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1876
CITY OF SPRINGFIELD
Before
proceeding to the consideration of a review of the business of the city
for the year past, it may be a matter of considerable interest to a
portion of our citizens to record briefly some matters connected with
the settlement and organization of the town gleaned from such records as
we have been able to find and the “word of mouth” of our oldest
citizens, several of whom are among its founders. It would indeed be a
racy record, could the early history of this place be written, one which
should contain a full amount of events and anecdotes of many men who
were here at an early day, and who afterwards took rank among the
eminent men of the period. Among this number might be named Lincoln,
the Martyred President; Col. E. D. Baker, killed at Ball’s Bluff during
the late was; Stephan A. Douglas, the talented leader of the Democratic
Party, then in its glory; Gen. James Shields, afterward a United States
Senator from this State; Maj. J. T. Stuart, Judge B. S. Edwards, Stephen
T. Logan, the eminent judge and lawyer, and many others whose names do
not occur to us while writing.
Those were
great days for Springfield, its bar embracing more talent than any other
this side of the Alleghany Mountains. Those were days when people knew
little of railroads; when heavy wagons were the only cars; when it took
a week to go to St. Louis and return; when Beardstown was the port of
entry, and heavy supplies were landed there and freighted in wagons
across the country to the various towns in this section of the State.
Then Beardstown slaughtered and packed a hundred thousand hogs in a
season, and felt herself a city. But we are getting ahead of our story,
and will now give a few brief notes in relation to the settlement of the
town and organization of the city.
First Settlers
The county of Sangamon was formed out
Bond and Madison, by an act of the Legislature, Jan. 30, 1821, and among
its first settlers were several members of a family named Kelley, who,
sometime during the year during the year 1818 or 1819, located upon the
present site of the city.
First Cabin
John Kelley, a member of the family,
built a rude cabin at what is now the northwest corner of Jefferson and
Klein Streets. The residence of Gen. M. K. Anderson stands upon the
site of Kelley’s cabin. This was the first habitation within the
present limits of the city, and perhaps in the county. Another cabin
was built by one of the Kelleys a short distance to the west of the
first one, and near the house formerly occupied by Mrs. Trotter,
standing on the south side of Madison Street, about one block west of
Mill Street, and nearly opposite the residence of the late Mr.
Singleton. The third cabin, or more properly, house, was a frame
building, and stood on the corner of Third and Pine Streets, on the site
now occupied by the fine residence of C. A. Gehrmann, Esq., who pulled
the old structure down. This was, probably, the first frame house built
in Sangamon County. The spaces between the studding were filled with
brick and mortar, and the weatherboards were of hard wood, split out and
finished by hand, and when the house was torn down were as sound
apparently, as when put on.
Second Family
Sometime during the year 1820, a second
family, named Doggett, settled on the block directly east of the
southern part of Hutchinson’s Cemetery. A few houses standing there
went by the name of Newsomville. The Mr. Newsom after whom the hamlet
was called, moved to Oregon, and is now living there. During the year
1821, some half dozen other families arrived and joined the settlement.
First School House
The first
school house erected within the limits of the city was constructed of
logs, and stood in the northwest corner of the plat now known as
Hutchinson’s Cemetery. The late Erastus Wright, Esq., was one of the
first teachers to occupy the house.
Founding of the City
The
first County Commissioners Court was held at the house (or cabin) of the
before mentioned John Kelley, on the 3d day of April, 1821. The first
County Commissioners were Zachariah Peter, Wm. Drennon, Rivers Cormac
and Charles R. Matheny, the first County Clerk. A special term of the
County Commissioners’ Court was held at John Kelley’s house, April 10th,
1821, and the County Commissioners made a temporary location of the
county seat, and returned into court a certificate of such location,
which, after the preamble, reads as follows:
“THEREFORE,
We, the undersigned, County Commissioners, do certify that we, after
full examination of the situation of the present population of said
county, have fixed and designated a certain point in the prairie, near
John Kelley’s field, on the waters of Spring Creek, at a stake set,
marked Z. D., as a temporary seat of justice for the county, and do
further agree that said county seat be called and known by the name of
Springfield.”
