LIBRARY
OF THL
U N 1VER5 ITY
or ILLl NOIS
>.\
KLINOIS HISTOSICAL SUMt
JIJI,
STARK COUNTY
ILLINOIS
AND ITS PEOPLE
A RECORD OF SETTLEMENT, ORGANIZATION,
PROGRESS AND ACHIEVEMENT
J. KNOX HALL
SUPERVISING EDITOR
ILLUSTRATED
VOLUME I
Chicago
THE PIONEER PUBLISHING COMPANY
1916
^ -^..f .^r'^y
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I
<^ PHYSICAL FEATURES, GEOLOGY, ETC.
LOCATIOX AND BOUNDARIES — SURFACE — RIVERS AND CREEKS — GENERAL
CHARACTER NATIVE A'EGETATION ANLMALS AND BIRDS GEOLOGY
— THE COAL MEASURES — SECTIONS OF MINING SH^Vl'TS — EXTENT OF
THE COAL DEPOSITS — BUILDING STONE — THE GLACIAL EPOCH HOAV
STARK COUNTY ^VAS FORMED — CHARACTER OF THE GLACIAL DRIFT —
THE AVATER SUPPIA' 9
CHAPTER II
ABORIGINAL INHABITANTS
.MOUND BUILDERS FIRST NOTICE OF MOUNDS IN THE UNITED STATES
CHARACTER AND STRUCTURE OF THE MOUNDS — EARLY INVESTIGA-
TIONS AND THEORIES WORK OF THE BUREAU OF ETHNOLOGY — DIS-
TRICTS IX THE UNITED STATES — WHO WERE THE MOUND BUILDERS —
MORE THEORIES — RELICS IX THE COUNTY OF STARK — ADAMS AND
shallexberger's work 22
CHAPTER III
INDIAN HISTORY
DISTRIBUTIOX OF IXDIAX NATIO>JS AT THE CLOSE OF THE FIFTEENTH
CENTURY" — THE ILLINOIS — SUBORDINATE TRIBES — THE SACS AND
FOXES THE BLACK HAWK WAR DEATH OF BLACK HAWK THE
POTTAWATOMI THEIR VILLAGES IN STARK COUNTY SHAB-BO-NEE
— TREATIES WITH THE POTTAWATOMI THEIR CHARACTER THE
WINNEBAGO INDIAN NA:MES 31
\ iii
\ I I 0948 I
iv CONTENTS
CHAPTER IV
THE PERIOD OF PREPARATION
EiiRLY EXPLORATIONS IN AMERICA SPANISH, FRENCH AND ENG-
LISH CLAIMS TO TERRITORY IN THE NEA\^ WORLD — THE JESUIT
MISSIONARIES — DISCOVERY OF THE MISSISSIPPI — :MARQUETTE AND
JOLIET LA SALLE's EXPEDITIONS LOUISIANA CROXAT AND LAW
THE MISSISSIPPI BUBBLE — CONFLICT OF INTERESTS — FRENCH AND
INDIAN AVAR — ILLINOIS A BRITISH POSSESSION THE WAR OF THE
REVOLUTION CLARK's CONQUEST OF THE NORTHWEST ILLINOIS
UNDER VARIOUS JURISDICTIONS ADMITTED AS A STATE EVOLUTION
OF STARK COUNTY — RECAPITULATION 45
CHAPTER V
SETTLEMENT OF STARK COUNTY
AN OLD TRADING POST EVELAND AND ROSS — ISAAC B. ESSEX THE ORIG-
INAL PIONEER — FIRST CABIN IN STARK COUNTY — LIST OF SETTLERS
EACH YEAR TO 1839 — PIONEER LIFE AND CUSTOMS — THE HOUSE
RAISING — FURNITURE AND UTENSILS — SWAPPING WORK — AMUSE-
MENTS AND PASTIMES — MARKING ANIMALS — THE OLD TRAPPER's
SOLILOQUY 58
CHAPTER VI
STARK COUNTY ORGANIZED
THE MILITARY LAND GRANT — FORGED TITLES — FIRST COUNTIES IN THE
ILLINOIS VALLEY — STARK COUNTY — THE ORGANIC ACT — FIRST ELEC-
TIONS — THE COUNTY SEAT — CHANGE IN GOA'ERNMENT — THE COURT-
HOUSE — THE ANNEX — THE COUNTY JAIL — SHERIFF MURCHISON's
REPORT — THE POOR FARM — HOW THE COUNTY WAS NAMED 70
CHAPTER VII
TOWNSHIP HISTORY
ORIGIN OF THE TOWNSHIP — FIRST TOWNSHIPS IN THE UNITED STATES —
justices' districts in STxVRK COUNTY — ESTABLISHMENT OF CIVIL
CONTENTS V
TOAVNSHIPS IX 1853 — ELM IRA — ESSEX— GOSHEN — OSCEOLA — PENN
— TOULON — VALLEY — WEST JERSEY — MILITARY LAND ENTRIES IN
E^CH — HOW THE TOAVNSHIPS AVERE NAMED — EARLY SETTLERS-
PRESENT DAY CONDITIONS— RAILROADS— SCHOOLS— POPULATION AND
AVEALTH ^^
CHAPTER VIII
CITIES, TOWNS AND VILLAGES
SPECULATION IN EARLY DAYS — NUMEROUS TOWNS PROJECTED — LIST OF
TOAVNS AND VILLAGES IN STARK COUNTY — CITIES OF TOULON AND
WYOMING INCORPORATED VILLAGES OF BRADFORD AND LAFAYETTE
MINOR VILLAGES HISTORICAL SKETCH OF EACPI PRESENT DAY
CONDITIONS POSTOFFICES AND RURAL MAIL ROUTES Ill
CHAPTER IX
MILITARY HISTORY
AVAR OF 1812 BLACK HAAVK AA^VR AVAR AVITH MEXICO AA'AR OF 1861-
'65 — CONDITIONS LEADING UP TO THE AVAR — THE SLAA'ERY QUESTION
C0MPR03IISE LEGISLATION — KANSAS-NEBRASKA BILL — POLITICAL
CAMPAIGN OF 1860 — SECESSION OF THE SLAA'E STATES — FALL OF FORT
SUMTER — CALL FOR A'OLUNTEERS — AVAR MEETING AT TOULON — ILLI-
NOIS' RESPONSE — EARLY ENLISTMENTS — BRIEF HISTORIES OF THE
REGIMENTS IN AVHICH STARK COUNTY AVAS REPRESENTED — ROSTER
OF STARK COUNTY COMPANIES — MISCELLANEOUS INFANTRY ENLIST-
MENTS — CAA^ALRY SERVICE — ARTILLERY — SOLDIERs' MONUJIENT^
THE AVORK AT HOME 135
CHAPTER X
INTERNAL II^IPROVEMENTS
EARLY CONDITIONS IN STARK COUNTY — ^DIFFICULTIES OF EARLY TRAVEL
— INDIAN TRAILS — PUBLIC HIGHAVAYS — KNOXVILLE & GALENA STATE
ROAD FIRST ROAD DISTRICTS AND SUPERVISORS PETITIONS AND
VIEAVERS MODERN HIGHAVAYS STATE HIGHAVAY COMMISSION-
STATE INTERNAL IMPROAEMENTS — ILLINOIS & MICHIGAN CANAL —
vi CONTENTS
ACT OF 1836 LxUJGE APPROPRIATIONS FOR RIVER IMPROVEMENTS
AND RAILRO^VDS THE RAILROAD ERA WESTERN AIR LINE A3IER-
ICAN CENTRAL — CHICAGO, ROCK ISLAND &: PACIFIC — CHICAGO, BUR-
LINGTON & QUINCY — CHICAGO & NORTHWESTERN — VALUE OF RAIL-
ROAD PROPERTY IN THE COUNTY 162
CHAPTER XI
FINANCE AND INDUSTRY
PUBLIC REVENUES — PROPERTY VALUES — PRINCIPAL FUNDS RAISED BY
TAXATION — BANKING INSTITUTIONS — GENERAL HISTORY — EARLY
BANKING IN ILLINOIS STARK COUNTY BANKS AGRICULTUItE^
CROP AND LIVE STOCK STATISTICS STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE
farmers' INSTITUTES — COAL MINING — MANUFACTURING TELE-
PHONE COMPANIES 177
CHAPTER XII
EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
CHARACTER OF THE EARLY SCHOOLS — SCHOOLHOUSE AND FURNITURE —
TEXT-BOOKS SPELLING SCHOOLS — THE THREE r's — PUBLIC SCHOOL
SYSTEM — STARK COUNTY SCHOOLS PIONEER TEACHERS — EDUCA-
TION^VL PROGRESS BY TOWNSHIPS THE SEMINARY TOULON PUBLIC
SCHOOLS — TOULON ACADEMY WYOMING PUBLIC SCHOOLS — SCHOOL
OFFICERS TEACHERS^ INSTITUTE — TEACHERS' ASSOCIATION — THE
PRESS — BRIEF HISTORIES OF THE VARIOUS NEWSPAPERS — EXTINCT
NEAVSPAPERS PUBLIC LIBRARIES WYOJIING TOULON LAFAY-
ETTE BRADFORD ELMIRA IJBRARY ASSOCIATION SCHOOL
LIBRARIES. ....... ^ 194
CHAPTER XIII
THE BENCH AND BAR
PURPOSE OF THE COURTS — THE LAWYER AS A CITIZEN — EARLY COURTS
OF STARK COUNTY FIRST JURORS SKETCHES OF EARLY JUDGES- -
LIST OF CIRCUIT JUDGES SINCE 1839 — CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS
CONCERNING COURTS PROBATE COURT COUNTY COURT AND JUDGES
state's ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES COURTS THE BAR CONDI-
TIONS OF EARLY DAYS SKETCHES OF OLD-TIME LAWYERS THE BAR
OF 1915^ — CRIMINAL CASES A STRAY INCIDENT 219
COXTENTS vii
CHAPTER XIV
THE MEDICAL PKOFESSION
MEDICINE AX OLD I'UOl-ESSION HOME-:\rADE liEMEDIES CHARACTKli Ol''
THE PIONEER DOCTOR HIS METHODS OF TREATMENT^ HARDSHIPS
OF FRONTIER PRACTICE — STANDING OF THE DOCTOR AS A CITIZEN —
STARK COUNTY DOCTORS — BRIEF SKETCHES OF OLD-TIME PHYSICIANS
■ — STARK COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY — REGISTERED PHYSICIANS IN
191.3.... 236
CHAPTER XV
CHURCH HISTORY
DIFFICULTIES IN AVRITING CHURCH HISTORY — JESUIT MISSIONARIES —
THE METHODISTS — PEORIA MISSION THE BAPTISTS THE PRESBY-
TERIANS THE CONGREGATIONALISTS LATTER DAY SAINTS^ — CHRIS-
TIANS OR DISCIPLES — THE UNIVERSALISTS — UNITED BRETHREN —
THE CATHOLICS — HISTORIES OF THE VARIOUS CONGREGATIONS —
MISCELLANEOUS RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS 240
CHAPTER XVI
SOCIETIES AND FRATERNITIES
MUTUAL PROTECTION SOCIETY ITS AUMS AND OBJECTS — AGRICULTURAL
SOCIETIES AND FAIR ASSOCIATIONS OLD SETTLERs' ASSOCIATION —
THE LOG CABIN OLD SETTLERS' MONUMENT LETTERS FROM
PIONEERS MASONIC FRATERNITY ORDER OF THE EASTERN STAR
INDEPENDENT ORDER OF ODD FELLOWS — DAUGHTERS OF REBEKAH —
GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC — TEMPERANCE SOCIETIES — MISCEL-
LANEOUS SOCIETIES '2C}(>
CHAPTER XVII
MISCELLANEOUS HISTORY
PURPOSE OF THIS CHAPTER — FIRST THINGS — PRICES AND AYAGES — LIN-
COLN AND DOUGLAS AT TOULON — THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD —
FOUNTAIN AV ATKINS TELLS A STORY- — A RESOLUTION THE FIRST
POLITICAL CAMPAIGN INDIAN RETALIATION HUNTING IN EARLY
DAYS — THE MORMON PROPHET — A POLITICAL HERO 280
viii CONTENTS
CHAPTER XVIII
STATISTICAL REVIEW
POPULATIOX AT EACH UNITED STATES CENSUS — CONSTITUTIONAL CON-
VENTIONS — CONGRESSION.VI. DISTRICTS — GENERAL ASSE5IBLY — HOW
STARK HAS BEEN REPRESENTED IN THE LEGISLATURE OEITCIAL ROS-
TER — LIST OF PUBLIC OFFICLXXS SINCE 1839 — VOTE FOR PRESIDENT
AT EACH ELECTION SINCE 1840 — SUMMARY OF THE PRINCIPAL
E^'ENTS CONNECTED WITH THE COUNTy's HISTORY 305
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
UR6ANA
J. KNOX HALL
History of Stark County
CHAPTER I
PHYSICAL FEATURES, GEOLOGY, ETC.
