Old Towns of Jefferson County Illinois

Dareville

Dareville is or was located at the first cross road south of Rt Rt 148 on Nason Road.

The first store and post office was located on the north east corner and was operated by Hubbard Rolin Dare, who was also the Post Master, and his wife Mary Margaret (Peggy) Martin Dare.

The name given the post office was Dareville. The mail came by stage coach from Ashley on the Ashley-Spring Garden Route. Capt. Joseph Laur drove the stage which also carried passengers and freight. He later delivered the mail on horse back on Stars Route 11799. At a later date Hub’s son, William General Worth Dare, served as Post Master.

It isn’t known exactly when Hub opened the store there, but he purchased 40 acres in Twp. 4, Sect. 2 on February 1st, 1850. The certificate was signed by President Zachary Taylor. Hub also served as Justice of The Peace from 1881—1885

My  Great Aunt Manessa Hester Peterson (Dan’s wife) while in the process of having the house moved that now sits on the north side of the road and east of the cross road, lived for a time in the old two story log house that sat to the north of the present house. It had been the home of Hub and Peggy Dare. There were a lot of old medical books in the old house that belonged to a son or relative of their’s. (In the old store account ledger is listed Dr. Marion Dare) As soon as the present house was ready to move into, the old log house was torn down and a barn erected on it’s site in the 1930’s.

I’ve been told that Alice and "Sis” Dare lived in the old house and that the Joe Lappin family lived in it before Aunt Neese,

Baron Baker has been quoted as saying that there used to be a store and grist mill located on the south west corner at Dareville, and that it was a large building that stood high on pilings as the water used to run across that corner. (it still does) He also said there used to be a sawmill at Dareville.

Curtis Black and his wife Nancy had a store on the south west corner near Opal Hughes Peterson’s house. Nancy had a loom in the back room of the store and wove rugs there. Black opened a post office in the store July 10, 1871 and it closed January 31, 1907. Mail was delivered to it from Mt Vernon on horse back,

Around 1900, Isaac J. Hicks, who had operated a peddler wagon from Williamsburg (Old Town) built and operated the old frame store building which is pictured in this issue. It was located on the south east corner, site of the present block building. He also built the house which is just south of the store bldg.

After his sons Samuel J. and Artie L married, they each lived in two rooms of the house. All of Samuel J’s children were born in that house: Harry, Roy, Owen, Fred, and Beulah (Mrs. Emery Baker)

Isaac J. Hicks, born 1846 was the son of David J, Hicks who built the first residence at Williamsburg. He had a drug store, was a blacksmith, and operated the post office, which was named Laur, even though it was at Willlamsburg.

David J. Hicks was the son of Isaac Hicks, born 1786, and his wife Rebecca Casey who came from Cave in Rock with her father Isaac Casey and her brother William Casey to the present site of Mt. Vernon in 1817, and were the first settlers there.

When the Railroad came through Bonnie, Isaac J Hicks built a large store building there, and he and his sons operated it. They sold the Dareville store to Lute Dare who had ran a small store on the north east corner, site of old Hub’s store

Others who have operated the store on the south east corner are; Gene Dare, Henry Marlow, Sam Bumpus, Claude Place, Earl Karnes, and ___Rungee,

Joe and Mona Fairchild ran a store on the north east corner for a while in about the late 1930’s.

Artie N. Hicks also operated a grist mill as did L. M. Dare. Dare’s mill was operated by Bud Baker, L.M. Dare also bought livestock and had stock pens and loading chutes at Dareville.

In ‘the early 1900’s there was a grist mill located east of Dareville operated by “Daddy” Houston, I wonder if this could have been the one owned by Artie Hicks?

