Full text of "Past and present of DeKalb County, Illinois"

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Past and Present

Deivalb County, Illinois

J3y Prof. Lewis M. Gross

Assisted by an Advisory Board consisting or
H:: W. Fay, G. E. Congaon, F. W. Lowman ana Judge C: A. Bishop

VOLUME I

ILLUSTRATED WITH HISTORIC VIEWS

CHICAGO:

THE PIONEER PUBLISHING COMPANY

1907

CHIK

I ,' R K

PUBL . JURY

5361^17

ASTOR. LSNOX ANO

TILO»» F' *. ATIONS.

R 1912 L

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* " * . '

THE NEW YORK I

PUBLIC LIBRARY

ASTOR, LENOX
TILPEN FOUNOATlntm \

HISTORICAL

INTRODUCTION.

The history of DeKalb county is the story cf
(his little segment of our country and concerns the
people particularly that live in this territorial unit
thirty-six miles long and eighteen miles wide.

We are proud of the achievements of the men and
women who were our worthy forebears and pion-
eers who, by dint of courage and personal sacri-
fice, made this little area we now call DeKalb
county to "blossom as the rose" and give us a por-
tion of that heroism that makes us even as good
as we are. The task we assume, to record the
deeds of our pioneers whom we knew face to face
and learned from them their interesting story, is
a pleasant one, but not so easy as we first thought.
To sit down and talk with the few who still remain
of that few who left the old eastern home between
1835 and 1845 to settle here is pleasant indeed, but
to connect those incidents and make a complete
story is quite a different thing.

Our history seems readily to divide itself into
two periods : Before and after the Civil war. This
is done by common consent. "Were you born be-
fore the war?" is a question often asked of the
middle aged male population. If an old settler,
the question is: "Did you settle here before the
war?" It is an appropriate division of the seventy-
two years that covers the time since our first per-
manent settler, Jack Sebree, of Virginia, raised
his log cabin on the banks of Little Rock creek in
what is now Squaw Grove township, in the fall of
1834, for in those years from '61 to '65 our coun-

ty made her supreme effort in the gilt of
two thousand five hundred of her stalwart
sons to the "government of the people, by the
people and for the people that was not to perish
from the earth."

It is the period "before the war"' with which
we wish to concern ourselves, and it is of course
more difficult to gather data for this period be-
cause we know it second hand. We will more
readily see the difficult nature of our task when we
know how few records were kept, and even those
preserved are fragmentary. Like many other men
of meritorious achievements our progenitors did
not seem to think their actions worthy of record,
so that the whole amount of material gathered is
really an infinitesimal portion of what really did
occur.

Before 1840 not one family in ten took a peri-
odical regularly. Fortunate, indeed, was the fam-
ily that had a weekly paper, and that was read and
passed to the neighbors not so fortunately situated
until it was unreadable; and it is further to be de-
plored that matters of local interest were not re-
corded, but the papers of a half century ago were
full of foreign news that did not reach our county
until it had many months before passed into
history, while even matters pertaining to our na-
tional affairs were of secondary interest to the pub-
licist.

To secure good pictures of buildings, such a-
first homes of our earliest settlers, our first school
houses and places of worship, the old mills that
were once numerous and furnished lumber and

PAST AND PEESENT OF DE KALI', COl NTY.

flour, and also of our early settlers, has been very
unsatisfactory. Photography was unknown to our
first pioneers and the daguerreotype was expensive,
and added to all this there were many old people
who thought it wicked to have their pictures taken.
So superstition played a large part in preventing
is t lie pleasure of looking upon likenesses that
would now give us such pleasure.

To give a work of this kind to our satisfaction
would take at least one year, but these few facts
have been gathered in my more than two score
-' of existence with no intention, until last
December, of putting them in book form, so with
apologies above offered we d this imperfect

work to our sturdy pioneers.

The Civil war changed former political alliance
and broke political parties into fragments so that
when the war closed political discussions were
founded upon questions born of that trying period.

It seems strange now in contemplating our
county's history to see how different political ele-
is and governmental ideas were represented in
our earliest settlements. The earliest settlers came
from the southern and central portions of our
in large numbers with ideas of the southern civil-
ization predominant, and while the New England-
er wa with those of the middle states who

sprang from the Puritans, still the southern ideas
are pre-eminent and show themselves in the county
as the unit of government while the old demo-
cratic party of before the war was the predominant
party and held control until 1856. By that time
n emigrant representing the civilization
Plymouth Bock supplanted the political ideas
of the civilization of Jamestown and the New
England township becomes the unit of government
and the republican party whose cardinal principles
opposition to slavery extension which in time
and the domiciling of every man in his own home
and on his own farm, checked the extension of
slave territory. Every change of location exerts
a more telling effect than one thinks at a percursory
glance. The men from the northeast portion of
ottr country did not at once affiliate harmoniously
with the men from the south-land, but common
dangers, common interests draw men close in a
common bond of sympathy, and in the second gen-
eration they are one in association, their children
intermarry and racial, social and religious differ-
ences disappear. We can readily recall instances

where children of Knights of the Golden Circle
married those of the most stanch abolitionist, and
denominational rancor cannot withstand the in-
roads of the American social life as exemplified in
America.

EARLY CONDITIONS.

AYhen the white people first came to the terri-
tory now known as DeKalb county they found an
ken wilderness consisting mostly of prairie
which embraced all that part of Franklin south of
the Kishwaukee and a little of the north central
of the town, all of Kingston township south
and west of the Kishwaukee except sections 1, 2.
3, 4, 11 and 12 ; that part of Genoa township ex-
cept sections IS, 19, 30, 31, 33, and a part of 29;
all of Sycamore except part of sections 2, 10, 11.
and parts of 12 and 14; all of Mayfield west of the
Kishwaukee except a fringe of wood along its west
hank: South Grove was mostly prairie except parts
of sections 10, 11. 14. 15 and 23: Malta township
had no timber: DeKalb's prairie land covered all
its territory except along the banks of the Kish-
waukee : Cortland had timber on section 28 and
his 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and part of 15. part of
2:; and all of 24; Pierce had one small grove on
i '.•.': Afton and Milan were all prairie;
Shabbona except Shabbona Grove on sections 23,
25, 26 and 27. Paw Paw had two groves, one
on sections 7. 18 and lit; Poss Grove on sections
10, 11, 14, 15 and 22 : Victor had no timber, while
Somonauk was covered along the banks of Somon-
auk creek on either side with a large area of for-
est and more than any other town in our county
has retained. her original woods: Clinton had one
small grove which has become historic because for
many years in this pretty grove have been held
the Old Settlers' Picnics. Squaw Grove and
Papoose Grove in Squaw Grove township covered
what is now Hinckley and the woods on section 30
and 31 Squaw Grove township are a continuation
of the Somonauk timber belt. These groves and
tracts of timber are of special interest to us as they
were, except in one instance, Lost Grove on section
28, Cortland, found near the running streams of
water, and wood and water being the mainstay of
the pioneers, they made their earliest homes in
the woods which furnished wild game in abund-
ance, and the streams supplied excellent varieties
of fish. Nearly every pioneer was an expert with

PAST AND PP.ESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

the muzzle loading rifle and an adept with the
anglers tools.

Many settlers who came in the '50's thought it
unwise to locate so far from the timber and creeks,
and as late as 1856 Judge Hill, Nicholas Saum
and others from Kingston, while attending a re-
ligious service at the Vandeburg school house in
Mayfield, thought that ultimately that portion of
the prairie so far from wood and water would
again be a common.

They lived long enough to see their dreams van-
ish, for in the early '70s farmers began to sink
tubular wells which are now indispensable to every
farm, and about the same time the hard coal base-
burner solved, in a great degree, the fuel problem,
and today first class farms are original treeless
wastes.

In the middle '60s one of our county newspapers
wrote a description of a sample of anthracite coal,
but speaks of its cost preventing its general use.
All the wood consumed in our county in 1906
would not pay one-fifth of the county's hard coal
bill. It is to be regretted, however, that there was
such a waste of timber in our earlier years, for it
would serve a valuable purpose as a reservoir of
water and be used profitably in our dome-tic af-
fairs.

There were eight saw mills along the Kishwau-
kee in the early '40s. One south of the old town of
Coltonville, Comb's mill built by William A.
Miller, Millers mill on the I. L. Ellwood farm.
Kingston; Gleason's mill just in the east edge of
Kingston, Gault's mill near the east line of A.
J. Lettow's farm in Kingston; Lee's two mills, one
on the north side of the river, and one on the
south side of the river near the mouth of Lee's
slough: Welty's mill on sect inn 21 near the east
line of Franklin and Hicks' mill just east of the
Hicks' mill bridge. All these mills except Welty's
and Comb's mills were sawmills, and at an early
period Comb's mill served the double purpose. To-
day they are all gone ; of most of them but few-
traces remain.

Many of the houses and barns of forty years
ago were built of hard wood sawed at these mills,
and in many instances will outlast the buildings
erected during these recent years. Until the St.
Charles mill was built about 1840, and the Big-
Thunder mill at Belvidere about the same time,
our pioneers went to mill at Ottawa.

The Indian, while often hostile and the most
fatal foe of advancing civilization, taught our
pioneers many valuable lessons in these far-off out-
post of our country. From him they learned the
habits of the game in wood and stream and
prairie; they adopted his mode of dress and in
these early homes were the household utensils com-
mon to the red men, such as the mortar and pestle
for grinding corn, the stone skinning knife and
the bone fish-hook.

The earliest permanent settlers in Jamestowu
colony died by thousands before they could main-
tain a self-supporting community, for they stub-
bornly tried to maintain European customs, while
our forefathers in the Mississippi valley by adopt-
ing Indian habits, generally supplied the absolute
necessities of life.

It was Charles Francis Hall, an Arctic naviga-
tor, that revolutionized the methods of the seekers
for the North Pole. When he planned his expedi-
tion he pursued the theory "that a white man
could live where a savage maintained an exisi
ence." Francis Parkman, our ablest and most ac-
curate historian, in describing the white hunter
and trapper who led civilization the way into the
wilderness, bears strong testimony to the fact that
a child of civilization upon adopting the manners
and customs of savagery and living with savages,
never again willingly returns to civilization. The
children captured by Indians were with difficulty
induced to return to their homes, and in many in-
stances went back to the homes of the red men.
An Indian girl will attend the schools of
the whites, graduate at college, but on returning
to her Indian home when the torn torn is sounded
for the Indian dance, will cast oil' the habiliments
of civilization, don her blanket, paint her face
and obey the call of the wild as did her ancestors
before the advent of Columbus.

DeKalb county is a part of northern Illinois
that formerly was a pari of Ouisconsin ("Wiscon-
sin) but by a political stratagem played by Na-
thaniel Pope, our territorial delegate at the time of
admission into the Union in 1818, fifty-one miles
of the northern portion of what is now Illinois was
added to our area, and Wisconsin thus lost a fertile
portion of the state and the metropolis of the Mis-
sissippi valley — Chicago.

In the British Museum, London, is found a rude
diagram of the Illinois country, made by Captain

PAST A XL) PRESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

Philip Pittman in 1770, and is described as fol-
lows : •"'The country of the Illinois is bounded in
the west by the River Mississippi, by the River
Illinois on the north, by the Oubache (Wabash)
and Miainas on the south."" and the eastern border
is indefinite. The boundary on the north as made
by Nathaniel Pope became the 42-30' parallel of
latitude. All our county except the four south
townships and the three south rows of sections of
Squaw Grove, Clinton and Shabbona was formerly
a part of the Wisconsin territory. What an amount
of good energy might have been saved for us in
"County seat delirium" if the northern line of our
stale was at present running nine miles north of
the south line of our county.

The effect of this •'•land grab"' from the unor-
ganized territory of Wisconsin can scarcely be es-
timated unless we take a backward look into our
history: The position of Illinois in national poli-
tics often turned the tide in the control of na-
tional affairs. The anti-slavery cause would have
been hindered materially had not Illinois cast her
strength mi that side of the question ami her posi-
tion was determined by her fourteen northern
counties. In 187 (i had Illinois not had those fifty-
two miles that rightfully belonged to Wisconsin
included in her area, Tilden and not Hayes would
have been honored by the chief magistracy of our
republic. This portion was settled by people from
\.y\ England and from those states in the middle
east that were settled by New Englanders and in-
herited from her ideas, themselves moulded by the
Plymouth Rock civilization. Without the four-
teen counties in this fifty-one miles of Illinois
territory Abraham Lincoln could not have carried
Illinois, and without such strength in his own
-late, he could not have secured the nomination
in ISfiO.

Dick Oglesby, Oulloni. Fifer ami other repub-
lican candidates for gubernatorial honors would
have failed to reach the coveted prize and our state
Mould have been a more uncertain political quan-
tity than either Indiana or New York.

Gallant Dick Oglesby in an address delivered in
DeKalb in 1894. said: 'Timing the days of civil
strife when the national and state administrations
needed the approval of the people and adverse
judgment was pouring in upon us from counties
in the southern part of Illinois, how we looked to

the northern counties to throw their power and
influence in the balance and they never deserted
us."

INDIANS.

Indian life in DeKalb county was well known to
early settlers, and from 1835 to 1837 they were
friendly to the whites and in many instances were
of great assistance to the pioneer. The Indians in
this locality were summoned to Fort Dearborn,
then standing in the city of Chicago, where ar-
rangements were made to remove the red men io
the west of the Mississippi river and upon thdir
removal. 1*37 — Fort Dearborn was evacuated by
national troops, was used as a storehouse and soon
fell into decay, while today upon its site stands
W. M. Eoyfs wholesale grocery and one must draw
strongly upon his imagination to even fancy the
spot was ever used to hold hack the savage from
destroying, or better, retarding the westward
march of civilization.

Among those of our citizens that were employed
by Uncle Sam to remove the Indian were Norman
Peters and Evans Wharry. After 1837 they had
no regularly established homes, except at Shabbona
Grove, and even at this place they would not be
found for months at a time, and at one time re-
mained in the west for three years.

Indian axes, skinning knives, pestles for grind-
ing corn, pipes, spear heads, arrow heads, etc.. are
found even at this late date. From Indian graves
on Stuart's farm east of the village of Kingston
have been taken many of the above named utensils.
Early settlers of Kingston and Coltonville found
dead papooses wrapped in hark and suspended
among the limbs of large forest trees.

While taking gravel from a pit on the Norton
farm, Shabbona. the skeleton of an Indian youth.
presumably a child of Shabbona, was unearthed,
and on the J. Y. Stuart farm about twenty-two
years ago in a gravel pit some parties working out
their poll tax found the skeleton of an aged In-
dian, while in 1889 just north of the Kirklaml
bridge, in a gravel bed. was found a skeleton, the
skull of which had been utilized by a gopher for a
nest where the young were reared.

From these incidents we assume that they did
not always use regular burial places, but to this
dav there are several Indian graveyards that are

PAST AND PRESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

well known to a few people, notably one in Shab-
bona Grove, two in Kingston, one in Franklin and
one in DeKalb township on the Adee farm.

When the little tribe in Cortland left their grove
on section 3 an old chief refused to leave the graves
of his fathers and a rude log cabin was built for
him and provision left him, but a few months
later his white neighbors found him lifeless in his
hut. The site of this cabin is pointed out today
by the owner of the farm. In 1867 some Pot-
tawattomies, former residents, were making a visit
to their old homes and while north of Sandwich
an Indian buck got into trouble with his drunken
mother-in-law and in self-defense sent her to the
"happy hunting grounds." He was in prison ax
Sycamore for some months and upon being a
"good Indian" while "in durance vile" was given
his liberty.

The Indian was possessed with endurance, would
in the seasons of scarcity of game go for weeks
without being properly fed, but as an athlete in
exercises that required muscular exertion, such ae
wrestling, he was not a success.

An incident that took place in Sycamore in the
later '30s illustrates this fact. Uncle "Ide" Fair-
do, a great wrestler, but a man small of stature
engaged frequently in such contests, and on this
occasion after he had thrown "the bully" the In-
dians were induced to try their muscle on Uncle
Ide. He could throw an Indian as fast as he could
get up much to the amusement of the whites and
the Indians themselves.

They had an orchard at Coltonville and corn-
fields at different places which were cared for bv
the women. The latter were slovenly housekeepers
and poor nurses and a high rate of mortality ex-
isted among the infants especially.

Early settlers have seen them eat their game raw
and have witnessed their culinary skill. They
cooked game whole and undressed. If it chanced
to be a wild fowl no feathers were removed not
was it drawn, but placed whole in the ashes. Such
a menu was offered to Jack Sebree once, when call-
ing upon his Indian neighbors. Their hominy was.
however, quite palatable.

The numerous collections of Indian relics now
in private and public collections do not pertain so
much to the Indian known to our first settlers for
their implements of war, hunting and those of
their simple domestic arts were generally those

of the whites. No bows and arrows were used by
them in the Black Hawk war of 1832.

Most of these relics are at least two centuries
old, and men who have given much time and study
to the Indian manners and customs believe them
to be many centuries old. They had adopted many
ideas of the white people, wore clothing of the
whites and wore but. few garments make of skins
of animals.

The Indian of our pioneer days had degenerated
to a great extent, were in many instances petty
thieves, and when liquor was obtainable would get
drunk very often. He would sell anything to get
"fire water/' and one was known to have offered
his child for a bottle of whiskey, and his love for
drink contributed largely towards his degeneracy.

In this county the Indians used ponies and were
constantly on the move, and Shabbona and his
tribe were known in all parts of our county. Men
of three score years and upwards while boys in
school remember of the tribe in their wanderings
and school was dismissed so that the pupils might
see the old chief, for he was respected and gener-
ally treated with kindness for his great service to
the whites in rescuing many from the savages of
Black Hawk. His prominence gives him conspicu-
ous place in the story of our county, and as he was
the high type of the "good Indian" we have de-
voted much space to him : and let us remember
this as a striking relief from the bloody tale told
since the days of Columbus to our own time.

THE INDIAN CHIEF SHABBONA.

BY PKOF. L. A. HATCH.

The Indians have gone from Illinois, but there
are many people living today who remember hav-
ing seen the last of this dusky race as it disappear-
ed. With them have gone, never to return, many
of the primitive conditions that once existed. It
is with difficulty that the present generation re-
constructs in image form and scenes and condi-
tions that met those who first came to this land ae
explorers or founders of homes. Fortunately we
have with us a few of the early pioneers from
whose lips we may gather a few of the fragments
of our early history. These should be collected and
retained as a part of our national heritage. It will
give us strength to look back upon those early days
and to recount the struggles through which we
have come.

PAST AXD PRESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

The conflicts which took place between the red
man and the early white settlers would make a
long story were all told. Were we to write this
story the name of Shabbona would appear in many
places. Were you to read it you would come to
love the man and to respect him for the true man-
hood that he displayed on so many occasions. Were
you to go to the early settlers who knew Shab-
bona you would find them all agreed as to the no-
lnlity of Ins character. He was known by them
all as "The Friend of the White Man." The writer
will tell the story as he gathered it from those who
fcnew him, and from other sources that will be in-
dicated at the close of this article.

In the southern part of DeKalb county. Illinois,
is found a small village that has been named after
Shabbona. Not far from this village is to be found
a grove known as Shabbona Grove. It was at this
grove that Shabbona and his people made their
home for many years. Those who live at the grove
take pleasure in pointing out the spot where he
pitched his wigwam. It was a beautiful place in
those early days nestled on the banks of a little
stream. It was a small clearing in the wood well
protected from the storms that raged during the
winter. In the early years of his I his grove

it was the home of his whole tribe, which by the
way never m than one hundred and

thirty souls. After the government moved the In-
dians from Illinois, Shabbona and his family lived
here for a number of wars. A hollow in the
ground marks ■ he had a shallow

well from which he obtained water. A few mounds
mark the res! of a number of his family.

You are told that a house was built for the old
chief by the white settlers who thought they would
show their appreciation for him in this way. This
house was made of log- Ee never lived in it, so
some who knew him say, but instead used it as a
shelter for his ponies and a storehouse for his pro-
visions. At times some of the younger Indians of
the tribe used this cabin as a place of shelter but
old Shabbona and Coconoko. his wife, always pre-
ferred to live in the tent even during the coldest
weather in winter. As he visited his white friends
li was almost impossible to get him to sleep over
night in a house. He preferred to roll up in his
blanket and sleep out of doors. By his association
with the whites lie acquired much from them but

there were many Indian traits and customs that
he retained as long as he lived.

At one time the grove at which he made his
home was one of the finest in the state of Illinois.
It covered an area of fifteen hundred acres. In it
were found large white, bur, and red oak. Xo better
black walnut trees were to be found anywhere than
were found bere. Outside of this grove extended
great tracts of prairie land noted for their fer-
tility. Surrounded by this, Shabbona, the Indian
chief, lived and ruled his little kingdom. Plenty
surrounded him on all sides. He and his people
visited other Indian settlements, of which there
were many in northern Illinois. Other chiefs and
their people visited him and lived off his substance.
His word had much weight in the councils with
other chief-. He was one of the great chiefs among
the chiefs.

But you ask. Who was this Shabbona? He was
a member of the Ottawa tribe of Indians, born as
the best authorities think, in Ohio somewhere on
the Maumee river. He was the grandnephew of
the great Indian chief, Pontiac. He lived at the
time of Tecumseh and the Prophet. He knew them
both and took several long journeys with the for-
mer. For a time he was a friend of Black Hawk.
He knew Keokuk, Big Foot, Sauganash, Black
Partridge, Snachwine. Wabansee and Eed Jacket.
He probably knew Big Thunder. Spotka. the Pot-
tawattomie chief, appreciated his worth, and as an
indication of his appreciation gave his daughter in
marriaee.

The name of this chief was not always spelled
by writers in the same way. The following spell-
ings are found : Shabbona, Chamblee, Shaubeue.
Shabone, Shaubenay and Sliabehney. Shabbona
seem- pelling preferred. The old chief

liked to have his name pronounced, as if there
hut two syllables to it. and to pronounce it as
if it were spe 3 ney, with the accent on the
first syllable.

In appearance he was a very striking character.
He would be singled out from among a body of
Indians because of the native dignity of the man.
He was five feet, nine inches in height, broad
shouldered, with a large head supported by a heavy
neck. His hands, for a man of his size, were small.
His body was long so that when he rode on horse-
back he appeared larger than when on foot. He
was a well built man. When a young man he

PAST AND PRESENT OP DE KALB COUNTY.

excelled in all kinds of athletic exercises. As a
boy he was the picture of health. He was always
large for his age. When a young man he weighed
two hundred forty pounds. As has been intimated
he was very muscular and capable of great endur-
ance. Until his last illness, which occurred in his
eighty-fourth year, he did not know what it was to
be sick.

One in speaking of him, says, "He was as strong
as a buffalo, as swift of foot as a deer and as gentle
as a woman." There are those who think that
Shabbona, with his power to understand men, his
soundness of judgment in dealing with matters
that pertained to his race, his coolness in times of
danger, his loyalty to principles, might have be-
come one of the great men of the world bad be had
opportunities of education. He possessed those
characteristics that made him a leader. People
loved him, they believed in him, they acted upon
his suggestions.

In the autumn, it was the custom of the In-
dians to go on extended hunts in order that food
might be secured and prepared for the winter.
At this time of the year game was in good condi-
tion and the fur of fur-bearing animals was at its
best. Sometimes these hunts took the hunters a
long distance from their homes. The Indians of
certain tribes came to feel that they owned certain
hunting grounds and looked upon others who
might hunt upon these grounds as hostile to their
interests.

In the autumn of 1800, a party of Ottawa hunt-
ers from the country around Lake Erie went on a
hunting expedition into what is now known as
Illinois. This hunt led them around the lower end
of Lake Michigan to the present site of Chicago.
Here they felt at home as they were among their
friends, the Pottawattomies. Among those who was
sent on this hunt was a young man known as Shab-
bona — the Shabbona about whom this article tells.
This was his first visit to Illinois. When the hunt
was over the Indians returned to their homes in
the Ohio country. Shabbona, however, did not re-
turn, but spent the winter at the home of Spotka ;
the chief of the Pottawattomies at Chicago. As
has been stated his stay with this chief resulted in
Shabbona receiving Spotka's daughter in mar-
riage. Shabbona was already a chief among the
Ottawas and his marriage to the daughter of .1

Pottawattomie chief made him a Pottawattomie,
and later he became a Pottawattomie chief.

By his sterling qualities he won the respect of
his new brothers and as has been indicated became
a chief among them. It is said that at first they
were inclined to feci somewhat jealous of Shab-
bona and as a result said some things of him that
were not altogether good. Some of these remarks
came to the cars of Shabbona. It made him feel
sad to lieai- these things for he had tried his best
to please those with whom he lived. After think-
ing matters over for a time he decided that ne
could stand it no longer, so one morning he arose
and announced to his squaw, Coconoko, that lie
was going to go back to his people to live among
them. Bidding Coconoko good-bye he mounted his
pony and rode away to the eastward. He rode
and thought and the farther he got away from
his squaw the more he thought. Before night
overtook him he turned his pony about and re-
turned to Pokonoka to live with her during the
remainder of his life which closed fifty-nine years
after this. While he was gone Pokonoka talked to
her people about the injustice that had been done
Shabbona. After this there was never any mire
trouble along this line for they soon came to ap-
preciate his worth. It was not long after this that
Shabbona selected Shabbona Grove as his home.

From 1800 to 1807 Shabbona traveled much
among the Indians along the Illinois, Fox and
Eock rivers. At times he went farther to the
south, also up the Mississippi and into Wisconsin.
The missionaries among the Indians often secured
him to guide them as they went from tribe to
tribe. In this way he became very well acquainted
with the leading chiefs and with the country in
which they lived. It is said that he could mark out
a trail or river course in the sand, indicating all
of the landmarks, so that it was easy for a stranger
not acquainted with the country to find his way.
This knowledge of the country and acquaintance
with the chiefs was a good preparation for the later
life that Shabbona led.

In the year 1807, Shabbona had the good for-
tune, if looked at in one way, and bad fortune if
looked at in another light, to become acquainted
with Tecumseh — Flying Panther — the chief of the
Shawnee Indians, who was a man of many high
qualities, impressive manners and wonderful nat-
ural eloquence. Tecumseh was a little older than

PAST AND PRESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

Shabbona but they were botli comparatively young
men at this time, neither being over thirty-five
years of age. The two chiefs had many councils
together. Tecnmseh saw the evil influence of
whiskey among his people so he prohibited its
use. This and other tilings he did left their im-
press upon Shabbona for good, although in later
years Shabbona was known to imbibe somewhat.

In the year lM<i. (iciieral Harrison met Tecum-
seh on the Wabash in council. After ibis council
Tecumseh went to Shabbona's village and persu-
aded Shabbona to go with him to see the Indians
of northern Illinois and Wisconsin to get them
to join in concerted action in driving back the
whites who were pushing then- settlements forward
into their hunting grounds. These two chiefs went
from village to village along the Illinois and Fox
rivers. Then they went to the Winnebago and Me-
nominee Indians to the north. Both of these tribes
fought against the Americans during the war of
1812. Tecumseh and Shabbona then moved to the
south along the Mississippi, visiting the Sauks and
Foxes, meeting Black Hawk and Wapello, the
leading chiefs. At Rock Island the two chiefs
parted. Tecumseh going farther to the south
along the Mississippi and Shabbona returning to
his home in DeKalb county.

In the summer of 1811 Tecumseh and Shab-
bona met Genera] Harrison again ai Vincennes in
a second council. After a wordy conference Te-
cumseh withdrew and with Shabbona and two
Shawnee chiefs set out for the south to visit the
Creeks. Cherokees, Choctaws and Seminoles.
While absent his followers were defeated on the
7th of November. 1811, in the battle of Tippe-
canoe by General Harrison.

After the visit to the south Shabbona returned
again to the grove. It was while here that he
heard of the declaration of war with England.
There was a plan on foot to attack and capture
if possible. Fort Dearborn before news could
reach that place. Runners came to Shabbona tell-
ing him that the attack was to be made and that
the Pottawattomies were all to take part in the
war. He decided that he would not go to the at-
tack on Fort Dearborn as he had many friends
there among the whites. Seeing the other Indians
going he mounted his pony and went also. Snach-
wine had planned and carried out the attack. When
Shabbona arrived he was shocked to see what had

been done. Scattered along the beach of the lake
lay the forty-two (some say fifty-two) bodies of
the victims of the massacre, scalped and muti-
lated, women, children and soldiers alike. The
body of Captain Wells lay in one place, his head
in another while his arms and legs were scattered
over the prairie. The remains of Captain Wells
were gathered up by Black Partridge and buried
near where they were found, while the bodies of
the other victims were left where they fell until
the rebuilding of Fort Dearborn in 1816 — four
years later. Then their scattered bones that had
bleaching in the sun were gathered up aud
buried by Captain Bradley.

The prisoners were placed in Kinzie*s house
where Black Partridge and Shabbona tried to pro-
tect them with their braves. Parties of Shawnee
Indians arrived from the Wabash. These were
thirsting for blood. They expected to arrive in
time to take part in the attack. They rushed by
Black Partridge and Shabbona to get at the pris-
oners and had not Saguanash arrived just as he
did their lives would have been taken. They
would have shared the fate of the others. As it
was they were saved and we feel grateful for the
share that Shabbona had in the saving of their
lives. They were made prisoners. Part of them
were taken to St. Joseph and to Canada. Others
were scattered among the different tribes of Pot-
tawattomies but in time they were sent to Detroit
and ransomed.

After the massacre of Fort Dearborn Shabbona
returned to his grove with his mind made up to
take no further part in the war. In the fall of
1812 emissaries from Tecumseh reached Shab-
bona's village bearing presents and the wampum
belt asking him and his braves to join with him
in the war. Shabbona was deceived into believing
that the Pottawattomies and many others of thi
tribes in Illinois were going to take up the hatchet
and join the English in their war against the
Americans. So Shabbona gave up the winter hunt
that he had planned to take and with twenty-two
warriors left for the seat of war. On his way so
the Wabash, where the Shawnees dwelt, he fell in
with Black Hawk and the Indians under his com-
mand. The Hawk and Shabbona had been frienns
for many years and sat together many times in
council. In this war Shabbona stood next in com-
mand to Tecumseh. At Fort Meigs and Fort

PAST AND PRESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

Stephenson the Indians were badly whipped by the
Americans. This discouraged Black Hawk and his
warriors so he, with them, returned to his home on
the Mississippi. Shabbona, however, remained with
Tecumseh and pushed onward, through Indiana
and Ohio into Canada. In September, 1813, the
battle of the Thames was fought and at this battle
Shabbona saw his friend Tecumseh killed by
Colonel Richard M. Johnson. Shabbona being
second in command the leadership fell upon him
The battle raging with fury and there seemed to
be no chance for the Indians so he ordered his
braves to retreat, which they did. Shabbona never
expected to escape from the conflict alive. It is
said that he prayed to the Great Spirit that if his
life was saved he would never take up arms again
against the whites. It was saved and from this
time till his death he kept his vow. For this stand
he lost prestige among the Indians. In derision
they called him. "Friend of the White Man."

The people of northern Illinois remember Shab-
bona not for the part that he took in the war of
1812 but for what he did after the war. Until
184!) the grove in DeKalb county was his home.
True, he came and went but this was where he
lived with his family and where those of his family
who had died were buried. The white settlers did
not come to Illinois in very large numbers, until
after the Indians were moved west of the Mis-
sissippi, after the Black Hawk war. When Chi-
cago was laid out as a town in 1830 there were
twelve families besides the garrison. Three years
later the population had increased to 550. After
the war of 1812 Shabbona was always ready to
protect the settlers in and about Chicago.

In the fall of 1823 Fort Dearborn was vacated
and troops did not occupy it again until the fall of
1828. During this time the citizens of Chicago
were unprotected except by the friendly Indians.
All went well until the Winnebagoes took up the
hatchet against the whites in 1827. At the time
Shabbona went to almost every village of the Pot-
tawattomies and persuaded them to remain at
home, and not take part in the war. He told the
citizens of Chicago that he would station his
braves there and defend them if they wished him
to do so.

The people of Chicago requested Shabbona and
Sauganash to visit the village on Big Foot lake
(Lake Geneva), and try to persuade Big Foot tn

not go to war with the whites. The two rode to
the village on horse back. Saguanash did not en-
ter the village but took a position so that he could
see Shabbona as he met Big Foot and his braves.
The meeting was not of a friendly nature. Shab-
bona was accused of being a friend of the whites
and an enemy of the Indians. Shabbona tried to
convince Big Foot that the war with the whites
meant the destruction of the Indians. The war-
riors collected around the chiefs as they carried on
their conversation. Big Foot became enraged and
took out his tomahawk and was about to kill Shab-
bona but was prevented from doing so by the war-
riors who were standing about. The warriors took
away Shabbona's rifle, tomahawk, knife and
blanket and bound him with buckstring thongs
after which he was led to an unoccupied tent and
placed under the guard of two warriors.

Saguanash saw all this from his hiding place on
the bluff that overlooked the village. When it
looked as if the fate of Shabbona was sealed he
mounted his pony and rode to Chicago to tell the
story of what he had witnessed. During the night
the Winnebagoes held council and it was decided
that it was not safe to retain Shabbona as a pris-
oner so he was released and allowed to return to
Fort Dearborn. This was against the wish of Big
Foot. He released him but secretly set out on his
trail with a few of his warriors determined to kill
him if possible. Shabbona suspected something of
the sort and urged his fleet pony forward and
made his escape. Big Foot followed him for many
miles but finally gave up the pursuit. This visit
of Shabbona to the village of the Winnebagoes re-
sulted in their remaining at home and Chicago was
again safe.

For several years preceding 1832, the Indians of
northern Illinois had been comparatively quiet as
far as outward signs were concerned, but there was
a spirit of discontent prevalent among the Sauks
and Foxes. They could not get over feeling that
the whites were aggressors and that slowly but
surely they were losing their land and being driven
into the west, where they would have to encounter
new enemies in new fields. This was not alto-
gether to their liking.

While the Indians wandered about from place to
place, they, for the most part, had a home other
than their wig-warns. Thev disliked to leave the

PAST AND PBESEXT OF DE KALB COUXTY.

place where they were born, especially if there was
a good prospect of their never seeing it again.
d times there centered about such a localitv a
history and a body of traditions that tended to
make it well nigh sacred to them. To be driven
from the place where their dead for generations
had been buried, engendered a just hatred for the
whites that has not been easily blotted from their
memories.

In Illinois, as elsewhere, the Indians and whites
have not mixed. They were too unlike in their
modes of living and in disposition to dwell in peace
together. Where the whites settled the Indians
gradually disappeared. For the most part they
recognized the superiority of their aggressors. Oc-
casionally we find a character like Shabbona. who.,
in a measure, took on the ways of the whites anl
remained among them, to watch with interest the
changes that followed their coming.

In 1832 Black Hawk and the Prophet made a
desperate effort to induce the PottaT - and

Ottawas to join with the Sauks and Foxes in a war
against the whites. It was February - 2 that

a great council of S s, igoes

and Pottawattomies was held at Indian Town.
Many chiefs were present, among them Shabbona,
who at this time was fifty-seven years of age. The
council lasted for many days and nights. Eloquent
appeals were made by Black Hawk to induce the
other tribes to unite in a final attempt to drive
the white man from the frontier. It was evident
that if such an attempt were not made in a short
time the whites would become so numerous that
all hopes to drive them back would be fruitless.
All of the Pottawattomies. but one tribe, joined
Shabbona in opposing union of the tribes and the
council finally broke up without effecting a union.

At this time Black Partridge and Snaehwin?,
the peace chiefs, were dead and Shabbona stood
next in power among the Pottawattamie chiefs.
Ever since Shabbona had seen his friend Teeumseh
fall in battle at the Thames, he had been a mis-
sionary for peace among the Indians. He had
become thoroughly convinced that it was useless
for the Indian to take up arms against the whites.

When Black Hawk saw that he could not get the
tribes to join, he went back to bis watch tower at
the mouth of the Rock river determined on war at
any cost. He then went across the Mississippi
into Iowa. Here he remained until April, 1832,

when he again crossed into Illinois and moved up
the Rock river valley with his warriors. He moved
on until he came to a point about twenty-five miles
above Dixon ferry and from there he went east to
a grove of timber which has since been known as
Stillman*s Bun.

At this point Black Hawk did not meet the
warriors he had expected to meet in council with
Black Hawk for the last time. It was here that
the last war dance took place. Black Hawk tried
hard to get Shabbona to join with him for he
knew that if he secured Shabbona, practically the
whole of the Pottawattomies would be in favor of
the union and would take part in the war. Many of
the Pottawattomies were doubtedless waiting for a
chance to kill off some of their white enemies. A
war would furnish such a chance. Sabbona was con-
vinced that Black Hawk was determined upon war
and could not be turned from his purpose. The
Hawk said. "If we unite our forces we will have an
army like the trees of the forest and will drive the
palefaces before us like autumn leaves before an
angry wind.''" Shabbona replied, "The army of the
palefaces will be like the leaves on the trees anl
will sweep you into the ocean beyond the setting
sun."

Then we have the story of how he stole away
from the council in the night, with his son and
nephew, to warn the whites of their imminent
In doing this he took his life in his hand,
for, to fall across the path of Black Hawk meant
death, for he had refused to join with him in war
and had gone over to give assistance in everv wav
to the enemy.

This meant that Shabbona had lost caste with
many of the Indian tribes. He could never again
meet with them in council. He must be alert lest
he be taken by his enemy, for he was looked upon
as a traitor by the Hawk and his people. He must
look for protection from the whites.

It was a perilous undertaking to warn the sefc-
tlers but in it lay their only s. -aabbona's

son and nephew warned the settlers along the Fox
river and at Holderman's Grove. The settlers
were warned as far east as the DuPage river in
DuPage county. The whites were urged to go to
Ottawa and to Fort Dearborn as soon as possible
so as to escape the fury of Black Hawk, which was
sure to break upon them. This advice they fol-
lowed. Shabbona warned the settlers of Bureau

SCENE ON SOMONAUK CHEEK NEAR THE BLAGG FARM WHERE IN-
DIANS GATHERED IN EARLY TIMES.

sag?

PAST AND PRESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

county and those along Indian creek. Some of
the settlers went to Hennepin, some went to
Peoria and others went to Springfield. Shabbona
was in his saddle forty-eight hours. He rode nis
pony to death, took off the saddle, borrowed an-
other pony of a settler and went on his mission. Li
his broken English he told the settlers to go. In
some cases he rode back to warn them a second
time and even begged them to make haste to leave.
Often times in the past the settlers had Deen
warned of impending danger and Indian hostili-
ties, to find, after fleeing to the nearest fort, that
the alarm was without foundation. A number
were inclined to look upon Shabbona's warning as
a false alarm. As a result many had barely time
to escape Black Hawk and his warriors. At In-
dian creek no attention was given to his warning.
The Indians found the people of the settlement
at work in their fields and about their homes and
in a short time thirteen were killed and two girls
were taken prisoners.

Shabbona had sent his people to the east into
Indiana to get them away from the reach of Black
Hawk. After the war they returned to the grove
in DeKalb county. .„_ : ,. ■ .

You are familiar with the story of Black "Hawk
after this, his attempt to escape to the north and
his capture by the troops who were guided in their
search by Shabbona. With his capture and the
removal of the Indians to reservations west of the
Mississippi river the terror of Indian massacre in
Illinois came to an end. There soon poured into
this rich prairie state a host of pioneers to lay
under subjection the resources- of the wilderness in
the building of their homes.

It must have been a picturesque gathering in
1835, as Pottawattomies to the number of five
thousand assembled for the last time in a body at
Chicago. They had come decked with all then-
most showy ornaments, to draw their pay from the
government. Pathetic indeed was it to see them
in their last dance, displaying as they did, all the
savagery of savages. On that August day the
people of Chicago saw the last of a race as it took
its departure, worsted in the struggle for existence,
baffled at every point, and made to retire before
the progress of the white man. To us the stoiy
of the red man in Illinois seems a long way in the
past but there are men living today who witness "!
his departure.

We will now turn our attention to the reserva-
tion that Shabbona and his people owned for a
time. In a treaty made at Prairie Du Chien in
1829, the Pottawattomie Indians ceded their land
in northern Illinois to the United States. At this
time two sections were reserved as a home for
Shabbona and his family. This tract of land in-
cluded section 23, and the west half of section 25,
and the east half of section 26, in town 38, ran""
3, east of the third principal meridian at Paw
Paw Grove. The tract of land included one
thousand two hundred and eighty acres of must
excellent land in a very good locality.

In October, 1832, these lands were again re-
served for Shabbona in a treaty which was made at
Tippecanoe. In 1833 it was provided that Shab-
bona might sell his land if he felt inclined, but for
some reason in 183-1 this privilege was taken from
him. This left Shabbona's laud as regular reser-
vation to be used by him until the government saw
fiit to take it from him. At any rate this is the
way the matter culminated finally.

When the Indians were removed by the gov-
ernment to reservations west of the Mississippi
river the Indians of Shabbona's tribe outside of
his relatives were made to go also. This was a
hard blow for Shabbona. lie loved his grove and
the graves of his dead. He loved his people
and they loved him. When they went he went
with them to see that they were well located.

From 1835 until 184!) Shabbona did not make
the grove his permanent home. He went to the
west several times to visit his friends and in a
few instances made extended visits, but he al-
ways returned to Illinois and to his reservation.
The people were for the most part glad to have
him return and visit among them. His genial dis-
position and the memory of what he had dor.e
for them made the people reserve a warm affec-
tion for Shabbona.

About 1845 Shabbona sold part of his land to
the Gates brothers. He was not aware of the
fact that the right to dispose of his reservation
had been taken from him. The Gates brothers
soon sold the land that they had acquired to
settlers who bought small patches principally for
the wood. Many of these settlers lived on the
prairie and the wood was of much value to them.
It is said that during Shabbona's absence from
the grove the surrounding settlers would cut the

PAST AND PRESENT OF DE KALI! COUNTY.

best timber that he had and haul it to their homes.
In 1849 while Shabbona was away the
commissioners of the general office decided
Shabbona had forfeited his right t<
his land by leaving it and that it should be sold.
The men who purchased the land from the Gates
brothers were now in trouble. All of Shah-
bona's reservation was to be sold for one dollar
and twenty-five cents an acre. It had been im-
proved and was in some cases worth many times
this amount. The people of Shabbona Grove

ted two of their citizens, William Marks and
Eeuben Allen, to bid in the land. The others
went along to see that these men had a chance
to monopolize the bidding. Tli one hun-

dred and fifty determined men in the party ready
to use force to carry their point if necess
There were a few others there ready to bid in
the land, but they had no chance to do so and
the men from Shabbona Grove bought the land
for one dollar and twenty-five cents an acre.

