Elbridge Township (part 1 of 2)

Elbridge Township

When Edgar County was created, in 1823, it was divided into five civil divisions, known as townships. One of these was named Pike. Its boundaries were described as follows :

" Beginning at the range line between Ranges 11 and 12 where it crosses Sugar Creek, thence south to the south line of the county, thence east to the State line, thence north to the center of Congressional Township 13, thence west to Sugar Creek, and northward up Sugar Creek to the place of be¬ ginning."

The reader can readily trace the outlines of this township on any map. He will also observe that the outlines of Pike are almost synonymous with the present outlines of Elbridge Township. It gave to it an arm running from the north line of Section 27 nearly three miles long, and in no place exceeding one-half mile in width. The township remained in this form some time. Its oddness and inconvenience, however, became manifest as the country settled, and the " arm " was taken off, the part above- the north line being attached to Stratton, or, as it , was formerly known, Wayne Township. Pike Township was also enlarged by attaching one tier of sections to the north, thereby giving it its present dimensions.

It is now seven sections long by six wide, hence contains forty-two sections or square miles, equal to 26,880 acres. The surface of the country is somewhat diversified. Along the water-courses it is broken and hilly, while on the uplands the surface becomes undulating. There are no natural prairies in this township of any size, hence the entire surface is devoid of that even exterior seen in prairie countries. Formerly the township was covered with a magnificent growth of native forest-trees, prominent among which the oak in several varieties, hickory, walnut, beech, sugar-tree, elm and other kinds flourished. Interspersed among these grew a great number of small trees of the same and different varieties, which, with their more powerful fellows, were ruthlessly cut down by the pioneer in the establishment of his home. Many grand old forest-trees were felled to the earth by his powerful arm and keen ax - trees which, could they be produced now, would yield him a handsome revenue. Yet they stood in the way of progress, and, as there were no mills or manufactories to use them, they were consigned to the log-heap and destroyed. Grand, sound walnuts, of a cent¬ ury's growth, so large that when felled an ordinary man could not see over them in a direct line from his eve were cut down, sawn into lengths so thev could be handled, and rolled to the log-heap to meet the fate of others equally as sound and large, though of n different kind. Such trees as these - whole forests of them - stood on the hills, along the streams and in the valleys in what is now Elbridge Township when first the white man made his home here. Here had they stood for ages. Under their outspreading branches had the Indian lover wooed and won his dusky mate ; had he pitched his wigwam home, reared his savage familv. and been at last laid away at rest among his ancestors. The savage beast, the fleeting deer, the heavy buffalo, the swift bird, the ravenous wolf had all lived here in undisturbed security, or been the delight of the native hunter in his exciting chase. The limpid waters of the streams had furnished him a rare feast, while in their depths he had bathed his limbs, or over their surface paddled his light canoe.

His possession of these primeval forests could not always be. A white race, more powerful than he, was already close in his footsteps, and warned by the experience of his comrades farther east, he was preparing to vacate, and follow the western sun. The white man had his home on the banks of the Wabash, while south and west of him. hardy venturers, determined to find a home for themselves and their families in this then outpost of civilization, were encroach¬ ing closely on his domain.

Illinois, made a Territory in 1809. had so grown in population, that the second grade of government was determined upon, and in 1818, it was admitted into the Union and became a sovereign State. At this date, only the lower part of Illinois was settled, and that in neighborhoods, as it were, for, often large tracts of wilderness country would be met in passing over the country, while the north was an uninhabited domain still under the rule of the native Indian. Chicago was yet a small trading-post with no thought of its future greatness.

The first settlers in the present confines of Elbridge Township, located in the years 1818 or 1819. Just when, cannot now be definitely determined, nor can the name of the first settler be ascertained. Mr. Hall Sims, now over eighty years of age, came to this county in March, 1821, and settled near where he now lives. He states that when he arrived, there were living in what is now Elbridge Township, the following persons and their families : Thomas Y ilson, Alexander Ewing, John Hay, Thomas Eoster, Thomas Rhoades, James Eggleton. Dr. James Love, John Elliott and James Knight. There is yet standing an apple-tree planted by Mr. John Elliott, in 1820, which is now nine feet and four inches in circumference, five feet from the ground. It is in all probability the largest apple-tree in Edgar County. It is doubtful if a larger tree of its kind can be found in Illinois.

Mr. Wilson came with his family from Kentucky. The common route then was to cross the Ohio below the mouth of Salt River, at the place known as Tobacco Landing; then go up through Golconda and Paoliatothe New Albany and Vincennes road, which they followed to the latter place. Here they gen¬ erally crossed the Wabash River, and by different routes went to their new homes. Those days, almost all settled first inwThat is now Clark County. After awhile the disease known as milk-sickness, drove many awTay, and desiring a higher and healthier location they came northward. By these means the first settlers of Edgar County came hither. The majority of them came from the South, and brought wTith them their Southerncustoms and habits, just as those who settled the northern part of the State brought their customs from the East. A peculiar individuality thus became stamped upon each part of the State.

Mr. Ewing and Mr. Ray were both from Tennessee. A great many of the emigrants from the States south of Kentucky came through it on their way to Illinois, a majority of whom remained in the Blue-grass State awhile, some of them long enough to become residents. By these means, often in the history of Edgar County, when mention is made of an early resident coming from Kentucky, his real place of nativity would perhaps be North or South Carolina. From his stay in Kentucky, he would, however, give his place of starting as that State, as it was at the time his residence. Thus Mr. Foster and Mr. Rhoades came to Illinois from the blue-grass land, while the first-named was a native of the Keystone State, and had been raised there. He had moved to Kentucky on attaining his majority, and by the pioneers of Edgar County, and even by himself, was considered as from their own hearthstones. All these men brought families and came about the same year. Their circumstances, too, varied but little. All were poor, and all equally desirous of bettering their fortunes. Like all pioneers, they were kind to a fault, and ever ready to do a favor. They came with a meager outfit of this world's goods, but strong in faith and hope, expected to increase their worldly store and provide a home in old age. Some came in frontier wagons, drawn by horses or oxen, and some used the more primitive pack-horse as a means of migration. Either way was slow, compared to the more modern modes of travel ; but as they then knew of no other wray than that mentioned, unless a river lay in their course, they were content. While on the journey, if away from the settled route, their encamp¬ ment for the night was made wherever night overtook them. A fire was built by the wayside, over wLich an iron kettle was suspended, in which the evening meal was cooked. The father's gun through the day provided abundance of fresh meat of the choicest varieties, for squirrels and wild turkeys were common, and deer could be had almost for the asking. Yet, let the advantages of the journey be the best, and it was one of toil and privation. Then there were no bridges over the streams, no fences by the roadside, no well-trodden highway. Each emigrant followed the general trail, but each sought a new track for his own team. This cut the way into innumerable ditches and ruts made by the wheel of the wagon or the hoof of the horse or ox. If the season was one of much rain, the swamps they were often compelled to cross, would be almost impassa¬ ble, and the roads wrould be heavy. If dry, the road was rough, so that at its best, the journey could not be said to be pleasant, yet the way was often cheery, and when the wild prairie, brown with the somber hue of autumn, stretched out miles upon miles on either side, or the forests were all that nature could desire, the emigrant passed on joyously, despite his wayside troubles. He could endure trial, hunger and pain, if a home stood at the end of each day's journey beckoning him on to its cheerful domain. Faith and hope are two anchors of the soul, without which the poor mortal on life s pathway would indeed be cheerless on his way.

The emigrant on his arrival began at once preparations for a shelter. Dur¬ ing this period, the family lived in the wagon, though the cooking and washing were performed by the women under the shade of an outspreading tree. Ofttimes a rude pole cabin, wdth no floor save the mother-earth, and no windows save the interstices between the poles forming the walls of the cabin, wTas tem¬ porarily erected, and should the time of arrival be spring, this structure sufficed for a house until the crops were sown. After that important work was done, he had a season of comparative leisure, during which he made preparations to erect a more comfortable abode.

Mr. Sims states that when he arrived he found the settlers generally provided with tolerably comfortable cabins. Dr. Love was the only physician in the community. His stay was not long, however, as a few' years after, he removed to Little Rock, Ark., where in after years he died.

Mr. James Knight was an old man when he settled here. He was a soldier in the war 'which gave America her freedom, and was one of the few7 w7ho lived in Edgar County and drew pensions for his services in that war. He remained on his old place until his death. Mr. Ewdng, like Mr. Knight, died on his home farm, which he brought to an advanced state of cultivation, and on which he passed his declining years in ease and comfort. It has been but a few years since some of these first settlers have passed awTay, and wffio can help but pause and reflect at the wonderful changes in this country since their arrival. Mr. Wilson lived a quiet life on the farm selected by him when he emigrated, and on it he passed away. Mr. Ray brought two grown sons, Martin and Isaac, wTho may be counted as among the pioneers of that day. He, like some of his associates, lived a useful life in Elbridge Towmship, and at its close died on the old homestead. Thomas Foster followed his recreant son Jack, as he w7as always known, who was, for his misconduct, driven out by the Vigilantes to Missouri, where he aftenvard died. James Eggleton came from Tennessee, through Kentucky, to Elbridge Township, about a year before the arrival of

Hall Sims. He went from there to the salt works on the Vermilion River. While on the way, he was badly frozen, and .laid up for some time in conse¬ quence. He had stopped at Palestine in Clark County on his first coming to the country, where he had resided some time. A short time after his recovery from the effects of the freeze, he returned to Palestine and continued to reside there.

