Wood River Township

Wood River Township

Wood River township, township 5, range 9, so-called from the stream which flows through it, is one of the most important in Madison county agriculturally, industrially and socially. It is one of the oldest in the county in the way of permanent settlement, and the one in which higher education had its inception and has flowered into most pronounced development. Between the forks of Wood river lies the most beautiful stretch of country imaginable. All heavily timbered originally, but now a broad expanse of fertile farms that have yielded, for over a century, all the staple crops in profusion, and justified its selection by the argonauts as the most desirable sec¬ tion of the new land they had entered to pos¬ sess it. The township is most favorably located for commerce, agriculture and the varied industries which form so important a factor in its life. It is bounded on the north by Foster, on the east by Fort Russell, on the south by Chouteau and the Mississippi and on the west by the river and Alton township. So much of its history is involved in previous chapters that this sketch must be brief.

fust who were the first settlers of Wood River is a matter of some doubt. Thomas Rattan located in section 13, south of Bethalto, in 1804, on what was afterwards known as Rattan's Prairie. It is doubtful whether he was the first settler for this reason: In 1806 there was a settlement at the mouth of Wood river, afterwards called Chippewa. George Catlin, the intrepid- Indian portrait painter and explorer, speaks in his works of this settle¬ ment as being "directly opposite the mouth of the Missouri," which was then six miles above its present confluence with the Mississippi, and mentions the narrow escape which Lieut. Zebulon M. Pike, the great explorer, had from being massacred there with the inhabitants, by hostile Indians. This incident occurred in 1806, so this settlement must have been prior to that date, how long before there is no rec¬ ord to tell as Chippewa was long since swept away by the encroaching rivers. This spot was also the camping place of the Lewis and Clark expedition, in the winter of 1804-5, prior to moving up the Missouri. So it may be that Chippewa antedates the settlement on Rattan's Prairie. Chippewa existed long enough to have the distinction of erecting the first steam mill in the county. Other settle¬ ments, long since extinct, in that neighbor¬ hood were Gibraltar, a mile up the river from Chippewa which had a post office in 1819; St. Mary's, near the mouth of Wood river. Rev. Thomas Lippincott says that "Dr. Tiffin had a fine two-story residence there in 1814 and that was about all there was of St.

Mary's." Milton was the most important of the extinct towns of Wood river township. It was located in section 17, where the river breaks through the bluffs and where the Edwardsville and Alton road crosses the stream. It was founded about 1809 by John Wallace and Walter J. Seeley. It became a flour¬ ishing village and in 1818 boasted a grist mill, two sawmills, a distillery, a store, a blacksmith shop and a tavern. Power for the mills was obtained by a dam across Wood river. The dead water back of the dam caused sickness. Many of the inhabitants died of malarial fevers and were buried on the adjacent hillside. The re¬ maining settlers sought other locations and the houses were torn down or moved away. The tavern was moved to Upper Alton. A pio¬ neer named Tolman Wright, of Virginia, set¬ tled near the mouth of Wood river in 1806 with his family. They later removed to the settlement between the forks o.f Wood river. Abel Moore came with his family from North Carolina in 1808 and settled between the forks of Wood river where some of his descendants still reside. He was joined a year latter by his brothers George and William Moore and their families. The two last named brothers were gunsmiths and one of them established a crude powder mill. It is a marvelous evol¬ ution that now the Equitable Powder Com¬ pany and the Western Cartridge Company, two of the largest industries of their kind in the west are located two miles lower down on the banks of Wood river. Think of the con¬ trast between the rude powder mill of over a century ago and its modern successors.

Reason Reagen and his family came, it is supposed, about the same time or a little later than the Moores. Reagen's wife and two children, two children of Abel Moore's and two of William Moore's were victims of the Indian massacre of July 10, 1814, as narrated elsewhere. William Montgomery, of Ken¬ tucky, settled in Fort Russell in 1814 and three years later located in Wood River in section 13, and married Sarah Rattan. They raised a family of twelve children. William Montgomery became a wealthy land holder, owning over 2,000 acres at his death. The large family he left became one of the most distinguished in the county. One of his daughters married Hon. Z. B. Job and their children have increased the prominence of the family in a later generation.

