Wiley Brick School District
The following letter was written by Samuel Sargent to his nephew Loren Lee on February 18, 1933. Loren had written him asking for his help with an essay he was writing in his 8th grade class. The Essay was on the Wiley Brick School District. Attached is a map hand drawn by Mr. Sargent.
512 Isabel Street
Los Angeles, Calif.
February 18, 1933
Dear Loren:- I am glad to help you all I can on the essay. I will write what I know in the arrangement you had it in your papers, and you can use as much of it as you want. As I will take some pains to cover all the subjects, you might file this away in your treasure box and keep it for future time, as by the time your children grow up much of this information may be impossible to get, and it might be valuable to some one later on in the course of time.
Click here to see the map he had attached.
Introductory Remarks about the Community of the Wiley Brick School District.
This community is an integral part of the broad expanse of country known as the Mississippi Basin, of the Middle West. The land is rolling and best adapted for grazing purposes, although when the best of the soil is properly rested and taken care of, it will produce grain with the best of any soil. Horticulture might have an equal place with grazing, but this phase of agriculture has not been exploited to any marked extent.
Due to the heavy rainfall which washes the rolling land, the loss of the surface-soil is very considerable, which necessitates the proper protection against such erosion.
The practice of diversified farming was first adopted through necessity by the first farmers and has been carried on throughout the years. No one branch of agriculture has had precedence over another.
The Township of Hutton, of which this community is a part, has always been noted for the industry of hog raising, and one might be safe in saying that in the years of the past, it could rate with any community of equal size, in the raising and feeding of hogs, as a comparison in volume of business.
The land is cut by the numerous ditches and creeks which carry away the water.
Location
This community is located in the eastern side of Hutton Township, within Town II North Range 10 East and Town 12 North Range 10 East, composed mainly in whole or part of sections 11,12,2,1 of the former part and sections 35 and 36 of the latter description.
A general description of the community is that it lays in the water-shed of the Mississippi River, drained in turn by the embarrass River, the Wabash River and the Ohio River which empties into the Mississippi River.
The land is mostly in the Mattoon Moraine, which has a general direction of North east and South west.
Size
This school district covers approximately four square miles.
Topography
The land is rolling or undulative, cut into ravines, hollows, and rather low hills by the many ditches and creeks which carry off the water. However the South east corner of the district in sections 11 and 12 is level or glade land and might be classed as part of Parker Prairie.
Early History
This community lays in what was a vast wilderness, covering the Eastern and Middle Western part of the United States. Most of it until the coming of the white man, was covered with the lofty verdure of the forest which sweep over hill and dale, shadowing a fertile soil. Here and there were green openings where deer and wild animals grazed on the grass. This prolific wilderness was but a hunting-ground for a few fierce hordes of savages. On the rich meadows opening to the sun, they pitched their tents, where the squaws with their rude implements, grew maize and beans.
The solitude's of the forest was only broken by the whoop of the Indians, or the noises of the wild game. Indian arrow-heads and tomahawks found over the hills, are evidence that the Redmen roamed this region.
The Indian with his ruling passions of revenge, envy, jealousy, and warring ambitions, ruled the land with the tomahawk, bow and arrow.
At the time of the coming of the first whites to this region, the Kickapoo Indians used this territory as their forest home. Small tribes of this group lived throughout this section. However they gave very little trouble to the white men, other than stealing.
Spain was the first country to claim ownership of all the land in the Mississippi Basin, by the right of Discovery. Her armored soldiers with their battle-axes and flashing swords have marched over this region.
France in turn occupied and controlled the country, which was to be a part of her horse-shoe empire to enclose the British in along the Atlantic coast. Her colonies occupied the St. Lawrence valley, extending their settlements over the Great Lakes region, thence down the Mississippi River, with a base at New Orleans. In southern Illinois her soldiers built one of the strongest forts on the American continent. It was located on the Mississippi River near Prairie du Rocher. The structure was of stone and cost the French government a million dollars. It was a rallying point for all the Indian tribes in this region who were friendly with the French. Here also the French Coureures de bois (traders) made their headquarters, to dispose of their furs which they had collected in the far west form the Indians. These traders roamed all over this region.
