CHAPTER SIXTY

  POPE COUNTY

P. 516  SARAHVILLE (GOLCONDA)

THE COUNTY SEAT—EDUCATIONAL AND SOCIAL—

"NOTED PERSONAGES”—

GREAT MEDICINE WATER—STATISTICS


 

       Pope county lies along the Ohio river just above Massac and just below Hardin. It is a mountainous county and until within very recent years had no railroad. It now has a branch of the Paducali division of the Illinois Central from Reevesville to Golconda, a distance of some thirteen miles. The principal town and county seat is Golconda, which nestles at the foot of the Ozarks close to the banks of the Ohio. There are no other towns, only villages. Golconda is at the mouth of Lusk's creek and here there was a ferry as early as 1800. Here Governor Reynolds crossed the Ohio in 1800 on his way from Tennessee to Cahokia.

SARAHVILLE (GOLCONDA), THE COUNTY SEAT

       Pope county was created January 10, 1816. It was made of the east end of Johnson as it then existed. Since 1816 Pope county has been reduced by taking territory to construct parts of Massac, Hardin, and Jolmson. The county seat was Sarahville, which name was afterwards changed to Golconda. The first commissioners were: Robert Lacey, Benoni Lee, Thomas Ferguson.

       Golconda was not a vigorous village and by 1836 had but three stores, one grocery, two taverns, and about twenty dwelling houses. This would give about 100 people in the village. At that time the court house was brick, thirty-six feet square, two stories high, with a neat cupola. In 1820 there were 2,610 people within the limits of the county. The population grew at the rate of 100 a year till 1860. Since then the growth has been greater.

EDUCATIONAL AND SOCIAL

       Among the early teachers in the county was a Mr. Jennings, an Englishman. He could make a good quill pen and could work in the arithmetic to fractions. Miss Adetha Hillerman and Mr. Frank Modglin are spoken of very kindly by the old settlers as superior teachers. They both taught in the old days before the introduction of modern methods. Credit is given Mr. Theodore Steyer for lifting the schools from their crude condition to a higher plane. He never ceased to speak, and write, and visit, and work in and out of season for the schools of the county.

       The social life of the early settlers in this county was of the kind common to the early pioneers. The homes, churches and public buildings were of logs. Women did all such work as carding, spinning, weaving, P 517 cutting and making. Most of the early comers were from the rural districts of Tennessee, Kentucky and the Carolinas, and so were accustomed to supply their wants from the crude materials about them. Game was plentiful and the men were good marksmen and expert hunters. Much of the table food was supplied from the forests in an early day. Dr. Sim and Dr. J. V. Schuchardt practiced medicine in this county for many years. Mills for grinding were early established. in the first place there were many places where falls in streams furnished the power, and then it was easy to bring wheels, machinery, etc., from Pittsburg. There were overshot, undershot and turbine wheels in this county.

       The war between the Flatheads and the Regulators, which occurred
 
BIRD’S EYE  VIEW OF GOLCONDA, POPE COUNTY

 in this and adjoining counties from 1830 to 1849, has been described briefly in an earlier chapter and need not be given here.

NOTED PERSONAGES

       A noted family of this county was the Raums. John Raum was born in Pennsylvania in 1793 and came to Golconda in 1826. He served in the War of 1812 and in the Blackhawk war. He held many political positions. He died in 1869. His son, Gen. Green B. Raum, was a gallant soldier in the Civil war. He was a staunch republican and has been often honored by his party. He was commissioner of internal revenue under President Hayes, and commissioner of pensions under Harrison. He has written considerably—books and magazine articles. His brother, Major John M. Raum, also did valiant service in the War of the Rebellion.

       The Hon. James A. Rose, who has but recently died, was secretary of state for Illinois from 1897 to the spring of 1912. He taught school in Pope county, acted as county superintendent, state ‘s attorney, and held several appointments under the governors of Illinois. He was at one time a prominent candidate for the nomination for governor.

       There are three banks in Pope county—two in Golconda and one in P 518 Eddyville. Golconda is a town of 1,088 people. The other towns and villages are Eddyville 143, Hamletsburg 215, Brownfield, Allen’s Spring, Delwood and Azatus.

“GREAT MEDICINE WATER”

        One thing about Pope county that must not be overlooked, and that is the presence of numerous springs throughout the county, many of them of great value medicinally. One of these springs is now a very noted resort. It is said the Algonquin Indians used to resort thither as they were waging relentless warfare against the Iroquois of this section. They named the spring “Kitche Mus Ke Neebe,” meaning “Great Medicine Water.” William Dixon bought the land from the

THE NASHVILLE AT THE WHARF AT GOLCONDA

state in 1848. Dixon’s old log cabin still stands, with two massive fire places. The old log church still stands on an adjoining knoll. For many years the springs attracted no particular attention but in recent years they have come into possession of a corporation known as  the Dixon Springs Hotel company. Many improvements have been made— new buildings added, grounds enlarged, parks improved, concrete walks, swings, amusement halls and all the legitimate accessories of a first class summer resort have been provided. The scenery about these springs is romantic and city people are delighted with the environs. The waters are said to have wonderful curative properties.

STATISTICS

        The population of Pope county is 11,215. In 1900 it was 13,585, a loss of 2,370. Less than 60% of the lands are improved farm lands. The distribution of values of farm property is as follows: Land, 59.6%; buildings, 17.7%; implements and machinery, 3.2%.; domestic animals, 19.5%.   The value of land per acre is $14.72, a rise of $5.88 per acre in ten years.

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