is officered as follows: G. F. Hellig, Worshipful Master; D. G. Smith, Senior Warden; A. A. Leeper, Junior Warden; Thomas Dunnaway, Treasurer; T. M. Hubbard, Secretary; George Davidson, Senior Deacon; Parker Thompson, Junior Deacon; and Robert Chettick, Tiler.

There has never been a Chapter, Council nor Commandery of the order in the town, and, as we remarked above, the institution, from some cause, has never flourished here as in the majority of Illinois towns. With the amount of first-class material at hand, however, the time will come, perhaps, when it will flourish here as it deserves to flourish everywhere.

Odd Fellowship, the twin-sister of Free Masonry, though comparatively modern in organization, possesses the same virtues, and exerts the same wide-spread influence for good. It is represented in Virginia by Saxon Lodge No. 68, which was instituted in Virginia by Deputy Grand Master James Leonard, March 14, 1850, with P. O. Bryan, N. B. Newman, R. S. Lord, I. N. White, Charles Boyd, W. H. H. Carpenter, and William Collins charter members. The first officers were: R. S. Lord, N. G.; W. H. H. Carpenter, V. G.; I. N. White, Secretary; and N. B. Newman, Treasurer. Charles E. Lippincott (now General Lippincott), was the first member admitted into the new lodge. He was a member of Illini Lodge No. 4, at Jacksonville, and as soon as Saxon Lodge was instituted, took out his card of withdrawal, presented it for admission to this lodge, and was elected a member. H. H. Hall, now of Jacksonville, was the first initiate, being elected and initiated at the first meeting.

The first hall or place of meeting used by the lodge, was in a church that stood near where Traphagan's livery stable now stands, and was burned in 1872. This building was used for town hall political meetings, school

house, and preaching place for all religions. denominations, and was not the most secret and retired room for the meetings of a lodge. It was used however, for four years, and in 1854, the lodge moved to the upper room of the frame building on the southwest corner of the square, now occupied by D. J. McConnell as a grocery store. After remaining here. two years, it was moved to the West End, where most of the business of the town was then done, and occupied the brick building now used by Harry Thompson as a residence. In 1860, it bought the property now owned by J. G. Campbell, and occupied by the Dan Leonard saloon, on the west side of the square. It used the upper story for a lodge room, and rented the lower story until 1864, when, owing to the rapid increase of membership, which had reached fifty-four, it became necessary to again move to larger quarters, and the property was sold to Mr. Campbell, and the lodge rented the room over the Farmers' National Bank, which gave it very commodious quartWith the proceeds of the sale of its old building, it bought the lot on the north side of the square, on which it afterward built a hall. It bought also at the same time the lot adjoining it on the east. The lodge remained, however, in the room in the bank building until 1872, during which time it had accumulated something over $1,300. It now determined to build on its own lots, and accordingly contracted for a brick building 20x80 feet, two stories high, to cost about $5,000, and with its $1,300 issued bonds to the amount of $3,700, which were sold, and in the fall of the same year the building was completed. The lower room was occupied by John Rodgers' furniture store, and the upper room was occupied jointly by the Odd Fellows' and Masonic Lodges. The crisis of 1873-74 caused many of its members to drop out of the lodge, and the debt under which the lodge was laboring so embarrassed it,

ers.

that in 1881, after struggling long and hard against many difficulties, it succeeded in reducing its debt to $2,600, had $175 in the treasury, and but twenty-two members on the roll. Under this state of circumstances it proposed to the bond-holders to give them the $175, and a deed to the property, to be released from all further obligation, which was accepted. The lodge then rented the upper room for one year, and at the close of 1881, rented the suit of rooms now occupied in the Skiles building, on the southwest corner of the square, and moved into them in January, 1882. Here it has one of the best arranged halls in Central Illinois, and at the present time (1882), has a membership of over ninety, comprised of the best men in the county.

The present officers of Saxon Lodge are as follows: Henry H. Berry, N. G., Geo. L. Warlow, V. G., Geo. J. Kelly, Recording Secretary; George R. Berry, Permanent Secretary, and Matt Yaple, Treasurer.

Advance Encampment No. 129, was instituted November 29, 1871, at Paxton, Ford County, Ill., and the charter members were Stacey Daniels, A. F. Blake, Charles Guthman, Dan. Guthman and H. C. Funk. The original charter was destroyed and a new one issued by T. Warren Floyd, Grand Patriarch, October 13, 1874. The Encampment was removed to Virginia, and re-organized under a dispensation June 23, 1880, from W. E. Carlin, Grand Patriarch. The first officers at Virginia were S. M. Colladay, C. P., F. E.

