| The Historic Cheney Mansion |
| The little "Red House" sometimes called the little "Red Tavern" |
| The "Red House" was built in 1827 by James Faulker, who arrived in "Hickory Grove" in the year 1825. The little "Red House" or "Red Tavern" was the cornerstone of "Hickory Grove". Faulkner sold the house to Alfred Carpenter who transformed it into the "Little Red Tavern". In those early times a tavern was used to provide lodging, hold meetings, and as a "Stage Coach Stop". It was here, in the Red House in the year 1834 that 18 gentlemen from around the area met to form their own county. In this very historic home the name Jersey for the County and Jerseyville for the City was chosen. Some of the residents in the area being from the State of New Jersey, this seemed to be a fitting name. This newly named County and City became legal in 1839, we celebrate this date as our Centennial date. Hickory Grove |
| Jersey County Historical Society 601 North State Street Jerseyville, Illinois 62052 |
| Dedication day for the Lone Star Country School |
| "Our Heritage" A second grade class is taken back in time at the Cheney Mansion |
| A "Railroad Station" of the Underground Railroad |
| On the last weekend in September of each year the Historical Societyhold their "Apple Festival" In the year of 2004 the Apple Festival will held on Saturday and Sunday the 25th and 26th of September |
| For more information contact the Historical Society at: 618 498 3514 iriscot@yahoo.com |
Hickory Grove was just a stopping-off point between the County Seat of
Carrollton and Alton. It was a part of Greene County when it sprouted up from
the prairie lands of Illinois.
In the year of 1833 there were only three families and one single person living in
Hickory Grove. Alfred Carpenter, his wife and two children lived in the Red
House. John Anderson, his wife and son lived in a log house located at the high
point in town where the old National/Bertman clothing store stood. At the
southern part of Hickory Grove, N. L. Adams and his family lived in a log house
located behind where the present Salvation Army store stands. There was a log
cabin located at the corner of North State Street and Mulberry. There was an
old log cabin in much disrepair located along D'Arcy branch behind where the
present high school stands. There was one single person living in Hickory
Grove at that time named Murray Cheney. Murray Cheney returned to his home
state in the east, married and brought his wife back to live in this fast growing
community.
A lady by the name of Grisgby traveled to Hickory Grove in the winter of 1836
with six small children in a one-horse two wheel cart. She came from the state of
North Carolina, her husband died either before she left North Carolina or died
on the journey west. She arrived in Hickory Grove in January of 1836 and gave
birth to a son, Henry, at N. L. Adam's home in February of the same year.
Hickory Grove seemed to flourish and grow rapidly as word traveled back east
that this was a great place to live and raise a family. As travelers rested at the
"Red House" they heard about the progessive settlers and passed the word
along.
Talk was spreading in the area that the early settlers would like to break away
from Greene County and form there own county and county seat. In 1834
eighteen gentlemen held a meeting at the "Red House" for this purpose. They
had to elect a postmaster, set up a simple form of government and give the
county and county seat an official name. Those who attended that meeting
were, G. Patterson, George Richards, J. E. Cooper, G. W. Lowder, J. Allen, R. B.
Robbins, Isaac Darneil, E. A. D'Arcy, Alfred Carpenter, John Ellis, J. W. Lott, E. M.
Daley, Murray Cheney, N. L. Adams, A. H. Burritt, N. Miner, Franklin Potts, and J.
A. Potts. This took place in this very historic place in 1834 and became legal in
the year 1839. In the year 1833-4 the "Red House" was used as the first school
in the area. Eleven years after legislature made the names legal the population
of Jerseyville exploded to 750 persons.
The "Red House" was used as a Stage Coach stop and a Pony Express stop. At
that time, our State Street was called the State Highway. Alfred Carpenter's wife
passed away around 1839 and he sold the "Red House" to Edward A. D'Arcy, a
doctor from our east. In the 1850s a wing was added on to the Red House on
the northern side. This became a doctor's office.
Early settlers of the western territories took little notice of education, very few
knew how to read or write and some even signed their name with a "X" while a
witness watched and placed his signature on the document, noting that he had
witnessed the "X" being placed there by the signer.
in 1833-34 Mr. Irving Little thought it would be profitable to set up a school in
the "Red House", being paid by the student's family to provide this service. He
soon found that this was unprofitable and decided a farming operation would be
more suitable. So, the "Red House" was the first school in the area, adding to
it's importance to a place in the early history of Jersey County.
