Publication Number Seventeen OF THE ILLINOIS STATE HISTORICAL LIBRARY TRANSACTIONS OF THE Illinois State Historical Society FOR THE YEAR 1912 Thirteenth Annual Meeting, Springfield, 111., May 23 and 24, 1912 Springfield, III. Illinois State Journal Co., State Printers 19 14 — — — — — CONTENTS. PART I PAGE Editorial Note VII Officers of the Society, May, 1912-May, 1913 V Committees of the Illinois State Historical Society, May, 1912-May, 1913 VIII Record of Official Proceedings 3-11 Business Meeting of the Society 3 Report of the Secretary 6 Report of the Genealogical Committee 11 Program of the Annual Meeting, May 23-24, 1912 XIII PART II Papers Read at the Annual Meeting 14-158 William E. Dodd— The West and the War with Mexico 15 William Henry Lee— The Calumet Portage 24 Charles B. Johnson, M. D. Every Day Life in IllinoisNear theMiddle of the Nineteenth Century 44 M. L. Fuller The Climate of Illinois. Its Permanence ; 54 Mrs. K. T. Anderson Some Reminiscences of Pioneer Rock Island Women 63 Captain J. H. Burnham—flwtorj/ of the 33d Vol. Inf 77 C. M. Thompson Genesis of the Whig Party in Illinois 86 Mrs. Josephine Gillespie Prickett Joseph Gillespie 93 M. M. Quaife— Was there a French Fort at Chicago'! 115 Mrs. Minnie G. Cook Virginia Currency in the Illinois Country 122 F. I. Herriott—Senator Stephen A. Douglas and the Germans in 1854 142 PART III Contributions to State History 159-20 Proceedings Attending the Admission of the Name of James Nicholas Brown to the Illinois Farmers' Hall of Fame, January 25, 1911 163 W. D. Barge—uld Towns of Illinois 193 Eva Munson Smith—Sangamon County, IllinoiSj Ladies Soldiers A id Society, 1861-65 198 Index 207 OFFICERS OF THE SOCIETY. President. Hon. Clark E. Care Galesburg First Vice-President. Hon. L. Y. Sherman Springfield Second Vice-President. Hon. Smith D. Atkins Freeport Third Vice-President. Hon. Richard Yates Springfield Board of Directors. Edmund J. James, President of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign J. H. Burnham Bloomington E. B. Greene, University of Illinois Urbana Jessie Palmer Weber Springfield Charles H. Rammelkamp Jacksonville Hon. J. 0. Cunningham Urbana George W. Smith, Southern Illinois Normal University. .Carbondale Hon. W. T. Norton Alton Hon. Wm. A. Meese Moline Dr. Otto L. Schmidt Chicago Richard V. Carpenter Belvidere Edward C. Page, Northern Illinois State Normal School DeKalb J. W. Clinton Polo Hon. Andrew Russel Jacksonville Walter Colyer Albion Secretary and Treasurer. Mrs. Jessie Palmer Weber Springfield Honorary Vice-Presidents. The Presidents of the Local Historical Societies. : EDITOKIAL NOTE. Following the practice of the Publication Committee in previous years, this volume includes, besides the official proceedings and the papers read at the last annual meeting, some essays and other matter contributed during the year. It is hoped that these "contributions to State History" may, in larger measure as the years go on, deserve their title, and form an increasingly valuable part of the Society's transac- tions. The contributions are intended to include the following kinds of material 1. Hitherto unpublished letters and- other documentary material. This part of the volume should supplement the more formal and exten- sive publication of official records in the Illinois historical collections, which are published by the trustees of the State Historical Library. 2. Papers of a reminiscent character. These should be selected with great care; for memories and reminiscences are at their best an uncertain basis for historical knowledge. 3. Historical essays or brief monographs, based upon the sources and containing genuine contributions to knowledge. Such papers should be accompanied by foot-notes indicating with precision the authorities upon which the papers are based. The use of new and original material and the care with which the authorities are cited, will be one of the main factors in determining the selection of papers for publication. 4. Bibliographies. 5. Occasional reprints of books, pamphlets, or parts of books now out of print and not easily accessible. Circular letters have been sent out from time to time urging the members of the Society to contribute such historical material, and appeals for it have been issued in the pages of the Journal. The com- mittee desires to repeat and emphasize these requests. It is the desire of the committee that this annual publication of the Society shall supplement, rather than parallel or rival, the distinctly official publications of the State Historical Library. In historical research, as in so many other fields, the best results are likely to be achieved through the co-operation of private initiative with public authority. It was to promote such co-operation and mutual undertaking that this Society was organized. Teachers of history, whether in schools or colleges, are especially urged to do their part in bringing to this publication the best results of local research and historical scholarship. In conclusion it should be said that