Morgan County, Illinois - The whole text, 1878 (part 11 of 21)

The Press

The office of the Journal has been twice visited with disastrous conflagrations, in which all the files and records of the paper previous to 1858, were destroyed, and it is therefore impossible to furnish any accurate statements concerning its early history. From fugitive papers preserved by old residents of the county, it appears that the Journal originated in the Illinois Patriot, which commenced publication about December 20, 1831, with James G. Edwards in the editorial chair. In 1837, after having undergone several minor changes, the name of the paper was changed to The Illinoisan, and Col. John J. Hardin and Mr. Buckner took editorial charge. Shortly afterward Josiah M. Lucas, now Consul to Burslem, Staffordshire, England, became editor and proprietor, and continued in such connection till about 1844, when the paper was changed to The Morgan Journal, with William H. Sigier and William C. Sweet as editors and proprietors. Subsequently the paper has been edited by Dr. E. R. Rowe, now United States Marshal of the Southern District of Illinois; PaulSelby, now editor of the Springfield Journal ; William H. Collins, of Quincy ; Hon. H. J. Atkins, \Vm. W. Jones, H. Barden, Ironmonger, and Mendenhall, Col. J. P. Smith, L. Beecher Glover, H. R. Hobart, and M. F. Simmons. April 14, 1866, Ironmonger & Co. purchased a steam press and commenced the publication of a daily, with G. P. Smith in the editorial chair, and Frank Mitchell as city editor ; C. M. Eames succeeding Mr. Mitchell. In August, 1867, L. B. Glover became city editor, and in April, 1869, Chapin & Glover purchased the paper and published it with Mr. Ensley Moore as city editor. Mr. Glover was the editor-in-chief until April, 1864, when he sold his interest in the paper to Horace R. Hobart, who assumed editorial charge, with Chapin & Hobart proprietors. Geo. N. Loomis was city editor during Mr. Glover and Mr. Hobart's connection with the Journal, and continued as such under the partnership of Chapin & Simmons. In April, 1875, Mr. Hobart sold to M. F. Simmons, who became editor-in-chief. In March, 1876, Mr. Chapin sold his interest to Mr. Charles M. Eames, who assumed charge of the city department, and the paper came under the proprietorship of Simmons & Eames, by whom it is still published.

Both daily and weekly editions have increased in circulation and influence until no provincial paper excels the Journal. The weekly is a large - forty-eight-column paper. The daily is twenty-eight columns, receives the latest telegraphic reports, and makes a specialty of local interests. The Journal has an extensive steam printing establishment in connection with it, and is in full tide of prosperity.

Illinois Courier, now published tri-weekly aiid weekly, being a consolidation of Illinois Sentinel and Jacksonville Enterprise, the two offices being purchased by T. D. Price & Co., who, besides uniting them, more than doubled the capacity of the establishment, by adding other power presses and other machinery, including a full supply of poster printing materials and a book-bindery, making it one of the most complete printing houses in the State.

Courier Office

The Sentinel was established by J. R. Bailey, in January, 1855, by whom it was conducted as a weekly paper until January, 1872, when he sold to Fanning, Paradice & Co., who also bought the Jacksonville Independent, and added steam fixtures and a power press. The Independent was established April 29, 1869, by Ironmonger & Fink, Henry B. Fink being editor. During its continuance under Mr. Fink, Ensley Moore was employed as assistant editor upon the Independent, and Moore introduced into Jacksonville journalism the system of collecting suburban news by special correspondences, a point of much value to the Independent and its successors. In 1873 the establishrnet was sold to Gersham Martin - W. Y. Dowdall, of the Peoria Democrat, afterward purchasing an interest - it was conducted by Martin & Co. until purchased by the present proprietors.

In 1874, the Jacksonville Enterprise was established as a weekly paper by James S. Hambaugh, who, in 1875, started a daily paper. After the Sentinel and Enterprise offices were purchased by T. D. Price & Co., in May, 1876, the offices were united, as stated, under the name of Illinois Courier, the paper being published daily and weekly until January, 1877, when the daily was temporarily suspended.

The firm of T. D. Price & Co., as publishers of the Courier, is composed of T. D. Price, M. N. Price, H. L. Clay, and G. E. Doying, all practical printers - each giving personal attention to its business - Mr. Clay as editor, Mr. Doying as manager. The office is in Ayers' Block, on West State Street, in the business center of the city. In all respects the office is fully equipped and equal to all demands upon it.

The weekly Courier is a large four-page paper, and the tri-weekly a seven-column four-page paper. It is democratic in politics, but conservative in its views upon all subjects, having for its main purpose the advancement of all local interests. It is claimed by its friends to be the best representative of the literary institutions which cluster at Jacksonville - an acknowledged center of learning in the West.

The State Institutions

Illinois Institution for the Education of the Deaf and Dumb. The earliest recorded mention of the deaf and dumb, is that of the Pentateuch - " Thou shalt not curse the deaf." While the Mosaic law forbade unjust imposition and aspersion against this large and interesting class of unfortunates, the laws of the most refined nations of antiquity placed upon them the same disabilities as appertained to infants and idiots, and the usages of nations less enlightened, consigned them to death upon the discovery of their deficiency. The eminent Roman philosopher Lucretius, in the century immediately preceding the advent of Christ, says :

In the latter part of the seventh century, John, Bishop of Hagulstad, taught a deaf mute to speak and repeat words and sentences. One other instance occurs in the fifteenth century, while two are mentioned as occurring in the sixteenth. Of the two attempts made in the sixteenth century, one was by Pedro de Ponce, a Benedictine monk, in the convent of Ona, in Spain, in the year 1550, he is claimed to have instructed four mutes with great success. He died in 1584. The first treatise on the education of mutes was written by John Paulo Bonet, in the early part of the seventeenth century v During the same century, Dr. John Wallis, in England, in a publication enunciated the principles afterward known as those of De 1'Epee. About the middle of the eighteenth century, Jacob Rodriguey Pereira, a Spanish Jew, attained such success in France as to receive the commendation of the Academy of Sciences, and to attract the attention of several crowned heads. Just at this time, unfortunately for Pereira's fame, love of money got the better of his humane promptings, and he died without making his processes clearly known. Simultaneously with Pereira, the Abbe De 1'Eppe, in France, and Samuel Heinecke, a soldier in Germany, were working in behalf of the deaf mute. De 1'Eppe attached chief importance to signs, as a basis of instruction. Heinecke regarded articulation as the only proper means. Pereira's method was to combine the two.

The first deaf mute of whom record is made in this country, was the son of Francis Green, Esq., at that time residing in Boston. He was sent to the Braidwood School, near Edinburgh, Scotland. This place was Dumbiedikes, and was so called because the school for the dumb was located there. The place is immortalized by Sir Walter Scott, in his story " The Heart of Midlothian." Dr. Samuel Johnson, writing of this school, says : " There is one subject of philosophical curiosity to be found in Edinburgh, which no other city has to show, a college of deaf and dumb, the pupils can not only speak, write and understand what is written, but it is an expression scarcely figurative to say they hear with the eye. * * It was pleasing to see one of the most desperate of human calamities of so much help. Whatever enlarges hope will exalt courage."

The little daughter of Dr. Mason F. Coggswell, an eminent physician in Hartford, Conn., had the misfortune to suffer total loss of hearing as the result of a disease then known as spotted fever, but of late years greatly dreaded, under the name of cerebro - spinal meningitis. One day, Thomas M. Gallaudet, son of a neighbor and friend, a young clergyman, who had recently carried off the highest honors at the Andover Theological Seminary, as he had previously done at Yale College, chanced, in passing, to see little Alice Coggswell playing in the garden, and, attracted by her bright and winsome ways, endeavored to establish some communication with her. Before he had left the garden he had succeeded in teaching her the word hats From this, he proceeded in subsequent visits, to teach her to write the names of other objects and even little sentences. As hope animated the mind of the father, he began to make inquiries as to what had been done for. the deaf and dumb abroad, and as his information increased, he ascertained that there were a number of deaf mutes in the State of Connecticut, who, like his daughter, were entirely without education. Through his efforts, a few gentlemen assembled in Hartford and decided that it was expedient to send some one abroad to learn the process of instruction there employed, and undertake the education of the deaf and dumb in this country. Their choice naturally fell on Mr. Gallaudet, who, on the 25th of May, 1815, embarked for Europe and proceeded to London, where he made application for permission to attend the exercises of the school and make himself familiar with the processes employed. But Dr. Watson, the superintendent, informed him that the rules of the institution were such that it could not be permitted. He next went to Edinburgh, and sought from the Rev. Robert Kinniburgh, principal of the institution there, the privileges which he had been denied at London. Here he met with the same answer, Dr. Kinniburgh having, like Dr. Watson, received his license to teach only on condition that he should not impart a knowledge of the art to any one designing to establish a separate institution. Returning to London, he had the good fortune to meet the Abbe Sicard, the successor of De 1'Epee, who had brought with him his two celebrated pupils Massieu and Clerc, for the purpose of demonstrating the value of his process. Becoming very much interested in the project of Mr. Gallaudet, he at once invited him to Paris, where he accordingly found himself March 9, 1816. The time of his sojourn was much shortened by his obtaining the consent of the Abbe to Mr. Clerc's accompanying him to this country, and in June of the same year they set sail for America, arriving in New York the 9th of August. On the 15th of April, 1817, the first asylum in this country was opened in a rented house in Hartford, with a class of seven pupils. Mr. Gallaudet was appointed Principal, which position he held until his health failed him. He died Sept. 10, 1851, aged sixty-one years. Mr. Laurent Clerc died at Hartford July 18, 1869.

