Early...107 PIONEERS OF CHAMPAIGK COUXTP LOCATION OF COUNTY SEAT.--PROCEEDINGS COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT.--COUNTY OFFICERS AND TERMS OF SERVICE.--SURPLUS REV- ENUES.--FIRST SCHOOL

107 PIONEERS OF CHAMPAIGK COUXTP

LOCATION OF COUNTY SEAT.--PROCEEDINGS COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT.--COUNTY OFFICERS A N D TERMS OF SERVICE.--SURPLUS REV- ENUES.--FIRST SCHOOL HOUSE.--INTERESTING INCIDENTS, ETC,

&lay 6th, A. I>. 1S.33, Isaac Busey. Jxcob ISartley ancl George Akers liaving been clectetl as the first county commissioners, met at the house of Phillip Stanford and orgaiiized the first county co~llmissioners conrt for Champaign comltv. The first act the court did was to appoint Tho~nson R. Webber as clerk. The nest was to appoint Garrett Moore as constable, then Moses Thonlas assessor and treasurer of the county. The nest meeting of the court was held June 3rd, at xvhich time 'I'. R. Webher was recommelldetl to the governor to be appointed recorder, which mas done, his corn- mission dating July %, IS?. At this meeting Garrett &ore was appointetl snrregor. At the same meeting Moses Thomas the assessor reported the revenue of the county to be .S71.:37.

The court divided the eo~ulty into two election districts, calling one the Salt Fork precinct hnd appointerl Moses Thomas, Rob- ert Prather, and Capt.Win. Nos, jr.,as judges. The other precinct was called the Big Grove, and Matthew Busey, Joshua Trickle and John IVhittaker were appointecl judges. The court then adjourned to assemble at the call of the clerk, when the commissioll- ers, appoiuted by the act of the legislature to locate the county seat, should be ready to report.

On the 21st day of June, Stephen B. Shel- ledy and Johil F. Richardson presented to the court a written report locating the county seat at Urbana. The court allowed them the snms of $16 and S'!, respectively, for their services. Some interesting incic!ents connected with the location of the county seat will be found in the article written by .Jndge Cunningham.

la September, 1SS3, a plat of a state road rvas filed, running from Pekin, in Tazewell pounty to the 40 mile post near the "Big Grove." This was located by the legislature.

The meetings of the court had been here- tofore held at the house of Phillip Stanford, but at the September meeting it was ordered that hereafter they be held a t the ho~tse oi Natthev- Busey. John Salisbury was appointed sheriff' soon after the orgnnization, and September 2nd. lSS3, he was ordered to proceed and collect the revenue, amounting

to SSl.%. As it was necessary to Iiave a source of revenue, Xoveniber 7th: 1s:3, a license was grttnteil to 1s;iac 13. Alesantler to retail goods, wares and merclia~~riise until tlie end of the next te1-m of the court-the license being 8.5. Afterwards tlie tiiile u7as estended 53.00 \t70rt11. Soon after this blic commissioners fixed the followillg rates of prices to be charged the public, viz: For keeping n nian and horse one night, inclutl- ing supper, bed and horse feed, 7Sce11ts: single meal, 1Sx cents; horse feetl, l 9 x cents; one-half pint whiskey, 6% cent,s; one- half pint French brandy, 1Sx cents; 36 l~int wine, 1Sx cents; pint gin, 19% cc~lts;

pint runi, 1Sx cents; >< pint domestic brandy, lux cents.

The first fiscal statement was made by 'l'. R. Webber ancl shower1 county ortlcrs tui- paid, 5S5.25; fees for surveying S-l. lots in the town of Urbana. $91; recording plat, $33; fees of co~n~nissioners ancl for station- ery, 817.75; nlnkiug a total indebtetlness of

..sb; deducting the revenne, 571.:37. left sv- " ' 855.99; tlle~ldeducting license of Alesantler, $5.00, left tlie indebt.edness of tlie county, December 2, 1S33, :it $50.99. , March 3, IS:%, the county urns divided into road districts and Wm. Peters, 1);miel T. Porter, .John G. Robertson, &Iij:unin Bycrs, I'ilillip M. Stanford, Wm. Nox, jr., Jolln Whitaker were appoiutetl road supervisors.

March 4, IS%, tlie first grant1 and petit juries were appointed as follows: Grantl jnry-Thomas Deer, Jefferson I-luss, Wm. Sos, sr., Joseph Thomas, Henry Thomas, ltcbert Trickle, James Browntield, Walter Rhodes, James 5ohnson, Samuel G. J3eckley, John W. Sweariiigea, John B. Swearingen, John Zanes, ltobert Prather, TTalentine lliff, Gabriel G. Itice, Xatthew Busey, Joh11 Tine- man, Samuel Bromley, Srthnr Beaird, Hnr- ris Wilson, Wi1li:ini Corrny and James 0s- bour~ie. Petit jury-James 310s~. i\Lattlle\r~ 'CV- Basey, Elias Stanley, Daviil Gabbel-t. Willia~ii T. Webber, hugustine i\I. Webber. Larkiu Deer, Stephen Bovtl, Elijah Jackson, Andreiv Wilson, -%dam Teazle. James Free- man, Jacob T. Hobbs. John Coddington. Jacob Heater? 5Ioses Kirby, Elias Kirby. John Bran-ntield, sr., William Coddington, Eli% Thomas. Xoses ~lrgo. L\'illiain I. Pe- ters ant1 IIirxm Itankin.

Public Domain Book - Found at COAN.NET / VermilionCounty.INFO

michael

Text Box

1886 Early History and Pioneers of Champaign County IL --- along with 1891 2nd edition additions - A - p. 107-164

At n il~cotinz of the county coilllnissioners. 11(~1(1 1)eceitiber 1, IS:-%. it was ortlcrc(1 tliat hchrciaftcAr the co~urt uleet a t the llouse of Isaac. Ihlsey, The collrt appointcrl T. K. \.\.'chWjc11.. agcAnt, in .July I\:>>. to bell tlic lot.; i l l I!'r?)alin. at follo\vili~ prices: Col-ner lots 011 JItxi11 strwt. on lx~blic squilre :tt +:>O (1:1(.11 : col.ncr lots clsc\vllel*c. 3.20 ; b:~c.l; lot.;. 5 10.

,Jail11;11.y lb;3G. a tell11)orarj- col~rt 1 1 0 1 1 3 ~

\\-as or(lthi.c'tl to l)ti t,r[ilt on lot 2.5. to he1 o f 11e\v11 loes, eooci sizc. 'l'lic i)rliI(liliz iv;~.; to bcb '2-ls'?U l'clct, ollc t111t1 olic-half story. sllingI.lc roof', Ilc~\vll joists nntl ~1~e l ) f~ rq . ollc ( l (~or all(! t\\,o wiiltlo\vs on c;icll sicle. Tilcl c*onti.:~ct ivi~s l ~ t to Jolul Craic. but the bniltlil~g was never fillisllctl to tllc satisfaction of the conl- 11lisi;ioller.; ant1 court co~ltilllletl to be heltl ill ])~' i~ilt(l Iloll~cs lilltil IS:%'. when a fl-anle collrt Ilorlsc 22s:';O feet, with two rooins, was 1b11ilt 1)y 3losc.s ant1 Tl'illiiims IIarvej-. This I)l~iltli~lq IY: I~ rcplaced in 1549 by n brick t)l~il(lii~g :<Ox40 feet, two stories, with offices bt~loiv an(\ co1u.t ant1 jury rooms above. In IY.?!) tllis builtli~lg was torn clo\v11 ailcl thc pi-clseilt court Ilousc erc~ctetl at a cost of ~-10,000.

'I'lli. t '~llo\\~ing is n liht of' the colnn~ission- tArs. t l l ~ tirst t1lrc.c alrc;x(ly having been 111~11-

tioiltbc!. 111 IS:?-!. .John Bro\vilfic~ld. \Villianl Sos, I )nnicI 7'. Pc~rtvr: l S G , Cyrus Strong, IIirn~n .Johnson cunl \Vm. Xos : IS:?S. .Jt~lnes (:lcnlr~iits ~ v t ~ s elcctecl for our! year, 1)aniel 'I'. I'ortcbr for two iI~ld Jeffel-son Nrlss f o r three J-thnrs. Aftel- this one \\'as electetl c.ac.11 \-tA;lr :xs follo\vs: Janles Clements. IS::!). I)t~nieI 1'. 'I'ortcr, Is-iO. Jefferson Eluss,

~llt~tle. .I. ( ). Cunningllanl ~ v a s clectecl co~ui- t y ju(lge allti servcttl four ye:xrs. being sue- cectlc~tl by tl. 11. ;\yers. in lsii:',, 1~110 servt?cl 111;til IS:-;: ,J. \I7. Sin1 ill IS':?, .I. lIT. L:~ lq le~- . 1S77, the ~)rescllt illc.11r:l hell:.

,\loscis ' l ' l ~ o l i ~ ; ~ ~ was iirst conl1t~- ttrc:isurclr allti st11-vetl llllt i l 1":;7, \\-11c11 (;rcY11 ;I t\voc )tl \v:is electetl. Jacob 13ratl..;ll:~w was thltlett.tl in 1<:3'3 nncl st?rvt?cl un.til 1%; when Col. 11. \j'. i311sey \ViIs t31ect:J(i \v11o sel.vetl1111til 1Sl . \vlle11 Elisha 11;11-1<11ess ~vas eiecte[l. i1'1:l. 11. l'earc!? \v;~s t:ltl(:ttA(l in lF.33, C. 11. Slieri'y. i11 ls.55. \L-l11. > I ~ I l ~ l t i I l l in 1557. 1'. 11. 1':1rl<~ IS.?!). 1:. 'l'. Miller 1501. re-eIect(?tl i l l 1st;:;. (i. IV. I<t?~l~iiI~*tl in lS(i.7 slid lS7, n11(1 ,J. 31. l)ix\.ics i l l IS;!), u-110 \\-as sncceetlctl in IS; 1 hy 5o1m \V. IIill, ~ ~ l i o in turn was snrcctvlt?tl by Thoinns A. Tie\\-is, the present illcnnl- bent.

The Sheriff's of the comity are as follo\~-s : John Salisbury in lS:iS, A. H. Steveltsoll in IS34 ant1 IS;%, Davit1 Cos 1S:S to 1W. \Vilsoll Lewis lW to 1S50, Eclwarcl h t e r 1S30, F. 11. O ~ - C I ~ S 1S4, Peilrose Stidhai~l 1S5G. X. 31. ~ 1 h r k 1S5S, I-:. C. IVrigllt ISGO, Xsthnn To\vl 1SC,.2, J . I). .Jollnson ISM, T. J. Scott lS(i(i, .Yeter Nyers, Iscis, H. C. Core 1870 to 1S74. J. 1). Jollnson 1Si-4 to 1STs. J . E. Oltlhnln IS3 t,o ISS:!, J. (2. Ware lSS:! to lSS(;.

Scliool comlnissiollers are as f o l l o ~ ~ ~ s : .Jolin ,\Ie:tct Moses Tliomns N O , Jolizl B. Thoinas 1Mi and IS-iS, Peters 1S31,

Sheghercl IS.?:?, J. \V. Jaquitll 1S3, John B. Thollzas 1S.3, Tlzolllns E. Len1 lS.57 to 1S7:3, S. I,. IVilson lSX, Calist,a E Larneci 1SX ~ 1 1 0 resigned in lSSl anct G. R. Shaw- Il:tn, the yresent illcumbent, 11-a appoirltt?tl.

I . 3 . F i . 1 . 1 O X I . cOllllt)- nlld circuit clerks were r-i\-iclptl, 'r. .I ; I I I I ~ S ( ' ! (> I~ I~ I I~S . lY4S. ;\. 31cIAnurie I$.?:-; to iS.57, S. J. Toy 1557 to

The pn)b;ltc ju(l_ves ;UP as folioms : lloqtL.; IS!;;, S. 11- ~ 1 . ~ ~ 1 ~ to 1~69. J. ~ l ~ ~ ~ ~ l ; rl'liomas tblc~ctr(1 il l ls:%:, nuti servrd lilltil to 1s;;; J . JICCnllollgh tile l)reS- IS:??. \vl~cn .iohn 13. 'I'llolnns WiIS clcr.iec1. ,,,t inculllbellt. JI. \V. 1311s~~- was clecteci ill 1S30. .J01111 circuit clerks are as follo\vs: n. \vpb- P,1~o\villic3ltl. 1S1. Daniel T. Porter. I%:<. wllo srb~.vcci lunt il IS<. when ;lrclln Canll~bel I 1~~1.;

(:lcctctl. 111 1S-l'; the lie\\- coil.;titutir:l~ ('I'. 1:. \Vci)l~er being a mer~iber of tllc convcn- tion \vllirli ntloptetl i t ) lnnclr a c.11anet3, or- g:tnizi~!c ;I C O I I ~ ~ J - ~ O I I I ~ \\-it11 0;1t% jll(1ge a11~1 nasoc.ititt1 juclges. IT~ltlcr t!?is Iaiv. i l l 1%) .Joilil L;. Tiloni;~s \vas clectetl count)- jnJgr: Jesse \V. J;tclnith ant1 llntt!ic\v .Joh~lsoll. :~.isc;ctiat,c.s. IS.?:?. El ish;~ 1 I : I ~ I < I I ~ S S \ v ; ~ s t~ic~cttltl j i 1 ( 1 ~ ~ i11itl ,\I. !I. COITC.:~II ant1 \VII~. Stc\\':~rt. :~s>o:.!;~ies. 111 1$.57. Eil\\-:~r( 1 :\ t ~ ? l,v;is eitt~tctl jtitlgc, 1,civis .Jo;~tls ;xl~tl .Jo!lr: 1'. ' I 'P~~~IToo?~. 2ssor.intcs. In lq.';!]. E'itlitlinz i,. Scott \vils clectetl in place of .Jolle.;.

111 lS(j0 ;llc county atloprctl the to:vnrl~llt oremlizntioll alltl ~viti! it almthcr cllaliqc u'::..;

-: 1

ber IS:$-; to 1S.76. \V. 11. Sorllers lS5R to I%&. 0. 0. 2 ~ l e s ; ~ n ~ l ~ ~ r lSG4 to 1575, E. 'I'. IViiit- corub 1qW to 1%(i, .J. \Y. Porter IsiCi. tlltA present incumbellt.

'Tile rel-cnne increasetl in lS:3(i, to S%S.S.'i.

I )ecel~lber :;. IS:;$. Jonatllan Osbonlct ant1 Iwnc Ensej- were al1poi11tc'cl a collllllittcc to Ioc.:~tc ;I stilt? rontl froill Urbt~nn to 1SIooui- irlgtoll. to r111 1,- the !lonse of .Jol:;i !3rj-a11. .iosch:):l Staj-toll :?ntl Elins 'rl!orllns. on s;7,1ntl ti:xtc. n - ~ r c appointctl to locate n roar1 fro111 rr!)nllz to 1';iris. ,it tile l)cccrnl,er ttr!n. IS:';(;. a iicpl?.;e \\-:IS grantetl I l -~n . Os'norn 11) keep a fen.? on illc Sangamon river a t ;7,

yoillt where the state road crosses it. leacl- ing from 31oscs Tho!nn.;' to Eloomingtan- Os!,orn to pixy 3-2-00 Iicen.;~. 'rile f f i ~ ! o ~ ~ i l l ~


109 PIONEERS OF CI-IAMPBlOiV P0UNT17. ................................

ferry rates were established a t the same nleetiug, viz: Ferrying one inan, 6% cents'; one horse, 6% cents ; one-horse wagon, 2.5 cents; two-horse wagon, :37% cattle per head, 6% cents ; sheep and hogs per head, :i cents.

S t the Jlarch nleetiug IS:%, it was ordered that the ofice of assessor and treasurer be let to the lowest bidder; ancl Thomas L. Freeman having bid the snrn of 518.50 was appointed to that office and qualified as such.

In IS37 the liabilities of the county were S21G.SX; and the revenue being S23S.S5, the county had money in the treasury for the first time, aniounting to $32..56%, to which add $431.50, notes 011 sale of town lots in Urbana, and cash clouations, unpaid, $45, illade the cash and. resources of the county $476.50.

March 1S3'7, it was ordered that the following property be taxed oilehalf per cent., viz : Horses, mares, mules, asses and neat cattle over the age of three years, clocks and watches with their appendages, and pleasure carriages.

111 IS37 licelise to retail goods were granted and llcenses charged as follows: A. Bruer, $5.00; James T. Xoe, 85.00; 'I'. R. Webber, $15.00; James H. Lyons, $25; Uauiel T. Yorter, e.5.W ; Noah Bixler, 85.00.

June, 1S37. ordered that Xatthew NT. Busey have a writ of ad quud damnuin, for con- cienlii~llg a mill seat on north end of Ex S W g Sec. 8,10, 9. Same year Green At- wood was allowed a license to keep a tavern a t Homer. Also a liceuse was granted to lsaac A. Brow11 to keep a tavern at Sidney, each to pay a license of 54.00.

September, 1S:37, a writ of acl qusd daninum was granted to Charles Haptonstall to build a Inill. h like writ was grantecl at same meeting to A. H. Jose for ;I rnill seat on Sangamon river, on lot 15, See. 16, T 20 R '7. At same meeting it was ordered that a bridge be constrncted over the Salt Fork at Cyrns Strong's ferry and that 31ajor N o s attend to advertising 101- bids ancl to insert an ad- vertisellleiit in the Dan~i l le Enquirer. The building of this bridge was let October, IS?';. to Wnl. I. Peters, for the suni of 84% and 1:e to have one \'ear to build it.

The first county prison. to be conlpletecl by JIarc.11, 1S:39, vras anangecl for .January IS:%; it Lvas to be IS feet scluare, Tile lower story to h : ~ ~ e two win(lotvs, one foot square each. Building was to linve a brick and log foun- clatioil ;xncl to be built of logs, and to be two stories. It w:ts strucl; off to Col. 31. IV. Bu- sey at the saill of 5S.50.

Xarcil 19, lSB, it u-;xs orderect, that an election yrecillclt be establishecl 011 the 3Iid- clleforl< anti that. rlections he held at Ilonse

of John hlauning, near the tow11 of Brother- toil in sald precinct.

June lS:%S, a license as grantecl Groen- ealdyke 3i Coffee11 to retail goods at Honler, anct that they pay for same, $15. At the same nl@etin,v a county road was ordei-ed fronl south end of Market street, ia IJrbitna, to Sidney. Decembel. IS:% A. R~.iler. was gralltecl a license to keep a tavenl in l i r- bana aaricl that he pay 32.00 for siinle.

At tile Decernber term. lS:39, it ~vas ordered the clerk convey to the officers of the Methodist Episcopal church, a lot to be se- lecteci by them, if tiley shall have erected a house of worship thereon in twelve ~llonths. And we also make to the Baptist society the same offer in all respects. The i\.letliodist people raised the money and built a cliurcli which was afterwards k i ~ o w ~ l as Henue~.'s livery stable. The Baptist people, howevc~r, did not comply at that tlme.

Col. M, FV. Busey i~aving clonntetl a three acre tract to tlie county, pernlission nras given to erect a school house OII same. 1)e- cenlber IS%, Col. Bilsey, .Jacob f3rlzcIsl~an. and Elias Stanley were :~l)pointetl it con)- nittee to se1ec.t a suitable sl)ot 1'01. saicl house.

June terrn, 1<W, it was "ordered that we sell to Rev. A. Bradshaw, lot 51 (where Ht~bbard's hardware store now stands) for the sum of 53, tile saine to be deeded to tlie Methoclist society wlleil it shall be shown that the society has a legal right to receive a deed. Also t h a ~ we sell to David Cox, for Balltist cfi~uch with same restrict- tion, lot '76, east of Kerr's tavern, for S2.00.?'

The salary of T. R. Webber, as clerk, .was not very heavy; he was allo~ved S'i7.9S in full for his sel-vices as ~Ierl; for year. eildiiig Julie 7 , l'd41.

At the June term, 1M2, 31. 1). Coffee11 represented that it was too far for the people of Homer to go to the house of James Cope- land, in the Salt Fo1-I< 1)recinct. to vote; h e therefore presented a petition Illat the ilanle of the precinct be changed to Homer precinct ancl the voting be done at the school house in Honler, which was ordered done.

October 2. 1S3, the contract for building a bridge across tlie Saiigan~oll a t >Ial~onlet, was nwarcied JVilliams Harvey of Urbana. .

June, 1 W . on petition of citizens, an e1ec:tion precinct know!? as the 3IicldIefork precinct, was ordered, ancl that the voting glace be a t house of Samuel Swinford, and Samuel S~vinford. Sa~tluel Kerr and James Kellor were a1)pointecl judges. At same meeting, James Orr, sr., Henry Swearingen slid Elias Thomas were appointed judges of Homer. Xarshall Cloycl, Jollii Crabb ancl .I arnes lIyel-s, of Urbana. anct Jonathrtll


31aswel1, Belljalnill F. Harris aucl .Joseph '1'. Everett of Saligamon precincts.

'l'!le tax books for the year 1 W sliow that the taxable property is increa.sing, the anlount returlied being S:%34,:37:3. The lev? was as follows: :!O cents on the $100 for state purposes, making SGGS.75 ; 20 cents for county, $M;S.7.5, a n ~ i 10 r.ellts for road making $334.:37.

\Villianl 1). Somers seems to have been tile county physician in lM. At the I)e- cenlber meeting of the county court it was "orelereti that fir. William D. Sornel-s have ;nl order on the treasury for the sun1 of 82.00 in full for ineciical charge for attending liobert H. xewlon.

At the June meeting, lM5, IVilliam l). So~ners was appointed to take the census of tile county.

Col. -%I. \V. Rusey, county treasurer, nlade his report J u l y IWi. He reports a balance on hand of 5.561.37 as follows : $:3?2.00 in paper money: .$1.55..32 in gold and 57:3.&5 in silver. The county seems to have been in good condition as Co1. Bnsey was ordered to loan the county funds at G per cent. interest, I-eserving a sufficient suin to pa)- outstanct- ing orders, aild that he take ample security in all cases anti that he ctoliect the interest in aclvance, that the notes be so tlrawil that acltlitional security may be reql l i1~~1 if it is ciet~lncd ~lecessal-y I)y the treasurer or corn- iuissioners.

At the July term, 1S23, Col. X. \V. Bu- sey was appointed a messenger to carry the vote of this county, for senator, to I~anville, for tile pnrpose of being canvussecl, ant1 Willianls Harvey was appointee1 a like messenger to Decatur, to carry t h ~ vote for rep- resentati ve.

May 2, lM9, the new court house having beell cotnpletecl, tiif3 0 1 ~ 1 one was solcl to the tyrbalna school district for $105 on a credit (if 13 ~iionths. At tlie J une nieeti~lga bridge was orttereti to be constructed at Hoiner, proviclecl tlie cost ditl not esceed 8400. June 20 the contract was struck off to 31. D. Cof- St?en, Jaines S. IJright, Harmon Stevens. ,Jc?l . i~l R. 'l'iiolnas, Sololnon Dill. Sa~lluel ,4. f Iarvey 1111ti IV. S. Coe for $600 : 2400 to be psiti b - the county and the balance by yri- vate doiiatious,-the bridge to be conlpletetl by t h e f olloriring 1)eceliiber.

October, 1S9, it L L ~ ~ ~ S ordered that Clapp 3;r

Russell have lea\-e to renew their lice~lse to retail goods on sanie tenus as before. illarch tern1 1S50. Henry 31. Kussell h ; t~- in ,~ bought out -1. 0. Clapp was granted license for one year by paying .$%.

The county court cut and carved the bills. in the olden time, very mnch as is (lone in Inter days. JIarch, 1Si0, Benjamin C. 31or-

ris presented a bill of S22.25 for services, boa-el, medical atteiida~ice and funeral es- pelises of Daniel Wheat, a poor person. The court, after esamining into the matter, decided that said Morris is justly entitled to pay for the coffin aucl shroutl and therefore allowed lliiil 37.25 allel rejected the balance of his claim.

At the Jlarch tenli, lS51, it \\-as clecided to enclose the public square with a fence ~vhich contract was let to Win. Park and Johll Cantiler for $SO. At the July tenli, 1S.51? 011 yetitioil of Samuel I)ean and 1)a- vie1 Caniner, pel.rnission was granted them to establish a ferry 011 the Sa~iganlon river a t the crossing of the state road leading f roil1 Urbnna to Bloomington. The f olloiv- ing rates were fixed as ferry charges: For 111an and horse, 10 cents ; footmau, .5 cents: wagoil and one horse, 15 cents; wagon and two horses or oxen, 20 cents ; each addition- al horse or os, .5 cents: each head of cattle, 4 cents; each hog or sheep, 2 cents.

At the October telm, 1S1, J. W. Jaqnith, Jolln Gere, Calvin Higgins, president and trustees of the tow11 of Urbana, and William 1). Somers, clerk, presented to the court a poll book of an eleci;iou, whereby it appears that a t an election held in the town of Ur- balm, September S, 1S.51, for the purpose of voting for or against the incorporation of said town tlie followiiig votes were cast in favor of same, viz: W. D. Sorners, Geo. 0. Potter, Wilson Lewis, IV. S. Garman, Jo- seph 31. Harry, Elisha Harkness, Wm. Park, John Cantiler, Calvin C. Higgins, Wm. Abel, Robert Logan, W111. Waters, Lewis Higgius, John Black, Edward Ater, 3 s a Gere, Wm. Gill. Sanluel 31. l,ogan, 'rhoinas J. Xewport, Silas Chad~vick, John C. Hankins, David 31. lrelancl. J . ITr. Jaqnith, Samuel Mraters, (ieorge W. Toy, 2.5 *4,oaiust, Thornson K. Webber. At tile election Joseph 31. Harry was the judge, ancl John Ireland, clerk.

The foregoing is a synopsis of the business tr.;~nsactect in the county froni 1833 to and inclnding February term, lSP2. While some of the business might seen1 iilsigilifi- cant, yet it was entered of record by the clerk, T. R. Webber, in detail, anti there m-na 110 mist:xkitlg the ~nenning of tile persons (loin? t h e hnsiness for the people.

SCHOOLS.

\.Ye have the record of two school houses in the county in 1 9 2 . One was on the west side of the Big Grove and was taught by Claude Tholnpkins. The other i ~ a s in the vicinity of the old Brumley place, near Ur- bana, the latter being the first school house, as far as we can learn, erected in the county.


.I I I PIONEERS OF CEJALWP-~ lGAT CIU TATTI'.

FIBST SCIFOOI, I'FOUSE.

lt is a snbstantial structure. I t will bc ~ioticecl that the ~~inclows are sinall. ancl in- steacl of \j-in(1ow glass, greased paper was usecl. The light thus aclnlittetl nligllt h ; ~ w snswerecl all purposes on a briglit clay bnt no one sufferecl f roin its being too bright. The seats cf this sell001 house were slabs and not he\vn so very s~nootll either. As far as we call learn, the first teacher in the Big Grove was a lady who boarded at the house of 3fartin Reinhart. In IS:?!, Asahel Bruer tanglit school iu the school house above dtl- scribe4 in fact he tanght eighteen inontl~s. 'l'he first Christmas he treated the scholars, according to the custoiu, to one galloll of whiskey and a bushel of apples, anti everything passed off harnloniously. JVIlen the nest Christmas came arouncl, on arriving a t tlie scllool house he fo~ulci the cloor barred, and in answer to his request for admittmlce a note was hanclecl hiin througli the crack between the logs asking that he treat to a busllel of s ~ p l e s ancl one gallon of 1~1iisBey a11cl that he give the scholars n vacation for one v-eel:. He nnswerecl that he ~voulcl not, and sooil n~ountecl the l~ouse. The clap- boards being held on the roof of the house by \ireigllt poles, lie had 110 clifficulty in t;k- ing out enough to cover tile top of the clliill- ney. As there was a large fire ~l:acle fronl green wood, in tlle lire place belo~v. the rooin \Y;IS sooil tillecl with sllloke. .J:uues Kirby, one of the olcler scllol:~rs. tool< tllc poker. piece of n pole. ancl by tllro\viilq it L I ~ the cl~iillne?: 1;iiocl;ecl tllc bo:i:-(ls of-?. 'l'lley were soon re1,lacecl by Jir. l?r~it$i. ant1 oil :\ sr~colic! atten1l)t to l<nocl; tile111 o!? Xr. Brucr cauglit rlie 1)ol;er aixl t1lrtAn- It oil tllc outsitlc ailtl rcl-eoveretl tlle (+!!i!il~ithy. '!'I!e 11011sc \\.;IS tllclli soon fil!c(l \ v i ~ l l b:~iol<c~, alillost to si~t'rocniio~l. The sitlt1llc.r c!iilt?rc~il beqlul to cry 1111(1 evthl-1 one secl:!:ch;l io \vish tlierc \\.as :ui ellti to the iilatter. ,lbo~!t this time \\-iIlia~ii 'i'~.ic.l;lt. cr;~\v!cti illto tlle gal'- rett, pulleel t~sicic the boarcis :mtI j~iilp(~cl out a~lcl elon-11 to the grou~ltl with 1\11.. I3rucr a t e I The hoj-s seeiilg >I;.. I3r11clr

catcllilig 'L'rickle, threw open the door ail(i evctry one pilecl ont silloke ancl all.

I ~ S A I I E I ~ ISltUEIi SJIOIiI?u'(; OIT'L' TIIE EOl-S

Tlle boys soon c:lught Mr. 131-ner ant1 began rollillg lliill i l l the snow, alitl he saitl, pulling his hair. lIe 11rotc:stecl that they hacl no right to tlo tllis, n-l~r?i i t,he boys ~ 1 1 1 ) - nlittetl the matter to Stepllen I<oy(l :u1(1 311.. Brornley who tl~citltvl that tlithl- hati n 1-ig1it t,o bar him out of the school llollst: btlt ilot to pull his hair or roll l l i i l l ill the snoiv. ;Is soon as JIr. Eruer was releasecl hc ~natic n rrlil for the school house, closely foIlo\vet L by .James Kirby nllti the balance, but tlit? oltl gentleina~i was lirst in the school Iionsi.. w1lel-e he was inaster of tlit? sitlintioll Sol. a short tiille, \vllen the boys s~u.i-ol~iitlcvi him allel lie snrrentlerecl saylny. "I just wailtecl to see if you Iiaci all>- lr(entucf\- bloocl in 5-ou." tie the11 told the boj-s wllere to iincl :I gallon of \v!~isl:ey, a i ~ l a bnshcl of a;,ples, hit1 a short clistallccl fro111 the st~hool I~ouse, \vhich were soon 1)ro- rtrlcecl ant1 tlie fterlloon sl~?iit in roastill? apples ;x!!el tlrlnking a l~ple totl(1y. Jaillt>s Kirby I F lI!i:iln ;~nd A-lslifc)r(l 'J'rickle. .J:x1ilths W. floj-{l. JIOSCS Deer. Jrrs. 1\Iary .IIII~ Moore, of I)a~lvllle, Fount !Srrsc>-. Sol Sox. .James 1-tolantl. Susan 'I'ricklc.. 11o\v 3Ir. I<iln- by's wife. were !)resent : 1 1 ~ 1 will long I-(.- iuember the circu:nst:t~~ce : I?IO\-~ narr:tte(l. . I t is es;)ecialIy vi~i t l i l l the 111ill(l of Jixll~t~c; Kirby. (me of ille exr1~- sc;trler.s \vho cave 11s these ft~cts. Mr. Kirby, :ii sl~eai<i;lc of tilth e:xrlj- \vetidi~~zs saitl. t l~a t iio hptlvi;:i iiiv~t:x- tioils \Yere issl~e(l to :~:t(l:~(l. h i 1 t evtl~j- oiie :~ttentlecl \ ~ 1 1 o fthlt so illcli~icti. I\-?ii~lichy v as r e 1s r ;It o11(~ :vec!tli!le lie attenclecl (tlit. ;\;~rrici.; ~lo\v iivi~lc 3{4(.:.~s t!lc yrovc) n i~ ie g:~llo~ls of \i-Ili.;l<i.\- wcl1.c. 1 1 s c 2 t l

2111~1 not a. 111;111 i v ; ~ ~ (1r11111<. The (lri111<< usec'l those daj-s n.erc ?:lillt -lilies. I,I;t:Al; strop. tans)- l)itt:>~..: ; ~ l l ( l czc-lioe.


