is. In almost every village
and rural district we find the neat and painted school
house, and the trained teacher, who is beginning al-
ready to regard his work as a profession. He takes
some educational periodical, attends institutes and ap-
preciates the necessity of study and experiment in him-
self. Our large towns have their graded schools and
tasteful and imposing structures. Great credit is due
especially to El Paso and Metamora for the excellent
HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY. 71
buildings and facilities which they have provided for
the public schools. We commend their example to
other places. This advice will not be received, of
course, by those who regard the money, paid in school
taxes, almost thrown away; but will not be lost upon
that better class who think mental training one of the
necessaries of life, and cheap at whatever cost of mere
dollars. Although so much has been done in the last
generation in the way of public education, we have not
yet arrived at the quitting place, and there is room for
as much to be done in the next generation. Too many
of our teachers still regard their work as simply a tem-
porary employment, and not a profession to be held fast
for life. Men cannot achieve success with this idea in
law, medicine, commerce or agriculture, nor can they
in teaching. Institutes should meet with more encour-
agement and awaken more interest, not specially on the
part of the public authorities, but on the part of the
teachers themselves and the people generally. They are
not only essential to the development of the best ideas
and methods relative to the work of teaching, but are
the best promoters of that fellowship which the French
call esprit de corps, so necessary to the success of any
army, whether of soldiers, teachers or Christians. We
need public libraries and museums, not hidden away in
colleges and seminaries where they only benefit the stu-
dent, but they should be thrown in the way of the
public and maintained at public expense.
With respect to the higher collegiate education
Woodford County has no mean record, and can boast
of as honest an effort in this direction as any county in
72 HISTOEY OF WOODFOKD COUNTY.
the state. Much remains to Ibe done, however, in this
behalf. Many persons not only fail to sustain and en-
courage the higher culture, but utterly fail to under-
stand what it is. There is a cheap imitation of gentility
in dress and manner which passes for the genuine arti-
cle among certain sorts of people, but is ridiculous and
disgusting to persons of real refinement. This counter-
feit gentility is found as often amon^ the rich as the
poor, and is as plainly visible under silk and broad-
cloth as homespun. In like manner there is a cheap
imitation of higher education, or collegiate culture. It
is cfieap because it is secured at little outlay of time or
labor, and is worth just about as much as it costs.
There is a sort of shallow normalism which insists
that two or three years are about all that can be profita-
bly given to culture, in the period of youth. There are
many so called "normal schools" in the land which pro-
fess to do for a young man, in two or three years, what
our colleges cannot do in less than five or six. This is
sheer pretense and deception, and its effects are being
seen in the weak and shallow mentality of many of our
"educated" men. But Woodford County has done some-
thing for that patient and thorough development of the
intellectual and moral faculties which deserves the name
of higher education. There are many who recognize
youth as a period of growth in intellectual and moral
faculties, and that cultivation ought. to correspond with
the whole period of growth. A farmer might as well
attempt to cultivate his corn by working it three days,
as the educator attempt to train and cultivate men in
two or three years. Friends of education ought to be-
HISTORY OF TVOODFOKD COUXTY. 73
gin to understand that the time of cultivation cannot
be shortened without detriment to mental growth and
strength.
Impressed with the necessity of thorough education
s<>me men about Walnut Grove, under the" leadership of
Ben. Major, about 1850, inaugurated the Walnut Grove
Seminary, with A. S. Fisher, principal, and Miss Susan
Jones, assistant. This soon developed into the " Wal-
nut Grove Academy," and in February, 1855. secured a
charter from the State legislature under the name of
" Eureka College," with the following Board of Trus-
tees : Elijah Dickinson, Wm. Davenport, E. B. Myers,
John D.irst, John Lindsey, A. M. Myers, John Major.
W. H. Davenport, B. J. Radford, David Deweese, R.
M. Clark, Wm. Atteberry, Wm. T. Major, C. O. Nev-
ille, John Bennett, Wm. M. Brown, Jno. T. Jones,
Wm. S. Pickerell, Geo. McManus, Bushrod W. Henry,
I. T Logan, P. C. Redding, Henry Grove and Jno. W.
Taylor. This institution Las been in constant and
successful operation ever since the above date, and has
instructed, for shorter or longer periods, over three
thousand pupils, more than half ot whom have come
from other counties. The college is still flourish-
ing and has a corps of eight experienced instructors,
and ranks among the first institutions of its class in the
state.
Recently a movement was made to establish an acad-
emy at Low Point. Funds were secured and a neat and
commodious frame building was erected, well adapted
to the wants of the young institution. Prof. J. E. Lamb
was appointed principal, and the academy soon got well
74 HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY.
under way, but an unforeseen calamity was in store for
it. A few months since the building was burned to tho
ground, and by some strange oversight there had been
no insurance provided. As soon as they recovered a
little from the blow the friends of the enterprise began
to think of rebuilding, and money was subscribed, but
the hard times make the work drag, and the issue sterns
somewhat doubtful. The people of Low Point cannot
well afford to let this matter fall through, and outfit to
resurrect the institution at whatever sacrifice. A grand
stride will have been taken by our people in the march
of civilization when they become willing to expend as
much upon the brain as the stomach, and come to recog-
nize food for the mind as among the necessaries of life.
Let every citizen of Woodford County hasten the time.
If the people of Woodford are not, like the ancient
Athenians, exceedingly religious, they are by no means
to be reckoned as heathens. The voice of the preacher
of the gospel was heard in the cabins of the early set-
tlers, and in the groves which were lately the haunts of
the Red man and the panther. About 1829 a Presbyte-
rian minister came to Walnut Grove. He was invited
to preach at a settler's cabin, but soon after the sermon
began two of the boys got into a fisticuff pastime. Ser-
vices were interrupted until the disturbances were qui-
eted, when the preacher proceeded. This was, perhaps,
the earliest voice in the wilderness of these parts, but
not many Presbyterian ministers came this way for a
long while, and it was not until 1868 that a Presbyte-
rian church was organized at Eureka. In 1841 Rev. W.