Two brothers, George and Thomas David¬ son, with their families, from South Carolina, were early settlers near Wanda and became prominent. The Collet family settled at Milton in 1817. Two of their descendants, Dan¬ iel W. and John W., later located in Upper Alton. To continue mentioning other early settlers of the township would exceed the limits allowed me. Following those men¬ tioned came many others and laid the founda¬ tions of civilization, built churches, estab¬ lished schools, erected factories and made pos¬ sible by their endeavors the high plane of life enjoyed at the present day. The hardships, the trials, the sacrifices of the path finders of the wilderness can never be adequately told. Life was a continued struggle with nature and the elements, and of continuous conflict with savage foes. There were two or more forts in the township for protection against the In¬ dians. One was between the forks of Wood river, in section 10, to which the settlers fled after the massacre of 1814. It was a stockade of logs enclosing quite a large space, with block houses at diagonal corners, a log house within the enclosure and a well in the center. The site was on the farm of William Moore, later the Gill farm. Another fort was near the mouth of Wood river, built in 1811, and was one of a chain extending across the ter¬ ritory. Brink's History says : "It was known as Benen's fort and was about a mile south of Milton on land owned by Hon. A. E. Benbow. Jacob Pruitt, son of Solomon Pruitt, was born in this fort. This birth and that of

The Vaughn cemetery, in section 24, where the victims of the Wood River massacre were buried, was the first regular place of inter¬ ment. It antedates the year 1809. Here the first church in the township, Baptist, was built as related elsewhere. Rev. William Jones, eminent as a legislator as well as a minister, was the first preacher. His descendants, or some of them, still live in the county and are worthy of their distinguished ancestry. In this primitive cemetery the inscriptions on various tombstones can still be deciphered. Among others appear the names of members of the Ogle, Odell and Rattan families.

Facing the main road between Upper Alton and Fosterburg, and near the scene of the massacre, the descendants of Abel Moore have erected a monument in memory of the victims of Indian vengeance. The monument is described in chapter XLII. The descend¬ ants of the Moore families are widely scat¬ tered but a number still remain on the old homesteads in the forks of Wood river. Several of them such as Major Franklin Moore, Irby Williams and John S. Culp, par¬ ticularly distinguished themselves in the Civil war.

Wood River township was a pioneer in edu¬ cation as well as in religion. The first school house was located in section 4 and was built of logs. It was taught by a man named Peter Flynn. Within two miles of this first school house are now located the classic halls of Shurtleff College and the stately towers of the Western Military Academy, and also the spa¬ cious high school of Upper Alton. The mile¬ stone of progress between these two extremes are many and the roadway is marked with struggle and sacrifice, but the end crowns the work, or, as Shurtleff would phrase it, "Finis coronat opus." For sketches of Upper Al¬ ton's literary institutions see chapter XIV this volume.

The first village in Wood River which has survived to the present time is Upper Alton, now a part of Alton. It was laid out in 1816 by Joseph Meacham and met with the usual vicissitudes of pioneer settlements, prosperity alternating with adversity. Meacham pro¬ posed to dispose of the lots by lottery. How many were disposed of in this way is not known but many were sold in some way. Trouble soon arose about titles, Meacham, who pre-empted the land, having made only the first payment thereon for which he re¬ ceived a certificate of entry but no patent. Brink's History says : "He became involved financially and assigned his certificate to James W. Whitney, Erastus Brown, John Allen and Ebenezer Hodges who paid the balance due the land office and obtained a patent. Mean¬ while Ninian Edwards and Chas. W. Hunter had obtained judgment against Meacham and sold lots for which he had given deeds while holding the certificate of entry." A com¬ promise was finally effected by which the par¬ ties named divided the lots between them crowding out the purchasers under Meacham's certificate. This litigation, which was protracted, paralyzed the growth of the town, and from which it recovered slowly. It was on account of this tangle of titles that the town of Salu was laid out in 1820, north of Upper Alton and beyond the line of Meacham's entry, where good titles could be given. The advantages of the new plat were portrayed in the Edtvardsville Spectator, signed by the owners of the new site, Bennett Maxey, Erastus Brown, Isaac Waters and Zachariah Allen. Salu flourished for a time and was eventually incorporated with Upper Alton.