URBANA AND SOMER TOWNSHIPS. Read at Old Settlers' Reunion, JziLy 29, ISSG.

The local history of these two townships. and in fa-t the early history of the county during the period to which I shall refer, \vliic!l mi!l be anterior to the period of history of others given here teday, are practical- Ij- one, for around the Big Grove, and upon territory embraced in both townships, were made the first settlemeilts of the county.

Our earliest historic accoullts accord the territory in this part of Illinois to tlle own- ership of the Kickapoo Indians, as Indian titles were tile11 regarcled. I11 the year 1S19, a t Ed~varclsville, Illinois. at a treaty bettveen the Kickapoo nation and the United States goven~ment, representecl by Xinian Ed- wards, a treaty was concludecl by wl~icli that people rehnquislled their rights here, and then passed west of the Mississippi. The Inclian occugation spoken of here to- clay, was s:lbseque?lt to this date, and by bancis of the ~6ttnwotanlies who hunted, and at times abode here. Tr~clitio~?, supported by the testi~nony of nmny old settlers, sollle of ~ ~ 1 1 0 1 ~ are here t ~ i a y , $3:-s that the site of Urballa and along the Uone Pard Branch was the site of an Indiail illa age of tlle Pottn~votalnies. Tlie presence there of good water. fuel anct an abundance of galne, made it n favorite camping ground wit11 them, They also frequently camped at the Clenients or Clay Bank ford, further d o n tile creel<. They buried their dead at Ad- kins' Point, near where John Thornburn null- lives.

FIGST TVITITE OC'CUPASCT.

So far as I nm informed the first white men to see this countr>-, %\-ere the United States surveyors who divided the country into townships and scdtions. These townships were surveyed in the summer of 1321 by Benjamin Franklin Nessenger, under the authority of the Fedwal government. There do~lbtless were hunters, trappers and traders, and perhaps squatters here before that date, but they left no name. The earliest sqnattcrs known to us, were Runnel Fielder, who is said to have been the first whik inhabitant of the county. who settled in lS22, near the north cast corner of Sec. 11. Urbana, and built a cabin there. n-hich I have often seen. Fielder entered no- lanci until Jnne 21, IS%, when he entered tlie W g KIT Sec. 19, a part of the Roe farm now onTned by Bate Sm'.th. on which he planted an orchard. the first in either tom1 i;f not the first in the count?. Some ot the trees

22

nlay be seen yet. Then there were Joli~l Light \vho ha& a cabin where Tom Brow-11- field now lives; Gabriel Rice. wllo had his cabin on Sol Sox's place : Phillip Stauforci, \vho li\ed near where 11-illtarn 1:oberts now lives and afterwards entered part of that fxnr~, a:l:l D ~ J - ~ c I Gabbert, 1~110 built his cabin just north o i t l ~ s park. This cabin was the iirst home ot the fanlily of Col. 31. W. Bnsey, who came here in 1gX. The Col- onel had been here before. tor he entered tlie bO where \re now are, in 1S0. Besides t!lese, there were Daggett. ~ v h o settled on the \Test side of the qrove, and IT-m. Tomp- liin- \ ~ h o built his cabin on t!ie creek. near \vlicre 1It:lberstadt's mill is. afterv~rds. in 1S"Y, elitering the 1anC -:;!lich 11e sold to Isaac Busey in Id:%. 'I'on~pklns had a son living in a cabin near the iiarr-ey cemetery, who was also a squatter for he never owiled anj land. 111 his cabin, it is said. was ooiu the tirst white child in the co~uity. Soon after 192s. gennanent settlers began to come in. Tllomas Rolland, in 1923, Xattlle\v Bu- sey, in 129. Isham Cook, in ISO, and soon thererlfter, and in some cases before, came Jrl~nes T. Roe, John Brownfield, T. ft. Web- ber, W. T. Webbey, Jacob Smitli, Jacob Heater. Jolil~ G. Robertson, Isaac G. Beck- ley, Sainple Cole ant1 .Tames Clements. Be- fore rllany of these. perhags, n-as l'liillip M. Stanford. Sarah Coe, the Trickles, Robert and ITillian~. Elias Kirby, Mijamin Byers. the latter of whom xvas a justice of the yeace for this part of Vermilion. the^ all settled tout tlie Big Grore in these hvo to\\.ns!lii!s and soon began to enter the lands. Tliese names i love to recall as being the iianws of those \\-!lo Iaid the fou~ldat~ioll of oily present greatness.

E'i1:S.T LXSD ESTEIES.

Tlie first entry in Urbana was made by Fielder, as above stated, in l*??S, and the f i r z ~ n Sonler was made by Sarah Coe, ~ h o , in 1Sf29, entered the W x S EM Sec. 17. no17 111 Williaiii Roberts' :'dnn. nuring the three \-ears followiny, enhies of lnncls now lying in both tonnships. were made b ~ l l i j a m i n Byers. Isaac Busey, Jolin Whitaker, Kill- ianl 'Toinpkins, Philip Stanford. Charles Bwey, 3iariin Rhineheart. \\Talter Ellodes. Jolin Light. John Rro\~nhelti, Robert Trick!e and others.

DISEASES.

Like all new countries, blessetl with a soil !lo!di::g the elements of: IT-ealth, this countrl-. \-illen first settled, ancl until by cultivation and artificial drainage facilities were afforded for the surface water to pass rapidly away. was the home and nursery of malarious ciis?ags. They appeared in the form of apue. chill ferer. flus. and other


113 PIONGELLS OF Glld .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

bowel co~n!)laints and were a g r e ~ ~ t hin- drance to tile rapid settle~nent of the country. These diseases were universal alltl tile latter part of every sunllller allel every fall people lookecl for a visitatioii fro111 t l~ese diseases as ulucli as they looketl for the ripenmg of their crops. It was understoocl that unless tlie work of the season \\-;IS vo111- pletecl before the sicl;ly season c;l~ut? on, it llati to go over. for during that periorl all \voultl be sick, or if snine were spiuctl. their time n'onld be lnonnpolized in the care of their sick. Many times there wcre not \veil gersolis ellong11 i l l t t falnily or neigllborl~ootl to care for tlie sic:;. 1'11)-sic.ia~;s were few oi. entirely xvnnti~~g. Dr. Fitl~iall, the veteran physician of Dan\-ille, was often c;~lled to this county. while Dr. S te~e i j s of Homer, mitl Dr. Soniers of Urbana, who \\.ere early on the ground, had a ivitle range of prncticc? in these diseases. The effect of these xnnu- a1 recurrences of ~eiasniatic, cliseases ui,on tlne indi\-idual was to weaken ancl sap the constitution of tlie strongest. The death roll of the tirst thirty >-ears of our history, if it coultl be callecl, \voold startle us even a t this distance of tilne. Strong men and woineli gr:tdually weakened and linxlly Sell before the unseen foe, while little chiltlren, ague ridden froni their birth. enclnreci a dwarfish growth fgr ;L few years, anil weut shaking to their graves. Wliile this is true of many, we yet have monlunents of the olden time in many \vlnitened heads all around us, which have reached or long since passed the :~llottecl three score years and ten, and still linger as good spec:innens of well preserved ma~inoocl ancl \vorna~lhoocl, equal in liealthf ul appearance to any found i11 onr more favored localities-men and woman who have here spent tlieir thirty, forty, fifty, or even near sixty years. TVe may now congratulate ourselves that, drnin- age acconlplishect. we call compare with ally country for healtlnfulness.

EAR1.T DEATHS.

So far as I can ascertain the first deatln among the white inhabitants of the county. was Ishall1 Cook. I n 1S::3 he enterecl land in section .i, north of Urbana. 111 the fall of that rear he clied and was buried there. The farni is ~ < ~ I O W I I as the Dean farm. In 1SS1, a Lvollian named Pngln. a member of a family traveling throug11,- tlietl a t lthine- lieart's, and was t!ie first cleat11 in Sonler to~~rnship. The wife of Isaac Busey died in IS:%, ancl was the first tr, be 'unriecl in the olcl cemetery in Urbana. In IS%$ se\-era1 melllbers of the 310~s fanlily and otllers cliecl of cholera. nortli of the grove. Tile deaths were startlizg a~ici spreacl consterna- tion among the people. I mention also

others who died \vithin a few years after corning here, as follomrs: James Brownfield, brother of John, and lather of Robert. Thomas Rolland, father of ZIrs. \Vm. I. ZIoore of Danville. Isaial~ Corray, father of Elislna. Jo l i~l Truman, tile ancestor of those remaining of that name. Willia~u Eoyd, the granclfather of Jalnes Boyd. Isaac Busey. and his soil John, an(i gra~id so11 Isaac. Davirl Sheplinrd, father of Par- ris. JVi:liam T. \Vehber. fi~tlicr.of T. 1:. and UT. H. Webber. Jannes Brownficlcl. gmildfather of \ITillianl ancl Tl~o~nas . Jesse Totnpkins. \vlio was a squatter on the qov- ern~uent l:-tind~. Sal~luel Ur~ i~~ l l ey . father of 3Irs. T. L. Trmi1;ln. Jacob Bradshnw, Ste- phen Gt~licl;, Cliarles Busey, ;~ild t l ~ c list might be ~nucli esteiidecI+~~t space forbicls. Two of the earlier tleatli.; were of lneii 1vho were veterans of the re\-olutioiiary war. One mas Robert Bro\viifield, above noteel, who cliecl iu 1W1. The otlier was Willianl Hays hV11o diecl since that date. Both are buried in Soll~er, and in unmar1;etl graves. I t would redound to tlie c r e d ~ t of the people to erect lasting nlonuiuents to 11lxrli the last resting places of tllese patriots! and to keep these spots i : ~ remembrance u yon each re- curring decoration clay.

SCI~IOoLS. Jollil Light. the squatter, probablv taught

t.he first school within t h e territory of these to\\,nships, in a cabin near wl~ere Frank Apperson now lives.' Janles Boyd, who is with us to-day, mas a pupil of Light's and believes this to have been the tirst. I t was taught in the winter of lS:?!-:3. Charles Fielcler anct. John 13. Tl~omas, after\krarcls a lawyer and joclge of the county court, aiso taught school in tlne settlement in the north part of the grove. Asahel Bruer, a veteran of the war of 1Sl2, wlio died rive years since, also taught early in the thirties. in the grove.

The first mill for grinding corn was brought by Robert Tricl~le from Butler's Point, in 15%. I t coilsisted of a liollo\v log or "gum" in \viiich were inserted the upper and the net l~er mill stones. These stones mere wol.l;ed out from r011gh boulders and with the applixnees for ~naking the upper stone revolve served a very good purpose. Fielcler in 1S?S and .John Bro~vnfieId in 1S:3(i, built horse mills which were i~nprovetnents on tlie hand mill. Broivr(:-:d's 11niZ n-its quite pretentions and \\--us builr by Janles Holnles. a preacher of tlie 11. E. church. The frannc of the bni!ding nwd still stantls. The stoues were subsequeutlj- remol-eci to a water mi!l built OII tile creek in IS2 by Mr. Brownfieid. n-liicli sl?perseded the !lor<? mill. These ston,os an. still preserved by


Ton1 Bro1\7nfield as mementoes of other act ~~h~~ F. ~ i ~ h ~ ~ d ~ ~ ~ of clark claps. John Haptenstall built a saw mill on J~~~~~ P. J ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ , of coles county, the creek below to\vn about 1M, and Jacob stephell B. slle1ledy, of ~d~~~ countv, 3Iootz in 1W2 built another on a site here i11 colllmissioners to locate rrballa, n-hich it tile park for Col. Busey. Tllese ~llills mere ,,, declared should be the coulntv seat. llot attended with success ancl \\-ere SNper- Tllese Illell lllet. as requirecl bb- la\\-, at the secled by the first steal11 saw aucl grist mill llousc of pllillip 11. stallford alld foillid va- built in tile couilty erected in Urbana in IS50 rioas poillts colltestillg for tile llollor of beby \Villi:~~n Parl;. iilg tlie capital of the new county. Stanford

PIITSICIASS. \~aiitecl it at his l~onse, liortll of the grove? The lirst pliysiciaii who located here was where the principal part of the population

Dr. Fall<ersou. who came in LS:iO ancl board- of the settleilleilt \v<is tlleii located. in \i'iiieh ecl wit11 Mrs. C O ~ , a ~;idoiv lady wlio had his ~~eighbors ali joilietl hiin. At that time iniprovecl laiicl in See. 97 Soiner. He did tlie only post oftice in this part of the couu- not remaill long but ~ilovecl 011. Dr. Lyons ty, l;~ioivii as GanBure~i, :\.as kept on the stoppecl a t Jollil Shephercl's in Urbana to\~~11- adjoini~ig farxi 0:' Nat!lias R!iiueheart. ship for a tilne, before lo-nting per~llnilelltiy Isaac l3use)- ti~lcl \Vi!lia~n T. Webber, own- at Sidney. I le subsequelltly represented ers :.espectirely of the \\->: 111~x and e:< t!ie couiity ill the legislature. Dr. John ne?: of sectioil 17, in Urbzna. aild Col. JI. Saddler locatecl i11 Urba~ia in lY:39, learing W.Busr:y \ ~ ~ i l 0 o\vneil co~ltiguons lauds,\\-ere not long after ailcl was folIo\i'ed by Drs. maliinz liberal of£ers of land for county pur- Wilistoil aiid IT. I). Sorners in 15-10 ancl 4:;. . poses. Tile Stanford location \vus on the Tlle forlller honored his pr\f:ssion until E't. Clark roxd au:l as surro~ullded by a con- his de:itll, in 1S71, the latter soon entered siderable population, ~vllile tlie latter site the law practice as thc first lawyer of the was covered by hazel brush anrl clecicledly ill eonnty. the bacli\\~oods. It was thou,~ll t tlixt the

I:ISLIGIOUS. coin~~~issioness had decided in favor of Stan- One Jlahuriil, a Baptist, was the tirst foril's, when Isaac Busey l~revailed npon

minister to proclaim tile gospel here. He tlie~ll to yo lloiiic with hi111 to stag all night becai~le chaplaiil of x regi:nent in the Black before driving the stake that was to settle lia\vk war and never returned. John D~ul- tile controversy. Theg- went, and before ham, of tlie Ullitetl Brethren chnrch, early another su:1 rose. tradition iilforlns us, the became noted as a religious leacler all stake 1 ~ 1 s driven in a patch of hazel brush tlirougll this part. -Ilesander Holbrook, \vilere tlie court house now stands. The who lireil \vl~ere Capt tIowel1 now lives, driving of that stake. although an unirnpod- \bras a Xethodist eshorter and often made ant circmnstance at that time, has proved tlie \voocls ring with his wild eloquence. an eventful oiie upoil illally thiugs happen- Williacl PhilIips, known to the settlers ss ing since. Tliere are those \\-110 indulged in "Bnb Phillil~s." and Rev. J. Ilolnles, who mas dark hints ;it the tiiiie of undue influences, a tra~lsieilt illill wight , v e r e local preachers the echo of \vhich nlay be heard yet, but 110

of the same persuasion and nlaterially aided doubt the commissioners acted from honest the moral work. Father John G. Robertson, motives. Had Staiiforcl's been accepted who in IS33 entered laud in See. 10, Urbanrt, Somer ~ ~ o u l d hare been the site of the coun- and ~7110, a s a Baptist layninn, \vas ever a ty seat instead of Urbana. The circum- zealous christian morlcer, is said to have held stances soo~l began to work necessary the tirst religious llleetings in the then chaiinyes. Population began to gather ou the village of U r b ~ n a . He died a t JIahomet a south side of the grove; stores, li~nited few years ago. The first Xethodist class however to a few articles only, mere open- allti the # e r n of the present sociexy in Ur- ed in Urba~la. Cmlrts were held here and baaa. \\-as orga~lized in IS:%. at tlie house of r:)ads were opeilecl leading to other parts of Walter Rhocle~, the tirst leadgr. The Bap- the county. The postofiiee had its name tist church of Urbana was organized in 1841, ciiailged f i o ; ~ \-ail Buren to Crbana, and T. nt the Brunlley sc!lool house. two miles east. R. \l7eb%er. in addition to the office of clerk The Roes, Grumleysl Trumans, Cooks, Coses of the circuit conrt. and perhaps other offices. a:incl Sancy IVebber were among the con- beca:;le postmaster. stitueilt me;nt)ers. The offi~iatillg clergymall Tile los;ltio:l of the count- so far froln the was Kev. Ne\vell. Wabniil and Illinois rivers and fro111 Lake

COUSTI- SEAT. .\iic!li~.ln. the on!? public lnealls of trans- On February 2Oti1, 1S%3, John ~efno!ds, portatio~l. from necessitv niade -its gr0Ttll

goverilor of Illinois. signed the act of the in gopalation S~OTF*. It is r~robable t!lat in legislature creating the county of Champaign ls:;:$: w!-!len ;his count,>- came illto esistencc. irolri the l:~nds attached to Vcrrnilion. The its popl~lation (lid not es?eed 503. 111 1s:x.i.


115 PIONEERS OF CHAMPA41Qh7 COLrETr.

it was only 1250 and in IS50 only 2,649.

I n 1S53, twenty years after this became it

county, I first saw these beailtiful lancl- scapes, then ahnost i11 a state of nature, and cletermined to make this lny future ho:ne. Escept in the limited increase in popul,~tion, the county had made but little adva~icenlellt in twenty years. From ttvo postoffices, Van Bnreil aild Luddingtou, .af terwarcls ctlanged to Bonier, the nurnber had iilcreasecl to live only. Soile of the streams were bridged except the Sslt Fork at Homer. The roads were little better than traces across the prairie allel tl~roug!l timber belts. with but little improvelne~lt in the 1:uies in the way of grading and culverts. The settlen~ents were confined to the groves ancl timber belts almost exclusively. I only remeuber a fen- farms opened a mile from the ti~nber. The roaci frorn Urbana to Blahoinet-from timber to timber-had perhaps not to exceed six farms opened upoil it. Few could be found who were daring enough to assert that these prairies would ever be settled. Lailds could be hacl at fro111 a few cents per acre for gov- erilment lands uncler tile gracluation law, to $10 per acre, for choice implSoved locations. There were, perhaps, five or six cheap church ba~lclings. one of which was in Ur- bana, and not to exceed a dozen scllool houses of all kincls. No railroad or other public means of conveyance touched the county, although the llliilois Central, the pioneer railroad, was located and partly graded. Transportation -to the county was col~cl~~cted entirely by private conveyance, and ~uostly from the Wabash to~vns, to which merchan- dise was brought froin the eastern cities by canal and by river steamers. 'L'hi: couilty hacl advancecl to its third court house, a fair looking two story brick structure. The public business was iiiostly transacted by T. R. Webber, Escl., then and for 1;1any years clerk of both courts and ~naster in chai~cery. His office held all the records of the county, which were well and neatly kept. The population of these two toivt-ns, not then as now divided into ttvo towns, for not until long ihereaf ter was to~\~nstlip organization adopted, was conSnec1 e:iclusive- ly to a little belt immediately about the Big Grove, there being no settler in the neighborhood more than a mi!e from the timber. Of those knoxn as old settlers ~ 1 1 0 have since removed or died, I kne~t- and call name many: James and Asa Gere, Archa Camp bell, Edward Ater, 11. P. Snelling, Robert Logan, T. R. Webber, James Porter, J. W. Jaquith, Penrose S tidllam. Jacob Smith, 31athew Busel-, Bartlett Elrodd. 3 oshua Tay- lor. Jollil Sheplierd. D. 0. Brumlep,T. 1,. 'l'ru-

man, James T. Roe, Jollil Gilliland, John, Kobert,Benj aniin,.Josepli, Samuel and 3 osep h F. Brownfield, Jacob Heater, James and Waitman T. Somers, Lewis Aclkins, Mathias and Martin Rhineheart, James C. Young, William Aclams, James Dean, John Cant- ner, Dr. 'SVinston Somers, A. G. Carle, J. D. Wilson, Stephen Boyd, Elishn Harkness. IVilson Lewis, Asahel Bruer, C. 11. Van- derveer, IYiIliam a i d %. E. Gill, John Crabb. James IIyers, James Clenlents, John Shep- herd, John Campbell and Benjamin Cllil- ders.

There mere few houses in the settlement of a character much above the pioneer cabin or blocli house and few pel.lllitnent banls. The people were mostly fro111 Indial~z and the southern states, with a few from New York and the eastern states. Frorn habit and taste llospitable, the stra;lger \vho cnlne among tlienl was kinclly received and 110s- pitably entertained. What they wanted most was emigrants to fill up their mag- nificent couutry, and so the stranger wits warmly ~velcomed. The principal busiiiess of the farmers was tlie raising aiid fatten- ing of cattle and hogs for th2 market. Very little grain was raised for sale, other t!ian to cattle feeders, owing to tlie want of transportation. Such was this couilty nrllen in 1S.53 my eyes were glaclened by what seemed to my entl~usinstic gaze t21c rnost enchanting prospect under the sun.

The next gear, 1S.54, the trains of the Illi, nois Central railroad awoke the echoes on our prairies ancl in our groves zncl proved, in fact, the turning point in tlie history of this county. Popuiation flon7ed in and capi- t a1 sought investment. Lailcls were greedi- ly sought out and the echoless prairies became the home of civilization. The pioneers became restless under the pressure and many of those above named sought broader fields in the far west. Scllool houses, churches ancl railroads multiplied, our villages Secame cities and populous villages sprang up all over the county. The State University came and sat down in orrr midst, b r i~g ing with it culture, taste and refinement in the liberal arts, and the ham- let, which i found in 1S.53, with bul; one little wooden church and :lo house fit to be called a school-house. has become a great seat of learning where our soils alld our daughters n~ay. if they choose, drink deeply from wisdom's f01i1it. The population of less than 3000 ha:< become 50.0a0 and the county holds a position in the political and educational affairs of the state second to few.

All this and much more has been brought about in this one county under the liberaliz-


ing influences of our free i~stitutions, in a third of a century.

Loooking to the near future to be partici- pated in by many of us we n70nderingly ask, "What next." Withdrawing our gaze from what me may yet see and participate in, and looking to the far away future of our county and city, when we and those with us shall have been gathered to our fathers, we also naturally ask:

Who'll press for gold this crowded street, A huudred years t o come? Who'll tread yon church with I$-illiny feet A hundred years to come? Pale, trembling age and fiery youth, And childhood with its brow of t ruth, The rich and poor, on land or sea, Where will the mighty million be, A hundred years to come?

The first postoffice was established in 1S7, F. B. Sale postmaster; it was called New- comb and retained that name until the completion of the narrow gauge railroad in IS%, when the name was changed to Fislier and the office removed to that place.

The first supervisor was A. B. Condit, in honor of whom the township xas named. The township now has eight school houses, three churches, has neither railroad. village, saloon. blacksmith shop nor nlanufactory of any liind, does not oTve a cent. and has no dead beats. I t is strictly an agricultural township.

-- BROWS.

Organized froin East Bend in 1869. First

We all mithin our graves shall sleep sett!er one Wm. B. King, in IS:%, ~ 1 1 0 was A hundred years to come: the only one for years in n-!iat is now Brown No living soul for us shall weep, A hundred years to come. to\v\.nship. The first entrr of land was in But other men our land mill till 1H.7 in Sec. 4. Wm. Brown was an early And others then our streets will fill, And other words millsing as gay, settler on See. 3. The town takes its name And bright the sunshine a s to-day, from him. Thomas Stevens, a ~vealthy cat- A hundred years to come, tle dealer, settled in the north part in 1555,

(now in Gibson), Ithainan Maroney in the

CONDIT, BROWN, NEWCOMB AND EAST BEND TOV~~NSHIPS. -

Read at Old Settlers' Reunion. Jr~1u Z , I S S 6 . BY F. B. SALE. -

CONDlT. This township was formerly the east half

of Newcomb and was organized into a township ill lS67. The first settler was Ethan Newcomb, who settled in the county in 1*B at what is kllown as Yen-comb's Ford on the road or trail from Big Grove to Cheney's Grove and Bloomington. The following are among the old Atlers : Fielding Loyd, mllo settled in IS&; John Phillippe. m 1837 ; Steven Pusey, in lS9 ; Lewis Xdkins, son of one oi the oldest settlers of Big Grove and son-in-law of John Phillippe, in 1 W ; C. I?. Columbia, in 1%; William and Dave Hawk. John and Xbe Fisher and Wm. JIorain, in 1ST; the Cramers in 1S32; the Gulicks in 1850; B. Ham in 1853; Alfred. Zack, Richard, Dock, John, Harrison 1V.and Deskin Gulick, with a widowed mother, all came from Vir- qinia in the year luentioned; Hale A. John- son, the Pntnams, F. B. Sale, Wm. Lenning- ton, Newark L a s and many others, came t~ the township i11 1S56. Sale had bee:. :i the county since October, 1G3.

The Erst school teachers were Columbus Taylor, JIiss Betsy Banes. Miss Discy A. Newell, David Cheney, Nancy Butler and F. 13. Sale.

The first preaching place was at Phill- ippe's. The Methodist elder John Britten- ham: first preachers, Levi Pitner, A- Bmd- sham, d. C. Long and IIr. -1rnold.

z3

estreme northwest corner about same time. He enlisted in the army in IS62 and did not return to this county. Wm. H. Groves, tke oldest living settler, came in lSS, and still lives on section 3. Among the earliest set- tiers we inent.ion Carl Dobson, C. C. Harris, now oP Champaign. \Vm. Peabody, now in Oregon, Davicl Cooter, Johu Strauss, Ly- man Smith, - Adams, Steven Brown and others.

The Chicago branch of the Wabash R. R. cuts through the northwest corner of the town and a flourishing village called Foos is the stntion. The H., R. & E. also runs through the south and on it Fisher is situated. -

3EWCO&iB. Xemcomb, formerly composed of range 7

and S, in town 91, divided in 1S67. Smga- mon river runs through east side. First set- tier is said to have bee11 one Xitchell in IS35 at Pancake's Point. He was a Kentuckian and did not remaiu long. Wm. Panca!ie and Jesse W. Pancake came in lS37; Joseph T. Everett, 1S41; Xnjor Sam'l Houston, 1.99; J . S. H:%nnah and J. J . Hannah, 1831; Wm. Lane, G:o. Kimble. P. Hinton, Augush~s Blacker. Sam'l fthodes, Sam'l and Allen Hnbberd, R. Lester, Banes Broderick, 1558; Rector and Xerrill E. Holloway, J. H. Fnnston nlid Hiram Trotter, 1S6 . First school teacher. Uiss Martha Newell, at Jesse Pancake's old house in 1S1. First birth, Joseph Pancak~?. son of Wm. P. and xife. First prenching a: J. S. Hannah's, Jlethodist Episcopal, b3- Rev. Parker. First postoffice, Shilnh 'entre, m IS74 Shiloh church built in 1Sfi5: B. ch~irch. section 3. built in iS74.


117 PIOKEEZtS Oh' CH.4

EAST BEND Derives its name from the bend in the San- gamon river, which extends further east in this township than at any other point. It ancl Brown township once had the name of Sodom, which was the name of the tirst postoffice, Thompson Dicksoii, 1'. 31.

First Settlers: Franklin Dobson ancl Lot King in 1S37; Sicholas Devore in 1&1, his sons, A. J. Devore and John Devore, still live in same; Harvey Taylor, lS15; Garduer Sweet, 1SsS: J . L. Cosner (still there), Tlion~psoll Dickson and Harmon IIilberry. 18.32: Ben Dolpll ant1 Kicharcl Chism. 1S.54; Noble Bjers, John Stansberry and Isaiah Ferris, I h X ; Xlfred Honston, Josliua Peclr- ham, Phillip I-Iunllnel. Charles Knapp anrl Jolln IIarnit, 18%.

The H., R. &k E. R. R. rim3 through the south part. The principal station is Dewel-. about ZOO inhabitants. l~lostly German. l n the town are three stores, besides Bne large implement warehouse, one blaclrsmith shop, one church, German Lutheran, school house, mill, and an extensive business is done in grain and produce. The principal operators are E. C . Sale, John Heineman and J. IT. Linebarger.

ST. JOSEPH, STANTON AND OGDEN TOWNSHIPS. -

Eiend at OM Settlers' Reuniost, J a l ~ 2.9, I S K . BY C . H. GALLION. -

ST. JOSEPH. Geographically, St. Joseph township lies

ln the sccond tier of townships fro111 the east county line, and is bounded on tlie north by Stanton. oil the east by Ogden and Homer, on the south by Sidney, ancl on the west by Urbana. The original survey was made in 1531 by Jacob Judy, then tieput!, surveyor-general, and it mas nlatle a pollti- cal township when the county aclopted township organization.

The Aboriginal history of St. Joseph township is identical with that of the whole county. However, when tlle Eed rnen roamed this country in search of a suitable burxing ground for their dead braves, they chose the site where the present village of St. Joseph stands. This fact is still evi- denced by several rnounds which are yet visible, and from some of which have been exhumed the bones of human beings.

But when the Indian yielcled the territory. and i t was opened to settlement for the white man, such names as the Staytons, tlie Swearingens, the Peters' aiid the Bartleys, came into prominence. The first settler in the township w:rs Xicholas Tolunt. \vho

came in IS%, and built a log cabin on the farm where Jno. M. Peters now lives. Two years later, Joseph Stayton, father of David B. Stayton, moved from Kentucky, and was the first permanent settler in the township. In the spring of 1S:3l Pount sold his improve- nlent to W. 31. Peters, also from Kentucky, who for lliany years acted as justice of the peace, and \-?hose desce~lclants consist of the numerous families by that name \vho still reside in the township. The next fall. Jno. \V. Swearingen, also from Kentucky settled near Hickory Grove. In the spring of IS?? came the Bartleys, and soon afterward Caleb Shreve and Jno. H. Strong's father. Orange Strong, settled on the banks of tile Salt Fork. .

The first person ever buried in St. .Joseph township mas the mother of Kicholas Yount, and the !irst child ever born in the township was a child of Joseph Stayton's, which died in infancy. The first school was taught ill I S 3 by Jno Ford, and the school house was the kitchen of Squire Peters' residence.

The first village in the township was the Old Towii et' St. Joseph, situated on the State Road at the Salt Fork crossing. A t the height of its glory, this village could boast only of three stores, a post office, a tavern, a blaclismith shop aiid several dwellings. The naming of St. Joseph is described by the foIlowii~g circumstance. I t is related that at one time, ~vhen Joseph Kelley kept the tavern stand, a stranger came alollg ancl stoppecl wit11 Mr. Kelley, and the two became quite agreeable friends and for several days had a jovial time tcr gether. When the strangerdepal-ted, Kelley, out of conbideratioll for the good time they had had in company, refused to charge him anything, whereupon tlie nlysterious stranger told the landlord, that he wonld "do something for him" for his kindness. Soon afterward, the stranger, whom it seems was some politiciail of more tllan ordinary influence, and in some way connected with the administration, at Washington, secured the establishment of a post office, the neecl of which he had perhaps learned during his stay at Kelley's. Kelley was appointed post master, and in !)is honor it was callecl St. Joseph, from Kellel-'s first name.

The present tliriving village of St. Josepli dates its esistence from the building of the Indiana, Blooinington and Western railway in 1S66. The earliest settler on tlie sit,e of the town was Catharine Hoss. who entered 40 acres of land in 1S39. The first business ho:~se was opened in 1S;O. in the vest part of town by \V111. 0. Shreve and Van 13. Swearingen. These gentlenlen have since %>en actively identiliect I\-ith the business


interests of the place, and have contributed not a little to its prosperity.

Shortly after, A. H. Ralph moved up a store building from the old to~vn. and opened the first business house in the east part of the village.

I11 the early part of 1SS0, the village was incorporated under the laws of the state. and a t present comprises some twenty-tiye business firms, two public halls, two handsome churches and a large and well conducted graded school.

