Centralia Township

Centralia Township

The county of Marion was formed and its boundaries defined by an act of the Legislature of the state of Illinois, which became a law on the 24th of January, 1823. Centralia is situated near the southwest corner of the county, near the center of Seven Mile Prairie. Central City, older by about two years than Centralia, is located at the point where the Illinois Central Railroad enters Seven Mile Prairie from the north, about one mile distant from the northern limits of the corporation. In the year 1850 the inhabitants of Seven Mile Prairie could have been counted on one's fingers. They were located, with the exception of a halfdozen families, at the edge of the wooded land which surrounded the prairie, and all lived, excepting perhaps an equal number of families, in one-story log houses. There is not, so far as the writer knows, a house now standing in Seven Mile Prairie which is a fair sample of the average residence of the time alluded to. The house was one story in height, the open space between the logs being chinked with small blocks of wood and daubed or plastered with clay. The chimney was on the outside at the end of the building and was composed of a framework of logs and sticks, lined in the lower portion with clay and stones and in the upper portion with clay alone. The roof and often the doors were made of clapboards riven from the trees of the forest. The floor was often made of puncheons split from logs and hewed on one side. It need not be stated that this kind of flooring was never tongued and grooved, and the floor was never air-tight, except when the floor was laid on the ground. Usually these houses contained but one room, in which the family performed all the various offices of indoor life. Here they dressed, talked over the family and neighborhood affairs, received company, courted and were given in marriage and married. Here also the women attended to those never neglected duties of the time, knitting, spinning and weaving, duties which have since almost lost their places among the household arts. The ques- tion occurs: Were these people happy amid such rude surroundings and with such privations of the conveniences of life? We may truly answer, yes. So emphatically true is it that life does not consist in the aboundance of our possessions. Ask those who lived at that time and they will tell you they were happy in those days, and will probably add that the good old times were better than the present strenuous period. Their happiness we may not gainsay, but as to those times being better than this present time, that does not follow. This is another question and one open to very serious question.

In 1851 the Illinois Central Railroad was sureyed and located, and Seven Mile Prairie, in which they had been no marked improvement, began to exhibit more animation. Unknown faces were less rare than formerly and citizens showed more anxiety to increase their landed possessions. In 1852 the work of grading was begun and many foreigners appeared upon the scene, some of whom remained in the country and were valuable additions to its population. The change wrought in the appearance of the county and the habits and pursuits of the people was wonderful. Where before there had been a sort of Rip Van Winkle sleep, all was life, industry and activity. New industries became available and old ones were stimulated by better prices and a home market. The people began to put the good old times behind them. Central City supplemented Walnut Hill as a commercial metropolis of the region. That part of the city of Centralia known as Jones, Eheninger,Mc- Clelland and Spear's addition was laid out in the summer of 1853. In the autumn of the same year A. P. Crosby's addition was laid out. In 1853 Centralia proper was laid out by the Illinois Central Railroad Company, and some lots were sold, but no deeds were executed until after the passage of the law of January 14, 1855, authorizing the railroad company to lay out towns and sell town lots.

The first house built in Centralia was the one-story frame house fronting north on the west side of the last railroad crossing but one in South Centralia, in the east end of which McCord & Davenport sold merchandise ; the west end of the same building was used for a residence ; the next building erected in our city was a one-story frame about ten by twelve feet in extent across the street north from McCord & Davenport's, in which Thomas Douglas, afterward of Sandoval, sold dried herring and liquid refreshments. The first house built in Centralia still stands, but the second and third, which were immediately across the railroad, east from it, being the one-story part of the Hoskins property, built by Joseph Hensley, have long since vanished.

