Pike County, Illinois - Chapter 2: Early Settlement - Continued, 1880

The Winter Of The Big Snow

We now come to the winter of tlie deep snow, 1830-'!. The snow that winter commenced falling Nov. 10, and did not all go away nntil the following April, yet the largest fall of snow did not begin until the 29th of December. This was the heaviest snow that ever fell in Illinois within the memory of the oldest settler of this part of the State. According to the traditions of the Indians as related to the pioneers, a snow fell from 50 to 75 years before the settlement by the white people, which swept away the numerous herds of buffalo and elk that roamed over the vast prairies at that time. This ti-adition was verified by the large number of bones of these animals found in different localities on the prairies when first visited by the whites. The deej) snow is one of the landmarks of the pioneer. He reckons, in giving dates of early occurrences, so many years before or so many after the deep snow. He calculates the date of his coming, his marriage and birth of his children from it, and well might it make a lasting im])ression upon their minds.

In the northern portion of the county the snow at first was about three feet deep on a level, and as it settled a crust formed on the surface. The winter was also unusually cold, and this, in connection with the snow covering the mast and other food of wild animals, resulted in starving and freezing to death most of the game, as deer, wild hogs and turkey. The deer, indeed, had been rendered seai'ce by the sweeping fires of the preceding autumn which the Indians had set out. After all this, however, thei-e was but very little sufferiiig among the citizens of this cou'nty. They had plenty of meat and hulled corn, and with this sim])le fare they were content. What wild game there was alive in the forest was easily caught, on account of their reduced condition and the depth of the crusty snow which impeded their ])rogress in the chase. Col. Ross chased down two deer with a horse, and caught and killed them by hand. The men got out of licpior, however, and this was their greatest ])rivation; but their suffering on this account was probably more imaginary than real. On the 18th of February two men who had engaged to chop some wood for Col. Barney backed out of their agreement when they found he hud no whisky. Mr. Harney, recollecting^ that a neiij;hl)or owed hin^ a pint of whisky on a bet made at some former time, induced the men toijo to work by otierint;: tliem a treat. Tiiis whisky bein^ the lai^t in the neiirhborV demiioim had somedrn<r in it, but that "tliil not hurt the litjuor any," as it was so 8C4irce and costly, it bein^ wortii ^1.25 a gallon. Clothintj was also a little Bcirce, as the new comers into tlie new country had but very few sheej). For mo.st of their substantial clothin;; the pioneers of these times had to depend upon home-made material.

Ill the northern j>art of the county the sik)W was so deep as to cover the ears of thcoutf-tandin<; corn ami make it very dilliciiit to gather. Joshua AVottsiev, wiio, on account ot the two preceding years bein^ verv favorabk', inadvertently let ids stock of corn on uind get ijuite low, gave men three bushels a day for picking corn; and it was surprising how much ot' the article these hardy pioneers would gather amid such surroundings. Twenty men in four days gathered 2.500 bu.»hels.

During the spring a treshetcame with the melting snow,and the waters «»f the Sny uiulermined the mills at Kockp(»rt so that they sank down. (\»1. Ross had 50 or »'»o men ait work there lu-arly ail sjuing tilling up the places washed out.

During thi^ winter the clerk's office building at Atlas wjis burned down. Col. Uoss first discovered fire breaking out in that end of the structure where ".limmy" Koss had his cabinet-shop, and raised the alarm; but the wind was blowing fiercely and nearly all was lost. Xhis building was not more than five rods from (Jol. iiarney's residence, and he and "Jimmy" succeeded in rei^cuing some of the ])aj)ers and records of the office, which but few of the other citizens sejMued to care but little alxtut. Many such things grow valuable with the lapse of time, and doubtless many more papers might have been saved whicii would render this history more complete.

The year ls31 was also marked by a freeze in August which nearly ruine<l the ci»rn crop before it was sufficiently mature, aiul consequently the tblhiwing spring the farmers had to seiul to Kentucky for seed ciMu. paying for it on its delivery $3 a bushel, iioatscume up the river about (iiie a week, and their arrival was always the occasion of joy or disajtpointment. The settlers, however, got all the seed corn they wanted, those wiio were fluhh being willing to divide with their less fortunate neiglil>ors and trust them, depemling upon the success of their next crop for pay. Shipping on the Mi6sissi|)j)i at this period was limited to only three steam-boats between St. Louis and Galena, aiul whatever freighting was done by Hat and keel boats, which were poled, rowed, sailed, cordelled and towed.

The First Negro Settlers

"Free Frank,'' a col»»red man, arrived in Hadley townshij), this county, in the sj^ring (»f 1^31, with his wife Lucy and three children. They were originally from Kentucky and had spent the ]>re- cedin<^ winter in Greene county, 111. This famil}' were the tirst settlers in that township, and none others arrived for two years. To conform t(» tlie custom of the aj'e the Lcijislatiirc j^ave Free Frank the surname of McWorter, and he was ever afterward known as Frank ^[cWorter, He was a live, enterprising man, and laid out tiie town of New Philadel))hia. which once had great promise of making a good town, lie had bought liis own freedom and that uf his wife and many of his children, and left provision in his will to buy grandchildren, which was carried out by his son, Solomon ^IcWorter. Frank died about the year 1857, at 77 3'ear8 of age. His wife died in her 90th year in 1S71. Mr. McWorter was born in North Carolina, his wife in Yii^^inia. They were both members of the Baptist Church and led exemplary lives. By industry and econoniN' they left a valuable farm to their heirs. A large and respectable settlement of their descendants now exists around the old home.

In 1S32 or 1833 a colored man came to the southern part of the county known by the name of "Bob," who wanted to marry a white girl, tlie daughter of a Mr. Guernsey. This aroused the indignation of the wliitts, and as soon as be saw tbe citizens after him he took to his heels and ran away so fast that "50 men c»>uldn't catch him!"

Numerous Settlers

Before the Black Hawk war there came to this county, settling in various parts, besides those we have mentioned and many others, Hawkins Judd, Geo. W. Ilinman, Stephen li. Watson, Garrett Van Deusen, Daniel Clingensmith, N. E. Quinby, M. Branson and Horace Ilorton. Messrs. Ilinman and Judd were County Commissioners with Col. Barney when they bought of the United States for S200 the quarter section of land upon which Pittsfield was located. The}' are now dead. Mr. Van Deusen, an eccentric Knickerbocker Dutchman, was a Justice of the Peace and likely one of the earliest settlers east of Pittsfield on Blue river, and was the originator of a queer device to crack corn, operated something after the manner supposed to be in vogue in the days of Adam and Eve. lie used the stream of Blue river at a narrow place, and by catching and confining the water therefrom in ah'dlow tree or trough, open at the end up stream and closed at the lower end, he worked a swinging vessel which was suspended over a mortar to crack Indian corn. The process was to let the trough fill with water nearly to overriowing, when by its weight it would descend, dashing the pestle into the mortar and crushing the corn. The pestle being adjusted some distance from the end of the trough up stream, the water spilled beycMid the mortar, and the machine adjusted itself for another l)eat at the corn. Col. N. E. Quinby was a lawyer. Mr. Clingensmith settled in the northern part of the county: he died in 1835. Capt. Ilorton was a jolly tar. from Connecticut, an energetic man an<i a good settler. lie came in 1832 and located above Rockport. Branson and Watson, the latter a tailor, settled at Atlas.

CMiioiiolo<2;ic'ally wt- liavi* iiuw urrivnl at the ])erio(l dI tlie l^lack Hawk war. and tlic coiiiuctiin of Pike county witli tliat ejticli will be ^iveii in tlie cliajiter upon tliat war. Ko county } erliaps took a more active and (Ucideil j^art in this stni<.'^]e of the ]>ionccrs with the Indians than this county. Almost as soon as it was known tliat soidicis wei"c wanted Pike ctiunty liad tilled her quota. In an larly day Indians were quite numeious liere. hut we have no record of any »le]»redations bein^ ccmmitied hy them otlier than ]ietty theft, llw ISacs and Fo.xcs made their headcjinirteis nldiiij the Sny for many years, where tliey were often vi^ited hy i'>hick Hawk and Ke(»kuK. At or near Atlas the wliites often saw them in tlieir war dances. These J ndians however ^ave tlie settlers of Pike county very little trouble. Indeed tliev sometimi's evinced some title to the epithet "noble." As for e.\am|ile, whi'U a njuaw wa.'> at one time sick of a i'ever and was nursed and doctored by a white family At Atlas until she got entirely well to the surprise of her Indian friends, thev were very thankful and showed their 'Matitude in many ways.