Now comes the sad part of our story. Shab-
bona had been in the west on an extended visit.
He returned. ■ g to receive the remainder

of the payments due from the Gates brothers and
in receive the rent due him from his own land
that had been rented. This happened in i
It was night when he came to his grove, tired
from his long journey. With him were his peo-
ple numbering something less than twenty-five.
They camped where they had been wont to camp.
lor their tents, and a few
faggots for a fire. Imagine their surprise in the
morning when the man, or better, the brute, who
owned the land ordered him with curses to leave.
The man was brutal in his treatment of Shabbona
and his people. One writer in speaking of his
treatment says: "Here he had lived for many

3, and here were buried his beautiful twin
3, whose graves had been torn by the ruthless
plowshare of his betrayers. Painting his face
black, he fell prone o"er the little graves, calling
upon the great spirit for strength and patience to
endure his great affliction; living for a season on
bitterness fed, he ate not, slept not. but constantly
beat his breast, weeping and wailing until he grew
wan and weary, then his powerful intellect wav-
ered, tottered and fell, and he wandered forth
without object or aim and was found lyinsr upon
the ground away up on Bock creek, in Kendall

county, in a distracted and starving condition and
was brought back to life and reason by some good
Samaritan."

This leave- Shabbona without a home. 11
said that he never again went back to his grove.
It is said that once a year the squaws used to
return and silently find their way to the place
where their dead were buried and there a few days
were spent in mourning, as n were, for their de-
parted. They had very little to do with the peo-
ple who lived at the grove except to ask for a
little water or food. When their season of mourn-
ing had passed they took their departure as silent-
ly as they had come and went back to their peo-
ple. For seven years following his return to Illi-
nois he spent his time visiting those of hi- tribe
who had moved to the west and his friends in
Illinois. It was during this time that the figure
- Shabbona riding his pony became a familiar
sight in northern Illiu i tally in and about

Chicago and to the south as far as and even be-
yond the Illinois river. lie was a good rider and
usually rode in his old age, for we must remem-
bbona was seventy-five years of age
when he was driven from his home in the grove.
He did not care much for the roads of the whites,
but would take the trails that led across fields and
through the timbi these were shorter. The

settlers looked for him every spring and in the
fall. If he did not pass they would feel that
something had been missed.

Sometimes Shabbona traveled alone and again
he traveled with a part or all of his family. His
squaw always rode in a democrat wagon, sitting
in the bottom of the box. filling it from side to
side, for we must remember that she weighed in
the neighborhood of four hundred pounds. She
was so fat that it was with difficulty that she
could get up alone if she lay flat on her back.
She would get into the wagon by mounting -i
chair and rolling over into the box. Her children
. randchildren usually went along and drove
the ponies. Others followed on foot or rode their
ponies. If Shabbona happened to reach the home
of a white friend late at night he was always very
careful lest he might disturb them. In the morn-
ing they would discover his presence by seeing his
ponies grazing about or by finding him rolled up
in his blanket on the porch or in some other well
protected place. Late in the fall of the year when

PAST AND PKESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

tlic weather was cold Shabbona rolled up in his
blanket and seemed unmindful of the weather as
lie slept.

Sometimes he would stop for several days a1 a
place, visiting his white friends. His nephews am,
boys on these occasions played games with the
children of the white people and all seemed to
forget their race differences for the time. There
was a healthy rivalry in their sports which made
their coming, from time to time, an event in the
minds of the younger people. These Indian chil-
dren were well behaved as they had received tlv
best of home (raining in manners from the hands
of Shabbona. Some of the frills of modern civili-
zation had been omitted in this training but those
principles which tend toward the development, of
strength of character had received attention.

Shabbona knew his place and was always care-
ful to never do anything to impose upon the man-,
ners and customs of the whites. When he came
to a farmhouse he was careful to use his own cup
in drinking instead of using the one that he found
at the well. As has been stated it was with diffi-
culty that he could be induced to slay over nig]
in a house and it was an equally diffieuH matter to
gef him to sit down to eat at the fable with the
whites. Occasionally this happened with his more
intimate friends. His squaw, we are told, had ro
wait until she had been waited upon by Shabbona.
and orders had been given her by her lord to begin
the process of eating. The Indians were very foni
of the cooking of the whites. It. was not an un-
common thing for Coconoko to gather up all that
was left on the table in her apron and store it away
to lie eaten on their journey later. The bread wa =
very appetizing to them. The Indians liked the
way the wdiites cooked meats. Frequently the*
would take a deer that had been killed to tin
whites to be cooked. The whites were glad to do
this to please them and to receive a portion of
the. vension, or whatever it might be. for their

trouble. The Indians were especially f 1 of the

gravy that went with the meat as if was returned
to them.

As Shabbona traveled about, among the whites
he took a great interest in what they were do-
ing. He liked to watch them to see how they did
things and in this way he learend to do many
things as the whites did them. At his home in
the drove he had fences around part of hi?

ground that was cultivated to keep his ponies
from destroying his crops. He had learned to
cultivate corn in very much the same way that
the whites did at that time. He was always busy
tinkering around at something. He was not a
lazy Indian. What he did might have amounted
to more than it did, but for an Indian it did
very well. The whites respected his industry.
They liked to have him question them as to their
ways of doing things and were glad, for the most
part, to help him to acquire their ways.

Shabbona was quite a hand at doctoring. The
whites often called upon him to help them with
their sick'. Snake lulo ami wounds that would not
heal he knew how to cure. He went to the woods
and on the prairie and there gathered his medi-
cines. His own good health and the good health
of his family was pretty good proof of Ills ability
along this line.

People may wonder how Shabbona and his peo-
ple managed to live after they were driven from
i heir Grove. He was a good hunter and gained
much in this way. In the fall of the year he went
to Chicago and his friends found out what he
lacked in the way of clothing and food for the
winter and among themselves supplied his want?.
The people who knew him in many parts of Illi-
nois gave 1 1 1 in things as he visited them, but in
-pile of all this Shabbona and his people were
badly neglected by the whites, considering what
he had done for them. After Shabbona's death
those who remained for a number of years lived
as paupers and beggars and at times their condi-
tions were pitiable.

We are told that Shabbona was quite anxious
that one of his daughters should marry a white
man and it is said that lie offered to give a goodly
sum of money to any good respectable white man
who would marry one of them. No one seemed to
be inclined to take up his offer as the daughter
he had was built on the same plan that her mothei
was.

Shabbona was quite a public character and 0:1
all great occasions he was made much of. He was
always the center of attraction at the fairs. He
and his family were sure to attend. He appre-
ciated very much the honor that was conferred
upon him mi such occasions. On the Fourth of
July, lSo?, there was a great celebration at Ot-
tawa and Shabbona, his squaw, grandchildren and

PAST AND PRESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

children were there. They led the procession. In
the evening there was given a great ball which
Shabbona and his people attended. At this ball
the belles of the town came out in their finest.
There was a desire to know who of them excelled
in beauty and grace. Shabbona was made judge
and in the most critical manner examined each
lady in the contest who passed before him for
inspection. He was called upon to give his de-
cision. Here he showed his sense of humor, his
insight into human nature and his appreciation
of his wife. Turning to Coconoko, his squaw, he
brought his hand down upon her well-rounded
shoulder and said. "Much, heap, big, prettiest
squaw."

During the political campaign of 185S Shab-
bona was present on the platform with Lincoln,
Douglas and Lovejoy at the famous debate be-
tween Lincoln and Douglas at Ottawa. At this
time he was eighty-three years of age.

Shabbona traveled much. On one occasion he
went to Washington and while there met Colonel
Johnson and the two talked over the battle of th-
Thames and the death of Tecumseh. When they
parted Johnson gave Shabbona a gold ring that
he wore during the remainder of his life.

On one occasion Shabbona. with a white man
whose complexion was almost as dark as that of
an Indian, was introduced to General Scott. Gen-
eral Sent! took the white man to be Shabbona and
in his pompous manner began to tell him how
much he appreciated what he had done for
whites in Illinois during the Black Hawk war.
Shabbona stood it as long as he could and then
pointing to himself said to General Scott. "M
Shabbona."

The Indian in Shabbona displayed itself on one
occasion at Morris. Illinois. At this point theio
was a toll bridge across the river. One of the
citizens of Morris had taken it upon himself to
pay toll for Shabbona and his people whenever
thev wanted to cross the bridge. The toll keeper
kept account of the times Shabbona crossed and
interfered with his crossing in no way. On one
occasion there was a new toll keeper who did not
know of this arrangement. Shabbona appeared
with his tribe and wanted to go over. The toil
keeper would not let him cross without paying.
Shabbona turned about and went to the man who
was looking after his toll, secured a note from

him, returned and was allowed to pass. He crossed
to the end of the bridge, turned about, gave a
whoop, and crossed and recrossed the bridge sev-
eral times to show the toll keeper what he could do.

After Shabbona was driven from his Grove he
had no home until 1857, when people who were
interested in him raised a sum of money and pur-
chased a home for him of twenty acres in section
20, town 33, range 6, in the town of Norman,
Grundy county, Illinois. Here they built a house
for him and tried to provide for him. He lived
here until his death, which occurred July 27, 1859.
lie lived to be eighty-four years of age. He was
buried in a lot in Evergreen cemetery near Morris,
Illinois. This lot was donated by the cemetery
association. His wife lies buried in the same
lot. She died November 30, 1864. Her death was
pathetic. While crossing Mazon creek in her
democrat wagon with a little grandchild in her
arms the wagon was upset and she was drowned,
although the water was but a few inches deep.
The child was found beneath her. It was also dead.
There are also buried in the lot his favorite daugh-
ter Mary, his little granddaughters. Mary Okonio
and Met-weteh. and his nieces, Chicksaw and Soco.
All of Shabbona's people who remained moved out
west after the death of Coconoko.

On Friday. October 23, 1903, about fifty people
gathered in Evergreen cemetery to witness the
dedication of a monument to the memory of Shab-
bona. Tbif sists of a huge boulder bearing the
simple inscription, -Shabbona, 1775-1859" — n
fitting mark for the resting place of one of Illinois*
noble men. Shabbona wanted nothing to mark
rave for he said that the life that he lived
should be his only monument. It was largely
through the instrumentality of P. A. Armstrong,
of Morris. Illinois, and a body of workers that this
monument was erected.

SOME THINGS 1 REMEMBEB OF CHIEF
SHABBONA.

WRITTEN BY LAURA ALLEN* BOWERS.

Sept. 1. 1902.
The first thing I knew about Shabbona my fa-
ther went to his wigwam to buy enough trees cf

PAST AND PRESENT OP DE KALB COUNTY.

him to build a log house. He told him who he
was, then Shabbona introduced himself and family
thus:

"THIS ME SHABBONA" (laying his front
finger on his breast) .

"THIS ME POKENOQUAY" ' (meaning hia
squaw), and then he pointed to Siboquay as his
pappoose and pointing to her three children,
"THESE ARE MY PAPPOOSE'S PAP-
POOSES." The introduction over my father
made known his business, but the old chief thought
it beneath his dignity to sell trees to a Shemoka-
man, and would not let him have a single tree.
Consequently, he bought the trees of Peter Miller,
and we had a shanty to cover our heads made
from them in which we lived five years.

Shabbona was generous with the white people
and he would bring a quarter of a vension to his
neighbors frequently, and once in a great while
a wild goose and a duck. Often he would go from
house to house and eat with any one that would
ask him. One Saturday he came to our house
and father asked him to sit up to the table and
have some breakfast. He looked around the table
and made the remark, "ME NO SEE UM ME NO
EAT UM." We had eaten every bit of bread
that there was in the house for our breakfast and
were going to bake that morning, but that did nor
help us out for the meal. He had asked Shab-
bona to eat, so I frowningly said in a whisper, "We
have not a particle of bread in the house." The keen
eyed old fellow saw the maneuvering and said,
"LAZY SQUAW." He thought I did not want
the trouble of getting his breakfast, but father
said "Bake him some pancakes." So I did and ir
proved to be the very thing he liked best, and I
retained my good name in his opinion, which I
have valued highly — being only about sixteen years
old.

The Indians in those days would not work.
They would hunt and the squaws did all of the
drudgery, such as cutting the wood and hauling
it by hand, and they had to keep the fires in the
wigwam and they cooked the succotash to eat, and
the corn and beans were some of their own plant-
ing and harvesting the summer before. The In-
dians furnished the meat for them.

They generally had a tame skunk running
around for a pet, and they would play with them
as we play with kittens. The government gave

each of Shabbona's children a pony and they
never went on foot anywhere. They never pro-
vided anything for the ponies to eat during the
winter, so the ponies had to steal what they ate.
As none of us had barns we had to stack the hay
outdoors. The ponies used to eat nights. The
boys of the neighborhood would catch them and
ride them down as far as Somonauk creek, ten
miles away. They would drive all they did not
ride and leave them in the woods and would keen
about three ponies and then get on their backs
and come home. In about three days old Shab-
bona would come along and ask, "YOU NO SEE
UM PONIES ?" Then we would innocently ask,

"How long they been gone, Shabbona?" and ht
would say "MAYBE SNEE DAYS. ITE KNOW
KNOW"; but they always managed to find their
way back in a few days and then there would be
more fun for the boys.

Shabbona understood the geography of the
United States and Canada to perfection. Just give
him a piece of chalk and start him on some stream
or lake, say Lake Superior, and he would mark
every bit of water and tell you what it was named
and what the Indians called it. In fact, he would
mark over a whole floor and tell us just where the
different bodies of water were located. One time
he told us he was Tecumseh's aid and saw John-
son kill him with a little gun that went "PING."
My brother, Harvey Allen, was there when he was
telling it and he said, "Why didn't you rush in
between them and kill Johnson?" "OH," said
Shabbona, "TWO BIG MEN, LET UM EIGHT."
Then he shook his sides with silent laughter as
though he always liked the white man best. He
had the faculty of going through gestures in all
his talk which made it doubly interesting to his
hearers.

The Indians made maple sugar in the spring
of the year, and old Pokenoquay superintended the
making of it. She would sit down flat on the
ground near the boiling kettle and when the
boiled syrup was near sugar it had a tendency to
run over into the fire, and to prevent such a catas-
trophe the old squaw chewed fat pork and would
spit the grease into the boiling liquid, and it would
go down and keep so until old Pokenoquay had
time to get another mouthful to deposit, and she
would keep it up until the sugar was done.

PAST AND PRESENT OF DE KAl.K COUNTY.

For a few years the w hite man came I
the east, so man) in aumber and all wanted a few
ai res of timber to fence their farms and get woo i
for their fires that Mr. Warham Gates, of Paw
Paw, bought the grove of Shabbona and he pi ■
suaded Uncle Sam to sell it at one dollar and a
quarter an acre. Then poor old Shabbona felt as

:\i this grove was no longer his. Ee <<
would live in the log house thai Mr. Gates had
built for him. Be wanted to go away (his old
place is uow owned by William Eusk), and m;
brother took them to Chicago in a double wagon
and when one half way there the) stopped and
camped out all night. They had brought a hop
with them and proceeded to kill and dress it In-
dian fashion. They buill a big fire made
rails which the) took Erom the farmers
and killed the hog and four of the [m

and tossed H through and throug]
the blaze until every bristle was singed off. Th .
then took oul the intestines and old Pokenoqua)

them and run thi m humb and

fn.ni finger and they - i n ithou

a particle of Main having been on them until
1 1 1 1 ■ \ were in the kettle over the fire and thai was
all thej had for their supper. Thi d my

brothi ew, but he declined il for he

had brought his own lunch with him. Then

told him to get son i thi meat i hog,

which he did, and after taking off the skin and
broiling it on the end of a sharpened stick he took
some of the butter off his bis uits and spread it
on the meat. Be called it is. You know

the Indians never eat salt on an) occasion. When
Shabbona and his family ram.- back to their |
my father had passed away. I had married and
I had never seen any of the Indians since their
return. I met the old chief just turning in at ou.
bai '-. gate. Hi and sat there like

si statue. 1 hurried up to him and held out mj
hand and said. "How do you do Shabbona"; and
he said, "SHOW-IN" (which meant no) "ME
NO SB \l'l'n\A." "Yes, you are Shabbona," 1
said. "I know you.*' Tie still kept, his face
straight and kept saying "SHOW-IN" for five
minutes and then he gave in and said I was right.

ed li i in to comi into the house where my
mother was. Ee shook hands with her and said.
"ME NO SET- UM BIG INJUN." We told him
In was dead, hut he would not believe it and

wanted to go upstairs to see if we were fooling
him, so we gratified him and at last convinced him
of the truth, tie seemed to feel bad and kept
saying, "DEAD, DEAD." We had a good visit
with him, but he wanted to bee my Indian ami I
told him he had gone east. Then he laughed and
said, "ITE OTOW KNOW MAYBE, [TE
KNOW. ME NO SEE I M."

You all know Shabbona was gone from hen
fi w years and then came hack thinking it would

be hi again, but he didn't like it lor it was so

changed. Ee felt as though the white man didn't
want him here an) more, and he went to Morri-j,
Grund) county, and died. 1 do not know any of
the date- of In- going awa) or the death of him
- squaw, Pokenoquay.

THE STONE AGE.

EV5 \\ . II. FAY.

Undoubtedl) for thousands of years the red man
hunted and fished in the country that is now

know n as 1 >e Wall, count) . I Inder > ther I i

would it lie possibl in account for the number of
chipped implements left in the Held- the) oc-
cupied. There i- i vidence that the) built

homes and it is probable thai fo] oni generation
after another they lived in wigwams about the
same as they occupied when our forefathers ap-
peared on the scene \~ Ear back a> it is known
tli ■ men hunted and fished and protei ted thi ir

camp I ting grounds from the encroachments

ronger I ribes. ' lenerat ions of this life seemed
to make them naturally what they were, expert
marksmen, rigilant in chase and skilled defend-
ers of then- wigwams. It was natural that the
drudgery of the camp was left to the squaws, who
tilled the crops, carri d the water, and did all the
manual labor of the camp. The generations of
occupancy will never be known. Archaeologists
tell of a battlefield that was recently discovered in
where some 20,000 persons were
killed in a hand to band conflict. The skulls were
broken in with stone axes and chipped arrows and
ra pierced the hones. Great deposits of earth
covered the scene and from top of which great
had grown. Ti seeme to dem< that

this country had been peopled from ten to twenty
thousand years.

PAST AND PEESENT OP DE KALB COUNTY.

The number of chipped implements found
yearly in De Kalb county adds evidence to this
contention. For seventy-five years thousands and
thousands of leadened balls have been scattered
over the fields of De Kalb county, yet it is only
a few times in a life time that a person finds one.
On a southern battlefield where a million shots
were exchanged it is possible to pick up a hand
full of bullets, but scarcely easier than to find the
same number of relics of the stone age in De
Kalb county.

The implements found here consist, in the main
of chipped arrow and spear points, knives, scrap-
ers, drills, picked stone axes, cells, hoe points,
scrapers, band ground, carved pipes, gorgets, cere-
monial stones, sinkers, beads, and a few speci-
mens of broken crockery.

While the greatest number are found along
streams yet frequently far out in the prairie many
specimens are found. Probably the most highly
prized specimen found in De Kail) county is an

ARROW IN DEER RIB, FOUND AT SANDWICH.

arrow point piercing a deer rib. found by Levi
Erwin near Sandwich. Mention was made of this
specimen in the Smithsonian reports of 1897. In
1900 Harry Congdon unearthed a bone five inches
long, in which was embedded a chert arrow. It
was found along the banks of the Kishwaukee,
near Normal Park, De Kalb. Prof. Dorsey of the
Field Columbian Museum pronounced the bone the
tibia of a buffalo. The same year a finely chipped
hook was found near Kapas' fishing grounds, near
Coltonville. These valued specimens are a part of
the exhibit at the De Kalb Normal Museum. This
collection consists of 2,000 chipped implements
and as many more parts of implements and' chips.
The largest collection in the county is owned by
Mark W. Cole of Kingston, and contains between
ft, 000 and 10,000 pieces, representing about every
state or tribe in the county.

Other collections of more or less note have been
collected by :

1 la ( ionverse, Sandwich.
Dr. J. M. Postle, De Kalb.

Heckman, Kingston.

R. G. Davy, De Kalb.
Win. Allen, Sycamore.
A. Cooper, De Kalb.
Dr. G. D. Carter, De Kail,.
Amos Johnson, Malta.
A. E. Jacobs, Malta.

How, when and by whom were the arrows made
will ever be veiled in mystery, yet much is known

ARROW IN BUFFALO BONE, FOUND AT LE KALB.

of the industry. Generations ago perhaps thou-
sands of years, hunters in their efforts to secure
a thin, hard, sharp point for the arrows, discov-
ered that stone that breaks with chonchoidal frac-
ture (as glass chips) was best suited for the pur-
pose. A fracture out of the flat side of a piece of
glass will make a chip about as broad as it is
deep. They then seemed to learn that a fracture
on a corner would make a long thin piece. The
ridge along the back of the piece seems to keep
it from breaking out, giving a piece longer than
it is wide.

This is called a flake and is the raw material
from which arrows are made. It usually has two
or more fractures on one side and one on the
other. They are seldom found and while thou-
sands of arrow points are picked up there will be
but a few flakes and some of them discards.

The next element of arrow manufacture is the
chips. They are of the same form as the flakes,
but are smaller. Ordinarily they are the pieces
broken from a flake in making an arrow. A
typical chip is a thin piece of stone with from
Ihree to six fractures on one side and but one on
I he other.

The chips are the evidences that locate camps
and furnish much knowledge of Indian customs.

Rut little of the material used is from native
stone. As there are chips found about everywhere

PAST AND ITiESENT OF DB KALB CO! ISTTY.

from hundreds of different textures of stone and
comparatively no evidence of the production of
the flakes in the prairie country, and while at
the various chert quarries there is abundant evi-
dence of flake making and little evidence of ar-
row making it is reasonable to conclude thai
pert flake makers frequented the quarries and
undoubtedly exchanged arrow Hakes with the tribes
Erom De Kalb county for meat, game, Blrins and
other products of the prairies.

K. is certain that the chert spades, some of them
from 6 to 1 l inches long, came from the quarries
of Union county, 111., below St. Louis. Tons of
iv 1 1 1 -e and discard material is found al tins place,
mstrating that flakes for main larger as well
as smaller implements were got out. Chips of
chert by the thousand ound all over the

state identical to that of the quarries ol l T nion
i ounty.

In the same waj i nips of colored Bin!
chalcedony, obsidian, agate, smokj topaz and
quartzite, less frequently found her'-, come from
,ii the Ro a! ither dis-

t.iin places. Nbl oni in one hundred of the ar-
rows found here appear to be made of native
stone. At about anj i or a hun-

md ii" two -'"in i" come
from tli. Bame rock, demonstrating thai consid-
erable time has elapsed Bince the chips were made,
or thai they were very dilif

HuW rO FIND THEM.

Fii>t learn to know a chip when you see it.
Where you find tl numbers it in-

thi cation of a i si udy thi

roundings and judge where would be the natural
hunting grounds or burial places. Observe the

v where v
has washed the soil away, leaving the stones on
the surface. Ton abrupl a washing is not the
bi i condition. Visit after rains imps when

een plowed.

By this method of observation Indian eai
have been located in TV Kalb township as fol-
lows: At Ooltonville. the high clay bank on Ell-
wood farm. J. S. Cusson'^ garden, the street along
the Kishwaukee west of the shoe factory, the I
ard vineyard, the Foster farm and the Normal
rampus. Tt is rarely that one could make a tour

of these places when the conditions were right
without picking up from ten to fifty relics of the
stone age. The same conditions appear in the
other townships, especially Sycamore and King-
ston.

Some implements that are found in abundance

elsewhere are seldom found in De Kalb county.

Stone axes, pipes and brads are very scarce, pottery

loin found and copper points are almost un-

known. Although located in the natural corn

bell then seems to be an absence of mortars and

grinding molds. Ovens are scarce. Very lit-

idence of molds has been reported.

01 D i'i K mi; OOUH CI lM'l INS.

The most noted Indian of this locality of later
days was Shabbona, the great friend of the white
man. He had his wigwam at Shabbona drove.
II;- council had i'reat weight in preventing war-
tare between the two races.

Wau-ban-se, almost as noted as Shabbona, had
acampal Paw Pa\i grove. This celebrated Indian
figured quite prominently in the In.; torj of

Illinois.

Nexl tn Shabbona ami Waubaunse the mosl
is Indian who lias lived in !»'■ Kalb count]
in later days 3. Be was chief of a band

of I'.'ttav. who had a camp on the high

bank of the Kiswauk© in the southwest

quart if 1 ' Kalb town-'

field where Kapas bad In- Eorty tents was a
wards made famous by tin- conference of Lincoln,
I or and Davis at the time of the Black Hawk-
war and was the site of the first court house of
1 1> K.ii iiity.

Kapas 9 followers were sturdy types of the race,
cultivating fields of corn, maintained a maple
sugar bush and had quite a trade in furs. They
carried on an extensive exchange of commodities
with tin- trading posts of Chicago and in oonse-
ce were well clothed, had abundance of am-
munition and seem' and happy people.

There was the besl of feel een the tribes

nf Kapas and Shabbona and they were constantly
associated together in hunting expeditions. Shab-
bona, who had a greal reputation for wisdom and
fairnrs-. was constantly called upon as an arbi-
trator of contentions thai arose in the Kapas fol-
lowers, and his decisions wen- considered final.

SCENE OF THE MEETING OF THE PRESIDENTS
BLACK HAWK WAR.

AT THE TIME OF

LIBRARY

- , _ENOX

PAST AND PRESENT OP DE KALB COUNTY.

Although an Indian of great force of charac-
ter and influence, Chief Kapas had his weakness.
Although he had three squaws and grown-up chil-
dren, he was sometimes found lavishing his at-
tentions upon the favorite squaws of his brave fol-
lowers. One night a young hunter after passing
the day in chase returned to camp and found his
chief occupying his wigwam and that his bride
was unfaithful to the marriage vows. Without
waiting for an explanation, he drew his gun and
sent a bullet into Kapas' brain. The assassin
made no attempt to escape and on the following
day presented himself to meet his fate. In the
presence of the entire board he was shot through
the heart by the son of the chief. Kapas was
buried with great pomp and ceremony. His body
was placed in a sitting position, and around him
were placed his rifle, bow and flint tipped arrows,
stone axe, pipe and tobacco, blankets, and other
articles of use and decoration. Around him was
built, a stockade consisting of logs built after the
fashion of a log house of the primitive fathers.
It was about 3x5 feet and about 5 feet high
In this burial place the body remained after the
Indian tribe moved west of the Mississippi river.
It was on the Colton farm, north of the Sycamore
road and east of the road that leads north to :the_
Five Corners, and was seen by many of the citi-
zens of De Kalb county of the present time.

In 1846 the skeleton was removed by Dr. George
Richards of St. Charles and placed in the museum
of his medical school. For many of the facts in
regard to Kapas we are indebted to Matson, au-
thor of life of Shabbona.

There were other Indian tribes located in the
groves in other towns (if the county, but their
chiefs seem to have escaped the distinction of hav-
ing their names perpetuated.

NEIGHBORING INDIAN INCIDENTS.

These incidents of Indian history happened just
outside of De Kalb county.

Through the research of John F. Steward the
lost battleground, where three hundred Fox In-
dian warriors, with women and children, were be-
sieged by 1,300 French and Indian allies, 1730,
and killed, was located on Fox river near Piano.
Mr. Steward made trips to Europe, examined the

maps mi record, and believes that he has positively
located the scene of this eventful affair. The
grounds answer the description as to surroundings
by streams, elevation and traces of a stockade and
earthen works are still visible. The French rec-
ords tell of the besieged party going down to the
stream for water under cover of a row of ever-
green trees, and a few of these trees still form a
line from the hill to the river. In 1900 Mr. Stew-
ard erected a boulder, upon which is carved the
leading facts of the event.

Just south, Paw Paw township, on Indian creek,
on March 20, 1832, the Indians killed fifteen per-
sons, and made captive Rachael and Sylvia Hall,
aged 17 and 15 years, respectively. They were
taken to Wisconsin, but were released after several
days of anxiety. Rachael afterwards married
William Munson, and two of her sons and grand-
children now reside at De Kalb. Sylvia married
W. S. Horn, and for many years lived m Nebras-
ka. A monument lias been erected in Freedom
township to mark the burial place of the fifteen
persons killed.

About the same distance from the Kingston
line occurred the Stillman valley battle with Black
Hawk's warriors, in which eleven men were killed.
ftye wounded, with a loss of thirty-four to the In-
dians. In 1892 the state erected a monument upon
this battlefield.

THREE PRESIDENTS .MEET.

At the time of the Black Hawk war, in which
Abraham Lincoln participated, there was a notable
conference at Coltonville. At the meeting there
was present General Zachariah Taylor, afterwards
president; Abraham Lincoln, afterwards presi-
dent, and Jefferson Davis, later secretary of war
and president of the confederacy. According to
Ida Tarbell's history Lincoln at this time made
two tri] s across De Kalb county.

AN HISTORIC PLACE.

In my wanderings up and down
I found a spot of sacred ground.
Where shrubs and trees do yet abound.

PAST AND PRESENT OF DE EALB COUNTY.

It ii lis my soul with thoughts of yore,
With thoughts of men who've gone before.
It lies just west of Sycamore.
T'was here in eighteen thirty-two,
A band of warriors brave and true,
A council held i<> plan anew,
To save the - ttlers from a fate
Thai otherwise might overtal i

The ]H"t rs of western ,-iate.

"I'was at the time of I'dack Hawk'.- war.

A time of trouble and of gore

That shall return, no, never more.

The leader of tin- warrior band

Was "Rough and Ready," with bis hand

Mi made th( aa1 ■ ndi rstand.

Zachary Taylor was his nan

In Mexico he won a Eame

Thai through the ages .-hall remain.

The Governor was also here,

His name was Reynolds, full of cheer,

Por set! lers thai ar;

Ami here was Davis, young and -'rung,

re he took the cause of wrong
[nstilled bj Calhoun ami 1ns throng.
II, n. tun. was John, surnamed Dement,
And Lincoln in his blue jean- wenl

•it here on str - bent.

These wen tin leaders of the men
\\ bo homes ami lift their ken

\\ 1th hopes of coming back again.
'Twas in flu' mi. nth (we call it May),
I .. men were called in haste away.
For man} da had to stay.

plan! in- then had ii"t begun,
They left thi tab 'lie gun

go where dut] bad i an.

Stam -ill ami thill.

Ahra'am I. n& m p as 3Worn in.
Jeff 1 'at i- read tl i oath to him.

They march'd through \* Is, and -v.

and lie'
And oft went hungry from their meals.

When T am worn, fatigued and sore.
1 think of men who've gone before,
Whose Lives w< Erom limb to core.

Our lives are greater far than trold,
Or idle health, or pleasure hold.
They reach to futures yet untold.

G. W. .Tacobson.

It is generally stated in the public histories of
Wisconsin and Illinois that the defeat of Black
Hawk opened to settlement northern Illinois and
the southern portion of what is now Wisconsin.
Unqualified, this statement is misleading; indi-
rectly, it is true that the war proved a powerful
agent in the development of this region. The In-
dian.- in themselves were no obstacle to legitimate
settlement, frontiers of which were far removed
Erom Black Hawk's village, and need not to have
crowded it for several years to come. Of course,
it was necessary in time to clear the path for civ-
ilization. What this war had accomplished in the
rritorial development was to call national
attention in a marked manner to the attractions
ami resources of tins pari of the great northwest.
The troops acted as explorers of this tract, con-
cerning which nothing has been known definitely
among the white men. It is also stated that the
Sauk Indians had not inhabited the part of Illi-
nois north of the mouth of the Kishwaukee, and
when the war was fought and they were followed

Wisconsin, it is ; led that they were

unfamiliar with that country and employed Win-
nebago guides. Immediately after the war the
i :■- of the eastern and older settled middle
filled with descriptions more or fess
full of the scenes and possibilities and prospective
■ in the Rock River valley, of the proves
and i on every hand ami el the dense for-

.-i- of Wiscon-m. From the press were issued

- and pamphlets and accounts of the newly
For the mosl part crude pub-
lication- abounding in error and today unknown

!.. the historian, bu1 it is true that they did
advertise the country and set flowing thither the
tide of emigration. There necessarily followed in
dm- time the opi n -ale of the public lands

hitherto reserved and the properties of what terri-
tory remained among the Indian tribes of the
district. The Winnebagoes, hitherto unfriendly,
were humbled and the spirit, of miscbiefmaking

d. This will be noticed was the last Indian
uprising in the northern states easl of the Mis-
sissippi river. This incidental subduing of the
Winnebagoes and the broad liberal advertisement
given to the theater of disturbance were therefore
the two practical and immediate results of the
Black Hawk war. the consequences of which was

PAST AND PEESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

at once to give enormous impetus to the develop-
ment of the state of Illinois and the territory of

Wisconsin.

THE FIEST WHITE MEN L\ THE
COUNTY.

This part of Illinois now known as De Kalb
county was unknown to civilization previous to
L832, unless it was an occasional hunter or trap-
per. The home of Shabbona after the defeat of
the British and Indians at the battle of the
Thames in October, 1813, was in the grove that
still retains his name, and to a few hunters and
trappers only, who sought his protection, this por-
tion of our country was known.

The army under General Whiteside marched
from Dixon after Stillman's defeat on May 14
1S32. to the scene of battle, buried Captain Ad-
ams and his brave men, who alone stood their
ground while the army fled utterly routed to
Dixon. From Stillman's field the army, hearing
of the massacre at Big Indian creek in what is
now La Salle county, marched to the mouth of
Sycamore creek — now Kishwaukee — followed the
course of that stream to what is now Coltonville
on section 1, De Kalb township, having passed
through what is now Franklin, Kingston, May-
field, Sycamore and De Kalb townships. Here a
council of war was held at which General White-
side presided. The slight elevation just east of the
Coltonville crossing of the Kishwaukee is given as
the particular spot where this famous council was
held. General Zachary Taylor, then colonel of a
regiment of regular troops, had a seat in the
council. On his staff were Jefferson Davis and Al-
bert Sidney Johnston, the lientenants. Here,
too, was Abraham Lincoln, then captain of Illi-
nois volunteers; General Bobert Anderson, later
of Ft. Sumpter fame ; General Harney ; Governor
Carlin, William Hamilton, son of Alexander Ham-
ilton; and Governor Eeynolds.

Zachary Taylor with his characteristic energy,
courage and a desire to strike the enemy until
victory or defeat resulted urged relentless pursuit
of the Indians, and he was thoroughly disgusted
when the deliberations resulted in a tie vote to
pursue the Indians under Black Hawk. The army
marched to Shabbona Grove, committed some
depredations on friendly Indians, for which they
were compelled to make restitution, then marched

to Ottawa and were disbanded. The conduct of
the volunteers during this war reflects no credit
on American arms, and in many cases, notably at
the Battle of Bad Axe, fired upon helpless women
and children, killing and wounding many. The
soldiers from southern Illinois saw this countrv
north of the Illinois river for the first time and
resolved to make their homes here on the con-
clusion of hostilities.

Near the village of Stillman Valley the state
has erected a monument costing $5,000 to the
memory of Captain Adams and his ten comrades
who alone of the well equipped force of Stillman
stood their ground and in the twilight of that
eventful evening of May 14, 1832, added new
luster to American arms and sealed their devotion
to home and country with their lives.

At the dedication of this monument Lieutenant
Governor L. Y. Sherman was orator of the day
and F. E. Stevens, the historian of the Black
Hawk war, gave an account of the battle. The
monument was unveiled by a grand niece of Cap-
tain Adams and a survivor of that battle honored
the occasion with his presence.

It is held by many that an army under General
Scott passed through the north part of our coun-
iv. and as proof mention the fact of a corduroy
bridge that was in 1836 still in existence across
a little stream that enters the Kishwaukee just
west of the business portion of Kingston. That
is explained to our satisfaction in this way : The
army of General Whiteside in their march from
Stillman's field kept on the south side of the Kish-
waukee and of course would be compelled to bridge
streams entering the Kishwaukee if they were
too deep to ford, and that spring was wet and the
streams were high.

General Scott in his autobiography outlines his
march as follows : From Fort Dearborn to Naper-
ville, from Naperville across the Fox river at a
point near the site of Aurora, from Aurora to
Somonauk creek at a point near the present United
Presbyterian church in Somonauk township,
thence to the present Boss Grove,' Paw Paw Grove
to Dixon's Ferr}', now Dixon. There may have
been many a detachment of his army in this vi-
cinity, for a cannon ball was found on the bank
of the Fox river just north of St. Charles at i
point given by settlers of 1834 and 1835 as the
Scott crossing.

PAST AND PRESENT OF DE KALI! COUNTY.

Another evidence worthy of consideration is ihe

well tiffined marks of an encampment seen by our
early settlers near the mouth of Deer creek in Ge-
noa township. And finally the grave of a soldier
under a lonely burr oak smith of Shattuck's Grove
in Boone county and only a few rods south of the
present Davis church.

It has been told us by early settlers that the
army fearing surprise in the woods marched north
in the point mentioned and encamped, and here
the soldier died and was buried, but this could
only have been a small portion of Scott's army in
any event, and it is certain that the Scott trail
became known later as the Galena roarJ, ovor
which the Dixon mail route was established be-
fore there were any permanent settlers in our
county.

The year following the Black Hawk war was
one of quiet so far as settlers were concerned and
none came to remain, although hunters entered
from settlements along the Illinois river and no
doubt adventurous prospectors came to look over
the land, but finding the Indians not friendly and
still -ore over their defeat and loss of land by
the treaty of Prairie du Chien, which compelled
their removal to the west of the Father of Wa-
ters, they concluded not to remain among them
and soughi safety hi the settlement in the vicinity
of ( >ttawa.

During the year llv'vi Lee, Ogle. Kendall. Du
Page, La Salle and Carroll counties had permanent
settlements mid it was ontj a question of a few
mi mhs later that plans were made by the roving
frontiersman for the occupancy of the land wa
now know as De Kalb county.

In 1834 a number of prospectors began to ex-
plore tin- section, then a pari of La Salle county
since 1831 and previous to 1831 pari of Peoria
countj . Those who came to look over the land with
a view to location were Hon. Frederick Love, an
honored citizen, prominent in the early days
our county. lie took up a temporary abode on
the banks of the Fox river and returned the next
year and located' permanently on the farm nov
owned by his grandson, Frederick Love. "Hollen-
beak. wdio had been driven from his home near
Newark during the Black Hawk war. ci
to this section, passed through SomonauV
and Lost Grove, as far as the c Big Woods
in Sycamore, and on his return ma im in

settler's fashion to a portion of the fine grove
since known as Squaw Grove, and to which he
gave the name of Squaw Grove because of the
large number of squaws that were encamped then.
the male Indians being off on a hunting expedi-
tion."

Marshall Stark was here in 1834, but returned
and settled the next year. Hiram Buell passed
through this section to the present site of Bock-
ford. Beuben Boot also looked over the possible
sites for future home in the vicinity of Freehand
Corners. The Dixon mail route was established
and followed the trail of Scott's army from Ft.
Dearborn to Dixon. Along this route on section
4. Somonauk township, was built the first hou-e
in De Kalb county. This was used as a station
along the mail route and during the fall of 1831
was occupied by a man named Bobinson, who was
the first white temporary occupant of a cabin in
De Kalb county. His subsequent history is un-
known, but from men who passed along the IHxon
state route we learn that he lived alone and led
an existence much as the Indians around him. In
1835 Reuben Rooi kept tavern in this cabin and a
few years later the Beveridge family, afterward
prominent in county and state affairs, purchased
Hie land on which it stood from a man named
( laptain William Davis.

John Sebree was the lir-t permanent settler of
the county. He was by birth a Virginian. He
lirought hi- family and considerable stock and in
September, 1834, took up In- claim on section 15,
Squaw Grove township. Here for a time he lived
in a deserted Indian wigwam and later built a
log house which sheltered not only his own. but
the families of many settlers who came later until
homes could be provided. It served as a hostelry,
and even at this distant day some remain who
shared the hospitality of "Jack" Sebree.

Here he left his wife and children during the
winter and returned to his former home for sun-
plies, with neighbors no nearer than Millington,
teen miles away, unless we mention the red
men who apparently were not hostile to this hardy
pioneer woman and her small children.

In 1835 the stream of emigration turned toward

that part of Illinois north of the Illinois river.

The white covered wagons drawn by three or four

ox teams might he seen crossing the Fox river at

-. or if water was high they were ferried

PAST AND PRESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY

over ami again took up their course to the west-
ward. In these wagons were the families and all
their earthly possessions. In them they cooked
their meals, ate and slept during the inclement
weather, but in pleasant weather they often slept
under the trees and cooked the meals outside. In
every wagon you would find a flitch of bacon, some
smoked ham and corn meal flour for the "Johnny
Cake." In many instances the settlers drove their
cattle and an occasional porker, not too fat for
travel like the modern improved swine, hut a
"razor hack" that could travel as fast as any ani-
mal in the procession. Those who came and re-
mained during the winter of 1835 were Lysander
Darling, Dr. Norbo, a Norwegian, after whom the
grove northeast id' Sycamore was named. Mr.
Charters, Dr. Lee, Peter Lamois, the Walrods.
Woods and Marshall Stark: while in Squaw Grove
following John Sebree came his brother William
and his family. Samuel Miller, Jacob Lee, John
Easterbrook and Daniel Legget.

At Somonauk were Reuben Root, David and
William Sly and Dr. Arnold. In what is now
Kingston were William Miller. Earmon Miller,
Judge George H. Hill. Robert Robb, Isaiah Fair-
elo. Captain Collier, who was in 1835, with Ste-
phen Mow rv. elected justice of the Kishwaukee
district of La Salle county, John Aurner, Hon.
Levi I.ee. Jonas Haight and James Dibble. In Ge-
noa were Emery Moore. Samuel Cory and Thomas
Munnahan. At Shahbona wen' Edwin and David
Town, who occupied a deserted Indian wigwam
until January 1. 1836, when they raised the first
house in what is now Shabbona. Jesse C. Kellogg
raised a cabin north of Sycamore and at once be-
came a prominent factor in the county. In Dc
Kalb, Frederick Love, Captain Eli Barnes. John
B. Collins and Norman Moore, also James Paisley
settled.

Ira Douglass, John Nichols, John Thorn took
up claims in Mayfield. South Grove was settled
by William Driscoll, and at best perhaps three
hundred souls wintered at different groves, hut
many retired upon approach of winter to eastern
homes or more thickly settled parts of the coun-
try.

Many took up claims and a great deal of trou-
ble followed. As the claims of European coun-
tries overlapped each other, so the indefinite lines
drawn by many squatters took in the other fel-

low's property. Some took a claim for them-
selves, for a brother, a sister and different mem-
bers of his family, until a few different individuals
in some cases controlled several thousand acres.
Considerable trouble followed. Fights were of too
frequent occurrence. Some "swinish claim jump-
ers" were whipped and driven away.

JESSE C. KELLOGGS REMINISCENCES OF ISORDER
LIFE.

A true picture of the settlers' condition is given
f\ Deacon Je.-se C. Kellogg in a series of letters
published in The Sentinel in 1855 and dedicated
to the settlers id' 1835. In every history of De
Kalb county these articles have furnished the basis
of the material, so we give the article here in
total :

REPUBLICAN SENT] \EL.

Thursday, March 29, L855.
REMINISCENCES OF BORDER LIFE;

ill!

DE KALB TWENTY YEARS AGO.

HY "WIIOL.IATI."

(To the -old Settlers" of the County of De
Kalb, a few of whom still survive to rejoice with
me iii the present and prospective prosperity of
our long cherished and growing county, these hasty
|ieneilings of the past arc most affectionately dedi-
cated by your old friend and fellow citizen.)

