Chapter III
EARLY SETTLEMENTS.
LAND SYSTEM AND GOVERNMENT SURVEYS—NAMES AND LOCATION OF EARLY SETTLERS—DATE OF ARRIVAL AND WHENCE THEY CAME—THE PARKER FAMILY CAME IN 1824 OTHER—EARLY COMERS—THE BATES, DOTY, BURR, DUDLEY AND OTHER FAMILIES ARRIVE IN 1825-26—QUOTATIONS FROM PECK'S GAZETTEER REGARDING EARLY SETTLEMENTS—THE WABASH POINT, GOOSE NEST PRAIRIE, DRY GROVE. INDIAN CREEK, DUDLEY, MUDDY POINT. ASHMORE, CUTLER, DEAD MAN'S GROVE, HICKORY CREEK, EMBARRAS AND WHITLEY SETTLEMENTS—DR. JOHN CARRICO FIRST REPRESENTATIVE IN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
All the lands of Coles County at the time of its settlement, except Section No. 16 in each township, which was set apart for schools, were a part of the public domain, subject to purchase or to entry under the Public Land Act. These lands had been surveyed. The surveyor is the true pioneer. He is the path-finder; he blazes the way; he must come before any rights to the land can be established by the citizen. George Washington was a surveyor. Daniel Boone, George Rogers Clark and others known to fame in those colonial days as pioneers of the West, were either skilled surveyors or assisted in that work.
After much and long discussion, the statesmen of our national infancy days decided that a congressional township should be six miles square, containing an area of thirty-six sections. Each full section should be a mile square and consist of 640 acres. The thirty-six sections composing a congressional township are numbered from 1 to 16, beginning at the upper right hand (north-east) corner of the township and numbering west to No. 6; then dropping to the next tier of sections below (south) and numbering east to No. 12; then down to 13 and west to 18, and so on. These townships are described with reference to a base-line and a meridian-line. The base-line for Coles County "Commences at Diamond Island in the Ohio, opposite Indiana, and runs due west till it strikes the Mississippi a few miles below St. Louis." The "Third Principal Meridian," from which are numbered the ranges in the greater part of Coles County, is a line running due north from the mouth of the Ohio. The "Second Principal Meridian" is a line extended due north from the mouth of the Little Blue River in Indiana.
In describing Mattoon, for instance, we may say it covers Sections 13 and 14, Town 13 North, Range 7 East of the Third Principal Meridian—meaning that those sections are in the Twelfth Congressional Township North of the Base Line referred to. and in the Seventh Range of townships east of the line called the Third Principal Meridian.
List of Early Settlers.—The following is a list which, though not complete, is, perhaps, as nearly so as can be made, of those settlers (heads of families) who came here previous to 1840. The localities where they settled are given in a general way, as within the territory now included in certain townships or as in the neighborhood of some "point" of timber. Many names are given without stating when or whence they came, because authentic information on those points could not be had; but in all such cases the parties came at some time in the 'thirties.
There are doubtless errors and omissions in the list given, but it is believed to be in the main substantially correct. Many of the men named came, remained a short time and then left, hence but little is known about them. But the reader will recognize many names of progenitors of men and women now living among us, and a great deal of history is given in the mere making of this list: Click Here
I have stated that locations of settlements were not exact in all cases.
In North Okaw list are Julius Dugger, John Poorman, John Matthews and Jas. Walker, who settled just over the line in what is now the town of Humboldt, and in the same list are Ebenezer Noyes and Wm. Corder whos place od settlement was in the northwestern part of what is now Mattoon Township. Very many of the Wabash Point settlers located in the present limits of th etown of Mattoon also.
The following came in the 'thirties, but just what part of the county they settled in I have not learned definitely:
| Names. | Where Emigrated. | Year of Arrival. |
| John B. Daugherty | Indiana | 1833 |
| Jacob Linder | W. Virginia | 1830 |
| James Law | 1830-31 | |
| Thomas Sconce |
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* While I have accepted the statement of the history published in 1879 as to the number of sons of John Parker, Coles County's first settler had, because of the greater facilities for information its authors possessed twenty-five years ago, yet I desire to record the statement of Mrs. Abner Brown, who was a daughter of Enoch Glassco and who was twelve years old when her father came to Coles County, that she distinctly remembers that John Parker had seven sons instead of five, and that their names were Daniel, Benjamin, Silas, James, Nathaniel, Isaac and Joseph.
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It has been claimed for Levi Doty that he came up here from Crawford County, Ill., about 1823-23, and, after living here a while with the Indians, went back, to remove here later with his family; hence that he antedated John Parker, who came in the spring of 1824. But even if that be true (and the writer has no reason to doubt its truth), still his first trip here came merely to simply as an exploration. He came merely to "spy out the land," and the claim made for John Parker and his little party that they were the first actual settlers remains unshaken. This party consisted of John Parker and five sons, whose names have been given as Daniel, Benjamin, Silas, George and James, and their families, and Samuel Kellogg and his wife Mary, known to the writer, long after her husband had passed away, as "Aunt Polly Kellogg." There were fourteen adults in the party and how many children is not known.
An old trace by which travelers from the country along the Wabash River came through Coles County, crossed the Embarras at the old ford long used by Indians before the white man's advent, and which is just below the present iron bridge, about three-fourths of a mile down the river from the present dam of the Charleston Water Works, in Section 23-12-9.
The Parkers seem to have stopped on the east bank of the Embarras, and there, just east of the road that runs over the bridge mentioned and within the limits of the present town of Hutton, was the first actual settlement with the raising of a log cabin by Benjamin Parker, one of the sons of John.
Thereafter settlements came on pretty rapidly. Another numerous family of Parkers came in and settled on the east side of Hutton in 1825-26, and for them was named the "Parker's Prairie" in that locality.
The Bates and Doty families came about 1825-26 and settled on the Kickapoo Creek about Section 23-12-8, and were followed soon after by Samuel Henry and John Robinson.
Also, about 1825-26, Laban Burr and the Dudleys settled on or about Section 12-12-11, within the limits of the present town of Ashmore.
The Wabash Point settlement was started by Daniel Drake and James Nash about 1826, followed soon after by the Harts and the Sawyers. Charles Sawyer built his cabin in the northwestern part of Section 33-12-7, and his brother John put his up near the southeast corner of Section 34-12-7.
The "Goose Nest Prairie," in Pleasant Grove, was settled upon by Rev. Daniel Barham about 1828-29. followed about 1829-30 by the Gordons and others.
Settlers came into Dry Grove about 1828, notably the Radleys and Bales and the Slovers.
The head of Indian Creek was opened up by the numerous families of the Balches and the Campbells in 1829.
Muddy Point settlement was started by the Fanchers and Houchins in 1827. This soon developed into the most populous of the county's early settlements.
In the timber west of Charleston was a very early family named Lester, who probably came about 1825-26, and, later, moved up on the Okaw and then disappeared from view. One of them was said to have been in the Black Hawk War from this county. William Janes was another very early inhabitant of that timber, who left just as the more permanent settlers were coming in.
South of the Kickapoo and further down the stream than the Bates and Doty settlements, John and William Phipps started a settlement in 1827-28 in the vicinity of Section 33-11-8.
James Riley settled, about 1827, on the creek which bears his name west of Charleston.
James Y. Brown came from Tennessee and started a settlement just north of the city of Charleston about 1831.
Enoch Glassco was said to have settled there about 1826 or 1827, but his descendants say he came about 1829 and settled west of Charleston.
The numerous Whitley family, the Fullers and William Bridgman settled along the Okaw in 1833, and, in the same year, Baily Riddle settled on one of the creeks near the Humboldt Township line.
Along the west side of the Ambraw, in what is now Morgan Township, Collins, Caldwell, Clark and Kennedy located about 1830-31.
There was a settlement started by Samuel H. Ashmore, above Oakland in the present limits of Douglas County, in 1829. That settlement gradually spread southward into what is now Coles County, and what was known for years afterward as "Ashmore's Settlement," included territory now in both Coles and Douglas Counties. Alexander Laughlin, Eli Sargent, the Reddens, the Widow Berry and her son, John L., coming in 1830, became the first settlers of that vicinity in the present limits of Coles County.
This general summary of the location of first settlements will suffice. I have aimed to refer to those localities only which were most important.
These little communities were referred to by the pioneers as "settlements&qut; and distinguished from each other either by locality or by the name of some prominent early settler in the neighborhood, as "Wabash Point Settlement," "Muddy Point Settlement," "Kickapoo Point Settlement," "Whitley's Settlement," "Ashmore's Settlement," "Dudley's Settlement," etc. It was common to use the word "point" in referring to a timber tract bordering upon a small stream, and usually coming to a point near its source in the prairie.
After the close of the Black Hawk War in 1832—that last despairing struggle of the red man to retain a hold upon territory in Illinois—the various settlements grew with increasing rapidity; houses were made more comfortable and improvements became more substantial. The pioneers, at first somewhat in doubt whether they had not ventured too far into the wilds, now realized that their tenure of the land was secure. The majority of the population at that time, and for some years afterward, was in the southern half of the county. Wabash, Muddy and Kickapoo Points, including Dry Grove, Goose Nest and Indian, had, perhaps, two hundred, and possibly two hundred and fifty, families. The seat of government, so to speak, had been at the house of James Ashmore, which was in what is now the town of Lafayette on the east half of northwest quarter of Section 33-11-8, inasmuch as that was the voting place, until the county seat was established at Charleston.
J. M. Peck's "Gazetteer of Illinois," published in 1834, mentioned some of the settlements in the following language:
"Ashmore's settlement, fifteen miles north of Charleston on the east side of the Embarras, has about fifty families."
As before stated, this settlement was only partly in what is now Coles County.
"Charleston is the seat of justice for Coles County. It has three stores, three groceries and about twenty-five families," evidently meaning that there were three general stores and three that were exclusively groceries.
"Cutler's settlement, eight miles northeast from Charleston, on the cast side of the Embarras. The soil both of timbered land and prairie is good, and the settlement contains forty to fifty families."
This settlement, which those now living seem unable to tell .anything about, was evidently started by John Cutler, who came from Ohio about 1829, and settled in the timber near the location afterward called St. Onier, north of Ash-more, at, or in the vicinity of. Section 24-13-10. Peck's "Gazetteer" continues:
"Dead Man's Grove, six miles west of Charleston. It is almost circular, about two miles in diameter and contains three or four sections of indifferent timber, surrounded with a rich and undulating prairie and is monopolized by two or three families. The old Kickapoo Indian villages were adjoining this grove
"Dudley's settlement, in Coles County, seven or eight miles east of Charleston.
"Indian Creek, in Coles County, and a branch of the Embarras. The land is good, both timber and prairie, and the population forty to fifty families.
"Muddy Point, in the southwestern part of Coles County, and one of the heads of the Little Wabash. The timber is excellent, prairie adjoining is rolling and rich, and the settlement consists of eighty or one hundred families."
Except that Muddy Creek does not flow into the Little Wabash, this description may be accepted as given.
"Wabash Point, in the southwestern part of Coles County, is the principal head of the Little Wabash. The timber and adjoining prairie are good and the settlement is large.
"Hickory Creek, in Coles County (.this name is evidently an error on the part of the author or printer, as it is plain that Kickapoo Creek is referred to) rises in the Grand Prairie, runs southeast and enters the Embarras five miles below Charleston. It is a good millstream, and the land through which it passes is undulating and rich: the settlements contain 120 families.
"Embarras Settlement, in Coles County. I have given this name to an extensive tract of country thinly populated, extending along the west side of the Embarras and north of Charleston. The quality of the land is on a medium with the rest of Coles County. South of Charleston and on the same side the county is thinly settled.
"Polecat Creek, a stream in Coles County that rises in the prairies toward Edgar County, runs southwest and enters the Embarras east of Charleston. Near its head is a very fertile region, well timbered; further down the surface is broken. The settlement has thirty families."
Whitley's Settlement is also mentioned, but it was mostly in what is now Moultrie County, although it probably extended over the line into Coles, and no estimate of the number of its settlers is given.
The author stated in his preface to the "Gazetteer" that, in the winter of 1832-33, he spent several weeks at Vandalia, then the State Capital, during the session of the Legislature. Personal intercourse was had with members of the Legislature and other gentlemen from each county, and from that source he obtained such facts as have been given. He said that he spent two or three hours each evening with some prominent man from some county in the State, and obtained the facts given in referring to that particular county, finishing with one county before taking up another. While, therefore, the "Gazetteer" was published in 1834, the author gave the facts as they were said to be at the time he received his information, which was in the winter of 1832-33. It would be interesting to know with whom the author consulted relative to Coles County. Dr. John Carrico was the first Representative from this county in the Legislature, and he probably was at Vandalia during that winter.
Dr. Carrico came to the county sometime about the beginning of 1831 and settled at Charleston. His knowledge of the western part of the county must have been somewhat limited, particularly as to the number of settlers.
It will be noted that no estimate is given of the number of families in the Wabash Point Settlement, and that indicates that the author's information came from someone who did not live in the western part of the county, otherwise he would have been willing to make a guess as to the population there. I believe that in all the west side settlements the number of families was overestimated in that "Gazetteer." It is very hard to believe that at the beginning of 1833 there were 120 families along the Kickapoo Creek. With the kind of families the pioneers had, that would have indicated a population of fully six hundred and possibly more. This was manifestly an error. And unless Muddy Point, in those days, extended far down in what is Cumberland County, the number of families in that settlement must have been somewhat less than eighty at that early date. The population of the whole county (which then included the territory of Douglas and Cumberland) was, in 1830, about 4,500, and five years later was only 642 more than that number, so that it would be fair to say that the whole number of families within the present limits of Coles County, in 1832-33, did not exceed four hundred and fifty, and, perhaps, was even less than that, making the total population from 2,000 to 2,500. Dr. Carrico (or whoever supplied the information to Dr. Peck, the author of the "Gazetteer") was evidently more familiar with the east side of the county than with the west side.
A second edition of that "Gazetteer" was published in 1837, but the author did not revise his work, so far as his descriptions of settlements were concerned, because the above locations and settlements were referred to in the later edition in precisely the same language as in the edition of 1834. He did, however, bring in some later names of places, which will be referred to hereafter.
CHAPTER IV.
COLES COUNTY IN DEVELOPMENT.
PROMINENT PIONEERS AND EARLY PREACHERS—THE PARKERS, HUTTON AND HANSON—DRS. APPERSON AND ALLISON—COMING OF THE LINCOLN FAMILY—OTHER NOTABLE HISTORIC CHARACTERS ORLANDO B. FICKLIN, USHER F. LINDER AND COL. THOMAS A. MARSHALL—EARLY POSTOFFICES, POSTMASTERS AND STAGE LINES—FIRST SCHOOLS AND SOME OF THEIR TEACHERS—EARLY INDUSTRIES AND MANUFACTURING PRIMITIVE METHODS IN MANUFACTURE OF BREAD STUFFS—SAW AND GRIST MILLS— AGRICULTURE—THE BROOM-CORN INDUSTRY—FRUITGROWING AND STOCK-BREEDING.
A brief allusion will be made to some of the most prominent of those first settlers, and I regret that the space allowed in this work will not permit more extended reference to those mentioned, and necessitates leaving out many others who really deserve some notice.
Prominent Pioneers—Early Preachers.— John Parker, the head of the little party which made the first settlement here, was a preacher of the Predestinarian Baptist faith, commonly called "Hard-Shell Baptists," and he and his son Daniel were the first preachers in the county. They were earnest, determined men in all the pioneer walks of life, and thoroughly practical. Daniel, it was said, would go out upon an occasional Sunday, if his family were short of meat, and lay in a supply of deer and other game to last for some time. His weekdays were devoted to strenuous physical labor. He represented Crawford County as State Senator (1822-26) before the organization of Coles County, and for a part of the time before settling within the limits of what is now Coles County. He was a man of strong character and above the average in general intelligence. John Parker, the father, had the same practical ways and recognized the stern necessity to care for the physical well-being of the wife and children. He had, by some means, received the sobriquet of "High Johnny"—probably not, however, because of any "High Church" proclivities—and during the season when bee-trees could best be found (for honey was one of the food necessities to give variety to their simple bill of fare), he is said to have occasionally announced after a sermon that there would be preaching upon some specified following Sunday, "if it was not a good bee-day." In this announcement he showed his shrewd recognition of the fact that, even if he were willing, himself, to allow a good day for finding honey to pass in order to preach, the probabilities were that, on such a day, he would be without a congregation.
John Hutton, another pioneer, has said that he was present at the first sermon preached in Coles County; that all the population of the county were in the little log cabin where the meeting was held, and that there was abundant room; that Daniel Parker preached the sermon, and his father, "High Johnny," in a few remarks at the close of the service, made the impressive statement, "Brethren, we have wandered far into the wilderness, but even here death will find us." John Parker was a soldier of the Revolutionary War and applied for and received a pension as such under the Act of Congress passed in 1832.
John Hutton, for whom the town of Hutton was named, assisted the Parkers, already named, to move to this county in 1834, and spent some time here with them then, removing here later (in 1834) from Crawford County. He was a volunteer in the Black Hawk War from that county and was a prominent, enterprising and public-spirited man. He kept a pack of hounds, as did many others of the pioneers, for foxhunting, and was a skilled hunter.
The other family of Parkers who settled Parker's Prairie, were a numerous and thrifty family who came from Ohio to Crawford County, and thence here.
Rev. John Adams, John C. Davis, the Evingers, the Ingrams, George Goodman, the Johns, the Rennels, Cottinghams, William Beavers, Joel Connolly, John Waltrip, Stephen Stone, Anthony Cox and others named in the preceding list as settlers of the southeastern part of Coles County, and their descendants, have all been prominent, some of them holding important public offices, and in many ways leaving their impress upon the community.
The earliest preachers in this part of the county were: Stanley B. Walker, a United Baptist; Matthew Baker, a Free-Will Baptist; Charles Pennington, a Baptist, and Samuel Peppers, a preacher of the Disciples or Christian Church.
In the southwestern part of the county there were, at Wabash Point and vicinity (including Dry Grove), many men of high intelligence and fine character whose lives were devoted to making Coles County a worthy place of abode. George M. Hanson, a Methodist preacher, was a man of much public spirit, and displayed great energy and intelligence in his efforts in behalf of the young community. He drafted and, with Joseph Harvey and Andrew Caldwell, circulated the petition for the new county of Coles, and was made the bearer of the petition to the State Capital, then Vandalia. While there, with the assistance of Colonel William B. Archer, a member of the Legislature from Clark County, he obtained the passage of the bill and returned home inside of two weeks, bringing with him a copy of the bill as passed. He also circulated a petition for, and obtained the establishment of the first postoffice in Coles County, which he named Paradise, and became its first Postmaster. He was a member of the first Board of County Commissioners and later served in the Legislature, from 1843 to 1846 as Representative and 1846-48 as Senator. He was a preacher of much power and force and, in every sense, a leader.
Dr. John Apperson, one of the first physicians in the county, was born in Virginia in 1794 and died in the town of Paradise in 1877. He became prominent at once after his arrival in 1829, and practiced his profession within a circuit of twenty-five or thirty miles, often being called to visit a patient twenty-five miles from his home, and never failing to answer such a call, when possible to do so. He continued his practice until old age compelled his retirement, and even then his old friends would send for him when sick, and would suffer no new doctor to prescribe for them.
An Example of Pioneer Sympathy.— As an instance of the straits to which the first settlers were sometimes reduced for the actual necessities of life, and in illustration of the helpful good fellowship among the pioneers, the following is related: Silas Hart, one of the numerous family of Harts, who had preceded Dr. Apperson here, rode by soon after the Doctor had moved into his cabin and stopped to make his acquaintance. He found Mrs. Apperson in tears. Upon inquiring, he learned from the Doctor that his wife was fearful that they would starve, as they had no meat and only a little meal left. Mr. Hart looked thoughtful and turned his horse and rode away. In speaking of it afterwards the Doctor said he thought, as Hart left, that he was rather an unsympathetic man. But they soon heard the shot of a rifle in the woods, and then, a little later, Mr. Hart appeared bearing upon his horse a fat doe, which he tumbled off at the Doctor's cabin door and rode away. Thus began a friendship that lasted unbroken through many years, and only death at last had the power to step between them.
James T. Cunningham was a man of much intelligence and force. He was active in all matters pertaining to the improvement and advancement of the community, was elected to various local offices, served in the Legislature as Representative four terms (1834-42) and ran as the Whig candidate for Congress at one time, but, as the district was Democratic, he was defeated by Hon. J. C. Robinson, of Clark County.
Rev. Hiram Tremble, a pioneer preacher-of the Methodist faith, was another man of prominence, universally respected and looked upon as a leader in matters pertaining to the public welfare.
Wabash Point was settled by a high class of pioneers, in fact, and it is hardly fair to make special mention of a few and leave out others. Among the early settlers here were the Currys, Grahams, Elisha Linder, Charles W. Nabb, Richard Champion, the Sawyers, Yocums, Harts, Dr. William Allison, Jefferson Coleman, the Radleys, Slovers, H. B. Worley, Clemme Goar and the preachers, besides those named in the preceding
paragraphs, who were numerous in that locality (and nearly all of them Methodists, as this was a Methodist settlement), such as Barton Randall, Daniel Thompson, Thomas E. Morris, Daniel Bryant and Thomas B. Ross. Samuel Pullen was the first Baptist preacher and Reuben Coy was an early Christian preacher there. Dr. Apperson and Dr. William Allison were also Methodist preachers, as well as physicians. These all left their impress upon the young community, and many of them and others have descendants still living here who are among the best people in the county.
In the Muddy Point settlement, which, for the purposes of this history must include the contiguous localities of Indian Creek and Goose Nest Prairie, had a large settlement at a very early day of men of high average in character. Just let the reader look over the list of those early settlers in what is now the town of Pleasant Grove, and he will find few names which do not remind him of some descendants here who are the best of Coles County's citizens.
William R. Jeffries was an early Sheriff and a man who had the confidence of his neighbors to the utmost—a solid, reliable and charitable man. Thomas Jeffries, his brother, was a Justice of the Peace for many years, and his decisions and acts, as such, stamped him as a man of judgment and good sense.
