Effingham County, Illinois - Chapter 21, 1883

LIBERTY TOAVNSHIP-ITS PHYSICAL FE.\TURES - TIMBER GROWTH, ETC.-EARLY SETTLEMENTPIONEER HARDSHIPS - INDUSTRIES AND IMPROVEMENT.?- THE STATE OF SOCIETY - EDUCATIONAL AND RELIGIOUS - BEECHER CITY - A VILLAGE OF LARGE PRETENSIONS - ITS BUSINESS, CHURCHES, SCHOOLS, BENEVOLENT SOCIETIES, ETC.

''F^HEKE is uo history more eagerly sought -L after than that which truthfully delineates the rise and progress of the State, county or community in which we live. There is pleasure as well as profit to every well-educated and inquiring mind in contemplating the struggles of the early settlers in all portions of the Great West; how they encountered and overcame every species of trial, hardship and danger to which human beings were ever subjected. But these things strike us more forcibly, and fill our miijds with more immediate interest, when confined to our own county or township, where we can yet occasionally meet with some of the now gray-haired actors in those early scenes, with whom life's rugged day is almost over, whose bravery in encountering the perils of frontier life has borne an important part toward making our country what it now is, and whose acts, in connection with the hundreds of others in the first settling of our vast domain have compelled the civilized world to acknowledge that the Americans are an invincible people.

history of a single county or tovmship. it must be remembered that our vast Kepublic is comprised of States, the States are di- vided into counties, and the counties into townships, each of which contributes its share toward the general history of the country. And the little township of Liberty, occupying so small an extent of territory - only about eighteen square miles - has a history fraught with interest to its own citizens, at least, if to none others.

The township of Liberty lies south of Shelby County, west of Banner Township, north of Moccasin Township, east of Fayette County, and comprises the south half of Township 9 north, in Range 4 east. About two-thirds of this township is prairie, alternating between level and rolling. The timber is confined to the water-courses, and is principally oak, hickory, walnut, elm, sycamore, sugar tree, Cottonwood, etc., and the land upon which it grows is mostly broken and hilly. The principal stream is Wolf Creek, which j^asses diagonally throitgh the township from northeast to southwest, with several small tributa,ries. Moore Creek flows through the east part, and empties into Wolf Creek. The Springfield Division of the Ohio & Mississippi Railroad passes through the southwest corner of the township, and has one station and shipping point - Beecher

The first white man, perhaps, that ever set foot upon the soil of Effingham County - Griffin Tipsword - tigiu-ed conspicuously in Liberty Township. He has descendants still living here and when he died he was biu'ied in the Tipsword Graveyard on Wolf Creek. One or two of his sons spent their whole lives in Liberty and are also buried in the quiet graveyard that bears the family name. But as Mr. Bradsby has devoted considerable space to the Tipswords in a preceding chapter, we will j)ass them here without fiu-ther mention.

No township in the county or perhaps in any of the surrounding counties can boast a greater diversity of , nationality among its early inhabitants than Liberty Township. Many portions of our country, as well as different countries, contributed to its early settlement. In this little division we find the grave New Euglander, the enterprising Buckeye, the hot-blooded Southerner and the awkward Hoosier, as well as the plodding German, the phlegmatic Englishman and the warm-hearted son of the " Ould Sod. " Like the small streams that unite in forming the great river, those difi'erent kinds and races of people have blended into a population without an equal, in point of intelligence, enterprise and industry.

A family of very early settlers in Liberty was the Coxes. There were three brothers of them - William. John and Josiah Cos - and they came from Tennessee. They had emigrated to Illinois in an early day, and settled in Shelby County, and, about 1838- 40, moved over into this township. William died more than twenty years ago. John died about a year ago. Josiah is still living in the neighborhood where he settled.

From Ohio, the land of Buckeve statesmen, came Thomas Dutton and a man named Starner. The latter was a German, and died in the township. Dutton came with his mother. Both are still living, the old lady at a very advanced age. Tom had a brother who went into the Mexican war, and died while in the service.

George Eccles came in 1841, and John AUsop in 1847. Thej' were both from England. Eccles is still living in the township, and, though he is now eighty-four years of age, he is hale and hearty, and has recently, according to the divine declaration that " it is not well for man to be alone," married his third wife. Allsop is dead, but has two sons living iu the township, and one in Effingham City.

Poland furnished to the settlement Alexander Bylaski and George Superoski, who came in 1840. Bylaski finally removed to Washington City, went into the late war, and fell at the battle of Belmont. Superoski is still living, across the line in Shelby County. Another addition to the settlement in 1840 was Thomas Tennery, who is still living in the township.

The old Granite State sent out Lansford and Dennis Stebbins, who settled in the township in 1840. Lansford went back to Massachusetts in a few years. Dennis went to sea, made a whaling voyage of three years' length, returned to the township and got married, as a good man should. He afterward moved down into the southern part of the State, where he died. Another addition was made this year by a man named Hedge, who moved in with three stalwart sons - John, A. J. and Jabez. A. J. (which stands for Andrew Jackson) moved away; John is still living where he first settled; and Jabez and his father are dead. George dinger also settled here in 1840. He was from Ohio, and. like Hedge, broutjht three sons with him - John, Peter and George. The old man died about the commencement of the war; George and Peter are also dead, and John lives iu Cowdon, Shelby County

Samuel Lorton, the oracle of Liberty Township, and a regular encyclopedia on legs, is a native of Arkansas, and came to Illinois with his father's family in 1824, settling in Shelby County. This is one instance, at least, in the history of oxu" country, in which the star of empire reversed the eternal fitness of things by moving east instead of west. He moved into Liberty Township in 1843, and has lived here ever since. He knows the history of the surrounding country, and can reel it oif as one reads from a jjrinted book. We are indebted to him for many of the facts pertaining to Liberty, and any imperfections in its history we lay to his charge, while all the good things it contains we claim as our own undisputed property. Mr. Lorton has grown up and grown old iu the county, and is familiar with its growth, progress and development. This brings the settlement down to a period wheu the new-comers could scarcely be termed old settlers, and we here drop the record of their settlement.

