1918 Annals - Haw Creek
By Wm. Scott.
In attempting to write the annals of Haw Creek Township, Knox County,
Illinois, the writer of this short sketch will be somewhat handicapped as to
the early history of the same.
After having served two terms of enlistment in the War of the Rebellion in
Ohio organizations, and after having been discharged from said service in
June, 1865, came to Illinois in October, same year, and located in Haw Creek
Township, Entering school in Hedding College, Abingdon, Illinois, the winter
term of 1865, remained in same school (excepting vacations) until the late
fall of 1866, when he began District school teaching and continued in that
Profession until the ending of the school year, 1878, embarking in the
Mercantile business in Gilson, Ill., March 1878; ran a general merchandise
business for over forty years.
In order to obtain anything like an accurate knowledge of Haw Creek's early
history the writer will have to glean his knowledge from various sources. He
will in some instances have to refer to a former history written in 1899 by
C. W. McKown, of Gilson, (now deceased).
In attempting to answer the questions of the committee who have this matter
under consideration will say that very little is known of the first
inhabitants of this Township, I now refer to the Redmen or Indians of the
forest and prairies of Illinois, There are evidences in Haw Creek Township
that the Redmen at one time roamed over our prairies hunting the game that
was plenteous and fishing in our principal river, (the Spoon), which at that
time abounded with vast numbers of fine fish.
The population at the present time consists almost wholly of native born
inhabitants of Haw Creek. Most of the early settlers came from Ohio, We note
from the former history referred to, that the first White settler in Haw
Creek was Mrs. Elizabeth Owens, accompanied by her son Parnach Owens, the
settlement was made in 1829 on Section 18. In 1834, other settlers came from
Ohio and settled in this township. Among those families were John Scott,
Zephaniah Scott and Jacob Harshbarger. About the same time also came the
following families and located in Haw Creek, these were James Nevitt, Samuel
Slocum, David Teel and David Enochs. They were soon followed by Woodford
Pierce, David Housh, Joshua Burnett and Lineas Richmond, William Dickerson
and others, so that in 1835 there was quite a settlement in Haw Creek, all
coming from Southern Ohio, Highland and Jackson counties.
The first white child born in Haw Creek was a son to James Nevitt and wife,
soon after locating in their new home. The first death in the township was
that of Eleanor Jarnigan, 1834. First sermon preached by the noted Rev.
Peter Cartright, 1831.
After the settlement of Haw Creek there were no Churches but services were
held in the homes of the fanners. The Rev. Peter Cartright, Richard Haney
(Uncle Dick) and William Clarke officiated at the services held in the farm
houses. The first denomination in the field was the Methodist Episcopal,
afterwards followed by the United Brethren in Christ. After the erection of
school houses the religious services were held in them. The first regular
church built in Haw Creek was Clark's Chapel, Section 17, built in 1864,
since discontinued. There are at present three churches in the township, the
Methodist in Gilson, built in 1865; the Gilson United Brethren, built in
1866. The value of each church when built was not over $1,200, but now
$2,500 would not replace them and their furnishings. The other church
referred to is a United Brethren located in Section 3, known as Union or
Wolfs Chapel, at a value of $1,500. They are all of them well kept up and in
good condition. The present ministers are: Methodist, Rev. E. B. Morton;
United Brethren, Rev. Jay A. Smith, each of them live wires.
As to the first school house built in the township, I am not able to say,
but I presume it was the log structure erected on the Northwest Quarter of
Section 15. The first school in the township was taught by Miss Susan
Dempsey in 1836, who afterward became the wife of Booker Pickrel. The school
system of Haw Creek is up to that of average of other townships in the
county. We have nine districts with that of Gilson, which is a graded
school, besides we have the Haw Creek Township High School with three
teachers. Classes in this school are regularly graduated after a four years
prescribed course by the efficient School Board. None but good and efficient
teachers are employed in any of the schools of the Township.
The methods of travel are varied at the present time. But the early methods
were principally by wagon and carriage. Before the days of the railroad the
farm produce was hauled by wagon to Peoria and Chicago; principally to
Peoria, wagons loaded back with groceries and merchandise of various kinds.
The first store in the township was conducted by Edmond Smith at
Mechanicsburg, southwest of Gilson three-fourths miles on Section 18. This
store was of a general stock. The C. B. & Q. railroad was surveyed and built
in 1856. In 1857 the Village of Gilson was surveyed and regularly
established on the southeast one-fourth section 7 by Lineas Richmond and
James Gilson, after whom the village was named. Ever since Gilson was
established it has been a good trading point for the sale of farm produce,
such as all kinds of grains and stock. Gilson at present has a population of
200. Three general stores in the town, all seem to do a good business, one
elevator and one lumber yard, one blacksmith shop and one general repair
shop, post office and one rural delivery.
The only mill of an early date was a large grist mill on Section 34 on Spoon
River, known in 1865 as the Burnett Mill. It did a very fine business when
first built but was abandoned about twenty years ago on account of a lack of
power for only about six months in the year. There was also a saw mill
erected on Haw Creek 2 miles southwest of Gilson which did a very good
business for several years.
The organization of the township was effected on April 5, 1853. This
organization took place at the Nevitt school house, southwest of Gilson two
and one-half miles. The following officers were elected: William M. Clarke,
Supervisor, Woodford Pierce, Clerk; Isaac Lott, Assessor; Joseph
Harshbarger, Collector; Jacob Wolf, Overseer of the Poor; John S. Linn and
Enoc Godfrey, Justices of the Peace; Geo. Pickrel and William Lewis,
Constables; Milton Lotts, Allen T. Rambo and Benoni Simpkins, Commissioners
of Highways. The present officers follow: C. H. Upp, Supervisor; Clark H.