Joseph Allison was from Tennessee. His wife had been born in North Carolina. After their arrival here, by the death of her father she inherited some money from the sale of her father's slaves. She and her husband consulted about it. They were in full accord as to the wickedness of slavery. She called her inheritance "blood money," and it was agreed between them that she should receive the money, but every dollar of it was to be devoted to the furtherance of the "underground railroad." It was so done. Mr. Allison, besides being a strong Abolitionist, was a leader in the cause of temperance and all measures that tended to the elevation of the morals of the young community. He was sincere, earnest and practiced what he preached.
But space forbids further personal mention of those in that locality, as the limit placed upon me by the extent of this work will not allow me to dwell upon the lives and qualities of such pioneer men and families as the Balches, Campbells, Drydens, Gammills, Glenns, Nicholson, Faris, the Rodgers, Brewsters, Gordons and many others.
Coming of the Lincoln Family.—It would not be right, however, to leave this settlement without a short statement in regard to pioneer Thomas Lincoln. He came from Kentucky to Indiana, thence to Macon County, Ill., and thence to Coles County in 1831. His son Abraham, a well grown boy, drove the wagon for them in their removal to Macon County, and John J. Hall says he also drove for them in their removal to this county, and then immediately left to care for himself. The family first settled near Buck Grove, then, a few months later, removed to Goose Nest Prairie, where they lived until death took Mr. Lincoln in 1851. Mrs. Lincoln, who was a second wife and the stepmother of Abraham, lived some years after her husband's death, and at her death she was buried by his side in the Gordon Graveyard, on the Goose Nest Prairie.
Thomas Lincoln was always poor; his cabin was of the most primitive sort, his wants few, his life simple, his disposition peaceable; he was a peace-maker among his neighbors; he had no education—could barely read and write—but the son, born into his humble home, made the name Lincoln second to none in the world's history, and Coles County is proud to be the shrine of the mortal remains of Thomas Lincoln.
Other Notable Citizens. —Among early preachers in this locality, the first one here was Rev. Daniel Barham, a Primitive Baptist. Rev. John McDonald and Rev. Isaac Bennett were pioneer preachers here of the Presbyterian faith, whose efforts in building up the early churches were earnest and successful. Mark W. Campbell was an early preacher of the Christian Church. The Reverend Bennett was born in the East, and had received a college education. He was soft-voiced with a refined manner, and was the only one of those early preachers who manifested annoyance at improper noises in church. He at first couldn't bear the presence of crying babies. He soon, however, met his affinity in the person of a daughter of Amos Ashmore in the northeast part of the county. She was a fine looking girl with a strong voice and abundant vitality and animal spirit. "After he had lived with her a few years and several young Bennetts had gathered about his feet, he could preach right along in the stiffest kind of a squall."
Among the early settlers of Kickapoo Point and vicinity, in what is now the town of LaFayette, we find names of many who were always active and earnest supporters of good government and examples of good citizenship. This vicinity was a Baptist settlement at first, and Rev. Thomas Threlkeld was its first exponent in that part of the county. He was a man of many sterling qualities of mind and heart, worked on his farm through the week and preached on Sunday.
William Ewing, William L. Williams, Katherine 'VanMeter (widow), Richard Gray, William R.Jones. David Hancock, Stephen Ferguson, I. J. Monfort, Joseph 'Vanderen. the Woods, and John True, the progenitor of all those Trues who developed into such excellent citizens, were among the earliest of that fine neighborhood.
William Ewing. son of pioneer William Ewing, just named, tells of the coming of Mrs. Katherine VanMeter from Kentucky, with her family (among whom was the boy Samuel, who later became Dr. S. VanMeter), and says that the neighbors gathered soon after to raise a cabin for her to live in. somewhere near that of William L. Williams.
Mr. Williams was a widower with considerable family and, when they all gathered for the house raising (among them the widow Van Meter), he took an early opportunity to have a few words with her in private. The result of that private conversation Mr. Williams then announced to the company, stating that no special cabin was needed for Mrs. Van Meter, as she had just consented to occupy his own with him, and the raising might be adjourned, sine die. The announcement was received with shouts of approval and congratulations: but there was no adjournment until the good things provided to eat and drink had been abundantly sampled.
The locality in and about Charleston has, among its first settlers, many names still very familiar to the younger generation, by reason of the number of their descendants who live in the county. A name that is not so generally familiar now, was that of Dr. John Carrico. one of the first doctors in that locality, and who must have been a man of intelligence and character, as he was Coles County's first Representative in the State Legislature. The pioneers were more particular to send men of good character and good personal habits to represent them, than is always manifested in these latter days. No suspicion of corruption and "boodleism" was attached to the names of Coles County's first State Senators and Representatives.
Alexander P. Dunbar. Charleston's first lawyer, was prominent early. He was in the Legislature in the later 'thirties ('36-38) and afterwards in 1845-47. During the former session he was a desk-mate of Abraham Lincoln in the House. He was commissioned a Colonel in the Black Hawk War and rendered valuable service in recruiting and forwarding troops.
Orlando B. Ficklin was a man of unusual parts, and was often honored by election to high offices. He was engaged in the Black Hawk War, and became prominent before his removal to Coles County in 1837. He was a Democrat in politics and served in several sessions of Congress from the district of which Coles County was a part, and also in the Legislature. He was intimately associated with Lincoln, Douglas and other men of national reputation while in Congress, and also as a lawyer in the practice of his profession over the circuit in which Coles County was located. He was a member of the convention which nominated James Buchanan for President; was a member of the convention at Charleston, S. C, in 1860, which split into two factions, and later attended the convention at Baltimore and assisted in the nomination of Stephen A. Douglas. He helped as a delegate, to nominate McClellan in 1864, and was a member of the State Constitutional Convention of 1862. Many stories of his ability and shrewdness are told, which the writer regrets that he cannot embody in this brief history.
Dr. Aaron Ferguson, who, with Dr. Carrico, was one of the first physicians at Charleston, practiced his profession through many years and died there at a good old age. He was a man of education and ability. His wife was a daughter of Charles S. Morton. His life was retiring and quiet, and he sought no public office. His practice extended for many miles around.
Usher F. Linder was an early lawyer at Charleston, a man of considerable ability and one who, if he had possessed more stability of character, might have become a statesman. He was large, fine looking, quick at repartee and full of resources as a lawyer. He was in the State Legislature from Coles County several terms, was Attorney General of Illinois, rode the same circuit with Lincoln and others prominent in the practice of law, and, when at his best, was an orator of no mean ability. But he could not always be depended on, and had traits that injured his reputation as a citizen.
Charles S. Morton, for whom Charleston was named, was a man of character. He had the first store there, built a horse-mill, and otherwise assisted greatly in building up the young community. He is said to have erected a row of pole cabins just west of where the court house now stands, and they were let to new comers until they could provide houses of their own. This row of cabins was designated by the settlers by various euphonious names. Some called it the "Penitentiary," others "Smoky Row."
Mrs. Munson, of Lerna, now an aged woman and a daughter of John Gordon, a "Goose Nest" settler, told the writer that she went to Charleston when a child about 1834, to the first and only show she ever attended in her life. It was called an "animal show." She did not hear it spoken of as a "circus." They had an elephant and some monkeys, and various other animals in cages, such as the menageries now exhibit. Aside from the show, the only other impression she retains of the looks of things there, was that "Smoky Row" of eighteen or twenty pole cabins, each of which contained one family and some of them two.
Thomas A. Marshall came from a prominent Kentucky family. When he came to Coles County in 1839, he purchased about 800 acres of land in the Dead Man's Grove, lived there two years and then resumed the practice of law at Charleston. He naturally (as lawyers often do) drifted into politics, and was one of the organizers of the Republican party in 1856. He was a member of the Constitutional Convention of 1847-8, served one term (four years) as State Senator, and in 1861, in consequence of the accession of Lieutenant Governor John Wood to the governorship after the death of Governor Bis-sell, was elected President pro. tern, of the Senate, serving for a short time as Acting Lieutenant Governor. He was the cashier and manager of the first bank in the county. During the Civil War he assisted in the organization of the First Regiment Illinois Cavalry, in which he served as Colonel. He held other prominent official positions, and was a man who, by reason of his tall, portly figure and striking countenance, attracted attention wherever he went.
Dr. Thomas B. Trower studied medicine in Kentucky, came to Coles County in 1836, and, after trying the mercantile business awhile in Charleston, resumed the practice of medicine. He was later in the field than Drs. Ferguson and Carrico, but built up a large practice and was popular personally. He was a colleague of Col. Thomas A. Marshall as delegate to the Constitutional Convention of 1847. He became wealthy and lived to a good old age. His widow, "Aunt Polly" Trower, took up the management of the estate, displaying much business acumen, and died recently.
Dr. Byrd Monroe and his brother. Dr. John Monroe, both from Kentucky, were men of great prominence. They were both physicians but did not practice in this county. Byrd Monroe served one term as State Senator C1838-42). John Monroe lived many years after his brother's death, was a merchant of great enterprise, and a man whose opinions on public matters were much sought for and highly respected. He accumulated quite a fortune and died at the age of sixty-six years.
I have referred briefly to those early settlers of Charleston who were, in a sense, public men—that is, men who were for various reasons in the public eye, or who filled some more important than mere local offices—and I am compelled to stop there. I could fill a large space in this book with stories of the lives and services of many others, whose names are in the list of first settlers of Charleston.
Among settlers upon the east side of the Embarras, in what is now the town of Ashmore, no names stand out more prominently than those of the very first comers there—Laban Burr, James, Guilford and Moses Dudley. Mr. Burr was said to have been originally from New York and the Dudleys from New Hampshire. They were men of exceptional intelligence, and took hold of the business of building up the new settlement with characteristic Yankee energy. They were bachelors for some time after they came, and, before taking to themselves wives, kept "bach" in their cabins; so that the settlement was often referred to as the "bachelors' settlement."
It is related that they brought with them many "down east" customs. One of these was the old usage, mentioned in "McClellan's History of Gorham, Maine." of christening a newly built house in the same manner as the naming of a ship when it is launched, by simultaneously breaking a bottle of wine on the prow. This old eastern custom of "naming the frame," as it was called, was carried out by climbing upon the ridge-pole and breaking the bottle, at the same time repeating some rhyme, or sentiment suitable to the occasion.
The first frame barn in the county was erected by the Dudleys, and a neighbor from Edgar County, named McCracken, performed the ceremony upon the ridge-pole, with all due solemnity, pronouncing the words, "The bachelor's delight, and the pride of the fair." as he struck the frame with the bottle—a sentiment that doesn't seem entirely relevant, for while the barn might have been the "bachelor's delight," it is hard to comprehend how it could have been the "pride of the fair."
In looking over the names of other early settlers in that part of the county, there are few who might not be referred to at length as splendid citizens, and almost all of them still have descendants who are among the best people in the county.
Of the settlers prior to 1840 in the northeastern part of the county were Samuel Ashmore, the Berrys, Martin Zimmerman and others; in what is now Morgan Township, the Adkins, Kennedy, McAllister, the Winkleblack families and others; and in the North Okaw settlement, the Ellis, Fuller and Hoots families and others.
All deserve special mention and more extended notice than can be given thein in these pages.
Early Postoffices and Mail Routes.— Mail facilities were very meager here in those early days. The mails were carried on horseback through this county from Paris to Vandalia. Samuel Frost is said to have been the name of the first mail carrier. Postage was at first twenty-five cents on each letter payable at the office of delivery.
Letter paper was unruled, pens were made of goose-quills, and ink was usually home made, by boiling some bark of the jack oak or maple tree in a little water, and then dropping some copperas in the decoction. This is said to have made a good, durable, nearly black ink. The ink was dried by scattering over the sheet very fine sand. Blotting paper was unknown. The letter, when written, was folded and the edges sealed together with sealing wax or "wafers." These latter were small, flat and circular shaped things, which, when moistened with the lips, became adhesive They were considered quite a luxurious addition to a pioneer's "writing desk," when they were invented. The address was then written upon the outside of the folded sheet, envelopes being a later luxury.
The first postoffice in Coles County was called Paradise. The first Postmaster was George M. Hanson, who was appointed February 18, 1830, and kept the office at his own house in the northeast part of what is now Paradise Township. Later it was kept at Slover's store and there were probably other changes as to location before the village of Paradise was started, and the office finally located there. The second postoffice was Bachelorsville, located in the "Dudley Settlement," and its first Postmaster, Laban Burr, was appointed May 14, 1830. The third postoffice, of which Charles S. Morton was appointed Postmaster on March 31, 1831, was "Coles Court House." This was located at what later became the village of Charleston, but the postoffice retained the name first given to it until April 29, 1843, when it was changed to Charleston. Edmund Roach was, on the day last mentioned, made the first Postmaster at this office under its new name. The fourth postoffice was Oakland, and on July 26, 1833, Whitfield W. Morrison was made the first postmaster. About the time stages began running through Coles County, Hitesville was started by James Hite, and he was made the first postmaster for that place on August 24, 1835. On March 15, 1836, John True was made the Postmaster of another postoffice called Bethsaida.
The names Bachelorsville and Bethsaida seem to have passed from the memory of most people now living, although both of them are mentioned in Peck's "Gazetteer of Illinois" of 1837, and are shown on maps of Illinois, published by J. H. Colton & Co., of New York, and others as late as 1856—which was their last appearance, the railroads then having caused the discontinuance of both these offices, as well as the one at Hitesville.
Bachelorsville was described (and shown on maps) as about eight miles east of Charleston, and was therefore, as stated, in the settlement of "bachelors" known as "Dudley's Settlement," at or in the vicinity of Section 12-12-10. The Postmaster had a little store in connection with the postoffice and Guilford Dudley later kept a store there. At these stores were sold cakes and pies that became famous, and the name "Pietown," given to that neighborhood then, clings to it to this day.
Bethsaida was described as a "postoffice eight miles west of Charleston." It was located in Section 21-12-8 on the north side of the State Road, just across from the church now there, about where is now the residence of A. G. Hildreth, being the location at that time of the residence of John True, Bethsaida's first Postmaster.
The postoffice of Campbell was started in what is now the town of Pleasant Grove, by the appointment of Eugenia Campbell, Postmaster, on December 22, 1838. This completed the list of what I call "early postoffices," and the dates of later postoffices will be given in another chapter. It is not certain what the east and west termini of the first stage routes were, which were started through Coles County about 1835. But, for several years prior to the coming of the railroads, there was a regular line carrying passengers and mail from Indianapolis to Springfield. At different dates in those years the locations of the stops, or "stands," for the stages varied. Upon the east side of the county, we learn of no other stands than Hitesville and Bachelorsville. But upon the west side those stands were located at different times as follows: At John Fudge's, on the State road in the northwest part of Section 18-13-9 (Fudge also kept a tavern there) ; at John True's (Bethsaida), at Richmond, and at Langston's west of the Little Wabash, about where the state road strikes the middle of Section 32-12-7. Coming west through central Coles County on the stages, up to 1855 the stops were at Hitesville, Bachelorsville, Charleston, Bethsaida and Richmond or Langston, in the order named. When the railroads came, Kansas, in Edgar County, swallowed up Hitesville, Ashmore abolished Bachelorsville, and Mattoon did away with Bethsaida. A postoffice by the name of Doty was established, in 1885, on the "Clover Leaf" Railroad, near the southwest corner of Section 29 in Charleston Township with James S. Doty as Postmaster. Fare on the stages was usually six cents per mile, and meals at the stage stands were three "bits" or 37½ cents.
School History.—As has been stated heretofore, the first schools in the county were private, a small tuition being charged by the teacher. The first school houses were built by the contributions of the settlers in a neighborhood, in the form of labor. One settler would donate a site for the building. Others would come with the ax, the frow and the auger—those implements of necessity and the only ones actually necessary, in the building and furnishing of a pioneer house of any kind. When the school-house was built with an extra wide fireplace to enable all to get warm, it was provided with windows made by sawing openings through the logs and covering them with white cotton goods or oiled paper. The first regular log school house in the Wabash Point or Dry Grove settlements, must have been the one built about 1829-30, on land that belonged to Van Vort and was located on the north part of Section 11-11-7. The first teachers there were the man Banker, heretofore referred to, David Campbell, William Moffett, Eli Thayer, O. H. Perry and later T. D. P. Henley, father of Judge L. C. Henley.
Mrs. Lurana Graham, who recently died at the age of ninety-two years, and who was a daughter of pioneer Charles Sawyer, said that some woman named Green had a school of six "scholars" in a cabin that had a dirt floor, about 1828-29 in Wabash Point. Her sister. Mrs. Spencer, who recently died at about ninety years of age, said the first school teacher there of whom she had any recollection was John Graham. A man named Drake is said to have taught awhile at an early date. James Waddill taught there in the early 'thirties. Nathaniel Killim. who was the victim of the first murder in the county, taught a short time very early at the "Point." One George Kellar taught in various parts of the southwestern corner of the county. Ebenezer Alexander also taught there at an early day.
In Muddy Point and vicinity I find no one who has recollection of the first school house. A man named McClellan, perhaps, taught the first school there, and later teachers there were Hull Tower, Theron J. Balch and Hezekiah Balch. The two Balches are heard of as early teachers in Kickapoo Point also, and Daniel Barham. the preacher who settled on Goose Nest Prairie, also taught there.
Mr. James Phipps, whose father came about 1827, tells of a log school-house at a place known as the Sulphur Springs in the Kickapoo Point, where a man named Watson and others afterwards taught, beginning about 1830 to 1832.
Little can be learned of early schools in the southeastern part of the county. The LeBaron History of 1879 tells of a log school-house being built about 1832-33, "on the hill near the Pole Cat Bridge." The location is given with the usual indefiniteness of that work. We, who are living a quarter of a century later, can easily find several bridges on the Pole Cat which might fill that description. Old settlers say, however, that the school-house referred to, was probably that on the south side of Pole Cat Creek near the bridge south of Ashmore and between that village and the "Pietown" neighborhood. William Crocker is believed to have been the first teacher there.
In what is now Hutton Township, a log school-house was built about 1833-34, on Section 5. In that, Hezekiah Mason, John Tincher and Thomas Fowler taught. James Rennels was also an early teacher there.
It seems well-nigh impossible to get any reliable information about early schools in what are now Morgan and East Oakland Townships. Also very little can be learned in that respect in reference to the northwestern part of the county.
School-houses, so far as can be learned, were not built in the north central part of the county until sometime after 1840, and those matters will be covered in the separate histories of the townships.
Early Industries.— As to early industries, aside from farming, as well as stores and manufacturing, definite and absolutely reliable information is hard to obtain. The first settlers had to so a long way to stores and to mills. They generally went south to Darwin, in Clark County, or Palestine, in Crawford County, or east to Paris, m Edgar County—whichever was nearest to them or easiest of access—and, when unable to go to mill, they resorted to several of the world-old methods of grinding, one of which was, when sheet iron or tin was obtainable, to punch the sheet full of nail holes, thus forming a "grater," and fastening this upon a board, take an ear of corn, which had been softened by soaking in water, and rub it up and down upon the grater, reducing it to a coarse meal. Another was grinding the grain by hand with stones, where suitable stones could be obtained for that purpose. Still another method was that which James Phipps says was practiced in his father's family and by other early settlers. This was to cut out or burn a bowl-shaped hollow in a good sound stump, then rig up over it a small pole-sweep similar to that used in raising a bucket from a well; in place of the bucket was attached a large stone hung directly above the stump. The shelled corn was placed in the stump, and, by manipulating the pole up and down, the stone was made to pound the corn until reduced to various degrees of fineness, which was then sifted, the finer being used for bread, and the coarser part made into hominy.
Indian corn was the staple production of the first settlers. Very little wheat was planted until several years after the pioneers came, and it was not an easy matter to grind wheat by these primitive methods on account of the smallness of the grain and its adhesive character; so that wheat bread was a rare luxury until the establishment of good mills.
In the southwestern part of the county Jacob Slover started a store about 1830, near the south part of Section 2-13-7, and soon thereafter Isaac Slover built a horse-mill nearby, and just north of the store Tobias Speck located a blacksmith shop. One Baldwin had, a little earlier, a blacksmith shop near by. These were the earliest industries of the kind in that section. John Radley was skilled in making wool hats. In the early 'thirties Charles W. Nabb started a store at Richmond, and one Eckles started one on the State road just west of the easternmost bridge over the Kickapoo Creek. Richmond (so named by pioneer Houchins, who owned the land, because he came from near Richmond, Va.) was located about the junction of the State road with the south line of Section 27-12-7.
The Parkers had previously started a mill on the east side of the Embarras near where their first settlement was made. This mill was sold to a Mr. Shaw and, later, to Norfolk & Baker; and then, after being moved to the west side of the river and rebuilt and enlarged in the later 'fifties became the property of a Mr. Eben Blakeman who made it one of the best mills in the country. It was run for a large part of the time both day and night until the early 'eighties. Mr. Blakeman also had a saw-mill nearby his grist mill, which turned out the lumber for many a Coles County building.
As heretofore stated, Charles S. Morton started the first store and first horse-mill, at or near Charleston, about 1830-31.
John Robinson started a mill on the Kickapoo, in LaFayette, but it did not run long.
John True later (about 1836) built a horse-mill in that vicinity, and James Gobin had a mill at an early day on Kickapoo Creek.
John Tully started a water-mill at the south edge of the county near Johnstown, about 1831-32. It was then converted into a horse-mill, and still later into a tread-mill. There was a distillery attached which Tully bought from Robert Dixon, who started it, and the two industries made it a popular grinding place for the settlers in that section. Thomas Paris had an early horse-mill a mile northeast of Lerna. William R. Jeffries had a horse-mill, and, being a public-spirited man, besides his mill, had a distillery and a tan-yard.
George Tiff and Gideon Satterlee had mills on the Pole Cat in the early 'thirties. Mr. Tiff's mill was not far above the mouth of the Pole Cat, and in connection with it he had a distillery. This mill did the grinding for many settlers in Hutton and Ashmore Townships.
James Nees started a horse-mill about 1832, near "Dogtown" (now Diona), in Hutton.
