Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2022 All Rights Reserved USGenNet Data Repository Please read USGenNet Copyright Statement on this page: Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott for the USGenNet Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ =========================================================================== Formatted by USGenNet Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott All of the above information must remain when copied or downloaded. =========================================================================== The Good Old Times In McLean County, Illinois Written by Dr. E. Duis Pub: The Leader Publishing and Printing House Bloomington, Illinois; 1874 P. 127-134 OLD SETTLERS OF M'LEAN COUNTY ALLIN TOWNSHIP GREENBERRY LARISON GREENBERRY LARISON was born January 21, 1810, in Bloom township, Morgan County, Ohio, on the banks of the Mus- kingum River. The ancestors of his father, ABEL LARISON, came from Holland, and were among the earliest settlers in New York. His mother's ancestors settled in Maryland at an early day, but Mr. LARISON does not remember from what country they originally came. The LARISON family is very large. There is now in New York a large property, worth perhaps eight millions of dollars which it is thought, belongs to the LARISON family; but matters are so mixed that it is doubtful whether they will receive any benefit from it. It consists of some real estate which was leased for ninety-nine years. The term of the lease expired five or six years ago, but the difficulty now is to find all the heirs and to prove their right. HENRY WARD BEECHER'S church stands upon one of the lots comprised in the real estate claimed by the Larison family. There were ten children in the LARISON family, five boys and five girls; GREENBERRY was the oldest boy. The little education he received was obtained in a log school house, where he at- tended about three months in the year up to the age of seven- teen or eighteen. He was a pretty bright scholar, as good as there was in the settlement. He learned reading, writing, spell- ing and geography, and was taught to cipher up to the rule of three; but grammar was badly neglected. When Mr. LARISON was seventeen years of age he killed his first deer. The circumstances were these. There was a pretty maid at his father's house, and though GREENBERRY was then young he wished to do something manly and chivalrous. He took his father's gun and went hunting, and when about a mile and a half from home he killed a deer, a fine buck. The happy youth cut off the head of the deer, put a stick through its neck and dragged it home in triumph, and succeeded in getting there before the pretty maid had left. The name of the charming maiden was ARALINE WHITEHEAD, but a few years afterwards it was changed to Mrs. LARISON. When Mr. LARISON was sixteen years of age he had shown himself very bold and venturesome on the water, and had found some valuable articles and parts of cargoes, which had been lost from flatboats which had been wrecked on the river. He hunted among the drifts and became so skillful that at the age of sixteen he "followed the river." This is a rough life, and the boatsmen are the hardest of charecters. On the Muskingum River merchandise was floated on flatboats. These flatboats were sixty or seventy feet in length and eighteen or twenty feet wide, and were loaded with merchandise until they sank two or three feet in the water. I can very readily be seen that they were unwieldy, and in order to move them a hundred feet across the current the boatmen were obliged to let them float a half mile or more. Unless the boatmen were skillful they could not stop or hitch up their flatboat along the shore. A rope thrown from the boat around a tree would soon tighten up and snap in two. In order to manage their craft the boat- men were obliged to know the river and understand all the cur- rents and shoals and eddies. If they wished to stop their boat they tried to run it into still water, or, better than this, into an eddy, and gradually bring the unwieldy craft ashore. Sometimes the boat was carried by the current on rocks, or crowded into shore on some log and a hole torn in the side or bottom. When such a misfortune happened the boat was sure to sink, and the merchandise was of course pretty widely distri- buted by the water. Some of it would be carried down stream or sunk in an eddy, or caught in a drift. It was in hunting for articles of merchandise lost from sunken flatboats that Mrs. LARISON learned the river and acquired skill in the management of water crafts. He followed the river for some years, whenever the Muskingum was not frozen too hard for flabtoats to run, and he learned all the currents and eddies. But he was not destined to be a flatboatman all his life. At the age of twenty he married ARALINE WHITEHEAD, the hand- some young lady who had captivated his affections a few years before. This interesting event took place on the first of April, 1830. In the fall of that year Mr. ABEL LARISON came West with all of the family except GREENBERRY, and settled at Kickapoo, near what is now called the village of Waynes- ville. It was not until April, 1831, that GREENBERRY LARISON came to Illinois. He came by water and landed at Pekin. He had, in coming up the river, been carried past this place up to Fort Clark (Peoria), but came back to Pekin, and from there across to Kickapoo, where his father lived. His father had bought three claims, those of WILLIAM and JAMES MURPHY and JOSIAH HARP. The latter claim was given up to GREENBERRY LARISON on his arrival. At that time he had a five franc piece in his pocket, a bed, and cooking utensils enough for his young wife to cook their scanty meal. He settled on the farm without a horse, cow, pig, sheep or goat. There was on the place a curiosity in the shape of a wooden grindstone. It had been made probably by JOSIAH HARP, from whom the claim had been bought. When made it was of green wood, and had sand and fine gravel pounded into it. When it had seasoned, the sand and gravel were held fast, and though it did not sharpen an axe