LOCATIOX AND BOUNDARIES SURFACE RIVERS AND CREEKS GENERAL
CHARACTER NATIVE VEGETATION ANIMALS AND BIRDS GEOLOGY
— THE COAL MEASURES — SECTIONS OF MINING SHAFTS — EXTENT OF
THE COAL DEPOSITS— BUILDING STONE — THE GLACIAL EPOCH — HOW
STARK COUNTY AVAS FORJIED CHARACTER OF THE GLACIAL DRIFT
THE WATER SUPPLY.
Stark County is situated northwest of the center of the state, its
western Hue being about fifty miles from tlie INIississippi River at
Keithsburg. and its northern bounthiry is eighty-seven miles from the
\\'isc()nsin state line. On the north it is bounded by the counties of
Rureau and Henry; on the east l)y Rureau and Marshall counties;
on the south by Peoria County, and on the west by Knox and Heiu-y
cdunties. It embraces Congressional townshi])s 12 and 13 north.
Range o east; townships 12. l.'i and U, Range (i; and townships 12.
I. "J and 14, Range 7. As each of these townships contains thirty-six
square miles, the total area of the county is 288 square miles.
The general surface of the county is slightly undulating, or roll-
ing, except in the vicinity of the Spoon River and at some places along
Indian Creek, where it is more or less broken. More than nine-tenths
of the 184.320 acres responds easily to cultivation, and the remaining
tenth is by no means waste land, though its cultivation is attended
by greater effort. Natural drainage is afforded by the Spoon River.
Indian and AValnut creeks, Cooper's Defeat, Camping Run, Jack
Creek, ]Mud Run, Jug Run and a number of smaller streams.
The Spoon River is composed of two branches. The East Fork
rises in Rureau County and the West Fork in Henry County, the
former flowing in a southwesterly direction and the latter toward the
10 IIISTORV OF STARK COUNTY
southeast until they form a junction in the northeastern part of Tou-
lon Township, Stark Countj'. From this point the main stream fol-
lows a general southerly course through the townships of Toulon
and Essex. It finally empties into the Illinois River near the town
of Havana, Mason County. The Indian name of this stream was
"]Maquon," which in the Pottawatomi language means "Feather,"
certainly a more euphonious name than the one adopted by the white
people.
Indian Creek, the second largest stream in the county, has its
source not far from the town of Galva, Henry County. It enters
Stark County about two miles west of the northeast corner of Goshen
Township, and follows a general southeasterly direction until it
empties into the Spoon River a short distance above the old settlement
known as Slackwater. This creek takes its name from the fact that
when the first white men came to what is now Stark County they
found a few Indians living along its banks.
Walnut Creek, so named because of the number of walnut trees
that once grew along its course, rises near the little village of Xekoma,
Henry County, whence it flows southeast until it enters Stark County
a little south of I^afayette. Its course is then almost south through
Goshen and West Jersey townships until it mingles its waters with
those of the Spoon River in the northwestern part of Peoria County.
The creek known as Cooper's Defeat begins in the southern part
of Bureau County. Its general course is westward and it finally emp-
ties into the East Fork of the Spoon River in the southwest corner of
Osceola Township. About three miles above its mouth it bends south-
ward into Penn Township, where William and Jeremiah Cooper were
frozen to death in the severe snow storm just before Christmas in is:n,
from which incident the creek takes its name. A further account of
this event Avill be found in another chapter.
Some seven or eight miles south of Coojjer's Defeat and flowing
in the same general direction is Cam])ing Rim, or Camp Creek, as it
is sometimes called. It has its beginning a short distance east of
Camp Grove, in INIarshall County, and joins the Spoon River about
a mile and a half west of the little village of Stark. Before the advent
of the railroad emigrant parties frequently encamped in the grove
near the headwaters of the creek, from which custom it took its name.
Still farther south is ]Mud (or ]Muddy) Run. \\hich rises in ^Slar-
shall County and flows westAvard through the southern part of Valley
Township until it empties into Camping Run about half a mile from
the mouth of the latter. Its name indicates its character.
HISTORY OF STARK COUNTY 11
Jack Creek rises near the western boundary of Elniira Township
and Hows in a southeasterly direction througli that township and Tou-
lon, finally falling into the Spoon River a short distance below the
village of JNlodena.
.Jug Riui parallels the course of Jack Creek about two miles
farther south. It is a short stream and is all in Toulon Township.
Of the smaller streams the most important are Fitch Creek, which
rises in Knox County and touches the northwest corner of Goshen
Township; and Silver Creek, a tributary of the East Fork of the
Spoon River in the northeast corner of Osceola Township.
GEXEKAh CIIAKACTEU
Originally the greater part of the county was prairie, with groves
of timber interspersed in such a way that none of the prairies con-
sisted of more than a few square miles. The largest prairie was be-
tween Cooper's Defeat Creek and Camping Run, in what are now
Pcmi and \'alley townships. The absence of timber \ii)on the tracts
of land called prairies has been the subject of considerable specula-
tion among geologists. geogra]ihcrs and botanists as to the cause of the
vast, treeless plains in the ^Middle West and the smaller tracts of sim-
ilar character in other parts of the country. It is a notable fact that
no prairies existed east of the State of Ohio. Professor Whitney,
who made .some observations on this subject, says:
"The cause of the absence of trees on the prairies is due to the physi-
cal character of the soil, and especially its exceeding fineness, which is
prejudicial to the growth of anything but a superficial vegetation, the
smallness of the particles of the soil being an insuperable barrier to
the necessary access of air to the roots of dee])ly-rootcd vegetation,
such as trees. \Vherever, in the midst of the extraordinary tine soil
of the prairies, coarse and gravelly patches exist, there dense forests
occur."
Dr. Charles A. White, who held the office of state geologist in
Iowa for several years in the early '7()s, made a somewhat extended
investigation of the subject and reached a different conclusion from
that of Professor Whitney. After calling attention to the fact tliat
])rairies are found resting uj)on all kinds of bed rock, from the Azoic
to the Cretaceous ages, and that all kinds of soil — alluvial, drift and
lacrustral, including sand, clay, gravel and loam — are frecinently
found upon the same prairie, he says:
"Thus, whatever the origin of the jirairies might have been, wc have
12 HISTORY OF STARK COUNTY
positive assurance that their present existence is not due to the influ-
ence of the chmate, the character or composition of tlie soil, nor to the
character of any underlying formations.
"There seems to be no good reason why we should regard the for-
ests as any more natural or normal condition than are the prairies.
Indeed it seems the more natural inference that the occupation of
the surface has taken place by dispersion from original centers, and
that they encroached upon the unoccupied surface until they were
met and checked by the destructive power of fires. The prairies
doubtless existed as such almost immediately after the close of the
glacial epoch."
Doctor White's statement, that the prairies are not due to any
character or composition of the soil, is borne out by the fact that in
the towns that have been built up on the prairies, and in the artificial
groves around many of the farm houses in the West, trees have grown
M'ith as much vigor as though the surface had once been covered by a
gnjw th of native timber. But, no matter how the prairies originated,
the pioneers of Stark County found upon them a soil — a dark loam in
.structure — that \\hen properly drained and rightly cultivated is unsur-
passed in productiveness.
Along the streams the first settlers foimd belts of timber, vai'ying
in width, the principal varieties of native trees being oak, maple, lin-
den, hickory, black walnut and elm. Smaller and less important spe-
cies were the dogwood, hawthorn, red bud. wild plum, crab apple, etc.
The soil of the timbered lands is lighter in color than that of the ])rai-
ries and not so deep, but with the right kind of care and cultivation it
can be made to produce excellent crops.
Before the plow and the spade of civilization disturbed the nati\'e
vegetation of the ])rairies the land was covered with flowers of various
hues. First in im])ortance was probably the tall plant known as
"Queen of the prairie," which often grew to a height of six feet and
bore at the top a large cluster of flowers resembling the blossoms of
the peach tree. Then there were the white, yellow and ]Hu-])le lady
slipper, the golden rod, the buttercup, the INIay api)le. the blue bell,
the forget-me-not, several members of the phlox family, the best
know n of which was the modest little flower known as the sweet wil-
liam. and numerous others, all of which have disappeared except in
very rare instances.
Along the banks of the streams and around the ponds could be
found three or four species of water lilies, the cowslip, the cat tail
and blue flags, various kinds of mint, etc. In the Avoods the wild mari-
HISTORY OF STxVRK COUNTY 13
gold, tlie bell flower, the yellow honey suckle, aiieinones, the clematis,
the trumpet creeper and the modest violet grew ahuiidantly, and some
of these flowers are still to be seen in a few secluded places, wjicrc the
ravages of civilized man have not yet encompassed their destruction,
in the early days, before the physician and the drug store had
become established institutions, many herbs were gathered and pre-
served for their medicinal properties. Foremost among these were
the horehound, boneset, pennyroyal, catnip, wild garlic, barberiy, yel-
low water dock, burdock, wild senna, gentian, lobelia, and a species of
wormwood. A i'eA\- straggling siJecimens of these plants may be seen,
but whei-e they once grew in pi'oi'usion are now the cultivated fields
of the thrifty husbandman.
ANIMALS AND lilKIlS
Time was when the l)ison. or American I)uff"alo, roamed in great
berds over the prairies of Illinois. At several points along the Spoon
IJivei-, within the limits of Stark County, large quantities of the bones
of these animals have !)een found. It is supposed that these bone
heaps are due to the bufl'aloes seeking shelter in the timber along the
river from some violent storm, and that here the whole herd perished.
What the storms failed to accomjjlish toward the extinguishment of
the bison the rifle of the pioneer and the encroachments of civilization
did accomplish, and they have gone, never to return.
The Virginia deer was also once plentiful in what is now Stark
County and venison formed a considerable jjortion of the meat sui)i)ly
for the family of the early settler. Occasionally a black bear could
be seen prowling about some frontier settlement, but when some
pioneer "drew a bead" on him with the long barreled rifle his tenure of
life was limited to a few seconds at most, and then the family ^^ould
least on bear meat for a short season.
Although not so plentiful as the bufl'alo or tlie deei\ tiie elk was
one of the native animals of the S])oon River \'allev. The beaver,
ottei', nniik. raccoon and nmskrat were the best known of the fur-
bearing animals and in early days were tra])ped in large numbei's for
the revenue that their skins woidd bring. The beaver and otter have
joined the bufi^alo, bear, deer and elk in oblivion and oidy on r;u-e
occasions are any of the others to be seen.
