Jason W. Strevell
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==Illinois== | ==Illinois== | ||
| − | Strevell migrated to Illinois in 1855. He was admitted to the Illinois bar that same year, and began his twenty-four year practice in Pontiac. Besides practicing law, Mr. Strevell engaged in merchandising, conducting the first exclusive hardware store in Pontiac | + | Strevell migrated to Illinois in 1855. He was admitted to the Illinois bar that same year, and began his twenty-four year practice in Pontiac. Besides practicing law, Mr. Strevell engaged in merchandising, conducting the first exclusive hardware store in Pontiac, for a time at least, as the partnership "Strevell & Kinsell". This business also involved William J. Murphy. |
| − | Strevell | + | Strevell was heavily involved in the incorporation of Pontiac in 1856 and was one of the five first trustees of the village. He was selected to spearhead the selection of land for the first town cemetery. |
| − | + | On 15 August, 1858, Jason was married to Miss Elizabeth Kelley, daughter of Dr. John Kelly, a physician and surgeon of Lake City, Minnesota. Since her son is referred to as "Charles Nettleton", it is presumed that she was married to a Nettleton, possibly Z. N. Nettleton, a founding father of Pontiac, also one of the five first trustees in 1857. | |
| − | His son, [[Charles Nettleton | + | After being spared by a tornado in May, a strong tornado swept through Pontiac at 4:45 o'clock on the afternoon of [[November 26, 1859]]from the southwest. The roofs of J. W. Strevell's hardware store and four other businesses were blown off. The roof of the court-house, cupalo and gable end were blown down. The two-story Sinsel house was torn to splinters, burying two women and a child, but none was seriously injured. Several other houses were either blown to pieces or were blown from their foundations and turned around. Barns all over the village were demolished. |
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| + | He served as a Republican in the lower house of the state legislature for four years (1864-1867), as a member of the senate 1868-1870 (or 1872?) and was a member of the electoral college that elected Hayes to the presidency, and he was actively concerned in the first presidential nomination of William McKinley. He was a personal friend of Abraham Lincoln and did yeoman service in securing his presidential nomination, having been a member of the Illinois legislature during the critical epoch of the Civil war. | ||
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| + | Strevell and [[Abraham Lincoln]] were close friends and shared many hours together in conversation. One of the most documented meetings between these two gentlemen occurred on the evening of [[January 27, 1860]] at the Pontiac Presbyterian church. Lincoln, earlier that same day, accepted a standing invitation to speak to the Pontiac Young Men's Literary Society, of which Strevell was president. He was in Bloomington for a trial and took an afternoon train to Pontiac. His speech was not very successful, as Lincoln was exhausted and had only decided to speak a few hours before appearing. After the presentation, Lincoln went to the Strevell house, a blaock and a half away, to spend the night, after a small reception. Strevell and Lincoln stayed up late, talking about politics, slavery, and other national and local issues of the day. During the course of the conversation, Strevell suggested that Lincoln might be selected as the Republican Party's presidential candidate at the upcoming party convention. Lincoln argued that he might be chosen as a vice-presidential candidate, but did not believe he would gain the top spot on the ticket. In less than four months from the time Mr. Lincoln delivered his lecture in Pontiac he was nominated for President of the United States by the republican convention in session in Chicago, on May 19, 1860. | ||
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| + | As the conversation turned to less important topics, Strevell, who was six foot tall, said he did not believe that Lincoln was really 4 inches taller than himself. Lincoln offered to let himself be measured and stood in a doorway in his stocking feet while Strevell made a scratch in the door frame to mark Lincoln's height. Strevell then measured, from floor to the mark on the door frame, and found Lincoln to be exactly, 6 foot, 4 inches tall. One source says that Lincoln did not spend the night, but took the midnight train to Springfield. | ||
