Jersey County, Illinois - Chapter 37: Mississippi Township, 1919

First Settlements

Lofton's Prairie received its name from Judge John G. Lofton, one of the earliest pioneers of this part of the county. There is no record of the entry of land in this precinct until 1823, but from that date the settlement of the prairie advanced quite rapidly. Among the first to locate here were John G. Lofton and his son, Thomas G. Lofton; and John D. Gillham and Jacob Cummings. The latter bought and settled eighty acres in section 10, township 7, range 11, in December, 1823. His brother, Thomas Cummings, settled east of Jacob, during the following year. In July, 1824, Ormond Beeman entered 240 acres of land on sec¬ tions 19 and 30, and during the succeeding month John McDow made entry of the northwest quarter of section 32. The land entered in 1823, by Thomas G. Lofton soon passed to his father, Judge John G. Lofton.

Judge John G. Lofton

Judge John G. Lofton was a native of South Carolina, and upon taking up his residence on the prairie which bears his name, he became an active and prominent man in the neighborhood. He died about 1837, leaving three sons, Thomas G., who moved to Madison County, Ill. ; Samuel A., who settled near Otterville; and John G. Lofton, who settled in Macoupin County, Ill. Judge Lofton was a Baptist, and in the days of the early pioneer preachers, the Baptist meetings were frequently held at his home, and that of Joseph White, who was also a zealous ad¬ herent of the Baptist faith. At Judge Lofton's house, the Salem Baptist

Joseph White

Joseph White was also a native of South Carolina. The first land he entered was on the northern line of Jersey County, but he subsequently became a resident of Lofton's Prairie settlement. His sons were Joab, Jesse and Josiah White, who resided in this county, and Joseph White, who resided in Greene County. Ormond Beeman was a son-in-law of Joseph White. He lived to an advanced age, and died on the farm on which he settled.

John Mcdow

John McDow was another settler from South Carolina, who at an early date had settled two miles and a half east of Edwardsville, in Madison County, Ill., and subsequently moved to the American bottom, and from that locality went to Boone County, Mo., from whence he came to Jersey County, Ill., in 1824. He was the father of William, Thomas. Charles, John and Robert McDow. Robert McDow went to California; William McDow moved to the place where he died, adjoining the town of Otterville, in 1830. There were also three daughters in the McDow family.

The Gillhams

The Gillhams, John D. and Ezekiel, brothers, were early and respected citizens of the Lofton Prairie settlement. They were natives of South Carolina, who first settled in Kentucky, and from thence, in 1800, went to Madison County, Ill., thus being among the earliest settlers in Illinois territory. John D. Gillham came to what is now Jersey County in 1818, and passed the remainder of his life on section 28, township 7, range 11. The Gillhams were often on duty as United States Rangers during the War of 1812. They were Methodists, and the early preachers were in the habit of holding religious meetings at their houses. John D. Gillham, some time about 1828 built a brick house from brick made from clay and burned with wood cut from the site of the building. This was the first brick house in the southern part of the county, and in this house preach¬ ing was held until the building of the schoolhouse, which answered the purpose of a meetinghouse until the first churches were erected. The Gillham campground, on the east side of Gillham 's Mound, was estab¬ lished in 1820, by the Methodists, and here annually, for a week or ten days, the people from long distances, would gather in their carts and tents, in the grove of immense forest trees, with springs of pure water. Here sitting on puncheon seats, in front of a platform for the preachers, they would spend time worshipping God, in what Bryant denominates "God's first temples." Here the renowned Peter Cartwright, Peter Akers, Isaac N. Piggott, Jacob Lurton, George Slaten, Joseph Piggott, and many others, who were noted preachers of their day, held ser ice and great revivals of religion resulted. This campground was main¬ tained for twenty-five years. Among its leading supporters were the Gillhams, Moses Cockrell, the Slatens, Piggotts, Caldwells, Brocks, Swans, Briggs, Burtons, Fullers, Waddles, Darlingtons, Nobles, Doughertys, and many other setters of those early days. John D. Gillham died in October, 1852, and in his life he was a leading, useful and respected citizen. His descendants still reside in the county. This brick house and original farm is now owned and occupied by Richard C. Gillham, his grandson, and Charles C. Gillham, a great-grandson, now supervisor for Mississippi Township on the county board of supervisors, resides in the original brick house, a cut of which appears in this history.

William C. Waddle

In March, 1826, William C. Waddle made entry of eighty acres on section 30, township 7, range 11. He was born in South Carolina, and was brought by his parents to Edwardsville, in Madison County, Ill., when only two years of age. His father moved from Edwardsville to the mouth of Piasa Creek in Jersey County, where Josiah Cummings, the father of Thomas Cummings, had settled in 1818. Mr. Waddle was a man of peaceable character, a good citizen. He subsequently moved to the neighborhood of Kane.

Other Prominent Settlers

According to the records, in 1828, land was entered by Charles Mc- Dow and Thomas McDow, and in 1829 by George Slaten and Jacob Lurton. Charles McDow was a native of South Carolina, and had resided a number of years in the American bottom before coming to Jersey County. Thomas McDow was a son of John McDow. He had been a ranger during the Indian troubles, from 1812 to 1814, and again during the Black Hawk War, he left his family and his farm for service against the Indians, and was captain of a company. He lost the title of captain, however, and was more commonly known as Squire, after he was made a justice of the peace, in which office he was popular and efficient, and his neighbors re-elected him repeatedly to that office.

