Old Settlers of McLean County

Andrew W. Scogin

One of the earliest and best known settlers of McLean County was Andrew W. Scogin. He was born in 1823 in Crosby Township, Hamilton County, Ohio, about thirteen miles from Cincinnati. Like man of the early settlers, he was a farmer's boy. His grandfather and his father, Joel Scogin, had been farmers, and young Andrew was early taught to follow the plow. His paternal grandfather was a Welshman, while his mother's father was Irish. The family of which Andrew was a member was large, there being fifteen children, eight songs and seven daughters; he was therefore not obliged in his your to pine solitude like a good little boy of a Sunday school book. He received a common school education up unto his fourteenth year. We are not told whether or not Andrew was attentive to his books; probably he has the alphabet, the primer and the spelling book cuffed into his head in the usual style, for Mark Twain, who is a good authority on this subjects, intimates that the useful enterprising men are those who have been well threshed in early youth. When he was fourteen years of age, he came with is uncle, Joseph Wakefield, to McLean County, Illinois. Mr. Wakefield bought one hundred and eighty acres of land at Randolph's Grove, built a log house on it, and allowed young Andrew to work to his heart's content. Young Andrew, being very independent, soon became a farmer on his own account. Part of his land he obtained by purchase, and part he obtained by his wife, and has in all about six hundred acres. Farming in those days was not a very profitable business, as the prince of wheat varied from forty to seventy-five cents per bushel. The only markets were in Chicago, Peoria, and Pekin. Chicago was the usual market, and the settlers, while going, clubbed together and made a caravan of ten or twenty teams. They did this for the common protection and in order to help each other through the sloughs. The round trip to Chicago and return was usually made in about two weeks. During the journey they did not enjoy the luxury of a public house on the road, for none was kept, and if any had existed it would not have been patronized fro the settlers had no money to pay hotel bills. They took their pots, and frying pans and camped out. At night they made fire to keep off the wolves, that sometimes came smelling around their camp, and in the day-time the settlers followed the trail, careless, happy and free. There were then plenty of deer, and the camp was usually supplied with venison steak. There were plenty of prairie rattlers too, which were killed by the dozens. The early settlers were free from a great many things which disturb more settled and civilized life. The State of Illinois was in the early days undisturbed by discussion upon the temperance lays and Sunday liquor laws. People had no beer to drink and whisky was a rare article. Mr. Scogin because possessed of the title of Captain, which of course confers great honor upon the lucky possessor. Shortly after the Mexican war, the military fever ran high, and it was thought best buy some to revive the militia. A company was organized in McLean County, and Mr. Scogin was chosen captain; but the experiment was a failure. People do not like to "play soldier." The Captain has a interesting family of six children and lives in the west end of Blooming Grove. Where he has resided since 1847.

As the old settlers are all pleasant and social in their disposition, we should think that might have a reunion, an old settlers meeting. We are sure Captain Scogin would shine in such an assembly, and perhaps my might give the company a speech and tell the condition of things forty years ago. We can imagine his genial countenance as hi would wide and say:

"Gentleman- for nearly forty years I have sojourned in this magnificent prairie State. Forty years ago the deer roamed over these western wilds seldom disturbed by the crack of the huntsman's riffle, and the mink and the otter reveled at their own sweet will amid the primeval frog-ponds. Forty years ago was heard the music of the goose and the sandhill crane. Forty years ago the coon and the opossum curled their tails in peach and harmony amid these westerns wilds. Forty years ago the bear and the panther reared their hopeful cubs where now the seat of justice stands. Forty years ago the musical howl of the prairie-wolf arose on the stilly night where now the chords of the piano trill sweeter than the harp of a thousand strings. Forty years ago the rattlesnake and the copperhead, the blue racer and the massasauger wound their sinuous tortuous coils among the reeds and grass and rushes. Forty eventful years have passed since then, and here we stand, my friends, amid the crash of bottles and the wreck of breaking glass. I see you, gentlemen, before me who have witnessed these changes. I see you, my friends, all lit up with Rhine and Sherry wine, and though the sun should be darkened and the moon refuse to give her light, we should be enlivened by the beverage within."

The Captain might not feel like expressing all of these sentiments, but if he chose he would probably say something pretty good. He has a poetic turn of mind and is particularly found of a piece of poetry which was written by a Yankee who visited Illinois, while it was still a territory. The lines were written in answer to a letter received but his Eastern friends, who wished to know about the Western World. As they are pretty good, we give them here.

[bad, un-attributed poetry omitted]

Captain Scogin is a man of medium size, well built and well proportioned, of a lively, active and wide-awake nature, with eyes. Always on the alert, noticing everything and everybody around him. His countenance shows his pleasant and jovial disposition. His conversation is very entertaining, particularly when he talks of the old pioneers. His hospitality is unbounded and is extended alike to the poor and the rich. These pleasant and engaging qualities have made him the post popular man in the section of the country where he resides.