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| + | The news of the assassination of President Lincoln was received in Pontiac with feelings of abject horror. Never in the history of Pontiac was there such universal mourning. True, most all of the male population of the village were in the army, but their wive's and children remained, and when word came that the special train bearing the body would pass through Pontiac on the afternoon of May 2, 1865, business was entirely suspended, schools were dismissed, and the entire population of the village and of the surrounding country marched to the Alton depot to pay their last respects. After remaining at the depot for about two hours, word came over the wire that the funeral train would not leave Chicago until 9 p. m., and the assemblage broke up and wended their way homeward. However, when the special train bearing the body of the martyred President arrived in Pontiac at midnight, there was a large gathering at the depot, as there was at nearly every station between Chicago and Springfield, giving evidence of his hold upon the heart of the nation and the universal sorrow which his revolting assassination had produced. | ||
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| + | Another of the first trustees, Nelson Buck, who came from near Bloomington, was a widower with three children, and shortly after his coming, was married to the widow of Augustus Fellows who lost her family to cholera a few years before. Mr. Buck was a man of many interesting peculiarities and was always first and foremost in everything that went for the upbuilding of the town. He was a surveyor and was elected to that position for several terms. Mr. Buck was one of the first trustees of the village of Pontiac, organized in 1856, and was the leading force which brought about the incorporation. He was a ready writer for the press in the early days of Pontiac, and many of the older residents now living remember the caustic articles printed over his signature. In 1869, while engaged in writing the first history of the county, he received an appointment as surveyor from the United States government, with orders to proceed at once to the territory of Nebraska. The history was about one-fifth completed when he left for the west. Before leaving for the west, Mr. Buck inserted an advertisement in one of the local papers for eight young men to accompany him on the trip, assuring them of plenty of sport, with an excellent chance to see the country. The opportunity afforded by the expedition for exploring the wilds of western Nebraska attracted the attention of several of the more adventurous young men of this place, who made application to Mr. Buck for employment, and were enrolled as members of the party, and on the 29th day of June, 1869, Mr. Buck, Frank McFarland, Buxton McGregor, John Nettleton, Will McCulloch and James Sager started from Pontiac for the field of their labors. Frank McFarland was the son of a merchant tailor who resided here at that time, while Buxton McGregor still resides here, and is the only living member of the party. Will McCulloch was the son of the late Mrs. D. J. Taylor and a brother of Mrs. Emma Voight, who taught in the public' schools of Pontiac for several years, John Nettleton was the son of the late Mrs. J. W. Strevell of Miles City, Mont., and well known among the old settlers of Pontiac (Z. N. Nettleton was a founding father of Pontiac, also one of the first trustees). James Sager was a farmer boy and resided with his folks in Owego Township. None of these young men were over seventeen years of age. They left Pontiac and proceeded to Council Bluffs, Iowa, by rail, and from that point proceeded to a point opposite Plattsmouth, Neb., where they crossed the Missouri river. At Plattsmouth, they were joined by six others and proceeded without interruption to Fort Kearney, Neb., where they were to receive a military escort. While at Fort Kearney, Mr. Buck was cautioned not to proceed further by the commandant, Colonel Pollock, who stated that the country was full of Indians on the warpath and that they had been engaged but a few days previous by a troop of cavalry from the fort. After waiting for several days for the About this time there arrived in Pontiac, Nelson Buck, who came from near Bloomington. Mr. Buck was a widower with three children, and shortly after his coming, was married to the widow of Augustus Fellows. Mr. Buck was a man of many interesting peculiarities and was always first and foremost in everything that went for the upbuilding of the town. He was a surveyor and was elected to that position for several terms. Mr. Buck was one of the first trustees of the village of Pontiac, organized in 1856, and was the leading force which brought about the incorporation. He was a ready writer for the press in the early days of Pontiac, and many of the older residents now living remember the caustic articles printed over his signature. In 1869, while engaged in writing the first history of the county, he received an appointment as surveyor from the United States government, with orders to proceed at once to the territory