The next settler is Mr. Hall Sims, already mentioned. He was born in the Carolinas before the dawn of the present century. He early emigrated to Kentucky, and, in 1815, came to Clark County, Ill. The State was yet a Ter¬ ritory, and Clark County existed only in territory - the name was not there. Here the scourge of milk-sickness drove him to seek a more elevated region of country, and in the month of March, 1821, as has been noted, with the assist¬ ance of his father-in-law, Thomas Jones, he came to Elbridge Township, then, like Clark County in 1815, existing only in locality. They arrived on the 10th day of the month, and were put down at the hospitable cabin of Mr. Thomas Wilson. There they remained until Mr. Sims could cut logs and, with the assistance of the neighbors, whose names have been given, raise and cover a cabin. When he moved into this pioneer affair, he says he had a good wife, four children, a rifle, two dogs and a scanty supply of household furniture. When he came to the State, he traveled on foot, having only a pack-horse to carry his effects. His cabin, like all others of that day, was made of unhewn logs, notched at the ends so they would fit closely together. Between the logs, chunks split from, the heart of an oak were fastened with pegs and daubed over with mud until the crack was closed. The earth in the interior of the cabin was trodden firmly down and was used for the floor. A door was cut in one side, a small window on the other, the huge old-fashioned fire-place made in one end and the cabin was complete. The description of Mr. Sims' cabin would apply to all cabins of that day, save that in many, puncheon floors were laid. Mr. Sims states he did not get one laid in his until autumn, when he hired two young men to come from Palestine and saw with handsaws some slabs, which were used for this purpose. Puncheons for the floor and clapboards for the roof were almost always split from sound oak-trees, the former being held in their place by their own weight, while the latter were held on by weight-poles, kept a suitable distance apart by short sticks of wood placed between them, the bottom one secured at the ends by the last end-log, which projected out some dis¬ tance from the eaves. Ofttimes it extended four or five feet from the main building. In such cases, the roof would be continued to the ends of the logs, a floor laid underneath and a long, low porch be the result. To this may, no doubt, be ascribed the custom so often seen in the frame houses succeeding these primitive cabins of having a large porch in front. On this, in the warm even¬ ing, might be seen the farmer as he passed the twilight of the day in company with his family, enjoying the cool of the evening. Here, too, could be seen the busy housewife or industrious daughter engaged at the loom or with the old- fashioned spinning wheel. These scenes are pleasant to refer to, and are lingered fondly over by the old people who enacted them in their younger days. They love to tell the present generation of times gone by - to them the " good old times " - and which they say they have never seen since their youth. We honor them in their belief, and recognize an element in human nature ever the same in all ages and under all conditions. The slave in the South before the war, had he been brought from the shades of heathendom, longed for a return to that land, though he were treated ever so well here. The emigrants from foreign countries cling to their old-time ways, and think none so good. We of J;o-day, strong in the race of life, and with a future before us boding only good, cannot but love to linger over childhood's happy hours, and think with the kindliest feelings of days gone by. Yet these were not the best days. Every day is the best day in reality, and is all that is allotted to us here.

The crops raised by the earliest settlers were generally corn and wheat. Other cereals were but little grown until the country began to settle more thickly and an increase of comforts and wealth was procured. When corn was thoroughly dry, it was crushed in a mortar or ground in one of the horse or water mills. At the date of which we are are now writing, no mills existed in this part of the State. The pioneer was obliged to go to a mill a few miles below Terre Haute or to one of the settlements further north, whose inhabitants had accumulated a few comforts in their short stay. Mr. Andrew B. Ray stated that at one time he built a water-mill on Sugar Creek, one of the first mills of the kind in the county. He constructed a dam of corn stalks and brush. When this mill was built, there was certainly no other water-mill for grinding grain in this part of the country. The dam could not withstand the spring freshets, and during a heavy flood was swept away, practically ending the working of the mill. Horse or band mills were more commonly used after the old mortar became too slow a way to grind. They were cheaply constructed and were a great improvement on their more simple and laborious predecessors. Another method was the grater, made by perforating with numerous small holes the bottom of some worn-out tin pan, which, being bent into a concave form, with that side outward, presented a number of sharp points, against which the dry corn was vigorously rubbed until worn to the cob. This old grater was an eve-sore to most juveniles, as it occupied the greater portion of their leisure time at noon or evening. It might be fun at first, but it soon became real work and an exceedingly tiresome monotony. Still food must be had, and men, now grown, recount with some feelings of mirth their experiences with this backaching task. Such labors and tasks as these were alloted to the early settlers of the Prairie State. The Rays, Rhoades, Fosters, Mr. Wilson, Mr. Sims and others, settling in what is now Elbridge Township, endured all these discom¬ forts in subjugating this country and making it the land it now is. There were other settlers, too, that joined in this good, though hard, work. Although the names of all may not appear here, yet the majority are given, while in the

From 1821 to the Black Hawk war, settlers came to the country rapidly. This is shown by the fact that, in 1823, the county was created, and was so well settled for that day as to admit of being divided into five civil districts.

Among those who came in 1822, 1823, 1824, 1825 and later, may well be mentioned David Roll, John Vaught, J. W. Parrish, Thomas Hicklan, William Hanks, Eleven Tucker and Abner Lamb. Of these named, Mr. Roll lived the quiet life of a good citizen, and died on his old homestead. John Vaught, wrho came about the same year with Mr. Roll - 1822 or 1823 - settled on what is now the Benjamin Morton place. A few years ago, he sold his farm and went to Kansas, where he died. James W. Parrish is yet living. He came from Tennessee, in 1829, with his family ; served, with others from this neighborhood, in the Black Hawk war, and now lives to see the country well populated and prosperous. Abner Lamb came from Kentucky, with his fam¬ ily, settled in this township, and, after a prosperous life, passed away on his some time a resident of this township. Thomas Hicklan and William Hanks were both from Kentucky. The former died several years ago, in the neighborhood of Grand View. The latter came the same year with Mr. Parrish, and died on the farm he entered. The Ewings, already mentioned, were a prominent family in this township. The Rays, of whom there were several, counting the grown sons, were also well known. Samuel Trogdon, father of Judge Trogdon, came to Illinois, on a prospecting tour, as early as 1815. Being pleased with the country, he returned to his native State, North Caro¬ lina, arid, in 182T, emigrated to the West, settling in this township. He remained here, however, but a few years, when he removed to what is now Stratton Township, where he resided until his death. He was a blacksmith by trade, but carried on a farm and tannery. In the capacity of blacksmith and tanner, he was a most valuable adiunct to the vouthful settlement. He could mend their wooden moldboard plows, sharpen their hoes and grubaxes, repair broken irons, and save them thereby a trip to some shop more remote, say to the county seat, then an enterprising village of perhaps a dozen log cabins, log Court House and log Jail. His tannery was, probably, one of the first in this part of the county. It consisted simply of a vat, made, likely in a hollow log, and a pole or two on which to rub and cure the hides. Boots, at that early day, were not a common article of wear ; moccasins were more prevalent. Strong shoes were the common article of feet-covering, and even these were considered so valuable that young ladies walked barefoot to church, and when near the sacred temple of worship, paused, sat down on some fallen log by the pathway, and, after carefully dusting or wiping their feet, put on their stockings and shoes and then entered the house of God. After the service, they would walk a short w'ay from the church and remove these lux- uries, returning home they came. Old settlers tell us this was not an uncommon sight in the early settling of the Western country. Sometimes they ask us of to-day, Would your sisters do this? We reply, did occasion demand the sacrifice, they would not only do this, but willingly endure any privations necessary to preserve our -welfare. For proof, we point to the emi¬ grants of to-day, who, in frontier life, endure the same trials, the same priva¬ tions and the same discomforts as their ancestors, and do it as willingly and cheerfully. Human nature is ever the same. Under all conditions, in all ages, in all lands and among all nations, heroic deeds are on record, attesting the truth of this statement. All honor to our ancestors, who subju¬ gated these wilds and built luxurious homes, in which we can now dwell. But the race they left behind them inherit from them the same indomitable spirit, and will do their share in the world's advancement.

When the first settlers came to Sugar Creek, Indians, principally of the Kickapoo tribe, were quite numerous in this part of the State. They were harmless, and no fears were entertained of them until the Black Hawk war, in 1831-32. The Winnebago -war of 1827 was too far north to excite the fears of the people in Edgar County, and few* if any volunteers went out in that short campaign from this part of the State. The Kickapoo Indians passed their time in the common pursuits of the Indian's life. They w*ere often engaged by the traders at Terre Haute and Vincennes as guides, and in this capacity were very useful. They knewT all the choice parts of the country ; could point out the best and clearest water-courses ; could tell where game most abounded, and, with the peculiar instinct of their race, were unerring in their accuracy. They were, however, fond of w*hisky, and when under its influence, like their white brothers, were often quite quarrelsome. Sometimes murders would be committed by them at such times, but were generally confined to their own race. No mention is made of their killing any w*hite persons, while two or three instances are on record where white men of a lawless kind, killed Indians. It is remembered by the oldest residents, that one day, two Indians, named Bob Johnnycake and George Washington - names given them by white men - getting rather drunk, became turbulent, and finally got into a fight. In the melee, Bob Johnnycake, who it seems had a grudge against George Washing¬ ton, killed him. As they were two Indians simply, no notice seems to have been taken of the affair ; at least no mention is made of Johnnycake's appre¬ hension and punishment. He probably ran away, more to avoid the vengeance of Washington's relations and friends, than through fear of a lawful trial.

