Jersey County, Illinois - Chapter 36: Jersey Township, 1919

Chapter 36: Jersey Township

BOUNDARIES - AUTHENTIC SOURCE - LETTER OF APPRECIATION - THANKS¬ GIVING DISCOURSE - TEXT - LITERARY INSTITUTIONS - RELIGIOUS INSTITU¬ TIONS - CITY OF JERSEYVILLE - SCHOOLS - RAILROADS - IMPROVEMENTS -

Jersey County is composed of Township 8 north, range 11 west, and a fraction of Township 9 north, range 11 west, consisting of sections 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 34, 35 and 36, and the south half of sections 13, 14 and 15 in Township 9, range 11. The fractional township is bounded on the west and north by Greene County and is popularly known as the "Pan¬ handle." Macoupin Creek crosses the northwest corner of the Panhandle, and that portion of the township is drained by Phill's Creek and its tributaries, which run into Macoupin Creek and its tributaries, one of the main branches is known as Dorsey's Branch. This township is drained to the south and southwest by Sandy Branch and Otter Creek and by other large affluents, the southeast portion of the township being drained into the Piasa, Creek.

Authentic Source

Rev. L. Grosvenor, who became pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Jerseyville in the year 1850, which was only eleven years after Jersey County was established as a separate county, was a highly educated man, a brilliant orator and preacher. Originally he had been educated as a lawyer, wras admitted to the bar, and practiced his profession for a num- ber of years, but subsequently changed, and became a minister of the Presbyterian Church. After taking charge of the Jerseyville church in 1850. he took an active part not only in the church itself, but in the development and advancement of the interests of the community, and in the promotion of all of its material resources, and by reason thereof be¬ came acquainted with all of the original settlers who were then living, not only at Jerseyville, but in Jersey Township and its vicinity. In 1853, in the third year of his pastorate, he delivered a Thanksgiving address at the Presbyterian Church, November 24, of that year, in which he gives a history of Jerseyville from its original settlement to that time, which is the most authentic and reliable record of Jerseyville and Jersey Township of which we have any history. The writer of this work was present and heard the delivery of that address on that occasion, and in so far as Jersey Township and Jerseyville is concerned outside of the address, he will take up the occurrences subsequent to 1853, and the advancement and development of the community.

A Letter Of Appreciation

Some idea of the appreciation of the people of Jerseyville for the address delivered by Mr. Grosvenor is shown by the following letter, written under date of November 28, 1853, at Jerseyville, Ill. :

"In common with the numerous assembly of our citizens, who heard your very interesting and instructive discourse on the history of Jerseyville, delivered in the Presbyterian Church, in this place, on the 24th inst., we would be much pleased to have it published in pamphlet form. We, therefore, respectively request a copy for that purpose.

A Thanksgiving Discourse Text

" 'And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now the place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us. Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let us make a place there where we shall dwell. And he answered, Go ye.' " - II Kings, 6th chap., 1st and 2nd verses.

"In as humble circumstances as the old prophet Elisha and his young disciples, were the early settlers of our village, when they left their far-off homes, and their gray-haired sires and the fields where they had culled the first flowers of life, it was in the spirit of these chil¬ dren of the prophet. The places where they dwelt with 'the old folks at home,' had become too strait for the sustenance of all, and when they talked of swarming, it was not to go to flourishing cities, to build palaces of wealth, glittering with gold. They bent their course toward a wild, rolling prairie, lying in its native beauty just as God had made it, skirted with forests of oak and hickory, where each could hew his own beam and build his own log cabin, as their prototypes did near the river Jordan.

"But notwithstanding their humble means and limited ambition, they must have been men of good taste and a quick eye for natural beauty. Among many pleasant sites for a village in this region, they sought and found the most charming. Among many high and luxuriant swells upon the prairie's breast, they sought and found the highest, the most beautiful, the most fertile. Let us record their names and deeds. The time may be when the record shall have an importance, which, owing to its newness, it may not possess today.

' ' To the older settlers, most of what I shall say will be familiar ; but they will be glad, I trust, to have their minds stirred up by way of remembrance, and the younger may derive benefit from hearing about the fathers of Jerseyville.

"The present town of Jerseyville stands mostly on section 21, Town¬ ship 8 north, range 11 west of the third principal meridian. The first entry was made by Joseph M. Fairfield, October 20, 1823. He entered the west half of the northwest quarter, section 21, the south line of which is on Hickory street, i. e., the street bounding E. A. D'Arcy's lots and unfinished edifice on the south, and the east line bounds the graveyard on the east. Five years afterwards, August 21, 1828, Lindsay H. English, a native of Kentucky, now residing in Greene County, Ill, entered the west half of the southwest quarter, - the east line of which was partly on Main or State street, extending south as far as the dwelling of Dr. Charles Knapp; west as far as Mullholland 's ; north as far as Hickory street before mentioned. On the 21st of September, 1832, John Anderson of Tennessee, entered the southeast quarter of the southwest quarter, and on the 10th of April, 1833, Dr. A. H. Burritt entered the northeast quar¬ ter of the southwest quarter. In 1833, N. L. Adams, of Vermont, entered the northwest quarter of the northeast quarter of section 28.

"James Faulkner, a native of Pennsylvania, was the first actual set¬ tler. He lived, in 1827, in a log cabin. This cabin was built by one Ballard, a squatter, who lived there for some time previous to 1827. His cabin was bought by Faulkner, which stood in the extreme north part of town, not far from the roacl leading to Kane, just beyond the house of Abijah Davis ; but he erected in the same year, part of the building known as the old Red House, at present owned by E. A. D'Arcy. That house is the first frame house ever built on land now occupied by the town of Jersey ville. For several years it was a tavern by necessity, and under its hospitable roof some of my audience have found the only shelter that was offered in the town that now contains 200 houses-; for besides this, there was, till 1833, only a small log cabin, built by John Ellis, in 1830, on the corner of what are now known as Main and Mul¬ berry streets. This floorless hut was about 12x15 feet measurement, and was used sometimes for a dwelling, and at other times for a corn crib. In 1833, John Anderson erected a building on the spot now occupied by the Groton House, at the corner of Main and Pearl streets. This house was afterwards moved to Spruce street, two blocks east, and is the same now owned by Charles S. Jackson. In the same year, Dr. A. H. Burritt built a log house on what is now Exchange street : the same house con¬ stitutes part of the dwelling now owned and occupied by E. S. Wells.

"The inhabitants at this time, were N. L. Adams, who, in 1833, built and lived in a log house on the spot where he now lives in the extreme south part of the town ; Alfred Carpenter, who lived in the Red House ; Murray Cheney, and John Anderson. Adams, Carpenter and Anderson had families. Cheney was unmarried. These were all the residents here in 1833.

"In 1834, Messrs. Lott & Daley built part of the store now occupied by the Messrs. Knapp, and there established the first trading house ever known here. They built also, in the same year, the house on Main street, now owned and occupied by Dr. Hutchinson. In that year, also, they built the back part of the house now owned and occupied by Dr. Hutch¬ inson. In that year, also, they built the back part of the house now occupied by Mrs. Kimball on Main street, in which R. Graham kept a store in 1834, and in 1835, Samuel L. McGill added the front now used as a family grocery. Jn 1834, Messrs. Lott and Daley bought the west half of the southwest quarter, which English had sold Evans, who has a mortgage on the property. They also entered the quarter section west of the Red House tract, now owned by Abijali Davis. Moreover, they pur¬ chased of J ohn Aiiderson the southeast quarter of the southwest quarter, and of Carpenter, they bought the west half of the northwest quarter, so that Messrs. Lott and Daley were, in 1834, proprietors of almost all of the land included in the village of Jerseyville.

"In 1833, twenty years ago, all of the houses between the town of Kane and Alton might easily be enumerated. The house where Mervine now lives, three-fourths of a mile northwest of the village of Kane, was then standing, and was the post office nearest to this place. Thither the early settlers in the township, for some years, repaired to get news from the loved ones left behind. In 1833, the store now occupied by Z. H. Adams, of Kane, was erected, and the next house on the road was the old Red House before mentioned. Passing the few buildings on this spot, already enumerated, the next house was on the spot then, and now, occupied by Thomas Cummings, who is believed to be the only resident in this region, over forty-five years of age, who is a native of Illinois. His age is about fifty-five. There was not a house on the present site of the town of Delhi. The next house was Nelson Lurton's. The next, a mile south of Delhi, occupied by John Wilkins. There was a cabin near the Piasa crossing, since demolished. The next was a cabin on the place now occupied by Thomas Marshall. The next was a cabin on the place lately occupied by 'Old Job,' whose cordial invitation to 'stop and see him,' no longer greets the eye of the weary traveler. The next was the house of Debond ; still standing beyond the Piasa. Below there, where lately stood a large, rickety, ghostly two-story building, burned down last winter, the road turned to the left, leaving the present Monticello half a mile to the right, and then going through Scarritt's prairie; but there was no Monticello then; that beautiful village, with its justly cele¬ brated female seminary, was then unborn; and from Scarritt's prairie there was not a single house till you reached Alton, then a village, at the highest computation, of some twenty buildings in all."

