Edgar County IL Archives History - Books .....History Of Buck Township 1879 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/il/ilfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com December 3, 2006, 5:54 pm Book Title: History Of Edgar County, Illinois BUCK TOWNSHIP. Maps are so frequently changed in their appearance, nowadays, that we who studied geography but a few years ago are at a loss to trace the places that, to us then were familiar. The rivers designated on these charts still remain the same, but all else is changed. The teacher, almost every time he applies for a new certificate, is obliged to brush up on geography; and the pupil, whenever a change is made in books, has to take up the study anew. We are always studying this branch. Unlike mathematics or grammar, which seem to have an end, and whose rules seem to be, in a measure, fixed, the boundaries of States, counties and townships are as unstable as the banks of the Missouri River themselves, and are shifting and changing with every flood of political or financial disturbance. It is, however, both, instructive and amusing to look over a map of the country as it was in the olden time. If we compare a map of the eastern coast of the United States, as published by the authority of the British Government in the year 1700, with modern publications of a like character, we shall find features so different in the two as would not only be surprising to people ignorant of the history of the country subsequent to that date, but which would cause no little astonishment in the minds of the well-informed. Look at a map of the Northwest during a period just prior to 1765, and you will find it marked as "French Territory." Then, this same territory, from the date named until 1778, is delineated as a "British Province." After this, from 1778 until 1787, what is now the State of Illinois appears as a part of Virginia. After this, for thirteen years, with a vast amount of other territory, it was called the Northwest Territory. In 1800, when our grandfathers were going to school, they were taught to call the whole of Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and Michigan by the name of "Indiana Territory:" and by this title it was known until 1809, when the mapmakers again had to change, and Illinois and Wisconsin were called the "Illinois Territory." In 1818, when our fathers began to study geography, the atlases in which grandfather and grandmother studied would no longer answer the purpose, for Illinois had then become a State, with boundaries co-extensive with what we now find them. The changes which have come to the geographical features of the State since its admission into the Union are equally noticeable. The original number of counties was only fifteen: and, though. Edgar has an ancient flavor, it was not one of them. These fifteen counties have been so divided and subdivided that we now have one hundred and two. When Edgar County was first formed, its northern boundary was north of Chicago, and so continued until 1826. In that year, a slice of about four thousand square miles was taken off to make Vermilion County, and the map had to be changed. When the county was first organized it contained but five townships, or precincts as they were called, and these have been changed and modified, so that we now have fifteen, and not a single one of the original townships remains in boundary the same as originally. The names of the original townships were Pike, Wayne, Carroll, Fairfield and Ripley, and not a single one of these names is retained. An unfortunate spider, having fallen into a bottle of ink, and being lifted therefrom and placed upon a sheet of blank paper would make a map as easily distinguished as the map of this region a half a century ago. Buck Township, at first, lay partly in Fairfield and partly in Carroll. In 1856, it was formed with bounds very different from what we now find them, a portion having been cut from the north and added to Shiloh. The mapmakers have been further worried by the location of railroads, the building of towns and the laying-out of highways. The township, as described at present, which, however, we do not guarantee for more than five years, is as follows: It is bounded on the north by Shiloh; on the east, by Paris and Edgar: on the south, by Grand View, and on the west, by Kansas and Embarrass. This is, almost exclusively, a prairie township, there being only a few acres of timber in the whole of it. The only streams of water are two small branches of Catfish Creek, the one flowing from the northwest corner, and the other through the southwest. The land is nearly all level, and, in some places, almost too flat for successful cultivation, though good drainage is making this the very best land in the county, as it is the richest. The soil