History and reminiscences, from the records of Old settlers union of Princeville and vicinity; material comprised in reports of committees on history and reminiscences for years 1906-

ISTORY

AND

REMINISCENCES

Old Settlers' Union
of Princeville
and Vicinity

J^ECORDS OF

1911
1912
1913
1914
1915

VOLUME II

VRBANA

:Z

a. yix.-

First President of Old Settlers' Union of Princeville and Vicinity
Born August 30, 1834

VOL. II

HISTORY

AND

REMINISCENCES

FROM THE RECORDS OF

OLD SETTLERS' UNION

OF PRINGEVILLE

AND VICINITY

Material comprised in

Reports of Committees on History and Reminiscences

for years 1911, 1912, 1913, 1914, 1915

Published under the auspices of

Old Settlers' Union of Princeville and Vicinity

August, 1915

PETER AUTEN

ODILLON B. SLANE

GEO. I. McGINNIS

Publishing Committee

' We build more splendid habitations, fill our rooms with
paifitin^s and with sculptures, but cannot buy with
gold the old associations. ' '

— //enry IV. Longfelloiv.

THE OLD SETTLERS' UNION OF PRINCEVILLE

AND VICINITY.

Organized August 22, 1906, and first picnic held
September 19 of same year.

Object, "To perpetuate the memories of pioneer
days, foster a reverence for our forefathers, and en-
courage the spirit of fellowship and hospitality."

Annual picnic and reunion last Thursday in Au-
gust, unless changed by Executive Committee,

Eligible to membership : Any person 21 years of
age, having resided w^ithin the State of Illinois one
year; dues $1.00 per year.

Townships included: Princeville, Akron, Mill-
brook, Jubilee, Hallock and Radnor in Peoria County;
Essex, Valley and West Jersey in Stark County ; Truro
in Knox County ; and LaPrairie in Marshall County.

Committees on History and Reminiscences :

1911 : S. S. Slane, Chas. E. Stowell.

1912 : S. S. Slane, Chas. E. Stowell, Peter Auten.

1913 : Peter Auten, Odillon B. Slane, Geo. I. McGinnis.

1914 : Same.

1915 : Same.

INTEODUCTION TO VOL. 11.

This book, a eompanion to Vol. I issued in 1912,
is a reproduction with a few corrections and additions,
of the various sketches as transmitted by the respective
committees to the Union in years 1911 to 1915 inclusive,
and the year of writing is indicated on each sketch.
Articles on general subjects are given first, then family
histories in alphabetical order, and then lists of the
burials in the difi'erent cemeteries.

Especial attention is called to the "Map of Prince-
ville in 1840 and 1841", to the Diary of John K. Wil-
son, enroute overland to Oregon in 1850, at close of the
history of Aaron Wilson family; and to the lists of
soldiers and of soldier dead.

Each of the Reminiscence Committees has realized
that the families named in its sketches are but a few
taken from among the many worthy the pen of a his-
torian. The Publishing Committee therefore hopes that
this volume will be an incentive to the writing of addi-
tional family sketches, and also of additional sketches
on memorable events or on subjects of a general nature,
which may in due time be published in another volume
similar to this one.

The families whose history is herein printed are
urged to preserve enough copies of this volume for each
of their children. Several have indicated their inten-
tion of purchasing Vol. I, also, in order to have a com-
plete set of the books from the start; and some are
planning to have Vols. I and II permanently bound
together.

Price of this Volume, postpaid: Single copies 50
cents ; one dozen copies $5.00 ; half dozen at dozen rate.

A limited number of copies of Vol. I may be had
while they last at same price as Vol. II. Send orders
for either volume to Peter Auten, Princeville, 111.

_:*'

•■ ^

I J If

PRINCEVILLE IN (840 & 1841
FROM RECOLLECTION OF SS%LANE

SOME EARLY JULY 4TH CELEBRATIONS.

From Recollections of Henry W. McFadden and S. S.

Slane, 1912.

From letter of Henry W. McFadden to Publishing
Committee of Vol. I: "On the 4th day of July, 1851,
I was one of a party of ladies and gentlemen that took
a horseback ride into the country about 3yo miles west
and north of Princeville and spent the afternoon parad-
ing on the prairie. The names of the party as near as
I remember were as follows: Ladies, Misses Harriet
and Josephine Munson, Miss Slane, Miss S. Henry, Miss
Mariah Stevens, Miss Julia Moody and Miss Sloan.
Gentlemen were John and Hugh Henry, Milton Wilson
and Mr. Burnham (the gentleman that married Miss
Sloan). That was a good while ago, 61 years nearly.
Question : Who is alive today of that party?

Of the ladies I know of but one Miss Josephine M.

Munson, now Mrs. Reynolds of Kansas. Miss

Julia Moody and Miss S. Henry and Miss Slane, may
be living as I have never been advised of their deaths.
Of the men, Milton Wilson is the only man besides my-
self. My age is 86 years January 26, 1912."

Comments by Mr. Slane: "I remember well the
Fourth of July Mr. McFadden mentions in 1851, and
remember that on the same day I, together with Milton
Henry, went to Chillicothe where the Princeville band
was engaged. It was the young people a little older
than myself that took the horse-back ride as mentioned
by Mr. McFadden. Of that party, Milton Wilson, Mrs.
Julia Moody Henry (widow of John Henry) and Mrs.
Sarah Slane (widow of B. F. Slane) are now the only
ones living besides Mrs. Josephine Reynolds and Mr.
McFadden."

Comments by Mr. Slane on reading account of 1844
celebration, as given in Vol. I, History and Reminis-
cences, p. 61 :

"There are some inaccuracies in that. The Blan-
chard's lived west of town and the Auten's lived in

6 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

Radnor at this time, and as a matter of fact the celebra-
tion was not in Peoria. It was at Gifford's on Orange
Prairie," said Mr. Slane.

"You certainly have a long memory, Mr. Slane."
"Well, those things made more of an impression in
those days than they do now."

"How can you remember one celebration from an-
other, though?"

"Well, I can; we came in the year '41 and there was
no celebration that year. In 1842 there was as nice
a celebration as I ever saw ; people came all the w^ ay
from Chillieothe, Wyoming and Brimfield. There were
three Revolutionary soldiers seated there and the men
and boys listened to them talk. One was John McGin-
nis's grandfather, John Montgomery; one was De
Lorm Bronson's grandfather Phineas Bronson; and the
other was Eugene Lake, who lived up at Wetherstield,
where Kewanee now is. One of them had a fiddle and
he would play a while, then they would talk. The
three old soldiers had three good eyes between them:
Montgomery had two good eyes. Lake had one eye and
Phineas Bronson was totally blind. Then there was
Hilliard, B. L., the school teacher, had us boys march-
ing. We went 'round and 'round as there were no
streets in those days. I remember he told us, 'Now%
boys, when the big drum strikes, lift your left foot high
and march in time.'

Another Fourth I remember old man Cameron made
the speech and old man Klinck read the Declaration of
Independence. Mrs. Hew^itt's father, Jonathan Nixon,
as bright a man as ever lived in the town said, 'The
day was pretty well spent, but we are pretty hard up
when we have to send to Canada for a man to read the
Declaration of Independence and to Scotland for a man
to make a speech on the Fourth of July.' "

EARLY DAYS IN HALLOCK AND ADJOINING TOWNSHIPS

EARLY DAYS IN HALLOCK AND ADJOINING

TOWNSHIPS.

By Edwin C. Silliman, 1-913.

Reprinted from Chillicothe Bulletin.

I have been repeatedly asked to write a historical
sketch of Northern Peoria Coimty, as remembered by
myself, and supplemented by documents in my posses-
sion. What I shall write is not a critical history, but
merely an off hand sketch of many old time happenings.

The first settlement was at Old Fort Clark, now
Peoria, by a few people in 1819 and 1820. In 1825-6
there was a settlement started in the vicinity of
"Union" and Northampton, along the hills between
these points, as the settlers came from a timbered coun-
try, and chose the shelter of the woods and hills. It
was known as the "Upper Settlement"; the first settler
was Lewis Hallock, who came to Peoria about 1820, and
soon after settled at the mouth of "Hallock Hollow"
west of Union. Hallock was a Quaker and did not be-
lieve in war. He was known by the "Red Man" as
"The man of Peace," as he would take no part in any
disputes between the Indian and the White man, but
was always the staunch friend of the Indian.

He married the daughter of an early settler, Hiram
Cleveland, her name Mrs. Wright. She had a daughter
Harriet, and they one, named Clarissa, that married
Henry Robinson, a son of Lyman Robinson, one of the
first settlers of Blue Ridge. The township of Hallock
was named for him. He died in 1857 in the house that
is the Marion Reed homestead.

In 1825 Simon, Aaron and Samuel Reed settled in
their respective homes, Samuel going on to Buffalo
Grove northwest of Dixon. In 1826 came Francis
Thomas, father of Major Joseph F. Thomas of the 86th
111. Regt. and grandfather of Dr. Ora Thomas of Chilli-
cothe.

In 1828 came the Sillimans, Roots and others, and
in 1830 Joel Hicks and others. Most of these people

8 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

were originally from Connecticut, moving to New York
and after the war of '12-14 to Ohio.

In 1828 Simon Reed went back to Ohio after his
parents, and piloted through ten teams, known as "The
big Train." The mother of the Reeds, Mary Benedict
Reed, died in 1832 and is buried in La Salle cemetery.
The father, Samuel Reed Sr., made a visit on horseback
to his son Samuel at Buffalo Grove in 1833, where he
was taken sick and died suddenly on August 17th, 1833.
He was the first person buried in the Reed cemetery at
Buffalo Grove, now Polo, 111.

Samuel Reed Jr. was the first settler in Ogle county
with the avowed purpose of farming and not keeping
a hotel. His daughter Sarah was the wife of our
esteemed "Old Settler" Lucas C. Hicks. All the chil-
dren of Samuel Reed are dead.

Aaron Reed's son-in-law Reuben Hamlin laid out
the town of Northampton in 1835, and he built the first
Tavern in 1835-6. It was a noted stopping place in
earlv days and is mentioned by several early writers
of ''Western Sketches."

Cyrus Reed and Erastus (Major) Reed were sons of
Aaron Reed and his wife Sally Goff, who was a noted
cook and housekeeper in early days. Cyrus Reed mar-
ried a daughter of Nathaniel Chapin, who was noted as
one of the finest penmen in the country. Cyrus Reed
was one of the '49ers, in the California race for gold,
and others who went were Samuel Hicks and James
Mitchell.

Simon Reed married Currenee Sanford, and his
brother Samuel married her sister Phebe. Simon raised
a family of 14 children, of whom only three are living.
His son Amos Avas the first white child born in Hallock
township, and James Root, the son of his sister, was
the first child born in Chillicothe. Amos Reed moved
to Iowa in an early day and died there. Sanford, the
oldest son, lived and died on the farm adjoining the old
Reed homestead on the East.

From Union to Northampton, the early settlers were
William Crispin, Levi Sprague, Walter S. Evans,

EARLY DAYS IN HALLOCK AND ADJOINING TOWNSHIPS 9

Francis Thomas, Enoch Thomas, Wm. Bryden and
Jacob Moats.

Samuel Merrill and wife Nancy came to Peoria in
1821, moved to Medina township and then to a farm
two miles north of Chillicothe. In a Peoria paper dated
Dec. 17, 1841, I find the administratrix notice of the
estate of Samuel Merrill signed by Nancy Merrill. They
were the parents of the late Mrs, John G. Kendall, and
grandfather of Alva Merrill.

Joseph Meridith was another old settler and kept
a tavern north of Northampton, which was the Stage
Station. He was the father of Mrs. Lyman Reed. I
remember him as a great hunter in my boyhood days,
and always dressed in Buckskin suit. A nephew of his
was William H. Meridith, Superintendent of Printing
and Engraving, in the Treasury Department at Wash-
ington under Roosevelt.

Samuel T. McKean was an old resident, who came in
1832, and was a County Commissioner. He was among
the followers of Whitman to Oregon in 1846, who after
a terrible "voyage" across the plains, arrived at the
Dalles on the Willamette River. As the Indians were
warlike and it was late in the season they left their
goods and went down the river to Vancouver to winter.
The Indians captured the Fort, stole and burned all the
goods, and in the Spring the party were dependent
upon the charity of the settlers for a start in that new
country. McKean finally settled at Portland. In 1851
his son having gone to California in the Gold excite-
ment, was attacked with consumption, and McKean
went to him. Having to go forty miles from San Jose
for medicine for him, he was caught in a terrible storm
when half way back, was taken sick at. a hotel near
Palo Alto and died in five days, his son outliving him.

His brother J. Harvey McKean came with his
brother-in-law Jacob Booth in 1835. Booth was the
father of the late Levi Booth and Mrs. Perry Root.
Harvey McKean settled at Blue Ridge where he was a
shoemaker for years. He was a very intelligent man
in many ways ; was a good writer and his letters were

10 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

pointed and bright. He was a rabid Democrat, and
during the war was a leader of the anti-war sentiment
in his community. He died October 5, 1912, at Wyo-
ming, 111., aged 94 years. I visited him to get a few
items of olden times, only a few weeks before his death.
Thomas B. Reed came in October, 1829, and lived for
a time in a cabin of iiis brother Simon, then for a
year on the Hyde farm. He then entered the home
farm on which he lived his lifetime. It is now owned
by his daughter Mrs. James Preston. Joseph Silliman
married his oldest daughter. Amy, and moved upon
the old Silliman farm, building a brick house on it in
1846. On this place is located La Salle cemetery, the
land for which was given by Gershom Silliman, who
reserved the lot upon which are buried quite a num-
ber of the family.

Gershom Silliman and Joel Hicks were both soldiers
in the war of 1812, the former a Lieutenant in Captain
Denio's Company of Colonel Fitzwilliams Regiment
of the 1st New York Militia.

Joel Hicks was a sergeant in Captain Frederick P.
Foote's Company, also was in Captain Homer R.
Phelps' Company 13th (Farringtons) Regiment New
York Militia, enlisted August 24th, 1812, discharged
Feb. 10th, 1813, and allowed 13 days pay to go home.
These records I have from the War Department. Joel
Hicks was a son of Levi Hicks and Mary Waters, who
were bom in Rhode Island and moved to Nova Scotia,
where Joel was born. When he was three years old
they came to N. Y., and to Richmond, Ohio in 1817.
His father was accidentally drowned, in Salt Creek,
Ohio. His mother then married Judge Samuel Reed,
who was a Judge thirty years and died at Piketon.
Ohio, aged 77 years. All of Joel Hicks' children were
born in Ohio but the youngest ]\Irs. Louisa Patterson,
who died in 1878 at the age of 81 years. Of 14 chil-
dren only two are living, Lucas C. Hicks and Mrs. Ai:n
Thomas.

Joel Hicks was a natural mechanic. He and my
father made the first Sash Plane in Peoria County, and

EARI,Y DAYS IN HALLOCK AND ADJOINING TOWNSHIPS 11

it went from Mossville to Toulon. He built a dam
across the creek, with a mill race, and located his card-
ing machine about twenty rods North of his brick resi-
dence. The wool was washed by the settlers, tied up in
a blanket and brought to the mill. It was carded and
fed on to a draper, which carried it under a fluted
roller that pressed it into rolls. These dropped into a
pile and were put into the blanket and securely pinned
up with Sweet Locust thorns, which I as a boy de-
lighted to gather for the purpose.

Joel Hicks was Post Master in name, but my father
was in fact ; being only 19 years old he could not hold
the office and his uncle did. I find by his old book that
his returns to the Government March 31, 1834, were
$5.00 ior two quarters. The Office was on the Galena
Road in the double log house on the Silliman farm.
Every two weeks Harris Miner came from the Essex
settlement, Stark County, and carried back the mail on
foot in a meal sack. It took two weeks to get mail from
Springfield, and longer in proportion from the East.

Linus Scoville, son of Linus Scoville and Elizabeth
Seelye, of Conn., settled in Medina Township in the
early thirties. He had a sister, Mrs. Geo. Hoyt. His
father died in 1840, his mother in 1862 and he died in
Chillicothe in 1902. The Seelye 's came about the same
time. William Seelye was a cabinet maker and lived
in Chillicothe in 1837, when he made a spinning wheel
for my parents, which is now in my possession. He and
Samuel Seelye, father of Israel Seelye and Mrs. Jack
Bennett, both settled on the "High Prairie" as then
called, near the old Southampton Post Office. About
1840 another brother Henry, went to Seelye 's Point,
Stark County, where he lived and died. 0. L. Nelson
and Benjamin Hulburt were the only near neighbors
they had.

At the time of the Black Hawk War Samuel Reed
came in, and he and others built the Block House near
Simon Reed's. He went back home as soon as the
trouble was over. The soldiers in 1832 from that neigh-

13 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

borhood were, Edwin S. Jones, William Wright, John
Stringer, John E. Bristol, John Clifton, Hiram Cleve-
land, Elias Love, Jacob Moats, Lucas Root, David
Ridgeway, Thomas B. and Simon Reed, Jefferson Talli-
fero, Linus Scoville, Minott Silliman ; and others were
in other commands.

Senachwine, the chief of the tribe of Pottawattamie
Indians, near Chillicothe, died about 1830. My father,
Joel Hicks, and a couple of other men were in a boat
going to a mill about the mouth of Crow creek, and
met two Indians in a canoe with something under a
blanket. Our men hailed them and asked if it was ven-
ison. They pointed to the blanket and said, "Senach-
wine dead!" When they returned home the Indians
were dilligently searching for "Firewater" for a grand
"Powwow." This they had after depositing all of
their guns and hatchets, with one Indian who kept
sober and stood guard over the tepee that they were
in. There were no Indians here after 1832. They
went to Iowa, near Des Moines, and located. These In-
dians were a peaceful, inoffensive people only when at
war. They had many strange delusions. One was that
the rattlesnake was controlled by "The Great Spirit"
and they protected instead of killing it. My father and
his brother, Minott, were building fence one day and an
Indian was standing near when they discovered a rat-
tlesnake, coiled ready for business, and one of them
went to get a stick to kill it. The Indian made a quick,
circular motion with his hand around the snake and
caught it by the back of the neck and the body, and
thrusting it through the fence, exclaimed "Puck-a-
chee," Get away. Sam Allen and Marshall Silliman
were alone for two months during the war in 1832, in
a double log house on the old Merrit Reed place, which
they had stockaded. The only white men they saw
were messengers going from Fort Clark to the front,
near Dixon. The women and children had been moved
across the river to Meacham's Mill, or "Ten Mile" as
it has since been called.

EARLY DAYS IN HALLOCK AND ADJOINING TOWNSHIPS 13

The first school in Hallock Township was taught in
a house on the present site of the Harrison Reed house,
by Lucia Root, daughter of Rev. Jeriel Root, in the
winter of 1829. The first schoolhouse was the Hicks
schoolhouse, built in 1836, late District No. 4, Hallock.
The Easton schoolhouse was built in 1848, with Belle
Jones Easton- Wood as the first teacher and seven
scholars, Mary Nelson, Cyrenus Russell, Savannah Hul-
burt, Stephen and William Easton, my brother Norman
and myself. The last two are all of that class now liv-
ing.

During this term of school, Raymond and Warren's
circus exhibited at Northampton, and every scholar
but my brother and I went to the circus. That was
the longest day in school I ever experienced, but one
week from that day Van Amburg's menagerie exhib-
ited at the same place, and I was "in it" and saw
"Herr Dresback," the lion tamer, enter the cage of
lions. He was the first man to enter a cage of lions
in a public show in the United States and made a
great advertisement.

Northampton was then the trading point for a large
circle around it. Richard Scholes moved there from a
farm south of Princeville and opened a good store.
He was a man of fine character and well liked. When
Chillieothe got started and had the advantage of the
river transportation, he and others moved there and
Northampton's only excitement was election day,
Scholes ' first wife was a sister of James Dalrymple, and
George Scholes, of Marshall County was their son. The
son went to the Mexican war and on his return mar-
ried Lola, daughter of Stephen Wilmot. She was work-
ing at my father's when married to him.

Scholes' second wife was the widow of Jared Still-
man from near Mt. Hawley. Her daughter married Dr.
William H. Wilmot. The rest of the family are well
known to Chillieothe citizens, as they were a prominent
family in its past history.

The village store was a large factor in the life of
the early settler. Many people ran accounts and settled

14 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

every six months, when the merchant went to St. Louis
to buy goods and settle his accounts. He paid also
every six months, that being the regular length of com-
mercial credit. In those days a man's commercial hon-
or was two-thirds of his capital, and his customers had
to have a good name to secure accommodation. Hones-
ty was more universal among the masses, in general
dealing, than today.

The doctors of early days used to ride thirty and
forty miles a day. In a sickly season, bilious fever and
ague were the main complaints, and quinine, calomel
and castor oil were the doctor's mainstay. If he went
on horseback the old time leather saddlebags were car-
ried behind the saddle. If he drove a "Gig" they were
deposited under the seat.

Dr. Hook was one of the first, and settled at Rome
in the early thirties, remaining until about 1845.

Dr. Asahel Wilmot came from Broome County,
N. Y., and settled on Blue Ridge in 1843 ; moved to
Northampton in 1847 and to Chillicothe in 1852, where
he died aged 83 years. He was probably the best
known of any of the early physicians of that vicinity,
and rode the largest circuit. He with Nathaniel Smith
and Ebenezer Stowell and their wives, were the Char-
ter members of a Congregational Church, organized by
Owen Lovejoy at Blue Ridge in 1845.

Dr. Castle was here for a time, but moved to "Wyom-
ing, 111., where he lived and died. Dr. Joshua 0. Tom-
linson came to Chillicothe in 1840 and lived and died
there. Dr. Jos. F. Thomas who came in 1852 had one
of the largest practices of any physician in that section,
for ten years before he enlisted in the Army.

These were among the earliest practitioners, and
their books would probably show a large list of "char-
ity" patients, as they went in those days and gave their
service regardless of ability of the patient to pay his
bill. Dr. J. F. Thomas when he went into the Army,
had a "Free List," or account uncollectable of nearly
$4,000; the other doctors probably in the same propor-
tion. The old time Doctor did his duty as he saw it,

EARLY DAYS IN HALLOCK AND ADJOINING TOWNSHIPS 15

and deserves a monument to his memory for kindness
and charity in the alleviation of the ills of suffering
humanity.

A sturdy and eccentric character was found in Cap-
tain Thomas Baldwin, who owned a farm North of
Northampton. He came from Pennsylvania to Illinois
in 1844. He was a Kiver man from early life. He was
a '49er, and was chosen by Commodore Vanderbilt to
superintend a line of boats to Greytown, Central Ameri-
ca, with a salary of $10,000 a year in gold. The Cali-
fornia excitement made that trade very valuable.
Baldwin's vessel was once tied up at Greytown. The
inhabitants of that country were "niggers," and Bald-
win did not appreciate them or their Government, and
when a native insulted one of his crew, he immediately
"caressed him with a club" or a stick of cordwood,
sending him into "the drink," and close to "Kingdom
come."

He was seized by the officials and thrown into pris-
on, where he would have suffered severely, if an old
Pennsylvania neighbor named Holland had not heard
of it. Holland was commander of a U. S. man of
war, and going to the officials, told them to "release
Baldwin or he would blow their old town into smither-
eens in thirty minutes." Baldwin was released and
boarded his vessel, losing no time in getting under way
for New York, where he reported that his health was
not very good in the Latitude of Central America, and
resigned. He had only served ten months, but Vander-
bilt paid him his full year's salary. Captain Holland,
the friend, who saved him, was afterwards commander
of a Confederate vessel during the Civil War.

William J. Baldwin, who married Jennie Scholes
and was a member of Co. C, 86th Illinois, was his
son. The Captain during the war commanded the gun-
boat Romeo, of the Mississippi fleet. He died in Peoria
in 1879.

Another prominent early settler was Thomas Moon-
ey, who came in 1835, and settled on the old Mooney
homestead, on which the Catholic church and Cemetery

16 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

is located, in Medina Township. The La Salle Post
Office was discontinued in 1835-6, and Helena Post
Office was kept by Alooney until Mossville and Chilli-
cothe caused it to be off the regular route. His wife was
Helena Stagg, and he had the office named for her. He
raised a large family who were prominent citizens in the
last generation, leaving many descendants. He was
blind the last years of his life, but tenderly cared for by
his daughter, Mrs. Henry Mallen. He never complained
but said to a neighbor, "My lines are cast in very
pleasant places." He lived to a grand old age and
the respect in which he was held was shown by an at-
tendance of over five hundred people at his funeral.
Such men live many years after they leave this earthly
home.

John Moffat and eight brothers came in 1834; Jos-
iah Moffat settled in Stark County and was a prominent
citizen in an early day. John Moffat and his family
history is too well known around Chillicothe to need
repeating.

John Hammet came in 1830 and settled on section
nine. North of Chillicothe. One of the first weddings
in this community was celebrated at his home. Hirom
Curry was to have performed the ceremony, but did not
arrive until late. Rev. Gershom Silliman was passing
by and was called in to officiate, and when Curry ar-
rived from near Mossville, the wedding was over and
the cake cut.

William Easton and his brother-in-law, William
Lake, came to Wyoming in 1836 and to Hallock Town-
ship in 1837. His wife died and he then married Sarah
Hicks, his third wife being Belle Jones. He has one
son living in Creston, Iowa, J. I. Easton. Two sons
died, one in the army and the other from the effects
of army life. Easton was a carpenter and farmer.
In the early days he worked many a night making
coffins, keeping a supply of w^alnut lumber on
hand for that purpose. He and Ebenezer Stowell
made all the coffins for a long distance around them.
Easton also attended all the funerals and led the sing-

EARLY DAYS IN HALLOCK AND ADJOINING TOWNSHIPS 17

ing, in which all the assembly joined, no quartette as
nowadays. He was a Justice of the Peace for many
years ; spent the last years of his life in Chillicothe. He
gave $3,000 to the endowment fund of Lombard College
at Galesburg, where his sons attended school. He was
one of the best citizens I ever knew.

James Love and his brothers came from Parke
County, Indiana, in 1824. Daniel Prince, of Princeville,
had come from the same place about seven months be-
fore, and was one of the Love's nearest neighbors
for the first few years here. James Love married a Wil-
kinson. He was the sexton of La Salle Cemetery almost
up to the time of his death. All of his family are gone
from this vicinity, or are dead. His brother George
died in 1831 and was among the first buried in La Salle
Cemetery. Elias Love, another brother, was a soldier
in the Black Hawk War, and a few years after that
moved to low^a. They were a prominent family among
the first settlers.

Another noted citizen buried in La Salle Cemetery
is John J. Patterson, bom at Lenox, Mass., May 5,
1787, died August, 1842. He was a son of Gen. John
Patterson, Aide of Gen. Washington. He was a mem-
ber of the New York Legislature, and also sheriff of
Monroe County, N. Y. He was the father of Mrs. G.
M, Woodbury whose husband was a partner of Peter
Sweat in a general store in Peoria. He was also owner
of a Mill in Kickapoo Township. Later he moved to
Marshalltown, Iowa, and died there several years ago;
his wife was related to the Hyde family through the
Pattersons.

John Eno is also buried there, died in 1839. He was
grandfather of the Bristol's of Medina Township. His
ancestors were from Connecticut and several of the
Eno's I find upon the Revolutionary Records of Con-
necticut and records of his family from the town of
Simsbury.

One of the oldest stores in Chillicothe was kept
by David W. Heath. I find where my father gave an

18 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

order for goods on that store iu 1844. Phillip Mat-
thews and Jolin Batchelder bought him out.

The first warehouses were built along the river
bank. The farmers hauled their grain in sacks and car-
ried it into the warehouse, where it was weighed on a
scale that had a capacity of about 1500 pounds. It had
a board platform on it and the sacks were weighed and
emptied in a pile, from which the grain Avas sacked
and carried on to the boat, the gunnysacks being sewed
up. The first grain ever sold for cash and shipped was
bought and shipped by Isaac Underhill from Kome.

The early buyers at Chillicothe were 0. W. Young,
Robinson, Root and Reed, a firm composed of Erastus
C. Root, Henry Robinson and Cyrus Reed; and later
Truitt, Hosmer and others. Trade came from Wyom-
ing and South of Princeville until the Rock Island
railroad was built through Wyoming and Princeville,
which narrowed their territory and hurt the formerly
large trade of Chillicothe. Often 150 teams were wait-
ing to unload at the various warehouses, and today
instead of hauling twenty-five miles a farmer growls
if he has to haul five miles to a station.

In 1845 the Hakes families came to Hallock Town-
ship. There were seven or eight brothers when they all
arrived, all of whom are now dead but one brother iu
Kansas and a sister, Mrs. Maxon Austin, of Chenoa, III.
Their paternal grandfather served in the war of 1812
and was frozen to death on his post as sentinel.

Daniel Hakes was probably the best known of any
of the family, as he was a prominent Sunday School
worker. "Uncle Daniel's" annual Sunday School Pic-
nics for thirty years were attended by citizens from far
and near, provision being made for all who came, and
none going away hungry. They ceased only when the
weight of years made it impossible for him to superin-
tend them.

In 1836 Roswell and Isaiah Nurse and Ebenezer
Stowell came from near Binghamton, N. Y., to Peoria
County, most of the distance on foot. Isaiah Nurse
brought his rifle with him, and they took turns in

EARLY DAYS IN HALLOCK AND ADJOINING TOWNSHIPS 19

carrying it. When near Danville, 111., in crossing a
slough, they saw something moving in the tall grass,
and soon several large wolves appeared in an open
space, headed by a monster black one. Stowell slipped
along until within range and dropped the black one.
The rest halted, but he did not have the ammunition,
and before he could get it the rest of the pack disap-
peared. Stopping that night at the cabin of a settler
they related the incident. The landlord was so elated
over it that he kept them for nothing, as this pack
of wolves had done much damage to young stock all
over the country and they had been unable to trap
them.

I own that rifle now, my father having bought it of
Mr. Lamoree, the father of Ezra Lamoree, who was a
gunsmith and had traded a larger one for it. This man
Lamoree lived about eighty rods north of the Ferguson
school house in the fifties with his son Ezra. At an
election I think in 1856, at the Ferguson school house,
some one asked Ezra if his father was coming to vote.
He said, "father can not ride, only sit in a chair, but
he said this morning he would like to cast one more
vote for a President before he died." Some one sug-
gested that we young fellows go up and carry him to
the polls in his chair. About a dozen of us, among whom
were the Shane, Weidman, Ramey and Ferguson boys
and myself, went after him, and brought him in his
chair and set him down by the polls. Joseph Gallup
said, "Let all uncover while the old Patriarch casts his
last vote," and every man and boy raised his hat. It
was the most pathetic scene that I ever witnessed on
a public occasion. He sat until tired of visiting, and
we carried him home after his saying, "My friends,
goodbye, this is my last vote." Although all of us
were not voters, we felt that we had done our duty and
served our country well.

Another prominent man was Robert Will, who came
with his parents from Pennsylvania in 1837. He mar-
ried a daughter of Lyman Robinson. He taught school
in the Hyde district in 1847. He was a Justice of the

20 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

Peace for twenty years, was also County Surveyor. He
was a fine penman and in tliose days liis services were
often sought. He was a farmer but did a large busi-
ness for years as a stone mason.

John Ferguson came on horseback from Binghamp-
ton, N. Y. in 1836 and moved here in 1837. On his
trip on horseback he carried a pair of brass candle-
sticks in his saddle bags for a wedding present to my
mother, who was a sister of his wife. They are still
in the family.

He, Isaac Weidman and David Shane were among
the first settlers on the prairie South of Edelstein,
They were the leaders in the organization and build-
ing of Mount Hedding church. The name was sug-
gested by Ferguson who was a relative of Bishop Hed-
ding, and wanted it named for him.

William Robinson of Mossville came to Illinois in
1826, went back to Pennsylvania and returned 1833.
He married Catherine Weidman. The Neals were also
here in an early day.

Charles Stone came from Pfttsfield, Mass. in 1845,
and settled on the old Stone homestead north of LaAvn
Ridge Corners. He named it "Long Ridge" and it was
known by that name until they applied for a Post Oflfice
at the corners. When the appointment came it was
spelled "Lawn Ridge" much to the disgust of the citi-
zens, but it had to remain so named.

Stone brought on a large flock of sheep, which he
kept at his farm in the summer, and at Elijah Hyde's
place several winters as the timber was a fine shelter,
and the bare prairies of that day were subject to gen-
uine western blizzards, now and then. He sent his wool
and that of many of his neighbors East for a time and
then to Ottawa. 111., where a mill was started. He
brought back cloth and sold to those who Avanted, most-
ly satinet and jeans.

In 1850 that whole country began to settle up, and
in a few years every road was at right angles, instead
of a straight line across the prairie. The "Under
ground Railroad" was running in this country long

EARLY DAYS IN HALLOCK AND ADJOINING TOWNSHIPS 21

before the iron rails were laid. For a few years before
the war it did a rushing business, notwithstanding it
was a criminal offense to harbor or help a runaway
slave.

There were many people who considered the break-
ing of this law more righteous than obeying it. A line
ran from Peoria to Chicago, with depots at the homes
of Jonathan Rice, Samuel Seelye, Deacon Nathaniel
Smith and on to Boyds Grove, Princeton and Chicago.
There was also a line up the Galena road through
Northampton, and connected at the Grove, but it did
not do much business. Many a colored person was
carried up this line, in the daytime under straw or
cornfodder, and at night in a closed carriage. And
some of the men are alive today that drove over that
route.

Hospitality was universal among the early resi-
dents. The log cabin sheltered all who applied for
food or lodging.

I have listened to many of the adventures of those
days around the old fire place in the log cabin where I
spent my early days. They have a fascination for me
still, and to a certain extent it is inherited by the de-
scendants of the old settlers. I have written these
rambling lines hoping to interest a few of those who
bear the names not unfamiliar to them in this article.
The dates are historically correct, and can be used in
future history as absolutely correct. If I have given an
hour of pleasure, or an item of much desired informa-
tion to any one, I am well repaid for the hours spent in
preparing this paper.

OPPORTUNITY.

"They do me wrong who say I come no more
When once I knock and fail to find you in ;
For every day I stand outside your door,
And bid you wake, and rise to fight and win."

—Walter Malone.

33 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

EARLY MARKETS.
By Elijah H. Ferguson.

(From a letter published in Peoria Star, 1908).

Times were very bad when we arrived in Illinois.
No money in the state ; no sale for grain except to trav-
elers or emigrants. Groceries, boots and shoes had to
be paid for with cash. Pork was all the farmers had
that would sell for money. Fisher & Chapin bought
hogs at Lacon, always paying for them with North
Bank of Boston bills. The money was new, stamped
F. & C. — Fisher & Chapin. It paid taxes in Peoria,
Marshall and AVoodford Counties. It Avas currently
reported that Fisher paid 60 cents on the dollar for the
money in gold, and had to redeem every dollar in gold
that came back to the bank in Boston. That was good
financiering for both parties, and a fair sample of early
day business. Fisher always had a New Orleans boat
come up every spring during the high water to take his
pork to New Orleans.

One spring about IS'IS, or possibly a year or two
later, David Heath, a merchant of Chillicothe sent 100
sacks of corn to St. Louis, and sold it for money, get-
ting about 15 cents per bushel. Immediately on getting
returns from the shipments, he sent word all around
that he would take grain in payment for boots, shoes,
groceries and debts. That was the first shipment of
grain that I ever heard of.

A little later that same year Isaac Underbill of Peo-
ria had Captain Moss of Peoria come up and take a
load of his rent corn to St. Louis, and he got cash for
it. After harvest he sent up word to the farmers of
La Salle Prairie that he would have a boat at Rome at
a certain date if they wished to sell their corn. They
all got busy quick, as that was the first chance they
had to sell it for cash. There were two boats loaded
with corn that fall at Rome. Always after that there
was a market for grain at some price for money.