Since the time of Dr. Gallaudet, forty-nine institutions have been established, all but four of which may be regarded as owing their existence and their method to his influence.

Deaf and Dumb, was approved February 23, 1839, the bill having been framed and introduced by O. H. Browning, of Adams County. It names for trustees, Thomas Carlin, Dan'l G. Whitney, Thomas Cole, Otway Wilkinson, Sam'l D. Lockwood, Jos. Duncan, Wm. Thomas, Dennis Rockwell, J. M. Sturtevant, Geo. M. Chambers, Sam'l M. Prosser, Porter Clay, Matthew Stacy, Richard F. Barrett, Sam'l H. Treat, Cyrus Walker, Benj. F. Morris, William E. Withrow, James McCrosky, and Thomas Worthington. Section third states: "The object of said corporation shall be to promote by all proper and feasible means, the intellectual, moral and physical culture of that unfortunate portion of the community who, by the mysterious dispensation of Providence, have been born or by disease become deaf, and of course dumb, and by a judicious and well adapted course of education, to reclaim them from their lonely and cheerless condition, restore them to the ranks of their species, and fit them for the discharge of the social and domestic duties of life.'' The charter further provides for the location of the institution at Jacksonville, where an eligible site was selected one mile west of the Public Square, and a building suitable for the occupancy of this class of unfortunates was erected, but was not opened for the reception of pupils until January 26, 1846. Mr. Thomas Officer, formerly of the Ohio institution, was appointed superintendent ; under his management the school was well conducted, and at the close of the year 1855 the number of pupils who had been in attendance was one hundred and sixty-two.

The board were fortunate in securing as the successor of Mr. Officer, Phillip G. Gillett, A.M., a graduate of Asbury University, at Greencastle, Indiana. Mr. Gillett having taught for four years in the Indiana Deaf Mute Institution, came to preside over this one with an experience which was of incalculable value to the institution at that time. The board of directors who were instrumental in procuring the services of Mr. Gillett, in their report for the years 1855-6, say : " The board of directors deem themselves fortunate in having procured the services of Mr. Gillett. He is a gentleman of strong and vigorous mind, an accomplished scholar, and experienced in teaching the sign language ; indeed he has made this his occupation for life, and with him it is as much a labor of love as duty."

The number of pupils in actual attendance at this time was one hundred. There were but two trades taught : shoe making and cabinet making. The school flourished from this time forward, new buildings were erected, more land was purchased, and needed improvements were added from time to time, as necessity required.

During the fall term of '68, two experimental classes in articulation were formed, and after a fair trial, it was found to be of such great value to those for whom it was intended, that it was continued, and there are now three teachers devoting their time exclusively to that department. The General Assembly of 1869-70, appropriated $4,000 for procuring printing presses, and the necessary equipments ; since that time quite a number of the pupils have learned the trade, and after quitting school have found themselves able to be self-supporting. An art department has been added, and those of the pupils who evince talents in that direction, have the benefit of instruction from a competent teacher.

Drawing, painting, wood carving, and scroll work, are taught in this department. A fine library - provided by the Legislature - is an attractive feature of the institution.

The institution was for years unable to secure a sufficient supply of water, but this difficulty was overcome in 1870, by building a reservoir on the grounds of the institution, capable of holding three and a half million gallons of water, and here the ice for the use of the household is procured in winter.

At the opening of the session of the school in '56, repeated applications were received to admit persons who, though mute, were not deaf; their inability to articulate being the result of imbecility of mind. Dr. Gillett in his report for that year, urges the establishment of an institution where this class of children might be cared for. But it was not until 1865, that the General Assembly incorporated the " Asylum for Feeble Minded Children." A building near the Deaf and Dumb Institution - the Governor Duncan property - was rented, and placed under the supervision of Dr. Gillett. Having thoroughly organized the school, Dr. Gillett resigned the superintendency and recommended as his successor, Dr. Chas. T. Wilbur, who was accordingly appointed. This institution is now in successful operation in Lincoln, Logan County. On account of its being an outgrowth of the Deaf and Dumb Institution, it is thought fitting to mention it in this connection. The buildings of the Deaf and Dumb Institution are all of brick, and are built in the most substantial manner. The number of pupils increased so rapidly that greater accomodations were needed, and the General Assembly in 1873, made an appropriation for the erection of a dining room sufficiently large to seat five hundred pupils, all at one time ; this building was soon after finished and is found to be all that could be desired. It is one of the largest rooms used for this purpose in the State, being sixty-seven feet wide, and ninety feet long. An appropriation was made at the same time for the erection of a school building, one of the largest detached buildings in the State used for school purposes. It contains besides the twentyeight school rooms, a chapel, capable of holding one thousand people. The garden is under the supervision of a competent gardener, who instructs those of the pupils who may be placed under his charge, in this useful employment. The number of pupils in actual attendance at this time is four hundred and twenty-six. The value of the property is estimated to be $325,000.

The present prosperity of the institution is owing in no small degree to the untiring labors of the present superintendent, Dr. Gillett. The State Board of Charities in their report to Governor Beveridge, say : " With the advent of Mr. Phillip G. Gillett, from Indiana, to the superintendency, in 1857, the institution entered upon a new career of vigorous growth and expansion. His energetic spirit has driven the school, the public, and even the Legislature before him; when this has been impossible, he has sometimes gone in advance, himself, and waited for the rest to come up." Asbury University, in Indiana, in 1871, conferred on Mr. Gillett the title L.L.D. The institution has grown to be an honor to the State of Illinois, and occupies a position second to none in this country.

Illinois Central Hospital for the Insane. - This is the oldest institution of its kind in the State. The act to establish it \v;is j .; .'1 by the

General Assembly March 1, 1847. Before the erection of this institution, this class of unfortunates were kept in county poor-houses, by their friends, and in private institutions ; but in none of these was their keeping, in the majority of cases, such as would tend to their comfort or cure. In many instances they were confined in pens or cells, in which they were subjected to all the inclemencies of the weather, their condition being no better than that of wild beasts.

Miss D. L. Dix, a philanthropic lady who had devoted the best years of her life to aid the insane, and who had traveled most extensively in the furtherance of her purpose, visited the majority of the counties in this State, to learn the condition of the insane, and to see if some provision could not be made for their proper care and support. In a great many cases she found them in a deplorable condition. In a memorial prepared by her and presented to the General Assembly, at the session of January, 1847, she vividly describes the condition of the insane, as found by her in her travels, and makes a most urgent appeal for their relief and support. In reference to the treatment of insane persons, Miss Dix, in her memorial, says :

" Insanity is no longer regarded as the extinction of the mind, a disease hopeless and incurable, but proceeding from physical causes which disable the brain for a time from the correct exercise of those functions through which the mind is represented. And this malady is subject to successful physical treatment, as surely as a fever, or other common bodily disease. In view of ascertaining the condition and necessities of these miserable fellow-beings, I have journeyed over no inconsiderable portion of the State, visiting some of the northern, central, and southern districts ; and prevented only by severe and protracted illness, the last autumn, from a more complete course of inquiry and observation.

" Scenes of misery have met my view which no language, however vividly combined, can adequately describe. In addition to what I have witnessed, distressing circumstances have been communicated, through reliable sources, as existing in private families, which yield additional evidence that this appalling malady is making sure advances throughout the country. It is not confined to rank, age, sex, or condition. All are liable to its attacks, and all are directly concerned to secure means for its cure. This can be done only by the establishment of a hospital adapted expressly to this end."

Miss Dix, in her memorial, further vividly describes the condition of the insane throughout the State as she found them. Many were kept in cages, pens, and cells, which generally, through their imperfect construction, afforded ill protection to the persons confined in them. She further says in her memorial : " In the poor-house at Galena, the master showed me through a small apartment occupied by poor patients ill of fever, of consumption, and others confined merely through accident, broken limbs, etc. Passing into the adjacent apartment, also small, I perceived a mancage constructed on one side, with strong perpendicular bars, enclosing a space about six feet by three.

" ' There, madam,' said the keeper with emotion, ' there is the only place I have for keeping the furiously insane when they are sent to the poor-house - a place not fit for a dog- - a place where they become daily worse, and where their cries, vociferations, and blasphemies, with other offenses, drive all peace and quiet from the place. The sick have no respite, and the family at large no rest. We want, madam, a hospital in our State, and the people ought to know it. It costs as much again, and three-fold as much, to keep them here as it would in an asylum, and when we've done our best, they are in a dreadful condition.'

