Historical Sketches of Jackson County, Illinois was written by Edmun Newsome, published in 1882. Excerpts are provided below.
Mr. Ben. Boone, who was born in this county soon after its first settlement, had taken great pains to gather the facts and dates about the early settlement of the county, intending to publish it soon, but unfortunately, his manuscript was consumed by lire, and Mr. Boone died since that time, therefore the public has lost such a history as can never be replaced, for he was the only man that could have written it. He, however, has furnished the writer with a short account of the first settlement of Brownsville, which is used herein.
When the Cairo and St. Louis Rail Road (Narrow Gauge,) was opened through
from Murphysboro to Cairo, a town was laid off in Cave Creek bottom, in
section 28, Town 10 South, Range 2 West, in Ridge Township, and named
"Pomona."
Very soon dwelling houses and store houses were built, but no station house
was erected by the rail-road company for some time; they only made a
side-track and platform. Some parties built a sawmill on the west side of
the rail-road, and ran it awhile, but getting into difficulty, the sherriff
levied on the machinery. During the absence of that officer, the parties
took the engine, which was one of those on wheels, and rolled it on a
flat-car, then put on the saw and frame and ran the whole to East St. Louis.
This was long spoken of as "the town where a saw-mill was stolen and taken
away."
Some time afterwards, the company built a station house. Other parties built
a saw-mill and a flour-mill on the west side and near the site of the mill
that was said to have been stolen.
Pomona is now a lively little town and is doing considerable business. A few
years ago, it was incorporated, and elected municipal officers.
A station was made where the Cairo and St. Louis Rail Road crosses Cedar
Creek in the northern part of Ridge Township, and a station house was built.
Some parties built a saw-mill there also, and very soon houses began to
spring up in the woods, and it seemed that a prosperous little town would be
the result. The new village received the name of "Eltham."
After running for some time, the mill was destroyed by fire, but another one
was built in its place. Some time afterwards this mill shared the fate of
its predecessor. The station house was also consumed in the same
conflagration. The town was abandoned to its original solitude, with the
exception of passing of trains, and the post-office was removed three miles
farther north, to Gillmore's mill.
Mr. John M. Gill owned land in the south-east corner of Ora Township, in
section 36. Here he laid off a town on the Cairo and St. Louis Rail Road,
which runs through this land. The town was named, "Gillsboro."
This village had a late start, but bids fair to become a lively place. It
now contains several store houses and dwellings, also a saw-mill and a
post-office.
About eight or nine years ago, a railroad line was surveyed from Mt.
Carbon to Pinckneyville, and running through the north-west quarter of
section 34, Town 8 South, Range 2 West. This land had been purchased by the
Carbondale Coal and Coke Company which proposed to make the road. The
general financial panic coming on about that time, the project was postponed
indefinitely.
A few years ago, the company commenced work again by erecting a long row of
coke ovens on the land before described; they also sank a coal shaft a mile
or so farther westward. They then built a railroad from Carbondale to run by
the ovens and shaft and connect with the Cairo and St. Louis Rail Road about
two miles north of the station at Murphysboro.
The company then built a rail-road from the ovens to Pinckneyville where it
connects with other roads leading to St. Louis. They can now ship coal or
coke directly to that city.
Around the ovens, the dwellings of the workmen form a village called
"Harrison."
Many years ago, a post-office was established at the cross-roads in
section 9, Town 7 South, Range 4 "West, and was called "Bradley." A store
was opened and goods sold to the farmers living near. The people also built
a church close by. This is just west of the ridge called Campbell Hill.
When the Narrow Gauge Rail Road was built, the people near Bradley
Post-office tried to have a station there, but some other parties tried to
have the station at another place three fourths of a mile farther
north-west, and succeeded. At that place lots were laid off, a side track
made, and two stores and a blacksmith shop built. This new town was called
"Bradley."
Meanwhile, Mr. Mohlenbroch, thinking it very awkward to have the post-office
at one place and the station at another, raised the enthusiasm of the people
and by the influence and liberality of himself and others, laid off a town
at the post-office, built a large flour mill, and finally induced the
company to make a station there also. As the other town had already
appropriated their name, they called this town "Campbell Hill."
Soon dwelling houses and store houses sprang up on the ground. One of the
store houses at Bradley was rolled up on two flat cars and by the aid of
mules, moved to the new village. A side track was made and a station house
built; the mill was soon up and in operation, and the town outgrew its
rival. It is now a prosperous little town, while Bradley is forgotten.
Many years ago, a man named Wright settled at a point on the Murphysboro
and Chester road, in section 25, Town 7 South, Range 4 West, on a high ridge
between the head waters of Kinkaid and Rattlesnake Creeks. Here he built a
saloon near the road, displaying the sign, "Head Quarters." In this house he
dispensed the "ardent" to his neighbors and to thirsty travelers for many
years. The place was known as Head Quarters far and near, and the character
of some of the inhabitants of the vicinity was such as might have been
expected, with a branch of the bank of his infernal majesty in their midst
so long.
Some years ago, several houses and store buildings were erected, and Head
Quarters began to look like a town. When the Cairo and St. Louis Rail Road
was built and a station made there, the land owners and the rail-road
company laid out a town and named it "Ava."
After the rail-road was opened, the town began to increase rapidly. Many of
the rowdies in the neighborhood have been brought to justice or run off; but
some acts of violence have been committed since the road was opened, such as
throwing the train off the track. It is to be hoped the influence of the
more moral class of citizens, whose wealth and industry build up the town,
will gradually diffuse intelligence and purify the community.
Ava is now a flourishing town, containing many fine buildings, some of them,
including the post-office, are built of brick. A newspaper has been
published there for several years.
About the year 1857, certain land owners, thinking it would be a good
thing to have a town in Elk Prairie, Mr. Ashley, who was then division
engineer of the southern division of the Illinois Central Rail Road, having
assured them that a station would be made there, laid off a town in section
17, Town 7 South, Range 1 West, in Elk Township. Mr. Ashley set men to grade
the side-track. The citizens appointed a day on which to sell lots at public
auction. When the day arrived, a large crowd assembled, and the sale was
progressing in a lively manner, when they were surprised by the scream of an
extra train approaching rapidly from the north. As the train came to a stand
among them, some of the people gathered around it and found that it
contained what rail-road men expressively called the "Royal family," or the
President arid other chief officers of the rail-road company. Mr. Osborn,
the President, asked in apparent surprise, "What is going on here? What does
this crowd mean?" When informed, he said, "There will be no station here.
Stop that sale at ONCE." He was informed that Mr. Ashley had the side-track
graded and was going to make a station there. The President turned to
McClellan, his chief engineer, who was present, saying, "Did you give Mr.
Ashley such orders?" Mr. McClellan denied having given any such orders. The
train returned to Centralia, and the President, in a rage, telegraphed to
Mr. Ashley, asking, “Who gave you orders to make a station in Elk Prairie?"
The answer was, "McClellan." The President replied, "He denies it. Come up
on next train and confront him." Then Ashley was angry, he said to those
around him, "Yes, I will go and make McClellan acknowledge it.” When he met
them at Centralia, he still insisted that McClellan gave him verbal orders
to make that station, and that officer still denied it until Ashley shook
his big fist at Little Mac's nose and made him own to it in Osborn's
presence. It seems that they had made a mistake and wanted to make a
scape-goat of Ashley, but could not succeed. The matter was hushed up, the
town was killed, and laid dormant for many years, until after McClellan had
been commander of armies, when he so gallantly didn't take Richmond, and had
run for the high office of President of the United States, but was defeated
by Lincoln.
Some time after the war was over, the town plat was revived, lots were sold,
a station house built and side-track made. Then people began to erect
dwellings and store houses. It is a small town, and is not likely to grow
much. There is no hotel or public accommodation for travelers arriving by
the trains.
DeSoto was named after the Spanish traveler who, in his search for the
Fountain of Youth, discovered the Mississippi River, and was buried on its
banks.
This town is situated in sections 16, 17, 20 and 21; but mostly in section
20, in Town 8 South, Range 1 West. It was laid off in the woods at the time
of the building of the Illinois Central Rail Road, about the year 1853. It
is of the same age as Carbondale.
The rail-road company owned land in section 20 and laid off lots west of the
rail-road, also a row of fractional lots east of the road. Other parties
laid off lots on the east side, but the streets in the two plats do not
correspond with each other.