EARLY MARKETS 23

My father made three trips to Chicago with wheat.
On one of these trips the load brought 40 cents per
bushel. He brought back shoes, tea and a dollar's
worth of coffee and sugar, which mother made to last
until the middle of the summer. I think this was in
1841. The dry year, the year of the big prairie fire,
the mill at Senachwine dried up and no flour could
be obtained. My mother grated corn on a tin pan
punched full of holes for a grater, to make corn bread
and cakes for about two weeks, until we could get a
grist ground at Crow Creek mill, east of Chillicothe,
about where the Santa Fe railroad is now.

Two of my mother's brothers, Elijah and Norman
Hyde, came to Peoria about 1823 or 1824. Norman was
county surveyor, postmaster and county judge when
Chicago was in Peoria County. I have his text book
and surveying instruments in my possession now.

EVERY YEAR.

Too true! Life's shores are shifting

Every year,
And we are sea-ward drifting

Every year.
Old places changing fret us ;
The living more forget us ;
There are fewer to regret us,

Every year.

But the truer life draws nigher

Every year,
And its morning star climbs higher

Every year.
Earth's hold on us grows slighter,
And the heavy burdens lighter,
And the dawn immortal brighter,

Every year,

—Albert Pike.

24 HISTORY AXD REMINISCENCES

A mSTOHY OF THE T. D. AND M. A. A.

Setting Forth An Account of Their Early Organization,

Their Subsequent Growth and Progress and

Their Interesting Adventures.

By AVm. H. Wisenburg. S. S. Slane and Addison A.
Dart. Reprinted from "Princeville Tele-
phone" of January 30, 1902.

Far back in the history of Princeville there was
organized a society which has proven to be one of the
most useful organizations that has ever blessed a town
or community. That society is the Thief Detective
and Mutual Aid Association. It has been and is, to its
members and the community at large, an invaluable
means of protection from theft, and it has proven a
thorn in the flesh and a menace to all miscreants
who dare to despoil the property of others. As its name
implies it has for its purpose the recovery of stolen
property and the detection and capture of the thief.
A brief review of the history of the organization shows
how well it has served its purpose and how truly it
merits its name.

Necessity is not only the mother of invention ; she
has other children, and the T. D. and M. A. A. is one
of them. It was to meet a keenly felt want that the
organization was called into existence. In 1S61. the
year that the civil war broke aut, there came to be a
great demand for horses and mules for government
service. Throughout the country they were bought up
by the hundreds to supply this demand, and a ready
market was found at various points where government
buyers paid a good price and asked no questions. This
condition of things made it easily possible to market
horses taken clandestinely, and soon the country became
infested with gangs of horse thieves who worked
cooperatively and systematically until their illicit
practice had grown into a lucrative business. Every-

A HISTORY OF THE T. D. AXD M. A. A. 25

where horses were stolen and made away with, and the
confusion attending the numerous sales and shipments
at that time, together with the assistance of parties
interested in the theft, made it easy for the culprit
to market his ill-gotten possessions and escape without
detection.

The vicinity of Princeville was unmolested until
along in 1863. During the summer of '62 a well dressed
and apparently well behaved stranger made his appear-
ance in the town and established a shipping point here
for horses with headquarters at what is now A. C.
Washburn's barn. The enterprise was remarkably suc-
cessful from the start. Horses came in from all direc-
tions, and very frequently strange men came from a
great distance with horses to be sent from here to
points in the South. This unusual activity of the horse
market at this place and a knowledge of the preva-
lence of horse stealing at other places, finally caused
some of the leading citizens of the tovm to regard
with suspicion the strange horse buyer and his busi-
ness. Their suspicion once aroused, further evidence
served to strengthen their belief that the stranger
and his confederates were nothing less than a gang of
horse thieves. Strange men would come to town in
the night time, stay a few days and disappear as
mysteriously as they had come ; trunks passing through
Princeville on the old stage line running between Gal-
va and Peoria would mysteriously disappear; horses
were brought in and sent out at night ; and finally news
of an occasional stolen horse near here confirmed the
opinion that they had surmised the truth. It was
high time that something be done by the citizens in the
way of protection to their property.

Moved by the spirit of mutual dependence and be-
lieving that in united action was the only efficient safe-
guard against such an emergency, five of the prominent
men of the town of that day quietly met together in
August, '63, to consider some feasible way of band-
ing themselves into an organization for mutual aid and
protection. These men were William P. Smith, Solo-

26 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

mon Bliss, Charles Beach, Vaughn AYilliams and S. S.
Slane. From an account which they found in a Knox-
ville paper, of an organization similar to what they
wished to perfect, they got some desired information
and drew up a constitution and by-laws. They then set
to work to secure secretly more members, as they
had not enough to fill all the offices called for by the
constitution. These were soon secured, and a board of
officers was immediately chosen. And thus the mutual
aid and detective association, which we now know as
the T. D. & M. A. A., had its beginning.

The first man to serve as captain of the association
was William P. Smith. He was one of the earliest
settlers here and was acquainted with every topogra-
phical feature of the country, having long made it his
business to look for stray cattle and horses. He was
a man of shrewdness, and of action, with a keen in-
sight into human nature, and had been from the first
an enthusiastic promoter of the organization, all of
which well fitted him to direct the company's first
movements. He was succeeded in office by Solomon
Bliss, who served a number of years. Then followed
in succession H. F. Irwin, John G. Corbett, Solomon
Bliss, J. D. Hammer, and S. S. Slane, who is the present
incumbent.

The company's attention was directed at first, of
course, to the horse buyer and the movements of his
men, and although they had worked quietly and secret-
ly, it was soon evident that the horse buyer and his
men were in turn directing their attention to the newly
organized society, having apparently divined its pur-
pose. The meetings at first were held weekly in the
old stone school house, but later the company found
out they were being watched and changed their place
of meeting to the third floor of the building then
standing on the present site of the town hall. Here
the meetings had continued but a short time when one
night during one of their regular sessions a stranger,
who was recognized as an assistant of the horse buyer,
entered the room and asked permission to join the

A HISTORY OS THE T. D. AND M. A. A. 27

society. Feigning absolute ignorance of the fact that
the association regarded him or his friends suspicious-
ly, he told the society that a certain party* had offered
him a certain sum of money to steal a fine matched
team of dun mares belonging to Miss Libby Beach, and
that if they would admit him to membership he would
divulge the name of the party and also furnish other
information which would be of value to them. The
members at once designed his purpose, yet neither
party wished the other to know of their suspicion, and
to reject the application and not disclose to the man
the fact that he and his party were suspected by the
company was a task of some delicacy. Captain Smith
was equal to the occasion, however, and with charac-
teristic shrewdness he informed the applicant that they
were newly organized and must move with some trepid-
ity in the matter of accepting new members, and that
as he was to them a comparative stranger, they could
not act upon his application without due time for
consideration. He was baffled in the attempt to gain
admittance to the society that he might familiarize him-
self with their projects and their plans and thus keep
his comrades informed as to their movements.

Not long after this the horse traders suddenly pulled
up stakes and betook themselves to fairer fields, taking
their nefarious business with them. Obviously they
were convinced by the society's action upon the appli-
cation for membership that they were under suspicion,
and, regarding the company as a serious obstacle in
their way and one that must be reckoned with, they
withdrew from this vicinity. For very fear of the com-
pany they had left the country, and many dollars worth
of property, no doubt was thereby saved to the owners.
It was the company's first and signal victory. They
had accomplished the purpose for which they were or-
ganized, and with much less trouble than was antici-
pated.

The organization was maintained. Its usefulness
had been manifested. Similar contingencies in the fu-
ture might necessitate the company's service, so steps

28 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

were taken to further perfect the society. In 1867 they
obtained a charter from the state. They altered their
constitution and by-laws to conform to the new charter
and found themselves a strong society, well officered
and equipped with powers, and established upon a well
organized basis. From that time the company grew
in numerical strength until they now number over
seventy members, who represent the best blood and
sinew among the men engaged in the farming and
business interests of the community. They at first
insured all property against theft, but found after ex-
perience that it was not good policy to insure more
than horses and mules, and so restricted insurance to
these, binding themselves, however, to search for any-
thing of value which the members might lose. In case
a stolen horse or mule cannot be recovered the company
indemnifies the owner with a reasonable valuation of
the animal. The company have never yet, however,
be it said to their credit, had a case of stolen property
of any considerable value that they have not been
able to recover.

The society has been called out for service on
numerous occasions, sometimes for minor thefts
and sometimes for graver oflPenses, and in several
instances not a little excitement has attended their
escapades. The first time they were called out to
look for a stolen horse Avas in 1866. The horse was
stolen from Albert Hoag, who, as a member of the
organization notified the company. They acted with
promptness and the thief soon discovered that the
swift wings of justice had overtaken him before he
had got far on his way. Capt. Bliss and Wm. P. Smith
located the man at Wyanette and within a few hours
the horse was restored to its owner and the thief
turned over to the officers of the law. The thief proved
to be a young man by the name of Tom Evans, who
had come here supposedly as a "bounty jumper" from
the army and had been Avorking some time in this com-
munity. He served three years in the penitentiary
for the theft.

A HISTORY OF THE T. D. AND M. A. A. 29

Soon after they had recovered Mr. Hoag's property
the society was again called out to search for another
stolen horse. Vaughn Williams was this time the vic-
tim of the theft. A certain party, well known to the
members, was suspected and by the next morning Capt.
Bliss and some of the members had found a clew and
were in pursuit. They traced their man as far north
as Wyoming and when they had proceeded a little far-
ther on they found the horse in the road. Evidently
they had gotten too close to the fugitive for his com^
fort and he had taken to the woods, leaving the prey
to his pursuers. They had secured the horse, but they
never got any further trace of the thief.

The "McCoy Raid," which occurred in February
of '67, furnished the company with an excellent op-
portunity to exercise their ingenuity and show their
mettle. Revival services were being held that winter
at the old M. E. Church which stood on the present
site of Mrs. Martha Adams' home. One night during
a meeting three horses were stolen from the hitching
rack back of the church, and great was the excite-
ment when the fact was discovered. Two of the horses
belonged to members of the T. D. and M. A. A. and the
society lost no time in making preparations to restore
the property and bring the thief to .justice. Suspicion
at once fell upon a man by the name of McCoy, who
was well known in the community. He was a shrewd
man and desperate character, and it was agreed by all
that his capture and retention would necessarily entail
some trouble and perhaps some danger. The first clew
obtained was a pistol, which was found in the public
square and which was supposed to have fallen from
his pocket in his haste to escape. Tracks were also
found which indicated that he had gone north. He was
tracked to Wyoming and from there west; but soon
every trace was lost, and, after a vain search for some
time, the chase was abandoned temporarily. Corre-
spondence was kept up, meanwhile, with the authori-
ties at different points, and the vigilant eyes of the offi-
cers of the society were ever on guard for a clew that

30 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

might lead to the discovery of the fugitive. Knowledge
of his whereabouts came at last through an acquaint-
ance of McCoy, the man with whom he had stayed
while in this vicinity. It was learned from him that
McCoy had lately stopped at his house as he was
making his way through the timber west of Princeville
to the southern part of the county, and that he was
engaged in cutting railroad ties at Kingston. It was
also learned that after crossing the Spoon River he had
made his way to Andover, where he had disposed of
one of the horses and then gone on to New Boston,
where he placed the other two in a livery stable. All
of the horses were eventually recovered and restored to
their owmers.

The task of making McCoy's arrest devolved upon
John L. Blanchard and Hugh Roney, and they set out
at once to perform that duty. Having arrived at Kings-
ton, they bided their time until they had assured
themselves that the man they wanted was there and
were certain where he might be found. This done, they
secured the service of a constable, and, at a late hour
of the night, made their way to his lodging place and
knocked at the door. They were admitted after some
hesitancy, and, after they had made known their mis-
sion, McCoy was called. That gentleman soon appeared
at the foot of the stairway in stocking feet with boots
in hand. He took in the situation at a glance, and
with the agility of a cat, sprang at the nearest man and
knocked him down. This precipitated a free-for-all
fight, which, though short, demonstrated that I\IcCoy
was a bad man and a hard one to handle. He was
taken into custody and brought to Princeville for a
preliminary hearing, and was held to appear- before
the grand jury, which duly indicted him for grand
larceny. He was placed in the old .jail at Peoria to
await his final hearing. Not long after his committal
to the jail, and while the company were still jubilant
over his capture, word came that he had escaped. It
was true. He had availed himself of the first favorable
opportunity and knocked the turn-key down at an un-

A HISTORY OF THE T. D. AND M. A. A. 31

guarded moment, made good his escape and fled to
California, and has never been heard of since. After
his capture McCoy stated, in telling of his adventure
with the horses subsequent to the theft, that astride
one of the horses and leading the other two he swam
Spoon river when it was bank full of water and floating
ice. The incident shows something of the determina-
tion of the man the company was dealing with and ex-
plains the difficulty of this capture. The news of his
escape was not relished by the company, but the fault
was in nowise theirs, and as much credit is due them
for their excellent work as if he had not escaped.

The history of the company from the time of the
McCoy raid till within a few years of the present time is
marked by only minor affairs not worthy of mention.
In the fall of 1889, however, the company was again
called out and again evinced its usefulness and its
summary way of doing things. About sixty dollars
worth of clover seed was stolen from John Little and
William Elliott, the former a member of the organiza-
tion, and the society in a very short time had rightly
placed the blame and were in hot pursuit of the guilty
parties. A detachment of the members cautiously sur-
rounded the house at night in which the accused men
were supposed to be, and quietly waited for the moon
to rise. When the light was sufficient to enable them
to follow in case an attempt was made to escape,
three of their number, Fred DeBord, John JMiller and
A. M. Wilson approached the house, entered with some
difficulty and went up stairs. There they found an
empty bed which was yet warm, indicating that its
occupants were in hiding. They descended to the cel-
lar and there attired in short pajamas and crouching
behind barrels they discovered the two suspects. The
criminals were duly apprehended, tried and convicted
and served their term in the penitentiary. The clover
seed was found and restored to the owners, and the
T. D. and M. A. A. were again justly proud of their
good work.

32 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

The last episode in the company's history occurred
a little more than six years ago. The occasion fur-
nished perhaps one of the hardest problems the society
has ever been called up to solve. On the night of
Tuesday, July 9, 1895, Edward Auten had four horses
stolen from his pasture in the north part of town. Mr.
Auten was not a member of the detective association
and so carried on a search for four days without their
aid. But it proved a fruitless search ; not a trace of the
missing horses could be found. On the following Satur-
day Mr. Auten laid the case before Captain, Slane and
after some deliberation the company decided to make
an effort to recover the property. It was then Satur-
day evening and little could be done before Monday,
which would make five days that the thieves had had
to make off with their booty. They knew nothing of the
direction or the distance the thieves had gone and had
not the slightest clew that could help them to find out.
The prospect was discouraging, to say the least.
They began Monday morning, however, with their char-
acteristic thoroughness and zeal. Descriptive cards were
mailed to every city and railroad town between the
Illinois and the Mississippi rivers, and a reward of .$50
Avas offered for the capture and return of the horses.
Tuesday morning word came that four horses answer-
ing the description on the card had been stopped at
Cuba, 111., about sixty miles west of here in Fulton
County. Captain Slane, W. H. AYisenburg, then First
Lieutenant, and Russell Chaplin, who was then em-
ployed by Mr. Auten and could indentify the horses,
were driven to that place at once by Albert Morrow.
They reached Canton at dusk that evening, changed
teams and drove on witliout delay toward Cuba, which
was several miles farther west. When they were out
of Canton a few miles, they met a number of men
from Farming! on who had been to Cuba endeavoring
to get the hoi*ses and claim the reward. They told
Captain Slane and his party that they might as well
turn around and go home for they would never be
able to get the horses from the parties holding them.

A HISTORY OF THE T. D. AND M. A. A. 33

They stated that they had tried every argument and
every means they could bring to bear on the case, but
with no avail, and said that when they left, the Canton
fellows, who were there on the same mission, were
meeting with about the same success as they had had.
But the four men going west were not to be thus
easily thwarted in their purpose. They had come to
get the horses, and it was their determination to re-
turn with them at all hazards. They drove on and
arrived at Cuba about ten o'clock that night. There
they found the little town agog with excited citizens
and miners lustily discussing the justice of the various
claims to the reward. The citizens of the town and
surrounding country were much perturbed over the
demands of the parties from Canton and Farmington
and they made it so unpleasant for them that both
had left in disgust. This cleared the field for Captain
Slane and his party and they presented their claims.
They found that an elderly man named Irwin, who
lived on a farm near Cuba, had been walking through
his pasture in company with one or two of his family
on the Sunday before and had seen the horses standing
near a fence in a hollow behind a clump of trees. They
approached them, and when they were near the horses,
two men sprang up and ran oflE into the timber near by.
They found the horses tied, and this and other evidence
aroused their suspicion. That night they watched, but
no one came near. They were convinced that the horses
were stolen and sent one of their number to inform
the marshall of Cuba, who came and took the horses
and held them on suspicion. On Monday they had
received one of the descriptive cards, and had sent
word that the four horses found by Mr. Irwin answered
the description. They had regarded everyone doubt-
fully, who had come since that time and laid any claim
to the horses, and had refused to give them up, think-
ing the parties were after the reward which was right-
fully their own. Therefore when the men from here
pressed their claim to the horses, they were required to
arswer a great many questions and to give a much ful-

34 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

ler description of the animals. They were told that
Mr. Chaplin had broken the colts to drive and that
he could give them as full a description as they liked,
which he proceeded to do. Captain Slane then asked
if they might see the horses. They refused at first,
but finally consented. They were taken through the
stable back to the last stall, when they found the
four horses tied in a tight box stall, securely held with
heavy timbers and firmly spiked. AA^hen finally the way
was cleared, Mr. Chaplin went in among the horses and
spoke to them. He was at once greeted with a whinney
of recognition. That was enough. No further evidence
was needed to convince them that these men were the
rightful owners. But this was not the end of the
trouble. The reward was to be paid to someone. Mr.
Irwin, the man who really found the horses, claimed

the reward, and the marshall, "Jeff" T , who

took charge of them, stoutly maintained that the re-
ward should be his. To make matters worse the mar-
shall had been imbibing pretty freely of "rock and
rye," and was rather garrulously inclined and unrea-
sonable in his demands. The rabble of miners, who
had also tarried at the cup, had espoused "Jeff's" cause
and began to vociferously demand the reward for him.
The party from here had been warned before starting
to act carefully, for they would be apt to find a tough
crowd waiting for them. They began to feel that the
warning was timely, that the crowd was indeed a tough
one. It was apparent to those interested that no satis-
factory argument would be made under such unfav-
orable circumstances. They therefore repaired to the
office of the livery barn, bolted the door against those
disinterested and proceeded to settle the question of
reward. The men outside crowded around the office
window and made as much of a demonstration as was
possible in the hope that their influence might favor the
marshall. Cries of "Stay with 'em, Jeff, d — n 'em,
stay with 'em," could be plainly heard. The marshall
still complained that they had not enough evidence,
that these men had a right to take the horses. He

A HISTORY OF THE T. D. AND M. A. A. 35

asked Capt. Slane to show his authority for taking
them. The captain drew from his pocket an order
for the horses signed by Mr. Auten, which he had
thoughtfully taken along, and showed to him. This
seemed to have a good effect on the marshall, as he
was more considerate from that time. The Captain then
asked him if he considered Mr. Irwin an honest man, a
responsible man, a man that would do the fair thing.
Tillman said he did. The Captain then turned to Mr.
Irwin and asked him if he would deliver the horses to
him in the road in front of the barn for the rcM^ard
less the expense of returning the horses. He said he
would. And he did, and received the reward and gave
Capt. Slane a receipt for the same. And the party from
Princeville started out about midnight on their home-
ward journey of sixty miles, leaving Irwin, " Jetf " and
the miners to settle their own disputes in their own
way.

The next day about 4 o'clock they arrived in Prince-
ville after driving all that night and the next day
through a heavy rain. That evening the horses were
returned to Mr. Auten, who promptly paid all the com-
pany's expenses and further expressed his apprecia-
tion of their work by substantially remunerating them.
The thieves were not found, but the recovery of the
horses under such circumstances was regarded by the
society as one of their most successful ventures.

The recital of this event virtually brings the his-
tory of the company up to the present time, as nothing
worthy of special notice has occurred since then. At
present the organization is in a most prosperous condi-
tion. Financially and numerically it is strong, and it
stands ready, as ever it has, to protect the interests of
its members by bringing criminals to justice and re-
straining, by the very fact of its existence, the hand
of those who would enrich themselves at the expense of
others. S. S. Slane is the only surviving one of the five
men who organized the society. The five surviving
charter members are S. S. Slane, J. T. Slane, Frank
Beall, Tal Moody and E. Keller. The present officers of

36 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

the society are : Captain, S. S. Slane ; First Lieutenant,
John Miller; Second Lieutenant, A. B. DeBord; Third
Lieutenant, Chas. Taylor; Fourth Lieutenant, M. V.
Conklin; Secretary, Dr. T. E. Alyea; Banker, Joseph
Friedman. Mr. Slane has filled the office of captain
for the last fifteen years, a longer time than any other
man has ever served. At their meeting in December
he was re-elected for another year and was presented
by the association with a gold headed cane as a token
of their regard for him and their appreciation of
his long and efficient service. Dr. Alyea has served
for the past twelve years as secretary. He is also
chief caterer for the Association, the delicious savor
and the wholesomeness of his oyster stews having
undoubtedly conduced materially to the harmony and
good health that prevails among the members. The
society has the distinction of being the only chartered
organization of the kind in the state, and Princeville
has the distinction and the good fortune to be the home
of that society.

CORRECTIONS.

"In Township Histories," a volume pertaining to local history
and printed before the days of the O. S. U. P. V., a list of the
Postmasters of Princeville inadvertently omitted the name of
William H. Alter, who was commissioned on April 6, 1866 and
served, as near as can be remembered now, one or two years.

Also, a list of the early physicians inadvertently omitted the
name of Dr. J. C. Charles, who was practicing in Princeville
in Civil War times, and for several years thereafter.

CIVIL WAR RECORD OF PRINCEVII,LE 37

CIVIL WAR RECORD OF PRINCEVILLE.

Introductory paragraph taken largely from History of

Princeville Township, written by Edward

Auten and Peter Auten 2nd, in 1902.

When the war broke out, the ''Lucky Thirteen,"
who all came back, went from Princeville, and they
with others joined the "Peoria Battery," Battery A. of
the Second Illinois Artillery. In the fall of 1861 several
more Princeville men joined the 47th Regiment of Illi-
nois Volunteer Infantry, and a considerable number of
others joined Col. Ingersoll's Regiment, the 11th Caval-
ry. When the group of thirteen w^ere about to start
to Peoria to enlist in the Peoria Battery, Rev. Ahab
Keller of the Princeville Methodist Church made a very
devout and fervent prayer that the entire thirteen
might be spared to safely return, and sure enough all
of them did, after three and four years of service.

The distinctively Princeville company was started
in August, 1862. On that date Congressman Ebon
Clark Ingersoll (brother to Bob) came out from Peoria
to hold a "war meeting." Julius S. Starr accompanied
him in the hope of getting recruits for a Peoria com-
pany, and recruit hunters were present also from Chilli-
cothe and other places. The meeting was held in
the old Methodist Episcopal Church, then on the corner
southwest of the public square. The crowd was so
large that the windows were taken out to enable men
to hear on the outside. After the speaking the crowd
gathered on the public square, when Clark Ingersoll
got on a wagon and proposed a Princeville Company.
John McGinnis began fifing, indicating that he was go-
ing, and led a march around the "liberty pole." Others
fell in, a few at a time, until there were fifty men
marching around and around the "liberty pole." Then
they paraded to Dr. Charles's office, got out a table in
the center of the room, and signed the muster roll.

38 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

Within forty-eight hours the roll was increased to 96
men.

This was Company K. of the Eighty-Sixth Regiment,
Illinois Infantry. John F. French was elected Captain,
James B. Peet, First Lieutenant and H. F. Irwin, Sec-
ond Lieutenant. The company was soon ordered into
camp at the Peoria Fair Grounds and saw, in all, twen-
ty-one engagements, Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge
and Kenesaw Mountain being among the number. The
company was in "Sherman's March to the Sea."
Somewhere near one-half the company still survive
(1902), and those residing at Princeville are organized,
with their comrades, in J. F. French Post, No. 153, G.
A. R. On Decoration Day, 1900, John McGinnis dedi-
cated in Princeville Cemetery, a monument "In Mem-
ory of all Soldiers and Sailors who, on Land or Sea,
periled Life for Liberty and Law — 1861-65." Prince-
ville always honors her soldiers and Decoration Day
sees the gathering of several townships in memory of
the dead and in honor of the living.

Below are lists of part of the young men from the
territory of this Old Settlers' Union who enlisted
in the first three groups named, the Peoria Battery, the
47th Illinois Infantry and the 11th Cavalry. These
lists are incomplete and it is true that numbers of
other Princeville men enlisted in various other com-
panies. There is also added the enrollment of Company
K. of the 86th Illinois Infantry, believed to be com-
plete but subject to correction ; and a list of the soldier
dead in the Princeville cemeteries and Campbell ceme-
tery.

The mossy marbles rest
On the lips that he has prest

In their bloom,
And the names he loved to hear
Have been carved for many a year

On the tomb.

— Oliver W. Holmes.

CIVIL WAR RECORD OF PRINCEVILLE 39

J >

LETTER FROM JOHN Z. SLANE, IN ''CO. K.

Postmarked in a war envelope bearing the design of a

smoking cannon, alongside the stars and stripes,

labeled "Our Compromise."

Louisville, Ky., Sept. 29th, 1862.
Washington Mott — Dear Sir: —

Having a few moments leisure time I thought I
would write you a short letter. We are encamped in
the upper part of this place, but do not expect to re-
main here long. The soldiers here are as thick as the
pigeons were around Princeville last spring, there being
over two hundred thousand here. General Nelson, Com-
mander of the army here, was killed this morning by
Jeff C. Davis a prominent officer. I did not learn the
particulars of the case further than this : Davis went
to Nelson's room (it being at one of the principal hotels
of this place) on business. Nelson ordered him out of
his presence at the same time slapping him in the face,
whereupon Davis instantly shot him, he dying in fif-
teen minutes. This killing of men is no strange occur-
rence here. I saw a dead soldier yesterday morning
lying on the sidewalk. No one could tell who killed
him and I think but few cared. He was stabbed in
the breast. Several have been shot by the guards ; they
get drunk and kick up a fuss whereupon they are
dealt with accordingly.

Buell's army, sixty or seventy thousand in number
arrived here last Friday. They are hard looking cases,
having been in the service about fourteen months.
Some of our boys complain of the fare here. It is
somewhat hard, we having nothing to eat excepting
cast iron crackers, bacon and coffee, only what is given
us and what w^e jayhawk. The people here are tne most
charitable I ever saw. We eat with them frequently
and they will not have pay for it. Then Wash when
you hear abolitionists talking about the people of the

40 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

SoiTth being poor, uncharitable and ignorant just refer
them to Company K. of the eighty-sixth regiment for
information worth knowing on this point.

Some of the boys saw here yes-
terday. He denied his name saying he was a brother

of 's. They invited him to pull off his hat,

telling him it was no use talking, whereupon

caved. I saw George Earl and Oliver Bagley here.
They are both soldiers.

I hope you will excuse my poor writing, this being
a hard place to write on account of noise and confusion
and having to sit on the ground and write on our
knees, and naturally a very poor scribe. I want you
to write to me as soon as you receive this. Give me
the news generally. I want to know how the corn is
coming out and how making molasses goes. Direct
your letter to J. Z. Slane, Company K., 86th Regiment
Illinois Volunteers, Louisville, Ky.

Your old friend, etc.,

(Signed) J. Z. SLANE.

(Initialed by "N. N.," presumably a censor).

MEMBERS OF PEORIA BATTERY.

John P. Aldrich Enos Frost

John W. Auten Edwin Hoag

Stephen E. Baldwin Letz Lair

John W. Barnaby Noah Lair

Wm. Best Wm. Lair

Onias BHss James McGinnis

Jos. G. Bloomer Hugh McVicker

Wm. Bobier Calvin Morrow

Henry Burgess Wm. Morrow

J. F. Carman Roswell J. Nurse

Haller Charles Oscar Osborn

Sam Coburn Lewis G. Parker

Wm. Coburn David T. Schriver

James Dimon Albert H. Smith

John Dimon Morris Smith

Benj. Ellis Wm. F. Speers

John W. French Henry Stowell

CIVIL WAR RECORD OF PRINCEVILLE

41

MEMBERS OF CO. 'S H. & A. 47TH ILL. INFANTRY.

Levi Adkinson
Jos. Armentrout
James Brassfield
Jacob Dimon
Jasper Dollison
Patrick Drum
James Drummond
2ohn Drummond
N. Sweat Ennis
Samuel Gordon
Thompson Gordon
Wm. Gordon
Absalom Gray
Thos. Gray
John Grove
Gilbert Hall
Geo. Hall
John Harlan
Joseph Harlan
James P. Hervey
Thomas Y. Hervev

Robt. Houston
Thos. Keady
James Kingdon
John Kingdon
David Martin
David Men dell
Aaron C. Moffit
Doling Moore
Frank Rathburn
Isaac P. Reed
Elisha Rice
Eli B. Rogers
John Smith
Chas. Stevens
Jacob Sutherland
George Wilkins
Phineas R. Wilkinson
Chas. Williams
J. M. Yates
Wm. W. Yates

MEMBERS OF CO. D. IITH CAVALRY.

Elmer Alford
Isaac W. Alford
Wm. H. Alford
Stephen A. Andrews
Henry Bronson
Wm. Coburn
Wm. Hughes Cornwell
Cornelius Dukes
Wm. Dukes
Geo. H. Horsley
Victor Lambert
James Calvin McMillen
John H. Miller

Thos. Montgomery

Leonard Oertley

Wm. N. Peet

David Potts

Thos. Purcell

Conrad Emery Russell

Elmer Russell

Ebenezer E. Russell

George Washington Russell

John Sheelor

Cyrus S. Smith

Wm. Warhurst

42

HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

KOSTER OF CO. "K" 86TH ILL. INF.
(Copied from Acljt.'s Report).

Captains
John F. French
Levi A. Ross

First Lieutenants

James B. Peet
John Morrow

Second Lieutenants

Henry F. Irwin
John McGinnis

First Sergeant
Peter H. Snyder

Sergeants
John Morrow — Promoted
John McGinnis — Promoted
Alexander Buchanan
Elijah Coburn
John Carter
John Z. Slane
John J. Anderson

Corporals
John Carter — Promoted
Edwin L. Smith
Levi A. Ross — Promoted
John Z. Slane — Promoted
Ebenezer M. Armstrong
Samuel Bohrer
John J. Anderson — Promoted
William H. Auten

Musicians
David Smith
John E. White

Wagoner
John Dukes

Privates
Charles E. Alter
Warren F. Anderson
Henry A. Andrews
Charles S. Aten
George Auten
Frank Beach

Andrew J. Beckner
Wm. H. Blanchard
Charles A. Broch
Green Burgess
Henry Butler
Sylvester Butler
Patrick Byrnes
Samuel C. Coburn
George Cook
John J. Cowley
William Deal
Henry Debord
Jefferson Debord
John Debord
Nelson Debord
Peter Dinsmore
Hezekiah Foley
Joseph Francis
Albert Gladfelter
Casper Gladfelter
David Gladfelter
Frederick Gladfelter
George W. Hamilton
George A. Hare
Henry H. Hare
Jefferson Hare
Marmaduke Hare
Joseph D. Harris
Henry Hajrward
William Hughes
Andrew Keller
Edmund Keller
Emanuel Keller
William H. Keller
Andrew J. Lair
Henry Little
Benjamin Litts
James A. Lynch
Charles McGuire
John McMillen
James Miller
Erastus Morrow
Joseph J. Nace
George B. Nail
William T. Nail
George W. Newman

UST OF SOLDIER DEAD

43

Joseph Parents
William Pembleton
William P. Pigg
John T. Potts
William Potts
William W. Potts
Philander C. Reed
Simeon W. Rilea
Hugh Roney
Peter Roney
William Rook
James A. Russell
James M. Russell
John M. Sabin
Madison E. Sanger
Moses M. Sayles

Thomas Sayles
Andrew J. Scott
Archibald Smith
Isaac L. Smith
John W. Smith
Elijah B. Snedaker
Noah Springer
Erancis Timmons
James S. Watson
William R. White
James E. White
Charles Wiley
William H. Wisenburg
Harrison Young
Jeremiah C. Ziler

LIST OF SOLDIER DEAD.

(Corrections and additions invited: also lists from
other near-by cemeteries).

Princeville Township Cemetery.

Revolutionary War
John Montgomery
Phineas Bronson

"Phineas Bronson was a native of Connecticut, born at Enfield,
November 9, 1764; died in Peoria County, Illinois, October 24,
1845, and is buried in Princeville Cemetery, where a tombstone
inscribed, 'A Soldier of the American Revolution,' tells the story
of service.

John Montgomery was a private in the Virginia troops ; was
born in 1764 and died in Peoria County, Illinois, January 26, 1845.
and is buried in the Princeville Cemetery. 'A Soldier of the Rev-
olution' is inscribed upon his tombstone." — Prepared by Mrs.
Clara K. Wolf, Historian of Peoria Chapter D. A. R. : From
Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society, Oct., 1913, p. 447.)

44

HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

War of 1812
Abner Adams
Asa Beall
Zenas Bliss
Samuel Coburn
James Henry
Joseph Nickeson
Matthew Reed
John Williams

War of 1812 and Black Hawk
War

Margoram Belford (Brelsford)
(re-interred from Camp-
bell Cemetery)

Mexican War
John A Heberling
Wm. Peppard

Civil War

Chas. Alter

Stephen A. Andrews

G. W. Bay

Christian Betts

William Biederbeck (re-
interred from Campbell
Cemetery)

Wm. Blanchard

Thos. Blakewell

Ezra Bliss

William E. Bliss

Wm. Blue

John Bush

Jos. J. Camp

Wm. Coburn (buried else-
where: cenotaph here)

Samuel Coburn

Hughes Cornwell

Wm. Deal

Nelson Debord

Jasper Dollison

Nathaniel Sweat Ennis

J. H. Flaherty

Hezekiah Foley

S. H. Freeman

John F. French

Milo C. -Gillen

Jonathan Goodman

Wm. Gue

John D. Hammer

Henry Hammer

John Heberling

Henry F. Irwin

A. J. Lair

Wm. Lair

P. K. McCready

D. D. McDougal

John McGinnis

Erastus Morrow

Henry Mushbaugh

Henry Oertley

Jos. Parents

D. M. Potts

J. A. Pratt

O. S. Pratt

Chas. Reese

Samuel Reese

J. M. Rogers

Wm. Rowcliflf

Ebenezer E. Russell

James Russell

John Sheelor

Joseph Shull

J. Z. Slane

Albert H. Smith (buried else-
where : cenotaph here)

Cyrus Smith

Isaac Smith

John Smith

Elijah B. Snedaker

Chas. Stevens

Edwin Stevens (buried else-
where: cenotaph here)

James T. Stevens (buried else-
where: cenotaph here)

Wm. Stewart

Geo. Tarbox

John Thacker

John Wheeler

Wm. H. Williams

Wm. H. Wisenburg
Harrison Young

Spanish War
Walter Ayers

THE FIRST AND THE SECOND PRINCEVILEE ACADEMY 45

St. Mary's Cemetery.