Guy Dare and his father Oscar Dare kept 7 deer at the home place east of Dareville where Guy lived until he moved to his present home about 1/2 mile north of Dareville on the west side of the road. He purchased that 80 acre farm from William Thos. Dare in 1919, William Thomas Dare had purchased it In 1860. Guy still owns the house and 3 acres. He recalls that during W.W.I he had a lot of horses on the property and that Baron Baker worked for him. Baron is still living at Dareville yet today also.

by...
Suzanna Hester Horton

note; information for this article was from a variety of sources; Carrie Shelton Baker, Beulah Hicks Baker., Dell Frick Nowland, Gordon and Hilda Hester Metcalf, Baron Baker, Ernie Rhynes, Nela Peterson Place, Mona Peterson Fair child, Guy Dare, Perrins History of Jefferson County (l883) and Ghost Towns of Southern Ill by Glenn  Sneed

An account ledger from the old Hubbard Dare Store at Dareville was given to The Prairie Historians a few years ago by Mona Paterson Fairchild. I was just fascinated with it, it tells of a way of life long past. It mentions many of the early settlers of not only Elk Prairie, but of Buzzard Roost, Wolf Prairie, Long Prairie, and even down to the old Winfield area. Many of the customers were granted land by the government, and thus were the original owners of it. (see land grant issue)

The ledger shows how business was transacted, how trading was done, how accounts were kept, what items were purchased, and even something of the language and spelling used at that time. It shows that trips to the store were few and far between, possibly four or five times a year, and that accounts were usually settled at the end of the year.

Very food stuff was purchased, and when it was it consisted of bare staples such as; salt, coffee, soda, meal, syrup, molasses, etc. No sugar was sold, and no flour until the latter part of this time period. Plug tobacco was a big item, and candy was listed occasionally. Hub Dare’s Store was a general store in the true sense of the word, it carried a stock of everything that was needed back then in the way of hardware, household items, and sewing materials.

I assume that it was probably the only store for miles around, Waltonville and Nason did not yet exist, and people came from miles around to do business there.

Many descendants of the people listed in the ledger still live in this same general area, and many of you will find ancestors or relatives among them. I found three of mine; Asbury Bean, Patsy Hester,(widow of John S. Hester) and Robert Bartis Martin, son of Lee Crier Martin & Minerva C. Dare

Hubbard R. Dare Jr. l819-1894 was born in North Carolina son of Hubbard Dare Sr. 1787—1853, and his wife Mary who are buried at Wolf Prairie Cemetery
married Mary Margaret (Peggy) Martin 1821-1899 sister to Lee Crier Martin

Hubbard’s sister, Minerva 1817-1893 married Lee Crier Martin 1812-1878  and they are buried at Ward Cemetery

Dare’s store must have served as a local bank as well as to furnish supplies. The following account of some of the transactions for George W. Evans bears this out. George was a big customer, most other accounts averaged about $25 to $30 per year.

George was the son in law of Stinson H. Anderson, Lt, Gov., and George later went into the banking business in Mt Vernon with John Wilbanks, a step son of Stinson H. Anderson, John was the son of Joseph Wilbanks and Candace Pickering who married 2d Stinson H. Anderson. The old Evans home was east of Nason

George Evans
1 gal. coal oil .40

Merchandise by John Sinclair $1.00

One plug tobacco by Hutson .25

1 “par” boots by Kate Hester

Pd to E, Wilson (Elisha?)

One oz. indigo .15 (dye)

cash paid at home $10.00

1 1/2 lbs. coffee by Charles Hutson .50

1 plug tobacco sent by Frank Abney

Cash sent by Frank Abney

1 lb. soda sent by Charles Hutson

Pd Isaac S.  Boswell $2.5O

To order John Funnels $1.50

To order Francis Bean $65.00

Bill by Joseph Lynch $7.90

Lumber to E, Osborn $30.00

Blacksmith work on “waggon” $6.95

Pd. to J.H. Crosno $18.60

cash $10.00

 _____sent by Harve Sinclair

Wm. B. Anderson $l8.69
Pd. to James M. Dare $50.
Pd. to Usher for Dalby $95.00
Cash $200.00
1 plow $15.00
cash $100.00
Lumber to McCaslin $47.00
Lumber to McCaslin $4.50
1 plug tobacco sent by the Shehorn boy
cash sent by E. Farthing
pd on hogs and oats $l00.00
sent by Holley $50.00
cash $60.00

