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— OF —
KENDALL COUNTY
iLijiisrois,
PROM THE
Eai'liest Discoveries to the Present Time,
— BT —
REV. E. W. HICKS.
Author of " Life of Jesus, for Young People."
-♦♦♦-
AURORA, ILL. :
Knickbrbocker & HoDDER, Steam Printers and Blank Book Makers,
Nos. 24, 26 k 28 Broadway,
1877.
DEDICATION.
To the children and grandchildren of our pioneers this book is
respectfully dedicated. Forgetting their faults, may they remember
their heroism, copy their hospitality, and practice their virtues, is the
heartfelt prayer of The Author.
H5^
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I— The Mound Builders.— Geologic ages. Terrace epoch. Wild
animals. Kendall county mounds. Ancient pottery. An extinct race.
CHAPTER II — Indians and French Missionaries. — Origin of the Indians.
Pottawatomies. First missionaries. The Mississippi. Marquette.
CHAPTER III — Explorations of LaSalle. — Exploring Illinois. Troubles.
Starved Rock. Tonti. Lonely travels. Death of LaSalle.
CHAPTER IV — Trade and War. — Monopolies. The seven years' war. Pon-
tiac. The Starved Rock tragedy. Buffaloes. North-west territory. Indian
territory. Tecumseh. Illinois.
CHAPTER V — Early Settlements. — Galena mines. Illinois in 1823. Chicago.
Indian Boundary Line. Jesse Walker. Fox River Mission. Vermillion county.
Two Quotations. Mark Beaubien.
CHAPTER VI — Holderman's Grove. — Robert Beresford. Seminary land.
Landscapes. Reuben Reed. Vetal Vermel. Prairie Du Chien treaty. Res-
ervations.
CHAPTER VII — Indians, Groves and Prairies. — Waubonsie. Gnarled oaks.
Origin of the prairies. Sweet and Specie. Bailey Hobson. LaSalle county.
Spring election.
CHAPTER VIII — Our Earlier Pioneers. — Earl Adams and Ebenezer Morgan.
George and Clark Hollenback. William Harris and Ezra Ackley. Daniel
Kellogg. Moses Booth.
CHAPTER IX— The Shadow of War.— E. G. Ament. George HavenhiU.
Abram Holderman. Pierce Hawley. John Dougherty. Walter Selvey. The
Cherokee lottery.
CHAPTER X — The First Bloodshed. — Shabbona. Indian councils. Still-
man's Run. Fox river council. The fatal blow.
CHAPTER XI — The Flight. — The warning. Scalps and spoil. A good Provi-
dence. "A carousal A narrow escape.
CHAPTER XII— Ansel Reed's Story.— Busy at work. The first alarm. A
hurried flight. Concealed in the thicket. On to the fort. Rescuing his deliv-
erer.
CHAPTER XIII— More Bloodshed.— Mike Gurty. Indian creek. The Mas-
sacre. Death of Adam Payne. Vermel's story.
CHAPTER XIV— The War Ended —Peter Miller. John Schneider. Chicago
fort. Cholera. The Hall girls. Death of Black Hawk. Deathof Mike Gurty.
First settlers at Oswego. Old settlers returning.
VI CONTENTS.
CHAPTER XV— The Year of the Early Spring— Early emigration. Be-
ginning of Newark. The Aments. Beginning of Yorkville. Compulsory tem-
perance. Beginning of Bristol. Lyman and Burr Bristol. Daniel Pearce.
CHAPTER XVI— S. G. Minkler's Story.— Lost. Fording. Death of Mrs,
M inkier. Hard times.
CHAPTER XVII— Township Pioneers.— David Evans. John Darnell. Hugh
Walker. Chester House. John ShurtlifF. Daniel Piatt. Stage route.
CHAPTER XVIII— The Old Trappers.— Indians. Pioneers and keel boat
men. Falling of the stars. Settlers in Fox. Settlers in Big Grove.
CHAPTER XIX — Claim Furrows. — Schneider's mill. Waubonsie's spree. Os-
wego. Newark. Millington.
CHAPTER XX— The Governor's Party.— The Southern heart. William Mul-
kev. Gov. Matteson. First schoolhouse.
CHAPTER XXI — The Pledge and the Covenant. — Old temperance pledge.
First Sunday School. Old log church. Pavilion Baptist Church. Rev. A. B.
Freeman. Early Methodism.
CHAPTER XXII— Speculation and Business.— The Ship of State. First
house in Lisbon. Seward schoolhouse. Fox. Little Rock. Mrs. Duryea.
Death of Peter Specie.
CHAPTER XXIII— Treaties and Wolf Hunts.— Bristol. Oswego. Indian
signatures. Hudson. Na-au-say. War dance. Wolves. An astonished ox.
CHAPTER XXIV— The Year of Corner Lots.— Inflation. Indian encamp-
ment. Big Grove. Plattville. Jesse Jackson. Little Rock.
CHAPTER XXV — Crowding into the Wilderness. — Yorkville laid out.
Bristol. Oswego. Mrs. Young. Seward. Kane county. Poem. Education.
CHAPTER XXVI— The Year of the Panic— Mrs. Preston. Newark. Hol-
lenback school. New settlers. Buried in a well. Preaching " at early candle-
light."
CHAPTER XXVII — Departure of the Indians —Lisbon school. Millbrook.
Moving the Indians. Oswego postoffice. Bristol school. The royal monogram.
CHAPTER XXVIII — Emigration at Low Tide. — Lisbon and Millington laid
out. Millington church. A trip by schooner. Fourth of July. First Survey.
CHAPTER XXIX— A Change for the Better.— Dr. Brady. Marcus Steward.
Hiddleson school. A jury trial. Plattville school. Lisbon Congregational
Church. A retrospect.
CHAPTER XXX— The Land Sale. — Newark. Misner's plows. Oswego. Bris-
tol. The " Wolf" tavern. How farms were bought.
CHAPTER XXXI— The Underground Railway.— Settlers and topics of 1840.
Debt and poverty. " Tippecanoe and Tyler, too 1" An exciting Fourth.
Abolitionism. Dr. Dyer.
CHAPTER XXXII— Our County's Birth.— Oswego school. Piano cemetery.
Stebbins' school. Indian cemetery opened. Birth of Kendall county. First
officers. Horatio Fowler. Long Grove school.
CONTENTS. VII
CHAPTER XXXIII— Dark Days.— The old store book. Accumulated misfor-
tunes. Land sale of 1842. Pioneer experiences.
CHAPTER XXXIV— Claim Fights.— New settlers. Newark Congregational
Church. Newark and Millington cemetery. Schools : Millington, Boomer,
Albee. Claim fight. Miller excitement. Ryder murder case.
CHAPTER XXXV— The Slave Auction. — Wet season. Academies. Newark
Baptist Church. Schools : Shouts', Suydam, Marysville. Albee's cemetery.
Negro sale.
CHAPTER XXXVI— The County Seat.— Settlers and improvements. Pearce's
cemetery. Doud's cemetery. Schools : Holderinan's, Davis'. McCormick
reaper. More fugitives. Negro laws. County seat election.
CHAPTER XXXVII— The Mexican War.— Oswego Congregational Church.
Union and Millbrook schools. Oswego cemetery. Captain Dodge's Company.
Captain Fullerton's Company. Telegraph. Local excitement. Oswego brew-
ery. Norwegian settlement. Schools : Minkler, Asburj', Bronk, Scofield.
CHAPTER XXXVIII — Schools and Churches. — Country towns. Travel.
Lisbon. Oswego Baptist Church. Schools : Foster, Austin, Atherton, Ware.
Bristol Baptist Church. County officers. Broom factory. Lutheran cemetery.
Schools : Plattville, Chapman. Bronk cemetery.
CHAPTER XXXIX — Townships and Railroads.— Supervisors. Naming
townships. Union cemetery. Union stores. Brown school. Union Presby-
terian Church. Pieshur's reapers. Cold weather. New railroads. Johnson
school. Parochial schools.
CHAPTER XL— New Towns.— Oswego Station. Bristol Station. Piano. Cholera.
Morris flats. Churches : Oswego Presbyterian, Oswego Lutheran, Newark
Methodist, Bristol Congregational. Schools : VVhitlock, Newark, Yorkville,
Piano, Pletcher, Naden, Seward Centre, Grove, Fowler Institute. Agricultural
Society. Protective Association. Little Rock Press. Little Rock cemetery.
Ottawa road. Paper mills.
CHAPTER XLI — The Flood and the Panic— Oswego Courier. Newark
saw mill. Schools : Lisbon Center, Sleezer, Lewis, Shepard, Henderson.
Markets. Flood of 1857. Panic of 1857. New enterprises. Post's mills.
Blackberry mills. Churches : Plattville, Piano Methodist, Millbrook, Milling-
ton, North Lutheran, Lisbon Baptist. Schools : Pearce, Walker, Scott, Van
Cleve, Serrine, Becker. Revivals.
CHAPTER XLII— The Plano Harvesters.— Railroad enterprises. Post's
bridge. Shabbona's death. Crops. Marsh Brothers. Harvester Works.
Messenger's " gopher." Murders. Schools : Faxon, Bristol Station, Windett,
Booth, Worsley, Greenfield, District No. 5, Oswego. Churches : Yorkville,
Fairview. Bristol Station cemetery. Latter Day Saints.
CHAPTER XLIII— The First Gun !— Hurrying to the front. Captain Carr's
Company. Tenth Regiment. Seventh Regiment. First enlistments. Thir-
teenth Regiment. Twentieth Regiment. Thirty-sixth Regiment. Fourth
Cavalry. ^Fifteenth Cavalry.
VIII CONTENTS,
CHAPTER XLIV — Deeper Struggles. — Eighty-ninth. Ninety-first. One
Hundred and Fourth. One Hundred and Twenty-seventh. Draft riots. Boun-
ties. One Hundred Day Regiments. Close of the war. Home ! Soldiers
Aid Societies.
CHAPTER XLV— Our War Record for i86i.— Oswego, Bristol, Kendall,
Fox, 227 names.
CHAPTER XLVI— Our War Record for 1861, coNxiNUED.—Big Grove, Lis-
bon, Little Rock, Na-au-say, Seward, 308 names.
CHAPTER XLVn— Our War Record for 1862.— Kendall, Oswego, Lisbon,
237 names.
CHAPTER XLVin— Our War Record for 1862, continued.— Big Grove,
Bristol, Fox^ Little Rock, Na-au-say, Seward, 218 names.
CHAPTER XLIX— Our War Record for 1863-5.— 1863 : Oswego, Big Grove,
Bristol. 1864 : Big Grove, Fox, Kendall, Bristol, Oswego, Seward, Lisbon,
Na-au-say, Little Rock. 1865 : Kendall, Fox, Big Grove, Lisbon, Bristol, Na-
au-say Last company, 261 names.
CHAPTER L — Accidents and Improvements. — Tanneries. -Fires. Black
Hawk's cave. Survey of Fox river. Book of Mormon published. Harvey
school. Chapman cemetery. Flood. Accidents. Woolen factory.
CHAPTER LI — The Mill and Canal. — Railroad bonds. Cattle disease. Cat-
tle panic. Prohibition. Woman's Suffrage. Accidents. Heap school. First
cars. Kendall county Geology. Post's dam. Wing's mill. Millington canal.
CHAPTER LII — New Enterprises. — Papers. Piatt's wells. Manslaughter.
Young school. Murder. Grangers. N. S. Grimwood. Horse Association.
Churches : Little Rock Union, Piano Baptist. Seward town house. Piano boot
and shoe factory. Narrow Guage Railroad.
CHAPTER LIII— Our Natural Possessions. — Pure water. Magnetic springs.
Sulphur springs. Soils. Peat. Sand. Moulding sand. White sand. Limestone.
Brick clay. Potter's clay. Wood.
CHAPTER LIV — Kendall County Inventions. — Plows. Cultivators. Har-
rows. Reapers. Headers. Harvesters. Binders. Horse rakes. Ditcher and
Scrapers. Wire fence. Stoves. Stereoscopes. Sewing and Knitting machines.
Water wheels. Transportation conveyor. Store furniture. Railroad improve-
ments. Miscellaneous inventions. Publications.
CHAPTER LV — Our Neighbors. — Ox family. Deer family. Bear family. Dog
family. Weasel family. Squirrel family. Rat and mouse family. Mole fam-
ily. Birds. Birds of prey. Climbers. Perchers. Scratchers. Waders. Swim-
mers, il^eptiles. Snakes. Fishes. Insects.
CHAPTER LVI— Our Plant Life.— Trees. Shrubs. Wood plants. Marsh
plants. Prairie flowers. Grasses. Flowerless plants.
CHAPTER LVII — Farewell! — Four stages of local histor>'. A higher sphere.
Development of mind. Satan's traps. True science. A wider life. Farewell.
CHAPTER 1.
THE MOUND BUILDERS.
ONG AGES ago Kendall county was
the southeastern corner of barren rock,
Sv which reached up to, and beyond the
northern end of the State. Chicago
on one side was under water, and Mor-
ris and Streator on the other, with the
southern part of the State, were part
of a vast swamp where evergreens and rushes grew and
were made into coal. That was the mediaeval time in
the world's physical history. Before that, when the sea
covered all the country, there were in the water shoals
of curious little fellows which geologists have called
Tentaculites Oswegoensi, viz. : the Oswego sort of ten-
taculites, or shell worms. This sort have been found
nowhere but in the Oswego rocks, near the mouth of
Waubonsie creek. Then after fourteen or fifteen geo-
logical epochs came the
TERRACE EPOCH,
or the ages during which the land was raised and rivers
cut new channels below the old. As a consequence
nearly all rivers, lakes, and even the sea itself, in many
2
10 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
places, have two sets of banks, one confining the present
stream or lake, and the other bounding the flood plain
into which the water rises during freshets. The upper
banks are often very wide apart. Those of the Fox
river below Oswego are more than a mile, and farms are
now laid out and a railroad runs over what ages ago was
the river bed. It was shallow, however, as were all
streams not confined by rocky banks. They probably
amounted to but little more than continuous swamps,
making the country very unhealthy for human beings.
The table lands between the rivers were swampy in
proportion, and in Northern Illinois especially, or that
part of it south and west of the lake, there was, per-
haps, but a small amount of really dry land.
Kendall county was half under shallow water; the
temperature somewhat w^armer than at present, and the
long sedge grass growing out of the marshes alternated
with the groves growing on the ridges between.
At some time during this period Lake Michigan had
an outlet by the Illinois river to the Mississippi, and so
to the Gulf, and a large part of Cook county and per-
haps of some others were under the lake. It is not
likely that all the lakes flowed this way, for some of them
at least have been flowing through Niagara a great deal
longer than that. There may have once been a ''divide"
midway between the east and the west, which was after-
wards broken through. Col. Long, a well-known gov-
ernment surveyor, believed that he had located this
ancient divide near Detroit.
WILD ANIMALS,
except such as loved water, were not plenty in this part
A FEW SPECULATIONS. 11
of the State in those days — compared with other parts.
Wolves, bears, coons, and bisons, inhabited the upland,
and gigantic beavers worked along the streams, while
the huge mastodons, the largest animals that ever trod
the earth, haunted the marshes and slou<zhs and the
groves that bordered upon them. It is curious that the
remains of mastodons are always found in marshy places
to-day, showing that the lay of the land is the same now
as then, and that these animals have not been extinct
long enough for wet places to become dry. Farther
south enormous horses galloped over the prairies, and
mammoth, hairy elephants wandered in droves through
the woods.
In regard to the ancient inhabitants we can only offer
conjectures. Some — as George Bancroft, the historian —
believe that the mysterious mounds and earth-works were
formed by nature and belong to geology, rather than to
history. But it is most generally believed that they are
the work of a people who, for want of a better name, are
called
MOUND-BUILDERS.
Their earth-works, which have become their monu-
ments, are of three kinds : mounds, embankments and
enclosures, and are found all the way from Wisconsin to
the mouth of the Mississippi. One mound in Cahokia,
Illinois, is 500x700 feet in size and 90 feet high. Cen-
tral America is one vast field of them, and temples of
stone were erected on them which still remain, while in
this country the buihlings were made of clay and have
long ago perished.
The age of these remains seems to decrease as we go
12 HISTORT OF KENDALL COUNTY.
south. Those of North America appear to be the old-
est ; then come the relics of the traditionary Toltecs of
Central America ; while the Aztecs, of South America,
were in their prime 350 years ago. Both these peoples
believed they had come from an unknown land at the
north.
The mounds in this part of the State are generally
small, but quite numerous. Between one and two dozen
are clearly marked on the bluffs along Fox river, in this
county, and doubtless many others have been wholly or
partially obliterated. One of the finest is on the county
line at Millington, on Joseph Jackson's land. It was
dug into by a committee "of citizens about forty years
ago, and found to be a great burial heap. Numbers of
human teeth were taken out, but some fragments of
bones found were replaced and again covered. It is
probable that these were remains of Indians subsequently
buried there. Three rows of five mounds each are found
on the northern bluff of the river : one on Mrs. Duryea's
land, near Bristol ; another on Truman Hathaway's ; and
a third on D. R. Ballou's, above the woolen factory at
Millington. In Mrs. Duryea's mounds were also found
in 1837 some teeth and a decayed skull. Others par-
tially effaced are at the mouths of the Bob Roy and
Rock creeks, and are only a few feet above the level of
the river, proving that since they were built the river
has flowed in its present channel. The Rob Roy mound
a short time ago was partly uncovered by water, and
George Steward, of Piano, our indefatigable archseolo-
MOUND builders' WORK. 13
gist, picked up there three hundred and twenty frag-
ments of
ANCIENT POTTERY,
and others may be found by any one curious enough to
look for them. The material is a coarse clay, mingled
with sand and flint, and the outside is often rudely or-
namented with lines and figures made in the clay before
baking. We have no record that our Indians either did
or could make such ware, while it is far too coarse to
have belonged to any white family, so that we are thrown
back on the supposition of an aboriginal race that were
in intelligence between Indians and Whites. There are
on the same ground an abundance of flint chippings,
suggesting to us that the spot may have been a primi-
tive store and workshop.
THE MOUNDS
are generally fifteen to twenty feet in diameter, and from
two to five feet high ; probably not more than one-third
their original height. They are surrounded by no
ditches or depressions, and are composed of black earth,
by which we may understand that the builders had no
digging tools, but scratched up the soil from the surface
and brought it in their jars or aprons. It demonstrates,
too, that the mounds are not the work of nature, other-
wise the interior would be clay or gravel. Their pur-
pose was doubtless for burial mounds. Having no means
of excavating graves, the people placed their dead on
the surface and heaped the soil about them, probably
adding to the heap from time to time as others died,
until a large tumulus or sepulchral hill was raised.
Such ancient mounds, called "barrows" in England, are
14 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
found all over the world, and are of a class with the
stone "cromlechs" of Europe, the "cairns" of Scot-
land, and the "dolmen" of France. The larger kinds,
however, were undoubtedly designed for defense against
enemies.
Admitting these conclusions, it needs but little imag-
ination to picture before us those first inhabitants of our
country, with their red adobe dwellings along our streams,
their rude pottery kilns smoking in the ground by our
clay banks, and their funeral processions toiling to cover
their dead and leaving some weeping mourner to watch
the precious mound.
But the end came. A fierce people, less skillful in
peace but more cunning in war, came in upon them and
either drove them out or exterminated them, and dwelt
in their stead. Soon the rude houses decayed and the
conquerors cared not to repair them ; the utensils were
broken and they could not replace them, and the frag-
ments, like old hieroglyphics, remain to outline the
story. The conquered race either perished or passed on
to other wilds, perhaps towards the waters of the Col-
orado, where the remains of a similar dying race are
found to-day.
It does not seem necessary to assign a high antiquity
to the mound builders. They were here before white
men came, but that was only three hundred years ago.
Trees six hundred years old grow on some of their
works, but those works may have been abandoned cen-
turies before the race went out. Then there is the anal-
oaT of the adobe dwellers of Colorado, who. though
slowly perishing, are still in existence, while yet they
CAUSE OF AMERICAN DISCOVERY.
15
have been surrounded by the wild Indians for hundreds
of years. And part, at least, of the perishable remains
found in the mounds are confidently believed by scienti-
fic men to belong to the mound builders. They may
well enouorh have been here in that traditional time w^hen
the gigantic mastodons roamed the lowlands and crossed
the swamps in which they were mired, and that time is
not ancient enough for wet places to have become dry ;
but whatever be the time in which this people was here,
they have all gone. Like the ancient monarchies of the
East they have passed away ; but unlike those monarch-
ies they have left no hieroglyphic monuments to tell the
story.
CHAPTER II.
INDIANS AND FRENCH MISSIONARIES.
;HE INDIANS were so called by Co-
lumbus because he supposed he had
sailed across the western sea to the
eastern shores of India. He did not
know that a new continent in mid
ocean had stopped his course before he
was half wav to India, and that 3000
miles of land blocked the "North-west Passage."' It
was this gorgeous East that inspired the efforts of all the
early navigators, none of them realizing that they had
discovered a more valuable West. Nor did they give
16 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
over until every nook and cranny of the American coast,
from Brazil to Greenland, had been explored, in hope of
finding an avenue through to the Pacific Ocean. But
what past generations could not find, the present gener-
ation has made, and the continent has become more than
a substitute for the ocean, inasmuch as the Panama and
Union Pacific Railways are swifter than ships.
When the Indians came to this continent we have no
present means of knowing, and their traditions do not
tell ; nor do we know from what land their ancestors
came. They did not originate here, for they have dis-
placed an older people. There are many ways by which
they could have come. Behrings Strait is only fift}^ miles
wide, with islands between. It is set down accurately
in a very old Japanese Map in the British Museum,
showing that the ancient Asiatic navigators were ac-
quainted with it and with the land beyond. Then
below the Strait, and reaching from Japan to America,
is a natural bridge of one hundred and seventy islands —
the Kurile and Aleutian groups. On the other side of
the continent Greenland and Iceland, whose authentic
history reaches back a thousand years, form connecting
links with Europe. Greenland is but two hundred miles
from British America. Over these different routes many,
many voyagers undoubtedly have come whose adventures
there was no historian to record. Other pathways are
across the great ocean itself. Japanese junks have more
than once been blown to our shores ; Polynesian island-
ers have been drifted across the sea in open boats ; four
hundred years ago the Portugese were wafted uncon-
sciously to Brazil ; six hundred years ago a Welsh fleet
ORIGINAL INHABITANTS. 17
under Madoc, Prince of Wales, drifted to America, and
landed, it is supposed, on the coast of Virginia; and
nine hundred years ago the Scandinavians founded a
colony on the coast of Massachusetts. We cannot go
farther back, for history stops. The latter colony con-
tinued for three hundred years, and would probably have
been permanent if they could have cut themselves loose
from the mother country and become natives. They
were not indigenous to the soil. This the ancestors of
the Indians did, and they flourished and became tribes
and nations which in lapse of time differed in appearance
and in dialect one from another. Whatever their ances-
tral civilization might have been, they relapsed into sav-
ages, and were able by force of numbers to expel all
conflicting races not as savage as themselves.
In 1634 the
FIRST JESUIT MISSIONARIES
visited the trackless wilds of Canada, and were followed
in the course of thirteen years by more than forty others.
By 1641 they had penetrated to Lake Superior — five
years before the devoted Eliot had addressed the tribe of
Indians that dwelt within six miles of Boston. In 1667
the mission was still maintained and the Pottawatomies
and Sacs and Foxes visited it, and invited the missiona-
ries to their homes. We get these accounts from the
Jesuit narratives which were published at Paris, and are
still preserved in old libraries. We believe they are
reliable, as the missionaries, as a class, were humble,
self-denying men. We cannot be sure whether
THE POTTAWATOMIES
were here at this time or came later. Schoolcraft, the
18 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
famous Indian historian, says that in the early part of
the eighteenth century the Pottawatomies had crowded
the Miamies from their dwellings at Chicago, that they
came from the islands near the entrance of Green Bay,
and were a branch of the great nation of the Chippewas
or Ojibwas. Others say they came from Canada, at an
unknown date. Perhaps both these accounts are true,
though we never shall certainly know, for Indians wrote
no histories. A piece of writing was to them a dark
mystery.
The Miamies were undoubtedly here in 1672, for that
year they were visited by Allouez and Dablon, two French
Missionaries, who were the first whites of whom we have
any record who set foot in Northern Illinois.
But as yet
THE MISSISSIPPI
had not been discovered. It was described bv the In-
dians as the Great River, in whose waters were savage
monsters, and on whose banks were savage nations.
There were three theories about it : first, that it ran south-
west to the Gulf of California ; second, that it ran south
to the Gulf of Mexico; third, that it ran south-east to
the Atlantic Ocean. The whole region was a mystery,
and was mapped and peopled pretty much as fancy might
invent. The earliest books on America contained the
wildest tales. They told of races of pigmies and of
giants. That the southern forests concealed tribes of
negroes, and the inhabitants of the north were white like
the polar bear or ermine. One writer had heard of a
nation that did not eat, and another believed, if not in
a race of headless men, at least in a race whose heads
did not rise above their shoulders.
THE GREAT FRENCH MISSIONARY. 19
The question of the river, however, was more than a
matter of curiosity ; it had a commercial and political
importance. At last the Governor of Canada in 1672,
more than two hundred years a^o, committed the explor-
ation to two men, Louis Joliet, who is known only in
connection with this discovery, and
JACQUES MARQUETTE,
the famous missionary, who was then at his mission vil-
lage in northern Michigan. These two, with two canoes
and five men, floated down the Mississippi for a month
as far as an Indian town, near the mouth of the Arkan-
sas river, when they became satisfied that it emptied into
the gulf.
On their return they entered this State by the Illinois
river, and were struck with the beauty of the forest and
prairies and variety of the game in some parts of the
country, and the interminable marshes of other parts.
They found an Indian town of four hundred and sixty
lodges, near Utica, below Ottawa, and as they passed up,
gazed for the first time on the lofty walls of Starved
Rock. They were well received at the Indian town, and
one of the chiefs, with some of the young men, piloted
them up the O'Plaine river, helped carry their boats
across the portage of four miles in Cook County to the
north branch of the Chicago river, down which they
came to Chicago — to Lake Illinois as they called it.
Here their guides left them, and they went up the lake
to Green Bay, and Joliet returned to Quebec. Mar-
quette, according to a previous promise to the chiefs,
spent the succeeding winter with the tribes at Ottawa
and Chicago, and died at the Marquette river the year
after, 1675.
CHAPTER III.
EXPLORATIONS OF LASALLE.
T THAT time Robert Lasalle, an educated
and talented young man, skilled in the Indian
dialects, was residing at Kingston, Canada,
then Ft. Frontenac, having obtained a large
grant there from the French government.
^<Kp His fields were fertile ; his herds multi-
plied. His hunters roamed the forests after furs, and his
mechanics built canoes and vessels, while under his shel-
ter the missions flourished, his countrymen settled, and
groups of friendly Iroquois built their cabins. Fortune
was within his grasp. But Joliet, as he descended from
the upper lakes, passing the forts, had told the story of
his discoveries, and Lasalle was at once fired with plans
of commerce between Europe and the Mississippi. Going
to France, he unfolded his vast schemes, obtained his
commission, returned with the necessary men, Tonti, an
Italian veteran, as his lieutenant, launched a ship of ten
tons at Niagara, and about Sept. 1, 1769, shipped back
his first ship load of furs from Green Bay. He never
heard of this ship again ; she was probably wrecked.
Weary of waiting for her return, he determined to
EXPLORE ILLINOIS.
And in December ascended the St. Joe river, and down
TROUBLES OF LA SALLE AND TONTI. 21
the Kankakee to its mouth, above Morris. Descending
the Illinois river, he reached the Indian town visited by
Marquette, near the mouth of the Vermillion, but the
tribe was absent in the chase. Farther down, where the
river widens into Lake Peoria, Indians appeared, and
still farther down he built a fort, calling it, in his grief,
the Broken Heart, and afterwards set off on foot, with
three companions, for Kingston, leaving orders with
Tonti to fortify the Great Rock, now Starved Rock.
This he did the following spring. But LaSalle had ene-
mies in Canada, who were jealous of him on account of
the authority and trading monopoly granted him by the
government, and as soon as they knew^ he had returned
to Kingston for supplies, they stirred up the Iroquois
and persuaded a large party of them to go to Illinois and
destroy his forts. The Indians came by canoe around
the lakes, and in September, 1680, descended the Illi-
nois river and invested Starved Rock. Tonti was not
prepared for a siege, and, after a parley, was allowed to
escape with the few men left him, for many had deserted,
and took refuge with the Pottawatomies at Chicago, who
appear to have displaced the Miamas about this time.
Then began the famous persecution by the Iroquois of
the Illinois Indians, who were friendly to LaSalle. At
least at this time it first comes into history. The Iro-
quois had long traded with the whites, and were well
armed, and the others, living so far in the wilderness,
were beaten again and again and consumed everywhere
with horrid butchery. Only traditions and imperfect
accounts have come down to us, giving but gleams of the
truth — but those gleams are tongues that tell uniformly
the same pitiless tale.
22 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
TONTI AND HIS MEN
mav have remained some time with the friendlv Potta-
watomies, and scoured with them the prairies of Ken-
dall County — drank of its springs and camped in its
groves. But it is most probable that he preferred win-
tering on the other side of the lake St. Joe, and, if so,
there the intrepid LaSalle found him the next spring,
having returned from Canada with men and stores for
another little ship or barge. They built it at Green
Bay, during the summer, launched it in the spring of
1682, and with another cargo of furs, the party again
descended the Illinois. They doubtless gazed long and
earnestly at the deserted Rock Fort, as they floated past,
but kept on to the Mississippi, and completed the explo-
ration of the river to its mouth. LaSalle then formally
took possession of the entire country in the name of
France, calling it Louisiana. The news was gloriously
received at the French court. It was the beginning of
what, it was confidently believed, Avould be a vast and
wealthy empire, making France the mightiest nation on
earth. And that piece of tall sandstone, now known as
STARVED ROCK,
was the centre of those ambitious hopes — so far as the
great West was concerned, for it was for years the only
important military station in the West, besides Macki-
naw, and was far the stronger of the two. Lasalle
returned there from his Mississippi exploration, cut away
the forest trees from the top of the rock, built houses,
stretched palisades across the isthmus, and gathered at
the base as many of the friendly Illinois tribes — Tama-
roaSj Kaskaskias, Cohokies, Michigans, Peorias, &c. —
LA SALLE RETURNS TO FRANCE. 23
as he could find. It was a lively place for the time.
He either wintered there, or leaving Tonti in command,
went on to Green Bay. In either case, the territory of
Kendall county was too near not to be traversed again
and again by the French garrison and their Indian allies
in search of game, and the coveted furs, for the sake of
which the post was largely maintained. Wolves and
raccoons were shot in our groves, beavers trapped along
our streams, and the lordly buftalo chased over our prai-
ries and brought to the ground by Indian arrows or
French flint-locks. The following year Lasalle's monop-
oly expired, and he returned to France to have it
renewed, leaving the faithful Tonti in command at the
fort. He never saw Illinois again. In the meantime
the missions were continued at the Rock and Kaskaskia.
The last is the oldest European settlement in the Missis-
sippi valley, and Illinois is consequently the oldest of
all the interior States. Among the missionaries was
Allouez, one of the two who visited Illinois eleven years
before.
Lasalle was expected back in the summer of 1684,
and in the early spring Tonti sent a letter by trusty
messengers to await him at the mouth of the Missis-
sippi. But he came not, and the messengers left the
letter at an Indian village, with directions to deliver it
to the white ships when they arrived. They were faith-
ful to their trust, and fifteen years afterwards delivered
the letter to D'Iberville, who entered the mouth of the
great river with a Canadian colony.
Three years wore away. The lonely Illinois garrison
passed their time in fishing, hunting, trapping, trading
24 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
with the natives, and taking turns in going to market
with the furs and returning with stores and articles of
barter. The
MISSIONARIES
had the hardest life. Marest wrote : " Our life is passed
in roaming through thick woods, in clambering over
hills, in paddling the canoe across lakes and rivers, to
catch a poor savage who flies from us, and whom we can
tame neither by teaching nor by caresses."
He thus describes a journey from the rock to the Peo-
rias : ''I departed, being accompanied by only three
savages, who might abandon me from levity, or from
fear of enemies might fly. The horror of these vast
uninhabited forest regions, where, in twelve days, not a
soul was met, almost took away all my courage. Here
was a journey where there was no village, no bridge, no
ferry, no boat, no house, no beaten path, and over
boundless prairies, intersected by rivulets and rivers,
through forests and thickets filled with briers and thorns,
through marshes where we plunged sometimes to the
girdle. At night repose was sought on the grass or on
leaves, exposed to the wind and rain, happy if by the
side of some rivulet of which a draught might quench
thirst. A meal was prepared from such game as'was
killed on the way, or by roasting ears of corn."
This is from Marest's letters published a quarter of a
century later, at Paris, but applies equally to the state
of things in Tonti's day. In the spring of 1687, the
Italian lieutenant having heard through Canada that
Lasalle with four ships and a large colony had sailed
from France for the Mississippi, and unable to bear his
THE DEATH OF LA SALLE. 25
suspense any longer, went down with a single compan-
ion in search of him. Finding no success, he built a
log cabin on an island near the mouth of the Arkansas
river, erected a large cross to attract the attention of
passing boats, and resolved to spend the season there,
in hope of obtaining some trace of his master. It soon
came. July 24th, six men and an Indian guide appeared
on the Arkansas side of the river, and proved to be a
remnant of Lasalles party. The first question was :
"Where is Lasalle?" ''^JDead!'' On arriving three
years before he had missed the mouth of the Mississippi,
spent two years on the coast of Texas after the wreck
of the one ship left him, and started with sixteen men
to reach Canada, eighteen hundred miles through the
wilderness. On the way he was shot by two of his men
and left to be devoured by wolves on the Texas prairie,
on one of the lower branches of the Trinity river.
So perished one who by his adventures is linked to
Northern Illinois, and who for true genius, vast concep-
tions, force of will, energy of purpose and unfaltering
hope, had no superior among his countrymen. It is no
sorrow to us to know that his murderers were themselves
murdered while quarreling over the spoil. The surviv-
ors obtained a guide who piloted them to the Indian
town on the Arkansas, nearly the very spot where
Tonti was awaiting him. In a few days they took their
sad journey up the river to the Illinois Rock, where, so
far as we know, Tonti remained in command during the
following eighteen years.
CHAPTER IV.
TRADE AND WAR.
;I'RING this time there was a continued
struggle hetween French and English for
MONOPOLIES IN TRADE.
France, through her missionaries, had the
start, and, with the exception of the At-
lantic coast, claimed and held the entire land from Maine
to Hudson's Bay. It was called New France. Yet, so
weak were the garrisons that English traders, through
the Senecas, obtained a large share of the commerce of
the lakes, and individual rangers penetrated every for-
est where there was an Indian with skins to sell.
In 1689 war was declared between France and Eng-
land that continued eight years, and the Jesuits, hereto-
fore so self-denying, became bloody partisans for their
country. They stirred up the Indians to such horrid
massacres of the English colonists, that the very name
of a French missionary was hated, and in 1700 the New
York legislature made it legal to hang any Popish priest
who should come into the province. The blood policy,
though ruinous in the end, was successful at the time, for
when peace was made, France retained all but the cod
fisheries of Nova Scotia.
THE SEVEN YEARS' WAR. 27
In 1696 it was stated in a public document to be the
wish of Louis XIV of France to preserve the rock fort
in Illinois as a permanent fortress, but whether it was
done or not we cannot say. Tonti, with twenty Cana-
dians, left it in February, 1700, again going down
the Mississippi to meet some new arrivals, and we have
no certain account of his ever returning. He had
become an old man, and after twenty-two years of wil-
derness life, doubtless longed for his native Italy. The
probability is that the post was maintained, as traders
were still more numerous. That very year a company
in quest of copper ore wintered among the lowas, far
up the Mississippi, above St. Paul. But the western
records of the following half century are scarce. We
find fewer missionary narratives to appeal to. Their
pens were drowned in blood. Or, perhaps the stoi'y of
the wilderness being once told, there was less to write
about. The general history, however, was one of Indian
trading; the colonist had not begun to come. In 1756,
THE SEVEN YEARS' WAR
begun between the powers of Europe, during which 886,-
000 men were slain. In many parts not enough were left
to till the ground. Nothing at all was gained by those
who planned the carnage. The possession of the Great
West passed over to England. Illinois ceased being a
part of New France, and became a part of the North-
western Territory. The Indians under
PONTIAC
continued the war two years longer, and then yielded.
This imperious, long-haired, dark-skinned orator, prophet
and general, was truly one of nature's noblemen, but had
28 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
the misfortune to be born a savage. He was of extraordin-
ary talent and force of character, and was signally famous
for his hatred of the English. He organized against
them a confederacy of Indian tribes, through a region
of wilderness a thousand miles long, but only to be
defeated in the end. He retreated to Illinois, and in
April, 1769, was killed by an Indian assassin from the
tribe of the Peorias. On this, a bitter Indian war fol-
lowed, which resulted in nearly exterminating some of
the Illinois tribes. One
ILL-FATED PARTY
was besieged on the rock of the old French fort. Their
provisions gave out. For water, they rolled up their
blankets and let them down to the river below, but the
cords were cut off by their watchful enemies. And so,
by the agonies of hunger and thirst, they perished, and
the spot has ever since been known by the name of
Starved Rock — the greatest historical relic in Illinois.
One great battle was fought on the site of the city of
Morris, and the bones of the dead still moulder there in
the soil. At this time there were about two thousand
whites, including women and children, in the whole Illi-
nois valley, and about fifty families at St. Louis, the
center of the fur trade with the Indian nations on the
Missouri. Daniel Boone had but just wandered forth " in
quest of the country of Kentucky."
Illinois was regarded as a land of boundless plains and
boundless wealth, and many advocated sending out colo-
nies immediately to take possession of it. But it was
objected that a power would be formed which distance
would make practically independent of the colonies on
CESSION OF CHIKAJOUX. 29
the coast. So the land was left to become the asylum of
the distressed and adventurous, the poor man's refuge,
and log cabins and clearings rapidly multiplied. It is
a strange fact, but probably true, that
THE BUFFALOS
went out with the French. Up to that time, as the
Indians said, "they were as thick as trees in the forest,"
and roamed in vast droves over the prairies. They were
so plenty and so valued that one of the specifications in
LaSalle's first commission was a monopoly of the trade
in buffalo robes. But in 1763 the snow fell, it is said,
twelve feet deep — the severest winter ever known — and
the buffaloes, cut off from their supplies, wholly perished.
For fifty years or more, acres of bleaching bones, here
and there upon our prairies, testified to the hard winter
that destroyed nearly every buftalo east of the Missis-
sippi.
In 1790, Gen. St. Clair was appointed Military Gov-
ernor of the northwest territory, and the first territorial
legislature meeting, at Cincinnati, elected William Henry
Harrison delegate to Congress.
St. Clair was succeeded by Gen. Wayne, who defeated
the Indians in a pitched battle, and so made peace for a
time. In the peace treaty, the Indians ceded to the
United States, " one piece of land six miles sijuare, at
the mouth of the Chikajo river, emptying into the south-
west end of Lake Michigan, where a fort formerly stood."
The name of the river in one of the missionary narra-
tives is Chikajoux.
30 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
In 1800, the territory was divided, and Illinois was
included in the
INDIAN TERRITORY.
In 1804 Fort Dearborn was built, and Mr. Kinzie,
father of John H., moved there as Indian trader. In
1811 Gen. Harrison was Governor, and defeated the
Indians in a bloody battle at Tippecanoe, not more than
a hundred miles southeast from Yorkville. Tecumseh
was not present, but was the general commander of the
Indians. British agents, however, were the real cause
of the troubles, and this battle greatly increased the
desire of the people, especially along the frontier, for
war Avith England, both to avenge their calamities and also
as the only sure road to peace. This feeling was shared
by Congress, and led to a declaration of war in June,
1812. In August, the traitor general Hull, command-
ant at Detroit, ordered the Chicago fort to be abandoned,
and the garrison, in trying to escape, were nearly all
murdered by the Pottawatomies, near what is now Twelfth
street. Their bones bleached on the prairie for four
years, until the war was over, when they were gathered
and buried in 1816.
Got. 5, 1813. the renowned Shawnee orator and com-
mander,
TECUMSEH,
one of the most formidable Indian chiefs that ever fou2;ht
against the United States, was killed at the battle of the
Thames, near Lake St. Clair, in Upper Canada. Shab-
bona, the ff\mous Pottawatomie, was with him at the
time, as one of his aids. He had a presentiment that it
would be his last battle, and gave his sword to one of
THE DEATH OF TECUMSEH. 31
his followers, to be given to his son as soon as he should
become a warrior. Then raising the war-cry, he sprang
up from the swamp where he lay with his men, and
charged the Kentucky cavalry. He was wounded sev-
eral times, but fought on with the greatest desperation.
At last, says Shabbona, he sprang forward with uplifted
tomahawk towards a man riding a gray horse. Before
he could reach him the man discharged a pistol, and the
fiery chief received a mortal wound in the breast. He
shouted his last word of command, and stepping forward,
sunk down at the foot of a tree and died. The officer
on the orrav horse was Col. Richard M. Johnson. As
soon as they knew their commander was no more, the
red men were seized with terror and despair, and fled.
Such scenes were repugnant to the peaceful disposi-
tion of young Shabbona, and it was the last great battle
he was ever engaged in. In referring to it he used to
say : " Indians and red coats all run ; Shabbona run, too.
He never more fight 'Mcricans ; Ugh, never I" At the
close of the war in 1815, the Indians made a general
peace, which was not broken for seventeen years. In
1816 the fort was re-built, and the Pottawatomies c^dcd
to the State a tract of land twenty miles wide, for the
canal route from Chicago to a line uniting the mouths
of the Fox and Kankakee, or thereabouts. Thev asked
but a trifle'for it, being convinced by the treaty commis-
sioners that the canal would be greatly to their benefit.
The project was the result of a lesson learned by the
government during the war, viz : The need of a more
perfect means of communication with the interior.
32 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
In 1818,
ILLINOIS,
made the Union of legal age, by being admitted as the
twenty-first State. Shadrach Bond was the first Gov-
ernor. There was not in the northern part a single
white man, so far as known, except at the military post
at Chicago. The prairies, covered with grass and span-
gled with flowers, were undisturbed save by droves of
passing deer, or Indian travelers following their trail in
single file. The rivers and creeks, stocked with fish,
flowed silently by. The solitude of the groves was
unbroken except by the hungry howling of the wolves
and the occasional sound of an Indian's musket.
CHAPTER V.
EARLY SETTLEMENTS.
EMPTY was the wilderness, that in
1820, when Alexander Wolcott, the In-
dian agent at Chicago, wished to be
united in marriage to Ellen M. Kinzie,
he was obliged with his bride and party
to go down the silent Fox and Illinois
valleys, one hundred and thirty miles,
to Fulton county, to find a Justice of the Peace to per-
form the ceremony.
The year following Lewis Cass arrived in a birch
canoe, charged with the weighty business of obtaining
from the red men the right of way for a government
ILLINOIS IN 1823. 33
railroad from Detroit to Chicago, uniting Lake Erie and
Lake Michigan. He obtained the land, but the project
fell through and was left for the Michioran Southern Rail-
road Company to accomplish. The lead mines at Galena
caused that portion of the State to be settled before any
of the surrounding territory. The mines began to be
worked in 1821, and in five years Galena was laid out,
and the county organized. The first miners used to
spend their winters at home, returning to the mines in
the spring at the time when suckers run, and this coin-
cidence and their great numbers caused them to be called
"Suckers." In this way, so the tradition runs, the inhab-
itants of Illinois came by their cant name.
The American Atlas, published at Philadelphia in
1822, says : "Illinois has nineteen counties and fifty-
five thousand inhabitants. The settlements at present
are confined to the southern portion of the State, and
the neighborhood of the great rivers. Vandalia is now
the seat of government. Kaskaskia, the former capital,
contains a bank, a land office, and about one hundred and
sixty houses, scattered over an extensive plain. The
town was settled upward of one hundred years ago by
emigrants from Lower Canada, and about one-half the
inhabitants are French. The surrounding country is
under good cultivation."
On the accompanying map counties were laid ofi" as
far as Madison, opposite the mouth of the Mississippi
river. All north of that was unsurveyed territory, con-
taining Indian villages only.
In 1823, after seven years' delay, Majors Long and
34 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
Keating surveyed the canal lands. In their report they
say :
"The scenery about Chicago consists merely of a
plain in which but few patches of thin and scrubby
woods are observed scattered here and there. The vil-
lage presents no cheering prospect, as notwithstanding
its antiquity it consists of but few huts, inhabited by a
miserable race of men — scarcely equal to the Indians —
from whom they are descended. Their log or bark houses
are low, filthy and disgusting, displaying not the least
trace of comfort. The number of trails centering at this
point and their apparent antiquity indicate that this was
probably for a long time the site of a large Indian vil-
lage. As a place of business it ofiers no inducement to
the settler."
The poor opinion of the government surveyors possi-
bly contributed to the delay of the work, for another
S£ven years passed before much more was done.
The northern boundary of the canal tract, known as the
INDIAN BOUNDARY LINE,
strikes Kendall county at the north-east section corner,
on the estate of William Murray, town of Na-au-say,
passing through the Aux Sable timber, in the town of
Seward, and crosses the creek on J. McKanna's land.
There it turns, where there is a jog in the road, at a
point opposite to where the south boundary strikes the
Kankakee, and goes nearer west, crossing Lisbon creek
four times, in the town of Lisbon, passing a few rods
south of the red school house, in the town of Big Grove,
through Apakesha grove, and out of the county, eighty
rods north of Holderman's grove. It strikes Fox river
THE FIRST PIONEERS. 35
two or three miles below Sheridan. The southern
boundary ends at the Kankakee river, two miles above
Wilmington. Those surveyors were probably the first
whites who explored our county. No provision was
made for constructing the canal until Congress, in 1827,
granted every alternate section in a strip five miles in
width for that purpose. Two years afterwards Chicago
was laid out by the canal commissioners, on the first
alternate section.
We have now reached the time of the first pioneers.
In 1823 Archibald Clvbourne came from Virorinia,
horseback, to Chicago, and took up a claim on the west
fork of the North Branch, three miles from the fort.
The same year Dr. Davidson built a cabin by the mineral
spring in what is now South Ottawa, and traded with the
Indians until his death three years after.
In 1824,
• REV. JESSE WALKER
was sent out as a Methodist missionary among the Pot-
tawatomies, and traversed much of the same ground
passed over by Marquette one hundred and sixty years
before. The same hills that then echoed to the French
tongue, now echoed to the English, but a purer gospel
was proclaimed, and one more free from the additions of
men. Mr. Walker was a small man, and usually wore
a light-colored beaver, nearly as large as a lady's para-
sol. He was not a talented preacher, but had good
sense, courage and zeal. He was born in Buckingham
county, Ya., June 9, 1766, and was converted in a Baptist
meeting, while young. He was bv trade a dresser of
buckskin, or deer leather, for gloves, moccasins, pants.
36 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
vests and hunting shirts, and he was often familiarly
called the " skin-dresser." He was first appointed mis-
sionary to the territories of Illinois and Missouri in
1806, and in 1820 preached the first Methodist sermon
in St. Louis, in the Baptist meeting house, and a thriv-
ing church was formed. In 1823 he entered upon his
special mission to the Indians, liaving first gained per-
mission of the head men of the tribe and of the Secre-
tary of War. His field was Northern Illinois, with
Ottawa for a centre. One of his stations was a log
chapel in the edge of the timber, near a little stream,
just over the west line of Kendall county. The stream
is since known as Mission creek, and the tongue of tim-
ber as Mission Point. The chapel, it is believed, stood
about where Frank Bowen's barn now stands. There
the lone missionary held preaching services, by the help
of an interpreter, and established an Indian school for
the dusky boys and girls. He preached also in the cab-
ins at Ottawa, for several other settlers had come in, viz :
Joseph Brown, Lewis Baily, Mr. Covill, Enos Pem-
brook, Warner Ramsey, Pierce Hawley, Robert Beres-
ford, and Edmund Weed. In 1825 he formed the first
Methodist class in Peoria. Three of the members were
James Walker and wife, and Mrs. John Dixon. Indeed,
he traveled and preached and taught wherever he could
hear of Indians or settlers. The veteran, John Sin-
clair, often declared that wherever he went Jesse
Walker had been ahead of him. In 1828 he was suc-
ceeded at the Indian mission by Isaac Scarritt, and he
removed to an Indian village near the site of Plainfield.
In 1832 he was appointed to Chicago. At Conference
PROGRESS OF ORGANIZATION. 37
the following year, by a majority vote, the preachers
were recommended to wear straight-breasted coats, but
Jesse Walker, as well as John Sinclair and Peter Cart-
right, voted in the negative. James Walker and Wil-
liam Roval favored the recommendation. Jesse Walker
died Oct. 4, 1835, and is buried at Plainfield.
In 1825 Mr. Long, James Galloway, Greorge and Hor-
ace Sprague and Mr. Ransom came into LaSalle county.
In the fall W. F. Walker came up the river to Ottawa
in a keel boat.
In five years three tiers of counties had been added to
the State in its progress northward, and in 1826
VERMILLION COUNTY
was organized and became the latest territorial name of
this vicinity. It embraced all the country from Dan-
ville to Chicago. Ninian Edwards was elected governor
and served four years ; he was also our territorial gov-
ernor nine years. It may be noticed, in passing, that
in 1826 a motion was introduced into the legislature by
Joseph Duncan, cashier of the unfortunate State Bank,
to dispose of the Seminary Lands by public lottery, but
it was lost in committee.
A motion was also introduced and considered in com-
mittee, to lay a tax on all bachelors over twenty-five
years old.
TWO QUOTATIONS
from State papers of that year may not be uninteresting
in a centennial history :
Gov. Coles in his valedictory message says : " On the
Fourth of July last, Thomas Jefferson, the renowned
author of the Declaration of Independence, and John
38 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
Adams, its ablest advocate, ceased to live, thus sanctify-
ing by their deaths a day rendered glorious by the most
important event of their lives. That these two fathers
and ex-Presidents, one of whom drafted the Declaration
of Independence, the other seconded the motion which
led to its adoption, both members of the select commit-
tee which reported it, and constituting, at the time of
their deaths, two of the only three surviving signers of
that memorable instrument, should have died on the
same day, and that day the fiftieth anniversary since
its adoption, is such an extraordinary co-incidence, that
it would seem as if heaven were desirous of increasing
our reverence for our liberty, and for the memory of
those who were instrumental in achieving it. This mel-
ancholy bereveament has put the entire nation in mourn-
ing, and it has been a subject of regret that the sparse
population of Illineis has prevented its citizens from
publicly manifesting their respect for the memories of
these two great statesman. But there is one painful cir-
cumstance connected with this event. Thomas Jeffer-
son, after sixty-one years' service of his country, found
himself involved to such an extent that nearly all his
property, even Monticello, his favorite residence, where
are now his remains, will have to be sold."
And Gov. Edwards, in his inaugural message, says,
in relation to the State Bank, whose notes were then
only worth two-thirds their face value : " Money is an
essential element of power. Character is the means of
obtaining money from others, when we have it not of
our own. Character, therefore, is capital, and the loss
of it is the most disastrous species of bankruptcy, since
THE FIRST PIONEERS. 39
it may find us unable to help ourselves, and destitute of
the means of obtaining help from others. The punctual
observance of its engagements and a fair and honest ful-
fillment of all its authorized expectations are as indis-
pensable to the character of a state as to that of an indi-
vidual."
In 1826 the quarter section on which Ottawa stands
was taken up by Dr. David Walker, father of David
Walker, Esq., and of George Walker, first sheriff of La-
Salle county. There arrived, also, Col. J. D. Thomas and
James Walker. The latter afterward removed to Plain-
field, The same year
MARK BEAUBIEN
became a fur trader at Chicago, and soon after com-
menced those log cabin and Saganash House experiences
which hav6 made his name famous wherever western his-
tory is known. Mark has chosen Newark, within the
borders of Kendall county, as the spot on which to spend
his closing days, and there, with his cherished pipe and
violin and numerous friends, he lives in retired peace —
one of our most interesting mementoes.
He was born in Detroit, April 25, 1800 ; came to
Chicago with his family in a wagon, 1826, and joined
his brother, John B. Beaubien, who had been a trader
there since 1817, having purchased his residence of the
American Fur Company. That year Mark planted pota-
toes and corn in the field along the river, embracing the
court house square. In 1829 he opened a log hotel, on
what is now the corner of Lake and Market streets, and
the following year established a ferry at the fork of the
river, paying a county license therefor. The rales were
40 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
sixpence for a foot passenger and a shilling for a team.
In 1833 the Saganash House a two-story frame, with
green blinds, supplanted the log house. Saganash was
the Indian name of Billy Caldwell, a Pottawatomie
chief, and the grateful man left Mr. Beaubien a govern-
ment reservation of eighty acres at the mouth of the
Calumet, which is now quite valuable. Mr. Beaubien
lived in the vicinity of Naperville eight years, from
1844. In 1852 he became keeper of the Chicago light-
house, removing in 1861 to Naperville, and soon back
to Chicago again. He has also lived in Manteno and
Kankakee. He has raised a family of twenty-three
children, most of whom are living and doing well, though
scattered in different localities.
CHAPTER VI.
holderman's grove.
N 1826, or perhaps the year following,
ROBERT BERESFORD,
v,ite and two sons, settled at the southern
point of Holderman's grove, on one of the
newly located sections of what was known
as Seminary land, and thus became the first
actual settler in Kendall county.
THE SEMINARY LAND
was a donation of thirty-six sections from the United
States to the State of Illinois, for the purpose of found-
ing a State college. They could be located anywhere on
the public lands, and Governor Edward Coles in 1825-0
caused twenty-six of the sections to be located by a
Board of Commissioners, and reserved from general sale.
In locating one section at Holderman's, the Board left
civilization far behind, but their attention w^as probably
directed there by the canal survey, and they acted on
the best information they could obtain. But if they
could have once feasted their eyes upon the
GLORIOUS LANDSCAPES
south and west of the famous little grove they would
have been in no doubt about the propriety of driving
.•I
42 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
their stakes there. It is situated on the broad, swelling
water shed between the Fox and Illinois rivers, and is a
fit beginning to a country that has as many magnificent
views an<l delicious bits of landscape in proportion to its
size as any county in the State. There are no high hills
in Kendall county, yet from some points thirty miles
can be seen in one direction, and townships unroll like a
panorama before the eye. The range i^ not so extensive
along the county line road from David Wheeler's around
to Holderman's, but for beauty it is unsurpassed.
Probably in 1826 also
PIERCE HAWLEY
followed Mr. Beresford from Ottawa, and located about
a mile from him on the north end of the grove, close to
the survey, or Indian boundary line. These two cabins
were for a year the only ones on the eighty miles be-
tween Chicago and Ottawa.
In 1827 or thereabouts, Moses Booth, one of the first
pioneers of this country, came to Ottawa. That summer
REUBEN REED,
with a little family, moved from Ohio to Chicago.
While there, October 1st, 1827, a son was born, who is
now Levi Reed, of Pekin, 111. If not the first white
child born in Chicago, he certainly antedates several who
have claimed to be the first.
Late in November Mr. Reed went the lonely road to
Ottawa, and feeling better suited with that place than
with Chicago, sent back a team for his family. The
weather was cold, but bravely wrapping herself and little
ones as warmly as possible, the mother started on the
ARRIVAL OF THE REED FAMILY. 43
journey. Her maiden name was Hannah Bailey ; she
deserves to be remembered. They forded the O'Plain
near Riverside well enough, but at Plainfield the driver
had to cut the ice before he could ford the DuPage.
They remained over night at Beresford's, and in the
morning, though it was steadily snowing, pursued the
slow tenor of their way. But the snow came thicker,
the driver lost the trail, and at night they found them-
selves at Beresford's again, having made a circle on the
prairie.
It was then decided that James Beresford, one of the
sons — afterwards killed at Indian creek — should pilot
them through. But it was very cold, and he had no
overcoat ; nor was there an overcoat in the settlement
to borrow. Fortunately, however, there was material
found to make one, and at it they went the next day.
In the course of the day they lacked a needle, and
Ansel Reed, the oldest boy, then nine years old, was
sent around the grove to Mr. Hawley's to borrow one.
And with the borrowed needle the coat was finished.
Half a century has passed since then, and Ansel Reed
is getting to be an old man, but he remembers still the
first journey he took in Kendall county. Having lodged
the third night at Beresford's, they starrted again the
following day and reached Ottawa in safety, where the
father had secured quarters for them at David Walker's,
by the spring. In a little while they moved out a mile
and a half into a small cabin owned by Col. Sears, and
afterwards went on a claim owned by Mr. Pembrook.
Moses Booth was on Covill's creek, three miles southwest
of the mouth of the Fox.
44 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
In 1828 Mr. Beresford sold to John Dougherty and
moved back to Ottawa. The same year two new neigh-
bors settled on the Seminary section adjoining Mr.
Dougherty. One was Mr. Edmond Weed, and the other
was
VETAL VERMET,
an enterprising Indian trader, who in his journeys between
Peoria and Detroit, used to stop at Dr. Walker's, and
lost his heart to Miss Huldah, one of the daughters. It
was the end of his trading. They were married in
1828, and going out on the prairie, settled down near
that favored and favorite spot first commended by the
canal surveyors, and then known as " Beresford's."
Being also on the direct line from Chicago to Ottawa, it
was presumably a fine point for a tavern, and might in
time become a village and go ahead of Chicago. The
feat did not appear difficult, for of the two the splendid
little grove on the highland was by far the best site.
Chicago was a butt for the ridicule of travelers, and was
only a hamlet at most. In 1827 its tax amounted to
three dollars, so it is said, and the Sheriff of Vermillion
county paid it out of his own pocket rather than travel the
one hundred and twenty miles intervening between its
quaking swamps and the county seat. The four families
now of Hawdey, Dougherty, Weed, and Vermet consti-
tuted the settlement. There was besides a man by the
name of
COUNTRYMAN,
who had married an Indian wife, and lived with the
Indians in the grove across the slough, three-(iuarters of
a mile from Dougherty's. lie liad a log cabin on the
KENDALL CEDED BY THE INDIANS. 45
edge of the slough, about eighty rods from the present
residence of William Stephen, and a bark wigwam in
the middle of the grove. His Indian name meant Sand
Hill Crane. His squaw, a sensible, hard-working woman,
after some years, left him, and died of small pox at Mil-
waukee. He was one of those characters found on every
frontier, who, either indolent or unfortunate, take up
with a wandering, barbarous life as an escape from the
toils or restrictions of civilization.
A half-breed, Francois Bourbonnais, jr., or " Bull
Bony," as the settlers called him, resided on the mission
premises at Mission Point. Mr. Vermet and the other
settlers at the grove, used to go there to grind their corn
in a horse mill which was owned by the mission, and which
was the only grist mill within reach in those days.
In October William Marquis and his little family came
from Ohio and settled beyond Morris, the first settlers in
Grundy county.
In 1829, by a treaty made at Prairie Du Chien, the
Indians ceded to the government the territory north of
the old boundary line, and thus Kendall county was
open to settlers. But a large portion of the Indians
were unwilling to sell. Black Hawk and Keokuk were
rival chiefs, and the former declared that the latter signed
away lands that he had no right to. A feeling of resent-
ment had been growing for years. The whites were
encroaching. The hunting grounds were being spoiled.
Promises made at former treaties had been badly kept.
The representations made at the canal treaty thirteen
years before had not been realized. And now it appeared
to the restive Indians, that the whites, having for years
46 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
been robbing them piece-meal, were at last resolved to
take the whole. It was inevitable, certainly, but the
Indian lacked both the wisdom to understand and the
philosophy to accept the inevitable. However, the treaty
was made, burdened, as usual, with special
RESERVATIONS
in favor of whoever should show a claim or had friends
influential enough to make one. The Pottawatomie
war chief, Waubonsie, obtained a reserve of a hunting
ground of five miles square near Aurora. Two reserves
were granted in Kendall county. One of a quarter sec-
tion to an Indian called Mohahwa, who had rendered
some important service or other, hence called the " Mo-
hahwa Reserve," in the town of Oswego, north end of
Aux Sable grove. There had been an Indian village on
it, and a dancing ground which is intact to this day.
The other was three-quarters of a section on the east
side of Aux Sable grove, town of Na-au-say, and was
granted to Weskesha, the Indian wife of David Lawton.
Both these reservations were located "at or near the
head waters of the Aux Sable." Lawton died five years
after. His brother in 1831 kept a log tavern on the
O'Plain, near Riverside. A section at Mission Point was
also reserved to Bourbonnais, who sold it to M. E. Bowen
and John S. Armstrong.
In 1829 the chapel cabin, at Mission Point, was de-
stroyed by fire, and was never rebuilt. The cause of
the fire does not appear, but it was probably accidental.
And so ended an enterprise which, although it con-
tinued but about five years, was yet important enough
END OF THE MISSION. 47
to be perpetuated in the name of the township afterward
formed, and the results of which are undoubtedly
recorded in heaven and will be as permanent as eternity.
CHAPTER Vll.
INDIANS, GROVES AND PRAIRIES.
r Y 1830 glowing accounts of the fertile Illinois
prairies began to spread more extensively
through the older States, and a tide of emi-
gration set in, most, however, settling far-#
ther south than Kendall county. A famous
song of those days ran :
" Move your family West
If good health you would enjoy,
And cross at Dixon's ferry,
In the State of Illinois."
John Dixon was one of the twelve original founders
of the American Bible Society, and in 1830 settled
where Dixon now stands, on Rock river. His wife and
some of his family were killed during the Indian troubles,
and he was never himself afterward.
In the spring of the same year Abraham Trumbo,
father of Mrs. John Armstrong, settled east of Ottawa,
and was joined in the summer by Matthias Trumbo,
father of Mrs. Joseph Jackson and Mrs. West Matlock.
48 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
Abraham Lincoln also came with his parents to Illinois
that year.
August 4th, 1830, Chicago was laid out by authority
of the canal commissioners, and lots were sold. The
north side of the river was solid timber, and John Kin-
zie cleared a patch for a cow pasture. Madison street
was the city limits. A large pond occupied part of
Court House Square.
INDIANS
were daily visitors, for their numbers had not then been
lessened by emigration. The Pottawatomies were a fine
race of men physically, and as an average were more
intelligent and peaceable than either the Sacs, who lived
over the Wisconsin line, or the Winnebagos, who inhab-
ited the country along the Rock river. Black Hawk
was the Sac chief; Big Thunder was the Winnebago
chief. His headquarters were on the Kishwaukee, at
Belvidere.
WAUBONSIE
was the Pottawatomie chief, with headquarters at Aurora,
and a smaller camping-ground and favorite residence at
the mouth of Waubonsie creek, at Oswego. He has
been well described as "a giant in size and a devil in
nature." As strong as a grizzly bear, and as ignorant
and barbarous as the dogs that followed his ponies, he
was dreaded by his people and feared and avoided by the
whites. Liquor, no doubt, made him worse, for he
drank immoderate quantities of whisky whenever he could
get it, but he was naturally harsh and vindictive. He
beat and murdered his wives so habitually that perhaps
it may be said that one of the poor unfortunates was
INDIAN ENCAMPMENTS. 49
sooner or later left behind in the soil of every camping-
ground. His bark wigwam, at Oswego, covered a quar-
ter of an acre of ground, and in a hollowed stump out-
side his squaws ground his corn, with a sweep and
pestle. He claimed to have eight hundred ponies, and
some of them were superb stock.
An Indian encampment was a novel and yet a dirty
sight. Lazy men, homely, working women, ponies,
dogs and children. The dogs were half wolf, appar-
ently as useless as the men, good for little but to bark,
play with the children and follow the ponies. Wherever
they encamped for a season, blue grass sprung up the
season following, and those patches became both field
and pasture for them. The squaws planted corn there,
and the ponies pawing away the winter snow, nibbled
there. Such places were always in the shelter of the
GROVES.
There was very little underbrush or second-growth
timber in the groves, as there is to-day. The prairie
fires kept it down. The old black oaks on the uplands
were often useless to the settlers, so gnarled and tough
were they from the constant fires of their younger days.
As a consequence, groves were so open one could see
through them, and see the Indians as they filed over the
prairies beyond them. When the fires ceased, the groves
began to spread, so that there is more timber in the
country to-day than there was fifty years ago. The
same cause has doubtless operated to produce our
PRAIRIES.
There are three theories about them, which we may
call the soil theory, the rain theory, and the fire theory.
50 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
Accordino; to the first, prairie soil is not adapted to the
growth of trees. But in answer to that, we find trees
readily grow when planted. According to the second,
lack of moisture is the cause, since it is claimed more
rain falls along streams and marshes than on uplands.
But trees when planted find moisture enough. Accord-
ing to the third theory, prairie fires were the cause, and
this was the current theory among the early settlers. It
is a curious fact that a fire which will destroy the last
vestige of life in a tree, even burning the roots out
of the ground, will let the grass roots escape unharmed,
and the next crop will be more luxuriant than before.
But for the streams and marshes which protected them,
we should probably have had no groves, and but for the
fires we should probably have had no prairies. So all
things have been shaping for good, and are tokens of the
Divine Hand, which first created and then prepared and
preserved the country for the working race that occupy it.
In this countv the new settlers were limited to five
men.
PETER SPECIE
and Stephen Sweet left the swampy lake village of
twelve houses, to prospect in the country, and settled on
a claim in Specie grove.
They were unmarried, and kept house for themselves
in their own little cabin, with nothing but reports to mo-
lest or make them afraid. It was known that there was
a general dissatisfaction among the Indians, but the
reports of intended hostilities were too distant and vague
to be alarming to pioneers who had lived among the In-
dian people a large part of their lives.
EARLY SETTLERS. 51
In the spring of the year
BAILEY nOBSON
came to Vetal Vermet's in search of a home, and staying
with him over night, passed on toward the Fox river,
and made his claim in the timber below Newark, far
away from any neighbor. He then returned to Ohio for
his family, and with them and a friend by the name of
L. Stewart, arrived at Vermet's again at midnight of
September 12th. They stayed with Mr. Vermet until
the middle of October, during which time they sowed
some winter wheat and cut and put up a stack of hay on
the edge of the Big Slough. Then removing to the
claim they lived in a tent until the log cabin was ready,
about November 1st, when, work being done, Mr. Hob-
son went out exploring again, and selected the site known
as Hobson's mill on the DuPage river as a new claim.
The succeeding winter was a hard one for the pioneer
family, but they survived it, and when the Indians com-
menced making sugar in the spring they moved first to
Vermet's and then to Scott's, at Naperville, near their
new home. Walter Selvey, a son-in-law of Mr. Dough-
erty, came that year, if not a year or two previous, and
settled on a quarter section of the Seminary land.
There were then in 1830
NINE FAMILIES
in the county — Dougherty and Selvey on the south of
Holderman's grove, Vermet on the knoll at the south-
west corner. Weed next to him, and Hawley on the
north, Countryman in Kellogg's grove, Hobson in the
Newark timber, and Lawton, Sweet and Specie in the
Aux Sable timber. But Lawton and Countryman were
52 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
away with the Indians to other hunting and trapping
grounds during the winter.
Several new counties had been formed out of the broad
acres of Vermillion, and the remainder was divided Jan-
uary 16th, 1831, by the organization of Cook, LaSalle
and Putnam. Little Putnam with four townships, now
one of the smallest in the State, was forty-two miles
long. Cook was great ; beginning ten miles south of
Joliet it reached to the Wisconsin line, seventy-eight
miles. It was named after Daniel P. Cook, our repre-
sentative in Congress, who had rendered the Chicago
villagers grateful to him for his instrumentality in secur-
ing the alternate section grant for the canal.
LASALLE
was forty-eight miles square, the northern boundary be-
ing the town line between the upper and middle row of
townships in Kendall county, passing close to Yorkville.
Thus the north part of our county was left out as unor-
ganized, but that and all the remaining territory north
of LaSalle county to the State line was for the present
attached to that county. Thus it included the present
counties of LaSalle, Grundy, Kendall, DeKalb, Kane,
McHenry and Boone, and a part of Marshall, Lee, Liv-
ingston, Ogle and Winnebago. The county seat was at
Ottawa, eighty miles over prairies and swamps from
Stephen Mack's trading post, at the mouth of the Peca-
tonica. But scattering traders did not care to vote, and
usually dispensed their own justice.
The first election was held at Ottawa, March 7th.
George E. Walker was elected Sheriff; Moses Booth,
LA SALLE COUNTY ORGANIZED. 53
Coroner ; and John Green, James B. Campbell and
Abraham Trumbo, County Commissioners. At the first
meeting of the commissioners, March 21st, David Walker
was appointed Clerk, and the county was divided into
three election precincts. Kendall county was in the
third, embracinti; also Grundy, Kane and McHenry. The
SPRING ELECTION
was held at the house of Vetal Vermet, on the historical
knoll by the prairie grove. John Dougherty, Edmund
Weed and William Schermerhorn were the judges.
Whether or not any came from Woodstock or Marengo
or Harvard Junction to vote, is not recorded, but proba-
bly not. The Kendall county settlers, however, had an
official opportunity of meeting together and talking over
their prospects which were undoubtedly improved. Sev-
eral new comers were there, too, on that second day of
April, who had not been in the precinct long enough to
vote, but were interested in the matter of prospects.
The convenience of the groves, the richness of the soil,
the advantages for stock raising, the probable trouble
with the Indians, the locality of desirable claims, mem-
ories of far away friends, and incidents of frontier life,
were all discussed, and then on foot or horse-back, or
with the ox team, they separated to their lonely cabins.
CHAPTER VIII.
OUR EARLIER PIONEERS.
MONG those who came out prospecting in
the spring of 1831 were
EARL ADAMS AND EBENEZER MORGAN,
from New York. Thev descended the Ohio
ft/
to the Mississippi, and then up to St. Louis,
where buying ponies, they followed the
banks of the Illinois river to Ottawa, and up the Fox
to Yorkville. Reining up their horses on the present
Court House Hill, they gazed on the lovely stream
below them, the wide, beautiful prairies beyond them,
and the timber behind them. The green was dotted
with flowers, the birds sang in the branches, and a group
of deer stood gazing at the strangers from the edge of a
hazel thicket some distance away. "Here," thought
Mr. Adams, " is my home," and dismounting he drove
his stake in the soil and took possession. Following up
the river about two miles farther, they came to a creek,
where Mr. Morgan halted and made his own claim.
This done, they passed up to Chicago, sold their ponies,
and returned home by way of the lakes.
But before that, indeed as early in the season as it
was possible to travel,
GEORGE AND CLARK HOLLENBACK,
from Magnolia, Putnam county, and their friends Wil-
HOLLENBACK AND OTHERS LOCATE. 55
Ham Harris and Ezra Ackley, were on the ground.
They were from West Virginia, and had approached the
frontier by short stages; first to Ohio, then to the
Wabash, and lastly to Magnolia. The men came first
on a prospecting tour, in the latter part of March.
Traveling on foot, they crossed the Fox river at Ottawa,
passed over the high prairies of the town of Mission to
Vermet's, and from there struck out for the Big Woods,
above where Aurora now stands. At Specie grove they
were informed that the Big Woods country was very
wet, so they did not go as far as they intended, but
encamped at a place near Oswego.
In the morning, while the others prepared breakfast,
Mr. Hollenback strolled off on a tour of observation,
and in a few minutes found and drove a stake on his
claim. But it had been decided that they should settle
together, and when the others objected that there was
not enough timber there for all of them, he relinquished
his claim. Where now ? Mr. Hollenback remarked
that he had noticed a large grove on their left as they
came up, which, from its lying low, seemed to promise
desirable shelter as well as timber ; so it was agreed
that they should return to that. It was Hollenback 's
grove, near Millbrook. They entered it on the east
side, and it was at once settled that the ridge between
the two creeks should be the dividing line, Ackley and
Harris taking the north, and Hollenback the south.
And that rido-e is a dividins; line still.