Civil War
Frank Rotterman

Campbell Cemetery.

Civil War Thomas McConn

David Campbell Martz

Samuel Campbell Hugh Roney
David Hart

THE FIRST AND THE SECOND PEINCEVILLE

ACADEMY.

By Edward Auten, 1894 and Peter Aiiten, 1915.
The First Academy.

The idea of an Academy originated in the demand
for such an institution about the year 1856, during
which year, if I remember rightly, many of the Prince-
ville young people, desiring better educational oppor-
tunities than were afforded by the common school un-
der charge of one instructor for all grades, went to
Farmington to attend a school where the higher mathe-
matics and classics were taught by a graduate of Knox
College, IMilton S. Kimball, assisted by a New England
lady, Miss Booth. (Extract of a letter from Mrs. Han-
nah G. Hutchins, of Chicago, a daughter of the late Wm.
C. Stevens, of Princeville, a gentleman of education,
culture and public spirit, who was prominent in the
inception and progress of the Academy).

In the winter of '55 and '56 I taught at Farmington
and numbered among my scholars there quite a number
from Princeville whom I remember with much interest
as among the brightest and most studious of my pupils.
In the fall of 1856, owing I suppose to their kind
partiality, as I had never been at Princeville up to
that time, I was invited to take the school there for a
session of twenty weeks, which I did. The school was

46 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

in the Presbyterian church. I do not remember the at-
tendance exactly, but the number was large and there
was so much interest in it that some of the leading
citizens of the town urged me to remain, and promised
to have a building erected for the Princeville Academy.
I was not able to do so, but heard afterwards with
pleasure that the academy was built, teachers procured,
and that it was quite prosperous. (Extract of a letter
from Mr. Milton S. Kimball, now of Springfield, 111.,
the first principal of the Academy).

The inception of the Princeville Academy arose
from the felt need of such an institution at home. A
number of the people in Princeville had been educated,
and others who had not, saw the advantages of the
added power and privileges that knowledge gave ; they -
wished their children to gain what they themselves
never had the opportunity to get. In addition the
Stevens', the Morrow's, the Colburn's, the Cutter's,
the Clussman's, the Bronson's, the Auten's and others
had been sent hither and yon to get advantages that by
combined effort they might have had at home. Also an
idea got lodged in the minds of some that such an insti-
tution would help the community and the place, and
give advantages to many which they could never other-
wise enjoy. Hon. Judge Onslow Peters, of Peoria,
helped the general public opinion some in a speech as
he told the people of the difference between "those who
could not tell B from a bull's ear and those Avho had an
education." Miss Selina Booth, now Mrs. S. B. Newell
of Farmington, 111., a cultured christian woman of abil-
ity and one of the chief women of the State, was an im-
portant factor in the establishment of the first Prince-
ville Academy, and after a conversation with some of
those most interested, telling them she thought they
might secure the services of Mr. Milton Kimball, a
graduate of Knox College, steps were at once taken
that engaged ^Ir. Kimball as principal and the Pres-
byterian church for a school room. As time went on
circumstances showed that the school should have a
house of its own. (Extract of a letter from Lemuel
Auten, of Monica, 111.)

THE FIRST AND THE SECOND PRINCEVILLE ACADEMY 47

The question of a suitable building was soon agi-
tated, meetings were called, parents were interested,
and it was proposed to raise money by inducing the
residents of the village and surrounding country to
pledge taking shares of twenty-five dollars each. This
was done — but the amount was raised but slowly.
Those were days of small things and money was not
plenty. Messrs. Wm. C. Stevens, Solomon S. Cornwell,
Carlisle Aldrich and IMisses Martha and Laura Aldrich,
and IMrs. Eleanor Morrow were among the foremost to
work in the cause. Finally sufficient was secured to
warrant erecting a modest two-story frame building
on the south side of Main Street, a little east of the
present public school square. The building was put
up, as was the custom in that time and previously, as
much as could be by individual donations of time, work
and material. The rock for the foundation was quar-
ried in White Oak grove. By the fall of 1857 the build-
ing was ready for use. Mr. Leonard Andrews presided
over the institution in its new home and taught for one
year. Then followed with Rev. Jared M. Stone and
wife as teachers, a period of great prosperity for the
Academy. Assistants under Mr. Stone at different
times were Nathan A. Means, Miss White, Miss Wright
and Miss Burnham. The attendance grew to sixty or
seventy and the people showed a great deal of en-
thusiasm over their school. Each year an exhibition
was given, in which the larger part of the pupils took
part in songs, orations, essays, personifications, tab-
leaux, colloquies or discussions. A program of the
"Second Annual Exhibition" held on March seventh,
1860, appended at the close of this article, shows that
there was more real literary and musical and scholastic
meat in one of these Exhibitions than in half a dozen of
some school commencements in the twentieth century.
All of those who attended the Academy were called
"codfishes" by the young people who did not attend,
and the Academy literary society was called "The Cod-
fish Club."

48 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

Gradually, however, the many young men who had
gathered from the east and west, from Dunlap (then
Prospect), Orange Prairie, Jubilee, Akron, Hallock and
all the country west of Princeville, went into the army ;
the village boys enlisted, and many girls were obliged
to remain at home. The number of pupils was greatly
lessened, and when Mr. Stone removed (about 1863)
the prospects of the school were waning. Rev. William
Cunningham was the next teacher, and he for a time
revived interest in the Academy and awakened the
ambition of some who were but lads when the older
boys went to the war. ]\Ir. Cunningham ceased teach-
ing in '66, and as an academic institution the building
was never reopened. It was rented for a time before
the erection of the present public school building for
the use of the district school, and was finally sold. It
nov/, 1894, forms the front part of the building on Can-
ton Street occupied by Mr. M. V. Conklin as a general
store. (Later sold and moved, and in 1915 constitutes
part of a barn at home of L. S. Hofer).

The war, no doubt, was the most potent influence
in the decline of school prosperity. The older children
were in the army or in business, married and scattered.
The next generation of fathers and mothers did not
seem to appreciate the advantages afforded by the
home school, and did not support it with enthusiasm.
However, the Academy did not exist in vain. In look-
ing over an old programme of one of the annual exhibi-
tions, we see the names of many who are now among
the most useful of our citizens, and the fame of other
pupils comes to us from afar. A few went from the
Academy to college, and none, it can safely be said, who
spent part of their school days in Princeville Academy,
have counted those days lost. The following is part
of a letter received from Mr. Thomas Keady, of Dunlap,
111.: "I entered as a pupil soon after Prof. Stone took
charge, went off to the war in 1861, and do not remem-
ber to have entered the classic old building since, only
one night to a Union League meeting presided over by
Dr. Henry, when I was home on furlough after the

THE FIRST AND THE SECOND PRINCEVILLE ACADEMY 49

fall of Vicksburg. * * * I am glad to know that
you are about to revive 'Auld Lang Syne' through a
historical sketch. I wonder what sort of a grizzled
squad would rally to roll call if we had a reunion
some autumn day."

The Second Academy.

Mrs. Hutehins, who was one of the pupils of the first
Academy, writes as follows (1894) regarding the new
Academy: "I have rejoiced greatly in the rehabilitat-
ing of Princeville Academy and its recent prosperous
career on an enlarged plan, and wished that my be-
loved father might have foreseen this later success."

As time went on several of Princeville 's citizens
realized that their village was lacking in higher educa-
tion, and believed that a school of the right kind would
be the greatest blessing which could be provided for
the large number of boys and girls in the community.
In the summer of 1887, matters began to take definite
form ; a number of those interested met together, talked
over plans and the result was the signing of a paper
pledging, in various sums, $1,000 for the maintenance
of an academy one year. The signers of this paper con-
stituted the board of management, and each subscriber
was entitled to receive the amount of his subscription
in tuition during the year. The paper cannot be found
and the following list may be incomplete :

Mrs. V. E. Aldrich, Peter Auten, J. H. Benjamin,
Rev. C. M. Taylor, James Rice, Josiah Morrow, R. C.
Henry, Lemuel Auten, Dr. R. F. Henry, Daniel Klinck,
Ezra Adams, John Z. Slane, Mrs. Margaretta Henry
and Edward Auten.

Four-page folders were printed and the surrounding
country was canvassed for students. Mr. James Stev-
ens and Miss Emma L. Jenness were secured as teachers
at the recommendation of Rev. Taylor, who knew
them both to be instructors of ability. The old Seventh
Day Adventist church, situated on the present site of
Mrs. Adams' house, southwest of the park, was secured
for a school house. This was repaired and improved.

50 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

and one day early in September, 1887, about twenty-
five young people assembled and enrolled as students in
Princeville Academy. School progressed this year as
well as could be expected. During the winter a small
fire occurred, which necessitated the holding of school
for a few days in the old village hall. The total en-
rollment of students this year was thirty-one.

In the second year numerous changes took place.
The board of management was composed of but five :
Josiah Morrow, Dr. R. F. Henry, Rev. C. M. Taylor, Ed-
ward Auten and Lemuel Auten. Mr. C. F. Brusie suc-
ceeded Mr. Stevens as principal, and the recently built
addition to the Presbyterian church was secured for
school rooms. This year the total enrollment was
thirty-four.

In 1889-90 the board of management consisted of
the same five and Mesdames Margaretta Henry and
Virginia E. Aldrich, and Misses Martha Aldrich, Elmira
Jones and Augusta Yates in addition. There was no
change in the faculty nor in the school rooms this
year. For several months a Literary and Debating So-
ciety was conducted with many good results. Twenty-
three students were enrolled.

Before the opening of the next year a new home
had been prepared for the academy. The church build-
ing then recently vacated by the Methodist Episcopal
congregation had been purchased by one of the mem-
bers of the board and been put in good order from foim-
dation walls to spire, partitioned with a fine partition,
furnished with the most approved modern school desks,
real slate-stone blackboards, a good regulator clock and
other requisite furniture, and supplied with a bell of
the best material weighing over six hundred pounds,
cast expressly for this place. The ringing of this bell
occasioned the presenting of a petition to the village
council in the following words: "Princeville, Illinois,
February 16, 1891. — To the officers of the village council
of the village of Princeville : We, the undersigned citi-
zens of the village of Princeville, do hereby protest
against the tolling of the academy bell, placed in the

THE FIRST AND THE SECOND PRINCEVIELE ACADEMY 51

building owned by Edward Auten, and would request
the stopping of the same. ' ' This petition was signed by
one hundred and twenty-six of Princeville's citizens.

The principal for this year was Mr. B. M. Southgate,
and the board of management consisted of Miss Martha
Aldrich, Mrs. V. E. Aldrich, Josiah Morrow, Lemuel
Auten and Edward Auten. The attendance was more
than double that of the preceding year, and in June
the second academy graduted its first class : Lewis R.
Aldrich, Andrew Auten, Anna R. Auten, Lydia C. Aut-
en, Leroy Jones, Fred Moffit, Lewis Morrow and Winn
Morrow. These were all students of the classical course
and all received Academy diplomas. Five of them were
admitted to Williams College, two to Oberlin College
and one to Wellesley College, all on certificates from
the academy. All finished college except Winn Mor-
row, who died in August after graduation. Of those
who had been in attendance, but had not graduated,
some had gone away to school, some were teaching
school, and some had begun business careers. The
academy had already proven itself to be a valuable
addition to the community.

Beginning with the year 1891-92, the Board of Man-
agement consisted only of Peter Auten, Lemuel Auten
and Edward Auten, remaining the same through the
remaining years of the Academy, up to June, 1900, —
one of the privileges of the members of the Board of
Management continuing to be the footing of the annual
deficit.

In the fall of 1891, Mr. E. B. Cushing began a two
years' principalship. In the summer of '91 the board
published a pamphlet with a complete catalogue of the
school from the start, and with announcements for the
coming year. A new feature was the addition of the
Musical Department, which remained until June, 1899,
under the direction of Miss Alice Peters. Thorough
daily instruction in singing was free to all students,
and individual lessons in voice culture, piano and organ
were furnished. In the winter an advanced singing
class, the Chorus, was held each Wednesday evening,

52 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

partly for drill, but more especially for the practice
of church and other music, and a class of small chil-
dren, the Junior Chorus, was held each Saturday for
elementary drill and practice. It is due largely to Miss
Peters' work and influence in the school that many
of Princeville's young people at the time took so much
interest in singing. This year was the first in w^hicli
scolarships and rhetorical prizes were offered. The en-
rollment was ninety-three. Miss Jenness, the one in-
structor who had been with the academy during its
first five years now retired from service.

Early in the summer of 1892, Miss Luella Gray
was secured as art teacher, and lessons were given in
the store building north of the Auten bank building.
Enough patronage was not secured, however, to justify
continuing this department after one year. The facul-
ty for 1892-93 consisted of Mr. Gushing, Miss Peters,
Miss Gray, Miss Mary Francis and Miss Georgie L. Kin-
ney. The course this year was lengthened to four
years and improved by the addition of modern lan-
guages and many other studies. In June, '93, there was
one graduate, Laura Auten, who entered Oberlin Col-
lege.

For the year 1893-94 Mr. Gushing was succeeded as
principal by Mr. H. W. Eckley. Although the year did
not show so large an attendance as some before had
done, it was not lacking in results. A monthly paper,
the "Sol," was published by the students, and- this, to-
gether wath the regular rhetorical work, helped materi-
ally in developing literary ability. Physical culture
also was conducted enthusiastically and made a very
noticeable improvement in the carriage of the students'
bodies. In June, '94, a class of nine w^as graduated:
Lennie Yates, Lois Blanchard, Nellie Auten, Albert
Moffit, Harry Houston, Lena Ferguson, IMartha Gordon,
Deane Hopkins and Peter Auten. Of these nine, near-
ly all went to college.

During the year 1894-95, Mr. Thaddeus H. Rhodes
was principal, with Miss Emma L. Rigdon as assistant,
and Miss Peters in charge of the musical department

THE FIRST AND THE SECOND PRINCEVILLE ACADEMY 53

as stated. An announcement of the Academy written
that fall well outlined the policy of the school and pur-
pose of the Board of Management in the following
terms :

"In the new catalogue a number of new features
will be noticed : The classical course has been light-
ened in the senior year, the scientific course has been
changed so as to include book-keepng and commercial
arithmetic, and with a view to preparing for teacher's
first-grade certificate ; there will be systematic instruc-
tion and drill in spelling, penmanship, class singing and
physical culture; the Sol will be continued; a literary
society will be organized in connection w^th the regular
rhetorieals ; occasional high-class entertainments and
one or more full courses of lectures will be provided
during the year; the musical department will give three
concerts, and there wull be two public rhetorical con-
tests. The coming year bids fair to be a prosperous
one for the academy. The Board of Management are
more than ever determined that this school shall be one
of the highest merit, ever worthy of its present reputa-
tion for thorough and efficient work. Their aim shall
be to continue intact the present strict discipline, with a
faculty individually strong in governing power, of high
scholarship and culture, and of unquestioned character,
who shall be models to lead our youth to high aims,
high attainments and most worthy character. Their
desire is that this school shall be only for the good of
this community and of all whom its influence may
reach, and that it may harmonize in its work with all
other institutions, organizations and efforts for the ad-
vancement of knowledge and the building up of char-
acter with which it may have to do by reason of its
location or its influence.

Cambridge and New Haven are proud of their Har-
vard and Yale, Galesburg of her Knox College, Toulon
of her Academy, and the people of Princeville ought
to be proud of Princeville Academy; they ought to
show their appreciation by keeping the school filled
with pupils. It brings the first few years of a higher

54 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

education to our doors, and is also designed to fit
students for teaching and, in general, to aid them in
their preparation for active, useful lives. It will bring
to our village as residents families of culture and noble
aspirations. It has brought and wall yet bring into our
midst teachers whose refining and elevating influence
is felt out of and far beyond the academy walls. ' '

The graduates in June, 1895 were two in number:
Linus E. Aldrich and Carrie B. Chase.

The faculty remained the same during 1895-96 with
the addition of Miss Lydia C. Auten, teacher in the aca-
demic department. The graduates in June, 1896 Avere
six in number : Julia C. Auten, Stewart R. Campbell,
Mary Dickinson, William J. Ferguson, Besse L. Her-
riott, Mary C. Short.

For the year 1896-97 Mr. Ernest "W. Cushing vras
principal with Miss Lydia Auten and Miss Peters as
before, and Miss Anna R. Auten on the faculty. There
was one graduate in 1897, Miss S. E. Violet Stewart.

The faculty remained the same during the year
1897-98 with the substitution of Mr. Royal B. Cushing
for his brother as principal. Graduates in June, 1898
were eleven in number : Sarah R. Auten, George E.
Dunlevy, Irma G. Evans, Harry D. Fast, Mervin A.
Hoag, Earnest E. Lincoln, Walter J. Marsh, Grant
Morrow, Duane J. Newell, Mary M. Stewart, Helen B.
Tucker.

Mr. Royal B. Cushing continued as principal during
the year 1898-99, wath Misses Lydia and Anna Auten
and Miss Grace Chapin as assistants, and in June, 1899,
Edward Auten, Jr., Esther H. Auten, Roy E. Jackson
and James A. Shafer were graduated.

In the year 1899-1900 Mr. James E. Armstrong was
principal with Mrs. Lydia Auten Armstrong and Miss
Grace Chapin continuing as assistants. The graduating
class in 1900 consisted of Mignonne Phillips, Delia
Lucas, Irene Keach and Clauson M. Wilmot.

With the rise of the modern high school, the neces-
sity for an academy did not seem so great to some of
the parents and citizens, and the encouragement and

THE FIRST AND THE) SECOND PRINCEVULE ACADEMY 55

appreciation was not sufficient for continuing the ses-
sions of the academy any longer. It was hoped at
first that the omission of school sessions might be only
temporary, but they have not been resumed up to the
present writing, 1915. The academy building in the
meantime, has been used for primary school, and for
high school temporarily while the present large new
public school was building in 1907, and is at present
used as warehouse.

The progress made by the former students of the
academy as they have entered into the world of life,
has fully justified the maintenance of the academy dur-
ing the years that it was kept up, and there are some
even yet who believe that a private school of such
a character has students who as a body, have more
strength of purpose in their work than the average
body of public high school scholars. In closing this
history, we wish to pay a tribute to the mothers and
wives who, jointly with their husbands on the Board
of Management took a deep interest in the welfare of
the academy.

And if I should live to be
The last leaf upon the tree

In the Spring,
Let them smile as I do now
At the old forsaken bough
Where I cling.

— Oliver W. Holmes.

56 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

PRINCEVILLE ACADEMY— PROGRAMME OF THE

SECOND ANNUAL EXHIBITION, WEDNESDAY

EVENING, MARCH 7, 1860, AT SIX O'CLOCK.

PRAYER.
MUSIC — "For the Right."

Salutatory, Charles A. Cornwell.

"Man'3 Destiny," John Auten.

"New Kngland and the Union," Lemuel K. Andrews

"The Seminole's Reply," Franklin C. Hitehcock.

"Address to the Young," Leonard Riel.

"Warren's Address," Oscar M. Osborn

MUSIC — "Sword o£ Bunker Hill."

ESSAYS.

Life of a Sailor Louisa E. Keady

Friendship, Sarah C. Riel.

Charity .' Augusta Yates.

Decision of Character Amanda Yates.

.Tohn Brown, of Harper's Ferry Judith Smith.

Make Home Pleasant Mary Goodwin.

Good Manners, Mary Jane Irwin.

A Reverie Mary Calhoun.

MUSIC — "Lords of Creation."

"Our Country," Wm. W. Yates.

"Washingtonii Vita," Augustus T. Stone.

"Mt. Tabor," John H. McCurdy.

"Adams and Jefferson," Wm. Yates.

Oration, Moral Progress during last Centur.y,

David Mendel.

MUSIC — "Gipsy Countess."

Oration — Progress of America Charles N. Hull.

ESSAYS.

The Dress is not the Man Mary E. Baldwin.

Where is thy Home? Caroline Wilson.

When I was Young Martlia A. Keady.

The Law of Nature, Eugenie Hull.

A Poem, Mary Myers.

Mexico Sarah Livingston.

A Romance Matilda McCutchea.

The Dead of '59 Mary H. B. Morrow.

THE FIRST AND THE SECOND PRINCEVILLE ACADEMY 57

MUSIC — "Shiniiig Shore."

COLLOQUY— WEALTH AND POVERTY.

„„^„_„ f Remembrances of N. Eag. Scenes. Elizaboth Sabin
ii-ssays ^ Life's Golden Age Sarah Chase.

''Incidents of Travel," Martin B. Robinson

"Defense of England," Wm. H. Cornwell.

"Ward's Oration" Henr,y A. Stowell.

"Rollo's Address to the Peruvians," Onias W. Cummins.

I Deserted Bride — Lilian Gray, 1 Matilda McCutchen.

1 Bride's Maid — Flora Clinton, j Olivia Cutter.

MUSIC. — "Never Court but One."

Oration — Peace, Andrew Auten.

Personification ^ '^^"'^'^ Margaret Campbell.

feisonincation, ^ Melancholy, Mary E. Baldwin.

COLLOQUY — THINGS THAT SOMETIMES HAPPEN.

TABLEAUX POWER AND SUBJUGATION.

"Dangers of the Siiirit of Conquest," Edwin Stevens.

ii-ssays J Diamond in t:

Philena Blanchard.

the Dark Hannah G. Stevens.

TABLEAUX SHE IS TALL AS ANY FIR TREE !

MUSIC — "Heather Bells."

f Modesty Martha J. Hervey.

Personification, Friendship W^^^^'^t Blanchard.

I Patience, Hannah G. Stevens.

L Truth Olivia Cutter.

Oration — Acces.9ions to our National Territory,

Levi A. Lapham.

TABLEAUX SIR WALTER RALEIGH SPREADING HIS CLOAK FOR

QUEEN ELIZABETH.

Essays ^ '"^ School Girl's Soliloquy Martha J. Hervey.

■ " ' I Rural Happiness Olivia Cutter.

MUSIC — "Fanner's Boys and Girls."

COLLOQUY

I Teacher's Conven- | Solomon Bighead, Pres. — A. Auten.
1 tion in Egypt, J Nehemiah Thumpkins, Sec'y — C. Alter.
Valedictory, Lemuel Auten.

MUSIC (Closings Song) — Farewell.

BENEDICTION

58 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

THE PRINCEVILLE CATHOLIC CHURCH,
"ST. MARY OP THE WOODS."

By Rev. M. J. McKeon, 1915.

Catholicity came to Princeville with the advent of
the early Irish and German settlers. At that time there
was no Catholic Church nearer than Kickapoo or
Peoria. Realizing the difficulty of being compelled to
go so far to be present at Mass on Sundays and Holy
days of obligation, the parishioners concluded to pro-
vide a church for themselves, and in the year 1866
purchased the old Presbyterian Church which they
removed to the site of the present handsome editice.
In the following year, 1867, on September the seventh,
the Rev. James Murphy was appointed first Rector of
the Princevile parish.

He was succeeded in 1868 by Rev. Max Albrecht,
who remained until 1876. In 1869 owing to the in-
crease in membership, it was found necessary to en-
large the old frame building; and it was during the
pastorate of Father Albrecht that the Cemetery was
purchased in 1875, and laid out in lots. In the fol-
lowing year, 1876, the old Parsonage was erected.
Father Charles AYensierski succeeded Father Albrecht
and in 1878 he in turn was succeeded by Very Rev,
J. Canon Moynihan, who after a successful pastorate of
three years was succeeded by Rev. F. Schreiber in
1881. Father Schreiber watched over the welfare of
the parish until the arrival of Father P. A. McGair,
in the spring of 1884.

During the pastorate of Father ]\IcGair, the parish
again having outgrown the limits of the old frame
church, the building of a new church was agitated.
In 1889 both pastor and people, working together in
harmony and with much zeal, soon obtained sufficient
funds to enable them to lay the foundation, and in the
summer of 1890 the new church was completed and
dedicated. The stained glass windows were donated

"St. Mary of the Woods,'

Photo hii W
Princeville

"ST. MARY OF THE WOODS" 59

by: Mr. and Mrs, John Kneipp, Mr. and Mrs. Michael
Noonen, Mr. and Mrs. Charles German, Mr. and Mrs.
Val. Weber, Mr. and Mrs. John McCarty, Mr. and
Mrs. Redm'ond McDonna, Mr. and Mrs. Peter 0 'Con-
ner, Rev. P. A. McGair, Altar Society, Mr. and Mrs.
Mathew McDonnell, Mr. and Mrs. James Harmon. Mrs.
Burns in memory of Samuel Bums, Mr. and Mrs.
Basilius German, Mr. and Mrs. James McDermott, Mr.
and Mrs. Joseph German, Edmund Purcell and family.
As the cut in this issue shows, "St. ]\Iary of the Woods"
is a beautiful and substantial brick building of the
Gothic style of architecture, a monument to the zeal,
faith and generosity of its members and an ornament
to the village of Princeville.

In July, 1881, Father McGair was succeeded by Rev.
C. A. Hausser, who remained pastor of the parish until
1901. During the term of this pastorate almost all
the debt on the church was paid and the bell erected
in the tower.

The Rev. C. P. O'Neill succeeded Father Hausser
in 1901, and during his administration the present
Rectory was built in 1902. The interior of the Church
was further improved and ornamented by the addi-
tion of new seats, stations of the cross and the main
altar. The main altar was erected principally through
the generosity of Basilius German and John McCarty.
The statue of St. Patrick was donated by Mrs. Michael
McDonna; the statue of St. Boniface by "A Friend";
the Last Supper by Philip Henseler; and that of the
Sacred Heart by the Duffy family.

In 1910 the new Chapel was added on and dedi-
cated. The altar is the gift of Adam Rotterman, and
the stained glass windows were donated in memory
of Rose Helen McCarty, James Aylward, Ella McDer-
mott Hammer, Elizabeth Aylward and John Morrissey.
With the addition of a new slate roof in 1914 the
Church stands as it is today.

The Rev. C. P. O'Neill was succeeded in November,
1913, by the present pastor. Rev. M. J. McKeon.

60 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

Attached to the Princeville parish are the out-
missions of Dimlap and Edelstein. The mission at
Dimlap was organized in 1879 by Very Rev. Canon
Moynihan is St. Roses 's, and the name later changed
to St. Clement's. In 1910 the Church was
struck by lightning and totally destroyed. But in
1911, owing to the zeal and generosity of its members
the present commodious brick edifice of English Gothic
style was erected, and dedicated by the Right Rev.
E. M. Dunne, Bishop of Peoria. The stained glass
windows were donated by: Rev. F. J, O'Reilly, Rev,
John P. Quinn, Rev. C. P. O'Neill, John Shehan, the
children in memory of Archbishop Spalding; the Pat-
rick Byrnes children in memory of their parents ; Mrs.
Thomas Murphy, in memory of her husband ; Wm.
Powers and Mrs. Johnston in memory of their parents ;
Jos. Nelson in memory of Dennis Nelson ; Wm. Nelson
in memory of Julia H. Nelson; Wm. Cashin in memory
of Wm. Lawless. The stations of the cross were donated
in memory of: John Brennan, Mrs. Julia Riley, Hugh
Gallagher, Joseph Christian, Thomas Madden, Bridget
Madden, Rev. John Doran, Very Rev. Canon IMoynihan,
Thomas Murphy, Peter Fisher, Margaretta Fischer,
Gift of Mrs. P. McGonigle, Gift of Dr. J. P. Luthringer,
Gift of Dr. A. J. Kanne.

St. Matthew's Church at Edelstein, built in 1901,
owes its existence to the generosity of the late Mat-
thew McDonnell who bequeathed part of the amount
expended in erecting it. Both missions are attended
from Princeville every alternate Sunday, and are in a
very satisfactory and flourishing condition.

"When life was like a story, holding neither sob nor sigh;
In the golden olden glory of the days gone by."

— ^James Whitcomb Riley.

prince;ville;'s public square 61

PRINCEVILLE'S PUBLIC SQUARE.
By George I. McGinnis, 1915.

The public square, now covered with growing trees,
improved with cement walks, a concrete band-stand,
electric lights and a drinking fountain, and familiarly
called the Park, was given to the Village by its founder,
Wm. C. Stevens, at the time of the platting in 1837. In
1874 an attempt was made by the officials to mar the
square by locating on it the village hall and a calaboose.
Injunction proceedings were started by Peter Auten, in
company with Mr. Stevens and other citizens to block
the intended purpose, and, on the testimony of the donor
that he had given the square 'Ho be an open space, park
or square forever, for beauty, for view, for ventilation
and for health," a perpetual injunction was granted.

Mr. Justice Scott delivered the opinion of the court,
in part as follows : Village of Princeville vs. Auten et
al.. Vol. 77, 111. Reports, p. 326 : "This bill was to enjoin
the village board of trustees from moving the town hall
from its present site and placing it on what is called the
'square,' or 'public square.' The original town of
Princeville was laid out in 1837. No division was made
of the center block. It does not appear to have been
divided into lots as other blocks were. * * * * n
is proven the proprietors of the town recognized the
blank square as public grounds. * * * * Neither
the plat nor any of the certificates accompanying it ex-
presses any limitation or condition as to the future use
of the block designated as a public square, nor indicates
in what manner the public may enjoy it. One of the
proprietors, in his testimony taken at the hearing, says
the land comprised in the block originally belonged to
him ; that it was the intention it should remain forever
an open square, as a 'beauty, convenience, and charm to
a country village,' and it was with that view lots front-
ing on it were sold for an enhanced price. * * * *
Considering the evidence offered on this subject, it clear-

62 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

ly appears it was the intention of the proprietors of
the town, in making the dedication of this block of
ground, it should forever remain an 'open square' for
the convenience and common benefit of the inhabitants
of the village. Acquiesence on the part of the corpor-
ate authorities for so great a period, as shown by the
testimony, strengthens this conclusion. The decree
does not forbid the village trustees as suggested by
counsel from enclosing the square, from making walks
and planting it with ornamental trees, or doing any-
thing else to make it a pleasure ground for the use
of the inhabitants of the village, whenever they may
think proper to do so. The decree of the circuit court
must be affirmed. Decree affirmed."

During the Civil War a secret organization known
as the "Union League" of Princeville, with outer guard
and pass words, and with a membership of 50 or more,
would assemble on the "square" and drill in military
tactics, with John Seery as Captain and drill-master.
The purpose of the "Union League" was to demon-
strate loyalty to the Union cause, and promote a feel-
ing in favor of a vigorous prosecution of the war. The
writer remembers one time when the usual crowd of
onlookers had assembled, two women made remarks :
One of them saying that the League men were ' ' a home
spun looking lot of alligators," and the other subjoin-
ing that they were "only the ragamulRns of the coun-
try." These remarks gave rise to a colloquy of hot
words between the two critics and other women who ad-
mired the patriotism of the league. However, nothing
but a war with tongues resulted.

In 1866, the Lucifer Baseball Club was organized
with the following members: L. G. Parker, Captain,
H. E. Burgess, A. S. Wilson, L. B. Day, H. E, Charles,
Ed Edwards, Lem Andrews, L, A. Blanchard, Marion
Klinck. The first league game was plaved by the Luci-
fers vs. the "Mollie Stark Club" of Toulon, with the
late Judge Wright as captain, the result being in favor
of the Lucifers. In the second game at Toulon Mollie
Stark won, by a score almost scandalizing to the Luci-

PRINCE VI Lr,H;'s PUBLIC SQUARE 63

fers. The third test was made on the Princeville dia-
mond, where the Lucifers, strange to say, again scored
a triumph, deciding the series in their favor.

The square, besides being a place for ball games,
fights and occasional run-a-ways, was the regular place
for pitching circus tents, and many an Uncle Tom's
Cabin Show has been given there, some good and some
poor. The anvils and cannon were often shot otf there
before daylight on Independence Day; and on July 4,
1885, occurred in the premature discharge of cannon
which resulted in the death seven days later, of J. F.
Kronick.

One "liberty pole" after another was erected, as
they wore out from time to time, on which the stars
and stripes were floated on all patriotic occasions. The
liberty pole was used, also, at times to demonstrate
the indignation of citizens when they considered the
community was being outraged in some manner by
hanging the offenders in effigy. For instance the mar-
riage, separation, divorce and remarriage of a certain
aged couple gave cause for considerable comment as
well as serenading with the music of tin pan, tin horn,
and cow bell orchestra of many pieces. When the
music failed to bring forth a treat, the musicians pro-
ceeded to display their feelings by swinging the couple
to the flag pole in effigy. This occurred during the
early eighties and in 1884 another occasion of hanging
arose.

The Hon. N. E. AVorthington, member of Congress,
incurred the enmity of a number of his constituents
by recommending the appointment of Jos. S. Barnum
as postmaster of Princeville. Many petitions of remon-
strance were laid before Mr. Worthington, insisting
that he reconsider the matter, but to no purpose. Mr.
Barnum owned and controlled the Princeville Tele-
phone at that time and as his paper had supported
Mr. Worthington 's candidacy during the preceding
campaign, the Congressman absolutely refused to lis-
ten to the protests of those who opposed Barnum.
Chief among the opposition were Charles Fast, John

64 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

Bowman, Morg Rowe, Cornelius Dukes, John Little,
Tom Garrison and others, with Frank Hitchcock as
"chairman of the entire delegation." Once when both
Chas. Fast and Nate McCready had returned from
Peoria, where they both thought they had learned of
Worthington's intentions, "Charlie" boasted to
"Nate" that a change would be made. Nate, having
received his information first hand, quietly asked him
how much money he would like to wager. Fast said,
"Fifty dollars at any rate," whereupon McCready of-
fered to cover the bet and as much more as he could
lay down. Fast asked to be excused for a few mo-
ments, and after skirmishing for the money in smaller
amounts among the members of the delegation, he re-
turned with the total, with the result that Nate
swept in the stakes. This aroused the ire of Fast's
friends to such a degree that another hanging in effigy
took place, and the image hung to the flag pole was
labeled "Hon. N. E. Worthington" with a large sheet
of paper projecting from the coat pocket, marked
"Barnum's Commission."

On one occasion at the front of the post office kept
by William C. Stevens in a frame building opposite
the northern boundary of the square, Mr. James Mil-
ler, now of Des Moines, Iowa, who resided here at the
time, drove up in front of the office with a farm wagon
Avhich was provided with part of a broken fence board
for a seat. Mr. Stevens on noticing the board re-
marked that it looked very much like it had just come
off of somebody 's fence. Miller simply made a rejoinder
by asking what if it had. Mr. Stevens having been
previously provoked by having his fences torn dowai,
informed Miller that he believed him to be one of the
characters guilty of the destruction. Miller became
somewhat angered and pushed Stevens to one side. At
this Stevens remarked that if he must tight a bullock
he would prepare to defend himself, and straightway
walked into his office and returned with a claw ham-
mer. Miller suggested there was no use quarreling
about a small piece of board and Stevens, being

princeville's public square 65

as quick to relent as he was to become hasty, offered
an apology and invited Miller in to partake of some
fine eating apples.

From the founding of the Village to 1881, two wag-
on roads ran diagonally across the square, intersect-
ing with Canton Street on the south, and Main Street
on the north. These roads were abandoned in 1881,
when the block was planted to trees and a board fence
enclosed it for a few years until the trees were grown.
Then the fence, with stiles at the corners, was removed,
and the lawn mower applied for the first time.

The present concrete band stand and cement walks
were built in 1909, through the generosity of the
Prineeville Business Men's Association, aided by the
Santa Fe Railroad's donating all gravel, and by a "dol-
lar donation" on the part of something over 300 citi-
zens.