On the construction of the I., B. ancl W. Ey.. a station called Mayview was established in St. Josepll township about 4 miles \vest of the village, and now consists of a store, post office, blacksmith shop, grain elevator and a 11audson:e Sletllodist cliurch.

St. Joseph to\vnship has held its place among the forenlost to\vnships, ancl in an early day, had mucli to do 111 :he civil government of the co~ulty. The law es- tablishing this county provided for the election of three colniilissioners, to be the highest in autllority in the county. Jncob Ihrtley, of St. Joseph, was a nieinber of the first board. Six of the members of the first grand jury, and three of the first petit jury were from St. Joseph. 'L'he first poor farm in the cou~lty n7as in St. Joseph township, the o:le 1 1 0 ~ owned by d b e Hoy. The first bridge in the county spa~inecl the Salt Fork wliere :t 1s crossed by the State road in St. Joseph, and the first regular preacher in the county inade St. Joseph one of his appointments. The first organized drainage district in the state uncler the new law, was in St. Joseph, ancf :~ncler the head of public improvements, St. Joseph ton-mhip donated .F;25,000 for the constrr~ction of the I., B. and W. Ky. The first supervisor was S. S. lianliin, and the subsequent representatives in the county board have beell Jlahlon Glascock, V. B. Swearingen, H. W. Drullinger, G. W. Doyle, Jno. L. Smitll. David B. Stayton, 9 b e Thoinpson, IT. 0. Shreve and the present incumbent, V. J. Gallion.

- STANTON.

Stanton township a t one time formed a part of St. Jo-sph, but was cut ofT in IS69 and in 1S7S it mas reduced to its present limits by the incorporation of part of it into Ogcien township. 'l'he first settler of whom we call learn was John Trilnble, 11 110 entered SO acres of land on the east side of the Spoon river, near the Vanfleet farm. Bnt chief amcng the early settlers n a s Levi Crayne. TI-110 settled on Salt Fork when the whole township was a vast prairie. He came from Ohio and lived lonqer in Stanton than any other nlan. Fredericlc 0. Franken-

berg was tlle first man to settle in the west part of the township. The Whitzell brothers came soon after and Jonathan Hunt, who made a settlelnent there in lS3 was one of the first justices of the peace. The Yaymorths moved on the farm they now occupy in IS61 and are well k:lomn and respected citizens. E. W. Swisher has long lleld the oflice of justice of the peace in tlle towiiship. and Erastus J. Clark figured largely in political circles. l l though Stan- ton tomlship contai~is no I-illzge, the residents iind excellent marketing facilities at St. Joseph? aucl to the indilstrious farmers of Stnnton is the r~~oiiderful growth of that village largely due.

This to\jlnship is sornewllat noted as con- tailling tile largest settlement of Friends or Qualcers ill the county.

The rirst supervisor of: Stnnton was L. C. Yelettel who was folIomed by Isaac Weaver, J. D. Whitzell, E. T. Johnson, L. H. White, E. 31. Russel, Isaac L. Lefever, Jesse Mel- lette anil David Maddock, the present supervisor. -

OGDEN. Ogdex to\viiship is situated in the es-

tremt. eastern part of the county, and is so:newliat irregular in shape, being 10% miles long from north to south, and 3% miles \vide from east to west. The first survey was inade in lF31 by James Thompson, ,

deputy surveyor, and the organization of the to\viiship was effected in 1573. The tirst settleineilt was made in Hickory Grove by Hiram Rankin, who soon after nloved to St. .Joseph. The nest settlement was made in Burr Oak Grove, in the northein part of the to~~- i l~h ip . Garrett Moore, who was among the earliest inen to inake il?provements in Ogden township mas the rirst constable in Champaign co~ulty. The Richards, F r e e mails and the Firebaughs are all familiar llames anlong the old settlers. The first supervisor was E. S. JIiles. Eleazer F r e e 111an is a t present supervisor.

RAETOUL - TOWNSHIP. Rend at Old Settlers' Rel~nion. July 3. 1W.

BY J O R S ROTGETOX.

The conntry now k n o ~ ~ n as Rantoul mas fornlerlg lrnown as 3Iink Grove, from the grove bearing that name near the present town of Rantoul, which mas a general renrlezvous for the Indians. The first white settler was Archa Campbell. who built a house in the tovnship in the fal lof lW. The house was fourteen feet square. one story, and built ot split loss. it \\-as roofed wit11 rough boards trx-elve or fourteen feet long.


JIr. Campbell's nearest neighbors were Bl-anklin Dobson, on the Sangamon river, nine miles west, and Lewis Adliins, at north end of Big Grove, eight miles south. Mr. Campbell farmed until lS5S, when he sold out to Guy B. Chandler. It was through the influence of Sir. Campbell that tlie Illinois Central railroad located the present station where it now is.

I n 1632 Lewis L. Hicks entered a section of land two miles north-east and was followed by his brother-in-law and sister, Gil- bert Martin and wife in 18.73. In 1SW John W. Dodge cane here from Ttvinsburg, Ohio, for the purpose of pre-empting land tor the Ohio colcny. He reinnifieci ~intil November andby that time had causeci to be erected no less tllall eighteen cheap houses, on as many quarter sections, within a radius of six miles of the grove. He caused to be bought for himselt and his friends 3,295 acres of land, costing, including commis- sions 83.09 per acre. John Penfield, one of the prominent men of the township removed here in 1S56. I n IS55 John Ronghton started a blacksmith shop near the residence of A. Darnell. J. TV. Dodge per- manently located here May 9, 1556, soon after his brother-in-law, James T. Herricli, arrived, followed by James Smithers, John B. Perry, .Columbns Canles, Frank Ends Anderson Brown and Benjamin Uradleg. J. J. Boiswas appointed agent of the I., C.

It. R. May 1, IS57 and holds that positioll a t present. He was also agent for the Ameri- can express company until January %.1S66, when he was succeeded by E. J. Udell, the incumbent, who discharges the duties of that office to the entire satisfaction of everyone. Xr. Udell has also beell telegraph operator since September l, 18134.

G. W. Carter settled in 1SS6, Abraham Cross in same year, doh11 A. Benedict arrived November 1, l S , he has since died, his biography and portrait appears on allother page of this book. Wm. 0. Bissell came in 18.55. The town plat of Rantou~ rvas platted in the sumiller of 1S.56, by John and Guy D. Penfield, who have done much to build up the tow11 since. Among the new comers to the town were ~Vuns \.liest, C. F. Post, T. E. Frederick, Dr. D. 31. Mar- shall, Wm. E. Johnson, Zimri Kej-nolds, Dr. J. Sweatt, Isaiah Estep and Mrs. 3. L. Seaver.

The tonn is well supplied with stores, which are supported by arich country. The gromth of the to~vnship has been wonder- ful and it is not surpassed in improvernellts and energy of its citizens by any to\vi~ship in the county.

LUDLOW, HARWOOD AND KERR TOWNSHIPS. -

Rencl at Old Settlers' Ranion, July 29, I=. B Y J. 31. HSRSIT.

The Illiilois Central R. R. was completed to Pera, now Ludlow, in 16.73, and a turn table put in there, ~vhic.11 mas i~ioved to Cliam- paign iu 18%. The first agent mas John Lucas. He died in Ludlow in lS7O. Tlie first school was taught by Aliss Alary Wood, in the R. R. freight house, in IS.%.

The first settler, not considering the employers of the 1., C. R. R. were Dr. Emmons, Jas. Barklow, B. F, Dye, Isaiali Estep, L. L. Hicks, K. LV. Claypool, A. lluilt and Seth Parsons.

John W. Dodge, now of Iiantoul, and others, lillown as the Ohio settlement, settled in t!ie years IS%, G and 7; abo~it the same time Uncle Sam'l Lewis, and his son Wm. and family, G. C. and W. H. Walker. with their father, now dead. Z. Genung, John Ilonghton. Sam'l Livillgstoll and James and Patrick Malloy, a n~miber of whom are still residents of the township have witnessed the growth of the county from raw prairie land to a fine farming couiltry. Squire Roughton's f arrn being now regarded as the best improved in the township. There was but little improvement fro111 '56 to '65, after which the township settled rapidly and is now very largely under cultivation.

John Springsteen was the first blacksmith, John P. and Sauluel 31iddlecoE the first merchants, Uncle John, as he is called, still resides here, John Y. Middlecoff resides in Paxton and his brother Samuel died in the service of his couutry-in the war of the rebellion. I believe M. Huffman was the first post master. The town, to-day, has two gene121 stores, three grain buyers, one harGware, two grocery and provision stores, one boot and shoe store, two blaclrsrnith shops, a graded school and two churches- tlie M. E. and Christian, and it is said there are but two statioils on the line of the Illin- ois Cetltral froa which that co~ilpal~y transporr;~ more grain than they do fro111 Ludlow. -

HBRWOOD. Jeremiah Delay was the first settler locat-

ing on section :3O, in 1SS9; Jacob Huffman settled on section 1 the same year. ailct Rlichael Huffman the ne i t year 011 sectio1l:j. He mas the first Jiistice of the P3ace in Pera township. Mr. Bullock sett!ed on section 33 shortly after, but in what year 1 am not informed; James Custer settled on section 1 in 1SX; A. 1. and Wm. Leneve settled on section 13 in is%, allti J. D. L~lcIIoi\-


on sectioii 7; .John and William Crawford, 0. P. alitl Holsoiilber Soper, settled in the to~nlship, shortly after; Dr. 1. C. Maswell, James Xarlatt, R. W. and A. Claypool, made inlprove~uelits in 1S5F. The first school taught i11 the township was taught in a log building, on seeti011 11, where Jolin S. Weber's farm reside~lce now stands. (anti liacl previously served as n pre-einption shanty for several different parties) in the year ISGO, by Augustus 3. Crawford, fro111 this until t,he close of tile war, the settle- nleilt was slow, but in IS65 the township began to settle rapidly, until to-clay, there is uot a quarter sectioii of untillecl land in tlie town. The tow~lsliip is dividecl illto school districts two iiiiles square.

-- KEKK.

Wm. AIc~Iillen was the first settler-he settlecl at Sugar Grove in 1S:Sl; John Xann- iilg settled there shoitly afterwards, ant1 died soon after; Salnuel Kerr settled near Sugar Grove in IS&; ~ l l l e i i Sl~iiiner settled where Lewis Kucler now lives, iu IS:%, and. entered lailcl there; L). S. Holber located on section 21, perhaps in 1SY6, and Jolill Walker ill 1W. 'l'lle log liouse built by him is stili st.xncling and ownetl now by \Ym. Ton~lin- son. Solornoll Wilsoll came shortly afterwards, ancl the saiue year Sainnel Sailforct and ltobert Brian came, likewise Thoii~as Short and Wrn. Caner. L. Kucler, the oldest settler now living in the township, locatecl there iii the fall of 15'3s. His brothers, Solo- mon, Cllristogher, ,John a i ~ d Elias, were early settlers ill this tuw~?shil), also Josephus, Jaines and Perry Miistin and Levi IVood, and all were largely engaged in growiiig and feecling stock. Linc1se~- Corbley was all early settler here, aiicl becaille wealthy (leal- ing in stock, and 111aliiiig good use of the rich pasture lands owned by him in this townshiy. Solonloll Xercer, Lafayette Pat- ton, William Siigcler and ,%. C. Hilard, were likewise early settlers in this township. The first school was taught by Levi Aslier, in 15'33, ill a log school house on section 21.

CHAMPA~GN AND HENSLEY. --

Kead at Old Settlers' Reunion. Julg 29, ISSG.

GT H. .T. DTSI,AP. Although the history relating to the set-

tlement of both the towns of Chanipaign ant1 Hensley has been assigned to nie, I believe that Champaign was fully rliscusseci last year, \\-liile Hensley, so far as I am able t,o learn, has never had any well organized a t tenil~t made to set forth in uoperishable 11%- tory the ilames of her first settlers. The first settlers of any conilnunitp are not ai~vays the niost pcrnl;~:ient. althougli, ill the case of

24

this township, many ~ \ ~ l i o came at all early clate yet remain. I am indebtecl to Lothrop's history for some of my facts; to Salenl Eicnsley a l ~ d Joshua Dickerson, for others. When I first saw tlie to~vmhip in Apri! or JIay, 15.56. there were but fen7 houses escept in the north\\-est corner, now it is one of the most l>rosl)rrous towns in the count)- and better farmers, farin buildings anel farm sur- rom~di~igs, it \vo~ild be hard to find. I be- lieye that a lxail nalned Robert Chililreth was the first riian to locate alid he settled in the north~vest portioil of the town but ilicl not reillain long: Ile came about the year 18:s. After liini canie Isaac and Jacob Ham- mer in 1S:35. They located near Chilclreth ?.nd built a log house. These men \\-ere follo\vetl short ly afterwarci by John Philips, ; ~ n d Fountai~i Busey and, in 18:<7, by Heze- 1ii:~ll PliiIlippe \vho iiioved fro111 Condit. Mr. Pllillippe died several years ago Snt the homestead is occupied by his son, An- thew J. r'liillippe. 1 iind among those n7110 came sooil before IS55 the names of Andrew ant1 Josliua Dickerson, Jarnes 31. Graham, no\v in Kansas, TVillianl Fisher, Richard TiTaugh, 1~110 now lives in 3Iahoniet township, a inan iialnetl TVarerman who built a Ilouse on the Bloo~liington road near where a new honsr was recently built by A. C. Burnhain, Cliarles Miner and Sariiuel IIycle, 1)oth good farmers and who hare gone to their renrard, Dacicl Wolfe \\rho still lives, Sat. C. Beasley. w h o died several years ago, Saiuuel and James S h i v , both dead. Thom- as Herriott who r e ~ n o ~ e d later to Kansas, H. C. BTest still a resident, ancl John S. Beasley also cleceasecl. -Iii~onu those who caiile in lS.5.5 xere A. P. Hensley and his sons, t\vo of whom, Sale111 and P. S., still remain in the to\vn. Tlle first. house was of loys ant1 I presume that the first frame house was one built 111 IS53 or '54, on the Sinlpsoii fann as it was known, for Willis King. Joshua Dickerson built a frame house for Mr. Ross on the David King place in '55. and sags that there were only three houses visible from the ridge. The first school was held iii a log house built by the Hammers in the north\\-est part of the town and the first school house was built in the Waugh neighborhood later. I am unable to tell niuch about the early settlers of the town although I was personally acquainted with many of them; but I never had tlie least idea that I shouId be called upon to teil of their virtues. for I am sure they had but few if any faults, but liar1 1 li1101v11 of i t I might have asked nially questions that ~ ~ o u l d have brought out interesting answers.


A S .LCCOUST. O F TIIE II-IOTLY COSTESTEI)

BaTTLE BY THE PKEEAIPTOItS O F CEX-

TIiBL ILLISOIS I S 1)EFESSE O F TIIEII:

LASD.

GT .JOIIS IZOUGIITOS. Thc grant of lands made by congress to

the IIlinois Central R. R. Co., desiened tc: aid in the construction of their road, inclu(1- ecl every alternate or even numbered section on either side of the entire length. All lallds still in possession of the goverlimellt and 1~i11g u-ithin fifteen 111iies of the roncl Lvere reservecl to the u~lited States (talien out of rnarlcrt) so that the company illifiht select otlier lands in lieu of even ilulrlbered sections on its immediate line wllidl had ;)re- viously been taken up for settlelnent. I n 1S.5.5 the railroacl company having made their selections those still remaining were again brought into market by the procla.ma- tion of tlie president, Franklin Pierce. Pre- vious to the tinie-appointed for public sale a large rnajority of said lands were entered under the then existing Preemption Act. A t said sale, which soon follomec!, all the lands in the then: Danville district, those which were as \v\-ell as those which were not preempted were solcl, provided that should the- preei:iptor make satisfactory proof to the government the purchaser ~vould receive back his rl~oney xvitliout interest. The speculators, lvho in those days were dubbed "Land sharks," tzxed their i l~ge~iuity in de- vising n:etliods by which to entice, or i f need be, to drive away tlie poor niau froni his ho~!?e and fireside. With snrne who carer1 not to beconie actual tillers of the soil they easily effected a coulpromise. Others afirighted by threat5 of litigation accepted a snla l bonus ancl left their lailds. Those re- ~liai~liilg in Clialnpaign county, occupginp as they then did ]]early four tiiousa~id acres being Illore resolnte coulcl not be intimidated. 'l'hen carrie the tug of war and in dead earnest [lid Greek meet Greek, ench determined to fight it out to the bitter end. =ere t'nose lancls subject to preeaiption was tfie only issue. The speculrator set ap the plea that "they rvere reservecl to the United States," and therefore eseml~t by the act under \vhicli tlie preen~ptions were made. On the other lia~ltl it was clain~ecl that while it was true that these lands had been ' i r e ~ e r ~ e d " for the purposes above set forth, it mas equally true tlvat the president bj- his proc- lamation put an end to the reservation and by ilis tieelaratioll that they were no\v snbject to private entry he aniioui~cecl tile fact that they \\-ere also subject to preen~ption.

1,itigiltioll co~n~nenced. The supreme cntrrt

of the state was appealed to for its decisioa. In tltat court the speculztor obtained a victory. I t was, horn-ever, currently believed that the victory was obtained by collusion with the preemptor 11~1lo mas defendant in the case. A number of suits in ejection followed in the iuferior courts anti as a matter of course tlie salne decisio~l rendered. The preenlptors of the coul~ty met together in council, a t Champaign, organized a preemptors? protective association, appoiilted a convention to be held at Onarga and elected delegates to the s m e . Sotices were scattered abroacl an:'. every one interested was inritecl to be ;~rese~i t ~ n c l participate in its proceedings. J o h i ~ Roughton and S. L. Seaver. of Rantoul and Luther Eads, of Champaign, attended tlie convention fro111 Cl~a~npaign cou~lty as delegates. Quite a number also attended from counties on the nlain line of the I. C. I<. R. The convention passed a series of resolutions espressive of its inclignation against its oppressors, levied a t a s of 90 cents per acre upon every pre- enlptor with a view of raising a defense fund and appointed John Roughton to wait upon the111 and talie their notes for that a~nomit payable in one year aftercla,te to the order of X. L. Seaver, who had been elected treasurer of tlie association. I t also n p pointed a11 esecutive comnnttee and in- structed that committee to select a suitable case for a13peal to the supre~ne court of the United States and to enlploy a cnmpetent; attorney to prosecute the same. I t also listened to an add1 .e~~ delivered by an attorney from Dan~i l le , who came there for the purpose of snbrnitt,ing to the convention a propositioc to carry up to the supreme court any case that might be selected for that purpose. He asked that a con~mittee be appointed to confer with him. John Koughton, N. L. Seaver and a gentleman from Woodford county were appointed as that committee. They retired to a private room, received his proposition m ~ d repoked to the conve~ltion. lt was as follows: For For taking up a case from the circuit court and carrying it on to its completion, if successful, eight thousand dollars; if unsuc- cessful, five thousand. The proposition was rejertrd by nearly a unanimous rote and the executive conl~nittee urged to prosecute its mission as sl~eerlily as possible. A fern weeks aftern-ard Mr. A. B. lves, a n attorney wno resiclecl at Bloolnington and who had been employed ill defending some of the cases which liar[ been tried reported t o S. L. Seaver and John Roughton, one of t-!]ern at t!ie same tirue espressi:lg it 8s his opiilio~l that it mas the best that could be found. EIe also espressed n desire to meet


the committee wit11 a view of being employed by then1 as their attorney. Luther T. Eads, who had been appointed chairman of the com~ilittee was therefore urged to call its members together. He, however, having become solnewhat &appointed in consequence of the rejection of Nr. Drake's p rop osition at tile co~lve~ltion refused to do so. hlr. Ives being ad17ised as to the condition of atfairs ca=e to Rantoul where he entered into an agreement with 3lessrs. Roughton and Seaver to earn; up the case he reconl- mended and continue the same until a decision was obtained. I11 consideration for which, Mr. Itoughton was to collect the tas levied by the coilvelltioll and turil the notes over to him at their face value. Afterward the gentleman in Woodford county agreed to do the same. Nr. Ives went to Washington and Nr. Koughton visited every preeinptor in Champaign county, from whom he c,ollected n0tc.s amounting to between seven and eight hundred dollars and turned them over to him. The first and second winter sessions of the supreme court dragged along their weary length and no decision was obtained.

"Uncertainty! Fell demon of o u r fears! the human soul. That can support despair, supports not thee."

When the third came the yearnings of erery heart were those expressed by Fromde in his "Fall of Y:~gunt~trn:" "But be nc!t long, for in t h e tedious minutes, Esquis~ te Interval, l'm on t h e rack: For sure the greatest evil man can know, nears no proportion to t h e dread suspense."

I-lowever, before the expiratio11 of this term victory perched upon the preemptor's bal~ner-for ill the month of September of the gear 1860, Nr. Ives comm~ulicated the intelligellce from Washingtoll City, that the slipreme court of the Uniteti States had given their decision reversing the decisio~l of the suprenie court of the state of Illinois.

Iiow many of the old preemptors of 1855 now remain 011 their lands it would be difficult to deter~i~ine. Snfice it, ilomewr, to say bj- \Tray of conclusion, that this writer, aided by his only son, Reuben Roughton, has succeeded in rearing ugon his a pleasant home wllere he now lives and where during the rernaii~der of his earth life he expects to "So live, that, when his summons ccmes to

join ?he innumerable caravan, that moves To that mysterious realm, where each shall

atlie His chamber in the silent halls of death, And go not, like the quarry-slare a t night. Scourged t o his dungeon; bu t sustained and

sooth'd I3y a n unfaltering trust. approach his ,qave, Like one that draws the drapery of his couc: About hirn, and lies down to pleasant dreams.

EARLY SUNDAY SCHOOLS,

A. 0. HOWTELL.

31yself and family reliiovecl to this towuship in October, 1:'-33, and purchased the farill 011 which we now reside. I organized a Uilioll Sauday scllool in the oltl brick court house, April 9, 1SS. The officers were A. 0. Howell, superintendent, and 31. 8. Barnes. secretary. Rev. TI-. \V. Blancll- ard was pastor of the Coiigregatiol~al churcil at that t iue and had lwany c1011bts about the success of the enterprise. The rirst Sullday there were 30 Inembers in atte~~daace : the second, 53: Nay tllirtll 18:;. The lleth- odists anit Bapt,ists were cordial, in good feeliug and co-operated with the new school. Many of our members were preparing to build and remove to '-the depot," after\vards called "West Urbana," now Cliam- l~aign city. Sunday school, with its ofi- ears, library, kc., mas removed to an unlin- ished building of Deacon Moses Snelling, oil University avenue, now the residence of Dfi. James Wright. We had rough boards for seats and a goods bos for n yul- pit. Here we re-opened and re-organized the first Sullday school ever held in Cham- paign, on the 4th day of AParch, 1S.53. We changed our name from "First Union Sun- day school of Urbana, ill.." to First Con- gregational Sunday school of Champaign. We built the first Congregational church on corner of Uiliversity avenue and 6th street, (sometimes callecl the "Duck Pond church) where our Sunditp school numbered, on one Sabbath, ' 2 2 . 'Chus I supposed for many years, that I had the honor of armaqing and superintendillg the first Su~lday school with a library and regular ogauizittion iu this count.]- for 4 years, bnt Inany years after I learned from B. F. Harris that he had auti- clated rile two years. His Sund&y school \%-as held in a little cilurcll on his farm on the Sangamon. He carried his library to his Sunday school every Sabbath in a red nand- kerchief and back to his house at night. I carried rny library to the court house in a candle box, in lily the11 iiew rockaway buggy. and back at nigllt. The four years' war killed off and scattered OLW tlloroi~gh members, and since then. oh, how sad11 cha:iged is our once hulfiblt: a2d thorough cilurch ancl Suncla)- school. I \\-is11 to say here that this was not the beginnii7g of al! the good church aud S~ulday school \I-srt dvile in this county. It ~ ~ o u l d be difficult to over %ti- mate the noble n-orli done bj- our reneiable F;tther Bradshi\v for many years prei-ious to thix, but in consequence of his irnmense- I y large circuit. the me~tiiigs and sessions


of cl~urcli and Sunthy school work were Xaswell, Paris Shephercl, \Vm. Kocl;, Rob- necessarily quite semi-occasionnlly. ert Brownlieltl, Jo!ln Corray, Janles Xyers, -

BEV. A. BLi-DSIIAX'V.

I find froill the old nliiiutes of llliilois Conference of 31. E. church that in 1S:39, in the month of September, I was appointetl to Urbana mission. 111 Cktober I lailtietl in Urb;tna with my family. I do not know what liacl beell done abont a Sabbatli school prior to that time. but the spring following we organizecl a Sabbath school, in which Baptists and Presbyteriaiis took a part, es- peclally AIil~on Vance, a dry goocls nler- chant, but the Sabbath school v a s under the auspices of the 31. E. church. I t ~ v a s in the sprilig of 1'W I made tile purchase of a ciiurcli lot froun the county for S8. aiid the sumiier follo~ving me erected a church builtiiilg 30x40 feet, enclosii~g it, but clid not iinish it for some time. Tlie Baptists had no church organization in Urbana, but I think they had iin the Brumley neighborhood. But from the spri.ng and su~rlrner of 1SU) the M. E. church had a sil~all Sabbath sclioo: organized in Urbana. I can not give particulars, nor can I say at what date the Baptist cliurcll orgnnized a Sabbath school in Urbaila or organized a church in Urbana, or built a church, kc. 1 know the little chiurcli house we put up in 18-40 was the first in the county. Fro111 ?SO to IS50 the S a b bath sclloo!~ in Urbana were no big thing.

- ~

OLD SETTLERS' MEETINGS. To tlie meetings of the old settlers, where

they attempted to rescue from oblivioi~ tlie incidents and recollections of tlie early days. we are largely iilclebted for the successful carrying out of tlie enterprise of pubiisliillg this book.

A number of the old settlers, feeling the need of an oryalllzation of the peoplc who settled this cou~ity and bore the brunt of frontier life, alicl desiring that tlie llistory of the county illight be collected fro111 the settlers theniselves while they stiil lived. assenlbled at the court house in Urbaii;~, May 16, ISTO, and were called to order by Thomson K. Webber, \vho nolllinatetl Hen- ry Sp.dorus, of Sadorus, as president, who was elected by acclarn;~tion. J . S. 1FTright was then elected vice-president. Tlie quali- fications lieccssary to be an old settler mere as follo~vs: '-Those who mere twenty years of age in 1S-N and resided in this county a t that time." Tile following persons then registered ns old settlers :

Hellry Saciurus, \F7illianl Saclorus, J. S. FVrigLt, T. It. \Yebber, John G. Robinsont Fielcli~ig Scott, Stephen Boyd, John Xas- fi~:ltl: rlsahel Brewer, Janles Clcments, Jos.

D. 0. Brurnley, T. L. ~ r u l n a n , James Kirby. -4brallalil Yeazel, H. TV. Drulliager, Jalues Bal-tley. B. F. Argo, John I(. Patterson, Hirn~n Rankin, Davicl Sweariugen, Snrnuel Xapes, 'Tlionlas Ricllards, 31icheai Fire- bauyli, J. J. Sivearingeii, F. J. Busey. I3ar- rison Ileater, Join1 ll. Browntielll, Tlio~iias Stvearingen, Win. lionline, David Argo, B. F. Harris. Mrs. Elizabeth Busey. Mrs. Stephen Uoycl. Mrs. Bryant, 3lrs. JVm. Har- vey, Xrs. Jollil 3L~srnel1, Mrs. Sarah Xobert- son, Mrs. Fielding Scott. JIrs. TVm. llock.

A t this meeting T. I<. TVebber. Janles S. Wright ancl B. F. Harris were appointed n conlliiittee to prepare a constitution and hy- laws for n permanent orzanizatinn. T. It. Webber snggested tliat as ;lrclla Ca11111bell Incl~ed a little of conline n-ithin the rille and in consequence of his long resitie~lce and tllorongh acquaintance, that the rnle be suspended and that he and C. P. Colnlnbia and .J. T. Everett be atlmitted as me~nbers, whicl~ was done.

This meetiiig adjonrnetl to Jrme 15, 1~70, whet1 it agnin met. The co~llrllittee reportr ell a constitutiol~ ant1 byln~vs, whicli were adopted. The constitutiol~ provicled for a president and vice-presicient, a secretary and treasurer; an election was lleicl alltl resultcci in the electio~i of Hcnry Sadorus as president, Janies S. Wright, vice-president and T. R. Webber secretary and treasurel; to hold their ofice until October 1571. 'Ilhe meeting adjounlecl to October 5, lSW. The nes t meetmg of which there is any recorcl to be found was held Auznst 16,lS62, at the fair gronnd. J. 0. C~uniinghan~ was selected as chairman ant1 E. Eatoli as secretary. They resolved to hold a. general meeting of the old settlers at the fair ground August 29, 1SY2, being the first (lay of the coullty fair, and d. W. Langley, S. I*. Busey and W. F. Hardy were appointed a coninlittee to prepare a prograill. The meeting was held August 29, and was largely attended. -4 new constitution and by-law.; were ntlopt- ed, ancl J. 0. Cnll~lingharn mas elected president, E. Eaton secretary and F. B. Sale treasurer. Robert Fisher, J. S. TVripllt anel S. 13. Busey, were apgoiiited a co~nnlittec to make arrangements for nest meeting. The next nieeting was held in Crystal Lake Park, Urbana. Jmle 2.5, 1W3.

This was the celebratio~l of the semi-Cen- tennial of the couilty of Champaign, ancl this meeting was in every :vay a success. The old settlers gathered i~o111 Inany cou~n- ties ancl gave the clay to talking over tlie olcl tiiiles aiid in jogging the lnerilory of txnr:li other a s to Illany lan~liablr. as \\-ell


as irialiy serious i1:ciclents of half century ago.

.J. 0. Cunninghani iilvitecl the old settlers \\rho hati been residents for fifty years all(\ over to colile forward, ancl J . F. Scoqg~n, the photograpiler, \vould take a photograpll of tlleln. Tllose who canie forward xere Silas Johnson, Rev. il. Bradsha\v. F. J. Busey, 31. E. Eusey, 1)avicl Swearingen, Eleazer Freeman. Jnnles Brownticlcl, Eti~\~arci Bter, Mrs. tV. I. Noore, Xrs. L. B. G~uin, Jaliles 1V. Boyd. Nathan Ifaline. Janles Icirby, J. C. J o!inson, Harrison Heater, Mrs. 31aiinda Bryan and Xrs. Elllily Scott. After wliich the liieetilig was called to order anti l i s tc l i~ l to an adilress of welcoilie by 31. I\-. AIathe\\-s, editor of C11:irnpaign County ~II<RALD. He was follo~verl by J. 0. Cull- ningliain, who sl>oIie at length on matters pertaining to the early history of t!lecounty. J . C. Slielclon ant1 J. S. Busey, also made short addresses on saiile subject. ,411 election of officers was held, wiiicli resultecl as follows: IIon. S. H. B~zsey, president; E. Eaton, secretary ; F. B. Sale, treasurer. The liest lneeting was helcl at Crystal Lake Park, June ISM- The meeting was called to orrler by its president, S. H. Busey, 1vno delivered an aclclress of welcoille. J. 0. Cnnningham then read interesting letters from A. Snedaker, J. IfT. Somers, -4rcha Canisbell, James H. Webber and W. H. Somers. Addresses were then made by J. 0. Cunningham, Hon. 0. B. Ficklin, Rev. 1). P. Bunn, of Decatur, J. 31. Dougherty, of Fairmount, Gen. J. C. Black, Henry Sa- dorus, A. J. Devore, W. H. Drullinger, Mrs. Moore, Mrs. Bryan and Dr. S. H. Peabody.

The follc.ving oficers were chosen: J. C. Shelcion, president; E. Eaton, secretary; S. 1%. Busey, treasurer. J. S. Busey, H. 11. Russell and Wiley Davis, executive conl- nlittee.

The nest nleeting was held at Crystal Lake Park, June 1SS5. The forellooil was spent in a social way and relating incidents of the early days. In the afternoon the meeting was addressed by Z. Reynolds, fi. J. Dunlap, J. 0. Cuaninghan~, W. I). Soin- ers, Joseph T. Kelleg, 3Iartin Kinehart. Rev. A. Bradshaw and others. J. 0. Cunning- h a ~ n also read letters froill David Davis, of Bloomingtoll : John Wentworth, of Chicago : 13. W. Drullinger, Chester, Nebraska, and Arcna Canipbell, Grove Springs, K. I-.