The Illinois Central Railroad Company commenced the erection of their roundhouse, shops and hotel in November, 1853. It was the desire of the railroad company originally to erect their buildings at Central City, and with that object in view negotiations were entered into with O'Melveny and Gall, the then proprietors of the land, but failing to agree upon the price to be paid for land on which to erect buildings and sidetracks, the present site was fixed upon. The work of erecting the buildings once commenced was pushed with vigor until they were fully completed. The first house built in the city of Centralia as laid out by the Illinois Central Railroad Company, was the two-story frame building still standing at the southeast corner of Walnut and First streets. The next house built was a barn, which stood on the present site of the Market Block, on Chestnut street. The roof was better adapted to secure perfect ventilation than immunity from moisture, and in consequence the boarders slept on rainy nights with umbrellas stretched over their heads. The first store in Centralia was that of McCord & Davenport, the second that of A. P. Crosby, both located in South Centralia. The next store was that of J. M. O'Melveny, which stood east of the present site of the Centralia House, but the building was moved by the Illinois Central Railroad Company without any interruption to the business of the occupant to the present site of Saddler's Block. The next store opened was that of Kohl & Warner. In November, 1854. the first regular train over the Illinois Central Railroad passed through Centralia. The first school-house erected in Centralia is a two-story frame building that originally stood near the southern limit of Jones, Ehminger, McClelland & Spear's addition on the east side of the railroad. It was afterward removed to the present site of the Welcome Hall in the south part of the city. It was again removed, this time across the street immediately east, where it now stands, transformed into a residence. The upper story was originally designed for an Odd Fellows' Hall, but for some reason was never used by that order. The first school-house erected in Centralia proper was a small frame building, which stood on the ground where now stands the one-story building occupied by the Star Laundry. The school-houses, still in use, known as the East Side and West Side, school-houses, were built in 1861. The brick school-house in South Centralia, being the same now known as Welcome Hall, was built in 1862. The first house of worship erected in our city was the Methodist Episcopal church built in Crosby's addition in 1854. It stood on the southwest corner of the block on which the brick now stands and fronted to the south ; its first pastor was R. H. Manier, who was also the first resident minister who ever preached in Centralia. He came here in 1855. The house was afterward removed to the northeast corner of Poplar and Fifth streets. In 1864 and 1865 the society erected a brick building at the southeast corner of Broadway and Elm streets. In 1856 the Christian church erected a house of worship, which was afterward burned down, on the ground occupied by the present Christian church. The present building was erected in 1872. In 1856 the first Presbyterian church was erected.

Presbyterian church was built in 1862, the building being sold afterward to the Episcopalians. The First Baptist church was erected in 1864, the German Evangelical church in 1865, the Second Baptist church (colored) was built in 1871 and the Second Methodist Episcopal church (colored) in

. The first physicians to take up their residence in our city were G. W. Hotchkiss and C. W. Dunning, who opened an office here in the spring of 1854. Next came J. M. Gaskill and J. L. Hallam, who opened an office in South Centralia in July, 1854.

Our first lawyer was W. W. O'Melveny, who came here in 1854. The next was W. Stoker, who came in June following. H. K. S. O'Melveny opened an office in Central City in 1853. N. R. Stickney was the first Justice of the Peace. He was elected in 1855 and assumed the duties of the office the following December. The city was incorporated under a special act of the Legislature, which was passed February 22, 1859. The formal incorporation was March i, 1859. The charter was amended in February, 1861, and further amended February 16. 1865. The first officers of the city were: Mayor. Mathew C. Kell. Aldermen: First Ward, J. J. Dimick and J. G. Cormick ; Second Ward, Samuel Storer and D. H. McCord; Third Ward, James Cunningham and G. V. Johnson; City Marshal, A. H. Seley ; Street Commissioner, E. Probst ; City Surveyor, S. Frazier: Treasurer, James Wilson; Assessor, A. H. Crosby; Police Magistrate, Edwin S. Condit; City Clerk,

Lewis Bunce ; Attorney, George C. McKee ; Collector, A. H. Seley. All these officers, with one or two exceptions, have joined the silent majority.

At the Presidential election of 1860 the vote for the Democratic electors was 147 against 197 for the Republican electors. In the Centralia precinct in 1864 the Democrats polled 133 and the Republicans 405 votes; 1868, Democrats 269, and Republicans 544, and in 1872 Democrat and Lib- .eral vote was 271 and O'Conner and Republican 453. Until 1856 the polling place was at Walnut Hill.

