Quincy Township (part 9 of 74)

An earnest effort was made during the early jiart of this year to engraft a city high school upon the existing public school system, and a very large meeting was held at the court house on the 3rd of January in advocacy of this pro.ject. Following on this a lengthy petition was presented to the council at the February meeting, and referred to a committee composed of three of the aldermen and the superintendent of public schools. At the ilarch meeting the ma.iority of this committee reported unfavorably, but recommended the building of more school houses for education in the common grades, which report was adopted by the council, and at the same session a resolution was passed to submit to the voters at the next charter election, the (juestion of a high school, and iif (ibtaiiiing from the legislature the authcii'ity tn le\'y an additional tax for its support. The matter made much excitement in and out of the council. It became at last a. partisan (luestion, and entering into the April city election, was there overwhelmingly voted down and carried down with it the political supremacy of the whigs in the council. The immediate result of the agitation was the erection of another school house, the Web.ster school, at the corner of Maine and Twelfth, Avhich was projei'ted and commenced during the latter part of the ye;ir. and was at the time of its consti'uction, nnicli the most complete edifice of the kind in the city. An appropriation was made at this time of $25.00 a quarter for the education of colored children, provided that the superintendent thought it expedient; but it effected nothing.

This was what Greely was wont to call an "off' year in politics," no presidential election occurring, yet it was a period of more political excitement and radical changes, attended with an unusual tiegree of i>ersonal bitterness, than any other since the nation was formed. That l)olitical Pandora's box, the Nebraska bill, shattered for a time the supremacy which the democratic party, organized some twenty-five years earlier, had during nearly all the subse- ((uent time strongly maintained, severing from it a large portion of its best material. This, with the great bulk of the now dissolving whig party, formed a new association, to soon secure possession of the national administration for a period about equal to that of its predecessor. With the introduction of this question to public thought. C^uincy, like the rest of the country, was aroused at once. The measure and the actions and motives of prominent men became the current constant topic of talk, and were discussed, disputed denounced and defended in every way and everywhere.

The general local sentiment Avas at first unfavorable in the Nebi'aska l)ill, but there was also a strong sentiment of confidence and pride towards the popular senator who was the father of this measure and whose first entrance u])on his eminent national career was from this city, his foi-mer home. Early in February, therefore, a |>ublic meeting was called by the friends of Senat(n' D<niglas to approve of his action and endorse the bill. W. II. Cather, comity .judge, presided, and J. II. Luce, was secretary. The meeting was small and indecisive, and was ad,journed to the 28tli, when the assemblage was vei-y large. The proceedings were exciting and amusing. All the extreme anti-slavery men of the city, who had heretofore i ounfed but lightly in political affaii-s, bciiiu vci-y few in numbers but very eai'nest iialiirally on an issue like this, floated to till fniiit and did most of the battling, and the rcsdlutiiiiis <il' approval were voted down. Several other meetings were held with the same general result, and on the 3rd of April, at a meeting with R. S. Benneson, a former democrat, as president, and Dr. Ralston, whig, secretary, where the same stirring scenes of strife oi-fii! red, a resolution condemnatory to the bill and charging upon the senator the responsibility for the ngitafiim of the slavery question, w;is ])assed by a vote of about three to one.

The separation continued, and by the time the fall campaign commenced, partisan lines were distinctly drawn on the question of the Nebraska bill, which became in fact the only issue which was discussed at the November election.

The city election in April partook of this strong partisan and personal feeling and was hotly contested. The whigs, who had usually a reliable majority in two wards, though slightly in a minority in the whole city, renominated for mayor John Wood, with J. C. Bernard, E. K. Stone and N. Flagg for aldermen ; and J. ;M. Pitman, who had twice unsuccessfully contested with Wood for the mayoralty, was again placed at the head of the democratic ticket, with W. D. Morgan, J. B. ilerssman and Jas. Arthur as candidates for the council. The high school question, which was publicly voted upon at this same time and the jiroposition to I'aise a .special tax for the sup- ])ort of the .school or two schools, had been injudiciously pressed, and beaten in the council, public sentiment not having ripened for it as yet. It now became a prominent feature iu the election and determined the result. Pitman was returned as elected by one vote, and two of the whig aldermen by like slender figures, Bernard by a majority of one and Flagg three. The two democratic police magistrates, A. Wood and T. Monroe, were also successful over T. H. Brougham and J. E. Dunn. This was the first year when police magistrates were chosen. The vote. 1.335. was the largest ever cast in the city, exceeding that of the previous presidential election.

Right after this hard fought election, and pending the formation of the new city administration, there sprang np a stubborn political strife in the council. The existing board was composed of two democrats and four whigs. one of the latter. Dorman. being absent, making it stand three to two without the mayor. When the board convened to count in and qualify the member.s-elect. Wood, after the vote was declared, filed a notice of contest against Pitman's election and vacated the chair. Alderman Thayer was made temporarj^ chairman and thereupon the three whig aldermen demanded that the newly elected aldermen, whose claims were not contested, should be first qualified and the question of right to the mayoralty be afterward considered. The two democrats refu.sed to recognize this line of procedure, and by leaving the house broke the ciuorum. This rather fai'cical performance was continued at several meetings for nearly a fortnight, causing a suspension of general business, iintil finally Wood withdrew his demand and the new board was organized. It then, with a party majority through the casting vote of the mayor, changed the political character of all the appointive offices. Since this period, 1854, with one exception, in 1859, although an occasional opposition mayor has been elected, the democratic party has maintained an unbroken majority and control in the city council for thirty-three years.

An important measure was adopted by this council tending to better define the hitherto doubtful system of city levels. The earliest formal step in this direction was a resolution or ordinance some years before that the "door sill of Holmes' store at the corner of Front and Hampshire.'' .shoidd be the regulation base. But the store had been rebuilt, the door siU changed, and Holmes had moved away so that grade calculations had now to be made from the seeoudar.y standards, involving much uncertainty, and beside this the regulation base above named was not itself fixed upon a determinate permanent plane. Now the council, with low water mark as a basis, established "the 'bench mark' on Delabar's house at the corner of Spring and Front .streets, 20 31-100 feet above low water mark, as the governing point for city grades.'' This well devised plan was still defective so long as it depended on "Delabar's house" for the "bench mark." A few years later it was improved and carried to completion by the present excellent system, which with elaborate and accurate calculation and measurements, established a base or datum plane 200 feet below low water mark, from which all grades are to be computed, and makes at the Franklin school house, "a table-stone for city levels'' 230 feet above the river base, with monumental .stones, corresponding to this table stone, at the center all the street intersections.

A city census, ordered by the council to ascertain the number and locality of the school children to be provided for, on the 1st of June, reported 5.878 under 20 years of age. and the total population of the city at 10,977, of which 196 were resident in East Quincy, as that portion of the city lying east of Twenty-fourth street and not yet attached, was called. It was generally thought that this figure. 10,977, was a good deal too low. The valuation of city property of all kinds by the official assessment, liased on a low standard of about one-third the actual value, as were all tax valuations at this time, was retui-ned as .'|>2.076,360.86

Property prices continued to advance as they had been doing for several years. A good deal of immigration flowed into the city and the surrounding section, and largely increased business of all kinds, and more extensive stocks of merchandise gave evidence of prosperity.

Manj' transfers of real estate were made at good profit figures. The largest land sale that had yet taken place in connection with Qniucy, larger, indeed, than any since, was the sale at auction in December of the 160 acres lying in the northeast part of the city between Eighteenth and Twenty-fourth and Broadway and Chestnut streets, now known as Moulton's addition. The history of this tract and its enormous increase in value , passing unbroken through but three transfers from its first owner, is curious enough to detail.

It was patented in 18.18 to Paul Barnard as bounty for services in the war of 1812. The same year, by conveyance made on the back of the parchment patent, Avhich I have before me, it was sold by the soldier for $53. Thirty years after, in 1848, it was again sold for $6,400 - $40 per acre. In December of this year, 1854, it was platted into nine blocks and eighty-two lots, each hit containing from one to two acres, the subtraction of the streets leaving about 130 acres to be sold. It realized at this sale about $45,000. or an average of $350 per acre. The lot on the northeast corner, a little less than two acres, brought $800, and a similar sized lot on the southwest corner for $1,250. So great an advance in the value of a single piece of property, passing through so few owners' hands, is rarely found.

Nearly at the same time with the bcfurementioned sale of the "Moulton" or "Skiddy quarter," which last was the name it had borne for thirty years, there Avas another extenssive land auction which attracted local attention and was profitable to some. This was the sale of all the remaining swamp or overflowed lands in Adams county, that had, prior to 1850, been the property of the general government. Congress in 1850 donated to the states all such lands as lay within their respective boundaries. Illinois relinquished in 1852 her interest in these lands to the counties where the same were located. The Adams county coui't oi'- dered a sale to be made on December 4th, 1854, of its lands, amounting to over 25,000 acres, which realized to the county treasury about $12,000. All the unentered larid, including the islands east of the river channel, the low bottom land between tlie river and the bluft", the lakes, among them the great Lima lake or Lake Paponsie, as it was originally called, covering over three thousand aci"es : every foot of ground, in fact, that was at all subject to even occasional overflow, was embraced in this sale. Much of it was or seemed to he worthless, and brought not over ten cents per acre, but again a great deal of it Avas of special value and there offered an opportune chance for profitable purchase, of which shrewd

The flrst Adams county agricultural fair was held on October 18th and 19th of this year. It had been projected with a good deal of enthusiasm and unity in the fall of 1853, and though a crude affair, in some respects, was a success. It exhibited on a piece of vacant ground a little north of Broadway, between Sixtli and Eighth streets. The enclosure was made by an irregular sort of fence or barrier, formed by piles of fallen trees and brushwood, looking much like a military abatis, and sentried all along on the inside by the committee men to keep out the boys. The attendance and display, both from the city and county, was good, and the institution hence onward for several years was an object of general interest and advantage. Unfortunate jealousies or misunderstandings in later years broke it down, and the supporting interests leaving Quincy located near the center of the county, establishing there a fair which has been a steady success, representing, however, more of the county than of the city elements of industry.

