Macoupin County, Illinois - Chapter 6: Memory's Store House, 1911

Chapter 6: Memory's Store House

The present generation cannot have a very definite idea of the grandeur and beauty of Illinois at the time of coming into the state of the first pioneers. My first recollection of life finds me in a new, wild, unsettled, and beautiful region. I rejoice that my young eyes were permitted to view nature before the vandal man had marred its beauty and destroyed its virgin loveliness. When my father, with his young family, landed in Macoupin county (1828), the forests were fresh and unscarred by the ax of the coming thousands. The millions of acres of prairie grass were waving on our lovely prairies. The land was unplowed and no barbed wire fence destroyed its grand appearance. It was a beautiful land, looking as though it had just emerged from the hands of the Builder of the Universe. The pioneers, where are they? They have performed their labors on this earth, and we feel that they are worthy of being enrolled in this history.

There are many historical monuments in our county, of former generations. When my father moved to Carlinville, he found on what is now Sunny Home Stock Farm, in asssisting in the building of John Harris' water mill, two smelting crucibles, which induced him to believe that there were lead mines somewhere in our county. So much did the early inhabitants of the county believe that, that "little" Johnny Hull concluded to sink a shaft within a few yards of where were found the smelting crucibles. He dug down one hundred and seventy-five feet and found nothing except natural gas which drove him out of the, shaft.

Another place of interest was an Indian cemetery, situated eight miles southwest of Carlinville, near what was then known as the Holliday ford of Macoupin creek. The Indians who had lived here buried their dead by sinking a square hole about three feet deep, placing lai*ge, flat rocks in the bottom and thin slabs of rock at the sides, head and foot. They then put the dead body in the grave in a sitting, upright position, facing the east. Then they placed in the tomb all the valuables that the Indian possessed at the time of his death, except, perhaps, his live animals. I have, on many an occasion, aided in the opening of those tombs, finding the Indian bones just as they were placed by

In the south part of our county there was a beautiful mound of considerable dimensions, perhaps thirty or forty feet in height above the level of the prairie. There ran at the east edge of that mound a beautiful specimen of a mountain stream; clear, pure water, that did not dry up during the summer. This place was a great resort, not only for Indians, but for wild animals that roamed the forests and prairies at that time, especially wolves that denned on the mound and brought forth their young in great numbers. From that fact it took its name. "Wolf Mound," and on Wolf Mound stands today the beautiful town of Bunker Hill.

Coop's Mound, eight miles east of Carlinville, was another noted place, as it rose in height to about forty feet above the surface of the adjoining land. It was covered by a magnificent forest, one tree of which became so noted that persons would travel several miles to examine it. It was a large, branching elm, and many and many a time have George Holliday and myself visited it to enjoy its magnificent shade and beauty. Along the west side of the mound ran the old Indian trail, from the head waters of the Wabash river to Cahokia, which was then the Indian trading post for all of the Illini tribe of Indians, who formerly resided in the territory that finally became the state of Illinois.

At one time, after my father had moved to Carlinville and erected his cabin, there came following that trail down the Macoupin creek, twelve Indian "bucks," wearing their war garb, and were painted, as they painted themselves when going to war. They came to my father's cabin where my mother was with her small children, and as the pioneers in that day feared the Indians more than they did the wild beasts of the wilderness, of course she was greatly frightened, as were the other pioneer women and children of the town. The men, also, felt as though it became their duty to notify all the pioneers within reach of them, of the Indians being in that neighborhood.

I had forgotten to say that at Wolf Mound there was a large spring of pure, cold water, that I presume still gives forth that beverage to the thirsty Bunker Hillites.

There were many other noted places of interest to the early pioneers of our county that space will not permit me to name. In regard to our early hotels, the first one that I remember was a log cabin just across the street from Walker & Woods' law office, in the old Dubois building - on the corner where Meyer's music store is located. This hostelry was kept by Lev. English, who had a family of boys that were never backward in any of the little broils coming up among the pioneers. One of them especially, High English, was a rough specimen of the backwoodsman. I remember on one occasion there was to be a puppet show in the hotel that I attended. And it being the first place of the kind that I had ever visited or heard of, I was greatly amused by the movements of the little men and women and animals that were made to act by wires, under control of the operator who was hidden from view.

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of others for many years during his life in Carlinville, and died regarded by the citizens of the county as one of the best landlords that ever engaged in the hotel business in the city. There were many other noted hotel keepers during the days of stage stands, and one of them was Dan Anderson, a Yankee, who kept the Green Tree Hotel. It was located in the south part of the village and was a stage stand for many years. A part of that old frame building yet remains on the lot where it was erected.

There has been but one judicial hanging in our county. Aaron Todd was hung on the 2d day of June, 1840, for the killing of his cousin, Larkin Scott. As the details of that murder, trial and hanging, is given in another place in this history, I refer to that for information in regard thereto.