An old French trail angled across the western side of Hutton Township, which possibly was a branch of the one on the other side of the river, used by the French in going from Fort de Chartres to the lake region possible striking at Detroit, where they had a fort. It was an overland route used as a short cut between these two points, and no doubt many cavalcades of French soldiers have followed it in those far off romantic days.
After the French lost control the English ruled until General George Rogers Clark captured Fort Chartres and Vincennes, during the Revolutionary War, after which the American government came into control.
The State of Virginia claimed the land first, then it passed into the Northwest Territory, under a territorial government located at Vincennes. General Harrison kept the Indian tribes under control from his post at Fort Vincennes. Here the Indians traveled annually to collect the gifts and presents form the United States Government, which bribed them to remain peaceful.
The angling road which passes through the Sargent farm, know as the "Palestine" or "York" road is said to have been an old Indian trail, possible used by the Indian tribes of the Northwest going towards the Kentucky hunting grounds.
The first American known to penetrate this region was Levi Doty, who came possible up this trail and settled over in what is now Charleston Township, near the south west corner. History says he came first about 1818. He was soon followed by the Parker families. There were two of these families, one settled on Parker Prairie and the other on the Embarrass River, near where the new State highway crosses. The latter one came in 1824, at which time they took up government land, called "Congress Land", at $125 per acre.
Tradition says that a battle was fought near where this bridge is by a company of rangers, or surveyors, from southern Illinois, and a band of Indians. There isn't any authentic records of it, so we will have to depend upon what the pioneers have told.
While this history doesn't directly cover the history of the Wiley Brick district, yet it indirectly affects it.
It must be held in mind that this section was settled late in the history of Illinois, as the State was admitted to Statehood in 1818. Other sections of the State had received many settlers, mainly the southern or the Wabash county, and along the Sangamon River.
The land diagram will give the names and dates of the respective settlers and where they entered the land.
First Settlers
Henry P. Engle seems to have been the first to have taken up land within the district. Not much is known about him, but he must have been related to the Engles who lived about over Hutton Township in later years. Henry Cox lived and owned the Engle land. Whether Engle built the house or one before the one Henry Cox lived in, is not known.
James and Anthony Cox were brothers it seems and were some of the first settlers. Adam Cox who took up the second entry, which was in 1833 was also a brother. This entry is known now as the Stephen Sargent homestead, who traded Richard Easton out of it. There was an old log house on it when Sargent got it, whether Adam Cox or Richard Easton built it, it not known.
Richard Easton was quite a prominent man in this part of the country when it was new. He originally came from Kentucky and was said to be a great hunter and land judge. Pioneers came to him for information about land. He lived in Clark County before coming into what is now Hutton Township. He served on several road commissions for surveying and laying out new roads. One of them was the road which started at Richwoods, a settlement east of where Westfield is now, and angled south west, to strike the National Road, near where Greenup is located at present. This road crossed the Sargent farm, and the old imprint of the road can be located just west of the Stephen Sargent home, in the woods, and north of the John Sargent home going down through the woods. It was near where the old Wiley Brick school house first stood, which was built of logs. This building possibly was located on this road. Then it angled on through the Goble neighborhood.
Down in the Hutton neighborhood the marks of the road can be seen but it must not be confused with the old road known as "The Pinhook Road" which came over near Salisbury. Oakland at one time was called Pinhook. This road angled south west from Pinhook, and was a much more used road than the other.
As this road which Richard Easton helped to lay out crossed the old York Road about where the ditch is, north west of the Stephen Sargent home about two hundred yards, it looks as though Easton rather expected there might be a chance of this being an important crossing, and this may have had some bearing on his taking out land in this immediate vicinity, in fact the forty where they cross.
