Stark County, Illinois - Chapter 18: Statistical Review, 1916

Chapter 18: Statistical Review

Illinois was organized as a territory under the laws of the United States in 1809, and December 3, 1918, will witness the close of her fii-st century of statehood. Since the organization of the territory, the growth in population, according to the United States census reports,

Four score and six years have passed since Isaac B. Essex built his humble cabin about three miles southwest of the present City of Wyoming, and thus established the first Avhite man's domicile within the confines of what is now Stark Comity, and more than three-quartei's of a century have elapsed since the county was organized under the ju-ovisions of the act of the Illinois Legislature, approved on JSIarch 2, 1839. The first United States census taken after the comity

From this table it will be seen that the greatest proportionate increase in any one decade was from 1840 to 18.50, when the growth in the nnml)er of inhabitants was from 1,.)73 to 8,710, or nearly threefold. Twice in the history of the county there has been a decline during a census decade - once from 1880 to 1890 and again from 1900 to 1910. The decrease in population during these periods is due chiefly to the opening of new government lands in other parts of the country, which offered inducements to men of moderate means to acquire homes and farms of their own with a less outlay of capital. Just as between the years 1840 and 18(50, when land was cheap in Illinois, other states contributed to her growth, so she in turn contributed to the growth of other sections of tlie country that ]n-esented such opportunities as were found here in Stark County during the twenty yeai's immediately i^receding the Civil ^\ar. The decrease in population between the years 1900 and 1910 affected all parts of the county about alike, as may be seen by a comparison of the last three official census reports, given by townships, to-wit ;

Tlie peoi)lc oi" Stai'k County liavt- no fuusc For liiiniiliation in tlie decrease in tlie niiinhei- of inliahitants. Fifty eounties in the state showed a decrease between the years 1!)00 and 1!)U) and in some of them the decrease was two thousand or more. In the counties in which hirge cities are located the census shows an increase, evidence that in recent years there is a tendency among the people to crowd into the cities, and in Stark County tlie cities of Toulon and Wyoming both show an increase in tlie number of inhabitants during the census period. Notwithstanding the falling off" in population, the wealth of the county has not decreased, the taxable value of the property and the agricultural products for the year 1914 showing that in these respects Stark County has more than held her own.

Constitutional Conventions

The first constitution of Illinois - the one under which the state was admitted in 1818 - was adoi)ted twenty-one years before Stark County was organizx'd. It remained the organic law of the state until a second constitutional convention was ordered by the Legislature in 1847. In that convention the district composed of Stark and INIarshall counties was represented l)y Henry D. Palmer. The convention assembled at Springfield on June 7. 1847. and remained in session until the last day of iVugust. The constitution was ratified by the people at an election on INIarch (>, 1848, the vote in Stark County being 233 to 84 in favor of the new constitution, which liecame eff'ective on April 1. 1848.

Another constitutional convention met at S])ringfield on January 7, 18(;2. and completed its labors on the 24tli of March following. Peoria and Stark counties formed a district, which was represented in tlie convention by .lulius IManning and Xorman H. Purple. The constitution framed by this convention was rejected by the ])eo])le at an election held on June 17, 18(12. In Stark County the vote was il93 for rejection to 485 for ratification.

The present constitution of the state was adopted l)y a convention which assembled at S])ringfield on December 13, 18(i!), and adjourned sine die on INI ay 13. 1870. For this convention the state was divided into sixty-one districts, from which eighty-five delegates were chosen. The counties of Peoria and Stark again formed a delegate district, which was represented by Henry W. Wells and INIiles A. Fidler. The constitution was ratified liy the ])eo])le on July 2, 1870. and became eff'ective on the 8th of iVugust following. Stark County cast f)00 votes in favor of the constitution and bnlv 0.5 in the negative.

Congressional Distkicts

When Stark County was cmited in 1839 the State of Hhnois was divided into three Congressional (Hstricts. Putnam County, from whieh the greater part of Stark was taken, was one of twenty-tuo counties comprising the Third District, consequently Stark became a part of that district and remained so until the apportionment under the act (jf ]March 1, 1843, when the state was divided into seven districts.

