GALESBURG TOWNSHIP

Extract from the 1870 Atlas Map of Knox County, Illinois

(Extracted from the History of Knox County, Illinois by Albert Perry, Vol. I, pgs 450-451,
submitted by Janine Crandell)

James Roe was the first settler, coming in 1832 or 1833. Soon after Isaiah Smeltzer arrived, and in 1834, Gadial Scott and Edward Morse came. Edward Morse was one of the Henderson colony, but settled so far from his neighbors as to have been over the Galesburg line.

The land in the township is very fertile. This township now comprises 27 sections. It was made a separate town by legislative enactment in 1867, placing the city of Galesburg in another town known as the town of the city of Galesburg.

Galesburg township from the start adopted a policy of erecting permanent bridges, and there is probably no township in the county that has more and better bridges in Galesburg, and the tax rate is very low.

(Extracted from the 1870 Atlas Map of Knox County, Illinois, Andreas, Lyter & Co., Davenport, Iowa, submitted by Janine Crandell)

The Rev. George W. Gale, D. D. of Whitesboro, Oneida County, New York, conceived the plan of establishing in the Mississippi Valley literary institutions by subscriptions among his friends. His plan, in its main features, was to secure by subscription money enough to purchase in some desirable location in the western states, government land to the amount of one township, or thirty-six square miles. Out of this land, when purchased, enough was to be reserved for the site of a village, and also of the college which was to be organized. The remainder of the land was to be divided into farms of convenient size, and appraised at an average value of five dollars per acre, which would be just four times the amount paid for it. At this increased valuation, the subscribers were to be allowed to take farming lands to the amount of their subscription. The remainder was to be donated to the college. The village property was also to be divided into suitable building lots, and sold only to actual settlers. The money thus obtained was to be appropriated to an Academy and a Young Ladies' Seminary, so far as needed, and the remainder to the college. In the early part of the year 1835, Mr. Gale had secured by subscription some twenty-one thousand dollars. A meeting of the subscribers was held May 6, 1835, at Rome, New York. George W. Gale was appointed general agent, and Nehemiah West, Thomas Gilbert, and Timothy B. Jervis an exploring committee. The committee were nearly three months exploring parts of Indiana and Illinois. Considerable difficulty was experienced in finding thirty-six sections in a body, of the quality they desired at government rates, and they afterwards were authorized to take less. Orange Township, in Knox County, was first selected by one of the committee, but afterward changed to Galesburg Township.

At a meeting at Whitesboro, New York, August 19, 1835, a purchasing committee was appointed, consisting of G. W. Gale, H. H. Kellogg, and Silvana Ferris. Messrs. Gale, Ferris, and West left for the military tract in Illinois, September 16th, 1835. Mr. Gale, on arriving at Detroit, was too ill to proceed for their. The others of the committee left for Knoxville, Illinois, September 29th, 1835. They immediately expended their funds in purchasing 10,336 81-100 acres of most beautiful and fertile prairie land, not dotted by any human habitation, and which cost at government rates, $12,921.01, and to improve the farms of 250 acres, and 160 acres of timberland, at a total cost of $14, 821.01. In the early part of November, 1835, they left for their homes. A meeting of the thirty-four subscribers was held January 7th, at Whitesboro, New York. The action of their committees was endorsed. Prairie College, now

KNOX COLLEGE

was founded. Ten trustees were elected, and their prospective town named Galesburg. A colony composed principally of a large number of the subscribers and their families removed as early in 1836 as possible upon the grounds where the college was to be located. The institutions of learning which they had come to build up soon proved a great attraction to persons who were looking for western homes, and early drew settlers from various quarters until now, the wild prairies they purchased 34 years ago, have a population of 12,000 souls, with their city noted for its morality and enterprise, its college ground, worth three quarters of a million dollars, and its college amply endowed. Thus through a handful of good and wise men, who were willing to forsake their pleasant homes and emigrate to the far-off West, has sprung up by their Christian and philanthropic efforts one of the finest cities and communities in the land. A city in which looms up its many fine public and private buildings, manufactories, &c., that will place the name of its founders on the immortal pages of history.

Newspaper article from the Galesburg's Republican-Register, Saturday, June 8, 1878, submitted by Janine Crandell

Local History

Sunday, June 2nd, was the forty-first anniversary of the landing of the Pilgrim Fathers of Galesburg, June 2nd, 1836, the advance guard of the colonists reached Log City.  This company consisted of 22 persons: Nehemiah West and family; his brother-in-law, Hugh Conger, and family; Barber Allen and Son, and the two younger men, John G. West and Abram Tyler.  Of the five heads of families in that little company only one remains to this day, my mother, Mrs. Nehemiah West; the rest are fallen asleep.  Besides her there remain in Galesburg only two of that little company, John G. West and Mrs. Henry Ferris, who, as Miss Eliza Hudson, was a member of Nehemiah West's family at that time. Two others of this band now reside in Oneida; three in St. Louis and Iron Mountain, Mo.; one in Iowa; the rest are dead.  All but two of them sleep in the beautiful cemetery of the town they helped to found. "They rest from their labors and their works do follow them." [No indication as to who wrote this article.]
 

From the Pantagraph, Bloomington, Illinois, written by P. Atkinson, Aug. 29, 1857, submitted by Judy Edwards.