The business part is on the west side except the hotel. Most of the town is
on the west side. The town grew to its present size in a few years then
stopped. There has been very little improvement for many years. A few years
ago a fire destroyed nearly half of the business portion, and very few of
the houses have been rebuilt.
The town is situated in a flat country, with Big Muddy nearly half way round
it; the river being about a mile east of the town, two miles south and half
of a mile south-west.
DeSoto is not much of a business place. Sometimes it has almost the
appearance of a deserted town, many of the front store houses being empty.
There are several churches in the town, some of them are very good looking
buildings. Two flour mills were there, but one has been removed.
When the route of the Illinois Central Rail Road was laid off, the
engineers had to follow the valley of Drury Creek through the hilly country
in the southern part of Jackson and the northern part of Union Counties.
This valley has the appearance of a great crack or fissure in the hills,
with mostly precipitous sides, and through this runs Drury. A person can
almost imagine a convulsion of nature that opened a crack running north and
south for miles, making ragged edges and broken rocks tumbling down the
steep sides, then afterwards the gap gradually partly filled up with soil
washed from the hills.
A mile and a quarter north of the county line, in the west side of section
27, Town 10 South, Range 1 West, the company built a water tank and a
boarding house, made a station and called it “Makanda."
Sometime about the year 1863, Mr. Zimmerman laid off town lots on the east
side of the rail-road, and several houses and stores were erected. Mr.
Martin Reynolds had built a mill for sawing lumber and grinding grain in
1861, on the west side of the creek and rail-road, which are here close
together. About the year 1866, lots were laid off by Lummis and also by
Evans on the west side, and afterwards on both sides by T. W. Thompson and
others.
There is quite a romantic looking village nestled in the valley and up the
steep rocky hills on each side, where the houses perch one above another on
ledges. The church is up on a high point overlooking the town. The company
has built two brick tanks and a passenger house at that place.
This town is in the midst of the fruit region, and is an important place in
the fruit season. It would soon become a large town if there was room enough
to build one; but, cramped up as it is in such a narrow valley, there is not
much chance for it to grow.
During several years, a box-factory was in operation in the south part of
the town, which supplied shippers with fruit-boxes, but it was removed. The
mill that Reynolds built near the bridge, was operated for many years by
O'Fallon, but he removed it to Gillsboro a few years ago. Other parties set
up a grist-mill and box-factory on the same site.
The school house is on the west side at the foot of the bluff. The
inhabitants of Makanda and vicinity are industrious and intelligent people.
This is scarcely to be considered a town, but as it has a name, and is
about such a place as Eltham once was, although not a regular station, yet
it must not be omitted.
When the Illinois Central Rail Road was in process of construction, the
builders used a large quantity of stone for culverts and ballast. This stone
was quarried in the north-east corner of section 9, Town 10 South, Range 1
West, in Makanda Township, and half way from Makanda to Carbondale. They
made a track across Drury Creek and loaded the cars in the quarry. After the
road was finished, and the company had quit using the stone, the quarry
track was taken up, but a side-track was left for the convenience in
switching irregular trains out of the way.
When the State of Illinois was erecting the Normal University at Carbondale,
the red sand-stone used in that structure, was taken from this quarry, and
after that was finished, much stone was shipped to distant parts by Mr.
Johnson.
In 1876, Mr. E. P. Purdy brought a saw-mill to this place, setting it up
near the side-track for convenience in loading lumber on the cars.
At the same time, Mr. S. Cleland, who was then owner of the quarry land,
laid oil" town lots on the west side of the rail-road opposite to the mill,
and named the place "Boskydale." Several houses were built and a few
families dwelt there. Mr. Cleland made a business of quarrying stone and
shipping it to distant places for building purposes. He employed a gang of
men in the business.
More houses were needed, therefore Mr. E. M. Hanson laid off an addition in
1877, and several more houses were erected.
The town is in the valley of Drury. It is not likely ever to be much of a
town. It has already gained a bad character for rowdyism. Murder has been
committed there.
This is one of the towns that was, and is not. It existed only about
seven years. It was a mining town; and when the mines were abandoned, the
miners left the houses vacant.
In the year 1850, the Jackson County Coal Company opened their first mine
three fourths of a mile south of Murphysboro, in the south-west quarter of
section 9, Town 9 South, Range 2 West. Mr. E. Holden was superintendent.
Their mines were all tunnels. The miners were mostly from Scotland,
therefore many persons called the place "Scotch Town." Quite a number of
houses were built for the men to reside in, for most of them had families.
The Scotch were some of them zealous followers of Joseph Smith, but not
of Brigham Young, at least not outwardly. Mr. Edwin Hanson built a store
house and kept store there. The company built a large boarding house and
Mrs. Willis took charge of it and cooked for the boarders. The miners who
had no families and the young men that worked for the company above ground,
boarded there.
For several years this was quite a busy place, and a good market for the
produce that farmers have to sell.
The miners, as usual, were a rowdy sot, especially when they were drunk. One
night the miners were offended at something that Zeri Byers had said, about
them making so much noise that he could not sleep. The next night they got
drunk and danced and swore, and threatened Byres; thus they kept up a row
all night to the disturbance of the whole community. Mr. Kitchen,
a-carpenter, who boarded at another house, heard them, and next day he
reported them to Mr. Holden, who sent for them at once to come to the
office, and to their surprise, he paid them off and told them to leave the
place immediately.
One peculiarity about Holden was, that he would not employ an Irishman on
any terms. He seemed to have a deep seated hatred of that nationality. He
was a perfect gentleman, and treated all well who did their duty, and if
they did not, he would soon pay them off. If he approached a gang of workmen
and found some of them resting, he would go and sit down by them if they sat
still until he came to them, but if they got up and went to work at his
approach, he would discharge them.
The company hauled the coal out of the tunnels to the bank of the river,
about one fourth of a mile, in cars drawn by a mule, on a rail-road made
with wooden rails with straps of iron nailed on them. Valentine Taylor was
the driver of the mule during the first year. This was the first rail-road
in Jackson County. The coal was piled up on the bank of the river where it
waited for water sufficient to float it off.
In the spring of 1851, the Walk-ln-the-Water, a new boat that was originally
built for a ferry boat, had arrived at St. Louis, and the company chartered
her to go up Big Muddy to bring a load of coal. She made her first trip in
May, after the Mississippi had risen considerably, so that Muddy was filled
with back-water. This boat took her load of coal, also two barges loaded
with it, to St. Louis, and the company introduced it to the foundries and
gas-works, where it was pronounced to be the best coal west of Pittsburg,
and it soon became known to the public.
After the boat had brought her first load of coal, the company purchased
her, and then she made regular trips up Muddy one day, loaded during the
night, returned next day and unloaded opposite the town of Preston; thus
supplying the steamboats with coal, for most of them used only wood before
that time.
The coal was boated out every summer at the time of the rising of the
Mississippi. The business prospered, but there came a time when for two
years the river did not rise high enough for the boat to cross the Fish-trap
Shoal, and the coal accumulated on the river bank, while their coal-yard on
the Mississippi was empty and their custom lost. They extended their
rail-road past the shoal, but the expenses ate up the profits and the work
was abandoned, the town deserted and the houses removed. It is now only a
farm and is owned by the G. T. M. M. & T. Co.
The Mount Carbon Coal Company was organized and chartered nearly forty
years ago, and they commenced to mine out coal that long ago. They opened a
mine where the coal crops out on the banks of Big Muddy River, at Mt.
Carbon, about half way between the upper and lower fords, or where the hills
come to the river just below the bridge. The present rail-road runs over the
mouth of the old tunnel. There was not any large quantity mined in those
days. Sometimes a flat-boat was loaded and floated down the river. Some of
them would sink on the route, for that kind of navigation was very
dangerous. There is one of them sunk about half a mile below the mines, full
of coal; but it is probably now covered with mud.
The company built a mill of several stories in height on the north bank of
the river below where the bridge is now, that was used for the purpose of
sawing lumber and grinding corn. It ran for many years. Richard Dudding was
boss of the establishment.
After some time, the company quit working the mines and the mill also, and
everything was silent and neglected during many years. There were no
buildings at Mt. Carbon except the old mill, (which has long since rotted
down and disappeared), and the ferryman's house, which was just above the
mill. John Minto was ferryman for many years after Dudding had left the
place; and, occasionally, Minto dug coal to supply the blacksmiths. The mine
was so low that every high water filled it and left mud all over it. After
Mr. Minto left the place, Mr. Wilson was ferryman until the bridge was
built, when the ferry was no longer needed.