" In the southern, as in the central and northern counties, most distressing cases of persons whose limbs have been frozen, both through exposure while wandering in the country during inclement seasons, and from being shut up in small cells or pens, without clothing or fire to temper the cold in the one, or protection from the pitiless storms in the other." Many of the readers of these pages will doubtless remember the case of the man named Fanning, at one time a resident of this county. He was visited by Miss Dix, who thus describes his condition :

"There is at this time in Morgan County a man who has been furiously mad, most of the time, for many years. Since he became insane he has been supported at large expense by the county. His sister and brother-in-law have charge of him. A county officer writes to me concerning this poor creature, as follows: -'Fanning is -in a most wretched condition, being kept more like a wild beast than a human being.' I have, together with several citizens of Jacksonville, visited this maniac. Those who are paid by the county for taking charge of him, seemed to me to err through incapacity and entire ignorance how to control him, rather than through willful neglect and inhumanity. His sister said to me : ' He is a sight of trouble, and costs a dreadful deal - but we had rather take care of him, than leave him to strangers, because we are kinder and treat him better than they would.' Now for the comfort, the situation, the treatment of this unoffending man, who, before the accident which induced insanity, was characterized, as is testified by those who knew him, for intelligence, industry, and correct habits. It was an intensely hot day last summer when I visited Fanning. He was confined in a roofed pen, which enclosed an area of about eight feet by eight - probably a few inches over. The interstices between the unhewn logs freely admitted the scorching rays of the sun then, as they now afford admission to the frequent rains, the driving snow and pinching frost. He was without bed, and without clothing ; his food, of the coarsest kind, was passed through a space between the logs, ' no better,' said a neighbor, ' than the hogs are fed.' Some sort of coarse bed-clothing and garments, at times were supplied, but usually not. His feet had been frozen and had perished ; upon the shapeless stumps, he could, aided by some motion of his shoulders, raise his body partially against the side of the pen. This wi etched place was cleaned ' once in a week or fortnight,' in mild weather, not so in the wet, cold, wintry seasons. I was told that when the pen Avas opened for this purpose, the help of neighbors was requisite. ' We have men called, and they go in and tie him strongly with ropes, and get him out on the ground, and then they clean the place and him, by throwing over pails of water.' Of course no fire is here introduced in cold winter weather, but a singular expedient has been adopted, as horrible as it is singular. Beneath the pen is excavated a pit about six feet deep and six on either side. This dreary, ghastly place is entered through a trap door ; neither light, heat, nor ventilation there ; but there is to be found a pining, desolate, suffering maniac, whose piteous groans, and frantic cries would move to pity the hardest heart."

The earnest words and works of Miss Dix and others, were not without their effect. Judge William Thomas, who has given so much of his time to benevolent works, and who was mainly instrumental in securing its location in Morgan County, drew up and presented a bill to the General Assembly of '46-'47, providing for the erection of a Hospital for the Insane. The main features of the bill introduced by Judge Thomas, were, that " there shall be established, as soon after the passage of this act as shall be practicable, at, or within four miles of the town of Jacksonville, in the County of Morgan, in this State, an institution to be styled and known as the Illinois State Hospital for the Insane." The following persons were named in the act as trustees : Joseph Morton, James Dunlap, John J. Hardin. John Henry, Samuel D. Lockvvood, William Thomas, Bezaleel Gillett, Nathaniel English, and Owen M. Long, all of Morgan County. The act further provided that the sum of $60,000 should be' appropriated for the erection of buildings capable of accommodating two hundred and fifty patients ; for the proper admission of patients, for their care and keeping, and for the appointment of officers and the necessary assistants. The trustees above named met on the 20th of March, 1847, and organized as a board by electing Samuel D. Lockwood, president, and William Thomas, secretary. On the first of May, the board agreed on a location provided the land could be purchased at twenty dollars per acre. On the 15th of May eighty acres of the desired land was purchased at a cost of $1,600, and on the 4th of June following, they purchased eighty acres adjoining, for $1,670. The land lies south of Jacksonville, and the site for the building is one and a quarter miles south of the public square. It is believed that no better location could have been made. The site is so elevated as to command a view of the country for several miles to the north, south and west, and to admit of easy drainage into a running stream passing near the same. The members of the board having received such information in relation to the building in Indiana as to induce the belief that the plan of that building might be safely adopted, Moore C. Goltra was employed to proceed to Indianapolis and obtain the plans, drawings and specifications of that building. On the tenth day of July Mr. Goltra returned with the ground plans and drawings of the Indiana Hospital, which the board adopted, and employed Mr. Goltra as mechanical superintendent. The erection of the buildings began that fall but on account of various delays was not open for the reception of patients until the Fall of 1851. On the 3d of November of that year, according to a notice published and sent throughout the State, three months previously, as required by law, the Hospital was opened for the reception of patients. During the first thirteen months there were received one hundred and thirty-eight patients, of whom seventy-three were males, and sixty-five were females. Of this number thirty-eight were discharged cured, showing the beneficial results of such an institution. On the 12th of August, 1848, James M. Higgins, M. D., of Griggsville, was appointed medical superintendent. He remained in charge of the institution until June 6, 1853, when the trustees deemed it best to make a change in that office. Andrew McFarland, M. D., of the New Hampshire Asylum for the Insane, was chosen to supersede

From time to time various needed improvements have been made, and additions have been erected, until at the present time the building can easily accommodate six hundred inmates, and- the necessary attendants. The institution for some time was greatly inconvenienced on account of scarcity of water, but a few years ago a large reservoir was erected, which, with the water works of the city, furnish a never-failing supply. The buildings are thoroughly heated with steam, and lighted by gas, and are furnished with every necessary convenience and improvement. Repairs are constantly being made, and every thing is kept in the best of order. Dr. H. F. Carriel, the present superintendent, is a native of Charlestown, N. H. He is a graduate of the College of Physicians and Surgeons, of New York City. He began his labors with the insane, April 1, 1857, in the New Jersey State Asylum at Trenton, and ever since has devoted his time exclusively to this work.

Oak Lawn Retreat. Institutions for the care and treatment of the insane have existed for a very long period in the world's history. The first of which we have any account, were founded by monks and other pious brotherhoods, when insanity was conceived to be a visitation of evil spirits, and riot, as now regarded, a disease, subject to medical treatment, like other diseases of the human system. With the more complete organization of society, in later times, and the spread of greater intelligence, they gradually assumed their present shape, being directed by medical men, sometimes built and endowed by the benefactions of the charitably disposed, and occasionally, though rarely, aided by enlightened governments and municipalities. During the present century, particularly, the claims of the insane to shelter, comfort, and proper treatment, have been more completely recognized than ever before, and society is fully alive to its duty in this regard. In our own favored country this is done in one of two ways : by institutions founded by individuals, either singly or incorporated ; or by States, cities, or counties, as the case may be. In some of these latter cases the public function confines itself simply to the provision of suitable buildings and appurtenances, leaving the qost of maintainance to be borne by those necessitated to resort to their use. In other instances, of which the State of Illinois is an example, the State assumes all the cost of buildings, maintainance, and treatment. This most bountiful liberality has the natural effect to draw under the care of the State the insane of all classes and conditions, leaving some unprovided for. The result of such attempt at a universal provision is, that the receptacles for the insane of a State adopting this policy must be crowded to an unpleasant degree, and naturally there is brought about a promiscuous association not always desirable. There can be no distinctions made or favors shown to any, where the rights and standing of all are on exactly the same basis. To grant such distinctions, under the circumstances, would be a breach of a public trust. With the increase of population, wealth, and refinement, the instances multiply where cheapness is not alone a consideration. As an inevitable so'cial necessity, a class of institutions come into being where pecuniary means can arrange for all the special favors and advantages that any case may require. The rule that governs in the choice of a hotel, a seminary, or a social set, will not make the insane asylum an exception where the means are at hand to dictate a selection. The knowledge that large numbers of the insane were being transported from Illinois, and States even farther west, to far distant institutions in the older States, under the above mentioned circumstances, led to the establishment of OAK LAWN RETREAT, in the year 1872, by Andrew J. McFarland, M. D., so long superintendent of the State Hospital here. It occupies a site of sixty acres fronting on Morton avenue, about one and a fourth miles from the public square, in the city of Jacksonville. The location, as regards picturesqueness, salubrity, water-supply, drainage, etc., is every thing that could be desired. It has accommodations for about twenty patients, and is now (1878) occupied to its full capacity, though early additions to its buildings are contemplated.

Illinois Institution for the Education of the Blind. Prior to the year 1833, no institution of this kind existed in the United States. That year Dr. Howe, of Boston, and J. R. Freidlander, Esq., of Philadelphia, introduced the system in use in Europe into each of these cities. The system adopted by these gentlemen was that in vogue among the French. This method was invented by Abbe Hauy, in 1785. Previous to this time blindness was considered to be the greatest of deprivations. The loss of the organs by which man usually receives a knowledge of objects around him, was naturally supposed to close the world to him, and to produce a mental darkness which no skill could enlighten. This opinion was so universally prevalent, that no effort was made, except in rare instances, to instruct this class of unfortunates. The benevolent Abbe one day entered a cafe in Paris, and hearing some blind musicians performing with skill and taste certain trifling airs learned by ear, asked himself the question, " If these men can perform so well without instruction, can not instruction improve their talents ? " He commenced an investigation of the powers and capabilities of the blind, and devised a method of printing for their use, which is still followed. In 1789, his efforts attracted the attention of the French government, and it established the institution in Paris for the education of the blind. This was the first attempt at opening a school for the blind. The regulations established, the methods adopted at that time, and the course of instruction have been continued to the present time. From the cities of Boston and Philadelphia, have radiated the methods of instruction, and there is now scarcely a State in the Union which has not made liberal appropriations for the education of its blind. The first attempt to instruct them in this State, was made in the city of Jacksonville, in the year 1848, by Mr. Samuel Bacon, a blind man, formerly of the Ohio institution. His school was supported by the liberal donations of the citizens of Jacksonville.