During the fall of 1831 it commenced snowing in December and continued up to about the middle of March, 1832, covering the ground with from four to five feet of snow on a level. So great was the depth of the snow that very few of the wild animals, or feathered tribe, escaped, but starved to death for the want of food. Deer were killed by the pioneers, supposedly for food. They could not move with any speed, unless they were in a beaten path. Up to that time there had been thousands and thousands of wild turkeys in the forests of our state which perished during that deep snow, and, since then that grand bird has been very, very scarce in Macoupin county.

During the early '305 there resided in Carlinville a man by the name of Holton, who had a wife that had a voice she used on all occasions. My father lived just across the street from Helton's. One night during the fall of 1833 everybody in town was awakened by the loud prayers of Mrs. Holton, in which she beseeched the Lord to forgive her all her sins (and she had many), and shouting that the world was coming to an end. I was but a small boy at that time but being awakened by my father (or mother), I got up, went to the door and saw the grandest sight that was ever viewed by mankind in this world. It so impressed itself upon my memory that at this moment, in my mind's eye, I can see the heavens and the earth lit up by the falling or shooting of meteors, or stars, as we called them at that day. They created a light which was brighter than that ever made by the sun on a clear day and lasted for about four 'hours. The heavens were being bombarded, seemingly, by great streams of fire, following the shooting stars, and the sky, in all parts, was literally covered with those shooting meteors. There was no space in the heavens that was not being filled by what looked like great streams of fire, that followed the rapidly moving meteor. They were moving in all directions ' and seemingly, to the onlooker, would come in contact with each other. We were awakened about two o'clock in the morning and of course, there was no more sleep that night for any one who had witnessed that wonderful panorama in the heavens.

During the first part of January, 1836, we had been having a very warm, open spell of weather. During the morning the sun shone bright and clear, without any indication that a storm was brewing. So pleasant was the morning that many of the pioneers who lived in the country came into town on business, and among them was Colonel William C. Anderson. The colonel lived four miles northeast of our town and when coming to town would always ride a bay, baldfaeed pony. He was a large, strong healthy man and usually upon visiting the county seat would remain until the middle of the afternoon or later. About two o'clock in the afternoon a cloud came up that was not apparently, dangerous ; but it rapidly grew black and threatening. The air then commenced turning cold and it commenced raining and continued until the streams and low places were filled with water. Colonel Anderson was fixing to start home. His road would be over an open prairie. His friends in the village tried to persuade him not to venture on his journey until the storm passed away, but he refused to listen to their solicitations and started for his home. It grew so rapidly cold that within less than one-half hour the streams and prairies, which had been filled with water, froze over, and a heavy sleet was falling. . Colonel Anderson had not proceeded more than a mile from the village until his road was obliterated, he found his pony refusing to go in the face of the wind and discovered that he was lost on the prairie. He became chilled and at one time, before the darkness set in, had discussed in his own mind whether or not he had better get off his pony, cut its throat, open its body and crawl in to keep himself from freezing. But finally, he came across a place in the prairie that he thought he recognized, and taking new courage, rode less than a hundred yards toward where he thought his house was located and in a few minutes saw a light that he knew was shining from his home. He rode up to the gate, tried to dismount, but utterly failed to do so, as he was tightly frozen to the saddle. As best he could he called for help. Some of the family came out, helped him off the horse and into the house, where he found that his feet had been frozen and that he was very nearly chilled to death. He recovered from the injury and died during the cholera epidemic in our county in 1851.

Another excitement that occurred in Macoupin county was that of the killing of a Mr. Lockerman by Andrew J. Nash. This occurred at Zanesville during the early '505. . Nash escaped and kepf himself hidden from the officers for about one year, when he was arrested, brought back and placed in jail. At the first term of court following he was indicted for murder, and placed in the lower cell of the old log jail, to await his sentence after having been convicted. John M. Palmer, then a practicing lawyer of our county, defended him and being a friend of Nash, sought every means within his skill as a lawyer and an influential citizen to prevent the hanging. Failing to get a new trial, Pahner circulated petitions asking the governor to reprieve or commute Nash's sentence, but they were not acted upon until the afternoon of the day before he was to be hung. During the morning of the day that he was to mount the scaffold a messenger from Springfield landed in'Carlinville about daylight, bringing a reprieve to Nash reducing his sentence to imprisonment in the penitentiary for life. Xash was a vindictive, bad-tempered man, who had declared that Lockerman's brothers and other relatives should never see him hung. A great crowd of persons, not only from this county but from the surrounding counties, flocked to our town to see the hanging, and as it was not known to them that Nash's sentence had been commuted, when informed of the fact, the crowd became very boisterous and threatening. David McDaniel was then deputy sheriff and jailer. The citizens of the town became excited and raised a body of about sixty men to guard the jail to prevent the Lockermans and their friends from breaking in and taking Nash out and hanging him. During the excitement around the jail the prisoner had torn up some of the bedclothing and had hung himself until he was dead, but this was not known to anyone while the excitement was going on, nor was the suicide discovered until the crowd had dispersed from the town. On opening the jail door Sheriff McDaniel on looking down into the dungeon after the crowd had dispersed, discovered Nash hanging to a beam of the upper floor of that part of the prison.