George Slaten was a native of North Carolina, moving from that state to South Carolina, where he was married ; and thence to Georgia. In 1818, he emigrated from Georgia to Illinois, settling three and one-half miles southeast of Lebanon in St. Clair County. After residing there for four years, in 1822 he moved to a place between three and four miles southwest of Carrollton, in Greene County, whence he came in 1830 to Jersey County, to settle on land which he had entered the previous year, on section 31, township 7, range 11. This farm is now owned by the heirs of John C. Lurton. George Slaten had ten children who came with him to this county. William D. F. Slaten, who located three miles from Grafton ; John W. Slaten, who early in life studied law, was for a time in the Methodist ministry, and practiced law at Jersey ville; George W. Slaten; Capt. Benjamin F. Slaten; and James R. and Wiley B. Slaten were among these children. George Slaten, Sr., was a Methodist and religious meetings were held at his house, as well as at the house of the Gillhams.

In 1830, Thomas McDow entered land on section 32 ; John McDow, on section 29. Among others who made entries in the next couple of years were the following: F. G. Swan, Sally A. Reynolds, Richard II. McGill, Adam Waggoner, Joab White, William Davidson, Jacob Utt, Levi Smith and Moses Cockrell.

Jacob Utt was from Pennsylvania, and he was a good farmer. He sold his farm in 1857, buying another near Virden, Macoupin County, Ill., where he died in 1869. There were two Jacob Utts who came to Jersey County about the same time, and the son of Henry Utt, who also bore the name of Jacob, made three Jacob Utts, whom the settlers were accustomed to distinguish, the one from the other, by their personal peculiarities.

Jacob White was a native of North Carolina. Adam Waggoner, who, in his day, was well known in Jersey County, was born in Virginia. When young he removed to Kentucky, and shortly before entering the land above referred to, came to Illinois. He began improving his land at once, made additional purchases, and his homestead, at the time of his death, was a valuable property.

Francis Swan was also born in North Carolina, and in 1809 he emi¬ grated to St. Clair County, Ill. He was one of the rangers during the war of 1812, against the Indians. In 1823, he moved to Greene County,

Other Settlers

Among other settlers of Mississippi Township, were members of the following families: John Findley, John R. Caldwell, William Davidson, A. Carson, J. J. Basey, and Samuel J. Kincade, who is said to have been the first justice of the peace. Charles Dodson came here about 1828, settling on the farm where later Chauncey Browm and Addison Greene lived. He was married to the daughter of Judge Lofton. Asher Chase settled on Lofton's Prairie, about 1823, first on the Stone place, but afterward moved to another location in township 7, range 11. About 1834, Bar¬ tholomew Chappell, an Englishman, purchased considerable land adjoin¬ ing the Lofton and Gillham property, and' resided there until his death. His descendants still live in the same locality.

Pioneer Incidents

The first school in this precinct was taught by Turner R. Lurton, in a small log house owned by John D. Gillham. The first schoolhouse was built in 1840. Previous to that year, schools were taught in the homes of private families.

The first store was opened in 1836, by John W. Slaten and Isaac N. Pisrerott, about one-fourth of a mile south of West Newbern, on section 32. It was kept in a log building, and the stock comprised dry goods, groceries, hardware and all articles of which the settlers usually stood in need.

The town of Dow, another station on the Chicago, Peoria & St. Louis Railroad, is located on land entered by John McDow, who was a brotherin-law of John G. Lofton and John D. Gillham, and it is the center of what was originally Lofton 's Prairie. It is named after the first settler, John McDow, and was platted by his grandson, John Hardin McDow, who is still living at Dow. The original homestead of John McDow is owned and occupied by Joseph Knight and his family, Mrs. Knight being a granddaughter of John McDow. John McDow, Sr., who was married to Margaret Gillham, a sister of John D. Gillham, died in 1835. Jacob Lurton was married to Margaret McDow, a daughter of John McDow, in 1829. He entered land upon the mound between the Gillham and McDow claims. William Gillham, father of John D. and Ezekiel Gillham, and the wives of John G. Lofton and John McDow, moved to Lofton's Prairie in 1818, and lived there until his death in 1823.

The population of Dow is 100. Its present condition is as follows: Merchants - Will E. McDow and Clarence Updkye. Elevator - Byron L. McDow. Dow Lumber Yard - Ray H. McDow. Grist and Feed Mill - William and Leonard Vanausdall. Justice of the peace, John J. Falkner ; constable, James H. Cornwill.

McClusky has a population of twenty. Bell Bros, keep a general store here. George L. Bell, Jr., is the township clerk; and Jesse K. Cadwallader is highway commissioner.

Newbern has a population of twenty. George Spangle and William Smith conduct general stores at this point, and there is a brickyard switch from the Chicago, Peoria & St. Louis Railroad here. The Cumber¬ land Presbyterians have a church at Newbern.

East Newbern

East Newbern is a station on the Chicago, Peoria & St. Louis Rail¬ road, and George Loukinson has a general store here. The Methodists have a church at this point.