Saline County, little more than a quarter of a century ago, was
undistinguished by name, boundary line, or
survey.
It was then a part of
the wild and undivided country which knew no settlement nor recognized
civilization.
The buffalo and Indian roamed over it at freely
and the yet wilder and more savage bordermen performed unmolested their
revolting tragedies of crime and murder fearlessly and without danger of
detection or
punishment.
In 1855, the survey was made and a portion of territory was detached
from the mass and named Saline
County.
The name Saline, signifying salt, was applied to the county from a
supposition that somewhere within its boundaries were to be found numerous
extensive salt springs. This supposition, however, proved untrue,
since
the discovery of any such saline fountains has not, as yet, been made.
The time had now come, when the breakers of
civilization should fall upon this uncivilized country. Already
the
adventurous frontiersman, hunter, trapper and explorer, had led the
vanguard, but none had come to stay.
The first permanent settlement of
Saline County began in the year 1858, just twenty-four years ago. As to
who the first settler was, is a question upon which there is a diversity
of opinion.
Were the statements of most of the early settlers now living taken for
authority, there would be several first settlers. The better authorities
upon the subject place the honor between E. Frink, who located, in 1858,
on Turkey Creek, near the present site of Pleasant Hill, and Victor
Vifquain, who located the same year,
in the northeast part of the county,
not far from where the city of Crete now stands.
The preponderance of the
evidence, however, lies in favor of Vifquain, to whom must be accorded the
credit of being the first permanent settler in Saline County.
Those next immediately following Vifquain and Frink were:
William
Stanton
James Johnston
Jonas Gilbert
J. S. Hunt
John Tucker
Tobias
Castor
J. C. Bickle
William Remington
William Wall, and others
Up to 1863, the number of families settled in the county, was
fifteen.
The population of the county in:
1860 -
39
1870
- 3,106
1874
- 7,718
1875
- 8,163
1876
- 9,227
1878
- 10,453
1879
- 12,417
1880
- 14,943
The first couple married in the county was Henry Smothers to Mary
Porter, February 10, 1866.
The first child born among the settlers was
Victor Emanuel Vifquain, on the 21st day of October, 1859.
The first death
was Thomas Duncan, occurring in the year 1860.
S. Caldwell preached the
first sermon, in the old dirt-covered log house that had been built on
Vifquain's
farm for a schoolhouse.