Clark County IL Archives History.....
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Cindy McCachern mccachern@sbcglobal.net 2000


History of York, Illinois, Clark County, Illinois

The following article is a reprint of an article which was taken from an
old paper printed in this area many years ago, the original of which was
taken from the Sullivan, Indiana Union, and contains history relative to
York, Illinois, in this county:

Back in the good old days before the Civil War, when the South was waxing
rich under slavery, and the navigable rivers were the main arteries of
traffic, a thriving commerce was carried on between the river towns of the
South and those of the North.

In the good old steam boat days, the rivers were dotted with steamboats
and barges, both large and small.  Most all of the river towns were
growing and prospering until the building of the railroads when most of
them were cut down in their youthful bloom.  Some of these once prosperous
places are like some of the great steam boats, sleeping beneath the mighty
currents of the ever-hanging rivers.  Some of the old river cities still
exist as a token of the mighty past surrounded by the romantic ties of its
past which are dear to our memory.

When one visits that quaint sleepy ole river town known as "Old York," one
can realize how unkind are the tragic hands fate.  One can hardly relize
that he is walking the streets of a village that is a crumbling relic of a
young metropolis when steam boating was in flower, in the bygone days
before the railroads, when all the roads led to the busy flourishing young
city known today as "Old York."

"Old York" in its youthful bloom is said at one time to have been a better
town than Terre Haute which would have suffered the same fate of "Old
York" had it not been situated such as to be favored by the railroads as
an important center, a thing which hung the crepe on the thriving young
city known as "Old York."

Step back with me over a span of seventy-five years and we will go aboard
the fastest steamboat that ever rode the bosom of the Wabash and we will
again walk the sidewalks of "Old York."

Here we are on the Zanesville.  She is bound of York after a cargo of
wheat and corn.  As this fast boat, which was built on the Muskigum river
in Ohio, speeds along, the darky deck hands seem happy as they are
crooning those old southern melodies.

In looking over the Zanesville we go into the cabin with its spacious bar
room, sleeping room and dining room.  We go up by the Texas which is the
officers headquarters, and on up to the pilot house where the pilot stands
holding the big wheel which guides the boat.  The pilot must know the
river and be able to steer his boat by day or night.

We learn that the captain is the main boss on the boat.  The mate is the
loading boss.  The boatswain is the carpenter and the clerk keeps record
of all business.  The boilers are fired by a fireman and the engine is run
by the engineer, according to the orders of the pilot.

On our way up the river we pass the "Romeo", the "Caroline" and "America".
The river is high and the big steamboats are taking advantage of it.

Darkness has fallen and the Zanesville is rounding the bend and we shall
soon be in "Old York".  There is already one big fine boat tied at the
wharf.  It is lighted up and so beautiful.  We read her name in big letter
the "Prairie City" and it sure is a floating palace with a blue and red
light on its smokestack.  A colored orchestra is playing sweet string
music and the officers and their wives are dancing.

The Zanesville is now tied and we are on the wharf ready to view the
enterprising young city.  We pass the two big three-story warehouses where
the steamboats load up and unload, which are owned by Hodge and McKinley,
R. P. Over, L. D. Shultz, R. L. Delaney general store, the large packing
houses of L. D. Shultz and R. P. Over, Barker Bros. plow-makers
establishment, the two big cooper shops owned by Holmes Bros. and George
Berry and son, Rook Bros. wagon and buggy shop, Richard Thailey and John
Ketchum wagon and blacksmith shops, Freeman and Richardson large general
store, two livery stables owned by Pritchard and Stevers, four hotels
owned by Ayers, Pritchard, Parker and Styles, two large churches,
Protestant, M. E. Church and Presbyterian, the large grist mill owned by
George W. Woods, J. B. Richardson Saw and Lumber Co., Dr. Charles P.
Goram's Drug Store and Jacob Dotson's thrifty grocery store with its
saloone in the rear.

Before arriving at our hotel where we shall retire, we pass the offices of
Dr. McCord, a Dr. Martin and the Gabe Barker Undertaking establishment.
We can imagine ourselves loitering around the old wharf waiting and
watching for the big steamboats in that mellow moonlight that Paul Dresser
sang about where you can see the candle lights gleaming through the
sycamores so far away.  We visit and loiter around this hustling and
bustling river wharf, we see so many steamboats large and small come and
go.

There is that floating palace known as the "Starlight," also the
"Pocahontas," the William Knox", and the "Curlew" with its big
smokestacks.  We see the James Gray of Prevo Landing, also a nice boat.
Yes, and there is the "Mason" which is a sidewheeler, also the "Oil
Exchange" a freighter and the "Buskirk" a big Vincennes boat.  Hudnut's
big boat, the "Rosedale" is loading on a cargo of corn.

The "Ida Lee" and the "Janie Rea" are fine boats being expected from the
South.  The "Bellegrade" and the "Crown Point" owned by Tindorf and Agnew
of Vincennes are loading a cargo of pork bound for Evansville.  The
Swallow, Abhind, Michigan and the Musselman are northbound boats.

The Izetta, the largest boat brings a cargo of sugar from New Orleans.

The Daniel Boone, a southern boat, unloads a cargo at Terre Haute and
starts homeward bound on an inky black night.  The pilot of this boat in
attempting to run a blind chute, ran his boat aground where she set until
the next flood of the Wabash when the boat contined the journey back to
"Dixie."

Some of the famous old river pilots who were the big chiefs of the
steamboats, who obtained a princely salary and were the admiration and
ambition of every boy, were Clark Hall, Harry Lewis, Bill Davis, Preston
Burris and Felix Anderson.  These men knew the Wabash river from
Evansville to Lafayette like a book.

Suppose we take a steamboat for Terre Haute.  We shall go aboard the
"Advance" as we hear its shrill whistle.  This is a Vincennes boat which
runs on time like a train.  Our fare is two dollars one way with board
included.  On our way to the Narrows our first stop we pass over the bones
of the "Reindeer" and the "Phoenix" which rest today in their watery grave
and their bones may yet be seen in low water.

The Reindeer is said to have a very valuable cargo, especially could it be
raised from its watery grave, as it contains twenty barrels of whisky
which would be mighty mellow with age now.  The Caroline, one of our home-
owned boats, ran on a snag near Hutsonville where she also foundered, and
her bones may be seen in low water as a grim reminder of those good
propsperous steamboat days before the whistle of the iron horse was heard
in the land, when people far and near had business in our ill-fated city
and tread "On the Sidewalks of Old York."

The old newspaper clipping from which the foregoing was reprinted was sent
to us by Leola Elliott of West York, Ill.

"Our Little Town"

I like to live in a little town
Where the trees meet across the street.
Where you wave your hand and say "Hello"
To everyone you meet.

I like to stand for a moment
Outside the grocery store
And listen to friendly gossip
Of the folks that live next door.
For life is interwoven
With friends we learn to know,
And we hear their joys and sorrows
As we daily come and go.
So I like to live in our little town
I care no more to roam,
For every house in our little town
Is more than a house, it's a home.

Author Unknown
Westfield Review, 1968

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