Then they brought up their families : Clark Hollen-
back, wife, daughter and three sons — young men ; George
Hollenback, wife, daughter and three sons, who were
56 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
boys ; William Harris, wife, three daughters and four
sons ; Ezra Ackley, wife and two daughters ; Patrick
Cunningham and wife ; and William Brooks, — a little
colony of twenty-nine souls. Clark IloUenback settled
in the Newark timber, living in Hobson's old cabin until
he could build his own, on the hill below Mr.Needham's.
Cunningham put his stake on the opposite side of the
timber, where John Boyne now lives.
In a few days Hobson happened along, and was not
particularly pleased at finding his old house inhabited ;
but Mr. Hollenback satisfied him, and they j^arted good
friends. But it was the common law of squatter days
that when a man forsook his claim, it was the rightful
property of whoever should, next claim it.
The others settled on their respective claims and at
once erected three shanties, viz : enclosures of logs, cov-
ered with bark and split timber, to shelter their families
while the houses were building. Mr. Hollenback's was
on Hollenback's creek, near the present residence of W.
A. Hollenback. Mr. Harris' was near the present site
of a tenant house owned by Thos. Atherton, north of
Ackley's creek, and Mr. Ackley's was near the ridge,
midway between.
Arrived on the ground April 18, they immediately
began to make clearings to plant corn, for they had rather
plant among the stumps than risk the prairie sod. But
Clark Hollenback broke, during the summer, fifty-five
acres and fenced it in. It is now Albert Needham's
farm.
GEORGE B. HOLLLENBACK,
the oldest son of Clark, started a pioneer blacksmith
FIRST FRONTIER STORE. 57
shop, which he afterward sold to his father and Mr. Hol-
derman. When the summer's work was done, he built
a log store in the edge of the grove, and going to Peoria
on horseback, he took the boat to St. Louis and pur-
chased a stock of Indian goods to the amount of two
hundred dollars. They were brought up the Illinois
river, and thence overland. This was the beginning of
a frontier store which became widely known, not only
among the surrounding settlers, but even in the States.
It was the beginning of the business of Newark, or
Georgetown, as, for many years, it was called — after the
founder. His wife was Mrs. Reynolds, whose daughter
is Mrs. A. D. Newton, of Yorkville. It is perhaps need-
less to say that he sold but little of his goods for cash,
but traded them to the Indians for muskrat skins.
Early in the spring, about the time Geo. Hollenback
and party came up prospecting,
DANIEL KELLOGG
was on the move. Leaving Ottawa, where he had been
chosen the first Justice of the Peace in LaSalle county,
he came to Holderman's, and crossing the narrow
slough, bought oat Countryman, at what has ever since
been known as Kellogg's grove. And the Indian fam-
ily, packing their little property on ponies, bade fare-
well to their old wigwam, and filed out among the trees
and over the prairie in search of another resting place.
A few weeks after,
MOSES BOOTH,
on foot, with an ax and gun, crossed that slough, and
weary with his journey, lodged with his friend and old
neighbor, Mr. Kellogg. In the morning he set off pros-
5
58 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
pecting, and after exploring all day through the towns
of Big Grove and Fox, found himself at dusk at the
infant settlement in Hollenback's grove. Mr. Hollen-
back's family had arrived that day, and had just estab-
lished themselves in their new shanty. It aftbrded but
little room, but what frontiersman was ever known to
turn away the stranger ? Mr. Booth was entertained,
and in the morning, when no pay would be taken, he vol-
unteered to cut down a tree, and did so — thus giving the
little settlement their first lift. Then retracing his steps
of the previous day, he choose for the site of his cabin
the splendid knoll on the north-east corner of Apakesha
grove, now occupied by the fine residence of Lott Sco-
field. Looking out from among the tall white oaks that
formed the border of the grove, his eye could take in
the wide sweep of level prairie to Plattville, and around
almost to Minooka. It would have been glorious to a
poetic temperament, but Mr. Booth was a practical man,
and proceeded at once to cut ^'a set of house logs." This
done, he brought his family,* which consisted of his
wife and
ANSEL REED,
the boy who, four years before, went through the snow
from Beresford's to Hawley's, in search of a needle. He
was a slim lad, not yet thirteen years of age, and had
been bound to Mr. Booth about two years. The coun-
try hiid changed somewhat since his previous trip.
Instead of two lonely families, out of sight of each
other — the only inhabitants in eighty miles — there were
five houses, and other little settlements near ; traders
and travelers passing every few days, and Indians every
THE OLDEST HOUSE IN KENDALL COUNTY. 59
day. Ansel Reed now owns a fine farm near Plattville,
and has a sister — Mrs. Emeline March — at Bristol Sta-
tion. She was five years old at the time of the journey
through Kendall. Mr. Booth remained at Kellogg's a
few weeks, and rented of him five acres of land, to
plant corn and pumpkins. But dissatisfied with his
claim, for some reason — perhaps remembering the north-
east wind — he made another in the adjoining Big grove,
where a mile of heavy timber would be between him and
the north wind in any shape. There, about twenty
rods in the grove, on the south side, he built his house.
It was sixteen feet square, and Mr. Kellogg, his son
Ezra, and his hired man — William Teal — helped raise
it, Ansel Reed looking on. It still stands, as a part of
the residence of J. W. Mason, Esq., and was not only
the first house in Big Grove, but is, without doubt, the
oldest existing building in Kendall county, and as such
we may hope it will be long preserved and cherished as
a memento of the days that are past, and that will come
again no more.
CHAPTER IX.
THE SHADOW OF WAR.
HILE Booth was building his house,
the Ament brothers arrived from Bu-
reau county, where they had been liv-
ing several years. They were origin-
ally from Livingston county, N. Y.,
in 1824. The eldest,
EDWARD G. AMENT,
worked a few weeks at Peoria for Joseph Ogee, an In-
dian interpreter. Then came along John Kinzie and
Medore Beaubien — the latter a young man, son of John
B. Beaubien — with a Mackinaw boat and a two ton cargo
of Indian goods for the fall trade. They were on their
way up from St. Louis. Mr. Ament hired to Mr. Kinzie
for ten dollars a month, and went with him. They made
but slow progress working the heavy boat up the stream.
When it would siet aground, Kinzie and Beaubien would
leap into the cold water, and one each end of an oar
would push it off again. But at Marseilles they found
it impos-^ible to navigate further, and Mr. Kinzie, leav-
ing the two young men in charge of the goods, went to
Chicao[;o after ox teams and was-ons. He was silver-
ament's early experiences. 61
smith to the Indians, making silver ornaments, brooches,
bracelets, &c., which the wealthy Indians freely indulged
in, and Mr. Ament's work was to do chores, cut wood,
make hay, tend stock, &c. There were but seven fami-
lies in the place. In 1825 he hired to the Claibornes,
four miles up the north branch. There were two broth-
ers. Archibald spent most of his time trading with the
the Indians, while Henley helped work the farm. That
year Edward helped a man by the name of Vermet raise
the first log cabin on the site of Evanston. The logs,
instead of being raised up on forked sticks as usual, were
pushed up on skids — a much easier process. In 1826 he
went to the Galena lead mines, where his brothers were
getting twenty-five dollars a month. He spent two years
there working leads for himself, and then removed to
Red Oak Grove, Bureau county, where he and his
brothers were the only settlers between Galena and
Peoria — fifty miles on one side and one hundred on the
other. Early in the spring of 1831 he came up this
way, prospecting, and stopping at Dougherty's, met Peter
Specie, his old Chicago friend. Specie had a little farm,
formerly, about where Bridgeport now is, two or three
miles out on the south branch, and the good man was in
such constant difiiculty with his neighbors that he sorely
tried the patience of Mr. Kinzie, then Justice of the
Peace. Mr. Ament, however, had had no trouble, for he
had had no deal, and Peter was glad to see him, escorted
him to the cabin which he and Colonel Sweet called
home, and there Edward made his claim, and returned
for his brothers. Four came with him — Hiram, Cal-
vin, xlnson and Alfred — all unmarried, and the young-
62 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
est, Alfred, not more than ten years old. The eldest
brother, Justus, was married, and remained behind.
They arrived about May 10th, and set to work at once
to improve their claim. They were entitled to the dis-
tinction of being the youngest squatters in Kendall
county.
About the same time
GEORGE HAVENHILL,
wife and two sons- — Fielding and Oliver — and his son-
in-law, Anthony Litsey, entered the county. Mr. Hav-
enhill was born in Virginia, in 1778, and emigrated to
Tazewell county, in Illinois, in 1830, His brother.Wil-
liam was the first white child born in Kentucky. Mr.
Litsey had a family of four little children, so that the
party consisted of ten persons. Part of Mr. Havenhili's
family was for the present left behind. They found tem-
porary shelter at Mr. Dougherty's and Mr. Kellogg's,
and, renting a few acres of land, planted it to corn. Mr.
Litsey placed his stake on the site abandoned by Mr.
Booth, and using the logs already cut, erected his cabin
nearly on the site of Mr. Scofield's present residence.
Soon after they arrived, Countryman, who had moved
to Pawpaw Grove, came over to get some one to break up
a corn patch for him, and Fielding Havenhill was com-
missioned by his father to do the work. With two yoke
of oxen, a plow and wagon, he undertook the journey,
crossing the river by the ford at William Smith's and
ate and lodged with the Indians while he remained. The
squaws followed the plow in a troop, planting the corn
and treading it in with their feet. It was a novel expe-
rience for the young man, but he acquitted himself well.
THE HOLDERMAN FAMILY. 63
He brought back seed enough for their own field in Ken-
dall. The summer was spent by the settlers in making
clearings, building cabins, and making ready for winter.
Geo. Hollenback was gone six weeks after one grist. He
waited for the wheat to ripen, cut it with a cradle,
ground it in a horse mill, bolted it by hand, and reached
home with it just as the last loaf was being divided.
On the last day of October, 1831,
ABRAHAM HOLDERMAN
arrived with his family at Dougherty's and Kellogg's, in
search of a new home. He came from Cass county,
Ohio, having sold his property there, and was the wealth-
iest settler that had yet entered Kendall county. Ansel
Reed says : " November first was a cold, frosty morning.
I was up before sunrise and drove Mr. Booth's oxen and
wooden-wheeled wagon over to Kellogg's after a load of
pumpkins and there I found the new-comers."
Mr. Holderman had eleven children, as follows :
Harriet, now Mrs. Peter Miller of Sheridan, lilinois ;
Ruianne, now Mrs. Newton Reynolds, New Lenox, 111. ;
Matilda, now Mrs. Samuel Hoag, Nettle Creek, 111. ;
Caroline, now Mrs. Isaac Hoag, Morris, 111. ; Jane mar-
ried and removed to Iowa, where she died ; Henry is in
Bates county, Missouri ; Burton, ditto ; Abraham is two
miles east of Seneca, 111. ; Samuel, at Morris, 111. : Ja-
cob is dead ; Dyson is on the old homestead, at Holder-
man's grove.
Mrs. Reynolds was noted as a fearless rider, and rode
all the way from Ohio on horseback. Mrs. Miller was
married, and she and her husband did not come until
the next spring. Mr. Holderman's first act was to buy
64 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
out Walter Selvey, who owned one hundred and sixty
acres, of which one-half lay in the grove. The sale was
made before Daniel Kellogg, Justice of the Peace, and
and the deed was recorded Nov. 14, 1831. It is the
earliest sale on record in the county.
Two days after, he bouo!;ht out John Dougherty and
Pierce Hawley — eighty acres each. The latter sale was
made before Stephen J. Scott, a Naperville Justice, who
happened to be present. Willard and Hadassah Scott
were witnesses. The other was made before Mr. Kel-
logg, with Bailey Hobson as witness. Edmund Weed,
with his one hundred and twenty- eight acres, held out
for a month, and then sold. The affidavits were made
at Mr. Kellogg's, with Edward A. Rogers as witness.
Deed recorded December 20th. Mr. Vermet did not sell
until the following year. Mr. Holderman now owned
the largest part of the Seminary section — the only land
in Kendall county which was in the market, and to
which a title could be given. Mr. Dougherty and Mr.
Selvey went over to the Aux Sable grove and took up
claims near the Lawton reservation, where they remained
several years, but finally emigrated to Oregon.
Walter Selvey was undoubtedly the first settler in
Na-au-say, his claim covering the farm now owned by
David Goudie. Mr. Dougherty went into the timber
nearly a mile north of Selvey's, where was a fine spring
of w ater, and cleared up a little field with as much labor
and patience as if prairie flowers did not bloom all
around him. Mr. Selvey returned a few years ago to
Aurora, and died there in 1876.
Mr. Weed after a while went to California.
FIRST WHITE CHILB IN KENDALL. 65
December 1, in George Hollenback's cabin, Geo. M.
Hollenback was born, the first white child born in Ken-
dall county, and to-day is one of our most valued citi-
zens.
THE WINTER
set in early, and was known as "the winter of the deep
snow." The Indian ponies were unable to find their
usual feed, and some of them died. It was a lonely
time for the settlers, though none of them suffered for
want of provisions, of which corn was the chief. It was
ground by beating it in a pestle made out of a block cut
from a tree. An iron wedge answered for a mortar to
pound it with. The mail facilities were far between.
The nearest office was at Ottawa. The next nearest was
at Chicago, where a half-breed was the mail carrier. He
made trips twice a week from Niles, Michigan, and
easily carried the entire mail in one pouch, pony-back.
So closed the year 1831. It was signalized by new
cabins, and clearings, but the next was to be signalized
by the
TERROR OF WAR.
Not all the Indians were involved ; it is Black Hawk
and his turbulent Sacs who must bear the blame. And
yet there were, doubtless, those who were more blame-
worthy still, viz: Indian agents, who, to secure treat-
ies, often made utterly false representations and prom-
ises that were never kept — and then cheated in the pay-
ment of the annuities, so as to secure a share for them-
selves. There was a current conviction with some
classes that among white men Indians had no estab-
lished rights. As a gigantic instance of this see the
6Q HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
Cherokee lottery, which was taking place the very year
now under consideration — 1831.
The Cherokee nation owned one million acres of land
in Georgia. There were gold mines on some parts of it.
The Georgians wanted it. The Cherokees declined to
sell. The State declared the land seized and ordered
it disposed of by lottery. The gold lands were divided
into 35,000 lots, of forty acres each, and the remainder
into 18,000 farms of one hundred and fifty acres each.
Any freeholder was to send in his name and have a
chance of securing, without any adequate money or
price, a share of the coveted spoils. Eighty-five thous-
and men wanted farms, and sent in their names. The
gold fields were more attractive, and were competed for
by one hundred and thirty-three thousand persons.
There were about four blanks to a prize. The drawing
was made at Milledgeville. There were two mission-
aries of the American Board, Messrs. Worcester and
Butler, with the Indians. They w^ere their pastors and
teachers, and feeling the utter injustice of the entire
proceeding, gave their counsels against it. Refusing to
remove from ther fields of labor, they were forcibly
taken, and spent sixteen months in the penitentiary.
Again and again they were offered their freedom if they
would cease teaching among the Cherokees ; but they
would not yield. The U. S. Supreme Court decided
against the State courts, but the decision was not regarded.
At last they were released, and went back to their work.
Black Hawk's warriors had no such provocation, but
were simply irritated by a long accumulation of causes.
It was a war of revenge, in which they expected not to
COMMENCEMENT OF WAR.
67
conquer, but to kill. And like a sudden thunder burst
it swept down upon the lonely clearings of Northern
Illinois.
CHAPTER X.
THE FIRST BLOODSHED.
jNE OF the most prominent names con-
nected with the struggle of 1832, is
that of
SHABBONA,
the peace chief of the Pottawatomies.
He belonged originally to the Ottaw^as,
of Canada, and was born near Montreal, about 1775.
While yet a young man, in company with a number of
his tribe he joined the Pottawatomies, who were also
from Canada and had emigrated to the Northwest in an
early day. He subsequently removed to Northern Illi-
nois, where detachments of his tribe had for many years
had their hunting grounds. In 1832 Shabbona came
into prominence as the firm opposer of the fiery chief of
the Sacs and Foxes They were both old men — one
near sixty and the other near seventy years of age — and
had been associates under the mighty Tecumseh. Black
Hawk's town, at Rock Island, had been burned and he
and his tribe driven over the river into Iowa : and
68 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
the treaty stipulations under \yhich it was done, he
claimed had been obtained frandulently. He burned for
revenge. The Winnebagoes, occupying the country west
of Rock river, spoke a dialect of the Sac language and
were, therefore, foreigners to the Pottawatomies. But
they were neighbors, with common interests, and upon
these two tribes the aged Black Hawk depended for help
in the contemplated war. He sent messengers to them
to represent his cause, and finally
A GRAND COUNCIL
of the Pottawatomies to consider the matter, was held
on the O'Plaine river, a few miles west of Chicago. Geo.
F. Walker, Sheriff of LaSalle county, was present by
invitation. The result of a long conference was that
the tribe resolved not to take part in the war, and at
the close, Mr. Walker and the renowned Billy Caldwell
gathered a band of one hundred braves for the defence
of the settlements, and put them under the charge of
Waubonsie. During the war they marched as far as
Dixon, but soon evaporated, without accomplishing much.
As soon as the decision was reached, Shabbona made a
visit to his old companion-in-arms at the Des Moines
river. He represented to him how numerous and strong
the Americans were, and besought him not to open a
war which could but end in his destruction.
It was surely
A SCENE
worthy of preservation — those old chiefs, life-long friends
as they had been, now drifting apart on the old and hard
question of devotion to the white man. One, determined
and bitter — the other, anxious and pleading ; one, burn-
SHABBONA AND BLACK HAWK. 69
ing under a sense of insult and injury — the other, con-
scious of friendship and favor. 0, the hard lines of some
lives ! It is the rule that every man is the architect of
his own fortune ; yet, is there not something to be said
about the election of circumstances? We often go a way
we know not. Fate is the child of sin, but is none the
less sad. How good it is that in the great gulf stream
of the gospel all counter life- currents may be swallowed
up, and forever ! And it is, whosoever will ! Shab-
bona's arguments were in vain. The die was cast. The
dark-visaged Sac chief and his eager warriors had set out
for Illinois and ruin — and that so speedily that there
was no time to be lost. Meantime the Kendall county
settlers were busy about their
SPRING WORK.
Beins: once assured that their own Pottawatomies were
peaceful, they dismissed all serious thoughts of danger
from their minds, and went on plowing and sowing and
laying many plans for the future. The plans were not
all of work, either, for Cupid visited those virgin groves.
On May 1st, Edward G. Ament was married to Miss
Emily Ann, daughter of Wm. Harris. Rev. Isaac Scar-
ritt performed the ceremony. It was the first marriage
within the present limits of Kendall county, and they
took their wedding trip two weeks afterward, when they
fled from the Indians.
EARLY IN MAY
the ao-ed Black Hawk and his turbulent braves crossed
the Mississippi at Rock Island, then Fort Armstrong,
and passed up the north side of Rock river. Gen. At-
kinson, in command at the Fort, followed them as soon
70 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
as possible, passing up on the south side, and so the long
threatened war was fairly begun. At Dixon's a force
of volunteers had assembled, under Major Stillman,
which probably deterred the Indians from showing them-
selves at the ferry there ; for, making the circuit of the
great bend, they crossed at Byron, thirty miles above.
Major Stillman's company marched up on the other side
of the river, and on the edge of a grove at
stillman's run,
near Byron, they discerned some mounted Indians. At
once a part of the volunteers — without any military
order — dashed away in pursuit, but soon found them-
selves attacked by a larger force than they anticipated,
and began to retreat. A panic seized the others, and it
was at once apparent that nothing more could be done
that day but for each man to save himself They struck
out for Dixon's, and from midnight until morning con-
tinued to arrive in parties of three and four on horse-
back and on foot. The serious part of it appeared the
next morning at roll call, when forty-two did not answer
their names, though all but twelve afterward turned up.
The ludicrous side was illustrated by the speech, after
roll call, of a volunteer who had formerly been a Ken-
tucky militia captain. Mounting a stump, he congratu-
lated his brethren in arms on their escape from a savage
foe, expressed sorrow for those who had fallen, and con-
cluded: "Sirs, Bonaparte or Wellington never com-
manded better disciplined forces. But the most impos-
ing scene of all was their outflanking us ; they out-
flanked us in the majesty of their greatness, and their
muskets glistened in the moonbeams!"
INDIANS IN COUNCIL. 71
In the absence of supplies, Dixon's oxen were killed
and eaten without bread or salt.
Gen. Atkinson arrived that day, and at once pro-
ceeded to the scene of action, and buried the twelve
dead. They were shockingly mutilated and dismem-
bered, and were reverently gathered and interred in a
common grave. Thus the soil of Ogle county drank
the first blood of the war. Afterwards, at the battle of
the Wisconsin, the war cry of the whites was, '' No
Stillman's Run here!" and the issue proved it.
Passing rapidly through the territory of the Winne-
bagoes, who were more than half friendly to his cause,
his bands scouring the country in various directions,
Black Hawk, on the evening of the 14th, or early in the
morning of the 15th, reached
FOX RIVER,
at Post's Mill. He was met by the Pottawatomie chiefs
and their braves on that remarkable hill, or natural
fortress, sometimes called Black Hawk's Mound. It is
a spur of limestone sixty or eighty feet high, isolated
from the main ridge by a wide ravine, and washed on
the remaining sides by Little Rock creek. The top is
covered with trees, and is broad enough for a tribe to
encamp at once. It has probably been used from ancient
times as an Indian fortress and council ground, as many
old relics have been found there. At this council, so
tradition tells us, Black Hawk made the leading speech,
and used all his eloquence to persuade the others to
rescind their action at the O'Plain council, raise the
tomahawk, and help to drive the white man from their
72 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
lands. On the other hand Shabbona, with less eloquence
but more reason, again presented the argument for re-
fraining from war. It was in vain. Not only were the
Sacs unconvinced, but many of the Pottawatomies were
in sympathy with them. Upon Shabbona now depended
the safety of the little settlements in Kendall county,
with their seventy souls. Messengers had been dis-
patched from Dixon's to alarm them, but were inter-
cepted and probably put to death by one of Black Hawk's
bands, and the peaceful Pottawatomie chief alone re-
mained.
It seems strongly probable that the Indians who made
the trouble in this county were Pottawatomies, neigh-
bors of the settlers, with perhaps a few Sacs for leading
spirits. It is certain that many Pottawatomies left their
tribe and joined the various marauding bands under
Black Hawk, and others, doubtless, who did not go away,
were as eager for plunder at home. They had decided,
as a tribe, not to engage in the war, and this gave a false
idea of security to the settlers and came near costing
them their lives.
When Shabbona found that he could not control the
council, and that even his own people were breaking
awav from him, he at once acted. It was the middle of
the afternoon, and a short space of sunlight was all that
was left, for he felt that with the darkness
THE FATAL BLOW
would fall. He had a nephew, a fine young fellow by
the name of Pyps — called Peppers for short by the set-
tlers — and who was well known to all acquainted with
Shabboiia's camp. Tliis young man Shabbona at once
THE INDIAN WAR.
73
despatched, telling him to go by way of George Hollen-
back's. For some reason, however, he did not go there,
but gave the alarm first at George B. Hollenback's, and
passed on to Holderman's. Shabbona himself waited
until the assembly broke up, and then stole away and
rode at express speed to spread the alarm further south.
CHAPTER XI
THE FLIGHT !
UST AS young Peppers rode up to Geo.
B. Hollenback's, his wife was setting sup-
per, and he had washed and was wiping
on the towel, when the Indian said, with-
out dismounting: "The Sacs are com-
ing !" Mr. H. made some light reply ;
but the other added : " My friend, I am
in earnest ; go at once if you will save your lives." His
wife and step-daughter took the alarm at once, and drop-
ping their work, hurried over to Clark Hollenback's
with the warning. Clark himself had gone to Ottawa
to get a plow sharpened and do some other business ;
and here, too, the women were frightened, and to keep
close to the truth, the boys were slightly nervous, as
well. Thomas, mounting an unbroken colt, started to
alarm his uncle George, and one of the others ran over
to Cunningham's. The women, with what articles they
6
74 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
could carry, were mounted on tlie horses, the men on foot,
and so they left for the fort at Ottawa. The prairie grass
was green, and wild flowers were growing where Newark
now stands, but the fugitives had no heart or time to
admire beauty, save the beauty of seeing, as they now
and then looked behind, that the}' were getting farther
away and no Indians in sight.
Reaching the point of the Mission timber by dark,
they turned the horses out to graze, and hid themselves
in the thicket. But it soon commenced to rain, and
they decided to move on, most of them this time on
foot, as they were unable to catch but one of the horses.
The journey was a slow and tedious one, and they
reached Ottawa the next evening.
Meanwhile, Thomas, on his
FRIGHTENED COLT,
made double-quick time over the Pavilion road between
Newark and William Hollenback's. His uncle, when
he arrived, was tying the horses out to grass, after their
day's work ; but on hearing the alarm immediately
brought them up again, and left the boys to harness
them while he hurried over to arouse the other families.
Mr. Harris' team had strayed away, and himself and
the two older boys were absent searching for them. To
add to their dismay, Mrs. Harris' father — old Mr.
Coombs — was so sick with inflammatory rheumatism as
to be unable to be moved. There appeared no alterna-
tive but to leave him if they would save their lives, and
to this he urged them. " Leave me to m}^ fate," he
said, " and save yourselves ; I am an old man and can
live but a little while at best." Taking what articles
COMMENCEMENT OF THE RAID. 75
they could, with tearful farewells, they left him and hur-
ried away on foot. Mr. Ackley had no wagon, and he
mounted his wife and one child on one horse, while he
and the remaining child rode the other. By the time
they reached Mr. Hollenback's the sun had set and it
was growing dark ; but the boys had the team and wagon
all ready, so that they started at once, taking an east-
erly direction over the prairie towards Plainfield. Before
sunset the Indians were on the move, eager for
SCALPS AND SPOIL.
They struck Harris' cabin first, and Mr. Coombs gave
himself up for dead; but having satisfied themselves
that he was sick, they did not molest him. Passing on
to the two other cabins, they found no one at home ;
but the supper tables were spread, and they helped
themselves to what they pleased. " Shabbona did this,"
they said one to another in their Indian guttural, and
they laid up a score against him.
They had been but a few minutes at Hollenback's
when — the wagon having mired in a slough about a mile
out — Mr. Hoilenback returned to get a chain that lay
on a shaving horse in his yard. As he approached the
fence, through the brush, he saw a light through the
cracks, between the basswood puncheons of which the
door was made. Indians do not usually make lights
while on their raids, but these were undoubtedly on a
savage spree, and believing their victims had received
warning and fled, were ofi" their guard. In a moment
the door opened, and one came out bearing a torch ;
at that instant the dry twigs snapped under Mr. Hollen-
back's feet as he ran away, pursued by two Indians.
76 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
His line of flight was parallel with the present Pavilion
road for about a mile, when his strength gave out, and
he fell — rolling into a ditch at the foot of the hill south
of Dr. Cook's. Fortunately, his pursuers ran past him,
and soon gave up the chase. The moon was nearly at
the full, but everv few minutes it would cloud over and
be dark, and Mr. HoUenback being thus unable to keep
the wagon track even after he found it, became lost, and
rambled about all night. Mr. Harris and his two sons,
while after the horses, became lost, but in the morning,
strangely enough, came on their family encamped on the
prairie. They had passed the slough by unloading
the wagon. Although not at that time professing Chris-
tians, they always regarded that meeting as a special
interposition of
god's providence ;
for had they returned to the house, or taken any other
route than the one they did they probably would never
have met again.
In the morning the company separated, Mr. and Mrs.
Ackley turning off to arouse the Aments. Coming to
the door Mrs. Ackley said to them who were up : "" Call
Edward ; the Sacs and Foxes are upon us, and he must
leave just as quick as he can," and while she continued
talking Edward was called, and preparation for flight
was begun. In a few minutes they were on the road,
Mr. Morton, a man who lived with Anient, being with
them. With the other party was Peter Bolinger, a
single man who worked for HoUenback. Crossing the
wide prairie they came soon after sunrise to the claims of
Selvey and Dougherty, where two new-comers, Kceler
CHECKED BY A CAROUSE. 77
Clark and his brother William, were breaking sod. The
latter was afterwards well known as a Mormon preacher.
They put part of their breaking team on the wagon in
place of Mr. Hollenback's jaded horses ; thus strength-
ened, the party continued their journey with less fear of
attack. At this point, too, they were joined by Mr.
Hollenback, who was received as one from the dead.
At Clark Hollenback's the Indians found more to hold
them, for there were groceries and tobacco and whisky in
the store, and they spent the remainder of the night there
in wild carousal. It was a fortunate spree for the
HOLDERMAN GROVE SETTLERS.
They had been warned the night before, but the war had
been so long talked of they did not believe there was
any immediate danger. The possessions that must be
left behind doubtless caused some of the hesitation, for
Mr. Holderman had but just returned from Ohio with a
load of provisions. Two other families had moved in,
Mr. Cummins and Wyatt Cook, making again the orig-
inal number at the grove.
Mr. Kellogg was away and was not expected home for
a day or two, but he would not have hastened matters if
he had been present. Mr. Vermet, however, sent his
hired man over to warn Mr. Booth and Mr. Litsey, but,
perhaps through fear, he did not do his errand.
Before breakfast, in the morning of the memorable
and beautiful sixteenth of May, Mr. Holderman took a
piece of bread and butter in his hand, mounted his horse,
and, in company with Ezra Kellogg and Mr. Cummins,
rode over to Newark to see if Clark Hollenback credited
the report. Mr. Cummins wore an overcoat and carried
78 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
a rifle ; the others were unarmed. Going first to Pat
Cunningham's, they found no one at home ; then passing
up towards Hollenback's, their suspicions were aroused.
They did not like the appearance of things and stopped.
Between them and the house a new sod fence had been
made, and an Indian now appeared on the fence and
beckoned with his hand to them to come on. It was
enough. Instead of coming on, they turned their horses
and fled, and were instantly shot at and pursued by a
large party of Indians, who were secreted in the fence
ditch. Thev had been drinkinoi; and were all excited,
otherwise it would seem impossible that the men could
have escaped with their lives. As it was, the only bul-
let that took eff"ect cut the neck of Mr. Cummins' horse,
below the mane. The little valley south of Earl Adams'
homestead used to be a sunny spot. The hill each side
was a great den for wolves and badgers. There the
Indian ponies had strayed, seeking the green grass, and
the Indians were consequently obliged to follow the white
men on foot, which they did with all their speed, and
with furious yells. But on the Adams hill, Holderman
swung his hat and shouted to imaginary reinforcements,
and the device was successful. The Indians stopped,
and after a short parley retreated. When they reached
Kellogg's, Mr. Holderman shouted over the slough to
his family, " Gear up, gear up !" and leaving their break-
fast untasted, they hastened to obey the warning call.
They did not know but the Indians, catching their
ponies, would be upon them within a few minutes, so
they made ready with the utmost speed, and were soon
far on the road to Ottawa. The Indians, however, did
INDIANS AT HOLLENBACK S.
79
not leave Hollenback's until the following night, detained
either by love of their good fare or by the hope that
other settlers might visit them. The last, undoubtedly,
was the stronger motive, as the store was tolerably well
known through the surrounding settlements, and was
frequently visited. It is illustrative of Indian nature
that from first to last these robbers skulked in thickets
and groves in the daytime, and did their traveling mostly
in the night.
CHAPTER XII.
ANSEL reed's STORY.
"^^ LEVEN families were now on their way
out of the county, and but three more
^, remained. Mr. Booth had as yet received
no warning, and how it came may be best
told in Ansel Reed's own words :
It was a pleasant morning, and soon after daylight I
was up and went down a little piece from the house, to
rive shingle bolts. While at work I heard three reports
of guns, close together, from the direction of Newark,
and soon after saw three men horseback galloping over
a rise of ground toward Holderman's. I supposed then
that those three men had fired the guns, and thought
little more of it. There had been a talk of war for years,
but we did not know as it would ever come. There was
80 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
a pond a little out from the edge of the grove — a quar-
ter of a mile from the house. Mr. Booth wished to plant
a patch of potatoes by it, and after breakfast I went out
to drive up the oxen to do the plowing. While looking
for the cattle, Booth came out too, and crossed the fresh
horse tracks. They were made by large horses that
were shod, and so he knew they were not Indians. Yet,
in thinking about it, I remembered that the Indians had
appeared unusually busy that spring. Their trail ran
along by the grove, about on the line of the Newark and
Lisbon road. There were three or four trails side by
side. In some places, where the rain had washed them
out, they were three feet deep. Indians passed along
these every day, sometimes riding at the top of their
speed. Booth's oxen were a fine, large, spotted pair ;
well known because of their strength and color, and the
pride he took in them. He plowed the ground, while I
spent the forenoon chopping for sod corn with a wooden
ax. There were seventeen acres in the field ; the pond
was in the same enclosure. We worked on so all the
forenoon, not knowing we were left nearly alone in Ken-
dall county, and that the savages were so near us. They
had set Clark Hollenback's cabin on fire, and I saw the
smoke all the afternoon. Mr. Booth saw it, too, but
thought it was burning brush. If the Indians had come
then, they certainly would have killed us all, but
they probably supposed we had fled. In going to
work in the afternoon I met two Frenchmen, half-breeds,
riding each a mare with a colt following. They said
they lived in Kankakee and were going north for seed
corn, and asked if I could not get them some din-
ANSEL reed's STORY. 81
ner. I directed them to the house, but they would not
go unless I went too. I knew if I went back without
permission, Mr. Booth would not like it, so I declined.
They talked a little while longer and passed on toward
Newark. The trail did not run through the present
site of Newark, but left it a little to the right, and about
there it was crossed by the Chicago trail. Mr. Booth
came out and had made two or three turns in furrowing
out the potato land, when the Frenchmen returned in
a great fright and told Mr. Booth what they had seen.
He sent them on to alarm Anthony Litsey, and beck-
ened to me to hurry, saying, as I came near, "I don't
know but we shall all be killed." We had heard Litsey
calling to his oxen during the forenoon. He had joined
teams with William Parcell, a bachelor who lived at
Cherry's Grove, and they were breaking ground together.
Parcell had a two-wheeled cart, which was the only
vehicle on the place, as Litsey had none. Booth's wagon
had a rack on it, but no box. It had solid wheels, a
sapling for a tongue, and was wholly of wood — not even
a nail about it. We put on some maple sugar and a loaf
of bread, and then I was sent to drive up the cows, but
could not find them. I ran around the prairie, but they
were nowhere in sight. In coming back I met Mrs.
Booth, carrying the youngest child. She looked fright-
ened, and said, as she passed,
"where is MR. BOOTH?"
The road that led up to the house was the same that
leads to it now, and when I came up Mr. Booth said,
'' Let down the bars and get your shoes and coat and
come on." I did so, and then ran on after him. He
82 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
had fastened the door by planting a heavy stick against
it on the inside. When we had gone a little way he saw
his steers, and let me drive while he went back to the
house to yoke them up. But in a moment he said, " I
don't think it's safe to go back," and, turning, ran on
after his wife. They walked a mile and a half to the
north-west corner of Collins' Grove, then called Duck
Grove, because there was a large pond in it and wild
ducks were plenty there. The thicket was very dense,
and Booth hid his wife near where the wagon would pass,
while he ran on to alarm Kellogg and the other famil-
ies. It was about three-quarters of a mile further. Mr.
Kellogg had built a better house, of hewed logs, a few
rods from William Stephens' residence. I reached Mrs.
Booth and took her on board, and soon Booth came run-
ning down, hat in hand, tired out and frightened, and
reported that the Kelloggs had gone, leaving their break-
fast table set and the coffee poured out in the cups. We
were afraid now to go on, and hoping to keep hid until
dark, we went
FARTHER INTO THE THICKET,
over logs and fallen limbs, and then I unhitched the cat-
tle and took them down to the duck pond, where there
was a good bite of grass. I remember that the ring
in the yoke staple made such a horrible noise, as the
oxen walked, that I believed the Indians must surely
hear it. In the meantime, Litsey and Parcell had
started, and Booth went up to hail them as they passed.
On his way he saw a number of Indians entering Big
Grove, north of his house, as if intending to enter it by
the rear ; we left, therefore, none too soon. Mr. Litsey
FLIGHT TO THE FORT. 83
did not think it best to wait until dark, so Mr. Booth
returned and brought his wagon out of the almost impen-
etrable timber. Parcell's cart wheels were making a
terrible squealing, and they greased them with some
pork Booth had with him. The sun was now about an
hour high. Litsey had two horses, and rode one while
Booth rode the other, and Parcell and I drove the teams.
He had three yoke of oxen in his team, but in the slough
this side of Holderman's my wagon mired, and he had
to pull me out, and after that we drove two yoke each.
From Holderman's, where we found the breakfast table
still spread, we struck across the prairie toward Mar-
seilles — Booth and Litsey riding ahead, Parcell follow-
ing, and I in the rear. The night was cloudy, and
about midnight there came a very heavy thunder shower,
which compelled us to stop and take off the cattle, and
cover the women and children with quilts. We struck
the Illinois river timber below Marseilles, near where a
Mr. Shaver lived, but they had gone. The next settler
was Samuel Parr, and the next Mr. Milligan. They
were all gone. By this time it was broad daylight.
When we came within two miles of Ottawa, our neigh-
bors at the Fort recognized Booth's oxen, and were
alarmed, for we had been reported
DEAD AND SCALPED.
But when we had approached near enough for them to
know us their alarm was turned into joy, and we had a
glad reception. Booth's cattle that he had left behind
followed the next day, and were found at their old home
on Covin's creek. A company was at once formed to go
back to the settlements and reconnoiter, but before they
84 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
Started Mr. Kellogg came in on his return journey. He
rejected the idea that there was any real danger, and
against the persuasion of his friends went on alone to
his farm. He found everything quiet, and the table set
as it was left, so he sat down in his accustomed place and
ate a hearty meal. He then started back, intendino; to
bring his fiimily up, and met a military company barely
in time to be saved from assassination at the hands of an
Indian who had been watching him and was lurking in
the bushes until he should pass. He did not remove his
family. The very thought of how certain the bullet and
scalping knife of that lurking Indian would have found
him if his neighbors had not met him at just that point,
made the shudders creep over him. The company num-
bered twenty-five men. They found the cabins at New-
ark burned to the ground, but at the other groves they
were undisturbed, except that milk and provisions had
been taken away. After that companies used to come
up nearly every day, and found no considerable damage
done until three weeks had passed, when, at every house,
some animal was found killed and beheaded. It was the
Indian declaration of war.
One day, while Booth was at Big Grove, a boat arrived
at Ottawa with a family bv the name of Kino^, who after-
wards settled toward Joliet. They had apples on board,
and a French half breed stepped up and bought some.
I at once recognized him as one of the men who first
warned us of the danger. As he turned to go away he
was arrested as a spy, and held under guard for trial, but
I felt they did not mean to try him, for I heard some say
significantly, "Only wait till night comes," and I was
SUSPECTED MAN SAVED.
85
very much alarmed. At dusk Booth arrived, and as
soon as I told him about it he hurried over and procured
his release, and did not leave him until he was safely
away.
When the fort was built on the bluff in South Ot-
tawa, though only a boy, I drove the oxen to help haul
the logs, and enjoyed it, too. I had few cares of my
own, and there was something exhilarating about seeing
so many people at work. As soon as it was safe to
travel we removed to Macomb, and remained there dur-
ing the summer.
CHAPTER XIII.
MORE BLOODSHED.
lie'
jfO LIFE was lost within the limits of
Kendall county, which might have in-
duced a belief that the Indians were not
so dangerous after all, and wished
rather to frighten than to kill the set-
tlers. But within a mile of our county
line they showed their hand, and again
in a more terrible massacre within ten miles. It is pos-
sible, however, that these last were committed by a dif-
ferent band of Indians. They were a mixture of Sacs
and Foxes, and Winnebago and Pottawatomie outlaws,
and were led by
MIKE GURTY,
a half breed, one of the most heartless wretches who
ever escaped human justice. He was a large, heavy-set
86 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
savage, with high cheek bones, a flat nose and black
eyes, and said to have been the son of Simon Gurty, a
well-known Revolutionary outlaw who found refuge at
last among the Indians of the Ohio, and in Wayne's war,
when Col. Crawford was taken prisoner, laughed in
fiendish glee while he burnt him alive. Mike aspired to
be a chief, but was never wholly trusted by the Indians.
He had married a squaw and had a family of sons, some
of whom are now living with their tribe in the far West.
He acted as interpreter at a council held near the mouth
of Crow creek in 1827, between Gen. Cass and the In-
dians, and at the close the General gave him a silver
medal as a mark of esteem. He fastened it about his
neck by a buckskin string, and wore it until death. As
soon as the war opened, Gurty and his band scoured the
country for blood and plunder, and having raided the
country south of us, they came this way, guided b}'^ a
treacherous half-breed called Tenge Forqua, who had
often experienced the hospitalities of the settlers.
INDIAN CREEK
is a romantic stream that rises near Shabbona Grove,
in DeKalb county, and empties into Fox river in the
town of Dayton, LaSalle county, eight miles above Otta-
wa. At the mouth of the creek, William Davis — with
his family — settled in 1830, and in 1831 built him a
cabin and a blacksmith shop, and had thrown a dam across
the creek, intending to build a mill. The latter incensed
the inhabitants of an Indian village a few miles farther
up the creek, as it prevented the fish from coming up,
but no serious trouble was apprehended.
Early in the spring of 1832, Wm. Hall and family
AN INDIAN MASSACRE. 87
took a claim close by Davis, and was building his cabin
when the war began. Mr. Pettigrew and family also
occupied a claim in the neighborhood. There were at
Davis' house, Mr. Phillips, the mill-wright who was
building his mill, his wife and child, and Henry George,
a visitor from Bureau county.
When the alarm was given they all went to Ottawa,
but after three or four days, by the advice of Davis, they
returned, arriving at their cabins about noon. May 21.
Several other settlers also returned. Gurty'sband drew
near the settlement about the same time, and watched
their chance, and about four o'clock in the afternoon,
crawled along under the creek bank and so came up into
the yard before they were seen. The women and younger
part of the families of Davis and Hall were in the house,
also Mr. Pettigrew and family, who had not yet removed
to their own cabin. Davis himself, with Phillips, Hall,
George and Robert Norris, who were there getting some
work done, were in the shop. Two of Hall's sons and
one of Davis' were plowing in the field. They thought
themselves strong enough to repel any ordinary attack,
and might have done so had they not been so completely
surprised. A dog barked, and Mrs. Pettigrew, looking
out at the door, said, '* 0, God, here are the Indians
now!" Her husband sprang forward instantly to close
the door, and was shot down while doing so ; while the
savages pouring in soon completed the work of death.
Most of the men at the shop were killed before they could
make any defence, but Davis, who was a most powerful
man and utterly fearless, did not sell his life so easily.
He shot down the nearest Indian, and clubbing his rifle,
88 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
rushed into their midst, and was not slain until he had
dispatched three more, and bent his rifle barrel with the
fury of his blows. A dozen men like Davis would prob-
ably have whipped the entire band, though, if he had
been less confident of his strength, perhaps he would
have remained longer at the fort, and thus saved his life
and the lives of his friends. The young men at work
in the field unhitched their oxen and escaped, and another
of Hall's sons escaped by running under the creek bank.
A little son of Davis, called Jimmy, seven years old,
and two of Hall's daughters, Sylvia and Rachel, aged
respectively eighteen and sixteen years, were saved alive,
through the influence of a petty Sac chief, for the sake
of the ransom, and were hurried off" by him and his braves
through the woods to where their ponies were tied. The
others remained to wreak their vengeance on the dead
bodies, and on the stock. They shot horses, cattle and
hogs, and even the chickens in the yard did not escape
their rage, so savagely did the shedding of blood excite
them. Then robbing the murdered families of every-
thing they could carry, they went on toward Holder-
man's. Fifteen persons were killed, viz : Davis, wife,
two sons and daughter. Hall and wife, Pettigrew, wife
and child, Phillips, wife and child, Norris and George.
The news was published in probably every newspaper
in the United States, and awakened a tide of sympathy
for the frontier people, and especially for those captive
girls.
The next murder, while the Indians were camped, or
secreted, at Holderman's, was that of
ADAM PAYNE,
the missionary. He was a large, portly man, with a
MURDER OF THE MISSIONARY. 89
black beard that hung to his waist, and was well known,
having preached about through the western settlements
for years. He had been to Ohio, and on his return
stopped in Chicago a few days to preach. The com-
mander at Fort Dearborn, at the same time, was press-
ing horses to mount a company of rangers, and Payne,
who had a splendid horse, in order to save it, decided to
go to Hennepin, below Ottawa, where his brother Aaron
lived.
The morning he left he preached his last sermon, at
the northern end of the military parade ground, corner
of South Water street and Michigan Avenue. His ser-
mon was two hours long, but he held his audience of
traders, soldiers, citizens and Indians, spell-bound to the
close, as he pressed upon them the reality of eternal
things. When he came to Plainfield to put up for the
night, he found the people in a state of great excitement
over the news of the Indian Creek massacre. They
imagined that the country was being over-run by an
army of savages, who would not spare a soul alive, and
that the woods all around were full of them. Besides
this, the stockade there was too small to accommodate
the multitude, so that it had been decided to break up
and go to Chicago. They were to start the next morn-
ing after Payne's arrival, and tried to prevail on him to
go with them, but he would not. He wished to see his
family, and believed that his profession and his acquaint-
ance with the Indians, and, if it came to the worst, the
fleetness of his splendid bay mare, would carry him
through safely. So, in the morning, Plainfield was
deserted — the settlers going eastward and Payne going
7
90 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
west. He rode on without being molested until he
passed Holderman's Grove, when there was a sudden
report of guns, and a bullet pierced his shoulder, and
another struck his horse. The Indians probably saw
him from their hiding-place. They used to cut bushes
and make a little barricade by the road, where they
watched for travelers. One such hiding-place was found
in a tree at the north-west corner of Kellogg's Grove,
where they could overlook all the surrounding country.
Payne immediately put his horse on the run, and out-
stripped the savages, who would probably have given up
the chase but for the fact that they knew he was
wounded. Across the countrv thev went like the wind,
pursuer and pursued. Across the slough and up tlie
next rise of ground west of Holderman's the fugitive
urged his panting steed, but the race was nearly oyer.
A little beyond the grove the horse dropped from
exhaustion and loss of blood, and Payne deciding that
his best course was to bravely stand his ground, waited
until the Indians came up. and with his Bible in one
hand and the other pointing heavenward, he appealed
for mercy. Two of the three Indians were moved at
this, but the third struck him on the head* from behind,
and he expired in a few moments. His head was placed
on a pole, and at night the whole band assembled, laden
with spoils from the houses of the settlers, and held a
wild war dance around the spot where their victim fell.
The body was found a few days afterwards by a company
of rangers, or volunteer cavalry, and buried. The scalp
was stuck up on a ramrod, with fifteen or sixteen little
sticks around it, indicating the number they had taken.
ANOTHER STORY OF THE MURDER. 91
It was as large as the palm of a man's hand, and as
thick as a little finger. It was probably left by the
Indians through the belief that ill-luck would attend
them by having the scalp of a man of God.
ANOTHER STORY,
or Indian tradition, says that Gurty had once been
Payne's interpreter, and when he recognized the body,
after the dance was over, he was filled with remorse, and
having buried it he burnt his most valuable articles over
the grave to appease the Great Spirit. If that is true,
the remains of Adam Payne sleep to-day not far from
the south-west corner of Big Grove township, and the
body found was that of a Dunker preacher who was also
missed about the same time. As the Indians themselves
gave this account, there is so far an air of great prob-
ability about it. Mr. Cummins was Payne's step -son,
and Mrs. Payne and her family went down with him and
the Holdermans to a prairie camp in Putnam county.
She never received any of her husband's effects, though
she lived for a long time in the hope that she should.
The following, from Vetal Vermet, who lived here at
the time, corroborates the main features of the story,
while difiering in some minor parts. He says :
" Rev. Mr. Payne lived at Holderman's Grove at the
time of the Indian war. Just before it commenced he
had to go to Chicago on business, and when he returned
found his family and the other settlers gone. He re-
sumed his journey, but coming across some Indians hid
in the grove, they chased him about seven miles in a
southern direction, when they shot him, and he fell from
92 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
his horse some time after he was killed. There we found
and buried him, but his head we never found."'
Mr. Vermet gives the following particulars of
OTHER DEATHS.
"While at the Ottawa fort, Capt. McFadden with
James Beresford and Zeke Warren wanted me to go with
them to pick strawberries at Indian creek, but 1 refused,
as there was too much danger. They went, and Warren
soon returned bringing the bad news. Then a company
of us went out and found McFadden hid in a bunch of
willows. He was wounded in the leg, and his injured
horse had carried him three miles and fell dead. We
then searched for Beresford, and found him dead and
scalped where he was first attacked.
" Mr. Schemerhorn and his son-in-law, Mr. Hazleton.
owned a farm at Mission Point. After we had been at
the fort a week or two they wanted me to get ready and
go back with them to our homes to look after our house-
hold goods, and I agreed to go with them the next day.
But when they came for me my horse was gone. I had
turned him out to feed on the prairie, and could not find
him, so they went without me, taking a young man with
them. About seven miles from Ottawa they were sur-
rounded by Indians and killed, though the young man
escaped. We at once went out and found the bodies,
bringing them back to Ottawa, but the Indians had gone."
CHAPTER XIV.
THE WAR ENDED.
FEW days after the flight of the settlers,
Peter Miller and wife, now of Sheridan,
came out from Ohio and headed towards Ot-
tawa. While crossing Grundy county, south
of the Illinois river, they inquired their
way of two drovers who were driving cattle
to an Eastern market, and were then first
informed of the war. They arrived, however, without
accident at Ottawa, to the great relief of their friends —
the Holdermans — who were anxiously expecting them.
In June
JOHN N. SCHNEIDER,
the pioneer miller of Kendall county, arrived at Ottawa,
having accomplished the entire distance from Pittsburg
a-foot and alone. He was unmolested throughout the
entire journey. His brother Peter, now living in the
Big Woods above Aurora, came with his family by steam-
boat around the lakes, but when the captain heard there
was cholera in Chicago, he put off before half the goods
were unloaded, and the unfortunate Peter never saw them
again.
The war now went on vigorously. Mr. Booth enlisted
as a volunteer to fight the Indians, and so also did others
94: HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
from among the settlers. Those who had taken refuge
in Chicago were at first housed in the fort, but when
Major Whittlesey arrived with his regulars they occupied
the fort, and the settlers moving out upon the prairie
were gathered in shanties built of a raft of lumber just
received by the Noble family. Half a dozen families
were in some cases packed in a room fourteen feet square,
and the confusion was great. Children quarreling,
mothers chaffering, and men disputino^, Avorking, play-
ing, or going on scouting expeditions, as they had oppor-
tunity. Black Hawk did not trouble them. He made
a vitT^orous sie^e of the fort at Galena, but he was re-
pulsed, and besides that seemed to avoid any open engage-
ment. But a foe more deadly than the savage Indian
was creeping up the country. It was the
ASIATIC CHOLERA.
It started in Canada, and followed the highways and
navigable streams westward, leaving lines of dead behind
to mark its fatal track. On Julv 8th, a steamer arrived
havincy on board Gen. Winfield Scott and two hundred
United States troops, and the Cholera. The latter was
shipped at Detroit. The boat anchored a mile from the
beach, as there was no harbor, and small boats and canoes
put out to bring oif the men and cargo. Some had died
on the trip, others were sick, and all were in fear. After
landing it spread frightfully, defying all efforts to arrest
or confine it, and in a few days ninety men had perished
and were buried in a common grave, corner Lake street
and Wabash Avenue. Those streets were not laid out at
that time, though Lake street was surveyed the same
THE CHOLERA ARRIVES. 95
fall, and the spot was included within the military ground.
As soon as the news came to the ears of the settlers they
fled again, being more willing to risk the Indians in the
field than Cholera in the camp. While they needed an
escort of forty men to bring them to Chicago, they
needed none to guard them back, but fled in hot haste to
the stockade at Plainfield, to Reed's Grove, to Hickory
Creek, to Ottawa, wherever there was promise of safety.
• Gen. Scott's headquarters, while in Chicago, was at
John Wentworth's tavern, familiarly called "• Rat Cas-
tle," in allusion to a large number of its regular board-
ers. It stood at the east end of Lake street bridge.
The government sent two steamboat loads of provisions
up the Illinois river, and they made their way as far as
Lemont, the highest point ever reached by steamboat on
the Illinois. There was great rejoicing when they came,
both on account of the prospective opening up of com-
merce, and because of the present need, for as the corn-
fields were not planted there was danger of famine. The
provisions were intended for the troops, and to be given
as government supplies to the friendly Indians and the
settlers. But the agent in charge sold to the settlers,
and whether unjustly or not, was popularly supposed to
have made a dishonest purse for himself. However, it
was better to buy than to starve, though it was hard on
many of the people, who had all they could do to live
before.
The war finally ended in the latter part of July by a
decisive battle on the Wisconsin river, after which the
Indians retreated to the Mississippi, marking their route
by their dead, and were defeated again. Dr. L D.
96 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
Boone, a relative of Daniel Boone, and one of the oldest
living pioneers of Chicago, was regimental surgeon under
Gen. Henry,- and was present at both engagements.
These reverses settled the policy of the wavering Win-
nebagos, who pursued and captured Black Ilawk, of
their own accord, and delivered him up to the whites.
In the meantime,
THE HALL GIRLS
had been rescued by a ransom. They had lost little
Jimmy Davis. Before he had gone many miles he
became so tired as to be a burden to the Indians, and
they stood him up by a tree and shot him. The two
sisters were taken into Wisconsin, and were ransomed
by the government for two thousand dollars and forty
horses. Their case excited much interest, and the leg-
islature voted them a quarter section of canal land at
Joliet. Congress also voted them a small sum of money.
They were taken to St. Louis, and from there by Rev.
Erastus Horn, a friend of their father, to his house in
Morgan county, 111. Sylvia afterwards married William
Horn, and lives at Lincoln, Nebraska. Rachel married
William Munson, and moved to Freehold, LaSalle Co.,
where she died a few years ago.
The war being closed,
scott's troops
were not needed, and about August 1st the remnant of
the little army, with baggage wagons and a" drove of
cattle for supplies, marched through the northern part
of Kendall county, on their way to Rock Island. Fresh
deaths occurred every day, and nearly every camp was
marked by its graves. The second night out they
END OF THE WAR. 97
encamped near Little Rock, and the three soldiers'
graves left behind were seen for years by the early set-
tlers. Black Hawk, the cause of all the misery, was
taken to Washington, where he made his celebrated
speech to President Jackson, beginning : " I am a man,
and YOU are another." He was confined in Fortress
Monroe for the Winter, and released in the Spring, after
making the tour of the eastern cities. He was lionized
by the ladies, whom he complimented by saying, "pretty
squaws." He returned by the way of the lakes to his
tribe in Iowa, and died a very oM man, Oct. 3d, 1840.
He was far inferior to Pontiac or Tecumseh, having lit-
tle to distinguish him but his bravery.
As to Mike Gurty, the outlaw and murderer, the
RETRIBUTION
that followed his crimes is worthy of mention. He was
taken prisoner at the final defeat of the Indians, and for
subsequently killing a guard, was confined at hard labor,
with ball and chain, in the garrison at Prairie Du Chien,
for four years. It was probably the first honest work he
ever did. When he was so far gone with consumption
as to be unable to work, he was released and suftered to
wander oft' to Bureau county, in this State, in search of
his family. It was the locality of his murders, too, and
where one poor man and his young wife had been burned
alive. He entered Princeton in the last stages of con-
sumption, with a violent cough, emaciated, and tottering
under his load of blankets, copper kettle, pot, gun, tom-
ahawk, knife, and a piece of venison. W^hen told that
the Indians had all moved west of the Mississippi, he
groaned in his despair, and shed the tears for his own
98 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
misery that he could never shed for others. Reeling to
and fro from weakness, he took up his march for the
West. A week afterwards a body, eaten by wolves, was
found on the prairie, and around the neck, attached to a
buckskin cord, was a silver medal, on which was engraved,
*'A token of friendship, Lewis Cass, U. S. A." It was
the last of Mike Gurty, the assassin of Indian Creek.
And over him might be raised the epitaph : '•' He showed
no mercy in his life; he received none in his death."
In August, 1832, John and Walter Pearce and
WILLIAM WILSON
arrived with their families. They were from the Mad
river country, Ohio, and started almost the moment they
heard the war was over, with horse teams, driving their
cattle and sheep before them. It was a tedious journey,
and the prospect, when they reached the quaking swamps
around Chicago, anything but inviting. But from that
point they struck for Fox river, and after a day's travel
in that direction were better pleased. They touched the
river at Aurora, though there was not one solitary cabin
then to mark the spot, and passed on down the south
bank to the present site of Oswego. There Mr. Wilson
drove his stake, while the Pearces crossed the river and
made their claims on the other side. Oswego is there-
fore, by a few months, the oldest inhabited town in Ken-
dall county, being now in the forty-fifth year of her age.
Mr. Wilson built his cabin near Walter Loucks' present
residence. A few weeks afterwards, Ephraim Macomber
and family arrived and claimed the place now owned by J.
Budlong, on the Newark road, two miles west of Oswego.
There were then two cabins on each side of the river.
THE SETTLERS RETURN. 99
This was not only the first settlement on Fox river in
Kendall county, but, so far as known, they were the only
settlers on the river, at that time, between Indian Creek
and Geneva. During the same fall
MR. SEE,
an unlearned and rather tedious preacher, well known in
the early days of Chicago, made a claim covering the
present site of Plattville. It was then known as The
Springs, and was on the trail from Plainfield to Hol-
derman's. Mr. See, no doubt, was charmed with the
gushing fountain, beside which travelers used to camp,
and wondering that no claim-stake had yet been driven
there, resolved to drive his own. But he never occupied
his claim. In September and October most of the set-
tlers returned to their claims, which they found plun-
dered of everything movable, so were obliged to begin
over again. Some, however, wintered in other parts.
George HoUenback and family and Mr. and Mr. Combs
went to Ohio ; Mr. Harris went to his former home near
Ottawa ; Mr. Ackley had gone on to Ohio on the breaking
out of the war. Mr. Booth returned from Macomb
and arrived on his claim October 31st. Mr Ilolderman
sold his field of corn at Pekin, and returned so full of
vigor that he was able to buy out Mr. Vermet, the last
remaining old settler at the Grove. The sale of eighty
acres was made November 10th, before J. Cloud, Justice
of the Peace. John HoUenback and L. L. Robins were
witnesses.
IT WAS HARD TIMES
that winter. Corn was the principal food. It was cracked
in a mortar at Holderman's. What little wheat could be
lOU
HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
got was ground in a coffee mill. Pork was supplied
from the pigs that survived the war, feeding on acorns
in the woods. But one by one the cold snowy days
passed by.
CHAPTER XV.
THE YEAR OF THE EARLY SPRING.
|lIE YEAR 1833 opened out splendidly,
1^^ as if to make amends for the hardships
I \ of the year before. The snow went
away in February, and early in March
the sheltered valleys and nooks b}^ the
groves were beautifully green, and by
the end of the month, stock could live
on the prairies anywhere. It was an exceedingly favor-
ing Providence for the few pioneers who remained on
their claims ; for had the spring been cold and backward,
much more suffering must have followed. The tide of
emigration set in early, and in one summer more than
trebled the population of the county. This was partly
because the emigration of the summer preceding had
been held back by the war, and partly because in con-
nection with the war Northern Illinois had come promi-
nently before the people. The beauty of the groves and
richness of the soil had been extolled in the letters of
RE-SETTLEMENT OF NEWARK. 101
correspondents and reports of soldiers, and thus many
of the better class were induced to come, who, in the
ordinary course, would scarcely have thought of going
so far west. Clark Hollenback and family had wintered
at Holderman's, and as soon as the season opened, moved
into Hobson's old cabin, in the Newark timber, while
another was being built on the site now occupied by the
residence of Edward Wright. The exact site of the Hob-
son cabin was in the timber between Needham's and
Taylor's, where Pat Cunningham afterward had a brick-
yard. The spot may be easily recognized to-day, after
a lapse of forty-six years.
GEO. B. HOLLENBACK,
the store-keeper, sold his claim on the hill to Col. Camp-
bell, of Ottawa, and crossing the little creek built a new
store on the rise of ground opposite, in the edge of the
timber. It is now well known as the Barnett corner,
opposite Thuneman's, in Newark. That town is there-
fore next to Oswego in age and only eight months
younger. The new store was no pretentious affair, being
only twelve feet square, built of rough logs, but it was
large enough to accommodate the business of those days
and shelter the store-keeper's family besides. The only
part of the old stock saved was a keg of powder that was
buried by Pat Cunningham before the flight, and a keg
of tobacco that was hidden by the Indians in the top of
a tree. The burial of the powder prevented the foe from
replenishing their ammunition, and the tobacco they
probably expected to return for, but found no opportu-
nity. The store was well patronized that summer, and
the place was soon known far and near as "George-
102 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
town," after its indefatigable founder, and it bore that
name for more than fifteen years. George Hollenback,
his uncle, returned with a young man by the name of
John Perry, and put his crops in before he brought his
family. Mr. Ackley returned with his family, as did
also most of the other settlers. Mr. Araent had re-
turned to his claim in the fall, at the same time with
Booth and Holderman. Mr. Harris wintered in Naper-
ville, and selling his claim to John Matlock took up an-
other in Long Grove. Dougherty and Selvey returned
to Aux Sable, and after a few years went to Oregon. Of
THE AMENT BOYS,
Hiram took a claim next to Edward, and the following
year married Miss Nancy Harris. Calvin remained until
1840, when he returned South and became a Protestant
Methodist preacher. Anson, next younger, in 1848
married Miss Tamar White, of Batavia, a sister of Hi-
ram's second wife, and went with Hiram to Oreixon.
In the spring of 1833 Mr. Litsey and Mr. Havenhill
also returned, and in the fall the latter located perma-
nently on the east side of Big Grove.
As soon as the roads were settled,
EARL ADAMS
set out for the claim he made two years before. Ebene-
zer Morgan came with him, leaving his family to follow
the ensuing spring. He took Mr. Adams' family in a
wagon drawn by horses, and Mr. Adams followed Avith
an ox team and the goods. They came by way of Chi-
cago. At Oswego they found Mr. Wilson settled, and
stayed with him over night, proceeding the next morn-
FIRST CASE OF PROHIBITION. 103
ing to their claims. Two miles further on they fonnd
Mr. Macomber and his step-son, Marshall Everest.
Mr. Morgan found his chosen creek undisturbed, and
there he located for himself and sons eleven hundred
acres of land, building his cabin in Specie Grove. Mr.
Adams built the pioneer cabin on court house hill, his
axe first awakening the industrial echoes on the site of
our county seat. The following spring he sold to Mr.
Bristol and settled at Specie Grove, remaining there
several years before removing to Big Grove.
One incident of their trip is worth relating. A single
man by the name of Slayton, came with them. He was
so addicted to the use of liquor that it had become to
him almost a daily necessity, and he replenished his bot-
tle at every watering place along the road — where the
water was strong enough. But after leaving Beaubien's
tavern, in Chicago, there was no more fire water to be
had, and Mr. Slayton was in a pickle. It was practical
prohibition, and was at least one generation in advance
of public sentiment as represented by Mr. S. He grew
thin. He tried the Yorkville water, but there was no
taste to it. He sampled the river, but it was insipid.
He crossed to the Bristol side, but there was no relief.
The days dragged wearily by, but at last his health
beo-an to return, and he found he was better without
liquor than with it. A grand discovery for any drink-
ing man to make. But truth compels us to add that his
habit was never wholly abandoned. He was a steam
engine for business, but liquor was his enemy. He lived
and died at Squire Morgan's.
About the time Adams came, John Schneider, who
104 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
was helping Capt. Naper build a saw-mill at Naperville,
came down prospecting, and chose a site for a mill across
the river, at the mouth of Blackberry creek. lie hewed
two logs and hauled them on the ground, to hold his
claim, and left it until the next Spring.
LYMAN AND BURR BRISTOL
made the claim where John Evans now lives, and built
a log pen covered with bark. In 1834 thev bought the
claim of Mr. Adams, embracing a large tract of land
west of Yorkville, as far out as the J. P. Black place.
It made several good farms. In 1887 Lyman Bristol
and Isaac Hallock bought out John Schneider's Bristol
claim and mill for $7,000. Mr. Bristol gave the pres-
ent park to the village. He went to California, and was
killed while teamijig over the mountains. The ftither,
Justus Bristol, came a year or two after his sons. In
the fall of 1833, Isaac Hallock, Samuel Smith and Eph-
raim Macomber lived in one cabin, below Oswego, and
were all sick together with the ague, with no one to help
them. A child belonging to one of the families died,
and William Harris came up from Long Grove and bur-
ied it. Many such incidents have never been recorded,
and are now buried in the graves of the actors in them,
there to remain until the Great Day.
John Matlock bought Mr. Harris' claim, intending to
move his family the following Spring. June 1st,
DANIEL PEARCE
and family arrived at Oswego, having come all the way
with ox teams. They had a tedious journey, for the
season was wet and the mud very deep. They often
met droves of cattle knee deep in mud. Mr. Pearce at
MORE NEW SETTLERS. 105
once took up his present farm — one hundred acres of
prairie, surrounded with timber, on Waubonsie Creek.
Before this, two new settlers had come in on the other
side of the river. Samuel Devoe had settled the year
before at the forks of the DuPaoje, and leaving there
took a claim where Myron L. Wormley now lives. Far-
ther up the stream, Ansel Kimball made a claim at the
Nicholas Young place, arriving there in April. He
broke up some land and sowed ten acres to winter wheat,
and sold it the same fall to Levi C. Gorton. Mr. Gorton
and Benjamin Phillips came together that fall from
Pennsylvania.
THE AVORMLEYS,
John and William, came at the same time. They trav-
eled on foot from New York, with nothing but their
rifles and a change of clothes, averaging thirty-six miles
a day. William made his claim where Oswego Station
now stands, and John where he still lives. Jacob Car-
penter settled near by, on the opposite side of the river
from Montgomery. His brother, David Carpenter, came
at the same time, and still lives at Oswego. Also, Philip
Mudgett. In the Newark timber, Owen Hay mond, from
Ohio, settled on a claim adjoining Clark Hollenback's,
where Bosworth now lives. At Big Grove, Henry and
Marcus Misner settled in the fall. Their claims were
on the north east corner, between Drumgool's and Rich-
mond's. Marcus hired Mr. Booth to make hay for him,
while he returned after his family. It was in August,
and while Mr. Booth was at work,
JOHN WEST MASON
came on the ground and bought his claim. He had just
8
106
HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
finished a lar^e addition to the house, making it double,
with a passage between ; and having sold it, he at once
bought the next claim north, and built a log house,
16x32, on the north edge of the strip of prairie west of
Mr. French's. He dug a well there, but all is oblitera-
ted now.
CHAPTER XVI.
S. G. MINKLER S STORY.
T WOULD be impossible in a single volume
to relate the adventures of every pioneer in
his journey to the far off west. The fol-
lowing narrative is therefore given as a
sample. It is interesting in itself, and is
valuable for the insight it gives of the
hardships our fathers underwent for their
children's sakes. It is the story of Smith
G. Minkler, one of our neighbors and one of the found-
ers and staunch supporters of the Illinois State Horti-
cultural Society.
In May, 1833, Joel Alvard, William and Joseph
Groom, Madison Goislinc and Peter Minkler, and their
families, Mrs. Polly Alvard, a widow with two children,
and Edward Alvard and Jacob Bare, unmarried men,
left Potter's Hollow, Albany county, N. Y.., for the
THE MINKLERS' JOURNEY. 107
West. There were three covered wagons and twentj-
five persons, and as they came on their numbers were
increased. Joel Alvard had been to Illinois before, and
had selected a tract of land in Tazewell county, and it
was to that point the company were destined.
After nearly three weeks' travel through ISIew York
and Ohio, they stopped a few days at Adrian, Mich., to
recruit, and were strongly urged to settle there by a man
who had been to Illinois and returned disgusted. He
declared that all the trees he saw had to be spliced to
make rails. He was, doubtless, honest in his opinion,
for he had made but a flying visit, and seen only the
bushy edges of the groves. The party, however, were
not persuaded to abandon their original intention.
While passing through Indiana they were several
times stuck so fast in the sloughs that it needed six
horses, with a man at each horse's head, to draw a wagon
through. At one time they were detained all day, and
were pulled out by a prairie breaking team of five yoke
of oxen. At Morgan Settlement, near the Illinois line,
a man called Farwell, with two wagons, joined them.
It was reported they could not cross the Calumet to go
to Chicago, so they hired a guide to Hickory Creek.
The guide offered his services, saying he had been over
the ground and knew the route well. Sometimes they
followed trails and sometimes they made their own track.
At Salt Creek the hills were so steep they were obliged
to chain the wheels and slide down. Part of one day
they were detained in a slough, and most of the next
day they traveled through hazel brush which cleaned the
wagons again. Then followed a terrible thunderstorm,
108 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
lastinor all night and until nine o'clock the next morn-
ing. The women were protected with quilts in the
wagons, but the men were obliged to stand the drench-
ing. They were now on an Indian trail, and the guide
returned, saying there was no use in his going any fur-
ther, as that trail led straight to their destination. But
soon after he left they came to an old Indian town from
whence the trails radiated in every direction, and they
escaped from their perplexity by taking the wrong one,
that led them to a second deserted town. They were
then convinced they had
LOST THEIR WAY,
and half of the company unloading the goods and leav-
ing them behind, set out by compass with empty wagons
to find the Calumet river, for somehow they were per-
suaded that they had to cross that stream. They returned
unsuccessful, however, and then two men were sent back
to Morgan Settlement, and Morgan himself came on to
pilot them out of their dilemma, and they regained their
route by retracing their steps some twenty miles. It
afterward proved that their guide had deceived them in
regard to his knowledge of the route. Coming to a
stream they were told was the Little Calumet, Smith
Minkler waded in for a sounding pole, and as he kept
his nose above water in the deepest place, it was con-
cluded to be fordable, and the wagons crossed. The
women were put on the top of the baggage, and when
they reached the other side everything was taken out to
dry. The Big Calumet next was reached, flowing through
a marsh as level as a floor as far as the eye could see,
and bordered on either side by acres of tall black rushes.
DIFFICULTIES OF TRAVEL. 109
Over this stream they built a rude bridge of logs, and
part of the teams crossed, but part could not, on account
of the soft ground, and were obliged to remain there
three days. Finally they reached Hickory Creek, and
remained a week for one of the Alvards, who was sick,
to get better. By this time it was near the beginning
of harvest. They crossed the O'Plaine at Joliet — though
not a solitary cabin marked the spot — but at Plainfield
found the DuPage too high to ford. There was a camp-
meeting in progress at the time, and the tired emigrants
were offered and gratefully accepted the hospitality of
the tents while the river was lowering its banks. It was
a more formidable stream half a century ago than in
these degenerate days. Now, in summer time, a boy may
easily wade it. The spring and summer of 1883, how-
ever, were unusually wet. In a week the river became
fordable, and the party separated. Far well returned to
the Calumet country and entered a large tract of bottom
land. Minkler remained at Plainfield and assisted in the
harvest ; but his son, Smith, with the rest of the party,
proceeded toward Tazewell county. They stopped at
The Springs for dinner — a few weeks before Mr. Piatt
erected his cabin there — and some of the men, taking
hold of the wagon wheels, shook like leaves, with
THE AGUE.