Eev. Thomas Lippincott, now of Chandlerville, Ill., informed the writer that when he was riding from Jacksonville to Alton, twenty-five years ago, in company with Eev. Edward Beecher, now of Boston, the question arose as they passed through the prairie around Jerseyville, whether this region of country would ever be all taken up and settled. Being hopeful men they concluded it would be done sometime or other, but not in their day or generation. - Editor.

"Till 1834, the place called Jerseyville had been known as Hickory Grove, from time immemorial. This name was derived from the fact that the piece of forest intersprinkled with ' semi-occasional ' hickory trees, still standing in part on the land of Davis, Morean, Corbett and Burke, was then the only growth of trees on the ground belonging to Jersey¬ ville. In 1834, for the purpose of establishing a post office here, the principal inhabitants of Jerseyville met at the Red House to give the new town a new name. Those who attended that meeting were, G. Patter¬ son, George Richards, J. E. Cooper, G. W. Lowder, J. Allen, R. B. Rob¬ bins, Isaac Darnielle, E. A. D'Arcy, Alfred Carpenter, John Ellis, J. W. Lott, E. M. Daley, Murray Cheney, N. L. Adams, A. H. Burritt, N. Miner, Franklin Potts, and J. A. Potts. Dr. E. A. D'Arcy was chairman of the meeting. Several names were proposed for the new town. Major Patterson proposed that it be called Livingston. Carpenter, an old soldier, wished it to be called Liberty. Richards, a New Hampshire man, wished to immortalize the memory of that decaying state, by christening this promising town with the insignificant name, New Hampshire. Cheney proposed that the proprietors should give it whatever name they pleased. This proposition seeming to meet the views of the majority of the meet¬ ing, Dr. Lott, a native of New Jersey, was called on for a name. He arose and thanked the people, and with a characteristic expletive, and in genuine Jersey dialect, cried out, 'I'd like to have it called Jerseywille. ' The doctor, sharing the common fate of humanity, did not obtain the full accomplishment of his wishes, for the meeting voted to call the place Jerseyville, not Jerseywille, and then agreed upon E. M. Daley for post¬ master, subject to the will of the higher powers. After this important matter was accomplished, the meeting adjourned, according to the Illinois liquor law of those times, to drink the health of the new town in flowing bowls of tanzy bitters. The people obtained their desire with regard to the post office and postmaster, E. M. Daley being appointed the first postmaster of Jerseyville.

"In 1834, part of this town was laid off in blocks and lots by Lott & Daley, and some bargains were made at private sales. The two lots situ¬ ated at the corner of Main and Pearl streets, now occupied by J. C. Darby & Co., Morean, Hinton, etc., which, with the buildings, are now owned by William Yates, were sold in 1834 to Richard Graham for twenty dollars each. They are worth now, without the buildings, $500.00 each. The second store in the place was erected here by Richard Gra¬ ham, in 1834.

"Several additions to the original plot of Jersey ville have since been made. In 1839, G. W. Burke laid off an addition of nearly forty acres east of Lott & Daley's plot. In 1844, Shephard, administrator of Johnson's estate, made an addition south of Burke's, called Johnson's Addition. In 1852, James C. Perry made an addition in the western part of the town. In 1853, N. L. Adams made an addition of eight acres east of Burke's.

"The name given to the town was a fortunate one for the prospects of the place. It must, in fact, be considered as one of the most important causes of the prosperity of the town and country. It has been a means of settling the village and the fine country around it with a population, the majority of whom are from New Jersey; a people well known for their industry and thrift, and, generally, for their sober and orderly char¬ acter. From that time to the present, the waves of migration from New Jersey have continued to roll hitherward. When the places of the sons of the prophets in the ancient Jerseys become too strait, or the sand banks too deep and barren for the support of the new and increas¬ ing families of the state, they at once get a map of Illinois, and sit down to study the topography of the country and to decide upon the very spot of these wide prairies, whither they will urge their steps. The name of Jersey ville, Jersey County, smacks greatly of the old homestead and fireside. They judge, and judge rightly, that they will find a society sim¬ ilar to that they are leaving. They hope to find all the advantages they left, and none of the disadvantages. They believe they are coming to a New Jersey indeed ; only that the soil is a black and rich vegetable deposit, instead of a yellow, bottomless sand drift, from which it has hitherto astonished them to be able to raise anything but watermelons, even by the most sedulous coaxing. Therefore, from 1834 to nearly the present time, Old Jersey has emptied itself with a steady and increasing current into the New Jersey of Illinois. When persecuted in one Jersey, the in¬ habitants flee into another, shaking the sand out of the heels of their boots, as a testimony against it. This immigration here has caused here a continual demand for land, and, of course, kept up a continual rise in the price of lands, so that, until quite recently, our lands have brought comparatively enormous rates. But railroads and plank roads have lately brought so much other land into competition with ours, that we, being as yet, without rail or plank, have been crowded into a corner where we are likely to remain some time. The Jersey and other people who come to Jersey County now, generally make but a short halt. Macoupin, Sangamon and other lands invite them, and our country is too strait and too far from market even for some of those who have dwelt here for many years; so that, young as we are, we have already sent out new colonies, to the east, north and south. The town of Jerseyville was in¬ corporated in July, 1837. The first trustees of the corporation were J. W. Lott, G. H. Collins, Samuel L. McGill, Richard Graham, and E. M. Daley. In 1839, it was made a county seat, and the new county of Jersey was set off from Greene, to which it formerly belonged. This was done against a strong opposition from interested persons. In 1840, the court¬ house was erected, at a cost of $6,000.00, raised mostly by subscription. It was built on the block given by Lott & Daley to the town for a public square, and the trustees of the town now deeded it to the county for the public buildings.

The Literary Institutions

"It is unfortunate for Jerseyville, as it has been for most western towns, that the early and subsequent settlers have had no very absorb¬ ing interest in the subject of education. Being men of limited pecuniary ability, they have been generally tempted to think more of the material than the intellectual interests of themselves and their children. The estab¬ lishment and sustaining of schools has been rather an 'uphill business,' ever since Irving Little, in the winter of 1833-4, started the first little school in the old Red House. Mr. Little seems to have found the business rather an unprofitable one, for he speedily exchanged the bircli for the hoe, which he continues to wield at this day, in the eastern part of the county, with considerable profit to himself and the 'rising generation' around him.

"The venerable John Adams of Jacksonville, a man who has probably instructed more boys than any man in America, having been a noted preceptor in several of the best academies in New England, taught a school for some time in this old schoolhouse, which, in 1836, was built on land devoted for school purposes by A. H. Burritt. This house, measuring 20 feet by 24, still stands, although threatened by speedy ex¬ termination by the finger of time and the march of improvement. It was not built like the pyramids, for the admiration of future ages. In this weatherbeaten edifice, the gospel was preached for several years, by ministers of the various denominations, before the erection of any church edifice, and until this year, 1853, it was the only public schoolhouse. But a good, brick schoolhouse, erected by tax, has been com¬ pleted, measuring 24x36 feet, and is occupied by Mr. Corbett, who has taught in this village for many years. This is all that can be said about our public schools and schoolhouses. Our best schools, hitherto, have been those which have been established, and their whole expenses borne by the teachers themselves. In 1849, Miss Mary Farley, erected at her own cost, a large two-story frame building for school purposes, and ex¬ cellent private schools for young ladies and for small children have since been steadily kept there. The lower story of Temperance Hall was de¬ signed for a private schoolroom, and has been used as such nearly ever since it was completed. A Library Association was established in 1850, and the library contains about 300 volumes and periodicals, which are constantly though too slowly increasing. It is hoped that this institution will be cherished by all the present and future inhabitants, as one cal¬ culated more than any other to stimulate a desire for solid information, and to give to our ingenious and ambitious youth the opportunity to lay a broad foundation for future usefulness and fame. Many a statesman, crowned with the laurels of the senate; many a hero known in his country's history, has referred to the village library of his native town as giving him the first ambition to tread the World's arena, and soil his sandals with the Olympic dust.

"A lyceum was commenced in 1839, and has been sustained during nearly every winter since that time. Here, in debate and lecture, the young and aspiring may find a fair and encouraging field to exhibit themselves and others, the earliest signs of promise, and to win some bub¬ bles of renown from no unwilling or envious auditors. Let this institu¬ tion too be cherished and better patronized than it has been by the middleaged and old. Let parents be more anxious that their children should attend these debates and lectures, which cost nothing and are worth something, than that they should follow the strolling vagabonds of every description who honor us too often with their visits, which cost something and are worth nothing.

of this place, and has since discoursed elegant and gratuitous music wherever their services are demanded. Their instruments were mostly furnished them by the voluntary contributions of our citizens.

"An important literary institution is the 'Prairie State,' a weekly newspaper established in 1849, by John C. Conklin, continued awhile after he left by A. C. Hinton, Esq., and now edited and published by Augustus Smith. Several other efforts had been made to establish newspapers here previous to this, but the papers all failed after a short¬ lived existence. This paper is well sustained, and bids fair to survive for some generations to come.

