Cass County, Illinois - Nni Indian Greeis Pre Ciingi, 1915

Nni Indian Greeis Pre Ciingi

SMALLEST IN POINT OF POPULATION - SITUATION AND BOUNDARIES - MUCH RECLAIMED BOTTOM LAND - NOW VERY PRODUCTIVE - A PART OF THE THREE MILE STRIP - NAMED FROM INDIAN CREEK - EARLY SETTLERS AND DESCENDANTS - CHURCHES AND SCHOOLHOUSES - EXCELLENT HIGHWAYS, TELEPHONE LINES, FREE MAIL DELIVERY - A PROSPEROUS, CONTENTED COMMUNITY.

Smallest In Population

ranges 12 and 13, and has its territory almost severed by the long arm of Meredosia Lake, an extension of the Illinois River, which forms the western boundary. At times of even ordinary high water, the southwest portion of the precinct becomes an island. The whole of the precinct lies in the Illinois River bottom, although a portion is regarded as in the Indian Creek bottom, but Indian Creek itself, after it enters the precinct, is really within the Illinois River bottom lands. A great deal of the territory is reclaimed bottom land, but is exceedingly productive; many excellent and well improved farms are to be found within the precinct. Nearly all the land is now within one or the other of the several drainage districts which have been formed by the enterprising and progressive land owners.

Named From Indian Creek

Indian Creek Precinct contains about twentyeight square miles, two-thirds of which was in the Three Mile Strip which caused so much contention before it was finally attached to Cass County. It formed a part of Arenzville Precinct when it was set off to itself and given the name Indian Creek Precinct, from the name of the principal water course, traversing its entire length from east to west.

Early Settlers And Descendants

Among the early settlers of this part of the county were: John, William and Henry Worsmeyer, John Schweer, Smith Wagner, Philip Coreoran, August Holtman, John Dahman, Thomas Beeley, Isaac Drinkwater, Henry

Krems, 8. D.:Caywood, Henry Schnake, John Brannan, Henry Fricke, John and Henry Knippenburg, the Hoffstetters, Lovekamps and Pelkers. Many of the farms are yet occupied by the descendants of the early settlers. George Schweer occupies the old homestead of John Schweer, as does also George Corcoran the farm left by his father, Philip Corcoran. The Korsmeyers and the Pelkers are on the farms of their ancestors, as are the Schnakes, Drinkwaters and Brannans. The Hoffstetter farm has been owned and occupied for many years by Herman Stake, who has been an active citizen in the interest of highways and the drainage of lands, being a commissioner of two of the districts, and also highway commissioner.

Churches And Schoolhouses

The German Lutherans have a church and school in the west part of the precinct, and there are three public school districts within the district, one being on the Island, one known as the Korsmeyer school, and the other as the Wagner Bridge school, the last taking its name from the large bridge which spans Indian Creek, not far away. Beside this schoolhouse stood for many years a church building of the Christians or Disciples, but it was damaged by a storm in 1875, and in the next year was torn down. Elections for the precinct are held at this schoolhouse, although the vote at times is not large enough to much more than constitute an election. This voting place is about six miles west from Arenzville, and ten miles southwest from Beardstown, and is reached by several fairly good highways crossing the precinct. Telephone lines run through the precinct and it is within the free mail delivery zone. The farmers are prosperous and contented; the most of them own their own homes, are free of debt, and quite a number have automobiles, and are thus kept right in touch with these rapid, progressive times.

Char Der Xa Monroe Precinct

NAMED FOR PRESIDENT MONROE - TOWN LAID OFF BEFORE CASS COUNTY WAS CREATED - SITUATION - TOWN PLATTED - NEW COUNTY ESTABLISHED - EARLY MERCHANTS REMOVE TO VIRGINIA - A DESERTED VILLAGE - THE BOSTON BRICK HOUSE - THE BAPTISTS EARLY IN THE FIELD - CLEAR CREEK CHURCH - ACCEPT A DEED OF LAND - CONGREGATION NOW SCATTERED - METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH - A TELEGRAPH LINE RECALLED - AN OLD STOPPING PLACE OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN - ORIGINAL PRECINCT ESTABLISHED IN 1S38S - soIL AND PRODUCTS - SOCIAL LIFE - PEOPLE HOSPITABLE - THE "BURGOO" A FAVORITE FORM OF ENTERTAINMENT.