Under this apportionment Stark, Jo Daviess, Stephenson. AVinnebago. Carroll, Ogle. Lee, Whiteside, Rock Island, Henry, fiercer, Henderson, Warren, Knox, McDonough and Hancock constituted the Sixth District.

The census of 1850 showed that the state was entitled to nine representatives in Congress, and by the act of August 22, 18.52. the Legislature api)ortioned or divided Illinois into nine districts. The Fourth District was composed of Fulton, Henry, Knox, INIarshall, Mason, fiercer, Peoria, Stark, Tazewell, Warren and Woodford.

By the act of April 24, 1861, the state was divided into thirteen districts, Stark beconn'ng a part of the Fifth, which was composed of Bureau, Henry, Knox, ^Marshall, Peoria, Putnam and Stark. It was afterward discovered that the census of 1800 entitled the state to fourteen representatives and the erroi- in the apportionment act was corrected by electing one congressman from the state at large.

The census of 1870 showed that Illinois was entitled to nineteen contiressmen. Bv the act of July 1, 1872, nineteen districts were created, the first election under the new apportionment occurring in November of that year. The Ninth District under this act consisted of the counties of Fulton, Knox. Peoria and Stark.

Another representative was added by the census of 1880 and on April 29, 1882, the Illinois Legislature passed an act dividing the state into twenty districts. No change was made in the boundaries of the district in which Stark was situated, but the number was changed to the Tenth instead of the Ninth.

Twenty-two congressmen were given to Illinois by the census of 1890 and the state was accordingly divided into twenty-two districts by the act of June 9, 1893. Under this apportionment the Tenth District was made to consist of the counties of Ilein-y, Knox, ^Nlerccr. Rock Island, Stark and AA^oodford. The first election was in November, 1894.

tionmeut places Stark in the Sixteenth District, along with Bnreau, JNlarshali, Peoria, Putnam and Tazewell. The census of 1910 gave the state twenty-seven congressmen and in 1912 two members were elected from the state at large.

The General Assembly

In the Eleventh General Assembly, which passed the act creating the County of Stark, William H. Henderson was a member of the lower house and is accredited to Riu-eau County in the official records, though his home was within the limits of Stark. Colonel Henderson was also elected to the Twelfth General Assembly in 18-10 and in this session was accredited to Putnam County.

Section 0, Article 3, of the constitution of 1848 provided that "The Senate shall consist of twenty-five members, and the House of Representatix cs of seventy-five members, until the population of the state sliall amount to 1,000, 000 of souls, when five members may be added to the house and five additional members for every .)00,000 inhabitants thereafter, until the whole number of representatives shall amount to 100; after which, the number shall neither be increased nor diminished; to be ai)portioned among the several counties according to the number of wliitc inhabitants. In all future ajjportionments. where more than one county shall be thrown into a repi'esentative district, all the representatives to which said counties may be entitled shall be elected by the entire district."

Section 40 of the same article apportioned the representation in the General Assembly at twenty-five senators and seventy-five representatives, and another section provided that an apportiomnent shoidd be made to l)ecome effective in 18.5.5, and every tenth year thereafter. In the apportionment of 1848 the Nineteenth Senatorial District was com])osed of the counties of Henry, IMercer. Knox, Rock Island. Stark and Warren; and the Forty-third Representative District of the counties of Henry, Rock Island and Stark, which was entitled to one representative.

In the first session of tlie General Assembly imder this apportionment, which convened at Springfield on Jamiary 1, 1840, John Denny, of Knox County, was senator, and Joliii W. Henderson, of Stark, representative. From that time until tlie next apportionment, the district was represented as follows: 18,50, John Denny, senator; .Tames "SI. Allen, of Henry, representative: 18.52. Renjamin Graham, of Hemy, senator; A\'illiam Marshall, of Rock Island, representative.

under which representatives and senators were elected in the autumn of that year. Xo change was made in the Senatorial District, except that it was made the Ninth instead of the Nineteenth, but Peoria and Stark counties were made to constitute the Forty-tirst Representative District, which was given two members of the lower branch of the Legislature. During the life of this apportionment the district was represented as follows: 18o.5, Benjamin Graham, senator: Henry Grove, of Peoria, and Thomas J. Henderson, of Stark, representatives; 1857. Thomas J. Henderson, senator; ^Martin Shallenberger, of Stark, and John T. Lindsey, of Peoria, representatives: 1S.59, Thomas J. Henderson, senator; Myrtle G. Brace, of Stark, and Thomas C. Moore, of Peoria, representatives; 1861, Thomas J. I'ickctt. of Rock Island, senator; Elbridge G. Johnson, of Peoria, and Theodore F. Hurd, of Stark, representatives.

