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Bedford County
Biographies
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WILLIAM BANDY
William Bandy was a prominent citizen in the affairs of Vermilion County (Illinois) at an early day. He was born in Bedford County, Va., and when a boy of sixteen came to Vermilion County, where he lived until his death. William and Washington Bandy came with their foster parents, making the trip in a four-horse team wagon, taking thirty-six days to come from their old home to Danville, Illinois. The wagon was filled with household effects and provisions, leaving but room for the family. In it their beds were made at night and they took their meals by the side of the road. When they reached Danville, December 13, 1828, there were but nine families living here. There was no cabin for them to rent, while they were providing a shelter, but they at last succeeded in securing a temporary abiding place in a log house which already contained two families. This building was 16x16 feet, and stood on the northwest corner of the square upon the present site of the First National Bank. Mr. Howell, the foster father of William and Washington Bandy, kept his family in this house until spring, because he could do no better.
The land office was at that time located at Palestine, ninety miles away. Mr. Howell went there right away to enter or purchase land, but could not do so because the officer in charge would not take the Virginia money which he offered in payment. After some delay, this difficulty was overcome and he entered 480 acres of land. He put four cabins up on this land, the principal one being that which was located one mile southeast of the public square. This house was made of rough logs with a puncheon floor, two windows and a door, with greased paper for use in the windows in the place of glass. The building was 16 ft. by 18 ft. and boasted window shutters of rived boards. An opening was made in the logs eight feet wide, and built out three feet, and this was lined with earth for a fireplace. The chimney was built outside six feet high and covered with mortar. This rude contrivance lasted for years and furnished enough heat for cooking and warming of the building in the winter.
The furniture was equally crude and homely. The bedstead was made of riven boards and set on wooden legs; the table was made in a like manner, only the legs were made higher. The family had brought two chairs whichwere given to the father and mother and the boys had to make stools for themselves to sit on. A tick was made which was filled with straw and another filled with feathers, and put on the bed. While game was plenty, and the family never lacked for meat, the groceries had to be brought in from Terre Haute and sometimes failed to be as plenty. After the cabin was built, water had to be carried 300 yards, until a well could be dug. Mr. Howell made a contract to get out 10,000 black walnut rails at twenty-five cents per hundred, and in the meanwhile he and the boys carried on the improvement of the farm. They broke the first timber land about Danville and raised some very fine corn which they were obliged to feed to their swine and sell the pork at from $1.00 to $1.50 per hundred. There was no market for the corn. The wage of a day's workwas equal to ten or twelve pounds of salt pork or eight bushels of corn, or, from thirty-seven and a half to fifty cents in cash, and only the extra good workmen could command that price. William Bandy remained a member of this home until he was nineteen years old when he went into the Black Hawk war in Colonel I. R. Moore's regiment with Captain J. Palmer.
This regiment went first to Joliet to build a fort. Thence they went to Ottawa, and yet later William Bandy joined the United States Mounted Rangers, which comprised six companies. They found the dread scourge of cholera at Rock Island and many fell victims to it. This company finally returned and wintered southeast of Danville until in January they were ordered to the other side of the Illinois river, but there being no need of their further service they came back to their camp. They remained ready for duty all summer, reconnoitering in different sections until, in the fall of the year, they were discharged. Mr. Bandy, in company with Mr. Howell, began work as a carpenter, and that year built a house on what was called Sulphur Springs Place, about one mile southeast of the court house. In the following spring they built a flat boat upon which Mr. Bandy loaded great quantities of pork and took it to New Orleans. When he reached his destination he found an epidemic of cholera, and he waited only to sell enough to pay expenses when he came home, having left the rest of his pork to be sold by others. Two years later he had a letter from the man who undertook the sale, stating that it was all sold, and enclosing the price thereof in a draft on a Louisville bank.
Mr. Bandy built another boat and took another load of produce down the rivers, and continued these trips year after year excepting in the time of the Mexican war, when he abandoned the river until after its close. Later he furnished the Illinois Canal company with packet horses and also was a merchant in partnership with his father-in-law, William Murphy. He later had a hardware store, conducting the largest business of this kind in the county, for years. He spent the last years of his life in the real estate business. His first residence was on North street, east of Vermilion, where he had a half acre of ground. He was appointed as one of the commissioners to make the slack water of the Vermilion river, in 1835, but did not see it practical; later he was appointed marshal of the Eastern District of Illinois, but there being nothing which appealed to him in the office, he withdrew.
Mr. Bandy represented his township two terms as supervisor; he also served the city as president of the city council and as alderman. Mr. Bandy married Miss Harriet J. Murphy, in 1833. They were the parents of seven children. Mrs. Bandy died in 1872, and nine years later he married Mrs. Deborah (King) Johnson.
(History of Vermilion County, Illinois By Lottie E. Jones Published In 1911) - Submitted by Barb Ziegenmeyer
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