was created from the north part of Morgan County, John Schaeffer secured the services of Johnston Shelton, the county surveyor of Morgan County, and had him lay off and plat a tract of ground into lots, to which he gave the name of Monroe. This plat of ground was in the northeast corner of the west half of the southwest quarter of section 11, township 17, range 11, west, then in Morgan County, but now in Cass County, Benjamin Beesley bought a lot in the new town, and in a month, having secured an interest in another tract of land, he and Mr. Schaeffer laid out an addition to the town of Monroe, although very few of the original lots had yet been sold. This new town was on the direct line of travel by stage between Jacksonville, the county seat of Morgan County, and Beardstown. The old State road ran then as it does now, past the town site. but there has been no town there for some time.

A Deserted. Village

The year after its platting saw the new county established and Virginia taking on a boom. By 1841 even Mr. Beesley, who had been a merchant in the town of Monroe with Mr. Schaeffer as a partner. since September 16, 1837, when the firm Was issued a license by the county commissioners to sell goods at Monroe, concluded that Virginia would be a better place for business, and went there, purchasing of Dr. Hall lot S7 of the public grounds addition, and built on it a large brick house. For over half a century this was known as the "Boston Brick House.' It was leveled to the ground in 1914. Other business houses were transferred from Monroe elsewhere, and soon it was a "deserted village." By 1850 all the buildings were removed except one; that was the Beesley store building, and it remained as late as 1SCO, but its last occupant was a Mr. Collinbaugh, a tailor who there conducted a tailoring business as late as 1854.

Clear Creek Baptist Church

When the Baptists thought of building a ehurch out of boards and other lumber to take the place of the old log church, they did not build in Monroe village, but went over east nearly half a mile to the grove of timber, and securing a tract of ground from Mr. Schaeffer, built it where it now stands. Many tracts of land were deeded to congregations or to the public in the early days, upon which to erect a ehurech, with a provision that in case meetings or religious services ceased to be held for a certain length of time the ground should revert to its original owner or to his heirs, but few if any tracts were ever conveyed, as was the church ground for the Baptist church in the Monroe neighborhood. That deed provided that if religious services were held for a longer period than three days in succession, the land should be forfeited and revert to the grantor or his heirs. The Clear Creek Church, as it was called, was organized about 1832, and had been holding its meetings in the settlers' cabins for many years, and in the log church, but in 1852, built the frame church on the ground deeded by. John Schaeffer, accepting the terms of the deed, believing, no doubt, that any person that could not be converted in three days' preaching in succession was a hopeless sinner anyway. Among the members of that congregation were: Joshua Crow and wife, James Davis and wife, William Shoopman and wife, John Mathews and wife, Benjamin Shoopman and wife, Mrs. Nancy Hill, David Hardy, Mrs. Hardy, Elijah Davis and wife, Betsy and Lucy Bridgewater, John Bridgewater, Julia Ann Davis, Millie Huffinan, Peter Hudson and wife, Thomas Buck and wife, Miles White and wife. Ephraim White, Rachel Epler, Nancy Hill, and Alexander Huffman and wife. Rey. Cyrus Wright was the preacher for a long time. The old settlers claim that Mr. Wright could have taken up the entire three days with one continuous sermon if the congregation would have remained to listen. The huilding is standing on the same spot of ground, an ideal place for a church building, having been kept in repair, but the Baptist congregation is scattered, scarcely even a descendant of the early members of that body remains. The building has ceased to be used as a church these many years, and is now publie property for the holding of business and other meetings not of a religious nature, and also is used as a voting place for the elections held in Monroe Precinct.

Methodist Episcopal Church

The Methodists of the neighborhood organized afterward and sought a religious gathering place, and in 1905 erected a handsome frame luilding for the Methodist Episcopal congregation. It stands about 100 yards north and a little east of the old Baptist church, and faces to the west. Regular services are held and an excellent Sunday school has been maintained for a number of years. Sessions were held in the old Baptist church for quite a while, and then in the schoolhouse, which stands to the north and west of the new Methodist church. John Paschal, who has lived nearly his entire life in this neighborhood, has been for more than a score of years the most active and faithful attendant and worker in the Sunday school, being both superintendent and teacher, and he is also a musician and an excellent singer, so has, in every way, been of great assistance in promoting the welfare of the church and the Sunday school, and in providing suitable music at the services. William Huffinan and wife and Edward Peck and wife have also been of great aid to the community in the church and Sunday school work. The people of Monroe Precinct loyally support the church, and there is no community in the county of a higher moral tone and standard than this.