Beautified as it is, with the trend of modern amuse-
ments and refreshments "up town" and with the ad-
vent of automobiles, which do not need a grove for
tying in, the square, now called the Park, has become
the logical place for picnics and celebrations, instead
of the groves farther removed from town. Memorial
Day programs, Band Concerts and Sunday Evening
Church in summer complete the usefulness and "pleas-
ureableness" for M^hich the square was originally don-
ated by Mr. Stevens.

"When thou art feeble, old and gray,
My healhty arm shall be thy stay
And I will soothe thy pains away,

My Mother."

66 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

PRINCEVILLE WHEN FIRST INCORPORATED.
By Geo. I. McGinnis, 1915.

"I'm Captain Jinks of the Horse Marines,
I feed my horse good corn and beans ;

I sport young ladies in their teens,
To cut a swell in the army."

— From Captain Jinks.

I. I'm President H of great Princeville

A medical man of wonderful skill;
I'm often called to treat folks that are ill,
Though I never did serve in the army.

II. I'm running this town on a temperance plan

On a temperance plan, on a temperance plan,
I'm running this town on a temperance plan
Got Hitchcock into the army.

III. (About erecting of the Pound, lost from memory.)

IV. Everything went on first rate,

Till one night the Pound met with a very sad fate.
And Joe with his pistol was a little too late
To keep the hogs in the army.

V. And now we are in another great splutter,
Our calaboose tumbled into the gutter,
It puts my heart in a very great flutter
To keep the bums in the army.

—Parody by R. R. Taylor.

When Princeville Village was incorporated first
as the "Town of Princeville" under a special charter
April 15, 1869, the citizens had to become used to re-
straints on a number of their former liberties. One,
of course, was the control of the liquor traffic which
caused a considerable division of sentiment. The tem-
perance people arrayed themselves as an anti-license
party and thereby received a storm of criticism and rid-
icule. The agitation was continued vigorously by the
two opposing elements. The writer remembers well
while the anti-license people were conducting a series of

PRINCEVItLE WHEN FIRST INCORPORATED 67

temperance meetings in the Hitchcock Hall, many mem-
bers of the opposing faction were present also, to insist
that they should be allowed to present and defend their
views as to the best way of governing by license the
sale of intoxicants.

The main spokesman of this side was Ed Bobier,
who was quite persistent in being heard. On one occa-
sion the late Peter Auten was chosen to preside, and in-
formed Mr. Bobier that the meeting was not called as
a debating society; and that if he, Bobier, insisted fur-
ther there would likely be forcible means resorted to
in order to compel him to desist. At this point, Mr.
Bobier moved that every license man present take his
hat and leave the hall. The motion was seconded by
the late Thomas Alwood who gave his words quite a
little of the English accent, "Ah sicond that mootion,"
and gathering up his tin lantern, lit the tallow dip
within and started in pursuit of Bobier, followed by
quite a number of others of the same sentiment.

The meeting then proceeded and Benjamin Piper of
Peoria was introduced as speaker of the evening. Mr.
Piper proved quite entertaining and stated in the open-
ing of his address that he was himself a reformed
drunkard and hoped by the help of God to remain so.
After eulogizing the efforts of the temperance workers
he proved quite humorous by comparing those whom
he termed "weak in the knees" while claiming to be
in sympathy with the temperance cause, to the visitor
in the fable of The Woodchuck and The Skunk. Mr.
Skunk called without being invited at the den of a
mother woodchuck where she was rearing a family of
young ones, and rendered himself quite familiar on en-
tering by saying, "Good Morning, Sister Woodchuck.
What a beautiful family of little ones you have here."
He also introduced himself to the little ones as Uncle
Woodchuck, and speaking again to the mother said,
"How much better we woodchucks are than other ani-
mals." All this was received with unresponsive tolera-
tion on the part of the mother woodchuck who finally
said, "Look here, my friend, you are making yourself

68 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

quite familiar on short acquaintance. I don't believe
you are a woodchuck. You don't look like a wood-
chuck, and you don't act like a woodchuck, you don't
talk like a woodchuck and by the eternal you don't
smell like a woodchuck."

About the same time as this meeting, blacksmith Jos,
Mock was appointed to fill the new municipal office of
poundmaster, and a strong enclosure was erected where
Mr. Mock resided at that time, on the premises now oc-
cupied by the home of Dr. C. H. Wilcox. This
served to increase the fury of the storm of indignation,
as people were so accustomed to allowing their live
stock to run at large. Having formerly gotten the ben-
efit of pasture on wide open range, they felt they were
being deprived of a lawful privilege. Rail fence enclo-
sures were quite numerous throughout the Village
where milch cows and other stock would be corralled
during the night, but liberated the following morning
to promenade the streets before going off to the range
and perhaps returning in the evening. The writer and
a companion Stiles Mitchell at one time were each
given ten cents to drive hogs, cattle and sheep from
the public square while a game of baseball was being
played.

Finally a number of head of live stock were gath-
ered in by the authorities and placed in the pound, and
in charge of poundmaster Mock. Some of the citizens
noticed the same evenings that their hogs did not re-
turn home as usual for their rations of swill. This
aroused suspicion that matters were being dealt with
by the newly elected board of trustees, and accordingly
a good sized delegation was organized to execute other
conclusions.

A line of march to the enclosure verified the sus-
picion, and the men in line gathering a good supply of
axes and crowbars along with various other instru-
ments of destruction, proceeded to reduce the enclosure
to a mass of kindling wood, and liberate their animals.
The poundmaster was aroused from his slumbers by the
different sounds which emanated, and making haste to

PRINCEVILLE WHEN FIRST INCORPORATED 69

the scene of desolation, opened fire witli a single bar-
reled pistol. This failed to terrify the intruders and
Mr. Mock was left alone to view the wreckage, and
without any livestock as evidence of violation of ordin-
ance.

Another expression of the municipal restraint was
the village calaboose first erected on the edge of the
water course running through the middle of Block 18
(near blacksmith shop of Robert Taylor, Jr., 1915).
The open ditch soon caused the structure to fall into a
dilapidated condition and the building was moved
alongside the old Christian Church, (on Block 14, east
of the present school house), which had been purchased
for a town hall. This calaboose, by the way, was battered
open on one occasion by two young men confined for
drunkenness, who, inspired with the patriotic thought
of Patrick Henry ''Give me liberty or give me death,"
took the cannon stove to pieces and used the parts for
the battering. The old church used as town hall and
the calaboose in close proximity remained there for sev-
eral years, and then, after failure of the attempt to
place them on the public square, were removed to the
present village lot, site of the water works plant.

Chafing at all of these restrictions to their former
habits, and a short time after the meeting above re-
ferred to where the woodchuck and skunk comparison
was made, the license men called an indignation meet-
ing where singing and speaking were the order of the
evening. Among other numbers on the program, Rudol-
phus R. Taylor, the tinner, appeared wearing a derby
hat and large gray shawl, the same style as occasionally
worn by Dr. Henry, and introduced himself by singing
his parody on the then-worn-threadbare song of "Cap-
tain Jinks." One verse of the Captain Jinks song and
four out of the five verses of the parody which the
writer can recollect, are printed at head of this article.

"President H " was of course Dr. R. F. Henry who

had been chosen from their number by the village trus-
tees as president, (It was a few years later that the
Village President was elected by direct vote of the peo-

70 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

pie, 0. F. Herriek being the first elective Village Pres-
dent). Hitchcock, mentioned in the second stanza, was
George W. Hitchcock who had formerly conducted a
saloon in the basement of his large brick building, but
had temporarily professed temperance convictions and
closed his saloon business. Stanzas three, four and five
referred to the pound escape and to the calaboose es-
cape above related.

THE AUTEN FAMILY.

By Edward Auten and Peter Auten 2nd, written in
1902; revised in 1915.

Peter Auten was born of Holland Dutch descent
at Chili, near Rochester, N. Y., Oct. 1, 1811; attended
select schools in Rochester and Geneva, and began life
as a clerk in a general store at Penfield, N. Y. He also
taught school. On Oct. 13, 1836, he was married to
Lydia Chapman of Westport, Conn., who was then
teaching school at Chili. Sent by the "American
Board" of the Congregational Church as missionary
teachers to the Choctaw Indians, they started soon after
they were married, by sailing vessel from New York
City to Cuba, and thence to New Orleans, and then up
the Mississippi River by boat to the mouth of the Ar-
kansas. From Arkansas City they traveled as far as
they could by coach and after that on horseback to the
Choctaw Indian Mission. The trip overland was made
with great difficulty and danger. They were often
stuck in the mud and had to leave their baggage and
send back for it. The settlers implored them not to
go farther, fearing the dangers of the wilderness and
of the Indians, and it was only at fabulous prices that
horses and men could be obtained for the journey.

Finally reaching the Choctaw Mission, Mr. Auten
taught among the Indians for two years. There were
three divisions of the Choctaw nation, one of which
had never consented to allow Government schools in

THE AUTEN FAMILY 71

its territory. Mr. Auten was employed by the United
States Government to negotiate a treaty with the chief
of this division, looking to the establishment of schools.
In this others had failed, but Mr. Auten Avas successful
partly, perhaps wholly, on account of the high personal
regard in which he was held by the chief. The chief
was very grateful for medical aid given his wife. He
took up with the idea of the schools, honored Mr. Auten
at the Indian "Pole Pullings" and other public occa-
sions, often protected him, and the Indians made a pet
of baby Lemuel. They would borrow the baby, take
him away and bring him back dressed in Indian baby
clothes, and decorated with beads. The government
sent Mr. Auten $500 in special appreciation of his ser-
vices.

Unable to endure the climate after a serious illness,
Mr. Auten left, with his wife, and came to Radnor
Township, Peoria County, in 1838 or early in 1839. He
moved to Princeville, teaching school the winter of
1840-41. He lived in a log cabin just southwest of the
corner of the original village plat (West of the Misses
Edwards' present residence, the cabin later moved di-
rectly East of the Misses Edwards') ; the school house
was the old log one so famous in early Princeville his-
tory. Moving back to Radnor Tow^nship he farmed
there until 1849, when he again took up his residence
in Princeville, to continue until his death Feb. 7, 1904.
He bought the Samuel Alexander house, one of the old-
est frame dwellings in the village (northeast corner of
Block 13, facing west side of the public square), which
he occupied until 1887, then moving across the street,
cornering, to his last residence on the southwest corner
of Block 8, fronting the north side of the square.

In Radnor he was school treasurer 1842-50, he hav-
ing made the first set of treasurer's books. In Prince-
ville Township he was Commissioner of Highways 1851-
53, Moderator Town meetings 1852, '53 and '56, Justice
of the Peace 1854-58, Overseer of Road District 1857-58
and 1859-61, Town Clerk 1859-63. He was of a commit-
tee of five appointed at town meeting 1867 to circulate

72 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

a petition to raise money to refund to soldiers their
taxes paid toward the bounty fund.

For a number of years after moving to Princeville
Mr. Auten was actively engaged in farming on land
one or two miles out from town. He always did a great
deal of writing for other people, especially during and
after war times.

In 1872, at an age when many men consider them-
selves old, he started in the banking business to remain
in it actively for twenty-five years, and still able to
walk to and from the bank after a period of thirty
years had elapsed. His first partner, George AY. Alter,
was fast failing in health before the close of the year
1872, and the firm name of Auten & Alter was changed
to be Auten & Auten. Mr. Auten 's son Edward was the
new partner, in place of Mr. Alter, and the partnership
and firm name remained the same until the senior part-
ner's death in 1904. The business has grown, and a
branch bank was established at Monica in 1893, the firm
now (1915) consisting of three of Mr. Peter Auten 's
grandsons.

Beginning with his first school in New York state,
continuing through his years with the Indians, and all
through his later life, Mr. Auten was of a decided mis-
sionary and philanthropic character. When teaching
his first school he got nearly the entire district to sign
the temperance pledge, something difficult in those
days, and was instrumental in having seventy of his
pupils and young people join the church. It was as a
missionary teacher that he went to the Indians, and
until his eightieth year he enjoyed singing hymns in
the Choctaw langauge. He had always been active in
temperance and in church and Sunday School work,
both in the village and going out into the country.
Mrs. Auten was always his equal helper, and they both
assisted their neighbors in spiritual, intellectual and
material ways. Mrs. Auten at times taught school in
her own home, and she is remembered by many even
yet for her kind deeds. Her life span extended from
March 4, 1807, to April 11, 1891.

THE AUTEN FAMILY 73

Mr. Auteu was in many ways the mainstay of his
family, that is of all his uncles and cousins who came
west, and his mother and sister. He was liberal to
them, as also he was to his own children and grand-
children. He not only favored the right and the just,
but stood positively for right and justice at all times.
He was a part of the building up of Princeville and
many strong men of the community often spoke of him
as one to whom they owed their success ; he was a help-
er and adviser of many people. He died Feb. 7, 1904,
at the age of 92 years.

Of Mr. and Mrs. Peter Auten's seven children only
three grew to maturity, Lemuel, Edward and Andrew.
Hanford, born Dec. 2, 1842, crippled by an accident,
died Sept. 30, 1845. Emily Ann, born Nov. 12, 1844,
lived to about the same age. Two later children, a boy
and a girl, died in infancy without being named. These
four all rest in a cemetery used by all the neighbors,
but still remaining in Mr. Auten's private ownership
at the time of his death, near the southwest corner of
the southeast quarter of Section 19, Radnor Township.

Andrew, born March 9, 1841, attended the public
schools and Princeville Academy, and also the State
Agricultural College of Pennsylvania, Center County,
Penn. When southern invasion was threatened at the
breaking out of the war, he was a member of the Home
Guards of Pennsylvania. Returning to Princeville he
engaged in the nursery business, furnishing many of
the evergreens and other fine shade trees that now
adorn the village and surrounding country. He was
married in 1863 to Alice Smith; died of typhoid fever,
Oct. 4, 1864, leaving a daughter about one month old,
Tula Rose. She is now Mrs. Russell E. Chaplin, and re-
sides at Pomona, California.

Lemuel, born on the border line between Texas and
Indian Territory, near Fort Towson, Dec. 5, 1837, was
educated in the public schools, private schools at Elm-
wood, Henry and Farmington, Illinois, and at Union
College, Schenectady, N. Y. He was married April 8,
1863 to Esther R. Cutter, a native of New Hampshire,

74 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

and to them seven children were born : Edith Corney,
Maria Fry, Julia Campbell, Anna and Esther of Prince-
ville, Andrew of Oberlin, Ohio, and Laura Tambling
of Zion City, 111. Mr. Lemuel Auten for years helped
to support the second Princeville Academy, and in-
vested still more money in the education of his children
in college. He lived on a farm in Akron Township un-
til 1893, then in Monica where he had charge of Auten
& Auten 's branch bank for some years, and is now re-
tired in Princeville. He held the office of Justice of the
Peace in Akron Township for one term, and frequently
declined that and other offices. He held office of ruling
elder in Princeville Presbyterian Church for more than
20 years, beginning in 1870; and has held other offices
in that church, as well as in the Methodist Church
which he joined soon after moving to Monica in 1893,
His wife has been active with him in Church and tem-
perance work and has also been an active member and
state officer of the ^Y. C. T. U.

Edward was born May 27, 1839, in Radnor Town-
ship on Section 30 ; the cabin was close to the spring
near the Northwest corner of that section. He at-
tended public schools, the Pendleton Seminary at Hen-
ry, 111., the Academy at Farmington, 111., the old
Princeville Academy, Union College at Schenectady,
N. Y., where he received degrees of A. B. in 1862 and
A. M. in 1865 ; also Harvard Law School at Cambridge,
Mass., where he received the degree of LL. B. in 1865.
He was admitted to the bar in Massachusetts in 1865,
and continued study at Harvard Law School two years
longer; was librarian of the Law School during his
last three years there.

Returning to Princeville, he began the practice of
law, and was married in Akron Township, May 6, 1869,
to Maria Louisa Cutter. Miss Cutter was a sister of his
brother Lemuel's Avife, both of the ladies having come
West as "Yankee School JNIa'ams," and being nieces of
Dr. Cutter and of Mrs. Hannah Breese. Mr. and Mrs.
Edward Auten 's children have been nine in number,
Benjamin C, of Carthage, Mo. ; Lydia C, wife of J. E.

THt AUTEN FAMII,Y 75

Armstrong, Claremont, 111. ; Nellie M., Peter, Sarah R.,
Edward Jr. and Charles H., all of Princeville, Hanford
Louis of Kennett, Mo., and Lemuel, twin of Charles H.,
who died in infancy.

Entering the banking partnership with his father in
1872, Mr. Auten gave up the regular practice of law,
but has always continued to be an adviser and a holder
of many trusts. He also engaged in cattle raising quite
extensively at one time. He was the first Village Clerk,
and has been at different times Trustee and President of
the Village of Princeville. The township office of
school treasurer he held continuously from 1880 until
resigning in 1915 in favor of one of his sons.

Mr. and Mrs. Auten have long been members of the
Presbyterian Church, Mr. Auten holding the office of
Secretary and Treasurer at one time for several years.
They have been active in temperance, missionary and
educational work. The second Princeville Academy
was maintained largely by their efforts, jointly with
the help of his father and brother, for as many yea'*"s
as the people seemed to appreciate it and desire its
continuance.

Mr. and Mrs. Auten have sought for their children
the best to be had in education. Mr. Auten has
been a "war-horse" especially in the temperance
fight in Princeville ; he helped materially in the
wind-up of the licensed saloon (and of the un-licensed)
by first leasing and later purchasing the Frank Hitch-
cock or Henebery property, and also the "Cappie
Washburn" Hotel property, thus making it possible for
the former saloon keepers to retire gracefully from bus-
iness. Mr. Auten has also helped to build and improve
the town in many other ways, one of his recent activi-
ties being the erecting of the building now used as Post
Office. In general, Mr. Auten and his wife have tried to
do their share in making Princeville a wholesome and
progressive town to live in.

76 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

THE BAILEY FAMILY OF ESSEX TOWNSHIP.
By Ellen G. Bailey, 1915.

Louis Bailey was born in 1786 in Jefferson County,
New Hampshire. His father Alexander C. Bailey was
a blacksmith and Louis assisted his father. The
father was a soldier of the Revolution, and was present
only a few feet away when Gen. Burgoyne handed his
sword in surrender to Gen. Gates.

Louis was drafted in the war of 1812 at the age of
twenty-six. He had five hours in which to get ready to
serve his country, a part of which time he put in mend-
ing his shoes. At one time, when on a three days forced
march, pursued closely by the English soldiers, when
crossing a swamp, he saw his captain fall with fatigue.
He broke a branch from a tree to over hang the path
and mark where the captain fell, then marched into
camp. Laying his drum upon a stump, as he was a
drummer boy, he returned to help the captain into
camp.

The captain said, "Let me lie and die," and as the
captain was a strong and heavy man and Louis Bailey
was a small man, the drummer boy was not able to
carry him. He begged of his captain to come and go
with him, but to no avail. Finally he gave his captain
a few little kicks and called him a ''lazy lubber." The
captain plucked up courage and by Bailey's assistance
reached the camp, Bailey worked all night bringing in
twenty-five stragglers that had dropped by the way-
side ; then ate only a slice of hard corn bread for his
breakfast, picked up his drum, and started on his
march with the rest of the soldiers. He came in contact
with many hardships at that time.

After the war there were glowing accounts of Illi-
nois' great prairies. So Mr. Bailey started for his
future home on foot. He was robbed on the way, — even
his hat, coat, shoes, and money were taken. But this
did not daunt him; he started on his journey bare-

the; bailey family of Essex township 77

footed and bare headed. An inn-keeper gave him a
hat and coat and shoes, which he afterwards paid for.

He came to LaSalle County, Illinois and took up a
claim. Afterwards he returned as far as Ohio and mar-
ried Miss Betsy Butler, a girl who had laughed at his
predicament on the way out when he was coat-less, hat-
less, shoe-less and money-less after being robbed. With
this bride he returned to his claim in LaSalle County.
He was the first settler in Vermilion Township in that
County, two miles from Tonica. Here he was engaged
in saw-milling and his sons Augustus and Timothy were
born, — Augustus being the first white male child born
in LaSalle County.

In 1832 the Black Hawk War broke out. Mr. Bailey
put his family aboard a boat and sent them down to
Fort Clark (which is Peoria today), and he stayed at
his claim alone. He could hear the shooting of Black
Hawk's braves and knew well some of the people that
were killed on the west side of the Illinois River. Mr.
Bailey was personally acquainted with Black Hawk and
Shabbona — the latter being an Indian character well
known to the Peoria settlers. And later on, after Mr.
Bailey had moved to Stark County, he had a number
of visits from Shabbona. The old Indian would never
accept accommodations in a bed, but insisted on rolling
up in his blanket on the floor.

In later years Mr. Bailey told traditions from the
Indians as to how Starved Rock and Deer Park re-
ceived their names. One tribe of Indians drove a
weaker tribe upon the rock and stood guard till they
starved them. There were some deer that went into
Deer Park, in which there is a large canyon. A severe
snoM^storm filled the mouth of the canyon so the deer
could not escape and they were an easy prey for the
Indians.

During this time there was a man keeping grocery
store who sold out all his goods but a cask of liquor.
He asked Mr. Bailey if he might put this in his cabin
for a short time, and the Indians found out the whiskey

78 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

was there. Three Indians came and asked Mr. Bailey if
he had any whiskey. He replied, "No." They pointed
down to the floor and said, "Down there." Then Mr.
Bailey replied, "It isn't mine." One Indian drew a
long knife and ruffled up his hair. Mr. Bailey knew
this meant fight. There were two white men beside Mr.
Bailey in the house and six little children and his wife.
Mrs. Bailey took a child by each hand and led them
outside ; then came after the other children, making
two more trips. Mr. Bailey said to Mr. Eliot, who
was one of the men at the cabin, "KJQOck him down."
Eliot knocked his Indian down, and the other white
man, his name unknown, grabbed a rolling pin and
beat one of the Indians over the head which sounded
like beating an empty barrel. Mr. Bailey took a chair
and struck the other Indian, breaking his chair to
pieces. Then he grabbed a fire shovel and struck the
Indian over the head ; the next lick he struck him cut
a horrible gash in the Indian's head. Mr. Bailey says
to Mr. Eliot, "Don't kill him, make him beg." Mr.
Eliot, being a powerful man, would have killed his
Indian in a few minutes.

The next morning Mr. Bailey rose before day-light
and rode horse back to the Indian camp. The Indians
were all up. His excuse to them was that he had a
cow strayed away and was hunting for her. The thr^e
Indians who received the beating the day before were
sitting upon the ground. The chief asked him about
the trouble of the night before, and said, "I will have
them put to death if you say so." Mr. Bailey said,
"No, I do not want them killed."

On this same morning he was surprised to meet with
a half-breed girl he had known years before. Mr. Bai-
ley knowing the character of the Indians, knew that
something must be done to show that the whites were
not afraid of them. He thought that on that morning
their intention was to massacre the settlers, but his
courage and bravery changed their intentions.

THE BEACH FAMILY 79

In 1849, Mr. Bailey sold his farm and moved to
Stark County, Illinois, with his two sons, Augustus
and Timothy. He bought a piece of land which is now
owned by his grand-son, Orpheus Bailey (in Sec. 11,
Essex TowTiship). In 1877 he died in Oregon.

His son Augustus was born in 1828, and lived on
the Stark County farm and raised his two sons Orpheus
and Alexander C. Bailey. Timothy Bailey moved to
Oregon in 1878 and now lives at Menlo, Pacific County,
Washington. He was a member of the 112th Illinois
Regiment in the Civil War.

Orpheus Bailey, a bachelor is now living on his farm
near Wyoming. Alexander C. Bailey lives in Wyom-
ing, Illinois, with his family of eight daughters and one
son. Three of the daughters are teaching in public
schools at the present time and one daughter married
is living in Indiana,

THE BEACH FAMILY.
By Amine Reeves and Emma Ferbrache, 1913.

Lester Beach was born in Rochester, New York in
1804. He served an apprenticeship and learned the car-
penter trade in the city of Rochester, After the death
of his parents he and his brother Charles went ai
young men to the vicinity of Clyde, Ohio. Here Mr,
Lester Beach engaged in farming for a short time
and was married to Miss Lydia Chase, who was an aunt
of General McPherson of the Civil War.

About the year 1837 he came to Farmington, Illi-
nois, from which place he sent back for Mrs. Beach,
She came, with her baby Amine, and accompanied
by Charles Beach, Mrs. Beach used on this trip an
iron tea-kettle that is still in possession of the family,
just at present loaned to Cutter's log cabin. Interest-
ing stories are told of a faithful mastiff dog "Old
Tige," that Mrs, Beach brought on this trip, remem-

80 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

bered by many of the early settlers; at one time he
stayed faithfully by a runaway team; and at another
time took the pants leg off a thief who would other-
wise have gotten Mr, Beach's horses.

Arriving at Farmington the family could get no
dwelling except the old "council house," a bark cov-
ered structure where the white men and Indians had
been in the habit of meeting for their parleys. Mrs.
Beach often told her children how the roof leaked
and how the shadows in the large recesses suggested
Indians to her even when there were none around.

The next year the family moved to Princeville where
Mr. Beach built the first house East of town for the
Sloan's. For himself he rented land from Wm. C.
Stevens, the house being a double log one-half mile
North of the Cutter house. Here the children re-
member their father often driving a steady old nag
right into the house to drag in a log for the large
fire place. There were no floors in some of the cabins,
nor in any of the stores and blacksmith shops of that
day. In the stores, men could sit on a box or barrel
and spit tobacco juice w^herever convenient.

Children were born, including the one in Ohio, in
the following order: Amine, Elvira, Frank, Cornelia,
Lydia, Emma, Willie and Orville. The oldest child
Amine was sent first to school in the log school house
near Mr. Slane's southeast of town. Mrs. Cutter and
Solomon Cornwell were her first teachers and at this
late date the pupil now recollects that one of these
teachers, perhaps Mrs. Cutter, wished to punish little
Elvira for pulling a tame flower in some forbidden spot ;
but as Elvira was too little, the teacher punished
Amine instead. This enraged the father, who went and
informed the teacher that any whipping to be done
might be taken out on him. Mr. Cornwell who was
developing his land as well as teaching school, had
a habit of announcing to the scholars that if it were
rainy or stormy on the following day they might
come back to school, but if fair weather they need not
come as he would be working on his place.

THE BEACH FAMILY 81

Later on Mr. Beach moved northeast of town to his
own farm in the neighborhood of McGinnis, Peet and
Clussman. This was on the Southeast quarter of Sec-
tion 6, Akron, now known as the Blue farm. Here he
helped to build a new school house. Selling this farm
Mr. Beach bought one mile East of Prineeville where
he lived until he died in 1859, and his widow continued
to live continuously until her death in 1906. This is
the place remembered by the children as the old home
and where they remember their mother carding wool
and many other scenes that have long since gone
out of date in the Illinois home. The daughter Emma
still has in her possession a coverlet made of home
spun wool raised on their own sheep, with the year
"1840" and Grandmother Slocum's name woven in it.
Mother Beach often remarked that her husband did
not like farming as well as carpentering and after be-
coming a farmer he did not whistle at his work as he
had formerly.

An interesting reminiscence of Grandfather Slo-
cum is as follows : At the time of the massacre of
Wyoming, Pennsylvania, a seven year old sister of his
was captured by the Indians and never heard from,
until many years later a traveller came upon an Indian
camp and an old woman, the widow of the chief, was
very sick. She told him that she was of white blood
and had been stolen by the Indians when a little girl.
The story told by this man reached the ears of Grand-
father Slocum who immediately set out to see if she
was not his sister. She had recovered from her illness
and denied the story ; but when her brother said to
her, "Now, if you are my sister there will be a scar on
your foot where I once hit you with an ax when we
were making our wood," the woman broke into tears
and showed the scar. Her brother then visited her
every two years. She said she did not remember much
about her mother and her mother's housekeeping, ex-
cept she had always swept with a broom and set the
broom in the corner when she got through, as she re-
membered her mother had done.

82 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

Of the children, Amine Reeves of Abilene, Kansas
and Emma Ferbraehe of Sutherland, Nebraska, are the
writers of this article. Elvira Frost died in 1893 and
is survived by her husband Enos Frost, her children,
Mrs. Cora Nixon of Princeville, 111., Miss Lydia who
lives with her father in Wymore, Nebraska, Lester
Enos of Canada, and Mrs. Flora James of Denver, Colo-
rado. Frank is still living at Dumont, Iowa. Lydia
died at the age of five years, and Cornelia at the age
of twenty-three. Willie and Orville went West as
young men and have never been heard from.

In the Charles Beach family the children were Har-
low of Peoria, 111., Fred who has been dead several
years, Elizabeth whom everybody knows as Miss Libbie,
of Princeville, Mrs. Caroline McMains who died about
1910, at Phoenix, Neb., and Birdseye now of Glasford,
Illinois,

HISTORY OF THE BLISS FAMILY

of Peoria County, Illinois,

By John F. Bliss, 1911.

The history of one family of the early settlers of
Illinois is largely the history of all. They had many
things in common. They were largely descendants from
the original colonists. They brought with them those
sterling qualities which made them able to meet with
an unyielding will, the new problems, and to success-
fully solve them with a courage which knew no defeat.

We of the present generation have a very limited
conception of the sufi^ering and deprivations our illus-
trious predecessors endured in settling a new country.
We, their children and grandchildren, who sat at their
knee on many a wintry night in the old farm home,
heard from their lips the stories, which to us never lost
interest, and which we rehearse to our children. And
it may be there shall arise a historian who will give
these heroes and heroines of the common people a place

HISTORY OF THE BLISS FAMILY 83

which they deserve in the making of the history of Illi-
nois.

The Bliss family, of whom I write more especially,
were not pioneer settlers or frontiersmen. Daniel Boone
and Davy Crockett and Prince, after whom Princeville
was named, were frontiersmen. Mr. Prince's log cabin
stood on the ground now owned by our esteemed citi-
zen, S. S. Slane. The cabin was a little north and
west of the house of Mr. Slane. Forty years ago or
more, when as a boy I roamed the woods, this cabin
stood. At that time it was unoccupied. Mr. Prince
had lived with the Indians for many years. He de-
pended more on his unerring rifle for sustenance than
upon tilling the soil. He must have had friendly rela-
tions with the Indians at that time for my mother told
me that he was bitten by a rattlesnake. At that time
he was the only white man in this part of the state.
He used what remedies he had, but he grew much
worse. Thinking he must die, he painfully drew him-
self up to the top of the roof of his cabin so that after
death his body would not be eaten by wild beasts.
In his extremity some friendly Indians passed that way.
They found him in this dying condition. They hurriedly
held a consultation. Then they got busy. One hurried
away out on the prairie. Soon he returned with an
armful of herbs known later as rattlesnake master.
A kettle had been placed upon the fire, a poultice was
soon made and applied to the bite, and the life of Prince
was saved. It seemed difficult for these frontiersmen
to take up with the civilization which the first settlers
brought with them from their eastern homes. That
you may understand this better, I remember of my
mother telling of a religious meeting which was held
in Prince's cabin. A large number of the settlers were
present. While they were in the very interesting part
of the service Prince came from his work, looked over
the people and then made a rush for the bed, rolled
himself up in the bed clothes and remained there dur-
ing the rest of the meeting.

84 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

My mother's people came to Princeville in 1836.
At that time she was what they now call sweet six-
teen. I have been told by those who laiew her that
she was not only beautiful in looks but beautiful in all
the lovely graces which make up an attractive young
woman. She was the daughter of "William Blanchard,
whose family history is written in Vol I of these
reminiscences. Only four of my mother's family are
living : Aunt Delilah, a maiden aunt, who had the dis-
tinction of knowing the names and ages of four or five
generations of her relatives. For more than ninety
years she has lived. We can almost say of her as was
said of Moses of old; "His eyes were not dim nor his
natural force abated"; Henry Blanchard of Joplin,
Mo. ; Mrs. J. E. Merritt, and F. B. Blanchard, of Prince-
ville. These are all that are left of a large family.

The Bliss genealogy traces our family history back
to the time of William the Conqueror, One of our an-
cestors was dragged through the streets of London tied
to the tail of a mule, because of his religious belief.
In the year of 1638 three brothers and a nephew emi-
grated to the Plymouth colony, and from these came
the Bliss family in America. My father informed me
that his great grandfather. Rev. John Bliss, was a min-
ister of more than ordinary ability. Old Salem, Mass.,
was the home of many of the Bliss tribe. My grand-
father, Henry Bliss, was born in East Town, Washing-
ton County, New York, Oct. 15, 1790. When he became
a man he went West (The West at that time was wes-
tern New York), to Chautauqua County, where he
taught school during the winter and farmed during
the rest of the year. At a social gathering one
evening he met for the first time his future wife,
Rebecca Smith, of Adams, Conn., who was visiting
some of her relation in that part of New York.
The social function turned into a dance in which
all took part except my grandparents, who had
religious scruples along that line. Thej^ were naturally
thrown into each other's society for the evening, which
proved to be very enjoyable to them. This was the

HISTORY OF THE BUSS FAMILY 85

beginning of a courtship which ended in marriage on
March 14, 1815. About this time he was ordained as
a minister in the Baptist church and held this relation
to that church until he came to Illinois, when he united
with the Christian church some time after. His family
were all born in New York, consisting of Hiram, Solo-
mon, Esther, Nancy, Betsy, Reuben. There were a
few tribes of Indians in western New York then. My
father said they would often come to their house when
he was a boy. They usually wanted salt. They al-
ways wanted to see the little white papoose. He was
the white papoose. If they did not see him they would
look for him, and many a time the Indians have pulled
him out from under the bed. He would kick and fight
and they would laugh. The early settlers were brave
women, as well as brave men, and my grandmother was
one of them, as the following little incident will show :
Their home was in a clearing along the Chautauqua
lake. One day a deer took refuge from a pack of
hounds, behind a large log near her home. A neighbor
woman was sent to tell the men, who were chopping
in the woods some distance away. After she had gone
she heard the dogs coming. She was afraid they would
frighten the deer away before the men came, so she
took the butcher knife, quietly crawled up to the log,
reached over and cut the throat of the deer. When the
men arrived she had it partly dressed. Like all of the
women of that time, she did the work of the house,
made the clothing for the family, including the tailor-
ing for the men. The song of the spinning wheel, as
my grandmother turned the wheel, with one hand hold-
ing the thread, I can hear yet, for fifty years ago the
spinning wheel was in common use in our rural homes.
Economy was one of the virtues practiced in my grand-
mother's home. Pins were a valuable and scarce article
in her home. I have heard her say that a dozen pins
were expected to last that many years and if one should
be lost, diligent search was made for its recovery.

Zenas Bliss, a brother of my grandfather, moved
from New York to Illinois in 1837. He had a family

86 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

of eleven children. He settled near Northhampton in
Peoria County. He was a man of means and of mechan-
ical ability. Among his many accomplishments he was
a millwright. He built a grist mill near Northhamp-
ton, if I am rightly informed, on the Senachwine creek.
This investment did not prove a financial success. "With
his family he afterward settled out on the rich prairie
lands not far from Blue Ridge. His wife. Aunt Mabel,
a bright and intellectual woman, lived many years after
her husband's death, in the little house which was
remodeled and made over, now occupied by W. M.
Keck. Uncle Zenas was a soldier in the Mexican war.
I can not give the date of his death, but likely it was
in the early sixties. One of his sons, Cyrus, settled
between Farmington and Yates City. He was a man
much respected in that community. He accumulated a
good deal of property. He died full of years with his
children around him to call him blessed. His widow
lives in a beautiful home in Yates City. Two of her
sons, Cyrus and Luther, and two daughters, Mrs. Mat-
thews and Mrs. Bird, all live on farms of their own
near Yates City. Amanda Bliss, a daughter of Uncle
Zenas, married M. M. Blanchard, who came to this
state with his father, William Blanchard, in 1836.
Their first home was on the farm now owned by Mr.
George Adams. At that time the Blanchards all owned
homes along the road going west from his place, known
then as "Mud Row," He sold his farm and became one
of the first merchants of Princeville, forming a partner-
ship with a Mr. Taylor. The part of the Mrs. Selby
hotel which extends to the west, if I remember correct-
ly, is the building once known as the Blanchard & Tay-
lor general merchandise store. He also built the build-
ing now owned by Mrs. Shane. It was considered one
of the best buildings in Princeville. He built it for a
hotel and post office. Later they moved to the east
part of town. He was justice of the peace for many
years. Three of their family are living : Emily Ellis
of Brimfield, 111. ; Lettie Mitchell of Iowa ; Alonzo, of

HISTORY OF THE BLISS FAMILY 87

Evanston, 111. The dead are Lillie, Edward and Clara,
who was Mrs. Wm. Collins of California.