Enoch Sears started a horse-mill three miles southeast of Oakland, about 1833, and James Redden had one quite early. Several early attempts were made to erect water-mills on the Ambraw west of Oakland, but the floods swept them away. One started by Mr. Chadd, however, ran for several years.
The first settlers along the Okaw patronized a mill at Old Nelson, in what was then Shelby, but is now Moultrie County. Hawkins Fuller, however, started a horse-mill in the 'thirties on Whitley Creek.
The first lumber manufactured here was by means of "whip-saws " operated by two men, one above and one below the log. This was a slow process, and frame houses were not built until some years after the first settlements were started, or in the later 'thirties, when a few horse-power saw-mills were started. A whip-saw mill was run in the early 'thirties on the north part of Section 2-11-7.
David Weaver and George Oliver started a water-power saw-mill on the west side of the Ambraw early, and one of their industries was to send lumber and hoop poles down the river on flat boats, to the larger settlements.
The use of steam in operating mills began with the one erected by Miles W. Hart and Clemme Goar, at Paradise, about 1837-38. The boiler and engine, and the burr-stones for this mill, were brought from Cincinnati on wagons by James Sexson, Hugh Cowan and H. B. Worley.
To show how rapidly Coles County was progressing, it may be stated that, in 1831 (six years previous), there were only ten mills in Illinois operated by steam. Some of them were for grinding and some for sawing, and most of them located along the Mississippi River. The nearest one to us was a saw-mill in Clark County.
A few attempts were made to burn brick in the thirties. The first, perhaps, was by "Jack" Houchin, in 1831, at a point just a little south of the present old "Camp Ground" cemetery, on the east bank of the Little Wabash. This first attempt was a failure, as the fires were made too hot and the brick melted and ran together. Later more successful attempts were made and, by 1840, several brick chimneys were built and even some houses of brick, in various parts of the county.
Alexander Perkins had a brick-kiln south of Charleston before 1840, and from it were built the two old brick houses, just south of the Clover Leaf depot on Fifth street in Charleston. About 1840 Martin Gilbert made brick in Hutton.
Joseph Allison made wool hats and L. Dow Goodwin made chairs in Pleasant Grove in the early 'thirties. These chairs were made of sugar-tree frames with bottoms of strips of split hickory. Some St. Louis parties came into the timber south of Lerna and established a wooden bowl factory, about 1838. They worked up all the best sycamore trees in that vicinity into bowls of various sizes, continuing in operation several years.
"A Frenchman and an Irishman," whose names are lost to us, are said to have started an earthenware pottery in the 'thirties, southeast of Charleston, in the timber. It was located about the southeast part of Section 14-13-9, and was carried on for some time, making jars and crocks, etc.
John Kennedy started a carding machine in the "thirties in Charleston, which was the beginning of the woolen mill which was run there for many years.
A carding machine was started, probably just in the edge of Clark County, on the Parker Prairie, before 1830.
Mark W. Campbell had a carding machine in the 'thirties run by oxen (a tread-mill), in what is now Pleasant Grove.
Blacksmiths, tanners and shoemakers, as well as coopers (makers of "piggins," etc.), were numerous. In fact, every settler had to be a sort of "Jack of all trades," and be able, in an emergency, to shoe a horse, or kill a cow, tan the hide and with it "shoe" his family.
"Owens and Harman" are mentioned in the Le Baron History of 1879 as the first blacksmiths in Charleston. What Owens and what Harman, and when and whence they came, we know not. Tobias Speck in Paradise, Calistus Campbell and Andrew Gray in Pleasant Grove, Jacob Zinn in LaFayette, John Ashby in Hutton, John Carter in Ashmore, William Chadd and Newton McCord in East Oakland were the blacksmiths who opened shops just before or soon after 1830. Others followed rapidly.
David Eastin started a tannery on the "Town Branch," at Charleston, soon after the village was started. The Stodderts (Richard and Thomas) became its proprietors afterwards, and it was run a long time. Robert Lightfoot started one close by prior to 1840 and ran it for many years after the Stoddert tannery had closed up.
William Wayne started a tannery south of Campbell, in Pleasant Grove, about 1831. The William Jefferies tannery has been mentioned, John Sawyer started an early tannery near his house in Wabash Point.
These brief references to early general industries must suffice.
Agriculture and Horticulture.—Agriculture was conducted along the same primitive lines as other early industries. The principal productions of the early farms were Indian corn and oats. Some wheat was grown and some barley, rye and buckwheat. Some flax and tobacco were raised, while potatoes, turnips and other vegetables were produced in sufficient quantities for home consumption. The first crop upon newly broken prairie land was usually corn, which generally made a fair crop; the second season, if the land was well broken and properly worked, and the weather proved favorable, the yield was enormous; and corn, upon such land, would often produce ears eighteen inches in length, with a yield of seventy-five to 100 bushels of corn per acre. Cabbages two to three feet in diameter (including the leaves), common beets over a foot in circumference, turnips ten to twelve inches in diameter, and parsnips two to two and a half feet in length, were not uncommon—such was the richness of the soil at first.
Breaking plows were the old bar-share type, with the single-shovel for cultivating; harrows had wooden teeth, and an old tree-top was often used as a brush harrow.
Orchards of apple and other fruit-trees were planted in the early 'thirties in many localities. John Gordon planted apple-trees on his place in the Goose Nest Prairie, the next morning after the meteoric shower in the fall of 1833. In those days the fall was considered by some a more favorable season for planting fruit-trees than the spring.
David Weaver of Hutton planted many orchards. He moved frequently, and his first task was always to put out fruit-trees. Every settler who got hold of the seed of a peach or an apricot, planted it. And peach trees seemed to thrive better then than now. I remember many trees in my boyhood days that bore the great red Indian (clingstone) peaches, and also several varieties of yellow free-stone peaches, all large and full of juice. The most common kinds of apples were those called the "jenneting" and "milam." But many splendid apples in the early orchards were produced upon trees that were grown from seed, and were of unnamed varieties.
Young trees had to be carefully wrapped with straw, or cloth, or heavy paper, to a height of about two feet each winter, to protect them from rabbits, which loved the taste of the tender bark.
Red clover was introduced pretty early and timothy, Hungarian and other grasses experimented with. The value of blue grass was early recognized. At first, however, some of the pioneers looked upon it with suspicion. One Muddy Point settler, noticing its facility to spread, became uneasy lest it should take the place, so at odd times he went about with a spade digging up and turning over every clump of blue grass.
For many years, Indian corn was the principal product, but oats, clover and timothy for hay, as well as pasturage, were largely produced, and Hungarian rye, wheat, barley and buckwheat were extensively planted. Sorghum cane came in the 'fifties, and many farmers raised it largely from about 1860 on for many years, and manufactured from it a species of molasses that was universally consumed here. With the cheapening in price of Southern cane syrups, its growth and manufacture were gradually discontinued.
Domestic Industries.—The women took the wool after the shearing, and it was picked, cleaned, carded, spun and woven into the garments and bedding right at home. The women made pickles and preserves, and kept them in jars and crocks through the winter. They had no cans for sealing up fruits. They made cheese also, and no such cheese is ever tasted in these latter days.
As late as in the early 'sixties cheese was brought weekly to the store of my father, T. J. Wilson, at Ashmore, by the good women in the country thereabout, and I remember nothing that appealed more strongly to my boyhood taste than that cheese.
The Broom Corn Boom.—In the early 'seventies broom-corn came in as an extensive crop, although it had been planted in a small way from about 1865. R. A. Traver, of Charleston, may be said to have been the pioneer in its production on a large scale. He started a broom factory in Charleston, and rented a large body of land which he planted in broom-corn, and from year to year, its production increased, until a few years ago it reached the culmination as probably second only to Indian corn in the value of its annual production.
At one time over three-fourths of all the broom-corn produced in the United States was raised in Coles and three or four adjoining counties, and Mattoon, Charleston and Humboldt were large markets for its sale and shipment.
Considerable quantities are still handled at those points, but, for the past three or four years, its production has been gradually declining owing to the competition caused by its extensive planting in the cheap new lands of Kansas and Oklahoma, and the difficulty in getting the large number of hands required to harvest and care for it.
Thomas Paris early began to ship in fruit-trees for his neighbors, and had a nursery of his own just northeast of Lerna for many years.
James Dudley, in Ashmore, started a nursery in the early 'thirties, which was afterwards sold to John T. Olmsted by whom it was continued until 1864. People came a distance of fifty miles to obtain trees, shrubs and small fruits from that nursery. James Rennels, in Button, was skilled in grafting and budding trees, and started a small nursery there in the 'thirties.
Live Stock.—Thomas Paris probably brought into the county the first lot of Berkshire hogs. He also early began the improvement of other stock, by importing better blood. Cunningham, Nabb and Dejarnett, of the Wabash Point settlement, all brought in Durham bulls from Kentucky in the later 'thirties. John T. Olmsted, of Ashmore, brought in improved breeds of hogs and cattle. So also did John Hutton of Hutton. These men, by their example and their talk, encouraged others in their desire for better breeds of all stock, and the later stimulus given by the County Pair soon began to have a gratifying effect in the general improvement of breeds. One of the first importations from Europe, of the draft horses that were to do so much for us in building up the quality of Coles County horseflesh, was Richard Stoddert's purchase of the iron gray Percheron stallion. "Prince," in the early 'seventies. This animal became the sire of many superior colts, and was the forerunner of very many other most excellent importations.
CHAPTER V.
MATERIAL PROGRESS.
EARLY ROADS AND ROAD-MAKING—THE "GREAT NATIONAL PIKE"—FIRST ROAD LEGISLATION—A PLANK ROAD EXPERIMENT—RAILROAD HISTORY—ITS BEGINNING IN ILLINOIS—ILLINOIS CENTRAL AND TERRE HAUTE & ALTON LINES—OTHER LOCAL ENTERPRISES—ADVENT OF THE ELECTRIC TROLLEY LINE—CHARLESTON & MATTOON INTER-URBAN—TELEGRAPH LINES—DRAINAGE—MARVELOUS RESULTS WROUGHT BY UNDER-DRAINAGE SYSTEM— LIST OF DRAINAGE DISTRICTS—AGRICULTURAL FAIRS.
The first tracks across the county were made by Indians, and these "traces" of the aborigines existed in several parts of the county. One of the longest and plainest ones, easily followed by the growth of blue grass along its course, started near the head of Indian Creek, which was a famous camping ground for the red men, and extended in a generally northwest direction, following the highest ground, until it ran into the Okaw timber.
The earliest "white man's" road in the county was the old "Kaskaskia and Detroit Trace," which ran southwest from Detroit through the present location of Danville, Ill.; thence, coming southwest, it entered Coles County just above Oakland, continued to near the present site of Charleston, then extending south and west, emerged from the county nearly due south of Lerna, thence leading southwesterly to Kaskaskia. This was the overland route for the early French explorers and travelers, between Detroit and Kaskaskia and vicinity.
The National Road.— When Coles County was first organized and, for some years before, the main artery of travel from the East was over the Cumberland Road, sometimes called the "Great National Pike," and generally referred to as the "National Road." It passed through what is now Cumberland County, Ill., (then part of Coles County), and from that circumstance the new county received its name. That road, extending west from Fort Cumberland, and constructed under Federal supervision, did for the Central West, in the early years, what the construction of the Pacific Railroads did for the region west of the Missouri River in the 'seventies and later. It was begun in 1806 and completed as far as Vandalia about 1840; and, for many years, those who lived near the road were entertained by the constantly unrolling panorama of covered wagons drawn by horses or oxen, of men and women on horseback and on foot, with droves of cattle and flocks of sheep, and, at rarer intervals, the old swaying and rocking stage-coach drawn by four or six horses, going by at breakneck speed, bearing passengers with their horse-hide trunks lashed on behind, and conveying the United States mails. Occasionally travelers would be seen facing eastward, but a great endless procession was moving ever, ever westward. George B. Balch, son of the pioneer Alfred M. Balch, the bard of Pleasant Grove Township, in one of his poems entitled "The Pioneers," pictured it in this wise:
"Then looking eastward o'er the plain,
I saw a slowly moving train
Of objects coming far away.
Like schooners floating on the bay.
"Their whitened sails were neatly spread,
And slowly on their course they sped.
As, westward still they kept their way,
Toward the setting orb of day.
"Hundreds of miles behind them lay
Their native land—so far away—
Their childhood's home, their place of birth,
The'r father's and their mother's hearth.
"Before them stretched the boundless West,
In all its native grandeur dressed;
Where, fresh from the Almighty's hand.
There lay a second Promised Land."
The quotation is not remarkable for poetic thought, but gives a vivid glimpse of the surging tide of migration westward in the years before the railroads came. I saw a slowly moving train
Of objects coming far away.
Like schooners floating on the bay.
"Their whitened sails were neatly spread,
And slowly on their course they sped.
As, westward still they kept their way,
Toward the setting orb of day.
"Hundreds of miles behind them lay
Their native land—so far away—
Their childhood's home, their place of birth,
The'r father's and their mother's hearth.
"Before them stretched the boundless West,
In all its native grandeur dressed;
Where, fresh from the Almighty's hand.
There lay a second Promised Land."
As most of the early emigrants to Coles County came from southern localities—Kentucky. Tennessee and other Southern States—they usually crossed the Ohio River near Louisville and journeyed north through Indiana, crossing the Wabash River at Vincennes. Palestine, York, Darwin or Terre Haute. Some of them, however, came up the Wabash by boat and landed at the point most convenient to reach their destinations.
Early Roads and Road Laws.—The first permanent road within the present limits of the county, was the one located under special act of the Legislature, approved January 28, 1831. John Flemming, Thomas Sconce and Thomas Rhoades were made Commissioners to survey and locate a road from Shelbyville through Charleston to Paris. The act provided that, "when said road shall be located, it shall be, to all intents and purposes, a State road, four poles wide, and shall be opened and kept in repair as other roads are in this State."
The Commissioners discharged their duties promptly and staked out the road during that year. It is the only early road in the county which still retains its identity, and is known simply as the "State Road." Early settlers east of Charleston usually called it the "Paris and Shelbyville Road," while those living in the west part of the county referred to it as the "Charleston and Shelbyville Road." It was for many years the main line of travel east and west through the county, and the one over which the principal stage line ran.
Another early road was called the "Springfield Trace." It came from Edgar County into the northeast corner of Coles, through the village of Oakland, and thence through the southern part of what is now Douglas County, west to Springfield. Another started in the 'thirties was the "Archer Road," which came up from Marshall, Ill., to Charleston, extending thence west, passed just south of the Dead Man's Grove and on to Dodge Grove; thence proceeding west of north, crossed the Okaw River about where the Iron Bridge is, near the northwest corner of Section 20-13-7, and continued on through Old Nelson, in Moultrie County, to Springfield. This road was the project of Hon. William B. Archer, a pioneer resident of Clark County, a member of the Legislature, and one of the most prominent men in this section of Illinois. This was the same Mr. Archer, who, as a member of the Legislature, rendered such valuable assistance in the passage of the act for the organization of Coles County.
Mr. Archer was appointed one of the first Commissioners of the Illinois and Michigan Canal, and that was the means of giving his name to Archer Avenue, one of the principal streets of Chicago.
The Archer Road was marked by mile posts, and was, for years, the line of travel from Clark County and vicinity to Springfield. The old "Atlas of Coles County," published in 1869 by Warner & Higgins, of Philadelphia, shows a remnant of another road that ran straight as an arrow from Charleston southwest through Hutton Township, and through Martinsville to "York on the Wabash River.
Another early road was called the Palestine and Shelbyville Road, which ran from Palestine, in Crawford County, northwestward through the extreme southwestern part of this county, passing through the village of Paradise to Shelbyville.
These early roads were all located along the easiest routes to travel, avoiding steep hills and seeking the most available fording places on streams, and keeping to the high ground on the prairies without regard to section lines. The settlement of the county, and the consequent fencing in of farms, has destroyed all trace of those early lines of travel, except the State Road. Some work was done by the early settlers on bad places in the roads, such as constructing side-ditches to drain off the water, grading by plowing up and piling dirt in the middle of the roads, etc. The primitive wooden scrapers were used for this purpose, but the methods were desultory and the results merely temporary in character.
The act passed by the Legislature in 1831, requiring able-bodied men between twenty-one and fifty years of age to perform three days' labor on the highways, was the beginning of systematic attempts to benefit the roads; but that labor was often wasted by ill-advised methods, owing to the ignorance and indifference of those having such matters in charge. The same may also be said of the expenditure of the poll-tax. There is no doubt that enough labor and money have been thrown away on makeshift methods of road-building in Illinois, without any definite plan looking to permanency in results, to have made good, permanent hard-roads, upon every section line.
A Plank Road Enterprise.—About 1868-69 the wide-awake business men of Charleston discussed the road question thoroughly, and cast about for some method to benefit their business, and also to help the farmers move their produce to market in the seasons of rain and mud. Out of that agitation grew an organization to construct a plank road from Charleston north to the Douglas County line. The "Charleston and Hickory Plank Road Company" was incorporated with an authorized capital of $25,000. Certificate number one in that company was issued to W. E. McCrory for two shares of the stock, of $50 each, dated April 4, 1870, and signed A. H. Prevo, President, and Charles Clary, Secretary, and the other stock was taken by business men and farmers. The road was constructed, beginning at the north side of the Big Four Railroad right of way, on Fifth Street, and extended north on that road about seven or eight miles.
The manner of making the road was by laying heavy wooden stringers lengthwise of the road, sunk in the ground sufficiently to bring their top surfaces flush with the general level, so that the plank would lie upon and not be elevated above the road bed. Very thick planks, ten or twelve feet long, were laid crosswise on the stringers and spiked down. When it was new, and before the seasons of floods and snows came, it was considered quite a luxury to ride out on this ' novel road, and the farmers along its line were jubilant for awhile. Of course, when teams met, the lightest vehicle had to get off the plank on to the dirt, and let the other fellow pass. That was all right when the roads were dry, but there came a time when, if two loaded teams met, it was a hardship for somebody to get off in the mud and try to get back again.
After a year or so parts of the road began to sink in the ooze during a wet time. This trouble increased from year to year and in some places one side would sink, while the other side would rise. Then, after while, a plank here and there would become loosened and disappear. When that disintegration began it became easier for other planks to vanish from view, and ere long the whole road was but a memory.
Gravelled Roads.—Charleston Township has, within the past six or seven years, built several miles of excellent gravelled roads leading out in different directions from the city of Charleston, and Hutton and some other townships have done something along that line. But the county, generally, is behind many of its neighbors in the matter of hard-road construction. It is a remarkable thing that the farmers and land owners who, as a class, would be most benefitted by good roads, are generally the strongest opponents of all public measures for their improvement. That was fully demonstrated in the defeat of the measure for permanent roads presented at the last session of the Legislature (1905). But, though delayed, the building of hard-roads will come, and the farmers will be benefitted thereby in spite of themselves.
Railway Progress.—The history of railroads in Illinois begins with the Internal Improvement Act of 1836-37. and out of that act grew much financial grief for the people of the state. The north and south line (Illinois Central) and the east and west line I (then called the Terre Haute & Alton) began to be built about the same time. The Illinois Central was a "land grant" railroad, and that grant of land induced the following eastern capitalists to take hold of the enterprise; Franklin Haven, Robert Rantoul, Jr., and David A. Neal, of Boston; and Robert Schuyler, George Griswold, Governeur Morris, Jonathan Sturgis, Thomas W. Ludlow, John F. A. Sanford, Henry Grinnell, Joseph W. Alsop and Leroy M. Wiley, of New York. These men began and finished the work. The Act of incorporation was passed in 1851. Roswell B. Mason, of Bridgeport. Conn., was made Engineer-in-Chief. L. W. Ackley was made Division Engineer of the line from Rantoul to Mattoon, and C. Floyd Jones from Mattoon to the junction with the main line.
Mr. E. Jennings, of Mattoon, was a civil engineer employed on the line in 1853, but resigned his position and, in partnership with Hiram Tremble, took the contract to make the "bank" and bridges for the rails from the north line of the county into and through Mattoon. This work they began June 25, 1853, and finished November 29th of that year, and then they sold their scrapers and other tools and outfit to James M. and Edmund W. True, who had the contract for the same kind of work on the Terre Haute & Alton Railroad, from Charleston to Mattoon.
The Trues finished their contract sometime in the following year, and the roads having been made ready for the rails by 1855. the rail-laying through Coles County was done in that year by the Illinois Central, and, as far as Mattoon, by the Terre Haute & Alton. As the law provided that, in the construction of a railroad, the line which laid its rails last over a crossing should, thereafter, be required to maintain the crossing in repair, there was a strong rivalry between the two sets of track-layers as to which should reach the crossing first at Mattoon. The Terre Haute & Alton people got there first and were followed soon after by those of the Illinois Central.
Mattoon was the western terminus for the Terre Haute & Alton tracks for about a year before the company began to lay rails west of that point. The Chicago branch of the Illinois Central Railroad was completed ready for traffic from Chicago to the junction with the main line near Centralia, on September 20, 1856, and soon thereafter regular trains began running from Chicago to Cairo.
Michael Maloney, of Mattoon, who worked under Mr. Harrison Messer, foreman of a gang for the contractors of the Terre Haute & Alton (Messrs. Phelps, Mattoon & Barnes), says that they had one steam shovel for deep cuts, but no other machinery. Everything else was done by means of hand-tools. There were three regular locomotive engineers on the line, at the time it was completed to Mattoon, and Mr. Messer got one of them to test the first bridge over the Ambraw by running his engine across and back. At the conclusion of the test Mr. Messer handed the engineer $10.00.
Coles County in the fall of 1855, being in touch by rail with Chicago and the far Eastern States, was at the beginning of a new era. The pulses of her people beat faster; their steps quickened; their horizon was enlarged; their hopes expanded, and the building of cities and of factories of various sorts, within its borders began to take form in the thoughts and plans of its citizens. New faces were seen more often on the streets of our villages. Inquiries from the East and elsewhere, as to the sort of field for business here afforded, reached the people more frequently. Very soon the "Yankee School Marm"—that civilizing and polishing influence from "way deown East"—began to take hold of the sons and daughters of our Kentucky, Virginia and Tennessee-born pioneers, and turn their faces about, so that they might catch new views of life.
