Madison County, Illinois - Chapter 34: Literature and Authors, 1912

Lucy Larcom - Ministers in the Literary Field - "From Timber to Town" - County Historical Works - The Hapgoods and A. F. Bandelier - Dr. J. C. Clarke - Other Madison County Authors.

Madison county has been a prolific liter¬ ary field from an early date. A favorite Illi¬ nois writer was John Russell of Bluff dale. He did not remain permanently a resident of this county, but was a Professor in Alton Seminary, later Shurtleff College, when the institution was first located in Upper Alton, in association with the president, Rev. Hubbel Loomis, Professor Russell's stories, sketches and miscellaneous writings were nu¬ merous and widely copied. Many of them appeared originally in Madison county pa¬ pers. "The Legend of the Piasa," "The Emi¬ grant," and "The Worm in the Still," were perhaps the most generally known.

Rev. John M. Peck, the famous Baptist preacher and author, was never properly a resident of this county, although he spent so much time here he was thoroughly familiar with it and its people. He lived at Rock Spring, just over the line in St. Clair county, and his early reminiscences of Madison, as recorded in his "Gazetteer of Illinois," are in¬ valuable. Among other enterprises he pub¬ lished in Alton the Western Pioneer and Baptist Standard Bearer, from 1836 to 1839. in association with Rev. E. Rodgers and Rev. Washington Leverett. He continued a pro¬ lific contributor to the Madison county press as late as the middle of the fifties.

the publication of several books. Among them were "Alton Riots," by Rev. Edward Beecher; "Life of E. P. Lovejoy," by his brothers; "The Martyrdom of Lovejoy," by Henry Tanner and "Alton Trials," by W. S. Lincoln. All of these, except Mr. Tanner's volume, were published in the year following the tragedy. Mr. Tanner's was published nearly forty years later. A few years ago Rev. Dr. M. Jameson, formerly pastor of the First Baptist church of Alton, published a book entitled "Lovejoy as a Christian."

Lucy Larcom, a poetess of national reputa¬ tion, removed with relatives from Massachu¬ setts at an early day and settled on Looking Glass prairie, in this county, where she taught school while still a young girl. Subsequently she taught the Summerfield school, four miles from Alton, on the Grafton road, making her home in the family of Mr. and Mrs. D. A. -. Spaulding. Later she studied at Monticello Seminary and graduated there in the class of 1852. Probably her latest work, published in the early eighties, gives various sketches of life in Madison county in pioneer days and also contains her autobiography. Soon after graduation she returned to the east and con¬ tinued the distinguished literary career she

An old-time resident of the Wood River country was a frontier Baptist clergyman, the Rev. John Brown. In addition to other gifts he was possessed of the "divine afflatus" and exercised it in the composition of hymns and spiritual songs founded on Scripture texts. He published a hymnal of several hundred pages for use in the churches. A large por¬ tion of the hymns were original and the re¬ mainder a compilation from other hymnologists. The book was printed at the Alton Courier office in 1856. As a sample of its con¬ tents the writer recalls two isolated verses, the first from a hymn having for its subject the Fall of Jericho. The opening lines were :

The Rev. Dr. S. Y. McMasters, rector of St. Paul's Episcopal church prior to the war, an eminent divine and accomplished scholar as well, published several works of a theological or literary character during his residence in Alton.

Rev. Dr. Jas. B. Logan, pastor of the Cum¬ berland Presbyterian church, Alton (since the reunion, the Twelfth Street Presbyterian), was also editor of the Cumberland Presbyte¬ rian and other religious papers. He was a

Rev. Dr. A. T. Norton, who came to Illi¬ nois in 1835 and resided in Alton until his death in 1884, was pastor of the First Presby¬ terian church from 1839 to 1858, and was edi¬ tor of the Presbytery Reporter for many years. In 1879 he published a "History of Presbyterianism in Illinois," a volume of some 700 pages. Dr. Norton, as superinten¬ dent of Home Missions, organized more churches in the west than any other minister of his denomination. He was known as "the Father of Presbyterianism" in Illinois. In addition to his historical writings he was the author of various pamphlets and published sermons.

Mrs. T. E. Perley, of Alton, a lady of rare literary accomplishments, a descendant of one of the earliest pioneer families of southern Illinois, has published a volume illustrative of the modes of life and manner of speech of the pioneers, with a beautiful love story running through it like a thread of gold. It is written in the dialect of the early days and is invalu¬ able historically, as the only book which pre¬ serves and hands down to posterity an idiom that has vanished as utterly as the tongue of the aborigines. As a vivid portrayal of the lives and peculiarities of speech of the pio¬ neers it has no rival and is of unquestioned authority. The book is entitled "From Tim¬ ber of Town." The dialect so skillfully repro¬ duced is really that of the Appalachian moun¬ taineers, the early American settlers of Illi¬ nois being mainly from Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia and the Carolinas. During the war of 1812 Mrs. Perley's mother, then a young girl, was among those who sought refuge from the Indians in Fort Russell.

County Historical Works The Madison County Gazetteer and Direc¬ tory is the most valuable volume extant in bringing the history of the county up to the time of its publication in 1866. The publisher was J. T. Hair, but the work was evidently mainly edited by the late Hon. W. C. Flagg. Following in this historical line was the "Il¬ lustrated Encyclopedia of Madison County" by Brink, McCormick & Company, published in 1873, and followed in 1882 by W. R. Brink's "History of Madison County," the most complete and detailed work of the kind ever published. It is both historical and bio¬ graphical. A biographical work, relating in part to Madison county citizens, appeared in 1894, published by the Biographical Company of Chicago.

