Cass County, Illinois - Chapter with an unread heading (no. 22 of those read), 1915

Princeton Precinct

LOCATION - BOUNDARIES - SOIL - LITTLE INDIAN CREEK - AN EARLY GRISTMILL - VERY EARLY SETTLERS - A PROMINENT FAMILY - TOWN OF PRINCETON PLATTED IN 1833 - A POSTOFFICE, STORE AND BLACKSMITH SHOP IN 1S82G - OTHER ENTERPRISES - FIRST PHYSICIAN AND FIRST MARRIAGE - PUSINESS IN 1SGOQ - PRINCETON HOME OF NOTED MEN - CHARLES BEGGS - JUDGE CYRUS EPLER - REY. WILLIAM T. BEADLES - OWNS A MADSTONE - STORY OF THIS WONDERFUL STONE- - PRINCETON VILLAGE XO ALORE - VOTING PEACE AT LITTLE INDIAN - FIRST SCHOOLHOUSE DESTROYED BY A CYCLONE - CHURCHES - MISSIONARY BAPTIST - CHRISTIA N - PRESBYTERIAN - METHODIST - ZION CHURCH - ZION CEMETERY - TIME HAS WROUGHT CHANGES.

Location

Princeton Precinct lies on the south side of the county adjoining the Morgan County line, and occupies a part of the southeast quarter of township 17 north, range 10 west, and the southwest quarter of township 17 north, range 9 west. Virginia Precinct lies on the west and north, and Philadelphia lies on the east and a small portion on the north. The soil is of prairie and timber land. in about equal parts, the timber slightly predominating. It has but one water way, that is Little Indian Creek, a northern tributary of Indian Creek. It is a small stream rising in the prairie about two miles east of the village of Philadelphia. and flows southwesterly through Princeton Precinct and out into Morgan County from about the center of section 34, township 17, range 10. On this little stream was erected one of the first grist mills in Cass County, which has been mentioned among the early industries in a previous chapter.

Very Early Settlers

A number of settlers came into this part of Morgan County as early as 1826, and soon quite a settlement was formed along the creek, from which it became known as Indian Creek settlement. Among those settlers were: Jesse Allard, Alexander Beard, William Conover, Nathan

Compton, Capt. Charles Beggs, Rey. John Biddlecome. George Bristow, Peter Conover, John Dorsey. John Epler, Thomas Gatton, Jacob Epler, John Hiler, Jacob Lorance, Isaac Mitchell, Samuel Montgomery, James Stevenson, who, in 1829, brought five grown sons with him, Wesley, William, James, Robert and Augustus: James Tilford, and a few others who came, remained a time and then sold and moved on, leaving none of their posterity, and so are forgotten. Most of these people were from Kentucky, although that was not the native. state of all, for a few had gone there from Virginia, Maryland and other of the older states, and then a few had gone into Indiana and from there had come to Illinois.

A Prominent Family

James Stevenson, above mentioned, purchased a farm from Thomas Gatton, which he had entered in 1826, and which is one of the best farms in central Illinois, including both prairie and timber land. He remained on that farm until 1851, when he died at the advanced age of seventy-four years. His son, William Stevenson, retzined the old homestead, and there reared a large family. engaging extensively in farming and stock raising. of which previous mention has been made in the chapter on agriculture. He was horn in Scott County, Ky., December 25, 1815. and was sixteen years old when he came with his father to this county. This young man Was one of the hardiest. most intelligent and energetic of the offsprings of the old pioneer stock. Jt is the fortune of hut few men to live in one locality from the time of its creation as a state through its growth into that of third in population, and second to none in its progress and achievements in agriculture, stock raising, coal mining, manufactures and the building of railroads: the invention, use and great development of the telegraph and telephone systems, and all the stupendous expansion of great cities and vast commercial interests. He was not in any sense a politician, nor sought or held any political office, but as a voter he had actively participated in the varying political strife and upheavals in the nation for three-quarters of a century. He voted for Harrison for president in 1836, and voted at every election held in Cass County from the time of its organization in 1887 until the time of his death. which oecurred March 18, 1909, when he was ninety-five years, three months and sixteen days old. He passed away at the old homestead where he had resided for four score years. His son, Charles Stevenwho married a granddaughter of John Epler, one of the old pioneers previously mentioned, owns and lives on the old farm. This family represents the only descendant of the early settlers now remaining in Princeton Precinct.

