HISTORY OF FORD COUNTY
Reminiscences
John H. Lewis, in his History of the Pan Handle of Ford County, has recorded much of interest, and we make room for several extracts:
On or about the 1st of September, 1856, a prairie fire was started in the south part of what is now known as Ford county, and the wind being from the south drove the fire over the county at a frightful speed, burning all the prairie lying west of the Illinois Central Railroad track to what was known as Indian Timber, and as far north as the Kankakee river before it could be stopped. As I said, the season was very dry, and the low sloughs that grew a very fair quality of grass that year, continued to burn for fully three months, or until the ground froze up in the fall. The lands that were so badly burned still show the effects of the fire. Some of these places came directly under the writer's observation, and were he in the northern part of the county now, he could show places in swamps on the north half of section 7, south half of section 6, in township 25 north, range 9 east, and in a small slough in the south half of southwest quarter of section 21, township 26 north, also in sloughs that lie south and west of Oliver's Grove, and near what was called Corn Grove, which before the fire was smooth, even sloughs, but are now ponds and lakes of water. The cause of this is that the tall grass, that at that time grew in the sloughs, took fire, and having so much body, burned into the ground in such a manner that it settled into basins. Among these may be mentioned Turtle pond, lying south of Oliver's Grove, and Corn Grove pond, lying west of Turtle pond. The timber in Oliver's Grove, especially the down timber, was nearly all destroyed, and it was considered that the loss in wood that Mr. Oliver sustained must have run into the thousands of cords. Going farther north to what is now known as Vermilion swamp, the effects of the fire may still be found. Before the fire, all that country from the county line of Ford and Iroquois counties, in township 28 north, range 9 and 10 east, was a large slough, which grew coarse but good grass, not canebrake as it does now. In this place the fire burned holes into the ground fully three feet deep and for several years after no grass or anything green grew there.
Before the fire, large herds of deer could be seen grazing quietly on the prairies, but these beautiful animals were now driven to other localities and deer meat was scarce.
The presidential election in the fall of 1856 caused very little excitement in our settlement. The voting place was full twenty-five miles distant at Prairie City, now Paxton, and the few settlers who were eligible to vote did not take the trouble to go to the polls. At that time the only voters in the Pan Handle were M. Parsons, Dr. Marshall, John R. Lewis, T. W. Pope, M. Faddling, Dr. DeNormandy.
This spring was noted for the large influx of new settlers, and carpenters who came on to build their homes for them, among the latter I remember Elisha and Nathaniel Sherman, of Onarga, and Mr. Needham. These three had others helping them, and it was with difficulty that they found boarding places. Among the first of the new settlers who came were Messrs. Samuel and Michael Cross. These began putting up a house on the northwest quarter of the northwest quarter of section 4, township 26, Mr. Needham superintending the work. They boarded with John R. Lewis and traveled four miles morning and evening to and from their work. Soon after these came, which was in April, it was discovered that a house was being built on the northeast quarter of the northeast quarter of section 20 for a family from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, named McKinney. The next house to be built was for Ira Z. Congdon on the northeast corner of section 32. Mr. Congdon came from near New London, Connecticut, along with what was known as the Connecticut settlers, mention of whom will be made hereafter. A little to the west of Mr. Congdon, on the same section, Wallace W. Wicks commenced improving a farm, but did not build on it. Aaron Scofield built on the west half of the southwest quarter of section 30, and at the same time Conrad Volp put up a house on the southeast quarter of section 10. He came from near Albany, New York, and brought with him his three youngest sons, Horace, George and Christopher, the oldest son, Charles, having come out the summer before and taken up his abode with A. J. Bartlett.
All these settlers were near each other, but a few began to arrive and take up land in the northern townships, which seemed to us at that time a long way off. The first of these was Robert Hall, who came from New York state. He had purchased a large tract of land from the I. C. Railroad Company, and built his house on the southwest corner of section 28, township 27, and soon after a young man from near Boston, Massachusetts, put in an appearance, and commenced to build a small house on section 22. He had no family and kept "bach." His name was Henry Atwood. A little later in the summer Joseph Davis, from Ohio, settled on the northwest quarter of the southwest quarter of section 6, in township 26. Most of these settlers arrived in time to break up some land and put it into corn.