By the act of January 31. 1801, the state was divided into ilistricts for twenty-five senators and eighty-five representatives. The Sixteenth Senatorial District was composed of the counties of ]Marshall, Peoria, Putnam and Stark, and the Thirty-sixth Representative District of Peoria' and Stark counties. Under this aiijKirtionmcnt the members from the districts were as follows:

Senators - John T. I.indsey, of Peoria, 1863; Greenbury L. Fort, of ^Marshall, 1867. Reiwesentatives - James Holgate, of Stark, and William W. O'Brien, of Peoria, 1863: Richard C. Dunn, of Stark, and Alexander 3IcCoy. of Peoria, 186.5: Sylvester F. Ottman, of Stark, and Thomas C. ]Moore. of Peoria. 1867; Bradford F. Thompson, of Stark, and William E. Phelps, of Peoria, 1809.

The constitution of 1870 provided that the governor and secretai-y of state should fix the apportionment for members of the General Assembly, under certain restrictions regarding population, etc. Only one session of the Legislature was held under this apportionment - that elected in the fall of 1870 - in which the Sixteenth Senatorial District, composed of :Marsliall. Peoria. Putnam and Stark counties, was reiiresented liy INIark Bangs, of ^Marshall, and Lucien H. Kerr, of Peoria. Stark County alone constituted the Seventy-fourth Representative District, and was represented by INIiles A. Fuller.

By the act of :March 1, 1872, the state was divided into fifty-one districts, each of which was entitled to one senator and three re])resentatives. the counties of Bureau and Stark constituting the Sixteenth District. During the ten years this apportionment lasted, the following members of the General Assembly were elected from this district:

Senators - Lorenzo D. Whiting, of Bureau, 1872 - re-elected in 1876 and 1880. Representatives - 1872, J. R. :Mulvane and Miuk R. Dewey, of Bureau; Cyrus Bocock. of Stark; 1874., J. II. iSloore and J. J. ilerron, of Bureau; A. G. Ilanmiond, of Stark; 187(). Charles Bahhvin and J. J. Ilerron, of Bureau; Daniel J. Iluril of Stark; 1878. Alfred G. Scott and Simon Elliott, of Bureau, Sylvester l'\ Ottnian, of Stark; 1880, John II. Welsh and Charles Baldwin, o\' Bureau: Sylvester F. Ottnian, of Stark.

liureau, Putnam an<l Stark counties were placed in the Twentyfifth District hy tlie apportiomnent act of May 6, 1882. the district l)eing entitled to one senator and three representatives. ^lenihers of the General Assemhly under this ai)portionment were as follows:

Senators - Lorenzo D. Whiting, 1882; Edward A. Washhurn, of Bureau, 1886; Louis Zearing, of Bureau, 1890. Representatives - 1882,' James T. Thornton, of Putnam; John H. Welsh, of Bureau; Jolm Lackie, of Stark; 1884., Alhert W. Boyden. of Bureau; Eli V. Raley. of Putnam; James H. ^Miller, of Stark; 1886, Sterling Pomeroy and Anthony ^lorrisey, of Bureau; James H. ]Miller of Stark; 1888, Anthony JNIorrisey and Peter jNIcCall, of Bureau; James H. 3Iiller, of Stark; 1890, ^Michael Barton, of Bureau; Archihald W. IIo])kins. of Putnam. Samuel White, of Stark; 1892. JNIichael Barton, of Bureau; Archibald W. Hopkins, of Putnam; George jNIurray, of Stark.