Among the predatory animals, or beasts of ])rey, the prairie and
timber wolf, the lynx, the pantbei-. the catamomit. the wildcat, the
grav and red fox were those most common. Of these the wolves were
14 HISTORY OF STARK COUXTY
probably tbe most troublesome. In JNlarcb, IH^J', the county com-
missioners offered a bounty of $1 for the scalp of each big wolf and
;50 cents for that of each prairie wolf "six months old killed in Stark
County during the year 1844." As late as December 18, 1884, a large
wolf was killed a few miles west of Toulon, and on ^Nlay 23, 188.3, the
county clerk paid E. H. Bates, of Osceola, $24 on fourteen young
wolf scalps. There are still living in the county jjersons who can
I'emember how, when they were children, they were wont to cuddle
more closely together in their beds as the mournful howl of some wolf,
engaged upon his nightly foraging expedition, came to their ears in
the lonely cabin on the frontier.
Other wild animals that were common in the early days were the
IMaryland marmot — commonly called the woodchuck or ground hog —
the rabbit, which is still found in considerable mmibers, several species
of squirrels, the skunk, the opossum, the weasel and a few others.
The gray squirrel, the striped and spotted prairie squirrel have dis-
api)eared aTul the other varieties are found only in limited numbers
compared with former years.
In October, 1867, Robert Church killed an American eagle near
the bridge over Indian Creek on the road leading from Toulon to
Lafayette. The bird was a magnificent specimen, measuring seven
feet from tip to tip of its wings. So far as can be learned this M'as
the last eagle killed in the county, where the bald eagle was once (piite
common and occasionally the golden eagle cotild be seen. Closely
allied to the eagle in habits, but much smaller, are the hawks, several
s|)ecies of which were once quite nmnerous in Stark County. Those
best known were the pigeon hawk, the sparrow hawk. Cooper's, the
sharp-shinned, the red-tailed and the swallow-tailed hawks, while the
fish hawk, the red shouldered hawk and the marsh hawk were more rare.
Of the owls, the most common was the ordinary screech owl.
Next was the barred or barn owl. The long and short eared, the
great horned owl and the snowy owl were to be seen in the smaller
numbers, the last named being rather rare.
Game birds, or birds used for food, were abundant. The wild
turkey, several species of wild ducks, the wild goose, the loon and the
gull Mere the largest of such fowl, though some of the smaller varieties
made u]) in numbers what they lacked in size. The most familiar of
this class were the prairie chicken and some other members of the
grouse family, the quail, the snipe, of which tliere were several kinds,
the plover, and last, but not least in importance, the passenger pigeon.
Prior to 187o great flocks of wild pigeons numbering thousands of
HISTORY OF STARK COUNTY 15
birds would pass over the county during the migratory seasons. At
night they wouhl pause to roost in some forest and would perch upon
the rimhs of the trees in such numbers that often branches several
inches in diameter would give wav under the weight. Those were red-
letter days for the sportsman and the birds were killed by hundreds,
merely for the sport of the killing. In the early '70s the size of the
flocks began to diminisli and a few years later the ])assenger pigeon
disappeared altogether. The question has l)een asked many times
where they went or what became of them, as they have not been heard
from anywliere. Their disappearance is still shrouded in mystery.
Other birds once seen here in considerable numbers that are now
entirely extinct or exceedingly rare were the turkey buzzard, the
C'aroliit* parrot, the whippoorwill, the cuckoo, the crane, the heron,
the common crow, the tintle dove and quite a number of song birds,
such as the thrush, the finch family, several species of warblers, the
oriole, etc. Then tliei'e were the swallows, of which there were several
kinds, the bunting, the little wren, the titmouse, the chickadee, the
native sparrows, the red throated humming bird, the meadow lark,
the nuthatch, the fly catcher, the jn'airie skylark, the pewee, the blue
bird and some others that have entirely (lisa])peared or are extremely
rare. The ax, the plow and the scythe destroyed many of their
accustomed haunts and drove them to seek other (piarters, and the
pugnacious, worthless English sparrow has added to the destructive
work of man in driving out many of the native birds. The wood-
pecker, the l)lack bird and the uliiquitous lilue jay are still seen in the
county, but in smaller numbers tlian formerly, and on rare occasions
some of the other species mentioned above are to be met with, as
thougli they had returned to mourn over the scenes of their l)y-gone
ha])piness. It is to be regretted that greater and timely protection
was not given to the song ])irds and insect-eating varieties, which
could have done so much toward adding to the cheerfulness of the
liiiiiian familj' and the protection of the farmers' crops.
GEOLOGY
Although America is called the Xew ^Vorld, geologists believe
that it is older than any of the continents of the Eastern Hemis])here.
P]-ofessor Agassiz says: "Here Avas the first dry land lifted out of
the waters; here the first shores were Avashed by the ocean that en-
velo])ed all the earth besides; and while Europe was represented onlv
by islands rising here and there above the sea, America already
16 HISTORY OF STARK COUNTY
stretched in one unbroken line of dry land from Nova Scotia to the
far West."
It is not witliin the province of a history such as tliis to discuss the
methods by which geok)gists readied this conclusion, but other eminent
autliorities, as well known in scientific circles as Professor Agassiz,
are inclined to favor the same theory regarding the age of the conti-
nent upon which we live. If their hypothesis be correct. Stark County
may have been the home of the creatures of the reptilian type belong-
ing to the Jura-Trias and Cretaceous eras, while the so-called Old
World was still under water.
The first official geological survey of the conditions existing in
Stark County was made by H. A. Green, under the auspices of the
state geological survey, and published in the report for 1870. ]Mr.
Green found in his investigations that all the stratified rocks of the
county belong to the Coal INIeasures, including all the lower portion
of the series from coal No. 7 to coal Xo. 2, inclusive. Coal Xo. 7 was
observed in only a few places, the most notable of which was in section
10, township 14, range 7, where S. C. Francis was engaged in oper-
ating a mine near the east fork of the Spoon River. A section of
the shaft at this mine, as given by Mr. Green, shows the following
formation :
Ft. In.
Yellow clay 2
Red sand 2
Xodular limestone 2 4
Light colored clay G 10
Clay shale 2
Sandstone 8
Blue clay shale 4 2
Sandstone 1 4
Blue clay shale 8
Dark clay shale 5 8
Coal ...". ■ 2
Blue clay shale 12
Impure limestone 3
Clay shale 8
Impure limestone 2
Blue clay shale 1 4
Dark clav shale 3
Coal ..." 2 7
Depth of shaft 62 6
HISTOKV OF STAKK COUNTY 17
Concerning the product of this mine and the coal deposits in the
vicinity, Mr. Green says: "Tliis coal appears to occupy the ])osition
of coal No. 7, and prohal)ly l»eh)ngs to that seam. The coal worked
at the Bradford shaft, which is hut a short distance from here, in
section 21, is thought to he some thirty or forty feet helow, and is
probahly No. G."
With regard to the coal deposits in general his report says : "Stark
County has an abundant supply of coal, which is at present derived
mainly from coal No. i>. It crops out along the West Fork in JOImii-a
Township, along the Spoon River in Toulon, at intervals for about
twenty miles, and can i)robably be found and worked along the
streams and their tributaries for the entire distance. This coal varies
in thickness from 2I/2 to 6 feet, seldom reaching the extreme, but
averaging from 3\-> to .) feet. Immense quantities of coal have been
taken from this seam at its outcrops along the diff'erent streams. In
Osceola Township one shaft has been sunk near the East Fork, and
several others are pai'tially completed. Shafts have also been sunk
at ]Modena. near Wyoming, in Toulon Township and at Cox's Mill
in Essex Township."
That was wi'itten in 1870. Since then several new developments
have been made in the mining industry. Coal No. (i is the ])i'inci])al
seam worked in the county. It first appears in the bluffs along the
West Fork, in the southeast part of section .'}. townshij) 14, range 0.
From that point to the southeast quarter of section 10, in the same
township and range, it has been worked at intervals along the west
side of the stream. In section 16 a number of openings have been
made and considerable quantities of coal have been taken out. Here
the coal crops out of the bluff, some ten or fifteen feet above the level
of the creek. The seam nms from fom- to five feet thick, with a clay
parting of about two inches near the middle. No. seam is also
worked at what is kno\\n as the Bradford shaft, located on the east
side of the East Fork in section 28, township 14, range 7. The shaft
here shows as follows:
Ft. In.
Yellow elaj' .'J
Limestone 4
I^ight colored clay 4 6
IJght colored clay shale 8 4
Limestone 2 4
Clay shale 9 10
Coal 2
18 IIISTOKV OF STARK COUXTV
Soft black slate (fossiliferous) 4
Clay 4 5
Sandstone 22 2
Clay shale
limestone 4
Light colored clay shale 6
Green clay shale 2 4
Dark clay shale 3 2
Impure limestone 1 6
Dark clay shale 2 6
Coal (with 3-inch clay parting) 4
Depth of shaft 88 7
At IModena the vein ranges from 41/.' to .jl/ feet in thickness and
is rarely more than thirty feet below the surface. Coal has also been
noted in the bed of Jack Creek, in section 4, township 13, range 6,
where some of the deposits have been worked a little. In sections 2.
11 and 12, of the same township and range, a short distance south of
jNIodena, the coal crojjs out along the bluff from eight to ten feet above
the bed of the creek and several mines were in operation in this part
of the county at the time of IMr. Green's sur^'ey.
According to Green, coal Xo. 4 is found at only one place in the
county, viz: in section 19, township 12. range .5. near Walnut Creek,
about two miles southwest of the "N'illage of ^Vest Jersey. Here he
found a vein of coal 41/. feet in thickness, below which was a layer
of impure cannel coal, varying from six to ten inches in thickness and
containing the fossil remains of plants and fishes. The vein of No. 4
coal at this point is only about fifteen feet below the surface. Fur-
ther mention of the coal deposits and their develoiMiient will be found
in the chapter on Finance and Industry.
BUILDING STONE
When INIr. Green visited the county in his geological research in
1870, he found only a small quantity of building stone of value. The
best deposit of limestone worked at that time was in the quarries in
sections 21-22, township 14, range 7. a short distance northwest of
Bradford. This he pronounced the largest bed exposed anvwhere in
the countv, being from six to twelve feet thick, but in thin ledges,
I
HISTORY OF STARK COUXTV 19
none of which was over six inches thick. The stone from this (iiiarry
is of a light drab coh)r, conij)act and of even textnre, moderately hard
and stands exposure to tlie weather. It can be l)urned into a lime
suitable for masonry, but too dark in color to be used for plastering.
Near the Spoon River, in section 14, township 1"2, range G, jNlr.
Green found a deposit of sandstone which he considered the best in
the county. About three miles west of this, in section 17 and near
Inilian Creek, he found another sandstone deposit, \\hich furnishes a
fair ([uality of building material. An old house near the quarry, con-
structed of this stone, shows that the weather has l)ut little effect
upon it after years of exposure. Another bed of sandstone is in sec-
tion 20, township 12, range 5, near ^Valnut Creek; a soft sandstone
exists in considerable quantities in section Ki, township 14, range (i,
and a better quality is found in section 13, township 13, range 6, but
neither of these deposits has been worked to any extent. The thick
vein of sandstone (22 feet (J niches) in tiie Jiradford coal mine could
be used for building purposes, but the fact that it lies from thiity-five
to i'orty feet below the surface has prevented its develoi)ment.
