Edwardsville High School - Tiger Yearbook (Edwardsville, IL)

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 TIME TEffilEire YE HISTORY of our metropolis EDWARDSVILLE A on , long time ago, in fact, quite a while ago, or to be exact and more specific, one century, two decades, and five years before the penning of this manu-sdipt, the piesent city of Edwardsville was begun, originated, or settled (take one). In ttle eai 1805, a man from the state of North Carolina journeyed up the Mississippi Ri ei and thence into the beautiful valley of Cahokia Creek where he was attracted by the pleasant surroundings and prosperous looking country. This pio-neei, Thomas Kirkpatrick, by name, built his rude cabin on this same creek somewhere near the present site of the old cider mill on the Bunker Hill road behind the Lincoln school, and took possession of some hundred acres of land near there. In a few years, quite a few of the wandering pioneer families of the time had collected in this vicinity. No one occupied a more important position during the younger days of this settlement than did Kirkpatrick. In 1812 he provided for the protection of the town (which lacked an adequate police force at the time) by building a fort. This fort was constructed on what is now North Main Street and proved very useful in protecting the settlers from the neighboring Indians, who were very hostile at the time. When Madison County was formally created on September 14, 1812, the home of Kirkpatrick was named as the seat of government for the district and it was there that the first court of the county held its original session. It is interesting to note that, during the early period of Edwardsville’s sway over Madison County, that district included all of Illinois north of its (the county’s) present southern boundary, all of the present State of Wisconsin, and small portions of Minnesota and Michigan. The Canadian line was designated as its northern limit. According to this the town “ain’t what she used ter be,’’ but when we consider that the territory which Edwardsville now governs contains many more people than this old expansive district held, we can readily see that the city has increased greatly rather than diminished in importance. In those days the town was the distributing point of the business and trade activities of the vast area and the center of its social and community features. The city itself was roughly laid out in 1813 and three years later it was surveyed and plotted by Kirkpatrick, its original founder. He bestowed upon the town the name Edwardsville, in honor of Ninian Edwards, then the territorial governor of Illinois and later said to have been one of the prominent citizens of the town. The judiciary and civil government of Edwardsville has gone through many stages of progress since the first court session in 1813. After a few meetings in the home of Kirkpatrick, the rather informal county court began to hold its sessions in the taverns of the town. However, by 1817 Edwardsville had become the proud possessor of its first court house. This building consisted of a log cabin, erected by Samuel G. Morse at a cost of four hundred thirty-seven dollars and fifty-two cents. It was soon supplemented by a jail of similar architecture and construction, completed by William Otwell for one hundred ninety-four and a half dollars. The first provision for a government for the city that can be unearthed is an act, passed by the state legislature on February 23, 1819, designating Benjamin Stephenson, Joseph

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 TM1E TlffiEM DEDICATED TO GOVERNOR NINIAN EDWARDS First Governor of Illinois, and, to the First Settle of Madison County.

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 TMIE TIMS IBM Bowers, Robert Latham, John Todd, Joseph Conway, Abraham Prickett, and Theophe-us . Mint 1 as a board of trustees and city council (also police force, fire department, and traffic regulators). A m inteiesting happening in the judiciary development in Edwardsville is th tiial lesulting from the first murder in Madison County. Although historically lathei insignificant, it illustrates the early court procedure in a rather humorous manner. In the summer of 1823, a man named Eliphalet Greene, employed in the distillery owned by Abel Moore, had a quarrel with a man whose name w’as never learned, and terminated the life processes of the unknown. Judge John Reynolds presided o er the trial, which was a very informal affair. Competent historians say that the sheriff convened court by saying, “Boys, come into the house now’-allon ye; John s goin’ to hold court.” After due deliberation, the jury found Greene guilty and the Judge addressed the prisoner as follows: “Well, Mr. Greene, the jury has found you guilty of murder and the law' says you are to be hanged. Nowt I w'ant you and your friends down on Wood River to understand that it is not I that condemns you but the jury and the law’. Now I wish to allow you all the time you wfant to prepare, so court wants to know' at what time you would prefer to be hanged.” Greene answered, “All times are alike to me, your Honor. Those wrho kill the body have no power to destroy the soul.” The Judge grew very stern and impressive and said, “But, Mr. Greene, it is a very serious matter to be hanged. It is something that can happen only once in a man’s life. I will appoint this day, four weeks, as the day. Mr. Clerk, look in the almanac and see if this day four weeks comes on Sunday.” The day fell on Thursday and consequently Greene was hanged on a big oak tree on the banks of Cahokia Creek, later used for other court executions. It would be possible to continue this history in detail up to the present time and fill a large volume with just the historical development of our towrn, but I think it would be much more fitting to leave the development of Edwardsville to the reader’s imagination than to bore him writh details. HowTever, there is one thing which has not as yet been mentioned in connection with this writing, which is very interesting as well as important. Edw’ardsville prides itself on having been the home of not a few’ great statesmen. Eight persons w’ho have filled the office of Governor of Illinois were, at various periods, residents of this city. Among these men—Edw'ards, Coles, Ford, Reynolds, Duncan, Carlin, Palmer, and Deneen—we find some of the greatest leaders the State has had. The first two Senators from Illinois, Edwards and Thomas, w’ere residents of Edwardsville and made the city their home during their terms of office. Many other residents of the city have distinguished themselves not only in the early times but in recent years as well. The old Wabash Hotel, which still stands, was at one time the stopping place of Illinois’s greatest man, Lincoln, and there are still a few men living who can recall the day wrhen this great statesman made his campaign speech in the town. And so we draw the curtain on this history with the hope that our town, Ed-wardsville, will prosper and grow’ as well in times to come as it has in times gone by. CHARLES RICHARDS.