T. Adams, now of El Paso, preached at Low Point in
HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY. 75
the house of Mr. Farnsworih, but no church was organ-
ized here until 1853. At that time some fourteen mem-
bers were gathered together, constituted a congregation
and enjoyed the ministry of Wm. P. Carson. Wm.
Dodds was first elder. The present membership is
nearly one hundred. There was organized the next
year, 1854, another church known as United Presbyte-
rians, which is in a prosperous condition at present. In
1856 Wm. Frost began to preach at Minonk, and the
next year organized a Presbyterian church at this point.
The first organization of this denomination at Meta-
mora was in 1858; and their first minister was I. A.
Cornelison. It began with a small membership. Mr.
Cornelison, in 1868, gathered together some twenty-four
members at Eureka and organized them into a church,
arid they soon secured the services of Rev. Samuel Hart,
under whose care they prospered. They now have an
elegant house of worship and are thriving under the
ministry of Rev. M. P. Orrnsby. The Presbyterian
church in El Paso was organized by VV. T. Adams in
1857. Mr. Adams became the pastor iri!864. The con-
gregation is now large and prosperous.
Methodism early gained a firm foothold among the
settlers in Woodford County. The first church erected
on Ten Mile was Methodist, and the preacher's name
was Laitey. He was followed by Uncle Zedick Hall,
the famous pioneer Methodist preacher. Father Hall
has been a zealous teacher of religion in our county
and surrounding regions for more than two score years,
and is still vigorous and enthusiastic. He preached
throughout Central Illinois in the early day, encounter-
76 HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY.
ing with much fortitude the dangers an<J hardships in-
cident to Ills work, and has done as much, perhaps, to
build up righteousness and temperance as any man
among us. He resides with his son in Worth town-
ship. About 1840 Jeter Foster. began preaching about
Low Point and soon built up a Methodist church at that
place. They erected a meeting house here in 1851.
Among the early planters of Methodism in Walnut
Grove was Uncle Jimmy Wells, and in almost every
neighborhood was to be found the Methodist preacher
arid exhorter, so that these people are numerous and
iound in almost all parts of the county. They have con^
gregaticns in all the principal towns and neighbor-
tioods.
The Baptists were among the first to proclaim the
gospel among us. It is said the first sermon ever
preached about Low Point was by a Baptist named A,
M. Root at the house of Isaac Buckingham. The Mis-
sionary Baptists built a church here in 1846 on the
farm now owned by S. Mundell. But the first Baptist
church organized in the county was in die south-eastern
part at the house of Jas. Vance. This was done by J.
D. Newell in the year 1837, and the congregation con-
sisted of about a dozen members, Soon afterward, in
CazenOVia, the old Klchland Baptist church was organ-
ized. The church at Minonk was organized about 18
years ago, and has been under the pastoral care of Rev.
0. D, Merrit ever since. The Baptists have at present,
in the county, eleven organizations and about one thou-
sand members, and expend annually for church and be-
nevolent purposes above ten thousand dollars.
HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY. 77
The Christiana church was represented among the
early settlers by a number of preachers among whom
were John Oatman, Abner Peeler, Henry D. Palmer,
Jas. Robeson, Wm. Davenport and Jas. Owen. By the
efforts of these men congregations of Disciples were es-
tablished in nearly all parts of the county. There are
at present eleven organizations with a membership of
above twelve hundred. Their two veteran preachers are
John T. Jones, of Eureka, aged 82, and James Robeson,
of Secor, aed 80. Father Robeson, familiarly known
as " Uncle Jimmy," is still vigorous and preaches regu-
larly, having been a prea@her of the gospel about sixty
years. The denomination has done much for education
in the county, having built and sustained Eureka Col-
lege ; although the Methodists and Presbyterians of
Eureka have liberally assisted them in their commend-
able work.
Besides the above denominations there are several
smaller religious organizations of somewhat later origin.
There is a prosperous congregation of Tankers, or Ger-
man Baptists, near Roanoke, and there are two congre-
gations of Omish, or Amish, among us These latter
are a portion of the great Mennonite denomination. The
Catholics have also organized in several parts of the
county, though we have no statistics respecting them.
Probably the first Sunday school in this county was
organized by Father Morse, in 1837, at his house in
Low Point. Gradually the necessity and fitness of Sun-
day schools was perceived by religious teachers of all
sorts, and all denominations came to regard them as an
excellent means of religious training. In all our towns
78 HISTORY OF WOODFORD COUNTY.
and many country churches good Sunday schools are
maintained, and it is probable that some two thousand
children receive regular instruction by this means. A
fact which is full of hope for the Christian and philan-
thropist.
Neighbor, here we bid you good bye. We have seen
that in the fifty years since Woodford County was first
settled by white men, there has been a wonderful im-
provement in all matters pertaining to physical com-
fort and conveniences ; to intellectual and social life, to
moral and religious institutions and agencies. We have
been rapidly catching up with, and finding our place in,
the great march of civilization in older communities,
but there remains much for all of us to do. He is the
best citizen who appreciates most fully and promotes
most zealously the improvement of his fellow men in
all respects physical, intellectual and moral. Let us
quit ourselves like men, Woodford County, desirable
as it may be, can only be ours for a little time, and it
would be well for us to secure a claim where home-
steads never change hands, and there are no graveyards
on the hill sides.