The ]\Iethodist seminary Avas now finished and opened to students. It Avas somcAvhat successful, but laden from the start Avith financial embarrassments, from Avhich it took many years to receive relief. The fine building in Avhieh it began its career Avas eventualy sold to the city for a public school, and the Chaddock college, as it is noAV called, in honor of one of its donors, Avas reniOA^ed to the present site at the corner of TAvelfth and State streets. The Centre Congregational church, at the corner of Jersey and Fourth streets, the neatest building of the kind as yet constructed in the city, built by a seceding portion of the First Congregational cliurch society, Avas finished and dedicated.

The most notable and commemorative occasion of the year and literally the most shining event. Avas the completion of the gas works, and the first lighting up of the city on December 1st. This Avas as great a gala day, or night, rather, as Quincy had as yet knoAvn. and was signalized by a general turning on of the gas in all the street lamps and priA'ate houses, and a general turning out of all the people into the streets to see how the city and themseh'es looked, and also by a gay evening banqiiet at the Quincy House. The gas company had obtained, two years before from the state legislature, a perpetual charter, giving it the exclusiA-e right for tAventy-five years to the use of the streets for furnishing light to the public and to priA'ate parties, and had concluded a contract Avith the city, folloAvin<r the terms of the charter, for tAventA'-fiA'e A-ears. It noAV slmne out with its well completed works, with a laid line of three and a half miles of pipe through the best settled part of the city and sixty-five street lamps erected and ready for instant use. with provisional arrangements completed between the company and the city, for their lighting and maintenance. It is due to fact and history to say that the contract was a mutually snccessful one, advantageous to all the parties. Under judicious and faithful management in its earlier starting, the company has also well lighted the city, and has always received, almost from the very commencement, a remunerative return to itself.

Besides this well-remembered occasion of the introduction of gas there was now the advent of other "first things" to be tabled in the record of this year, and these, though unattended by demonstrations like that which looked upon the first lighting up of the city, were equally events of public importance and attraction, and their dates are notable as initial points in the advancing movements of Quincy. On the 12th of ilareh two small locomotives (as railroad engines used to be called), reached here, brought by barge from Chicago through the canal and down the Illinois river. Crowds gathered, of course, to see the new comers, but it was not itntil Sept. 12th that one of them, the Tarnum. was ptit in working order and placed on the track to assist in the construction of the road. This, the pioneer engine, had a goodly crowd of gazers to Avitness its start. It had gotten the name of Barnum from the anti-railroad men. for there were a few croakers even in those days, who saw it Ijing on the landing iinused for six months and dubbed it after the great prince of humbugs. On i\Iay .")th the first .shipment of railroad iron, 100 tons, arrived, and 'Slay 29th the first rail was laid. All these occurrences, though unmarked by formality, drew special attention, from the universal interest that was felt in regard to the railroad. Some .jarring matters in the railroad directory brought about the resignation of J. il. Pitman and the election of John Wood as his successor, and the resignation of John Field, M'ho had been elected county clerk, was supplied liv the selection as secretarv of John C. Cox.

Final finish was made towards the certain completion of the railroad both north and east by the vote of Brown county pledging a subscription of .^100,000 to the eastern branch from Camp Point to ileredosia. This was first effected through the influence of private parties, whose public spirit had taken hold of the project. No chartered railroad company there then existed. There w^as not then as there is now. a general incorporation law authorizing corporate organization at any time in the interim of legislative sessions, and it was two years later that the parties who built the road through Brown county secured a charter at the session of 1856-57, against a factious opposition. The first election in Brown for this $100,000 subscription failed. The vote was 525 for to 206 against, but the terms under which the election was held required that the vote in favor of the project should be equal to two-thirds of the vote ca.st at the last general election. It failed by seven votes, through over-confidence and inattention. At a second election held a few weeks later it was carried by a most decisive vote, there being scarcely any opposition.

The summer was extremely hot. the hottest ever known, as the oldest inhabitants always say. The thermometer rated on July 17th at 105. and six days during the month showed a degree over 100, with a monthly average of 93, really an extraordinary continuance of heat. With this was also much sickness. The cholera made a slight visitation, but only some half a dozen cases oceuri-ed in the city, while near around and in the county there were a good many more cases.

Some notable changes occurred among the newspaper establishments, always objects of public interest. The Patriot, published by Warren & Gibson, edited by the latter and later l)y D. S. ]\Iorrison, became a tri-w-eekly on the 16th of September. H. V. Sullivan, the first publisher of the Quincy Whig, with which he had subsecptently been always connected, sold his interest therein to Henry Young, and made preparation for establishing another paper. This, the Republican, he brought out in partnership with F. A. Dallam in the following year. 1855. There were at this time four established journals in the city, the Herald. Courier (German). Whig and Patriot. The first two were democratic, the Whig was whig and the Patriot independent and anti-slavery.

The military mania was all-pervading this year. The Blues made their first parade, in creditable shape, on the 7th of January, and later in the seasan an artillery company under the command of Austin Brooks, of the Herald, w-as organized, but did not turn out initil the next year.

Probably the most destructive fire that had as yet attacked the city, was on the 20th of October, when Thayer's large distillery with many of its surroundings, were destroyed. The damage was estimated at over $50,000, with little insurance, a much greater figure than had footed the losses suffered at any former fire.

out the whole year. That mad issue made by the repeal of the Missouri compromise, ott'ering the entrance of slavery into the territories and its protection while there, absorbed all other questions of dispute, shattering' old party associations and creating a new line of political separation. The Nebraska bill and slavery extension were the leading and almost only subjects of thought and discussion, resulting in the overthrow cf the democratic party in the state, completely reversing the political conditions that had existed, unbroken, for twenty-five years. The operation was different in several sections of the state. In the northern part, which had heretofore been decidedly democratic, almost the entire whig party and a very large percentage of the democratic, united in what was called the anti-Nel:»raska movement, from which sprang the repnl)lican party. In the central belt, where the whig element was .stronger, the parties remained nearly the same; a few changes only being made from either side. In the southern section where were th(> great democratic majorities, with the exception of the locations wherein the German vote lay, which now cut loose from the democratic party to which it had been almost solidly attached, the democrats as a whole and nearly all of the few whigs that were there, supported the repeal of the compromise, thus leaving scai-cely a nominal opposition in all the Egyptian ]>art of the state.

In Adams counly and adjniniiig the political changes were few and very nearly offset each other. Wm. A. Richardson was renominated for congress at the democratic convention after a long and stubboi-n contest between several other aspirants, and Archibald Williams was brought out by the opposition. The other democratic candidates were, for state senator, Wm. II. Carlin : for representatives. J. M. Ruddle and Eli Seehorn, and Wilson Lane for sheriff. Opposed to these wei-e Peter B. Oarrett for the senate; for the house. II. V. Sullivan and Wm. B. Gooding. I'egulai- nominees, and Wm. C. Harrington, independent, and B. M. Prentiss for sheriff. It was at this election that a small local cause brought about the election of the tirst republican U. S. senat(n' from Illinois, which has already been mentioned in these sketches.

A curious feature connected witli the organization of this legislature, before alluded to. with its meagre majority of one, and being the tirst anti-democratic legislature in the state since the formation of that party, is worth mention. It is not local to Quincy or Adams county, but is a part of the general political history of the state and nation, and caused the Adams county representation in the general assembly to play a nnich more imi)ortant part than it otherwise might have done. Abraham Lincoln and Stephen T. Logan, the two most eminent men in that section, were elected by several hundred majority as the anti-Nebraska members of the house from Sangamon county, Mr. Lincoln very much against his wish, because he was recognized as being the candidate of the party for election to the U. S. Senate. When it was a.scertained that the anti-Nebraska party had the control of the legislature by a cleai' majority of at least three, ilr. Lincoln resigned, every one supposing that Sangamon coiuity would choose as his succes.sor a man of the same political stamp. But the democrats laid low. and (piietly organizing a "still hunt," run ill a Mr. JIcDaniel, a very obscure man, and completely reversed the 600 or 700 majority of the month before. This left the balance of strength so close that half a dozen anti- Nebraska members, formerly democrats, couti'olled the situation and the.v demanded that Mil anti-Douglas democrat, rather than an old whig, should be elected as the successor of General Shields in the U. S. Senate. They succeeded, and after several days' balloting, where ]\Ir. Lincoln came very near success. Judge Trumbull was chosen by one vote more than the vote given to Matteson, the Douglas candidate. Had IMr. Lincoln not been a candidate for the legislature, some other man like him in opinions would have been chosen with Judge Logan, and Mr. Lincoln would have been elected senator. Had he not resigned the result would have been the same. But if Abraham Lincoln had gone into the United States Senate in 1854, would he there have achieved that distinction which he afterward acquired, and would he four years later, in 1858. have, fi night the great debate with Douglas, which laid the foundation of his elevation to the presidenc.v and eternal fame

