X L I B R.ARY
OF THE
U N IVERSITY
OF ILLI NOIS
BSSh
T II E
HISTORY OF PERU,
BY HEiW 8. BBEBE.
PERU, ILLS.
J. F. IjNTnx, PinXTKK \M) PriJI
1858.
7-3*7
EKE AT A.
On page 7, it is mentioned, incidentally to the
O main fact that II. P. 'Wood worth received 528
** votes for the Legislature that he was elected.
~ Tliis is an error. He was defeated, notwithstand-
ing the large and almost unanimous vote he re-
tvivcd in Peru.
On mature reflection the writer concludes that
he will mitigate his statement concerning the
" breadth " of that cake of ice described on page,
.'>!>. For "length and breadth" the reader will
please substitute "extent" this is positively all
the abatement that can be made.
On line 5, page 04, the word "upon" and on
^ line 17, page 77, the word, "but" have intruded
/otJiernselves very mysteriously. Please to consid-
Jj <;r them as omitted.
\ With these emendations he commits his firist-
j born to the waters of public approval or condem-
"" nation, begging for it all the indulgence which
- X conscious incapacity can justly claim.
^ * *
0) 4
<Q r~)
INTRODUCTORY.
IT can hardly be said that a towg: of a popula-
tion of three thousand six hundred and fifty-two
souls, dating back but about twenty years to its
first rude tenement and solitary family, can have
any history. The events of any public interest
are so few, and their importance so small, that no
reasonable hope can be entertained that their re-
cital will be any thing but a matter of indiffei>
ance to others than the present or former resi-
dents, or those connected with them by ties of
consanguinity, or having an interest in its advance-
ment and prosperity. It is true that at some future
time, the record may be useful to the historian,
if it should be so fortunate as to survive. The
statistics have been collected with care and con-
siderable labor, and are believed to be correct and
reliable. Beyond this the writer claims no merit
for the work. The anecdotes and events related'
mot strictly statistical, have all transpired under
his personal observation and knowledge, during
a residence dating back to the embryo town.
Most persons who have had the temerity to un-
dertake the relation of cotemporary events, and to
speak of cotemporary actors, have received more
kicks than coppers for their pains. How far the
writer will escape their general fate remains to be
seen. Knowing the dangerous ground whereon
he was treading, he has endeavored to confine
himself to the simple relation of undisputed facts,
abstaining from all comments and speculation
thereon. He has not set himself up as a public
censor or a public eulogist. It is not to be sup-
posed that he has been without partisan and pre-
judiced views of public questions. These he has
endeavored to suppress and to " render unto Cse-
sar the things which are Caesars. " NOT has he
undertaken to draw a rose colored picture for the
benefit of Eastern Capitalists, or those seeking a
home in the west to throw bait to Gudgeons.
In fact, it will be admitted, that his picture is of
the soberest and dullest kind of grey. Would
that it could be here and there touched with light-
er and more cheerful hues; but truth i mex-
orable, and demands the strictest loyalty from
those who worship at her shrine.
The people of Peru may be a little curious to
know why a person, whose pursuits in life have
been hitherto very far removed from those of a
writer for the public eye, should have undertaken
a task for which previous practice and experience
have so little qualified him. He begs to assure
them that it was entirely an accident no litera-
ry ambition prompted him at all. To be sure he
had heard that
"'Tis pleasant sure to see one's name in print,
And a book's a book although there's nothing
in't, "
but that was not it. Having a little leisure, he
had undertaken to gather and condense some sta-
tistics of the town for the publisher of a Directo-
ry of La Salle County. Having commenced the
task he became interested therein, and extended
his researches and remarks to a length quite too
formidable for their original purpose. But he re-
solved not to hide his light under a bushel hence
the present infliction which he hopes will be borne
with commendable fortitude.
HISTORY OF PERU,
CHAPTEE I.
Situation of the City Its early Settlement and
Settlers Passage of the Internal Improve-
ment Act and Commencement of work on
the Central Kail Road Election of H. P. Wood-
worth to the Legislature Election for Organi-
zation under the Borough Act First Census
First Election of Trustees First Religious
Meeting.
THE City of Peru is situated in the "Westerly
part of La Salle County, Illinois, on the North-
ern bank of the Illinois River, at the head of
Navigation, and at the Junction of the Illinois
and Michigan Canal. Distance from Chicago 100
miles, and from Saint Louis 230. The territory
embraced within the corporated limits, is Sec. 16
and 17, and all those fractional parts of 20 and 21,
which lie north of the river, Town 33, Range 1,
THE HISTORY OF PERU. 5
East of the Third Principal Meridian, comprising
an area of 1462 Acres.
The settlement of- the site occupied by this
City was commenced in the Spring of 1 836, short-
ly after the passage of the act incorporating the
Illinois and Michigan Central, which was to
terminate at or near the mouth of the Little Ver-
million, on land owned by the State. It was
probably the most eligible site on lands owned
by individuals. The Southwest quarter of Sec.
16 was laid out and sold by the School Commis-
sioners in 1834, and called Peru. Mnawa Addi-
tion, -located on the South East quarter of Sec.
17, and the North East fractional part of 20, up-
on which -the most business part of Peru is at
present situated, was owned originally by Lyman
D. Brewster, who died in the fall of 1835. It
was plated and recorded in 1836, by Theron D.
Brewster, at present a leading and influential
citizen.
In 1835 the only residents of that portion of
territory now occupied by the cities of Peru
and La Salle were Lyman D. Brewster, his
nephew T. D. BKEWSTER, JOHN HAYS and fami-
ly, PELTIAH and CALVIN BREWSTER, SAMUEL LAP,
6 THE HISTORY OF PERU.
SLEY and BURTON AYRES. In the Spring of 1835,
the first building a store was erected in Peru
by ULYSES SPAULDING and H. L. KINNEY, late of
Central American notoriety. On the 4th July 1836,
the first shovel full of earth was excavated upon
the Canal. No considerable population was at-
tracted to the town until 1837. Among the peo-
ple who made this place their home in that and
the following years, were WM. RICHARDSON, J. P.
JUDSON, S. LISLE SMITH and his brother DOCTOR
SMITH, FLETCHER WEBSTER, DANIEL TOWNSEND,
P. HALL, JAMES MULFORD, J AMES ^ MYERS, WM.
and CHAS. DRESSER, HARVEY WOOD, N". B. BUL-
LOCK, JESSE Puo SLEY, EZRA McKiNziE, NATHAN-
IEL and ISAAC ABRAHAM, J. P. THOMPSON, JOHN
HOFFMAN, C. H. CHARLES, ASA MANN, Lucius
RUMRILL, CORNELIUS CAHILL, CORNELIUS COKELEY,
DAVID DANA, ZIMRI LEWIS, DANIEL McGiN, fS.
W. RAYMOND, GEO. B. MARTIN, WM. H. DAVIS,
GEO. W. HOLLEY, GEO. Low, M. MOTT, F. LE-
BEAU, A. HYATT, WARD B. BURNETT, O. C.
MOTLEY, WM. PAUL, H. P. WOODWORTH, H. S.
BEEBE, HARVEY LEONARD, &c.
At the Session of the Legislature of 1836, the
Internal Improvement act was passed, incorpor-
THE HISTORY OF PERU. 7
; ating the Central Rail Road, which was subse-
quently located upon the same general route as
is followed by the present Illinois Central Rail
Road, crossing the river at Peru. Operations
were commenced on both sides of the river in
1838. During this season very extensive im-
provements were made, large accessions of pop-
ulation took place, and the settlement began to
assume the appearance of a town. In 1839 the
whole country was on the top wave of prosperity.
Large forces were employed upon both the Canal
and Rail Road numerous other works being con-
templated, all terminating at Peru, of course
and the disbursements were large. The town
shared the general prosperity. In this year H.
P. WOODWOTH was elected to the Legislature from
La Salle County, which then embraced the pres-
ent territory of Kendall and Grundy, receiving
in Peru 528 votes, being the largest vote ever
polled in the precinct, before or since.
On the 6th of December 1838 the inhabitants
assembled at the tavern of ZIMRI LEWIS, and or-
ganised a meeting by the appointment of H. S.
BEEBE, Chairman, and J. B. JUDSON, Secretary,
and voted to take the preliminary steps for organ
8 THE HISTORY OF PERU.
izing the town as a borough under the general
Incorporation Act. At a census taken the same
month there were found to be within the limits
proposed to be embraced in the Borough, to-wit :
The South half of Section 16, the South East
quarter of Section IT, and all that part of Sec-
tion 20 lying North of the river about one
square mile.
Males over 21 years of age 175
Females and minors 251
Total 426
On the 15th of December an election was held to
decide upon such organization with the following
result.
For organization 40
Against organization 1
On the same day an election was held for Trus-
tees which resulted in the election of M. Mott,
F. Lebeau, 0. H. Charles, Z. LEWIS and O. C.
Mottley. The Board elected Z. Lewis, President;
T. D. Brewster, Clerk; Z. Lewis, jr. Constable ;
and James Myers, Assessor. On the 1st of April
1839, O. C. Motley resigned and II. P. Wood-
worth was elected in his place. D. J. Townsend
THE HISTORY Otf PERU. 9
was afterwards appointed Street Commissioner.
The first religious meeting assembled in the
locality was held in the early part of this year,
in a log shanty, in the western part of the town.
This meeting was attended by about a dozen
young reprobates who concerted, that if the preach-
er should confine himself to what they should
judge to be the " appropriate sphere of his du-
ties, " should preach piety and righteousness in
the abstract without making any particular ap-
plication thereof, or rebuking any particular prac-
tice cherished by these self constituted censors,
and should abstain from all offensive personal
or local allusions, the most decorous propriety
was to be observed. But if, on the contrary, he
should see fit to indulge in any reproof of evil
practices which they were conscious the commu-
nity had credit for, whether justly or not, the in-
dignity was to be instantly resented. In pur-
suance of this concert they repaired to the place
of worship, each provided with a tobacco pipe
well filled, and a match. During the preliminary
exercises and a portion of the sermon the most
respectful attention and devout bearing were
manifested ; but when the preacher unfortunately
10 THE HISTORY OF PEEU.
indulged in illusions, believed by these cen-
sors to be intended to have a direct local ap-
plication, a rap on the bench was made as a sig-
nal by the leader, and instantly twelve matches
were struck and twelve pipes lighted. No smile
was seen and no word was spoken ; but twelve
sedate and imperturbable smokers tugged vigoro vis-
ly at their pipes. The room was soon filled with
the smoke and aroma ; and after a few attempts
at rebuke, ejaculated between stifled spasms of
coughing, the preacher incontinently left; but
not without making a stand at the door, where a
few comparatively pure respirations were obtain-
ed, and hurling back some rather unchristian
anathemas upon the graceless and sacreligious
scamps, whose scandalous conduct had so uncere-
moniously put him to flight, and upon the peo-
ple by whom they were tolerated. Of course,
" the better part of community " set the seal of
their disapprobation upon such disreputable and
disorderly proceedings.
CHAPTER II.
Election in 1839 Financial Crash Condition of
the Town Anecdote illustrative of the scarci-
ty ol money Hog Story Establishment of
the Mnawa Gazette Building of the first
Church.
At an election held on the 19th December 1839
H. P. Woodworth, Simon Kinney, Z. Burnham,
C. H. Charles, and Isaac Abraham were elected
Trustees. Whole number of votes polled 40.
The Board elected Simon Kinney, President;
M. Mott, Collector; T. D. Brewster, Treasurer;
and Walter Meriman Clerk. In the course of the
year Kinney resigned as Trustee and Meriman as
Clerk, and Cornelius Cahill and James Bradford
were elected to fill their respective places. The
places of Burnham and Charles became vacant by
death, and Ezra McKinzie and Churchill Coffing
were elected to fill them. In 1840 came the grand
financial collapse. The foreign capitalists refused
1 THE HISTOEY OF PEBV.
to lend us any more money. The later residents
of Illinois can scarcely comprehend the condition
of things which preceded and ensued. By the
Internal Improvement Act, which puts all Con-
gressional omnibus bills entirely into the shade, a
system of Kail Roads was to be commenced sim-
ultaneously in all parts of the State, running in
all manner of directions, through regions scarcely
explored ; and counties which were not fortunate
enough to lie in the direction of any place, and
thus not to be traversed by Rail Roads, were
bribed into the support of the bill by distributions
of money ^all to be borrowed on the faith of the
State. Other acts were passed authorizing loans
for prisons, hospitals, assylams and State Houses.
At the same time the Canal was being prosecuted
on State credit. Counties followed the example
of the State by borrowing money to build Court
Houses, Jails &c. But at length the bottom fell
out of the whole concern. Unknown Millions
had been squandered and not one public under-
taking was completed. Public and private credit
were annihilated. Northern Illinois produced
nothing for exportation, and every kind of busi-
ness was dependent upon the disbursements
THE HISTORY OF FEU. IB
'onthe public works. The State, Counties, Towns,
Banks, corporations and individuals were alike
bankrupt. No gleam of light shone in the future.
Repudiation, public and private, appeared to be
the only alternative. Even the vampires who
had been gorged upon the treasury were over-
whelmed in the general avalanche. The few who
had hoarded and possessed the means, left the
State ; and emigration for years avoided it as
though it had been one great hospitalof lepers.
No place experienced the general prostration
more sensibly than Peru. The writer of this
with a family to support, did not possess in the
year 1841 in the aggregate, a sum of money
equal to five dollars. Letters lay in the Post Of-
fice from the inability of those to whom they
were addressed to pay the postage. Nor was
this embarrassment confined to individuals.
Gov. Ford once told the writer, that he had been
compelled to allow letters, directed to him upon
official business, to remain in the Federal Post
Office, his own means or credit, or that of the
Sovereign State of Illinois being insufficient to
raise the embargo. Property of no kind had any
apparent value whatever. The town gradually
14: THE HISTORY OF PERU.
lost its inhabitants, until in 1842, probably not
over two hundred souls remained. These were
mainly the. less fortunate portion who could not
get away. One Store, a Drug Shop, the Post
Office, and two Taverns were the only places that
remained open to the public. Society existed
upon a truly republican basis. No envy was
excited in the breasts of the humble and poor by
the brilliant equipages and establishments of
the rich. The creditor who would have seriously
asked payment of his debtor would have been
saluted with one universal shout of derision.
As well might he have asked the sea to give up
its dead. His money was gone to that bourne
whence "nary red" would ever return. It was se-
riously proposed to enact a law making every
man's note a tender for debts always excepting
the notes of the creditor himself. This condition
of things produced a state of society never wit-
nessed by the writer, before or since. The pre-
vailing influence was so universal and complete
as to reduce all to a common level. A sympathy
and community of feeling pervaded all Illinois
humanity. Thanks to a prolific oil and sparse
population, nobody was in danger of starvation.
THE HISTORY OF PERU. 15
The following incident illustrates the scarcity
and value of money about this time. The only
merchants who pretended to keep their stores
open for business, and were able to replenish their
stock, were the brothers A. one of them at present
an estimable and valued citizen, and the other a
worthy farmer living in the neighborhood. Mon-
ey was scarce wherewith to pay freights, and the
only resource was to transport wheat, taken of
the farmers for debts, to Chicago, a distance of
one hundred miles, where it was worth about fifty
cents per bushel. One of the persons employed;
in the transportation was a farmer named M.
One of the brothers and the writer accompanied
the teams. After the wheat had been marketed,
and unloaded, M. with a very grave and serious
face, desired a private conference with A. Ta-
king him a little apart from the writer, and speak-
ing in a voice loud enough to be distinctly over-,
heard, he informed him that he was under the
necessity of asking him for some money. A.
started as if a snake had stung him. He express-
ed surprise at such a sudden call, under the circum-
stances, and reminded M. of the exertions and
sacrifices which he had been compelled to make
16 THE HISTORY OF PERtT.
to raise money for charges, and that withal he
had but barely enough for that purpose ; and
concluded by hoping that his demands would be
extremely limited. M. replied that they would
be no more extensive than his necessities abso-
lutely required, and he thought about " two bits
would do him. " This announcement greatly re-
lieved A. who immediately responded to the de-
mand. When it is understood, that the almost
universal practice in traveling, at that time, was
to " camp out, " the commissary department
drawing its supplies from the domestic larder and
corn crib, it will be perceived that " two bits "
would go a good way in ekeing out the stores and
supplying any deficiency.
Another incident occurred about this time
which also illustrates, in some degree, the spirit
of the times. Two citizens who shall be named
B. and M. had been in the habit of bantering
each other about their poverty. M. persisted in
assuming that he was not as poor as B., and that
it was all owing to his superior address and finan-
cial ability. This ridiculous assumption may be
understood, when it is stated that neither party
could, from every available resource, have raised
THE HISTORY OP PERU. 17
a sum in money equal to the present price of a
barrel of flour. M. complained to B. about his
hogs running at large, and threatened that if they
were permitted to annoy him he would shut
them up and kill them. It so happened that B.
did not own a hog in the world a fact which he
was careful not to disclose. M. commenced to
put his threat in execution by building an en-
closure in which he incarcerated all vagrant hogs,
and proceeded to put them in a condition for
slaughtering by a liberal appliance of corn and
swill. These things did not escape the observa-
tion of B. who waited patiently until the hogs
were in a nice condition, when he called upon M.
and rather angrily remonstrated with him upon
committing so unneighborly an act as to secrete
his hogs, alleging that he had searched dilligent-
ly for them, and that great apprehensions had
existed, lest his family might seriously siiifer for
the want thereof. He reminded him of the cor-
diality and good feeling which had previously
existed between them, of their good natured jokes
and banters, and of the general felicity which
they had enjoyed in each others society ; and
read him a homily upon the advantages to be de-
JL8 THE HISTORY OF PBBTJ.
rived from the practice of honesty and integrity.
He insisted, however, upon the unconditional lib-
eration of four particularly promising specimens
of the genus, porker. To this M. demurred.
While he admitted that what B. had taken so
much pains to remind him of, was in the main
true, he urged that the corn wherewith he had
fed the hogs was difficult to be obtained, that he
had spent much time in feeding and taking care
of them, and that it was not right for one man to
take advantage of anothers' wrong act for his
own|benefit. These arguments somewhat molli-
fied B. who finally agreed to a compromise by
which M. was to continue feeding the hogs for a
specified time, and then kill and dress them, and
bring the carcasses of the two best to the house
of B. This compact was carried into effect in
good faith. Shortly afterwards B. disclosed the
history of this little operation which came to the
ears of M. It is confidently believed that he
never afterwards boasted of his peculiar gifts of
finesse. It is but fair to say, that the real owner
of the hogs who had no share in the spoils, pock-
eted his loss with admirable grace.
In the course of the year 1839 the first news-
THB HISTORY OF PBKU. 19
paper published in Peru, was established by
Ford, now Editor and proprietor of the " Lacon
Gazette" in connection with Geo. "W. Holley
who acted as editor, and was called the " Ninawa
Gazette. " Mr. Holley was a gentleman of con-
siderable literary reputation and made a paper
which was eagerly sought for. His writings were
principally distinguished for their peculiar vein
of humor and pleasantry. The paper was con-
tinued until 1841, when the press and materials
were removed to Lacon.
The first Church built in the town, was erect-
ed by the Methodist's m the fall of 1838.
CHAPTEK III.
Election in 1840 Tho Bangs Enterprise Erec-
tion of the Stone Church Donation of the
Bell Visit of Messrs. Yan Buren and Paul-
ding.
AT an election held on the 18th December 1840,
H. P. Woodworth, Churchill Coffing, Ezra Mc-
Kinzie, Isaac Abraham and Geo. Low were elec-
ted Trustees. "Whole number of votes polled 32.
This Board elected Isaac Abraham their Presi-
dent ; James Bradford Clerk ; James Myers, As-
sessor; F. Lebeau Constable, T.D.Brewster Treas-
urer; and M. Mott Street Commissioner. Subse-
quently F. Mills was elected Constable in place
of Lebeau who resigned, and John Hoffman. Fire
Warden.
