McDonough County, Illinois - Sciota, 1878

Sciota

This town wavS laid out in September, 18G7, by William B. Clarke, and, in honor of its founder, was named Clarkesville, but there being another town in the State by the same name, the postoffice established there was called Amicus. Having the town known by one name and the postoffice by another was not satisfactory to the peojDle, and both were changed to the name given the township, Sciota, so namsd by settlers from Ohio who in that State lived near a stream known as the Sciota river. Notwithstanding it has now been some years since the name Sciota was adopted, the town is more familiarly knoven and often called by its former name - Clarkesville. It is a bustling little town, situated on the T., P. & W. Eailroad, about ten miles north of Macomb, and six mUes east of Blandinsville, having a population of not less than three hundred souls. It is entirely surrounded by prairie, which extends north for a distance of thirty miles, and south about one mile to a small body of timber land. Ten years ago, Mr. Clarke was farming upon the present site of the town, and eleven years previous he purchased the quartcj. on which it lies for the sum of eight hundred dollars. The first plat of the town made by Mr. Clarke only contained twenty-four lots, 60x170 feet, but since that time he has m.xde two additions, and Mr. George Hauser has added one. Lots first sold at from fifty to seventy-five dollars each, the same now being worth from seventy-five to one hundred dollars.

The first store building erected in the jjlace was by L. King, and the first stock of merchandise of any kind was a grocery stock, opened by William H. Franklin, as agent for George W. Smith, of Macomb. The first stock of general merchandise was brought in by H. GiUam. The first postmaster was William H. Franklin.

At an election held March 1.5, 1870, a vote was taken for or against incorporation' which resulted in the adoption of the measure, and on the first Monday in April of the same year, the following Trustees were elected : John W. Tipton, R. N. Henderson, John Walsh, J. R. Hunt and George B. Painter. This Board met on the first of May and elected John W. Tipton, President, and R. N. Henderson, Clerk. From want of interest and the opposition against incorporation, no f uilher election was held until the spring of IB?-!, when the following named gentlemen were elected members of the Board of Trustees : William B. Clarke, M. E. Lavens, John R. Seybold, William Trower, and J. Obemeyer. In 187.5 the Board was composed of J. Obemeyer, J. B. Duncan, E. S. Agnew, U. T. Douglas, and J. NeLson. In 1876, the following were the elective officers : E. R. Brown, J. Obemeyer, John B. Duncan. U. T. Douglas, and William B. Clarke- Elections are held on the fii"st Monday of April each year. The present treasurer of the town is J. B. Duncan ; the constable is William A. Smith. For the past twenty-four year* William B. Clarke has held the office of Justice of the Peace for the township.

Rev. John McGinnis preached the first discourse in the town. He was a preacher of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Miss Emma Atkinson taught the first school ever held in the town. The place of preaching, as well as that of the first school, was in what is now known as Odd Fellow's Hall.

In 1872 a good school building was erected at a cost of f 1.200, to which an addition was built in 1875 at an additional cost of $600. The building now has two large comfortable rooms, and two teachers are employed regularly eight months in the year. Mr. D. A. Herlocker is the present efficient principal, and Miss E. Pritchard, assistant. The average salary paid is forty-five dollars per month. The school has an average attendance of seventy scholars, and is known as District No. 10, Sciota township, and is two miles in length, north and south, and one mile in breadth, east and west. The i^resent directors are : S. M. Hall, Dr. E. Brown and J. Obemeyer. H. G. Boles taught the first school in the present school building.

There are two Church buildings in the town, belonging respectively to the Christian and Baptist denominations, the first being erected in 1869, and the latter in 1871.

During the first few years of the existence of the town, it made very little growth, but for two years past it has been very prosperous, notwithstanding the cry of hard times heard upon every hand. The town is the largest grain market in McDonougu county, and probably in this part of the State, there being more corn and oats shipped from here than any station known to us. In the past six years there have been shipped per year an average of 415 cars of corn and 7-1 of oats, the largest shipment being made in 1874-75 (the latter being the last year for which we have received the statement), which aggregated 1217 cars, or about 190,000 bushels per year. The surrounding country is one vast corn and oat field and capable of producing an untold amount of grain. In town, corn pens are the most familiar objects on which the eye rests, and the cote produced when the corn is shelled for shipment form a staple article of fuel. One of the finest and best arranged elevators in the county was completed in January, 1877, which greatly facilitates the handling of grain. It was erected by Wills Bros., of Peoria, and has a capacity of twelve thousand bushels.

The mercantile trade of Sciota is better than is usually enjoyed by towns of its size, and her business men, as a class, are live, enterprising men, and work for the jirosperity of the town. Among the number we take pleasure in referring to the following named firms :

Obemeyei' & Bro. - This is the oldest firm in the town, as well as the largest one in trade. The business was first established in 1868, and from that time to the present it has continued to grow, until now the trade of the house is second to but very few in the county. During the past year the firm erected a large two-story frame building, and have the main store room crammed full of general merchandise, including dry goods, notions, boots, shoes, hats, caps, clothing, etc. They take pleasure in showing their goods and are never undersold.

