ILJEFFER-L Archives

From: Misty Flannigan <>
Subject: [ILJEFFER-L] A WIDE FENCE ROW
Date: Sat, 03 Jan 1998 16:43:00 -0600

Hi Everyone,
I have added a guest book which I should have added nearly a year ago!
I would appreciate it if everyone would drop by and sign it.
http://www.rootsweb.com/~iljeffer/
The following was taken from the Prarie Historian but I failed to write
down any further details. I will try to remember look it up so I can do
that.

A WIDE FENCE ROW
By Jerry Elliston
Does anyone know what a "wide fence row" is? This little true story
reveals one of the little known problems of the early pioneer farmer as
he struggled with a hundred others. William King Bean and his good wife
Clemenza Thompson were pioneers in Long Prairie, not far from Mt.
Vernon, Illinois. He was known as "Uncle Will" to the family and to the
community. Soon after he and Clemenza were married they moved to Long
Prairie and selected the site of their future home. They built a log
cabin, cut the timber, cleared the land, broke the soil, put up fences
and began raising their large family. These were hard years, filled with
back breaking days of hard toil, from sun up to long after sunset.
There was little time for things that could be put off until another
day. Like many of the other settlers, Uncle Will put off going to the
nearest land office which was located at Shawneetown, about seventy
miles distant. Year after year he put it off. He was known as a
"squatter" on the land. Most of his neighbors were "squatters" too, but
it made little difference because all pioneers honored and respected
each others rights.
The day came, however, when unscrupulous neighbors got greedy for a
"fast buck" and began buying their neighbors land with all of the
improvements. It was perfectly legal since the first person to file on
a quarter section was the legal owner. Many good pioneer families were
forced to move away from land they had considered their own and which
they had cleared and improved. Needless to say, many lifelong
animosities and family hatreds were created.
On Long Prairie the spirit of helpfulness between neighbors that had
prevailed since the first settler came, disappeared overnight. Suspicion
was everywhere and no man trusted even his closest neighbor. Uncle Will
went about his work always telling himself that he would go to
Shawneetown "tomorrow" and file on his land. Days passed into weeks and
one day an old friend and neighbor rode in to warn him and tell him of a
conversation he had overheard. It seems that John Vaughn's eyes sparkled
when he looked at Uncle Will's farm and he had bragged that he was going
to the land office the next day and buy the Bean farm for a little
nothing. Uncle Will suddenly sprang into action. That night after it was
dark he saddled his fastest horse and took off for Shawneetown. He rode
through the long night as fast as his black gelding could run.
Southeast through the little village of Mt. Vernon, 27 miles further to
McLeansboro, then south to Eldorado 21 miles more, and east another 15
miles to the little pioneer settlement of Shawneetown, located on the
west bank of the Ohio River. The faithful gelding was nearly "dead
broke" when he rode into town and stopped in front of the United States
Land Office in midmorning. Uncle Will was a weary man himself, but he
had arrived in time. Before resting or feeding the gelding, he saw to
it that his land was really his own. He paid for it in gold and got his
official title. One can only imagine the relief he enjoyed as he walked
out of that office. He need have no further worry about unscrupulous
neighbors taking his farm through a loophole in the law.
After a few hours to rest the faithful gelding Uncle Will saddled up and
started home, back over the long trail again. Whom should he meet on the
trail about half way home? None other than John Vaughn! We will perhaps
never know for sure what John Vaughn was going to Shawneetown for, but
he had made the boast. When Uncle Will arrived home the first thing he
did was build another fence between his farm and that of John Vaughn.
Ever after he would not allow his stock to graze within 30 feet of John
Vaughn's land. Gradually trees and brush grew up in the "wide fence row"
was and still is a monument to a feud in southern Illinois between an
honest pioneer farmer and an unscrupulous Land Grabber of those
difficult times.
The Will Bean farm was located about 3/4 of a mile north of Ryder on the
west side of the road between the George Hicks place and the Rich Davis
place, on a lane that went west about 1/2 mile. The old sand stone
lined well and signs of the cabin were still there three years ago.
Will Bean was Margie Ellistons great grandfather.
SOURCE: Prairie Historian
-Misty-
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mailto:
http://www.rootsweb.com/~iljeffer/
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• [ILJEFFER-L] A WIDE FENCE ROW by Misty Flannigan <>