But it was not Kendall county ague. It was a harvest
from the miasmatic breath of the Calumet swamps, and
was one of the severest of their Illinois experiences. A
more amusing experience w^as with the wolves. They
had heard big stories of wolves calling each other together
for prey, and w^hen one night in camp the howling com-
110 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY. '
nienced all around them, thej were thoroughly alarmed,
and forming a ring around their wagons, with loaded
guns, prepared to sell their lives at a cost which would be
fearful for even wolves to pay. But they were attacked
only by their fears, and afterward enjoyed many a laugh
at their wolf panic. Passing Holderman's, Donovan's, and
Ottawa, they came to Bailey's, now Tonica. There two
of the party bought claims, and that stopped farther
progress in the direction of Tazewell county. Others
went up the Vermillion river, fifteen miles from its mouth,
and purchased. In the meantime, Mr. Minkler, meet-
ing Peter Specie in Plainfield, had accepted the offer to
come out to the Aux Sable grove and work Specie's
claim. It provided him a present home and would give
him more time to look around. In a few weeks Smith
Minkler set out to go to his father's, and Mr. Goisline,
who was his uncle, came with him. When this side of
Ottawa, Goisline shot himself in the shoulder while pull-
ing his gun to him out of the wagon, muzzle first,
intending to shoot a chicken, and leaving young Mink-
ler, he pushed on to Holderman's for treatment. Soon
after Goisline left him, Mr. Minkler met Peter Specie
DRESSED IN HIS FATHER'S CLOTHES,
riding horseback. As soon as he saw him he was so
shocked that he could hardly stand on his feet. He
thought, " That man has killed my father." As soon as
Specie ascertained who young Minkler was, he said, " If
you want to see your mother alive you must get home
to-night." It appeared that Mrs. Minkler was taken
dangerously ill, and Specie was asked to go after the
absent son. But he had no clothes to wear. His only
DEATH OF MRS. MINKLER. Ill
garments were his squatter's suit of buckskin and jean,
so greasy and antiquated and powder-stained, that after
living a month in the same house with eastern raiment,
he was ashamed to wear them through so progressive a
town as Ottawa. The poor, but kind-hearted man,
therefore, borrowed his tenant's coat and hat, and was
then willing to set forth on the journey. Smith Mink-
ler arrived at the Specie cabin at midnight, and at nine
in the morning his mother died — the first of the
party to lay down her life in the new land. She
was buried on Mr. Minkler's new claim, now owned by
James Stevenson, on the west side of Specie Grove,
where the rays of the setting sun would fall upon her
grave. The remains have since been removed to the
cemetery. She had said before starting on the long
journey to the unknown West: "I do not expect to
enjoy it myself, but for the sake of my children, I am
willing to go." And like many another mother, she
gave not only her enjoyment, but her life, for her chil-
dren's sake.
After the funeral. Smith Minkler returned to his uncle
at Holderman's, and the following day he also died.
Ansel Reed was sent there one morning on an errand,
and remembers seeing the injured man with his wounded
arm swollen frightfully. Ebenezer Morgan was there
at the time. The Pearces and Wilson had arrived a
little before. Hazel brush covered the present site of
Oswego, and an Indian trail ran through it. Mr. Mink-
ler was down there one day when Wilson s boys were
astride of an Indian pony, and the Indians with wild
shouts of glee were pulling it along the trail. It seemed
112 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
to be great fun for them. Such little photographic
scenes give us more vivid ideas of the times than pages
of description. One picture might be entitled, '' Kill-
ing hogs," for those animals after the Indian war rapidly
increased in the woods and were added to by the stock
of every new settler. The elements of a picture are a
man on horseback, dressed in a "warmas," an overcoat
made of an Indian blanket, and carrying a rifle. He
sights his game, and at the first shot brings it down,
ties it by the snout to his horse's tail, and wends his
wav homeward.
Those wild hogs were often the most dangerous beasts
that roamed the woods. Long nosed, long legged, gaunt
and fleet, and savage as wolves : they could be caught
alive only by separating them by dogs.
It was hard times for a few years. Mr. Minkler's
family once lived on frozen potatoes and hulled corn
while the father was away for provisions. Mr. Macom-
ber had a mortar in a burned out stump, and a pounder
hung over it on a spring pole, where the corn was
pounded up. Yet the times were weathered through and
prosperity waited on the other side, though as Mr.
Minkler says, " Any young man who will let tobacco
and cigars and billiards alone can pay for a farm now,
at present prices, easier than we did at the government
price." Mr. M. began early in the horticultural career
which he has since followed so successfully. He got his
first apple trees of Specie, cradling wheat for a dollar a
day, and giving the dollar for four trees. Specie had
raised them from the seed, and he thus became the
pioneer nurseryman of Kendall county. Those apple
THE FIRST APPLE TREES.
113
trees are bearing yet, and with praiseworthy persistence
in well doing, yielded their usual crop in the centen-
nial year. Fit pattern for mankind. It is only a useful
life that leads to an honored old age ; and in the Christ-
ian's service there is no discharge until death, and that
old age only is truly honorable that bears good fruit
unto the end.
CHAPTER XVII.
TOWNSHIP PIONEERS.
|AVID EVANS, from western North Caro-
§ Una, was the first settler in Little Rock.
He had a friend in the army, in the Black
Hawk war, who was with his com-
^VsL ' rades, under General Scott, in their chol-
era-stricken march through northern Kendall. He liked
the appearance of the country, and told Mr. Evans
where to find the best land in the Fox River Valley.
He followed directions, coming up the Illinois river
to the Fox, up the Fox to the Big Rock creek, and up
the creek two miles and a-half, and made his claim where
Noah Evans now lives. There were none to dispute his
claim ; no mark of white man's hand was anywhere to
be seen. The following spring he brought on his fam-
ily — wife, two sons and a daughter — and the only sur-
viving son owns and occupies the farm still.
Another who could have competed with Mr. Evans for
114 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
the honor of being the first settler in Little Rock was
JOHN DARNELL,
who in 1833 made his claim on the west side of Little
Rock creek timber, and built his cabin where his widow,
Leah Darnell, still lives. Except at Oswego and Bristol
he was the only settler with a family for many miles
north of the river. He, too, was from North Carolina,
and had been four years in Marshall county, in the same
region with the Hollenbacks and Ilavenhills and others.
Fort Darnell, in the war of the previous year, was built
on his fathers farm, near Magnolia, by running a stock-
ade around his house and well. Three years before, a
poor boy by the name of John S. Armstrong, stopped
there on his way from Ohio. The good success that has
since attended the skill and energy of that same poor
boy is too well known to us all to need relating here.
It is a pity, however, that he did not locate nearer the
borders of Kendall county, that we might legitimately
expatiate on the romance of that early journey, and his
coming to the Darnell cabin forty-eight years ago.
The news sent back by John Darnell was so encour-
aging that the ensuing spring his father, Benjamin Dar-
nell, and his brothers, James, Abram, Enoch, Benjamin
and Larkin came on. The latter died soon after. James
claimed on Big Rock creek, below Evans', and Abram
and Enoch by the Fox river timber in Fox township.
Other settlers in Little Rock in 1833 were Holland Par-
sons, William Campbell and Mr. Cox.
The first improved claim in Seward was made in the
spring of 1832 by an Irishman by the name of Hugh
Walker, an acquaintance of Thomas Covill's of Ottawa.
TOWNSHIP PIONEERS. 115
t
He built a log hut on the east side of the Aux Sable
timber, on land now owned by Mr. House, broke up ten
acres and sowed it to wheat, and barring his puncheon
door with a basswood back log, hurried over the prairie
away from the Indians, and forted at Plainfield. He
boarded with a Mr. Fish, and having nothing else where-
with to pay his board bill he turned over to his host his
Aux Sable field of wheat, perhaps regarding the danger
of harvesting it to be as much as it was worth. But
Fish secured the services of the home soldiers and they
cut it for him, part standing guard while part reaped
the grain. The war closed in time for Mr. Walker to
sow his field to winter wheat, but neither did he reap
that, for the next spring he sold to
CHESTER HOUSE,
of Oneida county, N. Y., who came to Plainfield pros-
pecting, and meeting Mr. Covill, was piloted out to
Kendall county. He visited the springs at Plattville
first, but finally made his claim on the west bank of the
Aux Sable, opposite Walker's. There, a few rods from
a beautiful sulphur spring, he built his cabin, hauling
the necessary lumber from Plainfield. It contained but
one room, the roof leaked, and snakes gathered the
crumbs that fell through the wide seams in the floor.
But it was a home, though so different from the com-
fortable surroundings that were left behind ; and not
only a home, but a frequent resting place for the trav-
eler, and a beacon light, for persons were so often lost
on the prairie that through the whole of the ensuing win-
ter on dark nights Mrs. House kept a candle burning in
the west window, — and so level was the prairie, and so
116 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
clear from underbrush and trees, that the feeble " light
in the window" could be seen for six or eight miles.
The present residence of J. W. House stands on the
site of the old cabin. Mr. House bought out Mr.
Walker, and embraced both sides of the creek.
In the fall
JOHN SHURTLIFF
made the claim which he still occupies, on the Aux
Sable creek, one mile below House's. He came from
Vermont to Plainfield with Chester Smith in 1831, and
had therefore been two years in the country before he
became the second permanent settler in the town of Sew-
ard. He hired Peter Specie to break seven acres for
him, paying him by driving his breaking team one
month. Specie had six or seven yoke of oxen, and did
breaking and teaming for the settlers.
Mr. See's claim at the Aux Sable springs had passed
into other hands, and was sold to
DANIEL PLATT
for $80. Mr. Piatt's ancestors were the founders of the
historic town of Plattsburg, N. Y., where the British
troops, September 11th, 1814, while resolutely attempt-
ing to cross the bridge, were mowed down by the Amer-
icans until the river for three-quarters of a mile below
was red with blood. He was but a little boy then, but
well remembers that terrible battle. He came West
with Burnett Miller, his brother-in-law, and Piatt
Thorne, following the Sac trail to Ottawa. Having
bought his claim he erected a board shanty for his family
while he was building a more commodious log cabin, and
thus became the first actual settler in the town of Lis-
AUX SABLE WELLS. 117
bon. The name Aux Sable means Sandy creek. It was
in those days a more pretentious stream than now ; forty
years of civilization has tamed its spirit. It was remark-
able for springs and ponds, and for abundance of fish.
One pond, near the road, on Piatt's premises, was eighty
rods long and ten rods wide, and so full of pickerel that
in summer when the long grass growing up impeded
their progress, they would jump in the canoe. One
could go out in the morning and catch enough fish for
breakfast in a few minutes. The grass grew as high as
one's head, and was three or four feet high over the prai-
ries everywhere. The springs are magnetic. The entire
district was probably at one time the bed of a large river
which flowed at right angles to the present streams, but
parallel with the main bed of the Aux Sable. Obadiah
Naden, one mile south, and George Mason, six miles
south-east, each have flowing wells. The latter was
sinking a tubular well, and when fifty-five feet below the
surface water was struck, which flowed over the top, and
it has continued to flow ever since. The last of Mr.
Piatt's wells was sunk in 1871. They were located by
Mr. Harper, a water wizard of Plattville, with a forked
apple twig held fork downward under his nose. But
how much the twig had to do with it is still undecided.
The wells are at the store, house and barn ; the deepest,
fifty-one feet; the third, thirty-one feet, and flows un-
ceasingly through a two inch pipe.
Big Grove received several accessions from Oneida
county, N. Y. William Perkins, Eben and Levi Hills
came at the same time. Eben Hills came overland with
the families, while the other men came by water, and
118 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
selected their claims along by Big Grove, west of Haven-
hill's. In 1835 Levi Hills rented the tavern stand and
one hundred acres of land of Mr. Holderman, and re-let
the land to Mr. Perkins. There was a large amount of
travel, which had been increasing since 1833, for
THE STAGE LINE
between Chicago and St. Louis began to run that sum-
mer, via Plainfield, Piatt's, Holderman's and Ottawa.
J. T. Temple was proprietor of the line. The first stage,
with its spanking four horse team, left Chicago July 4th,
and was piloted to Ottawa by J. T. Caton, since Judge.
This was an important event for the infant settlements,
and placed Kendall county at once on one of the national
highways. And in the judgment of our fathers, sup-
ported by the unasked and often emphatically expressed
opinions of travelers, we had as flattering a prospect of
becoming great as anything on the lake end of the line.
August 10th, Chicago was organized into a corporate
village, and soon after the Chicago Democrat was started.
The village of Naperville, however, had at that time
the largest number of inhabitants, and at Hadley, then
called O'Plain, in Will county, the Baptist church was
organized by Rev. A. B. Freeman, one week before the
first organized church in Chicago.
CHAPTER XVllI.
THE OLD TRAPPERS.
^BOUT the time Mr. Goisline died at Holder-
man's Grove, and Mrs. Minkler at Specie
Grove, Big Thunder, the renowned Winne-
bago chief, died in his lodge at Belvidere,
and was buried sitting up, wrapped in blan-
kets. His tomb was a log pen, covered
with earth, and it was carefully kept in
repair by his people as long as they remained there.
Their time was not long, for the edict had gone forth
that all Indians must leave their native hunting grounds
and cross the great river toward the setting sun. Sep-
tember 27th, 1833,
SEVEN THOUSAND POTTAWATOMIES
were assembled in tents in the timber on the north bank
of the Chicago river, and there the Government made a
treaty with them by which they ceded all their remain-
ing territory east of the Mississippi, and a good deal
west of it. So earnest was the Government in having
them fully represented, that the farmers were hired
to take in their wagons all who were not provided with
ponies. A few days afterwards, five government wagon
loads of silver half dollars, to help pay the annuities,
120 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
toiled up through the sloughs to Chicago, stopping at
Plattville over night. The Indians, however, did not
all disappear for three or four years after that. They
went in detachments, tardily and unwillingly, and often
returned in smaller parties to visit again their old homes.
They hunted small game in the groves, fished along the
streams, and gleaned in the wheat fields in harvest time.
They were frequent visitors at the houses of the settlers,
always stealing in softly, so that often they were not per-
ceived. Such was the instinct of their wild nature.
Especially in storms did they seek the white man's shel-
ter. Boys used to play with them, wrestle with them,
run races with them, and sometimes go oft' to the river to
visit them. They learned to like pork, but did not stay
in one place long enough to raise a hog, so were fain to
procure the coveted bacon from the more stationary pale
face. It was therefore a common occurrence for an In-
dian to come to the door with a string of fish, or some
other catch, and making his wants known without any
store of useless verbiage, say: "Pork, how swap?"
They wore nothing on their heads, winter or summer.
With moccasins and leggins of rawhide, and filthy blan-
ket, they passed through all weather. Loose deer hair
was stuff'ed into their moccasins in winter to keep the
feet warm. The same dress constituted part of the out-
fit of a
GENERATION OF PIONEERS,
who were passing away as the eastern settlers came in.
They added only a coon-skin cap, with the tail dangling
behind, and a deerskin frock, open in front and belted
in the middle, forming convenient wallets on each side
TRADERS AND KEEL BOATMEN. 121
for chunks of hoe cake and jerked venison. They were
hunters, trappers and traders, and from continued asso-
ciation with the Indians became half savage in manners
and appearance. Of a similar stripe were the keel boat
men of the same period. The keel boat was long and
narrow, with running boards along each side, on which
stood the fifteen or twenty hands needed to push the
boat up stream, with setting poles. One man always
stood astride of the steering oar, and another might gen-
erally be seen on deck sawing away at a fiddle with the
most desperate energy. They were on the rivers what
the trappers were on the land, only more so, as they had
opportunities for getting together in larger numbers and
having lawless sprees. The keel boat and the trading
post have passed away ; and the old emigrant wagon,
too, with its broad tires and heavy tongue, its high and
curving side-boards, ribbed and barred and riveted, glar-
ing in red paint, and the four horses or oxen toiling
along before it. And now that we are at it, we might
swell the list of obsoletes indefinitely, winding up with
the hatchels, wooden plows and tinder boxes. The lat-
ter were almost indispensable, but not always available
or attainable. The settlers usually kept fire covered up
all night in the ashes on the hearth, but sometimes it
went out, and then if they had no tinder they would have
recourse to powder and gun, or borrow of their neigh-
bors. The early settlers in Seward often brought fire-
brands from Plainfield, ten miles away, and it was a vex-
ation that sometimes happened that when within half a
mile of their homes, the cherished spark would shut its
eyes and expire.
9
122 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
During the night of November 13th, 1833, occurred
the famous
FALLING OF THE STARS,
continuing until daylight, which put an end to the scene.
Those who saw it never forgot it to their dying day. In
this section it was cloudy the first part of the night, and
oaly those who were up before the first break of day had
the opportunity of beholding it. All were awestruck,
while many were affrighted, believing that the world was
coming to judgment. But when that night comes all the
world shall know it, and "every eye shall see Him."
Many explanations have been attempted of this won-
der, viz : that they come from volcanoes on the earth,
from volcanoes in the moon, from compressed vapor in
the atmosphere, from some far away exploded planet, &c.
But it is now believed that they revolve in a permanent
orbit of their own, like millions of flocks of birds flying
around the sun, and sometimes the earth's atmosphere
hits them with such a blow as to set them on fire and
bring them down.
The following note is from E. Colbert, Professor of
Astronomy in Chicago University : " The only theory
now accepted by astronomers is that the meteoric mat-
ter revolves in a prolonged orbit within the solar sys-
tem, extending like a monster leech over about one-quar-
ter of the orbit, and each particle revolving in a little
more than thirty-three years. The earth passes a cer-
tain point in this orbit every November, but only encoun-
ters, the meteors when they are passing that point at the
same time. Our next encounter with the meteor-storm
will be before daylight, November 14th, 1899, or a little
I
EMIGRATION OF THIRTY-FOUR. 123
earlier — the point in which the orbits meet not being
stationary."
It mav be added that stray meteors are everywhere —
invisible by day, but seen every night. They are mostly
little fellows. The larger ones we call fire-balls.
In 1834, very early in the season, emigration began
to move. Among the earliest were two men from Put-
nam county, Mr. Hull and James M. Smith, who in
February came up on a prospecting tour. They fol-
lowed up Fox river as far as Millbrook, and were so well
pleased with the country and carried back such a good
report that when they emigrated in the following month,
the families of R. BuUard and William Vernon came
with them, and they made claims along the Fox river
timber, on the south side of the river.
John M. Kennedy and Joseph Weeks came in the
same party. The latter v/as born in Gallatin county,
Illinois. Elias Doyle came soon after from the same
locality in South Carolina.
During the summer, R. W. Cams, J. S. Murray and
E. Dyal came in a company from Camden, South Caro-
lina, and settled on the north side of Hollenback's grove.
Mr. Cams bought the Harris place of Robert Ford, now
owned by Thomas Atherton. Mr. Murray's claim is
now owned by George Nichols and Nathaniel Austin,
and Mr. Dyal's by William Van Cleve. John A. New-
ell, then a young man, came with them. They also
brought out two colored women, former slaves, who had
been a long time in their families — Dinah in Mr. Cams'
family, and Silvie in Mr. Murray's. They were the
first colored people in the county and both died here.
124 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
Mr. Hull claimed six hundred acres now owned by
Dwight Curtis and Lewis Steward. Mr. Smith joined
him on the west, the farm now owned by Nathaniel Aus-
tin. Mr. Vernon came next^ locating the farms now
owned by George Nichols, H. C. Myers and Robert
Barron. Mr. Bullard took from Mr. Vernon's claim
furrow down as far as Hollenback's Grove. It is still
owned by J. M. and J. R. Bullard and Jacob Budd.
About the same time Robert Ford and William Burns
bought the Harris claim of
.JOHN MATLOCK,
and added more to it on the north side of the grove.
Mr. Matlock was from Indiana. His family consisted
of five sons : John, who after two years returned again
to Indiana ; West, well known as Deacon Matlock, now
residing in the town of Kendall ; George, who became
a physician and died in California ; Joseph, a lawyer in
Marcello, Ind. ; and David, a Baptist pastor, who died
at Makanda, 111. William Paul and Simeon Oatman
came with them. The former was Mr. Matlock's son-
in-law. He bought of George Hollenback the farm now
owned by John Evans, west of Pavilion. The Bristol
brothers had it first, and left it. Then Henry Ford took
it, and sold to Hollenback. Paul is probably living now,
somewhere out West. Oatman is dead. When David
Matlock and his father were out prospecting the previous
autumn, they slept one night in the bark covered hut
erected by the Bristol brothers on their own claim, not
more than two rods from John Evans' residence. It
snowed in the night, and when they awoke in the morn-
ing they were covered with a sheet of snow. It was a
MATLOCK, FORD, PRICKETT. 125
cold reception in the new land, but it did not damp their
ardor, though it did their clothes. After selling to Rob-
ert Ford, Mr. Matlock bought out James Ford, whose
claim covered the present site of Pavilion and the farm
of John Kellett. His sons also took other claims
towards the river. Henry Ford lived where W. L. Ford
does now. The family were from Tazewell county, where
they had moved from Ohio 'in 1825. Samuel Piatt came
with them, and taking a claim on the southern point of
Long Grove, sent for his mother and the rest of the
family. There were three sons and four daughters liv-
ing together. But all are gone — scattered or dead.
Almon Ives, from Vermont, father of Rev. F. B. Ives,
came in and settled between Ford and Matlock, where
Mr. Moulton now lives. There was now almost a con-
tinuous line of claims from Millbrook to Oswego.
JAMES PRICKETT,
from Champaign county, Ohio, was among the earliest
to make a claim at Long Grove, but when he returned
with his family the claim was jumped, and he bought
another in Apakesha Grove. It is still owned by Elijah
Prickett. The only evidence of Mr. Kellogg's claim
there was some rails he had cut in the timber. Besides
Elijah, Mr. Prickett had three other sons : Charles, now
living at Nettle Creek ; John, at Seneca ; and Aaron,
below Dwight. Also a daughter, Mrs. Elizabeth Bowen,
near Lisbon. His 'first log house had door and floor of
basswood puncheons, and still stands back in the grove,
a relic of bygone days. He died after being in the
country nine years, and his wife survived him but one
year.
V26 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
Three families from Middlesex county, Mass., came
into the neighborhood. One of them, Dea. Isaac Whit-
ney, settled on the south edge of Big Grove, opposite
Lott Scofield's. His son, Lucius Whitney, born there
in 1836, is now postmaster at Morris. The second, Jon-
athan Raymond, now residing in Bloomington, made
the claim now owned by Mr. Van Buskirk. The third
was
DR. GILMAN KENDALL,
now of Lisbon, who settled between the two others, mak-
ing claims for himself and younger brother, Sylvanus,
on land now owned by David Brown and C Vreeland.
Dr. Kendall had moved to Bond county, 111., three
years previously, and leaving that place, struck out,
intending to find a new home somewhere in the region
of Chicago. Now occurred two new things in the his-
tory of the county. He put up a frame house. The
timbers, to be sure, were split out, but it was a true
frame, nevertheless. What sawed stuff was necessary
was obtained at Schneider's mill, which started at Bris-
tol. The hardware was got at Chicago. There was a
store at Ottawa, but people went to the lake for their
large trading. But second, the house was located on
the prairie, eighty rods from the friendly shelter of the
grove. The settlers were astonished at such audacity
and believed the building could not stand. The wind
would blow it down ; the cold would pierce it through.
But it did stand, and the example was so infectious that
the next year Levi Hills moved his log tavern far out
upon the prairie, on the site of Lisbon, as a half-way
stage station between Plattville and Holderman's.
CHAPTER XIX.
CLAIM FURROWS.
R. SCHNEIDER havino; finished Pa-
per's mill the previous season, put up
his own at the mouth of Blackberry
creek, that spring — 1834. A few
days after he came on the ground his
oxen broke away and returned to their
familiar quarters on the DuPage. He
had a man with him who was too timid to venture by
himself on the lonely journey, so they went both
together, leaving their wagon, tools, chains, and cook-
ing utensils on the knoll west of the Blackberry mill.
Instead of being absent two days, he was detained two
weeks, and returned fully expecting to find his little
property stolen by the Indians. But not an article was
disturbed, and Mr. Schneider ever had a superior respect
for his dusky neighbors.
William and John Thurber, from Chatauqua county,
N. Y., came in with Almon Ives. John went on down
the river, but William settled on the south side of Long
Grove, where the noonday sun would shine the warmest.
He had a family of four sons and two daughters, who
constitute the present families of Thurbers in this
county. After taking his original claim he bought out
128 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
one and another around him until he owned a tract of thir-
teen hundred acres of good, available land. He died in
1862. It was the ambition of many of the new-comers to
embrace as much land as possible, though it were but to
sell ao;ain to the next settler. Lonor claim furrows ran
everywhere, across the prairie, around the groves, inter-
secting each other, and telling in their mute language
of the cross-purposes of mankind. Every man felt that
the virgin country was before him, and it was his priv-
ilege to be married to as much of it as his squatter sov-
ereignty could defend.
David Carpenter and John Dunlap, with an ox team,
ran a furrow around their claim, at the head of the big
slough, south of Oswego. Soon after, Lemuel Brown
and T. B. Mudgett ran their furrow around a still larger
section, east of Ebenezer Morgan's, enclosing a part of
the other. On this last, excluding what it embraced of
the first claim, nine farms are now laid out. But this,
besides their own, included also claims for L. B. Judson
and Mr. Hill, who had not yet arrived. Over the river,
the following year, a claim furrow was run a half day's
journey, from Milford far out to the Somonauk prairie.
So gloriously large were the ideas of our grandfathers.
Mr. Dunlap remained here but a short time. Mudgett
stayed several years. L. B. Judson came in the fall.
He was from Massachusetts. He bought out Brown,
Mudgett, Clark, Dan. Ashley, and others, until he
owned seven or eight hundred acres of land. Lemuel
Brown's cabin, on the bank of the run, in West Osweoro,
was the second house in the place.
Another class of men were the professional claim
WAUBONSIE AND WHISKY. 129
speculators. They stayed on a place long enough to
stake it out and build a log hut, and sell it for what they
could get. Among these was a man by the name of
Fowler. He had several sons, and pursued the business
for a number of years, both in this and in other coun-
ties. At one time he lived between Oswego and Aurora,
and occasionally furnished whisky to the Indians, by
which rows followed. The settlers made complaint to
Fowler, and he stopped it. But Waubonsie, the fierce
Pottawatomie giant, who then lived at Oswego, could
not do without his fire-water. He could not terrify his
braves nor abuse his wives without the aid of the hellish
fluid. So when his messenger was refused he sent again.
He only wanted a gallon — that would be enough for
another precious spree. But the second messenger
returned empty. Then Waubonsie's mighty soul was
infuriated, and seizing his royal canoe, he went up the
stream like a dusky thunderbolt, crazy for a drunk,
and in a short time came back with a barrel half full.
At one fell swoop he cleaned out the unfortunate white
man. History does not state whether he returned the
barrel or kept it for his squaws to stir hominy in.
Several settlers claimed along the Blackberry. Among
them were Mr. Lowry, James W. Helm, and John
Short. The latter afterwards built the first tavern in
Bristol. It stood on the hill above the bridge. He now
lives in Iowa. John Darnell, on the Little Rock,
was joined by his brothers.
HARTLEY CLEVELAND
settled in the town of Bristol, and ran a breaking team.
After three years he made the claim on which he still
130 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
lives, in the town of Na-au-say. There were on it three
basswood trees, which could be seen for miles in all
directions, and were called the Lone Tree Grove. It
had long been a landmark for the Indians, for their
trail passed it, and Mr. Cleveland built his cabin over
the trail. One tree of the original three still survives,
and if it had a tongue in its head it would be a wonder-
fully interesting historian, for it had a wide field of
observation before orchards and shade trees obstructed
the view. Another settler at Long Grove was Abijah
Raymond, from Ohio.
AT NEWARK
George B. Hollenback put up another building opposite
his store, where Mrs. Niblo's millinery shop now is, and
it began to be more widely known as '* Hollenback 's
Trading Post." The second building he sold the next
year, 1835, to John C. Phillips, for a tavern. There
was also a cabin on Mrs. Cook's corner, opposite S.
Bingham's, and that comprised the sum total of Newark
in 1834. Out on the north-west edge of Big Grove,
Mr. Love, Mr. Moore and one other settler had claims,
and Walter Stowell bought them out and lived in Love's
cabin. Mr. Stowell had lived for three years on the
DuPage, above Naperville, and was originally from Con-
necticut. South of Big Grove, adjoining Deacon Whit-
ney's, William Perkins had a field of corn, and Edward
Wright, then a young man, husked it for him. Mr.
Wright met Perkins in Plainfield, and after the huskino-
was done he went to Whiteside county and remained
several years, afterwards settling at Lisbon and finally at
Newark. Another settler east of the grove was George
BEGINNING OF MILLINGTON. 131
W. Craig, a brother-in-law of the Havenhills. On
November 11th, 1834, a daughter was born to him, who
is now Miss Eliza M. Craig, of Piano. Mr. Craig
moved to the present site of Waukegan, where his wife
died. He afterward died in California. Rev. Jno.
Beaver also died in California. He came to Pavilion in
1834, and used to preach occasionally. C. Y. Godard
came the same year, traveling all the way from New
York on horseback. Caleb Mason, a son-in-law of
Daniel Kellogg, came from Vermont, and claimed the
old Badgley place, near Newark. He wintered at Kel-
logg's. Charles Royal settled above Milford. Thomas
Ervin, of Ohio, bought a claim, south side of Long
Grove, of Robert Ford, for $100. Lived there eight
years, and then bought south on the prairie. There
were four sons : Thomas, Robert, William and Edward.
George H. and Alexander Rogers date from about this
year. The latter made the claim which he afterward
sold to John Cook, in the town of Fox. He lived some
time in Little Rock. He was a public spirited man, and
filled several offices of trust. He was well known as
riding a peculiar mule that sometimes balked. His sons
were John and William K. Rogers.
AT MILLINGTON
the first beginning was made by Samuel Jackson and
George F. Markley, in the fall of 1834. Jackson came
from near Cincinnati, and on his way up the Ohio river,
falling in with Markley, the two joined fortunes. They
were both single men. They took up all Millington,
including Marshall Bagwell's farm, and three hundred
acres on the other side of the river. They built a log
132 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
cabin on the present site of Joseph Jackson's residence,
and bep;an preparations for building a saw mill.
No additional settlements were made in the town of
Lisbon. At Piatt's, two men died and were buried on
the banks of the AuSable. Two saw mills were started
— Schneider's at Bristol, and Morgan's in Oswego — but
not in time to do much that season. Fielding and Mar-
shall Havenhill and Mr. Booth hauled logs to the mill
at Munsontown, on Big Indian Creek, to get lumber for
cabin floors. Up to that time their floors had been the
hard ground — floors which required no scrubbing, save
that which could be given with the round splint broom
that stood in the corner or hung by a string outside.
CHAPTER XX,
THE GOVERNOR S PARTY.
'EARLY all of our early settlers were
from the east, but many of them, as we
have seen, were from the south. John
and Frederick Witherspoon were from
North Carolina, and settled in Little
Rock. The latter became a Protestant
Methodist preacher, and died near Som-
onauk. The former, after some vears. returned to his
southern home, and thereupon the following story is told of
him. During the war, Sergeant Geo. Sherman, of Co.
K, 12Tth Illinois, while on the celebrated march to the
sea, went into a house in North Carolina, with a squad
of men, to procure dinner. Several young ladies, daugh-
ters of the proprietor, were at home, but they looked
with scorn on the blue uniforms of our soldiers and refused
to move a finger towards getting dinner. The sergeant
remonstrated, pleaded, threatened, but the blooming dam-
sels were firm in their determination and yielded never
an inch. If the hungry warriors had been "butternuts,"
the best the house afforded should be brought out, but to
place southern cake and coffee before northern "yanks,"
134 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
never I The Southern heart was fired. Loaves for con-
federate chivalry, but not one mouldy crumb for the
azure-coated children of the North. The ser^^eant was
defeated on a field of his own choosing ; yet, no, he had
one shot left in the ammunition box, which he suspects
will bring the enemy to terms. " Did you ever live in
Illinois, ladies ?" '' Yes." " On Fox river ?" '^ Yes."
''And were you acquainted with such and such an one?"
"Yes, and are vou from there ?" " You are the daucrh-
ters of John Witherspoon ?" " Yes, but who are you ?"
" My name is George Sherman, and these men are
your old neighbors, so and so." " Is this possible I"
And so the battle was won. Smiles chased away the
frowns, and the men gained their dinner.
WILLIAM MULKEY
was from Ashe county, North Carolina. With a wife and
three children in a two-horse wagon he came to Putnam
county, Illinois. It was late in the fall, and he was advised
not to go up to Fox river then, as no white men were there,
so it was said, and provisions were scarce. He therefore
hired a house of Isaac Funk, the great land owner, and
came up alone and made his claim two miles above John
Darnell's, on the opposite side of the timber from his
present residence. Having cut five house logs as his
sign manual that the property was spoken for, he returned
and moved up his family the ensuing spring. Frank
Stotts came with him. Frank had several yoke of oxen
and a big Pennsylvania wagon, and he did teaming and
breaking for all the country. But he was most cele-
brated as a bee hunter. Never was Frank Stotts so like
MULKEY, MOORE, JOHNSON. 135
himself as when with hunter's dress and bee bait he was
lining a bee to its treasure home.
Mr. Mulkey soon sold to Moses Inscho, and bought
his present place of John C. McKinzie, also from North
Carolina. His wife had died of consumption, and was
the first one buried in the old cemetery just west of Little
Rock village, in 1835. After that he had no more wish
to stay in Illinois, and selling his claim to Mulkey he
went back desolate to the old home.
Richard Moore made his claim on the other side of
Big Rock creek from John and Benjamin Evans. Others
came who remained but a short time, and returned or
pushed on to other fields, their very names having
passed out of rememberance.
Oliver Johnson, of Chatauqua county. New York,
arrived October 12th, just in time to attend the funeral
of one of William Thurber's children, at Mr. Matlock's.
Sermon by Rev. Royal Bullard. Mr. Johnson sheltered
his family in Lyman Bristol's log cabin at Yorkville,
and while there entertained Rulief Duryea and James
Cornell, who were around looking for a location. From
the cabin on the hill the country on the Bristol side of
the river lay spread out like a panorama before Mr.
Johnson's eyes every daj, and there he resolved to
settle, making the claim now owned by Price Boyd.
His wife, Mrs. Sylvia B. Johnson, was the first white
woman on Bristol soil. He built his cabin walls up as
high as Mrs. Johnson could reach, and waited until some
one looking for land should come along to help him raise
the remaining logs.
In Seward, the next settler after House and Shurtliflf
136 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
was Eli Gleason, then unmarried; then followed, in the
same year, Alanson Milks, who afterward bought and
sold a number of prominent tavern stands ; Josiah White-
man, who, with his family, was much of the time sick
with the ague, and removed to Plainfield ; and
JOEL A. MATTESON,
wife and child. The latter bought of Mr. House, on the
east side of the creek, land now owned by William Leg-
gett. He and Dr. Oliver Corbin, Joseph Gleason, Jer-
emiah J. Cole, and Mr. Lamb, before their families came
out, kept house together in the AuxSable timber, on
Matteson's claim, a part of the winter, while getting
out losrs for their houses and rails to fence their fields.
It is not often that such a notable company of frontiers-
men are found together as that season, camped in the
far-oif wilds of Seward. In 1836 Matteson met C. E.
Ware on the wharf in Detroit, brought him out here,
sold to him, and removed to Joliet, where he went on
increasing until 1852, when he became Governor of the
State of Illinois. Henry Fish, of Joliet, was his wife's
little brother, and will not shrink from having it remem-
bered that when a barefooted boy he went after the cows,
or drove the oxen many a day. And he doubtless did
it well. Dr. Corbin has also acquired a reputation, and
J. J. Cole will readily be recognized as a former County
Clerk and Treasurer. He and the Gleasons built the first
frame house on what is known as " the ridge," a swell
of land between the DuPage and the AuxSable. It is
some sixty feet high, about a mile wide, and can be
traced the whole length of the DuPage river, from its
rise in Cook county to its mouth at the Illinois river.
FIRST SCHOOL HOUSE IN COUNTY. 137
Here and there along its course are views of surpassing
beauty, and it was those spots that were selected by the
pioneers. The splendid site of Gleason's house, near
the south Na-au-say line, is now deserted. All those
early comers mentioned were from New York.
Sometime in the summer Frink and Walker started a
stage line from Chicago to Galena, crossing the Fox
river at Oswego, then called Hudson by the New York
settlers. In the fall, the
FIRST SCHOOL HOUSE
in the county was erected at Pavilion, about eighty rods
north of the present Academy. C. B. Alvard was the
first teacher. It was a log house, with slabs for benches,
and has years ago disappeared.
At this time three families came to Aurora, and built
the first cabin in that busy town, on a site by the river,
above the present site of the cemetery ; but Waubonsie's
claim had not been extinguished, and they removed to
Montgomery, then called Graytown, and to Naperville
for the winter. One of the families was that of Seth
Reed, whose daughter, Mrs. Prentiss, is a resident of
Newark. Mrs. Reed made the first flag ever raised in
Aurora, July 4, 1836.
In Ottawa there were fourteen houses, six on the
north side, and eight on the south, including the old
fort with its stockade in front. So it appears in a draw-
ing of the place made by J. M. Roberts, dated March
7th, 1834.
10
CHAPTER XXI.
THE PLEDGE AND THE COVENANT.
It IS the popular impression that fron-
1 tiersmen are as a class profane and irre-
ligious characters, but this is not true of
the great body of our Kendall county
forefathers. Some of them were, but
more of them were not, and the present
religious character of our county is addi-
tional proof of this assertion. For it is
with places as with men — the after life is shaped very
much by the early training. The boy is father to the
man. If one inquires into the antecedents of either a
pleasant and desirable, or a rough and undesirable neigh-
borhood, he will be likely to find the same characteris-
tics in its first settlers, or in that part of them that gave
tone to the society or the settlement. And it is proper
that we, who shake the tree our fathers planted, should
regard it enough to preserve the record of the planting.
The laborers have gone, but their work is our wealth ;
the travelers have passed, but their footprints are our
heritage.
There lies before me, as I write, a document yellow
with age. It is made by pasting with wafers two half
TEMPERANCE SOCIETY. 139
sheets of letter paper together. It is Kendall county's
FIRST TEMPERANCE PLEDGE,
drawn up and signed in June, 1834, and contains the
names of a large proportion of the settlers then on the
ground. The names of the men are signed in one col-
umn and the ladies in another, as follows :
For the purpose of promoting the cause of temperance in our
vicinity, we pledge ourselves, each to the other, that we will not use
ardent spirits of any kind, except in the case of extreme necessity ;
nor will we have them used in our employ, nor give them to our work
people, or visitors, or others, but will discountenance their use on all
proper occasions, both by example and influence.
Prairie La Belle, June ist, 1834,
NAMES. NAMES.
R. BuLLARD, Hannah Cunningham,
Lyman Bristol, Rachel Hollenback,
Edward G. Ament, Anna Hollenback,
Burr Bristol, Susan Ament,
Peter Wykoff, Emily Ann Ament,
Justus C Ament, Mary Misner,
Fred. Witherspoon, Milly Misner,
Henry S. Misner, Mary Booth,
Oilman Kendall, Esther L. Bullard,
Levi Hills, Nancy Ives.
Eben M. Hills,
John West Mason,
Sylvanus Kendall,
Almon Ives,
Almon B. Ives,
Simeon P. Ives.
Four of these signers are still among us : Mr. Ament,
in Newark ; Mr. Mason, in Big Grove ; and Dr. Ken-
dall and brother, in Lisbon. Most of them have been
dead many years, but so much at least of their works
we are glad to have live.
140 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
About the time this pledge was circulated, the
FIRST SUNDAY SCHOOL
in the county was organized, and held at Mr. Matlock's,
in Pavilion. Almon Ives was Superintendent, and sole
teacher, for he formed the school into a class and taught
it himself On Sunday afternoons the same children
wended their way through the groves and along the
Indian trails to the Sunday School, as afterward sat on the
split puncheons in the log school house, under the teach-
ing of Mr. Alvard. The following spring another Sun-
day School W'as organized in Mr. Bullard's house, he
becoming Superintendent. This year two churches were
organized in the county. The first one was the
BIG GROVE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.
The early settlers in that vicinity were largely Con-
gregationalists, and the idea of forming a church for the
purpose of watching over each other and for the more
regular ministry of the Word, had occurred to more than
one, but it was not carried out until Rev. Samuel Grid-
ley came in with his family sometime during the summer.
He was from Williamstown, Massachusetts. He called
on all the families in the neighborhood, found out how
many Congregationalists there were, and appointed a
day at Mr. Mason's house. He preached to the assem-
bled company, after which a covenant and articles of
faith were adopted, and eighteen persons put their names
thereto. Among them were Messrs. Gridley, Mason,
Eben and Levi Hills, Gilman and Sylvanus Kendall,
and Isaac Whitney, with their wives. The meetings of
the little ''church in the wilderness" were held at Mr.
FIRST RELIGIOUS MEETINGS. 141
Mason's during the season. Mr. Gridley was the first
pastor, but soon removed with his family to Ottawa,
where he has a son still living.
The next two years the meetings were held in the
school house in the middle of the grove. Revs. Green-
wood, Perry, Benjamin Smith and Calvin Bushnell were
the preachers. At the latter's first preaching service,
James Codner, of Lisbon, and Mr. Ford, of Chebanse,
opened the house and made the fire.
The meeting house was built in 1837. Anthony Lit-
sey gave two acres of land for the site, a few rods north-
east of his own dwelling. Others contributed the logs
and slabs. Abraham Holderman gave the nails. Every-
body helped in some way, whether church members or
not, and the work was soon done. The walls were of
round logs, and floor boards and shingles were split out
with an axe. The seats were rough benches, and the
heating apparatus was a brick fireplace. Rev. Calvin
Bushnell was the first pastor. Then followed Revs.
Smith, Elliott, Stewart, Perry and Loughead. The
building was also used as a school house. Among the
teachers were Miss Charlotte Wright, of Newark, now
Mrs. Hubbard, of Elgin : Lucy Lester ; Miss Whitney,
now Mrs. Booth, of Newark; George Norton, of Lis-
bon ; and William Cody, now of Morris. While Miss
Whitney was teaching, her brother. Deacon Whitney,
put in a new stove, costing five dollars. The house stood
a quarter of a century, and only a few scattering bricks
now mark the site of the first church building in Ken-
dall county. Around that spot on Sabbath days strings
of ox teams were hitched, and the fathers and grand-
142 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
fathers of the present generation stood in knots about
the door, or seated on the benches within, listened to
the preacher's words. On that spot often the Holy
Spirit descended, and converts standing upon the
puncheon floor related with joy and trembling voices
their first Christian experience, so that the gospel aroma
going out not only blessed but made famous the entire
neighborhood. A young lady from another locality, who
w^as engaged to teach there, said she was "going where
God was."
THE LONG GROVE BAPTIST CHURCH,
now Pavilion, was organized by Rev. A. B. Freeman, at
the house of Almon Ives. There were but six members,
viz : Rev. J. F. Tolman, w^ife, son and daughter, and
Mr. Ives and wife. Mr. and Mrs. Matlock joined soon
after, and several others. In December the church was
formally recognized, and Mr. Freeman baptized David
Matlock, probably the first convert baptized in Fox
river. Some ten years afterward Brother Matlock re-
ceived a license to preach, and was subsequently ordained
near Galena, w^iile employed there in hauling charcoal,
and has since made full proof of his ministry. Elder
Freeman died within a few wrecks after the organization
of the church, and Rev. J. F. Tolman became the first
pastor, and continued so for twelve years, receiving but
one hundred dollars yearly salary. He was from Need-
ham, Massachusetts, and was descended from genuine
Puritan stock. One of his sons is a valued member of
the church at Batavia. Another is pastor at Baldwins-
ville. New York. A third is District Secretary, at
Chicago, of the American Baptist Missionary Union,
MINISTERS OF THE GOSPEL. 143
and has himself been a missionary to Burmah. A
daughter is Mrs. Prof. Bacon, of Chicago. Mr. Tolman
died at Sandwich, March 28th, 1872, aged eio;hty-eight
years. He was well known as "Father Tolman." He
was succeeded at Pavilion by Rev. Shadrack Walker in
1847, Rev. Ebenezer Scofield in 1848, and Rev. John
Young in 1850. Mr. Scofield was ordained there, and
was afterwards killed by the cars.
REV. A. B. FREEMAN
was one of our pioneer missionaries, and a faithful man.
He took cold while returning from Pavilion to Chicago,
riding in the rain, lived but a short time, and was buried
in the old burying ground, a short distance up the North
branch. It was near Archibald Claiborne's brickyard,
on the open prairie, with no fence or enclosure of any
kind. Mrs. Freeman desired her husband's grave en-
closed, and employed S. S. Lathrop, of Bristol, then a
carpenter in Chicago, to do the work. The lumber yard
was kept by Mr. Carver, a profane man, but when Mr.
Lathrop offered to pay for the boards, the other refused,
saying : " Take it along ; I guess I can do that much for
Elder Freeman." The adjoining grave was that of Mr.
Alden, a cousin of B. F. Alden, of Bristol, and as there
was lumber enough, the fence was put around both graves.
But all was obliterated years ago, and to-day it is impos-
sible to identify the spot. Milwaukee avenue is laid out
over the ground.
When the Bristol Baptist church was formed, the
members at Pavilion went there, and the latter organiza-
tion was abandoued. But in a few years it was reorgan-
ized, and since then there have been flourishing churches
144 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
at both points. The meeting house at Pavilion was built
^, in 1850. Rev. William Haigh, afterwards chaplain of
the 36th Illinois, and now pastor at Galesburg, was
ordained at Pavilion, and became the first pastor after
the house was built. He was followed by Mr. Gale,
John Newell, R. B. Ashley, A. D. Freeman, Jonas
Woodard, J. B. Dibell, John Wilkins, David Matlock,
John Hudson, Asa Prescott.
THE METHODISTS.
had classes at Bullard's, Millbrook, and Daniel Pearce's,
Oswego, but no church organization. This county was
included in what was called the Des Plaines Mission.
In 1855 it became the Fox river circuit, and Rev. Wil-
liam Roval was transferred to it from the Fort Clark
Mission, now Peoria. He formed classes also at Samuel
McCarty's Aurora ; Charles Geary's, Wheaton ; Mr.
Enoch's, Rockford ; Mr. Mason's, Belvidere ; and at
Marengo, Crystal Lake, Dundee, and other points. Mr.
Royal was from West Virginia, and was admitted to the
Illinois Conference in 1831. In 1834 he held a camp
meeting at the Sulphur Springs, then called Debolt's,
below Ottawa. He was a faithful preacher, and his name
is held in reverence by all who remember him. In 1853
he removed to Oregon for his health. In crossing the
plains he would not travel on Sunday, and on that account
he was left behind with two other families. But, remark-
ably enough, they reached their destinations some time
before the larger company, and, unlike them, did not
lose one thing by the Indians. He died triumphantly
September 29th, 1870. His brother, Charles Royal,
has a son now living twelve miles south of Morris.
LAYING OUT VILLAGE OF NEWARK.
145
And so, leaving the temperance pledge and the church
covenant to stand guard over the year 1834, we bid it
farewell, and pass on to the next.
CHAPTER XXII
SPECULATION AND BUSINESS.
E NOW enter upon the year 1835 —
the year of the beginning of the seven
years' Seminole war in Florida — the
year of the great fire in New York,
December 16th — the year the public
debt of the United States was wholly
paid up, and the ship of State, losing
its ballast, went plunging on into extravagant specula-
tions and appropriations for internal improvements,
which ended in the wreck of 1837. Emigrants in 1835
came West in increased numbers. In the town of
BIG GROVE,
John C. Phillips and Geo. B. Hollenback laid out the
village of Newark, calling it Georgetown. Major Hitt,
now living in Ottawa, was the surveyor, and made his
corners by running out from the Indian boundary line
on the south end of Dr, Sweetland's farm, by Kellogg's
146 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
grove. Mr. Phillips was from Lancaster county, Penn-
sylvania, and died in 1849 of the cholera. He went one
Friday to the Illinois river to do some work for Abe
Ilolderman, died the next day, and was buried on Sun-
day. In 1835 he bought Geo. B. Hollenback's second
buildins, now Mr. Wunder's ice house. It is one of the
oldest frame buildings in the county. Another is Dr.
Kendall's first house, now Simeon Brown's barn. Mr.
Brown moved it in 1851, and the operation took sixty
yoke of oxen and seventy-five men three days. The
old roof was replaced ten years ago, and the frame is as
sound as ever. At the other end of the town, Levi
Hills moved his log house from the grove to the present
site of Lisbon. It was the first house in Lisbon, and
stood where Henry Sherrill's stone house now stands.
The prairie settlement was immediately increased by the
arrival of Horace Moore and his two sons, who took up
a large tract of land, and have been identified with Lis-
bon ever since. James Root came with them, but after-
ward returned east. William Richardson, a single man,
drove one of Root's teams. He died at Lisbon in 1857.
These were all from Oneida county, New York. From
the same vicinity came Rev. Calvin Bushnell. His
wife and family of ten children joined him the following
spring. Also Zenas McEwen and his sons William
and Ezra. He went back after his family and returned in
1838, settling at Lisbon. Also, William B. Field, who
entered the farm now owned by Rev. J. H. Kent. He
kept it three years, and sold to Mrs. Sears, a widow with
three children, and removed to Newark. He died in
Morris in 1866.
A LOG SCHOOL HOUSE. 147
During the fall a log school house was built in the
center of Big Grove, so as to accommodate the settlers
on the borders of the timber, each of whom made a path
of their own among the trees and through the hazel and
wild gooseberry bushes, along which the children went
to school and the families went to meeting. Earl Adams
was the first teacher, and George Norton succeeded him.
Mr. Adams died two years ago. Mr. Norton is still the pop-
ular town clerk of Lisbon. The official schedules of
that early school in the woods would be interesting, but
they are undoubtedly lost. In addition to the settlers
already mentioned in the town of
LISBON,
George W. Edmunds, from New York, settled near
Piatt's — the only cabin between Piatt's and House's.
Another was T. G. Wright, but the prairie towns did
not fill up as rapidly as the timbered towns. In
SEWARD
a log school house was built on Mr. House's land, in the
Aux Sable timber, by Messrs. House, Mattison and White-
man. Miss Sarah Gilman, now Mrs. Miles Royce, of Plain-
field, was the first teacher. The children she taught are
our grandfathers and grandmothers now, and some are
passed away to the better land, but doubtless she still loves
to remember that homely school house, around which the
wolf tracks could be seen on winter mornings, and to
recall the happy faces of her scholars as they ranged
themselves after recess on the rough benches. Several
families afterward moved away, and there was no more
school for two or three years. In the town of
FOX
a number of new families settled. At Millington the
148 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
frame of the saw-mill went up, and the dam was started
at a point opposite a large island, covered with heavy
timber. Of the island, only a little remnant is left, and
the saw-mill was carried away by the freshet a year ago.
In the fall, Jesse Jackson came out on horseback pros-
pecting, from Fayette county, Pennsylvania, and made
arrangements for moving his family out in the ensuing
spring. Fletcher Misner, the only survivor of our pio-
neer blacksmiths, came in and worked in a shop on the
Millbrook road, opposite Mr. Crimmins'. In the fall of
the next year he removed to Newark, and had his shop
where the hotel stands, and his residence where D. E.
Hunger lives.
In the timber between H. C. Myers' and the river, a
new store was opened by William Vernon and Willet
Murray. The frame still stands, and is used by Robert
Barron for a shop. Over the line in LaSalle, Levi Rood
settled on the same farm on which he died. His brother,
Lancelot Rood, came out in 1834, and was for years the
surveyor and one of the leading men of the settlement.
Joseph Mason, who settled afterwards near Norway,
was in 1835 the blacksmith at Holderman's, using the
tools bought by Holderman of George B. Hollenback.
He lived a little while at George HoUenback's, Sr., and
while there dug the first grave in the Newark and Mil-
lington cemetery. It was in 1836, for a man by the
name of Smith, who lived with Owen Haymond and who
formerly owned the Bates claim, at Millbrook. After a
year or two, Mr. Mason was able to buy a set of tools
for himself, and he opened the shop on the place where
he now is.
PIONEER OF MILLBROOK. 149
Isaac Grover may be claimed as the pioneer of Mill-
brook. His farm covered the site of that village, and he
lived first down by the ford, and afterward in the edge
of the river timber, west of the town and north of the
railroad track. An old house belonging to Edward Budd
still stands there. In
LITTLE ROCK
John Raymond bought out Mr. Cox, in the Rob-Roy
timber. Barnabas E. Eldridge, commonly called Bar-
ney Eldredge, bought out Mr. McJimpsey, in the Big
Rock timber, and resided on the claim until his death.
John Cook claimed on the other side of the creek.
Mr. Eldredge and John Wheeler came together from
Schoharie county. New York. On the boat they fell in
with J. S. Cornell, who told them of the beauties of the
Fox river country, and invited them to accompany him.
From Chicago, however, they went out along Rock river,
but not finding a spot to their liking, they came to the
Fox and settled. Mr. Wheeler lives still on his original
claim.
James Mason, for sixteen dollars worth of breaking,
bought of Robert Ford his slender title to a thousand
acres, more or less, along the river, in the southern part
of the town, taking the mouth of Rock Creek for the
center. No mortal plow could run a claim furrow around
such a romantic tract, so Mr. Mason confined his plow-
ing to a little field for corn, and built his cabin among
the trees down by the Greenfield spring, in Fox, and
was "right glad" to sell out to Fred. Witherspoon, after
a few months, for one hundred dollars, in " truck."
150 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
Moses Inscho and Henry Winters came in August,
and the former bought Mulkey's claim, and let Winters
have it. Mr. Inscho had several sons. He was an old
man, and after three years' residence here was found one
day by the Little Rock ford, dead. It was supposed
that he laid down to drink and was taken with apoplexy.
A family of Clark boys, Josiah, Joseph, Merritt and
Porter, settled along the east side of Little Rock timber.
Their father did not come. Jacob Crandall, Alonzo
Tolman, Amos Tenney, N. I. Robbins, Benjamin J.
Beck and Sheldon A. Tomblin were also settlers of
1835. Mr. Farley opened a store where John Gilman
now lives. His clerk, William L. Church, was after-
ward sheriff of Cook county. He sold to Mr. Penfield,
who kept the post office. Josiah Lehman opened a hotel
on the same place about 1844.
Among the settlers in the town of
KENDALL
were John, James and Robert Evans, from Huron county,
Ohio. John came first, making his way on horseback
and alone. He bought William Paul's claim,- near Pa-
vilion, where he still resides. The other two settled at
HoUenback's Grove. They went to Missouri in 1857,
and died there. Mr. Paul removed to Little Rock.
John Evans' log house, built in the fall of 1835, yet
stands, and is used as a storehouse. Samuel Inscho
came with the Evanses, and settled on the east side of
Long Grove. William Campbell settled south of the
Grove, near Mrs. Needham's. His brother John came
a year or two after.
A NEW STORE. 151
Franklin Winchell, of Chatauqua county, New York,
opened a little store near the present site of the Pavilion
school house. His brother Horace, unmarried, came
with him. Herman came in 1836, Darwin in 1838, and
Gurden and George W. with their parents in 1839.
There were ten children in the family. The father,
Rev. Heman Winchell, Sr., was a Baptist minister, but
did not preach here. He died near Piano in 1843.
Franklin, Horace and Darwin went to California during
the gold fever. George W. was a Newark merchant for
twenty-five years.
Rulief Duryea and James S. Cornell had been in
business together in New York, and came to Yorkville as
a firm. Mr. Cornell came by water with a stock of dry
goods, and Mr. Duryea and family came overland. On
his journey he bought a span of black horses, ''John
and Charley." They were true and gentle, and would
follow wherever there was a track. He crossed Fox
river at the Galena ford, near Montgomery. Arriving
at their chosen location, they purchased of Mr. Bristol
the claim on which Yorkville stands, and adopted the
famous cabin on the court house hill as their future resi-
dence. The cabin Avas twelve by fourteen, one story,
slab floor, puncheon door on wooden hinges, rived
shingles " staked and ridered " on, logs notched together.
Not a nail in all the building. But one window, of four
seven-by-nine lights, by the door, and the room was so
dark that when pegs were put in the upper log to hang
articles on, the occupants would often strike their heads
against them. Those wooden pegs were Mrs. Duryea's
improvement. Mr. Bristol had got along without them,
152 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
but she mentally resolved that she would not live in a
house with no " place to put things," and soon succeeded
in having the matter fixed to her liking. A new frame
building was put up for a store, and the business of
Yorkville commenced. The partnership continued until
1838, after which it was continued by Mr. Duryea alone
until his death in 1846. He was a generous, kind
hearted man, and still remembered with gratitude by
manv whom he befriended in their need. Mr. Cornell
married Marion, a daughter of Titus Howe, and made
the first farm on the Rob Roy prairie, in Bristol. The
frame then erected still forms part of his residence.
During the summer, John L. Clark and John K.
LeBarron, after a horseback tour down the river, bought
out the renowned Specie, at Specie grove, claim, per-
sonal property and all, for $2,000. There were some
fifteen horses, six yoke of oxen, and fifty hogs, all run-
ning at large on the prairie. He said to Clark and
LeBarron : '' This is your boundary through the grove,
and southward you will always be open to the Illinois
river." The old man's "pasture," to which he could
so calmly give a verbal warranty deed, was eighteen
miles long, and now supports four or five thousand peo-
ple. About the same time,
D. J. TOWNSEND
claimed the Cowdry place, near Mr. Morgan's, and
built a log cabin there, but Specie outwitted him by
staking out for himself nearly all the claim, leaving
only a narrow strip where the cabin stood. Mr. Towns-
end told the neighbors, and nine of them turned out
and hauled all of Specie's rails and logs up to Towns-
DEATH OF SPECIE. 153
end's cabin. Kane county had just been organized,
including the eastern towns of Kendall, and Specie
brought suit in that county against the nine separately
for trespass. Each of them subpoened the others, so
that each had nine suits on hand. But the trespass was
proven on Specie, and he had to go up to the county
seat with the shot bag full of silver paid him by Clark
and Le Barron, and settle costs to the amount of $400.
Soon after he went down on the Vermillion, where he
died. He was found dead in his cabin. Thus passed
another of the advance guards of civilization. He was
half Indian in his habits, and would as soon eat musk-
rat as pig, but the early settlers were indebted to him
for many acts of kindness, which, sometimes, it must
be confessed, were poorly requited. He and Stephen
Sweet parted soon after the Indian war, and Sweet
worked around Yorkville for a time and then removed
to McLean county, and married.
11
CHAPTER XXllI.
TREATIES AND WOLF HUNTS.
|VER the river, in the town of Bristol,
were Deacon David Johnson, George
Johnson, Horatio Johnson, J. W. Gil-
lam, Truman B. Hathway, Lyman
Lane, John Burton, Nathaniel Burton,
John Pearson, Galusha Stebbins, Wil-
liam Curran, John Windett, James Teaby, William Bull
and Lyman S. Knox. Nearly all are dead. Mr. Knox
still lives on his original claim at Bristol Station. He
was from Monroe county, New York, and was the first
actual settler on Blackberry creek. Mr. Dodge was a
lawyer. Mr. Ball built a mill on Big Rock creek, one
mile south of Piano, and sold it two years afterwards to
John Schneider, the Bristol miller. Rev. Mr. Eddy,
a local preacher, claimed the John C. Scofield place.
He used to have prayer meetings at his house. Mr.
Ross claimed the Rickard farm. Mr. Bailey had a
shantv on the nrairic iust over the line in Little Rock.
EARLY SETTLERS OF OSWEfiO. 155
Among the settlers in
OSWEGO,
were John McCloud and Jonathan Ricketson, from Liv-
ingston county, New York. The following year Mr.
Ricketson moved to Plattville, and built the second
house in that burg. It stood by the creek at the west
end of the bridge, and is now owned by the Wilkinson
estate. He made the first wagon track from Fox river
to Plattville. Mr. McCloud also removed after two
years, and settled a mile and a half east of Plattville.
Rufus Gray came from Montgomery county. New York,
and still lives on his farm near Montgomery, above
Oswego. Daniel S. Gray settled in Bristol. Stephen
English was from New York. Also, Truman Hathway.
William A. Randall was from Pennsylvania, and walked
all the way to Oswego. In Chicago he was offered a
large tract of the marshy prairie in exchange for his
rifle, but refused. The rifle he could use, but the land
appeared absolutely worthless, except as a haunt for
frogs and wild ducks, and a revealer of the total deprav-
ity of teamsters. Mr. Stebbins and family came at the
same time. A son, Glucins Stebbins, resides on Black-
berry creek. Mr. Randall worked for John Pearce, and
the following spring married his daughter, Miss Debo-
rah, and set up a blacksmith shop, built of round logs,
on the west side of the river. He made axes, hatchets,
knives and steels, for both whites and Indians ; also,
guns, wagons, plows and implements of all kinds. He
died at Newark in 1874.
MAJOR W. N. DAVIS
was from New York City ; came from Detroit to Chicago
156 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
in a carriage. He and another Davis (no relation),
Isaac Townsend, Robert Townsend, afterward a rear
admiral in the war of the rebellion, and a French half-
breed by the name of Leframbeaux, came out to locate
their claims. The Frenchman and two brothers —
Francis, Joseph and Claude were their names — lived in
a little grove on the site of Bridgeport, by the South
Branch. The place was then called " Hardscrabble."
Major Davis and Tow^nsend located a large tract of land,
including the Mohahwa reservation in Oswego and the
Weskesha reservation in Na au-say. These they bought
of the Indian proprietors, receiving deeds signed by
them and by the Indian agent. Such deeds are a curi-
osity. There is one on exhibition in Independence Hall,
Philadelphia, given by the chiefs of the Six Nations to
some traders in indemnity for goods stolen. The chiefs
signed, by each making on the appointed place on the
deed, the symbol of his tribe. The chief of the Mo-
hawks made a rude representation of a steel, such as was
used for striking flints. The chief of the Oneidas made
a stone ; the Tuscaroras, a cross ; the Onondagas, a
mountain, a round mark much like the Oneida's stone ;
the Cayugas, a pipe ; the chief of the Senecas made
what he said was a high hill, a mark like a bell-glass,
ten times as large as the Onondaga's mountain, and with
a rude atteiupt at ornament or shading, iifter each
mark was put a seal of red wax and the explanation in
writing. The signatures of several w^itnesses completed
the instrument. The trail from Detroit to Canada passed
by the reservations bought by Davis and Townsend, and
was traveled a hundred years before by the western tribes
OSWEGO LAID OUT. 157
going to Maiden, Canada, to receive British pensions.
Major Davis built his house on the divide or water-shed,
which running parallel with Fox river enters the county
at the north-eastern corner and leaves it at the south-
western corner, below Holderman's Grove. From the
back stoop of the house one may look over a territory of
forty miles in diameter, from Lemont around to Sand-
wich and Paw Paw Grove. Mr. Townsend settled in
Na-au-say. His brother, Claudius Townsend, settled
across the river from Oswego. Mr. Arnold settled in
Oswego, and he and L. B. Judson laid out the village,
calling it
HUDSON,
a name by which it was known for several years. Mr.
Arnold opened the first store in the place the same sea-
son. It stood on the present site of Levi Hall's drug
store. Rev. Wilder B. Mack, a Methodist traveling
preacher, held occasional services at Daniel Pearce's,
and a class was organized there by Rev. William Royal.
Stephen Ashley and Mr. Moss, a bachelor, were other
settlers. John W. Chapman came in and stayed a few
months, and then passed on to Dixon, where he remained
seven years, returning in 1842. In
NA-AU-SAY,
John Hough and his brothers, Berridge and Jerry, each
made claims by the Grove. Isaac Townsend bought out
Selvey, and continued to add other claims from time to
time. His family did not come until afterwards. He
had three sons, Daniel J., Isaac and William D. When
his family came he built a gravel house — a pretentious
one for those days. Alexander Reed came here with
him.
158 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
January 1st, 1835, a Land Office was opened at Chi-
cas:o for what was known as the Northeast Land Dis-
trict. In each office there were two officers, a Register
and Receiver, with salaries of $500 each. Col. E. D.
Taylor and James Whitlock were the officers appointed
at Chicago, and in six months took in half a million dol-
lars. Only a small part of this county came into mar-
ket at that time — the part south of the Indian boundary
line, embracing half of the towns of Big Grove and Lis-
bon, three-quarters of Seward, and two sections in Na-au-
say. All lands purchased were exempt from taxation
five years after purchase.
In August the last grand Pottawatomie
WAR DANCE
held in this section was celebrated at Chicago. Five
thousand braves, painted and armed with tomahawks and
clubs, assembled on the North side, having paraded the
village street for an hour, to the great alarm of women
and children, and not a few men.
Next to the Indians, the settlers' most inveterate ene-
mies were
WOLVES.
They existed in great numbers, and would often kill hogs
that were fattening in the woods. Chester Smith, of Plain-
field, had a drove of hogs in the Aux Sable timber, and com-
ing after them in the fall, he caught them, tied their feet
and let them lie in the grove till morning. It was a
cruel act, and in the morning some of the hogs were
missing, — all but their bones. The wolves had eaten
them alive. Others were killed and not eaten. A light
snow fell in the night, and it was trampled and dyed
WOLF AND DEER HUNTS. 159
with blood like a battle-field. Wolf hunts were common.
A stake would be set up, say, on the prairie beyond Lis-
bon. The settlers would be engaged, and would come
in a narrowing circle from miles in every direction, driv-
ing every thing before them. As they neared the central
point and the enclosed game came in view, the excite-
ment became intense. The wolves and deer tried to run
the blockade, but were beaten back from every point, until
they were nearly crazy with fright. Then the slaugh-
ter commenced, and it was rarely that one escaped. Af-
ter all was over an equitable distribution was made. In
the hunt of 1835, eighteen wolves and twenty-four deer
were killed. Two years before, in a Chicago hunt, forty
wolves were killed. These hunts, however, like every
other amusement, soon degenerated. The settlers in
some localities would privately agree to shoot their game
on the way, and afterward come in for a share in the
common stock, thus defrauding their neighbors from
other places. This cheating brought the hunts into dis-
repute. That year a bear was killed in a lumber yard on
the South Branch, Chicago, though such game was scarce.
He was probably driven out of his forest home by hun-
ger. The preceding winter was severe. February 8th,
1835, the thermometer stood at thirty-five degrees below
zero — the coldest day known for years.
One night in October occurred a grand auroral dis-
play, paling the moonlight. 1835 was, on the whole, a
year of prosperity with those who had anything to sell,
but, unfortunately, the new settlers had to buy.
THE FOLLOWING STORY
is told of Elder Tolman : His larder running short, he
160 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
went with an ox team to Chicago for provisions, and,
with the rest, brought home a barrel of salt pork. Squire
Ives and another neighbor took half of it, and then the
question arose where to dispose of the rest. It could
not be put down cellar, for there was none. Nor up
stairs, for the same reason. Nor was there a square
foot to be spared in the living room. So it was put out-
side the cabin door. But in the morning it was gone,
and after a diligent search was given over as lost. No,
not lost, for towards evening a traveler reported having
seen a terrible sight on the prairie ; it was something
half bovine, half monster. Mr. Tolman rallied his forces
and reconnoitred the field, and lo ! it was an ox with the
missing pork barrel on his head, and the pork was still
in it ! The animal had put in nose and horns after salt,
and unable to extricate itself, had gone away. Samson-
like, with the barrel and all.
CHAPTER XXIV
THE YEAR OF CORNER LOTS.
IGHTEEN HUNDRED AND THIR-
ty-six was the year of inflation and
emigration, when the strong arm of the
State, projected railroads and dug chan-
nels of rivers, to encourage emigration,
which came West in a steady and
enthusiastic stream. Every man's farm
was a possible site for a town, and corner lots were
as plenty as paper dollars. The hectic flush of a
commercial fever overspread the face of the entire
State of Illinois. The dazzling example of Chi-
cago had much to do with this, for they had in two years
converted a miserable village into a city of several thous-
and inhabitants — and it could be done everywhere.
Speculators bought up all the land they could find,
expecting to lay out town sites on their purchases, and
public meetings were held and speeches made in favor
of a system of internal improvements, which were
soon adopted and begun. At Peru, on the Illinois river,
a village of but one shanty, lots were held at $2,000
each. Four miles below Ottawa, on the river, is a long
162 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
mass of limestone, called Buffalo Rock, because it is said
the Indians used to kill buffaloes by driving them over
the edge. It is inaccessible from the surrounding plain
except at one end. On this rock a town plat was laid
out by Benjamin Thurston, and recorded April 14th,
1836. It was called Gibraltar. And to crown the cli-
max, four lots were actually sold, realizing $50.75. At
NEWARK,
Nelson Messenger, from Ohio, built the shop which
still stands on the corner north of Coy's store. His
boards were sawed at Schneider's, and the poles for
rafters he obtained of Geo. Hollenback. It still stands,
a deserted relic of days long passed. Mr. Messenger
used to furnish the government surveyors with charcoal
to fill the mounds at section corners. At the same
time, Walter Stowell put up a tavern where the hotel
stable now stands. Heman Dodge occupied a house on
Coy's corner, now used by Mr. Coy as a store house.
March 4th, on the Gridley place, Benj. F. Hollenback
was born, now of Kansas.
During the summer, a lot of Indians encamped on the
edge of the village, on the flat below the Institute, and
remained several weeks. They had just received their
annuity, and were fast livers while it lasted. They
paid for all their purchases in silver franc pieces, and
when they were exhausted, traded a pony at the store
for a barrel of whiskey. When that was used up, and
their medicine man and his helpers had dug all the roots
and gathered all the herbs they wanted in Big grove,
they stole the pony and departed.
AVOIDING CORDUROY ROADS. 163
Mr. Booth sold to John Litsey, just then from Ken-
tucky, and now the President of our Old Settlers' Soci-
ety. The two families lived in the same cabin during
the winter. Mr. Litsey moved on his present farm in
1846, and in 1850 was able to enter eighty acres adjoin-
ing, at government price. John Worsley, from Massa-
chusetts, took up the present Worsley farm, east of Big
grove. His son, Geo. H. Worsley, worked for several
years for Mr. Prickett and others south of the grove,
and died two years ago.
PETER NEWTON, WILLIAM SMITH AND JAMES ROOD
came together from Broome county. New York. People
along the road as they came would call out, " Michigan ?"
"Illinois," was the reply. Mr. Smith was originally
from Massachusetts. He bought his claim and a poor
log house of a Frenchman, and resided on the same
place forty years. Mr. Newton settled in the timber
near Sheridan. His son, A. D. Newton, our present
sheriff, moved to Newark in 1847, and kept tavern on
George B. Hollenback's old site. This party came by
boat from Huron, Ohio, to Toledo, to escape a notorious
stretch of corduroy road over what was known to emi-
grants as the Black Swamp, in Michigan. The rest of
the way was overland, to Piatt's, Holderman's and Mis-
sion Point, to Rood's.
Other settlers in Big Grove were Mr. Bradfield, Mr.
Hampton, Daniel Neff, Elijali Barrows, Mr. Collins,
Jared Bartam and John E. Waterman. Mr. Collins
changed the name of Duck Grove to Collins' Grove.
Mr. Bartam, of Onondaga county. New York, kept the
tavern at Holderman's. His widow, married again, lives
164 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
at Lockport. Her daughter is Mrs. Henry Cody, of
Lisbon. Mr. Waterman first settled on the Martin
place near Lisbon, and afterward went to Holderman's.
In November, John C. Phillips' dwelling house on the
Southwick place, and Clark Hollenback's new barn on
the Abbot place were
BURNED TO THE GROUND
the same day. The men and most of the neighbors
were attending a lawsuit at Ottawa at the time. Mr.
Phillips was deputy sheriff. His stock of provisions
and all his furniture were burned. His wife, who was
washing clothes at the brook at the time, being shut out
of the house, took cold, and after lingering two years,
died. It was currently believed at the time that there
was foul play at the bottom of it, in connection with the
lawsuit.
George Duckworth and family settled at Big Grove,
where they remained two years, and then moved to Lis-
bon, where they now reside. Rensselear Carpenter came
at the same time. He is now living near Chatsworth,
Illinois. Also a French family, named Devereaux. He
was a silversmith, and afterwards removed to Joliet,
where he died, and the family went to Racine. Also
Daniel Dwyer.
