Effingham County, Illinois - Chapter 20, 1883

ST. FRANCIS TOWNSHIl' - UESCRU'TION AND TOPOGRAPHY - THE FIRST SETTLERS AND THEIR HARDSHIPS - A TRAGEDY - MILLS, ROADS AND OTHER IMPROVEMENTS - EARLY RELIGIOUS HISTORY - CHURCHES AND PREACHERS - SCHOOLS, SCHOOLHOUSES, ETC. - THE VILLAGE OF MONTROSE - ITS GROWTH, DEVELOPMENT, ETC.

by white men was covered with a dense growth of tall grass, which attested the fertile quality of the soil beneath. This soil is similar to that of the prairies of the surrounding townships, being a rich, dark loam resting on a clay subsoil, and everywhere noted for its great productiveness. The timbered districts are confined chiefly to the southern and southwestern portions, though there is some very fair timber in the northwest corner and skirting Salt Creek, which traverses that part of the tjwnship. In the forests are found most of the varieties indigenous to this latitude, principally hickory, oak, elm, sj^eamore, maple and walnut in limited quantities; the country is sufficiently well watered and drained by Salt Creek and Little Salt Creek, and several small tributaries that flow into them from many points.

St. Francis lies in the great wheat belt of Illinois, and this cereal is the principal staple, though corn, rye, oats, barley, flax, etc., together with many of the root crops, are raised in abundance. Nowhere is there better encouragement afforded the fruit gi'ower than here. A soil of peculiar adaptability and a climate equallj^ favorable insure a large yield almost every year - facts many of the citizens have taken advantage of, as is evinced by the numerous tine orchards to bo seen in diflferent parts of the township.

A S we travel along the highways that -i^^ traverse this beautiful prairie township, it is difficult to realize that less than fifty yeai'S ago these luxuriant plains and fertile fields were the hiding places of the wolf and formed part of a vast unbroken wild which gave but little promise of the high state civilization it has since attained. Instead of the rude log cabin and diminutive board shanty, we now see dotting the land in all directions comfortable and well built farmhouses, many of them of the latest style of architecture - graceful, substantial and convenient. We see also neat church edifices lifting their modest spires heavenward and good schoolhouses at close intervals. The fields are loaded with the choicest cereals, pastures are alive with numerous herds of fine cattle and other stock of improved quality, while everything bespeaks the thrift and prosperity with which the farmer in this fertile region is blessed.

St. Francis lies in the extreme northeastern part of the county and embraces within its area thirty-six sections of land, which, for agricultural and grazing purposes, are unexcelled by any similar number of acres in this part of the State. Topogi'aphically, the township may be described as of an even surface in the central and eastern portions with occasional undulations of a somewhat irregular character in the northwest corner. It is principally prairie, and when first seen

1840 or 1845, but just where cannot now be definitely determined, nor can we saj^ definitely who the fii'st settler was, though it is generally supposed to have been a German, by the name of Taela. The place of his improvements was in the timber near the head of Little Salt Creek, a spot around which quite a number of the early pioneers located their homes. Taela came with his family from Cincinnati, traveling all the way with an ox tearrJ, spending several weeks on the road before reaching his destination. The condition of the prairie at that early day almost precluded the possibility of traveling at all, the country being covered with a soft, oozy mud, into which the large, heavy wagon wheels sank almpst to the hub, and, to add to the discomfort, millions of the green-headed flies, which in summer time were so numerous, proved such a torment to the cattle that traveling by day was all but impossible. Much of the journey was therefore made by night, the driver guiding his course through the mud and dense prairie grass by the stars, as there were but few roads at that time in the country, and none in what is now St. Francis Township.

After reaching his destination and selecting a site for his future home, this old pioneer hastily improvised a temporary shelter for his family out of brush and poles, which answered very well the purposes of a habitation until a more comfortable and convenient cabin of logs was erected. The country at that time was in a very wild state, neighbors few and far between, and many inconveniences were experienced by the family before much headway could be made toward raising anything, as the soil was very wet and muddy, and much time was required to bring it into a fit condition for cultivation. Wolves were numerous, and jjroved a terror to the live stock, which had to be guarded carefully against their depredations, and notwithstanding all precaution for safety much damage was done by them to the hen-house and pig-pen. Taela, by dint of hard work and plenty of that spirit called perseverance, succeeded in bringing order out of the chaos, by which he was surrounded, and soon had a nice little farm under successful tillage, to which he added other acres until in time he became the possessor of a considerable tract of land, all of which was- well improved. He died on his farm on which he passed his declining years in peace and comfort, about ten years ago. His son. Henry Taela, now owns the old place.

