Jefferson County, Illinois - Chapter 20, 1883

Blissville Township, which forms the subject matter of this chapter, is one of the west tier of townships, and is situated southwest of Mount Vernon. It lies south of Casuer Towsnhip, west of McClellan, north of' Bald Hill, east of Washington County, and is designated as Township 3 south, and Range 1 east. The surface is rather broken, and

TRANSCRIBING recollections of the aged, wavering memory, we do not seek to reconcile discrepancies, but to embody here the names and deeds of those whose like can nevermore be seen. We dimly outline, from our signal-point, the history which meets our eye, and steer our course between extremes of dates and happenings, but more often than otherwise the greatest incompleteness marks the narrative.

The most of those pioneers who came here half a centuty or more ago have passed to their reward, while upon the few still left the rolling years have written their record and left them trembling on the brink of tlie tomb. They left friends and civilization behind them and came here to build for themselves a home. Ah, a home! Home, celestial home of the world-weary, laboring heart, the sacred asylum of the wandering soul! It is the only type and symbol left on earth since the portals of paradise closed on our riiined race. And to make them a home in this wild waste, these people exposed themselves to the dangers of "flood and held," of savages and wild beasts and perils before which we, their successors, would quail. The history of their lives is one of noble heroism, by the side of which that of the warrior and the statesman pale with insignificance.

diversified between prairie and woodland. An arm of Grand Prairie extends into the township. There are also several other small prairies - notably Knob Prairie, in the southeast part, which receives its name from the elevation of the ground, it being about as high as the site of Mouut Vernon. In the timbered section are found black, white and post oak, wild cherry, black walnut, hickory, sassafras, together with hazel and other shrubs. The principal stream is Rayse Creek, or the west fork of Big Muddy. This passes through the northeast corner of the township and is fed by a few small brooks and branches which form the natural drainage of the township.

The settlement of Blissville Township dates back to 1822-23. About that time Sherman Ross and Jesse Green, Sr. , came and settled in the northeast corner. Jesse Green died in the township and left a large I family. Ross moved to Shelby County, tak- ing his family with him. He was a thriftless sort of a fellow, with but little energy, but not of real bad habits. Green was fond of hunting, and participated freely in all kinds of baciiwoods sports and pastimes. John Hailes settled in the timber along Big Muddy, and was among the first comers in that section. He was a good, easy, harmless man, who never did much for himself or for any one else. He cleared a small " patch " of ' ground, and put up a cabin of poles. About two years afterward, he sold his improvement to Jesse P. Dees, an uncle of Judge Jesse A. Dees, of this township, and moved up to Gun Prairie. Jesse P. Dees, however, soon settled in another part of the township, where he died. He made an extensive improvement, and opened quite a large farm for that early day, and was in good circumstances at the time of his death. John Finch bought the first improvement of Jesse P. Dees, and settled here about 1S26. but afterwai-d sold out and moved to Missouri. He was a fanner and gunsmith; a rude, rough fellow, of the true frontier type, but finally professed religion at a camp meeting in Washington County, and was afterward licensed as a preacher by the Methodist Church. William Linsey was an early settler in the neighborhood of Jesse P. Dees. He was a good, honest man, and sold his improvement to Reuben Green and moved back into Washington County. Reuben Green, who bought his improvement, raised a large family, who settled around him.

An early settler was Mr. Herron, on Grand Prairie. He afterward moved into Washington County. Peter Sibert afterward settled on the place where Herron first located. Erastus Fairchild settled in Grand Prairie, near the north line of the township. He was a common farmer, and sold out to Thomas Bagb}'. The latter occupied it several years, and then sold out and moved into Washington County, and afterward to Texas. Samuel Hunter also settled in Grand Prairie about 184:0, and is living there yet. James Welch settled in the same neighborhood about the same time. He was from Ohio, and was a large land owner. He lost part of his family here in 1844 and returned to Ohio, but afterward made several trips between Ohio and Illinois, and was finally lost on the Ohio River in a steamboat disaster. A son of his had come here in 1839, and is still living in the township.