After the Jackson County Coal Company had built their wooden track
rail-road, the Mt. Carbon Company procured a charter from the legislature of
the state, for a rail-road from Mt. Carbon to the Mississippi River. The
Jackson Company then obtained an amendment to the effect that the new road
would have to cross the older one at the same grade as the latter road. The
two companies, as represented by their respective superintendents, Mr.
Holden and Mr. Dudding, were working not very harmoniously, but sometimes
contrary to each other; yet the two gentlemen became warm personal friends.
The Mt. Carbon Company thus laid silent and quiet as far as working anything
was concerned, for many years, including the whole of the time that the
Jackson Company was at work, except the time when the chartered rail-road
was to be commenced to save the charter, Dudding had men at work a few days,
and in the expressive language of Holden, they "cleared out a turnip patch.”
The old company tried to do nothing more, when sometime about the close of
the War of the Rebellion, they sold out to another company, who obtained a
new charter under the same corporate name, "Mt. Carbon Coal Company."
With Mr. Henry Fitzhugh as superintendent, they commenced work in earnest.
At first, their office was in John Hanson's residence in Murphysboro. They
built a saw-mill near the place where the mill is at present. They set up
the engine that is at No. 2 shaft, and ran a slope, commencing under the old
county road. The engine hauled coal up an inclined plane. The rail-road from
Mt. Carbon to Grand Tower was commenced and pushed through vigorously. The
foundry and machine shop were built, and a small steamer came up the river
bringing machinery and other heavy freight; but much of their machinery was
brought by rail-road to Carbondale, and from thence hauled on wagons to its
destination.
As soon as the rail-road was completed, they began to ship off coal to Grand
Tower to supply boats, and to send in barges to St. Louis and other places.
During the time they had sunk several shafts. Two that were sunk in the Hat
north-east of the depot, could not be worked, because there was so much
water and the roof was too thin and covered with quicksand, therefore they
were both abandoned.
A shaft was sunk south of these in the edge of the hills, called No. 1
shaft, and a rail-road track was laid to it. No. 2 shaft was sunk near the
slope, so that the same engine could hoist from both.
During this time, the row of houses between the depot and the bridge was
built, also nearly fifty dwellings in the flat on the north side of the
river. Houses and shanties began to accumulate on the hills; miners came
flocking in. It was but a short time before there was a large population of
miners, and money was plenty in the country. Especially did Murphysboro
profit by it, and began to wake up from a long sleep and grow into city-like
proportions; but, with its growth and prosperity, it also became vain, and
obtained a city charter, including the Mt. Carbon works in the city limits.
This arrangement displeased the company, because they did not want to pay
city taxes, after having furnished the money that had built the city; so the
city and the company pulled contrary to each other for some time.
The company had laid out the fiat north of the river into lots, as an
addition to Murphysboro, but they afterwards vacated the plat, and for a
time talked of removing the houses. They did indeed build fifty houses for
the miners, on the highest ridge at Mt. Carbon. Afterwards, the city charter
was so modified as to exclude all south of the river, thus leaving out all
the works and buildings of the company except those in the flat.
Wishing to ship coal by the Illinois Central Rail Road as well as by the
river, the company extended their rail-road to Carbondale, and there formed
a junction with that road. They next built two iron furnaces at Grand Tower.
About this time the company obtained a new charter under the title of the
"Grand Tower Mining, Manufacturing and Transportation Company" The
rail-road, which had heretofore been called "Mt. Carbon Rail Road," was
afterwards called "Grand Tower and Carbondale Rail Road."
Mr. Fitzhugh died during the first year, and was succeeded by Mr. A. C.
Bryden, after him Mr. H. V. Oliphant had that office; since his death, Mr.
Williamson, the present superintendent, controls the affairs of the company.
The company have been much troubled with miner's strikes; which sometimes
lasted for several months at a time. At one time, during a prolonged strike,
they brought coal from Cartersville, Williamson County, Illinois, to supply
boats at Grand Tower; and from Brazil, Indiana, to supply the iron furnaces.
At another time, after the men had held out on a strike for a long time, the
company sent for fifty colored miners and set them to work. They then
discharged nineteen of the strikers, and the rest soon went to work again,
to prevent their places from being taken by the colored men.
The company became involved in a $200,000.00 law-suit, and their works went
into the hands of trustees, but the work was continued.
During this time they had sunk shaft No. 3, half a mile from the station,
and ran a rail-road track to it.
This company having bought the land that had belonged to the Jackson County
Coal Company, proceeded to make use of it. The site of Dorchester was made
into a farm; the fifty houses on the hill are on that land; so also is No. 3
shaft.
This company has been much troubled with fires. First, the saw-mill was
burned, and when it was rebuilt, the precaution was taken to place the mill
and the boiler at some distance from each other. The engineer's office at
Grand Tower was burned with most of their plats and drawings. No. 1 shaft
suffered a similar fate, destroying the works on the top and ruining the
hoisting engine. The shaft was never used again. The rail-road bridge across
Big Muddy near Sand Ridge was consumed, but immediately rebuilt. Nearly all
the air-shafts have been burned at times, injuring the ventilation in the
mines for a time. The station-house and store, which were in the same
building, were destroyed, and they were rebuilt separately.
A tunnel was opened west of the first opening, but it was not worked much
for several years. It has been used more recently.
When the panic of 1873 came on, the work was nearly all stopped, miners left
for other places. No. 2 shaft only was worked, and that only two or three
days in a week. This state of things continued or grew worse for several
years. In the spring of 1876, Big Muddy rose so much higher than usual that
No. 2 shaft was filled with water, and it took a long time to pump it out.
The iron furnaces cooled, one of them collapsed; very few boats were running
on the Mississippi, therefore there was not much demand for coal, and for a
while only the tunnel was worked. Most of the large crowd of miners that
used to be there were gone. The houses on "Fiddler's Ridge," which once had
formed a long street, are most of them taken away. Thus the large business
at Mt. Carbon almost came to a stand.
In 1880, business began to revive. The company erected a long row of
coke-ovens on the ground on which Holden stored his coal thirty years
before. No. 3 shaft which had been unused so long, was again alive with
miners, and the subterranean passages once more reverbarate with the sound
of the pick and the shout of the mule-driver. The houses are inhabited, and
prosperity is returning.
In the year 1673, seven Frenchmen, in two birch-bark canoes, started from
Green Bay, and went down Fox River, then down Wisconsin River, and on the
17th of June entered the Mississippi. The swift current swept them rapidly
down, past the pictured rocks at the mouth of the Illinois River, then past
the Devil's Oven and the “dangerous” Grand Tower.
This is the first mention of the Grand Tower, which is a tower-like rock
rising out of the river near the Missouri shore, and directly opposite to
the south end of the sharp ridge called the "Devil's Backbone. This rock is
considered dangerous to this day. When the water is high, an eddy starts at
a rocky point near the "Tower" and reaches half a mile or more down the
river, the outer edge of this eddy where it joins the main current is full
of whirlpools. When a floating tree gets into one of these, it stands erect
for a moment, then disappears beneath the surging water. Skiffs or other
small craft are served in the same manner, and life has thus been lost. The
danger to steamboats is that they are careened and turned out of their
course, and for the time become uncontrollable.
Sometime in the early settlement of the West, a keel-boat load of emigrants
with their goods, was ascending the river. At this point, the unusally broad
river is quite narrow, being about three-eighths of a mile in width, and
confined between rocky shores, making the current is very swift; the boat
could not ascend easily, therefore the emigrants landed to walk past this
place; the men to pull the ropes, the women and children to go at their
leisure. Suddenly, they were attacked by Indians that had been hidden
amongst the rocks. The emigrants were all killed except a boy twelve years
old, who hid amongst the rocks, near the place where the iron-works were
recently located. On the highest point on the south end of the Devil's
Backbone, graves have been found, but whether of Indians or white men is not
known. That boy that escaped, after he was grown up, pursued that gang of
Indians one by one, until he slew the last one on an island in the river.
Many years ago, Marshall Jenkins settled where the south part of the town is
now. After steamboats began to navigate the river, he kept a landing and a
wood-yard. The place was known as Grand Tower Landing or Jenkins' Landing.