THE GLACIAL El'Ot'U
Far back in the geologic past, while the coal beds of Stark County
were in j^rocess of formation, the siu'face was probably one vast marsh
covered with tangled masses of vegetation and inhabited only by
reptiles. ^Vbout the close of the Tertiary period came the I'leistocene
or "Ice Age," during which the upper Mississippi Valley was covered
l)y one vast sheet of ice called a glacier. This glacier extended from
tile country about the (ireat Lakes to the Rocky ^lountains on the
west, and southward to about the latitude of St. Louis. It was formed
in the northern part of the continent by successive falls of snow, each
of wliich added to the weight of the great mass liclow until it was
compressed into one solid body of ice. After many years of the
formative process, a change in tlie tenqicrature started the glacier to
moving slowly soutliward, carrying with it great bow Idcrs. clays, soils,
etc.. to be deposited u])on the bed rocks of a region i'ar distant from
that where they were first placed by the hand of nature. As the
huge mass moved slowly along, the bowlders and other hard sub-
stances at the bottom of the glacier left scratches (called stri;e In- the
geologists) u])f)n the bed rocks, and from these markings the course
of the glacier can be determintd w Itli a fair degree of accuracy. Ex-
aminations of the stria' at various places in the IMississippi Vallev,
20 HISTOKV or STARK COUXTY
where the bed rock is exposed, show that the general direction followed
by the great central glacier was toward the southeast.
-(\.s the ice melted in the warmer latitude, the materials carried by
the glacier Aiere deposited upon the bed rock in the form of drift,
composed of till, loess and alluvium. It was through this method
that the great swamp above mentioned underwent a change. At the
close of the Pleistocene the earth's surface, over which the glacier had
])assc(l. was void of either animal or vegetable life. In time the action
of tile rain and wind gradually leveled the surface, the heat from the
sun warmed it, and life in the most primitive forms made its
appearance.
l"V)r the rich heritage of soil in Stark County, the region is indebted
to the great glacier that once overflowed the country. In its slow
mai-ch it ground up the rocks over which it passed, mixed the fresh
rock flour with the granites of British America and Northern jNIinne-
sota, with the pulverized limestones and shales of the more southern
latitudes, and de2)osited these materials upon the rocks of earlier
geologic periods. Everywhere the soil is the product of rock disinte-
gration. In Stark County the glacial drift is from twenty to sixty
feet deep, giving it one of the most fertile soils in the state.
It was through the action of the glacier that the surface of Xorth-
ern Illinois was formed. At the edge of the glacier, as it moved
forA\ai-. township 11, are thirteen common round mounds,
varying in height from eighteen inches to tive feet. As far as ex-
amined these are burial mounds and in one I found nineteen skeletons.
This one was forty-tive feet in diameter and five feet high. The bones
wei'C' ill a fair state of preservation. I opened four or five of this
group and in each were found pieces of trap rock from one and one-
half to two inches square; pieces oi' burned sand rock, small water-
worn pebbles, and in the largest mound a very small fragment of red
pottery."
Although the mounds thus described by jSIr. Adams are not within
the limits of Stark County they are situated near its southwest corner.
The first "hogback" mentioned by him is a little southeast of the
Village of Ftherley, Knox County, and the thirteen burial mounds
.ihiiost touch the southwest corner of Stark. All are near enough to
sustain the belief that the ^lound Huilder was once an inhabitant of
the county. Mr. Adams and T. jM. Shalleiiberger gave considerable
attention to the archieology of the Spoon River \'^alley, and after the
Indians Mere removed from the country these two men visited all the
old cam])ing grounds and villages of the red men, leveling numerous
small mounds in search of historic relics. Few were found, however,
exce])t arrow and spear heads, such as those above referred to, and
some I'ragmentary .skeletons. It is doubtful whether the skeletons
found on the old village sites were those of Mound Builders or the
bones of Indians buried there in comparatively recent years.
There is a sort of grim pathos in the reflection that where the
Avhite people of Stark County now live in peace and prosperity there
once dwelt a people of widely different manners and customs: that in
the march of time they ])assed out of existence, leaving only here and
there the mounds and other relics to mark their ])lace of residence.
After the Mound Builder came the Indian, who in turn retired before
30
HISTORY OF STARK COUNTY
the superior civili/,atii)ii of the wliite man, and there is also a pathos
in the refleetion that 2,000 years hence another race may indulge in as
much speculation over the relics left hy the present occupants of the
country as our scientists have indulged in over the mounds and earth-
woi'ks of America's aboriginal inhabitants.
I
CHAPTER III
INDIAN HISTORY
DISTKIBUTION Or INDIAN NATIONS AT THE CLOSE OF THE EIFTEENTH
CENTURY — THE n.IJNOIS — SUBORDINATE TRIBES — THE SACS AND
rOXES THE BLACK HAAVK WAR DEATH OF BLACK HAWK THE
POTTAMATOMI THEIR TILLAGES IN STARK COUNTY SHAB-BO-XEE
— TREATIES WITH THE POTTAWATOMl THEIR CHARACTER THE
AVINNEBAGO INDIAN NAMES.
When Christopher Cohimhiis first discovered the Western Hemis-
phere, in l-^D-i, he heheved that he had at hist reached the goal of his
k)ng- cherished desires and that the country was the eastern shore of
Asia. The first European explorers in America, entertaining a sim-
ilar belief, thought the country was India and gave to the race of
copper colored peojjle they found here the name of Indians. Later
explorations established the fact that Columbus had actually dis-
covered a land hitherto unknown, but the name conferred upon the
natives still remains. This race is divided into several groups, or
families, each of which is marked by certain physical characteristics
and the language spoken. At the beginning of the Sixteenth century
the \arious groups, or at least the leading ones, were distributed over
the continent of North America as follows :
In the far north were the Eskimo, a tribe that never played any
iiiipdrtaiit part in history. Their descendants still inhabit the country
in tlie vicinity of the Arctic Circle, where some of them are occa-
sionally employed as guides to polar expeditions.
The Algonquian family, the largest and most powerful of all the
Indian nations or groups, occupied a large triangle, roughly liounded
l)y the Atlantic coast from the most eastern point of Labrador to
Ca]je Hatteras and lines from those two points to the western end of
Lake Superior. To this great group belonged the tribes that once
inhabited what is now the State of Illinois, the principal of which were
tlie Illinois, the Sacs, the Foxes, the Shawnees, the ^Vinnebagoes, the
Ottawas, and the Pottawatomies.
31
32 HISTORY OF STARK COUNTY
In the center of the Algonquian countiy — along the shores of
Lake Ontario and the upper waters of the St. I>a\\rence River — was
the home of tlie Irociuoian trihes, to wit: The Oneidas, Onondagas,
JMoliawks, Cayugas and Senecas. To the early colonists these tribes
became known as the "I^'ive Nations." Some years later the Tus-
caroras were added to the confederacy, whicii then took the name of
the "Six Nations."
South of the Alguntjuian and Iroquoian families lay the country of
the JMuskhogean family, the principal tribes of which were the Creeks,
Chickasaws, Choctaws and Cherokees. The people of this group were
among the most intelligent and aggressive of the North American
Indians.
In the great Northwest, about the sources of the Mississippi River
and extending westward to the IMissouri, Mas the country of the
Siouan group, which was composed of a number of tribes noted for
their physical prowess and warlike tendencies. South and west of
this lay the domain of the bold, vindictive Comanche, Apache and
other tribes, closely allied to the Sioux in appearance, language and
customs, while in various parts of the continent were minor tribes
which claimed kinship with none of the great families. They were
generally inferior in numbers, often nomadic in their habits, and con-
sequently are of little historic importance.
Yolinnes have been written upon the subject of the North Amer-
ican Indian — his legends, traditions and habits — and it has not yet
been exhausted. In a work of this nature it is not the design to give
those tribes whose history is connected with the country now included
an extended account of the Indian race as a whole, but to notice onlj'
within the State of Illinois and Stark County.
THE ILLINOIS
The Illinois — or Illini, as they were at first known to the white
men — belonged to the Algonquian family and was the tribe from
Avhich the State of Illinois took its name. The organization of the
Illinois was in the natiu-e of a confederacy, which \\as conq)osed of
five subordinate tribes — the Peoria, Kaskaskia, Tamaroa, jNIichigani
(or jMoingwena) and the Cahokia. According to their traditions they
were once a powerful tribe and took ])ossession of their lands in Illinois
by driving out some of the Siouan group. Later they made war on
the Winnebago Indians and drove them northward, after which they
held undisinited possession of the broad prairies of Illinois until about
I
I
lUSTOUV OF STARK COUNTY 33
the middle of tlie Seventeenth century, wlien they were attacked by
tlie warh'ke Irociuois and forced to rehn(iuish part of tlieir domain.
The Illinois were expert hunters, skilled in the use of the bow and
arrow, but could not successfully handle a canoe. The principal cen-
ter of their coirfederacy was at Kaskaskia, which, during the most
prosperous days of the tribe, numbered some eight thousand inhabi-
tants. Their cabins here were well built and covered with a water])r()of
matting. Generally each cabin contained four tires, around which
the inmates would gather of evenings, the old warriors relating in-
stances of skill and bravery in the chase or in battle for the edification
of the members of the younger generation.
.Vbout the beginning of the war with the Iroquois, in Ki.jd, some
of the Illinois crossed the Mississippi River and established several
villages in what is now Lee County, Iowa, where they were visited by
JNIarquette and Joliet in tlie summer of 1073.
In the summer of 1G80 anotiier invasion of the Illinois country
was made by the Iroquois, who attacked the Peoria and Kaskaskia
tribes, the object having been to drive them out and get possession of
their hunting grounds. ]Many of the Illinois were killed, their homes
burned, their crops destroyed and about nine hundred were carried
away as prisoners.
In 1709 the Ottawa chief, Pontiac, who had formed the conspiracy
and led the uprising against the white settlements six years before,
was killed by some of the Illinois Indians. The great chieftain was
the idoj of his tribe and was also held in high esteem by the Chii)pe\va
and Pottawatomi Indians. The three tribes allied themselves in a wai-
upon the Illinois to avenge the death of Pontiac. The Illinois, who
had never fully recovered from the onslaughts of the Iroquois, were
in no condition to meet such powerful enemies. Defeat after defeat
followed in (piiek succession and the remnant of the tribe was driven
to the summit of the bluff known as "Starved Rock," on the Illinois
River, about half way between the ])resent cities of La Salle and
Ottawa. The bluff offered a good ])lace of defense, as the sides of
the rock are perpendicular, except in one place, and there not more
than two persons could ascend abreast. Assault was therefore out of
the question and the allies settled down to a siege. The Illinois held
out until one dark, stormy night, when they made a sortie, but only a
few succeeded in making their escape. Those few took to canoes and
])ad(lled down the river, finally reaching St. Louis, where they were
given shelter and food by the white occu])ants of the fort.
One account says that their pursuers soon afterward appeared be-
34 HISTOKY OF STxVHK COUNTY
fore the fort and demanded the surrender of the Illinois, that the
tribe might be comijlctely exterminated, and that when their demands
Avere denied they departetl witli threats of Nengeance against the fort —
threats that were never carried into execution. After spending some
time at the fort, until their strength was fully recovered, the refugees
recrossed the Mississii^pi and joined their kindred tribes in Southern
Illinois.
Some writers say that tlie Illinois were greatly addicted to vice
and were almost constantly at \var until they were converted by the
teachings of Father JNIarquette and other Jesuit missionaries. But, so
far as can be learned, the only aggressive wars ever waged by tliem
were against the minor Siouan tribes and the Winnebagoes in the
early days of their history, the accounts of which are only vague tradi-
tions. In the wars with the Iroquois, and the allied tribes above
mentioned, the Illinois fought on the defensive.
THE SxVCS AXU FOXES
These two tribes, Ashicli at one time occujiied a large tract of
country in Western Illinois, and no doubt hunted where Stark County
is now situated, are usually sjioken of as one people, though they were
two separate and distinct tribes. They liecame allied by force of
circumstances for their mutual protection, each tribe maintaining its
identity, though one chief ruled over both.
