The first class consists of the hunters, a daring, hardy race of men who live in miserable cabins which they fortify in time of war with the Indians whom they hate, but much resemble in dress and manners. They are unpolished, but hospitable, kind to strangers, honest, and trustworthy. They raise a little Indian corn, pumpkins, hogs, and sometimes have a cow ar two, and two or three horses belonging to each family, but their rifle is their chief means of support. They are the best marksmen in the world, and such is their dexterity that they will shoot an apple off the head of a companion. Their wars with the Indians have made them vindictive. This class cannot be called first settlers, for they move every year or two.
The second class may be called first settlers, a mixed set of hunters and Farmers. They possess more property and comforts than the first class. They follow the range pretty much; selling out when the country begins to be well settled and their cattle cannot be entirely kept in the woods. These original backwoodsmen look upon all new-comers as obtruders. The old hunters' rule is: when you hear the sound of a neighbor's gun, it is time to move away. These men live in solitude and rely on their own efforts to support themselves and their families. They derived their means of livelihood principally from hunting, and devoted very little atten tion to farming. Some, however, follow a different destiny. Their little .torn patch increases to a field, their first shanty to a small log house, which, in turn, gives place to a double cabin in which the loom and spinning wheel are installed. A well and a few fruit trees after a time complete the improvement.
The third class consisted of men of influence in their communities. They were usually fairly well educated and possessed of a moderate amount of property. They came from Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana, from the Southern, Middle Atlantic, and the New England States. This class con sisted of young doctors, lawyers, storekeepers, farmers, and mechanics. Many of them lived in or near one of the land office towns, Kaskaskia, Shawneetown, or Edwardsville, but a few were to be found in the smaller settlements.
The fourth class is not clearly distinguishable from the third. It consisted of old settlers, rich, independent farmers, wealthy merchants, possessing a good deal of information, a knowledge of the world, and an enterprising spirit. They undertake any business or speculation that promises great profit.
An English pioneer settlement.—Only a region of superior qualities favorable for home-making could have drawn people from the distant regions of the earth as did Illinois. Probably the most conspicuous example of the attractiveness of Illinois to the home seeker is found in the English settlement at Albion, Edwards County. The following abstract is from 111i IlOiS in 1818: George Flower and Morris Birbeck, men of education and means, planned the enterprise, selected the site, directed the emigration, and established the settlement. Flower had come to the United States in 1816, Birbeck in 1817. They decided to locate in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, or Illinois. They did not wish to go farther north because of the severity of the climate, nor farther south because of their abhorrence of slavery. The rough conditions of the frontier did not appeal to them, but the opportunity to purchase land in unlimited quantities at a low price appealed to them very much.
While traveling in Kentucky, Flower heard of the prairies of southern Illinois. He and Birbeck visited Edwards County in 1817 and decided to locate their settlement on the small prairies and adjoining wooded tracts. Their first purchase was of 3,000 acres; during the next year they entered 26;100 acres; additional purchases were made later.
Birbeck remained in America and Flower returned to England to find emigrants. In 1818 about 90 persons sailed. In April Flower left England on a chartered ship with GO emigrants. They brought with them a goodly number of cows, hogs, and sheep of the choicest breeds of England.
This English settlement, induced by the advantages of the Illinois prairies, exerted an important influence on the pioneer life of Illinois. The leaders were well instructed in the theory and practice of agriculture. They were among the first settlers of Illinois to attack the problem of bring ing the prairie under cultivation. The blooded stock which they intro duced was a valuable asset to the community. Nearly all the foreign travelers who made tours of the United States during the years 1818 to 1820 visited the settlement and published accounts of it in their books. This English pioneer settlement thus gave to Illinois unlimited advertising, not only in England, but on the continent and in the United States as well. This undoubtedly helped to promote emigration both from abroad and from the eastern states.