In this connection we may relate a little anecdote characteristic of early times. John .lay Ii4»S8 and a Mr. Filer thouj^ht they Would have some fun one day by trij^ditenin^' Mr. Voun^ and his family who resided at Atlas, and in tin- vicinity of his house they imitated the noise and whoop of Indian^ so perfectly that Mr. and Mrs. Young thought they were surrounded by blood-thirsty redskins. They were greatly frightened and chugged their children into a small cellar which was not large enough for themsehes to get into, liiey ran out into the mustard patch and remained there until the afternoon of the next day, so scared were they, before they dared to return to the hotjse and liberate their sutt'ering children.

A very noted character in the earliest days of Pike county was James AV. "Whitney, more generally known as "Lord Coke," on account of his knowledge of law. He was teacher of the second school at Atlas, but having no family or jiermatient home he can scarcely be denominated a "settler." He was the first Circuit and County Clerk, and held many local offices. He was a native of Massachusetts, a man of considerable education, having some knowledge of Latin. He came to Illinois before it was a State and resided at w near Edwardsville. Kot much is known (»f his former life, as he was always very taciturn when the suliject was introduced. It is said that there was a hidden sorrow in Ins former life which was a delicate matter to touch upon. He wrote a very peculiar hand, which would itnlicate that he was an oddity. At first sight one would have taken liim to be a well-preserved ])reacher or fichoolmaster of the davs of the earlier -\damses. His dress was plain and even homely; his hair was s])arso and all combed to the back of his head, and often tied with a buckskin strin*^ or old bhick shoe-string as a cue. Pecuniarily he was not prosperous, and he was very indifferent witli respect to liis dress. lie made his journeys generally afoot and alone, putting up whei-e night found him, with some friend, and his acipiaintance was very extensive. He was always welcomed by the lonely pioneers, as he was a kind of gazetteer, bringing them the news when newspapers were scarce. He lived sometimes alone in a log cabin and sometimes he made the city of Quincy his headipiarters.

" Lord Coke " was also known as the " Speaker of the Lobby," as he was the leader ot that branch of the Legislature for many years. "When theaters and shows were rare, the citizens, judges and legislators at Vandalia were all agog to witness the convening of the Lobby. It was a great event. A throng would assemble, and after some ceremony " Lord Coke" would mount the stand and call the house to order. He would deliver his annual message, which would be received with cheers and laughter. Many hits and jokes were embodied in the message. Sometimes the satire was very broad, and at one time he hurt his standing with the Supreme Court by a farcical account of a meeting represented to have been held by that Court and leading members of the Bar to ''exterminate the varmints of the State." He presided over the "Lobby" with magisterial Bway, and when mock heroics moved the man he would be a very important personage. The '"Lobby" was organized by appointing 8ul)ordinat(' officers and numerous committees, whose titles and functi(jns would be of the most ludicrous chai'acter; and the members composing the same would be in physical form, public standing and personal bearing the most o)i])osite of that position and character. For example. Col. Thos. Mather, President of the State Bank of Illinois, was a man short in stature but of great rotundity of ]>erst)n, (piiet in demeanor; Judge Thomas Brown and Jesse Thomas, jr., were tine, portly gentlemen. Such as these " Lord Coke" would announce, and that in print, as the most suitable members of "the committee on gymnastics and ground and lofty tumbling." Many reports of these committees would be submitted which would be in accord with their burlesque titles. These reports were often written by "Lord Coke" himself, and there was a broad personality in them rather Iludibrastic.

At the Bar " Lord Coke" was not successful, as there was a want of practical sense in his a])plications and his law was often obsolete. He died Dec. 13, 1860, between 83 and 85 years of age.

Other Prominent Characters

Parvin Paullin, a native of ISew Jersey, came in mature years to this county, served one term as a Representative in the Illinois Legislature, and was Probate Judge, discharging always his duty with honor and efficiency. He died many years ago.

Itohert nnd Joseph Goodin and Fiiiher Petty were amongst tl»o noted men of Ili^lilaiid, Petty was a County ConnnissiontT at Pittstield; Mr. ^Murpliy was the first County Surveyor; and .loscph Gootlin was County Survtyor thereafter and u ^ood otlicer. Hi- was living; a tew years a^o in Missouri. ,

John George Nicohiy, an illustrious representative of J *ike county education, was horn in Gernumy, and cjinie to this county an olv Bcuri* hoy; heiiii; very studious he hecanie highly self-educated; learned the printer's trade in Pitt*tield; married Miss Pates of that place; ho edited the /'^ree Pnss \'or a slu»rt time, and when (). ^I. Hatch was ele<'tt'<l Secr«'tary of State Mr. N. was his clerk for two years at Sprin^tifld; read law in Al»rahain Lincoln's tdlice, and on the election of Mr. Lincoln to tlie Prt^idt-ncy af the United Stiites lie hecamc one of his private secretaries; snhsequently he was Consul ti> Paris, and is now Marshal «»f the Suprenu* Court of the Unitf.' «si ,*,.. v.lijch is a life t»lllc4' ". tenure durin«j; ^<»od liehavior.

Milt4»n Hay, now rankifij hi^h as h law\er at Spriiitrliehl, resided in Pittstield in ids earlier days as an attorney at law. He has since l>ecn in a Constitutional Convention and in the Ix';:i>lature of the State.

Major Charles J. ScUon we can claim as a son of Pike ciMinty, his Jmrent^ having; U-en the present wife of C«>1. 1). P.. llur-h, hy her former husband, Uev. John Selton, an Episcopal clergyman who once owned St. Ann's Church, New York city, and was a wealthy man, and whose sister wa* the witc of Sir lienjamin Prodie, the eminent Kn^lish physician. Charle» J. was hrouijht up principally in the family of Col. Bush, wa« in the Mexican war (in the oattle of Huetia Vista t, and durinjf our late war was Major of an M

"Aunt" Hohy Ross, still living at Parry, in her 92d year, wime with her |>eople to Atlas She was born Sept. 27, 17^9, in Itensellaer county. N. V., an«l wa-* first the wife of Cl.irendon l^»s^ and afterward of his brotiier Capt. Leonard Ross. Clarendon Uoss was the first man who died in the county and Captain K<iss is lon^since dead. Aunt Koby's memory is still clear, and she relates many interesting experiences an«l event.s of early times. Her house was the stopping place lor many people; she has (e<] as many as a hundred in a day. She wotdd arrange table* out of doors made of clapboards placed upon sticks, supported b}' stakes driven in the ground. In that day tliey had an abundance of meat, vegetables and sometimes fried cakes and crab-applesauce. Mrs. Ross's son Schuyler, by her first husband, died at the ageof 20,'in 1832, at Atlas.

Merrill E. Kattan, the iirst Postmaster at Pittsfield, long since dead, was also Probate Judge. He kept a hotel on the same lot where the Oregon House now stands. Wm. Watson, once a Probate Judge, is still living in Pittsfield. As a business man Mr. Watson was ever foremost and has accumulated some pro])erty. Kobert R. Greene and his cousin Austin Barber opened and carried on the first large store in Pittsfield. These gentlemen are both yet living in that town. Mrs. G. was one of the earliest and highly respected school-teachers. ^Nlr. Barber was for a period County Clerk.

Wm. A. Grimshaw came to Pike county in 1833. For his biography see history of Pittsfield township. John U. Grimshaw, cousin of the former, settled near Pittsfield in 1834, and afterward moved to town and for many years was an active merchant. He died many years since. Jackson Grimshaw, a brother of William A., was a resident of Pittsfield for 1-4 years, then of Quinc}^, Ills., where he died in December, 1875.

