Black Homestead Farm

I put up at David Tefft's, who occupied a double frame one story building as a tavern on the east side of the Square, where I remained about a week, when, through the influence of Dr. Ero Chandler, I obtained boarding with Mr. Henry Robley, a farmer and blacksmith, over a mile east of the court house, and entirely out of town. From Carrollton to Edwardsville via Belleville, the country was beautiful, the land apparently rich, but thinly settled, with but few good houses or improved farms. From Edwardsville to Alton the road passed over a wooded and broken country, thin land, and but few. farms. From Alton to Carrollton after passing Piasa Creek, and getting on the prairie, the country was level, though sufficiently undulating for agricultural purposes. To Macoupin Creek and from there to Carrollton the road passes over a timbered and poor country, with but two or three small farms and one small brick house. Between Carrollton and Apple Creek the timber, undergrowth, and vegetation indicated deep, rich soil, equal to any that I had ever seen. At Carrollton I put up at a tavern kept by Mr. Harrison, south of the Square, in a small story and a half building. I went to a grocery store to purchase some cigars, when I found twenty or thirty men, (whom, I was told, were called Macoupinites,) drinking, carousing, cursing, swearing, singing obscene songs, and telling stories on each other. They were enjoying themselves to the fullest. One of them, who appeared to be sober and quiet, after asking me Avhere I was from and where I was going, said, 'you are too smart-looking to be in this crowd, and I advise you to leave before the boys notice you ; they are a wild set.' I thanked him for his advice and returned to the tavern.

Passage source: History of Greene County, Illinois : Its Past and Present, Containing a History of the County ; Its Cities, Towns, Etc. ; a Biographical Directory of Its Citizens ; War Record.., published 1879.

The first church erected in Carrollton was used by the Baptist denomination. It stood a little out of town at that day, to the southeast. The pastor of this church for several years was one Aaron Smith, mentioned elsewhere, a Revolutionary pensioner. He was shot at Eutaw Springs, crawled into a clump of bushes, lay three days in a helpless condition, and was found by means of tiie flies that hovered around him. He resided a mile and a half southwest from Carrollton for a few years, and afterward moved north of Apple Creek. After some time, H

Passage source: History of Greene County, Illinois : Its Past and Present, Containing a History of the County ; Its Cities, Towns, Etc. ; a Biographical Directory of Its Citizens ; War Record.., published 1879.

Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.

Read the whole chapter on Carrollton Township - 82,043 words on its settlement, mills, schools and churches.