Grundy County IL Archives History - Books .....Chapter 20 1882 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.org/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.org/il/ilfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Deb Haines ddhaines@gmail.com May 4, 2006, 3:04 am Book Title: History Of Grundy County IL 1882 CHAPTER XX.* BRACEVILLE TOWNSHIP—COAL MEASURES-EARLY SETTLEMENT—THE OPEN PRAIRIE. BRACEVILLE lies just east of Mazon township, and continuing the gradual rise of land in the eastern part of that precinct, becomes quite broken and picturesque along the branch of the Mazon creek. East of this stream the land gradually subsides to a generally level character, and stretches out along the eastern part in an expanse of wild prairie. The trend of the water-courses indicates an elevation in the central part, though it is but slight, and of the character of a plateau. The Mazon Creek enters from the south, a little east of the middle line of the township, and, circling to the west and north, follows the general direction of the western boundary, passing into Mazon and between Wauponsee and Felix at the northwest corner. The soil along the river is good farming land, but in the interior and eastern parts the light covering of sod rests upon a nearly pure, sandy soil, which is profitably available for little more than grazing. The eastern portion, however, is richly underlaid with coal, which more than compensates for the meager productiveness of the surface. This deposit, extending into the adjoining counties of Will and Kankakee, has given rise to considerable business activity in this vicinity, and a number of brisk mining villages have sprung up within some six miles of each other. *By J. H. Battle. The earliest development of coal was made in the counties east of Grundy, but about 1858 some miners opened a co-operative shaft on land belonging to N. Cotton. Water proved a great hindrance and expense here, and the project was about to fail, when some others were induced to give the enterprise assistance. They brought to the work more enthusiasm than capital, however, and the effort was about to prove an entire failure, when Mr. Mehan was enlisted in the work and the shaft pushed down to the coal. At this point Mr. Boyer bought the shaft, and did some mining. Some four or five years later, Mr. Augustine put down a shaft on his land, but the business, crippled by the lack of capital, languished until about 1880, when foreign capital took up the matter and has made this part of the county a busy, thriving section. The principal coal lands are owned and worked by large corporations, of which the Wilmington Coal Mining & Manufacturing Company and the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad Company are the leading ones. The Chicago Tribune last year gave an interesting sketch of these coal-fields in December of 1881, from which the following extract is taken: "The finest and richest of these coal-fields are now being worked with all the most improved facilities which unrestricted capital can supply. Strange as it may appear, the best veins lie nearest the surface, in marked contrast with the vaunted coal-fields of England, where none of the mines are less than 500 feet, and some as low as 3,800 feet below the surface. The coal here is in veins of three feet thickness, much of it not over fifty feet below the surface, and of unexcelled quality; in many respects, excepting for gas and coke purposes, perhaps, excelling the famous Pittsburgh bituminous coal. Here the mineral is found free of clinkers, sulphur and iron, making a charming grate coal, and, for blacksmithing purposes, without equal. "I began my inspection with the Fairbanks mine in Essex township, of Kankakee County. This mine is twenty miles west of Kankakee, four miles southeast of Gardner, and five miles south of Braceville. At Fairbanks, I found a party of surveyors engaged in running out a line for a railroad from Buckingham to Braidwood, a distance of fifteen miles. At Buckingham this road will connect with the Southwestern Branch of the Illinois Central Railroad, thence crossing the Indiana, Illinois & Iowa Railway, the Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific, the Kankakee & Seneca, and the Chicago, Alton & St. Louis, making three direct lines to Chicago, and three east and west. The name of the new road is the Wilmington Coal-fields Railroad, with which it is designed to form a belt around the coal-fields. It is the intention of the managers of the enterprise to construct this road in a first-class manner, and when it is completed, to transport coal, farm products and passengers. "The lands owned by the Wilmington Coal-fields Company comprise some 2,600 acres in Grundy and Kankakee Counties. At the invitation of the mining boss I descended into the mine. The surface soil this year yielded a corn crop averaging from forty-five to sixty bushels to the acre, and the grass lands over two tons of hay. The shaft is six by fourteen and a half feet, divided into two compartments of six feet each, two feet and a half being utilized as an air shaft, and a double cage kept running. It is down ninety-five feet. For fifty-six feet two inches, it is built of timbers solidly spiked together, and below that it is made of two by four inches scantling, placed on edge and spiked together, forming the wall casing. This was built in twenty-eight days, and is sufficient for hoisting 1,000 tons of coal per day. "At the bottom I found no water. The roof was as dry as the interior of a house. The only water which was in sight, and that was very little, was that which came down from the top of the shaft. Below was laid a double track for the cars, which are used in hauling out the coal. There were four rooms being worked, and the weird appearance of the miners digging at the solid coal was a sight to be remembered. The mine ceilings are held in place by timbers, twelve inches square. There is ten feet of solid timber from the lip of the shaft out each way, three feet from the center and two feet space between each. The roof overhead is formed of two-inch planks. All the digging is done with picks, the coal being undermined and dropping down of its own weight, thus obviating the use of gunpowder. The roofing overlying the coal is what