In the fall of 1856 D. A. Burton published the first newspaper in Centralia. It was called the Enterprise, and died after an existence of two months. The next paper was the Rural Press, edited and published by M. L. McCord. It struggled along for two years and then suspended. Then H. S. Blanchard tried the newspaper venture, but without success. J. D. G. Pettijohn started the Egyptian Republic November 3, 1859. This paper lived until after the strenuous Presidential campaign of 1860, but went out of existence in 1861. A Mr. Fuller then issued a few numbers of a paper the name of which is not remembered by any one in Centralia as far as can be learned. The Commercial, published by E. P. Thorpe, issued its first number in April, 1867, and survived six months. On May 28, 1868, the first number of the Centralia Sentinel was issued, with E. S. Condit and J. W. Fletcher as editors, but it is said Mr. Condit's editorial connection with the paper was only nominal.

At the expiration of a year J. W. and F. W. Fletcher became the editors and publishers. Jn 1869 J. C. Cooper bought the interest of J. W. Fletcher and the Sentinel was published by J. C. Cooper and C. D. Fletcher .until 1872, when L. C. Wilcox purchased the interest of J. C. Cooper. On January i, 1875, it passed into the hands of J. W. and F. W. Fletcher, who were succeeded by J. W. Kerr. and he by T. L. Joy. The latter took charge October 20, 1888. It is now a daily as well as weekly.

The Centralia Democrat was first published on November 7, 1867, by W. H. Mantz. Afterward Isaac McClelland became nominally a co-editor and publisher -with Mr. Mantz. In October, 1870, the office was partially destroyed by fire, but the press soon after came into the possession of S. P. Tufts, by whom it was repaired, and from the Qth day of February, 1871. the Democrat has been published by Mr. Tufts and his son, who succeeded as editor his father at the latter's death some years ago. It is now published both as a daily and weekly.

Centralia was not surpassed in patriotism by any city in the state during the late war. No less than six companies were organized and sent forward from our city, besides contributing a great number of recruits to companies organized at other points. The first company was organized April 19, 1861. It was Company C of the Eleventh Illinois Infantry, commanded by A. L. Rockwood as captain. The next was Company C of the Twenty-second Illinois Infantrv. commanded by E. Probst. Other companies were organized and commanded, respectively, by Captains Noleman, Cormick, Sommerville and Cunningham. During the war a hospital was maintained by our city for the benefit of sick and wounded soldiers, and many of our ladies are remembered to this day with gratitude by our country's brave defenders scattered over the land, for the kindness with which they were cared for in our city.

No other single industry up to the present writing surpasses or indeed equals the railroad interests of our city. Centralia has been from the first a railroad town, being the headquarters of a division of the Illinois Central Railroad and containing as it does shops with facilities for carrying on every variety of railroad work, and the accommodation of hundreds of employes. During the month of May, 1876, the Illinois Central Railroad Company had two hundred and sixty-two men in its employe who resided in Centralia, to whom the sum of fifteen thousand seven hundred and ninety-five dollars was paid in wages for that month. The monthly payroll is now much larger.

Next in importance is the coal industry of Centralia. A shaft was sunk at Central City in 1857 to the depth of one hundred and ninety feet, passing through ten inches of coal at the depth of fifty feet and another seam of coal twelve inches thick at one hundred and eighty feet. At one hundred and ninety feet the shaft was discontinued and a boring made one hundred and eighty feet.

to a total depth of three hundred and seventy feet, without, however, rinding other seams of coal. In 1857 and 1858 the Illinois Central Railway Company sunk an artesian well near the machine shops in Centralia to the depth of eight hundred and fifty-seven feet for the purpose of securing a supply of water for their shops. The report of the strata passed through in boring that well, though subsequent events have shown it to be unreliable, did much to encourage our citizens to thoroughly test the question of the existence or non-existence of coal in the vicinity in paying quantities. In the fall of 1869 some citizens of our city organized a stock company under the name of the Centralia Coal and Mining Company, for the purpose of testing and setting at rest once for all, either by failure or success, the coal question. The first and only board of directors consisted of F. Kohl, R. D. Noleman, M. C. Kell. E. S. Condit, H. D. Kingsbury, J. L. Hopkins, H. Kurth, C. D. Hay and J. C. Cooper. A contract was entered into with two of our citizens, James Wilson and Thomas Warren, to do the boring. They commenced work about the 2Oth of February, 1870, and continued at intervals until about the 2oth of April, when the work was abandoned at a depth of two hundred and nineteen feet, having passed through six inches of coal at a depth .of eighty feet. The Centralia Coal and Mining Company failed to set the coal question at rest.