In 1818 Upper Alton was a village of log cabins. There was a store kept by Shad. Brown in the south part of town, and a double log house, part of which was a tavern kept by William Morris. The first frame building was erected by Benjamin Spencer.

Among the early settlers were Dr. Augus¬ tus Langworthy, Dr. Erastus Brown, brotherin-law of Colonel Rufus Easton; Robert Sin¬ clair, Benjamin Spencer, David Smith, George Smith, John A. Maxey, Ephraim Marsh, Henry H. Snow, Enoch Long, James W. Whitney, Dr. B. F. Long, and a little later, Rev. Hubbel Loomis, John Russell, Washing¬ ton and Warren Leverett, Dr. John James and Dr. H. K. Lathy, Rev. T. B. Hurlbut. Whit¬ ney was a lawyer who had come to the country in 1800. He had penetrated 2,500 miles up the Missouri river and had been a prisoner among the Indians. He was one of the in¬ corporators of Alton in 1821. His death oc¬ curred in Adams county at the age of 85 years. The first school house in Upper Alton was a log cabin. It was succeeded by a larger one on the road to Milton, and that by a brick build¬ ing which was also used as a church. The present high school building is on or near the same site. The residence of Dr. Erastus Brown was on what is now the corner of Ed¬ wards street and Washington avenue, im¬ mediately opposite the residence of Dr. T. P. Yerkes. Brown street is named after this pioneer physician. Ansel L. Brown, the pres¬ ent brilliant editor of the Edwardsville Demo¬ crat, is a grandson of Dr. Erastus Brown.

Rev. Nathaniel Pinckard, his son, William G. Pinckard, William Heath and Daniel Crume came from Ohio in 1818-19 and settled in Upper Alton, as did Nathaniel and Oliver Brown. Thomas S. Pinckard, grandson of Nathaniel, died in Springfield some two years ago. He was a printer and editor. His bro¬ ther, Capt. Pinckard, was killed during the Civil war. Dr. Augustus Langworthy was

Edmund Flagg, writing in 1838, says of Upper Alton : "The place is well situated on an elevated prairie and, to my taste, is prefer¬ able for private residences to any spot within the precincts of its namesake. The society is polished and a fine-toned morality is said to characterize its inhabitants. The town was originally incorporated many years since and was then a place of more note than it has ever since been." All trace of this early incorpor¬ ation, if there was one, seems to have been lost. The secretary of state gives February 18, 1837, as the date of its incorporation as a village. It was re-incorporated under the gen¬ eral law, March 4, 1887.

A Methodist class was formed in 1817 and was the nucleus of the present organization spoken of in chapter XLV. It is the oldest church society in the Altons.

The Edzvardsv'dle Spectator of July, 1820, gives a glowing account of a Fourth of July celebration in Upper Alton of which Hezekiah H. Gear was marshal of the day, J. W. Whitney read the Declaration of Independ¬ ence and William Jenks delivered the oration. Dr. Langworthy served an excellent banquet. James Smith, a Revolutionary soldier, pre¬ sided, and K. P. Day was vice president. Ben¬ jamin Spencer, Dr. Hueston and Robert Sin¬ clair responded to toasts.

The reputation of Upper Alton as a literary and religious centre is well known. Its edu ¬ cational institution and churches have been spoken of in previous chapters, save to say, that, as a stepping stone to higher insti¬ tutions, it has long maintained a splendid sys¬ tem of graded public schools.