Change in Transportation Methods.— It took some time, however, for the people to adjust themselves to the new order of things. They had before this hauled their corn and other produce to the markets of Chicago, Terre Haute, St. Louis or elsewhere by wagon. They had driven their hogs and cattle to market, taking many days for the journey. This was now to be changed, but not all at once. Some continued to follow the old way for several years, and the new railroads, at the start, were not over-burdened with freight out of Coles County.
The city people of the old-settled Eastern States enjoyed then—as they do now—the taste of venison and other game, and it became profitable to kill game for the market. This was a new industry for a short time. In the winter of 1855-56 very many car-loads of deer, turkey, prairie chickens, ducks, quails and rabbits went east from Coles County, and the following winter the shipments averaged a car-load a day for awhile from the station of Mattoon alone. The sad result, as to the larger game, could have been foreseen. Within a year or so, only an occasional deer or wild turkey could be found within the borders of the county.
In writing upon the subject of these two railroads, it may be told that David A. Neal and some others, connected with the construction of the Illinois Central, formed a company and obtained the southwest quarter of Section 31-13-8, about 1853-54. They platted some of this land, adjoining the Illinois Central right of way, into lots, and named their prospective town "Arno." They planned the construction of a switch-track and other conveniences of a station, and there the matter ended. No lots were sold or houses built, and some time later the land was sold and again became farm land, but the plat was not formally vacated until 1861. The proprietors advertised their "paper" town to the extent that, on maps of the State published in 1855 and 1856, the name "Arno" was printed in as large type as that of any other city or village in that section.
Other Railroad Enterprises.—As the other railroads which came into the county afterward will be touched upon somewhat definitely in the history of the various townships through which they run, I will only allude briefly to them here. Away back in the 'sixties agitation for a road southeast from Mattoon, and another northwest from the same place, developed into definite plans for their construction. The one projected toward the southeast was called the Grayville & Mattoon, and the other the Decatur, Sullivan & Mattoon. After various starts and delays, and much agitation all along the proposed lines, and the granting of bonds and other aid by towns, through which they were to pass, they were built. The Decatur, Sullivan & Mattoon Road was built to Hervey City, near Decatur, by the year 1873. It passed into a receiver's hands in 1874, and the name was changed to the Decatur, Mattoon & Southern.
The Grayville & Mattoon Road was not fully completed until July 4, 1878, and, on that date, a grand excursion was organized and, under the care of J. D. Herkimer, the receiver of the line, it was carried out amid rejoicing all along the line.
The two roads were later consolidated (about 1879-80) under the name of the Peoria, Decatur & Evansville, and, after several years of management under that name, the Illinois Central purchased control of the line and it became a part of that great corporation. The Illinois Central took control of the north end (from Mattoon to Peoria) in August, 1902, and of the south end (from Mattoon to Evansville) in September of the same year.
The history of the road known as the "Clover Leaf" is given in detail in the history of the town of Charleston, and the Terre Haute & Indianapolis Road, which runs through Oakland, will be treated of in the history of that town.
The extreme southeast corner of Ashmore is entered by the Cincinnati, Indianapolis & Western, which may be mentioned in connection with the history of that locality.
The advent of the trolley line came in 1903. On June 3d of that year a franchise was granted by the Council of Mattoon to the "Mattoon City Railway Company," and, later, the same parties who were behind the Mattoon enterprise, obtained a franchise for a street-railway in Charleston. The work of building the road between the two cities over right of way purchased from the farmers along the line, was pushed rapidly forward and, on June 5, 1904, the first passengers were carried on this first Inter-Urban Electric line in Coles County. Cars were also placed in operation within the city of Mattoon between its eastern and western limits, on Broadway and Prairie Avenue, within a few days thereafter.
The capital stock of the company is $500,000 and the President and General Manager is E. A. Potter. It is believed that this line will eventually be extended both east and west, and lines are also projected to run northward from both Mattoon and Charleston.
Telegraph Lines.—The building of the telegraph lines along the two railroads referred to, did not keep full pace with the laying of rails, but they followed almost immediately thereafter. The first telegraph lines in Illinois were strung along the wagon roads. One of these was a line constructed along the State Road, which ran from Terre Haute westward prior to the building of the railroads. Just as these railroads were coming into Coles County, other railroads were making alliances with the telegraph lines to their mutual advantage. The first contract in Illinois consummating such an alliance was made in 1856 by the Chicago. Alton & St. Louis Railroad, with the Telegraph Company of which Judge Caton, Chief Justice of Illinois, was the leading spirit, by the terms of which the railroad gave the right of way for stringing wires, and the Telegraph Company was to assist in the movement of trains. R. B. Mason, Chief Engineer of the Illinois Central, pronounced the dictum, that he "infinitely preferred a single track with a telegraph, to a double track without it." Railroads thenceforward arranged with existing telegraph companies, or built and equipped their own lines for the better management of their trains.
Transportation was now getting to be a matter of hours or days, where it used to be of days or weeks. Communication was becoming a matter of moments, where it had formerly been of days or months. Coles County was no longer isolated. The world was growing rapidly smaller, and strangers of yesterday were becoming our neighbors and friends.
That other marvelous invention for rapid communication—the telephone—will be touched upon in the sketches of the several townships.
Drainage.—The settlers had learned by experience that the prairie soil was richer and more easily cultivated than the timber land, and it became a pressing question as to the best and cheapest means of removing the surplus water which covered so much of the land during the crop season. Hasty and temporizing methods had been used by many farmers, from their first coming, to drain their fields, but with poor results.
Mr. F. A. Allison says that he saw pioneer James T. Cunningham, one hot day in the summer of 1835 or '36, out in his corn field wearing nothing but his shirt, and diligently directing an old horse attached to a shovel plow, trying to cut furrows deep enough to drain the water from his corn. Later there was sometimes more concerted action, and several adjoining farmers would come together and agree upon a plan for an open ditch, and proceed, by their joint labor, to construct it. The results of this plan were more satisfactory, but all neighbors could not agree upon a plan and a time for such work; besides, the weeds and the rains partially filled these ditches in a short time, and the work had to be done over again. So the objection to open ditches, on the ground that they "were expensive, not permanent, occupied too much land and obstructed good husbandry," became constantly more pronounced, and the question as to the best manner of underground drainage became paramount.
Many experiments were tried. Mole ditches were put in, made with a "gopher plow," worked by a capstan or pulled by oxen. These were partially successful when the land to be drained lay with a regular slope towards the outlet. But sometimes they became obstructed by caving, or by the work of the numerous gophers and ground squirrels. Then, if the surface of the ground was uneven and "ridgy," the drain would follow the surface irregularities. So it became necessary to find a drain that could be laid in the bottom of a properly constructed trench.
Various expedients were tried in Coles County, as well as elsewhere in Illinois. Ditches were made and filled with brush; small stones were placed in the bottom of trenches through which water might percolate after the dirt was put in above them
One method tried by several farmers here was to cut short pieces of poles, or boards, of regular length, and place them side by side closely in the ditch, one end resting on the bottom at one side of the ditch and the other end leaning against the opposite side, and then filling the ditch above them with dirt.
All such plans were unsatisfactory. Earthenware or clay-tile was invented and, in the later 'sixties and early 'seventies, many were shipped in and used. They were at first expensive, easily broken and made in various shapes to suit the notion of each manufacturer of a tile machine. Some were octagonal; some horse-shoe shaped; some had a wide, fiat bottom; some were oval, etc. It was a long time before everybody was ready to concede that the cylindrical tile was the best form for all purposes. Besides these experimental stages in their manufacture, they had to be experimented with by the farmer.
As an illustration of an early experiment, Michael Maloney, of Mattoon, a noted digger of ditches, tells that Mr. Samuel Smith shipped into Mattoon, from Indianapolis, the first full consignment of tile on a large enough scale to drain a farm; that the Mr. Cunningham previously alluded to, bought a supply to drain a large field, and as he had been told that these tile would "draw," or attract, water to them from surrounding soil, he thought, in order to do a good job of "drawing," they should be laid near the surface, as the water which interfered with his growing corn seemed to him to be that which was on top of the ground. So he laid the tile on an average of three to six inches below the surface. The following spring his men went out to plow, and when Mr. Cunningham looked at his field the next day the tile were scattered far and wide among the clods.
But the people learned; and, when the manufacture of the drain-tile began here at home, they soon underlaid thousands of acres, and the effect, year by year, became more noticeable in the elimination of those great "sloughs," the gradual reduction in the number of ponds, the earlier date in spring when the ground could be plowed and planted without "mudding" in the crops, and the effectiveness of its cultivation.
When tile factories started here, they came, so to speak, "all at once." About 1876 G. V. Millar started his tile factory in the Dead Man's Grove. J. W. Hogue began in 1877 at the corner of Eleventh and LaFayette Streets in Mattoon, and, after running there about ten years, removed to his present location just west of the water-works pumping station.
The factory at Charleston, now owned by S. H. Record, started about 1877; about 1878 factories were started by John D. Faris east of Lerna, by Baker & Rennels in Hutton, by Joseph Carter southeast of Ashmore, and the one at Oakland. A little later one was located at Cook's Mills and others elsewhere in the county. The factory now run by Theodore Joute, in Mattoon, was started about 1883.
There were thousands of acres, however, in the county so situated that there was no adequate outlet for the water. Tile may be laid, but to be permanently effective, it must lead to a point within some reasonable distance, where it can find a stream or ditch of sufficient size to form an outlet and carry off the water all the year around. These outlets are easy of access from land lying along the regular water-courses, but back upon the prairies, at the very beginnings of these creeks, something had to be done to make artificial outlets. Growing out of this necessity, at the general election held in 1878, an amendment of the State Constitution was adopted authorizing the organization of drainage districts and empowering the Legislature to impose a tax upon lands to be benefitted by the construction of a proposed ditch; and, in 1885, a law was enacted by the Legislature carrying these constitutional provisions into effect. In the operation of all new taxing laws there must first be a contest and the court of last resort must say whether the law is valid. The first District organized under this act in Coles County, was "Union Drainage District No. One, of the Towns of Seven Hickory and Humbolt." It was organized in 1886.
The people who opposed the act, organized themselves into a body to fight it, and the feeling was so high that it looked, for a while, as though it would degenerate into a bloody feud. It was proposed to seek the indictment of the Commissioners by the Grand Jnry. The case finally got into the Circuit Court; then into the Appellate, and then into the Supreme Court of the State. During the progress of the litigation, the opponents of the act allowed their lands to be sold for drainage taxes.
The action of the Commissioners on organization of the district was sustained by the courts, and the owners of the land sold for taxes redeemed the same. The ditch was cut out, deep and wide; and, today, you can hardly find a man who will say he opposed the ditch, for the benefits have been far beyond the dream of its promoters. It has brought into cultivation hundreds of acres of land that could not be cultivated otherwise, and has improved thousands of acres of other lands. This practically ended the drainage litigation of the county and settled the law for the whole State on the questions involved.
There have been organized in the County of Coles the following Drainage Districts:
Town of Seven Hickory.—There are five Drainage Districts in this township, comprising lands wholly within the township. All of them, except Drainage District Number Five, were organized on the petition of the land-owners. Number Five was organized under the "User Act." (See the Drainage Act for the meaning of the term "User.") There are three Union Drainage Districts, part of which lie in this township. They are respectively: Union Drainage District Number One, of the Towns of Seven Hickory and Humbolt; Union Drainage District Number Two. of the Towns of Seven Hickory and Humboldt; and Union Drainage District Number Three, of the Towns of Seven Hickory and Humboldt. The last named was organized under the User Act.
Town of Humboldt.—There are five Drainage Districts, comprising land wholly in Humboldt Township. Number Five is a User Drainage District. There are three Union Drainage Districts, of which a part of the land is in Seven Hickory Township. There are two Drainage Districts in Humboldt, of which a part of the land is in North Okaw. being respectively Union Drainage Districts Number One and Number Two of North Okaw and Humboldt.
Town of North Okaw.—There are nine Drainage Districts which are whollj' embraced in North Okaw. Drainage Districts Number Five, Six, Seven, Eight and Nine are User Drainage Districts. There are two Union Drainage Districts heretofore spoken of in connection with Humboldt Township, and one is in connection with Mattoon Township. The Union Special Drainage District of the Counties of Coles and Moultrie is partly in North Okaw Township, and partly in Moultrie County.
Town of Mattoon.—There have been organized in Mattoon two Drainage Districts under the Township Law, comprising land wholly situated in the Town of Mattoon. There is the Union Drainage District organized under the User Act, part of the land in which is in North Okaw. This district is known as Union Drainage District Number One, by user, of the Towns of North Okaw and Mattoon. There is a Union Drainage District, part of the land of which is in Lafayette. This is organized under the User Act and is Union Drainage District Number One, by user, of the Towns of Mattoon and Lafayette. There are two Drainage Districts in Mattoon organized under the Levee Act in the County Court; one is the Little Wabash Drainage District, and the other is the Kickapoo Drainage District.
Town of Paradise.— There are two Drainage Districts in Paradise. Drainage District Number One originally comprised land wholly in Paradise Township, but has since been enlarged to comprise some land in Neoga Township in the County of Cumberland. Drainage District Number Two is a Drainage District organized under the User Act.
Town of Charleston.—There is a Union Drainage District, comprising land in Charleston and Seven Hickory.
Town of Ashmore.—A large district, organized in 1003 and called the "Pole Cat Drainage District," is now in litigation caused by the objection of the "Big Four" Railroad to having the ditch constructed across its right of way. The ditches made in these Drainage Districts were usually cut by a dredge boat, and were made wide and deep so that, but for the large amount of dirt piled by the dredger on either side, they look like natural creeks.
I have thus carefully, but briefly, gone over the general history of drainage in the county, because to this system is due largely the wonderful progress and development of the county. The best land was that which originally had the most water on it; and a man who was familiar with the county thirty years ago, and who has been absent since, would, on going over it now, marvel at the change.
The system has cost our people a great deal of money. The thirty-five drainage ditches enumerated have, perhaps, cost an average of seven to eight thousand dollars each, and it would be impossible to estimate the cost to the individual land-owner of the several hundred miles of tiling of various sizes, which have been laid, and the cost to the various towns and cities, of the many more miles laid along highways for their improvement.
It would seem that we have now about reached the limit of the making of drainage ditches in Coles County. At least, it is time to pause and consider whether further burdens upon landowners in that direction might not exceed the probable advantages resulting. The problem now before the land-owners is that of keeping these ditches open and clean, and preventing the outlets of tiling from becoming obstructed in order that the drains may not become filled up, thereby necessitating large expense in cleaning and relaying, or otherwise repairing them.
Agricultural Associations and Fairs.—On May 24, 1841, an association called the "Coles County Agricultural Society" was organized at Charleston. It held fairs in the fall of 1841, '42 and '43. Its first officers were James Hite, President; B. F. Jones, H. J. Ashmore and M. Ruffner, Vice-Presidents; J. F. Whitney, Secretary; and Thomas A. Marshall, Treasurer. In 1842, Thomas Monson was President; D. J. Vanderen, Secretary; and L. R. Hutchison, Treasurer. In 1843, James T. Cunningham was President, with the same Secretary and Treasurer as the previous year.
These first fairs were held in the northeast part of Charleston, in what was then "The Woods"—a space of ground being enclosed by stretching ropes from tree to tree.
After 1843, no more fairs were held until 1854 or 1855. Some old settlers say the first fair was held in 1854, and it is said that this first fair in the 'fifties was held in what used to be called "Ellington's pasture," a fine wooded piece of land in the southern part of Charleston. After that, the present location (adjoining Charleston on the west in Section 10) was obtained, which has been enlarged from time to time. Since 1855 the Society has held fairs each fall, uninterruptedly to this time.
The first premium lists were very simple. A premium was offered for the best horse, best bull, best mule, etc. There was no classification of kinds and breeds. But for many years the Coles County Fair was an incentive to farmers to improve their stock, and its annual exhibitions were attended by everybody who could get away from home. There were not so many other attractions in the earlier years of our history, and these annual fairs were looked forward to, and preparations made to attend them, long in advance of their date.
An examination of the records of exhibitors would disclose the names of the best farmers and best stock-breeders who have lived in the county for the past fifty years.
An organization called the "Mattoon Union Agricultural Association" was formed at Mattoon in 1859. I have been unable to find its old records, but James T. Cunningham, S. D. Dole & Bros., H. C. Wortham, J. L. and J. M. True, R. H. McFadden and other old-time citizens signed the call for the first meeting to organize the association. This meeting was held on February 19, 1859, and at that meeting it was decided that this should be not simply a County Fair, but a "Union" Fair, taking in all the counties contiguous to Coles.
The ground in the town of La Fayette, now subdivided as an addition to Mattoon, and known as "Grant Park Place," was obtained, and the first fair held there in the fall of 1859. Fairs were held there each fall, up to and including 1862, when the use of the grounds having been turned over to the Government as a camp or barracks for army recruits, the fairs were discontinued and never afterwards resumed.
The name "Grant Park" was given to this tract of land by its owner, who platted it, because the name "Camp Grant" had been given to it in May, 1861. In that month U. S. Grant, as a Government officer, administered the oath of allegiance to the Twenty-first Infantry in camp there, and the following month took command of it, as its Colonel, by order of Governor Yates.
In 1880 books were opened for subscriptions to the stock of a company to be organized for the purpose of obtaining the land in the south part of Mattoon, to be used as a Fair Ground. The organization was effected and Mark Kahn was elected President; I. N. Gibbs, Vice-President; Harrison Joseph, Secretary, and W. B. Dunlap, Treasurer. Fairs were held there a few times, but, not proving very successful financially, they were abandoned, and, in 1888, the Company was organized under the name of the "Mattoon Driving Park." Harrison Joseph was made President; H. S. Clark, Vice-President; H, E. Holmes, Secretary, and James H. Cunningham, Superintendent of the new organization. Several racing meetings were held thereafter and gradually discontinued. Mr. Joseph bought out the other stockholders, and became the sole owner of the ground. The "Mattoon Free Street Fair" will be taken up in the history of Mattoon.
CHAPTER VI.
IMPORTANT EVENTS.
NOTABLE POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS—EARLY ABOLITIONISTS—LINCOLN AND DOUGLAS CAMPAIGNS OF 1838 AND 1860—SOME FIRST THINGS—EARLY BIRTHS, MARRIAGES AND DEATHS—First Courts.—FIRST MURDER—A LYNCHING—TRAGIC STORY OF THE CHARLESTON RIOT OF 1864—A FAKE DUEL—REMARKABLE PHENOMENA—THE DEEP SNOW, THE FALLING STARS AND A SUDDEN FREEZE—FINANCIAL PANICS—EPIDEMICS—WAR HISTORY—COLES COUNTY SOLDIERS IN THE BLACK HAWK AND MEXICAN WARS—MILITARY ORGANIZATIONS AND PROMINENT SOLDIERS ENGAGED IN CIVIL WAR—COLES COUNTY SOLDIERS IN SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR.
The first election in Coles County after its organization was held at the house of James Ashmore (alluded to elsewhere), in what is now the town of La Fayette. Sixty votes were polled at this election.
Coles County has always been fighting ground between the leading political parties. In the days of the Whigs and Democrats, the Whigs had a slight advantage and it was called a Whig county. In those days voting was by viva voce, and it was said that when James G. Birney, in 1844, ran as the candidate for President of the "Liberal Party" (the original Abolitionist party in the United States), he received twelve votes in what is now Coles County, and the names of most of those so voting are given as follows: Joseph Allison, G. M. Ashmore, Theron E. Balch, William Balch, Wallace Balch, Zeno and Eugene Campbell, John and Isaac Rodgers and Hiram Rutherford. The names of the other two have escaped the memory of the old settlers who furnished this information. All of them were of southern origin except Rutherford, who came from Pennsylvania.
Early Abolitionists—Defeat of a Projected Kidnapping Case.—Hon. O. B. Ficklin is authority for the statement that, in 1847, there were thirty-three pronounced Abolitionists in the County (then including what is now Douglas County), and he mentioned the Rodgers, Balch, Campbell and Dryden families, in Pleasant Grove, and the Ashmores and Dr. Hiram Rutherford, at Oakland, as among them, and added that nine-tenths of them were from slave States. I quote from what he said further: "They were men of pluck and of the Cromwellian mold, sober, quiet, industrious and thrifty. They were lampooned and derided for being neither Clay Whigs nor Jackson Democrats. But they traveled on the even tenor of their way, voting their convictions and accepting defeat from a sense of duty."
During these years and up to the period of the Civil War thereafter, a system was in vogue in the North of assisting the negroes from the South to escape from slavery by coming north, known as the "Underground Railroad," and some of these men were ever ready to lend a helping hand to assist in such escape. Notable among those named in that connection were Hiram Rutherford, Gideon M. Ashmore and Joseph Allison, the latter of Pleasant Grove.
About 1847, one of the most important court cases that ever came up in Illinois, affecting slavery, was tried. Robert Matson came up from Kentucky and bought land in the northeast corner of Coles, but now embraced in Douglas County. He brought along several of his slaves. He made a public statement that they were here temporarily and would soon be sent back to his Kentucky plantation. Among them was a slave woman who had married a freedman, Anthony Bryant. He came along also. Matson's housekeeper lost her temper one day while he had gone to Kentucky, and told the negroes that they should all be sent to the far South (including the freedman) and sold. Thoroughly alarmed, they sought advice and, after being turned away by many, finally applied to G. M. Ashmore and Hiram Rutherford. These men heeded the appeal, took them in, and gave them shelter. Matson returned home, and, learning what had happened, his Kentucky blood warmed up to fever-heat. He employed Usher F. Linder and, later, Abraham Lincoln, and had the negroes arrested as fugitive slaves. Ashmore and Rutherford were not "bluffed." They at once employed O. B. Ficklin and Charles H. Constable (later a Circuit Judge), both Democrats of the deepest dye, in behalf of the negroes. A writ of habeas corpus was served, the question to be decided being: Were the negroes "held in transitu, while passing over the State," or were they "located for a time, by consent of their master." If they were simply held in transitu, that did not free them. If they were located, even temporarily, by consent of their owner, that would set them free.
