Carrollton Township (part 6 of 6)

In 1841 the first jjublic bouse of worship was erected. Before this time the early settlers had experienced much inconvenience in having no fixed place of worship, but alternating between the private residences of George H. Cowden, George W. Allen and Joel Edwards. This state t^f afifairs, bowe\cr, was remedied by the erection of what was known as the Old Methodist clunxh upon a lot of ground donated by George W. Allen. Icbaljod \'alentine, as master workman, superintended the erection of the building, and it was completed and opened for divine service during the winter of the same year, when the venerable Dr. B. C. Wood, of C'arrollton, preached the first sermon in it - the funeral discoiu'se of Samuel Capps, who died upon bis farm at Palmyra at that time, and was brought for interment in the burial ground at Rubicon. In this building the Methodists concentrated their scattered forces, numbering some fifty in the society. Here they domiciled until this their early home no longer met their increased necessities, when, in 1856, they erected in its place a more pretentious brick edifice, which (htl duty until some three years ago, when the present large and modern edifice was completed and occupied by the society.

In 1842 Captain Josiah Caswell came out from- Vermont and located on a farm afterward occupietl by Thomas Ford - a farm first entered by Charles Stout, the father of Mrs. Ephraim Barnett, in 1835. Leaving this place, he resided some five or six years on a i)lace southeast of town, where. having imprci\'ed the "Sulphur Springs" property, he lived till his decease on September 24, 1872, in the eighty-first year of his age.

The next accession to the population of Greenfield was in 1844, when Norman C. Wooley, James Hall and Isaac R. Ostrom arrived there, ]\Ir. Ostrom locating upon land a half mile west of town, then known as the John Pickett place. He erected the first circular sawmill ever operated in that locality. Superadded to this Messrs. Joseph Hartsook and Edward Johnson put in operation during the same year, 1845, a turning lathe, and the first one, too - a machine for the manufacture of bedsteads, etc. : but they soon after transferred their interest in the machine to William Speaks and Norman C. Wooley, who, as before stated, succeeded Mr. Hartsook as carpenters and cabinetmakers, and who turned it to practical utility in the prosecution of their business in this direction, as evidenced by the fact that besides doing a great variety of other work, they built, or aided in building, most of the structures that went up in the village from 1846 to 1852. Notably among these buildings were the Sheffield residence, the early palace of the town, Booker's house. F. J. Stock's residence, Wilhite's frame store, Edwin Wooley's old home, the Temperance hall, the Methodist second parsonage, Mr. Wahl's residence, the old seminary, S. P. Cameron's and D. S. Wilson's homes, the Cnion church, alias the town hall, and Professor ^\'ilder's dwelling.

Robert McKnight seems to have been the first blacksmith in the village, followed by Messrs. Renshaw, W' ilkinson and others ; yet Mr. Henry Cress seems to have been the first to deal effective blows in the service of His \'ulcanic ?\Iajesty. and tn have lieen the most successful in this department of honorable and useful industry. He came to Greenfield in 1846 and plied his vocation in connectii)n with G. H. Kinkaid, wdio had preceded him in January of that year, and carried on their trade in a shop on the northwest corner of the public square until January of 1847, when they removed to their new shop, afterward o\vned and carried on by J. B. Brodmarkle. They were succeeded at their (ild stand by Messrs. Halliday and Drake. Continuing in their new locality some two years, Mr. Kinkaid gave up the hammer and anvil for the tlrv goods business, between wdiich and the anvil he alternated for several years. Mr. Cress on the contrary continued to stick to the anvil, and taking as a partner Ephraim Barnett, continued in the business successfully for ten years, when the condition of his eves became such as to necessitate the abandonment of the shop, which he did, and retired to a farm, and as a husbandman was successful. He left his premises in the hands of J. B. Brodmarkle, who managed the business for several years, coupling with it a general assortment of hardware goods. ]\Ir. Brodmarkle managed the business so successfully that at present he owns and manages one of the most complete agricultural and hardware stores in the county.

was ci'inempiiranciius with .Mr. Cress in Grecnilelil. liaviny made Iiis lirst appearance there in i(S4(i, ami resided a year (ir two in the "tirst hniel." This properly, which was located on the site of the present ^hisonic Hall, lie houg'ht tor $400, and sold it to Rev. WiUiani Sa.xton. Here Mr. Saxton (Ud the honors of iantUord f(_ir some years. lUn rinchng at length that hotel life was neither so ])leasant nor protitahle as had heen sn])posed. he retired to a farm some two miles east of town, leaving- the "Sa.xton House" vacant, or occupietl with interruption, for some time, when at length it was hurned down, leaxing' the entire corner it occupied bare for the erection of the brick jjlock built thereon in 1867-8. known as the Odd Fellows' and Masonic Hall, with commodious business rooms in the lower storv. In 1S4S Thomas Eord settled on the open prairie northwest of town. David Lisles made his advent in Greenfield in 1850. Rev. Dunlap came in 1849 or '50 and bought what was known afterward as the "Harden land." just east and northeast of town. In 1831-j the first institute of instruction, better known as the "Old Seminar)-." was erected through the energ-y and public spirit of the friends of education, prominent among whom were R. M. Booker. X. C. W'ooley. George W. .\1- len. W. A. Secor, George T. W. Sheftield and others. This was built by voluntary subscrijjtion throughout the community at a cost of near $2,500. The institute was opened for students in the fall of 1852 by Professor Wilder, and continued under his super\ision until the introduction of the public scIkjoI system of Illinois - a term of i\vc years - when it was taken possession of by the district school directors, and no longer run as a prixate institution. .\t the same time the Seminarv was built, there was constructed a building- known ;is the "Union church." afterward called the "town hall," built by the community at large, and deeded to a smtdl Baptist organization, and ;i Cumberland Presbyterian church, and occupied by these organizations as circumstances fa- \-ored. both for the worship of (',m\ and ;i variety of other ])urposes. foi- netirly twenty years.