./. R. Seyhohl. - This gentleman commenced business in this town in 1870. He comes of an old and highly respectable family, well known throughout the whole county. He carries a fine stock of staple and fancy groceries, glassware, queensware, hardware, etc., and proposes to sell the same in competition with any living man. His room is one of the largest in the town, and his stock is always first class and kept full and complete and up with the times. We trust his success will at all times equal his anticipations.

Silas A. Webb. - This gentleman is the leading druggist of the place, and carries a fine line of all articles usually found in a well regulated drug store, including staple drugs, patent medicines, paints, oils, lamp=i, etc. Prescriptions carefully compounded, and I)erfect satisfaction rendered to every patron of the house. In druggist's sundries, such as nail and tooth brushes, fine combs, coarse combs, long combs, perfumery, toilet arti- clea, shaving soap, and the thousand and one other articles usually sui^plied by similar establishments, the assortment will be found comjjlete. Also, schcjol and miscellaneous books, letter, cap and note paper, pens, inks, etc. Give him a call.

R. L. Shouse. - This gentleman came to Sciota in 1870, and engaged in the sale of a stock of general merchandise, a part of which he soon disposed of, and now conlines himself to stajile and fancy groceries, and articles usually following that trade. He carries the largest stock of goods in his line of trade to be found in town, and a stock that will compare in quantity and quality with many in more pretentious towns than Sciota. His trade is now large and constantly increasing. He pays the highest market price for aU kinds of couutr\- produce, and asks the patronage of the public.

The following is an official statement of the average number per year of car loads of f.-eight shipped from this station for the past six years : Wheat, IG; corn. 415; oats, 74. other grain, 40; cattle, oO; hogs, 100; other freight, 13.

Business And Professional Good Hope

Th3re Ls a g.^n3r.ju> rivalry bitwasn the vari^as towns that hive sprang up along the lines of our railroads, which have been of great advantage to each. This we see clearly exhiljited in the growth and progress of the town of which we now write.

Scarcely had the hne of the T., P. & W. R. R. been survej^ed, before J. E. Morris had platted a town on the northeast quarter of section thirty-one, Walnut Grove township, seven miles due north of Macomb, to which was given the name of Sheridan. In July following, (1867), W. F. Blandin laid off a few blocks a httle to the west of the proposed town of Sheridan, and christened the same Milan. Here then were two rival towns on opposite sides, and only separated by the railroad. A postoffice named Good Hhpe had been in the neighborhood for some years, and the different names by which the town or towns were called were a little amusing. The railroad company issued its first tickets to Sheridan, and tram men called out Milan as the cars stopped, but all letters had to 1)8 addressed to Good Hope. This state of affairs continued for some time, until finally both names of the town were dropped and the name of the postoffice chosen as the one by which it should be known. Since this time two or three additions have been made to the original surveys. The railroad runs due ea«t and west through the town.

Robert Morriaon. it is said, built the Srat store room, on the old Monmouth road, and kept a small stock of confectioneries, etc. David Jacobs built the firet dwelling house, and Samuel Lock opened the first stock of general merchandise, about the year 18G6 or 1867, before the town was laid out. After the organization of the town the first postmaster was Jessie McDowell. As stated previously, a postofl&ce had been in the neighborhood for some years, D. J. Dungan being postmaster, and having the office on his farm, one-fourth mile north of the present town.

Strange as it may seem we cannot learn the precise time in which the town was incorporated, the books being lost or misijlaced, and no one able to give definite information : but enouc^h is known to state that it was incorporated in 1869, with the following named oentlemen its first Board of Trustees : J. E. Morris, Eiley Adams, Joseph Whaler, H. B. Baker and C. H. Creel. Again, in 1875, it was incorporated under the general law creating villages, and on the first day of June, in that year, D. Jacobus, H. A. Allison, A. Munger, C. Elliot, E. K. Htimaford and N. A. Walker were elected Trustees. In 1876, D. Jacobus, A. Munger, I. N. House, William Parkins, S. White and H. A. Allison were elected. J. P. Higgins was the first magistrate of the town, and has been succeeded by the following named gentlemen : Silas E. Piatikin, James R. Campbell, Samuel Morris, and C. H. Creel, the present incumbent.

The town grew quite rapidly for the first two years, after which, no material improvement was made until the year 1875, whan new life was infused into every department of industry, new business blocks, new dwelling houses and other buildings were erected throughout the town, and to-day, we find it one of the neatest young towns in the military tract, with three good churches that are Live and active, with a good school taught by worthy and efficient teachers, her people generally moral and religious. Probablj' no more pleasant and agreeable place can be found to make a home than here. Surrounding the town is an excellent farming community with some of the best farms in the county.

In the history of the place, there has been but one saloon, which was run duiing the first year of its existence, since which time it has been free of all such evil influences.

The first sermon preached in the town was by Rev. Pickering, a Baptist minister, in a building erected by Stephen Smith, on the west side square. There are now in the place three church organizations, each having good, comfortable buildings, as follows : Presbyterian, Cumberland Presbyterian, and Methodist.