After the death of Jenkins, James Evans married the widow. He built a
warehouse and opened a store, and the place was called
Evans' Landing, but it was always known as Grand Tower. Elisha Cochran
settled near the south end of the Back-bone. The grave-yard was close to the
foot of that hill, between that and Cochran's house. Several other families
lived there, and the school house was sometimes used as such.
The location is suitable for a landing. It is a strip of level ground
between the river and Walker's Hill, which rises just back of it, having
precipitous, rocky sides. This hill is not connected with any other hill,
but is entirely surrounded by low land. The Back-bone before mentioned is a
sharp, rocky ridge, nearly a mile long, running along the river bank; the
southern end being close to the river, and highest; the northern end and the
middle leaving a strip of level land between the hill and the river. There
is also a narrow strip of level ground between this hill and Walker's Hill,
where the two lap past each other. A detached portion of the Back-bone juts
out into the river, forming the "Devil's Oven." Nearly a mile north of this
is the "Big Hill," which is very high, about four miles long and two miles
wide; it is also surrounded by low lands and the river which washes its
western base. Its sides are mostly precipitous, at the north end rising
perpendicularly one hundred and twenty-five feet. The formation of the whole
neighborhood is peculiar, and the impression made on the minds of the early
settlers caused them to name so many things after his Satanic Majesty.
When the Mt. Carbon Company built a rail-road from Mt. Carbon to Grand
Tower, the land owners at the latter place, Jenkins, Evans and the company,
each laid off town lots, and sold them rapidly for a while. Soon a town
sprang up as if by magic. All the river front was built up with stores,
hotels and other business houses; thus the obscure landing place sprang into
a young city at once. Although it is a good location for a town, yet
heretofore, there had been almost no communication with Murphysboro or the
interior of the county. The only road went through four miles of the
muddiest ground that can be imagined, and was absolutely impassible at some
seasons of the year. But the rail-road remedied all that in a short time,
and made a pass way through at all times of the year.
The company began to ship coal on barges, and also to furnish steamboats
with coal. The following: year, the rail-road was extended to Carbondale and
connected with the Illinois Central Rail Road; then passengers and freight
were landed at Grand Tower for various points along that road, and the town
still grew, and extended northward towards the Big Hill, first, by building
that part called "Red Town," afterwards by other additions.
The company built two iron furnaces on that side of the Back-bone next to
the river, and ran a rail-road track through the middle of the ridge where
it is the lowest. Soon another company built a furnace at the southern
extremity of the city. This is usually known as the lower furnace. So Grand
Tower, with three furnaces, one rail-road, and a regular packet to St.
Louis, grew and prospered, until it extended from the lower furnace nearly
to the Big Hill, or almost two miles in length. Then came reverses. The
lower furnace stopped for a long time, then fired up and continued in
operation for a season only to stop again. It remained cold and silent for
many years. The upper furnaces met with accidents. Sometimes one of them
would fall to pieces full of melted iron, which hardened as it cooled, and
it required a long time afterwards to cut it out before they could begin to
repair the furnace. Then the company met with trouble and fell into the
hands of Trustees. For a short time but one furnace was in operation, then
it too became silent and deserted. The company almost quit shipping coal,
and everything became dull. Some of the merchants left the town and removed
to other places. The town had passed its period of prosperity; for, like Mt.
Carbon, it was dependent on the company, and when they almost quit working,
the business of the towns languished.
The upper furnaces have been dismantled, the costly machinery removed and
everything that could be of use taken away, showing the intention of making
no more pig-iron at that place.
About the year 1880, business began to revive, and the town began to resume
something of its former bustling appearance. There was talk of the lower
furnace again being started.
Thirty years ago, a gentleman, looking far into the future, predicted that
the iron-ore of Missouri and the coal of Jackson County, Ill. would meet
near Grand Tower, and along the river bank would be a long row of iron
furnaces. This has been only fulfilled in part; the time is yet to come its
entire accomplishment.
The following account of the early settlement of Brownsville, was kindly
furnished by Ben Boone, Esq.
"Brownsville was incorporated by the Legislature held at Kaskaskia in March,
1819. Jessee Griggs, John Ankeny, James S. Dorris, Dr. Matthew Taylor and
William D. Ferquay were Trustees. Brownsville was begun to be improved in
the fall of 1816, or spring of 1817.
The town had been laid out and some improvements made at that early date.
In 1817 to 1819 it looked town-like. The first settler was Jessee Griggs and
family. Conrod Will resided near the salt-licks, outside of the town site.
In 1817 to '18, a goodly number of persons settled in the town. Those I
recollect were, Peter Kimmel and family, Cyrus F. Kimmel, S. H. Kimmel, A.
W. Kimmel, __ Litchbarger and family, Katharine Schwartz and family. Conrod
Will, S. H. Kimmel, James S. Dorris and James Harrold, all had stores. Lemon
was a hatter, he had a family: Henderson and Fild were saddlers; John Queen,
attorney; W. Taylor and Davis, doctors; Burton and Richard J. Hamilton,
lawyers; Marion Fuller, James Findley, John Lucas, John G. Clark, J. Kunce,
Porter, John Tinnun and David Burkey, were carpenters; Neff, Chamberlain and
Howe, school teachers; Haltborn was a blacksmith, so was Grun. A. M. Jenkins
and his sister, Liza came to town.
This is the history of Brownsville to 1819 or thereabouts."
When Jackson County was organized, Brownsville was the county seat. The town
was situated in the south part of section 2, Town 9 South, Range 3 West. The
court house was a frame building, and was situated in the middle of the
square. The site of the town was on a level ground between Big Muddy River
on the south and the hills on the north. A slough runs along the foot of the
hills, which is filled with back-water from the river, although the level
land is above the usual high water mark. It was a beautiful site for a small
town; rather contracted in width, but indefinate in length. Some of the
residences were built up the side of the hill and overlooked the town.
Brownsville continued to be a flourishing town until the county seat was
removed in 1843. There were several stores around the square. Among the
residents there, were John M. Hanson, D. H. Brush, Robert H. Marron, and Dr.
James Robarts who are well known to the present residents of the county.
On muster day, election day or court week, the citizens from the country
around would go there, not only to attend to the duties of the day and do
their trading at the stores, which often consisted of exchanging 'coon skins
or venison hams for coffee &c., but, not having the modern means of
disseminating news, the newspaper being seldom seen, they met to hear and
tell the news. What enjoyment it was to those farmers who would often be for
a week at a time without seeing a human face except those of their own
families, to meet each other and exchange items of news or tell "yarns."
They would have their fun, hut nearly every one would drink, and many get
drunk, as a consequence, fighting was often the order of the day. Sometimes
Iri Byers and Peter Keifer would meet in a crowd and try who could tell the
most unlikely stories. Thus did they amuse themselves like true pioneers.
On the night of the 10th of January, 1843, the court house was discovered to
be on fire; the flames spread so rapidly that nothing could be saved. All
the books, papers and records were destroyed, except perhaps one or two
small books that were not in the court house at the time.
On the 13th of January, 1843, the county commissioners met to make
arrangements for the purchasing of new books, and empowered the clerk, D. H.
Brush, to purchase such books as were necessary to carry on the county
business.
Soon after this, there was a movement among the people of the county to
select another place for a county seat, and Murphysboro was located on the
first day of August, 1843. Soon after that time the county seat was removed
to that place, leaving Brownsville to die. The merchants and business men
soon followed the court house, and the old town gradually died a lingering
death. During several years the people kept leaving the town; the deserted
houses rotted down, the owners of lots were glad to sell at any price, and
Richard Worthen bought them cheaply, one after another. In 1853, he owned
all Brownsville. Very few houses were left on the ground; some had been
removed, many had rotted down and had been burned, so Mr. Worthen burned all
the rest except a few for which he had use, to get them out of the way. He
made a farm of the town site, and it is now occupied by his descendants. The
town has run its race and has ceased to exist.
It might be well to mention here the Indian town at Sand Ridge, that was for
many years cotemporary with Brownsville. It was a settlement of the tribe of
Kaskaskia Indians. The United States government reserved for them a tract of
land two miles in length and half a mile in width, including most of the
ridge. Here they had a town, and often met the white men of Brownsville on
friendly terms. A joke is told on Robert Worthen like this: that one day
while he was passing along the banks of Big Muddy when it was nearly full,
near the Indian town, he found a lot Indian children at play. He began to
pitch them into the swelling river, one after another, just for fun, knowing
that they would swim out. This sport he continued for some time, but the
youngsters, not appreciating the joke, made an alarm that brought their
mothers to the rescue. The squaws took Bob and rolled him into the river
too, and left him to get out as well as he could.