Richard Easton had a large family and several of the boys entered land about the neighborhood. He finally removed across the Embarrass River, over in what is now Pleasant Grove Township. He may have died there as some of his children lived there. He was the progenitor of the Easton family in Hutton and Coles County.
Reason Wiley was one of the large families who emigrated to a point south west of Paris, which was the first settlement in Edgar County. Here the family lived for a few years, then removed to what is now called the Dudley neighborhood south west of Ashmore, where several of them settled and died. Another brother Samuel Wiley lived in an old log house in the Dudley neighborhood and he and his wife Hester were buried in the Wells cemetery near there. They were the great-great-great-grand parents of Loren Lee.
Reason Wiley lived in a log house which stood south of the road on what is now known as the John Richardson farm. This Wiley family are buried in the old cemetery on the creek bank about half mile north of where this house stood, know as the Stewart cemetery.
Owen Wiley a son of the Reason Wiley, also lived and owned this farm. He was a Captain in the Civil War of K Company, which was mostly recruited from Hutton Township. This Company was a part of the 123rd Regiment, which had the distinction of being one of the few regiments in Wilder's Brigade, the only brigade to be armed with Spencer rifles in the Army of the Cumberland under General Thomas. It was a mounted infantry brigade, and theirs was a brilliant service, as they were called upon to do much special service.
They were thrown into a gap during the battle of Chickamauga, when the boys in gray were about to route the Union Army. General Longstreet who commanded the Division which was pressing boys in blue at this point, said he never saw men stand more firm than Wilder's Brigade did at that time. The men of Wilder's Brigade were placed about fifteen feet apart and their repeating Spencers made it very hot for the Rebels, so much that several charges were repulsed and time given for the Union Army to get organized.
From this battle the Brigade was taken out and sent after General Wheeler who had a large body of cavalry and was creating havoc in the rear of the Union forces. They soon drove Wheeler back across the Tennessee line after the battle of .
In 1871 Owen Wiley was elected sheriff of Coles County. Later on he removed to Casey, Illinois, where he died and was buried in the cemetery there.
The school was named after the Wiley family, also the church and cemetery.
Nathaniel Lee was a member of a family who first came from Virginia or New Jersey. It was a large family and all the Lee families of Coles and Clark Counties came from this one. He was the great-great-grand father of Loren Lee.
Peter Garrison who lived on the line along the south side of section eleven was one of the early settlers and was a pioneer doctor, as was his wife, who practiced after Mr. Garrison's death.
Burgess Burkley lived outside the school district, but owned land within it. He was the progenitor of the Berkley family. He first came from Culpeper County Virginia, and was of the same family in that state which was so prominent in its early colonial history.
The Walker family was a large one in the early history of Hutton Township. There were several branches, more or less related, living in the locality. Stanley B. Walker was a preacher of the Baptist faith and his activity was not negligent, but comprehensive.
Jacob Cottingham lived on the east side of section eleven and was the son of George L. Cottingham, one of the few Revolutionary War soldiers to settle and live in Hutton Township. It is stated in history that he was a boot-maker for George Washington, during the war.
William Weaver was a very prominent man in the history of the locality; while he entered land in this community, he never lived in it as far as is known. His home was up near the creek in the Law neighborhood. He is said to have been the first man to set out an orchard in the Township.
John C. and Alexander Davis were members of the same family by that name who live in the Township today.
Stephen Sargent came to the Township in 1838 or 40, from New Richmond (Westfield), where he had operated a pioneer store since 1836. This was his first attempt at farming as he had followed the stone-masons trade in Louisville, Kentucky, since he was a boy. He engaged in the occupation of flatboating hogs down to New Orleans from Louisville on several occasions. The hogs in the shape of feeders were loaded on the boat, with enough corn to last till the market was reached, and the fattening process took place as they drifted down the rivers. By the time they reached the destination, they were ready for market.
