Christian County, Illinois - Chapter 5: Geography, Agricultural Asd .vayufactl'rixg Resources and Railroad Facilities, 1880

Chapter 5: Geography, Agricultural Asd .vayufactl'rixg Resources and Railroad Facilities

HRISTIAN COUNTY lies between the 39th and 40th parallel of latitude. It is classed as one of the south central counties. Its greatest length is about thirty-two and a half miles from north to south, and greatest breadth twenty-seven miles from east lowest, measured in section lines, and contains an area of 700 square mile^, or 451,200 acres. It is bounded on the north by Sangamon and Macon counties, east by Macon and Shelby couuties, south by Shelby and Montgomer}- counties, west by Montgomerv and Sangamon counties.

Taijlorville, the capital of the county, is situated near the centre, on the lines of the Wabash, St. Louis, and Pacific Railway, and the Springfield branch of the Ohio and Mississippi Railroad. It is eighty-one miles north-east from St. Louis, and twenty miles southwest from Decatur.

Form. - In form the county is nearh' an oblong square, and is divided into fifteen full, and ten fractional congressional townships, and into seventeen municipal townships or voting precincts, as follows: namely, Pana, Assumption, Prairieton, Rosemond, Locust, May, Stouington, Mosquito, Greenwood, Johnson, Taylorville, Buekhart, Mt. Auburn, Ricks, Bear creek. South Fork, and King. Population. - The population of the county, according to the census of 1870, is 20,5o2. The increase has been very large since tiien. The population is composed of English, German, Irish, French, and Swede extraction, with a few colored persons.

on the north, is the largest, and drains a large area of country ; its principal tributaries are Buekhart and Mosquito creeks. Buckhart creek rises in the soutii-eastern part of Stonington township, and flows in a north-westerly direction, leaving the county in Section 22, township 15-3, and mingles its waters with the Sangamon. Mos(]uito creek heads in Wheatland township, Macon countv, and runs in a westerly direction until it crosses the Christian county line, when its course assumes a north-westerly direction, emptying in the Sangamon on Section 25, Tp. 16, Range 2. By far the greatest area drained in the county is by the South Fork, Flat Branch, Bear creek. Clear creek. Lick creek, Cottonwood creek, Prairie Fork, and their tributaries. All of the county south of Buekhart and Stonington township is drained by these streams and their tributaries, which flow principally in a northern and north-western direction, and are all afliuents of the South Fork. Each of these streams possesses its tributaries, so that the entire surface of the country is well watered and drained. In portions of the county gaod water is aff"orded by copious springs; the high grounds are the water-sheds between the creeks.

Tiiiilier. - The streams of the county are lined with belts of timber varying from two to six miles in width, abounding with the various species of oak, hickory, walnut, .sycamore, maple, cherrv, etc. The native kinds of timber are fully set forth in the chapter on the Flora of the county, and hence demand but brief mention here. In earlier years the tindjer was destroyed with a degree of recklessness. More particularly was this the case with the lands of nonresidents and speculators ; the latter class entered most of the timbered lands with the view of future speculations. Much of the forest has disappeared before the axe of the woodman, and is used for railroad ties, for fuel and fencing. Since the introduction of Osage orange for hedges, which are a common fence in this county, and the introduction of coal for fuel, it may be safely estimated that the annual growth of timber is fully equal to the yearly consumption of this county. Artificial grooves and belts, consisting chiefly of hard and soft maple, elm, and fruit trees, have been planted on the prairies for shade and shelter.

Land Surface. - The land surface is divided between timber and prairie. At least three-fourths of the county consisted originally of prairie. The .surface in Rosemond, some portions of Pana, Bear creek, South Fork, Mt. Auburn, and parts of Johnson and Mav, are rather undulating. There are occasionally small hUls or bluffs adjacent to the streams, principally along the Flat Branch, South Fork, and Sangamon, and their tributaries. This county is a part of what has been happily termed " Grand Prairie of the West," which extends from the heavil3--timbered regions of the sluggish 'Wabash on the east, to the pine-clad Rocky mountains on the west. A few mounds exist. The most noted are those in Rosemond and Mt. Auburn townships. The natural and artificial groves, the fringed banks of the water-courses, the smiling farms, with their fields of maize, and grain, and herds of cattle, all go to form a picture of surpa.ssing loveliness. But little of the land is too flat for drainage or too broken for tillage, hence the greater portion is susceptible of cultivation, and afl'ords the widest application gf machinery.

