The Ordinance of
1787 governing the Northwest Territory proclaimed that there should be freedom
of religion in the area, for the variety of churches erected by the early
settlers of Union County.
Most of these settlers adhered to the faith
they had had in the communities they left and since the settlers came in little
groups as a rule, each group later erected its own church. Most of the early
religious meetings took place in the homes of the members of the groups. The
first preacher in the county was Father Wolf, a Dunkard, mentioned before as one
of the first settlers. He held meetings in various homes but no Dunkard church
was ever erected.
The Baptists and Lutherans were the first to erect
churches. The Baptists organized as the Clear Creek Baptists and built their
first log cabin church in 1821 where the Jonesboro cemetery now stands. Leaders
of the church were Reverend James P. Edwards, Jeremiah Brown and John Mcintosh.
In 1848 this congregation erected a frame building for their church south of the
Jonesboro square and placed in its belfry the first church bell to be heard in
Illinois south of Kaskaskia or Shawneetown. This bell was donated by Caleb
Frick. A Baptist church erected near Willard's Landing was washed away by the
flood of 1844 and not rebuilt.
The Evangelical Lutherans organized in
1819 and built a log church in 1822 near the Jonesboro square. The Lutherans
also built a church north of what is now Anna which was known as Union or Casper
church. Both this church and the church in Jonesboro belonged to the North
Carolina Synod and Reverend J. H. C. Shrenberg was the first missionary sent by
the Synod to Illinois. His health failed and he was replaced by Daniel Sherer
who made his home in Hillsboro, Illinois, and came to these churches once every
three months. In 1847 the Casper Church group replaced their log building with a
frame building for the joint use of the German Reform Church and the Lutherans.
D. F. Rendleman, Peter Sifford, David Miller, Jr., and Samuel Dillow formed the
building committee which let the contract to Joshua Roberts. Near this church is
one of the oldest burial grounds of the county. About I860 a group of German
Lutherans from Austria settled two miles south of Jonesboro on Dutch Creek and
erected St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church. Leaders of this congregation
were Joseph Meyer, Sr., and Joseph Kollener.
The Methodists were numerous
from the beginning of the settlement of the county but they did not build a
church until 1842. They gathered for worship in the homes of their members and
once each year held a "camp ground" meeting. Their first church was erected
south of the Jonesboro square under the direction of Reverend Charles Adkins, a
circuit preacher, who was also a carpenter.
In 1850 Camp Ground Church
was erected in the Stokes settlement by a group of Presbyterians, namely, George
Hileman and wife, John Hileman and wife, William Standard and wife, Daniel
Standard and wife, Woods Hamilton and wife, James Lingle and wife, James
Alexander and Mr. McAllen and wife. The first graves in the burial ground
joining this church were those of the son and daughter of George Hileman and
wife.
During the following half century many more churches were erected.
These will be mentioned in later chapters.
There were two great changes
occurring between 1800 and 1850 which had a great effect on the development of
the whole world and Union County had its share of this development. These
changes were the invention of machinery and the use of steam to run the
machinery. Congress passed the first patent act in 1835 and a patent office was
established in 1836. The inventions which revolutionized industry were the
cotton gin, the spinning jenny, looms for weaving, and the sewing machine which
all affected the manufacture of cloth and clothing. In 1831 Cyrus McCormick of
Virginia patented new plows, a horse power reaper and later an automatic binder
which changed the method of farming. Planing mill machines, the manufacture of
brick and the invention of the Bessemer process of steel manufacturing
revolutionized building and later transportation. Other revolutionary inventions
were "daguerreotype" photography, cookstoves, vulcanized rubber, telegraphy and
the rotary press.
