Madison County, Illinois - Chapter 57: Edward Sville Township, 1912

Early Settlements Town Laid Out - Famous Residents - Judiciary and Civil Gov¬ ernment CtIURCHES AND SCHOOLS - SOCIAL AND FRATERNAL - THE POSTOFFICE - FlRST Newspaper Early Mills Transportation - Water Problem Solved - Edwardsville as a City - Court Houses - Industries - As a Residential City.

In the early days of the nineteenth century historical facts concerning Illinois, the county of Madison, and the town of Edwardsville were usually grouped in the same chapter, so largely identical were they. Edwardsville was one of the historic places of Illinois during the formative period of the commonwealth, even before it became a state. The town was the seat of government, the distributing point of its business and trade activities and the center of social and communistic features. Desie:- nated as the government land office and as the Kickapoo Indian agency, Edwardsville formed the gateway through which flowed the early tide of immigration from Kentucky and the eastern states and from this point the settlers deployed to the northward as far as Lake Michigan. Here also centered those measures for protection necessary to combat the acts of reprisal with which the Indians met the ad¬ vance of civilization.

Edwardsville a hundred years ago was the governmental center of a vast area, embracing all of Illinois north of the south line of Madi¬ son county extended across the state to Indi¬ ana, all of what is now the state of Wisconsin, and taking in small portions of Minnesota and upper Michigan. The Canadian line was desig¬ nated as the northern limit of the county.

The earliest permanent settlement in the vicinity of Edwardsville was in 1800. Eph¬ raim O'Connor located in Goshen, as the south central part of Madison county was then known, his place being between Edwardsville and Collinsville. He was bought out the next year by Colonel Samuel Judy, who remained on the property until the time of his death.

The first settlement on the present site of Edwardsville was made in 1805 by Thomas Kirkpatrick, a native of North Carolina, who built his cabin on a militia claim of a hundred acres on Cahokia creek, originally granted to Pierre Lejoy. During the three years previous several other families from the east settled in the neighborhood. The confirmation of Kirk¬ patrick's claim is to be found in the second volume of the American State Papers, the grant being listed as No. 991. In the easy¬ going style of those days Edwardsville was listed as three miles east of the Mississippi, when in reality it was between eight and nine miles.

platted by Thomas Kirkpatrick, its original settler, who bestowed upon it the name Edwardsville, in honor of Ninian Edwards, then the territorial governor of Illinois.

No one occupied a more important position in the early days of Edwardsville than did Kirkpatrick. In 1812 he built a fort on what is now North Main street in Edwardsville, at a point 300 yards from Cahokia creek, which was to be used as a defense against the Indians. When Madison county was formally created on September 14, 1812, the home of Thomas Kirkpatrick in Edwardsville was named as the seat of government and it was there, on the 5th day of April, 1813, that the court of common pleas held its first session.

After the War of 1812 the deeds to most of the land in northern Illinois, distributed by the government to soldiers who had partici¬ pated therein, and which were known as "mili¬ tary bounty lands," were registered in Ed¬ wardsville. Entries of government land were recorded here and the town was the scene of negotiations of treaties with the Indians. All these things brought together a great number of people and the town grew rapidly.

Eight persons who filled the office of gov¬ ernor of Illinois, at various periods were resi¬ dents of Edwardsville. Three spent long periods here. They were: Ninian Edwards, the only governor of the territory and after¬ wards governor of the state, Edward Coles and Thomas Ford. The residence here of Governor Coles was the most extended. Four others, John Reynolds, Joseph Duncan, Thomas Carlin and John M. Palmer, lived here during part of their eventful careers. Charles S. Deneen, present governor of the state, was born here.

Edwardsville was the home of the first two United States senators from Illinois, Ninian Edwards and Jesse B. Thomas, and they lived here at the same time during their terms of office. Benjamin Stephenson, who was repre¬ sentative to congress when Illinois was a terri¬ tory, and Daniel P. Cook, who was the first representative to congress from Illinois elected by the people after it became a state, were numbered among its residents.

Benjamin J. Seward, brother of Secretary of State W. H. Seward, and James D. Henry, who achieved the distinction of capturing Black Hawk and putting an end to the war that was named for that noted chief, were among famous residents of the first period.

In 1813 George Coventry erected a mill in Edwardsville on what is known as Tan Yard branch because of the tan yard which was operated at the head of the stream. In 1816 Abraham Prickett opened the first store in Edwardsville and shortly afterward his ex¬ ample was followed by Benjamin Stephenson

The judicial side of the civic scheme re¬ ceived its first representation when the court of common pleas in Madison county held its initial session on April 5, 1813, at the house of Thomas Kirkpatrick in Edwardsville. John G. Lofton and Jacob Whiteside were the judges, Josias Randle being appointed clerk.