Downing, H. P., A. A. Leeper, S. W., S. P. Henderson, J. W., C. W. Black, Scribe, and J. W. Wilson, Treasurer. The present officers are: E. D. C. Woodward, C. P., Jas. A. Martin, H. P., H. H. Berry, S. W., S. M. Colladay, J. W., J. W. Stanley, Treasurer, and F. E. Downing, Scribe. The Encampment has now about thirty members, and is in a flourishing condition. It owns no property, but uses the hall in common with the lodge.

Illini Lodge No. 854, Knights of Honor, was organized January 16, 1878, with the following charter members: J. B. Black, C. W. Black, W. W. Bishop, C. A. Bruce, John Black, J. T. Black, George Conover, C. A. Crandall, F. E. Downing, J. M. Epler, W. W. Easley, H. D. Freeman, M. Graves, James Hunt, C. M. Hubbard, Reuben Lancaster, Wm. Murray, T. L. Matthews, T. A. Morrison, E. T. Oliver, W. B. Payne, J. L. Richardson, J. W. Rearick, J. W. Savage, C. N. Savage, J. H. Tureman, J. W. Virgin, N. S. Vance, Jno. H. Wood, W. W. Walker, D. T. Walker, D. N. Walker and J. B. Vanderventer. They have paid out for widows and orphans' benefit fund about $2,000, and have lost two members. The officers are T. L. Matthews, P. D., M. Graves, D., C. W. Black, V. D., J. W. Savage, A. D., W. W. Easley, G., J. L. Richardson, C., Wm. Murray, R., C. A. Bruce, F. R., George Conover, T., W. W. Bishop, G., W. W. Walker, Sentinel, J. B. Black, J. H. Wood and D. N. Walker, Trustees.

A

THOMAS

HOMAS BEARD and Enoch C. March entered the northeast quarter of Section 15, in Township 18, North of Range 12 West, on Sept. 23, 1826, and Oct. 8, 1827; the same parties entered the northwest quarter of said section. Thomas Beard entered the west half of the southwest quarter of the aforesaid section on Oct. 10, 1827, and March and Beard also on the same date entered fractional section 10 in said Township, embracing all the lands upon which Beardstown is now located, except the southeast quarter of section 15, and the west half of section 14, which two last mentioned tracts were donated by Congress, in lieu of the deficiency of section 16 for school purposes. The School Commissioner of Morgan county divided this land into 173 blocks and fractional blocks, which was designated as the School Commissioners' addition to Beardstown, and the first sale or blocks in said addition was on April 16, 1832, when seventy-five blocks were sold therein, and the remaining blocks were subject to private entry at affixed prices.

The original town of Beardstown was laid off and platted by Enoch C. March and Thomas Beard, Sept. 9, 1829, and recorded at Jacksonville, Morgan County, in Book B, page 228.

The town having grown rapidly, an addition was made, called "March & Beard's" addition to Beardstown, recorded March 6, 1833. Soon afterward, Mr. March, having sold his

* By Judge J. A. Arenz.

interest in Beardstown to N. A. Ware, an other addition was made by Beard & Ware May 10, 1836, and also a further addition was made by Beard & Arenz, July 1, 1837.

There were also additions made to Beardstown by John Ayres, David Clendenin, A. B. Dennison, and many school blocks have been: subdivided into lots.

favor

The location of Beardstown is a very able one, being situated on the Illinois River, about midway between Peoria and St. Louis. It is connected directly with St. Louis and Chicago, by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad, and with Springfield and Southwestern Illinois to the Ohio River at Shawneetown, by the Ohio & Mississippi Railway. Another railway from Burlington to the Ohio River is contemplated, running through Beardstown, which in all probability will soon be built.

For purposes of manufacturing, Beardstown is not surpassed by any town in Illinois, possessing all facilities; for there is plenty of water at all times, and coal, timber and other building materials can be obtained in its immediate neighborhood.

The first licensed ferry across the Illinois River was granted by the County Commissioners of Schuyler County, to Thomas Beard June 5, 1826.

The first organization of the town government of Beardstown, was by the election of a Board of Trustees in September, 1834. Haywood Reed was elected President of the Board; John B. Fulks, Clerk; Edward Tull,

Assessor; Martin S. Trent, Collector; Isaac C. Spence, Treasurer; William H. Nelms, Supervisor.

The first set of ordinances were passed Sept. 22, 1834.

This town government continued from year to year, by the election of new officers, until Feb. 4, 1850, when a city organization was established.

"By an act of the General Assembly of March 3, 1837, declaring the County of Cass to be one of the counties of the State of Illinois, Beardstown, the largest town in Cass County, and having the most numerous population in said town and immediate vicinity, was designated to be the county seat, provided the citizens or corporation of Beards. town raise the sum of $10,000, to defray the expenses of erecting public buildings, and that the Corporation of Beardstown shall be allowed the period of one, two and three years, for the payment of said sum, in three equal payments. The court house shall be erected on the public square of Beardstown."