Cp to 1S69 (jreeniield h;id suffered from the ni.niifold disadvantages of isolation, the potent c'luse of its tardy growth and want of general prosperity, and longed to form connection with the outside wdrld. as some of her neighbors h;id done, bv means of a railro:i(l. it may well be conceived with what interest the proposition for the construction of a railroad from St. Louis through Greenfield to Rock Island would be received bv the community generally. This interest soon took shape in such action as rolled u\) ;i subscription ii-i that part of the cmuity of $100,- 000 in a very short period. With this subscription the road was speedily jint under contract ii-i many of its parts. The ground was first broken in 1857, and during the following year a goodly portion of it was graded and ready for the ties. But owing to the great financial stringenc\- througborU the cmintry generally, coupled soon after with the advent of the great Civil war in 1861, it remained in undistiu-bed i-e])osc until in i8'i(). when it was re\i\ed and the wm-k proceeded rapidly to an earl\- con-ijiletion - as far as Greenfield - in I'ebruary. 1870. The road is now. and has been for manv vears, owned and operated by the lUu-lington system. The Chicago. Ouincy & St. Louis road, running from Eldred to Litchfield, crosses the Burlington at the southern limits of Greenfield, thus giving the citizens two lines of railwav.

The first banking house estabhshed in Greenfield was organized December i6, 1870, by SkilHng Sheffield & Co., and was located under the Odd Fellows hall, where it cc;)ntinuecl imtil the construction of the brick building on the southeast corner of the scjuare, when it took up its cjuarters there, where it did business for many years. It is now located on the southwest corner of the scjuare, in a well appointed bank building. The style of the firm is Sheffield & Company. J. H. Sheffield is president, and Ralph Metcalf cashier. This is the only bank in the city at present and enjoys a large patronage, meeting all the business requirements of the community in as liberal and accommodating a manner as is consistent with good and safe banking.

One of the most attractive features of society in Greenfield is her educational facilities. Greenfield is justly proud of her public schools. Her school building is situated on a hill in the eastern part of the city. Long bridges span the ravine and make the approach easy, and the yards are always dry and clean.

The buildings are two in number, each of brick, and well arranged for the comfort and ciHuenience of pupils. In 1874, after the completion of the second building, H. H. Montgomery, A. ^I., was chosen superintendent and organized the school into departments as follows : First and second primary, first and second intermediate, and grammar. In the fall of 1875 ^^^^ ''''S^'' school was inaugurated, and the course arranged included, in mathematics, trigonometry (plane and spherical) completed: in languages, reading of \'irgil : in sciences, astronomy, chemistry and such others as are usually called for in examination for state certificates.

Under Mr. ]Montgomery"s supervision the Greenfield schools made rapid progress on the up-grade, and maintained a high standing among the schools in this section of the state.

How Mr. Montgomery was regarded as an instructor may be better gathered from the following card published by the board of directors at that time in the catalogue of 1878-79: hi connection it may be well to state that we have again secured the services of Prof. H. H. Montgomery, who enters upon his fifth consecutive year as Superintendent of our schools.

It affords us pleasure to contribute our testimonial of his high attainment and proficiency, excellent moral character and gentlemanly deportment.

He has superior executive ability and the faculty of easily imparting knowledge, - all of which place him among the best educators in the State.

It may also be said that we have employed an able corps of teachers, all of whom have had ample experience in teaching and have proved themselves well qualified.

Mr. Montgomery continued in charge of the schools until 1879. He was then appointed superintendent of schools for Greene county to fill a vacancy, and served as such until the spring of 1881, when he resigned to take editorial charge of the Carrolltoii Gazette, in which he purchased a half interest. He was succeeded in the Greenfield schools by Professor D. O. ^^'itnler. ]\lr. W'itmer's successor was Professor Russell, now Judge Russell of Bloomington : he was suceeded by Professor Snyder, and Professor Snyder by the present incumbent, Professor H. G. Russell. ^Ir. Russell has had charge as superintendent since 1897. His wife has served as principal fur the same length of time. Miss Jessie McDermid is assistant principal. Teachers in other grades are Miss Minnie Booth, jNIiss Edith King, Miss Iva Amos, Miss Mabel Capps, and Miss Harriet Vandaver. Mr. W. G. Haven is director of mu- -ic.