I will now go back to the time the Connecticut settlement was organized.
During the winter of 1855-56 an organization was effected by a few citizens in and around New London in the state of Connecticut, under the name of the Working Man's Settlement Association, with the following named persons as members:
W. A. Babcock, president; R. A. Hungerford, secretary; S. K. Marston, treasurer; M. E. Morgan, E. Marston, B. F. Field, Urbane Havens, Ira Z. Congdon, R. R. Piersons, Rev. P. J. Williams, George B. Clark, J. H. Lester, S. P. Avery, W. H. Bently, Sidney A. Morgan, Theophilus Morgan, B. N. Marston, William Applery, James S. Maxon, C. A. Marston, E. F. Havens, W. S. Larkin, Gil R. Laplace, D. T. Hutchinson, James Miller, Robert Eccleston, U. S. Bossie, H. C. Dennis, E. C. Morgan, John Isham.
In September, 1856, the first permanent settlers belonging to the colony arrived, among them being S. K. Marston, E. F. Havens, George Clark, M. E. Morgan, S. P. Avery, T. and A. Morgan, D. T. Hutchinson, R. Eccleston and R. R. Piersons. While passing through Chicago, they purchased one hundred thousand feet of lumber for building purposes, and had it shipped to Onarga, to which place they were all bound.
In April and May, 1857, all these settlers moved onto their lands in the Pan Handle, and began making improvements.
Some time in June it was suggested by E. F. Havens that we all take baskets on the Fourth of July, go to School Section Grove, have a good time, and properly celebrate the birthday of our national liberty. All were pleased with the idea, and each one did his or her best to make it a success.
The eventful day at last arrived, and we all assembled at the grove. When the baskets were opened, Mrs. F. M. Chenney created quite a sensation by producing an immense pan of baked pork and beans. Others brought roast turkey, chickens, frosted cakes and other delicacies, but all these fine dishes were given the cold shoulder, each one longing for a dish of the dear old familiar homely, baked beans.
There were one hundred and ten persons present, men, women and children, and every one seemed surprised that there were so many people near them, and rejoiced in the feeling that they were not alone in the boundless wilderness.
In the summer of this year, the T. P. & W. railroad was built through the Pan Handle, the line being located near the north edge of township 26, running almost due east and west, and a long side track was laid on the north half of section 2. At this time, there were no settlers near the railroad, and a little to the west of the side track there was a big slough that completely cut off all communication from the west. East of the side track, there were no settlers within the boundary of the Pan Handle. The motive of the railway company in building the side track in such a place was beyond the comprehension of any of the settlers, but it was soon learned that there was to be a town there called Brenton, now Piper City.
There were regular meetings and Sabbath schools at the residence of some one of the settlers in town 26 during the summer and fall of this year. These meetings were principally conducted by Mr. McKinney, Robert Hall and Henry Atwood. Mr. Hall was superintendent of the Sabbath school, and was a faithful worker. The houses where services were held were A. McKinney's, R. Hall's, J. E. Davis', Dr. Elias T. Hahn's and A. J. Bartlett's. The singing was led by M. Cross, with a flute. The meetings were well attended, and I believe much good was done by them.
In township 25, meetings were held at the homes of F. M. Wyman, S. K. Marston and Mr. Lyman, until the new schoolhouse was built, of which I shall speak hereafter. These meetings were noted for the excellent singing, in which Mr. and Mrs. Marston took an active interest, both being fine musicians.
At all these meetings no sect or ism was recognized. The people assembled to worship God, and few cared what particular denomination his neighbor belonged to.
At this time the early settlers were much concerned about money matters. The money in circulation was in the shape of bank bills, or notes, as they were called. Many of the banks had no money with which to redeem their notes and when this fact became known, of course the notes depreciated in value, and many persons lost considerable sums of money from this cause. In fact, no one knew whether the notes he held were good for anything or not.