A new appoitionment was made by the act of June 15, 1893, which ])laced Bureau, Putnam, Stark and Whiteside counties in the Thirtyfirst District, with one senator and three representatives. Following is a list of the members of the General Assembly w^ho served from this (Hstrict under the apportionment of 189.3:

Senators - 1894, James W. Templeton, of Bureau, avIio was reelected in 1898. Representatives - 1894., William M. Pilgrim and George :Mnrray, of Stark; J. W. White, of Whiteside; 1896, George JNIurray, of Stark; Jerry W. Dineen and Caleb C. Jolinson, of AVhiteside; 1898, Alfred N. Abbott, of Whiteside; INIichael Kennedy, of Bureau; Arc]iil)ald W. Hopkins, of Putnam; 1900. Allen P. JNIiller, of Stark; Alfred X. Abl)ott and Edward Devine. of Whiteside.

An apportionment act passed by the General Assemhly and approved on January 11, 1898, was declared unconstitutional, so that the next legal apportionment was that made by the act of May 10. 1901. which is still the law regidating the membership of the Legislature. Under this act the counties of Bureau. Henry and Stark were erected into the Thirty-seventh District, with one senator and three

Senators - James \V. Templeton, of Bureau, 1902; B. Frank Baker, of Henry, 1900; Hugh S. ^Nlagill, of Buicau. 1910; C. C. Pervicr, of Bureau, 1914. Representatives - 1902, James E. Xoyes, of Stark; James K. Blish and Nathaniel W. Tibhets, of Henry; 1904, James E. Noyes, of Stark; James E. Dabler, of Bureau; Nathaniel W. Tibbetts, of Henry; 1906, Francis J. Liggett, of Stark; Clayton C. Pervier, of Bureau; William J. JNIcGuire, of Henry; 1908. Francis J. Liggett, of Stark; Clayton C. Pervier, of Bureau; William J. INIcGuire, of Henry; 1910, Clayton C. Pervier, of Bvn-ean; \Villiam J. ]McGuire and John R. Moore, of Henry; 1912, Randolph Boyd, of Henry; Clayton C. Pervier and Frank W. IMorissey, of Bureau; 1914, Randol])h Boyd and John R. ]Moore, of Hemy; Frank W. IMorissey, of Bureau.

Official Koster

Following is a list of the county officials from the organization of the county in 1839 to the general election of 1914, with the year in which each Avas elected or assumed the duties of the office:

Recorders - B. M. Jackson, 1839; J. W. Henderson, 1843; Samuel G. Butler, 1847. 'With the adoption of the constitution of 1848 the office of recorder was abolished, except in counties having a population of 60,000 or more, and the clerk of the Circuit Court was made ex-officio recorder in counties having less than that number of inhabitants.

The constitution of 1848 changed the form of county government by substituting a County Court, coiiijxjscd of a judge and two justices of the peace, for the board of commissioners. James Holgate was elected judge and the additional justices of the peace were ^Villiam Ogle and James B. Lewis. The first session oi' this court was convened on December 3, 1849. Tlie same officials continued in office until Sci)tember, 1852, when .John F. Thompson succeeded Mr. T^ewis. By the adoi)tion of townshi]) organization in 1853, the ])()ard of supervisors, consisting of one member from each township, took the place of the County Court, the last session of which was held on June (i. 1853, and the next day the first board of su])ervisors met in special session for the purpose of organizing. Following is a list of the supervisors since that time: whig and republican candidates are first given, followed by the democratic candidates, and in a few important instances third party candidates are given as indicated in parentheses:

Chronology

In the foregoing chapters a conscientious effort has been made to give an authentic and comprehensive account of the progress of Stark County along industrial, educational, professional and religious lines, as well as her part in the military affairs of the nation when treason sought to disrupt the Union. As a conclusion to this work it is deemed apiDrojiriate to give a list of the principal events leading up to the settlement and organization (if the county, together with those that have some bearing upon its more recent history. At tirst glance, some of these events may seem to be only remotely connected with the county's story, but it must be remembered that every political subdivision is but the product of an evolution, its origin often being found in some incident that hap])ened many years before, and perhaps in some distant state, or even a foreign country. Hence each event in the following list wielded its inlluence in shaping the destinies of Stark County.