Abraham Marble was probably the next to locate in the township. He was from Ohio, and came to Illinois about the year 1845, locating east of where the viLage of Montrose now stands, on the old stage line or National road, where for several years he kept a relay house. He also kept a little hotel here for the accommodation of the few travelers that passed his place, which was one of the first public houses in the country. Becoming tired of his occupation, he quit the busine.ss, and moved a little fui'ther west into what is now St. Francis Township, and entered a piece of land lying in the southeast quarter of Section 3. He lived on this place until the year 1858, when he sold his improvements and with his family moved to the State of Minnesota, where he died about a dozen years ago. Marble had two sons, young men, both of whom can be called early settlers, as they married and located in the township, making some improvements a short distance south and west of where the old man's house stood. William Marble did but little toward improving the land by farming, devoting the most of his attention to cattleraising, and in time became the possessor of several larofc herds which returned him a gi'eat deal of wealth. Owing to some domestic difficulty, he left his family and went to Minnesota, where he remained for sooie time, afterward sending for his wife, who refused to go to him. He still live^ in Minnesota, or was living there when last heard from. John Marble purchased land in Section 13, the year after the familj' came to the township, which he sold to a man by the name of Greek, after having occupied it until the year lSC-4. He appears to have been a man of very decided character, independent in his manners and a strong Republican in politics. He made no attempt to conceal his political principles, but on the contrary gloried in giving them full expression whenever ;iu occasion presented itself, sometimes talking in such a manner as to offend his neighbors, the great majority of whom were radically Democratic. During the war, he informed on a couple of deserters who came into the neighborhood, which led to their attempted arrest, and for this piece of intelligence his hay-stacks, wheat-stacks, and very neai'ly all of his fencing were burned to the ground. The incendiaries were pursued, but not captured, being, as was generally supposed, hidden away in the house of some neighbor who had no particular love for Marble. He left the country shortly after the war, and like the rest of the family went to Minnesota, his present home. In an early day, a small settlement was made on the National road, near the central part, of the township, by " Kit" Radly, as he was familiarly called, who kept, or pretended to keep, a hotel, but in reality, as it was afterward proved, kept a gambling den, which was for years the r( ndezvous of a gang of blacklegs and cut. throats as rough and worthless as himself. The locality came to be dreaded far and near, and it has been stated that a number of travelers stopped there at different times and were never seen or heard of afterward - circumstances that naturally gave rise to suspicions of foul play. The general supposition seems to be that a systematic ]ilan of robbery and murder was pui'sued for years on the unsuspecting passers by, but, as Radly was universally feared, no efforts toward an investigation were, at that time, made. The old man died at this place, and the property came into possession of his son Nick, who inherited all his father's " cussedness " in a tenfold degree, without the fairtest tinge of a redeeming quality. He seems to have been connected with a large number of quarrels, disturbances, and was arrested upon several occasions for complicity in some very bold thieving scrapes. At one time a warrant for his apprehension was in the hands of a ' neighbor of his, deputized for the purpose, as the regular officer was afraid to attempt his arrest. When called for, Radly was at work on the top of a frame barn, that had just been raised, and, when told that he was wanted, answered with the ejaculation, " All right, by G - d. just wait till I come down," at the same time throwing the large, heavy hatchet he had in his hand full at the officer's head, which barely missed him, and bm-ied itself in the hard oak sill at his feet. Seeing that he had missed his aim, and having no other weapon at his command, he descended from the building, with many apologies for his carelessness, as he called it. for letting the hatchet dro^i, which apologies were made after seeing the officer's large revolver held ready for use. Radly accompanied the officer, stood his trial, and was acquitted on account of technical discrepancj' in the indictment. Upon another occasion, while at a gathering of some kind, in the western part of the township, he got into an altercation with several Germans, and being a man of fiery temper, at ouce " peeled his diids," as the saying went, and challenged the whole crowd, which challenge met with a hearty response on the part of two or three burly fellows, any of whom was much more than his equal physically, and the result was that Radly received such a severe pummeling that he was unable to get out of his bed for several days, vowing vengeance in the meantime. He met one of the parties a short time afterward, at a barn-raising, and at once became very abusive, calling him all manner of bad names, in such strong and bitter language, that the man, who, by the way, was no coward, sprang at him, whereupon Radly turned and made a feint toward trying to get away, calling at the same time to the bystanders to take the man off, who, by this time, was on his (Radly's) back. Drawing a long, sharp dirk: he struck backward several times, and cut his antagonist in a shocking manner - literally carving him to pieces. The man was picked up, carried to his home, and for several weeks his life was despaired of, but he finally recovered. Radly escaped on the ground of self-defense. He afterward left the county and nothing has since been heard of him.