The winter of 1857-58 was rather unsteady. There was not much frost, and the snow that occasionally fell in great quantities soon thawed off. The roads were about half frozen, which made hauling wood for fuel an impossibility and many of the settlers got badly discouraged.
At this time tea and coffee were almost unknown among the settlers. In fact the only coffee used was made out of browned corn, sweetened with a kind of rough molasses made from sorghum. This was first introduced by Mark Parsons in the spring of 1857, at which time he received from Mr. J. O. Norton, of Washington, District of Columbia, two or three packages of the seed. This he sowed, carefully harvesting the seeds produced from it, and making the juice from the stalk into molasses.
The Pan Handle was at this time infested with wolves and badgers. They abounded mostly in township 27, where they seemed to make their headquarters. The badgers were most frequently found on section 11, where there is a long sand ridge known as Mount Thunder, and to this point hunters frequently went, and a number of these animals were killed.
The winter of 1859-60 was dry and cold, not much snow fell, and the corn which was light, was gathered before the ground froze, and a quantity of fall plowing was done.
This winter surprise parties became quite fashionable, and notwithstanding the fact that the settlers lived long distances apart, were well attended. Sociables were also in order, and a company often came over from Onarga, bringing good music with them.
We have now come to one of the most uneventful years in the early settlement of the Pan Handle, and of 1860 there is little to record.
Spring commenced early, and the small grain was mostly in by the end of March. Fine rains set in in April, and everything was lovely. It will be remembered by the first settlers that the ground squirrels were very annoying this year. They would follow the planter, and loot the corn out of the hills from one end of the field to the other.
The principal trading point of the settlers north of the south line of town 26 was Chatsworth, and all south of this line went to Onarga.
Regular religious services were held in the Marston schoolhouse, in town 25, every Sabbath, conducted by Mr. Foster and Mr. Needham, one on one Sunday and the other on the next. The Sabbath school was conducted with Saul C. Burt as superintendent, and G. B. Winters as teacher of the Bible class, and S. K. Marston of the other scholars. This school was noted for its Bible discussions, conducted principally by Messrs. Winters, and Wyman, and sometimes by S. C. Burt.
The Sunday school in the northern township was held at the homes of A. McKinney, Robert Hall and a few other houses. Mr. Hall was superintendent and A. McKinney teacher of the Bible class. Mr. Hall was an active worker in the Sabbath school, and taught one of the younger classes.
As a rule, Sunday was strictly observed by the entire settlement, and it was a rare thing to see any one doing any work on that day.
This year, 1860, the money in the county began to fail. The collectors of the different townships had been taking the Illinois bank's shinplaster bills, and when they came to settle with the auditor, they found that nothing but gold would be accepted, and the consequence was that the school funds were greatly reduced. Before the collectors began their work, the board of supervisors had ordered that the moneys of certain banks named should be accepted in payment, but before the day of settlement arrived, these banks had suspended, and the money was worthless.
Upon the settlement of the collectors, the board of supervisors convened and caused the deficiency to be properly proportioned among the different funds as fairly as possible.
This fall, the price of all kinds of country produce went away down. Oats sold for seven or eight cents per bushel, spring wheat for from thirty to forty cents, good dressed hogs for from one dollar and fifty cents to two dollars per one hundred pounds, and everything else that farmers had to sell was down in the same way.
The following is a list of names of those who went from the Pan Handle to fight for the preservation of the Union and returned safely: A. S. Bavuse, Fred Foot, Henry Phelps, R. A. Pope, Rob Ferris, Jacob Brown, Ed Kent, Mr. Stoneback, James Feeley, H. Eccleston, D. Kingsley, Morris Burt, John Havens, Ed Havens, Albert Holmes and S. B. Lyman.
Killed or missing, Thomas Hahn, Joseph Law.
Some of those enlisted in Company F, Twenty-fifth Regiment Infantry, under Captain R. W. Andrews, others went into the cavalry in Company M, Ninth Regiment, Captain E. R. Knight. All who went from the Pan Handle in these companies, were credited to Iroquois county, as residents from that point.
