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A History of the Henderson - Smith - Collings Home
by Mary Rhae
McBride
The Rossville Historical Society
April 18, 1994
Rossville, in its
earlier existence, was known as
Liggett's Grove or Henpeck, as it was sometimes called. In 1853, the post office was moved from the settlement of North Fork to
Liggett's Grove. Alvan Gilbert was the first postmaster followed by
James Stewart. Stewart had the post office in his home which later
became the east end of the home located at 509 North Chicago Street.
The post office maintained the name of North Fork until the town of
Rossville was platted in 1859. At the time Mr. Stewart was postmaster,
the postal territory for North Fork included all of the present Grant
Township.
The first residence built on
the property at 509 North Chicago Street was known as the Townsend House and
had been built around 1847. James Stewart, who was a small child when
the family came to Vermillion County, from Connecticut purchased the
Townsend House. His daughter, Josephine, who was a small child when
the family came to Vermillion County, grew up in the area, met and married
John R. Smith.
(Author's note: this is the John Smith and
Josephine Stewart that had Minnie Smith who married our George Sadler Smith,
son of Charles Smith and Martha Sadler). In this house the marriage
ceremony was performed. John R. Smith, and his wife Josephine, built
their own home just south of the Stewart property. Records show her
father, James R. Stewart, was a member of the Ross Town Mutual Horse Company
in the late 1850's.
On December 22, 1865, James R.
Stewart and his wife, Minerva, sold this property to William J. Henderson.
The Henderson family did extensive remodeling on the original Townsend
House. Only a small portion of the house which served as the post
office remained a part of the newly constructed home.
W. J. Henderson was born in Sligo, Ireland in 1831. He left his parents in the old country and
came to America in 1848 when he was seventeen years old. He
apprenticed himself to a cabinet maker in Lafayette, Indiana in 1849 and
1850. He made a fortune making coffins. Some unwise investments
took it all from him. He then went to Waynetown, Indiana. Here
he established himself in the furniture business and did quite well.
In a few years he had acquired another fortune. He lost this fortune
in the panic of 1857 and the following few years. This did not daunt
him. He worked hard and accumulated a little money which he invested
in cotton goods at the opining of the Civil War. He once again laid
the foundation for his third fortune.
Henderson was married four
times. His first wife was Eliza Dwiggins, whom he married after he
went to Waynetown. She lived but a short time. After Eliza's
death, he married Mrs. Urmelia Yorg, who came with him to Rossville.
They were the parents of three daughters. The oldest daughter Mary
(1862-1916), became the wife of Charles Ellis. They had three sons:
Ernest, Henry Clay and Lawrence. These boys all grew up and settled in
the Rossville area raising families of their own. Daughter, Jennie,
(1865-1884), died at the age of 19. Fannie (1868-1954), the youngest
daughter, married Daniel Evans Maury, a local druggist. The Maury's
built a home at 410 North Harrison Street and were the parents of three
boys: Carl Lee; James Gernant and Daniel Evans.
After the death of his second
wife, William J. Henderson married Catherine Searles Scott on March 17,
1870. Catherine was born near Pittston, Pennsylvania on June 21, 1842,
the daughter of Ethan and Mary Stine Scott. In 1863, at the age of 21,
during the dark ages of the Civil War, she came with her parents to Illinois
in a wagon. They settled on a farm west of Rossville. W. J.
Henderson and his wife, Catherine, were the parents of two daughters:
Anna (1882-1978) married Frank Davis, who was in the furniture and mortuary
business in Rossville; and Nellie (1875-1958) married Daniel Watson, a local
banker. W. J. . Henderson's third marriage was to Fannie Sumner of the
Milford area.
W. J. Henderson was one of
Rossville's leading citizens. When he first came to Rossville, he
opened a store handling a general stock of goods and the people soon learned
he had come to stay. IN 1864, he built the frame store which he
replaced in 1875 with a magnificent brick block building. (Today this
building houses the Market Place.) Henderson was interested in
farming, hotel keeping, merchandising and looking after the general welfare
and advancement of the Rossville people.
 In the summer of 1873,
Henderson and his wife, Catherine (Kate) rented the newly remodeled
Williamson Hotel. Mrs. Henderson managed the hotel. Mr.
Henderson conducted a general store and managed his grain elevator and the
farms. It was in the hotel business that Mrs. Henderson became
acquainted with people for miles around, as this was the central trading
point in the Rossville area.
