Local History Morgan County Illinois Morgan County

Local History Morgan County, Illinois

Morgan County ►□ named for General Daniel Morgan, a General during the Revolutionary War ► □ town first settled by the Kellogg family and Charles Collins who built two log cabins in 1819 near Mauvaisterre Creek

Morgan County ► □ in 1824 in Illinois, there was question over whether to call a constitutional convention to change the constitution to allow slavery. It failed. In Morgan County, only 43 voted for having a convention and 555 voted against it.

Morgan County ►□ in 1829, an entire colony of settlers from Yorkshire, England came to Morgan County and settled in what is now Lynnville ► □ by 1837, Morgan County was the most populous county in the state of Illinois

Morgan County □ during Grant’s march in 1861 to get to apparent fighting taking place near Palmyra, MO, the troops rested at noon (the 2 nd day of the march) at the present Morgan County Fairgrounds ► □ Grant was strict with his troops, making them dump out whiskey from their canteens and dishing out punishments such as being “bucked and gagged” (soldier would be tied in the fetal position and left for a day or so) ►

Morgan City □ laid out by Charles Collins and Myron Leslie on May 24, 1839 ► □ hoped to become the county seat, but did not, and so the town died ► □located between present day Bluffs and Chapin, southwest of present day Bethel ►

Morgan City □ reported to have had stockyards, a depot, and about 30 houses ► □ by 1839 12 miles of RR track connected Morgan City with Meredosia on the IL River. The Northern Cross RR was Illinois’s first RR and one of the first RR west of the Appalachian Mts. ►

Morgan City ►□ Later, 2 trains a day traveled from Meredosia to Morgan City and then from Morgan City to Jacksonville. By 1842, this track finally reached Springfield, but the line soon failed- it was slow and rickety. ► □ stage coaches and wagons would meet the trains and transport people and cargo

Geneva ►□ founded in 1832 as a Mormon settlement ► □ located west of Jacksonville and a mile and a half east of Merritt in the part of Morgan county that later became Scott county

Geneva ►□ was situated on some of the best farmland in the area ► □ located on a busy wagon trail called the “State Road” ► □ at one time had a hotel and a few stores

Geneva

Meredosia ►□ Meredosia was founded on Dec. 26, 1832 by Thomas J. January ► □ The town’s name is believed to be a combination of the French word “mere” for lake and the name of a French priest, Father Antoine D’Osia, who was living at present day Meredosia Lake and was a missionary to a local Indian village

Meredosia ►□ in 1832, Morgan county was one of the most heavily populated counties in IL ► □ Meredosia had several general stores, a distillery (place where alcoholic drinks were made), blacksmith shop, and a sawmill ► □ Meredosia was a major pork packing center before the RR boomed in the 1850 s. Chicago then became important in the pork industry.

Meredosia ►□ Meredosia did not use currency, instead the citizens bartered by using coonskins, honey, or beeswax to trade ► □ Stephen A. Douglas applied for the teaching job in Meredosia but it was already filled

Meredosia □ the first steam operated RR in Illinois departed from Meredosia in 1838 ► □ a school house opened in 1833. It cost $2 to attend the 3 month term. The school averaged 20 students which was remarkable considering that only about 20 families lived in the area at the time ►

Meredosia ►□ the Northern Cross RR began in 1838 and was later expanded and acquired by the Wabash RR ► □ in 1860, the RR was built over the Illinois River at Meredosia ► □ the fishing industry was big ► □ Meredosia also had a pearl button industry until the 1940 s when plastics became more popular

Jacksonville ►□ name was given in honor of General Andrew Jackson, hero of Battle of New Orleans and the idol of many western frontiersmen

Jacksonville ►□ local legend a local African-American man by the name of Andrew W. Jackson claimed that the town was named after him. He claims that he was walking through the area when the surveyors laying out the town asked him what his name was and then told him that they were going to name the town after him. In fact, “A Guide to the Origin of Place Names in the United States” records this as how Jacksonville got its name.

Jacksonville ►□ Johnston Shelter platted the area on March 10, 1825 ► □ Jacksonville was located on the state road that ran between the Illinois River and Springfield (how State St. got its name) ► □ the purpose of Jacksonville was to be the county seat for the newly formed Morgan County (1823)

Jacksonville ►□ Many original settlers came from Kentucky and Tennessee ► □ settlers often distrusted the prairie. They believed that “if it won’t grow trees, it won’t grow crops. ”

Jacksonville □ Jacksonville’s population grew and had a post office and 11 buildings on the square including a court house and jail after only one year ► □ Jacksonville also had a branch of the State Bank of Illinois by 1832. ► □ Catherine Kendall (Mother) Carlson was a midwife who is reported to have delivered 3, 000 babies ►

Jacksonville □ in 1830, the “Yale Band” helped complete construction of Illinois College. It was a group of 7 men who wanted to work against ignorance and barbarism and keep Roman Catholicism from taking over the area. ► □ many Illinois College students were against slavery and this made some southerners uneasy. Some IC students actually fought for the Confederacy in the Civil War. ►

Jacksonville ► □ the first graduating class of Illinois College was 1835. One of the two graduates was Richard Yates who later served as the governor of IL during the Civil War. He supported Abraham Lincoln and the Union even though he was born in KY, a southern state.