In 1836 a small structure was built on land donated by A. H. Burritt, this small
structure being designated as the first school house in the area. The first to
teach in this building was John Adams of Jacksonville, "a man who has probably
instructed more boys than any man in America, having been long a noted
preeptor in several of the best academies in New England." He taught for some
time in the village of Hickory Grove. This small building 20 feet by 24, was also
used to preach the gospel and until the year 1853 was the only school house.
Mrs. Virginia Harbert stated "that is was a very thing to meet the wild deer going
to school from the old Red House, to the old school house, which stood in Cap.
John Smith's yard".
The only cemetery in this neighborhood was a piece of ground containing two
acres, now named the "Hickory Grove" cemetery. The land was deeded over to
the County Commissioners in 1841. Burials had taken place there for some
years previous, when the land belonged to Alfred Carpenter, who sold the
surrounding land with a reservation of the two acres for a public grave-yard.
NOTE: The Jersey County Historical Society made a committment in the middle
1990s to place a monument dedicated to the early pioneers and settlers that are
buried in the old Hickory Grove cemetery. At the time there was no money
available to proceed with the project, however the news got out to the citizens in
the area and during the 4th of July celebration in the year 2000 we were able to
dedicate a large monument with many of the names of these early settlers engraved
on it. The first granite stone that was cut at the quarry in the badlands of South
Dakota cracked and it looked like it was going to be impossible to have the
monument it place for the dedication on the 4th. A new stone was cut and
engraved and loaded on a flatbed truck. The stone left the quarry on the morning
of the 2nd and arrived in Jerseyville on the 3rd. It rained on the 1st and 2nd of July
and the grounds of the old cemetery was saturated with water. The monument
weighed several tons and was seven feet tall. A crane was used to lifte the
monument from the truck bed and when the crane started to move towards the
foundation, it sunk axle deep in the soft ground. It was quite a project to get the
large stone mounted on it's foundation. With the help of the City engineer and
crews from the City along with personnel from Alton Memorial Sales the monument
was gently placed on it's foundation without being damaged. The City of Jerseyville
constructed a plaza with steps leading up to the monument. A flag pole was placed
within the plaza with benches and lighting. A proclamation was presented and
signed my Mayor Wittman declaring that no structure will ever be placed on the
original two acres of ground that was originally designated as a grave-yard by
Alfred Carpenter in the 1830s. This will always be the original "Hickory Grove"
cemetery.
Robert L. French, pres. Jersey County Historial Society
Carrollton and Alton. It was a part of Greene County when it sprouted up from
the prairie lands of Illinois.
In the year of 1833 there were only three families and one single person living in
Hickory Grove. Alfred Carpenter, his wife and two children lived in the Red
House. John Anderson, his wife and son lived in a log house located at the high
point in town where the old National/Bertman clothing store stood. At the
southern part of Hickory Grove, N. L. Adams and his family lived in a log house
located behind where the present Salvation Army store stands. There was a log
cabin located at the corner of North State Street and Mulberry. There was an
old log cabin in much disrepair located along D'Arcy branch behind where the
present high school stands. There was one single person living in Hickory
Grove at that time named Murray Cheney. Murray Cheney returned to his home
state in the east, married and brought his wife back to live in this fast growing
community.
A lady by the name of Grisgby traveled to Hickory Grove in the winter of 1836
with six small children in a one-horse two wheel cart. She came from the state of
North Carolina, her husband died either before she left North Carolina or died
on the journey west. She arrived in Hickory Grove in January of 1836 and gave
birth to a son, Henry, at N. L. Adam's home in February of the same year.
Hickory Grove seemed to flourish and grow rapidly as word traveled back east
that this was a great place to live and raise a family. As travelers rested at the
"Red House" they heard about the progessive settlers and passed the word
along.
Talk was spreading in the area that the early settlers would like to break away
from Greene County and form there own county and county seat. In 1834
eighteen gentlemen held a meeting at the "Red House" for this purpose. They
had to elect a postmaster, set up a simple form of government and give the
county and county seat an official name. Those who attended that meeting
were, G. Patterson, George Richards, J. E. Cooper, G. W. Lowder, J. Allen, R. B.