They were in the hotel
business for three years, during which time construction of their new home
at 509 North Chicago Street was underway. W. J. Henderson farmed a
large tract of land partly within the northern limits of town, which
contained the former home of James Stewart.
Catherine was not only a kind
and loving mother to her own two daughters, but also proved a devoted mother
to her three stepdaughters. The funeral services for Jennie Henderson
and Mary Henderson Ellis were held in the Henderson home as well as services
for Catherine's mother, Mary Scott. Fannie Henderson was married in
this home on September 4, 1890 to Daniel Evans Maury, son of Gernant Stout
and Rebecca Miller Evans Maury.
Trouble began to erupt in the
Henderson household. Catherine got a divorce and purchased a home at
209 Maple Street. In 1896, Charles Smith and his wife, Susan,
purchased the Henderson property at 509 North Chicago Street.
 The Smith family were pioneers
of the area. Charles Smith's father, Thomas Smith was born in
Northwest Oxford shire, England on November 20, 1820. He came to
America when just a small child with his parent sot New York. Her he
met and married Miss Martha Sadler in 1844.
Martha was also born in
England, on June 10, 1827. She was the daughter of John Sadler and
Elizabeth Davenport. She came to this country with her parents in
1836, also settling in New York. As newlyweds, Thomas and Martha
headed west settling for a few years in Danville where Thomas worked at the
blacksmith trade. They then moved to a farm west of Rossville where
Thomas acquired within a few years a considerable amount of land.
  Thomas and Martha were the
parents of nine children, four of whom were still living in the 1891 at the
time of Thomas and Martha's deaths. Mary (Molly) (1855-1903) married
John Hollenbach; George (1858-1904) married Minnie Smith, daughter of John
R. Smith and Josephine Stewart; Belle (1861-1918) married Frank Stewart;
Charles (1864-1918) married Susan Pendergrast, daughter of Patrick and Laura
Albert Pendergrast; and Martha Carter (1867-1912) their adopted daughter who
married George Maury.
 Charles, son of Thomas Smith
and Martha Sadler, was born March 13, 1864 and spent his entire life in this
vicinity. His youthful days were spent in the usual manner of farm
lads. The work of the fields engaged his attention from the time of
early spring planting until crops were gathered in the autumn. His
education in the public school developed his mental powers, and thus school
and home training qualified him for life's practical and responsible duties.
The farm upon which he resided, comprised of two hundred and seventy acres
adjoining the corporation limits of Rossville, increased his total land
holdings to ten hundred and eighty acres which provided him annually with a
substantial revenue. Charles Smith devoted himself largely to the
study of the economic conditions and natural resources of the country.
He felt there was no better investment in all America than Illinois farm
land. He early came to a realization of the fact that "There is no
excellence without labor". His sound judgment in various branches of
the farming business brought him well merited success. He certainly
gained his place among the more prosperous farmers of the area.
No section in Illinois can be
found where farming is so diversified as in the territory adjacent to
Rossville. Dozens of farmers living fifteen miles or more from
Rossville came here because of the strong market. One of the most
substantial and convenient elevators in the state for the rapid handling of
grain and one of the largest on the C. & E. I. railroad was the G. & C.
Smith's Elevator. The building was erected at a cost of $14,000.00.
Both men were shrewd operators. Charles, it is said, was a great one
for betting odds. He, Oscar Crane and Harlan Steeley used to sit on
the steps of the O. G. Crane building. They would see a group of
pigeons on the building across the street and bet on which pigeon would fly
off the building first.
Charles and Susan Pendergrast
were married October 13, 1887. She was born in 1866, the daughter of
Patrick Pendergrast and Laura Virginia Albert. Patrick was born in
1832 in Louisville, Kentucky. As a young man he came to this part of
the country where he and his brother, Garrett, excelled as brick masons.
The two men laid the brick for several of the downtown buildings.
Laura and Patrick were married on February 23, 1860. Laura was the
daughter of Samuel Albert and Mary Shivley. She came to Rossville with
her parents when Rossville was known as "Henpeck". At that time there
was one general store, a blacksmith shop and a post office.