The electioii of officers for the ensuing gear resulted as follo~vs: Col. J. W. Laug- ley, president; L. A. RIcLean, secretary: H. 31. Ei.issel1, treasurer.

The time of holding the nest meeting was cliangecl to July 29,1S6, the better to ac- coiiilnodt~te tlie farnlers. The attendance

25

was larger than usual. J. JV. Lallgley cle- livered the address of welcome. The secretary then reat1 the list of deceased me~rlbers 2s f ~ l l o ~ i ~ s : Hen. 0. B. Ficklin, lla_v 5. 1S6; Jonathan C. Thonil)so?l, Harwood, July 4, 1SS.i ; Jennie C. Kinnear, Hnrwood, Jfay Sl, 1SS6; Mrs. Mary L. Condit, Ra~ltoul: Mrs. Lucy C lements, widon- of Janies Cleinents. July 'S9.1SS6 ; Cyrns Holmes. Ludlow. 3Iay 7, 1SSB.

F. B. Sale, J. J1. Harnit. John Roughton, J. 0. Cunninglinm, C. N. Gsllioli, for JV. 0. Shreve, and H. J. DutiIn;), rend histories of their to\\-nships (whicli tvill be fouild pubiish- ed ill this book.) The election of ofiicers for the ensuing year resulted as follows : John Rought~n, Itantoul, ~)resic\ent: L. A. Jlc- Lean, Url~ana, secretary; Col. S. T. Busey, Urbana, treasurer.

J. W. L,zngley, J. 0. C~iiliiillgll~,nl, L. 11. McLean, \%ley Davis, Thomas L. Butler, Jos. Peters, Samuel Craw and A. L. Lyons, were agpoilited delegates to attend tile annual liieeting of tlie old settlers, of Ver- milion county, to be held at Georgetown, August 26, ISM.

The old settlers of Yhilo township effected an organization and have held annnal lneetings for the past thirteen years. The thirteenth annual meeting being helcl at Itidge farm school houce, .Juile 12,18S6, and was well attended.

The old settlers of Rantoul ton-nship organized an old settlers society several years since and hold their meetings regularly.

'l'he old settlers of St. Joseph township held a meeting in Robert Peter's Grove, Saturday, September Bd, 1SS3, and effected a permanent organization. A number of persons froin different parts of the county were present and much valuable history was eatliered, and which has been filed with the secretary of the co~uity society.


ERRATA. 1;1 tht: biogl-aplly of 'l'hoillas L. i3utlcr7 ill giving naincs of c!iililretl, we otnittecl Eva-

line, 1vho married James 'L'1lo1npso11, ~ 1 1 ( 1 Susie, W I ~ O :t~:~rrie(l Aubert Co~lliey, 1111 rt~sitling near Homer.

In that of John Roger-sol], thv Ilarne of his old paltlit:r dio111tl have read " N." C. Wil- son, and the name of his eltlcst cllilci should read Sarah "Ca~lti~lt?." Mrs. hi1t11.e~ "Rupel" should read "Russell.': He and his ancestors have al\m ys been "l're~byterians~~ instead of "Episcopalians," as we have it.

In that of Jchn Bra\-vntielci, in the second ~~nragraph "1851" sho~zltl read "1S:?2.77 I n that of John 31. Spencer, the name of the town where 11e was irlarried slloul(1 read

Troy, instead of Tracy. I n that of F. B. Sale, in speaking of his chilcireil it should read. Charles and family

are now living with his parents. James 1'. lives near home on adjoi!~ing fnrxn. Fannie is married to J. 0. Sayers and resides in East Bend township.

I11 that of E. Halberstadt, grandfather ant1 great-grandfather on mother's side were in war of Re volntion, illstead of that of 1S12.


- - - . - - - - -

I t is Reprrblicaiz in Politics, Wide Arunke, nncl Spores No Experzse t o Get

THE BEBY $cR1iEf13 .]fl -RLL DlZpflR7/VKvTS.

One of :he most 11111~- coniincteti countr;- Ch>~mp:licn collnty shonl,i feel proud of it.- nclvspnpcrs in Illinois.-Chicfr{lir Ttl'l17ttrc. , Al!anlirltt xerc.s.

Al\vI~ys u clean, bright, news;- palper t~nd / I t is I L credit t o t h e people 0:' Champaign ul,ly cciitcc~.-Chicciyt, 1irlct.-Ucmit. ; county.-Diron Snit.

I t is tlic no st ably cunclucted country news- i !r shows niore enterprise :~nd ability than ])ii])cr th:lt comes to our t t l b l ~ . - x ~ ~ ki)).l: j tiny other ~$-ceh-ly know of.-Hot Sp,-it~gs TriI~~ine. (Ark.) A-cmn.

Thc clcuncst, briahest und ncntest newspa- j I t t t~kcs the premium as R county new-spn- pcr published in lllinois. I t s cditor kco\vs ' per, and is a.~nngnifjcent >$drertigcnlcnt of the kio\v t o ~(IuCCZC' iln enorlllous ILrnount of resd- i enterprise n~ld thrift of Chtimpaign connty.- inp lna~ttcr into a small epnce.-Briclr l'omc?.- i JIcrao?~ Count]] Rcp~thliean. i)~'4cnlrx?'clt , Keul 17r~t.ir it^. I I t takes the enkc.-Pwis Rcptthlican.

I t is coc!!ucted by one of the brightest news- 1 It is nentls printed.-Chwto- paper \\-ntcrs in Illinois, is as gooti >L fum- i T,.it,tLILC. ily newspaper nsis printed nny~~1irrc.-Btt1icii~- : trpolis h'evcltl. I Sceh IL paper is only possiblc in 11 county

The KEllALLl is escellent ' populuted by u vide-uwalcc, entcrPrisin,rr pco- of the countg ought to s~ ippor t such fi l'le.-Chnrlmto'L Pzff'i'itlenLer.

paper with c~~ttlusiasni.-Uanvillc A.cu:s. , Onc of thc best \\-eeklies in the state.- I t is x cmdit to the editors and the count)- ' B ~ ; : . ~ ~ f ~ ~ , f : l ~ ~ ~ , " p e P ., ...,,, Illinois ,,

it represents.-I'c~xtoi~ h'ecf~id. , . of tile counts in Illi- I is always brim full of nev-s.-T~tswln RepJ~l i -

nois.-Schuyler Clt~zer~. can. -4s a fxmily newspaper the HERALD is un- I t i s in the front rank of jonrnalisn~.-Pitts- surpassed.-Do2cglrrs Rcaiew.

hwry Ohueroc~. 7t is the nlodel county of Illinois,- j JtE,!:at paper to proud Of'-J'eksO'acill'

Tcz~lZo7-~'ille Iiey~iblicn?l. Ttle of our oschtinpcs. LIny county / ,,;II ornament to journ:~lism.-Afcrttootr Jour-

the state \\-oulc! bc prouci (IS the iIk;~;~r .n.- S~~lEivnt~ A-ems. ! The most cntcrprising :~nd 1rb1y conducted

It shor\.s great cdirorial :Ind I journtil in central illinois.-Cl1risma7tAdvtr.7lcc. prisc and is the model country ncmspnper of 1 The mOSC enterprisillg Ilelvspnper in the the state of Illinois.-3ionticellu UZL~~CL~?L. sttitc.-Grcenoilk Advocate.

Onc of the LminicSt pxlpers in the district.- ' One of the best familg newspapers in the Paris Bcnco?~. state.-C'n?.Zi?laille Democ~nt.

one tilc best papers in ~ l i i ~ ~ i ~ . - l ) ~ t ~ ~ . One of thc nlost cntcrprising newsptipelY in 1:egxiblicciti. t . i~e sratc.-Pontinc Gazette.

one of the yerJ- best coulltry I,c-,vsytLl,ers iI1 I t eclipses uli conipetitors.-l~oqcoi T i m c ~ . Illinois.-heu:rnnn Itrdcpcndo~t. : I+ 15 . . u clean and :?tile paper c~nd one of the

people of chlLlnpniFn slloulti n10X noted nc\%-spnyers in the s:atc.-Jlii,tr171k feel p ro i~d of the Hxn,\r,u.-Eti~u~ai~ds~?iI1e 1;e- Hndc- p1t?)iica7~. I t s editors ure the ablest and most cntcr-

qy-,e Grbnna HERALD stands atlC1ld o< thelil prisinp ne\\-spuper nlcn in the state.-B~Ghtoitr :~ll.-Tolono Herald. Y ' I . ~ ~ ) u ~ L c . ~t is :, ,$-hole bouqllct ~ i l i s i c 3 s . - ~ ~ c t o . , ~ ~ r t L r V '

I t is u wide itxs-zil<c paper.-Ju1i1.t Iiccir?vi. Detti~~ont. Edited by enterprising ~ l n d nbic journnlists

-qt >111 times one of the best local pnpcy irl Gh:tm;>nit.n county should s~lstnin it libelc the state.-I<cwoncc C'o~~ri~r. nliy and hc-nrtils-.-Ilc7tr?l licp~!ilico?i.

Th,e Hc7,nlcl is P~&!. l ish~~l fr,t L J ~ h m ~ z a : ILlin.ois, bg



Second Edition.

The following pages were issued by the CHAXPAIGS COVXTY HERALD August 26, 1591, as an addi5ion or supplement to this book. The familiar faces here, we are satisfied, \\-ill be appreciat.ed by those who are living, and their friends who are in the first issue, and we can say the same of those in the supplement in regard to the bio- graphies and portraits in the original I1ook.

XARK CARLET. The subject of this sketch n-as born

in the ton-n of Hancock, Hillsboro county. Sew Hampshire. August 24. 1799, His grandfather. Joseph Car- ley, was born in Spencer. Mass., in 1715, died in 1510. He nlarried Sally JTashlsurne. sister of Elijah Wash- 1,urne. Sr., of Satick. Nass ; she was born Sept. 14,1729 ; died Jan. 6.1516. They had eleven children. His father. Elijah Carlej, was the vou~lgest child, I,or~l in 'i\-are. Mass.. Ma j 21. 1771 : (tied Yeb. 11, 1856, at Champaign, Ill. He married -Agnes Graham. of Han- cock. N. H., Sep:. 3. 179.5. who died in 1531 at Felicity. Ohio. The? had ten vhildren, tm-o older than the subject of this sketch. Xr. Carley. on the "7th of April. 1S0 . was united in marriage to Miss Abigail '\I-. Stel-ens, (laughter of S i l s l ~ Ste~-ens. of Spring- field. 1 -~rn~ont . Xrs. Carlq- was horn

-1)

Jan. 7, 1Si0, at A c l i ~ ~ ~ r t h , Cheshire Co., New Hampshire, died Sov. 1'3. 1871, in Champaign, Ill. Air. Carley had a family of eleven children, but three now living, Mary A. C. (Mrs. Kizlcaid) Graham and Isotta C, voungest child, (Mrs. H. TT. Nahan.) Mr. Carley's grandmother, Sally Wash- burne, was connected \\ith that numerous family of Washburne's who have since filled so large a space in State and Sational affairs of this country. Some of Elijah's elder brothers-Jlr. Carley's uncles-n ere soldiers in the revolutiouarj- war, and one of them. (Jonathan) has left behind him a soldiers discharge signed by the hand of TT-ashington himself, that is now care- fully preserred among the papers of the fa mil^. But although Mr. Carley's father \\?as too young to take a hand in the revolution, he and one of Mr. Carlej's elder brothers (Hugh) served in the war of 1S12, first in the drag- oons and afterwards in the heavy artillery, and the family have now in their possession one or two articles of uniform worn by the grandfather during that term of service. While yet a boy, in 1510, Elijah Carley removed from New Hampshire to TTermont, and Xark, 11 years old, went with the family, remaining with it until 1816. I n 1815, he commenced work as an ap- prentice to the millwright business. When 20 Sears old, the spirit of self- reliance, n-hich made life a success in after years, began to assert itself, and he resolved to see more of the world. Accordingly, in 1819. he went to New Brunstrick. af ter remaining there several months. he concluded to go to Sen- Orleans by sea, and about the first of January, lPPO, sailed from the mouth of the Penobscot River for that destination. While off Cape Hatteras the bow-sprit of the ship as carried away in a gale, his ship sprung a leak and. after pumping tn-elre days and nights, he succeeded in reaching the port of Savsnnah. Georgia, where. after stopping for a fen- d a ~ s , he shipped as a sailor for Havana. Cuba. After spending some time, and his money, in Havana. he shipped for Sew Orleans. where he arrired April 24th. 1s-20. On reaching the mouth of the 3Iississippi river, in his voyage from Cuba. he had a narron- escape from dron-ning. His vessel ran on a $and-bar. and the mate. himself and


130 PIONEERS O F CHAMP-4IGN COL-LVTI'. - - - - - - . - . - - - --

three sailors got into a small boat, which was capsized, and the mate drowned. Marli was only saved by clinging to the boat and getting astride its inverted bottom, on which he drifted for sereral miles before he was taken off. After stopping for sometime in Xem Orleans, he went to Lafourche, La., and commenced work at $1 per day, with board, at his trade of bullding mills and cotton-gins. Here he spent his summers for three seasons. spending each winter in New Orleans. In 1823, he went to the par- ish of Peliciana, where he remained until 1837. I n Louisiana Xr. Carley found a people and climate suited to his task, he continued to live there. with occasional visits East and North, for a period of 17 years. During one of his visits to Vermont. April 27,1S;30, he was married at Springfield, Vt. Locating his wife in Clemout county, Ohio, he returned to the field of his labors in Louisiana to accumulate something for his future support and comfort. I n 183'7 Le joined his wife in Ohio, where he purchased 500 acres of land and engaged in agricultural pursuits. He subsequently added to his possessions, engaged in farming and boating wood down the Ohio river to Cincinnati until 1850, when he was attacked by the prevailing California fever and. in the spring of that year started, by the way of the Isthnlus, for the gold fields of the Pacific coast. During the passage from Wen; Orleans to Chagres, owing to adverse winds, the vessel stopped a t Grand Camar island in the Carribbean Sea, which he found inhabited by the descend- ants of the old buccaneers. with an English resident governor. From Panama the vessel went to Cocos island for a supply of water. \hThile there he saw chiseled in the rock the names of the three small vessels com- maiided by Captain Cool< in his first voyage around the world. together with the day and 1~011th of his land- ing. After arriving in California. Mr. Carley soon won the confidence of the xiliners to such an extent that he was chosen one of the three judges of the i~liniiig region. about 60 b j 80 u'iles in esteut, requiring grezlt prudelice. good judgment a i d discrirnination. \iLelt-' 110 statute or csolllllloll lair \vas in force. a i d the judge hrltl iu his hancls the li\-t>s a11(i propert>- o f iill

concerned. He remained in Califorrlia and Oregon until 1852, when he returned to Ohio. He spent the summer and fall of 18.72 traveling through 11- liuois on horseback, starting at East St. Louis and visiting nearl? every county in the State, his brothers-in- lam, the late B. Y. Yrather, of Sonier township. and David Howse, of Cham- paign, being his traveling cornparlions a part of the time and Edmui~d and Willianl Daties, of Piatt count?-, a part of the time. He reinailled a resident of the Buckeye state until 1853. hen he decided to malie his home iu Champaign county, being as he saw it the 'bgarden spot" of Illinois. I11 August, 1SS-3, he re~nored to Urbana and in May. 18-54. to what is noiv Champaign. but then a raw prairie. dotted with only a far111 house or two. He erected and occupied with his fanlily the first permanent dwelling house on the original town plat, on the ground xvhere TVm. Dodson's residence now stands, on State street, which was afterwards removed to Randolph-st. He also erected the first grain warehouse in Champaign, and put in the first steam engine to operate a corn sheller and g a i n elevator. This elevator and cribs were burned ,lug. 24, 1872. He t h ~ i i built the brick a p i - cultural warehouse on Main street and brick livery stable on Market street, in 1861 brick residence on Church street. I n 1857 he purchased lots in Tolono, and erected a stearn grain elerator-- the first one there-and g r ~ d e d and laid the rails to the lcng sidetrack at his own espense. He also h i l t and owned two large residences and store building there. 111 his domestic re- lations he was affectionate and iuclul- gent. Two of his daughters. (Mrs. lcincaid and Airs. Mahan), and one graild-daughter. (31rs. Weston) iilade the tous of Europe at his recluest. I n his social anti business relatioils Mr. Carley enjo>-ed to an unusual degree1 the conficlence arid esteem of all with \vhom he \\-as connected. IVhen \Vest Urbai~a (11o1~ Cllampaign) adopted tow~lship organizatioil. he as its first supervisor, also the first justice of the. peace elected in 'l'olouo. but uot wish- ing to be bothered nith the office, never q~ralified. I11 religion he was rstiemely unorthodos. 2nd cl id not av- cept ally theorj or system of faith that start^ olit nit11 a direct as5ault upon


PIOMEERS OF CHALMPAIGN COC-VTP. 131

reason, or was in conflict it-ith the established t ruth of science. I n politics he was equally pronounced, his maxim being, '.The wise man changeth, the fool never." H e was a Clay Whig, then voted with the republican party until 1872, when, believing that the republicans were mismanaging the government, he ever after voted with the opposition. Xrs. Carley followed those who had gone before, and on November 14. 1571, her remains were laid to rest in the fanlily vault in Mt. Hope cemetery. Mr. Carley departed this life February 3, 1888, a t his home in Champaign and February 5, 1888, his remains were put in the family vault a t Mt. Hope cemetery. Re- marks of Rev. I. S. Mahan a t funeral of Mark Carley :

"Boin of good lineage, be was possessed of 3. native integrity and honesty of character th&t inspired the oonfidence of his neighbors, and gave him a n enviable reputation as a man and a citizen. He was identified with the entire history e f the city of his adoption. He erected the first pezahi>cnt rlwelling house in it, and watched the rising of every house, the improvement of erery street, and the corning of every fsmily: and here a t his death the whole city mourns."

h. l'. C E S S I S G H ~ ~ J ~ , Tlie leading druggist of Champai yn county. mas born in Lanraster, Erie count.?-, N. Y.. Aug. 11, 1832. the son of Hiranl \V. and Euniez (Ero~i-n) Cunningham. The same year of his b i r th his family removed to Huron

county, 0. Judge J. 0. Cunningham and Edwir. W. Cunningham. of E m - poria, Kansas., are his brothers and Orton Cunningham, (now deceased j. was a brother. Hon. .J. C. Sheldon is a half brother. A. P., remained upon the farm unt,il 20 years old, receiving a good common school education and completed his studies in Oberlin Col- lege. He came to Illinois in 1SSS: clerked for three months in a dry goods s'ore. He occupied the positicn of assistant cashier in t,he Grand Prai- rie Lank from 1853 to 1862. I n that year he enlisted in Company G, '76th Ill.? Vol. Infantry. His soldierly qualities were soon recognized and he became second lieut,enant. After two vears of hard service he resigned on account of ill healt,l~. He took an active part in the seine and capture of Vicksburg. After an honorable discharge he entered the drug business in Urbana. where for years he was a ~ n o n g the brightest and most successful of her business men. During his residence of twenty-five years in Ur- bana he was elected to several offices in the city, serving two or three terins as elderman from his ward, was also a illember of the b3ard of education and was twice elected as mayor. He aided in founding the CHAMPAIGN COUNTY HERALT), of :which he was an editor for about one year, and proved to be possessed of considerable literary talent bhat would have irlsured success in the editorial field, but he returned soon to the drug business and located in Cham- paign ir, ISSO, in which he had spent ]nore time than a t anything else. He is to.day, and has been for many years, proprictzr of one of the neatest and most prosperous drug and book stores in Centr 11 Illinois. His trade is constantly increasing. . H e has served one term as trea.surer of the Illinois Phar- lnaceutical Association and one term as its president. Tn 1855 he married Xiss Ophelia J. Seger, daughter of A. W. Peper, a native of Connecticut.. Four children have been born to them, El- mer? George, Clara and Ralph. 3Ir. Cunningham is a man of wide inform- ation in general as well as a thorocph business man. Interesting in conver- sation, cultivated in manner, a man of mcst pleasing address, he wins friends wherever he is, whether with his com- rades who viith him braved the dang- ers of war, or among the members of the fraternal societies of which he is a valued brother, or anlong his neighbors and business ahqualntances. he is a


prime favorite. Politically he is a thorough republican, and next to his religion, which is of the Presbyterian faith, he values the doctrines of the grand old Darty which brought the nation safe and undivided from the Southern rebellion. His home, on West Washington street in Champaign is pleasantly situated and surrounded ky ail the comforts that make life wortqh living. It is tohe hope of the HERALD that he may be spared for many years to his falnilv, his friends and to the business cil-cies of the enterprising city in whicll he is a prolnilzent 1)uslness Inan and highly esteemed citizen. He has always been active in Grancl Ariny circls and is the present conlniander of Col. Nodine Post, No. 140 G. A. E.

One of the oldest and most respected citizenc of the east, pwt of this county is Dr. William A. Conkey, who came to this county in November. TS#, and has been a useful citizen and done much to bring Champaign coun- t y up to i ts present high posit,ion as one of the leading counties i c the state. He was born in Charlen~ont,. Franklin county. 3Iassachussetts. De- cember 6. 1520. His father's name \%-as Alexander Conkeg and that of his mother Lucy ~ I c ~ u l 1 o u g h . both of Jlassachusetts. They removed to Ed- gar c o ~ n t y . Illinois. in 1830, \\--here they made their. horne. The subject of' this sl<etth clerked in 2 s t o w f'~-onl

1552 to 1839, but having always had a, strong desire to study me 'icine which increased as he became older, in 183s he commenced the study, finishing in 1841 and graduating a t the medical college a t Louisville, Ky. In 1843 he located in old Homer, situated then on the bank of the creek about one and a haif miles north of the present site of Homer. Here he engaged in the practice of medicine and soon became known as a skilful physician. He continued the in t i1 1550, when, being tired of the heavy work connected with it, he purchased a farm a short distance west of Homer, where he now resides. Xr. Conkey said that the village of Homer in 1843 had less than ten families and in the present limits of the township not to exceed nineteen outside of the village, making a total af about 26 families. The census would have been 130. The town was first built near the timber, for the prairie land was coilsidered as value- less for agricultural purposes when located a 1-sasonalle distance from the timber, besides the settlers deemed it very unwise to erect s home on the prairies where they would he exposed tto the bleak cold winds and snow storms. The doctor was one of the first to brave the terrors (3 of the prairies and open up a farm, bu t his good judgment was soon admitted and his model farm was soon the admira- tion of every one and he demonstrated the fact that the most fertile ground in the world n-as the black soil on the prairies. He took a prominent part in the removal of the town of Homer, in about 1856, to i ts present site, which vras accomplished during a heavy >now, when the l~ouses mere moved ou t on sleds. 31. D. Coffeen being instrunlental in having this done. In &lay, 1849: Dr. Conker was united in marriage to Miss Sarah V. Saddlel.. who is still living: i*; a n excellent wife and mother and laas the love and respect of every one who knows her. There ha- been born t,o then1 the following children, viz: Aulxr t who is 111arried and is a farlner near Honlei-: Lucy. a t hnme: I!ruc.e, is a mail agent. running from Toleclo to St.. Louis. is married and has a pleasant in Honi- er : Carle. is at home: Frank. is a dent,iit, living in Sprin'gfield. 3lassa- chussets, and 1:as a good p~act~ice: Em- ma, married E. P. Ba,bl). a 1~7ealti1~- j-orng fai-mei*, of Comp1.o1nise township: Fred , is at 11onle. In pc1i t . i~~. t,he Doctor 1vas a \T*l~iq in older day.-;


P I U S E E K S OF CHAMPAIGK COZ:^?'TI7. 133

and a republican ever since. H e has always taken a prominent part in matters pertaining to the public good and has for several terms represented Homer township cn the Board of Snp- ervisors of the county. Although Mr. Conkey is now seventy years of age he is hale and hearty and bids fair to live for many years and enjoy the 1)eautiful home he has built on the former bleak prairie which is now blooming like the rose. He has only :&I0 acres of the finest land in the county left after dividinq u p with some of his children, pet he has suf- ficietit to keep him in ease and coin- fort should his life and tha t of his estimable viik be spared for a quarter of a century.

JUDGE CALYIX C. STXLET. Judge St:ile\- was born near Guan-

dotte. West. Virginia. Ju lg 14. 1850. He, wit11 his family, came to Urbana i n 1851. and i n tlie spr ing his father bought a rarm on which the Cnivei-sity now stands and 1)uilt t,he first house west of t.hs ~nechanical building, where t.hej- .resided until the spring of 186C, \v~ien 11iey i.emoved to their farm, now Staley stai ion. Here his father died in 1863. Calvin worked Itpon the farm

from which he graduated i n 1877 with the honors of his class. H e mas married in November. 18%" to Isabella S. Harwood. daughter of Hon. Abel Har- wood. of Champaign. She died Feh- n a r y 10. 1888, leaving three children. Isabella, Eliza and Annie. Judge Sta- ley has been a consistent christian and member of the Presbyterian church in Champaipn since 188.2. His first cote was cast for the republican ticket and has remained unswervingly of that faith ever since. His voice has been heard in almost every school house i n t h i - county i n favor of republican principles and candidates. Upon grad- uat ing in 18'77. he formed a partnership wlth Col. Langley. which contin- ed in the practice of the law alone until June. 1890. when be was appointed by Governor Fifer, county judge of Champaign county. to succeed Judge Langl y. who had resigned. The republican primaries of 1890 resulted in tlie choice of Judge Staley by the republican party as its candidate for tha t responsible office. He mas elected in Xovember and ha since filled that office with credit to himself and his party and to the entire satisfaction of the members of the bar and of the people having business i n his court. H e is studious. careful, painstaking and faithful to his trust. H e has splendid natural abilities: is a hard worker and will, we confidently 'believe, take still higher position at the the hands of his constituents.

Few men have done more work in t h e way of public speaking for his party on t h e s tump a n d in other ways than J u d g e Staley. He is a fluent a n d convincing speaker, knows what is fieeded by the people a n d speaks accordingly. H e is always m-elcomed in whatever locality h e is caXed. He has h a d t o fight t h e bread a n d butter question single handed, having had m u c h ha rd experience in this line v h e n h e was at tending t h e Unit-ersity of Illinois, as h e then h a d to earn his o m support while pursu- i ng his studies; this h a s in a great measure tended to bring h im into contact with t h e world i n a veq- em- phatic manner.

w-bile receiving a common school education. ~~-ol-liinz a part of the time for I Y . H. Bomine for his b ard iv11ile at.- tending hiah school. Then took acourse at the L-ni~ersity of Illinois and fol- Io~ving t,bat. he at.tecded the Michigan Univemit!-. tnkinp the law ~c-ourse.

27


'C17as bor11 31arc.h 29, IS40, in Hoscz. Coshoctoll county, Ohio. His fat81:er7s name \\-as John G. Brown and was born ill Massachuset,ts. His t1lother's name n-as Clarirlcia Ho~ve. They came to Url>ana >larch 27, 1855. Killiain G. accolnpanied his parents. He at- tex~ded the public schools in Ohio and Crbaua, and received a good common school education. He farmed in his boyhood and engaged in niercautile pursuits for about four gears. When the late war brolre out,, he at once enlisted in conlpaq Ii, 25th Illi~lois In- fantry, serviug eight xnout,hs, when he was t,ransferred to Battery Lt Seco~lcl RegimentJ: Illinois Light Artillery. where he served for tll~ree years, making t.hrre years and eight month's ser~ire. His health was very seriously impaired ill the army and at this time i t is only by taking the best care of himself t,hat he is able to discharge his duties. After his. return from the war, and partially regaining his health, he took a pcsition as Deputy Circuit Clerk, which he held for nearly ~lirre rears, then entered t,he Couut.~ Clerk's b e c e and staid there about nine years, nlaking eighteen years of con- tiuuecl n-ork. This long ttlrnl of service in the cuuri a~ ~1-el1 :S the tax and probat t. clrpart nient s o E tile co7ul;- ,%I ...,,,I ., K c him one of the l)~.;t i~lforllleci ~ u e n in inattti~s prrtaiuillg to these de- partnlents in t llt~ c ~ ~ l l ~ l t y . Tl1e people r ~ c o ~ y u i z i n ~ his slrpol-io~- (111:ilificnt ions

and also appreciating the excellent service Mr. Brown had rendered his country, elected hill1 in November, l88S, to the oflice of Circuit. Clerk, a positio~l he occupies wit11 credit. to himself and satisfaction to all with 1vhon1 he has busiuess. He is affable, accoil~lnoclitti~g and makes a popular officer. He was married April 12, 186.7. to J1iss Harriet A. Wolfe, who clied in lSS2. There were born to t llem four vhildrea : Mary A., married to Orvillr L. Davis. local editor of the clai l~ (;c~xottc>. CLaiupaigu : Fred G., all arc*llitchct. rrsiciiug ill Cilicaago ; Inez L). autl \Yilliiull Jay, at honlr. Mr. BI-ow11 is and lras I~t.c.11 for many

CHALMERS M. SHERFT Was born in Hagersto~vn, Bilargland. His father's name was Jacob Sberfy, of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. of Dutch descent His nlotl~er's name was Amelia 3IcNu11, of London ~oun t~y , Virginia, of Sc0tc.h-German parentage. For the solid. sterling qualities possessed by

s-;ubject of this sketch he is indebted in R great ~lleasare to his parents. His parents 1-elnoved to Indiana and after- wn1.d~ 1.e1noved to Pe r r~sv i l l e~ in same state. in 1S:;J. In 1S4-5 voung Chalm- cl-s, haying formed a 11i;~h opinion of t llf: art uresel-vative. entered a ~ r i n t ins (sficae ; t i -.devil." He worked &in 1-ysvil lr t i l l . allout :I year. then went to 'l't.1.1.t. F-1 ut e where lie ivolwked fro111


PIONEERS OF CHAMPA IGX' COC'ST F. 1:35

--

l a 5 to 18.51 and then returned to Per- ryville. Not liking the printing I~usiness as well as he expected and an ad- vantageous offer being made him, he entered the mercantile business. At the end of a year a proposition was made to him to go to Urbana and take charce of a general store there. So M a y 25, 185'2, he arrived in Urbana. tnok charge of the store and sl~owed t h a t he possessed abiliry in this line. In a short time he associated with him in business Williitin Geaiie, and .purchased the store he had charge of. The firin was known as Gessie k. Sherfv and was one of the well.known firms in the early days. I n 1855 he was elected as county txeasurer and assessor and serve? i n that responsible po- +ition fortwnyears. TheIllinoisCen- t ra l road having been built in 1854 through the present corporation of Champaign, he saw a ])right future fnl- that city and at the close of his term of ofice, engagtd there in the banking business in which he continued for 22 j-ears. He also did a large business in 1-pal-&ate and insurance, being the second insul-ance agent in the county. In 1879 he formed a partnership with G . C . Willis, of Champaign, as Wllia k Sher fy, for t he dealing in real-est ate, insurance and loaning money, w hicli partnership con t inu4 nnf il January 1, 1891, when Nf r. Sl~rl-fy purchased the interest of Mr. Willis and now conducts the business alone. He w2s united in ma]-riage October 13, 1869. to Miss Eunice h1. Heach, of Champaign, now deceased. There was born to them one child. Fannie Belle. who is now a n accomplished young lady and the pride of Lei- father. Tn religious matters, althoagh Mr. Sherfy is not a church member, he is a constant attendant a t the First I'reshvterian church of Cham- paign. I n politics he is an unswerving repu bliean and takes a prominent part i n forwarding the interests of his party. On account of partial paralysis Mr. Sherfv is not as active as he was in his early hays, yet his long years of experience and wide extended acquaintance give him a business second to none in his line in Central Illinois. H e is a member of the executive board of the Champaign County Old Settler's Asso- c ia t im and is energetic in rescuing from oblivion the things pertaining to the early settlement of thls county.