miners term 'soapstone,' but is really shale clay, and is impervious to water. Below the coal is a bed of fire clay, which would doubtless make good fire brick. "Having looked through the new mines, I started over the country to Braceville. This little town is on the Chicago and Alton railroad, and is inhabited by about 1,000 people. Last summer, the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway Company purchased the old Bruce mine, which it is now working. It also bought of James Whitton, 1,680 acres of coal land, paying $168,000 in cash. This land is underlaid with coal of a quality not nearly equal to that of Fairbank. The Milwaukee and St. Paul company is now getting out from 275 to 300 tons of coal per day from the old shaft, which is about the measure of its capacity. The company has a second shaft down now, and is working twenty-five rooms in it. But water is found very troublesome here, and often prevents working the mine to its full capacity. When I was there, No. 2 shaft was working but six rooms out of the twenty-five, and these were not entirely dry. They employ seventy-five miners, but only eighteen of them could work because of water. At present there are four pumps at work in this shaft getting out the water, and they have not succeeded in clearing it out. They run three, four and five-inch pipes to the surface, and the volume of water that is raised can scarcely be computed. In No. 3 shaft, when the company was sinking it, an accident occurred to the pump, and the mine was literally drowned out. The shaft is 117 feet deep, and the water rose to within thirty-five feet of the surface. In this section water overlaps the coal at every point, and streams of it run through the mineral at a number of places. "In Godley, which is a little east of Braceville, Baird and Hickox have a mine running, and miners told me that there were few dry places there. The standard price paid for mining is $1.05 per ton in winter and 95 cents in summer, but at Godley they are obliged to pay from $1.25 to $1.30, which is from ten to twenty-five cents above the ruling price on the prairie, simply on account of water. The depth of the old Bruce shaft costs the company working it to pay as high as $1.50 per ton for mining in some spots." The shafts opened along the western border of this township are all of this character, but notwithstanding this drawback, mining in this vicinity is being pushed with renewed vigor of late years. At Coal City, and the Diamond, in the northeast corner, are larger coal interests, and riding along the central part of the township one may imagine the lake not far away, and the distant columns of smoke rising at pretty regular intervals on the eastern horizon to indicate the passage of a fleet of steamers. Many experts believe the coal to be found west of the Mazon will prove a finer quality and much more cheaply mined than at the present scene of operations. The first settlement of this township was closely allied to that of Mazon, Dr. L. S. Robbins, one of the Owen party of 1833, coming to Sulphur Springs in 1834, and building his cabin on the land he had secured by claim the year before. In the following year the Eslinger family settled north of the Mazon, below the Chicago and Alton railroad. The head of this family was a Methodist preacher, and had a large family of boys. They stayed here some three or four years, made some improvements, but for some reason left for other parts. Soon after, the place was burned over and the buildings and fences destroyed. About 1836 the "West Colony" settled on the Mazon Creek, toward the southeast corner of the township. But little more than this is known of this settlement. What the origin of the enterprise, or name was, is not known, and of their existence but few persons have any remembrance. It is certain, however, that several cabins were built here, and considerable improvement made, but the scheme, for some reason, proved a failure, and the place entirely abandoned after a short time. In the winter of 1834-5 John Cragg came to Braceville and settled on section 19, where he remained until his death. Cragg was a pattern maker by trade and a fine workman. He was following his trade at Patterson, N. J., when he heard the flattering stories of the Illinois country. But the long journey and the unknown experience to be expected on a frontier farm made him hesitate to come alone. He talked the matter over with his friends and associates, Edward Holland and a Mr. Gates, and with them made a compact to go to the West and settle near each other, agreeing that each should forfeit fifty dollars should he fail to carry out his part of the agreement. Cragg was married and had his wife with him. The others were less fortunate, for while married, their wives were yet in the old country. It was arranged that Cragg and his wife should come on and make a claim for himself and Holland, while Gates returned across the ocean for his own and Holland's wife. Gates found his task a more difficult one to accomplish than was anticipated. His own wife and Mrs. Holland, urged by their family friends, refused to face the perils and privations of the frontier, and Gates, choosing the less of two disappointments, remained at his old home, while Holland, after waiting for his wife in vain for a time, acting on the same principle perhaps, came to Illinois and settled just over the line in Mazon, and set up a blacksmith shop. He was never joined by his wife, and afterward solaced his lacerated feelings with another less afraid of frontier life. On his journey West, Cragg came by way of St. Louis, where he stayed some time. Here he met a family who had left the vicinity of Ottawa during the Indian troubles of 1839, and who offered him the use of half of a double log cabin they had there. This family was about to return to their claim overland, while Cragg and his family came by the river. It was agreed that when the overland party reached the vicinity of their cabin they should sound a horn, when Mrs. Cragg was to reply with a similar signal. The latter family had been ensconced in their new quarters several days when the expected blast was heard, and had experienced just enough of the isolation of their position to learn of the arrival of companions with no little satisfaction. Mr. Cragg