History of Bartonville, Illinois

ftistory ofSURVEYHISTORICALmiflOlSHISTORY OF BARTONVILLE, ILLINOIS Compiled and Published by THE HERITAGE COMMITTEE theof BARTONVILLE BICENTENNIAL COMMISSION HERITAGE COMMITTEE Mr. Edward W. Rose Mrs. Bryon Ball Mr. Wilbur H. Lauterbach Mrs. Leroy Peters Mrs. Laverne Velpel Mrs. Karen Dries BARTONVILLE BICENTENNIAL COMMISSION Mrs. Donald Stewart J. Mr. BlanquartJoe Mrs. Norma Rebbec J. Mrs. Isom Zachman Mrs. Virginia Blanquart Mr. Zack Monroe Mrs. David Markwalder Mr. Richard Lauterbach Mr. Edward W. Rose This Commission was authorized by an ordinance passed by the Bartonville VillageBoard andMayorGeraldA. Stuaan.Foreword loyal Americansis the Bicentennial our nation, allBecause 1976 of This commission has publishedhomage to our pioneers.want to pay have gone before us,book and dedicated it to those whothis sacrifices and hardships, our greatrecognizing that without their nation woxdd not be what it is today. Acknowledgements this book. We are especiallyMany among us have contributed to photographs and specificindebted to the following who have donated information: Hazel Randall, Mr. Stephenand Mrs. Charles Paschon, Mrs.Mr. Mrs. Lottie Bruninga, Mr. ArtBarton, Mrs. Amalia Gerdes Burke, Mr.Peoria Public Library,Reidlinger, Alpha Park Library District, Church, Bartonville MethodistKen Hinrichs, Bethel Lutheran Baptist Church,Christian Oak GroveChurch, Bartonville Church, St. Anthony'sPresbyterian Church, St. John LutheranTrinity Oak Grove School, MonroeLiturgical Center, Bartonville School, School, Keystone Steel and Wire, AlliedSchool, Limestone High Mr. William Luthy, Mr.Hydraulic Company,Mills, Inc., Johnson Mrs. Herman Meardy,Mr. Ben Taylor,and Mrs. K. C. Jones, Star, Mr. Kenneth Lane, AnnaBarton, Peoria JournalEleanore J. - Mrs. Haller.Rosenbohm, Wm. Johnson Mr. and Joseph Merriman, officialphoto reproduction by Mr. LeePhotography and Bartonville Bicentennial Commission.photographer for theCHAPTER I The Beginning The first white men to set foot in poo, he found the land to be under- this area were laidFather Jacques Mar- abundantly with coal. Some years quette and Louis in fol- later, in about BaptisteJolliet 1673, 1765, Jean lowed by Robert Cavalier, Sieur de Maillet received a grant from the LaSalle, who Britishcame down the Illinois for 1,400 acres at the mouth and Mississippi ofRivers by canoe in the Kickapoo, which included one January, 1680. LaSalle constructed mile on the riverfront extending back Fort Creve Coeur at the lower end of two miles into the country. It is Peoria Lake, where the river narrows known that the family of LaVille de in Tazewell County. Maillet farmed land in the Kickapoo Because this is now the Village of bottoms into the 1780's. Somewhat Creve Coeur, which is almost directly later, other Frenchmen occupied across the river from Bartonville, it is farms there, namely Simon Roi, An- entirely possible LaSalle may have toine Roi, Hypolite Maillet, Antoine walked and explored the site of the Cicare, and Francis Montplaiser, to- present-day Bartonville. gether with Thomas Forsyth, an In the year of 1723, when this area American. The Kickapoo, at that was still a part of French America, time, was called Gatinan (possibly Philip Francis Renault was successful Coteneau). During the War of 1812, in obtaining a land grant of one these farms were all abandoned when league on the Illinois River, extend- the Village of Peoria was burned. ing back five leagues on the Kicka- The first permanent settlers in poo. Renault was interested in the Limestone Township were Joseph development of mining. While ex- Moffatt and his three sons, Alva, ploring the bluffs along the Kicka- Aquilla, and Benjamin. They settled 1toms". At about the same time, OrinThe Harker familythere in 1822. Moffattthe Hamlin and Alva and Aquillaand settled incame in 1829 vicinity of Mid-township, erected a dam in thecorner of thesouthwest build a sawmill. The firstCorners, dle Road towas called Harkerswhich sawn went into the newof Lake timberthe present locationnear built in Peoria. At aLimestone courthouse beingOther earlyCamelot. flour mill was erected atHenry W. later date, asettlers wereTownship which over the yearsHeaton, the same site,Crowe, JamesJones, James known as "Monroe's Mill".settlers becamePleasant Hughes. Otherand of this early in-cen- Nothing remainscame in the middle of thewho came dustry.Conrad Bontz, whotury were Bartonvillethe The area that is nowChristian Straesser andin 1844; that nameproper has been known byGeorge Ojeman inHallers in 1847; Officesince at least 1878, when a Postand Roelf in 1851;1849; Ed John named inwas opened there andBall in 1852. These peo-and Samuel Barton. The Bar-descent honor of W. C. H.were mostly of Germanple Central Illinois invineyards in the ton family came toplanted the firstand settled in northern Peoriaproduced from 1829 andtownship. Wine was near the Mitchell Sanitarium. Inbefore their vineyardswild grapes ofthey came to that partmaturity. 1850,reached that is nowpeople of Limestone Townshipthe year 1850, theIn first lived in aestablish a Bartonville. TheyPeoria County voted to near the present offices ofof government. farmhousetownship form Steel and Wire Company.chosen as the name Keystone"Limestone" was they moved to what wasbecause of the large In 1868,for the township atknown as the Barton Mansionlimestone that could beamount of homeSouth Adams Street. Thisnorthern part of the 5416quarried in the contin-occupied by the Bartonswastownship. death inuously until W. W. Barton'sTownship can be proudLimestone prob-1958. This house wasfirst flour mills in January,of having two of the Barton-ably the oldest building inSharp and Johnthe county. George makeand was razed in 1975 tomill around 1830 ville,Hamlin erected a for Interstate 474.mile north of the roomabout one-half andThe Bartons were a large116 (Plankbridge on Highway fittingprosperous family and it waspurchased inRoad). This mill was ultimately bethat the village wouldAiken and Robert E.1833 by Joshua They were largenamed for them.Little. They remodelled and en- farmers. Owning allto grind landowners andlarged the mill so it was able ofand fertile bottomlandsday. They also of the richfifty barrels of flour a Kickapoothe Illinois River andtitle to one thousand acresobtained were in excessBot- Creek, their holdingsof land known as "Horseshoe 2W. C. H. Barton -1818 1896 Founder BartonvilleofOffice Keystone Steel WireHome W. H. Barton on site of &C. ofof at 5416 Adams St.Barton Mansion S.