De Kalb, one of the hundred counties of the
Prairie state, contains eighteen townships, six hun-
dred and forty-eight square miles, being more than
half as large as the whole state of Rhode Island.
The territory now embraced in this county prior
to thi' spring of 1835 was in the possession of the

Pottawatt tes of the prairie. Whether Joliet,

Father Hennepin or La Salle ever visited any por-
tion of this county or not is quite uncertain. In
all probability, however, very few, if any, white
men had ever looked upon the unsurpassing beauty
of its island groves and fertile prairies until about
the time of the defeat of General Stillman's army
by the Indians on the Kishwaukee, near the nortti-
west corner of this county in 1832. Volunteers

PAST AND PEESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

from the central and southern portions of this
state and others engaged in the Black Hawk war.
returning to their friends after the "fuss." were
the first, no doubt, to portray in glowing colors
"the right smart chances for making claims*' in
this charming region. But the "fullness of times*
had not as yet come. True, some adventurous, in-
terloping borderer with "desire may have desired"
to "extend the area of civilization over some of
the big trees and rich acres," here and there "lying
and being" on the banks of the "roaring Kishwau-
kee," but then he knew that he was sure to be
driven off by the ever watchful Indian agent.
Thomas J. V. Owen, backed by two companies of
United States troops from Fort Dearborn.

There were several Indian villages under subor-
dinate chiefs within the limits of this county.
One was near the residence of George H. Hill in
Kingston, one near John Waterman's in Pampas,
one near Calvin S. Colton in De Kalb, one near
the old farm of John Eastabrooks, deceased, in
Squaw Grove, and near the grove in the town cf
Shabbona was the village of Shabbona. one of
the head chiefs of the Pottawattomie nation.

From this place, after the surrender of General
Hull. Fort Mackinaw and the Chicago massacre ;
Shabbona and his braves, accompanied by Waban-
sia and his warriors, sallied forth to join the
forces of Teeumseh and the Prophet, in aid of the
British arms against, the United States in the war
of 1812.

Poor Shabbona! Warned by the Prophet of
the Great Spirit of the encroachment of "Young
America" no wonder that he should have sought
to avert the calamity and crush the young giant
before his sacrilegious foot should trample over
his venerated dead, or before overawed by superior
power and overcome by "fire water" in a moment
of weakness, he should give the homes and hunt-
ing grounds of his fathers to satisfy the all-grasp-
ing avarice of "Che-mo-ko-manu."

It having been noised abroad in the spring cf
1835 that the Indians had agreed to remove west
of the Mississippi the ensuing autumn, far-
ther restraint was entirely out of the question.
Although the monotonous song of the surveyor,
"stake stuck and tally" had not yet broken the
solitude of nature in those regions, nevertheless
the impetuous "Sons of Japheth," like hounds
"straining in the slips" were all in a tip toe to

"dwell in the tents of Shem." Having learnel
that "delays are dangerous" in "claim making and
pre-emption fixins" in making their first debut
into Chicago, where it is said that they were
severally charged one shilling for the privilege cf
leaning up against a sign post over night and two
shillings for the "soft side of a white oak punch-
eon"; down came the settlers upon the newly ac-
quired purchase like a 'thousand brick." each
carving out and appropriating to his own special
use and benefit a most bountiful slice of very fat
prairie with an abundance of good timber with
which to cook it.

Soon after the Indians had done their sugar-
making, when the groves began to grow leafy and
the prairies grassy, as the sun sank low in the
west and the prairie wolves began to howl and the
sandhill crane to scream and poke along the ponds
and "sloughs" for their evening meal of crawfish;
a close observer might have espied afar off on an
Indian trail suspicious looking canvas, supposed
to be the sail of a "settler's" wagon, evidently
nearing some grove and in a strait to get "some-
whar" before nightfall. Presently emerging from
the dusky prairie, the settler's wagon, propelled
by some four or five yoke of oxen, canopied with
sundry bolts of sheeting: within containing th ■
family bedding, clothing and provisions; without,
implements of cooking and husbandry, chickens in
coop and pigs in pen, backed by a drove of cows,
calves, colts and other young stock on foot, would
loom up plainly to view, "fetching in" near some
point, bay or plum thicket, where in after days
"Bonnv chiels and clever hizzies" were to lift th j
latch and force the way to a happy cabin home.
It was no uncommon thing in those days for the
mistress of the wagon to "pail the keows" in the
morning and place the milk where, by the inces-
sant motion of the wagon during the day, it would
churn itself. In this way the family were pro-
vided with a constant supply of good, fresh but-
ter ; and old chanticleer and his dames in the
coop behind, never caught napping when hens
should be awake, would keep up the laying process,
so that with other supplies from the wagon a set-
tler's wife could usually "scare up" a pretty good
meal on short notice. In this hitherto neglectsd
spot, where "full many a flower" was "born to
blush unseen and waste its sweetness on the desert
air," the wean*, yet blithe and happy groups might

JESSE C. KELLOGG.

PAST AND PRESENT OF DE KALI! COUNTY.

have been seen to alight, strike a fire, prepare, ani!
after craving God's blessing, eat their frugal meal;
•when guarded by a watchful dog and a still more
■watchful Providence they would retire for needed
repose into the inmost recesses of the wagon home.
And at early peep of dawn one might have seen
the anxious settler reconnoitering. with hurried
steps, grove and prairie, when after being '"de-
tached here" — "countermanded there" — bothered
alt i lost to death for fear that among so many good
•chances he should fail to secure the best, at last he
-would bring himself to the ''sticking point." seize
"the axe and "blaze" the line in the "timber" and
anon, hitch the team to the prairie plough and
""mark out the furrow on the prairie."

April .->. 1855.
"In those days there being no king in Israel
-every man did that which seemed right in his
own eyes." The size of claims, therefore, varied
from two eighty's of prairie and one of timber in
a half section of timber and a tract of prairie two
miles square. Some assumed the right to make
and hold claims by proxy, being thereunto duly
authorized by some brother, sister, uncle, cousin,
aunt or friend. Meanwhile new settlers poured,
in apace astonished to find the choice timber*antl
prairie "blazed" and "furrowed" into claims,
whose ample acres the claimant with all his chil-
dren, uncles, aunts and cousins to the '•third and
fourthgeneration" would never be able to till or oc-
cupy. The new settler, perplexed, baffled and becom-
ingmoreandmore desperate onfinding"God's green
earth" thus monopolized, would approach his more
fortunate neighbor with the spirit of Abraham to
Lot — "Now I have come a great way to get some
of this timber and prairie and one thing is certain.
I am going to have some. There is enough for
you and me and our boys. Now, don't let us quar-
rel. You turn to the right and I will turn to the
left, or vice versa." Some times this good Scrip-
ture and consequently good common sense logic
would win. but in other cases the grasping spirit
of the borderer would stave off all kind of di-
vision oi- compromise, and laying his hand upon
his rifle he would bluster and threaten in "great,
swelling words" and drive away the stranger from
his right. Hereupon arose innumerable disputes
and wrangles concerning the size, tenure and
boundaries of claims. The more reflecting among
-the settlers saw a dark cloud. bi<r with the ele-

ments of strife and social disorder, gathering in
the not very distant horizon, whose tornado blasts
threatened soon to lay waste all that was of valuj
in the rising community. There was no municipal
law reaching these eases and if there had been the
settlers probably would have been none the better
for it, for it is believed that at this period there
was neither a justice nor a statute book north of
the Illinois river and west of Fort Dearborn, un-
less we except Ottawa and Chicago. Wrongs and
outrages for which there was no known legal
redress were being multiplied. Blackened eyes,
bloody noses and chewed ears were living realities,
while the dirk, pistol, rifle with something like
"cold lead" were significantly talked of as likely
to bring about some "realities" which might not
be "living." What could be done to insure do-
mestic tranquility, promote the general welfare
and secure to each settler his right? Evidently
but one thing. Happily some had seen something
in the New Testament about those who are with-
out law being a law unto themselves and settlers
found themselves in this fix exactly. It was, there-
fore* apparent both from scripture and reason that
the settlers must become "a law unto themselves"
and "Where there was a will there was a way."
"A settlers' meeting" at a given time and place
therefore came to be the watchword from shanty
to wagon until all were alarmed. Pursuant to this
proclamation a heap of law and order loving Amer-
ican citizens convened on September 5, 183-"">. at
the shanty of Harmon Miller standing on the east
bank of the Kishwaukee, nearly opjtosite the pres-
ent residence of William A. Miller in the town ot
Kingston. Happily the best possible spirit pre-
vailed. The Hoosier from the Wabash, the.Buck-
eye from Ohio, the hunter from Kentucky, the
calculating Yankee, brother Jonathan's "first
born" and the "beginning of his strength." im-
pelled by a sense of mutual danger, hereby sat
down in grave council to dictate laws to Kish-
waukee "and the region lying around about
through all the coasts thereof." Hon. Levi Lee,
now chairman of a committee to report on peti-
tions for the "'Maine Law" in the legislature of
Wisconsin, was chosen to preside over this august
assemblage, where the three great departments of
free governments, the executive, the legislative and
the judicial, were most happily united and Cap-
lain Eli Barnes was appointed secretary. Gently

PAST AND PKESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

glided the sometimes turbid waters of that "an-
cient river," the sonorous Kishwaukee, as speech
after speech setting forth the woes and wants of
the settlers, the kind of legislation demanded by
the crisis, went the rounds. Even those who were
not "used to talkin' much afore folks" evinced
their cordial approbation and readiness to co-
operate by doing up an amount of encoring which,
no doubt, really did "astonish the natives." At
last, ripe for immediate action, a committee was
selected to draft and present to the meeting a
constitution and by-laws by which the "settlers
upon the public lands" should be governed. Aft'?!
some little deliberation back of the shanty, around
the stump of a big white oak, which served as a
writing desk, said committee reported a preamble,
constitution and by-laws, which for simplicity and
brevity and adaptation to necessity it would be
hard for any modern legislation to beat, The self-
evident truths proclaimed by -Tefferson in the im-
mortal declaration, it is believed, were for the first
time reiterated on the banks of the Kishwaukee
and had there been a little more time for reflec-
tion and preparation the top of some settlers' wag-
ons would have been converted into the "Star
Spangled Banner"' and thrown to the breezes of
heaven from the tallest tree-top in the grove. The
common sense, law and logic, as well as patriotism,
contained in this constitution and by-laws were
instantaneously recognized to be the very things
demanded by the crisis and were adopted witn
unparalleled enthusiasm, each subscribing his
name thereto with his own hand, thereby pledging
his "life," "fortune" and "sacred honor" to carry
out the provisions of the code. It is not known
that a copy of this singular, unique document is
now extant, and still there may be. If any anti-
quarian can produce it, or anything like it, he
will confer a special favor on his humble servant
by leaving it at the office of the Republican Sen-
tinel. It shall absolutely be deposited with the
archives of some antiquarian or historical associa-
tion and preserved as a "sacred relic."' As nearly
as can be recollected its provisions were somewhat
a9 follows: A prudential committee were to be
then and there chosen, whose duty it should be
"to examine into, hear and finally determine all
disputes and differences then existing or which
thereafter might arise between settlers in relation
to their claims," and whose decisions with certain

salutary cheeks were to be binding upon all parties
and to be carried out at all hazards by the three de-
partments of government consolidated in aid of the
executive, in what jurists sometimes dominate the
"posse comitatus." Each settler was solemnly
pledged to protect every other settler in the asso-
ciation in the peaceable enjoyment of "his or her
claim as aforesaid," and further who ever through-
out all Kishwaukee or the suburbs or coasts there-
of should refuse to recognize the authority of the
aforesaid association and render due obedience to
the laws enacted by the same from time to time
"to promote the general welfare" should be deemed
a heathen, a publican and an outlaw with whom
they were pledged to have no communion or fel-
lowship. Thus was a wall affording protection
to honest settlers built in troublous times. Hon.
Levi Lee, our present worthy county judge,
George H. Hill. Captain Eli Barnes, James Green
and Jesse C. Kellogg were chosen to be the settlers
committee, and who, as may well be supposed, had
business on hand for some time in order to re-
store and "ensure domestic tranquility"' and "pro-
mote the general welfare." The thing worked
like a charm and the value of these associations
in northern Illinois to the infant settlements has
never been overestimated. Similar associations
were formed and maintained in Somonauk and
other portions of the county, until the lands came
into the market. This event took place in Chi-
cago in 1843, when all De Kalb county, except the
north tier of townships, was sold to the highest
bidder; that is. so far as "terra firma" is con-
cerned. The moral as well as physical power of
"Settlers associations" was so great that if a spec-
ulator presumed to bid on a settler's claim be
was certain to find himself "knocked down and
dragged out," and had the land officers shown
the least sympathy or favor to the "rascal" there
can be no doubt but what an indignant and out-
raged yeomanry would have literally torn the land
office to fragments "in less than no time."

After a long period of unexampled peace and
prosperity it was found that this living in a "state
of nature" was liable to evils for which the "late
session" of the legislature in "Miller's Shanty"
had no adequate remedy. The case was this: A
had a promissory note against B and A wanted
his pay. B was not exactly prepared to "fork
over" and beins nettled that he should be dunned

PAST AND PEESEXT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

had the audacity to imitate to A that it might
"trouble him to get it anyhow."' Kishwaukee was
then, as well as other portions of the county "at-
tached to La Salle for civil purposes." This was
a "real poser."' "Claim jumping" had been pro-
vided for. but this appeared to be a novel case.
Finally the settlers concluded that if they had
come to share the inheritance with the "Suckers"'
they must do as the Suckers did and have someone
who knew something about the "Justinian code,"
the "Commentaries of Blackstone and the Statutes
of Illinois." So in the summer of 1835 the ex-
igency of the case having been duly made known
the county commissioners court of La Salle laid
off by proper metes and bounds "Kishwaukee pre-
cinct," wherein Joseph Collier and Stephen Morey
were duly elected "justices of the peace," who in
due time were inducted into office before Joseph
Cloud, clerk of the county commissioners court in
Ottawa. Here may be traced the first introduction
of civil government into the county of De Kalb.
Whether these worthy "squares" ever "got to see
a copy" of the Illinois statutes is much to be
doubted; it may be supposed, however, with morj
certainty that they were very clever men and with-
al "right smart" and "calculated" to do "bout
what's right." The best of all is that Mr. B on
hearing that the "squares" had got back from Ot-
tawa put over to Mr. A's in a giffin', laid down
the "spelter" and "took up his note'" to save cost.

The Indians were still lingering among tbe
settlers, rather loth to leave anyhow and some
taking advantage of their "spiritual informities"
were mean enough to filch away his pony, rifle and
even the last blanket in exchange for whiskey or
"good-ne-tosh." As Nebuchadnezzar, after being
turned out to grass awhile, "came to himself
again," so a poor Indian after a drunken debauch
will sometimes come to himself again and recoil
upon those who let out the serpent to bite him. In
many things shrewd and discriminating they know
when, where and how to render tit for tat and
"quid pro quo." One instance in illustration
where they "came it" over "che-mo-ko-man" will
be given.

A half Yankeefied Frenchman, who will be
called Peter, had made a claim on the east side of
the Kishwaukee, near where Dr. Harrington e?w
resides, and had engaged a half civilized Indian
bov called Shaw-ne-neese, who had lived some

three or four years with the late Hon. James
Walker of Walker's Grove, now Plainfield, in Will
county, to drive his breaking team. Now, as ill
luck would have it, or "somehownother," it came
into their heads that for just about one barrel oc
"good-ne-tosh" each on their return to Walker's
Grove might astonish the settlers with a nice In-
dian pony. The temptation to play on the "Anglo-
Saxon" was too strong. Shaw-na-neese, who had
a mother, sisters, etc., living in the Big Woods,
near where Aurora now stands, was supposed to
be well acquainted with the Indians and could
talk either Indian or English. So off goes Peter
for the whiskey, never once 'tinking' of the foolish
settler, who for fun set a fire on the prairie that
burnt up his own stacks. In due time the barrel
of good-ne-tash was regularly set up in the cabin
of the settler, and "where the carcass is there will
the eagles be gathered together.'' Shaw-na-
neese talks, Indians talk — ponies plenty-good-ne-
tosh plenty-so much pony so much good-ne-
tosh. Yes. Humph! The doping begins;
the che-mo-ko-man adding "Kishwaukee" at the
bung by night to supply the deficit made by the
faucet by day, until there was a moral certainty
of perfecting the contract as to measurement.
After the barrel was pretty much delivered of its
contents and the sharpshooters begun to hint that
it was time for them "to walk up," that is, if they
could, to the captain's office and settle, the Indians
being really drunk or appearing to be, began to
grumble about Peter cheating them, selling
no good good-ne-tosh, etc. Explanation was at-
tempted, but the thing could not explained, ex-
postulation was used, but in vain. "You cheat
poor Indian," and they grew madder and madder.
Peter and his comrade began to have fears for
their personal safety. There were no white men
near, and if there had been they could not have
expected that they would be sustained in such an
enterprise, when all of a sudden the terrific war
whoop burst from the whole group, and drawing
their long knives they rushed upon the liquor
dealers like so many fiends from the pit. Just at
this moment an old Indian snatched Shaw-na-
neese on to a pony behind him and galloped off
at the top of his speed, for what has since been
called Charters Grove. But alas and a well a-day
for unfortunate Peter, when he cried there was
"none to deliver." He had a good pair of legs

PAST AXD PRESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

and it came into his heart that "jess now," if ever.
was the time to use them, and bounding somewhar'
about a rod at a jump he "cut for the bush" and
the Indians after him pell mell. As good luck
would have it. however, he managed to conceal
himself in the thick brush and elude their grasp,
until at last, giving up further i hase, they re-
turned to Peter's shanty. Here they soon made a
finish of the remainder of the "poor whisk}" and
appropriating for their "own special use and bene-
fits"' Peter's bag of flour, fry pan and new blue
broadcloth coat they vamoosed, cutting up those
dreadful antics which savages, thirsting for blood,
alone know how to perform. Peter's predicament
was by ii" mean- enviable. He knew that lie was
in the wrong, for "a guilty conscience needs no
-■ r." lie had time to think and he did
"tink." He had time fur thought and he "tought"
"if he ever Livi to _■ I oul of ti~ scrape he sure to
quite tarn liquor business anyhow." Afar off from
the bosom of the thicket lie had beheld the plunder
of his shanty and the subsequent withdrawal of his
onenii' - Me had no doubt but that they had
gone for reinforcements and would soon return
and murder him. Perhaps they were still laying
in ambush to "let the lite nut of him."
"finking" discretion to tter part of vale:.

he kept still until it began to grow dark, when
what should he hear but the friendly voice of his
old comrade "Shaw-ne-neese" cautiously calling
to him from the plundered shanty and saying to
him that he had "i< -i" g I away from the Indians,
who were intending to come and kill him as soon
as it was dark and he was advised further by the
redskin nut t" make hi- whereabouts very public
— was assured that he would get up the oxen,
gather up the fragments that remained, hitch on
t.> the "truckle truckles" and join him with all
possible dispatch in flu? grove. Peter and his
comrade were at last under cover of night, p
ding their way over old logs, sloughs and brush
to tin west side of the grove, from whence in a
iin and Peter in his shirt -

they made g I their retreat toward Walker's

bich they had the good fortune to reach
the next day drenched with mud and water, and
where Peter. - hungry, was pre-

pared to do up any quantity of muttering and
swearing about the "tarn Injuns." Here, among
the simple children of nature, behold the faint

dawnings of a more perfect day. We are not onlv
indebted to them for the knowledge of "sucker-
tash" and "hominy" but for what they taught us
in getting "shut" of the liquor dealer.

April 19, f 855.
In 1836 the county of Kane, embracing the en-
tire territory now included in De Kalb, was or-
ganized, and Captain Eli Barnes, representing the
interests of the "Kishwaukee country." was re-
elei ted one of tin- county commissioners. But the
settlers in the Kishwaukee country still felt that
they were "too far from Canada'' — that is. from
a county seat. It needed not the old "Illinois
Statutes." one of whose "Acts" commenced by
saying, "Whereas, there is much prairie in this
-late" to convince them of the fact. Timber was
abundant: it was supposed that the Kishwaukee
and its tributaries on a more intimate acquaint-
ance would be found to be abundant in "mill
sites." A companj of capitalists, known after-
ward as the New York Company, had already laid
out a town on the east fork of the south branch of
the Kishwaukee as the "Rapids" between Nor-
wegian and Big Grove. The agents of this com-
pany were already on the ground building a dam
and erecting a sawmill. A cabinet and chair-
maker by the name of Crawford had erected a
large factory en route of the proposed "race," the
turning lathe of which was to be propelled by
water taken therefrom. Flouring mills, carding
mills, etc., were soon to go up. Similar preparations
were being made by Uri Osgood, Levi Jenk- &
Company from Joliet on the "Eapids" on the west
fork of the south branch, above Coltonville. Again
it was obvious that the great thoroughfare from
Chicago to Galena would pass directly through
villages and a "State Eoad' : from Ottawa to
the state line would firing all the north and south
travel from Yandalia to Lake Superior directly
through the Kishwaukee valley. But what should
be the name of the new county? Illinois had then
her Greene. Schuyler and Putnam counties, and
why should she not remember the brave De Kalb ?
In the winter of 1836-1 the legislature being in
session at Yandalia. therefore the Hon. Henrv
Madden, representing the interests of the settler*
of La Salle. Kane and sundry other counties not
then "hatched." caused a bill to be passed to "cre-
ate the county of I '• Kail." from the west half of
the count; of Kane, provided that the majority

PAST AND PEESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

of the legal voters of Kane should on a given dav
vote for such new county. The Geneva influence
being then, as since, perhaps, the controlling one
in relation to the county seat question in Kane of
course, favored the measure, lest their county seat
should be drawn from the "river," and it carried.
Therefore, in pursuance of organic law the com-
missioners' clerk of Kane ordered an election to
be held at the house of Frederick Love for the
election of county officers in the new county of Do
Kalb, July 3. 183T. The day of the election of
county officers at last arrived. The settlers £C by
the grace of God," "free and independent" "from
Norcutt's to DriscolTs," were seen "flocking to
the house of Frederick Love" and certain big trees
thereunto belonging, for it soon became apparent
that all could not begin to get in at once. Let it
not be understood, however, that there is any de-
sign to speak disparagingly of the old cabin of
"Judge Love," for it was a very respectable look-
ing shanty for those days and within and without
betokened more than usual thrift, means and hos-
pitality. There were some — alas ! the truth may
as well be told — too many for the security of well
disposed and honest settlers, who affected utter
contempt for all "claim associations." calling them
"land monopolies," declaring that one settler had
just as good a right to cut down "Uncle Sam's
timber" and fence up his prairie as another. This
might have been true in the abstract and yet the
first claimant and occupant entitled to the prefer-
ence to just so much as was needful for him and
no more. All pre-emption laws are based on tlrs
principle: "First come, first served." It was
clearly seen by the more reflecting that if the
contrary doctrine should prevail that all security
1.; property in claims would be at an end; "domes-
tic tranquility could not be insured, nor could
the "general welfare be promoted." Claim as-
sociations must therefore lie maintained and theii
authority respected or society would be dissolved
into original chaos, each defending himself and his
by his own right arm, that is if he was able. la
what way can the reasonable claim of the settler
be best secured until the lands shall be surveyed
and brought into market was then the all-ab-
sorbing question. Compared with this the quod-
tion whether the "hero of Tippecanoe" or the
"Foxy Dutchman of Kinderhook" should come to
the presidential chair was of "no account." As

to a "tariff for revenue" or a "tariff for protec-
tion" the settlers were in for one that should in-
sure both. In a word, they found themselves di-
vided into two parties, denominated "Claim jump-
pers" and "Anti-claim jumpers." After the whit-
tling, log-rolling, caucusing and liquoring the re-
spective parties rally their hosts at the polls and
quietly await the issue. On counting the votes it
was found that the ■■Anti-Claim Jumpers" ticket
was elected by a very handsome majority. Levi
Lee. Eufus Colton and Bobert Sterrett were elected
county commissioners; Joseph C. Lander, sheriff;
Jesse C. Kellogg, recorder; and thereupon the
county commissioners, elect, immediately retired
to the house of Eufus Colton, where "each admin-
istered the oath of office to the other," as author-
ized in "The act to create the county of De Kalb,
appointed Jesse C. Kellogg, clerk of the county
commissioners' court; Eli Barnes, county surveyor;
and Lysander Darling, county treasurer; ordered
a special term to be held in a few days at the same
place to lay off the county into "justices' districts
and election precincts" and before the guns of the
glorious Fourth came booming over the "land of
the free and the home of the brave" De Kalb was
a "Sis" in the sisterhood of counties in the Prairie
state. Of the county commissioners Hon. Levi
Lee, now a citizen of "Walworth county, Wiscon-
sin, and as before stated a member of the legis-
lature, alone survives. That kind hearted, worthy
old settler, Lysander Darling, county treasurer,
ami it is believed Joseph C. Lander, the first
sheriff, have gone down to the grave. Eufus Col-
ton, the county commissioner in the central part
of the county, was a native of New England and
the son of a Congregational minister. Much of his
early life was spent in a printing office, where he
acquired the business tact and readiness of pen fo?
which he was so justly celebrated. For several
years he conducted a weekly journal called the
Woodstock Observer i n Windsor county, Ver-
mont, was the first probate justice, the first cleric
of the circuit court of DeKalb county; a warm
hearted friend, and if from local causes ever an
enemy, still a generous one. During the last wars
of his life a member of the Congregational church
in Sycamore and sympathizing deeply with the
"down trodden and oppressed" he has gone down
to the grave and his remains repose in hope in
the Methodist burial ground in Sycamore. Bobert

■10

PAST AND PKESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

Sterrett, the county commissioner from Somonauk,
was by birth a Pennsylvanian, a man of uncom-
promising integrity, and one always knew where
to find him ; he was shrewd and discriminating, in
politics a democrat : in religion a Calvinist Baptist,
in claim matters, as true a man as "ever broKe
bread." Ee lived respected, and died lamented.
His remains sleep quietly in bis own loved Somo-
nauk. Of the first county clerk and county sur-
veyor, nothing need be said as they are "still liv-
ing characters, known and read by all men."

April 26th, 1855.
The day for holding the special term of the
county commissioners' court of De Kalb county,
having at length fully come, self-made and con-
stituted attorneys, men having business at court,
boys and loungers, curious to see the "elephant"
and how the thing worked, were seen pouring into
the village of Coltonville from all directions. This
village, being a common center between Levi Lee
and Robert Sterrett. really in advance of most of
the prospective paper towns of those days, the
powerful competitor with Centerville, Brush Point,
Genterville and Sycamore, or "Orange" as Syca-
more was first called for the county seat, then con-
sisted of a neat hewed "log cabin" with "linters"
and fixtures, standing on the bluff, southeast of
the present residence of C. S. Colton, overlooking
the "Eapids" on the west fork of the south branch
of the Kidiwaukee, on, or near the site of the old
"Indian Town"' and containing under one roof, a
dwelling house for a large family, a store, a post-
office, a tavern, a justice, a physician and attor-
neys' offices. In addition to the ordinary business
it so happened that on this memorable day some
two or three sharply contested lawsuits were pend-
ing before "Justice Colton," and attorneys, parties,
constables, jurors, witnesses, men wanting license
to keep a "quiet and orderly house" where they
could get their neighbors drunk in "pursuance of
law" were soon seen in patient "waiting upon
court." anxious to have their business done up. The
county commissioners, from the "north and from
the south country" had arrived. The county com-
missioners of the interior, as may be well supposed,
had an unusual "press of business." The clerk,
having the records of the former court, in the top
of his hat, half a quire of fools cap, sundry articled
of stationery, and some of Rogers' best cutlery in
his (lockets, was already seen standing at the door

— there being no room for him in the inn— when
the whole multitude, within and without

"Began to feel, as well they might,
The keen demands of appetite."

It was readily perceived that if the good land-
lady was to get dinner for seventy-five or a hun-
dred "hands" that she would need what little elbow
room could well be spared in the kitchen, and how
she did it must ever be to some an incomprehen-
sible mystery, and yet she did, and behold it was
very good. One thing is quite certain in those
palmy days the prairie grass did not grow under
the feet of that landlady. Business being urgent,
however, it was thought best to locate a spare table
in the shade on the north end of the house and
open court out of doors. Sheriff Lander with the
assistance of the bystanders, having set the table,
and given it a business-like aspect and the Hon.
Levi Lee having produced and laid thereon a

"bound 1 1.." a cast of Merchant's Ledger with

the old accounts torn out, the best that could be
produced, it was proclaimed in stentorian tones
at last that "the county commissioners' court of
DeKalb county was in session and ready for
business." The court having taken a recess for
dinner and again resumed business, applications
for merchant and tavern licenses were presented
and granted, of course, on the condition that
the applicant file a bond, pay a certain sum into
the treasury together with the sum of one dollar
for the use of the clerk, agreeably to "the statute
in such case made and provided." The court
also proceeded to divide the county into justice
districts and election precincts and to determine
the place of holding elections in each election
precinct. It may here be necessary to explain
that "justice districts" and "election precincts"
though not necessarily, yet for the sake of con-
venience, were made in DeKalb to include the
same territory, it being the object of the first to
supply the people with the necessary justices and
constables, and it being the object of the second

to supply tlie sa with convenient places for the

exercise of the elective franchise in all elections
for county and state officers. This mode of trans-
acting local business with such amendments and
alterations as circumstances from time to time
required, was kept up until superseded by town-
ship organization, under the new constitution,
the lines, determining the bounds of these sub-

I 'AST AND PRESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

divisions — there being "no survey line" in the
county — of course, were sometimes quite uncer-
tain. One would think the line to be "hur" an-
other "thar," but it was universally conceded
that the east line of the county began "somc-
whar near the Big Slough Bridge, east of Win-
slow Norcutt's or where Homer Roberts now lives,''
consequently quite a portion of Kane county.,
sometimes called "Upper Canada" and sometimes
the "Arab Settlement" were "bone of our bone
and flesh of our flesh."

In relation to the names of groves — Somonauk
takes its name from the creek bearing the same
name, and in old times could be safely spelt in any
way that first came to hand. "Squaw" Grove has
its name thus because it was much frequented by
the squaws when the men were gone on their hunt-
ing excursions and "Pappoose Grove" because
Pappoose may be a little squaw. "Ross Grove"
from Joseph Ross, the first settler; "Johnson's"
from Johnson, the first settler, "Paw-Paw" from
Paw-Paw in Michigan or some other place ; "Lost
Grove," because it seemed to have strayed away
from all the rest of the groves and to have got lost
and there stopped. The chains of groves southwest
of Sycamore, united by isthmuses, and perhaps by
a common sympathy, of course, would be called
"Union Grove." Most of the early settlers in the
grove southeast of Sycamore, having come from
Ohio, what more natural than that it should re-
ceive the name of "Ohio Grove"? The beautiful
little grove a little northeast from Sycamore was
so named because a Norwegian doctor by the name
of Norbeau, first settled there. The grove furthev
northeast "Charters" because a Frenchman by that
name was its first settler, and the grove northwest
of Sycamore "Big Grove," because when compared
with other groves it was big. "Hickory Grove"
north of Genoa is so called because hickory is su
abundant there, and last of all DriseolPs Grove
took its name from the far-famed Driscolls, one of
whom had settled here, from whence he was kid-
napped and taken to a little grove in Ogle county,
by a company of lynchers, where he, with hid
father, after undergoing the mock forms of a trial
and conviction, were shot, dow T n like dogs and
tumbled into a common grave. Humanity shud-
ders, at the thought of this bloody transaction. It
truth it might be said, however, that the hort<e
stealing, robberies and murders of the "banditti"

of the prairie, had become, it was thought, intol-
erable. Yet it cannot be safely argued that the
end "justified the means." None of the old neigh-
bors of the Driscoll, shot from this grove, believed
him to be connected in any of these enormities,
though his father and relations might have been.
The old scripture principle that "the son should
not bear the iniquity of the father" it seemed, was
of no avail to him. After the massacre of the
Driscolls, this grove took the name of "South
Grove," because it lies south of the main body of
timber on the Kishwaukee, which name it still re-
tains.

The pioneers located on the southern sides of
groves in sunny exposures beside streams and
springs, and fenced only as much land as would
suffice for a little corn and gave themselves up
generally to the pleasures of the chase, game being
abundant. They were hardy people, fond of
pioneer life, regardless of the forms and ceremo-
nial restraints of advanced civilization, but noted
for their neighborly kindness and hospitality.

Many of them moved farther west when too
many settlers crowded around them and hunted
game on "their preserves." Thus many who came
in 1835 left no record of their stay here, and we
can only record the names of those who settled
permanently, and even many of those who were
permanent settlers have been forgotten.

In 1836 the spring did not open propitiously
for the new settlers in the Kishwaukee district.
All the timber land had been claimed and big
prices were demanded by claimants for portions of
the timber not already occupied. Every item of
food except fish and game was scarce, and there
was no mill nearer than Green's mills at Ottawa.
Many settlers this year pounded their corn in In-
dian mortars with pestles and no wheat flour was
obtainable for months at a time. The decaying
sod and sluggish streams and standing pools
caused nearly every one to shake with ague. "Pov-
erty, rags, a scarcity diet and the shakes were the
fashion of the times," and medical attendance was
in some cases of "fever and ague" out of the
question, and what they did have was of a primi-
tive character. Some of the people who could get
no medical attention, had Indian medicine men

4".'

PAST AND PEESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

try their skill which was by incantation or as old
settlers afterward expressed it "cured by po^
wow."

Those who died were buried in coffins made by
coopers or carpenters, for in those days there were
many pioneers who had served as apprentices and
had learned trades. Few of the early graves are
marked, but in some instances the first burials
Mere the beginning of some of our cemeteries. The
burial of -Mrs. Peyton Russell in Kingston in 1S3G
marked the beginning of the pretty Kingston cem-
etery; thai of David Hall in the Genoa cemetery.

In the fall of 1836 an election was held and
Orange precinct with "Syckamore," then north of
the creek, as the voting place, and Somonauk pre-
cinct then included all of what is now the south
half of the county, were parts of LaSalle county.
Van Buren had two hundred and thirty-five and
Harrison ninety-three rotes. Dr. Henn Madden.
the democratic candidate from Orange precinct,
defeated his whig opponent by a vote of one hun-
dred and eighty-nine to one hundred and forty-
i. August 1. 1836, the Orange precind elect-
ed Mark Daniels justice of th< and Joel
Jenks constable.

Henry Madden, of Brush Point, uow Mayfield,
was a man of education, intelligence and shrewd-
ie--, and represented a district comprising all the
territory north of Iroquois county to the -rate line,
and it> western boundary was the Rock river and
the eastern boundary. Cools county. When time
came for him to leave Vandalia he started on
horseback, rode to Ottawa, stayed all night..
passed through Bloomington, Decatur, following
nearly the line now marked by the Illinois Cen-
tral Eailroad after he left Bloomington, traveling
over two hundred miles.

Tb.e creation of a new county was urged upon
Dr. Madden as Geneva was too far to go to trans-
act business at tin- county seat ami the roads were
almost impassable ai times, and there were no
bridges over the streams. Another fact that urge I
the Kishwaukee district to separation was the far:
that some villages had been started at different
points and the town boomers hoped the county
seat mighi be a factor in building up their town.

The southerners did not always have their coun
house in a town, and the southern people being
in a majority were apt to try to locate one without
regard to the future o i i ity. The

chief business of the state legislature was at that
id to create new counties, and if many of the
more populous communities could have had their
way one hundred and two would not be the number
of counties at present.

The year lS3v saw a large addition to the pop
ulation of our county and all of the present town-
ships were settled except Malta. Milan, Afton,
Pierce and Victor, and they were considered un-

■ rable because they bad no timber nor running
stn ams and game on the prairie was not as plenti-
ful as in the timber. Many of our first settlers
came from timbered countries and those who first
moved upon the prairie- were thought to be fool-
hardy to go so far from wood and water and the
ection afforded by the woods in winter. The
bard times borne by the settlers during 1836 bad
a quieting effect upon claim jumpers and the}
went east to their former home- oi passed on to
- of conquest.

Sawmills were erected along the banks of the
Kishwaukee and for a time the people purchased
the outpul for new houses as Easl as lumber i ould
he manufactured, and to this day there are many
buildings standing made from our hardwood in-
riot - to our state, that for lasting qualities arc
better than the new pine lumber of this day.

On the 4th day of March. 1837, the act for the
creation of the county of De Kalb was passed and
in the same bill the counties of Stephenson, Win-
nebago and Boone were created if this should be
sanctioned by the whole body of voters in the
espective counties from which they were de-
tached. The whole act. although containing somi
irrelevant matter, is here driven:

"AX ACT TO CREATE CERTAIN COUNTIES THERE-
IN NAMED.

"Sec. 1. Be it enacted by the people of the

State of Illinois represented in the General Ass
bly, That all that tract of country within the
following boundaries, to wit: commencing on the
northern boundary of the state where the section
line between sections three and four, in town

PAST AND PEESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

twenty-nine north, range five east of the fourth
principal meridian, strikes said line, thence east
on the northern boundary of the state, to the
range line between ranges nine and ten east, hence
south on sail I range line to the northern boundary
of Ogle county, thence west on the northern
boundary of Ogle county to and passing the
northwest corner of the county to the line between
sections thirty-three and thirty-four in township
twenty-sis north, range five cast, thence north to
the place of beginning, shall form a county to
be called Stephenson, as a tribute of respect to
the late Colonel Ren jam in Stephenson.

"Sir. 2. That the boundaries of Winnebago
county shall he as follows, to \vh : commencing
on the state line at the northeast corner of the
county of Stephenson, thence easl mi the state
line to the section line between sections five and
six. in township forty-sis north, range three east
of the third principal meridian, thence south on
said section line to the south boundary of town-
ship forty-three north, range three east, thence
west on said township line, to the third principal
meridian, thence north on said meridian to the
southeast corner of town-hip twenty-six north,
range eleven east of the fourth principal meri-
dian, thence west on said line to the range line
between ranges nine ami ten east, thence north to
the place of beginning.

"See. :;. And that all that tract of country be-
ginning at the northeast corner of township forty-
six north, range four easl. thence south with the
line dividing range four and five east, to the
southwest corner of township forty-three north,
thence west on said line to the southeast corner
of Winnebago county, thence north to the place
of beginning on the north boundary of the state,
shall form a county to be called P>oone in memory
of Colonel Daniel Boone, the first settler of the
State of Kentucky.

"Sec. 4. That all that tract of country begin-
ning at the southeast corner of township thirty-
seven north, range two east of the principal meri-
dian, thence north to the northeast corner of town-
ship forty-two north, range two, east of the third
principal meridian, and thence along the northern
boundary of township forty-two in ranges three,
four and five, east of the third principal meridian,
thence south on the southeast corner of township
thirty-seven north, range five east, thence west on

said township line, to the place of beginning, shall
form a county to be called De Kalb.

"Sec. 5. The counties of Stephenson, Boone
and De Kalb hereby created shall be organized
in the following manner, to wit : for the purpose
of fixing the permanent seat of justice of Stephen-
son county, the following persons are appointed
commissioners, viz : A'ance L. Davidson and Isaac
Chambers, of Jo Daviess county, and Minor York,
of Ogle county, who. or a majority of them, be-
ing duly sworn before some justice of the peace
of tins state, faithfully to take into view the con-
venience of the people, the situation of the settle-
ments, with an eye to future population and eligi-
bility of the place shall meet at the house of Wil-
liam Baker, in said county. <>n the first Monday
in May next, or as soon thereafter as may be. and
proceed to examine and determine on a place for
the permanent seat of justice for said county, and
designate the same: Provided, that said county
seat shall be located on lands belonging to the
United States, not occupied by the citizens of
said county, if a site for said county seat on such
lands can be found equally eligible, or upon lands
claimed by citizens of said county: but if said
location shall be made upon land claimed by any
individual in said county, or any individual hav-
ing pre-emption right or title to the same, the
claimant or proprietor upon whose lands, claim
or pre-emption right the said seat of justice may
be located, shall make a deed in fee simple to any
number of acres of said tract, not less than twenty
to the said county: or in lieu thereof such claim-
ant or owner or owners of such pre-emption right
shall donate to the said county at least three thou-
sand dollars to be applied to building county
buildings, within one year after locating id' -aid
county seat, and the proceeds of such quarter
section, if the county seat shall be located upon
government lands as aforesaid, or the proceeds of
such twenty acres of land if it be located on lands
claimed or owned by an individual or individuals;
or the said three thousand dollars in case such
claimant, or owner or owners, shall elect to pay
that sum in lieu of the said twenty acres, shall be
appropriated to the erection of a sufficient court
house and jail: and until public buildings are
erected for the purposes the courts shall be held
at such place as the county commissioners shall
direct.

PAST AND PEESEXT OF DE KALB COUXTY.

"See. 6. An election shall be held at the house
of William Baker, in said county, on the first
Monday of May next, for one sheriff, one coroner,
one recorder, one county surveyor, three county
commissioners and one clerk of the county com-
missioners' court, who shall hold their offices until
the next succeeding general election and until
their successors are elected and qualified; which
said election shall be conducted in all respects
agreeably to the provisions of the law regulating
elections: Provided, That the qualified voters
present may elect from among their own number
three qualified voters to act as judges of said
election, who shall appoint two qualified voters to
act as clerks.

"Sec. 7. For the purpose of fixing the perma-
nent county seat of Boone county the following
named persons are hereby appointed commission-
ers, viz: John M. Wilson of Will county. James
Day of La Salle county and James H. Wood-
worth of Cook county, who or a majority of them
being first duly sworn before some justice of the
peace of this Btate, as required in the fifth sec-
tion of this act, shall meet at the house of Simon
P. Doty, in said county, on the fourth Monday
in April next, or as soon thereafter as may be.
and shall proceed as is required in the fifth sec-
tion of this act. to locate the county seat of said
Boone county.

"Sec. 8. For the purpose of fixing the perma-
nent seat of justice for the county of De Kalb,
Benjamin Thruston of La Salle county, James
Walker of Cook county and Germanieus Kent of
Winnebago county are hereby appointed commis-
sioners, who or a majority being first duly sworn
before some justice of the peace of this state, as
is required in the fifth section of this act, shall
meet at the house of Frederick Love in said coun-
ty, on the first Monday in June next, or as soon
thereafter as may be. and shall proceed in all
respects as is required in the fifth section of this
act: provided, That the qualified voters of Kane
county shall meet at the usual places of holding
elections in said county on the first Monday in
May next and vote for or against the county of
De Kalb. and if a majority of said voters shall'
be in favor of making the said county, then the
county of De Kalb shall be created, but if it shall
appear that there is a majority against the divi-
sion then the said countv shall remain as it now is

"Sec. 'j. The county and circuit courts of said
Boone and De Kalb counties shall be held at
such place as the county commissioners' courts
shall respectively appoint until the county build-
ings are erected and the times of holding the
circuit courts in the counties hereby created shall
be fixed by the circuit judges in whose circuits the
counties respectively are situated.

"Sec. 10. And elections shall be held in said
Boone and De Kalb counties for county officers in
the following manner, viz: In the county of
Boone, at the house of Simon P. Doty, on the
first Monday in May next, and in the county of
De Kalb at the house of Frederick Love, on the
first Monday in July next, and shall be required
and conducted in the same manner as is pre-
scribed in the sixth section of this act when the
same is applicable.