The Sacs — also called Sauks and Saukies — belonged to the Algon-
quian family and were known as "The people of the outlet." Their
earliest known habitat was in the lower peninsula of IMichigan, where
they lived with the Pottawatomi. The name Saginaw, as applied to
a bay and city in ^Michigan, means "the place of the Sac," and marks
the place where they once dwelt. The Sacs are first mentioned as a
separate tribe in the Jesuit Relations for IGiO, though they were then
allied with the Pottawatomi, jNIascoutens, Foxes and Kickapoos, and
maintained friendly relations a\ ith the 3Iiami and Winnebago tribes.
Their ti'aditions tell how they were driven from the shores of Lake
Huron by the Iroquois and their allies before the middle of the
Seventeenth century. They then retired by A\'ay of jNIackinaw and a
few years later found a new abode along the shores of Green Bay,
AVisconsin. Father AUouez, one of the early Jesuit missionaries, in
Avriting of these Indians in 1667, says: "They are more savage than
any of the other people I have met ; they are a populous tribe, although
they have no fixed dwelling place, being Avanderers and vagabonds in
the forests."
IIISTOKV OF STARK COUXTV 35
That portion of their traditions rchiting to their expulsion from
the eountry on the west shore of Lake Huron and their pilgriniage to
Green Bay is first told by Father Uablon, in the Jesuit Kelations for
KiTl. Says he: ''The Sacs, Pottawatomies and neighboring tribes,
being ilriven from their own countries, which are the lands southward
from ^Nlissilimakinac, have taken refuge at the head of this bay, be-
yond which one can see inland the Nation of Fire, with one of the
Illinois tribes called Oumiami and the Foxes."
In the same year that this was written, the Ilurons and Ottawas
startetl on an invasion of the Sioux country. On the way they per-
suaded the Sacs and I'ottawatomi to join the expedition. They were
defeated in the undertaking and the surviving Sacs returned to Green
Hay, where they were content to live in peace for several years before
making any more warlike demonstrations.
Dorsey divides the tribe into fourteen gentes, or clans. ^Marriages
were usually made between men and wouien of different clans, though
they were not forbidden among persons of the same clan. Polygamy
was practiced to some extent, though in this respect the Sacs were
not so bad as some of the other AIg(iii(|uian tribes. Their religion
consisted of a belief in numerous "JNlanitous" and was rich in myth
and fable.
The Foxes, also an Algonquian tribe, resembled in many particu-
lars the Sacs, with whom they became confederated. Their Indian
name was JMesh-kwa-ke-lnig (nearly always written INIusquakies),
signifying' "Peojile of the red earth." Their original dwelling place
is somewhat uncertain. According to their traditions they once lived
along the Atlantic coast in the vicinity of the present State of Rhode
Island. Subsequently some of them occu])ied the country along the
southern shore of Lake Sii])erior, from which they were driven by the
Chippewas. In IG.'Ji Jean Nicollet found some of them on the Fox
River, not far from Gi'cen Bay, Wisconsin, and in 107(5 Father
.Allouez visited a band of Foxes on the Wolf River, in the same state.
In his rejxirt of his year's work he speaks of a "IMus()uakie village of
about five thousand inhabitants."
The name "Fox" originated with the French, who called these
Indians "Reynors." They were regarded by the neighboring tribes
as "avaricious, thieving. ])assionate and (|iiarrelsome." With an in-
tense hati-cd for the French they planned the attack upon the ])ost at
Detroit in 1712. The timely arrival of reinforcements saved the post
and the Indians were signally defeated. The Foxes that took ])art
in this movement then joined those spoken of by Father Allouez on
the ^Volf River.
36 HISTORY OF STAHK COUNTY
About 1730 the Dutch and EngHsh traders, knowing the hatred
of the Foxes for the French, formed an alliance with the tribe for the
jjurpose of driving French conijjetition from the fur country about
the Great Lakes. On the othei- hand the French enhsted the coopera-
tion of the Huron, Ottawa, Pottawatomi and some minor tribes. In
the war which followed the Foxes were defeated and sought shelter
M'ith the Sacs who lived near Green Bay. The French authorities,
thinking the Foxes had not been sutticiently punished, sent a force of
French soldiers and Indians, ccjmmanded by an officer named De Vil-
liers, to the Sac village on the shores of Green Bay to demand their
surrender. The demand was rei'used by the Sac chiefs and a hard
fought battle ensued, in which the Sacs were defeated, but the refugees
were not surrendered. This was the beginning of the alliance which
afterward resulted in the two tribes being generally recognized as one.
In the meantime some of the Sacs had migrated southward, into
what is now the State of Illinois, and in 1731 they fovmded the Village
of Sau-ke-nuk on the Kock River near its mouth. ^Vhen those who
remained in Wisconsin were defeated bj' the French and their Indian
allies for defending the Foxes, they brought their refugees and joined
the Sacs on the Rock River. At the beginning of the Xineteenth
century there were about eight thousand Sacs and Foxes living along
the Rock River, their hunting grounds extending eastward to the
Illhiois River. When Lieut. Zebulon ]M. Pike went up the Mississippi
River in 180.5, he visited the Sac and Fox villages in Illinois.
Of all the Indian tribes, the Foxes were prol)ably the only one
that had what might be called a coat of arms. The design consisted
of an obli(|ue line (supposed to represent a river), with the figure of
a fox at each end, but on opposite sides. Following a victory in Mar
this emblem was ])ainted or carved on rocks and trees to tell the story
of their valor and at the same time serve as a warning to their enemies.
The Fox tribe, according to Dorsey, was divided into twelve gentes.
Their pi'incipal deities were Wisaka and Kiyapata. mIio were bi'others.
The former ruled the day and the latter the night. The princijial
features of their religion were animal fable and a crude mythology,
and they had many ceremonial observances, anniversaries, etc. The
Fox Indians practiced agriculture in a primitive way. raising corn,
beans, tobacco, squashes and some other vegetables. In a few cases
some big chief or warrior of note would l)e i)ermitted to have more
than one squaAv, but jjolygamous marriages were the exception rather
than the rule.
Two of the greatest chiefs in the history of the North American
I
HISTORY OF STARK COUNTY 37
Indians hflonoed to tlif allied tribes of the Sacs and Foxes. They
were Rlaek Hawk and Keokuk, both born of Sac parents, but recog-
nized as chiefs by the Foxes. Black Hawk was a warrior and Keokuk
was a politician. The latter never played any considerable part in
the history of Illinois.
THE m.ACK HAWK WAli
Black Hawk, whose Indian name was INIa-ka-ta-wi-nie-sha-ka-ka,
was born at the Sac village on the Rock River in 1767. His father,
l*y-e-sa, was a direct descendant of Xan-a-nia-kee (Thunder) and
l?lack Hawk was therefoi-c a member oi' the Thunder clan. Accord-
ing to tribal tradition, Xan-a-ma-kee had been intrusted by the (ireat
Spii'it with the great medicine bag of the Sac nation and instructed
to keep it always within the clan. ^Vhen Black Hawk was about nine-
teen years old his fatiier was killed in an encounter with the Cherokee
Indians and the youth thus became the custodian of the sacred medi-
cine bag. This medicine bag had never been disgraced, and to ])re])are
himself for the duty of preserving it unsullied Black Hawk took no
part in the military affairs of his ])coi)le for about five years, although
be bad l)een trained in tlie arts of war by liis father and bad already
(Hstinguished himself upon the Held of battle. The five years were
s{)ent in praying to the (ireat S])irit to endow him with the necessary
strength and wisdom to perform his duty. During that ])criod he
would fre(iuently go to the i)romontory near his home on tlie Roeli
IJivcr. where be would pass hours at a time smoking and meditating.
'IMie pi'omontory is still called "HIack Hawk's ^Vatch Tower."
On November ."}, 1804, (xcn. William H. Harrison, then governor
of the Indiana Territory, negotiated a treaty at St. I>ouis with some
of the ihinor chiefs of the Sacs and Foxes, by which the confederated
tribes ceded their lands cast of the JNIississippi Rivei- to the United
States, retaim'ng the ])rivilege of dwelling thei'eon until the lands were
actually taken up by white settlers, wiien they were to remove to a
new reservation west of the IMississippi River. There was a great
deal of dissatisfaction among a large element of the Sacs and Foxes
over the terms of this treaty. It was then the custom for these tribes
to instruct their chiefs or delegates to a treaty council in advance as to
what course was to be pursued, or afterward confirm the action of
such chiefs or delegates by a vote. Some of the Indians claimed that
the chiefs who attended the council at St. Louis had no definite in-
structions to sell the lands east of the Mississi])pi, and a |)ortion of
38 IIISTOKY^ OF STARK COUNTY
the allied tribes, uiuler the leadershij) of Black Hawk, refused to
confirm their action.
At the heginnino- of tlie War of 1812 part of tlie Sacs and l-'oxes
joined tile British and became known as the "British Hand of Rock
River," of which Black Hawk was tlie leader. Shortly aftei- tiie
conclusion of the war treaties were made with the several tribes or
bands wiiich had fought on the side of England, but it was not until
JNIay 13, 1816, that Black Hawk and twenty-one other head men of
the Rock River Sacs could be persuaded to enter into an agreement
to keep the peace. On that date, at St. Louis, those twenty-two
Indians "touched the goose quill," or signed a treaty reaffirming the
treaty of November 3, 1804, though Black Hawk afterward declared
that he did not understand what he was signing and repudiated his
action.
In 1828 President Adams issued a proclamation declaring the
lands ceded by the treaty of ISO-t opened to white settlement and
ordering the removal of the Indians to the west side of the JNIississipjji.
As a matter of fact Chief Keokuk and his band had removed to the
west side of the river about two years before the proclamation was
issued, but Black Hawk refused to vacate until the United States
Government actually sold the section of land upon which his village
was situated. In 1830 he and his followers crossed tiie river "under
protest," the old chief being far from reconciled to the situation.
In the spring of 1831, «'ith a number of his braves and their
families, he recrossed the river antl they took possession of their old
cabins and cornfields. The white settlers appealed to Governor Rey-
nolds, of Illinois, for protection and the governor sent General Gaines
to Rock Island with a force large enough to compel the Indians to go
back to their new home west of the river.
During the winter of 1831-32 the Indians underwent severe hard-
ships in their new homes. Their houses were poorly built and pro-
visions were scarce, so that thej' suffered from both cold and hunger.
About this time Black Hawk fell under the influence of AVa-bo-kie-
shiek, a "bad medicine man," who advised him to recross the ^lissis-
sippi, ostensibly to visit the Winnebagoes, secure the cooperation of
that tribe and the Pottawatomies, and drive out the hated pale faces.
Accordingly, on April (!. 1832. he again crossed over to the east side
of the jMississippi within ])lain view of the garrison at Fort Arm-
strong, giving out the information that he was on his way to visit the
\Vinnebagoes and join witli tliein in raising a crop of corn. His
disobedience Avas construed as a hostile demonstration, however, bv
I
HISTORY OF STARK COUNTY ;^9
the military authoritifs. who feared that he ini^ht attempt to take
possession of his old village on the Roek River. There is no evidence
that he made or attempted to make any such an attempt, and some of
the settlers, knowing that an Indian war party was never accomi)anie(l
hy the old men. women and children of the trihe, expressed the opinion
that J}laek Hawk was on a peaceful mission.
Although the settlers felt no special alarm over the expedition,
Governor Reynolds took the view that Black Hawk's conduct in the
]jast had heen such that he would "hear watching." He therefore
ordered out the state militia to the numher of •2,000 men, which force,
under command of General Whiteside, was sent to the aid of the
gai-i-ison at Fort Armstrong. There has al\\a\s heen a difference of
opinion as to whether Black Hawk's intentions were really hostile,
it is certain, however, that the first warlike movement was made hy
tlie M-hites. 31ajor Stillman was sent out with a force. of 2.50 moimted
meu to turn hack the Indians. The detachment came upon Black
Hawk and about fort>- of his warriors at some distance from where
the main body of the Indians were encamped. Black Hawk sent for-
ward five of his men bearing a flag of truce, to ask for a parley, but
Stillman's men opened fire and two of the messengers were killed.