JessG A. Dees, one of the prominent and wealthy farmers of the township, came to Jefferson County in 1824, with his mother and step- father, Lewis Green. They settled in what is now Casner Township, where James Wood lives. Mr. Dees is one of the oldest living settlers of the county, having been here almost sixty years. Joseph Laird came in about 1840, and settled in Grand Prairie. Knob Prairie was settled by David Fairchild, who sold to B. L. Herrous, who came here about 1822. He was from Ohio, and was a brother of Erastus Fairchild, already noticed. H. Hackett was here^some time, but was a kind of a transient character. Eli Gilbert settled in Knob Prairie about 1840, and was from Ohio. He opened a store soon after settling here, and sold goods for several years; he died here and left a large family. Another Ohio family was the Places - Isaac and Sidney - who settled in Knob Prairie in 1840-42. The latter is still living here. Henry Bushou came in about 1845, and settled between Knob and Grand Prairies. Such wore some of the settlements and the people who made them in this particular division of the county. When we ponder on those olden times, rude and rough as they were, we almost wish for their return. Those good old days when the girls rode behind their sweethearts to church or dance, and when the horses always " kicked up, " and the girls held tightly on (then the girls hagged the boys - now the case is reversed); when husband and wife visited on the same nag, and the wife carried her babe snugly cuddled up in her lap. Those good old days when the hypocrisy, shams and selfishness of modern society were unknown; when the respectability of men and women was not measured by their bank accounts, nor by display of shoddy finery, but by the simple standard of worth and merit, by their usefulness in the community, by their readiness to aid the suffering and to relieve the distressed; when there were no social castes or distinctions, and when honesty and uprightness were the livery of aristocracy. Ah! those were the times of free-heartedness and genuine honesty.

The pioneer's first thought is something for his family to eat, and hence a mill in a new country is an object of supreme interest. One of the first institutions of this kind was a tread mill owned by Maj. Herron on land now the property of Samuel Johnson. It was a rude affair, but was much better than no mill at all, and the settlers used to come fi-om a considerable distance to it to get their corn ground. Eli Gilbert had a mill very early. He built a water mill on Big Muddy, but it was never much of a success and soon disappeared altogether. He found it impossible to dam the stream, and so he damned the whole thing and gave up the enterprise. A grist and saw mill, operated by steam, was put up near Williamsburg. It passed through different hands, and was finally moved to Saline County.

Blissville Township was named in honor of Augustus Bliss, who settled in Casner Township and made an attempt to lay off a village, which never improved. He started to California during the gold fever excitement, and died of cholera on the way, leaving a wife and five children. The first voting place was an old house on the place where Samuel Johnson now lives; the regular voting place at present is at Locust Grove. The following is a list of the township officers since the county adopted township organization:

Highway Commissioners ^W. M. El listen J. B. McConneoughey, J. P. Anderson, J. B. McConneoughey, W. Gilbert, A. Welch, D. P. McConneoughey. A. Snider, A. J. Shurtz, D. H. Keller, J. Jones, R. Green, C. Gilbert. W. B. Elliston, James Reed, R. Gilbert, A. J. Shurtz.

The first public highway in the township was called the Mount Vernon & Nashville road, or Jefferson County & Washington County road. J. A. Dees made the first trail where this road was laid out. There were nothing but a few paths and trails before this road was made, ^jood, substantial wooden bridges now span the streams where they are needed.

Among the prominent stock-dealers are Joseph Mannen, Josiah Tuttle, Andrew Welch, Jesse A. Dees, A. Gilbert, etc., etc. They buy and sell and deal in cattle, mules and hogs. Mr. Dees has some very tine cattle, and deals largely in mules; he has on Land at present some sixty odd head of mules. Mr. Gilbert also has a large number of mules.