"Sec. 11. It shall be the duty of the clerks
of the county commissioners' courts of the
counties hereby organized to give notice at least
ten days previous to the elections to be held as is
above provided in said counties, and in case there
shall be no clerk in said counties it shall be the
duty of the clerk of the commissioners' court of
Winnebago county to give notice of the elections
to be held in the counties of Stephenson and
Boone, and for the election to be held in the
county of De Kalb notice shall be given in like
manner by the clerks of the commissioners' court
of Kane county.

"Sec. 12. The citizens of the counties here-
by created are entitled in all respects to the same
right and privileges as are allowed in general to
other counties in tbi> stati .

"See. 13. The counties of Stephenson and
Boone shall continue to form a part of the county
of Jo Daviess until organized, and when organized
according to this act shall continue attached to
the county of Jo Daviess in all general elections
until otherwise provided by law. The county of
De Kalb shall continue to form a part of the
county of Kane until it shall be organized and
shall vote with the county of La Salle in all gen-
eral elections until otherwise provided bv law.

"Sec. 14. The commissioners appointed to lo-
cate said countv seats shall receive the sum of two
dollars per day for each day necessarily spent by
them in discharging the duties imposed on them
by this act, to be allowed by the county commis-

PAST AND PBESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

sioners and to be paid out of the county treasuries
respectively.

"Sec. 15. The judges of elections shall deliver
to each officer elected a certificate of his election.
The poll books shall be retained by them until
the clerk of the county commissioners' court shall
be qualified, and then deliver the said poll books to
such clerk, who shall make and transmit to the
Secretary of State an abstract of the votes given
at such election, in the same time, manner and
form as is required of clerks of county commis-
sioners' courts in elections in other counties in
this state.

"Sec. 16. After the election of county officers
as herein provided, the persons elected county
commissioners are hereby authorized to administer
the oaths of office to each other and they are
severally authorized to administer the oaths of
office to all other county officers. And said com-
missioners shall within ten days after their elec-
tion meet together as a court and lay off their
county into justices' districts and order elections
to be held for justices of the peace and consta-
bles at a time to be fixed by them; and justices
of the peace and constables elected and qualified
shall hold their offices until others are elected and
qualified under the law providing for the election
of Justice of the Peace. The clerks of the coun-
ty commissioners' courts shall deliver to each per-
son elected justice of the peace and constable cer-
tificates of such elections; and each person elected
justice of the peace is hereby authorized, upon
executing bonds as required by law, to enter upon
the duties of his office and to exercise and perform
all the duties of justice of the peace as fully as
though such person had received a commission
from the governor. This act shall be in force from
and after its passage.
"Approved 4th of March, 1837."

The year 1837 saw the population of this section
now created into a new county double, all alarm
from further Indian outbreak had forever passed
away. In this section east of the Mississippi north
of Florida and new settlers poured into every
county of northern Illinois, all of which, except
Carroll. Kendall, Grundy and Lee, were organized

and in running order, and in all cases were still
under county organization, showing plainly the
New England's township government did not ap-
peal to the people, the majority of whom were
from southern states or of southern origin.

This year saw many new-cowers from New York
and New England and they established private
schools in more spacious homes. Religious so-
cieties, mainly Methodists, began to be organized
a few stores were opened and things began to take
on the airs of organized society. All lived along
streams in the woods and the great prairie was
still unbroken, but all were hopeful and with pa-
tience and fortitude awaited a better day.

Mr. Boise in his history says that the year
1837 was noted as the first in the series of the
regular septennial wet seasons that have recurred
every seven years since that time. From the break-
ing up of winter until late in autumn it rained
nearly every day. The entire country was flooded
and the traveling was almost impossible, and we
must remember at this time there were no beaten
roads and no bridges, and we can in a degree imag-
ine the inconvenience to those who were compelled
to do much road work. It had been stated also
that the Chief Shabbona had predicted this wet
season. He had asserted that as far back as
Indian tradition reached, every seventh year had
been similarly visited with a superabundance of
rain — with almost constant storms and floods and
swollen streams. Seven years before, the soldiers
at Ft. Dearborn, then the only white inhabitants
of the country, had made record of a similar year
cf constant storms and floods; and it is certain
that on every succeeding seventh year, such sea-
son,- have recurred. All of those who resided in the
county during the succeeding four septennial
triades. will testify that in 1844, 1851, 1858 and
1865, were each seasons of extraordinary moist-
ure, and noted as wet summers. A wet season in
the early days was exceptionally inconvenient and
unhealthy. When water fell in large quantities it
would lie on the ground until absorbed by the wind
and the sun's rays which caused malaria and
fevers so common in pioneer days. At that time
there were thousands of undrained sloughs and in
those sloughs dense growths of vegetable matter,
and unfortunate, indeed, was the person whose
home was located near one. The same lands that
were considered too wet for tillage in those days
is sufficiently dry at present, even without drain-

PAST AND PRESENT OE DE KALE COUNTY.

age. During the dry times the sod would be
broken, the land put under cultivation and the
moisture sink rapidly into the earth. Notwith-
standing the difficulties encountered by the pio-
neers in 183?. several hundred emigrants came
from their eastern home- to settle here. Many of
them became ill. could secure but Little medical
assistance, and before the winter set in a large
number had died. Added to the inconveniences

ioned the financial crisis swepl ever the coun-
try, which perhaps was as severe as any in our
liistory. After the bill providing for the exten-

- of the charter of the national bank had been

retoed, millions of dollars were drawn therefrom
and placed in "pet hanks." Money became plenti-
ful and the wildest speculations were indulged in.
Lots were laid out in cities and towns which had
no inhabitants and were sold at auct ion at fabulous
prices, with the expectation thai the tide of emi-
gration turned to the westward would till these
t< wns and cities which existed only in the imagi-
nation of the speculators. To add to this scheme
the government issued paper money and when the
time i" pay this interesl on the public debts and
the revenue nothing but specie would be aco p
layment. People who had sold their eastern

- in make fortunes in the west could no1 i
obligations and the financial crash came.
"Confidence was now gone, and with it. the beauti-
ful castles they had buili in the an- vanish* d like
the mists of the morning; the brilliant bued bub-
bles burst and disappeared." The villages laid ou;
at this time in our country were Orange, now
Sycamore, Coltonville, Genoa, and one near Free-
land Corners in Somonauk township. Lots had
been laid out in these embryo < illages ami peo-
i could reside on them for the mere asking, a-
it was the fond hope of the landowners that their
respective village might he made the future county
seat. The village of Orange was on the north
side of the Ki-liwaukee about a mile north of Syca-
more. A company from New York, C. Sharer X

Mm . composed of Christ ian Sharer, capital-
ist of \, w Xbrk city, ('lark- Wright, Evans Whai-
rv. and Mark Daniels, built a dim and a large
mill rate, anil commenced a factory for the manu-
facture of furniture. The building was finished
ami a saw mill was operated. Eli .T. Jewell had a
wagon shop in tin grove near the present resi-
dence hi Fred Van Galder and also kept a little
store. Charles ami James Waterman also hip'

a store in this village. In all there were about a
half dozen houses. At Coltonville, Rufus C'olton
owned a store and there was a blacksmith shop and
perhaps four or five other houses. The Colton
home was used for many years as a hotel. Both
Orange and Coltonville were aspirants for the
county seat. On the first day of May, 1837, a vote
was taken in Kane count}', of which we were
then a part, in set nil' the territory then known
as De Kalb county. Geneva was at that time the
county seat of Kane, hut Aurora looked with jeal-
ous eve upon her little neighbor on the north an 1
had hopes that in the future sht might lie the
capital.

Geneva favored the division with the thought
thai that would settle the county -eat question.
Tin precincts were widely scattered, and the sheriff
of Kane county was unwilling to post the requisite
number of notices in various precincts, and as the
weather was very rainy and the roads almost im-
passable, be felt a sigh of relief when Dr. ftenrv
Madden volunteered i" post notices in the far off
districts, with an eve to business, for in the dis-
tricts that were unfriendly to the division he saw
1<. ii that no notice- wiii' posted, hut in friendly
districts the requisite notices were posted 'in due

; i-iin. The vote -t I as follow-: i Mm hundred

and -i i m -i in,, for, and eighty-three against, di-
vision. The precinct of Somonauk cast her forty-
three votes solidly for division, Orange thirty-four
for, and eight against division, while in the Kish-
waukee district which includes the territory now
known as Kine>toii. Franklin. South Grove and
Mayfield polled her vote with two exceptions for
division. In due time the county clerk of Kane
county issued a call for an election to he held
at the residence of Frederick Love, for the pur-
pose of choosing three county commissioners, one
sheriff, recorder, surveyor and treasurer.

The election was held on Monday, July 3, 1837.
The two parties which is as well-known are in-
dispensable to every well arranged and conducted
election, went by the name of Claim Jumpers and
Anti-Claim Jumpers and divided on the question
of sustaining or abolishing the claim associa-
tion which had been organized the previous year.
The people came from all parts of the county
and in large numbers. With thpir wagons and
horses distributed over a large space, they pre-
sehted the appearance of an animated camp meet-

CHARLES G. CULVER.

Dlf. HENRY MADDEN.

MRS. HENRY MADDEN.

E. M. KNAPP.

T,.n 8T ° fi ' Lf

PAST AND PRESENT OP DE KALB COUNTY.

ing. After the usual amount of log rolling, caucus-
ing and liquoring, the polls were opened, the votes
cast and counted, and a majority of two to one
were found to be in favor of the Anti-Claim
Jumpers ticket, which was: County commis-
sioners, Ruf us Colton, Robert Sterrett, Levi Lee ;
sheriff, Joseph C. Lander; recorder, Jesse C. Kel-
logg; surveyor, Eli Barnes; and treasurer, Lysan-
der Darling.

"They were a most able and honorable body of
officials and laid well the foundation work for theL"
successors. Rufus Colton was an active, stirring,
shrewd New Englander, formerly editor of a Ver-
mont paper — a warm friend and a fair, uncom-
promising enemy. R. Sterrett of Somonauk was
of Pennsylvania origin, always a decided democrat
— honest, reliable, true man. Levi Lee, of King-
ston, was a shrewd, intelligent man, active in the
temperance cause. He filled many public offices,
and was of late, a member of the legislature of
Wisconsin. Jesse C. Kellogg, the recorder, was
of Vermont Puritan stock, has been for thirty-
three years, and still is one of the worthiest citi-
zens of De Kalb county, active in every good work,
the uncompromising foe of all wrong and oppres-
sion. Captain Barnes, for over thirty years n
venerated citizen of this county, died in 1867, leav-
ing a large family of descendants here. Sheriff
Lander, an honest, pleasant old Indianian, had
all of the peculiarities of speech and dialect of the
Hoosier race. Lysancler Darling was a pleasant,
kind-hearted, honest popular citizen, said to be
the first settler in Sycamore."

At these early elections no printed tickets were
used as at present. Ira Douglas tells us that hi*
appeared at the polls, announced his name, and
then stated orally his preferences for the different,
offices to be filled. He belonged to the Anti-
Claims Association and voted for the ticket elected
by having a mark placed after the name of each
candidate.

At the close of these events it was thought prop-
er that the birth of the new county and the elec-
tion of its first roster of county officers should be
celebrated on the glorious 4th, and accordingly on
the 61st anniversary of Amerian independence
some three or four hundred early settlers assembled
at the house of Ephraim Hall, who had erected a
new house, which at that time was one of the very
best in the county and still stands as a mark of

the good old days, where the honorable Levi Le=>,
a local preacher and proprietor of Lee's mill de-
livered the oration, which for force, eloquence and
patriotism was considered well worthy of the oc-
casion. At this celebration we must remember
that all the accompanying nuisances of the pres-
ent day celebration were wholly absent. People
came from many miles around, brought their
baskets well filled with luncheon and had a great
picnic dinner in the grove. It is probable that
at this time, 1907, no one lives in the county who
was present at this celebration.

Matters moved rapidly in those days and on the
11th of July the first regular session of the coun-
ty commissioners' court was held at the house of
Rufus Colton. This was rather a more spacious
house than the ones usually occupied by the early
settlers; it being eighteen by twenty-four feet,
made of hewn logs and furnished with doors and a
window and chinked up with pure mortar. Thi
day of their meeting being fair it was held out
doors and the sheriff, Joseph C. Lander, made
proclamation and they at once proceeded to busi-
ness. An old merchant's ledger was used as the
sole heok of record and is still in possession of
the county clerk at the court house. The first
duty performed was to lay the county off in five
election precincts and justices' districts. They
were:

First, Kingston district and precinct, commenc-
ing at the northwest corner of the county running
south twelve miles, thence northeast crossing thj
Sycamore river so as to include Benjamin
Stephen's land, and then north to the county line.

It was ordered that elections be held in this pre-
cinct at the residence of Levi Lee. George H.
Hill, John Whitney and Jones Hait were ap-
pointed judges.

The second was Sycamore precinct, including
the northeast corner of the county, and extending
as far south as Charter Grove, but not including
the present village of Sycamore. The elections
were to be held at a school house near Lysander
Darling's, and William A. Miller, James A. Arm-
strong and Samuel Cory were made its judges.

The third was named Orange district, and com-
prised the territory south of the Sycamore district
as far as Lost Grove, in the present town of Cort-
land. Elections for this district were ordered at

PAST AND PBESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

Bufus Colton's house, and Frederic Love, James
Boot and Eli Barnes were made judges.

The fourth was named Somonauk district, and
comprised the territory south of Orange district,
ten miles in width, and about twenty in length
to the south line of the county. Elections were
ordered to be held at the house of Woodruff and
Lane; William Davis. Frederic A. Witherspoon
and Simon Price were made judges.

The fifth district was called Paw Paw. and com-
prised the southwest portion of the county. No
recorded provision was made for elections in this
district, and it was subsequently abolished, but
afterward, upon the indignant protest of some of
its people, was re-established.

In October the commissioners that had been ap-
pointed by the legislature to fix the county seat,
met at the house of Frederic Love as directed by
the law of organization. The home of the Honor-
able Frederic Love was at that time a log build-
ing on the site of which todai stands the resi-
dence of his grandson, Frederic 1 ove. They were
received by the citizens representing the three com-
peting points with all of that cordiality that was
to be expected toward men upon whose decision
Lmportanl interests depended. Escorted by a large
number of residents of the county, and men who
were interested in the decision of the question,
they spent most of three days in riding about th
region, viewing the country and comparing trie
advantages of the rival locations. There seemed u>
be little to choose between them. One of the com-
missioners, Mr. Walker of Plainfield, had been a
member of the legislature villi Mr. Madden. II
was also an intimate friend of Mr. Harvey Ma\-
field. who had recently visited this section of th-j
country and came hack with a glowing account of
its attractions, and of the advantages of the pres-
ent location for a county seat. TTe had also re-
ported to Walker a remark said to have been mad"
by Madden to the effect tl at lie had secured
Walker's appointment as cdmmissioner, and e.x-
pected t<> control him so far as to induce him to
locate the county seal upon his own claim at Brush
Point. This naturally aroused opposition in the
in ind of Mr. Walker.

Much to Madden's chagrin, he found his frier
prejudiced against his own point and unable to see
its advantages. The inhabitants of the little col-
lection of losr houses on the bank of the Kishwau-

kee north of the present county seat where the
village had been laid out, had become convinced
that their village was upon ground too low to
secure its location as the seat of justice, and they
combined to assure the commissioners that the
place where they intended the village should he.
was on the higher ground upon the other side of
the stream.

In the contest which followed we will give the
reminiscences of Major Evans Wharry who partiei-
paled in the notable event and was the person more
than any other one who is responsible for the
present location of the city of Sycamore and the
site upon which the court house now stands.

MAJOR EVANS WHARRY S REMINISEXCE.

The following reminiscence was given bv Major
Evans Wharry to V. Ilix. in March, 1S7!). and by
the hitter prepared for the "City Weekly." Leav-
ing out the introductory clause, we copy as fol-
low-: The Major and a Mr. Sharer, botli mem-
ber- of the New York Land Company, came
here in 1836, with the view of faking up a large
tract of land in the interest of the company. They
landed in Chicago in May, 1836, and after remain-
in- in thai city for a couple of weeks started for
Galena, by way of Rockford. Peaching this local-
ity, they met with Dr. Madden, formerly a resi-
denl of Brush Point. Mayfield, and at that time
a member of the Illinois general assembly. Th •
project of the formation of De Kalb county, then
a part of Kane county, was being talked up. and
the Doctor, being favorably impressed with the
Major and the mission upon which he was bent.
prevailed upon hini to stop here and assist him in
a scheme which he had in view, which was no
less than to locate a shire town for the new coun-
ty. The Major, thinking favorably of the project,
consented, but did not think the selection of a site
for the nr\\ county seat which the Doctor made,
a good one. The site in question was what is now

the Thomas W 1 farm, half a mile north of the

river bridge, and formerly well known a- the Clark
Wright place. The land there is comparatively low
and level, and as the Major's eyes took in the
elevated situation south of the river, and upon
which the city of Sycamore now stands, he was at
once of the opinion that it should have been se-
lected. But the Doctor was allowed to have his

PAST AND ntESENT OF DE KAMI COUNTY.

own way, and the Major at once commenced ini
provements on the quarter section chosen, a por-
tion of which the Doctor was to have for his in-
fluence in the legislation needed to locate the capi-
tal town of the count}'. In fact, the Doctor am!
Major were mutually interested, and hoth hoped
to realize handsomely out of their venture in a
pecuniary way. The Doctor, by agreement between
the two. was to have fifty of the one hundred and
sixty acres. He returned to Spring-held to see to
the appointment of a board of commissioners to
locate the county seat, and the Major went to work
in the interests of the new town, and had the same
platted and placed on record at Geneva. He pur-
chased Norwegian Grove, lying a little to the east,
paying for the same the sum of four hundred dol-
lars, and removed Dr. Norbo, a Norwegian, who
gave the name to the grove, to Geneva: purchased
two or three teams of oxen, erected a store on the
premises now owned by Boswell Dow. He also
bridged the river, constructed a dam, cut a mill
race from a point near the southwest corner of
Norwegian Grove, through the lowlands just north
of the river bridge, traces of which remain to this
day. and erected a sawmill, and sought to make the
place a prominent one for those days. At that
time the old state road, running west from Gen-
eva to the Mississippi, ran along the north side
of Norwegian Grove, and this fact may have had
something to do with the selection of Dr. Madden
as a member of the legislature.

While the Doctor was busy in the legislature the
Major was busy at home. Commissioners favor-
able had been selected by Madden and things
promised a happy termination. The Doctor, how-
ever, had a deeper purpose in view than the Major
had at first suspected, but which soon showed
itself. Madden came back in advance of the com-
missioners and insisted that he must have mon
than the fifty acres at first agreed upon. At this
the Major was taken somewhat aback, but finally
consented to increase the number of acres to sev-
enty-five, the amount of land the Doctor thought
he ought to have. This would have been willingly
acquiesced in by the Major, but just upon the
eve of the selection of the site by the commissioners
the Doctor became still more greedy and demanded
one hundred acres. Then the Major's ire was
thoroughly aroused, and in the height of his in-
dignation he vehemently told the Doctor to go to

gehenna; that he would never give him that
amount of land. The two were now at sword's
points, and the Doctor at once set about to secure
the location of the county seat at Brush Point.

Apprised of his purpose, the Major quietly but
actively began to bestir himself to defeat the Doc-
tor, and at once hired riders In traverse the county
to enlist the citizens in his behalf. The commis-
sioners came, two of them, and one hundred and
fifty men from all parts of the county met them
upon their arrival. The place of meeting was at
the Major's store. The day was spent in consulta-
tion. There were several parties in this part of the
county who had a location for the county seat in
view, among them Captain Eli Barnes, who then
owned what is now the John Burke farm, on the
De Kalb road. There was where the Captain
wanted it located. Then there was Mr. Calvin Col-
ton, of Coltonville, who desired its location at his
place. Ami it was wanted by a party from Genoa.

On the next day. the interest increasing, there
were two hundred men assembled at the Major's
headquarters. The party was mounted on horses,
and finally, in company with the commissioners,
they all started out to inspect the different compet-
ing localities for the county seat. They crossed
the liver and halted first upon the site the Major
had all the time favored and which, after his quar-
rel with Madden, he determined to secure, if pos-
sible, and that was where the city now stands.
Here the Major pointed out in eloquent terms the
natural advantages of the place, after which th?
party took up the line of march. It was a jollv
crowd and a jolly occasion. There was running of
horses, whooping and all manner of fun afloat.
Peaching the Captain Barnes place they listened
to a stump speech from the redoubtable individ-
ual and then struck for Coltonville. This localitv
was soon inspected and away they broke for Bruah
Point. After reaching there the Major invited the
party to ride to the west for a distance of about
sixty rods, which was done, and they found them-
selves in the middle of a large flat covered with
water. This, the Major said, was the place the
Doctor had selected for the county seat, for the
reason that it would never lack a supply of wate 1 ".
Then a derisive shout went up at the expense of
the Doctor and the party took up the line of
march for Genoa. From Genoa they finished the
circuit by bringing up at the Major's store. Here

PAST AXD PRESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

a further confab followed until finally one of the
commissioners, Mr. Walker, told the party to go
home, but to return on the morrow, when the
county seat would be located.

The eventful day arrived and so did the crowd.
The party mounted and again visited each and
every place they had gone to the day previous,
with the exception of Genoa. The commissioners
said that Genoa was a nice place but too near the
north line of the county to be available. Then
Commissioner Walker spoke and informed tin-
crowd that with the concurrence of the other com-
missioners (one of them was absent in St. Louis),
he should designate the place selected by Major
Wharry for the capital of the county. The other
commissioner, Mr. Thurston, who was in close con-
fab with Madden at the time, refused to concur
with Walker, and advised that the absent commis-
sioner be summoned. He was asked if he would be
present providing the absent man could be got
here and replied that he would not — that he would
never come there again. This exasperated the
Major and his friends, and they finally made him
say as to which of the different sites visited h-3
preferred; and, being considerably frightened by
the demonstration made, said that if he must, he
would say that Wharry' selection seemed the most
favorable. The matter was ended by Walker, who
stuck a stake, painted red at the top, near where
the courthouse now stands, and the crowd drove
it four feet into the ground. Afterwards a hickory
pole about one hundred feet high was raised on
the spot by the Major and his friends, where it
stood with colors flying from the top.

Madden continued to fisrht against the location
with all his might, but the people of the countv
came forth winners. The friends of the Major
here were aided by the settlers at the southern
extremity of the county on the condition that the?
former should aid them in their desire to be set off
and become a part of the county adjoining them on
the south, which was agreed to. The support given
to the Half-Shire bill some years apo bv the peo-
ple here is said by the Major to have been in con-
squence of the agreement spoken of. but how this
may be we do not pretend to know or to say.

The land tract located by Major Wharry and
Mr. ShaTer in the interest of the land company,
after the agreement first entered into by Madden
and the Major, embraced two square miles of land

with the boundaries as follows : Commencing about
one quarter of a mile north of the Roswell Dow
place, the west line was run to the south two
miles, thence to the east, taking in a portion of
Ohio Grove, and which also included the old Indian
village, on what is now known as the Tyler farm ;
thence north two miles, running to the north of
Norwegian Grove, and taking in the same, and
thence west two miles to the place of beginning.
It will thus be seen by those familiar with the
section of country embraced within the lines, tha
the tract included the quarter section upon which
the county seat was to be located, and which is
now the Thomas Wood farm. The Major tells U9
that the tract was marked out with a plow, four
yoke of oxen being used and four days being con-
sumed in the undertaking.

Of course the old town north of the river was
soon abandoned after the site for the county seat
was finally determined upon. We have already
spoken of Captain Eli Barnes-. The Captain is
accredited with building the first house in Syca-
more, the same being the present City Hotel,
then known a= the Mansion House. Although the
first constructed, the Barnes tavern was not the
first house on the ground. A little wooden build-
ing had been moved here from the old Hamlin
place, south of here, and was occupied by a Dr.
Bassett, the first physician of the place. John C.
Waterman and Charles Waterman were the first
merchants. This was in 1839. This year the old
courthouse was built, which stood nearly opposite
the present one. and was a very primitive affair.
The next year— 1840— the village consisted of
about a dozen houses. Among other residents at
the time, and whose names are familiar to many
of our readers, were E. S. Jewell, D. Banister,
Jesse C. Kellogg, Carlos Lattin, L. D. Walrod'
Jos. Sixbury, P. Love, and Marshall Stark. The
M.ivos and other early settlers did not come until
a year or two later.

By the way, we asked the Major how he got his
title. We supposed he had seen actual military
service ; participated, perhaps, in the Black Hawk
or some other memorable war, and were anxious
to hear him recount his military exploits-. But in
this we were disappointed. He was only Major of
a company organized in the earliest days here fo;
protection against the raids of the banditti of the
prairies, who infested this portion of the west.

PAST AND PRESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

In the same way Marshall Stark got to be colonel
and Eli Barnes captain. Many now living re-
member seeing Captain Barnes at the head of
Fourth-of-July processions in Sycamore, dressed in
uniform with sword and pistols, and mounted on
his clumsily caparisoned steed. We remember him
well, and it was with a feeling of awe that we
gazed upon his stern features, and heard the severe
orders as they issued from his lips to those under
his command. He has long since been dead.

At the elections for years there were no election
tickets as now. A man appeared before judges of
elections, first gave his name, then his choice was
announced orally by him and written down on a
tallv sheet.

At the beginning of the year 18.38, the ma-
chinery of the county was fairly set in working
order and it was necessary that a term of court
should be held for the trial of civil and criminal
suits. The court house not being ready for oc-
cupancy it was decided to hold the first term of
the circuit court at the residence of Rufus Colton.
The first grand jurors of the county were George
H. Hill, Nathan Billings, William A. Miller, Ly-
sander Darling, John Whitney, John Eastabrooks.
William Miles, Henry Madden, Eli Barne-
Phineas Stevens, Alpheus Jenks, Russell D. Cross-
ett, John Maxfield. William Davis, Maltby B.
Cleveland. D. S. Billiard, Zachariah Wood, Ralph
Wviuan, Benjamin Stephens, Joseph A. Ann-
strong, Henry B. Barber, Reuben Nichols, Justin
Crafts. Petit jurors, C. W. Branch, E. P. White,
Abner Jackman, Peter Lamoise, Clark Wright,
John Elliott. Clark L. Barber, Joseph A. Me-
Collum, Russell Huntley, Ora A. Walker, John
Corkins, Solomon Wells, H. N. Perkins, Jacob
Cox, Lyman Judd, Henry Durham, P. A. Wither-
spoon, John Sebree, Marshall Stark, Jeremian
Burleigh, John Riddle. William Russell, Watson
Y. Pomeroy. Ezra Hansen. As the coming circuit
court was expected to cause an unusual demand
for stationery, the clerk of the county commis-
sioner's court was authorized to purchase two dol-
lars %vorth, and in addition was voted the sum of
ten dollars to pay for a book of record.

Three tavern licenses were granted this vear —
one to Russell Huntley, at what is now the city of
De Kalb, one to John Eastabrooks at Squaw Grove,
and one to H. N. Perkins at the present village of

Genoa, and to guard against extortion the board
enacted that the rates for the government tavern
keepers for the ensuing year be as follows : For
each meal of victuals, thirty-one cents; for lodg-
ing each person, twelve and a half cents; for each
horse to hay over night, twelve and a half cents;
for each bushel of oats, seventy-five cents. These
were great prices in those days, and were more
than were usually charged. Two years later, the
price of a dinner in De Kalb county was twelve
and a half cents, and a man was boarded for a
week for one dollar. The total of the county tax
levied the first year of its political existence was
two hundred and sixteen dollars and fifty cents,
but the deputy sheriff, James Phillips, after work-
ing through the winter was unable to collect more
than eighty-fouT dollars and thirty-seven cents. In
August of this year three new county commis-
si, mers were elected. They were Eli G. Jewell,
Burrage Hough, and Henry Hix. They were
partisans <>!' the Orange people in the county
seal contest, and ordered that the October
of court be held in the house of Captain Eli
Barnes, which was then supposed to be under
.mist ruction. Captain Barnes' house existed only
in imagination and Mr. Colton, clerk of the
circuit court had made all processes returnable
at his residence. The ignus fatui was still dazzling
before his eyes and he hoped still with the aid of
Dr. Madden to have it located there. At this time
Coltonville was the largest village of the county,
it had a store, a tavern, a blacksmith shop, a doc-
tor, a lawyer, and some of its citizens were plan-
ning the erection of a distillery.

Madden and Colton both being sorely vexed at
being overruled in their choice of a county seat,
had put their heads together to procure a removal
by combining against Orange the two parties who
favored Brush Point and Coltonville; and they
managed it in this wise. Mr. Madden, who was
still a member of the legislature, had during the
last winter's session, procured the passage of an
act providing that a vote should be taken first for
or against the removal of the county seat from
Orange. It was presumed that the two partiesi fa-
voring Brush Point and Coltonville would combine
and could carry this measure, for removal. In that
case a second vote was to be taken upon Colton-
ville or Brush Point, and the place receiving the
highest number of votes was to be the county seat

PAST AND PRESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

Madden returned, and made no public mention
of the passage of this act. but it was strongly sus-
pected by the Orange men, that something of this
kind had been done, and was to ho -put through on
the sly." It was finally discovered in this way.
A certain bachelor of Genoa, Gleason by name, who
was attached to the Orange party, invaded th
Brush Point settlement one Sunday night, in
search of a wife. From his fair Dulcinea, he
learned to his surprise, that on the next Monday
week, an election was to be held in that settle-
ment to remove the county seat. Gleason informed
bis friends of what he had heard, and it was
agreed that the Orange men should meet them ,r
the polls and vote the removal project '!<>« a. J. C
Kellogg and E. G. Jewell were dispatched south in
the night to rouse their Eriends in Somonauk.

In due time the polls were opened, and to the
surprise of the Brush Pointers, were opened in
those precincts opposed to the change, as well as
those which favored it. The unfairness of the
sei re1 conspiracy was so apparent that in Som-
onauk precinct, which then included six townships.
forty-five of the forty-seven votes cast were again
removal. The project was voted down by seven-
teen majority, in the whole county.

Coltonville had grown since the summer before
when the first term of the county commissioners
court was held there. There were lour or five

bouses there now. but how the crowd of | pie that

a—rmbled on this memorable occasion was pro-
vided for must every ever be a mystery to futur
generations. The first term of the court was held
in a small framed house one story and a half in
height, which, a few years after, was moved down
to Sycamore, and is now the residence of W. W.
Bryant, and standing nearly opposite the Univer-
salis! church. Hon. John Pearson, the judge, re-
sided at Danville, Vermilion county, and the ex-
tent of his circuit may be judged from this fact.
lie was subsequently removed for incompetence.
Eufus Colton was the clerk, and Amasa Hunting-
ton states attorney. There were but twenty suits
upon the docket, none of them sharply contested
cases. The first suit was one in which Erasmus D.
Walrod was plaintiff and Stephen Harwood was
defendant, but before the trial commenced it was
settled by agreement of parties — a good first ex-
ample which has not since been followed so close-

ly as would have been to the advantage of the
county.

The duty of the twenty-four grand jurors and
the states attorney, were ended when they had
found an indictment against one William Taylor
for passing counterfeit money. Taylor was sup-
posed to be one of an organized gang that even at
i In- early day was infesting the country, and
swindling the honest i ttizens. Not being ready Eo ■
trial, lie was retained in charge of the county
until the next term. After being comfortabh
boarded for several weeks by the Barber family
the county commissioners ordered him to the Will
county jail, at Joliet, which was then the nearest
available place of confinement; and out of the
scantily furnished treasury of the county they paid
forty-five dollars to a guard for conveying him
there. When he was next brought out for trial
he escaped from the guard ami was seen no move
in this section of the country ; and when in addi-
tion this misfortune, the Will county jailor sent in
a bill for twenty-five dollars for his board, it bank-
rupted the treasury; the commissioners indignant-
ly refused to allow it and demanded the items.
Alter this dear experience in the capture of crim-
inals it became the policy to overlook all crimes
that were aot too public and hienous, and when

ffense had been committed that could not be

overlooked, the county officers sometimes contrived
that a hint should he given to the offender that he
would probably he arrested, ami that it would be
expedient for him to leave the country before that
event should occur. In this way they rid them-
selves of the elephant. In December of this year,
a meeting el 1 county commissioners provided for
ascertaining upon what section of land the coun-
u seat had Keen placed. The county had not yet
been surveyed by the United States. Nobody knew
where the boundaries of the county were, nor were
any other lines definitely ascertained. It wa-
necessarv that the county should first make ite
pre-emption claim to the quarter sect inn that ths
law required it should own. a- private individuals
made their claims, and then should survey and sell
the village lots: out of the proceeds of which sale
the public buildings were to be erected, guarantee-
ing of course to the purchasers, that when the land
came in market the county would purchase ami
pay for it.

PAST AND PRESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

:,:,

For this purpose the commissioners duly author-
ized and directed Eli G. Jewell to obtain the ser-
vices of a surveyor and bring a line or lines from
some survey made under the authority of the ge
eral government down to the county seat, and ther
cause a number of town lots not exceeding eighty,
to be laid out, platted and recorded, the expense
of which survey it was prudently provided should
be paid out of the proceeds of the sale of the lots.
At this term the rate of compensation to jurors
was fixed at seventy-five cents per day, but at this
rate was found to cause a heavy drain upon the
treasury, it was subsequently reducted to fiftv
cents.

Frederic Love was appointed first school com-
missioner for the county, and was also granted a
license to keep a tavern. Love's capacious cabin
was as public a place as any in the county. He
called it Oenterville, and hoped that at some time
it would become the county seat. Henry iHirham
of Genoa, was granted a merchant's license at this
term of the court. A few years later, the village
at that point had become the largest and most,
lively in the county. In September, 1838, Shab-
bona, the old Indian, employed James S. Water-
man to survey the two sections of land which the
government had granted him in that section of
the country. During this year a company under
the name of Jenks & Company, representing con-
siderable capital, constructed a mill upon the Kish-
wakee, in the present town of De Kalb on the
land now occupied by Albert Schryvers farm, and
projected a village which, however, was never built
up. The large barn now — 1867 — standing upon
that farm was one of the first framed buildings in
the county, and was used on several occasions for
the religious services of the quarterly meetings
of the Methodists.

The year 1839 was memorable as one of great
suffering among the new settlers, from sickness.
During the spring and autumn Tivonths. over most
of the county, there were hardly enough of the
well to take proper care of the sick. Ague and
bilious fevers were the prevailing diseases. They
resulted from the close proximity to the groves and
streams to which the new comers all built their
houses, and were aided by the insufficient and com-
fortless little dwellings; also by the bad surface
water from the sloughs which they used in the
want of well of proper depth to supply water

which was pure. It was difficult also, to secure
medical attendance and the physicians who prac-
ticed through the country, rarely had a sufficient
supply of medicine. A citizen relates his disap-
pointment when after having gone shaking with
ague seven miles on foot to a doctor for a dose
of quinine, the doctor told him solemnly, "No
young man, I can't let you have it; you are young,
and can wear out the disease. I must save my
little supply for cases in which it is needed to save
life, for I don't, know when I shall be able to ob-
tain any more."

Deaths were numerous, and the few carpenters
in the country who were able to work, were at
times busy night and day in making coffins. It
was noticed that one settlement on the border of
the county, in Franklin, afterward known as the
Pennsylvania settlement, was quite free from the
prevalent diseases. The three or four houses that
composed this little village, were built by Dr.
Hobart. Albert Fields, and William Ramsey, two
miles from the timbered lands and in the middle
of the prairie. To this was due their exemption
from disease.

The water problem in a new country seemed to
be a most serious one, for had these settlers been
provided with pure water, how much suffering and
death might have been avoided. In 1839 there
were more cases of typhoid fever, and more deaths
resulting therefrom out of a population of about
twelve hundred, that our county then possessed,
than there has been in the last five years of our
history and with a population of over thirty thou-
sand.

Slough wells were about the only sources of
drinking water. Even as late as 1842 Sycamore
had but three wells fit for use. Many instances
of suffering are related, and the medical attend-
ance was of little service and difficult to get.
Trained nurses were unknown. The afflicted were
at the mercy of the good neighbors and a new
attendant came each evening.

Later came the deep bricked well, then the
tubular well, which made far better health and
disproved the old theory that settlements away
from running water were impracticable.

But the citizens in the vicinity of the countv
seat found time to build a new court house. The
survey lines ordered by the' county commissioners,
bad been brought down from the neighborhood of

PAST AND PRESENT OE DE KALB COUNTY.

Roekford, where some government surveying had
already been done, and the village of Sycamore
was staked out. The inhabitants of this place for
all future time, may thank Captain Eli Barnes
and James S. Waterman for the broad streets that
now add so much to the beauty of the village.
To many of the people, they seemed, at the time,
unnecessarily wide, but the sensible plea that
there was a whole continent of prairie before them,
and that when Sycamore became a city they would
be needed to accommodate its business, prevailed,
and they were laid out one hundred feet wide.
From the time the village was laid out. its original
name of Orange was dropped, and Sycamore
adopted by common consent.

During the previous winter, Captain Barnes had
got together materials for building a spacious
tavern at the new county scat, ami early in the
spring it was erected — the first building put up in
this village. It is still standing, directly east of
the public square, and has ever since been oc-
cupied as a hotel. As an inducement for build-
ing it, ii was agreed that the block on which it
stands should be given to the Captain, free of
cost.

This hostelry built of hewn timber in 1839 was
the first frame house built in the town and stood
for many years on the site of the Sycamore Car-
negie Library. Knur year- ago it iv;i- removed about
about one hundred feet to the southeast of its old
site, where it was repaired and is still occupied as a
hotel. The old timbers were in good state of
preservation and the "Old Mansion House," as it
w;is once called, bids fair to remain another seventy
years as a monument to Captain Barnes, for this
building placed Sycamore more firmly "on the
map" and was sought by the weary traveler on his
search for a home, or the farmer who was com-
pelled to market his produce in Chicago by mears
of ox teams, or a little later by the then swiftest
freight, the horse team.

For years this was called "Barnes' Folly," and
was supposed to be unnecessary in so small a town.
After this, other buildings followed so that we
may truthfully say that Captain Barnes set an
example that was followed, and for fifty years
Sycamore has been known as a well-built, pretty
city.

The village having been laid out, the commis-
sioners directed Mr. Jewell to proceed to sell lots

at public auction, and with the proceeds to con-
tract for building a courthouse ami jail.

The auction was held, and the bidding was
spirited. Some fifteen or twenty lots were sold at
prices ranging from twenty to fifty dollars. Among
the purchasers were Frederick Love, J. C. Kel-
logg, James S. Waterman, Harvey Maxtiehl. Dan-
iel Bannister. Almon Robinson, Erastus Barnes,
and Timothy Wells.

The proceeds of the sale constituted a little
fund out of which, some of the materials for the
courthouse were then purchased. Those most in-
terested in the matter then took teams and drove to
all the sawmills in the country round, and begged
or bought, or traded for the necessary lumber.
The labor upon the building was done by voluntary
contribution. Everyone could do something and
all worked with a will.

By the time fixed for the June session of the
circuit court, a two-story building twenty by thirty
feet had been enclosed, and the county commis-
sioners, who were hastily summoned together, or-
dered their clerk of the court to notify the judge
of the circuit court that they had erected a court-
house at the county seat, and that it was ready foi
i © upancy, and requested that he direct, the circuit
clerk to keep his office there.

Captain Barnes served the order upon the judgo
now sitting in court at Coltonville, and the crowd
of attendants, augmented by a large body of citi-
zens assembled to see what action would be taken
upon this order, awaited with great interest the
argument upon the proposition to remove to Svca-
more. When the judge decided that the court
must hi- removed thence a shout of triumph went
up from the Svcamore party, while the opponents
of removal were correspondingly depressed. Judge
Ford took his record under his arm, States Attor-
ney Purple bundled up his papers, the sheriff, the
lawyers, juries, parties and witnesses followed suit.
and led by Captain Barnes, on that well-known
spotted horse that he rode upon all public occa-
sions for more than twenty years later, all took
up their line of march through the thick woods
and across the green prairie, to the new seat of
empire at Sycamore. The assemblage was enter-
tained at a grand public dinner at the new tavern,
where all the luxuries that the country afforded
were freely provided by the successful party.

CAPTAIN ELI BABNES.

HON. LEVI LEE.

CLEMENT COMBS.

LIC]

OR, LENOX
M FOUND^TI'JW.H.

PAST AND PRESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

When the court repaired to the new courthouse,
it was found that the courthouse was ready for
occupancy, was rather more than its condition war-
ranted. It had a frame, a roof, and some siding
upon it, but there were no doors nor windows, and
the only floor was some loose boards covering one-
half of the upper story. When the officers of the
court had clambered up to the seat of justice in
the second story, it found furniture somewhat
scarce. A tilting table was the judge's desk, and
a broad, rough board was provided for the clerks
and attorneys tables — et preeterea nihil. It was a
rough and primitive arrangement for the enter-
tainment of the blind goddess, and if she had had
her ryes about her she would have fled from the
spot in alarm. A question arose whether process
having been made returnable at Coltonville, suits
could lir tried at another locality, and except a few
agreed cases, no litigation was carried on. Wil-
liam Taylor, the only criminal, having fortunately
run away, and the arrest of all others being care-
fully avoided, there was no use for a grand jury,
and it bad been at once dismissed, and tile court
speedily adjourned.

The commissioners' court at the June session,
divided the county into three assessment districts.

The districts of Franklin. Kingston, and Kish-
waukee constituted the first, and of this J. F. Page
was chosen assessor. Sycamore, Orange and Ohio
districts made the second, and of this. Austin Hay-
den was assessor. Somonauk and Paw Paw made
the third, and of this Stephen Arnold was asse"-
sor. The three assessors were each paid I'm' three
days" service in assessing the entire property of
the county.

At the August election, John E. Hamlin was
chosen clerk of the county commissioners' court,
ami Lysander Darling, county treasurer, in place
(if George H. Hill. William M. Maxfield was
chosen county collector. Alpheus Jenks. recorder.

In this year, the land in three northern town-
>hi]i> which had previously been surveyed by the
United States, was put in the market. It was a
part of what was called the Rockford or Polish
survey.

The United States government, in sympathy
with the Poles who had just been overwhelmed
in their contest for their independence by the
power of Russia, had made a grant of a large tract
of land on the banks of the Rock river to such of

that nation as chose to settle upon it. It was ac-
cordingly surveyed some years earlier than most
of this part of the state. Very lew of that nation,
however, availed themselves of this privilege.
Claims bad been made on the same land by other
and earlier settlers. These combined to drive
away the new claimants. Numerous little stock-
ade forts were built with loop holes for muskets,
and a determination was expressed to drive the
Polish emigrants out of the country, and they were
entirely successful. They never occupied their
grant.

At Coltonville, the large two-story house still
standing there was built this year for a tavern,
and was opened with a grand ball in the autumn.
Tn make a sufficient party, the whole country was
summoned. Some twenty of the guests came from
Oregon, thirty miles west, and as many more froi:
St. Charles, twenty miles to the east.