"There might be a reading room in Jersey ville, but there is none. There might be an academy established on a firm basis, with funds suffi¬ cient for teachers of the first order; sufficient also, to furnish a good library, good philosophical and chemical apparatus, and a good mineralogical and geological cabinet ; a school where the sons and daughters of Jersey ville might be sure of having a generous education without leaving home. But is the historian of Jerseyville yet born, who shall be able to say it was founded in his day? If we had in Illinois, or the town of Jerseyville, an efficient and comprehensive system of public schools, such as they have in Massachusetts, New ,York, Pennsylvania and Ohio, and even in some particular towns of our own state, we conld very well do without a seminary, established by private funds. But is there a prospect that the general apathy to public schools will give place to a zeal in their behalf, which will produce a system that will give to the children of Jerseyville, anything like a thorough education? Yet, he who would infer from our indifference to the establishment of good schools, that our adult population are wanting in general intelligence, would fall wide of the truth. The general intelligence of the people is sufficiently manifest from the abundance of papers and other periodicals, which are regularly received at this post office. More than 1,000 copies of various newspapers and magazines are regularly received and distributed here, besides our own village journal. Of the newspapers the^e are some dailies, more tri-weeklies, and still more weeklies. The principal and favorite ones are the following: of the Alton Telegraph, there are re¬ ceived 100 copies; Alton Courier, eighty; Saturday Evening Post, sixtysix; Pennsylvania, sixtv-three; St. Louis Intelligencer, forty; National Era, thirty-five ; of monthly magazines, the following are chief, viz. : Harpers', thirty copies; Prairie Farmer, thirty; Western Magazine, twenty; Farm and Garden, seventeen; Knickerbocker, ten; Scientific

American, ten. Besides this evidence of intelligence, it must be added that during the past year considerable feeling upon the subject of edu¬ cation has been excited in Jersey ville, and a convention is about to be held in this place, to consult concerning the best means of improving the common schools of Illinois. At this meeting the presence and counsel of eminent speakers is expected, and it is confidently hoped that the influ¬ ence of that convention will be felt, not merely in this town and county, but throughout the state, and more particularly in the capital of the state, when the next Legislature shall be in session.

The Religious Institutions

"It is believed that the Rev. Thomas Lippincott, still living in a green old age, is the first minister of any denomination who ever preached the gospel within the bounds of this village. He, with Rev. Mr. Breed, Rev. Elisha Jenney, now of Waverly, and Rev. Dr. Blackburn, whose precious memory is embalmed in all the churches of this region of country, had several times, from 1833 to 1835, preached here in various private houses.

"On the 15th of February, 1834, by appointment of the Presbytery of Illinois, Rev. Thomas Lippincott and Rev. Elisha Jenney, 'attended in the south part of Greene County, near Hickory Grove,' in the house of N. L. Adams, to organize the Presbyterian Church ; which was the first church organized in this place. After sermon by Mr. Lippincott, eighteen persons were formed into a church, who elected three elders, who were or¬ dained the next day. The records of the church do not give the names of these elders, but they were, A. H. Burritt, James Lumsden and M. N. BoswOrth. It is believed that all these are still living, but only one of them (Lumsden) continues connected with this church. The church was called, at that time, ' The South Greene Church, ' which name was changed March 3rd, 1839, by vote of church and presbytery, to that of the ' Presbyterian Church in Jersey ville.' For a considerable time Mr. Lippincott preached here statedly. Rev. Amos P. Brown officiated as stated preacher from October, 1835, to February, 1837, and from August, 1837, to August, 1838. From September, 1839, to September, 1840, Rev. Joseph Fowler was the stated preacher. In September, 1839, an interesting protracted meeting was held, when Mr. Fowler was as¬ sisted by Rev. L. Lyons of New York state, and Rev. Hugh Barr of Carrollton. Mr. Lyons was invited to become the stated preacher, and commenced his labors in November, 1840. In March, 1841, a pro¬ tracted meeting was held, which is said to have been very profitable to the spiritual interests of the church. The installation of Rev. L. Lyons as pastor of this church, took place December 26, 1843, by the Alton Presbytery, after he had been preaching here for three years. Rev. A. T. Norton preached the sermon on the occasion.

' 'Till 1841, the Presbyterian Church has worshipped mostly in the schoolhouse, but on the 14th of October, 1841, this meetinghouse, which had been building several years, was dedicated to the worship of God. It was built on land given to the church by Johnson & Daley in 1838, its original dimensions being 40 by 48 feet, and its cost about $2,000.00. The sermon at the dedication was preached by Rev. Theron Baldwin.

"In the month of January, 1842, a very interesting protracted meet¬ ing was held by Rev. James Gallaher, who spent two weeks here, preach¬ ing daily. February 1, 1842, an addition of more than fifty was made to the church. In September, 1839, there were but fifty-four members. On the list for 1842, more than 200 names are found, being an increase of about 150 in three years.

"Rev. Mr. Lyons, after having labored here for four years, died January 11, 1845, greatly lamented by the large church which, in his time, from a 'little one, had become a thousand.' He was buried in the rear of the church, and a monument erected over his remains by the con¬ tributions of the members.

"After his death the church was without regular preaching for more than a year, viz., until March, 1846, at which time Rev. G. C. Wood com¬ menced his ministerial labors. During his administration of four years, eighty-six members were added to the church, fifty-four of them on pro¬ fession. In the spring of 1850, Mr. Wood resigned his charge and is now lecturing in Greenville, Ill.

"In October, 1850, Rev. L. Grosvenor commenced his ministerial serv¬ ices in Jerseyville, since which time thirty-seven members have been added to the church, seventeen on profession, and twenty by letter. The whole number now in connection with this church and in good stand¬ ing, is 217 ; so that the church is but little larger than it was eleven years ago. Nevertheless, it would be unfair to infer that the church has ' stood still' so long. Increase in mere numbers is not the best criterion of the prosperity of a church. A church may even be diminishing in num¬ bers, and yet gaining in actual strength and influence. That the gen¬ eral intelligence of this church and its wealth and its contributions to the various objects of religious benevolence, have vastly increased within a few years, is very certain, though there is ability, and great occasion

"In 1846, they purchased a house in the east part of the town for a parsonage. In 1852 they sold that property for $650.00, and purchased of William B. Nevius, for $800.00, the convenient property now occu¬ pied as the parsonage, corner of Main and Carpenter streets. In 1851, they added to the front of the church building 14x40 feet, surmounted by a neat belfry, adding a gallery and sixteen pews on the lower floor at a cost of $825.00 In 1852, they added Venetian blinds at a cost of $105.00 In 1853, they purchased a bell weighing 883 pounds, at a cost of $363.00, and for chandelier and other conveniences, they have ex¬ pended $85.00 more, making an expenditure of over $1,600.00 for church purposes, in the three years, during which the present minister has re¬ sided here, and for which expenditures they are still in debt -to the amount of $250.00, which they expect shortly to liquidate, by means of a legacy due the church from the estate of the late Dr. Todd.

"While giving to this church the credit of expenditures, I by no means desire to ignore the liberality of other churches, for members of all churches, to a considerable extent, have aided many of these im¬ provements. It is indeed an evidence of the mutual kindliness of mem¬ bers of the various churches and congregations of Jersey ville toward each other, that they have ever been ready to assist each other in all useful undertakings, for the advancement of the material and spiritual interests of Jersey ville. The voice of party and denominational strife is always hushed when there is a demand for pecuniary aid. In one respect, it must be owned, this church has taken a step backward since its organ¬ ization. It was organized on total abstinence principles. But, for some cause, the restrictions with regard to the use of intoxicating liquors was taken off, and the church has since suffered considerably, in consequence of that unfortunate act.

' ' This is at present, the only Presbyterian Church in the county, but Rev. Socrates Smith has just been employed to itinerate over the county, and preach in various places where preaching is necessary, and it is confidently hoped, that through his instrumentality, other churches will spring up, some colonizing from this church, and others joining, who have as yet formed no connection with any other church.

"The Methodist Episcopal Church was organized in July, 1839, under the administration of Rev. M. Robbins, with seven members. The min¬ isters who have succeeded Mr. Robbins are the following: Rev. Messrs. Allen, McMurray, Anderson, Dickens, Jones, Leaton, Anderson, Coving- ton, Jones, Wood, Lewis, Culver, who was the first stationed preacher, and remained two years, and Risley, who is the present incumbent. Un¬ der the zealous labors of these faithful ministers of the W ord, the church has enjoyed several revivals, and now numbers 110 members; and in the county the membership of the church has grown so numerous, that two circuit preachers have been employed this year, besides the stationed preacher.

"The church building of the Methodists in this village was erected in 1846-7, on land given them by Major G. Patterson. The cost of the building was about $900.00. Its dimensions are about 34x40 feet. They have also a very fine parsonage property, near the meetinghouse, pur¬ chased in 1851 for $900.00.

"The congregation are thinking about enlarging their house of worship, it having been, for some time, too small to accommodate the worshipers. It is believed that this church has lived in more peace and brotherly love than either of the other churches. No difference of opinion on collateral questions has ever taken their thoughts from the main ques¬ tion, or has been permitted to sever the unity of the spirit of the bonds of peace.

