The sketch historical of Woodburn necessarily will be
brief and incomplete at the time I have to prepare it is entirely too short for
so an important of an undertaking, and in the facility to give (illegible)
lacking in need, and a few simple facts in reminiscences will have to suffice.
Woodburn, at present the capitol of the township, was laid out in 1834 by
Dr. B. F. Edwards. The doctor was very modest in his ideas of what would be
required for a town, and laid out only nine blocks, four of them 300 feet
square, each divided into twelve lots, 50 by 150 feet. Four of the blocks were
240 by 300 feet, and divided into 10 lots; and one block (the center) was
dedicated as a public park, and has been used by the public ever since for every
conceivable purpose except as a park. The streets were all 60 feet wide, and
were 8 in number -- Wood street on the south, Cherry on the east, Walnut on the
north, and the blocks north and south, and Carrollton and Edwardsville streets
lay between those east and west.
Elder Elijay Dodson hauled the first
timber into the town to build with, but a store for E. J. Miner was the first
building put up, and was on block 7 near where Albright's residence is. Elder
Dodson occupied his dwelling first on April 5, 1835, and his wife Mrs. Nancy
Dodson who was the first woman to live in the town is still living at the
advanced age of 86 years.
Daniel Luttrel built in 1835; also Enos Grandy;
and the same year Dr. Edwards, in order to prepare for convenience of the
traveling public built the tavern now occupied Willey Breden. To show that the
Dr. had faith in the town his building was 28 by 40 feet, with kitchen 12 by 14
feet, two stories high, with three large rooms with attic, and with cellar
underneath, which was a monster building in that day. James and William Hamilton
were the first landlords.--Many of the first buildings were erected by James and
R. R. Tompkins who came to this place Feb. 13, 1835 from Virginia. In 1836, Dr.
Edwards and John Adams commenced building here the first steam mill in the
county but before they completed it they sold their interest to Moses Jones who
afterwards sold to Mudge who finished the saw mill part of it. In 1841 T. J.
VanDorn bought the mill and put in the a large engine and two run of burrs,
which set Woodburn ahead of anyplace in this county in the way of conveniences.
Sometime previous to 1840 Daniel Luttrell built a mill for grinding corn, that
motive power of horses, mules, oxen or anything that could be hitched to it.
This was a big thing for a large section of the county, but was soon laid aside
when VanDorn's steam mill got into operation. About 1837 the Perry Brothers
built and operated a blacksmith shop, but whether they or Alford Davis was the
first I cannot find out; but the best authorities give it to the Perrys.
The first church organized was the Baptist Church, June 24, 1835, with 11
members and supplied by Elders Starkweather and Dodson for about one year when
Elder Dodson was settled as first regular pastor. March 15, 1842, the church
took steps towards building a house of worship, 24 by 36 feet, 12 foot (?); and
completed the same in 1843. In 1867 an addition was built surmounted by a
steeple in which was hung a bell. After several preliminary meetings, the first
of which was held Dec. 29, 1837, the Congregational church was organized March
25, 1838, with about 40 members and Robert Blake as pastor, who served until his
death, March 21, 1842. In January, 1840, the name was changed to the
Congregational church of Woodburn and Bunker Hill, and in September 1842 the
church was divided and the Woodburn church reorganized on the original basis. In
1838 they built a house of worship 20 by 26 feet, which was used for many years
as a place of worship for the different denominations; also the Baptist church
was built in 1843. In it was organized the first sabbath school of the place in
1843, Dea. E. B. Goderd, superintendent. They built their present house of
worship in 1853. It is 34 by 42 feet, the largest building in the place. There
is a cupola in which was put the 2nd bell brought to the place from (Prairietown
? illegible). The earliest records of the Methodist church are lost, but it was
probably organized about 1838. In 1850 they built their present house of
worship, 26 by 38 feet, with a belfry in which they hung the first bell that was
put up in town. This was quite a step in our civilization and we began to put on
city airs and kept the bell busy with meetings, funerals, etc.
About 1858
the Campbellites or Christians organized a church and built a house of worship.
Most of the old members have moved away from the place, and the place has gone
down.
The Seven-Day Adventists church was organized in 1869, and occupied
the house built by the Christians.
Dec. 11, 1843, was organized the first
permanent Bible Society in the county. The meeting for organization was held at
the Congregational church, Dea. Justus Rider, president, and Dea. Wm. Bailey,
secretary. Woodburn has always been proud of taking the first steps in the Bible
cause in the county that resulted in a permanent organization.