We have had the pleasure of talking with one
who came as a guest and this was at the time re-
garded as the most notable social function of tlv
county. The dance lasted all night, and by morn-
ing light many had become intoxicated. Whisky
sold for a cent a glass at the tavern bar, but on
the whole, good order and merriment reigned su-
preme. The music was the best ever danced to at
-that time. It was a noted event.

In the summer of the previous year, a conven-
tion was held at Ottawa to nominate candidates
for the legislature. Delegates went from Orange,
now called Sycamore, to see that men favorable to
their point as the count v seat should be nominated,
and they selected William Stadden for senator
ami J. W. Churchill for the assembly. But they
were disappointed in their men. At the winter'-
session, another act was passed authorizing a vote
upon the removal of the county seat.

The session laws in these times were not circu-
lated till six months after the sitting of the legisla-
ture, and before any opponents of removal were
aware of the existence of such an act, the time had
arrived for a vote upon the question.

A poll book was opened at Coltonville. a dozen
\oies or so were cast for removal to that place,
and the terms of the law were considered to be
complied with. The seat of justice technically was
removed.

But Kellogg, the county commissioners' clerk,
refused to deliver the books. He was arrested and

PAST AXD PRESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

tried before Justice Harvey Maxfield, and after a
savage, wordy warfare, was discharged.

The total receipts and expenditures of the coun-
tv this year amounted to the sum of tour hundred
and fifty-two dollars and fifteen cents, a very mod-
erate amount considering that a courthouse had
heeii constructed, and that, although built from
another fund, it naturally increased some of the
county expenses.

G \Mi: OF PIONEEB HAYS.

The boy or man, as he scours the prairies, the
wnods and the few undrained swamps for the game
that is now so scarce, little dreams, perhaps, of the
days when men, not now fifty, with a single bar-
reled muzzle-loading shot gun or rifle did not
need to wear out much boot-leather to bring home
enough game for himself anil neighbors.

The writer well remembers hearing John Mullen
of May field, tell how he and his son. Phillip, killed
seven deer before breakfast in the early '50s. Wild
cats were numerous in the woods and many of
them were killed by the pioneers. The last one
killed in our count] so Ear as we know was killed
on the farm owned by Albert < loir in Kingston
township in 1885.

The last lynx killed in our county was in Squaw
Grove in May. 1867, ami previous to that the\
were dispatched in different portions of the county.

Here is a true story that smacks of true pioneer
days : At the Brush Point school house in May*
field on presidential election. November, 1856.
Houton Graham appeared with a heavy Kentucky
rifle on his shoulder to vote for his favorite candi-
date. Buchanan. Many of his admirers called him
"Buekanan," and some abbreviated it to "Buck.' ;
Houton Graham remarked after depositing his oal-
lot that he had voted for "Buck" and now he would
go into the woods and kill one : which boast was
faithfully carried out and on the next day "Uncle
Hout" had venison for dinner.

Who of the old residenters does not remember
the millions of wild pigeons that on certain days
in autumn almost darkened the sky in their south-
ward flight. During those day- the greenest huntei
might sit hidden within shooting distance of some
dead tree in the woods and shoot scores of them in
a day. Their haunts in Kentucky and Tennessee
were visited bv many naturalists. Audubon tells

us that hundreds of limbs were broken beneath
their weight. They have been thought by many
to be now extinct, but their breeding places are
now in the sparsely settled timberland regions of
South America, and they have again appeared m
the northern portions of Wisconsin and Michigan.

The stately sand hill crane is a bird of the past
in this vicinity. They reared their young in the
center of a large swamp out of the hunters' reach
ami built their nests in a conical mound made oi
rashes and swamp grass, and when hatched took
them on their backs to the shore. The sand hill
crane stood more than four feet when full grown,
was difficult to hunt, and when wounded would
fight desperately. Their flesh was considered a
great delicacy. They would light on a high knoil
where they could spy the approaching enemy and
perform some queer antics which some have called
a dance. Tin \ flew at great height and were
exceptionally cautious, so that few indeed are the
hunters who can boast of having killed one.

The water fowl are still seen, but not one-hun-
dredth new of what they were a quarter of a cen-
tury ago.

In the middle sixties two men hid in some wil-
lows near a pond on the farm of Win. Wike and
during one afternoon killed ducks enough to fill
a wash boiler. Now Prof. Stout wears out tine
pairs of boots to kill one poor little teal duck.

The figure four, a trap devised for the capture
of quail, destroyed its tens of thousands, and not
until within the last i'vw years, since they have
been protected by stringent laws and the game
wardens have broughl them into this section from
Virginia, has the familiar whistle of "bob white"
be. mi heard as in days of old. They are now quite
tame, and during the winter feed around our barns.
The crow now seems to be the most dangerous
enemy of the quail and prairie chicken. They
destroy the nests in large numbers, eating the
eggs and very young birds.

Old settlers tell us that after grain was grown
on the prairies these birds rapidly increased, but
as soon as the crow in large numbers appeared ami
the hunters from city and town would camp out
and destroy hundreds of quail and prairie chicken
in a day or two, they rapidly disappeared. The
crow is an enemy of every kind of bird and it must
and is being reckoned with, for in many counties

PAST AND PRESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

a bounty is given for the destruction of this pro-
lific black thief of the winged tribe.

'The streams abounded in most excellent varie-
ties of fish, such as pickerel, bass, catfish, and other
kinds, but they seined and speared until now the
"Izaak Waltons" must be patient indeed if from
our Kishwaukee we can even secure suckers or carp
sufficient for our dinner.

The days of hunting for any game are practically
over, and like the buffalo that once roamed over a
greater portion of our country, the remaining va-
rieties of the once innumerable beasts, fowl and
fishes, sought by the hunters of the past are fast
disappearing and with them that type of American
known as the hunter and trapper with many traits
of the Indian, who in the earlier days of national
life made a soldier unsurpassed in the annals of
war and made glorious our arms in the Revolution,
War of 1812 and the War with Mexico.

In the early days of the DeKalb county pioneers
when game abounded, many are the exciting inci-
dents that were participated in by hunters long
since gone to "the happy hunting ground."

When one realizes that a citizen now living ha*,
seen as high as thirty deer in a herd, and that they
were as numerous almost as rabbits are now, we
can see how rapid was the wanton destruction of
this noble game, for in about a third of a century
after Jack Sebree. our first permanent settler,
made his home in Squaw Grove, they had disap-
peared.

R. F. Watson of Franklin and Solomon Wells
and William Driscoll killed more than one hun-
dred of these animals, and at times counted one
hundred and twenty-five in a drove. In cold
weather when snow was deep the deer would often
mingle with the cattle and feed on hay and grain,
but the temptation of the hunter could not be
resisted and his fate was certain on such occasions.

We, who are now two score years of age, can well
remember how many of the barns, granaries and
other farm buildings were ornamented with the
antlers of the deer, and they were exhibited as a
testimonial to the hunter's skill — much the same
way in which an Indian warrior wore the scalps of
victims to exhibit his military prowess.

During the severe winter of 1842 when the
ground was covered for months with deep snow,
and deer and other game sought the barnyard for
food, hundreds of deer were ruthlessly destroyed.

To add to the discomfiture ef this timid game,
a thaw came which lasted for a day or two, and
then came cold weather, making an icy crust over
the snow, thick enough to carry a man, but not
sufficiently thick to prevent the sharp hoof of a
deer from breaking through.

At such times the deer, if unmolested, would
make paths or runways leading from their usual
haunts to their feeding and watering places.

The morning after the freezing, W. Scott, who
kept some hounds, George Wood, Sr., A. B. Green,
S. Gregory and others from Genoa started for the
woods west of town and in what is now Kingston,
came upon their doomed quarry.

The fleet hounds soon overtook the poor animals
plunging through the crusted snow and would nab
ami harry them until the bulldog would overtake
the deer and seize them by the throat and soon
end the struggle. In this way seven deer were
dispatched in a few hours. Another early Genoa
hunter well remembers how the wolves would easily
kill the deer at such times, by hiding along the
runways while others of the pack would chase them
into the pitfall.

One of the exciting events of the early days in
Genoa was a "wolf hunt" some time in the early
'40s. This called out the men and boys generally.
They met at the village of Genoa, then about as
large and enterprising as any in our county, and
chose a leader who took command. Those who car-
ried no arms took horns and tin pans to "stir up
the animals." They formed a circle many miles in
circumference and began marching toward the
center forming a corydon of men on horses and on
foot, making enough noise for an Indian war dance
while the unerring rifle was doing its deadly work-
on wolves, deer, an occasional wild cat, coons and
other animals. But while wolves were the real ob-
ject of this gathering, still their cunning, which
far exceeds that of the fox, prevented the hunters
from bagging more than a dozen, but the families
represented by the hunters in this expedition had
an abundance of provisions for several days.

Another wolf hunt in the town of Pierce was or-
ganized at Grimm's woods, now used as a picnic
ground, in the early '509 and their field of opera-
tion was the prairie, but aside from one or two
wolves killed the expedition accomplished but little
aside from the fun and noise. The prairie was not
a good field for such operations, so the sons of the

PAST AND PKESEXT OF DE KAI.it COUNTY.

prairie resorted to traps and poison, and on a few
01 1 asions when the mother wolf betrayed her home
unconsciously while robbing the barnyard for the
sustenance of her family, the young ones were
dug up and destroyed.

The wolf is still here in large numbers, but his
home is now in the woods, but he is seen almost
daily by someone; and as his enemies increase m
numbers his cunning increases with every woli
-- aeration. They are too sharp to be poisoned,
they cannot be trapped, nor will they go inside ar,
inclosure of woven wire. In an early day they
made the night hideous with their howling, now
dangers so common make them silent. The young
wolf is schooled by the mother so that now a mod-
ern wolf is a veritable Socrates compared with the
wolf of a half century ago, so the wolf folk im-
prove the same as the human race. What is true
of this game is true also of the wild things gen-
erally.

The year 1840 found DeKalb county increasing
in population very rapidly. Those who now came
u.,v generally from the eastern states. The tide
of emigration from southern Illinois, composed oi
people from Indiana. Tennessee and Kentucky
was not so numerous as in years past. The year
L840 was known as one of bountiful crops and the
prairie was then used largely lor cultivation, but
the grain was to lie harvested by means of cradles
and in many instances threshed out on threshing
Boors, horses being used to tramp out the grain.
Alter all this labor the grain must be hauled to
Chicago usually by ox teams and \\;:- -old for from
twenty to forty cents a bushel. And the man con-
sidered himself extremely lucky if after this jour-
ey, which took four or five days, he found him-
self possessed of enough money to pay his expenses
and get the few groceries that were needed. The
people from the southern states were a generous,
hospitable people, but many of them lacked the
shrewdness of the New Englanders and other citi-
zens of northern origin.

Schools were established in 1837 in private
houses and perhaps three or four were held at
different places. In 1S39 the land was surveyed
north of the base line, which includes the town-
ships of Franklin. Kingston and Genoa. This, with
some territory north of our countv. was known

as the Polish survey and was surveyed for the
occupation of Polish refugees, but the Americans
who settled here took pains to frighten them awav
and in some instances established cabins whien
served as forts to hold the territory in case of
trouble, so that the Polish emigration to this part
of the country amounted to but little. James H.
Furman. who was afterward editor of the Sand-
wich Gazette and had come from New York in
1840, taught school in what was then known as
the Virginia and North Carolina settlement at
Squaw Grove. There was one frame house in the
settlement, that of Jack Sebree. All others lived
in log cabins. "One double log house was a favor-
ite resort for all the neighborhood and there he
spent most of his time. Huge roaring fires of logs
in fireplace- a1 each end of the room could hardly
keep the winter chill out of the ill constructed
dwellings. At night they slept between two
featherbeds as was the custom in the southern
country in the winter time. There was no furni-
ture to speak of — most of them sat upon the floor
or on slab benches and at meal time went out of
doors from the sitting room to the kitchen, where
bountiful meals were provided, for provisions were
abundant. Tin- women of these homes spun and
wove woolen garments for the whole family beside
doing the household duties and caring for the
dairy. They only complained that their husbands
would not raise flax so that they could have some
tow to spin when there was no other work to do.
There was a settlement of southern people in
Franklin and Somonauk townships and in Paw
Paw but most of the settlers who came after the
'in- were from New York and New England.*'
The country was still overrun with horse thieves
and counterfeiters. There being no jails, the labor
of confining the prisoners in sheriff's houses and
other places as could be found was so burdensomi
that few arrests were made and when criminals
were imprisoned the great effort was to get them
to run away so as to relieve the county from the
3i of their keeping. The county treasury
was usually empty. Countv orders were issued for
all expense and they were at great discount but as
they were receivable for taxes little else could be
collected and no money went into the treasury.

In the village of Sycamore, the county seat, the
Mansion House, which was built by Captain EH
P>arnes the previous year, was the center of popu-

PAST AND PRESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

lation and it was crowded with patrons. In one
corner of this building was a store kept by John
and Charles Waterman, who moved their goods
from their store north of the river, where the ten n
had first been started and where in a little log
cabin sixteen by eighteen feet they had first estab-
lished business. The hotel was crowded with
boarders, mostly young men who had come west
to seek their fortunes. Many of them became well
known and prominent in the history of the county.
Among them were John, James, Robert ami Char-
les Waterman, afterward not only prominent in
this community but in other parts of the Union,
Robert Waterman becoming governor of Califor-
nia. Charles Waterman was a wealthy merchant
of Rockford, and James, at the time of his death,
was the wealthiest man in DeKalb county. Here
also was Reuben Ellwood, later a member of con-
gress and Dr. Page, Frank Spencer, Jesse Rose,
John R. Hamlin, afterward a prominent county
official, and D. P. Young.

"They were a gay set as full of pranks ami tun
ami practical jokes as ever a dozen wild fellows
eould have been. For some reason the hotel came
lo be called the Nunnery and went by that name
for many years. It was a most inappropriate title
for there was nothing more like a nun about it
than the one hired girl in the kitchen, [ndeed
there were but three marriagable women in the
place and when dances were held the country was
searched for miles around in search of lady part-
ners."

"The school was kept in the courthouse by a
man named Dr. Bill and it was well attended,
pupils coming from three or four miles to attend
the same." This year was known as the great cam-
paign of 1840. The financial depression of 1837
had wonderfully crippled the administration of
Van Buren and democracy seemed to be at a low
ebb. Harrison had been a candidate four years
previous and had not made a very substantia] run
ami political sentiment seemed to lie greatly di-
vided. At the beginning of the campaign it had
been stated that Harrison was an old pioneer and
great favorite for political preferment, "preferring
ti remain in his log cabin and have plenty of hard
eider to drink." This was taken up by the politi-
cal adherents of Harrison and it became known a^
the log cabin and hard cider campaign. The
political enthusiam which swept over the Union

did not fail to reach the little frontier settlements
of DeKalb county. In the election of 183G there
was practically no organization of opposition to
democracy in what is now DeKalb county, but then
a precinct of Kane. The emigration from the east
brought :n a large number of whigs and they de-
cided to hold a political meeting. Or. Whitney of
Belvidere, a prominent whig, delivered an address
before a great whig assembly at the log cabin of
Carlos Lattin, which stood on the site of the pres-
ent Sycamore National Bank. Political enthu-
siasm ran high and for the first time the democrats
of DeKalb county had strong opposition. There
was a procession formed, people came from twenty
and thirty miles around and took the village by
storm. Two or three of the precincts of the county
gave Harrison a majority but the result of the vote
polled is as follows: Van Buren, democrat, one
hundred and ninety-seven; Harrison, Whig, one
hundred and ninety-seven; Harrison, whig, one
be noticed that this was the largest proportional
whig vote of the county for many years following.
At that time the elections were held more than one
day and people did not have regular tickets but
announced their preference orally.

The stage route from St. Charles to Sycamore
was established this year and Timothy Wells and
Charles Waterman were proprietors of the line.
They had an elegant four horse coach and carried
a large number of passengers over what is now
the old state road, a distance of fifty-five miles.
At the time of the meeting of the circuit court
one hundred ami live cases were disposed of. At
this time DeKalb county had no lawyers but those
present who took part from other counties and
afterward became famous were: J. William Scam-
mon. Norman B. Judd, Norman II. Purple, Judge
Peters, from Peoria, W. D. Barry and S. S. Jones
from St. Charles, Chapman and Allen from Ot-
tawa, Nathan Allison from Naperville and Asa
Dodge from Aurora. The first indictment for
selling liquor without a license resulted in ac-
quittal — a precedent that has since been most
faithfully followed. The county commissioners
this year created twenty-four road districts and
raised the license for grocery keepers to twenty-
five dollars. It must be remembered at this time
that grocery keepers also kept liquor, which was
sold for about one-tenth of tin' price that is charged

PAST AND PRESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

today and if a person bought a large quantity of
goods "a drink of liquor was thrown in."

Some school districts were organized this year
and trustees were appointed. The survey of 1839
had made three townships in the north part of the
county, but they remained unnamed and the coun-
ty still remained under county organization.
Trustees for the sale of school lands were ap-
pointed for townships 37, 38 and 41 in range 5,
and Squaw Grove was the first town to dispose of
its school lands. Had the sixteen sections of the
several townships of the county been retained for
school purposes the revenue raised therefrom at
the present time would have been sufficient to pay
the running expenses of all the district schools of
the county. The elections were held at private
residences, as no public place such as schoolhouses
and town halls had been built. Dr. Madden of
Brush Point was again a member of the legisla-
ture and he secured an act which was passed Jan-
uary 3d of this year, to permanently locate the
seat of justice for the county of DeKalb. The
county seat which had been maintained at Syca-
more for some time seems to have been removed
from Orange. A vote of a dozen or so who had
assembled thought it. should be removed to Colton-
ville, an election in pursuance of the law, but kept
secret from the great mass of people. This scheme
was hatched up by Dr. Madden and as session
laws were not in possession of the people he gave
no information of the election. When the final act
of the legislature was passed great excitement pre-
vailed. The still hunt of Dr. Madden had leaked
out in the following way: A young man by the
name of Gleason had been calling on a young lady
previous to the election and he was informed by
her that Dr. Madden had secured the county seat
for Brush Point. He was a partisan of Sycamore
and immediately spread the alarm and Jesse Kel-
logg and Evans Wharry were sent south to arouse
the voters, and when the final vote was taken it
was found that there were one hundred and forty-
three votes against the removal of the seat of
justice from Coltonville and two hundred and for-
ty votes in favor of the removal of the seat of
justice to Oramre. now Sycamore, showing a favor
of the removal of the seat of justice from Col-
tonville of ninety-seven votes. There were
also cast at the said election two hun-
dred and seven votes in favor of Orange being the

seat of justice, and there were given at the election
one hundred and thirty-seven votes in favor of
Brush Point; showing a majority of seventy votes
in favor of Sycamore being the seat of justice. We
have no record preserved of the names of the
men who cast their votes which must have been a
very complete poll and that shows less than four
hundred representing the entire vote of the county.
"Morris Walrod was at this time sheriff of the
county and a very efficient officer he proved to be.
To induce him to take and keep open the hotel at
the county seat he was promised the office of
sheriff, and the horse thieves and counterfeiters
who infested the county found him a dangerous
foe. It was during this year that he arrested one,
Winthrop Lovelace, who was said to be one of that
gang and he was bound over for trial. Walrod
kept him securely ironed by day and tied to a
bedpost in a little room of the tavern and at night
he was securely tied to Constable Alvah Cart-
wright, who slept by his side. One night Cart-
wright attended a grand ball at Coltonville, which
was given at the completion of the Coltonville
House, which still stands, and coming home fa-
tigued. Cartwright slept unusually sound. When
he awoke his prisoner was gone. A well-known
citizen and suspected associate of the gang is sup-
posed to have supplied him with a file, with which
he cut his bracelets and escaped. But as he fled
northward across the mill dam, w-hen daylight
came he was discovered. Parties got out anil
searched the country for it was certain that he
could not have gotten out of Norwegian Grove,
the hunt lasting all day without success. Toward
evening it was discovered that the tall grass near
the mill dam had been parted. The trail was fol-
lowed and the poor wretch was found sitting in
the mill pond chilled nearly to death. It took
several hours of smart rubbing to revive him.
When he was finally brought to trial he escaped
from the courthouse probably amid a crowd of his
fellows of the banditti and was seen no more in
this county. For many years it was the custom
of the sheriff to keep his prisoners manacled but
to board them at the same table with his travelers
and other guests of the hotel. They came shuffling
in at the first table and usually took the head and
did honors to the other guests in their best style.
It sometimes astonished strangers but was con-
sidered all right by the regular boarders."

PAST AND PRESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

The county was divided into assessors districts
and John Riddle, one of the first settlers of
Franklin was appointed assessor of district No.
1, Frederick Love of district No. 2 and Stephen
Arnold of district No. 3. It took them six days-
each to assess the county and as the result a tax of
three hundred and thirty-four dollars and seventy
cents was collected. Amos Story of Sycamore was
collector for the county that year.

The next year the first resident lawyer in the
county, Andrew J. Brown, was admitted to prac-
tice, the county commissioners court certifying
that he was a man of good moral character. He
settled in Sycamore but most of his practice at the
bar at this time was monopolized by Barry, Dodge,
Fridley and Champlin. Andrew J. Brown remained
here but a short time and removed to Chicago,
where he became quite distinguished. He lived to
an advanced age and died in 1906. Crothers Cham-
plin was at Coltonville at an earlier clay according
to the claims of some and remained there until the
county seat was removed to Sycamore. He is said
to have been a man of considerable ability and well
read for one of his age. He afterward became a
partner of the famous T. Lisle Dickey and became
quite distinguished at the bar. The county com-
missioners for this year were Sylvanus Holcomb,
Martin M. Mack and David Merritt. The duty
of the county commissioners still seemed to be the
laying out of public roads and occasionally sur-
veyed for a school district. The records which
are kept quite complete are found to be uninter-
esting and perhaps three-fourths of all of their
acts were concerned in the matter of road con-
struction. The great state road from Ottawa to
Beloit was laid out this summer. It was made
eighty feet wide and is described as entering the
county at Somanauk, passing Sebree's, Esterbrooks
and Lost Grove to the southeast corner of the
public square, thence to H. Durham's, to Deer
Creek and Genoa and north to the county line.

The year 1841 was also a good year so far as the
production of crops was concerned. Houses be-
gan to be built over the prairie and everything
seemed to take on a rather prosperous air. About
this year there was brought into the county a
thresher which was considered far in advance of
the flail or the threshing floor, which had been a
common use. It consisted of a cylinder set in a
frame which threshed out the grain but the straw

and the grain came together. A man carried the
straw away with a fork and the grain was run
through a fanning mill. This was considered a
great change in this country, when wheat seemed
to be the great money making crop. The cradle
was still used for cutting the grain but one or two
reapers, which would now be considered very rude
in their construction were used in the county.
They were drawn by eight oxen, one man driving
them and the other raking off the grain. By this
means they were able to cut from six to eight
acres a day.

BANDITTI.

The history of DeKalb county in those early
days is not unlike that of other sections of our
country. The lawless element always seeks the
frontier, as they are generally freer from detec-
tion, and are brought to justice with greater dif-
ficulty than in older settlements. In this sec-
tion of the country in the later '30s and early '40s
all through this state and eastern Iowa were or-
ganized bands of thieves. Some of these were
desperate men, who were driven from their homes
in the east because of crimes committed. As
there was but little property in those early days
and horses were extremely valuable as a means of
travel, and in fact were the only means of com-
munication, the desperadoes work partook of the
nature of horse stealing. It is due largely to the
men of DeKalb, Ogle and Winnebago counties that
this rascality was brought to a close east of the
Mississippi valley. The story has been frequently
told and it is with considerable care and after
personal investigation that we state the facts that
appear below. Great injustice has been done in
the different accounts of the stories of the banditti
which has been a severe infliction to those who sur-
vive and were entirely innocent of the crimes com-
mitted. Mob law is never justifiable and in this
case had the law taken its course and the men put
on trial their innocence could have easily been es-
tablished. As it is, even the excitement of that
time when prairie pirates were thirsting for blood,
no real proof was ever established against the men,
so hastily and cruelly executed at Washington's
Grove, June 29, 1841. Tn Brodie's Grove, which is
west of the present township of Malta was a ren-

PAST AND FBESEXT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

dezvous for the banditti. Mr. Benjamin Worden,
one of the early pioneers of DeKalb county dis-
covered, what was known as the "sink hole," while
in search of some cattle. Into this the horses were
taken and secured during the day and at night
were removed to stations further north, as the
horse thieves found an excellent market for their
stolen property in the lumber districts of Wiscon-
sin. The line of travel was usually from Brodie's
Grove to Gleason's at Genoa. Henpeck now Old
Hampshire Ln Kane county, thence north through
McHenry county into Wisconsin. Mr. Boise in the
ln-iory of DeKalb county gives the following:
"Walking over the prairie in search of cattle. Mr.
Worden suddenly found the ground -ink beneath
lus feet and he precipitated Into a large cavity
which had been carefully excavated, then covered
with planks and soil and carefully turfed over with
growing grass and no trace of excavation could
lie -en. Although no property was then in the
cavern, yet the purpose for which it was destined
was evidenl and i t> proximity to the residence of
the Brodies indicated the origin and owner-hip of

this place of conceal ut. .Mr. Worden had

brought a pair of line horses to this country in
L836 and much against his will felt forced to adopl
the prevalent custom of concealing in the barn
to guard them. The elder Brodie discovered that
be made this practice and innocently asked why.
lie answered promptly and significantly that there
were many thieves and he feared he should have
them stolen. The old man answered him thai he
had taken a fancy to him and that liis horses
should not be stolen. The old man had the repu-
tation of being one of the chiefs of the gang and
Worden, confident of his sincerity, considered
them -ale a- if guarded with bars of steel. The
Brodies were continually seen going and coming
and almost every time were upon a new horse,
usually a very line animal ami people were gen-
erally suspicious of them. John Brodie's borne
was situated in the grove that now bears his name,
from the fact of his being the first settler in that
immediate locality, lb' cam.' there from Franklin
county, Ohio, and was about fifty-five years of
age when he built his cabin. In physique he was
rather under medium <ize. a very low forehead, still'
Mack" hair, small black eyes, set deep in bis head.
and in every particular bad a very repulsive, pi-
ratical look. His three sons. John. Stephen and

Hugh, were of romantic, unsettled natures, of
wreckless habits and indifferent to all social ameni-
ties and void of all respect for the material rela-
tion-. They were accounted dare devils generally
ami were both feared and despised. Hugh Brodie
was a very large man and had nerves of steel and
never knew the sensation of fear, and from all evi-
dence- thai could lie collected, n wa- Hugh Brodie
that was one of the two who stood by the side of
the assassin of Captain Campbell. It can lie said
for the Brodies, however, that, they were com-
panionable and true to their friends and had many
admirable qualities, ft was sometimes very diffi-
cult to detect the parties who were in sympathy
with the banditti. In almost every instance when
ihe\ were brought to trial they had representa-
tives who were on the jury and conviction seemed
almost impossible. After several trials, with th?
thefts of horses increasing, the citizens who were
law-abiding organized themselves into what is
known as the Regulators or Lynching clubs. Oni
wa- organized in Sycamore and many of Syca-
more's leading citizens were members. There were
the Walrods, Watermans, Henry Furness, John B.
Hamlin. Marshall Stark. Carlos Lattin and many
others well-known to this community. Another
organization wa- in the northern part of DeKalb
county. There were t wo or three companies from
Ogle, one from the vicinity of Dixon, several in
Mi llenrv and two in Winnebago county. These
regulators or lynchers were often injudicious as
no doubt every band of persons, organized for that
purpose, usually i>. even up to the present day.
One of their victims, especially a person by the
name of Daggett, who resided near Greenough"s
Ford, was seized and upon declaring his innocence
and begging for leniency was allowed for the mo-
ment to escape, but finally the horse for which the
Regulators were hunting was found and one of the
regulators claimed to have -ecu Daggett riding it.
Daggett was again sought for. caught, stripped
and brutally whipped with ninety-six lashes on his
hare back. It was supposed by manv that he was
entirely innocent and consequently the feeling of
hatred increased between the regulators and the
banditti. Anonymous letter- were frequently re-
sorted to and on them w-ere inscribed the skull and
i ross bones. Such a condition of affairs could not
last long without being brought to a head and
trouble occurred. A man by the name of Long,

BENJAMIN WORDEX.

PAST AND PRESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

captain of the White Eock company of regulators
had a mill near Stillmams Run and was
asked anonymously to resign his position,
which he refused to do. A few days
later the mill was burned to the ground
and he immediately resigned his position to a man
named Wellington who took his place. Mr. Well-
ington was not equal to the emergency and upon'
receiving a letter on which the skull and crossbones
were inscribed he resigned, and John Campbell, a
Scotchman and devout Presbyterian, was chosen
as his successor. In the early part of the '40s a
challenge was sent to the regulators to meet a com-
pany of bandits in a duel at South Grove, and the
White Pock Company to the number of one hun-
dred and fifty marched to the place chosen and on
their approach discovered a number of the ruffians
armed as if inviting an attack. When within a
half mile they baited to complete arrangements
for the duel. Then it was determined to send
some members of the band of regulators to the
bandits for a parley. The bandits informed them
that if they would give them a little time to go>txf-
Sycamore and get other members of their organi-
zation they would be ready for the struggle. The
regulators immediately camped on the ground
awaiting the return of the horse thieves. At three
o'clock in the afternoon the party from Sycamore
returned but instead of bringing his company of
confederates he brought Sheriff Walrod, Esquire
Mayo and Judge Lovell. These gentlemen in-
quired the nature of the strange gathering and in
reply Mr. Campbell made a decided and effective
answer, every word of which fell with a powerful
force against the dozen men suspected of being
guilty of horse stealing. He told why they were
there, for what purpose they had come and what
they intended to do and perhaps injudiciously told
some of the crimes committed by the Brodies and
by the Driscolls. Enough so that he secured their
everlasting enmity. Before the party from Syca-
more returned they informed the White Pock Reg-
ulators that if they needed help to crush the or-
ganization that was destroying their property they
could rely upon at least a hundred good and will-
ing men who belonged to the Regulators here. The
White Rock company served notice on the sus-
pected horse thieves to at once leave the state.
This they refused to do. About this time the
bandits, who had been brought to trial in Ogle

county and bad been confined in the jail at Ore-
gon and tried in the new courthouse thought they
would teach the law and order party a lesson and
burned the courthouse to the ground. The citi-
zens immediately appeared and the jail was saved
and the prisoners did not get away. The trial of
the suspected parties was proceeded with and the
evidence was found to he complete and conclusive
but as usual one of their confederates bad secured
a place upon the jury. He would consent to no
verilh t of guilt. Then a novel method of securing
a verdict was adopted. The eleven honest jurors
seized the refractory twelfth and threatened to
lynch him in tin- jury room unless he gave his con-
sent to a verdict of guilt. The rascal gave up bis
opposition, the verdict of guilty was received and
the three criminals were sentenced to imprison-
ment for a. year. Willi the assistance of the gang
i hev ':ill. : however, got out of jail and escaped
shorth atleAyard. From all evidence gathered
from the Mulfprds they were quite certain that one
of the party convicted of arson was an accomplice
of the Brffdies'to secure the seven hundred dollars
in gold from the Mulfords shortly after the burn-
ing of the courthouse. One of the members of the
banditti was severely flogged by orders of Captain
Campbell so that the wrath of the element soon
broke upon his head. A meeting of the banditti
was called in what is now South Grove township
and it was there resolved to put Captain Campbell
out of the way. In the summer of 1841 Captain
Campbell bad been in Rockford to attend religious
services and had remained over night. He re-
turned to his Ik ■ in White Rock about noon

Sunday. During the afternoon he attended
church at a schoolhouse a mile west of his resi-
dence, from which service he returned about five
o'clock. After supper Annas Lucas called on Mr.
Campbell, remained about an hour and then start-
ed for home. Mr. Campbell was lying down on a
lounge to rest when he rose and started for the
barn which stood across the lane from the house.
In the lane a little south of the crossing between
the barn and the house there was a copse or bunch
of hazel brush which was in full leaf, thick enough
to hide his murderers. His assassin rose up from
behind the bunch of hazel brush and said: "We
want to go to the burned mill," meaning the
"Long's" mill, "hut we have lost our way." Mr.
Campbell turned toward bis inquisitor and said,

PAST AXD PKESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

"What did you say?" at which time David Dris-
coll raised his rifle and aimed at the object of his
wrath and sworn vengeance, shot Campbell in the
body near the heart. After he was shot Campbell
re-entered the gate, proceeded fourteen feet,
blinded by approaching death occasioned by the
shot, and fell a lifeless corpse. The bandits had kept
their word. After the shooting the murderers
turned and started in a southeasterly direction,
leaving the house a little to their left. As Camp-
bell fell, his wife ran to him, and as she reached
his lifeless remains she called after the assassins
and said: "Driscoll, you have murdered John
Campbell." A- Mr-. Campbell uttered this ex-
clamation Hugh Brodie made a temporary halt
and pointed his nil'' toward her. but lowered it
at the suggestion of David Driscoll without tir-
ing and the two resumed their retreat from the
scene of blood. In the meantime Martin Camp-
bell, aged about thirteen years, ran around the
house, seized a double barreled shotgun and aimed
at the fleeing murderers, pulled the trigger and
both caps snapped. The gun was doubly charged
with buckshot, inn having been loaded for some
time and exposed to damp ami wet. tailed to go
off, and thus the murderers goi away. Annas

Lucas, who was aboul hundred rods from the

house at the time of lie- firing, hearing the report
of the gun and suspecting trouble, returned and
on his way met three men. whom he recog-
nized as Taylor and David Driscoll and Hugh
Brodie. The three men held a hurried conversa-
tion and Lucas for a time feared that trouble was
in store for him. but it is now surmised that they
thought they had made trouble enough and would
stop their murderous work by killing simply the
captain of the band of Regulators. Mr. Lucas as-
sisted Mrs. Campbell in caring for her dead hus-
band, and, being a carpenter, made a casket, in
which he was buried two days later. June 29. 1841,
after the assassinal ion.

News of the murder spread rapidly and the Reg-
ulators were roused to fever heat. Upon the
burial of Mr. Campbell the Regulators met and
were on the lookout for the perpetrators of the
crime. The air was full of threats of vengeance
against them, and nothing but the lives of the
murderous element could pay the penalty. The
people from Sycamore, Oregon and Rockford hur-
ried to the scene, and it has been stated that Rock-

ford and Sycamore were more like deserted vil-
lages than hustling little towns, which they were
at that time. A little after sunrise on Monday
morning after the murder, John Driscoll, father
of David ami Taylor Driscoll. was arrested in Ogle
county by the sheriff, at the home of his son Da-
vid near Lynnville, and during the day he was
taken to the jail at Oregon. David had made
good his escape. The band of Regulators next ap-
peared at the home of William Driscoll in South
Grove and arrested him and his younger brother,
Pierce, and took them to Campbell's home in
White Rock. When William Driscoll was cap-
tured at his home in South Grove the Regulator
burned tin- home, and Mrs. Driscoll, who was
afterwards known as Aunt Peggy, she being com-
pelled to live in one of the outbuildings, and suf-
fered greatly in consequence of this rash act. No
excuse i an be offered for thus depriving this inno-
eeiii woman and her children of a home. The
Regulators went to Oregon, and against the pro-
testations of the sheriff and the admonitions and
warnings of Judge Ford, took John Driscoll from
jail and hurried him across the river and started
toward Washington Grove. It has been stated that
at a meeting of the bandits in South Grove it was
decided to kill Phineas Chaney and Captain
Campbell, and it is true that the party of bandits
visited the home of Chaney the night before the
murder of Campbell, but were frightened away by
the dorrs and Chaney was now ready to meet his
premeditated murderers. At Daysville a tem-
porary halt was made and there Obed Lindsay and
Phineas Chaney interrogated the old man. He ad-
mitted that he had led rather a dark career in
Ohio, but had been guilty of no crime since coming
to Illinois. The night of the murder John Dris-
coll remained all night at the home of Benjamin
Worden and said that he wished to be away that
night, and from this fact it was supposed he had
guilty knowledge of the premeditated murder of
Campbell and Chaney. The horse ridden by John
Driscoll from Wordems to the home of bis son
David near Lvnnville had a broken shoe. The
tracks which it left in the mud made him easily
traceable to that point. The Regulators, with
William and Pierce Driscoll, soon arrived at Wash-
ington's Grove. About five hundred men were
present. John Driscoll has been described to us
,i- a man of considerable height, over six feet.

PAST AND PRESENT OF DE KALE- COUNTY.

slightly inclined to corpulency, and weighed about
two hundred pounds. He was all muscle and
sinew and in every way the most powerfully built
man in all that crowd of a half thousand men.
His face was repulsive, this being occasioned by a
part of his nose having been bitten off some years
before. His hair was heavy and shaggy and his
face smooth from recent shaving. He was cool
and self-possessed in the face of his executioners.
He was not an ignorant man nor did he avoid
generosity and charity. There were many kind
acts placed to his credit in the neighborhood
where he lived. In one instance he and his sons
finished plowing and planting corn for the wife
ami mother whose husband had died in the midst
of planting season. Those who knew him say that
he might have been an influential and useful citi-
zen in any community, but he chose otherwise,
and in the eyes of the people became an outlaw
and renegade and met premature death.

William Driscoll, the other victim of the Regu-
lators, was one of the first settlers in what is now
South Grove township, and for years the grove was
called. DriscolFs Grove, until after the organization
of the township, when it was called South Grove
because it was south of the large woods of Frank-
lin and Kingston townships. At the time of his
death he was about forty-five years of age. rather
above the average height of man, of heavy build
and very muscular and probably weighed about one
hundred and eighty pounds. His features were firm
and presented a peculiarly heavy appearance. He
was of that type of man that could face any ordi-
nary danger without the least fear, but in the
presence of these five hundred resolute men, de-
termined to hold him to an account for the crime
of which he was not guilty, and the memory of
wife and little children left behind, he was awed
into the most terrible fear, and every lineal of his
face showed evidence of torture. As soon as the
Regulators gathered at Washington Grove a law-
yer named E. S. Leland, since a prominent judge
and resident of Ottawa, was selected to conduct
the trial. The Regulators were ordered to form
in a circle around a large black oak tree. One
hundred and twenty of them thus formed, when
Mr. Leland suggested that if there were anv men
that were in that circle that were objectionable on
any account that challengers be selected to point
them out and have them removed. Hnder this

ruling the number was reduced to one hundred
and eleven men. Chairs were placed within the
circle and occupied by the prisoners, justices of
the peace, etc. The witnesses were sworn by one
of the justices present and the prisoners arraigned
for trial. William Driscoll was arraigned first
and asked by Leland if lie had ever instructed his
brother David to go to Captain Campbell's at
twilight in the evening, pretend to be lost, then
shoot him down as they did in Iowa on a certain
occasion, and saying "d — n them" (meaning the
Regulators), "they will all run as they did there."
The accused answered in positive language that
he did not. The trial of William Driscoll was a
farce in every respect, and had it not been for
some hasty language used by him shortly after the
murder of Captain Campbell, it is doubtful if he
had ever been arrested. The old man Driscoll
was next arraigned and questioned. The broken
horse shoe track mentioned previously was charged
against him, and though he could not explain how
the horse got from the home of Benjamin Worden
to that of his son David near Lynnville, it must
be said to the credit of John Driscoll that no evi-
dence in the crime of which these men were
charged was substantiated. It was supposed that
he had guilty knowledge of the tragedy and that
he had gone to the home of Mr. Worden so that
he might easily prove an alibi. The men who
were in that circle of one hundred and eleven
men were mainly from Ogle county and many were
unacquainted with the Driscolls. After the trial
had lasted about an hour Leland put the question,
•'What say you, gentlemen; guilty or not guilty?"
Guilty was the unanimous response of the one
hundred and eleven men composing the jury be-
fore whom John and David Driscoll had been
tried, and they were sentenced to be hanged. No
evidence could be found against Pierce Driscoll
and he was released. When the sentence was an-
nounced the condemned men begged that it might
be changed, and that they might be shot instead
of being hanged like dogs. A motion for change
of sentence was submitted to the men who pro-
nounced them guilty and the request of the
Driscolls was granted with but few dissenting
voices. It has been stated by men who were pres-
ent and with whom we have conversed on the sub J
ject that a little distillery was not far from the
scene of the trial and that a barrel of whisky was

PAST AND PKESENT OF DE KALI'. COUNTY.

brought mit for the men, and that under its in-
fluence to a large extent the hasty verdict was
brought about, and in that whisky drinking age it
is mil improbable that the firewater added largely
tn the flame of prejudice that turned against the
Driscolls. At this point of the proceedings the
old man Driscoll was taken aside by Jacob Marsh
oi Ogle county for consultation and confession.
At the end of the conversation Marsh announced
that Driscoll had no confession to make, and he
1 that the crowd be not too hasty in the
premises and that time he allowed the men to
prepare for death. A respite of one hour was
granted for that purpose, which was prolonged for
fully two hours. Two ministers were present and
prayed with tin' convicted nun. to one of whom
it is said William Driscoll showed signs of peni-
tence, but In- never made any confession of the
crime, and so far as is known died an innocent
man. At the expiration of the linn granted the
Regulators from Sycamore who were well ac-
quainted with William Driscoll began to clamor
for full remission of the penalty. While some
others favored the plan to remand them to the cus-
tody of the officers ami thus end the responsibility
they had taken upon themselves. In tin- midst
oi thesi clamors ami suggestions one of the Reg-
ulators from Winnebago county made an address.
saying that nothing but blood would palliate the
es thai had linn committed, and that as long
as the outlaws were permitted to remain upon
earth the community would not he free from their
depredations and crimes. He also stated that the
I >i iscolls, if not the centers and instigators of tlm
untold robberies and murders that had been com-
mitted in the country, were at leas! accomplices
and shared in the plunder. He maintained that
the people were justified in taking the course
they had and that their safety demanded n : that
the murder of Campbell must lie avenged and that
those who planned the foul deed must suffer in
their stead, and urged the immediate execution of
John Driscoll and his son William. As the ma-
jority of the Eegulators were unacquainted with
the men convicted of the crime, and the weak-
kneed were overpowered, and finally threats were
made to any who dared to express their belief that
the Driscolls were not guilty and should not be
executed. The party of one hundred and eleven
men were divided into two companies. One was

detailed I" the execution of the old man and the-
other to the execution of William. The old man
was led forth first, his eyes were bandaged and he
was made to kneel upon the earth. Without any
fear, perfectly calm and cool, he met his fate, and
at the signal to tire, fell to the earth riddled and
shattered to pieces with the charges of fifty-six
rifles. William's late came next. In the last
hour fear overcame him and the recollection of
his wile and family of small children no doubt
made iiini tear the fati that he was about to meet..
but the discharge of the other fifty-five rifles soon
put an end to hi- existence. Spades ami >lm\els
were procured, a rude grave was dug on the spot
where they were killed, and. unwashed ami un-
coffined, ghastly and gory, their bodies wen mil,., I
into on,- gTavi together and covered oyer. It has
been stated that six weeks later their bodies were-
takeii up by their friends and given a decent
burial. As to this we cannot say, but there is one
person who stated that In-, with one of the rela-
-. two days after tin- execution removed the-

of William Driscoll to his farm in Smith
Grove and buried il there. It has been stated by
people who lived near Washington Grove that the
bodies were afterward taken to the cemetery at
Payne's Point, but this question will perhaps m vei
be settled. David Driscoll and Bridge made their
escape, and when the Regulators went to the house-
of Taylor Driscoll he was hidden in an excavation
underneath it. When the Regulators had gone he
left his home and went south to the Illinois river
in Mar-hall county, and it is said thai he took
refuge with a man named Redden. The officers
i,\ some means go! on his track and chased him to
his hiding plan- and found him concealed in Red-
den'- house, where he was arrested and brought
hack, lie was taken before William J. Mix, jus-
tice of the peace, for examination as being an ac-
cessory to the crime, but for want of sufficient evi-

was discharged. Taylor Driscoll was again
arrested some years later and brought to Ogle
county, where he was indicted for the murder of
John Campbell. A change of venue was granted
and the case sent to McHenry county. On the
first trial the jury disagreed and a new one was
granted. In the second trial the counsel for the
defendant, Mr. Barry, found upon cross-exam-
ination that Mrs. Campbell was sure that Taylor
Driscoll was the man who had shot her husband..

