Bluffdale Township

Bluffdale Township

Bluffdale, in Greene County, Illinois, received its name from the late John Russell, one of its earliest settlers. It was the third post office established in the county. Carrollton with Skidmore, postmaster, was the first and White Hall with Holiday as postmaster, was the second, then came Bluffdale, with John Russell for postmaster, who gave it its present poetic name. This commission bears date November 2, 1829, and is signed by W. T. Barry, postmaster-general, and has been held continuously by father and son up to the present date.

The topography of this quaint little region, presents, more than any other place that I have seen, a union of all that is most striking and peculiar in western landscape. Almost overhanging the homes of the settlers are the bluffs, in many places a solid perpendicular wall of Burlington limestone, rising sometimes to the height of two hundred feet. Immediately back of this wall and not unfrequently at its very brink, rises a series of conical hills from one to two hundred feet higher. During the Summer season, these cones are crowned to their very summit with the very richest verdure, presenting a fine contrast with the brown, rugged cliffs below.

At Cavendish, in the County of Windsor, on the 31st day of July, 1793, was born John Russell, Jr., son of John and Lucretia (Preston) Russell. His father was an old-fashioned Baptist preacher ; severely Calvinistic in his belief and puritanical in practice. His mother was revered for her piety and good works. He had one brother older than himself and one younger, also three sisters, and was the survivor of them all except one. His parents were in moderate pecuniary circumstances and could give none of their children any educational advantages, except those that were afforded by the common schools. John, however, had a thirst for learning which could not be assuaged b}^ any scanty draughts of the Pierian spring, and not only without the encouragement, but contrary to the advice and wishes of his father, he entered Middlebury College, March 25, 1814. He had already commenced authorship as a means of procuring the needful funds. His first literary venture was " The Authentic History of the Vermont State Prison," a duodecimo volume of ninety-one pages, now exceedingly rare. In the preliminary " Apology," he says : " It was not the unpardonable vanity of becoming an autlior, but necessity, the mother of invention, that produced the present work." The only motive for writing the " History of Vermont

Prison " was the aid that the sale of the copyright would afford the author in obtaining a collegiate education. This little volume was published at Windsor, in 1812, by Preston Merrifield, with whom he had formerly served an apprenticeship to the business of book-binding. During the interval between the junior and senior terms he taught school at Vergennes, Vt., and while tliere made a profession of religion by uniting with the Baptist Church. Upon his return to college he found himself the only Baptist student connected with the institution. He was graduated in" 1818, and soon after went to Mcintosh County, Ga., where he taught school. On the 2.3th day of October, of that year, he married at Whitewater, Ind., Laura Ann Spencer, daughter of Capt. Gideon Spencer of Vergennes, Vt. In 1819 he removed to Missouri, then a territory, and taught a family school in " Bonhommie Bottom " five years. While living at that place, he wrote for the J/mo?<naw, a local paper at St. Charles, Mo., an anonymous article entitled " The Venomous Worm," It resembled Franklin's writings in pithiness, pungency and brevity, and immediately attracted almost universal attention. It went the rounds of the press, not only in America but also in Europe, where it was translated and published in several languages. When Pierpont, the poet, compiled his "National Reader," this article was introduced as one of the lessons. It also found a place in McGuffey's series of readers. By all these means it obtained a very extensive circulation, and exerted a powerful influence upon public opinion.

After closing his engagement at Bonhommie Bottom, he taught a year in St. Louis, then a little French town. He taught a high school in Vandalia, Ills., and two years in Alton Seminary, now Shurtleff College. In 1828 he became the proprietor of a romantic situation in Greene Co., Ills., including a perpendicular bluff of limestone several hundred feet high, commanding an extensive prospect up and down the Illinois river. To these premises he gave the name of Bluffdale, and here was his home for the rest of his life, though he was absent sometimes for long spaces of time, while employed in teaching. He received license as a preacher of the gospel from a Baptist Church at Bluffdale, Feb. 6, 1883, but great natural timidity and excessive sensitiveness prevented him from preaching, except occasionally, and he never received ordination. He was principal of Spring Hill Academy, in the parish of East^ Feliciana, La., eight years, during which time he was Superintendant of Public Schools in the parish. On his return home in the Summer of 1843, he found the little church to which he belonged sadly scattered by the introduction of Universalism. To remedy this state of things, he prepared and preached a sermon entitled '' The" Serpent Uncoiled," which was printed and achieved a large degree of popularity. He wrote for the press with unwearied assiduity during the last twenty-five years of his life. For two years, 1838 and 1839, he was editor of the Backwoodsman, published at Grafton, Ills, (then in Greene Co.), and in 1841 and 1842 he edited the Advertiser at Louisville, Ky. After he ceased to be an editor he was an incessant contributor. As a writer his language was chaste and classical ; his style clear, concise and vigorous, and sometimes highly ornate. His mind was naturally inventive and fertile ; his taste pure and exact ; his thoughts always appropriate and frequently striking. There was Jilmost no style of writing that he did not attempt, or attempting he did not adorn. He was a profound mathematician, and an accomplished linguist, reading with fluency Latin, Greek, Spanish, German and Italian. In 1862 he received the degree, of Doctor of Laws from the University of Chicago.