I must now go back to 1858 and give your readers an account of how we that year celebrated the Fourth of July in Beset Grove:
About four hundred people were present, and we had a grand good time. Addresses were delivered by E. L. Gibson, G. B. Winter, G. H. Thompson and other local talent. The Prairie Glee Club, led by S. K. Marston, discoursed excellent music, and Seth Turner, the captain of S. K. Marston 's ox team, helped to enthuse us with his rhymes.
This season (1864) the price of corn and other products ran up pretty high. Corn was sold for sixty cents per bushel, and some farmers who held theirs over, got as much as eighty-five cents. Oats sold for from forty to fifty cents per bushel, and barley ran up to two and a half dollars. This year, Peter Van Antwerp had sowed quite a large patch of barley, and raised sixty bushels to the acre. This he sold for two and a half dollars per bushel.
Rev. Charles Granger, of Button township, writes: "The writer and a few others organized what is now called the Congregational Church of Christ at Paxton, a few months after its organization at a village called Prospect City. The church was named the Union Church of Christ of the Middle Fork of the Vermilion river. With that name the church assisted in organizing and joined the Illinois Central East Association of Congregational Ministers. Within a year after its organization, the writer (the first minister of the church) instituted a series of religious meetings, which the head of the church approved by a powerful outpouring of the Holy Spirit. After laboring about four years, the writer gave up the charge because of ill health. Shortly thereafter, the church changed its name to Congregational. Although the Methodists had a class and week day preaching, the Union church instituted the first regular Sabbath preaching.”
In May, 1854, Robert Blackstock, journeying from his home in Indiana westward, passed through what is now Ford county, and found a Methodist Episcopal society at Trickel Grove.
Services were held in John Dopps' log cabin, which afterward became the William Walker homestead, in Button township. On careful inquiry, he found this to be the first and at that time the only Methodist Episcopal society in the present county of Ford. It was organized in 1848, being the northwest appointment of the Danville circuit. A history of the Methodist church appears elsewhere in this work. Many of the facts, especially as to early events, were furnished by Mr. Blackstock.
It is related of Rev. W. H. H. Moore, who was on this circuit in 1855, that a Yankee clock peddler, passing through this new settlement, had stopped over night at a house at Trickel Grove, where religious services were to be held the following day. Having displayed his clocks in the largest room, and to show their timekeeping qualities had carefully wound and set them. When the preacher was in the midst of his sermon, the services being held in the clock room, these clocks began their work of noting the hour of twelve. All the fervor and eloquence of the frontier itinerant were not sufficient to hold the attention of his congregation, and it is feared that the labors of that day were in vain.
It has been said that in 1862 the first Sunday school convention for Ford and Iroquois counties was held on a Sabbath day in the freight depot at Loda. The active participants were the resident ministers of Paxton and Loda, Mr. Weaver, Mr. Search and others.
Some two years later, a similar convention was held at the courthouse in Paxton.
We are indebted to Edgar N. Stevens for the following items compiled from the files of the Paxton Record:
The first number of the Paxton Record was published February 9, 1865, by N. E. Stevens, with D. S. Crandall associate editor. The office was in a building which was a part of the residence of John McMurray, just south of the old Patton block. The building was small and the office unpretentious, but of ample size to meet the demands of the town. It has grown steadily ever since, keeping pace with the demand for good work and experienced workmen.
Among the first items of interest we notice was this: About the first of March, 1865, the legislature passed an act incorporating the town of Paxton.
On Thursday, May 4, of the same year, the mammoth grain warehouse of Buck & Hall was destroyed by fire. The loss was fourteen thousand dollars; insurance seven thousand eight hundred dollars.
In the spring of 1865 the town was in a prosperous condition and many new buildings were erected, among them the Methodist Episcopal church, the basement of which was used for a young ladies' seminary, conducted by Mrs. Buckland. In June of that year, there were the following number of business houses in the town: Five dry goods and groceries, three grocery stores, one warehouse, one flouring mill, two lumberyards, two drug stores, one printing office, one dentist, five physicians, four lawyers, one hardware store, one land agency, one furniture warehouse, one seeding machine manufactory, two hotels, one agricultural warehouse, one express office, one watchmaker, one meat market, one photograph gallery, one nursery, two shoe, four blacksmith, two wagons, one gunsmith, two carpenter and one paint shops, one saddlery, one millinery, one sulky cultivator works, one real-estate agency, two tobacconists, one furniture store, one bakery and one plow factory.