A ju-ivate "High School" was opened by Prof. ]M. T. Root on the fith of October, which ma.v perhaps projierly be called the tirst of its kind, since it was the only institution claiming such a character that was sustained for any great length of time. This school was jiopular and prospered inider the management of ]\[i'. Root and of those who succeeded him, until about the time when, several years later, the public high school, of like scope, and affording equal advantages, such a one as it had been unsuccessfully proposed to establish in the spring of this year, was engrafted upon the city school system. IMr. Root, beside being an unusually well educated instructor, and a decided thoiigh gentle disciplinai'ian, possessed that other valuable trait in a teacher of sympathetic association with his pii|»ils. He added to the attractions of his school by the organization of a military company from among his students. This, the "'Quiney Cadets," with its simple, tasteful uniform, and a drill jjrofieieney equal to the average, soon Ijecame one of the popular institutions of the city. One of its officers. Lieutenant Shipley, afterwards a lieutenant in the 27th Illinois Infantry, was the first commissioned officer from Quiney who was killed in the civil war, at Belmont, ^lo.. in 1861.

Another eft'ort was made to establish a public free school for colored children by an appropriation of the council of $150 towards building a school house "whenever the property was bought and paid for." This project, like that proposed in the early part of the year, was a failure.

The Westminster church, December 24. 1853, representing the old school branch of the Presbyterian church, with the Rev, Wm. McCandish as its pastor, began service in a small building on Sixth street between ilaine and Jersey. Soon after they erected a church on Hampshire near Ninth, which they occupied until they reunited with the other I'resbyterians aljout thirty years later.

There were at this time eighteen religious societies in Quiney having churches for regular worship. Of these, thirteen conducted services in English, viz. : Two IMethodist Episcopal, one Protestant ]\Iethodist, one Christian (or Campbellite), two Presbyterian (Old and New School), two Congregationalist, one Episcopalian, one Unitarian, one Universalist and one Catholic : and five in German, two Evangelical, one Lutheran, one ]\Iethodist Epi.scopal, and one Catholic. The Catholic societies were by far the largest of any of these. Their increase in this section for a good many years had been rapid and extensive. A public statement made abotit this time reports the Catholic diocese of Quiney to embrace 52 churches, 39 stations, Avith a church attendance of 42,000.

iluch the most comprehensive annual review of the city that had as yet appeared was prepared and published at the close of this year. It is too lengthy and detailed for repetition here, though some of its principal statements may be shown. The gross amount of business reported displays a decided increase over any pa.st year. The value of "agricultural exports" was as recited, .$1,171,258. Among the leading items scheduled were 48,000 barrels of flour, valued at .$312,000: of hav. 1,325 tons, $17,225 : wheat, 22,294 bushels, $24,- 6.33: oats, 192,839 bushels, .$61,710: corn, 76,- 416 bushels, $32,190: to this last article the compiler says should be added the 178,514 bushels that it took to make 624.800 gallons of whiskey, worth $206,184, all of which was made and shipped from here. The total number of hogs packed was 23,000, an advance on the previous year, and the value of the manufacture $296,444. Beef packing summed up a value of .$49,149. Shipments south were made of 301,560 pounds of hides, valued at $15.078 ; 62,200 boxes of soap, $15,500; 4,215 boxes of candles, .$25,440: 3.000 barrels of crackers, $15,- 000. Of brick 6,000.000 were manufactured, worth $21,000, and marble and stone work to an equal amount was done. Cabinet work amounted to $106,390. The cooper shops, 21 in number, turned out 55,400 flour, 10,750 pork and 14,550 whiskey barrels, and other work amounting to $63,362, The 15 wagon and plow shops and the 2 carriage factories reported a business of $179,315 ; 2 planing mills and 18 carpenter shops $152,211 : 1 steam saw mill $50,000 : 5 machine shops, $77,450 : 4 foundries (2 of them stove), $165,520: 5 saddle and harness shops, $77,030: 5 lumber yards received 5,000,000 feet of pine lumber worth $100,000, 230 licensed stores of all kinds are reported as transacting business to the extent of $1,279,500. The compiler says in reference to the last amount above stated that he is disposed to consider it as possibly $200,000 too small, but that he had sedulously through his entire examination, from fear of over-estimation, kept his figures down as much as pos.sible.

This statement of the leading industries of the city was compiled by a (juaiut. earnest old gentleman, now deceased, who was from very early times and for nearly half a century one of the notables of the place, and of whom and his oddities a characteristic anecdote follows. He was an excellent, benevolent man, defectively educated, but a singular compound of shrewd intelligenec and eceenti'ie action, a most ardent whig, and opposed to innovation of old theories, political, medical or anywise, having an especial distrust of whatever newfangled thing began with "anti" or ended with "isms." What the worthy captain precisely meant by hydropathic inventions, he only could explain. He considered some medical ((uaekery. or maybe a lurking pun on the sound of the first syllable of the word hydropathic, as the story below, one of a thousand such as might be told about him. illustrates :

At a social gathering, where the captain was present, during the time, many years ago, when animal magnetism, mesmerism, spiritualism and such like perplexities were new, but pervading the country, and as little understood then as now. the subject of transcendentalism became a topic of talk. It was a new idea and. a strange word to the captain, and kept him unusuallv silent for awhile. "Transcendental- ism," tlioiight lie to himself for awhile, all in a puzzle. Part of this word soiinded familiar, but altogether it was too long and too deep for him, when suddenly some expression used in the discussion threw at once a flood of apparent light iipou his mind. "Oh," said he, "I see what you're talking about; it's a religious fixin' it seems. I didn't know before what transdentalism meant. I thought it w;is some new fangled ism about the teeth!" And then he dived into the discussion as fearlessly, as learnedly, and no doubt as lucidly as any of the other disputants. The subject was one which calls for more tongue than sense; and is well described by a satiric old Scotch philosopher as the fairest of all themes for controversy, "because, dyje see, it's an equal for baith parties, for the mon who talked didna ken what he meant, and the gude folk that listen dinna ken e'en all of his fool clatter."

The unusual early spring flood, continuing throughout the summer, suddenly subsided in the late fall mouths, leaving an almost unprecedented low stiiyc of water. On the middle of Novembei" thirty inches of water was reported in the river channel, and much floating ice thus early appeared. This shallow channel and obstructing ice continued throughout the coming winter, hut at no time did the river freeze fast. Boats with difficulty made occasional trips from St. Ijouis to Keokuk all through the winter months.

There was much financial distrust and business embarrassment during this year all over the west, and especially in Illinois, growing out of the weakness of the .state stock banking system. Illinois was flooded with bank paper secured by pledge of the uncertain and declining bonds of other states, and rivalry and competition among the banks and brokers brought about some failures and created a general distrust toAvards all bank paper, yet the average prosperity continued, and in Quincy especially so, making this year, 1854, the most hopeful period in all its history to date.

Office Moved To Springfield. Review

THE BAT A PLACE FOR WINTERING STEAMBOATS. VOTING ON A TEMPERANCE LAW. SKINNER ELECTED JUDGE OF SUPREME COURT. SIBLEY ELECTED JUDGE OF CIRCUIT COURT. FISCAL STATEMENT. STREET IMPROVEMENTS. HOSPITAL GROUNDS PIIRCH.-VSED. RAILROAD IMPROVEMENTS. WOODLAND ORPHANS' HOME. QIUNCY AS A PORT OF ENTRY. A CITY DIRECTORY. U. S. LAND OFFICE MOVED TO SPRINGFIELD. REVIEW OF ITS HISTORY. THE NEWSPAPERS. MILITARY ORG.\NIZATION. PROSPERITY.

Business during the winter season was good. The pork production, at that time the best index of business prosperity, amounted to .$35,- 000, which with the occasional steamboat arrivals, made activity and kept other occupations active. The river continued to keep open throughout the early part of the winter, with more (u- less running ice, and an average of about three feet in the channel. It shut down on this uncertain navigation by freezing solid on the l25th of January. The last steamer which left here on the 22nd of January was nearly sweek on her passage to St. Louis. The river opened for the season on March 8th, and maintained a good stage .of water until its final freeze on the 24tli of December. Some half dozen large steamers were laid up for the winter, i)ainted and repaired, in the "bay," which made quite an addition to the business appearance of the place. This making use of the '"bay" for the wintering and repair of boats during the winter, had been for a few years common, and after this time continued, but for some reason it has been abandoned. There is no place on the upjjer IMississippi so fitting in all respects as the Quincy Bay for "putting in ordinary" of steamboats in winter, and for several years it was not unusual to see half a dozen or more of No. 1 crafts there, among them sometimes, a large New Orleans steamer. Two important elections were held during the summer of this year, one of them general, embracing the entire state, and the other, which occurred on the same day, June 6th, confined to the central section, including Quincy, Avhere it aroused especial interest and feeling. The first was over the ratification by jyopnlar vote, of a stringent temperance law which had been passed at the preceding session of the legislature, subject to approval of the people. The law was largely fashioned after the Maine liquor law, and the contest over it was quite stirring, producing an unusually large vote (about 170,000), an increase of more than 30,- 000 on the state vote of the previous year. No political lines were drawn at this election, which was the first of the kind held in Illinois, but action on the law was strongly sectional, it receiving general support in the northern counties, wliile in the southern section it was a.s uniforndy opposed. It failed of ratification by about 14,000 votes. Quincy gave against it a majority of 105. which was increased in the county to 978.

