Edgar County History Page

The History of Edgar County, Illinois

Transcribed and contributed by
Jane A. Fullington
jgeick@sprynet.com

This history of Edgar County is taken from the book, "The History of Edgar County, Illinois", published in 1879 by Wm. Le Baron, Jr. & Co., 186 Dearborn Street, Chicago, Ill. It was compiled by historians, W. H. Perrin, H. H. Hill, and A. A. Graham.

WAYNE PRECINCT.

This precinct embraced in its boundaries the present townships of Hunter, Brouillett and Stratton, with the northern tier of sections of Elbridge, and was one of the five original townships or precincts into which the county was divided at the time of its organization. Here, in the early spring of 1817, Remember Blackman, John Stratton, Anthony Sanders, William Whitley and Aloysius Brown located, and are acknowledged as the first white settlers in Edgar County. Stratton, Whitley and Brown were from Kentucky, Blackman was from the Empire State, and Sanders from North Carolina. They arrived in time to prepare land and cultivate small crops of corn. Aloysius Brown finally moved to Wisconsin and died there years ago. Whitley remained in this section of the county but a few years, then sold out, moved into Paris Township and settled on the place now owned by Elliott. Stratton lived here many years, and finally sold out and moved up near Kankakee, where he died. Blackman died in the township, and Sanders left his wife, went down South, and married another woman. In the township histories more extended notices will be given of all the early settlers.

In the fall following the settlement of those above given, Col. Jonathan Mayo came to the county and settled in the immediate neighborhood of them, and, during the winter, Barna B. Reynolds came in. Both were from Kentucky here, but Mayo was originally from the Old Dominion. He and his wife are the only two persons now living in the county who came to it that first year, grown up people. A few are to be found who were small children at the time of coming. A man of considerable prominence, and for years officially connected with the affairs of the county, we shall have occasion to quote extensively from Col. Mayo in these pages as well as Hall Sims, Col. Blackburn and many others of more modern date. Mayo settled on the "North Arm," where he remained until 1827, when he removed into the city of Paris, and is still living on the place where he located on his removal to the city. Reynolds was related to Aloysius Brown, and removed from the country with Brown. They were zealous Catholics (Brown and Reynolds), and a brother of Reynolds attained quite an exalted position in that Church, as well as a daughter of Brown's, who is at the head of the Convent of St. Mary's, near Terre Haute.

In 1818 the little settlement was increased by the arrival of Daniel Lane, Augustin E. Boland, George and Daniel Beckwith and William Reed. Lane was from New Hampshire, and came to Vincennes, where he remained a short time, and then came to this settlement. He died here many years ago, and upon his old homestead stands a Lombardy poplar that is known as a way-mark all over the country, and to which is attached quite a history. Boland was a native of Connecticut, and drifted westward while serving as a soldier of the war of 1812. He was discharged, when the war was over, at Vincennes, Ind., and from that place came here. His name is still perpetuated here by several sons, who rank among the worthy citizens of Hunter and Paris Townships. The Beckwiths were from New York, and were men of intelligence and enterprise. They removed to Vermilion County, before its organization, however, and after its formation, became active men, and Daniel represented it in the Legislature one or more terms. William Reed came from some of the Eastern States, but which one, we could not ascertain. He was also in the war of 1812, and after the formation of Edgar County, was its first Sheriff. He went to Vermilion County, where he died several years ago.

The following arrivals occurred during the year 1819: Jacob Jones and family, Samuel Littlefield, Rev. Joseph Curtis, Lewis Murphy, and the Van Houtins. The Joneses and Littlefield were from Maine, and settled on the "North Arm," now embraced in Hunter Township, where they remained until 1826, when they changed their location to Brouillett Township. Rev. Joseph Curtis, a Methodist Episcopal minister, hailed from the Buckeye State, and is supposed to have been the first minister to proclaim the word of God in Edgar County. He established a class at Col. Mayo's house, of which Mayo and his wife and Curtis' widow are the only survivors. Murphy was from Virginia, and was the first Judge of Probate in the county. He died many years ago. All whose names have so far been given settled in what is now Hunter Township; the Van Houtins, however, settled in the present town of Stratton. Benjamin Van Houtin was born in New Jersey, and his brother, Thomas Van Houtin, in New York, after the removal of the family to that section. Both still live in Stratton Township, and are among the enterprising farmers of that community. The next year (1820), the population of the settlement was increased by the coming of Joseph Lowry, John Lycan, James and William Murphy, Otis McCulloch, Alexander McDonald, Alonzo Lapham, James Dudley, Col. J. M. Blackburn, and Trueman Blackman. Blackburn, Lowry and Lycan were from Kentucky, the "Dark and Bloody Ground," lying "beyond the beautiful river." The two latter settled in Hunter, and Blackburn in what is now Stratton Township. Blackburn took an active part in the Black Hawk war, and commanded a regiment during that brief campaign. The Murphys were from Virginia. The first Circuit Court after the formation of the county was held at the house of William Murphy, who lived adjoining to Col. Mayo, and upon which place he died many years ago. James Murphy build a horse-mill near the present line of Hunter and Stratton, and afterward a water-mill near by. McCulloch and Lapham were from New York, and Dudley from Massachusetts. The latter was one of the first merchants in the county; finally removed to Coles County, and, it is said, grew very wealthy. Lapham built a "fulling-mill," in the early days of the county. McCulloch was not particularly distinguished, beyond being a worthy citizen. McDonald came from Tennessee, and Blackman from Ohio. Of McDonald little is known, and Blackman lived for years in Stratton Township.