The case came before Chief Justice William Wilson, who, on account of its importance, called in Supreme Judge Samuel H. Treat to assist in the hearing.
Never was a case fought with more vigor and earnestness than this, by those four famous lawyers, remarkable in the fact that the side of the negroes was taken by Democrats with natural sympathies for the South and its institutions, and that upon the other side was the man who later issued the fiat that emancipated the race. I wish I had space to dwell further upon the details, but must not. All the attorneys had the fullest confidence in the ability and fairness of the Judges, and, after the long arguments were ended, and due consideration given to the testimony by the Court, the painful suspense was ended by the announcement that the prisoners would be discharged and go free.
It was a glorious day for the Matson slaves, and the emotions felt by those "Cromwellian" characters who opened their pocket books, and defied public sentiment in behalf of the poor, frightened negroes, will have to be left to the reader's imagination.
Memorable Political Campaigns.—There were no very spectacular campaigns in the county until that of 1860. One of those famous debates of 1858 between Lincoln and Douglas had been held on the Fair Ground near Charleston, and it was attended by almost all the male population of the county. So that those burning issues which stirred the people of this country at that time, as they never had been stirred in any previous election, were brought close to the minds and hearts of the people of our county. That debate was one of the notable events in the county's history, and old settlers relate many interesting personal reminiscences connected with
The debate was held on the Fair Ground near Charleston on September 18th of that year, in the presence of a great throng of the partisans of both speakers; and, when later, these two leaders were nominated for the Presidency, the campaign began at once with great earnestness. Lincoln "Wide Awakes" were organized in every township, provided with oil-cloth capes and caps, and with torches for night meetings. The Douglas partisans were fully as active, and had their uniformed marching companies, each side vying with the other in the matter of noise and display of numbers in the processions. Speakers of national reputation came into the county to deliver addresses, and upon such occasions the whole day and evening were devoted to the meeting. Demonstrations began early in the morning by the firing of anvils and other noises. The speakers, on arrival, were escorted about the streets by a gorgeous procession of floats and decorated wagons. Young girls were arrayed in white or the national colors and represented the States of the Union. They were seated upon a great pyramid shaped float, which was drawn by six or eight white horses. The most beautiful young woman was arrayed as the "Goddess of Liberty," seated upon a spirited charger and attended by numerous liveried footmen, while the uniformed companies brought up the rear. The speech itself was punctuated by the most tumultuous demonstrations of enthusiasm on the part of the speaker's partisans, and often interrupted by loud hurrahs for the "other fellow" on the part of the opponents.
After dark the meeting was continued by a torch-light procession, with much noise, firing of anvils, red lights, etc., followed by speaking and the singing of campaign songs, the whole usually concluding with a display of home-made fireworks, consisting of the throwing of turpentine balls. Balls of cotton or candle wicking were made about five or six inches in diameter. They were thoroughly saturated with turpentine and ignited. The young men then stood out in the middle of the street and, taking them in their bare hands, threw them as far as possible. They would hardly touch the ground before some muscular youngsters would send them back whence they came. Sometimes four or five of these blazing balls would be seen hissing through the air at once, making a very effective and inexpensive display of fireworks.
The above—with variations—may answer for a general description of a campaign meeting in 1860. In that campaign the Lincoln candidates for Presidential Electors carried the County by twenty-eight plurality.
In 1863 the Republicans temporarily abandoned that name, and nominated candidates for county offices on what was called the "Unconditional Union Ticket." and it was elected over the Democratic ticket by about 170 majority. By the summer of 1864 the leading Democrats of the county, who had before that date advocated compromise and peace with the South on almost any terms, had, almost to a man. come out openly for the preservation of the Union, and for the prosecution of the war until the integrity of the Union was fully assured. The so-called "Charleston Riot" occurred in the spring of 1864, which was a violent political outbreak, described elsewhere in these pages as one of the "events" in our local history.
The campaign of 1864, though fervent, was not so spectacular as that of 1860. The Lincoln (or Republican) Presidential Electors carried the County by six hundred and fifty-five plurality.
In subsequent campaigns nothing notable calls for our attention, unless I might allude to the preliminary contest in 1880 within the ranks of the Republican party, between those who favored and those who opposed a third term for General Grant as a candidate for President. The party in Coles County shared in the general "warmth" which prevailed all over the State during that struggle.
For the past ten years the county has, as a rule, gone Republican at general elections by a plurality of five to eight hundred votes. In the election of 1904 the popularity of President Roosevelt, and the dissatisfaction of the Democrats with their candidate, had the same effect in Coles County as elsewhere, and the Republicans carried the county by a plurality of fourteen hundred and sixty-five for the Presidential Electors. In another chapter the full vote for President, from 1852 to 1904, is given.
Marriages, Births and Deaths.—The first births, deaths and weddings, and other events, in the county, are matters of interest; but it is difficult to get thoroughly reliable and accurate information about them. It is said that the wife of Daniel Drake, in Wabash Point, gave birth, at the age of 54 years, to a child, about 1826-27, and that a son was born to James Nees, of Hutton, in March, 1827.
A Mrs. Whitten, wife of a mill-wright on the Parker mill, is said to have died there about 1824-25. The date is uncertain and not fully authenticated. The following "first death" in Wabash Point is more circumstantial: James Nash injured himself, carrying a log with which to make a bee-gum, in 1829, and died. His neighbors split out walnut puncheons, made them as smooth as they could with an old drawing knife, and made his coffin. The women "varnished" it by melting and pouring bees-wax over it, and then, by running hot irons over it, giving it a polished surface. In the presence of all the population of that vicinity Nash was buried on the brow of the hill upon the east bank of the Little Wabash, in the northwest part of Section 4-11-7.
Soon thereafter a boy, "Adi," son of Charles Sawyer, died, and he, too, was buried upon that hill. Their bones now rest there alone and unmarked, while above them, each spring, the husbandman stirs the soil and each summer there nods and waves the growing grain.
James Jeems is said, by the Le Baron History of 1879, to have married a Miss Bates in 1827. That Bates family lived in La Fayette, and my best information is that a James James moved into La Fayette not earlier than 1828, I find no evidence that any one who spelled his name "Jeems" ever came into the county. Therefore, I prefer to dismiss that wedding and take the marriage of Levi Doty, who wedded Miss Phipps about that time, as the first authenticated wedding.
First Courts.— The first Circuit Court in the county was held before the log court house at Charleston had been completed. It was held in the woods near the residence of Charles Eastin, on land of Levi Flenner's, west of the State road on the south part of Section 7-12-9.
William Wilson, afterwards Chief Justice of the State Supreme Court, was presiding Judge. James P. Jones, of Clark County, was appointed by Judge Wilson at that session of the court to the office of Circuit Clerk, and his appointment was not liked by Coles County people. They believed that Coles County citizens should fill local offices. Jones must have been a man with a "pull." He was appointed our first Recorder, and was also appointed, by the Governor, Coles County's first Probate Judge. It was not until later that these officers were elected by the people.
The records of these first courts have been lost, so that little is known of them, but the first Circuit Court already referred to as having been held in the shade of the trees in the western edge of Charleston Township, has been thus picturesquely described. "The Judge sat on a log, the lawyers on rotten chunks, and the litigants and witnesses swung to the bushes round about."
Criminal History.— The first murder within the county was the killing of Nathaniel Killim by Todd Waltrip, in Charleston, about 1836. It was the result of a trivial quarrel in which whisky was the inciting cause, Waltrip stabbing Killim in the neck with a pocket knife. A short penitentiary term was the punishment awarded for the offense.
In October, 1855, Adolph Monroe shot and killed his father-in-law, Nathan Ellington, as the result of a little family disagreement, greatly augmented and stimulated by the fires of the whisky consumed by Monroe. It was a most lamentable occurrence. Ellington was a man of exceptional qualities, held high in the esteem of the people. Monroe was a man of splendid appearance, of fine address and born of one of the best families that Kentucky ever sent to our county. Monroe was tried, found guilty and sentenced to be hung. The Governor granted a thirty days' respite, and the sullen spirit of the mob arose. It was the old story. Men who, as individuals, respected the law and loved order, became under the malign influence of that spirit, the agents of a merciless vengeance. The jail where Monroe was confined was the brick building which yet stands in Charleston, on the west side of Sixth between Madison and Jefferson streets. It was surrounded, its guards overpowered and Monroe was hustled, carried, dragged through the streets, to a point south of the Western School building, where stood a tree about two hundred feet north of the bridge that crosses the "Town Branch" on Jackson Street. To a limb of that tree he was suspended until life was extinct, and the insanity of intemperance and the insanity of the mob had once more jointly accomplished their perfect work.
The county was again disgraced and its law-abiding citizens humiliated in 1888 by the lynching of a negro charged with assault upon a white woman. The assault was said to have occurred in Mattoon, and the only evidence furnished was the story of the woman herself, who was a stranger passing through the city and who had stopped between trains at night in the waiting room of the station. She charged that the negro, William Moore, inveigled her outside and into a vacant lot, where the assault was committed. The negro was arrested and confined in jail at Charleston, and at night a mob took him out of the jail and hung him on the water-tank of the Clover Leaf Railroad. Word came afterwards that the woman was of bad character and unreliable in her statements, but it was too late. The negro had been a man of good reputation, and his executioners have escaped punishment, except such as their consciences could inflict. Coles County has had its share of murders and trials for murder, but I hope I shall be pardoned by the reader if I drop the subject here.
The Charleston "Riot."— On March 38, 1864, occurred that most unfortunate affair in our county history—the so-called "riot" at Charleston. The Fifty-fourth Illinois Infantry (Col. G. M. Mitchell) had, a short time before, arrived home from the South on veteran furlough, and had gone into camp at the barracks near Mattoon. Many of its members had gone from this county and some of them lived in and near Charleston. These soldiers had leave to visit their families, and so, for several days prior to the above date, they were upon the streets of Charleston. At first their minds were full of the visits with relatives and the joys of home-coming. After a few days they longed for more excitement. They passed upon the streets men from the country round about, who, they were told, were sympathisers with the South—"Butternuts" or "Copperheads." It occurred to the soldier boys that it would be great fun to halt these men, question them as to their loyalty, and then take them before a Justice of the Peace and have them take the oath of allegiance to the Government. This was done with several of them and so, day by day, they watched for more "Butternuts" to make take the oath. Many of the men charged with entertaining this Southern sympathy were discreet enough to remain out of the town during this time. Others, however, felt that their personal liberty and rights were being trampled upon wantonly by these young soldiers; and, possessed of a spirit of bravado, they armed themselves and came into the town several different days prior to the date of the riot, and bloodshed was only avoided by the narrowest of margins several times before it did occur. On that day, two boys about the same age—of whom the writer of these lines was one—having been privileged as boys to hear talk from both sides which indicated trouble, determined to remain away from school and see what would happen.
The Circuit Court was in session, Judge Charles H. Constable presiding, with Sheriff John H. O'Hair in charge. The Fifty-fourth Regiment had been ordered to return to camp at Mattoon on that day, but some of the soldiers were still upon the streets at Charleston. It had been announced that John R. Eden would speak, and the country people were in town in great numbers. Eden, however, left town early and did not speak. Among the people upon the streets were many who had been hustled about and forced to take the oath, together with their younger and more active friends. The Wells boys (Nelson and David) were among them. They were evidently prepared for trouble. Many had come in wagons, which, later developments showed, carried concealed guns. Such soldiers as were there were mostly unarmed and not expecting any serious concerted attack. On the east and west sides of the Court House were small brick buildings used as offices, the one on the west side being used as the Clerk's office. About that office were gathered scores of country people, court attendants and others standing around. Among them were the two boys who stayed away from school. About three o'clock in the afternoon Oliver Sallee and some other soldiers came into the west gate of the yard and sauntered up to the little building, and Sallee leaned against the south wall. Nelson Wells and some of his friends separated from the crowd and started as if going out of the west gate. As they got opposite the little brick house, something was said. What it was, or by whom, cannot now be told; whether a casual remark or a challenge by Sallee or some one about him is uncertain, but Wells stopped, faced Sallee and leveled his revolver. So instantaneously that it is doubtful which drew first, Sallee's revolver was leveled at Wells. Two shots rang out and both men fell. There was a scattering fusillade of fire-arms thereafter lasting several moments. The two boys alluded to ran east around the south side of the Court House, and glancing back, they saw the soldier, Alfred Swim, fall and roll over in his death-struggle. The boys ran east into the front door of Felix Landis' tailor shop, which was in the middle of the block directly across the street east of the Court House. Continuing through the shop and out of its back-door, they saw Judge Constable, white and trembling, in an angle of the wall in the alley to their right, evidently uncertain what to do or where to go next. How a man of his portly form could have vacated the Judge's bench, come down from the court room, and got there so soon after the firing began never ceased to be a wonder to those boys. Having thus been circumstantial as to the beginnings and culmination of this sanguinary little encounter (miscalled a "riot"), I shall be as brief as I can with the remainder of the story.
Those killed outright, or who died later from their wounds, were: Maj. Shubal York, James Goodrich, Alfred Swim. William C. Hart, John Neer, and Oliver Sallee, soldiers, and Nelson Wells, Copperhead.
The following were wounded, most of them slightly: Col. G. M. Mitchell, Thomas Jeffries, William Oilman, William Decker, John Tremble, George Ross, Sanford Noyes, Young E. Winkler and John Henderson.
Colonel Mitchell telegraphed to Mattoon and a squad of thirty or forty, composed partly of soldiers of the Fifty-fourth Regiment and partly of members of the Mattoon Rifle Company (a local military organization) was hurriedly gathered into a box car and taken with all the speed of the locomotive to Charleston. This squad was in charge of Mustering Officer Robert Mann Woods, now (1904-5) the Department Commander of the Illinois G. A. R. They were placed in charge of the Court House and directed to guard there any prisoners who might be brought in. Other soldiers of that regiment came over later, and they remained in Charleston for several days.
The city and country were scoured by soldiers and citizens in the search for those who were seen to have used weapons in the melee, or were suspected of having done so. John Cooper of Hutton Township, who had been in the city, was followed, overtaken and brought back. A part of the Mattoon Rifie Company and some of the soldiers were lined up on the south side of the Court House yard. Cooper was brought up the street from the east, and as his captors started with him toward the south gate of the yard, he must have become panic-stricken at the sight of so many men with shining guns, for he hesitated and then started to run. A volley was fired and Cooper fell dead. Two or three of the bullets hit the man aimed at, but most of them went wide of the mark. Some struck the sidewalk and some the tops of the brick buildings. One of these wild bullets pierced the front door of the Jenkins dry-goods store, then located about three doors east of the middle of the block on the south side of the square, and killed John Jenkins, a younger brother of W. M. and E. A. Jenkins, who had gone to close the door, thus making two more deaths in addition to the list heretofore given.
The following is probably as complete a list as can now be made of those who were arrested. Some of them, after being taken to Springfield, were sent to Fort Delaware, and after remaining there awhile, were released. One of the Murphys died while at Springfield. Several were indicted for murder and tried at Effingham and acquitted —among them, John Redmon, James O'Hair and G. W. Rardin. The list consists of several Rardins—G. W. and B. F. and some others; Michael and Miles and J. W. Murphy; James O'Hair, Jr.; W. P. Hardwick, and perhaps another one or two Hardwicks; H. P. Tichnor; B. E. Brooks, W. C. Beatty; Y. E. Winkler; Aaron Bryant; John T. Taylor; John Redmond; G. J. Collins; John Rennels; John Herndon; Minor Shelbourn, a Mr. Honk and a Mr. Thornhill. The principal offenders succeeded in escaping and were never arrested.
Unfortunate as this affair was, it cleared the atmosphere in many respects. There was no more evidence thereafter in Coles County of any organized disloyalty to the Government.
A Fake Duel.—Going back thirty years prior to the affair just described, the following "sanguinary" affair is vouched for by old settlers as having occurred near Charleston in 1834: A difficulty had arisen between one Peter Glassco and one John Gately, which blood alone could settle. So a challenge to a duel was sent by one and accepted by the other. Seconds were selected and "hoss-pistols" chosen as weapons. In gloomy silence the hostile parties met at the appointed time and place. The seconds conferred in low tones. The ten paces were stepped off by them, the pistols loaded with powder only—but Glassco, who had been the most belligerent and determined that blood alone could atone for the insult given him, was not apprised of the fact that bullets had been left out. Gately had been instructed to fall at the first fire. This he did, and one of his seconds deftly and lavishly splattered his face and clothing with "blood" from a bottle of poke-berry juice provided for that purpose. Glassco came up and gave one look at his victim, and, terrified at the sight of so much blood, exclaimed, "My God, I have killed him!" threw down his pistol and fled. Some time afterward word reached him that Gately still lived, and that the horrible blood he had seen was only the life fluid of the pokeberry, and he returned to the county cured of all desire to fight duels..
Notable Phenomena.—Three natural events occurred in the 'thirties that were so much out of the usual course of natural things that they were subjects for conversation for many years afterwards. The first was the deep snow of the winter of 1830-31. Snow began falling in November and continued at frequent intervals until late in January, a large part of the time being from two to three feet deep, and drifted in many places to a depth of six feet. Besides, the winter was cold and those first settlers, poorly provided with houses and other things that make for comfort, suffered intensely. The melting of the snow in February caused a flood of water, and a sudden reversal of temperature covered the earth with a glare of ice. Horses and oxen both had to be shod to be able to travel, and few had the facilities to shoe them at home. Food supplies ran low and stock suffered for both food and water. People ventured out only for absolute necessities such as food and fuel. It was a bad time for the pioneers, but as all things have an end, spring came at last to their relief.
The next in order was the meteoric shower, the phenomenon called by the settlers the "Falling Stars," on the night of November 13, 1833. This occurred all over the country, and scientists have explained it to us, over and over to their own satisfaction at least. Mr. Hiram Tremble has left the following description of this event: "The air was full of falling drops of fire that immediately expired as they neared the ground. Sometimes they would alight on a leaf of a bush of a tree, and go out with a peculiar noise difficult to describe. It sounded something like 'tchuck,' given with the shortest possible sound of the vowel." Early in the morning before daybreak, Mr. Tremble was out with his ox-team; the air was cool, with a light frost. "At the start," said he, "I had nearly a mile of timber to pass through. The meteors were falling about me as thick as hail or as rain-drops in an ordinary shower. Some were so large as to cast shadows on the trees. Many of them came in contact with trees in falling, and burst, throwing off a myriad of sparks, illuminating the forest all about me. Emerging into the prairie, the sight was even more grand. All about and above me the air was full of the falling sparks, none of which touched me or my oxen. They did not seem to reach the ground, but expired as they neared it." Many of the people believed it was the beginning of the end of all things, and it was some time before the fear wore away sufficiently to enable people to resume their normal manner of living.
The next event in that memorable decade was the "Sudden Freeze" of December 20, 1836. It had been rather warm, and a slight rain had fallen in the forenoon upon a few inches of snow that lay upon the ground, turning it into slush. About the middle of the afternoon, a heavy cloud was noticed coming rapidly from the northwest. It came with a wind blowing at the rate of sixty or seventy miles an hour and was accompanied by a terrific roaring noise. As it passed over the country everything was frozen instantly. Water in little streams and gullies was thrown into waves by the wind and then frozen before it could subside. Chickens running through the slush and mud for shelter were caught, held fast and frozen to death.
Animals, both domestic and wild, that were out in exposed positions, were chilled through and many were frozen standing in their tracks. Men attending to work out of doors and wading about in the water and slush walked upon ice before they could reach a house for shelter, even though it were near by. Many human lives were lost. In this county, three men were said to have perished near the Seven Hickories. The wave passed over Central Illinois, a strip of country in the southern half of Indiana, and was last heard from just below Cincinnati.
The dates of many family happenings and neighborhood events were fixed upon the memory of these early settlers by remembering that they occurred just before or just after the "Deep Snow," the night of the "Falling Stars," or the time of the "Sudden Freeze."
January 1, 1864, was remembered as the Cold New Year's Day. There was a great snow storm on the day and night before, the snow drifting so much that it covered fences out of sight in many places, stopped traffic on the railroads and "snowed in" the people so that it was difficult for them to go about. The snow was followed at once by a great drop in the temperature, which caused intense suffering, and the death of large numbers of stock and poultry. Three children of the Hendricks family, near Whitley's Point, were frozen on their way from school, and one man was frozen east of Charleston.
A Sham Wedding That Proved a Reality.— An incident is told in the Le Baron History, upon the authority of Captain Adams, that is worth repeating, particularly as it refers to one of the county's most popular pioneers and his estimable wife—Mr. and Mrs. Richard Stoddert—both of whom have long since passed away. It seems that Henry Clay Dunbar was a Justice of the Peace in Charleston, and that he and Mr. Stoddert were both fond of perpetrating practical jokes, and "one bleak, dreary day, in the month of March—as disagreeable as March days can sometimes be—Mr. Stoddert told 'Squire Dunbar that a friend of his in the north part of the county, some eighteen or twenty miles from town, was to be married on that day, and had requested him (Stoddert) to send Dunbar to perform the ceremony. Dunbar, nothing doubting, mounted his horse and rode up to the designated place to tie the knot; but upon arriving, discovered that it was one of Stoddert's jokes. He said nothing but indulged internally, perhaps, in a few pages of profane history. Returning home through the March blasts, taking it all good-naturedly, and biding his time to pay off Stoddert in his own coin, an opportunity was soon presented. It was a custom at that day, at parties and gatherings of young people, by way of giving zest to the evening's entertainment, to get up a sham wedding of some couple who had been 'keeping company' or were particularly sweet on each other, and have a sham ceremony performed with all due solemnity by some sham official or sham clergyman. Soon after Dunbar's 'fruitless trip" above mentioned, one of those social parties came off in Charleston, and, with the design of retaliating upon Stoddert, Dunbar went to the County Clerk's office and procured a marriage license for Stoddert and a certain young lady with whom he had been keeping company for some time. Armed with this document, he repaired to the party, and so engineered matters as to get up the usual sham wedding between Stoddert and his sweetheart. As Justice of the Peace, he was, of course, called upon to perform the (supposed) sham ceremony. Confronting the pair with all the solemnity he would have used had it been a pre-arranged wedding 'for keeps,' he asked the usual questions required by law, and was answered satisfactorily, winding up by informing them that, as they were aware, he was an officer authorized by law to perform the marriage ceremony, and asked if it was their desire to be united in holy wedlock. They answered in the affirmative, and holding the license in his hard (which they supposed was but a piece of blank paper, used for the sake of appearance), he went through the marriage ceremony in full, receiving the responses, and solemnly pronounced them 'man and wife,' turned away and made out the certificate with the usual witnesses, and went over to the Clerk's office, and made a return of the license and had the certificate recorded that night, without a hint to the pair of the genuineness of the proceedings. The next day, however, the matter leaked out; and so many of Stoddert's friends joked him about being married in the novel manner described, that he went to the Clerk's office to investigate, and found it true—the papers in the case returned and recorded in due form. He then went to the girl and told her what had occurred, when quite a little excitement arose. She cried and Stoddert swore (perhaps), not that they objected to each other, but to the way they had been inveigled into it. At last Stoddert told her that they had better make the best of a 'horrid joke' and call it genuine. She responded that, perhaps, she would never be able to do any better in the selection of a husband, and so the sham wedding was turned into a genuine afifair. Before leaving the subject we will add that, if all reports be true, Charleston never knew a happier couple than the one united in this romantic manner."