Among the first settlers there were, as there always are, where courts are a rarity, or distant, several lawless or worthless characters. The first settlement of the country offered a fine chance for horse-thieves to ply their nefarious occu¬ pation with little dread of detection. They could so arrange their plans, that accomplices would always be in readiness to swear to any mitigating circum¬ stances tending to defeat the intent of justice. It must not be supposed that these persons as a -class, are ranked among the first settlers of the West. They can hardly be called settlers. They were always of a restless, migratory dis¬ position, remaining only long enough in any locality to accomplish their wicked schemes, or until detected in their crimes and compelled by the enraged inhab¬ itants to leave. They were seldom land-owners, and had, to all appearances, no visible means of support. To this latter fact was generally attributed their detection ; for to the real pioneer, the appearance of any individual with or without a family, who did not labor in some way for his daily support, gave rise to suspicions, and suspicions gave rise to inquiry, which must be satisfied. Some¬ times, however, sons of pioneers, whose taste for real hard labor was rather lukewarm, and who were easily dazzled by appearances, were led off by these rascals, and in time became assimilated with them. Among this latter class may be mentioned "Jack " Foster, as he was always known, John House and Harrison Taylor. They and some others had been committing various acts of lawlessness, such as burning buildings, stacks of grain or hay, cutting the mane and tails from horses, and kindred acts of wickedness, for which the settlers could obtain no redress. Finally a vigilance committee was formed, embracing the greater part of the county, and having such men in it as Augustus C. French, elected Governor in 1846, Col. Miner, Maj. Moke, Thomas McCord and Hall Sims. The organization took the punishment of this class of offend¬ ers into its own hands, and succeeded in banishing them from the country. One of the acts for which John House was accused, an act cowardly to the extreme in its nature, was the wanton murder of an inoffensive Indian. At the time, the Indian "was in his wigwam, quite unwell. House went to see him, smoked the pipe of peace with him, and enjoyed his hospitality, only to turn in the doorway of the wigwam as he was leaving, and shoot him dead. Two squaws witnessed the affair, and immediately fled with all their might. Afterward, when House was indicted by the grand jury for this offense, the squaws, the only witnesses to the deed, were debarred from testifying by the law, and he was allowed to go free. The affair well-nigh broke up the grand jury, as some among its members had suffered by the hands of the Indians and had no regard for them. The Vigilance Committee, however, took the case in hand, and House left the country. Foster and Taylor were each rather severely whipped and obliged to leave. Whatever may be said in mitigation of the acts of the Vigi¬ lantes, and though the circumstances may have justified their actions, yet such modes of punishment are unlawful and should not be encouraged. Justice should be so administered that criminals will respect the law, and stand in whole¬ some fear of its power.

Through all the years of which we have been writing, settlers had steadily been coming to this locality. Numerous claims had been made, cabins built, fields cleared and, in some instances, better houses and buildings were seen. Paris had been laid out, and contained quite a number of inhabitants. Trades¬ people were there, artisans had located, and now the comforts of life could be enjoyed. A post office bad been established and though letters cost from 10 to 25 cents each, they were eagerly welcomed, and came with a commendable regularity. The social life of the people had grown also. A church had been built in this neighborhood, a school or two had been opened, and though each structure was rude in its outlines, yet it imparted a tone of progress to the resi¬ dents, and was playing an important part in their lives. The settlers on Sugar Creek went to Terre Haute, at first, for goods and their mail. After Paris was located, they went there. The county seat is generally the objective point in all new counties, and as Edgar County was no exception, it rapidly rose to the dignity of a town. It remained the chief post office for the Sugar Creek settle¬ ment until 1836, when Elbridge village was platted by Mr. James Ray, and through the influence of Rev. John V. Campbell, a Presbyterian clergyman, Pastor of a small congregation who worshiped then in a log church a short dis¬ tance south of the village, the post office was established in the embryo town. It is claimed by those living in its locality to be the second post office established in the county. The village has something of a history, and will be found further on in this narrative.

Another adjunct to the pioneer's existence, and one that often entered largely therein, was the enjoyment, or necessity, of hunting. Wild game was very plenty in the early day in the West, so much so that often the settler was obliged to cease work and with his neighbors join in a kind of crusade. Wolves were destructive to the young pigs, or to any domestic fowls straying far from the house. Hogs could be fattened on the wild mast found in the timber, and needed care only when too small to resist the wolves, who seemed inclined to feast on fresh pork whenever a chance occurred. These marauders of the forests were gradually exterminated, however, with the advance of civilization and are no longer seen. They were endowed with marvelous powers of endurance, and could tire down several dogs and horses in a protracted race. Venison wTas one of the staple articles of food when white men first subjugated this part of Illi¬ nois. In the early discoveries of the West, deer were often seen in vast herds, as they wandered over the plains, or gathered on some prominence. Their flesh furnished an excellent article of food, while the skin, especially of the younger ones, when properly tanned, made very durable clothing. It was commonly well tanned, and made into hunting-shirts and leggings. For many years after the settlement of the country began, buckskin pants were a common sight. Buffaloes were never in great abundance in this part of the State. They pre¬ ferred the prairies, and could be found on them in vast herds. With the advance of civilization, they, like the Indians, gave way before the white man, and retired westward.

But few bears were found here. They prefer a colder climate, and were a dreaded foe to the Indian, who experienced the keenest delight in hunting them, and who had almost exterminated them when the white race occupied this part of the red man's domain.

Bees and their product, honey, entered largely into the luxuries of the pio¬ neer's life. Bee-trees were very plenty, and in their hollows were often stored large quantities of honey, which dripped, in tempting sweetness, from the broken combs, when disturbed. It wTas not uncommon for three or four men, when hunting for honey, to find in a few days, enough to fill two or three barrels. Mr. Sims states that he and three others brought home, as the result of a week's hunt, one barrel of clear liquid and one barrel of comb honey. In addition to this amount, they had wasted considerable. Nowadays, when one visits his neighbor, he is asked, " Do you take sugar in your coffee ? " Then, the inquiry commonly used until after maple sugar was made, was, "Do you take honey in your coffee?" In this and kindred capacities, it was often used, filling a want poverty prevented them from supplying in any other manner. The woods, however, were growing immense and numer¬ ous sugar-trees, and before the settlers had been here many seasons, they had learned to utilize these, and maple sugar and maple molasses were among the ex¬ ports of the pioneer. It is proper to remark here, that all surplus corn, wheat, pork, honey, or whatever could be obtained here, including peltries of various kinds, were hauled to the Wabash River, sold to merchants at Terre Haute or Vincennes, and by them taken down the river in flatboats. The great market at that day was New Orleans. The journey thither required a great deal of time, as the boat was commonly allowed to float with the current. After the cargo was sold, the trader was compelled to foot his way back or row up the river in a canoe, either way very laborious and tiresome. When steamboats began to ply the Western wTaters, this slow way of travel gradually gave way to more advanced and rapid methods. That mighty harbinger of progress,, steam, first made its appearance on the Western waters in 1811. Six years after, on August 2, 1817, the first steamboat to ascend the Mississippi River from its junction with the Ohio, arrived at St. Louis. From these dates it will be observed by the reader, steam navigation wTas in use when Edgar County was first settled. Still, many of the pioneers adopted the plan pur¬ sued by their ancestors, as the flatboat provided a very cheap mode of trans¬ portation, and as time was of but little account then, it was commonly used for several years after the settlement of the country. The return trip of the trader was much easier and quicker made by the steamboats, and if he kept out of the hands of the gamblers, who made early steamboats an insecure place, his journey would be one of pleasure as well as profit.

By the commencement of the Black Hawk war, in 1832, the county was, especially in the south and eastern parts, well settled. Good crops of corn and other cereals were raised ; clothing of an earlier day was superseded by a more becoming, if not more durable, garb ; sod-corn, planted between every third furrow, was replaced by crops that would admit a plow between the furrows ; frame houses were taking the place of log cabins, and much of the labor of the pioneer was now a thing of the past. Instead of being obliged to go to Pales- tine, Terre Haute or Vincennes for blacksmithing, or to the primitive shop of Solomon Aldridge, southeast of Paris, and built by him about 1822 or 1823, they could go to a forge of considerable importance at the county seat. Band-mills, mortars, graters, and other early appliances for grinding corn, were superseded by water-mills, whose supply of water was so well regulated they did not need to depend on a heavy rain or a spring freshet. Though all products were cheap, they were plenty, and no one suffered. It is not uncommon now to hear some one, rather chronic in his tastes, cry out for the "good old times." Does the complainer stop to think that pork in those u good old times" brought from 31 to $2 per hundred ; that corn often sold for 10 cents per bushel, and other things on that basis ? To any one who desires to repeat the toils neces¬ sary for the reduction of a country from nature's to man's domain, there is a w'ay open in the uncultivated and unbroken West, where he can work to his will.