Maxey, some ninety years ago. Also the stone building on College avenue, which was an early residence of Rev. T. B. Hurlbut and is the place where the first Anti-Slavery Society in Illinois was organized immediately preced¬ ing the Pro-Slavery riot in Alton in 1837. The building is now owned by Dr. Isaac Moore, of Alton. This stone building was erected in 1835 by John Higham and a Mr. Caswell, both pioneer residents. It was, and is now, a double dwelling house, Mr. Higham occupied the east tenement as a residence. Mrs. John Bostwick, a daughter of John Higham, still resides in Upper Alton at the hale old age of 92, with physical strength but little impaired and mental strength unabated. Her father's family landed at Alton in 1829, at "Hunter's spring," as it was then known. They occupied a log house on the river bank, between what is now Market and Alby streets. There were but five other families in Alton proper, at that time those of T. G. Hawley, Charles and Beall Howard, the Seeleys and a Frenchman. Upper Alton was far more pop¬ ulous. The Howards occupied a house on the site of the present Illinois Corrugated Paper Company. Mrs. Bostwick, when a young girl, met Elijah P. Lovejoy, as she was returning from school at Jacksonville in a stage coach. On the journey Mr. Lovejoy produced a cigar and said to Miss Higham, as she then was, "Do you object to tobacco smoke?" She said she did, "decidedly." To this the future martyr replied, "Some people do," and proceeded to smoke his cigar. Mrs. Bostwick relates this incident and it seems to somewhat tarnish the halo which encircles the name of the man who died for the liberty of the press. Mrs. Bostwick was married to John Bostwick in 1840. He was one of the most stirring, enterprising and capable of the early pioneers. He accumulated a large estate and in 1836 built the most elegant and costly res¬ idence west of the Alleghanies. It was the family residence for sixteen years. It oc¬ cupied the site on which the Western Military Academy now stands. The panic of 1837 caused Mr. Bostwick heavy losses, as it did all other men of that day who were engaged in extensive enterprises, and other misfortunes followed. He died in 1855. A large estate in Chicago was lost to the family, it is belived, through the machinations and manipu¬ lations of tricky lawyers. Mrs. Bostwick's maiden name was Mary M. Higham. She is a descendant of Sir John Higham, of Eng¬ land. The family estate in that country is entailed. If she were living there she would be known as "Lady Higham," a position she is capable of filling with grace and dignity. The venerable lady, still retaining the attrac¬ tions of youth, is a delightful conversationalist and her reminiscences of old times are of rare interest. She resides with her son, John H. Bostwick, a veteran soldier of the 10th Illi¬ nois cavalry.

Of the early educators of Upper Alton none are held in more loving remembrance than Rev. Hubbel Loomis and the twin brothers Washington and Warren Leverett of Shurtleff College. Rev. Hubbel Loomis, the first president, gave the institution life and vitality. Closely allied with them, as trustee and benefactor, was Hon. Cyrus Edwards, son-inlaw of Father Loomis, and B. F. Edwards so closely associated in planting the institution in Upper Alton. These great and good men made an impress on the community which time cannot efface. And there were others like them, such as Rev. Ebenezer Rodgers, who, in that early day, laid the foundations of religion and education, and whose work is still advancing. It is pleasant to know that they have left descendants worthy of their sires who have added lustre to the names they bear in professional life, in patriotic ser¬ vice in the realm of industry and in the up¬ building of the social and civic fabric.

An early industry in Upper Alton was a pot¬ tery established in 1820 by Nathaniel Pinckard and William Heath. They manufactured all kinds of earthenware for household use. This business was later carried on still more extensively by another firm that moved from Edwardsville and was continued, later on, in more varied lines, by Merrill & Son. The shale for the pottery was obtained from the vein near North Alton. Upper Alton was, some forty years ago, extensively engaged in cooperage, but that industry gradually de¬ clined being absorbed by larger shops in lower Alton more favorably located.

The Lowe family of Upper Alton was very prominent and influential in early days. M. A. Lowe, a pioneer settler, was an eye witness of the Pro-Slavery riot. He died in 1909, at an advanced age, probably the last survivor of those who witnessed the tragedy. Capt. Wil¬ liam R. Wright, who settled in Upper Alton in 1829, and served in both the Mexican and Civil wars, survived until 1910.