Prior to 1817 the sessions of court were held in the taverns of the town but toward the latter part of this year a court house consist¬ ing of a log cabin erected by Samuel G. Morse, at a cost of $437.50, was opened. A jail of similar construction was completed by Wil¬ liam Otwell at a cost of $194, both being in the north part of the city as it is at present constituted.

The first mention of government for the town of Edwardsville that can be found on any of the records is the passage by the state legislature on February 23, 1819, of an act appointing Benjamin Stephenson, Joseph Bowers, Robert Latham, John Todd, Joseph Conway, Abraham Prickett and Theophilus W. Smith the board of trustees for the town.

The first hotel in the city was called the "General Washington" and was opened by W. C. Wiggins in the fall of 1819 in a brick building on the northeast side of the public square. Another famous old hotel was located a few doors south of the square and on the west side of Main street, and came to be with thirty- five members. Rev. Washington C. Ballard preached to the congregation. John Hogan, a young Irishman who traveled on the circuit, preached to the members in the old court house. In the spring of 1829 the first Methodist church was erected on the spot where St. John's M. E. church now stands.

known in later years as the Wabash hotel. In early times this building, which is now used as a tenement house, was the scene of the principal social functions, and political and general gatherings.

Edwardsville had its share in the early re¬ ligious development of the state as well as in its material progress. Near the city was built the first Methodist church in Illinois. It was on land occupied by Thomas Good, two and a half miles south of Edwardsville, and was erected in 1805 of unhewn logs, clapboard roof, puncheon floor and roughly constructed windows. It was known as Bethel.

Rev. William S. Deneen, grandfather of Gov¬ ernor Charles S. Deneen, arrived the follow¬ ing year and was the first Methodist minister regularly stationed in Edwardsville.

The German Methodist church of Edwards¬ ville had its inception in 1847 when an assist¬ ant preacher from Alton commenced the hold¬ ing of services in the Progress school house. The Baptist church was rented in 1861 and used until 1866, and the Episcopal church was rented and used until 1869, when it was bought by the German Methodist congregation. Later this was succeeded by the present hand¬ some brick structure. The First Presbyterian congregation was organized in Edwardsville March 17, 1819, but later lapsed and was re¬ vived in 1837 and again in 1845, and in 1867 the present congregation was formed. The congregation was organized in Edwardsville building on Second street, moving a quarter of a century ago to the present building at Kansas street and College avenue.

On April 18, 1828, the Baptist church in Edwardsville was organized at a meeting held at the residence of Dr. Benjamin F. Edwards, later the residence of Hon. Joseph Gillespie. The first church was built in 1830 and was sold in 1866, the present building, which suc¬ ceeded it, being dedicated on October 6, 1872.

Services of the Roman Catholic faith were first held in Edwardsville between the years 1835 and 1840 in the dwelling houses of Mrs. McCabe and Mrs. Bartlett in what is now "lower town," and the home of Michael Mur¬ ray, a mile east of town on the Hillsboro road. The first church was built in 1843 and was entitled "The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary," which is the present St. Mary's Irish Catholic congregation. St. Boni¬ face's German Catholic congregation in 1867 reached a size at which it was determined to build a church and on the 2nd of June, 1869,

The German Evangelical, German Lutheran, Episcopal and Christian denominations are all well represented in Edwardsville, each con¬ gregation having a substantial brick house of worship.

instructor, being defrayed by contributions from the patrons. Joshua Atwater is the first teacher of whom any mention is made. He taught from 1818 to 1820, opening a store in the latter year. Madam Dejerome opened an academy in 1820, wherein was given instruc¬ tion in the French language, geography, his¬ tory, drawing, arithmetic, embroidery and plain needlework. The present school build¬ ings of Edwardsville are of the most modern construction and equipment, and the enroll¬ ment of children is in the neighborhood of 1 ,200.

The social and fraternal side is represented by the following lodges and societies : Masons, Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias, Knights of Columbus, Modern Woodmen, Mutual Protec¬ tive League, Maccabees, Eagles, Owls, Redmen, Pocahontas, Rebekahs, Royal Neighbors, Eastern Star, Turnverein, Maennerchor.