Soil and Agriculture. - This county may be classed among .the richest and most productive in the state. Its soil is dark and of the richest quality, ranging from one to four feet in depth. It is composed largely of vegetable mould, formed from the decomposition of grass and prairie weeds, the accumulations of centuries. It is seemingly inexhaustible. In the more northern portions of the county the soil is somewhat changed, and is called the "sand ridge." It produces well, and most of it is under cultivation. Experience hcas demonstrated that this kind of soil will stand the drought much licttcr than heavier soils. There is another ridge of a similar character, extending in a north-east direction from the county seat, west of the Flat-Branch timber. It also produces well. The -soil of the county generally is adapted to raising nearly all the cereals, such as wheat, corn, oats, rye, barley, etc. Tobacco, castor beans, and flax have been cultivated to a considerable extent. Before the "deep snow" cotton was raised profitably. Tlie climate then was milder. A few years ago the castor bean was cultivated extensively on Bear creek and other portions of the county. A market was found for them at Edwardsville at from SI. 50 to S'2.50 per bushel. In grain and live-stock the official reports exhibit a wonderful growth during the past few years. The climate is favorable to fruit culture; all kinds can be raised with success and profit. Those mostly deserving attention are the apple, pear, peach, cherry, j)Iuni, grapes; and many smaller fruits and berries thrive well. Vegetables of all kinds grow to perfection. The " Illinois Magazine," published nearly forty years ago at Vandalia, says, "Cabbage heads three feet in diameter, or nine feet in circumference, are no gieat wonder in Illinois soil." The seed has somewhat degenerated since that date, or the imagination of the editor was larger than the results attained at the pre.sent time by the growers of cabbage.

The chief industry of the people is agriculture and stock-raising, which employs a majority of the people of the count}', who possess all the sterling virtues of the rural freeholder. Directly upon the liroad shoulders of the tiller of the soil rests the prosperity of every other class of men. He holds in his hands the destinies of all. His prosperity means universal prosperity; his failure universal distress.

United States Surveys

Public Lands. - The public, lands were first offered for sale in November, 18'2o, after which they were subject to private entry. On the 1st of July, 1820, Congress reduced the price of the public lands from S'2 to S1.25 per acre. On the 8th May, 1822, a land office was established at Springfield, Illinois. The lands in the north half of the count)' were subject to entry at Springfield. All lands were exempt from taxation for five years from date of entr)'.

The first tract of land entered in what now constitutes the boundaries of Christian county, was by Jacob Cagle; it being the E. of W. 1, section 10, township 14-3 (Buckhart township), Marjh 10th, 1827. The second tract entered was the W. I, S. W. J, section 1.3, township 15-3 (Mt. Auburn), Nov. 21st, 1827, by Robert Archie, an old settler familiarly known in the county. " Archie's Mill " was a household word. It was located on this tract.

The third tract entered was in the same township, W. J,N. W. }, section 26, township 15-3, on the 12t]i of September, 1829, by John Daigh. The fourth tract by Ephraim Cooper, W. {, N. W. i, .section 24, township 15-3 W., Oct. 19lh, 1829 ; he was the pioneer settler in the north part of the count}'. These men occupied the.se lands several years as " Squatters," before they came into market. As all the lands in the county were vacant, they did not apprehend any danger in being entered out.

Manufacturing Interests From Census Of 1870

While the chief industry of the people of this country is agriculture and .stock raising, yet the manufacturing interests are small only in a comparative sense. We call the attention of the reader to the following statistics.