These items would not be complete without giving the history of some of the leading men and women that were living in and organizing the county, which occurred in 1829. The greater number of the persons to whom I shall refer had emigrated to the county, were pioneers previous to that time and aided in its organization. Robert Wallace, with a large family of boys and girls, had 'emigrated, I think, from Tennessee, and as he was a man of some capital that he had brought with him, entered the land on which the northern part of our city is located. He was a man of great industry, prudent in his dealings, and soon accumulated money sufficient, aside from that which he had brought with him, to "enter up" many acres of the then virgin soil surrounding the village. And as he had much help in his boys Mr. Wallace's farming interests were pushed and from that source he accumulated property faster than did most of the pioneers. He built a log cabin on the land that he had first entered that is now within the city limits, on North Broad street, where John Brown's residence is located. Soon after Wallace's coming, T think, in 1829 or 1830, David McDaniels, a young man, landed here, and was very soon on social terms with the Wallace family, and within a short time married the eldest daughter, Rebecca. From that day until the day of his death, which occurred some time in the '705, he was a very active, energetic, good citizen, and reared a family of boys and girls that have taken their places in our county as worthy citizens and who greatly aided in the building up of the county to its present high position. McDaniel was often elected to positions of trust ; was deputy sheriff and jailer during the terms of Sheriffs John Harris, Jeff Weatherforcl, Beatty T. Burke, Sr., and others. He was also elected justice of the peace, acting in that capacity for more than thirty years and giving perfect satisfaction to persons who had business in connection with that office. At his death his funeral was largely attended and the death of no man who ever resided in our county was more deeply regretted.

In regard to Robert Wallace, one of his occupations was the raising of hogs. He entered many acres of timber land south of our city in the Macoupin bottom, and as there were always a great amount of mast, consisting of acorns, hickorynuts, walnuts, and other growths, that gave food for the wild animals before the pioneers had taken possession, those lands afforded an abundance of mast and Wallace, taking advantage of this fact, bought all the hogs that lie could find in the - county and turned them loose in that bottom. Of course the "porkers" accumulated very fast and well do I remember of often being "treed" by them on hunting and fishing trips in that part of the county when I had taken a dog with me. On one occasion my father had bought up and driven to Alton a bunch of fat cattle, and I had gone along to help drive them to that market. My father had secured a very fine bay horse for me to ride, from Mr. Wallace. After selling the cattle he started me for home on the horse.

It was during the fall of the year and the roads were good. I was a boy anxious to get home before some furious (?) wild beast or robber should stop me on the road. That is what I thought then. There were not very many wild beasts and but few robbers that would stop a boy at that early day for the purpose of robbing him. I started from middle Alton at ten o'clock in the morning and landed in Carlinville, thirty-five miles distant, at one o'clock in the afternoon, having made the trip in three hours, by putting the horse to his best gait when on level ground. That was regarded as a feat that only a thoroughbred horse could accomplish.

Another man of note was Major P. H. Winchester, who came here with his family from Edwardsville during the year 1829 or 1830. He was a lawyer of much repute at that time, but had killed a man in Edwardsville, tor which he was acquitted by the eloquence of Felix Grundy, the celebrated criminal lawyer of Tennessee. The Major brought with him a family of intelligent and educated persons, who took high rank at once with our people. Soon after his arrival Major Ben Stevenson came to Carlinville, for the purpose of settling, bringing with him some of his family. He took an active part in the affairs of the pioneers in aiding to build up and secure immigration into the county. Soon after Stevenson's coming, a very worthy man, Nicholas Boice, came to our village and opened a store. He was here but a few months when lie married the eldest daughter of Major Winchester, and their home became the mecca of all the social gatherings that frequently occurred in the town. The Winchester and Stevenson families were always regarded and esteemed as worthy and .good citizens.

The name of John Harris is so indelibly fixed as a benefactor in the records of our county that no lapse of memory will ever cause the coming generations to forget him. He came here and discovered that those who had preceded him needed a mill to grind the grain that was being pounded into meal in Indian mortars, and at once (1830) built a water mill on the Macoupin creek, one and one half miles east of Carlinville, on what is now known as Sunny Home Stock Farm. A portion of the logs that formed the dam now remain on the rocks at the bottom of the creek where it was built. He was the first sheriff of the county, was state senator and honorably filled those and other positions of trust and responsibility.

Judge Thomas B. Rice, who settled at what was afterwards Icnown as Rice's Point, in the western part of the county, filled satisfactorily the office of assistant county judge and other positions of trust, and died leaving a family, who have followed in his footsteps, in making the county one of the very best in the state.

