Macoupin County, Illinois - Chapter 19: Various Things, 1911

Chicago & Alton

Several railroads enter and cross Macoupin county. The Chicago & Alton enters the county on section 4, in Virden township and traverses the county in a southwestern direction, leaving it at Brighton, on section 19. The most important stations are Carlinville, Girard, Nilwood, Shipman and Brighton. In 1852 the road was completed between Alton and Springfield and in 1864 trains were running to East St. Louis. Later, the road entered the city of St. Louis.

The Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis has for its main stations in the county, Bunker Hill, Dorchester and Gillespie; the Wabash, Staunton and Mt. Olive ; The Jacksonville & St. Louis, Virden and Girard ; St. Louis, Rock Island & Chicago, Brighton and Medora; Quincy, Carrollton & St. Louis, Carlinville ; Chicago, Peoria & St. Louis, Medora, Hettick, Modesto and Chesterfield ; Litchfield & Madison, Mt. Olive and Staunton ; Illinois Central, Mt. Olive ; Macoupin County, under management of the Chicago & Northwestern, Sawyerville and Benld; St. Louis, Springfield & Peoria, Staunton, Mt. Olive, Sawyerville, Benld, Gillespie, Carlinville, Nilwood, Girard and Virden ; Chicago & Eastern Illinois, track at Staunton. Most of these roads are coal feeders to other lines.

The Agricultural, Horticultural and Mechanical Association was the first organization in Macoupin county established for the holding of annual meetings for the exhibition of farm products and live stock. This society was organized in 1854 in Carlinville. Major Lofton was the first president and Mr. Dews was the first secretary. At this meet all that was exhibited were a few horses, oxen, cows and some butter. No other farm products were entered. Wesley Dugger and Samuel Welton exhibited oxen and the latter took first premium. The same Mr. Welton had as his competitor as an exhibitor of milch cows, Henry Fish-* back and Mr. Fishback took first premium. Dr. Delano, afterward a resident of Bunker Hill, exhibited what was considered to be one of the finest calves ever shown in Macoupin county.

Among those who presented butter for the inspection of visitors and the test experts were Peter L. Denby and Robert Purviance. This first exhibition of Macoupin county product was held on the public square in Carlinville. The next two fairs were held in Captain Welton's pasture west of the city and the fourth annual meet took place near the residence of Major B. T. Burke.

After this a movement took place to secure a permanent exhibition ground, which resulted in grounds being purchased of Jarrett Dugger. To these grounds subsequently more land was added. With the exception of one year, 1862, annual fairs were held in this county. In the year especially mentioned the grounds were devoted to the county as a camp ground for soldiers then being recruited and the place was given the name of Camp Palmer, at which time the One Hundred and Twenty-second regiment, organized by General John I. Rinaker, was rendezvoused prior to being called to the front.

In 1879 tne Fair Association was organized under a new charter which it received in 1880. It then took the title of the Macoupin Agricultural Society. Its president was Joseph Bird, and secretary, F. W. Crouch. The stock subscribed at that time was $6,000 and the ground consisting of twenty-two acres, three-quarters of a mile northwest of town, was purchased, where fairs were held until 1896. At that time the association went into liquidation and the grounds were sold at master's sale to George J. Castle for $4,500, which paid all outstanding debts.

In 1898 a new association was formed, consisting of citizens of the county and under the auspices and direction of the new owner from time to time fairs were held on the old grounds, owned by Captain Castle, until in 1908, when the Macoupin County Fair & Agricultural Association was incorporated, with a capital stock of $6,000. This corporation purchased the old grounds and has been continuing to hold meets ever since, with gratifying success.

County Infirmary

Those persons having the poor and indigent of the county early in its history and previous to the purchase of land, or the erection of an infirmary building, were remunerated by the county issuing orders from the commissioners' court. At the September term of court in 1851, Judge John M. Palmer was instructed to ascertain and report to the court the cost of a suitable farm for the poor and indigent. Also the improvements required and such information as he could obtain relative to the infirmary system in other counties. It transpired that in the following December a habitation was secured ready for the reception of the poor, with two hundred and two acres of land upon sections 26 and 35 in Nilwood township. In March, 1855, Enoch Wall was appointed a commissioner to sell the above, which it appears he succeeded in doing, for in May of the same year, forty acres were purchased by the county on section 16, Carlinville township, which in 1870, was increased by the further purchase of eighty acres. Upon this land a building was erected in 1856. and in 1902 it was remodeled to the

Census

355; 1860 - 24,602; 1870 - 32,726; 1880 - 37,705. For the past three decades the following table will show the growth of the county, especially of the ten years just closed, which was greater than in any equal period in the history of the community. The table gives the population of every city, village and township in the county and is complete :

Drainage Districts In Macoupin

A number have been organized in this county, which increases the value and productiveness of the soil. It has been only a few years since, that the organization of drainage districts for the purpose of reclaiming or improving large tracts of land, was hardly given serious consideration. There were possibly many reasons for this condition, chief of which was the cost. This, however, has been largely done away with owing to the great increase in value of farm lands in this county as well as the entire state and country. When good land rose in price from something like $40 to $125 and higher, in a period of about ten or twelve years, the mind of the land owner who had any considerable acreage of waste or overflow land began to turn in the direction of making this land more valuable by protecting it and making it more productive. The cost of the work was easily made up by the increased value of the land benefited, and the added certainty of larger and better crops.