On the 27th February 1841 an act passed the
Legislature chartering the La Salle and Dixon
Bail Road, giving to the Corporation created, the
right of way and materials belonging to that part
of the old Central Kail Road lying between the
THE HISTORY OF PERU. 21
two points named. During the year operations
were recommenced on this work, and a Bank of
issue, pretended to be authorized by the Charter,
was opened in La Salle. These operations for a
short time galvanized into life the prostrated ener-
gies of the remaining inhabitants of Peru, but
were shortly succeeded by the bursting of the
whole concern. The leading spirit of this move-
ment was a man named A. H. Bangs, who suc-
ceeded in making dupes or accomplices of several
leading and influential inhabitants of La Salle and
Lee Counties. After the explosion it was found
that he was a mere adventurer, without character,
reputation, capital or credit. Not an hundred
dollars in cash or a dollar of good and reliable pa-
per had been used in starting and continuing the
construction of forty miles of Rail Koad, and
putting into operation a Bank which soon flooded
the whole country with its worthless promises to
pay, and draw liberally upon its imaginary eas-
tern and foreign correspondents. The contrac-
tors were, of course, unable to pay the laborers,
and the farmers who had supplied them with pro-
visions. The former, enraged by their wrongs,
attempted to wreak their vengeance upon the per-
22 THE HISTORY Otf PBBtT.
son of the culprit, Bangs. They seized and drag
ged him through the muddy streets of the town
He was finally rescued by the citizens, partly
through menaces and partly through intercession,
without material injury, placed in a skiff, and sent
down the river. Had he possessed one thousand
dollars in real cash, there is not a doubt but that he
would have been able to finish and put in opera-
tion the road, and to have gone on swimingly with
his Bank for years ; such was the confidence, and
it might be added, reverence, which a real " cap-
italist " would at that time have inspired. The
relapse was, if possible, more depressing than the
former experience.
During this year the second Church a small
but substantial stone edifice, at present occupied
by the Episcopal Society was erected by the
liberality of T. D. Brewster, Esq., for the Con-
gregationalist Society. For the use of the Soci-
ety worshiping in this building, a valuable bell
was donated by the late John C. Coning of Salis-
bury, Connecticut, father of our distinguished
townsman, Hon. Churchill Coffing.
In the summer Mr. Van Buren, then lately
retired from the Presidency, accompanied by
THB HISTORY OF PERU. 23
James K. Paulding then late Secretary of the
Kavy, made a tour through the western States,
and was everywhere received with an ovation.
A Committee was appointed in Peru to receive
and escort them to Ottawa. There was then re-
siding here a young man, a carpenter by trade and
a great wag, rejoicing in the name America Jones,
There also lived here a "Doctor" Harrison,
more famous for his effrontery and obtrusive decla-
mation than for his medical learning or skill. He
came armed with a diploma or certificate from the
Berrien County, Michigan, Medical Society, signed
" E. Winslow, President. " His attainments and
accomplishments were by no means confined to
the healing and dissecting art, according to his
own persistent declaration. They embraced the
grand encyclopedia of science. He was a pugi-
list, and boasted of many a hard earned field ; he
was an advocate of the dueling code, and under-
stood precisely the etiquette of the field of Hon-
or, and was ready, should anybody knock a chip
from his shoulder, to put in practice the theory
which he so eloquently expounded, although it is
believed that he never absolutely asserted that his
chivalry had been put to the test ; he was a musi-
24 THE HISTORY OF PERtT.
cian and an expert at games, particularly " seven
tip " and " poker ;" and he was a military gentle-
man. > He has since attained the rank of Major
General, in the service of the State of Michigan.
"With this brilliant array of accomplishments he
naturally attracted the attention of the communi-
ty, and what was more to the purpose, obtained a
very lucrative practice. He numbered among his
admirers people in all grades of society. Most
zealous among these was a gentleman an emi-
nent civil engineer of a high professional and
social position. America Jones, above mentioned,
concocted a scheme very well calculated to cure
him of his extraordinary devotion to the Doctor,
and confidence in his professions; and at the
same time to indulge his own innate propensity
for fun, at the expense of the engineer and anoth-
er prominent citizen a lawyer at present resi-
dent. Jones became suddenly very efficient and
" numerous " at a meeting called to make arrange-
ments for the reception of the distinguished visi-
tors, although it was probably the first time in
his life that he had ever seriously taken part in
any thing of the kind, being generally content to
look on and distort the action of others into some
THE HISTORY OF PERU. 25
ludicrous phase. Now Jones had a very clear
perception of the Doctor's real merit. He un-
derstood instinctively the difference between
that and his bombastic pretensions. He knew,
too, that his vanity and egotism were only to be
adroitly excited, and he would throw himself in
a general and continued splurge, in any presence.
So he obtained a place for himself and the Doctor
on the committee of reception, escort and ar-
rangements. On the trip to Ottawa, he contrived
to occupy a carriage in company with the Doctor,
the two guests, and the two citizens above refer-
red to. Once on the road, Jones found means to
gradually launch the Doctor into the field of gen-
eral declamation. The latter described the scene-
ry in terms of poetic eulogy ; he exhibited his
erudition in the early history of the country ; he
analyzed, in the most scientific manner, the waters
of the " Sulphur Springs, " and branched off into
the abstract laws of chemistry generally ; he ex-
temporised an essay upon political economy;
he discussed the character of distinguished co-
temporary politicians and statesmen ; he repeated
all the stale newspaper anecdotes and scandal
concerning the public men of the day ; he assert-
6 THE HISTORY Otf PERtf.
ed his belief that somebody, down on the Mo-
hawk or somewhere else, once wrote a very fool-
ish book, called the " Dutchman's Fireside ; " he
reviewed and|criticised the battles of the Revo-
lution and the naval engagements of the last war
with England^ he recounted his own exploits
and prowess in many a pugilistic encounter ; and
he indulged in terms of unbounded compliment
to, and admiration of the more distinguished por-
tion of his auditory, lamenting that his father
had not lived to learn the transcendant honor
which had befallen his son, in actually riding in
the same carriage with such illustrious personages.
These efforts occupied nearly the entire journey
to Ottawa, to the unutterable chagrin and annoy-
ance of the two citizens, and the infinite delight
and amusement of Jones. How Messrs. VAN
BUREN and PATTLDING enjoyed the society of the
committee is not known.
CHAPTEE IV.
Elections in 1841 Elections in 1842 Resump-
tion of work on the Canal Improvement in
Business First arrival of Steamboats in the
Spring.
AT an election held on the llth December
1841, the same Trustees were elected who served
the preceeding year. CHURCHILL COFFING was
elected President ; J. BRADFORD, Clerk ; T. D.
BREWSTER, Treasurer and Collector; H. LEON-
ARD, Assessor ; F. MILLS, Constable ; H. S. BEE-
BE, Street Commissioner ; and J. HOFFMAN, Fire
Warden.
During the year 1842, no event is recollected of
sufficient importance to justify a record. The
general stagnation continued. Illinois had be-
come as stagnant and inactive as Cathay. People
could not be said to live they merely vegetated.
At an election held on the 15th December 1842,
CHURCHILL COFFING, ISAAC ABRAHAM, JOHN
HOFFMAN, T. D. BREWSTER, and H. S. BEEBE,
28 THE HISTORY OF PERU.
were elected Trustees. This Board elected JAMES
BRADFORD, Clerk; S. "W. RAYMOND, Constable;
and T. D. BREWSTER, Treasurer.
On the 21st February, 1843, " An Act to pro-
vide for the completion of the Illinois and Michi-
gan Canal, and the payment of the Canal debt "
passed the Legislature. Energetic and sagacious
measures were at once devised and put into op-
eration for the completion of that great work. To
Gov. FORD, SENATOR RYAN and COL. OAKLEY,
is due the credit of devising the scheme which
heralded to the people of Illinois the return of
prosperity. This measure was soon followed by
gradual improvements in the town. Consider-
able accessions to its population took place, ware-
houses and workshops began to be erected, and
everything soon assumed the appearance of thrift
and progress.
During the season of stagnation, the daily ar-
rival of steamboats from Saint Louis, the debark-
ation of their passengers, and their departure for
Chicago, by Frink, Walker & Go's, coaches, ten-
ded more to enliven the town than all other
causes combined. This route became a popular
one for southern travel, via., the Lakes to New
THE HISTORY OF PERU. 2$
York, particularly during the warmer season ;
and it was no uncommon thing to witness the
departure of from five to ten four-horse post coach-
es together. The first arrival of a steamboat in
the Spring was always hailed as a great event.
Two or three months of isolation had sharpened
the appetites of the people for intercourse with
the great world. The first faint puff, away down
among the cotton woods, was caught upon the
ear of some anxious and expectant listener, and
forthwith the news spread with wonderful celerity
throughout the town. All the men and boys
gathered upon the landing ; all the women and
girls upon the hill-tops. When the boat hove in
sight, conjectures flew thick and fast as to what
boat she was ; everybody had some theory found-
ed upon the particular manner of her ' scape, the
ball upon her jack-staff, the ornaments upon her
chimneys, or some other distinguishing mark
which each prided himself upon knowing and re-
membering. When she came within hailing dis-
tance, what a hurrah went up from the landing !
What a waving of handkerchiefs from the bluffs !
Then when her keel fairly grated upon the peb-
bles of the bank, and a plank was run over her
30 THE HISTORY OF PEEtl.
side, what a rush over all her parts ! What a
shaking of hands all round ! "What congratula-
tions and welcomes were extended to officers and
crew, from captain to firemen ! These over, the
truth of history extorts the admission, that the
space around the bar became the grand rendez-
vous. A short time spent in this neighborhood
by no means tended to lessen the general hilarity
and uproar. The news of the arrival of a steam-
boat soon spread throughout the country. The in-
habitants of the interior, inland village of Ottawa,
in a very leisurely and dignified way, harnessed
up their teams and made a pilgrimage to Peru,
on pretence of business, but in point of fact to see
a real steamboat.
CHAPTER V.
Elections in 1843 Revenue Efforts for dividing
the County Elections in 1844 Special Char-
ter Elections in 1845 Revenue Return of
Prosperity Elections in 1846 Establishment
of the " Beacon Light " Name Changed to
" Junction Beacon " Formation of Hook and
Ladder Company.
AT an election held on the 20th of January,
1843, Churchill Coifing, John R. Merritt, Z. Lew-
is, Ambrose O'Conner and John Hoffman were
elected Trustees. Whole number of votes 92.
This Board elected Churchill Coffing, President ;
and T. D. Brewster, Treasurer. The revenue
arising from taxes on Real Estate was $262.
Peru, from her earliest history,' had aspired to
become a county seat. Situated upon the extreme
western verge of the County of La Salle, she
comtemplated erecting a new one out of territory
to be taken from La Salle,* Bureau and Putnam.
This scheme was strenously resisted by Ottawa
32 THE HISTORY OF PERU.
and the eastern portion of the county. A cur-
tailment on the north and east was cheerfully
submitted to, in order to assist in preventing the
loss of the western jewel. Much acrimony was
engendered by these contests ; and all elections
for county officers or State Legislature hinged up-
on this question. The Democratic party was
largely in the ascendant ; but the schemes of the
politicians of that ilk were constantly baffled by
the intrusion of this element. The completion of
the Canal and Kail Road, furnishing facilities for
travel between the two places, mainly put a stop
to further agitation.
At an election held on the 25th November,
1844, Churchill Coning, II. Whitehead, David
Dana, Win. Paul and S. W. Raymond were elec-
ted Trustees. Whole number of votes 45. This
Board elected H. Whitehead, President ; H. S.
Beebe, Clerk ; J. B. Lovett, Fire Warden ; Isaac
Abraham, Treasurer; O. C. Parmerly, Street
Commissioner; Geo. Low, Collector and Asses-
or; and E. M. Moore, Constable.
On the 25th February, 1845, an Act passed the
Legislature, extending the powers of the Trus-
tees, and providing for their election in the foL-
THE HISTORY OF PERU. 33
lowing April.
At an election held on the 7th April, 1845,
Churchill Coning, David Dana, S. W. Raymond,
Wm. Paul and H. Whitehead were elected Trus-
tees. Whole number of votes polled 39.
This Board elected HERMAN WHITEHEAD, Presi-
dent; H. S. BEEBE, Clerk; O. C. PARMERLY,
Street Commissioner ; ISAAC D. HARMON. Trea-
surer; GEORGE Low, Assessor and Collector;
E. M. MOORE, Constable; and J. B. LOVETT,
Fire Warden. By the death of Moore, the office
of Constable soon became vacant, and Z. Lewis,
junior, was elected to fill it. The revenue,arising
from the tax on Real Estate, was this year $261,-
86 cents.
A degree of prosperity had now been attained,
little dreamed of three years before. A large trade
had gradually grown up and concentrated in Peru.
It was no uncommon thing to see wagons loaded
with produce, from, a distance of sixty, eighty and
an hundred miles, seeking a market at this point,
and returning loaded with merchandise purchas-
ed here. Greneral health, contentment and pros-
perity prevailed. Stores and dwellings continued
to be built, and population to increase.
34 THE HISTORY OF PERU.
At an election held 011 the 6th "April, 1846,
Jacob S. Beach, Churchill Coffing, William
Chmnasero, A. M. Thrall and James Cahill were
elected Trustees. Whole number of votes 96.
This Board elected Churchill Coffing, President ;
H. S. Beebe, Clerk ; George Low, Assessor and
Collector ; S. W. Raymond, Street Commission-
er; I. D. Harmon, Treasurer; David Perry,
Constable ; and S. N. Maze, Fire Warden. EL
F. Killtun was subsequently elected Street Com-
missioner, in place of .Raymond who resigned.
In May, another weekly newspaper was estab-
lished by Nash and Elliott, and called the " Bea-
con Light." Mr. ISTash is the present Clerk of
the Circuit Court of La Salle county. The name
of this paper was changed to that of " Junction
Beacon." It continued about two years under
the management of Mead, Higgins and Boyle,
either together or successively, and went out.
Oa the 5th December an ordinance was passed,
authorizing the formation of a Hook and Ladder
Company, which was the first, last and only at-
tempt to form a Fire Department. The principle
effect and probable design of this ordinance was
to exempt the members enrolled, from the per-
THE HISTORY OF PERU. 35
formance of jury duty. Thirty-five dollars were
appropriated for implements ; but it is believed
tliat none were ever capable of being brought in-
to use, in cases of emergency, although the town
has been devastated since, with many and serious
fires.
CHAPTEK VI.
Election in 1847 Cemetery laid out Election
in 1848 Completion of the Canal Effect on
Peru Diversion of Trade to La Salle Estab-
lishment of the "Peru Telegraph" Erection
of the first Grain Ware House Great Fresh-
et,
AT an election held on the 5th April, 1847,
Churchill Coffing, Wm. Chumasero, Geo. W.
Gilson, Joseph P. Turner and Daniel O. Sullivan
were elected Trustees. Whole number of votes
63. This Board elected Wm. Chumasero, Presi-
dent ; S. W. Raymond, Clerk ; James Elliott,
Street Commissioner ; H. S. Beebe, Treasurer ;
Geo. Low, Assessor ; David Perry, Collector ;
Joseph P. Turner, Fire Warden ; and H. W.
Baker, Clerk. Soon after, Raymond resigned
and E. S. Holbrook was elected in his place.
The Cemetery, one mile north of the town,
was purchased and laid out by this Board.
At an election held in April, 1848, Erasmug
THE HISTORY OF PERU. 37
Winslow, P. M. Kilduff, I. C. Day, John Morris
and S. !N". Maze were elected Trustees. "Whole
number of votes 128. This Board elected Eras-
mus Winslow, President ; David Perry, Clerk ;
James Elliott, Collector ; H. W. Baker, Street
Commissioner ; F. S. Day, Treasurer ; J. P.
Thompson, Constable ; and Dennis Dunnavan,
Fire Warden. Thompson was subsequently elec-
ted Street Commissioner, in place of Baker who
failed to qualify, and Fire Warden in place of
Dunnavan who was removed.
The completion of the Canal, in the Spring" of
this year, forms an era in the history of the town,
and indeed of the State. Its effect upon the town,
however, was not so marked and immediate as
upon the sister town of La Salle, which
then, for the first time, attracted general public
attention, and became a formidable rival to her
older sister. Upon the latter its favorable effects
were more apparent in the course of the two or
three following years, when the increased pros-
perity of the country reacted upon it. The travel,
which had always centered at Peru, was mainly
diverted to La Salle. Although the waters of the
Canal and River were united at Peru, it was soon
38 THE HISTORY OF PERU.
found, that in consequence of the Steamboat and
Canal Boat Basin being at La Salle, the practical
junction was there. The forwarding business, af-
ter a long and ineffectual struggle on the part of
Peru to retain it, finally settled at that point.
In October Holbrook and Underbill established
a weekly paper, called the " Peru Telegraph. "
The first substantial Stone Ware House built in
the town was erected this year, directly upon the
river bank, by T. D. Brewster, Esq.
The Spring of 1849 was remarkable for the
greatest flood known since the settlement of the
country. There had been heavy rains in the
month of January which raised the river out of
its banks, overflowing all the bottoms. The
weather changed to cold suddenly and froze the
waters, in many places from bluff to bluff, into a
broad crystaline Lake. Such was the case on
the bottom above the town, which was covered
with a sheet of ice for nearly six miles, to Utica.
This mass of intercepted water, together with all
the country drained by the head branches of the
river, was afterwards covered with a heavy mass
of snow. About the first of March the weather
again suddenly became^ warm, and heavy rains
THE HISTORY OF PERU. 39
set in, which soon loosened the accumulations of
snow and ice. Every creek and run contributed
a flood, and every ravine and slough a torrent to
the swelling river, which on the 9th of March
was twenty-five feet, or more, above low water.
Its sudden rise loosened the heavy masses of ice
spread over the bottoms above, without breaking
them up. One of these came down, miles in
length and breadth, entirely filling the space be-
sween the bluffs, and crushed everything in its
course. Trees, indicating a growth of centuries,
were as reeds in its path, producing no check to
its resistless and majestic motion. The Ware
House, heretofore mentioned as being built by Mr.
Brewster, then occupied by Brewster and Beebe,
was crushed like an egg shell. It was nearly
filled with wheat, flour and merchandise, a por-
tion of which had been hastily removed, and a
portion was destroyed. The waters soon subsi-
ded and the river became very low before the
close of navigation in the fall. This was
the greatest freshet which has taken place since
the settlement of the country by the Whites, but
the Indians related to the early settlers accounts
of still higher waters. They have asserted that
4:0 THE HISTORY OF PERU.
the present site of Ottawa has been submerged
within the memory of those now living. Sha-
bone, an Indian well known in Northern Illinois,
is reported to have said that he has passed over
it in a canoe. In 1844, the great freshet occurred
in the Mississippi, raising the waters in the lower
part of the 111. still higher than they afterwards
were in 1849. This was not the case with the
upper portion of the river. An idea is current
in this part of the country, that great freshets
recur, continuing throughout the greater portion
of the summer, once in seven years. This notion
is justified by the recurrence of protracted fresh-
ets in 1830/1837, 1844,1851 and 1858. Mr.
Meginness, in his " Otzinachson " or " History of
the "West Branch of the Susquehanna, " mentions
that the same impression prevailed in that region
concerning freshets, only that theirs recurred once
in fourteen years.
CHAPTER VII.
Election in 1849 First appearance of Cholera
Elections in 1850 Project for a Rail Road to
Aurora Burning of the National Hotel Es-
tablishment of the " Peru Democrat " The
issue of $25,000 Bonds authorized on account of
Peru aud Rock Island Rail Road United States
Census Incorporation of the City Territory
embraced in City Limits Elections under the
Charter in 1851 Question of issuing Bonds on
account of subscription to the Stock of Chicago
and Rock Island Rail Road decided unanimous-
ly in the affirmativ.e at an Election Resurvey of
the City Issue of $40,000 of Bonds Organiza-
tion of the Central Rail Road Company Pro-
test of Peru against the place of crossing the
River Peru and Grandetour Plank Road.
At an election held on the 2d April, 1849, P.
M. Kilduff, Frederick Kaiser, S. 1ST. Maze, Noah
Sapp and s David Lininger were elected Trustees.
Whole number of Votes 159. This Board elec-
42 THE HISTORY OF PERU.
ted P. M. Kilduff, President ; Erasmus Winslow,
Clerk ; Ezra McKinzie, Assessor ; James Cahill,
Collector ; J. P. Thompson, Street Commissioner,
Constable and Fire Warden ; and H. S. Beebe,
Treasurer. In consequence of the absence of
Beebe, H. L. Tuller was elected Treasurer in his
place.
In the Spring of this year the cholera first made
its appearance in the West. In the months of
April and May several citizens fell victims to the
disease. On the 20th of June it suddenly as-
sumed a malignant and virulent character, and
some hundreds were swept off in the course of
three or four weeks. The citizens were general-
ly panic stricken, and many fled. It suddenly
ceased, and the season thenceforth was healthy.