Snow, Assessor; C. L. Dossett, Overseer of Poor; C. H. Upp (by virtue of
office) Justice of Peace; Earl Snell, Constable; John Housh and H. L.
Connor, Commissioner of Highways, Ben Taylor. With my limited knowledge,
prior to 1865, I am unable to give the location of the first farm and how
cultivated, but I should judge that the method of cultivation was
principally by the one and two-horse cultivators, as a great many of these
settlers were from Ohio and there they had to use the one and two horse
cultivators, on account of the stumps and roots in the ground. Much
improvement has been made in this part of the country in the farming line in
the manner of preparing the seed bed before planting or sowing the seed. The
farm tractor is just now coming into use in Haw Creek. It may eventually
take the place of horses in the extra heavy, hard and hot work.
The homes of the farmers and laboring class are much better furnished of
late years than formerly, and I attribute that to the younger generation.
The better educated, the more up-to-date they wish to become and when that
is uppermost in the mind of the younger class, something is going to happen
and that something is to have a home better equipped.
Early pastimes and amusements were as follows: Celebrations, which usually
occurred on Holidays; Spelling Schools, Singing schools, Corn huskings, Log
rollings and Quilting Bees.
The township at the present time is in a very good and prosperous condition
owing to the extra good crops and the extremely high prices obtained for all
kinds of farm commodities. The population of the township, as near as we can
estimate it, is 1,080.
The first good farm house built in the township was that of James Nevitt in
1835. First brick house built by Woodford Pierce in 1836 on Section 7,
Northeast Quarter. First post office established May 7, 1852, and named by
the Government, Haw Creek. The post office was in the general store at
Mechanicsburg, run by Edmond Smith. The first postmaster was Joseph
Harshbarger and was succeeded by Allen T. Rambo, Sept. 16, 1852. The latter
was succeeded by Woodford Pierce in March 17, 1855. On March 5, 1857, the
office was removed to Gilson which then was a railroad station.
Mechanicsburg then going out of existence as a village.
I wish to acknowledge my indebtedness to the former historian of the
township, Mr. C. W. McKown, for my knowledge of the organization of the
township, also the first officers of the same and also for the first post
office and first postmaster of the township.
I also wish to relate a couple of instances relating to the Rev. William M.
Clarke and Rev. Richard Haney, the founders of Methodism in Haw Creek. In
the early settlement of Knox County and Haw Creek the Rev. William M. Clarke
was appointed by the Conference to the Knoxville Circuit, which consisted at
that time of three or more appointments. At that time he was living on his
farm,, just east of the old Gilson Camp Grounds, where the Methodist church
held their Camp Meetings for so many years. After he had taken charge of the
Knoxville Circuit he called the official Board together and contracted with
them for his year's salary, which was not an overly large one. The Board
agreed to pay his salary regularly as he had a large family to support and
the salary would be needed to support them. He had preached for them a part
of the year and the good brothers had failed on their part of the contract.
He called the Board together and stated to them that he was in need of the
money for the support of his family. They made him a good promise, but
failed to carry it out, so Uncle Billy, as he was familiarly called, called
the official Board together again. He said to them: "Brethren, you have not
treated me right in the matter of filling your obligation to me in the
matter of salary. I have endeavored to do my best for you in the matter of
Pastorial work, but you have utterly failed to keep your part of the
contract, so, I am going to tell you something which is not very pleasant
for me, 'You can all go to the devil and I will go back to the farm;' " and
he went.
I now wish to relate an incident in which Uncle Dick Haney was interested.
He was preaching at a farm house in the early settlement of Haw Creek and in
those days window glass was a very scarce article. In the absence of glass a
white greased paper was tacked to a frame and used as a sash in the window
frame. Uncle Dick said at this farm house he was delivering his sermon in
his best possible manner, he had taken his position close to the windows
supplied with the greased paper. When he was at his best in the discourse he
heard a commotion on the outside of the house, which proved to be a fracas
between the cat and dog belonging to the premises. He said he was doing his
best in the way of the delivery of his discourse, when the noise increased
all at once, pussy to escape the dog sprung directly through the greased
paper in the window alighting directly in front of Uncle Dick. Afterwards in
speaking about the incident he said it was always a question in his mind
what he should call it; whether a Dogmatical or a Categorical problem.
At another time of his preaching at a farm house, and the good sister of the
house had no place to keep her well filled milk crocks, only on a bench
placed at one end of the room, in which the services were being held. Uncle
Dick said he took his position close to the milk bench, he stated when he
warmed up in his sermon and using all the oratory he could command, making
all the gestures that was possible for him to make and giving it all the
force and power he could, at this point he noticed a peculiar sensation in
one of his lower limbs. When he cast his eyes in that direction, he
discovered that his coat tail had completely skimmed one of the good
sister's crocks of milk and the cream was running down the calves of his
legs and filling his shoes.
Extracted 14 Dec 2017 by Norma Hass from Annals of Knox County: Commemorating Centennial of Admission of Illinois as a State of the Union in 1818, published in 1921 by the Centennial Historical Association, Knox County, Illinois, The Board of Supervisors, pages 100-104.