LEWIS AND ALLEN SHERRILL,
Oneida county. New York, came that year. Allen re-
turned soon after ; Lewis remained, and is to-day one of
the first farmers in Kendall county. There are a few
larger land holders, but he is the only man in the county
who owns and farms an exactly square section of land.
JESSE JACKSON ARRIVES. 165
At Plattville, a son was born to Mr. McCloud, and Mr.
Piatt being privileged with the naming of it, called it
after himself, Piatt McCloud, and gave the little fellow a
cow as dowry. A school was started in Mr. Piatt's cabin
that year. It was taught first by Phoebe Ferris, and the
following year by Thomas Cotton. Benjamin Ricket-
son arrived from New York ; was elected County Judge
in 1853. Levi Hill's log tavern moved out from Holder-
man's, was the first house in Lisbon. Rev. Calvin Bush-
nell missed the honor by only a mile, as he put up a frame
a mile south of Lisbon in the fall of 1835.
JESSE JACKSON
and family arrived at Ottawa, having come all the way
by boat from Brownville, Pa., in twelve days. His family
consisted of Elmas, afterward Mrs. Groves, now dead;
Samuel and Jonathan, both dead ; Mary, now Mrs. Fletcher
Misner, of Millington ; Joseph, now in Millington; Wil-
liam, in Minnesota ; Rebecca, now Mrs. Holston, and Eliz-
abeth, now Mrs. Hanna, both of Indiana. Eight children
in all. He was met at Ottawa by Samuel Jackson and Mr.
Markley with a horse team and three ox teams, and the
family and goods escorted to the double- log cabin at Mil-
ford. The distance is twenty miles and they passed but four
cabins on the way. Jesse Jackson bought out Mr.
Markley, and that fall the saw mill was started. It met
a great want, and for ten years it ran night and day,
and sometimes, by necessity, on Sunday. There were
at times two thousand logs on the ground, and the mill
would be six months behind on orders. But the gang
saws of Michigan and Wisconsin at last outstripped it,
and left the aged frame to bleach in the sun until a year
166 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
ago, when the spring freshet bore it away on its bosom
to rest in a watery grave. Soon after Mr. Jackson
arrived an attempt was made to establish a post-office
there, but it was placed at Holderman's instead.
Henry Elderding the same season built a corn cracker
at Millbrook, Dr. Gantz, a botanical physician, from Vir-
ginia, built a house on the corner of the Millbrook and
Millington roads, below Mr. Paddock's. Adjoining him,
on S. McMath's place, was John Green, father of Lem-
uel Green : and on the Russel place was Rev. William
Royal. Going east on the same road were E. W. Wil-
lard, now of Chicago, Wm. W. Pickering, now of Bos-
ton, and Stephen and James H. Bates, now of Iowa.
Willard sold to John Cooper, and Pickering to John
Sherman. Heman Winchell, Jr., settled on the farm
near Fox Station, on which he lived nearly forty years.
He died at Bristol, 1866.
Stephen and James Harvey Bates lived on the river
below Mr. Grover's. Smith and Tuttle first took up the
claim and sold it in Chicago to John Bates, who came
west about 1833. Stephen Bates was a bachelor. Abram
Brown, of Big Grove, then a boy, was their nephew and
lived with them. He came in the fall of 1834 and stayed
with Lemuel Brown in his Oswego cabin during the win-
ter of 1835. It was hard times, and the boys often went
barefoot daytimes and at night slept under the snow
that sifted through the oak shingles of the cabin roof.
In June 1835 a camp meeting was held in the grove
below Mr. Crimmin's, and attracted numbers of people,
many of them from long distances.
MAIL TWICE A WEEK. 167
IN LITTLE ROCK
Luke Wheelock opened a blacksmith shop on the site of
Little Rock village, on the creek by the cheese factory.
He came out, like many others, without his family, and
soon after returned for them. At the same time Philan-
der and George Peck opened a store near where Dr. Bra-
dy's barn now stands. Afterward Geo. Peck with E. R. Al-
len opened business in Aurora and died there. Philan-
der Peck removed to Whitewater, Wisconsin, and thence
to Chicago, where he opened a dry goods jobbing house
with Albert and Henry Keep, the well known railroad
magnates. The house was finally known as Harmon,
Aiken & Gale. The Little Rock postoffice was kept at
Peck's store, and twice a week the tin horn of the Frink
& Walker stage, running between Chicago and Dixon,
woke the echoes of the grove, and scattered settlers after
their weekly paper, or the precious and coveted letters
from their far away eastern homes.
CORNELIUS HENNING
was from Rensselaer county, New York, and arrived
here July, 1836. The family are large land owners, —
owning some two thousand acres of land around Piano
alone. Hugh B. Henning is dead ; Jones, Denslow,
and C. J. are still living, near Piano : also a daughter,
Mrs. Otis Latham. Two other daughters are, Mrs. John
Eldredge, in Nebraska, and Mrs. Charles El dredge, in
Kansas.
WILLIAM HIDDLESON
was from Ohio. He came by river to Peoria, where lie
met John Haymond, who offered to ^lot him up and sell
168 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
him as good a claim as there was in the west. He came,
saw it and bought it. and lives on it still. _^ It was the
old Cox claim, and part of the house built by Cox in
1833 is in use still. The fire-place was ten feet wide,
and logs were hauled into it by horses, in at one door
and out at the one opposite. George H. Rogers and
William Noble came with Hiddleson.
Archibald Owen settled first on Big Rock, and in 1838
bought a claim of William Rogers on Little Rock.
EBER M. SHONTS
and Thomas Welch landed at Yandalia in 1835, and
wandered up here and claimed a strip nearly a mile long,
below Mr. Mulkey's, on the east side of Little Rock
timber. They went back, and returning again the fol-
lowing season, found the claim occupied by Franklin and
Oliver Culver, who vielded to the orioinal claimants.
In 1837 Mr. Shonts sold to Elijah Pearce, and removed
to the present homestead on Big Rock. George W.
Rowley, John W. Gallup, William Ryan and James
Scott were other settlers. Also Ashley and King, claim
sellers. Mr. Scott went to Wisconsin, from whence he
went to Scotland and came out with a Scotch colony.
CHAPTER XXV.
CROWDING INTO THE WILDERNESS.
N 1836, the village of Yorkville was laid
out bv Rulief Durvea. Only his cabin, in
which he kept store, stood there at the
time, but soon after Mr. Howe and Mr.
Hav, a tailor, now living in Sandwich,
built homes. Palmer Sherman and George
Evans, father of John Evans, settled on
the south side of Long Grove. As yet no
one had the temerity to go further south on the prairie,
but the lead was taken this year by
JEREMIAH SHEPHERD,
from Massachusetts. He found the groves pretty well
circled, and determined to pitch his camp far out where
the prairie flowers invitingly bloomed, and make a grove
unto himself. It was a long time, however, before he
secured neighbors, as there were no stage roads through
that prairie to attract them. Mr. Shepherd's daughter,
Cecelia, now Mrs. E. S. Satterly, was the first child
born on the prairie south of AuxSable Grove.
12
170 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
The settlers in
BRISTOL
were Dea. James McClellan, Dea. S. S. Lathrop, B. F.
Alden, Rev. H. S. Colton, Dr. Calvin Wheeler, John
Eglington, Mr. Grimwood, John and Nathaniel Burton,
and many others, who stayed but a short time. Dea.
McClellan was from Chatauqua county, New York. He
built the first frame house in Bristol, and having capi-
tal, was a leader in every worthy enterprise until his
death, July 11, 1867. Deacon Lathrop came to Chi-
cago in 1834, and was a member of the First Baptist
Church there when I. T. Hinton was pastor, and there
were but twelve members. He was with that veteran
missionary, Rev. A. B. Freeman, at his death. Mr.
Lathrop still lives in Bristol ; so does Mr. Alden. The
latter came around the lakes with Rev. J. F. Tolman,
who had been east for his health, and returned in 1836.
Mr. Alden has dug over one hundred wells in Kendall
county, and in the winter of 1837 split for Lyman Bris-
tol and James Gilliam, fifteen thousand oak and black
walnut rails. He has worked as hard, too, on the under-
ground railway, and still carries a deep scar as a memo-
rial of a conflict with slave catchers.
Mr. Colton also still survives. He settled at Prince-
ton in 1835, and the following fall came to Bristol. He
organized the Congregational churches at Bristol, Oswe-
go and Aurora. When he went from Chicago to Prince-
ton, there was but one bridge on the road — that at
Plainfield. It was made of poles laid across on stringers.
Dr. Wheeler was from Hollis, New Hampshire, and
practiced in Bristol forty years. He boarded at first
DEATH OF DR. WHEELER. 171
with Abijah Haymond, at Long Grove. He was a man
of extraordinary benevolence, giving medicines free and
keeping open doors to all the poor. He and Dr. Ken-
dall were for some time the only physicians within many
miles. He was a member of the Congregational Church,
a temperance man, an active abolitionist, and a great
Bible reader. He died in May, 1876. The first Sunday
School in Bristol was held in 1836, in Deacon John-
son's house; Mrs. H. S. Colton, Superintendent; and
she is Superintendent to-day of the Congregational
Sunday School of Bristol. At
OSWEGO
we find Samuel Thomas and Henry Hopkins. Samuel
bought out William Wilson, where Mr. Loucks lives, and
was Justice of the Peace for years. He now lives at
Chebanse. Henry lives in Aurora.
James Greenacre and Mr. Ross settled over the river.
Mr. Hubbard kept the first store. Stephen B. Craw,
Bainbridge Smith, and Maurice and Rufus Gray were
prominent settlers. Joel Warner settled one mile east
of Oswego, and afterward removed to Newark. Calvin
B. Chapin, of New York, built the first blacksmith shop
in Oswego. He came to Downer's Grove with old Mr.
Downer in 1832.
Merrit Clark built a corn mill on the present site of
Parker's mill. Levi Gorton and William Wormley
helped put the first stick in the dam.
Merrit Clark had a chair factory at his mill, and made
wooden chairs in 1836, some of which are in existence
yet, and valued at more than when they were new. A
grist mill was begun by Levi and Darwin Gorton and
172 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
finished the following season. They subsequently sold
to N. A. Rising, who opened a store in connection with
the mill. D. C. Cleveland, now of Newark, came that
year, and lived two years in Oswego. Harrison Albee,
of Clinton county. New York, still lives on his farm east
of Oswego. Deacon Cyrus Ashley, of Plainfield, came
out from Martinsburg, New York, with a consignment
of wagons, and was only prevented from settling at
" Hudson " by the solicitations of some of the "Walk-
er's Grove" people.
Mr. Sargent lived where John Seeley does now.
Clark W. Wormley bought his present place of Wendell
King, of Aurora. George W. Kellogg passed through
our county on his way to Peoria, from Rutland, Ver-
mont, in the fall of 1835. Stopped over night at Platt-
ville, where was only a log house and a few acres of sod
corn. In the spring of 1836 he returned and settled on
George Parker's place, opposite Oswego. Went to Na-
au-say in 1846.
MRS. MARY YOUNG,
still living in Na-au-say, says: "My husband, William
Young, and myself came to Chicago in the fall of 1835.
We were from England. He found work in a wagon
shop during the winter, and there Isaac Townsend,
being in Chicago, happened to meet him, and asked him
if he would like to go out into the country. Mr. Young
said yes, for he had the ague very hard in Chicago. So
we came out here in February, 1836. Mr. Townsend
lived with Major Davis, and when we arrived, the wife
of an Irishman who was keeping house for them said to
me, ' 0, I am glad to see a woman, for I have not seen
one for three months.' Well, thinks I, we have got into
NEW COUNTY IN RHYME. 173
a wilderness now, sure enough. However, we stood it
better than I had feared, though we did have some times
that were pretty hard. We moved into a large log
house, twenty-by-thirty, built by John Hough, and
there, February 20th, 1837, my son, Richard Young,
was born, the first white child born in the town of Na-
au-say." In
SEWARD
John Davis settled on the lower Aux Sable, on the Hen-
derson place, and Mr. Sidebotham settled a mile above
him, on the Thomas Fielding place. Mr. Sidebotham
took up a large tract of land, but died the following
year. He was a brother-in-law of Alanson Milks, who
had just bought out Mr. Davis, and opened a tavern,
w^ell known afterwards as the Patrick stand, and there
Mr. Sidebotham was buried.
The first school was begun in Aurora that season,
1836, in a log school house covered with bark. Mrs.
Spaulding was the first teacher.
KANE COUNTY
was organized out of LaSalle, the line running through
Kendall and cutting ofi" our eastern townships, making
Oswego, Bristol and Little Rock to be in Kane county.
Following is an extract from an eflfort of a local poet
enshrining the advantages of the new county in rhyme :
" The timber here is very good.
The forest dense of sturdy wood,
The maple tree its sweets affords,
And walnut it is sawn to boards,
The giant oak the axman hails,
Its massive trunk is torn to rails ;
And game is plenty in the State,
Which makes the hunters' chances great ;
The prairie wolf infests the land.
And the wild-cats all bristling stand."
174 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
There is nothing said about town sites, corner lots,
unlimited water privileges and prospective railroads,
which made up a large share of the hopes of 1836. In
the State of Illinois one thousand miles of railroad had
been projected by the State Committees on Internal Im-
provements, besides extensive improvements in navigable
rivers. Several of the roads had to pass over govern-
ment lands where there were scarce settlers' cabins
enough to mark the stations. In the entire county of
LaSalle the land tax for 1835 was but $76.29 — less than
hundreds of single farms now pay. The railroads, how-
ever, came to nothing, though the river improvements
were many of them made. There is one subject, how-
ever, which our fathers must be praised for, viz : their
enterprise and forethought on the subject of
EDUCATION.
They felt the necessity of some system of public schools,
and this more largely after an influx of eastern emigra-
tion. The want of teachers was deeply felt, and the fol-
lowing extracts are from the Senate report of 1836,
proposing to establish county seminaries for teachers.
Read and remember them and be thankful for our school
houses :
Mr. Gatewood said :
" Ours is a government of laws and rights which, to
to be appreciated, must be understood. The distinctions
in society so much and so often complained of are to be
attributed more to the different degrees of intelligence
among men, than to wealth, or rank, or any other cause.
If in our own community a certain portion of the people
be permitted to remain in ignorance, that portion will be
better fitted for the use of the other than thev will be to
MR. GATEWOOD ON EDUCATION. 175
discharge the duties imposed upon them by their coun-
try. The nations of the old world are not now adapted
to free institutions like ours. Even England and France,
enlightened as they are, are probably as happy under
their own monarchies as they would be under a republic;
not because there is a want of intelligence among cer-
tain classes, but because there is a want of intelligence
among the people. In some portions of our country the
schools have been left almost entirely to individual exer-
tion. In these portions many persons are found who
are unable to read. The same may be said of States
where schools for the poor are established by law. ' Let
the rich educate themselves,' they say, 'and we will edu-
cate the poor.' Now whether this principle of regarding
education as an act of charity be right or wrong, its
operation will at least show that it would be impractica-
ble to adopt it here, for where it has prevailed — accord-
ing to the best information that can be obtained — one-
third of the whole people are unable to read. But in
every State where free schools have long prevailed, it is
very difficult to find a single person who is unable to read
and write. Where free schools prevail, the State exacts
of its people what they may have to give — of the rich man,
his money ; of the poor man, his children. There is one
evil not yet provided for, and that is the lamentable want of
qualified teachers. It is well known that in many set-
tlements the people are obliged to depend upon the wan-
dering refugees of other States, and such transient per-
sons as may happen to come along, to teach their schools.
The evil, however, is not without a remedy — by erecting
county seminaries, in which the Latin and Greek Ian-
guages, and the higher branches of an English education,
may be taught. We must have education. So popular
is the subject of education now in this State, that it is
advoca.ted in every newspaper and its praises are sung
on every ' stump.' The public mind may be convulsed
in discussions concerning the State Bank or the Canal,
176
HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
but such matters are as the dust in the balance when
compared to a subject like this. In the day of small
things let us plant the tree under whose branches mil-
lions of the future inhabitants of this great Valley will
repose in security and peace."
These are words worthy to be framed in every school
room in the land.
CHAPTER XXVI.
THE YEAR OF THE PANIC.
E NOW enter upon the year 1837.
The United States public debt had
been paid, and there was besides a
surplus in the treasury, which was
refunded to the States. And yet in
the face of this seeming prosperity, a
stringency in commercial affairs spread
over the entire nation, as a cloud shadows the landscape
on a sunny day, and involved business enterprises of all
kinds in one common ruin. The banks throughout the
United States, with few exceptions, in the spring of this
year suspended specie payments ; yet by virtue of energy
and a good deal of credit, most of the Illinois internal
improvements still went on. The first railroad in the
FIRST RAILROAD IN STATE. 177
State was opened this year, just forty years ago. It was in
Morgan county, between Meredosia, on the Illinois river,
and Jacksonville, about twenty-five miles. It was laid
with flat " strap rails," and at first a locomotive was put
on, but this was afterward superseded by horse and mule
power.
March 4th, Chicago, having a population of four thou-
sand, was incorporated and became a city, although its
future commerce was so far future that its merchants
were obliged to import flour from Ohio to supply their
customers. The weather seemed in sympathy with the
money market, for the spring was backward, and it was
late before the crops were in the ground.
On May 22d, there was a snow-storm, and quite an
amount of snow fell, which, though it remained but a
few hours, was yet a phenomenon unusual enough to be
remembered. In
BIG GROVE, '
Luman Preston, from Middlebury, Vermont, made a
claim of one hundred and sixty acres, probably the pre-
vious summer, on the prairie east of Newark, where his
widow still lives. He, too, was a prairie pioneer, and
was laughed at bj his grove neighbors, who believed he
could not make a cabin stay there. He had been living
in Jacksonville two years, and Josiah Seymour came
from that place with him and took a claim on the hill
west of Mr. Harrington's. He is now in Nebraska.
Mrs. Preston kept an interesting diary during the nine
weeks' journey from Vermont, and for some time after-
wards. She says : " Wherever we stopped, we were
surrounded with people, anxious to know where we were
178 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
from and whither going. While passing through York
State, one old man accosted us with : ' What part you
from?' ' Middlebury, Vermont,' we replied. ' Var-
mount, Varmount,' he answered ; ' I've heern tell o'
that place. Let's see — what State is that in ?' We
came to Jacksonville in 1834. The next year a com-
pany came up in a lumber wagon, taking their own pro-
visions, and prospected through to Chicago. They
thought the region around Georgetown the finest they
saw ; indeed, quite the heart of the country ; so we all
decided to move up here. For the first few years we
saw hard times. We were often in danger of being
burnt out by prairie fires, and had to plow furrows and
burn spaces around us for our protection. Our first
stovepipe I made myself out of oak boards, after soak-
ing them well in salt water to make them incombustible.
It lasted a month or two. Once, while we were waiting
for Jackson's mill to be finished, we ran out of flour
and meal. Some of the neighbors did not taste bread
for weeks. Ephraim Mott and family lived with us, and
we made corn meal with a grater and jack-plane, and
lived like kings." John Hough, from New York,
claimed next south, now David Gunsul's farm, and his
brother, Jerry Hough, came next, on S. C. Sleezer's
place. Both are dead. Other settlers were : George
D. Barrows, New York ; Harlow G. Wilcox, Madison
county, New York ; Ephraim Mott, William Haymond,
Ohio ; and Capt. A^an Meter, now in Minnesota. He
opened a brick-yard near Lott Scofield's. There was a
brick-yard also at
NEWARK,
on the edge of the prairie, between the grove and John
DROWNED IN FOX RIVER. 179
Boy en's, worked by Pat Cunningham. Henry Shad-
ley, from Ottawa, worked there. He was drowned in
Fox river, in June, and his was the third grave in the
Millington and Newark cemetery. A. D. Newton helped
dig it. The second one buried was Miss Heath, from
over the river.
The second store in Newark was opened by Mr. Booth
on the site of Erwin's blacksmith shop. It still stands,
as good as ever, and is Mr. Erwin's dwelling house.
Charles McNeil bought George Hollenback's second
building, and Tilton place. The Newark precinct house
was built during the summer, and used not only for
elections, but for schools and meetings. Miss Diantha
Gleason was the first teacher. Before that, school was
kept over Hollenback's store, by Mr. Neese, and in a
log cabin in the grove, near Gridley's, by Mrs. Sloan.
hollenback's school house
was built in the centre of that grove during the fall, and
Henry Bosworth, now living on Lester Taylor's place,
was the first teacher. The following are among the early
teachers in that district :
Henry Bosworth, Benjamin Beach Fellows, Eleazer
H. Austin, Joseph B. Lyon, Perry A. Armstrong, James
H. Lyon, Miss Sirilda Pyeatt, James Butter, Orange
Potter, Hallet Bemis, Sanford Washburn, Irus Coy.
In 1845 the district was divided, but the original
house still stands in all its primitive glory, and is used
as a dwelling by William Stone, about two miles west of
Pavilion, on the road leading to Newark.
Col. Aaron Brown had a claim on the north side of
the river, embracing the farms of Mr. Ballou and Mr.
180 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
Brodie. His dwelling was a little log house, part of
which still stands, in the bottom opposite Mr. Brodie's.
In 1837 he sold to
JOHN ALDRICH,
from Orleans county, New York. Mr. Aldrich had a
family of five children, and in 1856 removed to Iowa.
Wilber White had the only house on the prairie, on
what is now Moses White's place. Thomas Pike was
at the mouth of Rock creek, where Post's Mill now is,
and owned a very large claim on the west side of the
creek. A daughter is now Mrs. Willet Murray, of
Ottawa. Samuel Finch lived where Mr. Wilder does.
His son, Darius Finch, was here before. On the south
side of the river Alanson Robinson settled on Daniel
Bagwell's place, and Thomas Serrine on Matthew Budd's
place. They were brothers-in-law, and both from
Dutchess county. New York. James H. Whitney, son-
in-law of James Southworth, was on the Charles Krouse
farm. He bought part of his claim of Mr. Montgom-
ery. Ole Oleson owned what is now John Boy en's and
Isaac Lott's. It was the first claimed by William
Brooks, who sold to Oleson, and who still lives and
resides at Sandwich.
In Big Grove Mr. Coombs built a shanty in Stowell's
timber lot, chinking the crevices with leaves and earth.
Mr. Stowell came upon it one day and notified the neigh-
bors, who nearly all belonged to the "claim society."
They assembled on an appointed day, and chopped the
logs of the shanty into firewood just as Coombs arrived
with his family. They admonished him, and sent him
back in peace.
BURIED IN A WELL. 181
REV. JEPTHAH BRAINARD,
William Paddock and John Gardner, and families,
George Paddock and Cole Gardner, single men, came
in a body from Bradford county, Pennsylvania, and
settled in the town of Fox. The families came over-
land, but sent their goods around by water. From
Oswego, New York, to Ithaca, they were hauled on a
horse railroad — wooden rails, capped with strap iron.
Mr. Paddock settled on the present Paddock place, a
mile from Newark, and Mr. Brainard settled at first on
the Sweetland place, south of Newark, but soon after
bought the farm now owned by John Phillips. While
digging a well on that place in the fall of 1837, after he
had sunk it in the sand some thirty feet, it caved in on
him, filling up a foot above his head. His boys uncov-
ered his head and ran for help, and notwithstanding the
sparse population, there was soon gathered a large com-
pany of people, some of whom came several miles. A
number were waiting at Jackson's saw mill, and were on
the spot in a few minutes. Two hogsheads were first
lowered, as a curbing against the sand, and a neighbor
happening along with a load of twelve feet boards, these
were also used. While they were digging, the sand
caved in again worse than before, and yet the imprisoned
man was not killed. The work went on all the after-
noon, amid the most intense excitement, and Mr. Brain-
ard was pulled out at last uninjured. So tightly was
the sand packed that when he was uncovered to his boot-
tops he still could not get out. It is unnecessary to
say that he abandoned that well and used good curbing
for the next one. The incident made a deep impression
182 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
at the time, and is vividly remembered yet by all old
settlers.
The first preaching in Newark was by Rev. Royal
Bullard, in Hollenback's store loft, in 1837, the preacher
standing behind a chair for a pnlpit. But when the
precinct house was built, as it was common property,
preachers of all denominations followed each other, just
as they did in most of the early school houses through-
out the county. The practice made cosmopolitan hearers.
It enabled the community to judge of the relative merits
of preachers and distinguishing characteristics of denom-
inations. It trained the powers of criticism so that the
youngest could tell to what denomination a preacher
belonged, by some peculiarity of manner, which long
hearkening to the shrewd observations of their elders
had enabled them to detect. In those days, ''nothing
to wear" kept no one at home. When it was announced
that there would be
PREACHING IN THE SCHOOL HOUSE
at " half-past ten," or "at early candle light," the wife
went in her calico dress and her husband in his Ken-
tucky jeans, hickory shirt and straw hat. The boys
wore suspenders of unbleached shirting, and were bare-
foot, while the lively young man donned a starched
shirt, unmarred by a vest, and the spacious bosom to
best advantage displayed as he sat upon one of the
scholar's desks to save room, the admiration and envy
of the little boys.
But the past is gone. The parents have laid down
the weapons of their warfare, and the weather-stained
marble marks the place where they " sleep in the val-
DAYS OF OLD, FAREWELL. 183
ley." The spinning-wheel is in the garret, the grain
cradle, with rusted edge and broken fingers, is in a cor-
ner of the barn loft, and the hub rings of the wagon
that the oxen drew to meeting are at the bottom of the
waste iron box. The young man who sat on the desk
has gray hairs, and his family, one by one, are leaving
him, and in the dusk of the evening he thinks of the
time when he. too, shall pass away, and his white memo-
rial stone shall rise by the side of the brov/n ones in the
graveyard. The little boys are active men, and other
little boys are going to school, but there are no schools
like the old. The hazel brush patch has long since
been cut down, and play-houses must be built of vulgar
boards, and the creek where the minnows sped away,
frightened at bare-legged boys, is dry. Days of old,
farewell !
CHAPTER XXVIl.
DEPARTURE OF THE INDIANS.
LIEZER and Warren Moore came to Lis-
bon in 1837. Warren is now in Otta-
wa; Eliezer is dead, and his widow still
lives in Lisbon. The
,;j V^iXfeZ' FIRST LISBON SCHOOL
'v^^&T^ was opened in a log granary owned by
Levi Hills, and was taught by Elizabeth
Bushnell, now Mrs. A. J. Ford, of Chebanse. The
school-room was warmed by a stove Mr. Bushnell brought
from New York. William and Samuel McCloud settled
a mile east of Plattville. At Piatt's, Rev. Mr. Lumry
held occasional preaching service. Chester House, the
pioneer of the town of Seward, died that season of con-
sumption, brought on by exposure. Two of the present
settlers of that town — Daniel Gleason and J. L. Van
Cleve — came in at the same time. Both were young men.
William Gleason came in two years after.
Millington was added to by the removal there of
Fletcher Misner, who left the Newark business to Mr.
Messenger, and built a shop where Mr. Van Osdel's
house now stands. Work on the grist mill also w^ent on
NAMING OF MILBROOK. 185
with all speed. Geo. B. Hollenback and Mr. Elderding
built a saw and grist mill at
MILLBROOK,
and ran it four years. In 1841 they sold to Greeley
and Gale, of St. Louis.
The saw mill was built first, with a twenty-four foot
overshot wheel, and the grist mill not for some time after-
wards. William Whitfield took it in 1844, but the water
ran low and finally the old mill was sold piecemeal. The
course of the race can be traced yet, a little above the
Millbrook ford. All our streams are lower to-day than
when the country was first settled. About the time they
were building the mill, the lady who was to name the
future village was on her way west. It was Mrs. Ra-
chel Blanding. Her husband. Dr. Blanding, was in
poor health, and as a restorative, they entered, in com-
pany with an aunt, on a western tour. Going down the
Ohio river to its mouth, they passed up the Mississippi
to the head of navigation ; then back to the mouth of the
Illinois river and up to LaSalle, and thence by teams to
the homes of their friends, Rev. Royal Bullard and Wm.
Vernon. While here, Mrs. Blanding named Mr. Bul-
lard's place Millbrook farm. Several years after, she
left, by will, one hundred dollars to help build a meeting
house there, two conditions being attached, viz : It was
to be near Millbrook farm, and was to be called Mill-
brook church.
Mr. Bullard was a leader in every good work, and
a Sunday school was held in his house for several sum-
mers.
Peter Ennis was a tailor in Bristol. Other settlers
13
186 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
there were, Solomon Heustis, Lyman Lane, G. W. Lane,
M. W. Lane, W. W. Marsh, J. Pratt. At Yorkville,
Mr. Duryea built a blacksmith shop and a cabinet shop.
Robert Casler, from New York, and now residing in Little
Rock, worked the former ; and Isaac Fouch occupied the
latter. Other settlers of this year about Long Grove,
were Palmer Sherman, John Boyd, John Parker, Joab
Austin, D. C. Shepherd, F. A. Emmons, W. M. Hal-
lock. In Na-au-say, Ralph Gates, Dr. T. Seeley, Edmund
Seeley, Francis Foulston.
In Little Rock, A. McLeary, Matthew Patterson,
Solomon Stebbins, Nathan C. Mighell, Edward Lewis,
Isaac Hatch, Mr. Scott, John Shonts, Amer Cook,
Daniel Burroughs, Morris Hadden, William Ryan,
Thomas Lye. The two latter came together. The
senior Cook was an old Revolutionary soldier, and
though more than eighty years old, was often seen with
a gun on his shoulder, meandering up Little Rock creek
after game. Patterson and Stebbins Avere the first on
Blackberry creek. The claim made by the latter is now
Levi Gorton's farm. A notable event this year was
MOVING THE INDIANS.
William Mulkey reports his share in it as follows :
"The contract to move them was advertised for by gov-
ernment, and given to Christopher Dobson as the lowest
bidder. William Rogers, of Paw Paw, known as ' Black-
leg Bill,' had the contract to feed them while on the
road. I hired to him at $2.50 a day, out and back. He
put in five teams. The farmers in diiferent parts were
hired first to bring them in to Chicago, and from there
we started for the Platte purchase on Platte river, seven
MOVING THE INDIANS. . 187
hundred miles west. At Shabbona Grove we made a
halt, and paid the Indians their annuities. It was
known that we were going to do so, and some parties
from Princeton were soon in sight with the inevitable
load of whisky. They did not dare to come within the
limits of the reserve, but camped outside and showed
the whisky to an Indian. He told the others, and in a
little while they were all yelling drunk, and the whisky
sellers were taking in the silver half dollars in a stream.
The contractors saw it was going to delay their march
until the Indians' money was all gone, and Bill Rogers
went out boldly with an axe and stove in all the barrels.
We thought that was the end of it, but when we were a
little past Princeton the sheriff's posse overtook us with
a warrant to arrest Bill. A petty chief, by the name of
Lefiambeaux was with us, a French half-breed. He
raised the war cry, and such a whooping and yelling and
brandishinor of hatchets as followed was enouorh to curdle
a white man's blood. They drove the sheriff and his
men back to town, and Bill escaped arrest. We were
nearly two months on the outward journey. There
were sixteen wagons altogether in the company, some of
them belonging to the wealthy Indians, who were allowed
the same pay by the government as was given to the rest
of us. We carried the women and children and their
household furniture, while the men walked. We crossed
the river where Kansas City now is, and then the tribe
separated, part going to the Osage and part to the Platte.
When we arrived at our journey's end we set the In-
dians out on the open ground, unloaded their traps
alongside, and came away and left them there. I was
gone three months."
188 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
In Oswego, Mrs. Pease, L. B. Judson's mother, kept
tavern. Mr. Osborn kept store, and Ezra Smith opened
the first shoe shop. He was a fine performer on the
tenor drum, and was a manufacturer of drums. Many
were sold during the war. G. W. Wormley, Daniel
Cooney and Henry A. Clarke came in and took up
claims. The latter settled, at first, on the place where
William and John Pearce now live. He opened one of
the first dry goods stores in Oswego, and continued in
the business twenty years.
Mr. Sutton was a transient settler who used to sell
claims. A great claim fight occurred this year near
Oswego, between the friends of H. A. Clarke and Thomas
Strobridge. On an appointed day, about thirty on a
side met, and weapons and bad language were used, and
such a moral dust raised as did not settle for years.
This season, the Oswego postoffice was established,
and the first school was opened in a log building on the
hill above where the brewery stands. George Kellogg
was the first teacher ; then Mr. King. The next season
a frame building was put up on the same lot with the
store. The studdings were hewed out of rails. It was
the first frame in Oswego, and is now a part of Albert
Snook's residence. It was made for a store, but school
was held in it. Adaline Warner, sister of Mrs. George
Parker, was the first teacher. Four of the village lot owners,
L. B. Judson, L. F. Arnold, Mr. Green and Dr. Trow-
bridge, voted for a name for the new post-office, and the
result was that " Lodi" and "Hudson" became Oswego
by two majority. Mr. Green and one or two others
SCHOOLS AND THEIR TEACHERS. 189
were from Oswego, New York. Another primitive school
house was built by subscription at
YORKVILLE,
and school opened. Day school was commenced in the fall
in a log school house, built by subscription, on Daniel
Bagwell's farm. It was the forerunner of the present
Millington school. Miss Lester, sister of Lemuel Les-
ter of Sheridan, was the first teacher. She was followed
by Tunis Budd, Mr. Bates and Mr. Montenoy. Titus
Howe built the Yorkville mill this season. He had for
two years been running a mill in Batavia. On the
Bristol side of the river,
A FRAME SCHOOL HOUSE
was built, near Dea. Johnson's, and Emily Webster
taught the first school in it. Eleanor Miller, from
Aurora, followed. After two years it was moved nearer
the river, and Charlotte Bushnell, a sister of the first
Lisbon teacher, was the first to occupy the new position.
The school was subsequently held in different buildings
after the original house was moved toward Oswego.
George Bristol, Rhoda Godard, and Miss Beardsley
were among the early teachers. Not many records were
kept, for it was all the people wanted to do to live.
Money was very scarce, provisions sometimes hard to
get, teachers' wages six dollars a month, and there was
but little attempt on the part of either parents or teacher
to provide for more than present necessities. Indeed,
no people on earth at that day, and in those circumstan-
ces, beside the American people, would have striven so
hard to provide a common school education for their
190 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
children at all. From every other country, even from
enlightened Britain, emigrants were coming by scores
who could not read their own names, while out in the
wilderness wilds of the country there was scarcely a boy
not able to read the paper containing the notice of their
arrival. As the royal monogram on the clothing of the
infant prince marks it as belonging to the royal family,
so the rouojh school house in each settlement was the
royal mark, telling that it belonged to the people fore-
ordained of Almighty God to be the royal nation of the
world. The bulk of the nation might be far away
toward the eastern ocean, and the settlement consist of
but six scattered cabins, whose occupants were strug-
gling for daily bread, yet the humble, log-ribbed school
house showed the blood relation between them, and was
itself the rough-robed prophet of a future time when on
these shores the grateful world shall see what it never
yet has seen — the national power of Christian education.
CHAPTER XXVllI
EMIGRATION AT LOW TIDE.
'he year 1838 opened with a de-
crease of emigrants over any preceding
year. The crash of '37 had not only
bankrupted the nation, but had exposed
many of the fallacies set afloat by wes-
tern speculators, and had dissolved in-
to thin air those hopes of sudden wealth
which had been beckoning the east toward the setting sun.
The State of Illinois, however, weathered the blast as
well as might be, by abandoning the system of internal
improvements, except work on the canal, and passing
pre-emption laws. Real estate, for the time, however, was
a drug in the market, and even in Chicago could scarcely
be sold at any price.
During the summer, the village of Lisbon was laid out
by Lancellot Rood, and in January
MILLINGTON
was laid out by Major Hitt. As in laying out Newark, he
brought his lines from the Indian boundary, five miles
away. Mr. Jackson was anxious to have it exact, so
192 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
as not to touch the school lands, and though it was a
foggy day, Hitt did it so well that when the government
surveyor, Eli J. Prescott, the following year surveyed
the county, the half section corner intersecting the county
line, near Joe Jackson's, was only three feet from Hitt's
corner. The new town was called Milford by Jackson
and Hitt. The postoffice was not established there for
some twenty years, when the name was changed to Mil-
lington, out of respect for another Milford somewhere in
the State. The grist mill was started this season, and
also the " Milford Pottery," a little above the village.
Mr. Grroover owned the land, and being a potter by trade,
manufactured a quantity of unglazed ware, mostly chim-
ney and flower pots. The clay was said to be very good,
but has never been utilized to any extent.
THE MILFORD M. E. CHURCH
was built the same year — one year after the Big Grove
church. Among the contributors to the building fund
were :
William Royal, R. BuUard, R. W. Carnes, Jepthah
Brainard, H. S. Misner, L. * Rood, Philip Verbeck,
Fletcher Misner, John C. Hough, John S. Armstrong,
Wm. Paddock, Jesse Jackson, James Rood, W. L. F.
Jones, Nathan Aldrich, C. Gardiner, Daniel Shattley.
Lancellot Rood was the treasurer of the building fund.
Philip Verbeck did the mason work. The subscriptions
ranged from ten to seventy dollars. Only the first five
names mentioned were members of the church. The
first sermon preached in the new house was by Rev.
John Sinclair, at the funeral of Mrs. Elizabeth Jackson,
wife of Jesse Jackson, who died May 7th, 1839. After
MILFORD METHODIST CHURCH. 193
five years, a movement was made to seat the church, and
one hundred and twenty bushels of wheat were sub-
scribed. The cash was realized by selling the wheat in
Chicago for forty and fifty cents a bushel. The finan-
cial committee made the following report :
Wheat sold — 28 bushels, at 40 cts. - _ _ $11.20
" —58 •' 50 " - - - - 29.00
Cash collected, - . _ _ - 5.00
$45.20
George Paddock made the seats, the carpenter work
costing twenty-four dollars. The building is now Wil-
liam Gunsel's barn. Following are the circuit preachers
on the charge from the first, and for twenty years during
which the old house was used :
William Royal, S. F. Whitney,
S. P. Keys, Elihu Springer,
RuFUS LuMRY, Wesley Batchelor,
S. F. Denning, Elisha Bibbins,
Levi Brainard, S. R. Beggs,
John Renter, Levi Jenks,
J. W. Burton, , John Agard,
W. B, Atkinson, A. Walliscrapt,
J. Lazenby, H. W. Reed,
J. W. Fowler, M. Lewis,
David Cassidy, Robert Wright.
In the spring of 1838
NATHAN ALDRICH, THOMAS FINNIE,
George Sleezer, James Thompson and Henry Waddle
came together from Orleans county, New York, and Al-
drich an(/ Finnic bought their present farms of W. W.
Pickering Mr. Aldrich has three children surviving :
Lyell Aldrich, Mrs. Thomas Finnic, and Mrs. L. H.
Carr, of Sandwich. An aunt, Miss Lizzie Aldrich, died
194 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
November 7th, 1838, and was the seventh buried in the
Newark and Millington Cemetery. In August
JAMES SOUTHWORTH
and family, from Oneida county, New York, settled at
Mission Point. George Southworth had bought the
property two years before. There was a cleared spot of
an acre in the woods, on which had formerly been sev-
eral log buildings, but they were taken down and the
logs used for a larger house. Quite a large tract of
land belonged to the mission. It was broken up by the
Indian war, and the mission farmer shot in the door of
his cabin, near J. S. Armstrong's. James Southworth
bought of Ole Oleson in 1839, and the following year
built the house now occupied by George Cooper, New-
ark. He died in 1841. The surviving children are
Mrs. L. T. Aldrich — better known as " Galva " — Mrs.
C. J. 0. Verbeck, Mrs. J. R. Whitney, Missouri, and
L. R. P. Southworth, of Chicago. Mrs. Aldrich says :
" We took passage in
THE SCHOONER DETROIT,
which sailed from Oswego, New York, July 6th, 1838,
and arrived at Chicago August 12th, being five weeks
making the trip. At that time the Welland canal was
not constructed so as to admit of the easy passage of so
large vessels as the Detroit, and frequent delays occurred
from running aground, getting stuck in locks, etc.
"From two causes when out in the open lake we were
driven about by every gale. The keel had been taken
from the schooner so as to admit of her passage through
the canal to navigate the upper lakes, which caused her
THE SOUTWORTHS' VOYAGE. 195
to drift at all times, but far worse unless well laden ; and
as the owners of the vessel could not find sufficient
freight at Oswego, we sailed with enough for ballast,
stopping at all the principal cities, hoping to get more,
but finding little for Chicago ; a few grind-stones were
got in at one place, and a few barrels of salt and whisky
in another, but a full cargo was not obtained.
"At Mackinaw, we were delayed more than a week
by head winds, giving us ample time to visit all those
places of interest, the reputation of which has become
almost world-wide, such as the Soldiers' Burying Ground,
The Case, Old Fort Home, The Arch, Sugar Loaf, Lov-
er's Leap, and the Mackinaw Fort, each having a legend
of its own, which we learned from the inhabitants and
natives.
'* But the winds becoming favorable, we left the Island
and went to Chicago, sailing up the river and landing
on the opposite side from the old log Fort, which was then
in a state of tolerable repair.
"As we stepped from the deck of the Detroit,
the crew, from Capt. Hawkins down to the cook,
each gave us all a parting grasp and a good-
bye. And would you believe it? — the most of us
shed tears on leaving the old schooner which had come
to be almost like a home."
In addition to the names already given, the following
may be mentioned as being here, many of them previous
to and all of them as early as 1838 : Isaac and Orange
Potter, Joseph Sly, Michael Graw, Wm, Sly, Henry
Sherman, John and Jacob Heath, F. B. DuBois, Alan-
son Parker, Peter Teal, W. P. Lettson, John Whitmore,
196 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
C. B. Rhodes, Smith Herrick, Charles Carr, Elisha B.
Wright, Palmer Kinnie, John Coombs, David Shaffer,
George D. Hicks, E. T. Lewis, W. H. St. Clair, Ben-
jamin Pitzer, Clark Holdrid^e.
CHARLES F. RICHARDSON
came to Chicago this year, and the following season set-
tled in Na-au-say. He was a sailor, and had visited
many of the principal seaports throughout the world.
His brother, P. P. Richardson, M. D., a graduate of
Harvard College, came out in 1846, and the two were
together in the nursery business some time. Thomas
J. Phillips came on horseback from Lancaster county,
Pennsylvania. He started alone, but fell in with others
on the road.
In 1838 came Russell Wing, from New York, David
Ferguson, Edward Edgerton, S. D. Humiston, E. T.
Lewis.
John Chambers was a tailor in New^ark, and George
and James Armour opened a store where D. A. Hunger's
house now stands. George A. is a well-known elevator
man of Chicago. The
FOURTH OF JULY
was celebrated at Big Grove by a great assemblage from
the surrounding settlements. There was a free dinner,
gathered by Dr. Kendall, an oration, and a flag made of
flannel by Mrs. Barnard. The flag stafi" was fastened
in a hollow stump near the church, and the patriotic
colors floated as proudly in the breeze as if the material
had been shining silk. It was a famous day, well
remembered by every one of the few survivors.
TOWNSHIPS LAID OUT. 197
Among the arrivals in Kendall and Bristol, were Da-
vid Cook, M. D., James, Elihu and John J. Griswold,
George D. and C. F. Richardson, Joseph and Daniel
Wing, VV. P. Boyd, John C. Scofield, R. R. Greenfield,
Mr. Chittenden, Lewis Morgan.
The old Bristol cemetery was opened in '38, and Mrs.
James McClellan, Sr., was the first one buried. Her
daughter-in-law was the next. B. F. Alden dug the first
grave. It is now superceded by the new Elmwood
cemetery.
During the summer the county was surveyed by
GOVERNMENT SURVEYORS
under Eli Prescott. A township was first laid off, and
it was then divided into sections, the corners marked by
little mounds, two feet high, filled with charcoal, and a
stake set in, on which the number of the sections were
marked. The county was full of ponds and sloughs, and
the season was wet and the chain carriers were not accu-
rate. So section lines do not always agree, and frac-
tional sections are found on the north and west sides of
townships. The Land Sale did not occur until the next
year.
CHAPTER XXIX.
A CHANGE FOR THE BETTER.
N Little Rock Mr. Coon opened a black-
smith shop, near the present site of the
church. Dr. J. T. H. Brady, of New York
city, having received his diploma the year
before, came west for his health, not intend-
ing to stay, but having made a claim on
Big Rock Creek and liking the country, he
remained there eight years, and then moved
into Little Rock village, where he now resides. His
brother, L. D. Brady, lives in Aurora.
A school was opened in a log building west of Mr. Mul-
key's, afterwards Edward Hall's residence. Finally moved
to a room below Hatch's blacksmith shop, opposite the
church. Miss Lawson and Miss Lay, now Mrs. Faye,
were the first teachers. One day in May a company of
emigrants from Wayne county, Pennsylvania, passed
through Little Rock, stopping only long enough to water
and feed. They were
MARCUS STEWARD
and family, since well known wherever the political lan-
guage of the Independents is spoken. Coming on towards
THE STEWARD FAMILY ARRIVE. 199
the river in a southeasterly direction, they put up at Mr.
Matlock's over night. Four families, containing twenty-
seven persons, were under the little cabin roof, but they
all slept well, and in the morning hung the bedding on
poles overhead. Since that morning, forty years have
passed, and the boys have been wonderfully prospered.
George and Lewis were then but twelve years old, but
to-day George is worth f 50, 000 and Lewis a quar-
ter of a million. He is president of one rail railroad
and a director of another ; owns four thousand acres
of land, and one-half or one -third interest in divers mer-
cantile associations. As the centennial candidate of the
Independent party for Governor of Illinois, he came
near being elected, running ahead of his ticket.
The sons are Lewis, George H. and John F., at Piano;
Aurelius, in Bridgeport, Connecticut ; Wesley, at Stew-
ard Station, Lee county, and Amasa, in Iowa. Two
daughters, Mrs. H. B. Henning and Mrs. John Smith.
One daughter, Mary, is dead. William Ryan, a settler
of '36, was an old neighbor, and was the means of their
coming to this county. Mr. Steward's claim was first
taken up by John and Benjamin Evans.
Brewer Hubbell, William Ferguson, Mr. Chittenden
and William Hunter were settlers of '38.
THE HIDDLESON SCHOOL
was opened in 1837. Mr. Hiddleson took the contract
to build, daub and cover it for $80. It was in the Rob
Roy timber. Joseph Lehman was the first teacher ;
then Mr. Pike, Joseph Matlock, Otis Fuller, Y\\ J. John-
son, and Capt. Partridge. In a year or two the Hold-
ridge school started, and soon drew all the patronage.
200 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
Rev. John Beaver, a Baptist preacher from Long Grove,
was the first teacher. After him came Geo. C. Gale,
Oscar Bush, a brother-in-law of Horace Greeley, Han-
son S. Currier, Mr. Hibbard, and Thomas Hamilton.
In 1845 the Ryan school took the scholars. Mr. Gree-
ley, a nephew of the great Horace, was the first teacher.
Then Fanny Tenney, Melinda Brayton, Oscar Bush,
Julia Fuller, Phebe Darnell, Hattie Ryan and sister,
Benj. Darnell, Emma Wheeler, Mary Walrath, Mr.
Crawford, Richard Macomber, and Libbie Smith. This
school ran until the opening of the Piano Academy, in
1855. In 1838
A JURY TRIAL
in a claim case was held before Judge Helm, in the Hid-
dleson school house. The Judge in coming there on
horseback was mired in one of the sloughs that used to
flourish in the shadow of that creek with the Scotch
name, and in his wrath he gave the place the curious
cognomen of " Busselburg," by which it was known for
years. After the trial the jury were locked in the school
house ; but while the court was telling stories in front,
they adjourned through a side window to Hiddleson's
cabin and had supper, and when the constable went to
inspect his charge he was astonished from head to foot,
a capite ad calcem^ to find them flown. But it was not
long before he found them, and they found a verdict,
and all was well.
On the eastern side of the county, George B. Martin,
James McAuley, S. A. Ovitt, and Decoliah Toal were
new settlers. The latter opened a tavern in Oswego.
The former built the first frame house in Na-au-say, get-
SCHOOLS ABOUT PLATTVILLE. 201
ting the timber out of the grove himself. It is on the
Henry A. Clarke estate.
About Plattville the neighbors turned out, hauled logs
and rived oak shingles, and built a school house on the
town line between Lisbon and Newark. Miss Mary
Titsworth was one of the first teachers. Afterwards,
Miss Davis, Miss Cole, Mr. Truax, George T. Norton,
Lydia Keith, Susan Langdon, Wm. R. Cody, Washing-
ton Bushnell, Lucius Whitney, Geo. A. Day, Catherine
Chapin, and Electa Lewis. The locality was called ''AVis-
consin" by the Lisbon people, because it was the State
north of them, and is now the " Fourth Ward." Sim-
eon Stevens kept a blacksmith shop across the road,
where the present school house stands. The latter was
built in 1857. The old one was on Reuben Hurd's
land, and is now owned by S. K. Avery and occupied
as a tenant house.
New settlers in the town were J. F. Moore, James
Convis, Eli H. Webster, Galen Barstow, and George T.
Norton. Mr. Norton this season taught the first school
in the new frame school house in
LISBON VILLAGE,
the latter having just been laid out by Lancellot Rood,
as surveyor. Mr. Norton was followed by Mr. Stone,
a son-in-law of Mrs. Sears, Mr. Andrus, Charlotte
Bushnell, and Mrs. Miles Hills, of Minneapolis. The
old house is now Parker's wagon shop.
The Lisbon Congregational church was organized
March 22d, with twenty-two members besides the pas-
tor, as follows : Rensselaer Carpenter, Eben and Stella
Hills, Levi and Sarah Hills, John, Elizar, Calista, Mar-
14
202 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
tha and Eraeline Moore, Charity Field, William Rich-
ardson, Calvin, Polly and Sarah Bushnell, Janette Wil-
cox, Eri L., John E. and Lydia Waterman, Maria
Sears, William Harrison, Lewis and J. Allen Sherrill.
Rev. Calvin Bushnell was the first pastor. He was fol-
lowed by H. S. Colton, Alvah Day (who remained nine
years), Israel Matteson, Daniel R. Miller, William
Bridgeman, L. B. Lane, Charles Pratt, L^riah Small,
Edwin Lewis, Mr. Curtis, and H. L. Howard. The meet-
ing house was built in 1853.
The stage line in 1838 changed hands from Dr. Tem-
ple to Trowbridge, and soon after it was bought by the
ubiquitous Frink and Walker. There was an up stage
and a down stage each day, and occasional extras. Thus
quite
A CHANGE
had taken place since seven years before, when Chicago
was the nearest postoffice, and not even an Indian mak-
ing a fortnightly trip on horseback to carry the scatter-
ing mail. If the panic of '37 had not come the coun-
try would soon have filled up, but from that date actual
settlers had been fewer. The groves were nearly all
surrounded with a cordon of farms, but the prairies as
yet bloomed virtually unbroken. A traveler over the
country to-day can have little idea of its appearance
forty years ago, especially in summer time. The prai-
ries waved with grass and were spangled with flowers of
all hues — yellow predominating ; and the views extended
for miles, as there were no fences, houses or shade trees
to break the vision. The groves were full of under-
brush and berries and dense with shade, while the tallest
PRAIRIE AND TIMBER IN '39. 203
trees along the edges became well known way-marks by
which the traveler directed his course. The far away
tree tops, on the opposite horizon from each settler's
cabin, became as well known to him as the stakes of the
rail fence around his door-yard. Wild fruits and wild
game were equally plenty. Groups of deer browsed
alonor the water courses, or stood wonderinsrlv on the
edges of the groves, gazing at the smoke from the white
man's cabin, or at the oxen as they drew the old wooden
plow or the V harrow across the field, and perhaps in
their poor way (i. e., the deer) trying to comprehend the
change that was coming over their land. Prairie chick-
ens in abundance made love on the grassy knolls in
the spring, and fattened in the fall, and as there were
no game laws, they were shot and snared by scores.
Quails were not the feeble remnant that divide up in
pairs now-a-days, but they went in flocks, and were as
abundant as the hazel thickets they hid in. Wild tur-
keys gobbled in the thicker woods, but were harder to
catch. Badgers burrowed in the sand banks, and prai-
rie wolves howled half the night, and skulked cross lots
in the morning, trotting slowly along and stopping and
turning around occasionally as if they were as innocent
as the dew drops under their feet, and had both taste
and time to enjoy the top of the morning, before the sun
was up. Snakes were numerous, and along the tim-
bered sloughs the passer-by was now and then startled
by the whirr of the coiled rattlesnake. But both pleas-
ures and annoyances of the pioneer class have gone to
return no more. The prairie is cut up with roads as
regularly laid as the streets of a city ; the view is brok-
204
HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
en by shade trees ; the forlorn badger has gone west,
and the bank where he burrowed is planted to corn ;
wild fruit must be sought in the orchard, and game can
grow only half as fast as it is wanted, and is protected
by law ; the groves are honey-combed by clearings, and
the tall beacon trees have been made into posts. All is
changed — and it is a change for the better.
CHAPTER XXX.
THE LAND SALE.
HE FIRST shipment of wheat from
Chicago was made in the year 1839.
Sixteen thousand bushels were collected
and sent around the lakes by schooner.
This was also the year of the organ-
ization of our neighbor county of Du-
Page, w^hich was at first proposed to be called Michigan
county.
There was a mail route from Lisbon to
NEWARK,
conducted by Mr. Giesler, who went a-foot and carried
the mail on his back. He lived in the house now occu-
pied by Pease Barnard on Asa Manchester's land. Man-
chester came in that season from Oswego county, New
IMPROVEMENTS IN PLOWS. 205
York ; also A. P. Southwick, from Clinton county, New
York, and Nelson D. Sweetland, M. D., father of our
State's Attorney, from Cayuga county, New York ; Ly-
man Smith, William Lutyen and Cornelius Courtright
came together from Luzerne county Pennsylvania. Smith
and Lutyen bought the Barnet building in Newark and
kept tavern for some time. Smith died after being here
eight years. The Lutyen family are Lyman and Clifford,
of Pontiac, and Mrs. George AVatson, Mrs. D. A. Munger
and Mrs. Wm: Wunder, of Newark. Elmer Mallory set-
tled above where S. C. Sleezer now lives. The Edgerton
school house was built in Gilbert Edgerton's yard, and
the same frame is still used. It is better known as the
" Fern Dell" district. Early teachers were Miss Long-
head, Miss Day, Abram Wing, Alonzo Hallock, and Ar-
villa Brown.
Christopher Misner was among the new comers at
Millington, and was in time to help his brother Fletcher
dedicate his new house, which is his residence still.
It was the third house in the place — the other two being
Jackson's, and the house of Jefferson Tubbs, the sawver
at the mill. Mr. Misner, that season, got a lot of
CAST IRON MOULDBOARDS
from Ohio, which were heralded as a great improvement
over the old wooden mouldboard with wrought iron shear.
They were shipped by river to Utica, and brought up
by team. They took well and did good work, but the next
spring they would not scour at all, and were discarded
as a failure. Three years afterward Mr. Misner made
the first wrought iron scouring plow, from patterns ob-
tained at Chicago. They were soon after made by Whit-
206 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
beck, at Chicago ; Jones, at Naperville ; McCollum, at
Aurora; and at Elgin, Lockport and other points. The
steel mouldboards at present in use did not come in until
1850.
New comers in the northern part of the county, were
Jedidiah Lincoln, Hiram Brown, Paul Colburn, L. B.
Bartlett, and A. J. Hunter.
IN OSWEGO,
Col. William Cowdrey, New York; Daniel Cooney,
Pennsylvania ; A. B. Smith, Ohio ; Walter Loucks,
Montgomery county. New York. The Wormley school
house was built of two inch plank set up endways and
pinned to the sills. School had previously been held at
Mr. Devoe's house, near the great spring (the largest
spring in the county). Miss Susan Townsend, now Mrs.
Lehman, taught. Then it was held in John Wormley's
granary, and was taught by Elizabeth VanVliet, and
Dorcas and Adeline Hopkins. And in the school house,
Maria Miller, Augusta Fletcher, Charlotte A. Crandall,
Norman Sexton, Lyman G. Bennett, John Tobey, Clia
Landerson, Virginia Hoyt, James Hughes, Clara War-
ner, George Kellogg, and George Robinson.
The graveyard there is called the " Wormley Ceme-
tery." The first one buried in it was John Wormley,
in 1836, son of William Wormley.
IN BRISTOL,
Horace Barnes, Owen Kennedy, Mr. Clapp, Thomas
Penman, Lyman Childs, Robert Hopkins and Thomas
McMurtrie. The latter was from Scotland, and opened
the first blacksmith shop in the town, on a lot given for
the purpose by Lyman Bristol.
MORE SETTLERS AT BRISTOL. 207
Mr. M. says : "I had the ague almost constantly for
the first year, and as I could get no quinine I was
obliged to hunt up weeds and barks, which helped me
but did not cure. But after a year it wore off." But
in the case of many of the settlers it did not wear off so
soon. Mr. Clapp ran the saw mill for Mr. Bristol, and
was afterward killed by the logs rolling on him. One
log was moved, and the rest, being on a side hill, started,
and there was not time to escape. The old corn mill
was also run, but was not so mnch patronized as other
mills were near by. Clapp's log house stood near the
site of Mr. Lane's barn. There was a ford across the
creek, over the river at the same point, coming out on
the south side near Mr. Graham's. Besides the build-
ings mentioned there were the dwellings of Godard,
Wheeler and McMurtrie, in a line on the hill, and H. S.
Colton's, opposite Wheeler's. Colton's was afterwards
bought by E. S. L. Richardson and cousin for a store.
It is now Dr. Bedding's residence. The west side of the
village was heavily timbered, so far east as the middle of
the public square, at which point the clay soil changed
to black loam, showing that the prairie and the wood
had kept their relative positions for a very long time.
Calhoun and Innis Grant came to Lisbon, Ephraim
Bronk and G. W. and E. Cooney to Na-au-say, and J.
P. VanCleve and Jacob Patrick to Seward. The latter
bought of Henry Case Stevens the tavern started by
Aianson Milks, and afterwards known as the "Patrick
Stand." It was known in '39 as the " Wolf tavern,'*
as Mr. Stevens had a stuffed prairie wolf for his sign.
Some years afterwards Norman Grey kept it. Mrs.
208 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
Grey was a renowned housekeeper, and her cooking was
famous all along the line. It was on the stage route
from Joliet, and Frink and Walker had stables there for
their horses, and a number of houses and farms. There
was an up stage and a down stage every day, besides
frequent extras, and an immense amount of travel.
One day when there had been a break down, seventy-
five passengers and employes were gathered at the tavern
for dinner. The stage drivers got $12.50 a month and
board.
A cemetery was opened on Frink and Walker's land,
in the field south of the present school house, and many
were buried there, but it has since been abandoned.
Several of the bodies were removed to the new cemetery
near the Ware school house when that was opened in 1857.
THE LAND SALE.
The last event of public importance in 1830 was the
cominjx of the land in the market in November. It was
a time of much stir and excitement, for it was now or
never with every settler who wished to retain his land —
with the exception of those who had bought Seminary
lands or Indian reservations. Money was extremely
hard to get, as the times had not improved since the
crash of two years before, and the two hundred dollars
with which to pay for one hundred and sixty acres of
land WHS harder to raise than one thousand dollars would
be now. Many a poor man for the sake of his little
farm, the only source of his family's bread, was obliged
to make such extreme sacrifices as perhaps none of the
later generation have ever known. Speculators too,
like birds of prey, were eagerly watching for opportu-
LAND SALE OF '39. 209
nities to pick up improved farms at government prices
and re-sell them to the owners at a large advance, or
turn them out of their homes. It was to guard against
those pitiless enemies that the settlers in each locality
clubbed together, promising to stand by each other and
see that each had his proper rights. The first thing
before going to the land, office was to settle every diffi-
culty and to agree on what portion of land each would
enter. Then a plat of the lands was made out and put
into the hands of a competent person who was to bid
them off and pay over the money — for the government
did only a cash business. Almon Ives was the chosen
bidder for the eastern part of the county, and Lancellot
Rood for the western part. Each of them loaded a
strong box full of silver on a wagon, and with a picked
squad of men for guard, toiled through the sloughs to
Chicago. The bidding had formerly been done in the
open air, on a vacant lot, corner of Clark and Randolph
streets. But so soft was the ground that as the crowd
increased it actually sank, and they removed to the lake
shore, and then into a building. One man stood at the
foot of the stairs with a stout cane, and another at the
top, and sometimes other guards between, and no one
was allowed to pass except on legitimate business. ." Can
I pass up?" a sleek looking stranger would say. ''Yes,"
was the reply, "but if you bid you will take the conse-
quences." And generally he concluded not to run the
risk. If occasionally a tract of land was knocked down
to a wrong bidder he was prevented from going up with
his money until after such a lapse of time that the sale
was void. When all were done the authorized bidders
210 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
gave the lands over to their constituents according to
the original plat, and they in turn re-deeded to each
other to conform their farms to the new survey lines.
Those re-deeds are the earliest entries on the Records in
the Recorder's ofl&ce. The first date after the land sale
is March 4th, 1840.
On that day Elisha Morgan, Joseph Matlock and Wil-
liam Harris each deeded to Almon Ives small portions
to straighten their boundaries. Occasionally a settler
was found who would not keep to the agreement, and
refused to re-deed to his neighbor, in which case the
other neighbors, sometimes from miles around, turned
out, and Mr. Recalcitrant w^as obliged to come to terms.
A case is mentioned further alono- in this work.
CHAPTER XXXI.
THE UNDERGROUND RAILWAY.
^MONG the settlers of 1840 were J. S. Bib-
bins, Dr. Temple, and Dr. D. B. Jewell, to
Big Grove ; Elisha and Elijah Misner, to
Fox ; Truman D. Austin, to Na-au-say ;
Elisha Hills, to Lisbon ; Josiah Ferris, Wil-
liam Hoze. Thomas and Harrison M. Smith,
to Oswego ; Henry Cryder, William Bry-
ant and J. F. Beane, to Seward ; Henry Abby, Peleg
Jones, J. T. West, Enos Ives, Rev. Mr. Woolson, Free
man Gifford, and Edward Hall, to Little Rock ; Reuben
Hunt, Samuel Roberts, Mr. O'Brien, W. 0. Parker,
William Briggs, Mr. Fishell, Curtis Beecher, C. W. Da-
vis, Edward S. L. Richardson, Wesley W. Winn, Jonas
Borton, and others, to Bristol and Oswego. Mr. Winn
was our county surveyor several years.
Reuben Hunt settled next to Lyman S. Knox, and his
was the first house on tlie site of Bristol Station. Mr.
Parker built a stone store at Oswego, and did a large
business for several years. Nathaniel Rising owned the
mill. A Methodist class was organized in Lisbon, by
Rev. E. Springer. The members were Solomon Wells
and wife, Jervis Moore and wife, James F. Moore and
212 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
Anion Heacox. No other religious movements marked
the year. Settlers were slow in coming in. and improve-
ments and changes were few. The prairie grass grew a
foot high in the village streets. Between Holderman's
and Marseilles there was not a single house. Between
Oswego and Plainfield there were but two houses.
1840 WAS SIGNALIZED
by the birth of the famous whig party, in opposition to
the Andrew Jackson party. Also by the coming in of
the Mormons from Missouri. They built Nauvoo, in
Hancock county, and after seven years of bitter strife
and much bloodshed, emigrated to Utah. The popula-
tion of the United States that year was seventeen mil-
lion, and it was the last census in which negro slaves
were returned as owned and worked in Illinois. Con-
siderable interest was created over the question of the
northern boundary of the State. The boundary line
for some other States had been paralleled with the south-
ern end of lake Michigan, but when Illinois was organ-
ized, the boundary line commenced " at a point on lake
Michigan in latitude 42 degrees, 38 minutes north." In
consequence, in the early part of 1840, Gov. Doty, of
Wisconsin, agitated the question of claiming the north-
ern counties of Illinois, and attaching them to Wiscon-
sin, and several mass meetings were held by his friends
in those counties. But the plan fell through.
The year was ushered in by one of the largest spring
freshets known. Fox River flooded all the lowlands
along its course, and at Millington two acres of splen-
did logs were carried away. Only two such freshets
have been known since, in 1857 and 1868. But the last
MURPHY ON THE HARD TIMES. 213
two have had bridges instead of saw logs to exert their
brief power on.
By the census of 1840 there were in the state of Illi-
nois four thousand negroes, of whom one hundred and
sixty were slaves : not all confined to the southern end
of the State, either, for there were four slaves in Lake
county and one in Kane county. The population of La-
Salle county was ten thousand, but the men outnum-
bered the women five to three. Kane county, with
six thousand seven hundred, was more evenly divided.
The internal improvement system had been abandoned,
with the exception of work on the canal, and this year
$147,000 was paid by the State as damages to contractors
for cancelling their contracts on eight railroads and three
river improvements. Times were very close, and the
miserable wild cat currency of that day tended to make
them more so. Mr. Murphy, of Cook county, in
A REPORT
on the suspension of specie payments, made to the Leg-
islature, said:
" Instability pervades every department of business.
The value of property fluctuates, not according to the
regular laws of trade, and all kinds of business seem to
be regarded as a species of lottery. The banks have
made more issues of paper than they have specie or
means to meet. They cannot pay three dollars with one
by any legerdemain of the counter or till. During the
expansion of the currency, property rises ; during con-
traction it falls, thus giving the banks a glorious oppor-
tunity of making fortunes from the public. They can
make property dear or cheap. They can create a fam-
214 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
ine in Israel and have corn in Egypt to allay it, but will
take care to sell the corn at their own prices. Our paper
circulation in 1837 was one hundred and fifty millions,
but a single fiat from Threadneedle street, in London,
demolished the fabric and exhibited to the astonished
gaze of American freemen the whole array of banks sus-
pended or bankrupt and the whole people ruined. Fail-
ures abounded, commerce was crippled, manufactures
suspended, wages reduced, multitudes out of employment,
values diminished, debts increased, and the barriers of
commercial honestj destroyed. The depreciated paper
was bought up by the banks at ruinous discounts. Such
is but a faint outline of the effects produced by our banks
during the late suspension.
All are but parts of a stupendous whole,
Whose body is avarice, without a soul."
The people, however, as they generally do, held the
administration as responsible for the distress, and
THE PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN
was a most exciting one.
Gen. Harrison was the Whig candidate, and as he
lived in the West, the log cabin and the hard cider barrel
became the symbols of his party. Many a drunkard
dated his downward course from the "hard cider cam-
paign" of 1840. Horace Greeley, then a rising young
man, published a campaign paper, called the '• Log
Cabin," and it had an immense circulation. Songs were
multiplied about " Tippecanoe and Tyler, too." They
were elected by heavy majorities ; but Harrison died one
month after his inausruration, and to the dissjust of the
Whigs, Tyler forsook the policy of his party.
SLAVERY AND ABOLITIONISM. 215
The county celebration of the Fourth of July was held
in 1840 at Newark. The appointed speaker did not
come, and Rev. H. S. Colton was called on, and in the
course of his impromptu remarks referred to slavery.
At once there was a tumult, and jeering cries were flung
at the speaker from every side. James Southworth was
chairman of the day — a staunch abolitionist himself —
but he was obliged to interrupt the speaker, telling him
that for the sake of peace they had made an agreement
among themselves not to agitate the subject. Bui Col-
ton could not repress his convictions, or amplify on the
gloriousness of our national freedom — with the freedom
left out — so he left off" his speech in the middle. The
very name of slavery or of
ABOLITIONISM
in those days was enough to set any ordinary crowd on
fire, and strange as it may seem, the great majority of
the people even here in our own Kendall, as well as
throughout the West, were so conservative in sentiment
as to be virtually pro-slavery. An avowed abolitionist
was despised, and even hated ; but they were not want-
ing, nevertheless. The blood of Elijah P. Lovejoy, like
the blood of John Brown since and William Morgan
before, was prolific of champions of the faith for which
blood had been shed. The underground rail road, so
called because of the secresy with which runaway slaves
traveled over it, had stations and helpers in almost every
village. Among the helpers were W. H. and William
Lewis, Mr. Hallock, George Barnard, Abel Gleason,
Zenas McEwen, Levi and Eben Hills, Ole Oleson, Ed-
ward Wright, H. S. Colton, B. F. Alden, Dr. Calvin
216 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
Wheeler, and others. In the northern part of the
county the route lay through Little Rock, generally put-
ting up at Dr. Buck's. Reuben Johnson, at Jericho,
kept the next station east, and Mr. Beveridge, fjither of
the Governor, the next station west. The latter had his
barn burned in consequence. Like many other barns it
had probably secreted more than one fleeing negro, and
if that was a crime against God and humanity then the
hated old frame was righteously consumed. But the
anti-slavery feeling grew so rapidly in the years that
followed, that Owen Lovejoy, that fearless champion of
human liberty, who, when he first ran for Congress,
received only 250 votes, was afterwards elected by
10,000 majority from the same Congressional District.
INCIDENTS.
Peter Stewart, of Wilmington, kept a famous depot,
and was indicted on complaint of a neighbor before a
grand jur^' at Joliet. Soon after a party of seven negroes
came along, and Mr. Stewart, taking them in his wagon
on his way to Chicago, called on his neighbor and intro-
duced his passengers as southern planters going north
for their health. The other was so taken back by Stew-
art's boldness, and so astonished at the increase of the
business under persecution, that when afterward by the
help of friendly lawyers the indictment was quashed,
he did not try it again.
Sometimes, however, by the force of circumstances,
the opposition of those unfriendly neighbors was broken
down. They had hearts as well as others, and their
feelings of humanity were occasionally too much for
them. Once to a conservative man's house came three
HELPING FUGITIVE SLAVES. 217
fugitives, black as three coals. They told their hard-
ships, and their fears, and their hopes, and trusted that
he was a friend. He was not, but in their presence he
speedily became so, for his politics entirely gave way.
His theory was straight, but his kinship for mankind
was strongest. He fed and lodged them, and with his
benediction sent them on their way. A similar experi-
ence happened to old 'Squire Walker, of Plainfield. He
was a strong opposer of the abolitionists, and often
declared that helping slaves to their freedom was no bet-
ter than horse stealing. But on one occasion a fugitive
came to his house. The poor runaway was breathless
with hurry and fear, and begged with broken entreaty
for assistance in his extremity. Here was a sharp-
horned dilemma for the 'Squire. How could he repu-
diate his own creed ? He was a law abiding citizen, and
it was his legal duty to send back the fugitive. He was
a democrat, and it was his political duty. He was a
Justice of the Peace, and it was his official duty. He
had been loud in his protestations against the " railway,"
and it was his personal and consistent duty. But there
was the trembling black man, and to that argument the
'Squire yielded, fed him and sent him on. In a little
while the pursuer came, but strangely enough could get
no satisfaction. The slave had been there, that was
known, but where he had gone no one seemed inclined
to tell. The slave catcher urged, and at last the other
openly slaughtered his principles and declared : " I'll
have nothing to do in the matter, it's between you and
your God and the nigger."
One of the leading " directors" in Chicago was Dr.
15
218 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
Dyer, a brother of George Dyer of Joliet. He was a
bold, fearless man, and did efficient service in the cause.
He was acquainted with the friends in the city, so when
the trains arrived, viz : farmers with loads of wheat or
pork, and a fugitive aboard, they reported to him and
he found safe lodging places for the living freight. At
one time the slave hunters captured their game, a colored
man, and locked him in a room guarded by a sentinel,
while they were obtaining the necessary papers to legal-
ize them in taking him away.
Dr. Dyer heard the news and hurried to the spot.
" Who's there?" the inside sentinel asked in response
to the loud thumping of the Doctor's cane on the door.
" I am Dr. Dyer," was the reply, " and I want to
come in."
"I have orders to admit no one," the sentinel
answered, "and you cannot enter."
" Then down comes the door."
" I'll shoot you if you attempt it."
But the Doctor had come for a purpose, and smash
went the door.
" Come out of this !" said he to the frightened fugi-
tive in a tone of authority, " and take care of yourself
quick."
