Fayette County, Illinois - Chapter 22: Fauna of the County, 1878 (part 2 of 2)

With the means realized from a growing and prosperous business, they kept adding to the material improvements of the city. They induced emi¬ grants to locate in the county, and did everything that zeal and activity could prompt to develop and improve the city and county. They have lived to see their efforts crowned with success, until now, the desolate and almost abandoned village of 1839 is a prosperous and well-improved city. They took an active part in any project that tended to the improvement and development of both city and county, and as their means accumulated, used them in giving employment to the laborer and mechanic, and sightly and commodious buildings to the city.

Their determined and energetic efforts induced others to follow their ex¬ ample, and Vandalia has to-day a greater number of handsome and commo¬ dious structures than any city of like size in southern Illinois. The need for a hotel building was much felt, and numerous attempts were made to organ¬ ize a stock company for the purpose of building one, but every attempt proved futile.

Fortunately for Vandalia, she had a citizen whose enterprise and public spirit outweighed all pecuniary disadvantages. August H. Dieckmann under¬ took and successfully carried out the project, and the Dieckmann House, one of the largest and moat complete in all its appointments in the southern part of the State, is the result. The brothers were imbued with the idea that every house built and improvement made in the county-seat enhanced the value of land in the county, and made it a more desirable location for settlers and emigrants. And a goodly number of neat and substantial build¬ ings are monuments to their industry, energy and enterprise. They have been liberal in their support of churches and schools, and earnest in their defence of the principles of both. George H. has filled many positions of publio trr% and always acceptably to the community and creditably to him¬ self. They are good examples of what force of character and good morals can accomplish, no matter how unpropitious the surroundings. In 1840 they arrived in Vandalia, friendless and penniless, to-day they enjoy the dis¬ tinction of being among the most prominent and influential men of the county - the deserved reward of deserving merit

John D. Perine

The recently elected clerk of Fayette County, was born in Kentucky, August 6th, 1834, and is the eldest child of John H. and Margaret (Pennybaker) Perine, who were natives of New York and Kentucky respectively. Mr. Perine's early life was spent in his native state, where he had good opportunities for acquiring an education. He also learned under his father the trade of carriage-making. In 1864 he removed to this county, and engaged in farming in Bowling Green Township. Nov. 1st, 1864, he mar¬ ried Miss Nannie Maddox, a native of Jefferson County, Kentucky, where her parents had emigrated to from Virginia, of which state they were both natives. They have had three children, and bom in the following order, John Thomas, Delia Kendrick and Mark M., all of whom are now living. Mr. Perine continued forming until the fall of 1877, when he received the Democratic nomination for connty clerk, to which he was elected. Though a southern man by birth he was a strong opponent of secession. His life has been marked by upright'oonduct and strict attention to business, and as a consequence, he has frequently been elected to public positions, and was supervisor for his township five years. He is new engaged in attending to the duties of his office with the punctilio that has characterized his whole life.

Benjamin Ward Thompson

The oldest living settler of Vandalia Township, and perhaps of the County, is the subject of this sketch. B. Ward Thompson was bom in Kentucky, May 17th, 1806. His parents removed to Illinois when Ward was a lad ten years old. They were natives of Virginia. His father was of Irish, and his mother of English descent They located in what is now Clinton County, and in 1819 removed to Fayette and settled about one mile and a half south of Vandalia, in Section 29. Here almost the entire life of Mr. Thompson has been spent He has witnessed the changes that have taken place in this State, which to hear him relate sound wonderful of the marvelous.

His recollections are most extensive and interesting, and many of the facts in regard to the early settlement of this county in this work were obtained from him. His youth was passed the same as all boys of those days; working on the form, and the sports of the field. He married, Feb. 12th, 1828, Miss Susannah Bayle, daughter of Elijah and Susan Bayle, who were natives of Pennsylvania. By the above union they have had seven children, four of whom are living. Elizabeth, who married Ben. Mahan, Esq-, Thomas J., living in Kaskaskia Township, James T., living in Wilberton Township, Mary J., Mrs. L. S. Cluxton, now residing in Vandalia.

He has filled many responsible positions. He was a member of the County Court fourteen years, and County Judge one term, Deputy Sheriff eight years, Justice of the Peace about the same length of time, and has been School Director and Trustee for many years, and Road Commissioner of Vandalia Township nine years; a position he now fills.

Mr. Thompson's father died when his son was twelve-years of age; conse¬ quently he was thrown entirely upon his own resources. He struggled along, and the fact of his having so repeatedly been elected to important positions is the beet commentary that can be passed upon his life and character as a man and citizen.