"The Baptist Church was organized in 1841. The few Baptists here at that time invited Rev. Elijah Dodson to hold a meeting here for two days. He came and preached here in the old schoolhouse and in resi¬ dences for seventeen days and nights. The result of the meeting was twenty-five hopeful conversions. On the 5th of September, 1841, the Baptist Church was organized with thirty members, of whom one-third are still living here. The first deacons were Richard Graham and J. E. Cooper. The church was supplied with stated preaching by Rev. Messrs. Dodson and Moses Lemon until 1843, when Rev. Eliliu Palmer w'as called to the care of the church, and remained until January, 1846. At this time there was a division of the church on the slavery question, and eighteen members were organized into a new church under the care of Rev. E. Palmer. The church soon expired, while the old church con¬ tinued with Rev. Joel Terry as their minister until 1847. Rev. W. F. Boyakin was minister from that time till April, 1849, when Rev. J. Bulkley commenced his services. He continued till October, 1853, when he resigned and the church is now without regular preaching. Under the able and devoted ministry of Mr. Bulkley, the church greatly in¬ creased in numbers and efficiency, so that it now numbers 163.

ing, measuring 32x42 feet, exclusive of its portico, was erected at a cost of from $1,800.00 to $2,000.00. In 1850 they purchased a bell, weighing 525 pounds, for $200.00. In 1851 they added Venetian blinds at a cost of $80.00. This church has, for several years past, manifested a great degree of liberality in their contributions to the various objects of religious benevolence. There are two or three other small Baptist churches in Jersey County.

"A Congregational Church wras organized in 1846, consisting mostly of seceders from the Presbyterian Church, at a time of high excitement on the subject of slavery, and Messrs, Hulbut and Loomis preached here for six months each, but the church was soon dissolved, and those of the members who are left in Jerseyville, mostly attend the Presby¬ terian Church.

"The Roman Catholics have no church building, as yet, but with their usual superior judgment with regard to the localities of their public buildings, they purchased in 1852, of the Messrs. Barr, one-third of an acre of land in one of the most sightly and pleasant parts of the town. A handsome church edifice, with an elegant front and spire, built there, and fronting on Main street, would be visible almost from Kane, five miles distant, and certainly from the village of Fidelity, eleven miles distant, and would certainly be a great ornament to Jerseyville, stand¬ ing as it would directly at the diverging point of the Main street and the road to Alton, and, like Grace Church in Broadway, New York, pre¬ senting itself to all promen aclers in the principal street of the town, as the most conspicuous object throughout its entire length.

"The only cemetery in this neighborhood is a piece of ground, con¬ taining two acres, deeded to the county commissioners by Miss Arintha Conover, in 1841. Burials had taken place here for some years previous, when the land belonged to Carpenter, who afterwards sold the land with a reservation of these two acres for a public graveyard. It was never laid out in blocks and wralks, and it is feared that a few years more will make it a place of inextricable confusion to those who wish to bury their dead, or find the remains of the long departed. Even now the mattock of the grave digger sometimes strikes a coffin, and he is compelled to desist and commence his labors elsewhere. Even now, the father visiting the graveyard after long years of absence, cannot, with any certainty, point to the spot that contains the relics of his child. The citizens of Jerseyville will never be able to claim the title of a fully civilized people till they have a cemetery worthy to be the depository of the precious dead. It matters not how many churches we may have, or literary or benevo- lent institutions, we shall forever be justly scandalized while our dead lie thus neglected and forgotten. The stranger of taste, cultivation and piety will always be shocked when he asks for your Greenwood or Auburn, to be informed that we have no bright spot with verdure, and shade and flowers, emblematic of immortal bloom, but only one bleak, sterile, gloomy Golgotha to be offered to his survey.

"0, ye rich and prosperous men of Jersey ville! Purge yourselves from this too foul and melancholy disgrace. Give yourselves and give us one spot which shall be hallowed and blessed. Give us from your broad acres some extensive and lovely lawn, which you and we may beautify with long drawn aisles, arched by the branches of the forest; some piece of sequestered ground where the filthy swine shall no longer burrow into the graves of your wives and brothers and children, and where stray horses and cattle shall never more find pasture. Give us the spot, where every summer evening the aged and the young may go alike to weep and rejoice - the place where gentle hands shall plant the cedar and the willow, the rose and the myrtle, around the firm, well sodded grave, and from year to year shall watch the zephyr as it plays like a living spirit among the trembling petals, as it plays like the very fingers of the laughing child, whose little frame is mouldering there, while its spirit is smiling in the bosom of God. Give us where the thoughtless may go to be beguiled into lessons full of solemn warning, which they shall in vain endeavor to forget. Give us where the aged and careworn may go to measure their last resting place ; yes, to lie down upon the sod, and casting the eye of faith to heaven, cry, 0, that I had the wings of a dove, that my spirit might fly away, and my broken body lie here in its serene, unbroken repose. (I am happy to add, that since this sermon was delivered, arrangements are making by Messrs. Adams, Morean and Blackburn for a suitable cem¬ etery, just outside of the limits of the village.)

"Jerseyville Union, Daughters of Temperance, was organized April 21, 1853, with twelve members : Mary Combs, Sarah Hansell, Sarah Cul¬ ver, Mary A. Smith, Mary Osborn, F. Maupin, Marilla Levine, Eliza¬ beth Dunsden, Martha Nichols, Mary Snedeker, Miss Lorrance, and Eliz¬ abeth McGannon.

"These are all the temperance societies at present existing in this town or county. The first temperance society ever organized in this county was organized by Rev. Dr. Blackburn at Major Patterson's, several miles southwest of Jersey ville, as early as 1835. This society afterwards changed its quarters to Jersey ville and brought its records here. In the time of the Washingtonian movement, in 1840, a great reformation was effected in Jersey ville, some notorious drunkards were reclaimed and converted, and are still sober men and members of churches. When the order of Sons of Temperance was organized, all other societies merged into that, and gave the work into their hands.

"The Jerseyville Lodge, No. 53, of Odd Fellows, was instituted May 5, 1848. Charter members, P. C. Walker, A. C. Hutchinson, Samuel Cowen, James Bringliurst and C. Roberts. Before organization several new members were admitted, viz.: George E. Warren, William Yates, Jonathan Plowman, W. Casey, N. L. Adams, James C. Perry, R. L. Hill, and P. Silloway. William Yates was elected N. G., R. L. Hill, V. G., and C. H. Roberts, scribe.

"Odd Fellows Hall was built by members of the lodge in 1851, at a cost of $2,000.00. It is a handsome frame building, two stories high, measuring 25x50 feet. The hall is as commodious and handsomely fur¬ nished as any hall of the order in the state. The present number of members is eighty-three.

' ' Time will not enable me to trace, as I would like to do minutely, the gradual development of the material interests of Jerseyville, from 1835 to 1853. Few words on this subject must suffice.

"In 1835, the Indian and the buffalo had long departed for the West, gone, according to Benton, as engineers, to survey and mark out the best track for a railroad to the Pacific ; but the hungry wolf still made night hideous, and the timid deer shook their antlers here, and galloped over the places of our present sanctuaries and homes. Jerseyville was not; and even a year or two later, some of the officials at Carrollton sneered at the newly broached idea of a county and county seat south of that ancient town. Disaster and defeat were prophesied for the new scheme, on several grounds, one of which is said to have been that it was so near the city of Kane, that a business place here was a thing impossible. Another was, that it was so far from timber, that nobody would buy lots or undertake to build here. Today we number 1,000 or 1,200 inhabitants, many of whom have hauled vast quantities of lumber from Alton and Grafton, as well as from the neighboring woods ; and if our mode of computing population were similar to the mode of the Eastern states, that is by townships, rather than by villages, our popu¬ lation would not be less than 3,000 and might be considerably more.

"The highest vote ever polled in this precinct was 628, and allowing but one voter to every five persons (and that is a small estimate in a western population where the males outnumber the females) 3,140 would be the population of this precinct. We have certainly as good a right to reckon population by townships as New York or Massachusetts, and no special harm would come upon Jerseyville, if our town and county officials should conspire to take a census of the township, and henceforth estimate our population accordingly.

"Merchandise, husbandry, and every species of mechanical art which has been tried here, have always prospered from the beginning. At present four blocks on Main street, on each side of the street, are almost entirely occupied by hotels, shops, and stores of traders and mechanics, and for the hoarse coughing of the steamer, or the roar and rattle of the train, we have yet, as a substitute, the constant daily and nightly puffing of two larg$ and busy flour mills, one of which, at least, has made itself known throughout a large portion of Illinois, by something better than mere puffing.

''Here is also an extensive buckskin glove manufactory under the management of E. S. Wells & Co., whose wares are in great demand, and are giving to Jersey ville a wide and enviable reputation. This firm dress annually 10,000 to 12,000 deer skins, and manufacture 30,000 pairs of gloves and mittens, besides 15,600 purses. These are now the most im¬ portant and extensive of our manufactures. There is doubtless plenty of room for more, and the establishing of a paper mill, costing $10,000.00, is promised next summer. Hardly a better place than Jersey ville could be found for a manufactory of coarse domestics or coarse woolens, for there are plenty of young people here of both sexes, who would rejoice in such steady and profitable employment.

