RUTLEDGE TOWNSHIP (Pages 308-310)
IN THE north and eastern part of the county is bounded as follows: On the north by McLean county, on the east by Santa Anna, township, south by DeWitt, and west by Wilson, and contains 24 sections of land, or about 15,500 acres. It received its name from the oldest householder, William J. Rutledge, who is said to be the oldest person born in the state, now residing in the county. He is thus a native of Illinois, and was born in 1817; his birth place being White county. The township is mainly prairie land, only between three or four sections having timber. The prairie is as good land as there is in Central Illinois. It consist of the deep, peaty loam peculiar to Grand Prairie, and is slightly undulating, sufficient to render good drainage with the use of tiling, which is being introduced to a considerable extent. The land in the timber is broken, and of a lightish color, but excellent for the production of wheat, blue grass or fruits and especially grapes. The timber is found entirely in the northwest, hugging the north branch of Salt Creek. This stream enters the township in the northern center of section 17, and flows south and west and passes out in the south-west of section 30. There are several perennial springs along the margin of the timber near the creek. The Springfield Division of the Illinois Central Railway crosses through the township in the south-east, entering from the east in the north-east corner of section 36, and crossing the line between Rutledge and DeWitt in the southern central part of section 35. The thriving little town of Parnell is situated on the railroad, just over the township line, but furnishes an excellent market for grain and other conveniences to the citizens of Rutledge. We have thus given an outline history of this township, and will now proceed to give an account of the
FIRST SETTLEMENTS.
The first to undergo the hardships of pioneer life within the boundaries of Rutledge was a native of Tennessee, Charles McCord. He emigrated from his native state with his family and located here in 1833, on section 32. His family consisted of his wife, Nancy, and three children; James S., Nicholas and Mary. Their home was a meagre pole cabin, 16x18, with a puncheon floor of roughest kind. The chimney was constructed of mud and sticks, and the door upon its wooden hinges could be heard to creak for half a mile. There were no patent latches in those days, it was merely a wooden contrivance with a string pawing through a hole in the door to raise the latch; hence the origin of the expression, "the latch string is hanging out;" as these pioneers were always the most hospitable people in the world, from whom originated the old saying above quoted. Apropos of this prevailing virtue, one of the pioneers now living gives an account of his being received at the cabin of Mr. McCord's in 1834, when he was making a tour through this part of the country. At the time of his arrival the mud chimney had toppled over, and the cabin was not in a condition for family use. They had therefore appropriated the pole smoke-house for the time being. This was only 8x10 feet in size, and the ground for a floor. Imagine if you can ten persons stowing themselves away for the night in a cabin like this. The fire was built on the ground, and all reveled in the smoke; and yet, says Mr. Vandeventer, one of the guests, "we enjoyed it hugely."
Mr. McCord was a mere squatter, but that year he broke a small piece of ground and raised a crop of corn. The following year, Daniel King bought out his improvement right, and Mr. McCord moved to DeWitt township, where he died in 1839. None of his descendants are now residing in the county. His widow, with the family, afterwards migrated to California. The "squatter's" right is now owned by Magill Brothers of Clinton.
Another pioneer, Jacob Vandeventer, came from Tennessee in the fall of 1831, and located first in McLean county, where be remained three years; and in the fall of 1834, moved to this township and squatted in section 17. He had a family consisting of his wife Rachel, and eight children; Abraham, Martha, John, David, Mary, Mahala, Marainy, and James. Mr. Vandeventer died just one year after his coming. His widow brought up the family, and died about twelve years ago. Five of the children are living, and all but one reside in the county. John McCord was a native of Tennessee, and settled here in 1834. He came with his father, James McCord, to Illinois in 1832. He was then a young man without any family, and being of an ambitious turn of mind left the parental roof, and took a pre-emption or squatter's right in section 36, in 1834. He soon afterward married Miss Sarah Watt, and went to housekeeping on his premises. Three children were born by this union; Jackson, Charles W. and Maria. In after years he moved to Clinton, where he died in 1880. His widow survives him and resides in Clinton. None of the children live in the county.
