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 Weekly Pantagraph January 3, 1913 LOCAL CHURCH RIOT OF THE YEAR 1843 FINANCIAL PANIC OF THAT TIME Prices of Staples at That Time - Of Lands and Town Lots - Interesting Paper by VASHTI THOMPKINS. - A most interesting paper read at the last meeting of the Historical Society is here given. It was pre- pared by Captain J. H. BURNHAM from the reminiscences of V. W. TOMPKINS. The paper tells in detail of the riots of 1843 in this city and of the absolute lack of money during the panic of that time. The prices of gen- eral commodities are given and the values of land in the city of Bloomington as well as in the county of McLean at that time. The paper entire is: "Mr. TOMPKINS is now 75 years old. He came to Bloom- ington in 1842 with his father, Deacon JAMES TOMPKINS. His sisters were Mrs. J. N. WARD and AMANDA TOMPKINS, both now deceased. His father and family came from Hamilton Village, Madison county, New York, in 1842. Mr. BARBER, brother of ELIAL and DAVIS BARBER, after- wards well known Bloomington men, owned 260 acres of prairie in what is now Dale township, and fifteen acres of timber in Blooming and Dry Groves. Mr. BARBER was in Madison county, was well known to Mr. TOMPKINS and they made an exchange of property, the New York farm being 240 acres of not very good land, and Mr. TOMPKINS being willing to take his chances on the McLean county land from his friend's description. A few years ago Mrs. J. N. WARD wrote for the McLean County Historical Society, a charming account of the journey of the TOMPKINS family from New York to Bloomington, which paper is among the valuable unpublished archives of the society. AN OLD FAMILY. This TOMPKINS family was a very important addition to the young town of Bloomington, as is very well known to our older families. For two years, while improving the TOMPKINS farm, which was in Dale township about three miles west of Bloomington, mostly in section two, the TOMPKINS family lived in a two story house which was on the northwest quarter of the whole block or square just south of the court house. At that period real estate in McLean county had scarcely any value, few people bought improved farms and the business of the whole country was completely prostrated, owing to the effects of the disas- trous panic of 1837. One might say there was no money at all in circulation. Incoming immigrants, when they arrived, which was seldom, could buy government land within four miles of Bloomington at $1.25 an acre. Good timber land was the best property, but even that land could be bought at from $5 to $10 an acre. Old Account Book. Mr. A. J. MERRIMAN kept a general store in Bloomington, and his account book is among the most important collec- tions of the McLean County Historical Society. This book shows that on December 16, 1842, he bought at his store from L. R. CASE one dozen eggs at 6 1/4c per dozen. He also bought on another date, from Mr. JOHN WARD, 80 pounds of lard at 3 1/2c per pound, and a bushel of dried apples for $1. On May 20, 1843, he bought of Mr. J. Duckitt 6 1/2 pounds of butter at 4c a pound; on May 22, 1843, of Mr. JOHN WARD, 4 dozen eggs at 3c a dozen and 3 pounds of but- ter at 6c per pound. It will be noted that the December price of eggs just before Christmas was a little more than double the May price of eggs, which was only 3c per dozen. At this price it would have taken over 40 dozen eggs to buy an acre of land at the government price of $1.25, while at our current price of 40c a dozen, at the present day, it would take about a thousand dozen eggs to purchase an acre of our high-priced land. Homes Without Rent. No new houses were building in Bloomington. No one could afford to pay rent. Mr. TOMPKINS had the use of a two story house by merely making a few needed repairs. He was only re- quired to $25 a year, when rent began to be charged. Town lots went begging, they were not needed, there being very few new comers. Great numbers of these lots were sold for taxes. There are fine properties now in this city resting on old tax titles which originated at this period, and our state legislation has been such that these titles are now perfectly good. Mr. TOMPKINS says that the house and whole lot on which his father lived, being one quarter of a block, bounded by Washing- ton, Center, Main and Front streets, was for sale at $200, a price which appears almost incredibly cheap when we consider that there was a town of considerable importance. The court house across the street was then built, a brick structure which had cost $80,000. ' No Money At All Mr. TOMPKINS also tells us money was so scarce at this per- iod that some of our best farmers living in Dry and Twin Groves had to skirmish thru the whole neighborhood to find 25c to pay postage on a letter in the Bloomington postoffice. He feels quite positive that when the Congregationalists built their new church at the present site of the Hills hotel in 1844, it was constructed entirely without money, materials and labor having been mostly donated. Mr. TOMPKINS was a boy when he came here, but he possesses clear recollection of most of the events of the times. Like all other Bloomington boys, he had but little opportunity at that time to know anything else except the little, the big prairies and beautiful groves. One of Mr. TOMPKINS' most striking remi- niscences of the year 1843 deserves more than a passing men- tion, it being in reality one of Bloomington's most important historical traditions on a level with the most