The place
designated as above was at the northeast corner of Second and Jefferson
Streets (opposite Fixmer’s grocery store.) The first Court House and
County Jail was built at this point in the latter part of 1821. The
jail was built by contract for $84. At the March term, 1822, of the
County Commissioners’ Court, it was ordered, “That fourteen rods east
and west, including the street, and twelve rods north and south,
including the street, in the town of Springfield (on which the Court
House now stands) be set apart for public purposes, and the
accommodation of the Court House and public buildings.”
The first
term of the Circuit Court after the organization of the county, which
was attached to the First Judicial District, was held May 21st,
1821, at the house of John Kelley, Judge John Reynolds presiding. The
lands upon which this town was located (formerly called Calhoun) were
entered as follows; S. W. quarter, sec. 27, by Elijah Iles; S. E.
quarter, sec. 28, by Thomas Cox; N. E. quarter, sec. 33 by John Taylor;
N. W. quarter, sec. 34, by Paschal Enos. The entries were made in
November, 1823.
Seat of Government
The act of the Legislature making
Springfield the seat of the State government, instead of Vandalia, were
approved February 25 and March3d, 1837. The location was made here upon
the condition that the inhabitants of the town would subscribe $50,000
towards the State Capital, and donate the grounds to the State. The
cornerstone of the State House was laid July 4, 1837, with great
demonstrations.
City Government
On the 6th
of April, 1840, the town of Springfield was incorporated as a city, and
on the 29th of the same month, the first election for city
officers was held, and Benjamin S. Clements was chosen Mayor, and the
following named gentlemen Councilmen: James R. Gray, Joseph Klein,
Washington Iles, William Prentiss.
From the
time of the incorporation of the town of Springfield, April 2d, 1832 to
1840, the corporate powers were vested in a President and Board of
Trustees, the first being as follows: Charles R. Matheny, President;
Trustees, Cyrus Anderson, John Taylor, Elisha Tabor, Mordecai Mobley,
Wm. Carpenter.
Among the
names of the Trustees for 1833, we find that of Stephen T. Logan; among
those of 1838, the name of Samuel H. Treat, and in 1838 and 1840 the
names of Samuel H. Treat and Abraham Lincoln. At the time of the
incorporation of the city, the population amounted to 2, 579, and the
total assessment of property for taxation, $939,174, so far as the
records show. In 1848 the population was 3,912; in 1850 it had
increased to 4,533; in 1854 it was 6,218; in 1860 it amounted to 9,320,
and in 1862 in was 10,709; in 1870 it was 17,370, and the census taken
by order of the city government shows an actual population of 25,161.
This, it should be remembered, does not include the large population
just outside the Grand Avenues, amounting to several thousands, who are
really a part of our population, a street only dividing them from the
city proper.
It will be
seen that Springfield has had no mushroom growth, like some Western
cities, but a strong and healthy increase, the benefits of which our
citizens are now reaping, in the stability of her institutions and
general prosperity of all classes of our business men. In the above we
have no attempted to give a full history of the early times in
Springfield, but only to record some few incidents of the period which
may prove interesting to many of the younger class of our citizens.
Although a full and particular history of the city would, no doubt,
prove interesting, we are obliged to omit it in this connection.
Location of Springfield
The location of Springfield is in many
respects superior to that of any inland city of the great West, as every
intelligent person can see by an examination of the map. Situated
within about twelve miles of the geographical center of the State, and
in the midst of one of the richest agricultural regions of the great
West, it could not well fail of becoming an important and easily
accessible point, as it is. The site of the city is not commanding in a
literal sense, but it is beautiful in many respects, as all visiting
strangers acknowledge. It presents the pleasant appearance of a city
built within a vast park, so numerous are the shade trees and the
islands of timber on the outskirts of the city. On the north and west,
beautiful groves are easily accessible, and are places of resorts not
only of our citizens, but visited by thousands of people from the
surrounding towns during the season of travel, of picnics and excursion
parties. Oak Ridge Park, within sight of the resting place of the late
President Lincoln, is one of the most popular places in the vicinity of
the city, and thousands of travelers from a distance visit it every
season on their way to visit Oak Ridge and the Lincoln Monument. To the
pleasure seeker, our city affords quite as many attractions as any place
in Central Illinois
Pleasant Drives
In every
direction there are pleasant drives over excellent roads, through
prairie, woodland and pleasant groves, to the famed and “gentle flowing
Sangamon” and the shady and picturesque banks of Clear Lake. No prairie
country has more beauties than this, a fact which travelers are
beginning to find out.