On the 13th of Januaiy, 1849, the Legislature passed the act incorporating The Illinois Institution for the Education of the Blind. In accordance with the provisions of this act, the trustees named therein, Messrs. Samuel D. Lockwood, James Dunlap, W. W. Happy, Dennis Rockwell, and Samuel Hunt, met on the third day of February, of that year, and organized by electing Mr. Lockwood president, James Berdan secretary, and Mr. Rockwell treasurer. The school under their control wns opened for the reception of pupils the April following. Mr. Bacon, who had been quite successful, was engaged as principal of the institution. The number of pupils quite small at first, gradually increased. No vacation occurred in the school until the 10th of July, when the first term was closed, and the pupils, then numbering twenty-three, after a public examination, were dismissed until the first Wednesday of October. Mr. Bacon opened his first school in a building on North Main Street, now known as the John McConnell property. After the incorporation of the school, it was removed to the Wilson farm, west of the city, which place is now known as the Robb farm.

Mr. Bacon having resigned 'at the close of the term in July, the board deputed one of their number to visit similar institutions, in other States, for the purpose of engaging a competent superintendent. The result of this visit was the selection of Dr. Joshua Rhoads, former superintendent of the Pennsylvania Institution for the Blind, as principal, and Mrs. Rosanna Rhoads as matron. Under their direction the school -fe opened on the first Wednesday of October, with twenty-three pupils, i this number being all that could be accommodated at this time.

The board had purchased an eligible site, comprising twenty-two acres of ground, in the eastern part of the city, where the foundations of a building suitable for the accommodation of this class of persons was laid, and work on the walls was progressing favorably ; this building in an unfurnished condition, was occupied for the first time in January, 1854; it was entirely completed January, 1855. The course of instruction was enlarged, so as to include the various trades, and some of the fine arts. Dr. Rhoads continued as principal of the institution, until 1874, a period of twenty-four years ; during which time, many improvements were made, and the institution brought to the front rank.

"Since my last report, my predecessor, Dr. Joshua Rhoads, has died. His health, feeble at the time of his resignation, continued to fail until bruary 1, 1876, when death relieved him of his sufferings. A graduate of - Pennsylvania University of Medicine, he was engaged in the active prac- L e of his profession for a number of years. He was principal of the Pennsylvania Institution for the Blind for four years. In 18^0, he was elected principal of this institution, which position he occupied for twenty-four years. Possessed of a good mind, which was well cultivated, he was qualified both by nature and habit, for the work to which he gave so much of his life. Methodical, earnest, and in love with his work, the institution was well conducted and successful under his administration. At the time of his death he had entered upon his seventieth year."

The buildings completed January 1, 1855, were with various additions, and improvements, occupied without interruption, until the morning of the 20th of April, 1869, when the main building with its contents, was entirely destroyed by fire. The pupils and teachers were immediately removed to Berean College building, situated two squares west, through the kindness of Mrs. E. Ayers, who owned the building, school was again resumed, and continued until the institution could be rebuilt. The new building was completed and opened January 26, 1870. The school has progressed most favorably ever since. Dr. Rhoads, owing to failing health, resigned his position in 1874, and F. W. Phillips, M.D. for many years a prominent minister in the Methodist Episcopal Church, was appointed to the vacancy. The school continues to prosper. There are now 120 pupils in attendance. Additions and improvements have been made from time to time, as necessity demanded. It is hoped by the friends of the institution, that the east wing will before many years be erected. When this is completed, Illinois will have furnished ample provision for all this class of unfortunates, within her borders. The inventory and appraisement of the buildings, grounds, and property belonging to the institution, on the 30th of September, 1876, was $167,558.91.

This thriving town is in the extreme western part of Morgan County, on the east bank of the Illinois River. The earliest mention we are able to learn of this town, relates to the year 1816, when Gen. Murray McConnell, in passing up the river to where Peoria now stands, found one white man residing at the head of a lake near the site of the present town of Meredosia. This man was a French priest, who was doing missionary work among the Indians, who had quite a village just north of the present town. In honor of this priest, Mr. J. E. Waldo, and Philip Aylesworth - two gentlemen who were prominent citizens of the place for many years - named the town. The name of the priest was Antoine D'Osia, and the name given to the town was partly on account of the lake being near where the town was to be. The meaning of the word is Mere, a lake, and DeOsia, of Osia, or D'Osia's lake. The records show that the town was platted on December 27, 1832, by Thomas T. January, on fractional section 21, township 16 north, range 13 west. The lots were sixty by one hundred and fifty feet. This was the south part of the present town, which was laid out in after years by Jonathan Cobbs and Philip Aylesworth, on the northeast quarter of section 21.

Among the first stores erected in Meredosia, was one kept by Isaiah Stites, on the ground where now stands the handsome residence of Absalom Sibert, Esq. In the Fall of 1831, Mr. Daniel Waldo, a native of New Hampshire, came to Meredosia, and in connection with his brother, who had come out the preceding year, opened a general variety store. His stock of goods was brought from Boston and New Orleans, and was the largest stock in the county at that time. At that date there was no money of any kind in the settlement, and in lieu of it, the common currency of the frontier was used. This consisted of coon skins, furs of all kinds, honey, beeswax, or whatever the settlers had to give in exchange. The settlement at this time consisted of about twenty families. There was no school in the place until 1833, when Mr. Pickett opened a school in one room of the double log cabin of Mr. Jonathan Cobb. This was a pay school, and had an average attendance of twenty scholars. Each child paid two dollars per quarter. The pay consisted of furs, generally, though the teacher was willing to take whatever he could get.

It was during this year (1833) that Stephen Arnold Douglas came to Illinois. He was born April 13, 1813, at Brandon, Vermont. At the age of twenty years, he came to this State in hopes of bettering his condition. He landed at Meredosia, in 1833, where he met Mr. Daniel Waldo N and Mr. Edward Lusk, two of the pioneers of Illinois, who are still residing there. He was in search of a school ; but failing to find one here, he proceeded on foot to Bethel, where he met with a like result. He went on to Jacksonville, and finding no employment there, proceeded to Winchester, where he succeeded in securing a school of forty pupils, at three dollars per quarter. When he reached Winchester, his ex- law studies, and the following March was admitted to the Bar by the Supreme Court, sitting at Vandalia. He now betook himself to the practice of law, and speedily won distinction in his profession. Within / a year of his admission to the Bar, before he was twenty-two years old, ' he was chosen by the legislature, attorney-general of the State. In 1836 he was elected to the legislature from Morgan County, being the youngest member of that body. " It was in 1833 that President Jackson added to his refusal to re-charter the United States Bank, the removal of the deposits. Great was the consternation of the people, and a panic prevailed. Party feeling ran extremely high, the president's supporters were unsettled in their views, and thousands differed with him on these measures. Douglas had just located at Jacksonville, and opened a lawoffice in a room in the court-house. The Whigs of Morgan County, from their number and standing, were arrogant and audacious in their denunciation of the administration. Douglas mingled freely with the people, who usually crowded the county-seat on Saturdays, and, among them, was outspoken in his approbation of acts of the administration. He and the editor of the Democratic paper at Jacksonville, deeming it advisable to rally the undecided, effect an organization of the administration party, and define its position, in opposition to the views of many friends, called a mass meeting, and prepared a set of resolutions endorsing the bank policy of the administration. On the day of the meeting, the court-house was thronged with people of both parties. Douglas, being comparatively a stranger, declined to offer resolutions ; but as it soon became apparent that unless he did it would not be done, he boldly advanced and read them, following with a few brief explanatory remarks. Immediately upon his conclusion, Josiah Lamborn, a Whig of great influence and oratorical powers, attacked the resolutions, and their reader, in a severe and caustic manner. The blood of Douglas was up ; this was his first political effort, but he met his antagonist with such arguments, so vehement and effeative, that the excitement of his friends reached the highest point of endurance ; they cheered, seized, and bore him aloft through the crowd, and around the public square, in gratitude and admiration, applying to him such complimentary titles as ' high-combed cock,' ' little giant,' etc., which last, by its peculiar appropriateness, adhered to him to the last. His effort that day, in a measure, changed the political destiny of Morgan County. It was long remembered, and the old veterans of Morgan always held that Douglas never equaled this speech of March, 1834."* From this time, Douglas' political career began, and, as his after life is so well known to the readers of these pages, we desist from further mention of him here. He died in 1861, and is buried in a beautiful spot in the suburbs of Chicago. His grave is near Lake Michigan, in " Douglas Grove," near where was "Camp Douglas" during the late war.