Bel us and Egbert Jones, brothers, were old settlers. Bel us was never a lawyer, but a pettifogger, who hung on to " Lord Coke "( J. W. Whitney) like a bobtail to a kite. At court time it was said, " No court till Coke and Belus come."

Lyman Scott, an early settler, married a daughter of Leonard Ross. He was for a time one of the owners of a former mill at Rockport. He was a pushing business man. Many years ago he went to Kansas and is now dead.

John Lyster, at times a Justice of the Peace, was an early settler in the Meredith and Neeley neighborhood near the Illinois river, now Detroit township.

David Dutton early settled in the vicinity of Pleasant Yale, once County Commissioner, a prosperous farmer, and peculiar in his ways. He has long since deceased.

Among the early settlers of Pike county was Mrs. Nancy M. Heath, who taught the first school in Pittsfield in the winter of 1834. She had 14 scholars, taught in a rented house and boarded herself. Her terms were $3 per scholar for 12 weeks. The names of her patrons were Jonathan Pike, Col. Johnson, Wm. Watson, Ephraim Cannon, James McNary, Wm. Grimshaw, Dr. Worthington, Mr. Davis, and John Turnbull. Her maiden name was Dunbar, and she was boi'u Jan. 1, 1791, the first white child born in Cincinnati; was brought up by Gov. McArthur, of Ohio; in 1813 she married Dr. Jonathan Heath, who was born on the south bank of the Potoin.'U', Muretirld, lliiniv cuiiiity, \'a. She ciimo to Naples Morgan fount v, in 1825, taugl'.t sdutol there, and came to I'ittstiehl in 1834. The school-house, which was also their d\vellin«;, was a small hewed-log house rented of Mr. Turnhull. She has had si.x children, five -(iris ant] one son, all dead. Mr>. IKath is still livintifiii I'ittsiiehl, hut has had Ict'lile health for many years. Her daughter, afterward .Mrs. A. V. Wills, also taught school with her.

Dr. llezekiah Dodge emigrated from Virginia U> Hayville, this county, in an early (lav. In his physicjil structure he was "long, lean and lank, and m*ivcd upon a spindle shank.''

Mr. (tray, an early settler and prominent citizen of the county, was Sheriff ahout isr>l: was Postmaster at Harry, aiul afterward for many years his houje has hecn in PittsHeld.

.Jo^^iua Woiisley, an early settler of lladley tt»wnship, has hcen Slieriff, and taken quite an m*tive part in the politics of the c«»unty. lie is still a man of great activity, living on tiie old homestead.

Among jnany other pioneei-s of i*ike countv we would mention, Henry K. Itjimsey, Jacoh llodgen ( father ot l>r. .i(din lltxigen), Charles T. Hrewsler, W. IJ. Cirimes, D. 15. HusIj, Elias Kent Kano (ndphew of the celehratetl Klisha Kent Kane, the Arctic explorer), all of whom have hoi*n more or less prominent in the history of tliis county. A little anecdote concerning Mr. Kent, who settled in Monte/uma townsiii)» in 183(», we uiiinot forhear to relate here.

lie went out tlwr-hunting one day, soon semiring up three larj'O deer, which ran aroun*! him in a circle aUmt .'iOO yards distant, lie stoixl watching them with cocketi gun in his hands. t)ot knowing why he did not sho(»t; hut suh.-etpientlv learned from friends that he must have had the " buck ague."

Among the sons of i*iko county who have departed to other fields of glory, are: ()/ias M. Hatch and Alexander btarne, Ixith of I'ittstield, then of Griggsville; l)oth have run ahout the same career in this county, having lit'cn (Merks of the Circuit Court, meml)er8 ot the Legislature, an«l Secretaries of State; and l>oth are nov.* residents of Springfield, in. pros|»enMis circumstances. Mr. Starne left Philadelphia in 1830. *' with the intention of getting so far away from honu' that he never could get hack again," and he chose the l>eautiful section of country called Pike county for his permanent home, lie relates many amusing stories concerrjing the olden times, clock peddlers, abolition rioU, Dr. Dix's first land purchase and trip to the grist-mill.

Among other numerous settlers in various ]>art8 of the county we would nanje the following: llev. John Shinn, one of the early preachers of the county, settled just west of Phillips' Ferry; then came David Johnson, who bought the farm owned by him. lie settled there in 1828. and for many years wns Survey<^»r (tf the county. Near him was Richard Wade; the next two who came were a Mr. Bateman and Andrew Phillips. Geo. W. Ilinraan, an early prominent man, came in 1829. Joel Moore was the first settler north of Atlas toward Griggsville. Nathan W. Jones, a resident of Grigo:sville, was a well-known early settler. Abel Shelley, the JJradbiirys, Charles and >[artin liurrington were also prominent pioneers. Boone Scholl, the fonnder of Perry, which was laid out first as " Booncville," was an early settler.

"Alfred Grubb, once called the 'Little Bay Horse,' for his sprightliness, was a good Sheriff and a County Judge. Thomas Orr, noted as a grand juror for many long years, was respected by all. Thomas Hull, a good farmer and remarkable for his active piety. These all leave numerous descendants of respectability. The Blairs (father and several sons), all good men. were in the vicinity of Barry before Pittsfield was laid out. William, son of the senior, was a marked member of the Illinois Legislature, and an upright and useful man. He is long dead. Montgomery Blair was once a member of the Constitutional Convention of 18^7. Harvey Blair is yet alive, and is an estimable farmer.

"It is impossible in this sketch to notice all the early settlers; some have emigrated, others have died. At court time at an early day in Pittsfield, Samuel Gibson, Henry Kent, George Gibson, Sam'l Sitton; Esquire Hayden, the Tucker brothers would be seen, and Wm. Johnson, James Johnson, Jolin and Jacob Heavener. The latter dressed in the homeliest ofarb, with his lon^ rifle as bosom friend. James Johnson was a conspicuous man. Both of these men were possessed of great nerve and endurance, and made great havoc amongst the deer. Small "varmint" they despised. Sam'l G. Sitton survives in his 75th year; and on June 29th, 1876, he cut on his own farm an acre of wheat with a sickle and bound it up on that day, and the next day was at Pittsfield as spry as usual. Harvey Dunn, of Chambersburg, was an old settler, and in 1847 was a member of the Constitutional Convention of Illinois. He was a very una suming but intelligent, honest man; but is long dead. Stephen It. Gray, venerable and respected in years, yet lives. He was Sheriff about 1851. He is an earlv settler and resided at or near Barr\', and was at o-.ie time Postmaster thereat. Hamilton Wills is yet as ha])]>y as ever, jolly in person, comfortable in business, an old settler in Pittsfield, as a Justice of the Peace in former 3'ears useful and respected. Richard Kerr, of Pleasant Hill township, was an old farmer, a leading whig, and represented Pike county in the Legislature for one term. He died many years since, esteemed by all, leaving many relatives in Pike. " Bona|)arte Greathouse, of Milton, was County Commissioner at an early day, a man of great worth and a good farmer. He is long dead and left surviving him a numerous family. Several of his sons are practitioners at law. Sam'l L. Crane, now venerable in years, was a very early settler of Morgan county, III., and has filled acceptably with perfect integrity the office of Postmaster at

Pittsfield. He is now in private life. He is the t'atlier of that nset'ul son, resilient of Pittstield, .hiines H. Crane, who has been Circuit Clerk of Pike eoimtv, vet lives here, and is a I)ei)ulv ('lerk in the office of Geo. W. Jones, our present and efficient popular circuit clerk. Win. B. Grimes yet lives in Pittstield. He was an able and honest County Clerk for one term, succeeding Wm. Steers, wh<» was a ijood and worthy officer; and his successor i» Jonathan L. Frve, who was a son of an lionest miller, Jonathan Frye. James Me Williams, venerable for his years, influential in his town of (irii;j;.'>viJle, has been a Representative of the county in the Le;;islature and often a Supervisor of (iri^'^jsville township. Daniel 1). Hicks, now the esteemed Ca>hier of the First National liank, is an old resident of Pittstield and has honorably filled several offices. He was once Sheritf of tlie countv. Durin;; his ternj of (tffice a rit»t took place «>ne election day in Pittstield, when n)anv wild bovs who had been irooil stddiers in the Mexican war took a most active part in the riot, callini^ out, ' We are some J)unkin^.' ]\\ aid of a pussc of tlie |)eoj)le, called by Hicks, the riot was put d»)wn."