The appointment of Judge Treat as United States district judge for southern Illinois made a vacancy in the supreme court of the state in the second district, and -ludge Skinner, who had acceptably presided over the Adams and Hancock circuit, offered as a candidate for that position. Opposed to him were Stephen T. Logan of Sangamon, and Charles IT. Constable of Wabash eouuties. Political feeliDg was uot enlisted in this election, but like the election on the liquor question, local sentiment and preference was active and controlling each aspirant receiving the general vote of his own section of the district, and Judge Skinner was easily successful by about 10,000 majority. The contest for the eii'cuit judgeship and a successor to Judge Skinner, was like the above, a sort of triangular duel, and was attended with more of personal bitterness than often attaches to a purely political contest. The Adams coTuity bar, with a desire to avoid political strife, had almost unanimously recommended for this position George Edmunds, an active and rising j'oung lawyer of Quincy. A personal hostility to Mr. Edmunds brought forward an opposition and some severe attacks, which were refuted, but operated upon the election. Resultant on this was the candidacy of Joseph Sibley and John AV. Marsh of Hancock county, the first, as the nominee of a democratic convention, and the latter one of the oldest and most experienced lawyers of the state, supported generally by the whigs of the district, such as had not committed themselves to the support of ]Mr. Edmunds. It was a close and doubtful election, ending in the election of Mr. Sibley by a small majority. Judge Sibley was three times re-chosen to this oliSce. holding it for twentj'-four years, the longest term of judicial circuit service known in the state.

The fall election for county officers excited but little interest. Three officials, treasurer, school superintendent and surveyor, only were to be chosen, and the democrats elected them all. At the city election in April J. M. Pitman was the democratic candidate for re-election to the mayoralty, and was successful with the rest of the ticket by 250 majority over "Wm. B. Powers, "independent" candidate. This secured the democratic control of the council, which was continued through the three succeeding years, and no changes were made among the official representatives of the city.

The annual "fiscal statement" of the city for the year ending April 1, 1855, exhibited a more economical administi-ation of the city affairs than that of the preceding year, when, as per this report, the expenditiu'es had exceeded the receipts by $4, 174. .37, while by the showing of '54-55 the receipts amounted to .$37,476.64 and the expenditures to only .$36,993.95. leaving a balance on hand of $482.69.

A very decided advance in population was told by the state census taking during this summer, 10.754 against 6,901 as returned by the national census in 1850, showing an increase of over 56 per cent within five years. An unusual amount of substantial improvement also marks the records of this year. Jersey street, making now the seventh completed traversable track between the upper and the river section of the city, was graded from Third to Front street, Maine street was macadamized from Fifth to Eighth and brought to a better level father east. Broadway east of Wood, or Twelfth street, as it now was called, was increased in width to 76 feet to correspond with its western width. Thirteenth nor Fourteenth street was opened from Jersey to Broadway. This opening was the first departure from the original town plan which had heretofore been generally followed, of evenly bounded blocks 24 rods square and streets 4 rods wide ; a very judicious arrangement, neatly adapted to the system of the federal land surveys and to the road laws of the state. The innovation in the establishment of Foixrteenth street by making a block of double the usual length from eaist to west has since been followed in some other additions in the eastern part of the city by leaving out each odd numbered street running north and south. It was growing out of this, and with the idea of regulating the future shaping of the city, that the council, however, not now excepting to this particular measure, made the requirement, under the provisions of a .state law to that efi:'ect. that all plots and plans for addition to the city mu.st before being recorded obtain the approval of the city council. The chief idea in this ordinance being to ensure that all streets, platted in the outer sections of the city, shall conform in width and alignment to those already existing, even though they may not connect therewith. Orange street, since called Eighteenth, was opened from State street to Chestnut. This was on the line which had heretofore been the most eastern boundary of the city. A large addition was noAV made. At the January meeting of the council a new city charter was proposed and the mayor authorized to proceed to Springfield and urge its passage througli the legislature. The main feature in the new charter was the enlargement of the city area. It proposed to about double the area of the city, making Twenty-fourth street the eastern and Locust and Harrison the northern and southern boundaries. The measure passed with some opposition, and was much resented by many parties, who. OAvning land near the city, were thus forced into citizenship against their wish and made to encounter increased taxation and responsibility for the large past and prospective city debt.

Orange street continued to be the eastern boundary of the city. The proposed amendment to "the charter for the purpose of enlarging the citv area, although it easily passed through tlie L-ouneil, met witli iiiuuli (ipixisitiun ill the legislature, Avhere the outside interests could make themselves heard, and it failed to become a law. Two years later, however, at the regular session, the same measure was introduced and passed in January, 1857, and at the same session, a month later, another amendment to the charter was passed adding to the city what was then known as East Quiney, an area of about eighty acres Ijouuded by Broadway and Thirtieth, an east and west line about on the extension of Jersey street taking in the old city cemetery, and Twenty-fourth streets. These lines, then made, have not since been changed and constitute the present bounds of the city. An order was made by the council that there should be prepared by the city engineer a complete plan of the city, showing the grades of all the streets and alleys, their dimensions, with points of intersection detined and marked, and figures attached, which should be the official record of grades a.s uiiJfoi'mly established all over the city, the same to be finished witliin two years. This was a project like that which had been begun in the preceding year, but then only p;irtially carried out. Before the two years' limit expired, the addition to the city above mentioned was made and the work extended so as to comprehend its entire area, and this established system of siirvey and grades remains, with occasionally slight alterations such as the local interest seemed to require. A charter for Quiney water Avorks was obtained from the legislature, l)ut nothing resulted from it. Ten yeai's later a charter for the same purpose passed the legislature, liut did not receive the executive approval, and it was not until about ten years farther on that an individual enterprise, commenced on a somewhat limited scale, permanently established for the city this essential improvement. Purchase was made by the city of John Wood, for .$8,160 in eight year bonds, of what was then called the Hospital grounds (since Tised for that and other police purposes), a tract of land of about eight acres lying west of Fifth street and south of and adjoining the Woodland cemetery.

An important business arrangement was now concluded between the city and the railroad company, by which the latter obtained from the city permanent rights in portions of the public ground belonging to the city, and transferred as consideration to the city the ownership of several pieces of property, mostly city lots along the river bank, which the railroad company had obtained by purchase, or had received in the form of subscription towards its construction. Much of the land which the railroad company thus obtained and needed for its uses, that l.ving north of Broadway, was subject to overtiow at a high stage of water, and the grade had to be raised several feet. On this the building of an engine house and machine shops, of stone, and a large frame freight depot was begun early in the fall and sufficiently completed for use early in the ft)llowing year.

A charter was obtained from the legislature in February for the Woodland Orphans' Home. This charity was projected in 1853, when fifteen philanthropic citizens united for its establi.shment, each one isledgiug !flOO towards the Ijurchase of a ground site on which to found the enterprise. The land was bought for this amount, .$1,500, of John Wood, being the block owned by the "Home" on Fifth street, east of the cemetery. Prom this time the institution has been successfully conducted, doing much good. It has secured a hold upon the general symjiathies of all classes in the community. I'.-i using it to become one of the most useful and jiojudar among the public charities of the city.

Among the many notable "first things" of the place, which are always curious, was the direct imixirtation of foreign goods to Quiney, througli the medium of no other custom house, thus placing Quiney on a direct trading footing Math all the rest of the world, which is told thus: "The fir.st government duties on foreign merchandise received from any of our merchants by the collector of the port of Quiney, Avere ]iaid a fcAv days since by Messrs. L. & C. II. Bull, on cutlery and files imported by them from Sheffield, England. This house has for some time past imported direct many of the goods of foreign manufacture required for their business, but before Quiney was created a port of delivery, the duties had been paid at the port of entry. New Orleans.''

The office had been established at Quiney about two years before, but it was to facilitate the importation of railroad iron, and only this class of freight had been received up to this period. According to the record, the above shipment and receipt Avas Quincy's first priA'ate mercantile transaction Avith f(n-eign countries.

The veiy important exchange of property and rights betAveen the city and the railroad company, before mentioned as having been consummated by the action of the council, has been so often a question of curiosity, and sometimes of legal controversy, that a detail of the property transferred, is here giA'en. It Avas a Avell considered and thoroughly understood transaction at the time, supposed to exchange equal equities, permanent in their nature and mutually advantageous.

tious of li)ts :J. 4 ;md o, of block 16; 3, 5 and 6, of block 25 ; the north 56 feet of river fraction of lot 3, block 26, being 650 feet, and all the private ground west of Front street, from the public landing to 56 feet south of York street, except river fractions of lot 6, in block 16, and -i in 25. The railroad coni[)any released their former right to erect iMiildings on Front street, south of Broadway, or to occupy the public land south of halfway between Vermont and Hamjishire, releasing also all their right to Broadway, east of Twelfth street, unless they hereafter had use for the same for a railroad: and further releasing to the city the right to collect city wharfage from their grounds, such as is collectible from the public landings, and further obligated themselves to furnish a good road below Olive street, past their ground, fronting thereon, till that street was opened, and to pay all damages, which might be assessed for rights conveyed to the company.

