New-York tribune., 1907-11-10
DESERTED TOXINS.
Many Villages of the Illinois Plain
Rise and Then Fade.

Scarcely a township in Illinois but contains ths
site of what was oncs thought 10 be a future
great city and the state has the unique distinction
OF possessing more instances OF disappointed hopes
relative to boom towns than any other in tns
Union. says a Bloomington dispatch 70 The Chi
pioneer era than any other state 0t the Mddis
West and hundreds OF villages were founded. each
tors to bid fair to become the metropolis Of the
West Now the plough CRATES upon the forgotten
Those who have read GOldsmith's Deserted VI
lage' and sighed sentmentally over Sweet Al
burn. lOveest village OF the plain its people gone
serted houses and the graveyard on ths Sin 10 tel
that there life had been. will md q companion
picture In every county and in nearly every town.
ship OF the great state.
One OF the most interesting cases OF departed
greatness applies to POSJville, which in lS4l was
made the county seat of Logan County. IN 1sss
the Legislature changed the county seat 70 Mount
Pulaski. and when suit was brought the various
courts. from the lowest to the highest. decided
against Postvile, all holding that a conveyance q
land TO county IN consideration OF the location
Of the right TO remove II when the public good
SHAH require change In 1876 the county seat was
a few miles distant, packed UP and moved 70 Lin
not interfered PoStville would now he the leading
cry OF Logan County, instead nj Lincoln
Recently the postott,Ce at ElmoTe was discoztta-
utd due TO the advent of rural free delivery. TINS
one of the oldest towns in the military tract. and
al one tine was the principal rival e Peoria Neg
The village OF Richmond IN LIVINGSTON County.
WeS once rival of Pontiac. II was laid 0ut "
Railroad going through II il boomsi and became
one OF the most important towns OF Livingston
County The railroad instead passed TWO miles 20
the east, and there is trace Of the One-tms
poPulous and thriving village.
Cleveland. another rival of Peoria on the Iazs-
well County side of the Illinois River, Is also en-
a memory. 1t laid out in 1SS6. ENtenSlss
wharves We're constructed. and rany sleanloO-ss 1s
Souchsd mere FOR some reason tue pt3pls, ,oTv T
ferred Peoria and Pekin, and Cleveland Sow
IN lSSh the town OF Bloomingdale. SIN nLeS So II
west or Atlanta. Logan County. was launGneIt :.
ing AgricTltTrai anJ WiIIine Nssoctitiou.' OF
Rhode Island. This association purchased ten 1s tno1
10 young men of the East. the sum Of So oHsTs ss
eighty acres and lot in the village The scnS Tr.
ehasers were stricken with and other dlSesS s
and the colony dissolved. most OF the in% IF no
turning To the East The village was "e''U -
Lee County was the scene of three Pro9als1-1rss
corporations Grand Detour. Daysville, Lee S,,,r
and Dixon also should be mentioned or 'ls ls51j,si
with killing off the other three. -, -. laid
In Macon County the town of Madison Va, va rily
of Central Illinois. 1t did not last long ho%sidi hoeds
ana It's Si'S is now GGTTTSG ~ snd centerve
also are numbered in the lost towns ,iH OF W. SuT
County. Like Madison. all started Prorsi,s,S , ,Ssops
Decatur was the magnet that attracted ''e -
away from all rivals. lev os
Woodford County. and in 1910 II was looked ugh Nsh
as second Chicago. II attracted attention con-
mMuf
varted This, or some other factor was fatai -
It's existence. il slowly faded away ,oDl-
Kaskaskia is still heard FROM for II has pSRS,, S,,
lation of about 200. Yet Il was founded IN ~ ~, r.
the French by all the rules Of exPansS,1ins Spisht
should be in the metropolis class. IL had a a,Ia1ca
future, but it began to die when an oIu.t Ua tinls
was passed I'm 1887 fOrbiddng slavery Al VHe - a
II was the state capital and county seas, se,bsr % ef
jesuit college there contained a large @ s.ica-
students. H bid fair to become a FAMOUS SSesskis
tiOnal centre. The census of 1900 gave AaSN
Just l11 population. IL. cha
Old inhabitants of CIarksville soiemny reS, r,s be-
vicious character of the place. and eSIISJiS a. VAS
leve that. like Sodom and GOmOrrah OF Old II w.
destroyed by an indignant God a YI,,eis
All instances of the forgotten toWilS 81 I.s,5ile.
are tame in comparison with those of ClarhHsss'o III
All that is left of the town are the recolleeSS. Me-
the old inhabitants and the records in t1s csy
Lean County Courthouse. Not vestige or tnS Iaii
iS shown and its site is in doubt ~ We tbres
out in 1885 by Joseph Bartholomew AT poln5 with
miles west of Lexington. IL was lnNeStSSu-. and
an the attributes of pioneer city. Ganoie''
thieves numerous. :, .sose
Horse racing the principal sport ~ Haorkei
Gays and hCrsemen from all over the state od
there Ia was there that the Freelands ~ ~ Wss
Clear the Kitchen. the fastest horse IN INC W"
IN those thrilling days.