Joseph Phelps and Sallie Ainslee, his wife, my maternal grandparents, came to the county in 1826,. from Tennessee. They settled on what was afterwards known as the Phelps Hill, bringing with them a family of boys and girls, who married and settled in and near Staunton. Nathan Phelps, a son, soon after his majority, became well-to-do and left quite a fortune for lhat day to be distributed between his parents and four sisters, namely : Clarissa, who married Robert Weeks ; Cassie, who married Robert Page ; Charlotte, who married Abram Smith ; and my mother, who had married Abram S. Walker. The latter couple had followed the Phelpses to the new country in the year 1828, and all of those to whom I here refer, except my mother and father, now lie buried at the Phelps cemetery, three miles south and west of Staunton. My mother and father on their arrival built a temporary cabin near the Phelps Hill, remaining there until the spring of 1830, when they removed to Carlinville. At that time there were but two dwelling houses (log cabins) in the young village. They reared a family of two boys and two girls : Caroline, who married William Phelps; myself, who married Permelia A. Dick; Tennessee, who married Ferdinand Taggart ; and a son, James L., who died in August, 185!, during the epidemic of cholera, in his twentieth year. All except my wife, Permelia A., and I, have passed away, and lie buried in the Carlinville cemetery.

Telemachus Camp was a very early settler in our county. He located two miles south of Staunton, and the first thing that he did was to plant an apple and peach orchard. It was the first orchard planted on what afterwards became the soil of Macoupin county. Soon after my father arrived in the new country my mother took me on a visit to Mrs. Camp, the wife of Telemachus Camp. They were friends in Tennessee before moving to the new Eldorado. Of course, the apple orchard was the attraction to me. Peter Camp, a son, now owns and lives on the old farm. He is a worthy son of a worthy father.

Judge Alva Cloud, a resident of what is now North Otter township, was an early pioneer and was frequently elected to the position of assistant county judge and justice of the peace. He died without blot or stain on his name.

Thomas D. Moore, an early pioneer, settled on a farm four miles east of Carlinville. He reared an honorable family, the members of which have done their part in the making of Macoupin county one of the richest of the state.

Daniel Anderson was "mine host" of the Green Tree "tavern" in Carlinville, it being the stage stand. His name will ever remain fresh in my memory, from the fact that when a boy, he paid my way into the first circus that I ever attended.

The Weatherfords emigrated to the county before its organization and soon became leaders in politics and 'the bettering of the condition of the pioneers. Jeff Weatherford succeeded John Harris as sheriff in 1834, but was defeated by lieatty T. Burke, Sr.,1 for that office in 1836, Burke having been deputy under Weatherford for the two previous years. Harbird Weatherford was the working man of all the Weatherfords that I ever knew. He erected an ox mill at an early day, three miles southeast of Carlinville.

Dr. Levi J. Woods came from Morgan county, Illinois, and located in Carlinville when a young man for the practice of his profession. Soon after his arrival he married Miss Martha McClure, a sister of James A. McClure, Sr., of our county. He was a very promising young man and soon became the leading physician of the county. He belonged to a popular family, pioneers of Morgan county, Illinois. Joseph and George, his brothers, soon after followed him to Carlinville and became leading merchants and honorable citizens of the town. I have always claimed, and had a right to claim, the Doctor as a firm friend of mine. He was cut off in early life during the cholera epidemic here, in July. 1851. He was but thirty-four years of age at the time of his death, and at tint early period of his life had secured a large and paying practice in his profession. He was of a genial disposition, had gained the confidence and esteem of our people and was greatly missed by the community.

At an early day there came into the county, about 1827, a large, portly man, known as "King" Solomon, with his wife and a large family of boys. He settled on a creek in the northern part of the county, near where Scottville now stands. That creek is now and ever has been since that time, known as Solomon's creek. No family in our county has exerted a greater influence for good, or has made itself felt to a greater extent in all the affairs of the county, than "King" Solomon and his seven boys. They took a leading position in the county and maintained it up to the time of their death, having all lived and died in Macoupin.

The Rev. Stith M. Otwell, a Methodist minister, settled in Carlinville during the early '305 and was the first minister of that church who preached a sermon in our town. He was an able man and left a family of intelligent and cultured boys and girls, having occupied an honorable position in the history of our county. (A more extended sketch of Mr. Otwell will be found on another prge of this volume.)

Colonel James C. Anderson emigrated to this county from Kentucky during the year 1834, bringing a family of girls and boys with him. He was a large, portly, fine looking man, that attracted attention wherever he went and, being of bold and independent disposition, soon became a leading force in all the movements of the pioneers to induce a good class of emigration to this county. And as he was a typical Kentuckian his influence and efforts brought from that and other southern states many of the better class of emigrants who were then seeking homes for themselves and descendants in the free states. His name will always be honored by the old pioneers of our county. He was the father of a family of boys and girls that inherited his open, generous disposition, and they have well maintained and kept to the front this man's great and generous qualities of mind and business ability. His grandson, John C. Anderson, owns and is the president of the oldest bank in the city and is regarded as one of the wealthiest men in the county of Macoupin. A goodly number of other descendants of this broad-minded man are now living in the county, honorable, upright and intelligent men and women. One of his sons, C. H. C. Anderson, was the husband of Mrs. Mary C. Anderson, who was a daughter of Marshall H. Stratton. Having survived her husband, she is now living in Carlinville, occupying a social position that gives her much prominence.