The Kaskaskia tribe decreased in numbers, and left their reservation. They
went to the Indian Territory and became incorporated with some other tribe.
According to Mr. Boone's account, in the year 1808, James Davis and
Joseph French with their families, settled the place where Murphysboro is
now. It seems that at some time afterwards, the land became the property of
Dr. John Logan, who lived there many years, and there Gen. John A. Logan was
born.
When the court house at Brownsville was destroyed by fire on the night of
the 10th of January, 1843, the people of the county took the legal steps to
have the county seat removed to some other place, and commissioners were
appointed by the county commissioners' court to select the site of the
intended town. Samuel Russell, William C. Murphy and John Cochran were the
men that were appointed for that purpose. They reported that "after due
examination of several places, a site was chosen, situated in the south-west
quarter of Section 4, Town 9 South, Range 2 West, on land belonging to Dr.
John Logan." Dr. Logan donated twenty acres for the town plat. The location
was made permanent on the first day of August, 1843. The land was laid out
into lots and streets with a central square for the use of the county
buildings. The county commissioners had the plat recorded and proceeded to
sell lots. The town was named after one of the commissioners, Murphy’s
Borough, but the name was by common concent joined into one word, the
apostrophe and the three last letters dropped, and spelled Murphysboro.
The first court was held in a frame house that was moved there for the
purpose. Soon houses began to arise. The county built a court house of brick
in the middle of the square. The court room was on the first floor, and the
clerks' offices up-stairs.
In the fall of 1845, the court house had been finished, the walls of the
Logan House were going up, and the house was completed soon afterwards; but
it was only two stories high. Dr. Logan kept hotel in that house until his
death which occurred several years afterwards. Brush and Hanson opened a
store one block east of the square, but after a while they dissolved
partnership and kept separate stores. The town was not long without drinking
houses, and that has been its curse ever since.
Of the three commissioners who located the town, William C. Murphy has been
dead a long time; Samuel Russell died a few years ago; John Cochran is the
only one that lives to see the present growth of the town.
County court was first held in the new town on the 4th day of March, 1844,
but probate court was held in November, 1843. From this time until 1850,
there was very little improvement; most of the buildings were close around
the square; and all, with perhaps two or three exceptions, were within the
town plat. The town was surrounded on three sides by fields, and on the
south, where the land suddenly drops down to the river bottom, by woods.
There were two roads leading to the south part of the county, the principal
one crossed the river at Mt. Carbon, either at the ford or ferry; the other
road crossed the river at the Fish-trap Shoal, where the Cairo and St. Louis
Rail Road crosses.
There was no church or school house in the town at that time, except a log
house that stood at the south side of the town, in the edge of the woods,
which was used for both church and school purposes.
Murphysboro was a very dull place usually when there was neither court nor
election in progress. Circuit Court was only held one week in the spring and
one week in the fall, and elections were only once a year; but, at these
times the farmers from the whole county would crowd in, and the town would
then be lively, yes! very lively — for even at that time there were several
"groceries" as they were then called; they were not yet dignified by the
name of "saloons, but in them whisky was cheap and abundant; drunkenness and
fighting were very common occurrences. It was often the case that during the
time that an earnest counselor was making his best effort before a jury, a
fight would begin just outside of the court house, which soon became
exciting and general; the crowd shouting, the audience in the court room
rushing out, even the court and jury peep out through the windows. For a
time the counsel pleads in vain; no one hears him as long as the fight
continues.
Near the place where the south end of the row of brick buildings east of the
court house is now, was a horse-rack; the ground was beaten hollow by the
stamping of the beasts. One day during circuit court, after a shower, when
the hollow was a pond and several horses standing in it, two men began to
fight, their friends on both sides pitched in, and there was a struggling
and surging mass of humanity, fighting, rolling and kicking, until the whole
pile rolled into the water under the horses; the excited crowd meanwhile
cheering or swearing. The dogs that were present could not long remain
silent spectators, but soon joined in the fray and did their best. The court
house was deserted, the groceries emptied, and confusion reigned. Such a
sight; men horses, dogs, torn shirts and mud mixed together.
The town began to receive a new impetus in 1850. x\t that time the Jackson
County Coal Company began operations about three-fourths of a mile south of
the court house, at the place they called Dorchester; and for the first time
the people of Murphysboro knew what sort of people coal miners or colliers
were. The company paid out money to their many hands, and most of it found
its way to the merchants of whisky sellers of Murphysboro. The town began to
prosper, and many new houses were erected.
During the time of the spring court, the Alton Presbytery met at
Murphysboro. They held their business meetings in the old log school house,
and continued in sessions all the week. Each day, during the recess of court
at noon, one of ministers preached in the court room. Rev. Norton of Alton
was moderator of the Presbytery. During the same week, Big Muddy River was
very high, so that people had to ferry from the hills at Mt. Carbon all the
way across the low part of the "flats.” All the high bank where the north
end of the bridge now is, was covered deep enough to ferry over. This flood
was from headwater running with a strong current.
In 1851, the Mississippi was very high; the highest that was ever known
except the rise in 1844 which exceeded this by four feet. This time it
backed up the river very high at Mt. Carbon. The Jackson Coal Company boated
out their coal with a small steamboat, which continued her trips for nearly
two months. This company continued to work for several years, and most of
the money that they paid out found its way to town, which began to grow and
look more like a business place than it had heretofore.
About the year 1854, Rev. J. Wood, a Presbyterian minister, undertook to
persuade the people to build a church in the town, and by great exertions he
succeeded during the winter and spring following, so far as to get the frame
of a large church built and the roof and siding on, so that the weather
would not spoil it; but there it stuck; nobody would help it any farther.
Mr. Wood, in disgust, left and went and built a church at Carbondale. The
unfinished house in Murphysboro remained in that condition for many years,
while saloons prospered and increased in number, but the church was used as
a public stable by everyone who rode to town, to hitch their horses in. When
the town afterwards became prosperous, the old church was finished off and
made into a theatre and beer saloon. It is the same building that was
afterwards called "Concert Hall."
In the days when Judge Denning presided at the circuit court, the people
would come on Monday morning, and often have to wait until Tuesday or
Wednesday before the judge would come to organize the court. He was reported
sick at the Logan House. When there was too much noise in court, the judge
would tell the sherriff, John Elmore, to have "silence in court,” then Mr.
Elmore would go in a quiet manner to the persons that were talking too loud,
and whisper to them to keep silence. Whenever a juror, witness or lawyer was
wanted, the sherriff called their names at the door, for most of them would
be in the "grocery” or close about there. In later times, David Williams
kept a grocery just south-east of the court house that was a convenient
resort of the thirsty citizens.
In those days, the county court, in selecting a grand jury, on one occasion,
said to each other, "Let us have the best men in the county, men of
intelligence and honesty on this grand jury." They went over the tax list
and selected the best men in the county. When the grand jury met, among
other indictments, they found a bill against the county court for the
condition in which the jail was kept. That court did not think that they
would try that experiment again. At that time, the jail was a small wooden
house that stood near the court house.
The first newspaper published in Jackson County was printed at Murphysboro
about the year 1854. It was published by Bierer, and was called the “Jackson
Democrat.” It flourished for a few months, then fell into the hands of
Charley Cummings, who soon ran it into debt and contempt, and abandoned the
(enterprise. There it ended.
About these times or sooner, James M. Morgan, Tho's M. Logan and Lindorf
Ozborn built the mill at the foot of the hill.
In the spring of 1855, the county sold the swamp lands at public auction at
the court house. These lands were given by the United States to the State of
Illinois, and by the state to the county, to be sold, the money to be used
in draining the land. By this means it was hoped that much good land would
be reclaimed and the general health of the people improved. The county
needed a new court house about that time. "The money belongs to the county,
and, although intended for a special purpose, yet it will do the county more
good to build a court house than to dig ditches in the Mississippi bottom.