Abner Bliss, a son of Uncle Zenas, was also one of
Princeville's early settlers. He married Lydia Miller,
whose family came to Princeville at an early date. He
first lived in the northwest part of the township, where
their children, Fiducia, Albert, Alvin, Emily, Lucy
and Jane, were born. In the early seventies he pur-
chased the place two miles northeast of Princeville, now
owned by John Oertley, He and his wife have been
dead a number of years.

One of the daughters of Zenas Bliss married a Mr.
Fox, who owned the farm now o^wTied by our well
known citizen, Kichard Dunn. One of Zenas Bliss'
daughters also married a Mr. Reed, who was one of the
first settlers on the prairie north of Speer. He after-
ward moved with his family to southern Missouri,
where this branch of the family are among its best and
most successful citizens. Of the eleven children con-
stituting the family of Zenas Bliss only three are living
— Amos, Edward and Phineas. Amos and Phineas are
living in Medford, Oregon. I am not acquainted enough
with their children to give their names. I only know
they have families and are scattered in many places.
Zenas Bliss' family of eleven children all lived to ma-
ture years. They were well born and well eared for in
their child life. They were able to take their place
among the early settlers and do their share in making
the history of our great country.

After a residence in Illinois of one year, Zenas Bliss
wrote to his brother, Henry Bliss, giving him glowing
accounts of the beauty of its forests and beaches, fertil-
ity of the soil, of the many people who were coming
from every part of the East. And so my grandfather,
the wood chopper, teacher and preacher, with his wife
and family of six children, Hiram, aged 19, Solomon,
aged 17, Esther, aged 14, Nancy, aged 12, Betsy, aged 5,
and Rheuben, aged 3, loaded their few household goods
on a raft, said good bye to their many relatives and
friends of western New York, and set their faces

88 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

toward the country of the setting sun. The voyage had
its dangers, for there were rapids which they must run
and many a raft had gone to pieces.

This was not the first time Hiram and Solomon had
made this dangerous trip. They were possessed of great
strength and physical endurance. They had spent their
lives as woodsmen. They were expert swimmers and
they felt at home in or on the water as well as on dry
land. They passed down the river into the Ohio, and
landed their raft safely at Cincinnati, where they dis-
posed of it. There they took passage on a boat for St.
Louis, and from there to Peoria, the father and boys
working for the support of the family. The next year
they moved to near Southhampton, a town at that time
three or four miles west of Chillicothe. A man by the
name of Hammond did the business of the place. My
father, Solomon Bliss, then a boy of 18, became his clerk.
The contents of this store would make the present gen-
eration smile. There was a barrel of New Orleans molas-
ses, a barrel of New Orleans sugar, a sack of green cof-
fee, a cask of tea, a barrel of salt, a little pepper, one or
two sizes of rope, two or three kinds of nails, shot and
powder, a few pairs of boots, and shoes. Dry goods con-
sisted of a few calicoes worth at that time 40c per yard.
I forgot a barrel of whiskey with a tin cup attached,
a caddy of U. S. Dogleg Navy tobacco. This was the
place where my father got his first experience in sell-
ing merchandise. He remained with Hammond about
one year. His father's family had moved to Blue
Ridge. His brother Hiram was married in 1840 to
Jennette Hodges. They had one child, a girl. I remem-
ber her as a very beautiful young woman, when she and
her mother visited my father's home when I was a
child. Since that time we have lost all trace of them.
Uncle Hiram died in 1857. I know little about him
except that he was a hard working man and lost his life
by unnecessary exposure.

About the year 1840 my father's people made the
acquaintance of the Wm. Blanchard family of Prince-
ville. This came about through both of my grandpar-

HISTORY OF THE BLISS FAMILY 89

ents, who were preachers for the early settlers. Grand-
father Blanchard's house was large, being a double log
cabin, where they often held meetings. Ten or fifteen
miles was not considered a long distance then to go to
attend church. They would often hold a two days'
service. The friends from a distance would stay over
night. It would tax the resources of the people of
this time to feed and sleep a family of fifteen or twenty
and then add as many more visitors. I remember a
story of two hungry boys who were watching the rapid
disappearance of food from a table surrounded by a
large company of old settlers. As the custom was, a
blessing was asked before the beginning of each meal,
but on this occasion, their being two ministers at the
table, the host did not wish to show partiality. He
conceived the happy way out of this dilemma by having
a blessing asked at both ends of the meal. The two
boys, who were looking on through a crack in the door,
said, "By golly, Dick, they're going to commence over
again. There will be nothing left for us." The early
settlers' homes were homes of hospitality. They did
not have delicacies or luxuries, but they had plenty of
good, clean, well cooked substantial foods, like hominy,
corn bread, beans, potatoes, ham and eggs. There was
plenty of wild game. On the lakes and ponds there were
wild geese and ducks. There was plenty of fish in the
streams. In the early spring the sky would be dark-
ened by the great number of wild pigeons as they
passed on to their hatching grounds farther north.
Wild hogs roamed the woods. Venison was not at that
time considered a luxury. Fruits were not common.
Prince planted apple seed along what was kno\^ai as
apple row. The people were allowed to help them-
selves. Canned fruits were unknown. I have often
thought if the present generation would eat more of the
coarser foods we would have less use for the pill doctor.
My grandfather moved, about 1842, this time south
and west of Monica. The itinerant preacher of that
time went long distances. The saddle bag which he
used, and which contained his bible, song book and

90 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

change of linen, were in our home. I remember of see-
ing them when a small boy. They were a great curiosity
to me. "With the spinning wheel, and the loom, they
have disappeared with the generation that used them.
He buried the dead of the early settlers, united the
young men and women in holy wedlock, which was not
easily broken in those days. He preached a pure, sim-
ple gospel that reached human hearts. Eternity will re-
veal and surely reward the self-sacrificing devotion of
men of his kind.

Esther Bliss, the eldest daughter of my grandfather,
was 12 years old when they came from New York.
She has a splendid memory of all that took place on
the way from the East. At the age of sixteen she was
united in marriage to Reuben Stowell of Lawn Ridge.
Mr. Stowell 's family was one of the first settlers in
that section. They were people intellectual, progressive,
industrious ; always at the front in every good and
noble movement. Our respected citizen, Mr. Charles
Stowell, a nephew of Aunt Esther, is the only one re-
siding in the old home community. After seven years
of happy married life, Aunt Esther was left a widow
with two little boys, Henry and Albert, who grew to
splendid manhood in this place. They both were volun-
teers in defense of their country's flag. They were
engaged in many battles and returned safely home.
Henry married William Wilson's daughter, a sister of
the wife of the late Hugh Morrow. Henry was a school
teacher, farmer and merchant. His family of four
children grew to be young people in this place. Mrs.
Stowell and her eldest son, William, died in Kansas.
He was married the second time to Miss Emma Gilbert,
a splendid lady, who formerly resided at the home of
the late Dr. R. F. Henry. Mr. Stowell is following his
vocation of school teacher in Kansas. Albert was also
a teacher. For many years he has had charge of the
Garfield monument. In the year of 1850 Aunt Esther
was married to John L. Blanchard, oldest son of Wil-
liam Blanchard. They lived for many years on the
place now owned by C. W. Fry. In the early sixties

HISTORY OF THE BLISS FAMILY 91

they moved into Princeville, building the house now
owned by Joseph Geitner. Uncle John did not sell his
farm. He was considered a retired farmer. He
went into business with J. H. Russell in the man-
ufacture of wagons. He was afterwards in the lum-
ber and dry goods business. He was a man of more
than ordinary ability. For many years he was active
in the Christian church. He was also for many years
master of Princeville Lodge, No. 360, A. F. and A. M.
He died full of years, honored and highly respected.
Uncle John was a widower when he married Aunt
Esther. He had two children, Wm. Blanchard of Kan-
sas, and Sarah Andrews, wife of the late Stephen An-
drews. She now lives in California. To this union were
born four children : Maria, Charles, John and Horace.
Maria married Al Wilson of LaFayette, 111. Their chil-
dren were educated in our schools. They were a high-
ly respected family. Mr. Wilson was successfully en-
gaged in the butcher business. He was deputy sheriff,
and while on duty in this work, contracted a severe
cold, which finally terminated in death. Maria and her
mother are now living in California. Charles married
Ada, a daughter of James Rice, who conducted the
Arlington hotel and bought stock here for a number of
years. Charles moved to Creston, Iowa, where he be-
came a successful farmer, a man who was always at
the front in every good and noble enterprise. His life
came to a sudden end by accident while he was at
work. His wife and children are now living in Canada.
John L. Blanchard was the companion of my youth.
Our joys and sorrows were one. We entered the
Princeville primary school together, where we were
taught by a Miss Rogers of respected memory. Our
last teacher was Mr. Wood, or Mr. Bridegroom, I am
not sure which. John attended school at Marion, Ind.,
and afterwards practiced law in Missouri and Iowa.
For many years he has been a successful minister of
the Congregational church. He is noAv preaching at
Harlan, Iowa. He was married to Miss Bird Battles in
1881. To this union were born three children, two boys

9? HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

and one girl. His wife, daughter and one son have
died, only one son being left. He is engaged in the
banking business in Nebraska.

Horace Blanchard, the youngest son of Aunt Esther,
married a daughter of J. Benjamin. They have a fam-
ily of five children and are now living in California.

Nancy Bliss, second daughter of Henry Bliss, was
married to Alfred Root of Blue Ridge in 1843. The
Root family was among the first settlers of Illinois.
Some of the progeny of the family live near Lawn
Ridge and Chillicothe. Uncle Alfred was a farmer.
He moved to Chenoa, 111., where he lived many years.
Aunt Nancy, now a widow, lives with her daughter
Alma. Her son Henry is a prosperous farmer living
near Chenoa. Her daughter, Louisa Stewart, lives at
Chenoa also. Her oldest son, Lucius, lives at Blooming-
ton, and her daughter, Henrietta, lives in Missouri.
Aunt Nancy is 83 years of age. She has a good memory
of the early days in Illinois.

Betsy Hill, daughter of Henry Bliss, was born in
1833. She is among our oldest and best known citizens.
She was five years old when she came to Peoria County.
She has lived in this county seventy-three years. A
man told me that she was the prettiest young lady
in all the country. He said there were others who had
the same opinion. This man was her husband, the
late esteemed and respected Clark Hill of Monica. The
Hill family were more than early settlers. I think we
could call them pioneers. They were a large family
and of no small importance in the making of the his-
tory of Peoria County. Aunt Betsy has lived on the
same farm since her marriage. She is the mother of
seven children, three girls and four boys. The living
are James, of Ohio ; John, of Oklahoma ; Clara Cook, of
Wisconsin ; and Milton, who lives on the old farm. The
dead are Fronia, who was the first wife of George Bel-
ford ; Nannie, wife of Rev. Stahl of Iowa ; and Wilbur,
of Monica. Aunt Betsy has been a member of the
Methodist church of West Princeville and then of Moni-
ca from its beginning. She makes frequent visits to

HISTORY OK THE BLISS FAMILY 93

her children and grandchildren. She is greatly loved
by all who know her. Her health is good and her
mind clear. She has a good chance of reaching the
age of her grandmother, who died at 102 years.

Reuben Bliss, son of Henry Bliss, was three years
old when the family came to Illinois. He lived with
my father for a number of years, and died at his home
at the age of 25 years.

Solomon Bliss, the second son of Henry Bliss, was
born in Chautauqua County, New York, March 8th,
1821. He came to Illinois with his father and imme-
diately took his place in subduing the new country,
bringing the soil under cultivation and making a new
home. He was married to Elizabeth Blanchard, May 15,
1842. Their first home was a log cabin one-fourth mile
east of where Patrick 0 'Conner now lives. The first
furniture was bought of Bishop Chase. He gave rails
for it. Money was very scarce, but their wants were
few and the land yielded plentifully. Neighbors were
kind and helpful, helping each other in the building
of their modest homes or the erection of their barns.
At this time implements of agriculture were rude and
simple. The grain was reaped with the cradle and the
hay was cut with the scythe. It took muscles of steel,
and wills, and a courage which knew no defeat to do
the hard work they accomplished. My father lived in
this first cabin eight years. Onias, Ezra and Charles
were born here. He then bought the land now owned
by Lawson Lair. This was the first property he owned.
After improving this place he sold it and bought
the house now owned by M. L. Sniff. It was a part
of the hotel and grocery store which my father ran for
a number of years. It was built where the Z. L. Rice
store now stands. The lumber in this building was
hauled from Rock Island. This place was occupied by
Dr. Charles for many years. Emma, James and Viola
were born here. My father conducted the hotel and
grocery here imtil the year 1858, when he moved onto
the land now owned by the Palmer sisters, on which
the Taylor coal bank is located. He afterwards bought

94 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

the land extending to the Byrnes estate on the west.
He improved these lands. At this place the writer
(John Bliss), and Matilda were born. For twenty
years this was the Bliss home. My grandfather and
grandmother made their homes with my father, where
they lived until their death. My boyhood days were
full of memories of war and war songs, of battles lost
and won, of boys in blue home on a furlough. The
war song which was my favorite was "Rally 'Round
the Flag, Boys," and I made this more impressive by
the use of a long stick with a piece of red flannel fast-
ened on for a flag. This I waved as I sang. Like all
the rest of the boys, I wanted to go to the war.

The first harvest machine I remember of seeing was
in the year 1864 or '65. It w^as a McCormick owned in
partnership by my father and "Wm. Henry Harrison.
In good grain 12 men would be necessary to rake, bind
and place into shocks the grain. Following this, the
Woods self-rake, which took one man less. Then the
most wonderful labor saving self binder, with the sav-
ing of labor of nine men. The first corn I remember
seeing planted was by marking the ground four feet
each way. A boy or girl would drop just so many
grains in each cross. A man would cover them with a
hoe. Then followed the hand planter. Then the
Brown horse planter with a boy on the front to pull
a lever, which dropped corn in the mark. The first
50 cents for a day's work I ever made was by dropping
corn for our old remembered friend, "Wm. DeBolt.
"When I was a boy my father was at his very best. Prices
were good and live stock was in good demand. It was
war times. Land values began to rise. Better homes
were built, new improvements were made and the out-
look along financial lines was good. About this time
there was considerable horse stealing in and about
Princeville. My father was one of the first members
of the Princeville Thief Detective and Mutual Aid As-
sociation and at one time captain. "With "Wm. P. Smith,
R. DeBord, Frank Beall, Wm. Henry Wisenburg, Thom-
as and Sylvester Slane and many others, he made

HISTORY O? THE BUSS FAMILY 95

successful captures of thieves, until horse stealing has
for many years been a thing of the past in this com-
munity. This Association still exists with an active
membership of over 100. My father was very active
in securing the C. R. I. & P. railway through this place.
He never lost his love for his old home in New York.
He made frequent visits to his many relatives and
friends at the old home.

He went into the drug business with H. E. Burgess
in 1875. This partnership lasted for a short time. He
conducted the business alone from that time on for
many years. The first store occupied a building where
the David Kinnah meat market now stands. The
second place was a general store, where the German
& Friedman hardware store is. He then moved to the
Dr. Henry block, which was destroyed by fire six
years ago.

My mother died in 1878. She had raised to young
manhood and womanhood eight children. The dead
are : Rev. Ezra Bliss, a soldier, dying at the age of
25 ; Emma Burgess, wife of H. E. Burgess, mother of
Charles, Haller, Irma and Mabel. The living are: 0.
C. Bliss, Battle Creek, Mich., a soldier of 1861 to the
close of the war, Rev. Charles Bliss of Peoria, Rev.
James Bliss of Monica, Viola Hoag, wife of S. S. Hoag,
Matilda, wife of Frank DeBord, and the writer, J. F.
Bliss of Princeville.

My father was married the second time to Mrs. "Wm.
Lair/ My father died at his home in Princeville in
1896. He was honest, brave and true. He loved chil-
dren. He did his part in making this splendid country.
He died surrounded by loving hearts who hold him in
fond remembrance.

"Thrust in thy sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the
vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe." Rev. XIV: 18.

96 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

THE COLGAN FAMILY

By Daniel J. Colgan and Mrs. Margaret Colgan Cahill,

1915,

This family of six brothers and a sister were born
to Francis and Mary Campbell Colgan at Kilkeel, Coun-
ty Down, Ireland. Edward the eldest son, born Jan,
12, 1828, came to America in August, 1848, and located
at New Orleans. Michael, born in August, 1830, landed
at New Orleans in the spring of 1851, and John born
near Christmas, 1831, came in 1854. All of these broth-
ers came to Stark Co., 111., Edward first in 1849, Ber-
nard, Thomas, Francis, Mary F, (the baby) and their
mother came to America later, as noted hereafter.

Edward Colgan kept post office in the days of the
stage coach, at his home near site of the present Town
House in Valley Township. Besides being one of the
leading farmers of his time he held the office of super-
visor for a number of years, also Justice of the Peace.
Pie was familiarly known as ' ' Squire Colgan. ' ' In 1853
he married Miss Drusella Marlatt. To them were born
nine children : Francis B. of Dunlap, 111. ; Mrs. Clara
Traphagan, McCook, Nebr. ; Mrs. Ellen Heagney,
Cheyenne, AVyo. ; Bernard of Arkansas ; George of
Grafton, Nebr. ; Mrs. Jennie Moran, Mrs. Sadie Kelly
and Mrs. Anna Kelly of Wyoming, 111. ; and Mrs. Rose
Mclntyre (deceased). Squire Colgan died July 19,
1910.

Michael after working at $8 per month on the farm
of James Jackson and breaking prairie with an ox
team, returned to Ireland in 1856 and was there mar-
ried to Mary Dymond in February, 1857, In May, 1857,
he and his wife arrived at Stark County, settling on a
farm in Valley Township. Here they remained till the
year 1864 when they moved to a farm in Essex Town-
ship ; and in the spring of 1888 they moved to the pres-
ent home at Wyoming. His wife died January 26,
1894, and he died February 12, 1915. They were the

THE COLGAN FAMILY 97

parents of ten children : John M., Frank M., Mary M.,
Edward M., Thomas M., Jane, Anna, James, William,
and Margaret, all of whom live in Wyoming and vicin-
ity.

John Colgan, commonly known as "Cobbler John,"
came by stage from Peoria and opened a shoe shop on
the lot where the Wyoming High School Building now
stands. In 1861 he married Marie Goldsbury and to
them were born eleven children. Two died in infancy,
and Wm. H. and Ellen T. died about 1905. Those liv-
ing are, Sister Mary Suso, Oakland, Cal. ; Rev. Edward
J., British Honduras; Frank P., Alma, Neb.; Mrs. Katie
Cox, John T., Bernard P. and Daniel J. still in Stark
County. John Colgan died April 7, 1892.

Bernard Colgan, born 1836, came to America via
New York in 1856 and settled in Stark County. In
1867 he married Anne Sloan, and to them were born
nine children : Francis, of Bradford, Edward now in
Kansas, James, Mary, John, Bernard, and Margaret
Kelly living in Stark County, and Rose and an infant
deceased. Bernard Colgan is now a retired farmer, liv-
ing in Wyoming, 111.

Thomas Colgan was born in Ireland in 1840, came to
America in 1860, settled in Stark County, 111., and on
August 4th, 1872 married Annie Ferron. To them nine
children were born, the living being Frank, Michael,
Thomas, James, Mary and Rose of Augusta, Kansas
and Edward G. of Stark County, 111. Thomas Colgan
sold his farm here and moved to Kansas in 1895, where
he still resides.

Francis Colgan, the youngest of the brothers w^as
born in May, 1843, and came to America in April, 1870.
He settled in Stark County and on April 5th, 1877
married Mary Sloan. They had no children. In 1877
he moved to Hoopeston, 111. where he still lives, being
a retired farmer, and large land owner.

Mary F. Colgan, the baby of the family, came to
America in May, 1843 with the mother of the boys and
Francis. She has lived in Stark County which place

98 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

is still her home, although she has been living a part
of the time at Augusta, Kansas.

It may be stated that all of these brothers came
from Ireland with very little money, the oldest coming
first and then sending for the next oldest. They in
turn saved their money and kept on until the whole fam-
ily was here. They were very industrious and prosper-
ous and all acquired a great amount of the Stark Coun-
ty valley land.

THE HENRY COLWELL FAMILY.
By P. B. Colwell, 1914.

In the fall of the year 1836, the brothers Henry and
Presley Colwell and their wives came to Illinois from
their native place in Ross County, Ohio, and settled in
what is now Essex township, then a part of Putnam
County. The following year their father, Thomas Col-
well, and the rest of their brothers and sisters came
from their home in Ohio and settled in the vicinity.

Henry and Presley Colwell lived the first winter in
a log cabin on section 15, Essex township on land now
owned by William Cornall, near the place where was
made the first settlement in Stark County by Isaac B.
Essex in 1829, and near where the first school house in
Stark County was built in 1831.

In 1837 Presley Colwell moved to section 21 in Es-
sex township where he had bought land, and Avhere he
lived until the fall of 1868, when he sold out and moved
to Nodaway County, Missouri. He died at his home
there a few years later.

In the fall of 1838 Henry Colwell moved to a farm
which he had bought in section 30 in Essex township,
where he lived for a number of years, or until he
traded farms with John Martindale, wherebj^ he be-
came the owner of the southwest quarter of section 29
in Essex township. This farm is known as the old
Henry Colwell homestead. It is still owned by Henry
Colwell 's heirs.

THE HENRY COEWELIv FAMILY 99

Henry Colwell was closely connected with the
growth and development of Stark County. He very early
knew the need of education. Besides being greatly in-
terested in the common schools of his township, with
a number of others he contributed liberally to the build-
ing of Lombard University in Galesburg, Illinois. The
Colwell family still holds a scholarship in that institu-
tion as a recompense for the money contributed by Mr,
Colwell. Mr. Colwell 's son George was one of the first
enrolled as a student in the University.

Henry Colwell had a very large acquaintance
throughout the surrounding country, as he was one of
the first auctioneers in Stark County, and the only one
for many miles around. He was one of the County's
foremost men in agriculture. He with others organized
the Stark County Agricultural Society in 1853, which
held successful fairs in Toulon for more than thirty
years, doing much good in the advancement of agricul-
ture in the county. Mr. Colwell filled the office of
President of the Society for several years with credit
to himself and a benefit to the society. Mr. Colwell also
held several offices in his township and creditably per-
formed the duties required of him. He was supervisor
of Essex Township during the time the railroads were
built in Stark County.

Mr. Colwell was one of those early pioneers who
had the experience of hauling their grain to the Chicago
market. Even when doing so it was impossible to get
any money for their grain. They could only trade it
for the actual needs of life, such as sugar, salt, sole
leather, etc.

Mr. Colwell was one of the leading stock men of
Stark County for a great many years, buying, selling
and shipping stock of all kinds at all times. Before
the railroads came to Stark County he would buy stock
and either drive to Kewanee or to Chillicothe and ship
from those places to Chicago.

Like many of his neighboring pioneers Mr. Colwell
was able to meet disappointments, and do all in his
power to overcome them. He met with many disap-

100 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

pointments and misfortunes, the greatest of which was
no doubt the death of his first wife, leaving him with
six small children for whom to care. Afterwards Mr.
Colwell married Clarinda Eby and to them were born
thirteen children.

Mr. Colwell 's first wife was Elizabeth Dawson of
Hocking County, Ohio. She died in 1847, aged thirty-
three years. His second wife died in 1880, aged fifty-
one years. Henry Colwell was born in Eoss County,
Ohio, April 20, 1813, and died in Toulon, 111., March 4,
1900, being in his 87th year.

Of Henry Colwell's large family of nineteen chil-
dren, all lived to manhood and womanhood except one
died in infancy. Of this large family several are now
dead. The living at this writing are Mrs. Mary Nicho-
las of Osborn, Missouri ; Mrs. John McGregor of Grand
Junction, Iowa ; Mrs. E. A. Trimmer of Perry, Iowa ;
Marvin M. ; Mrs. M. B. Trickle, Lillie and Ollie of Tou-
lon; Day of West Jersey; P. B. of Wyoming; Jennie of
Peoria.

It is interesting to note the inter-marriages of this
large family. Two of the sons, George and Miles, mar-
ried Sarah and Amanda Barr of Essex township ; John
married Almira Fast of Essex township ; Marvin mar-
ried Mary Kendig of Naperville, 111. ; Day married first
Addie De Lent of Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, second
Maggie Dryden of West Jersey; P. B. married Cecillia
Burns of Princeville ; Douglas married Maggie Selby of
Princeville. Two of the daughters, Alcinda and Mary,
married Joab and Thomas Nicholas of Essex township ;
Martha married John McGregor of Monica ; Anna mar-
ried E. A. Trimmer of Essex township ; Sarah married
M. B. Trickle of Essex township. Nearly all of these
marriages were into the early families of the south
part of Stark County and adjoining toAvnships.

THE CUTTER FAMII.Y 101

THE CUTTER FAMILY.

Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Pelham, N. H., and Princeville,

Illinois.

By Charles Forrest Cutter.

Dear fellow-members of the 0. S. U. P. V. :

Even longer, I believe, than you have been puzzled
by my delay in preparing a sketch of father's and
mother's Princeville career, have I been puzzled by the
difficulties of the task; my own incapacity, still more
my reluctance to give public expression to a son's es-
timate of their qualities and unique experiences; for
they unquestionably were a "marked" couple among
the first settlers of Prince's Grove. It is, then, by a
sort of heart compulsion that, since no other accepts
the task, I send my own poor attempt to meet the
needs of this volume of Princeville history.

If Dr. Charles Cutter, born June 18th, 1814 at Pel-
ham, N. H., of Phillips Academy, Andover Theological
Seminary, and graduate, 1843, of Harvard Medical
School (just one year old on Waterloo day) and Olive
Lovejoy Noyes, his wife, of "Windham, N, H., of Ips-
wich, and a teacher in the famous Abbot Academy,
Andover, Massachusetts — if, I say, father and mother
had lived till the exact date stamped on your circular
about the 0. S. U. P. V. History, June 18th, 1912, he
would have entered upon his 99th year and she would
have been ninety-six, practically including the century
of all Amierica's development west of the Alleghenies.
Not in all respects did father and mother, with Aunt
Hannah Cutter Breese, wife of the first Presbyterian
pastor, and Aunt Clarissa Cutter Colburn, differ from
the rest of the pioneer community gathered, in the
second quarter of the nineteenth century, about Prince 's
Grove. Long journeys from the East, with discomforts
and novelty of travel, housing, food, clothing, educa-
tional and religious privileges, were shared by all pio-

102 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

neers, with the variety of grave and gay incident well
illustrated in the historical sketches already furnished.
True, Dr. Cutter was a professional man, for a long
time the only thoroughly scientific physician and sur-
geon within many miles. Both he and mother had had
exceptional school privileges ; and he remained a de-
voted student of nature, botany, geology and kindred
subjects, as well as a musician. The dictionary, con-
cordance, atlas and text books were constantly in use
in our home, and there was generally a hymn played
as well as sung at family prayers. Though dear Mrs.
Morrow, the mother of "forty feet of boys," did threat-
en, "If Doc. Cutter brings his big fiddle to meeting,
I'll jump on it," still after he dared her and played
the rich-toned cello she declared "it said Amen as
plain as anybody": so there were no uncompromisable
differences in the ordinary affairs of life.

Essentially it was resistance to usurpation of au-
thority— that for which America was, is and, let us
hope, ever shall be, the great example to the
world — that drew this young couple, with cousin Adna
Colburn and my two-year old sister, Olivia, from Bos-
ton privileges and promising professional prospects
(father was already much in demand in the Massachu-
setts General Hospital) to the tedious journey and the
trying, as facts proved, dangerous, pioneer life of Illi-
nois.

"Strange coincidence," are you saying, dear
friends ?

No. That, 300 years after the first Cutter family of
New England declared independence of ecclesiastical
legalism, and resentment of political usurpation by
breaking away from this Northumbrian home, braving
the terrors of ocean and the hardships of a New "World,
your letter has reached on Tyneside the last Princeville
Cutter, builder 1905-6, in honor of such parents and an-
cestry, and for the delight of friends, of the neAV log
cabin where 0. S. V. P. V. was born, is neither mere
coincidence nor strange. It is consistent, logical devel-
opment of traits of character which marked the pilgrim

THE CUTTER FAMILY 103

and have made the United States a new nation, in the
judgment of recent historians a new race, as distinct as
a new lan^iage from the ancient, long-retarded peo-
ples of Great Britain in particular, and of Europe in
general.

Just herein, for six years, since Old Settler Histories
were proposed and I was asked to contribute, since
your kind remonstrance last year with my delay, has
lain the difficulty, the struggle in my own heart against
even the analysis necessary to differentiate between the
Cutter family and others, still more against my expres-
sion of it in print. I cannot tell the story of how that
spirit, stirring since long before 1600 in father's North-
umbrian non-conformist, and even at the battle of Hast-
ings, in mother's Norman Huguenot blood, differen-
tiates us, myself no less than those of centuries
ago from neighbors in the Reformation period, in the
Abolitionist struggle, the free silver fight, the pension
swindles. Parcels Post reform, and last but not least the
present "Protection" issue.

Nor was there generally in everyday intercourse,
or the general promotion of the community interests,
schools, literature, temperance, loyalty to law, the
ready spirit of helpfulness, special devotion to religious
interests, as shown in the building of the church and in
the practise of holding Bible classes, Sunday services,
and singing schools all over these prairies (I think
father must have at different times held some of these
exercises in twenty places between Lawn Ridge, French
Grove and West Jersey), any discordant note. In
these and most respects father and mother (Aunt Han-
nah died early, and Aunt Clarissa moved away) were a
beloved part of this close-knit, pioneer, mutually help-
ful band. The same old log cabin housed them and my
sister for their first year, there the same ague shook
him till the door latch rattled, the same giui brought
down prairie chickens till mother and neighbors had to
say "Enough," his dog even hunted for his neighbors;
the big upstairs room in my birthplace was the school
room for Princeville children, his garden (it was un-

104 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

usual) furnished often other tables than his own, my
mother's nursing skill was such that almost all the
babies of the community smiled or cried first of all in
her arms.

It is not as regards these and multitudinous com-
monplaces of life that I have been so long reluctant to
write of the family, or unable to find another to write,
but because for years, years of supreme importance to
individuals, the community and the nation, my father
was a marked man and my mother the heroine of many
a face to face conflict, not only with the political issue
of the time, but with the greater number of immediate
acquaintances living near.

Before coming West father was devoted to the cause
of the slave, and had become associated with that man,
who, then alone, despised and persecuted, is now hon-
ored throughout the world, William Lloyd Garrison.
The "Border" troubles and the "Free Soil" struggle
had been strong forces in drawing him toward Kansas
or Illinois, and when with one other Princeville man,
"Squire" Stevens, he dared to vote the "Free Soil"
ticket, antagonism at once made itself felt in many
troublesome ways. Still more did his success in the
protection of Negroes on their way to Canada for free-
dom from slavery just across the State line subject him
to open attack and injury. But I will not enlarge upon
this subject, ruinous as it was. I have never (at least
since a child's timidity kept me in a state of terror be-
fore cerain leaders of mobs and false accusers of my
parents) never entertained resentment of any sort over
the conflict into which I was born. Far more has my
heart rejoiced over the fact that so soon and complete-
ly was that hostility to my father exchanged for rever-
ent regard as shown at the time of his early death in
1869, when the whole community followed him to the
last earthly sleeping place of his body. And this will
make it easier to understand the marvelous and lasting
personal delight that everywhere about his old haunts,
scenes of his work, his professional services, and his
Christian ministrations — just about covering the terri-

THE CUTTER FAMILY 105

tory of the 0. S. U. P. V., for we lived three years at
Rochester, and he was often in charge of services in
Lawn Ridge and West Jersey, French Grove, Toulon,
Wyoming and Galva — everywhere the only son of the
once mobbed and threatened Abolitionist has met cor-
dial, even loving hospitality, and been the heir of hu-
man affection for his parents' sake.

More space should be given to mother's courageous
companionship and general usefulness, as well as to
others from Dr. Cutter's New England home, that
grand old granite, pine-clad, brook-fed farm and home-
stead on Mammoth Road, seven miles north of Lowell,
Massachusetts, 150 years the nest of creditable Cutters
scattered all over the States. But of mother let this
highest tribute be paid, that in her last talk before
bidding final goodbye to her only remaining child,
often recounting privations and dangers of the ear-
lier days she said, "Charlie, I would gladly go through
it all again if I could only have your father with me."
Olivia Cutter (Warne) the only daughter, born in
Boston, showed the same spirit of patriotism and love
for others; conspicuous in her following her wounded
soldier husband back to the front at Vicksburg, and
later helping as army nurse to bring back up the Mis-
sissippi a boatload of wounded soldiers.

More than a score of valuable additions to the 0. S.
U. P. V. district were drawn during the earlier years
from Eastern homes to the Cutter fireside — the house
still standing in the Northwest corner of the town, one
of the very first framed buildings, planed lumber for
which was carted from Chicago — names elsewhere men-
tioned in these volumes. Mrs. Esther (Cutter) Auten,
and Mrs. Maria L. (Cutter) Auten, sisters, both since
girlhood have identified themselves closely with the
welfare of Princeville, and through their two splendid
groups of children, and grandchildren, carry on in
happier and larger measure the spirit of service, of
progress, of worthy ideals that build up the neighbor-
hood and strengthen our race and nation. Let my
birthplace be remembered as a station on the "Under-
Ground Railroad."

106 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

Persistence of family type is shown in one or two
other remarkable ways, in addition to the spirit, the
tastes and disposition already mentioned. Since the
time that a Dr. Cutter was Surgeon General to the East-
ern Department of the Army of the Revolution there
have constantly been skillful surgeons in the family;
some quite distinguished, as the aged Dr. Ephraim Cut-
ter, formerly of New York, and the present already no-
table head of the profession in Lawrence, Massachu-
setts, Dr. Arthur Hardy Cutter. Some literary skill,
too, may be mentioned, as the famous poem "The Song
of Steam. ' ' The great librarian Cutter, of Boston, ren-
dered service of inestimable value in making literature
accessible. But, perhaps the most striking item of
hereditary traits is in the matter of physique, quite
startlingly showai in likenesses between men of Cutter
blood now living here in Northumbria and men of the
New England branch. To establish the kinship one
must go back 300 years to the time w'hen that mother
and two children left Tyneside for the land of liberty,
and come down 300 more to make the comparison
complete. Several ancient Parish Registers here have
Cutter entries from the start in the 16th Century, but I
was faced by a young Northumbrian here one day on
the coast of the North Sea, whose face was so aston-
ishingly like my own, that I instinctively burst out
Avith tlie exclamation 'I'll bet you, sir, your name is the
same as mine." To the amazement of bystanders who
knew we had never had a shadow of knowledge of each
other's existence, he declared, "My name, sir, is Cut-
ter."

