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.

RIPLEY PRECINCT. This precinct or town extended from the north line of Carroll Precinct to Chicago, and so remained until the formation of Vermilion County, when it was included in it. At the March meeting of the County Commissioners' Court of Vermilion, we find that that county was divided into two townships or districts, called respectively Carroll and Ripley Townships. As all this section was once embraced in Edgar County, we deem it appropriate in this connection to glance briefly at the settlement of the original Ripley Township. The first settlement was made at or near the old Salt Works, by a man named Seymour Treat, who came to these Salt Springs as early as 1820, for the purpose of making salt. A man by the name of Blackburn came with him. These Salt Springs were known to the State at the time of its adoption into the Union in 1818, and were reserved to the State when Vermilion County was organized. The State passed sundry laws for the regulation of the "Vermilion Saline." Mr. Treat, after remaining at the Salt Springs for several years, settled the village of Denmark and built a saw-mill. James Butler came in the latter part of 1820, and was the first settler at Butler's Point, now called Catlin. The beautiful farm settled by Mr. Butler is now owned by Harvey Sandusky. Henry Johnston was the first white settler on the Little Vermilion, and came about the same time of Butler. Two of his brothers-in-law settled near by in a short time after. Harvey Luddington settled at Butler's Point in 1822, and afterward removed to the Salt Works. He improved several farms on Salt Fork, west of the Saline, and then removed to Danville. He was in the war of 1812, and participated in the battle of Lundy's Lane, in 1813, when but twenty years of age. George and Daniel Beckwith, noticed among the early settlers of the original Wayne Township, were among the first settlers in Ripley. They came to the Salt Works, and Daniel afterward entered land, at present embraced in the city of Danville. Hon. John B. Alexander, another of the early settlers of old Wayne, removed to this section, where the remainder of his life was passed. When Mr. Luddington settled in Ripley Township, four years before the formation of Vermilion county, he found but eight families in all that section, viz.: the Beckwiths and Treat, at the Saline; Butler, at Butler's Point; Achilles Morgan, at Brooke's Point; Henry Johnston, on the Little Vermilion, and his two brothers-in-law. Alexander McDonald settled on the Little Vermilion, and Asa Elliott at Butler's Point, the next year. Benjamin Canaday settled near the present village of Georgetown, in 1823; John and William Current came in 1825. Among the early settlers of Ripley Precinct or Township, we may notice in addition to the names already given, William Bandy and James A. Davis, Hezekiah Cunningham, Moses Thomas, Jonathan Lyon, John B. Thomas, James Davison, Joseph Gundy, Joseph Kerr, and many others whose names are forgotten. As already noted, Ripley Township extended to Chicago, and for several years after the organization of Vermilion County, as well as when Vermilion was a part of Edgar, the city of Chicago, which was then concealed in the swamps of Lake Michigan, was embraced in these districts. William Reed, the first Sheriff there, as such had to collect the taxes of Chicago, or Fort Dearborn, as it was then called. Harvey Luddington, as we have been informed, having business in the "extreme north part of the county," agreed to collect Chicago's taxes, provided the county would pay his expenses. The latter amounted to about ten dollars, and taxes collected from the future metropolis of the Northwest was three dollars. The next year, to save expenses, Sheriff Reed paid Chicago's taxes out of his own pocket. It amounted, we are told, to a few cents over three dollars.

Thus we have taken a brief glance at the early settlement of the county, giving the dates of settlement in each of the original divisions, vis.: Wayne, Pike, Fairfield, Carroll, and Ripley Townships. That inaccuracies exist in many points is not only possible, but probable. Stretching back over a period of over sixty years to the time of the first settlements in its territory, it would be wonderful in the extreme for the mind of man to collect with perfect accuracy all the names and dates mentioned in these pages. If, therefore, names have been omitted which are entitled to come in the list of early settlers, it is unintentional, and deeply regretted. We have noticed only those who settled in the county previous to 1830, and have spared no pains to obtain the names of all who came before that date. But, as very few of those early pioneers are still living, it is highly probable, as before observed, that many omissions have been made. In the township histories, the settlements of each particular section will be more fully given, and many additional facts noticed, together with the names of those coming in to a later period than given in this connection. With these few apologetic words, parenthetically, we will pass now to the ORGANIZATION OF THE COUNTY.