.-- SAMITEL V ~ s l 3 ~ e . n ~ ~ ~ 0 - b

Was born Septeiuber 1. I M l ? in Dnrke county, Ohio. His father's name was Samuel Van Brunt, of Eew- Jei-se:;. 14 ib nlot,her's name t*fas Melvilla EL-own. of Virginia. Samuel. .I r., came wit11 his father i n 18-53, to this county and located in Sidney township where he, engaged in farming. His education was obtained a t the public schools. April 19. 1866. he was united In niari-iage to Rachel 13. Sampson. daughter of Willard and Margaret, Sampsou. She was born in 1846. The following children were born to them : Marcus G.. 110 was Billed on a I-ailroad near Lesington: Mo , in ISSS: Raymond B.. Gertrud- R.. Earl I., Edgar. Merton C.. Chest r S., Clyde died in the Fall of 188s. Mr. VanBrunt is an active n~erriber of t!le Christian church, of which denoll~ination he llas been a member for the past eighteen vears. I n politics he 11as always been & strong. republican and a leader in his vicinity. His occupation has been tha t of a stock dealer and farnler. He was driving oxen breaking prairie when the war broke out and he

'promptly answered the call of his country and enlisted Companv I. 10th Illinois Cavalr-, September -2'2. 18131. and was mustered out .January ti. 1StiG. He was careful of his slz;a!l v;2g!.es while in the service and inveFted the same in land. He now owns ::GO acres of well-improved l a ~ d wit 11 very cttlu- aide buildings. His home is one of rhe


236 PIOiVEERS OF CEAMPAIQN COLTNTI'.

handsomest and most pleasant in the township. He is also engaged in the mercantile and grain business a t Deers station. While he has always taken an active part in politics, he yet finds his time so fully occupied that he has no time to bother with offices. although he has filled the office of l&&- uTav Corn missioner for two terms and ha; been school director for a number of years. Mr. Van brunt is an every day sort of a man, LLs the confidence of all who know him and 4s an excellent citizen and neighbor.

Is one of the oldest living settlers in the county, having been a resident of this immediate vicinity for near sixty years. She was born December 13, 1814, in Washington county, West Virginia, a t Glades Springs. Her father's name was James Beatty, of same county. Her mother's name was Hester Fult,on, of London county, Virginia. Her parents died when she was about seven gears old. She was married January 31st, 1533, to Jacob Smith, in Shelby couuty, Kentucky. Mr. Smith \%-as born in Shelby county, Kentucky. Mr. and Mrs. Smith came to this county October 16,1833. They came in an old Virginia wagon: dran-11 by oxen, and settled on a part of the farm now owned by the family, about a &ile east of Crbana: where they built a log cabin. Mrs. Snlit,h says. "TVe first. l i ~ e d in this c>abin with t i ~ o

rooms and a leanto with a lynla bark loft, puncheon floor, no windows. we were happy and thought we were for- unate in having such a good house. Monday after we came the first town lots in Urbana were sold at auction. The Brumley school house near us was the first ' school house in the neighborhood, Andrew Stephenson, John Gardner and Chancy Standish were among the first teachers. Mr. Smith built a new house in '1837, which was a good one for that day. The flooring was sawed by a whip saw, and the lath mas made by hand, all by Mr. Smith." Mr. Smith was school director, road oyerseer, etc.. but did not .care for offices, found enough t.o do to attend to his own business, which he did, and by industry and good management, in which he was ably assisted by his wife, had sis hundred acres of well- improved land all paid for when he died, in March, 1854. - The%abits of economy and thrift have extended to the children who, to-day, gre among the best and most successful farmers in the county. There meie born to Mr. and Mrs. Smith the fo,llo~ving children : Elizabeeh, who is at h'ome ; Malinda J., died at the age of 3 years ; James N., farmer, living near ; Eliza A., married a Mr. Turner, and lives in wood bur^-, county, Iowa ; Sarah Mar- garet, married Mr. Shroyer and lives in Osmego, Kans.; Willianl H., a farmer, living in Kimball county, Texas ; Armstro~lg B., a farmer, in Urbana township ; John T., died in infancy ; David M., a farmer, and Ja- cob Mervin, a farmer. Mrs. Smith has been a member of the Baptist church in Urbana for over 30 years and is an earnest, faithful Christian. -She lives quietly on t.he old farm ~vhich she has seen lp-ought from a wilderness until it now is in a high state of cultivation. Her daughter, Elizabeth, and her son, Mervln, and family share the old home with her, and here, slirrol~ilded by grand-children, she enjoys the fruit of a well-spent life of 'industry and t,akes pleasure in looking back and talking of the privations as well as t,he joys of t,he early days.


DAVID RICE. I\-as born in West Virginia April 'ith, 1836. His father was Shelton Rice, of East Virginia. E i s mother's maiden name was Elizabeth Brown, of near Richmond, Cirginia. His parents removed t,o Sadorus township in March, 1854, when that part of the county mas wild and almost unbroken. The sub- . jrct of this sketch attended the public scllools in Virginia aud obtained a good comnloil school education. Early in life he conlnleiiced business for himself and (lid mnch to i~hprorc! the land which he now owns. 011 their settlement in the western part of the ton-n- ship of Sadorus. they had to come to Urbana for mail also brought their wheat and corn to the mill at the saine place. They frequent17 took their grinding to Terre Haute wtterc. they

. purcallasc4 their groceries. Mr. Rice \YiLs 0110 of three >-onllg inen who pur- cllasc~ct the first thrasher brought to that pi~rt o f the c*ouizt-. Tllr nla(>hi~le was 111a(ir at Pic<i:;a. t>llio. For l~ i iny years t!ltis,. vu:illy lllrn tll!t'sllecl the graiu for alkost the entirr western part of the county. March 3rd. lS.59. Mr. Kice ~vas 1narriec1 to Miss Sarah Haines, dauglit er o f E:lijall C. Haines. of Sadorus towuship. formerlj- of Ohio. Two childreti hare been bonl to theui. ~ i z : Carrie 31.. 1)orn in IS60. tnarried to .J. T. H~ltc~hi~isoll aucl lives in Sa- ~ i o r ~ l s ton--llship : Carrie 31.. married to Dr. C. 31. Craig. a prolninrnt physician ntl{'l ctr~lg-gist of To1 one. 311..

%

Rice has always taken a pronlinent part in polities, being a straight republican. He wields a n-ide influence politic all^. and at the same time com- inailds the respect of all parties, which was e~idenced in the spring of 1891 \Then he was elected supervisor from his towuship ~$-.;hich usually sends a ~Ieniocratic represenlatire. Mr. Rice is the ou-ner of 520 acres of well improved laud, which he has become the possessor of by dint of his o ~ n enera- and thrift. H e has recentlj purchased a cosy honlr in Sadorus n-here he takes life easier, yet his attention is fully occupied in looking after his farms aucl stock. He being considered one of the best stocknlen in the county.

T;Va,s born March 28. 18-33, near Bel- fast,. Ireland, and was the seventh child of Robert and Maria (Jackson) Robinson. His mother was a first cousin of General Andrew Jackson, who with her husband named the subject of this sketch after the uncle of Andrew Jackson, viz: Hugh Jack- son. 11 is grandfather. Robert, the htllel-. emigrated tro this country when Hugh was a child and settled in Dutcb-l. ess county, Xew York, where he attended the public schools and received a good conlrl~on schoo' education while l ~ e i n g trained in practical farnling. R.ol)ert Robillson removed with his fami1.~- t,o Fon du Lac countj-, Wiscon- sin, in the spring of 1849, where he pul-i:ilas~d 11-ilct land and ]milt for h im-


self a home where his earthly labors were brought to a close by death in June, 1852. Young Hugh J., not be- i n g satisfied with the country, and be- i ng thrown on his own resources: went, to Chicago by steamboat and walked from that city to Urbana, Illinois, a r - riving here October 6, 1852, foot sore. weary and lonesome, with bu t three dollars and fifty cents in his pocbet. There were no settlements on tlie road except along the timber and groves. which were few and fa- between ant1 no p u b l ~ c conveyance of any kind. Young Robinson at once got employ- ment with J. & J. S. Gere, who were then get t ing out t,ies tor the construction of the Illinois Central road. He hauledand unloaded the ties in the high prairie grass where Champaign now stands. I n the following spring he went with his employers t o Hcrurhon. in Douglas county, and helped build a mill, and i n fillinga contract for 250,- 000 ties for the Central and Wabash

. roads. Becoming a partner with J. S. Gere, they put 6,300 cords of wood on the track of the Central road. ,He was thusengaged .until 18% when he bought, his first piece. of land, which he now occupies as his home. He ma:: married on October S: 18.56, to Miss Jane, daugh- t e r of Dr. .Jacob Thrasher. of G e a u g ~ county, Ohio. Three children were born to them, viz : Robert T.. IVilliam Cullen and Martie J . Robert, marl.iec1 Miss Lillie Kellnr. Win. Cnller~ mkrried Miss Edit.h St.yan. ant1 Mattie was married t? Williani R. hliile~.. The wife and mother died a t her home .Tulj- -2. 1874. Mr. Robinson \%-as nest m x ~ ~ i - i ~ i i to ;Miss Jennie Hutchinson, d a u g l ~ t,er of Capt. Scott Hutchinson, of Calhuun county, Michigan. The result, of this marriage was a so::. .John W., who died at the age of four and a-half years. Mr. Robinson is and always has been a. strong ciemocrat in politics, but was never a n office-seeker. although his party has honored him many times. H e has filled the office of supervisor ot' his township the greatest part of t h r t.ime since the county adopted township organization. He was elected as vl~airluan of the board of supel.viso~.s in lSI!O a.nd filled the position to tilt: sat.isf;lction of,eve].yone. Sociall_v. few inen liave a 1arxer rtunll~er or warmer t'riends than 11(+. He was a c1in1-ter ~neillber of .J. R. Gorin Lodge, A. F. :I. 11.. at. Sadorns. ancl served as its 11la.ster foi. several !-ears. I11 reliqion he as raised an Episcopalian. but tnkrs n Innrplillprnl .i.i~>rr. ;lilt1 nltllnn~11

not a church member, favors the doctrines of the Universalist church. He is now president of the Champaign C o n n ~ y Old Settler's Association a.nrl takes a lively i n t e r 4 in everythinfi pertaining to the perfecting and acen- ~nu la t~ ing of the early history of this (:nun ty.

R ~ E E I : T PETEI:~. One of the oldest. and mnat re-peetecl

o f t h e old settlers of St. .Jo.epll township i5 Iiolm-t Peters? \vhu has 1)et.n ;L resident f i ~ r over sist,y yetir?. His farber's name w;~s M:illi;~nl Petrrs a::tl !)is motller's S ~ I ;111 WcNnkt. both o f Ken tuc.ky. T11f.y came to I 11i.s con11 t,\- ti-om Krntncky in 1S:N and seitlcbll about tt mile south of old St. doseph. At t,his time there were about nine l~undred lndians camped near Mr. Peters' farm. He said t.hey hauled all their grain to Chicago, grew their o ~ v n flax and made all t.heir own r:lothing. IZoLert Peters at,tended school in a log house near his father's farm. Pal-t of the time the school was held in t.he kit,cl~en of his fat,herqs house. 'She scl~ool:: in t.liose rliiys were sul)seri ption scliools. educ-atinnal advantages being very limited. I! r. l'et,er.;; \vas inarriecl in A u ~ u s t ~ 181s. to 31a1-y E. Swear- inper, who was h i - n 1Ia1-cb :>l, 1S:Sl. 'l'here hare I~een I)ol-u to t , ! ~ r n ~ e1evt.n chilnrea. r iz : Sarah C;i t l i~~~.ine. Isaac S., Jolin H.. Fl.anklin, Susan .J., Elizn. .J.. Tlionlas *J., Cl?a~.les V.. Alta 1:rllp. IYillialn A. and Mary E.. all 1 x-iny escept i'ranklin. Tl~onias. Cl~;irles and -4lta. : all are 111ari.iecl escepr .John H. ?r!-. Pet~1.q was ~ ; I I . I ~ I ~ 1 . 1 ~ a ~lc'111t3cl.ilt in


p,llitics, llut voted for 1,incoln for his second term and has voted the republican ticket ever since. I n religious iliatters he is ver;; zealous. He has been fbr a numl~er of years a consistent n ieml~e~ of the Chri~tian church. MI-. Peters n7a3 born .Jnnuary S, lS"'7, in Rush c:ountv. Indiana, and is in the sist.y-5tt.h ?-eal. ot' hi-. aye. He has lived in St. .Joseph fo~.nearly sisty-two years ancl is kauri-a IJY al~~iost every (-rile in tlie ea>t.ern 1);1rt o t ' t i ~ r county. He is veq- proud of' his f ~ u ~ i l y and lias good reason to be, as his cl~ildren are ctniong the Ijest and mo:;t th1.i t'cy citizens of the co1nni1111it.y. "l;ncle Rob," as he is fcimilix~.ly calletl. has a repu- tntion that any nne ~ l i iy l~ t envy. \Ye have I)etmn over t,he tc>wnship. are well acquainted and we hear every nne re- ferring to Uncle Hol) as one of the best inen in the vctrlllty and 11e is honot-ably untit.led t i , I liis l~igh opinion ot his neighboi.~. He lives 011 t h e old farm near t,he thriving town of St. .Joseph with his wife and in a few years will, if spar d ? celelwatp their golden anni- versari.. Here, surrounded by their children and grand-children, loved and respected by their neighbnrs lie and his wife are plea3an tl y spendin a t.lnei~ de- clining yen 1.s and patiently muting for t,hr tiliie when they shall he called to their llotne acrw:: the river.

NARY ASS MOORE. TYas a nlrrnt>i~r of one of the first faul- ilies to settle in the big grove and before Chanlpaigt~ countj- was formed. Her father's llailie was Tllomzis Rol- 1 I i e ~ i . Her

mother's name was Bailey, born in Maryland, but aftenvards removed to Maj-sville, Kentucky, where she was married to Mr. Roland. They came to this county, m-hich was then part of Vermilion, Octobor, 1S26. and was the third xvhite familj- in the county. They first settled at the old salt works near Oakrvood. Vermilion county and in April, lS'27, moved to the big grove and settled about .5 miles northeast of Urbana. Xrs. Xoore \%-as born in Xasou county, Kentucky. Februaq- 7. lS2l. aud came with her parents to this couilty October. 1S26. She attended school in the old log school lio~zse near the Brumley farm and was one of the scholars who Kere in the school house ivhen they barred out A. Bruer, the teacher, and he \vent on top of the house, corered the chimney with clap-boards. smoked the scholars out compelling them to open the door. Mrs. Moore said when they first came the country was full of In- dians and some settlers were mas- sacred within 10 miles of them. They raised their onn flax, also quite an axllou11t of cotton and had usually good luck wit11 the cotton when it was not killed by the frost. She said, "My father, John IT. Vance and a Mr. Prince staked out the town of Urbana. It was a cold, rax day and snowing some." I n regard t o the smoking out. at tlie school house. she said, "I re- member it well. There mere there three Trickle boys, Mat., Elizabeth. Mary, Fount and Rod Busey, Jim Boyd, Jim Kirby, the Rinehart boys. the Trurnen's, Jane Busej and Larkin Deer's girls. Jane and Francis." She said they used to have their log rais- i n g ~ , merry nrakings, kc., but that she never attended but one dance and that \!-as at Robert Trickle's. She went to sc.11001 first to Mr. Crane, then to John B. Thomas and last to I. Bruer. Mrs. JIoore was married near Dand le to Joh11 J . Scott in 1W. He died in lS.54. She xas married in March. 1S.56. to Villiam I. Moore. a prominent merchant of Dan~ille. The wed- cling took place in Urbana. The fol- loxving childre11 I\-ere born to her bj- her first busL>cud : T. IT-. Scott. who resides in Fairfield, Illinois ; Callie. married to Ti-m. 0. Corberl~. and died i11 Id;" James R. Scott. lii-ing in the ;iorthr.c-estern terr i tor~ of the British po<s~s~ions. a ~ l d Cllarl~s G. Scott. who


resides with his rnother a t Danville. Mrs. 3Ioore is a strong Methodist, having been a member of that church for near fifty years. Her husband, Mr. Moore, dying several years ago. She is Living in Danviiie, having oniy her son Charles with her. She has recently built a handsome residence and has pleptj- of this world's goods t,o satisfg every want. She is well known by the old settlers of both Vermilion and Champaign counties and respected bj- all \ d o &e acquainted wit'h her.

Among the old settlers of tJhe caountjy fen- have contrilmted more t o inlprov- ing t,he same o r are better kuown t,han .John C. Kirlipatrirk of Urbana. He 11-as born in Piqua, county. Ohio, October 25. 15-25. His father's name xvas.James Kirkpatrick. of Ross county, Obi;>. He died in 18'71. His mother's naine was Jane 1'ort.el.. also of i>hio. w110 died in 1343. He came to Lr1~..ina8 in 1849, and in 0ctol)er of that, year il~al-ried 11 ary C. T3use.v. second &tug!]- ter of Col. Mathew L'I'I. Eusei. anit wife. Jli.. Kirkpatrick purchased land. part of which 1s now occ:upied b y the ci ty of Champaign, and in A ~ u s t . 1S50. having built a house. he llloved in to

education in log school houses with greased paper windows. Although his opportunities in this direction mere limited, he seems to have improved them and has a good practicai educa- tier, which has h p p ~ fin_iched by l?js battle with the world, His ideas on the topics of the day are common sense and his judgment on all subjects good. In politics he was first a Whig then lz republican. Mr. and Mrs. Kirkpatrick are the parents of the following children ; Narion F., Albert .James, Eliza- bet.11, married J. R. Dilling, these live a t Mayview : Hattie Belle, married Charles Barricklow. junior Par:cer of J. C. Kirkpatrick & Co., ' Urbana : Samuel A . , residing near Mayview ; Dr. charlei S., was a y o u n i ~hvsician who died about two vears ash in the prime of manhood a i d his usefulness ; Jessie C . and Fannie, both reside a t home. Mr. Kirkpatrick is justly proud of his children who are among the best citizens of the county. He has always been an active worker in religiousw matters, having been a n ~ e m ber of the Methodist church since 18.5'2. He is a strong workar in the temperance cause and has by precept and example exerted a wide influence in this connty. He lived on a large farm near Mayview for Inany years, and assisted largely in building the Methodist church building at that place and served as trustee of the same for mnny years. He built the first house in the present limits of Chain- paign city, before that town was laid out and before the Illillois Central road was built. He hauled the larger part of the lumber to build his house from beyond Covington, Indiana. He has made il Lusizess of' stock r ~ i a i n g a n d Palming and has been very sue- cessful in both. He now- has ovei- 1.:300 acres of inlproved !'arm land a s good as can be found in the connt,y. besides town property in Grbana and Champaign. He has a pleasant 11ome in Urbana where he is engaged in I)nsiness. but he especially enjoys tnk- ing his est in~al~le wife and driving out to visit his children and gi-and-c-hi I(11.rn. for. ~vl~ich lle says he is living. He is I~ighlp respeete3 by all ~vho E;no\v liinl as an honest. upright Inan a n d c.i tizen.

it. The land ha:< all I)een laic1 out into town lots. escept zt I~lo'k whicli was ti^? I-esidence of t he fa~ilil!-. >TI- . Kirk- patrii-k 1.ec.ei1-etl t>l~c-l li! ;~ in !);~i.t of' his


and hix practice is constantly growing in volume as well as in importance. TJThen I f r . Cleveland mas inaugurated president. the ad mini st ratio:^ recognized his political labors and power by tendering him the position of chief of one of the principal divisions of the Second Xuditor's ofice. a t a salary of $-2.0110 and later the oftice of Federal Attorney. in Indian Territory, both of which poritions he declined. on a t - - count of his growing practice and of his disire to succeed in his profession. Politically, Mr. Rea is a rock-rooted democrat and he is easily the leader of his party. H e has been elected four times supervisor in a repuhlicaa t o ~ n - hhip, which suficiently indicates his popularity among the people of all parties

-4s a lawyer Mr. Rea has eshibited marlied a6ilitp and has already at,- tained a wide reputation a s an escellent iudze of law and is considered one "of -the best speakers i n the

.J OHS . I . K.1<.\. county. Mr. Iieu was 1)oi.n twn nliles west of

31; hornet., Ill.. Oct,ober 11. ISS. His parents, .lohn J . R'ea, and darah 1'. c,Hendel-son, Rea. were bot,h born in 1,ewia count.y, Kentucky. T h e ~ were i~ l i~r r ied tlierc and lived on what is there lino\vri as the Rea i~ornesteacl, nntil they calne to this cou11t.y in thc fall of 1849 and settled upon the farin (13 the Bloominphon road, where the subject of this sketch was born. H e received a good common school education in the illahornet and Farmer City Sck~ools. He was married a t firbana. to Miss Minnie k'l~gate. of t,his citv. They ha.ve two c-hildren. Tl~urst~on 1Yavne. aged 8 and John Carlysie. aged 5 years. H e clerked while a ynuth for 'r. 31. Brown, for James M. Graham anti for P. H. Scott, a t &fa- honiet. Ill.. and enpxged for n, short. t.ime in businsss tor himself. H e taught school seven terms. and in the meantime wits studying law and had an ambition t o become a lawyer. H e spent his evenings and spare moments in studying the hooks. until in Xarch: 1379. he began to read law with Som- txrs 6- 1%*right. HI: was nd~nit ted to tbe 1)ar .;IIII? 5. 1880. 'rile class then es- iimined nunibe~.ed 40. and Xt-. Rea was tsue of t11e three t!lat were ai, the head. He immediately f'orined a partnership with .Tudge J . 11'. Sim. 1~11ic11 existed for t..rvo and one-half years. H e has since continued in the p r 2 c t . i ~ ~ alone :lad with uniform SU(:C~~SS. He has , ,ne ot' 1 lit- Iwst ii bra in TI!? ,vwnTy

.>a, .-.

D.\STEL n. C.\rsor ITaa born in Shelby count-. Ohio. 1 1 10. 1 . His father's name was Riellard 11. Cannon. born in Ire- land. H e died in Ohio. at the advanced age of n i n e t y - t ~ o . H i s mother's name was Mary Broderick. born in Sex\- =Jersey: she died in Ohio in 1865. The subject of this sketck lired in Ohio. \{-here he receired a good common zchonl rclucation. Tn -1upuct.


PIONEERS OF CHr131PP4 I G S COLZ;ATT 1'

1856, being then nineteen years of age, he left Ohio for the west. and decided t,o locate in Urbana, which was then a in new country. The Illinois Central road had only been built through this county about two years previous and he saw splendid opportunities fdr the future. For several years he worked on a farm, then at the trade of a carpenter: then for several years he engaged in mercantile business. When the civil w a r broke oat he was among t.he first to enlist? going out as a private in Company I. in t,he Second Illinois Gavalry and served three years. In IS58 he was united in marriage to Mias Mary E. Black, of Urbanit. Two children were born to them, Ada F., who inarried G. W. Scott, a passenger conductor on the J. & S. E. railroad and resides at, Eureka, Illinois, and ?Jennie E.. who married James FV. Braddock, a passenger engineer on the C.? C., C . (C- I. railway and resides at Inrlianapolis. Indiana. Mrs. Cannon died in l8Sti and 811. Cannon married Miss -4senetJ1 Black in August, 1890, of Grbana, who is still living. He has been a inember of' the Presbyterian chn~.ch of Ur bana for over twenty - five yeai-s, having filled t.he oEce of deacon for many years. Politically, he has always been a republican casting his first vote with that party and for each candidate of that party ever since. After he returned fiom the army he was elected to the office of constable and has made an efficient IgEcei-9 filling that ofice with satisfaction to all concerned for eighteen years. He was appointed to the office of deputy

. sheriff' and has filled that responsible position for the past eight years and now holds that ofice under S. C. Fox, the present sheriff. His long experience as constable during which time he was more or less connected with the sheriff's office. and his term of eight years as deputy makes him one of the most efficient officers: in the county. He is thoroughly convey- ant with all the duties of t.he oifice. is acquainted throughout. the en tire county xncl a lai-ge part of cent,l.al Illinois and is almostt invaluable in his poait.ion. He ha.s t,he reputation of being one of the best officers in this part of the state and has, during the t,wenty- six -ears of his official life proven himself to he possessed of nlore t.hiin oi-r!ill;~l-y exe~'nt ive ~ - 1 ) i l it,y and the right. man in t . 11~ right. place.

Prominent alllong the Inen m-ho have developed and made St. Joseph township what is. is 3Ialllon Glasc-ock. 1~110

was born in Fauquire co~uity, Pirginia in 1815. H e inherited all the sturdy qualities charac*trristic of the old- lashioilrd Virginian. His fat>her was nanlrd &loses? a ~iative of the sanle State. His mother, Rebecca Bishop. was also of old Virginia stock ; shp died in 187.5, Noses o111y living until 1829. The su11jec.t of this sketch re- movcad to Ross-c.ount,y. Ohio, where, in 154.5, he n-as united in marriage to Xiss Jest,er. 1~it.h v-ho111 he lived hap- pily until ilrr death: which took place in lS.58. 111 the fdl of 18.54 he re- inovecl from Ohio to Illi~lois, stopping a t Sic1ne~- uut.il the nest. s ~ ~ r i n g ? when he moved to ~vht!rcl lle ilow resides on the state road. in St. Josctph tow;lship. I11 IS61 lie ~ilsrried Xiss Mar? Gill, of Urbaz~a? who (lied in 1Sfil. In 1865 he n-as agaiu ir~arried to JIrs. Ivlary Rankiu. w h o is still living. 3lr. Glnss- <*o~li has llacl right c~llilcli-ell to help l l ~ a l i ~ 11% ~ I O ~ ~ I P h:~pp~-. i - i~ . B ~ I ~ I - . ~ 1 1 0

livtls at holxe 2nd !)as vhttl-gv:.c. of the large farm : r w!\o is c!ead : Aquilla. a n-\-till-to-c!o fanner. living in the vic*ir;itr : 'il-iliialn. who died ill in- f:*nc*_v : -il~e.-;e n-t-rc c'rliidreu 1 ) - the first ii-iftl. Th!. l-il.-;rllt of the last mar- 'iage is G~-a;!t. .I clssr. T,l(t;?. : L ~ ( I Alt:~. :dl ;it 1;o:lle.

111 l ) ~ I i t i \ . ~ . SI I-. t2+ l i ~ ~ t ' < ) ~ * \ < ' \ V L ~ G


old time m-hig, and cast his iirst vote for General Harrison. and at the last presidential electiorl voted for General Benjarniil Harrison. and for every republican canctidate I~etsveeu. He attended tllc great Harrison ulerting in Coluulbus, Ohio, in 1840. and went from Bain1)ridgc. in ~vagons to Chille- cothe and on a canal boat to Columbus. He has always been a strong partisan and a staunch friend of the old flag. His sons, Burr and Aquillu. were both soldiers ill the late war. 111 religious ~natters 1 Glascock is a JIethociist. hal-ing joiuecl that de- llomirirltio1l in early 5-outh. He has until late Fears been prominent in public matters and represented his township on the Board of Supervisors for four years. Although advanced in years >Ti.. Glascock is hale and hearty, ha,, a large and pleasant home on 540 ac.res of 11-ell-improved land, where, alllid peace ancl plenty, he is enjoying life, loved and respected by all wlLo know him. -

C.\r,vrr J . SAEIS. Alnong t l ~ c busillrss lnrri of Cham-

paign 110 one stands higher for moral J\-ortli and strict busin~ss integrity tha~l the sul,ject, of this sketch. He n-as !lorn in Hanowr. Chautauqut~ c.o~uit~-. Sew Tork. .Tune S. lMi. His i'athclr's iialilr was El~rnrzer Sabin. 1)o;n ill -Jau~aic.a. ~l-indonl c~ount-. T-clr~ilollt. His 1not1lt.f.; nan:r wtts

Jerusha Gage, of same state, and from whonl Ca l~ in J. inherited many of the qualities vhich hare made him successful iu social as vell as business liEe. His parents not being possessed of an overabundance of the goods of this world, the education of Mr. Sabin depended in a great measure upon himself, so at the age of 16 we find hini working during the daj- and studg-ing at uight. I n this riay he secured a fair education vhich was in everj \\-a? practical. He early learned the trade of a inachinist, which Las been of great scrriur to hinl in his business. His special liking was railroading. He went to Galena, Oct. 29, IS54 and, as eugineer, took in the first passenger trail1 from Galena to Dunleith. H e f~llowed this occupatioll until 1866, coming to TT'est Urbana, now Cham- paign, and for se~era l years mas passenger engineer on the Illinois Cen- tral. On quitting the road, he engaged in the agricultural implement I~usiness nith Mr. Angle as Angle & Sabin. He finallv succeeded to the business, and ha; since Jan. 1, 1S77, been conducting it by himself. H e has the reputatlon of having the most conlplete stock of goods in Central 11- linois. His large trade and t d e reputation would seem to bear us out in this statemect. December 13. 1855, he was united in marriage to idiss Hannah E. Whitcomb, of Ransom, 31ich. There has been born to them Irwin C., ~vho is doing a prosperous implement business in Farmer City ; Elmer C and Frank C., firemen on the Illinois Central ; Irle C., a clerk in the trainmaster's oEce of the I. C. R. R. at Champaign ; Roy C. and Nellie I., at home. I n politics Mr. Sabin is and nln-ajs has been a republican. H e does not interest himself in public nlstters very much, haying his hands full of his own business, yet is an al- derman and finds time to look after the interests of his constituents in matters pertaining to the city and its growth. His Fears of esperience and practical ideas of business. make hinl a valued citizen and no one occupies a higher position in the conlmunit_v than he.


MATHEW N. L 5 TAYE1.

Is a son of one of the oldest fanlilies of this county and who came here before the county was organized. and while Chicago was yet in T'ernlilion county, which then occupied almost the east half of the State. The subject of this sketch was born Sove~nber 16, 1835, in what is now known as Somer township. His father's name was Ellis Stanley, who came from North Carolina. His mother's name was Dnlsilla Busey, daughter of Mat. E. B u s e ~ , who came from Kentucky to this county in 1S29. and set,tlle near rrbana. They m-ere among the first settlers and did much towards improv- ing the country. The subject of this slietch attended school in the old log school house on ;\I. E. Busey's farni. also later attended school in T-rbana. He hunted deer on the present location of Chan~paignlong before a house was built there. He assisted in planting man- trees which now malie a forest. He aisisted in breal~ing up the v i ~ g i ~ l prairie, and fro111 a wikt waste of land. seenlingly too bleak tct live upon. there has grown up beautiful, $yell inlproved tarnls with fine groves and orchards. and the wild land is the inost productive in the world. IIr. S ta rne~ was married to Miss Ida 0. Gray at Rantoul. >larch 2s. 1S65. *he died in .January. 1872. leav~ng one son, \Yilliam, born -1auua1-y 19. Isti$. ;t:r(l i i u r , \ V fal-mitlu i l l Coriclit

township. Mr. Stamey Ivas nlarried to Mary T. Broshar in lS74. and three children have been born to them, viz : Frank. born December& IS75 : Belle. born Sovember 1. lS7S : Daisy. born May 11, 1882. I n politics Mr. Stamey 1s and has always been 3 rcp~tblican. He has taken quite an interest in public matters and has represented Hens- ley tol~nship 01: the Board of Super- visors. also served several trrnls as Highway Commissioner. He has also engaged in business. hut has given his attention mainly to farmiug and dealing in real-estate in which. on account of his general l:no~lt.dg~ of the count! and excellent judgment. h(b has been quite successful and 11oi.r o~vns 325 acres of well iniproved land in this county and about the same number- of acres in other states. He resides at 103 Prospect avenue, Champaign. where he has a pleasant home. He is ill the prinle of nia~lhood. surrou~~deti with a fine family and cousequently rnjoys the blessi~~gs of life.