heroic records of the country. The Old Story Preparations had been made for holding a meeting at the seminary to fully organize a Congregational church. Dr. WHIPPLE and Deacon MORSE from Mt. Hope colony, near the pre- sent town of McLean, were in Bloomington to assist in this organization. Rev. Mr. SPENCER was the minister of this de- nomination, who preached alternately to Congregationalists at the Mt. Hope colony and to those in Bloomington, holding meetings in this place at the seminary. It might be added that Dr. WHIPPLE of the Mt. Hope colony was a man of large views and good judgment, who afterward became one of the lead- ing citizens of Jacksonville, in this state where he founded the present Whipple seminary which has long been one of the leading and most important seminaries in the state of Illinois. The talk of organizing a Congregational church aroused violent opposition in Bloomington on account of the well- known slavery views of the people of this denomination. Vio- lent threats had been made by many pro-slavery people, and a determination existed to prevent the organization of what was called an Abolition church. The families of those who intended to organize this church met at the house of Deacon COLMAN, which stood almost exactly on the site of the Diets implement house on South Main street. Owing to the threatening aspect of affairs, Rev. Mr. SPENCER, with Dr. WHIPPLE, Deacon MORSE, Deacon COLMAN and others, started in a body to go to the seminary, which stood on the block just south of Olive street, almost exactly at the site of the residence of Mrs. JOHN M. SCOTT. Gen. GRIDLEY stood at the front door of the seminary, flanked by two powerful men, surrounded by a violent mob ready to drive back the gentle church people who believed they had a legal, moral and reli- gious right to organize a church of their choice. This mob near the seminary was prepared to tar and feather and ride on rails the inoffensive disciples of an unpopular religion. The man who carried the tar pot afterward carried this title for years as a nickname. The church people assembled, as before mentioned, at the residence of Deacon COLMAN and bravely proceeded on towards the seminary. They were there confronted by this pro-slavery mob, under the leadership of Gen. GRIDLEY. Mr. WILLIAM WALLACE, one of the church people, a brave man, carried a good club under his coat and was in advance ready to use it if op- posed. GRIDLEY immediately called on his assistants to grap- ple with Mr. WALLACE and the riot commenced. Fearing a loss of life, which appeared imminent, Rev. Mr. SPENCER and his associates soon drew off and returned to the residence of Deacon COLMAN in the next block, where his house was soon surrounded by the howling mob, throwing brick-bats and using very rough and vile language. Rev. Mr. SPENCER and two others were injured by brick-bats. These courageous Christians, sur- rounded by the fanatical, pro-slavery mob, proceeded with prayer and praise in this private house to organize the Con- greational church of Bloomington. Like the Pilgrim fathers of Plymouth these people were determined to worship God according to the dictates of their on consciences, feeling it to be a solemn duty to sympathize with the downtrodden slaves of the south. Who can say, but surrounded by this threatening mob, these pioneer Christians were as truly martyrs as those earlier New England Christians who laid the foundations of New England amid untold hardships? Blooming- ton should forever cherish the memory of these heroes. Thus that terrible night wore on, and the tar, feathers and rails were kept in readiness by the mob outside, and the members of the new Congregational church, with their children, knew not in the darkness whether their lives were safe. The Ruse of Escape Finally towards daylight Dr. WHIPPLE, of Mt. Hope, helped evolve a plan of escape. He proposed to venture forth and lead the mob a circuitous route, saying he well knew he could outrun the fastest of them all. He advised his friends, as soon as the mob started after himself, to return in different directions, as rapidly as possible, to their homes in the little village, and by carrying out this plan the persecuted ones returned. Altho Deacon TOMPKINS and family were not able to reach their own house until after daylight, having been sheltered by Mr. SILAS HAYES, one of their numbers, at his house near the corner of Front and Madison streets. The mob, pursuing Dr. WHIPPLE, finally intercepted him near the present Butler House, when one of the men threw a rail, knocking him senseless, when the frightened gang left WHIPPLE lying in the street. This was in sight of Deacon COLMAN in the HAYES house nearly oppo- site, who immediately gave him all needed attention. it appears that most of the citizens of this town and county were heartily ashamed of the actions of the mob and had great respect for these brave church members who were among our most intelligent and best behaved people. The abolitionists were generally a much hated people, but our citizens found it best to allow full freedom of speech and gradually the way was thus prepared for Bloomington to become one of the leading centers of liberal thought. All clases of our citizens have united in deploring the conduct of the mob of 1843 and not a few thoroly approved of the conduct of these brave Christians, be- lieving them to be people who had always been true to their most cherished convictions of duty. ===========================================================================