Central
Illinois, until within a few years, has been looked upon principally in
light of a rich agricultural region – in fact the great corn zone of the
continent – and that no large cities or manufacturing interests would or
could spring up; but such opinions were formed before the extent and
value of the coal fields were fully known. Science and skill have,
however, shown Illinois possesses an almost inexhaustible supply of
coal, for all purposes. The location of Springfield is in the midst of
the richest portion of this vast coal-field, a fact which has excited a
most marked and important influence on the growth and material
prosperity of our city.
Immense Coal Field
Underlying the site of this place, and also the surface of the
surrounding country, is a vein of coal from six to seven feet in
thickness, and of the best quality. There is coal enough underneath the
site of this place, which, if mined, would produce a sum sufficiently
large to five times pay the amount of public debt of the city. If any
one has doubts of this, let him take the usual mining estimate for the
productive capacity of a coal seam, viz: “One million tons to the square
mile for every foot in thickness that a seam will measure,” and then
make the estimate for himself. The fact is, the coal underneath our
rich soil is worth more than the land itself; but the necessary expense
attending the preliminary measures necessary to raising coal, will place
this business in the hands of companies, as it is at the present time,
in most sections of the country.
Illinois State Journal
- January 1876
DISASTROUS FIRE
THE OPERA HOUSE DESTROYED
OTHER BUILDINGS DAMAGED
Heavy Losses and Small
Insurance
THE COUNTY JAIL THREATENED
Prisoners Removed, and Escape
of Seven of Them
DESCRIPTION OF THE OPERA HOUSE
The
most disastrous conflagration that has visited our city for many years
occurred at an early hour this morning, involving complete destruction
of the Opera House block, and the stocks of a number of business men
occupying store rooms therein, besides damaging seriously three
adjoining buildings. The origin of the fire has not, so far as we can
learn, been ascertained, but it is believed to have commenced about the
stage, in the Opera House. An entertainment was given in the house last
night by the pupils of the ward schools, after which it was closed as
usual. At about half past two o’clock a fire was discovered by someone
passing, and it then had made considerable headway. If our information
on that point is correct, the flames had burst through the building just
below the eaves, and were consuming the cornice. At that hour, of
course, the city was wrapped in slumber, the night was very inclement, a
strong northwest wind prevailed, and the streets were almost
impassable. An alarm was sounded, and as this was borne on the wintry
blasts, arousing people from their sleep, all trembled in view of the
possible results. Garments were hastily donned, and in a short time the
streets were filled with excited people rushing toward the scene of the
fire, which was easily found, as the spot by this time was brilliantly
illuminated by the lurid glare of the flames.
Both engines
were, with the utmost difficulty, got to the place, and as soon
thereafter as possible were at work, but it was evident that the Opera
House was doomed, and all that could be hoped for was the saving of
adjoining property, and to this end every effort was directed. The fire
made rapid headway, fanned as it was by the high wind; wood work was
consumed, the air was thick with flying embers, and for a time it was
feared that the flames might get wholly beyond control. After the
burning of the upper part of the building, the destruction of the
store-rooms below was commenced. These were occupied by Mr. Schultz,
druggist; Mueller Bros., wholesale liquor dealers; O. Hanratty,
gas-fitter, and Anton Gus and Philip Spies, saloon keepers. When the
fire reached the rooms occupied by Mueller Bros., a succession of
explosions of barrels filled with spirits followed, causing jets of
flame to shoot upward, and filling the air with fire brands. Mean time
the walls were falling, a shout was raised for the release of the
prisoners in the county jail, people in the adjoining buildings were
engaged in removing their effects, the steamers were emitting dense
volumes of smoke and flame, men and boys hooted, and altogether the
occasion was one of the wildest excitement, and the scene long to be
remembered. In compliance with the clamor for the release of the
prisoners, and in view of the fact that the jail was deemed in imminent
danger, the inmates of that institution were taken from their cells, and
an effort made to form them into a chain gang, but in the excitement of
the hour this failed, and they were taken out under guard and removed to
the court house. There were over twenty of them, and of this number
seven escaped. The flames meanwhile continued to do their work.
Finally, however, everything of an inflammable nature entering into the
construction of the Opera House block was consumed, the adjoining
buildings were flooded with water, and the fire, with the exception of
the smouldering embers beneath the heaps of bricks, was over.