Town Of Princeton Platted

By 1833 the mania for laying out new towns all over the state had reached Indian Creek settlement, so a tract of land on the east side of the southeast quarter of section 36, township 17 north, range 10 west. was platted and called the town of Princeton. It was laid out on the west side of the highway that ran from St. Louis through Jacksonville northward to Fort Clark on Peoria Lake. There was already a small cluster of houses at that point. As early as 1826 there was a blacksmith shop and a general store kept ly Mallory and Lewis. This was the first store in the part of Morgan County that later became Cass County. A postoffice had been established on July 26, 1826. and Eli Redding appointed postinaster. By 1835 the village began to assume somewhat the appearance of a town; there were two stores, a blacksmith and wagon shop, a school bouse, quite a number of residences. a shoemaker and a tailor. The Missionary Baptists had built a brick church. Two or three years later the Christian church built a new frame place of worship. Rev. John G. Bergen, who platted the town and filed his plat for record February 19. 1855, does not appear from any reliable data to have engaged in Dusiat Princeton, but the Mallory store had changed hands several times, passing from Mallory and Lewis to Lewis. who, in 1834, sold to Aman named Talmadge. who kept it but a short time and then sold to Parrot & Alcott. By 1540 Jacob Bergen. a cousin of the town proprietor. bought an interest in the store and continued it from the time that Mr. Alcott retired in 1540 until 18C9. William Brown and William inner each bad a store. Thomas Cowan had started a woolen mill or carding machine in 1834, and in 1836 John E. Haskell came from Maine and took charge of it. In 1840 Mr. Haskell moved the mill to Virginia. Clifford Wear was for a time a wagon-maker at Princeton, and in 1840 William Brown was justice of the peace. Zirkle Robinson carried on a tailoring business.

First Physician And First Marriage

Prior to 1830 Dr. A. W. Elder had been a practicing physician at Princeton, and married a daughter of Eli Redding, the postmaster. This is said to have been the first marriage of white persons in that part of Morgan, now Cass County. Dr. George W. Goodspeed came and located at Princeton before going to Virginia. In 18CO the town had not increased in population in any great extent. In fact it was not so populous as it was back in the forties, and had the following business representatives: general merchants, Jacob Bergen and O. H. Flickwer; merchant tailor, David Redpath; carriage and wagon maker, Hugh Elliott; physician, Dr. tobert Putman.

Home Of Noted Men

Old Princeton was the home and birthplace as well of some noted men in the history of Cass County. Among them, perhaps the most conspicuous. was Capt. Charles Beggs, who has been casually mentioned in previous pages of this history. Charles Beggs was born in the most momentous period of the nation, October 30, 175, in Rockingham County, Va., just eight months before the colonies declared their independence of Great Britain. His father, Thomas Beggs. went into the war that followed and died of camp fever in 1778S. Charles Beggs grew to manhood in his native state and on August 1, 1797, was married to Dorothy Trumbo, and he and his young bride immediately set out for the hew state of Kentucky to establish a home. The journey was made on horseback. the usual mode of travel of that day. Their route lay up the valley of Virginia, then down through the valley of the Tennessee, on through the Cumberland Gap and from thence over the Boone trail to the county of Jefferson, where they settled and hegan the foundation of a permanent home. So thoroughly did he detest the evil of slavery, which he found on every side, that after a year in his new home, he resolved to cross the Ohio River into the Northwest Territory, which had heen granted by his native state to the general government. and dedicated to freedom. He settled in Clark County, Ind., but was just barely located in his new home when he was sent as a delegate to the convention at Vincennes, called to form a constitution for the new territory of Indiana. There he met William Henry Harri- son, who had been appointed governor of the new territory. They became close friends, and fought together in the famous battle of Tippecanoe. Charles Beggs commanded a company of cavalry. He continued to live in Indiana long enough to see it become a state, was a member of its legislature, and by act of that body was appointed a commissioner for locating the county seat of Clark County that was named Charleston in his honor. That was in 1806 and it has continued the county seat ever since. There he remained twenty-eight years, and when he was fifty-four years old concluded to move to Illinois. He came here in 1829 and located about one mile west of Princeton, where he lived for forty years, dying on October 21, 1869, and is buried in the little cemetery adjoining the Zion church in Princeton Precinct. He had reached the age of ninety-four years, eleven months and twenty-one days.

Among those born at Princeton who attained to honorable position and distinction in life, was Cyrus Epler, a son of John Epler, who became a circuit judge, which position he held for twenty-four years, a greater portion of that time presiding over the Circuit court of Cass County.

William Epler, a brother of Judge Epler, while living in Nevada, where he had been a United States land and mineral surveyor, was a menber of the first constitutional convention of Nevada. James M. Epler, a cousin of these two, became an able lawyer and a member of the legislature from Cass County, and a state senator from Morgan County.

George Conover, president and for a number of years cashier of the Petefish, Skiles & Co.'s hank of Virginia, is another Princeton man. John J. Bergen, for twenty years a leading merchant of Virginia, and for eighteen years cashier of the Centennial National Bank of that city, was born at Princeton.