In 1835, Messrs. D. and J. E. Waldo erected a distillery for the manufacture of whisky. The capacity was three hundred bushels of grain per day. In connection with the distillery, the proprietors opened the first blacksmith shop in the place, and engaged James Wolf to manage that part of the business for them. A few years later, a saw mill was added to the distillery. The distillery was afterward owned by Roe & Gove, who disposed of it to Mr. Joab Wilkinson. The machinery finally became worn out, and the business was abandoned. The first frame buildings erected in the town were by the Waldo brothers, in 1833; the lumber was split from logs, and rough dressed. The first tavern was kept by Mr. Geo. Finch, who was running a stage line between Jacksonville and Mt. Sterling, having Meredosia as his " half- way house." This hotel was a ver}^ large building, containing seventy-five rooms, and was in one respect like ancient Rome, " not built in a day." At first there were but a few rooms, the others being added from time to time. In 1867, the building was destroyed by fire. In 1850, another hotel was erected and opened by Mr. Holderby ; this is the present hotel of the place, Dr. H. J. Parker being the proprietor. During the Summer of 1851, Mr. Holderby opened a lumber yard, the first in the town, which business he conducted until the time of his death, in 1854. The yard then passed into the hands of Grierson & Wallahan, who were engaged in the dry goods and grocery business. The business was conducted by Messrs. Grierson & Wallahan until the year 1861, when Mr. Grierson, becoming fired with patriotism, entered the army, and afterward became noted as General Ben. Grierson, so well known all over the country.

In the Fall of 1839, Mr. Edward Lusk, who had been keeping a store in Jacksonville for six years, went to St. Louis and purchased a steamboat. This boat - the American - he ran between St. Louis and Peoria, carrying passengers and freight to all the landings between these points. Mr. Lusk continued on the river as captain of the American for five years, when he settled in the neighborhood of Meredosia, and engaged in farming. Mr. Lusk is still living, at the age of sixty-two, and no one is more highly esteemed where he is known.

The first postmaster in Meredosia was Mr. Philip Aylesworth. The mails were carried by a man named Pickett, who rode between Quincy and Springfield once every week. When the old man came in sight of the settlement he would blow a horn to assemble the settlers to receive their mail. The postage was paid by the person who received the letter, not by the writer as is done now. At that time the rates were graded so that the postage on a letter which had been carried a distance of thirty miles or less was six cents, a greater distance ten, or eighteen and threefourths, and for any distance over five hundred miles the postage was twenty-five cents. Under the administration of President Jackson, Mr. Daniel Waldo was appointed postmaster. This position he retained for sixteen years. When Mr. Buchanan was elected president he saw proper to appoint one of his own political party to the place. President Grant re-appointed Mr. Waldo to that position, which he now holds. He has now been in the employ of the postoffice department for twenty-five years, and has held the position of justice of the peace for forty-one years. "'Squire" Waldo is one of the early settlers of whom but few are now residing in the county. He is in his seventy-sixth year, and an active man.

Previous to 1837, there had been no regular preaching. During this year several ministers held services in the houses of the settlers. Among these traveling preachers was the Rev. Ben Newman. About this time the citizens without regard to denominational differences united in erecting a house of worship. This house was built near where the railroad depot now is.

A few years after the erection of this house, the Rev. W. H. Milburn, the celebrated " Blind Preacher," held a series of meetings here. An outgrowth of this series of meetings was the present Methodist Episcopal Church. In 1859, J. H. Carver and M. H. Mauck opened a general store. Their business increasing, more store room was necessary, and in 1868, they erected their present store. This is a large two-story brick building. The upper floor was added for the use of the Masonic Fraternity. In 1867, Messrs. Hysinger & Graham opened a store for the sale of groceries, dry goods, and clothing ; they soon found their business would justify the erection of a new building, and now have a large store on Main street. A large grist and saw mill was erected in 1859 by Kruse & -Miller. This mill has since been operated by different parties, the present proprietor being Mr. C. C. Rieman, who is erecting a large mill to take the place of the old one. Messrs. Einstman, and Keener & Pike own and operate two large grain elevators ; Mr. Einstman running a boat and several barges for the transportation of his grain to market. The amount of grain shipped from Meredosia during the last year was : corn, 150,000 bushels ; wheat,, 40,000. This business is about equally divided between the two grain dealers. Mr. Charles Heinz owns and operates a wagon shop, where he also manufactures agricultural implements. Another wagon shop is owned by Mr. Charles Button. Mr. Einstman has a saw mill which has a good local trade. Mr. Henry Shafer is doing a good business in the manufacture of furniture. Mr. David McGinnis has a first-class drug store, and does a good business. The fishing business is carried on quite extensively, large quantities of fish being shipped every day.

The town of Meredosia 'was incorporated November 23, 1850. The first trustees were: John Trabue, Wm. B. Newcomb, S. S. Winnegar, John W. Trover, and Wm. H. Long. At that time Meredosia contained about the same number of inhabitants as now. It had been in its day a thriving, energetic town, but other cities more prosperous in their growth had taken away its trade. This was owing chiefly to the inception and growth of railroads. At one time in the history of our county he who founded a town away from any lake or navigable river was deemed unwise, for no one ever dreamed that produce could be conveyed from one point to another save by water. Hence in the earliest settlement of the country all towns were found upon or near some navigable body of water. Meredosia was founded and grew well at first, but the railroad came in 1838, and other towns began to draw away its trade. This railroad, the the first in the Valley of the Mississippi, was part of the great internal improvement system begun in the Prairie State in 1835, and which for a time so nearly bankrupted the people.

The Northern Cross Railroad, the first one built under this system was let out to the contractors early in 1837. Some grading and other work was done during that season and on the 9th day of May, 1838, the first rail was laid at Meredosia. This was a great day in the history of the little town. Its streets were full of people who came to see what to many of them was the beginning of a monstrous piece of folly. The history of this road, its small cars and meagre equipments, its trials, failures, and ultimate success, are recorded elsewhere in this volume, .and need not be repeated here. Among the citizens of Meredosia who gave time and money in aid of this enterprise, none were more conspicuous than Mr. Daniel, Waldo. He was, as has been stated, one of the earliest merchants here, and has always been prominently connected with the growth of Meredosia. Speaking of his early experiences as a merchant, and of his acquaintance with men who afterward became prominent in the history of the State, Mr. Waldo related to the writer of these pages, his meeting with Stephen A. Douglas, who first set foot upon the soil of Illinois at the little town of Meredosia. Mr. Waldo says : " In the Fall of 1833, I was at the boat landing, receiving goods, when I was accosted by a young man who had just come on the boat. After the usual greetings of the day were exchanged, Mr. Douglas - for by that name he introduced himself - inquired if I knew of a place where a school teacher was needed, I told him if a school teacher was needed any place under the canopy of heaven, Meredosia was that place. He went at my invitation, to my store, where I had quite a talk with him. He had been working at the cabinet business and afterward studied law in the State of New York. Wishing to better his condition financially, he had come out West. At this time, Mr. Douglas was but twenty years of age, failing to secure the interests of the people sufficiently to maintain a school, he " kept bar," for his board, and slept in my store. Not long afterward, he went to Bethel, but failing to secure a school at this place, he proceeded on foot to Winchester, while on the way he earned one dollar, for clerking at a public sale - the first money he earned in this State. He procured a school at Winchester, and after its close went to Jacksonville, where he located and shortly afterward began the practice of law." Mr. Waldo's recollection of Mr. Douglas, coincides with the statements we have already made, in the history of Meredosia. During the senatorial contest in 1858, Mr. Douglas, as well as his opponent for public favor Abraham Lincoln, made many speeches here.

Meredosia is a good field for the curiosity hunter, as there are in the town several mounds which were built by the Indians, ages ago. These mounds, some of which are fifty feet in height, are built of black soil, which has probably been brought from the bottom, on the west side of the river. A few of them have been opened, and numbers of arrowheads, stone hatchets, copper vessels, and articles of pottery-ware found in them. Immediately north of the town is a level tract of land, containining fifteen acres. This plat is inclosed on three sides by .the bluffs, and on the other side by D'Osia's Lake. This place was occupied by the Indians, who had quite a village here, just previous to the advent of the settlers in its neighborhood. In one of the mounds near this village a skeleton was unearthed a few years ago, which was supposed to be all that remained of Antoine D'Osia, the first settler. A few miles from Meredosia there are several of these mounds, and the remains of a large fort are also seen on the top of a high bluff, overhanging the mounds. This fort shows the remains of ditches, parapets, etc. No portion of the county is of more interest to one who cares for a ramble through the woods on a bright summer day, where they can see so many relics of olden time.