Williamsburg. - The village of Williamsburg is situated in Knob Prairie, on the northeast quarter of Section 35. It was laid off by Drs. Moore & Peavler December 17, 1867, into four blocks, one of eleven lots, one of twelve lots, and two of ten lots each. John Hagle built the first storehouse, and David Hicks the first residence. His sons opened a drug store, and also built a residence, into which Thomas Westcott moved. The Mannings came a little later, and then Place. Henry Willis erected some brick buildings, the first in the village. About the year 1864, Anderson built a mill, but soon afterward sold it to Boswell, and Boswell sold it to James Dare. A good schoolhouse has been built in the town. At present, J. D. Norris keeps a general store, J. W. Robinson a drug store and William Hicks a drug store. Dr. O. P. Norris is Postmaster. The usual number of shops are operated. The place has about one hundred inhabitants. The town is called Williamsburg, but the post office bears the name of Laur.

Blissville Township was not backward in educational matters, and schools were early established and schoolhouses built. One of the first schoolhouses in the township was built near whore Eli Gilbert settled. It stood on the farm now owned by Cyrus Gilbert, and was of logs 16x18 feet, the cracks daubed with mud. The first teacher was of the name of Bellis. Another pioneer schoolhouse was on the land now owned by R. Gilbert, and A. Welch was one of the early teachers here. A schoolhouse was built on the land of G. J. Hoyt, in Grand Prairie, and another on the land owned by the heirs of Reuben Green, Jr. The township has at present six schoolhouses, conveniently located on Sections 7, 10, 16, 18, 24, 28. In these, schools are taught for the usual term each year by competent teachers.

The church history of Blissville Township is extensive, and dates back to an early period of the settlwrnent of the country. A.t first, meetings were held in dwelling-houses, and in the woods in summer. The Grand Arm Methodist Church was the first church built in the township. It was put up about 1840. Among the early members were Abner Minson and wife, Jacob Freeman and wife, Susan Eubank, Jesse P. Dees and wife, Naomi Dees, John Freeman and wife, and perhaps others. Among the early preachers here were Simeon Walker, T. W. Williams, James Johnson, Files and J. Barnes. The organization is still kept up, and the society has a good frame building. A graveyard is adja- cent, in which slumber many of the early members of this pioneer chm-ch. The membership of the church is about sixty, and an excellent Sunday school is maintained during the summer, of which J. Tuttle is Superintendent. Rev. Mr. Root is pastor of the church at the present time.

Mount Zion Church is located in the northern part of the township, and has but a small attendance. Pierce's Chapel now has no regular attendance or organization.

At Williamsburg, there ' is a Methodist Church with an interesting membership of about forty. Rev. Root is the pastor. A good Sunday school is maintained.

Blissville Township has no railroads, nor no manufacturing intwrests. It is decidedly an agricultural and stock-ra sing region. Its nearest shipping point is Woodlawn, on the Louisville & Nashville Railroad, located a couple of miles from the northeast corner of the township. This road, though not touching the township, has been of great benefit, by increasing the value of property and real estate, as well as in affording the farmers transportation facilities.

With all the growth and activity, which assumes larger proportions in the recital than in the actual experience, the community which gathered in this township was really on the frontier at the time of which we have been writing. While not so completely isolated as some of the other earlier settlements in Southern Illinois, the people experienced many of the hardships and discomforts inci dent to frontier settlements. Mills were early built near by, but from lack of power or adequate machinery most of the dour and much of the meal was procured at Carmi and other and even more distant points, enduring long, tedious delays. As a farming district, the settlements in what is now Blissville Township were of slow growth; the village of Mount Vernon, some ten miles distant, seemed to absorb the floating population. Here and there the smoke curled upward in the air from the scattered log cabins, and the busy pioneer protracted the day long into the night in clearing up his farm.

Deer were plenty, and were shot in large numbers, while wolves, panthers, wild cats an occasional boar, and the whole class of small game that was found in this section in early times, afforded wholesome meals and rare sport to those fond of hunting. Most of the early settlers were from the Southern States, and brought here with them many of their social characteristics. Saturday afternoons, as they are still, were a general holiday, and the farmers repaired to the neighboring village. But few in the community had very strong scruples then against the use of whisky, and strong potations tended to make fun lively, aud^not anfrequently caused rough-and-tumble fist lights.

Thus time passd in the early years of the country, the people enjoying themselves in a rough kind of way. They were rude, but generous to a fault, and always ready with their time and labor to assist a new comer or a friend in his time of need.