In the summer of this year the second perma-
nent and substantial warehouse, directly upon the
river, was erected by Churchill Coffing, Esq.
At an election held on the 1st April, 1850, T.
D. Brewster, I. D. Harmon, William Paul, Eras-
mus Winslow and William Roush were elected
Trustees. Whole number of votes 49 This Board
elected William Paul, President ; P. M. Kilduff,
Clerk; H. L. Tuller, Treasurer; Geo. Low,
THE HISTORY OF PEKU. 4:3
Assessor ; J. P. Thompson, Street Commission-
er ; Michael Griffith, Constable ; Edmund Penn-
ington, Fire "Warden; James Caliill, Collector;
and Erasmus Winslow, Health Commissioner ;
During this year the subject of Railroads began
to attract the attention of the people of Illinois.
The inhabitants of the town were a good deal ex-
cited about the location of one from Aurora, in
Kane county, to Peru, via. Ottawa. Subscrip-
tions were raised, and one hundred dollars were
appropriated from the treasury to defray the ex-
penses of the survey. This road was never con-'
stnicted, but the interests of the town were after-
wards satisfied by the construction of the Aurora
Extension, and Chicago and Burlington, crossing
the Illinois Central at Mendota.
In August, the National Hotel, owned by Z.
Lewis Esq., was destroyed by fire. This was the
largest and best building in the town, and was the
first serious loss by fire.
In this year, Adam Lerch was appointed Street
Commissioner, in place of Thompson who was re-
moved.
In October Hammond and Welch established
the " Peru Democrat " a weekly newspaper. It
44 THE HISTORY OF PEHU.
soon took a high rank and became one of the
leading and most influential papers in the interi-
or of the State. Thomas W. Welch, the editor
of this paper, gave promise of great usefulness in
future years. He was a vigorous writer, energet-
ic and industrious, and imparted a degree of
vivacity and spirit to his sheet, rarely met with
in country newspapers. He was born at Reading,
England, and died at Princeton, Illinois, on the
26th September, 1852, aged twenty-nine years.
On the 9th .November a resolution passed the
Board, authorizing a subscription on the part of the
town, of $25,000 towards the capital stock of the
Hock Island and Peru Railroad, on condition that
the road should make its eastern terminus on
section 16.
By the returns of the United States c ensus for
1850 there were 4,500 inhabitants in the town !
That this was an error is most manifest. A steady
increase of population and dwellings took place
from this period to the first of June, 1854, when
by a census carefully taken, by one of the citizens,
there were only 3,036 inhabitants. A similar in-
crease has been going on until the present time,
when there are found to be only 3,652. If such
THE HISTORY OF PERU. 45
a decrease has taken place where are the tene-
ments vacated ? A similar error occurs in the
United States census returns of La Salle, the
population of which is set down at 3,201. A cen-
sus, taken by the authority of the town soon after,
exhibited 1,100 ! It is probable that the census
taker was contented with the answer of the first
man he met, of whom he enquired the amount of
population, and that this person happened to be
a large lot holder. Generally, in such cases, if the
amount stated be divided by two, an approximate
result may be obtained.
On the 15th March, 1851, the town of Peru
was incorporated as a City. The territory incor-
porated embraced the South half of Section 16,
the South East quarter of Section 17, the North
East fractional quarter of Section 20 and all of
Section 21 North of the river. The extent of
territory embraced in the City, was forty-eight
acres less than that in the borough, that part of
Section 21 included containing forty-five acres,
while the North West fractional quarter of Sec-
tion 20 excluded contained ninety-three acres.
This territory was divided into two wards. The
leading motive in petitioning for this Charter un-
4:6 THE HISTORY OF PERTT.
doubtedly was to enable the City to issue Bonds
on account of Rail Road subscriptions. ;
The first election held under this Charter was
held in April, 1851, which resulted in the elec-
tion of T. D. Brewster, Mayor ; Geo. "W. Gilson
and Jacob S. Miller, Aldermen for the First Ward,
and Erasmus Winslow and John Morris, Aldermen
for the Second Ward. Whole number of votes
196. By the provisions of the Charter, the Alder,
men were to be elected for two years two out of the
first four retiring at the end of the first year to
be determined by lot. Gilson and Winslow drew
the long term. This Council elected Churchill
Coning, Clerk; P. M. Kilduif, Treasurer; F. S.
Day. Assessor ; A. Roberts, Marshall ; Z. Lewis,
Street Commissioner ; and James Cahill Collec-
tor.
The question of issuing Bonds on account of
subscription to the Stock of the Rock Island and
La Salle Rail Road, (the Charter having been so
amended as to continue the road to Chicago,)
was submitted to a vote of the people on the 17th
May. The vote in the affirmative was unani-
mous.
Conflicting claims having arisen out of discrep-
THE HISTORY OF PERU. 4:7
ancles between former surveys of the town, a
new survey was ordered and established by or-
dinance, and other measures taken to legalize the
act.
On the 22d February, 1852, the Kail Eoad
Charter having been again amended and the
Company denominated the Chicago and Rock
Island Rail Road Company, the question of an
issue of Bonds on account of subscription to its
Stock, to the extent of $40,000, including the
$25,000 previously authorzied, was submitted to
a vote of the people. Strenuous exertions had been
made to defeat the subscription ; and this time
there were found to be 16 votes in the negative
to 280 in the affirmative. $40,000 of 10 per
cent Bonds were issued, and the same amount was
subscribed to the Stock of the Road, which du-
ring the fall and winter was commenced and
vigorously prosecuted.
The certificates of stock thus subscribed for
were, by virtue of section 5 of an ordinance passed
12th April, 1852, to remain with the Rock Island
Railroad Company in trust, pledged for the pay-
ment of the bonds and interest, and convertable
into stock at the option of the holder ; thus giving
48 THE HISTORY OF PERU.
him tlic advantage of any advance of the stock
above par, while the City must pocket the loss of
any depression below. The interest due on the
1st November was paid by means of a loan author-
ized by the Council on the 18th October. Inter-
est scrip of an equal amount was issued by the
Company, convertable into stock on the com-
pletion of the Road.
In the winter, the charter of the Illinois Cen-
tral Railroad company was granted. The lands,
formerly ceded by Congress, were donated to this
company, upon the condition that they should
build a road from the mouth of the Ohio to the
junction of the canal and Illinois river, with
branches &c. The same terms were prescribed by
Congress in the act of cession. The people of
Peru assumed, that by this it was intended that it
should terminate at the pier head, where the waters
of the canal and river unite. The company pro-
ceeded to build the bridge across the river at the
mouth of the Little Yermillion, a mile and a-half
above. This drew forth a vigorous protest from
the City Council which was duly forwarded to the
officers of the company, and to the proper Depart-
ment at Washington. Nothing however came of
THE HISTORY OF PERU.
49
it, and the company proceeded to complete their
works according to their original plan. This gave
to the rival City of La Salle still farther advan-
tages, by way for facilities of trade, north and
south.
On the 5th February, 1850, the Peru and
Grandetour Plank Road company was organized,
under a charter previously obtained, by the elec-
tion of T. D. Brewster, J. H. McMillan, William
Paul and J. L. McCormick of Peru, Tracy Reeve
of Larnoile, F. R. Butcher of Shelburn, and Solon
Cummings of Grandetour, Directors. In Sep-
tember, 1851, so much of the road was completed
as justified, under the charter, the collection of
tolls. It was afterwards completed as far as Ar-
lington, in Bureau county, and partially construct-
ed to Lamoile. This enterprize was looked upon
as promising great advantages, not only to the
town, but also to the country through which it
passed. The result demonstrated that these ex-
pectations were reasonable. The large franc
which passed over it, for a few succeeding years,
could not by any possibility have existed without
it. It was originally contemplated to finish it to
Grandetour, on Rock river, but want of funds de^
50 THE HISTORY OF PERtT.
layed the work, until tlie construction of intersect-
ing lines of Railroads, in a degree, superseded its
necessity. The road has since been allowed to
run down, and the plank have been removed.
The company at present do not pretend to exer-
cise any control over it. For a great portion of
the present season, it has been in so bad a condi-
tion as to be quite impassable for loaded teams,
and nearly so for vehicles of any description. Thus
cut off from the trade of the north by bad roads,
and of the south by the difficulty in crossing the
river and bottom, the only resource that remained
to the trading portion of the community, was to
trade with each other. In this it is to be hoped
they have been as successful as the boys who
traded jack-knives with each other all day.
CHAPTER VIII.
Elections in 1852- Reappearance of the Chol-
era Operations on the Rail Road Elections
in 1853 Resignation of the Mayor and new
Election Issue of $10,000 eight per cent.
Market House Bonds Opening of the Chicago
and Rock Island Rail Road to Peru Estab-
lishment of the " Peru Weekly Chronicle " and
"Daily Chronicle " E. Higgms & Co's and
McMillan & Co's Stores burnt Elections in
1854 Blue Ballot Question Manner of Pay-
ing Interest on Bonds Opening of the Rail
Road to Rock Island Census Completion of
the Market House and issue of $2,600 Bonds.
AT an election held on the 5th day of April,
1852, T. D. Brewster was reelected Mayor, John
Morris elected Alderman for the Frst Ward, and
C. R. Holmes for the Second. Whole number of
votes, 220. The Council elected I. D. Taylor,
Clerk ; P. M. Kilcluff, Treasurer ; E. S. Holbrook,
02 THE HISTORY OF PERU.
Assessor ; Eichard Lonsbury, Collector and Street
commissioner ; and Fredrick Schulte, Marshal.
During the Summer, the Cholera again made
its appearance, and with increased violence.
From the first settlement of the town to 1849,
with the exception of the years 1838 and 1839,
when billious fevers prevailed to some extent,
the inhabitants had enjoyed immunity from dis-
ease, seldom experienced in new western settle-
ments, or indeed in any other. For the space of
one year, no death occurred except from casual-
ity. Even the ague found few, if any subjects.
Throughout the summers of 1850 and 1851,
cholera continued its ravages in the surrounding
towns and country, and visited Peru but slightly.
In the early part of the summer of 1852, while
La Salle and other contiguous places were scourg-
ed, Peru remained healthy. At length it appear-
ed to have spent its material and departed the en-
tire country. Suddenly it reappeared ; and while
the places previously afflicted remained healthy,
Peru was devastated to an extent not surpassed,
if equaled, by any place in the United States.
The estimated number of victims was from five to
six hundred, being about one-sixth of the entire
THE HISTORY OF PERU. 53
population. It was observed that less panic and
excitement were produced than upon its visitation
in 1849. But few cases occurred in the two fol-
lowing years ; and from that time to the present
1858 the same freedom from disease has prevail-
ed which distinguished its early settlement.
Throughout this year operations on the Railroad
were pushed forward with great energy.
At an election held on the 4th April, 1853,
P. M. Kilduff and Ii. S. Beebe each received 144
votes for Mayor. 'Churchill Coming was elected
Alderman for the First Ward, and John L. Coates
for the Second Ward. On counting the votes for
Mayor, a question arose concerning the validity
of a ballot deposited for Beebe. By the statute
it is provided that if, upon counting the votes
given at any election, two ballots shall be found
folded together, attempt at fraud shall be pre-
sumed and both ballots thrown out. In this case one
piece of paper was found with the name of Beebe
printed on it twice. It was decided by the Coun-
cil that no evidence of attempt at fraud was here
presented, that none could by any possibility be
thus perpetrated, and that the ballot should be
counted as one vote. By this decision a tie exist-
54 THE HISTORY OF PERU.
ed. The election was then decided by lot, agree-
able to the provisions of an ordinance for the case
provided, in favor of Beebe. The Council elect-
ed J. D. Taylor, Clerk; J..Y. H. Judd and B.
P. Wright, a board of Health ; J. L. Coates, Trea-
surer; E. S. Holbrook, Assessor; James Cahill,
Collector; J. P. Thompson, Marshal; T. E. G-.
Eansom, Surveyor ; -and A. F. Powers, Sexton.
The place of John Morris becoming vacant by
means of his removal from the Ward, J. L.
McCormick was elected Alderman in his place.
The May interest on the Railroad bonds was pro-
vided for in the same manner as on the preceding
November.
On the 21st May Beebe resigned as Mayor,
and a new election was ordered which resulted in
the election of Kilduff by 52 majority, Beebe being
again his opponent. Whole number of votes 298 m
On the 20th August $5,000 of bonds, bearing
ten per cent, interest, were authorized to be issued
for the purpose of building a City Hall and for
current expenses; and on the 17th September
$10,000 of bonds, bearing eight per cent, interest,
were authorized to be issued for the same purpose.
The $5,000 bonds first authorized were never
issued.
THE HISTORY OF PERU. 55
Iii April of this year the Chicago and Rock
Island Railroad was opened for traffic and travel
to Peru.
The " Peru Weekly Chronicle " was established
by J. F. and K Linton, on the 1st March, and its
publication was continued until September, 1856.
For ten months during this period, the Messrs.
Linton also published a ".Daily Chronicle"
which was in all respects creditable to them and
to the town. About the beginning of this year a
serious fire took place on Water street, which de-
stroyed two large three-story stone stores, with
most of their contents, one occupied by E. Hig-
gins & Co. as a Hardware store, and the other by
J. II. McMillan & Co. as a Dry Goods store.
At an election held on the 26th April, 1854, T.
D. Brewster was elected Mayor, Antoine Birkeii-
buel, Alderman for the First Ward, David Dana
for the Second Ward, and John P. Thompson,
Police Magistrate. The Council elected Henry
Jones, Clerk ; Geo. W. Gilson, Treasurer ; James
Cahill, Collector; Geo. Low, Assessor; W. II.
Foot, Marshal ; William Lopstater, Street Com-
missioner ; and A. F. Powers, Sexton.
A question arose concerning the validity of this
56 THE HISTORY OF 1'ERU.
election. By the Constitution it is provided, that
at all elections voting shall be by ballot on white
paper. In this case ballots were found for Brewster
for Mayor, printed or written on paper having a
blue tinge the ordinary blue tinged writing
paper. T<, was contended that this was not white
paper within the meaning of the Constitution. The
former Mayor refused to surrender the seals and
books of the City, and Aldermen Coning and
Coates abstained from the meetings of the Coun-
cil. The question was carried by mandamus to the
Supreme Court and decided in favor of the validity
of the election.
No provision was made for the payment of the
interest on the Railroad bonds due on the 1st of
May, until the 26th August, when a loaa for that
purpose was authorized. In this, as on former oc-
casions of paying interest on these bonds, a loss of
about $300 was sustained by the City which was
made up from the general fund. This arose from
the depreciation of the interest scrip issued by the
company, which did not bear interest, and which
was not convertable until the completion of the
Road, and from exchange.
In April of this year, the Chicago and Rock
HISTORY OF PERU. 5?
Island Railroad was opened to Rock Island, its
entire length. No particular improvement in
business took place in consequence.
By a census taken on the 1st June, the number
of inhabitants was found to be 3,036.
In January, 1855, the new Market House and
City Hall was completed. On the 10th February
$2,600 of eight per cent, bonds were issued to
pay the balance due the contractors.
CHAPTER IX,
Elections in 1855 City indebtedness Issue of
$5)000 eight per cent bonds Resignation of
the Mayor Establishment of the "Peru Senti-
nel" Elections in 1856 Railroad Round House
burnt $20,000 bridge bonds authorized Ap
propriations for damages for flooded stores Ex-
tra Railroad dividend Hoffman House burnt
Chair Factory burnt Geo. B. Willis Exten-
sion of the City limits Recorders Court
Elections in 1857 Eon-payment of interest
on City bonds Financial revulsion Fitzsim-
mons & Beebe's Foundry and Machine Shop
burnt Elections in 1858 Issue of $5,000 ten
per cent, interest bonds authorized Rainy
weather and bad roads Revival of business.
At an Election held on the 2d April, 1855, Geo.
W. Gilson was elected Mayor, R. H. Booth Al-
derman for the First "Ward, and A. L. Shepherd
for the Second Ward. ' The Council elected
Henry Jones, Clerk ; W. Johnson, Treasurer ;
.'fHE HISTORY OF PERU. 59
J. B. White, Collector; Isaac Abraham, Assess-
or; Peter Fought and William Wilde, Street
Commissioners ; G. N". -Mckinzie, Marshall;
Chas. Blanchard, Attorney ; T. E. G. Ransom,
Surveyor ; John Higgins, Health Officer ; A. F.
Powers, Sexton ; and Chas. Love and A. L. Bull,
Fire Wardens.
On the 12th April the City indebtedness was
ascertained to be as follows :
Bonds issued on account of Railroad $40,000
" " " Market House, 12,600
Scrip outstanding, 1,950
Total City indebtedness, $54,550
On the 30th May a further issue of $5,000
eight per cent, bonds was authorized by the
Council for current expenses, which were issued*
and sold for 4,500.
On the 25th July, R. A. Winston was elected
Alderman for the Second Ward, in place' of
Shepherd whose office became vacant by reason
of his removal from that Ward.
On the 8th December Gilson resigned as
Mayor.
On the 22nd December Ransom resigned as
60 THE HISTORY OF FERU.
Surveyor, and II. H. Brown was elected in his
place.
The " Peru Sentinel, " a weekly newspaper, was
established by J. L. McCormick and Guy Hulett
in August. It was always a Democratic organ,
and now having passed under the management
of J. F. Meginness Esq., is fighting valiantly for
Douglas* and against Lecompton. *
On the Tth April, 1856, J. L. McCormick was
elected Mayor, P. M. Kilduff Alderman for the
First Ward, and C. L. Huntoon for the Second
Ward. The Council elected M. C. Harmon,
Clerk ; J. B. White, Treasurer ; Chas. Blanch-
ard, Attorney ; Henry Jones, Collector ; Geo. O f
Banks, Assessor ; Peter Fought and J. P. Thomp-
son, Street Commissioners ; II. II. Brown, Sur-
veyor; W. H. Foot, Marshal.
In the month of May the Round House, belong-
ing to the Chicago and Rock Island Railroad
Company, was destroyed by fire.
On the 17th June the question of issuing
$20,000 bonds on account of subscription towards
the stock of a Bridge Company, chartered for the
* On tho!7fch August, this office was destroyed by tire. The
building a three-story brick in which it was situated, was owned
by J. L. McCormick, Esq., and was the first brick building erected
in the town. It was built in 1839.
THE HISTORY OF PERU. 61
purpose of building a bridge across the river at
the foot of White street, was submitted to a vote
of the people. It was decided in the affirmative
by a large majority. The bonds have never been
issued nor the subscription made nor the bridge
built. Among the appropriations for this year
were $575 to H. G. "W. Cronise, and $218 50 to
Joseph Kelly for damages sustained by the flood-
ing of their stores with water, caused by defi-
ciency in the culverts.
The Railroad Company commenced paying
semi-annual dividends on their stock on the 1st
of November, 1854, first dividend four per
cent; all after five; and continued doing so until the
1st November, 1856, when an extra dividend of
twelve and a-half per cent, payable in stock, was
made. From this the City realized $4,825, a por-
tion of which was used in paying oif two judge-
ments which had been obtained against the City,
and upon which the City Hall had been sold,
amounting together to $1,474 50. The balance
was used for the payment of outstanding cou-
pons on the various kinds of bonds, and other
claims.
On the 7th January another serious loss by fire
62 THE HISTORY OF PERU.
took place. The Hoffman House, owned by John
Hoffman and occupied by P. T. Moore, was de-
stroyed. The building was thoroughly and sub-
stantially built, although of wood, and occupied
a beautiful site, and was one of the leading insti-
tutions of the town. The loss to both owner and
occupant was heavy.
'On the 26th September, of the same year,
an extensive chair, furniture, sash and blind
factory, erected through the indomitable energy
and perseverance of Geo. B. "Willis, was destroy-
ed by fire. Loss about $20,000. The fate of Mr.
Willis, who is now beyond the reach of praise or
ceusure, calls for a passing notice. He came to
Peru, poor and blind. By his sagacity and energy
he so improved his circumstances that he suc-
ceeded in building and putting into operation a
manufactory which gave employment to about
fifty mechanics. The manner in which he con-
ducted this business would have done credit to
any person in the possession of all of his senses,
but was very remarkable when done by one who
suffered under the loss of so important an organ
as that of sight. But the load was too heavy for
him to carry, He staggered for a time and fell,
THE HISTORY OF PERU. 63
Disappointment, mortification, anxiety and des-
dondency did their work. The grave holds him.