William McPherson came in the same year as McCord. He was from Virginia. The 17th of March, 1834, he made the first land entry in the township, being the N. E. ¼ of the S. E. ¼ of section 19. His family consisted of his wife, Polly, and six children, four boys and two girls. The father and mother are both dead. But one of the children, Nancy, wife of Milan Moore, now lives in the county, and resides at Farmer City.
In 1835, there were but six families in the township; Chas. McCord, William McPherson, Rachel Vandeventer—then the widow of Jacob Vandeventer, Nathan Britton, W. J. Rutledge, and William Deatherage; in all about 30 persons. We have already given the history of three of them.
Nathan Britton came from Indiana in the summer of 1835, and settled in section 19. He had a family consisting of three children, Elizabeth, George P. and Fannie. Mr. Britton lived to enjoy the fruits of his labors, and died about 1862. George P. is yet living on the old homestead; Fannie is dead, and Elizabeth is residing out of the county. W. J. Rutledge is a native of the state, and came to this township in the fall of the same year as the above. His family were his wife, Eliza, and two children, Martha J., and John A.; they located in section 19. Mrs. Rutledge died soon after coming here, and in 1839 Mr. Rutledge was again married, to Mary Vandeventer, with whom he is yet living. No children have been born from this marriage. One of the children, Martha J., died in 1867. John A. is now residing in section 15. William Deatherage migrated from Kentucky, first stopping in Morgan county. This was in 1830. He remained there five years, when he moved to Rutledge and settled in section 31. He had a wife and four children. Several years afterward be went to Marion, DeWitt township, where he died. The family subsequently moved to parts unknown.
James Vandeventer, another early settler, was a native of Tennessee, but soon removed to Virginia, and from thence to Illinois in 1830, and first located north of Mt. Pulaski, in what is now Logan county. In 1836, he came to DeWitt, and located in Rutledge. He had a wife, Mary, and five children, two sons and three daughters. He remained here for some years, when he moved to Kansas. Thomas, a son of James, came with his father's family from Virginia, but was born in Tennessee. He is now residing in section 20, and is the next oldest settler, now living in the township. In 1841 he was married, and the following year he moved on the farm where he now resides. He has a family consisting of a wife, Mary, and five children, James H., D. [Daniel] F., Thomas M., Mary E., and George L. All reside in the county. Mr. Vandeventer has accumulated a competency for his old age, besides aiding his children liberally in getting a start in the world. He is yet hale and hearty, and enjoying his old age on one of the best farms in the township. Peter Brickey came in 1840, and was then a single man. He was a native of Virginia. In 1842, he entered a tract of land in section 36. He was afterwards three times married, and reared a family of twelve children. Mr. Brickey died in the fall of 1877. Eight of the children are living, and all but two reside in the county. In 1842, he hauled wheat to Chicago and received but forty cents a bushel for it. What would the present generation think of carting their wheat over 100 miles to receive the meagre sum of but forty or fifty cents per bushel? Chicago then was but little larger than Clinton, and, our informant says, there were but six houses on Grand Prairie on the road to Chicago.
The following are the first land entries made in Rutledge township: March 17th, 1834, William A. McPherson entered the N. E. ½ of the S. E. ¼ of section 19. February 26th, 1835, J. Harp and A. Dail [Dale] entered 161.30 acres in section 31. W. Palmer entered 35.9 acres in the same section, April 25th, 1835. J. Williams, July 24th of the same year, entered the S. E. ¼ of the N. E. ¼ of section 19. August 17th, 1835, Nathan Britton entered the N. W. ¼ of the N. E. ¼ of same section. October 9th 1835, W. Rutledge entered the W. ½ of the S. E. ¼ of the same section. W. Deatherage, December 9th, 1835, entered forty acres in section 31.
The first couple married was Jonathan Pearson to Rebecca Vandeventer. The rites were solemnized at the house of the bride's father, James Vandeventer, by Thomas Toveara, a Methodist local preacher. The first death was the old lady Vincent, and occurred in 1835. She was buried in the McCord cemetery in DeWitt township, near Fullerton Station. The first child born was, Martha J., a daughter of William and Eliza Rutledge in 1835. She became the wife of Dennis Turner of this township, and died in 1867.