The Indians then took up the fight according to the tactics of their
race, concealing themselves behind trees and rocks and picking off
the white troopers. Stillman's men being mounted fought at a disad-
vantage and in a short time were uttei'ly routed, abandoning their
provisions and camp equipage in their fiight.
Up to this time no hostile demonstration had been made by the
Indians. The killing of the two warriors while engaged in bearing
a Hag of truce was the beginning of hostilities. This occurred on ^lay
12. 18.'}2. and during the next month some raids were made by the
Inrlians upon the unprotected settlements. But not all the atrocities
were committed by the members of Black Hawk's band. A number
of 'Wimiebagoes and Pottawatonn'es took advantage of the disturbed
conditions to kill and ])lunder. though they declined the invitation tv
join Black Hawk and "fight like men."
Stark County was at that time a ])art of Putnam, and though at
some distance from the seat of war the settlers Avere greatly alarmed
for fear that some straggling war ])arty would reach the Spoon River
A'alley. ]Mrs. Shallenberger, in her "Stark County and Its Pioneers,"
savs: "Manj' settlers along the frontiers of Northern Illinois, in
dread of the untold horrors of savage warfare, fled from their lands
and homes, some of them never to return. It was at this crisis that
40 lUSTOKV OF STiVRK COUNTY
volunteers from Spoon River rciulezvoiised at Hennepin, as related
hv Mr. Clifford, under the direetion of the gallant Colonel Strawii in
'Honajjarte hat and laced coat,' and it is said that no less than fifteen
hundred men reported themselves for service at that point."
Colonel Strawn's name does not appear in any published account
of the war and it is possible that his men were employed for local
defense. Immediately after Stillman's defeat volunteers were called
foi' and on June 1.3, 18.'32. there were three brigades in camp at Dixon's
Ferry, commanded by Gens. Alexander Posey, Milton R. Alexander
and James D. Ilein-y. In addition to these volunteer l)rigades. there
were the regular ti'oops at Fort Armstrong, commanded by General
Atkinson, and the state militia under General Whiteside. And all
this military array was considered necessary to overcome the little,
half-starved band of Sacs and Foxes, whose hostile intentions had not
j^et been made certain.
General Atkinson being between Black Ha^\k and the ^Mississippi
River, the chief started for the \Visconsin River, intending to descend
that stream and recross the jNIississippi. Early in June jNIaj. Henry
Dodge, with his Galena Battalion, joined the forces at Dixon's Fei-ry.
^^'hen it was learned that Black Hawk was making for the \Visc()nsin
River, General Henry and Major Dodge started in pursuit. On
July 21, 18.32, they overtook the Indians at the Wisconsin, about fifty
miles above its mouth, and Black Hawk was forced to make a stand
until the women, children and old men could retreat across the river.
With his few warriors he held the white soldiers at ba.y until the squaws
constructed light rafts for the transportation of the goods and small
ehildi-en. These rafts thej' pushed across the stream, at the same time
leading the ponies. When the noncombatants were out of danger
on the other side. Black Hawk sent half his fighting force over. From
the opposite shore these braves opened fire to cover the retreat of
the chief and the remainder of his little band, who then swam across
to safety. This feat was accomplished with fewer than two hundred
warriors in the face of a vastly superior force, with a loss of oidy six
men. Jefferson Davis, then an ofi^cer in Dodge's Battalion, afterward
president of the Southern Confederacy, said of this maneuver:
"This was the most brilliant exhibition of military tactics that I
ever witnessed; a feat of most consummate management and bravery
in the face of an enemy of greatly superior numl)ers. I never read of
anything that could be compared -^ith it. Had it, been performed by
white men it would have been immortalized as one of the most wonder-
ful achievements in military history."
HISTORY OF STARK COUNTY 41
The last battle of the Black Hawk War was fought at the mouth
of the Bad Axe River on August '2, 1832. Here all the white troops
were concentrated against Black Hawk, and a steamboat luul been
sent up the river from Fort Crawford to i)revent the Indians from
crossing the ^lississippi. The force on this boat kept up a tire on tlie
red men in front, while from all sides the Indians were assailed by
the land forces. Yet, in spite of the great inequality in the strength of
the two armies. Black Hawk held out for about two hours, hoping
vainly for some fortunate turn in the battle that would permit at
least a part of liis people to escape. Some even attempted to swim
the ^lississippi, but the steamboat ran in among tliem, capturing a
few and dro\^ning others.
After the battle of tlie Bad Axe, Black Hawk escaped to the
\\'innebago village at Prairie la Crosse. Through the treachery of
two AVinnebago Indians, he was turned over to General Street, the
huhan agent at Prairie (hi Chien, as a prisoner. His two sons were
also captured and held as ])risoners of war. They were contined at
Fortress ^Monroe, ^'^a., until June -4, 1833. when President Jack-
son ordered their release. Under the escort ol' Major (iarland the
three Indians were then taken on a tour of the country, in order that
they might behold the greatness of the United States and the futility
of again making war against the white men. AVhen taken ])efore
President Jackson, Black Hawk said:
"I am a man; you are only another. We did not expect to con-
(pier the whites. Thej'' had too many men. I took up the hatchet to
avenge injiu'ies my ])eo])le could no longer endure. Had I borne
them longer without striking, my people would have said Black Hawk
is a s(|uaw; he is too old to be chief; he is no Sac. These retlections
caused me to raise the war whoop. The result is known to you. I say
no more."
This speech has been quoted to show that Black Hawk really
crossed the Mississii)pi with a hostile object in view. At its conclusion
President Jackson presented the old chief Avith a beautiful sword — ■
"a gift from one warrior to another." Black Hawk then rejoined the
remnant of his band in Iowa and died there on October 3, 1838. An
old ^Vtlas of Stark County states that Black Hawk once had an
encampment in what is now Goshen Township, but there is no cor-
roborative testimony to show that he ever sojourned, even for a brief
pei'iod. in the present county of Stark.
42 HISTORY (JF STARK COUNTY
THE POTTAAVATOJII
Tribal traditions and accounts in the Jesuit relations go to show
that the Pottawatonii once constituted one of the powerful tribes of
the Algonquian family. French missionaries and traders first came
in contact with them near the northern limits of the lower ^Michigan
peninsula, where they were known as the "Nation of Fire." Nicollet
met with some of tliem in Wisconsin as early as 1664. Bacqueville
de la Potherie. an early French writer, says: "In 1665 or 1666 the
Pottawatonii took the southern and the Sac the northern shores of
Green Bay, and the ^Viimebago, who were not fishermen, went back
into the forests to live on venison and bear meat."
A few years later the Pottawatonii moved southward in large
numbers and took possession of the country around the head of Lake
^lichigan. In 1674. some of this tribe met Father ^Marcjuette on his
return from the ^Nlississipjji River and acted as his escort part of the
way back to Canada. As already related, they joined with the Ottawa
and Chipi^ewa tribes in a war with the Illinois Indians after the death
of Pontiac, and as a result of that war became possessed of a jjortion
of the lands once inhabited by the Illinois.
About the close of the Revolutionary war a part of the tribe
moved eastward and in the early years of the nineteenth centuiy
occupied practically all that part of Indiana lying north of the
\Vabash River. By the treaty of August '2i. 1816, they ceded their
lands along the shores of Lake ^Michigan to the United States and
received in exchange some of the Sac and Fox lands in Western
Illinois. This brought them into the valley of the Illinois River and
some of the tribe established their homes along Walnut Creek, in
what is now Stark County. In 1830 the band removed to Indian
Creek, in the i)reseiit townships of Goshen and Toulon, where they
were joined by others, and for a time this region A\as the principal
hunting ground.
The leading Pottawatonii chief in this part of the state was Shab-
bo-nee, who was really an Ottawa, ])ut became chief through his mar-
riage to a Pottawatonii maiden, daughter of a chief. In the War of
1812 he listened to the blandishments of the ShaMnee chief, Tecumseli,
and joined the British, but afterward proved to be a good friend to the
white settlers. In 1832, at the time of the Black Hawk war, he visited
the settlers on the Spoon River and warned tliein to leave, as tlie war
was likely to extend to that part of the country. Acting upon liis
information David Cooper and the three Essex families went to the
HISTORY OF STAKK COUNTY 43
flirt at the foot of Peoria Lake, tliough they all returned to their
liouies in Stark County with the exeeption of Thomas Essex, Jr., who
settled near Peoria. Shab-bo-nee died in Grundy County, Illinois,
•July 17. 1H.5!).
On August 17, IH-'l. a council was held at Chicago, when (icn.
Lewis Cass, as the coniniissioner of the United States, defined the
Pottawatonii country as "extending along both sides of the Illinois
Kiver and all its tributaries, and along the western shore of Lake
JMichiiian to CTreen Bav, with certain lands south of Lake Erie."
At tlie same time the trilie reliiKiuished title to about five millions of
acres in Michigan and Northern Indiana.
Another council was held at Chicago on September 26, 1833, when
the Pottawatomi chiefs and head men ceded all their remaining lands
in Indiana, and all their possessions in Illinois, to the United States.
Two years later they received their last annuity east of the ^Mississippi
and soon afterward removed to reservations in Iowa and INIissouri.
A few of this once powerful tribe are still living in Kansas.
Says ]Mrs. Shallenberger: "Our pioneers report those they found
here as a dirty, shiftless, set. the men of the tribe eking out a precarious
living by hunting and fishing, while the women broke the sod, built
the 'pony fences,' and raised paltry cro])s of coi-n. They were given
to begging most importunately, if not to stealing from their white
neighbors; their villages or encampments, of which there were several
within our present county limits, formed rendezvous, especially on
Sundays, for the idle and vicious, where horse trading and liquor
drinking went on. much as in later days at a gipsy camp. So destitute
of any element of poetry or romance were the last days of the red
man in this region, and their trails, their corn pits, and the graves
of their dead were the legacies they left us when they took up their
enforced march west of the Mississippi about 183.5-3(5."
THE AVINNEBAGO
Originally this tribe belonged to the Siouan family, but far back
in the past they became allied with the Algonquian tribes living about
the Great Lakes, and some ethnologists class them as being one of
tiie iMgonquian tribes. They are first mentioned in history as early
as l(i()l). wlien they were allied with the Pottawatonii, Chippewa, Sac
and Fox and other members of the Algonquian group.
In the Revolutionary war some of the Winnebago fought with
the Rritish. and in the summer of 179-i some took i)art in the battle
44 HISTOllV OF STAllK COUNTY
of Falk'ii Tiiiihers against the white forces coininaiided by Gen.
^Viithuny Wayne. A few were en<>a<>'e(l in the battle of Tippecanoe
in Novenibei", 1811, and witii the I'ottavvatomi were active in the
massacre at Fort Dearborn (now Chicago) in 1812. Shortly after
that tiiey located in that part of Illinois lying north and west of the
Hock Kiver, tliongh they frecinently visited their Pottawatonii breth-
ren farther south, and it is quite likely that some of them passed
through Stark County. They were friendly to Black Hawk at the
time of his mvasion of Illinois in 18.'32, though it was through the
treachery of two members of the tribe tliat Black Hawk was captured.
Not long after that they were given the strip known as the "neutral
ground" in Iowa for a reservation in excliange for their lands east of
the INIississippi. They intermarried freely with the Sacs and Foxes
and were closely allied to those tribes. — so closely in fact that some
of the last treaties made by the Sacs and Foxes were submitted to
the ^Vinnebago chiefs and head men before they became effective.
The foregoing includes probably all the Indian tribes that inliab-
ited or hunted over that part of Illinois now included in Stark County.