Whose hand was stretched forth to lighten the
burden under which he began to reel ? Whose
voice whispered words of sympathy and hope
when discouragement and disaster crowded upon
him ? Whose was the intelligent self interest that
enquired whether a small amount of aid, in mon-
ey or credit, would not sustain and foster
an enterprise which, in its turn, would in-
vigorate every interest in the community ?
Whose was the practical sagacity that perceived,
that fifty male operatives, with their families and
dependants, were of more value in advancing the
growth and prosperity of the town than the rows
of stately and costly stores, which have for years
stood idle and tenantless ? Where were the men
generally to be found on every corner who
proclaim that upon manufacturing industry alone
must Peru depend for advancement ? Ah !
When it w r as perceived that Mr. Willis had under-
taken an enterprise to which his energies and
means were inadequate, how hands which, had
been stretched forth to catch the copious streams
of disbursrnent, slunk into the fathomless depths
64: THE HISTORY OF PERU.
of pockets ! How importunate and inexorable
were those cormorants of every petty western
community, called by courtesy, " Banks, " which
had moused into every nook and corner for paper
upon which it was hoped would prove a profita-
ble investment.
In February, 1857, by act of the Legislature,
the limits of the City were extended over the
whole of Section 16 and 17. This made the su-
perficial area 1462 acres. In the same month an
act passed, creating a Recorders Court for the
Cities of Peru and La Salle, with jurisdiction over
the territory of the Townships of Salisbury and
La Salle six square miles. Churchill Coifing
was appointed Judge, and Daniel Evans, Clerk,
who entered upon the discharge of their duties.
One term of the Court was held at La Salle. A
question arose concerning the constitutionality,
of this Court which was taken, by an agreed case, to
the Supreme Court, where it was held that it was an
Inferior Court ; that the Legislature possessed the
power only to grant jurisdiction to such Courts
over the territory of a single City ; that by no
implication could the Constitution be construed
so as to grant the power to extend it over territo-
THB HISTOKT OF PERU. 65
ry not embraced within city limits ; that the
whole act must be considered together ; that the
powers therein granted could not be separated,
and if one part was found to be constitutionaly ob-
jectionable, the whole must fall together ; and
that therefore the act was unconstitutional and
void.
At an election held in April, 185T, John L.
McCormick was reelected Mayor and F. W. Schulte
was elected Alderman for the First Ward. No
election was made in the Second Ward, Erasmus
Winslow and I. 0. Day each receiving 63 votes.
On the 2d May, a new election was called which
resulted in each again receiving 63 votes. The
question was then decided by lot in favor of Wins-
low. The Council elected Jno. J, Dowling, Clerk ;
David Lininger, Assessor; D. O. Sullivan, Col-
lector; EL G. W. Cronise, Treasurer; W. H.
Foot, Marshall; William Hackman and Owen
Judge, Street Commissioners ; G. D. Ladd, At-
torney ; Geo. Seebach and J. T. Milling, Health
Officers ; William Lambach, Surveyor ; and A.
F. Powers, Sexton. On the 27th May, Ladd re-
signed as Attorney, and Thomas Halligan was
elected in his place.
66 THE HISTORY OF PEKF,
The Rail Road Company passed the payment of
their November dividend and the city also passed
the payment of interest on her bonds.
During the latter part of this year a fi-
nancial hurricane, commencing in the Uni.
ted States, swept over the world. Money van-
ished from sight as if by the wand of a magician.
General health, bounteous crops, and great activ-
ity in every branch of industry had prevailed.
Suddenly everything was arrested as though some
Titan held his hand upon a brake lever. Peru
did not escape the general disaster. Prices of
produce became so low that farmers declined to
market it, preferring to allow their creditors to
w r ait and suffer the consequences of shattered
credit. But few failures, however, took place.
The Banks did not suspend. Nobody failed
nobody ever does fail in Illinois until the Sheriff
sells them out or shuts them up.
On the llth October, the Foundry and Machine
Shop of Fitzsimmons and Beebe was destroyed by
fire Loss $16,500 insurance $5,500. This estab-
lishment had given employment to some thirty or
forty men. Thus another of the industrial es-
tablishments of Peru went out. It is a gloomy
THE HISTORY OF PERU. 67
fact, and by no means promising sign, that with
the exception of the stores of E. Higgins & Co.,
and McMillan & Co., no important establishment,
destroyed by fire, has been rebuilt. The black-
ened walls and foundations of the National Hotel,
Hoifman House, Lauber's Cabinet Shop, the
Chair Factory and the Foundry and Machine
Shop betray the lack of recuperative energies.
At an election held on the 5th of April, 1858,
John L. McCormick was again reelected Mayor,
and N". Young was elected Alderman for the First
Ward, James Cahill for the Second "Ward, and
P. M. Kilduff, Police Magistrate. The Coun-
cil elected John J. Dowling, Clerk ; H. G. W.
Cr.onise, Treasurer ; T. P. Halligan, Attorney ;
D. O. Sullivan, Collector ; Henry Jones, Asses-
sor ; P. W. Milander and Owen Judge, Street
Commissioners ; W. F. Lambach, Surveyor ; Gr.
W. Lininger and Bartlett Denny, Fire Wardens ;
GL W. Lininger Inspector of weights and meas-
ures ; A. L. Bull, inspector of lumber and wood ;
W. H. Foot, Marshal ; John Scott and Michael
Noon, Assistant Marshals; and A. F. Powers
Sexton.
On the 7th day of June, the question of issu-
68 . THE HISTORY OF PEKU.
ing $5,000 of ten per cent, bonds, for the purpose
of paying the interest over due on the bonds be-
fore issued, was submitted to a vote of the peo-
ple and decided affirmatively by 21 majority.
The Spring of this year was remarkable for
heavy and protracted rains. The roads from the
1st May to the 1st July were nearly impassable,
and the ground was so saturated as to make culti-
vation impossible. About the middle of June it
ceased raining, and crops which were thought to
be ruined came forward with remarkable promise.
At this present writing (10th July) every indica-
tion exists of a full average crop.
The grain and other produce, which had been
kept back on account of low prices in the fall,
could not be brought to market in the spring on
account of the bad condition of the roads. At
this time, however, the streets are crowded with
teams, fair prices are paid for produce, debts are
being liquidated, the merchants and mechanics
are busy and satisfied, and every interest is revi-
ving.
CHAPTER X.
Census Occupations Schools, Churches &c.
Business Houses Grain Trade Ice Trade
Coal Field Peru Coal Shaft Advantages for
Manufacturing City Debt Review of the
Census Bridge The Future Moral and In-
tellectual view List of Early Families Char-
acter of the Inhabitants Unenviable Reputa-
tions.
We will now examine the present condition and
resources of Peru.
The following is a table of a census taken 20th
August, 1858.
Whole number of inhabitants, .^8,652
Under ten years of age, 1,175
Under twenty-one years and over ten years, 561
Over twenty-one years, J>916
Males, 1,876
Females, 1,776
Born in the United States, 1,841
Born in Germany, 1,118
70 THE HISTOKY OF FERU.
" " Ireland, 489
" " England, 87
" " Scotland, 24
" " France, 27
" " Kussian Poland, 27
" " Sweden, 17
" " British Provinces, 19
Negroes, 3
Born of foreign parents counted as Americans, 869
Number of deaths in 1857, 48
OCCUPATIONS.
Blacksmiths, 30 Farmers, 18
Laborers, 326 Brakemen, 8-
Carpenters, 71 Shoemakers, 26
Livery keepers, 4 Constables, 2
Teamsters, 44 Merchants, 44
Machinists, 20 Millers, 5
Moulder 1 Justices of the Peace, 3
Pattern Makers, 2 Lawyers, 7
Clerks, 35 Porters, 5
Ice Merchants, 5 Barbers, 4
Printers, 9 Tobacconists, 2
Millwrights, 2 Tinners, 13
Masons, 36 Saloon Keepers, 41
Draymen, 5 Tailors, 9
THE HISTOKY OF PEBU.
71
Caulkers, 4 Physicians, 7
Butchers, 13 Lumber Merchants, 5
Grocers, 11 General Business, 15
Saddlers, 7, Civil Engineers, 2
Teachers, 3
Gardeners, 5
Painters, 9
Ticket Agent, 1
Brewers, 11
Cap Maker, 1
Book Keepers, 4
Lecturer, 1
Wheelwrights, 13
Cigar Makers, 6
Cabinet Makers, 6
Carpet Weaver, 1
Basket Maker, 1
Gun Smith, 1
Match Makers 2
Boatmen, 8
Daguerreian, 1
Land Agents, 3
There are seven public schools, four of which are
organized under the Union School system. There
are six Churches one Catholic, one Dutch Re-
Physicians,
Lumber Merchants,
General Business,
Civil Engineers,
Bakers,
Jewelers,
Clergymen,
Coopers,
Peddlers,
Conductors,
Miners,
Tavern Keepers,
Ship Carpenters,
Bankers,
Brick Makers,
Ferrymen,
Pilot,
Musicians,
Editors,
Druggists,
Rope Maker,
5
2
5'
32
7
16
2
6
2
1
3
3
4:
1
72 THE HISTORY OF PERU.
formed, one Methodist, one German Methodist,
one Gongregationalist, and one Episcopal. There
are one Lodge of Good Templars, one of Odd
Fellows, and one of Masons. The City possesses
a commodious Public Hall, erected in a substan-
tial manner of Milwaukie brick, at an expense
of over $12,000. It is divided into a Council
Chamber, a Public Hall for meetings, lectures,
concerts, &c., a room for market stalls, and a cala-
boose or jail. The ware-houses, stores, hotels, and
dwellings of the citizens, for solidity of structure
and architecture, taste and adornment, are, as a
whole, superior to most places of its size, east or
west. There are of houses and places of busi-
ness and industrial occupations as follows :
703 Dwellings and tenements occupied.
15 do. and do. unoccupied.
4 Dry Goods Stores.
7 Family Groceries and Provision Stores.
2 Wholesale, " do. do. (one
selling $200,000 per year.)
4 General Merchandise, Stores.
3 Stove and Tin, do.
2 Hardware, do.
2 Furniture, do.
THE HISTORY OF PERU. 73
1 Leather and Finding, do.
1 Flour and Feed, do.
4 Drug and Book, do.
2 Tobacco, do.
7 Taverns, (one a large and commodious Ho-
tel.)
1 Gun Shop.
4: Bakeries.
3 Harness and Saddle Shops.
6 Shoe Maker Shops.
5 Tailor Shops.
5 Blacksmith and Wagon Maker Shops.
2 Cooper Shops.
4 Milliner Shops.
2 Banks.
3 Private Land Offices.
2 Livery Stables.
40 Lager Beer and Drinking Saloons.
1 Daguerreian.
5 Law Offices.
7 Physicians.
3 Grain and Merchandise Ware Houses, with
a united capacity of about 200,000 bushels,
besides room for general merchandise.
1 Plow Factory, (employing some 40 hands.)
74 THE HISTORY OF PERU.
1 Match Factory.
1 Fanning Mill Factory.
3 Breweries,
1 Flouring Mill.
5 Lumber Yards.
1 Boat Yard.
The central engine house of the Chicago and
Rock Island Rail Road is located here. As the
engines, with their engineers and firemen, are
changed here, many of the employees are domes-
ticated. The quantity of grain purchased direct
from the producers, and shipped exclusive of
that purchased by the mill was 582,641 bushels
in 185T, against about 900,000 bushels in 1856.
The falling off is attributable to the reluctance of
the farmers to market their grain in the fall of
the former year, as before mentioned.
A very important branch of business pursued
here is the ice trade. About 13,000 tons are an-
nually packed for the southern market, giving em-
ployment to about three hundred men, during the
Winter and Spring in packing and shipping, and
sixty men in Summer and Fall, in building boats
and other preparations for the next winter's busi-
ness. Two steamboats are owned and employed
exclusively in the trade,
THE HISTOBY OF PERU.
75
For some years, attention has been attracted to
the Great Central Coal Field of Illinois, the
north eastern rim of which underlies the cities
of Peru and La Salle. From the earliest settle-
ment of the country the outcrops have been re-
sorted to for fuel. More and more extensive ex-
plorations and excavations have, from time to
time, been made, excited by the foresight, sagaci-
ty and scientific deductions of the pioneer of that
interest, Dixwell Lathrop, Esq. In 1855, a
thorough examination was made by J. G. Nor-
wood, State Geologist, which demonstrated the
existence of three veins or strata, underlying an
area of about 500 square miles. These veins vary
in thickness, from three and a half to seven feet,
the central being the thickest, but the value of the
coal increasing with the descent. The existence
of another strata, still lower and still better, is
presumed, as the alluvial formation, or coal meas-
ures, has not yet been passed by boring. A com-
parison of the analysis of these coals with those of
the best Pennsylvania and Ohio bituminous, de-
monstrated that an open market could be success-
fully entered in competition. Immediately after-
wards, operations in mining were commenced on
76 THK HISTORY OF PERU.
a more extensive scale and more scientific princi-
ples.
Several shafts were sunk and powerful and im-
proved machinery employed. These shafts were
sunk in and near La Salle, with one exception,
which was in the westerly part of Peru, mime
diately on the river bank, and on the track of the
Chicago and Rock Island Rail Road. The struc-
tures, excavations, machinery and outfits of the
company operating this shaft are of the most
perfect and approved kind. Their facilities for
raising are equal to three hundred tons per day.
They are working the lower, or best vein four
and a-half feet thick exclusively, which they
have reached at probably its greatest depression,
three hundred and forty-six feet below the surface.
Analysis and tests, made at many gas works and
manufactories, are conclusive in establishing the
fact, that NO COAL HAS YET BEEN RAISED, WEST OF
OHIO AND NORTH OF THE OHIO RIVER, WHICH IS
EQUAL TO THE COAL FROM THIS SHAFT, lOR THE
AMOUNT OF STEAM IT WILL GENERATE, AND FOR ITS
FREEDOM FROM SULPHUR AND TENDENCY TO CLINK-
ER. What is true of this shaft is true, in a de-
gree, of the coal from the same vein from the
THE HISTORY OF PERU. 77
shafts at La Salle, the difference being due no
doubt to its greater depression.
The importance of this coal field to the interests
of Peru and La Salle can scarcely be over estima-
ted. When it is recollected that this is the ex-
treme northern edge of the Illinois coal fields ;
that the country all north, to the forrests of north-
ern Wisconsin, is but sparscely supplied with tim-
ber, and that growing "small by degrees and
beautifully less ; " that this country is already in-
terlaced with Railroads, all having a connexion
with the Illinois Central, upon which the coal can
be " dumped " directly from the mines ; that the
iron mines of northern Wisconsin are within
easy and accessable distance ; and that the locality
itself possesses extraordinary advantages for man-
ufacturing; its importance can be but partially
comprehended.
One word as to the advantages for manufactur-
ing. One of the most considerable of these is
the cheapness, excellency and unlimited supply of
fuel. To this must be added the acknowledged
healthiness of the locality and salubrity of cli-
mate ; and the facilities for drawing supplies and
distributing manufactures, by river, canal and
78 THE HISTORY OF PERT?.
rail road, which diverge in every direction, and
penetrate a country which, for hundreds of miles,
has a greater capacity for production, and conse-
quently for sustaining population, than any other
country of the same extent on the surface of the
Globe. Laborers, mechanics and artizans can pur-
chase the same degree of comfort here as in Chi-
cago or other commercial and crowded centers,
where of necessity rents and provisions must be
high, for one third less price. This, it will be per-
ceived, is a very important element to be taken
into account. It would seem as if these advan-
tages, combined with other and important ones
not enumerated, would soon become so convinc-
ing, as to make resistance to the establishment of
manufactories much longer impossible.
The present debt of the City of Peru is as fol-
lows :
Chicago and Eock Island Eail Eoad bonds, 40,000
Market House, do. 12,600
Current expense bonds of 1855, 5,000
Interest bonds voted for in June, 5,000
Outstanding Scrip (about,) 1,000
Total, $63,600
THE HISTORY OF PERU. 79
There is enough uncollected, (or in the officers
hands) revenue of the year 1857, which is reliable,
to pay all out standing scrip. The revenue of
last year, from all sources, was $8,582,34. The
whole amount of taxable property, real and per-
sonal, as appears, by the assessment roll, was
$1,752,306. It will be seen that the financial con-
dition of the city is by no means desperate. "When
the rail road sh all pay its dividends regularly, if
the issue of no more bonds be authorized, and
prudence and economy are observed in expendi-
tures, no difficulty will be experienced in meeting
all engagements, and gradually reducing the
debt.
On reviewing the census and other statistics,
connected with the growth and present and pros-
pective condition of the city, there will be found
no cause for despondency and discouragement, but
much for congratulation and hope. It is true that
no such rapid increase of population has taken
place as was anticipated, or as has been the case
in some other western towns. But there has been
no decrease, even temporary. On the contrary,
there has been a steady and gradual increase in
population, business and wealth, from the recom-
80 THE HISTOBY OF PEKU.
meiicement of the work of building the canal in
1843, to the present time. That this increase has
been no more rapid, may be accounted for, partial-
ly by the influence which the sudden and nearly
simultaneous construction of such a net work of
rail roads as covers Illinois, exerts upon all inte-
rior towns. There are here no mountain barriers
to obstruct the "construction of a rail road in any
direction. With the xception of the C entral, they
all cross the State from east to west, connecting
the Lakes with the Mississippi, and run without
much reference to the location of existing towns.
The consequence has been, that nearly all the
towns upon the river have had their trade tem-
poraily diverted, to a greater or lesser extent ;
and " prairie towns " have started up, to compete
for the trade, at almost every station. These
have enjoyed an ephemeral advantage, from their
supposed superior healthiness. That this is a
mistake, the mortality oi Peru, as exhibited by the
census table, for one year, 185T, which is a fair
average of every year except those when the chol-
era prevailed abundantly shows. That these
towns, while they have in no instance wholly stop-
ed the increase of those on the river, but only divi-
THE HISTORY OF PERU. 81
ded their natural accessions, will shortly react up-
on their older sisters, and, in their turn, contribu-
ted to their advancement and prosperity, is inevi-
table. This is already manifest in the relation
which Peru now occupies in reference to Amboy,
Sublette, Mendota, Arlington, Tonica, "Wenona,
and other towns on the Central, Chicago and
Burlington, and Rock Island Kail Roads, none
of which had an existence before the roads were
projected. That this is, an4 must continue to be
the case, is obvious from the fact, that while she
has all the advantages of rail roads which any of
them possess, she has in addition the superior
facilities which the river and canal afford. That
considerable accessions to her population have
taken place the present season is proved by the
fact, that only fifteen tenements, little and big,
are vacant, while over fifty have been erected.
The foreign element in the population, it will be
perceived, is quite large. This is the case with
all western towns. If, from the number set down
in the census tables- as "born in the United
States," be subtracted the number "bora of
foreign parents and counted as Americans, " there
will be left only nine hundred and seventy two
82 THE HISTORY OF PERL'.
who are Americans by birth and ancestry. But
the amalgamation of interest and feeling is so
complete, that society moves harmoniously, and
the subject of nationality is but little thought of.
It is believed that the mortality, as exhibited by
the census table, is unparalleled. It is about one
and one third per cent, of the population. This
result has been obtained by enquiry in every
family and can be relied on as nearly correct. It
includes infants and adults, and those who have
died by casualty, as well as by disease. It is
true that we have not as large a proportion of
old persons, whose lives are terminating in their na-
tural order, as in older communities, but it is also
true that we have a larger proportion of newly
arrived emigrants, whose health is influenced by
the fatigue and exposure of protracted voyages
and journeys, and by a change of climate and
habits. By a comparison with other towns and
cities, and with the entire country, it will be per-
ceived that the aggregate mortality is remarkably
low. In Boston, according to the report of the
Sanitary Commission, for a period of nine years,
the average annual mortality was 2,53 per cent ;
in New York, according to the annual report of
THE HISTORY OF PERU. O<5
the City Inspector in 1853, it was 4,4 per cent ;
in Philadelphia, according to the report of the
Board of Health in 1850, it was 2,29 per cent ;
in Baltimore, according to the report of the Board
of Health in 1850, it was 2,7 per cent ; in Charles-
ton, according to the report of the Board of
Health in 1850, it was 1,99 per cent ; and in the
United States in 1850, according to the census
tables, it was 1,39. So it will be seen, that the
mortality is less, if the year selected be an aver-
age one, than it is in either of the above cities, or in
the entire country. This comparison, it is hon-
estly believed, presents a fair index to the sanita-
ry condition of the city.
