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COBDEN HISTORY Union County Illinois Genealogy Trails
Transcribed and submitted by Darrel Dexter To many of our people it may be a matter of news to know that Silas R. Green has been in business in Cobden since before there was a post office there—we don’t know how many years ago. He and his father, David Green, first had a store at what is called Green’s Crossing, and where the old home still stands, just south of the town. After the railroad was build and the station located, a company bought 40 acres from the railroad company and proceeded to lay out a town. The lots were sold at auction, and David Green promptly bid $100 for lot one in block A, which was the first lot sold. No one wanted to raise that bid and it was sold to him. He then paid $50 for the adjoining lot on the north and $10 for the lots west of these two. This corner is now occupied by Nat Green. Mr. Silas Green’s son Robert is associated with him, so the firm is still Green & Son as it was 50 years ago. Mr. Green says that the merchants in those days did not have to give prizes to sell goods and that the profits were large. (Jonesboro Gazette, Jonesboro, Illinois, Saturday, 22 Aug 1903)  Transcribed and submitted by Darrel Dexter Pittsburg, Pa.—Editor Gazette—My father was living in Cobden when he raised Company M 6th Illinois volunteer cavalry in the dangerous (but important to the army) scout duty, of which he was chosen captain, but which cost him his health and eventually his life. Falling with his horse through a bridge weakened by the enemy (bushwhackers, the despised of the armies of both sides), his leg was crushed terribly and he was hurt internally. Recovering somewhat, he refused to resign from the service until necrosis of the bones of his leg and nervous prostration compelled him to, suffering untold pain and anguish until premature old age rendered him partially insane after which he did not live long. He received special mention for “gallant and brave service” and late in life a pension and pay for horses he had paid for out of his own pocket, but that did not by any means recompense him or his family. In 1862-63 a Mr. George Reeves, chemist and teacher, opened a school in a small room on my father’s property of several acres just east of the I. C. R. R. freight depot on which he had a story and a half frame residence, and on the southwest corner Henry Frick and Frank Lamer had a store. Captain I. N. Phillips, who came to Union County from Belleville, Ill., and took a contract for grading on the I. C. R.R. purchased land where Cobden now is through which the railroad ran later, Captain Phillips reserving a strip of land east and west of the right of way of the I. C. R.R. through what was then South Pass. He was the first postmaster, and had a contract for getting out timbers and ties for the railroad, locating his tie yard in front of David Green’s store and dwelling one mile south of South Pass, where the Lingles, Hartlines, Gunthers, Rendlemans and many other pioneer settlers bought timbers and ties. Money was scarce in those days and Captain Phillips gave orders on Mr. Green’s store for goods. Captain Phillips became U. S. justice or provost marshal during the war, and was a very just and humane man at a time when it “tried men’s souls.” He was generous to a fault, altruistic, and helped many who never could repay him and some of whom became his enemies. He became a victim of alcohol, which has destroyed more good men than bad. Silas Green, son of David Green, was one of nature’s noblemen, plain unassuming and honest, he was loved and respected always. James Fowley came to Cobden about 1862-63 and had a blacksmith shop just south of David Green’s store in Cobden, just east of the present railroad depot. He was a good mechanic, but soon opened a small store just north of his shop about half a block and almost adjoining the then little store of John and Adam Buck, who later built their fine brown stone front brick building. All were my friends. John Buck was a real wit and well educated. He told me that South Pass was changed to Cobden in honor of the great philosopher, philanthropist and capitalist (for whom Cobden Club in London, England, was named) “for his large investments in the I. C. R.R. company which South Pass could not help.” Cobden was at that time about the finest mud hole on earth. Captain Phillips located the tie and lumber yard at Green’s crossing at the request of the railroad company in order to enable the small locomotives to develop momentum sufficient to get over the high grade at the north part of the pass through the hill. All cars were very small then. I.N. Phillips purchased the machinery for crushing sorghum and the oven or pan for making the molasses. George Reeves managed the manufacturing. Mr. Reeves was the first man to make sorghum in Southern Illinois. It was raised on the farm of Captain Phillips adjoining Cobden, which his only daughter and child, Mrs. Allie Phillips Miller now owns. Mr. Reeves attempted to make sugar of molasses, and did succeed in producing a granulated form of it but much inferior to the real sugar cane brown sugar. Sorghum was not introduced into the United States from China until 1855-56, so you see how enterprising Captain Phillips was. He owned some very fine horses and cattle at Centralia, some of which he bought to Cobden. Always a gentleman, fine looking and perfect in build, he sat a horse as few men could and always owned and drove the vest team in his part of the state. Henry Frick, who died recently in Cobden, was a man of good mercantile ability, fair and square, and a natural gentleman. He and his partner, Frank Lamer, were very popular. Mr. Lamer with Charley LeBar had the first flouring mill and saw mill. I recall the motto over the mill door, “No Monopoly.” You do not see those signs today, but that principle will come back some day. I attended Mr. Reeves’ school. I recall the only book, Webster’s speller, and the stories and pictures of the dog caught in bad company and stoned and beaten with clubs, and the bad boy in the old man’s apple tree who laughed at the old man when he threw turf but who soon came down and asked the old man’s pardon when stones were thrown at him. The scholars were Will and Emma Hearns, Imogene and Mary Pierce, Mary Ann Buck, Jennie Clay, Frank and Jennie Finley, Frank Condon and his sister, George Ede and his sister Florence, Walter, Will and Nathaniel Green, brothers of Silas and sons of David Green at the Crossing, Emma and Nora Lamer, Nettie Mussey, Mary and Nettie Limbert, Fannie Bundy, John Hilton, John Hunsaker, Silas Lingle, Lucinda Lamer and her sister, Lorena and Melissa Jacques, Kitty Baker, Allie Phillips, John Barker and his sister Lizzie, and others. Jim Condon had a hotel and a saloon near the school room, and had two immense black pet bears chained to posts that scared the children. Mr. Condon loved children and was a great big-hearted man who like many others in those days took “snake bite remedy” too often. Eastern men began to settle in the Cobden vicinity, and such men as E. N. Clark, Parker Earle, Charles and Paul Wright, with Col. Bainbridge, David Gow, a Scotch Highlander; Capt. I. N. Phillips, Henry Clay, the Goodriches, John Richardson, S. G. Spaulding, Jared Baker, John Keith, Charley Hartline, and other engaged in fruit growing. They were all men of more than ordinary intelligence and enterprise. Few of that generation are now living.
F. M.
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