The same year that brought the Radlys here, H. B. Hobbings found his way to this part of the county, and settled a short distance west of the former's place, on the National road. He was originally from Pennsylvania, but had lived in Cincinnati several years before removing to this place. He sold his farm to a Mrs. Thoele, after having occupied it for about eight years, and moved to a distant State. In the fall of 1848, John H. Wernsing, a German, came from Cincinnati, and settled near the head of Bishop Creek in Section 30, where he made extensive improvements, and where he lived a number of yeai's, an upright citizen, highly respected by all who knew him. Several members of his family still live in the county, one of whom, Henry Wernsing, is the present Treasurer of Effingham County. About the year 1848, B. H. Dryer came to the township and located near the Wernsing settlement. He came from Cincinnati also, as did many of the original settlers of the eastern part of the county, and was prominently identified with the early history of this community. The place where he originally settled is now owned by Henry Hierman. Henry Rump came here about the same time that Dryer made his appearance, and, like the former, sought a place in the timber near the creek. He was a line, straightforward man, and by industry and good management accumulated a large tract of land, which is at present owned by the Hutrip heirs. A man by the name of Thare, a Presbyterian preacher, probably the first minister in the township, bought and improved a piece of land lying west of the town of Montrose, on the National road, where he built what was afterward known as the " white house," a large two story building, and one of the first frame structures erected in the township. He held religious services at this place, and at other points in the country, preaching wherever he could obtain a room sufficiently large to accommodate an audience. In 1849, he moved to Ewington, where, for a number of years, he was considered one of the leading preachers of his faith. A son-in-law of Thare, John Lorkins, took possession of the place, to which he added considerable improvements, and resided there until the year 1860, at which time he disposed of the property and moved to the State of Iowa. The Hartlips were an early family in St. Francis; the exact date of their an-ival was not learned, although it was several years prior to 1S50. They located farms near Bishop Creek, in

Among those who came in 1849, 1850 and 1851, and later, may be mentioned William Wallace, James Kolfe, Thomas Gibbon and Newton Gibbon. Wallace settled abont one mile west of Montrose, where he made a few slight improvements, the chief of which was a small cabin he had moved from the old Marble farm, having pm-chased it for a mere trifle. He sold the place to Thomas Gibbon, who came about one year later (1851), and with his family moved out of the township. Gibbon improved this farm quite extensively, and still occupies it. He came from Greene County, Ind., and for a number of years has been one of the leading citizens of the commimity in which be resides. Neiwton Gibbon, his brother, located a short distance west of Montrose, where he still lives. He was the first Justice of the Peace elected by the people of St. Francis, and has filled several other offices of trust at different times. James Rolfe came to Illinois, from Indiana, in the year 1848, and settled in Cumberland County, fi-om which place he moved to St. Francis Township two years later, and located a home lying west of the Thomas Gibbon farm. He is a native of Maryland, and claims to be a regular descendant of the John Rolfe who married the Indian princess Pocahontas.