Old Settlers' Association.— In the fall of 1878 an "Old Settlers' Association" was organized at Charleston. O. B. Ficklin called the meeting to order, A. P. Dunbar was made Chairman and W. E. Adams, Secretary; I. J. Monfort, Isaac N. Craig and Thomas G. Chambers were appointed a committee to report on a plan of organization. O. B. Ficklin, Richard Stoddert and Dr. S. Van Meter were constituted a committee to define an "old settler," and their report was to the effect that thirty years residence in the county made one eligible to become a member of the Association.
T. G. Chambers was made President and W. E. Adams, Secretary for the ensuing year, and the following chosen Vice-Presidents: Albert Compton, Thomas E. Woods, Adam W. Hart, Jesse K. Ellis, James Shoemaker, James McCrory, I. J. Monfort, E. R. Adams, Peter K. Honn, J. J. Pemberton, Y. E. Winkler and Isaac Perisho. An executive committee was chosen as follows: J. W. Frazier, Abram Highland, Dr. S. Van Meter, Col. A. P. Dunbar and George Birch. Talks on old times were made by J. J. Adams, William Rigsbey, Uncle John Bates, Aunt Polly Kellogg and others, and Job W. Brown, Jeptha Parker, Isaac N. Craig and Michael Hall were others in attendance. Very soon thereafter these venerable men began passing away from earth, and I cannot learn of any subsequent meeting. Today, of all those named above, only J. W. Frazier is still alive.
Financial Panics.—Coles County people have shared in the demoralizing effects of the several financial panics that have occurred in the country. Times were hard and produce cheap in that depressing period before and after 1840. But our people at that early date lived so much within themselves, and their relations with the outside world were so few and unimportant, that they were not seriously affected. From 1857 to about the beginning of the second year of the Civil War was a period of stagnation and extremely low prices for the things produced by our people. From 1859 to 1863 corn sold as high in local markets as 30 cents and as low as 8 cents per bushel; rye from 20 to 30 cents; oats from 10 to 15 cents; potatoes from 30 to 40 cents; eggs from 5 to 10 cents per dozen. These figures will give a general idea of prices. State banks failed all over the country (including the one at Charleston), because their circulation was based on bonds of Southern States, which soon proved worthless. Such paper money as circulated was below par and fluctuated in value from day to day, generally on a declining scale, causing great loss to the people. Bank notes were variously designated as "Stump Tail," "Red Dog" and "Wild Cat" currency. The effect of the war after 1862, was rapidly to advance prices of all commodities.
When the panic of 1873 came, the county had become large enough and its interests were sufficiently diversified to make it a most serious affair to many of our people, and resulted in hardship to all. There were many failures of business men, prices of our products were low, and even that thing which lies at the bottom of our prosperity—our black soil—became so cheap that some of the best of it, even near Mattoon and Charleston, and pretty well improved, changed hands during several years following 1873 at $20 to $30 per acre.
Several years were required to recover from the effects of that panic, but at the time of the election of Grover Cleveland to the office of President in 1892, the whole country seemed to be again in the full tide of prosperity with the promise of many years of continuance. The following year, however, all was again changed; panic had again seized the hearts of the managers of the country's great business interests, and the people were entering upon another period of depression. Its effects were not so severe, nor so prolonged, however, as those of the panic of 1873. For several years past our farmers have been getting 35 to 50 cents per bushel for corn; $75.00 to $100.00 per ton for broom-corn; 20 to 35 cents for oats; remunerative prices for cattle, hogs and horses and the resulting prosperity of farmers has naturally extended to all classes of people. Prairie farms have been selling readily for three or four years past at $100 to $150 per acre.
Epidemics.—Coles County, in common with most of the interior regions of the country, has been comparatively free from violent scourges of epidemic and contagious diseases. About 1851 the Asiatic Cholera carried away many of our people, but the alarm was out of proportion to the actual number affected. Hundreds left the county without stopping to pack their trunks. and the excitement was great for a time. There is said to have been a previous visitation of the cholera here (about 1832) and, though the population then was small, the number of deaths was probably as large in proportion as in 1851.
Our cities and villages have had occasional visits of the small-pox, and have had to exercise great vigilance to keep it from spreading. But in recent years that disease, though recognized as one of the most loathsome that afflicts humanity, has not alarmed people as it did many years ago. Its nature and treatment are now better understood.
County Buildings.— In the year 1831 the first Court House was built north of the 'Town Branch," on about where Sixth Street now runs in Charleston. It was the usual primitive building, somewhat more embellished by having its logs hewed instead of being covered with the bark, but otherwise finished in the same manner and furnished with wooden benches for seats. In 1835 this building was abandoned and a new brick structure erected on the site of the present Court House. It was probably the first brick building erected in Charleston. The contract for its construction was let to Leander Munsell, of Edgar County, who sent over James Wiley (the father of Eli, Leroy and the others of that name) to do the brick work. It was a square building with a hip roof, and surmounted by a wooden cupola for the bell. The contract price was $5,000. The foundation was constructed of Ambraw River stone. About 1858-60 this building was enlarged by an addition on the north side, with wide porticoes supported by great round brick pillars. Between 1864 and '66 the same design as that on the north side was carried out all around the building on the three other sides. The court room was removed to the second story, offices for county officials and jury rooms were put in, and part of the lower story fitted up for the jail.
This building stood until 1898, when the present building was erected, which is described in the local history of Charleston, elsewhere in this work. The County Board of Supervisors passed an order to "repair" the Court House, and, under that order, proceeded to tear the building completely down and to build anew. This was considered by a great majority of the people of the county as a gross act of usurpation and a violation, not only of law, but of that principle of reasonable fairness, which all representative bodies are supposed to be governed by, and which would have prompted a preliminary expression of the people before contracting to expend such an enormous sum of the people's money. Several votes have since been taken to ratify this act of the County Board, and provide the funds to pay the debt, but so far the proposition has been defeated by large majorities.
The first jail was also a log building near the first Court House. It was built in 1832-33. About 1842 a brick jail was built on Sixth Street between Madison and Jefferson. This building still stands there and remained the jail until the Court House was remodeled in 1864 to 1866, and the jail was placed in the first story of the Court House. In 1891-92 the present commodious jail building was erected on Seventh Street at a cost of about $25.000.
As to the care of the poor in early county history, the records indicate that it was done in a very desultory fashion. Some kind of a poor farm seems to have been provided near the south line of the county in early years. In 1855 the county purchased of George Halbrook about a hundred acres in Sections 15 and 16-11-9, near Farmington, at a cost of $1,100. This was used as a "Poor Farm." until 1867, when it was sold and land in Section 7-12-9, in LaFayette Township, was purchased by the County for a poor farm at a cost of about $5,000. This was sold in 1870. and in the same year about 260 acres purchased of A. N. Graham, on the east side of Section 35-13-10, in the town of Ashmore, a part of which has been sold since, but the most of it is still retained. A large brick building has been erected on it. which is the home of the indigent wards of the county. The Superintendent lives in a house near by.
WAR HISTORY.
Some of Coles County's people have participated in every war in which this country has ever been engaged. Pioneers George Cottingham, John Parker. Joseph Painter, Griffin Tipsoward and Elisha Hadden were in the Revolutionary War. and some of them applied for and obtained pensions after their removal to this county.
Samuel Ashmore commanded a company under General Jackson at New Orleans, and George Cottingham, William Collom, Thomas Threlkeld, John Apperson and others were engaged in the War of 1812. Samuel Ashmore was a Captain and Dr. John Apperson a Sergeant-Major in that war.
Black Hawk War.— In the Black Hawk War Coles County, including the present counties of Cumberland and Douglas, had a company in the First Regiment of the Second Brigade, which was commanded by Capt. Thomas B. Ross.
The names of those in that company who probably went from the territory now embraced in Coles County, were: Isaac Lewis and Thomas Sconce, Second Lieutenants; Silas Parker and Samuel Doty, Sergeants; Van S. Eastin and James James, Corporals; and the following privates : Nathan Austin, John J. Adams, Thomas Barker, John Carrico, Reuben Canterbury, Har-man Eastin, Samuel Frost, Patrick Gordon, Gibson Gastin, John J. Gately, Jonathan Hart, Samuel Kellogg, S. H. Lester, Isaac Odell, Charles D. Phelps; Nathaniel, Benjamin, Jr., and Jonathan Parker; Obadiah Vincent, and John Young. There may have been others whose names are not remembered. Besides those in the above named company, Hiram M. Tremble went as a Second Lieutenant in a company from Shelby County, and G. B. Fancher and John D. Johnston were privates in still another company.
Pioneer Isaac N. Craig was a soldier in the Black Hawk War from Clark County, and other prominent citizens served in that war and removed here later.
Mexican War. —In the Mexican War, Captain William W. Bishop commanded Company D in the Third Regiment, made up of Coles County men, which, at that time, included Douglas. This company rendezvoused near the old spring on the land known afterwards as the Mooney farm, north of the State road in the northwest corner of Section 34-13-7. The night before they started away, they were cheered up and entertained by Samuel Van Meter (later the Doctor), who came to the camp and in his characteristic way, gave them imitations of Dick Newport, a famous early preacher in the county, and otherwise caused them to forget their sadness at parting from home and friends.
The names of those sufficiently familiar to indicate that they went from what is now Coles County, besides that of Capt. Bishop, are: John J. Adams, First Lieutenant; H. C. Dunbar, Second Lieutenant; Darius and Leroy Wiley, Sergeants; Arick A. Sutherland and Austin Wiley, Musicians ; and G. W. Cartmell, Thomas Dowling, Alex Griffin, Joseph Goode, Samuel Harmon, Wesley Hoge, Henry W. Louthan, George W. Miller, Samuel Miller, Francis Marion, Thomas Mitchell, Nathaniel Parker, Thomas Turner, Jackson Sublett, James Wiley, Reason Wiley, William C. Ashmore, Joseph Carter, Thomas Fancher, William C. Harmon, Moses Hart, James P. Owings, John D. Poulter, William Sublett, Bennett Cornwell, Harmon Eastin, Thomas Hart, and Joseph L. Winkler, privates. The company suffered much from sickness. The last four named died in the field and the preceding eight were discharged on account of disability. The company took part in the siege of Vera Cruz and the battle of Cerro Gordo. Of the whole company, there remain at this writing upon earth only four: Leroy Wiley, living in Paris, Ill.; Austin, his brother, in California; Joseph Goode, near Mattoon; and George W. Miller, in the Soldiers' Home, at Danville, Ill.
Civil War.— In the Civil War Coles County did her part nobly. Her sons were on many bloody battle-fields and hundreds of them never returned from the scenes of that terrible fratricidal strife. The first volunteers enlisted at Charleston and were mustered in Company C of the Eighth Regiment for three months, under the command of Col. Richard J. Oglesby. James M. Ashmore was its Captain; James B. Hill, First Lieutenant, and Daniel Sayer, Second Lieutenant. William S. Marshall, of Charleston, was the Second Captain of Company D in the same regiment.
Many Coles County boys were in Company E of the Twenty-fifth Illinois Volunteers (a three years' regiment), and that company had for its Captains Westford Taggart and William J. Sallee, both of Charleston. Taggart later became Lieutenant Colonel of this regiment.
U. S. Grant was appointed Colonel of the Twenty-first Illinois Infantry, by Governor Yates, in June, 1861, and assumed command of the regiment on the 16th day of that month, at its rendezvous near Mattoon; and from that, as a starting point, began the brilliant career of this great soldier which has made his name immortal.
Judge A. M. Peterson, long an honored citizen of our county, commanded a company from Jasper County in that regiment.
Company D, of the Forty-first Regiment, commanded first by Edmund VV. True, who was killed at Fort Donelson. then by R. H. McFadden, and then by Joseph Withington, was made up largely of Coles County volunteers. R. H. McFadden was later promoted to be Major of the regiment.
The Forty-ninth Regiment was without any privates from Coles County, but William \V. Bishop, who commanded a company in the Mexican War, was its Lieutenant Colonel.
The Fifty-fourth Regiment, which had for its Second Colonel, G. M. Mitchell, of Charleston, who later was promoted to Brevet Brigadier General, included very many Coles County soldiers. Company C of that regiment, commanded first by Byrd Monroe, then by M. W. Robbins, and then by Henry M. McCrory, all of Charleston, was made up almost entirely of men from our county. Robbins later became a Major, and McCrory became Sergeant Major (non-commissioned staff) in the same regiment. William W. Purinton and Russell W. Williams, of Mattoon, were Captains of Company A, and James T. Smith, of Mattoon, was Captain of Company F in the Fifty-fourth.
The Sixty-second Regiment Illinois Infantry was commanded by Col. James M. True. It had some privates from here and several officers. Lewis C. True was First Adjutant, then Major and finally Lieutenant Colonel, and in command of the regiment at the date of its muster-out, March 6, 1S66. The late Dr. V. R. Bridges was a surgeon of the same regiment. Col. James M. True, while still a Colonel, was for a time in command of a brigade. This continued for a year or more, and just before the close of the war, he was promoted to Brigadier General by brevet.
The Sixty-eighth Illinois (a three months' regiment) had Houston L. Taylor, of Mattoon, for its Lieutenant Colonel, and Company C of this regiment was made up of Coles County men. The Captain of Company C was John P. St. John, of Charleston.
The One Hundred and Twenty-third Regiment had as its first commander Col. James Monroe, a most gallant and popular officer, who was killed at the battle of Farmington, Tenn., October 7, 1863. Jonathan Biggs, of Mattoon, succeeded Monroe as Colonel. James A. Connolly, then of Charleston, now of Springfield, was Major of the regiment. That regiment had in its ranks many Coles County soldiers, and Company A. commanded first by James B. Hill and then by Oscar F. Bane, both of Charleston, was made up entirely of volunteers from this county. Company D, commanded by James L. Hart, of Etna; Company H, commanded by A. C. Van Buskirk, John W. Champ and Thomas E. Woods, all of Mattoon; Company I, commanded by Williain E. Adams, then of Mattoon, and Company K, commanded by Owen Wiley, of this county, were all composed mainly of men from this county.
The One Hundred and Twenty-sixth Regiment embraced few privates from Coles County, but its first commander was Jonathan Richmond, of Mattoon. It was organized and mustered in at Alton, September 4, 1862, and mustered out July 12, 1865.
The One Hundred and Forty-third Regiment had for its Lieutenant-Colonel John P. St. John, of Charleston, who afterwards became Governor of Kansas. This regiment contained a large number of privates who entered the service from Coles County. Company A of this regiment, made up entirely of Coles County volunteers, was commanded by Capt. Richard S. Curd.
The regiments just named were all infantry regiments.
Thomas A. Marshall, of Charleston, was the first commander of the First Regiment Illinois Cavalry, and Company C, made up mainly of Coles County volunteers, had for its first Captain, G M. Mitchell, who was later made Colonel of the Fifty-fourth Infantry.
The Fifth Cavalry was largely recruited from Coles County. Thomas McKee, of Mattoon, was the first Captain of Company B; George W. McConkey, of Oakland, was the first Captain of Company E, followed by Francis M. Webb, of Coles County; and Benjamin G. Glenn, of Mattoon, was the Second Captain of Company I. of this regiment.
The True family was well represented, as the record shows. The following members of the family went from this county, and all of them were officers: James M., Edmund W., Lewis C, John W., James F., and Theodore E. True.
The Hart family, in the southern part of the county, probably had the distinction of sending a larger number of its members to the war than any other family in the county. The following is a list of the members of this family who enlisted and saw service: Aaron Hart, A. Y. Hart, Joseph Hart, J. D. Hart, W. P. Hart, D. S. Hart. W. H. Hart, E. B. Hart, A. Y. Hart, Jr.,. Samuel Hart, John Hart, Miles W. Hart, J. L. Hart. J. M. Hart and C. F. Hart; also the following, whose mothers were of the Hart family: J. F. Goar, Robert Floyd, Edward Floyd, John Kernels and Joseph Remels.
As an indication of the fidelity of the county to the cause of the Union in that memorable war, it may be stated that, by August 1, 1862, Coles County had sent to the front thirteen companies and had three more nearly full, making about sixteen companies in all. This would have been Coles County's quota for one hundred and sixty-three regiments—nearly twice as many as the State had furnished up to that time.
The Adjutant-General's report, issued early in 1864, showed that Coles County had then furnished to the Union Army more than her quota. Her quota, under the various calls up to that time, was about 1.339, but up to October 1, 1863, she had actually furnished voluteers to the number of 1.870—an excess of 531 above her quota— and this did not include those who had enlisted in regiments from Missouri and some other States. Not more than three, or possibly four, counties in the State furnished as many volunteers in proportion to actual population as did Coles County.
In July, 1863, about twenty men from Mattoon and vicinity, under the command of one Lane, a brother of T. P. C. Lane, went to Indiana to help drive out John Morgan, who was reported to be about to ravage that whole State. On their return, not having gotten sight of the famous guerrilla, but having shown their good intentions at least, they were tendered a complimentary dinner at the Pennsylvania House, in Mattoon, by its proprietor, Thomas McKee.
In August. 1863, a regiment of State militia was organized at Charleston, under a call of the Governor. McHenry Brooks was made its Colonel, James M. Ashmore, its Lieutenant-Colonel, and John P. St. John, its Major.
Many citizens who have been prominent in county affairs, enlisted elsewhere and moved to Coles County after the close of their term of service. In this category stand the names of Hon. H. A. Neal, of Charleston, and Hon. H. S. Clark. Col. J. F. Drish. Hon. L. Lehman, Capt. W. E. Robinson, of Mattoon, and others.
I feel that, in this brief review, I have not done justice to Coles County's share in the great war for the preservation of the Union. There are scores whose names deserve to be recorded here, but this is rendered impossible by lack of space in this publication. To the remnant of that great army still lingering on earth's shores, let us be tolerant and tender. For those who so freely laid down their lives that this Union might not perish, we can only scatter the flowers of each recurring spring upon the earth in which they sleep, and utter, with sorrowful lips, the universal benediction, Requiescat in Pace!
Spanish-American War.—In that short and sharp little difficulty with Spain in 1898, Coles County again was there with her share of volunteers. Company E, in the Fourth Regiment, Illinois Infantry, commanded by Charles E. Rudy, was made up—with only two or three exceptions— of Coles County boys, and quite a number of volunteers from this county were in other companies of that regiment.
The regiment went to Cuba early in January and remained there about three months, performing guard duty in the vicinity of Havana. It was not the fault of its members that they failed to do much fighting. The destruction of Spain's war vessels upon the sea by our great captains of the navy put Spain out of the war business so early, that the land forces had little opportunity to give evidence of their prowess.
CHAPTER VII.
POLITICAL AND STATISTICAL.
COLES COUNTY CREATED—NAMED FOR GOVERNOR COLES—EARLIER AND LATER COUNTY ORGANIZATIONS-COUNTY DIMENSIONS—COUNTY-SEAT ESTABLISHED AT CHARLESTON—FIRST COUNTY COMMISSIONERS— TOWNSHIP ORGANIZATION ADOPTED IN 1859—LIST OF COUNTY OFFICERS—MEMBERS OF GENERAL ASSEMBLY—REPRESENTATIVES IN CONGRESS—MEMBERS OF CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTIONS—CIRCUIT JUDGES—OTHER PUBLIC OFFICIALS—PRESIDENTIAL VOTE. 1852-1904—CONGRESSIONAL AND LEGISLATIVE APPORTIONMENTS—JUDICIAL DISTRICTS—VILLAGE ORGANIZATIONS—POSTOFFICES AND FIRST POSTMASTERS—POPULATION AND SCHOOL STATISTICS—COUNTY INDEBTEDNESS.
The history of Coles County, as a distinct political entity, begins with Christmas Day, 1830, when the act creating the new county was approved by Governor Reynolds. It took its name from Edward Coles, the second dovernor of the State.
Under the Territorial Government, Illinois was divided into two counties—St. Clair and Randolph. St. Clair was successively divided by the creation of new counties, so that the territory which now constitutes Coles County has been at different times a part of St. Clair, Madison, Crawford and Clark Counties, and after the creation of Edgar, the area lying west of the latter, including a part of what is now Coles County, was attached to Edgar for governmental purposes.
County Organization.—The limits of the county, as defined by the act creating it, approved December 25, 1830, were as follows: "Beginning at the northeast corner of Section 4 in Township 16 North, in Range 14 West of the Second Principal Meridian, thence west on the line dividing Townships 16 and 17, to the eastern boundary of Range 6 East of the Third Principal Meridian; thence south on said line dividing Ranges 6 and 7, the eastern boundary of Macon (as then constituted) and Shelby Counties, to the southwest corner of Clark County, Township 9 North, Range 6; thence east on the line dividing Townships 8 and 9 to the southeast corner of Section .31, the east boundary of fractional Range 11 East; thence north on said line, which is the division between fractional Range 11 and Range 14 (W. of the Second P. M.), to the northeast corner of Section 19 in said Range 11 in Township 12 North; thence to the northeast corner of Section 21 in Township 12 and Range 14; thence north on the sectional lines, the center of said range, to the place of beginning."