of the whole township may be said to be of the most productive character, and is well adapted to the raising of corn, oats, rye, wheat and other vegetables common to this region. A great deal of pork is produced, and also considerable of fine cattle. At the time of the adoption of the act authorizing counties to organize by townships, this was one of the most sparsely settled of the original thirteen. On account of a lack of timber, this land had been neglected. A good deal of prairie was under cultivation, it is true, but no one yet dared to venture clear out on the prairie without also owning a little tract of timber, from which to obtain fuel and lumber for fences and buildings. But when the country was found to be literally .resting on a bed of fuel, and when the railroads began to be built and to bring in, from the pineries of the north and from other sources, a class of lumber better adapted to the use of building than the hard wood nearer home, the fear of the wood destitution on the prairies began to vanish. At the time of which we write, there were but just a sufficient number of citizens in the township competent to hold all of the offices. Among those who were considered early settlers are remembered Andrew Lycan, Absalom Pitcher, Horace Griswold, William Titchenor, William Culbertson, Henry Rudy, Uriah Colier, Jacob Hinds, S. R. Metcalf, Emanuel Myers. These were all here before or about 1850. Of course this date, as compared with other townships, is quite modern, the townships on three sides of it having; been settled already twenty years or more. Some of these had been early settlers in other parts of the county, and were, therefore, pioneers in every sense of the word. Some of them have been of more than ordinary importance, and deserve more than a mere mention. Horace Griswold is an example of a self-made man, and every incident related of him but tends to show the strong will and persistence underlying his character which have made him successful. He came out here in 1840, and worked at his trade—that of shoemaker—in Paris for a time. Then he removed to Grand View, continuing to peg away at the same business, as though it was his all. At last he had accumulated some means, and he made a little venture in real estate in this township. This proved successful, and he continued to add acre to acre until he now owns nearly a section. An instance of his ability to accomplish large results by simple means is given in a trip which he once made to Connecticut from this place. The distance traveled was 1,040 miles, and the whole trip was accomplished on horseback in twenty-six days, or at an average of about forty miles a day. Where is the young man in Edgar County now who would undertake such a trip to see his mother, or even as a matter of business? He says he has ridden over the road from his farm to Dudley, a distance of one and a half miles, after his meals, enough to complete the circuit of the earth one and a half times. It is said of Mr. Griswold that he has never yet been known to fail on a promise of any kind. Andrew Lycan, who died in Paris Township, a few years ago, was a carpenter. He is remembered to have built, for George Redmon, the first frame house in Paris Township outside of the city. He was for a great number of years, much interested in the County Agricultural Society, and his name will be found often on its records. Mr. Culbertson has also been a prominent patron of the society, and is noted as a fine stock-raiser. He still resides in the township near May's Station. Uriah Colier and Jacob Hinds came from Indiana, and settled in the south part of the township. They are good farmers, and have both made money by industry and economy. They are brothers-in-law. William Titchenor was a man of more than ordinary ability. He was a preacher in the Christian Church. He was also somewhat of a politician, and was elected from this district to a seat in the State Senate, in which office he gave good satisfaction. He removed from here to California about twenty-five years ago, and is, consequently, scarcely remembered, except by the older residents of the county. Henry Rudy is a son of Frederick Rudy, one of the old pioneers of Grand View. Simpson R. Metcalf was in the Mexican war, and settled here on his return from there. He lived here about ten years. He has since removed to Douglas County. Emanuel Myers is what is known as a "good, honest Dutchman." Mr. Myers, by that industry and economy peculiar to the Teutons, has accumulated a good property. He has filled several prominent offices in the township, and has discharged their duties creditably. By the year 1857, when this township was organized, among those who had also settled on the prairie are remembered Dr. J. M. Boyles, Burt Holcomb, William M. Snyder, John J. Perisho, Moses