The old
church building was used for school purposes, but in 1852 the school trustees,
and some of principle citizens, took steps to build a school house. To raise the
necessary amount by taxation was slow work, as a per cent was limited by law.
But the people were equal to the emergency, and appointed R. R. Tompkins, Henry
Burton and A. L Sturges as building committee, put on as heavy a tax as they
could, and raised the rest by subscriptions. The necessary amount (over $500)
was raised within two days after being started.--This was in addition to the
amount raised by taxation. The contract for the brickwork was let to I. Long and
Son, and for the woodwork Jas. (now Sheriff) and Phil. Pennington.--The house
was 22 by 34 feet, two stories high and finished in the spring of '53. In the
year 1836 Moore and Kellum, looking far into the future, and having a desire to
prepare for the same, laid off over 80 acres in town lots as an addition to the
town of Woodburn, giving a large block as a public square, thus preparing the
town as a capitol not only for a township, but for a county, and in case of
necessity, the State might use on of the town squares for a State-House, or the
capitol of the township might be built at Bunker Hill or some other of the
smaller towns.
About 1837 the post-office was established, with Corey as
postmaster.--Geo Gordon carried the mail from Alton to Carlinville.
In
1837 Wm. West made the first kiln of brick. Dr. Edwards offering two acres of
land to anyone who would establish a brickyard. West also established the first
grocery, but in this he was more unsuccessful than in brick making. As the
citizens manifested the same stern virtues than the place has ever been noted
for, and West was forced to close his grocery, and sell out his brick yard and
leave the place.
Dea. I. Long came in 1837, and furnished brick for
Woodburn and vicinity for many years.
In 1846 the steam mill of T. J.
VanDorn (illegible); and in 1848 the Tompkin Bros. commenced running the present
mill, starting it as a saw mill, and grinding corn, and in 1852 they put in the
fall (?) burrs and bolts.
In 1845 Jona. Huggins started the Woodburn
Nursery, from which so many trees have been taken to beautify this and
neighboring towns.
The towns has always been strictly in favor of strict
temperance; although there were in 1850 three groceries, and at other times
there have been groceries, and many times attempts have been made to establish
groceries, still they have all fared like West's grocery, and for the last ten
years there has been no attempts to start one. The last of the three mentioned
above died out because as some of his customers said, when they went there for
their early morning dram, they had to wait so long for the barkeeper to heat the
poker to thaw out his whiskey they had rather go to Bunker Hill than to wait.
Among the first settlers of this vicinity was James Wood, who settled in
1832 on the mound one and one-half miles south of town. J. L. Wood entered 80
acres of his present farm in 1830, and settled on and improved it in 1832. J. T.
Wood, afterwards representative in the legislature, entered and improved about
the same time. Richard Wood, from New Jersey, entered 160 acres south of town in
1834 and improved it by building a one and one-half story hewed log-house on it
at the same place that Mrs. Trabue's house now stands. Rev. Robert Blake settled
on the Blake farm in 1835.
The state road from Alton to Springfield was
surveyed in 1833.
In 1870 the Rockford and Rock Island Railroad company
surveyed two routes through the place, and the town voted to subscribe ten
thousand to have the road run through, and we might have subscribed a hundred
thousand if we had known how as well as Brighton did.
The Town was
incorporated in 1867 under general the law and in 1869 the legislature gave us a
special charter under which we are now working. In 1867 a cemetery association
was organized and took charge of our cemetery laying off and setting out trees,
etc., and in 1870 they gave up the care of the same to the town authorities who
the next year purchased the four acres between the old cemetery and the public
road and propose to improve them soon.
In conclusion, I would say that
while Woodburn is a good place to emigrate from, still Woodburn need not be
ashamed of the majority of the sons she has sent out. Many of her former
citizens occupy positions of honor and trust in other communities, and they
still look back to their residence in Woodburn with pleasure. (?) J.
P.Pennington who has been sheriff of the county eight years and will be the
democratic nominee for the next term. Henry Burton was ours for a long time and
Judge Huggins, who perhaps has done more for the improvement of Bunker Hill than
any other man was first a resident of Woodburn and who can tell how much of his
enterprise was installed during his short sojourn with us. In fact, it is this
constant draw on our town to supply the necessities of surrounding towns that
keeps Woodburn from being a large place. R. R. Wood.
Contributed by Mary McKenzie, extracted from the Bunker Hill Gazette, July 6, 1876, page 2.
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