The present population of Meredosia is about seven hundred and fifty souls, and is composed chiefly of the German element. Farming in the vicinity of the town is carried on to a great extent. The land in this neighborhood is fertile and very productive, being composed of sandy loam and decayed vegetable matter. This soil varies in depth from eight inches to six feet. Underlying this soil is a strata of white sand, through which is continually percolating a current of clear, cold water, passing, apparently from east to west. In dry seasons this portion of the county always gives a fair yield, the power of the sun being such as to attract to the surface a sufficient quantity of moisture to prevent the crops from dryness. The farmers in this region are always sure of a good crop if the requisite amount of labor is applied at the proper time. The market for most of the grain raised here is St. Louis, one hundred and twenty miles below the town. Most of the grain is shipped by river, while a good portion is sent by rail to Toledo and the eastern cities.

Municipal. Meredosia was incorporated first under the general law of the State. In 1850 it received a charter uuder which the first board of trustees were John Trabue, Wm. B. Newcomb, S. S. Winnegar, John W. Trover, and Wm. H. Long.

The records of the town from 1851 to, and including 1865, were lost and no record of the town for those years can now be found. The records beginning with the year 1866 show the following to be the municipal directory :

The Churches, The Methodist Episcopal, is the oldest religious association in Meredosia. For several years before there was a church organization in that town services were frequently held in private residences. The first house erected for divine worship was near the railroad. This house was built by the citizens, without regard to denominational differences, and was used by all. This house was known as the " Union Church," and was used until 1865, when it was moved to its present site and used alternately by the German Episcopal and Methodist Episcopal organizations. In 1877, the former having purchased the entire building, the Methodist Episcopal began the erection of a house of their own. This church is built on an elevation, in the northern part of the town and is an ornament to Meredosia. It is a large frame building, with a tower one hundred feet high. In the tower of the church it is the intention, at an early day, to place a thousand pound bell. The church has a very high ceiling, stained glass windows, and is a handsome structure. Its cost, when completed, will be f>3,;">00. The church is in a flourishing condition having a membership of two hundred.

The German Methodist Episcopal had no services whateveT until 1850. At that time they began holding occasional meetings at the houses of persons adhering to that denomination. They united with the American Methodists in 1865, both bodies occupying one building. In 1877, on the withdrawal of the latter, the Germans retained the church building, which they still occupy. The church is doing well and the membership is gradually increasing.

The First Lutheran, German - St. John - was organized about 1872. At that time the congregation was small and was served by "secondary " ministers. These were the Rev's. August Bramer, E. Behm, and Wm. Meyer. This association occupies a frame building in the northern part of the town. This house was formerly the Union Church - the first building for worship in the place - which has been remodeled and presents a very neat appearance. The present membership numbers about twenty families. The pastor is the Rev. Edmund Hautel, to whose efforts the prosperity of the church is chiefly due, and who has been instrumental in bringing the church under the supervision of the General Synod of the Lutheran Church. Rev. Hautel also has charge of a country church, a short distance from Meredosia, which is in a prosperous condition. The Union Baptist Association was organized in 1874, at which time a church was erected. They have since held regular services.

The Schools. We have already mentioned the first school opei'.ed in Meredosia. It was taught by Mr. Geo. Pickett, in one room of a double log cabin, occupied by Mr. Jonathan Cobb. It was a pay school, the teacher being paid in the common currency of the day, coon skins, wax, etc. The price charged was two dollars per quarter. After this, other schools were opened in various places, generally paid by subscriptions until the passage of the State law, organizing school districts. A better system of education was the result, the schools being supported by taxation. Buildings erected for school purposes were used and an attempt at gradation begun. These efforts culminated in the present system of graded schools and the present commodious school building. It was erected in 1877, contains four rooms, and is capable of accommodating two hundred pupils. The attendance at present is one hundred and sixty-five. The superintendent is Mr. Joseph Harker, who is assisted by three teachers. The teaching of the German language is a specialty, one room being devoted to that branch. The Board of Education consists of Messrs. Geo. W. Graham, David Schroll, G. N. Beauchamp.

Lodges and Societies. A. F. & A. M. Benevolent Lodge No. 52, was organized in 1848. Its present membership numbers 62. Meetings, Saturday evening before full moon, in each month.

The Press. Through the instrumentality of Mr. Geo. W. Graham, Mr. J. R. Miller was induced to open a printing office in Meredosia in 1877. The press used at first was a " Washington," and the type was insufficient for the office. Since then the office has been furnished with a new job press and new type and is doing a good business. Mr. Miller is editor of The Meredosia Monitor, which is well sustained.

Is the second town in size in the county. It is situated in the southeast corner of the county, on the Jacksonville, Northwestern and Southeastern Railroad, and is about twenty miles from the county-seat. Prior to the year 1836, the land on which the town is situated was an unbroken wilderness, with no habitues, save the native animals of the prairies. The country round about the place contained a few settlers, these generally living in the edge of the timber. Their habitations were diminutive log structures of the day, and their trading places were generally Jacksonville, Alton and Springfield. The first settler in this part of the county was Milton Shirtleff, who located on Section 11, about 1822. Among the other early settlers were John Hunt, James London, Michael Miller, Jacob Black, Rev. Isaac Conlee, Joseph Thomas, Nicholas Russell, Flemming C. Maupin, John Turner, Joseph Wise, and Joseph Caruthers. The first marriage here was that of Mr. Christopher Ashbaugh to Miss Elizabeth Thomas. In 1827, the first death in this community occurred, being that of Henry, son of John Hunt.

Rev. William Rogers preached the first sermon here, at the house of Rev. Isaac Conlee. He was a Baptist clergyman, and was well known in this community. The first school in this neighborhood was taught by John Scott. It was, like all other schools of the day, paid by subscription; the compensation being peltry and bees-wax, the circulating currency of the time. This part of the county grew slowly. The Illinois College was founded by men from New Haven, Conn., among them Dr. J. M. Sturtevant, so long its honored president.

It is well known by all that the founding of the college was largely the result of the labors of a band of young men, who had determined to make the Northwest the field of their life labors.

Mr. Cleveland J. Salter, a native of New Haven, Conn., and then a merchant in that city, had become acquainted with this band of young men, and from them had learned their plans, and something of their success. He knew of the founding of Illinois College, and of the desire among its friends to establish a theological school.

While a merchant in New Haven he concluded to visit the Great West, and in 1834, he made a tour, mostly by stage, through a portion of Illinois, visiting Jacksonville, Quincy, and other places. In 1835, on the recommendation of a friend residing in Jacksonville, he made an investment in land, where Waverly now stands, of about five thousand acres, Messrs. D. B. Salter, Alexander C. Twining, and Joseph A Tanner, having with him about one-half interest. On the 18th of May, 1836, these persons laid out the village of Waverly, donating a capacious public square, and also six hundred and forty acres of land near the village for educational purposes.

Mr. C. J. Salter had returned for his family in 1835, having determined to emigrate to the new town. During his absence the proprietors of the village had erected a brick seminary and a frame boarding-house, at an aggregate expense of about $5,000. Mr. Salter's route, in common with all other emigrants, was by various modes of travel to Pittsburgh, thence down the Ohio River in a steamboat to its confluence with the Mississippi, and up that river by the same conveyance to St. Louis. At this place they took stages on the route to Springfield, and came to Auburn, where in wagons they proceeded to their new home. On their arrival at Waverly the only house which they could use was the boarding-house, then just completed. Here they lived until Mr. Salter could erect a brick dwelling - the first in this part of the county. This became, with various improvements, the family residence, and here Mr. Salter resided until his death, which occurred on the 27th of January, 1878.

The only buildings on the site of the town at the time of Mr. Salter and his family's arrival, were the boarding-house and the brick seminary already mentioned. A little over a mile west of the new town, a village plat under the name of Appalona, had been surveyed, and some attempts at village life begun. Here was a blacksmith's shop, a postoffice, and one or two cabins; the latter at this time were occupied by a few families just locating in the country. The village of Appalona had received its name from Apple Creek, on which it was situated, and though vigorous efforts were made by its projectors to establish a prosperous town here, the attempt was a failure, and Appalona exists only in name. The postoffice was -retained here, however, until about 1847, when the stage route was changed so as to pass through Waverly. The chief aim of the founders of Waverly was the establishing of a school. Hence the erection of the seminary and boarding-house before the other structures were begun. The town grew but slowly at first ; its founders could not induce settlers rapidly to locate in their midst, and for ten years the village scarcely contained two hundred inhabitants. Dr. I. H. Brown was among the first to settle here; he was a prominent physician, and was widely known throughout the entire community. Mr. Theodore Watson, now a resident of Waverly, located here in 1839. Concerning his recollections of the place at that date, he says : square was overgrown with a mass of vines, underbrush, and small trees. It remained in this condition several years, when about 1848 it was cleared off, small trees planted, and the unsightly rail-fence gave way to the present one of plank. When I came here," continued Mr. Watson, "the boarding-house was occupied, and the school in operation. Dr. I. H. Brown was living in the northern part of the town, in a log cabin. George Knapp was living in the western part, in a similar house. Elisha Filley resided in the southeastern part of the town; he was a carpenter by trade, and built the first house in town. Elijah Wood, a farmer, was a neighbor of Mr. Filley's. David Dykes, also a farmer, lived in a log cabin in the village, and worked his farm near by. C. J. Salter had not yet completed his family residence, and was living in the boarding-house. The western part of what is now Waverly, was then the center of trade, and here Frank Starr, with George Carter, about 1840, opened the first store in the village."