About this time the Meharry church, four miles west of town, was built by the farmers.
The corner stone of the Congregational church was laid with appropriate ceremonies, August 18, 1865.
The 4th of July, 1865, was celebrated at Ten Mile Grove, by a large concourse of citizens and Sunday school children. There was also a celebration at Trickel Grove.
R. S. Buckland, while on a tour of observation in Missouri, June 18, 1865, accidentally shot himself. His remains were buried in the old cemetery. He was a prominent and enterprising citizen of Paxton.
A division of the organization known as the Grand Army of the Republic was formed at Paxton in October, 1866.
The United Presbyterian church, a large edifice capable of accommodating six hundred persons, was dedicated March 11, 1867.
Pells' block, a three-story brick building with fifty feet front, was completed in the summer of 1867. It was built by W. H. Pells, and was destroyed by fire in the year 1874.
On the 6th of November, 1867, the citizens, legal voters of Ford county, gave an overwhelming majority in favor of taking one hundred and twelve thousand dollars stock in the Lafayette, Bloomington & Mississippi Railway.
Clark's block, an elegant three-story brick building, fifty by eighty feet, and forty-five feet in height, was finished in the fall of 1867. R. Clark, of Paxton, was the owner.
The fall of 1867 was remarkable for the heavy sales of real estate made by local dealers. One firm in Paxton sold nine thousand acres within thirty days. The sales of the same firm, for the five weeks ending December 5, aggregated fourteen thousand six hundred and three acres.
The number of inhabitants added to the county during the year ending July 1, 1867, was one thousand seven hundred and fifty.
The first seven days of May, 1868, will long be remembered on account of the unprecedented amount of rain. The meteorological report shows that the amount was three and fifty-seven hundredths inches, almost as much as for any month during the preceding four months. The storms were accompanied by thunder and lightning, the pyrotechnic display being most beautiful and magnificent.
A hurricane passed over Paxton Tuesday, May 26, 1868, stripping the steeple from the United Presbyterian church. This was the finest church edifice in the city, and the spire was beautifully proportioned to the building. The damage resulting therefrom was estimated at about eleven hundred dollars.
Paxton was visited by a heavy fire on Monday, January 18, 1869. The fire broke out in a building occupied by Travis, Hall & Company, as a hardware store, the second story being occupied by L. A. Dodd as a dwelling. The losers were Travis, Hall & Company, hardware dealers, eleven hundred dollars; interest in building, fourteen hundred dollars; no insurance; L. A. Dodd, household goods, five hundred dollars, insured; interest in building, one thousand dollars; uninsured; S. L. Day, interest in building, one thousand dollars, uninsured; J. McCormick, druggist, loss on building, three thousand dollars, insured for fifteen hundred dollars; loss on stock, five hundred dollars; N. A. Hall, restaurant, damage on stock, two hundred dollars; Mrs. S. S. Lantz, daguerreotype gallery, loss on stock, three hundred dollars, insured; loss on household goods, two hundred dollars; Scott & McDaniel, dry goods, loss on building, two thousand dollars; insured for fifteen hundred dollars; Masonic lodge, on furniture, two hundred dollars; C. H. Wyman, on building, two thousand dollars, with no insurance. The origin of the fire was unknown. The advantage of brick over wood as a building material was demonstrated in the case of Pells' block, which escaped comparatively unscathed, though subjected to an intense heat.
On the 27th of March excavations had been commenced for the foundations of five brick buildings to occupy the site of those destroyed by fire.
The engineer corps, engaged in running the line of the L. B. & M. Railroad through Paxton, arrived March 23, 1870, under charge of Colonel Morgan.