"Substantial and commodious sidewalks, mostly of plank, are extend¬ ing their branches everywhere through the village, promising speedily, easy access to every part of town. But it will surprise some of you to hear that, in the year 1847, when the brick walk from Knapp's corner to Clendenin 's was first laid, an indignation meeting was held in this town, and attended by some of our best citizens, condemning the 'uncalled for and arbitrary measure'; no less than twenty-eight persons being guilty of the absurdity of pledging themselves, in writing, never at any election to vote for any of those who were at that time trustees of the town, 'nor of any of their abettors in said iniquitous act. ' The meeting unanimously passed five resolutions of the most peppery description, and then ad¬ journed for further reflection, which seems to have been attended with gratifying results. As most of these persons have manifested repentance by subsequent works of righteousness, it would be doing them injustice to record their names. Forgiveness on repentance is a law of heaven.

"Shade trees (mostly locusts) are plentiful here, and almost every citizen takes honorable pride in adorning his yard and the streets with them, so that what was twenty years ago a verdant prairie, is fast becom¬ ing literally, 'a leafclad town.'

"I have occupied so much time in this narrative, that little is left for reflections suitable to the subject and the occasion. I will close with the single remark that we have abundant reason to thank God today for the establishment and the progress of Jerseyville, in all its material and spiritual interests. For some years intemperance and immorality of all kinds threatened to entrench themselves immovably in our midst. The first invoice of goods ever brought to this place, contained $1,700.00 worth of spirituous liquors. This, too, in 1834, when people were few and far between. Drinking, gambling and horse racing were the chief amusements of the citizens. One of the greatest speculations in personal property ever made here, was the purchase and sale, in 1835, of a race horse belonging to one of our citizens. The horse was sold for $5,000.00, and taken to Missouri, where it is believed he died through treachery and poison. The gospel seemed, for a long time, almost powerless against sin. Even so lately as 1837-8, the number of religious worshippers of all denominations at the old schoolhouse did not average over thirty, while the worshippers of tanz}^ bitters at the Red House, on the Sabbath, were twice that number. There were then three drunkard factories here, constantly in running order, the most notorious of which was the 'Old Bat House.' But prayer and labor were not wanting in the darkest hour. At length, the seeds of temperance and Christianity, which had been planted here, took deep root in the hearts of the people. Many of the stoutest sinners have either been destroyed or humbled under the power of God, and on the whole, it may be said, that now we are a people as moral, sober, and peaceable as any other in the state.

"Liquor selling, liquor drinking and gambling are frowned upon by the vast majority of our people, and we are starving out the few re¬ maining lawyers just as rapidly as we can. Little encouragement is afforded to the idle and vicious to take up a residence here, but on the contrary, every inducement is presented to the quiet and industrious to cast in their lot among us. There has been a constant, though, compar¬ atively speaking, not very rapid increase in the number of its buildings and people, and nine-tenths of its population are Americans, so that we are much more homogeneous in feeling and interests than the popula¬ tion of most other towns, of similar or larger size in the state. Our people are almost all prosperous in business, and are rapidly surrounding themselves with various comforts and luxuries, and are beginning to manifest the usual instincts of a cultivated people, an ambitious grasping after more and better things than their neighbors possess. No extensive conflagration has ever visited our town', to lay waste in a single night the labor of years, and for this we are indeed bound to thank God with all our hearts - for, as for man, he, as yet, has taken little care to prevent it. I cannot record the organization of any engine, hose or hook and lad¬ der company in Jerseyville, and I fear that nothing short of a disas¬ trous fire will produce that which ought to be in existence, and might be the means of saving a vast amount of property this very winter.

"Citizens of Jerseyville! Thank God today for mercies past and present. Firmly resolve to give up no ground you have won. Take no steps backward. You have been for some time watchful on the sub¬ ject of temperance, but considerably too bashful. Henceforth, present a solid phalanx of strong hearts and hands, to resist its desolating career. Maintain by precept and example, due reverence for the name of God and for the holy Sabbath, without which no town or country can be truly prosperous. Let the cause of education and the cause of true religion have your earnest endeavor. It is only by the cultivation and practice of virtue and piety that Jerseyville can continue to grow in wisdom and moral stature, and in favor with God and man. Let this town be a moral lighthouse, standing as high above the billows of ignorance and vice, as her towers and roofs rise higher than the valleys in which flow the rivers and creeks that bound the territory of the county. Let all who cast their eyes hitherward from a distance, see, now and forever, your lantern burning, with no revolving, uncertain, or flickering glare, but forcing its strong steady rays far down through the fogs of the early morning, and the thick darkness of Egyptian midnight - thus and thus alone, shall the influence of Jerseyville be what it may be, and ought to be, wide, happy, and everlasting."

City Of Jerseyville

The original plat of the city of Jerseyville, was located on the west half of the southwest quarter of sections 21, 8 and 11. On August 28, 1829, Lindsay H. English entered this tract of land. On Jannary 1, 1831, English sold this land to John Evans of Carrollton; May 26, 1834, John Evans sold to John W. Lott, E. M. Daley and Rescarrick Ayers ; August 26, 1834, Rescarrick Ayers sold his interest in this tract to John W. Lott and E. M. Daley; February 6, 1835, Lott & Daley had the original plat of Jerseyville surveyed. This plat was placed on record on March 2, 1835.

In 1827 the old Red House was built and it was the first frame building on the site of Jerseyville. This building was used as a tavern and stage coach station, and was the general meeting place for the few settlers who were in this community, and continued to be the rendezvous for the incoming settlers until it was purchased by Dr. E. A. D'Arcy and used by him as a residence. Prentiss D. Cheney was married to a daugh¬ ter of Dr. D 'Arcy, and succeeded to the proprietorship of this property, and when he built his new mansion on the same site as the old Red House, he incorporated it into his new building as a part of it. Dr. A. M. Cheney, son of Prentiss D. Cheney, and grandson of Dr. Edward A. D'Arcy, is now the owner and occupant of this building.

In 1834 Lott & Daley erected a building at the southeast corner of State and Pearl streets, and opened a general store. Horatio N. Belt did the carpenter work on this building. They operated this store for about a year and sold same to George Collins and Benjamin Yates, who, under the firm name of Collins & Yates, continued to operate a general store at this place for several years. In 1837, Adam Clendenin and Edward Coles opened a small store and operated it for a short time. The first blacksmith in Jersey ville was George W. Burke, who opened his shop in 1834. He was followed by Stephen Herron in 1835, and John M. Smith in 1836.

The post office at Jerseyville was established in 1834, when Edward M. Daley was appointed postmaster, following the meeting of the set¬ tlers at the old Red House for the selection of the name of Jerseyville for the post office.

In 1853, at the time of the delivery of Rev. L. Grosvenor's address, cpioted in its entirety above, there was no railroad within the present limits of Jersey County, except the main line of the Chicago and Alton, running through a portion of Piasa Towmship, which is remote from the business center of Jersey County.

Jerseyville was established as the county seat of Jersey County, under the original act of the Legislature authorizing the separation of the county of Jersey from the county of Greene, and it was there¬ fore made the center, not only of the political and administrative busi¬ ness of the new county, but of the business interests as well. Prior to its establishment as a county seat the most populous townships of the county were 7-11, which was the Lofton Prairie settlement; 7-12, which was the Otter Creek Settlement, and 8-12, which was the English Township Settlement. The original roads from these settlements to Carrollton, which was the county seat of Greene County, was from the Lofton Prairie Settlement, through the Otter Creek Settlement, and north along the skirt of the timber, through English Township to Car¬ rollton. There wrere no roads running from Alton to Carrollton, through Jerseyville in that day. The early settlers, as before stated, did not like to go into the prairie to make settlements or open up farms. The hickory grove upon which Jersey ville is located, is the highest eleva¬ tion above the sea level between St. Louis and Jacksonville, and the water from the courthouse square in Jerseyville runs into Dorsey's Branch on the north ; and thence into Phill 's Creek and into the Ma¬ coupin, and on the south side of Pearl, it runs into the head waters of Sandy Branch and Otter Creek, and thence into the Illinois River. On the southwest portion of the city of Jerseyville the water descends into the head waters of the Piasa, and on the northeast into Phill 's Creek.

The settlers of Lofton Prairie, Elsah and English Settlements, were largely from the southern states. These settlements were the earliest in the county, and the pioneers in these townships were almost all from Georgia or the Carolinas, who had come into Tennessee and Kentucky and from thence many of them came into the American bottom. From there, they came into what is now Jersey County. The Otter Creek settlement dates from about 1830. Dr. Silas Hamilton came here from Mississippi, and the Doughertys and Nobles also came from Mississippi. Dr. Hamilton's relatives that he brought here and settled around him, were from Vermont and New York. The English settlers were mostly from the southern states.

Daley, was mainly instrumental in securmg the location of the county seat at Jerseyville. He and his friends who came from New Jersey, united their efforts to induce others from their native state to emigrate to this new county of Jersey, and they were successful in inducing a number to make the change, and settle at Jerseyville, or in its vicinity. Most of the inhabitants of Jerseyville and the farmers of Jersey Town¬ ship came from localities in New Jersey, and became the most enter¬ prising, thrifty and successful men in the new county.