This morning
the scene was a sad one. Where a few hours before had stood the
spacious Opera House block, covering half a square, naught remained but
a huge pile of debris and a portion of the blackened walls, and to the
south of it the shell of a two-story brick building, belonging to John
O. Piper, occupied by John Nelch & Son, as a bakery, and by Henry Nelch,
as a dwelling. The contents were removed, but the building was
completely flooded. The loss is in large part, if not wholly,
attributable to water. Next south of that stands the building belonging
to the estate of Joseph Eck. A portion of the roof in the rear end of
the building was crushed by a falling wall, and there was some damage by
water.
LOSSES AND
INSURANCE
Of the
losses and insurance it is impossible at this time to speak with
absolute certainty, except so far as the principal losses are
concerned. They are as follows:
Jacob Bunn,
Opera House, total loss; no insurance.
Mueller &
Bro., wholesale liquor dealers, total loss of stock, $20,000 to $25,000;
insurance, $2,000.
O. Hanratty,
gas-fitter and plumber, total loss of stock and tools, $5,000 to $6,000;
insurance, $1,000.
Anton, Gus.
and Philip Spies, saloon, total loss of stock and fixtures, $2,000; no
insurance.
A.
L. Ide, steam heater, loss on pipe, pumps, drill, etc., $3,000;
no insurance.
-------- Schultz,
druggist, total loss of stock, estimated at $3,500 to $5,000; no
insurance.
John O.
Piper, loss on building, “gutted,” say, $1,500 or $2,000; insurance,
$1,500.
German
Turners’ Society, loss on fixtures in hall, say $500 or $600; no
insurance.
The loss of
John and Henry Nelch, baker’s stock, and dwelling in second story, and
of Gotlieb Burkhardt, saloon, and dwelling in second story, we have not
estimated. It could not have been very heavy, however, as we understand
it to have been caused almost wholly, if not entirely, by removal of
stock and household goods.
The damage
to the building belonging to the estate of Joseph Eck, was, perhaps,
$300 or $400, caused by falling wall and by water; insurance not
stated. The damage to Mrs. Landour’s building was principally from
water. She is absent from the city, but we understand that she was
insured.
Mr. James,
piano repairer, in the Opera House block, lost all of his tools. He was
uninsured. He had in his room a number of pianos belonging to different
citizens, all of which were lost. Mr. Pearson is stated to have lost
three, L. H. Bradley one, and Frank Fleury one, (an old one of little
value). A seven-hundred dollar instrument from the house of George B.
Kalb, which had been used at the entertainment, was lost.
The above
comprise all the losses of which we have knowledge. It will be noticed
that the insurance was insignificant.
THE
FIREMEN
The firemen
worked gallantly from the time they reached the scene of the
conflagration until seven o’clock this morning, and certainly deserve
well at the hands of our citizens. The night was intensely disagreeable
and a portion of the time they literally worked beneath a shower of
fire. Had it not been for the almost superhuman efforts put forth by
them the devastation must of necessity have been much more widespread.
The wonder is that, notwithstanding their effort, the destruction was no
greater, in view of the high wind. We hear of people as far east as
Sixteenth Street sweeping brands from the roofs of their buildings.
THE OPERA
HOUSE
Rudolph’s
Opera House was built in 1866, at a cost, it is said, of about $125,000,
and was then considered one of the handsomest buildings in the state.
It was the individual property of Mr. R. Rudolph, and was but one
evidence of his enterprise and public spirit. The design of the
building was very handsome, and was made by Col. Adolph Schwartz, then a
professional architect of this city. The material of the building was
Quincy brick, richly adorned with Joliet cut stone. The principal front
on Jefferson Street was 181 feet in length, and the business front on
Sixth Street was 60 feet in length. These two fronts were joined by a
rounded corner, which ten years ago was more of a novelty than now.
On the Sixth
Street front were three stores, and there were two smaller stores on
Jefferson Street, and also an apartment originally intended for “the
Opera House restaurant,” but which was never used for that purpose.
The fine
auditorium was 80 feet long, 56 feet wide and 36 feet high in the
center. The stage and all its appointments, including the scenery, were
of the best and most tasty which could be procured at the time of the
building.