had busied himself in prospecting the country about for a location, and soon fixed upon his place on the Mazon, and after building his cabin moved into it. The log cabin which is still standing was situated near the trail which was principally followed by the travel toward Chicago from the south. In this small building, hardly large enough for the family, they dispensed the courtesies and comforts of a frontier inn. The guests were not less rough than squeamish, and are represented as hardly superior to the Indians in their social accomplishments. In 1846, came John Kerns from New York and settled in the southern, and E. R. Booth, who settled in the southwestern part. In 1848 came D. R. Dowd, from Trumbull County, Ohio, and settled on the western line of the township near Mr. Booth. He was the first supervisor and gave the name of his Ohio home to this new township. In 1849 came Thomas Martin and Robert Huston. The latter was a weaver by trade, and came from New York by the Erie Canal, the lakes and the Michigan and Illinois Central to Morris. He was from May 1st to 21st in getting to Morris. During the trip the weather had been propitious, but no sooner had he set foot on Illinois soil when a discouraging rain set in. A team was hired to take his goods and family to their destination near where the village of Braceville is located. The rain came down rapidly and they just succeeded in fording the Johnny Run before it became impassable. They reached a deserted cabin near their place that night, though they were obliged to travel much of the way in water from a few inches to two feet deep. Here the team was blockaded, and was forced to wait three weeks before it could return. This sort of an introduction to the new country brought on the usual attack of the fever and ague, and for nine months Mr. Huston was not able to do anything toward putting up a house of his own. In the meantime he located his soldier's warrant, which he had purchased at a cost of $165, and began to invest the balance of his money in getting him a house. After getting a team he made trips to Chicago, teaming for others and bringing a load of lumber back for his house which he erected on the prairie. This was perhaps the first frame building in the township. Other early families were those of B. A. Crisler and H. Cassingbam, who settled on the western side of the Mazon. The larger part of this township was originally prairie land, and enough of it still remains in its natural condition to give one a fair idea of what the whole country once was. The wild grass of these lands made excellent pasture and hay. With the range the early settlers had, their cattle would put on more flesh and in less time than on any other pasture. The sedge which grew along the sloughs was the first to start in the spring, and furnished the earliest pasture. The bent or blue-joint, which was principally found along the sides of the sloughs, or, in the vernacular of the pioneer, "between the dry and wet land," was preferred by stock to all other varieties, especially when mixed with the wild pea vine. This made the best hay, and as its yield was very large, was generally selected for this purpose. But the combined ravages of stock and scythe rapidly exterminated it, so that in many cases the ground where it grew became almost bare of vegetation. The stock and the farmer then resorted to the upland grasses, but before the settlers multiplied so as to limit the range of the stock, the older and more experienced of the herd would go long distances to find their favorite pasture, necessitating on the part of the pioneer a hunt of several days to recover them. The native grasses were not less marked for their medicinal qualities. Cattle and horses seemed to be remarkably free from diseases so long as they could find plenty of wild hay or grass to feed upon. Horses raised upon the prairie were said never to be afflicted with the heaves, while horses brought here, suffering with this malady, were speedily cured by simply feeding on the native grasses. This advantage, however, was somewhat offset by the colic which this rank feeding frequently produced in horses with fatal effect. The introduction of tame grasses has largely remedied this evil, and most farmers are now able to supply their stock with a mixture of the two kinds. But the wild grass of the present is not found in all its virgin purity. The pea vine is almost if not entirely extinct, while the grass itself is very much modified, and is not valued in the markets equal to good timothy. The village growth of Braceville township is the result of the mining industry found here. Braceville village was laid out in 1861 by N. Cotton, who did the work himself, using a sixteen foot pole. It may be imagined that as the village grew it was sometimes rather difficult to adjust conflicting claims with the claims of the plat, but that has been regulated, and a village of 1,800 inhabitants is now found here. The recent increased activity among the mines in this vicinity has added a considerable number to the population in the past year. But the large number of cheap, poorly constructed dwellings does not betoken solid prosperity, especially when this is taken in connection with the large number of vacant stores, and lack of public improvement. The Diamond, in the extreme northeast corner, and Coal City, located a little south and west of Diamond, are similar towns but of smaller size. Additional Comments: HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY ILLINOIS; Containing a History from the earliest settlement to the present time, embracing its topographical, geological, physical and climatic features; its agricultural, railroad interests, etc.; giving an account of its aboriginal inhabitants, early settlement by the whites, pioneer incidents, its growth, its improvements, organization of the County, the judicial history, the business and industries, churches, schools, etc.; Biographical Sketches; Portraits of some of the Early Settlers, Prominent Men, etc.; ILLUSTRATED. CHICAGO: O. L. BASKIN & CO., HISTORICAL PUBLISHERS, Lakeside Building. 1882. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.org/il/grundy/history/1882/historyo/chapter268nms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/ilfiles/ File size: 19.1 Kb