Through all the years of which we have been writing, settlers had been steadily coming into the township; numerous claims had been made and improved, cabins built, prairies broken and in many places more comfortable and substantial farm buildings erected. The National road, to which allusion has already been made, was laid out through the township, and other highways were soon after established and improved. The crop raised by the first settlers was generally corn, to which they looked for their chief supjiort; other cereals were but little grown until the country began to settle more thickly. The soil at that time was poorly adapted to raising small grain, and it was not until several years had elapsed from the first settlement that any wheat was grown in the township at all. For a niimber of years, there were no mills in the eastern part of the county, and to obtain meal a ad other breadstuffs the citizens of St. Francis had to go to the little horse mills in and around Ewington, an undertaking which sometimes required two or three days, not that the distance was so great, but the machine ground so slowly, that delays were often experienced in waiting for the respective turns.

Some of the first settlers went as far as Terre Haute for groceries and dry goods, and, as there were good mills there, they took advantage of the occasion to lay in a supply of floiu- and meal sufficient to last them several months.

An important adjunct to the pioneer's existence, and one that often entered largely therein, was the enjojTnent or necessity of hunting, wild game of all kinds being very plentiful. The settler was often obliged to quit his work and join with his neighbors in a kind of crusade against wolves, which were very destructive to young pigs and to domestic fowls which might stray far away from the house.

In St. Francis, the solitary settler rejoiced to hear the early messengers of God proclaim the glad tidings of joy, or weep at the story of the crown of thorns and the agonies of Golgotlia and Calvary. It is a fact highly commendable to the first residents of this township, that, with all their trials incident to a settlement in a new and undevelojied country - naught but hardships and poorly compensated labor to weary and burden both mind and body - they never failed to discharge those higher obligations due their Creator. Religious services were often held at private residences by itinerant ministers of the Methodist Chm-ch, and were attended l)y all the citizens far and near. Those who lived in the northern part of St. Francis attended divine worship with the congregations in the adjoining county of Cumberland, and it was not until recent years that any religious society had an existence in this township. The Lutherans are very strong here, and have a flourishing church a few miles southeast of the village of Montrose. This church was organized in the year 18G8 by Rev. H. H. Holtermein, at the schoolhouse in that neighborhood, and had an original membership of thirteen. For three years, the congregation used the schoolhouse as a place of worship, when steps were taken to erect a more commodious edifice, as the congregation had increased so in numbers that a larsfer house was a necessity. In the fall of 1871, their present structure was erected, which is a credit to the church and an honor to the community; it is a frame building, 25x40 feet, and cost about .$1,100. The church owes much of its prosperity to the untiring labors of Rev. Holtermein, who for eleven years was its faithful pastor; his chief aim seems to have been its good and all his efforts for its advancement were crowned with success.

He was succeeded in the year 1879 by the present pastor, Rev. H. Kouerst under whose charge the congregation hag been steadily increasing in membership and influence. There are at this time on the records the names of forty five members in good standing. Connected with the chm'ch is a denominational school, which was established by Rev. Holtermein in 1872. A vacant room in the pastor's dwelling was used for this until 1879, when their present neat little house was erected. This is a frame building and cost about $600. The school has been well attended since its organization, and, under the chai'ge of the two pastors mentioned, has accomplished much good in the neighborhood.

The early school history of St. Francis is limited. The first settlers in the northern part of the township sent their children to the schools of Cumberland County, which had been established in a very early day, while those who located along the Southern border patronized the schools of Teutopolis. It is thought that Miss Lizzie Rolfe taught the fu-st school in St. Francis about the year 1854, using for the purpose what was then known as the Fair building. It stood a little west of the village of Montrose and was in use as a schoolhouse about two years, and was formerly a dwelling. Newton Gibbon built the first house espresslj' for school purposes in the year 1856. It was a frame building and stood a little north of Montrose. It was moved to the village when the place was first started, and is at present used for a coojser shop Like other parts of the county, this township is now well supplied with good frame schoolhouses. all of which are well fui'nished with modern appliances, and the advantages of intellectual culture are open and free to all. Schools last about seven months of the year and generally begin the first Monday in October.

The Vandalia Railroad passes through the township in a southwesterly direction, and has been the means of advancing the material interests of the people in many ways. Since its completion in the year 1868, the real estate of the townshijj has steadily advanced in value. Much of the vacant land that was formerly regarded as almost worthless, has been bought up and improved and ffood grain and stock markets have been brought near.