The change in the manufacture of steel probably
effected Union County more than any of the other inventions because following
this came the manufacture of rails, the locomotive, and the building of
railroads. The steamboat effected river transportation and steam was soon used
in local mills. Since large amounts of raw materials for the manufacture of
cloth and shoes were not produced in Union County, factories manufacturing these
products did not spring up here and since the land was rough and too hilly for
the use of the newly invented farm machinery, Union County and southern Illinois
fell behind northern Illinois in the production of large quantities of wheat,
corn and other grains. However the manufactured products were brought to Union
County and exchanged for our skins and agricultural products on "floating
stores" which came down the Ohio from the east. All the agriculture and trade
and system of living in Union County before 1850 was based on its trade on the
Mississippi and Ohio. After 1830, with the coming of steamboats, river trade
flourished and boat landings became trade centers. Roads were built from all
parts of the county to the boat landings. The first "gravel road" in the county
was from Jonesboro to Willard's Landing. This road was maintained by tolls
collected at a toll gate west of Jonesboro. The merchants of Jonesboro took
articles produced by the farmers as payment for their merchandise and traded
these products to the river traders for their wares to stock their stores. There
was not much money used in those days but rather a barter system was prevalent.
This type of trading flourished until after 1850 when a railroad was built thru
Union County which completely changed the character of the place.
It is
often asked why southern Illinois was settled and flourished long before
northern Illinois, then why was it that northern Illinois became more wealthy
and more thickly populated. There are two very good reasons for the early
settlement of southern Illinois, first its navigable waterways and second the
fact that the Indians were driven out at an early date. Then came three reasons
why northern Illinois began to develop rapidly. Canals were built in New York
and the Great Lakes which made navigable lake routes to the west; Cyrus
McCormick decided to establish his factory for farm machinery in Chicago, or
rather Fort Dearborn at that time, because the machinery was suitable for use on
the level land surrounding this point for many miles; and third, a wagon road or
National Trail was constructed from Cumberland, Maryland, thru Pennsylvania,
Ohio and Indiana, to Vandalia, Illinois, which was then the state capital.
An interesting story is told of citizens of Fort Dearborn (now Chicago)
coming to Shawneetown where the oldest bank in the state is located to borrow
money for the development of their community. They were refused because the
bankers did not feel that this community would ever amount to anything since it
was so far away from Shawneetown.
However, during the period between 1830
and 1850, Union County enjoyed its share of growth in population. After the
establishment of the first steam flouring mill in Union County in 1838, flour
soon become one of the leading exports of the county which necessitated wheat
being one of the leading products produced by the farmer. The raising of
livestock early became a profitable industry in the county. The livestock market
was established at an early date in St. Louis.
The first newspaper published in Union County, September 19,
1849, was called the Jonesboro Gazette and Southern Illinois Reflector. The
Southern Illinois Reflector part of the name, was to indicate that news in the
paper would interest not only Jonesboro but all of Southern Illinois. The oldest
available copy of the paper was the one issued October 10, 1849.
In this
issue of the paper the editor, Rev. H. Edward Hempsted and the publishers and
proprietors, Thomas J. Finley and John Evans set up the policy of the paper. It
was to have a "Literary Department" including "tales, selected and original to
occupy the front page. "Interesting incidents connected with the early
settlement of Illinois" were to be found in the columns of the paper. The
"subject of Education, a hitherto much neglected subject was to be another
department. "The latest Foreign and Domestic news" written was to be of interest
to all readers who were "anxious for the overthrow of political and religious
despots." The affairs of Congress and the State Legislature were to be given
"yet not at any time was anything to be admitted to the columns which could be
made to look favorable to any man or set of men." This indicates that the paper
did not begin as a partisan paper. There was also to be included a weekly review
of the New Orleans and St. Louis markets and a Jonesboro current price list.
The terms of the paper were $2.00 for one year, $2.50 if not paid within six
months and $3.00 if not paid within a year. For six copies for one year, $10.00;
for twelve copies, $18.00, and for eighteen copies, $25.00. No paper was to be
discontinued unless at the option of the publisher, until all arrearages were
paid. The advertising rates were: for one square of twelve lines or less, $1.00;
for each additional insertion 30c; one square for three months, $4.00; for six
months, $6.00; twelve months, $9.00; quarter column for one year, $15.00; half a
column for one year $20.00; one column for one year, $35.00; business cards, one
year, $6.00.