Prominent among the objects which challenge
the early and prompt attention of the citizens of
Peru, is the subject of a bridge across the river,
and a road across the bottom to the bluff, upon
which passing shall at all times be practicable*
The trade from the north and west which former-
ly centered here, has been cut off, to a great ex-
tent, by the Central, and Chicago and Burlington
roads. The most valuable trade which remains
is that from the south side of the river. This is
sometimes interrupted for months together, a*
84 THE 'HISTORY OF TER1T.
lias been the case the present season, leaving
merchants to look despondingly upon their crowd-
ed shelves, and mechanics to stand idle in their
shops. (Most likely they console themselves at
Kaiser's but this is not to be printed.) What
means shall be adopted for the accomplishment
of this object, is not the present purpose of the
writer to enquire. But that some plan should
be devised forthwith always excepting running
into debt is too apparent to admit of argument.
There is every reason to hope that the energy,
perseverance and financial skill of the present
Mayor, John L. McCormick, Esq., who is the de-
voted and zealous champion of the work, will tri-
umph over all difficulties.
We have now looked at the past and present.
What of the future ? "Will the magnificent pre-
tensions of the " Head of Navigation " dwindle
into thin air ? Will the metropolitan airs which
she assumed and flaunted before the eyes of envi-
ous rivals degenerate into the abject cringing of
the vanquished and crest fallen braggart? Will
the notes of arrogance and defiance which rung
ont upon the tympanum of an admiring world
subside into the moaniners and nnittcrinsrs of im-
TEE HISTORY OF PERU. 85
becility and dotage ? Will the hum of trade and
industry be hushed in her streets, and be super-
ceded by the fluttering of bats and the hootings of
owls ? Or will she decline into a quiet subur-
ban appendage of her more fortunate and energet-
ic rival ? Or will both places languish in prema-
ture decay, while neighboring towns stride on-
wards in their march to greatness ? Will the
manufacture of inordinate quantities of gas con-
tinue to be necessary to remind the world of their
existence ? These are questions that must be an-
swered by their own citizens. Certain it is, that if
they properly appreciate and energetically grasp
the advantages which nature, and a rare combi-
nation of external circumstances have placed
within their reach, it will be a long time before
the antiquarian w r ill have to grope through super-
incumbent accumulations for evidence of their
previous existence. ISTot merely by the exchange
and transhipment of merchandise ; not merely by
hotels, lager beer saloons, banking and exchange
offices, and houses and places of refreshment and
amusement, although they may be all prefixed
with the word " city, " can the destiny which is
their inheritance and birthright be obtained. An
86 THE HISTORY OF
intelligent and productive aggregation of bones,
sinews and brains must be domesticated upon
the spot, whose presence and influence will re-act,
with beneficent results, upon each and every lauda-
ble interest and enterprise. No folly or madness
can be more extreme, than that of those who think
they can sit down with folded arms, and realize
dreams of fortunes to be made through enhanc-
ed corner lots.
We have glanced at the material and political
commencement, progress and prospects of Peru.
Let us look at the moral and intellectual phases
of her existance.
Among her early settlers were many families
cf high culture, refinement, social condition^ and
moral standing. Of these were the families of
George B. Martin/ II. L. Kinney, S. Lisle Smith,
D. J. Townsend, Win. II. Davis, Fletcher Web-
ster, George W.IIolley, Lucius Pearl, II. P. Wood-
worth, W. B. Burnett, Gen. Kansom &c. Sel-
dom has a new, obscure, western settlement,
whose inhabitants were thrown together by
chance, gathered so brilliant specimens of eastern
intelligence and civilization. There was an un-
der strata, however, which by no means tends to
THE HISTORY OF PERI?. 87
brighten the reminiscence. The idlers, adventur-
ers and vagabonds, who follow public works in
new countries, and who congregate at the termi-
nation of navigation, made a rendezvous here.
Peru, as ought to have been mentioned before, is
broken by a precipitous bluff nearly an hundred
and fifty feet high. On a narrow strip between
this and the river is a single street, upon which
most of the stores, warehouses and shops are situ-
ated, in the rear of which runs the rail road.
Most of the dwellings are on the bluff, upon a
plane inclining towards the river and somewhat
broken with ravines. Formerly, as now, the street
under the bluff was generally avoided as a resi-
dence by the more orderly and quiet citizens. This
became the rendezvous of all the congregated
rowdies and ruffians. In the night it was almost
entirely given up to them. Orgies and revelry
were always in order. As this part of the town
was, and has continued to be the most visited by
strangers, the steamboats landing in front then,
and the rail road running through the rear now,
the fame of its doings soon spread throughout all
flie land. The reputation, thus acquired, clung
to it ; and while no place has had a larger pro-
88 THE HISTORY OF PERtf.
portion of quiet, orderly, intelligent and refined
citizens, 110 place has had a more unenviable rep-
utation, unless it be the sister town of La Salle.
So true is it that the fame of bad deeds travels
further and faster than good ones, the writer,
when abroad, on informing a stranger that he was
from Peru, has observed that stranger involunta-
rily button up his pockets and move out of the
neighborhood. "What reason exists for this feeling
may be seen from the fact, that during the whole
period of the town's history, no riots ; no fights,
resulting in death or severe bodily injury with
one exception, and that among a party none of
which ever lived in the town ; no robbery ;
and but few cases of burglary or larceny have
occurred. ~No night police has ever been found
necessary except at brief and distant periods.
Schools and churches have received constant at-
tention and liberal encouragement. If the order
and external sanctity of an interior New Eng-
land town do not prevail, the difference in our
circumstances, situation and history must be re-
collected ; and that these are not the tests of mor-
ality all over the world.
Few among the citizens have yet found leisure
THE HISTORY OF PERU. 89
to devote themselves to intellectual pursuits, yet
it is believed that the clergymen, lawyers, doctors,
merchants &c., have exhibited ability and attain-
ments equal to those of their class in other local
ities.
CHAPTER XI.
Western Towns Surrounding Country Scene
as viewed from the Chamber's House Salu-
brity of the Climate Water Soil Markets
Roads Hogs and Cattle Dairies Sheep
Grass fatted meat Horses Choice of Markets
Scarcity of Timber Morals and Society
Former difficulties of the Emigrant Present
Condition.
What ambitious communities these western
towns are, to be sure ! How they do chirp when
they once get their bills through the shell, and
while the greater portion yet adheres to their
backs ! What laughable contortions they make
in their efforts to crow, strut and clap their wings !
Eastern people must understand that there are no
villages in the West. Every aggregation of a
half dozen houses, a blacksmith shop and tavern
is a city, and their name is Legion. A meeting
house and school house so necessary in the East
to constitute a village are not necessary appcn-
THE HISTORY OF PEKTJ. 91
dages of a city in the West. Clapboard shells,
with their gables to the street, embellished with
square battlements to the ridge, are emblazoned
with "City Drug Store, " City Saloon, " " City
Hard Ware Store, " &c. There are "first class,
hotels, " too, between which and the rail road
depot, gorgeous omnibusses run. "When the cars
stop, what a din the runners set up of " Metropo-
litan Hotel, " " St. Nicholas, " " Eeviere House, "
" St. Charles, " &c. Wo, to the unlucky travel-
er who falls into their clutches. He will find
when he comes to settle his bill, that in respect to
charges, they are determined to do no discredit to
their sea board prototypes.
Here and there, one of these clapboards " cities "
emerge into one of brick and stone. Then three,
four and five story structures rise like an exhah\-
tion. Enormous turrets, bay windows, lofty ceil-,
ings, gold and vermillion, marble, iron and gew-
guws, without end, without order, without taste,
and without regard to adaptability, business or
convenience meet the eye on every side. Plate
glass windows disclose a profusion of costly and
variagated wares and merchandise, and enormous
mirrors entice unsophisticated rustic* down end-
THE I1ISTOEY OF PERU.
less avenues. Turning your eye upwards along
these aspiring structures, you behold broken win-
dows and other evidences of dilapidation, deno-
ting the utter uselessness of these lofty-creations;
and your amazement is no way lessened when
you learn, that from twelve to twenty per cent,
interest is paid for the money to erect them, se-
cured by trust deeds upon the building itself, up-
051 " out lots, " and upon broad acres of "wild
lands. " Then what palatial residences are rear-
ed in the suburbs ! Palaces, cottages, temples,
pavilions, pagodas and mosques adorn valley and
hill top. Domes, steeples, spires, turrets and mina-
rets, gleam in the sun light, peer out of clumps of
foliage, and struggle upwards at every unexpected
point. Porticos,verandas, observatories pillars, are
here, there, everywhere, in endless profusion.
Tuscan, Doric, Ionic, Corinthian, Composite,
Gothic and Yankee architecture are every where
attempted, sometimes several of them on the same
building, and sometimes all jumbled together.
Around them are close shaven lawns, graveled
walks, arbors, climbing vines, summer houses,
green houses, and flower plats, all under the care
of one, two, three or more Patricks. "Within, fres-
THE HISTORY OF PERIT. 93
cos and gilding, paint and upholstery, marble and
porcelain, rose wood and : mahogony vie, in
their power to please, with magnificent toil-
ets and languid ladies. Carriages, drawn by
thousand dollar bays, groome.d by blue coat-
ed Hibernians, flash upon the vision like the
gleam of a meteor. But alas, for the inevitable
revulsion ! Down on the " business street, " in
front of premises where deposits are received and
ten or fifteen per cent, interest allowed thereon,
and exchange is sold on all eastern and European
cities, a motley crowd of anxious and excited
people merchants, farmers, mechanics, seam-
streses, laundresses, draymen, and laborers are
assembled What brings thorn there ? Why, Mess-
rs. Dash & Splurge have "suspended'' that's all.
What weasen-faced, moustaehioued abortion is
that who declares upon " his honaw, the place is
almost equal to ISTew Yawk. " Why, that's Mr.
Hound, junior partner in the eminent firm of
De Laine, Brocade & Co., of New York. He is
the same individual whose- acquaintance we made
six or eight months ago, when he visited this lo-
cality and was introduced to us as Mr. Drum-
mer. What a capital fellow he was ! How bland ! -
94
How civil ! How polite ! How lie amused us
with stories of the splendor and grandeur of the
metropolis ! How delightfully he sang ! "What
a superb game of billards he played ! How he
insisted upon paying for all the Hiedsieck! Who
would have expected to see him transformed into
the morose, sinister, vindictive looking personage
which he now appears ? "Who would have ex-
.pected to see hi$ jocund, rounded physiognomy,
where a bland and perpetual smile sat enthroned,
distorted into a shape as angular as a problem in
Euclid ? We find, on enquiry, that his present
business here is to look after a little matter be-
tween his house and one of our leading firms who
have also " suspended. " He made the acquain-
tance of this firm on his late visit, took tea at the
house of one of them, sang an accompaniment
to the piano with the daughters, bade them adieu
with his hand on his heart, took a lunch and a
" smash " with the "old man" at the "saloon," and
left with a long order for silks, calicos, &c. Mr.
De Laine, the head of the house, being a little
more cautious, consulted the Commercial Agency
and found them set down as " reliable rather
extravagant in living^ indulge a little in horse rac-
THE HISTORY OF PEKU.
ing, but generally attentive to business, " and con-
cluded that it was " all right. " Hound finds it
" aint all right. " Mother-in-law owns the house,
furniture, horses and carriage ; brothers are pre-
ferred creditors ; clerks and servants are charged
with the collection of debts, from the proceeds of
which they are to retain arrerages due them for
wages ; and the landlord has sued out a distress,
and home creditors an attachment, which will sure-
ly cover every thing, should there be any little flaws
in the assignment. Hound comes to the conclu-
sion that he is taken in sold clone and that
it will not pay even to employ a lawyer in the
premises. In fact, his settled conviction is that
there is a collusion between all the residents of
this portion of the Earth, and that he will not
trust any of them again never.
The writer hopes that he will not be understood
as attempting to ridicule western towns, as a
whole, or to throw discredit upon western mer-
chants and bankers, as a class. Thriving villages
are springing up all over the country, and many
towns and cities are great centers of trade, justly
depending for their future advancement upon
their great advantages for interior commuiuca-
9*6 THE HISTOKY OF
tion, upon the matcliless wealth of the soil, and
upon the enlightened enterprise of their citizens,
The merchants, bankers and real estate owners,
are, as a class, shrewd and intelligent men, hold-
ing their credit and characters sacred and inviol
able, and many families live in elegant luxury,
fully justified by a permanent and reliable in-
come. Many, here as elsewhere, have been over-
taken by the recent monetary calamities, and are
suffering from causes which , ordinary foresight
could not have foreseen.
But whatever may be -thought of the advanta-
ges offered by the towns of Peru and La Salle
for their destiny is one for settlement and the
investment of capital, there can be no doubt about
the inducements presented to farmers and others
by the surrounding country. The climate is gen-
ial and "salubrious, the atmosphere invigorating
and free from miasma, and the scenery delightful
alternating from green and billowy swells of
prairie, varied by cultivation and improvement,
to wild and romantic dell's and ravines. Looking
eastward up the valley of the Illinois from the
observatory on the Chamber's House, no lovelier
scene can be presented. The fair and beautiiiil
THE HISTORY OF PEKU. 97
city of La Salle, joined to her westerly neighbor
by continuous streets and structures ; the graceful
spire of her cathedral rising clear and sharp
against the sky ; the wooded outline of the Little
Vermillion, indicating its sinuous course north-
ward until lost in the blue haze of the distance ; the
cultivated fields, yellow with waving wheat and
oats, or dark with luxuriant corn ; the quiet farm
houses nestling in their bowers of foliage homes
of those whose "lines have fallen in pleasant
places " the verdant and undulating stretch of
prairie bounding the vision as the waters do upon
the ocean ; the delicate tracery of the Central
Rail Road bridge, spanning the broad chasm of
the Illinois from bluff to bluff, nearly a mile in
length ; the silvery thread of the riverj now
hid by majestic elms and cotton woods, now di-
vided by islands, and now gleaming in sun light,
in the far distance ; the jagged sand stone ram-
parts of the southern shore, in some places rear-
ing their perpendicular sides more than an hun-
dred feet above the waters that lave their base ; the
rounded and cone like tower of Buffalo Rock,
rising abrupt and isolated from the valley below
all present a panorama of exceeding beauty
98 THE HISTORY OF PERU.
and loveliness. Unlike some other landscapes, fair
and pleasing to the eye, no deadly or unwhole-
some exhalations arise from the dank and luxu-
riant vegetation. The breezes which fan this
scene come laden with health and exhilaration,
pure as the icy breath of the Arctic Sea. No
portion of the United States is more favorable to
health than the counties of La Salle, Bureau and
Putnam. No means are at hand to enable a pos-
itive statement concerning the mortality of these
counties to be made, but observation from almost
their earliest settlement, and a residence in many
other different localities, justify the assertion that
it will fall short of most portions of New York,
Pennsylvania or New England. It is true that in
the early settlement, bilious fevers, of a mild
form, rarely resulting in death, prevailed to some
extent, as they have in the early settlement of all
parts of the country. These have almost entire-
ly disappeared, and have not been succeeded by
the more acute forms of disease, as has been the
case in other localities. The climate is particu-
larly favorable to recovery from all complaints of
a pulmonary character. Consumption the
scourge of New England hardly exists here.
THE HISTORY OF PERT?. 99
No doubt but that in a few generations, it will be
eradicated from families where it is hereditary.
~No nepenthe can reconstruct the consumed, vital,
human organ ; but it is believed that where no
considerable inroads have been made, a residence
here, with proper precautions, will do much to-
wards staying, if it does not completely baffle the
destroyer. It is also true that the country did not
escape the ravages of the cholera. What coun-
try did? A few elevated, mountainous regions
may have enjoyed immunity from that slow, nev-
er wearied, implacable traveller, who comes as
the wind comes and " bloweth where it listeth,
and thou hearest the sounds thereof, and canst
not tell whither it cometh, and where it go-
eth.
Water, pure, clear and cold, is everywhere
found trickling through the subforination of grav-
el, at a depth of from twenty to forty feet. It is
generally slightly impregnated with lime, but
otherwise holds but little mineral in solution.
Many of the early cases of fever and ague were
no doubt to be attributed to the necessity which
compelled the settlers to content themselves with
the surface water, putrid with decaying vegetable
100 THE HISTORY OF PERXT.
matter, to be found at a short distance below the
surface in sloughs and other depressions Run-
ning streams are not infrequent, though not so
common, as in hilly and mountainous regions.
The soil. What shall be said of it if The Del-
ta of the Nile, in its original opulence, was not
more fertile. It consists of a rich, black, vegetable
mould, from one to six feet in depth, resting upon
a sub-soil of stiff- clay. Its surface has as yet
been only scratched. When this shall be expen-
ded, the wealth below can be brought to light Vy
the sub-soil plow, an instrument as unfamiliar
here as the Koo-i-noor. An intelligent farmer in
La Salle County an old resident has been ex-
perimenting upon a piece of land of a few acres,
by planting and harvesting a succession of corn
crops, without fertilizers, for a series of years.
As yet he has found no diminution of yield. All
the cerials, fruits and esculent roots, adapted to the
climate, produce in perfection and abundance.
Winter blight and rust are incident to wheat cul-
ture every where, here as well as in other sections;
but insects the grasshopper, army worm, midge
and weavel have never yet made their appear-
anoe. The corn crop never fails. In two seasons
THE HISTORY OF PEEF. 101
out of the last twenty, a slight diminution of
yield occurred in one year by protracted rains
preserving the esculency of the plant until the
season of frost, and in another by drought.
"With these exceptions, it has grown and ripened
in all its perfection. Of course, crops are "short"
with some people always. The Hibernian said
that he believed that " if the steamboat never
sailed somebody would be left ;" so if the frost
never comes, somebody's corn will be caught. So,
too, the disposition among farmers to complain of
short crops is chronic, here as elsewhere. If the
statistics, gathered by means of agricultural fairs
or otherwise, do not exhibit so large yields per
acre, as in places where land is dearer, it must be
recollected that cultivation is as yet conducted
only in a very rude manner. No application to
the soil of materials whereof it is deficient, for the
production of certain crops, was ever dreamed
of. None of the high cultivation, adopted where
that practice is a necessity, is ever resorted to.
No portions of the three counties named are
more than ten miles distant from some rail road
station, or river, or canal landing, at all of which
a cash market is found for every kind of farm
102 THE HISTORY OF PERU.
produce, and a supply of all kinds of "store
goods " is for sale. Leading to these are roads
whereon the low places have been turnpiked, and
the sloughs and streams bridged, and which, if not
so solid and smooth, in wet weather, as those over
the flinty or gravelly soil of some portions of the
eastern States, are infinitely superior to those
corduroy affairs, running through the timbered re-
gions of Ohio, Indiana and Michigan. In dry
weather, no McAdam, no pavement, no Imperial
causeway is so smooth, so even, so easy, so noise-
less as the slightly elastic prairie road bed. Talk
of two-forty on the Avenue ! A natural prairie
road is the paradise of Jehus.
Horses, cattle, hogs those whales of the prai-
ries sheep and fowls thrive and are profitable.
The high price and great average yield of grain
have, of late years, induced farmers, to a great
degree, to neglect the dairy. The ruling price
of cheese, in the towns, for several years past has
been from ten to fifteen cents, and of butter from
fifteen to twenty-five cents per pound. Think of
that, you dairymen and dairywomen of the Wes-
tern Reserve, New York and New England !
Cows, grazing through the long summer upon
HISTORY OF PEKTT. 103
common prairie pasture, and requiring to be fed
only through the short winter, and the product of
their udders bringing those prices at your doors !
Wool growing, too, for the same reason has been
neglected. ~No country offers greater induce-
ments to raise sheep, were it not for the gangs of
worthless dogs which most farmers persist in'keep-
ing. The carcases were formerly of but little
value. Now the cost of getting them to - the
great eastern markets is so small, that for that pui^.
pose alone their production would be profitable.
What delicious lamb, mutton and beef grace our
market stalls ! How hidden and buried are the
kidneys beneath the white, thick, oleaginous cov-
ering ! How the layers of fat and lean alternate
through rib and sirloin ! How the rich juices fol-
low the carving knife as it slides, almost of its
own weight, through the roasted haunch ! Oh,
you benighted Yegitarians ! Have you no music
in your souls ? Do no involuntary drops ooze
from the caverns of your mouths, as you contem-
plate the gastronomic treasure, and inhale the
rich fragrance which rises like a halo ? Oh, you
unfortunate denizens of inland eastern towns,
who are compelled to essay mastication upon the
104
THE HISTORY OF
blue, stringy, tenacious substance which you call
butchers meat ! What wonder that the dental
art flourishes in your vicinity ! How would you
like to luxuriate upon these grass-fed fatlinge
of the prairie ?