The only mill of any kind in St. Francis was erected about twenty years ago by John F. Waschefort, and stands in the southern part of the township, near Teiitopolis. It was built as a combination mill, and for a number of years sawed a great deal of lumber and ground an immense amount of grain. It was afterward rebuilt, the saws removed, two buhrs added, and since then has been run exclusively as a llouriug mill. It is operated by steam, has a capacity of forty or fifty barrels per day, and is owned by Ferdinand Waschefort.

The following account of a bloody tragedy that occurred in the northern part of the township several years ago was related by Mr. Rolf e: " Two brothers by name of Hetcher owned a farm near where Montrose now stands, and rented a part of their ground one year to a young German to put in corn. They were to have one third of the crop as rent, that share to be left in the field when the corn was gathered. About the time the corn was ready for cribbing, the young man sold it to two parties by name of Thomas Duckworth and George Shindle. and made no mention of the portion to be paid as rent. When they came to gather the crop,the Hetcher boys told them to let the one-third remain, which the others very positively refused to do, saying that they had bought the entire crop, paid for it and were going to gather the same. Hetcher then forbid them the field until the difficulty could be adjusted. Duckworth and Shindle carried the matter to a lawyer by name of Dennet, who advised them to go back and gather the corn, and gather it all, as it jvistly belonged to them. UlJon Duckworth asking him what to do in case the Hetchers came out and objected, received the reply, "'Why, kill them, to be sure;" not thinking, as he afterwad said, "that the d - d fools would do it." Shindle and Duckworth armed themselves with revolvers and went back to the field next morning, where they had been at work but a short time before the Hetcher boys came out. A few hot words were passed, when Duckworth and Shindle drew their weapons and shot their antagonists dead on the spot. The boys were arrested and tried, but, owing to some quibble, were acquitted. They left the country, however, before gathering the crop. Montrose, the only village in the township, a place of about 300 inhab'tants, is situated in the southeast quarter of Section 3, on the Vandalia Railroad, and was laid out by J. B. Johnson, proprietor of the land, July 19. 1870, the jslat being made by Calvin Mitchell, County Surveyor. The first building in the town was a store house built by Browning and Schooley, a short time after the survey had been made. Tliejstocked it with a miscellaneous assortment of merchandise and for two years conducted a flourishing business, when they sold the stock to other parties and left the village. The second building was a storehouse also, moved here from a little place known as Bowen, about two miles east of the township line in the adjoining county, by Dr. H. G. Van Sandt. The house stands near the central part of the town, and is at present occupied by the store of Stephen Smith, to whom the doctor sold it after he had been in the place a couple of years. A third store was started in the town, in the year 1871, by P. H. Wiwi, who erected a very neat business house, which, like the stores already alluded to, was stocked with a genei'al assortment of goods. In addition to his mercantile business, Wiwi erected a gi'ain house, which he operated very successfully, handling more grain during the year than was shipped from any other point on the road of the same size. He opened a market for live stock also, and for the past ten years has been considered one of the heaviest shippers of cattle and hogs in the county. In the year 1872, a third store was put in operation by James Johnson, who moved a building to the place from the little village of " Jiia Town," as it was called, in Cumberland County, where for several years he had been a very successful merchant. After locating here, his business increased so rapidly that a larger and more commodious building became a necessity, so he erected another house a few years since, a large two story, which he stocked with goods valued at about S6,500, by far the most complete store in the town. The old building is at present used for a freight-room and granary. Ross Twedey erected a business house about the same time that Johnson came, and for two years sold goods, when he disposed of his stock to William McGinnis, who in turn sold to Stephen Sniith, the present proprietor, after running the business until the year 1874. Dr. Van Sandt erected a very commodious storeroom and dwelling house in the western part of the town several years ago, where he still does business in the general line, with a fine assortment of drugs, also, the only store of the kind in the place.