On the other hand the city sold to the railroad company all of the public landing, north of a line extending west from the center of block 6 : all of Front street north of a line 50 feet south of Oak street and south of a line 660 feet north of Pease's addition, all of Oak and (Jreen. now Vine, streets west of Olive street, giving also the privilege of using Broadway and Spring streets west of west line of Front street, but without the right to erect buildings thereon ; of Front street south from 50 feet south of Oak street to Broadway, except sidewalks, and of making two railroad tracks in and along that jioi'tion of Front street south of the noi'th line of Broadway to center of said block 6, with some conditions as to the line of said tracks, etc. And the city further agreed not to condemn any portion of the railroad property for a public landing.

The property and franchises conveyed by these agreements thus vested severally in the city and the Northern Cross R. R. Co., and later on the absorption of this company in the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, all of these rights and obligations were transferred to this last named corporation.

A city directory was published this year by J. T. Everhart. which was (|uite a comprehensive and complete work, really the tirst of the kind. There had been heretofore some small issues of this character, but they Avere very incomplete and meager, hardly woi'thy of the name.

The second annual meeting of the Adams (\Hnity Agricultural Fail' Association was held on the 26th of October and the two following days. It was a great advance on that of the lireceding year, being a success, to which the city and county industrial interests of all kinds alike contributed, and it attracted attention and attendance from all the surrounding section, both on this and the other side of the Iriver. Afterward for a number of years the Adams County Fair, with Quincy as its natural location, maintained this favorable prestige, each exposition, in its extensive and varied display, surpassing that of the year before. It soon ranked among the best of the Illinois comity fairs. Largely was this owing at first to the judicious interest bestowed upon it by the manufacturing, mercantile and other active enterprises of the city. With the weakening of this support and the introduction of other less legitimate features for a fair, its location was subsec[uently changed.

There were the customary changes among the newspapers dnring this year. These, though often of but passing importance, are links in the chain of local record; since the newspaper history of a place is an essential portion of its complete history. It is curious to note the checkered career of journalism in Quincy, and its many changes, almost as fre- <(uent and periodical as the return of the seasons.

Of the two oldest and permanent journals the Herald, to the present elate of writing, during a life of over fifty years, has passed through about thirty changes of partners and ownership, and the Whig, three years its junior, has had during nearly the same length of time, about half as many, while among the many smaller journals, that is, such of them as lived long enough to undergo a change of parents, the same conditions were common.

The Herald had its partial change in ownership, though its management remained the same. The Patriot and Republican, established as a weekly in 1854, came out on January 1st as the Daily Republican, published by Thos. Gibson and D. S. Morrison. The latter as editor soon became engaged in a political and personal wrangle with Brooks of the Herald, from which grew a street fight and a law suit, the whole productive of nothing but public annoyance and fees for lawyers. Quincy was made notorious for many years by its own newspaper scurrility, much to its dissatisfaction at home and discredit abroad. The death of Mr. A. Roesler, a very h^ighly informed man, editor of the Tribune, a German weekly, caused a change in the management and character of this journal. It had been started in 1853 by an association of whigs as a political paper, but had not met with much pecuniary fortune. It nowpassed into the possession of Winters & Phieffer, and subsequently through other hands, bel62 c'omiu.u' the present Cieniuiiiia. In hiter years the political eharaeter of the paper has been changed. In the Whig, the death in June of ]\f r. Henry Young, one of its publishers, brought about a change there also. The interest owned by J\Ir. Young was purchased by V. Y. Ralston. Morton & Ralston who now for sometime published the pajjer, a M'eekly and daily. jMr. Ralston was a young man of nuieh energetic talent and possessed a special ajititude for journalism, in which he might have become distinguished had he continued in the jirofession. Ho abandoned it after a brief ti'ial, began the practice of law with good success, removed to Macomb, 111., went into the army as a captain in the 16th Illinois Infantry, and died during the war.

This was a great military year, the most warlike looking period that Quincy had ever yet known, or ever after knew, until the later well-remembered period when real war raged throughout the land. Two military companies, the Blues, Captain Prentiss, and the Yagers, C-ajitain Delabar (the latter a German company), had been in existence for some time. Three others now nuide their appearance. An artillery company was organized in June, of which Austin Brooks of the Herald was elected captain. He accepted the command, as he said. on the condition that the company would "turn out if required to enforce the fugitive slave law." A cadet company with ^I. V. D. Ildlmcs as commander, composed nf the students of Mr. Root's school, was formeil about the same time; the two making their first parade on the 4th of July, and later, in the fall, was organized the City Guards, Capt. E. W. Godfrey, tiu-niiig out for the first time on the 19th of No\eiuber. A liatn]li(ui was foi'med from these coiiipaiiies. with .Ma.joi- J. R. Hollowbush as C(uninander. Emulation aniong tiiese several organizations made them of much interest and produced a high degree of military proficiency. A very imposing display was made on the 4th of July. There was the usual ceremonial observance of the day, greatly aided in effect by the large military force of the four Quincy companies and a visitiiiL;- company from Keokuk. Nothing like it had vxrv liefore shown up in QuiiK'y. It altogether put out the memories of I\[ormon war glory.

There was a good deal of financial distrust and embarrassment ])i-evaleut at this time, owing to excessive speculation anil the large issue of uncertain money by the numerous western banks. Quincy was but slightly affected thereby. The suspension of the banking house of Page & Bacon, of St. Louis, and their close connection with Flagg & Savage, then the leadinu' bank of Quincy, caused some local uneasiness: not sufficient, however, to seriously distui'b business. The firm in St. Louis soon resumed, but after a year or two went down finally, and the breaking of this great house luid an infiuence in causing the failure of the Quincy banking house, at a later day.

The general business of the city continued j)rosperous, and increased at home and abroad much imn-e than it had in any previous period. The railroad, which in the latter part of the year, was completed to Galesburg, making there a through connection to Chicago, had brought to Quincy from the counties north and east of Adams, associations aiul acciuaiutanee which extended the trade of the city to a distance and into localities wliere it had heretofore been almost a stranger. And now connnenced and has since continued, a diversion of business connection and travel, which for thirty years had entirely gone to, and eastward through, St. Louis, towards Chicago, drawn thither liy the lessened distance from the eastern markets and the more rapiil transit afforded by rail than by the river.

Substantial and tasteful imi)rovemeut of every kind was uiius\udly marked. The stone Ei)iscopal church, now the Cathedral at the corner of Hampshire and Seventh streets, which had been several years in building, was completed and occupied. Many of the best private residences of the city M^ere erected at this time. It was what would have been called now a " I loom year. '" ( )ne of the city papers publishes eai'ly in the >'ear "as one of the evidences of the progress and prosperity of Quincy, that there are already contracts made for laying nearly ten million of brick in buildings to be erected in the city this se;is(Hi. The supply of brick is entirely inadequate to meet the demand. Good brick ccunmand a high price, say $5 to $6 per thousand. All now made or in the kiln ai'P engaged.

The gas company, during this year greatly extended its mains, and set up from twentyfive to thirty additional street lights. The coal trade brought to the city by the railroad luiving reached the coal fields of ]\IcDonough county, now became ;dmost at once an extensive line of business, cheapening the general price of fuel and affordiut;- coal to steamers, factories and l)rivate parties at rates greatly reduced from foi'mer figures.

Values of real estate kept advancing both in ;inil around the city. As a token of this, the ]\rauzey stoi'chouse on the north side of the square was purchased in October by the Budde Bros., for .$4,500. The ground being under lease, did not sell with the building, hut the privileae passed of buying it. 25 feet, for $2,- 000. This same iiiece of griunul sold smne three years before, for $1,000. In the suburbs of tlie city the advance in prices was yet more marked. What was known as the "Bnena Vista" Farm, two and a half miles east of the city, sold for $50.00 per acre. Forty acres of the "Fox Farm," now John Dick's, two miles north with no improvements on it, brought $100 an acre. The "Brewer Farm," one and a half miles east on State street, sold for $100 per acre, and the "Pearson Farm," two and a half miles southeast of the square, was purchased for $125 per acre.

Party. Fall Electons. Growth Of Business

EXCESSIVE COLD. COMPLETION OF RAILROAD TO CHICAGO. QUINCY & PALMYRA ROAD. NEW B.\NK. WAB.A.SH FROM CAMP POINT TO ILLINOIS RIVER. V.A.LUE OF PROPERTY. ORG.A.NIZ.\TION OF POLICE. LARGE CISTERNS. POLITICAL CHANGES. RISE OF REPUBLICAN PARTY. FALL ELECTONS. GROWTH OF BUSINESS.

Navigation ended on December 2-!:, 1855. and the river remained ice-locked until March 18. 1856. when it opened, closing again on December 8, of this year. The winter of '55-56 was very severe, at times bitterly cold, with much snow, sleet storms and ice. The weather during the early part of January was particularly harsh, the mercury on the 7th falling to 28 degrees below zero, and the early weeks of February were equally cold, the thermometer .showing 27 below on the 3d of the month, and the same again on the 9th and 10th. The stage driver came in on the evening of the 3d with his mail coach, so chilled as to be speechless, unable to handle his team, and had to be lifted down from his box. It was a season of much distress from this cause, but was, however, a very brisk period for business. Forty-five thcu.sand was the number of hogs reported as being packed during the season.