A Telegraph Line Recalled

About 1851, as near as the recollection of the oldest residents of that neighborhood can place it, there was a telegraph line built through Monroe Precinct from Jacksonville to Beardstown. It followed the old State road, and so did not come within a quarter of a mile of the Baptist church. Neither is it known just when it was abandoned and the poles removed. Henry Pratt, who now resides at Virginia, but owns the land on which the old town of Monroe stood, or rather was platted to stand, says that the poles and lines were up when he enlisted and went into the Civil war, but that when he returned they were down and gone, so they must have been taken away some time between 1862 and 1865.

Awn Old Stopping Place Of Lincoln

An object of interest still standing in the precinct, about a quarter of a mile south of the plat of the old town, is the house built in 1838 by John Savage, the father of Judge John W. Savage, now deceased, and Charles R. Savage, who is living near Bluff Springs. The house is in excellent condition and is still used as a residence by the farmer tenant of Mr. Pratt. In the early days of its existence it was used as a tavern, Leing one of those old fashioned wayside inns where the tired traveler could stop and be refreshed by a dinner or a supper such as only the hospitable landlords and landladies of those far-off romantic days used to serve. It was the stopping place for the stage in its regular trips between Jacksonville and Beardstown, and has often given shelter and refreshment to Judges Thomas and Lockwood, to Lincoln and Douglas, and to many other distinguished lawyers of those early days who traveled from court to court in their extended practice.

Original Precinct Established In 1838

The original precinct of Monroe was established by the board of county commissioner's on March §, 1838, and the voting place was fixed at the town of Monroe. There it remained until all hopes of it becoming a permanent place were abandoned, and when the Baptist church and district schoolhouse were built where they now stand, and the people persistently refused to settle and become citizens of the town on the corner where the highway turned towards Beardstown, then the voting place was removed and established at the Monroe schoolhouse and there it remained until the old church became public property of the precinct, since which time the voting has been done in that building.

Soil And Products

The soil of Monroe Precinct is practically all fertile and there are many excellent, well improved farms, mostly occupied by their owners. There are two water courses traversing the precinct, Prairie Creek and Clear Creek, running from east to west. The lands are sufficiently rolling so as not to need artificial drainage. Wheat, corn, oats and hay are grown as the general crops. and along the western parts of the precinct where the soil is of a sandy loam many acres are planted to watermelons and muskmelons and produce abundantly for the market,

Social Life

The social life of Monroe Precinct is as that of every other part of the county. Picnics and other out of door gatherings in the summer, and indoor parties at the hospitable homes in the winter, furnish entertainments. In the early days there were the quiltings, the apple-cuttings, the house-raisings with dancing and _ social games after the work was done. One of the outdoor gatherings of later days was known as the "burgoo," Monroe being the home of this entertainment, which took the form of the old time barbecue, and differed from it only in the matter of the feast prepared for the attendants. A large kettle of soup is prepared in which all kinds of meat are placed, principally wild game if it can be obtained. In the earlier days every kind of meat was used. When a "burgoo"' was to be held, hunters were started out and any and all kinds of game that could be found were brought in and prepared for the kettle. Vegetables were added, and a skilled cook in that line could prepare a savory bowl for the hungry picnickers. These gatherings were very largely attended, as many as 2,000 people having been known to gather in Monroe Precinct to partake of the burgoo soup, and listen to addresses from some distinguished speakers. In 1896 and for a few years after, Monroe was the center of the Free Silver movement, and frequent gatherings were held and the precinct became famous throughout this entire congressional district for

An Early Settled Section

Oregon Precinct is one of the late voting precincts of Cass County. Its territory was a part of Lancaster. Richmond. Virginia and Chandlerville before the population became so numerous as to require a new voting district to be created for the convenience of the voters. Its his-

Oregon Precinct occupies a part of township 15-9, and a part of 18-8. It is bounded on the north by Richmond Precinct, on the east by Menard County. on the south by Ashland and Philadelphia precincts, while on the west are Virginia and Chandlerville precincts.