Josxl-.I Ssrr-rti. \ l 'as b o r ~ ~ .June 29. IS:%. ill L'iqua couuty. Ohio. He was t he so11 ot Westlay Snlitli, of nrar Soriolk. f i r - ginia.al~d Eliza [C'isna~ Sn~ith.of Penu- s-lvania. His graudfathrr fornlerly owned the land or fort: acres of thr same. on which Harrisburg. 1'enlts.l- mnia, is now built. The parents with .Joshua came to tiiis county in \ Iar~. t~. IS42 allkt ~ , t t ! t ~ l oil rhth ha:~ga ,


rnon River, near the farm of Phil Sey- mour. Here the subject of this sketch was raised attending a sub- scription school occasionally. until he was old enough to work for himself when he worked in the summer acd went to school through the winter. He afterm-ards learned the trade of blacksmithing but preferred farming. :.ihich he followed successfullj-.

Narch 6,1860, he was united in marriage to Miss Martha Dickson, of r;ear Mahornet. Three children have been born to them. viz. : Eliza Jane. married to Albert Wright, livirg near Ma- hornet; Luella Kate, who died ~vhen xoung. and Clara Belle. who nlarried 0. M. Brown, living in Piatt county. He has been a member of the Xetho- dist church since 1858. I n politics he has always been a straight republican and takes a deep interest in such matters. He has served as assessor for t ~ o Fears and acceptably filled the office of school director for the past tu-entj- years. April S, 1862. he enlisted in Company D.. 26 Regiment of Illinois Infantry. He was hurt in June 1862, and in October lW2, mas discharged on account of his injuries. I n the earl1 d a ~ s he hauled grain to Park's mill in Crbana, and passed over the present site of Champaign when it was wild uncultivated land, and when there mas not a house between Urbana and Sangamon. Social- ly Mr. Smith has a wide acquaintance and manT Tvarm friends. He is a member of Mansfield Lodge, So . 773. 9. F. and -4. M.. Crbana Chapter, No. SO. R. A. M., and Urbana Command- ery, Xo. 16. Knights Templars. He is also a member of E. Scott Post. Grand Army of the Republic, at Mahornet. I n all of the societies he takes a li-rel~ interest. H e has a farm of 110 acres well improved. large enough to occupj- all his time and affords him a com- fortable living. He gi-res his atteu- tion to stock raising m which he is very successful. Xr. Smith is a good citizen and neighbor. attends to his on-n business and enjovs the respect of the e n t i r ~ cornmunit~-.

Sruos BALTZELL, Was born October 28, 18%: in Ohio. His- parents nrere George and Lydia (Lag-man) Baltzell, of Ohio. The great grandfather of Simon came from Ger- many and in t,he early days settled in Kentucky. They crossed the Ohio on a raft. It is claimed that the great grandfather was the first white man to set foot on Kentucky soil. On the site xvhere Cincinnati now stands he built a cabin and there lived and died. The grandmothtr of t.he subject of this sketch was chased by lhe Indians so close that she jumped int,o the Ohio river and swam do\\-n some two miles to a settlement. General Jackson was then in command of some t.roops. He soon learned her story, after she had recovered sufficiently to tell it, and at once pursued the Indians. The father and motl~er of the subject of this sketch were both born in Hamilton county. Ohio. The father died in Oglaze coun- t ~ . Ohio, in 1835. The mother remained a widow and ra.ised ihe family of seven children. She sheared her sheep, carded and spun the 1%-001. also raised flax and wove and made the clothing for the f'a.mi1:-,-. She also made all the shoes for the family and supp2rted them until her boys ,prerv large enougl~ to help her. She removed wit,]> her farnil1 to Champaign county in the f r ll of 1S.56, and settled on a farm six miles southeast of Urbana, adjoining the farm of .I. P. Powell, where she died in 1863. and her remains rest in >It. Hopecem- I ~ ~ P I - y . F;.n ~vnn~en I\-ere more devntcil


or made more sacrifices for their children than she. The subject of this sketch enlisted i n the late war Septem- ber 23, 1861, in Company 1: 10th Illin- ois Cavalry as a private. He went through the several lines of pro~notion and was first lieutenant when he was mustered out a t Springfield: January 6, 1866. The old tenth cavalry tcok part in all the principal batkles and skirmishes west of the Mississippi river. 3fr. Baltzell was married J an - uary 1, 1868, t o Viola M. Powell, oldest daughter of J . S. Potvell. One child has been born to them, Estelle F., who is a t home. Nr. Baltzell was a blacksmith i11 Urbana previous to the w a r and a nleinber of the firm of Bal tzell & Sper;:y. He has been a resident of this vicinlty since lS56, with exception of the time he was in the army and in 1859 when he took the Pike's Peak fever. In 1868 he removed west of Cham- paign where he purchased a good farm. has the same well improved and en joys life. H e is a good citizen and i: 1 on- ored and respected in the entire c?m- munity .

Hos . .LI i:r;s C'~o~:~nox SI~E:I.I,OS. iVas I)orn in ('lal.encc.. Et.it1 (-oilnt,y. XPM' y ~ r k . Ki)v~1111)ei. 211~1. 1827. His ~)al-ent.: wtlrtx ('orydon ; ~ n d Eunice t 131-OLI-n Slieldoi~. The f i rmer w s a native of N e w York. the latter of 1 - e ~ - nol lit. IVllen six yem-s old lie 1.ernoverl to CIarkslicld. Hul-orr c.oilnt?-. Ohio. \\-hen about 21 years old. he ;~ppi -en- ticed himself to ;L ship I~nilder a t H n - rnn. (311in. and t;,r ai)nnt fo111. 1-(.:;11-s

followed that bu iness there and a t Milan and Cleveland, Ohio. becoming quite proficient in the art. Often when a craft had been completed, he shipped as one of the sailors to man her, and thus became sometl~ing of a seaman.

He received a good conlmon school education and atten3ed Baldwin Insti- tu te a t Herea. O., for one year. He married Eunice 31. %lead. a farmer's daughter, who m - 2 ~ ~ educated in the corninon schfiols and at Ol~el-lin Col- lege. Five children were lmrn tto t,helll of whom only one is now living, Xel- lie, wife af Rev. C . B. Taylor, formerly of this citv, now located a t Kantoul as pastor of the 31. E. church. Their son. Clarence C:., d ~ e d only a few weeks ago. and is sadly moui.necl l ~ y t . 1 1 ~ whole co rnm~~a i t~y .

Mr. Sheldon came to this connt,y on 31:a.g 11. 1553, he having taught school the previous winter near Perrys-?illel Ind., footing i t all the w3.y 2nd carry- i ng a.11 he possessed on earth, wbicii consisted of a s~cond suit of clothes, ;-I, 40-acre la.nd wal-rant and $60 in cash. With the cash and warrant he entered 40 acres of land three miles south of where Champaign now st,ands. T l ~ e same fkll he, sold i t for $5 per acre. He sougl~t- nud found eniplo~rn~ent st* once with the engineering;.ol:ps in the con- sti-uction of the I. C. R. K.. then beinc tluilt. He received one or two contracii in itq c.onst,rutt8ion. o u t of ~+-hic:h he made some money: ~11i(:ll lie caved until he got enough to purcha.se a horiict for himself and wife. 1v11ich he had married as before stated. I n 18.55 he entered the law office of \;ST. N. Coler as student. and was admitted to the ba.r a t the fall term. Abraham Lincoln. t-hen practicing in this court. bring the committee qt l~ointed to esainine him. In t.he fail bi' 186i he formed a partnership with Fra.nk G. Jacjues, then ancl now of TTrbana. whicl-! was very sue:- cessful froin a financial point. of' view, 2nd was continued ui~t.il IS66 1%-hen 3,) 1..

S. retired taking the real estate branc:i~ of the business. to wljich l?e liad given special ;tr.t:ention. In tll is kc IV;.LS en- til-eiy suc:c-essli~l. Inv~st,ingti)l.c-)thtbt.s a n(1 o~:~:zsion::l ly ~ ' ( I I - \iiinself. 1:~: hiis si~c.cecde(-L in I)t?co~ning t . l ~ t : ow 11e1- of ovt.1. :I t,llo~ls;~nli aci-e.-: o f n-el l-ilu lti-c~vt-:(l land in t.11is crount,>-, free fi.oin incn~rl- 1.x-nnce. H e \\-as elect~ct t,o the I ,egis- 1;zt.ni.e i n 1870 and se~.ved in the 5 t l l G;enez-;~l Aissen~i~ ly . i)eing ttl~t. first. ses- \ ion ;xft.er ilie ;i.doption of the neiv constitution ot'lS70. in IS72 lit. was elec:t~(l ;IS Sen;xtor t.i-o~n t ]:is- * i l ( ~ 13 It11 (list i-it:t


aud served four ycnre. Uurinc this time he was succe.;sful in get,ting the &ppropriat.ion for the main and me- chanical buildings of the University of Illinois. His first vote was fol- Zacha- ria11 Taylor and he was in tbe republican pal-t,y when i t was fnrnied. He remained n republican until 1885, when he voter1 for Clinton 1:. Fisk. t.he Pro- hihition candidate for President. He: was t,he prohibiticn candidate for con- g r e s in thc 15th distriet in 188s.

311.. S!leldon has long been ti, t.onsist,- en t ancl pronlinent ~neinber of the $1. E. church. He is :a, 1il)eral contribut,or t,o its treasu1.y and lives up to it,steach- iugs I11 a ivny tha t causes all to r e ~ a r d 11inl a < tr~11y :L c:hristi;~n gent.len~an.

His record :I.S :I, uian, n citizen, a. c.lirist.in 11 :lnd his .;.elations as husbancl n.ncl ikthe~- are ivit.hont, 3 blemish. h11,l.r nercl not I)e said.

E:I)~-I?: .TT-STIS IITXLI,. 'rl.;t+ s1111jt.c.t of' this slietcll is t,he

ti)n~.tll so11 and eigllt,l~ r l~ i ld of a family of six sons and fonr daughters. His fill lies. (;ardiner !-dell. J\-as n thl-ift.- f ' i~~. l l l~r , o\vnil~,g ~ I I C I tultivnt.in:. a st11all f ; i i , ~ t ~ in t11e tcbiv~~ o f fT7t+ter1ooz . I lban~- <:aunt.!-. 3t.n- 'iorli. ~vllel-e Edn' 'in was 1~1kl.n Oc-tnlm 2::. IS:{$. He at.tended tlit. c.lisi-1.ic.t sc!ionl and assisted his !lither on the farm un! il he was seven- teen. when lie (,Arne to Illinois in com- !);211y wit11 :in elder t)rotllel-. Calt~in G. ! e l :\fter rrnii~ining a few ~ l lon t l~s n tx i l l . I-)~:.in!:et~~l:. Bureau conn t,!-. t h e - !o~:ated 011 a fii.111 (ra.1~- prairie i seven 11iilr.s nortlic.asi tit' I'ontiac, I;jvin:-

aton county. Here 11e had the nsnnl experiences of settlers.in the unbroken prairie when neighbors -.\-ere far aviaj-. Getting lost a t night with a n ox team in charge. encountering fierce bliz- zards. and being chased by starving prairie wolves. are among his early recollect one. For about eight years he taught school in Livingston. Grun- dy and 3larsliall counties, and in 1361 removed to Rantold where he l ~ a s since resided. He !\-as, upon I is arrival. employed as manager of the Tllinois Cen- t,~-a.1 telegraph ofice a t Rant,oul, and served in tha t capacity until Sept. 1. 1890; jnst 26 years. In 1855 he was appoint,ed agent of the American Espress Co.? which positinn he still holds. H e 112s for lilany years done a thriving husiness ns real-estate and collectio~l ;+gent. He w a s married October 4: 1S6.5. to Helen Ostxan 'el-, nea-r Otta- w a . 111. Mrs. Cdell st.ill lives and has !been and still is an :~ctive worker in the 31. E. church and in the temperance cnuse. She is also a member of the board of education. Nr. TSdeIl, t.11ongh a prohationary member of the M. E. chnrch. is rather inclined to Uni- tarianisnl or Universalism. The children of the marriage are Rudolph S., telegraph operator a t Makanda, Ill. : Eugene V., who is assistant railroad agent and telegraph operator a t As- sumption. I l l . Hert,ram C.! a lad of 13; the five-pear old twin boys, John L. and Paul L., and a bright little two- year old girl, Rcth. They lost a boy and a. gir l i n infancy and a chel-ished daught,er. Etka Minerva. was taken froin them i n 1851 in her fifteenth year. He is a straight republican in polities and is prominent in the coun- cils of his party. He has held the local offices of township collector, village trustee, village clerk and treasurer, and has served 12 years on the school board. I n 1880, President Hayes appointed him supervisor of the fifth census district of Illinois, composed of 14 counties and 233 enumeration districts. 'I'hi4 work mas faithfully done, as Mr. Udell does everptlling entrusted to his hands. He has been townchip irea.surer for several years. and last --Ipril was elected justice of the peace tn succeed Daniel Steele, deceased. 31r. liTilell has good literary abilities. He has v;ritten a ereat deal for newspapers znd magazines. He has good poetic: imagination and has 11-ritten quite a number of real poetic gems. Such publicat.ioils 9 Potter's Xaga- zinc. Ho*on l'ilni. E outhts Companion


and Chicago Tribune ha.ve published many of his poems. Anlong the many good poems he has written we mention those which haxe attracted the most marked attention, to-wit : "The Clock upon the Shelf," "Erin, .. ,, Why Thy Tears." "December. a ..For a Son's ~ l b u m ' , and "Days 'dgone."

Mr. Udell has lived for more than a quzrter of a century among our people and he holds to-day the high regard of all good people who know him. Public spirited, pushing and reliable. he has been prominent in all depart- ments of sociai and business life in the community in which he resides.

~ V I L L I ~ M SXD~KCS. To write a histor:: of this man ~vho.

for rver fi; years bas been a resident of Cha i~~pa ign county. is to write a hi<- t,oi-y o t t lle county. ;;juch 11-e canuot hen: ~~~iJel . txkt? . 1)u t n~ l~s t , content ourselves wit 11 :I l~ iogra yhy. briefly sketch- ing the i~~c.ic?ents of a career which spans Inore t.ha IL thl-ee-fourt 11s of our national lit+ a n d whose residence here anti-dates the county's esiatence as a county b - nearly ter, years. 'l'he name i.: probably of Gernian origin aucl the fh~llily desc~ended from f he stock of that people ~vi~icl l tial*l?- in the last. centur-y took posse+ion of t h r ei~stei-11 c.entra 1 (.()unties of Yennsi-lvania. nn(l ivliose l,re.;tlnt.r? t l ~ e l - ~ i.; attested el-en llij-,\v hj- t lie thrift and well-earned lveal th of the '. Penns?-lva nia I)ntchman." Hen~my SaJoi-us. 1)ol n in liS:3. and 31al.y 'llitn<. n ; i t i v~s ibi*tl~ii~ * t ; ~ t ~ . \\-PI-? t l i ~ - p ; ~ t - ~ ~ l t ~

of l4-illiain Sadorus. who was l)orn J u l y 4, 1812, being tlie first born of the family.

In the spring of 1517. when ilTillialn was a little lew than five years old, his parents einbarlred upon a flat-hoat. built for the purpose, on 0-1 cl-epk. Crawford county. Pa. , and set out for a home ;11 the west. They little thoucht of the untold melzltl~ tha t there lay beneath their feet ttl read. oozing farom every spring and bayou, or of the world-\vide reputation which t h e creek and tlie tokvii. subsequently to grow u p and be named after t.lle fBin11y of >Ira . Sadorus. ive1.e to achieve. They knew thev were leavins a, cold. unf'riendlv sail; hut did not dream oi' the -.oil kings" it, was 1 o produce nor of the fa.1,- i'aiued citv of 'l'itusville 1vhic11 was to be called into life by tlle oil which the soil contained. 9 few weeks brought the fdlllily to Cincinnati. then 1 he ris- i n g weste1.11 town, by way of the ,411~- gheny and Ohio r i v e r . Here the?- dwelt two years and then, by succes- sive moves, 1.eachecI (:onnersville, Flat, Itock and Raccoon. Incl., fro111 \vhich latter place the?- again. in hllzrch, 1S2-l. set out for tlie webt,. this time making their ti>-rt ancl final stop on the banli. of tlie Okaw. in ivhat was then Edgar county, 111 This: point chey reached on April 9th anci se t u p theil- camp. brief survey of tlieir surroundings satisfied Mr. Sadorus that 11e need look n.> farther. soil of nnesanlpled fel-til- ity. with a broad expanseof timber and prairie, ivelc.oir,ed them. Here he de- ternlinrd to make a home tor himself ancl his descendant.^. It ivas veritablv a land of nromise. This Iaqt move mas made in a' wagon dra .~vn by t,wo yoke of oxen. The wagon contained the wife and motllei- and six cllildren of ~l- l~orn the subject ot' t3h-s sketch was the eldest. lle then ]wing- a little less t.han t.n-elm veal-. old : Henry T. Sa - dorus being the youngesC. a. babe in his inotijer*s ar-nls. -1 fanlily named Smith accompanied the Sadorus family and stopped one snmnler in the new home. and then mntred ltrestt~arcl leaving their con~panions alone in the tvilde1.-

r 7 nes.;. l lie nt.a~.cst. neigh lsors of the fiinlily u-ei-t. K n i l i ~ l E ' i~ l~ le r . a squatter on lailcls two miles no!-t\l~ast o f the sitti of 1- rlx~tla. : m i .I a 1 1 1 ~ ~ H a y - , \f:~~-tl~. ~ L I I -

o;lrer -q11;3 t , t ~ ~ ' . 011 t lit' > i tt: of .\I olit i - l l I'x1.i~. Eclcnl. t-oun t v. w:~s t he


1 )anville. 'l'!iese nanies. like the counties of 1v11ic.11 they a re the seat.; of justice. were yet to appear on the map. ,I simple wagon t en t did tluty us rt home for the ~)ioneei-> unt i l aftel. ground !lad I,t.on broken L\-it b the i.nde. c\-ooden ~ n o u ld-boai-(1. I !-on ploiv-share plow I~rocgll t ivitli thew. and sonle seed put in the 91-onnd a s a provi.;ion t'ol- t he f u t u ~ . ~ . \Iwl1ile l ivinz ill tliis frail hoine. the heads 'of' the ti:-() f'2111-

ilies wit11 a11 the i r i~ in l )e~- : except CYi l - lii-~m and a S m i t l ~ bo>- a l ~ o n t his on-ii age, left the t \YO lmys for foul \\week> i n the tenr to cai-e fo r the goods and siock. while the\- nladt: a n escursion t o

1 ' Gonle cliytanc.(b. 1 he 110.3 11e1~1 the ii)l.t su I-1.o~zlldc.d as they 1vei.e 1))- wild men :111(l ho~vl ing ivo1vi.s. Tl:e ten1poral.y I i o ~ ~ i t ~ Ii:~ppenecl to 1)e bet, u p within a t'eki- ~ .ods of the spot ivllicll a fterv--xi.(ls 1,ec.a ille tlie pel-l~iiinciit 11~nle of tlie f'ainily. Soon after set t ing u p their Iloine. tlie fa 111ily \s ' ;~s viNite(1 by indii111~ uf the Kickapoo. Del ;~ware a:ld t'otta- \vattoil~ie tr i l~es. ~. t~ll lnants of \vllich tribes \\-ere still rosining t11~0ilgll the corrntr~- and hnn t ing wild par-lip. 111.. Sadorns we1 l renlcm bers $ he~l~anci-e . or '.Old sol die^.." as he called hinlselt: and Wall homing. chief> of tile Potta- i-catt o-rliie and l>elaii-ai-e tri1)es. 1vl1o. with their i'ol1owei.s. often resorted to t h e Saclol-us home for shelter zinc1 food. r - 7

I llese pel lple n7ere a1 ~vaj-s ti-eatecl kindly 1,- the frlmilj- and in r e tu rn received notiling but kindness fro111 tile wild Illen. 13efore IS:>:-: the Indians llrtd nil ief'tr t,his part of Illinois and ive1.e seen no rnore.

Hefol-e the tirst winter set ill tilt: fami 1 y had heen corn ti>rtal31- housecl in a caI~in of 4 plit logs. well chinked ant1 tliinl,cd. aftel. t l l ~ fas;;l1i011 of' the id- nee1.s e\-eq-w11ei.e. 1)11 t, t!~oncI! the fi~:~iil!- Ilonic t'1'01li t \lilt t i ltle on foi- 111:1n>. ~-val.s. I 11t. caLiil dic! 1101- 11tti-e ;L clazed windon. tor six years. Before t l ~ a t t ime the ]:ole in the 1%-all which ~znsiv~l-rcl i'or i t ~v indo~l - 11;iiI nothing in i t t o keep out tllr cold bu t ;i piece of' gareahecl rriuslin. 'rile I\-intel-found tlie

r 7 % 1 1:e ! ) l ~ l ) l i c . lt~ncis in t!lei 1. neig11 ftu~.- I1oot1 llti(! iwen bnl-\-t.yed L ) L I ~ ti\-o Tears ;11:(-1 \vei.t' i1(3t ~ e t in market. arid the I':~iniiv \i-vre >c!uatterh on I he>? lands o i t t i n years h e f ~ r ~ ~ n t r i t t s ~v bi.t. lui~clr. On 1)ecernber 11. 1S34. \V i l l ~ ~ I I I Sado~-11s. being the11 22 years old. extered tllr n:.) ne; Sec. 1, T. 17. 1:. 7 , ;~nci his i \ t ! l ~ ' ~ - t s l l t ~ r ~ d the GP: of

:: 1

t,he srtrne section, on which the family home had been located. These were the first. entrles of lands 0.1 the Okaw. Wil l iml Sadorus now lives on tile land so entered by him almost hrilf a cen- tu ry since. Wit11 no people i n this count.ry iirhen tile Sadorus famiiy came. of (:onrse theye 11-ere no schools. unt.il h:i the corning of population a dellland was ci~eutecl. 'l'hjs event. ilo\i~- ever. did r:ot take place unti l 'II-illiarn had passed the school age. ,111 the op- port~rnities t ; ) ~ schooling he had, after corning to Illinois. \s7ere 1.eceived tzt a school t augh t a t Georgetown. Illinois. 11-herehis f t~thel* sec t him for sonir niont,hs when a _voung illan.

J'op~llwtion begall T O fioiv illto their n e i g ! ~ bo1.1lood hi. perillanent residence i i ! ) ( ~ ~ ~ t twelve !-ears after t8heir conli i~g i11ltl slon-ly inc.1.rzsei? unti l the c o ~ n i i ~ c c-)f the rai11-oad era. s i ~ c e wllich? as it'

magic. the prairies have been seized upon and n?ncle to serve the uses of 111 all.

On t,he l l t l ~ daj- of March, 15358, ail.. Sadorus was married to Mary Ann 3Iooi-e7 of Lake Foric, and soon afterwards mads for himself s cabin home on lands owned by him near his father's. Of this marriage were born : (.+eorge W. I;. and Henry TAT., who live near their faxher ; Margaret, E.. wife of 0. C. RlcConney, of Sadorus : Sam'l S.. w l ~ o lives i n Xevada : Sarilda, mar- i.iect to 'l'homas Hison, of Jasper county: No.: Sarah S., Married t . ~ Charles 3iiils. of Fztna. .IN.: and John T., deceased. Mrs. Sadorus died about 1848. Su bseciuentl J Mr. Sadorus was married to Xiss Jincey A n n Brumley, of Er- k ina , from 11-hieh marriage were born ;L so11 and daughter, both of whom died )-oung. ,A ft.er the decease of the second 311-s. Sadorus. Mr. S. a thi rd t ime entered i n t,o the marriage relation. this t,ilne with Mrs. Charity Hastings. One daughter. Ida, has been born of this 111al:riage whol now a young woman. is a t home with her parent,^. George 11'. B. Sadorua entered the ;irin?- in 1Sii2in Co. E;. 1-15 Ill. R e q . and ~a , i l le ou t i n IS65 as captain of hls c-onlpany. Henry 11.. Sadorus enlisted

, in Co. G. -15 111. Reg.. August 2-3, 1861. and honorabl- mustered ou t of t h t ~ service September 1, IS64.

XI.. Sadorus has a l l !iis life been en- gageit in f ann ing , a t \\-hich busincss tie has rwdized a handsome compe- ten;:_\-. He was Ibr a t.irne the oivnpr of r l small stock of general merchan- dise. one af the first sfores in his to~x~rl. 1 1 1 : ~ so(111 r ~ t ired i ' r o ~ ~ i t h a t 1111siness-


H e has always been a democrat in politics and believing i n the . democratic maxim, tha t the "office should seek the Inan and not the man the office,". has never sought nor held office above t h a t of school director. For many years he has been a member of the B3ptist church and one of the active promot- ers of t,hat faith in his .neighborhood..

I t will be seen by those knowing anything of t,he early history of this county, tha t Yr . Sadoi-us is the oldest resident of Champaign .county. His t~rother. Henry Ti. came to the c ~ u n t y 1). the same wagon but. mher. quite a . young man: he went to Califbrnia and . took up his residence in the mountains, where lie spent nfteen years. t,hus re- moving hiln f'ronz this field of,colnpeT tition. A t the annual Old Setders' Meeting held forthi< county in August. . 1890, 31 r. Sadorus presen~eb l~iniaelf as a candidate for t,he prize oflel-ed for the oldest person in citizenship and witshout a quest.ion bore off the,prize, a gold-headed cane. H e is now vener- able i n years. hocored by his neighbors and highly favored by his Maker. of whonl he is a sincere mor3hippei-. His children live near him and the.evening of life promises a n honored close.

.

.\I.\LIsD.\ E.\I:TLET. \\-as ;.he oldest daupht.er of Hirani c-nrl .lane I Swearinyen I Ilankin. !l'Iiey vawe in this colrilty fro111 near $hiy+- ville. lien t,nr:lcy. bout 1S"S and settled east of I he pre-ent town of St. .Josepli and in a frw- y?-Pars nlovecl to 1vI1a.t i-; 1inn~r.n as :he Itankin farm. on the oltl state ro;~(.!. of nlrl S t . -1iisepl1. Hew t 1 1 ~ - livtbtl 1111. many years wilt1 no one i l l :I 11 the I Y ~ L J lit!- l:;111 :I \ Y ~ L ~ P Y ~Y>~I IT : I -

t,ion for liberality. in helping tlle :poor and needy.than Hiram Rankin. Here the subject of our sketch, ~ ~ 1 1 0 .wa.s born in Kentucky. near Llaysville: was raised. When about eisliteen years of age. she was united in marriage to Benjamin Hartley, whose parents came tn this .same ])art of the county about 1830. There mere born to them four children. riz.. Mary. Eliza- beth .J.ane. Catharine a i d IJydi;~. 'l'he youngest clrt~~phter, Lydia. \vns mar- i.ied,to Yan 13. Swearingen, one of the leading. men of this toxvnsl~ip. One child. Grant, was bol-n to Mr. and Mrs. Swearinpen, wlro isstill living a t St. .Josep:l'. 3 n d . i ~ one ofthe prnr;pe,l-ous business Inen of the, c,onnty. Mr. 13artley die(] anrl B11.s. 138 1.t lry after- wa~:ds iriarl-ied .Stephen Boyd. o~ ie of t.he old settlers of Urbana township. H e died and several years nft,el-rvards Nrs. Boyd wa.: again mar r~ed to .James Ha.i.tley a consin of her first. husband. They resided near St. Joseph. About twelve years, ago Mrs. Bartley met with an accident whit11 caused her to lose her 11fe. A team ran away wit11 her, t h r o ~ i n g her and others from the buggy, so injuring her, that she only lived three days. Mrs. Bartley mas a t~horough christian \iT\ioman in everv respect., from early life taking an active interest in religous matters' and was anmember of the Christian church when shedierl. . Mrs. Bartlev inherited from her father a charitable dispo>i- tion and no one ever : went from her door in want. person :~vho knew lrer fbr. many years said : "Xrs. ljartley did Inore fbr t,he poor t hanany -. person . in St,. .Joseph township. ,She was of s, hopeful, jovial disposition. and although she' had her full shape of sorrow she aimed to make the best of everything and made everyone4feel better i'01- having the pleasure of her acquaintance. . - She wss known thronghowt the , connty and every .man, woman. and child respected and loved "Aunt. Lin" as she wa.s familiar- l y called., She \\-as ,z neighbor in deed and the entire comrnnnit,y rnonl.ned her cleat11 when. she -was c.n.llec1 t o her, llorlie heynnd.


field was a in early dajs. but says his trip to California changed his views and he no\\- rotes with the democratic party. H e has satisfactorily filled the position of Commissioner of Highways of Sidney township and in April, 1890, was elected to represent the tcwnshiip an the Board of Super- visors. He is one of the solid citizens of the to~vnship and has done much i11 his thirty ears' residence to im- prow the count^. He says when he first pnrchased his farm. the countq- was so bleak and nild looking that he :lever thought it could possibly be I~rought to the high state of cultivation it has.

\Yas born in Arnistrong r o u ~ l t ~ , Penn- sylvania, Jalnlarj- 1. J1Y2i. His father's name was Samuel : his mother's name

, was Sancy Da-i-is. both of Pennsjl- vania. His father came to Sidney ill 1SGS. 1)ulying to \~-~i propert1 and a Earn]. Tht. subject of this sketch resided in Pe~liisyh-ania ancl attended the public schools. receici~ig a fair education. lil 1S32he went to Cali- fornia, where he inined and traded in stock for ~iiiie Tears. when he returneci to the states and. in the Fall of 1861,

. raulr to Sictnej-. where his brother. . the well-linoivn .I. B. Porterfieid re-

sided. ailtl at hi.s earnest solicitation hr purcliasetl ;L farm iin bectiou 26 uE t hizt tuwnrllip aud l~ah rc'si(1ed there evrr si11c.c.. Dt?c.eu~l>rr 4, lSti'2. he was uuiited in marriage, at Siiluej, Ill.. to Elizabeth France. formrrl_v of -41x1- strong clount-, 1'enns;lvania. There were born to t hen the following c*hil- dreu : Chambers Roland. who is now and has for serpral years been occu- pgiug 2% pohition iii i!?r tredsurv de- partnieut at lT-ashiugtoil : Lill-. Etta. liezzje. Tioy and Jessie. who are at tlomt~. Mr. Porterfield is justly proud of his fauiily. His Ilonie is one of the uiost pleasant and hospitable to be found in the romlty. Religious11 the Family are Jletllodi~ts. and alt hougli Jlr. Porterfield ih not a ulember of the

a c.11urc.h. Ilc gives his aicl and support . to the c.::~~sc~. 111 1)olitic.- l l r . Porttlr-

ASDREW J. ROCK. Is a so11 of one of the first settlers of Champaign county. He n-as the fourth child of Killiarn and Nancy (Beavers) Rock, who were na t i~es of Maryland. They removed to Indiana in 1831 and came to Sadorus tomn- ship in 1535. where William Rock took up a ciairn of forty acres which is now owned b_r A. J. Rock. Here the first family house \%-as built which n-as constructed of poles. I n after \-ears a brick house Kas built vhich is stillstanding. Young Andrew took several teams to Chicago and hauled the lumber. shingles. nails, etc.. with nhich to buiid the house. The brick in the saue was made b Asa Gere. assisted hr H. 11. Russell and others. o f rrbaiia.

Thc. snbject of our sketch ~vorliecl


on his father's farm ulltil nineteen years of age when he left home to look around a little. Hcl returned in 1S.2 and was married to 3Iiss Mercy Peabod?. They went to houselieeping in a house the1 built, on ninetj acres of land. 111

1S.59 -Andrew J. sold this propert)- to his father and purchased 200 acres of land in Jasper county. 31issouri. This land being wild he r ~ n t e d l a~ l t i in the ~ic ini ty but was driven out b?- the rebels. H e shook the dust froin his feet and in -August. 1cSfil. ~uovetl to Fort Scott. Kansas. here hc left liis faillily aiid elllisted in the 6th Icansas Cavalrj- During the war h e served as a scout through Kailsah aiid rendered i~iva!uable service to t ilt. Lnioil cause. His tclrrll of ~n l i s tn lc~ l t c!spiring in 1864. lit. was i l lus t~r~c l out and returned to his family wllic11 had beer1 made desolate b ~ - the tieat11 of his wife. October (it11. 1561.