The average estimate of a large number of in-
telligent farmers is that it costs about thirty -five
dollars to raise a colt to the age of four years. For
years past the price of a good work colt, at that
age, has been one hundred and fifty dollars.
The choice of markets, enjoyed by agricultur-
ists here, is of great advantage. It often happens
that the eastern markets are depressed while the
southern markets are buoyant, and vice versa.
The location upon the navigable waters of a trib-
utary of the Mississippi, and upon the canal con-
necting with the Lakes, gives a valuable option
to farmers.
One great bug bear of the prairies was former-
ly the scarcity of timber. The early settlers
skirted with their farms and homesteads the bor-
ders of timber, and deemed the central parts of
the prairie as valueless as an African desert. Ex-
perience has shown that these are the most valu-
able lands, and that no serious inconvenience 'is
THE HISTORY OF PERU. 105
felt on account of remoteness from timber. Lum-
ber from Michigan, transported by canal or rail
road, is cheaper for fencing than rails, though the
timber were at hand. Wire is also used to con-
siderable extent. The abundance, cheapness,
contiguity, and excellent quality of the bitumin-
ous coal, underlying portions of all three of
these counties, obviate all necessity of wood for
fuel.
Society is already established and settled, as in
older communities. The present race of farmers
is as intelligent and enterprising, as a class, as
those of the eastern States. The tone of morals
and integrity is as high as elsewhere. Schools
are everywhere sustained and fostered, and are
no where so remote as to render their advantages
unavailable. Churches, of all the several Chris-
tian denominations, are in reasonable proximity.
The price of land varies from five to fifty dollars
per acre.
What a difference in the condition of the emi-
grant farmer now and twenty years ago ! Then,
having bade good bye to the home and scenes
of his childhood, having sold a portion and pack-
ed a portion of his household goods, and having
106 THE HISTORY OF PERU.
exchanged the last sad and faltering salutations
with kindred and early and life long friends
each believing that never more on earth should
they meet with wife and children who tore
themselves reluctantly from each cherished face
and object, he set his face towards the setting sun.
A long and tedious journey by land, through pri-
meval forests ; over gullied and precipitous
roads and paths ; across bog, and morass, and fen,
and unbridgcd torrents, and dreary wastes of sand,
and scarcely less desolate prairie ; with wearied
and jaded animals, and lagging and loitering gait;
camping out by night and pacing through its long
watches, by turns, as sentries ; or by canal boat,
steamboat, stage and wagon, at length termina-
ted in a bleak and lonely prairie. Miles across
an ocean of verdure or a charred and blackened
waste, as the season was summer or late autumn,
glistened the roof of a settlers cabin ; or if this
were hidden by the swells of prairie or the con-
vexity of the earth, rose a small, faint column of
smoke against the sky. Away on the furtherest
verge of vision stretched a blue and indistinct
thread, like the first glimpse of coastline, as caught
from the deck of a vessel at sea. This was the tim
THE HISTOKY OF PEKU. 107
ber which skirted some distant water course. No
other object relieved the eye, as it wandered
around the circle. The loneliness of ocean the
wearisome expanse of sea and sky had here its
counterpart. The few articles of furniture and
clothing, of prime necessity, were hastily un-
packed ; a rude and uncomfortable domicil was
extemporized ; a stable, covered with long grass,
to shelter a horse and cow, was erected ; and a
hole was dug in the nearest slough, whence was
obtained a limited supply of dirty and impure
water. These were the comforts and accessories
which welcomed the early emigrant. No run-
ning brooks, no trees, no shade, no merry chil-
dren frolicking to school, no music of Church
bells, no decorous and well dressed people, wend-
ing their way to the edifice, where the organ's di-
apason and the solemn chant, in memory, rose
with their stately swell, no cheerful faces of
neighbors and friends, no kind voices to con-
gratulate in good fortune and console in bad, sur-
rounded and cheered the saddened pilgrims.
Soon, fatigue, exposure, privations, bad water, -un-
wholesome diet, repining and discontent brought
on the inevitable " ager. " Doctors, calomel, cpii-
108 THE HISTORY OF PJBRtf.
nine, yellow and jaundiced faces, emaciated forms,
broken spirits and general misery followed.
Twenty years ! Presto, wliat a change ! Rip
Yan Winkle has awoke ! "Where stood the lone-
ly hovel, now stands the commodious and com-
fortable farm house. Orchards, barns, granaries,
flowers, luxuriant foliage, pure water, broad fields
of grain and grass, lowing herds, good roads,
schools, churches, neighbors, friends, cheerful and
smiling faces, happiness and contentment have
replaced the former surroundings. The poor and
dejected emigrant is now the independent pos-
sessor of a domain a prince might envy. The
disconsolate and almost broken hearted mother
who, during long and weary days and nights, in
solitude and loneliness, watched and nursed her
puny and sickly brood, is now the happy, come-
ly and dignified matron, whose children and
grand-children are clustered around her. The
friends an'd kindred with whom she parted so
sorrowfully twenty years ago those of them who
are yet spared to earth are again her neighbors.
"With them she frequently exchanges visits from
fifty to sixty hours only, at most, being necessa-
y to bring them together. If Old Kip had actu-
THB HISTORY OF PERT?. 109
ally gone to sleep, twenty years ago upon the prai-
ries, upon awaking now, it is opined, his amaze-
ment would far exceed that inspired by the neigh-
borhood of the Catskills. Who will now com-
plain of the hardships incident to a removal from
the most favored regions to a country, already so
far advanced in all that contributes to the comfort,
enjoyment and embellishment of life ?
On the 6th August the world -was astounded
by the announcement that the Atlantic Cable was
successfully laid. Previous failures had left no
hope in the minds of any, even the most sanguine,
of such a result. The short, laconic, simple dis-
patch of Mr. Field the world renowned projec-
tor and master spirit of the work flew with light-
ning wings throughout America and fell upon
minds, where skepticism for a long time repelled
and resisted conviction. Slowly the possibility of
its truth gained the ascendency over disbelief and
doubt, till at length, the amazing reality of the
110 THE HISTORY OF PERtf.
achievement began to be comprehended. The
dispatch to his family of Capt. Hudson, of the
United States' Steam Frigate Niagara, from
which the cable was laid, was telegraphed
over the country and dispelled all doubt. That dis-
patch, beaiitiful in its epigrammatic terseness, and
sublime in its devout thankfulness and gratitude,
will be carried down the coming centuries, as long
as the remembrance of the great feat shall sur-
vive. " God has been with us ! The telegraph
cable is laid, without accident, and to Him be all
the Glory. We are all well. " In its first efforts
at comprehension, the mind utterly fails to grasp
and measure the terrible sublimity of Niagara,
the awful majesty of Mont Blanc, or the colos-
sal proportions of a vast cathedral, which
" Defy at first our nature's littleness,
Till, growing with their growth, we thus dilate
Our spirits to the size of that they contemplate."
So with the Atlantic Telegraph. The mind is
bewildered and baffled when it undertakes to
contemplate either the consequences which are
to flow from it, or the simple extent of the cable,
and the mysterious regions which it traverses.
Far down along the groined and vaulted cav-
TUB HISTORY OF PERU. Ill
erns of the Ocean's bed ; along the slimy path-
way, strewed with the wrecks of sunken argosies,
their treasures darkling in oozy dungeons, and
the forms of their once living, breathing, human
freight, stark and ghastly in eternal sleep ; along
rayless and gloomy depths, where silence and
solitude, profound and supreme, unending and
eternal, encompass, pervade and encircle as with
an atmosphere ; along submarine alpine peaks,
vainly struggling upwards towards the regions of
light and warmth; beneath where the storm Fiend
rides on the billow's crest, where the tempest
howls the hoarse refrain of its anthem, and where
sweeps the ice berg, congealed, perhaps, when
the morning stars first sang together ; stretches a
metallic thread no bigger than your finger, uni-
ting lands two thousand miles asunder in bonds
of harmony and brotherly love ; along which
glides a subtle fluid, conveying thought and in-
telligence those mysterious emanations of the
human brain and writes them in distant lands
as rapidly as they are engendered. A thought
is born, and instantly it is stamped upon a human
mind two thousand miles away, across the path-
less waste of ocean ! A human heart beats, and
112 THE HISTORY OF PERU.
its throb is felt before the blood returns for anoth-
er circuit. A word is spoken, and it is re-uttered
before the sound has died upon the ear of the
first speaker ! A question is asked, and its an-
swer comes back as the shuttle returns with the
woof ! A boon is craved, and the heart leaps
in exultation as it is granted, or sinks in despair
as it is denied, almost as soon as the lips have
closed upon its utterance! Stupendous achieve-
ment! Is there no limit to the conquests
of man over the forces of nature, tangible
or invisible ? Shall he yet find means, by
the clerity of his messengers and the invinci-
bility of his power, to overtake and reclaim
the lost and wandering Pleiad, and restore the
fugitive to its celestial companions ? Shall he
go on, step by step, into the shadowy realms of
the Impossible, until he shall claim affinity with
Supreme Intelligence? Shall he advance, in
the order of progressive creation, untill he shall
be developed in a being more nearly allied to
Ultimate Destiny ? Shall the curtains which con-
ceal the arcana of hidden knowledge be gradual-
ly drawn aside, and his eye rest, with imfliiiching
gaze, upon the secrets of the Infinite ? Thoughts
THE HISTORY OF PERU. 113
like these crowd upon the brain, stupified and
amazed by the announcement of an event, more
wonderful, as a triumph over Nature's obstacles,
than -was ever proclaimed since the world began.
CHAPTER XII.
Early Settlers in Vicinity Early French Settle-
ments Buffalo Rock Chronological glance at
Illinois Black Hawk War Indian Creek
Massacre Cork War Murder of Story John
Myers Ninawa Titles Col. Kinney A. H.
Miller Starved Rock Deer Park Sulphur
Springs.
The writer indulges in the hope that he will be
pardoned for the following digression, which,
though forming no part of the " History of Pe-
ru, " is so connected with it as to induce the be-
lief that it will be not altogether uninteresting to
its citizens, or to the general reader into whose
hands this little book may fall. The present
residents, as they turn their eyes over the beau-
tiful State they inhabit, and behold it dotted with
towns, cities, and cultivated farms, where the
presence of its original inhabitants is as rare as
in Europe, where churches, schools and libraries
THE HISTORY OF PERU. 115
are strewn broadcast over the land, where the
arts, embellishments and accessories of high civ-
ilization are everywhere present and pervading,
and where rail road and telegraph lines intersect
in every direction, may find it pleasant, for a few
moments, to drop the present and turn their
thoughts to the remote past, and briefly follow up
the chain of events, in chronological order, to the
period which immediately preceded the settle-
ment of the town. A brief notice of events
which occurred in the neighborhood, of the sur-
rounding localities, and of the individuals who
inhabited them, whose characters were marked
with strong and original pecularities, may als.o
not be uninteresting.
Looking backwards three years before the com-
mencement of this History twenty-five years
ago we behold the site of Peru occupied as an
Indian village. The very spot where is now the
residence of the writer is said to have been an In-
dian burying ground. Northward, the nearest
residence of the white man was at Dixon's Ferry,
and westward, at Princeton, excepting, perhaps,
the Jrloskins family near the Bureau. South
of the river were some settlements. Along the
110 THE HISTORY OF PERU.
timber towards Hennepin lived George Ish and
Henry Belong ; at Cedar Point, Nathaniel Rich-
ie ; on the bluff, near the old Fort, John Myers ;
at Bailey's Point, Lewis Bailey, William Seeley,'
"William Groom, Joel Alvord, Asa Holdridge,
William Haws, and perhaps a few others ; at or
near Hennepin, the Willises, Stwarts, Thompsons,
Durleys, Donlevys, Shepperds, Zenors and Dents;
at Utica, Simon Orosiar ; at Ottawa, the Walk-
ers, Browns, Covills, &c.; at Dayton, John Green
and William L. Dunnavan ; at Indian Creek, the
Halls, Davises and Petegrus ; and further east-
ward, the Hollenbecks and Holdermans. At
Bloomington, seventy miles distant, was the near-
est mill, and thither all the people went to get their
corn and wheat ground, until Green built one at
Dayton, in 1833 or 1834:. As late as 1837, as re-
lated by Mrs. Lockwood who then lived with her
father, Isaac Manville, at Manville Hollow, in Ce-
dar Creek bottom, two miles south of Peru, when
a new mill w r as erected and it was announced that
bolted flour could be obtained on a certain day,
the people nocked around it in crowds ; and so
eager were they to enjoy that luxury, that they
employed Mr. Manville's family to bake cakes for
THE HISTORY OF PERU. 117
them, keeping them thus engaged nearly the
whole night, and standing around the kitchen fire
it is not to be supposed that the other apart-
ments were very spacious or numerous with
watering mouths and excited palates, ready to
appropriate the delicious pasty, as it came smok-
ing from the pans. Mrs. Lockwood says she
was nearly exhausted, and thought the people
never would get enough. The frame of this mill
was afterwards removed to Peru where it was set
up, and is now occupied by Capt. Lewis Goodell
as a livery stable, We will now turn our atten-
tion nearly two centuries backwards.
The word, Illinois, is a French corruption of
Leno. The Indians told the early French set-
tlers that they were Leno-Lenapes we are men
meaning, we are brave or masculine men, in con-
tradistinction to cowardly or effeminate men.
To an imperfect pronunciation of the first word,
the French added the termination peculiar to their
own language hence Leiiois, and ultimately, by
a further corruption, Illinois.
It has been often remarked that the topography
and climate of Illinois bear a strong analog} 7 to
those of some portions of France. In its prime-
118 THE HISTOBY OF PEKU.
val condition, there was, in its landscape and at-
mosphere, the spirit of gay and joyous life, and
of soft and luxurious repose which distinguish
the Gallic Empire. The broad plains were free
from the enervating influence of the Tropics, on
the one hand, or the stern and rugged landscape
features which nurse the restless Norseman, on
the other. These may have been among the
reasons which tempted the Frenchman, after
their existance had been made known by the ex-
plorations of his countrymen, to take up his abode
along the streams and groves, which diversify
them. At any rate, French settlements were
made immediately in the footsteps of Marque tie,
La Salle, La Hontag and other explorers, who
carried the Holy Cross of the Church and the
Fleurs le Lis of France into these wilds, as early
as the reign of the Grande Monarque, Louis XI Y.
in the latter part of the seventeenth century.
Settlements were made at Peoria, Kaskaskia and
Cohokia, to which were transferred the arts, cus-
toms, manners, faith and costumes of France, at
the period, and where they flourished and were
conserved, with very little innovation, until the
approach of the American Goth the rude and
THE HISTORY OF PERU. 119
semi barbaric pioneer. Little jealousy and few
feuds appear to have existed between these intru-
ders and the tawny children of the forest and
prairie, by whom they were surrounded, and up-
on whose hunting grounds they were trespassing.
The imposing ceremonies of the Catholic faith,
and the simple, frank and conciliatory manners of
the strangers charmed the senses and soothed the
passions of these children of nature. The French
rule in America was, in the main, marked by the
absence of those terrible and prolonged conflicts
which almost always accompanied Anglo Saxon
settlement, in which the amenities of civilized, or
even barbaric warfare, were entirely ignored, and
each party strove to out do the other in acts of
revolting atrocity. The stern, cold hauteur, the
rude, coarse insolence, and the grasping, insatia-
ble cupidity of the latter inevitably aroused every
demon in the Indian breast. The English colo-
nists knew no arts of Indian conciliation. Their
tactics were limited to fire water in advance, and
the sword in reserve to avenge the acts of
madness excited thereby. The race has not de-
generated at all, in these respects, since the
maurauding Saxon scourged the Baltic shores of
120. THE HISTORY OF PEKtT.
Briton. In support of this, witness the efforts of
England to force an interdicted and demoralizing
commerce upon the passive Chinese; witness
her success in saddling the spawn of her aristo-
cracy upon the necks of the sujugated Hindoo
and Sepoy, compelling the worshippers of both
Vishnu, and Mahomet to bow before crosiar and
mitre ; witness the long and cruel oppression of
her Celtic neighbors; witness how we, shoots
from the same scion, have carried the bible in our
hand and the whisky bottle in the other, while in
the rear came the rifle of the backwoodsman to
enforce all arguments with the untutored savages;
witness how volunteers have rallied around the
stars and stripes, and pushed the original posses-
sors of the soil backwards, ever backwards, until
a new wave comes rolling from the Pacific coast
upon his rear ; witness the cruel and inglorious
wars if by that name they may be dignified in
Florida and Oregon, excited by mercenary and
unscrupulous jobbers for the sake of a chance of
plunder from the National treasury ; witness the
bullying of and final conflict with the mongrel
races of poor, decrepit, imbecile Mexico, where-
by the auriferous valleys of California and the ster-
THE HISTORY OF PERU. 121
ile wastes of New Mexico were wrested from her
nerveless grasp ; witness the fillibustering forays
in Central America ; and witness the undisguis-
ed lusting after the Gem of the Antilles, and
the unblushing announcement made at Ostend,
by dignified statesmen, claiming, in the nineteenth
century, to be Christians, and representing, not
cannibal savages or outlawed pirates, but a people
who profess to acknowledge the divine injunc-
tion, a do unto others as you would that they
should do unto you, " and to believe that the
command, " thou shalt not steal, " is as imperi-
tive now as it was in the days of the great Jew-
ish law giver.
But to return to the Acadian settlements of the
French in Illinois. The manners and customs
of the seventeenth century, as before mentioned,
were cherished and conserved by these communi-
ties, isolated as they were in the heart of a wil-
derness continent, until the beginning of the nine-
teenth century. Passing from French to Eng-
lish rule by the treaty of 1T63, they finally came
under the jurisciction of the American Confeder-
ation by the treaty of 1783. After the treaty of
Ghent in 1814 the restless American pioneer be-
122 THE HISTORY OF PERU.
gan to make encroachments. The contrast be-
tween these two representatives of their respec-
tive races, thus meeting face to face in the wilder-
ness, was even more marked and decided than
between the same races, separated by the English
Channel. The Frenchman represented a by-gone
age, softened and subdued by the influences of
more than a century's sojourn, in aggregated
communities, among the quiet, sylvan glades of
le belle terre. .The American, originally imbued
with the heartless and licentious voluptuousness of
the Cavaliers of the times of Charles II. or the
morose, ascetic manners of the Common wealth,
was in either case, transformed and remoulded,
but with many of his original characteristics yet
clinging to him, by more than a century's resi-
dence upon a wilderness frontier, where " no pent
up Utica confined his powers, " where the most
unbounded freedom of thought and action were
enjoyed, where the wants of nature and the re-
quirements of taste were gratified in the rudest,
simplest and most primeval manner, and where,
surrounded by the stern and gloomy grandeur of
forest life, continual conflict with savages and wild
beasts had produced characteristics which, trans-
THE HISTOJiY OF PEBU. 123
mitted from one generation to another, had cul-
minated in a character original, unique and in-
teresting. The salient points which distinguish-
ed him \\ ere unhesitating self reliance ; reckless
and chivalrous daring ; imperious and resistless
will ; cool and impurturable self possession ; spas-
modic and startling energy, contrasted with in-
termittent, if not habitual indolence ; strong, mas-
culine sense, undiluted with any poetry, senti-
ment or superstition ; scorning wilds and strategy,
"but always prepared to circumvent and baffle
them ; hospitable to friend or stranger, and ever
ready to share his wolf or bear skin, his hog and
hominy, his tobacco and whisky with all comers;
to his enemies bold and defiant, but generous and
forgiving ; to his friends faithful and true, deem-
ing desertion of their fortunes, in trouble or dan-
ger, the most aggravated of delinquences ; pos-
sessed of physical powers of endurance which
mocked privation and fatigue ; eye, nerve and
brain steady and true in all emergencies; migra-
tory in his habits as a Bedouin Arab ; ready, at
all times, to drink or fight, run or wrestle ; unlet-
tered and untutored as the savage who had been
his companion or his foe ; and uncouth and re-
124 THE HISTORY OF PERU.
pnlsive in action, manners and habits as the bear
with which he had coped in a hand to paw and
knife to fangs conflict.