Robbins, Isaac Darneil, E. A. D'Arcy, Alfred Carpenter, John Ellis, J. W. Lott, E. M.
Daley, Murray Cheney, N. L. Adams, A. H. Burritt, N. Miner, Franklin Potts, and J.
A. Potts. This took place in this very historic place in 1834 and became legal in
the year 1839. In the year 1833-4 the "Red House" was used as the first school
in the area. Eleven years after legislature made the names legal the population
of Jerseyville exploded to 750 persons.
The "Red House" was used as a Stage Coach stop and a Pony Express stop. At
that time, our State Street was called the State Highway. Alfred Carpenter's wife
passed away around 1839 and he sold the "Red House" to Edward A. D'Arcy, a
doctor from our east. In the 1850s a wing was added on to the Red House on
the northern side. This became a doctor's office.
Early settlers of the western territories took little notice of education, very few
knew how to read or write and some even signed their name with a "X" while a
witness watched and placed his signature on the document, noting that he had
witnessed the "X" being placed there by the signer.
in 1833-34 Mr. Irving Little thought it would be profitable to set up a school in
the "Red House", being paid by the student's family to provide this service. He
soon found that this was unprofitable and decided a farming operation would be
more suitable. So, the "Red House" was the first school in the area, adding to
it's importance to a place in the early history of Jersey County.
In 1836 a small structure was built on land donated by A. H. Burritt, this small
structure being designated as the first school house in the area. The first to
teach in this building was John Adams of Jacksonville, "a man who has probably
instructed more boys than any man in America, having been long a noted
preeptor in several of the best academies in New England." He taught for some
time in the village of Hickory Grove. This small building 20 feet by 24, was also
used to preach the gospel and until the year 1853 was the only school house.
Mrs. Virginia Harbert stated "that is was a very thing to meet the wild deer going
to school from the old Red House, to the old school house, which stood in Cap.
John Smith's yard".
The only cemetery in this neighborhood was a piece of ground containing two
acres, now named the "Hickory Grove" cemetery. The land was deeded over to
the County Commissioners in 1841. Burials had taken place there for some
years previous, when the land belonged to Alfred Carpenter, who sold the
surrounding land with a reservation of the two acres for a public grave-yard.
NOTE: The Jersey County Historical Society made a committment in the middle
1990s to place a monument dedicated to the early pioneers and settlers that are
buried in the old Hickory Grove cemetery. At the time there was no money
available to proceed with the project, however the news got out to the citizens in
the area and during the 4th of July celebration in the year 2000 we were able to
dedicate a large monument with many of the names of these early settlers engraved
on it. The first granite stone that was cut at the quarry in the badlands of South
Dakota cracked and it looked like it was going to be impossible to have the
monument it place for the dedication on the 4th. A new stone was cut and
engraved and loaded on a flatbed truck. The stone left the quarry on the morning
of the 2nd and arrived in Jerseyville on the 3rd. It rained on the 1st and 2nd of July
and the grounds of the old cemetery was saturated with water. The monument
weighed several tons and was seven feet tall. A crane was used to lifte the
monument from the truck bed and when the crane started to move towards the
foundation, it sunk axle deep in the soft ground. It was quite a project to get the
large stone mounted on it's foundation. With the help of the City engineer and
crews from the City along with personnel from Alton Memorial Sales the monument
was gently placed on it's foundation without being damaged. The City of Jerseyville
constructed a plaza with steps leading up to the monument. A flag pole was placed
within the plaza with benches and lighting. A proclamation was presented and
signed my Mayor Wittman declaring that no structure will ever be placed on the
original two acres of ground that was originally designated as a grave-yard by
Alfred Carpenter in the 1830s. This will always be the original "Hickory Grove"
cemetery.
Robert L. French, pres. Jersey County Historial Society
Society Services
Cheney Mansion Tours
School Children Tours
Museum Tours
Lone Star School Tours
Genealogy Research
Family History Research
Underground Railroad
School Children Tours
Museum Tours
Lone Star School Tours
Genealogy Research
Family History Research
Underground Railroad
| Jersey County Historical Society Organized in 1904 |
| Painting by an Itinerate artist done in 1834 as he was passing through |