Historical encyclopedia of Illinois

Preface

Why publish this book? There should be many and strong reasons to warrant such an undertaking. Are there such reasons? What considerations are weighty enough to have induced the publishers to make this venture? and what special claims has Illinois to such a distinction? These are reasonable and inevitable inquiries, and it is fitting they should receive attention.

In the first place, good State Histories are of great importance and value, and there is abundant and cheering evidence of an increasing popular interest in them. This is true of all such works, whatever States may be their subjects ; and it is conspicuously true of Illinois, for the following, among many other reasons : Because of its great prominence in the early history of the West as tlie seat of the first settlements of Europeans northwest of the Ohio Eiver — the unique character of its early civilization, due to or resulting from its early- French population brought in contact with the aborigines — its political, military, and educational promiiience — its steadfast loyalty and patriotism — the marvelous development of its vast resources — the number of distinguished statesmen, generals, and Jurists whom it has furnished to the Government, and its grand record in the exciting and perilous conflicts on the Slavery question.

This is the magnificent Commonwealth, the setting forth of whose history, in all of its essential departments and features, seemed to warrant the bringing out of another volume devoted to that end. Its material has been gathered fi'om every available source, and most cai'efully examined and sifted before acceptance. Especial care has been taken in collecting material of a biogi-aphical character ; facts and incidents in the personal history of men identified with the life of the State in its Territorial and later periods. This material has been gathered from a great variety of sources widely scattered, and much of it quite inaccessible to the ordinary inquirer. The encyclopedic form of the work favors conciseness and compactness, and was adopted with a view to condensing the largest amount of information within the smallest practicable space.

And so the Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois was conceived and planned in the belief that it was needed; that no other book filled the place it was designed to occupy, or furnished the amount, variety and scope of information touching the infancy and later life of Illinois, that would be found in its pages. In that belief, and in furtherance of those ends, the book has been constructed and its topics selected and wi'itten. Simplicity, perspicuity, conciseness and accuracy have been the dominant aims and rules of its editors and writers. The supreme mission of the book is to record, fairly and truthfully, historical facts ; facts of the earlier and later history of the State, and drawn from the almost innumerable sources connected with that history; facts of interest to the great body of our people, as well. as to scholars, officials, and other special classes; a book convenient for reference in the school, die nifice, and the home. Hence, no attempt at fine writing, no labored, irrelevant and

PREFACE loBg-drawn accounts of matters, persons or things, which really need but a few plain words or'theradequate elucidation, will be found in its pages. On the other hand, perspicuity and fitting development are never intentionally sacrificed to mere conciseness and brevity. Whenever a subject, from its nature, demands a more elaborate treatment-and there are many of this character— it is handled accordingly.

As a rule, the method pm-sued is the separate and topical, rather than the chronological as being mor satisfactory and convenient for reference. That is, each topic .s considered Teparlly and exhaustively, instead of bemg blended, chronologically, with others, lo pass from subject to subject, in the mere arbitrary order of time, is to sacrifice simplicity and

"'^rut^^rmnrTm ™-or defect in all cases, in handling so many thousan^ of

items is not claimed, and could not reasonably be expected of any finite intelligence; since,

n compl cated cases some element may possibly elude its sharpest scrutiny. But every

taterent of fact, made herein without qualification, is believed to be strictly corre^ , and

he sUt^stii of the volume, as a whole, are submitted to its readers with entire confidence^

Con^erable space is also devoted to biographical sketches of persons -deemed worthy of mention, for their close relations to the State in some of its varied interests, political, gov- Imental, financial, social, religious, educational, industrial, ----"^^' ;/=:;°^;°^t"' i tary judicial or otherwise; or for their supposed personal deservings in other respects^ I L b 1 eved that the extensive recognition of such individuals, by the publishers will not b dislioved or regretted by the public; that personal biography h.is an honored useful and SiLite place iifsuch a history of Illinois as this volume aims to be, and tha the om. on of such a department would seriously detract from the completeness and value of the book. Perhaps no more delicate and difficult task has confronted the editors and publishers than the, selection of names for this part of the work. . . , , ,■,■., a

mte it is believed that no unworthy name has a place in the list, it is freely adnaitted

that there may be many others, equally or possibly even more worthy, whose names do no

appei TartTyL lack If definite and adequate information, and partly because it was not

deemed best to materially increase the space devoted to this class of topics.

assumed iilul enterprise, for their business energy, integrity, and determination^ and h.r uniform kindness and courtesy; to the many who have so generously and helpfully promoted he :rc.: of the work, by t^eir contributions of valuable i-^-^-^-^X^'tHhom cences and rare incidents; to Mr. Paul Selby, the very able associate editor, to whom ejec!;! honor and credit are due for his most e«-e"t intelligent and scholarly s^^vi^ Hon Harvey B Hurd, Walter B. Wines, and to all others who have by ^^ord or act, fncoura^d us in this e^terprise-with grateful recognition of all tl-^f-nds and he ^r , the H storical Encyclopedia of Illinois, with its thousands of topics and many * >o"sands of delS tms and LiLnts, is now respectfully submitted to the goo ijeop e o he S ate for whom it h■.^s been prepared, in the earnest hope and confident belief that it will instructive, convenient and useful for the purposes for which it was designed.

