Jersey County, Illinois - Chapter 12: County Societies, 1885

Chapter 12: County Societies

Although much can be accomplished by energetic individual effort, still more can be brought about by concerted action performed under thorough organization. This truth has been abundantly demonstrated in Jersey county, and several societies, for mutual improvement, mutual benefit and mutual pleasure have been organized, prominent among which are the Agricultural Society, Old Settlers' Association, and the Farmers' Mutual Insurance Company. A short history of each of these is given in this connection.

Agricultural Society

the county agricultural fairs of the neighboring counties, especially that of Greene county, but in the fall of 1867, while visiting at the latter place, several well-to-do agriculturists of Jersey county, among whom were William Kirby, E. 0. Hartwick and Ezekiel Davidson, after talking the matter over, thought that their home county could Bupport a fair, and that the time had come when some movement looking to that end be inaugurated. When they came home, they did not let the matter drop, but arranged a meeting when there were present, besides the above named gentlemen, David E. Beaty, Jeremiah Beaty, Lathrop L. Kirby and William Shephard. This meeting was held at the office of Benjamin Wedding. at Jerseyville. After a preliminary discussion it was agreed among themselves that they would canvass among their friends to see how much money could be raised for the purpose of purchasing grounds, etc. At a meeting held on the 13th of April, 1868, the committee reported that they held subscriptions to the amount of $9,855, and a permanent organization was determined on. Hugh N. Cross, James H. Belt, J. H. H. Simmons, J. E. Starr and William Kirby were appointed a committee to draft a constitution. At this meeting an address was delivered by D. M. Woodson, of Carrollton, which did considerable good. At a meeting shortly after this a constitution was reported and adopted, and an election held for officers, which resulted in the choice of the following gentlemen: David E. Beaty, president; Samuel W . Davis, secretary; William Kirby, treasurer, and William Shephard, Hugh N. Cross, J. H. H. Simmons, Lathrop L. Kirby, Jeremiah Beaty, James H. Belt, Jasper M. Terry, Janus E. Starr, Archibald Craig and Caleb A. Post, directors. John N. Squier acted as temporary secretary of this meeting. This organization effected, it was determined to hold a fair that fall, and the necessary steps were taken to purchase the ground and fit it up for the purpose. These grounds in the north portion of the city of Jerseyville. were bought and improved at a cost of nearly 815.0(H). Before the fair came off, Mr. Davis resigned the secretaryship and Morris R. Locke was elected to that office, and has held it ever since, thus conducting the society through every fair ever held, by this highly successful organization.

The first fair of the Jersey County Agricultural and Mechanical Association, was held at the grounds near Jerseyville, on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, Oct. 13, 14, 15 and 16, 1868, and proved a decided success. Thus was inaugurated a series of annual fairs, second to none in the country and the most successful county exposition on record.

The second annual fair was held Oct. 12, 13, 14 and 15, 1869, under the official management of the following gentlemen: David E. Beaty, president; Morris R. Locke, secretary; E. Davidson, treasurer; William Shephard, Hugh X. Cross, L. L. Kirby, James H. Belt. Addison Greene, Jasper M. Terry, Archibald Craig, C. A. Post, James VanHorae and Charles Eldred, directors. Smith M. Titus was the grand marshal of the occasion.

"Our county fair which closes to-day (Oct. 14th) has been one grand success. The rain of Monday, and the lowering, drizzling, misty sky, of Tuesday, led many to fear for the result. But on Wednesday it cleared off, and the last three days the weather was all that could be desired. And so was the fair all that could be desired.

"The general arrangement and appointments of the ground are better than we have ever before seen on any county grounds in Illinois. And certainly the management of the details could not be excelled. Everything was done that could be, and done just right. The officers of the society are all strangers to us, and we therefore feel perfectly free in saying to the citizens of Jersey county, that we do, not see how it could be possible for any set of men to more successfully manage so intricate and difficult a piece of business, as is the arrangement of such an exhibition. We cannot, at this time, give the figures, but we understand that the total number of entries is about one-third larger than last year, and that the cash receipts will probably exceed those of last year, about $1,000.

The officers for this year were as follows: Hugh N. Cross, president; Geo. E. Warren, vice-president; Morris R. Locke, secretary; E. Davidson, treasurer; II. 0. Goodrich, C. C. Cummings, John Buckels, Jr., William H. Fulkerson, H. N. Belt, Jr., L. L. Kirby, Joeb Cory, Sr., Jeremiah Beaty, Hem\>Ryan, Isaac R. Ely, W. D. Curtiss, and C. M. Hamilton, directors.

The fourth fair was held Oct. 10, 11, 12 and 13, 1871, and was a pronounced success, a greater one than ever before held. The gross proceeds of this exhibition, as reported by the treasurer, was $5,903. The officers for this year were: Hugh N. Cross, president; William H. Fulkerson, vice-president; Morris R. Locke, secretary; Joseph G. Marston, treasurer; with Moses Cockrell, Robert Newton, C. M. Hamilton, Joel Cory, Sr., John G. Dougharty, Henry D. Ryan, John A. Cory, C. C. Cummings, J. H. Belt, N. C. Beaty, and William Kirby on the board of direction.

