Grundy County IL Archives History - Books .....Chapter 11 1882
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Book Title: History Of Grundy County IL 1882

CHAPTER XI.*

GARDNER—TOWN PLATTING—NAMING—FIRST BUILDINGS—INHABITANTS—IMPROVEMENTS—COAL AND 
MINING INTERESTS—SOCIETIES-SCHOOLS—CHURCHES-BUSINESS FIRMS AND INDIVIDUALS, 
ETC.
 
GARDNER was laid out immediately after the completion of the Chicago & Alton 
railway in 1854. The first town plat covered an area of 160 acres, namely: The 
southeast quarter of section four, Greenfield. The original town site belonged 
to Henry A. Gardner, J. C. Spencer and C. H. Goold. Gardner was chief engineer 
of the C. & A. railroad company during the construction of their line. He did 
the surveying of the original town, and for him the village was named. Gardner 
did a great deal of engineering afterward upon lines running in and out of 
Chicago; died some five years since. Goold and Spencer, who was also a 
railroad engineer, were then dealing in lands and town lots; the former is 
still a resident of the county, residing in Morris. The territory first 
platted was divided into blocks, twenty-seven in number; but owing to the 
railroad running diagonally across the site, they were not uniform in shape 
nor size. About ten years later the town had reached such proportions that 
more room was in demand, and a part of the north half of section nine was laid 
out in lots and described as Price's first and second addition, Peck's 
addition, Hyatt's addition and Finley's addition. The east part of the 
southwest quarter of section four was quite early platted and is known

*By Dr. C. M. Easton.
 
as Willis' addition to Gardner. The south half of sec. 4 and the north half of 
9—one mile square, is the territory now incorporated.

Gardner was incorporated in February, 1867, containing at that time about four 
hundred inhabitants. The first village trustees were John H. Coles, Amos 
Clover, W. W. McMann, F. Lathrop and Louis Germain. George Milner, the village 
school master, was the first clerk of the board, and J. H. Coles the first 
president, and also first police magistrate.

The first dwelling house built in town was the home of the "section boss" on 
the east side of the C. & A. track. The house has undergone some repairs and 
still serves the purpose for which erected. The building in the north part of 
town, known as the "barracks," was the second house in order of construction. 
It was built by Absalom Gleason, the first postmaster, and served as the first 
post-office. It has served the town as post-office, store, dwelling and 
boarding house, paint shop, etc. The old house still stands, but tenantless; 
the marks of advancing years are clear, and speedy decay is sure. Gleason is 
now living in Rose County, Kansas.

The first hotel was the "Eagle," 18x36, a story and a half high, built by G. 
R. Taxis and Scott Armitage during the summer of 1855. While building, the 
carpenters slept on shavings in a box car, on the C. & A. side track; this was 
the best the young town could give. During the night they were bunted hither 
and thither by passing trains; never knowing when retiring, where they would 
find themselves in the morning. The builders, Taxis and Armitage, have laid 
away the jack plane and hammer—the former is now circuit clerk, and the latter 
for many years has served the U. S. Express company as their Gardner agent. 
George Allen, for whom the little tavern was built, and who provided the first 
menu, now lives in Chebanse, Iroquois County. Allen, as caterer, was succeeded 
by J. W. Hull, he by Chas. Royal, and he by S. N. Underwood, who conducted the 
business for many years. Four or five years ago the hotel was remodeled and 
more than doubled in size; the name was changed to the "Gardner House" and 
James Cook entered as proprietor. Mr. and Mrs. C. still provide the "bill of 
fare." 

The first store was kept by Chas. & Wm. Royal, opened in 1855, in a little 
building on the West side; where O. P. Stumph's building now stands. The store 
room was a diminutive affair and the stock of goods never exceeded the 
capacity; upon nail kegs and shoe boxes were seated a number of the "first 
settlers," who in point of gossip have not been outdone in these later years. 
The Royals are now living near Portland, Oregon. They were succeeded in the 
store by Chas. E. Gardner, who looked after the trade for a number of years, 
and was finally elected sheriff of the county. He died at his home in Gardner 
in 1866. I. F. Benson was one of our first merchants, coming here and going 
into business in the fall of 1856. He commanded quite a trade here for several 
years, but financially was not successful. During his last years he speculated 
considerably in coal lands. He died suddenly two years ago in Chicago, in the 
bathroom of his hotel. He put up the brown building on the West side, which is 
known as the "Benson store." The first warehouse built in town was put up by 
Charles Booth, east side of C. & A. track, where Atkinson's elevator lately 
stood. It was built in 1857, Taxis & Armitage doing the carpenter work as 
usual. A. V. Eversoll bought the building and moved it up the track to where 
it now stands. It was afterward fitted up for a grist-mill, and for a few 
years did considerable grinding. Corn is still ground there in considerable 
quantities. A few years since it was generally overhauled and converted into 
an elevator, while the milling apparatus was improved. It is now owned by 
Snyder & Son, who are running it to a good purpose.