The building of Alton, and the location of the penitentiary at that, point, and the development of Jacksonville and Morgan County, led to the building of a road between those two points through Jerseyville. Roads were established through the efforts of the Jerseyville people, which ran southeast to Alton, and to the Illinois River, south¬ west of the Otter Creek settlement to the Fidelity and Ruyle town¬ ships settlements. This brought the interests of those parts of the comity to Jersey ville. A public sale of lots was made in Jerseyville by Lott & Daley, and Col. Elijah Van Horne, who had been sheriff of Schoharie County, N. Y., left there and came to Jersey County in 1833, was the auctioneer of the lots. Quite a number of lots in the original plat of Jerseyville were purchased by residents of Jerseyville and the vicinity, and other residents of the various communities in the county.

A new courthouse was built by subscriptions from the citizens of Jerseyville; and the county officers were located in the courthouse. Stores were erected and business interests were concentrated here, and in 1853, as described in Dr. Grosvenor's address, there was quite a considerable amount of business transacted here, which was continued by those who were then in business, and the ones who succeeded them, and Jerseyville has grown and developed as only a town situated in an agricultural community does grow, slowly and steadily, during the sixty-five years that have elapsed since the delivery of that address.

The suggestions made in that address regarding the needed changes and improvements were soon acted upon, but many were not carried out until years later. But, on the whole, these suggestions have been substantially carried out. Improvements have been made in the churches, and new church organizations have centered here. New ac¬ tivities and enterprises have been engaged. Schools have been devel¬ oped along the lines of those suggestions, but many of the latter have been slow in materializing.

The original schoolhouse in Jerseyville was a small, wooden struc¬ ture on the corner of Spruce and Exchange streets, which was used for school purposes for many years. It is said that Irwin Little was one of the first teachers. Then Mr. Abbott of Jacksonville taught for a time. He was followed by Penuel Corbett, who taught for a number of years, and was the father of Miss Virginia Corbett, who later estab¬ lished a Young Ladies Seminary, which she and her two sisters were carrying on, in 1853, and from then they continued the school until 1856. An academy for young men was established in what was known as "The Sons' Hall" north of the Square, by Mr. H. H. Howard, who came from the East and later became the editor of a Democratic paper in this city, and who later moved to Kansas where he made his home until his death. Rev. C. H. Foote later taught in this Young Men's Academy, and still later, he became pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Jerseyville.

the city, and the employment of teachers in these schools. In 1870 it was determined to build a graded school building in the city of Jersey¬ ville, and a lot was selected and the building was erected during the following two years. In 1872, Prof. Henry A. Allen was employed as principal, and taught for two years with moderate success. In 1874 Prof. Joshua Pike of Pittsfield, Pike County, was employed as principal. Several of the Pittsfield students came with Prof. Pike, and attended the school. Prof. M. E. Ellenwood taught for one year as assistant principal, and the next year D. J. Murphy was employed as assistant principal, as was D. W. Roberts, who was later elected county super¬ intendent of schools in this county, which office he held for many years. For more than forty years Prof. Pike was principal of the school, and its alumni is numbered by many hundreds. Many of them are settled in this vicinity, and others are to be found throughout the United States and the entire world. Prof. Pike died in January, 1915, and through large contributions made by his former pupils, a beautiful monument has been erected and dedicated to his memory in Oak Grove Cemetery, in Jerseyville, where his wife was recently placed beside him.

There have been several improvements made in the graded school building at Jerseyville, but by reason of increase in population, this building became inadequate to properly care for those who are en¬ titled to the benefit of schooling, and therefore it became necessary to provide additional facilities for those desiring to obtain an education. At a meeting of the Parents-Teachers' Association, held in January, 1915, school needs were discussed, and a committee, composed of Mrs. A. C. Robb, Mrs. H. W. Pogue, Mrs. W. J. Chapman, Richard Kiely and P. M. Hamilton were appointed to make recommendations with refer¬ ence to remedies for the improvement of the school situation. This committee reported on February 25, and after a discussion of the ques¬ tion, the majority of those present decided in favor of submitting the proposition for a township high school district in township 8, range 11, to a vote of the people. On March 27, 1915, petitions were filed with Joseph W. Becker, county superintendent of schools, requesting him to call an election for the purpose of submitting the above proposition for a township high school district. An election was held April 10, 1915, and the proposition was carried by the voters. The county super¬ intendent called an election April 24, for the purpose of electing a board of directors for the above mentioned district. P. M. Hamilton was elected president of the board, and J. R. Fulkerson and P. J. Fleming for a term of three years ; William P. Richards and Dr. A. M.

Wiles for two years; and D. P. Pritchett and J. C. Downey for one year. On May 8, 1915, the proposition that $50,000.00 worth of bonds be issued for the purpose of erecting a township high school was voted upon and carried. The plans of A. T. Simmons were adopted for the building, and he was employed as architect May 10, 1915. The Commercial building, now the Elks' Temple, was secured for temporary use as a high school for that year.

An election was held May 29, 1915, to select a site upon which to build the new township high school building. No site having received the majority of the votes, the township high school board selected the Ella D. Kirby five acre tract as the site. It is located on North State street, and this selection was made July 6, 1915. On June 12, 1915, at the joint meeting of the city and township school boards, Prof. D. R. Henry was chosen by both boards as superintendent of the Jerseyville public schools and principal of the township high school. On August 10, 1915, at a meeting of the township high school board, the newr school wms named The Jersey Towmship High School.

The cornerstone of the new high school was laid October 26, 1915, by Hon. Ralph H. Wheeler, most worshipful grand master of the Masonic Grand Lodge of Illinois, according to the ritual and ceremonies of that order. A procession was formed, headed by the city band, fol¬ lowed by citizens, school boards, pupils of the grade and high schools, Knights Templar, Master Masons, the mayor, the city and county officials and the Masonic Grand Lodge. On arriving at the site of the new building, P. M. Hamilton, president of the board, presided at the exercises. A program was given. A box containing the following docu¬ ments was deposited in the cornerstone, to wit : names of the presidents of the United States, vice presidents, members of the cabinet, United States senators from Illinois, Illinois state officers, Jersey County officers, township high school board, district 73, school board, district 34, pub¬ lic school teachers of Jersey County, pupils of Jersey Towmship High School, members of the George Washington Educational Fund, pastors and respective churches in Jerseyville, officers of the Masonic Grand Lodge of Illinois, officers of Jerseyville Lodge, O. E. S., No. 656, copy of Jersey County Democrat and the Jerseyville Republican of October 21, 1915, copy of the Daily Democrat of October 25, 1915, copy of Marshall E. Cooper's History of Jersey County, Ill., copy of special Book on Jerseyville, Ill., copy of the history of the George Washington Educational Fund, copy of resolutions of Jerseyville Lodge, A. F. &

The inscription on the stone on the west side is, "Erected, A. D. 1915; Board of Education, P. M. Hamilton, President; W. P. Richards, Secretary; A. M. Wiles, J. R. Fukerson, D. P. Pritchett, P. J. Fleming and J. C. Downey. Architect, A. T. Simmons ; Contractor, Ray and Son. ' ' The inscription on the south side of the cornerstone is as follows : "Laid October 26, 1915, by Ralph H. Wheeler, G. M., A. F. & A. M. of Illinois."

An address was made by Grand Master Wheeler. Judge H. W. Pogue read the poem, "The Two Temples"; and an address was made by William Elza Williams of Pittsfield, Ill. These, with appropriate vocal selections, completed the program.

The first year of the Jersey Township High School began Septem¬ ber 13, 1915, with an enrollment of 184, and on May 26, 1916, twentyfour seniors were graduated. Glee and literary clubs were inaugurated in its first year. The second year the Jersey Township High School began in its new school building, September 11, 1916, with an enroll¬ ment of 270, and the different departments furnished with the latest equipment and accessories. The efficient system by which the school is conducted is due to the efforts of the principal. Each day is divided into four periods of eighty-five minutes each, thirty-five minutes of which is devoted to supervised study. Each semester is divided into three divisions of six weeks each. The school is supported by an inter¬ ested and approving public. In fact the school is the social center for the community.