So it was decided to do so, ignoring the rights of purchasers, and most of
the swamp land money was used for that purpose soon afterwards. The new
court house was built east of the old building, and fronting on Main Street,
the old house was not removed until the new building was finished and
occupied. The court room is above, and the clerks' offices below. The house
has been changed around several times since it was first built; and a few
years ago, it was enlarged by the addition of two fire-proof rooms and a
third story in a mansard roof, the whole surmounted by a cupola and clock.
When the war came on, Murphysboro, like every other place, became dull, and
business came to a stand. The Jackson County Coal Company had long before
that time quit mining coal, the mines had been abandoned, the houses at
Dorchester deserted, and the steamboat disabled. So nothing was left to
make, any trade or business, and the war claimed the attention of all for a
few years.
About the time of the end of the war, in 1865, the Mt. Carbon Coal Company
began operations at Mt. Carbon. They sank several shafts, and employed a
large force of miners and other hands. They built a rail-road from Grand
Tower to Mt. Carbon, which was afterwards extended to Carbondale. They went
to work on such a large scale that it threw all the works of the Jackson
Company into the shade. Murphysboro began to grow and prosper as if by
magic. Soon all the old town plat was built up, and additions made, two by
John A. and Tho's M. Logan and one by William Logan, afterwards followed by
additions by the Logans and others, which were soon built up. The town
obtained a city charter, but in doing so, included within the city limits
all the works at Mt. Carbon. This displeased the Mt Carbon Company, who had
laid off all the flat into town lots, and had built nearly fifty houses on
them. But they vacated the plat, and built fifty houses on the hills south
of Big Muddy. The corporate limits were afterwards so modified as to exclude
all south of the river.
Big Muddy coal soon had such a name that other parties began to buy or lease
all the coal lands about Murphysboro. Joseph Gartside sank four shafts north
of town, and the Lewis Company one shaft. The Cairo and St. Louis Rail Road
(Narrow Gauge,) was constructed from St. Louis to Murphysboro, thus giving
an opportunity to all those mines north of town to ship coal directly to St.
Louis. During the coal excitement, another rail-road was surveyed to run
from Mt. Carbon to Pinckneyville, but it was dropped and nothing more was
done about it. The Gartside mines and the Lewis mines gave employment to a
large number of men, and thus the city continued to grow and prosper. All
the land between the town and the new rail-road was laid off into lots, and
some buildings erected before the panic came in 1873, after which, the mines
began to slacken their work, the prosperity of the town soon stopped, and
the erection of new buildings ceased, except where old ones had been
destroyed by fire.
Twice within a few years has the block east of the court house been consumed
by fire, both times endangering that building. The block south of the square
and the one north of the square have both been burned and the old wooden
buildings replaced by brick edifices. The largest mill has also been
destroyed and rebuilt.
For many years, the town has had its share of newspapers: the Argus the Era,
the Independent and the Tribune. There are now several churches and a fine
brick school house as successors to the old log house which has disappeared
long ago.
This town, which has been built by the coal interest, came to a stand when
that interest was nearly dead. The coal is there in inexhaustible
quantities, and will be in demand again some day.
In 1880, business began to revive after seven years of stagnation. The coal
companies again commenced to work on a large scale. The Mt. Carbon Company
built a long row of coke ovens near their road. The Carbondale Coal and Coke
Company, which had been for years mining coal at Carterville, now sank a
shaft north of Murphysboro, and built a row of coke ovens north-east of town
and named the place "Harrison." They also extended the Carbondale &
Shawneetowu Rail Road to Harrison and westward to connect with the Narrow
Gauge. Next, they made a rail-road from Harrison to Pinckneyville in Perry
County.
The city is now improving rapidly. Several good buildings have been erected
recently, including a city hall. Most of the space between the old town and
the Narrow Gauge has been tilled up with houses. One street runs northward
to the Fair Ground, and other clusters of houses scattered out to the
north-west. The city bids fair to still increase for some time to come.
Upon examination of old records, the following item was found.
“Oct. 11th, 1852. About this time the Illinois Central Rail Road was
commenced, and some persons laid off a town in Section 21, Town 9 South,
Range 1 West, and on the rail-road, and called it “Carbondale.”
The town was owned by a company of a dozen persons, but the deeds to all the
lots were signed by John Dougherty and wife. The surveying was done by
William Richart, who was county surveyor at that time.
The first public sale of lots, was about the 4th day of January, 1853. It
was very cold weather at the time; still a great many persons attended the
sale. When the terms of the sale were read, they included a condition that
every deed was to contain a provision to the effect, that no intoxicating
liquors should be sold on any lot, on penalty of the forfeiture of said lot
to the inhabitants of the town for the use of schools. Several persons who
had come with the express purpose of purchasing a lot on winch to set up a
drinking shop, went away disgusted when they heard the terms. The sale
proceeded however without them, selling the even-numbered lots, and
reserving the odd-numbered lots for private sale. The public sale was not
completed that day, but on the 12th day of
April, the remainder of the even-numbered in-lots were sold.
Mr. J. B. Richart was the first resident of the town; he lived where R.
Romig now resides, on the hill south of the south-west corner of the square.
Asgill Conner built a house on the north side of Main Street, about fifteen
rods west of the square, and soon occupied it. Col. D. H. Brush had a store
in the small log house that is now used by him as an office. It has since
been removed, for at first it stood east of the alley, where the brick
building is now. Alfred Singleton built a house where the north end of
Chapman's block is, then sold it and built a hotel where Brunn's buildings
are. John Dunn built a log house on the north side of Main Street, about
fifteen rods east of the square, and Edward Diveley built a house just east
of the alley, where James Scurlock's brick building is. Dr. Richart built a
house on what has been since known as the Storer property. D. H. Brush built
the first mill and soon afterwards sold it to Henry Sanders. (It was burned
in 1880.) Estes and Clements had a shop in the east part of the town where
they manufactured wheat fans.
Preaching was very irregular for some time at first. Rev. Ingersoll and
others preached occasionally in Col. Brush's new store house, at the corner
of West and Main Streets; or in a grove of young oaks near to the place
where the Presbyterian Church is now; afterwards in the shop of Estes and
Clements. The Methodist Episcopal Church was the first church that was
erected in the town. It was built in 1856. Miss A. E. Richart taught the
first school in a house on the west side of West Street and north side of
the alley between South and Walnut Streets. Charles Marten had a boot and
shoe shop on the hill where Romig's coffin shop stands. A young doctor hung
out his "shingle" at the same place, but the other doctors were about to
prosecute him for mal-practice, when he emigrated. John Dunn sold out to
Mrs. Jane Brush, who afterwards was married to Dr.
Israel Blanchard. She died shortly after that event. A. litigation arose
between Dr. Blanchard and Col. Brush, guardian of the heirs of Mrs.
Blanchard, which lasted several years. D. N. Hamilton came here and occupied
the house just vacated by Blanchard. James Edwards and Isaac Rapp came here
and first built a dwelling house for Col. Brush, where he resides at this
time. Dr. Richart had a store house built which was afterwards occupied by
Dr. Storer. After Storer's death, the old building was removed to make room
for the brick block next to Richart and Campbell’s building. James M. Morgan
had a store where Pricket's drug-store is; it was afterwards used for the
post-office by Rev. Jerome, then the house was removed to make room for a
brick structure.
The post-office was first in Brush's store, at the corner of West and Main
Streets, and R. R. Brush was post-master. Then it was kept by George Bowyer
at the corner of West and Oak Streets, in a house long since removed. After
this by James Hampton at the corner of North and East Streets, in a house
that has been removed to give way for E. Robertson's brick house. After this
in a house now occupied by Wm. Gray, on East Street north of the square;
then in the house now used as a butchers shop at the north-east corner of
the square; Edward Diveley was post-master at both of the last mentioned
places. Rev. William Jerome kept the office in the house that stands two
doors east of the M. E. Church when it stood on the site of Pricket's
drug-store. That was during the war of the rebellion. It was kept in a small
room that stood two doors south of Pricket's; then in the butcher's shop at
the north-east corner of the square for the second time; then in a house at
the corner east of Gager's hotel, at the north-west corner of the square.
The house was burned on Christmas day. 1870. The office what was saved from
the fire was kept for a short time in the house next south of the Brush
building; then removed to the second room from the corner south of Gager's
hotel. At the last four places, R. W. Hamilton was post-master. Next
postmaster was John H. Barton, who removed the office to the east side, next
door north of Pricket's, and it remained there until the Chapman block was
rebuilt after it had been burned, when it was removed to the middle of that
block and remains there. Mr. Barton was succeeded by S. Walkor.