Thus were the offshoots of the two greatest and
most cultivated and refined of modern nations,
vis-a-vis, in the heart of the American continent.
Soon the song of the voyageur,
" Such as at home, in the olden time, his fathers
before him-
Sang in their Norman orchards and bright Bur-
gundian vineyards, "
as he floated with the stream, or propelled his
batteaux against the current, with pole, and line,
and oar, and sail, was hushed forever. Soon the
panting of the steamer awoke the long silent
echos of the bluffs and startled the aquatic fowl
from lagoon and bayou. Soon the swelling tide
of a more advanced civilization rolled westward
over the prairies, and the " common " of the rus-
tic village, upon whose verdant sward and be-
neath whose branching elms, enamoured swains
and blushing maidens,
" "Wearing their Norman caps, and their kirtles
of blue, and the ear rings
THE HISTORY OP PERU. 125
Brought iii the olden time from France, and
since, as an heir loom,
Handed down from mother to child, through long
generations, "
had been wont to " trip the light fantastic toe "
to rude and simple music, was illumined with
the camp fires and whitened with the wagon
covers of the Saxon emigrant. Soon the alloted
arpents which, in the exercise of " squatter sov-
reignty, " had been appropriated by each family
as a home lot, were surveyed, divided, staked
and sold, and an embryo city was rising theron.
Soon the quaint and moss covered church, where
Yesper, Matin and Mass had erst been said,
chanted and sung, gave place to the " meeting
house " of another creed and faith.
The early French explorers established a post
at Buffalo Rock which, it is believed, was the
first attempt at settlement by Europeans, in
the valley of the Mississippi. This presumption
is supported by the following facts. De Soto,
after his two years wandering among the ever-
glades of Florida and the swamps and mount-
ains of what is now Georgia, Alabama and
Mississippi, arrived on the bank of the " Great
126 THE JHSTORY OF PEBtT.
river " in 1541, "but founded no settlement, left
no traces, and produced no effects, unless to ex-
cite the hostility of the red against the white
man. " One hundred and thirty two years later
1673 Marquette passed up the Fox of "Wiscon-
sin, across the portage, and down the Wisconsin
to the Mississippi, and returned by way of the Ill-
inois. But he, too, according to Joliet, who was
his companion, "founded no settlement, and
left no traces. " These two expeditions contained
the only Europeans that ever set foot in the Great
Yalley until La Salle, five years later, passed
down the Illinois. His route was up the St. Jo-
seph in Michigan, across the portage by the Kan-
kakee, and down that stream to the Illinois, upon
the banks of which he made his first halt and
built Rock Fort, where he established a Mission
and settlement, but which was afterwards aban-
doned, the inhabitants taking themselves to Fort
Crevecour. That Buffalo Rock was the site of
Rock Fort is probable from the name, as well as
from its superior advantages for such an estab-
lishment over any other place in the valley, from
the confluence of the Kankakee to Peoria. This
supposition is sustained by Perkins, Sparks and
THE HISTORY OF PERU. 127
Bancroft. A year or two ago, a brass kcetle was
found in this locality, imbedc ed in a strata of coal
which runs through this singular eminence. It
was reported to have been overlaid by a regular
seriated, unbroken coal formation ; but as this
statement is opposed to received geological theo-
ries, it is reasonable to suppose that it was depos-
ited by design or accident, in an excavation made
by these settlers.
On the 4th of July, 1778, two years after the
declaration, of Independence, Col. Clark, between
whom and Boone the honor of founding Ken-
tucky is divided, with a small band of frontier sol-
diers, surprised Kaskaskia, then garrisoned by the
British, and shortly afterwards made himself
master of Cohohia, without bloodshed. He first
brought to the inhabitants intelligence of the al-
liance between the Americans and their former
liege, the King of the French, which was receiv-
ed with rapturous enthusiasm, so galling and un-
welcome had been the British yoke. Les long
Conteaux, as the Kentuckians were called, and
les Bostonias, as the Yankees were called were
thenceforth welcome.
The attachment which the Indians always
128 THE HISTORY OF PERU.
manifested towards their great Father of France,
in oppposition to the British rule, was quickly
transferred to the Americans. In October, the
House of Burgesses of Virginia erected the country
north of the Ohio into the county of Illinois, over-
which they placed John Todd, of Kentucky, Gover
nor. Two companies, raised in the French set-
tlements, accompanied Clark in his famous ex-
pedition against Vincennes. In 1783, the treaty
of peace was concluded, by which the western
boundary of the enfranchised Colonies was de-
clared to be the Mississippi. In 1784, the North
West Territory was ceeded by Virginia to the
Confederation Congress. In 1787,it was organized
by Congress, but no government was established
in Illinois until 1790. This consisted of a Governor
three Judges and a Council, who combined exec-
utive, judicial and legislative authority. In this
year, the county of St. Clair was organized.
From 1783, when the country passed from under
British rule, to 1790 a period of seven years no
government of any kind existed in Illinois. In
1809, Illinois, then including what is now Wiscon-
sin was organized as a first class Territorial Govern-
ment, the people electing a House of Representa-
THE HISTORY OF PERU.
lives, and the President and Senate appointing
the Governor and Council. Mnian Edwards
was the first Governor and Nathaniel Pope, both
of Kentucky, the first Secretary. In 1812, war
was declared between the United States and
England. Soon followed the surrender of De-
troit, by Hull, and the Chicago massacre. At this
time no settlement existed in Illinois, north of
Alton, except the small French settlement of
Peoria. An expedition, in which the present
Buchanan candidate for Superintendent of public
instruction, John Reynolds, the " Old Ranger, "
participated, attacked and destroyed an Indian
village on the bluff, at the head of Peoria Lake.
On the 24th of Dec. 18M, the treaty of Ghent was
signed. In July, 1815, a treaty was made at
Portage des Sioux, a short distance above the
mouth of the Missouri, between the American
Commissioners, consisting of Gov. Clark of
Missouri, Gov. Edwards of Illinois, and Au-
guste Chouteau of St. Louis, and the various
Indian tribes of the North West, except the
Sacks and Foxes, under Keokuk and Black
Hawk, who refused to come to the treaty
ground. Two years afterwards, at St. Louis, a
130 THE HISTORY OF TERlT.
treaty was made with these tribes, an alledged
violation of which led to the Black Hawk war in
1831 and '32. From this time to 1820, emigration
poured into Illinois. It was almost entirely from
the Southern States, and stopped south of the
Sangamon. The population of Illinois was in
1790, about 2000 ; in 1800, about 3000 ; in 1810,
12,284 ; in 1820, 45,000 ; in 1830, 157,447 ; in
1840, 478,929 ; in 1850, 853,317; and in 1855,
1,300,000.
The first Legislature convened at Kaskaskia in
1812. Kot a lawyer or attorney is found on the
roll of names. Pierre Menard, of the French
settlements at Peoria, presided in the Council.
The Legislature of 1817 '18 incorporated the
'Illinois Bank of Shawneetown,' the " Bank of
Cairo" and the "Bank of Edwardsville. "
They all became depositories of United States
money. The latter failed soon afterwards, by
which the Government lost $54,000. The two
former failed, but were galvanized into life during
the Internal Improvement mania of 1835 '36,
and by their subsequent failure contributed to the
distress of the people in 1841 and 1842. In 1818,
Illinois became a State. Her constitution was not
THE HISTORY OF PEKU. 131
submitted to a vote of the people. Shadrick Bond,
of Kaskaskia, was the first Governor and Pierre
Menard first Lieutenant Governor. Gov. Bond,
at the first session of the State Legislature, re-
commended the construction ofthe canal. In 18-
20 '21 the " State Bank " was incorporated.
The faith of the State was pledged for its issues.
It failed and the State made up a deficiency of
one hundred thousand dollars which she bor-
rowed of or through a gentleman named "Wig-
gins. This was the famous Wiggins loan and
the foundation of the State debt.
The suggestion of the canal was made as early
as 1814, in Mies Register. The extract is as fol-
lows:
" By the Illinois, it is probable that Buffalo, in
New York, may be united with New Orleans by
inland: navigation, through lakes Erie, Huron and
Michigan, and the Illinois, and down that river
to the Mississippi. What a route ! How stu-
pendous the idea ! How dwindles the impor-
tance of the artificial canals of Europe !" Many
Acts were passed for forwarding this work one
in 1824, one in 1325, one in 1827, one in 1829,
but the law, under which the work was actually
132 THE HISTORY OF PERU.
commenced, was not passed until 1835.
In 182-1, the Sangamon river was the northern
boundary of settlements. North of the Illinois,
the. country was occupied by the Sacks and Fox-
es. As before mentioned, these tribes were not
represented at the treaty of Portage des Sioux, but
afterwards entered into a treaty at St. Louis.
Another treaty was made with them at Rock Is-
land in 1822, another at "Washington in 1824,
another at Prairie du Chien in 1825, and another
in 1830, by all of which they agreed to move
across the Mississippi. Black Hawk, a brave but
not a chief, refused to be bound by these treaties,
and in 1831, commenced a series of depredations
and murders on the scattering settlements on
Rock River, but on the appearance of the troops
retreated across the Mississippi. In 1832, he re-
crossed the river with most of the warriors of the
tribes, and defeated Maj. Stillman with 175 men
at a place about 20 miles above Dixon's Ferry.
Soon 3000 militia were rendezvoused at Fort Sci-
ence, which stood near where the river sweeps
northward from the foot of the bluffs above Peru.
These were joined by a detachment from Fort
Armstrong, on Rock Island, when the whole pro-
THE HISTORY OF PEKU. 133
ceeded under the command of Gen. Atkinson, on
the trail of the Savages. Gen. Scott, with six
hundred mounted men and nine companies of
artillery, was ordered from the seaboard, but be-
fore his arrival the western troops had put a ter-
mination to the war. These moved northward,
and by a series of actions one by a detachment
under the command of Col. John Dement be-
tween Dixon and Galena, one by Gen. Henry
near the Blue Mounds in Wisconsin, and one near
the mouth of the Wisconsin dispersed the sava-
ges and put an end to Blackhawk's power. Keo-
kuk, the regular chief of the Sacks, had endeav-
ored to dissuade them from the war, but the coun-
cils of Black Hawk, his rival, prevailed. The few
settlers in La Salle county at this time supposed
to be about one hundred in number suffered
much from the atrocity of the Indians. After
the rout of Stillman, the latter separated into small
squads for the purpose of murder, pillage and the
destruction of property. A party made an incur-
sion upon Indian Creek, a few miles north of Ot-
tawa, where they killed fifteen of the families of
Hall, Davis and Petegru, who were all living in
one house. The attack was made in the dav time
134: THE HISTORY OF PEETT.
by about sixty Indians, who watched the men
leave the house to go to their work upon a mill
dam close by, when they rushed from their co-
verts, one portion firing upon the men, while the
other entered the house and slaughtered all the
women and children, with the exception of two
daughters of Mr. Hall. The men, five in num-
ber, had time to return the fire of the enemy sev-
eral times, with probable effect, before they fell.
Two of them threw themselves into the creek,
but, on reaching the further bank, they were shot.
"Willian Davis and John W. Hall, sons of the
elder Davis and Hall who were killed, swam
down the stream, and baffled the search of their
pursuers. Mr. Hall is now living in the vicinity
of Peru. John Green, at Dayton, William L.
Dunnavaii, the Hollenbecks, Holdermans, and
all the other settlers in the region of Fox River,
were more or less sufferers, and all had to seek
refuge in the fort at Ottawa. One man was kill-
ed on the Bureau, six or eight miles from Prince-
ton. Some of the present citizens of La Salle
county, remember with gratitude the kindly ser-
vices of Shabanna, a friendly Indian, at present
living at Shabanna's Grove, to whose friendly
THE HISTORY OF PERT?. 135
warnings and active interference they owe their
own lives and those of their families.
The two Miss Halls Rachael about seventeen
and Silvia about fourteen years of age were car-
ried captive to the Blue Mounds thence to the
Desmoine, where they were purchased by the
Winebagoes for three thousand dollars in trin-
kets, of whom the Government purchased them
for five thousand dollars. They were taken
down the Desmoine to Keokuk where their un-
cle, Reason B. Hall, had repaired to receive
them. They were in captivity only fifteen days
and were,Fupon the whole, treated with very lit-
tle rudeness. Their faces were painted upon one
side black and upon the other side red. and their
hair, upon one side, was clipped close to their
heads, while upon the other it was suffered to re-
main long. One day they were ordered to lay
themselves down, with their faces to the ground,
while above them the warriors brandished their
weapons and debated about killing them, their
language being partially understood by the
captives. It is probable that the circumstances
were very favorable to the acquisition of the lan-
guage. One day, on their march, an Indian's
13(5 THE HISTORY OF PEBtT.
pony stumbled on the brow of a steep hill, when
horse and rider went tumbling, one over the oth-
er, to the bottom. The younger Miss Hall has
since declared that, notwithstanding all the hor-
rors of her situation, she could not help indulging
in a ringing shout of laughter. This, so far from
prejudicing her with her captors, gained her their
favor. Subsequently, a young brave became en-
amoured with her and, as a consequence, two
thousand dollars ransom were insisted upon for
her, while only one thousand dollars were de-
manded for her sister. While on their march,
they were allowed only one hours' intercourse
with each other during the day, and a squaw took
her place between them as they slept at night.
One of them was afterwards married to "William
Horn and now resides in Missouri, and the other
was married to William Mnnson and resides on
Indian Ceeek, near the place of the massacre.
This account has been frequently given to the
writer by different members of the family, and
lately by Mrs. Scott, Jan aunt of the ladies, who
at present lives in the town.
During the years 1837 and 1838, large forces
of Irish laborers were employed upon the canal.
THE HISTORY OF PEBU. 137
Some time in the winter of these years, one of
their characteristic feuds broke out between the
Corkonians or Minister men and " Far Downs "
or Lienster men at the Sagg, on the upper portion
of the work. This gradually spread itself down-
wards, until in May, a united effort was made on
the part of the Corkonians, who were the strong-
er party, to drive the " bloody Far Downs " from
all jobs. A skirmish took place near Marseilles
where the latter were worsted. The triumphant
party, excited by victory and bad whisky, defy-
ing the civil authorities, destroying property, and
abusing and maltreating every luckless county
Longfort man who came in their way, continued
down the line below Ottawa, to the job of Ed-
ward Sweeney, who was a Corkonian. Here
they were reinforced by his entire force about
two hundred men and marched, under his lead-
ership, to the extreme western end of the line, at
Peru, whence they countermarched, having
swept the line from end to end, of all obnoxious
fellow laborers, and destroyed many of their
shanties. The Sheriff, Alson Woodruff, sum-
moned a posse to quell the disturbance. "Word
was sent to the Deputy at Peru, Zimri Lewis,
138 THE HISTORY OF PERU.
late in the afternoon, to raise a party and form a
junction with another from Ottawa on the next
day. Lewis gathered what forces and arms conld
be raised in the town and neighborhood during
the night, and was ready to march early in the
morning. The rioters, some five hundred
strong, bivouaced near the " Carey Patch, or
" Split Rock'' just above the Pecumsogin. In
the morning they moved up the line, renewing
the excessess of the previous day. All were
armed with guns, knifes, scythes, picks, and
whatever other weapons could be siezed. Lewis'
forces were joined at La Salle, which then was a
mere cluster of laborers shanties, by a reinforce-
ment of Americans and "Far Downs" under
the leadership of that veteran contractor, "Wil-
liam Byrne, Esq., who was himself a Lienster
man, and whose employees were driven from
their work. On the way, the Irish portion of
the forces were with difficulty restrained from de-
stroying the property and insulting the families
of their enemies who were in the mob ahead.
Upon the ridge of table land, near Buffalo Rock,
Woodruff, with his posse, met the tumultous rab-
ble. The former, tolerably well armed, were
THE HISTORY OF PERU. 139
drawn up to prevent their further advance.
Woodruff ordered them to lay down their arms
and submit to the civil authority, warrants having
been issued for the arrest of the leaders. This
order was answered by a charge from the mob
which immediately produced a retreat of the
posse. The forces of Lewis and Byrne were at
first placed under the command of Capt. Ward
B. Burnett, the present Surveyor General of
Kansas, but who soon relinquished the command
to Lewis. They moved on rapidly to the place
where the party was held, a short distance from
which they overtook the enemy. Lewis repeat-
ed the demand before made by his superior, and
was answered by defiance and their hostile demon-
strations, upon which a well directed volley was
poured into them, which was immediately follow-
ed by a cavalry charge of such of the forces as
were mounted. The mob dispersed in every di-
rection. Some threw themselves into the river
whither they were pursued, and several were shot
in the water. A large number were arrested and
marched to Ottawa. Seven were killed, as known
at the time, and three others were afterwards
found in the grass and buried. Of the posse,
140 THE HISTORY OF PERU.
now were killed, but Cornelius Lamb, a black-
smith, and John Bracken, a laborer, were severe-
ly wounded. This account of the matter can be
substantiated by the testimony of many yet living
in the vicinity who participated in the affray, and
particularly that by Lewis and Byrne, to whom
the writer confidently appeals for the general
truth of the statement.
On arriving at Ottawa, the prisoners were
placed under guard, while their followers and as-
sociates hung in groups about the outskirts of the
town. Under the Constitution and laws at that
time, every Irishman, though he might nothave
been but six months from the bogs, was a voter.
Here, then, was a rich field opened for the dema-
gogues, and the reader may be sure they did not
neglect it. Here was democratic raw material
which could not be permitted to run to waste.
Sympathizers were
" Thick as autumnal leaves that strow the brooks
In Yallambrosa "
Gen. Fry and other aspiring gentlemen commen-
ced harrangues, but were speedily cut short by
the " boys " who insisted that this was not the
entertainment to which they were invited.
THE HISTORY OF PERU. 141
The number of Irish, living along the lines of
the canal and rail road, for many years, far out-
numbered all other residents ; but this was the
only demonstration against the quiet of the com-
munity which, by concerted action, has taken
place from that time to the present, if the riots on
the Central Rail Road work, on the south bank
of the river, be excepted. The excess and vio-
lence, in either case, must not "be attributed to the
Irish residents, as a class. To the conservative
influence of the more intelligent portion, rather
than to any exhibition of physical power, is the
community indebted for the general good order
which has prevailed. The learned professions,
merchants, farmers and mechanics are largely
composed of their class ; and many, who came,
here as poor laborers, are now wealthy men, ap-
preciating, in a degree equal to that of other citi-
zens, the blessings of a government of laws. The
writer is fully satisfied, by close observation, that
the influence of the Catholic clergy has ever been
on the side of order and submission to the laws.
Of the riots on the Central Rail Road the fol-
lowing account is presented.
In December, 1853, a force of about four him-
14:2 THE HISTORY OF PEKU.
dred and fifty men was employed on the embank-
ment and excavations on the south end of the
Central Kail Road bridge at La Salle. A misun-
derstanding existed between the contractor, Al-
bert Story, and the men about wages. The latter
had been employed at one dollar and a quarter
per day, but the contractor, being unwilling any
longer to pay more than one dollar per day, so in-
formed the men and appointed a day the 15th
when he would pay such as chose to quit work.
The men, on their part, alledged that they had
been allured from the East by handbills circula-
ted by Story and his associates, announcing that
one dollar and a quarter per day would be paid
on the job ; and that after they had expended all
their means to reach the work, the promise was
violated, and they were thrown out of employ-
ment, except at reduced wages, with families to
provide for, at the commencement of winter.
On the day appointed the clerk commenced
paying. Soon an error was found in the accounts
which was announced to the men, and the busi-
ness of paying was suspended. This incensed
the men, who rushed into the office and declared
they would help themselves to their pay. One of
THB HISTORY OF PERU.
them struck^Story in the face. During the scuf-
nle, Col. Maynard^a Superintendent of the work
and a resident of Chicago, left by the back way
to find and take care of Mrs. Story and her chil-
dren. While he was gone the assailants were
forced from the room and the door refastened,
when the crowd commenced with axes, picks and
shovels to break down the door. One succeeded
in entering, when Story, who was armed, asked
his clerks whether it was best [to shoot. They
said, "no, we had better be quiet." Mr. Story,
not knowing that Maynard had gone to take care
of his wife and children, went by the back way
to the house. Finding his wife gone, he started
for the stable for a horse on which to leave the
place. The men, seeing him, rushed towards the
stable, shouting "kill him! kill him! kill him !"
and with picks, shovels and stones brutally and
almost instantly murdered him, one man striking
him with a stone on the head after he was dead.