In 1821, but few additions were made to the little settlement. Among them were Dr. Url Murphy, Hon. John B. Alexander and Nathaniel Morgan. Dr. Murphy was a younger brother of the Murphys above mentioned, and was a young physician who had come to the "Far West" to establish a practice in the healing art, but found, instead, an early grave. Alexander was from North Carolina, and was a man of considerable note in the country, as elsewhere stated. Morgan was from Kentucky, but otherwise little is known of him. In 1822, James Lowry, the Gillams, George Board, Rev. John W. McReynolds, James Hensly, Squire Newlon, Laban Burr and Edward Wheeler came to the settlement. Lowry was a brother to those already mentioned. John, Thomas and David Gillam were from Indiana; and, after remaining here a few years, returned to the Hoosier State. Board settled in what is now Stratton Township, and was the first Coroner of the county. Rev. McReynolds was one of the early preachers of the time, and was a brother-in-law of Col. Mayo. Burr was from New York, and settled near the present line of Paris and Hunter Townships, where he died in a few years. Hensly was from Kentucky, and Wheeler from New York. Squire Newlon is still living; was originally from Virginia, and settled in Stratton Township.

There seems to have been a lull in the arrivals for a year or two, or rather in this section, as we find no new-comers in 1823-24. In 1825, Rev. William J. Mayo, William S. Wilson, Robert J. Scott, John Brown and Andrew G. Fitzgerald came in. Rev. Mayo, the father of Col. Mayo, was from Kentucky, and was one of the pioneer Methodist preachers of the county. Wilson is from North Carolina, and settled in Stratton, while Rev. Mr. Mayo settled in Hunter Township. Scott and Brown settled in Brouillett Township. Mr. Scott came from Ohio, and Brown from Kentucky. Fitzgerald came from North Carolina and settled in the section now embraced in Stratton Township. In 1826, the following accessions were made to the population: Jonathan and Sanborn Basford, Col. D. A. Morrison, William Hurst, Sylvester Barker, William C. Trimble, John Wilson and John Somerville. The Basfords (father and son) were from the Green Mountains of Vermont, and located in Brouillett Township. Col. Morrison is from Kentucky, and is still living in Stratton Township. Hurst was from Ohio; but of him little could be learned. Barker was from New Hampshire, and lives now in the city of Paris. Trimble, Wilson and Somerville were from Kentucky, but of them little is remembered. In 1827, 1828, 1829 and 1830, Thomas Evans, Joseph Barkley, the Parkers, Enos Hobbs, Matthew R. Scott, William Allen, the Hunters, Godfrey Wilkins, John Clarke, Isaac Wilkins, Jesse Moore and Daniel and Lewis Camerer came to the county. Evans, Barkley and Moore were from Kentucky, and located in the present township of Brouillett. The Parkers, M. R. Scott, Clarke, the Wilkinses and the Camerers were from Ohio, and settled, also, in Brouillett, where some of the of them and their descendents still live. Hobbs and the Hunters were originally from Tennessee; the latter settled in Hunter Township and the former in Brouillett. Allen is a Virginian, and lives, at present, in the village of Chrisman. Additional settlers in this section of the county were: William Huffman, James Carney, Willard and Ebenezer Center, Enos Martin, William Bond, Thomas Hobbs, George W. Haws, Isaac Sanford and James A. Gillespie, most of whom we have been unable to learn anything definite regarding their native place or the time of their settlement in the county.

As we have already stated, the county, at the time of its formation, was divided into five civil townships, or election districts, of which Wayne Township comprised the territory embraced in Stratton, Hunter, and Brouillett Townships, with a narrow strip of Elbridge Township. Immediately south of this district and lying in the southeast corner of the county, was another of those early divisions, and was known as PIKE PRECINCT.