Among the most popular of his many writings are " The Piasa," "The Specter Hunter," "Little Granite," " Cahokia," " Claudine Lavalle," " The Mormoness," "Alice Wade," "Lame Isaac," and "The Drama of Human Life." His intercourse with the world was marked by the most childlike gentleness. His simple reliance upon Providence, his unshaken faith in the power and efficacy of prayer, marked with a ray of divine light his pathway down the rugged ways of life. The poor and unfortunate, whatever might be their character, he never turned empty from his door away. He was generous almost to a fault, impoverishing himself that he might cast plenty into the laps of those he loved. Putting implicit confidence in the integrity of mankind, he was overreached in almost every pecuniary transaction, as careless of worldly wealth as he was grasping after the wealth of science. Few men have been more ardently devoted to the good of the whole' human family, more earnestly striving for the liberty and education of all that bear the image of God. He died Jan. 21, 1865, aged nearly seventy years, and lies buried at the foot of the tall bluffs, in full view of his old home,

The proprietors of Fayette were Manoah Bostick, James Metcalf and William Blair. Mr. Metcalf 's land lay along the county line, as did Mr. Bostick's, just south of the former, and Mr. Blair's lay west of Mr. Metcalf 's and north of Mr. Bostick's, so that the two tracts of Messrs. Blair and Metcalf joined along the north side of Mr. Bostick's. The town was located at this point, Mr. Bostick furnishing the ground for one-half and each of the others one-fourth of the town ; several buildings were soon erected in the town of Fayette, among which were three brick buildings, of which Mr. Bostick and Mr. Metcalf each built one for a store, and Mr. Hall one for a dwelling. Two stores were soon put in operation in the place under the style of " Metcalf & Woodson," and " Blair & Brother." One of the principal streets of the town passed along the dividing line between the land of Mr. Blair and Mr. Metcalf; it was soon lined on both sides with small frame houses, and the place began to look quite town-like. On the very day that the proprietor of Rivesville applied to a machinist for a carding machine to be erected at Rivesville, the machinist also received an order from one of the proprietors of Fayette for a carding machine to be put up in that place, in which the applicant stated that he wanted the lirst one that went from the shop. These men were all very highly esteemed by those who knew them, and were among the first men in point of reputation in our county. Mr. Metcalf eventually left the county and resided at or near Alton. Mr. Rives removed to Greenfield, where he was well and favorably known by nearly every person in the eastern part of Greene County. Mr. Bostick has been dead many years. During his residence in Fayette he displayed a great amount of business talent, gained the esteem of a large portion of the community, served the people of our county in the State Senate, much to their satisfaction, and died much lamented.

Fayette now contains three stores. Archibald Lee deals in drugs and a general variety of goods. He formerly lived in Greenfield. John Teaney is postmaster, preacher and dealer in general merchandise. R. W. Carr also sells drugs. There are also two blacksmith shops. The church building is occupied by both the Baptist and the Cliristian denominations.

Wrightsville, a small town on the C. B. & Q. R. R., was laid out June 18, 1872, by A. J. Wright. Mr. Wright for some years almost constituted the town. He built the first residence and first warehouse, started the first lumber yard, was the first postmaster,, first justice of the peace and notary public. The first lot was sold in March, 1873, for $60. Mr. Wright has donated building sites to several parties. He was appointed the first railroad agent, in 1872. The first blacksmith shop was built by William Ickes, which he occupied for a year and a half; H. C. Stout was the first carpenter, A. L. Brannan the first wagon maker. Dr. John Harris was the first physician, and he was also a clergyman of the Christian denomination. Kissinger Bros, first shipped hogs and grain. The first marriage was that of George W. Rhodes to Jane Davidson, and the first birth was a son to Mr. and Mrs. Mansfield. The vicinity is particularly noted for the extra quality of its wheat, of which 40,000 bushels are annually shipped from Wrightsville depot.