The altitude of Carbondale is as follows:
The rail-road track at the Central depot is 150 feet above the level of low
water at Cairo; and 408.48 feet above the level of the ocean.
The highest point on West Main Street is 185 feet above low water at Cairo,
and 443.48 above the ocean.
The lowest point on East Main Street is 27 feet lower than the rail-road
track at the depot.
The ground floor of the Normal University is 439 feet above the level of the
ocean.
From the beginning, Carbondale was started on the anti-liquor principles,
which has continued to be a characteristic of the town ever since.
At the election for incorporation, the majority were in favor of
incorporating. Soon after that, they had an election for trustees; two
tickets were put out to be voted for, one in favor of giving license to sell
alcoholic liquors in the town, and the other opposed to it. The anti-license
ticket was elected by a large majority. The following persons were elected
to be the first board of trustees;
James M. Morgan, President.
Gabriel Sanders,
James M. Campbell,
Asgill Conner,
Alfred Singleton.
The board of trustees met and proceeded to pass ordinances for the
government of the town. When they came to the prohibition of whisky selling,
they had a long discussion on the subject. Four were for prohibition, but J.
M. Morgan, whose name had been on both tickets, was in favor of granting
license, and argued the cause eloquently, but failed to convince any one,
and had to give it up with four steadfast votes against him. That decided
the character of the town on the license question for the future.
There was much opposition to the prohibitory law, and some persons tried to
evade or defy it, chief among whom was James Hampton. He sold liquor in a
house that stood where Elijah Robertson's brick store is, at the north-east
corner of the square. He was sued and lost the suit, then took an appeal to
the circuit court, but still persisted in selling liquor and was sued again,
so that he had several suits on the docket at the same time. When he was
beaten in his suits at court, he established what was called a "blind
tiger;” it was an arrangement by which a person could buy liquor and pay for
it too, without any one seeing who sold it. Hampton thought that then he was
safe from prosecution, but they sued him promptly and proved that he was the
owner of the establishment, and fined him again. He tried to be elected to
be one of the trustees, but his party was defeated worse than ever. He
fought the law with a perseverance and determination worthy of a better
cause, but finally left town in disgust, after spending many years in the
vain attempt to establish a whisky saloon in Carbondale.
On the 4th of July, 1854, the rail-road track having been laid from Cairo to
Carbondale, the first train came up from the south to this station. The
bridge across Big Muddy was not then built, and the track was laid no
farther than here at that time. A large concourse of people, most of whom
had never seen a train before, assembled to see the cars come in. The news
had been spread abroad some time before, and a large multitude was the
result. The freight house had just been finished, and a dinner for all the
crowd was set therein. When the train arrived, crowded with people from
Cairo and Jonesboro, there was great rejoicing and wonder. Maj. Hampton,
marshal of the day, could scarcely keep the people off the track in front of
the advancing engine; but there was no accident that day; all passed off
peacefully.
Some showers fell that day in places, and some next day in other places, but
that was the last rain for over six months, except a few light showers in
some localities; but most of "Egypt" was dried up. The corn crop failed, the
grass was dried up, the livestock starved and the people nearly so, before
another crop could be made. During the fall and winter, the rail-road was
completed to the central and northern part of the state, and corn was
shipped to the southern part and sold at $2.00 per bushel. That was a high
price, but it saved the lives of the people; and some of the stock also.
The year 1855 was remarkable for the heavy crop of wheat, and for a very
rainy season in harvest time. Notwithstanding the rain, a large crop of
wheat was saved. It was during the Crimean war, when the large
wheat-producing regions of Russia were shut up by the war, consequently the
price of wheat was higher than usual. Merchants were in Carbondale buying
wheat, and the town was filled with farmer's wagons all day long. Money soon
came plentiful, and farmers were relieved from the financial pressure that
the dry year had brought on them.
The price of wheat reached over $1.00 per bushel on average; at one time
reaching $1.25. Before this, the price had been only 50 cent per bushel, and
had to be hauled a long distance in wagons and the pay taken in store-goods.
At this time the town was growing rapidly; houses were being erected;
town-lots sold high and still went upward. Several persons who owned
out-lots, had them subdivided into small lots. At this time, there was but
one hotel in town, the "Carbondale Hotel," but J. M. Campbell built a larger
one on the same place where the Newell House is now, at the corner of East
and Main Streets. It was a large frame house, two and a half stories high,
with a wing at the south-east corner. Some years after this, J. T. Powell
built a two story brick hotel at the north-west corner of the square and
named it "Union House." The name was afterwards changed to "Planters House."
Alfred Singleton built a two story frame hotel on East Main Street, which
was afterwards called "Hundley House.”
Every Spring, an election for a new Board of Trustees was held, and for many
years, national politics was forgotten, and the only question up at these
elections was whiskey or anti-whisky. Dr. Blanchard, in a speech attempted
to introduce politics into the contest, by saying that the first board of
trustees that passed the anti-whiskey ordinance, were ail Black Republicans.
James M. Campbell, who was present, became very angry at once, and wanted to
whip Blanchard for calling him a Black Republican; "for," said Campbell, "I
was born and raised a Democrat, and I am a better Democrat than ever you
were, and I don't want you to call me a Black Republican, for I was one of
the board that passed the anti-whisky ordinance, and I am for it still."
Alfred Singleton remarked to Blanchard that only two out of the five men on
the board were Republicans and three were Democrats.” It was with some
difficulty that Campbell's friends prevented him from attempting to whip
Blanchard on the spot. This transpired in the hotel that stood on the site
of the Newell House. At the elections for trustees, the whisky party were
defeated every time, and the temperance ticket elected by a large majority.
Some of the elections were very exciting. At one of them, a man called J. M.
Campbell a liar. Campbell struck him, and a general row was the result, in
which Blanchard snapped his pistol among the crowd. He said, "if it had
fired, somebody would have been hurt." But order was finally restored, and
voting proceeded as usual.
The town continued to grow all this time by the addition of many new
buildings including the Presbyterian Church. The population increased until
the beginning of the war, when like as at all other places, everything
stopped, and nothing was thought of but war. Times were very exciting then,
and the under-current of feeling was stirred both with the friends and
enemies of the government. Troops came here suddenly, and left a guard at
the rail-road bridge on Big Muddy River. The 4th Ill. cavalry came here and
camped in the grove that has since been used as a place for public speaking;
they also occupied the field adjoining, that now belongs Dr. Allyn.
Volunteers were forming companies and marching to join new regiments. Men
going off, many of them never to return; women at home weeping for those
loved ones that were leaving for the seat of war. Then followed the long
dreary time, when the news of battles came, victory or defeat, days of
rejoicing and days of sorrow; but peace came at last and the absent ones
returned, not all, but what was left of them. Many families were happily
reunited; but many women looked in vain, watching every train for those who
never came, until despair settled down on them and they looked no more.
After the war was over and the men returned to their homes, the town began
to prosper, and buildings began to be put up. The farmers had beg-un to
cultivate cotton. At one time there were about a dozen cotton-gins in town,
so that in autumn, the place had very much the appearance of a Southern
town, for cotton was everywhere, and the bales were piled up on the depot
platform ready for shipment. The price was high, money was plenty and
business lively.
Sometime during the war the Illinois Central Rail Road Company built a
hand-brick passenger house, and the old freight house was afterwards used
for freight alone, until April, 1876, when the passenger house was set on
fire by lightning and consumed, then a room in the old freight house was
again used for a ticket office.
The passenger house was soon rebuilt and occupied.
During the war, the hotel that Campbell built was destroyed by fire, and was
not rebuilt for many years, when the large Newell House was reared on the
same site, and was opened early in 1874.
The Chapman block on the west side on the square was burned, also two frame
houses on Christmas, 1873. It was rebuilt in the summer of 1874.
The first house that was destroyed by fire in this town was the residence of
William B. Spiller; it was situated on the south-east corner of lot No. 86,
where the alleys cross in the rear of the Gager House. The second fire was
Rapp's carpenter shop, and the third was the old Carbondale Hotel.