The fugitive came out and was not long in sight, and
the over-awed sentinel, with curses, saw the Doctor walk
unharmed away.
Afterward, a southern planter, who was in Chicago,
hearing the story, so admired the Doctor's bravery that
he presented him with a gold-headed cane in commemo-
NEW SCHOOL IN OSWEGO.
219
ration of the event, which cane was for years his insep-
arable companion in his walks about the city.
CHAPTER XXXII
OUR county's birth.
SOMETIME about 1840 the Oswego schol-
ars gathered in a new school house near
the site of Oliver Hibbard's shop, where
school was afterwards kept for eight or
ten years. Mr. Tarr, Mr. Thornton,
C. G. Martin, Norman Sexton, Frank
Cables, Miss L. Swartout, and Julia
Applebee were among the teachers. In 1850 the stone
school house was opened, with Chester Hammond as the
first teacher. After him came the following principals :
E. N. Lewis, H. H. Haff, James Allison, Albert Snooks,
John McKinney, Warren Wilkie, Philander Brown,
0. S. Wescott, J. H. Gano, Mr. Pearsall, Edward and
E. P. Whiting, F. H. Metcalf, J. Thorp, Daniel Yoor-
hees, D. H. Taylor, L. Van Fossen, J. E. Brown, Milo
L. Mason, and C. C. Duffy. The following names of
primary teachers, also are especially worthy of being
mentioned : Dorcas Schram, Lizzie Moore, Fannie Por-
ter, Florence Childs, Libbie Murphy, Anna Brown,
Amanda Weeks, Josie Forbes, Mattie Farley, and Pau-
220 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
line Wayne. Dorcas Schram has taught altogether over
fifty terms of school.
The Piano cemetery was opened in 1840. Oscar
Ryan, four years old, son of William Ryan, was the
first buried in it. The same year the " Sandy Bluff"
school, in the Alonzo Tolman district, Little Rock,
began with a log school house. Alonzo Tolman, Jean-
nette Leigh, Franklin B, Ives, Lucinda Ryan, and Mar-
illa Tolman taught in it.
In the new school, built in 1845, Davis Rogers and
Harriet Hyde were the first teachers: also, Benj. Dar-
nell, Amaretta Lincoln, Ann Sly, John A. Armstrong,
Bryant Walker, Enos Ives, and Sarah Matteson.
The Stebbins school, in what is known as the " Ce-
ment District," Little Rock, was the successor of the
Young school, dating from 1840. Solomon Stebbins
owned the place now owned by L. C. Gorton, and the
school was opened in a log house, James Teaby, Emily
Bean, Carrolton Hunt, teachers. It was succeeded by
the Charles Raymond school, taught by Anna Lowry,
R. M. Pendexter and Gilbert B. Lester. While the
latter was teaching the house burned down, and he took
his school into a part of Mr. Hunt's house. That was
in 1849, and the cement school house was opened two
years afterwards. The following were early teachers :
Mr. Chittenden, Mr. Hough, Mr. Whitman, Mr. Cum-
mings, H. C. Beard, Minnie Todd, Mary, Lizzie and
Georgiana Smith.
In 1840 some of the graves in the
INDIAN BURYING GROUND
on the farm of L. S. Chittenden, in Little Rock, were
INDIAN BURYING GROUND. 221
opened by Frederick Rush, who then owned the place.
The graves are in a row on the brow of the river bluff,
which at that place is steep and high. The skeletons
were found in a good state of preservation. In one
grave was found a loaded rifle and a brass kettle with
beans in it. The rifle was taken to Robert Casler's
blacksmith shop in Yorkville, and being put into the
fire in order to take it apart, the charge exploded. The
grave was probably that of a chief or distinguished
warrior, who was thus provided with food and ammunition
for his long journey to the spirit land.
EIGHTEEN HUNDRED AND FORTY-ONE
was the birth year of Kendall. The matter had been
privately discussed for some time, and during the pre-
vious fall a petition to the Legislature was prepared and
circulated by Mr. Duryea and others. It received a
large number of signatures from the LaSalle people on
the south side of the river, and a smaller number from
the Kane county people on the north side. A majority
in Kane, however, were opposed to the movement, be-
lieving their county not too large, and a remonstrance
was circulated among them and numerously signed, pro-
testing against the division.
November 23rd, 1840, the twelfth General Assembly
of the State of Illinois convened at Springfield, and on
January 4th, following, the Kane County Remonstrance
was presented and read by Abram R. Dodge, Represent-
ative from LaSalle county. It was referred to the Com-
mittee on Counties, who decided adversely to it ; and on
January 16th, the chairman of the committee, Milton
222 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
Carpenter, from Hamilton, reported a bill for '' An Act
to create
THE COUNTY OF ORANGE,"
as the new county was proposed to be called. It was to
be eighteen miles square, beginning at the north-east
corner of the township of Oswego, and to include three
townships of Kane county and six of LaSalle. Three
days afterwards, January 19th, the bill came up for its
second reading, the title only being read this time. On
motion of Ebenezer Peck, of Will county, the name of
the county was changed from Orange to Kendall. This
was a political firebrand thrown into the House, for
Amos Kendall was an Andrew Jackson man, his Post-
master General, and Jackson was the most berated Presi-
dent we ever had. The amendment, however, was
carried by a vote of fifty-one to thirty-four. Abraham
Lincoln and Lyman Trumbull were members of the
House, and voted in the affirmative. When the vote was
announced, Joseph Gillespie, of Madison county, who
voted in the negative, moved to further amend the bill
by inserting the words "Honest Amos" before the word
"Kendall." But the motion was laid on the table, and
lies there yet. The further progress of the bill was as
follows :
January 20th it was reported as correctly engrossed.
February 1st, the title was read the third time and the
bill was passed. February 12th, passed by the Senate.
February 19th, reported as correctly enrolled, and on
the same day approved by the Council of Revision.
Two other bills began their travel at the same time,
and kept company with the Kendall county bill. One
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS. 223
was to create Grundy county, the other was to promote
the welfare of our colored people, by requiring them to
be registered at the circuit clerk's office ; and even that
did not secure them from being claimed and sold as
slaves. A board of commissioners, consisting of John
H. Harris, of Tazewell county, Eli A. Rider, of Cook
county, and William E. Armstrong, of LaSalle county,
were appointed to locate the county seat. They met at
Yorkville in June, and with a party of citizens pro-
ceeded to several points in the county, finally fixing on
Yorkville, as perhaps they foresaw they should from the
first. April 5th an election was held in the different
voting precincts, and J. J. Cole, Levi Hills and Reuben
Hunt were chosen as the Board of County Commission-
ers. The following were members of the Board up to the
abolition of the office in 1849 : Ansel Kimball, L. D.
Brady, Samuel Jackson, J. W. Chapman, C. Henning,
S. G. Collins.
The remaining county officers in 1841, were J. A.
Fenton, County Clerk ; A. B. Smith, Circuit Clerk.
Kendall was in the Ninth Judicial District. Thomas
Ford, afterward Governor, was Circuit Judge. Ten
counties were included in the circuit ; court time in Ken-
dall being the fourth Mondays in August and May.
Eight Justices of the Peace were elected, viz : Lance-
lot Rood, D. E. Davis, Solomon Wells, Albert Bush, S.
G. Collins, George B. Hollenback, T. L. Broughton and
S. B. Craw. Almon B. Ives was elected Probate Justice ;
Norman Dodge, Titus Howe, and Royal Bullard after-
wards filled the office in succession.
' Among the arrivals that year, were Nelson Plutt, J.
224 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
N. Austin, Godfrey Stevenson, old Mr. and Mrs. Mis-
ner, and Israel L. Rogers. The latter is now one of our
wealthiest farmers : owns a thousand acres of land and
is worth $100, 000. Mr. Austin was County Surveyor
for a time. But perhaps the most illustrious family
among the settlers that year was that of
HORATIO FOWLER.
He was a Canadian, and being concerned in the rebellion
of '37, had spent two years in prison, and was finally
liberated through the able intercession of his wife. She
was a very smart and talented woman. He was a rela-
tive of Lyman Smith and came to Newark in search of
a new home, finding which, he sent for his family. He
lived a while on Thuneman's corner, and then bought a
piece of land of Mr. Stowell, on the creek, and built a
rude dwelling there. He afterward built his house on
the hill, now occupied by Isaac Lott. Huldah, the old-
est daughter, died after they had been here a year. Two
brothers and one sister remained. Henry became a phy-
sician, and is now somewhere west. Fowler Institute is
named after him. Charles studied for the ministry; was a
pastor several years, then President of Evanston Univer-
tity, now editor of the New York Christian Advocate,
and is a leading spirit in the Methodist denomination.
Jane married Rev. W. C. Willing, and is herself acquir-
ing a national reputation as a speaker and writer. A
prominent characteristic of the entire family is " push,"
and they have pushed themselves from the little cabin by
the creek, where the floor was overflowed at every freshet,
up to positions of honor and usefulness.
FIRST TERM OF COURT. 225
The first public record in the new county of Kendall
was a sale of land from John Gilman to Clark B. Alford,
April 15th, 1841. In June, Archibald Sears, county
surveyor, laid oiF ten acres in Yorkville for a court house
square. The land was owned by Rulief S. Duryea and
Henry Carrington. Before the final transfer was made,
in August, Mr. Carrington disposed of his right to Jas.
S. Cornell, and by the latter and Mr. Duryea it was
deeded to the county. The first term of Court was held
in May. Following is the list of the grand jurors :
Daniel Ashley, L. C. Gorton, Daniel Hubbard, Joel
Warner, James Stafi'ord, Benj. C. Burns, Horace Moore,
H. S. Misner, Wm. Burns, R. W. Cams, John Litsey,
J. W. Mason, Geo. Van Emmon, Archibald Sears, C. B.
Ware, Lancelot Rood, H. W. Williams, Abbott Bush,
F. F, Winchell, Jas. McClellan, R. S. Duryea, Lyman
Bristol, and Richard Drury.
The following additional names were either new set-
tlers or had been here some time : Big Grove — George
Bushnell, Oscar Barstow, Robert Rowe, J. S. Witting-
ton ; Seward — George E. Harrison ; Oswego — Samuel
Pyatt, David and Reed Ferris, Peter J. Lestourgeon,
Edward Simons ; Kendall — Joshua Hallock ; Fox —
Joseph B. Lyon, Samuel Morse, J. S. Van Kleut ; Bris-
tol — Chas. Lake ; Little Rock — Frederick Rush, Andrew
Shonts. The
LONG GROVE SCHOOL
started in 1841. The first house was built by each
neighbor putting in from three to five logs each. Jehiel
McCrary was the first teacher ; then Thomas Ervin,
Hannah Moore, Ebenezer Scofield, Mr. Davis, Amanda
226
HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
Luce, Robert Mclntyre, Sarah and Caroline Ives, Miss
Wilcox and Cyne Misner.
CHAPTER XXXIIl
DARK DAYS.
I^N 1842 came Andrew Brodie into Fox
township ; Mr. Lyons, Byron E. and
David H. Shonts to Little Rock ; Thom-
as Greenfield, John Chapman, Samuel
and Thomas Hopkins, Dr. Clemmons,
E. D. Bradley and George Bradley to
Oswego; C. R. Cook, David Springer,
Mr. Young, C. H. Raymond, Dr. Pierre, A. Allaire,
and Leonard Mabbott to Bristol ; Ark en Baker, Dennis
Dougherty, Solon and Augustus Worthing, to Seward.
Lewis Rickard came from New York with several of the
Montgomery county boys, who wanted to view the coun-
try, but the others went back and saw Illinois no more.
The following names, most of them not mentioned
before, are copied from
AN OLD STORE BOOK
of Geo. D. Richardson & Co., through the courtesy of
E. S. L. Richardson. They, with many others, traded
with Messrs. Richardson & Co, during 1841 : James P.
NAMES FROM A STORE BOOK. 227
■
Lamb, John B. Ball, Lyman Howard, Joseph Pratt,
Sterling Beecher, James S. Jones, Alex. NcGregor, F.
F. Elgin, John Gates, Joseph Boyce, Larnal Wilson,
Anne Leighton, Dr. Pierre, A. Allaire, W. B. Smith,
W. L. Shaw, James B. Lowry, Royal Bell, Waldo
Marsh, Eric Nelson, J. N. Tolman, Russell Ball, Hiram
Austin, J. R. Byerly, J. Starke Burroughs, Paul Lamb,
George Ross, J. E. Ament, Peter Cook, Zenas Dunbar,
Horatio Johnson, H. H. Williams, George H. Rogers,
Sullivan Cone, Samuel Pope, Dexter Howard, Charles
R. Noble, John L. Gale, Elihu Sutton, John Lott,
Daniel Crandall, Smith Shaw, Mrs. Browning, D. D.
Munger, N. A. Parkhurst, Jason Parmenter, Edward
Moore, William Rogers, Sabian Tustanson, Peter Innis,
J. McCrary, Nelson Howe, Simeon Ives, Moses Sweet,
Robert Cook, G. Cleveland, Mahlon Coombs, W.
Kearnes, J. Burbee, Edwin Howe, C. K. Carr, Henry
Stone, William Harrison, G. W. Bradley, Charles N.
Macubin, I. G. Potter, William H. Eddy, Joseph L.
Clarke, B. Douglas, A. Olmstead, T. J. Smith, J. D.
Gardner, Alanson King, James Bond, Ruth Kennedy,
Raphael Beecher. E. Hill, Dennison Burroughs, D.
Winchell, John Inscho, John Reed, Thomas Abbey,
Apollos King, Hervey King, Horace Scott, Benjamin
Fosgate, Otis Ashley, G. C. Carr, William Boss, Mr.
Graver, M. M. Clarke, J. Bennett, Garrett L. Collins,
Mr. Lincoln, Jno. Pearson, Lester M. Burroughs, Wil-
liam Kimball, Mr. Boughton, F, Winchell, J. Kennedy,
Catharine Barstow.
Besides those one hundred names are the names of
many well known settlers of that day, making about one
228 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
■
hundred and fifty in all. The list probably includes
nearly all the families then living within a radius of six
or eight miles of Bristol. The Congregationalists bought
the old store, now standing on the hill by the mouth of
Blackberry creek, and used it for meetings and schools.
The feeling consequent upon the
FORMATION OF THE COUNTY
had not subsided, and so late as December 30th, 1842, a
remonstrance was sent to the Legislature from citizens of
LaSalle county, remonstrating against their being set
ofi" into Kendall. It was presented by Rev. Elisha Bib-
bins, who, on some disafi'ection between the political par-
ties, had been elected Representative from LaSalle, as a
union candidate. But as an off-set, he presented at the
same time a petition from the citizens praying for a con-
tinuance of the county as it had been organized.
The historian still meets with but few names of new
settlers, and the fact is clearly stated by Gov. Carlin in
a message to the Senate :
"Owing to our
ACCUMULATED MISFORTUNES
the tides of emigration and wealth have ceased to flow
into the State. All the channels of trade are completely
obstructed, and the vitality of business seems almost
extinct. The produce of the country is reduced to its
lowest price, and in many places cash cannot be realized
for it at all. It will be difiicult, if not impossible, for the
people to procure current funds for the payment of taxes.
Cash cannot at present be realized from the sale of pub-
lic lands owned by the State."
STATE FINANCIAL ADVERSITY. 229
Governor Ford in his inaugural said: "Two causes
have operated to prevent an increase of population for
a year or two past. One is the prevalent fear of exor-
bitant taxes ; the other the reproach to which Ave are
subject abroad."
In the preamble to resolutions against repudiation,
adopted a few days after, it is said: "Under our
former policy public works were begun and prosecuted,
and vast schemes of internal improvement adopted alto-
gether disproportionate to our means. These measures
had their origin in the delusions incident to one of those
periodical excitements which in Europe as well as this
country have led States and individuals into inordinate
speculations, uniformly terminating in bankruptcy and
ruin. Under the influence of this delusion former Legis-
latures have contracted debts in times of great apparent
prosperity which we are now in a period of financial
adversity utterly unable to liquidate. But * *
we fully recognize the legal and moral obligations of
discharging every debt, and the revenues of the State
shall be appropriated for that purpose as soon as they
can be made available without impoverishing and oppress-
ing the people.
It was, perhaps, the darkest time in the history of our
State, and in many a household the pinching of poverty
was extreme. But in the midst of the gloom there were
yet many things to be thankful for, and by the Gov-
ernor's proclamation, December 29th, 1842, was set apart
as a public Thanksgiving Day. The prayers offered up
were heard, for times began to be better, and two years
thereafter emigration began to pour in as of old, and
230 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
money, the life blood of the community, began to circu-
late through the channels of trade.
In December, the
LAND OFFICE
was opened for the district embracing Kane county and
our three northern townships formerly in Kane, and in
these the same troubles were experienced and the same
precautionary measures taken as in the southern part of
the county before. Marcus Steward, James McClellan
and Daniel S. Gray were among those who did the bid-
ding for tlieir several localities. In Little Rock, a Claim
Association was formed, with J. M. Kennedy for captain,
and James Phillips lieutenant, who marched to Chicago
to see that the settlers had their rights. The plan gen-
erally followed was to let any one bid who wished, and
as high as they wished, and often a man's farm, with all
its improvements, would be knocked down to a specula-
tor who had never seen it, or to an avaricious neighbor
who coveted it. But the lockout would come the next
morning when the purchaser, gleeful over a good bar-
gain, appeared with his money, and could not pass the
guard until the appointed hour had passed, and the tract
of land had been called again and knocked down to the
real owner at government price. The officers were in
understanding with the settlers in the matter, and were
silent partners in the agreement ; for though not the
letter of the law, it was certainly the honest wish of
the government that every actual settler should keep his
own farm ; and it was surely difficult enough to do this
even at the lowest prices, and many who are now weal-
EXPERIENCES OF PIONEERS. 231
thy were then unable to raise the money at all. Follow-
ing is a part of the
PIONEER EXPERIENCES
of D. H. Shonts, Esq. : Three miles above Piano, on
the Big Rock creek, is the mill site where in 1836 a saw
mill was erected by Elisha Pearce and Wm. Wilson, of
Oswego. They also got out the frame for a grist mill,
but it was never put up. In 1838 the property was
traded to Eber M. Shonts, and in 1842 to his brother,
David H. Shonts, the present owner. The latter came
with his family from Herkimer county, New York, with
a capital of $58, and saved but one dollar to begin life
with in Illinois. To make times still harder, the ague
waited for him and boarded with him all winter ; had
the misfortune to cut his foot in the spring ; was taken
down with bilious fever in June, and had a relapse of
fever in August. He was barely recovered when his
father died, and ten weeks afterwards his brother Eber's
wife also died, her husband following the ensuing year. In
the year 1846 there were two other deaths in the family.
At the land sale in '42, he was unable to raise the
money to pay for his farm, and arranged to borrow it of
Barnabas Eldredge, who, in turn expected to procure it of
Thomas Swift. But the latter discovered what it was for,
and was minded to make something for himself, if any-
thing was to be made ; whereupon Mr. Shonts applied
to Mr. Tuttle, of Chicago, who, though hard pressed in
his own business, loaned his friend the money at twenty-
five per cent interest, taking the Government duplicate
of land as security. After three years, Mr. Tuttle de-
sired a settlement, and Mr. Shonts deeded his farm to
232 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
Moses Booth for money to pay Tuttle, and then to J.
L. Adams, of Ottawa, for money to pay Booth — all the
time paying twenty-five per cent. At last, in '47, he
obtained the deed of his farm from Adams. After escap-
ing the jaws of the speculators at Chicago, there were
difficulties among neighbors to settle. One was known
as the " Hummel and Hubbel case," in which one of the
parties refused to re-deed to the other, according to mu-
tual contract. The reason was, he would lose a larger
slice than he would gain. After all fair means had
been tried, the neighbors were notified and they met on
an appointed day to the number of one hundred and fifty,
resolved to enforce obedience to the law. All the young
bloods in the country were there, eager for "fan,"
but enough of the sober element were present to control
the proceedings. A deputation was first sent to the house
of the accused, but met with no success, and they left him
with the words: "We have done what we could, sir, and
you must bear the consequences." It was then resolved
to take down and remove the logs of his house, but soon
a messenger came, announcing his willingness to deed
the patch of land, and so the matter was settled without
recourse to violence.
CHAPTER XXXIV.
CLAIM FIGHTS.
N Seward, among the settlers of 1843, were
R. Bellfield and Edward Jones ; in Na-au-
say, R. M. Wheeler, 0. C. Johnson, Geo.
Bellfield, Henry Pulver, Mr. Bingham, Mr.
Avery, James Brady, Mr. Merritt, Mr.
Gould, Charles Suydam, Edward Fogarty,
Peter and John VanDyke. The Wheeler
family now own one-eighteenth of the town
of Na-au-say. Mr. Johnson is a son-in-law. Both he
and A. K. Wheeler have been to the Legislature. His
first house was a board shanty near the site of his pres-
ent residence, and there he was obliged to leave his wife
and little family while he went to Chicago. Every day
the cows had to be fetched from the almost boundless
prairie, and every night the wolves drearily howled
all about them.
Mr. Jones was direct from Wales, Avith nothing Amer-
ican about him — not even the language. He met Mr.
Milks in Chicago with a load of grain, and rode out with
him, and that was how it came about that his lot was
cast in Kendall county. A bachelor by the name of
16
234 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
Harrison owned the place on which the Bronk school-
house now stands, and died that year.
The old cemetery on the Austin farm, then Sullivan's,
was begun in 1843. Several graves still remain there.
Mrs. John Merritt was the first buried there. In the
town of Kendall settled S. W. Brown, John Dunn and
Chris. Johnson. The latter was from Norwav, and the
first Norweigan on the prairie where now there are so
many hundreds. In Little Rock, Henry Persons, Wil-
liam Hardy and W. S. Faxon ; in Oswego, Cyrus Cass,
John Collins, H. Minard, George Wooley ; in Bristol,
William Grimwood, J. C. Scofield ; Lisbon, N. W. Sher-
rill, G. C. Gaylord, Kirkland and • Baker Knox, and
Deacon Beebe. The latter brought out what was at
least one of the first pianos in the county, if not the
very first. It is an antiquated but sweet sounding little
thing, though more valuable for its history and associa-
tions than its music, and is now owned by John Codner,
of Lisbon.
In Big Grove, David Barrows, Michael Brown, Deacon
Gridley and Lot Preshur. Mr. Barrows exchanged
property with J. J. Hunt, of Naperville, and lived there
two years, but the rest of the time he lived here. Mr.
Brown was brought out from Chicago by Josiah Sey-
mour, and on arriving here had but very little money
left. He lived for a time on the Isaac Anderson place
with Albert P. Brewster, now in Kansas, and Josiah
Fosgate, now in Lee county. He hired out at once to
go with a threshing machine, and after working a month
met with an accident by which he lost a limb. He sue-
MR. murphy's fly BILL. 235
ceeded, however, in securing a good farm, and has raised
a large and enterprising family.
Mr. Gridley bought his place of Lewis Robinson, a
tailor, and the shop in which he worked is still a part of
the dwelling house on the farm. Lot Preshur built
Mrs. H. L. Warner's house in Newark. He was a ma-
chinist, and soon became well known as a reaper inventor
and manufacturer.
During the previous winter a petition was sent to the
Legislature, praying that the name of Georgetown might
be changed to
NEWARK,
as there was another Georgetown in Vermillion county.
The petition was presented by Alfred E. Ames, of Boone
county, and the Act making the change was passed Feb-
ruary 16th, 1843. On January 28th, preceding, a peti-
tion was presented by Mr. Bibbins, praying the incor-
poration of "Newark Academy," but it was referred
without reading to the Committee on Banks and Cor-
porations, Murphy, of Cook, chairman, and was there
lost. Kendall county had no Representative, but a peti-
tion was sent in praying an Act enabling them to elect
one. But Mr. Murphy, though he frowned on the
Academy, had time to introduce a bill of his own for
"An Act to incorporate a joint stock association whose
charter shall be irrepealable for five hundred years, and
whose duties it shall be to prevent flies from infesting
our dairies, defiling our butter, and drowning themselves
in our buttermilk," which was read the first and second
times by its title, and referred to the Committee on
Banks and Corporations.
236 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
THE NEWARK CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
was organized April 9th, by Rev. Alvah Day, with
twenty-one members. Among them were T. J. Phillips,
Josiah Seymour, Lyman Preston and A. F. Southwick,
and their wives. Ole Oleson and Horace Day and wife
joined soon after. The pastors succeeding Mr. Day
were L. Rood, Romulus Barnes, C. L. Bartlett, James
Taylor, George Bassett, Robert Budd, R. Markham, L.
Farnham, Mr. Anderson, Mr. Burns and C. B. Curtis.
The first meetings were held over Murray's store, in
Mrs. Niblo's building, then owned by Mr. Gardner. A
gravel meeting house was finished in 1849, which, after
eight years' service, was burned down by an accident
happening to a traveling exhibition which had been
allowed the use of the house for an entertainment. A
new house was built and dedicated in 1861. W. C.
Willing and wife, then Miss Jennie Fowler, and her
brothers Henry and Charles, were members of the church,
afterward uniting with the Methodists. Warren F. Day
went out from it, now pastor of the Congregational
Church at Union City, Michigan.
August 31st an association was formed for the better
care of the
NEWARK AND MILFORD BURYING GROUND,
at a public meeting held on the ground. Jesse Jackson,
Henry A. Misner and Nathan Aldricli were chosen
trustees, and Levi Brainard treasurer and secretary. A
movement for the sale of lots to raise money for fencing,
had been started in the June previous, and one hundred
and sixty-one persons subscribed from fifty cents to twu
NEWARK AND MILFORD BURIAL GROUND. 237
dollars each. But the sums were not all paid for a long
time. The price of a lot and the digging of a grave had
for years been one dollar and a half, but after the organ-
ization it was raised to two dollars and a half, which many
in that day thought a very high price.
The following year the contract for fencing was finally
let to Samuel Jackson for seventy dollars, and three
years after the sexton's tool house was built at a cost of
thirty-five dollars. There are at the present time three
hundred lot owners whose names are recorded, and there
are in the cemetery more than eight hundred distin-
guishable graves, besides many that have long since
been obliterated. Six hundred of the graves are marked
by headstones, and five by large monuments.
A burying ground has been a sacred spot ever since
Abraham, who could do without a permanent home for
himself, but wanted a permanent home for his dead. It
is a symbol of Christianity which cares for the dust of
our mortality, and calmly opposes the gush of modern
religionists about the worthlessness of the body and the
beauty of cremation furnaces.
Three schools date from here. The Millington school
had for its first teachers : Miss Courtright, Miss Loug-
head, Miss Ingalls, Annie Sherman, John Todd, Mary
Scott, Miss Martindale, Delia Fuller, and Jane Fowler.
The first is now Mrs. T. J. Phillips, the last Mrs. W.
C. Willing.
The Boomer school, in Bristol, was also built in 1843,
the second school house being built in 1855. First
teachers : Ann Lowry, Carlton Hunt, Polly Lowry, Gil-
bert Lester, Rhoda Shaver, Emily Dyer, Aaron Alford,
238 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
Benj. GiiFord, Mr. Sullivan, John Young, James Keel-
er, and Mr. Moore.
The Albee school, Oswego, was rebuilt in 1858. Early
teachers : Annie Stowell, Henry Chapman, Howell
Moffatt, Minnie Graham, Mary Barr, James Coe, Mary
A. Thornton, Jane Rosier, Wiltby Thayer, Mary Bruce,
and Henry Titsworth. Miss Stowell taught her school
in a spare room in Walter Selvey's house, before the
school house was built, beginning in 1841.
An extensive
CLAIM FIGHT
that raged in 1841 may be given here. The main points
were about as follows : Mr. Hutton made his claim
where J. J. Griswold's farm now is, near the Rob Roy
creek, and after a while left it. Rogers and Eldredge,
supposing the claim vacated, went on it ; but Hutton
by-and-by sold for a trifle to John Boyd, and he, too,
moved on it. Then there was war. There was, perhaps,
blame on both sides, but the people generally regarded
Boyd as in the wrong, and on the complaint of the other
parties took active measures against him. Mr. Griswold
was on one quarter, and they put the crops in by a bee,
in opposition to Boyd. The latter then moved on the
next quarter, which was all timber land, and most of
which was claimed by John Wheeler. He was Swiss,
and not naturalized, and could not hold in his own
name, so Hiram Brown was put on with him. The
contest waxed hot. Mr. Boyd's son-in-law, Mr. Throck-
morton, a large, muscular man, took an active part in
it. His side began cutting timber, whereupon a day
was appointed and nearly one hundred men assembled
THE MILLERITE EXCITEMENT. 239
to cut opposition timber. That was a day long remem-
bered. Bad words were used and threats made, but no
blood was shed. Mr. Boyd instituted a suit against
twenty-one of the opposition, which ran through the
Kane county courts for years, and was known as the
" Twenty-one suit."
During the early part of 1843 the Miller excitement
in regard to the end of the world was at its height.
William Miller had fixed on April, 1843, as the time of
the end, and there were many believers in his arithmetic
in this county. It is no doubt a fact that some of them
had their white robes ready made for the occasion, from
a wrong interpretation of Rev. 7:9. The clothing of
heaven is holiness, spiritual in texture, and not cloth
from the Georgia cotton fields. Christ is coming again,
" in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven" ;
but he, himself, was careful to teach us that " of that
day and hour knoweth no man, no not the angels of
heaven." And if still we are curious to know, we have
his rebuke, that " it is not for you to know the times or
the seasons, which the Father hath put in His own
power." " Watch, for ye know not when the Master
cometh."
A great excitement was created at the close of the
year 1843 by the
RYDER MURDER CASE.
Ansel Ryder owned the farm afterward owned by Joel
Warner, and now by Elijah Pricket, half a mile south
of the village. He and others were in Smith's tav-
ern, in the Barnett block, Newark, when Owen Haymond
passed a joke which ofi'ended Ryder. He went home
240 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
for his rifle and shot Haymond in the door of the tavern,
not, however, seriously wounding him. Riding back, he
barricaded himself in his house. The neighbors from all
about assembled, but he held them at bay most of the
night. Finally, Charles McNeil, while unfastening a
window, was also shot, which so enraged the crowd that
they broke in the door with a log, and arrested him
before he could reload his rifle. Mr. McNeil was shot
through the chest, so that a silk handkerchief could be
drawn through ; he died in a few days. J. S. Cornell
was Sheriff, and kept the prisoner up stairs in his house
— the yellow house still standing just west of the court
house in Yorkville. It was not a very secure jail, and
Ryder, thinking he could escape, leaped from the front
window and broke his leg. The trial came on at the fol-
lowing spring term of court. Judge Dickey was his lead-
ing counsel, and B. F. Fridley prosecuting attorney ; and
as the prisoner refused to plead, a plea of " not guilty "
was entered for him. At the fall term of court, for some
reason, Mr. Fridley refused to prosecute, and the pris-
oner was discharged, but was again arrested ; and so the
case dragged along for three years. The result was that
Ryder escaped punishment, went to California, returned,
and died in Joliet ; and Judge Dickey took the farm for
his fees. From such scenes, it is pleasant to turn to the
fact that 1843 was rendered memorable by a powerful
revival of religion among the churches, which increased
the membership fully one-third. It was a union of utter
depression in business, with the most glorious salvation
of souls.
The winter was also characterized by the excellent
PROSPERITY RETURNS.
241
sleighing, which lasted without intermission from No-
vember to April. It set in cold November 18th, while
flowers were yet in bloom, and the ice did not break up
until April 9th. On April 7th, the river could be crossed
on the ice.
CHAPTER XXXV.
THE SLAVE AUCTION.
'he year 1844— the year of the first
'I telegraph between Washington and
Baltimore — was marked by a decided
return of prosperity. The winter had
been severe ; the spring mud was
something unknown before, and up to
the first of June the roads were well
nigh impassable for teams. The entire summer was very
wet, keeping the roads bad and the streams flooded, yet
a larger number of emigrants came through than in any
one season during the seven years previous. There is
room to mention only those who became permanent set-
tlers : In Kendall, Charles Merrick, William Buchanan,
William Dunn, James Springer, Mr. Willet; in Lisbon,
P. W. Coulthurst, Henry Munson, C. Z. Convis, Mr.
Widney, W. J. Jordan, Harry Harford ; in Na-au-say,
L. A. Whitlock, Conard Schark, George Schilling, Law-
rence Carroll and David Smith. The voting precincts
242 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
were re-formed that year. Na-au-say had formerly
been in the Gary precinct, voting at Oswego, but was
made the Aux Sable precinct. In this precinct the local
officers were chosen viva voce, and it was discovered at
the close, funnily enough, that 0. C. Johnson had been
elected Justice by mistake, instead of Rollin Wheeler.
In Little Rock were Alfred Houghtalen, Sherrill Bird,
T. Ryder, John Cox, Henry Hart and Mr. Field. The
village of Little Rock was laid out that season, and the
above, with L. D. Brady and Abram Crandall, were the
purchasers of lots.
In Oswego, Wright Murphy, M. S. Richards, John
and William Bertram, Ezekiel Davis, Edwin Hunt, Elias
Ladd. In Big Grove, Hiram Scofield, Davis Lord and
three sons, Samuel Bingham, Aaron Petty, Ira Scofield,
Mr. Drumgool and Ezekiel Howes. Mr. Howes was
killed in 1851 by a bucket falling on him while digging
a well on Mr. Cassem's place, west side of Big Grove.
In Fox, Tunis F. Budd. Among the peculiarities of
the times was a rage for
. ACADEMIES.
Perhaps nearly every village in the West has at some
period in its history caught the Academy fever, formed
an association, either incorporated or otherwise, and
perhaps built a house. From this we may draw an indi-
cation and a use. It is an indication of the strong love
entertained by the early settlers for education, and its
use was to supplement the deficiencies of the common
school system until that system was able to meet the
demands of the people. When that time came the
Academies were merged into the common schools. The
NEW CHURCHES ORGANIZED. 243
Lisbon Academy — the present public school building —
was built in 1844. Mr. Dewey, Mr. Slade, a son of
Gov. Slade, of Massachusetts, Mr. Andrews and Col.
Oleson were among the teachers. The Pavilion Academy
was originated and carried on to completion by Rev. J.
F. Tolman. He rode all over the country soliciting five
dollar shares, hailing men at their work and boys at the
plow, and so raised the full amount required. The
building was a one-story brick, two rooms. The present
school house is built out of the old bricks. E. L. Bart-
lett was the first teacher. In Newark two religious
societies were formed. One, a Universalist Society,
under the preaching of Rev. Messrs. Hall and Manly.
It was for a time quite flourishing. The other, a Bap-
tist Society, the nucleus of the
NEWARK BAPTIST CHURCH,
organized by the Sailor Preacher, Rev. Morgan Edwards.
Mr. Edwards had formerly been a very wild and wicked
man. His first serious thought arose from seeing the
word "eternity " on a leaf which a fellow sailor was
reading. It startled and troubled him. He felt very
keenly that he was in no proper state for going into
eternity. He procured a Testament as soon as he reached
port, and read it, attended the Bethel chapel, and was
soon changed by the Spirit of God to a new man. His
desire then was to preach the gospel in neglected places,
where he should find men situated as he had been.
So he came to Chicago and worked his way out among
the settlements, finally making Newark his home. Find-
ing a number of Baptists, he organized a church in Mr.
Gridley's house, March 8th, 1844. The constituent
244 HiSTORr OF kendall county.
members were Henry, Sarah, Selah, Catherine and Fan-
nie Gridley, John Brown, Lot and Elsie Preshur, Mary
Doran, Betsy Bond, and Sylvia Tremaine.
The next week at the precinct house, Annis Russel,
Cordelia Wright, Solomon Doran, and W. H. VanMeter
were received, and repairing to the river, at Milford,
Mary Case was baptized by Rev. James Scofield — the
first baptism in the river at that point. In June Mr.
Edwards was ordained, at a meeting held in the precinct
house, and was solemnly sent forward by the church in
the eccentric but exceedingly useful career he had so
lately begun. He had lived for a time in Big Grove,
but for a longer time out near Robert Brown's. His
true calling, however, was not to be a pastor, but an
evangelist, and in that he made full proof of his minis-
try, as hundreds can testify. The meeting house was
built in 1848, and the following is the list of pastors :
J. F. Tolman, Nathan Card, John Higby, 0. E. Clark,
N. F. Ravlin, Mr. Jacinsky, John Wilder, P. Taylor,
Mr. Brimhall, Mr. Wolfe, W. W. Smith, Thos. Reese,
Mr. Negus, G. C. Van Osdel, and E. W. Hicks.
CONSIDERABLE EXCITEMENT
was created during the summer over the Presidential
contest. James K. Polk, the Democratic candidate,
favored the annexation of Texas, while Henry Clay, the
Whig candidate opposed it. Mr. Polk was elected, Texas
was annexed, and the Mexican war followed. Nine hun-
hundred and eight votes were cast in Kendall county, of
which one hundred and forty-two were for Mr. Barney,
the anti-slavery candidate.
Much interest was also felt in the Mormon trouble, in
INSPECTION FOR THE CANAL. 245
Hancock county. There was war between the Mormons
and the people of the surrounding country. Gov. Ford
repaired to Nauvoo to settle the difficulty ; and having
arrested Joseph and Hyrum Smith, lodged them in jail
at the county seat, where they were assassinated the
same afternoon. The matter finally ended by the Mor-
mons leaving the country.
In December, B. F. Fridley was, after three ballot-
ings, elected by the State Senate, State's Attorney for
this iudicial circuit. John D. Caton was Circuit Judgre.
On December 13th, John Davis and W. H. Swift, canal
commissioners from New York, on behalf of foreign bond-
holders, passed up Fox river on their tour of inspection.
Work had ceased on the canal for some time, for want of
funds, and no more money could be borrowed, as the
State was unable to pay the interest on what had been
borrowed. This visit was to thorouo-hlv examine the
whole matter and see what more could be done, as it was
plain that the bonds already issued would be vnlueless
unless the world-renowned canal could be completed.
The Shonts school, in Little Eock. began in 1844, The
early teachers were: Miss Eddy, daughter of Rev. Mr.
Eddy, Harriet M. Shonts, Miranda Williams, Sarah Ten-
ney, Mary Powers, Isaac Hibbard, J. C. Sherwin, Hannah
Dow, Esther Mighell, George Charles, Delano Williams,
Miss Libby and Elizabeth Smith.
In the Suydam school, in Na au-say. Miss Poor, Miss
Fitch, Charles Smith and Elijah Barnes, were the first
teachers.
The " Marysville,'' or Foulston school, was the first
in Na- au-say. The locality was then called '' Tinker-
246 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
town." Mrs. Martin, now Mrs. Rev. Hewett, was the
first teacher. Then Malvina Ashley, Annie Avery,
Ellen Davis and Annie Gleason. The new school house
was built in 1853.
In Oswego, Walter Selvey deeded to the county one
hundred rods of ground, near Mr. Albee's, for a burying
ground. His son. Perry Selvey, twelve years old, was
the first one buried there. It contains many graves,
but is not now used.
It was about the year 1844 that there was a
NEGRO SOLD AT YORKVILLE,
under the State law providing that any free negro emi-
grating to this State might be arrested and tried for the
offense, and on conviction sold at auction for a sufiicient
time to defray the expenses of the suit. Then, if he
did not leave, he should be sold again, and so on from
time to time. Any Justice was compelled to hear the
case and render judgment according to the statute, under
penalty of fines. The negro above mentioned, however,
was not free, but was a fugitive from slavery who had
succeeded, by the help of friends, in getting so far on
his way to freedom. He had escaped the dangers of
the border, of pursuers and bloodhounds, and rivers and
forests, only to be seized as he was coming into York-
ville, on a friendly load of wheat, by a gentleman who
could not feel for the slave. But in absence of proof
of his being a fugitive, he was held as a free negro
unlawfully at large, and was lodged in jail and adver-
tised to be sold. A great excitement was created, and
on the day of sale an immense crowd gathered from all
parts of the county. They thronged the store, they
FIRST AND ONLY SLAVE AUCTION. 247
gathered in groups at the street corners, they listened
to moving addresses by different speakers. " Shall it
be ?" cried one. " They are going to take a brother
man from our midst and run him off south and sell him,
and will you allow it?" "No!" came in deep chorus
from the multitude. One man went about constantly
repeating in a loud voice : "And he that stealeth a man
and selleth him, if he be found in his hand he shall
surely be put to death" — Ex. 21:16. At least an omin-
ous text. Sheriff J. S. Cornell, standing the prisoner
on the steps, commenced the sale : " How much for this
man?" The bidding was dull. The feeling was so high
that those who had intended to invest in the colored
chattel concluded that it would be a profitless investment.
He was finally struck down to Dr. Seeley for three dol-
lars, the only slave the Doctor ever bought in his life.
He was his own for the time, and as he could set him at
any work, he decided to set him traveling toward
liberty. The dark man was willing, and bidding good-
bye to his new acquaintances at the capital of Kendall
county, he set out on a successful trip to Canada. And
so ended our first and last slave auction.
CHAPTER XXXVl.
THE COUNTY SEAT.
f LTHOUGH Peter Lott was, in 1845, a
member of the Legislature from Adams
county, our representative was Georofe W.
Armstrong, and no less than four several
petitions were sent in by him, praying for
an addition to Kendall county from the bor-
ders of DeKalb and LaSalle. Our people
felt it to be unfair that these two counties should have
fifty townships between them while Kendall had but
nine. Nor could it be said that the inhabitants of the
territory proposed to be annexed were altogether averse,
for one of the petitions was from the coveted township
in DeKalb, and another was signed by sixtv-nine voters
in LaSalle. The addition would have given us Sandwich
and Somonauk, and the towns of Northville and Mission.
But the petitions were denied, and as a consequence the
dwellers just over the line in LaSalle are twice as far
from their own county seat as they are from ours. The
committee probably thought that overgrown county, with
its one hundred and fifty-six miles of coast line, would
not cut up well if only thirty townships were left to it.
But it is well — moderate sized families are generally the
THE LATTER DAY SAINTS. 249
happiest. And then there are thirteen counties in the
State still smaller than Kendall, and two, Gallatin and
DuPage, the same size. Hardin and Putnam are but
about one-half as large. Eighteen hundred and forty-
five is the limit usually assigned to the privilege of
being an old settler. The following are prominent per-
sons who came in that year : In Na-au-say, L. M. and
II. P. Whitlock, Mr. Smith, Christopher Stryker. In
Fox. Ransom Whiner, John Thomas. In Lisbon, F. 0.
Alford. In Bristol, John Smith. In Oswego, F. Cofl&n,
Preston Burr, Martin Hinchman, G. Danford, John B.
Hunt, Daniel Hunt, William and Dwight Ladd, Laures-
ton and Seth Walker. In Big Grove, Henry Bingham,
S. C. Sleezer, Isaac and Peter S. Lott, C. C. Thune-
man, David and Simeon Brown. The latter settled on
the shore of ihe beautiful Chatauqua Lake in New York
in 1817, when the country was a wilderness, and lived
there twenty-eight years. They thus have been twice
pioneers, and have helped settle two new countries. At
Newark, William 0. Clark, a Latter Day Saints preacher
from Ottawa, held meetings in the precinct-house every
evening for four weeks, and a society of thirty-nine
members was formed, bidding fair to become a strong
church ; but emigration set in, and nearly all rem.oved
to homes further west. There was yet, however, miles
and miles of unbroken prairie in our county, and some
of it is still government land. In Newark all was prai-
rie sod east of D. C. Cleveland's, and after passing Big
Grove, going towards Plainfield for ten miles, there was
not a house or fence. Seth Sleezer in crossing that
17
250 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
prairie caught seven young wolves, and brought them to
town for exhibition.
During the season Titus Howe built the Yorkville
dam. It was a favorable time, as the summer was very
warm and dry, and the river low. There was no rain in
this vicinity from May to December. It was thus a
direct contrast to the preceding summer which had been
a time of heavy floods. Yet there was water enough to
drown, for that season William Bidmead and a companion
were drowned in the river at Bristol.
Pearce's graveyard, a mile east of town, was estab-
lished in 1845. The first one buried was Josephine, a
little daughter of Henry A. Clarke.
Doud's burying ground, two miles from town opened
about the same time- Mrs. Daniel Hubbard was the
first buried there.
The Holderman school, Big Grove, began about 1845.
The early teachers were Frank Barber, William Cody,
Mr. Carpenter, Mr. Allison, Mary and Eliza Knox.
The Davis scliool house, in Oswego, was built in 1845,
and following is a list of the teachers : Messrs. Charles
Smith, Scott, Derby, E. W. Barnes, N. Gaylord, Shib-
ley, Vinson, Updyke, J. Burnet, and Misses Andrews,
Drew, M. and S. Flanders, Rich, Wood, Houser, Miles,
and Murray.
An effort was made to have regular preaching in the
school house in town, where also court was held. A pub-
lic meeting was called, but after long talking they could
not agree, and the project failed. Most of those who
put their names on the subscription list, signed three
dollars each — a larger sum in those days than it is now.
INTRODUCTION OF REAPERS. 251
Before harvest, Murray and Bullard introduced the
first
MC CORMICK REAPER
into the county, and it did good work, but was hard on
man and beast. It was a heavy load for four horses, and
that without the driver riding, for with the first machines,
the one who raked off was obliged to walk. About the
same time, the Woodward reaper, pushed before the
team, was also used. The appearance of these im-
proved and costly machines was evidence that the
keen edsje of the hard times was turned. The travel
was immense, both of emigrants passing through and of
farmers going to the lake with their grain. At Piatt's
tavern, one morning, forty wagons were counted — part
going west, but more going to Chicago. Farmers came
with their produce from a hundred miles below. Such
long journeys, however, were expensive, and though tav-
ern rates Avere but from fifty cents to one dollar a night
for man and team, yet often the farmer had little left
when he reached home. Another sort of travel was
going on briskly, too — that of the
UNDERGROUND RAILROAD,
which ran on top of the ground. An intensely interest-
ing volume might be written on this subject. The fugi-
tives came mostly from the southwestern States, by St.
Louis and the Missouri border, and having once found a
friend on the Illinois side, they were taken from point to
point to Chicago and the lake ports, and from there by
friendly captains around the lakes to Canada. Edward
Wright, living at Lisbon, hitched up his team and took
a slave, through the night, to Joliet, taking care to leave
252 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
before the neighbors were up, lest the "depot" should
be suspected. Two panting fugitives came to Yorkville.
They had hired as hands on a boat from St. Louis up the
Illinois river, and at Peru made their escape. They were
pursued by two men, who arrested them at Yorkville, and
would have them held until a warrant could arrive from
Newark — for it seems there was a Newark Justice inhu-
man enough to lend himself to the business. But before
the process could be served, the slaves were gone. A
wagon was w^aiting on the edge of the town to take them
beyond Bristol, from whence they were taken to St.
Charles, and so on to freedom. Loud and bitter curses
and a law suit followed, but it came to nothing. Another
fugitive was brought from New Orleans by a Cincinnati
merchant, and was covered with scars. He learned to
read the Bible during the little while he was on the way.
Petitions praying a repeal of
THE NEGRO LAWS
continued to pour into the Legislature ; one from Chi-
cago was several feet long and had eight hundred signa-
tures. When they first began to come, they were quietly
laid on the table, or postponed " until the Fourth of
July," but still they came, and a special committee was
appointed to take charge of them. The majority of the
committee recommended a modification of the laws, but
the report was not accepted. A minority report was
accepted and printed. It begins with saying :
" The various petitions, though they do not precisely
agree in phraseology, are all intended to accomplish the
same object, which is to remove all distinctions in law
and civil society between the white population of our
COUNTY SEAT REMOVAL. 253
own State and the African race. The motions of the
petitioners may be dictated by the purest benevolence and
the most patriotic feelings, but the undersigned are firmly
impressed with the belief that they are governed by erro-
neous views and false notions of philanthropy. * *
By nature, education and association, it is believed that
the negro is inferior to the white man, physically, mor-
ally and intellectually ; whether this be true to the ful-
lest extent, matters not, when we take into consideration
the fact that such is the opinion of the vast majority of
our citizens !"
The date of this State paper is not B. C. 800, but
February 21, 1845.
Probably, however, the most exciting issue in Kendall
county during the year was concerning the
REMOVAL OF THE COUNTY SEAT
from Yorkville to Oswego. The subject had been agi-
tated for some time, and in January a petition with one
hundred and seventy-five signatures was sent to the Leg-
islature, praying for the removal. This number was
increased in a few days to three hundred and sixty-five
names, and was followed two weeks after by another
petition to the same efi"ect, with sixty-seven signatures.
The energy thus displayed resulted in the passage of
" a bill for the permanent location of the seat of justice
in Kendall county," allowing it to go before the people
on the first Monday in August. It was a busy time
with farmers, yet such another election had never been
held here. Each side exerted their utmost strength.
Oswego, with the highest generosity, set a free table, in
the stone building above the depot, and kept fifty teams
254
HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
runniug all day carrying voters. A second election was
required, however, and then Oswego won. Their first
court was held in the old National Hotel, Judge Caton
presiding.
Kendall county in 1845 raised ninety bushels of
wheat and one hundred bushels of corn to every man,
woman and child in the county. The population was
5,400.
CHAPTER XXXVIl
THE MEXICAN WAR.
IGHTEEN hundred and forty-six was
the year of the invention of the sewing
machine, by Elias Howe, of Connecti-
cut ; the 3^ear of the admission of Wis-
consin : of the battle of Nauvoo, in Han-
cock county, and the first jear of the
Mexican war. There was much sickness
during the summer, so that in some localities it is still
remembered as ''the sickly season." Among those who
died in this county were John Matlock, Rulief Duryea,
and Moses Booth — three of our oldest pioneers. In the
spring, the first piece of strap iron was laid on the line
of ihe Galena & Chicago Union R. R., the pioneer road of
Northern Illinois. The difficulty of getting produce to
market kept prices low, and could only be overcome by
PRICES OF COUNTRY PRODUCE. 255
railroads. In the autumn of 1846, in Chicago, prices
were as follows : Wheat, 50 cents ; oats, 17 cents ; corn,
23 cents ; pork, $1.50 ; beef, $2.25 ; lard, 4 cents ;
butter, 9 cents ; cheese, 6 cents ; potatoes, 31 cents ;
wood, $3.50 ; turkeys, 50 cents ; salt, $1.87. The canal
was nearly completed, and was expected to afford much
relief. A smaller canal was in anticipation, as a feeder,
from Fox river across Kendall county to the Illinois ;
but though the route was surveyed, the work was never
begun.
On May 16th, the
OSWEGO CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
was organized by Rev. Hope Brown. The constituent
members were Josiah Walker, Seth Walker, Orlando
Walker and wife, E. Jackman, Paulina Richmond and
Mary G. Fenton. The pastors have been : J. W. Brown,
E. B. Coleman, Russell Whiting, J. Van Anthrup, Rob-
ert Budd, Robert Brown, Mr. Wilhelm, D. J. Baldwin,
J. A. Cruzan, Jonathan Waddams and H. D. Wiard.
The meeting house was built in 1847.
The celebrated
UNION SCHOOL
of Na-au-say, dates from this year. The house was
built by subscription, and was undoubtodly the best
school building in the county. The early teachers were:
William B. Richardson, Jas. G. Andrews, Sarah A.
Andrews, H. S. Towne, A. S. Westcott, Miss Gleason,
Theodore L. De Land, Deborah Shepard and Frances
A. Whiting.
The well known ''Na-au-say Invincibles" debating
society was organized here in 1872. S. J. Van Dor-
256 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
ston, A. R. Thompson and brother, and Guy C. Wheeler
were among the prime originators and supporters of it,
and their unswerving energy has demonstrated what can
in this line be done in a purely farming community.
MILLBROOK SCHOOL.
In 1840, Royal Builard built a little house on his
place and rented it to Mr. See, an Englishman, who
occupied it one year. In 1841, Mr. Builard taught
school in it. J. S. and R. K. Bibbins and Levi Brain-
ard were among the scholars. The next year Maria
Lester taught the school. In 1846 the school house was
built at Millbrook, and George and Daniel Ross, Miss
A, Ingalls, Miss Carlton, James Ward and Sarah Ball
were among the early teachers.
THE OSWEGO CEMETERY
was laid off and donated to the village about 1835, by
Morris Gray, L. B. Judson and L. F. Arnold, who
owned the land. It was where the Baptist Church now
stands. About 1846 it was included in Loucks' and
Judson's addition to Oswego, when Mr. Judson opened
another burying ground in his grove, which is now used.
The remains in the old yard were gradually transferred
to the new one, until it was vacated. In 1876, M. J.
Richards, who had bought Mr. Judson's farm, conveyed
the cemetery to the Oswego Cemetery Association, which
had just been formed, and a considerable amount has
already been expended in fencing and clearing up. They
now propose to add gravel walks.
The officers are : President, Rev. Henry Minard ;
Vice President, C. L. Roberts ; Secretary, L. N. Hall ;
Treasurer, David Hall.
ELECTION ON STATE CONSTITUTION. 257
The Piano cemetery was platted February 5th, 1846,
by Almon Ives. The first burial was a son of William
Ryan. Mr. Favor was buried about the same time.
But that was seven years before Piano was founded.
FEDERAL OFFICERS.
The county postmasters in 1846 were: Oswego, W. D.
Parke ; Bristol, James Noble ; Penfield, Josiah Lehman ;
Little Rock, L. D. Brady ; Newark, Walter Stowell ;
Lisbon, Thomas J. Cody ; Aux Sable, Alanson Milks.
August 16th, 1846, an election was held for or against
a new State constitution. There was a large majority
for it throughout the State, but this county went against
it five hundred to four hundred and forty-six. The entire
population of the county at the time was about fifty-six
hundred, of whom three were colored, and there were
two hundred more men than women. Their sawing and
grinding was done by fourteen saw and grist mills. The
Millington grist mill was built in 1845 by J. P. Black
and Samuel Jackson.
THE MEXICAN WAR
commenced early in 1846. A call was issued for fifty
thousand volunteers to serve for one year, and thereupon
a mass meeting was called in the school house, used for
a court house, in Oswego. A. R. Dodge and A. B.
Smith spoke, but not many enlisted at first. During
the following days, however, some fifty volunteers were
obtained, and were known as '' Capt, Dodge's Company."
The neighbors volunteered to take them by team to
Peoria, from which point they went by boat to Alton,
where the company was made up to its full number and
258 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
marked as Company E, 2nd Illinois. Thence they went
by boat to New Orleans, and from there marched over-
land through Texas. Following are seventeen of the
names : A. H. Kellogg, William Sprague. David W.
Carpenter, John Sanders, John Roberts, George Roberts,
Aaron Fields, Edward Fields, James Lewis, Dr. Reuben
Poindexter, William Joyce, Benjamin Van Doozer, Wil-
liam Potter, Mr Tucker, Mr. Hunt, Mr. Hatch and
Mr. Sheldon.
They arrived at the seat of war late in the fall, and
on February 23d, 1847, participated in the terrible bat-
tle of Buena Vista, which lasted all day and resulted in
a victory for the American army, and a total loss on
both sides of nearly three thousand men. David Car-
penter and John Sanders are the only members of that
company now living in this county. They were mus-
tered out in Mexico, and arrived home July 17th, 1847.
When their term of service had expired, another com-
pany was raised by Mr. Fullerton. Among the names
were : James Nelson, Hiram Burdick, James Boss, Jo-
seph Wilson, Vernon Hopkins, " Hickory Bill," D. C.
Kennedy, John A. Yeigh. The last two enlisted in
Aurora, but are now living in this county. No surviv-
ing members of Capt. Fullerton's company, who went
from this county, are known. They did not, however,
reach Mexico in time to do much fighting, before the
war closed, and Uncle Sam had lost some of his boys
but increased his farm.
THE YEAR 1847
was signalized by its being the date of the first proposi-
tion for a Pacific railroad. Mr. Whitney, of New York,
THE FIRST TELEGRAPH. 259
laid the proposition before Congress. It was favorably
reported on by our Senator, Hon. Sidney Breese, called
forth the encomiums of our Legislature, was the subject
of petitions from Michigan, whence the proposed trans-
continental railroad was to start, and, indeed, the nation
was thrilled. And this, too, without the attraction of
the gold mines, then on the eve of being discovered.
But the financial winds did not favorably blow, and the
project slept.
Early in the winter, the newly invented telegraph
tremblingly knocked at our doors for admission, and it
was finally granted in "an act granting the right of way
to S. F. B. Morse and his associates through this State
for his Electro Magnetic Telegraph." Verily, what hath
thirty years brought forth !
The Mormon war at Nauvoo was finally closed up at
a cost to the State of nearly forty thousand dollars.
The convention for the revision of the constitution sat
at Springfield from June 7th to the end of August. John
West Mason was the delegate from Kendall county.
Augustus C. French took his seat as Governor, in
place of Thomas Ford, who could retire saying, "• With-
out being wasteful, I retire from office poorer than I
came in."
A ripple of
LOCAL EXCITEMENT
was created early in the year, by an attempt to consoli-
date Kendall county with Grundy. It originated with
the people living along the line of the two counties, but
the alarm quickly spread, and petitions with five hun-
dred and fifty-three names attached were sent to the Leg-
260 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
islature, remonstrating against any change, and so the
matter ended. Eternal vigilance was the price of county
existence in those days. Toward the close of the year,
small-pox broke out about Newark, and carried off sev-
eral victims; among them, Asahel Lewis, Esq., and
Mrs. Henry Newton and child. But it did not spread
to any extent into the surrounding country, which was
an additional cause for gratitude on December 16th, the
official Thanksgiving Day.
In the spring, Truman Mudgett opened
A BREWERY
in the stone building by the track in Oswego — the first
institution of the kind in the county. But the soil was
not congenial, and it ran only a few seasons. Ten years
afterwards another and more pretentious one was erected
on the east edge of town, but that, too, finally became a
financial failure, and the building is now occupied by
W. H. McConnel as a butter factory — milk instead of
barley, and butter instead of beer. And both cows and
men are the gainers. There is now neither brewery nor
distillery within the limits of Kendall county.
Torkle Henderson, a well known Norwegian settler,
made his claim on the prairie east of Nels 0. Cassem's,
and became the nucleus for a large number of his Nor-
wegian countrymen. He was not the first, for Nels.
Oleson, Chris. Johnson, and one or two others were on
the prairie before him ; but from that time the Norwe-
gian settlement dates its growth, until now they are num-
erous enough to maintain two churches and two or three
schools.
In the Minkler district, town of Kendall, anew frame
SCHOOLS AND SCHOOL HOUSES. 261
school house was built. There had been two log school
houses before it. In the first, opened in 1835, Lodemia
and Marj Luce, James Butler and James Hubbard
taught. The second was built in 1837, and had the fol-
lowing teachers : Almon Ashley, Wesley W. Winn, W.
W. Van Emmon, Harmon Minkler, Mary Stockton,
Miss Judson, Malvina Ashley, Rosina Morgan, Alice
Ashley, Miss Hill, Lizzie Winn, Isila Springer, Hannah
Beecher, W. K. Beans, Samuel Kerr, Fred. Church,
Mr. White, Mr. McCroskey, Mr. Mason and Mrs. Hoyt.
The new frame school has been running thirty years,
and the following is a partial list of the teachers : P. C.
Royce, Mr. Goodhue, Miss Drew, Miss Walker, Lode-
mia Morgan, Theodore Hurd, Wm. Minard, John Dodge
and Miss Harkness.
The Asbury school is just over the line in LaSalle,
but is patronized by Kendall. The house was built in
1847, and was named from the post-office near by. The
early teachers were: F. W. Partridge, Elizabeth Fisk,
Eugene Coe, Amelia Smith, Mary Bosworth, Mary
Brown, Alexander White, Mary Scott, James Mead, Sarah
Densmore, John Newman, Angeline Smith, Mr. Kern
Jane Knight, and George Corcoran.
At the Bronk school, Na-au-say, the first teachers
were Benj. F. Vandervoort, Philander Royce, Joseph
Hall, Mr. Holliday, Parker Holden, and James Hunt.
The well known
RED SCHOOL HOUSE,
in Big Grove, was built in 1847, and lasted twenty-nine
years, before it was displaced in 1876 by a better one and
sold to the township for a town house. It gave shelter,
262 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
therefore, to nearly sixty terms of school, besides spelling
schools, lectures, shows, exhibitions, festivals, elections,
caucuses, Sunday schools, preaching, prayer meetings,
singing schools, and all the other public gatherings which
usually accumulate during a thirty years' experience in
the center of a thickly populated township. The house
was the successor of the " Old Log Church,'' that stood
near by. The following are the names of a few of its
teachers : Miss Day, Wm. Cody, I. N. Brown, Mary A.
Brown, Hiram Scofield, and Frank Taylor. The new
school house is a fine building, costing $1,200, and is an
ornament to the town. It wnll be many years before it
draws the sarcasm which the last years of the old one
drew.
CHAPTER XXXVllI.
SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES.
rEARLY seven hundred persons died of
cholera in Chicago during the year 1848.
It was a " cholera vear." The Illinois
and Michigan Canal was completed from
.Chicago to LaSalle, and was regarded
as one of the greatest achievements of
skill in the world. It had certainly been
a triumph over immense financial obstacles. But the
year is best remembered as the date of adoption of our
second State Constitution. It was adopted by a very
large majority, and went into operation April 1st. By
it the counties of DuPao^e, Kendall. Will and Iroquois
constituted the fifteenth representative district and the
twenty-first senatorial district. At an election held the
first Monday in September, T. Lyle Dickey was elected
Circuit Judge for six years, William S. Fowler was
elected Sheriff, and following is a list of all our Sheriffs
to the present: R. D. Miller, C. D. Townsend, M.
Beaupre, H. M. Day, Jonathan Raymond, Wright Mur-
phy, Dwight Ladd, A. D. Newton, J. A. Newell, Jonas
Seeley, J. D. Kern. At the Presidential election
one thousand three hundred and seventeen votes
264 HISTORY OF KENDALL COL'NTY.
were cast in the county. About that time country
towns in this part of the West had attained to their
greatest prosperity, just before railroads entered to divert
the trade from points where the grandfathers settled to
other points which the grandchildren founded. There
were two taverns and half a dozen stores in Newark;
three taverns and nine stores in Oswego, and a propor-
tionate number in our other villages, and all doing a
good business.
In Little Rock as many as two hundred and seventy
teams have passed on one road in one day, most of them
going to or returning from Chicago with produce. The
tavern at Little Rock village was kept by Ephraim
Buck, and was a noted point. It was first kept in 1838
by Mr. Inscho, then successively by Arnold Dodge,
Wareham Gates and Robert Matthews.
Oswego drew considerable trade and machine work
from Aurora. The bridge across Fox river was built
that year, and N. A. Rising's saw mill, opposite the grist
mill. Mr. Rising ran two mills and his store for several
years, until he sold to Mr. Parker in 1852.
At Lisbon the Methodist Church was built. Followinor
are the names of the subsequent pastors : William Royal,
D. Fellows, Mr. Sudduth, W. P. Golliday, W. P.
Wright, N. Keegan, George Wallace, Joseph Eames, C.
S. Macreading, J. Borbige, R. Wake, J. W. Phelps, G.
W. Hawks, Thomas Cochran, W. R. Hoadley and Mr.
Winslow. The church became a station in 1857.
THE OSWEGO BAPTIST CHURCH
was organized May 24th, 1848. The constituent mem-
bers were Justin Lee, George I. Smith, F. B. Ives, M.
A PRIMITIVE MARRIAGE. 265
M. Forbes, Nahum Parkhurst, Giles Doan, Delany
Smith, Mary Lyons, Frances Ives, and Sibyl Lee. The
church building was erected in 1856. The following is
a list of the pastors : Ambler Edson, L. P. Ives, R. A.
Clapp, F. Kent, Edwin Bruce, S. A. Estee, Charles
Button, Mr. Storrs, E. H. Sawyer, E. A. Ince, J. T.
Green, J. H. Sampson, and Alfred Watts. At Plattville,
John Boyer gave to the town the piece of land on which
the cemetery is situated. Mrs. Sylvester Slyter was the
•first one buried there. That year the Plattville school
house, east of the village, burned down. No one knew
it until the ashes were seen in the morning. In Little
Rock village a new school house was built.
William Glasspool was the first school master in the
first log school house, in 1839. One year before, one
cold winter's night, by the light of an open fireplace, he
was married to Polly Cook, by Wm. Mulkey, Justice of
the Peace. And the marriage was as happy a one as if
silks and kids had greeted the occasion. The log house
was destroyed by fire in 1840, since which time school
has been kept in a room fitted up for the purpose. The
second department was added in 1858. The early teach-
ers were Wm. Glasspool, Susan Lamson, Mahala P. Fay,
Harriet Leigh, Hannah Tenney, Sarah A. Frink, Miss
S. Densmore, William Knickerbocker, Ira A. W. Buck,
Leonard Benjamin, and Miss 0. N. Todd.
The following schools date from 1848. In the Foster
school, Little Rock, the early teachers were Prof. G. B.
Charles, Mary Ann Carver, and Hannah Tenney. The
house is not now used.
In the Austin school, Fox, the early teachers were
18
266 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
Sarah Raymond, Edward and Esther Bullard, Mary
Van Osdel, and Lois Marston. Two years previously
a log building was donated to the district by James
Murrray, and school held in it — taught first by Kate
Fleming.
Atherton school, Fox, was first started on the Solfis-
berg place, Long Grove, in 1848 or 1849 and was taught
by Mr. Davis. In 1850 it was moved down to the big
knoll, and Geo. M. HoUenback, Sarah and Adelaide
Ives, and George Ryan were the teachers. About 1852
it was moved up on the hill, on C. R. Cook's land, and
finally, about 1867, it was moved to its present location.
In the Ware school, Seward, the early teachers were
Mary Jane Goodhue, William Ely, Miss Berry, Miss Fra-
zer, and Miss R. M. Arthur. The latter tauojht several
years. In 1845, school was kept in a log house on
Edward Jones' place, by Mr. Maxwell, who afterward
became a noted man in Russia.
The present records of the
BRISTOL BAPTIST CHURCH
date only from 1848, at which time the church was reor-
ganized ; but the first organization dates from about 1836,
when the Pavilion church was transferred entire to Bris-
tol. After some time, it seemed proper for the church
to separate and "become two bands," and the Pavilion
organization was again resumed. The meeting house at
Bristol was built in 1857. Rev. Z. Brooks was the pas-
tor in 1848, followed by Ambler Edson, John Young,
and William Haigh. In 1861 the latter went as chap-
lain in the army, and the pulpit was supplied by William
T. Hill and Ebenezer Gale. Mr. Hill was ordained in
AUTHORITY TO BORROW MONEY. 267
1865, and went away. He was followed by M. M.
Danforth, Jonas Woodward, A. A. Bennett, 0. P. Bes-
tor and F. M. Smith.
THE YEAR 1849
was marked by another county contest. The Board of
County Commissioners, just before their extinction by
the elections for Supervisors in the fall, wanted to bor-
row money for county purposes, but had not the author-
ity without Legislative sanction. For this they applied.
But there was considerable opposition to the movement,
and seventy names were secured to a remonstrance,
which was forwarded to Springfield. It was unsuccess-
ful, however, and the county fathers got their permission
to borrow money.
The following is a further list of our
COUNTY OFFICERS,
beginning with those elected at the above election :
County Judges — J. W. Helmer, Benjamin Ricketson
and Henry J. Hudson ; Circuit Clerks — A. B. Smith,
J. M. Crothers, George M. Hollenback, A. M. Hobbs
and L. G. Bennett : County Clerks — J. A. Fenton,
Geo. W. Hartwell, J. Cole and Jeremiah Evarts ;
Treasurers — J. J. Cole, Asahel Newton, H. S. Hum-
phry, R. W. Cams, J. C. Taylor, M. S. Cornell and
T. S. Serrine ; School Superintendents — Rev. Ambler
Edson, Ephraim Moulton, John Van Antwerp, John
McKinney, G. W. Barnes, W. Scott Coy and John R.
Marshall.
Not many noteworthy improvements were made in
the county during the year. A broom factory was estab-
268 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
lished at Plattville, at the church end of the town, and
was the third house there, the other two being Dan.
Krouse's little store and Mr. Converse's. The Luthe-
ran cemetery, on the north edge of Big Grove township,
was opened. Wier Sjierson, or Severson, as the Amer-
icans spell it, and Wier Matre, gave the land.
THE OSWEGO METHODIST MEETING HOUSE
was begun, but not finished for several years. Follow-
ing is a complete list of the preachers from the forma-
tion of the first class at Daniel Pearce's house, in 1835:
William Royal, W. Clark, W. Wilcox, John Sinclair,
E. Springer, Rufus Lumry, H. Hadley, Wesley Batch-
elder, R. R. Wood, S. F. Denning, S. R. Beggs, J.
Hunter, Levi Jenks, J. W. Burton, J. Agard, W. B.
Atkinson, A. Wooliscroft, C. Lazenby, J. C. Stoughton,
S. Stover, David Cassidy, Michael Lewis, J. S. David,
W. P. Wright, R. K. Bibbins, C. French, R. Wake,
W. H. Haight, C. Foster, Mr. Hibbard, Joseph Cross,
J. Davidson, E. D. Gould, Henry Minard, A. D. Mc-
Gregor, J. J. Tobias and W. K. Beans.
The Plattville school was built in 1849. The early
teachers were : Sarah Krouse, Thomas Cody, Roland
Macomber, Miss Gould, Rogers and Clark Alford. The
present building was erected in 1875. Kate Cliggett
was the first teacher.
Mr. Stephenson was the first teacher of the Chapman
school, Seward. Then Mr. Lott, W. A. Jordan, W. W.
Roberts, and William, Lyman and Josephus Gaskill.
The present building was erected in 1866, at a cost of
$2,500. The first teachers were : F. G. Gaskill, Miss
Turner and Miss Whittlesey. The Sunday School
FIRST BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. 269
there was commenced during the war. W. W. Roberts
was the first superintendent.
The Bronk cemetery, Na-au-say, was bought of James
Bird by Christopher Stryker and Peter YanDyke, and
deeded to the school trustees. Many were buried there,
but it is now abandoned as a public burying ground.
CHAPTER XXXIX.
TOWNSHIPS AND RAILROADS.
N 1850 the old county government by
Boards of County Commissioners gave way
to new Boards of Supervisors, by which at
present seventy-four of the one hundred
and two counties in the State are governed.
The first Board in Kendall county were :
Ebenezer Morgan, James McClellan, A.
Sears, Thomas Finnic, J. K. LeBaron,
William D. Townsend, A. Jordan, Horace Moore and
H. G. Wilcox.
In Lisbon, George F. Norton was elected town clerk,
and with the exception of two or three years has held
the office ever since. All the Township Record Books
begin at this date, though nothing of importance tran-
spires in them for several years.
270 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
It was the great year for township naming, under the
law. Some of the townships, as Big Grove and Little
Rock, were named after the grove or the creek within
their boundaries. Others, as Oswego and Bristol, were
named after their principal villages, and still others owe
their titles to the happy suggestion of some leading spirit
at the town meetings. John Moore has the credit of
having named the town of Lisbon, while D. J. Town-
send and A. K. Wheeler receive the same credit for the
town of Na-au-say. The latter was the name of an old
Indian town on Aux Sable creek, and means " Head
waters of the Aux Sable." In many cases several
names were proposed and vigorously supported by their
authors, and only after much discussion was a majority
vote obtained for any one.
In Na-au-say, Charles F. Richardson gave the ground
for the Union Cemetery to the town. Mrs. Nancy E.
Johnson was first buried there. There was a growing
need of more convenient places of interment, as well
as places of education, as the population increased.
By the census that year there were seven thousand
seven hundred and thirty souls in the county. It
was the first general census since the organization.
And yet our broad acres were not only not all occupied,
but not all entered from government, for John Litsey, of
Lisbon, that year entered at the Land Ofiice the eighty
he still owns, opposite his present residence. The prob-
able reason of so long neglect is that it was far from
timber.
The Preston school house, town of Fox, was built a
mile east of its present site, and afterward removed
UNION STORES FAVORED. 271
nearer the center of the district. Amono- the teachers
have been Mrs. Storey, Hannah Badgley, Mr. Bosworth,
Mina Crum, Charlotte Seymour and Elizabeth Petty.