It has been asserted that Story did tire upon the
crowd, wounding one man, but this did not clear-
ly appear^on the subsequent trials.
The news of the murder soon reached La Salle,
and a telegraphic dispatch was sent to Ottawa for
144 THB HISTORY OF PERU.
Sheriff Thorn, who arrived with a military force
about 7 o'clock in the evening. These, with May-
or Campbell, of La Salle, and about one hundred
citizens, started for the scene of the murder.
On arriving at the spot a number of individuals
were discovered, scattered over the hills, some of
whom were armed, though only a few assumed a
threatening attitude. Being fired upon they stop-
ped, and one returned the fire, and received, in
return, two balls in his arm, and was then ares-
ted. The Sheriff then visited the different shan-
ties and arrested all, or nearly all, the men he
could find, amounting to sixty or seventy, of
which some thirty or forty were recognized as
participators in the row, though none were of the
supposed ringleaders, but these were subsequent-
ly arrested. The Sheriff left a portion of his
force as a permanent guard ; and the work being
prosecuted by other parties, the vicinity, through
out the winter, bore resemblance to a regular
military encampment.
Twelve were indicted as ringleaders in the af-
fray, four of whom, Kren Brennan, James Terry,
Michael Terry and Martin Ryan took a change
of venue to Kane county, where they were con-
TBE HISTORY OF PEBtT.
victed of murder, when a new trial was granted
which resulted in a second conviction. By the
clemency of Gov. Matteson their punishment was
commuted to imprisonment in the penitentiary
for life ; and among the last of his official acts, a
full pardon was granted. The executive interfer-
ence caused great dissatisfaction, and upon the
occasion of the Governor visiting La Salle, he was
burnt in effigy. Six were convicted of man-
slaughter and sentenced to the penitentiary for
one year and served out the term. The other
two were not found.
On the bluff, near the old fort, and afterwards
at Manville Hollow, for many years, there lived
an individual whose peculiarities were so strongly
marked as to demand a notice in this work.
His name was John Myers, but more familiarly
known, among the early settlers, as the "stallion
painter. " He was a fair specimen of the frontier
man a type of which is attempted to be de-
scribed in this chapter. In fact, he served as a
model for that description. But justice was not
done to his moral qualities. His rough garb and
uncouth manners concealed a noble and true
heart. He was brave, impulsive and generous,
146 THE HISTORY OF PERU.
and scorned and loathed subterfuge, evasion,
and chicanery as only a noble and true heart can.
He liked whisky, as all frontier men do, but he
seldom lost his bodily or mental equilibrium.
He was never in a condition when all his native
coolness and resources would not have been at
command in an instant, had he been assailed by
any of his old familiar foes, whether man or
beast. He was never quarrelsome, even in his
cups, but the wronged or weaker party in
any conflict, was sure to find in him a champion
as chivalrous as ever raised a shield or poised a
lance. His exhilaration was generally manifest-
ed in yells, such as no human throat ever uttered
before. The most ambitious steam whistle might
have been envious of his screams. These he
called his blessings. He sometimes indulged in
songs. Such unearthly notes were never heard
out of Pandemonium.
He would have made the fortune of Spalding
& Rogers by singing an accompaniment to the
calliope. Many of the present citizens of Peru
will recollect his vocal performances as he pur-
sued his way homewards across the bottom above
the town. On the occasion of the first opening
THE HISTORY OF PERU. 14:7
of a court at Ottawa, he went up to witness that
novel performance. Having imbibed a lew
draughts of whisky, and being rather unfamiliar
with the etiquette and decorum of courts, he in-
dulged in exercises not very gratifying to judicial
dignity or favorable to the progress of business.
Being frequently reprimanded he became some-
what incensed, whereupon he gave vent to his in-
dignation in one of the most remarkable efforts
of the lungs that even electrified a court of Jus-
tice. Judges, lawyers and spectators recoiled
in dismay, and it is believed that the pins and
tenons which confined the roof were seriously
strained.
When first known to the writer, he was nearly
eighty years of age, yet his step was firm and
elastic, his eye bright and lustrous, in the corner
of which there lurked an expression of humor and
fun, his mind clear and vigorous, and his voice
well, we won't say any thing more about that. Born
upon the outskirts of civilization in Georgia, he
had wandered along the streams and valleys of
Tennessee, Kentucky and Southern Illinois, rest-
ing from time to time, until advancing settlements
crowded him still further into the wilderness.
141 THE HISTORY OF
He was entirely unlettered, though he man-
aged to sign his name, and, as is reported, some-
times to his disadvantage. Notwithstanding this
he noticed all the fasts and holy days of the Epis-
copal Church, a circumstance which indicated his
southern origin. His usual dress was a buckskin
hunting shirt, breeches and moccasins. In this
costume he appeared, by special invitation, at the
first ball given in Peru. This was largely com-
posed of ladies and gentlemen, fresh from the
saloons and drawing rooms of the eastern cities.
As may be supposed, the etiquette and toilets of
the assembly produced no little astonishment i
the mind of the rough old pioneer. The ladies
eagerly sought his hand in the dance, but shrunk
back in agony from its vice-like grasp.
Being once more cramped and annoyed by the
influx of strangers he left this part of the country
in 1839 or 1840, and took up his residence in
Southern Missouri, near the Arkansas line. Years
and infirmities soon pressed upon him, when he
returned to the banks of the Illinois to die. He
was buried in the burying ground at Cedar point.
The writer has refrained from a notice of his most
distinguished exploits, as he finds it prepared to
THE HISTORY OF WSSV.
his hand, in a much better manner than he could
hope to accomplish, in the September number of
Putnam's Magazine. He would say that, in the
main, it corresponds with the accounts he has re-
ceived from the mouth of Mr. Myers himself, and
from those who knew him at the time of the
events related.
A party of eight or ten Indians, accompanied
by Myers, had been out two or three days on a
hunting excursion, and were returning, laden with
the spoils of the chase, consisting of various kinds
of wild fowls, squirrels, raccoons, and buffalo
skins. They had used up all their ammunition
except a single charge, which was reserved in the
rifle of the chief for any emergency or choice
game which might present itself on the way home.
A river lay in the way, which could be crossed
only at one point, without subjecting them to an
extra journey of some ten miles round. When
they arrived at this point, they suddenly came to
a huge panther, which had taken possession of
the pass, and like a skilful general, confident of
his strong position, seemed determined to hold it.
The party retreated a little and stood at bay for
a while, and consulted what should be done.
Various methods were attempted to decoy or
frighten the creature from his position, but in
vain. He growled defiance whenever they came
in sight, as much as to say, " If you want
150 THE HISTORY OF PEBTT.
stronghold come and take it." The animal ap-
peared to be very powerful and fierce. The
trembling Indians hardly dared to come in sight
ef him, and all the reconnoitering had to be done
by Myers. The majority were for retreating as
fast as possible, and taking the long journey ten
miles round for home, but Myers resolutely re-
sisted. He urged the chief whose rifle was load-
ed, to march up to the panther, take good aim
and shoot him down ; promising that the rest of
the party would back htm up closely with their
knives and tomahawks, in case ef a mis-fire.
But the chief refused ; he knew too well the
nature and power of the animal. The crea-
ture, he contended, was exceedingly hard to
kill. ~Not one shot in twenty, however well aim-
ed, would dispatch him ; and if one shot failed, it
was a sure death to the shooter, for the infuriated
animal would spring upon him in an instant, and
tear him to pieces. For similar reasons every
Indian in the party declined to hazard a battle
with the enemy in any shape.
At last Myers, in a burst of anger and impa-
tience, called them alia set of cowards, and
snatching the loaded rifle from the hands of the
chief, to the amazement of the whole party,
marched deliberately towards the panther. The
Indians kept at a cautious distance to watch the
result of the fearful battle. Myers walked stead-
ily up to within about two rods of the panther,
THE BISTORT OP PEKU. 151
keeping his eye fixed upon him, while the eyes of
tL e panther flashed fire, and his heavy growl be-
tokened at once the power and firmness of the
animal. At about two rods distance, Myers lev-
eled his rifle, took deliberate aim, and fired.
The shot inflicted a heavy wound, but not a fatal
one ; and the furious animal, maddened with the
pain, made but two leaps before he reached his
assailant. Myers met him with the but end of
his rifle, and staggered him a little with two or
three heavy blows, but the rifle broke, and the
animal grappled him, apparently with his full
power. The Indians at once gave Myers up for
dead, and only thought of making a lively retreat
for themselves. Fearful was the struggle between
Myers and the panther, but the animal had the
best of it at first, for they soon came to the
ground, and Myers underneath, suffering under
the joint operation of sharp claws and teeth, ap-
plied by the most powerful muscles. In falling,
however, Myers, whose right hand was at liberty,
had drawn a long knife. As soon as they came
to the ground, his right arm being free, he made
a desperate plunge at the vitals of the animal, and,
as good luck would have it, reached his heart.
The loud shrieks of the panther showed that it
was his death wound. He quivered convulsively,
shook his victim with a spasmodic leap and
plunge, then loosened his hold, and fell powerless
by his side. Myers, whose wounds were severe
152 THB HISTORY Off PEEIT.
but not mortal, rose to his feet, bleeding and much
exhausted, but with life and strength to give a
grand whoop, which conveyed the news of his
victory, to his trembling Indian friends.
They now came up to him with shouting and
joy, and so full of admiration that they were al-
most ready to worship him. They dressed and
bound up his wounds, and were now ready to
pursue their way home without the least impedi-
ment. Before crossing the river, Myers cut off
the head of the panther, which he took home with
him, and fastened it up by the side of his cabin
door, where it remained for years, a memorial of
a deed that excited the admiration of the Indians
in all that region. From that time forth they
gave Myers that name, and always called him
the Panther. (The writer has before given the
name by which all the old settlers will recognize
him.)
Time rolled on, and the Panther continued to
occupy his hut in the wilderness, on the banks of
the Illinois Elver, a general favorite among the
savages and exercising a great influence over
them. At last the tide of white population again
overtook him, and he found himself once more
surrounded by white neighbors. Still, however,
he seemed loth to forsake the noble Illinois, on
whose banks he had been so long a fixture, and
ke held on, forming a sort of connecting line be-
THE HISTORY OF PERU. 158
tween the white settlers and the Indians.
At length hostilities broke out, which resulted
in the memorable Black Hawk war, that spread
desolation through that part of the country.
Parties of Indians committed the most wanton
and cruel depredations, often murdering old
friends and companions, with whom they had
long held conversation. The white settlers, for
some distance round, nocked to the cabin of the
Panther for protection. His cabin was trans-
formed into a sort of garrison, and was filled with
more than an hundred men, women and children,
who rested almost their only hope of safety on the
prowess of the Panther, and his influence over
the savages.
At this time a party of about nine hundred of
the Iroqnois were on the banks of the Illinois,
about a mile from the garrison of Myers, and
nearly opposite the present town of La Salle.
One day news was brought to the camp of Myers,
that his brother-in-law and wife, and their three
children, had been cruelly murdered by some of
the Indians. The Panther heard the sad news
in silence. The eyes of the people were upon
him, to see what he would do. Presently they
beheld him with a deliberate and determined air,
putting himself in battle array. He girdled on
his tomahawk and scalping knife, and shouldered
his loaded rifle, and, at open mid-day, silently
nd alone, bent his steps towards the Indian en-
154: THE HISTORY OF PERU.
campment. "With a fearless and firm tread, he
marched quietly into the midst of the assembly,
elevated his rifle at the head of the principal
Chief present, and shot him dead on the spot.
He then deliberately severed the head from the
trunk, and holding it up by the hair before the
awe-struck multitude, he exclaimed, "You have
murdered my brother-in-law, his wife and little
ones ; and now I have murdered your Chief, I am
now even with you. But now mind, every one oJ
you that is found here to-morrow morning at sun
rise, is a dead Indian !"
All this was accomplished without the least mo
lestation from the Indians. These people are ac
customed to regard any remarkable deed of dar
ing as the result of some supernatural agency
and doubtless so considered the present incident
Believing their Chief had fallen a victim to some
unseen power, they were stupified with terror, anc
looked on without, a thought of resistance. My
ers bore off the head in triumph to his cabin
where he was welcomed by anxious friends, almos
as one returning from the dead. The next morn
ing not an Indian was to be found anywhere ii
the vicinity.
It is probable that the above may be takei
with some allowance. There is certainly a mis
take about the Indians being Iroquois, and abou
their being an hundred people garrisoned at My
THE HISTOET OF PERU. 155
ers' cabin, and probably about their being any
there at all. There probably were some people
gathered in the fort, close by.
The title to that portion of Peru, called E"ina-
wa, rests upon the following basis. Lyman D.
Brewster, as mentioned in the first chapter of this
History, held under the Government of the Uni-
ted States. At his demise he bequeathed it to
the American Colonization Society. This body,
being a mere voluntary association of individuals,
having no corporate existence, was incapable of
becoming a devisee of real estate. It followed,
then, that the property reverted to the heirs-at-
law as of an Intestate. From these Theron D.
Brewster obtained releases. Some of them, by
reason of their minority being incompetent to ex-
ecute conveyances at the time, have, since arri-
ving at their majority, conveyed^their several in-
terests. Mr. Brewster conveyed an undivided
two-tenths in section seventeen, and an undivi-
ded four-tenths in section twenty to Col. H. L.
Kinney, by whom various undivided interests
were sold one to Col. Ward B. Burnett, one to
Capt. Richard Philips, of the St. Louis Demo-
crat, one to Hon. Henry Hubbard, of New
THE HISTORT^OF PERU.
Hampshire, and one to Hon. Daniel Webster,
of the United States of America, Mr. Brews-
ter sold another undivided interest to JPenn &
Holmes of Montreal, by whom it was conveyed to
E. D. Whitney, of Philadelphia. Through some,
or all of these parties, the title to all property in
Ninawa Additionjis derived.
Col. Kinney occupied a very conspicuous posi-
tion in the incipient stages of the existence of
Peru. He emigrated from Bradford county, Penn.,
in 1838, and commenced making a new farm on
the west bank of Spring Creek, working assidu-
ously during the following winter at splitting
rails. In 1835, in connection with F s Capt. Ulys-
ses Spaulding, he built a store where Peru now
stands and filled it with goods. Upon the letting
of work on the canal, he became a contractor for
all that portion below the Little Vermillion, in-
cluding locks, basin and channel, amounting to
nearly a million of dollars. He soon embarked
in other speculations and business, and became
the most influential and noted man in this part of
the State. In 1837 and the early part of 1838,
everybody's movements appeared to be regulated
by those of Col. Kinney. He WBS the central
THB HISTORY F PERU. 157
Sun from whom all lesser orbs borrowed their
light. In 1837, Kinney became disconnected
from Spaulding, and was joined by Daniel J.
Townsend. A portion of the business was then
conducted in the name of Townsend &r Kinney.
In 1838, their affairs fell into confusion and Kin-
ney left. It was wonderful how many people, in
the town and vicinity, were ruined by his failure.
Many, who had been brought here from Penn-
sylvania at his expense, and had lived upon his
bounty while here, were suddenly ruined by the
treachery and perfidy of their friend, aad, as a
consequence, were entirely unable to meet their
own little engagements.
Col. Kinney, as is well known, was and is a
man of indominitable energy, and possessed of a
brain fertile with vast schemes and gigantic en-
terprises. He is said to have rode once to Chica-
go, a distance of one hundred miles, without
leaving his saddle. Gen. Taylor reported him as
having moved a command of mounted men, in
the Mexican War, one hundred miles in twenty-
four hours a feat, it is believed, without a paral-
lel. His address and manners were captivating
in the extreme, and he possessed a sort of magnetic
158 THE HISTOBY OF PEKU.
power to bind all who came within the sphere of
his influence, to his interests and fortunes. His
hospitality and liberality were circumscribed only
by the means at his command at the moment, and,
as a consequence, parasites clung to him with a
tenacity known only to that interesting class.
Two ot his sisters still reside in the town, and
his venerable father, Simon Kinney, Esq., at Tis-
kilwa.
Col. Kinney soon afterwards turned up at Cor-
pus Christi, Texas. His career thenceforth has
become a portion of the history of that State, of
the Mexican War, and of Central America.
Among the motley crowd who were gathered
at Peru in 1338 was a man named A. H. Miller.
His usual cognomen was " Old Kentuck. '' He
dressed in the full splendor of a five-year-gone-by
fashion, wore high top boots of brilliant colors,
drawn over his pantaloons, with tassels pendant
nearly to the scrupulously polished bottoms, and
ruffle shirts which the drippings of frequent pota-
tions soon soiled, and was generally superbly
mounted, the trappings of his horse being gaudy
as those of a Field Marshal. He was of Hercu-
lean frame over six feet in height and alwavs
THE HI8TOKT OF PERU. 159
went armed with a brace of revolvers, one on
each side, their hilts protruding ostentatiously in
sight, a ponderous Bowie knife down his back, a
dagger in his belt, and a pocket pistol in his right
breeches-pocket w r hich he christened "little Bet-
sey, " and upon which was inscribed, "hark from
the tombs " in short he was a complete moving
arsenal. Upon the slightest provocation, he would
assume the most belligerent attitude and diabolical
frown, set his teeth in manacing rigidity, and
fumble among his tools, which sent forth certain
ominous little clicks. Many was the eye chat
quailed and cheek that blanched before this per-
sonification of rage and power. At length some
of the " boys " bethought themselves of the old
adage about barking dogs, and concluded to try
his mettle. The result was that he displayed the
white feather and turned tails to, as the saying
is, amid the jeers and taunts of the by-standers. t
From that moment his prestige was gone, and
ever afterwards he " roared as gently as a sucking
dove. " Those who had quailed before his wrath
took ample revenge by bullying him upon every
occasion.
The most noticeable places in the neighborhood
160 THB HISTORY OF PERF.
are Starved Rock, Deer Park and the Sulphur
Springs. The following account of the first of
these is from Perkin's Annals .
Starved Rock, near the foot of the rapids of
the Illinois, is a perpendicular mass of lime and
sand stone washed by the current at its base and
elevated one hundred and fifty feet. The diam-
eter of its surface is about one hundred feet, with
a slope extending to the adjoining bluff from
which alone it is accessible.
Tradition says that after the Illinois Indians
had killed Pontiac, the great Indian Ch?.3f of the
northern Indians made war upon them. A band
of the Illinois, in attempting to escape, took shel-
ter on this rock, which they soon made inaccessa-
ble to their enemies, and where they were closely
besieged. They had secured provisions, but their
only resource for water was by letting down ves-
sels with bark ropes to the river. The wily be-
siegers contrived to come in canoes under the rock
and cut off their buckets, by which means the
unfortunate Illinois were starved to death. Many
years after, their bones were whitening on this
summit.
Deer Park is a gorge or ravine, worn by the
action of water through the sandstone superstruc-
ture, about thirty or forty feet in width, seventy
or eighty in depth, and about a quarter of a mile
THE niSTOET OF rFIMJ. 161
in length. It is entered on a level with the bot-
tom of the Big Vennillion, about four miles from
Pern, and can be explored with carnages its entire
length. The upper end is enlarged into an am-
phitheatre, about one hundred feet in diameter
and over arched with projecting sand stone cliffs.
In the center of this enlargement bubbles a foun-
tain of cool and refreshing water, whence trickles
a crystal rill down the entire length of the gorge.
During the sultry days of summer it is a delight-
ful place of resort, and, to use a popular term,
is extensively " improved. " Its name is suppo-
sed to be derived from the practice of the Indians,
in driving herds of deer into its mouth, when,
having no aperture of escape, they became en ea-
sy prey.
The Sulphur Springs are several streams of
water, issuing from the crevises of the sand stone
rock, on an elevated plateau, rising from the riv-
er bottom, not far from midway between Ottawa
and Peru, l^ear them is aline, commodious Ho-
tel, for the accomodation of visitors. The waters
are highly charged with sulphur and other miner-
al, a:o qui-c offensive to the taste of the novice,
and are said to possess valuable curative proper-
162 THE mSTOIlY OF PERU.
ties. For a more particular analysis of these wa-
ters, the reader is referred to the gentleman, yet
living in our midst, who enjoyed the advantage of
listening to Doctor Harrison's learned disquisi-
tion, and who has doubtless treasured much of
the lore dragged to light on the memorable occa-
sion referred to in the preceding pages.
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS-URBANA
977.327B39H C001
THE HISTORY OF PERU. PERU
30112025388312