The Mount Carbon Company had commenced work at Mt. Carbon and made a
rail-road from that point to the Mississippi, for the purpose of shipping
coal to market. After a few years, they extended their road to Carbon dale
and made a' junction with the Illinois Central; then they shipped both coal
and pig-iron by that route, and brought iron ore that way also, after they
had established furnaces at Grand Tower. Sometime after this, the Carbondale
and Shawneetown Rail Road was made from the former place to Marion, and the
coal mines at Carterville opened. That coal also had to go via Carbondale,
and, although there are not many coal mines close to the town, yet from the
quantity of Mt. Carbon and
Carterville coal that is shipped from this station, the town has well earned
its name.
About 1868, the Christian Church was built. J. M. Campbell said he was going
to spend the summer building churches, as he was not in other business. He
and Mr. Robertson and others erected a handsome brick church. The Baptists
also had erected a very neat brick church. At the dedication service, the
house was full of people, the other, churches, not having any service that
day, and a subscription was raised in the congregation, of about $1,700.00,
sufficient to pay off the debt that had been contracted in building the
church, before they went out of the house. Some time afterwards, the other
brunch of the Methodists erected a frame church in the north-west part of
the town, opposite what was then General Logan's residence. There are now
five churches for the white people and three for the colored folks.
Soon after the first settlement of the town, the people wanted a house in
which to have a public school. The citizens met together to consult about
it, and it was agreed that it would be too long to wait until they could
have a school house built by the district; for the free school law was a new
thing, and the district but recently organized; therefore they made up money
enough right there to build the house, and set the carpenters to work. In a
few weeks the West Side School House was ready for use. Mr. Ed. Babcock
taught the first school in the new house, assisted by Miss Ross.
Soon after this, a committee of three preachers, sent by the Alton
Presbytery, visited Carbondale as well as other towns along the Illinois
Central Rail Road, for the purpose of selecting the most suitable location
for a college for Southern Illinois. After talking with citizens of several
towns, they were favorably impressed with the liberality and public spirit
of the citizens of Carbondale, and concluded that this was the place for the
college. The committee then called a meeting of the Alton Presbytery to have
them confirm their selection. That body met in the new school house and
there received offers from various towns, which were represented by
delegations of respectable citizens. Jonesboro and Anna both made liberal
offers, but could not agree to have the building on the hill between the two
towns. (Rev. W. S. Post was one of the delegates from Jonesboro; he
afterwards preached here regularly in the fanning-mill shop, and later,
became pastor of the Presbyterian Church.) The Illinois Central Rail Road
Company telegraphed to the Presbytery that they would give one thousand
acres of land at Odin to have the college at that place. The citizens of
Carbondale subscribed lands and money in a liberal manner, which together
with the temperance character of the place, most favorably impressed the
Presbytery, and that town was selected as the place to build the college.
The next question to be settled was, "in what part of the town shall it be
built?” Those in favor of locating it in the north-western part, were about
to gain their point, when Henry Sanders offered thirty acres of land in the
southern part of the town in addition to what he had already given, if they
would build it on that plat of ground. That settled it. It was at once
decided to accept his offer. They next appointed trustees to carry out the
project, and then adjourned.
Soon after this, the East Side School House was erected. Both school houses
were built upon out-lots that had been set apart on the town plat for that
purpose. At the same time, four building lots were set apart for churches
and one out-lot for a cemetery.
The work on the college was begun by laying a good foundation. It was
proposed to erect only the rear part of the building to begin with, and that
was all that ever was built. Some person made bricks, or at least attempted
to do so, but made instead a most miserable failure, and nothing more was
done for a year or more. There stood the brick-kiln crumbling back to its
original condition near the pond from which it had been dug. The financial
panic of 1858 prevented any farther progress for a time. After this, another
effort was made, a kiln of brick was burned and the walls built. Then the
work went on slowly for a while, but was finished at last. During this time
a preparitory department of the college was conducted in J. M. Campbell’s
building, but was soon abandoned.
After the college building was finished, W. S. Post taught school in it; but
it was not used for a college or high school as it was intended to be used.
The public schools becoming too full, the directors instituted a high school
and rented a room. At one time it was kept in the Grain House, a building
that stood near the passenger house, and Hon. Isaac Clements was principal.
The East and West schools were usually called Side Schools. Thus the public
schools prospered while the college did not succeed.
During the war, the laud that had been given to build and start the college
with, was not available to use in paying off the debts incurred in erecting
the building of, therefore it was sold to pay its own debts. Brush and
Campbell, who were the principal creditors, were the purchasers.
The building was unused for years, except occasionally, when the school
directors used it for a high school, when Mr. Luce taught school therein.
The public schools still prospered, and Carbondale was famed for the
encouragement given to the cause of education by the citizens thereof.
The Christian denomination wanted to establish a college somewhere in
Southern Illinois, and; after examining several towns, finally selected
Carbondale as the place. They purchased the college building, and opened
their school at once under the management of Rev. Clark Braden, with an
accomplished corps of assistant teachers.
This school prospered for several years, and students came from all the
counties of Southern Illinois to attend it. A successful normal class was
organized which sent out teachers qualified for their work. A paper was
published in the interest of the school called the "Herald of Truth." The
fame of the college spread abroad, and Carbondale was known as a place of
education. The public schools were so full, that the directors could not
rent a house large enough to accommodate the high school comfortably, and,
several times they made a contract with Mr. Braden to take the high school
pupils and give them the benefit of the college along with the regular
students. The reputation of the town for temperance and education induced
many families to make their home there; thus adding to the good order and
prosperity of the place. Such were always a desirable accession to the
community.
A convention of the friends of education was called. They met in the college
grove. At that meeting, a proposition was made to make an effort to have a
bill passed by Legislature for the establishment of a Normal University for
Southern Illinois; because the Normal at Bloomington is too far to the
north. The bill was finally passed and commissioners appointed to select a
suitable location for the institution. Several towns bid more than they
could pay in any reasonable time, and it was finally located at Carbon dale,
after the city, (for it had just become a city,) had pledged itself to pay
$100,000 and several tracts of land, including the college building, which
was purchased from the Christian Church for that purpose. Mr. Braden
expected to continue to teach in the old building under the authority of the
state, until the new building should be completed, but the Governor decided
that the Normal school could not be legally taught except in the house that
the state would provide for that purpose; therefore the college was c1osed,
and the students sent home until the new building was finished. The contract
for the erection of the new building; was let to James M. Campbell, and as a
part of the payment he took the old college, which he sold to the school
district for a public high school.
The foundation of the Normal University building was laid. The ceremony of
laying the corner stone was attended by a large concourse of the Masonic
order. When the first story had been built, and the workmen were hoisting
joists in the centre of the building, they fell on J. M. Campbell and killed
him. That put a stop to all work. The workmen left, business was dead, the
town ceased to improve, and the building remained just as it was for a long
time, until Mr. Campbell’s estate and his contract with the State of
Illinois could be adjusted. After that was all settled, which required a
long time, the contract for the completion of the building was let to other
parties, and in due time was finished.
On the first day of July, 1874, the Normal University was formally opened. A
vast number of people assembled to take a part in the exercises. The opening
speech was made by Dr. R. Edwards. After that Gov. Beveridge made an address
to the Trustees and Faculty, and presented the keys to Dr. Robert Allyn, the
Principal, who then made a lengthy speech on the duty of Teachers. He was
followed by addresses from several others.
The institution has been in operation ever since, and knowledge has
increased.
In 1869 the town obtained a charter and organized a city government. J. B.
Richart, who was the first resident of Carbondale, was also the first Mayor
of the city. The charter contained a clause prohibiting the granting of
license to «ell intoxicating liquor's, without a vote of the people in favor
of that policy. A few years after the charter was obtained, a direct vote
was taken on that subject, and the temperance party gained it two to one. In
1873, the city adopted the “General Incorporation Act” instead of the
original charter.
The east side school house has been enlarged to accommodate the colored
people who constitute about one-fifth of the population. In 1881, there were
442 colored, and 1774 white persons.
The population for the last nine years (not including students whose homes
were elsewhere,) was as follows:
In 1872—1600. In 1877—2014.
In 1873—1648. In 1878—2029.
In 1874—1785. 1879 not counted.
In 1875—1878. In 1880—2102.
In 1876—1985. In 1881—2216.
Although the “Normal" debt lies heavy upon the citizens, yet the educational
interests and the absence of saloons are the chief sources of the prosperity
of the city and will ultimately release it from the burden. These
characteristics are the chief glory and honor of this young city; may it
long continue so.