The surface of Oregon Precinct is very much broken and hilly, but the soil is very productive. and by persistent efforts the farmers have developed the land until they are deriving a profit from their labors, although to do so they have to raise and feed stock and operate on a more extensive scale than is the case in some other parts of the county.

The drainage of Oregon Precinct is from three water courses. Cox's Creek crossing its western part, empties into Panther Creek. Middle Creek running through the eastern part towards the north, is the second, while Panther Creek, which rises in the southern part, runs northerly through the center and out into Richmond Precinct. These creeks furnish but little water except in times of heavy and frequent rains. The people of Oregon Precinct are, with the exception of the few residing in the hamlet of Newmanyville, engaged exclusively in farming and stock raising, and are as prosperous and progressive as are those in any other part of Cass County.

New Manville

The town. or rather a collection of houses near together. known as Newmanville, was laid out in 1858, by Rev. Wingate Newman. <A few lots were sold and in the next year, 1859, the postoffice, which had heen Hagley, was changed to Newlmanville, but in, recent years the rural free delivery has abolished the postoffice here. Mr. Newman built a blacksmith shop and rented it to Thomas Joyce, but later sold it to Alexander Robinson, who remained at Newmanville for a great many years, doing blacksmithing for the farmers within a radius of ten miles. He hecame a justice of the peace. which position he held for over twenty years at Newmanville, but finally sold and removed to Virginia, the county seat. and was shortly thereafter elected a justice of the peace for Virginia Precinct and is still in office. A store building was erected by Thomas P. Way about the time the blacksmith shop was built, and well stocked, and since then another has been put up by James Struble. These stores do a fairly profitable business, as the place was from ten to twelve miles from any town or village, and enough people have gathered in and around Newmanville to make it almost necessary that some provision be made whereby they can purchase the means of supplying their tables and households with the commodities they want.

Early Physicians

Dr. Kilburn Hathwell and Dr. James Galloway were the early physicians. In 1859 Dr. Dayid M. Logan came to Newmanyille, purchased a lot and built himself a comfortable house. Dr. Logan was an excellent physician and continued in practice in and around Newmanville until 1869, when Dr. Charles Houghton arrived in the neighborhood and bought Dr. Logan's house and practice. Within a few years, however, Dr. Logan returned and re-purchased his home and practice. About 1S7S Dr. Charles Mathews began to practice at Newmanville, and continued very successfully until his death in 1909.

A Baptist church was erected at a place northwest of Newmanville, called Big Puncheon Camp Grove, and a Disciples, a German Lutheran and a Methodist were built at Newmanville, or rather in that neighborhood, the Methodist Episcopal being organized in 1829. It was reorganized by Rey. Newman when he laid out the town that bore his name. In 1840 the people built a house which was used for both school and religious purposes. The old Methodist church was erected in 1855, and is now in disuse. The other settlement in Oregon Precinct, around which clustered a number of dwellings, was the Oregon Chapel and school. In this neighborhood were the Allisons, Garners, Wyatts, Monroes, William Watkins, Charles Deardoff, and Thomas, Jobn and Jesse Crews. The old church reverted to the original owner because of nonuse under the terms of the conveyance, and was in 1914 sold to the county and is now used asa place for the business meetings of the precinct road district and for the holding of the elections. The church stood next to the schoolhouse. Another church ir this precinct, also belonging to the Methodists, was built about 1860 and is known as Garner Chapel. A new building has long since taken the place of the first house of worship, and is of much more modern design. It stands nearly on the same ground as did the old building.

Chaprler Nasty Petleadelphta Pre Cence

DATE OF ORGANIZATION - FIRST ELECTION JUDGES - SURFACE OPEN PRAIRIE - PHILADELPHIA VILLAGE PLATTED IN 183U - STEPHEN A. DOUGLAS BOUGHT LOTS - TOWN NEVER INCORPORATED - FIRST SCHOOLHOUSE BUILT IN 1901 - AFTER PRECINCT DIVISION VILLAGE BECOMES A POSTOFFICE - EARLY BUSINESS MEN - FIRST MURDER IN COUNTY - LOCAL HISTORY GIVEN IN OTHER CHAPTERS - RAILROADS - CONSIDERABLE BUSINESS IN SHIPPING GRAIN AND STOCK - PEOPLE ATTEND CITY CHURCHES - NO SALOONS.