The especial event of the time was the completion of the railroad to Galesburg on the last day of January. This had been finished and was operated as far as Avon on the 1st of January, and a short gap between this point and that portion of the road that was being built from Galesburg southward, was filled in on the above date, making the connection with Chicago complete. It was a jubilee time, and the satisfaction and anticipations of the people was told by the press as follows, with the flaring design of a locomotive and train and In'oad headlines of "Through to Chicago. A railroad connection with the xVtlantie cities. All aboard."

"The event is an impoi'tant one and inaugurates a new era in the history of Quiney. For years our citizens have been looking with an intense interest to the consummation of this enterprise which was to open, and which has opened, to Quiney, a future radiant with eveiy promise of prosperity. A new vitality and a new strength has been given to our city, apparent in the immense increase of business in all departments, transacted during the past season, and in the extensive preparations that are making for substantial improvements in the way of buildings that are to go up this year. We have every reason to congratulate ourselves upon the present and prospective prosperity of our beautiful and flourishing city. "

No event ever occurred in the history of the place that was hailed with more of universal satisfaction than the final construction of this road. It was felt to be the one needed resoui'ce to free traffic and travel from its winter thraldom when the river was closed by ice, and to establish the place on conditions of equality with the surrounding rival cities, and in it the citizens had freely embarked their means and their hopes.

Following shortly after the above mention of the gratification which greeted the completion of the road, and showing the results of this quickened connection with the east, and how they were relished, appears a press notice again giving the "acknowledgements of the editor and of ;Mr. Sam'l Holmes to Major Iloltou for a fine, fresh codfi.sh. right from Massachusetts Bay, the first arrival of the kind in Quiney. After partaking of the same we pronounce it a 'creature comfort of the first water,' and tender our thanks." All of these, Messrs. Holmes. Holton and the editor, were born Yankees of the most cerulean hue, possibly may have been (as has been said of Yankee children) weaned on the above aliment. One may imagine the gusto with which they and their brother Yankees greeted these "representatives of both hemispheres;" as Daniel Webster dubbed them, fresh from the ocean, after having been obliged for years of life in the west to eat their codfish - salt.

One enterprise connected with this road opening, merits mention as being among Quiney 's many "first things," the short-lived pioneer here in a line of business which though now co-extensive with the land, had at this time, but a limited and ])artial scope or operation, compared with what it has become. This was the establishment on the 1st of January, by some Quiney parties, of the "Godfrey and

Snow's express" from Qniiiey to Chicago. These parties had originated this scheme with .some success in running their express to St. Louis by boat and for awhile made it profitable as well as also a convenience to the public wiien extended to Chicago, but the heavy hand of wealthier companies, controlling more extended facilities, soon took possession of the business and forced them out of what had promised to be a lucrative enterprise.

The long desired railroad communication with Chicago being secured to the great gratification and convenience of the people of Quincy, they at once in the Hush of this satisfaction began inunediately to look around tor additional railroad advantages. Two projects were prominent and promising. One was the making of a direct eastern route by a road from Camp Point to the Illinois river, to link on to the connections of the great road that was pushing its con.strnction westward from Toledo. This was already arranged for and the project was under way. The road that had been just finished to Galesburg (The Northern Cross R. R.) was intended to be the western portion of the Wabash, the road from CamjJ Point to Galesburg, being a branch engrafted on the original charter. It was deemed more inunediatel.y important to push the road northwards towards Chicago and this had now been effected. The other thought was of a western road into and across Missouri. This was finally done at an early after date, but at an unnecessary and uncalled for cost. The Hannibal and St. Joseph R. R. commencing at the latter point on the j\Iissouri river and crossing the northern portion of the state on a nearly direct east and west parallel to its eastern terminus at llaiuiibal on the Mississippi, twenty miles south of Quincy was constructed under the partial pretext of making a military road, by the congressional grant of a large body of public lands. The system was the same that a few years before had been adopted in the charter of the Illinois Central, and has since been the basis upon which nearly all the great i-ailroads west of the Mississippi have been built. At the time of its projection it was intended and expected (and the alignment of the proposed road was favorable and proper therefor) that there would be two eastern termini, one at Hainiibal and one at Quincy : but the latter point, for political reasons was dropped out of the bill and Quincy had to ultimately construct its connection from its own resources. Our people however were anxious for the road, knew its importance and felt very generous and forgiving at the time. A company was organized. late in the year known as the Quincy & Palmyra R. R. Co., with ex-Mayor Holmes as its president, which proposed to construct a line of road from West Quincy to connect with the Hannibal & St. Joe ti-ack at Palmyra, and upon this scheme the city took decisive action early in 1857, securing its completion.

Among the new enterprises of this year was the establishment on the 1st of June of the "Bank of Quincy," by Boon and ]McGinnis, with a capital stoVk of "!l^2(:)0.(»00. this being the third institution of the kind in the city. Its ideation was at thi^ corner of Maine and Fourth under the (Quincy House. Its business was not largt for awhile but a year or two later on the failure of the two older banks, that of Flagg & Savage and of Mt)ore, Ilollowbush & Co., leaving this bank the only financial in.stitution in the eity, it had the monopoly of such business and for a time was succes.sful and prosperous. Tills eai'eer was but brief. The failure of ex- (iovernor Matteson, who was its chief owner, and other causes, brought about the winding up of its affairs after three oi' four years' existence.

The third big hotel was conunenced at this time. There had been the "Quincy House," in 1836, and the "City Hotel," afterwards the "Virginia," about the same time, and now came the "Gather House," named for its proprietor, located on Hampshire between Fifth and Sixth streets on the site of the old Judge Young residence, which since, much enlarged and with the name changed, has become the popidar Tremont.

The Quincy House which had latel.v changed owners and been closed for a time for repairs and additions to be made, was re-opened by Floyd and Kidder from Chicago, and imder their skillful numagement soon became as popular and noted as in its earlier days. Another city feature was the starting of a bus line running to the boat landing and the depot and over the city, an enterprise rather crude in its commencement, but one that lived and soon swelled into permanent existence. Improvements of all kinds continued. Many and more tasteful houses were erected than had ever been before, esi)eeially in the eastern part of the city. Property values kept on the rise, not at extravagant figures, but with a stead.v. healthy advance. The corner of Hampshire and Sixth was sold for ^1'2.^ ]>er front foot, 100 feet in depth. A small lot 17 feet front on the south side of the public square between Fourth and Fifth streets brought $200 per foot. The corner of Jersey and Third streets, 75 feet front, improved, sold for $5,500. A large lot on Maine street at the corner of Thirteenth. 175 feet front 'nnniing liack 400 feet to Hampshire sold for $5,000. This was the largest price yet paid for property anywhere and was thought to be extravagant figure but the jjurehaser divided tlie ground into smaller lots and soon realized a handsome profit from his investment. Busine.ss in all branches was active and satisfactor.y. A brief mention, of the transactions of some of tlie leading mannfaeturing industries will indicate this. The mills of Quincy have always had the highest reputation abroad for the superior ciuality of flour which they produced, their brands commanding the top figure in the eastern and southern markets, and when brought in competition with other brands they were in the habit of taking the premium. The l)usiness was a steadily growing one and below is given with the names of the six mills at this time running, a summary in round numbers of the amount of flour manufactured, and the nimiber of bushels of wheat consumed for the year closing December 31st. 1856.

The average price of Hour during the year was $5.50 per barrel, making the total value of the milling business to have been $715,000. The wagon and plow manufacture had become very important and extensive and there were aboiit twenty establishments engaged in this business. One of these, that of Timothy Rogers, employing from 35 to 40 hands all the year round, turned out 800 wagons valued at $60,000, and 1.200 plows worth $8,000. A notable and growing business, then as now. was that of the stove foundries. The Phoenix Stove Works, which was the most extensive in the city, reported the making of 9,145 stoves of various patterns, an emplovment of 58 hands and sales for the vear of $199,128.42. This with the other like concerns aggregated the value of store manufacture at $175,128. The aggregate value of the liunber handled by the five lumber yard firms footed up to $251,350. measuring 8,950.000 feet of lumber, shingles 3.950.000, lath and timber 1.9] 0.000. In this is not included the home manfactured lumber. The pork packing was not as large as the year before. There was a small increase in the number of those engaged in the business, but a falling oft' in the number of hogs and value. The result of the winter's work '56-57 Avas 38.306 hoas packed, valued at $986,492.

central sections of the city, one at the northeast corner of the public scjuare, and one farther east on Hampshire street. The loss was severe to some of the occupants but the gain was great to the city. The same enterprising impiolse which many years before, when the old log courthouse caught fire, induced the happy spectators to throw on more kindling, was gratified to see the "old rookeries" go with the prospect of their being replaced by better structures. Another result of these fortunate misfortunes was to increase precautions against fire.