PREFATORY STATEMENT.

Since the bulk of the matter contained in this volume was practically completed and ready for the press, Dr. Newton Bateman, who occupied the relation to it of editor-in-chief, has passed beyond the sphere of mortal existence. In placing the work before the public, it therefore devolves upon the undersigned to make this last prefatory statement.

As explained by Dr. Bateman in his preface, the object had in view in the preparation of a "Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois" has been to present, in compact and concise form, the leading facts of Territorial and State history, from the arrival of the earliest French explorers in Illinois to the present time. This has included an outline history of the State, under the title, "Illinois," supplemented by special articles relating to various crises and eras in State history ; changes in form of government and administration ; the history of Constitutional Conventions and Legislative Assemblies; the various wars in which Illinoisans have taken part, with a summary of the principal events in the history of individual military organizations engaged in the Civil War of 1861-65, and the War of 1898 with Spain; lists of State officers. United States Senators and Members of Congress, with the terms of each; the organization and development of political divisions; the establishment of charitable and educational institutions; the growth of public improvements and other enterprises which have marked the progress of the State ; natural features and resources ; the history of early newsjiapers, and the gi'owth of religious denominations, together with general statistical information and unusual or extraordinary occurrences of a local or general State character — all arranged under topical heads, and convenient for ready reference by all seeking information on these subjects, whether in the family, in the office of the professional or business man, in the teacher's study and the school-room, or in the ijublic library.

While individual or collected biographies of the public men of Illinois have not been wholly lacking or few in number — and those already in existence have a present and constantly increasing value — they have been limited, for the most part, to special localities and particular periods or classes. Kich as the annals of Illinois are in the records and character of its distinguished citizens who, by their services in the public councils, upon the judicial bench and in the executive chair, in the forum and in the field, have reflected honor upon the State and the Nation, there has been hitherto no comprehensive attempt to gather together, in one volume, sketches of those who have been conspicuous in the creation and upbuilding of the State. The collection of material of this sort has been a task requiring patient and laborious research ; and, while all may not have been achieved in this direction that was desirable, owing to the insufficiency or total absence of data relating to the lives of many men most prominent in public affairs during the period to which they belonged, it is still believed that what has been accomplished will be found of permanent value and be appreciated by those most deeply interested in this phase of State history.

The large number of topics treated has made brevity and conciseness an indispensable feature of the work; consequently there has been no attempt to indulge in graces of style or

6 PKEFATORY STATEMENT.

elaboration of narrative. The object has been to present, in simple language and concise form, facts of history of interest or value to those who may choose to consult its pages. Absolute inerrancy is not claimed for every detail of the work, but no pains hiis been spared, and every available authority consulted, to arrive at complete accuracy of statement.

In view of the important bearing which railroad enterjirises have had ujjon the extraordinary development of the State within the past fifty years, considerable space has been given to this department, especially with reference to the older lines of railroad whose history lias been intimately interwoven with that of the State, and its progress in wealth and pojDulation.

In addition to the acknowledgments made by Dr. Bateman, it is but proper that I should express my personal obligations to the late Prof. Samuel M. Inglis, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, and his assistant, Prof. J. 11. Freeman; to ex-Senator John M. Palmer, of Springfield ; to the late Hon. Joseph Medill, editor of "The Chicago Tribune" ; to the Hon. James B. Bradwell, of "The Chicago Legal News"; to Gen. Green B. Eaum, Dr. Samuel Willard, and Dr. Garrett Newkirk, of Chicago (the latter as author of the principal portions of the article on the "Underground Railroad") ; to the Librarians of the State Historical Library, the Chicago Historical Library, and the Chicago Public Library, for special and valuable aid rendered, as well as to a large circle of correspondents in different parts of the State who have courteously responded to requests for information on special topics, and have thereby materially aided in securing whatever success may have been attained in the work.

In conclusion, I cannot omit to pay tliis final tribute to the memory of my friend and associate, Dr. Bateman, whose death, at his home in Galesburg, on October 21, 1897, was deplored, not only by his associates in the Faculty of Knox College, his former pupils and immediate neighbors, but by a large circle of friends in all parts of the State.

