Newman Township

Newman Township

Newman Tov\rnship has an area of about 48 square miles and is nearly all prairie, though there is considerable timber in the south part along Brushy Fork. It has 30,756 acres. The north part of this township rises into a considerable elevation known as the Ridge, a view from which is more extensive than can be obtained from any other part of the county.

In June, 1S71, about three years after Township organization, an effort was made to create a new township off the north end to be called "Ridge Township," and at the same time a remonstrance was filed, which prevailed.

Amongst the first inhabitants of this part of Douglas county may be mentioned Enoch Howell, who was one of the Associate Justices of Coles county before the partition of Douglas. He died in February, 1S54, leaving a large estate. The Winkler's preceded and sold their lands to the Hopkins'. James, Cornelius, William and Robert Hopkins being amongst the best known of the earlier settlers. James Hopkins settled on his present farm, section 5, 15, 14, in October, 1S41. Robert Hopkins was one of the Judges of Coles countv at the time of the separation of Douglas in 1859 and was elected to fill the same office in the new county. He died in 1S63 leaving a large unincumbered estate, and his brother William is also lately deceased at an advanced age and was also a large land owner.

Jas. M. Cooley and Win, W. Young arrived in 1S53. Young d'ed in 1S69. The father of Isaac Skinner came from Vermillion county, Ind., in 1S39, and Isaac is, with one exception, the oldest living inhabitant of the township. Win. Shute came in 1S54.

History Of

The largest contiguous body of land in the township is owned by C. M. Culbertson, of Chicago. It contains 2,340 aeres, upon which a large amount of money has been expended in the way of improvement: twenty-two miles of hedges, fifteen wells, forty-nine gates. This farm contains a natural grove of about forty acres which, being very conspicuous from its elevation on the Ridge and its isolation, had been for many years, before the days of regular roads, a valuable landmark for travelers. It is well and widely known as "Culbertson's Grove." The ancient name was "Pill's Grove." This farm has been under the charge of J. L. Connolly, of Camargo, since 1S64.

About 1S40 there came from Kentucky to this neighborhood one Robert Matteson, who entered the northeast quarter of the northwest quarter of section 13, 15, 9, in 1S35, accompanied by his slaves, some twelve or fifteen in number. His neighbors being fcr the most part from the free States, entertained the idea that the slaves would be free after remaining in a free State one year. For various reasons Matteson was not pleased with the country and proposed to return to Kentucky accompanied by his hi nds, and to that end made preparations for departure in their company. Major Samuel Ashmore, who had settled near the mouth of Brushy Fork as early as 1830, and others of the same mind had agreed that they would endeavor to prevent the return of the slaves to Kentucky. A few, however, went with their owner. Others, by one means and another, were left behind, and some finally went to Liberia, but one of them, at least, Simeon Wilmot, declined to return to Kentucky or to go to Liberia, but remains a citizen of Douglas county to this day. A suit at law grew out of the matter, in which Abraham Lincoln and O. B. Ficklin were opposing counsel. Mr. Ficklin was a large land owner and former resident of this countv. He now lives in Charleston, Coles county, and has a large quantity of land in this county at present. He represented Coles countv in the Legislature in 1S3S, 1842 and was elected to Congress in 1842, 1S44 and 1S50

The city of Newman is situated on section 31, 16, 14, on the line of the I., D. & S. Railway, and the original town was laid off by the same company which instituted Tuscola and at abovit the same time. It was named for 1>. Newman, one of the proprietors, who was a sonin-law of Peter Cartright, the celebrated itinerant preacher. The town was laid out in December, 1S57, in Coles countv, and in the advertisements ot the place the proprietors preaicted that a new county would be formed, and that the railroad would be built. The new county was formed in 1S59 an(^ the ^"Iroad came along in 1S72.

The progress of the place was slow from its beginning, in awaiting the advent of the read, since which time the advance has been rapid. During the long weary waiting of fifteen years for a railroad, much of the lands adjacent to the town plat had been gradually sold off into small tracts and subsequently converted into town lots, so that the present plat of the town, covering the greater part of the section, is made up of some sixteen different additions, and in some cases parties have made the third addition under the same name.