Charles Johnson, a tinner, from Kentucky, built the first sidewalk in Gardner, 
on the north end of Liberty street. Joseph Hall built the first garden fence, 
and Virginia M. Hawley planted the first flowers, on Washington avenue, where 
Henry Donaldson now lives.

The country being sparsely settled, the growth of the town was slow up to the 
time of the sinking of the Gardner coal shaft in 1864, when it started up with 
new life. At that time Morgan & Hart put up a store on the West side, now 
owned by John Allison, occupied by Truesdell & Wylie, and put in quite an 
extensive stock of general merchandise. Business was entirely confined to the 
West side until the spring of 1867, when Lutz & Foote opened up a general 
store on the East side, in the building now occupied by H. C. Goold as a drug 
store.

The first brick building put up in town was Dr. McMann's drug store in 1869. 
The Commercial House, 50 by 60, three stories, was begun August 2d of the same 
year and completed the winter following. R. R. Stone was the first landlord. 
He was succeeded by Wm. Smith, John Southcomb, A. K. Stiles, Rowland Price, 
James Wilson and one or two others. Mrs. Nancy A. Wilson, widow of James 
Wilson, is now owner of the property and provider of the menu. The hotel was 
built, and for some time owned by A. K. Stiles and Rowland Price. No. 3 
Commercial block was built a year later. In 1872 the brick row, numbers 4, 5, 
6, 7 and 8 Commercial block was built by Jones, Price, McClure and Kloft. The 
five stores were destroyed by fire Christmas night, 1878. This was the most 
destructive fire the town has known; besides the loss of building, the 
destruction of goods amounted to many thousands of dollars. The losers on 
stocks were: O. P. Stumph, No. 4, drugs; R. B. Huss, No. 5, dry goods and 
groceries; C. E. Parker, clothing, and T. F. Lippengood, boots and shoes, No. 
6; Pratt, Martin & Phelps, dry goods and groceries, No. 7; Wm. Kloft, saloon 
fixtures, No. 8.

The "city hall" was built by A. S. Martin and Louis Germain in 1868, and was 
first occupied by Lebrecht, a Jew, with boots, shoes and groceries. The 
elevator in front of the Commercial House was built in 1869 by E. W. Cole, of 
Chicago, and is one of the best buildings of its kind in this part of the 
country. It is now owned and operated by Lutz & Germain. The brown elevator, 
which is now being moved to the north part of town onto the line of the K. & 
S. railroad, owned and operated by Robert Atkinson, was built in the winter of 
1872-73 by R. Turner.


RAILROADS.

Gardner has two railroads, the Chicago, Alton & St. Louis and the Kankakee & 
Seneca. The first was built in 1853-54. the first passenger train over the 
line, passing through Gardner upon the morning of the 24th of August, 1854. 
The line through here is double tracked; runs five passenger trains each way 
daily and takes rank with the best thoroughfares in the State. The second was 
built last year, 1881, and the first regular trains were put on the 1st of 
February of this year. The K. & S. is a short line connecting the Cincinnati, 
Indianapolis & Chicago, with the Chicago & Rock Island. It is a well 
constructed road, now running two trains daily each way. The people of Gardner 
and immediate vicinity gave $3,000 for right of way. C. K. Snyder was the 
first ticket agent of the Chicago & Alton at this station, receiving his 
appointment about two weeks after the completion of the road. The company 
provided no building for an office, but gave Snyder a tin trunk in which to 
carry his tickets, books and valuable papers. Gardner was then a "town without 
houses" and the agent boarded with his uncle, two miles south. Going home at 
night after the "eleven o'clock train," on foot and alone, wading through wet 
grass breast high, hearing the bark of the prairie wolves almost within reach 
of a walking stick, was the experience of the "first agent." B. N. Haslett was 
the first agent of the Kankakee & Seneca road.
 
 
COAL INTERESTS, SHAFTS, ETC.