IN 1851
there was a movement in favor of union stores. The
people of a community would club together, hire a build-
ing, put in a stock of goods, and hire a clerk to do the
selling. By these means the consumers were to have the
benefit of the profits. One was started at Pavilion, on
a basis of fifty-three names, at five dollars each. Moul-
ton and Ives were the clerks. Another store was opened
at Plattville. But the plan did not work as well in prac-
tice as it was expected to, and after a few years was
abandoned. Competition is, after all, the best guaran-
tee for fair profits in any business. That year the
S. W. BROWN SCHOOL
entered the present building. There had been a school
for four years previous in Mr. Brown's house, taught by
Richard Pope, Sarah Harkness and Miss Campbell. The
following are the early teachers, names : Livonia Martin,
H. Merrill, Prudence Johnson, Libbie Avery, Mary
Hare, E. H. Pletcher and Helen Manchester.
This school has graduated, since its commencement,
nearly thirty teachers from among its scholars, and has
in this respect a record to be proud of.
THE NA-AU-SAY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
was founded as a Congregational church, and Rev. Mr.
Chapman, of Plainfield, became the first pastor. He was
followed by Mr. Reed, Mr. Walker, Mr. Loss, and Mr.
Wood. During the latter's pastorate, the meeting house
272 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
was built — as fine a church building as we have in the
county. Then came L. J. Stewart, and T. L. Jessup,
the present pastor.
In Newark, at the old Messenger shop, Lot Preshur
was making a few reapers that found a ready sale. Their
chief peculiarity was that they cut a very wide swath,
and were slow geared, having only a driving wheel and
one pinion. They could, therefore, cut nothing but
grain. The castings and sickles were made in Ottawa.
After a little time, Mr. Preshur removed to Mendota,
added a spur wheel to his machine, and came out with a
new mower, cutting six and one half feet at a swath.
Asa Manchester still owns one, and it will do fine work
yet, though more than quarter of a century old.
IN 1852
was another Presidential election. Franklin Pierce car-
ried Kendall county, though John P. Hale, the free soil
candidate, received one hundred and fifty-two votes out
of the thirteen hundred that were cast. During the
year, Henry Clay and Daniel Webster died. The win-
ter was unusually cold. January 19th was the coldest
day that had been known since the winter before the
Indian war. On March 13th was a great change in the
weather ; the thermometer fell during the night fifty-one
degrees.
An unusual degree of prosperity marked the year, —
owing partly to good crops, but mostly to the general
incoming of
RAILROADS,
by wliicli, prices of both produce and real estate were
quickened. TJie spirit of wild speculation, too, which
RAILROAD ENTERPRISES. 273
was born in 1835 and died in 1837, was aroused again, and
led to the further crash of 1857. The following extracts
are from Gov. Matteson's message: "The Chicago and
Galena Union Railroad has been pushed forward with
success, which gave a strong impetus to the desire for
railroad improvements. The 'St. Charles Branch,'
though but short, has given great business facilities to
the town and country, and will no doubt soon be extended
to the Mississippi. A little further south the ' Aurora
Branch ' has given life and activity to one of the most
fertile portions of Illinois. The Chicago & Rock Island
Rail Road, commenced at a later date, proposes to fur-
nish facilities to another inland section. This road is in
rapid process of construction. Cars are already run-
ning from Chicago to Morris, sixty-five miles, and before
two years expire from the time the charter was granted,
one hundred miles will be finished, to the city of Peru..
The balance of the distance to Rock Island is in a state
of great forwardness, and will be completed within a
year. * ={= * The manner in which these changes
will afi'ect the prosperity of the State is too palpable to
need comment.
" Twenty years ago if those works had received a pass-
ing thought they were regarded as dreams of imagina-
tion. Then the commerce of Chicago was but a few
thousand dollars and her population but a few hundred
souls. Her commerce now is over $200,000,000, and her
population fifty thousand. Then Waukegan, Elgin,
Belvidere, Rockford, Freeport and Galena were almost un-
known. Now thev have become large and flourishing
cities, growing with a rapidity most incredible. The
274 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
canal going into operation has made lively and flourish-
ing towns of Lockport, Joliet, Morris, Ottawa, LaSalle
and Peru, and added to the growth of all the towns along
the Illinois river. These again have thrown back their
wealth and forced Chicago into a growth which chal-
lenges a parallel in any city, unless those in California."
Another road not mentioned by the Governor, and
which more immediately concerns us, was the " Ottawa,
Oswego & Fox River Rail Road." The company was
incorporated August 22d, 1852. The road was to run
from Ottawa to Elgin, via Oswego, and directors were
chosen from each of the counties through which it was
to pass. The Kendall county directors were Lewis B.
Judson, Nathaniel Rising, William Noble Davis, Samuel
Jackson, Samuel Roberts, John L. Clark and Johnson
Misner. Among the LaSalle county directors were
Robert Rowe and William L. F. Jones. But little pro-
gress, however, was made, and two years afterwards,
February 28th, 1854, the charter was amended so as to
make the road run by Naperville to Chicago. But the
C, B. & Q. Road succeeded in getting in first on that
line.
The Johnson school house, town of Fox, was built in
1852, by subscription, for the use of the Lutheran society,
but after six years it was turned over to the district. A
Lutheran parochial school is kept in it four months of
the year, but is entirely separate from the common school.
A Norwegian teacher is employed, and the woodshed
even is divided, one side being known as "district coal,"
and the other "church coal." Some of the teachers
have been : Mr. Foltz, Oley M. Johnson, Oliver Hill,
BRISTOL STATION FOUNDED.
275
Anna Brown, Marthan Oleson, Miss Cassem, Caroline
Dayton and Andrew Brown. The Lutherans have two
other parochial schools in the vicinity ; one by the North
church and the other in the east edge of Big Grove.
CHAPTER XL.
NEW TOWNS.
V HE Chicago, Burlington and Quincy
' I Railroad passed through this county
in 1853. The Oswego depot was
built a mile and a half from the vil-
lage. It has been practically aban-
doned since the Fox River Road came
through, and no trains stop except they are flagged.
Once in a while a strange passenger comes along, and
the young Irishman in charge gets out his red flag, but
most of the time he can watch his cow eating railroad
grass, or feed his chickens on the steps of the deserted
waiting room, with none to molest or make afraid.
Bristol was left still further in the rear, and
BRISTOL STATION
was founded two miles and a half from the old village.
It was laid out on the farm of T. S. Hunt. The first
lot was sold to William Kern, the second to Messrs.
Merrit for a store.
276 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
Reuben Hunt was the first postmaster, and Alexander
McLeay built the hotel. The village site was on a
tongue of prairie between two groves, with Blackberry
creek on one side and Rob Roy creek on the other. It
was yet eleven miles to Sandwich, and plenty of
room for another station ; so another was founded on
the tongue of prairie between Big Rock and Little
Rock timber. It was laid out Feb. 28th, 1853, and named
PLANO,
(Spanish for plain), at the suggestion of John HoUister.
William Ervin put up the first house and opened a store
in it June 7th. Calvin Barber built the second. Then
Hugh Henning started business. J. C. Barber built
the first hotel. All this before the first train of cars
arrived, August 23d. The first post-office in that region
was at Little Rock. Then at Post's, on the river, and
at Penfield's, at the mouth of the Rob Roy, before it
was removed to Piano.
During the summer, cholera broke out among the
railroad hands. It was believed to have been brought
by them from Ottawa. Seven men died on the track,
and also Mrs. Napoleon Youngs, who was boarding the
hands. Her little child soon followed. Also, Mr. Fish-
ell, Mr. Borton, and other settlers.. Four years pre-
viously, in 1849, the ravages of the cholera were so
great, especially at Chicago, that a hospital and orphan
asylum became necessary. But notwithstanding the
increase of railroads, other roads were still needed, and
the " Grundy and Kendall Plank Road Company" was
incorporated, to build a plank road and establish toll-
gates between Morris and Lisbon. The stock was divided
CHURCHES AND SCHOOLS. 277
into eight hundred shares of fifty dollars each, but they
were not all taken, and the plan fell through ; which
latter fact every traveler well knows who has tried to
engineer his struggling vehicle over the famous " Morris
flats" in the soft and mellow spring time. A more con-
tinuously exasperating road probably never was discov-
ered, though it has improved in modern days. The
OSWEGO PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
was organized in 1853, and first worshipped in an old
building now occupied by a German society. The pres-
ent meeting house was built in 1857. The pastors have
been : John McKinney, A. E. Thompson, J. H. Nesbit,
H. A. Thayer, H. A. Barclay, W. K. Boyd, J. B.
Andrews and Thomas Gait. The
OSWEGO LUTHERAN SOCIETY
was organized in 1853, and built their meeting house in
1858. E. H. Buhre, Mr. Zucker, William Binner and
Mr. Koch being the pastors. The first church building
of the Lutheran Society, at Lisbon, was also built in
1853, and the present one in 1872. Rev. P. A. Ras-
mussen has been pastor most of the time. The
WHITLOCK SCHOOL,
Na-au-say, was opened in 1853. The following is a par-
tial list of teachers' names : Maria and Sarah Wedge,
Mary Terry, Cornelia Avery, Corvosso Reeder, Graham
Duncan, Cornelia Carroll and Mr. Reese. One season
previous to the building of the school house, Ellen Davis
taught one term in a part of Parshall Reeve's house.
The history of the
NEWARK SCHOOL
properly begins with Mrs. Sloan's school, in Gridley's
278 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
grove, and Mr. Neese's school over Hollenback's store,
about 1837. When the precinct house was built for a
voting place, in 1838, it became the school headquarters
also. Diantha Gleason was the first teacher.
Among others were : J. J. Wilson, George Bristol. George
B. Ames, Miss Ora Barn, Horace Day, Albert Learned,
(who was killed while digging a well at S. Bingham's, in
1846), William Cody and James Harvey. The latter
repaired the building after being damaged by fire, about
1849, and taught a select school for several years, while
the public school was removed to the building now J. D.
Erwin's residence.
In 1853 a school house was built, which in 1868 was
replaced by the present one, and is now used as Fritt's
furniture store.
Early teachers' names were : Wellington Mason, Wil-
liam Nixon, Jennie Fowler, C. Willing, C. Winne, W.
L. Wilbur, Fred. Freeman, Porter C. Olson, Harriet L.
Porter, W. Scott Coy, Sarah E. Ament, Margaret Nel-
son, Helen Lewis and John D. Waite.
A homicide occurred in the town of Lisbon, Mr.
Foreman being killed by Andrew Wilson. Some foolish
words had passed between them, when Foreman struck
the other, and he in retaliation struck Foreman over the
head with a rake, and a tooth penetrating the skull
killed him instantly. It was a very sad aifair, and the
more so as Wilson was but a youth. He was tried and
acquitted, but during the war he enlisted in the army
and fell at Fort Donelson.
HISTORY OF THE CHURCHES. 279
Eighteen hundred and fifty-four was the birth year of
two of our church buildings. The
NEWARK M. E. CHURCH
was dedicated January 25th, 1855. The list of pastors
from the first commencement of preaching in 1847 is as
follows : Levi Jenks, Mr. Wolliscraft, David Cassidy,
Michael Lewis, Wesley Batcheldor, Robert K. Bibbins,
H. Haggerty, W. P. Wright, Isaac Linebarger, J. N.
Martin, John Frost, John Cummins, W. H. Smith, J.
H. Ailing, F. H. Brown, Philo Gordon, George Love-
see, J. R. Allen and W. H. Fisher.
The first class was formed in 1850, and Elisha Bib-
bins and G. D. Edgerton are the only remaining con-
stituent members.
THE BRISTOL CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.
The Society was organized in 1836 by Rev. Mr. Parry,
at the house of Deacon Elisha Johnson, who, with his
wife and daughter, Justus Bristol, wife and daughter,
James Gilliam and wife, and Lyman Bristol completed
the number of the first members. Rev. H. S. Colton
was the first pastor. After him, L. C. Gilbert, Henry
Bergen, James Hallock, Chauncey Cook, Beardsley
Trail, W. Gay, Joel Grant, D. Webb, Mr. Granger, Mr.
Hibbard, A. Doremus and Ward Batchelor.
The Kendall County Agricultural Society, still hold-
incr annual fairs on its grounds in Bristol : and the Ken-
dall County Protective Association, for the apprehen-
sion of stolen horses and detection of thieves, were
organized in 1854.
THE "little ROCK PRESS,"
a nine by ten inch sheet, was started in February, by
280 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
Chas. S. Fisk, the village preacher, at twenty-five cents
a year. The Chicago, Sterling & Mississippi Railroad,
re-chartered as the Joliet & Terre Haute Railroad, was ex-
pected through, and the paper says, "It must be the route
to Chicago. This village has now two hotels and three
stores, and will probably put up two or three church
edifices shortly." But the railroad is expected yet, and
twenty-two years passed before the first church edifice
went up ; which illustrates the diflficulty of deciding in
a new country where the channel of business will run.
It is generally not local advantages, but position between
distant business centers, that decides the prosperity of a
village. But, fortunately, happiness does not always
travel on the lines of business. The paper ran but three
months, and was removed to Mendota.
At Oswego, Adam Armstrong started his broom fac-
tory, and for several years did considerable business.
With the passing away of the summer, that dread epi-
demic, the cholera, again entered. It was not severe in
the country, but in Chicago nearly one thousand fell
victims to it.
The Little Rock cemetery, situated west of the village,
dates from 1854. It was secured by a donation of two
acres of land from Gilbert Fowler, to J. T. H. Brady,
Henry Abbey and Alfred Houghtaylen, and their suc-
cessors in office.
The first burials were Lydia Brady and Amasa Bush-
nell, in 1855. Mrs. Hinder and David Hodgman were
next.
The Yorkville school house was built about 1854, but
the history of the school dates back to 1839, when school
PRO- SLAVERY EXCITEMENT. 281
was kept in a little building occupied by Norman Dodge
as a probate office. The brick school house was built in
1842. Arabella Barstow, D. G. Johnson and B. Gif-
ford were among the teachers. And in the present build-
ing, Abbie S. Dyer, J. W. Fridenberg, Addie Clark,
Lois Marston, Lizzie Smith and Hattie Morley.
THE YEAR 1855
witnessed the culmination of the pro-slavery spirit of
our country, in the mob elections and territorial enact-
ments of "bleeding Kansas." Among the laws made
by that first Legislature was one making legal voters of
all who paid one dollar poll tax, and another visiting the
death penalty on any one helping a slave to his freedom.
No more exciting times, except years of actual war, have
ever been known in our land. Looking back upon it
now, we can see how our civil war was as inevitable as if
decreed by statute.
Coming down to our own county and to smaller mat-
ters, we may chronicle that during the summer
THE STATE ROAD TO OTTAWA
was re-located by act of Legislature. It was first laid in
1838, by B. F. Fridley, I. P. Hallock, Almon Ives and
Archibald Sears. Thomas Finnic and J. J. Cole were
appointed to re-locate it, after its wear of eighteen years.
The new road was to pass through " Badgley's lane,
the widow Gridley's lane, John Boyd's lane, the lands
of James Evans, George Hollenback's lane, over the
bridge which crosses the Ackley creek, or river, the lane
formed by lands and enclosures of John A. Cook and
Whitman Stone, and by the southwest end of Long Grove
to Pavilion."
19
282 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
Oswego was incorporated with the following board of
trustees : J. W. Chapman, L. B. Judson, J. M. Croth-
ers, F. Coffin and Walter Loucks. There have been two
years in the history of the town when they have had no
saloon license.
SCHOOLS.
In the Fletcher school, town of Kendall, the early
teachers were: James Bishop, Barbara Fletcher, A. J.
Smith, Ellen Leach, Anna Howell, Lizzie Beatty and
JennieSmith.
The Naden school, Big Grove, shows the following early
teachers : Naney Barnes, Lucius Whitney, Sarah J.
Howes, Milton Wright, Fred Freeman, Henrietta Howes,
James Brown, Phebe Jilson. Helen Norton, Mary Hare
and Wright Adams.
The Piano school is the largest in the county. There
are three extra buildings besides Academy Hall, and
seven teachers are employed. The principals have been
as follows: J. B. Stinson, Mr. Huff, Joel Jenks, Mr.
Gridley, Georgiana Smith, Mrs. Sill, Mr. Needham,
Mr. Sly, 0. W. Van Osdell, J. Evarts, Sarah L. Stew-
ard, George Green and J. H. Rushton. The names of
all the teachers would make a long list. Laura Ervin,
Mary Berry, Jennie Cox and Anna Browij have taught
several terms each.
In the Seward Center school, the early teachers were :
Lucy Keene, Miss Tyner, Mr. Harvey, Arthur Raven
and Lyman Gaskell.
In the Grove school, Na-au-say, the early teachers
were : J. J. Evarts, Henry Town, James xindrews, Mr.
Updike and Linda Bennett.
NUMBER OF SCHOOLS IN COUNTY. 283
THE FOWLER INSTITUTE,
Newark, was opened in the fall, with Miss Jemima Wash-
burn as Principal, associated with her brother, Rev.
Sanford Washburn. They had for two years been teach-
ing private schools in the village. Dr. H. R. Fowler
erected the building, and February 10th, 1857, the
school was chartered under the name of the "Fowler
Female Institute," and was afterwards changed to
"Fowler Institute," in 1867. The first trustees were
W. C. Willing, Horatio Fowler and G. W. Hartwell.
Miss Washburn left in 1859 to be first Principal in
Clark Seminary, Aurora. The following have been
Principals since : John Higby, John Wilmarth, A. J.
Anderson, D. J. Poor, J. R. Burns, A. J. Sherwin and
J. P. Ellinwood. Among the other teachers have been :
Ella Lent, Libbie Sullivan, Mr. Simon, Sarah J. Higby,
Nettie Havenhill and Miss Shawber. This Institute has
had at times one hundred and fifty scholars in attendance.
It has connected with it library, cabinet, philosophical
apparatus, etc., and offers in some respects better induce-
ments to the student than any other school in the county.
There were altogether one hundred and twenty-four
public schools in the county in 1855, making it the
twelfth county in the State in regard to the number of
its schools, while it was only fortieth in respect to its tax-
able property. The average wages paid to male teachers,
$29.00 per month; to female teachers, 516.00. The
number of schools at present does not reach one hundred.
The Yorkville paper mills were built by J. P. Black,
and ran for several years, making a first-class quality of
white print paper.
CHAPTER XLl.
THE FLOOD AND THE PANIC.
IGHTEEN hundred and fifty-six opened
with a very cold winter — one of the cold-
est, indeed, that has ever been known.
During the first two weeks in January,
the thermometer several times indicated
thirty decrees below zero, and for two
months there was continuous cold weather
and good sleighing. Ice was formed as far south as the
Gulf of Mexico. In the spring, great floods followed,
and the Oswego bridge over Fox river was carried away.
In the Presidential election, one thousand, nine hund-
red and seventy votes were cast in Kendall county, and
John C. Fremont ran ahead of both Fillmore and
Buchanan five to one.
The "Kendall County Courier," our first proper
county paper, was started in Oswego by H. S. Hum-
phrey. In Newark, a barrel factory was opened by Mr.
Moore, where Hull's stone shop now stands. In Big
Grove, a steam saw mill was erected by Lewis Robinson.
It was first started as a horse mill in 1852. In 1859 it
was moved to Newark, and afterwards the machinery
was taken to Tennessee.
SCHOOLS AND TEACHERS. 285
SCHOOLS.
The Lisbon Center school was opened in the present
house in 1856. Before that three terms were kept in
John Litsey's house, and several terms in a little house
half a mile east of the present one. The following
names of teachers date from 1848 : Sarah Niblo, Mary
Brickley, Zuba Tuttle, Mary Williams, Mary Knox,
Melissa Havenhill, 0. L. Toft, C. B. Alford, R. C. Ma-
comber, T. Maoomber, Effie Andrews, Mary Brown,
Huldah Bedell, Hannah Fosgate and Josephine Henry.
These lists of names are of course most interesting to
those who knew the persons, and to such each name is
a fountain of old memories which can never perish, and
which will yet be more precious as they are recalled in
the twilight of life, in the years to come.
The Sleezer school. Big Grove, was opened on Haven-
hill's corner, in an old dwelling fitted up. After stand-
ing there ten years, it was moved one mile east, and
after ten years more was rebuilt and moved to its pres-
ent site, half way back to the old corner. The teachers
have been : Lottie Seymour, Diantha Adams, Mr. Erick-
son, Helen Lewis, Lewis Bishop, Miss Wells, Wright
Adams, Juliet Seymour and S. Ament.
The Lewis school, town of Kendall, has had the fol-
lowing teachers : E. J. Lewis, Etta Martindale, J. J.
Foltz, Mary Meeker, Lida Hallock, Augustus Collman,
Lida Knowlton, Eugene Morgan, E. Moulton and Frank
Lord.
The Shepard school, in Kendall, has been taught by
the following teachers : Lucy Brown, Mary Ann Haigh,
George Bishop, Hattie Wood, James Bishop, Ed. Kern,
286 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
Margaret Leach and John Kerwin. The year before
the school house was built, school was kept in an old log
dwelling by Miss Parkhurst.
The Henderson school, Seward, has had the following
teachers : William Jennie, William Green, Libbie Angel,
Lavonia Ketchum and Miss Carroll. Twelve years
before a school was kept in one of Frink and Walker's
houses, near the Patrick tavern, but it was not per-
manent.
The Agricultural Fair that had for two years previous
been held at Oswego, was held in 1856 at Piano. At
the State Fair, 0. B. Gulusha, of Lisbon, took the first
premium for the best half acre of potatoes — yield, one
hundred forty-one and a-half bushels. Financially the
county was flourishing ; " hard times " had taken their
flight. Money was plenty, and people used it freely.
Prices were good. The following are Aurora quotations :
Corn, 35c; wheat, J1.25; rye, 85c; oats, 24c; bar-
ley, $1.00; potatoes, 37c; pork, |5.00 ; butter, 20c;
cheese, 10c ; eggs, 22c. But extravagance must be fol-
lowed by its penalty, and the penalty came in the sad
revulsion of 1857.
THE SPRING OF 1857
opened with the most destructive freshet ever known on
Fox river, caused by a heavy rain on February 6th, which
melted the snow and broke up the ice and set the entire
winter's crop free. All the bridges from Batavia
to Ottawa were swept away, and the river was covered
with boards, boxes, furniture, chickens, and debris of all
kinds. At Oswego, Parker's saw mill was taken at
a loss of three thousand dollars, and Rowley & English's
A TERRIBLE FLOOD. 287
lumber yard suffered a loss of one thousand dollars. At
Millington half the village was flooded ; water was waist
deep on Vine street, in front of Watters' store, two
blocks from the river. The freshet extended throughout
the country, and in other places many lives were
lost. Houses were undermined and carried away while
the inmates were still asleep, and they knew nothing of
their danger until the hungry waters swallowed them up.
Such another freshet has not been known in this coun-
try ; yet each winter the materials for such another accu-
mulates, and it is a striking exemplification of the good-
ness of the providence of God that these materials are
dispersed gradually, and rarely allowed to go out with
the terrible and fatal rush of 1857.
But another trouble, felt in highland and river bottom
alike, came in with the year. It is known as the
PANIC OF 1857,
the exhaustion following the excitement created by the
incoming of railroads, in 1852, and fostered by the
Russian war in 1854.
People lived too fast, and being too far removed from
their base of supplies had to wait in the cold and hunger
of bankruptcy until the supplies came up. It was not,
therefore, a panic, viz : a mysterious fright, but sprang
from a real and intelligible cause, and the effect lasted
up to the beginning of the civil war. These lessons
have been so often repeated that surely they should be
well learned, and all who heed them when the next wave
of prosperity comes will have an opportunity of learning
the cash value of wisdom. The year, however, was
marked in this county by several
288 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
NEW ENTERPRISES,
some of which were short lived and others became perma-
nent improvements. Among the former were the " Ken-
dall County Journal," started in Piano by A. Sellers.
It ran but a few months. Also the " Kendall County
Clarion," published in Bristol by W. H. Clark. An act
was passed February 16th, authorizing Jeremiah J. Cole
and Levi C. Gorton to build the " Oswego Branch Rail-
road " from Oswego village to the Station ; but the close
times that came on immediately defeated the project.
Two grist mills were erected; one at Bristol, at the
mouth of the Blackberry creek, by Lane & Arnold, and
the other five miles further down the river, at the mouth
of Rock creek, by
FREDERICK POST.
Mr. Post was a Prussian, having come to this country
in 1850, and was a man of energy and means. He threw
a dam across Little Rock creek for his grist mill, and
another across Big Rock for his saw mill ; opened up the
roads that at present pass through that romantic, but
forsaken looking region, added a lime kiln of eight hun-
dred bushels capacity to the smaller kiln already there,
and drew so much patronage to the place that it bid fair
to be as important a point for the whites as of old it had
been for the Indians. For tradition makes the lonely
ravines to have been a favorite Pottawatomie camping
and council ground. But the tide of circumstances that
for awhile flowed to, eventually flowed away from the
spot. The saw mill dam was washed out in 1869. Dur-
ing the year the
PLATTVILLE CHURCH
was built, and in 1867 the Lisbon Center church, on the
CHURCHES AND PREACHERS. 289
same circuit. The pastors were : W. Royal, J. S. Da-
uid, Mr. Morse, D. L. Winslow, Mr. Batchelder, Mr.
Wright, S. F. Denning, F. H. Brown, W. H. Smith,
H. Reed, Mr. Hibbard, Sanford Washburn, George S.
Young, Benjamin Close, Robert Bibbins and G. Lib-
by. Mr. Springer was in charge when the Plattville
house was built. In former years Revs. Lumry, Phelps
and Flowers used to preach in the school house and in
private houses. Also the Piano Methodist church. The
district was formerly embraced in the Indian creek cir-
cuit, and Rufus Lumry, Wesley Batchelder and Obadiah
W. Munger were successive preachers in charge. In
1845, the name was changed to Little Rock circuit, and
the following were the preachers : Wm. Royal, Seymour
Stover, Amos Wiley, Charles Batchelder, Stephen R.
Beggs and Elijah Ransom. In 1857 the house was built
at Piano, and the subsequent preachers have been Henry
Minard, I. H. Grant, T. B. Rockwell, W. H. Fisher,
W. H. Strout, J, T. Hanna, Sanford Washburn, Fred.
Curtis and J. B. McGuffin.
The Millbrook church was built in the same year.
The pastors were the same as given for the Millington
church.
Of the schools which date from that year, the follow-
ing may be grouped here : The Pearce school, Oswego,
which has had the following teachers : A. Snook, Mr.
Baker, Mr. Martin, Mr. Day, Jennie Hoyt and Delia
Miner.
The Walker school, Oswego, which has had the follow-
ing teachers : George W. Moore, Amanda Hezlep,
290 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
Charles Doaper, Miss Hopkins, George Walker and Liz-
zie Moore.
The Scott school, Little Rock, which has had the fol-
lowing teachers : Catharine Tenny, Charlotte Cromwell,
Mary Clifford, Olive Rowley, Benjamin Darnell, Caro-
line Tenny, Sarah Favor and Samuel Davis.
The Van Cleve school, Seward. The first three
teachers were : Richard Polk, Mr. Merrill and Mr.
Gould.
The Serrine school, on the river bank east of Milling-
ton, was an off-shoot from the older district, and ran but
a few years. Miss French, Miss Walker and Miss Jack-
son were teachers.
At least three
CHURCH BUILDINGS
were erected : — the Millington church, North Luther-
an church and Lisbon Baptist church. The pastors
connected with the latter up to 1870, were N. F.
Ravlin, Mr. Bassett, Mr. Scott, Mr. Wolfe and J. H.
Kent. All the churches were visited with such deep
revivals of religion as had not been known among them
for fifteen years. And this notwithstanding the condi-
tion of the roads, which were unusually bad — worse than
they had been since 1843. The reverses in business met
with the preceding year, and the peculiar financial dis-
tress of the country, were favorable, as such troubles
always are, to devotion and spiritual life. So that many
could thankfully say, with Psalms, 119:67, "Before I
was afilicted I went astray, but now^ have I kept thy
word."
It was the want of this that led John Brenner to shoot
ANTON CONRAD SHOT. 291
Anton Conrad in Na-au-say during the winter. The
difficulty originated while cutting wood in Aux Sable
Grove. Brennen, to be revenged, came in the night and
shot Conrad through the window, killing him, and then
like a madman stayed around firing off his gun until
morning. He was tried and sentenced to be hung, but
afterward adjudged insane and taken to the asylum at
Jacksonville. On the breaking out of the war he was
released, and went into the army.
Not much of note occurs in the history of the year
1858. Business prostration continued and the wheels
of society moved very slowly. The Becker school, Na-
au-say, was opened, and the first teachers were Nancy
Burns, Maggie and Louisa Cooper and James Buchanan.
CHAPTER XLU.
THE PLANO HARVESTERS.
HE year 1859 opened prosperously, and
was an especially favorable season for
railroads. The '* Cliicao;o and Plain-
field Railroad" was to run from Chicago
to Ottawa, through Plainfield, Lisbon
and Newark. A company was formed
and a charter obtained. The part of the company in
this county were John Moore, John Litsey, A. K.
Wheeler, William Thurber and Benjamin Ricketson. If
the road had been built, the circumstances of those old
prairie towms would have been different. The long con-
templated " Joliet and Terre Haute Railroad," having
lain still five years, turned over and took a new name.
The first division was called the " Joliet, Newark and
Mendota Railroad," and was pushed vigorously forward.
The farmers along the line took hold of it, and consid-
erable grading was done. But the only visible results
to-day are huge embankments and deep cuttings, which
the farmers can neither pasture nor plow, and which, if
their origin should pass into oblivion, would be classed
by our descendants with the mysterious works of the
Indian mound-builders. And good old Newark, instead
DEATH OF SHABBONA. 293
of being the bustling junction of the Chicago and Plain-
field Railroad and the Joliet, Newark and Mendota
Railroad, is only Newark still. The latter road was to
be the Eastern Division of the Illinois Grand Trunk
Railway — and thus we were at once to be in the middle
of the world. At a town meeting, held in October, Big
Grove, by a vote of one hundred and eighty to ninety,
voted to issue bonds for twenty thousand dollars in aid
of the road — the interest to be payable when the line
was graded through to Mendota. A thousand dollar
bond, however, was issued, and one year's interest paid
on it. In 1869 the town was sued for further payment,
but with no result.
Another improvement made during the year was a
bridge over the river, on the town line, at Post's mill.
It stood nine years, and was carried away by a freshet
in 1868. A part of the stone abutment on one end is
all that is left.
July 17th, Shabbona, the hero of 1832, died on his
twenty acre farm, near Seneca, aged eighty- four years.
His wife, Wionex Oquawka Shabbona, followed him
November 30th, 1864, aged eighty-six years, and was
buried by his side in the Morris cemetery. A daughter
and grand-daughter are also buried there — but as yet no
monument marks the spot. Morris is an appropriate
place for an Indian to be buried, as many of his race
have been laid there. The cedar pole at the grave of
the chief Nacquett still stands, or did a short time ago,
and in 1845 no less than nineteen funeral mounds were
visible.
The Faxon school, Little Rock, dates from 1859.
294 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
Miss Haigh, Mr. Seeley and Mr. Smith were early
teachers. In 1867, the old wooden building on the
Bristol side of the line was superceded by the present
brick structure. William Grimwood, and Emma and
Amelia Spencer were the first teachers in it.
PLANO HARVESTER AVORKS.
The originator of the idea of binding grain on the
machine as it is cut, is Augustus Adams, of Sandwich,
then of Elgin, who took the hint from Thomas Judd, of
Sugar Grove, in 1850. The latter was testing a new
McCormick reaper in the presence of Mr. Adams, when
he exclaimed : " The day will come when men will not
be so foolish as to throw their grain on the ground and
then tear their hands in the stubble while getting it up
again." It was a seed thought. Mr. Adams bore it
away with him, and within two months produced the
first harvester with a binder's platform. When the pat-
ent was applied for, it was rejected, and for much the
same reason as Capt. Ericson's little Monitor, was
despised — for its strangeness. But in 1852 it was pat-
ented by Sylla & Adams, and manufactured at Elgin.
The elevator for bringing the grain to the binder was
introduced by Watson and Rennick. The Adams pat-
ent, in 1859, was sold to Aultman & Co., Ohio. There
was a great prejudice against the machines for years, for
they were ahead of the times. But they have outlived
all that, and of the many kinds that are now made, two,
the Marsh and McEwen, come from this county, although
only the former is manufactured here. Messrs. C. W.
and W. W. Marsh commenced their harvester in 1857,
and built various experimental machines up to 1860.
THE INITIAL HARVESTER. 295
During the following winter, John Hollister and W.
W. Marsh built one at Piano, which varied in several
points from the previous model, and on trial was found
to work well. It was the initial harvester.
In the fall of 1863 their manufacture was begun at
Piano, bj C. W. Marsh and George Steward, under the
firm name of Steward & Marsh. Lewis Steward fur-
nished the capital. They were made in the stone shop.
The first building on the ground was Steward & Hen-
ning's warehouse, with an engine for elevating grain.
In 1858 Lewis Steward built the stone shop, though it
was not yet determined to what purpose it should be put.
For its first use, with the help of a warehouse engine, it
was turned into a sorghum mill, and a sash factory by
Latham & Doty followed. For the harvest of 1864, fifty
machines were begun and twenty-six finished. The
remainder were finished for 1865. In the meantime,
under a contract with another manufacturer at Beloit,
sixty machines were made, with some additional improve-
ments — all of which were experimental. The finish of
the coming harvester had not yet been reached. In 1866,
one hundred machines were made at Piano. W. W.
Marsh came in and the firm name was changed to Marsh
Brothers & Steward, and from that time the business
went on steadily increasing. The pioneer difficulties
incident to such great undertakings were nearly over-
come, and the Marsh Harvester was an assured success.
In 1867-8, six hundred were manufactured. At the
latter date Lewis Steward was received into the firm as
an open partner, and the name became Marsh, Steward
& Co. In 1869, seven hundred and fifty were manufac-
296 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
tured ; in 1870, one thousand ; in 1871, fourteen hun-
dred, and the same the year following : in 1873, twenty-
seven hundred and fifty; and in 1874, five thousand ;
while during 1875-6, there were put out from the Piano
shops, ten thousand harvesters. Gammon k Deering,
of Chicago, are the present proprietors (since Oct. 1875),
and they are making also the Sprague mower, the J. II.
Gordon binder, and other implements, and do a business
of one million dollars annually.
The Marsh brothers have a manufactory of their own
at Sycamore, where also their harvesters are extensively
made, but the credit must ever remain with Kendall
county of giving to the world the best harvester ever
invented — one with which three men can do the same
work it formerly required eight men to do. The old
fashioned harvest time has lost its magnitude, and takes
its place in the year with other ordinary employments.
In 1860, also. Nelson Messenger, of Newark, brought
out his " Gopher," or corn cultivator, which has had
such a run since, and is now manufactured by Edward
Budd at the Millbrook factory. Parley Freeland had
invented a previous gopher, in 1858, and the peculiar
name appears to have been given to it then.
Two murders during the year disgrace our county
annals ; one the result of a saloon brawl and the other of
business hate. Stephen Jennings and a Norwegian,
having had a previous quarrel, renewed it in a saloon in
Newark, kept by Isaac Harris, and Jennings was killed.
The murderer was acquitted on the plea of having acted
in self-defense. W. Boyd was a money broker in Bristol,
and was shot dead in his office one stormy night, prob-
MURDER OF W. BOYD. 297
ablv by some one who thus took revenge for some busi-
ness difficulty. No clue to the murderer was ever found,
and he will probably have his first trial at the bar of
God.
SCHOOLS.
The Bristol Station school house was built, and Gil-
bert Lester w^as the first teacher ; then Mr. Alford, Mr.
Boomhaur, C. Smith and A. D. Curran.
Two years before the school house was built, a school
was kept by G. G. Hunt, in a small shanty where the
Robinson house now stands.
The Windett school, Bristol, has had the following
teachers : Nancy C. Young, Lyman Ford, Arthur Barnes
and R. W. Grover.
The Booth school, Lisbon, has had the following teach-
ers : Mary and Elsie Ayer, Ada Tupper, Maggie Leitch
and Maggie Cooper.
The Worsley school, Lisbon. Sarah Lowry, Mary
Brown and Miss Clegg were early teachers.
The same year the
YORKVILLE CHURCH
was built, Michael Lewis being the preacher in charge.
A class had been organized two years before, and held
its meetings in the school house. The succeeding pas-
tors have been : Melvin Smith, Mr, Taplin, A. D. Field,
Mr. Lee, J. B. McGuffin, John Ellis, Mr. Freeman, Mr.
Cone, T. H. Hazeltine and Mr. Brookins.
In 1860, Fairview M. E. Church was built near Hol-
derman's grove, on the High Prairie Circuit — named
Fairview by Father Lewis. B. D. Linebarger and C.
W. Batchelder preached there at a very early day. After
20
298 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
that, Revs. Plumb, Fiddler, Irving, Flowers and 0. H.
Hutchins preached in the school house ; then, in the
meeting house, Mr. Wallace and Mr. Adams, and, fin-
ally, T. L. Helliwell. After the latter left, the society
was too poor to maintain preaching, and the house was
sold to Russell Wing for a barn.
The Greenfield school. Fox, was opened in 1861.
The first teachers were : Mary Walker, James Ward,
Josephine Hay and George Walreth. Its predecessor
was the Rogers school, started in 1859, and had the
following teachers: J. J. Baird and James Near. The
first in the district was the Darnell school, built in 1849
in the timber near the Millbrook ford. Among the
teachers were : Emily Webster, Cynthia Wood, Delia
Southworth, Edward Malker, Amelia Smith and Julia
Short. The two former schools were consolidated in
1870.
"OAK GROVE CEMETERY,"
at Bristol Station, was laid out on L. S. Knox's land in
1862. J. Loucks was the first one buried there. It is a
pleasant site, and contains some fine monuments, espe-
cially those of John C. Scofield, Orrin Kennedy, Au-
gustus Boutwell, Joab Austin, William Thurber and
Mrs. Susan Short. In 1863
THE MORMONS,
or " Re-organized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day
Saints," made their headquarters at Piano. After the
troubles at Nauvoo, in 1844, they were scattered abroad
until, in 1853, in Wisconsin, a re-organization was
effected under Joseph Smith jr. The first general con-
ference of the re-organized body was held at Amboy,
THE LATTER DAY SAINTS. 299
Illinois, in 1860, at which time Mr. Smith was recog-
nized as President of all branches of the church through-
out the world. He has for ten years past resided at
Piano. They have there a well ordered publishing house,
from which they issue denominational books, and two
semi-monthly papers, the ^'' Latter Day Saints' Herald''
— transferred from Cincinnati — and " Zions ITope," a
children's paper. They differ from evangelical believers
mainly in receiving the Book of Mormon as of equal
authority with the Bible. They have in Piano a church
of about one hundred and twenty members, F. G. Pitt,
formerly, and Elder Smith, the present pastor. They
have also a church in Sandwich.
- The school house of District No. 5, Oswego, was built
in the fall of 1863. Early teachers : Lyman Pike,
Lizzie R. Winn, Mary Tremain, Mary Smith, Anna
Mason, Anna Reed and R. V. Beach.
During these years ordinary items of interest appear
scarce, because dwarfed into insignificance by the absorb-
ing interest and larger magnitude of our civil war. This,
like the rising of the sun, puts so completely out of sight
all lesser orbs, that they drift by without drawing our
attention.
CHAPTER XLllI.
T f
THE FIRST GUN
JN Saturday, April 13th, 1861, Fort
Sumpter surrendered to the secession-
ists. It was an exciting Sabbath that
followed, and on Monday evening this
'dispatch was received at Springfield :
" Call made on you to-night for six regiments
of militia for immediate service.
Simon Cameron, Sec'y of War."
Four days afterward the following flashed over the
wires to Chicago :
" To Gen. Swift : — As quick as possible have as strong a force as
you can raise, armed and equipped with ammunition and accoutre-
ments, and a company of artillery, ready to march at a moment's
warning. A messenger will start to Chicago to-night.
Richard Yates."
The dispatch was received at eleven o'clock Friday
evening, and at eleven oclock on Sunday evening, five
hundred and ninety-five men and four pieces of artillery
started for Cairo. They Avere followed on Monday by
three hundred and thirteen men, among them, Captain
Carr's company, of Sandwich, in which were the follow-
ing Kendall county men : Samuel Faxon, Lucien Hem-
enway, Hiram Dayton, Thomas Darnell, Walter Atkins,
THE THREE MONTHS VOLUNTEERS. 301
William Hall, Alfred Darnell, Geo. S. Bartlett, Geo. A.
Hough, Nicholas Costar, Jas. J. Hummel], Jas. Howard,
Edgar Percival, William H. Ross, Henry C. Smith, Har-
low Tuttle and Thomas Welsh. Another, Jas. A. Lan-
nigan, enlisted at Springfield in Capt. Gibson's company.
These were our first offering to the war, and they were
on their way five days after the receipt of the Govern-
or's proclamation. Capt. Carr was granted his commis-
sion on Friday, and in twenty-four hours his company
was full. Capt. Houghtaling's company, of Ottawa, was
one day ahead. All these tjoops were enlisted for three
months only, and were armed with such guns and rifles as
could be found at home or in the stores at Chicago.
There were not more than six hundred available gov-
ernment muskets in all Illinois. The Sandwich com-
pany became a part of the
TENTH REGIMENT,
and most of them re-enlisted for three years, as did also
the other three months regiments, numbered Seventh to
Twelfth. The Seventh was the first, the preceding six
having been raised for the Mexican war. The Tenth'
was assigned to the Army of the Cumberland, and took
part in most of the battles of that region during the war.
Their first Colonel, Benjamin M. Prentiss, became a
Major General. Their flag was presented to them by
the ladies of Alton. Out of their number, during the
war, twenty-seven were killed, one hundred and twenty
died from wounds and disease, and over one hundred
were discharged for disability. The
SEVENTH REGIMENT,
in which were a number of our men, was in the same
302 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
army, and suffered a loss of seventy killed, one hundred
and forty-four from disease and wounds, and seventy-five
discharged from the same causes. They were in four
teen battles. Seventeen of their number were starved
to death in Andersonville prison pen in six months,
from May to November, 1864.
But though the boys of the Tenth were the first in
the field, they were not the
FIRST TO ENLIST.
That honor belongs to a company of Kendall county
volunteers, without historic fame save in local history.
Fort Sumpter fell at noon on the 13th of April, and in
the evening of the same day, a crowded and excited
mass meeting was held in the Court House in Oswego.
Speeches were made by Judge Helm, Judge Ricketson,
A. B. Smith, and others. x\.t last Lyman G. Bennett
was called out. He remarked that this was a time for
action rather than words. It was a time when men were
needed ; and he asked how many would then and there
volunteer for their country. He held in his hand a
paper with one name on it — his own. Who would go,
if need be ? The spark of patriotism canght like fire
in dry tinder, and in a few minutes eighty names were
enrolled. James Cliggitt was the first to put down his
name under Mr. Bennett's. The company was soon
full, and drilled every day under Captain A. B. Hall,
and awaited orders from the Governor to proceed to the
front. But the six regiments called for were already
full, and several hundred volunteers, the Oswego com-
pany among them, were left out. Most of the accepted
companies, too, were over-full, and among the most
THE THIRTEENTH REGIMENT. 303
touching incidents of the time was the rejection of these
surplus volunteers. Men who had left their homes at
an hour's notice to enter the service of their country,
wept at the disappointment of being refused admission
to their companies on muster day. Provision was made
for one month's pay for them, and they filed their rolls
and were mustered out of service.
Some of the first Oswego company re-enlisted at
Sandwich, in F. W. Partridge's company, and others at
Aurora, in B. F. Parks' company- — both of which were
incorporated in the
THIRTEENTH REGIMENT,
under Colonel John B. Wyman, who was killed at Chick-
asaw Bayou, Mississippi, December 28th, 1862, They
lost during the war, thirty-seven killed on the field, one
hundred and thirty-eight died from wounds and disease,
and one hundred and fifty-eight were discharged. About
forty Kendall county soldiers belonged to the regiment.
At the close of the first three years of the war, it was
consolidated with the Fifty-sixth Illinois. Their silk
flag has become famous as being the first Union fiag
unfurled in Richmond after its evacuation. It had been
captured, and was hanging in the office of the keeper of
Libby Prison as a trophy, and was taken from thence
by John F. Locke, of the Thirty-ninth Massachusetts,
about 7:30 o'clock on the morning of April 3d, and
given to the breeze from one of the windows of the
prison. The Federal cavalry were about a mile off*,
approaching the city, and straggling Rebel soldiers were
still on the streets. This flag, with many other battle
flags, is preserved at Springfield. During the last week
304 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
in April, a company was recruited by Dr. Reuben F.
Dyer, at Newark, for the
TWENTIETH REGIMENT.
The initial mass meeting was held in the Baptist church.
, Speeches were made, and a large number enlisted. Fifty-
five of Company K were residents of this county —
mostly from around Newark. There were about seventy
in the entire regiment. Captain Dyer, after nine months,
resigned, and was followed by Captain John W. Boyer,
and Captain Perry W. Spellman. The regiment was
mustered in at Joliet, under Colonel C. C. Marsh, and
at the close of their first year's service received a hand-
some new flag from the citizens of Chicago, for gallant
conduct on the fields of Frederickstown and Donelson.
With the one exception of the Thirty-sixth, they sufi'ered
the severest losses of any regiment raised in this part of
the State, having eighty-three killed on the field, two
hundred deaths in the hospitals, and one hundred and
sixteen discharges by reason of wounds and disease.
But the
THIRTY-SIXTH REGIMENT
was above all others emphatically our own. It was
recruited in July, 1861. Company D was raised in
Lisbon by Dr. William P. Pierce ; Company E in Little
Rock and Bristol, by Charles D. Fish and Albert M.
Hobbs ; Company F in Newark, by Porter C. Oleson ;
and Company I in Oswego, by Samuel C. Camp. Over
three hundred altogether enlisted in this regiment from
Kendall county. It w^as called at first the Fox River
Regiment. Nicholas Greusel was its first Colonel. On
his resignation, in 1863, Silas Miller succeeded, and after
DEATH OF COL. OLESON. 305
his death in 1864, from wounds received at Kenesaw
mountain, Porter C. Oleson commanded. He was killed
at Franklin, November 30th, 1864, and was succeeded
by B. F. Campbell. Among the battles in which the
regiment took part were Pea Ridge, Perryville, Stone
River, Murfreesboro, Chickamauga, Chattanooga, Dal-
ton, Resaca, Adairsville, Kenesaw, Atlantic, Franklin
and Nashville. The battle of Stone River was particu-
larly and terribly severe. During these awful eight days
forty-four men were killed on the field, and the killed,
wounded and missing were three hundred and six, or
nearly one-half the entire regiment. Colonel Greusel
reported, " I came out of the action with only two
hundred men."
During the war one hundred and twenty were killed,
one hundred and eighty died, and two hundred and
twenty discharged from disability. This does not include
the losses of
COMPANY A CAVALRY,
Capt. Albert Jenks, which was raised in this county,
and formed, with another company raised at Elgin, part
of the Thirty-sixth. These and other independent com-
panies were in the beginning of 1863 consolidated into
one regiment, the Fifteenth Cavalry — our company being
Company I. In the beginning of 1865, it was consoli-
dated with the Tenth Cavalry, and lettered as Company
M. It was in active service on the field during the entire
war, and lost in the last two years, twenty-six died and
twenty-two discharged. While the Thirty-sixth was still
306 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
in camp, near Aurora, Capt. Chas. D. Townsend received
his commission to enlist a company for the
FOURTH CAVALRY,
Col. T. Lyle Dickey commanding. It was mustered in
as Company C. About sixty-five men enlisted in it from
this county, besides several in Company B, of which
Garrett L. Collins was lieutenant, and afterwards cap-
tain. The losses of the regiment were twenty- one killed,
one hundred and sixty-five died and two hundred and
sixty discharged. In 1865 they were consolidated with
the Twelfth Cavalry — both regiments making but the full
number of one.
The total enlistments from this county during 1861
were between four and five hundred, while our quota was
but three hundred and sixty-seven — the entire quota
of the State being about forty-eight thousand. Besides
the regiments mentioned, we were also represented in the
Eighth Cavalry, and Twenty-third, Forty sixth, Forty-
seventh, Fifty-third and Sixty-ninth Infantry.
CHAPTER XLIV.
DEEPER STRUGGLES.
f N THE fall of 1862, the number of our
soldiers was doubled, as more than four
hundred new men went to the front, prin-
cipally in four regiments. Recruiting
offices were busily running at the same
time in Bristol, Lisbon, Newark, Little
Rock, Piano and Oswego. The real
meaning and magnitude of the war was at last thoroughly
comprehended, and the country meant business. Com-
pany H, of the
EIGHTY-NINTH REGIMENT,
was recruited at Bristol — Henry S. Willett, captain. He
was killed at Stone River, and was succeeded by Frank-
lin M. Hobbs and John A. Beeman. The entire com-
pany, except two or three recruits, was raised in this
county.
The Eighty-ninth was at first called the "Railroad
Regiment." First colonel, John Christopher of the U.
S. Army ; second, Chas. T. Hotchkiss. Its heaviest losses
were at Chickamauga^ where one hundred and nine
were killed, wounded and missing ; at Stone River,
308 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
one hundred and forty-two ; and before Atlanta, two
hundred and eleven. It was in twenty-five battles,
and lost a total, as marked on the company rolls,
of seventy-one killed, two hundred and eleven died,
and one hundred and eio;hty-eight discharged. Yet
these are not the complete figures, since deserters, pris-
oners, and those sick in the hospitals at the time of mus-
tering out, are not counted. Nor, indeed, would the
figures be accurate even then, for at the close of three
years the regiment numbered but six hundred, all told,
out of a total of fourteen hundred veterans and recruits.
The figures given in this history are mostly from the
official reports, but, probably, in the case of every regi-
ment, should be increased by about one-half, in order to
arrive at the approximate truth. Of the deaths in the
Eighty-ninth, nearly one-fourth must be credited to An-
dersonville. Fifty of its men were there first reduced
to skeletons and then laid away in their hastily made
graves. In this, it had a record unreached by any other
Illinois regiment, except the Sixteenth Cavalry, eighty
of whose brave boys sleep in the soil outside the pine
log stockade of that awful prison pen.
The Lisbon company of 1862, Captain Thomas B.
Hanna, was allotted to the
NINETY-FIRST REGIMENT,
as Company E. Capt. Hanna resigned at the close of
the year, and was succeeded by first Lieut. Edwin Brown,
in 1863, and Sergeant Frank H. Jordan in 1864. The
entire company, one hundred and three in number, was
from the southern part of the county. The regiment
COUNTY RECORD OF THE WAR. 309
was commanded to the close of the war by Col. Henry,
M. D., of Morris, promoted, at the last. Brevet Briga-
dier.
It did not suffer like many of the other regiments,
losing through the war one hundred and thirty-five killed
and died of wounds and disease, and one hundred and
forty discharged for disability. December 27th, 1862,
the entire regiment was captured by Morgan's cavalry,
and after being paroled were sent to Benton Barracks,
Missouri, where they remained about six months before
they were exchanged. Their subsequent movements
were to Vicksburg, and through Louisiana into Texas.
Company G of the
ONE HUNDRED AND FOURTH REGIMENT
was recruited by Johnson Misner in Ottawa, and several
Kendall county men enlisted in it. Captain Misner
resigned in 1863, and was succeeded by First Lieuten-
ant Selim "White. Absalom B. Moore was the first col-
onel, and Douglas Hapeman the second. The regimental
losses, as officially reported, were seventy-one killed, one
hundred and sixteen died, and two hundred and twenty-
two discharged. Of the
ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY SEVENTH REGIMENT,
three companies were raised principally in this county.
Company A was raised in Oswego by Captain William
L. Fowler, who was succeeded by William Walker in
1863, and by William S. Bunn in 1864. Company F
was raised in Little Rock by Captain Charles Schryver,
and Company K, also raised in Little Rock, by Captain
John H. Lowe. About two hundred and forty went
310 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
from Kendall county in this regiment. Colonel John
Van Arman commanded — succeeded in 1863 by Colonel
Hamilton L. Eldridge. Its losses were two hundred
killed and died, and one hundred and fifty-six discharged.
Thus, five companies were taken out of this county,
and that, too, in the busy days of harvest. The call
for fifty thousand men from Illinois was made in July.
On August 5th, the decision came that our excess of
fifteen thousand could not then be noticed, as the gov-
ernment wanted men, and that as much of the quota as
was not full by August 18th, should be filled by draft
on that day. Thus to raise fifty thousand men and
avoid the draft, only thirteen days were allowed, but it
was done. A tremendous enthusiasm rolled over the
State, every patriot's heart was thrilled to see that the
government was in dead earnest, and on August 16th,
after the lapse of only eleven days, Governor Yates
could announce the proud fact that the Illinois enlist-
ment rolls were filled ! The quota of this county was
two hundred and fifteen, a total with the preceding year
of six hundred and eighteen, and to meet this nearly
one thousand soldiers had gone to the front — more than
one-third of all the able-bodied men in the county.
WITH THE YEAR 1863
came the draft. In some places, as in Iowa, it was
received as the only possible alternative to raise men,
and operated peaceably ; but where the secesh sentiment
was more powerful, it was resisted. An enrolling officer
was murdered in Indiana, and in New York city the
riot lasted through five July days, and was not quelled
until twenty-five of the military and police, and one
QUOTA OF THE COUNTY. 311
hundred and fifty of the rioters were killed or seriously
wounded. But the lawless spirit was permanently sub-
dued, and thereafter the ever impending draft was the
peaceable handmaid of each fresh call for troops. But
our Northern drafts were but faint resemblances of the
universal conscription of every able-bodied white man,
ordered and carried out in the South. Three hundred
thousand men were called for by the President, October
15th, the draft to follow January 5th in all places where
the quota was not full. But we were so far in excess of
our quota as to have nothing to fear. However,
IN 1864,
our resources were pretty thoroughly tried. Three calls
were made during the year for a total of one million,
two hundred thousand new men.
Under the call of February 1st, for five hundred
thousand men, our quota was about three hundred, and
was already filled. Under the next call, March 15th,
for two hundred thousand men, our quota was one hund-
red and forty-one, and we were still ahead. But when,
July 18th, a call was made for five hundred thousand
additional men, to serve for one year, draft to follow
September 5th, Kendall county patriotism was put to a
strain. Our quota was three hundred and fifteen, a total
from the beginning of one thousand, three hundred and
seventy-four, one-half our entire militia, and no loyal
man shrank. The towns promptly voted appropriations
of from three to nine thousand dollars each — sixty-five
thousand dollars altogether, for bounties, and the county
as a whole as promptly incurred obligations amounting
312 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
in the aggregate to one hundred and seventy-three thous-
and dollars.
Twelve regiments for one hundred days were called
for. Of these, Company F, of the One Hundred and
Forty-first, was enlisted in Newark, while many went
to Aurora and enlisted in Company C of the One Hund-
red and Thirty-second, or to Morris, in Company H of
the One Hundred and Thirty-eighth. The first went
to Columbus, Kentucky ; the second to Paducah, Ken-
tucky, and the third to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, at
which places they remained on duty during their time
of service. The last call was for regiments to serve one
year. Of these. Company D of the One Hundred and
Forty-sixth, and Company A of the One Hundred and
Fifty-sixth was largely made up of Kendall county men.
The One Hundred and Forty-sixth was divided into
detachments, and remained in the State at difi^erent
camps, guarding drafted men and substitutes. The One
Hundred and Fifty-sixth was ordered to the seat of war,
but did guard duty principally. It was the last regiment
raised in Illinois, and was organized under the last call
for troops, issued December 21st, 1864. Under it our
quota was two hundred and eighteen, a total of one
thousand, five hundred and fifty-one ; but as we had
avoided the draft by and excess of thirty-seven, we were
that many ahead, and had but one hundred and eighty-
one men ^^et to raise in the young months of 1865.
It was a heavy burden, but vigorously the work went
on, and when in the following April the great rebellion
collapsed and the recruiting was stopped, we had but
four men yet to furnish to complete our quota ! We
LOSSES IN THE ARMY. 313
had actually furnished one thousand, five hundred and
forty-seven soldiers, and the State of Illinois nearly
two hundred and fifty thousand. The last battle of the
war was fought May 12th, and the next day the people
of the nation subscribed for $30,000,000 of the new
7-30 loan.
Of the fifteen hundred men furnished by Kendall
county, two hundred and fifteen, according to the ofiicial
report,
LAID DOWN THEIR LIVES.
Of these, about one hundred were killed on the field or
died of their wounds. Perryville, Atlanta and Kene-
saw have each two of our men. Shiloh, Rienzi, Frank-
lin and Chattanooga have three each. Pea Ridge, Rolla,
Pickett's Mills and Milliken's Bend each have four.
Young's Point, Murfreesboro' and Vicksburg each have
five. At Memphis seven gave up their lives, and the
same number in the hated prison pen at Andersonville.
Nashville took eight ; Chickamauga nine, and at Stone
River thirteen of our men were killed on the field. The
first death from our county was William Ashton, who
enlisted at Newark, in Company K, Twentieth Illinois,
and died at Cape Girardeau, September 2nd, 1861. The
first killed were Ira 0. Fuller, of Company E, and Paul
Stevenson, of Company F, Thirty-sixth Illinois; both
falling at Pea Ridge, March 7th, 1862. John Ray was
killed in the same battle the day after. The last killed
were William Thumb and Knud K. Ganstow, who en-
listed at Lisbon in Company E, Ninety-first Illinois, and
fell while investing Spanish Fort, near Mobile, March
29th, 1865. The last who died were Austin Willett, of
21
314 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
Fox, Company K, Forty-seventh Illinois, at Demopolis,
Alabama, July 26th, 1865, and John A. Merrell, of Big
Grove, Company D, One Hundred and Forty-sixth Illi-
nois, at Cahawba, Alabama, November 25th, 1865.
THE END HAD COME.
The Eighty-ninth and One Hundred and Fourth Infantry,
and Fourth Cavalry were the first to be mustered out,
and were home in June. The Seventh, Tenth, Twen-
tieth, Ninety-first, One Hundred and Forty-sixth Infan-
try, and Eighth Cavalry were home in July — most of
them in time for harvest. The remnant of the Thir-
teenth did not get out until August, and the One Hun-
dred and Fifty -sixth until September ; while the Thirty-
sixth did not arrive until the forests were in the sere
and yellow leaf, in the end of October, having been
employed during the summer on guard duty at New
Orleans. The end had come. Some slept in Southern
graves ; some in cemeteries at home ; and the surviving
veterans, laying off the blue, again took up their work
where they left it on enlistment day.
Among the most beneficent creations of the war were
the Soldiers' Aid Societies, found in every town, and
tributary to the U. S. Sanitary Commission. Most of
them held weekly sewing meetings, and when the time
had come to send away a box, public notice was given,
and cupboards and closets were ransacked for anything
that would be of service to the soldiers. The following
is a list of articles thus sent by the Kendall County Aid
Society to the army : Apple butter, arm slings, blankets,
blackberries, beets, beans, butter, bandages, books, cur-
rant jelly, cabbage, catsup, corn, cotton rags, comfort-
SANITARY COMMISSION SUPPLIES.
315
ables, chickens, cordial, cash, dried fruit, dried corn,
dried apples, dried beef, dressing gowns, drawers, eggs,
horse radish in vinegar, handkerchiefs, light groceries,
magazines, mittens, pillows, pillow cases, pin cushions,
potatoes, pickled onions, cucumbers and potatoes, plums,
packages of papers, pads, pepper sauce, quilts, rolls of
cloth, sheets, slippers, shirts, sourkraut, turnips, towels,
tracts, Testaments, tea and woolen socks.
And those well packed boxes were blessed freight to
the sick and wounded in the hospitals. But may it be
long before a similar service is again needed in our land.
CHAPTER XLV.
OUR WAR RECORD FOR 1861.
OLLOWING is the name, company,
regiment and war record of every
Kendall county soldier, so far as could
be ascertained. The compiler has
availed himself of every means of in-
formation in his power in order that
the list might be as nearly correct
as it was possible to make it.
The Thirteenth were mustered in in May, the Twen-
tieth in June, the Seventh in July, the Tenth and Thir-
316 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
ty-sixth in August, the Fourth and Eighth Cavalry in
September, and the Thirteenth Cavalry in December,
1861.
TOWN OF OSWEGO.
THIRTEENTH INFANTRY, COMPANY H.
James Cliggitt, promoted corporal.
Simon P. Shamp, killed at Chickasaw Bayou, Missis-
sippi, December 29th, 1862.
Walter S. Hunt, promoted sergeant.
John Martin, served four years.
William A. Hawley.
George W. Walker.
THIRTEENTH REGIMENT, COMPANY I.
James T. Haywood, died of wounds, December 14th,
1863.
George W. Sutherland, served three years.
SEVENTH INFANTRY, COMPANY C.
Thomas J. Carpenter, served four years, promoted cor-
poral.
Patrick Ruen.
William Schell.
THIRTY-SIXTH INFANTRY, COMPANY I.
Samuel C. Camp, captain, resigned.
Orville B. Merrill, 1st lieutenant, promoted captain.
Williah Walker, 1st lieutenant.
William F. Sutherland, promoted 1st lieutenant.
Andrew Turner, corporal, promoted 1st lieutenant.
Gustavus Voss, sergeant, promoted 2d lieutenant.
David E. Shaw, sergeant, promoted 2d lieutenant.
WAR RECORD OF KENDALL COUNTY. 317
Charles F. Case, 1st sergeant, promoted adjutant, died
of wounds received at battle of Franklin, December
18tli, 1864.
Abram V. Wormley, sergeant, promoted 1st sergeant.
Bartholomew J. VanValkenberg, corporal, four years,
promoted hospital steward.
Joseph W. Halstead, corporal, disabled.
Orrin Dickey, corporal.
John Lonegan, corporal, died at Nashville, March 28th,
1864.
Dwight Smith, corporal, promoted sergeant, died at An-
napolis, March 10th, 1862.
Levi Cowan, musician, disabled and discharged.
George W. Avery, promoted sergeant, wounded and dis-
charged October 7th, 1864.
Samuel Bartlett.
George Beck, promoted corporal, four years.
Jacob Barth, promoted corporal.
Samuel J. Brownell, died at St. Louis, Dec. 28th, 1861.
Henry H. Barber, transferred to Battery H, 5th U. S.
Artillery.
E. W. Brundage, promoted quartermaster sergeant.
Dwight G. Cowan, promoted 2nd lieutenant.
Michael Cliggitt, promoted corporal, died in Anderson-
ville prison, September 14th, 1864 ; number of his
orrave, 8,750.
William Daley, killed at Rolla, Missouri, Jan. 10, 1862.
John H. Denton.
Hobart Doctor, promoted sergeant, served four years.
Leander A. Ellis, promoted corporal, killed at Stone
River, January 2nd, 1863.
318 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
Ferdinand Gaur, died in Andersonville prison, Septem-
ber 6th, 1864 ; number of grave, 7,953.
John Grinnel, died at Oswego, March 2nd, 1864.
Vincent Gentsenburg, served four years.
William Hinchman, served three years.
Joseph Hummel.
Nathan Hunt, transferred to Company C, 2nd Regiment
V. R. C.
Conrad Lehrnichel, served four years.
Samuel Mall, re-enlisted, wounded and discharged.
Christ. Mall, died of wounds, December 16th, 1863.
Stephen Minard, died at Murfreesboro, July 12th, 1863.
David W. McKay, died at Annapolis, Jan. 29th, 1863.
Antoine Miller.
John Nolenburg, transferred to Battery G, 2nd Ohio
Artillery.
Lewis Power.
John Roth.
Martin Rinehart, died at Pine Grove, Missouri, April
28th, 1862.
John B. Sage.
Benedict Stall.
Henry Schroder.
Henry Schell.
Benedict Stamphley, wounded and discharged.
Frederick Shanoret, wounded and discharged.
Charles Snyder, died at New Albany, Indiana, October
3d, 1864*!
Elbert M. Saxton, served three vears.
Harvey Tooley, promoted corporal, died at Oswego,
March 3d, 1864.
WAR RECORD OF KENDALL COUNTY. 319
William Varner, served three years.
Christ. Wentz, served four years, promoted corporal.
Peter Wittman, died August 23d, 1863.
Harvey Webb.
James Wicks, served four year^, promoted corporal.
Thomas Wild.
FOURTH CAVALRY, COMPANY C.
Charles D. Townsend, captain, promoted major.
Asher B. Hall, 2nd lieutenant, promoted 1st lieutenant.
George W. Wormley.
Peter L. Loucks, promoted regimental bugler.
Isaac Pearce, served three years.
Charles E. Baupre, served four years, promoted sergeant.
Henry Eagle, died at St. Louis, June 17th, 1862.
Henry Getty, wounded.
James W. Hopkins.
Henry C. Smith, died of wounds at Colliersville, Tenn-
essee, February 1st, 1863.
John S. Moore, killed at Centre Hill, Mississippi, Jan-
uary 27th, 1863.
Edward Mann, promoted quartermaster sergeant.
John T. Wormley.
Andrew J. Haynes, sergeant, promoted captain in First
Missouri Cavalry.
David Jolly, promoted 2nd lieutenant Company K.
Milton B. Poage, promoted corporal.
Robert Jolly, promoted corporal.
Elisha Lilley, promoted corporal.
Seth D. Walker.
Kirk L. Walker, promoted corporal.
FIFTY-THIRD INFANTRY COMPANY B.
Orrin Kennedy, died at St. Louis, May 29th, 1862.
320 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
Hugh Kennedy, promoted 2nd lieutenant.
SEVENTH INFANTRY, COMPANY C.
James G. Andrews, served four years.
FIFTY-EIGHTH REGIMENT, COMPANY H.
H. Trumal.
THIRTEENTH CAVALRY, COMPANY H.
Stephen Nellis, wagoner.
Elias Darby.
Abel H. Kellogg.
Patrick Rowan.
TWENTIETH INFANTRY, COMPANY K.
John Gray, sergeant.
John P. Mullenix, sergeant.
Charles K. Bacon, corporal, served four years.
Rice S. Baxter.
John Carey, served four years.
Samuel Hagerman, served four years, promoted corporal.
William Minard, served three years.
Aaron P. Paxton, died at Newark, May 4th, 1862.
William Shuger, killed at Raymond, Mississippi, May
12th, 1863.
TOWN OF BRISTOL.
THIRTEENTH INFANTRY, COMPANY E.
Thomas Cooper, served three years.
Charles 0. Fuller.
John H. Jordan, served three years.
John Leitch, served three years.
George Middlemas.
THIRTEENTH REGIMENT, COMPANY H.
James B. Lowry, corporal, promoted sergeant.
Lucius W. Smedley, corporal.
WAR RECORD OF KENDALL COUNTY. 321
Merrill F. Boomer, died October 5th, 1863.
Theodore C. Hays, served three years.
Isaac P. Hunt, died of wounds, March 12th, 1863.
Justus G. Ketchum, served four years.
Benjamin Morris, served three years.
John G. North.
John W. Williams.
SEVENTH INFANTRY, COMPANY C.
Gardner T. Bobo, corporal.
John Crayton, served four years.
Ephraim Smith, died while on veteran furlough, Feb-
ruary, 1864.
FIFTEENTH INFANTRY, COMPANY I.
Simeon Bailey, blacksmith, served four years, transferred
to Company M, 10th Illinois Cavalry.
Robert Fralick, promoted corporal, transferred to Com-
pany M, 10th Illinois Cavalry.
THIRIY-SIXTH INFANTRY, COMPANY E.
Albert M, Hobbs, 1st lieutenant, promoted captain.
William H. Clark, 2nd lieutenant, promoted adjutant.
Orrison Smith, sergeant, promoted 1st lieutenant, killed
at Chattanooga, September 20th, 1863.
Robert B. Ralston, sergeant, transferred to 1st U. S.
Engineers.
William J. Willett, corporal, promoted sergeant, killed
at Chickamauga September 20th, 1863.
Thomas P. Hill, corporal, promoted quarter-master
sergeant.
Herbert Dewey, wounded and prisoner.
Hobart D. Carr.
Milton E. Cornell, wounded.
322 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
Patrick Connor, promoted sergeant.
Silas F. Dyer, promoted corporal.
Henry C. Baxter, killed at Chickamauga.
Frederick Beier, served four years.
Erastus Beecher, died of wounds, November 14, 1862.
Delmar Burnside, re-enlisted, and taken prisoner.
Christ Batterman, served four years.
Charles W. Doane, wounded.
Bradley W. Doane.
Ira 0. Fuller, killed at Pea Ridge, March 7, 1862.
Henry Haigh, promoted corporal.
Judson W. Hanson, promoted sergeant.
Holvar Hanson.
Joseph Howard, transferred to Veteran Reserve Corps.
Thomas Ives.
Gilbert Ketchum, served three years.
Elisha E. Lloyd, prisoner, served three years.
Hamlet Livens, served three years.
George E. Lounsbury, promoted corporal.
Silas T. Marlette.
Henry Mullen, wounded.
John Pfensteil, promoted corporal.
Reuben W. Perrin, killed at Chickamauga.
Jacob Wolf, killed at Chickamauga.
Carlton D. Ward.
Charles H. Scofield, died of wounds at Murfreesboro,
January 28th, 1863.
Barney Wheeler, prisoner, served three years.
Benjamin Sayers, killed at Stone River.
Walter S. Ralston, served four years, promoted corporal.
George W. Bean, served three years.
WAR RECORD OF KENDALL COUNTY. 323
Comfort Brace, killed at Chickamauga, Sept. 20, 1863.
Christopher M. Baker, served four years, promoted
corporal.
John Brace, died at Cincinnati, January 4, 1863.
Michael Boomer, Company F, corporal, killed at Stone
River, December 30th, 1862.
Hiram Lowry, Company I, corporal, died of wounds.
May 19th, 1864.
TWENTIETH INFANTRY, COMPANY K.
Otis W. Charles, died at Bristol, June 1st, 1862,
Jay Delos Prinjue, served three years.
FOURTH CAVALRY, COMPANY C.
Jonas Seeley, promoted 1st sergeant.
James L. Clegg, served three years.
Leonard 0. Lathrop.
THIRTEENTH CAVALRY, COMPANY H.
Eli Ellis, farrier, promoted veterinary surgeon.
William Dyer, corporal, transferred to Company A.
Thomas Sunderland, transferred to Company A.
Peter Berogan, served three years.
William Ellis.
TOWN OF KENDALL,
THIRTEENTH INFANTRY, COMPANY H.
William Erwin, promoted corporal.
Townsend Seeley.
Jacob Fifer, Company E, died September 28th, 1861.
TWENTIETH INFANTRY, COMPANY K.
James Coyle, served four years.
Marcus E. Morton, died of wounds, April 23d, 1862.
Gilbert C. Morton, quartermaster sergeant, promoted
brevet-captain.
324 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
Martin F. Bissell.
George Mallory, died at Bird's Point, Jan. 28th, 1862.
Oscar P. Hobbs, Company F, promoted corporal.
THIRTY-SIXTH INFANTRY, COMPANY E.
Oscar S. Howe, died of wounds at Murfreesboro, Janu-
ary 30th, 1863.
George Merrill, wounded.
Henry Smith, served three years.
Peter Johnson.
Thomas P. Titlow, four years, promoted 1st sergeant.
Lyman G. Bennett, served during war, transferred to
1st Arkansas Cavalry, December 5th, 1863.
William Woolenwebber.
Henry Coleman, killed at Perryville, October 8th, 1862.
THIRTY-SIXTH INFANTRY, COMPANY I.
James F. Ferris, sergeant, four years.
Christopher Thake, served four years, promoted sergeant.
Kimball Smith, died at Rolla, Missouri, December 14th,
1861.
John Cook, died at Rolla, Missouri Dec. 14th, 1861.