In the original pint a park 260 feet square is dedicated to the city provided a seminary of learning was erected on it within four years from December, 1S57, and eight feet upon the borders of all streets is dedicated for sidewalks and shade trees.

The school facilities of the city consist in the main of an excellent two-story brick building with accommodations for about 300 pupils, and finished this year at a cost of about $10,000.

Two large two-story brick blocks have recently been erected, containing several commodious business rooms below, having upon the second floor good halls, one of which'is owned by the Masonic Society. Cash's brick store of two stories, his brick dwelling and the brick residence of Hancock, indicate the progress of the place in the way of permanent buildings.

The Banking House of Murphy, Hancock & Co. gives facilities to business men. It was established January, 1S7 3. A Methodist and a Christian Church have been erected.

The "Independent," a weekly newspaper - C. Walls, editor and proprietor - now in its second volume, keeps up the record of the local news and looks after the interests of the Republican party.

Of Benevolent Societies the Masonic Lodge, Newman, No. 369, was instituted June 27, 1861. The first W. M. was Dr. W. A. Smith. I. W. Burget was Secretaiy and Isaac Howard, Treasurer. The present membership is 89.

built in 1S72. The charter of the Decatur & Indianapolis Railroad Company was dated March 21, 1853; that of the Illinois & Indiana Central bears date of December 30, 1852. It had been a proposed road for twenty years and partly graded for a long time. This township took stock in the road, by a vote of the people, to the amount of $£2,ooo, payable in fourteen years with ten per cent, interest. The taxes paid by the road in 1875 balanced the interest.

A proposed railroad, the line of which has been surveyed and approximately located, is a nearly straight line from Homer, in Champaign county, to Newman, with prospective extensions both ways, and a preliminary survey was made on the line ot the Mattoon & Danville road which also crosses the township.

Of the various offices in the public service of Douglas county, Mr. Robert Hopkins was one of the first County Board, having been elected in 1859. He died in the spring of 1S63. Daniel O. Root was elected County Clerk in November, 1873, and is the present officer. Mr. Root came from Athens county, Ohio, in October, 1S54. He was assistant Marshal in the Ninth Census, 1870. J. W. King, the present Superintendent of Schools, was placed in that office at the November election, 1875, to fill an unexpired term which closes in the fall of 1S77, the term being four years.

The Supervisors who have been chosen to represent the interests of the township were : B. W. Hooe, elected in 1S6S, as the first Supervisor, re-elected in 1S69, and returned in 1S71-72-73. Mr. Hooe was one of the older residents and died in January, 1S75. D. Todd was elected in 1870. F. F. Barber in 1874 and again in 1S75, and having resigned to remove from the county, W. R. Brown was elected to fill out the unexpired term, and was re-elected in 1S76, being the present representative. Mr. Brown has the distinction of being the only county officer born within the bounds of Douglas county, (1845.) He served three years in the 79th Infantry in the war of 1861.

The population of this township, by the 9th Census, 1870, was 1,077, Demg at that time next to the smallest, but as the city of Newman has rapidly increased since that time the township now ranks third or fourth in the county in the number of inhabitants. The population in the city of Newman was over 1,000 in 1876.

Sargent Township consists of fifty-two sections of land in the southeast part of the county and has an area of about 46^ square miles, several of the so-called sections being quite small, and was once a part of Oakland Precinct in Coles county. It contains 29,813 acres, and received its name in honor of Snowdon Sargent, Esq., who was one of its earliest and most influential citizens. He made his first visit to the State in 1S30, entered 400 acres of land at Palestine, and in the first years of his residence passed through with his family, all the trials and privations incident to pioneer life. He eventually became one of the largest land owners in the county, and died in 1875. Eli Sargent entered a large body of land here in 1830. Other well known original settlers were Andrew Gwin, the Reddings, Samuel Allison, Casebeer, B. F. Coykendall, I. W. Burget, Wm. Hancock, and Wm. F. Murphy. Mr. Gwin visited the Richman's the first settlers, in 1S30. He has the largest farm in the county, 3,100 acres. Josephus Redding was born in Edgar county in 1S29 and came to this township when two years of age. Samuel Allison arrived in 1833 Wm. Hancock was the first Assessor and Treasurer of the county, a member of the State Board of Equalization in 1S67, and, living in Newman, is a member of the banking firm of Murphy, Hancock & Co. Mr. Coykendall came to Coles, now Douglas, county in 1847. W- Burget arrived in 1S39. Since Township organization in 1S68 he has served six consecutive terms as Supervisor of this towniship, in which he has a large and well improved farm. Wm. F. Murphy bought his first land here in 1S50, and now has a large farm upon which valuable improvements have been made. He is the present Supervisor of the township and a member of the banking firm of Murphy, Hancock & Co., Newman.