In 1862 the Gardner people began to take interest in the coal product, with 
which the town and vicinity were thought to be under-laid, and by 
subscriptions, money was raised and drill tests made. These were satisfactory, 
but it was some time before arrangements could be made for sinking a shaft. 
December 1, 1863, James Congdon and Wm. H. Odell leased of H. A. Gardner, J. 
C. Spencer, J. R. Reese, T. C. Meyer and C. H. Goold, the north part of the 
village plat, namely: Blocks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 25, 
also lots 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 in block 26, for mining purposes. By 
the terms of this lease, Congdon and Odell were to have what coal they could 
raise during the first seven years free, after which they were to pay a 
royalty of six cents per ton. The Gardner people raised $2,000 by 
subscriptions for Congdon and Odell, as an inducement to undertake the 
enterprise. The work of sinking the shaft was begun about the first of 
January, 1864, but owing to some mismanagement, when down sixty feet, the 
sides caved in, the hole was abandoned and another begun. The work went on 
slowly, Congdon selling out his interest to Odell before the coal was reached, 
which was in the fall of 1864. July 1, 1865, Odell sold to Wm. A. Steel and 
Thomas Kerr. December 1st, of the same year, Steel sold one half of his 
interest to D. G. Wells for $7,000. On the 22d day of January, 1867, Steel, 
Kerr and Wells sold out to Aaron K. Stiles for $25,000. Stiles sold out to the 
Gardner Coal Company April 17, 1872; it soon after fell into the hands of the 
C., W. & V. Company, who continued to operate it until the summer of 1874, 
when they closed it up. The quality of the coal mined at this shaft was 
pronounced by experts to be fully equal to any in the State.

While Stiles had control of the shaft he started the manufacture of brick out 
of the fire clay, giving employment to quite a number of men. The most of the 
brick buildings in town now were made from the brick there and then molded. 
They were generally rough, but for "staying" qualities they were excellent. 
The life of this shaft was ten years. The distance from the surface to the top 
of the coal 180 feet. Thousands of tons of the "dusky diamonds" were brought 
to the surface and sent to Chicago and other markets. The mining gave 
employment to lots of hands, and business of all kinds was brisk. An accident 
at the shaft which cost the lives of two employes, will be of sufficient 
interest to justify its record. E. L. Sutton, Alex. McKinzie, Wm. Harwood and 
Harry Watts had just stepped upon the cage to go below when the rope broke and 
all went crashing to the bottom, a distance of two hundred feet from the 
landing where they started. It was in the evening, dark and gloomy, but the 
knowledge of the accident soon spread through the village, and soon quite a 
number had gathered at the top of the fatal pit. It was some time before 
things could be fixed, so the unfortunate men could be hauled up. Those that 
were at the top were appalled at the moans of distress that came up through 
the darkness from the helpless victims below. Harwood received internal 
injuries, from which he died that night; Watts had his spine lacerated; lived 
twenty days; Sutton got a badly fractured leg, and McKinzie received a 
dislocated ankle and other injuries. Sutton and McKinzie recovered with slight 
lameness.

In 1865 a company was organized, called the "Joint Stock Coal Mining Company 
of Gardner," and on the 8th of June began the sinking of a shaft a little 
southwest of town, on the line of the C. & A. railway. They got down only 
forty or fifty feet when they struck a powerful vein of water, and after 
spending all the means at command, in the vain endeavor to get rid of it, that 
enterprise was abandoned. In 1874 the railway company laid a pipe underground 
from this shaft to their tank in town, since which the iron horses have never 
wanted for drink. Last fall Taylor Williams, of Sterling, commenced sinking a 
shaft a mile east of town, was very much delayed by the water, and did not get 
down until this spring, and when the work was completed all were dismayed in 
learning that there was no coal there. After spending a large amount of money 
it, too, was abandoned, and the buildings moved south to near the center of 
section ten, where, at this writing a shaft is being lowered. We have good 
reasons for believing that this shaft will not be lowered in vain. Five drill 
tests have been made near by, showing, at a depth from 156 to 200 feet, a coal 
vein from two feet eight inches to six feet in thickness.


SCHOOLS AND SCHOOL-HOUSES.

The first Gardner school was taught in a shanty east of the "section house," 
by Lizzie Russell; the next was in a little house west of the mill, by a Mrs. 
Brown; after that, school was taught in a little shanty west, across the 
street from where the Baptist church now stands. Stephen Gray moved the shanty 
down near the stock yards, and lived there for many years.

The first school-house proper, 22 by 36, was built by Taxis and Armitage on 
the site where J. O. Edmunds now lives, in 1857. J. H. Armitage taught first 
school; he was succeeded by David Bookwalter, and he by Virginia M. Hawley, 
who a little later became the wife of Dr. J. B. Taxis. In 1867 a new school-
house was built on the east side of town, 28 by 60, two stories, the town 
having outgrown the first—Peter Hyatt, builder. By 1872 this was found too 
small and a two story addition, 28 by 44 was put on the rear by J. F. Peck. In 
February, 1875, the building caught fire from the furnace, and burned to the 
ground. That summer, the present school building, 52 by 1872, two story brick 
was erected at a cost, exclusive of furniture, of $8,044. J. F. Peck, 
architect and builder. Five teachers are now employed, and about 236 pupils 
enrolled. Miss Elizabeth Baumgardner is principal; Misses Mary A. Bush, Lettie 
J. Smiley, Mary E. Parker and Belle Overman, assistants.