As the march of civilization proceeded westward the Indian retired
before the superior race, and about all that is left as a reminder of
their former occupation of the country are the names of certain
streams and towns which ai-e of unquestionable Indian origin. The
county seat of Gallatin County, in the southern part of the state,
bears the name of Shawneetown. in memory of the Indian tribe that
once liA-ed in that region. Kaskaskia. Kandolj))) County; Cahokia,
St. Clair County; Tamaroa, Perry County; and the city and county
of Peoria all bear names of minor tribes of the great Illinois confed-
eracy, and Indian Creek, in Stark County, marks the site of the Potta-
watomies' old hunting grounds.
chapter iv
tup: period of phepakation
EARIA' EXPLOKATIOXS IX AMERICA SPANISH, FRENCH ANH ENG-
IJSH CLAIMS TO TERRITORY IN THE NEW WORLD — THE JESUIT
.AIISSIONARIES — DISCOVERY OF THE MISSISSIPPI MARQUETTE AND
JOIJET LA SALLE's EXPEDITIONS LOUISIANA CROZAT AND LAW
— THE MISSISSIPPI BUBBLE — CONFLICT OF INTERESTS — FRENCH AND
INDIAN WAR — H.LIXOIS A BRITISH POSSESSION THE WAR OF THE
REVOLUTION CLARK's CONQUEST OF THE NORTHWEST ILLINOIS
UXDER VARIOUS JURISDICTIONS — ADMITTED AS A STATE EVOLUTION
OF STARK COUNTY RECAPITULATION.
Eastiat. thv eminent Freneh writei- on political economy, once
wrote an essay entitled "The Seen and the Unseen." People of the
present generation see the conditions around them, hut they are not
always so well acquainted with the conditions of former years, and
therefore do not fully appreciate the influence of the ])ast upon the
])resent. Civilization is the outgrowth of a gradual evolution. Stark
County, like all the political suhdivisions of the Lhiited States, is the
])r()(luet of a series of events running hack for many years. The
part of each event may have heen small, hut tlie gradual development
constitutes the "unseen" history of the county. It is therefore deemed
ad\isaiile to devote a chapter to this subject, in order that the reader
may he able to form some general idea of the evolution of the State of
Illinois and the County of vStark.
In 14!).'J. the year iollow ing the first voyage of Columbus to
America, the pojjc granted to the King and Queen of Spain "all
countries inhabited by infidels." At that time the extent of the conti-
nent (liseovered by Columbus was not known, but in a vague way this
papal grant included the present State of Illinois, the region then
inhabited by Indian tribes who knew not the religion of the Catholic
Church, and therefore came within the categoiy of infidels.
Three years later Henry Xll of England granted to John Cabot
and his sons a patent of discovery, possession and trade "to all lands
45
J6 II IS TORY OF STAKK COUNTY
they may discover and lay claim to in the name of the Knglish crown."
Before the close of the century the Cahots had made exjjlorations
aloni>' the Atlantic coast from Cape Ilatteras northward, and their
discoveries formed the hasis of England's claim to all the central por-
tion of North America.
While Spain was pushing her explorations through the West
Inches and along the coast of the (iulf of ^Mexico, and Kngland was
oi)erating along the xVtlantic seahoard farther north, the French Gov-
ernment sent Jacques Cartier on an expedition to the New World.
He discovered and laid claim to the Valley of the St. Lawrence River
and the country ahout the Great I^akes, from which hase the French
suhse(iuently pushed their explorations and claims westward to the
JNIississippi River and southward into the Ohio Valley.
Following the usage of that jjcriod, each of these three great Euro-
])ean nations claimed title to certain territory "by right of discovery."
Spain's 2)apal grant was strengtliened by the expedition of Hernando
de Soto into the interior in 1.54U-i2, one result of whicli was the dis-
covery of the Mississippi River. De Soto died in the wilds and his
body was buried in the great river. The few survivors, after many
hardships, finally reached the Sjianish colony at St. Augustine and
upon their report Spain, in 1.54.;j. claimed all the land bordering upon
the iMississippi as well as the gulf coast. In this way what is now the
State of Illinois became Spanish territory.
In 1()20 the Eritisli crown, ignoring the authority of the pope
and the explorations of De Soto, issued a charter to the Plymoutli
Company including "all the lands between the fortieth and forty-
eighth parallels of north latitude from sea to sea." The southern
l)oundary of this grant crossed Illinois about fifteen miles north of the
present city of Springfield, and wliat is now Stark County was there-
fore included in the old Plymouth Company grant.
Eight years later (in 1(;2S) the ^lassacliusetts Bay Company
received a grant that included a strip of land al>out one Inmdred miles
Avide "extending from sea to sea." The northern boundary of this
stri]) crossed tiie Mississippi River not far from tlie present city of
Prairie du Chien. Wis., and the southern crossed the State of
Illinois about ten miles north of the noi-th line of Stark County. Thus
at least a part of the state was claimed by both Spain and England
"by right of discovery." but no effort was made by either nation to
extend colonization into the interior. S])ain was so busily engaged in
the search for the rumored rich gold and silver mines that she paid but
little attention to the establishment of permanent settlements, whil^
1
HISTORY OF STAKK COUNTY 47
the English were apparently content with tlie little colonies at James-
town. Vii., and in Xew England.
^leantinie the l<'rench were not idle. Quebec was fouiuled by
Samuel Champlain in 1608, only one year after the English colony
was planted at Jamestown. In KH I Jesuit missionaries from Quebec
visited the Indian tribes living about the Great I>akes, and in l(>ir>
a French explorer named Le Caron \isited the country of the Huron
and Inuiuois tribes. The reports of Le Caron and the missionaries
C(in\iiieed the r'rencii authorities that it was possible to open up a
jM-otitable trade with the natives, particularly in furs, and explorations
were pushed still farther westward. In KJ.'U Jean Nicollet reached
the Fox River country, in what is now the State of ^Visconsin. For
more than half a century, however, after the founding of Quebec,
no systematic eff'ort was made to establish anything like a colony in
the (ireat Lake basin.
In the fall of KHi.j Claude xVllouez, one of the most zealous of the
Jesuit missionaries, held a council with the Indians at the Chippewa
village on the southern shore of Lake Superior. Chiefs of tiie Sioux,
Chippewa, Sac, Fox, Pottawatomi and Illinois tribes were present
and to them and their jjcople Alloue/. promised the j^rotection of the
great French father, thus opening the way for the establishment of
trading posts in the Indian country. Some of the Sioux and Illinois
chiefs told .Alloue/, of a great river farther to the westward, "called bj^
them the ^le-sa-sip-pi, which they said no white man had yet seen
(they knew nothing of the expedition of Ue Soto), and along which
fur bearing animals abounded."
This same Fa4:her Allouez and another missionary named Claude
Dablon founded the JNIission of St. jNIarys — the first white settlement
in Michigan — in lOCtH. Friendly relations were soon established
between the people of the mission and the neighboring Indians. In
1(J71 Jac(jues INIarquette, one of the most influential of the Jesuit
missionai'ies in Aniei'ica. founded the Mission of Point St. Ignace,
near the present city of INIackinaw, for the benefit of the Huron
Indians. For many years this mission was considered as the key to
the great, unexplored West.
Father .Marquette had first heard of the great river through the
report given bj" Allouez of the coimcil held at the Chippewa village
in IfU!.). and as time passed he grew more desirous of verifying the
Indian accounts of its existence. Fearing hostility, or at least opposi-
tion, on the part of the natives, he made no attempt to reach the river
until after the founding of the mission at Point St. Ignace. Some
48 HISTORY OF STARK COUNTY
time was then sixnt in making his preparations and in obtaining the
consent of the Canadian colonial officials. In the spring of 1073,
armed with the proper credentials, he went to Michilimackinac to
com])Iete his final arrangements for the expedition. It is said that the
friendly Indians, w^ien they learned of his intention, tried to dissuade
him from the undertaking by telling him that the Indians who lived
alonsi' the great river were cruel and treacherous, and that the river
itself was the abiding place of great monsters that could easily swal-
low a canoe loaded with men.
Giving no credence to the horrible stories, JNIarquette continued
his work of preparation and on ^Nlay 13. 1673, accompanied by Louis
Joliet. an explorer and trader, and five voyageurs, with two large
canoes, the little expedition left the mission.
DISCOVERY OF THE MISSISSIPPI
Passing up Green Bay to the mouth of the Fox River, they
ascended that stream to the portage, crossed over to the Wisconsin
River and drifted down that stream in the belief and hope that it
emptied into the great river of which they were in search. Xor were
their hopes idle and their belief without foundation. On the morning
of June 17, 1673, a little over a month from the time they left Point
St. Ignace, their canoes floated out upon the broad bosom of the Mis-
sissipi)i. Turning their canoes down the mighty stream, a few days
later they came to what is now the State of Illinois, opposite the city
of Dubuque, Iowa, and were probably the first white men to see the
western part of the state.
On their way down the river ^Marquette and Joliet visited some of
the villages of the Illinois Indians in Southeastern Iowa, after which
they continued their voyage until they met with a tribe of Indians
whose language they coidd not understand, when they retraced their
steps and returned to the French settlements about IMichilimackinac.
They had been absent about four months and had traveled about two
thousand five hundred miles, through an unknown region, anchoring
at night in mid-stream to prevent attacks by foes, and to avoid any
rocks or rapids that might be in the river.
Joliet was a good topographer and prepared a map of the countrj'^
through which he and jNIarquette had passed. The reiJorts of their
voyage, when presented to the French authorities, made the knowledge
of the ]Mississippi's existence certain and it was not long until a move-
ment was started to claim the countrv drained bv it for France.
HISTORY OF STARK COUNTY 49
LA SAI.LK's expeditions
Robert Cavalier, Sieur tie la Salle, in \(\7i. was granted the
seigneury of Fort I'rontenac, where the eity of Kingston, Canada,
is now located, and on ]May 12, 1078, Louis XIV, then King of
France, granted him a permit to continue the explorations of Mar-
quette and Joliet, "tind a port for the king's ships in the (iulf of
3Iexico, discover the western parts of New France, and find a \\ay
to penetrate Mexico."
Nicholas Perrot had already made some explorations in the Illinois
country in l()71:"the missionaries Allouez and Dablon visited the Illi-
nois Indians in 1(572; and in 1073 Father ^Nlaniuette ascended the
Illinois and Desplaines rivers. The information gained from the
reports of these early explorers led La Salle to select the Illinois
River route as the best way to reach the Mississippi. His first attemj)t
ended in failure, chiefly because his preparations had not been care-
fullv made. As his desire was to explore the great river from its
source to its mouth, he sent Father Louis Hennepin in 1680 to lead
an expedition from the mouth of the Illinois River to the headwaters
of the Mississippi, and in April of that year Heimei)in reached the
Falls of St. Anthony, where the City of Minneapolis, Minnesota, now
stands.
Late in December, 1681, La Salle, accompanied by his lieutenant,
Henri de Tonti; .Taccivies de la ]Metairie, a notary; Jean ^Michel, a
surgeon; Father Zenobe 31endjre, a Recollet missionary, and "a num-
ber of Frenchmen carrying arms," started upon the second expedi-
tion to the mouth of the JMississipjji. After a weary journey in the
dead of winter, they arrived at- Peoria Lake on January 2.3, 1082.
La Salle had reached this ])oint about two years before, and had here
built Fort Creveeoeur (liroken Heart), so named because it was here
he had been forced to abandon his first expedition. A short rest was
taken at the old fort and on February (>, 1082, the whole party reached
the mouth of the Illinois. Here another halt of a week was made
until the Indian members of the expedition came up, their progress
having been impeded by the heavy snow and ice. On the 13th the
canoes started down the Mississippi and on i\])ril S. 1(582, I^a Salle
and Tonti jjassed through two of the channels that led to the (iulf of
Mexico. The next day La Salle formally took possession of all the
country drained by the great river and its ti'ibutaries in the name of
France, and conferred upon it the name of Louisiana, in lionor of
Louis XIV, the French king. Under this claim Illinois became a
dependency of France.