The paper had four pages of six columns each, eight full
columns of which were advertisements. Three columns on the front page and one
and one-half on the second were devoted to the conclusion of a continued story
having a moral lesson teaching mothers how to train their sons to grow into
reliable men. It depicted the every day life of the pioneer boy. Two columns of
the paper, one on the front page, were filled with poetry. One poem showing the
topics of the day was a parody on the song "Susanah" called "California,"
telling of a Kentuckian going to California for the gold rush and finding no
gold. The foreign news of the day told of a war being waged between Hungary and
Austria allied with Russia. The combat was handicapped because Austria could
only manufacture two hundred guns per day but another item said that England had
sent them 50,000 percussion lock muskets. There was a two column article by the
editor on education on the second page. He advocated the hiring of more
qualified teachers for the local schools, arguing that a teacher who did not
know his three "R's" could not teach them to the children. He said, "A man has
no business attempting to teach youth before he understands the grammer of his
own language." Teaching at that time had not achieved a universal professional
standard, not even a low standard.
A news item said that "The female
department of the Jonesboro "Academy" will open Monday next under the
superintendance of Miss A. E. Brooks."
In the advertising section, a
"Female Seminary" at Cape Girardeau, Mo., was advertised for students. There
were: tuition in the ordinary branches, according to the grade of study, per
annum, $6.00 to $15.00; needlework, waxwork, drawing and painting, each (extra)
$5.00; music (on the piano) per session, $20.00; boarding including washing,
fuel, lights, etc., $40.00. There were two sessions of twenty-one weeks each in
each school year. The school was incorporated by the Legislature of Missouri.
Another school, "Western Military Institute" at Georgetown. Ky., also
advertised for male students. Six military officers, two Colonels, one Major,
two Captains, and one Lieutenant, all educated at West Point or the Virginia
Military Institute, and five other instructors, one a lawyer, three with A. M.
degrees and one with an A. B. degree made up the faculty. The school was
established in 1817 and two hundred thirty cadets from fifteen different states
had been enrolled there. Military training and civil engineering were taught
there. It was advertised that the wage a graduate engineer could expect to make
was seventy-five dollars per month and it was stated that one graduate was
receiving $2500.00 per year as "principal engineer" for a railroad company
building a railroad in Kentucky and others were receiving S2000, $1500 and $1200
in other parts of the United States as "assistant engineers."
Other
interesting advertisements were those of other newspapers and periodicals, some
fashion magazines and other stories, news and religious magazines. A St. Louis
wholesale merchant, a book and job printer and a doctor all advertised in this
issue of the paper.
Local ads included administrator's notices, land for
sale, a sheriff's notice that a slave had been found and placed in jail until
claimed by the owner, the professional cards of Dr. J. V. Brooks. Dr. S. S.
Condon, Dr. Parks and Dr. Freeman, and attorneys, Wm. A. Hacker, H. Watson Webb,
J. Dougherty and C. G. Simmons; freshly butchered beef and mutton for sale by
James Kerr at his home; accommodations at the Rising Sun Hotel by Wm. Kaley;
tailoring by Lingle and Bratton; cabinet making by C. H. Williford and
bootmaking by John Evans.
Many other businesses had been established by
this time but evidently their owners had not seen fit to advertise their wares
in the new paper. Within the next few years local advertisers increased in
numbers: Parks' Drug Store; Elias V. Winget, blacksmithing, plows and wagons;
Adam Cruse, blacksmithing, plows and wagons; Dr. David Love; D. G. Brooks,
attorney; Robert Brown, butcher; James Hodges, dry goods and groceries; Cyrus G.
Simmons, insurance; W. Willard, 100 kegs of nails and 10000 pounds of iron; many
patent medicine ads; W. W. Yyman, furniture store; W. Davie and sons, dry goods
and groceries; Caleb Frick, dry goods and grocer: A. C. Caldwell, dealer in
copper, tin, sheet iron and stoves; L. Jay S. Turrey, attorney, and Leonard
Kerr, attorney. Local markets were first reported by W. Willard and in 1851 by
J. E. Naill.
In 1851 the publishers and proprietors of the "Gazette,"
were Thomas J. Finley and F. A. McKenzie, and in 1853, John Evans and Co. In
1851 the title of the paper "Jonesborough Gazette and Southern Illinois
Enterprise" had been changed to "Jonesboro Gazette." The paper was described as
a weekly paper devoted to politics, literature, education, foreign and domestic
news.