The Opera
House was first opened to the people on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24th,
1866. The company was under charge of George J. Deagle, of St. Louis,
and the opening night drew together a very large audience of the best
people of Springfield.
The bill for
the opening was “Eustache Baudin,” in which J. B. Studley took the title
role, and was followed by the farce, “Your Life’s in Danger,” by
Ed. Wight and his wife. Before the play commenced the company sang the
“Star Spangled Banner,” and in an interval in the play Mr. Rudolph was
called for by the audience, and in response to the compliment, appeared
before the curtain and made a brief address. The company and the play
were considered by the audience so unworthy of the fine building and the
occasion, and in spite of the promises of the lessee, Mr. Deagle, no
improvement was made in either, so that the first season of the Opera
House ended disastrously.
Notwithstanding the misfortunes of that season the fact remained that
the building was most elegant and convenient in its appointments, and it
remained until this morning, one of the few first class houses of
amusement in the state outside Chicago. Many fine companies of operatic
and theatrical artists have appeared there during the ten years of the
life of the building; and it was also the place chosen for holding the
state convention of all political parties. One of the most notable
gatherings was the reunion of the Armies of the Tennessee and
Cumberland, on October 14th, 15th and 16th,
1874, Gen. W. T. Sherman presiding. Gen. Grant and his family were
present, and the stage and auditorium were occupied by men of national
reputation in the field and forum.
On August 26th,
1874, the Democratic state convention met in the Opera House. The
attendance was very large, as the financial question was the absorbing
question of the day. The committee on resolutions reported a “hard
money” platform at the afternoon session, beginning at 2 P. M. on that
day, and the adoption of this was vigorously contested and vigorously
and successfully defended. No such debate in a political convention was
ever witnessed. The speakers on both sides were men of great weight,
fully informed as to the grand underlying principles of finance, and the
debate was literally a battle of giants. The result was the platform
was adopted as reported by the committee, but this result was not
attained until the debate had lasted four hours, in which intellectual
and argumentative blows were given and repelled with a force which has
no parallel except in the debates of the United State Senate in its best
days.
Mr. Rudolph,
the original proprietor of the Opera House, died some years since, after
suffering from mental and nervous disorders, and the property then fell
into the hands of Mr. Bunn. Mr. Bunn had arranged to completely
renovate and repair the building this spring.
COOK’S
HALL
By the
destruction of the Opera House the city is without any hall suitable for
first class amusements. In the emergency Gen. John Cook proposes to fit
up his hall, on the east side of the square, which for years was the
best place of the kind of which the city could boast. It will answer
until the “New Opera House” shall be built, on Monroe Street.
ESCAPED
PRISONERS
Following
are the names of the escaped prisoners, with a brief description of
each:
Henry C. Haveclift, 20
years old, slim built, blue eyes, light mustache and imperial, fair
complexion, about five feet nine inches high, had on a dark coat, vest
and pants and slouch hat; charge, arson.
Alvin Cline, 20 years
old, dark eyes, sharp nose, long black hair, about five feet seven
inches high, had on white shirt, dark pants and black slouch hat;
charge, larceny.
Jesse Lewis, about 18
years old, dark hair, about five feet seven inches high, scar on each
side of throat and white hat; charge, larceny.
Richard Kelly, about 26
years old, about five feet seven inches high, slim built, sharp
features, very large ears, scar on left ear from bite, had on gray coat;
charge assault; sentenced eight months to jail – three months to serve.
John McMahon, Irishman,
moulder, about 5 feet seven inches high, pock-marked, light complexion,
dark hair, heavy set, sandy mustache, about 34 years old; charge
larceny; sentence three months in jail.
James Thompson, about 22
years old, black, curly hair, sandy mustache, 5 feet 6 inches high;
charge vagrancy; sentence three months.
Albert E. Francis, about
27 years old, about 5 feet 8 inches high, heavy and well built, dark
hair and mustache, blind in left eye, had on blue overalls; larceny,
four months in jail.
Kelly was picked
up during the day, in a jolly state of inebriety, and returned to his
old quarters. It is probable that others of those still at large will
yet be apprehended.
The sheriff
announces that he will pay fifty dollars reward, each, for Haveclift,
Cline and Lewis, and ten dollars each for McMahon, Thompson and Francis.
Illinois State Register
- March 17, 1876 |
