Madison County, Illinois - Chapter 59: Fosterburg Township, 1912

Fosterburg township located in northwestern part of Madison county has the creditable dis¬ tinction of being the only "dry territory" in the county. For many years no attempt was made to open a dram-shop in the township but later a license was secured and two saloons were opened. These remained in existence for a number of years. The question of main¬ taining the saloon, as a legal institution, was then submitted to the people, when by an over¬ whelming vote the sale of intoxicating liquors was prohibited.

Fosterburg has always been noted as being a highly moral and law abiding community. Set¬ tled a few years previous to the admission of Illinois as a state, by descendants of the pil¬ grim fathers from New England, and of the Huguenots of Virginia and the Carolinas, the qualities which made these pioneers famous, were inherited by their descendants and be¬ came the leading characteristics of the found¬ ers of the settlement of Fosterburg. While the composition of the community has greatly changed the underlying principles by which they are governed remain the same.

Fosterburg comprises town 6 north, range 9, west of the third principal meridian. The first settlers in the township came probably as early as 1812 or 1814, at the time of the second war with Great Britian. Among these early settlers were Joseph S. Reynolds, Orman Beeman, James Dabbs, Joshua Wood, Forenzo Edwards, Daniel Waggoner, William W. Gal¬ lop and Jacob Deck.

The latter was probably the first permanent settler in the township. He with his brothers John and Isaac had much to do with the early development of the history of the community.

In the year 1818 Green W. Short, a native of Tennessee, and James Dooling, a native of Ireland, settled in what is now known as the Short and Dooling homesteads.

One year later Oliver Foster, a native of New Hampshire, with his wife, a native of Massachusetts, came to this western country, settling for a few years in Upper Alton. Re¬ moving in 1825 to the Foster homestead one mile north of the present village of Foster¬ burg, obtaining directly from the government the land upon which he located.

Mr. Foster, being a skilled mechanic, erected what, for many years, was designated as the Foster tavern, the finest residence in the town¬ ship. It being located on the Springfield Road, the regular stage route from Alton to Spring-

The tavern was used as a relay station. New teams being here procured for the continuance of the stage run to Springfield. Usually the stage arrived in the evening, remained over night, resumed the journey on the following morning. Many prominent people of these early days took advantage of the accommoda¬ tions offered by the tavern. After the intro¬ duction of railroads, the stage was taken off, and the tavern, as such, was discontinued.

The large barns and the main part of the residence built by Mr. Foster still remain, and are owned and now occupied by William Niebrugge. Among others of the early settlers, we find the names of William E. Hill, Joseph Sherfy, William Dillon, John D. Dillon, Geo. Wood, Joshua Wood, John Young, Alexander Hart, James Drenman, William Crowder, Mark Crowder, William England, Samuel Wilson, David Hill, Asa Brooks, Ransom Chandler, Thomas Eaton, the Titchenal fam¬ ily and James Bevill.

The plat for the village of Fosterburg was filed for record, in the county clerk's office October 12, 1857, by Oliver P. Foster, a son of Oliver Foster, after whom the village and town were named. In this same year, Alonzo, another son of Oliver Foster, moved to the eastern part of the county and in i860 laid out the town of New Douglas.

The first residence erected in the village of Fosterburg was built by Ransom Chandler, a son of one of the early settlers, and father of Mrs. H. T. McCrea, now a resident of Alton.

The part which the citizens of Fosterburg took in the Civil war is worthy of special men¬ tion. No other community has a fairer record. Company "K" of the1 80th Illinois was largely

"Camp Buell, near Louisville, Kentucky, September 12, 1862 - In accordance with a promise I made you before I left home, I send you a list of our company and its loca¬ tion. The Eightieth Regiment is in General Tirrel's brigade. Our Company letter is K. All of the boys are well, and all we want to make us efficient soldiers is drill.

"Our brigade is stationed five or six miles southeast of Louisville, and the hills are alive with troups - how many we do not pretend to know. Our boys are enjoying themselves well - with plenty to eat and drink, and the best Uncle Sam affords.

At the muster out of the regiment John A. Miller had been promoted captain, Elias Prewett, first lieutenant, William Webster, second lieutenant.

The contributor of the article, Lieutenant John A. Miller, was an old-time friend of the writer. Pie lived for many years after the close of the war.

Captain Hodge of Company R was taken prisoner during the war, and confined for years in Libby prison. His health was com¬ pletely undermined by his incarceration. He died in the spring of 1868. A number of those whose names are mentioned in the list given, still reside in Fosterburg, or its immediate vicinity.

Agriculture is the principal occupation of the inhabitants. For a time, the sawmill and the mining interests were very important. The coal mined is of a specially fine quality, and is still in good demand for local consumption.

Very few, comparatively speaking, of the direct descendants of the early settlers now live in the township. The Foster family which at one time was quite numerous has now but one representative in the township, and no member of the family now owns any real estate in that neighborhood. The same may be said of the Woods, Decks, Shorts, Crowd¬ ers, Eatons, Bevills, Wilsons, Doolings and Chandlers.

The native stock of the town was almost wholly American. The population now is largely made up of Germans and their de¬ scendants. A good sketch of Fosterburg could not be written without an account of the work of such men as John D. Dillon, Richard Jinkinson, C. C. Brown, Martin Chandler, Captain Ashlock, Moses Thompson, D. H. Warner, C. F. Lobbig.

Martin Chandler, born in North ' Carolina, when a young man obtained a government patent on the land now known as the Ashlock farm. He with his son Ransom operated one of the first mills in the township.

John D. Dillon's reputation was not confined to his own township. Being a talented musi¬ cian, he was known and loved by the young people of all the surrounding country. He was also a skilful blacksmith and wagon maker, no better wagons were built than those sent out from the Dillon shop.

He came to America when quite young. His father entered the land now owned by his son, Jno. B. Jinkinson, and known as the Jinkinson farm. While he was successful as a farmer, he devoted a large portion of his time to other pursuits. As a civil magistrate and - auctioneer he was widely known. No legal transaction was considered by his neighbors, as being well executed if Squire Jinkinson had no part in it. He died in 1878.

'C. C. Brown was also noted as a successful farmer and popular civil magistrate. No citi¬ zen of this community was more highly re¬ garded by all classes of citizens than C. F. Lobbig. All his life was devoted to mercantile pursuits. For many years, he was the town¬ ship's only postmaster and treasurer. Many of the older residents of the present time can recall many kind acts performed by him, in a quiet unobtrusive way, for those that were needing assistance. His name will always be held in kindly remembrance by those who knew him.

Politically, Fosterburg has always been safely Republican, when party lines have been strictly drawn. The people, however, have never hesitated to swing to the opposite politi¬ cal party when the necessity of the community seemed to demand it. The citizens are pro¬ gressive and wide awake, being truly represen¬ tative of what is best in our national life.