Working conditions of good land well situated and with plenty of surface drainage, are vastly more favorable even in seasons which are considered good, if properly underlaid with tile of the correct size. A well tile-drained soil is readily freed from excess water which, as far as possible, enters the soil where it falls, thus preventing to a large extent the surface washing which is so injurious to the fertility of the soil. A well underdrained soil is open and friable, readily absorbing the fertilizers, that may be applied to it; easily prepared, requiring less labor to put it into condition for seed, which will germinate more quickly and the plant will grow more rapidly.

A field well drained will be ready for the plow a week in advance of a like soil not under-drained, may be planted several days sooner and is from eight to ten degrees warmer. Drainage not only serves as an exit for excessive moisture, but affords a means of preventing drouth. Crops may be harvested in better condition, with an increase of from twenty-five to one hundred per cent. Money invested in tile drainage pays a large interest annually and is a sort of bank which never fails. In this connection it can be truly said that generations may come and go but a well drained soil continues to honor demands made upon it.

One of the largest districts organized in this county is along the Macoupin Creek bottom. The loss caused almost annually by the overflow of Macoupin and other creeks in this county is very large. What makes this usually more discouraging to the land owner or renter is, that it nearly always comes at a time when the crop is ready to harvest. Not infrequently it comes after harvest and the farmer has to stand and watch his crop go floating away and with it of course the results of a hard summer or year's work. The levee will prevent this, and at the same time make the crops sure and the land worth much more.

A. J. Duggan, of Carlinville, has been prominent in handling the legal side of the drainage propositions in this county, and is in a certain sense a pioneer attorney in this work. There being no previous cases which could be used as a guide, he has had to blaze the way and solve many difficult legal problems along these lines. The law governing drainage and levees is complicated and the matter requires a great deal of careful study. There are many questions which come up in the organization of the different districts and all have to stand the scrutiny and test of the courts. Mr. Duggan has organized these drainage districts in such a very successful manner that he may at this time be properly considered a specialist in the law on this question. In a recent conversation with him he gave us some information in regard to the districts now organized and being organized in this county. Drainage district No. I was organized in South Otter township and was one of the first to be formed. It was commenced about four years ago. The contract has been let and the work is fully under way. The district covers about 1,600 acres and the cost to those interested will be $8,000. The Coyne-Nail district, No. i, is small, and lies south of Barnett, on the Montgomery county line. The petition in this case was filed in April, 1910, and the work was completed in December, 1910. It reclaimed a tract heretofore worthless swamp land, of moderate size.

Honey Point district No. 5 as mentioned previously in this article was begun two years ago. Delay was caused by the fact that the commissioners considered the first bid to be too high. In the second bid made the contractor failed to file the necessary bond. This district is composed of 1,300 acres and the cost will amount to about $7,000. The law provides that bonds for drainage districts may draw 6 per cent interest, but the bonds of Honey Point district found a ready sale at 5 per cent.

The Chesterfield-Ruyle is a levee and drainage district and is now in process of organization, and is at present in court. This district will involve the construction of 33,000 feet of levee and several thousand feet of open ditches. It is hoped to get the matter in shape to let the contract by the middle of the summer.

Huddleston-Meiners Union district No. i, is located on the north line of Honey Point township and the south line of Shaws Point. This was organized last fall. The contract will be let shortly and covers about one thousand acres.

District No. 2, South Otter township, is now in process of formation. The number of acres to be drained will be 1,800. The preliminary surveys have been made and the engineer and attorney are ready to put together the plans and specifications for the work. This is all of the organized work now being done in Macoupin county. Of course there is much private work being done.

The object in organizing a drainage district is for the purpose of enabling the work to be done cheaper and in a much more satisfactory manner than if done privately. This is especially so where the acreage is large and several land owners are concerned. It has frequently been found that one string of large tile can be laid that will drain a body of land much better than if two strings were laid and at much less cost and with little or no conflict of interests.

The Chesterfield-Ruyle district was organized under a law especially provided for levees. The commissioners for a district of this kind are appointed by the county court. Those districts must be formed by petition to the court and can not be formed otherwise. This law is known as the levee act. Where no levees are required the districts are usually organized under what is commonly known as the farm drainage act. It is much less expensive to organize under this law than the levee act.

Under the farm drainage act the commissioners of highways of the different townships are ex officio the drainage commissioners in their respective towns, until the district has been regularly organized. The law provides for the election of drainage commissioners in each district to take the place of the highway commissioners, after that district has been duly organized. In most cases the people usually have the commissioners of highways to carry the work along to the point where the district becomes legally organized. After this they elect from the land owners three commissioners to formulate plans and carry out the work. All districts, whether under the levee act or the farm drainage act, are organized on petition of interested adult land owners.