The leading local events of the year was the building, or rather the initiation of the building of the Wabash railway eastward from JMt. Sterling. This project which has been alluded to earlier in these sketches, as being under way at the commencement of the year, was put into active shape before summer. The proposition was made, advocated through the press and jtresented on the 17th of ^lay to the council, that the city should subscribe $200,000 to the stock of the railroad projected from Camp. Point eastv.'ard to the Illinois river known as the Quincy and Mt. Sterling R. R. The council voted favorably and authorized the mayor to make subscription to the above amount, and ordered an election to be held on the 24th of May for authoi'ity to issue $200,- 000 twenty yeai's' bonds, drawing eight per cent interest, to be applied to the construction of this road. The election was a one-sided affair. Fifteen hundred and sixty-two votes were cast, which was a very large representation for that time at a special election, and all biit twenty-one of these were east in favor of the subscription. Work was commenced immediately. Indeed it had been progressing to some extent before the city took action upon the matter. The whole line was immediately put under contract with the condition and promise that it Avould be completed by December 1st, 1857. Its completion was not precisely on time, but came nearer thereto than most of the railroad constructions do. Before its final finish a speck of war arose on its line calling for the interposition of muskets and bayonets, this being the fourth war in which Quincy was engaged. There had been the Black Hawk, the Mexican and ilormon wars and this next, the "Brown county war" had its fair share of heroic adventure of which hereafter, in its time and place.

There was a warm contest at the city election in April but the whigs were successful in electing John Wood as Mayor, over J. W. Singleton, by a majority of 44, in a total vote of 1.525, which it will be observed was very near the same number of votes east at the special election on the railroad .subserii^tion six weeks later. The whigs also elected Henry S. Osborn and Robert S. Benneson as aldermen in the First and Third wards over John Abbe and H. VogeliJohl, and J. B. Merssman, democrat, was chosen in the Second ward over J. W. Brown. The control of the council was still democratic. An amusing stir was made later in the year by a petition being presented to the council, with a respectable number of signatures, asking that an examination should be made into the right of two of the aldermen to hold their seats. It Avas asserted that they were not American citizens. As the petition gave no names of the aldermen who were thus disqualified, the petition went to tiie wail and was not heard of again and we believe to tliis day it never has been certainly known who w;is pointed at by this paper.

The value of property in the city by the assessment of 1856 was reported at $3,668,555. On this the tax levy was ordered of one-eighth of one per cent for schools and scliool purposes; three-eights for meeting the railroad debt liabilities and one-half for ordinary expenses, and it was ordered also that there should be a sufficient levy made on property where the gas was in use to jiay two-thirds of the expense of lighting the streets. The city debt and exi:)enses so rapidly increasing on account of the large railroad subscriptions roused the attention of the council to making some effort to prepare for growing future liabilities, and an order was passed authorizing the mayor to make a loan for the pni'i)ose of estalilishing a sinking fund, but either from not understanding how to make the arrangement or from some other good cause the pioject languished out of existence .just as a dozen similar schemes have done in later years. A change was made in the regulation base or datum for calculating grades, which in 1853 had been established at the bench mark figure of 20, 31-100 feet above low water mark. This figure was found defective for engineering reasons and by resolution the figure 100 was added. It stood thus for some years until perfected liy the i)resent plan. The name of Orange street was changed to Eighteenth and the coinicil ordered that the streets east of this should be, when opened, called Twentieth and Twenty-fourth, thus, continuing the plan of double blocks which had begun at Twelfth street but contemplating the possible division of these blocks in the future, and the designation of the streets so made, by the odd numbers as Twenty-first and Twenty-third.

some years before had now grown into fair sized proportions. Originally and for some time it consisted solely of the city marshal; then a night patrol was added and at this time it was composed of eight men, a lieutenant, a night constable and six watchmen. Uniforms of course were not yet to be thought of, but the council ordered that members of the force should be furnished with a white star to be worn upon the lappel of the coat and alst) with a rattle, at the public expense. It was a number of years before any addition in the matter of giving designation and uniformity of appearance to the city j^olice was made. A revision of the ordinances, this being the third since the organization of the city, was ordered and completed during the year. The annual amount of destruction from fire, before mentioned, caused the council to largely increase the facilities for its suppression by adding to the machinery and resoui'ces of the fire department, among which was the construction of three large cisterns near by three of the lately built churches. With these, it appears from the records, that the city now had seventeen public cisterns which had been made during that number of years. These were absolutely essential and some of them were costly. It might be a curious search for any one thus disposed to try and ascertain how many of these old cisterns, so serviceable and needful in their day and constructed with so much of care and expense have been abandoned, or were destroyed even before the establishment of the watei'wiuks system dispensed with their use. Some have been f(n'gotten, or destroyed, with no remuneration to the city.

An advance was made in the character of city journalism. The five newspapers of the year before still lived and flourished, three of them English dailies. The Daily Republican, then much the most enterprising paper of the place was enlarged, and the Journal, a German pai'.er, came out in February as a semi-weekly. It was a republican or anti-slavery journal, quite ably managed by Winters and Pfeiter. The other German paper, the Courier, was democratic. A very good directory of the city was prepared for this year liy iJoot. the best that had yet appeared.

A puldication was made at the close of the year, which attracted interest at the time for the reason that then the city was an owner in the Northern Cross Railroad and the people felt interested in the business progress of the enterprise, in which they had so heavily invested. It is also worth seeing as a contrast of the railroad bxTsiness thirty-one years ago with that which is done at the present time.

The Northern Cross Eailroad. completed from Qiiincy to Galesbiirg at the commeueement of the year 1856, reports for the last six months ending December 31st, 1856, that its receipts from passenger travel amounted to $74,125 ; from freight^ to $133,878.12; from mails, etc., $7,219.32. making a total of .$215,222.79. and that the expenses amounted to $108,643.48, leaving a net earned profit of $106,570.31.

The political record of this year was novel and stirring all over the land. It was a transition period in American politics such as had never been known before. The repeal of the Missoiu'i compromise two .years before this date had loosened all party harness and caused to swing away from their old time moorings at the state and congressional elections nearly every northern democratic state, such as New Hampshire. Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin. Michigan and others that had until now from their earliest days unchangeably floated the democratic flag, and now on the broader arena of a presidential contest, these separations continued and were nationalized into new and permanent party formations. Almost the entire whig party in the northern and western sections of the state, with large accessions from the democratic party which acted together in 1854 under the name of Anti-Nebraska, now took the name of republican. In the extreme southern and southeastern part, nearly all the old whigs became democi'ats. A portion of the whigs formed an organization known as the "American" or "Fillmore pai'ty," which afterward merged into the republican, with which it usually coalesced on local matters. In the Quiucy congressional district, the defection from the democratic party was less than in some other sections of the state, and the political results .showed but little change from former years. Elsewhere, many leading representative men, such as Triunbull, Palmer, Judd. "Wentworth and others, seceded from their party with a large following, but in this district for reasons needless to name, no democrat of prominence beyond his county, left his party and lines lay nearly as before.

At the county fall election Buchanan, democrat, received for president 3,311 votes to 2,256 for Fremont and 662 for Fillmore. There was a imion of the Fremont and Fillmore voter, on a portion of the state ticket and on the county officers. W. A. Richardson, who had resigned his seat in c('ngress to run for governor, carried the city and county over W. H. Bessell by 1.208 majority. Hamilton, the democratic candidate for lieutenant governor, leading John Wood (who had been nominated for this office to fill the vacancy on the ticket caused by the resignation of Francis Ilott'man, who Avas ineligible) 694 votes. The local democratic ticket generally was successful by from 500 to 700 majority except in the case of I. N. Morris, democratic candidate for congress, who fell behind his ticket, leading Jackson Grimshaw 361 votes, while J. C. Davis, the candidate to fill the vacancy of Richardson's resignation, received a majority over Thos. C. Sharpe of 760. C. A. Warren was chosen for state's attorney over S. P. Delano; Samuel Holmes and M. M. Bane for representatives over J. F. Battell and John Tillson; T. W. McFall, circuit clerk, over H. V. Sullivan; John Cadogan, sheriff, over George Rhea ; the successful parties, all democrats, receiving majorities ranging from about 500 to 7;;(; i.s above stated. The county vote on callinu a convention to revise the con.stitution was 2,840 for to 1,923 against. This proposition was oefeated in the state.

There had been a long period of good navigation, nearly nine months, with 1,280 arrivals of boats, exclusive of the daily Keokuk and St. Louis packets. Seventy-five thousand was the estimated number of packages transported bv I ivei-, and about 100,000 by rail.

The coal business, which had but commenced during the previous year, amounted to a receipt of 15,000 tons. ^Manufactories reported increase in number and in extent of production. There were 8 furniture establishments employing 225 hands: 5 flour mills turning out 105.400 barrels, valued at$685.100: 4 distilleries producing .$432,656 worth of spij-its ; 25 cooper shops making near 140,000 barrels, hog.sheads, etc., with an aggregate value of about $130,000;

12 Avagou shops -vvitli a iiiamifaeture of 1,265 wagons, besides i)lows, carts, etc.: 7 harness shops: 2 carriage factories; 4 machine shops and foundT'ies; 6 planing mills which worked up 400,000 feet of lumber; 4 steam saw mills which sawed 470.000 feet of lumber valued at $117, . 500 : 1 large iron and copper factory, the business of which amounted to .'f!l2,400; 3 soap and candk^ factories whose transactions footed up to !j^41,000; the bricl-: luisiuess was extensive, 16 yards prndueiug Ki. (170. 000: one large st-ive foundry whose work alone was $99,128.04, and the total of luanufaeturiug from these and a, few other leading- establishments was tlgnred .$2,318,952.45. and the number of hands averaging 900. This summary (.imitted very many of the smaller establishments, from which statistics were difficult to be procured.