Elections in the early days of this, as well as all other townships, were no inconsiderable part of their history. Mr. Sims says that after his arrival they went to John Laswell's house, or the north arm of Coal Creek, to vote, and that William Lowry was the first Representative sent from this region. Until the adoption of the township organization of 1848 - modified in 1851 - all counties governed themselves by three Commissioners. The act was not adopted in Edgar County until 1856, when a Supervisor was chosen from each township, this body constituting the County Court. During the regime of the Commis¬ sioners, Mr. Hall Sims, from this precinct, served eight years. He was also sent to the Legislature for two terms. In the early day, several precincts would be grouped together for election purposes, owing to the sparseness of the pop¬ ulation. As the country settled, these limits would be narrowed down from time to time to suit the convenience of the people. This necessitated a change in the voting-places. At first, elections were held at the cabin of a settler centrally located. As soon as schoolhouses were erected here and there in the settle¬ ments, the voting-place was made at one of these. Mills or stores were also used, if built in some prominent locality. The records in the Commissioners' Court show that Elbridge Township - then called Pike Precinct - was made a separate voting-precinct at the March term, 1832. The election was ordered to be held at " Liberty Meeting-house.'' At the June term, 1836, the place of voting was changed to the schoolhouse near Elbridge village, then not platted, only contemplated, and containing but one house. At this same term, it was ordered that the election to be held in Wayne Precinct occur at Josiah Morri¬ son's Mill.

Changes were quite often made at this date, as the Black Hawk war, four years before, had settled the Indian question so far as Illinois was concerned, and settlers were coming rapidly into her borders. Another thing tending to augment the tide of emigration westward, was the dawning of the era of the internal improvement system, which, though it blazed out with comet-like splen-

The precinct is named " Pike" on all records in the Commissioners' Courts till 1850, when the name " Elbridge " appears, a name given it to coincide with the post office and village in its bounds.

Religious And Educational

The religious and educational life of the settlers grew with them as the years went on in their frontier home. At first, religious services were held in the most commodious cabin found in the settlement, or, if the weather was fine, in some large grove convenient to all. As the forests were cleared away, and new homes were created, a schoolhouse was erected in this settlement ; and, while it did duty on the week-day as a shelter of learners in their search for knowledge, it was not allowed to be idle on the day we all observe as a day of rest. From these beginnings grew the early congregations, containing often a large membership. It has been stated, and by reliable authority, too, that the first church erected in Edgar County was built in Pike Precinct. It stood a short distance from the present town of Elbridge. It was built of round logs, notched at the ends so as to fit tolerably closely together. The cracks were not chinked or daubed, and admitted, on a cold day, plenty of invigorating air. The seats were made from split slabs, with long wooden pins in them for legs, and did not enjoy the more modern luxury of backs. The preacher was some¬ times allowed an old splint-bottom chair ; but this was something the members did not allow themselves. In one end, a huge fire-place gave out a great heat, burning those next to it and allowing those near the door to enjoy the other extreme. We are not informed whether this pioneer church was ever honored with a stove and ornamented with windows. It may have been. It probably had a puncheon floor. It was built by the Baptists, principally, though minis¬ ters of any denomination were allowed to occupy it. They were always sure of an audience, were the services sufficiently advertised. It was not hard to do this in early days here, as every one took the precaution to inform his neighbor ; and a man's neighbor in those days often lived ten or twelve miles away.

Another church was built on what was called the " North Arm," almost as early as the " Liberty Church," which we have just described, and in which the first elections in the precinct were held. Mr. Hall Sims says it was erected a few years after his arrival. It was not so much a part of the Sugar Creek Settle¬ ment, however, as its predecessor, and must have drawn a considerable portion of its membership from what is now Stratton and Hunter Townships.

Some of the early emigrants along Sugar Creek, especially in the south part of the township, professed the Presbyterian creed, and, soon after the Black Hawk war, erected a house of worship a mile or so south of the present town of Elbridge. It stood in a fine grove of timber, and on the warm summer and autumn days services were commonly held in the open air, immediately in front of the house. Along the front, a long porch had been made, whichserved for a pulpit, the minister being shielded from the rays of the sun by the projecting roof or the thick branches of the trees. What hallowed memories

The people, those days, were all poor, and could not give of their abun¬ dance to the support of the ministry. The preacher, Paul-like, generally worked with his own hands, if not at tent-making, he could at shoemaking, at which honest avocation Rev. John V. Campbell, the first preacher in the Presbyterian Church here, supported himself. It is said he was a good preacher and faith¬ ful worker, but that his shoes were not made for state occasions. As the people had more use for durable than showy articles, his handicraft met with a ready sale in his own neighborhood. It was through his instrumentality that the vill¬ age of Elbridge received its name, and that a post office was established therein.

Old " Liberty Church " gradually gave way before the encroachments of time, and was superseded by another and more comfortable structure. It was of hewed logs and was quite a comfortable affair in comparison with its prede¬ cessor. It, in time, also, became old, and was superseded by a frame house, now the schoolhouse in Nevins. This frame structure was another step in the the path of progress, and was, in its day, considered quite a commodious build¬ ing. But the growth of the country demanded still better and neater struct¬ ures, and as a new schoolhouse was needed in the Franklin district, it was decided to accept the offer for the frame church and erect the present house of worship, standing now in the village of Nevins, that being a more central loca¬ tion for the members of this congregation, who had changed, in all these years, almost as often as the houses of worship. Now, a neat church stands in the eastern part of the village, in which a small congregation meet weekly for divine services.

The Presbyterian' Church referred to as being in the Ewing neighborhood, has a history somewhat analogous to -that of the Baptist Church. After its log church became too small and worn out, it was replaced by a very comfortable building, which is yet standing and is occasionally used. The congregation was at one time very large, and exerted no little influence in this township. As time went on, the members moved out of its bounds to such a number that it could no longer support a regular ministry, and now only occasional services are held.

In the villages that have grown since the advent of the railroads, are several churches, each of which is noticed in the sketch of the towns, but omitted in the present narrative.

From all accounts, it is learned that the first schoolhouse built in this town¬ ship was erected in 1823. Like all houses of the time, it was built of unhewn logs, had a great fire-place in one end and greased paper for window-lights. Seats for the scholars were made from slabs, with short sticks of wood for legs.

and no backs. On one side of the room was placed a long slab, on pegs driven into auger holes in the wall, on which the pupils daily practiced writing. Goosequills were used, one of the requirements of the teacher being that he knew howT to make them into pens. Persons wTho learned to use these in their youth often refuse any other, and it is not an uncommon sight to see old people still writing with a quill pen. The youngest scholars were given a Webster's Ele¬ mentary Spelling-book, and were considered ready for the school. The more modern idea of a slate being placed in their hands before they had learned to cipher, was not entertained. What time the juvenile was not engaged in recitaing his lessons, he could u dog-ear " his book or swing his tired legs, his feet seldom touching the floor. Singing the capitals of the States was the common exercise in geography. It does not seem to have entered the teacher's mind that State capitals were the invention of man, and, like him, were liable to change, or that new States were occasionally created. Nevertheless, from

The advance in education kept apace with the advance in everything else. One schoolhouse wras not enough in the precinct, and another was built, near the southern part. As early as 1825 or 1826, a log schoolhouse was erected on Big Creek, in what is now Sims Township, and had answered for the youth of a portion of Pike Precinct. Some went there even after the one mentioned was built in their own district. The second one erected on Sugar Creek was better than the first, and, as each one came into being, it was an improvement on its predecessor. Who the first teacher in this precinct was is an unsettled ques¬ tion. Mr. Sims thinks it was James McNutt, an emigrant from Tennessee. Mr. Parrish, who came in 1829, says he moved into an old cabin that had been built and used for a schoolhouse some time, and that some of the settlers sent their children to Big Creek, then, to school ; but does not remember the teach¬ er's name, or to have heard who had taught in the house he was occupying. These pioneer schools continued, with varying success and short terms, until the passage of the present school law, in 1855. Public money was, however, in the treasury as early as 1886. It came from the sale of the public lands, and later, from the sale of every sixteenth section of land, generously donated to the State by the General Government in its organic act. More than thirty years, the friends of popular education labored with great diligence to obtain an act of the General Assembly placing the common schools on a firm foundation. Local prejudices, apathy, popular antipathy against taxation, and kindred causes all were to be conquered ere this could be done. Yet these men worked bravely on, succeeding, as early as 1825, in securing a good common-school law, only to behold it destroyed by the next Legislature. Again and again were bills passed ; but such were the difficulties to be overcome, that not until the date already mentioned were the people educated to the required standard, and the cause of education firmly fixed in Illinois. Now, no State has a greater pride in her common schools or does more for them than she. Good schoolhouses are to be found in nearly all communities, in which school is regularly conducted from four to nine months in the year. In Elbridge Town¬ ship, these schoolhouses appear at occasional cross-roads or in shaded groves by the roadside, while in them are often found teachers whose ideas are apace with the times. To the cause of popular education the American people can truth¬ fully attribute their prosperity, and at all times it should merit their warmest and most substantial support and approval.

The Villages - Elbridge

Commencing with this hamlet, the oldest in the township, we will pro¬ ceed to give a history of each. It was laid out by Mr. James Ray, on his own land, in August, 1836. Mr. Brown Wilson was the County Surveyor at the time, and a little over a year after, in December, 1837, he laid out an addi¬ tion to it for. John Campbell. It will be noticed in the history of the township that the Ray family are among the oldest settlers. Mr. John A. Ray, whose death occurred in December. 1878, lived on the farm entered in 1818 by his father, John Ray. Mr. Andrew B. Ray, another member of this family, died March 25, 1876, at the age of eighty- two. Only one of his family, Mrs. Eliza¬ beth Crow, is now living.