At that time it was not a very easy matter to raise $10,000 at short notice, and the handy mode of running a town in debt by the issuing of bonds had not then been discovered. There was also a great diversity of opinion among the people of Beardstown; some would much rather pay nothing, alleging that the county ought to pay for its own buildings; others objected to erecting the buildings on the public square; and others, although willing to furnish their proportion of the funds required, were unwilling to foot the bill alone.

Therefore, in order to raise the amount required upon equal terms, an act of the legislature was obtained July 21, 1837, authorizing the corporation to levy a tax of six per cent. per annum on all real estate in Beardstown, according to the value thereof, for the purpose of raising the sum of $10,000.

But the County Commissioners, then in office, Amos Bonney, Joshua P. Crow, and Geo. F. Miller, were determined to locate the county seat at Virginia.

February 24, 1838, the board of trustees at Beardstown appointed a committee to inform the County Commissioners that Beardstown will comply with the requirements of the law, establishing the county seat at Beardstown. This committee consisted of Thomas Graham, Edward Tull and Thomas R. Saunders, and having brought the matter by the County Commissioners, reported to the town trustees that they had presented the matter to said County Commissioners' Court, while in session, and Mr. Bonney, the presiding officer of said court, had treated the same with contempt.

In March, 1838, another effort was made by the board of trustees to satisfy the Commissioners' Court, if possible, by informing said court that Ben. H. Gatton had made proposals for building the court house and other public buildings at Beardstown, to which the following answer was returned by order of said court:

"To THOMAS WILBOURN, President of the "Board of Trustees, Beardstown. "I am directed by the County Commis"sioners' Court to inform you that they have "considered the propositions submitted to "them from B. H. Gatton through your "board, and regret that they do not feel "themselves authorized by law to acceed to "it.

1839, to the county officers, that their offices were ready for use in the court house at Virginia.

The manner, in which the county seat of Cass was thus located was by no means satisfactory to the citizens of Beardstown, and the western portion of the county, and it is to be regretted, that out of this proceeding, arbitrarily and highhanded, as some called it, and a desire that Beardstown again wished to obtain, what Virginia then had got, grew up that unfriendly feeling between these two places, which existed, and still exists, to the detriment of both.

That the county seat has never been any material benefit to either place, has been demonstrated, for each town has had it long enough to prove this. The only benefit in reality is the convenience of access to the records, offices and courts. The strife for county seat, between the two rival places, has cost the people immense sums of money, caused much hard feeling, and prevented or ruined many a useful enterprise.

The next election about the county seat resulted in favor of Beardstown, and at the March term of the County Commissioners' Court, H. E. Dummer, Esq., on behalf of the corporation of Beardstown, presented before said court, a deed from Thomas R. Saunders, to the County of Cass, for Lot 1, in Block 31, in Beardstown; also a receipt from B. W. Schneider, contractor for building the courthouse at Beardstown, and a receipt from Thomas Beard, contractor for the erection of a jail, and also the certificate of the sufficiency of said buildings from the Hon. Samuel D. Lockwood, presiding judge of the Cass Circuit Court; all of which papers were ordered to be filed. Upon which the Court adjourned, to meet at Beardstown, on Monday, March 3d, 1845. Beardstown remained in possession of the county seat until 1875, when it was removed to Virginia, after the

election in 1872 had been contested and carried through the courts, resulting finally in a decision that said election had been in favor of Virginia by a majority of eight votes.

Beardstown adopted a city organization on February 4, 1850, when the following persons had been elected as officers:

John A. Arenz, mayor; Eli S. Houghton, marshal.

Aldermen of the 1st ward-Thomas Eyre and Jesse Riggins; 2nd ward, James Hope and Joseph Stehlin; 3rd ward, George Guenther and Jacob Ritcher.

S. Emmons was appointed city clerk, and T. A. Hoffman, treasurer.

The present officers in 1882 are:
J. J. Beatty, mayor.

Aldermen of the 1st ward-H. C. Meyer and S. O. Buck; 2nd ward, B. F. Epler and H. B. Wilson; 3rd ward, H. Schmoldt and Henry Huge; 4th ward, George F. Frauman and H. Schroeder.

Charles E. Fulks, clerk; Franklin A. Hammer, treasurer; J. G. Liston, marshal.

Churches.-The first church was erected in 1841 or 1842, at the corner of Fifth and Washington Streets, and designated as, "the German Evangelical Church at Beardstown." Mr. Beard and wife executed an amended deed for the lot of ground, upon which it had been built in June, 1842.

The

Mr. George Kuhl, Christian Kuhl and William Hemminghouse, were elected trustees of said church, to hold their offices until successors should be elected and qualified. church was open to all denominations, and independently of synods, bishops or conferences. For some years it proved to be a very useful institution, filled to its full capacity on Sundays for worship, and for school purposes on other days of the week. After the expiration of several years, some of the most orthodox members came to the conclusion that, in addition to services on Sundays, there should