Dates, portraits, Coat of Arms, Family Genealogy
of the whole American tribe of Cutters descended from
that Tyneside mother and two sons (paralleled by Par-
ish Registers begun by Henry VHI in many parts of
England, and by Cutters in London. Cheshire, and else-
where), her will, citations from Northumbrian records,
and a w^hole volume of details, wnth some thousands of
Cutter names, may be found in :

THE CUTTER FAMILY 107

A History of the Cutter Family
OF New England
Published 1871, by Dr. Benjamin Cutter of
"Woburn, Massachusetts. Revised and enlarged 1875 by
Wm. R. Cutter. David Clapp & Sons, Printers, Boston.
A copy of this veork, said by critics in the N. Y.
Nation to be one of the best genealogies yet done in
America, should be found in a Princeville Library, to
which I wish to be permitted soon to contribute. Amer-
ica needs more and better scholars of her own.

I am constantly running upon dear names of other
Princeville families this side the Atlantic : Wear, of
ancient Hexham, sends his engines past our gate on the
great Durham Road. I have a lovely postcard of the
town and castle of Slane. There's a Walliker St. in
Hull. Wame is of ducal origin before de Warenne
helped William the Conqueror, and earlier still
O'Neill's were Kings of the land that furnished our
wonderful Mountaineers.

May the spiritual forces that brought me back to
Northumbria to witness, even to suffer from, the revolt-
ing dying spasms of that same spirit of ecclesiastical
pride and legalism that drove America's noblest west-
ward across the sea, still animate and inspire my be-
loved townspeople and all who read this poor attempt
to state the character and doings of our grand pioneer
parents. Lovingly, Charles Forrest Cutter,

(Phillips Academy, 1869 and '71
Yale University, 1875
Columbia Law School, 1878
Union Theological Seminary, 1887
Booksellers' League, Manhattan
Congregational Association
Presbyterian Union of New York
Fulton St. Noon Prayer
Meeting 1893-1902
O. S. U. P. v., 1906)
Dated, Fountain Cottage,
Durham Road, Low Fell,
near Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
Independence Day, 1912.

108 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

JAIMES HARRISON AND FA:\riLY.
By Lillie M. Little, 1914.

James Harrison the son of Robert and Elizabeth
Harrison, was bom in Pocklington. Yorkshire, England,
March 27th, 1809. ^\nien about six years of age his
mother died and about two years later his father mar-
ried again. In the year 1822 he came with his father
and stepmother to America. They crossed the ocean on
the boat Fair Trader; were about nine weeks and three
days making the trip.

When they arrived here they settled in Hampshire
Count.y, Va. James Harrison had three sisters, Hannah,
Ann, and Harriet, also three brothers. Henry, Isaac
and Richard. He was a blacksmith by trade, as were
his father and grandfather.

In the year 1832, September 13th, he was married to
Susan Mary Evans in Berkeley County, Va. In April,
1834, they with their one child started to the State of
Illinois in a one-horse carry-all. having twenty-five dol-
lars in money, and what clothing, household goods etc.
they could bring with them.

They arrived in Illinois July 25th, 1834. When they
crossed the Illinois river at Peoria, which was then a
small village, they had fifty cents in money and such
other of their belongings as had not been disposed of
on the way. They first settled at the forks of the Kick-
apoo Creek, Peoria County, and lived there about two
years, moved from there to Prairie Grove directly
west of where Brimfield is now located, and lived there
about two years. On April 1st, 1838, they moved to
what was known at that time as the Prairie which was
south of Princeville. and rented the northwest quarter
of Section 31, Akron To^^mship from W. C. Stevens and
John ]MorroAV. They remained there, farming, running
grist mill, saw mill, and doing blacksmith work until
he was the owner of this as well as other farms in this
locality.

JAMES HARRISON AND FAMII^Y 109

He was an earnest member of the M. E. church and
a great bible student. For pastime his children often
misread verses of scripture which he could always quote
correctly. He had practically no schooling, perhaps not
attending school more than one hundred days. He how-
ever acquired considerable education from the study
of the bible and almanac when he had leisure time
during working hours.

In the year 1840, October 6th, they started on a
visit to Virginia traveling with team and wagon which
was the chief mode of travel at that time. They were
about one month going, one month there, and returned
on the 28th day of December of the same year.

They were the parents of eleven children, all living
to be adults excepting Frances M. Their first-born was
John Richard born June 25th, 1833, who died at his
home in Dunlap, 111., March 10th, 1911. He lived a
long useful life and raised a large family of children,
who with his widow, mourn his loss.

Robert William was born December 13th, 1834, died
at his home near Princeville, August 8th, 1890. He too
raised a large family and is survived by his widow and
children, most of them living in or near Princeville.

Harriet Elizabeth was born February 8th, 1837,
died at her home in Peoria, March 22nd, 1913. She is
survived by her two children, now living at the old
home in Peoria, her husband John W. Little and two
children having preceded her to the home beyond.

Frances Mary was born October 26th, 1838, died
October 15th, 1849.

Absalom was bom July 17th, 1841, is now living
with his family on the farm in Radnor Township where
he first started housekeeping when married over fifty
years ago.

Ira David was born April 1st, 1843, and died at his
home near Macksburg, Iowa, November 28th, 1911. He
is survived by his three children, his wife having passed
away some years ago.

110 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

Ruth was born November 18th, 1844, and died at
her home in Iowa, July 5th, 1871. She is survived by
her husband, Aaron Moffit, and two daughters.

Aaron James was born March 18th, 1847, and is
living with his family in Henry, 111. Paul Henry was
born August 1st, 1849, and died at his home in Ala-
bama, January 18, 1902. He is survived by his widow
and two children. Susan Ellen Harrison, now Gregory,
was born November 19th, 1852, and lives at her home
near Ralston, Iowa. Jesse Fremont was born January
28th, 1856, and lives near Viales, Colorado. He has a
wife and one child.

February 26th, 1866, the parents moved to Henry,
111., where they remained until they were called to
their home beyond. Susan Mary Harrison, the wife
died February 20th, 1878, preceding Mr. Harrison about
four years. James Harrison died August 16th, 1882;
and they are buried in the cemetery at Henry, 111.

THE HENRY FAMILY.
By Odillon B. Slane, 1913.

In the early 40 's, when the "Erie Division of the
Pennsylvania Canal" was completed through Crawford
County, Pa., sickness and death followed in its wake.
Among those who fell a prey to fevers and ague was
the family of Colonel James Henry through whose farm
the canal was built. To escape the ravages of dis-
ease Col. Henry sold his home and moved his family to
Illinois, arriving at Princeville in 1850.

James Henry was born on Thanksgiving Day, 1783,
in Fayette County, Pa., and died at Princeville, 111., Feb,
24, 1867. Little is known of his parentage — save that
his father was of Irish birth. It seemed his delight to
recall the fact that he was born the same year that
Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown — the same year,
also, that Washington resigned his commission as Com-

THE HENRY FAMILY 111

mander-in-Chief of the armies of the Revolution. He
was one year old when Virginia ceded the Illinois coun-
try to the Continental Congress. On Feb. 16, 1812, he
was married to Fanny McMaster, who was born in
Ireland, Feb. 25, 1794, and who emigrated to America
when she was 9 years old. She died April 13, 1882.
Soon after his marriage Col. Henry enlisted as a pri-
vate in the Second War with Great Britain, but a
severe attack of rheumatism compelled him to quit the
field and return to private life. He was a Colonel of
the state militia for a number of years; was otherwise
prominent in public life, and for three terms repre-
sented his district in the state legislature.

Children born to James and Fanny Henry: Jane,
born March 6, 1813, married to Peter F. Patton, March
3, 183-4, died March 16, 1883; Joseph, born August 2,
1814, married to Nancy Patterson, March 6, 1836, died
August 14, 1875 ; John Smith, born March 8, 1817, died
August, 1820 ; William C, born April 11, 1819, married
to Sarah A. Duncan, September 28, 1854, died April
22, 1894 ; John M., born May 10, 1821, married to Julia
M. Moody, December 31, 1851', died May 11, 1891;
James M., born May 3, 1823, married to Martha Ready,
May 27, 1847, died May 25, 1878; Sarah, born April
1, 1825, married to Benjamin F. Slane, Jan. 6, 1853.
(See history of the Slane family, Vol. 1.) Robert F.
(Dr. Henry), born Feb. 28, 1827, married to Nancy
Lucas, 1855, died July 2, 1903 ; Hugh A., born Jan. 24,
1829, married to IMargaretta Yates, March 19, 1857, died
Feb. 18, 1865; Smith H., born Dec. 9, 1830, died Aug.
9, 1831 ; Milton A., born Jan. 8, 1832, married to Matil-
da McCutchon, spring of 1862, died at Modesto, Cali-
fornia, April 30, 1901 ; Mary, born Sept. 18, 1834, died
Nov. 18, 1835.

Three of the sons, William, John and Robert,
preceded their parents to Illinois several years ;
William was a carpenter and contractor in Peoria, and
John worked with his brother several years before he
took up farming as a permanent occupation. Six chil-

112 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

dren were born to TVilliam and Sarah Henry, only one
of whom is now living. — George E., a traveling sales-
man residing in Des Moines, Iowa.

In July, 1849, John Henry was helping to harvest
wheat for Clussman who lived north of Princeville on
the farm now owned by Mrs. Dickinson. The small pox
broke out in the Clussman family, and Henry Clussman,
John Henry and John MeGinnis took it. It was brought
there by a cousin of the Clussman 's, Samuel Millard, a
planter from Alabama who was visiting them. They
did not know at first that it was small pox. John
Henry got sick in the harvest field and walked to
Princeville l^/o miles and went to the hotel kept by
Hitchcock & Kowley. When it was found out that he
had the small pox, they would not' let him stay at the
hotel and he was taken back to Clussman 's. He had
it very bad and it was thought that he would die. His
brother Robert (Dr. Henry) staid by his bedside night
and day, nursing him through it all. The pajn was so
intense at times, and he suffered so, that he begged the
doctor to give him something that would forever end
his agony. He and the other sick ones finally recov-
ered. Grateful hearts never ceased paying a tribute
to Auntie Clussman and Grandma ^MeGinnis for their
kindness and sympathy during the long weeks of suffer-
ing. In the meantime John Henry had purchased the
northwest quarter of Section 14, Princeville Twp.,
where Bruce Henry now lives. A brick house was
built upon it, and John and Hugh broke and fenced the
land. This farm still remains in possession of John
Henry's family.

There were 10 children in the family of John and
Julia Henry, six of whom are living. They are Albert
G., residing at Houston. Texas; Bruce E., living on
the old home farm two miles northwest of Princeville ;
Maria and Julia Elizabeth with their aged mother in
Princeville ; Mary Blanche (Mrs. Stark Sheelor) ; Sarah
Ursula (Mrs. Wm. Cornish). Children of this family
who are dead are Carlisle A., Emily C, Sherman T. and

THE HENRY FAMILY 113

Mabel C. Sherman T. Henry and his young wife were
both killed Oct. 4, 1910, near Staunton, Illinois in a
wreck on the interurban railroad, a terrible disaster in
which thirty-seven lives were lost. John Henry led an
upright Christian life ; was a lifelong member of the
Presbyterian church ; in politics a democrat ; school
treasurer of Priuceville Township for ten consecutive
years.

Dr. Robert F. Henry began to study medicine in
Pennsylvania. When a lad 18 years old, after three
years of private study he took a course in medicine at
Rush Medical College, Chicago, where he graduated in
1853. He located in Princeville and for 50 years prac-
ticed medicine in this vicinity. As one biographer has
said: "The pioneer physician needed to be a man of
consecrated energy, for his patients were often many
miles away. The country was wild, and thinly settled,
and as no trained help was to be had in the sick room,
the doctor's resourcefulness met these conditions suc-
cessfully." In 1855, Dr. Henry went back to Pennsyl-
vania to get married. (See above). Returning to
Princeville with his wife they made this their home.
Children born to Dr. and Nancy Henry were : Howard
Henry who still lives at the old Henry homestead in
Princeville, which is occupied by the family of Edgar
P. Slane with whom he resides ; Herman L., Mary Etta,
Alison, Laura, Grace (Mrs. Chas. Cheesman) Fannie,
and Willard. All are dead except Howard. Dr. Henry
united with the Presbyterian church in 1858. In 1860
he was elected Ruling Elder, which office he held the
remainder of his life. He was often sent as a delegate
to the synod, and was twice a representative to the Gen-
eral Assembly at Baltimore and Pittsburg. He was ac-
tive in Sunday School work, a great temperance advo-
cate, and was the first president of the Village board.

Hugh Andrew Henry, after his marriage in 1857,
took up his residence on the southwest quarter of Sec-
tion 11, Princeville Township. His farm was directly
across the road north from his brother John's home.

114 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

Here he lived until his death in 1865, from a sudden at-
tack of pleurisy, brought on by exposure in attending
the funeral of his father-in-law. The farm is still
owned by the family, and is occupied by Silas Willard,
a grandson. Children born to Hugh and Margaretta
Henry: Robert Cameron, Ideletta (^Irs. Lampe, Oma-
ha, Nebr.), Sara Frances, Stella Grace (Mrs. Dr. Al-
yea). The mother now lives with her daughter Mrs.
Lampe, and besides them Mrs. Dr. Alyea is the only
member of the family now living. In point of charac-
ter, Hugh Henry was a man of strict integrity, of high
moral worth and a devoted member of the Presbyterian
church. He adhered to the old custom of family
prayers, and in all things he and his family led an up-
right Christian life.

Milton A. Henry broke prairie for several years
after coming to Illinois, but soon after his marriage to
Matilda McCutchon he began his residence on the north
half of the southwest quarter of Section 25, but sold his
farm in a few years and moved to Iowa. After a num-
ber of years he again sold his farm and went to Modes-
to, Cal., where he died in 1901.

When James Henry and family first arrived at
Princeville, they found no vacant houses to rent so had
to take up quarters at the hotel kept by Hitchcock &
Rowley. They afterward secured two small rooms in
Seth Fulton's house. Here the parents with their
daughter Sarah lived, while the boys, Hugh and Milton
camped around among the neighbors who were always
hospitable in those days. At last the Slane's finished
a house they were building, and rented it to the
Henry's. This is the house now o^Amed by Mrs. Fry,
across the street from Dr. Henry's old home. After
Sarah had married Benjamin F. Slane and moved to
their farm two and one-half miles southwest of Prince-
ville, the father and mother went to live with them, and
spent the remaining years of life with them. During
former years in Pennsylvania, Col. James Henry and
wife were active members of the Presbyterian ( U. P.)

EDWARD MANSFIELD 115

Church, and in all cases, where their children had
church affiliations it was with this same religious faith.
The Bible, as they interpreted it, was the rule and guide
of their faith, and the writer recalls how Grandmother
Henry, old as she was, and blind for a quarter of a cen-
tury, would quote scriptural references by the hour,
often taking issue with ministers even, as well as others
who were familiar with doctrinal questions.

In the closing of life's chapter we note a strange
coincidence in the Henry family. Howard is the last
survivor of his family, George Edwin is the last sur-
vivor of his family, and Sarah (Henry) Slane is the
last survivor of her family. The latter, at this writing
has passed her 88th birthday. This mother, grand-
mother and great-grandmother — "The last leaf upon
the tree" as it were, approaches the golden sunset of a
quiet life surrounded by the halo of peace, joy and
contentment, consequent upon a Christian faith long
cherished from the years of her childhood.

EDWARD MANSFIELD.

By Leverett Mansfield, 1914.

A genealogy of the Mansfield family, compiled and
published in 1885 by H. Mansfield, of New Haven,
Conn., states that Edward Mansfield, the subject of
this sketch, is a descendant of Richard Mansfield, who
came from Exeter, Devonshire, England, and was one
of the first settlers of New Haven, and ancestor of
about all of the Mansfields in Connecticut, and most of
those in New York State and in several of the Western
and Southern states.

The parents of Edward Mansfield, Leverett Mans-
field and Sarah Sanford, were born and raised in New

116 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

Haven Connty, Conn., were married Feb. 23, 1806,
and moved to Esperanee, Schoharie County, New York,
where all the family of nine children were born, except
Edward, the youngest who was born in Schenectady,
New York, August 8. 1826. The other children were
in order of birth, Eliza, Jeannett, Stiles, Angeline, Hen-
ry, Maryett, John and Leverett. Henry was the well
known and successful Henry Mansfield of Peoria.

An incident in Edward Mansfield's school days in
Schenectady, running a race barefooted with a. school-
mate for half a mile through two feet of snow, without
affecting him in any way, well illustrates his hardiness
to withstand severe winter weather, of which his neigh-
bors often spoke, when he was out with two or three
hundred head of hogs and cattle.

His family moved to Elgin, Illinois, in 1843. He
graduated from the high school there, and taught
school until the discovery of gold in California, in 1849,
when, with a few comrades, most of whom never
reached their destination, he started overland with
ox teams and prairie schooner. This was a very hazard-
ous and dangerous trip at that time, as the Indians
often attacked the emigrants. Thousands died on the
way, and the bones of human beings, horses and oxen
were strewm along the route. One of the cures for
malaria in California in those days was to be buried in
fresh earth over night.

He was in the gold fields for four years, and then
returned by way of Cape Horn to the prairies of
Illinois. He broke prairie with ox teams for settlers
for two seasons, and then purchased the southwest
quarter of Section thirty-six, Princeville TowTiship,
where he resided until his death, January 1st, 1904.
His parents came from Elgin, 111., and made their home
in Princeville for a few years before their death, within
two days of each other in December, 1868. Their home
was a house located where the Rock Island depot now
stands in Princeville.

THE FAMILY OF JOHN AND DOCIA MILLER 117

Edward Mansfield married Rebecca Fulton, in Rich-
woods Township, April 1st, 1857. To this union were
born eight children : Leverett, Albert, who died October
18, 1913, Richard, who died in infancy, Edward Jr.,
Sanford, Joseph, Josephine, who died in infancy, and
Charles. Mrs. Mansfield died April 10, 1898. Mr. Ed-
ward Mansfield left an estate of about $24,000.00, which
he willed equally to his six sons,

Leverett is in the government service at Peoria,
111. ; married Miss Laura A. ]\Iilligan on May 10, 1902,
and they have two sons, Harold and Leverett Jr. Al-
bert married Miss Sarah McMunn, March 15th, 1895;
three children are living : Effie, Mabel and Luther.
Charles resides in Averyville, 111. ; married Miss Nellie
Hyde on November 24th, 1910. Edward, Sanford and
Joseph are single, and live at Princeville.

THE FAMILY OF JOHN AND DOCIA MILLER.

From a reminiscent letter written by William Logan

Miller in 1912, at age of 84 years, residing at

DeWitt, Saline County, Nebraska.

In September, 1912, Mr. Miller received Volume I
of "History and Reminiscences" and wrote to the pub-
lishing committee making a correction for the article
in Vol. I on Christian Miller family, as follows:

' ' I like the book very well ; but I was born in Ken-
tucky, Rockcastle County, in 1828. Jacob Miller and
Sally Ann were born in North Carolina. I will write
up my coming to Illinois in the year of 1834 as well as
if it had been yesterday,"

In December, 1912, Mr. Miller wrote the following
historical letter, all in his own hand:

118 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

To the Publishers of the Old Settler's Book:

I will try to give a history of my introduction as
an old settler of Princeville. I moved v^ith my father
and mother in the year of 1834. We moved in April,
the 4th. "We crossed the Illinois River at Peoria, then
called Ft. Clark. There were four children of us, Sally
Ann, Jacob L., William L. and Catherine. My father's
name was John Miller; my mother's name Docia Miller,
When we crossed the river at Ft. Clark there were
Erastus Peet, Aunt Polly his wife, George McMillen,
Rice McMillen, Frye Garrison and Erastus Peet settled
on Kickapoo. Father came to Prince's Grove; moved
into a log cabin close to where Vaughn Williams' old
place is (home of James Williams in Akron Township
in 1912). Old John Morrow lived on the old Bouton
Place. Daniel Prince lived on the old Tebow place
where Slane lives. Father tended a crop on old man
Morrow's. Mr. Morrow's son Josiah got his foot badly
cut with Prince's breaking plow and was laid up all
summer. Then my father took the team that Josiah
used. Mr. Morrow had a bound boy, his name DeWitt
Franklin. He and father tended the place. They had
a good crop of potatoes. My brother Jake and I dug
the potatoes; we all dug them. They were so good I
can almost taste them now.

Well there were 80 acres of land on Kickapoo.
My father went do"WTi there and Mr. Peet showed him
the 80 acres. He took it up, built a cabin on it and we
moved on it the next spring, in 1836. Mr. Peet broke
15 acres. We put it in sod corn and melons, pumpkins,
beans and all sorts of stuff. In the fall of '36 Moses
Harlan moved in from Indiana with a large family.
Then they had to build. They took up land south of
father. There were three families : Aaron Wilkinson
was a son-in-law of Moses Harlan, George Harlan was a
Justice of the Peace. John Harlan was a young man ;
and there were also Lewis and Thomas. There was one
young lady Rice McMillen married; her name was
Phoebe Harlan.

THE FAMILY OF JOHN AND DOCIA MILLER 119

Father sold his claim to a man by the name of
Carroll; then Erastus Peet sold his place to Mr. Dicki-
son. Then father took a claim where Alva Dunlap lived
and built a double cabin on the place. The day the
house was raised there was a man came there to buy
the claim by the name of Pinckney. After the last
logs were put on the house he asked father what he
would take for his claim. Father told him $300.00.
He gave it. We went home. Just at that time there
was a man by the name of John Hawkins came from the
Galena lead mines with three yoke of oxen and a 4-
horse wagon. He wanted to sell the whole outfit, so
father bought them for $200.00. So, when Uncle Daniel
Miller sold his claim to old man Bouton, they went to
Spoon River. Father took a claim on Section 8. It
was then getting late, — six big steers to feed and a
great many hogs, with 16 miles to our crop on Kicka-
poo. "We moved on the hill East of the spring in a
camp ; plenty of house logs. Father and Jacob chopped
and I drove the logs in four square, 16 x 20 ft. In
four days we had the logs on the ground; then got a
board tree (selected tree for making into clapboards)
of Mr. Hugh White ; and set the day to raise the house.
There were 20 men from Prince's Grove and 10 from
Kickapoo, making 30 all together. They rove the
boards and covered the house in one day. That was
the 20th of November, 1836. Then we had to make
the fire-place with stone and mud; then a stick and
dirt mud chimney. That constituted the fire-place.

In a short time we had a big snow storm. Father
went to Kickapoo after his hogs with the ox-wagon.
The hogs could not jump out of it, and he had some
20 head in the wagon. He got home in the storm.
Mother was walking the floor all night; she thought
he would freeze to death. Stephen French tried to
have him stop with him but it was not so cold. He
stood in the wagon and got home all right. He went
to Prince's mill, got some corn cracked, then we
had some mush. It was a miserable winter. We had
Christmas all the same but New Years was nice. There

120 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

was plenty of snow all through January. The deer
got poor, so father would not shoot them.

Now it was in February after. 1S37. we had a sudden
change ; it froze some to death. It was warm in the
forenoon, when brother Jake and I were hauling in
tree tops for firewood. "We went in to eat a bite, about
which time it commenced blowing. The hogs were
squealing and it got cold in five minutes. The ground
was like a glass bottle. I ran out to get the whip
which had fallen down. The whip was frozen to the
ground so we unyoked the oxen and they went to the
shed in a hurry. I thought of father who had gone
up to the farm on Section 16. Pretty soon we saw him
coming. He was on stilts, the snow frozen to his boots.
I ran to him with a hatchet to break the snow ofH so he
could walk to the house. Father said if he had another
mile to go he never could have gotten home.

^Ir. John Sutherland and son Elisha had stayed at
our house and gone to Prince's mill with two yoke of
cattle ; had gotten their grist and started home, and got
to Captain "Williams'. West of Williams' cabin there
was a thicket of crab trees. Here John Dukes. Will-
iams' step-son saw the wagon and team. They wanted
help. John Dukes ran to them and found the old man
was freezing. Elisha unhitched from the wagon and
took the oxen to Captain "Williams'. John Dukes took
the old man on his back to the log cabin, a distance of
a quarter of a mile. His feet were badly frozen and all
of his toes were lost. John Dukes saved them from
perishing.

There were lots of deer died ; they could not run to
get out of the way of the dogs and wolves. We had to
haul our corn daily from the farm on the prairie on
Section 16. northwest to Section 8. "We hauled logs on
a sled to fence 40 acres more land on 16 ; that made SO
acres on the prairie. Then in comes 1838. aud in the
spring of 1838 father broke out the rest of the 80.

We got tired of going so far to farm so in the fall of
1838 "Grandpap" Miller moved from Kentucky, in
October. Then there was another cabin to build, so it

THE FAMILY OF JOHN AND DOCIA MILLER 121

went up in a hurry; some in the timber, some hauling
logs, some quarrying stone, and in less than one week it
was built. Uncle Henry Miller, Uncle Christopher, Aunt
Miutie, Aunt Lydia and Uncle James Miller worked
for old man Robinson down on Kickapoo, His name
was Xatta Robinson.

They bought 80 acres of Martin L. Tucker on Sec-
tion 16 joining father's 80. They made rails, hauled
timber and passed the winter. In the spring of 1839
they sold the 80 back to Martin Tucker and then they
bought on Section 4 where Stephen AValkington lives
now. Then Uncle Henry Miller bought out old ^Ir.
Montgomery, where John Miller owns now. AVe had
the old place on Section 16, and father bought 18 acres
of Martin L. Tucker on the Northeast corner of the
Northwest quarter of the same section. AVe lived there
until the year 1848, when father got in a great fit to go
to Oregon. He went in 1848, and left me to take care of
the family. I did the best I could. My brother Jacob
L. was of age. I was 20 years of age the next December.
So I tended the 98 acres until I was 22 years old.

I always paid my debts. I had a sister Catherine
who was my favorite in the family. She got married
to a man by the name of John P. Barnett and went to
Oregon. Then I found a girl by the name of Harriet
C. Reeves who took my hand. AVe moved in with my
mother and got along first rate. AVe were living in the
old home when one day the first we knew Sol Bliss rode
in at the gate, his horse sweating. I was sitting on the
door step alone. "Come here," he said. I went to him.
He said, "Your father is coming up the road." Sure
enough it was father. He was on horse back. He
went in the house and I went with the horse to the
stable. I put a blanket on the horse as it was very cold,
and this was the 6th of December, 1850. He stayed
till 1852 then went back to California and stayed about
18 months. Then he came back home and stayed till
1854; and then he went to Oregon.

My sister and her husband. John Barnett, went
through with ox team ; six months on the road. AVhen

122 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

they got to Oregon they found father. There were 25
teams of the Barnett's and the company that started
from Stringtown, Stark County. It was the largest com-
pany I ever saw, a half mile long. When they got to
Galesburg there were 50 teams in the outfit. I came
back home and took care of mother and my own house-
hold, like Talleyrand Moody took care of Uncle Ira;
and I think we did God's will.

My wife and I lived on the Northeast and Southeast
quarters of Section 16 in Princeville Township, 48
years. Sold out in 1899 and moved to Nebraska, Saline
County. There w^e lived 8 years when that dreadful
disease, the dropsy, took her home, — leaving 13 chil-
dren and me alone.

This winds up the most of my life and this is all :
hoping you all have a happy New Year. I was born
in Rockcastle County, Kentucky in the year of 1828,
December 7.

William L. Miller.

REMINISCENCES OF AVILLIAM LOGAN MILLER.
By William Logan Miller, 1913.

When my father, John Miller, went to Oregon in
1848, leaving me to take care of my mother and the
children, we had four horses, three milk cows, 30 sheep,
25 hogs, four yearling heifers, two yearling colts and
35 geese. Father took with him four yoke of oxen, 1
yoke of cows and a new wagon that was built in Gales-
burg. (See Foot Note 1). This wagon had a bed
tight enough for crossing a stream if needed. The out-
fit of cattle and wagon was worth $1200.00. Father
started, with Henry Moody as his driver, on the 4th
day of March, 1848. I went to work.

Jacob, my brother, was 21 in December the same
year that father went away. After he was his own
man he took a notion to buy a piece of land ; so he
and Oliver Moody bought the Southwest quarter of
Section 15 in Princeville Township. Later they di-

REMINISCENSES OF WILLIAM LOGAN MILLER 133

vided, Jake taking the West 80 and Oliver the East 80,
They both went to work on their land, fencing, break-
ing and building houses, and this took Jake away from
home. Consequently I had to go it alone. I had the
old home on Section 16, 80 acres, that I worked and I
took care of my mother and the other children. I got
along very well. My father had always done all the
sowing of the grain, but now I sowed all the spring
wheat and oats myself. John Dukes was to sow it but
I went into it myself. The grain all had to be cradled
in those days and at harvest time Dimmick French,
brother Jake, Uncle Henry Miller and myself, the four
of us, put up 40 acres for me, 40 for Uncle Henry, 30
for Jake, 15 for Dimmick French, — that was in the
year 1848. This was the way we had to do in all those
times from 1837 on ; then had to tread it out on the
ground or thresh it with a flail on a wagon sheet ; then
clean it in the wind, standing on a tall bench. There
were no scoop shovels those times.

In the year of 1849, in October, Jacob was married
to Jane Reeves and they went into their new house on
the corner of Section 15 where Schaad lives now. He
built a 2-story house 24 by 18 ft. ; cellar the same size
24 by 18. This took some money, and I still did all I
could to help him. Thinking I would fix mother's old
house, I got to work and put two bed-rooms on the
North of the old house and put two windows in the East
so they could see out. This was in 1849 and just after-
wards I took the lung fever; got over it with the help
of Dr. Henry.

Then I went to school two months in Princeville. My
teacher was Olive Cutter. I always said that school did
me more good than all the other schooling I ever had.
(See Foot Note 2). I came home and went to work on
the farm in March, putting in wheat and oats. In April,
the 15th, I went to Peoria and stayed all night with
Parley Blakesley; got the measles and came home in a
few days. We heard of Blakesley 's having them, and
we all had them, nine of us.

I went to plowing and put in 40 acres of com ; hired

124 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

a boy named William Moles and he was a good boy. In
August, 1850 I got married to Harriet Reeves and took
her home with me, the 10th of August. I put in 30
acres of wheat on Jacob's place on Section 15 ; gathered
my corn, about 50 bushels to the acre, and then to our
surprise, on the 6th of December here came father
home from Oregon. All was right : fixing of the old
house was all right.

"Do 3'ou need any money?"

"No."

"Do you owe anything?"

"The taxes are not paid."

When he found I was not in debt, he said, "Well,
son, here is a present of a gold watch, cost $125.00." I
thanked him. He gave Jacob one just the same as
mine.

He said, "Jacob, are you in debt?"

"Nothing, only on my house; but I owe Barnett's
on the building of my house."

Afterwards Jake broke prairie for Barnett's and
they were all paid. Well, Aaron Wilson wanted to sell
his place to father, 80 acres on Section 15, and father
bought him out. I got 40 acres of the land on the
Southeast corner of Section 16 where I lived 48 years
and raised 14 children. Two died in infancy and the
others are all living, except Chauncey Miller. There
are at this present time 73 grandchildren and 34
great-grandchildren. Some in Peoria, some in Iowa,
some in Missouri, some in Kansas, some in Oregon, some
in Nebraska. I wish them all the blessing of the all
wise God.

William Logan Miller.
January 15, 1913.

Foot Note 1. S. S. Slane says the wagon was bought
by W. L. Miller's father, John" Miller, at Ellisville, Ful-
ton County. Galesburg Avas not much of a place then.
Ebenezer Russell had a blacksmith shop around where
Wilcox's office is now, and old man Miller getting

REMINISCENSES OF WILLIAM LOGAN MILLER 125

ready to go to Oregon, drove up with the wagon to have
the tires bolted on. He was afraid crossing sands on a
long trip they might get loose and come off.

Russell had a drill a good deal like a brace and bit
for boring the holes that got its pressure by one man
putting his weight on a rail, and then needed another
man to turn the "brace" around. There were a good
many men standing around and as one would get tired
turning the "bit," another would take a hand at it, all
in a neighborly way. The man who held down the rail
for the pressure had the easiest job and did not need
to change off. This was Elias Colwell and after some
time Captain Williams, — you remember what kind of
a man he was, a pretty stumpy sort of a fellow, — took
hold to turn the drill. I saw Elias Colwell wink and
then begin to put all his weight on the rail. Captain
Williams worked harder and harder and finally the
drill stopped. He raised up and said to Colwell, "Elias,
you pup, you take your weight off that or I'll boot ye."
"I remember that just as well as sitting here today,"
said Mr. Slane, "And John Miller told at the time that
he bought the wagon at Ellisville, Fulton County. ' '

Foot Note 2. "Do you remember," said Mr. Slane,
"Mrs. Cutter had the select school in one of the back
rooms upstairs in her house ; and at the same time the
public school was just starting in the stone school
house and the two schools would spell back and forth, —
choosing up sides and spelling each other down. One
day the spelling was at Cutter's house and Loge Miller
comes in late carrying a shotgun. Dr. Cutter's fine shot-
gun that he had brought from the East. 'Where have
you been with that gun,' some one asked him, and he
said, 'Out at the barn shooting rats.' It is my guess
that most of Loge's time was put in that way."

126 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

THE SILLIMAN FAMILY.
By Edwin C. Silliman, 1912.

Rev. Gershoni Silliman was born near Hartford,
Connecticut, May 24, 1783 ; married to Polly Colman of
East Coventry, Oct. 6, 1809, who was born Aug. 16,
1787. They moved to Rosbury, Delaware County, N.
Y., from which place he enlisted for the war of 1812
as a Lieutenant in Capt. Denio's Company of Col.
Fitzwilliams' Regiment, First New York Militia. After
his discharge in 1814, he lived a short time in New
York State, then moved to Salt Creek, Jackson County,
Ohio, and in 1828 came to Peoria County, crossing the
river at Peoria, September 25, 1828. There were ten
teams in the party, and it was called "The big train."
Simon Reed, who with his brother Aaron had come here
in 1825, had gone back and induced his neighbors to
come west, and piloted them thi-ough.

Mr. Silliman bought a farm of Hiram Cleveland,
with a double log cabin upon it, on the Galena road
about a mile south of Simon Reed's. This farm was
later owned by Joseph Silliman and sold by him to his
brother-in-law, Merrit Reed. Upon the south side of
this farm is located LaSalle Cemetery, the land for it
given by Gershom Silliman, and the only consideration
being the reservation of a lot for the use of the Silliman
family. In that cemetery lie today a large number of
the early settlers of that vicinity, some of the stones
dating back to 1830.

In the log house on this farm Marshall B. Silliman
and Silas Allen remained for two months during the
Black Hawk War in 1832. The women and children
for a time were sheltered there and at the Simon
Reed block-house, going out after dark into the woods
to sleep for fear of the Indians. They soon moved
across the river from Peoria to Meacham's Mill or, as
it was later called, "Ten Mile." For two months Silli-
man and Allen saw no one except a messenger now

THE SHUMAN FAMILY 127

and then going from Peoria to the front near Dixon.
The house was picketed, and in day time these two
men looked after the stock and homes of the settlers.
This Allen and his brother Samuel laid out the town of
Allentown, between Chillicothe and Rome, which in its
palmy days had two houses. It, like some other West-
ern towns, was laid out to sell to Eastern speculators.
In a few years the desire to be in the timber caused
Mr. Silliman to move a mile and a half West near the
bluff and open up a new farm, on which he resided
until his death, which occurred on December 2, 1856;
his wife died December 24, 1864.