The Hapgoods and A. F. Bandelier Norman and Hutchins Hapgood, sons of Mr. and Mrs. C. H. Hapgood, late of Alton, are two authors of national reputation. Nor¬ man Hapgood was born in Chicago, March 28, 1868, and Hutchins May 21, 1869. Both spent their boyhood and youth in Alton which was the residence of their parents from 1873 to 1909. Norman graduated from Alton high school. A third son, William Powers, was born in Chicago May 26, 1872. All were pre¬ pared for college in Alton and all subse¬ quently graduated from Harvard University. Norman likewise graduated from the Har¬ vard Law School, and in 1903 became editor of Collier's Weekly, one of the most influen¬ tial high class journals in the country. As a publicist, biographer and essayist he has no superior among American writers. Since his college days he has spent much time abroad, and has contributed many articles to British Reviews. His leading books are: "Daniel Webster," "Literary Statesmen and Others,"

Hutchins Hapgood is equally successful in a somewhat different field of literature. After graduating from Harvard he made a trip around the world and spent two years at the Universities of Berlin and Strassburg. He made a special study of Sociology. He is the author of the following books which have had a wide vogue : "The Spirit of the Ghetto," "The Autobiography of a Thief," "The Spirit of Labor," "The Anarchist Woman," "Types from City Streets" and "Paul Jones." These are in addition to contributions to leading magazines. Mrs. Hutchins Hapgood (Neith Boice) is a well-known and successful novel¬ ist. She is author of "The Lorerunner," "The Revel," "The Eternal Spring," "The Folly of Others" and many short stories.

A. F. Bandelier, a native of Highland, is known throughout this and foreign countries as one of the greatest scientists and archaeolo¬ gists in America. His research work in New Mexico, Arizona and Old Mexico, for the Smithsonian Institution, is of incalculable value. His scientific reports and publications throw a flood of light on the aboriginal races of America.

A poetess of lesser fame than Lucy Larcom, but yet a gifted writer of melodious verse, was Mary E. (Gary) Benson, whose lines found wide publication and were much admired.

Several learned books have been written by Rev. Dr. J. C. Clarke, of Upper Alton, and received with great favor in scholarly circles. They include : of Rhode Island, that the government of Rhode Island was initiated and organized at Newport by Dr. John Clarke and his asso¬ ciates, and not at Providence by Roger Will¬ iams; that Newport maintains its leadership, and that Dr. Clarke obtained from Charles II the first charter that granted complete liberty of religion.

1890: "Man and His Divine Father." The first one hundred pages are a demonstration of the facts and principles of rational psychology. The rest of the book (260 pages) is a demonstration that the same philosophy is the substance of the Bible.

Dr. Clarke has also in type, but not pub¬ lished : "The Apocalypses : The Beginning, Body, and Symbols of Christianity." This is a demonstration from Jewish literature that everything in the New Testament, except the personality and special work of Jesus, was in substance formulated previous to Jesus; and that almost everything puzzling and mysteri¬ ous in the New Testament, can be explained by, and paralleled, by Jewish literature.

Following is a list of books by Madison county authors published by Melling & Gas¬ kins, of Alton : "Poems of the Piasa" (illus¬ trated), by F. C. Riehl; "Runes of the Red Race," poems (illustrated), by F. C. Riehl; "Life of Fr. Ostrop" (illustrated) by Rev. B. Hartmann; "On the Heights, poems (illus¬ trated), by Miss Anna Riehl; "Golden Jubilee St. Mary's Church" (illustrated), by Rev. Fr. Meckel; "Harriet Newell Haskell" (illus¬ trated), by Emily G. Alden; "Poems by Emily Gillmore Alden;" "Semi-Centennial History of Alpha Zeta Society of Shurtleff College" (illustrated), compiled by W. W. Greene; "Manual of Field Service, or the Essentials of the Art of War" (illus¬ trated), by Capt. W. A. Campbell, U. S. Army; "Sermons," by Rev. F. S. Eitelgeorge.

cal talent is of a high order. In his book of poems he sings the songs and recalls the leg¬ ends of the vanished races who once inhabited Madison county. This legendary lore is all we know of their history, save what the archaeologist learns from the implements, pot¬ tery and relics he exhumes from their tombs.

Miss Emily G. Alden, whose poetical gifts are well known to this generation and are universally admired, was for forty years an instructor in Monticello Seminary. She has now retired from active labor and is spending the evening of her days with relatives in Boston.

Hon. William McAdams, the famous geolo¬ gist and archieologist, accomplished more than any other scientist in unveiling the secrets of prehistoric Madison. He explored many In¬ dian mounds in the Illinois valley and col¬ lected more relics in Madison, Jersey and Cal¬ houn counties than any other antiquarian. These three counties are richer in archaeologi¬ cal remains than any others in the state. His research work, also, in developing the eco¬ nomic geology of the county, was invaluable in a material sense. One of his collections of Indian pottery, implements and weapons is now in the museum of Monticello Seminary and another in the State Museum at Springfield. Mr. McAdams' illustrated book, "Rel¬ ics of Vanished Races," is a prized contribu¬ tion to the science of archaeology and of pecu¬ liar local interest to the people of Madison county. The author's tragic death by drown¬ ing in the Mississippi, a few years ago, in the prime of his usefulness, was an irreparable loss to the cause of antiquarian research.

This list of books and authors is incomplete, but gives some insight into the progress of literature in Madison county, in history, poetry, biography, archaeology, theology, fic¬ tion and science.