Upper Alton has only such business houses as are necessary to supply the wants of its people, but maintains several fine stores carry¬ ing large and varied stocks of goods. Its am¬ bition is to remain what it has been for many years an attractive and desirable place of res¬ idence. Prior to its annexation to Alton in 1911, it had several miles of paved streets, two street railroads, a water works system, extended from Alton, electric lights and other metropolitan utilities. It has now, in addi¬ tion, ample fire protection, and a comprehen¬ sive sewerage system is now being planned by the city. No saloons existed in LTpper Alton, prior to annexation, owing to a provision in the charter of Shurtleffi College forbidding the sale of liquor within one mile of the college. This wholesome provision is not altered by annexation and it remains a beautiful and ideal residence district.

The members of the town board, at the time of annexation were : Hon. S. G. B. Crawford, president; Prof. J. D. Pace, John Marshall, George Lielden, Arthur Wightman, Dr. L. L. Yerkes. Theodore Scovell, also a member of this board, died in office.

This flourishing town was established soon after the building of the Alton & Terre Haute Railroad. It lies partly in Wood River and partly in Port Russell townships. Its orig¬ inal site is in section 1, but with additions the plat now lies in sections 1 and 12 in Wood river and 6 and 7 in Port Russell. It was laid out by Joel U. Starkey and the town plat re¬ corded June 23d, 1854. It was incorporated as a village April 19, 1869, and reorganized under the general law, April 23, 1873. The first president of the board of trustees was Jacob Huppert. Capt. John A. Miller was the first justice of the peace. Under the gen¬ eral law the first president of the board was S. A. Albro. It was originally called Bethel, after the first church located in that section, but when the first post office was established it was necessary to change the name. Brink's History claims that the name Bethalto was created from two names Bethel and Alton - Bethalto. But an old friend of the' writer, Eugene Day, claimed that the name was formed from two words, Bethel, meaning place of worship and the Latin word altus, high, and that the combination means, "place of high worship."

The principal industry of Bethalto for many years was milling. It is surrounded by a rich agricultural country which marketed its grain in that village. The President Mill and Ele¬ vator was established in 1859 by James Neimrich. The capacity of the mill was 100 bar- rels of flour per day. It was rebuilt and en¬ larged in 1877, by Meyer & Guye, with a capa¬ city of 500 barrels per day. In 1881 it was purchased by John W. Kaufman who in¬ creased its capacity to 600 barrels. After a prosperous career it was destroyed by fire in March, 1896. As it employed a large force of hands its destruction was a great disaster to the village. The effect was shown by the shrinkage in population. In 1890 the vil¬ lage had a population of 879; in 1900 it was 477, and in 1910, 447. After the President mill burned John Weidmer, who owned it at that time, did not rebuild it but started in the grain business, as his elevator had been saved. Shortly after Jacob and John Kauffman bought him out and operated the elevator un¬ der the name of the Kauffman Milling Com¬ pany. The Farmers' Elevator Company was formed next. This company bought out the Kauffmans but later sold out to B. C. Munday, in June, 1911, who now owns the eleva¬ tor.

Another mill, the Bethalto Custom and Merchants Mill, was established by J. E. Ewan, in 1872. C. H. Flick was at one time a partner, the firm being Ewan & Flick. Mr. Ewan died in 1906. The mill was then pur¬ chased by Tobias Brothers who still conduct it. Bethalto has several stores and minor in¬ dustries, including coal mining, and a bank with a capital of $25,000. It was founded by B. C. Munday in 1903 and later reorganized as a State bank. The officers are : B. C. Mun¬ day, president; George Richards, vice pres¬ ident; Ed. Starkey, cashier, and Herb Starkey, assistant cashier.

East Alton, originally known as Alton Junc¬ tion, then as Wann Station, and now East Al¬ ton, had a population of 454 in 1910. It has since grown rapidly. It is the junction of the main line of the Big Four with the Alton branch, and the southern terminus of the Il¬ linois division of the C. B. & Q. It is con¬ nected with Alton by the Alton, Granite City & East St. Louis traction line. Its transpor¬ tation facilities are excellent. It has become an important industrial center and its outlook for the future is most promising.