By the provisions of the same act William Bowen, of Vermilion County. Jesse Essarey, of Clark County, and Joshua Barber, of Crawford County, were appointed commissioners to meet at the house of Charles Eastin on the fourth Monday of January following (1831), or within five days thereafter, to determine the location of the county-seat for the new county, and the first election for the choice of county officers—one Sheriff, one Coroner and three County Commissioners— was to be held on the first Monday in February, 1831. Said first election was to be held at the places within the new county at which elections were held while it constituted a part of Clark County, and all courts were required to be held at the home of Charles Eastin until county buildings were erected or change of location was made by the County Commissioners' Court.
The boundaries thus established by the act of 1830 were identical with those now embracing the counties of Douglas, Coles and Cumberland, extending 48 miles from north to south and 28 miles from east to west, except a strip three miles wide off the east side of the south 21 miles, which remained attached to Clark County, from which Coles was taken. In 1843, Cumberland County was created by detaching 14 tiers of sections from the southern part of Coles; and in 1859, the county was again divided by the creation of the County of Douglas out of two and a half northern tiers of townships (a strip fifteen miles wide) except twelve sections north (and at the eastern end) of the main south line of Douglas County, and which constitutes the northeast part of Coles County. In this tract, which would have fallen into Douglas County had the line between Coles and Douglas extended unbroken from west to east, is situated the village of Oakland.
In 1857 an act was passed by the Legislature authorizing a vote to be taken by the counties of Coles and Champaign on the proposition to create a new county to be called Douglas, consisting of a tract three miles wide off the southern portion of Champaign and another fifteen miles wide from the north end of Coles. This proposition failed of adoption and, at its next session, the Legislature changed the boundaries of the proposed new county so as to take nothing from Champaign and leave Oakland to Coles, and in this form the proposition prevailed. As a consequence of these changes Coles County was shorn of three-fifths of its original dimensions, its western border (which was unchanged) being on the line between Towns 6 and 7 East of the Third P. M., its main northern border on the middle of Town 14 N. and its southern border two miles north of the south line of Town 11, while the eastern border is irregular, about one-third in the southern portion being on the eastern line of fractional Township 11 East, and the northern two-thirds in the middle of Town 14 West of the Second P. M. The area embraced within these boundaries amounts to 19 miles from north to south, by about 28 miles from east to west on the northern border and 25 miles on the southern border—making, with the irregularities or projections described, about 520 square miles.
County Seat Located.—The Commissioners appointed for that purpose by the enabling act creating the county of Coles in 1830, fixed the county-seat of the new county on the west half of the southwest quarter of Section 11, Town 12 North. Range 9 East of the Third Principal Meridian. This tract was purchased from the Government by Charles S. Morton and Benjamin Parker, and by them given and conveyed to the County Commissioners. In April, 1831, the Commissioners laid out the original town of Charleston on a part of this tract. The land was subsequently re-surveyed, the plat of the town extended to cover the whole tract, and the lots sold by the Commissioners from time to time and the proceeds paid into the county treasury.
County Government.—Isaac Lewis, George M. Hanson and Andrew Caldwell were elected County Commissioners at the first special election, held in February, 1831, the voting place being at the house of James Ashmore, in what is now Lafayette Township, and they held their offices until the regular election in August of the next year, when Isaac Lewis, Andrew Clark and James S. Martin were chosen. Biennially thereafter three Commissioners were elected until, by a change in the law, it was provided that the Commissioners should hold office for three years and one be elected annually. The Commissioners so elected constituted the County Commissioners' Court, which had jurisdiction in all matters concerning the county revenue, regulating and imposing the county tax in all cases of public roads and bridges, the auditing of accounts and, in general, the control and management of the county's property and business. They held four sessions each year—in March, June, September and December—and were authorized to hold special (or called) sessions when deemed necessary on account of urgent business, upon five days' notice.
This continued to be the form of government until the adoption of the Constitution of 1848, which provided for a County Court consisting of a County Judge and two Associates. W. W. Bishop became the first County Judge elected under this Constitution, and the first Associate Justices were John M. Logan and Hezekiah J. Ashmore.
Township Organization.—The affairs of the county continued to be managed by the County Court, as thus constituted, for twelve years. But in 1859 the form of county government was again changed by the adoption of the system known as township organization. This was done by vote of the people of the county at the general election, and John Monroe, James T. Cunningham and John Hutton were appointed Commissioners to divide the county into townships. Twelve townships were formed, which continue to exist with the same boundaries originally established. The town now known as Humbolt was originally called Milton, and it and the first postoffice here, called Milton Station, received their names from James Milton True, who had a store there and was known over the county as Milton True. Otherwise the names here given have remained unchanged.
Under the system of township organization the control of the business and affairs of the county is vested in a Board of Supervisors, composed of one Supervisor from each of the twelve townships, and Assistant Supervisors from such townships as are authorized by the general law to elect them. At present the Board consists of seventeen members—one Supervisor from each township, with three Assistant Supervisors from Mattoon and two from Charleston. James Monroe was the first Chairman of the Board of Supervisors, which held its first meeting under the new organization on May 7, 1860.
The change in the form of county government involved the organization of the townships as distinct municipalities. The assessment of property and collection of taxes, and the establishment and care of highways, which had before been under the control of the county, came under the jurisdiction of the Township Supervisors. The change was made from the county system, which prevailed generally in the Southern States, to that of the town-meeting plan of New England. The affairs of each township are under the immediate direction of the voters at the town meeting held in the spring of each year. At this meeting the Supervisor is elected who acts as a member of the County Board. He is also the Overseer of the Poor for his township and the custodian of its funds. There are also elected a Town Clerk, an Assessor and Collector of taxes, and Commissioners of Highways, who have charge of the establishment and maintenance of the public roads and bridges of their respective townships.
County Officers.—The following is a list of the persons who have held the different county offices, together with the years of their official incumbency:
Circuit Clerk.— James P. Jones, 1831-1836; Nathan Ellington, previous to 1855; James D. Ellington, 1855-1856; George W. Teel, 1856-1864; H. C. Wortham, 1864-18772; W. N. McDonald, 1872; A. H. Chapman, 1872-1873; E. E. Clark, 1873-1876; W. E. Robinson, 1876-1880; James H. McClelland, 1880-1884; Julian J. Beall, 1884-1888; John R. Hamilton, 1888-1892; W. F. Purtill, 1892-1899; R. R. Mitchell, 1899-1900; C. C. Ingram, 1900-1904. Mr. Ingram resigned in January, 1904, and Fred More, the present incumbent, was appointed to fill out the remainder of his unexpired term, and, at the November election, was elected for the full term of four years.
Sheriff.— Ambrose Yocum, 1831-1834; William R. Jeffries, 1834-1838; Albert Compton, 1838-1846; Lewis R. Hutchason, 1846-1850; Richard Stoddert, 1850-1852; Thomas Lytle, 1852-1854; John R. Jeffries, 1854-1856; H. B. Worley, 1856-1858; Maiden Jones, 1858-1860; I. H. Johnston, 1860-1802; John H. O'Hair, 1862-64; James B. Hickok, 1864-1866; G. M. Mitchell, 1866-1868; C. C. Starkweather, 1868-1870; A. M. Brown, 1870-1872; Owen Wiley, 1872-1874; George Moore, 1874-1876; James Ashmore, 1876-1878; John E. Brooks. 1878-1880; James Hamilton, 1880-1886; James H. McClelland, 1886-1890; William Checkley, 1890-1894; Amos H. Messer, 1894-1898; William Byers, 1898-1902; Newton M. Baird, 1902—.
County Judges.—James P. Jones, 1831-34; John F. Smyth, 1834: S. M. Dunbar, 1834-1835; William Collom, 1835-1837; Reuben Canterbury, 1837-1841; John W. Trower, 1841-1843; Robert S. Mills, 1843-1847; W. W. Bishop, 1847-1857; Gideon Edwards, 1857-1864; J. P. Cooper, 1864; McHenry Brooks, 1864-1869; A. M. Peterson, 1869-1873; W. E. Adams, 1873-1877; J. R. Cunningham, 1877-1882; Charles Bennett, 1882-1886; L. C. Henley, 1886-1894; Sumner S. Anderson, 1894-1898; John P. Harrah, 1898-1902; T. N. Cofer, 1902—.
County Clerk.— Nathan Ellington, 1831-1839; Loren D. Ellis, 1839; Nathan Ellington, 1839-1840; Enos Stutsman, 1840-184—; Samuel Huffman, 184 1853; James McCrory, 1853-1861; Jacob I. Brown, 1861-1865; W. E. Adams, 1865-1873; Richard Stoddert, 1873-1877; W. R. Highland, 1877-1886; John S. Goodyear, 1886-1890; Ed Arterburn, 1890-1894; T. L. Galbreath, 1894-1898; Ambrose C. Sellars, 1898-1902; Samuel Rardin, 1902—.
Treasurer.—A. G. Mitchell, 1831-1843; Richard Stoddert, 1843-1849; Thomas Lytle, 1849-1851; Jacob L Brown, 1851-1855; D. C. Ambler, 1855-1857; A. Y. Ballard, 1857-1859; Abram Highland, 1859-1863; D. H. Tremble. 1863-1869; H. M. Ashmore, 1869-1871; George Moore, 1871-1873; William B. Galbreath, 1873-1877; Joseph F. Gear, 1877-1882; Henry Fuller. 1SS2-18S6; Elias Monroe, 1886-1890; James Shoemaker, 1890-1894; Randall Alexander, 1894-1898; D. C. Gannaway, 1898-1902; Ralph Jeffries, 1902—.
Coroner.—Robert A. Miller was the first Coroner and served till 1836; Ichabod Radley, 1836-1838; Preston R. Mount. 1838-1842; A. G. Mitchell, 1842-1844; William Harr, 1844-1846; Stephen Stone, 1846-1858; James W. Morgan, 1858-1860; S. F. Crawford, 1860-1861; Dr. S. Van Meter, 1861-1862; D. P. Lee, 1862-1864; A. G. Mitchell, 1864-1868; O. D. Hawkins, 1868-1870; Joel W. Hall, 1870-1872; D. H. Barnett, 1872-1874; Lewis C. True, 1874-1882; Luther Aams, 1882-1884; William Kemp, 1884 to March, 1888; Jesse K. Ellis, March to November, 1888; Z. D. Wheat, 1888-1892; M. W. Robbins, 1892-1896; Moses Kershaw. 1896-1904; Thomas Grimes, 1904—.
Surveyor.— Thomas Sconce, 1831-1835; Joseph Fowler, 1835-1839; Thomas Sconce, 1839-1843; Lewis R. Hutchason, 1843-1847; Thomas Lytle, 1847-1852; John Meadows, 1852-1855; William A. Brown, 1855-1859; Lewis B. Richardson, 1859-1861; Thomas Lytle, 1861-1864; James S. Yeargin, 1864-1867; George A. Brown, 1867-1869; John H. Clark, 1869-1875; John L. Aubert, 1875-1878; Zelora Green, 1878-1892; Orville Cox, 1892-1896; William B. Watson. 1896-1904: Joseph A. Trimble. 1904—.
State's Attorney.—Prior to the adoption of the Constitution of 1870, Prosecuting Attorneys were elected in circuits consisting of several counties, and James R. Cunningham was the first Coles County man to hold the office. He defeated Joseph G. Cannon, the present Speaker of the National House of Representatives, who was then a resident of Douglas County. Cunningham served until 1864, when Joseph G. Cannon was elected. In 1868 General Boyle, of Paris, was elected, and it was provided by law that such Attorneys should remain in office for the full term of four years, even though the new Constitution of 1870 provided for a State's Attorney to be elected by the people of each county. The first election, therefore, under the new order of things, was in 1872, and James W. Craig was then elected. The list in full from that time is as follows: James W. Craig, 1872-1876; Robert M. Gray, 1876-1880; Samuel M. Leitch, 1880-1888; John H. Marshall, 1888-1896; Emery Andrews, 1896-1900; John F. Voigt, 1900-1904; John McNutt, 1904—.
School Commissioner.—Charles S. Morton was the first School Commissioner and held office until 1841, when he was followed by James Alexander, who held office until 1845. Other incumbents were: James B. Harris, 1845-1849; H. Mann, 1849-1851; Gideon Edwards, 1851-1853; James A. Mitchell, 1853-1855; Gideon Edwards, 1855-1861; W. H. K. Pile, 1861-1863; Perry Matthews, 1863-1863. The Legislature then changed the law so that, from that time on, the County School official was called County Superintendent of Schools, instead of Commissioner, and his term of office was four years. The list of Superintendents follows: Elzy Blake, 1865-1869; S. J. Bovell, 1869-1873; Allen Hill, 1873-1877; T. J. Lee, 1877-1886; A. J. Funkhouser, 1886-1890; Charles T. Feagan, 1890-1894; J. L. Whisnand, 1894-1898; John Sawyer, 1898-1903; W. E. Miller, 1902—.
The following is believed to be a complete list of those citizens of Coles County who have represented the county in the Legislature, in Congress and other important official positions:
| State Senators | General Assembly | Years |
| Byrd Monroe | 11, 12 | 1838-42 |
| George M. Hanson | 15 | 1846-48 |
| William D. Watson | 19, 20 | 1854-58 |
| Thomas A. Marshall | 21, 22 | 1858-62 |
| Charles B. Steele | 28, 29 | 1872-76 |
| Horace S. Clark | 32, 33 | 1880-84 |
| William B. Galbreath | 34 | 1884-86 |
| Thomas L. McGrath | 35 | 1886-88 |
| Lewis L. Lehman | 36, 37 | 1888-92 |
| Isaac B. Craig | 38, 39 | 1892-96 |
| Stanton C. Pemberton | 40, 41, 42, 43, 44 | 1896-06 |
| Representatives | ||
| John Carrico | 8 | 1832-34 |
| James T. Cunningham | 9, 10, 11, 12 | 1834-42 |
| Orlando B. Fricklin | 9, 11, 13, 31 |
1834-36 1838-40 1842-44 1878-80 |
| Alex P. Dunbar | 10, 14 |
1836-38 1844-46 |
| Usher F. Linder | 10, 15, 16, 17 |
1836-38 1846-52 |
| Thomas Threlkeld | 12 | 1840-42 |
| Joseph Fowler | 13 | 1842-44 |
| George M. Hanson | 13, 14 | 1842-46 |
| William D. Watson | 15, 18 |
1846-48 1852-54 |
| James E. Wyche | 20 | 1856-58 |
| Smith Nichols | 22 | 1860-62 |
| John Tenbrook | 23 | 1862-64 |
| James M. True | 25 | 1866-68 |
| George W. Parker | 26 | 1868-70 |
| Azariah Jeffries | 27 | 1870-72 |
| James R. Cunningham | 27 | 1870-72 |
| James A. Connolly | 28, 29 | 1872-76 |
| E. W. Vause | 29 | 1874-76 |
| Henry A. Neal | 30, 31 | 1876-80 |
| Eugene B. Buck | 32, 33 | 1880-82 |
| Isaac B. Craig | 36, 37, 40, 44 |
1888-92 1896-98 1904-06 |
| William H. Wallace | 38, 39 | 1892-96 |
| Charles C. Lee | 41 | 1898-1900 |
| Robert G. Hammond | 42 | 1900-02 |
| Representatives in Congress | |
| Orlando B. Ficklin | 1843-49 |
| Henry P. H. Bromwell | 1900-02 |
| Members of State Board of Equalization | |
| John F. Drish | 1879-80 |
| Joseph C. Glenn | 1884-96 |
| Richard Cadle | 1896-0 |
| Lieutenant Governor | |
| Thomas A. Marshall (President pro tem of Senate) | 1861 |
| Members of Constitutional Conventions | |
| Thomas A. Marshall | 1847 |
| Thomas B. Trower | 1847 |
| Orlando B. Ficklin | 1862 |
| Henry P. H. Bromwell | 1869-70 |
| Attorney General | |
| Usher F. Linder | 1837 |
| Judges of the Circuit Court | |
| James F. Hughes | 1885-91 |
| Frank K. Dunn | 1897-1903 |
| James W. Craig | 1903 |
In all of its history Coles County has furnished only two Congressmen. O. B. Ficklin, whose biography has been briefly given heretofore in these papers, was first a Whig and later a Democrat. H. P. H. Bromwell was a Republican. He was a tall, straight, fine looking man, of pleasing address, an excellent public speaker, and a creditable Representative. He lived in Charleston. In the early 'seventies he moved to Denver, Colo., where he died within the last two years.
Coles has been allowed by the other counties of its judicial circuit to have only three Judges of the Circuit Court during its history, notwithstanding the excellent material among its members of the legal profession. The first was James F. Hughes, of Mattoon, who served faithfully and well, so much so that he was afterwards made the first Judge of the City Court of Mattoon. The second was Frank K. Dunn, of Charleston, who, though comparatively a young man, proved himself to be a man of judicial temper and well qualified legally. His record upon the bench is most excellent. The third, James VV. Craig, of Mainttoon, is at present upon the bench. He is making a reputation as a Judge of ability and of judicial fairness second to none who have been upon the bench in this circuit, and is noted for the promptness with which he dispatches the business of his court without curtailing any of the rights of the litigants.
Presidential Vote.—In its earlier years Coles was a Whig county in National campaigns. The last Presidential election in which the Whigs had a candidate was in 1852, and, commencing with that year, the following table gives the vote of Coles County at Presidential elections up to 1904:
1852—Scott (Whig), 997; Pierce (Dem.), 733; Hale (F. S.), 2.
1856—Fremont (Rep.), 783; Buchanan (Dem.), 1,178; Fillmore (Am.), 796.
1860—Lincoln (Rep.), 1,495; Douglas (Dem.), 1,467; Bell (Un.), 79; Breckenridge (Dem.), 0.
1864—Lincoln (Rep.), 2,310; McClellan (Dem.), 1,555.
1868—Grant (Rep.), 2,658; Seymour (Dem), 2,247.
1872—Grant (Rep.), 2,647; Greeley (Lib.), 2,411.
1876—Hayes (Rep.), 2,957; Tilden (Dem.), 2,822; Cooper (Gr'nb'k), 102.
1880—Garfield (Rep.), 2,991; Hancock (Dem.), 2,905; Weaver (Gr'nb'k), 141.
1884—Blaine (Rep.), 3,193; Cleveland (Dem.), 3,234; Butler (Peo.), 69; St. John (Pro.), 73.
1888—Harrison (Rep.), 3,424; Cleveland (Dem.), 3,286; Fisk (Pro.), 145; Streeter (U. L.), 28.
1892—Harrison (Rep.), 3,693; Cleveland (Dem.), 3,611; Bidwell (Pro.), 203; Weaver (Peo.), 97.
1896—McKinley (Rep.), 4,534; Bryan (Dem.), 3,963; Levering (Pro.), 54; Palmer (Gold Dem.), 51; Mitchell (Soc. Lab.), 5. Bryan also received 19 "Middle of the Road" votes this year.
1900—McKinley (Rep.), 4,706; Bryan (Dem.), 3,921; Wooley (Pro.). 110; Debs (S. D.), 18; Ellis (U. R.), 11; Barker (Peo.), 6; Maloney (Soc. Lab.), 5.
1904—Roosevelt (Rep.), 4,901; Parker (Dem.). 3,435; Swallow (Pro.). 270; Watson (Peo.). 23; Corregan (S. L.).19; Debs (Soc). 169; Holcomb (Cont.), 11.
Congressional Districts.—Under the first congressional apportionment after Coles County was organized, made in 1831. Coles County was placed in the Second Congressional District with White. Hamilton, Jefferson, Wayne, Edwards, Wabash, Lawrence, Clay, Marion, Fayette, Montgomery, Shelby, Vermilion, Edgar, Clark and Crawford counties. 1856—Fremont (Rep.), 783; Buchanan (Dem.), 1,178; Fillmore (Am.), 796.
1860—Lincoln (Rep.), 1,495; Douglas (Dem.), 1,467; Bell (Un.), 79; Breckenridge (Dem.), 0.
1864—Lincoln (Rep.), 2,310; McClellan (Dem.), 1,555.
1868—Grant (Rep.), 2,658; Seymour (Dem), 2,247.
1872—Grant (Rep.), 2,647; Greeley (Lib.), 2,411.
1876—Hayes (Rep.), 2,957; Tilden (Dem.), 2,822; Cooper (Gr'nb'k), 102.
1880—Garfield (Rep.), 2,991; Hancock (Dem.), 2,905; Weaver (Gr'nb'k), 141.
1884—Blaine (Rep.), 3,193; Cleveland (Dem.), 3,234; Butler (Peo.), 69; St. John (Pro.), 73.
1888—Harrison (Rep.), 3,424; Cleveland (Dem.), 3,286; Fisk (Pro.), 145; Streeter (U. L.), 28.
1892—Harrison (Rep.), 3,693; Cleveland (Dem.), 3,611; Bidwell (Pro.), 203; Weaver (Peo.), 97.
1896—McKinley (Rep.), 4,534; Bryan (Dem.), 3,963; Levering (Pro.), 54; Palmer (Gold Dem.), 51; Mitchell (Soc. Lab.), 5. Bryan also received 19 "Middle of the Road" votes this year.
1900—McKinley (Rep.), 4,706; Bryan (Dem.), 3,921; Wooley (Pro.). 110; Debs (S. D.), 18; Ellis (U. R.), 11; Barker (Peo.), 6; Maloney (Soc. Lab.), 5.
1904—Roosevelt (Rep.), 4,901; Parker (Dem.). 3,435; Swallow (Pro.). 270; Watson (Peo.). 23; Corregan (S. L.).19; Debs (Soc). 169; Holcomb (Cont.), 11.