Mr. James Ray evidently saw the need of a village in this part of the county, and, as soon as he grew able, platted the town. His own house stood on the plat, and may be accounted the first thereon. It is now standing in Ferrell, owned by the Masonic Lodge, which occupies the upper story for its rooms, and rents the lower to Mr. Thomas Pearce, for a store. About the time the town was contemplated, a Mr. Elbridge G. Howe, a colporteur, was selling religious books and tracts about the country. Rev. John V. Campbell, already men¬ tioned, was Pastor of the small Presbyterian congregation south of the proposed village. He, like the first apostle to the gentiles, made a good share of his living with his own hands. Though not a tent-maker, he was a shoemaker and cobbler. He, with others in the vicinity, wanted a post office here, and, in his petition to the Postal Department at Washington, named the embryo office Elbridge. This name was also attached to the village. The reader can very readily observe where the name originated.

was now exactly reversed in the case of Elbridge. Here he couldn't see the town because there were so few houses. The residence of Mr. James Ray alone occupied the village site. The town had, however, been well advertised for that day, and before the winter came on, a store was opened by John Cal¬ vin and Reuben Owens. A Mr. Lightfoot kept store here also. After Mr. Owens' death, the store in which he was interested went down, and Mr. Lightfoot continued alone in business .some time. About 1855, Henderson Burson built a third store, and for awhile carried on a good trade. He after¬ ward moved to Vermilion. His successors were Foreman & Piper, who soon sold out and followed Mr. Burson. They left Swisher & Elliott in the mer¬ cantile business, who, however, gave way when railroads began to exert an influence on the towns, and it was discovered that away from them a village had little hope of success. Now there is only a small store kept by H. K. Hitch, the majority of the trade going elsewhere, while the post office is removed to Ferrell, on the railroad.

The first church in the village was erected by the Methodists about 1838. It was a log structure and was used until the congregation by removals became so diminished that the organization was disbanded. A year or tw^o after, the Disciples of Christ organized a congregation and met for divine services in the members' houses or in a schoolhouse. When they became able, in conjunction with the United Brethren, a frame house of worship was erected, which a year or two ago was sold to the district and is now used for school purposes in Elbridge.

The first school in Elbridge was taught by Dr. Peter Yeargin. He began on February 21, 1837, and continued a few months, receiving $16 from the public funds, the balance from the parents in the district. The school was taught in a part of Mr. James Ray's old cabin. The interior arrangements were rather meager and the school crowded. The Doctor says he had about fifty scholars, showing a considerable population at the time, though it must be borne in mind a school district then embraced a large scope of country. The Doctor says he remembers there were tw~enty-six boys attending the school, and as the two sexes are generally nearly equally represented, his school must have enrolled fully the number given. Schools continued to be taught in private houses in this part of the township until 1850, when the district erected a small frame house at an expense of $225. It was used until 1876, when, becoming too small and worn out, it was replaced by the purchase of the church referred to. Dr. Yeargin came to the township in 1836, from Randolph County, North Carolina. He made the journey in a wagon, occupying seven weeks on the way. He settled at first about two miles north of Elbridge village, but came to it to live as soon as it became fairly started, where he yet resides. His pred¬ ecessor in the healing art was Dr. James Love, one of the first settlers in the precinct, and withal a rather disreputable character. One or two others followed him until Dr. S. J. Meldori, an Englishman, came, who, after a resi¬ dence of five or six years, went to Newport, Ind., leaving Dr. Yeargin. At the time of his arrival, he states the settlers still resided principally along the water-courses, leaving the intervening country unoccupied.

The completion ofr the Illinois Midland Railroad through the township in February, 1874, was the touchstone that deprived Elbridge of its growth. It has more of a history than any village in the township, but cannot hope to succeed against its more fortunate rivals.

The charter for the Parish Terre Haute Railroad was obtained March 1, 1872. The line was the extension of the Midland Railroad, and had been built from Paris to Decatur a year or so before. Its completion through Elbridge Township was the signal for the starting of some new towns. One of these, the largest, is Nevins. It was surveyed by George W. Foreman, County Sur¬ veyor, for James W. and B. F. Parrish and Ashier Morton, early in 1874, on land belong-ino; to them. Mr. Morton and his brother John erected a store soon after, in which they opened a general stock of goods. A post office was secured and named in conjunction with the town in honor of Mr. Robert N. Nevins, of Paris. The store is now owned by John W. Staples, who does a good business. A warehouse was built by John W. Morton, about two years ago, from which considerable grain is shipped. Soon after the town was laid out, a blacksmith-shop was erected by Robert Osborne, who is yet in business. For awhile, a shoe-shop was kept here; but the business proving unremunerative, owing to its nearness to the county seat, it was closed. These business enterprise comprise the trade of the village. It is yet in its infancy, and cannot be expected to furnish a long history.

The Baptists have a very neat church here. The congregation is the out¬ growth of the old u Liberty Church," of which mention is made in the town¬ ship history. The building preceding the present one is now used for school purposes.

School has been regularly maintained in this locality many years ; first in the old log schoolhouse, then in a hewed-log one, and lastly in the presen frame building originally built for a church. The number of scholars in attendance is now about fifty. The town is not incorporated, and the school is under the district control.

About one-half mile west of Nevins is a very neat house of worship, built by the Christians. The Methodists also hold services here, neither congrega¬ tion being able to support a regular ministry.

As the village is new, the buildings have a fresh appearance, and, should / prosperous times prevail, it will grow to considerable proportions and command an excellent trade. A few miles north is a regular stopping-place for the trains, but no effort to start a village there has been attempted.

Mar Ley

a few miles south of Nevins, was laid out by Mr. Foreman, in April, 1874, for Mr. W. D. Marley, on whose land it is located. At present, there only is a store, a warehouse, blacksmith-shop, depot and a church. The store was opened here by 0. S. Jones & Co., soon after the railroad was finished. It is now owned by James Marley and E. P. Brown, who have a good local trade. Mr. W. D. Marley controls the warehouse, and ships large amounts of grain annually. It was mainly for this reason - affording a near market to the sur¬ rounding farmers - that the station was established here.

The church is a very neat frame building, erected in 1877, almost entirely by Mr. W. D. Marley. It cost #2,130, and is under the control of the Meth¬ odists. Rev. S. A. Long was the first minister here, and succeeded in estab¬ lishing a good congregation. It is now prosperous, and sustains regular .services.

is the farthest south of the towns on this road in the county, and is, very prob¬ ably, the outgrowth of old Elbridge. That town being nearly a mile from the railroad, very naturally had a depot erected for its own use, which sagacious residents saw could be a town outrivaling its predecessor, and at once put the thought into action.

Ferrell was laid out the last week in March, 1874, by Mr. Foreman, on land belonging to Mr. I. C. Ferrell, from whom the village very deservedly obtained its name. The first store here was opened by Stephen Maddock and IT. R. Hicks, who removed their store from Elbridge. After a year or more, they sold to I. C. Ferrell, who is yet in trade. He is also Postmaster. When the Masons removed their building from Elbridge here, they repaired it, painted it, and rented the lower story to Thomas Pearce, who, after an absence, is still in business. M. H. Ferrell erected a warehouse, which he is still controlling, and from which he ships considerable grain. A flouring-mill was built here by Mr. George Mock, at a cost of nearly #7,000. He is still running it. Mr. Mock is one of the early settlers in this locality. He is a native of North Caro¬ lina, and was for some years a resident of Ohio, where he was married. He came to this county in 1829, settling near Paris. After a residence there of a few years, he came to this township, where he since resided and contributed much to its advancement. The Ferrell family are also one of the most promi¬ nent in Elbridge Township.

As yet, no school or church has been started in Ferrell. The children are sent to. Elbridge, as the district embraces both towns; while those who desire religious privileges attend some of the country churches.

Sandford And West Sandford

The first named of these villages (both really one) lies wholly in Indiana ; the second is in Illinois. As both enter considerably into the history of Elbridge Township, their history will be given together.

Sandford proper, was laid out in the winter of 1854-55, by Hiram Sandford, whose father, Isaac Sandford, was one of the early residents of this locality, and an active man in its advancement. He was here when the original survey of the Terre Haute & Alton Railroad was made, and furnished timber to be used in its construction. The failure of the system left him with a lot of depre¬ ciated State bonds and a large part of his timber on hand. The latter he sold "down the river," and realized something for it. The bonds were not then a profitable investment. They were based mainly on the faith of the State, not the recognized standard of value in the markets of the world, especially when the faith was controlled by a fluctuating Legislature.

Mr. Sandford remained here, and, to accommodate the adjoining population, and further increase his own wealth, opened, in 1842, a small store. There he retailed a multitudinous variety of commodities needed in those days. Thi& store and his mill were the two principal houses in the embryo village for some time.