NOTES OF TRAVEL — No 5
ACCOMMODATION TRAINS — GALESBURG

    How delightful it is to ride on an accommodation train. I never fully realized the pleasure of such a ride until I took the morning train from Bloomington to Peoria, a few days since. The regular fare I knew was $1.50 but by some management, or mismanagement I was made to pay $1.80; having learned at the Junction, however, that this was an accommodation train, I concluded that the extra charge must be some part of the accommodation arrangement, and taking my seat in the cars, waited patiently an hour and a half for them to start, during which time I had the pleasure of witnessing the very interesting operation of running the freight train back and forth on the switch. A dutchman who sat near me seemed very restless, and frequently expressed his fears that the switching would produce serious consequences.
    At last, to the evident gratification of all on board, we started, but our car being attached to the end of a long freight train, could move only as it moved, consequently we were obliged to have a renewal of the switching operation at every station, making our “railroad speed” about eight or ten miles per hour, so that it was nearly one o’clock when we reached Peoria, making the whole time from Bloomington nearly five hours. I consoled myself, however, with the reflection that four years ago it took me ten hours to go the same trip by stage coach.
    After waiting for hours at Peoria for the evening train, I started for Galesburg, and was much accommodated by the information that this was no an accommodation train, so that we had good speed and reasonable fare and reached or destination just at dusk.
    Galesburgh [sic] is, in many respects, a peculiar place, both as to the objects for which it was founded — the character of the people who first settled it, and the literary and religious advantages which it affords.
    What Lawrence is to Kansas, Galesburg has been to Illinois. The activity and energy of its citizens, and their advocacy of right principles and free institutions, when those principles and institutions were unpopular, made it envied and hated of its neighbors, and gained for it the title of “Abolition Hole.”
    Its literary institutions have for many years, made it a center of attraction for students from all parts of the county, and its railroad advantages have of late years accelerated its prosperity, so that it now seems destined to become one of the principal towns in the State.
    It was first settled in 1836, by a colony from Western New York, with a few families from New England; nearly all the leading men of the colony, with their families, being connected with the Presbyterian and Congregational denominations.
    The leading object of the colony was to establish and build up a town and college, which should diffuse the blessings of education and religion through all the surrounding region. For this purpose the location was chosen in the center of what is known as the Military Tract, or the region lying between the Illinois and Mississippi rivers, the soil, climate, and other natural advantages of this section being unsurpassed if equaled in the West, and consequently affording the certain prospect of an immense population at no distant day.
    The objects and expectations of the colonists have been fully realized, and the prosperity of the college, and rapid growth of the town and surrounding country have equaled their most sanguine hopes. Their efforts to afford those who should patronize their Institution, not only educational advantages of the first-class, but education combined with the highest moral influence, and to surround their college with a town and society, free from all those vicious associations, temptations, and allurements so fatal to the young, have been praiseworthy in the highest degree. Indeed it would be difficult to find a community where the restraints of religion and morality are greater, or where intemperance, profanity, and their kindred vices are less prevalent, or meet with a sharper rebuke. Public sentiment is opposed to every species of immorality, and “law and order” are strictly enforced. Liquor dealers and their confederates have to hide in cellars, and other places of obscurity, and even there, the officers of the law ferret them out, and justice unmingled with mercy is dealt out to them, and the public treasury enriched with fines instead of license fees.
    The College with its preparatory department was chartered by the State Legislature at the session of 1836 & 6, under the title of Knox College, and has steadily increased in influence and prosperity up to the present time. The last catalogue shows that there have been during the past year, fifty-one students in the male department, sixty-six in the female, and three hundred and twenty-nine in the preparatory: making one hundred and seventeen in the College proper, and four hundred and forty-six in all.
    The main College edifice has just been completed. It is a fine three story brick building, of Gothic architecture, one hundred and ten feet long, by seventy wide, and cost $45,000. It is very handsomely finished, contains a neat commodious chapel, spacious neat commodious building for the preparatory department.
    The institution has now, in land, buildings, and money, a fund of 430,000. It has also an able Board of Instruction; and the various railroads centering at this point, render it easy of access to students from all parts of the country; so that notwithstanding some internal dissensions, which are deeply regretted by its friends, it never was in a more prosperous condition. It is to be hoped that these discussions and difficulties will speedily be settled, and that the institution will continue to prosper, and be an honor and a blessing to the State.
    Lombard University, also located here, is a new institution, under the patronage of the Universalist denomination. It was chartered in 1851, under the title of the “Illinois Liberal Institute.” The building erected at that time was burnt down in 1855, nearly on the same ground, strange to say, where the first building erected for Knox College was burnt twelve years previous. The present building, just completed, is a handsome, three story brick, and cost $30,000; Mr. Benjamin Lombard, after whom the institution was named, contribution $20,000. Its fund, including buildings, etc., amounts to about $140,000. It is said to be in a prosperous condition.
    While Galesburg has been interested in building up colleges, her common schools have not been forgotten. The late Silas Willard, an old and worthy citizen of the place, has left a bequest of $20,000, for the purpose of establishing a Union Graded School, with the condition that the city shall raise $30,000 more.
    The present population of Galesburg is about 6,000. Four years ago, its population was only 1,500. It has a greater amount of travel than any town of its size in the State, being the crossing place of the Chicago and Burlington, and Peoria and Oquawka railroads, and the terminus of the Northern Cross railroad. On the arrival of the trains, the large depot is crowded with passengers. The rush for the ticket office and hotels, the crowd arriving and leaving and the screaming of omnibus drivers, and apple and cake boys reminds one of similar scenes at the great Central depot at Chicago.
    Taking into consideration all its advantages, educational and religious, advantages of business, good society and healthy location, and Galesburg is undoubtedly one of the most desirable places for a residence to be met with in the West.