Cresse, Asel, Jane, Ann, Mary, Mahala, and A. C. Douglass, J. Boycourt, Basil Greenwood and wife, Mary Boycourt, Richard Arnold and wife, Mary Campbell, George Coffin and wife, Jane High, John Townsen, Charles and George Zirkle, Israel, Mary and Cecilia Towsen, Jacob, Mabel, and Margaret Shuck, William Bearden, Samantha Bready, Francis Mitchell, Elizabeth Bready Hathaway, Leland and Addie Mitchell, S. E. Beggs, Trifena Greenwood, William W. and Nancy J. Redman, Henry Hollinshead, Eliza, Madison, Silva and William Campbell.

Ashland had been laid out but a few years, and a place of meeting was with some difficulty secured. The first meetings were held in a store or store house, now owned by Austin Lewis. These were the first religious services held in the village of Ashland. In those first devotional Christian meetings, dedicating the embryo village with its business, with its prosperity, and with its prospects to God, has not been entirely without fruit. There are many happy homes, happy wives, and happy children, who owe their pleasant circumstances and surroundings to the social and religious influences of the Methodist Episcopal church. Though there is much wickedness in their midst, the friends of strong drink are numerous; religion and temperance have not the desired control, but those dedicating prayers were heard, and will yet be answered. "Though the mills of God grind slowly, yet they grind exceeding small; though with patience He stands waiting, with exactness grinds He all."

The meetings were continued for a time in the above named place; the building being needed for other purposes, the society continued their regular sabbath services in the rooms of the hotel, and shortly after occupied the Ashland school house, where regular services were continued till the present church was built. During the time the meetings

were held in the store, hotel and school-house, Rev. Jeremiah Mitchell officiated as pastor.

The present church was built in 1870, at a cost of $4,000. It is a handsome frame structure, built upon the lots given to the society. by the village authorities. It is at present the finest church edifice in the precinct. It was dedicated by the Rev. Mr. Buck, who preached a very appropriate and soul-stirring sermon. The building committee was made up of the following members viz.: James L. Beggs, Jesse Newman and J. M. Jones. The present trustees are Samuel Hamilton, Edwin Beggs, Robert G. Hewit, and W. W. Redman. The present membership is 70. The prominent pastors who have labored for the spiritual interests of the society, were E. K. Shields, J. J. Garner, Wingate Newman, G. Garner, and E. B. Randle, the latter being the present pastor.

A Sabbath School of more than ordinary interest has been successfully kept up in connection with the church ever since its first organization. At present about 100 scholars are in attendance, and M. F. Short is the present Superintendent. He is a man well qualified, and has long been identified as one of the most energetic Sunday school workers of the county.

The Church has at times been greatly strengthened, and its membership considerably increased, by the zealous labors of some of its prominent pastors. Perhaps the most prominent revival in the history of the Church was that conducted by the talented E. K. Shields, who in the winter of 1875, converted nearly one hundred persons. The town became thoroughly awakened by his stirring and pathetic appeals; his sermons, though strong, forcible and eloquent, were touching, and reached the heart of many an erring sinner.

The church at present is very prosperous; Rev. Mr. Randle is a young man of considerable ability, and is earnest and untiring in his ministeral labors.

The Ashland Catholic Church was first organized at the residence of Martin Tyes, in February, 1871, by the Rev. Father August Joseph Sauer, and the following members with their families, professing the Catholic faith, were present: Thomas Guley, Edward Leahy, Wm. Kennedy, John Martin, Morris. Burus, Cornelius Hurley, and some others whose names the writer was not able to obtain. The society, after being formally organized, as above mentioned, held their next meetings in the Ashland school-house, where they continued their regular Sabbath services for nearly two years, when they purchased two lots of Matthew Jones, and built a small frame-building, in which the society has held its regular meetings till the present time. The capacity of this building was too small to conveniently accommodate the increasing membership of the church, and in 1880 Rev. Father T. M. Hogan was appointed to the charge, for the purpose of investigating the prospects of building a new church. He found the members not only financially able, but enthusiastic, willing, and ready, to enter heartily into the work. Father Hogan is a man of stirring energy as well as talent, and ably fitted for the work that is now so prosperously in progress. His first collection in the winter of 1881 amounted to $1,800. The fair in January, 1882, under his immediate supervision, netted $1,314, making a total of $3,114 as a preparatory fund for beginning the contemplated church. Five lots, located in the western portion of the town, were at once purchased from William Mathers, at a cost of $300, and the work of building immediately begun. The building was begun May 6, 1882, and it measures ninety-six feet in length and forty feet in width, its spire seventy-five feet in height. It is a framestructure, and when completed will be one of the finest churches in the county. Its cost is estimated at $5,500.

The members that constitute the building committee are James Collins and Edward Leahy. Father Hogan, however, personally supervises the work and sees that suitable material is used and proper labor employed.

The Church at present has sixty members as heads of families. The pastors of the Church, from the first organization to the present time, are as follows: J. A. Sauer, Michael Ryan, Father O'Hare, and T. M. Hogan.

The Church has a prosperous outlook for the future, and, no doubt, will in time become one of the strongest and most permanent of the Churches of the country.

Societies.-Oak Lodge I. O. O. F., No. 341, was first organized at Prentice, Morgan County, Oct. 9, 1867, and moved to Ashland Oct. 10, 1877. The members that were most energetic in originating the movement of organizing a lodge were the charter members, which are as follows, viz.: John L. Douglass, John M. Berry, John M. Brockman, John W. Daniel, Martin Berry, Sumner Daniel, Samuel Hurt, Benjamin Berry, and John W. Crum.