The township of Sargent is about one-half timber, being traversed by the Embarras river, which receives Brushy Fork, a branch, in section 28, 15, to. Deer Creek, a considerable drain, empties into the Embarras in this township.

Brushy Fork timber was a favorite place of resort for the early settlers and was the scene of some of the earliest improvements in the county.

There is no trading point of any importance in the township, the business being divided between the neighboring towns of Newman and Oakland, in Coles count)-, the local pet name of which is "Pin Hook." The onl\ post office is Brushy Fork, in section 22, 15, 10, commonly called "Nipantuck." Columbus, a town, was laid out in February, 1841, on section 35, 15, 10, now unknown. The Illinois Midland Railway crosses about two miles of the township in the southwest corner, passing through Oakland in Coles county, which, being near, is equivalent to railroad facilities, and routes for several proposed roads which cross a portion of its area have been surveyed.

Sargent Township enjoys the distinction of being the ov\y township in the county which has no voted railroad debt as a township. In population it is the smallest in the county. The number of inhabitants per Ninth Census, 1870, was 1,035.

The following citizens have been charged with the care of the county public business: Wm. Hancock was the first Assessor and Treasurer of Douglas county, having been elected in 1S59. Jas. H. Shawhan was elected to the office of Sheriff, in 1S71, to fill the unexpired term of Cooper, who had left the country. Of Supervisors, I. W. Burget was the first, having been elected in 1^68, re-elected in 1S69-70-71-72-73. He was succeeded by S. M. Long in 1S74, who was again returned in 1S75. The present Supervisor is Wm, F. Murphy, who was elected in LS76.

America Tramp, Tramp, Tramp

In the prison cell I sit, Thinking, mother dear, of you And our bright and happy home so far away ! And the tears they fill my eyes, Spite of all that I can do, Though I try to cheer my comrades and be gay.

boys are marching; Cheer up! comrades, thay will com?, And beneath the starry flag, We shall breathe the air again Of the Freeland in our own beloved

In the battle front we stood, When the fiercest charge was made, And they swept us off, a hundred men or more ; But before they reached our lines, They were driven back dismayed, And we heard the cry of vict'ry o'er and

So within the prison walls, We are waiting for the day That shall come to open wide the iron do;r ; And the hollow eyes grow bright, And the poor heart almost gay, As we think of seeing home and friends

Star Spangled Banner

Oh sav can you see, by the dawn's earlv "light, What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming, Whose hroad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight, O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming; And the rockets red glare, the

On the shore dimly seen thro' the mists of the deep, Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes, What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep, As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses; Now it catches the gleam of the

And where is the band, who so vauntingly swore That the havoc of war, and the nation's confusion, A home and a country should leave us no more - Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution! No refuge can cave the hireling

Blessed with victory and peace, mav the Heaven-rescued land Praise the power that has made and preserved us a nation ! Then conquer we must, when our

Hail Columbia

Let its altar reach the skies, Firm, united let us be Rallying round our liberty, As a band of brothers joined, Peace and safety we shall find.

Heroes, patriots, rise once more, Guard jour rights, defend your shores; Let no rude foe with impious hand, Let no rude foe with impious hand, Invade the shrine where sacred lies Of toil and blood the well earned prize; While offering peace sincere and just. Place in heaven your manly trust, Truth and justice shall prevail, And all schemes of bondage fail. Firm, united let us be, etc.