In 1865 the Alton & Jacksonville Railroad was extended from White Hall through Jersey Township to the city of Jerseyville, southeastward through the towns 7-11 and 7-10, passing through Delhi to Godfrey in Madison County, where a junction was formed with the original Chicago & Alton Railroad. The road was completed to Godfrey, and the cars were operated from Godfrey to Jacksonville through Jersey¬ ville in the spring of 1866, and since that time it has been the main railroad thoroughfare, accommodating the people of Jersey Township and the city of Jerseyville. Elevators, grist-mills, lumber yards, coal yards, and cattle yards for the shipment of live stock, were erected along the right-of-way of this road, being a great accommodation for the merchants and farming population of the community. The flour mill¬ ing interests at that time were one of the main sources of industry in Jersey ville. Several steam grist-mills were in operation at that time, and others have been erected since, but by reason of the monopoly of the milling interests by large corporations turning out thousands of barrels per day, these small mills have been put out of business, and there are today none of them operating in the city of Jersey ville or Jersey County. With the opening of this road, the old stage coach, which had been operating from Alton, through Jersey ville for many years, was discontinued, as was also the business of hauling produce to Alton, and the hauling of goods, merchandise and other supplies from Alton to Jersey ville, which had engaged a consideration of the people of the latter city for a number of years. Stores of all sorts from the vending of drugs, hardware, drygoods, farming implements and other articles demanded by the business and trade of the community, in¬ creased until in 1870 there were over 3,000 inhabitants in the city of Jerseyville. The population has now increased to probably 5,000. The post office business has also increased. With the increase of popula¬ tion, Jerseyville now has free delivery within its corporate limits, there being three letter carriers, and eight rural routes, centering at the post office at Jerseyville. There are express companies that operate upon the two railroads passing through Jerseyville, which accommodate the business of the community.

Jerseyville has an electric light system, telephone exchange, both local and long distance, with rural routes throughout the country that connect with people in almost all localities. Granitoid sidewalks have been laid along the most of the streets of the city, and about two miles of brick paving with granitoid gutters, and an extensive sewer drain¬ age system has been constructed. Water works have been established through two artesian wells sunk to the depth of 1,600 feet. Mains and laterals have been constructed throughout the city, furnishing this water to the inhabitants, manufactories, buildings, railroads and fire de¬ partment. An ice and cold storage plant has been constructed, which furnishes ice during the summer and cold storage for a large amount of fruits during the winter season, and it is also in the coal business. The International Shoe Co. have a manufactory here that employs from 300 to 500 operatives. There are two cement and granitoid manufac- tories that do granitoid work and furnish cement building blocks, drain¬ age tile, etc., to the people of the city and vicinity. There are three drug stores, three dry goods stores, in addition to a very extensive depart¬ ment store, the Jersey Mercantile Company, which carries a full line of dry goods, clothing, hoots and shoes, hardware, furniture, groceries, implements, and other lines of trade. There are three cigar manu¬ factories; two leading clothing stores; two boot and shoe stores; twelve dealers in groceries; two meat markets; two hotels and an abundant supply of boarding houses and restaurants; four large automobile garages, and several other stores dealing in automobiles and automobile supplies; two dealers in stoves and hardware; three agricultural imple¬ ment houses; two marble yards and manufactories; three jewelry and music dealers; three banks; one building and loan association; three fire and life insurance agencies, in addition to mutual benefit life in¬ surance societies. There are six large churches, occupied by Protestant denominations; two Catholic churches, having two large schools. There are several other religious organizations having no church edifices.

Jersey Township and Jersey County being an almost strictly agri¬ cultural community, the city of Jersey ville has not been affected by the inflation incident to the World's War, as many other cities and towns where munitions and other war appliances are manufactured, have been oenefited.

Business Interests

There are two weekly newspapers, one of them publishing a daily paper during the week; one tailor shop; several barber shops; one news depot; two fruit and candy stores; two candy manufactories; seven blacksmiths ; four contracting carpenters, contractors, joiners, and a number of other carpenters; one manufacturer of grain separators; four elevators handling grain; three agricultural dealers; two poultry and egg firms ; several dealers in live stock ; real estate firms ; one creamery; a fruit nursery; market gardeners; twelve lawyers, and rep¬ resentatives of other interests too numerous to mention.

Agricultural Resources

The apple orchard industry has been quite actively and extensively developed in the vicinity of Jerseyville in the past few years, it having been demonstrated that the soil in this vicinity is well adapted for the production of excellent fruit. The main agricultural productions of this township are wheat, corn, oats, hay, clover and the raising and de¬ velopment of fine qualities of live stock, horses, cattle and hogs.

Health Resort

On account of its elevated position and excellent drainage, Jersevville and Jersey Township are very healthy localities, and our .citizens, have, many of them, lived to be over ninety years of age. Oak Grove Cemetery on the east side of the city, consisting of forty acres, has been platted and carefully cared for and many beautiful monuments have been erected; also one large mausoleum, with all of the latest modern improvements. Some private mausoleums and a soldiers' monu¬ ment have been built.

There are no merchants in business here now that were in business at the time Dr. Grosvenor's address was delivered, the merchants of those days having passed to the other side, but many have entered into business here since that time.

The Jersey County Farmers Mutual Insurance Company was char¬ tered February 22, 1861, and organized June 6, 1862, with the follow¬ ing incorporators: Joel E. Cory, Lewis Randolph, George E. Warren, J. Murray Bacon, Oliver P. Powell, Jonathan E. Cooper, Robert C. White, Izrael Sqnier and William Darby, officers. Joel E. Cory was president; Jonathan E. Cooper was vice president; George E. Warren was secretary; Lewis Randolph was treasurer. Joel E. Cory remained president until his death, February 13, 1872, and he was succeeded by Hugh N. Cross, who also remained in office until removed by the hand of death, November 21, 1883, when Jonathan E. Cooper was elected president. 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 the position until May 1, 1882. This is purely a mutual company. It was re-organized in 1888, with D. Q. Trotter as president; Col. W. H. Fulkerson as vice president; M. C. Stelle as treasurer; C. S. White as secretary; and D. Q. Trotter, M. C. Stelle, F. W. Schroeder, Andrew Beiermann, Col. W. H. Fulkerson, John I. White, Edward Trabue, Orin Palmer, L. L. Kirby, directors. The present directors are: D. Q. Trotter; J. R. Fulkerson; F. W.

Schroeder; L. R. Beaty; Joseph Sclimeider; Thomas B. Ruyle; C. E. Locke; W. K. Dodge; C. J. Seagraves. The present officers are: Presi¬ dent, D. Q. Trotter; vice president, J. R. Fulkerson; treasurer, L. R. Beaty; secretary, Chas. S. White. There are now 250 policies in force, the amount of insurance carried being $550,000.00. In this connection under by laws, passed by the board of directors, the company now in¬ sures live stock from loss by fire and lightning.

The Cutting Agency was instituted by Leonard M. Cutting about 1860, and was conducted by him until his death, after which the busi¬ ness was continued by his son, Leonard M. Cutting, Jr. The members of the firm are Leonard M. Cutting and David E. Beaty, who still con¬ tinue the insurance business. This firm has had a long and honorable career as an insurance agency in Jerseyville.

The Bowman Insurance Agency

The Bowman Agency was established by Stephen H. Bowman of the banking house of Bowman & AY are, and later of the State Bank of Jerseyville. For many years Thomas Wedding was the agent, and after his death Edward Griggs continued the agency until his death, when Harry B. Hill became his successor and proprietor of the agency. These have been the principal insurance companies of Jerseyville, and their administrations have been very successful for many years.

City Hall

Under an ordinance passed May 10, 1887, by the city council of Jerseyville, $3,000.00 of city bonds were issued for the purpose of erecting an engine house and city hall. These bonds bore the date of July 7, 1887, and were signed by J. M. Page, mayor.

At a meeting of the city council, held July 5, 1887, bids were received for the erection of the engine house and city hall, and Robert H. Clark was awarded the contract for building the same for $3,246.71. The city hall building was accepted as complete by the city council, Decem¬ ber 6, 1887. It stands on the southeast corner of Arch and Jefferson streets. The building is 24x60 feet, and is two stories in height. The lower story has a concrete floor, and is devoted to the fire department, and contains two hose carts and hook and ladders. The second story contains the city clerk's office and the city council hall. It is very well furnished and adapted for the purposes for which it is intended.

Jerseyvilee Water Works

The city council of Jersey ville passed an ordinance on September 1, 1888, issuing bonds for $5,000.00 to bore the first artesian well. A sec¬ ond ordinance wms passed April 4, 1889, for issuing $21,000.00 in bonds for the construction of the water works. The proposition to vote $26,- 000.00 in bonds was submitted to the people and carried by a majority of votes.

The contract for the first well was awarded to J. P. Miller of Chicago, September 29, 1887. The price for the first 1,200 feet was $1.98 per foot. From 1,200 to 1,500 feet, the price was $2.50 per foot. The boring of the first well began November 1, 1887, and it was 'completed in August, 1888.

The contract for the construction of the water works for the sum of $21,000.00 was let to the Rockford Construction Company, which included the building of the reservoir, stand pipe, laying mains, etc., to complete the works. The additions and extra costs together amounted to $23,836.78. The works were accepted by the city council November 5, 1889. The well was bored to a depth of 2,003 feet, and is six inches in diameter. The tower is 130 feet high, fifteen feet at the base, and eleven feet at the top of the brick work, which is ninety-four feet high, surmounted by an iron reservoir, thirty-six feet high and eleven feet in diameter, holding 30,000 gallons of water, giving a pressure of fiftyfive pounds to the square inch. This tower is set on a rock foundation twTenty-two feet square and seven feet deep, the lower two feet being of concrete and Portland cement. There is also a reservoir 225 feet in circumference and seven feet deep, with a capacity of 150,000 gallons. The pumphouse is 22x40 feet, and it is built of brick. About five miles of water pipe have been laid, ranging in size from four to eight inches in diameter.