Perrin, who published a history of Union County in 1883 said that
the paper was a democrat paper from its beginning altho the first editor stated
he intended to have a non-partisan paper in his editorial setting forth the
policy of the paper. He says that in 1854, H. E. Hempstead bought the paper and
sold it to John Grear in 1855 who in turn sold it to John Dougherty, then
Lieutenant Governor of Illinois. Dougherty and his publisher, A. H. Marschalk,
split when Dougherty took an anti-Douglas stand in politics. Marschalk then
established "The Democrat" and moved its office to Anna. Dougherty sold the
"Gazette" back to McKinney, a former editor, who sold it to Evans who kept it
until he enlisted in the Civil War. He sold it to William Jones, who owned it
when it was ordered suppressed, however this order was lifted as soon as the
state authorities learned of it which was six months after the order had been
given. Altho this paper has changed hands many times, it is still being
published, as the "Jonesboro Gazette" until recently when it became the
"Gazette-Democrat."
It is interesting to compare
the prices of commodities in 1849 with those of the present time. Following is a
copy of Willis Willard's weekly market list published in the Jonesboro Gazette.
It gives the price and the amount for sale of the articles used in those days.
Flour, 4 bbl. at $4.50, 2-100 lb sacks at $2.25; wheat 40 bu. at 62c; corn in
ear, 20 bu. at 25c; salt, per bu. 50c, per sack $2.00; dry apples, 50 bu. at
62c; green apples, 20 bu. at 25c; dry peaches, 90 bu. at $1.00; green, 25 bu. at
30c; Castor beans, 10 bu. at $1.25; white beans, 30 bu. at 35c; butter, 6 lbs.
at 8c; coffee, sack, 8 lb. at 9c; 9 lb. at 10c; sugar (New Orleans) 7 lbs. at
10c, 5 bbl. at 7c per lb.; Imperial tea, 90 lb. at $1.00 per lb.; nails, 6 lb at
7c; lead, 6 lb. at 1/2c; whiskey, 35 gal. at 40c; 22 1/2 bbl. at 25c per gal.;
molasses, 35 gal. at 40c, 30 bbl. at 35c per gal.; candle molds, 11 at 15c each,
12 at 18c each; salaratus, 9 lb. 10c; cordage, manilla, 18 lb. at 25c; chickens,
100 doz. at 25c per doz; eggs, 5 doz. at 6c per doz.; linseed oil, 75 gal. at
$1.00; turpentine, 87 gal. at $1.00; white lead, 200 kegs, at $2.25; tallon, 6
lb. at 8c; dry hides, 6 at 8c; green, 3 at 4c. The market price for beef cattle
and hogs was not given but articles the store wished to buy to sell to traders
on the river were priced as follows: feathers, 25c per lb.; ginseng, 20c per
lb.; beeswax, 18c per lb.; flaxseed, 80c per lb.
In 1846, the United
States declared that a state of war existed between this country and Mexico, and
Illinois was called upon for thirty companies of men. Union County sent its
quota, most of whom were placed in Company F of the 2nd Regiment. The enlisted
men were allowed to elect their own officers. This company took part in the
Battle of Buena Vista, February 22nd, 1847, which brought about the close of the
war and victory for the United States.
The following men were enlisted
from Union County: Captain, John S. Hacker; First Lieutenant, Sidney S. Condon;
Second Lieutenants, John Roberts and John Master; Third Lieutenants, Alphonso
Grammer; Sergeants, John C. Hunsaker, Alex J. Nimmo, Abram Hargrave and John
Grammer; Corporals, Adam Creese, Wright C. Pender, Henderson Brown, Abram Cover;
Musicians, Jacob Greer and George H. Lemley; Privates, Talbot Brown, John
Bevins. John Brown, Charles Barringer, John Z. Burgess, Peter Cripps, Peter H.