The first election of officers in the order resulted in the following choice: John M. Berry, N. G., John Crum, V. G., John Brockman, Secy., Albert Short, Treas., John L. Douglass, Warden, and John Daniel, Conductor. The lodge meets every Tuesday evening, and has a membership of twenty-three. The present officers are: David Middour, N. G., T. A. Duey, V. G., Myer Hexter, Secy., John L. Douglass, Warden, Eli J. Salsenstein, Treas., Silas Hexter, Conductor.

The following members have been honored with the office of Noble Grand, viz.: John L. Douglass, Albert Short, John Daniel, Sumner Daniel, Silas Hexter, Myer Hexter, B. C. Elmore, Eli J. Salsenstein, T. A. Duey, William Duke, and a few others, whose names could not be obtained. The lodge, though not large, is progressive, and a large membership is but a matter of time.

IN

N order to prepare a complete history of the precinct of Arenzville, it will be necessary to refer to some events which preceded its organization.

By an act of the legislature, passed in 1837, it was declared that the County of Cass should be one of the counties of this State, that the county seat should be located at Beardstown on the public square, that the citizens or corporation should raise ten thousand dollars to defray the expenses of erecting public buildings, payable in one, two and three years from the passage of the law aforesaid; that an election for county officers should be held on the first Monday of August, 1837; that Thomas Pogue and Dr. O. M. Long, notaries public in Beardstown, should open and examine the poll books in presence of one or more justices of the peace, etc.

This act contained in it the germs from which afterward bitter contentions arose about the county seat.

Cass County having been formed from the northern part of Morgan, this last mentioned county had retained the south halves of the townships north of the line, dividing townships Sixteen and Seventeen. This caused considerable dissatisfaction among the inhabitants of what was generally called "the

By Judge J. A. Arenz.

three-mile territory," because the geographical situation of the country and the then existing settlements, were of such nature as to incline the people to prefer to belong to the County of Cass.

Arguments were futile, and it was useless to expect to obtain relief by means of a new election when it was known by everyone that the county of Morgan could outvote Cass ten to one upon any question upon which both might be interested.

Finally John W. Pratt, the member in the legislature from Cass, with the assistance of Francis Arenz, who at that time was one of the six members from Morgan and a resident within this three-mile territory, succeeded in obtaining the passage of an act of the General Assembly on Feb. 26, 1845, allowing the people within said three miles to decide by their votes, at an election to be held on the first Monday of May, 1845, to which county they would prefer to belong. This act further provided that all justices and constables in Morgan, who may reside in this territory, should hold their offices in the county of Cass, and for judges of election at the designated places of voting; the following persons were appointed: David Epler, John A. Arenz and Edward W. Turner, at Arenzville; Jacob Yaples, George Petefish and Peter Conover, at the house of Henry Price; Jonathan

was.

covered the floor, that only a few visitors at a time could get inside the house. The door had on such occasions to be left open, so that one could at least see who his next neighbor These cabins were so open and airy, that in winter the snow would blow through the cracks, and in summer swarms of mosquitoes would surround the sleeper, and if the party could not afford the luxury of a bar, he must either have the hide of an elephant or be entirely insensible to pain. To scare off mosquitoes, some people made a big fire of weeds before their cabins in the evening, or in the fire-place, and under cover of the tre mendous smoke arising, under coughing and sneezing, the evenings were passed, and thus the nights. Very early rising was the order of the day, for as soon as daylight faintly approached, every one hurried to leave his bed. There was no necessity of calling any one to get up; the flies would relieve the mosquitoes from duty and perform this work effectually. In almost every house, or in the shed part of the cabin, was found a spinningwheel and loom, to manufacture the yarn and weave the clothing and bedding for family use. The women were exclusively the manufacturers of these useful things, and on days of gatherings, or on Sundays, when people assembled for church purposes, before the service commenced, it was spoken of, how many yards of jeans, linsey-woolsey, socks, etc., had been manufactured by Mrs. So and So. The surplus of these articles not used for family purposes, were brought to the stores. for sale, and jeans, socks, knit gloves and mittens, came in such abundance, that the storekeeper could not dispose of the same here, and had to ship them to St. Louis, then the New York of the western country.

Among the early emigrants from Germany, were many who had been accustomed to good society, and had enjoyed the advantages of superior education. Some held diplomas from

colleges and universities. As most Germans, they were lovers of music, and some could play on one or more musical instruments. The pioneer lives in a new country, where hard labor, coupled with innumerable privations, without amusements of any kind, necessarily drew that class together, who could not bring themselves to the belief that the only aim and object in life should henceforth be devoted to hard work only, for which they at best could only get board and clothing. They were generally called the "Latin farm

ers."

A club, or society circle was formed, and social gatherings were had, sometimes at the house of one member, sometimes at another. Little concerts were gotten up, the instruments being piano, violin, flute, and violoncello. Dancing parties were occasionally arranged, and large hunting parties. A musical band was afterwards organized under the leadership of a Mr. Holtzermann. This social circle. continued for many years, until finally, when the number had increased to such proportion that no room was large enough to hold them, and some of the original members had by death, or removal to other parts of the country, made their places vacant, this very pleasant and useful club came to an end.

Whenever an opportunity offered to play some practical joke upon a new comer, it was eagerly seized. One of these, which caused considerable merriment, is here with narrated: Several new emigrants having arrived, some of the older settlers went with them into the prairie, to select a piece of land for farming purposes. A skunk, or pole-cat, was seen in the grass, and it was given out that these animals were highly prized for their beauty and valuable fur, and it ought to be secured by all means. To shoot it would damage the fur, as it was alleged. One of these new ones was told to approach very cautiously and cover it with his hat, which he adroitly