The re-opening of the railroad in 1855 caused a more general desire for a town at this place, and Mr. Hiram Sandford, who had by this time become part owner here, laid out the village of Sandford, in Indiana. The store and mill, however, were in Illinois, the former standing nearly on the State line. Thenext year, he platted the part in Illinois. Shortly after, Mr. Ephraim Wolfe built a small frame house (the worn-out shell of which is now standing on the east side of the depot) in which he opened a stock of goods. In 1 858, Jacob' H. Hussong built a third store, which he operated till the breaking-out of the late war, when he sold his goods and enlisted. Shortly after Mr. Wolfe opened his store, George Beucamp either purchased his stock or started in a similar enterprise. This brought quite an influx of business to the young town in its incipiency. The post office was soon opened, the mill began an increasing run of patronage, and improvements of various kinds were of daily occurrence.

After Mr. Sandford conducted his store a few years, he sold to Mr. J. B. Armentrout, who continued in business, and Mr. Sandford continued operating his saw and grist mill until destroyed by fire. He was succeeded in this business by Mr. David Fuqua, who erected a grist-mill on the site of the present one,, however, was also unluckily destroyed by fire. In 1874, Mr. J. H. Hussong erected the present mill, which he operated until October, 1877, when he sold it to Daniel Kibler, who is now running it. It has a very fair custom, and ships yearly a large amount of flour.

The mill, three or four stores and a blacksmith-shop constitute the main busi¬ ness part of the town. Mr. Hussong, since his retirement from the grist-mill, has erected a steam saw-mill, which he has just completed and got in running order. It promises good results, as timber is yet plenty in this region.

The Methodists occupied this part of the country at an early day. Dr. Minier, who lived in Paris several years prior to his death, organized a class a few miles northeast of the present village, long before it was started. By 1854, the number of members had so increased that a church was resolved upon, and that year a very comfortable one built in Sandford. Before this, they had worshiped in private houses and in schoolhouses. The church was a small, comfortable frame building. It was used until late in 1877, when it was destroyed by burning. A new one was at once erected on its site. The number of members is now about one hundred and fifty. The present Pastor is' Rev.

Although Sandford was early incorporated under the general law of Indiana, the school is still under the district control. A good school has always been main¬ tained here, and as the incorporation of the town is about practically annulled, the educational affairs will probably remain in the hands of the township.

A Masonic lodge was organized here in 1867. It owns the present depot building, built by Mr. Wolfe, and designed for a store. The enterprise not meeting his expectations, he sold the building to the lodge in 1878. The lower story is used as the depot and post office, the agent acting in both capacities The present officers of the lodge are: D. E. Van Houghton, W. M.; James M. Duck, S. W. ; J. W. D. Wolfe, J. W. ; T. L. Storey, S. D. ; Cyrus Seldonridge, J. D. ; J. M. Bolton, Secretary; J. W. Watts, Treasurer; A. French, Tiler.

' ROBERT ANDERSON, merchant; P. 0. Sanford, Vigo Co., Ind.; this gen¬ tleman is one of the leading and one of the oldest merchants in Sandford ; was born in Vermilion Co., Ind., Sept. 23, 1839 ; his parents being early settlers of Ver¬ milion Co., Ind.; Mr. Anderson was raised on his father's farm ; engaged in farming from the time he was able to handle the plow. Was a soldier of the late war; enlisted as a private in Co. K, 31th Ind. V. I., and participated in some of the prominent battles ; he was in the battle of Fort Donelson where the first substantial success of the war was achieved ; Shiloh, where a victory was snatched from the jaws of death ; Corinth, Chickamauga, etc.; mustered out December, 1865, close of war, at Victoria, Texas, as First Lieutenant which office he filled for about three years ; in 1867, he commenced the mercantile busi¬ ness in Sandford as J. W. Watts & Co. ; then in company with J. H. Hussong; firm, Anderson & Hussong ; he then pur¬ chased Mr. Hussong's interest ; since then he has carried on the mercantile business himself ; to-day ranks as one of the lead¬ ing merchants of Sandford. Mr. Ander¬ son's father and mother, J. and Jane (Patton) Anderson, moved to Vigo Co. at an early day.

JOHN A. BRIGHT, M. D., Sandford, Vigo Co., Ind.; the above-named gentle¬ man was born in Vermilion Co., Ind., and is the son of Silas and Sarah (Rhoads) Bright ; his father was a native of Penn¬ sylvania ; parents settled in Indiana at an early day ; Dr. Bright commenced the reading of medicine in 1870; in 1873, his teacher was Dr. A. J. Pinson, a prominent physician of Libertyville, Ind.; he then went to Terre Haute, Ind.; while there, his preceptor was Dr. Benjamin Sawford ; in 1874, he entered the Rush Medical College, of Chicago, one of the leading medical colleges of the United States; here he attended the winter term and a part of the spring term of 1875; received a sufficient knowledge of medicine; he then went to Libertyville and commenced his profession ; from there he came to Sanford, 1877 ; is the only resident phy¬ sician of the town.

JOHN CUMMINS, farmer; P. 0. Vermilion ; made his home in Edgar Co. forty-eight years ago ; he was born in Harrison Co., Ky., Dec. 25 (Christmas), 1807, and is the son of Joseph and Lydia Cummins ; his father was a farmer, a na¬ tive of Pennsylvania, having moved to Kentucky at an early day ; Mr. Cummins was raised on the farm, engaged in farm¬ ing. He married in Kentucky to Nancy Chapman, of Tennessee, daughter of Rob¬ ert Chapman. In 1830, with wife and one child and his brother, James Cum¬ mins (who died in Edgar Co. 1846), started for Illinois in a wagon drawn by a span of horses ; they arrived and settled in Elbridge Tp., Edgar Co. Mr. Cum¬ mins, when he first came here, was very poor, having a team of horses and S5.12-1 in money ; the first four years, he rented a farm; in 1834, he purchased the first forty acres of land which lies be¬ tween the present farm and Vermilion ; he built a log cabin in 1834, and lived there until about 1850 ; with the trials that none but the old settlers have experienced, he. has managed to accumulate 280 acres of land. Mr. Cummins was a soldier of the Black Hawk war, and did good service. His wife died February, 1874, at 63 years old ; they had thirteen children, ten chil¬ dren living, all married ; fifty-nine grand¬ children.

JAMES FOSTER, farmer; is one of the best known farmers of Elbridge Tp. ; was born in Elbridge Tp., Edgar Co., Ill., xipril 15, 1822, and is the son of Arthur and Nancy (Esry) Foster, who were pioneers of Edgar Co., Ill., having made their home here in 1820. Arthur Foster was a farmer; was born in 1801, raised in Kentucky, with his parents, moved to Vincennes, Ind., 1819, then, in 1820, to Edgar Co., Ill. ; they settled north of Marley. Thomas and Catherine Foster, the father and mother of Arthur Foster, moved to Missouri; here Thomas Foster died; his wife, Catharine Foster,' returned to Edgar Co., and died at the residence of her son, Arthur Foster, who was a soldier of the Black Hawk war un¬ der Col. Blackburn ; he did good service ; he died April, 1875, at 74 years of age, having been a resident of Edgar Co. for fifty- five years. Mr. James Foster was raised on the farm, which business he has followed through life ; his father first gave him a tract of land - 120 acres; since then, with hard work and good manage¬ ment, he has accumulated 470 acres of land, and ranks as one of the successful farmers of Edgar Co. Mr. Foster married twice ; first wife was Nancy Parrish, . daughter of James Parrish, one of the pioneers of Edgar Co. ; five children by first wife, one living ; married second time to Nancy Stump, daughter of Mat¬ thew Stump ; eight children by second wife, six children living. Member of the M. E. Church.

WILLIAM W. FUQUA, blacksmith, Sandford, Vigo Co., Ind. ; the sub¬ ject of this sketch is one of the first settlers of Sandford, Ind. ; was born in Fleming Co., Ky., Nov. 19, 1826.

In about 1837, with his parents, emi¬ grated to Indiana, and settled in John¬ son Co. ; here he was engaged in farming ; he then came to Vigo Co., Ill. ; here he learned his trade - blacksmithing ; was the first blacksmith located in Sandford. Mr. Fuqua was in the late war ; enlisted in Co. B, 6th Ind. V. C. ; was a musician ; was taken prisoner three times; first at Richmond, Ky., then at Mulrose Hill, Xy. ; was prisoner but a short time ; was paroled each time ; his last capture was at Sunshine Church ; here he was taken prisoner and remained a prisoner of war until the close of the war ; was nine months in the Anderson ville Prison, where history teaches that thousands of Union soldiers were starved to death. At the close of war, he returned home to Vigo Co., Ind. ; here he has remained ever since, j engaged at his trade - blacksmithing. Mr. Fuqua married twice : first wife, Mary A. Calder, of Ohio, deceased ; he then mar¬ ried the second time to Mary Coble ; seven children. Mr. Fuqua is a member of the M. E. Church, and a Republican in poli¬ tics.