The present generation, as they behold the " old settler," can scarcely realize or appreciate the hardships through which he passed, or the part he performed in reclaiming the country from savage tribes that roamed at will over all parts of it. "Young America," as he passes the old settler by, perhaps unnoticed, little dreams that he has spent the morning and the noontide of his life in helping to make the country what it now is, and in preparing it for the reception of all those modern improvements which surround us on every side. The old settler shoiild be honored, and his deeds should be remembered and revered by all.

Education was not neglected by the peojile of Liberty Township. Schools were early established, and have always been supported liberally. It is not known now who taught the first school, nor the exact spot where it was taught. There is at present a good, comfortable schoolhouse in every neighborhood of the township, which supports a firstclass school each year.

When the county adopted township organization, and it came to forming the Congressional townships into civil townships, this was called Liberty, in honor of that boon for which our fathers " fought, bled and died " in oTir Revolutionary war. The officers of the civil township are a Supervisor, Treasurer, Clerk, Collector, etc. , etc. A.t the present time, the princij)al officers of Liberty Township are James Allsop, Supervisor; C. Parkhurst, School Treasurer; William Allsop, Collector; and A. Clark and George Brown, Justices of the Peace.

Villages. - Beecher City, the only village in Liberty Township, is a rather prettj^ little town, pleasantly situated on the Springfield Division of the Ohio & Mississippi Eailroad, some ten miles north of Altamont. It was laid out on the southwest quarter of the southwest quarter of Section 29 ; the east half of the southeast quarter of the southeast quarier of Section 30; the north half of the northeast quai-ter of the northeast quarter of Section 31 ; and the north half of the northwest quarter of the northwest quarter of Section 32, of Liberty Township. The survey and plat were made by the engineer of the railroad, for Edward Woodrow, of St. Louis, projn'ietor of the land, and the plat recorded on the 8th of April, 1872. The place was not named, as many might suppose, for the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher, the crankj- pastor of PljTnouth, but for one of its principal business men, who bears the same name.

The first store in Beecher was opened by Miller & Nelson, who moved the house in which it was kept here from an adjacent place. H. L. Beecher then kept a small stock of goods at the depot.

The Jennings Brothers had the next store. William H. Jennings is still in business here, but sold out and was away for awhile, then retiu'ned and again engaged in merchandising. The business of the place now consists of three stores - William H. Jennings, H L. Beecher and William Swazy; one grocery store, by A. Tally; one drug store, by John Allsop; two blacksmith shops, one butcher shop, wood shops, one shoe shop, hoop-pole factory, etc., etc. A large grain business is done. George Brown buys for Brumbach, and ships large quantities of grain from here every month.

A post office was established soon after the town was laid out, and H. L. Beocher was appointed Postmaster - a position which he still retains.

The schoolhouse, which is one of the best in this part of the county, was built a few years ago. It is a two-story brick structure, and cost about $3,000. The school is a large and flom'ishing one, employing two and sometimes three teachers.

Chwches. - There are two churches in the village, with neat and substantial edifices. The United Brethren built a church about 1874-75. It is a good frame building, which cost from S800 to $1,000. The church is not numerically strong, but tm'ns out a good congregation. There is regular monthly ! preaching and a floiu'ishing Sunday school. ' up at a cost of about $1,200. It has some twenty members, under the pastorate of the Eev. David Williams. A good Sunday school is kept up all the year. The church has a comfortable hall over it, which is used as a lodge room by the Masons and Odd Fellows. The church erected the building, and then sold the upper j)art of it to these societies for a meeting-place

The Masonic Lodge, which is known as Greenland Lodge, No. 665, A., F. & A. M., was moved here from Greenland, in Fayette County, under a dispensation from the Grand Lodge, on account of this being a more favorable location. It has been held here since the completion of the church building. It is quite a flourishing young lodge, and at present has the following officers: Ben F. Markland, Master ; Orlando Campbell, Senior Warden; William H. Anderson, Junior Warden; Thomas D. Tennery, Treasiu-er; James H. Allsop, Secretary; Isaac Tipsword, Senior Deacon; John F. Wood, Junior Deacon; and Thomas R. Dutton, Tiler.

Beecher City Lodge, No. 690, L O. O. F., was instituted March 25, 1881, by the Grand Lodge of Illinois. The first officers were: J. W. Hotz, N. G. ; Azariah Larimore, V. G. ; George C. Eads, Secretary; and Albert Larimore, Treasurer. The lodge has at present twenty-four members in good standing, and is officered as follows : George C. Eads, N. G. : George W. Brown, V. G. ; Will H. Richards, Recording Secretary; John Cook, Secretary; and Henry Hunt, Treasurer.

This comprises a history of the beautiful and flourishing little village of Beecher. It has an intelligent population, and, with a continuation of the energy and industry hitherto evinced, there is a brilliant future in store for their lovely town. Time, patience and perseverance will waft it on to wealth and prosperity.