There was also another who, although not born at Princeton, was brought here in childhood, and here grew to manhood, Rey. William T. Beadles. who became a Methodist minister and was made the presiding elder of the Quincy District. and is now chaplain of the Soldiers and Sailors Home at Quincy. His father died when he was small and his mother, Mrs. Lurena Beadles, who was born in old Virginia, came with others in an early day to the famous Illinois country. She will be remembered by the older residents now living who are acquainted with the people of Princeton, as the possessor of a "mad stone,"

Story Of This Wonderful Stone

This stone has quite an interesting history, and particularly so as its record is not merely traditional. but is well authenticated by creditable witnesses. Mrs. Beadles' maiden name was Miller, and her family lived in Virginia prior to the Revolutionary war. An Englishman, who had been a great traveler, came out to the new world shortly prior to that war, and reached Virginia. He was stricken with a severe illness in the vicinity of Jamestown, and was cared for and nursed through his attack by Mrs. Beadle's gvandmother's family. Among other things which he gave the family in token of his gratitude was a "mad stone," one of several he had obtained while traveling through India. He said the natives called them "serpent stones," and explained the efficacy and manner of using them in cases of the infliction of wounds by the bite of rabid animals or snakes. Jn 1838, when the family was separating, the stone was severed into four parts, and given thus to the children. One of these parts fell to the mother of Mrs. Beadles. and was by her given to another daughter. Jn 1858 that daughter gave it to her sister. Mis. Beadles, who retained it until 1880, when. having grown quite old, and not being my longer able to make use of it, she gave it to her son, Rey. W. T. Beadles. THe kept it until the spring of 1914, when he gave it to his son, Dr. R. O. Beadles, of Ashland, Ill. There may he a number of persons yet living who were treated hy application of the stone, as it was not an infrequent thing to happen that persons were hitten by the prairie rattlesnakes, for they were very numerous in the early days of old Princeton. Rev. W. T. Beadles testifies of his own knowledge, that of the great number of cases of its application it never once failed to cure. One special case he recalls that while he was pastor of the Methodist church at Potomac, II1., he applied it to a wound caused by the bite of a rattlesnake. Other usual remedies had failed, and though the patient seemed to be suffering creatly, it counteracted the poison and a complete cure was brought about. The constituent elements of the stone are unknown, but whatever they are they seem to have the power to withdraw from the flesh and absorb the poison.

Princeton Village No More

Old Princeton has disappeared from the map. The building of the railroad through from Virginia to Jacksonville, in 1869, and the running of a line two miles west of Princeton, settled forever the question of its future as a town. The plat was vacated April 31, 1875. No other town or village was ever platted in the precinct, though there is a station and postoffice known as Little Indian, on the Chicago, Peoria & St. Louis Railroad, but this is only a way station, with a store, and at present an elevator. John Asplund has had a wagon, blacksmith and repair shop at Little Indian from the time the station was established. No town lots were ever platted, and it has been a struggle between the people of that neighborhood and the railroad company to keep this station maintained. The voting place for Princeton Precinct is at the Little Indian station, having been placed there by the county board after the abandonment of the town of Princeton. It is five miles south of Virginia, and within a half mile of the Morgan County line. Many car loads of cattle and hogs, and large quantities of grain are annually shipped from this station.

The first schoolhouse in the precinct was the Walnut Grove school on section 25, township 17, range 10, and was built in 1833. It was used for school purposes until destroyed by a cyclone in the summer of 1845.

The first church was that of the Missionary Baptists, erected at Princeton in 1835. Three years later a Christian church was built and remained until 1SG9, when it was taken to Philadelphia Precinct. The Presbyterian church was organized in 1830, but occupied a large barn on the Jacob Lorance farm until about 1835, when it used the brick schoolhouse which was erected near where the schoolhouse known as the Zion school stood until recently, that is just south of the present Zion Church. building. Some years later a Methodist society was established and a union church was erected. It is the one now in use, on the northwest corner of section 36, township 17, range 10. There is a small cemetery adjoining the church lot on the south which is known as Zion Cen.atery, and in it lie many of the first settlers of that historic community. About 1880 a Swedish church was built near Little Indian station in the northwest part of section 35, township 17, range 10, but no regular services have been held for a long time.

Time Has Wrought Changes

When the Three Mile Strip of territory was added to Cass Couhty from Morgan County, it was divided by a line north and south about the center east and west, and the west part called Arenzville Precinct, and the eastern half called Princeton, with the voting place at the town uf Princeton. Many changes have taken place since then, and not one voter now remains who first cast his vote in Cass County at Old Princeton. Scarcely anything remains about the old site to indicate its early prospects of becoming an inland city. The schoolhouse and church are gone, the pioneer settlers have for years been mouldering in the little graveyards, the second generation sleep by their side, or are scattered to the four corners of the earth. The third generation moved away, leaving only strangers to read the meager history of the hardy race in the simple epitaphs upon their crumbling tombstones.