the views expressed in the various papers are those of their respective authors and not necessarily those of the committee. Nevertheless, the committee will be glad to receive such corrections of fact or such general criticism as may appear to be deserved. VIII COMMITTEES OF THE ILLINOIS STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY—MAY 1912 TO MAY 1913. Publication Committee. J. McCan Davis, Chairman Springfield Jessie Palmer Weber Springfield George A. Dupuy Chicago Solon J. Buck Urbana George W. Smith .' Carbondale Stephen L. Spear Springfield John L. Cooper Fairfield Walter Colyer Albion J. N. Gridley Virginia J. B. Oakleaf Moline John M. Lansden Cairo Farlin Q. Ball Chicago Joseph E. Paden Evanston Clark E. Carr, ex officio Galesburg Program Committee. Jessie Palmer Weber, Chairman Springfield E. B. Greene Champaign J. H. Burnham Bloomington Otto L. Schmidt Chicago E. S. Willcox Peoria Wm. A. Meese Moline J. A. James Evanston Paul Selby Chicago Mrs. Katherine Goss Wheeler Springfield Charles P. Kane Springfield Mrs. Isabel Jamison Springfield F. J. Heinl Jacksonville Clinton L. Conkling Springfield Charles H. Eammelkamp Jacksonville Logan Hay Springfield W. G. Edens Chicago Mrs. Martha K. Baxter Pawnee J. H. Collins Springfield Charles G. Dawes Chicago Evanston J. Seymour Currey Clark E. Carr, ex officio Galesburg IX Finance and Auditing Committee. Andrew Russel, Chairman Jacksonville E. J. James Urbana Jessie Palmer Weber Springfield 0. L. Schmidt Chicago Clark E. Carr, ex officio Galesburg Committee on Legislation. Andrew Russel, Chairman Jacksonville Win. A. Meese Molme 0. F. Berry Carthage Samuel Alschuler Aurora R. V. Carpenter Belvidere Henry McCormick Normal Charles E. Hull Salem B. S. Tuthill Chicago Ross- C. Hall Oak Park Lee F. English Chicago David Felmley Xormal Wm. A. Vincent Chicago 0. A. Harker Champaign E. L. Merritt Springfield Campbell S. Hearn Quincy H. J. Patten Evanston Clark E. Carr, ex officio • Galesburg Special Committee to Mark Route of Lincoln's Army Trail from Beardstown to Mouth of Rock River. William A. Meese, Chairman Moline Robert H. Garm Beardstown John S. Bagby Rushville Dr. W. T. Burrows Ottawa Henry S. Dixon Dixon 0. M. Dickerson Macomb James Gordon Oquawka E. E. Nicholson Beardstown James M. Johnston Milan 1. F. Edwards Dixon Dr. Homer Mead Camden Jacob C. Thompson Macomb J. B. Oakleaf Moline John Richmond Prophetstown Clark E. Carr, ex officio Galesburg Committee on Local Historical Societies. Richard V. Carpenter, Chairman Belvidere J. H. Burnham Bloomington E. M. Bowman St. Louis W. H. Fay DeKalb J. Seymour Currey Evanston George W. Smith Carboudale E. P. Lovejoy Princetun J. O. Cunningham Urbana Mrs. Charles A. Webster G-alesburg J . N ick Perrin Belleville Horace Hull Ottawa Mrs. Mary Turner Carriel Jacksonville L. J . Freese Eureka Gen. John I. Kinaker Carlinville Miss Anna B. Silver Philo Miss Eouise Maertz Quincy Judson D. Metzger Moline J. W. Clinton Polo Clark E. Carr, ex officio Galesburg Committee ox Membership. Judge J Otis Humphrey, Chairman Springfield Charles L. Capen Bloomington Dr. Hauiel Berry Carmi John M. Rapp Fairfield Mrs. i. G. Miller Springfield Mrs. C. C. Brown Springfield Dr. William Jayne Springfield George E. Dawson Chicago A. W. Crawford Hillsboro Mrs. E. M. Bacon Decatur William M. Fowler Aurora Andrew L. Anderson Lincoln Smith D. Atkins Freeport Sumner S. Anderson Charleston S. W. Baxter East St. Louis Mrs. Inez J. Bender Decatur Charles Bent Morrison Mrs. George D. Tunniclifi Macomb Win. R. Sandham Wyoming Clark E. Carr, ex officio Galesburg Committee ox Marking Historic Spots in Illinois. Francis G. Blair, Chairman Springfield Mrs. Matthew T. Scott Bloomington Harry Ainsworth Moline John E. Miller East St. Louis John S. Little Bushville Charles B. Campbell Kankakee Miss Lottie E. Jones Danville Terry Simmons Marseilles 1 1. S. Sicks Eockford Miss Sarah M. Gough El Paso XI Lewis M. Gross Sycamore Mrs. Lee J. Hubble Monmouth Mrs. Leroy Bacchus Springfield Mrs. G. H. Huntoon Moline John H. Hauberg Moline J. W. Houston Berwick Clark E. Carr, ex officio Galesburg Committee on Genealogy and Genealogical Publications. Miss Georgia L. Osborne, Chairman Springfield John C. Foote Belvidere Mrs. E. S. Walker Springfield Mrs. Thomas Worthington Jacksonville Mrs. John C. Ames Streator Miss May Latham Lincoln Mrs. George K. Hall Springfield Mrs. E. G. Crabbe Corpus Christi, Texas Mrs. A. W. Sale Springfield Mrs. G. W. Leaverton Springfield Norman G. Flagg Moro Bichard V. Carpenter Belvidere Oliver R. Williamson Chicago Dwight E. Frink Bloomington Clark E. Carr, ex officio Galesburg Committee on Archaeology. Professor Frederick Starr, Chairman Chicago J. H. Burnham Bloomington J. V. N. Standish Galesburg Dr. Wm. Jayne Springfield W. T. Norton Alton "Clark E. Carr, ex officio Galesburg Special Committee to Confer with the Commission Appointed by the Last General Assembly on the Constkuction of the New Building for the Histoeical Society and Library. William A. Meese, Chairman Moline Charles H.