Uncle "Dickey" Chapman, one of the early pioneers, settled on Cahokia Creek, during the year 1817 or 1818. He died leaving a family of boys and girls, among whom was our old friend, Major Fletcher H. Chapman of Carlinville, whom we knew as one of the very best of our citizens. He often held positions of responsibility and, having served in the Union army during the rebellion, came home with a record for bravery and efficiency that was not excelled by any other officer of that army. He died but a few years ago, leaving a small family, who have since resided in Chicago.

Seth T. Hodges settled in the western part of the county on what has since been known as Hodges' creek, before the organization of the county. He was one of the commissioners that assisted in the organization of the county in 1829. He did his duty in life as he saw it and gained from the -pioneers the encomium of "well done, good and faithful servant." The people of our county will not forget his well performed services in their behalf. He died many years ago, leaving a large family of girls and boys.

One of the best known families of early days was that of Uncle "Jimmy" Hall, who emigrated from North Carolina. He came during the year 1817. He was a small, slim-made, active, energetic, quick-spoken man, with courage enough for that early day. He settled on the "ridge," near where Hurricane creek empties into the Macoupin, near the C. & A. railroad station, known as "Macoupin station." Uncle "Jimmy" and all his family were splendid musicians and often enlivened the cabins of other pioneers with sweet strains of the violin". Oliver W., a son, was peculiarly gifted in that most entertaining accomplishment. Terrell Hall, another son, I have often thought was the most active man I ever met. He was not a large or robust man ; on the contrary he was slim in his make-up, but well-muscled. On one occasion a stranger came into the town, who proved to be an expert wrestler from St. Louis, boasting of his ability to throw down any man in the village, and especially, Terrell Hall. It did not require many hours until Terrell's friends were on hand, jibing the St. Louis man, telling him that he was too big and "beefy" to throw anybody down and that Terrell Hall could wipe the earth with him. A wager of fifty dollars on the side was made and the contest was to take place the next day. When the time arrived the parties met and arranged "holds" to be taken in each one of three falls. The first was to be "catch-as-catch-can," the second "arm-and-elbow" hold, and the third "back-holds." The contestants selected judges and stripped to pantaloons for the test of skill. The first "catch-as-catch-can" was ended in quicker time than it has taken me to write the above sentence, as Terrell, although the smaller man, was as active as a cat. He caught Davidson and with one effort landed him upon his back, it was said, before Davidson got a hold on Hall. There was to be a half-hour intermission between the falls. The second fall was to be arm-andelbow holds. This was Hall's favorite and, as he had never been thrown when wrestling this hold, his friends thought that he would end the contest with ease, as the rule was, two best in three of the falls. On coming together for this fall, Terrell tried his favorite "trip" to throw Davidson ; but it failed, as Davidson was too heavy to be handled by the smaller man, with sufficient strength to throw him. But Hall's wind enabled him to wear down Davidson until, in a lucky moment, he got a twist on Davidson and with a '.'trip" threw him and won the fifty dollars. The next day the boys made up a "pony" purse for Davidson to pay his way back to St. Louis on the stage. Another feat that I witnessed when a' small boy,, of Terrell Hall's gave me a lesson in hunting large game that has been of great advantage to me in my outings. A number of men were helping a little "Yankee" to build a store house on the west side of the square, where Steinmeyer's drug store is now located. One of them, who was on the top log of the building, discovered three deer feeding on the prairie, a quarter of a mile from the store house, and notified the men below him that there were three deer feeding on the prairie west of where they were at work. Terrell Hall was noted as a skilful hunter of that animal. Some one in the crowd of- fered to wager a small sum that he could not creep on the deer close enough to kill one of them. Having his rifle with him he accepted the wager. No one in the crowd thought he would succeed, as there was nothing between the men and the game to prevent the deer from seeing Hall's approach. He exacted a promise from the men at work that they would continue their work on the building and make no unusual moves, commenced his approach towards his quarry, in a stooping position, for sixty or seventy yards. Then he dropped to his hands and knees and at intervals continued his approach by jumping to his feet and running towards the deer as fast as he could, for twenty-five or thirty yards. Suddenly, he again fell to his hands and knees and lay motionless for a few minutes and again as suddenly jumped to his feet and ran about the same distance as he had done in the first instance toward the deer. When he had performed these feats a number of times, the deer still feeding, seemingly without notice of Hall, we saw him raise his rifle to his face, rest his arm that upheld his rifle on his knee, and after taking deliberate aim, fired, and as we heard the report of the gun one of the deer went down, killed by a rifle ball which entered its body just behind the fore shoulder. We had observed that when any one of the deer had its head up looking around, Hall remained motionless ; but when all three of them had their heads down feeding, he would jump to his feet and run towards the deer until he saw *ne of them shake its tail and commence to raise its head. Then again he was down, motionless. It is not generally known that a deer will feed but a few seconds before it raises its head and looks all around for danger, and then resume its feeding if it sees nothing that looks suspicious, and always before it raises its head for another look, it invariably shakes its tail. In order to show the great quantity of game that then roamed over the forests and prairies in this part of the state, I will repeat what Oliver Hall frequently told me of the manner in which meat was obtained during several years that the Halls lived near the junction of the Hurricane and Macoupin creeks. He told me that his father owned an old United States yaeger, flint lock, with the main spring of the lock broken, so that it made the lock useless. He would load up the old gun with powder and ball and would prime the same in the pan of the lock with powder and then taking a torch, made of knots of dry timber, would light the torch and with it in one hand and the yaeger in the other, go slowly through the woods until he spied a deer. He would then creep onto his quarry until he got within thirty or forty yards of it, when he would place the muzzle of the gun in the forks of a bush, or on a log, and take deliberate aim ; then placing the fired torch in contact with the priming in the pan, kill the deer. In this way he furnished the meat for his father's family for several years. On another occasion, he was sent on an errand to a neighbor's cabin and was riding an old mare. When he had got but a short distance from his destination he saw a large black bear jump from an old treetop and start to inn. He started after it and soon overtook the bear, but could not make the old mare jump on it. As he had nothing with him that he could kill the animal with he was at a loss to know what to do. The bear kept running and he after it, trying to push the old mare on it, until they got out into the prairie. He then thought of the iron stirrup on his saddle and as soon as possible, keeping the bear in sight, took the stirrup off the saddle and was soon up with it again. As the bear by this time was about fagged he would run up by its side and pound it on the head with the iron stirrup until he finally brought it down. He then jumped off the mare and finished the bear with his improvised weapon. On looking around Hall found himself within a few hundred yards of "bear rough." It had grown to be nearly dark; therefore, he left the bear where he had killed it until the next morning, when he and Terrell went after it and brought it in.