very well or put on a fine edge it would give it a lively scratching. The grindstone was a very important article always. Mr. LARISON was obliged to go sixteen miles from his place to 'SQUIRE GATES', in Blooming Grove, on the farm now known as the KITCHEL farm, to get his axes sharpened. Mr. LARISON worked hopefully though he expected and re- ceived many set-backs. In the fall of the year in which he came West he had become wealthy enough to own a fine litter of six pigs, but, during the second night after this sudden wealth had been thrust upon him, the prairie wolves came up within thirty feet of his house and captured the youthful porkers and they were never heard of more. "Riches take to themselves wings and fly away." But Mr. LARISON did not despair; during the fall he bought a cow on credit agreeing to pay for her by the fol- lowing Christmas. He made the money to pay for her by cutting cord-wood at twenty-five cents a cord from the logs lying where Mr. SCOTT now lives. He also made rails for Mr. WILLIAM MURPHY at thirty-three cents per hundred and boarded himself and walked three miles to work. He had in the early days some slight opportunity for seeing and understanding the Indians. In the fall of 1831 some Indians came to WILLIAM MURPHY and offered him a little Indian girl five years of age for four bushels of ground wheat, but he declined the offer. When Mr. LARISON heard of this he was astonished and anxious to get the child and willing to give the wheat. He asked MURPHY why he refused the bargain, and the latter, having had some experience and knowledge of the Indians, replied that they would soon return and steal the little girl away. The season of 1831 was cool and short and a few of the farm- ers raised good corn. The winter previous was the winter of the deep snow, and the climate was so chilled that the effect was felt during the whole season of 1831. There was a frost every month in the year and the corn could not ripen. It was so worth- less that seed corn could not be gathered to plant during the following season. In the spring of 1832 nearly all the seed corn was brought from Ohio and Kentucky and sold for two and a half dollars per bushel and sometimes for more. JOHN DUFFY of Ran- dolph Grove brought on a lot of small yellow corn that matured early and this is yet called the DUFFY corn. Mr. LARISON was a great hunter. Although the game was made comparatively scarce by the winter of the deep snow, yet the skillful hunter could find it. The big game was deer and turkey and it was well worthy of the hunter's exertions. Mr. LARISON says that he has killed "a power of deer and turkey." Mr. LARISON worked hard for two years on his farm at Kicka- poo and then removed to Bloomington and bought out a drinking saloon. In those days saloons were patronized by nearly every one and the saloon-keeper was one of the most honored members of society. It is said that ABRAHAM LINCOLN once sold liquor at retail when he first came to Illinois. Some years afterwards when LINCOLN took the stump against Judge DOUGLAS, the latter alluded to LINCOLN'S calling in early western times; but LINCOLN retorted that while he had officiated in one capacity on one side of the bar, Judge DOUGLAS had officiated in the other capacity on the other side! In 1835 Mr. LARISON ran for constable at the solicitation of his old friend, General GRIDLEY, and was fortunate enough to be elected. He served in that capicity for five years, and in 1840 was elected sheriff of McLean County for two years. He was the third sheriff of the county, but he was the first one who took a prisoner to the penitentiary. The prisoner, whose name was WEBB, had been arrested by LARISON for passing counter- feit money. He was one of that numerous band of counterfeiters and burglars that infected the western country, and had just arrived from the Rock River Valley. As soon as the prisoner was remanded to jail a certain individual of Bloomington began to plot to release him, for the band of thieves had agents in every town. But Mr. LARISON "got wind" of this little arrangement and carefully guarded the jail, and had the pleasure of seeing WEBB tried, convicted and sentenced to the penitentiary for five years. Mr. LARISON carried the counterfeiter to Alton, and has ever reason to suppose that for five years he did the State sub- stantial service. Occassionally the early settlers enjoyed themselves by danc- ing and the pleasures of society. At these pleasant gatherings Mr. LARISON was usually the fiddler, and he did what he could to make things lively. Judge DAVIS was a great dancer in those days, and could step around very lively, but he was not quite to heavy as at the present time. About five years ago some people in Bloomington got up a dance in the style of the early days. Mr. LARISON acted in the capacity of fiddler, and the company had a grand time. In 1850 Mr. LARISON was anxious for a chance to hunt, and went to California with a company of sixty persons. They had a great time of it, and Mr. LARISON did not return for two years. While crossing the plains they came upon the great game of the West, buffaloes. Some of the party mounted their horses and started for them. The buffaloes, of course, made as good time as they could to get out of the way. Mr. LARISON did not have his own horse near, so he borrowed one with little cere- mony, and started. He soon came across a buffalo which had taken refuge in a hollow, and gave chase. He rode up by the side of it and was about to shoot when the ferocious beast turned upon him and, to make matters more troublesome, his horse re- fused to get out of the way or move until the buffalo was within about fifteen feet of him. But when the horse saw the danger he sprang out of the way. Shortly afterwards Mr. LARISON dismounted and shot the buffalo, but did not kill it. JOHN W. DAWSON, after snapping a few caps at the animal, held LARISON'S horse while the latter tried again and succeeded in bringing the buffalo down. They had a great many interesting adventures. When they came to Sweetwater they heard of a place a few miles above them called Devil's Gate. It seems to be a