TOWN OF FOX.
THIRTEENTH INFANTRY, COMPANY E.
Frank Colegrove.
Jefferson J. Eastman, died November 7th, 1862.
Horace M. Ellsworth, served four years.
John F. Iliflf, served three years.
Martin V. B. Stearns, promoted 1st sergeant.
John Seeley.
Irvin J. Walker, prisoner, served four years.
Benjamin B. Courtright, promoted sergeant.
WAR RECORD OF KENDALL COUNTY. 325
TENTH INFANTRY, COMPANY H.
Daniel R. Ballou, 1st sergeant, promoted captain,
rhomas Corke, musician.
Franklin Colegrove, re-enlisted and discharged for dis-
ability.
TWENTIETH INFANTRY COMPANY K.
R,ichard M. Springer, served four years, promoted ser-
geant, received medal of honor at Vicksburg.
iVndrew Wilsey.
THIRTY-SIXTH INFANTRY, COMPANY F.
jreorge G. Biddulph, 1st sergeant, promoted adjutant.
La Rue P. Southworth, sergeant, promoted quarter-
master,
jreorge NeiF, corporal, promoted sergeant.
Samuel Brimhall, musician.
S^orman C. Dean, musician.
Fames R. Biddulph.
jreorge A. Cummins, served three years.
THIRTY-SIXTH REGIMENT, COMPANY D.
/Vndrew F. Wilsey, served four years.
Edward Lars, died at Nashville, of wounds, February
21st, 1865.
FOURTH CAVALRY, COMPANY B.
Eugene Austin, promoted corporal.
Frank Cook, sergeant, promoted in Third U. S. Cavalry.
Robert W. Ackley, 9th Cavalry, Company G, served
three years.
The townships in which were no recruiting villages
have a less number of names than belong to them, as
most of the volunteers were credited to the town in which
they enlisted ; and it has been impossible wholly to sep-
arate them.
326
HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
In most of the cases where a name is given without a
record, the one bearing it was discharged on account of
disability, before the term of enlistment expired.
CHAPTER XLVl.
AR RECORD of 1861— Continued.
TOWN OF BIG GROVE.
J^] TWENTIETH INFANTRY, COMPANY K.
Reuben F. Dyer, captain, resigned.
^W.@/^ Perry W. Spelman, sergeant, pro-
i^ moted captain.
Benjamin Olin, 1st lieutenant.
John R. McKean, 2nd lieutenant, died January 23d,
1862.
George Hopgood, sergeant.
Thomas Hopgood.
James Crellen, corporal, killed at Shiloh, April 6, '62.
Thomas Garner, corporal.
James R. Barrow^s, corporal.
Edward P. Atkins, corporal, died at Newark, March
11, 1862
George Adams, corporal.
Josiah Wright, promoted corporal.
WAR RECORD OF KENDALL COUNTY. 327
Stephen Jennings, wagoner, died at Mound City, Octo-
ber 15, 1861.
Benjamin G. Adams, killed at Raymond, Miss., May
12, 1863.
William Ashton, died at Cape Girardeau, Sept. 2, 1861.
Forbes Anderson.
Andrew Brown, served three years.
William Bennett, died, place and date unknown.
David L. Barrows, killed at Raymond, Miss., May 12, '63.
Charles J. Clayton.
Franklin Clifford, served four years.
William M. Crowner, died at Mound City, March 10, '62.
Francis Crowell, served four years.
Sumner M. Cook, died at Vicksburg, July 20, 1863.
Edwin Howes, served four years, promoted corporal.
Martial M. Havenhill, transferred to Regimental Band.
James Jennings, served four years, promoted sergeant.
Elias H. Kilmer, served three years.
William J. Prentice.
John Pepoon.
Longen Merkey, served three years.
William T. Preston, promoted sergeant.
Luman C. Preston, served three years.
Warren B. Rock wood.
Ambrose Wallace.
Andrew West.
Henry M. Havenhill, promoted corporal.
Curtis L. Wann, killed at Shiloh, April 6, 1862.
George B. Wilson, served four years.
Albert Wilcox, died at St. Louis, May 13, 1862.
Lewis G. Bishop.
328 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
THIRTY-SIXTH INFANTRY, COMPANY F.
Porter C. Oleson, captain, promoted colonel, killed at
Franklin, November 30, 1864.
George F. Stonax, 1st lieutenant.
John T. Johnson, promoted 1st lieutenant.
Martin C. Wilson, 2nd lieutenant.
Loren L. Oleson, corporal^ promoted 2nd lieutenant,
killed in battle.
George K. Wann, sergeant.
William Eyebond, sergeant, died of wounds. May 2, '63.
William Browning, served three years.
Christian Christianson.
Aber Christopherson, prisoner, served three years.
William H. Eastman, died at Andersonville prison,
August 17, 1861, number of grave 5,992.
Daniel Warden.
Thomas J. Wilson, served three years.
Canute K. Johnson, served three years.
Alfred Melton.
Lewis Oleson, died of wounds, December 26, 1863.
Canute Phillips, served three years.
Richard Spradling, killed at Stone River, Dec. 30, '63.
Luther Haskins, died at Louisville, October 15, 1863.
Raynard Holverson, died at Corinth, Mississippi, Sep-
tember 9th, 1862.
Ira M. Johnson, served three years.
Ira Larson, served three years.
William Stewart, corporal, died at Hamburg Landing,
June 1st, 1862
John Oleson.
Thomas Thompson, died at Rienzi, Mississippi, July
8th, 1862.
WAR RECORD OF KENDALL COUNTY. 329
Ferris Johnson, promoted sergeant.
Lars Larson, died at Cairo, September 13th, 1862.
Benjamin Stevenson, promoted corporaL
Christ. Lind, served three years.
Anton Myer, died at New Albany, Indiana April 21st,
1863.
Paul Stevenson, killed at Pea Ridge, March 7th, 1862.
William D. Hibbard.
John Thompson, served three years.
Charles N. Ralph, served three years.
Canute K. Johnson, served three years.
Henry M. Seymour, served three years.
Albert H. Wolf, served three years.
THIRTY-SIXTH INFANTRY, COMPANY D.
Andrew L. Scofield, corporal.
Seth Darling, re-enlisted, died of wounds, June 16, 1864.
John C. Taylor, corporal, re-enlisted.
Ezra Taylor, killed at Chickamauga.
George W. Raymond, promoted.
Garrett G. Vreeland, served four years.
Nelson Erickson, promoted sergeant.
Edward Seymour, prisoner of war.
Henry T. Kellom, musician, served four years.
Newton J. Abbott, transferred to V. R. C.
Charles Seymour, killed at Chaplin Hills, Kentucky,
October 8th, 1862.
George W. Woods, served three years.
John Q. Adams, Fifty-second regiment, promoted quar-
termaster.
Ira Strong, Fifty-third Regiment, Company G, trans-
ferred to Company B.
22
330 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
FOURTH CAVALRY. COMPANY C.
Perley F. Freeland, served three years.
William P. Hatch, served three years.
Gustavus Rohlwes, served three years.
John Kayler, promoted corporal.
Joseph H. Angel regimental blacksmith.
Garrett L. Collins, Company B, 1st lieutenant, promoted
captain.
EIGHTH CAVALRY, COMPANY K.
Darius Sullivan, 2nd lieutenant, promoted captain.
Lafayette Halliday, served four years.
Joseph Bushnell, sergeant, served four years.
James H. Mason.
FIFTEENTH CAVALRY, COMPANY I.
Albert Collins, 1st sergeant, promoted captain Com-
pany F.
James S. Barber, transferred to Company M, Tenth
Cavalry, served four years.
William H. Fox, paroled prisoner, re-enlisted as veteran,
promoted sergeant.
Ole C. Lan gland, served three years.
Aaron Pricket, paroled prisoner, served four years,
transferred to Company M, Tenth Cavalry.
TOWN OF LISBON.
TWENTIETH INFANTRY. COMPANY K.
John W. Boyer, 1st sergeant, promoted captain.
Nicholas Hanson, served four years.
William R. Vreeland, promoted corporal.
Jerome B. Daun, served four years.
Samuel Trentor, served three years.
WAR RECORD OE KENDALL COUNTY. 831
John Woodruff, died of wounds, June 1th, 1863.
Alonzo P. White, served four years.
Nelson Dayton.
James B. Littlewood, served four years.
John H. Leach, served four years, promoted corporal.
Greenbury Leach, re-enlisted, died at Fortress Monroe,
April 30th, 1865.
THIRTY-SIXTH INFANTRY, COMPANY D.
William P. Pierce, captain, promoted assistant surgeon.
George D. Parker, 1st lieutenant, promoted captain.
Edward P. Cass, 1st sergeant, promoted captain.
Isaac N. Beebe, sergeant, promoted 1st lieutenant, and
offered captain's commission, but declined.
John Van Pelt, 1st lieutenant, promoted quarter-master.
Joseph C. Thompson, sergeant, promoted 1st lieutenant.
Henry F. Birch, promoted captain.
William DuckAvorth, promoted 1st lieutenant.
James A. Baker, promoted 2nd lieutenant.
Mercelon B. Gaylord, sergeant, died at Lisbon, June
17, 1862.
Alexander Stickles, sergeant, killed at Stone River.
Clinton Lloyd, corporal, promoted sergeant.
David Sutherland, corporal.
James M. Leach, promoted sergeant, died of wounds
while prisoner at Marietta, Ga., June 22, 1864.
William P. Burgess, musician, prisoner.
William C. Benedict, corporal, killed at Stone River.
Joseph Apley, served three years.
Allen M. Alvord, died at Chattanooga, June 8, 1864.
Louis P. Boyd, served three years.
Allen Brown.
332 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
Jacob M. Burgess.
Benjamin F. Burgess.
Joseph Bushnell, died at Rienzi, Miss., June 16, 1862.
Charles H. Bissell, served four years.
Rensellaer Carpenter.
William B. Cady, served three years.
Clark W. Edwards, died at Lisbon, June 12, 1862.
Oliver Edmond, served three years.
George Godwin.
Alfred H. Gaylord, died of wounds, June 24, 1864.
Willard W. Gifford.
Luther Gates, served three years.
Eben Gates, served three years.
John W. Graham, transferred to First U. S. Engineers.
James Hurst, died of wounds at Perryville, November
30, 1862.
Joseph W. Hinsdale, promoted corporal, killed at Ken-
esaw, June 27, 1864.
John Hyer, served four years, promoted corporal.
Oley H. Johnson, served three years.
Andrew Johnson.
Harvey Kimball, promoted corporal, killed at Chicka-
mauga.
Charles G. Langdon.
John Larking, served three years.
John Miller, died at Batesville, Ark., May 10, 1862.
John Menley.
Aaron Mills, transferred to Veteran Reserve Corps.
Ole N. Oleson, served three years.
John A. Page, served three years.
Aspian Peterson, died at Nashville, Dec. 31st, 1862.
WAR RECORD OF KENDALL COUNTY. 333
Joseph A. Smith, promoted corporal, died of wounds at
Nashville, February 2nd, 1863.
Dana Sherrill, served three years, promoted corporal.
Thomas Shaw, died of wounds at Perryville, Kentucky,
October 28th, 1862.
Thor Thorson, re-enlisted.
Samuel Tucker, served three years.
James Thorpe, killed at Stone River.
Ole H. Thompson, promoted sergeant.
John E. Williams.
Thomas Welch.
Chester F. Wright.
John Wilson, served four years.
Edward Anderson, transferred to V. R. C.
John H. Thompson, served three years.
THIRTY-SIXTH REGIMENT, COMPANY G.
Seth Slyter, served three years.
Beriah Clark.
David Boyer, promoted sergeant.
Charles Peck, 52nd Regiment, Company H.
FIFTEENTH CAVALRY, COMPANY I.
Clark L. Ferguson, commissary sergeant, promoted.
Thomas Hampson, served four years, transferred to
Company M, 10th Cavalry.
TOWN OF LITTLE ROCK.
THIRTEENTH INFANTRY, COMPANY E.
Benjamin J. Gilford, sergeant, promoted 2nd lieutenant.
James R. Near, corporal.
John Burbank, corporal.
Thomas Darnell, died of wounds, July 1st, 1863.
334 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
Enoch Darnell, served three years.
Judson Grummon, served three years.
John W. Near, served three years.
Perry G. Tripp, served three years.
THIRTY-SIXTH INFANTRY, COMPANY E.
Charles D. Fish, captain, resigned.
George S. Bartlett, 1st sergeant, promoted 1st lieutenant.
Lucian F. Hemenway, sergeant, promoted captain.
William Hall, sergeant, promoted 1st lieutenant.
M. Stanley Bushnell, corporal, promoted quarter-master
sergeant.
David G. Cromwell, corporal.
Charles W. Doty, served four years, promoted corporal.
Daniel Whitney, corporal, promoted sergeant.
Hiram Wagner, corporal, served three years.
Peter Scryber, musician, died at Rolla, Mo., December
21, 1861.
William Todd, musician.
John W. Alston, served four years, wounded, promoted
corporal.
James H. Alston, promoted sergeant, killed at Franklin,
November 30, 1864.
Eugene Benoit, died of wounds, October 14, 1862.
John Bush, re-enlisted.
Alfred Ballard, died at Chattanooga, December 23, '63.
William Burgess, killed at Stone River.
Aaron Darnell, wounded.
Daniel J. Darnell, promoted corporal.
James Harral, wounded twice.
William Hunter, wounded.
James S. Hatch, served four years, promoted sergeant.
WAR RECORD OF KENDALL COUNTY. 335
Sylvester M. Jay, served three years.
James E. Moss, wounded, promoted corporal.
Nicholas Meehan, killed at Stone River.
Edwin J. McMullen, died at Cape Girardeau, May
25, 1865.
Amos Norton, served four years.
Melancthon J. Ross, served four years.
Cyrus Perry, served three years.
John Ray, killed at Pea Ridge, March 8, 1862.
Lewis Schaefer, served three years.
Joel Wagner.
Edward R. Zeller, wounded, served three years.
William W. Zeller, killed at Resaca, Ga., May 12, 1864.
Uriah Foster, served four years.
Amasa Gage.
James Brown, wounded.
Augustus Kasten, killed at Chickamauga.
James A. Lanigan.
George W. Lanigan, wounded, re-enlisted as Veteran.
James Carlin, transferred to First Missouri Battery.
Henry Hennis, served four years, promoted sergeant,
Henry J. Hodge.
Oscar Pecoy, transferred to Veteran Reserve Corps.
Edgar S. Case, served four years.
Stephen Winans, served three years.
Frank Henning, Company D.
Ralph Miller, Company C, died of wounds, Oct. 16, '62.
Alfred Tomblin, Company F, promoted corporal, killed
at Franklin, Tenn., November 30, 1864.
TWENTIETH INFANTRY, COMPANY K.
Alfred A. Griswold, died at Berry's Landing. La.,
March 30, 1863.
336 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
Nicholas Hanson, served four years, promoted sergeant.
TENTH INFANTRY, COxMPANY H.
Samuel Faxon, served four years, promoted sergeant.
Franklin Gilbert.
Washington Davis, served four years, promoted corporal.
Nicholas Coster, served three years.
FIFTY-SECOND INFANTRY, COMPANY H.
Frederick A. Hanover, promoted musician, served four
years.
Charles H. Hatch.
John Shonts.
FIFTY-EIGHTH INFANTRY, COMPANY H.
L. B. Webster.
A. S. Warren.
THIRTEENTH CAVALRY, COMPANY H.
Jerry K. Bullock, sergeant, promoted 1st lieutenant.
George Beck, sergeant.
Washington Goodrich, corporal.
William Adams, served three years.
E. Edward Averly.
Patrick Sullivan, served three years.
FIFTEENTH CAVALRY, COMPANY I.
James E. Kirkpatrick, paroled prisoner, re-enlisted in
Company M, 10th Cavalry, promoted corporal.
Eugene D. Odell, paroled prisoner, re-enlisted in Com-
pany M, 10th Cavalry, served four years.
Oliver C. Switzer, prisoner, served three years.
Albert Tubbs.
Harlow M. Tuttle.
Charles F. Winans, died at Rolla, Missouri, December
22nd, 1861.
James J. Hume, saddler, served four years.
WAR RECORD OF KENDALL COUNTY. 337
TOWN OP NA-AU-SAY.
TWENTIETH INFANTRY, COMPANY K.
William Todd, served four years.
DeWitt Wilson, served three years.
Henry Mitchell, killed at Raymond, Mississippi, May
12th, 1863.
William M. Smith, died at Paducah, Kentucky, August
23d, 1862.
Andrew J. Wilson, killed at Fort Donelson, February
16th, 1862.
SEVENTH INFANTRY, COMPANY C.
George Mitchell, sergeant, promoted 1st sergeant, killed
at Shiloh, Tennessee, April 7th, 1862.
Benjamin J. Ains worth, corporal.
Robert Mitchell, served four years.
John B. Hubrecht, promoted corporal, killed at Alla-
toona, Georgia, October 5th, 1864.
Marcellus K. Snell, served four years.
John Heald, served four years.
Gilman M. Stannard.
Edgar Campbell, served four years.
Joseph Sullivan, died at Mound City, Illinois, Novem-
ber 7th, 1861.
Samuel Clayton, served four years.
Joseph Waterman Bell.
Samuel Mitchell, served four years.
Anthony Mitchell, served three years.
William Mitchell.
THIRTY-SIXTH INFANTRY, COMPANY G.
David M. VanDorston, killed at Stone River, December
31st, 1862.
338 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
James N. Baird, Company E, killed at Stone River.
William Frieze, Company I, served three years.
Andrew Elecker, Company I.
FOURTH CAVALRY, COMPANY C.
John p. VanDorston, promoted 2d lieutenant, Co. H.
Hiram 0. Bingham, served three years.
Edwin Reeves, served three years.
Charles Bilfield.
Franklin Clark.
Peter Gannon.
TOWN OF SEWARD.
THIRTY-SIXTH INFANTRY, COMPANY D.
Thomas Hanup, served three years.
David Mellor.
William Peck, died at Rienzi, Mississippi, June 29th,
1862.
Nelson Peck.
Thomas Vernon, transferred to Battery G, 1st Missouri
Artillery.
Joseph Phipps, died at Rienzi, Mississippi, June 14th,
1862.
Joseph Whitham, served three years.
SEVENTH INFANTRY, COMPANY C.
Thomas J. Sellers.
FORTY-SIXTH REGIMENT. COMPANY I.
George W. Farnsworth,
FOURTH CAVALRY, COMPANY I.
' Joseph H. Angel, promoted regimental blacksmith.
Thomas J. Heald, served three years.
CHAPTER XLVIl.
UR WAR Record for 1862.
TOWN OF KENDALL.
TWENTIETH INFANTRY COMPANY K.
1'^ William F. Reed, died of wounds, May
.^ _ ,^ 20th, 1863.
^-p^^^^^ONE HUNDREDTH REGIMENT, COMPANY D.
'^^4 Frederick R. Fletcher.
FOURTH CAVALRY, COMPANY D.
Nelson Leitch, died.
EIGHTY-NINTH REGIMENT, COMPANY H.
John A. Beeman, 1st sergeant, promoted captain.
William Harkness, 2nd lieutenant, promoted captain
Company A, killed at Kenesaw Mountain, June 21st,
1864.
Alphonso A. Covell, wounded.
Jonathan Townsend, served three years.
Benson Aldrich, died at Murfreesboro, May 4, 1863.
William H. Delancy, served to end of war.
Nicholas R. Marshall, promoted hospital steward.
William V. Griswold.
Joseph Haigh, served to end of war.
Josiah Collman, served to end of war.
Edward H. Hobbs, promoted corporal.
340 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
Oley H. Johnson, died of wounds received Jan. 28, '63.
Edw:ird E. Cheever, promoted corporal.
Thomas C. Morley.
Emery B. Tyler, died at Nashville, January 25, 1863.
William G. Ward, promoted corporal.
Edgar H. Wood, killed at Pickett's Mill, near Dallas,
Ga., May 27, 1864.
William H. Bissel, serv.d to end of war.
Thomas T. Britton.
Wallace Brewer.
Nathan Brown.
Benjamin Haigh, died of wounds at Louisville, Septem-
ber 2T, 1863.
James C. Heustis.
Thomas Huggins, served to end of war.
James Lyon, transferred to V. R. C.
Joseph N. Peterson.
A. Bennett Pierce, served to end of war.
George Sanford.
Taylor Stewart.
Chauncey B. Talmadge, died of wounds in Anderson-
ville Prison, Ga., January 6, 1865.
John Buff ham, taken prisoner, served to end of war.
James D. Hopkins, killed at Pickett's Mill, Ga., May
27, 1864.
Samuel E. Pletcher, promoted corporal.
Henry Webber, transferred to V. R. C.
ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-SEVENTH REGIMENT, COMPANY A.
Charles Gaddy.
Charles N. Godard, wounded at Atlanta, promoted cor-
poral.
WAR RECORD OF KENDALL COUNTY. 341
George Goodson.
Charles H. Smith.
Nehemiah Tucker, served to end of war.
Orville P. Walker, died at Milliken's Bend, April 29, '63.
Edward J. Walker.
Rice S. Baxter, killed at Arkansas Post, Jan. 11, '63.
Charles A. Bishop, served to end of war.
Frank Winan, served to end of war.
ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-SEVENTH REGIMENT, COMPANY K.
John B. Moulton, 1st lieutenant.
Thomas W. Kellett, sergeant, promoted 1st lieutenant.
Thomas J. Ford, corporal, killed at Vicksburg, June
23d, 1863.
Hudson H. Campbell, served to end of war.
Sylvester L. Evans.
Albert A. Griswold.
Philip Grace, wounded and prisoner, promoted corporal.
George Hassel, prisoner, served to end of war.
Darius Morrell, killed at Vicksburg, May 22nd, 1863.
Henry Matlock.
Jacob A. Means, served to end of war.
Edson Needham, died at Pavilion, March 22nd, 1863.
Henry Stiles, died at Keokuk, Iowa, January 28th, 1868.
John M. Serry.
John Williams.
George H. Brenzel, corporal.
Charles M. Hill, corporal.
ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-SEVENTH REGIMENT, COMPANY F.
Jeremiah Evarts, 1st lieutenant.
342 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
TOWN OF OSWEGO.
FIFTY-THIRD REGIMENT, COMPANY B.
Francis Morej, served to end of war.
ONE HUNDRED 1 WENTY-SEVENTH REGIMENT, COMPANY A.
William L. Fowler, captain.
William Walker, 1st lieutenant, promoted captain.
William S. Bunn, 2nd lieutenant, promoted captain.
John B. Stoutmeyer, 1st sergeant, died at Camp Doug-
las, October 28tli, 1862.
John Boyle, sergeant, promoted 1st lieutenant.
George Brown, sergeant, promoted 1st lieutenant.
Amnion B. Case, died at Young's Point, Louisiana,
February 28th, 1863.
William H. Failing, corporal.
Morris B. Lamb, corporal.
Benjamin R. Van Doozer, corporal, transferred to V.
R. C.
John B. Roberts, corporal.
Reuben P. Parkhurst, musician, died at Young's Point,
Louisiana, May 1st, 1863.
Robinson B. Murphy, musician.
Harrison Ashley.
Isaac C. Bartlett, transferred to V. R. C.
John P. Bartlett, served to end of war.
Andrew Bedard, died January 20th, 1863.
William N. Bennett, died at Vicksburg, August 13th,
1863.
George Booth.
Matthew D. Burns, furnished substitute.
Patrick Burke.
WAR RECORD OF KENDALL COUNTY. 343
Hammond G. Carpenter, died of wounds at Memphis,
March 12th, 1863.
John Carson, killed at Arkansas Post, Jan. 11th, 1863.
Michael Carney, wounded.
Granby S. Case.
Henry C. Dufford, served to end of war.
George M. Cowdry, served to end of war,
Joseph Dano.
Jerome Dano, transferred to V. R. Corps.
Samuel S. Elliott.
Mitchell Fleury.
John Hinchman, transferred to V. R. C.
William A. Hopkins, died at St. Louis, May 13, 1863.
Oliver H. Hopkins, corporal, transferred to V. R. C.
Charles E. Hubbard, promoted sergeant.
William W- Lawton, promoted sergeant major.
Alvah M. McClain, promoted sergeant, died at Camp
Sherman, September 14th, 1863.
Alfred X. Murdock, killed at Atlanta, July 28th, 1864.
Wright Murphy.
Edward Palmer, promoted corporal.
Calvin Pearce, served to end of war.
Thomas Pollard, died in Andersonville prison, June
12th, 1864 ; number of grave, 1,862.
William Pooley, killed at Atlanta, Georgia.
William Puff, joined 1st U. S. Cavalry.
Charles E. Rosenbury.
Samuel Solfisberg, served to end of war.
Rudolph Solfisberg.
Dow Shibley, promoted sergeant in Company G. .
Joseph Sherman.
344 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
Luther H. Smith.
Earl Sutherland, served to end of war.
Edward J. Walker.
Marshall S. Wormley, transferred to V. R. C.
Daniel B. F. Wormley, served to end of war.
Azariah Nellis, sergeant.
Marshall C. Richards, corporal, promoted sergeant.
William P. Danford, corporal, transferred to Company
K, wounded.
Amos Holt, transferred to V. R. C.
Samuel C. McConnell, died at Camp Sherman, August
11, 1863.
Christian Herron, served to end of war.
Christian Henney, wounded.
Robinson A. Barr, served to end of war.
Paul Cross.
Wallace Edson, wounded.
Joseph S. Kenyon, died at Young's Point, La., May
29, 1863.
Andrew Schwab, transferred to V. R. C.
John Coleman, served to end of war.
Frederick Stall.
Alonzo Andrews, served to end of war.
George Weit, prisoner, served to end of war.
ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-SEVENTH REGIMENT, COMPANY F.
Joseph E. Smith, musician, died at Oswego, June 16, '63.
John Pooley, died at Memphis, March 18, 1863.
George A. Tucker.
ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-SEVENTH REGIMENT, COMPANY K.
Wells Brown.
SIXTY-NINTH REGIMENT, COMPANY K.
George R. Potter, three months.
WAR RECORD OF KENDALL COUNTY. 345
EIGHTY-NINTH REGIMENT, COMPANY H.
William N. Groonis, sergeant.
Commodore P. Sage, died at Nashville, January 25, '63.
TOWN OF LISBON.
SIXTY-NINTH REGIMENT, COMPANY I-THREE MONTHS.
John E. Williams, sergeant.
Isaac Sergeant, corporal.
James A. Codner, died September 3, 1862.
William Johnson.
John Johnson.
Ebenezer B. Northrup.
Samuel L. Thompson.
NINETY-FIRST REGIMENT, COMPANY E.
Thomas B. Hanna, captain.
Edwin Brown, 1st lieutenant, promoted captain.
John Q. A. Ryder, 2nd lieutenant, promoted 1st lieut.
John D. Wait, 1st sergeant, promoted 2nd lieutenant.
William Grant, sergeant, promoted adjutant.
Peter Grant, corporal, promoted commissary sergeant.
Frank H. Jordan, sergeant, promoted captain.
James Parker, sergeant, promoted 1st lieutenant.
David N. Brown.
Harrison Cook, served to end of war.
John E. Holford, served to end of war.
Oscar Johnson, served to end of war.
Robert A. McFarland, served to end of war.
Silas Carner, corporal, promoted sergeant.
Kolben Oleson, served to end of war.
Robert Reed, corporal, died at Vicksburg, July 17, '63.
Frank R. Schneider, served to end of war.
■5
23
346 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
John Hovey, transferred to 28th Illinois, Company D.
Ephriam Lounsberry, promoted corporal.
Harrison H. Lloyd, corporal.
Andrew G. Egness, served to end of war.
Aaron Anfenson, served to end of war.
Joseph A. Boyd, served to end of war.
John P. Swallow, served to end of war.
Thomas Weeks, served to end of war.
Weer Weeks, served to end of war.
Erastus D. Andrews, served to end of war.
Reuben A. Burgess, promoted sergeant.
Lars J. Boyd.
Joseph Hargrave.
Grin Hawkins, transferred to Mississippi Marine Brigade.
David Hass, promoted corporaL
Andrew Johnson, died at Cairo, July 17th, 1863.
Nels Nelson, promoted sergeant.
John Thorson.
John G. Thorson, served to end of war.
Isaac Teachout.
Anfen Anfenson, served to end of war.
Lars Christopherson, served to end of war.
Anthony Devit, served to end of war.
Albert Ellis, served to end of war.
Anfen Ensland, served to end of war.
Gley G. Hegland, served to end of war.
Sure G. Hegland, served to end of war.
Henry Johnson, served to end of war.
Joseph Johnson, served to end of war.
Matthias Kendall, served to end of war.
Henry L. Sanders, served to end of war.
WAR RECORD OF KENDALL COUNTY. 347
John Seymour, served to end of war.
John 0. Severed, served to end of war.
Thor S. Thorson.
Oscar Thompson, served to end of war.
Oley Thompson, served to end of war.
William Taylor, served to end of war.
Elliott Burton.
John K. Cook, promoted corporal.
Phineas Davis.
Knud K. Ganstow, killed at Spanish Fort, Alabama,
March 29th, 1865.
Henry Georgeson, died at New Orleans, September 22nd,
1864.
Thor Georgeson, died at Mcintosh Bluff, Alabama, May
9th, 1865.
Thor Henrickson, promoted corporal.
Edwin C. Imsland.
George Larson, transferred to V. R. C.
William T. Linn.
James T. Maxwell, promoted corporal.
Albert B. Moore, promoted sergeant.
Erick J. Peterson.
John H. Weeks, died at Shepherd ville, Kentucky, No-
vember 6th, 1862.
Oliver G. Wilder.
EIGHTY-NINTH REGIMENT, COMPANY H.
Herman Breese, corporal, died at Louisville, January
31st, 1862.
AVilliam H. Litsey, corporal, killed at Stone River, De-
cember 31st, 1862.
Thomas Holmes, died at Murfreesboro', March 16th,
1863.
348 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
Charles Litsey, served to end of war.
Morgan A. Skinner, served to end of war.
John Ball Smith, died at Annapolis, Maryland, March
1st, 1863.
Erwin M. Booth, died at Lebanon, Kentucky, October
27th, 1863.
Albert H. Cooper, prisoner, served to end of war.
James B. David.
Edward Hargraves, promoted corporal.
Albert B. Piatt, promoted corporal.
Joseph Buckley.
William J. Cooper, transferred to V. R. C.
ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-FOURTH REGIMENT, COMPANY H.
Daniel Harris, served during war.
ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-SEVENTH REGIMENT, COMPANY A.
Lancaster Comstock, transferred to V. R. C.
FIFTEENTH CAVALRY, COMPA^TY L.
Thomas Osman, died in hospital at Chicago.
CHAPTER XLVIIL
ONTINUATION of our War Record for
the year 1862.
TOWN OF BIG GROVE.
NINETY-FIRST REGIMENT, COMPANY E.
Flavius J. Sleezer, killed at Elizabethtown,
Kentucky, December 27tli, 1862.
William H. Richmond, served to end of war.
Wright Adams, corporal, promoted 1st sergeant, com-
missioned 2d lieutenant.
Curtis Lord, corporal.
George E. Bogardus.
Abram Van Riper, served to end of war.
Stephen L. Scofield, died at Yicksburg, September 3d,
1863.
Miner Scofield, sergeant.
Henry Mott, died.
John H. Richmond.
John Van Buskirk, died at Chicago, September 10th,
1863.
Dallas Farrington.
Eben L. Hills, corporal.
Andrew Nelson, served to end of war.
John Sutton, served to end of war.
350 HrSTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
Benjamin Heckerson, transferred to Company F, 28th
Illinois, and served four years.
William Thumb, killed at Spanish Fort, Alabama,
March 20th, 1865.
John H. Naden, served to end of war.
Fred. E. Thompson, corporal.
Lars Larson, served to end of war.
John Underbill, served to end of war.
Frank W. Barber, promoted corporal.
Dewitt Convis.
Clement Redfield, died at Lisbon, December 7th, 1863.
Tors W. Thompson, died at Brownsville, Texas, January
15th, 1864.
ONE HUNDRED AND FOURTH REGIMENT, COMPANY G.
Selim White, 1st sergeant, promoted captain.
Cornelius C. Courtright, promoted corporal.
John Cox, died at Frankfort, Ky., October 28, 1862.
Oliver Harris.
Julius A. Freeman, first assistant surgeon.
FOURTH CAVALRY, COMPANY B.
Charles G. Collins, promoted commissary sergeant, com-
pany E.
TOWN OF BRISTOL.
EIGHTY-NINTH REGIMENT, COMPANY H.
Henry S. Willett, captain, killed at Stone River, Decem-
ber 31, 1862.
Franklin M. Hobbs, 1st lieutenant, promoted captain.
Almnrion Swarthout, sergeant.
George S. Robinson, sergeant, died at Lebanon, Ky.,
November 4th, 1862.
WAR RECORD OF KENDALL COUNTY. 351
Darwin J. Maynard, corporal, transferred to the marine
service.
Isaac K. Young, corporal, promoted sergeant.
John C. Sherwin, corporal, promoted sergeant.
Solon S. Boomer, in several rebel prisons, promoted
corporal.
James Collie, served to end of war.
Isaac T. Chittenden, killed at Pickett's Mill, near Dal-
las, Ga., May 27, 1864.
Thomas Daly, served to end of war.
Myron E. Scovill, served to end of war.
Albert Eastman.
Richard Field, killed at Pickett's Mill, Ga.
Fred W. Godard.
James W. Keeler, promoted principal musician.
Silas S. Page.
Reuben W. Willett, promoted sergeant.
Edward L. Kern, corporal.
Edward Drewing.
Orton A. Barnes, transferred to Y. R. C.
Benjamin Bartholomew, served to end of war.
Willett C. Gillman, served to end of war.
Isaac N. Merritt, served to end of war.
Thomas N. Morley, served to end of war.
Isaac F. Pierson, served to end of war.
Nimrod Young, served to end of war.
Alfred C. Dixon, transferred to V. R. C.
James F. Howard, died in rebel prison at Raleigh, N. C,
February 26, 1864.
Alexander Patterson, promoted corporal.
Amos N. Rose.
352 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
James Snowball.
Amos D. Curran, corporal, wounded, promoted sergeant.
Aaron M. Boomer, sergeant, promoted 1st lieutenant.
ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-SEVENTH REGIMENT, COMPANY A.
Arnold Rickard.
THIRTEENTH CAVALRY, COMPANY H.-
James Green.
Henry Segram.
TOWN OF FOX.
EIGHTY-NINTH REGIMENT, COMPANY H.
Hawley F. Chappel, transferred to V. R. Corps.
Henry Huggins, killed at Stone River, Dec. 31, 1862.
ONE HUNDRED FOURTH REGIMENT, COMPANY G.
Johnson Misner, captain, resigned.
John H. Misner, served to end of war.
George H. Marlett, sergeant, served to end of war.
Jeptha H. Misner.
Wesley Misner, sergeant, promoted 1st sergeant.
James C. Carnes, served to end of war.
Marshall Bagwell, served to end of war.
Tunis S. Serrine, wounded.
ONE HUNDRED FIFTH REGIMENT, COMPANY H.
James Corke, served to end of war.
Jesse Corke.
Hiirvey Potter, sergeant, promoted 1st lieutenant.
Isaac Scoggin, corporal, promoted 1st lieutenant.
George Nichols, served to end of war.
Eldredge Skinner, wounded, promoted corporal.
Thomas Springer, promoted corporal.
TWENTIETH INFANTRY, COMPANY K.
James Springer, served to end of war.
WAR RECORD OF KENDALL COUNTY. 353
Joseph Springer, died at Lake Providence, March 18th,
1863.
ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-SEVENTH REGIMENT, COMPANY F.
Martin G. Finch, served during war.
ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-SEVENTH REGIMENT, COMPANY K.
George Sherman, sergeant.
Clark Hollenback, corporal, wounded, served during war.
Chester Ackley.
Augustus Beebe, served during war.
George F. Needham, served during war.
Henry Beebe, served during war.
John Fay, served during war.
William Carnes, died at Nashville, April 10th, 1865.
Henry H. Clark, died August 31st, 1863.
Amos Ellsworth.
Charles Smith, prisoner, served during war.
William Haymond, prisoner, served during war.
Joseph C. Kuhlum, promoted sergeant, died at Camp
Sherman, Mississippi, September 23d, 1863.
George Long, wounded, served during war.
Albert Smith, wounded, served during war.
Charles W. Pindar, died at Paducah, Kentucky, Decem-
ber 5th, 1863.
William Smith.
John Smith, died September 6th, 1863.
David Springer, died at Walnut Hills, Mississippi, June
25th, 1863.
Enoch Springer, died at Young's Point, Louisiana,
March 7th, 1863.
354 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
TOWN OF LITTLE ROCK.
ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-SEVENTH REGIMENT, COMPANY F.
Alfred Darnell, 2nd lieutenant, promoted 1st lieutenant.
Amasa E. Steward, 1st sergeant, promoted 2nd lieut.
William Darnell, sergeant.
Joseph A. C. Rowan, sergeant.
Henry C. Smith, sergeant, promoted 1st sergeant.
James M. Mead, corporal, promoted principal musician.
Charles Adams Westgate, corporal.
Christopher Beck, corporal.
James S. Schermerhorn, promoted sergeant.
Edward C. Westover, musician, died at Aurora, Febru-
ary 7th, 1863.
Wallace Bartlett.
John M. Bemis, promoted musician.
Vashni M. Potter.
William H. Brundage.
Charles Butler.
August Brinkman.
Alonzo Baker.
William H. Bush, served during the war.
Morgan Butler, served during the war.
Norman Ellis, served during the war.
Edward Hall, served during the war.
E. H. Ives, served during the war.
James Landers, served during the war.
Simeon Ovitt, served during the war.
John Rowley, served during the war.
William W. Russell, served during the war.
Judson Smith, served during the war.
WAR RECORD OF KENDALL COUNTY. 355
Rodney D. Faxon, died at Camp Sherman, Mississippi,
August 30, 1863.
Benjamin K. Favor, transferred to V. R. C.
David Scott, transferred to V. R. C.
John F. Steward, transferred to V. R. C.
Edward A. Welch, transferred to Y. R. C.
Joseph H. Cox, prisoner, promoted corporal.
George Russell.
Edward Clark.
George B. Lasure.
William Coats.
Charles Lasure.
John H. Cox, died in Little Rock, November 25, 1864.
John G. Cromwell, died at Milliken's Bend, March 22,
1863.
Delos Eldredge.
Charles Evans, promoted corporal.
Ichabod Gurney, died in Little Rock, February 5, 1864.
Elijah L. Hardin, promoted sergeant.
Dwight Hawks, died at Camp Sherman, August 29, '64.
Wilber F. Hawks.
Joseph Harmon.
James Kinnard, died at Memphis, April 16, 1863.
Henry Lye, died at St. Louis, July 5, 1863.
James H. Mighell, died at Milliken's Bend, March 5,
1863.
George Montague, promoted corporal.
John Pritchard.
San ford Razey.
Hollister M. Rockwell, died at Memphis, July 17, '63.
Thomas M. Roberts, promoted corporal.
356 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
Charles Smith.
William F. Smith, promoted corporal.
William R. Smith.
Henry Stone, died at Milliken's Bend, March 28, 1868.
Cornelius Vanote.
Aaron H. Velie, promoted corporal.
Joel Zeller.
ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-SEVENTH REGIMENT, COMPANY K.
Abram Heavener, sergeant, promoted 1st lieutenant.
Second Mississippi Colored Troops.
Benjamin F. Bale, sergeant, wounded, served during the
war.
James M. Hiddleson, corporal, prisoner, promoted 1st
sergeant.
John S. Howard, died in Andersonville Prison, Novem-
ber 3, 1864 ; number of grave, 11,782.
William C. Hiddleson, wounded, promoted sergeant.
William Apple.
Yoss Apple, wounded.
William Bishop, prisoner, promoted corporal.
Edward D. Blanchard, died at Jefferson Barracks, Mis-
souri, May 7th, 1863.
Royal Butler, died on steamer " City of Memphis," Au-
gust 29th, 1868.
Lewis Haddon, prisoner, served during the war.
John Hargan.
Robert Heavener.
Edwin Hoyt, promoted musician.
Jerome Kendall.
George F. Kilts.
John W. Kilts.
WAR RECORD OF KENDALL COUNTY. 357
William Kloft.
John Pettit, served during war.
Leander Pettit, died of wounds, at Memphis, July 31st,
1863.
Eugene Regan, promoted sergeant.
Thomas Sargent, died at Larkinsville, Alabama, Febru-
ary 29th, 1864.
Daniel Sullivan, killed at Vicksburg, May 19th, 1863.
William White, died at Young's Point, Feb. 11th, 1863.
SIXTY-FIFTH REGIMENT, COMPANY K.
Alonzo Vorris.
THIRTEENTH CAVALRY, COMPANY H.
Myron Bennett.
SIXTEENTH CAVALRY, COMPANY H.
Alexander G. West, served during war.
TOWN OF NA-AU-SAY.
ONE HUNDREDTH REGIMENT, COMPANY D.
Charles Johnson.
EIGHTY-NINTH REGIMENT, COMPANY H.
Nels Christenson, wounded.
Horace N. Moon, served during war.
HUNDRED TWENTY-SEVENTH REGIMENT, COMPANY A.
Alexis E. Gould, wounded.
John Beane, died at Memphis, November 10th, 1863.
TOWN OF SEWARD.
ONE HUNDREDTH REGIMENT, COMPANY D.
Joseph Piatt, died at Nashville, May 1st, 1863.
James Piatt, prisoner, served during war.
358 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
EIIGHTY-NINTH REGIMENT, COMPANY H.
Frank Estergreen, died of wounds, July 3d, 1864.
Ralph Heap.
William Hughes, served during war.
Francis J. Pomeroy, served during war.
Harmon Pomeroy, served during war.
William Piatt.
Samuel J. Odell, served during war.
George E. Phipps, killed at Mission Ridge, November
25th, 1868.
NINETY-FIRST REGIMENT, COMPANY D.
John Phipps, served during war.
HUNDRED TWENTY-SEVENTH REGIMENT, COMPANY A.
Ambrose A. English.
Leonard L. Gaskill, died at Young's Point, Louisiana,
February 22nd, 1863.
Howard Dirst.
Thomas F. O'Brien, wounded.
John F. Simmons, served during war.
John Somerville, died in VanBuren hospital, Mississippi,
August 20th, 1863.
CHAPTER XLIX,
11 AR RECORD for 1863-65.-1863.
TOWN OF OSWEGO.
EIGHTH CAVALRY, COMPANY K.
Orsamus Beebe.
FOURTH CAVALRY, COMPANY C.
Martin Williams.
Michael McGuin.
Samuel H. Walker, promoted sergeant.
Edward English, promoted 1st sergeant.
George M. Lane, promoted corporal.
John Lane, promoted sergeant.
TOWN OF BIG GROVE.
EIGHTH CAVALRY, COMPANY K.
Revellon H. Tremaine.
EIGHTY-NINTH REGIMENT, COMPANY E.
John Brown, transferred to 59th Regiment, Company
G, and served to end of war.
TWENTIETH REGIMENT, COMPANY K.
Luman C. Preston, served to end of war.
TOWN OF BRISTOL.
THIRTY-SIXTH REGIMENT, COMPANY K.
William G. Peterson.
360 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
TOWN OF BIG GROVE — 1864.
TWENTIETH REGIMENT, COMPANY K.
Charles Hall.
Walter Mott.
George M. Sleezer, died November 13th, 1864.
Fayette Scofield, served to end of war.
THIRTY-SIXTH REGIMENT, COMPANY F.
Marshall W. Tremain.
ONE HUNDRED THIRTY-SECOND REGIMENT, CO. C— loo days.
Frank Partridge.
ONE HUNDRED FORTY-FIRST REGIMENT, COMPANY F-ioo DAYS.
Eliphalet Barber, captain.
Nelson L. Sweetland, 2nd lieutenant.
Myron J. Benson, promoted corporal.
Michael Donahue, promoted corporal.
William Hargrave,
Edwin Havenhill.
Samuel Hannan, promoted corporal.
Albert M. Sweetland, promoted sergeant.
Samuel S. Wright.
Jacob B. Huse, promoted corporal.
James B. Tremain,
George C. Van Osdell, promoted corporal.
William H. Badgley.
Alfred Mallory.
Charles Tichnor.
Melvin C. Brainard, promoted corporal.
Samuel Barber, promoted corporal.
William H. Vader.
William Spencer.
WAR RECORD OF KENDALL COUNTY. 361
Stone Ingermunson.
George Haskins.
ONE HUNDRED FORTY-SIXTH REGIMENT, COMPANY D- One year.
Charles Chapin, promoted 1st sergeant.
Alfred L. Browne.
.Samuel N. Cady.
William H. Fritts.
Azariah Hull.
Benj. F. Morsman.
William H. Morsman.
Sylvester B. Norton.
Narcissus Bemlard.
James By an.
Oscar N. Storey.
John A. Merrill, corporal, promoted 2nd lieutenant
47th Illinois, died of small pox at Cahawba, Alaba-
ma, November 25th, 1865.
Horace P. Courtright.
Zenas Hodges.
Horace T. Hoyt.
Henry E. Bussell.
EIGHTH CAVALRY, COMPANY K.
George H. Burrell.
TOWN OF FOX.
TENTH REGIMENT, COMPANY H.
Loren Corke.
TWENTIETH REGIMENT, COMPANY K.
Walter 0. Landon, died at Camp Butler.
THIRTY-SIXTH REGIMENT, COMPANY F.
William W. Watters, promoted principal musician.
34
362 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
ONE HUNDRED FORTY-FIRST REGIMENT, COMPANY F— loo days.
Jeptha H. Misner.
Franklin E. Tubbs.
James H. Delamatter, musician.
John McMath, musician.
ONE HUNDRED FORTY-SIXTH REGIMENT, COMPANY D— One year.
Elijah Gibbons, corporal.
Lemuel C. Thorn, corporal.
Henry Stickney.
Isaac Gruver.
Wesley Hollenback.
Randolph W. Rarick.
EIGHTH CAVALRY, COMPANY K.
James H. Watters.
FIFTEENTH CAVALRY, COMPANY I.
Silas S. Austin.
David B. Clark.
Willett G. Young.
James Tripp.
Edmund H. Young.
Nahum Robin: on, died at Mound City, Illinois, April
13th, 1865.
SECOND ARTILLERY, BATTERY I.
Theodore Limberg, died November 26th, 1864.
TOWN OF KENDALL.
THIRTY-SIXTH REGIMENT, COMPANY E.
Michael Devine, died of wounds, at Nashville, December
1st, lf^64.
Willis Olmstead, musician.
George McHugh.
Joseph .Ten kin son.
Edwin E. Dver. *
WAR RECORD OF KENDALL COUNTY. 363
James C. Stokes.
Henry Webber.
Ilenrj Mehlke.
FIFTY-THIRD REGIMENT. COMPANY A.
Thomas O'Leary.
FIFTY-THIRD REGIMENT, COMPANY K.
William Allen.
Pat. J. McArthur.
HUNDRED THIRTY-SECOND REGIMENT, COMPANY C— loo days.
Atwood Morley.
Merritt Covell.
John O'Reilly.
FIFTEENTH CAVALRY, COMPANY I.
Christopher Collman.
Washington Needham.
SIXTEENTH CAVALRY. COMPANY G.
Conrad Bergman.
FOURTH CAVALRY, COMPANY D
Hiram Thomas,
TOWN OF BRISTOL.
THIRTY-SIXTH REGIMENT. COMPANY D.
William P. Boyd.
John P. Clegg.
William Manton.
William G. Peterson, transferred to V. B. C.
Ross Seeley.
Myron C. Skinner, wounded.
Ira M. Scofield, died at Shelbvville, Tennesse, April
7th, 1864.
HUNDRED THIRTY-SECOND REGIMENT, COMPANY C-ioo days.
L. E. Johnson, sergeant.
Levi Dunbar.
Lester C. Hunt, sergeant.
364 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
Otto Grooch.
John Byrne, corporal.
Frank Mase.
William Owen.
Cyril Dussell.
Henry Smith.
H. A. Cook.
Henry Dolph.
John Eccles
Nicholas Hanni.
FIFTEENTH CAVALRY, COMPANY I.
William Venande.
Charles A. Jordan.
James Green.
Emmett S. Arnold.
FOURTH CAVALRY, COMPANY C.
James Snowball, promoted sergeant.
TOWN OF OSWEGO.
FOURTH CAVALRY, COMPANY C.
Samuel Buell, promoted sergeant.
Charles E. Fox, died at Naperville, August l(3th, 1865.
Benjamin F. Carnes.
Patrick Devany.
Joseph M. Hinchman.
Lovell S. Hastings, died.
Brien Ruddy.
James Ruen.
Stephen H. Woodworth, promoted corporal.
George W. Wormley, wagoner.
Edgar Zimmerman, blacksmith.
Charles Gray.
WAR RECORD OF KENDALL COUNTY. 365
Charles Riley.
John B. Sage, promoted corporal.
William E. Darby.
Willi-^m H. Marion, died of wounds at Natchez, Missis-
sippi, July 22nd, 1864.
William Rowan, saddler, promoted sergeant.
Norman J. Ladieu.
Samuel Smith.
Henry A. Brokaw, died at Natchez, August 18th, 1864.
John S. Starkweather, promoted corporal.
Franklin W. Clark.
Finley Pool, promoted corporal.
EIGHTH CAVALRY, COMPANY K.
Henry W. Hubbard.
THIRTY-SIXTH REGIMENT, COMPANY I. '
Jared E. Thomas, promoted corporal.
FIFTY-THIRD REGIMENT, COMPANY K.
Robert Day.
Lewis Williams.
ONE HUNDRED THIRTY-SECOND REGIMENT, COMPANY C—ioo days.
William Elliott.
Rush J. Walker.
Frank Dano.
Joseph Beltram.
Samuel Roberts.
James B. Lockwood, corporal.
Henry Minard.
Moses Cherry, corporal.
ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-SEVENTH REGIMENT, COMPANY A.
Thomas W. Mullenix.
Wilson Briggs.
Joseph Dome.
ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-SEVENTH REGIMENT, COMPANY K.
Wells Brown.
366 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
TOWN OF SEWARD.
HUNDRED THIRTY-EIGHTH REGIMENT, COMPANY H— loo days.
John W. Vanzant, corporal.
Charles Coop.
James A. Hutter,'died at Fort Leavenworth, August 20,
1864.
TWENTIETH REGIMENT, COMPANY A.
Marion Ashton.
Henry Shures.
Peter StaufFer.
HUNDRED TWENTY-SEVENTH REGIMENT, COMPANY A.
Joseph Fleury.
' EIGHTH CAVALRY, COMPANY I.
David McCargar.
FOURTH CAVALRY, COMPANY D.
Charles &►. Wright.
SECOND ARTILLERY, BATTERY I.
Corydon E. Rogers.
TOWN OF LISBON.
NINETY-FIRST REGIMENT, COMPANY E.
Benjamin Reeves.
TWENTIETH REGIMENT, COMPANY A.
Joseph Piard.
HUNDRED THIRTY-SECOND REGIMENT, COMPANY C— loo days.
Thomas Thompson.
HUNDRED THIRTY-EIGHTH REGIMENT, COMPANY H— loo days.
Jacob M. Burgess, sergeant.
FOURTH CAVALRY, COMPANY D.
Sanuiel Trenton.
TOWN OF NA-AU-SAY.
FIFTY-THIRD REGIMENT, COMPANY K.
Charles Cooney.
Charles Grant.
WAR RECORD OF KENDALL COUNTY. 367
TWENTIETH REGIMENT, COMPANY A.
Isaac Riley.
HUNDRED TWENTY-SEVENTH REGIMENT, COMPANY A.
George Oscar Briggs.
John Burke.
John Blake.
FOURTH CAVALRY, COMPANY D.
Allen E. Kingsley.
SECOND ARTILLERY, BATTERY I.
Obadiah Jackson.
TOWN OF LITTLE ROCK.
HUNDRED TWENTY-SEVENTH CAVALRY, COMPANY M.
Gilbert K. Beck.
James Beck.
Julius Thompson.
FIFTEENTH CAVALRY, COMPANY I.
Levi H. Woodford, died at Little Rock, Arkansas, April
1st, 1865.
Henry Hart,
HUNDRED TWENTY-SEVENTH REGIMENT, COMPANY K.
Enos S. Ovitt, transferred to Company B, 55th Regi-
ment.
THIRTY-SIXTH REGIMENT, COMPANY E.
Ethan Keck, promoted sergeant.
TOWN OF KENDALL — 1865.
TWENTIETH REGIMENT, COMPANY K.
Theodore Austin, died at Parkersville, Virginia, June
17th, 1865.
Thomas Collman.
Thomas Smith.
Thomas Barman.
ONE HUNDRED FIFTY-SIXTH REGIMENT, COMPANY A— One year.
Reuben B. Johnson, 2nd lieutenant, promoted 1st lieut.
368 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
John Byrne, corporal, promoted quartermaster sergeant.
William Dyer, sergeant.
Henry Chappel.
Alvin H. Eastman.
William Edwards.
Nicholas Hanni.
Frank Howard.
Horatio Nichols.
John Roberts.
John Riley.
Joseph San ford.
NINTH CAVALRY, COMPANY A.
Henry Adamson.
Job M. Tobias.
TOWN OF FOX.
FORTY-SEVENTH REGIMENT, COMPANY K.
Austin Willett, died at Demopolis, Ala., July 26, 1865.
Robert M. Todd.
Stephen Pratz.
James Campbell.
Tobias Moats.
TOWN OF BIG GROVE.
TWENTIETH REGIMENT, COMPANY A.
Thomas Erwin.
ONE HUNDRED FORTY-SEVENTH REGIMENT, COM'Y A— One year.
Byron W. Barnard, quartermaster sergeant.
ONE HUNDRED FORTY-SEVENTH REGIMENT, COMPANY C.
Judson 0. Moore, commissary sergeant.
TOWN OF LISBON.
TWENTIETH REGIMENT, COMPANY A.
John Schneider.
WAR RECORD OF KENDALL COUNTY. 369
NINETY-FIRST REGIMENT, COMPANY D.
James Davis.
William H. Hubbard.
Joel Parkhurst.
William Shaw.
NINETY-FIRST REGIMENT, COMPANY K.
Abraham Thompson.
TOWN OF BRISTOL.
THIRTY-SIXTH REGIMENT, COMPANY K.
James B. Lowry.
George Lowry.
TWENTY-THIRD REGIMENT, COMPANY I.
Nathaniel A. Lowry.
TOWN OF NA-AU-SAT.
ONE HUNDRED FIFTY-SIXTH REGIMENT, COMPANY A— One year,
George K. Olt, sergeant.
THIRD CAVALRY, COMPANY A.
James T. Jarvis.
Capt. Bullock's new company (One Hundred Twenty-
third Regiment, Company I), was the last one formed
here. Following are the names of those who went from
this county — most of them from Little Rock. Organ-
ized in March, 1865.
Jerry K. Bullock, captain.
Guy C. Clark, 1st lieutenant.
William H. Black, corporal.
William Lasure, corporal.
John Guy Vasser, corporal.
James W. Edinbourne, corporal.
William Bradley, musician.
Ira Smith, musician.
370
HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
Elam B. Black.
Ralph W. Black.
Joseph Boyle.
Luke H. Blackmer.
Mengo Bennett.
Charles Clark.
Ira Darling.
George R. Davenport.
Nathan Darling.
Charles Doty.
Alexis Griffin,
Thomas Hunter.
Erastus Kilburn.
Frank Lord.
Gilbert Lasure.
John McNiff.
George McMahon.
David Powell.
David Powell, Jr.
Samuel Schutt.
David Stahle.
Charles Tripp.
Frank Willey.
James Hillard.
Edward Kelley.
John C. Staley.
CHAPTER L.
ACCIDENTS AND IMPROVEMENTS.
N Kendall County we have two tanneries.
The Yorkville tannery, now owned by Wel-
lington Mason, is the oldest, and does a
uood business. The Piano tannery was
Iniilt by Mr. Gardner, of Yorkville, in
1864, where the present one was built by
Lewis Steward. B. F. Jacobs became the
superintendent in 1868. It contains forty
vats, consumes six liundred tons of tan bark, dresses
three thousand hides a year, and has capacity for much
more. The object in tanning is to unite the tannic acid
PROCESS OF TANNING. 371
in bark with the gelatine of the hide, thus making firm
leather. The process of tanning a hide is, briefly : First,
put to soak in water ; second, flesh it ; third, put in lime
water; fourth, unhair it; fifth, mill it through a mill
with pegs ; sixth, put in water and guano, to work the
lime out ; seventh, put in the wheel and colored with
hemlock liquor ; eighth, changed from weaker to stronger
liquor until tanned, occupying from two to six months,
according to the thickness of the skin ; ninth, prepared,
skyved, scoured, dried, greased, &c. The finished hide
gains in value a little more than double.
The Martin school, Seward, dates from 1864. The
first teachers were : Artie Stolp, Mary Williams, and
Emma Teed. The Sunday school, held in the school
-■ house, was commenced in 1873. John Jordan, Jackson
Conklin, and Henry Bamford have been the superin-
tendents.
May 7th, 1864, the "Kendall County Record" was
established by J. R. Marshall. Five hundred subscrib-
ers were all that was asked for, and it was two years
before they came; but since then the circulation has
grown to nearly three times that number.
IN 1865
the proposition to incorporate the village of Yorkville
was voted down. Also the proposition to annex the
town of Somonauk, DeKalb county.
The bridge across the river at Millington was built by
public subscription.
The County Bible Society donated eighty-eight dol-
lars' worth of Bibles to the public schools of the county,
372 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
and they were read every morning, by direction of school
Superintendent, W. S. Coy.
The Harvey school house, Oswego, was built this year.
The first teachers were: Miss Pettit, Miss Hoyt, Miss
Frankle, and Miss Swarthout.
IN 1866,
under the head of Accidents, we may mention :
Steward's flouring mill and Gardner's tannery. Piano,
burned July 29th. Loss, $15,000.
R. M. Merritt's store, Bristol Station, burned. Loss,
$5,000.
John Boyen's wagon shop, Newark, burned. Loss,
$1,000.
Dwelling of Mrs. C. P. Sage, Oswego, burned.
Dwelling of H. J. Wilcox, Big Grove, burned July 4.
George Hassel and team drowned at Millington, below
the dam, June 1st. He drove into a deep hole. Left
wife and one child.
In May, Lewis Rickard found a piece of solid copper
weighing eighty-four pounds, and worth thirty dollars,
on the river bank three miles above Bristol. Other
pieces are reported to have been found in the county
before.
Oswego and Newark voted ''No license." Newark
clung to it, but Oswego the year following was unable
to say "No."
September 1st, by :! vote of two hundred and twenty
to fifty-one, Oswego voted to take $25,000 in stock in
the projected F. R. V. Railroad.
Mansfield post-office was abolished, the name being
changed to Millbrook. P. S. Lott was the first postmaster.
BLACK HAWK CAVE BLOWN UP. 373
Elmwood Cemetery Association, Bristol, and Kendall
County Protective Association were formed.
A notable event of the year was the blowing up of
Black Hawk's cave by Mr. Post, to get stone to build
his new dam. The cave was in the limestone in the river
bank, and was a crooked hole three feet high, four feet
wide and thirty feet long. It owed its fame to the tra-
dition that Black Hawk and his followers had hidden
there. Mr. Post exploded twenty-six kegs of powder in
it, but only cracked the top. The operation was wit-
nessed by more than one thousand people from all parts,
who were disappointed in not seeing more terrific dam-
age done. A man was then kept at work all winter
with drill and blast, preparing for another charge.
Twelve kegs of powder were used, and the historic cave
was entirely demolished.
FEBRUARY 9tH, 1867,
a great fire broke out in Oswego, which consumed a business
block and a hotel, and burned up the town and corpora-
tion records. Loss, $12,000. Plans for rebuilding were
at once begun. During the season, six stone and brick
fronts were erected, a cheese factory opened, and the
new iron bridge built.
Improvement was the order of the day at Millington.
Hon. B. C. Cook had obtained an order from the gov-
ernment for the survey of Fox river, with a view to
make it navigable by locks and dams, and a meeting was
held May 25th to consider the subject. S. L. Rowe,
Jacob Budd, Lewis Steward, J. S. Seeley and Enoch
Spradling were appointed a standing committee. The
government surveyor passed up the river in the fall,
374 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
arriving at Yorkville September 21st. It was found
that Oswego was one hundred and forty-five feet higher
than Ottawa, and that Fox river fell fifty-eight feet in
the sixteen miles between Oswego and Millington.
A young Mr. Serrine was carried over the dam in a
boat at Millington, and drowned.
At the Latter Day Saints' publishing house, in Piano,
an edition of five thousand copies of the Book of Mor-
mon was printed. Joseph Smith, Ebenezer Robinson
and Israel L. Rogers were the publishing committee.
The Chapman cemetery, Seward, was opened at the
same time with the new school house. Bodies w^ere
taken up from the old ground and removed into the new.
The opening of
THE YEAR 1868
was signalized by another great freshet. The Oswego
bridge was damaged, the Bristol bridge damaged, and
Black's dam partially washed out, at a loss of two thou-
sand dollars. Post's bridge was entirely carried away,
and three spans of the new Millington bridge were
taken. This introduced the year that seemed to be
unusual for its accidents.
In March, Wm. Hunter, an old settler, was killed by
the cars at Piano.
The same month an incendiary fire at Newark con-
sumed Manchester's drug store, Winchell's hardware
store, Bingham's shoe store, and Hanchett's art gallery.
Loss, $8,000.
In April, another incendiary fire was started, but dis-
covered and put out.
SUSPENDED MANUFACTURES. 375
In June, John Grees, a German, was drowned in Little
Rock creek while bathing — on Sunday.
In Julv, two men were drowned in the river two miles
below Millington, while fishing.
In August, John Hayes, of Plattville, while stand-
ing behind his team, pushing back his load of lumber,
was run over and killed.
The Congregational church at Piano, and the
MILLINGTON WOOLEN FACTORY
were built during the year ; the latter by a stock com-
pany. It is thirty-six by fifty feet, four stories high,
and cost $25,000. It commenced running in 1868, with
Dwight Curtis as superintendent. The machinery is
from Worcester, Massachusetts ; of the best make, and is
adapted for the manufacture of every quality of goods
from varn and flannels to fine doeskin.
After a time, the factory was rented to other parties,
who failed to make it a success, and finally went away,
leaving behind them so large an indebtedness that noth-
ing has been done there since. Everythino; in the build-
ing remains as it was left when the work ceased, five or
six years ago. Even the oil jug and the oil of vitrol
case and the nitric acid bottle still are there, with their
contents untouched. The sack of fuller's clay, scarcely
begun on, leans up against the pillar, and the box of
teasels, used for raising the nap on fine cloth, is but half
emptied. The teasel frame, or gig mill, the fulling ma-
chine and the other finishing machines, wait- in their
places. The belts are yet on the wheels, and the race-
water can be heard wasting its power down below, as it
rushes through the grated gate and through the buckets
376 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
of the great turbine Up stairs, the shuttles are hanging
on the looms, and baskets of bobbins are ranged along
the wall. On the third floor are the carding machines ;
on the long spinning-jenny the spindles are as bright as
if new from the shop, and some of the parti-colored yarn
is not yet unwound from the spools. On the fourth floor
are the wool cleaners and pickers. The rafters above
the "blower" are still hung with the shreds of wool, as
if the operatives had but stopped for dinner. In a small
building adjoining is the empty tub and dye vat. Deso-
lation reigns around, and, as if to make it more impres-
sive, on the brow of the hill in front, five forsaken burial
mounds overlook the forsaken factory, — the shadows of
the dim past and enterprise of the bustling present meet
together. But should better times come, the factory
may be utilized and made profitable.
Another silent factory is
black's paper mill,
at Yorkville. It was running up to the end of 1876,
and will open again so soon as the paper market improves.
It is a supplement to the woolen factory, or rather to
the cotton factory, as it uses only cotton rags. The
bales of rags are first elevated to the second story, where
they pass through the hands of the pickers, and are then
sent down to the bleach tubs to be boiled and bleached.
These are three huge tubs elevated above one's head,
and entered by steam pipes from the boiler in the boiler
room. The steam discharges the colors. From there
they go into four rag engines, holding three hundred
pounds each, and are ground up into pulp; passing
from th :;nce into four drainers — deep vats dug in the
RAILROAD BOND QUESTION.
377
ground — and are bleached with chloride of lime ; return-
ing to another grinding in the engines. The white pulp
then begins its travels amonpi; the heated cylinders of a
machine six feet wide and sixty feet long, coming out at
the other end firm, white, print paper. The mill is
driven bv six water wheels. E, A. Black, a settler of
1846, is the proprietor.
CHAPTER LI,
THE MILL AND CANAL.
'HE chief excitement in 1869 was over
the railroad bond question. At an
election held March oOth, Kendall
county voted one thousand and seven-
ty-four to eight hundred and five to
take $50,000 stock in the F. R. V.
Railroad. The majorities were ob-
tained in the towns along the river. Lisbon gave but
one vote for it, and Seward none at all, while the town
of Kendall gave but one against. The feeling ran very
high. May 4th, the town of Kendall voted an addi-
tional §25,000 ; Oswego did the same — making §50,000
for that township, and the town of Fox voted §15,000.
These issues were intended to be in bonds of one thous-
and dollars each, one falling due every six months until
25
378 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
all were paid. Besides these, the sum of $15,000 was
subscribed by private individuals of Kendall, and $18,-
000 of private subscriptions from Oswego, making a
total of nearly $175,000 county aid to the proposed
railroad — nearly $10,000 a mile for all that part of it
which would be located in the county. Thus, of the four
separate lines of railway then being agitated, the Fox
River Valley line had the lead.
The second, the Chicago, Plainfield, Pekin and South-
western, was to run diagonally through the county,
striking Plattville and Lisbon, and much of the line
was graded, and remains so.
The third, the Joliet, Newark and Mendota, would
intersect the other at right angles, crossing the county
on the opposite diagonal. Dr. W. M. Sweetland, of
Newark, was President of this company.
The fourth, the Chicago and Rock River, was to run
from Lockport to Amboy, via Yorkville. Nearly all
the towns along the line had voted the necessary stock,
and were confidently expecting it to be put immediately
through. Bristol voted $30,000, October 27th, 1869.
By this magnificent net-work of roads, Yorkville, Platt-
ville and Newark would have been railroad junctions,
and every township in the county would have a railroad
running through some part of it. ! wonderful day
dreams, why did ye not come true ? Happy the far off
day of the mercantile millenium, when every man can
enjoy the sight of the world on wheels passing through
his field, without the discomfort of losing his railroad
stock by swindling directors, or his live stock by passing
trains.
THE TEXAS CATTLE DISEASE. 379
Speaking of live stock brings to memory the Texas
cattle disease that gave us a visit once. Major W. N.
Davis, in 1868, received one hundred and eighty Texas
steers, which he drove out from Chicago to his farm. A
strange disease followed them. It seemed to be spread
along the route over which they had traveled, and while
thev were not affected at all, other cattle were seized
with it and died in considerable numbers. Laureston
Walker lost nine cows and thirty head of young cattle,
and brought suit against Major Davis to recover, but
lost his case both here and at Princeton, where it was
taken. Whatever the disease, it has not visited us since.
Another cattle panic, of a different nature, but yet almost
as serious, occurred in May, 1869. Nathan Brown and
Stephen Ashley had collected throughout the county a
drove of fourteen hundred cattle, which they were to
herd during the summer in Kankakee county, and stop-
ping over night at Manteno, the entire drove took fright
and starapeded. When once started, no human power
could stop them. They were confined in a lane, and in
their struggles to get away, leaped on each other's backs,
or fell and were trodden to death. Horns were knocked
off, bones crushed, drovers trampled, and nine animals
were killed. The noise of the stampede sounded like
thunder, and could be heard for miles. One of the
drovers, impelled by despair, fled the county. Scores
of horsemen went down from Kendall county searching
for their stock, and most of them were eventually recov-
ered.
Passing from stampedes to reform — a Kendall County
Prohibition party was formed at Oswego, June 12th. A
380 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
convention was held at Yorkville in October, E. Moul-
ton, president. A prohibition ticket was put in the
field and received one hundred and twenty votes.
In July, a "Kendall County Woman's Suffrage Asso-
ciation " was formed, with Mrs. M. A. Steward as Pres-
ident. A convention was held at Piano, and another at
Yorkville in August.
Among the fatalities of the year were two fatal falls
and a fatal burning. In March, Mrs. McOwan, of Bris-
tol Station, while giving her little daughter a music les-
son, accidentally knocked the lamp off the melodeon, and
was so badly burned that she soon died. In October,
Mr. Dodd, of Bristol, while going with others to do a
job of threshing, and standing up in the wagon, fell out,
and breaking his skull, died in a few hours. In Novem-
ber, Mrs. Asa Manchester, of Newark, while visiting at
Mrs. Edgerton's, fell down the cellar stairway, and died
the next mornina:.
Among the new buildings of the year were the Heap
school house, in Seward, and the residences of Lott Sco-
field, in Big Grove, and of George Parker, in Oswego.
The Heap school district was the last one formed in
the town of Seward. The first teachers were : Nellie
and Emma Stolp, and Orrin Bly.
The railroad excitement sustained itself through
THE YEAR 1870.
The first train of cars entered Yorkville, October 27th,
and was received with rejoicing. Golden visions of div-
idends on stock floated before the minds of the fortunate
holders of the same. But alas ! for human hopes, espec-
ially railroad hopes. At the close of the year the entire
EXCITEMENT ON RAILROADS. 381
road mysteriously sold out to the Chicago, Burlington
& Quincy, and the Kendall county stock was worth only
what it would brino; for old rao;s.
In the meantime, Little Rock and Bristol were a little
rent over the C. B. & Q. road, and Lisbon was a good
deal rent over the Pekin and Southw^estern. Indeed, it
amounted in the latter town to a railroad war. The ques-
tion was whether the town should vote an appropriation.
At a special election, held May 3d, they said ''No,"
one hundred and forty-five to sixty-two. At an adjourned
election, held July 1st, they uttered a fainter "No," one
hundred and thirteen to one hundred and three. At a
third election, held August 3d, the negative did not vote,
and the affirmative carried the day, one hundred and
seven to three.
Among the year's fatalities were, a man accidentally
shot and killed while hunting in the Aux Sable timber,
in Seward ; Andrew Sevinson accidentally shot at Pavil-
lion by thoughtlessly crossing his leg over the stock of
his cocked gun; and Geo. H. Jacobs and wife, bitten
by a mad dog, at Holderman's Grove, but reported cured
by the application of a mad stone kept by J. P. Evans,
Lincoln, Illinois. During the summer, H. M. Bannis-
ter, Assistant State Geologist, spent a few days in the
county examining us geologically, but his visit was too
hurried and his examination too superficial to do us jus-
tice. Our Kendall county geology, properly explored
and written up, would make a valuable and very inter-
esting addition to our history.
382 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
In 1870, our indefatigable German, Frederic Post,
finished the famous stone structure known as
post's dam,
after four years of constant work. It crosses Fox river
four miles below Yorkville. From fifteen to twenty men
had been employed on it each season. It is in the form
of a segment of a circle, with the convex side up stream,
twelve feet thick and eight feet high, laid in cement, and
cost §15,000. It is certainly one of the finest river
dams in the country. Brownell Wing, of Big Grove,
bought a half interest in it for §6,000, and proceeded to
put up a stone flouring mill, with four run of stone and
four turbine water wheels — the whole costing some §30,-
000, exclusive of the water power. He was obliged to
borrow money to finish it, only to find, when the machin-
ery was in and all things in readiness, that the enter-
prise would not succeed. The railroad, instead of mak-
ing a depot there, as he expected, left him half a mile to
one side. Other causes, too, combined to disappoint his
plans. The splendid mills were never started, and the
building still stands in its massive loneliness, its broken
windows staring out on the river and looking over the
high banks on either side, a mute witness to the truth
that ''the best laid plans of mice and men gang aft aglee."