There were many other pioneers who came and went in the years following the first comers, but it would take too much space here to enumerate them all.
I might name several farmers who lived in the community in the years of my generation, who were rather successful. I will name those only of large land holdings.
In the northeast section of two was John Richardson, who owned several hundred acres of land, and who had his farm improved with good buildings and fences. His home was a two story house surrounded with shade and fruit trees. He was an extensive cattle feeder.
In Section one was Adam Cox, another large land holder, cattle feeder, and successful farmer. He was the son of Anthony Cox a first settler.
John Sargent who inherited much of the estate of his father Stephen Sargent, had at one time one of the best improved and located stock farms in this section. It was a pretentious outlay of buildings and equipment.
Clabourn Fuqua, while not living within the district, but a few paces from the shout east corner, owned the south east forty acres of section eleven. He was noted as one of the most successful farmers in this region, with extensive land holdings mainly on the road to Casey. He practically owned one of the banks in Casey at one time.
William Henry Berkley who lived on the east side of section twelve had as well improved a farm as could be found around this region, well set out in hedge rows, which he kept trimmed perfectly. His home set back from the road, which was approached through a lane of hedge rows, and the house in a grove of large shade trees made as beautiful a home as one could wish. He was very meticulous in all that he did.
Most of these men started without much aid and became outstanding farmers and land holders in their communities.
There are others who lived in the community who I might mention, although not so successful in gathering this world's goods.
There was Nathan Austin who lived about one half mile south of the school. He was a soldier in the Black Hawk War and very prominent in the politics of the Township.
Henry Beavers who lived just across the road west of section tow was a soldier in the Civil War, as were many others of the locality.
The Stewart family was quite large, although they lived north of the district.
The Wiley Brick church was organized in 1871 by David Campbell, and their first church building is the one which stands adjacent to the school yard.
Westfield was organized in 1839. It was known then as New Richmond and was the main trading center for this region. It was on the old Archer Road which angled up from Marshall.
In 1851 the Asiatic Cholera spread throughout the country and many were the victims of it in this locality. People were panic stricken, left their homes, and would not associate with each other. Whole families died without any attention from a doctor or a neighbor. It was even hard to get men to bury the dead. The cemeteries give testimony to the fact that many people passed away from this disease.
There were no stores or places of business in this community as far as I have been able to determine. If there were any mills within the borders of the district I am unable to state where. The earliest settlers took their grain to the Parker Mill on the Embarrass River to have it ground.
The houses of the first settlers were of logs, cut and hewed from the virgin forest standing over the ground. Their barns were built of the same material. Before the land could be farmed it was necessary to cut and burn the trees which stood thick upon the fertile land. This necessitated considerable work and gave rise to the large log rollings that furnished amusement and log rolling contests for the settlers at their gatherings. Men vied with each other to lift the largest log. At night the country was lighted up with great glows from the burning piles of logs, where clearing was in progress. It is hardly necessary to mention that millions of feet of first class oak lumber went up in smoke, as there was nothing to do with it. There were no saw-miles and logs that would make the finest lumber in the world was just debris to be destroyed the easiest way.
The first Wiley Brick school house was made form logs. When it was built I know not. Paul (Sargent) might tell you about when it was moved to the present site.
Oxen were used mostly in the early work about he farms and hauling products to market. As roads improved they were supplemented by horses which could draw loads much faster.
Wagons served the purpose of carrying the family to church, visiting, or to town. It looked very aristocratic for a farmer to have a two or three seated sping-wagon. Roads were almost impassable in the winter and spring of the year, so horseback riding was a most common mode of travel. The first mail delivery through this region came by a horseback delivery man from down on the Wabash, possibly York, Palestine, or Darwin.
I guess I have covered about all the historic part of your essay and the other you can get from others around home. I hope this will help you some. As I haven't more time I will close hastily, without checking the typing mistakes.
Yours truly,
(Signed Sam Sargent)