Date Of Organization

Philadelphia Precinct was organized September 6, 1876, from the old precinct of Lancaster, which, up to that time, from a very early date, occupied the entire southeastern part of the county, but now was made into Ashland and Philadelphia precincts. The voting place of Lancaster had been for a number of years at the Panther Grove schoolhouse, but now that two new precincts were formed, the voting places were changed from there to the town of Philadelphia for the precinct of that name, and the voting place for Ashland was placed at the village of Ashland, although considerably away from the center of the territory. The first election judges for Philadelphia Precinct were Abraham Bailey, James Cunningham and John Mathis. These men were all highly respected citizens of their respective neighborhoods, and seryed as election judges for quite a number of years. They were all very early settlers.

With the exception of the northern part, the precinct is almost entirely prairie. In all probability that was the reason it was not settled sooner. That accounts also for the polling place being placed at Panther's Grove schoolhouse, and

Philadelphia Platyted In 158386

While Cass County was yet a part of Morgan County, Archibald Job and Charles Brady were appointed by the commissioners of Morgan County, school trustees for township 17 north, range 9 west, for the purpose of disposing of the school land, which consisted of section 16 of that township, and after qualifying according to the law, they platted a tract of land in that section and called it the town of Philadelphia. Their certificate bears date of July 9, 1836. By that time they had sold half of the lots in the little prairie town, Hon. Stephen A. Douglas haying purchased a few. They were later sold for taxes. The town was never incorporated, nor did it grow to any great extent. It had no schoolhouse until 1901, but in that year a very excellent building was erected on the plat of ground set apart sixty-five years before for a public park. When a postoffice was established in the precinct in which the town was located, it was not placed within the platted ground, but at the residence of Dr. Samuel Christy, about one-half a mile east of the plat, and was called Lancaster postoffice. When the precinct was divided and one part named Philadelphia, the postoffice went to the little cluster of houses upon the platted ground.

Early Business Men

Prior to the time the railroad came into and later passed on through Virginia, Philadelphia had a few stores and shops and did quite a lively business. In 18C6O Joseph I'. Black had a machine shop there, and Henry Bevis was a merchant. and from the very earliest time of the settlement of that neighborhood, there was always a_local physician until very recent days, but it is said that the advent of the telephone. the introduction of the automobile, and, in accordance with modern ideas, characteristic of human nature to desire to have a city physician, irrespective of knowledge of the same, or of expense, have finally resulted in shutting out entirely the country physician in many neighborhoods. An early merchant of Philadelphia was Miller McClane, who kept a general store in a log cabin on the present site of the name- sake city of Brotherly Love, as far back as 1887. In the spring of the next year, while a public sale was in progress near McClane's store, a murder was committed by Nathan Graves, who shot a Mr. Fowle by the side of the store door, and in view of a number of persons. It was the first murder committed in Cass County after its organization, and its story is told in an early chapter of this book, dealing with the courts, bench and bar. This story, like all the other historical facts concerning this part of the county, is so interworen with the other precincts that they have already been related, leaving little to be told of Philadelphia Precinct as an independent municipality.

There has been a blacksmith and general repair shop at Philadelphia for the greater part of the time of its existence. After the Springfield and Illinois Southeastern Railroad came through and established a station there, it has maintained the semblance of a village. There are how two stores, and two grain elevators, and considerable business is done, a lot of grain and stock being shipped annually, these being the product of the surrounding farming country, which is equal to the best in the county. Philadelphia is now listed as a station on the Baltimore & Ohio Southwestern Railroad, six miles from Virginia.

No church was built within the platted ground until 18G9, when the Disciples church building was moved from Princeton to that place. Preaching services are occasionally held in the old church, but regular services have not been held fur a lumber of years, even the Sunday school, formerly well attended and kept up in a flourishing condition, has now been practically discontinued. Yet Philadelphia Precinct contains a large number of intelligent, industrious and exemplary citizens. The day of the country church, except in the most remote districts, of the past, and the of the people of Philadelphia are now associated with the city churches at Virginia or Ashland, which are easily accessible.

Philadelphia, like all the country precincts in the county. is entirely without saloons, having voted itself free of them under the local option law immediately after its enactment.