About eight years after, Mr. J. A. Crane opened the second store in the place ; it, like its predecessor, and all stores of its time, contained a general stock of goods, comprising every article in the catalogue of frontier necessities.

The school was opened about 1838, in the spring ; the first teacher here was Mr. John F. Brooks. The post-office was kept at George Detherage's, about three-fourths of a mile west of the town. Not far from this office was the place known as " Log Range ;" it was called at first " La Grange," by a daughter of one of the pioneers, who, being possessed of a romantic turn of mind, gave the latter name to her home. As it was then a log cabin, and the pioneer neighborhood filled more with the practical than the ideal, and perceiving the import of the name, gave it its broadest sound when pronouncing it. As the houses then were all cabins, the "La" soon degenerated into "Log," and "Log Range " was the result. The name " Waverly " has an equally romantic origin : Mr. James D. B. Salter, a young man in school when the town was platted, wrote to his father requesting him, if the town had not been christened, to give it the name of Waverly, in honor of the Waverly novels, for which he had an intense admiration. His father complied with his request, and hence the name. Mr. Watson states further, that when he came, Mr. A. Pease was living on the east side of the public square ; he was a farmer, but has always resided in town. Dr. Brown's father lived in a log house on the lot now occupied by the graded school, and had a cooper and blacksmith shop near where he lived.

The families enumerated were the principal ones who were residents of Waverly until 1847. During the first decade of the town's existence, its growth was slow, being chiefly dependent on the prosperity of the school. This was a well-known institution, and had in its day a State reputation. Among its pupils were some of the most prominent men of Illinois, who remember with pride the days spent at the Waverly Seminary. The chief desire of the founders of the village, to build up a large school, was destined to fail. Other towns had more and better advantages for schools, and only a high school was ever realized here. The grant of 640 acres reverted to the original proprietors, and in time the seminary gave way to the present town schools. In 1846, Mr. J. A. Crane came to Waverly ; speaking of what he saw in the village, says : " There was one church edifice built when I came ; it was the Episcopal Church, and had been used but a short time ; the Congregational was organized, and was using the seminary for public service ; the Methodist Episcopal Church had not yet a house of worship: the Rev. C. G. Selleck was pastor of the Congregational Church, and was also teacher in the academy. There was but one store in town, owned by Andrew and Alexander Kinkead, who had a general stock of goods. I opened a grocery, but kept almost all goods wanted by the pioneers ; mine was the second store in the town. The post-office was at Appalona, at Mr. Detherage's. There were a few carpenters, a blacksmith or two, and probably one hundred and fifty inhabitants." Two years after Mr. Crane's arrival, Capt. J. W. Meacham located. During these two years, Waverly had more than doubled in inhabitants, and was doing a good business.

Captain Meacham remembers the following stores and business places in the town : A. Thayer was keeping a general store in a part of his dwelling, on the southeast part of the square ; William Rhoacls had a drug-store on the south side of the square, in a frame story-and-a-half building ; R. H. Nelson and John A. Crane were selling dry goods, groceries, etc., in a frame building on the west side of the square ; Andrew Kinkead and G. W. Garrett had a general store near Crane & Nelson ; J. W. Ross and John Beatty had a small grocery and provision store on the west side of the square ; Andrew Kinkead kept a small drug-store, adjoining the grocery store of Ross & Beatty; one flouring mill, in the western part of the town was in operation, run by William H. Coe ; James Hutchinson was operating a carding factory, where the present flouring mill of Hutchinson Brothers & Co. is now situated ; Baker Ewing had a blacksmith and wagon shop in the western part of the town, near its old business center ; an old saw mill, that had been in operation several years, was still in use ; James W. Manson had a blacksmith shop on the east side of the public square. " There were two churches," says the Captain, " the Congregational and the Methodist ; the former was yet using the seminary for public service ; the latter was then completing a house of worship ; it was a frame structure, and had not yet been plastered. The Rev. Dixon was the Congregational preacher, and Rev. Joseph Wilson occupied the pulpit in the unfinished Methodist Church. The seminary was then in successful operation. Two private schools were also established ; one was taught by Margaret Miller, the other by Ellen Thayer. The post-office had just been removed, and we no longer went to Appalona for mail. Stages came from Vandalia to Jacksonville twice each week, bringing letters and papers. The houses in town were generally built of frame, though in many cases the cabins were yet used. A brick store and dwelling was built about 1849, by S. (J. Woods ; another soon after by J. A. Crane. These were the first brick business houses in town.

"As early as 1836 or 1838, a brick yard had been started by a Mr. Tainter, from whom the brick for the seminary and Mr. C. J. Salter's residence were obtained. About 1846, Alexander Edgmon started a second brick yard, these two supplying the town. The old saw-mill was one of the early adjuncts of Waverly; it was operated by Wrn. Chambers, and was started by Cook & Eastman. It was run by steam, and in its day did a good business. The public square was surrounded by a rail fence, as late as 1846. About a year or two after, this was replaced by a plank fence ; the square was cleared off, and made more attractive."

The first bank was established in 1870, by J. A. Crane, Manson & Company; they were alone in the business until 1874, when the Waverly Bank was started by Brown & Company. Each bank is doing a good business.

The village was now in active existence. A good trade with the surrounding settlers had been established ; and notwithstanding the hard times, and scarcity of money, Waverly was in a fair way to become the second town in Morgan County. For the next ten years, and even until the opening of the great civil war, business increased. The patriotism of the people here, in the national conflict, was unexcelled by any town of its size. Two companies, composed entirely of men from Waverly and its vicinity, were raised, and marched to the war. In the war record of the county, published elsewhere in this volume, a history of these companies is given ; from it the reader can learn each man's name, when he enlisted, what became of him, and the officers under whom he served.

After the close of the war, times were exceptionally prosperous over the entire country. Waverly shared with other towns the reaction, and an increase in trade, population, and importance, was the result. All these years it had, however, lacked that important factor of any town - a railroad. A movement for the construction of a line from the countyseat to the Chicago and Alton Road on the south, with a further southern terminus, was vigorously agitated. It resulted in the construction of the Jacksonville, Northwestern and Southeastern Railroad. It was completed in the Summer of 1871, and opened from Jacksonville to Virden, on the main line of the Alton road. The day it reached Waverly was made a gala day by the inhabitants of the town, to whom the completion of this route was no small item of interest in their prosperit}'-. Waverly gave in private subscriptions nearly $50,000, and as a corporation, about $30,000 additional. Before the opening of the railroad, no grain was purchased here save that used in the flouring mills. In 1872, an elevator was built, and the shipment of grain began. It now averages several car loads daily. Stock yards were also constructed, and stock which formerly went to Jacksonville or Alton markets, now is shipped from Waverly. Business of all kinds increased with the opening of the railroad, and at present rivals several towns of better commercial advantages.

The government of Waverly has always been under the control of a Board of Trustees, elected' annually. The town was incorporated under the general State law, and under that incorporation maintained its legal existence until April 16, 1878. The officers elected that day were : Mayor, Henry M. Miller ; Clerk, J. H. Goldsmith ; Treasurer, Wm. A. Hutchison ; Attorney, J. W. Arnett ; Aldermen, A. L. Kimber, F. H. Wemple, W. E. Meacham, B. L. Carter, N. J. Stratton, and John Haisley. By this vote of the citizens it came under the form of a city government. By the census taken then to determine the legality of this step, there were found to be over two thousand persons in the town, hence it dropped its old name of town, and is hereafter to be known as a city.

and in many seasons were much better than the commercial advantages. The seminary had an extensive reputation as a high school. The building was used for all grades of pupils, and the town schools held therein several years. Being inconvenient to all parts of the village, after the passage of the State Common School law, and the sale of the seminary in 1863, two smaller buildings were erected in town. These were used for school purposes until the completion of the present school building, in 1867. It is a commodious brick structure, capable of accommodating about two hundred pupils. A superintendent and three teachers are employed, and school is regularly sustained from six to nine months, during the year.

The town contains six churches. The Congregational was organized June 15, 1836, by J. M. Sturtevant, D.D., having but ten members at the time ; they were : Cyrus Tanner, Joseph A. Tanner, Asa Eastman, Theodore E. Curtiss, Elisha S. Tanner, Mrs. Ora Tanner, Lucy Swift, Lucy Tanner, Hulda L. Tanner, and Susan E. Tanner. The Church was organized in a private house, after which the seminary was used. Rev. Elisha Jenney came in 1837, and was pastor of the church until November, 1839. The next pastor was Rev. C. G. Selleck, who came in January, 1842, and remained until November, 1845 - three years. In January,

1847. Rev. Alvin M. Dixon was next chosen pastor ; was installed in January, 1848, and resigned April, 1850. The following January, 1851, Rev. James Weller was installed, remaining until May, 1856, when he resigned. The installation of Rev. William D. Sanders took place in September, 1856 ; he was pastor of the church for over two years, resigning in March, 1858. Rev. Henry M. Tupper nexc supplied the pulpit ; was installed January, 1859, and resigned about the year 1860.