of Nebraska. The history was about one-fifth completed when he left for the west. Before leaving for the west, Mr. Buck inserted an advertisement in one of the local papers for eight young men to accompany him on the trip, assuring them of plenty of sport, with an excellent chance to see the country. The opportunity afforded by the expedition for exploring the wilds of western Nebraska attracted the attention of several of the more adventurous young men of this place, who made application to Mr. Buck for employment, and were enrolled as members of the party, and on the 29th day of June, 1869, Mr. Buck, Frank McFarland, Buxton McGregor, John Nettleton, Will McCulloch and James Sager started from Pontiac for the field of their labors. Frank McFarland was the son of a merchant tailor who resided here at that time, while Buxton McGregor still resides here, and is the only living member of the party. Will McCulloch was the son of the late Mrs. D. J. Taylor and a brother of Mrs. Emma Voight, who taught in the public' schools of Pontiac for several years, John Nettleton was the son of the late Mrs. J. W. Strevell of Miles City, Mont., and well known among the old settlers of Pontiac. James Sager was a farmer boy and resided with his folks in Owego Township. None of these young men were over seventeen years of age. They left Pontiac and proceeded to Council Bluffs, Iowa, by rail, and from that point proceeded to a point opposite Plattsmouth, Neb., where they crossed the Missouri river. At Plattsmouth, they were joined by six others and proceeded without interruption to Fort Kearney, Neb., where they were to receive a military escort. While at Fort Kearney, Mr. Buck was cautioned not to proceed further by the commandant, Colonel Pollock, who stated that the country was full of Indians on the warpath and that they had been engaged but a few days previous by a troop of cavalry from the fort. After waiting for several days for the escort and not procuring one, Mr. Buck decided to push forward, and accordingly left the fort with his party. After journeying two days westward and encountering many of the Sioux tribe, Mr. Buck became alarmed and sent young McGregor and Nettleton back to Fort Kearney with a request to the Colonel that he send an escort at once. The boys returned to the fort and delivered the message, and as no troops were forthcoming decided to remain until one was provided. No troops being available the escort was not provided and McGregor and Nettleton left the fort with their faces turned toward the east and worked their way back to Pontiac, having seen all the Indians they desired. The surveying party, ten in number, left Fort Kearney about the middle of July, and as nothing had been heard of them an expedition from North Platte headed by Lieutenant Haskins, U. S. A., with William F. Cody (Buffalo Bill) as a scout, left that place the first of October in search of them. On the 10th of October, Lieutenant Haskins reported to his superior of having found about thirty miles southeast of McPherson, where Mr. Buck's party was supposed to be, two tripods, a camp and camp equipage, and some canned fruits. The camp had the appearance of being deserted. He also saw some parts of a wagon. Not long after this, a band of Indians were captured, and it was admitted by them that they had a fight with a party at the point above mentioned; that it was a desperate one and that the last to fall was a tall man, who was in charge of the party. The Indians denied that they burned the bodies of the men, but careful search by expeditions sent out in search of the missing party failed to find them, and as not one of them ever returned or has since been heard of, it was generally supposed at the time that after killing every member of the gallant little band, their bodies were disposed of by the Indians in a manner peculiar to their own. | ||
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| + | In 1874, Strevell built a store room on the north side of the town square, as part of a building boom. | ||
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| + | Jason's son, [[Charles Nettleton]], took up residence in Salt Lake City, Utah, where he devoted his life to archeology, after partnering with his sister's husband in hardware stores ("Miles & Strevell", then "Miles, Strevell & Ulmer", which later was just [[Miles & Ulmer]]. They also had a store in Odgen, Utah). Before the Strevell's left Pontiac, they removed the door jam which was marked with Lincoln's height, and it was subsequently placed in the Salt Lake City museum started by Charles Strevell. Strevell's home in Pontiac has recently been purchased by the Livingston County Historical Society and is currently undergoing restoration with the goal of turning it into a local history and Lincoln museum. | ||
==Montana== | ==Montana== | ||