Although his labors as editor of this volume had been substantially finished at the time of his death (and they included the reading and revision of every line of copy at that time prepared, comprising the larger proportion of the volume as it now goes into the hands of the public), the enthusiasm, zeal and kindly appreciation of the labor of others which he brought to the discharge of his duties, have been sadly missed in the last stages of preparation of the work for the press. In the estimation of many who have held his scholarship and his splendid endowments of mind and character in the highest admiration, his connection with the work will be its strongest commendation and the surest evidence of its merit.

With myself, the most substantial satisfaction I have in dismissing the volume from my hands and submitting it to the judgment of the public, exists in the fact that, in its prejjai-ation, I have been associated with such a co-laborer — one whose abilities commanded universal respect, and whose genial, scholarly character and noble qualitiet of mind and heart won the love and confidence of all with whom he came in contact, and whom it had been my privilege to count as a friend from an early period in his long and useful career.

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

PAGE

Abraham Lincoln {Frontispiece) 1

Annex Central Hospital for Insane, Jacksonville 84

Asylum for Feeble-Mindod Children, Lincoln 337

Asylum for Incurable Insane, Bartonville 85

l^ateman, Newton (Portrait) 3

Board of Trade Building, Chicago 277

*'Chenn Mansion," Kaskaskia (1898), where La Fayette was entertained in 1835 .... 315

Chicago Academy of Sciences 394

Chicago Drainage Canal 94

Chicago Historical Society Building 394

Chicago Public Buildings 395

Chicago Thoroughfares 93

Chief Chicagou (Portrait) , 246

Comparative Size of Great Canals 95

Day after Chicago Fire 92

Early Historic Scenes, Chicago 170

Early Historic Scenes, Chicago (No. 2) 171

Engineering Hall, University of Illinois 280

Experiment Farm, University of Illinois 12

Experiment Farm, University of Illinois — The Vineyard 13

Experiment Farm, University of Illinois — Orchard Cultivation 13

First Illinois State House, Kaskaskia (1818) 314

Fort Dearborn from the West (1808) 346

Fort Dearborn from Southeast (1808) 247

Fort Dearborn (1853) 247

General John Edgar's House, Kaskasia 315

Henry de Tonty (Portrait) 246

House of Governor Bond, Old Kaskaskia (1891) 315

House of Chief Ducoign, the last of the Kaskaskias (1893) 314

Home for Juvenile Female Offenders, Geneva 236

Illinois Soldiers' and Sailors' Home, Quincy 438

Illinois State Normal University, Normal 504

Illinois State Capitol, Springfield 340

Illinois State Building, World's Columbian Exposition, 1893 601

Illinois State Penitentiary, Joliet 306

Illinois State Penitentiary — Cell House and Women's Prison 307

Illinois State Eeformatory, Pontiac 493

8 LIST OF ILLUSTKATIONS.

PAGE

Institution for Deaf and Dumb, Jacksonville 300

Interior of Room, Kaskaskia Hotel (1893) where La Fayette Banquet was held in 1825 314

Institution for the Blind, Jacksonville 301

Kaskaskia Hotel, where La Fayette was feted in 1825 (as it appeareil, 1893) 314

La Salle (Portrait) 246

Library Building, University of Illinois 334

Library Building — Main Floor — University of Illinois 335

Map of Burned District, Chicago Fire, 1871 276

Map of Grounds, World's Columbian Exposition, 1893 600

Map of Illinois Folloiving Title Page

Map of Illinois River Valley " "

McCormick Seminary, Chicago 362

Monuments in Lincoln Park, Chicago 90

Monuments in Lincoln Park, Chicago 206

Monuments in Lincoln Park, Chicago 207

Natural History Hall, University of Illinois 151

Newberry Library, Chicago 394

Northern Hospital for the Insane, Elgin 402

Old Kaskaskia, from Garrison Hill (as it appeared in 1893) 314

Old State House, Kaskaskia (1900) 315

Pierre Menard Mansion, Kaskaskia (1893) 314

Remnant of Old Kaskaskia (as it appeared in 1898) 315

Selby, Paul (Portrait) 5

Soldiers' Widows' Home, Wilmington 439

Southern Illinois Normal, Carbondale 505

Southern Illinois Penitentiary and Asylum for Incurable Insane, Chester 492

University Hall, University of Illinois 150

University of Chicago 363

University of Illinois, Urbana. (Group of Buildings) 540

University of Illinois, Urbana. (Group of Buildings) 541

View from Engineering Hall, University of Illinois 281

View on Principal Street, Old Kaskaskia (1891) 315

Views in Lincoln Park, Chicago 91

Views of Drainage Canal 96

Views of Drainage Canal 97

War Eagle (Portrait) 246

Western Hospital for the Insane, Watertown 403

Lee County.