Burnet, Stephen Trogdon, Elias Morris, W. H. Barnhill, Adam Stewart, Madison and John Clinton, Richard Stanley. William Cline. James Vance, Thomas Marks and H. Breeding. At that time, the township yet presented a rather wild appearance; and wonderful changes have come to it since then. There were as yet but few roads and few fences, and the township was but just beginning to show signs of life, indicating that it might sometime take rank in population and wealth with other portions of the county. In places, there were yet sections of land covered only by the tall prairie grass, through which the snakes wriggled, and in which the prairie-hens hid almost unmolested. A sight which, to those living here now for only a few years would be interesting and novel, was often witnessed. Sometimes the lighting of a pipe among the dry grass, in the autumn or early spring, caused a scene which rivaled in grandeur the one said to have been originated by Mrs. O'Leary's cow in Chicago, in 1871. Throwing his half-burnt match aside, the smoker would unconsciously kindle a blaze from which he had to run for his life. If the wind were blowing, great sheets of flame would be carried forward, like the angry waves of the ocean, to envelop all that came in its way in fire. The path of the conflagration, too, would widen as it progressed, and animals, snakes, and even birds, stood a good chance of being broiled alive. To prevent these fires from communicating to houses and grain-stacks, it was customary to plow a number of furrows around the plat which it was desirable to protect, and then, on a calm day, burn the grass that lay within the inclosure. Even this precaution sometimes failed, as a strong wind would often project the flame many feet, landing it clear of the already-burnt area, and communicating it to the stacks of grain or hay. The prairie may be said to have been literally full of snakes, among which was the deadly rattlesnake. In plowing the prairie for the first time, each furrow made would drive the reptiles nearer and nearer together, as the furrows from either side approached each other. Near the last, when the unplowed had become a narrow strip, the grass seemed to be moving with the wriggling things. Most of the prairie snakes were harmless, but the rattlesnake was greatly feared on account of its venom. But few, however, among the large number who have felt the poisonous fangs of this reptile were fatally injured. A true homeopathic remedy, "similia similibus curantur," was discovered, and applied with perfect effect. This was nothing more nor less than a production of the prairie, where the venomous reptile was found, and which had been introduced and largely manufactured by one Marrs, of Edgar Township. To fill the patient's hide full of sod-corn whisky, then, was this noble remedy; and the poison in the one seemed to neutralize the other. As soon as the patient began to feel the bite of the whisky more than that of the snake, he was considered out of danger. There is a coincidence, here, between this remedy and the illusion of the victim of drink when he imagines that he has "snakes in his boots," which we have not time to stop and investigate, but which we leave for our readers to reflect upon. Might not the bite of the rattlesnake, taken in small doses, acting upon the homeopathic suggestion, be a good cure for drunkenness? ORGANIZATION. The following is an exact transcript of the first township record made after the township had been set off by the County Commissioners, and explains itself better than anything we can say: "Pursuant to public notice, the electors of Pilot Grove Township met at the Buckler Schoolhouse, in said township, on the 7th of April, 1857, adopted township organization and elected the following officers: W. H. Barn-hill, Supervisor: Adam Stewart, Assessor; Jacob Zimmerly, Clerk; Richard Stanley. Collector; Simpson R. Metcalf, Overseer of the Poor; J. M. Boyles, William Cline and James Vance, Commissioners of Highways; Thomas Marks and William Snyder, Justices of the Peace; David Lynch and William Buckler, Constables; H. Breeding, Emanuel Myers and Uriah Colier, Overseers of Highways." It will be noticed that, in the above record, the name "Pilot Grove" is used. At the first session of the Board of Supervisors after this election, the name was changed to Buck, it having been discovered that another township in the State bore the name of "Pilot Grove." At this time, the officers of the township are: John Rhoads, Supervisor; Charles W. Curl. Clerk: Edward Stepp, Assessor, and S. B. Mays, Collector. At present, the number of voters in the township is about one hundred and forty, and the population is near seven hundred. VILLAGE OF MAYS. This is simply a station on the Paris & Decatur Railroad, situated near the eastern part of