We c*ipy tljc following very e.\cellently jtrepared historical article from the ( Jriir^sville Jitjltrtor of July I, LsTO. It wa> j.rcpared by Asa Hinman, son t»f the veteran j)ioneer, George W. llinman. It so clear^)' portrays various features of the county's history, and knowing that it will Ik; accepted as from a reliable source, we nuike no alteratittns in it, but j)resent it a^ from the pen of Mr. Hinnnin:

"In 1^2y. I think Oct. 14ih, my father, (Jeor^e W. llinman, crossed the Illiimis river at Phillips' Ferry with his lamily to make a permanent residence in Pike county. He drove ont to the foot of the mound upon which the town of Gri<;^fiville now stands, and stojtped with a man by the name f>f Ihiteman, who had made a snuiU imjirovi-ment and laid claim to the 8. W. (juarter of sec. 14, T. 4. S., 3 W., which my father soon afterward bought and occu])ied. This was on the main traveled route from Philli|)8' Ferry to Qiiincy and Atlas, the county seats of Adams and Pike, the two routes partini: on t«»j) of the mound in what is now called Quincy Avenue. The first settlement on the road, which was then known as the Atlas trail, after passing the site where Gri^f^sville was afterward built, was seven miles out on Pay creek, wliere Joel Moore had settle*! some two or three years before. He emi<;rated from North Carolina, and. as 1 have understood, served in the army of the United States for the land he lived upon. The next settlement was Col. Seeley's, twelve miles farther and three miles from Atlas, on the trail to Quincy. It was thirty miles to the first house, where lived John Wii^gle, a German, who formed the nucleus for the larfre German settlement that afterward settled in that ]>art of Adams county.

Perry

tliat time. At Phillips* Ferry tliere was a small settlement. I will name those I rememl)er: I^imrod Philli])S, Dr. Bennett, first owners of tl)e ferry, Teh(»& McWurtliy. One and a half miles up the road lived Charles IIazelri<2;, the only blacksmith in the eastern part of the county.

"The settlement on the road west from the ferry was David Johnson's, who settled on the farm owned for a long time by the Rev. John Shinn and now the property of E. S. Parker. Mr. Johnson settled there in 1828. He was surveyor in this county fur many years. Near this j^lace on the north side of the road lived Richard Wade. The next two settlements were Pateman, of whom 1 have spoken, aitll Andrew Phillips, who lived just east of Marshall's blacksmith shop. Dr. Phillijis lived one and a half miles south of town on the farm now owned by Davis. North of town lived ^larshall Kee, John j\[attliews. father of B. L. ^latthews, and "grandfather of Col. Matthews, Abel Shelly, Wm. AVilkerson, Sam Holaway, Abraham Sclioll, Sam Chenowetli, and an old gentleman by the name of Ayers. All these I have named were men of families; and none to mv knowledtje now remain but David Johnson, who still lives in the town of Perry, and is badly crippled with rheumatism, but otherwise is in good health. Many of their children and grandchildren yet remain in the county.

"Although the immediate descendants of these old pioneers grew up without an opportunity to get an education, many of them are, yes, I may say most of them, are noble, high-minded men and women, and are generally among the foremost to make a sacrifice to secure for their children a substantial education; and while on this subject I will say, if there was a school-house in the county I was not aware of its location. The first school-house near Griggsville was built in 1831. It was located a little northeast of town, a small log cabin, stick-and-clay chimney, the floor laid from slabs split from liiid logs, and the seats made of some material mounted on wooden legs. For light, one log was cut out of the building, a hewn slab put under this opening and paper pasted over it in cold weather; then with a rousing log fire, Wel)ster's speller, the Testament, sometimes the Life of Washington, sometimes Jack Downing, Robinson Crusoe, or whatever happened to be in the library at home, and a few copies of Daboll's or Pike's arithmetic, and a long 'gad' or two, Master Robert Rankin used to 'teach the young idea how to shoot.' Some of my young friends no doubt will laugh at my description of our educational privileges in those days, but this happened less than half a century ago and within less than half a mile and in sight of that fine school-house that so adorns the town and adds so much to your educational privileges. My descrijition of this one will answer with very little variation all the first schools in this part of the county.

"The next settlements to those already mentioned were along the bluft'near Chainbersburg and a few in the neighborhood of Detroit. The first settlers were poor, honest and brave, always kind to

''The tirp>t hetth'nients were nearly entirely confined to the edg-o of the tiniher where small tields could be cleaned aiul ])lowed with one yoke of oxen or a span of iiorses, the prairie sod bein<j; tou^h, rofjuirini; heavy teams to ]dow it.

'-At this lime ;;:ime was very abundant. Deer, turkeys, prairie chickens, quail, raccoon, opossum and skunk were iiere in immense numbers. The butfailo had disappeared, but from the amount of horns and Ixmes that lay bleaching on the prairies they must have been here in vast num Iters.

" At tliis time occasional l>ands of Indians would com(f in to hunt, but the settlers wouKl form into companies, shoulder their rilles and Miiirch out to their camps and ilrive them away.

" Now. I can in>a:;ine some of my younj; friends would like to know h(»w these |>oor settlers lived and what kind of houses they had, how they dressed themselves, ami many other questions. Well, I have told you ^ame was plerjty; so was wild honey; the land ])roductive a!ul evorv man and l»oy who was lar^^e enouj^h knew how to use the ritle Jind brin^ dt»wn the ^ame. And up to the winter of 183U-'l the winters iuid been very mild. Flax fjrew well, and cotton for the first few years did well. The women had all been raised to spin, weave and manufacture all the cl«>thin<,' that was needed in the family; but a large pc»rtion of the men dresf^ed deer-skins and made themselves pant« and coatu, or what they called huntingshirts. Some wore moccasins made of the same material, others would buy leather and manufacture shoes for their own family, or perhaj)s suuie neighbor would become (pjite an expert at cobl)ling, and besides doing all the sIujC work for his own faujily, would do also a gooil deal for his neig!ilM>r8; and I have seen women that Could make quite a respectai)lc shr^e. The njen would fre(|Ui'ntly manufacture caps for themselves and boys tVom the skins of foxes, coons and muskrals. II«»ney, at that day, was almost the only sweetening, lK5sides maple sugar, that was used. Very little tea and cotfee were used.- Cows were cheajt and the rich and nutritious grass caused them to produce choice milk atid butter. Everybo(ly used milk in those days. P(»tatoes, squashes, pumpkins and the various vegetables were securely stored for winter. The people had n<» money; they made but very few debts and very little dealing at the stores. What they did was mostly trade in turs, peltries and beeswax; and some of tlie oldest settlors wmhUI h;ive a little surplus to sell to new comers.

" It was several years Ixjfore there was any grain shipped from this part of the country. The only means of transportation was a keel-boat owned and run by Ira Kellogg from Naples to St. Louis. It would make a trip once in five or six weeks. Naples was the only trading ]>oint for all the east side of the county'. All the mills I can think of now that were then in Pike county, were Johnson's little grist and saw mill, two miles above Chambersburg, built in

1830 or 1831, Yan Densen's little corn-cracker on Blue river, that would grind frura one to two bushels per hour according to the stage of water, and Barney's horse-mill, some four or' five miles from where Pittsfield now stands. As these mills did not accommodate half the settlers, hand-mills, mortars and pestles were resorted to, and quantities of hominy were used during the winter season.

"Now, for the habitations. "Well, they were all bnilt of logs after the fashion of the school-house I described. All had fireplaces and only one room. The cooking was done in iron vessels on and around the log fire. If the weather was cold, the family large, or company in, which very frequently happened, the wood was piled on so as to raise the heat and cause all hands to sit back to give the cooks room to work. In at least two corners of the cabin would be one-legged bedsteads, made by boring two holes at right angles into the logs and two to correspond into a single post to receive the outer ends of the two rails. Clapboards, being laid across, formed quite a convenient bedstead; and besides these I have often seen a loom and spinning-wheel in use in the same cabin. This state of affairs would often last for years before another room would be added.