ledge of rock cut through by the washing of water. It is about two hundred feet high and not far from perpendicular. Near the top of this ledge Fremont made his sign, and of course all persons who pass that way must do the same and gain for themselves a cheap no- toriety. The most of the company went to the top by a wide cir- cuit, but WILLIAM HODGE (a son of W. H. HODGE) climbed up this ledge of rock two hundred feet, almost perpendicularly, and when he came within twenty or thirty feet of the top he found it so steep that it seemed impossible to go further, and equally im- possible to retreat. In order to climb the remaining short dis- tance the young man pulled off his boots and threw them up to the top. One of them landed safely, while the other tumbled down two hundred feet to the bottom. But the young man succeeded in getting to the top. Now it so happened that a party from the company went to visit the Devil's Gate and while there were suddenly astonished by a boot which dropped down among them. They carried it to camp and found young HODGE coming in bare- foot. He had dropped one boot and thinking the other of no use threw it away. Mr. LARISON had a little experience of this kind. He tried to climb a steep ledge, and when part way up, at a giddy height, he found it impossible to retreat, and a little green bush growing from a crevice in the rock was all that made it possible for him to proceed. Mr. LARISON was a hundred and four days on the plains. On his route he found many things new and strange. He saw Indians, of course, but during his trip he saw a new variety, the Digger Indians. They live in holes in the ground, and this circumstance has given them their name. They are the lowest in the scale of humanity, and are as innocent of clothing as Adam and Eve in the Garden before the fall. They show very little ingenuity, and rely upon their bows and arrows to kill their game. Sometimes they build brush fences a half a mile or more in length. Two of these fences converge and form an acute angle with a small open- ing in the angle. The Indians then collect in large numbers and drive deer and other game between these fences, and as it comes out at the angle parties of Indians shoot it down with arrows. While in California Mr. LARISON transported goods from the sea-coast inland about one hundred and fifty miles to the mines, which were between the summits of the mountains and the valleys. There he traded groceries and provisions to the miners. But it was during the season of 1850 and '51 when there was a drouth. During the winter when rain was expected in continued perfectly dry, and the miners could not wash their gold. They had great heaps of earth piled up ready to be washed when the rain should come and the water should pour down the mountains. But the rain did not come, the miners were "dead broke," and Mr. LARISON lost about twelve hundred dollars in his speculation. He then left and went to mining, but it was a year before he made enough money to bring himself home. The society in California was hard, there was no safety for life or property, and that man was in danger who had money or a good mule. The miners had a very sure way of stealing mules. When a stranger came along with a good mule, some tough old miner would claim that he had lost the mule a few months before, that it had been stolen, and he would bring up four or five of his companions who would swear to his statement. The stranger was brought before a justice, who of course was obliged to de- cide in accordance with the weight of evidence and give the miner the mule! Mr. LARISON bought a very fine mule at Rough and Ready. It was a splendid creature, coal black, with three Span- ish brands. It was sure-footed and would pick its way carefully with its heavy load through the dangerous defiles and over the mountains. After traveling two hundred miles, and having kept it for a long time he sold the mule to SOLOMON BAKER for seventy dollars. BAKER enjoyed possession of the animal but a very short time. He was incautious enough to leave his companions, and be- fore long a stalwart miner laid claim to the mule and brought on a gang of villains who all swore the animal away from the un- fortunate BAKER. The latter came back on LARISON, who, in turn, was obliged to refund the seventy dollars and pay also twelve dollars costs for the crime of having owned a pretty black mule! But sometimes the little game does not work. Occassionally the owner of the mule has proof unexpectedly near. One of the party happened to be riding a mule ten miles from Rough and Ready, when a hard-looking character claimed the animal and said he could produce his witnesses at Rough and Ready. The owner said "come right along," he had some witnesses there too. This rather astonished the strange claimant, and he concluded he had "struck the wrong lead." When Mr. LARISON had made enough money by mining to come home he left the hard society of California. He was delighted with the climate, and would have been glad to have lived there if it had not been for the lawless people who first settled in that golden country. Mr. LARISON is a man of rather less than medium height and not heavily built. In his younger days he was heavier, but he had a sever attack of erysipelas and has never since been so healthy and strong. His eyes are small, but show good sense. His hair and beard are becoming a little gray with age. He seems to be a man of very good judgment. He has plenty of cour- age, and it is safe to say that he has never abandoned any enterprise on account of fear. He is very cheerful, and his conversation is very interesting, particularly when he talks of early days. Mr. LARISON has had nine children, of whom seven are living. They are: JAMES M. and LEE LARISON, live in Bloomington. SARAH, wife of A. S. TOMPKINS, lives in Hittle's Grove, Tazewell County. MELINDA F., wife of HENRY C. FELL, lives in Normal. GEORGE W. LARISON lives in Arrowsmith township. GREEBERRY LARISON, JR. lives one mile northwest of his father. JOHN, familiarly called JACK, lives at home. ==========================================================================