The Montrose Anchor Flouring Mill was built in the year 1871, by William Weigel & Son, and is one of the best n^ills in the eastern part of Effingham County; it is three stories high, frame, and cost the proprietors the sum of $0,000. It is operated by steam, has three run of buhrs, and a grinding capacity of about forty baiTels per day. Weigel & Son operated it three years, doing a floiu-ishing custom and merchant trade, when they sold to Newhouse & Co., who ran it for a short time. Weiss & Dockendorf were the next proprietors; they operated the mill as partners a couple of years, when

Weiss bought the entire interest and is the present owner. A blacksmith shop was built in the town, about 1871, by James Tubert, who worked at his trade here for two years, since then there have been several shops operated by different parties; at present there are two shops in operation. The Brazil House, first hotel of the place, was built about 1872, by Nelson Shull, who still runs it. Evan James built a second hotel about six years ago, the James House. H. G. Van Saudt was the first physician in the place, and has practiced his profession here continuously since 1870, having at this time a large and lucrative practice. Dr. John Johnson located in the town about one year after the place had been started, and for two or three years ministered to the ills of the village and surrounding country. Drs. Hallenbeok, Gladwell, Schefner, Minter and Park have at different times practiced medicine.

After the village had made considerable progress in its business, and the population had increased, efforts were made to induce the railway company to lay a side track through the town and voluntary subscrij^tions to the amount of $700 were raised toward that end. This mark of public enterprise prevailed and a switch was accordingly laid, and afterward a neat substantial brick depot erected. Since the switch was laid* the business of the company has so increased that there are no points on the entire line of the size of Montrose where as much shi])ping of grain and live stock takes place.

The citizens of the town early took an interest in educational matters, and a school was in progress, taught by Miss Eva Gilmore, one year after the first bouse had been erected in the village. The house in which this first school was taught was moved to the town from a point two miles in the country, and served for educational purposes until

1876, at which time the fine briek house now in use was erected. The present building is 22x54 feet, one story high, and cost $1,600 to erect and complete it.

The religious history of the town dates from its first settlement, a fact which ought to speak well for the morals of the community. There are at present two religious organizations in the town, with as many houses of worship - the Southern Methodist and the Roman Catholic - neither of which seems to be doinsr that amount of good for the Master which the great founder of Christianity manifestly designed that they should do. In close proximity to these temples of the living God stand two black plague spots in the shape of gin shops, from which radiate baleful influences counteracting the good which the churches ought to exert, and spreading over the place a moral malaria which we must confess does not present a very agreeable commentary on its character.

The Methodist Church was organized about the year 1868 one mile north of the town, by Rev. P. D. Vandeventer, with a membership of twenty persons, the majority of whom have since left the country. The organization was efi"ected in a little log schoolhouse which for six years afforded the congregation a place of worship. The organization was moved to the town of Montrose in the summer of 1870, and the present edifice erected, which is a frame building aud cost about $1,600. Since its organization, the church has been ministered to by the following pastors in the order named: P. D. "Vandeventer was the first pastor; he remained with the congregation one year; J. A.

C. T. McAnally succeeded the last named and remained the same length of time; N. A. Auld preached one year; W. A. Cross one year; J. M. McGrew one year; J. C. Bird had charge of the congregation two years; then J. F. Hensley served a second time as pastor for one year. The present pastor is Rev. H. K. Jones, who is now on his second year's labors. Connected with the church is a flourishing union Sunday school, which is well attended with an average of about fifty scholars, of which the pastor is the superintendent.

The St. Rosa Roman Catholic Church of Montrose dates its organization from the year 1879. Prior to that year, the Catholics of this village, of whom there were a goodly number, met with the chiu-ch at Teutopolis, to which they were attached. In November of 1879, Father Francis, of the latter place, upon request of the members at Montrose, organized them into an independant congregation and steps were taken to erect a house of worship forthwith. The building was completed in the spring of 1880, the membership at that time numbering some twenty-five families. Like all their church edifices, this house displays a great deal of taste, and money was not used sparingly in its erection. It cost the sum of $3,000, and is an ornament to the town. There are about twenty-five families connected with the chm-ch at present under the charge of the same priest who brought about the organization.

business interests. There are now five general stores, kept respectively by G. H. Van Sandt, James Johnson. Stephen Smith, P. H. Wiwi and George Sturtzen; two warehouses, two