" At the time of which I write, settlements were not very rapid. The land was not in market. Congress had passed an act that all actual settlers who had lived for one year uj)on the public lands were entitled to enter or buy 160 acres at any time before the land was offered at public sale, which was in the fall of 1830; but very few of the settlers had any money to bu}' the land upon which they lived. The land office for this district was at Edwardsville, at which place a loan office was opened by Mason & Co. They would loan $200 to a settler which would pay the Government for 160 acres of land, the settler giving mortgage on the land and personal security for the payment of the $200 with 35 per cent, interest,

"Soon after this, settlements became more frequent, many of the new comers bringing some money with them. Many of the old settlers who had borrowed money at the enormous rate of interest referred to, sold their land and improvements, thereby enabling them to pay the mortgage and have some money left to buy another tract of unimproved land. The most of these early settlers were from the Southern States. Yery few of them had ever had many advantages of an education; and, coming into a new country, where for several years schools were unknown, and then for several years more the only schools we had being gotten up by the individual eflforts of the poor settlers, we see how limited their education must have been. We had no school fund then, no law to levy ta.x for school purposes, and school-houses were built b}' individual etibrt, and teachers hired in the same way. Books and papers were very scarce. I think the nearest paper published in the State was at Yandalia, the seat of Government at that time. Our postoffice was

" Witl) tiiese limited advantages nearly all the children ot" that day ^rew to he men and wtMnen with hut little eduoatittn, (»r what is considered so at the present day. And let me say to my young friends, when you feel disposed to hiuijh at the spet'fth, orthoj;raphy, or <;raiuiiiar of old t'o^ifs wh«» have coiml* up from those days, just lau^h and feel good, >ind then ri'memher them with gratitude for the many sacrifices and nohle eftbrts they have made to secure to you the grand eilucalional advantages you now enjoy under our free-school system.

" In Deeemher. 1830, snow fell to the de|)th of three feet on a level and drifted In many places to eiijht or ten feet. This was kept up hy snowfalls until the middle t»f March. This has been known and referred to as the winter of the deep snow. Duriiiir this winter vast numl)ers of «leer, turkey and other ganu died, or were killed by thoughtless hunters. During these early settlements wolves were very abundant &\u\ very destructive on pigs atid sheep. This countv had a ^jreat manv snakes, (tf whieh the rattlesnake was the most numerou.s and «langerous. juTsons atid animals U-ing frequently l>itten by them, causing the most intenoe pain and occasionally producing death. The habits of these reptiles were to gather tip late in the fall at some rockv blutf or other place where they c<»ulil make their way underground Ijeyond the reach of frost aiiil ninain there until warm weather in May, when they crawled out and lay around in the sun a few days ami then dispersed for miles over the surrouiuling country. During the time of their coininjj out in Mav we use<l to visit their dens and kill them in large numbers. Tliis practice, in the course of a few years, greatly lessened their iiuml>ers, but still, in sume localities a few remain.

-* In the fall of lh30, if my recollection is right, we hiul the first ])reaching. by*a .Methodist minister named Hunter, whose cireuit or mission ctivered all the territorv -.nth of liushville and Warsaw, lying iK'tween the Illinois ami }k[ :pi rivers, lie went around this circuit once in four weeks. The preaching place for a little societv that wa.s formed in the nei':hl>orho<»d ol (Tri<;ijsville was at my father's house, on the S. W. quarter of sec. 14. T. 4 S., K. 3 ^V.

In 1S76, when F. M. Grimes was ]>reparing the history of Montezuma township, he received the following very de>criptive letter from Z. A. (larrison, of Oregon:

'* Fifty 3'ear6 ago I with my father and his family crossed the Illinois river in a small hand ferry-boat at Meacham's Ferry, where Montezujna now etands. We went west f(»ur miles and settled in the timl^er. a ])rett3' country abounding with game of all kind^. Deer, turkey and bees were very plenty. The Indians were our most numerous neighbors, being about twenty to one white man. In the winter of 1829 and 1S30, the deep snow fell, whicli was four feet on a level. The siunnier followin*!: I was tendinii^ the ferry for Solomon Seevers at Montezuma and saw the first steam- boat that plouifhed the Illinois river. It was a small stern-wheeler. When op])osite the ferrv the wheel rolled up so much grass that it could not turn, and the men had to cut it loose and pole her through the grass. There was but one water mill in the county and that was on Big Blue. It was a tub-wheel and a very faithful one it was. AVhen it got one grain cracked it would jump upon another with a powerful vim and crack it too. The nearest store in the county was kept by Col. Ross at Atlas. AVomen wore homespun cotton dresses, and deer-skin moccasins. Men and boys dressed in buckskin from head to foot, and on the head a coon or fox skin cap; ate hog and hominy, lived sociably and enjoyed each other's company with true friendship."

County-Seat Moved To Pittsfield

Bv the year 1S31 it was seen that the county-seat could not long remain at Atlas, and a movement was started to fix its future and permanent location. The Legislature of the following winter authorized the appointment of three commissioners to locate the permanent seat of justice, which commissioners were Hawkins Judd. Geo. W. Ilinman and Benj. Barney. After thoroughly canvassing the situation they chose that beautiful site, centrally located in the county, whereon the present town of Pittsfield stands. The parties who wished to make the best of the situation had not the necessary 8200 to enter the land with. It was difficult to borrow it anywhere in the county except of the Ross family, and they were interested in Atlas and opposed to Pittsfield. Of course some illfeelinof was engendered, and Mr. Hinman and Col. Barney got so mad thev swore thev "would never hold office again," and the Colonel has kept his word. They signed a note and obtained the money of Col. Ross, had the ground surveyed, let the building of the coiirt-house to a Mr. Burke, and the commissioners held court in it in the tall of 1833, and the next spring the Circuit Court was held there. The Commissioners favoring the location were elected by a handsome majority at the next election, showing how the people of the county felt on the subject.

The Beautiful Prairies

The large prairies of the county presented a most beautiful sight before they were settled. The following very descriptive lines on "The Prairies of Illinois," by Capt. Basil Hall, graphically portrays their beauty in their wild and native state:

" The charm of prairie exists in its extension, its green, flowery carpet, its undulating surface, and the skirt of forest whereby it is surrounded; the latter feature being of all others the most significant and expressive, since it characterizes the landseai^e, and defines the form and boundary of the j)lain. If the prairie is little, its grentest beauty consists in the vicinity ttttlie cncompassin'; edijo of turests, wliicli may be coni|»are<l to the shores of a lake, heinjj: inter- 8ecte*l with many deep, inwanl hoiuls, as S(» many inlets, and at intervals projecting very far, not nnlike a ])rom(»ntory or protru(lin<; arm of land. Tliese ]>rojections sometimes so closely aj)proach each other, that the traveler passing thron^di hetwi'en them may he said to walk in the midst ot" an alley overshadowed l»y the forest, before he enters a^ain upon another broad j)rairie. Where the plain is extensive, the delineations of the forest in the distant back^nmnd ap- ])ear as wonld a misty »»cean beach alar off. The eye sumrtimes surveys the ^reen prairie without discovering on the illimitable plain a tree or bush, t>r any other object save the wilderness of flowers and jtjrass, while on other occafiions the view isenliveneil by the griives disperse<l like islands over the jdain, or by a solitary tree rising above the wilderness. The resemblance Iti the sea which some of these prairies exhibit is really most striking. In the bj»ring, when the young gniss has just clotlieil the soil with a soddy carpet of the most deliaite green, hut especially when the sun is rising l>ehimi a distant elevation of the gntund ami its rays are rellectetl by myriads of dew-tlrop.", a more pleasing and more eyi-benetitting view cjiiinot be imagined.