Christian Countv Railroad System

The Illinois Central Railroad enters Christian county on section 36, township 14, range 1 east, and traverses the county in a southwestern direction, leaving it on section 33, township 11, range 1 east, passing through Assumption and Pana. The latter is the most important station. In September, 1850, congress passed an act, and it was approved by President Fillmore, granting an aggregate of 2,595,053 acres to aid in building this road.

The act granted the right of way, and gave alternate sections of land for six miles on either side of the road. The grant of land was made directly to the state. On the 10th of February, 1851, the legislature of Illinois granted a charter to an eastern company, represented by Rantoul and others, to build it, with a capital stock of 81,000,000. The legislature, in granting the charter, and transferring to the corporation the lands, stipulated that seven per cent, of the gross earnings of the road should be paid semi-annually into the treasury of the state forever. This wise provision, in lieu of the liberal land grant, yields a handsome annual revenue to the state. This road has a total length of 706 miles, connecting Cairo with Chicago and Dunleith, or from Cairo to Centralia 112 miles, and from Centralia to Dunleith 341 miles. This road is one of the great trunk lines of Illinois and the Mississippi Valley ; its principal leased line in this state is the Gilman and Springfield road, and with its Iowa division, running from Dubuque to Sioux city, serve to mark it as one of the principal roads of the west. It connects Chicago with St. Louis by the Vandalia road. The first ground broken toward the building of this road in this county was in 1853. And the cars were running the following year, and then Pana and Assumption stations were located.

Indianapolis And St. Louis Railroad

(Formerly the Terre-Haute, Alton and St. Louis railroad). Its general offices are located at Indianapolis, which point is its eastern terminus. And St. Louis being the western termini, the length of track from either termini is 261 miles. The road-bed is of substantial build, well ballasted, tied and ironed. It enters the state of Illinois in Edgar county, and the principal towns which it passes through in this state, are Paris, Charleston, Mattoon, Shelbyville, Pana, Hillsboro, Litchfielu, Bunker Hill, Alton and East St. Louis. The line of the road is laid through a very fertile district of the state, and it receives a fair proportion of the traffic. It strikes Christian county first on the northern portion of section 24, Pana township, and traverses the county in a south-westerly direction, leaving it on section 33, in Roseniond township. The stations in this county are Pana and Roseniond ; Pana being the most important station. This road was completed near the same date as the Illinois Central, the crossing of ^^hich determined the location of Pana, in 185.5.

This is the most important road in the county, and i.< the great north and south line connecting with the principal eastern and western cities; it does a heavy business. The length of the line in the county is over thirty-one miles. It furnishes transportati<iu facilities for the flourishing towns of Taylorville, Morrisonville, Palmer and other stations on the road and the district of country tributary and adjacent thereto. It enters the county on section 1. Stonington township traverses it in a southwesterly direction, and leaves it at Harvel on section 34, King township. It crosses the Springfield division of the Ohio and Mississippi, at Taylorville, the county -seat.

This road was built under a charter granted to a corporation under the style of Decatur and East St. Louis Railroad ; the work was commenced in 1869, and finished through this county in the spring of 1870. The Wabash is now one of the best roads in the west.

This road runs diagonally through the county, from the Northwest to the South-east corner. It enters the county on section ten, Buckhart township, and traverses it in a south easterly direction, crossing the Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific at Taylorville, and passing on to Pana, leaves the country on .section 24. Pana township, Taylorville and Pana, are the principal stations on the road, and do the greatest amount of business. There are othei^ thriving and growing towns on the line of this road, such as Edinburg, Sharpsburg, Owaneco and Millersville. This road was formerly known as the Springfield and Pana R. R., afterwards as the Springfield & South-eastern R. R., and on the first of April, 1875, it was sold to the O. & M. R. R. Company. It was built under a charter obtained in 18G5 and completed in 1870. The first train entered the corporation of Taylorville at 5 p. M., October 28th, 1869. The first through train from Beardstown to Shawneetown was run on the 28th of March, 1872. The first telegraph office opened in Taylorville was at the office of this road. May 11th, 1872.