Dr. Gideon Blackburn has been so fully discussed in this history that I refer to those chapters for his, biography. One thing that I must say of him is, that of all the men that have ever lived and labored for the benefit of our county, Dr. Blackburn, in my estimation, stands in the foreground.

Elijah Wills settled in the north part of the county during the early '303. He died many years ago, leaving an intelligent family. One of the boys, Meridea A., was afterwards elected sheriff of the county.

William Bird, the father of Joseph Bird, settled in what is now known as Bird township at an early day. The township took its name from him.

Jesse Peebles, the father of Judge L. P. Peebles, came to the county some time about its organization. He soon became strongly imbued with the great worth of our prairie and timberland, and realized the real value of these lands for agricultural purposes. He invested his earnings in them and by that means secured many acres of the best land in the county before his death. He left a family that has followed his example, by securing many acres of Macoupin county's rich farm lands. Judge L. P. Peebles, his son, was elected county judge for many terms and always discharged his duties with so much satisfaction that I never heard his action while judge criticised. He was, and is, a lawyer practicing in our courts, having as a partner his son, Jesse Peebles. They have one of the largest clienteles of any law firm in the city, and have the respect and confidence of our people.

Joseph Listen, Sr., the father of our townsman, Joseph Listen, Jr., entered and improved a farm in the northeastern part of the county. He came from Kentucky and was noted for his genial and urbane manners. The old farm is still in possession of the family.

Colonel James A..McClure was the head of all the McClure family now living in the county and other portions of our country. As a family the McClures have always been leading men and women, not only of this county but of the state. He emigrated from Kentucky to Macoupin county during the early '308 and located on a farm about three miles east of Carlinville. He was highly educated and was a large, fine-looking gentleman, with a hospitality and manner of the old Virginia planter. The colonel was scrupulously neat about his appearance and dressed well. He became a very useful member of the pioneers in the forming and settling of the county. Finally he became connected with one of the departments of the' government at Washington, D. C., and died while in that service, leaving many descendants, who have been noted in our state and county for their ability, honesty and integrity, in all the official and business affairs to which they have been called. Especially have they taken a leading part in building up^our churches and public schools.

Alfred S. Mayfield. whose family settled in the county prior to its organization, was circuit clerk for a number of terms. He was popular with all classes of our citizens. A peculiar feature about Mr. Mayfield was unrealized height, he being six feet and six inches high. One, judging from appearances when seeing him in his office or walking on the streets, would not have estimated him to be over five feet, eight or ten inches in height. This occurred from his being stoop-shouldered. About one year before his death Mrs. Walker and I had the pleasure of a summer's outing with him. among the lakes and forests of Minne- .sota. This outing was taken in the hope that it would be of benefit to his health. He, however, did not realize this hope. He came home without benefit from the trip and bravely fought the disease that was pulling him down until the next summer, when, with the knowledge of his approaching end, he admonished his children to be true and kind to their mother, aiding and comforting her in the great affliction that would soon weigh her down. And thus this loving father passed away, leaving his wife and a young family of boys and girls to be looked after by her.