H. W. FERRELL, farmer; P. 0. | Ferrell ; is one of the best known farmers of Elbridge Tp. ; was born in Muskingum Co., Ohio, Oct. 2, 1833, and is the son of Henry and Elizabeth Ferrell ; his father was a farmer here. Mr. Ferrell i was raised on his father's farm ; engaged in farming from the time he was able to hold the plow ; with his parents in 1842 moved to Edgar Co., Ill., and settled in Elbridge Tp.; there his father died Feb. 14, 1862, leaving wife and seven children. Mr. Ferrell is one of the successful farm¬ ers of Edgar Co.; owns one of the finest improved farms of the county. He mar¬ ried Miss Eliza Ewing; five children. Mr. Ferrell is a National Grecnbacker in politics. The present town of Ferrell was named after Mr. Ferrell. This village has one flour-mill which was erected by Mr. Geo. Mock, at a cost between $6,000 and $7,000 one drug store, one general store which is owned by Mr. Ferrell. # JACOB H. HUSSONG, Sandford, Yigo Co., Ind.; the subject of this sketch, is one of the most prom¬ inent men of Sandford; was born in Knox Co., Tenn, Nov. 22, 1826, and is the son of Enoch and Naomi (Burnham) Hussong. Mr. Hussong, when he was about 4 years old, with his parents moved to Indiana, and settled on a farm in Sugar Creek Tp., Vigo Co.; here they remained until about 1834, then moved to Illinois and settled in Elbridge Tp., Edgar Co.; here his father, Enoch Hussong, died. Mr. Hussong learned the cooper trade, and was engaged in this business in Yigo Co. and Greencastle, Ind. In 1858, he com¬ menced the mercantile business in Sandford, and ever since he has been a resident of the place. He has been constantly improving the village. He built the large grist-mill at this point at a cost of $8,000 ; the mill is 50x35, three and a half stories high, four runs of stone, steam power. He has erected a good warehouse with a capacity of 8,000 bushels of grain. To-day he is engaged in erecting a first-class saw-mill. Mr. Hussong ranks as the most enterpris¬ ing man of Sandford. Was a soldier of the late war ; in 1862, he first enlisted in the 71st Ind. V. I.; then in the 6th Ind. Cav., Co. B, as private ; he participated in some of the prominent battles during the war - Richmond, Ky., Nashville, Tenn., etc., etc. He served until the close of the war, and was honorably mustered out at Indianapo¬ lis as First Lieutenant ; this office he had filled about eighteen months ; at the close of the war, he returned home to Sandford, Vigo Co., Ind.; here he has remained ever since. Mr. Hussong married Margaret

Biographical Sketches

Smith, daughter of Henry Smith, who was an early settler of Vigo Co., Ind; seven children, six living; his son Albert B., is engaged in the mercantile business in Sandford, and ranks as one of the leading mer¬ chants of the place.

FURMAN JAMES, farmer; P. 0. McKeen, Clark Co., Ill. ; the subject of this sketch is one of the most successful farmers of Edgar Co.; was born in Alle¬ ghany Co., Md., Dec. 27, 1813 ; his father was a farmer, and was a soldier of the war of 1812. Mr. James, at 2 years of age, moved to Ohio, and settled in Muskingum Co. Here he married his present wife, Miss Mary Ann Hanks, of Virginia ; born Oct. 18, 1817 ; she came to Ohio at about 1 year old with her parents, Jeremiah Catharine (Shively) Hanks. In 1842, Mr. James and wife moved to Elbridge Tp., Edgar Co., and settled on the present farm ; here they have remained ever since ; when Mr. James first came here he had but little ; his first tax paid in Illinois amounted to S2.50 ; the first wheat he sold brought 40 cents per bushel ; the first hogs, $2 per hundred. Mr. James has worked faithfully and with his good man¬ agement he owns 1,440 acres of land with improvements that rank among the best of Edgar Co.

W. D. MARLEY, P. O. Nevins ; was born in Randolph Co., N. C., July 31, 1818, and is the son of John and Lillie (Fields) Marley ; his father was a boot and shoe maker by trade ; when Mr. Mar¬ ley was about 15 years old, his mother died ; he then went to live with an uncle ; there he remained but a short time ; he returned to his father's home, and learned the boot and shoe maker's trade; this pro¬ fession he followed but a short time; thence to farming ; in 1836, he came West to Illinois, and settled in Edgar Co. ; here he first commenced to split rails and farm, and, with the help of Peter G-ares, he managed to enter forty acres of land where the town of Sandford, Vigo Co., Ind., now stands ; in entering this land, he walked to Vincennes, Ind., crossed the Wabash River in a sugar-trough ; had just entered the land, when two other parties arrived to enter the same ; when he returned to Edgar Co., in 1837, he commenced to work in a saw-mill ; his second purchase of land was eighty acres in Elbridge Tp. ; this he improved, and farmed it; he traded it off for 160 acres of land in Jasper Co., Ill.; here he lived about two years ; he then returned to Edgar Co., and rented a farm near Vermilion ; then entered the saw-mill business ; this he followed about two years, then purchased eighty acres of land in Elbridge Tp. ; from that time on, Mr. Marley has been very successful in life ; with hard work and good management, he had accumulated 1.300 acres of land in Elbridge Tp. ; to-day, he ranks as one of the most successful farmers of Edgar 'Co. ; Mr. Marley has given to his children suffi¬ cient land to farm. The village of Marley was named after Mr. Marley ; here in this village is the M. E. Church, which was erected in 1877, at a cost of §2,130, and is one of the largest and finest churches in Edgar Co. outside of Paris ; the church was dedicated bv Rev. Mr. Walker, of Michigan ; first preacher was the Rev. S. A. Long ; also, located at Marley, is one blacksmithshop, one shoemaker's shop, one store, kept by Messrs. Marley & Brown, one ware¬ house, size 24x60, used and owned by Mr. Marley, to store grain, of which article he has handled as high as 20,000 bushels in one season. Mr. Marley married in 1839 to Miss Julia Yeargin, of Randolph Co.,

N. C. ; ten children ; two sons in the late war ; John W. enlisted as private in Co. F, 31st I. V. I. ; participated in some very prominent battles ; took sick and died at Vicksburg, after the surrender of the city ; George W. enlisted as private, 1864, in Co. A, 66th I. V. I. ; was with Sherman's march to the sea, through North and South Carolina, to Washington, D. C., on the grand review ; was honorably dis¬ charged at the close of war.

O. Nevins ; was born in Jasper Co., Ill., June 25, 1844, and is the son of W. D. Marley, who made his home in Edgar Co. in 1836 ; Mr. Marley was brought up on his father s farm, engaged in farming ; in 1845, his parents returned to Edgar Co. In 1864, Mr. Marley enlisted in Co. E, 66th I. V. I., and did good service in the late war ; was with. Gen. Sherman at Chat¬ tanooga, Tenn., and Sherman's march to the sea, through the swamps of the Carolinas. on to Richmond, at Washington, D. C., on the grand review ; was mustered out at close of war. returned to the farm, here he has been ever since. He married Miss Sue Middleton, who was born in Edgar Co., Ill., Nov. 26, 1848, and is the daugh¬ ter of J. and Sarah (Pemberton) Middleton. Her father was an early settler of Ed¬ gar Co., having come here when he was a boy ; he was born Sept. 12, 1813, and died April 27, 1874 ; her mother was born in Virginia Nov. 21, 1816, now living with Mrs. Marley. Have one child - Julia A., born in Edgar Co., Ill., May 5, 1870. Mr. Marley owns 225 acres of land.

JAMES MARLEY, merchant, Marley, of the firm of Marley & Brown, dry goods and groceries ; P. 0. Nevins; Mr. James Marley was born in Edgar Co.. Ill., March 1, 1854, and is the son of W. I). Marley, one of the early settlers of Edgar Co. Mr. M. was brought up on his father's farm ; in 1874, he commenced the mercantile business with his father; in 1875, his father sold one-half interest to Mr. E. P. Brown, who was born in Edgar Co. ; his father, James Brown, of Connecticut, settled ifi Edgar Co. in 1836; he with his wife, Mary (Parke) Brown, came West in a wagon drawn by two horses, taking them .four weeks in making the trip. Perhaps there are no two young men in Elbridge Tp. known better than Messrs. Marley and Brown ; Mr. Marley has taken a very ac¬ tive part in politics; in 1876, he was elected to office as Tax Collector of El¬ bridge Tp., and from the faithful manner he performed his duty he has been elected to this office ever since. He was married in 1878, to Miss Laura E. Ferrell, daughter to H. W. Ferrell.

GEORGE MOCK, Sr., farmer; P. 0. Ferrell ; forty-nine years ago, the above named pioneer made his home in the wilds of Edgar Co. ; he was born in Rowan Co., N. C., in 1802, and is the son of John and Catharine (Graves) Mock ; his father was a farmer and carried on a distillery ; he died when Mr. Mock was very young. Mr. Mock emigrated West, to Orange Co., Ind.. Here he married March 4, 1819, Lucinda Pippin, who was born in Edgecomb Co., N. C., about 1801, her mother having moved to Orange Co., Ind., at an early day ; thence to Edgar Co., where she died ; her father, A. Pippin, was a soldier of the war of 1812 ; he died in North Carolina. Mr. George Mock, with wife and six childreri, came to Edgar Co.

March 15, 1829, and first settled wfthin two miles of Paris ; when he came here he knew about all the first settlers of Edgar . Co. ; he moved on the Terre Haute road ; here he started to make improvements \ times were hard and money scarce ; Mr. Mock has harvested and mowed hard for 50 cents per day, has split rails at 25 cents per hundred ; wheat was 25 cents per bushel. Here, amidst these days, Mr. Mock started in the world a poor man ; he moved to the present farm, which was thickly timbered, lived in a shanty, then built the present homestead ; here he and his aged wife have been living ever since, respected and honored by every one ; have had fourteen children, ten children living, fifty-seven grandchildren, and thirty-five great-grand¬ children. One sonin the late war, George, enlisted in the 30th I. V. I., served twelve months, then enlisted in Co-. C, 135tli I. i Y. I., five months ; participated in some very prominent battles - Ft. Henry, at Ft. Donaldson he was wounded in hand ; was honorably discharged. Now Postmaster of 1 Ferrell, Ill.