Rev. Gershom Silliman was the first Baptist minis-
ter to locate permanently in Peoria County. He
preached in private houses until school houses were
built, and in 1838 he helped to organize the first Bap-
tist church in the town of Chillicothe, being its first pas-
tor. He was succeeded by Elder-Rider C. D. Merrit, El-
der Bodley, and others of later years. He was a man of
sterling character who left his impress on the commun-
ity in which he lived. He had a large family.

Minott Silliman, his oldest son, was at the lead
mines near Galena, in '31 and '32, it being the only
place where one could get cash for one's labor. When
the Black Hawk War came on he enlisted in a com-
pany from there. In 1834, he and his brother Marshall
broke the first ground where Toulon now stands. Mar-
shall soon returned to Peoria County where he resided
until his death, but Minott lived and died in and near
Toulon. In 1833, he married Rhoda Smith, a daughter
of Benjamin Smith who had settled in Essex Township,
Stark County in 1830. Minott Silliman built a log
cabin on what is now the main street in Toulon. His
wife died in 1841, leaving one daughter, now Mrs.
Clarissa Wilcox, who lives at Blair, Nebraska. He
then married Miss Henrietta Bathan, daughter of Rob-
ert Bathan, who died leaving one son, Levi Silliman, a
resident of Toulon. On Nov. 4, 1847, Minott Silliman
was again married to Miss Letetia Oziah, by whom he

128 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

had two daughters, Mrs. Andrew Stickney of Toulon
and Mrs. Sarah Stickney of Vancouver, Washington.
He died Jan. 6, 1894, and his wife on Jan. 2, 1907. He
■was the first Treasurer of Stark County, and held other
offices of trust. He always took a great interest in the
history of Stark and Peoria Counties, as their early
history was closely interwoven.

Marshall Bennett Silliman, the second son of Ger-
shom Silliman, was born May 12, 1812, in Delaware
County, N. Y. He married on Nov. 16, 1837, Miss Clar-
issa Hyde, a sister of Norman Hyde, one of the first
settlers in Peoria. She died Nov. 5, 1842, leaving two
sons, Edwin C. Silliman of Chenoa, 111., and Norman
H. Silliman of Boulder, Colorado. The former has one
son, L. L. Silliman, Cashier of the State Bank of Chenoa,
and Norman has one daughter, Mrs. Flora McHarg,
who is an Attorney at Law in Boulder, Colorado. Mar-
shall B. Silliman was again married Feb. 6, 1844, to
Nancy Y. Hawley, a daughter of Truman Hawley, who
came to Peoria County in 1834, and settled at what was
called Mt. Hawley Post Office, he keeping the Post
Office for years. She died, June 4, 1885, at the old
homestead in Hallock Township, and he on March 31,
1888, at Toulon. He held the Office of Supervisor for
seven years; was an ardent advocate of temperance,
and never voted to license the liquor traffic ; a demo-
crat in politics and a Universalist in belief.

Fanny Silliman Smith, born Nov. 5, 1813, married
"William P. Smith. (See Benjamin Smith history).

Joseph Silliman, born Sept. 18, 1817, married Amy
Reed, Nov. 17, 1842. She was a daughter of Thomas
B, Reed who had come to Peoria County in Oct., 1829,
and occupied a cabin on his brother Simon Reed's
farm. Joseph Silliman settled on the first Silliman
farm, building a brick house on it in 1846, and late
in life he occupied the last home of his father. He
was a quiet, plain man, seeking only content and hap-
piness in his home life. He died in March, 1873. Mrs,
Silliman and son H. E. Silliman and a daughter moved

THE SILUMAN FAMILY 129

to Winfield, Kansas in March, 1880, where the daughter
Mrs. Lola Wortman died, March 30, 1900. Mrs. Silliman
died at Winfield, April 4, 1904 ; was buried by the side
of her husband and an infant daughter, in LaSalle Cem-
etery.

Daniel Silliman, born Sept. 13, 1817, died May 11,
1836, of aneurism caused by lifting at a log-rolling.

Sarah Silliman, born Sept. 14, 1819, married Hiram
Atwood, son of Timothy Atwood who came from Dans-
ville, N. Y. in 1834, and settled on "Yankee Street"
north of Chillicothe, 111. Here Hiram Atwood and wife
spent most of their lives, but both dying at James,
Iowa. Two daughters and one son are dead, and one
son, Cyrus Atwood, lives at Sioux City, Iowa.

Emily Silliman, born Feb. 28, 1824, married Samuel
Neal of Mossville, 111., died Oct. 20, 1849, leaving one
son, Daniel Neal of Mossville. Mr. Neal afterwards
married Asenath Matthews of Princeville. He died
aged 83; she was killed accidentally at Mossville in
1911.

Mary Silliman, born Feb. 26, 1826, married John
Webster of "Yankee Street" and died soon after mar-
riage ; left no children.

Phebe Silliman, born March 4, 1829, youngest child
of Gershom Silliman, married Emory Daniels, of Peo-
ria. They lived in Steuben Township, Marshall County,
many years, then moved to Dexter, Iowa, and later to
Azusa, Cal. Here he died and she is still living in her
84th year, being the last of the family. She has a
number of children living in California and the AVest.

Marshall B. Silliman, father of the writer, was Post-
master (his uncle Joel Hicks held the commission as he
was under age) at LaSalle Post Office in 1834, on the
G-alena road where they first settled. The writer has
letters bearing that Postmark, dated 1835 and 1836, and
his book containing names of the early settlers who
received mail at that office. Among them are Linus
Scovill, John Johnson, Jeriel Root, Thomas Miner, Ed-
win S. Jones, John Hammett, Roland Thomas, James R.

130 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

and Jefleerson Tallifero, Griffith Hixon, George Sigler,
Samuel T. McKean, Mahlon Lupton, Samuel Allen,
Francis Thomas, The Reeds, Jason Hopkins, Royal M.
Pitts, Zelotus Marks, Cornelius Doty, Samuel McClel-
lan, Joseph Merideth, Nicholas Sturm, and William
Lake. Jefferson Tallifero laid out the town of Rome.
Edwin S. Jones, a son-in-law of Jeriel Root, kept the
first store in Chillicothe. George Sigler and Samuel
T. McKean went to Oregon about 1846. Sigler was
in the party from about Northampton, that lost their
way enroute and most of whom starved to death.

Gershom Silliman, Jeriel Root and Joel Hicks all
married sisters,— Polly, Sarah, and Phebe Colman of
East Coventry, near Hartford, Conn. Joel Hicks had a
carding mill on the creek near his house, and later
built one at Slackwater, Stark County. He and Mar-
shall B. Silliman made the first sashplane in Peoria
County. The first settlers had no glass; then later it
was brought from St. Louis. This plane was used from
LaSalle to Boyd's Grove and Spoon River— a name
that covered a large territory at that time. The writ-
ers' father settled in 1837 on what was called "The
High Prairie" where he lived until 1885. There was
but one house in sight. He bought a "tax title" with a
cabin on it, for which he gave a yoke of oxen, valued
at $100.00 and $30.00 in money. The cabin was valued
at $100.00 and the land at $30.00. Soon after he got
it a prairie fire l)urned the cabin and it full of wheat.
The first near neighbor was William Easton who joined
him on the north, and soon a brother-in-law of his,
Lucas C. Hicks, bought and built adjoining him on the
south. Easton married Sarah Hicks, and Lucas Hicks
married Sarah Reed, a daughter of Samuel Reed of
Buffalo Grove, near Dixon, 111., and a niece of John
Dixon. The families of the Reed's, Hick's, Root's and
Silliman 's were all connected by marriage.

M. B. Silliman built a large barn in 1846, Horace
Bushnell and Lyman Hitchcock being the carpenters.
As it was the only barn in sight from the Peoria and

THE BENJAMIN SMITH FAMILY 131

Wyoming road, all the travelers came in there to get
their horses in. The cabin was two stories and a tight
floor, and the writer has seen eighteen men sleeping in
that upper room in one night. The writer's first school
was at Mt. Hawley, in a log school house with desks
around the wall, in 1846. The teacher was named
Peters and he was afterwards Circuit Judge in Bureau
County. The writer still has the old Webster spelling
book used that winter. Among the students were John
Holmes; Jed. and Milo Benjamin and their sister Hat-
tie, wife of the late Jos. Barnum ; the Hawley girls, —
Aaron, Jerome and Omar Hawley; Carlos Wilcox and
others not now remembered. The first school in the
home district was taught by Miss Belle Jones, later
Mrs. Belle Easton-Wood, in 1848, and there were nine
scholars on the roll.

The friends of the writer's father in early days who
visited us were many : from near Princeville were
George I. McGinnis, Benjamin Slane, Daniel Prince,
William Stevens ; and from farther south was Charley
Chapman, the clock tinker; also Leonard Cornwell,
Richard Scholes, James Dalrymple, G. M. Woodbury
and Tom Black. All the old timers of the Spoon River
country found a cordial welcome ; the big fireplace with
its cheery glow was the scene of many happy visits and
the stories there rehearsed linger still in memory. We
close this scattering and disconnected paper, only wish-
ing that some items in it may be of historical interest
to the present and to future generations.

THE BENJAMIN SMITH FAMILY,

of Essex Township.
By Edwin C. Silliman, 1913.

Benjamin Smith settled in Essex Township, Stark
County, in 1830, his son-in-law, John B. Dodge having
come the year before. Benjamin Smith and his wife
were probably born in Maine, as the record shows that

132 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

his second child was bom in Lincoln County of that
state, on March 11, 1798. He came from Maine to Ohio
in 1814, and from Ohio to Illinois. He was one of the
first Justices of the Peace elected in Stark County in
August, 1831, and solemnized the second marraige cere-
mony in that county, that of Nero W. Mounts and a
widow Martindale. He was also one of the first School
Trustees in the County.

In 1833, Benjamin Smith and Isaac Essex took the
only two newspapers in the Coimty, the mail being car-
ried from LaSalle Post Office, where Marshall B. Silli-
man, father of the writer, was Postmaster in fact. (See
Silliman history). "Galena" Miner or Wesley Miner
carried the mail every two weeks on foot, and it took
that length of time to get a newspaper from Spring-
field.

Benjamin Smith was born March 1, 1773, died in
1848, and is buried in the Sheets Cemetery in Essex
Township. His wife, Susannah, was born April 25,
1778, and died Jan. 6, 1829, in Ohio. Of their eleven
children, four died in infancy, and the others were as
follows :

Susannah, born March 28, 1798, died Nov. 21, 1881
at Saxon, Stark County ; was the wife of Harris Miner.
Their children were Laura, married George Dexter ; Ad-
dison, married Lucy Reynolds; Carlos, married Laura

; and Harrison, married Avice Parish. He is

partner in a Bank in Kewanee, Illinois.

Lydia Smith married John B. Dodge, and they came
to Essex Township in 1829. He was a Captain of Mi-
litia ; a reckless character, and finally, getting into diffi-
culty at a horse race in Rock Island, had to leave the
country; last heard from in Texas. His wife had five
children by him and one by her second husband, a Mr.
Magby.

Greenleaf Smith, born September 25, 1805, died in
1848. He married Lettice Sparr, who died in 1862, and
both are buried in the Sheets Cemetery. They had
seven children : Charles, married Sarah Snyder ; Mar-

THE BENJAMIN SMITH FAMILY 133

garet, married James Baughn ; Benjamin, married Mary

White ; Perry, married Emery ; Sally, married

Dick Ryan ; Alice married Ira Newton,

William Paul Smith was bom Nov. 24, 1807, in
Maine, and was seven years old when his family moved
to Ohio, and 23 when they moved to Illinois. On Jan.
1, 1835, he was married to Fanny Silliman, a daughter
of Rev. Gershom Silliman who had settled in 1-828 in
M^hat is now Medina Township, Peoria County. After
his marriage they settled on a farm two miles north
of Prince 's Grove, where they raised a family of seven
children. After these were grown he moved to Prince-
ville, leaving the farm in charge of a son-in-law William
Andrews, who married his eldest daughter, Mary. An-
drews moved to Kansas after the war, where he died
leaving a large family.

The oldest son of William P. Smith, Cyrus S., en-
listed in Co. D., 11th Illinois Cavalry on Sept. 24, 1861.
He was taken sick with measles in Camp at Peoria, and
died in Princeville, Feb. 18, 1862. He was unmarried.

The only son left them, Isaac L., enlisted in Co, K.,
86th Illinois Infantry on Aug. 7, 1862, and was killed in
a skirmish at Buzzards Roost, Ga., Feb. 26, 1864. The
regiment was driven back by the enemy, and when the
ground was recovered, his body could not be found,
so lies among those heroes marked "Unknown" in the
National Cemetery at Chattanooga, Tenn. He had a
premonition that he would be killed that day. Capt.
French told the writer that if he had known of it, in
view of the Spiritualistic belief of the family, he would
not have let him go into that battle. He left a wife,
who is now dead, and one daughter.

Susannah Smith married Philander Reed, who was
also a member of Co, K., 86th Illinois Infantry, and who
died in the hospital at Chattanooga, Tenn., Jan. 4, 1864.
The widow Susannah later married Chester Harring-
ton,

Her sister Sarah married John Harrington, (now
deceased), who was a member of Co. C, 86th Illinois

134 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

Infantry. The two youngest daughters Emily and Lydia
and the Harrington's all live in California.

William P. Smith for many years followed the bus-
iness of hunting up estray horses and cattle. As the
country was not thickly settled until after 1850, stock
often strayed a long distance, and it was difficult to
trace them. He had a system of correspondence that
made him very successful in that vocation, and also
gave him an acquaintance that few men had in a circle
of fifty miles around Princeville. He with S. S. Slane
and others organized the Thief Detective and Mutual
Aid Association of Princeville in August, 1863. He
was its first Captain and served several years; later
was its Treasurer and was always an active member, —
one of the foremost. This Association is in existence
today and has done some very efficient work in catch-
ing horse thieves especially.

Aunt Fanny Smith never recovered her sunny dis-
position after the loss of her children in the war, and
the mention of those terrible days always brought tears
of sorrow to her. She was known far and near as a
great nurse, and for all the years of her life gave her
service cheerfully where it was needed; many of the
older settlers of Princeville can testify to her kindly
ministration in times of sickness. The family were
strong believers in Spiritualism in the last years of their
lives. Some of the tests of "Aunt Fanny's" powers
could hardly be believed but at this later day are ex-
plained by "mental telepathy," at that time wholly un-
known. The Smith home was always open to all who
came, and all were sure of a hearty welcome and a
share of what they had, with rest for the weary. Wil-
liam P. Smith died March 29, 1882, and Fanny Smith on
April 2, 1886, at Princeville.

A tribute to her memory at the time of her death
by Mrs. Elizabeth Seery, was a worthy memorial to
the life and character of a wonderful woman, the last
part of which we reproduce: "Did the foul tongue
of slander ever penetrate her humble home, she with

THE BENJAMIN SMITH FAMILY 135

a hush upon her lips, would hold aloft her standard
of charity and love. The vilest sinner was persuaded
to take the path of rectitude, the weak were nurtured
and cherished back to strength again. Thus in works
of charity and love, she proved her christian character
and won a crown of eternal life, passing away like a
sunbeam, bright, cheerful, beautiful in death. No
cloud can obscure such a life, for its good results have
raised a monument in the hearts of hundreds who knew
her inner life. Like a zephyr from the spirit land there
flashes a voice, 'Faithful worker, enter thou into the
joy of thy Lord.'

Rhoda, a daughter of Benjamin Smith, born Nov.
10, 1816, married Minott Silliman in 1833, about the
same time her sister Susannah married Harris Miner.
Both families settled at what is now Toulon. Rhoda
Silliman died in 1841, leaving one living child, who is
now Mrs. Clarissa "Wilcox of Blair, Neb.

Sewell Smith, born March 29, 1810, married Sarah
Lake, a sister of the first wife of William Easton. They
lived in Essex Township until after the war, and then
moved to Galva, 111., where both of them died, Sewell
Smith on Sept. 14, 1873, and his wife soon after. Their
son, Edwin L. Smith was a member of Co. K., 86th
Illinois Infantry, enlisting at Princeville in August, 1862.
He died in hospital in Gallatin, Tenn., Dec. 30, 1862.
The writer was at that time clerk for the Commandant
at that Post, and as an intimate friend, it became his
duty to inform the family of his death and to arrange to
have the body sent home. While in camp at Peoria,
on the way to the war, he was married to Miss Hattie
Benjamin, who afterward married Jos. Barnum, editor
of the Princeville Telephone. Their other children
were Sophia; Alice who married Andrew Auten of
Princeville, in 1863 ; Prank who married a lawyer
named Barnes; Mandana; a son Charles, who died
young; and the youngest Hattie. The writer thinks
all of the children are dead.

136 HISTORY AND REMINISCEN'CES

The simple honest lives of those old pioneers has
had much to do with the making of our community to-
day for good, and the Smith family did their full share
in building up the new country. We owe much to the
memories of those men and women of sterling worth
and strong character, who were the first settlers. It
is a difficult task to trace their history, but the writer
cheerfully does his part, to put upon record this much
of the early events, so that in future years the facts
and truths of their lives may be accessible to the his-
torian.

THE TIMMONS FAMILY,

Essex Township.
By W, R, Sandham and A. Timmons, April, 1913.

Among the families who were pioneers in this vicin-
ity the Timmons family of Essex Township have taken
a prominent part from its earliest history to the present,
in the settlement, growth and development of that
township.

Thomas Timmons the first of the name who came
to this part of Illinois, was born January 14, 1816, in
Ross County, Ohio. His parents were Ananias and Eli-
nor (Rotean) Timmons, who were natives of Maryland,
where the former was for several years engaged in a
seafaring life. After moving to Ohio he engaged in
farming, in which occupation his son Thomas took part,
going to school as opportunity offered.

When twenty years old Thomas Timmons left his
home in Ohio, in company with Mr. Nathan Cox, an-
other prominent pioneer in this vicinity, to seek a
home and fortune in the then distant west. To pay
his expenses he drove a four-horse-team belonging to
Mr. Cox. After a long and tiresome but adventurous
journey, he arrived in what is now Essex Township in
Stark County, in the middle of October, 1836. He

THE TIMMONS FAMILY 137

found here only first settlers in a new and somewhat
wild country, with numerous hunting and fishing camps
of Indians round about. He immediately sought em-
ployment and the first work he found to do was cutting
the timber and splitting 11,000 rails at 50c a hundred
"and board himself." After this was done he worked
for the pioneer farmers until the fall of 1837 when he
took a contract for splitting rails at 50c a hundred and
board himself, for Josiah Moffitt, another pioneer and
large land holder of the time. He boarded with Thomas
Winn, another of the early pioneers. The report has
come down from that time that Mr. Timmons would in
two days cut the timber and split 600 rails, cutting the
timber one day and splitting the rails the next. After
this job was done he engaged in farming.

Thomas Timmons was married December 16, 1838, to
Mary Jane, a daughter of Daniel Davis, one of the
earliest settlers of what is now Essex Township, by
John W. Agard then a Justice of the Peace and later
a pioneer Methodist preacher.

Undaunted by the hardships and difficulties of pio-
neer life Mr. and Mrs. Timmons commenced housekeep-
ing on what was then known as the Sammis place on
Spoon River. In the spring of 1839, the year Stark
County was created and organized, Mr. Timmons
bought 40 acres of land in the southeast corner of sec-
tion 15 in what is now Essex Township, where he lived
six years. He then moved to a house which he built
near the log school house which is said by Mrs. Shellen-
berger in her history to be the first school house built in
Stark County, where he lived until his death April 7,
1893. His wife died May 4, 1858. Later he married
Mrs. Lucy Graves who survived him several years.

Thomas and Mary J. Timmons had three children,
Ananias, born March 9, 1840, Ellen, born December 25,
1841 and Eliza, born August 25, 1843. Ellen married
William Drummond and died in 1862. Eliza died when
she was two years old. When about ten years old
Ananias was nicknamed Colonel, and has been known

138 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

since then as Col. A. Timmons. During his boyhood he
attended school in the rude log school houses of the
time and incidentally became well educated in nature
as he found it in woods and streams. From his 12th
to his 22nd year he assisted in all kinds of work on his
father's farm. He enlisted as a soldier August 12, 1862,
and became a member of Co. E. 112th Illinois Volun-
teers, and served until the end of the war. Except for
a short time he was in the hospital, he took part in all
the marches and battles of his regiment. During the
latter part of his service he was color guard of his
regiment.

On the march from Nashville, headed for Clifton,
Tenn., while camped at Mt. Pleasant, Tenn., he had a
narrow escape from death. He and "Lige" Cox left
camp one evening to look up a Toulon lady, formerly
Miss Addie Kincaid. The distance proved longer than
they expected, and they reached the lady's house about
8 o'clock. She gave them their supper, and was fairly
cordial, after Timmons told her of her former beaus
in Stark County; but seemed a little close-mouthed.
Timmons and Cox got back to camp about 11 o'clock
and that was the close of the incident with them. After
45 years, however, in 1910 or 1911 at the Toulon Old
Settlers' Picnic, this lady, her home now in Chicago,
was present, and overjoyed at seeing both Timmons and
Cox. She said at the time of their visit her husband
was in the rebel army, and there were rebel soldiers
in her house — baskets of provisions for them passed
out of her kitchen — while these boys were visiting that
evening. The next morning she drove nearly to the
site of the Union Camp expecting to find their dead
bodies along the roadside, but she did not find them,
and never kncAv whether they were safe or not, until
she saw them at Toulon.

Soon after returning home from the war Mr. Tim-
mons visited his relations in Ohio. While there he met
Mary Arganbright of Vinton County, Ohio, to whom
he was married on a second trip, September 30, 1866.

THE WHITE FAMILY 139

Soon after with his bride, he returned to Illinois and
commenced house-keeping two miles north of what is
now Duncan. In 1873, he moved to the farm where he
was born, on Section 15, Essex Township where he
and his wife still live, loved and honored by neighbors
and friends. Col. Timmons has always taken an active
interest in politics, being a delegate to nearly every
Republican County Convention. He has held several
important offices in his township, the duties of which
he performed faithfully.

Colonel Ananias and Mary Timmons have five chil-
dren, William, married Lora Simmerman and lives at
Yale, Iowa ; Thomas A, married Aura Phenix and lives
at Wyoming, Illinois, in the mercantile business ; Corda,
married William Even and lives at Speer, Illinois ; Jes-
sie, married Robert 0. Green and lives near Lawn
Ridge, Illinois ; Effie lives at home.

Colonel Timmons and his family take a great inter-
est in the meetings of the Old Settlers' Association of
Princeville, as they also do in the meetings of the Old
Settlers' Association of Stark County which are held
annually in Toulon.

THE WHITE FAMILY.
By Mary A. White and Electa A. White, 1912.

Hugh White and Mary Johnson were married about
1804 in east Tennessee and lived there as near as we can
tell till three children were born. They then moved to
Indiana, we do not know in what year, but they lived
there in 1812 when the war with England broke out.
Mr. White enlisted in the war, leaving .his wife with
four small children, one a babe in her arms. The names
of their children, including those born later, were Eliz-
abeth A,, Samuel R., Cynthia A., Sarah E., Levina B.,

140 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

Martha E., Wm. Franklin, Emeline C, Gilford N., and
James Thompson. Elizabeth White married James
Morrow ; Cynthia "White married Lawrence McKown ;
Samuel White married Jane Morrow, and these three,
with the other seven children and the parents, Hugh
and ]\Iary White, emigrated to Illinois in 1833.

After coming to Illinois they moved to what is
known as the Sheets farm northwest of Duncan. Old
residents have told their children that they remember
seeing Hugh White driving back and forth with an ox
team ; it is supposed to break prairie on the farm which
he bought and where they moved later and lived till
their deaths.

Mr. and Mrs. White belonged to the old school Pres-
byterian Church while living in Indiana, Mr. White be-
ing an elder in that church ; and they still clung to that
faith while they lived. Mr. White was very strict
in raising his family; he tried to set a good example
before them and raise them in the fear and admonition
of the Lord. Coming here when the country was
new, they endured the privations and hardships of pio-
neer life.

After coming to Illinois, Martha White married Wil-
liam Morrow; Franklin White married Julia A. Mur-
phy; Emeline married DeWitt Franklin; Thompson
married Martha A. German. Of this large family there
is only one left : J. Thompson White of Dunlap, Cal.

Samuel R. White, second child of Hugh and Mary
White, was married to Jane Morrow, April 5, 1832, and
to them were born six children : Elizabeth A., William
H., John C, Maria J., Mary A. and Sarah E. Of this
family William married Lucy M. Hull and to them
were born six children, three of whom are still living :
Jennie M. Burford and Edwin in Friant, Calif, and Eva
O. Jones in Princeville, 111. John C. married Barbara
Debord and to them were born nine children, six of
whom are still living: Carrie Wrigley near Harbine,
Neb. ; Sherman in North Dakota ; Nina Rogers near
Odell, Neb. ; William, Roy and Edwin about 20 miles

THE WHITE FAMILY 141

from their parents who live at Akron, Colorado. Maria
J. White married Isaac German and to them were born
seven children, of whom four are still living: John H.,
Graham, Missouri; Ella Latham, Esbon, Kansas; Eva
Kenny and Edson, near Quitman, Missouri. Miss Mary
A. remained with and cared for her mother till the
mother died at the age of 81 years. There are only
two of the family living, John C. in Colorado, and Mary
A. in Princeville, 111. her niece Eva 0. Jones living
with Mary A. White in Princeville.

Hugh White's parents were of English descent, his
grandfather William White having been born in Lon-
don, England.

A nephew of Hugh White's and great grandson of
the London William White, Samuel D. White, came to
Peoria County, 111. from Lake County, Indiana in the
spring of 1852, bringing his family with him. The fam-
ily, consisting of himself and wife Margaret and five
children, two sons and three daughters, settled at
White's Grove on what was afterwards known as the
William White place.

In the spring of 1855 he moved with his family to
Blackhawk County, Iowa. Not liking the country, they
returned to Peoria County, 111., in July of the same
year and again settled at White's Grove, on the farm
afterward known as the John C. White farm. In
1862 they again left Peoria County and settled in Iowa
and lived there the rest of their lives. Margaret White
died in Blackhawk County, Iowa March 14, 1888, aged
73 years. Samuel D. White died April 26, 1894, aged
82 years, 2 months and 14 days. Two daughters died
in Iowa. The two sons and one daughter are still
living in Kossuth County, Iowa. Samuel D. White and
family always remembered their sojourn in Peoria
County, Illinois, with great pleasure.

142 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

THE AARON WILSON FAMILY.
By Milton Wilson and Peter Auten, 1915.

Aaron Wilson and Esther Baird Wilson left their
home near Russellville, Ohio, fifty miles east of Cin-
cinnati and reached Prineeville in the fall of 1848, to be
explicit on October 23 of that year, occupying land
three miles southwest of town. Of their seven children,
Alexander, the oldest and Nancy, the third child, stayed
in Ohio; and Sarah, John K., Milton, Margaret, and
Alfred came with the parents.

The parents were Presbyterians and always stood,
and their children after them, for a positively good
moral influence. Being quite elderly when they reached
Prineeville the parents died, Mr. Wilson in the spring
of 1853 and Mrs. Wilson in August, 1854, and their
graves are in the southeast comer of the Prineeville
Township Cometery, close to lots of their daughter
Sarah, their son Milton and their son Alfred.

Alexander the oldest son. always stayed in Ohio,
dying there about the year 1883, and leaving a family
of which only one son, Albert G. Wilson of Dayton,
Ohio, is now surviving.

Sarah married "Deacon" William Wilson, and their
children were four in number : Emeline, wife of Hugh
Morrow ; Harriet, wife of Adna Colburn ; Caroline, wife
of Walter Yates; and Maria, wife of Henry Stowell.

Nancy with her husband George Bassett stopped
here only one year after coming from Ohio and then
located at Abingdon, Illinois, where they raised a fam-
ily which is now scattered. The children were Sarah,
wife of David Strain ; Cyrus W. ; George M. ; Lou, wife
of Paul Fearing; Laura (deceased); Julia, wife of
Shoop ; and Charles.

John K. left the farm on March 25, 1850. to follow
the lure of gold to California. There were .seven
Prineeville young men in the party, and all returned
and were familiar figures in the later history of Prince-

THE AARON WILSON FAMILY 143

ville, except Richard Harrison who died in California
or Oregon. They had two wagons and ox teams, one
wagon belonging to John K. Wilson, Thompson P. Bou-
ton and Carlisle Aldrich ; and the other to Richard
Harrison, Dimmick French, John Dukes and Augustus
D. Sloan. A very interesting diary kept on the west-
ward trip by John K. Wilson is added as an appendix
to this article. Mr. Wilson, on returning to Princeville
and in his leisure moments worked some at carpentry,
and made a number of excellent violins. He lived
near Oak Hill and died at Peoria, 1907; was buried
at Oak Hill.

Milton Wilson left the farm in 1874, having been
elected Justice of the Peace the year before. He filled
that office for one term (declining a second term) and
engaged in the insurance and notarial business. For
32 years he was a notary public. He was the second
collector after township organization was perfected in
Prineeville Township, viz., for the year 1851, and his
fees for collecting amounted to the munificent sum of
$32.00. Altogether he served seven different terms as
township collector, the last being in 1872 when the ex-
tra railroad tax brought his fees to a total of $410.00.
He also served one term on the town council.

After living in the Cutter house for one and one-half
years, he bought his present home, the east half of block
seven, corner of Main and Tremont Streets, in July,
1875. He moved into this new home, cornering on the
park, in September following and has lived there con-
tinuously for forty years. He was 87 years of age on
May 27, 1915.

His wife ''Aunt Carrie" Wilson was largely instru-
mental in organizing the Coral Reef Missionary Society
and as leader of that Missionary band, she virtually
raised different sets of boys and girls in the Methodist
Church of Prineeville. Any who wished to scoff
at other members of the church always made an ex-
ception of Aunt Carrie. So much was she recognized
as one of the Missionary leaders of the church in the

144 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

Peoria district that she was made a life member of
the Woman's Foreign Missionary Society of the church
on the payment of $100 by her friends. Since her death
in 1903, "Uncle Milton" has cared for her flowers and
her grave, as memories of her loving work for the
boys and girls, until age has made it impossible for him
to do so any more, except in thought. He has recently
furnished a room in her memory at the Deaconess Hos-
pital in Peoria.

Sister Margaret made her home with her brother
Milton and "Aunt Carrie." She was a partner also
in caring for the flowers and creating missionary in-
terest and strength of character in the boys and girls.
She died in 1895.

Alfred S. farmed in Akron Township from 1865
until retiring about the year 1889, since which time he
has lived in Princeville. His wife Dartha Young Wil-
son died in 1908, and Mr. Wilson has made his home
since then with his daughter Mrs. Clara Kinnah. The
other children are Frank E. of Peoria. Illinois. Edward
of Akron Township and Mrs. Elizabeth Christian of
Princeville. Mr. Alfred Wilson will be 81 on October
25, 1915. He has taken an active interest, always work-
ing on some committee at each annual reunion of the
0. S. U. P. V.

JOHN K. WILSON'S DIARY.

By John K. Wilson, 1850, Enroute from Illinois to
Oregon : from Original diary in posses-
sion of the family.

As stated in tlie preceding article, Mr. Wilson was
accompanied on this journey by Thompson P. Bouton,
Carlisle Aldrich, Richard Harrison, Dimmick French,
John Dukes and Augustus D. Sloan, all from Prince-
ville. AVhile the first part of the diary may seem a
little tedious reading, the latter part and in fact the

JOHN K. WILSON S DIARY 145

whole of it, is so wonderful in describing the tedium
of the journey, the geography, the water courses, the
deserts, the alkali creeks and poison springs and lakes
which helped to strew the way with bones of cattle,
horses and mules, as well as the graves of men; and
in describing the mountain divides and passes, also the
historic Lewis's Fork and Columbia River; and in ac-
counting for every day of the journey, that it would
seem out of place to abbreviate.

Their experiences were doubtless similar to those
of hundreds of parties, except they were spared any
deaths on the way. Harrison died in Oregon, and after
the others had all reached California. They came
home by way of the Isthmus, Dukes and Bouton re-
turning in June, 1852; Wilson in December, 1853; Al-
drich in spring of 1855; French in 18 — ; and Sloan in
1868. It will be noted that the party usually remained
in camp on Sunday, or travelled only a few miles when
necessary for feed or water.

"John K, Wilson's Diary of Events, Curiosities,
etc., on leaving Illinois for California. In the affairs of
this life, there must be a last scene, a last parting ; yet
hope carries us forward, while memory dwells upon
the past.

March 25, 1850, left Princeville past 11 o'clock,
reached Harrison's; 26, passed Spoon River, Trenton,
reached Butts'; 27, Knoxville, reached Nathan; 28,
4th day, Monmouth, camped on Henderson River; 29,
crossed the Mississippi, stayed all night at Burlington;
30, reached Wibbard's long creek; 31, Sunday, same
place.

April 1, raining, passed Lowell, crossed Skunk
River, all night at Stevenson's; 2, passed Washington,
yet raining; 3, passed Winchester, all night at Brain-
ard's, snow; 4, Birmingham, Liberty ville, all night at
Bonnett's; 5, reached Mclntyer's; 6, left Mclntyer's,
8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, Sunday; 15, left Mclntyer's.
crossed Des Moines River at lowaville, camped three
miles from the river; 16, passed Flores on Soap Creek,

146 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

reached Morgan's, snow 8 inches deep; 17, passed
Drakeville, reached Patterson's; 18, same place; 19,
reached Chariton River, camped; 20, passed Center-
ville, crossed Cooper's Creek, reached Shoal Creek,
camped; 21, Sunday same place.

April 22, reached State Line between Iowa and Mis-
souri, camped; 23, crossed Locust Creek, reached Big
Muddy Creek, camped at bridge; 24, reached small
creek, called Little Muddy, camped at bridge; 25,
passed through Princeton, crossed North fork of Grand
River, camped at Reed's; 26, crossed middle fork
Grand River, reached a little creek in the prairie ; 27,
passed through Bethany, reached Big Creek ; 28, reached
a small stream, camped; 29, passed through Gentry-
ville, crossed west fork of Grand River, camped at edge
of prairie ; 30, crossed 22 miles prairie, reached a small
creek, camped.

May J, passed through Rochester, crossed the Little
Platte River and several small creeks ; reached a stream
called 102, eight miles from St. Joe, camped; May 2,
same place; 3, reached St. Joe, camped; 4, bought our
outfit, crossed the Missouri River, camped 2 miles from
St. Joe; 5, Sunday, same place; 6, moved out to the
bluffs four miles, camped ; 7, same place, snow 2 inches
deep ; 8, started on our journey, crossed Mosquitoe
Creek, camped on the hill 2 miles from a small creek;
9, crossed AVolf River, passed Missionary Station,
reached a small creek, camped; 10, reached a small
creek, tributary of Wolf River, camped; 11, reached
head of Wolf River and camped; 12, Sunday, same
place; 13, reached Minahaw, a beautiful stream,
camped; 14, traveled to a creek and spring in prairie,
camped.