Barney Rhodes belonged to a large family that came into the county, some of them, before its organization. It would be impossible for me to single out each member of this family and do justice to those that have passe/1 away, perhaps unknown to me, and those that are now living. Space would not permit of my doing so, as the members of this family would fill the historical book that we are now assisting in preparing. But to return to Uncle Barney, no man in his community stood higher for truth, honesty and integrity. His promise was accepted by all, without hesitation or doubt. He was a farmer, living in what is now Plainview township. He entered land, he struggled with the wilderness until he subdued it. He died respected and loved by all who knew him. His children, well started in life from his earnings and their own, have made good. So rest, Uncle Barney, your good name will never suffer by the conduct of your children.

Thomas Davis came to Carlinville about the year 1828 and settled on a farm that he entered about one mile west of Carlinville. He was a good man, true to all the duties in which he was trusted.

Dr. Edmond C. Vancil was a man of more than ordinary ability. He came to this county about the year 1826 and settled in what is now North Otter township. He was a successful physician, a model farmer and commenced in early life to acquire all the land in the northern part of our county, and came near doing so before his death. As his name will appear in another part of this history, I refer thereto for the details of his life.

Pinkney Hughes, the father of our T. P. Hughes, came to this county about the time of its organization, and soon took a leading position in all the affairs of the pioneers who were then laboring to build up the county and people it with a good class from the emigration which was then generally flowing from the south.

I have always rejoiced that Daniel Dick, a resident of Kentucky, emigrated to Illinois for when I became of age I visited his house, found a most beautiful -girl and, within a very few months afterwards, she became my wife. Mr. Dick was the nephew of the Donners, who went from Sangamon county to California, many of them perishing during the winter of 1846-7 in the Nevada mountains from starvation, as they were caught before they had crossed the Nevada mountains by the fall of a heavy snow that obscured all traces and covered the ground to the depth of thirty or forty feet. Some of them escaped to Captain Suiter's ranch on the Sacramento, during the spring following. He first settled in Sangamon county, Illinois, but soon afterwards moved to Macoupin and bought a farm in what is now North Otter township. He acquired many acres of those now valuable lands in that township. His wife died in 1853, when he moved with his children to Carlinville, and lived there up to the' time of his death which occurred in 1878.

Colonel Isaac Greathouse, warden of the Alton penitentiary during the '305, with his family, moved to Carlinville about the year 1840 and bought four or five hundred acres of land adjoining and including the home place of Bertie M. Burke, where he, Burke, now resides. He erected on the land adjoining that residence a deer park of one hundred and sixty acres, by building a stake-andrider fence about twelve feet high, and placed therein about three hundred deer, that made a great resort for all the pioneers of the county.

Hugh Rice, a Scotchman, came to the county at an early day, settling in what is now Gillespie township, and in 1849, he and I started for California, joining the Alton company that went from that city to the new Eldorado. To learn the characteristics of a man nothing is of more aid than traveling and camping with him on a trip of this kind. He had become possessed of a number of acres of land and when starting on this trip left a young family behind him. By his industry and economy he accumulated quite a fortune, leaving it to his children, who have proved worthy of being the sons and daughters of as good a man as was Uncle "Hughey" Rice.

Beatty T. Burke, Sr., came to the county of Macoupin in 1830, from Virginia. His history is given in detail in this work, hence I refer the reader to another article which relates to his successful efforts in aiding the building up of our county.

Ferdinand Taggart came to Carlinville at an early day and erected the first brick building in the city. He married a sister of the writer and for years was one of the firm of Walker, Phelps & Company, engaged in the mercantile business in this city, Alton and Taylorville.

H. W. Wall's father came to Macoupin county before its organization, Wall being born in the county and raised by Telemachus Camp. He was a successful business man and acquired a very considerable fortune before his death, which occurred a few years ago in Staunton, Illinois. He occupied positions of trust, both state and county, always with credit to himself and benefit to his constituency and earned a reputation for honesty and integrity not surpassed by any citizen of the county.

Sargeant Gobble settled in what is now Scottville township before the town of that name was laid out, 'and became one of the leading men in that part of the county. He was frequently elected to positions of trust by the people of the county, as well as of his own township.

John Lumpkin settled in what is now Chesterfield township, about the time of the county's organization. He soon acquired a large farm and other property and was and continued to the time of his death, a respected citizen of that

Thos. B. Ross, who with his father's family settled in what is now Palmyra township in an early day, became sheriff of the county and died of the cholera in 1851. He filled the office with satisfaction and credit to himself as well as to his constituency.

Moore's branch, three miles east of Carlinville, took its name from Robert W. Moore, who was a Revolutionary soldier, and moved to this county at about the time of its organization. (See another chapter giving his history.)

Dr. John W. Hankins came to Carlinville when it was but a small village. 1 think he began the practice of medicine in 1843 and became before his death one of the most successful physicians that ever practiced medicine in Carlinville, having during his later years the most of the best families of the town as his patients. He became quite well-to-do and left his property to his children who reside here and in other states.