Casper, Elijah Coffman, Scipio A. B. Davie, John Davis, Daniel Dougherty, Simeon
Fisher, Charles A. Finley, James Fike, Jessie Gray, Franklin Georgus, James
Grammer, Henry Flaugh, William N. Hamby, William Henry, Samuel Hess, Benjamin F.
Hayward, Henry C. Hacker, Fielding A. Jones, Silas Jones, John Kerr, Frederick
King, Adam Lingle, Philip Lewis, John Lingle, Daniel W. Lyerle, Andrew J.
Lemons, Daniel Lingle, Chesterfield Langley, John Menees, Harrison McCoy,
Jefferson Menees, William Miller, John H. Millikin, John Moland, Samuel Martin,
Washington L. Mcintosh, John McGinnis, James M. Phelan, Samuel Parker, Garrett
Resink, John W. Regan, Franklin Sprey, Amalphus W. Simonds, James A. Springs,
Azel Thornton, Reuben Vick and James Walker. Charles A. P'inley in the
quartermaster's department, Henry C. Hacker, pital steward and Pleas Martin,
surgeon were also in the service.
Flex G. Anderson, Alexander Davie and
Joseph Ledgerwood were wounded in the battle of Buena Vista and died in
hospitals after the war.
February 12, 1849, the Illinois Legislature
passed a law revising the method of voting in Illinois, establishing the use of
ballots and ballot boxes.
The law stated that a general election should
be held on Tuesday next after the first Monday in the November preceding the
expiration of the term of office of each president of the United States. The
general election for governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, auditor
of public accounts, state treasurer, representatives to Congress, Senators and
representatives to the general assembly and county officers, was to be held
biennially, Tuesday next after the first Monday in November, except for such
offices as were directed to be chosen other than biennially, namely the governor
and other officers who served for terms of four years each instead of two years.
There was provisions made for the election of two supreme judges, one from
the first district to be elected the first Monday in June, 1852 and a successor
every nine years thereafter, the second from the second district to be elected
the first Monday in June, 1855, and a successor each nine years thereafter. The
judges then in office were to hold their positions until the times set for the
next elections.
Circuit judges were to be elected in each circuit the
first Monday in June 1855 and every six years thereafter.
It was provided
that if a vacancy should occur in the judgeship of the supreme court, or circuit
court within one year before a scheduled election, the governor of Illinois
should appoint a judge to fill the vacancy until the time of the regularly
scheduled election. In case the office of supreme court clerk should become
vacant, the supreme judge should appoint a clerk to fill the vacancy until the
term of a scheduled election, and the circuit judge should do likewise in case
of a vacancy in the office of circuit court clerk. The governor of the state was
to make appointments to fill vacancies in the office of states attorney, state
auditor of public accounts, state treasurer or secretary of state.
The
privilege of voting was given to all white men above the age of 21 who had
resided in the state for one year.
The method of voting was changed to a
ballot system. Blank ballots with no writing or identifying marks were to be
used by voters who wrote the names of the candidates of their choice, folded the
ballots and gave it to one of the election judges who placed it in the ballot
box without unfolding it.
After the voting was completed, the clerk
counted the number of names of voters on the poll book who had voted and the
judges counted the number of ballots in the box. If more ballots were in the box
than there were names of voters, a public drawing was held where the judges drew
out the number of surplus ballots and destroyed them. In counting the votes, if
two ballots were found folded together, both were destroyed because this
appeared as evidence that someone was attempting to cast more than one vote.
The clerks and judges were allowed to adjourn until the next day after the
votes were cast to count the votes. They were required to hand the results of
their count to the county clerk within four days after the election and the
county clerk was required to publish the returns.
The ballots were
returned to the ballot box which was then locked and one election judge kept the
key and another the box until the next election if there was no contest.
This law repealed all previous laws that had been passed; in regard to
elections.
Contributed 11 Sep 2017 by Norma Hass, extracted from History of Union County, by Lulu Leonard, published in 1941.
| Jackson | Williamson | |
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Johnson |
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