J. B. McDIYITT, farmer; P. 0. Nev¬ ins; was born in Preble Co., Ohio, Aug. 17, 1817, and is the son of Philip and Elizabeth (Booker) McDivitt ; his father 1 was a shoemaker by trade, and in his latter days engaged in farming ; he emigrated to Ohio about 1811 ; Mr. McDivitt was raised on the farm ; when he was 17 years old, he went to Boston, Wayne Co., Ohio, and learned the wagon and carriage mak¬ ing trade; he returned to Preble Co. and | commenced business for himself in the wagon and carriage making ; here he re¬ mained until 1841 ; he then, with his wife and one child, started in a wagon drawn by two horses for Illinois ; they arrived in Elbridge Tp., Edgar Co., after being eight days out on the way ; he first pur¬ chased 921 acres of land, consisting partly of the present farm, for which he paid | nearly $4.50 per acre ; there were only about three acres cleared and fifteen acres par¬ tially cleared, with a little log hut with a fire-place in one end about six feet long ; here they lived about one year, until they could build better accommodations ; with hard work and industry, Mr. McDivitt owns to-day a fine improved farm - 265 acres. He married Feb. 21, 1839, to Sa- | rah Morton, who was born in Preble Co.r

JOHN MASON, farmer; P. 0. Ver¬ milion ; forty years ago, Mr. Mason came to Edgar Co.; he was born in Casey Co., Ky., Dec. 6, 1815, and is the son of Will¬ iam and Mary (Spoonamore) Mason, who emigrated to Illinois, with ten children, and settled in Elbridge Tp., Edgar Co., in 1838; they set out in farming on eighty acres of land with but few improvements - a log cabin ; here they lived about three years, then to better quarters ; in about

1865, Mr. Mason's father and mother (William and Mary Mason) moved to Knox Co., Mo.; here his father died in his 81st year; his mother is still living in Knox Co. at 83 years old. Mr. Mason has followed farming through life ; he came to Edgar Co. with his parents; he was worth $100 cash and a horse and cow ; when he set out his first purchase was forty acres of land; from that on, by his industry, he has accumulated 240 acres of good im¬ proved land. Mr. Mason has been mar¬ ried twice ; first wife was Sydena Davis, daughter of George Davis ; she died in

1866, by whom he. had ten children, eight children living ; married second time to Fannie Boll, daughter of David Boll ; one son in the late war - William W.; en¬ listed in 1862 ; participated in several battles ; died at Little Bock, Ark., in 1864. Mr. Mason is a member of the Baptist Church.

JOHN MOBTON, farmer ; P. O. Kev¬ ins; was born in Warren Co., Ohio, Feb. 18, 1819, and is the son of Benjamin and Hannah (Janney) Morton, of New Jer¬ sey ; his father was a farmer ; moved to Ohio in about 1813 ; was a soldier of the war of 1812 ; was a second cousin to Oli¬ ver P. Morton, ex-Governor of Indiana ; both parents died in Preble Co., Ohio, mother died in 1850 and father died in 1854. Mr. Morton, the subject of this sketch, was born and raised on his father's farm ; when he was about 3 years old his parents moved from Warren Co. to Preble Co., Ohio ; here Mr. Morton re¬ mained until the winter of 1846 - 47 ; he then came to Edgar Co. with $800 cash ; he made this amount of money in Ohio, farming, and at the carpenter trade, which trade he worked at from the time he was 21 to 26 years old ; he first purchased eighty acres of land in Elbridge Tp., for which he paid $700; here he set out in farming, and has been very successful in life ; to-day owns a fine improved farm of 457 acres ; when lie first came here, he lived in a log hut, which was his residence about ten years. Mr. Morton has held several offices of public trust, that of Justice of the Peace six years, and Supervisor one term. He is a Democrat in politics, and a mem¬ ber of the Christian Church. He married Miss Minerva Sims, who was born in Sims Tp., Edgar Co., Ill., Aug. 29, 1828, and is the daughter of Hall Sims, one of the pioneers of Edgar Co.; have had ten children, seven children living.

BENJAMIN MOBTON," farmer; P. O. Nevins; was born in Preble Co., Ohio, Aug. 31, 1825, and is the son of Benjamin and Hannah Morton, who emigrated to Ohio at an early day ; his father was a soldier of the war of 1812 ; his grandfather, Morton, was a soldier in the Bevolutionary war. Mr. Morton was raised on the farm and has been engaged in farming, with the exception of about seven years he was engaged at the carpenter trade. In 1853, he moved to Edgar Co., Ill., and settled on Sugar Creek, in Elbridge Tp., here he remained until he moved to the present homestead. Owns 278 acres of fine im¬ proved land, and ranks as one of the lead¬ ing farmers of Elbridge Tp. Married Jane Stewart, of Ohio, daughter of James Stewart ; have four children.

ASHEB MOBTON, farmer; P. O. Nevins ; was born in Preble Co., Ohio, Nov. 3, 1823, and is the son of Benjamin and Hannah (Janney) Morton ; his father was a farmer ; was a soldier of the war of 1812. Mr. Morton was brought up on the farm ; engaged in farming and part of the time at the carpenter trade ; in 1850, he came to Illinois and settled in Elbridge Tp., Edgar Co., then worth $1 ,400 ; he worked at his trade, carpenter, the first year he came to Edgar Co. and saved $400 cash ; he invested $1,400 in 140 acres of land in Elbridge Tp.. then set out in farming ; since that time, Mr. Morton has been very successful in life ; owns 600 acres of land ; in 1860, he commenced the saw-mill busi¬ ness ; this business he has followed ever since; i to-day, owns a saw-mill, four miles south of Nevins. Mr. Morton and Janies W. Par¬ rish laid out the present village of Nevins. He married Aug. 28, 1851, to Miss Lydia Jane Parrish, who was born Jan. 15, 1826, and is the daughter of James W. Parrish, who is one of the pioneers of Edgar Co. ; have had eight children, five children liv¬ ing - Emily, born Aug. 15, 1852; Han¬ nah E., born May 26, 1854; Samuel M., j born Feb. 7, 1859 ; Gertrude A., born March 8, 1866; Lillie, born Sept. 5, 1869. Mr. Morton held the office of County Coro- j ner for seven years. He is a Democrat in politics.

NATHAN MADDOCK, farmer; P. 0. Ferrell; was born in Preble Co., Ohio, May 26, 1815, and is the son of William and Hannah (Stubbs) Maddock ; his father a native of North Carolina, and his mother of Georgia ; his father moved to Ohio in 1804 and settled in Preble Co. Mr. Maddock was raised on the farm. At 18 years old, he married Miss Hannah McDonald, who was born in Preble Co., Ohio, Feb. 10, 1813, she died June, 1836 ; had two children, both now dead. He mar¬ ried the second time, August, 1837, to Pa¬ tience McDonald, who was born in Preble Co., Ohio, Feb. 20, 1823. Mr. Maddock re¬ mained in Preble Co. engaged in farming until 1841 ; then, with wife and two chil¬ dren, moved to Illinois and settled in Elbridge Tp., on Sugar Creek ; he first purchased eighty acres of land and set out in farming. Mr. Maddock has been en¬ gaged considerably at the carpenter trade ; with hard work, he has accumulated be¬ tween 500 and 600 acres of land, and ranks as one of the successful farmers of Edgar Co. Mr. M. has held several offices of public trust ; three times Supervisor of Elbridge Tp., which office he filled with honor and credit to himself. Is a Repub¬ lican in politics, and a member of the Christian Church. Had five children by second wife ; four children living - Wm. R., John Q., Stephen and Sarah L. ; two sons in the late war - Wm. R. and Stephen who did good service and were honorably discharged at close of war.

JAMES W. PARRISH, retired farm¬ er; P. O. Nevins; was born in Jackson Co., Ga., Nov. 8, 1801, and is the son of John and Lydia (Downing) Parrish; his father was a native of Virginia and fol¬ lowed school-teaching ; his mother of

Maryland ; they married in Georgia. When Mr. Parrish was 9 years of age (1810), he, with his parents, moved to Wayne Co., Ky.; here he remained until 1815 ; then to Jackson Co., Tenn.- Here Mr. Parrish married in 1823, to Miss Polly Hiclin, of Kentucky ; born 1804 ; in 1829, they came to Illinois and settled in Edgar Co., five miles south of Paris ; here he set out in farming ; in 1830, he entered eighty- acres of land ; 1831, he purchased 160 acres ; in 1836, he moved near the present homestead ; here he has remained ever since. The village of Nevins, where Mr. Parrish now lives, was named by his son after Col. Robert Nevins, a very prom¬ inent man of Tennessee. Mr. Parrish came to Edgar Co., in 1829, worth $5 cash, and a very poor span of horses ; this was his start ; he set out in farming, and with industry and good management he is one of the successful farmers of Edgar Co. He has held several offices of public trust : Constable, four years, Justice of the Peace, Associate Judge and County Commis¬ sioner ; these offices he has filled with honor and credit. Mr. Parrish was a soldier of the Black Hawk war of 1832 ; enlisted from Edgar Co., and was in Col. Blackburn's regiment. He is a Demo¬ crat in politics. Has had eleven children, eight children living.