**Tiie delightful aspect of liiu prairie, itj* amenities, and the absence of that ^ombre awe inspire<l by forests, contribute to forcing away that .»entiment of loneliness which usually steals u]>on the mind of the sojiuiry wanderer in the wilderness; for, although he espies no habitation, and sees uo human l>eing, and knows hitnself to be far off from everv settlement (»f man, he can scarce! v <lef«Mid himself fron> Udieving that he is traveling through a landccape emlH'llishe<l by human art. The Mowers are so ielicateand elegant as apparently to Ikj distributed for mere ornament over the jjlain; tire groves ant! grouj)s of trees seem t<) be disjKTsed over the ]»rairie t«» eidiven the landscape, and we can scarcely get rid of the imjtression invading our imagimition, of the whole scene l>eing flung out and created for the satisfaction of the sentiment of beauty in refined men.

" In the summer the prairie is covered with tall grass, which is coarse in appearance, and soon iissumes a yellow color, waving in wind like a ripe crop of corn. In the early stages of its growth it resembles yt)ung wheat, and in this state furnishes such rich and succulejit food for cattle that the latter choose it often in preference to wheat, it being no doubt a very congenial fodder to them, since it is in;possible to conceive of better butter than is made while the grass is in this stiige.

"In the early stages (tf its growth the grass is inters|>ersed with little flowers, - the violet, the strawberry-blossom, and others of the most delicate structure. When the gra.ss grows higher these disappear, and taller flowers, displaying more lively colors, take their place; and still later a series «»f still higher but less delicately formed flowers appear on tlie surface. While the grass is green tliese beautiful plains are adorned with every imaginable variety of color. It is impossible to conceive of a greater diversity, or discover a predominating color, save the green, whicli forn)s a beautiful dead color, relieving the splendor of the others. In the summer the ]ilants grow taller, and the colors more lively; in the autumn another generation of flowers arises which possesses less clearness and variety of color and less fragrancy. In the winter the prairie presents a melancholy aspect. Often the fire, which the hunters annually send over the prairies in order to dislodge the game, will destroy the eiitire vegetation, giving to the soil a uniform black appearance, like that of a vast plain of charcoal; then the wind sweeping over the prairie will find nothing which it might ])ut in motion, no leaves which it might disperse, no haulms which it might shake. No sooner does the snow commence to fall than the animals, unless already frightened away by the fire, retire into the forests, when the most drear}', opj^ressive solitude will reign on the burnt prairies, which often occupy many square miles of territory."

Prairie Fires

Fires would visit the grassy plains every autumn. The settlers who had pushed out from the timber took great precaution to prevent their crops, houses and barns from being destroyed, yet not always did they succeed. Many incidents are related of prairie fires." The great conflagrations were caused either accidentally, or designedly from wantonness, or with a view of bewildering the game. The fire often spread further than it was intended it should. Wherever were extensive prairie lands, one-half was burned in the spring and the other half in the autumn, in order to produce a more rapid growth of the naturally exhuberant grass, destroying at the same time the tall and thick weed stalks. Yiolent winds would often arise and drive the flames with such rapidity that riders on the fleetest steeds could scarcely escape. On the approach of a prairie fire the farmer would immediately set about "burning back," - that is, burning ofi" the grass close by the fences, that the larger fire upon arriving would become extinguished for want of aliment. In order to be able, however, to make proper use of this measure of safety, it was very essential that every farmer should encompass with a ditch those of his fences adjoining the prairie. When known that the conflagration could cause no danger, the settler, though accustomed to them, could not refrain from gazing with admiration upon the magnificent spectacle. Language cannot convey, words cannot express, the faintest idea of the splendor and grandeur of such a conflagration during the night. It was as if the pale queen of night, disdaining to take her accustomed place in the heavens, had dispatched myriads upon myriads of messengers to light their torches at the altar of the setting sun until all had flashed into one long and continuous blaze.

Boon tanned the small, llickering blaze into tierce torrent iiaines, which curled up and leaped along in resistless splendor; and likci quickly raising the dark curtain from the luminous stage, the scenes l)et"ore me were suddeidy changeil,as if by the magician's wand, into one lH)uniiless amphitlieater, blazing from earth to heaven and Bwee|)ing the hori/on ri>und, - columns of lurid llames sportively mounting up ti» the zetiith, and dark ch»uds of crimson smoke curlintr awav and aloft till thev nearlv obscure«l stars and moon, while tlie rushing, crashing sounds, like roaring cutaracts mingled with distant thundei'S, were almost deafening; danger, death, glared all around; it screameil for victim.-; yet. notwithstanding the imminent peril of prairie tiro, .-m- i> loth, irresolute, almost unalde to withdraw or seek refuge."

The amusements of the nioneore were peculiar u> themselves. Saturday afternoon was a holiday in which no man wiu» exjHJCted to work. A htad of pr«Kluce might l)e taken to " town " for sale or tratKc withtMit violence t<» custom, but no more serious labor could be t»»Ierate<l. When on Saturday afternoon the town was r»'ached, *Mun commencetl." Had two neighl>ors business to traubact. here it was done. Horses were " swappe<l," ditHculties settled and free fights intluIgtHJ in. Hlue and red riblnins wen> not worn in those days, ami whiskv was free as water; twelve and one half cents would buy a (juart. and ihirtytivu or forty cents would buy a gallon, and at such prices enormous quantities were consumed. Qo to any town in the county and tisk the tirst pioneer you meet, he will tell you of notable Saturday-aff- i fights, either of which to-day wtiuhi till a column of the 7'. .. Xvirs, with elaborate engravings to match. Indee<l, tights on Saturday in the villages and settlement centers were so customary that when a Saturday passed with no tight in the neigh IwrhiKKl, it was the occasion of considerable remark for weeks.

liough, ready to fight, as these pioneers were, their latch-string was always out. No stranger ever stopped at their aibins without receiving a hearty welcome.

The settler in the early days was not only hospitable but also >hilanthro|»ic, and never neglecte«l an «»|)i)ortunity to aid a neighor. lK>use-niisings were his s|)ccial delight. Let a new-comer arrive in the neighborhootl and all were ready to help him. One would send a bu>hel or two of potatoes, another a piece of meat, another some other article that could In; use<l to eke out the larder; but when the new-comer had his logs cut and all ready for the raising, then the fun cc»mmence<i. Teams, men, axes, all were on the ground at an early hour, logs were hauled, scored, one side hewed, it may be, and l)efbre night willing hands had erected a residence as comfortable and commodious a& any in the settlement, and at night was ready for the ''house-warming," where dancing was kept up until the " wee short hours," and where all enjoyed themselves in a manner unknown to the people of to-day. Let a neighbor get sick in the fall, as frequentl}' occurred, and some neighbor would inaugurate a " chopping bee " or corn-gathering, for his benefit, when all his fall work would be done in a day, - corn gathered and cribbed, wood chopped and hauled, and everything put in good shape for the winter. After the day's labors were completed, song and dance were in order, and until morning, perhaps, the younger members of the community would keep up their hilarity.

The only amusements of the pioneers had a hospitable, kindly core and were connected with. some helpful act for needy neighbors. It was not onlv in amusements, but in all other acts of life that this kindliness was manifested, as instances which living witnesses can testify to will illustrate.

The earliest commercial transactions carried on in this county were but neighborhood exchanges, in great part. True, now and then a farmer would load a flat-boat with beeswax, honey, tallow and peltries, with perhaps a few bushels of wheat or corn or a few hundred clapboards, and float down the Illinois or Mississippi river to St. Louis, or even to New Orleans, where he would exchange his produce for substantials in the way of groceries and a little ready money, with which he would return by some one of two or three steam-boats then running; or if the period of the trip was before the advent of steam-boats he would turn his load into cash and come home on foot.

After the advent of steam-boats a new system of commerce sprang up. Every town would contain one or two merchants who would buy corn, wheat and dressed hogs in the fall, store them in warehouses on the river at some of the " landings," and when the river opened in the spring would ship his winter's accumulations to St. Louis, Cincinnati or ISlew Orleans for sale, and with the proceeds visit New York and lay in six months' supply of goods. So far as the farmer was concerned in all these transactions money was an unknown factor. Goods were always sold on twelve months' time and payment made with the proceeds of the farmers' crops. When the crops were sold and the merchant satisfied the surplus was paid out. in orders on the store to laboring men and to satisfy other creditors. When a day's work was done by a working man his employer would say, " Well, what store do you want your order on? " and the order was always cheerfully accepted.