 This account was settled July 21, 1869 
credited to it
Balance on Bodine Cattle $80.00
Corn of Darnell and Dalby $170.00
26 head of hogs $243.00
Corn at Oliver’s $130.00
one “bour” hog $25.00
8 hogs and 1 cow $135.00
hogs and oats $200.00
18 bushels of corn $46.80
on Crosno Cattle $6.50
25 bushel oats of Oliver $10.00
 
John Dare’s account was credited with 2302 lbs. cotton & 369 lbs wet cotton
George Wilson paid on his account with 6 mink, 2 coon, 1 opossom, 2 mink
James S. Hester paid his account in this way;
3 days work                2.50
7 cords wood              2.80
400 “bords”                 2.00
2 bushel nuts                   .60
225 rails                       1.00
325 rails                       1.95
plowing 4 days              2.00
threshing 2 days            1.50
chopping wood 4 days  2.00

Other accounts were paid with:
butter,  pelts,  eggs,  syrup,  tallow,  feathers,  cows,  apples,  bees wax,  turkeys,  hogs,  onions
bacon, timber, chickens, beans, wheat, weaving, corn, fence posts, hides, a days work, potatoes



Elbert Roberson 1/23/1860 a typical account, little food, and only 3 or 4 entries in a year
3 yards “flanel”        $1.05
6 lbs coffee                1.00
3 yards “lincey”           .75
indigo and buttons       .30
5 yards calico             .62
1 ‘pockit” knife          .55
1 “bear” soap             .10
6 yards domestic        .75

May 5th, 1860

10 yds. Calico    $1.50
fish line                   .05
2 yards calico         .30
1 “par” gloves        .25
1 bunch ‘beeds”     .25
3 yds. pants stuff    .75
1 paper pins           .10

June 20, 1860

1 “par” shoes       $1.85
pain killer                 .25
1 box pills                .25

Robert Bartis Martin (my ancestor) 12/30/1868
goods $2.09
sawing lumber $10.60
nails .25
siding 13.96
10 rafters .93
--------    2.00
--- 5 pieces  .75
4 window sash $2.40
-------         9.29
__________
$45.15
3.85 (tax?)
$49.00
1 bottle linament .25
1 bottle pills .50
1 bottle linarnent .50
 
Some other items and prices listed;
4 bushel meal $4.00                          1 wash board .35
1 crock .20                                       1 whip  .10
bucket .30                                         1 tub .45
1/2 lb “peper” .10                              shrouding for child $l.35
                                                          Wrn. Osborn in 1860
1 chamber .45
                                                         shrouding for Dan Ratliff
1 wash pan .35                                  by Green B. Lynch $2.50
saddle and bridle $2.50                     1 ox “youk” $1.50
1 “par” suspenders .35                      6 tumblers .75
1 broom .25                                      rope .35
powder, lead, caps, .35                     shot .12
sleigh .50                                           1 bunch thread $1.35
fine comb .20                                     coperas, indigo, madder, (dyes)
sulphur .10                                        1 gal. molasses .75
3 pam (panama?) hats .38                  1 “pirasol” $1.50
flax thread .15                                    1 log chain $1.90
1 “par” chains .75                              
1 sythe blade $1.00
1  lamp chimney .10
1 Bible .75
hair pins .10
one box eye salve .25

Sewing materials;
1 yd. “velvit” .40
carnbrick .20
7 yds. pant stuff $1.75
1/2 doz buttons .07
8 yds. lawn $1.20
3 yds. worsted $1.95
12 yds. "ribin" .60
5 yds calico .62
6 yds. domestic .75
1 yd. alpaca .40
2 “par” stockings .50
1 hat .10
1 fan .10

Hubbard Dare Store Ledger 1847 - 1849