Jacksonville ►□ after abolitionist, Elijah P. Lovejoy, was killed defending his press in Alton, IL, several students at IC protested his death.

Jacksonville □ when the Black Hawk War broke out in 1832, some Jacksonville residents were concerned about Native Americans and formed a peace society in 1832. ► □ in 1833, the Jacksonville Female Academy (now known as Mac. Murray College) opened ►

Jacksonville ►□ transportation was poor (almost impassable in winter months and either muddy or dusty in spring and summer months) ► □ 1830 -1831 =winter of the deep snow ► □ 1833 – cholera epidemic hits (brought west by troops during the Black Hawk War in 1832)

Jacksonville ►□ in 1833, a Congregational Church was started in Jacksonville, the fifth one in Illinois at the time. ► □ when a more northern location was wanted for the capital of Illinois, several towns bid to be the capital. Eventually, Springfield was chosen in 1839 and beat out Alton, Jacksonville, Peoria, and Illiopolis.

Jacksonville □ in 1837 a RR from the Illinois River at Meredosia to Jacksonville was started and completed in 1840 ► □ 2 years later the RR extended to Springfield ► □ in 1849 a new RR line was built from Naples to Jacksonville to Springfield ►

Jacksonville □ as early as 1823, a group came together to oppose slavery or human bondage and as a result, Jacksonville became a station on the Underground RR ► □ some people at IC were involved in protecting a runaway slave which caused problems in town. Some people wanted to get torches out and search for them. ►

Jacksonville ►□ the URR in IL is reported to have run from Alton to Jacksonville, Pittsfield, and Quincy and then on to Knoxville and Bloomington, and then on to Joliet and Chicago. ► □ The Morganian Society, an anti-slavery group, was founded in Morgan County in 1824.

Jacksonville ►□ merchants who were in favor of abolitionism sometimes had their business boycotted, were pressured socially, or ostracized. ► □ Others had slaves crawl into their wagons when left unattended. ► □ One anti-slavery Yankee physician living in Jacksonville took to walking down the center of streets at night for fear that his enemies would attack.

Jacksonville ►□ In fact, a lady named Sarah Lisle was traveling from KY with her slave maid, Judy Green. While in Jacksonville, in February of 1843, an IC student, Samuel Willard, and the Wolcott and Carter family help her flee town. For helping harbor slaves, Samuel Willard was held in a leading hotel, the Mansion House, not in a jail. He was fined one dollar and eventually Judy was found and sent back to KY.

Jacksonville ►□ by 1840, Jacksonville was one of only 4 towns in Illinois, Alton, Springfield, and Quincy were the other three, to have a population of over 100 blacks. ► □ in 1849, a large group of Protestant Portuguese arrive in Jacksonville

Jacksonville ►□ in 1858, a group of well-educated Germans arrive and start Salem Lutheran Church ► □ during this time, a large group of Irish also came to Jacksonville searching for work after the Irish Potato Famine. They later started Our Savior’s church in 1851

Jacksonville □ the Deaf and Dumb Asylum began instruction in 1845 (became the first boarding school for the deaf in the world) ► □ the Braille and Sight Saving School opened in 1847 ► □ a medical school was opened in 1842 and operated until 1848 ►

Jacksonville □ Dorothea Dix visited Jacksonville in 1846 and suggested a hospital for the care of the insane be built. It was finished in 1852. ► □ Joseph Duncan, a Jacksonville man, was elected Governor of Illinois in 1834 after serving in the national House of Reps since 1826 ►

Jacksonville ►□ Richard Yates, Sr. also became Governor of Illinois and was from Jacksonville ► □ Stephen A. Douglas, called the “Little Giant, ” moved to Jacksonville in 1835 when he was appointed state’s attorney ► □ Douglas was given the nickname after he gave a speech at the square and was carried around on their shoulders

Jacksonville ►□ President Martin Van Buren visited Jacksonville in the summer of 1842 ► □ newspapers, such as The Illinois Patriot, began in 1830. The Jacksonville Journal. Courier is its current name.

Jacksonville □ Jacksonville resident, Jonathan B. Turner, started a nursery in Jacksonville to produce Osage Orange trees used for fencing and was an advocate of tax supported schools ► □ many Portuguese immigrants arrived in 1848 and were industrious, thrifty, prosperous, and held on to their culture ►

Jacksonville ►□ in 1851, the West Jacksonville school district became the first to offer free, public high school education in Illinois

Jacksonville □ both Stephen A. Douglas and Abraham Lincoln held political rallies in Jacksonville in 1858 ► Lincoln was supposed to speak at Illinois College, but not enough people attended to pay his fees and fare. (Lincoln was extremely popular later that year and gave numerous speeches) ►

Jacksonville ►□ Jacksonville’s city streets were illuminated in January 1858 and in houses in February of 1858

Chapin ►□ laid out on the Wabash RR line on April 15, 1858 by Lyman and Horace Chapin ► □ town named after them

Bethel ►□ laid out for Samuel and Catherine Whitley on April 8, 1833 ► □ RR did not pass through Bethel and trade ceased and the town fizzled out

Neelyville ►□ started by Jonathan and James Neely on April 20, 1865 ► □ began as a supply of coal for the Wabash RR that traveled from Quincy to Danville ► □ the town dried up after the coal vein ran out