PAST AND PKESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

It happened, however, that she was mistaken in
this. It was proved beyond question that she
could not identify Pierce Driseoll, whom she had
seen a few weeks before, and the jury decided that
if she could not recognize Pierce Driseoll after
she had seen him but a few weeks previous, she
might possibly be mistaken in the identification of
Taylor Driseoll, whom she claimed she had not
seen since the death of her husband, and the jury
gave him a verdict of acquittal. From all that we
can learn, however, from such men as Annas Lu-
cas, Martin Campbell, son of John Campbell, who
was present and could have identified David Dris-
eoll had he been at the trial, it is quite evident
that David Driseoll and Hugh Brodie were the
men detailed to kill Campbell, and that it was a
shot from the rifle of David Driseoll that sent
Campbell to his fate. David Driseoll left the
state and was never seen here afterwards. It has
been stated that he went to California and there
lived until a few years ago. A short time after
the execution of Driseoll, the Kockford Star, ed-
ited by Mr. P. Knappen, under date of July 1,
1841, said : "A short time since we received
through the postoffice a copy of the proceedings of
the Ogle county lynchers up to the latest date,
embracing the following resolutions : "Eesolved,
that the proceedings of the Volunteer Company be
published in the Eockford newspapers once a
month. Now be it known to all the world that we
have solemnly resolved that the proceedings of
Ogle county or any county volunteer lynch com-
pany cannot be justified or encouraged in our col-
umns. The view we take of the subject does not
permit us to approve the measures and conduct of
the said company. If two or three hundred citi-
zens are to assume the lynch law in the face and
eves (if the laws of the land, we shall soon have a
fearful state of things, and where, we ask, will it
end if mob law is to supercede the civil law? If
it is tolerated, no man's life or property is
safe. His neighbor, who may be more popular
than himself, will possess an easy and ready way
to be avenged by misrepresentation and false ac-
cusation. In short, of what avail are legislative
bodies and their enactments? We live in a land
of laws, and to them it becomes us to resort and
submit for the punishment and redress as faithful
keepers of the law, and thus extend to each other
the protection and advantages of the law. Would

not this course be much more satisfactory and
agreeable in a Christianized country than to re-
sort to mob law and repulse every attempt to de-
prive a fellow citizen of the precious privilege
granted in every civilized country — namely, the
right to lie tried by an impartial jury of twelve
good men of his county ? but perhaps, it will be ar-
gued by some, that we have in this new country
no means or proper places for securing offenders
and breakers of the law. To it we answer, then
build them. The time already spent by three or
four hundred men in this, De Kalb and Ogle
counties, at three or four different times and from
two to four days at a time this season would have
built jails so strong that no man or dozen men on
earth, deprived of implements with which to work
and confined in them, can ever escape, and guard
them sufficiently strong by armed men outside to
prevent assistance from rescuing them from the
arm of the law. We wash our hands clear from
the blood of Lynch law."

In the same number of the Star from which the
above is quoted there appeared two communica-
tions — one, signed Vox Populi, taking a strong
ground against the action of the Eegulators and
pronouncing them a banditti. This writer says:
"Banditti like, after organization, these fiends in
human shape commenced to traverse the country
for plunder, not perhaps of valuable goods, but the
liberty and lives of their fellow citizens. Every
one who happened to fall under suspicion of one
or more of this gang was at once brought before
their self-constituted tribunal, where there was no
difficulty in procuring testimony for convicting
him of any crime named, when he was sentenced
and men appointed to inflict the adjudged pun-
ishment which in the embryo existence of the
'clan,' from twenty to three hundred lashes were
laid on." The article further states: "No man
pretends that John and William Driseoll had com-
mitted murder, nor can they say they merited the
punishment they received. Even had they been
found guilty by an impartial jury of their coun-
trymen of the crime alleged by the mob. Nor
had unimpeachable testimony been brought to
prove them guilty of that for which circumstan-
tial evidence was horribly distorted to convict
them, the punishment would have been but three
to five years in the penitentiary. Has it come to
this, that in a land of civilization and Christian-

PAST AXD PRESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

ity. blessed with as wholesome a code of laws as
man's ingenuity ever invented, that a few desper-
adoes shall rise up and inflict all manner of pun-
ishment, even death, upon whomsoever they please?
Shall our civic law be sacrificed and trampled in
the ilust at the shrine of mobocracy? Shall the
life and property of no one receive protection from
the civil law. but both be subject to the nod of an
inconsiderate and uncontrollable mob ?" The Star
editorial already quoted and the communication of
Vox Populi only maddened the Regulators the
more, and a few evenings after this article was
issued the office was entered by unknown parties
and the type in forms and cases pied — that is,
turned out on the floor promiscuously — and the en-
tire office reduced to a pile of ruins. Knappen's
hopes were blasted and he shortly afterward sold
the wreck to John A. Brown, and the publication
of the paper called the Piloi was commenced.

The crime committed at the home of William
Mulford, heretofore mentioned, is now supposed
to have been perpetrated by a man named
Oliver and one of bis accomplices. Irving
A. Stearns, who was found in Michigan in the
penitentiary, was released, brought home and
turned state"s evidence, and Oliver was sent to
the penitentiary for live years. He afterward re-
joined his wife and family in New York. \\ e
learn from a party who lived in New York that
after Oliver returned to his old home he came west,
and it is supposed brought home with him an im-
mense amount of gold. There are parties who
believe that this gold was taken from DriscoU's
Grove, now South Grove, and after the execution
of the men a party traveling through the woods
found the place there where the ground had been
freshly dug and marks on four trees indicating
that the spot had been marked for some purpose.
Oliver lived a rather peculiar life, but was never
guilty of any crime so far as is known, and at his
own request he was buried in his every day clothes,
a hat on his head and pipe in his mouth. He was
known all over that section of the country for his
many peculiarities. A family of Aikens was sup-
posed to belong to the bandits, and one of the sons,
with Burch and Fox. were afterwards appiehended,
tried and convicted of horse stealing and sentenced
to death in Warren county. It is said that Aiken
went west, located far up the Missouri river and
settled down to industrial pursuits, and to all ap-

pearances led an honest life. Fox and Burch
were in some respects the most cunning and vicious
criminals that ever lived in the Mississippi val-
ley. They were guilty of the murder of Colonel
Davenport, were arrested and both escaped, and
it was never known what became of them. So
much has been written on the trial of the Dris-
colls and so many statements have been given that
seem to be contradictory, that we have with great
pains ferreted out as carefully as any one can the
circumstances.

In the September term of court in Ogle county
of 1841 an indictment was found against the one
hundred and eleven men who composed the jury
and were the executioners of John and William
Driscoll. The case was entitled the People versus
Jonathan W. Jenkins. Seth H. King. George D.
Johnson. Commodore P. Bridge, Moses Nettleton,
James (lark. Lyman Morgan, William Keys. Wil-
son Daily, John H. Stevenson, Zebulon Bur-
roughs. Andrew II. Hart. John V. Gale, George W.
Phelps. Benjamin T. Phelps, John Phelps, James
C. Phelps, William Wooley, William Knight, Me~
ses T. Crowell, Jacob B. Crist. Edwin S. Leland,
John S. Lord. Caleb Williamson. Caleb S. Mar-
shall. Philip Spraker. Richard Chaney, Simeon S.
Crowell, James W. Johnson, Alanson Morgan. Au-
gustus Austin, John Austin. Thomas Stinson,
Charles Fletcher, Aaron Payne. Spowk Welling-
ton. Jeremiah Payne, James Scott. Mason Taylor,
Harvey Jewett, John Oyster, Phineas Chaney,
Richard Hayes, Obed Lindsay, Amos Rice. Erastus
Rice. Sumner Brown, Jr., James D. Sanford, Ja-
cob Wickizer. George Young, Thomas 0. Young,
Osburn Chaney. Rolf Chaney, Annas Lucas. Peter
Smith, Henry Hill, David D. Edington, Andrew
Keith, John B. Long. Orrin B. Smith. David
Shumway. Horace Miller, John F. Smith. Charles
Latimer. Jason Mai-h. Perley S. Shumway, Al-
fred M. Jarboe, Francis Emerson. Thomas Emer-
son, Abel Smith. Eliphalet Allen. James Baker,
Jarvis C. Baker. Joseph Jewell. Jefferson Jewell,
Charles Abbott. Sidney M. Layton. M. Perry Kerr.
James Harphan, John Coffman, Anthony Pitzer,
Jonas Scoffstalt, Jacob M. Myers, Samuel Mitch-
ell. John Harmon. John Cooley, William Dewey.
William Wallace. Robert Davis. James Stewart,
David Wagner. Aaron Billig. Joseph M. Reynolds.
John Kerr. James Hatch, Albanon W. Rinker,
David Potter, Martin Rhodeamon. Ralsamon

PAST AND PBESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

Thomas, Benjamin Worden, John McAlister, John
Beedle, Ephraham Vaughn, Justus Merrifield,
Elias Vaughn, John Adams, Israel Eobertson, and
George \V. Kinney, indictment, for murder. The
case was called for trial at the same term of court,
Judge Ford presiding, at which the indieiraent was
found. Seth B. Farwell appeared for the people
and Messrs. Peters, Dodge, Champion and Caton,
afterward a prominent judge, for the defendants.
The jury before which they were tried was com-
posed of S. S. Beatty, S. M. Hitt, James C. Hagan,
Elias Baker, William Carpenter, John Shoffstalt,
James B. McCoy, George Swingley, Eichard Mc-
Lean, William Eenner, Justin Hitchcock and Hiram
Weldon; S. M. Hitt, foreman. When arraigned
for trial the defendants pleaded not guilijr and
the trial proceeded. Most of the time occupied in
the disposition of the ease was consumed in call-
ing Uie names of the defendants. Several wit-
nesses were called on the part of the prosecution,
but no direct evidence was adduced, and after a
brief address by Prosecutor Farwell for the people
and Caton for the defendants, the case went to
the jury, and without leaving their seats the jury
returned the verdict not guilty. The effect pro-
duced by this execution upon the lawless element
was salutary, for they began to realize that the
Regulators were in earnest and if the courts would
not do justice they would take justice into their
own hands. Looking at it from this distant point
of view, after the most rigid examination of all
evidence, and after interviews witli persons inter-
ested, one can readily see the mistakes made by
both parties. The Regulators were too hasty in
inflicting punishment before positive proof was
obtained, and, as there were many of them, some
of them perhaps were decidedly arrogant. No
apology, however, can be made for the banditti,
who rapidly disappeared from this section of the
state shortly after the execution at Washington
Grove. It has often been asked who was the real
murderer of Captain Campbell. As has been
stated, Taylor Driscoll was put on trial and cleared
by the jury of McHenry county citizens, but no
doubt David Driscoll was guilty of the crime com-
mitted. One reason, perhaps, for connecting the
Driscolls with the banditti was the fact that Dris-
coll married one of the Brodies, and that they
were frequently visiting back and forth, but so far
as is known William and John Driscoll were inno-

cent men, and every one who has taken pains to
investigate the questions knows this to be a fact.
The death of Martin Campbell, the thirteen year
old son of John Campbell, who stood by his father
when he fell at the hands of the assassin, occurred
last year. The facts connected with this circum-
stance were fully recounted and substantiates the
facts as we present them.

The winter of 1841-2 was known among the old
settlers as one of great severity. The first snow
fell on the 8th of November and remained on the
ground until April 14. With the exception of the
usual January thaw the sleighing was excellent.
The thermometer fell to about forty degrees be-
low zero on one or two occasions. For a winter of
such severity sufficient provision had not been
made and forage for the stock became very scarce
and hundreds of horses, hogs and cattle died o!
starvation. At this time it will be remembered
that most of the young stock was allowed to run
out during the winter and they secured their liv-
ing on dried prairie grass and around stacks of
straw. Hay this year sold at twenty dollars per
ton and money was exceeedingly scarce. As has
been mentioned previously in the article on gam^,
in the early days when snow was deep deer were
easily entrapped and could be slaughtered with
axes and clubs. After the January thaw a crust
froze over the snow, which would support a man
or a dog, but the sharp hoof of the deer would
break through and they could make little progress
when pursued by dog, man or wolf. They came
in large numbers to the barnyards and would feed
with the stock or gnaw the barks of trees. It :s
said that five hundred deer were killed in the
northern part of this county during that winter.
While this was a severe lesson and the most of
the people subsequent to 1841-2 built better houses
and were generally quite prosperous, so that there-
after in the county's history no great suffering has
been occasioned by extreme cold. The year 1842
opened bright and prosperous and crops were sown
in good season and produced abundantly at har-
vest time. For the first time in the history of
Illinois the steel scouring plow came into use and
proved one of the most important implements ever
invented for the prairie farmer. Previous to this

PAST AND PRESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

time the ground had been "buggered over"' with
an old east iron plow or some strange contrivance
which served as plow share. These tools could
not be scoured, but must be cleaned every few
rods, so that they were quite ineffective for the
vork required of them. Nothing but the fertility
of the soil on the prairie enabled the settlers to
and crops with such culture. The prairie
began to be taken up quite rapidly and with the
exception of four townships mure than half of the
prairie ana was occupied by claimants. "During
this year E. L. Mayo was certified to be a man of
!_ r '»nl moral character and was admitted to the bar.
He has s 'fen a leading lawyer, lias held many

public offices and was a man who contributed
largely to the welfare of Sycamore." Under
of .March 11. 1>4"2. i- the following official record:
'"This day. in pursuance of an act entitled an art
permanently to locate the seat of justice of the
count; "t I'e Kalb. approved January 30. lS4o.
the commissioners of said county has - I 1 on2
hundred and sixty acre- of land for county pur-
-. bounded as follows, to wit: From a point
which bears X. 54% degrees W. in R. 21 link-
from the S. W. corner of M. YValrod's dwelling
house and S. "" degrees east 4 P.. 22 links from
S. E. corner of Carlos Lattin's house, running
thenci K". 9 degrees E. 80 I,', thence S. 81 deg
E. 160 R. thence S. 9 degrees W. 160 R. thence
V 81 degrees W. 160 R. thence X. 9 deg
E. v " R. to the place of beginning, contain-
ing 160 acres. J. S. Waterman, Surveyor."

Lysander Darling as treasurer of I>e Kalb coun-
ty presented the following account which is inter-
esting as showing the amount of taxes then col-
lected :

Amount of taxes of 1839 $24 •

Amount of taxes of 1840 -

Amount of taxes of 1*41 328

Fines delivered by clerk 53.16

Docket fees delivered by clerk 61.50

Ti illustrate clearly how poor the people of
this county were at that time and how difficult it
was to raise taxes and how little money was then
in the country we will append below the list of
property in district No. 2, including the present
townships of Cortland. Sycamore. De Kalb. May-
field and parts of Genoa and Kingston and as-
sessed by Evans Wharry in 1839:

g r-

Phineas Joslvn $30 $120 $25 $63

Daniel Churchill 150 ... 12

David Churchill T:i 100 15

Harry Joslvn 40 . . 12

Arsa Parker 100

Henry H. Gandy 15 120 25 7"

George W. Gandy. . . 21 90 25 19

Elias Hartman 20 50 . . 39 $60

Peter Young 45 50 34

Asace Champlin 190 100 15 59

Eli W. Brooks 40

Powel Crossett 27

Widow Crossett lyo 100 10 16

Anion Booth 40 9

Austin Hayden 2S3 ... 20 33

Zeanos Churchill ... 20

Ca-tle Churchill .... 15

Isaac Gandy 15 so S 17

Marcems Hall 77 18

Samuel Spring 125 60 5 52

John Waterman 110 120 20 62 500

Ezra A. Hanson 300 ... 25 21

Davis Wood 20 100 5 31

James Lovel 86 ... 7 35 20

John Elliott 23 100 . . 55

Mathew H. Pery 136

Winslow Nbrcutte . . 2s 100 . . 118

Ah in Dayton 12 80 .. 65

Ralph Wyman 50 30 5 57

Silvanus Hocum ... 15 100 15 40

Hiram Buell 15

Peter W. Walrod 71 63

Pheneas P. Stevens.. 200 ... 15 112

George Harrison ... 50 60

William Townsend .. 100

Lyman Barber 60

Rufus Colton 15 ... S 72

James Cartwright 30

Jacob Jenks 13 80 . . 62

Harry B. Barber 41 61 35

Clark L. Barber 80 . . 30

Rustle Huntly 188 100 .. 151

Win. X. Fairbanks... 150

Solomon Holister ... 75 37

James Paistley Ill 75 5

Jacob Cox 115 33

Frederick Love 100 2S0 . . 25

James Williams .... 50 is

Erastus Hamlin .... 50 ... 6 6

Samuel Thompson .75 ... 5 27

Eli Barnes 11- 50 5 33

Ora A. Walker 60 ... 5 12

John Maxfield 240 170 20 132

Erasmus C. Walrod 10

ph Sixbury 100 .. 40

Livington C. Walrod . . . 120 . . 25

Neal Swaney 145 120

Morris Walrod 70 120 5 51

Robert Mitchell 75 150 . . 77

Henry Madden 10 ... 20 9

James A. MacCullom 70 100 15 71

Isaac MacCullom . . 135 ... 10 65

Reuben Xichols .... 55 50 . . 10 30

John Xichols 5 . . 40

Charles Townsend 90 . . 50

Marshall Stark 131 113 9

Harvey Maxfield ... 110 ... 15 S4

400

400
300

PAST AND PKESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

Daniel B. Lamb 15 80 4 40 139

Lewis Love 25 50 75

William Bassett 50 . . 25 ... 75

George F. Wilson... 15 ... 5 30

John J.& C. Waterman *150

Eli G. Newell 15 40 15 ... 70

Clark Wright 110 ... 5 84 ... 199

John R. Hamlin 50 50

Robert Graham 45 80 . . 90 ... 215

John Fryer 15 195 . . 69 ... 279

I. & James Robert 100 20 48 168

* One store.

I, Evans Wharry, do certify the within assess-
ment and valuation to be a true copy and correct
to the best of my abilities. Evans Wharry.

Sycamore, Dec. 5, 1839.

The number of property owners who served on
juries and had bills against the county paid their
taxes with county orders. This was about the time
of the failure of the State Bank, which occurred
m February, 1848, and had spread devastation
and ruin. Governor Ford, when entering upon
his duties as executive of the state, found it im-
possible to pay the interest of the state debt In
currency. People of the eastern states and foreign
countries who had bought some of the bonds taunt-
ed this state as a repudiator and indeed there was
a large part of the population in favor of repudi-
ating the state debt. It is said that when IllinoLj-
ians were traveling in the eastern states they
were ashamed to acknowledge the state from which
they came.

•'Mr. John E. Hamlin, who held the offices oi
clerk of the county commissioners court, recorder
and postmaster and out of the whole of them
managed to make only about enough to pay his
board— cheap as boarding was— at the June term
of the county commissioners court of this year,
was granted the privilege of advancing twelve dol-
lars to purchase a book for records, with the prom-
ise that it should be paid out of the first money
Teceived into the treasury. Mr. Hamlin, always
a gentleman of genial, kindly temper, a universal
favorite, subsequently became a wealthy merchant
of Chicago, and still later removed again to this
county, where he became an extensive landowner,
but it is reported that about this time he was ac-
customed to travel through the county to collect
deeds for record and urge upon those who had
deeds the necessity of having them placed upon
record, and it is said that for convenience and
economy he often went barefooted. But current
rumors are not alwavs true. Certain that all of

these offices at that time were not enough to give
one man a living. A dozen years later the record-
er's office alone constantly employed four or five
men and was reported to be worth eight thousand
dollars a year to the fortunate holder. Such facts,
better than any array of figures, give an idea of
the remarkable growth and increase in the popula-
tion and business of the county. The elections at
this period in the history of the county were gener-
ally held at the residence of some citizen centrally
located in the precinct and right glad was he after
a year or two of experience of the annoyance and
trouble of such gatherings to procure the removal
of the place of election to some other location. The
place of election in Orange precinct was at this
term changed from the residence of W. A. Fair-
banks to Calvin Colton's spacious and comfortable
hotel, and in Franklin precinct it was changed
from the mill of Henry Hicks to the residence of
Theophilus Watkins. Martin M. Mack was re-
elected county commissioner at the August election
of this year, and D. W. Lamb was made county
surveyor, an office which he held with occasional
intervals during the next twenty-two years.

"The chief matters of record of the county com-
missioners court still continued to be the location
of the new roads, but about this time their breadth,
which had hitherto been only fifty feet, was en-
larged to sixty-six, and in some cases to eight,'
feet. The Oregon state road was laid out one
hundred feet in width. The circuit court this
year held but one session and that in September.
It was presided over by John D. Caton, one of the
justices of the supreme court. S. B. Farwell was
stale's attorney, J. C. Kellogg, clerk, and Morris
Walrod, sheriff. Among the leading practitioners
at its bar were T. Lyle Dickey, E. L. Mayo, B. F.
Fridley, W. I). Barry, N. II. Peters, W. R. Croth-
ers and A. J. Brown."

The elections this year, as previously, w-ere held
in private houses. No public buildings of any
nature were found sufficient for this purpose. One
change that was made that was notable was the
place of election in Orange precinct was changed
from the residence of W. A. Fairbanks to Calvin
Colton's comfortable hotel, which at that time was
one of the best buildings between Chicago and the
Mississippi river. In this election Martin Mack
-ivas re-elected county commissioner and Daniel
W. Lamb was made county surveyor, an office

PAST AND PBESEKT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

which he held for nearly a quarter of a century.
The work of Daniel Lamb will ever remain as a
monument to his skill and accuracy. At the tim-i
of his work as surveyor he perhaps knew every
section of land in the county. He was a man .-f
probity, of good sense ami was one of the most
useful citizens of that territory. The county com-
missioners court were still busy locating new roads
and an inspection of their records still showed
that about three-fourths of all their business per-
tained to the making of roads and road districts.
This year they widened the roads laid out from
fifty to sixty-six feet and as a general thing the
loads of this county to this day are of that width.
In one or two cases, notably the road from Ot-
tawa to the state line on the north, was eighty feet
in width. The Oregon state road, of which State
street is now a part, was laid out this year and
was made one hundred feet in width and the fact
that this street was laid out in such proportions
caused other streets to follow their example, so
that at the present time Sycamore has as wide
streets as any city in Illinois.

The session "I the circuit court was held this
year and was presided over by Judge John D. Ca-
ton, one of the justices of the supreme court. S.
B. Earwell was state's attorney, dosse E. Kellogg
circuit clerk and Morris Walrod sheriff. Among
the leading practitioners a1 the bar were T. Lyle
Dickey, E. L. Mayo, who came to Sycamore thi<
year, B. F. Fridley. \\ . P. Barry. X. H. Peters
from Kane anil La Salle counties, and the first two
lawyers to locate in our county were AT. K. Croth-
ers, who lived at Coltonville, and A. J. Brown,
who came to Sycamore in 1841 and became the
first lawyer of the county.

In 1842 a brickyard was established on w 7 hat is
now the Nelson farm in Sycamore and the first
brick houses in this town were built in 184G. Th-J
Mayo house, which stood on the present site of th°
Congregational church, was the first brick house
built in what is now this town. In 1842 Mrs.
Boswell Dow, who came to Sycamore to make her
home, speaks of it as a village of about a dozen or
fifteen houses with three good wells. The Con-
gregational people of this locality had a regularly
established minister this year by the name of
"Wells, and the mill at St. Charles was finished,
so that people instead of going to Ottawa, a dis-
tance of forty or fifty miles, could now get their

wheat ground within about twenty-two miles of
their home. This was considered at that time a
great boon to the people of this locality.

In 1843 the finances of this countv were still
in a deplorable condition. The county had about
nine hundred and seventy-two dollars in outstand-
ing orders. The taxes to be collected would pay
about half of them, leaving the county in debt for
the balance. While this is a small amount now ?t
was a troublesome load for the young county to
carry and more complaint was made of this four
hundred dollars than was made at a later day
when the countv became indebted to the amount of
two hundred thousand, and it can be said that the
latter amount was paid with greater ease than
the four hundred dollar indebtedness of sixty-five
years ago. A tax of one and a half per cent was
ordered for the ensuing year and the county clerk,
Mr. John Waterman, was able to collect nearly
all of i lie tax, but the most of the amount was in
juror-' certificates and county orders.

"•The land in the central towns of the county
came in market during this year. This was an im-
portant era in the affairs of the settlers. Many
had for years previous been hoarding the monev
that they had been able to save, in anticipation of
this important event. From the old stockings and
secrel recesses of their log cabins the glittering
was drawn out and they started in a strong
company for the land sale in Chicago. The land
was sold oil' at auction and from each neighbor-

1 .1 one trusty man was selected to bid off the

property as it was offered, while the remainder
-t ] around, armed with clubs and a most fero-
cious aspect, ready to knock down and execute
summary vengeance upon any speculator who
should dare to bid for lands that had been claimed
and occupied by any of their party. Few were
bold enough to attempt it. One unlucky fellow,
who committed this offense through mistake,
thinking that he was bidding upon another piece
of land, was seized in an instant by the crowd of
excited squatter-sovereigns, hustled away and near-
ly torn to pieces before he could explain the occur-
rence and express his readiness to correct the mis-
take. But the settlers on this occasion suffered
more from the depredations of pick-pockets than
from anything else. Such a crowd furnished a
harvest field for these gentry and several of our
citizens who had come with pockets well lined

ASHEL BYEKS.

PAST AND PRESENT OF DE EALB COUNTY.

with gold found them emptied when they wanted
to pay for their land and were obliged to go home

moneyless and landless. It was a severe loss.
5 ears of labor would be required to replace it. and
before that time they would lose their land and
the improvements which they had spent years in
effecting. Simultaneously with the land sale a
number of new claim associations were formed
throughout the county to prevent persons who
moved in from purchasing from the government
lands which those then living near chose to claim
by plowing around them. They were no doubt
useful in preventing many from entering farms to
which the expense of improvement and long oc-
cupation gave the squatter an equitable title, but
I hey were also in many cases a means of injus-
tice. .Men banded themselves together in such or-
ganizations in order to keep by the force of mob
law other settlers from occupying and holding
lands, while they themselves held tracts of enor-
mous extent and paid for none of it."

During the year 1843 several mills were estab-
lished in the northern part of the county along
the Kishwaukee, but were used only for sawing
lumber. The threshers were used in the county
quite generally this year and the crops on the
whole were very good, but the thresher instead of
being like the ones we have at present was sim-
ply a cylinder and did not separate the grain from
the straw. The one hundred and sixty acres upon
which the county seat stood had been located.
winch was to be divided into lots, now came in
the market subject to entry. This land had been
pre-empted but had never proved up its pre-emp-
tion right. It had solemnly bound itself in giving
deeds to the lots, to acquire the deed as soon as the
land came into market, but now that this time had
come it found itself destitute of money and utter-
ly unable to borrow. Any speculator was at lib-
erty to buy and take the best of titles to the town
by paying the amount of a dollar and a quarter
an acre for it. Pew of the settlers at this time
had money enough to enter their own claims and
none were willing to lend money to the county, and
in this dilemma three of Sycamore's loyal citizens
— Jesse C. Kellogg, Carlos Lattin and Curtis
Smith (who was prominent years afterward in
the county and who had land near the city) — fur-
nished the necessary funds, entered the land in
their own name and promised to wait for repay-

ment until the time in which it was supposed the
county would be able to return the money. This
was a great relief to the finances of the county
and to the inhabitants of Sycamore and it is a
notable fact that the county failed to get back the
titles of some of the parties to which lands were
sold and finally lost a part of the land.

About this time the county had a suit with
Amos Harman, of whom it required to open the
Ottawa state road, and was defeated. The dam-
ages assessed against the county were thirty-five
dollars and this little amount nearly bankrupted
the treasury, and again some of the loyal citizens-
of the county stepped forward and provided for the
deficiency.

The election of justices this year brought some
new men into prominence — George H. Hill, of
Kingston; Isaac Cumpton, Abner Jackman,.
James Byers, Aaron Kandall. Kimball Dow,
George Flinn. Russell Huntley and Z. B. Mayo.
The election of county commissioners this year
followed at tlie usual date, when Sylvanus Hol-
comb was elected. During the year H. M. Per-
kins built a- fine large hotel in Genoa, which was
afterward a famous resort for balls and parties,,
and many notable events transpired there. Some
of the people who now live here remember some-
of these events.

At this time also a new frame schoolhouse was
built in Genoa, which at that time was the best
one in the county. It still remains and is used as
a part of a livery stable. After the building of
the sawmills more frame buildings were erected
and the homes of farmers were made more com-
fortable. Prices of hard wood lumber at that time
were about one-fourth what is now charged for
pine lumber. During this year Eeuben Pritchard,.
John R. Hamlin and B. F. Hunt were appointed
commissioners of the state to lay out the Chicago
and Grand-de-Tour state road. This road passes
in the north part of De Kalb and Malta townships
to the west line of the county, where other com-
missioners of the county laid out the road through
that county and so on to the river.

During the year 1843 the first bridge was built
across the Kishwaukee, which was considered a
great convenience for the people living north of
Sycamore, for during the wet seasons there were
times when they were unable to ford the streams-
and in eases of necessity people would drive as

PAST AND PEESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

far as the river and then use a boat to the other
side to g^l their produce and return. Some who
are still living and reside in what is Mayfield
township remember well how they hauled their
grisl to the bank on the creek, ferried across and
then had another wagon to meet them on the other
side and take the grist to mill.

1S44 was a season of floods in the early part of
the summer and during the harvesl season rains
fell almost continuously. Some men cut and
bound their wheat when they were compelled to
stand ankle deep in water and then carry it out on
the high knolls to dry before stacking. When they
took their grist to mill over almost bottomless
niads they had to drive four yoke of oxen to draw
the small load. Cattle and horses feeding on the
prairies became mired and numerous calls were
made for teams to attach long ropes and chains
to them and draw them out. All the bridges which
had been erected over the streams wire carried
away by the floods. The Mississippi river was
never known to be higher and steamboats passed
through tin- streets of St. Louis. Kaskaskia and
other cities along the river. In many instances
when the water subsided the laud was covered
with sand and mud so that it ruined the land for
cultivation for a time. Added to this difficulty
many of the grist mills of Illinois were swept away
and there was great destitution of meal and flour.

The county election this year showed the democ-
racy a winner. Carlos Lattin was chosen county
treasurer, Marshall Stark school commissioner, E.
L. Mayo recorder, A. J. Brown probate justice. In
later vears the probate justice became known as
countv judge, but it was not necessary that the
county judge be a regularly admitted lawyer. Mor-
ris Wain id was collector of the county and W.
H. Beavers was elected as clerk of the county com-
missions - i ourt.

In is ll tin- democracy seems to have firmly
regained its hold upon county affairs and Polk re-
ceived two hundred and forty-two votes, Clay.
whig, one hundred and forty-two votes and Birney.
f ree <,,il. one hundred and thirty-one votes. An
analysis of this vote shows that the free soil candi-
date received a heavy vote from Brush Point settle-
ment, from the precinct of Wooster. now Genoa,
and from Somonauk. Emigration in the later '30s
and early '40s was largely from the eastern states.
The Scotch Presbyterian people were strong anti-

slavery people, as were the people from Brush
Point, who came from southeastern Xew York.
and the people of Genoa were also of Xew York
origin.

During this time but little strife was made for
county offices, as the salary was scarcely enough in
some instances to buy a suit of clothes. During
this year settlers began again to come into the
state, and as the timber land was generally owned
at this time by sett lei,- already here the new-
1 1 miers were compelled to go to the prairie. Many
felt that it was a great sacrifice to be so far away
from the timber, but in this time has proven that
the settlers on the prairie became the most pros-
perous and in time their land became more val-
uable than the timber land.

While the year 1845 did not clear up the finan-
cial condition in Illinois nor in De Kalb county.
still on the whole the people were getting more
prosperous and building more comfortable homes,
,md there was less talk of returning to their old
home in the eastern Mates. Nearly every settler
who came to this county in an early day will
speak of the homesickness of those who came from
more comfortable homes to settle in the wilder-
iii--. and many actually died from sheer home-
-ii kness.

Schools began to be quite generally established.
A number of different schools will be treated of
more fully in the township histories. The claim
association that was organized in 1835 was still
in existence, and they were sometimes unjust in
their dealings with those seeking for land. Set-
tlers were also deterred by the acts of the claim
organization, who banded together and thxeatem <1
the lives of any who should enter lands around
winch any of their gang had plowed a furrow,
which constituted the commonly received marks
nf a claim. An incident is related which showed
the spirit of the times. Two hoys, afterwards well
known in the county, jumped the claim of a neigh-
bor and settled down to take possession. The
claim organization, to the number of about sixty,
captured the boys, formed a ring around them, put
them on trial and decided to give them a severe
thrashing with green hickory withes, but, seeing
that the boys were well frightened and punish-
ment was unnecessary, some of the more generous
hearted in the circle decided to give the bovs an
opportunity to escape, and while engaged in con-

PAST AND PBESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

versation allowed large gaps to remain in their
lines, and the boys, seeing their opportunity, pulled
off their boots and made for the woods, and were
not seen for several days. It is unnecessary to
state that they never afterwards jumped the claim
of a neighbor. Most of the settlers here in 1845
seemed more anxious to leave the country than to
remain here. A letter is now in existence, which
was written by a homesick family to their old
home in the east, stating that if they could get
what, little money they had in their property they
would return to their old home and remain for-
ever satisfied. All the money they had invested
here was two hundred dollars. This same family
afterward became wealthy and almost the entire
family became prominently identified with the
county's history. In even- new country there is
an element that moves in, becomes restless and dis-
satisfied and soon move out. The old settlers
whom we now honor as our pioneers were the ones
who came and in spite of all the disadvantages of
a new country remained to make this county one
of the best in Illinois. The taxes collected this
year amounted to three hundred and seventy-five
dollars, more than half of which was in county
orders. Few debtors were prosecuted during these
times, for the laws of this state seemed to favor
the debtors and render it almost impossible to col-
ic ( t a claim by legal process.

Eighteen hundred and forty-five seemed to
he the turning point in the country's finan-
cial condition. War is generally a breeder
of good times. During the war of 1812, the
war with Mexico and the Civil war. prices were
high and people received valuable remunera-
tion for their labor. Foreign wars have also
been productive of wealth on this side of
the water. The prices of produce for sev-
eral rears previous to 1845 averaged about as fol-
lows: Thirty-five cents a bushel for spring wheat,
fifty cents a bushel for the best winter wheat, one
dollar lo a dollar and seventy-five cents for dressed
pork ; cows brought an average of about ten dollars
a head and horses were nearly as high as at pres-
ent, as they furnished all means of communication
and were our railroads and telegraph wires and
telephones.

In the spring of 1S46 prices advanced mater-
ially. Wheat sold from fifty to seventy-five cents
a bushel ; hogs brought from two and a half to

three and a half per hundred, and all kinds of
produce on the farm about doubled in value. In
May, 184G, the president called upon Illinois for
four regiments of volunteers to proceed to Mex-
ico and support the army of General Taylor. The
part that De Kalb county took in the Mexican
war will be treated of in the chapter "De Kalb
County in War." But it is safe to say that this
war was felt very lightly in this section of the
country, as it took but few De Kalb county boys,
and the war from the very start was one of great
and uniform success. At the March term of the
county commissioners' court. Paw Paw election
district was divided by the creation of a new pre-
cinct called Shabbona. It comprised the territory
"now contained in the four townships of Shabbona,
Clinton, Milan and Afton. Elections were ordered
to be held at the home of William Marks. In the
fall of this year Austin Hayden, of what is now
Cortland township; George H. Hill, now of Kings-
ton township, and Joseph Newberry, of what is
now Somonauk township, were elected county com-
missioners. James Harrington, school commis-
sioner; John A. Waterman, county treasurer; E.
L. Mayo, probate justice; Jacob Simons and Wil-
liam Fordham, each served as county clerk. The
justices of the peace were about the same as elect-
ed two years previously, with the exception of Jo-
seph A. Bilks, Wheeler Hedges, Samuel Stevens
and B. F. Johnson.

The good times of 184G continued and increased
in 184T, and the indebtedness of the county was
reduced and conditions over the state improved
accordingly. Banks were established and the peo-
ple of the state were getting on a firm financial
footing. Four years previous the state officers
were sometimes troubled to get money to pay their
postage, but were now receiving regular salaries,
which were promptly paid. Postage up to this
time had been twenty-five cents for each letter, but
was now reduced to about fifteen cents, and it
was felt that almost any one could now write let-
ters. In the early part of the century postage had
been as high as fifty cents, and many people living
in the early '40s had paid that amount. One of
the things that has made it difficult to secure rec-
ords of the past has been that very few letters
were written, but one thing is quite certain, if a
person did receive a letter it was a cherished treas-
ure and generally preserved, and in many of the

PAST AND PBESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

homes of our county today we will find letters
written, papers folded without envelopes and closed
with sealing wax. and a charge of fifty cents, which
has been marked "paid" on the back of the back of
the paper, and every available space on the sheet
is occupied with writing.

The old canal from the lake to the Illinois river
was finished and some of the people in the south
part of the county drew their grain to Ottawa and
Peru and put it on canal boats, shipping it gener-
ally to Chicago, but in some instances to New Or-
leans. Specie was still scarce and it was a diffi-
cult matter to pay a tax of front five to ten dollars,
and it distressed people more, those small sums.
than to pay forty times that amount at present.
The collector would call again and again for the
taxes, and then in many instances the property
would be advertised and sold for the collection of
taxes. During these years roads were lined with
teams and wagons loaded with grain and the tav-
erns of that day were crowded. Prices were rea-
sonable. Fifty cents was the regular charge for
supper, lodging, breakfast and feed for the team.
A few of the number remain who hauled grain
in Chicago, and they tell us how the people of
the neighborhood would generally start in a pro-
cession, of the jolly times that were had along the
mad and at the taverns, where they were com-
pelled to remain over night. At the election of
this year William Young was chosen county com-
missioner. William Beavers clerk of the county
commissioners' court. Sheldon Crossett school
commissioner, E. L. Mayo probate justice, Wil-
liam Fordham recorder, William Shepardson
treasurer and E. P. Young county recorder.

During the year 1847 the first allowances for
the care of paupers were made, and although this
county had so little wealth it is a notable fact
that previous to this time no paupers in the county
had been reported.

The year 1S48 was one of general prosperity
for the state. The constitution made at (.he or-
ganization of the state in 181S had proved inef-
ficient and a new constitutional convention was
called. George H. Hill, of Kingston, represented
this county in the constitutional convention. In
the fall of that year it was submitted to the peo-
ple and carried by a large majority. The county
was divided into more election precincts and jus-
tice districts. Settlers were rapidly taking up the

land and the population of the county was in-
creasing. The old courthouse, which had been
built in 1839, was a shabby, two-story building,
which stood until recently opposite the present one,
and was the only building in the city for public
use. The county eked out its petty finances by
letting it for various use-, a charge of twenty-five
cents generally being made for each evening. The
Congregational and Universalist societies held re-
ligious services there, it was occupied during the
week for select school, which was taught by Bos-
well Dow, and the Sons of Temperance held even-
ing meetings. Although the county demanded
better buildings and better protection for its rec-
ords, a gnat deal of opposition was encountered
when the subject of a new building was discussed.
People had just escaped from an indebtedness
which had been a great burden and were wholly
unwilling to take upon themselves a new one.
During this year churches were built in various
parts of the county and religious services, which
had previously been held in private houses, were
generally transferred to the school houses, which
were now being erected quite generally and were
usually frame building.-. Schools at this time
were very large and the districts averaged about
three linns the size of those of the present day.

In 1848 the Mexican war had been closed glo-
riously and the United States had added a half
million square miles to its territory. The people
were proud of the veterans of the Mexican war,
and when Zachary Taylor was entered as the whig
candidate for the presidency against Lewis Cass,,
the democratic candidate, and .Martin Van Buren,
the free soil candidate, the military hero again
triumphed, for in the history of our country the
'•uccessful hern of a successful war is always suc-
ei'— fill in a political contest before the American
people. The presidential vote in this county is as
follows: Cass, democrat, three hundred and sev-
en ly- four ; Taylor, whig, two hundred and twenty-
three; Van Buren. freesoil, four hundred and twen-
ty-seven. In this election Martin Van Buren
car-ied a majority of the precincts of the county,
and beieafter the opponents of slavery were gen-
erally in the majority.

Threshers used this year were called separators,
for they now separated the straw from the grain
and instead of threshing one hundred bushels a
day, as with the old thresher, which was simply a

J^*r^W

loll.N R. HAMUX.

THE NEW V •

PUBLIC!. []

ASTC -
TILDEN C 0(JNQATI0N8.

PAST AND PRESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

cylinder, fanners were now able to thresh five hun-
dred bushels per day. and consequently "their fields
of grain rapidly increased in size. Reapers came
into general use this year and were very crude af-
fairs. They were very heavy, drawn by four to
six horses, or in some instances three or four teams
of oxen, but they were able to cut about five or
six acres per day. One man rode the machine and
raked off the gavels rapidly enough for four men
to hind. In the early days one hinder followed
one cradler. so this was a vast improvement over
previous conditions.

"The county commissioners appointed Messrs.
E. P. Young, Kimball Dow and Jesse C. Kellogg
to contract for building a new courthouse. It was
to be placed in the center of the public square, to
be of brick, sixty feet long and forty feet wide,
and to cost not exceeding six thousand dollars.
lint this was to be done only upon condition that
individual citizens should contribute fifteen hun-
dred dollars of this amount. This they were au-
thorized to pay in notes, two-thirds of which
should be paid November 1, 1S49. and one-third
November 1, 1850. And the order of the com-
missioners further states that it is expressly agreed
that in case the county seat shall ever be removed,
the county shall pay hack to said individuals the
amount of said notes with interest. It was ordered
that the notes be registered on the court records
and be evidence of the liability of the county for
the repayment of this advance.