Hogs were always sold ready dressed. The farmer, if forehanded, would call in his neighbors some bright fall or winter morning to help ''kill hogs." Immense kettles filled with water had been boiling since dawn. The sleds of the farmer covered with loose plank formed a ])latform for dressing, and a cask or half hogshead, with an old quilt thrown over the top, was prepared in which to

6cald. From ii crotcli of some convenient tree a projectinf; pole was ri<'tre<l to \u)\d tlie dead animals. When evervthini^ was arran^^ed the best shot of the neii^lilwrhood loaded his trusty rine and the work of killing commenced. To make a " hot^ scjueal " in 6hootinf]^or '' shoulder-stick," i. e., run the point of the knife used into the shoulder instead of the cavity (»f the breast, was a disgrace. As each hog fell the "sticker" muuntetl him and plunge<l a long, well-sharpened knife into his throat, and others caught Iiim by the legs and dri'W him to the scalding tub now tilled with hot water, into which a shovel-full of good green-Wt)od ashes had been thrown. The cleaners now took the departed porcine, immersed him head first into the scalding tub, drew him back and forward a time or two, tried the hair, and if it would " slip'' easily the animal was turned and the other end underwent the same jirocess. As soon as taken from the water the scrapers with case-knives went to work and soon had the animal denuded of hair, when two stout fellows would take it up between them and a third man to manage the "gamlirel " (which was a stt»ut stick altout two feet long, shiir|tened at both ends to be inserted between the muscles of the hind legs at or near the hock joint"), the animal would be elevated to the pole and the entrails removed by some skillful hand.

When the work of killing was eoniplcted and tlic hugs had tiine to cool, such as were intended lor ilumesti(* use were eut uj), the lard tried out by the women of the household, and the surplus taken to town to. market. In those days almost every merchant had, at the rear end of iiis placeof l)usiness or at some convenient ni*ighboring building, a " pork-house," and would l)uy the ])»»rk of his customers and of such others tig would sell to him, and "cut" it for market. This gave employment to a large number of hands in every village cutting pork - work which laste<l all winter; also to a large numlu-r of team.-^ hauling to the river, and coopers making pork barrels.

J'rices of pork then were not so high as at present. Th<»usand8 of hogs dressed for market have been sold in this c<-»unty at $1.25 to ^l.aOijier hundred j>ounds: sometimes they were sold by the dozen, bringing from ^^12 to Sis per dozen, owing to size and ijualit}'. When, as the county grew older and communications easier between the seaboard and the great West, prices went u|) to $2 and $2.50 per linndred j»ounds, the farmers thought they would always be c<-»ntent to raise pork at such a tine price.

There was one feature in this method of buying pork that made any town in Pike county a ])aradise for the poor man in winter. " Spare-ribs, " " tender loins, " " jugs' heads " and " feet " were not considered of anv value, and were «;iven freelv to all who asked. If a barrel were taken to any pork-house and salt furnished, the l«arrel would l)e tilled and salted down with tender loins or spare-ribs for nothing. So great in many cjises was the quantity of spare-ribs, etc., to be disposed of, that they would be hauled away in wagon loads and dumped in the woods out of town.

In those da3''S if wheat l)rought half a dollar per bushel the fanner was satisfied. A good young niilch-cow could be bought for from $5 to^lO, and that payable in work.

Those might truly be called close times, yet the citizens of the county were accommodating, and no case of actual suffering fi>r the necessaries of life was known to exist before each vied with the other to relieve it.

Preaching Of The Gospel

The early settlers were not. entirely without preaching. Says an old pioneer on this subject: "The ministers of the gospel of the Savior of the world hunted us up and ])reached to what few there were; therefore, we did not degenerate and turn heathen, as any community will where the sound of the gospel is not heard. I shall not give their names, though sacred in memory, fur they were not after the fleece, but after the flock, because they had but little to say about science and philosophy, bat spoke of purer things."

In speaking of the early preachers Col. Wra. Ross, in a letter read before the first meeting of the Old Settlers' Association, said: *' Among my early recollections are the faithful services rendered by pioneer ministers of the gospel, among whom the name of Brother Trotter is faTniliar. He rendered faithful services as a minister of Christ, and was well received bj' all Christian denominations as a liberal-minded Christian and a nobleman. "

Rev. W. D. Trotter, the gentleman above referred to, was present at this meeting, and reviewed the hardships and trials of the early settlers of Pike county to the great entertainment of the audience. He had been a missionary in this county as early as 1830. He exhibited a balance sheet of his receipts and expenditures during the year 1832-'3, in what was then called Blue River Mission. He received from the mission 888; the conference paid him 812 in addition, making his salary 8100 for his services for the year.

Hon. Wm. A. Grinshaw delivered the oration of the occasion and referred to this subject in the followincr language: " We all worship Grod according to the dictates of our own conscience, and under our vine and fig tree. When Brother Trotter, who is now present, venerable with years and revered for piety, or old Father Wolf, now gathered to his fathers, blessed for his good deeds, came around to his appointment, all of every religion and no one religion turned out to meeting in the woods or the log school-house, or at a settler's home; we had no fine churches in those days. Mormons puzzled the unwary by their startling pretense at new revelations. Or, if disappointed by the regular minister, old Father Petty would recite in prayer Belshazzar's feast in trembling tones of piety."

In early day when public gathei-ings were occasions of great excitement and means of conveyance rare the people would walk a great way to church. Girls have been known to walk six miles to church, to " meeting " as it was termed in those days. Persons very often woultl ride horseback, two or three on ahorse, and so ten or tiltuen niiles in this way, brin^in^ aU)ni; their bread and cheeBe, Until public buihlin^s were erected meetings wonkl be held in private house:!, as they were olVered by their owners, or in groves.

Though struggling through the pressure of poverty and privation the early settlers planted among them the school-house at tlie earliest ])ractical period. So impt»rtant an object as the education of their children they tlid not defer until they could build more comely and convenii'Ut houses. Tlu'V were tor a time content with such as corresponded with their rude dwellings, but soon better buildings and accommodations were provided. As may readily be supposed, the accommodations of tlie earliest ficluxds were not gitod. Sometinies 8clu)oLs were taught in Muall log house^ erected for the purpose. Stoves and such heating apparatus as are now in use were unknown. A mud-and-stick chimney in one end of the building, with eartlu-n hearth and tire-place wide and deej* enough t<» take in a four-foot back-log, and Muallrr wuud to m itch, served for warming purposes in winter and a kind of conserva: try in summer. For windoWH, part (»f a log was cutout in either de antl may be a few lights of eight-by-ten glass set in, or just as likely as not the ajierture wi»uld l>e covered over with greased paper. Writing benches were made of wide planks, or likely puncheons, rrsting on

E ins or arms, driven into two-inch auger-holes bored into the logs LMieath the windows. Seats were ma<le out of j»uncheons, and flooring of the same material. Everything was rmle and j)lain, but many of 'America's grt-at^*^t men have gone out trom just such school-houses to grapple with the world and make names for themselves, ami have come to be an iionor to their country. Among these we can name Altraham Lincoln, «mr martyred IVesident, one of the noblest men evor kn<»wn to the worlil's histt»ry. Stephen A. Douglas, one of the greatest statesmen of the age, l>egan his career in Illinois teaching in one of these j)rinjitive sclKKd-houses.

Thitii's are chauired now. We no loijirer see the loir school-house. Tluir places are hlletl with handsome frame or brick structures, which, for elegance and beauty of design, rival those of older settled countries; and in place of the "masters" who were " looked up to " as superior beings, and were consulted on all matters of law, physic and religion, there are teachers of liberal culture, intelligent and progressive, many of whom have a broad an<l comjtrehensive idea of education, and regard their labor as something more than merely teaching in order to make a living, - more than a knowledge of a great number t»f facts in the great universe of mind and matter. It means culture, the developing and disciplining of all the faculties of the human mind. It is the comprehension of the entire being of man. And the school or teacher who takes charge and care of the young should provide the means and methods for carrying forward the })rocess in all departments of their complex nature, physical, mental and spiritual.