It passed into the hands of the Valley Power Company,
and is now owned by it. The dam, too, which was
intended to be almost as enduring as the earth, has been
undermined by the power of the water, the foundation
boulders washed out, and a breach of several rods in
length has been made, which there is at present no finan-
cial inducement to repair. Post's dam is no more.
THE MILLINGTON CANAL. 383
Soon after the mill was completed, a brace of thieves
entered it one night and with sledge hammers broke up
nearly all the costly machinery for old iron. One of
them was afterward apprehended. The time may yet
come when the property may be utilized, but at present
it is the most striking and romantic ruin we have in
Kendall county. It is much frequented as a place of
summer resort. Nothing but the pillars and stairwaj s
is within, except the heavy burr stones, one or two of
which have been thrown down through the floors.
Closely connected with the Post's dam and Wing's
mill enterprise is the
MILLINGTON CANAL,
projected by the Valley Water Power Company. The
charter was obtained by Hon. J. W. Eddy in 1866.
After a delay of six years, ground was finally broken on
the north side of the river, above the woolen mill at
Millington, by an eight horse ditcher from Ottawa, Au-
gust 30th, 1872. Speculators and press correspondents
were present from all the surrounding towns and from
Chicago. Never before were so many men of note and
intelligence gathered at one time in Millington, and
everybody was full of enthusiasm. At the close of the
ditching the company retired to the hall over Foster's
store, where a sumptuous banquet was spread.
The canal was to be two hundred and fifty feet wide
and eight feet deep. The route had been surveyed to
Post's dam by Mr. Eddy and George Steward in Sep-
tember, 1867, when they found the distance to be four
and a-half miles, with a fall of twenty-one feet. A plate
glass manufactory, employing four hundred men, was in
384 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
prospect, utilizing the white sand quarry. It was also
in intention to carry power over the river to the grist
mill by wire cable.
Work was begun on the canal at the upper end, and
considerable progress made, but the dull times finally
caused the work to stop until a revival of business shall
warrant its resumption.
The new German Evangelical meeting house on the
prairie in Oswego was built in 1871. The German set-
tlement dates from 1845, and the first meeting house was
erected in 1848. School was held in the basement. The
church society was organized about the same time. In
1860 they bought the Presbyterian church building in
the village, and have used both houses alternately ever
since. The original house is now the school house. The
pastors have been : Samuel Tobias, Samuel Dickover,
John Hanert, John Schnagel, William Strassburger,
Jacob Himmel, Martin Stamm, J. F. Schnee, H. Hintze,
J. G. Miller, Henry Bucks, C. Kopp, Christian Hum-
mel, J. M. Sindlinger, V. Forkel, John Kuechel, C.
Augustine, John Schneider and William Neitz. The
Evangelical Association is Methodist in doctrine, and
was founded by Jacob Albright about 1800.
CHAPTER Lll.
NEW ENTERPRISES.
MONG the enterprises of the year 1872 were
the starting of the Yorkville "iVe^^s," April
2nd, since removed to Piano, and the Mil-
lingion ^' &terprise," in December. The
Oswego '' Vidette," after a short existence,
was taken to Aurora. The Oswego " Bald
Hornet'' also had a short life. A prospec-
tus had been issued for the Newark ^'' Journal^'" to be a
large, seven column paper, but it never appeared. The
Newark " Clipper,'" however, still continues to put in an
occasional appearance.
At Yorkville, Hutchinson's ice house was built — one
hundred feet square, with a capacity of seven thousand
tons. It was expected to ship thirty tons daily to Chi-
cago during the summer.
At Plattville, the last of Mr. Piatt's flowing wells were
sunk. They were located by Mr. Harper, a water
wizard, of Plattville, with a forked apple twig held fork
downward under his nose. The wells are at the store,
house and barn. The deepest is fifty-one feet ; the third,
thirty-one feet, and flows unceasingly through a two inch
pipe.
386 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
THE MILLBROOK SHOPS
were commenced jn 1872, by Edward Budd, as a factory
in general, and of " gophers " or corn cultivators in par-
ticular. He also manufactured riding plows, and does a
business of some twenty thousand dollars a year. Both
the gophers and the riding attachment to the plows are
Kendall county inventions, and have had a large sale.
They have effected a change in the operations of the
field since the days when the double shovel plow and the
cast iron mouldboard were the reliances of farmers. In-
deed, farming, with other employments, is fast losing its
drudgery. It remains but to substitute some other
motive power for horses, and the day in which it will be
done is doubtless approaching.
Millbrook owes much of its prosperity to the enter-
prise of the Budds. Tunis Budd was here in 1844,
from Duchess county, New York. He bought the farm
where Edward now lives of Stephen Bates. Mathew
came in 1846, and Edward and Jacob soon afterwards.
In 1872 Milford's new name was chansred bv some
sudden but unobserved process from Mellington to Mill-
ington.
No notable accidents are to be recorded. The previous
summer Andrew Widdup was drowned in the river at
Millington. There was, however, a tragedy at Oswego
in September. Samuel West shot and killed Mark New-
berry. It was a repulsive case, caused by scandal, and
it was difficult to decide on which party to bestow sym-
pathy. The murderer was sentenced to the penitentiary
for life.
INCIDENTS AND ACCIDENT OP 73. 387
EARLY IN 1873,
a peddler, calling himself J. Johnson, was murdered
just over the line in LaSalle, near Mr. Terry's. The
body was carried down into the Mission timber, where
it was found. The murdered man's real name was after-
ward found to be Samuel Davis, and he was supposed to
be the moneyed man of the company. Two years after-
wards, a man sentenced to be executed in Germany, con-
fessed on the gallows to having committed a murder
near Sheridan, Illinois. Undoubtedly it was the same
man, followed thousands of miles and overtaken at last
by justice.
December 24th, on his eighty-first birthday, Marcus
Misner was thrown from his buggy by being tipped over
a little bridge, and lived but two days.
During the year, a county " Teachers' Association"
was organized. Also, a "Farmers' Association," Lott
Scofield being President. The members of the latter
will be better known under their national title of " Grang-
ers." This organization grew like corn in summer, and
became an important, and in some States a controlling
element in politics. It called general attention to many
abuses, and in some things accomplished a needed reform.
The Young school, Bristol, was opened in 1873.
The following have been teachers : William Wing, Mer-
rill Fellows, Mrs. Rathbun and Grace Putney.
The cemetery in the neighborhood is known as the
Jacob Keck graveyard. The first burial was Alonzo
Staley.
The " Horse Association," of Piano, is a recent organ-
ization. They have at present ten stallions and several
388 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
trotters and thoroughbreds. One imported Clyde, from
Scotland, weighs a hundred weight more than a ton,
while a Shetland mare and tiny colt would both of them
hardly weigh four hundred pounds, and are worth a dol-
lar a pound.
One of the best remembered
EVENTS OF 1875
is the death of Newton S. Grimwood, then local reporter for
the Evening Journal^ who accompanied Prof Donaldson
in his last balloon ascension, July loth. They went up
from Chicago, were carried over the lake out of sight,
and were never ao;ain heard of alive. A bodv believed
to be that of Grimwood was found on the Michioran
beach, and buried. His father, William Grimwood, of
Bristol, is an old settler of 1843.
The Seward town house was built in 1876. Unfor-
tunately, there is no center road in that township, and
the voters have not yet been able to agree where the
hall shall stand, whether north or south of the centre of
the town.
In Little Rock village, a Union church, costing $2,-
400, was completed. It is open to preachers of different
denominations. Early preachers in that vicinity have
been : Baptist — John Beaver ; Protestant Methodist —
Mr. Woolston and Mr. Rogers ; Episcopal Methodist —
Dr. Arnold and Mr. Batcheldor ; Presbyterian — Henry
Bergen.
The Chicago, Millington and Western
NARROW GAUGE RAILROAD
was chartered in 1872, and the preliminary survey made
through to Muscatine, two hundred miles, in 1873. But
MILLINGTON MANUFACTURING ENTERPRISES. 389
the financial crisis of that year retarded further opera-
tion until 1875, when grading was begun from Chicago,
going west. It enters the city on Twenty-second street.
At the present time the road is completed to Fullers-
burg, nineteen miles, and most of the grading is done to
Warrenville. Another route has been surveyed via
Plainfield, and it is not yet determined which shall be
chosen. This latter survey was made in 1876, and is
said to be the eleventh railroad survey that has been
made over the Plainfield prairies, — and they keep their
mail stage yet.
The Millington
ENAMEL WORKS
were opened in the spring of 1876. D. W. Clark, of
Park Ridge, Illinois, was the patentee of the process.
The works were ninety-five by one hundred and twenty-
four feet ; the two enameling kilns, twenty-four feet in
diameter and thirty-five feet high, and holding twenty-
thousand bricks each, including the saggers, or cases of
fire clay. The works were built by a stock company, at
a cost of $13,000. The first process was to melt the
enameling material together in a small kiln, — this was
the essential part of the patent, — after which it was
ground in a mill, mixed with water and the bricks dipped
in the solution. Four or five bricks were placed in each
sagger, and the whole subjected in the great kilns to an
intense heat for thirty-six hours. But before the first
lot were burned the works took fire and burned down,
and have not been rebuilt.
THE BOOT AND SHOE FACTORY
at Piano is under the same management as the tannery ;
390 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
S. W., and E. Jacobs, Superintendents. They use up
the tannery stock, except the harness leather, and do a
business at .present of $25,000 a year. The work
is systematized as in the largest establishments. The
leather first goes to the cutter, who cuts out the fronts,
backs and soles ; then the crimper shapes the fronts and
uppers to the foot ; the fitter sews the fronts and backs
to£;ether ; the bottomer puts on the soles; the finisher
finishes the soles ; the treer finishes the fronts ; and the
packer puts up the finished boots in cases of twelve pairs
each, assorted sizes.
The Piano Baptist church was ors^anized in 1877. Its
history dates 'back to 1836, when Rev. John Beaver
organized a little church in Jacob Crandall's slab house,
in the edge of the timber, west of the present site of
Piano. The constituent members were : John Beaver,
Enos Ives, P. Clark, A. Bush and J. Crandall, and their
wives, old Mr. Darnell, and others. It did not continue,
however, and in 1860 another church was formed in
Piano village by Rev. Mr. Kinne. That, too, after some
years, ceased to be active. The present church was
gathered by Rev. L. Steward, who is still the pastor.
CHAPTER LIU
OUR NATURAL POSSESSIONS.
OME OF the natural possessions of Ken-
dall county have already been alluded to.
Here they are grouped together. We
have no wide forests or deep mines ; all
that nature has given us that need be
noticed are modifications of those two
indispensable elements — water and soil.
And we are content. Blessed water ! Praises to the
old chemical symbol, HO, 9 ! We have it here, and that
which is good. Not the drainino; of the slou2:hs, but the
filterings of the rocks is our drink. And we have the
ornamental as well as the more generally useful.
THE MAGNETIC SPRINGS
are at Mr. Piatt's, in Plattville. There are a dozen dif-
ferent sorts of mineral springs, according to the nature
of the rock through which they percolate, and each sort
is useful for a corresponding class of disorders. Piatt's
springs being somewhat electrical, are helpful in rheu-
matism and nervous disorders. A knife blade rubbed on
the iron tubing becomes magnetized, and may be raised
by a door key. The water is unusually bland and pleas-
392 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
ant, and horses and cattle drink immoderate quantities
of it. These springs belong to the class of Sulphated
Chalybeate waters, viz : impregnated with iron and sul-
phur. Four miles further down as water runs are the
true
SULPHUR SPRINGS,
on J. W. House's land. The first, in front of his house,
is not so valuable, but the larger one in the grove emits
a strong aroma of sulphur. This water is beneficial in
scrofulous and skin diseases, and is as^good for the well
as for the sick. There are many sulphur springs in
every country, and they are among the most valuable of
nature's gifts to us.
Passing from water, we may come to our
SOILS.
Grateful soil ! Not the tough clay of the woodland is
ours, nor the porous sand that scours the plow but cheats
the harvest. No, no, Kendall county crops have for
their support the black humus, the slow product of sixty
centuries of vegetation. Soils are formed by the disin-
tegration of rocks and the decay of vegetable matter,
and are named after the sort of rock from which their
mineral elements have come. Sandstone makes a sandy
soil, and limestone a loamy soil. Ours is mostly the
latter. And Avith groves every few miles, which pro-
mote moisture and draw the rain, we are not subject to
the long droughts of surrounding counties, whose flat
plains are almost treeless.
Coming to the less useful, we have good
PEAT
in several places in the county, and especially on the
PEAT AND COAL. 393
north side of the river, near Wing's mill, where a
deposit one hundred acres broad and six feet thick awaits
the dav when wood shall be scarce and coal shall be
dear, in order that it may be utilized. Peat is of the
nature of coal, and is formed by the decomposition of
reeds or grass, as coal is formed from the decomposition
of softwood. Coal, too, has been pressed together by
the weight of overlying earth and rock, while peat is
near the surface and is not pressed. Coal that has not
been through the " press" is called lignite. Peat is
formed in bogs, which differ from slouojhs in that the
latter is simply black mire, while the former is a spongy
mass held together by the rootlets of plants. Sloughs,
too, are usually covered by an even coat of grass, while
bogs are varied with grassy hillocks rising above the
rest and having a firmer soil. Sloughs, when drained,
will raise good crops, but bogs are comparatively worth-
less. There are two varieties of peat, viz : black and
brown, the former being the more perfect ; but that
found in this vicinity is generally brown. The deposit
along the river, by Wing's mill, is by far the largest in
the county. Two public roads run over it. Pieces of drift-
wood and well preserved logs are found in it. The entire
vicinity was once a lake, and has been'filling up with pre-
served vegetation and the debris of annual freshets. To
obtain the peat, remove about eighteen inches of the surface
soil, when a substance is reached looking like buried
sods, which can be cut into firm cakes with a spade.
Thoroughly dried in the sun, it makes good fuel, and a
hot fire.
26
394 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
Passing from peat to
SAND,
we have enough in this county for plastering purposes,
and further we crave not. It does not desolate our
fields nor fill the air when the wind blows, but stays
quietly in its own beds until it is fetched, — it may be at
fifty cents a load, besides the hauling. But it is better
to buy what one wants than to have more than he wants
for nothing. We also have a good quality of
MOULDING SAND,
a kind that is comparatively rare. Indeed, it is prop-
erly an earth, or rather a mixture of clay and sand.
It is used by moulders in making castings. Pure sand
does not pack close enough, and pure earth packs too
close, and does not allow the gases to escape. A fine
deposit of moulding sand is found near Montgomery,
and another south of Wing's mill, opposite the peat bed.
But our most valuable sand property is the Millington
quarry of
WHITE SAND,
in the ancient formation known in geology as the St.
Peter's sandstone. It comes to the surface in spots in
nearly all the Western States. It forms a large part of the
Illinois and Fox river bluffs. The fiimous Starved Rock
is wholly composed of it. It is found deepest on Rock
river, above the village of Oregon, but is so stained with
oxide of iron, or drippings of iron, as to be useless,
except for scenery. It looks at a distance like masses
of painted rock. The mineral spring of Ottawa, though
coming from a depth, as is supposed, of four hundred
GEOLOGICAL FORMATIONS. 39o
feet, has its source in this sand rock. The "Pictured
Rocks" and copper mines of Lake Superior are of the
same age. The usual gray color of the rock is owing
to the red iron stains being removed by organic matter.
It is the most remarkable formation in the State, and is
the oldest in this part, with the exception of the
hydraulic limestone at LaSalle and Utica, from which
the well known cement is made.
The value of the Millington quarry arises from the
fact that it has never been colored by oxide of iron or
other mineral salts, and is, therefore, perfectly pure. It
is in reality a river bluff, but is a third of a mile back
from the river, on the edge of the valley.
The face of the quarry is about twenty -five rods long,
and thirty feet high in the centre, and where not fresh
quarried is browned by the weather and discolored by
the rain trickling down from above. The sand rock lies
in oblique layers four or five feet thick, inclined most to
the west : each laver stratified in thin sheets. At the
east side the layers are horizontal, and the hill is finished off
by a deposit of clay and gravel, which also covers the
entire rock to the depth of three feet. This east end
was therefore deposited first, at the bottom of a lake or
shallow sea, which afterwards began to dry up : or the
shores were elevated, and each portion of the western
part of the hill became successively the sloping beach of
the receding sea. In a subsequent age the east end was
partially carried away by a river or torrent, and the clay
and gravel piled up as a bandage to the amputated rock.
What a strange looking world it must have been in
those St. Peter's sandstone days, before the sand was
396 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
reddened with iron, or made gray by the dye being
washed out. Broad sheets and long lines of purest white
wherever the low flats and sand beaches protruded them-
selves above the water. Yet it is hardly correct to speak
of the world as being white, for this peculiar formation
covered only what is now the lead region of the northwest,
and is found nowhere else on the continent. The whole
subject of its origin is shrouded in mystery. It comes
very useful, however, and we can see now that the
resources of our inland States would have been incom-
plete without it — a fact the Creator saw from the begin
ning.
Over the face of the quarry run veins that seem to
have been glued together, and stand out in sheets as
thick as sole leather; in some places an inch from the
surface. These are supposed to have been caused by
thin crusts of sandstone having been impregnated with a
strong solution of oxyde of iron, or rust of iron, while
the rock was deposited by the water.
The. surface markings, or lines, are probably wind
marks.
^ The sand itself is pure silica, nearly as white as snow.
It is composed of rounded, transparent grains of crystal-
line quartz, and is found in such inexhaustible quanti-
ties in Kendall and LaSalle counties, that we might man-
ufacture all the glass for the United States. It under-
lies Fox River above Millington, and juts out on the
other side in a tongue of white sandrock, between two
limestone quarries.
It was known to the early settlers, and brought long
distances for plastering sand, although it does not make
WHITE SAND QUARRIES. 397
as firm mortar as common sand, the grains being too
smooth. Teams came from Aurora, Naperville, Plain-
field, and even from still more distant points. The land
in which the present quarry is worked was first entered
by Charles Koyal, more than forty years ago, except a
piece on the east end, which was entered by Chris. Mis-
ner. Both parties afterwards sold to Thomas Serrine.
The quarry is now^ worked by a Chicago company.
They ship several car loads a week — mostly to Ohio
glass factories. The price is eight dollars a car load, of
ten or twelve tons, the purchaser paying freight. One
man can fill a car in half a day, if he can get sand. It
is in a rocky mass, and is blasted with powder to bring
it down. The men are careful to get in no earth, or
pieces of the metallic veins, or yellow sand — though the
latter is only colored by rain and will wash white. The
deposit is supposed to be about fifty feet thick, and
extends along the face of the hill by the railroad for a
considerable distance. In this hill, a quarter of a mile
east of the quarry, a spring of cool water gushes out of
a large crevice in the rock, and flows away over a bed of
sparkling white sand. Close by, in a ravine, another
spring issues from a tiny cavern in the sandrock, and
one can hear the musical trickling of the water inside,
as it falls on the stones. Between those springs and the
quarry is a romantic looking waterfall, half hidden by
wild grapes and ivy. No stream runs over it, but a deep
channel is worn in the rock, showing that it has been in
use sometime. And perhaps in the forgotten past more
than one Indian Minnehaha met her dusky lover there and
exchanged vows to the music of the tinkling waterfall.
398 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
But to-day, reality instead of romance rules the hour.
The tiny cataract, affrighted, shrinks back and perishes,
and we dig down the hills of primordial sand that have
been crystallized once in Nature's fire, and crystallize
them again in our own.
Our white sand is a true sand rock, though soft, and
we have an abundance of lime rock or
LIMESTONE,
carbonate of lime the chemists call it, and in all the
various styles, from the sediment in the tea kettle to the
deposit in the quarry. Natural limestone is the product
of shells and corals, and is a mute witness of that far
off time when the deep sea rolled its billows where prairie
flowers now bloom. Without that time of watery deso-
lation our possessions would have been very incomplete,
for what could we have done without limestone ? It is
among rocks what iron is among metals. Bridge build-
ers say the crushing weight of limestone is four hundred
and ninety tons to the square foot, while sandstone is but
two hundred tons, and brickwork thirty tons. There-
fore its value as building stone. There are some dozen
quarries in the county.
We have also in many places a good quality of
BRICK CLAY.
There either are or have been brick yards near each one
of our older villages, and by the same token there could
be again, so far as the supply of clay is concerned.
Most of the ancient bricks were sun dried, and on the
alluvial plains of Egypt and Babylon were mixed with
straw, as they had none of our tenacious clays. Bricks
potter's clay and wood. 399
become red in bakinor, from the quantity of iron in the
clay. We also have
potters' clay.
It was tried by Isaac Grover, in his " juggery," forty
years ago, and proved a success ; and probably the mound
builders used it before him for those bowls of which the
pieces are being found and saved to-day.
And finally, though coal mines are on our borders,
we have
WOOD
at our doors. On our two hundred thousand acres of
land we have twenty-five thousand acres of timber ; not
in a dense body, but in generous strips along the streams
and in those beautiful upland groves which charmed our
early settlers.
CHAPTER LIV.
OUR INVENTIONS.
lUR COUNTY can boast of its full share
of worthy inventors who have aided in
the wonderful advance of the last quar-
ter of a century. And in nothing is this
advance seen more than in agricultural
machinery, especially harvesters and
PLOWS.
Forty-two years ago the plow had a wooden mould-
board, hewed out of a slab, and tipped with an iron
shear. For breaking plows it required a slab six feet
long. Daniel Webster's breaking plow, made by him-
self in 1837, is thirteen feet long, and the mouldboard
is^overed with wrought iron strips.
(, About 1839, mouldboards were made of boiler iron,
cut into the right shape with cold chisels. The Grand
Detour plow was of this kind. Then followed cast iron
mouldboards.
About 1847, right width mouldboard iron came into
the market, from which plates could be cut as they were
wanted. Next, the cast steel plows came in, which we
are using to-day. Fletcher Misner, at Millington, is our
oldest plow manufacturer.\
PATENTS IN KENDALL COUNTY. 401
Riding plows are the fashion to-day, and are manu-
factured successfully at Millbrook and other points.
In 1873 James C. Cams took out a patent on the mode
of attaching the plow to the frame, by which the draught
is lessened.
In the department of
CULTIVATORS
we have five patents. Jacob Zimmerman, Oswego, 1855,
improved cultivator. Parley F. Freeland, Newark, 1859,
a machine designed to answer equally well in killing the
weeds and pulverizing the soil.
F. & P. A. Misner, Millington, 1860, a double culti-
vator with protecting wings, designed to work both sides
of the row at one operation.
Nelson Messenger, Newark, 1860, Messenger Gopher;
blades fifteen inches long, attached to the machine by a
patent angle. This has proved to be a superior imple-
ment, and has been extensively manufactured at the
Millbrook Works, where the patent is now owned.
Mr. Wilkinson, Plattville, 1877, improved gopher
shovel.
Ezra McEwen, Lisbon, 1864, riding gopher, adjusta-
ble blades, to run deep or shallow ; also, reversible, to
throw the dirt away from the corn the first time through,
being attached to the tongue by a flexible joint.
About sixty were made at the Lisbon shop.
Nelson Messenger, 1876, improved gopher, manufac-
tured at Ottawa. The appellation "gopher" is a local
name referring to the peculiar shape of the blades or
shovels. They are certainly the best implements for
working corn, as they destroy the weeds without cutting
402 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
the corn roots, and many claim thereby to produce ten
bushels more corn to the acre.
HARROWS.
Greorge Cook, Bristol Station, 1862, a jointed harrow,
designed to prevent clogging.
Isaac Harris, Pavilion, 1877, riding harrow. By this
invention the farmer is freed from the last necessity of
soiling his boots from the time the first furrow is plowed
to the time when the last sheaf is gathered.
REAPERS.
The Hussey reaper, Virginia, was the first one made
with sections for the cutting edge, and from it McCor-
mick undoubtedly got his idea. The successful manu-
facturers are very rarely the original inventors. Wil-
liam Hoag ran a Hussey reaper in 1844. In 1845, the
McCormick was introduced. Mr. McCormick himself
came around and solicited farmers to take them. J. R.
Bullard and Zenas McEwen each took one. In 1846,
Ezra McEwen manufactured an improved reaper at Lis-
bon, and was followed by Keith & Stevens in 1847.
In 1848, several were made at a shop at Long Grove,
on the Oswego road, southeast of Yorkville. In 1846,
the self-rake was introduced by Smith of Batavia, but
the machinery was too complex to work well.^In 1853,
Messenger & Preshur built twenty reapers at Newark,
after Green's patent, Ottawa, and they did good work.
The following year Lot Preshur made some on his own
account after the plan of Rugg's machine, Ottawa, which
went before the horses ; but this was soon changed, and
the team placed ahead. Some of Rugg's reapers cut a
swath ten feet wide.
PATENTS IN KENDALL COUNTY. 403
In mowers, we have one patent, that of John F. Stew-
ard, Piano, 1876, device to tilt forward the edge of the
cutter bar while passing over uneven ground,
HEADERS
are intended to cut off the heads of grain, leaving the
straw in the field, and were popular when wheat fields
were large and the straw was of no value. The first
introduced was Esterley's, from Whitewater, Wisconsin,
1845. They were push machines, and the curving reel
brought the grain to a stationary knife, where it was
sheared off. About the same time, Ezra McEwen pro-
duced one of his own invention that operated with a
sickle and did good work, and he manufactured them in
1848 at Lisbon.
Keith & Stevens, in 1848, also manufactured a num-
ber of the Haines' Headers. At present, however, both
reapers and headers are being supplanted by
HARVESTERS,
on which the grain is bound as it is cut.
The Marsh Harvester was begun at Piano in 1860,
and at least five of the patenis which cover it belong to
this county. N. H. Kennedy and F. J. Coddington,
1877, two patents, both on the elevator, designed to sim-
plify the process. Coddington & Steward, 1876, raising
and lowering device, used extensively. John F. Stew-
ard, 1876, adjustable reel, used on all Piano harvesters.
The same, 1876, device for retaining the binder's plat-
form on a level, whatever the adjustment or dip of the
harvester.
McEwen's Harvester, Lisbon, was patented 1873.
His improvements were : First, the first stationary bind-
404 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
er's platform. In all previous machines the platform
was raised and lowered wuth the cutter bar. Second,
graded belts in the elevator, by which the butts of the
grain are moved faster than the heads. In previous
machines the heads came up first. Third, an upper self-
adjustable elevator, by which the grain, whether light or
heavy, is kept in place on the lower elevator. They are
manufactured at Sheridan.
The latest advance in harvesting machinery is auto-
matic
BINDERS..
J. Heath, of Warren, Ohio, 1850, was the first inventor.
He bound with twine. A. Sherwood's machine was the
first to bind with wire. Paper and straw are also used,
though not with the same success.
The Gordon binder is manufactured at the Piano
works, and two thousand are being built for next season.
No less than ten patents which cover it belong to this
county, and have been granted within two years. E. H.
Gammon has two patents for general improvements, and
two others for the same, in connection with R. H. Dixon
and J. F. Steward. Mr. Steward has two patents for
general improvements. Also a device for delivering the
grain into the automatic binder, one patent ; a device for
adjusting the position of the band upon the bundle, two
patents ; a device for more perfectly twisting the wire
after it has passed around the bundle. The last is an
important and profitable invention.
We have three inventions in the way of
HORSE RAKES.
Sylvester E. Ament, Fox, 1864, revolving horse rake.
PATENTS IN KENDALL COUNTY. 405
four improvements. S. E. Ament, 1867, horse rake on
runners, thirteen improvements. Edward G. Ament,
Newark, 1875, horse rake still further improved — re-
markable for the simplicity of its arrangement and per-
fection of its work.
DITCHER AND SCRAPERS.
Albert Keith, Lisbon, 1862, grading and excavating
machine ; made adjustable to greater or less depth, and
to uneven ground. Jacob Zimmerman, Oswego, im-
proved road scraper. Frederick Post, Little Rock, 1868,
riding scraper ; the load can be carried any distance. E.
G. Ament, 1876, barn yard scraper ; designed to clean
up barn yards and cow yards without gouging the sur-
face, and to save its cost once in cleanliness and once in
manure each year.
WIRE FENCE.
Elbridge Gale, Yorkville, 1872, portable wire fence,
made in sections and looped together. A. V. Wormley,
Oswego, 1873, barb fence ; the barbs are worked in with
a patent twist between three small wires, making a barbed
cable. Considerable quantities are manufactured. Ham-
ilton Cherry and Sheldon H. Wheeler, Na-au-say, 1877,
improved barb fence. G. G. Hunt, Bristol, 1877, im-
proved barb fence. He has four separate kinds, all
jointed and made in sections of any length : (1) Two
wires, twisted, and wire barb ; (2) four pointed barb and
single wire ; (3) twisted wire and steel barb ; (4) single
wire and two steel barbs.
STOVES.
Our stove inventor is George G. Hunt, of Bristol
Station. His patents are at the foundation of the " Du-
406 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
buque," ''Dacotah," and other base burners, and he
receives an important royalty therefrom. The beginning
of his invention was in 1863, while residing at Quincy.
This was followed at Bristol, in 1870, by the device for
illuminating through mica windows, and in 1871 by
the movable coal reservoir. He has altogether five stove
patents. Burdett & Smith, Troy, New York, own a one-
half interest in them.
John F. Steward is our inventor in
STEREOSCOPES,
having two patents, both dating 1875. First, for ad-
justable eye glasses, by which differences in vision are
overcome. Second, a revolving stereoscope, capable of
showing three hundred pictures. The same, Avith his
brother, Aurelius Steward, has made several improve-
ments in
SEWING AND KNITTING MACHINES.
A. Steward. 1867, ruffling attachment for sewing ma-
chines, by which the feed bar feeds the cloth faster on
one side than on the other ; sold for two thousand dol-
lars. Same, 1872, improvement in sewing machines.
J. F. Steward, 1867, knot indicator for knitting machines,.
WATER WHEELS.
Walter Aitken, Newark, 1862, a current wheel, de-
signed to rise and fall with the water. Frederick Post,
1867, water wheel with additional buckets. Same,
1868, adjustable lower wheel on the shaft, which can be
regulated accordinfj; to the amount of water. Walter
Aitken, 1863. improved propelling apparatus for steam-
ers.
TRANSPORTATION CONVEYOR.
H. W. Farley, Oswego, 1876, continuous transports-
PATENTS IN KENDALL COUNTY. 407
tion by stationary power, of coal, grain, or other freight.
A section with a belt one thousand feet long has been
constructed and successfullv tested. It can be built for
fifteen hundred dollars a mile, and is claimed to move
freight for one-fifth the cost of teaming. This is an
important invention.
STORE FURNITURE.
Oil Dispenser, David M. Haight, Oswego, 1876. The
oil is taken from the barrel without a faucet. Oil Pump
and Measure, M. C. Richards, Oswego, 1876. Works
on the siphon principle, and measures out the exact
amount of oil wanted from the upper side of the barrel.
C. G. Mororan, Bristol Station, 1875. Glycerine Dis-
penser, for druggists' use in retailing heavy oils. Can
be guaged to half an ounce and upwards at each turn of
the crank.
Rope Reel, D. M. Haight, 1877 ; a device whereby
rope or cordage is retailed from the original coil without
unwinding or tangling.
Thread Show Case, A. Steward, 1868. The spools
are placed on inclined shelves, whereby those in the
rear supply the places of those removed in front. The
case is in general use, and pays a royalty of twenty-five
cents each to the inventor.
A. Steward, 1862, combined yard measure and clip-
ping scissors for retail merchants.
RAILROAD IMPROVEMENTS.
G. G. Hunt, 1864, device by which car wheels can
be removed without disturbing the trucks. Same, 1864,
oil reservoir and wick for journal boxes, by which they
may run a year without oiling. Same, 1864, steam
408 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
valve, adjustable to engines of diiferent power. Same,
1863, smoke burner for locomotive furnaces, by which
soft coal makes no more smoke than drv wood. Same,
1864, smoke burner for tubular boiler. Same, 1864,
car axle, by which one wheel can turn faster than the
other around curves, instead of slipping, as on the old
plan.
G. H. Carver, Piano, 1877, device for catching mail
bag by fast trains.
I. S. Doten, Bristol Station, 1876, express and bag-
gage truck, level with the car floor, by which heavy
articles are more easily handled.
MISCELLANEOUS INVENTIONS.
G. G. Hunt, 1855, arrangement of reed board for
two sets of reeds in cabinet organs. Same, 1864, double
acting churn, by which two dashers move in opposite
directions.
V. R. David, Newark, 1857, improved lock.
E. G. Ament, Oswego, 1864, portable capstan, on
wheels, with nine improvements.
M. C. Chapman, Oswego, 1865, improved thill coup-
ling.
Frederick Post, Little Rock, 1868, pulverizing land
roller, made with grooves and movable teeth and marker
attachment.
Oliver Herbert, Oswego, improved carriage seat spring.
V. R. David, Newark, improved washing machine.
J. F. Hollister, Piano, 1868, globe joint connecting
the pitman with the sickle in harvesters. Extensively
used.
KENDALL COUNTY PUBLICATIONS. 409
J. F. HoUister, 1871, improvement in joining the side
and end timbers of bedsteads.
J. F. Hollister, 1873, improved machines for cutting
and punching leather straps.
Ezra McEwen, Lisbon, 1876, double cylinder corn
sheller, with roller to keep the corn on the cylinder. It
does not break the cob or cut the corn. Manufactured
by a St. Louis firm.
J. B. Poage, Oswego, 1876, combined chair and baby
walker ; a fine invention for the little folks.
A. C, Gable, Yorkville, 1876, improved sod cutter.
H. J. Brimhall, Jr., Millington, 1875, cylinder wind
mill.
I. S. Doten, 1877, spectacles; revolving glasses with
diiferent foci, so that one pair will answer for walking or
reading.
Clinton Merrick, Yorkville, 1877, bed spring with
raised head for invalids.
Nathan Alden, Bristol, 1877, honey extractor.
E. G. Ament, Newark, 1867, corn shocker. Two
men and a team will shock four acres a day and put the
shocks close together in rows thirty rods apart, thus
leaving the ground free for plowing.
PUBLICATIONS.
From the Mormon press. Piano : Book of Doctrine
and Covenants, 1865. Bible and Testament, printed
from plates, 1867. Saint's Harp — hymn book, 1870.
Book of Mormon, 1874. Hesperius ; book of poems of
D. H. Smith, 1875. Discussion, between Rev. Shinn
and Elder Forscutt, 1875. Manual and Rules of Order,
1876.
27
410
HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
^Tiscellaneous works : Immaterial Elements, by E. D.
Sargent, M. D. Bristol, 1873. History of the Thirty-
Sixth Ren;iment, by Lyman G. Bennett, of Yorkville,
1876.
CHAPTER LV.
OUR NEIGHBORS.
'T IS not intended in these chapters to give
a complete list of all the animals and
plants found in Kendall county. It
could as well be done as not, for the list
is made, but the names alone of every
species would more than fill up the
allotted space. The object is simply to
direct young readers especially to the treasures that lie
around them, and incite them to a better acquaintance
with their fellow inhabitants of the air and the soil.
Hugh Miller began to be a geologist by studying the
stones in the quarries where he worked ; and there are
few who would not in spite of themselves become enthu-
siastic naturalists by studying the weeds and flowers
that grow by the roadside, and the living creatures that
creep, or walk, or fly in grove and meadow. A few
dollars spent in books, and a few hours' study at odd
times in mastering: the classification and scientific names,
THE A^^IMAL FAMILIES. 411
and the rest will be a continuous delight. As each new
plant or insect is added to the collection, the cry will
be: ''Ah, I know you! you belong to such a family."
In our enumeration we will begin with ruminants, and
with the
OX FAMILY,
of which the bison is our only wild representative. It
is commonly called the buffalo, but true buffalos are
found only in eastern countries. Bisons were formerly
here in immense droves, and forty years ago, in the east-
ern part of the county, their bones could be picked up
by the wagon load. They are the same genus as the
German aurochs.
DEER FAMILY.
The elk, called moose and wapiti by the Indians, dis-
appeared from this locality about 1818, but deer are
still occasionally found. Our species is the Virginia
deer — distinct from the black-tailed deer of Missouri,
the stag or red deer, and flillow or yellow deer of Eng-
land, the rein-deer of cold countries, &c.
BEAR FAMILY.
Badgers were here in an early day, but are now
extinct, while raccoons are as plenty as of old.
DOG FAMILY.
Prairie wolves were at first very abundant, then
became scarce, and are now becoming more numerous
again. They are the coyotes of the Mexicans, and allied
to the jackal. The larger gray wolf has been seen here.
The red fox burrows here, but they are not numerous.
The gray or southern fox also occasionally puts in an
appearance.
412 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
The wild cat and lynx, belonging to the cat family,
have both been known here.
WEASEL FAMILY.
The common weasel is brown in summer and white in
winter. The mink is his cousin. The otter was once
here, and their slides (they had a practice of sliding
down hill) were found on the banks of the streams.
The skunk gets his classical name, Mephitis^ from his
odor. He is in zoology what carbonic acid gas is in
chemistry. Skunks are said to be peculiarly subject to
hydrophobia, at which times they are unable to emit
their odor, but their bite is fatal. Commonly, they are
harmless, and even useful in destroying grubs, &c.
The opossum, belonging to the Marsupials, has been
found here.
SQUIRREL FAMILY.
The common fox squirrel, the gray or black squirrel,
(for the color varies) and the flying squirrel, are all
abundant here. The last is most active in the night.
The chipmuk is a lively little fellow, known to every-
body. The striped prairie squirrel ought to give up his
name of gopher, as the true gopher is a larger animal,
and is found further west; the same may be said of the
gray gopher. They are beautiful animals, with only the
one bad trait, of not being able to understand that they
should not dig up seed corn. The woodchuck, or ground
hog, emigrated here after the whites came. In early
days he was accounted good eating, and his hide was
made into whip-lashes and purses. " The squirrel and
gopher tribe pass the winter in a semi-torpid state.
They roll themselves up with the head under the breast.
ANIMALS AND BIRDS. 413
and are as cold as if dead ; but heat quickly revives
them. The chipmuk alone is said to lay up a winter's
stock of provisions. The beaver is a native of our
county, but the trappers extirpated him many years ago.
RAT AND MOUSE FAMILY.
The brown rat and house mouse are of foreign extrac-
tion, and follow the industrious white man wherever he
goes. There were none here when the country was first
settled. The muskrat, or musquash, is allied to the
beaver, and is still common. The meadow mouse is
abundant everywhere. The long haired meadow mouse
is less often seen. The white footed wood mouse may
be distinguished from the house mouse by its white belly
and feet. The jumping mouse has long hind legs, and
travels like the kangaroo, by jumps. It lives in the
woods. The dormouse lives on trees, and is allied to the
squirrels. The
MOLE FAMILY
comprises the mole proper, a soft furred little animal the
size of a small rat, that always lives under ground ; and
the long snouted shrew mouse. The latter is much the
more common.
The bat family is represented by the common black
bat and the larger gray bat. Bats and moles live on in-
sects and grubs. Of
BIRDS
we have a great variety, and they form one of the most
interesting parts of the animal kingdom. They have
been divided according to their nests into miners, as the
bank swallows ; masons, as barn swallows ; cementers,
as chimney swallows ; carpenters, as woodpeckers and
414 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
nut-hatches ; weavers, as the oriole ; tailors, as the blue
yellow back warbler ; basket makers, as the vireos and
red winged blackbird ; felt makers, as the gold finch and
hummingbirds ; platform builders, as hawks and pigeons ;
ground builders, as ducks, &c. ; dome builders, as the
quail and meadow lark ; those which make no nest, as
the nighthawk and whip-poor-will, and those which lay
their eggs in the nests of other birds, as the cuckoo and
cow blackbird. But it is more common to divide them
according to their general habits into the following orders :
BIRDS OF PREY.
Of the vulture family, the ungainly and bare-headed
turkey buzzard is the only representative that comes to
our borders. The falcon family comprise the eagles and
hawks. The bald eagle has been known to nest here.
The red- tailed buzzard is our common hen hawk. Then
we have the rough-legged hawk, with feathered legs ;
the band-tailed hawk, black hawk, marsh hawk, pigeon
hawk, red-shouldered hawk, swallow tailed hawk, or
kite, and fish hawk, or osprey. In the owl family we
have the screech owl, or barn owl, great horned owl,
long-eared owl, snowy owl, and day owl.
CLIMBERS.
These have their toes in pairs — two before and two
behind. There are two cuckoos, distinguished by their
bills — one being yellow and the other black. The dif-
ferent woodpeckers are known as red-headed, red-breasted,
yellow-bellied, hairy, and golden-winged. The last one
is called a "sap-sucker," because he pecks holes around
trees, for insect traps. He does not mean to touch a
CLIMBERS AND PERCHERS. 415
drop of sap, but comes around by and by, like a fisher-
man looking after his nets, and picks enough insects out
of the bark holes to make him a meal. He is a well
meaning fellow, but does not always exercise good judg-
ment as to how near together his baits may be, and now
and then is in danger of girdling the tree.
PERCHERS.
The ruby-throated humming bird (our only species),
gums lichens together for its nest; and the swift, or
chimney swallow, does the same with straws and mud.
It is distinguished from other swallows by shorter toes
and tail deeper forked. The whippoorwill is often heard
but seldom seen. He rarely ventures abroad until dusk
and then skims along noiselessly, taking his supper of
moths and flies. He is nearly related to the night hawk,
which makes the boominc' sound in his evenino; descents.
The latter bird is distinguished by a white line under the
throat. Both were anciently called goat-suckers, from
the notion that they milked the goats and cows ; but it
was flies, not milk they were after. The kingfisher
makes her nest in a hollow stump or tree by the water
side, but the ancient Greeks invented the pretty fancy
that she nested on the sea and the waves were quiet until
her young were hatched. And so the bird's Greek name,
Halcyon, came to mean peace. The kingbird is known
as the tyrant flycatcher, for his courage in attacking
hawks and large birds when they come near his nest.
Two crested flycatchers and two peewees belong to the
same family. The peewee is called the phebe bird.
Robin redbreast is the center of the robin family — com-
prising, besides, the bluebird, two wrens, and two very
416 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
shy thrushes, the wood thrush and hermit thrush. The
true thrush, or mocking bird family, comprise that musi-
cal prodigy, the " brown thrasher," as the boys call him,
the prying little cat bird, the pugnacious house wren,
and one or two wren cousins. They are the smallest of
the family, and make an astonishing amount of music
for so small a body. Next to the thrush and the wren
and the robin for song, come the numerous warbler fam-
ily, comprising the smaller song birds. They are mostly
distinguished by their colors, as yellow-throated, black-
headed, black and yellow, yellow-rump, bay-breasted,
black-throated, blue, yellow-backed, chestnut-sided, yel-
low-breasted, blue-winged, golden-winged, orange-
crowned, &c. Some are creepers, viz, little wood birds
that creep around the trunks of trees. Also the red-
start, a little chit as large as a wren ; the scarlet tana-
ger, red with black wings, and the summer red-bird. In
the swallow family are the bank swallows and martins.
The butcher bird hangs up grasshoppers to dry on
thorns. The vireos are fly-catchers, plain little birds
with a tiny hook on the end of the bill. The nut-hatches
are wood birds, like the creepers, only they run up and
down trees without hopping, and peck at the bark like
woodpeckers. The titmouse is a small bird, like a dumpy
little wren. The finch family comprise the sparrows and
buntings. They all have short, thick bills, for crushing
seeds. The several sorts of sparrows are distinguished
by minute difl'erences in color or habits. The name
bunting means mottled with dark spots, like millet seed.
The black-throated bunting is one of the commonest birds
in our pastures, and is familiar to everyone. The bob-
SCRATCHERS AND WADERS. 417
olink is called the rice bunting at the south. He is the
size of a snowbird, with black breast and gray back, but
is not often seen here. In the bobolink family are also
the meadow lark, the orioles, the red-winged blackbird,
the cow blackbird, and the common blackbird, or, prop-
erly, rusty and purple-necked grackles, — so called from
their noise, " gra, gra." The crow, too, got his name
from his note. He is a great glutton, and his moral
sense is not cultivated, but he is useful as a scavenger.
The blue jay is a lively and handsome relation of his.
SCRATCHERS.
The friendly barn dove and the pensive and beautiful
mourning dove are familiar to all. The latter is allied
to the turtle dove of the Scriptures. The wild pigeon
is migratory, and does not stay with us. Prairie chick-
ens are also familiar birds. Also the quail ; said to be
the only bird that will eat the chinch bug, and if that be
true, farmers have a particular interest in his preserva-
tion. Wild turkeys were here in abundance when the
country was new, but they are now rarely seen.
WADERS.
Largest of all the waders is the well known sand hill
crane. Then comes the great blue heron, four feet high ;
the white heron, three feet high, and the green heron,
fourteen inches high. Cranes differ from herons in hav-
ing the hind toe placed higher on the leg than the front
ones. The bittern is a brown bird with shorter legs and
a heavier neck than the heron. The name means "bull
voiced." It is also called stake driver. It lives about
ponds, and ventures abroad only during the night. On
418 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
account of its mysterious habits and deep cry, it was re-
garded with superstitious fear in olden times. Some of
the later philosophers believed its cry was produced by
putting its bill into a hollow reed ! The plover family
includes two or three plovers and the killdeer. The
plover differs from the snipe in its shorter bill and having
no hind toe. There are several species of snipes, cur-
lews, and rails ; generally found about marshes.
SWIMMERS.
In the Goose family we have the Canada, or common
wild goose, and the brant, or white fronted goose — a
white ring at the base of the bill. In the Duck family
we have eight or ten species of wild ducks, all migratory.
The merganser is a fish duck with saw teeth. The
hooded merganser is a smaller species, with a topknot,
the teal is the smallest of the ducks, and is very shy.
It has a bill as long as its head, while the bill of the
widgeon, another species, is but half as long as its head.
The little grebe, of the loon family, is sometimes seen
here. His feet grow out of his back, making him look
like a diminutive penguin. Our total list of birds num-
ber nearly two hundred separate species.
REPTILES.
In the turtle family, the painted turtle and snapping
turtle in water, and the prairie tortoise on land, are
common. Among lizards, the blue-tailed skink, and
other small species, are occasionally found ; but they
are harmless. The common green frog is handsome and
agile ; the toad is neither ; yet warty and homely as he
may be, he is useful, for when the farmer's day's
work is done, out comes Mr. Toad and carries on the
SNAKES, FISHES AND INSECTS. 419
war against the bugs and flies as long as his brilliant
eye can see.
SNAKES.
We have but four poisonous serpents ; the copperhead,
and three species of rattlesnake, and all are nearly
extinct. None of the others have poison fangs. The
largest is the water snake, or milk snake, because accused
by our forefathers of sucking the cows. The smallest
are the little green snakes of summer and the gray
snakes of autumn. Next larger are the striped or garter
snakes ; then the adders, &c. The name of adder has
a venomous sound, because the poisonous vipers of
Europe are so called ; but no such viper is known in
this county. All our snakes but the four poisonous
ones are comprised in the family Coluber, Latin for ser-
pent, and are marked by the flattened head, no poison
fangs, and a double row of scales under the tail.
FISHES
are divided into spine-finncd and soft-finned. All our
common river fish, but perch and bass, belong in the
last order : suckers, sunfish, catfish, pike, pickerel, shin-
ers, red-horse, &c. The muscalonge is a large kind of
pike, sometimes caught in Fox river. Specimens have
weighed thirty pounds.
INSECTS.
Our stock can only be outlined. One-fourth of them
are included in the hymenoptera, or insects whose wings
— for they are classified by their wings — are a transpar-
ent membrane. Here are bees, wasps, hornets, ichneu-
mon flies, &c. The latter are the Ishmaels of the insect
world. Mr. B. D. Walsh says : " The spider preys
420 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
upon the fly, the mudwasp preys upon the spider, and the
ichneumon fly preys upon the mudwasp. So skillfully
is the whole system adjusted — a check here and a check
there, and a counter-check upon both in another place —
that in a state of nature it is only in some special- sea-
sons that a particular insect becomes unduly numerous."
Dragon flies and May flies belong to the nerve-winged
order, neuroptera. The former is called snake-feeder,
musquito hawk and devil's darning-needle. A young
lady teacher once on a time cleaned her school-room of
flies by shutting a dragon fly in the room.
Butterflies and moths belong to the scaly-winged
order, lepidoptera, and there are a thousand different
kinds in the Northern States alone. Butterflies are the
humming birds of their race. They fly by day, while
the moths fly by night. The butterfly caterpillars always
have sixteen legs. This metamorphosis of a groveling
worm having jaws, into a soaring butterfly with no jaws,
but a tongue to feed on the nectar of flowers, is a won-
derful figure of the resurrection. The Greeks noticed
it, and the same word — Psyche — signified either a soul
or a butterfly. Flies, gnats and musquitos belong to
the two-winged order, diptera ; fleas, also, of which the
old poet Tusser thus writes :
" While wormwood hath seed get a handful or twaine,
To save against March to make flea to refraine ;
Where chamber is sweeped and wormwood is strown,
No flea for his life dare abide to be known."
The sheath winged order, coleoptera^ embrace the
beetles, lady bugs, fire flies, &c. The scarabee, or roll-
ing beetle, so common along our roads, is the famous
sacred beetle, worshipped by the Egyptians. Its thirty
BEETLES AND SPIDERS. 421
toes were to them a symbol of the month ; its rolling ball
a symbol of the revolving sun, &c. The burying beetle,
with its fetid smell, is one of the most useful we have.
Spring beetles, water beetles, ground beetles, death
watches, mealworms, curculios, &c., belong here. Some
of the water beetles are known as "whirligigs," and are
said to live on dead insects found floating on the surface
of the water.
In the hemipte7'a or half winged order we have harvest
flies, tree hoppers, plant lice, squash bugs, and other out-
rageous creatures. The grasshopper, cricket and locust
families are the orthoptera^ or straight winged. The
katydid is the little sister of the great green grasshop-
per. The locust family have shorter antennse or feelers.
All these orders of insects are represented with us, and
some of them, most injurious to vegetation, are well
worth the study of every farmer : The tree borers, with
their sharp cutting mandibles ; the curculio and weevil
beetles with their minute horny beaks ; those skunks of
the insect world, the chinch bug ; the voracious army
worm and cut worm moths — the two grubs are much
alike, but the cut worm has little shining black dots,
each armed with a hair.
The order of spiders, arac^mc^a, include the spiders
proper, ticks, &c., down to garden mites, cheese mites,
'and annoying little parasites of many kinds. True to
their head, the spider, they are every one of them rapa-
cious and devouring.
Our land crabs are in the order of decapods, or ten
footed, and our snails, and slimy but gentle and harm-
less little slugs found in gardens and cellars, are gastero-
422
HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
pods, or Stomach footed. Among worms proper, the
most common is the useful and defenceless little earth-
worm which the boys use for bait. Below all this is the
vast field of life which can only be traversed with the
microscope, but which well repays the labor of the in-
vestigator.
CHAPTER LVI.
OUR PLANT LIFE.
[OUNTY FAIRS are meetings of what is in
part our botanical society, with special ref-
erence to cultivated grains, grasses and
flowers : but in this chapter it is intended
to treat mostlv of our wild or natural vari-
eties. Our own agricultural society, it may
be said, held its first meeting at Newark in
the fall of 1853. Officers : President, J. W. Mason ;
Vice Presidents, L. B. Judson and William Townsend ;
Recording Secretary, J. J. Cole; Corresponding Secre-
tary, A. M. Sweetland ; Treasurer, Isaac Beebe. The
annual oration was delivered in the Baptist Church by
John West Mason.
TREES
we have from the soft basswood, called linden in Europe, to
the hard ironwood or hornbeam. Oak, maple, ash, cherry,
elm, &c., are found all over the Temperate Zone. Hick-
TREES AND SHRUBS. 423
ory and walnut are natives of this country. So is the
Cottonwood, thouo;h now found in other countries. In
France, hats and felt goods have been made of its cot-
ton, but the manufacture did not pay. It is a brother of
the common poplar. The balsam poplar, or balm of
Gilead tree, is the medical member of the family. A
balsam made from its buds is exported under the name
of tacamahac. The willow family — from the tall white
willow to the bending, basket making, osier willow of
the brooks — belong to the same order. Wild apple and
plum trees formerly abounded in the groves.
SHRUBS.
A shrub is properly a low tree with one stem : a bush
has several woody stems from the same root. One of
our commonest shrubs is the sumach, which our mothers
used for brown and yellow dyes, and which foreigners
are apt to call " shoemakers' trees." A variety of it is
the dreaded poison ivy which climbs over fences or up
the trunks of trees. It yields a yellowish, milky juice.
Some persons can handle it with impunity, while even
the smell of it is poisonous to others. The bitter sweet
is another poisonous vine, found on old fences or in
thickets. It keeps its show of red berries all winter.
The woodbine, or wild honeysuckle, is another well-
known climber ; also the wild grape vine, which, with
the abundant raspberry, blackberry and gooseberry
bushes, and crabapple, thornapple and plum trees of
olden time, supplied the pioneers with fruit. First, in
the spring, is the red-bud, with its scarlet buds close to
the twig ; the buffalo or service berry, with white flowers is
next after. Other shrubs, are black cohosh, blue cohosh,
424 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
or squaw-root, leptandra, or black-root, and the prairie
red-root, called New Jersey tea, because the spunky
Jerseyites used it for that purpose at the time of the
Revolutionary tea trouble in Boston. But dearest bush
of all is the familiar hazel, intwined as it is with boy-
hood's memories. The filberts we buy in the shops are
cultivated hazel nuts.
Of wild flowers and weeds we have a greater number
than can be enumerated here. The following are the
most common and most interesting. The object is not
to give a perfect list, but to interest local naturalists in
making collections of their own.
WOOD PLANTS.
Adder's tongue, or rattlesnake violet, a pretty spring
flower ; blood-root, a white flower that appears very
early in the spring on the hillsides : cinquefoil, or five
finger, a yellow spring flower, in barren woods, some-
times so thick as to cover the ground with a yellow car-
pet ; columbine, a yellowish pink flower, on hillsides,
about the month of June ; Dutchman's breeches, or chil-
dren-in-the-wood, a white flower, changing to pink, grow-
ing in the thickets early in April, it will bear trans-
planting to the home garden ; yellow violet, blooms in
the woods nearly all summer ; Jack-in-the pulpit, or
Indian turnip, a curious inhabitant of the wood, that
bears for its fruit a bunch of bright scarlet berries ; man-
drake or May-apple, has a white flower and ripens in
August ; the medicinal properties of the fruit were well
known to the Indians, who used it freely ; prickly pear,
a thick, fleshy plant, with prickles instead of leaves, puts
out its white blossoms in July, grows on very stony
PLANTS AND PRAIRIE FLOWERS. 425
land. Other kinds are, maidenhair, Greek valerian, or
bluebells, ladies' slipper, or yellow moccasin flower, Sol-
omon's seal, hawksweed, wood sorrel, brachyelytrum, a
grass with long seed spikes, growing only on one side of
the head.
MARSH PLANTS.
Sweet flag, blue flag, and cat's-tail flag. The latter
are often used for fishing torches. Wild oats grow in
ponds. Horse tail, a relic from the coal period. Pond
lily ; wild horehound ; jewel weed ; boneset, or thorough-
wort, one of the ague specifics of the first settlers.
Arrowhead, flowers in June. Sensitive plant, a yellow
flower seen along sloughs in August. Cardinal flower,
a scarlet flower appearing in September. Button snake
root, a species of flag ; the root steeped in milk is a cure
for rattlesnake bites. On the edges of the long, narrow
leaves are little spines like the rattlesnake's tooth.
PRAIRIE FLOWERS.
About our dooryards we find chickweed ; the common
plaintain, from whose humble spikes we gather canary
seed ; and the low mallows, which furnished our play -
house cheese when we were boys. From the tall mal-
lows a good article of cloth has been made, and was
exhibited at the Illinois State Fair, in 1871. Along
our roads we find the white-flowered May weed ; the taller
smart weed, called water pepper in the old country ; the
still taller wild mustard ; pigweed, ragweed, bindweed,
fireweed, ad libitum. Along by the fences are sunflower
thistles, dandelions, burdock, and other docks, with
their great leaves like elephants' ears ; bunches of cat-
nip waiting to be picked and hung up in the woodshed,
26
426 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
and maybe a bunch of tansy ditto, reminding us of the
Easter tansy puddings among the queer old customs of
ancient times. The ground ivy climbs the fence ; the
deadly nightshade, with its black berries, stands sullenly
on its footstalk in the edge of the brush, and further on
are noxious purslane and pokeweed, and the tall mul-
lein. The leaves of the latter were used by the Indians
to staunch blood. Down by the creek are the sand
burrs, which are such a terror to barefooted boys going
after the cows. Out in the meadow the first flower in
bloom was the little hepatica, and on a northern expos-
ure, too, and almost before the frost was out. Then
soon came those humble members of cultivated families,
the sweet buttercups, sisters of the bachelor's buttons ;
and the blue violets, belonging to the aristocratic pansies.
These were followed by phloxes, foxgloves, marigolds,
tiger lilies, anemones, cowslips, blazing stars, lion's
hearts' and golden rods, as well as the humbler straw-
berry, horseraint, white clover, milkweed, and the fra-
grant pennyroyal. The lion's heart and golden rod
are four or five feet high, and bloom about harvest.
Spinach, with its pointed leaves, and stramonium or
Jamestown weed — called '' Jemsen weed " — are tall
plants. The leaves of the first are used for greens, and
the leaves of the other were smoked as a primitive cure
for the asthma. Other plants are the ground cherry ;
the sour sheep sorrel, belonging to the family of docks ;
the upland rattlesnake weed, with its little pink and
purple flowers ; lobelia, or Indian tobacco ; the fetid
skunk cabbage ; the common nettle ; and the rosin or
compass plant — so called because the leaves generally
NATIVE GRASSES. 427
stood north and south. There are two kinds ; one,
broad leaf and smooth stem, and the other, narrow leaf
and fuzzy stera ; but the boys can get their chewing
gum from either. Among the prairie flowers now rarely
seen was the cup flower, that did not bloom until frost
came.
GRASSES.
Our prairie grass is made up of many different kinds,
all of which have been enumerated by botanists, but as
most of them have no common names thev would not be
interesting reading. The botanical names, however, are
well worth learning, and indeed are necessary to be
learned if one has a desire to know what is around him.
It is not difficult. Let the work of collecting and of
learning the names of the collection go on together.
The specimens throw light on the text book, and the text
book throws light on the specimens, and in the double
reflection the subject grows more and more interesting
and absorbing every day. But for such use if you buy
a book, get a complete manual, whatever the science may
be. If you are through school and are busy, you will
scracely find time to study elementaries, and will be dis-
appointed at not finding what you want in them.
Red top grass and blue joint are our most valuable
native grasses. There are also meadow grass, yard
grass, agrostis, &c. Herds grass, orchard grass and blue
grass have been imported. Rye grass, spear grass, white
grass, and others, are natives, but coarse and tall. Knot
or couch grass, tickle grass, darnel, canary grass, cord
grass, and chess, are noxious weeds. The seeds of the
last make flour blue. A number of sedge grasses grow
428 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
about ponds and sloughs. There are in Illinois about
one hundred species each of upland and slough grasses.
FLOWERLESS PLANTS.
These are (] ) Ferns, of which there are some thirty
or forty species in this county. They are all small ; are
found in humid soil in the groves, and a few are parasites.
(2) Mosses, with stem and roots. There are many
species. They abound in meadows and pastures, and
sometimes stock will eat them. The reindeer lives
on them. They help to fill up bogs, protect the roots of
plants from the cold, and do many other kind offices.
(3) Lichens, without stem or leaves, merely an aggre-
gation of vegetable cells. They appear as spots on trees
and stones, and stains on old walls. They are the com-
mencement of vegetation.
(4) Fungi, the scavengers of the vegetable world.
Mushrooms and toadstools come under this head, but
with them we take leave of the larger plants, and plunge
into the apparently endless microscopic avenues of
diminutive vegetation, leading us to molds, mildews, &c.
The molds are minute fungi, like patches of fine cob-
web. The mildews are yet a little lower in the scale, as
the white mold on leaves, &c. Then follow smut, rust,
blight, and other diseases that vegetation is heir to. The
fungi are in their sphere what the vultures and wolves
are in theirs ; they prey fiercely on everything that has
not life enough to resist. And so the record of our
county possessions begins with the seen and passes into
the unseen, and we leave off with kingdoms before us as
extensive as the kingdoms we have left behind us.
Acknowledgements are due to Hon. J. D. Caton, Ot-
CLOSING CHAPTER. 429
tawa ; A. M. Ebersol, Floral Home, near Ottawa ;
John F. and George H. Steward, Piano ; and C. A.
Freeman, M. D., Newark, for materials for this and
the preceding chapter. J. F. Steward has made a nearly
complete collection of the ferns of this county, and G.
H. Steward the same of our birds; while each has a
large geological collection, illustrating every period in
the history of the earth.
CHAPTER LVII
FAREWELL.
N THE history of this, as of other rural
counties of the west, there have been four
well-marked stages : First, the wide wil-
derness, with solitary cabins here and there
on the sheltered sides of the groves, and
the occupants toiling at vast disadvantage
to obtain the necessaries of life. • Second,
the era of claim speculation; the groves
encircled with clearings, and occasional shanties far out
on the prairie ; men with a little ready money roving
about in search of bargains, and settlers without
money holding on with a tight grip and struggling hard
to retain their rudely fenced lands. Third, the era of
rented farms. Most of the intermediate lands between
430 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
the original claims, as well as many of the claims them-
selves, were purchased and held by non-residents and
tilled by farmers not in the country early enough to take
up farms, and not wealthy enough to buy them. The
usual terms were for the tenant to give one-third of the
crop. It was a time of hard work and slow progress.
But about the time of the coming in of the railroads,
produce increased in value, and cash rents were common,
and then we began to enter upon : Fourth, the present
era of independent farmers ; most of them owning the
soil they cultivate. The struggles for existence are over,
and we are freed from the pioneer strivings for bread ;
but only that we may strive in
A HIGHER SPHERE.
When a man is paying for his farm, all the members
of his body must work. Eyes, hands, feet, thoughts, all
must work for the great object of securing a home. But
the home once secured and rendered comfortable, eyes,
hands, feet and thoughts have leisure for other and better
things.
So it is with the members of society as with the mem-
bers of the man. We begin where our fathers ended. We
must end where we desire the generation following to
begin. To follow the lead of covetousness, and strive
to add house to house, or field to field, is but to tread
over again with less cause the steps our fathers trod, and
our labor does not count. We are doing pioneer work with-
out the pioneer necessity. Every man should ask him-
self the question, looking it squarely in the face ; " For
what purpose am I released from pioneer struggles?"
FAREWELL REMARKS. 431
And the correct answer will be : " That I may have
the more leisure for
DEVELOPMENT OF MIND,
in which alone is true progress and true greatness "
Education is not merely a preparation for life — it is the
business of life. What one has learned in school in
boyhood are the intellectual tools which should make his
life a continual progress in learning and practical wis-
dom. Mr. Mill says : ''All through life it is our most
pressing interest to find out the truth about all the mat-
ters we are concerned with. If we are farmers, we want
to find what will truly improve our soil ; if merchants,
what will truly influence the markets of our commodi-
ties ; if judges or jurymen, who it was that truly did an
unlawful act, or to whom a disputed right truly belongs.
Every time we have to make a new resolution, or alter
an old one, in any situation in life, we shall go wrong
unless we know the truth about the facts on which our
resolution depends."
To this agrees the Scripture : " It is the glory of God
to conceal a thing, but the honor of kings is to search
out a matter." And again : ''If the iron be blunt and
he do not whet the edge, then must he put to more
strength ; but wisdom is profitable to direct." This is
true science. It consists, as Mill again says, " in doing
well what all of us, during the whole of life, are engaged
in doing, for the most part badly." It is
EXACT KNOWLEDGE,
acquired by close observation, careful study and steady
thought, in distinction from the shrewd surface knowl-
432 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
edge which the first settlers in a new country have time
to gather. It is not our province to grind out a daily
task of toil, like Samson, with closed eyes ; nor to look
at the heavens and the earth as we do at a menagerie,
from behind grated fences. But it is our province to
know. To ask continually : What is this r Why is this ?
How is this ? to hear every fresh subject demanding of
us that we gain clear ideas and true ideas about it. We
shall not find perfect knowledge, but we shall find
strength of character and love of truth. Prof. Faraday
says : *' Such a man, though he may think more humbly
of his own character, will find himself at every step of
his progress more sought for than before, more trusted
with responsibility, and held in pre-eminence by his
equals, and more highly valued by those whom he, him-
self, will esteem worthy of approbation."
Again, in so far as we make honesty of character and
ability of mind, instead of possession of property, the
goal we aim at, w^e shall drain that quagmire of national
corruption of which we have heard so much. There is
in society a secret respect for wealth, however gotten ; a
feeling that the man who is rich is more to be respected
than the man who is poor, though both be equally dis-
honest.
Social display and wealth to support it, is regarded as
an indispensable part of first society, and it follows that
the desire being accounted right, the gratification of it
will not be wholly condemned. But we must remember
that the desire is wrong, and that it springs from the
great central error of supposing that we have the same
work to do that our fathers had, viz., to gather property,
FAREWELL REMARKS. 433
and that our social standing is guaged on that scale.
The error is a trap of Satan, and there will always be
enough to fall into
Satan's traps
as long as we put the value on the bait. We shall never
avoid the crop as long as we supply the seed. We ought
to teach this truth everywhere. It is our mission — our
country's mission. There is no true reason why our
ambassadors to foreign courts should need seventeen
thousand dollars a year to compete in style with mon-
archies whose business it has been for ages to blind their
people with a show of splendor. Republics are to take
care of the people's money ; monarchies spend it — there
is the difference. And we ought to be true to our mis-
sion.
The social influence of this country ought not to com-
pel the public servant with five thousand dollars a year
to feel humiliated until he can steal five thousand dollars
more to be on a level with his neighbors of ten thousand
dollars. But that is what it does do, and declares it,
too, so that one reason for giving large salaries is that
the officials cannot otherwise live in the style required of
them ! And yet we are a Republic, and Republican
simplicity is part of our inheritance from our fathers.
Let us give heed to it. Every man who is released from
the sod plow and the grubbing hoe is released to a
nobler toil. Let him remember it. Official corruption
will perish so soon as that secret approbation which is
the breath of its life is taken away ; while it has
breath it will live. Then for our own sakes and our
country's sake let us remember that the acquisition of
434 HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
the truth about all things is our business in life, and
obedience to the truth in all things is our rule of life.
Our fathers have done what they could, and are gone.
The claims they staked are cultivated farms ; the fields
they fenced with rails are enclosed with boards or living
hedge ; the cabins they erected have given place to
prouder residences. The slab-floored school house and
log church have shrunk out of sight as two-storied acad-
emies and spired temples have risen by their side. All
this is right, — we have perfected our inheritance. But
let us stop here, and not create new necessities out of
our own pride. Our fathers have labored in vain, if
what they left us not only absorbed their energies, but
shall absorb ours also. And not less will they have
labored in vain if our energies, released by their efforts
from the stern necessity of pioneer- toil, shall be given to
vanity and outward glitter — leaving to ourselves but
the ashes of a wasted life, and to others the poison of a
pernicious example. But it is our favored lot to be the
pioneers in
A WIDER LIFE ;
to lay the foundations for a noble future. Happy is the
man of the observing mind, who labors for intelligence,
as his forefathers labored for land, and helps to make
truth and character as prominent in this generation as
the claim fence and log cabin were in the generation past.
The true development of mind, — this is our work ; and
let me add, the worship of the heart, — this is our rest.
For I do desire that all who have been my readers, and
whom I have helped to pass, it may be, a pleasant hour,
shall not only conquer the world that now is, but win
CONCLUSION. 435
the blessed world that is to come. As the homely Scotch
song has it :
" I never grasp a friendly hand,
■ In greeting or -farewell,
But thoughts of an eternal home
Within my bosom swell ;
A prayer to meet in heaven at last,
Where all the ransomed come.
And where eternal ages still
Shall find us all at home."
THE END.
BUS/I\/ESS MOT ICES.
NEWARK.
JOHN A. COY — Dry goods, ready made clothing, notions, hats
and caps, boots and shoes, groceries, &c, I claim to have the largest
stock of goods in Kendall county.
HUNGER BROTHERS— Drugs, medicines, chemicals, paints,
oils, toilet articles, perfumery, books and stationery. Special atten-
tion paid to prescriptions. Our store is well known, and our stock
complete and genuine.
CHARLES F. THUNEMAN— Drugs, medicines, paints, oils,
perfumery, &c. Books and stationery. Also a full line of staple gro-
ceries and family supplies. I keep none but first quality goods, at
prices as low as the lowest.
THUNEMAN BROTHERS— Successors to F. R. Thuneman—
Hardware, stoves, nails, tinware, builders' supplies and agricultural
implements. We aim to keep a hardware headquarters where pur-
chasers can find any article they may want in our line.
H. K. THUNEMAN— Watchmaker and jeweler. A full line of
watches, clocks, jewelry and silverware. Repairing neatly done, and
all work warranted.
OSMOND & WILLIAMS— Dry goods, boots and shoes, hats and
caps, notions and groceries. We also make a specialty of ready made
clothing.
WILBERT HOLLENBACK— Meat market and provision store.
JAMES H. W^IIITE— Barber and hair-dressei
BUSINESS NOTICES. 437
SAMUEL BINGHAM— First-class boot and shoe store. Thirty-
three years in Newark.
C. A. FREEMAN, M. D. — Physician and surgeon. Special atten-
tion paid to surgical cases.
W. H. FRENCH, M. D.— Physician and surgeon.
J. H. FOWLER — Attorney at Law. All legal business attended
to promptly.
FOWLER INSTITUTE— J. P. Ellinwood, Principal. Instruc-
tion first-class.
PHOTOGRAPHIC GALLERY— R. W. Elliott, Artist. Pictures
taken in fair or cloudy weather.
YORKVILLE.
F. M. HOBBS — Dealer in dry goods, clothing, groceries, boots and
shoes, notions and general merchandise.
G. W. ERNST — Dealer in lumber, doors and sash at factory prices.
Also hard and soft coal. Police Magistrate and Justice of the Peace.
KENDALL COUNTY RECORD— J. R. Marshall, proprietor.
Established 1864. Circulation, 15 12 weekly. Job printing done on
short notice.
HAIGH BROTHERS — Hardware and agricultural implements.
We aim to keep a general supply of everything wanted in our line,
and at lowest prices.
JOHN A. GILLIAM — Attorney and Counsellor at Law.
RANDALL CASSEM— Attorney and Counsellor at Law. All
business promptly attended to.
WM. LONG — Tonsorial artist. Ladies' and children's hair cut-
ting, &c.
438 BUSINESS NOTICES.
PLAisro.
PLANO NEWS— R. M. & Callie D. M. Springer, proprietors.
An Independent newspaper, $1.50 per year. All kinds of job print-
ing neatly and promptly done.
DR. F. H. LORD — Dealer in drugs and medicines.
DAVID COOK, M. D.— Physician and surgeon.
L. O. LATHROP — Dealer in hardware, tinware, stoves and
crockery.
E. WINANS — Dealer in groceries, crockery and glassware.
L. F. HEMENWAY — Breeder of pure Berkshire swine.
OSWEGO.
L. N. HALL — Druggist and bookseller. Established April
20th, T865.
D. M. HAIGHT — Dealer in dry goods, groceries, boots and shoes,
clothing, hats and caps, crockery, &c. Cash paid for produce.
WM. T. PUTT — Eclectic physician. Practice established June
4th, 1874. Special attention to general practice.
milli:n^gton.
MILLINGTON ENTERPRISE— Jud. R. Marley, publisher.
Job printing done at lowest prices.
S. E. FOSTER — Drugs and medicines, paints, oils, &c.
T. SERRINE — Dealer in lumber, sash, blinds, doors, pumps, drain
tile, hard and soft coal.
m