Two chilctren, Franklin and Sitlic.~-. \\-ere the resulr of this aarriagr. Franklin operates an extensive ranch near Leadville. Colorado. while Sancj- is happil j ~narried to .John Jlattos. a farmer of Sadorus township. 31r. Rock was again united in m a r r i a g ~ to Mrs. Nartlia (Jlerrick) Quick. daughter of Charles a i d Lucinda Merrick, of S e u I'ork state. JIr. Rock and his lamil? ret~lrnrd to llis old liomr i l l

this county \\-here he spent the winter of 1864 a:~d the following fall bnilt a hand some bricli residence opposite the home of his father ancl where he. now resides. He I\-eiit to Eiallsas again in 1867 and purchtised a quarter sectioli of lanil aiid rngaged i r ~ storlr raising for s i l years. 111 1869 his ~vift. tiithd. lea\,i ilg two ~~~~~~~~~~~s. Harrivt aiitl Ida. Harriet is nun. the wife. ol' Oi-lij- Flat. a i'arnirr of Sac!orl~s tox~ilsliiy. Ida 1 ) t b i r i ~ at Iioilicb. 311.. 1joc.k \vas ;~gaill ~llarrit>cI -illgust 15. 1 SiO. t o JLiss Elizabetll Bur!;hart. o f Kansas. 'She>- rc~sirlecl tllerr u11 ti1 lS7-4 arid the11 I . Y ~ I I ~ - I I ( A ~ t o his presrut ho~~itb i l l Il!ili- 015.

His n . i f ! x tlichcl ill I S7!L i ~ a v i n ~ 13~rtie. .Joh11 H.. L1111i Jl:itt(l~ a1 I at houlc.. l i r . Rock was ~iittr-:.it~ci ;1gai11 ~ I I t h b fall of IS$:; t o l l i s s I<lizai,rtf I ( ifiti it ill, (Lar~ghtt.!. of 1it.v. :~ii( l Jlrs. Satiiall C;riiStill. Silt3 \v:is I ) ( ~ Y I I ill lial.'aetttb c.ollrit\-. 1Iissor:ri. i i i I $.IS. His wiftt is ti ~ ) r o ~ ! i i r > ~ ~ ~ > ~

~nenlber of the Baptist church of Sadorus and an c~iiergt~tic worker. Mr. R0c1i having heen a resiclrut for over fiftv-six years has a ~vicie acquaintance and is cunsiclcrecl one oi' the solid citizens ant1 farmer3 of that part of the coniltj-. I11 politic5 he ih a democrat. what is li110~11' as a wz:. cleniocrat. He is a iair man. il gooci liushallcl and father. ancl \vit.lds :L large ilifluence for good in rllc. c.0111- ~uuility where Iic has so long rcsicieti. He has liear five 1nmd1-1.c1 ac.rcls of well-i~iiprorc~r! land on 1~1lii.l; lie rck- hides ;?l?d !LC vCTY 1)I~tisantl~- c>:llp10~+ his tiliir in looki~ip a f t s his i'arnii~i;?; interests aild enjo\-ing the c.onl:'ort+ of his home. \vhic.b is one of' tlie i l ;~ppi~st ;ind pleasaiitrst in tlir c-ornit? .

I s ollch of tlic. l . ) r o u i i t ~ t ~ ~ ~ ~ o l c l sckttlrhrs. iargr !an:i o\\.tit1rs allti i'arrl~c\r.-; of Xortll ( ' ~ ~ : I I I I ~ : L ~ ~ I I < * o ~ I I I ~ ~ . Htb IYCLS

l)orl~ i l l ( 4 r \ ~ 1 1 <.o111it~. ! ' t . i ~ l ~ ~ ~ l ~ a ~ ~ i : l . His pa~t~11ts \\-t\nh iVilliil~ll i t ~ ~ d Hthl~~c.- (.a t Stt~~)l lc~is! ('c~rl)lth>. l)ot!i o f t+rt*t.11 c . u l ~ : l t ~ . I'~.III!S?-~V:~II ia. 'I'ht. fat.!lt>l. 1iitw1 i t 1 IS75 ii11(! I I F > 111o11it~r i u IS?):). '1'111. hul)jt;~.t O F this s l ; t % r c . l ~ ~il111c. to t h i s (~:111>ty ~ I I l.'eI)rt~:tr!-. S S-5:;. : L I I < ~

t t i 1 t o i T i l l . c.otu~tj- at t ha; tinlt. \.-as \\-Iid alltl 1~1:1)rol;t.11. ser~i i i r i~ly t o o 1:1li(-11 o f ;t n.ilclt~r~lrss to tbrtbr l ) c b c ~ l t iv;:~(hd ai~ct too f:~r fro111 111:irlct~. 3lr. CiorI)it~y is 111an oi' I L ( ~ I . V I > ;1;::1 1)!(.11ty of y'ri~ ti11(1 l l o ~ t ~ i ~ ~ g .


cla~ultecl, he set forward ~vith the lt-orli, purchased a large tract of land, and in a few Fears made a great c~hange. Other families rzoved in, the to~vilship u-as g~ac-iuallj- settled and it is now collsiclerecl the finest farulillg axid stock raising to\\-nship ill the State. Rolling prairie, flowing xvells and prochlctivo soil are some of the i~riportant feat~rrtzs. Mr. Corble~ was x~larrird at Dandle, February 24, IS(<. to Sarah ix;ood, who died in 1866. H e was married again in lS68 to Mary A. S~hool , of 35eadville, Pe~lns~lvania. The fo l l~~ving children have been born to them. viz : hen^ L., a farmer of Harn-ood t.ownship ; IT. Sherman, who rrsides in Button township, Ford r + o ~ ~ n t ~ - : James L., residing in.Kerr totvnship : Freddie M., Laura F. and Evaline, at home. Mr. Corbley has been an active member of t,he Metho- dist church from early youth and has clone illuch to forward the cause of religion iu his part of the c o c n t ~ . I n .Jorir COLTIS. politics he is a straight republican and TVas born in Hilltort-n, county Dowue, has been from the forrnat.ion of the Ireland, December 24,15224. His par- party. He represented Kerr ton~ns&p ents were Robert and Mart,ha (Mc- 011 t,he board of supervisors for eleven Clune) Calvin. They came to this years and through his influence much country in 1~W2, from Ireland, and set- ;vas done to\.vards roads, t,led near Lexington, Scott county, bridges and in opening up t,he town- Indiana. The mother died there. ship. He has givell the lnatter of The father accompanied the subject of farlni~lg and st,ocB raising his per- this skc?t,eh to Champaim county in solla1 attelltion and has been quite April. 1866, and settled on a farm near succ.essfu1. He llow has about 1600 Tolono. Mr. Colvin recei~ed a good acres of improved lalld in Champaign comlllon school education in the Hill- and Fort] count.ies. He tyas a hand- t o ~ n school iu h l a n d . He was ma.r- some resiclei~ce in Paston. where he ried at Lexington, Scott county, In- makes his llome. He is pro~zd of his diana, in 184'r, to Catharine Gobin fanlily arid is giving his children er- She died, and was married the second ery advantage of educat,ion. He is a time at the same place to Jane Laugh- lnatt,er of fact, nlan, llas amassect his ran in lS6'21 who still l i~es . There fort>une h_v harcl work a ~ l d calose att,en- were eight children born by the first tiori to basiness. He llasnlany friends marriage, three died in infancy and throughout this part of the state and five sre still living. Martha A., the is enjo~ing the reward of an active life oldest daughter, married Cap. E. 9. and a, c.onscio,lsress of having con- Gardin and resides in St. Paul, X n n . tributed in a large measure to the May J., second daught'er: married B. well being and prosperit.. of the north B. Salsbury and resides in St. Paul. part of the count-. .John Me.. the oldest. son, resides in

St. Paul. Thoinas J.. second son'. resides in rrbana. Edward. ?-oungest son I)>- first luarriage. resides in St. Paul. Thex-1. \\-ere seven children 1,c;rn bj- tllr srcollct inarriage. four boys and t llrrr girls. TII-o bo_vs and one girl died in infaucj-. Clvde. the oldest son. is rliarrirci and resides in Urbana. Court. the voungest son, is 1ivi11g at hotntb. Ella E.. oide.;t zir-1.


ruarried TVm. Xeu and resides in Phil- lipsburgh, Montana. Gay, the youngest girl, is living at home. Mr. Colvin was elected treasurer of Scott count1 in 1860, and in 1862 was re-elect.ed. serving four years, the constit~~t~ional term. H e came to Tolono township in 1866 and in 1869 was elected saper- iso or of that t o ~ ~ n s h i p and served seven years consecutively. He was elected aild semed as to~vn assessor three rears. Was elected and served eight years as justice of the peace. Was elected and served as poiice magistrate of Tolono three fears. Was elected and sen-eci as school trustee of Tolono ton-nsilip three )-ears and was appointed post-ulaster of To- lono d~ i l iug President Clereland's ad- inirrist~rat.ioil and made one of the best postmasters Toloiio ever had. Hr also served. by aappointme~lt. fif iecw nlonths as village nlarshal of Tolono. In lSS9 was elected president. of t;he l~oard of t,rust,ees of the ril1a.g~ of To- lono. 111 IS91 he was rc~-elecic~d and is no\\- tthe president of the board of trustees of tlie rillage. I:] 1891 he mas elected as supervisor of Tolono t.ownship to serve for t,m-o rears. Mr. Colrin has had a busy life. He is a inan of inore than ordinary abilit'y .and has t,he confidence of the entire comiinity as is shov-n by liis frequent selection I)? t,he people to fill im- port'ant offices all of n-hiel1 he fills in a conseicntious manner anct n-it.h satisfaction to e\-cqoile. He is and al~vags has I~een a st,rong cienlocrat yet he ha,s the co~lfidence of t.he nlenl- hers of all parties. Although advanced in gears and in poor health there are few men who do more business than he. He is a firm friend and upright vit izcw a~ld is honored and rrspected l ) ~ all I Y ~ O li1101\- hiln.

K as horn ill \.Vinchester. 12antlolph eouxty, Indiana, August $0, 18-52. His t&tl?.el., Dr. Robert Woody. was a ana- tive of N ort.li Cal*olina. Tiis inoti~ei- was Caroline \.Vay, a sister of 1T7111. Way, of Cllampaign? n native of Ran- dolph county. Indiana. both fathey and mo.tl~er were of Quaker parentage. The Father died at.Eaton. Ohio. in IS71 : the lnother in 18-54. Paul JV., a t the age of nine years, caille to C11ampa.ign and made his l~ome with TVillianl Way. He attended the University of Illinois and ltras a inember of the first class: viz : '72. He wa.; t,hen 16 years old. In Septem her: 1874, he ~vaq united in ma]-- riage to Niss 3largarett.e 12'. Schweizer, onlj- daughter of John F. Schtveizer, of Chainpa.ign. T111-ee children have been born to t,hem, viz: \Va.!-, aged 16, attending scl~ool : Jamie E.. aged 14. and Paul W.. aped 10. The$ aiLe verv ~ r o u d of their children and have just, A

caase to be as they are unusnally bright and pi-omising. I11 lSi-2 Xi-. IVoody eoiz~n~enc:ed t o vler!; fol- .-I-. F. Schwei- zel- and n-as adnlitt,ed as partner i n tI~c? t:st.ensive ciothing ;.,nil nle~.chant. tnil- oring business in iS7ri. He has prove]: t o be an excellent business nlan. do ing much ti) i )~.ing tile I,usinrss up to it; 1)1*esent. Iiigh po:;iti:,n. He has aln-a-s 1)tien p~.olni~lri!f in l.)u:jlii' ln~ttters aui? !las sritisfi~~t.o~ily filied tile oiiice of t rt!iis~~i-c~:- of ~ i 1 t - j (aitv oi ' C ! ~ a n ~ p ~ i g ~ i fi11.

,LIY t ~ i ~ i ~ ~ s . \ \ -as : ~ l d ~ i - l ~ ~ a i ~ of t J ~ e thii-(I \v;i.rcf ontt icl'lll ;!l:~l iva- e!ecteci :llajol-

of C.11~l11l)aigil n 11~?11d~oille vote. fill- i n c the t 7 f I - i ~ ' ~ \\-it11 c~e:!it to !lin~self t I ! - 1 I'c-)lit-it:.all>- he \ ~ t t s

1101-11 r l i - ~ ~ ~ ) ~ - ~ i ~ l i c . a t l ;in,? I I ; \ s I , ~ A P I ? ; ~ ~ . t i \ - l ?


in matters connected with his p a r t ~ - ever since his majorit,y.

I n 1899 he was nominated bj- the republican pa~t,:: f j r county t'reasul-er and was e1er:ted by a large ~najoritj-, aild is 11011- filling that responsible posit.ion in a nlanney l - e ~ ~ y sSa. is . ; f '~~~t~o~~- to the people. Few men in r.he county ila.1-e a wider acquaintance. W llether occupy in^ tlle posit ion of aldernlan, ~na\-or. or attending the responsible position of county trei~surer, he is t.he same plain Paul TTroody. a friend of everyone. He is also a inenlber of the 3Iasonic fraternit*? and of the order or Knigl~t~s of Pothias. His pleasing n d d r w s i111d obl ig in~ dijposit,ion make llinl n f'avol.ite k171th ali who

rc~nained there until 1S56, after which he engaged in the dry goods and no- tioli business on his o1~i.n account until > l a - 24. 1S5i. when he came to Ur- l ) a ~ ~ u and openecl a clot!ling house. He wou the conficlence of the people and was quite successful in his business. I n lSS2 he removed his store to Champaign. vhere he is still engaged in busiuess. I n October, 1S55. at Gin- cinnati. he n-as married to Ann Bar- bara Herbstreit. a natil-e of Germany. TIYO chilclren were born to thenl. viz : 3Iargaret:c IT.. who married Paul IT. Wood)-. tile present county treasurer. :~:ltl a ulemb~r of the firm of Schweizer A: \1700d~. Champaign. and I\-illiam I?., who is a tobacconist ill Cha~rl- uaign, also married. Xrs. Sch1.i-eizer i i Cha~npiligil J u l ~ 4. lSTS' at the age of 43 -ears. Slle was a 1l;rnl- her of the Erangvlical Lutllerall chilrc-11. 111 politics Mr. Sdln-eizer is ancl aln-a)-s has i ~ ~ e n a sou~ld republi- (*an. He caasi his iirst vote for Sotm C. F~.enlont ill 1S.56. H e has been ckmillcntl~ s:lc.cessful in b~zsiness? 'OIY-

iug to strict at.t.ention and fair dealing. His stock and buildings \\-ere twice dest,royed by fire? but each t4ime ha redolibled his efforts and regained his foot.hold. H e a.dmibt.ed his son-in- la\\-, Paul JV. Woody, as a partner in ISSR. which has proyen to be a wise step. I11 lS6S the business was en- larged and merchant t,ailoring added. I n 1S90. a liandsome business building was erected bj- the fbm and the largest plate glass front in t.he countj- t i The building is a model

,TOHS F. L?(~YJI-EIZEI;. c.lot,hing house and one of the finest '

Was born in Oi~ersielil~l ngau. ( !. St i~ t t - in Central Illinois. The finn carry one gard, Kin gclom of I1.-c~rt,eull )clrg-, Ger- of t,he largest stocks of goods outside many. March 14. 1 S 3 . His ~~aren t s . of Chicago and do a corresponding *Jacob anci Margan,t Scli\\-c+i~(.r, ~~;.;erc~ large business. ..llt~hough born in a natircs of illat coll~liq-. Tliertl wertl foreign land. no one thinks more of cig,.htr:l11 cIli!cll-t.n !IOX to them. fol~r- his adopted coun tv than he. He is tibi1rl i)oj-s and four girls. The fatiler rspecial l~ proud of his palatial store- i d i . T i ~ o of t h r childrell. t h r room. which is a justifiable weakness. s111)jcc.t of this skctcll and his I~rother, Xr. Schil-eizer seems to be in the (itlurg-1 G.. ~ l l o is a resident of Plliia- prime of life and as active and ener- dcllpl~ia, cai:lr to .A~j~eric.a. .John F. getic in his business as when he came i\.oriic.(! nt !lon~c i:l his fatller's hoiei to this count- in 1S.56. He is a i 1 t i I . tie lei: homr _\larch 4. fir111 friend. sociable. just and cor- 1 r i 1 t I I s t . rect iil al! his dealings. S o business o l o Htl n-urlietl u11 ;i fami in 11~x1 stands higher ill the communit>- Xcn. .Icrsr_r- for t11-o :ilcntlls. after- than he. and no oue in the count>- has \vilrc!s 51--rnt to Pldadelphia, He \vent laore friends. With p1ent.y of this l'ronl t!lrrt. to Cinciii~~ati \\-here he 011- world's goods. a good reputation and t zi:lrc! a sit rlatiun iil thc TJ--holes.ale a growing business: he is enjoying life ( 1 0 1 I of 1 s o t 3 - 1 1 ;:TI(] la-ing up for his childrerl.


J o ~ s DILLESB.%CII. One of the solid German citizens of

Champaign and one of the best known old settlers in the county is the subject of this slietch. He was born in Berne. Switzerland, February 7, 1820. His parents were Jacob and Elizabeth (Hausy) Dallenbach, both nati~-es of Switzerland. I n 1838 the subject of this sketch came to this country and settled in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. Me received his education in Berne. Switzerland. which \yell fitted him for the battles of life. EP mas united in marriage SIarc.11 '7. 1848, at Pittsbu~g. to Xiss Rosana C. Agler, who is still living. Eight children have been born to them. .iiz : Lizzie. now Mrs. Wil- liam TT7ill, residing at 325 E. 43rd St.. Chicago : Xaq-. now Xrs. Sdam Imig, of Sheboygall. TI-is.: John and Wil- liani. now residing in Champaign : Sauuel, residing a t 6320 Evans Ave., Chicago ; George and Fred, residing in Champaign. and Emma. youngest daughter, at So. 78 S. Ada street, Chicago. 111 1857 Mr. Dallenbach came to Champaign. xvhich was thexi iu its infarlq-. He bought a farm and tried that at first. but soon t~ecoming discouraged. Ilc- rr~no\-er\ t o tolvn ancl upelled a rlieat iuarket Hc. allti hi:, estimable nifr werp eco~lomical aucl clrternline~cl to n iil. Yr: they oc*c.upird a I-oorn. 14~26. i l l r t ~ e front uf \\hich was lovatrci tllcx 111eat shop ancl thr back [)?!IT * t > t . ~ ( ~ ] :i* l):ll.l( )Y. kit ( . l l t b l l . -ltlP])illx

and dining room. Here they lived, attended to their business, owing no man anything that they did not pay promptly, and it was not long until John Dallenbach was recognized as one of the solid men in many respects of the thriving young town of Cham- paign. Honesty and right was char- acteristic of Mr. Dallenbach, and it was with sincere regret that the people of Champaign learned that he in- tended retiring from a business he had honored and by which he had anlassed a goodly portion of this world's goods. The iveight of jears however, and a desire to give his boys a chance, decided him to retire from business, rrhich he did in 1857. He is liberal and public spirited and freelj- con- tributed to the building of allllost ey- e r j church building in Champaign and vicinity and no worthy object was presented to him without receivmg a contribution. His family is the pride o f his heart. His children are all in- dnstrious and economical and are among the best citizens and I>usiness men. He is a firm republican, also a lllember of the Masonic order. He is now advanced in years, takes life easy and no one. walking the streets. has more friends or is more respected than John Dallenbach. -


H ESI:~- ~IORTI~II.:I: RL-SSELL. Was born in Pembroke, Geneseo county. New York. November 1s. 182- 6. His parent,s were Nat,lianiel Russell, who is still living. and Hannah (Gerr ) Rus- sell, who died in Clark county. Tl!. When a lad of 13, his famil- and he came from New York to M7aluut Pra- rie, Clark couni,y, Ill., by wagon. Henry came to Champaign county, .July 27,181'7: and stopped three miles south of Sador l~s and worked at briek- making during the summer and nn October 6, 1847, only a few weeks before becoming of age, removed to Ur- bsna where lie has resided evel: since. H e received a good con~inon school educat,ion in Clark county, Illinois. H e taught school the winter of 1347-8, and in Ju ly , 1848, encaged with the M'estel-n Stage Go. and remained with them uneil staging ce:~sed in this part of the country. He then went into the grocery xnd provision business with A. 0. Clapp and Thomas -J. Price. He first I~onght one out and then tlie other 5.nd continued in t,llat business until 18fic). H e also started the first bakery in Urbana in connection \~-it,h his otller l>usiness. He was married tci Miss Anna \Vat.ers. tvho stdl lives. and three cliildren ha re been b3rn to t l~em. 'l'lie imo oldest: I)oth cirls, died in infancy. Charles 31.: t.he third child. is married and resides at Fort 1T7ayne, Ind. 1Ir. Russell did not enter the army as an enlist,ed man. but was i ~ i t h tlie army ~riost of the tiille during the war. He vb-enr ti.oru here I\-it11 the 25th Illinois

..I -t>

IntLntl-1. :luguit 1:. 18til. He was in t.lle secret. scrvier: of the government i ~ l o ~ t . of the time until the c-l~hc nf the war and in fa(-t anti1 the f.2~11 of 1SG.i.

:it. 1)nnelson lie tooli s lrand in tilt: f iwht a n d helped to silent-! a, 1)atter.v. t ak i t~n tlie plttce of a soldier ~ v h o was 1111:tble t,o ~o in on t h a t day. Hi. was in t l ~ c militia at. 1Telnphis and a lw at. Satcbez t'cr n tinie. He ivas eclllef of tlie ~i~ili~;xl*y and detective police in th2 S:~tchez tii.sti.ir:t during the ye;ir ls!if. \\llicil w.ti a t that r.inln a very impor- t;lnt. pn;it,it~n. He has never a~p i r ed to oflice. I) I IT , s rveil hi.: \v;ird as alderfilm 1'01. ;~I ,out 14 y(>;l~.s a n d tve st3t.e . ha t \ v~! know t o be t r ~ ~ c . t v h ~ n we say he tvn5 one of :lie nlnst eiiicirnt aldrrnien tlie city ]la.: ever hr~tl. He \\-as a U. S. st,orelre~per fro111 18'71 to 187-4. He then estitl,li-l~c~~l A rcvl-eitattt and in- surilnce n'fi,:e tvllich he 11a.s cnrl-icd nn ever sili!:i~.~~~c~:esafully. Latzr lie added the bnsinrss of pension at torne- . In all three of the branches of his business he is careful: methodical and reliahlr. His systemat.ic: method of doing bnsi- nesa 111alies him a peculiarly safe man to entrust ic-it11 either insurance. real- estate or pension claims. Mr. Etussell has been an nns~verr ing republican ever einre that party was formed. and has freqnent.ly held inipnrtant places u i~on its cominittees and has alwars b e ~ n among its wise counselors and hard ~vorliel-s. His relizious views are l)road and liberal. which led him t,o unite ivit.11 the Lnirersdlist church. He was long the huperintendent of its Sabbath scllool and has been among its most substantial and conscientious ,supporters. The HEIULD hopes that ile and his estiinable life companion i i ~ d v live many - ea r s to enjoy the com- petexc: he has accumulated by a !ife of temperance. econolnr and u n t l r ~ n g indust,!-y.


HISTORY O F THE SADOR,GS SETTLEIVIEST.

The four townships of Sadorus. Pe- sotug, Colfax and Tolono, as now organized. embrace the scene of the second oldest settlement of this coun- t ~ - , forlnerl~ known as ..Sadorus Grove." from the name of the first permanent white familj which made its hospitable shelter and fat lands their home.

The territory of \x--hic.h we are to speak is a sect,iui~ of tlie vallGy of tllc Okaw river, 11-hich takes its rise but a few nliles away. runs south^\-estn-ard- IJ- one hundred and twenty miles, ~neasured in a direct line. though lnmicll farther i>g following the inean- derings of the stream. anct after wash- ing the shores of the ancient Kns- kaskia, the first permarlent seat oE civilization iu Illinois. empties into the Mississippi river. The land for soille miles each side of the stream slopes gently to it. so as to afford natural drainage. aiid is as fertile as ever n-as the famed valley of the Sile. If tlie theory of geologists concern- ing the presence in this latitude of the glacier in pre-historic periods be true, then the Okaw valley entertained one of those chilly moiisters if indeed it does not owe its origin to a furron- ploughed by one. for along the mar- gin of the stream and throughout its entire val le~. are or were in early tiriles numerous boulders of granite. gneiss and limestone. dropped br these visitants or surrendered t ) then) xvllen they \vent out of I~usfiless. 111 no part of this co~ullty are these strauger rocks so plentifui as in the vicinity of this streanl. One of these rocks 1)-i11g a short ciistance sonthn-est of the vjl- lage, near 11-111. dadonls' sugar caamp. ineasnres seven steps aro11nd :it the i~rou::d an(! f i r c x feet at~orc the gr ounti. Ho\\ far the nionqter ckstends l~elon- t ! ~ snrfacc~ of th t ground has 11e.r-er 1)rcn asvc>rtailirc!. I t ixlust wclipi: !llall>- ~ U I L S :~il(l ~ l l d l ~ ~ ~ g t ~ ~ 0 1 1 ~ t~(Ii11i- ratio11 for t11t~illight~- forcts nlllch !)orit lr fro111 it, ~intivtb ledge it1 the far aria? ~!ort!i a~i t i firia!l~- droppt~cl it herc at o l i r 1 ! 0 0 1 . - nl!ci for our adnliratioll.

FIRST VISITORS.

Who first saw these love l~ and fey- tile plains? This questiorl finds its answer on11 ill vonjrcture. The inound builder. he of whom no our liuo\~s anythin:; save that hc was s mighty rvorker. has left 1uonuinen ta of his industry upoil the Sanganlo11 iiot far aivaj-, and doubtless looked upon this valley. The wild Indian. xvho was everything but a worker. xras found an inhabitant of Illiilois b - John Sicholet. in 16% a t d by Joliet and LaSalle. later visitants. But \vllo of our race. for whoin the I l m i g h : ~ seem:, to have. fasllioned this goodly heritage. first, lookccl i1po11 its gontlv I)eauty ailci perhaps ~ileiltallj ineasurecl its capabilitips to meet thc. wants of man? Doubtless white trappers as captives ranged through this comltr-. but iiot with tl~oughts of sub- cluing and appropriating it. The first whites to look upon this vallej-, of ~hoi11 .rie know an~tliiiig. \verrb n part)- of United States smvtyors. uncler Hichsrd T. Holliday. lvho in 182% snr- \-eyed the four to\vnsliips named. into sections and rnarked their corners. Three years I)efore tilis. irl 1319. I,)- a treat?. between the L-niietl States a1?(1 the Kickapoo Tndiaus, tile title to tlicb iands passed to our governnleilt. and were now r ~ a d y for occupancy under the prt.-enlption laws though not i l l

the market for entry. FIRST PER3I1SEST SETTLE3IEST.

We now conic to the part of our narrtltil-e most important to us and of interest to those who inay come after us. for whose use largely all our re- sc.arvhes are made. The historg- of the Sadorus fanlily is so nearly the history of the towns of IT-llich i v r writt. and o f the period allout lvhicll we write. that the histor>- of one tells the story of all.

Henr3- Sadorus. fornler1:- Brlonli as Grandpsp " Sadorus. was born ill

Bedford co~nty . Yen11.. Jul? 26. l'iS3. four -c>tirs I~efore t h ~ :icIoption of thc~ federal constitution.- The spriiig of 1317 touncl 1:ir:l iiving. n-ith his litrltx Fanlii?-. ot n livr!~ our fellow (aitizcn l\-illiai?: Saciori~.;. then ahout five >-tars old. haring bee11 t)orri J n l - 2--. 1811'. was tilcb oldest. o:i Oil C'rec!i. Cruu-fcrci .. cou:1;y. Pa. T!P - - ivestern fever. \rllich has preruiled txmoiig Anlericnns since .ihe l~ncling o f the Yilgrirns. at- ta(*lif~:l !;in) ru~rl ii-oll~ thc. xatir-tl ti!.\


hers uf that region he constructed a raft or flatboat, upon which he loaded his \i~ol-ldl!- goods and his fa~nily for a long journty wes twad The flatboat ~vas built on the waters of Oil Creek. anti don-11 it the adventurers set forth in pllrsuit of a ho~ne in the west, they kuen- not x-here. E'ollon-- i ~ l g this creek to its junction with the i l l leghe~~y that st i-eanl so011 bore t hen1 to i3ittsb;~rg anti from there their frail ])ark ))ore then1 to Clinvinuati in safe- ty, barring ontl s1lipI~rt~c.k at the head o f t lle falnect Blen~lerhassett's Island. The flatboat having served its purpose. Iyas sold ly Cillcinnati for $1 ,i(K) ill *James Piatt's shinplas~er motley, ~ ~ ~ a k i n g the traveller rich for tlit. time, but iu six ~rlonths it shared the f:itr fif its liincl and was no good and Mr. Sadorus was 1)oor again. The famil? remained i s Cincinnati tn-o years n-hen they again drifted mest - ivard. stopping suvccssi\-ely s r Coil- 11 ei-s~ille. Flat Roc.1~ and Eacvoo~l. ill the state of Indiaua, where thej- found t 1lt~nlsc.lvt.s ill the spring of 1 524. still wit11 a desire to *' go TI-~s~." Earl)- in the year SIr. Sadorus aud a neiglll~or. one .Toe Smith, fitted themselves 'out each with a team of t'i-o ~ o k e of oxen. a n d a (*overed \\-ayon. snital>le for mo\-ing their fanlilies and goods. Thus accouterec2 they again set their faces n-est\~arcl iut ending to go to the Illinois comtrj-, possibly ;is far as Peoria or Fort Clark as the place was then k110v-11. All almost trackless forest then lay t)et~~--een the111 and their piac." of cirstinatioll. They p ~ ~ s w t i tllc. site of tlle 'it?. of Iuciiall- apoiis. t hell i ~ l t rwelltly selec.tec1 as t Le state ci~pitai. ~vht?r(~ tLe folinciation of tlie old capitol 1)uildillg lmd just I~tlt.11 laict. anti v:.ossillg t the \\-:hash I-ii-rr I,?- ;L ft~rry at C'l&to~l. Indiana, t h ~ _ v soon rllcounttlred the tirand Prairie. After entering Illinois, they encountered only one house bet weeu the state h e anti the O'Kaw aucl that \\-as tllr home of Hezilliiall Cunni~tg- ilanl. on or llear t hi. Little Ter~nilio~r I-ircr. wllrrr he kept a small traciin:,. l?o.it for trafiica wit11 the Indians. 011

April $1. 1S%. the part>- reached the Isolated grcve at the head of the O'Kan- river. since anct 1 1 0 ~ - k11o1v1 as - - Sadorris' Grove." and as rlsual en- camped for the night. near the place \\-llic.h event ually became their pernla- 1lc:lt ilonltl. -% I>ric).f ?;llr\-t3- of t l l~ i r

surroundings satisfied t.he party that, a point had bpen reached n-hich fully met all their demands for a home. So far as they then knex they mere 30 or 40 miles from neighbors, surrounded ?.IT as fruitful a couutrj- as was to be found, in ~\-hich n-ild game abounded and \I-liere el-cry want might e a s i l ~ be supplied. -4ccordi ngl? t h e - determined here to reniai~r and set about nlaking tht.:nselves conlfortable. They found that the groi-e whose shelter t h y hacl accepted TI-as 3 or -4 miles long and near11 equally dirided b~ a narrow place in the- timber where the railroad ~ O I V crosses the stream. so the tn-o heads of families partitioned tlre tract bet~vc~en themselves. Smith taking the sotit11 end and Sadorus the north end. The bbSarro\x*s" a s it was called. being the line.