Adjacent to the town, on the line of the Big Four, is the plant of the Stoneware Pipe Company, manufacturers of sewer and culvert pipe, flue lining, chimney pipe, drain tile, etc. The product is made from the vast deposits of fire brick clay there available. This plant is an Alton enterprise which has flourished for many years and won a wide reputation. J. W. Koch is president and treasurer ; M. H. Boals, vice president, and George E. Foster, secretary. Jas. D. Lehmer, is manager.

The plant of the Equitable Powder Com¬ pany, located here is one of the most exten¬ sive in the country. It was established here by Eastern capitalists. The plant is modern in all respects and its many buildings are iso¬ lated over a large acreage. The extent of its activities may be judged from the fact that its annual product amounts to $500,000. The officers of the company are F. W. Olin, presi¬ dent ; Richard Stout, secretary and treasurer.

The Western Cartridge Company's plant is located adjoining the Equitable Powder Com¬ pany. It, also, is a mammoth concern and the ammunition it turns out wins first prizes all over the country and has been awarded orders from the United States government. In the tests for accuracy recently conducted by the war department the ammunition manufac¬ tured at Western proved to be superior to that of all other makes and was adopted as the "official ammunition for the national re¬ volver matches." The demand for the pro¬ ducts of this industry has so increased of late that a branch plant has been opened at Alton on an extended scale. F. W. Olin is president of the Western Cartridge Company and A. J. Norcum is secretary.

May 4, 1894, according to the record of the Secretary of State, but on Sept. 19, 1893, ac¬ cording to the village record, D. G. Tomlinson was the first president of the board of trustees, and James Luddike, clerk. The present presi¬ dent of the board is Ben Picker, and Ray Mc- Millen, clerk. Charles J. Ferguson is the present efficient postmaster. He has two as¬ sistants under him and three rural route car¬ riers. The first postmaster was William Evergum who was also station agent. The office was a small affair and there be those

A drawback to the still greater expansion of East Alton has been the periodical over¬ flow of Wood river, caused, it is claimed by some, at least in part, by embankments of the Big Four, north of town. This has caused the Equitable Powder Company to bring suit against the railroad company for $50,000 dam-

East Alton has two churches, Baptist and Methodist, and a handsome public school building. Adjoining East Alton are the su¬ burbs of Blinn and Niagara, established by H. J. Bowman, and Silver Ridge, platted by Z. Silver. Niagara is directly opposite the old town of Milton, now extinct, on the east side of the river.

East Alton has arrived at the distinction of sustaining a banking institution known as the People's Bank. Its officers are: C. B. Munages, a case now pending. A great drainage project is now before the County court for ratification involving the straightening of the channel of Wood river, which has more wind¬ ings than the ancient Meander, between East Alton and the Mississippi. The project is a gigantic one but will be of incalculable value, although its cost will be several hundred thou¬ sand dollars.

prises the recently consolidated corporations of Wood River and East Wood River. It is now a flourishing community boasting a bank, several long stretches of graniteoid sidewalks and a splendid modern school house costing $40,000, of which Pfeiffenberger & Son of Alton were the architects. It illustrates the wonderful progress of the community. The village has also a neat Union church. The village is growing rapidly. In 1910 it had a population of 484 which is now twice as large. Wood River is the seat of the immense re¬ finery of the Standard Oil Company, the lar¬ gest business corporation in the world. This plant, costing several million dollars is a stu¬ pendous enterprise. The tract it occupies in¬ cludes some 800 acres with a mile of river front. In addition to the numerous refinery buildings where the different grades of oil are turned out, together with the various by¬ products, are some 150 immense storage tanks with a network of underground pipes connecting them with the refinery buildings. Whole train loads of oil, in tank cars, are shipped from the refinery daily all over the country. In addition a pipe line has been ex¬ tended to the river and oil is shipped in bulk, in barges, to any point desired on the western rivers. The crude oil is brought from the wells near the Wabash river by means of a pipe line 150 miles long.

Wood River, although young in years, is already supplied with banking facilities by the establishment of the First State and Savings Bank, with E. M. Clark as president; H. K. Whitlaw, vice president, and H. E. Bartlett, cashier.