General John I. Rinaker came to Carlinville in December, 1852, and commenced the study of law under John M. Palmer, who was then a very successful lawyer. He obtained license to practice law in 1854. He afterwards married in October, 1855, Miss Clarissa Keplinger, who resided in Franklin, Morgan county, Illinois, and has from that time until the present, been a permanent resident of our city. General Rinaker is a successful lawyer, a brave soldier, who enlisted in the Union army in 1862. went through the entire war, coming out as a brigadier general with a record of bravery and efficiency. The writer of this sketch got the knowledge that he has of the law as a student in the office of General Rinaker. I have found him to be an upright, fearless lawyer, ready to defend the interests of his clients with great skill and ability. We went through the entire courthouse controversy, associated together in the fight against the bondholders until we finally succeeded in relieving the taxpayers of our county of one million dollars. I think the records of that controversy will justify the above assertion. The General and Mrs. Rinaker have raised a family of boys, who are lawyers and one a skilled architect. They inherited from their father the principles of the law and have proven themselves able, worthy and successful defenders of the rights of their clients. Two of them have succeeded as representatives of the people in the legislature of our state, and the General was elected and served a term in the lower house of congress but declined to become a candidate again.

Henry W. Burton was a native of Connecticut and emigrated from that state to Illinois in 1841, having become strongly imbued with the idea, as expressed by Stephen A. Douglas, "It is no crime to be born in one of the eastern states, provided you emigrate early." Following out this idea Mr. Burton, when a young man, started for the West to cast his lot with the pioneers of Illinois. Here the farms had no rocks to be moved off, that the land might be plowed, but on the contrary the land produced in great abundance without the hard labor required on a farm in the eastern states. His first stopping place was Woodburn, in the south part of the county. His brother, James came with him and there he married a Miss Cornelia Rider, who proved a devoted and helpful wife. They had two children, Etta and Frank W. Etta married judge Robert B. Shirley, who is the son of William C. Shirley, whose family settled in Illinois at an early date and became connected with the Hoxey family. They, too, were pioneers of Illinois. Frank W. Burton was admitted to the bar after a course of reading in the office of the writer and is now one of the leading lawyers of the state. He married Miss Anna Robertson, the daughter of Dr. William A. Robertson. He was first elected as states attorney for the county. He is now serving his second term as state senator.

The writer of this sketch first became acquainted with Henry W. Burton during an outing we had together in 1844 over the beautiful prairie of Illinois. In going from Carlinville to our destination in a spring wagon we travelled the road that led from Carlinville to Springfield, there being no house or habitation between Carlinville and John Virden's stage stand, situated near the timber of Sugar Creek in the southern part of Sangamon County. From that time until his death, a few years ago, that outing was repeated in different parts of the United States, annually, until we both became convinced that we had passed the age of the camp life of the hunter.

In 1868 Mr. Burton was elected circuit clerk of our county and held that office for twelve years, being elected for three terms. He moved to our city soon after his first election and resided here until his death. He was of genial disposition and made friends wherever his lot was cast. No man in this county stood higher in the estimation of our people for honesty, integrity and uprightness in all his dealings. During the gold excitement of 1849 Mr. Burton crossed the plains to the "new Eldorado," California, and return home during the year 1851 and soon afterwards commenced a mercantile business in Woodburn and Bunker Hill, which was continued until he was elected to the office of circuit clerk in 1868.

Josiah Burrough settled on a hill one-half mile east of Carlinville. The stream nearby afterwards and up to the present day has been called "Burrough's Branch.'' Mr. Burrough was one of the commissioners who assisted in the organization of the county and diecl leaving a large family to mourn his loss.

Dr. William A. Robertson was a son of a Methodist minister who came to our county about the time of its organization. In many respects, Dr. Robertson had many traits that the pioneers thought strange, one of which was that while merchandising in Carlinville he invariably walked to Alton, 35 miles distant, to purchase his goods for the store. Another was that becoming subject to dyspepsia he tried to cure it by the use of crackers and water alone, without other food for one year. He, too, soon became conscious that the purchase of lands in this county would repay him better than merchandising and became a trader in real estate and the loaning of money, at which he succeeded to the extent that when he died he was quite wealthy for that day. He reared a family of boys and girls who have aided greatly in the building up of the county. I neglected to say that Dr. Robertson became a Methodist preacher and died in that faith.

Ezekiel Good settled in what is now Carlinville and built the first log cabin that was erected, across the street east from the courthouse. He was one of the commissioners that laid off the county. He did his duty to the full satisfaction of the pioneers of this county and died in 1834 greatly lamented by those whose acquaintance he had formed. He was buried in the Carlinville cemetery and was one of the first to be interred in that now populous burying ground.

In preparing the above sketches I have tried to confine myself to the pioneers who came to the county prior to and about the time of its organization, in 1829. I feel conscious that I have made mistakes and have omitted the names of many pioneers whose names ought to be recorded in this sketch. Memory fails in the attempt to single out incidents and men when the corroding effects of time have intervened between the long ago and today.