And so on each year the fairs have been held, andthe society has prospered until the name of the Jersey county fair has obtained a state-wide, if not a worldwide reputation, for being the finest, the best conducted, and the most successful of agricultural expositions. The various officers who have helped to make this the prime success that it is, have been picked from the very best business men of the county, and these have not thought it beneath their dignity to attend to it closely, and hence its almost unprecedented success. The following is a complete roster of the officers, directors and committees for the year 1885, and for the annual fair of that year: P. D. Cheney, president; Robert Newton, vice-president; John A. Shephard, treasurer; Morris R. Locke, secretary; James S. Daniels, J. V. Striker, H.C. Terry, J. L. Post, M. B. Trabue, Spencer Wyckoff, G. C. Cockrell, L. L. Kirby, Andrew Bierman, J. N. Lurton, Leslie Cross and J. R. Colean, directors; Col. W. H. Fulkerson, grand marshal; J. K. Cadwalader, assistant marshal; J. R. Colean, clerk of races; N. C. Beaty,

Sup't of the grounds; J. X. Lvtrton, Sup't of amusement; Leslie Cross, Sup't of arena. ( hi the reception committee are the following : Mr. and Mrs. David E. Beaty; Mr. and Mrs. H. 0. Goodrich; Mr. and Mrs. Henry Ryan; Mr. -and Mrs. W. H. Fulkerson; .Mrs. Antonnette V. Cross; Mr. and Mrs. Oliver P. Powel; Mr. and Mrs. Ed. Trabue; Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Conklin.

Old Settlers' Society

On Saturday, Oct. 7, 1871, a meeting was held at the court house, in Jerseyville, for the purpose of organizing the Old Settlers' Society, of Jersey county. Among those who were present and took part in the organization of the association were Cyrus Tolinan, J. M. Hurd, Geo. B. Warren. Jos. G. Scott, J. M. Terry, Caleb Noble, Murray Cheney, J. N. English, Geo. W. Lawder, f. F. Brock, Geo. H. Jackson, J. E. Cooper, Joel Cory, Thomas Wedding, John Brown, William Keller, William McDow, John R. Black, Alfred

A committee of three was appointed to draft a constitution and plan organization, consisting of Geo. E. Warren, J. G. Scott and Geo. H. Jackson. After some deliberation, the committee reported as follows:

Constitution

2. The object of the society is to perpetuate the memory of the pioneers and old settlers of the county, to collect and preserve a history of the settlement and progress, and of interesting events connected with the same, and to revive and keep alive by annual meetings old friendships and the memory of by-gone days; to obtain and record, so far as practicable, the names and ages of the early settlers of this state and county, the place of their nativity, and the date of their location here, and to keep a record of the death of members of the society and the date of such death, to be read at each annual meeting.

3. All persons male or female, residing in the state of Illinois, in the year 1840, who were then '2\ years of age, and who have resided in the counties of Greene and Jersey for 25 years, may become members of the society by enrolling their names upon the register thereof.

4. The officers of the society shall consist of a president, 13 vice-presidents, one to be elected as far as practicable from each township, and a secretary.

5. It shall be the duty of the president to preside at all meetings of tinsociety, to preserve order, and in general to fulfill the duties incumbent upon the presiding officer of all deliberative assemblies.

6. It shall be the duty of the respective vice-presidents to preside at the meetings of the society, in the absence of the president, according to seniority and rotation, to procure a list of the names, ages, places of nativity and date of location, of the early settlers in their several townships, and report them from time to time to the secretary, and, also, to collect and furnish the secretary accounts of events and incidents that were connected with the early history of the county, as they may be able to do so, as shall be of special or general interest, and also to report to the secretary the death of any member occurring in their respective townships.

7. It shall be the duty of the secretary to keep an accurate record of the names, ages, places of nativity and date of location in the state and county, together with the date of death of any of the members of the society, to record the proceedings of all meetings of the society, and also all historical events and incidents connected with the settlement of the county that may be furnished him by the vice-presidents, or derived from the personal narration of members at the meetings of the society, which shall be ordered by vote of the the society. The secretary shall keep a register of the names of all the members in alphabetical order, which shall constitute the roll to be called by him at each regular meeting; also a journal the proceedings of every meeting, and a third book to be denominated the historical record, in which shall lie recorded events and incidents connected with the settlement of the county, furnished him as before provided, or ordered by the secretary, to be recorded therein.

8. There shall be an annual meeting of the society held at the court house, in Jerseyville, on the first Saturday of October of each year, at which time an election shall be held for officers of the society, special meetings shall be held at any time at the call of the president.

Jersey Co. Farmers' Mutual Ins. Co

This association was chartered on the 22d of February, 1861, and organized June 6th, 1862, with the following incorporators: Joel E. Cory, Lewis Randolph, George E. Warren, J. Murray Bacon, 0. P. Powel, J. E. Cooper, Robert C. Whyte, Israel Squier and William Darby. On organization, officers were chosen for the government of the same, and for the transaction of business. These were as follows: J. E. Cory, president; J. E. Cooper, vice president; George E. Warren, secretary; Lewis Randolph, treasurer. Joel E. Cory remained president until his death, which occurred Feb. 13, 1872, when he was succeeded by Hugh N. Cross, who also remained in that office until removed by the hand of death, Nov. 21, 1883, when Jonathan E. Cooper, the present president, was elected to that office. George E.Warren remained in the office of secretary from the date of organization until May 10, 1880, when he was succeeded by R. P. Shackelford, who held it until May 1, 1882, when Jett. A. Kirby, the present incum- bent, was elected. The company, which is a purely mutual one, has issued a total number of 1,241 policies, and has now insured property to the value of $250,000. There has been paid losses to the amount of $20,985, but no assessment has been made for the past three years, showing a healthy state of affairs, largely owing to the business abilities and integrity of the officers of the company. Taking the average cost of insurance for 20 years, from the date of organization, it is found by this company to be about $2,70 per year on $1,000. The present officers are: J. E. Cooper, president; Edward Trabue,vice president; Jett. A. Kirby. secretary; John I. W'hyte, treasurer; Lewis Randolph, Arch. Craig, J. E. Cooper, Orin Palmer, A. Beiermann, John I. Whyte, D. E. Beaty, Edward Trabue and L. L. Kirby, directors.