May 15, on the way, crossed two creeks, camped on
a hill two miles from Weston and Leavenworth Road;

16, on, crossed Big Blue River, a beautiful stream,
camped on the high ground two miles from the river;

17, traveled 18 miles, camped near a small stream ; 18,
crossed Otto Creek, camped on the prairie ; 19, Sunday,

JOHN K. WaSON's DIARY 147

traveled 8 miles, crossed two small creeks, camped on
the hill near Little Blue ; 20, traveled over the prairie
20 miles, crossed one small creek with sandy bed,
camped on the prairie ; 21, crossed two small creeks,
reached Little Blue River, camped ; 22, traveled up Lit-
tle Blue River 20 miles and camped ; 23, traveled up Lit-
tle Blue River 22 miles and camped ; 24, traveled up Lit-
tle Blue to the crossing and camped; 25, traveled 22
miles, reached the Platte River, opposite Grand Island,
10 miles below Fort Kearney, camped ; 26, Sunday, re-
mained in same place; 27, passed Fort Kearney, trav-
eled 8 miles above head of Grand Island, camped; 28,
traveled up the Platte 22 miles and camped; 29, trav-
eled up the Platte and camped; 30, traveled up the
Platte, camped 5 miles below the Forks; 31, traveled up
the South Fork of Platte and camped on a small creek
in the bottom.

June 1, traveled up the South Fork 7 miles above
the lower ford, camped; 2, Sunday, remained in the
same place; 3, traveled up the South Fork, camped in
the bottom ; 4, traveled up the South Fork to the upper
crossing, camped on the bank ; 5, crossed South Fork
of Platte, water very cold, traveled across the plain 18
miles, camped in Ash Hollow three miles from North
Fork of Platte ; 6, traveled up the North Fork, passed
Castle Bluff, camped on the bottom ; 7, same place ; 8,
traveled up North Fork, crossed two creeks, camped in
the bottom, opposite Courthouse Rock; 9, Sunday, re-
mained in same place; 10, traveled up North Fork,

passed Chimney Rock, camped 10 miles from ;

11, left the river, traveled 18 miles, camped, sick; 12,
crossed Horse Creek, reached North Fork, camped; 13,
crossed Laramie River, camped on north fork two miles
from Fort Laramie ; 14, traveled up north fork of Platte,
camped on the high ground three miles from the river;
15, traveled over the high ground from the river,
crossed three creeks and camped ; 16, Sunday, same
place ; 17, traveled up the Platte, crossed one creek,
reaching a creek and spring five miles from the river,
camped; 18, crossed La Bonte River and small creek.

148 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

camped on a small creek ; 19, crossed La Grande River,
Box Elder Creek, La Fourche River, camped one-half
mile from North Fork of Platte ; 20, traveled up North
Fork of Platte 9 miles, commenced crossing at 5 o'clock,
got part over by 11 o'clock at night; 21, got all over
by 1 o'clock p. m., camped for the night; 22, traveled
up North side of Platte, camped five miles below the
upper, ferry, feed poor.

June 23, Sunday, traveled up to the ferry, then
left the Platte and traveled over the highlands towards
Sweetwater River and camped four miles from Alkali
Creek and Poison Spring and Lake.

Great mischief did these waters to the emigrants'
teams. The road for 20 miles was strewn with dead
oxen and horses. June 24, passed Willow Spring,
reached a small creek, camped; 25, reached Sweetwater
River and camped. Back to Upper Platte ferry 53
miles, almost a barren waste, with nothing inviting.
June 26, crossed Sweetwater River at Independence
Rock. Passed Devil's Gateway, a place where the
Sweetwater cuts through the mountain snow to the left,
camped on Sweetwater. Aldrich taken sick.

June 27, traveled up Sweetwater, crossed two creeks
and Sweetwater River three times within two miles,
campd for the night ; 28, left Sweetwater 8 miles, then
crossed, traveled over a barren waste 16 miles, camped
again on Sweetwater River; 29, crossed Sweetwater,
traveled six miles, camped in the morning, — Bouton
taken sick; 30, Sunday, traveled up Sweetwater River
8 miles, then left the river and ascended some of the
spurs of the Rocky Mountains, air cool, reached a
branch of Sweetwater River, camped, — snowbanks
across the stream 2 ft. deep.

July 1, Monday, crossed, traveled three miles,
crossed the creek, and five miles farther crossed Sweet-
water the last time — snowbanks 3 ft. deep. Traveled
10 miles farther and camped in the south pass, nearly
on the divide of waters, between the Pacific Ocean and
the Gulf of Mexico. For 150 miles back, "Death on

JOHN K. WILSON S DIARY 149

the pale Horse" preyed on all that was flesh and blood.
The road was strewn with dead horses and oxen and
mules and many fresh graves of men. July 2, traveled
5 miles, came to Pacific Spring and Creek, — spring
coldest water I ever drank, — snowy peaks of Rocky
Mountains on our left; spring's Lat. 42 deg. 18 min. 58
seconds. Traveled down Pacific Creek II/2 miles,
crossed, traveled 8 miles to another creek, some water,
camped. July 3, crossed creek, traveled 5 miles, crossed
dry sandy creek, 7 miles farther, forks of the road. Left
hand road leads to Salt Lake, right hand road to Sub-
lett's cut-off — took right hand, traveled 5 miles, crossed
Little Sandy River, 7 miles farther, crossed Big Sandy
River, and camped. Sickness and death still accom-
pany the emigrants.

July 4, Thursday, — Glorious anniversary of Ameri-
can Liberty, with what sacred delight I hail thee, al-
though in a land owned by savages ! Hundreds waiting
for the cool of the evening to start across the desert,
to Greene River ; struck our tent and started at 20 min-
utes past 4 o'clock p. m. ; traveled all night, halting at
9 o'clock and 2 o'clock one-half hour each time; half
past four prepared breakfast, grazed our cattle on
some scant vegetation and moved on again; 5, reached
Greene River at 3 o'clock p. m., watering our cattle,
then moved down to the lower ferry (having traveled
53 miles without any water on the way and not much
grass), camped for the night; 6, got all over by 4
o'clock and camped for the night. Ferriage over
Greene River $7.00 per wagon. July 7, Sunday, moved
out 5 miles to a creek to get feed for our cattle, camped ;
8, traveled 14 miles, crossed three streams of running
water and camped on a mountain, near a beautiful
grove of fir trees; 9, traveled 15 miles, crossed four
streams of running water and camped on a mountain
side near a grove of quakenasp ; 10, traveled 2 miles,
crossed Ham's Forks of Greene River (beautiful stream
of clear cold water) camped in the bottom, good grass ;
death still accompanying the emigrants, see new graves
every day.

150 HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES

July 11, traveled 13 miles, passed a grove of quaken-
asp, and spring of v^^ater (on the mountain top) as cold
as ice, also a grove of birch and other beautiful groves
of fir trees; then descended the mountain to a creek,
camped. July 12, crossed creek, traveled 8 miles, came
to Bear Eiver, descent towards the river very steep;
traveled down Bear Kiver to Thomas' Fork, crossed
and camped for the night. This is a beautiful valley
abounding with the best of grass. July 13, traveled
down Bear River (north course), camped on a tributary
of Bear River in a very large bottom, the best grass I
have seen on the route thus far. Passed some fine scen-
ery along this river. July 14, Sunday, remained in
same place, very warm day; for a week past nights so
cold we could hardly keep warm, snow on the moun-
tains all around; 15, traveled 8 miles over very hilly
rough road; struck Bear River, then down 7 miles,
camped; 16, traveled six miles, camped on account of
sickness; 17, traveled down Bear River, camped; 18,
crossed several streams, passed Soda Beer and Steam-
boat Springs — natural curiosities, passed Forks Road,
left hand Myers' cut-off, right hand past Fort Hall;
took Fort Hall road, traveled 8 miles, camped ; 19, trav-
eled all day, camped on a small stream.

July 20, crossed dividing ridge between Great Basin
and Oregon, camped in a deep hollow; 21, traveled all
day, camped near Fort Hall on a small stream; 22,
passed Fort Hall, camped for sickness; 23, crossed
Portneuf and — Rivers and camped near Ameri-
can Falls, Lewis' Fork of the Columbia River; 24, trav-
eled all day, camped on Fall Creek; 25, passed Forks,
road left hand leading to California, right to Oregon;
took right hand, traveled late, found water, camped.

July 26, still traveled down Lewis' Fork of the Col-
umbia, came to a small stream, camped ; 27, traveled all
day, camped on a creek near the river; 28, Sunday,
traveled 8 miles, caught up with some wagons from
Iowa on a creek where they were in camp. We camped
also for the rest of the day. July 29, crossed the creek,

JOHN K. Wilson's diary 151

traveled 23 miles, camped on Lewis' Pork of the Colum-
bia; 30, traveled 20 miles, camped again on Lewis'
Fork; 31, crossed a large creek, passed Fish-gate Falls
of Lewis' Fork.

August 1, traveled 15 miles, camped at the old cross-
ing of Lewis' Fork on Oregon Road; 2, traveled 16
miles, camped on Lewis' Fork again; 3, traveled 15
miles, camped on a small river, tributary of Lewis'
Fork; 4, Sunday, traveled Sy^ niiles, camped near a
large eddy in Lewis' Fork; 5, traveled 12 miles, camped
on a creek; 6, traveled 22 miles, camped on Lewis'
Fork; 7, traveled 61^ miles, camped on a creek 11/2
miles from the river; 8, traveled down Lewis' Fork 15
miles, camped; 9, traveled down Lewis' Fork 16 miles,
camped ; 10, traveled 12% miles, camped on Oligees
River; 11, Sunday, traveled 19yo miles (passed Fort
Bois, 300 miles from Fort Hall), camped on KyhuU
Creek ; 12, traveled 23 miles, camped on a small creek
near some springs.

August 13, traveled 3 miles, came to Lewis' Fork
and left it for the last time ; 41/4 miles came to Burnt
River, tributary of Lewis' Fork of the Columbia River,
beautiful stream, camped; 14, traveled 8 miles, camped
on Burnt River; 15, traveled up Burnt River 16 miles,
camped; 16, traveled 9 miles, camped; 17, traveled over
the hills 23 miles to the head of Powder River, the first
large timber for 900 miles ; camped on slough in a large
valley, snow on the mountains nearby. August 18, Sun-
day, traveled 16 miles, camped on a tributary of the
Powder River; 19, traveled 15 miles, camped in a large
valley near some springs; 20, traveled 13 miles over
mountains to a creek, and camped ; 21, traveled 18 miles
over mountains and among tall pine and fir trees to a
small creek, camped ; 22, remained same place ; 23, trav-
eled 13 miles through timber, reached Umatilla River,
camped; 24, traveled 14 miles, crossed Umatilla River,
9 miles down, camped; 25, Sunday, traveled 18 miles
over highlands, reached Umatilla River again, camped.
Kyoos Indians numerous along the LTmatilla. August 26,

152 HISTORY AND REMINISCENSES

traveled 18 miles, crossed the Umatilla River and a
small stream of cold water; camped on a barren plain,
destitute of timber and water. August 27, traveled 15
miles, passed Alum Spring, camped on the plain; 28,
traveled 7 miles to a creek, camped for the day; 29,
traveled 17 miles over hills and hollows destitute of
timber and water, camped at a spring ; August 30, trav-
eled 7 miles down a branch and the main stream of
John Day's River, camped. August 31, my birthday:
I've passed it over with ten thousand thoughts on my
past life. A new year is begun with me, far, far from
home, from friends, from all that's near and dear to me
on earth. May I live as I should. (He was 30 years of
age). Traveled 20 miles, reached the Columbia River
after dark, the wind blowing a gale, clouds of sand
almost blinding us, camped.

September 1, traveled down the Columbia four miles
to DeShoots or Fall River, camped, ferry-man afraid
to cross us on account of the wind and waves; 2, I
crossed the river in a canoe, leaving the teams behind,
and went on to The Dalles, and Camp Drum, where are
stationed a portion of the United States army to keep
the Indians in awe and relieve emigrants coming over
the plains. Here I procured 25 pounds of flour and
went back and met the boys at a creek four miles from
where I left them in the morning, I having walked 15
miles to the American camp and 10 miles back. Saw
snow on Mount Hood, and on one north of the Colum-
bia, also one south, perhaps 75 miles distant. Septem-
ber 3, moved on to Camp Drum, procured some flour
and meat, then struck out for Oregon City, over the
spurs of the Cascade Mountains; came to a creek,
camped, having traveled 15 miles through the day; 4,
traveled five miles, camped for the day; 5, traveled 7
miles, crossed a creek, came to another, camped for the
day; 6, traveled 14 miles, came to a large creek,
camped; 7, traveled 15 miles, crossed two streams,
camped on another; 8, 13 miles through large timber
over rough road, camped; 9, traveled up a creek
through the largest timber I ever saw and over very

JOHN K. WItSON S DIARY 153

rough roads; now in the Cascade Mountains, camped.

September 10, traveled 7 miles, camped on a branch
of Sandy Creek, rain and cold; 11, traveled 15 miles,
passed the summit of the Cascade Mountains, camped
on Sandy Creek; 12, traveled 10 miles down Sandy
Creek, camped; 13, traveled 14 miles, crossed Sandy
Creek, camped three miles from it ; 14, traveled 7 miles,
reached McFoster's, the first house in the settlements in
Oregon, and camped, where we got flour, potatoes and
meat ; camped for the day ; 15, Sunday, traveled four
miles, towards Oregon City, camped ; 16, traveled with-
in one mile of Oregon City, sold our team for $225.00,
camped on the Klackamus River; 17, reached the city;
18, hired to McWalker and Beals for a month at $75.00.
September 19, same place — Sept. 20th — Sept. 21st,
same, Sept. 22, Sunday, same place."

■'Wrinkles should merely indicate where smiles have been."

— Mark Twain.

154

HISTORY AND REMINISCENSES

BURIALS IN PRINCEVILLE TOWNSHIP
CEMETERY.

Record kept by Milton Wilson and Chas. J. Cheesman,

beginning with March, 1899. Dates are

those of burial, not of death.

(Corrections and Additions

1899

June

26

Mar.

4 Henry C. Dollard

26

6 Mrs. Cordelia Andrews

July

11

7 Philander H. Chase

21

23 Burnham Sloan

Aug.

1

25 Henry A. Sloan

25 Mrs. Mary Ann Tracy

7

April

7 James Fry

Sept.

26

May

11 Mrs. Wm. Houston

30

16 David M. Potts

Oct.

2

June

26 John Hancock

14

Aug.

18 Ellis M. Burgess

28

18 John Walkington

29

19 Mrs. Emma Poth

Nov.

15

27 Ben Manker

18

27 Edwin Ward

25

Oct.

3 Mrs. John Sheelor

Dec.

11

16 Child of Geo. Strickler

14

17 Miss Libbie Thompson

25

Nov.

1 Child of Mrs. Asa Lair

1901

12 Child of John Mushbaugh

Jan.

19

30 Mrs. Willis Burgess

28

Dec.

11 John Thacker

Feb.

2

28 Aaron D. Wear

7

1900

13

Jan.

17 John Best Sr.

18

25 Mrs. Geo. Dusten

19

Feb.

3 Miss Agnes Dowdall

Mar.

19

4 Charles B. Ives

20

Mar.

8 Son of Chas. Wirth

31

17 Mrs. Jane Bane

May

4

30 Joseph Parents

17

May

2 Child of W. T. Walliker

June

9

11 Dean Williams

30

15 Mrs. Lawson F. Lair

July

O

19 George Gruner

23

29 Miss Martha Aldrich

23

Mrs. Stephen Martin
Mrs. Susannah Young
Sumner Thompson
Child of Orlando Meaker
Mrs. Dora McMillen

Studyvin
Mrs. John Morrow
Child of Roy Gilmore
]\Irs. John D. Edwards
Child of Wm. White
Mrs. Ed Shirley
Mrs. Rebecca Alford
Henry E. Calhoun
Child of Wm. Betts
Mrs. Jane Peppard
Oliver Moody
Child of A. H. Sloan
Mrs. Alice Merritt
Frank Rice

Mrs. M. C. Gillen
Mrs. Ellis M. Burgess
Allen M. Wilson
Milton Cutler
Mrs. Wm. Proehl
Wm. P. Merritt
Mrs. Dan'l Hitchcock
Louden Clark
Miss Florence Williams
Child of Chas. Carroll
Mrs. Mary Deal
Mrs. Mary A. Williams
August T. Kneer
Mrs. Cora L. Goodman
Orville C. Garrison
Mrs. Ann Buchanan
Child of John Mushbaugh

BURIALS IN PRINCEVILLS TOWNSHIP CEMETERY

155

July

27

Aug.

12

25

Sept.

3

5

17

Nov.

3

Dec.

6

14

^

24

27

1902

Jan.

2

4

14

26

Feb.

4

8

26

Mar.

11

18

20

May

18

18

25

June

11

13

26

31

Aug.

8

12

25

Oct.

2

9

19

Nov.

25

30

Dec. 15

1903
Jan. 6

Jessie Wear
Mrs. Rachel Coburn
Child of Joseph Garvin
Mrs. Sarah J. Edwards
Mrs. Louisa DeBow
Augustus Stowell
Mrs. Wilbur Hill
Solomon Godfrey
Wm. Houston
Clark Hill
Wilbur Hill

Charles A. Fast
Leo Nelson
Mrs. Jackson Lair
A. C. Sutherland
Milo C. Gillen
Rayburn Sarver
Wm. Owens
Mrs. Ann Ward
Ernest E. Lincoln
John Ayling
Child of Chas. Wirth
Child of Roy Gilmore
Mrs. Charles Fry
Rev. W. S. Baker
Mrs. Milton Cutler
Stephen A. Andrews
Child of Wm. Prescott
Mrs. Charlotte McMillen
Child of Hiram Coon
Mrs. Mary Riel
Mrs. John H. Russell
Mrs. Geo. Rowcliff
Child of Frank Carman
Child of John Sentz
Mrs. Josephine Mott

Curtis
Carlos Alford

Feb.
Mar.

Mrs. Carrie M. Wilson

8 Child of Burt Brown

9 Joseph Armstrong

19 Child of S. C. Hagerman

25 Child of Forrest Ellis

26 Child of Elmer Hammer

2 Henry Mankle

3 Mrs. Caroline Friedman
26 Mrs. Daisy McVicker

April 2 Mrs. Alice Peters

8 Child of S. F. Benge

11 Elroy C. Wear

12 Child of Otto Mahle
14 Mrs. Abner Bliss

17 Tames W. Houston
May 3 Miss Ethel Nelson

12 Bowen Beach
Tune 17 Miss Carrie Wheeler
July 3 Dr. R. F. Henry

23 Mrs. Isaac Stowell
Aug. 21 James A. Stockton
Oct. 20 Mrs. Eunice Perkins

Spangler
Nov. 29 Mrs. Joseph Gray

30 Miss Susan Debolt
Dec. 5 Mrs. Mary Lawrence

23 Child of Harley Sniff

24 Nicholas Albertson

25 Mrs. Sadie Rice Goodman

Edward Mansfield
Chas. Westerfield
Mrs. Mary Webber
Son of Wm. Best Jr.
Peter Auten
Richard Huntsinger
Mrs. Priscilla Bradford
William R. Armstrong
Child of Frank Ives
Daughter of M. Ahart
Mrs. Maria Strickler
Mrs. Jasper Dollison
Child of Henning Johnson
Child of John DeBow
Mrs. Geo. Bale
Child of John H. Felton
Miss Hepsa Peet
Toseph Shull
Fred B. Ellis
Son of N. E. Adams
John Bouton
Rachel Williams
Mrs. Andrew Dollison
Son of C. E. Taylor

Mrs. Janet Porter
Norman M. Lowry
Harry Bane

1904

Jan.

3

14

21

Feb.

8

9

18

Mar.

3

4

22

May

27

June

1

1

Sept.

o

5

13

23

Nov.

9

15

17

27

29

Dec.

10

22

29

1905

Jan.

11

20

Feb.

4

IM

HESBBBT ASm WSMTSISCSSSS

24 £

Tmr tl L ■-.

Mar. 14 ilrs- 5ir^ Kr:-:;

30 Mrs, '. ;:li '"
ti A^rill5 S— --■'"'-- 7^

2S A ' - -

'•z:-j- 14 ilr=. Cots. Coog

Segc : • r, - - - - -

29 Onias W. C

2» i-rsrieroic il'i
Oct. IS Mrs- '-- — :

Dec 14 Ersit25 ; - •

2r> C
55 C .

Mar. 5 Sjg of Wsl rntz
!<. L \^ ---
: " H: K- -

jsir

Oct

14 Mrs. Elsanor K-

21 Jolm H. ?-:---■

255 Mr?. E-ir_ \ - -

IfiUS
Jaa. 5 V' ' -" "■' ^

20 C -Jl

L - -.a

v'eraoa

re:-. _. , ' ' ^.'-"-- Grares

?7 ^

-soa

Mar. -

i'- ..-- J.-'--,-i IHingworth
A^ril 2S Mr5. EIizai>?di Cramer

^'■- '■ "'■ ^ "' --/' Hyd*

- - -'- Blaodiar'f

Deal

!3. "^ ' •

22 Mr5

X<3T- & iirs.
Dec.

Sijpt 2 C

r 1 -

1^

li Mrs.

Mar

Oct :: -..-^:

XoT. % .\Ibert Wefcfcer

17 Geo. Echrard \izaidt

ism

Jaa. 7 Mrs. Nzncj- L Henry

BCKIALS IX PRIXCEVnXB TOWNSHIP CEMZTESY

157

Jan

21

Feb.

8

16

19

23

Mar.

8

21

April

1

S

9

14

23

May

13

23

June

1

1

12

Jnly

20

24

30

V J:*--

4

X:v.

13

2o

Dec.

6

30

1910

Jan.

6

14

27

Feb.

IS

23

Mar.

12

-April

11

23

May

9

Jraie

3

17

Aug.

9

Oct.

1

18

24

SO

31

Nor.

2T

Dec.

7

FrariK n. Purdue
Mrs. Amanda C. Shull
Floyd O. Wasson
Joseph Anderson
Son of a W. Fry
Mrs. Lndnda Miller
Child of Ben Kneer
Son of Chas. Carroll
Wniiam J. Bdford
Mr;. V. E. .\ldrich
Mrs. Letitia A Elliott
William Harrison
Wm. H. ^^'isenb^^g
Mrs. Myrtle B. Forney
Mrs. Catherine Best
Oliver S. Pratt
John Friedman
Floyd W. Parker
John M. Rogers
Child of Wm. Best Jr.
Mrs. Lena P. Blanchard
Miss Agnes Cameron
Hugh Morrow
Mrs. Lillian Wear
Jacob A. Fast
Clark Williams

Child of Henning Johnson

John W. Little

Mrs. Lizzie Slane

Infant son of A. A. Dart

John McC^nnis

Geo. Tarbox

Mrs. Harry Applegate

Abraham L. Hayes

Mrs. Lillie M. Wflcox

Charles Fry

Mrs. Eva Sandberg

McGinnis
Mrs. Ann Houston
Edwin L. Barrett
Sherman T. Henry
Mrs. Lois Moore Henry
Mrs. Martha L- Stockton
Mrs. Isabel Clark
George Pratt
Willard Alyea
Mrs, Augusta Biederbeck
Mrs. Sarah Selby

Dec. IX
1*5
17

1911
Jan. S

13

27
Mar. 10

12

14

29
April 7

16

19

May 1

4

5
9

34

July 8

21

22

31
Aug. 31
SepL 21
Oct 16

26
Not. 2

28

29

Dec. 24

1912
Tan. 3 Nathaniel Sweat Ermis
7 Geo. Washington Bay
15 Henry Schroeder
17 Mrs. Nancy Jane Wisen-

burg
21 Milton Hart Jr.
21 John Harrison Heberling
24 Mrs. Ellen Alloway

McDowell
31 Samuel C. Cobum
Feht 1 Mrs. Jane Pajrne Smith
1 Mrs. Maria Jane Miller
31 Heary Hammer

Elmer Everett Harlan
George T. Wirth
Mrs. Eliza E. Barnard

Sttibbs

Miss Dora Dell Wheder
Rot Everett Felton
Child of John M. Baxter
Woodburv V. Sloan
Mrs- Anna B. Miller
Miss Alice Peters
Graham Klinck
Sidney Winfield Herriott
Martha Chaptn Smith
Daniel David Deffenbaugh
Flavins T. Barrett
Mrs. Maggie Ayling

Geitner
Charles L- Paioier
Mrs. Catherine Mordock

Smith
-Allen Dooglas Colwell
Mrs. Eliza E. -A Barr
David W. Kinnah
Marcus L. WTieeler
Charles H. ColNim
Clyde Alyea
Child of Ross Bums
George Rowcliffe
Robt. Finley Breese
Otis L. Gedney
Mrs. Sarah C. Ives
Benjamin Franklin

Huston
Frederick D. Bawn

158

HISTORY AND REMINISCENSES

Feb.

22

23

29

Mar.

1

12

20

27

April

30

June

2

29

July

8

1.5

17

27

31

Sept.

3

6

9

26

Oct.

4

Nov.

17

1913

Tan.

11

18

Feb.

24

Mar.

10

13

16

24

April

1 6

12

14

23

24

May

30

30

June

2

July

11

Aug.

4

11

17

Sept.

5

Oct.

20

20

Mrs. Janet Montgomery
M. DeTalleyrand Moody
Grant Garrison
Child of Thos. Coleman
Mrs. Amelia Taylor

Hayes
William Martzluf
Mrs. Vernice Kinnah

Edwards
Jehiel T. Albertson
Mrs. Dora Mabel Sheelor
Mrs. Catherine Josephine

Wirth
John D. Edwards
Mrs. Nina Gue Bronson
Justus Lee Barrett
Christopher Betts
Andrew Jackson Lair
William Henry Williams
William Lawrence
Mrs. Hannah Rickey

Rowcliff
Martin Luther Bingham
Mrs. Dora Bliss
Child of William Camp

James Cornwell Whelpley
Mabel Carroll
Mrs. Ellen Delbridge
Mrs. Elizabeth Gedney
Mrs. Julia M. Henry
Mrs. Olive Champ
Mrs. Harriet Elizabeth

Little
David Ayers
Grace Dickinson
Emma McKay
Jerome Sloan
Henry Oertley
Mary Whelpley
David LaMay
Fern Smith
John Graham
Mrs. Sarah Rogers
Albert N. Case
Chas. Cornwell
George F. Williams
Margaret Mushbaugh
Victor Brunswig

Oct. 20 Albert Mansfield
Nov. 19 Mrs. Isaac Hudson

24 Mrs. Clarissa Kellogg
Dec. 23 Lars. Larson

28 Lot Mendell

Augustus H. Adams

James Corney

Mollie Espey Campbell

William Blue

Mrs. Jacob Fast

Harry Romig

Chas. G. Reese

R. Eugenie Dickinson

Mrs. Laura Henry

Jemima Alter

Jos. Ephraim Hill

Mrs. Anna Sutherland

Mrs. Wm. Wisenburg Jr.

Wm. Ayling

Wm. Martin

Jacob Miller

Miss Elizabeth Ann Slane

Ephraim Meaker

Birdseye Beach

Newton E. Adams

W. E. Elliott

Mrs. Martha Jane Rice

Emma Hackney

Walter Ayers

Leonard Klinck

Son of Earl Weaver

Pearl Debord

Mrs. Mary Hurd

Jos. Camp

Mrs. Susan Tarbox

Jasper Dollison

Miss Margaret Armstrong

Mrs. F. B. Blanchard

Mrs. Charity Karr

Christian Larson

Mrs. Wm. Walliker

Mrs. J. Z. Slane

Edw. Mansfield

J. Z. Slane

William Washington Mott

Frederick Blanchard

Delilah Blanchard

1914

Jan.

4

9

20

31

Feb.

5

5

14

15

16

Mar.

10

11

25

26

April

2

6

17

May

18

20

June

11

29

J"iy

11

27

Aug.

9

10

Sept.

25

Oct.

18

Nov.

9

18

27

Dec.

7

8

9

31

191

.5

Tan.

7

Feb.

1

3

4

5

8

9

14

Mar.

22

BURIALS IN ST. MARY's CEMETERY, PRINCEVILLE

159

Mar. 28 Child of Perry O. Camp May
29 Mrs. Elizabeth Cornwell

April 1 Mrs. Emeline Morrow June

6 Alexander Gray July

20 Child of Edgar Burgess

8 Mrs. Lettie Case
11 Ferdinand Mahle

9 Child of Wm. Peterson
11 John Shull

20 Herman Lloyd Mummert
27 John Sheelor

BURIALS IN ST. MARY'S CEMETERY,
PRINCEVILLE.

From Parish Records.

Dates are those of burial, not of death.

(Corrections and Additions invited.)

1883
Feb. 27

July 29
Oct. 1

1885
Aug. 8

1891
Aug. 20
Oct. 25

1892
Jan. 22
May 22
July 10
Dec. 31

1893
Jan. 12
Mar. 4
17
19
22
April 1
July 5
9
1894
Mar. 27
May 24

Mrs. Joseph Goetz
Francis Weber
Thomas Byrnes
Anastasia McCarty

Maria Smith

Charles Joseph Ross
Mrs. Mary Sheehy

Mrs. Julia Purcell
Infant son of A. J. Best
Mrs. Anne Boyle
Ed. Murphy

Thomas Wickham
Bridget Wickham
Charles Harmon
Mary Wickham
Joseph Krebsbach
Lawrence Wickham
Mrs. A. Gorman
Mrs. Marian Burns

Peter Harmon
Pearl Mary Crohan

June 20 Denis Harmon
July 20 Emma Weber
Sept. 5 John Hill
Nov. 22 Mrs. Catherine Duffy
1895

Jan. 31 Infant son of Wyatt Green

May 2 Edmund Purcell
27 Thomas Madden

July 7 Sarah Burns

13 James McDermott
30 Thomas Wickham

1896
June 29
Aug. 24
Sept

Oct.
Dec.

Thomas Heagney
Louis A. Huckins
1 Emma German
4 Charles W. Callahan

17 John Powers

18 Elizabeth Burns

28 Charles Francis Miller
6 Frank Boyle
21 Tames Plunkett

1897
Feb. 2 Mrs. Nettie O'Brien

6 Peter Boyle
April 6 James Aylward

25 Redmond McDonna
May 26 John Cully

160

HISTORY AND REMINISCENSES

June 4 Jeremiah Sullivan
Aug. 1 Anna Cunningham
2 Mrs. Jno. McCarty
Sept. 7 Joseph Friedman
Nov. 3 Mrs. James Harmon

1898
Feb. 3
19
Oct. 11

1899

April 4

July 13

19

23

Nov. 10

1900
Jan. 29
April 10
May 5

1901

Jan. 4

12

25

14

6

4

Feb.
Mar,
Apri
Sept. 12

25
1902
Jan. 2
Mar. 18
April 12
July 1

1903
Tan. 13
Feb. 4

12

28
Mar. 20
June 29
July 31
Sept. 14

18

Nov. 4

8

1904

Jan. 29

May 15

Mrs. John Powers
Peter Burns
Francis J. McDonna

Nettie M. McDermott
Alice Cudihy Sheehy
James Byrnes
Mrs. Patrick Byrnes
Mrs. Patrick Gallery

Thomas Leroy Long
Mrs. Sam Burns
Ed. F. Byrnes

James Harmon

Mrs. Redmond McDonna

Mrs. Joseph Krebsbach

Charles Sager

James Clarence Byrnes

Mrs. Peter Kelly

Patrick Gallery

Johanna Steinman

Mrs. James Duffy
Mrs. Chris. Westerfer
August Yutt
Mrs. James Sullivan

Mrs. Patrick Gully
Thomas Sullivan
Earl Nicholas Finck
Mrs. Caroline Friedman
Adam J. Best
Mrs. James Sloan
John German
Amelia Caspar
Wm. Long
John McCarty
Wm. Rogers

Patrick Wall

Mrs. Frank Rotterman

June 23
Nov. 7

1905
Feb. 2

Mar. 24
June 21
Nov. 8
Dec. 26

1906
Feb. 28
Mar. 1

May 28
Dec. 15

1907

Jan. 29

Feb. 7

12

18

1908

Jan. 16

25

Feb. 5

May 20

26

30

Sept. 29

Nov. 2

1909
Jan. 16
Feb. 5
Aug. 4
Oct. 4

1910
Jan. 12
24
April 10
July 9
Aug. 30
Sept. 27
Dec. 19

Basilius German

Mrs. Michael Dempsey

Peter Kelly

Mrs. Anna German Meyer
Mrs. Peter Byrnes
Lulu McCarty
Infant son of Mr. and
Mrs. Geo. Best

Catherine McDonna
Infant child of Mr. and

Mrs. Jos. Cullen
Mrs. James McDermott
Michael Noonen

Rose L. Timmons
Mrs. Alice Wakefield
James Aylward
Mrs. Elizabeth Aylward

Lena McCarty
Patrick Cully
Charles Mulally
Mrs. Adam Rotterman
Valentine Noonen
Wilbur Sylvester Yutt
Mrs. Ann McCarty
James McDermott

Laurence Boyle
John Morrissey
Amelia Meyer
Anabella Shannon

Christopher Westerfer
Mrs. A. J. Best
Mrs. Paul Hammer
Mrs. Basilius German
Mary Geitner
Manuel Cuesada
Lila Gushing

1911
Jan. 9 Basilius Heinz
Mar. 22 Walter McDermott
Aug. 22 John O. Smith

25 John Smith
Oct. 24 Catherine Cunningham

BURIALS IN ST. MARY's CEMETERY, PRINCEVILLE

161

Nov. 10
Dec. 2

1912
Feb. 26
Mar. 29
June 1
Aug. 26

Michael F. McDonough
Wyatt Green

Mrs. Peter Duffy
Louise McDonna
Anna Betts
Infant son of Dr. and
Mrs. W. W. Dicks
Sept. 18 Infant son of Mr. and
Mrs. Terence Smith
Oct. 10 Mrs. Bridget Madden
Dec. 17 Mrs. Mary Hull

1913
April 11
May 6
July 16

1914
Mar. 16
May 26

1915
Jan. 27
Feb. 9
June 14
June 30
July 7

James Wickham
Frank Weber
Frank Rotterman Sr.

John Geitner Jr.
Mrs. Wm. Herberger

Mrs. Peter O'Conner
Julia Viola Friedman
Mrs. Fredericka Hofer
Mrs. Frank German
Peter Heinz

INDEX

PAGE

Auten Family "^^

Bailey Family of Essex Township 76

Beach Family '''9

Bliss Family of Peoria County 82

Burials in Princeville Township Cemetery 154

Burials in St. Mary's Cemetery 159

Catholic Church, Princeville, St. Mary of the Woods 58

Civil War Record of Princeville ' 37

Colgan Family of Valley Township 96

Colwell, Henry, Fam.ily 98

Co.'s "H" and "A" 47th 111. Inf., Members of 41

Co. "D" 11th 111. Cavalry, Members of 41

Co. "K" 8Cth 111. Inf., Roster of 42

Corrections 36

Cutter Family 101

Diary of John K. Wilson 144

Every Year, Poem 23

Hallock and Adjoining Townships, Early Days in 7

Harrison, James and Family 108

Henry Family HO

July 4th Celebrations, Some Early 5

Mansfield, Edward, Family of 115

Map of Princeville in 1840 and 1841 • 4

Markets, Early 22

Miller, John and Docia, Family of 117

Miller, Reminiscences of William Logan 122

Peoria Battery, Members of 40

Princeville Academy, The First and the Second 45

Princeville When First Incorporated 66

Program of Princeville Academy Exhibition in 1860 56

Public Square, Princeville's 61

Silliman Family 126

Slane, John Z., War Letter from 39

Smith, Benjamin, Family of Essex Township 131

Soldier Dead in Princeville Cemeteries 43

St. Mary of the Woods . 58

Thief Detective and Mutual Aid Association, History of 24

Timmons Family of Essex Township 136

War Letter from John Z. Slane 39

White Family 139

Wilson, Aaron, Family 142

Wilson, Diary of John K 144

EDW. HINE & CO.

PRINTERS,

PEORIA, ILL.