50 HISTORY^ OF STARK COUNTY
Before the close of the year 1682 settlements were established by
the French at Kaskaskia and Cahokia — the oldest settlements on the
INlississippi River. A little later settlements or trading posts were
established at Fort Chartres, Prairie du Rocher, Prairie du Pont and
Peoria. To the French therefore belongs the honor of founding the
first settlements within the limits of the present State of Illinois.
It is not surprising that in time a conflict of interests arose among
the English, French and Spanish. Spain claimed the interior of the
continent by virtue of De Soto's discovery of the ]Mississippi River.
England had sent no expeditions into the interior, but upon the dis-
coveries made by the Cahots claimed the country "from sea to sea."
Neither Sjiain nor England made any attempt to found settlements
in the ^Mississippi Valley. The claim of La Salle was acknowledged
by other European nations after some dispute and hesitation and
France remained in control of the great valley for more than three-
quarters of a century. At the beginning of the eighteenth centiuy
the English settlements occupied the Atlantic coast from INlaine to
Georgia; Spain was in possession of the Peninsula of Florida and that
part of the Gulf coast not included in Louisiana: and France held
the Valley of the St. Lawrence, the Great Lake Basin and the
Mississippi Valley.
In 1712 the French Government granted to Antoine Crozat, a
wealthy merchant of Paris, a charter giving him exclusive control of
the Louisiana trade under certain conditions. But when his agents
arrived in the Gulf of ^Mexico they found the Spanish ports closed to
Crozat's ships, for Spain, while recognizing France's claim to Loui-
siana, as based upon the discovery of La Salle, A\as jealous of French
ambitions. xAfter five years, tired of -constantly combating the Spanisli
ojiposition and other difKculties, Crozat surrendered his charter.
Crozat was succeeded by the INIississijjpi Company, which A\as
organized by John I^aw as a branch of the Bank of France. In 1718
Law^ sent about eight hundred colonists to Louisiana and the next
year Philipe Renault went up the ]Mississippi to the Illinois country
with about two himdred colonists. He reestablished the settlement
at Kaskaskia and laid the foundations of the settlements at Prairie du
Rocher and Prairie du Pont. Law AA-as a good promoter, but a poor
executive. In 1720 his whole scheme collajised and so dismal was the
failure that his company is known in history as the "^Nlississijjpi Bub-
ble." In 1730 the white i)opulation of the French settlements in the
Illinois country was about three hundred and fifty, and in 1732 Law
surrendered his charter and Louisiana again became a French crown
province.
lilSTOUV OF STAUK COLNTV 51
l-'KEXCir AND INDIAN AVAR
111 the iiicaiitinif the English had l)eeii gnulually ])iishiiig the
frontier of their eivihzation farther westward. As early as 1()(>7 the
Hudson's Bay Company had been organized and its trappers and trad-
ers passed freely among the Indian tribes around the Great Lakes and
in the Upper .Mississippi \'alley, despite the French claim to the
territory and oblivious to the French protests against their trespasses.
The attack of the Fox Indians on the French post at Detroit in 1712
was incited by the English traders. iVgain in 1730 the English and
Dutch traders infiuenced some of the tril)es to make war on the French
in the hope of driving them from the country. The first open rupture
between France and England did not come until 17.53, when the
former began the establishment of a line of forts from the Great
Lakes to the Ohio Kiver, for the pur])osc of holding back the threat-
ened English occupation of the Ohio \'alley. The French claimed
that the Allegheny JNIountains formed a natural boundary, west of
whieli the British had no right to pass. One of the French forts was
located upon land claimed by Virginia, and (Governor Dinwiddie of
that colony sent George ^Vashington, then just turned twenty-one, to
demand of the French commandant an explanation of this invasion
of English territory while the nations were at peace. The reply A\as
unsatisfactory, not to say insolent, and in 1754 Washington was sent
into the disputed territory with a detachment of troo])s. having been
promoted to lieutenant-colonel.
Some years before this a charter had been granted by the British
Government to an association called the Ohio Company. The charter
carried with it a large tract of country and the right to trade with the
Indians on the Great Miami River. In 17.50 the Ohio Company built
a fort and opened a trading post near the site of the present Citj^ of
Piqua. Ohio. The Canadian authorities, regarding this as an en-
croachment upon French territory, sent a body of soldiers and Indians
to break up the post. The Ohio Com]iany then began a ne\v ]K>st at
the head of the Ohio River, where the City of Pittsi)urgli is now-
located, but again they were driven away by the French. Part of
Washington's instructions in 175-1 was "to complete the fort already
commenced by the Ohio Comi)any at the forks of the Ohio, and to
capture, kill or drive out all who attem])te(l to interfere with the
English posts."
.Vn order of this kind naturally aroused the indignation of the
French and in Mav, 17.5(). that nation formallv declared war against
52 HISTORY OF STARK COUNTY
England. The conflict that followed is known in American history
as the "French and Indian war," which in the end had a great iniluence
upon the history of the Illinois country. After keeping the Indian
tribes and Ajnerican colonies in a state of tvn-nioil for several years,
the war was concluded by the treaty of Fontainebleau on November
3, 17()2, by which France ceded that ])art of Louisiana lying east of
the ^Mississippi River (except the City of New Orleans and the island
upon which it is situated) to Great Britain. The treaty was ratified
by the treaty of Paris on February 10. 1768, and on the same day it
was announced that, by an agreement jireviously made in secret, all
that part of Louisiana lying west of the ^Nlississijjpi was ceded to
Sjjain. Through the operation of these two treaties the jurisdiction
of France came to an end in what is now the LTnited States and
Illinois became a British jjossession.
]Many of the French subjects living east of the INIississippi refused
to acknowledge allegiance to Cireat Britain ami removed to the west
side of the river. When the English colonies in America became in-
volved in war with the JNIother Country in 177.>, a large number of the
French, who had formerly lived in Illinois, recrossed the river and
joined the colonists in their struggle for independence.
Clark's conquest of the northwest
In the territory acquired by England by the treaty of 1763, several
posts had been established by the French, prior to the cession. Near
the present City of East St. Louis was Cahokia. Forty-five miles
down the river was St. Philippe. A few miles below St. Philippe were
Prairie du Rocher and Nouvelle Chartres (on the site of the old fort
of that name), and a little farther south was Kaskaskia. On the
Wabash River, in what is now the State of Indiana, were the posts of
Ouiatenon and Vincennes, and still farther north was Detroit, the
most important post of all. These posts Avere occupied by the British
at the beginning of the Revolutionary war.
In 1777 George Rogers Clark, a colonel of the Virginia line, sent
two spies — Samuel INIoore and Benjamin Liim — into the Illinois
country disguised as hunters to ascertain the conditions there. LTpon
their return they reported the population of Cahokia as 300 whites and
100 negroes; that a few French families Avere living at St. Philijjpe
and Prairie du Rocher; that Kaskaskia consisted of eighty houses,
500 white inhabitants and nearly as many negroes; that in none of the
posts was the garrison very strong, and that many of the French
inhabitants were friendly to the American cause.
HISTORY OF STAllK COUXTY 53
Armed with this inloriiiation, Chirk Merit before the Viroinia
Assembly and presented a phm for the overthrow of British power in
the Mississippi Valley. On Jannary 2, 1778, the Assembly voted
£1,200 to defray the expenses of the expedition and the same day
Governor Patriek Henry gave Colonel Clark seeret instruetions au-
thori/ing him to raise seven companies of fifty men each, ol)tain boats
at Fort Pitt (Pittsburgh) for the transportation of troops, ammmii-
tion and supplies down the Ohio River, "and during the whole trans-
aetion you are to take especial care to kee]) the true destination of
your forces secret. '
Clark raised but four of the seven companies. These four, com-
manded by Captains John Montgomery, Joseph Bowman, Leonard
Helm and \Villiam Ilarrod, rendezvoused on Corn Island, in the Ohio
Ri\er, not far from the present City of Louisville, Kentucky. On
June 24, 1778, the little ai-my left the island and droi)i)ed down the
Ohio, Clark's intention beiirg to ascend the \\'abash and attack the
])ost at ^^incennes first. Circumstances caused him to change his plan
and begin his campaign at Kaskaskia. Leaving the boats at the
mouth of the Tennessee Rivei-, Clark marched his force across the
country to Kaskaskia, which place was captured without opposition
on the night of Jidy 4, 1778.
The inhabitants were treated with every consideration and some
of them joined Captain Bowman, who was sent up the river Avith his
com])any to capture the post at Cahokia. Here another bloodless
victory was won and the inhabitants cheerfully took the oath of alle-
giance to Virginia. Clark then commenced his preparations for the
reduction of the ])ost at Vincennes. Father Pierre (ribault, who liad
been in charge of the parishes between the Wabash and ^Mississippi
rivers for ten years, volunteered to bring the people of A'incennes
over to the American interests without any military demonstration,
provided his name should not be used openly in the transaction and
that Dr. Jean Baptiste LafFont, a ])hysician of Kaskaskia. might be
cliarged with the temporal i)art of the mission.
The priest anil the doctor, with tlieir attendants, left Kaskaskia
on the 14th of July, with an address to the ])co])le of Vincennes au-
thorizing them to garrison their own town. etc. They succeeded in
their embassy and Clark placed the post under the command of Capt.
Leonard Helm, who was also appointed Indian agent for the dcjiart-
ment of the Wabash.
So far everything had worked well and Clark had succeeded be-
yond his most sanguine expectations. But late in the fall Henry
54 HISTUllV OF STAllK COUNTY
Hamilton, the British lieutenant-governor at Detroit, eolleeted a force
of thirty regulars, fifty French volunteers and 400 Indians, with
which he descended the Wabash and on December 1.5, 1778, recap-
tured the post at Vincennes. No attempt was made by the inhabitants
to defend the place. They were disarmed and Captain Helm wa.s
detained as a prisoner of war. When this unfortunate event occurred
Clark was making his preparations for his advance upon 13etroit, but
now he deemed it more important to take and hold Vincennes.
On January 29, 1779, Francis Vigo, a Spanish merchant who liad
been at Vincennes, arrived at Kaskaskia and gave Clark the informa-
tion that Hamilton had weakened his garrison by sending his Indians
against the frontier settlements: that the garrison did not number
more than seventy-tive or eighty men, and that the plan was to have
the Indians gather at Vincennes eai-ly in the spring for the purpose
of driving the Virginians from Kaskaskia and Cahokia. Ui^on learn-
ing these things Clark realized that there was no time to be lost. On
February 4, 1779, Capt. John Rogers and forty-six men embarked
on a large keel-boat, with two four-pounders and four swivels and a
su])ply of ammunition and provisions, under instructions to drop down
the ^lississippi and ascend the Ohio and AVabash rivers with all sjiecd
jiossible, while Clark, with the remainder of his force and some French
volunteers marched across the country.
Crossing the Kaskaskia River, Clark followed the old trail be-
tween the two posts imtil he reached the Embarrass River, near the
present City of Lawrenceville, where the flooded condition of the
country caused him to change his course and he struck the \A'abash
River about ten miles below the post. The march was one of great
hardshijis. the men often wading in water up to their waists and the
rations were limited for the greater portion of the march. Notwith-
standing all the obstacles, on the morning of February 18, 1779, they
were near enough to the fort to hear Hamilton's morning gun. Three
days later, two canoes having been found, the men were ferried over
the ^Vabash not far from the j^resent Town of St. Francisville.
In his account of the expediti