April 9, 1682. La Salle reaches the mouth of the Mississippi and claims all the country drained by the great river and its tributaries for France under the name of "liouisiana." Under this claim the present State of Illinois became a French ]Jossession.

, 1712. Antoine Crozat granted the exclusive ti-ade with Louisiana by the French Government. He was succeeded by the Western Company in 1717.

February 10, 1708. French and Indian Avar concluded by the Treaty of Paris. All that part of Louisiana lying east of the jVIississippi, except the Isle of Orleans, ceded to Great Britain and Illinois thus becomes an English possession.

December 30, 1704. Gen. Thomas Gage issues a proclamation providing for the safe removal of all French subjects who were unwilling to become subjects of the British crown.

October. 1778. The Comity of Illinois established by the Virginia Legislatiu-e, that colony claiming the territory conquered by General Clark.

September 3, 1783. The Revolutionary war concluded by the Treaty of Paris, which fixed the Mestern boundary of the United States at the JNIississippi River. Illinois thus became a part of the territory of the new re])ublic.

August 3, 179.5. Treaty with several Indian tribes negotiated at Greenville, Ohio. A square mile of land where Chicago now stanils, another square mile at the foot of Peoria Lake, and two stjuare miles at the mouth of the Illinois River set ajiart as Indian reservations.

August 13, 1803. A treaty negotiated at Vincennes with the Kaskaskia Indians and the remnants of other Illinois tribes, by which those Indians ceded all their lands except 3.50 acres to the United States.

November 3, 1804. A treaty concluded with the Sacs and Foxes at St. Ix)uis, providing for the cession to the United States of all the lands claimed by those tribes bounded by the Mississippi. Wisconsin, Fox and Illinois rivers.

April, 1829. Isaac B. Essex, the first white man to settle in Stark County, built his cabin about two and a half miles southwest of the present City of ^Vyonling.

September 2G, 1833. Treaty with the Pottawatomi Indians at Chicago. By this treaty the Indian title to the lands in Stark County was extinguished and the country opened to settlement.

October 11, 1839. First session of the Circuit Court convenes at the house of William Henderson. In tliis year the capital of the state was removed from Vandalia to Springfield.

November 2, 1840. First presidential election after the organization of Stark County. Harrison and Tyler carry the county by a jjlurality of thirty-three votes.

Januarj^ 4, 1856. The Prairie Advocate, the first newspaper pul)- lished in Stark County, issued at Toulon by John G. Hewitt and John Smith. In this year the present courthouse was completed.

April 25, 1861. First volunteers from Stark County mustered into the United States service as Company B, Seventh Illinois Infantry, with Hugh J. Cosgrove as captain.

October 28, 191.5. Part of Stark County placed under quarantine on account of the "foot and mouth disease." Several hundred head of cattle, hogs and sheep killed on the 3()th.

Postscuitt In Ijeu Of A Preface

To write of the good and true; to preserve a record of tiie deeds and achievements of the past ; to keep green the memory of those who played in the great drama oi' life before we came upon the stage of action; to chronicle the doings of our ancestors, that we may emulate their examples and profit by their mistakes, is a duty that every individual owes to a conunon humanity. ^Vnd to those in the ordinary walks of life - the real builders of state and nation - the history of their own jjcople conveys a greater lesson than a knowledge of the Pimic wars, tlie accomplishments of iVlexander the Great, or the victories and defeats of Napoleon.

In bidding the reader good-bye, the editor and publishers of this History of Stark County and its People desire to say that no effort has been spared to give to the people of the county a history that is at once authentic and comprehensive - authentic, because so far as possible official records have been used as a source of information, and comprehensive, because, it is believed, no important event connected M-ith the county's history has been omitted.

The work has been one involving great care and labor and nmch ol'the credit is due to old residents for their ready and willing cooperation in the collection of data regarding events of by-gone years.

Tlie division of the history into topics is, we believe, the best that could have been made, and an arrangement that the reader will find at once logical and convenient.

In conclusion, the editor and his assistants desire to take this opportunity to express their obligations to the various county officials and numerous citizens for their assistance while the woik was in preparation, and especially to thank the librarians of the pul)lic ll})raries at Tjafayette, Toulon and ^Vyoming for their unifoi-m courtesies on all occasions.