The present pastor is Rev. Charles W. Clapp, who was installed in October, 1871 ; the church has a membership of about one hundred and seventy ; there having been about four hundred and sixty-two persons connected with it since its organization. The congregation used the seminary until the present church was erected. It was completed early 1851, and on the 5th of February in that year was dedicated, Rev. J. M. Sturtevant preaching the dedicatory sermon.

The Baptist Church was organized August 11, 1855, with twentynine members, at the house of Willis E. Meacham, by Rev. J. M. Wells. For a while they held divine services in the seminary and in the Episcopal Church. The latter edifice they occupied about three years. In the Fall of 1863, they began the erection of a house of worship, which they completed in the Summer of 1866, and dedicated in June of that year. Rev. Wells was the first pastor. His successors have been the Rev's D. Ketzmiller, A. S. Denison, David Lewis, F. C. Hart, George R. Guild - under whose pastorate the church was erected - J. H. Spann, J. W. Place, J. W. Wells, M. C. Davenport, M. C. Clark, and Rev. Davenport, who is now pastor. The membership is now one hundred and twenty, more than four hundred having been connected with this church since its organization

The Episcopal Church is one of the oldest in Waverly. In 1838, Rev. Charles Dresser, of Springfield, an Episcopal clergyman, came to the town. He found a few members professing the principles of this denomination. He at first found S. G. M. Allis and Mrs. Anna Phelps. When the church was organized - shortly after his first visit - the communicants were: Theodore Watson, Owen Maynard, Stephen G. M. Allis, Ann C. Allis, George Knapp, Susanna Knapp, Fanny Root, Anne Phelps, Sarah Ann Barker, and Sophia Watson.

Soon after the organization of this church a house of worship was erected, which is yet occupied. The congregation has at times only been able to support a regular pastor, and now sustains but an irregular ministry.

The Methodist Episcopal Church was organized about 1840. The circuit riders of this denomination were among the earliest white men in this part of Morgan County, and held services in the cabins of the settlers several years before Waverly was contemplated. Soon after the town was laid out they were here occupying the religious field ; for a while they used the seminary and the Episcopal Church - built about 1845 - and in 1846, before the erection of their own house of worship. It was sufficiently finished in 1848 *to accommodate a congregation, and was completed a year or two after. This house of worship they used until 1867, when, becoming too small for the growing congregation, it was sold to the Catholics. They then entered their present large brick church, which they had just completed. It was dedicated by Rev. Thomas Eddy ; is the finest church in Waverly, and is well attended ; the congregation is the largest in town, the present membership being two hundred and fifty.

The Catholic Church comprises a membership scattered throughout the township. Until 1867 they had no organization, though nearly twenty families- of this denomination were within church-going distance of Waverly. That year, through the efforts of their leading members and the Bishop at Alton, a congregation was organized, and they purchased the Methodist house of worship. This, they they still use, supporting monthly services.

The Christian Church has been in active existence about twenty-two years. As its early records are very imperfect, but little can be learned of its history. The first minister was Rev. D. P. Henderson. The church is succeeding well at present, and sustains a regular ministry.

The Press. The G-azette was established in Waverly on or about the first of June, 1809, by M. J. Abbott and W. D. Pemberton ; Mr. Pemberton selling his interest to Mr. Abbott in the Fall of the same year. The paper was continued by Mr. Abbott in his own name, until July, 1870, when he sold the press and material to Mr. Richard Ballenger, of Virclen, who removed it to that place. In April, 1872, Mr. John H. Goldsmith purchased the press and material of Mr Ballenger, removed it back to Waverly, and on the 2d day of May, 1872, issued the first number of the Waverly Times. The publication of the Times was continued until November of the same year, when it suspended until August, 1873 ; then it was again resuscitated by Mr. Goldsmith, and had a short existence of only three months. On or about the first of May, 1874, Mr. W. T. Lakin purchased the Times material, and published fifty-two numbers - retaining the former heading - when it again suspended, Lakin leaving the press and material to fall back to the parties from whom he purchased. On the 24th day of May 1876, Mr. R. V. Mallory bought the material, and on the 9th day of June issued the first number of The Morgan County Journal. On the first of December, 1876, Mr. M. M. Meacham, the present proprietor, purchased one-half interest in the paper of Mr. Mallory, and came into full possession of the office July 9, 1877.

The Journal has a circulation of about seven hundred, and is gradually increasing ; it circulates principally among the farming communities of Morgan, Macoupin, Sangamon, Scott, and Greene Counties. It is a first-class advertising medium, now entering its third volume ; neutral in politics, and is published on Saturday of each week at $1.50 per year. Milton M. Meacham is publisher and proprieter, and John H. Goldsmith, editor.

Is twelve miles south of Jacksonville, on the Chicago, Alton and St. Louis Railroad. It was surveyed and platted January 4th, 1858, for Samuel Murray, Esq., by Wm. McPherson, who was, at that time, county surveyor. The location of a town here first originated in the mind of Wm. Purcell, who was at the time of the building of the C. & A. Railroad one of the contractors of the road. In 1858, Mr. Purcell erected the first dwelling house in the town. The second house was built by Mr. Thomas Cunningham, who opened a grocery store in his house, the first stock of goods in the town being hauled on a wagon by Mr. John Murray, son of the founder of the town. The first building erected for a store was by James McKean, who has done much toward the building up of the town. A post-office was established here in 1859. Mr. McKean was appointed postmaster, at the same time being merchant, and depot agent. In 1859, Mr. Henry Whalen moved to Murray ville and opened a blacksmith shop, which from time to time has been enlarged. Mr. Whalen continues to follow his trade. The business of the town increasing, the railroad company built a large depot and warehouse in 1863, and soon after established a telegraph office. About this time the shipping of live stock from this place became quite an item, and Mr. Samuel Murray established yards for the better facility of loading and unloading stock. Dr. G. S. Smith, of Jacksonville - now residing in Bloomington - opened a drug-store here in 1863. He at the same time practiced his profession, and was the first physician in the place. About this time an effort was made to change the name of the town to " latan," and by this name it was known for some time, but its first name was the one by which it was better known and which is now retained. Geo. M. Quackenbush opened the first saddle and harness shop, in 1865, and continues in business. The first brick building here was erected by Joseph Hornbeck. The store has had different occupants. In 1867, W. D. Henry opened a drug-store and was doing a good business when his entire stock and buildings were lost by a fire which destroyed the business of the young merchant. I. G. Beadle & Son opened a dry goods store in 1865, and are still in business. Mr. C. N. McEvers, in 1873, opened, for the accommodation of the traveling public the McEvers House, which is the present hotel. In 1874, Mr. Robert McNeal opened a large agricultural implement wareroom and in connection with it a blacksmith shop. Mr. Wm. Davis, in 1867, opened a furniture and undertaking establishment, and is still doing a good business. In May, 1877, Mr. Worcester, of Greene County, opened a private banking house, which is doing a good local business. The present Justice of the Peace is Esquire Alexander McClung, who was elected in 1860, and held the office continuously since that time. The town government is vested in a Board of Trustees. In L860, the Presbyterians erected a house of worship. The first pastor was the Rev. Noah Bishop, who afterward removed to Ironton, Missouri, where he preached for several years, and died there at a good old age greatly beloved by all who knew him. In 1868, the Methodist Episcopals and the Baptists erected two handsome churches, Messrs. John and Wm. Murray being the contractors for their erection. For the first few years in the history of this town the children attended school at an old building a short distance north of town, but at the close of the war, a number of wealthy farmers settled in Murrayville and the school population was increased sufficiently to warrant the erection of a new school building. This house was opened in the town in 1866, and the attendance since that time has been good. There are now in school about one hundred and fifty pupils.

Franklin

Is one of the oldest settlements in Morgan County. It was laid out by Wm. Woods, John Wyatt, and Walter Butler, April 7, 1832. The first houses were of the kind in vogue all over the country at that time. Mr. Manning Mayfield kept a general stock of goods, the first in the place, in a small log building, erected for the purpose. As the town grew, this primitive affair gave way to a frame structure in which Mr. A. C. Woods, of the firm of Woods, Simmons & Co., of Jacksonville, opened a stock of goods and continued in business for sixteen years. Messrs. Hinrichsen & Reinbach erected a small brick store for the sale of general merchandise, and transacted business together for several years, when Mr. Reinbach purchased the interest of his partner and continued the business until his decease, in 1845. A large grist and saw mill was erected by Joel Lankton, who in after years sold it to McCollough, Coons & Kincade. It is doing a good business. In 1850 Waller, Mansfield & Co. erected a flouring mill. After several years, changes in the firm were made ; the present firm being Mansfield, Bro. & Hustin. In 1865, they built a large brick mill, and in connection with it, a wool carding room. The first tavern was kept by Colonel J. P. Wright, who began business in a log cabin, as early as 1836. He continued as landlord for thirty years, improving the style of architecture of his house, as time went on. In 1871, the Jacksonville, Northwestern and Southeastern Railroad, was finished from Jacksonville to Franklin and shortly afterward to Virden, thereby giving to Franklin railroad communication, which gave fresh impetus to the growth of the town.