the township. It contains a store, post office and a few dwellings. And now, to our readers, especially the old settlers, with whom we have had so many pleasant chats, we are about to say good by. Our short acquaintance has been so pleasant that, in leaving you we feel great regret that our intercourse has thus suddenly terminated. But a few more short years, and you and we will join the ranks of the other old pioneers who have crossed the waters to a newer and better country, and there we will renew this acquaintance, and perhaps again converse upon the scenes and incidents of this life, as we have upon the earthly past. The following poem, written by Eugene J. Hall, is so applicable to the experience of nearly every old settler that we are sure they will thank us for introducing it, and will read it with the same pleasure with which it has been read by us: THE HOUSE ON THE HILL. [Poem read by Eugene J. Hall at the Re-union of the "Sons of Vermont," at the Grand Pacific Hotel, Friday evening, Jan. 17, 1878.] From the weather-worn house on the brow of the hill We are dwelling afar, in our manhood to-day; But we see the old gables and hollyhocks still, As they looked long ago, ere we wandered away; We can see the tall well-sweep that stands by the door, And the sunshine that gleams on the old oaken floor. We can hear the low hum of the hard-working bees At their toil in our father's old orchard, once more, In the broad, trembling tops of the bright-blooming trees, As they busily gather their sweet winter's store; And the murmuring brook, the delightful old horn, And the cawing black crows that are pulling the corn. We can hear the sharp creak of the farm-gate again, And the loud, cackling hens in the gray barn near by, With its broad, sagging floor, and its scaffolds of grain, And its rafters that once seemed to reach to the sky; We behold the great beams, and the bottomless bay, Where the farm-boys once joyfully jumped on the hay. We can seethe low hog-pen, just over the way, And the long-ruined shed, by the side of the road, Where the sleds in the summer were hidden away, And the wagons and plows in the winter were stowed; And the cider-mill, down in the hollow below, With a long, creaking sweep, the old horse used to draw, Where we learned, by the homely old tub, long ago, What a world of sweet rapture there was in a straw: From the cider-casks there, loosely lying around, More leaked from the bung-holes than dripped on the ground. We are far from the home of our boyhood to-day, In the battle of life we are struggling alone; The weather-worn farmhouse has gone to decay, The chimney has fallen, its swallows have flown; But Fancy yet brings, on her bright golden wings, Her beautiful pictures again from the past, And Memory fondly and tenderly clings To pleasures and pastimes too lovely to last. We wander again by the river to-day: We sit in the school-room, o'erflowing with fun; We whisper, we play, and we scamper away When our lessons are learned and the spelling is done. We see the old cellar where apples were kept, The garret where all the old rubbish was thrown, The little back chamber where snugly we slept, The homely old kitchen, the broad hearth of stone, Where apples were roasted in many a row, Where our grandmothers nodded and knit long ago. Our grandmothers long have reposed in the tomb: With a strong, healthy race they have peopled the land; They worked with the spindle, they toiled at the loom, Nor lazily brought up their babies by hand. From the weather-worn house on the brow of the hill We are dwelling afar, in our manhood to-day; But we see the old gables and hollyhocks still, As they looked when we left them to wander away. But the dear ones we loved in the sweet long-ago, In the old village church-yard sleep under the snow. Farewell to the friends of our bright boyhood days, To the beautiful vales once delightful to roam, To the fathers, the mothers, now gone from our gaze, From the weather-worn house to their heavenly home, Where they wait, where they watch, and will welcome us still, As they waited and watched in the house on the hill. Additional Comments: Extracted from: THE HISTORY OF EDGAR COUNTY, ILLINOIS, CONTAINING A History of the County—its Cities, Towns, &c.; Directory of its Tax-Payers; War Record of its Volunteers in the late Rebellion ; Portraits of Early Settlers and Prominent Men; General and Local Statistics; Map of Edgar County; History of Illinois, Illustrated; History of the Northwest, Illustrated; Constitution of the United States, Miscellaneous Matters, &c, &c. ILLUSTRATED CHICAGO: WM. LE BARON, JR., & CO., 186 DEARBORN STREET. 1879. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/il/edgar/history/1879/historyo/historyo20gms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/ilfiles/ File size: 19.8 Kb