"At the same term another order was passed au-
thorizing the erection of a jail by the same agents
at a cost not exceeding fifteen bundled dollars.
Nothing seems to have been done under this or-
der. An active canvass of all those who felt an
especial interest in the prosperity of the village
now rapidly growing at the seat of justice was now
commenced and more than the necessary fifteen
hundred was subscribed as a free gift toward the
erection of the present handsome courthouse. The
subscriptions of the principal donors were as fol-
lows: Harvey G. Barns, $100 ; Amos Story. $20 :
John Maxfielcl. $40; Thomas Wolsey, $20; Kim-
hall Dow, $50 ; E. P. Young, $150 ; W. H. Beavers,
$37 ; W. J. Hunt. $50 : Ellsworth Pose. $25 ; E.
Hall, $25 ; Alonzo Brown. $20 ; O. P. White. $25 ;
Z. B. Mayo, $50; E. L. Mayo, $50; John Chat-
field, $20; J. S. & J. C. Waterman. $150; M.
Stark, $50: O. M. Bryan. $30; Thomas H. Wood,

$25; E. Wharry, $20; E. G. Jewell, $20; Darius
Williams. $25; It. Wyman, $20; William Connell,
$20: .1. ('. Kellogg, $25; R. Hopkins and W. P.
Dutton, $15; Decatur Esterbroo'k, $25: A. .lack-
man, $20; Homer Roberts, $20; Sylvanus Hol-
eomb, $25; W. Fordham, $30; O. W. Kretsinger,
$20.

"The agents for building were also authorized to
sell the old courthouse anil all town lots owned
by the county at auction, and that the proceeds
were to be applied religiously to the payment of
the forty-five hundred dollars of county orders is-
sued for the erection of the new building. The
lots were, however, appraised at prices varying
from ten dollars to four hundred." Some of these
warrants are still in existence and draw ten per cent
interest, and in case the county seat should ever
be removed the warrants held and accumulated
would lie exceedingly valuable.

THE RESURRECTIONISTS.

Another type of criminality was rampant in the
early days of our county's history, and that was
the crime of gfaye robbing. This had been car-
ried on -I'm- years in this section of the country
and many were the bodies stolen from graves in
De Kalh county by men who were called resurrec-
tionists. In the early days no arrangements were
made with hospitals for subjects for dissection in
medical institutions and they were compelled to
resort to the crime of body snatching. The Med-
ical Institution at St. Charles, organized by Dr.
George W. Richards, professor of theory and prac-
tice of medicine, and formally president of the La
Porte (Indiana) Medical School, had established
a summer school for physicians in St. Charles.
\\\> home was opposite the present Cniversalist
parsonage in that city, and the institution in which
the dissection was carried on was a stone barn,
which has since been torn down. Students in
those days came to college poor in purse and were
anxious to work to pay their way through school,
and as bodies were constantly needed by the Med-
ical Institution they naturally sought remuner-
ative occupation by robbing graves. Two or three
graves of honored citizens of this county had been
examined and discovered to be emptied of their
precious contents. "Many who had recently lost
friends commended the painful task of examining

PAST AND PRESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

their newly made graves, while many friends only
refrained from it lest they should find their fears
realized and that the outrage so hopeless of re-
dress had been consummated. The irritation and
indignation that was caused by this feeling may
be readily imagined." In the spring of 1849,
three men driving a pair of horses attached to a
sprint: wagon stopped for supper at the Lovell
tavern, four miles east of Sycamore, on the St.
Charles and Sycamore road. While eating their
supper the landlord's daughter overheard some
conversation which made her suspicious. She re-
ported the conversation to her father, who went
out. and found the implements used by the resur-
rectionists secreted in the bottom of the wagon.
Mrs. George M. Km von had been but recently
buried, ami they surmised that it was the inten-
tion of tin grave robbers to secure her body for
the dissecting table, and it was also known that a
friendless German had been buried in the south
burying ground of Sycamore, now the present site
of the Methodist parsonage, and it was supposed
that they were also seeking for his body. This
news was conveyed to Mr. Harry Joslyn, and he,
with Mr. Lorenzo Whittemore, Kimball Dow and
a few others, armed themselves and hid near the
burying ground, with the hope that the resurrec-
tionists might be caught robbing the grave. Early
in tin- evening, not long after dark, three men
made their way into the cemetery and immediatelv
began search for the grave of the German. As
♦ hey approached it. the men in hiding noticed that
they were armed. One of their number went to
the wagon to secure the tools necessary for digging.
At this moment one of the party in hiding was
seized with a fit of coughing, which alarmed the
grave robbers and they immediately hurried to
the wagon and drove into town. The party in
hiding followed them into the village and
caused the arrest of the resurrectionist party.
One was found to be the son of Dr. Richards,
president of the Medical Institution at St.
( lharles. Another was a man by the name of John
Rude, iiiid the name of the other was unknown.
There not being found sufficient evidence of their
guilt, they were released. The parties arrested
were thoroughly alarmed and their fright was not
lessened by Waterman answering their question as
to what would be done by them by the promise to
shoot them in the morning. It was supposed that

after their severe fright that they would make a
hasty retreat for St. Charles, but they recovered
their nerve, and although they started directly
east for their home, they evidently decided that
they would not return without something to show
for their nighfs work. Mrs. George M. Kenyon
was buried in what is now known as the Ohio
Grove cemetery, and. dying at the age of but sev-
enteen years, in the bloom of youth, a girl well
known, great sympathy was felt for the young
husband and her immediate family. After her
burial the grave was watched for two nights, and
it was supposed that all would be well hereafter.
The parties watching the grave of Mrs. Kenyon
the third night, left shortly after midnight. Two
of her girl friends were impressed by the story of
the grave robbers, which had been circulated
throughout the country, laid a twine over
the grave and fastened it at each side,
covering it with dirt, so that if it were
molested it could easily be detected. When
the relatives arrived at the grave in the morning
they still found the string in position, but some-
thing made them uneasy, and after hearing the
story of the grave robbers being in Sycamore they
decided to investigate. Upon digging down, their
fears were realized, as the comb of the deceased
was found about a foot below the surface. Reach-
ing the coffin, they found it emptied of its contents
and the grave clothes alone remained within it.
The lid of the casket had been broken in and the
body taken hastily away. News of this crime
spread over the country like wildfire. Mr. David
Churchill, father of the deceased, was a man well
known and highly respected, and the circum-
stance of the young lady's death made the crime
seem doubly terrible. It was decided before any
action was taken in the matter to have a party go
to Dr. Richards at the Medical Institution and de-
mand the return of the body. ITpon arriving at
St. Charles they procured a search warrant anil
went to the institution, and while on their way
found the horse belonging to a Sycamore physi-
cian, who had doubtless gone there in great haste
to inform Dr. Richards that he had better be on
his guard. Upon examining the dissecting room
they found fragments of human bodies and skele-
tons, but none corresponding to the description of
Mrs. Kenvon.

PAST AND PEESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

As they were about to leave the building Mr.
Kenyon discovered upon the stone nagging * a
lock of hair belonging to his wife. It was the
precise peculiar shade of his lost wife's hair,
and he knew it in an instant. It was not sufficient
evidence to convince a jury, perhaps, but it satis-
fied him. He went back and begged piteously for
the return of his wife's remains, and it was here
that Dr. Richards made his great mistake in in-
flaming the searching party. He said to Mr. Ken-
yon in his hour of sorrow: "I have no subjects
now, but if you will come again in a few days I
will have a lot of them, and from your way, too."
The party returned to Sycamore, reported to their
neighbors what had transpired, showed the friends
the lock of hair belonging to Mrs. Kenyon, told
of the insulting remarks made by Dr. Eichards to
the grieved husband, and with one accord the citi-
zens of Sycamore and vicinity volunteered to go
next day and recover the body or know the reason
why. A large part of them were young men, im-
petuous and ready for trouble, but the older men
counseled conservative action. A committee was
selected to again visit Dr. Eichards, and was com-
posed of the folowing men: Esquire Currier, of
St. Charles; John C. Waterman. William Ford-
ham, Lorenzo Whittemore and Kimball Dow. of
Sycamore. They informed Dr. Eichards what
they were there for, told of the party that was
ready for action, and that it had only been by the
intercession of their friends that an assault had
not been made at once. They still found Dr. Eich-
ards defiant and impudent, and he denied any
knowledge about the body sought for, and said per-
haps the students might account for it. They no-
ticed also that Dr. Eichards and some of the stu-
dents were fully armed and seemed to be ready for
trouble in case of an attack. When Mr. Kenyon
caught sight of Eude, who had been detected at
Sycamore, he took an instinctive aversion to him
and could scarcely be restrained from shooting him
on the spot. Nothing, however, was gained by this
parley. The crowd had increased on the way, so
that now about three hundred men stood in front
of Dr. Eichards' house, and had so arranged their
party that escape was impossible. Seeing that
trouble was in store for them, one of the young
men of the institution informed them that he had
seen a corpse answering the description of Mrs.
Kenyon. Upon hearing this David Churchill.

father of the deceased, and Mr. Kenyon, her hus-
band, rushed for the door and forced it partly
open, when the muzzle of a gun was thrust out
and fired. Mr. Churchill pushed the barrel of the
gun downward, so that no one was injured. This
was followed by a shot from Mr. Kenyon, who was
armed with a rifle. He fired blindly through the
door, and by the irony of fate his bullet pierced
Eude, the guilty resurrectionist, through the hips
and he was mortally wounded. An assault fol-
lowed, and all the windows in the building were
broken and several students were wounded and Dr.
Eichards was struck twice. As he appeared at the
door and made a sign of surrender a stone struck
him in the temple and he was carried back sense-
less. The friends of Eichards feared that another
attack would he made and secured the services of
an attorney, A. Barry, who promised them the
body would be returned, and he instructed Mr.
Prescott, a relative of Mrs. Kenyon. to go to a
spot two miles south of St. Charles on a farm now
owned by Mrs. Harvey Jones, of Sycamore. And
it should be stated in passing thai a constable ap-
peared on the scene and ordered the mob to cease
firing, and at that juncture Mr. Barry, an attor-
ney, since well known in this county, promised the
mob that he would return the body the next morn-
ing. Mr. Barn and a student named Harvey,
with Mr. Banister and Prescott, of St. Charles,
found the remains buried on the banks of the Fox
river in a grove, about two feet deep, wrapped in
a blanket. The body was taken to the river,
washed of the earth that adhered to it, wrapped
in some clothing, placed in a coffin and brought
back to Sycamore. A second funeral service was
held at the Methodist church at Sycamore and a
large concourse of people met on that Sabbath
day to consign for the second time to the grave
the body that had caused so much excitement in
all the country around. It has been stated that
the body was taken to the home of Mr. Kenyon
and there buried under his window, but the bodv
was buried in the grave from which it was taken
and a tombstone is pointed out to those interested
in the early history of the county, and many are
the visitors even to this day to the grave which
caused so much turmoil and loss of life. An im-
pression seems deeply founded that Dr. Eichards
was on the whole a bad man of the criminal type.
and thus he has been depicted in the histories of

PAST AND PRESENT <)F DE KA1.B COUNTY.

De Kalli county tn the present time. We will say,
however, that l>r. Richards was a very well edu-
cated gentleman, and at the time that he was shot
ranked as high as any other physician in Illinois.
Many were the physicians ol Chicago who sought

in- i lsel. Mrs. Harvey A. Jones, who was thru

■ i girl ni' ten or twelve years, ami witnessed the
shooting ami know Dr. Richards intimately, as he
had been thou- family physician for roars, say that
his In. mi- was one of refinement, that he had trav-
eled abroad and in many respects was regarded as
"in' "!' the most intellectual men of tin- community.
It i- needless to say thai this broke up the organ-
ized band id' resurrectionists, ami from that day
tho visitors, even to this day, to the grave which
had been their family physician for years, says that
I" this, with one exception, crime of a like nature in
this locality has been unknown. Rude died the day
following, the students recovered, while Dr. Rich-
ards finally died from tin- effects of hi- wounds in-
9i< I'd by the Sycamore mob. We will say, however,
thai had it not Keen lor the impudence of Dr. Rich-
ards and his students when parties were searching
lor the body and for the carelessness with which the
remains of the dissected bodies were handled, this
trouble would never have occurred. Parties still
living remember well how Dr. Richards and his
student- threw the remains of human bodies after
dissection into the river, which naturally ext iti d
a spirit of opposition to their wo.k. The account
as we give it is from a conversation held with
George M. Eenyon about a month previous to his
death, with Mrs. Harvey A. Jones, who witnessed
the riot, and from members of the mob, who par-
ticipated in that event.

During the year 1849, after "old was discovered

in California ami was found in such abundance
that people who had been struggling hero to make
a livelihood and secure a competency felt that they
were going at rather a slow pace, and with dreams
of wealth started for California, some across the
continent, on foot and with team-, while others
wctd to the eastern coast and to tin- citj of New
Orleans mi the south and took shipping by way
of Panama to California. A great many suffered
and a large number died from exposure on these

trips, and especially was the tropical climate of
Panama fatal to the people of the northern clime.
But the stories of the old 'piers are of great inter-
est, and the discovery of gold in California, and
the producing of so much wealth, had a wonderful
effect upon the business life of this and European
countries, while money became abundant and new
business enterprises sprung into existence like
mushrooms. A large number returned materially
enriched by their work in California and invested
it in business and in land.-. Some id' the large
farms of this county are still in possession of the
families of those men who went fo California in
1849, while many of the business enterprises of
Sycamore, He Kalb and Sandwich had their be-
ginnings in wealth accumulated by the California
gold hunter. On the whole the year of 1849 was
one of prosperity. Crops were abundant and farm
machinery was materially improved. Little by lit-
tle the farmers began to move from the timber
and running streams to the prairie. Schools were
established ami the whole community life took on
the an- ..I i i\ ilization of older states. In the elec-
tion of 1849 Marshall Stark was chosen sheriff,
W. II. Beavers county clerk, William Pordham
recorder, Sheldon Crossett school commissioner,
and E. L. Mayo probate judge. These elections
took place early in August and were under the op-
erations of the old constitution, hut the constitu-
tion of 1848 having been put into effect, new elec-
tion- wiiv held in November, ami Martin Mack
was made circuit clerk and recorder. V. B. Pres-
cott county clerk. William Shepardson county
treasurer and James TT. Beveridge and George H.
Hill county justices of the peace. It will he noted
that from this time the office which had hitherto
been known as probate justice, whose duty if was
to probate estates, w-as now called probate judge.
and I'.. !.. Mayo, later a man of prominence, was
the first to wear the title of county judge. At the
fall election seven hundred and fifty votes were
casl in favor of adopting the township organiza-
tion and only one against it. The counties of
northern Illinois this year generally voted to !_ r ive
up the county organization, and adopt township
organization, so that at present in the state of Illi-
nois there are hut few counties remaining under
what is known as county organizations. For many
years after this people, especially those from south-
ern sfates. advocated the return to the county or-

MAIN STREET, DEKALB. 1862.
IU'XTLEY HOTEL, DEKALB, 1840.

ORIGIN \l. GLIDDEN II"! se, 1842.
WIRICK HOUSE, EAST PAWPAW, 1856.

S8S"

ENOX
UQi£E*fOUNOATfON8.

PAST AND PEESENT OP DE KALB COUNTY.

ganization plan, as it was less expensive than town-
ship organization.

The county superintendent of schools, who had
formerly been known as the county commissioner,
was paid twenty-eight dollars for his services,
which consisted mainly in holding three or four
examinations yearly. We have some of the ques-
tions propounded by the county superintendents
of those days for teachers' certificates, and we find
that they compare very favorably with many of the
questions given at the present time, and, barring
the matter of pedagogy, physiology and other
things that have been introduced later, they gen-
erally demand a fair degree of scholarship in or-
der to pass them. The county judge received
seventy-five dollars for the performance of his
duties for six months, making a total of one hun-
dred and fifty dollars yearly. The county commis-
sioners at the December term appointed William
A. Miller, later of Kingston; Robert Sterritt, later
of Somonauk, and William J. Hunt, later of De
Kalb, to divide the county into townships in prep-
aration for a new organization under the township
organization law. They visited the different sec-
tions of the county, heard the statements of those-
who were concerned, and divided off the county
into thirteen different townships, named as fol-
lows: (Refer to page 19 De Kalb Chronicle Illus-
trated Souvenir) : Genoa, Kingston, Franklin,
Vernon, Liberty, Sycamore, Richland, Orange,
Shabbona, Clinton, Squaw Grove, Somonauk and
Paw Paw. Most of these names are still retained
by the townships to which they were originally as-
signed, although most of these towns have been
diminished in extent by the creation of new town-
ships. Of those names which hav° been abandoned
Vernon belonged to the present town of South
Grove, Orange to De Kalb and adjoining territory
on the south, and Liberty to Mayfield. Richland
afterward became Pampas and finally Cortland,
and originally included Pierce township. The
county tax of 18-49 amounted to two thousand
eight hundred and eighty-three dollars. During
this year Comb's mill put in the machinery neces-
sary for grinding flour and thus finally flour was
produced in our county, and it must be remem-
bered at that time wheat was the principal crop.
In 1849 a field of twenty-five acres of corn was
considered a curiosity. While oats was raised
more abundantly, still the fields of that grain

were small and the wheat fields occupied nearly
three-fourths of all the cultivated area. Prices of
grains and farm produce generally quite materially
advanced, and the assessable property of De Kalb
county came very near the million dollar mark.

OLD MA? OF DEKALB COUNTY

1850

In the spring election held in the new townships
designated, school houses were the voting places.
Supervisors were elected, and took upon them-
selves the duties formerly assigned to the board of
county commissioners. In many of the townships
there was quite a strife to see who should be the
first supervisor from the respective townships, and
the board was constituted of the following named
gentlemen: Henry Durham represented Genoa:
John Sheely, Kingston ; Clark Bliss, Franklin ;
John S. Brown, Vernon ; Mulford Nickerson, Lib-
erty : James Harrington, Sycamore ; D. F. Finley,
Richland ; Thomas R. Hopkins, Orange ; William
Marks, Sr., Shabbona; Reuben Pritchard. Clin-
ton ; Abram L. Hemenway, Squaw Grove ; Lyman
Bacon, Somonauk; Pierpont Edwards. Paw Paw.
Dr. James Harrington of Sycamore was chosen
chairman and the first act passed by the board was

['AST AM) L'KHSKXT OF DE KALI! COVXTY.

one changing the name of Orange to De Halb,
Richland to Pampas, Liberty to Mayfield and
Yernon to South Grove, other towns in the state
had already appropriated the firsl chosen names,
and to prevent confusion the board of supervisors
were authorized and directed to selecl others. Hav-
ing accomplished this duty, the board at once
plunged into the business of auditing bills, ar«
raigning delinquent collectors, appointing places
of town meetings and all those duties which have
-i in i engrossed the attention of that body. The
work on the new courthouse had been progressing
rapidly, but was nol accomplished at the first ses-
sion of the board, and their meeting was held in
uli:ii i- in,\\ the old Congregational church, which
was undergoing repairs. One of the duties de-
volving upon thai bodj was the refusal of granting
,,i licenses for the sale of liquor. A temperance
society had been organized in the county and their
representatives were allowed to speak before the
board and liquor licenses for taverns was refused
by unanimous vote «a< 7,500.

When the county courthouse was completed it
was considered a magnificenl structure, being built
of brick, sixtj feel long and fort} feel wide, and
following the custom thai prevailed at thai time
at the inauguration of the new building a publiq
ball was given in the new courthouse in February,
L857, and was a notable occasion. The company
1 1 Erom all over northern Illinois.

The year 1851 was known as a year of much
rain, showers lasting nearly all summi r. The firsl
Sunday in April one of the mosl furious snow-
storms ever known in this country fell, and it is
said that more than fifteeen inches fell in the
course of the day. On Sunday following a similar
storm came with equal severity. About a month
after the snow and before the soil had become suffi-
ciently dried for farming operations, a heavy rain
set in and continued with but occasional intervals
for more than two months. Tt is related that at one
time the sun did no1 shine through the clouds for

more than ten days. Plowed ground becam ■-

ered with green mold and the wheal crop was all
scabbed, and little or none was raised that was
really tit for Hour, and in some cases it sickened
ami apparently po soned those who were com-
pelled, from prevalent destitution, (o use it. Tha
lead- became impassible and continued so during
the most of the year. The board of county com-

missioners had done little more than to lay out
roads and road districts, hut had done nothing
toward their improvement. All the work of build-
ing pike^ and bridges was done locally under the
direction of road masters. Bridges were built
.nil-- tin streams so that people did not find it
necessary to remain away from market as in pre-
\ inn- years on account of high water. The bridges
were built of wood and were rather crude struc-
ture- and were unable to resisl the \\ |- that

came, and it can he truly stated that had all tin
money that has been expended in De Kalb county
for road work and for building bridges from the
date of its organization to the present time, much
of which has been of little value, there could have
i hi n built out of an equal amount steel bridges
and macadamized roads for nearly the whole
county.

A reference to taxes levied in the road districts
and townships and aid given In the county during
these year- since 1845 will prove the truth of this
statement. Although people generally took their
produce to St. Charles they found even that dis-
tance \<-ry difficult to travel in years like 185]
and it became evident that something must he

i" -.line better means of communication
with the outside world and transportation of the
products oi tin- country to market. Heretofore
all the g I- -..I. I 111 -inn-- were hauled Erom Chi-
cago or from St. Charles, causing great incon-
venience ami a large expenditure of n ey for

the merchants. The Chicago. Burlington & Quincy
was now in process of construction and promised
i to the southern portions of the county. The
Galena division of the Northwestern road was also
being built, a branch of which was extended to
St. Charles, which was then a very flourishing lit-
tle city ami the principal market for all the north-
ern part of the county. When the matter came be-
fore our people to bave the road extended through
this county, touching Sycamore, the people were
too poor to aid in the project. The plank road
was established from Sycamore to St. Charles.

at tin- time being very popular throughout
the eastern states and covered most of the dis-
tance between cities, but in a year or two the
plank warped and the road became almost im-
passible and the planks were finally confiscated by
the people living along the road and the project
was given up. This was to be a toll road and

PAST AND PRESENT OF DE KALI! COUNTY
ii Id be a source of

people generally supposed it w
great profit.

In 184!) a road was commenced between Chicago

and St. Charles and on the 12th of December of
that year the first train entered that city and the
scream of the locomotive was heard lor the first
time in the Fox river valley. In August the Chi-
cago ,V- Galena division of the Northwestern had
completed their track to Elgin and had changed
their route from St. Charles to that place. The
citizens of that city, seeing that the salvation of
their town depended upon the thoroughfare which
had been opened, took the matter in their own
hands and ran two trains a .lav from their town
to the junction. Ira Minard controlled it until
October, 1856, when it passed into other hands.
The depot stood on the east side of the city of
St. Charles on land now occupied by the Free
-Methodist church. In Is:,:; he with others ob-
tained a charter for fhe St. Charles & Galena Air
Line road, into which the charter previously grant-
ed for the branch track was merged. .Minard be-
came president of the company and a heavy stock
was taken along the line. The Chicago & Galena
road commenced with the ostensible purpose of ex-
tending to Galena never approached nearer that
town than Freeport, hut from there depended upon
fhe Illinois Centra] track. In an evil hour, one, E.
C. Litchfield from Cazenovia, New York, ap-
peared in St. Charles, representing that he and
his friends possessed sufficient means to build a
railroad through if he was allowed to take a con-
trolling interest in the stock. He was permitted
to subscribe for it, the thoroughfare was com-
mended and graded from Chicago to St. Charles,
the culverts were built, also the piers and abut-
ments for the bridge across Fox river and the
track was laid for nine miles from Chicago. Mi-
nard had staked his whole fortune of eighty thou-
sand dollars upon the enterprise, while hundreds of

1 r men had taken stock for all they owned. It

must lie understood that Litchfield promised that
the road would he finished and that it should not
previously pass out id' his hands into the Galena
0] any other competing line. Never was a vil-
lainous scheme more successfully executed. When
the controller of the stock had crippled the only
man who had any power to oppose him and was
assured that any opposition to his own designs
would result in that man's ruin he coollv informed

Minard he had concluded to sell his stock in the
Chicago an. I St. Charles Air lane to the Chicago
& Galena C pany and promised to make repara-
tion for any personal inconvenience which such a
course might occasion him if he would raise no
objection, lie was then permitted to take his
choice and there was no choice to take. The re-
fusal and loss of his property could not help his
friends who were already ruined nor save his
town, which was then doomed, and he accordingly
took the course which any other sane man would
have taken. The road en. led at the lies l'laines
river and the grading upon the west bank of the
l''o\ river, since it was not necessary for the in-
terest of the Chicago & Northwestern Company to
continue it. Seven hundred thousand dollars paid
by hard working farmers and industrious mechanics
across the country was lost and many farmers
were reduced from wealth to poverty and the use-
less piers stood along the hanks of the Fox river
as a monument to the perfidy of Litchfield until
they were in later years occupied by the Chicago
& Croat Western. The real estate of the St.
Charles & Chicago Air Line had acquired a large
amount of value, especially that part of the prop-
erty which was to he used for depot and grounds
in Chicago ami therefore the railroad property of
this proposed line had appreciated enormously in
value. There was more than enough to pay for
all the work that had been done upon the road
It has been reported that Litchfield and Minard
by thus selling out their friends made a profit of
over four hundred thousand dollars. Tt must he
said in passing that the friends of Minard think
he has been unjustly blamed for his course in the
disaster, but it is sufficiently apparent that he
was far beneath the mark of innocence. The loss
of this railroad to those who had invested was the
severest blow that had ever visited St. Charles and
almost annihilated the village. Had that line been
built through what is now Sycamore and Dixon to
the river it is possible that the towns of Pe Kalb,
Cortland and Malta would never have been built
and Sycamore might have become one of the
largest cities of northern Illinois. The assessed
valuation of the property of Pe Kalb county in
1852 reached one hundred thousand dollars above
the million dollar mark, and despite railroad disas-
ters and a wet year the people were growing pros-
perous and the prospects that the ) pie of this

,,o

PAST AXD PRESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

locality would soon have markets by railroads had
induced many people from eastern states and also
many land speculators to buy the wild prairie.
And we find that all but about twenty thousand
acres of our land in this county at that time had
been purchased. The Chicago & Burlington was
completed as far west as De Kalb county and al-
though the road was crude in its construction, mer-
chants were able to ship their goods easily and
farmers could send their produce to market.

The elections of 1852 were very exciting. The
county was overwhelmingly democratic in politics,,
but there was a very strong, active freesoil party
and a sturdy, enterprising minority of whigs. The
omnibus bill of 1850, with the fugitive slave law
as part of its consideration, had created great op-
position in the north. The democrat party could
easily pledge itself to that measure as its great
strength lay in the south. The whig? in conven-
tion pledged themselves also to the compromise
of 1850, which drove many freesoilers from that
party. Franklin Pierce was the democrat candi-
date for president and General Winfield Scott can-
didate of the whig party. The whig party natural-
ly found its candidate opposed to the compromise
of 1850, while its platform favored that measure
and many of the freesoilers alluded to their ludi-
crous political position by stating that the candi-
dates were spitting on the platform that their
party had made. In this county five hundred and
eighty-three votes were cast for Franklin Pierce,
four hundred and fifty-six for General Scott and
three hundred and fifty-five for the freesoil can-
didate. This ended the political existence of the
whig party in De Kalb county. That party gen-
erally affiliated with the republican party, which
came into organized existence here in 1854. James
H. Beveridge, a merchant at Freeland Corners, in
the town of Somonauk. was the first nominee of
the new party for circuit clerk and recorder, was
elected and held the position in this county until
his election to the office of state treasurer in the
early *G0s. Joseph Sixbury was chosen county-
treasurer, Jacob E. Crossett. school commissioner,
and Herman Furness, sheriff. Bills for tne care
of paupers were paid by the county to the amount
of six hundred and thirteen dollars and the ques-
tion of the purchase of a poor farm was agitated
at the meeting of the board of supervisors.

The first agricultural society of the county was
organized and held a crude exhibition in the vil-
lage of Sycamore on land near the present Patten
factory. It has been stated by those present that
the entire exhibit consisted of one old white bull
chained to a stake in the center of a vacant lot,
two or three horses, with as many cows and colts,
and a few beets and pumpkins. The branch of the
Northwestern road was extended to Dixon and a
train was run into that city before midnight. Jan-
uary 1, 1854. Under the provisions of the charter
the road was to be completed by that day, but for
many miles of its course there was no grading, the
ties were laid down on the prairie and leveled up
with stove wood. It had neither station house,
freight house, engine house or any other building.
It was necessary that everything should be built
over from the foundation, but the road gave a
powerful forward impulse to the countrv. It
brought a market to the produce of all this country
to the doors of its growers. It seems incredible
that the speculators could not foresee the ad-
vance in the intrinsic value of the land which
was caused by this revolution in affairs, but yet
tracts of land which would be purchased by
land warrants at seventy-five cents per acre still
lay open to entry. Upon the completion of the
railroad to this county the people began to enjoy
-Mine of the luxuries. Tropical fruits such as
oranges and lemons were seen for the first time in
our county.

At the meeting of the board of supervisors this
year it was found that the expense accrued by
paupers amounted to nearly seven hundred dollars
yearly and in the hopes of lessening that burden
the board of supervisors decided to purchase a
county poor farm upon which some of this class
■ it unfortunates could be made useful and con-
tribute to their own maintenance. By order of
the board of supervisors Silas Tappan and Jesse
Tindall were appointed to purchase such a farm,
which was to be located in one of the two middle
tiers of townships, and Mr. Harrington, who was
still chairman of the board, advertised for a loan
of three thousand dollars with which to purchase
it. In September the farm of A. H. Cartwright
en the road between Sycamore and De Kalb was
purchased for this purpose, the county borrowing
the purchase money at the rate of ten per cent
interest. Applications for license for the sale of

PAST AND PEESENT OP DE KALB COUNTY. 93

liquor were again made at this session of the board ever silenced in the state of Illinois But two

and were promptly squelched by a resolution of- towns in the entire county-Kingston and Pierce

tered by Horace Champion and was carried unani- -voted against prohibition. The following is the

mously. De Kalb now sprung up. but two years vote of the towns :

previous there had been a store, a tavern and a For. Against

blacksmith shop and now took on the village airs Shabto" 49

and the name of "Buena Vista," which was one Pair Pw' .'.'. YYYYYYYYYYY. 90 11

of the fiercest battles of the Mexican war fousrht i outh Gr ? ve 56 3

by old Bough and Beady," was given this town Clinton ] 6i "

and it retained that name for several years S enoa 64 -42

a , . , ' , J Pampas 1 36 10

sandwich also became a village and was called Kingston 55 70

Newark Station. The editor of the Sentinel, the Squaw Grove' '. YYYYYY" " 43 3 \

first paper published in the county, states edi- Mayfield YYYYY. 67 u

tonally that he visited the villages of Somonauk Sycamore '. ' '. '. '. '. \ \ \ \ \ YYY. " 207 3 g

and Newark Station and in his letter states that De Kalb YYYYYYYYYYY. 140 21

Newark Station, now Sandwich, was liable to be- "^ ~
come a strong competitor of Somonauk and one Majority for prohibition, 832.
of the good cities of this county. That prophecy During the '50s De Kalb county took on more
has been fully verified, Sandwich now being the airs of civilization, established lodges and pro-
third city in population in De Kalb county. moted lectures courses, while in the country the
Thus in 1854 De Kalb county had railroad sta- schoolhouse was a social center, in which debating
tions at Somonauk, Newark Station, De Kalb and societies were held and many of the public and
Cortland. "On the 31st of May, 1854, appeared local questions of the day were discussed and oc-
in Sycamore the first number of the first news- casionally the old fashioned spelling school was
paper ever printed in De Kalb county. The first indulged in and its accompaniment, the country
number of this paper which was ever printed is school exhibition. In those days teachers would
now in the possession of the Sycamore Library and ^11 the P u pils f° r months in preparation of these
it is a valuable relic. It was called the Republican s P e U in £ matches and the best spellers of several
Sentinel and edited and published by H. A. districts were often pitted against each other and
Hough. The editor announced that the politics the one wno was victor in the contest was eonsid-
of the paper would be Eepublican Democratic, ere d a veritable Socrates. Some of the social
which sounds oddly enough at this day, but before functions of the '50s compare favorably with those
the year was over he was publishing in his columns R t the present time. The orthodox churches,
the proceedings of the conventions of two parties, especially held revivals lasting nearly through the
the Eepublican and the Democratic. The Sentinel en ^ Te winter. Hundreds of people were converted
gave a vigorous and enthusiastic support to the and enuren membership rapidly increased. While
prohibitory liquor law presented to the people of in * ne c ' ities a ^ ew church edifices were erected,
the state that year for adoption or rejection, and stl11 tnere was Dut one m tne country, and that
from its columns one would have inferred that the was tne United Presbyterian church of Somonauk
politics of the county that season hinged on the township. All other exercises of a religious nature
question of prohibition. And indeed the people of were llplc l in the schoolhouses. The schoolhouse
De Kalb county went into this canvass with deep served as a voting place, was used for school pur-
earnestness. On the 29th of June, 1854, a Main P oses - fnr religious services, funerals, debates and,
Law Alliance was formed and a thorough canvass in fact > everything of a public nature,
of the county commenced. It cannot be stated In 1 *•">•"> the Crimean war broke out in Europe,
with truth that there was an unusual amount of which involved- the nations of England, France,
drunkenness in our county, but they fought the Italy, Enssia and Turkey. This was one of the
dragon with weapons of flaming fire and if it had later struggles to put Turkey, known as the sick
depended upon the vote of De Kalb county the man, out of existence: and Eussia. while defeated
vending of ardent spirits would have been for- in her attempt to Eussianize Turkey, still fought

PAST AND PRESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

vigorously againsl the combined nations of Eu-
rope. This gave a wonderful market to the prod-
ucts of the United States. Dressed pork sold at ten
dollars a hundred, live pork at eight dollars, horses
fit for cavalry service brought an immense price,
wheat sold for a dollar and a half a bushel, corn
for seventy-five or eighty cents and wealth was
pouring into the pockets of the fanners. But in
such times of prosperity few are looking for a
reaction and many who had paid for their farms
with the money secured for one crop began to buy
land, giving but little cash down and in some
i ases their personal notes. The war suddenly came
Pi an end in 1851 and the grain ami stock in the
hands of the farmers fell rapidly in price. Tim-.'
\ ho had purchased land were unable to meet their

obligations, men who had bought g Is at the

-tore- on "tick" and bad put everj dollar thej
possessed into land found themselves unable to
pay their debts. Some sold out what they bail and
left in the uight, while merchants failed all over
the country. Some of the large institution-, as
well as banks, failed by the hundreds, so that in
L858 the country was paralyzed financially. Not-
withstanding these hard times the '50s brought
many people to De Kail, county. In 1856 more
(ban a thousand came here from the eastern -Mi-
ami foreign countries to make their home-, adding
to the material and social wealth of our county.
P>\ this time all public lands were sold and people
bad moved out on the prairie. Instead of the

schools being in the neighborb 1 of woods and

streams the little frami boxes dotted the prairies
and the number of districts during tins year was
as large as that of any later year in our county's
history.

In lS-->4 a barber sel up -hop in Sycamore, hut
did not depend upon his tonsorial labors alone,
but did the work of dentist. In looking over files
of the papers of that day we find that merchants
were trying to induce the people to use kerosene
oil. telling of its great advantages, of its economy
and how much better light it gave than the tallow
candles previously used, but people took up this
illuminating fluid with diffidence. Kerosene oil
was fifty cents a gallon and was thought fo he
verv dangerous and many people a quarter of a
centurv later, especially old people, preferred to
r.sc the tallow candle. After the financial crash
following 1857 the papers are full of tax sales

and there were other evidences of financial dis-
aster. In the '50s sewing societies were organized
I v the ladies of the LTniversalist and Episcopal
churches. Tin- was considered not strictly ortho-
dox by some of the churches and it was many
years later when all the churches had aid societies
of this nature.

A hand was organized in Sycamore in L858,
which event was of considerable interest to the
people of the whole county. At the invitation of
the people of Somonauk a benefit concert was held
and wa- \ei\ well patronized. They extended
their visits as far as St. Charles mi the east and
Belvidere mi the north. In 1858 the firs! Teach-
ers" County Institute wa- held, and the question
tor ih-i U--IOH ami debate wa-. "Kesolved, that in
Schools, a- Well a- In Nature. Order Is Heaven's
First Law. and the First Duty of the Teacher
Should He to Have Excellent Discipline." This
was discussed through the entire day pro and con.
and many of the teachers wdio participated in that
discussion afterwards become prominent in other

vocal - of lift — some lawyers, physicians and

! I public affairs. Tn 1854 there was held at

Sycamore a political mass meeting of such a pe-
culiar nature that a part of the record of its pro-
eedings are worth perpetuating. In some respects
\\ wa- the nio-t notable political event of our coun-
ty. It was the organization of a new party out of
the three old parties, and from this meeting may
be dated the existence of the republican party in
lie Kalh county. At this meeting delegate- were
appointed to attend a republican convention called

to n I at Aurora. These delegate- were thus ap-

ioned among the three old parties represented
\- most of the names are prominent one- in our
present politics, the reader may be interested in
seeing their former affinities. Democrats. Horace
W. Fay, G. A. Colton, Joseph Sixbury, James Har-
rington and Royal Crossett. Freesoilers, Pier-
pont Edwards, Stephen Townsend, Thurston ('air.
David West, .lame- II. Beveridge and E. S. Greg-
ory. Whigs, Reuben Pritchard, W. J. Hunt. A. J.
Joslyn, William Byers, Dr. E. Pose and John N.
Braddock. This convention was attended by many
outside of the regularly appointed delegates and
greai enthusiasm prevailed. Opposition to the
fugitive slave law was growing rapidly and dur-
ing this period the operations of the underground
railroad wen extensive. The third annual Agri-

PAST AND PWFSKNT OF 1)K KAMI OOlNTY.

cultural Fair of De Kalb County was held on the
11th and 12th of October of this year. It was a
very tamo and spiritless affair, only twenty-six
premiums being awarded in all, and these being
divided among eighteen persons. Those of our
citizens who participated in the demonstration
were mortified at the poor display of the industry
of the county, and at the close of the fair a meet-
ing of the Agricultural Society was held, at which
it was resolved to put forth every effort to enlist a
deeper interest in the annual fairs among the farm-
ers of the county, and from the success which has
attended subsequent fairs it is evident that their
resolutions were carried out with energy. At the
county election this year William Patten of Somo-
nauk was chosen representative in the legislature,
William Phelps of Sycamore sheriff, and Lorenzo
Whittemore coroner. The latter held office for a
period of twenty years. John Settle, the treasurer
of the county and an old and respected citizen,
died on the 22d of October this year in the town-
ship of Pampas, and the vacancy in the office oc-
casioned by his death was filled by the county court
by the appointment of Joseph Sixbury.

The taxable property during the year 1854
reached the magnificent sum of one million nine
hundred thousand dollars, and the total tax levied
was twenty-five thousand three hundred and sev-
enteen dollars. The number of horses in the county
was four thousand and ninety, the number of cat-
tle fifteen thousand seven hundred and forty, and
sheep eighl thousand five hundred and eight. It
is needless to state that of this tax of over twen-
ty-five thousand dollars was collected with greater
ease than the tax of fifteen years previous of less
than four hundred dollars, and at this time it was
no burden to the tax-payer, while in the year 1S40
a tax of five dollars meant an almost unbearable
burden. "An act of congress passed in September,
1850, had donated to certain states the swamp and
overflowed lands within their borders for educa-
tional purposes, and this state had decided to
transfer this property to the several counties to
be expended at their discretion. The land had
been surveyed and a commissioner of drainage ap-
pointed as early as 1853. A special session of the
board of supervisors of this county was held in
September of this year to take measures to dispose
of these lands. On motion of Supervisor William
Patten it was voted that the net proceeds of the

-ale of these lands should be paid to the county
school commissioner and by him to the township
treasurers, to be loaned out for the benefit of the
school fund, in the same manner as were the pro-
ceeds of the sale of the Kith, or school section, in
each town. The price of the first-class land was
fixed at six dollars; of the second-class a1 three
dollars and fifty cents; and of the third class at
one dollar and twenty-five cents. But no small
amount of these lands had been purchased of the
government by individuals, before the report of
the surveyor, designating the lands selected as
swamp lands, had been received by the United
States authorities. It was provided that titles to
these lands -should he confirmed to the original
purchasers upon their paying the county the pur-
chase money or relinquishing the warrant used in
the entry, it being understood that the Ohiied
States would refund the purchase money to those
who had thus entered them. At this session a peti-
tion was received for the organization of the town
of Alton, which was dulv accepted."

During the year 1S55 the county paid its in-
debtedness on the poor farm and owned their prop-
erty, valued then at about five thousand dollars,
and il held also a count)- bond valued at one thou-
sand, one hundred and thirty-five dollars.

About this lime an agitation sprang up in fa-
vor of building a branch road from Cortland to
Sycamore, and as the county seat "bugaboo"' was
kept rife in the minds of some of the Sycamore
politicians it was stated that if Sycamore could
not get railroad communication with the outside
world it would lose the courthouse, so the people
put their hands in their pockets and raised a sum
necessary for the building of that road, which
later became known as the Sycamore & Cortland
Jerk Water, which in the later '80s was purchased
and is now owned by the Northwestern road.
Twenty thousand dollars was raised from this sale
and was paid into the school fund of the Sycamore
district, which fund is kept intact and the interest
raised therefrom goes toward the support of the
public schools id' the city.

The census of 185.) shows Sycamore as having
a population of eight hundred, in 185G De Kalb
five hundred, in 1857 Cortland one hundred
and eighty-six. The census of 1855 shows the
following population : Genoa, eight hundred and
ninety-five; Kingston, eight hundred and seventy-

PAST AND PEESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

four; Franklin, eight hundred and thirty-seven;
South Grove, four hundred : Mayfield, eight hun-
dred and thirty-five; Sycamore, sixteen hundred
and forty-six ; Pampas, eleven hundred and eighty-
two; De Kalb. fifteen hundred and eighty-eighl ;
Pierce, six hundred and twenty-seven ; Squaw-
Grove, five hundred and fifteen; Clinton, eight
hundred and sixty-seven; Shabbona, nine hundred
and sixty-sis : Paw Paw. nine hundred and forty-
four; Victor, three hundred and ninety-nine; So-
monauk. eleven hundred and twenty-one; total,
thirteen thousand, six hundred and thirty-six.

In 1856 after considerable agitation the board
of supervisors appointed a committee to solicit
subscriptions from the citizens of Sycamore for
the erection of a county jail, reported no success
in their mission and recommended that the county
proceed to build a jail without their aid. After a
heated discussion and considerable filibustering in
opposition the board appropriated five thousand
dollars for this purpose and appointed John S.
Brown, Dr. James Harrington and Alonzo Ell-
wood a building committee. Those voting in fa-
vor of this proposition were G. H. Hill of Kings-
ton, .1. S. Brown of South Grove. William Patten
of Somonauk, I. W. Garvin of Genoa, W T. Kirk
of Franklin, H. S. Champlin of Pampas, James
Parker of Mayfield, <'. M. Eumiston of Pierc
and James Harrington of Sycamore. Those op-
posed were T. S. Terry of Shabbona, and Alonzo
Converse of DeKalb. The work was started at
once and after a period of twenty-one years De
Kalb county had its first jail. Prisoners had been
allowed and encouraged to escape if the crime of
which they were guilty was not of much conse-
quence, and in many instances when the county
had a criminal charged with murder, forgery or
some other heinous crime, the sheriff or his deputy
was compelled to sleep with him, having the hand
of tli.' criminal tied to that of the sheriff.