The general sum of business had nearly doubled over that of the preceding year, not so much by the starting of new firms as by the expansion of business of those already existing. The grain trade was extensive, 1,227,000 bushels of wheat and Hour being shipped RAvay, nml:- ing Quinc.y in this line of trade next in the to Chicago; there were also shipped or manufactured 417,661 barrels of flour. The exportation of pork was 17,962 barrels: bacon 1,648 hogsheads, and 9.500 packages of lard. There Avas a falling oil' in old staple business of pork packing here as generally in the west. Trade in dry goods and groceries was large and prosperous, five houses exclusively in the former line, did a business aggregating at $356,- 410, and from twenty groceries sales were reported amounting to $540,000. The amount done in this line of trade was estimated at not less than three-(piarters of a million. Lumber had become a very extensive business, amounting to a total in the year of 1.365,000 feet.

Chapter Xxxv

In the chapter of the preceding year (1856^ has been given the successive population increase of the place from its settlement to 1880. This now, at the date above (1857), had grown from the handful of residents, in 1825, to about 12,000. The exi)ansion of the city in area had not run evenly with its increase of population. From 1825 to 1834 it was Init a name where the court met and the county commissioners assembled, being simply the county seat located on the fractional cjiiarter section of about 157 acres that had been purchased by the county and was controlled like every part of the county, by the county commissioners. AVhen in 1834 upon becoming a town and assumming an independent local government, the limits as fixed in its incorporation were the river on the west, and tlie present Jefferson, Twelfth and Vine streets on the south, east and north. This c(}mprised an acreage of a triHe over SOO with a population of about 700. These boundaries wci'e niiclninged in 1840 when the town became a, city and so continued until 1847, when what is known as Nevins" Addition, being the 120 acres lying between Twelfth, Broadway, Eighteenth and Jersej- was attached. This addition was made under the provisions of a clause in the original charter of the city, that any land adjoining the city on being laid off into lots and blocks might be annexed. The population at this time was about 5,000. At the legislative session in -lanuai-y. 1857. the next matei'ial cliangc was iiiailc by moving the north boundary liiM' Ihree-foui'ths of a mile farther to the present Locust street, and the same line prolonged westward to the river; a half mile east to Twenty-fourth street, and a half mile south to Harrison and on that line Avest to the riA^er taking in some tAventy-fiA^e hundred acres. This liddition added but little to the population, as it Avas nearly all farm land or unsettled. The action met Avith bitter opposition from most of those liA^ing on or OAvning lands, thus summa i-ily broiudit into the city. They complained that the legJslatiAe action Avas unfair since the subject of annexation had not been mentioned at the preceding election, that there Avas injnstic' in placing them and their property inider another jurisdiction Avithout their having a voice and vote on the cpiestion, and especially that they and their property ought not to be subjected to the burden of the already large city debt for the creation of which they Avere not responsible. To this last objection the reply Avas made that their oAvn property adjacent to the city had been vastly increased in value by the expenditures and improvements made in the city from Avhich the debts originated. The opposition, though it nuide much personal discomfort f(n- our members at Springfield, Avas fruitless, and the annexation Avas made. The city noAv had betAveen 12,000 and 13,000 of population. Some ten years later about 120 acres more Avere added, lying south of Broad- Avay to near York and east from TAventy-fourth to Thirtieth street, since Avlien the limits liaA-e been unchanged, comprising a total area of about 3,500 acres. With this extension of the limits, there Avas an incfease made in the number of wards from three to six, thu.s making the council to consist of twelve aldermen, twice the former number. The manner of selecting officers in the new charter was left as before ; the mayor, marshal and aldermen, beingchosen by popular election, and the other officials elected by the council. Two years later, in 1859. a law was passed making most of the city officers elective by the people. At the first election held under the new charter in April. a large vote was polled, the democratic ticket succeeding by a large majority. Sylvester Thayer receiving 1,032 votes to 698 for Charles A. Savage. The democrats elected as aldermen, Thomas Jasper and ]\I. McVay, in the first and third Avards, over J. C. Bernard and G. M. Brown, and in the fifth J. B. Hicks and A. J. Lubbe over U. S. Penfield and C. ileyer, and in the sixth, S. M. Bartlett and John Schell over F. Flachs and James Woodruff, Avhile in the second ward J. B. Brown was chosen over Levi Palmer, and in the fourth B. F. Berrian and A. Kellar over J. Voglepohl and W. E. Wilson, the republicans carrA-ing this neAV Avard. This AA^as the first appearance of the republican party at a city election. By a requirement of the laAV the aldermen in the neAV Avards, the fourth, fifth and sixth, Avhere tAvo had been chosen drcAV lots for the one year and the tAvo year teriTi, Avhen ilessrs. Kellar, Lubbe and Schell drcAV the short term and their three associates held over for tAvo years.

The city organization Avas completed in the council by the re-election of A. W. Blakesly as clerk and all the other democratic officials of the last year.

An unusual amovmt of important and permanent business came under the consideration of the council and Avas concluded during the year. The financial situation of the citj' Avas far from being satLsfactoiy. Its bonded indebtedness Avithin the past fcAV years had greatly increased, amounting uoav. exclusiA'e of railroad subscriptions, to over $200,000, and Avith the railroad debt to three times this amount, some of it ovei'due. and all rapidly maturing, AA'hile a large amount of vouchers Avere outstanding and circulating at a heavy discount. Other projects Avhieh miist add largely to this debt, Avere being popularly pi-oposed and the city credit from these causes Avas not by any means in a commendable shape. The revenue Avas unequaltothe great increase of current expenses. The fiscal statement for the year ending March 31. favorably prepared as all such statements are. shoAVS up the situation. As therein reported, the receipts from all sources amounted to $82,627. Avhile the expenditures totalized at $93,823.34 -

.$11,096.34! of Avhich Avas in unpaid city vouchers. There Avas OAviug to the school fund $11,359.89, AA'hieh as reported by a committee of the council, ''had been used for other purposes" by the city (a mild expression SA'uonymous Avith misappropriation) and uoav, to temporarily meet this demand, a ten year ten per cent bond for the above stated amount Avas ordered to be issued. In this connection it may be mentioned that the pervei'sion of the school moneys did not cease for seA'eral years and Avas finally adjusted, Avhen the delinquent amount had reached to about $24,000 by the council ceding to the school board all such title as it possessed to realty occupied and used or to be used for educational purposes Avithin the city. This comprehended the Franklin, Jefferson and Webster school houses, and adjacent grounds. This was a fortunate arrangement for the school interests but someAvhat sacrificial to the city AA'hieh by its incorrect and perhaps it might be called illegal manipulation of school affairs Avas compelled finally to pay up at a much heavier cost than Avould have been in the pursuance of a more proper and prudent course. The carelessness in these matters was shown by the fact that about this time it was found that the treasurer's record account of the city Avith the schools. Avas missing, and an estimated balance of $3,300. these beine' the last figures remembered, Avas agreed upon as due the school fund from the city. The three schools above named Avere the only ones in existence at this time and Avere in prosperous shape, Avell managed and attended. They employed 14 teachers and reported an annual attendance of about 1.000 pupils. The coi5t of carrying on the schools for the year ending June 30, 1857. Avas reported at $5,957.82.

There had been an attempt made at economy during the past year. The street improvements, generally the largest expense item, was relatiA'ely less than usual biit other demands incident to a young and rapidly groAving city, such as police, paupers, salaries, fire depai-tment and contingent, sAvelled the total to former figures. And then piled on these, AA'ere the cost of bonds taken up. some $35,000 and railroad bond interest $14,000, Avhich made an easy account for the deficit of nearly $12,000, in the year's business. Additional to all this, AA-as the $5,000 of matured bonds unpaid, and nearly $40,000 maturing this year Avith an almost equal amount Avhich Avould become due in each of the half dozen folloAving years. The outlook Avas not encouraging, and the city Avas just beginning to realize the Aveight of its debt, it had assumed burdens Avithout proper provision for carrying them. These burdens seemed needful at the time to assume and ultimately brought vast advantage, but were burdens noue the less for a long aftertime. To tide over these aeeruing liabilities and temporarily restore the city credit, a loan was ordered by the council and an issue of $75,000 of bonds authorized to i)rovide f(U' the same. This, of course, became an addition to the permanent cit.y debt, which was now to be further increased by the subscription of $100,- 000 to the Quiiii'V aixl l*aliiiyi';i Hailroad. The Hannibal anil SI. .lor road was now iicai-ly comjileted. It was const i-iicted under government aid as a luilitary road, hy a large donation of public lands. The desire had been that it should branch at Palmyra with one or two termini on the east, one at Hannibal, the other at Quincy. The plan through the influence of political complications failed and it cost Qiiincy $100,000. A company was organized to build this connection and having oljtained the necessary authority from the legislature, application was made to the city council for a subscription. The council voted a subscription of $100,000 subject to an endorsement liy the people. The election was held on the -tth of April, resulting in a vote of 94-2 for and 11 in opposition. Upon this an issue was ordered of bonds to the above amount running 20 years with 8 i)er cent interest and the road was speedily built, i'almyra also voted $30,000 towards its construction. This was the last investment of the city in railroads until about twelve yeai's later.