Captain Scogin was married December 23 1844 to Elizabeth Karr, daughter of Dr. Thomas Karr of Randolf's Grove. She died October 13, 1845, leaving no children. He married, January 18, 1847, Eliza Low, daughter of Nathan Low. She died November 15, 1863. The children of this marriage are:

• Lee Scogin, who was born April 22, 1849, is married, and lives on the old Nathan Low place.
• Jay Scogin was born April 29, 1851, is unmarried.
• John Scogin was born June 22, 1853, is married and lives in Bloomington.

The following children live at home:

• Frank, born December 20, 1855.
• Hester, born April 9, 1858.
• Joseph W., born August 14, 1860.
• William Scogin, who was born July 13, is dead.

Nathan Low

Nathan Low was born on a farm called Ringold's Manor, in Greenbrier County, Maryland, near Williamsport, January 6, 1791. His father's name was Nathan Low, and his mother's Nancy Wright, before her marriage. Nathan Low, jr., at the age of fourteen, came to Licking Town, Licking, Ohio. Here he finished his education, which was very limited, as his chances for learning were not good. He followed the river for some time between the Kanawaha Salt Works and Zanesville, Ohio. He married, February 12, 1814, Miss Sarah Brooks, a lady of fine sense and decision of character. She is still living, although Nathan Low has long since passed over the river.

From 1814 to 1829, Mr. Low was a farmer and drover. He drove cattle over the mountains to Harrisburg, PA., and worked hard to carry on the farm. In 1829, he came with his family to Blooming Grove, starting in June and arriving in July. He brought a carriage with him, but this was too novel for the West, and was sold and taken back to Tennessee. It was the first in McLean County. The Indians were then plenty, and called on the Low family very often, but never disturbed them in any way. Mrs. Low, who observes matters pretty sharply, says that some of the Indians in these parts ran away from their tribe and joined the forces of Black Hawk during the great war, which the latter carried on. One of them came all painted to Mr. Low's cabin and took dinner with the family and piously asked a blessing at the table; but notwithstanding all his apparent piety, Mrs. Low was convinced that he was bound for Black Hawk's band, and that his paint was put on for war, though Mr. Low though tit was only the Indian's way of dressing. He had a horse and a gun, which went through the Black Hawk war. The horse was ridden by Isaac Murphy. Mr. Low followed farming and stock raising until 1844, when he came to the grove, but most of it he afterwards acquired by hard and patient toil. At the age of thirty-five, he was much broken down in consequence of hard work. During the winder of the deep snow he had thirty hogs to feed, and was obliged to pack corn for them on horseback for a distance of three miles. He made the trip through the timber every other day. During this severe winder it was impossible for farmers to go to mill, and they pounded their corn and wheat in blocks and sometimes ground it in a coffee mill.

Nathan Low's home would not now be called luxurious. It was a shanty with a single room twelve by fourteen feet, and this was the home of a family of ten persons! When the children came home from school, they were obliged to put the chairs and tables out of doors in order to make beds on the floor. A second bed was made under the large one. But these little difficulties amounted to nothing, when compared to the vexations they sometimes endured. For instance, on one occasion during this same winter, there came a storm, which carried off the roof of the little shanty and lifted it over the horses, which were tied to a wagon near by. Then they tried to fix the rood and the snow blew over them and melted like rain. We tell this incident without any further comment; it is as hard a condition as we have heard of for some time.

The early settlers visited each other oftener than people do at present, particularly from a distance. They had no neighborhood quarrels or neighborhood jealousies. People were always glad to see each other, and all stood on the same footing. But after a while the country because prosperous and thickly settled, and the old warmth of feeling gradually died out. The prosperity of the later days has destroyed, in some measure, the good feeling of the early times. But this kind of feeling of the early settlers has had a good effect, which still remains. The hospitality of the pioneers who are now living is of the same generous kind as that for which they were first distinguished, and its effects are felt by the whole community.

[generic history elided]

At the time of his death, which occurred April 17, 1844, he was possessed of nine hundred acres of land. He had seven children, of whom five are now living. They are:

• John Low, who lives in Washington Territory.
• Mrs. Catherine Coffey, who lives in Davis County, Missouri.
• Mrs. Elizabeth Karr, who lives at Blooming Grove. Questions on Eliza
• Mrs. Eliza Scoggin, who is now dead.
• Mrs. Eliza Ann Vanordstrand, who lives in Heyworth.
• Nathan Low, jr. who lives in Heyworth.

At his death, he was burried at Blooming Grove, in Scoggin's cemetery.