During the past five years there have annually l>een shipped an average of 21 cars wheat ; com, 267 ; oats, 62 ; other grain, 32 ; flour, 1 : cattle, 71 ; hogs, 102 ; merchandise, 26 ; other freights, 7.

Alli>< >n Bros. - These gentlemen carry the largest stock of general merchandise of any firm in the town, and occupy a large and pleasant room on the southeast corner of the square. Their stock is well assorted in every respect, and comprises staple and fancy dry goods; notions, ready-made clothing, gents' furnishing goods, boots, shoes, staple and fancy groceries, etc., etc. They also engage somewhat extensivelj' in buj'ing and shipping live stock. Being pleasant and accommodating young men, they are worthy the patronage of all.

W. II. Collins. - This gentleman has lately erected a building on the southeast comer of the square, especially adapted to his trade - that of harness and saddlery, and he designs always to keep [on exhibition a full and complete line of single and double harness, collars, bridles, whips, saddles, etc. Mr. Collins' large experience, together with the gentlemanly and accommodating manner of treating his customers will surely win for him 8ucce.-)s. An easy fitting saddle, a strong and durable harness, is what all desire who ride or drive, and Mr. Collins can furnish' the same.

E. White. - One of the leading business men of Good Hope, and one who by hia straightforward, gentlemanly dealing, has won the respect and confidence of all, is he of whom we now write. His store room is on the southeast corner of the square, Ls well fitt«d up and well tilled with a good selected stock of staple and fancy gi-oceries, glassware, willow-ware, farmers' and mechanics' tools, etc. Mr. White well nnderstandn hLs trade, knows the kind of goods to buy, and knows how to buy that he may sell cheap.

Collins d- Ilaniutford. - This is one of the leading firms of the town, and carries one of the largest and best stocks of lumber in the county. Coming to the town in 1H69, and estabhshing themselves in this branch of trade, by their straightforward, businesslike manner built up a trade that would be a credit to older and larger establishments in the larger towns of the county. In their yard may be found a large stock of lumber, lath, sash, doors, shingles, posts, lime hair, cement, pumps, &c., <fec.

/. S. Wall in. - This gentleman is engaged in the drug business, and has proven himself worthy the confidence of the citizens of Good Hope, as well as the people in it.s vicinity. His pleasant and social manners have not only secured him trade, but made him very many warm friends. He carries a full line of drugs, patent medicines, paints, oils, dye stuffs, school and miscellaneous books, wall paper, window shades, etc. His store is located on the east side of the square.

Adair was laid out by J. Grimm and J. Keedy in 1870. It is located on the north ha'.f of section 15, New Salem township, and on the line of the St. LouLs, Kock Lsland & Chicago Railroad. The name of the railroad station and postofl&ce is Adair, but that of the town, Eeedyville, by which name, however, it is scarcely known.

Adair is located in the midst of the finest and wealthiest farming communities in Mc- Donough County, the farms surrounding ranking with any in Central Illinois, for stock and grain purposes. A town thus situated, cannot well help being of considerable local importance. The amount of stock and grain shipped from this point is rapidly assuming a good magnitude, averaging about twenty-five cars of stock and twenty of grainier month, besides a fair amount of local traffic and miscellaneous merchandise.

The first businass house and dwelling was erected by Robert Strickler, on the wea^ side of the railroad. The town now has a goodly number of each, and such structure < as are very commendable to the people. The business men of the place are enterprising, a:id stand well with the community. The population of the town is now one hundrotl.

New Philadelphia

New Philacleljjhia is located on the east half of section twenty-three, Mound township, on a rather flat plain or low land. It is situated on the line of the Toledo, Peoria and Warsaw railroad, four miles south of Bushnell, and in a valuable farming district, capable of supporting a town of considerable size.

The south part of the town was laid out by Mr. Lloyd Thomis, in 1857, when the railroad was first surveyed, and named, by him, New Philadelphia, When the railroad was run one-half mile north of the first survey, Mr. P. Wilson and J. H. Langford laid out a town and gave it the name of Grant - this in the year 186fi. The town t i)reS3nt contians about eighty inhabitants.

Walnut Gkove

This town was laid out by William J. Edie, County Surveyor, under direction of D B. Keith, in 187(1. It is on the southeast quarter of section one. Walnut Grove township, and on the line of the St. Louis division of the C. B. & Q. Railroad. The surrounding country is thickly settled and well improved, and will doubtless afford trade sufficient to sustain quite a village. The following is a business directory : Blacksmith. J. B. Keith; Carpenter, H. Lynch; Dry Goods and Groceries, Hendee & Knssell: Grocerie,s, A. H. Harringtiou. (also Post Master); Physician, J. W. Gusttn, (eclectic.)

This place is on the T. P. & W. Railroad, four and one half mile-i east of Good Hope, in Walnut Grove township. No regular survey has ever been made, or plat recorded, and no effort ever put forth to make the place one of special importance. Large quantities of fire clay are hauled here from David Holler's clay l^anks, on Crooked Creek, for shipment to Peoria and elsewhere. A station hoaso, post olfiee and two or three dwellings are all that it contains.