The first and only cemetery in Rutledge, is located in section 31, and known as the Johnson burial ground. The first interment made was a daughter of Silas and Elizabeth Johnson. This was in the fall of 1837. The cemetery includes a half acre ground, and is kept in a condition befitting its use. There have been at least a hundred interments made here, and several good monuments adorn the grounds.
The first school was conducted by Robert H. Pool in 1839. The school-house was constructed of logs, and situated in the S. E. ¼ of the N. E. ¼ of section 19 on the land now owned by Esquire Dennis Turner. It had a puncheon floor, and split logs for seats. For windows it had a log cut out in one side of the house, and greased paper plastered over as a substitute for glass The house was afterwards taken down and moved to section 20, where it was used for a stable by Mr. N. Helmick. No vestige of it now remains.
The first sermon was preached by the Rev. William Phearson in 1835, at his cabin in section 29. He was a local Baptist preacher. Among other early preachers were, Robert H. Pool, S. H. Martin, David White, and Archibald Johnson. The first three belonged to the M. E. Church, and the latter was a Presbyterian. The only church building erected in the township has just been built, December, 1881, and at this writing is not yet dedicated. It is situated near the town of Parnell in section 34, and cost about $1,500. It is a neat frame structure of medium size, and has a spire that can be seen for miles away.
James Vandeventer was the first justice of the peace, and G W. Waybright, Dennis Turner, S. M. Jones, and Thomas Vandeventer were among the first. The first to practice medicine was Patricus Moran. He then resided at Leroy in McLean county and subsequently moved to Springfield. This was as early as 1835. Dr. Weldon and John Warner were also pioneer physicians. Capt. Field did the first blacksmithing in 1861. His shop was a plank shanty, and situated in section 19. He moved to Champaign county in 1866. The shanty he used for a shop was afterwards fixed up with a floor, and for a time was used for a dwelling. It was torn down several years ago. Another shop is now situated not far from the old one, and the business is conducted by Mr. M. Reynolds. The first milling was done several miles away in other parts of the county, and to get a bushel or two of meal ground it would take, sometimes, three or four days to accomplish it. The mills were but small affairs at the best being situated some distance apart, it took some time to get at, little supply of grist.
The first goods were sold by John Nichols, sen., in 1858. His store was for a time kept in a part of his dwelling, and was situated in section 20. He afterwards built a little frame storeroom on his premises, and added to his stock so that he could furnish the demand for a country store. He remained here until about 1868, when he moved to McLean county.
At this writing there is a country store situated in section 19, and kept by G. W. Lewis. From many favorable indications, it is thought that there are excellent coal beds underlying this township, and several efforts have been made to verify the indications, but not extensive enough to make a success to the operators.
The first blooded stock was introduced by William Carew in 1842. They were the Durham breed, and imported from Ohio. The township at this time contains some of the best stock in the county. Among the prominent stock raisers are the heirs of William C. Swiney, Elihu Helmick, Daniel Fuller, and James Spratt.
The following persons have represented the township as members of the Board of Supervisors; Jonathan Pearson was the first representative, and elected in 1859. William Fuller was elected in 1860, and served until 1869. Peter Brickey elected in 1869, and served four terms. James Vandeventer elected in 1874. W. O. Day elected in 1875, and served two terms. Daniel Fuller was elected in 1877. W. O. Day re-elected in 1878, and served two terms, being chairman of the Board for that time. E. Helmick elected in 1880. Franklin Vance elected in 1881, and is the present incumbent.
The population for the last three decades is as follows: 1860—546; 1870—664; 1880—647.
The township contains seven school-houses, six of which are frame, and one brick. The log cabins and puncheon floors of the olden time have long since passed away, which is one of the best evidences that the present inhabitants are keeping pace with the times, and are ready to endorse any improvement that may be a benefit to the rising generation or the Commonwealth of the state of Illinois.