Benbow City adjoins WTod River and shares in its prosperity and expansion. It was founded by Hon. A. E. Benbow who is President of its board of trustees. Mr. Ben¬ bow has represented this county in the Legis¬ lature. He is the son of one of the earliest pioneers of Upper Alton. Benbow City has appropriated $5,000 for expenses of the cur¬ rent fiscal year.

The Federal Lead Works is a part of the Guggenheim system and is the largest reduc¬ tion plant of that great corporation. Its plant covers several acres of buildings filled with costly and intricate machinery. Its out¬ put in pig lead is immense. The crude ore is brought here from the company's mines at Flat River, Mo. Rudolph Porter is the effi¬ cient manager. The Box Board Company, lately established as a new industry in this field, is likewise on a gigantic scale. The mill is equipped with all the latest appliances known in the business, and is one of the larg¬ est and finest in the country. It is provided with a machine which is the largest in the world. It is over 400 feet long and turns out a sheet eleven feet wide. The ma¬ chine is equipped with 83 drivers. Lo¬ cated in the center of the winter wheat belt, this plant is a great boon to the farmers of this and adjoining counties. It takes all of their wheat straw, formerly almost a waste product, and pays therefor from $5.00 a ton up, according to quality. Crawford Fair¬ banks brother of the former Vice President of the United States, is President of the com¬ pany. The capacity of the mill equals one hundred tons of its product per day or five carloads. The great Fairbanks organization includes five large plants, in other places, be¬ sides that at Alton.

dent; E. H. Beall, Treasurer; Charles L. Beall, Secretary and Manager of East Alton factory ; Edmund Beall, chairman board of directors. This company is spoken of further in the sketch of Alton. The product of the three factories equals a million dollars in value annually.

All the factories in Wood River township have connection with the C. & A. ; the Big Four ; the C. B. & Q. ; the C. P. & St. Louis ; the Illinois Terminal (Wabash), and connec¬ tion, via the Alton bridge with the M. K. & T., and the Burlington Western. The advantages of Wood River township, in the way of trans¬ portation facilities by river and rail, cheap and abundant fuel supply and topographical fitness have drawn into the township, without bonus, five or six plants of the greatest indus¬ tries of the United States. Its hundred years of history is a remarkable record of manu¬ facturing expansion.

The most sensational tragedy that ever took place in Upper Alton was the assassination of Hon. Daniel B. Gillham which took place on March 17, 1890. He was shot down at his home, in the middle of the night when con¬ fronting a burglar who had entered his apart¬ ment for the purpose of robbery. The bullet entered his body, below the lungs, but he lin¬ gered with surprising vitality until the even¬ ing of April 6th when he died from internal hemorrhage. The burglar fled on firing the fatal shot. He had two accomplices on the outside. The alarm was at once given by the aroused family and a physician hastily sum¬ moned. As he entered the room Mr. Gillham exclaimed, "It is a death wound, Doctor !" and so it proved. He was attended through his illness by Dr. T. P. Yerkes and Dr. E. Guelich, both old army surgeons, skilled in treating gunshot wounds.

the esteem in which he was held and the cold¬ blooded character of the murder, added fuel to the flame of popular indignation and hor¬ ror at the revolting crime. The authorities were baffled, but the perpetrators were at length discovered through the persistent ef¬ forts of Willard L. Gillham and Warren W. Lowe, son and son-in-law, respectively, of Mr. Gillham. The murderers proved to be George Starkey, of Bethal.to, John Brown and a sewing machine agent named James R. Wyatt, of Alton. They were tried, found guilty and sentenced to thirty years' imprison¬ ment, each, in the penitentiary. Starkey died in prison. Brown was subsequently released on parole and was killed soon after by being run over by a railroad train. Wyatt com¬ mitted suicide in prison.

Daniel Brown Gillham was born at Wanda, Madison county, April 29, 1826. He was the son of Rev. John Gillham, of South Carolina, and Phoebe Dunnagan Gillham. During his boyhood he worked on a farm and attended the district schools, and later spent two terms at McKendree college. He adopted farming as an occupation and developed into one of the most advanced agriculturists in the state. His model stock farm, known as Valley Ridge, became famous. In 1866 he was elected a member of the State Agricultural Society; was president thereof from 1874 to 1878, and vice president from his congres¬ sional district until his untimely death.