meet at the City Hall January 25, 1873, to consider the propriety of organizing a company to establish a nail mill, at which time and place the meeting was held and the project discussed. The conclusion was arrived at that the proposed nail mill would be more certainly successful if fuel could be obtained without the cost of transportation. At a subsequent meeting, held February i, 1873, it was decided to organize a company to be incorporated under the general incorporation laws of the state, to sink a shaft to a depth sufficient to determine with certainty the question of obtaining a home supply of coal. The company was styled the Mining and Manufacturing Company of Centralia, Illinois, and was organized in April, 1873, with a capital stock of fifteen thousand dollars. The capital stock was twice increased, to the amount of five thousand dollars each time. The work of sinking the shaft was begun May 14, 1873, and was prosecuted with varying hopes of success. At the commencement many had strong faith in the substantial correctness of the report of the Illinois Central Railroad Company's boring, but as our hopes based upon it were one by one dissipated, Prof. Engleman, of the Illinois Geological Survey, was appealed to for encouragement by the leaders of the enterprise and did much by his letters and, as the events proved, by his accurate knowledge of the geology of the region, to inspire confidence. Finally, on the 28th of September, 1874, at the depth of five hundred and sixty-four feet, a vein of coal was reached, which proved to be seven feet in thickness and of excellent quality. At about 12 o'clock noon on the 2gth the cannon announced the good news to our citizens; their pluck and energy had been fitly rewarded. Many of them met, as if by common consent, at the City Hall, where the enterprise had been organized, and made arrangements for a grand celebration of the event on Saturday. November 7, 1874. On the day appointed our citizens and many of the citizens of neighboring towns as well as of the surrounding country, turned out, and a grand gala day was had. Our business interests and mechanical arts were all represented in the procession which that day paraded through our city. Our coal mine has since became and will ever remain one of the institutions of our city. In her coal interests Centralia has a permanent industry.

Among the other institutions of our city it is proper to mention the First National Bank, organized in 1865, one of the soundest banking institutions in the state ; the gas works, erected in 1868, and the Union Fair, organized in 1869. There are also many carefully conducted industries in our city. which in time will develop into enterprises of greater magnitude and will prove to be productive industries in our city. Centralia now has a state bank, also both banks are on a solid basis and do a large, though safe and conservative, business.

For several years the Illinois Central Railroad was the only railroad connecting Centralia with the outside world, but about twenty-five years ago a new impetus was given the little city by the building of the

Jacksonville road, and about the same time also the Southern, the first extending southeast and northwest, the latter more nearly east and west, yet tending to the north. The first extended from Jacksonville to Centralia and then southeast, the latter from St. Louis, Missouri, to Evansville, Indiana. The Jacksonville is now a part of the Burlington system, which absorbed the Jacksonville and extended it south from Centralia, tapping the rich coal deposits of Franklin, Williamson and other counties. These roads do a large business and add much to the material prosperity of Centralia. A fair estimate would place one-fourth of our population directly dependent upon the various railroads. Shortly after the building of the Southern the Centralia & Chester Railroad was built. Its northeast terminal was Centralia for a number of years, but was subsequently extended to Salem, which is now the northern terminal of the once Centralia & Chester, but now Illinois Southern Railroad. The coal mining industry now occupies the industry of many hundreds of men and furnishes thousands of tons of coal per day, the output of three extensive mines. The boring for oil on the Bundy farm has developed a water supply of hitherto unsuspected source, but as to whether it can be of any practical benefit to the city or not it is too early to predict. Centralia has a factory for the manufacture of envelopes, with an output of millions of envelopes of every variety. A township high school building of great architectural beauty stands at the east