A brief anrveJ- of the sul~orlndings of Ihe situation will give a better idea .

of the actual condition 9f these pioneers: Illinois had then been a stat3 in the 'linion six y a r a and Edward Coles, its second governor, was still in ofice. Its population which was then leas than 100.000 was confined to the southern counties. Xeither Cham- , paign. Yiatt nor Vermilion counties had been established and their terri- . tory and all north of them to the \%-is- consin line belonged to Edgar county. 'rhere was then no Danville, Urbana, . ' Charleston, Decatur nor &Ionticello. not to speak of their younger anit Inore brilliant rivals. Five years previously. in 1819. by a treaty between the U. S. Government and the Indian' tribes the Indian title to this country ancl to all south of the Kailkakee river: had been relinquished and only two years before the C. S. surveyors had performed their work. and the mounds by which the section cornzrs were - marked were yet fresh. Xot an acre of land had been entered which now forms this county and so far as we are informed on]>- one n-hite man's cabin. that of Runnel Fielder. tmo miles northeast of the site of C-rbana. was tc) be foxnd in thesame territory. Field- er had then been here two years and \mi a squatter on the public domain. The only residents of what is no\%- Yer- ltlilion count\- was .James D. Butler. a t Butler's Point. near Catlin. and his neighbors. John Light. Robert Trickle and -1sa Elliott and Dan Becki\-it11 and Jesse Gilbert at Dan- \-ilie and Hezekiah Cunningham on Tlittle T-errnilion, The ~rhole .state of


160 I'IONEEIIS OF C H A

Illinois north of us was uninhabited by white men, except the military station a t Chicago, and wild Indians roamed and hunted 3t pleasure over these prairies and through these groves.

H a v i n ~ so d i ~ i d e d the beautiful grove OF timber bet,ween them the two pioneers proceeded to make arrangements for a permanent stay i n the place chosen for a home. by building for each a cabin. Smith who had chosen the southern part of the grove. erected his cabin near where the old Grandpa Sadorus' old home now stands. It mas built cf split l inn logs. 16x16 feet. covered with split oak- en boards with linn puncheons for a floor. The roof. after the manner of cabin building, was laid upon lops o r p o l ~ s laid lengthwise of the cabin, each succeeding pole being a little higher than the last, and converging towards the ridge. These boards. for the want of nails, which were not to be had, were held i n place by poles !aid lengthwise over the buts of each course. The door was made of split boards held in place by wooden pins. The window was only a hole cu t in the wall to let in the liyht. subsequently covered with greased muslin to keep ou t the cold.

The Sat lor~ls Ilome, which was bui l t two iniles north on section 3G in Colrax, bu t in t h e g n ~ v r , was less pretentious. It was bnilt of the same material 10x20 feet, bnt entirely oprll 011 one side, what is called a "half-faced camp." Windows and doors were entirely d i s ~ ~ e n s e d with. Settled in these crude homes, t h e pioneers se t about planting and preparing for t,he future. T h e summer -&.a5 spent in cultivating little patches of corn and garden with a crude prairie illow th*y had brought with them a ~ ~ t l in h n ~ ~ t i r ~ g wild game for t.l>eir n ~ e : ~ t ; u ~ d yrltrirs, the result being that a s fail agpr~rached rhe larders of the families were well suyl~lieti with the best the country afforded. 'I'he wolvrs. Ilowrver, a te t11.j n~uc l i of their sod C I I ~ I I .

I n t h e fall the heads of the two families, havirig laid in for their families, coxlclndrd t o know what lay to t h e west of then^. Fill- ing their yac-1;s with a s n ~ a l l supuly of pro- visions, with their rifles on their shoulder$, they srb ou t ( I I I foot for the weat again, leaving their f ~ r u i l i e s housed as w r have srelr. They traveled a s fa r as lake Peoria, \irl!ere S~uitt! determiled to removc: his fanlily. 'l'liey went by way of hlacki~iaw and Kickayoo Creek. through 1ndia11 country. l:-tnr~lirig as th ry went af ter an ilb-

.MPrlTC3- C:OL-s2'1'. -~ --- . ... . . .- - --- - .-

sence of two weeks. they found everything quiet. S u ~ i t h a t ouce sold liis cabin and improvements to Sadorus, the co~~s idera t inn baing the hauling of a load of goods f r ~ i n t h e O'Kaw t o t h e Illinois xiver, which was paid according t o the agreen'ent, and t h e south end of tbe grove with all of its ail- gurtenanccs, passed t o Mr. Sadorus. Thus came 2nd welit t h e first representative crf t h e numerous aud respectable family of Smiths of this county.

I S THEIR PERX-4SEST HONE. * T h e Sadorus family lost r ~ o tiuie in taking

possession of the Smith cahin. I t s conit'orts were exchanged f o r t h e "half-facsd camp," and all claim t , ~ the ~ p y r r ~ t i a l f of the grove was abaudo~ied. Tl l r laud thus c~ccupied by the Sadorus fanlily sub>rquerltly, 9 years tbereafter. b r c a u ~ e the home of J a n ~ r s Mil- ler. T h e Smith cabin was "daupra" that fall, which lllralls that the ~ r ~ t r r s t i c e s br- tween its logs were fillrd with ~ h i l i l i ~ and mud to p r e v r ~ ~ t t h e cold frorn intruding and its foundations were bankrc! with earth with a l ike yfirpose. A in r~d chir~lney was built outside with a fireplace o l t r ~ ~ i r ~ g inside the cabill, and carried up above tilt. cabin roof with $ticks and mnd. A comuanicr~~ cabin. a few f r e t away, in l ike manllrr supplied with a mud alrd >tick chiu~~it-y a ~ ~ d neat.ly "daubed" in time was added to t h e ccrnlforts and cor~vrriiencrs of the fanlily. A s i l ~ g l e wi~ ldow sash was b~lur t i t in Eugene, I I I ~ . , five o r s ix gears thereafter, s n d that glazed with glass. gave t,hr falllily one glass window-the first ~ I I Ct.an1paig11 county-and irl time o thr r openi~ lgs allswrr- irig to \vi~idom, were I i k r ~ i s e sripylied. These cabins did duty a s the Sadorus domi- cile until 1S3S-fonrtee~l grars-when t h e per rnar ie~~t hor~lc? was errctrd. Until IS%, more t l la t~ t r n years, Mr. Sador l~s was a squatter on rlir public t l o l ~ ~ a i ~ ~ . 011 Drc. l l t h , of that year, t ~ a v i r ~ g gotten togr th r r b200 11e rnterecl the southeast quarter of srctlon one, township sevrnteen range Rev- r n , whr re his cabill stood. T h a t tract with t h e nclrtt~ eighty i r ~ the rlorthrast quarter of t h e salllr srcl iot~, entered O I I the sallle day by Williani Sadorus, i h e ~ ~ 33 yr:trs old, \\,ere t h e tirst entr i rs of land in t h e grove or i l l

t h a t part crf 1 1 1 ~ C O L I I I ~ ~ . 'IIlle j o n r ~ ~ e y t o Vaiidalia t h r tl1r11 capital of ttin s tate and 1ocatio11 of t h e lalld office, was 11iadt: by Mr. Sadorus in corllpany with J a m r s Piatt, who had bought o u t Ja111es Hagwor:h, first +Quat- ter on t h e yrerent site i ~ f &lorrticrllo ant1 was the lirarret lleighbor of the Sadorus hourrhoid. Prace was ~llairltained betrreen tliem by a g r r e i ~ ~ g t h a t tllr eight llllle s!ougil should be the dividing line between their ranges, ;ill the Zrnss on this side belonging


to Sadorus and his hertls and all on that side helonging to Piatt, a11 A b ~ ~ i i ? a n ~ a ~ i d Lot a@air, that had disturba~lce frorn in- truders for tiiol-e rllan quarter of a ceri- tury.

IS TH!-: SEI<iHi;OKUOOI)

It will be i~lfrrred rhat the terr11 "t~riyli- bor," hati a so;newlliit dl!fere~l~ ~ ~ ~ r a t i i ~ l g tilati f rc:xu that giver: i?. now. 1i11d it is a fact that "dist;~rlc.e 1e11t e~~chari t r~ient to the view" o f the few they i~:id. A s already scdrrl wsidel~ts at f)a~~vii!e, hIontic:e!lo, Ur- I I 0 1 1 t i 1 l i t 1 T-e~.illili:)n rivrr Ivere i 1 1 ~ 1!(~3re+;t 11eig1lt~)rs o f ttie Sa- ciorus falllily, hut it u l ~ ~ : . riot be +upposeci that. tl:e ilitt.rvr11ing distances p:-rvt.~ited ~ieigli borl y iicts or cut off sc )cia1 i~~ii.l-conrsc~. A1 r. k\'i1lia111 S:i(lorus, Si* : t i i~ tvllotli 1 tiit ye rrcbriveti rllo3t of t,tlr fiit:ts here proi~oecl to- grtiler, was twrlve ~ Y H : ' > old tvliell tliey tool; t i p ilwir ~.->ide~l(*e 011 the OSKanr, arid is now i r l 1 i i> SO!ii J ear. si.)e:iks with r~~t i ius i - aslii of t l i t . i i . : ~ r i g i l t ) t ) r ~ c ~ f six1 y Fears ago atid the warn1 1losj)itaiity eltcouxttered i r l every ;.tibit), oi' t i j ~ L'raisi~,,vs," tile " I I L I S ~ ; ~ I I ~ ~ " a ~ t d rlle "ilur~ri~lg circ:rs" wl)icti brougl~t the scar tt-t-ed svtt lers toget l ~ r r atid kellt a1 ive sociability. l i e renlrr~~bers r lit! Cook family which settled 0 1 1 ttle west side o f the Uig Grove i l l Is:3O, anci before being donlicileri burietl the hitsbarid and father, ttir lirst tleatli of a wllite settler of the cour~tg. He also rc+~iiembe~.s t.hr cornlng of Stephen Boyd. Jake Heat.rr, the Buseys, Charlie Matthew a11d lsaac, l h e lat?er he sajs, kept the first lirst-claw 1ic;trl in Urbar~a i11 his cabin o n the creek bank. He. also rerllt.:tl- hers the cborllirly of Xoble Eyers, the only .J nstice of the Peace in this part of Vermil- ion coul~ty, of *X01111 G. Robertson ar~cl of tile IVebbers. 'rhese are warmly renlcrttl- hered by Mr. Saciorus for the fr i r~~t ishiys wtiict.ll grew 1111 hetiwe11 thetu ;IS yiorleers, ;111(1 ceasetl ollly a t iheir death.

'r11e first iicit-litior~s t o the population in t he i1111uediattt r~eigilborliood o f the Sz~ctoriis f:~rnily were Henry Ewing, w h o with his fatilily, c.anw froul Colrrtersviile, l i~d . , t w o years :tftt.'r Mr. S ~ ~ O I . I I S carne and built a c:;ibin in the grove r1:)rt.h of where tlie vii- Izg-e Iron- is. He stmaid a. year and nloved 011

~ses t . \Tilliaiu Jiarcllii5 sooil af t ~ r cbatiie, t o o k :.)osst.ssior~ o f :lie Ewilig cabill, staid t w o or tllree years aucl ca.!rarrti w >111iti1 plat :,f i;\rlcl and the11 he too, werit west. Orle Ai liens Vk'righi (*atilt, a'no~~ t IS30 :i~id settled west o f tile creek. a, lllile or rllore away. l i e was a desperado a r ~ d had :% bari reyutatior, alllong h i s neighbors anti final!y inoved aivay u~itier colnylrixion. John Cook arid t ' i~~l~i lx . the secorld yernianent settler in t h e move, caille xbor~t i!lr begi~iing of 1x39 and

:;-I

setlled on section thirty i : ~ Tolono township, where he died over thirty years since. The Slillers, Isaac, Janles, Beiljau~in and Jolm, came at all early day from Indiana, and ell-

tered ;anti and became yermanen t residents. Uefore I heti) came W il liar11 Kock, in lS.36, and set:lt.d oli the 1;rlid where he sub?;+ quer, tly dird. Fol loaring him and settling lower down were Ezra Fay. the fir3t S e w Light preacher ill the courlty, who settled o n tile Ellars farni: J o h ~ l Xair~es. father of E. C. Hai I I ~ S : Latvsot~ Laugh lin and bViilia111 'I'olet*, his father-in-law, the tirst to be burietl in tile Kock yravvyard; and John 0' Bsyai~, wirh his 3ons llrilliarii, Joseph anti l-ii~.a~~l. Friy a f t e r ~ i i ; . d ~ ~noved to Lalir Fo1-k.

1 S ~ ) I - ~ S S .

Xlthuugt l itle ltldiari title t o these lands 11;ttl breli ~sti1lruis1lt.d b _ ~ treaty ill lSl9. yet. a s latr as IS33 these wilti men w a ~ d e r e d xt will and h~lrrrecl over t!lrse prairies. Be- lore t11e Sitciorus fatilily had b:\iIt their first cilutp 0 1 1 tilt.: O'Kaw, tiley were visited by strollit~g bands o f these red Inen. Their chief errands were to procure so l~~e th ing to eat, and they always got what they came for, says IVxli. Sadorus. This hospitality was rlot thro\vn away for the red men were always the fast friends of the Sadorus family. The lndians were of the Pottawaiomie, Kit-kar~oo and Delaware tribes. TVillian~ Sadorus renlenibers Shemaugre the P>otta- watorriie chief and says the chief never failed to call whexl passing through this country orl his llnntinp expeditions, always dividing with the family his supply of game. Shenlaugre then !ived at the ford of the Ka~ikakeeriver near Bourbonnais Grove. l i e claimed the Indian camping ground on the site of Urbana as his native place, and is still reiuembered by many of the pioneers of the Big Grove as the friend of the early 1vhi:s settler. He is remembered by marly as the "Old Soldier,'' a name some- tiuies assurlled by hiui. His name is seen affixed to sonle treaties with the United States rvvernment as "Shemaugre." Ee was disowned by his people and lived by hinlself when known to cur people.

\Vallhon~irig, a Delaware chief, was also :t frequetit visitor at the Sadorus borne. At

9 came orre t i ~ r~ t . lie, wit11 several follower.-, over froul the A~ubraw river, bearing a keg o f \t-lii:k~-, nhich tiley tiad purchased of rt trader, saying they wanted to stay and have ;L hig drunk, wilich they did, but all the t i ~ n e peaceable. The supply lasted them several -daxs, not\vittistanding the leak in t h e end opposite the spiggot, sh i ch Jlrs. Sadoras hac! made to facilitate consumption. ,It the close lVallhor??ing arid his friends


gave an all night exhibition of Indian dances, which tile Sadorus boys witnessed with interest. Big John Lewis, a Delaware, was one of the party. About a year after the bie drur~k lVallhonlirig callle again, this time sober, bringirig nlitt: hirn 2 2 cool1 skills, which he gave 3fr. 3adorus, saj-i11g tltcAy were to "pay for big druuk."

At awlher' time wi~ell Mr. Sadorus hat1 gone beyolid t!le I'VaSasl! to nli!l ;inct Xrs. Sadorus t111d Iwr little c.lliidrc-:l were left alone, a yal'ty of 111cIIarls calile to the cabill, :tsl;ec! for Nr. Sador us aiiti were iiiforl~led tlltit had golle to mil:. '!'iley ii~iorrlit~d i.lle \\'Ilite I I ~ : ~ I I ' S ~ ( ~ L I ~ L V tl12.t. S I I P I V O L ~ I ( ~ starve, brit were assured t11;lt tl!rs 11; t t l plenty. Tlley tlleri Iri't tlie (*a bill l'or !lie chase awl i l l ;L t ' r i ~ hours retilr~i:?tl brari:ig tile Ilanls of several Orrr u7\,l;icll t i~c~? hi~(l sia111 an(i gave t1le11! to t!le S ~ I I I ~ ! ~ . All-5. Sado:'us returrred the favor by ii~structtiltg ihe boys to go to t!l$ cor'u s11ocl;s it1 tile corn tields and roll out ;t s~rj.)yly o f yeilo~v pu1liyl;ills, w1;ich had bee11 ptit there to save tlletn frolu the frost. \Irii1l I I I L ~ ~ I I : L ~

espressioris of I~illdly ferli~tgs the red cisit- ors and i i i ~ Siidortls fanlily separatt-cl 2s Itley had often dolie before.

Tile cabit! of Mr. Sado1.u~ ufas a l n r ~ y s ~l iade a st ouping plate by S h r a ~ a ~ ~ r r r ; t ~~c t \Vullhonlin,v atld their Iluuil~!g !~:irt ies, S u i not a single act of tlostiliby or of tli~ttve~'y ~vas ever perpetriited by thrr:l. U T ~ ~ l . Sa- ciorus r r t ue t~~b r~ . s the call at their cabill o f an lildiarl rta~~~ticl 'l'oti~ Jr1lowa.y a r~d 11is ciaugtitrr, O I I t heir \Yay to s!;ule \vesterr1 poirlt wtlerr t lie d:i~~gllter was cilargecl with Ilaving killrti a sclua~v, ailci ivllit!~er the father wzs \-olu~ltari:_v taklrlg her to meet t he charge. 'l'lie result of the irial h e never. heard.

S1ielr;;iugre ciiecl xrltl was b~lrithtl O I I tlio k)alllis o f tile Ka~lkakee, iv11rr.e Ile llact livecl.

In t;ucIi escu:-sio!;s Ile ivo~il(l be gone sollie- t i ~ u e s as 1011q :is three \veei;s, c.al;l!J- in^ out arid l ivii~g b y t.!lct cliase. ll'itliiri :: ft?\v years! his pashion f o r l iu~l t i~ig, ! i~ !d i l *~ 110 .<i.ati!ic.atioxl i ! ~ i!I(> lirl(!s so 1011s a,go lluliteti over by 1ii111, i1e i i i t ~ so!!;;'llt out lltll~t- ing grO~lll(i3 11 ~ \~~ i i l ! i~ : l h :!:~d 01 ilr!' \i'?>iPI'!: states.

I ' osT-o l~I~I~~ ' !~ ; - \ -XI) sri'O!:F:,<.

lt'lle:~ the S~ t i c i r u s fa~ili!_v first. c.ai1lr to tl!ci cl'ovr t llri!' ~~e:di'rst j~o*t-ofticr a lit1 t l j t . i l '

C01i1lty SY:~: [\,as 1':~ris: S(l$iir ( . O I I I I ~ ~ , 5 ~ 1 t ilitvil!y ilo !lt>rci Ot' i ) o ~ t i i i f:tciiiti?~ li!ry ciic! 1 l t ) i >aIro~lixe tl \e ~ O L Y I I ?or ~; t \ ! t~ r j):iri~ose. r i ! !I(+ ~.o::ti ol1ici;ils :IT ;';iris ;it. 0 i I t A t i : ~ ~ e ~va~-lie(i J ~ I - . ? $ ; ~ ( ~ ! ; Y I I s i ~ ) ; l ; ) ; : ? i ~ ~ 011 tile :yt].p(~ts 0 1 ' ! ' a ~ i ~ ():I :: ~i l ' e l l ~j;ty T O \V:il'!< i ; i ~ .

b ~ ~ t i t beii~g t i t ' i ~ -i n-o I I I ! ! ~ . ~ ;:.oil! I;O!IIP tlie I I J ~ I I ~ ~ ~ P was ( 1 i~obe; e(1-

'l'i~eil. lir3t t l x ( i t~ig, a~i( l for i i t'retb:l ye:irs, was tictl~r i i t Eugt2i:r, ! I I (~. , \villi t l i ~ Collrtrs allti uftt.rn;irtf ~ v i t ; ~ S;l!t~ut.l ( ; I . o ~ - ' I ~ P I I ~ ~ ~ ~ Y . r \ 1 i ~ e ~ e ei~t'l! ti11 I 1 I:P>. (Irovr 1 t i ~ i y 11ozs. 'l'liey raise(1 fro111 100 t o :.XI0 P;:C!I :;tAar.. 'I'i~eir I i~r t i llari ille ~ I I I I ' ot' tile :il~it>er ; i l l t i t'iii trlteti oil t!le 11li1~t t\;ttil ille ~ ) 1 ' 1 1 ~li11'(1~!1~(! i ! ~ 1 1 1 ~ tiill \il!'ell "l'O[l~ld L I ~ J " w>LS Ililti ali(i 1 1 1 ~ /it 'l '(i

1.1r1t 111 21, lieI(1 a i ~ d te(l u ( 1 : i I tile ; ~ i i ( * k i ~ ~ g ~(~aso11 i l l E~ !ge l~ r . \~11rli ;L f o ! ~ : e <:~:lic.irtit \!?;..s s : l rn~!~o~~rt i i t r ~ t i tilt. t 1 1 . c ) ~ ~ t ; t l ; t > l i to

~~ii;rket. 'j'lte ;~orl< b1.011<117 t:.o:ri -51 to ,$:2 .-A)

l.)er C W ~ . , 211d ?;lo tril) ( ~ ~ l t s ~ l t l l ~ ( ~ < i ' t ) I I i tell daxs 10 t w o ~ ~ ' i r r k 3 of ti::^^.

1 1 1 :llr ( :OLII.S~ of a f e ~ v yv::i-s D ~ i ~ ~ ~ i I l e ]lad a l)r.),.;t-vflice ; ~ t ~ t i twcanlt! ! Ilrir tl'atiitr,v poir~t. The tirst Iri ; tai ' receive(! tty t.lir family cal~lc: throug:1 itlat ofrictr. -1 !l;ail rclutr, \vas early establ~sllecl b t t t t ~ ~ l ! l 'n1.i~ i ~ i ~ ( l Sprirlgtieltl, and :tie 111nil c*itt'rier gtt~~ri.iili). (.;i~:!e !::; $.*:;IY

of Sricir~ri:~ (;I 'oY~, x ! \sit).'; s!clp:)l;~'.r; ict t !lrir 110~1$?. 'l'lie 111ai\-Sa(;!;. l~<)Lvt~vk?r, \.\7;:s 110t urliockrti t )e t~vrer~ t t ~ o ~ t < two ;~oi i~ts .

1 1 1 t i i l l r cilj(;:igo C!;~lli* to bil (jtiite i L ti.;l(!-


o o : ~ i i s o r , i i I t h r y torrlicl tile Ka.r~ki..lirt: 1ivt.r. 11 siii!~t-tl every tfiiy O l i tilt' \\a?. ;ili;i tilrv x'A';::l! r'lrt.k.; allti rivers r i e ~ ? ~ ~ :ill?c2s Xi?!! :~ic!!F r i ~ r y

SOCI-\I. I.:\-EST<.

As befti:.e stateti, the early sr t t lers were, :!;o~lgI! liviljg far apart,very soc:iiiblr amoilg !il?l!:.-?I~eh aliri IlosyitaDlt: t o a!! strarlgers. 'Tilt! joutiv pt>o:~le u:xtlirrrci :ourt l~er fro111 c.o:i>itirrab!e di<:.m;crh 1'0:. eor!l "l~u>iiings" a11ti '-ra.i-i~!x<.' :t!!i.i ctdiebra:e<i :lie c o r ~ c l ~ ~ s i o ! ~ Oi' ZllC \ V C ~ Y ~ \Vi?!l ;i (1;ii;Vr. \ i ' l i i>:i~y L V i i s

pir~i:?' :it rwrlrty c.ei,T a gallot! atid tiici nor [~i'o(!iit? 11var a> I ) ; I ~ :i drc111k :is iiir li:qL~l)- taseti ~ L I I ! ! ~ I I ' L I ' Y ~ : ! i i r t i~ la c~f this clay. Mr. hi~,.:or:~> I~irilt :L lo< bzxr11 :;OxiiO S ~ e t tic o t ~ e 1 i1!ita :!1111 t.?:iii+! I L L S ! l~~ig~\!)~~L'S fSOI11 tkle Ei< ( 4 ? 0 ~ t * ~ SLilt. k '~ ) r l<~ Alor~iirelio. L'iLiV Fur:<, allti niv:iy <ir~u .~ i oil C)'.ETan, io Ile! y t o raihr i i . 11 lo!>!< l\vo <i : i>h lo ~ i o tilv \~o l 'k bllt tile > ~ ! : i ~ i g g~oib!r (la11cet1 ;i!i 11igl11 tile at't.011d I . -4 t~;i:.i'ri of n'!iis!<ry a:ltl large : ; I I I O ~ I I I ? ~ of ~ t ~ ~ ~ ~ v i s i o ~ ! . ~ ivc-re : i s ~ d , b11i 110

i!; i( i ~ l ~ - i < ! ~ l i ~ I I I ! ~ I ic! l l~ rr>tllt?(!. 11?1iii{ia i<~is!dl (a~ ie~ . \ \ ;~ ! . ( !h !31')~:?1:) 11f Klb;~~i?l, \ V ; l s <11iv t ; i ?he collii~:Li!~.

111 111 i > \\.;I! ;:ccl~i;ti~irii:~ces wrSth i ~ ~ a t l e n!ld l ; r l ~ t I:!). ~~~;t ; . r ' iagts wc-re (.O!iIrd~tt!d and ! l o S I ! ~ r e d . \ V : ~ I . Sadorus i l l lS:-;S, \v i ; r~i t r ~ r ~ ~ t x - s i x year's old, rliarried 31:11.)- lI:~c~:t>, of i,:llie Fork, SllelSy coui~ty, aliii ~ r l t !e t l or] 1i~11tl ile IIitd entered Sour yeiirs bvf'ort., blrii:.lit;g for I r i ~ ~ ~ s a l l ' a !og c;lCli: ss \\,as i ! ~ r custo~ii e~erg \~ l !e re , but rrvt-ivi11g ill? aid of his ~leighbuf*.

SC'I1C)oLs.

So >c.i~ools wvrv opelied in tile ~ e t t l e i l ~ e l ~ t uii:il lSS!;, wilt-11 a man :muled Hootell tnug!!t a fiul~ilj- ~ ~ l i o < 1 1 iu Nr. Sadorus7 ki:cl:rii f ( ~ r a bliort tilite. Air. Saclorus sent his so11 \'ill liar11 to a scllool at G e o r g e t ~ ~ r l , \ - ~ Y I I J ~ I ~ O I I COI~I IT~. . ~ ~ 1 1 ~ 1 \vt~i!t. 11e was there tlie slu'veyor \V:ts eugayeci in plat i~rg slit! ! R J . ~ I I ~ OLII the IO\TI:. It aSter\va~.ds becarur the s w t of i l ~ r Gei,rgetown Seminar)- aud (,nit? arl rciacatioual celltre. Henry Saciorrts \ ras also s e i ~ t to a ~ c i i o a l ten niiles this side o f L)a~~\-i!lt.

'l'ilc: firat pilblic schuol in the aettieuient was truelit by J t ~ h i i l l a ~ ~ ~ i l t o n , ill 1S0. in a log s c l i o t r i - l ~ ~ ~ ~ r e , bi!ilr abuut one mile 11orth of t:le viLlare. in rllr u2per en$. of urove. l t i . 3 hn~ti .,- this acl~ool \Yas taught before a

tioor lind bran 1;iitl or a \vii!dow pat in tile !ioi;sr ::11tI brt',lrt. it ii;i(i bee11 '-cllinkrtl autl ti;itiberl."

1:EI.IC.Ior'.

\VilIi:~l~i Sadoru.i h a s that the first senlion i,l.raci?r~i a r ~ d ill? f r + t religious exercises lir!c.i ill ri:r Grovr was b5- l'rter Cartwrigilt, btii !:r car: noi give tile cia:e. l i e \ras foilo~veti by ;Irt!i~!r Brad+t;aw, who was 2gr;vi:l:etl lo t ! ~ e Urbana ulis3ion ill il':<Y. I!is tie:ci rrl!brnceiI :lie territory for a !o!lg (ii.::~!iPt> cio\vrl ti!? O'Kaw a 1 ~ 1 -?.!t~braiv.


.:i ;., I'ICJSJ;~;E;X OF C:119

- . - - ~ - - .-.- - .-

T h e settlers prepared a set of puncheon benches, which were hauled from house t o house, where appointments were made by Sradshaw. T h e tiinber was of l inn a n d so was l ight a n d easily handled. These a p - pointments were n o t very freqiietlt hut were well attended.

PBRUASEST HOME. I n 1SB JIr. Sadorus built fo r himself and

family a very pretentious permanent home, af ter having lived i l l their cabin home fourteen years. i t was a two-story franie building about 50 fee t f ront by 20 feet, attached to which was an ell of considerable size. If had for i ts supports big granite boulders. gathered from t h e fields. T h e siding was hauled froln Coal Creek, lnd., whiie o t i ~ e r portions of the sawed lumber was brouzht frour Moses Tholnas' mill near Homer, while some w a s brought from Heptonstall's mill, a short distauce below Urbana.

T h i s house was roomy and afforded t,he host better facilities f o r extending that hospitality t o s t rangers fo r which h e was noted. T h i s home and tha t of William Kocs, three miles far ther south, were ~ I I

their t ime t h e best on the creek and were often the scenes of social gatherings arld always of generous hospitality.

JIILLS.

T h e Brst milling facilities er~joyecl by lllr settlement were a choice between a n ~ i l l ill Norgan courlty, Illinois, and rl~ills beyond tile3 Wabasll in Indiana. These were in part supplied by a horse n11ll made by Jlr. Sadorus in 1Y30. l t was 111ade of dressed boulders anti run by horse power. It wo11lt1 grind only a btlshel of corn in two hours o r four or tive bushels in a day. It woiiltl grind but not bolt t h e grain and was hatter than ro g o one hundred miles east o r west to mill. TRry s u b s r q u e ~ ~ t l y resorted to ,John %ro\vntield's niill in the Big Grove and TO 'rllorl~as' n ~ i l l a t Homer.

C R I I I R .

'l'lir o ~ ~ i y t~ornicides were the k i l l i r~g of l)r Haven by Patterson, in IS%, and later the killinz of .Joli~i K i r ~ . by ' rhon~pson T,xrrg-h- lin. Dr. Haven was !<illetl by a w e i ~ h t thrown by Patterson and Kice by a gunshot,. Patterson was trirti ant1 sent t o tlir y ~ n i - tentiary anti I ,auqhli~l nxns trietl nnd nc.- 1~11ittecl.

C'OXC'T,L7SlOX.

Iri tile c o ~ ~ r s e of tinip. liere as everytvlierc: elsp in our country. t h e seclnsion o f tli? frontier gave way t o t h e forces of c.ivilizn- tior). xncl the iron horse plounllrtl its way t l i r o ~ ~ g h Satl(>rirs' Grovt? abont on the lirie of the "Sarrows," adopted by Sadorus anti his feIlow pioneer, .Joe Smith, a s the line t ) ( - ' t w t > ~ ~ ~ their possessions a;ld across tile

.31P-41C;S f:OCS1'1-. -- - -- - - -- - - -

!and entered by William Sadorus in IS%. I n the period of the s tate internal inl- provemerit craze in 1537 a line was run throllyh the grove for this road about half a mi!e north of the present l o c a t i o ~ ~ , but nothing more came of it, until eightee:l years afterwards, in The fullrleas c+f t i t ~ l ~ , t h e Wabash road was bullt aud Zij?; its thirty trains a day thunder past W i l l i a ~ ~ r Sadorus' door and through the siivan shades where he and 111s faelier, a!~no.t s rv rn ty years since, tirst brolie t h e solitude..; which prevailed since Creaiion's rilorn.

Mr. Sadorus. 11or\~ a patriarch of alnlost eighty years. lives his third wife riot f a r a w a y fro111 :he yoir~t where they tirst pi te i~ed their C ~ I I I I , o n April !~th. 1924, while his brother Hrr~ry , > o i ~ n y r r by twelve years, livrs a r ~ ~ i l e away. A dense pol~olxtio~r has taken possessiorl of the adjacer~t t i ~ t ~ b e r ant! prairies anrl elbowed the hunters and their. ganle therefron~.

T h e old ~ ~ i c r ~ ) r e r , tIr11ry S R ~ O ~ ~ I S , die(? J u l y IS, 1S7S, aged a l n ~ o s t nirrrty-live gears x~lcl~iocv \vlit~ liis faithful wife who t i i d t!lirty years befort., s!eeys irt tlir l i t t le cemetery near his lrornr. bat in~mediately upo11 the bar~ks of the str.eari1 Ile loved s o well and so long. klis naurr ia borne by his township and village :lnd mill never hr forgot tell.


Documents

Early...107 PIONEERS OF CHAMPAIGK COUXTP LOCATION OF COUNTY SEAT.--PROCEEDINGS COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT.--COUNTY OFFICERS AND TERMS OF SERVICE.--SURPLUS REV- ENUES.--FIRST SCHOOL