RECOLLECTIONS OF A LITTLE GIRL IN THE "FORTIES" WITH APOLOGIES FOR A SOMEWHAT LENGTHY

SEQUEL.

By MRS. PAUL SELBY.

My parents Porter Smith and Mary Topliff Smith left Amherst, Mass., in the spring of 1834, traveling by means of a horse and buggy to Albany, and with myself an infant in arms. From Albany they came by canal and lake to a point in Ohio, where doubtless Cleveland now flourishes. From there they made their way as best they could to the little village of Sharon, near Akron. They lived there two or more years, and my sister was born there. In the meantime my mother's relatives in Massachusetts seem to have taken the western fever. One had gone to Quincy, Ill., as a home missionary teacher. She was well educated, for those days, was good-looking, and refined. She soon attracted the admiration of the young postmaster, Robert Tillson, who persuaded her to confine her ministrations to himself. Thereafter both she and her husband wrote my parents glowing accounts of their new home, and urged them to make another move, with Quincy, Ill., as their destination.

Right here I may, perhaps, appropriately mention that my new uncle, Robert Tillson, was the young brother of John Tillson, a remarkably active man of wide vision and extensive acquaintance among Illinois pioneers, as he was one himself, coming in 1819. John Tillson had a charming wife, also a native of the east. They lived for a time in Hillsboro, where she became well known as a delightful hostess to wide awake men, who often visited this new state to study its agricultural and political outlook. Her husband in the meantime, perhaps, looking over favorable locations and making investments while Robert, his younger brother, looked after the welfare of the home. Finally they moved to Quincy, and made their home in the Quincy House, where I became acquainted with the little daughter, Christiana, the own cousin of my own cousins.

Besides the daughter, there were two sons, considerably older, John, Jr., and Robert, who spent very little time in Quincy at that day, but were undoubtedly pursuing their studies in some more educationally favored localities. John was probably instrumental in securing the position of postmaster for his brother Robert, and in his acquiring considerable land there and in the vicinity.

My aunt, now Mrs. Robert Tillson, had persuaded her widowed mother and two younger sisters to come to Quincy, too. The activities and successes of the Tillsons were doubtless magnets drawing to the same point other eastern Massachusetts men, among them Messrs. Charles and Edward Savage, their cousins, who became very prominent and successful business

men.

Finally, in view of all these family ties, and other inducements, my parents decided to sell out their possessions in Ohio and move still farther west. This time they could reach the Ohio River with comparative ease,—so again with a baby in arms, and myself, they made the journey to the Ohio, and on that river to Cairo, where it joins the Mississippi, which last river brought them directly to their destination.

As there were no houses to rent at that period, another aunt who had also married, gave us shelter. I have little doubt that it was a log cabin, but I do not remember it. However, my father immediately bought quite a large plot near the center of the town, and erected as soon as possible a six room frame cottage, which is the first home of which I have any recollection.

COLONISTS.

The people of Quincy, when we arrived there, were mostly from the eastern states. There were a number also of fine Kentuckians, and a few Germans.

One of the most prominent of the citizens was Mr. John Wood, who came very early in the twenties. Like other pioneers, he lived for some time in a log cabin. Afterwards he built what was long the finest home in Quincy. It stood in extensive grounds, was large, and its wide front was sheltered by a portico, with beautiful white columns extending to the base of the roof's gable. In my childhood eyes it was very magnificent. When we came to Quincy, Mr. Wood had a family

of two daughters and three sons. The younger daughter, Jane, was of about my age, and I used sometimes to go to see her. It was quite a long walk for me, two blocks east, two blocks south, then east again by the side of a long pasture belonging to the Woods, before I came to the house. Mrs. Wood was a kind and friendly woman, and "Janie" was a sweet gentle little girl. I always enjoyed a visit with her. But she died very early, and I missed her greatly. The boys were big and noisy and I saw but little of them.

John Wood' might appropriately be called the "grand old man" of Quincy. I suppose he was what is called a "self-mademan" who had few opportunities in his youth to obtain an education, but he was ambitious, public spirited, honorable, and intelligent, with great natural ability; and so commanded the respect of the entire community, and in public affairs is conspicuous in any history of Quincy.

His lovely wife died in the fifties, and several years later he married Mrs. Holmes, widow of Rev. J. T. Holmes. She was an educated woman of excellent judgment, a good helpmeet for him, and acceptable to the family. She had two wide-awake boys, the elder, Frederick, was considered by us young folks in our school days a very eloquent speaker, when on occasions dedicated to such exercises he declaimed with great spirit and fine gesture, some grand old poem like

"Twas midnight in his guarded tent

The Turk was dreaming of the hour

When Greece, her knees in suppliance bent,
Should tremble at his power"—

-or

"The Assyrian came down like a wolf on the fold
His cohorts were gleaming in purple and gold."”

Oh, it was very thrilling I assure you, to us girls, who listened spell-bound to such eloquence!

Mrs. Wood's two sons seem to have found congenial occupation elsewhere, for I never saw them in Quincy in later years.

1 John Wood elected Lieutenant Governor of Illinois, became Governor of the State on death of Governor Wm. H. Bissell, March 18, 1860, served until the inauguration of Governor Richard Yates, January, 1861.

Among other prominent men whose names were very familiar were those of Messrs. O. H. Browning2 and Nehemiah Bushnell, his partner in a law-firm; Mr. Browning was a Kentuckian and was exactly my idea of the old style gentleman whom I much admire. Mr. Bushnell while being perhaps less elaborate in his manner was no less a gentleman. He was a fine scholar, had a large library, and was generous with his books as I had reason to know in later years. Mr. Willard Keyes came about the same time as John Wood. He also built a large white house on the corner of Broadway and Eighth Streets. He had a son and three daughters, the eldest of whom became one of my very intimate friends. One cannot omit from among the names of these early settlers who helped to make Quincy, those of Messrs. Lorenzo and Henry Bull, who first carried on a hardware business on the south side of the square. They prospered, and finally sold that business and became bankers. Eventually they built fine homes for themselves, one on the south side and the other on the north side of Maine Street, some distance east of the public square. The families of all these fine people I could count as my friends when I grew up.

At the time of which I am writing, the population of Quincy could not have been more than 1,500, for the census at least ten years later credited it with only 2,500.

The tradition is, that John Quincy Adams, on his western tour, and coming down the Mississippi, stopped at the little town, and was doubtless received with open arms. He probably expressed his admiration for the beauty of the location, and thus so pleased the residents that they named the town Quincy, and the County, Adams, in his honor. My recollection of it as it was during my childhood is that there were only two or three streets graded, and those for only short distances. The town was built on bluffs, two of which at least were capped by Indian mounds; and there was but one passable road to the river and boat landing. The view from the bluffs was very attractive, to young people especially, when the lordly Father of Waters was on a rampage, spreading a flood that covered six or seven miles of the Missouri bottoms opposite.

Appointed U. S. Senator by Governor Yates on death of Stephen A. Douglas, June, 1861.