The assessment returns of Ford county, for the year 1870, amounted to two million thirty-seven thousand seven hundred and sixty-two dollars. The number of acres under cultivation were, of wheat, eight thousand six hundred and forty-five; corn, fifty thousand two hundred and two; other field products, twelve thousand nine hundred and sixty-nine.
Enterprise was the name of a village platted in township 27 (Drummer) at the crossing of the L. B. & M. and G. C. & S. Railroads, by J. B. Lott, in November, 1870. The location was favorable as to commercial facilities and the name of the village has since been changed to Gibson City. It is now one of the most flourishing towns of the county. As its original name implies, Gibson City is remarkable for its enterprise and thrift. It is the second town in the county in size and population, is provided with gaslight, has good sidewalks, telephone connection with Saybrook and Bloomington, and other modern improvements.
A destructive storm visited Paxton and vicinity from the 12thi to the 14th of January, 1871. Every building, fence and tree was encased in an icy coat of mail nearly an inch in thickness. Scarcely a building escaped damage from leakage to a greater or less extent. The greatest loss sustained was to fruit and shade trees, some of those from four to five inches in diameter being either broken off entirely or stripped of their limbs.
The Paxton flax mill was built in the summer of 1871. The main building is one hundred and eight by thirty feet.
Mr. L. Sullivant finished husking his corn for 1871 on the 29th day of February, 1872. His crop aggregated four hundred and fifty thousand bushels. Mr. Sullivant was at that time proprietor of Burr Oaks farm comprising some forty-two thousand acres.
The last rail of the Lake Erie & Western Railway was laid February 22, 1872.
Kirk's Station, Clarence postoffice, was established in May, 1872, on the line of the L. B. & M. Railway, about six miles east of Paxton.
A terrible railroad accident was the cause of much sorrow in Paxton and vicinity, June, 1872. On the 17th of that month, a construction train ran from the track and four men were instantly killed and twenty-one injured. Two of the latter died soon thereafter. The coroner's jury returned a verdict in accordance with these facts.
Independence Day, 1872, was celebrated in the courthouse park. There was a large concourse of people present, and the usual oration, toasts, music, etc., were indulged in. There was a display of fireworks in the evening.
The first annual fair of the Ford County Agricultural Association was held, commencing September 24, 1872. The officers were William Noel, president; Mr. L. Sullivant and F. T. Putt, vice presidents; George Wright, treasurer; J. J. Simons, recording secretary; N. E. Stevens, corresponding secretary; John Bodley, superintendent.
October 29, 1872, the Paxton Methodist Episcopal church was dedicated, the sermon being delivered by Rev. A. P. Mead. The church had been occupied for a number of years, but at this time extensive repairs and improvements had been completed.
In October, 1872, a carload of scrapers, plows, etc., was unloaded at Paxton, to be used in grading the Paxton & Danville Railroad.
October 27, 1872, at the union services. Rev. W. M. Richie was installed as pastor of the Paxton United Presbyterian church. The sermon was preached by Rev. J. D. Whitham, of Rankin. The resident pastors, Revs. I. Brundage, W. D. Best and J. L. McNair, assisted in the services.
The work of drilling an artesian well was begun in 1873. During the progress of the work many curious bits of wood were drawn up which were, no doubt, buried in these strata ages upon ages ago. The well proved a failure, and after boring over twenty-seven hundred feet, the work was abandoned; not, however, until it had burdened the city with a debt of some eighteen thousand dollars.
The Presbyterian church in 1884 was a frame building, forty-two by sixty-eight feet, with vestibule, and was of the gothic order of architecture. The main audience room was twenty-eight feet high, and frescoed in Corinthian style. The interior presented a very pleasing appearance. The cost of the edifice was about seven thousand five hundred dollars. The dedication took place on the 13th day of July, 1873. Rev. Dr. Bailey preached the dedicatory sermon, and at the services some twenty-five hundred dollars was subscribed toward liquidating a debt of about two thousand seven hundred and fifty dollars which rested on the building.
Extracted 14 Oct 2016 by Norma Hass from History of Ford County, Illinois, Volume 1, pages 204-217.