Mr. Russell is accounted among the best educators in the state, and he has brought the Greenfield schools to a point where they rank second to no similar institutions in Illinois. The Professor is not only a good school man, but takes deep interest, and lends a hand, in all enterprises that makes for the best interests of the city, socially, morally and commercially.

The Presbyterian church of Greenfield was organized in 1859 by Rev. George C. Wood, of Jacksonville, who for a time was its stated supply. Hiram B. Ellis and R. E. Wilder were its first ruling elders. The present pastor is Rev. F. P. Witherspoon, an able man and good pastor, under whose administration the church work in all its departments is in a fiourishing condition.

The Baptist denomination seems not to have figured very largely in the early history of Greenfield and vicinity. Rev. Stephen Coonrod, who died in 1872. appeared as one of the first Baptist clergymen in the village, though at other points not far distant were Rev. Charles Kitchens. Rev. Tliomas Lee and Rev. M. Browning, Rev. H. H. Witt and Rev. S. B. Culp, who ministered for a longer or shorter period to the Hickory Grove church, northwest of Greenfield. In 1829 Mr. Coonrod became pastor of the little Batpist church in the village, at the same time li\ing on and operating his farm. He continued this relation until his death - a period of 48 years. During half of this time, he had also, at the same time, charge of a church on Taylor's Prairie, and one at Athensville. At first, for four or five years, he held public services in private dwellings but, in 1834, a small log church building was erected on one corner of the graveyard, north of town, which served as a place of public worship for about thirty years, when it gave place to a more impcjsing structure in the north part of town in 1855. This building served as the sanctuary for many years, giving place to the present neat and modern structure located one block south of the square. This church, as now constituted, was organized in 1886.

As before mentioned herein, the Methodists were the early pioneers in Greenfield; George W. Allen, George A. Cowden and Joel Ethvards being among their number, and at whose residence public worship on the Sabbath was conducted by the early apostles of this faith. In 1828 the Illinois district and .Apple Creek circuit embraced this point, with Peter Cartwright as presiding elder, and Isaac Scarrett and I. T. Johnson, as circuit riders. The following year L. Bogart and I. French were on the circuit but in 1830, the district being changed to Sangamon, James Bankston appears to have been the first regular preacher in town, though others, both circuit and local, paid occasional visits for some time before this. In 183 1 William D. Trotter and William Haskins rode the circuit, and they were succeeded in 1832, by John V'ancleve and Le\i Springer. During tlicsc four years Peter Cartwright continued presiding elder; but the district and circuit lieing changed to CarrolUon, Simon Peter succeeded him in tiiis capacity in 1833, witli John \'ancleve and W'ilham Petney as circuit riders. In 1834 A. E. Philhps and C. B. N. McCabe were placed on the circuit, and they were succeeded, in 1835. by Jesse Hale alone. In 1836, the district being then again changed to Lebanon. M. S. Taylor succeetled Simon I'eter as presiding elder, with D. Cory and N. Allen on the circuit. In 1837 Charles Holliday followed Elder Taylor as presiding elder - Elijah Corrington being on the circuit this year, with A. Bird with him a portion of the year. In 1838 the district was changed to Alton and the circuit to Apple Creek, and William Chaiubers rode the circuit: but in 1839 the circuit was changed to Carrollton and J. B. Corrington was again placed thereon. In 1840 the Alton gave place to the Illinois District when Peter Cartwright became again elder \\ith \\'illiam A\'ilson on the circuit during this and the following year. Up to this time the Methodists had no church building, but had worshiped where\er temporary accommodations were furnished them; but in 1841 the society built its first editice, as stated heretofore. Among the local preachers of earlier days in Greenfield we may mention Revs. J. B. Corrington. W. H. Askins, Amos Prentice, Henry Davidson, Dr. Ledbrook, William Saxton, William Batty and James Rives; the latter being the father of the lamented Judge Rives, recently deceased. The church in Greenfield at the present is the largest in the city, and its membership includes many of the foremost and financially strongest citizens of the community. The present pastor. Rev. T. J. \Mieat, D. D., is an able man well endowed in the ecclesiastical thought of the times. The Sunday school

The Catholic society in Greenfield have as their pastor at present, Rev. Francis Kehoe, a good preacher, and said to be an able director of religious forces. The society has a large membership.

Court of Honor - Officers : G. B. Metcalf, chancellor: S. D. McPherron, recorder and treasurer; Ernest Wilhite, past chancellor; Mrs. Mattie Wylder, chaplain; Arthur Shade, conductor.

Past Axd Trrskxt Ok Greene Colxtv

Greenfield was incurporateil under the Stale law as a city on .\])ril j. 1SS4. since which time the following persons have served as its officers :