He was elected to the lower house of the legislature in 1870 and served as state senator from 1882 to 1886. In politics he was affi¬ liated with the Democratic party. In 1872 he removed from his farm and made his home in Upper Alton. He was a member of the Baptist church of that place and a trustee of Shurtlefif College. His funeral on April 9th, 1890, was a day of mourning in Upper Alton. All stores were closed and business suspended. The faculty, trustees and students of Shurt¬ lefif attended in a body. Governor Fifer was present as well as many other state officials.

The directors of the State Board of Agricul¬ ture were the honorary pall bearers. The services took place at the Baptist church and were attended by an immense throng of sincere mourners. The sermon was preached by Rev. Dr. A. A. Kendrick, president of Shurtleff, and Rev. Thomas Young, son-in-law of the decedent, took part in the services.

Mr. Gillham was thrice married. His first wife died early leaving one child; his second wife left six children. His third wife sur¬ vives and resides in Upper Alton.

No knightlier figure fared forth to the war from Illinois than Captain Wilberforce Lovejoy Hurlbut of Upper Alton. He was the only son of Rev. T. B. Hurlbut. He was a young man of brilliant talents. He entered the army in February, 1862, as senior aid-de-camp on the staff of Major General Richardson. His General said of him, "a braver man never lived." He participated in over twenty battles of the army of the Potomac. He commanded the Fifth Michigan regiment at the battle of Chancellorsville and lay for three days wounded on the bloody field of Gettysburg. He laid down his life in the dread battle of the Wilderness, May 6, 1864, while leading on his men, though for some time his fate was uncertain.

Captain Hurlbut was born in Upper Al¬ ton, July 20, 1841, and was nearing the close of his senior year at Shurtleff when he went to the front. He was tall, soldierly and com¬ manding, genial, gentle and chivalrous, "a man without fear and without reproach." The civil war claimed no nobler victim.

Addendum Mining Villages Not Otherwise Mentioned

North Alton, originally known as Green¬ wood, was platted by James C. Tibbett in 1853. Across the township line, in T 6, R 10, stood the Buck Inn, built in 1837. Nearby a post office had been established in 1868 with P. J. Melling as postmaster. The office was known as "Buck Inn." William Hall succeeded him and the office was removed to his store within the present limits of North Alton. Hall was succeeded by George F. Long, a veteran soldier, and he by George F. Barth. In De¬ cember, 1875, the original plat of Greenwood and additional territory was incorporated and given the name of North Alton. In 1908 the village was annexed to the city of Alton. Fifty years ago Buck Inn and Coal Branch con¬ stituted an important coal mining district, the residence of pioneer operators of the county, as detailed in chapter XXIV. The vein, how¬ ever, was thin, only 28 inches, and when thicker veins were discovered in the central and eastern parts of the county the industry declined, and in 1910 only two small mines were in operation.

on the sides of a valley which opens onto the American Bottom. The location is a beautiful one and the outlook from its heights one of the finest in the county. Two railroads pass through Glen Carbon, the Toledo, St. L. & Western and the Illinois Central. The Madi¬ son Coal Corporation operates two mines here. The coal report for 1910 shows that mine No. 2 hoisted the previous year 195,218 tons and employed 234 hands. Mine No. 4 produced 187,983 tons and employed 250 hands. The population of Glen Carbon in 1900 was 1,348, and in 1910, 1,220. It was incorporated as a village in 1892, on June 6th.

A mile distant is the railroad station of Peters, where is still standing the old residence of Col. Judy. It is the oldest brick house in the county. It was built in 1807 of brick made on the premises. It is still in good preserva¬ tion and is occupied as a farm dwelling.

Maryville in Collinsville township is another flourishing coal mining centre. It is located on the Illinois Central railroad. Mine No. 2 of the Bonk Bros. C. and C. Co. is located here. The coal report for 1910 gives its output for the previous year as 373,900 tons, employing 467 hands. Value of product $323,885. It had a population in 1910 of 729. It was incor¬ porated as a village June 4, 1902.