CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

EFFINGHAM COUNTY

P. 458 EWINGTON, FIRST COUNTY SEAT—

PRESENT SEAT OF JUSTICE—

TEUTOPOLIS—LAND VALUES

       This county was created in 1831, February 15, from the east side of Fayette. It was not organized till 1833. The county was named after Lord Edward Effingham, who in 1775 resigned his position in the British army rather than fight against the American colonies. By the census of 1910 the population is 20,055; the area is 511 square miles. The central part of the county is drained by the Little Wabash and its branches. This stream flows south into Clay county and numerous branches flow into it from both east and west. The county ‘s topography resembles a basin somewhat—the highest parts being the east, north and west. It is considered a prairie county, though the territory adjacent to the larger streams is well timbered.

EWINGTON, FIRST COUNTY SEAT

       The county seat was first placed at Ewington where it remained till 1860. Ewington was a town that had grown up on the old National road. It is some three miles west of Effingham, and twenty-nine miles eastward from Vandalia. In 1837 it was merely a village and in the census of 1910 is not separated from the township in the census report.

       The first county commissioners were T. M. Short, I. Fanchen, and William I. Hawkins. The first jail was built in 1833 by L. Jordan and James Neal. John Coventry secured a license to keep a tavern and sell spirituous liquors on payment of five dollars.

       When the Illinois Central railroad was surveyed, the line ran almost north and south through the county, crossing the National road at the present site of Effingham. In 1856 the St. Louis, Alton and Terre Haute railroad was completed from Terre Haute to Alton. This road now known as the Vandalia follows very closely the old National road. This accounts for the advantage of Effingham over Ewington as a county seat. The seat of justice was therefore changed in 1860 from Ewington to Effingham.

PRESENT SEAT OF JUSTICE

       Effingham is now a city of 3,898 people. It is a thriving business place in trade and in other ways. There are three railroads crossing at this place—the Illinois Central, the Vandalia, and the Indiana, Illinois and Southern; and in addition the old National road. P 459
 
VANDALIA RAILROAD. CONCRETE BRIDGE OVER
SALT CREEK, EAST OF EFFINGHAM ON
LINE OF OLD NATIONAL ROAD

ILLINOIS COLLEGE OF PHOTOGRAPHY

       One of the most interesting phases of business is the “Illinois College of Photography.” This school was founded by L. H. Bissell and has had a prosperous career. It prepares young people for artistic work in the line of photography. The school is based on the most approved scientific principles. Its graduates have gone into all the states of the union, and the school has a widespread influence in this art. There was for several years a photoengraving company located in this city but in recent years the company has moved its plant to Champaign.

       Effingham county is well supplied with banks, there being fourteen in the county, two in Altamont, two in Edgewood, two in Effingham, two in Shumway and one each in Beecher City, Deiterich, Mason, Montrose, Teutopolis and Watson.

TEUTOPOLIS

       The village of Teutopolis was settled by a colony of Germans from Cincinnati, Ohio, and the community is prosperous though the soil is not very productive. The village of Teutopolis is noted as the seat of a successful Catholic college.

LAND VALUES

       The average value of land for the county is $43.70 whereas the average value of land in the state as a whole is $95.02.

       There is no coal in this county according to the coal report of 1911.

       The increase in the value of farm property from 1900 to 1910 was from $8,311,778 to $16,953,704, an increase of one hundred and four per cent. While in the state as a whole the per cent of increase was 94.8. The P 460 increase in the average value of land in the past ten years is very marked. In 1900 the average for this county was $19.47. In 1910 the average value is $43.70.

       There are eighteen post offices in the county located at Altamont, Beecher City, Bluepoint, Dexter, Deiterich, Eberle, Edgewood, Effingham, Elliottstown, Hill, Mason, Moccasin, Montrose, Shumway, Teutopolis, Watson, Welton, Winterrowd.

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