Edwardsville's patriotic contributions to the Federal service have been generous. They began in 1809, when the settlers banded to¬ gether to resist the Indians whose depredations were believed to be incited by the British traders and agent at Prairie du Chien. Fort Russell, a few miles north of Edwardsville, was the headquarters of Governor Edwards for military stores and munitions of war. On August 1, 1812, a company was enlisted for the border warfare under command of Cap¬ tain Samuel Whiteside and it included forty men. William Jones and Samuel Judy com¬ manded other companies organized in the fall of 1812. In the Black Hawk war of 1831 and 1832 many Edwardsville people took part, and it was James D. Henry, a pioneer of Edwards¬ ville, who captured that famous warrior. When the Mexican war broke out in 1846 the Second and Sixth regiments out of a total of six from Illinois, were organized at Alton and contained a large enlistment of Ed¬ wardsville men, and the county seat furnished a goodly proportion of the 4,221 men from Madison county who enlisted for the Civil war. The memory of the achievements of that strug¬ gle is kept green by Edwardsville Post, No. 461, Grand Army of the Republic, and General Phil Sheridan Camp, No. 50, Sons of Vet¬ erans. Only a half a dozen Edwardsville men enlisted for the Spanish-American war in 1898.

ber 21, 1822. The office was located in a brick building on North Main street opposite the in¬ tersection of the Springfield road, which now belongs to the Leonard Eberhardt estate. In the summer of 1911 the federal government approved the selection of a site for the Fed¬ eral building, in which to locate the postoffice, the spot chosen being at the northeast inter¬ section of Hillsboro avenue and Commercial street. There are sixteen employees in the Edwardsville postal service now, including four city and six rural delivery carriers. T. M. Crossman has been postmaster since February 22, 1898, serving also a previous term from December 1, 1889, to January 20, 1894.

Hooper Warren produced the first news¬ paper in Edwardsville, known as the Edwards¬ ville Spectator, the first issue of which ap¬ peared on May 30, 1819. It dealt largely with the political issues of the day and its articles on the subject of slavery were widely read throughout the state. There are at present three newspapers in the city, the Democrat, a weekly, edited and published by Ansel L. Brown; the Republican, issued twice a week, by William R. Crossman ; and the Intelligencer , an afternoon daily, edited and published by Charles Boeschenstein.

Edwardsville has always been a flour mill center. On the earliest records of the Court of Common Pleas and the Territorial Court are notations of permission granted various parties to operate water-driven grist mills on Cahokia creek and neighboring streams. John Adams had a large mill which was put in operation in 1823. In 1832 George D. and John H. Randle with their father-in-law, Aaron Arnold, converted their old ox-mill into a steam operating plant, which was the first steam mill in Edwardsville. It stood in what is now an exclusive residence district in the West End. The Phillips mill, the Prickett mill, the Crowder mill and the Gessert mill were operated in the post-bellum days. The Kehlor Milling Company of St. Louis had a 1,000-barrel mill for many years at Second, College and Main streets. It was destroyed by fire. The present mill, owned and operated by the Edwardsville Milling Company, of which C. F. Rock is president and manager, has a capacity of 650 barrels a day.

The first transportation enterprise was a four horse stage coach line which was inau¬ gurated in 1832, and operated between St. Louis and Springfield through Edwardsville, this being the dining stop. Five cents a mile was charged. The first railroad came in 1868. With it came the telegraph, the latter being established in March and an express service in May. The city now possesses five steam roads, the Wabash, Clover Leaf, Illi¬ nois Terminal, Litchfield & Madison and St. Louis, Troy & Eastern. Electric lines operate in four directions. The first electric car entered Edwardsville on Monday, Octo¬ ber 28, 1901, coming by way of Collins¬ ville. A line to Mitchell connecting with the Alton and East St. Louis line, and the Illi¬ nois Traction System, or McKinley line, from Springfield and other northern points, followed soon after. The McKinley people also took over, and are now operating, the Edwardsville Electric Light and Power company, originally organized in 1892 by William Wurdack, Charles P. Lampe, and William H. Horine, Sr. They secured a contract from the city in October, 1892, and installed twenty-five 2,000 candlepower street lamps. At present there are seventy-three street arcs of 2,000 candlepower. The installation of a large gas plant commenced in May, 1912.

Edwardsville solved the water problem after considerable experimenting and one failure. In 1894 Jesse W. Starr, an eastern water¬ works builder, secured a franchise in Edwards¬ ville, built a pumping station, reservoir and settling basin on the banks of Cahokia creek and erected a steel standpipe on the top of the bluff nearby. He also laid about 4,000 feet of water main. He found, however, that the creek did not furnish a suitable nor sufficient supply of water and was compelled to aban¬ don his project.

Experiments originally inaugurated by F. \\ illiam Raeder, a St. Louis engineer, demon¬ strated that the deep beds of sand and gravel in the American Bottom, between Edwards¬ ville and the Mississippi river contained an ample supply of pure, naturally-filtered water, and this resulted in the establishment of the present waterworks system. The Edwards¬ ville Water Company was incorporated on April 29, 1898, secured a franchise from the city council and installed a system. The pump¬ ing station is located at Poag, four and onehalf miles south of Edwardsville. A water tower 136 feet high stands at the corner of Main and High streets in Edwardsville. For unusual pressure demand in fire emergency, an electric pump of great power was installed in 1909 in front of the water tower and ad¬ joining the city hall. By its use simultan¬ eous streams, each more than 100 feet high, can be thrown through lines of hose in different parts of the city.