Charles and
Susan Pendergrast
Smith were the parents of nine children: Thomas ( 1889-1961) was the
father of four children; Charles, Helen, Ray and Wendall
(my father) (Ray died as a
newborn). Fern (on left) (1890-1967) married Hjalmer Rehn who was born in Sweden; Edwin (1891-1983) married Leota Peters;
Ray, (1894-1894); Austin, (1895-1969); Minnie (1897-1962) married Byron
"Barney" Thomas; Leo (1899-1984) married Ethel Laverenz and is the father of
two daughters; Shirley and Sandra; Donavon (1902-1980) was the father of two
children; Alice Louise and Virginia Sue; and George (1904-1986) married
Florence Barrett and is the father of three children Edward, Susanne
and Sally.
 With a lot of children in the
home, there was always excitement around. Fern was the only one of the
Smith children to be married in the Smith home. Grandma Pendergrast
spent her latter years in the home of her daughter, Susan Pendergrast Smith.
She used to sit in her rocking chair and crochet rugs, knit bedspreads and
always kept her hands busy. Many Many of these items are treasured by
her great grand-children today. Grand-children, Alice Louise and
Virginia Sue grew up under the watchful eyes of their Aunt Minnie and Uncle
Aussie (Austin).
 Minnie was very talented
singer and had done extensive study in voice. At her father's request
that she sing at his funeral. This she did, but only sang publicly one
other time and that was at the funeral of her friend, Margaret Songer.
The Smith home was always open to visitors. Minnie usually had some of
her homemade candy on hand to serve guests. She had a special marble
slab she used in making the candy. She usually kept it locked up in
the front bedroom an don several occasions the family would sneak out a
piece every so often without her knowledge. She also kept the minced
meat in the basement and Uncle Aussie was observed many times taking a spoon
with him down to look at the furnace.
During the late 1920's and
1930's, the Smiths kept milk cows and delivered milk to customers around
town. One such delivery boy was Bill McLain. He could be seen
swinging the milk bottles as he made deliveries around Rossville.
Charles (Albert (AB) Santmyre used to milk cows morning and evenings.
He received $1.50 per week plus a quart of milk each day.
  After the deaths of Minnie and
Austin, the house was put up for sale. On July 1, 1970, the Smith
property was purchased by Marvel Hill Collings of Danville. On March
30, 1971, Judith Ann Collings and her mother together proceeded with
renovation plans for the property.
The upstairs was made into a
lovely four-room apartment. The front entrance was changed to the
south side of the house which also provides for the entrance to the upstairs
apartment. A huge picture window on the west side of the house now
replaces the front entrance. It is adorned with exotic plants and
marble statuary. A new front stairway, which was imported from
England, provides access to an upstairs bedroom on the west side which used
to be the attic. Several rooms have been relocated and the entire
house redecorated. A long porch surrounds the east and south side of
the house. The east side of the porch, originally a part of the
Stewart home that housed the post office, has been removed. A large
three-car garage was constructed with an apartment on the second level.
This apartment is now occupied by Opal Garner McClure. The upstairs
apartment had been rented to Mr. and Mrs. O'Donnnelly. Mr. O'Donnelly
was the Superintendent of the Rossville School system until June 30, 1994.
Judith Ann, after the death of
her mother, decided to continue living in Rossville. She retired from
Sears, Roebuck in Chicago, where she was an interior decorator. Her
decorating expertise reflects throughout her home.
Small shrubbery aligns the
west walkway. Evergreen tress have been planted strategically
throughout the yard. The south pasture has been seeded with lilacs and
wild flowers. The entire yard lends itself to a bird sanctuary,
Judith Ann Collings was the
daughter of Gilbert Melvin and Marvel Hill Collings. They were married
September 6, 1916. Their picture, the account of their wedding and
Marvel's wedding dress are in possession of the Rossville Historical
Society.
Judith Ann Collings died
September 14, 1993. She left a donation to the Rossville Historical
Society, of which she was an active member, to landscape the newly acquired
home of the society on West Attica street. This historic house is once
again for sale.
The
photos of the Smith home above were generously donated by James Smith, who now
owns the home and is totally renovating it and restoring it to it's original
floor plan with period decorations and fixtures. I met him in June
2004 and he showed me around, very nice man and I am glad he now owns what
was where my ancestors lived.
Pictured left is myself with Mary Rhea McBride who wrote the history of the
house and lives a couple blocks from it in Rossville. Pictured right
is myself with the current owner, Mr. James Smith.
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