HIS township was, prior to 1869, a part of Vandalia township, which it joins on the west. They were divided in the abovementioned year, and the western half was called Johnson town¬ ship, and subsequently Bear Grove, which name it now bears. It is one of the most delightfully situated of any in the county, or indeed in the State. The eastern portion is rolling prairie, and dotted over with many prominent eminences, covered with beautiful groves, affording pleasant, healthy, and charming sites for building. Towards the western half of the township it is intersected by Hurricane creek, which enters it from the north and traverses it in a southwesterly direction. The land lying immediately adjacent to it is called bottom land, with some very broken land adjoining; this, however, comprises a very small portion of the area of the township.

Is fertile and productive, and is a sandy loam, with here and there occa¬ sional stretches of dark prairie soil. Contiguous to Hurricane creek it is a rich alluvial deposit, adjoining which on either side is the broken timbered lands, principally of clay formation.

Early Settlement And Settlers

Prior to 1816 there were not more than six or seven families residents of the township. Who they were or what became of them is not known. They lived along the edge of the timber, and near where water could conveniently be had. This is one of the principal reasons why the first settlers invariably selected the poorest land upon which to locate, - the rich prairie land being wholly devoid of springs or rivulets, with which the broken and poorer land was well supplied. The only evidence still in existence of these early occu¬ pants is the remains of an old cemetery in section 29; but whose remains are thus quietly sleeping their last sleep is u beyond the ken" of the oldest inhabitant After 1816, there is little difficulty in getting accurate informa¬ tion as to who were the families settling in the township, as there are still living some of the pioneers and many of their descendants.

The First Land Entered

in the township was by Wm. Otwell, 80 acres in section 15, August 2,1819; John Russell, 160 acres in the same section and date; ex-Governor John Reynolds also entered 160 acres at the same time.

Moral Status

The character of the people, both of the original settlers, their descendants, and more recent occupants is excellent A spirit of concord and harmony, quite in keeping with the beauty of the surrounding landscape, seems to per¬ vade its precincts. Its people are spoken of as being among the most thrifty, honest, and law-abiding of any in the county; and it is not uncommon to hear men of either political party speaking of their opponents in terms of honest and hearty praise.

The St. Loui8 And Vandalia Railroad

intersects the township, running from west to east. The flourishing village of Hagerstown is situated upon the line of it, about four miles from Vandalia.

It was laid out in 1869 by Wm. Henninger, who is the principal owner, and has a general merchandise store, blacksmith shop, meal and saw-mill, and a number of residences. From its location in the centre of a fertile and pro¬ ductive country, it is destined to be of some importance, and even now, in its infanoy, does considerable in the way of shipping grain, cattle, and hogs.

There is at present but few men living from whom any information could be had prior to the year 1840, and from them were gleaned the following interesting facts: The first blacksmith shop was built in 1821 by Jeremiah Evans, more for his own use than that of the public; but it is said that he was always ready and willing to assist his neighbors by sharpening their plows, mending their implements, and repairing their wagons, and, strange as it may seem to the money-loving and money-getting people of the present generation, made no charge. James McAdams was the first storekeeper, and John Lindley kept the first tavern in the township. The first church in the township was the Morris M. E. Chapel at Hagerstown, built in 1856, prior to which time services were held for a number of years at the residence of Wm. Hennioger. The people are progressive farmers, and are introdu¬ cing the most improved breeds of stock and agricultural implements.

The Evans Cemetery is the first cemetery of which there is any positive knowledge, although there is in section 15 the remains of one that antedates the memory of the oldest inhabitant - that is prior to the year 1820.

About 1820 or 1821 an unknown man committed self-destruction by shooting himself at Hagerstown. Some time afterwards, at the same place, a man named Furgusen killed himself by poison.

The Rebellion

Soon after the breaking out of the Rebellion this part of the county was overrun by bushwhackers. The Klingman gang were the pioneers of the movement, and committed numerous depredations. On one occasion, in passing through Bear Grove township, they stole three horses from William Henninger and one from Joseph Bowles. At both places they demanded the weapons that were in the houses. Fortunately Mr. Henninger was not at home, and they left without further damage. Mr. Bowles refused to accede to their demands, when they fired, and severely wounded himself and his daughter. Klingman, whose real name was Josiah Woods, was after¬ wards taken out of jail at 6edalia, Missouri, by an infuriated mob and lynched. He had, without provocation, shot and killed a man named Giger. Upon the mob's breaking into jail, Klingman or Woods snatched a heavy iron bar and felled a dozen men before he was secured. He was then taken and tied behind a wagon and dragged some distance, and hung to a sign-board over a railroad-crossing.

The Grangers

have three lodges, with about one hundred and fifty members. Owing to its close proximity to Vandalia, none of the other Orders have lodges in the township.