The second artesian well was drilled the first 869 feet, twelve and one-half inches in diameter. From 869 feet to 1,367 feet, the well is drilled ten inches in diameter. Drilling was commenced on November 30, 1896, and was completed on December 10, 1896, having been drilled to a depth of 1,542 feet. The following is a description of the different

Water Works, Jerseyville City Building, Jerseyville

With the present supply of water and hose and fire engine, Jerseyville has very good fire protection where the water mains are within reach.

Post Office

The first post office at Jerseyville was established in 1834, with Ed¬ ward M. Daley as postmaster, and he held that office for six years. The second postmaster was David T. Bonnell, who held the office from 1840 to 1844. The third was Perley Silloway, and following him were Charles H. Roberts, Alexander B. Morean; Charles H. Jackson, who was ap¬ pointed in 1853 and served until 1858 ; Jacob A. AVhitenack, who held the office until 1861 ; Thomas L. McGill, who wras appointed in 1861, and when he died a short time thereafter, his wife was appointed his succes¬ sor; John I. White, who soon after his appointment resigned in favor of William E. Pitt, and the latter held the office about two years; J. H. Buffington, who held the office for three years; George H. Jackson, who after acting as special agent for awhile, was appointed and served until 1869; Jacob Whitenack, who was re-appointed and served until 1877; John L. C. Richards, who held office from 1877 to 1882; Col. William H. Edgar, who was appointed in 1882, and served until 1886 ; Hon. Henry 0. Goodrich, who was appointed in 1886 and continued in office until 1890 ; Adolphus Rue, who was appointed in March, 1890, and con¬ tinued in office until 1894; John C. McGrath, who held office from March 1, 1894 to 1898 ; William S. Pittman, who held office from 1898 to 1902; Joseph AY. Becker, who held office from 1902 to 1906; William P. Richards, who held office from 1906 to 1914; and Joel E. Cory, who was appointed in 1914, is the present incumbent.

Town Incorporation

Jerseyville was incorporated as a town July 21, 1837. The first officers were John AV. Lott, president; E. AI. Daley, clerk; and Samuel L. McGill, George W. Collins and Richard Graham, trustees.

City Incorporation

Jerseyville became an incorporated city under a special act of the Legislature, February 21, 1867. The following were the first city offi¬ cers: Marcus E. Bagley, mayor; George IT. Jackson, clerk; James S. Daniels, marshal; King & Pinero, attorneys; Nichelaus Wallace, con¬ stable; and Andrew Jackson, John L. White, George Engelhoff and James S. Blythe, aldermen.

The city was organized under the general law for the incorporation of cities and villages of the state of Illinois, April 17, 1883. Since its

Mayor, Jesse I. McGready; clerk, James R. Colean; marshal, Joseph M. Page; constable, Smith M. Titus; attorney, none appointed; aldermen. Stephen IT. Bowman, James M. Young, John Fox, John Sweeney, A. Holnback, E. L. H. Barry, John A. Shephard and Henry D. Field.

Alayor, Jesse I. McGready; clerk, Joseph M. Page; marshal, Henry Whyte ; constable, none appointed ; attorney, none appointed ; aldermen, R. A. King, A. H. Bell, Caleb Du Haclway, John Fox, William Embly, William Eads, Walter E. Carlin and John A. Shephard.

Alayor, E. L. H. Barry; clerk, Joseph M. Page; marshal, Henry Whyte ; attorney, Adams A. Goodrich ; aldermen, S. H. Bowman, A. K. Van Horne, John Fox, Caleb Du ITadway, Henry Nevius, Ludovic Lau¬ rent, James S. Daniels and John A. Shephard.

Mayor, Stephen H. Bowman; clerk, Joseph M. Page; marshal, Iienry Whyte; treasurer, James R. Colean; attorney, R. B. English (resigned), A. M. Slaten; aldermen, George M. Eaton, John Fox, George Engelhoff, James S. Daniels, A. K. Van Horne, Fred J. Bertman, Henry Nevius and John A. Shephard.

Mayor, A. C. Robb; clerk, William Hall; treasurer, C. Schneider; attorney, Roy Nutt; aldermen, J. I. White, C. Atchison, N. Fuchs, A. Riley, J. J. McGuire, Mott Brown, D. Crone, and W. F. Shephard.

Mayor, A. C. Robb; clerk, William Hall; treasurer, A. H. Quinn; attorney, Roy Nutt; aldermen, C. Atchison, J. I. White, M. Brown, Paul Nitschke, D. Crone, J. J. McGuire, H. W. Rice, and W. F. Shephard.

In April, 1917, Jerseyville was organized under the commission form of government, the mayor and four commissioners being elected for terms of four years each, as follows: mayor, William F. Shephard; com¬ missioners, Clarence Atchison, W. F. Schroeder, Murray B. Voorhees, and Jacob Wagner; clerk, William Hall; treasurer, F. E. Stelle; and attorney, G. G. Reardon.

Jerseyville Classified Business Directory

As the county seat of Jersey County, Jerseyville, with its population of 5,000, is the home of some very important business houses, located here to meet the demands of the residents, and the large outlying territory contiguous, which looks to it as a source of supply. The following list gives the lines of business and professions represented here, as well as the names of those engaged therein :

Department Stores. - Jersey Mercantile Company, H. S. Daniels, president; F. A. Loellke, treasurer and manager: deals in everything. Dry Goods Stores. - M. A. Warren, Pesenmyer & Senior, J. C. Bertman, and Jersey Mercantile Co. Clothing.1 - Fleming & Walsh, F. E. Stelle, and John Horn & Son, tailors. Groceries. - Kerkner & Delano, Jacob Wagner, B. W. Akard, John J. McGuire, Brammin & Co., J. H. Seago & Son, Walter Post, D. D. Fahey, Deiter Daum, Allen Vanausdall, Josepha Snodgrass, and Jersey Mercantile Co. Hardware. - English Slaten Co., John N. English, president and general manager; William Rittouth, tinsmith and hardware, and Jersey Mercantile Co. Drug Stores. - Frank M. Ware, Thomas Ford, and T. W. Kirby. Boots and Shoes. - Fred Scheffer, Edward Stratton, International Shoe Co., W. S. AVileox, John Schneider, and Jersey Mercantile Co. Farming Implements. - Newton Beaty & Co., John N. Beaty, president and general manager; C. H. Branom, and Sun¬ derland & Dower. Jewelry. - -Henry A. Lunhorst, Fred Harold, and E. H. Sauer. Confectionary. - N. Accario, Leo Mercuric, and Jersey ville Can'dy Kitchen. Furniture. - Jacoby Bros., and Jersey Mercantile Co. Undertakers. - Jacoby Bros., and Fales & Wiseman. Second Hand Stores. - S. D. Stanby, C. C. Mourning. Bakeries. - Herman F. Brockman, and Miller's Bakery. Cigar Factories. - W. F. Brockman, George Laufkoetter, and Charles Schmidt. Poultry. - Richards & Manning. Meat Markets. - Hanley & Gibbons, and Paul Nitschke. Harness Shops. - Kridler & Son, and C. G. Groppell. Blacksmiths. - John Jennings, James Dolan, Charles McFain, B. Dorsett, Jefferson King, Sunderland & Dower, AVilliam Sunderland, and Corns & Brown. Insurance. - Cutting Agency, L. M. Cutting and D. E. Beaty, managers; Bowman Agency, H. B. Hill, manager; and Jersey County Mutual, D. Q. Trotter, president, Charles S. AVhite, secretary. Millinery. - Mrs. F. AY. Giers, Harriett Pogue, Barron Sisters, and Miss Irene Embly. Hotel. - Colonial. Restaurants. - Jerseyville Candy Kitchen, H. F. Brockman, Oscar Handler, Perry Shaw, and Frank Musterman. Shoe Factory. - International Shoe Fac¬ tory, H. B. Bowen, manager, 300 employees. Granitoid and Tile AVorks. - F. M. Frost & Sons, Nelson Bros., and Benjamin England. Plumbers. - - Redlich & Son, and Joseph F. C. Schell. Electricity. - Airs. B. AA7. Akerd, Lister Fritz, and Central Illinois Publishing Service Co. Lumber Yards. - F. R. Aliller Lumber & Coal Co., and Pollock Lumber & Coal Co. Coal Awards. - E. Cockrell & Sons, W. F. Fahey, Jerseyville Ice & Fuel Co., F. R. Aliller Lumber & Coal Co., and David Wilson. Elevators. - Stanard-Lilton Milling Co., Andrew Schreiber, manager ; Groppel & Schneider; Farmers Elevator; John Shortal Mongs; and E. Cockrell &

Democrat, weekly and daily, J. M. Page, editor and proprietor; Jersey - ville Republican, weekly, Pinkerton Bros., editors and proprietors. Post Office. - Joel E. Cory, postmaster, 1922 ; Charles H. Schroeder, assistant postmaster, 1922. Express. - National Express Co., Ernest Wedding, agent. Markets - L. J. Krueger of Richwoods Township recently sold to Charles Campbell of this city, seventy-four head of hogs at $20.30 per cwt., total, $3,034.70.