Edwardsville's corporate existence dates from the year following the one in which Illi¬ nois was admitted to the union. A board of trustees was created by act of the legislature in February, 1819, to look after the affairs of the town. At a meeting of citizens on May 3°, 1837, it was decided by overwhelming vote to take advantage of the general law of 1831 to incorporate. By special act of the general assembly the place was re-incorporated Feb¬ ruary 10, 1853. The power was vested in . five trustees, who were elected on the first Monday in April each year.

On October 23, 1872, the town was incor¬ porated as a city. The first officers were J. A. Prickett, mayor; Bernard Durer, clerk; (re¬ signed in 1874 and succeeded by W. H. Hall) ; Joseph Chapman, treasurer; C. H. Lynch, at¬ torney. The aldermen were: First ward, John P. Bonn, John Blank ; second ward, Sam¬ uel Morrison, T. C. Clarke; third ward, Alonzo Keller, George Cobine, W. B. John¬ son was appointed marshal and Patrick Phe¬ lan, superintendent of streets.

The present city officials are: H. P. Hotz, mayor; Herbert C. Crocker, city clerk; James J. Burns, city treasurer; W. M. P. Smith, city attorney ; Charles E. Gueltig, corporation coun¬ selor; George Barraclough, police magistrate. Gustave Brockmeier and Francis Stahlhut, al¬ dermen, first ward ; Charles A. Bartlett and Edward A. Rohrkaste, aldermen, second ward; Thomas R. Walton and Edward J. Horning, alderman, third ward ; C. W. F. Lange and George A. Handlon, aldermen fourth ward.

his fifth term, inaugurated a policy of per¬ manent improvements, which has resulted in the construction of twelve miles of paved streets, and twenty-five miles of granitoid side¬ walks. The streets and public places are kept immaculately clean at all times. In addition there is the Civic Improvement League, com¬ posed of men and women, and having the co¬ operation of the city officials, which twice a year inaugurates a general clean-up of the en¬ tire city, and which also inspires the beauti¬ fying of public and private premises by the planting of trees, vines and grass plots. There is a paid fire department with horse-driven ap¬ paratus, which has the co-operation of a well organized volunteer department. The latter, known as Edwardsville Fire Company No. 1, was established on February 7, 1874, and has had a continuous existence since.

Edwardsville, since its designation as the county seat of Madison county on September 14, 1812, has had three court houses, the first of logs, the next two of brick. The first two were erected on the public square in the north part of the town, now the property of the school district, and the present one on a square of ground donated for that express purpose in the center part of town. The first building was completed and occupied in 1817, and the second on August 1, 1826, and the present structure in September, 1857.

Edwardsville has never attained distinction as a factory town as that term is generally applied. 1 he city has a number of large manufacturing plants, and a still greater num¬ ber of smaller ones, but the unpleasant feat¬ ures which seem an inevitable accompaniment of many lines of industry are absent. The noise, smoke and grime are missing, as many

The N. O. Nelson Manufacturing Company, in 1890, located their works in Edwardsville and named the suburb Leclaire, in honor of the pioneer French profit sharer. The factor¬ ies comprise fifteen buildings, most of them of brick, covered with vines and surrounded by lawns and flower beds. The United States Radiator corporation has one of its big foun¬ dries and factories in Edwardsville. The Ban¬ ner Clay Works and the Richards Brick Com¬ pany are two of the largest brick concerns in Illinois, the first manufacturing paving blocks and the second building brick. The central roofing manufacturing plant of the National Roofing Materials Company is here. There are several mills and elevators, planing mills, and factories for the manufacture of plumbing supplies, brass work, woodwork, architectural marble, machinery, automobiles, engines, shirts, farm machinery, etc. There are four coal mines in operation and extensive railroad shops, together with ice plants, eaves trough and gutter works and smaller industries water supply are excellent and naturally in¬ vite the locating of factories, it is as a residen¬ tial city that Edwardsville lays its chief claims. Situated on a thickly wooded bluff over the river bottoms, Edwardsville enjoys pure an, good water, splendid drainage and the advan¬ tages that its wonderful agricultural surround¬ ings naturally afford. It has schools of the highest degree of excellence, a fine public library, a theatre seating 1,250 people, and many smaller halls and places of amusement, ample hotels, and an enterprising, progressive citizenship. The majority of its working peo¬ ple, no matter in what line, own their own homes. The resources of its three banks ap¬ proximate two and one-half million dollars. Its beautiful forest trees are not excelled any¬ where. It has never known hard times, and its people are prosperous, contented, peaceful and happy.

During the week of September 14-21, I9I2> people came by thousands from far and near to celebrate in Edwardsville the centennial of Madison county, and to witness the dedication of a monument erected here by the State of Illinois in commemoration of this event.