SECRET SOCIETIES.

Gardner Lodge No. 573, A. F. and A. M. was organized May 24, 1866; received 
its charter Oct. 6, 1868. The first members were I. F. Benson, W. H. 
Schoomaker, Ed. Crane, J. W. Hull, Amos Clover, W. W. McMann, Wm. Hart, A. 
DeNormandie, Henry Elliott and H. V. Whalen. Its present membership is 58, 
with the following officers: W. M., H. V. Whalen; S. W., Henry Leach; J. W., 
C. G. Collins; S. D., J. F. Peck; J. D., F. A. Pagle; Treas:, James Savage; 
Sec'y, John McGinnis; Tyler, J. W. Hull. Meetings every alternate Saturday 
evening; hall over Dr. McMann's drug store.

Gardner Lodge No. 515, I. O. of O. F., organized Oct. 15th, 1873; meetings 
every Wednesday evening in hall, Jones building. Present membership, 50; 
officers: N. G., F. P. Sickels; V. G., F. A. Pagle; Sec'y, R. O. Wood; Treas., 
C. H. Cotton.


METHODIST CHURCH.

The first preachers in these parts were Methodists, and held services at 
private houses fifteen years before Gardner was known. Charles Roe was a 
Methodist preacher; lived on the southeast corner of section 15, where C. H. 
Cotton now lives. He used to have meetings at his own house and at Daniel 
Abbot's on the west side of Sec. 5, where Benjamin Bookwalter now lives. Abbot 
was a Methodist preacher also; he would sometimes preach at home and sometimes 
at Cotton's. Those who attended these services beside the families of the 
ministers, were the Bradfields, McCartneys, Browns and J. W. Hull. Abbot moved 
from here to Iowa, and Roe went back to New York where he died. The Gardner M. 
E. society was organized in the spring of 1858, and attached to the Mazon 
circuit, of which Rev. Thomas Watson was minister in charge. The first members 
were Wm. B. Royal and wife; J. H. Coles and wife; Wm. Hart and wife; Robt. 
Glass and wife; Joseph Hall and wife, and Mrs. Cynthia W. Hastings. Wm. Hart 
was appointed the first leader. The pastors in order of succession after 
Watson, were: John Grundy, J. B. Dillie, A. E. Day, John Cosler, Samuel Hart, 
H. Tiffany, Wm. M. Collins, D. H. Cridler, A. C. Price, Matthew Evans, B. F. 
Wonder, J. W. Denning, A. D. Moore, M. C. Eignus, A. Bower, D. W. Brown, T. R. 
McNair and C. W. Green. "Gardner Circuit" was formed in 1867. The first church 
edifice was built by the Protestant Methodists in 1856, corner of Jackson St. 
and Washington avenue. Fayette Doud, a local preacher, did the carpenter work 
and furnished a large amount of the money used in construction. Doud held a 
lien on the building for $500, which the Protestants were unable to pay; 
accordingly in Feb'y, 1864 he sold the building to the M. E. Society for the 
amount of his claim. Under the able ministry of Rev. Eignus in 1875, the 
congregation outgrew the building, and a new one 34 by 56, was commenced 
corner of Jefferson and Monroe Sts. The church was dedicated Jan. 9th, 1876; 
cost about $3,000; Wm. Hastings, contractor and builder. The society now 
numbers seventy-five members, and our meeting house is free from debt. The old 
building was sold and moved to Depot St. and converted into a saloon, showing 
how sometimes a good thing is put to a bad use. It is now used for harness 
shop and tin shop.


PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

This society was organized September 5, 1858, under the ministry of Rev. L. H. 
Loss and Rev. S. H. Waldo. The meeting at which the organization was effected 
was held in the school-house. The society started with six ladies, no 
gentlemen joining; their names were Mrs. Abbie La Force, Mrs. Phebe Ann 
Wheeler, Mrs. Sarah M. Wright, Mrs. Susan Sawyer, Mrs. E. C. Benson, Miss 
Virginia M. Hawley. Rev. Waldo was the first minister in charge. Of the six 
original members only two are now known to be living, namely: Mrs. Taxis nee 
Miss Hawley, and Mrs. Wheeler. The pastors, after Rev. Waldo, in order of 
succession were: Revs. Alvah Day, E. G. Moore, Sextus E. Smith, F. B. 
Hargraves, J. G. Lyle, Joel Kennedy, S. H. Stevenson and Robert Watt. The 
school-house served the society for a chapel for several years, and after the 
school out-grew it and went to new quarters, it was rigged over and still 
used. After a time this building was moved to Depot street, and converted into 
a store, and occupied by McClure & Tolman for hardware; then the society used 
the Methodist church and the city hall. In 1871, under the able pastorate of 
Rev. Smith, they began the erection of a church edifice, brick, 32 by 56, 
corner of Elm and Main streets. It was completed and dedicated in the spring 
of 1872, and is now the society's place of worship. Many of the early members 
have passed to "the other shore." The number now on record is 35.


BAPTIST CHURCH.

Under the ministry of Rev. W. H. Card this society was organized in 1864 with 
seven members, namely: W. H. Card, Phillip Spaulding, Albert W. Willard, David 
M. Griswold, Mrs. L. E. Taxis, Robert Huston and H. J. Edmunds. The names of 
the ministers, so far as could be learned, are, beginning with the first: 
Revs. W. H. Card, — Colby, J. Gordon, John Higby, E. G. Sage and F. M. 
Mitchell. The society built a church 36 by 60 in 1868; in February of 1871 the 
building took fire in some way unknown, and burned to the ground. The same 
year a new brick church was begun on the same site, the same in size, with a 
conference room 24 by 30 added to the rear end, and was dedicated to the 
service of God, May 11, 1872. The construction of this building plunged the 
society into debt, and by which they were much embarrassed until Rev. Sage's 
ministry, two years since, when the obligations were generally paid. The 
present number of members is sixty-four. Each of the societies supports a 
Sabbath school with a fair attendance.


THE VILLAGE AS IT IS TO-DAY -- ITS TRADE AND  TRADERS.

Gardner has thus far achieved very little notoriety as a manufacturing town; 
its life and business have depended mostly upon the farming country 
surrounding it. As a grain market, especially for corn, it stands well with 
other railway towns. During the year 1880 nearly half a million bushels of 
corn and oats were shipped from this station; the numbers of fat cattle and 
hogs shipped, were they known, would make a good showing. The census of 1880 
gave us a population of 788, which in the two years since has somewhat 
increased, so that now we number, likely, about 900. The business of to-day is 
mostly represented by the following gentlemen and firms, carrying stocks of 
dry goods and groceries: Lutz & Eldred, R. B. Huss, Phelps & Lewis, Truesdell 
& Wylie—four stores; restaurants, D. L. Strahl, George Hader; grain buyers, 
Snyder & Son, Lutz & Germain, Robert Atkinson; buyers and shippers of live 
stock, Germain & Clover; hardware dealers and blacksmithing, Smith & Rogers; 
blacksmithing, Atkinson & Erwin; hardware, Chas. V. Hamilton; dealer in farm 
implements, A. S. Martin; ready-made clothing, Chs. E. Parker; banks—Exchange 
Bank. John Allison; Bank of Gardner, J. C. Lutz; meat markets, Harpham & Gray, 
E. I. Briggs; harness makers, Thos. Spiller, H. A. Eversoll; drugs, C. H. 
Goold, W. W. McMann; Harvey Eldred, dealer in furniture and undertaker; 
saloons, Mike Kern, E. D. Evans, Andrew Burt, John Schumm, Joseph Houghton; 
physicians, J. B. Taxis, W. W. McMann, C. M. Easton and J. Underhill. Dr. 
Taxis has resided here since 1859, Dr. McMann since 1863; Dr. Underhill came 
later; Dr. Easton came in 1874. Notaries public, Isaac B. McGinnis and John 
Coles; attorneys at law, Clover & Clover. The present village trustees are: 
Harvey Eldred, George Smith, W. W. McMann, R B. Huss, D. R. Keepers, Arnold 
Edmunds. Eldred is the president; H. A. Crawford, clerk.

Additional Comments:
HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY ILLINOIS; Containing a History from the earliest 
settlement to the present time, embracing its topographical, geological, 
physical and climatic features; its agricultural, railroad interests, etc.; 
giving an account of its aboriginal inhabitants, early settlement by the 
whites, pioneer incidents, its growth, its improvements, organization of the 
County, the judicial history, the business and industries, churches, schools, 
etc.; Biographical Sketches; Portraits of some of the Early Settlers, 
Prominent Men, etc.; ILLUSTRATED. CHICAGO: O. L. BASKIN & CO., HISTORICAL 
PUBLISHERS, Lakeside Building. 1882.


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