The next apportionment was in 1843. when Coles was placed in the Third District, with Lawrence, Richland, Crawford, Jasper, Effingham, Fayette, Montgomery, Christian, Shelby, Moultrie, Clark, Clay, Edgar, Macon, Dewitt and Piatt counties.
In 1852 Coles was assigned to the Seventh District, with Logan, Macon, Piatt, Moultrie, Edgar, Clark, Cumberland, Effingham, Jasper, Clay, Crawford, Lawrence, Richland and Fayette.
In 1861 (still remaining in the Seventh District) Coles was associated with Macon, Piatt, Champaign, Douglas, Moultrie, Cumberland, Edgar, Vermilion, Iroquois and Ford.
In 1872 it became a part of the Fourteenth
District with Macon, Pratt, Champaign, Douglas and Vermilion.
In 1882 the Fifteenth District consisted of Coles, Edgar, Douglas, Vermilion and Champaign.
In 1893 the Nineteenth District was composed of Coles, Edgar, Cumberland, Clark, Effingham, Jasper, Crawford, Richland and Lawrence.
In 1901 Coles County was again placed in the Nineteenth District, with Douglas, Champaign, Pratt, Dewitt, Macon, Moultrie and Shelby Counties.
Legislative Districts.— Prior to 1848 the number of Senators and Representatives elected from the whole State underwent many changes, on account of the rapid changes in population in the different counties of the State. The Constitution of 1818 made it the duty of the Legislature, at its first session, to apportion the Senators and Representatives among the several counties or districts, to be established by law, according to the number of white inhabitants in the same. The only restriction as to numbers prescribed that the Representatives should not be less than 27, nor more than 36, until the population of the State should amount to 100,000. and that the number of Senators should never be less than one-third nor more than one-half the number of Representatives. Under this provision the first Senate consisted of 14 members—one from each county except Franklin, which was united with Johnson—and 28 Representatives, or in the proportion of one Senator to two Representatives.
Upon the adoption of the Constitution of 1848. the State was divided into twenty-five Senatorial and fifty-four Representative Districts. Each Senatorial District was allowed one Senator, and each Representative District was allowed one or more Representatives, according to population, the total representation of the latter being 75 members each. Senatorial and Representative Districts were not identical as now, but each underwent changes after each decennial census. Coles County was then placed in the Tenth Senatorial District with Vermilion, Pratt, Champaign, Moultrie and Cumberland Counties, and as the Eleventh Representative District, it was allowed one member of the House. In 1854 the State was again apportioned, and Coles was made a part of the Eighteenth Senatorial District with Vermilion. Edgar and Cumberland Counties, and was associated with Moultrie as the Twenty-fifth Representative District, which was given one member of the House.
In 1861, Coles with Douglas, Champaign, Ford, Vermilion and Iroquois Counties, constituted the Ninth Senatorial District, and with Douglas, Vermilion, and Edgar Counties, was made the Thirty-ninth Representative District, which was allowed three members of the House. That arrangement continued until the adoption of the Constitution of 1870, which provided for the division of the State into Senatorial Districts, each to have one Senator, whose term is four years, and three Representatives, whose term is two years. It provided further for the plan of "minority representation," by which one party could not elect more than two out of the three members of the House in each district unless the minority party was able to poll less than one-fourth of the total vote, and also that Senators should be elected every two years, in odd and even numbered districts, alternately, beginning with the even numbered districts in 1872. It further provided that the State should be re-apportioned every ten years.
The Governor and Secretary of State were instructed and empowered to make the apportionment for the First General Assembly (the Twenty-seventh) after the adoption of the Constitution. They organized the Ninth Senatorial District with the counties of Coles, Douglas, Champaign, Ford, Vermilion, and Iroquois, with two Senators, and made of Coles County the Forty-sixth Representative District, giving it two Representatives. This arrangement was merely temporary, continuing in force only one term.
The first regular apportionment made by the Legislature to conform to the requirements of the new Constitution was in 1872, and Coles, Douglas and Moultrie Counties were placed in the Thirty-second District, with power to elect one Senator and three Representatives.
In 1882 the Thirty-second District was made to consist of Coles, Douglas and Cumberland Counties.
In 1901 (the last apportionment). Coles, Douglas, and Clark Counties were placed together in the Thirty-fourth District.
Judicial Circuits.—In 1831 the Second Judicial Circuit consisted of Coles, Wabash, White, Edwards, Lawrence, Wayne, Clark, Crawford, Edgar, Vermilion and Clay.
In 1833 the same counties were kept together constituting the Fourth Circuit.
In 1841 Jasper County was added to the list, which was continued as the Fourth Circuit.
In 1851 there was a rearrangement and Coles, with Crawford, Lawrence, Richland, Clay, Effingham, Jasper, Cumberland and Clark Counties constituted the Fourth Circuit.
In 1853 the Fourth Circuit was changed by taking out Efiingham and substituting Edgar County.
In 1857 Coles, with Macon, Piatt, Fayette, Effingham, Shelby and Moultrie, was organized into the Seventeenth Circuit.
In 1859 Coles County was again assigned to the Fourth Circuit, in association with Edgar, Clark, and Cumberland.
In 1873 the Fifth Circuit was organized, consisting of Coles, Vermilion, Edgar, Clark and Douglas Counties.
In 1877, again as the Fourth Circuit, Coles was associated with Champaign, Piatt, Moultrie, Macon, Vermilion, Edgar, Clark and Douglas Counties.
The last apportionment, in 1897, organized the Fifth Circuit, with Coles, Vermilion, Edgar, Clark and Cumberland Counties.
VILLAGE PLATS.
The following is a list of village plats that have been made and recorded in Coles County, in the order in which they were surveyed:
Charleston.
Surveyed April 23, 1831, by Thomas Sconce. Plat filed for record June 4, 1831.
Located on part of the W. ½ of the S. W. ¼ of Sec. 11-12-9.
Owners: County Commissioners of Coles County, Ill.
Hitesville.
Surveyed April 14, 1835, by Thomas Sconce. Plat filed for record May 19, 1835.
Located on part of the N. ½ of the N. E. ¼ of Sec. 9-12-14.
Owner: James Hite.
Independence (Oakland).
Surveyed May 12, 1835, by Thomas Sconce. Plat filed for record May 21, 1835.
Located on the S. E. ¼ of the S. E. ¼ of Sec. 13-14-10.
Owner: Gideon M. Ashmore.
Middleton.
Surveyed July 29, 1836, by Joseph Fowler. Plat filed for record August 11, 1836.
Located about the middle of Sec. 35-13-10.
Owners: Christian Sousely and Christopher Groves.
Liberty.
Surveyed August 8, 9 and 10, 1836, by Joseph Fowler. Plat filed for record August 18, 1836.
Located on S. W. Cor. Sec. 18 and N. W. Cor. Sec. 19-13-11.
Owners: James Clark. Arthur Johnson and Solomon Boyer.
Richmond.
Surveyed August 16, 17 and 18, 1836, by Joseph Fowler. Plat filed for record August 27, 1836.
Located at junction of State Road with Secs. 27 and 34-12-7.
Owner: John Houchin.
Paradise.
Surveyed August 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23, 1836, by Joseph Fowler. Plat filed for record August 26, 1836.
Located on part of the S. E. ¼ of the N. W. ¼ of Sec. 33-12-7 on the State Road.
Owner: Charles Sawyer.
Paradise.
Surveyed February 1, 2, 3 and 4, 1837, by Joseph Fowler. Plat filed for record March 30, 1837.
Located on N. E. ¼ of S. E. ¼ of Sec. 8-11-7, on Palestine and Shelbyville Road.
Owners: Miles W. Hart and Thomas Brinegar.
Salsbury (Hutton).
Surveyed December 28 and 29, 1837, by Joseph Fowler. Plat filed for record January 15, 1838.
Located on N. E. ¼of S. E.&frqc14; of Sec. 9-11-10.
Owners: John Hulen and George K. Harris.
Farmington.
Surveyed April 25, 1852, by Thomas Lytle. Plat filed for record May 1, 1852.
Located on N. W. ¼ of S. W. ¼, of Sec. 16-11-9.
Owner: John J. Adams.
St. Omer.
Surveyed August 20, 1852, by Thomas Lytle. Plat filed for record September 5, 1854.
Located on S. W. Corner of W. ½ of S. E. ¼ of Sec. 24-13-10.
Owner: J. W. Hoge
Mattoon.
Surveyed December 12, 1854, by John Meadows. Plat filed for record October 13, 1855.
Located on Sec. 13-12-7.
Owners: Charles Floyd Jones, Davis Carpenter, Jr.; Usher F. Linder, Ebenezer Noyes, James T. Cunningham, Stephen D. Dole. John Cunningham, John L. Allison, Elisha Linder, H. Q. Sanderson, Harrison Messer, Samuel B. Richardson, William B. Tuell and Josiah Hunt.
Ashmore.
Surveyed February 24, 1855, by John Meadows.Plat filed for record February 24, 1855.
Located on N. ½ of Sec. 31-13-11.
Owners: H. J. Ashmore and James D. Austin.
Arno.
Surveyed March 14, 1855. by John Meadows.Plat filed for record March 14, 1855.
Located on S. W. ¼ of Sec. 31-13-8.
Owner: David A. Neal.
Milton (Humbolt).
Surveyed November 12, 1858, by S. B. Moore.Plat filed for record March 4, 1859.
Located on part of the S. W. ¼ of the N. W. ¼ of Sec. 4-13-8.
Owner: A. A. Sutherland.
Etna.
Surveyed March, 1860, by Lennaeus B, Richardson. Plat filed for record August 20, 1860,
Located on part of N. E. ¼ of the N. E. ¼ of Sec 21 and part of S. E. ¼ of S. E. ¼ of Sec. 16-11-7.
Owner: Daniel R. Bland and Richard Sayer.
Stockton (Loxa).
Surveyed November 3, 1863, by J. J. Peterson.Plat filed for record February 8, 1864.
Located on N. W. ¼ of the S. W. ¼ of Sec. 12-12-8.
Owner: B. F. Jones.
Coles.
Surveyed September 23, 1872, by John H. Clark. Plat filed for record October 12. 1872.
Located on S. W. Corner Sec. 31-13-7.
Owner: Dexter S. D. Dole.
Janesville.
Surveyed April 10, 1879, by William Jones.Plat filed for record April 29, 1879.
Located on S. E. ¼ of S. W. ¼ of Sec. 19-11-9.
Owner: John Furry.
Rardin.
Surveyed August 18, 1881, by George W. Dickinson. Plat filed for record June 22, 1883.
Located on part of Lots 1 and 2 in E. ½ of N. E. ¼ of Sec. 5-13-10.
Owners: John H. Rardin, Nancy Rardin, John T. Taylor and Mary E. Taylor.
Bushton.
Surveyed December 17, 1881, by George W. Dickson.Plat filed for record December 13, 882.
Located N. W. ¼ of N. W. ¼ of Sec. 7-13-10
Owner: David Bush and John Bush.
Trilla
Surveyed December 21, 1881, by J. L. Aubert.Plat filed for record August 23, 1882.
Located on S. W. ¼ of the S. E. ¼ of Sec. 19-11-8.
Owner: Jacob Fickes.
Lerna.
Surveyed November 25, 1882, by John L. Aubert. Plat filed for record November 28, 1882.
Located on N. E. ¼ of N. E. ¼ of Sec. 10-11-8.
Owner: Azariah Jeffries.
Fair Grange.
Surveyed September 14, 1883, by George W. Dickinson. Plat filed for record November 10, 1883.
Located on S. E. ¼ of the S. W. ¼ of Sec. 11-13-9.
Owners: A. B. Trimble, J. C. Babbs and J. B. Gray.
POSTOFFICES.
Below is a list of Postoffices located within the county, given in the order of their establishment, with names of the first Postmasters and dates of appointment. The following offices are identical, the name simply being changed:
| Coles C. H. and Charleston. Milton Station, Humbolt and Humboldt. Selina and Lerna. | Clara and Doran. Arena and Fair Grange. |
The following offices, named in the order of their establishment, are located within territory now included in the several townships named in the last column:
| Name of Office. | First Postmaster. | When Appointed. | Town ship |
|
Paradise Bachelorsville Coles Court House Oakland Hitesville Bethsaida Campbell Charleston Stewart Springville Fuller's point Modrell's Point Ashby Wabash Point Republican Saint Omer Rural Retreat Mattoon Ashmore Milton Station Etna Hutton Loxa Curtisville McPherson Diona Cooks Mills Rardin Humbolt Selina Lerna Fieldsville Janesville Coles Station Clara Bushton Butte Folger Trilla Arena Fair Grange Doty Dirigo Humboldt Magnet Hites Doran |
Geo. M. Hanson Laban Burr Chas. S. Morton Whitfield W. Morrison James Hite John M. True Eugenia Campbell Edmund Roach David Weaver Henry Wilson Jackson T. Johnson William J. Keigley David Porter Gideon Edwards Chas. W. Nabb Jno.W. Hoge Robt. Sanders Jas. M. True Jas. M. Ashmore A. A. Sutherland Robt. S. Mills Valentine McGahan Stephen Y. Vance Jno. C. Mitchell Jas. B. Kilgore Jno. M. McMorris Elam Cook Sam'l Rardin Geo. W. Gray Geo. B. Balch Geo. B. Balch Wm. L. R. Funkhouser C. P. R. Rogers Jas. B. Cooper Jacob Easter David Bush Redic C. Hodge Wiley Matthews Henry McPherson Cortez B. O'Hair Cortez B. O'Hair James S. Doty Basil Baker Clark Elkins Isaac Sawyer Leonard Hites Jennie Frost |
Feb. 18, 1830 May 14, 1830 Mar. 31, 1831 July 26, 1833 Aug. 24, 1835 Mar. 15, 1836 Dec. 22, 1838 Apr. 29, 1843 Feb. 8,1844 Dec. 23, 1847 Sept. 18, 1849 Oct. 24, 1849 Apr. 9, 1850 July 23, 1851 Mar. 31, 1853 Oct. 7, 1852 Nov. 16, 1853 July 14, 1855 Nov. 9, 1855 Mar. 16,1858 Dec. 31, 1859 Dec. 5, 1861 July 22, 1863 July 11, 1867 Feb. 19, 1869 Oct. 12, 1869 July 7, 1870 Mar. 30, 1875 July 25, 1875 June 6, 1878 Dec. 11,1878 May 20, 1879 Sept. 1, 1879 Dec. 3, 1879 April 15, 1880 Aug. 22, 1881 Feb. 1, 1882 April 6,1882 June 28,1882 May 4, 1883 June 15, 1883 Oct. 22, 1885 May 7, 1892 June 20, 1892 Aug. 19, 1893 Mar. 17, 1898 May 16, 1898 |
Paradise. Ashmore. Charleston. East Oakland. Ashmore. La Fayette. Pleasant Grove. Charleston. Hutton. Pleasant Grove. North Okaw. Ashmore. Hutton. Mattoon. Mattoon. Ashmore. Seven Hickory. Mattoon. Ashmore. Humboldt. Paradise. Hutton. La Fayette. Morgan. Ashmore. Hutton. North Okaw. Morgan. Humbolt. Pleasant Grove. Pleasant Grove. Pleasant Grove. Pleasant Grove. North Okaw. Humbolt. Morgan. Hutton. Pleasant Grove. Pleasant Grove. Seven Hickory. Seven Hickory. Charleston. Hutton. Humboldt Mattoon. Ashmore. Humboldt. |
The following offices are still (1905) in operation: Ashmore, Bushton, Charleston, Cooks Mills, Doran, Etna, Fair Grange, Humboldt, Lerna, Loxa, McPherson, Magnet, Mattoon, Oakland, Rardin and Trilla.
Population.
It is interesting to note the rate of growth of the county in population in the different decades of its history. In 1830, just at its beginning, the population of the territory which became Coles County (including the present Cumberland and Douglas Counties) was stated to be 4,500. In 1835 it had increased to 5,142. In 1840 it had grown to 9,615. In 1850 (Cumberland County having, in the meantime, been cut off) it had 9,335 people, of which 36 were colored. In 1860 (Douglas County having been detached in 1859) Its population was 14,203, of which 29 were colored. The census of 1870 showed a population of 25,235, of which 1,053 were stated to be foreign born, and no enumeration of colored people seems to have been made, as the war was over and all colors were alike to the census enumerators in Illinois. By 1S80, the authorities ceased to make distinctions of any kind, and the total is given as 27,042. In 1890 the number was 30,093, and in 1900, 34,146.The greatest relative growth, it will be noted.
was in the two decades from 1850 to 1870. The coming in of the two railroads in 1855 gave it that impetus. The opening up of the Far West in the 'seventies, and the expansion of railroad facilities in every direction since, has made the growth slower. Many have come in, but many have also gone out, and natives, or former residents, of this county are scattered all over the United States. The county is quite largely represented in all of the newer States and the Territories of the West.
The following table shows the population of the county by townships, according to the census of 1900:
| Ashmore Township | 2,081 |
| Charleston Township | 6,760 |
| East Oakland Township | 2,403 |
| Humboldt Township | 1,701 |
| Hutton Township | 1,984 |
| Lafayette Township | 1,246 |
| Mattoon Township | 10,583 |
| Morgan Township | 1,165 |
| North Okaw Township | 1,848 |
| Paradise Township | 900 |
| Pleasant Grove Township | 1,914 |
| Seven Hickory Township | 1,501 |
| ____________ | |
| Total | 34,146 |
School Statistics.
The following table shows the enrollment of pupils, the number of teach' wages paid to teacher 1904-05: | Township | Range | Male Pupils, Graded Schools |
Female Pupils, Graded Schools |
Male Pupils, Ungraded Schools |
Female Pupils, Ungraded Schools |
Total | Male Teachers, Graded Schools |
Female Teachers, Graded Schools |
Male Teachers, Ungraded Schools |
Female Teachers, Ungraded Schools |
Total |
| 11 | 8 | 90 | 92 | 106 | 88 | 376 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 12 |
| 11 | 9 | 117 | 82 | 199 | 3 | 5 | 8 | ||||
| 11 | 10&11 | 123 | 131 | 254 | 2 | 9 | 11 | ||||
| 12 | 7 | 1391 | 1280 | 100 | 73 | 2844 | 4 | 49 | 1 | 6 | 60 |
| 12 | 8 | 175 | 152 | 327 | 6 | 7 | 13 | ||||
| 12 | 9 | 76 | 88 | 164 | 3 | 7 | 10 | ||||
| 12 | 10&11 | 159 | 185 | 344 | 6 | 10 | 16 | ||||
| 12 | 14 | 25 | 27 | 52 | 2 | 2 | |||||
| 13 | 7 | 158 | 122 | 280 | 4 | 7 | 11 | ||||
| 13 | 8 | 41 | 52 | 105 | 115 | 313 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 13 |
| 13 | 9 | 107 | 95 | 202 | 7 | 6 | 13 | ||||
| 13 | 10&11 | 184 | 161 | 345 | 5 | 6 | 11 | ||||
| 13 | 14 | 60 | 42 | 102 | 4 | 2 | 6 | ||||
| 14 | 7 | 74 | 49 | 123 | 1 | 3 | 4 | ||||
| 14 | 8 | 82 | 66 | 148 | 1 | 4 | 5 | ||||
| 14 | 9 | 51 | 51 | 102 | 9 | 9 | |||||
| 14 | 10&11 | 239 | 238 | 56 | 49 | 582 | 2 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 15 |
| 14 | 14 | 71 | 58 | 129 | 4 | 4 | 8 | ||||
| Charleston Union | 526 | 487 | 1013 | 6 | 22 | 28 | |||||
| Asmore Union | 92 | 107 | 199 | 1 | 3 | 4 | |||||
| Total | 2379 | 2256 | 1939 | 1746 | 8320 | 17 | 85 | 67 | 101 | 270 | |
| Amount paid to male teachers | $29,873.07 |
| Amount paid to female teachers | 55,270.83 |
| Highest monthly wages paid any male teacher | 188.23 |
| Lowest monthly wages paid any male teacher | 27.50 |
| Highest monthly wages paid any female teacher | 85.00 |
| Lowest monthly wages paid any female teacher | 25.00 |
| Average monthly wages paid to male teachers | 60.28 |
| Average monthly wages paid to female teachers | 46.94 |
County Indebtedness.
Until recent years Coles County has never been very deeply involved in debt. During most of the county's history its warrants were readily convertible into cash and were taken up promptly by the County Treasurer. The building of the new jail and court house brought about a different condition in the finances of the county. The construction of the jail made a small debt which was never paid entirely, and the cost of the court house and heating apparatus and furnishings made a total which, according to an official statement of the Board of Supervisors issued in January, 1905, approximates $195,000.
The following figures are taken from the statement referred to:
The judgments rendered against the county amount to $98,795.63, less interest, while the claims not in judgment amount to $14,661.32. The above are on account of court house construction and furnishing. The money borrowed by the County Board from banks and individuals aggregates $57,540, less interest.
The above makes a total of $170,996.94, which constitutes the net debt of the county for the court house and money borrowed for the jail and sundry uses. Adding interest on the judgments and on money borrowed, figured to January 1, 1905, carries the total approximately to $195,000.
Besides this regular debt, the statement referred to mentions arrearages for 1904 of something over $50,000.
The City of Charleston has a bonded debt of $30,000. Charleston Township's bonded debt is $67,000, and the Charleston School District has a bonded debt of $16,600.
Mattoon (City) has outstanding bonds aggregating $70,000. The Township bonds outstanding amount to $96,000 and the Mattoon School District bonded debt is $54,000.
Citizens of Mattoon and Charleston have, during the past ten years, spent large sums in public improvements, such as paving, permanent sidewalks and drainage, and a considerable amount is still owing in deferred payments for such work. But as these improvements are paid for by special assessment against individual property owners, they are not classed as public debts.
The Oakland School District has a bonded debt of $9,000. The Township of East Oakland issued bonds to the amount of $75,000 in aid of the Terre Haute & Peoria Railroad. About 1877 the courts decided the issue invalid and the debts of both township and village are now merely nominal.
The same is true of Ashmore, which has no bonded debt.
Several School Districts in the County have small debts for the construction of buildings.
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