Early Milling

One of the greatest difficulties encountered by the early settlers was in having their milling done. B}' a liberal a])plication of enterprise and muscle they experienced but little trouble in producing an abundance of the cereals, but having it converted into breadstuff was a source of much hard labor. The hand-mill introduced was a great improvement over the mortar or tin grater, a description of which is given elsewhere in this volume. Ihen the band-mill was introduced.

John Shaw ran a horse-mill for a time in Calhoun count}-, where the earliest settlers sometimes went, but it appears he soon abandoned it. Wm. Ross then started one at Atlas. The burrs of this mill were limestone, and it is said that in every bushel of meal ground in this mill there would be a peck of stone dust. Many of the settlers had to travel long distances to mill, and then often wait for several days before they could get their grist.

The Mormons first settled at "Mormontown," about three miles east of Pittsfield, in 1839, and by 1845 there were 3U0 voters in that settlement. They were quiet and harmless. On the building of Nauvoo most of them removed to that place. They tried to work some miracles about Pittsfield, but not with very signal success. We heard of but one crime committed by them during their career in this county, and that was not particularly a Mormon crime. A man among them named Benj. Sweat was convicted of passing counterfeit gold : was caught at Jacksonville. He was very poor and excited the sympathies of the people, and a petition was presented for his release, which was granted.

Cotton

In ])ioneer times a little cotton was raised in the Military Tract, and as late as 1861 and 1862 there was cotton raised in Pikecounty. Lindsay Dilworth, living eight miles from Pittsfield, raised 17 pounds from three rows, each 100 feet long. One-half of it was frost-bitten : the remainder was white and fine-fibered. In 1862 Wm. Ross, jr., raised some very good cotton.

Astatic Cholera

While this scourge wrought great devastation in some sections of the United States in 1848-'9, Pikecounty almost escaped its ravages. In and about Pittsfield Dr. Comstock, DeWitt St. John, David Ober and wife, Mr. Main, Alvin Hash's wife and several strangers died, and at Kinderhook there were 15 or 20 cases of the disease. It seemed to have got out into the county from Louisian,a, whither it had been brought by steamers from the lower Mississippi.

The celebrated internal iniprovonient svstein innuirurated bv the State in lS3r»-'7 did not ijive Pike county any railr(ia<ls or e-anals, or even proiiiise any; but an ajtprupriatiun of several tluiusand dollars was made, which was economically expended in the improvement of hifjhways. Commissioners were appointed, men were hired to superintend the work, and wa^on roads were niatle evener or inijiroved from Quincy through the northeastern j>art of the county, from Pittstield to Florence, and one from Grigi^sville to the Illinois river. These works were completed, however, by county and township aid.

Okioin Ok Namk8 Of Ckkkks

McCraney's creek, formerly called -' McDonald's creek," by the Government survey, wa.s named after McCraney, who was the first settler \\\H>n its banks, lie was a man of ;;reiit endui'ance and a skillful s|»ortsman. One day he cluised down a ^ray wolf with his horse, when he place*! one foot upon the animal's neck an<l with the other succeeded in breaking his let^s so that he could get somethiiiij with whieh to eompletoly dispatch him.

Dutch Church creek was named after a rocky blull near its bank whieh is 6Uppose<l to resemble an old Dutch church in the city of Albany, X. 1 . Keyes creek W}u> named after Willard Keyes.

Col. Benj. Barney was the first blacksmith in the county, erecting his shop at Atlas in 1826. He also burned the first coal in the county, it having been shipped from Pittsburg, Pa.

The first political meeting was held in Montezuma township in 1834, when Col. Ross, who was running for the Legislature, made a speech. About 50 voters were present, besides boys. No nominatioTis or appointments were made.

The first wheat was raised by Col. Ross and Mr. Seeley near Atlas, which was also the first ground in Pike county and made into biscuit. The flour was bolted through book muslin.

The first Masonic lodge was held up-stairs, at the house of Col. Ross, in Atlas, between 1830 and 1834. The desk used on the occasion is still in the possession of Marcellus Ross. It is a plain box, strongly Imilt, fifteen iiiclies 8(ju:irt' and two ami oiie-liall feet hiifli, and cuntains two shelves. In one side is a door swung on hinges.

What The Pioneeus Have Done

Pike eounty is a grand e*)unty, in many respects second to none in the State, and in almost everything that goes to make a live, prosi)erous community, not far hohind the best. Beneath its fertile soil is coal eriough to siij>|dy the State for generations; its harvests are i»ountiful; it enjoys a metlium clin)ate and many other things that make them a contented, j)rosj)erous and haj)jiy j)e«i|»le; hut the

1)eoj)lo owe much to those who opened up these avenues that have ed to their present comlition an«l happy surroundings. Unr^'initting toil and lal)or have drivi-n «itr the sickly miasmas that hroodt-d over ^wampy juairirij. Knergy ami per^everanee have j»e«»j>leil every section of the wild lands, and changed them from wastvs and deserts to gardens of beauty and i»rofit. When but a few years ago the barking widvos madtt the night hideous with their wild shrieKsand howls, now is heard oiily the lowing and bleating of domestic animals. Only a iuilf century ago the wild whoop of the Indian rent the air where nc»w are heard the engine ami rumbling trains of ears, bearing away to markets the prodm-ts of the ^oil and the labor of its people. Then the savage built his rude huts on the spot where now rise the dwellings and school houses and church spires <»f civilized life. IIow great the transformation! This change has been brought about by the incessant t(»il and aggregated labor of thousands of tiretl hands and anxious hearts, and the nol)le asj)ir:itions of such men and women as make any country irreat. \\ hat will another half century accomplish f

There are few, very few, of these <dd |)ioneers yet lingering on the shores of tinje as connecting links of the pant with the present. AVhat must their thoughth Ik.* as with their dim eyes they view the scenes that surround them? We often hear people talk about the old-fogy ideas and fogy ways, and want of enterprise on the part of the (dd men wh«» have gone through the ex|»eriences nf j>ioneer life. Sometimes, j»erhaps, such remarks are just, but, considering the experiences, educ^tiois and entire life of such men, such remarks are better unsai«l. They have luul their trials, misfortunes, hardships and adventures, and shall we now, as they are jtas.xing far down the western declivity of life, and many of them gone, jxiint to them the finger of derision and laugh and sneer at the simi»licity of their ways? Let us rather cheer them up, revere and respect them, for beneath those nuigh exteriors beat hearts as noble as ever throbbed in the human breast. These veterans have l)een comj>elled to live for weeks ui)on homir.y and, if bread at all, it was bread made from corn ground in hand-mills, or pounded up with mortars. 'Iheir children have been destitute of siioes during the winter ; their families had no clothing excej)t what was carded, s])un, wove and made into garments by their own hands; schools they had none; churches thej' had none; afflicted with sickness incident to all new countries, sometimes the entire family at once; luxuries of lite they had none; the auxiliaries, improvements, inventions and labor-saving machinery of to-day they had not; and what they possessed they obtained by the hardest of labor and individual exertions; yet they bore these hardshi])s and privations without murmuring, hoping for better times to come, and often, too, with but little prospects of realization.

As before mentioned, the changes written on every hand are most wonderful. It has been but three-score years since the white man began to exercise dominion over this region, erst the home of the red man, yet the visitor of to-da}', ignorant of the past of the connty, could scarcely be made to realize that within these years there has grown up a population of 50,000 people, who in all the accomplishments of life are as far advanced as are inhabitants of the counties of older States. Schools, churches, colleges, palatial dwellings, beautiful grounds, large, well-cultivated and productive farms, as well as cities, towns and busy manufactories, have grown up, and occupy the hunting grounds and camping places of the Indians, and in every direction there are evidences of wealth, comfort and luxury. There is but little left of the old landmarks. Advanced civilization and the progressive demands of revolving years have obliterated all traces of Indian occupancy, until they are only remembered in name.

In closing this chapter we again would impress upon the minds of our readers the fact that they owe a debt of gratitude to those who pioneered Pike county, which can be but partially repaid. Never grow unmindful of the peril and adventure, fortitude, selfsacrifice and heroic devotion so prominently displayed in their lives. As time sweeps on its ceaseless flight, may the cherished memories of them lose none of their greenness, but may the future generations alike cherish and perpetuate them with a just devotion to gratitude.