William Fordham. drainage commissioner, re-
ported that he had sold lands to the value of
twenty-three thousand, seven hundred and eighty-
three dollars ami seventy-six cents and received
in cash fourteen thousand, five hundred and
seventy-five dollars and eighteen cents, and in
notes nine thousand, two hundred and sixteen dol-
lars and fifty-eight cents. The committee report
that they are satisfied with the course of Ford-
ham in the matter.

The town of Victor was organized with its pres-
ent boundaries in 1852, Afton in 1853, Pierce in
1853, Malta in 1856 and Milan in 1857. Added
to the calamity of 1851 one of the wet seasons,
which seemed to have appeared every seventh year,
set in, and before the planting season arrived floods
of rain drowned vegetation, enveloped the country
in seas of mud and rendered it almost impossible
to conduct farming operations with any degree of
profit. Wheat which was raised that year was
not very marketable and the crop that had sold
the previous year at one dollar and a half a bushel
now fell to forty and fifty cents.

The Agricultural Society held its fair north of
the village of Sycamore on land now owned by
Frederick Tomlin. These exhibits began to at-
tract considerable attention and were great oc-
casions in this county. It is stated that five or
six thousand people attended on special occasions.
The December session of the board of supervisors
changed the name of the town of Aetna to Malta.
'I he proposition for erecting a fireproof building
for the court records was voted down.

The True Republican, a publication still in ex-
istence, was published for the first time in 1858.
The Be Kalli Time* came into existence in 1850
and the Prairie Home was published at Sandwich.
These papers were edited by men of ability and
became prominent. It was found that during
those stirring times there was no place for the
neutral paper and in time all of them became
identified with a party. During the year 1858 a
tornado swept over the northern portion of the
county during the month of April and destroyed
broad belts of timber and much property, but no
lives were lost. The total tax of 1858 was sixty-
nine thousand, nine hundred and five dollars, of
which seventeen thousand was state tax, seven
thousand school tax. eight thousand county tax
and thirty-eight thousand town, road, bridge and
other taxes. The total value of property of the
county was three and a half million.

In 1859 at the county convention held during
this summer Hiram Ellwood was nominated for
county treasurer. X. S. Greenwood for school com-
missioner and J. W. Eeid county surveyor. Mr.
Roswell Dow was a candidate for the nomination
at that time and his friends discredited the meth-
ods adopted by that convention and urged him
to become an independent candidate. Tip to that

PAST AND PEESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

time this was the most sharply contested election
ever known in county politics. Ellwood received
nine hundred and eighty-five votes and Dow nine
hundred and sixty-two.

The year of 1850 witnessed the passing of the
Fugitive Slave Law and the growing opposition to
slavery. Then the underground railroad began to
be operated and a chapter bearing on this subject
is thought not to be out of place at this time.

UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.

The history of the underground railroad in
this county was never written and, in fact, it
would be difficult to secure a good history of the
movement, as all of its operations were supposed
to be generally conducted in a secret manner.
Synopsis of the underground railroad. "It was a
strange road. It had neither locomotive nor cars;
it ran in the darkness and was invisible. Its op-
erations were so secret that people called it the
underground railroad. The friends of this mys-
terious railway declared that its charter came
from God and that it ran from the northern por-
tion of the southern states to Canada. Its officers
were largely volunteers and its route was that
which afforded to its passengers the greatest safe-
ty — salary, time, if not paid in this world will
surely be in the next; running expenses donated.
It is true that the present generation knows but
little of the moaning of the term, underground
railway, and we have been surprised to hear peo-
ple who have attained their majority ask if there
really was a railroad that ran under ground. It
is not such a strange question in view of the fact
that we may have so many city railways that are
now operated under the surface of the earth. The
work of this road was simply to aid the fugitive
slaves of the south to Canada, where freedom was
assured. A conductor on one of these roads not
only jeopardized his life but subjected himself to
a heavy fine and imprisonment under the fugitive
slave law in Illinois, and if one will refer to the
statute books that were printed after the adoption
of the new constitution of 1848 they will find
heavy fines and long terms of imprisonment for
those convicted in aiding negroes from slavery to
freedom. Some of the citizens of De Kalb county
who aided in this movement were the Beveridges.
of Somonauk township; Deyeo, of South Grove;

David West, of Sycamore; Starr Gregory, of
Genoa; Niekersons, Townsends and Nicholses of
Mayfield. There may have been other places and
perhaps many, but these homes became well-known
and have been remembered by the people who
lived at those times as the principal places where
this business was carried on. The only passengers
using the underground railway were the negro
people then in slavery and it had been running
years before Lincoln's famous proclamation was
signed and it might be well to state here the feel-
ing of Abraham Lincoln when he attached his
name to that immortal document. After he had
drafted it and laid it aside for reflection it was
brought to him to sign. He lifted his hand to the
place of signature and then it fell by his side.
Again he lifted it and again it fell. Then turning
to some one near him he said, "I have been shaking
hands with the people all day and my hand is very
weak and shaky. If I should tremble as I write
my name on this paper, which will be handed down
in history, if any deed of mine is, all the w r orld
will say 'he hesitated.'' " He lifted his hand once
more to the place of signature and steadily and
firmly wrote the A. Lincoln, with which all the
world is now familiar. Then leaning back satis-
fied hr said, "that will do." Its principal stations
were through Illinois, Indiana and Ohio — the
route that afforded the passengers the greatest safe-
ty — and lay through the anti-slavery portions of
the three states mentioned. The homes of aboli-
tionists whose aim was to carry fugitive slaves
from one station to another with safety were the
stations used. It must be remembered that it was
not without fear and trembling that many of the
escaped slaves, who started on their perilous jour-
ney, for if they were captured the usual penalty
was to sell the escaped slave further south. The
home of Deacon West, one of the early pioneers
here, whose latchstring was always out, es-
pecially to the poor slaves of the south, came to be
known as one of the most ardent abolitionists in
this section of the country. The old covered
wagon shown in the picture was made by him and
used as a car in the running of the underground
railroad. The son standing beside it was occasion-
ally pressed into service as conductor in his
younger days. The wagon and its history is known
all over the immediate country. It is now past
active service but still stands on the premises as

PAST AND PRESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

.. souvenir of those 'lark days. Soon after their
arrival in Illinois in the early morning the We&t
children had their first sight of a colored person.
He was in the house only long enough for his meals
and was on the alert every moment as this was his
- cond attempt to escape. During the day he hid
in tin- cornfields anil slept in the barn at night.
Finally Mr. West took bis wagon and put in some
ags o it, covering them up, with the negro

hidden somewhere in the load, started for the next
station near St. Charles. On the way he was
stopped and asked to see what he had in his load,
lie told them that was his business and whipped
up his horse, soon turned in a new road and heard
nothing more from the man following him. A
man, woman and three small children were brought
Tlie children were kept upstairs most of
tin- time The bahy was taken sick, however, and
the children were sen! down stairs t<, stay in the
kitchen. Thej were rather unruly Inn seemed t"
be in mortal fear. If they -aw any one ap-
proach the liouse they would ask if they were after
and if they were told ye.-, they would fly
under the bed quick as a flash and remain as quiel
a- mice. After that Mr-. West knew how t" man-
age them. They were taken on a- soon as possible.
Mr. Wesl had no trouble conveying In- passengers
to tin station beyond him hut could not always
trace them to their journey's end — Canada. Once
there were seven grown men brought there ami Mr.
Wes1 was away from home. They hid through the
day inn Mr-. West got a little nervous over so
many and -tailed ber -on off with them about mid-
night, reaching the next station before daylight,
and from there they were passed on. One negro
told how he rubbed onions on the bottom id' his
shoes to fool the hounds hut this had to he re-
peated many times in order to break the scent.
Often they would wade in streams for a mile or
more. or. if possible, steal a mule and ride for some
distance. All this tended to baffle the dogs in
pursuit. Once the presence oi two runaways hid
fair to make it more than usually interesting for
Mr. West, a- a southern sheriff was on his trail and
the pursuit was active and determined. One day
the sheriff appeared in Sycamore and posted a
bill, describing the two slaves, and upon it was an
ten thousand dollars for their apprehen-
sion. II. came to the house and questioned Mr.
West verv closelv hut he had grown skillful in giv-

ing evasive answers if he chose and the man went
away no wiser than when he came. Later the men
were taken on. It can he stated at this time that
prominent men of Sycamore were anxious to re-
ceive part of the ten thousand dollars reward of-

i and tried in every way possible to assist in
the capture of the two valuable negroes, but upon
being informed by Sylvanus Holcomb that Deacon
West was skillful with a rifle and could hit the eye
of a deer at long range, they thought best to re-
turn r<> Syeammv and give up the matter of secur-
ing the ten thousand dollars for the capture of
the negroes. Strange a- it seems to us now nine-
tenths of the people of DeKalb county in the early
'50s were opposed to the plan of the underground
railway. Once in the early '50s two negroes ap-
peared at the home of Mr. Dey< f South Grove,

who was a well-known conductor on tin- under-
ground railway and he thought best nut to he
caught in tran-porting slaves to Canada, so he
secured the services of his hired man. Mr. James
Pureed, now a resident of South Grove, and somi

during the night started him for the home oi
Joshua Townsend, of Mayfield, with these direc-
tions. "Look neither to the right nor to the left.
It,, n,,t look behind you or you will become a pillar
salt, inn drive directly to Joshua Townsend's
house and hack up to his cellar door." Appearing
there -nine time after midnight he found Mr.
Townsend awaiting him according to the directions
of Mr. he.,-,,, and the load wa- taken out and hid-
den in the cellar and Mr. Purcell invited to break-
fast. At another time Mr. Deyeo sent Mr. Ed.
Becker, now a resident of South drove, to the
of William Nickerson with runaway negroi -
to I" -in on to the station near St. Charles. In
the city of Chicago a Dr. Dyer was a well-known
conductor of the underground railway and he was
attacked by an assistant United States marshal.
and a bloody battle ensued on In- doorstep. Dr.
Dyer was wounded but he killed the officer and
wounded another. Excitement ran high hut the

ment by tin- time had grown rapidly in favor
of anti-slavery and he escaped without punish-
ment. Many of the negro men and women that
appeared at the homes of these abolitionists in
DeKalb county were covered with stripes from
head to foot and had suffered untold agonies in

ry. After the publishing of Fncle Tom's
Cabin, bv Harriet P>eecher Stowe. anti-slavery -en-

VEHICLE USED BY DEACON DAVID WEST TO CARRY ESCAPED SLAVES FROM
HIS HOME TO THE ST. CHARLES STATION.

5361!)?

A8T0H, LENOX

-JDATIOH8.

PAST AND PRESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

lul

timent grew apace and perhaps more than any
other factor this book secured the organization of a
party that was opposed to the further extension of
that relic of barbarism — slavery.

On another occasion seven fugitives, man. wife,
and children, came to the house of Deacon Wesl
when he was away. Mrs. West felt some hesi-
tancy in taking them in in the absence of her
husband, but the children urged her to do so.
They found one of the seven a white girl. At
supper time the old folks were allowed to eat first
and the pretty white girl and the children had to
wait with the other members of the family. Sup-
per over, the problem arose as to how the)- would
keep so large a number, but by making beds on
the floor all were cornfortablv entertained for the
night. Morning came, but .Mr. West did not, and
-lie sent her >nii over to Deacon Kellogg, who was
also friendly to the cause, and told him how they
were situated. He said he would lei his eldest
son go and take his team and .Mr. West's wagon,
so the seven were loaded up and started for the
next station near St. Charles, reaching Dr. Bart-
lett's soon after midnight and went to the door
and knocked. He came and asked what was
wanted and was told that he had seven fugitives.
Mr. Bartlett said that he understood they were
coming and had made provision for them. After
putting up the team he remained all night at the
home of Mr. Bartlett, who took the party on to
Chicago, where thev were placed on a boat and
taken to Canada. About a year later a letter was
received from the young lady, who was then aboul
twenty years old. In the meantime she had
learned to read and write quite intelligently. She
said they were happy in their new Canadian home
and could not thank us enough for helping them
on their way to freedom. The exact date cannot
be remembered, but it was sometime in the early
'50s. In Mayfield, where a branch of the Wes-
levan church had been organized, one of whose car-
dinal principles it was to oppose slavery, there was
a large settlement that gave much time and
energy in the assistance of slaves on their way to
Canada. These abolitionists advocated emancipa-
tion of slavery when ministers behind pulpits
denounced it. On one occasion Ira Nichols, a
pioneer of Mayfield, was on his way to St. Charles
with a load of grain, among the sacks of which
was packed a negro about twenty-five years of

age. Mn the streets of Sycamore was the owner

with the deputy United State- marshal offering a
reward of live hundred dollars for any one who
would apprehend the slave and restore him to his
master. Members of the two old political parties
held freesoilers in contempt for many years, and
some of them sneeringly said when they passed
the Brush Point settlemenl that they rode
through it as quickly as possible to escape the smell
of tln> negro. This kept up and in fact grew in ef-
fectiveness until the war broke out in 1861. After
that time no attempts were made by slave owners
te follow their escaped slaves into northern terri-
tory and the emancipation proclamation which
has been mentioned in the beginning of this ar-
ticle rather closes the business of the underground
railway.

POINTS FROM THE SENTINEL, THE
FIEST I'APER PUBLISHED IN DF KAMI
( IOTINTY.

H. A. Hough, on May 31, 1854, in the first
paper issued to the people of the county, makes
a salutatory address to his prospective patrons, but
so far as county news is concerned we find but
very little has been given. In it we find some news
of congress, some mi the Kansas and Nebraska bill
and foreign news galore, lint so little of county
news that the paper is not so valuable as one
might think. The county was then nineteen years
old and many of the old settlers were still alive,
and had the local news been given as fully as
now we might have considerable that would be
of interest. There are many topics of a moral
nature, some of the subjects being Our Home,
Solitude. Early Death, Sabbath Reflections, etc.

In the Sentinel of June 21st the opening of
the Japanese ports by Commodore Perry is given
and a whole column is devoted to the circumstances
attending the Japanese treaty. Little did that in-
dividual think that in less than fifty years Japan
would rise to be of world power. In one of the
issues flax culture is encouraged and from the
latter '50s until the prairie sod was generally sub-
dued flax became quite a profitable crop.

In the early '50s cholera swept through the Mis-
sissippi vallev and in some localities many deaths
occurred from that terrible disease. As the coun-

102

PAST .VXD PKESENT OF DE KALI! COUNTY.

try became older and better settled so many of
the contagious diseases that were so common in
the early '50s are practically unknown. In 1851
the Sentinel makes mention of the seventeen-
year locusts, which came in large numbers and
destroyed considerable vegetation.

The Fourth of July celebration of 1854 was a
memorable occasion. We iv.nl nf Revolutionary
soldiers and 1812 soldiers being invited to join
the procession, but as no list of those invited ap-
pear* we presume that in 1854 the Revolutionary
soldiers bad stopped marching in every part of
the Union. A number of toasts were responded
to l>> some of the Leading citizens of Sycamore
and an address was made by John A. Bross, a
prominent republican politician of Chicago. A
grand banquel was spread and several hundred
sat d"\\ n to partake of the repast.

In an article of August L7th the editor, II. A.
Hough, made a pilgrimage to the south part of
the county. Passing through Cortland be speaks
of n as a place destined al no distant date to
make a thriving town. He speaks in glowing
terms of Somonauk, which at that time contained
a depol and perhaps fifteen or twenty houses, and
also mentions a new church thai is Well under
way. In passing through Victor and Paw Paw
he speaks of the fine farm- and the good agri

cultural eondil - oi the county. When arriving

al Paw Paw, presumedly East Paw Paw. he speaks
of several stores, two hotels and shops and from

there returns by way of Shabl a Grove, which

he mentions as a thriving village. T. J. Carney,
id' Sycamore, was pastor of the Universalis!
church, and in the i>sue of August, 1854, makes
an attack upon Spiritualism, which at thai time
seems to have many adherents. The wife of T.
.1. Carney was the author .if the famous poem,
••Little drops of water, little grains of sand."

lion. Joshua R. Giddings, of Ohio, one of the
leaders of the anti-slaver: element, delivered an
Address at the Anti-Nebraska convention, which
lias been alluded to in another part of this work.
Mr. Gidding's oration was listened to with a
great deal of interest. Dr. Madden, of Mayfield,
presided over the meeting and introduced the
speaker. This meeting marks the organization of
the republican party. Stephen A. Douglas de-
livered an address to his political adherents in
this city in August, 185 1. Thus this section of
i he -late early became the political battle-ground

of Illinois. In the issue of September, 1854, a
number of extracts are given from the address.
His article on the know nothing and the republic-
an parties is interesting reading at this late date.
The address was delivered in the old courthouse.
Later in the year of 1854 the editor resumes his
pilgrimage about the county and visits Genoa,
which he describes as a truly delightful spot on
the face of this earth. .Speaks of it as being lo-
cated in the east part of the grove near the Kish-
wankee. There are twenty dwelling houses in
the village, one nice church, which was built this

year, three dry g Is stores conducted by W. H.

Allen. Israel Dowd and Ball Brothers, two black-
smith shops, one carriage and wagon shop, one
|i;uni shop, two hoot and shoe shops and two ho-
tel* conducted by II. N. Perkins and II. Durham,
one broker's office and one sawmill, which was no
doiihi located just west of the village on the Kish-
waukee, and >avs it has a population id' about one
hundred. The shipments of grain from Genoa
that year he gives at thirty thousand bushels.

At the democratic congressional convention of
is:, i linn. Edward L. Mayo, of Sycamore, was
nominated for congress. .Tames II. "Woodworth
m;i- nominated by the republicans as a candidate
of congress ami Etoberl S. Blackwell was the can-
didate of the whig part}-. H. C. Beard, afterward
county superintendent id' schools, was nominated
by the whig party for representative. Charles 0.
1'xiyntoli. of Sycamore, was secretary of the whig
convention. He afterward became prominent in
the democratic party. The election of 1S51. while
an oil' year election, was one of considerable in-
terest. W Iworih carried the county for congress

by aboul lifteen hundred plurality. The whig
part} made a very poor showing and disappeared
from the political arena entirely. On November
30 Editor Hough issues a letter to his patrons
and to the people of De Kalb county in general
appealing for support. He states that "his ex-
penses have been six hundred and ninety-six dol-
lars and ninety-nine cent-, and his receipts four
hundred and three dollars and fifty-seven cents,
leaving us out of pocket in cash two hundred
and ninety-three dollars and forty-two cents. Thus
it will lie Been that we have worked for glory and
are out two hundred and ninety-three dollars and
forty-two cents for honors. Now. we have worked
for glory so long that it comes perfectly natural,
but the latter statement, to say the least, is a

PAST AND PEESEXT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

ioa

doubtfu] one. With our books no one has any
business and we shall not at this time make an
exhibit of them, but if the above facts produce
nervousness in any of our creditors we hope they
will call and pay their bills. We are prepared to
meet all demands." At this time, however, about
seven hundred dollars was due Editor Hough and
this it took a long time to collect. Thus it will be
seen that the newspapers of the county today pay
far better than the pioneers in this field of the
early '50s. The editor again takes up his little
journeys over the county and visits De Kalb
Center, which changed its name from Buena Yista.
He speaks of the prosperity of that village, says
it has about four hundred people, a large steam
mill and a number of stores and mentions quite
a number of the business men of that time, such
as B. M. Dayton, A. II. Cartwright, Eeuben Hi-
land. Appleby. Love. (i. A. Colton and Dr. Hy-
slop. In describing the chief parts of the county
he does not neglect his home city, mentions three
churches, the pastor of the Congregational being
Eev. Darius Gore ; Methodist. Rev. D. L. Window,
and the Universalist church, built the past season,
pastor Eev. T. J. Carney. The latter church is
to be dedicated January 11. 1854. A brick school-
house has been erected, which is the best one in
this locality, two brick blocks have been erected,
a brick tavern, several dry goods stores, a drug
store and three taverns, being kept by Messrs. W.
M. Maxfield. A. Edson and Wadsworth. A car-
riage and wagon shop is kept by Cobb and Pres-
ton, and there is also a blacksmith shop, shingle
factory, meat market and seven lawyers' offices.

The paper was not published regularly, as an
editorial statement will show, for one day while
they were getting the machinery ready expecting
to print the paper another eastern mail arrived
with news from the seat of war. Crimea, and
news from Washington, and the machinery was
stopped, additional matter put in type and the
paper issued. A lecture was delivered by Judge
Depp, of Virginia, which created considerable ex-
citement. Judge Depp had been a slave and had
become free, was well educated and a speaker of
considerable force and his story gave quite an im-
petus to the anti-slavery cause in this locality. It
was thought by many that he was the equal of
Fred Douglas.

The year I860 was a notable one in the his-
torv of De Kalb countv. The years from 1857 to

1859 had been one of depression. Added to these
difficulties the weather had been unpropitious.
The year 1858 had been one of flood and rain,
while 1859 was a year of great drought. In the
year of 1860 spring opened unusually early. Wheat
was sown as early as February. The drought of
i lie previous year had drawn the moisture of the
subsoil to the surface from an unusual depth and
with the fructifying substance held there in so-
lution seemed to have covered the whole county
with a coating of fertilizer. The average yield of
wheat, corn, oats, flax, hay and barley was un-
precedented. Even to this day the year 1860 is
known as the year of the great crop. Fruit and
vegetables were also produced in great abundance.
It seemed to be a year of general prosperity and
during the early autumn crops were marketed at
prices that were unusually high and the farmers
who had been debt ridden for years began to feel
great relief. During the year 1860 was one of
great political excitement. In 1856 the first real
opposition to the slave power from a political
standpoint took form and eleven states of the
Union registered their disapproval of the exten-
sion of slave power. The political excitement of

1860 was even greater than that of 1840 and much
more was at stake for the nation. Political meet-
ings were held early in the season and continued
at almost every sehoolhouse and public place gath-
ering during the fall. The republicans were or-
ganized into a body known as the wide-awakes and
the democrats into an organization known as the
Douglas enthusiasts. One of the most notable
gatherings that ever occurred in this county was
the political meeting held at De Kalb. when Cas-
sius M. Clay, of Kentucky: Isaac N. Arnold, of
Chicago, who was at that time congressman from
this district: John F. Farnsworth, and many other
eminent speakers wen' present. An ox was roasted
at this meeting and distributed free to the attend-
ants. The wide-awakes in uniformed political
body with torches and banners attended in large
numbers, nearly half of the young men in the
county being members of this organization. Peo-
ple came from other counties and it has been es-
timated that thirty thousand attended. It is sate
to say that no gathering has been held in this
county -nice that equalled this in size and enthusi-
asm.

The vote in De Kalb county on the presidential
election of I860 was the largest ever polled up to

104

PAST AND PRESENT OF DE KALI'. COUNTY.

this date. De Kalb count}- gave Lincoln three
thousand and forty-nine rotes; Douglas, nine hun-
dred and fifty. The republican party nomination
was by this time considered equivalent to an elec-
tion and 1800 marked the first strife for republic-
an nomination. The candidates for recorder this
year were Mr. J. H. Beveridge, who had filled
the office eight years; Silas Tappan. of Squaw
Grove; Roswell Dow, of Sycamore, and C. M.
Brown, of Sycamore. ('. M. Brown was the suc-
cessful nominee. Thomas S. Terry, of Shabbona,
was chosen representative ; Baldwin Woodruff, of
Clinton, sheriff; Lorenzo Whittemore, coroner.
At this election four thousand and nine votes were
given in favor of a convention to form a new
constitution.

The census of \>''<" gave the different towns of

the county a population of over nineteen thou-
sand, distributed as follows: Genoa, one thou-
sand: Kingston, one thousand and sixty: Franklin.
nine hundred and forty-three; South Grove, sev-
en hundred and eighty-seven; Mayfield, one thou-
sand and forty: Sycamore, two thousand two hun-
dred and eighty; Pampas, one thousand three
hundred and ten: Malta, six hundred and twenty;
Milan, two hundred and sixty-three; Afton, five
hundred and forty-five; Pierce, nine hundred and
fifty: Squaw Grove, eigb.1 hundred; Clinton, nine
hundred and ninety-seven: Shabbona, nine hun-
dred and sixty-three: Paw Paw. one thousand one
hundred and seven; Victor, seven hundred and
sixty-six; Somonauk, two thousand two hundred
and forty: De Kalb. one thousand nine hundred.
The year 1865 was one of general gloom. The
war. which many supposed would be of short dura-
tion, had assumed immense proportions and battles
larger than ever had been fought on this conti-
nent were transpiring almost weekly. Thousands
upon thousands had lost their lives, or had been
crippled, and added to this, the beginning of the
year 1862 the Union army had gained no decided
advantage. The calls for troops came in rapid
succession to fill up the depleted ranks of our de-
feated armies and up to this time the response was
generous and prompt. Those enlisting in the
Western Army had won some battles that had a
telling effect upon the rebellion, such as Fort
Donelson, Shiloh. Island No. 10 and the capture
of Nashville. The call for troops this year came
in the midst of the busy labors of the harvest field

and eight hundred of the best young men of the
countv enrolled themselves on the roster of the
army. In October of this year a total of eleven
hundred and thirty-three men was enlisted from
this county. An enrollment made at this time
with reference to those subject to draft showed
that only thirty-three hundred remained who were
able to do military duty. The enlistments so far
were distributed as follows:

Number Number

enrolled. io service.

Genoa 146 90

Shabbona 257 123

Paw Paw 2S2 114

Somonauk 624 234

Clinton 250 93

Squaw Grove 253 97

imore 574 179

Franklin 208 64

Malta 219 64

Milan 96 27

Mayfield 203 58

South l,rn U . 213 58

Kingston 258 73

D. Kalb 429 107

Pampas 383 88

Victor 201 43

Pierce 221 41

\ii.n 120 16

The total number of bounties paid from the
county treasury this year was three thousand four
hundred and sixty-six. The assessment made in
1862 placed the total value of property in De
Kalb county at two million seven hundred and
twelve thousand dollars, of which one million, nine
hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars was in
farms, one hundred and ninety thousand dollars
in town property, a little more than a half million
in personal property. The actual value of the
last class was probably ten times and of the for-
mer classes five times the amount for which they
were assessed. The returns show that there were
ten thousand seven hundred and thirty-four
horses, twenty-four thousand eight hundred and
eighty-four cattle, sixteen thousand and twenty
hogs, five thousand and ninety-two sheep and one
hundred and thirty-eight mules owned in the
county. It gave a comparative idea of the wealth
,n the present tune. The money deposited in one
of the half dozen hanks in De Kalb county at the
present time is as much as the assessed valuation
of personal property in 1862.

In 1861 the Douglas democrats and republican?
had formed a union ticket, the republicans, al-
though four to one. giving the democrats half the
candidates Dominated in the convention. The No-

PAST AND PEESENT OP DE KALB COUNTY.

105

vember elections of 1862 were fought out under
part.v organizations. A reaction had set in and
the opponents of the war were making themselves
heard.

W. W. Sedgwick was chosen a member of the
legislature, Henry Safford was made sheriff and
Jacob R. Crossett, coroner. At the autumn ses-
sion of the board of supervisors the claim of the
county against the United States, under the
swamp-land grant, was offered at auction. "W.
T. Kirk offered fifteen hundred dollars, A. K.
Stiles offered nineteen hundred and twenty-
five dollars, Reuben Ellwood offered two
thousand and twenty dollars, W. J. limit
offered two thousand and forty-five dol-
lars and Benjamin Page two thousand and
fifty dollars, all upon credit. R. Ellwood then
amended his bid to two thousand and twenty dol-
lars cash, and it was struck off to him. Five
supervisors voted against the proposition to sell
and their written protest against it was recorded.
They were Messrs. C. Winne, R. M. Pritchard, T.
J. yandevere, G. W. Culver and S. Denton. Soon
after it was reported that injustice had been done
to the county by this sale and the board was called
together for an investigation. A committee of the
board presented an elaborate report, giving the
full history of the swamp-land matter, which was
to the following effect:

They report that in 1852 John L. Beveridge had
been appointed drainage commissioner, with author-
ity to drain and sell the swamp-lands, but that he
was soon after succeeded by William Pordham. By
April, 1853, Mr. Lamb, the county surveyor, had
selected as swamp-lands thirty-one thousand one
hundred and fifty-three acres, but none of these
lands had been conveyed to the county until 1858,
when only five thousand, seven hundred and forty-
one acres were conveyed, the' remainder, about
twenty-five thousand acres, having meanwhile
been sold by the United States to individuals. The
policy of the United States in regard to lands
selected as swamp-lands, but which it had thus
sold, was to return to the county the money paid
in cases in which money had been used in paying
for these lands and to give land warrants in cases
in which the lands had been paid for in warrants.
The United States had accordingly paid into the
state treasury for the benefit of this county six
thousand seven hundred and eighty-six dollars in

money and a claim for about twenty thousand
acres in land warrants.

Mr. Ellwood had gone to Springfield immedi-
ately after the sale by the county and had drawn
six thousand five hundred and forty-three dollars
and nineteen cents in money. The land warrants
had not yet been received. Messrs. Kirk and
Stiles testified before the committee that they did
not know that the money was at Springfield at
the time of the sale. Mr. Ellwood testified that
he did not know that it was, but supposed that it
was or would be soon. He supposed, however, that
it was a smaller amount. He offered to re-eonvey
all the land warrants to the county if it would
pay the expenses of the trip he had made to
Washington to procure them.

For the land sold by Fordham nothing had
been paid into the treasury. He had removed
from the county in 1855, but reported that he
had received from the sale of these lands four-
teen thousand five hundred and seventy-eight dol-
lars and eighteen cents; that he charged for his
services three thousand four hundred and fortv-
three dollars, and had paid for ditching six thou-
sand dollars, leaving five thousand dollars in his
hands. The committee thought that very little
of this ditching was ever done. He had soia for
the county eight thousand seven hundred and thir-
ty-one acres, a. large proportion of which was land
subsequently sold by the United States to individ-
uals. Upon such sales the county had been com-
pelled to refund to those who purchased from it,
and already raised by taxation and paid over six
thousand dollars for this purpose. The county
had commenced suit against Fordham" s bondsmen,
but had settled it for thirteen hundred dollars.

Thus this rich heritage intended for the benefit
of the county, and which, had it been retained
and wisely managed, would not have been worth
more than half a million dollars, had really cost
the county several thousands of dollars more than
it had received from it,

The year 1863 whs pecuniarily a prosperous
season for De Kalb county. It had been drained
of a large proportion of its population and by
this time nearly two thousand men from this
county were under arms and some farms lay
waste and unfilled for want of men to work them.
Yet the days of stump tail currency had passed
and the country had been put upon a firm finan-
cial basis.

106

PAST AND PRESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

The tai'itl' bill which was enacted was furnish-
ing considerable revenue and wise national legis-
lation had brought the currency up to a higher
standard. In 1S01 many of the banks of issue
were in the southern states and soon failed, leaving
the bank currency in possession of the owner abso-
lutely worthless. The newspapers tried to post
their customers as to the solvency of certain banks,
but they failed with such rapidity that it was im-
possible to do so. Many a farmer came to town
with stump tail currency in his pocket to pav for
produce, finding his money absolutely worthless,
but in 1863 the necessities of war had made a
market for the productions of the farmer and
higher prices were received than ever before. The
soldiers' bounties, the county indebtedness and
private indebtedness was paid for with consider-
able rapidity.

This year the board of supervisors made an
appropriation of four thousand five hundred dol-
lars for the construction of an extensive fire-
proof addition to the courthouse. Notwithstand-
ing the demands made upon the people by the
great rebellion improvements thai were more sub-
stantial than had been made heretofore were con-
summated. De Kalh built an excellent graded
school building of brick, which at that time was
the best building of its kind in the county. Syca-
more built a large wooden building in 1863, which
still remains ami i- used as a grade building.

All over the county churches had been built,
hedges bad been planted and orchards were in
bearing and it is safe to state that on prairie land
of this county in 1863 there were more trees than
at the present time. In 1863 six hundred thou-
sand more troops were called out by the president
for various terms of sen ice and although it seemed
impossible that so many could be raised by vol-
untary effort, yet this county tilled Iter quota and
still remained free from the terrors of the draft.

The board of supervisors offered a bounty of
one hundred dollars to each recruit from this
county and appropriated twenty-five dollars for
each family of absent soldiers requiring it. Cap-
tain E. A. Smith, who was wounded in the sieg
of Vicksburg and lost an arm ami was wounded
in the leg, received an honorable discharge for
disability and returned to his home in Cortland.
This year both parties resolved upon the union and
a convention was called under the head of the re-
publican union convention. There were sharp con-

tests for the nomination of county treasurer. Mr.
William C. Tappan. of South Grove, was chosen
on the sixth ballot. Some of the friends of Cap-
tain R. A. Smith, who was a candidate for the
same position, believed that he had not received a
square deal. E. A. Smith came out as an inde-
pendent candidate and was elected by a vote of
two to one over the regular nominee. He was
afterward re-elected and served in that position
for eight years. Hiram C. Beard, of Victor, who
had been a pioneer school teacher in different
parts of the county, was this year chosen as school
commissioner, lie was a man of considerable
ability and many regarded him as an able super-
visor of schools. 1). W. Lamb was elected county
treasurer. The county indebtedness this year for
all purposes was fifty thousand dollars. The jur-
isdiction of the county court, which had previously
extended only to probate matters, was this year
enlarged, so as to give it authority to try civil suits
as in the circuit court. In place of the allowance
hitherto paid the judge he was now remunerated
with a salary which was fixed at one hundred dol-
lar- per annum.

The high prices paid for sugars and syrups had
at this time greatly stimulated the culture of the
sorghum plant, then a new discovery, and large
steam factories for the manufacture of sugar and
syrup were established at Sycamore and Sand-
wich. Small portable machines were in operation
in various portions of the county. Isaac Christ-
man, an indefatigable worker and pioneer of this
branch of manufacture, had several mills in opera-
tion.

The year 1864 came in with a storm more ter-
rible in its fury than the oldest inhabitant bad
ever known. This has since been known as the
cold New Years all over the northern part of the
United States. Heavy, lowering black clouds
seemed to descend in a mass to the earth in
prodigious drifts of snow, which were driven with
great force l>\ a powerful south wind. The coun-
try was buried beneath these drifts and the mur-
cury sank to forty degrees blow zero. The severit)
of the cold was intensified by a fierce gale, which
blew for three days with great fury. Many per-
son- were frozen to death and it must be remem-
bered that the home- of that time were not warm
and comfortable as at present. Many horses, (at-
tic and bogs perished. Tin- commodious barns of

PAST AND PKESENT OF DE KALI! COUNTY.

107

the present day had not been built and the young
cattle were allowed to run out all winter and their
only protection was the straw slacks or in some
cases growth of timber. More than half the fowls
in the county w r ere frozen. The railroad was
blocked up and multitudes of passengers were com-
pelled to remain in the cars for several days.
Thousands of animals in the course of transporta-
tion upon stock trains perished and were brought
to market a stiff, stark frozen mass. Xone who
lived through that fearful storm can ever forget
its terrors.

This year an extensive fire at Sandwich de-
stroyed several warehouses and other buildings,
creating a heavy loss. A favorite shade tree in
this county had always been the rapidly growing
locust and thousands of acres of them had been
planted for timber and as screens from the fierce
winds of the prairie. During this year they were
i lest roved by a species of borer, which left hardly
one tree alive in the country.

The rapid rise in gold caused by the immense
issues of bills required by the necessities of the
government this year caused an equally rapid ap-
preciation in value in all kinds of property. Money
was plenty, trade was lively and every one seemed
to be growing wealthy. Gold rose during the year
to two dollars and forty cents, wheat sold at two
dollars, corn at a dollar and twenty cents and
barley at one dollar and ninety cents per bushel.
Those in trade rapidly made money by the inevita-
ble rise in value of everything they purchased and
large numbers, attracted by the profits of trade,
moved into the villages and filled every department
of business. The wheat crop this season, however,
was a failure. It was destroyed by the chinch bug.
Tn February the president made a call for two
hundred thousand troops for a term of three years,
or during the war. In April came a demand for
three hundred thousand more for one hundred
days. The supervisors met and extended the
bounty of one hundred dollars to all who should
enlist upon the first call and offered thirty-five
dollars to those who went upon the second. Two
or three companies were raised for the latter term
of service and were soon garrisoning the forts and
guarding the communications in the rear of our
great armies of veterans, now marching under
General Sherman upon Richmond and Atlanta.
The repeated calls for volunteers had exhausted

the supply and in the autumn of 1864 the long

threatened draft came upon some of the towns of
the county.

An enrollment was made and the official state-
ment gives its results :

Towns. Quota. Credits. Deficit.

Pampas Us 101 17

Shabbona 122 93 29

Milan 37 31 6

Malta 86 72 14

South Grove !)4 76 is

Franklin 90 75 15

Kingston 100 70 30

Mavfield 93 76 17

De Kalb 196 192 4

Afton si 66 15

Clinton 102 84 IS

Victor 87 79

Somonauk 265 248 17

Squaw Grove 86 64 L9

Pierce 92 75 17

Paw Paw 124 110 14

Sycamore 250 291

Genoa 100 85 15

2,123 1,888 273

The people of Sycamore found to their sur-
prise that their town was credited with forty-one
more men than their quota required. This was
probably due to the fact that early in the war
men from other towns recorded their names as
coming from that town, thus unwittingly defeat-
ing their own towns of the proper credit. This
created a great deal of complaint and a con-
vention of the county was held at Cortland to
endeavor to devise some means to right the wrong,
but nothing of any avail could be done. In some
of the towns meetings were called by town offi-
cers, at which large sums of money were voted as
a tax mi the property of the town, it being under-
stood that the next legislature would legalize these
irregular taxes. Money was advanced by citizens
upon these promises and by offering large bounties
recruits were procured and the draft averted, but
in others the conscription came and fell with great
severity upon many citizens. Tt singled out many
men whose absence would leave their families des-
titute and dependent and who in some cases were
obliged to pay a thousand dollars to secure sub-
stitutes, but most of the drafted men went willing-
ly and served most faithfully.

At the election in the autumn General F. W.
Partridge was elected circuit clerk and recorder:
T. V. Randall, of De Kalb, representative to the
legislature; and TT. A. Joslyn, of Sycamore, sheriff.
James H. BeVeridge was elected state treasurer —
the first person ever elected from the county to

108

PAST AND PEESEXT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

anv public office whose duties were not exercised
entirely in the county. The county this year gave
Abraham Lincoln two thousand nine hundred and
eighty-five votes for re-election and seven hundred
and forty-one for General George B. McClellan.

The Union League, a secret political organiza-
tii.n. established lodges in most of the towns of
the county and held frequent meetings. The char-
ter of the Union League of America, of Paw Paw
council, Xo. 520, reads as follows: "To all to
whom these presents shall come, know ye that we
the grand council of the Union League of Amer-
ica, for the state of Illinois, do grant unto Robert
Hampton. William P. Hampton. John B. Hyde,
Jesse Cory. n. M. Boardman, D. D. McGibbeny
and X. n. Powers ami their associates of this
charter constituting them a council to be known
as the Paw Paw Xo. 520. U. L. A., to be located
at Paw Paw. in the county of De Kalb, state of
Illinois. Know ye. therefore, that this charter
gives them and their associates that may become
regular members of this League full power to re-
ceive male citizens over eighteen years of age and
initiate and instruct them in the work of the Union
League of America on such rules and terms as the
constitution of the League will permit. Also gives
them full power to make sucb by-laws as they can
agree upon, provided they do not conflict with
the constitutions and rules of the grand council.
Also gives them full power to elect such officers
as they think worthy and suitable for the good
of the League. Also gives them full power to send
delegates to this grand council as provided in the
constitution of the same and gives them full power
to perform all the duties of the council of the
Union League of America, while they conform
to the by-laws and rules of the League.

"In witness whereof we have caused this charter
to be signed by the errand president and grand
secretary of the Union League of America of Illi-
nois and the seal of the errand council aforesaid
to he affixed thereto, this 29th day of April. A. D..
1863. Signed Mark Banks, srrand president:
George H. Harlan, grand secretary."

It will lie noticed that the real purposes of the
League are not set forth in their charter, hut they
de\ ised means for the support of the trovernment
by aiding in the enlistment of officers and ^up-
porting such measures in political affairs as in
their judgment gave tic- greatest security to the

Onion cause. It is not necessary to state that an
organization of this character met with consider-
alili (i]ipn>itiou, hui in "in' i ountj especially thej
performed a great work.

A great deal of excitement was caused this year
against the railroad companies because of the
high prices of freight and a vicious system of
warehousing and grain inspection. A convention
was held at De Kalb on the subject and a commit-
tee sent to confer with the companies. Some un-
important concessions were made to the demands
of the public. Captain J. M. Hood, of Sycamore,
was appointed United States consul to Siam — the
first foreign appointment received by a citizen of
tlii- county.

During the winter of 1864-5 a bill for the re-
in. !\;il of the count} seat from Sycamore to De
Kalb was introduced into the state legislature by
Mr. Randall, of De Kalb. A committee of the
citizens of Sycamore immediately went to Spring-
field and endeavored to defeat its passage. The
number of names upon the petition to its passage
and the remonstrance against it was greater than
the number oi raters in the county and many
names wi re those of persons who had been dead
for many years. After an exciting discussion of
the committee to whom the bill was referred they
reported againsl its passage and the opponents of
the measure returned home. The bill was sub-
sequently, however, taken up by the house and
passed to a third reading but it was defeated in the
house.

Tn 1865 another call for troops was made and
shows the following : Afton fifteen ; Clinton twen-
ty ; De Kalb twenty-seven; Franklin sixteen: Ge-
noa sixteen : Kingston fourteen: Mayfield thirteen;
Milan three: Malta seven; Pampas twenty-three;
Paw Paw twenty-six: Pierce seventeen; Sycamore
one; Smith Grove sixteen: Squaw Grove nine-
teen; Somonauk forty-six; Shabbona twenty-two:
Victor seventeen. Most of the towns since the
rail was made had partially filled their numbers
by enlistments of citizens and raised funds by tax-
ation to produce substitutes in the cities and else-
where. Sycamore had raised money and put into
the service twelve men. which was eleven more
than its quota. From four hundred to six hun-
dred dollars was usually paid each recruit. In
ral towns, however, a draft became necessary
and some of the drafted men paid nearly one

EA S

\ . rT ,

DK KALM AI'.OUT lsiio.

PAST AND PEESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

Ill

thousand dollars for substitutes. To meet the ex-
pense caused by taxation for procuring these men
the taxes levied this year were enormous, the per-
centage levied in several towns of the county for
all purposes being as follows: Paw Paw ten
per cent; Shabbona seven per cent; Milan six and
a half per cent; Malta four and a half per cent;
South Grove six and a half per cent ; Franklin five
and a hall' per cent; Victor six and a half per
cent; Clinton ten and a half per cent; Afton six
per cent: De Kalb seven and a half per cent; May-
field six per cent; Kingston six per cent; Somon-
auk, seven per cent; Squaw Grove six and a half
per cent; Pierce seven per cent; Cortland six and
a half per cent; Sycamore eight and a half per
cent; Genoa six per cent.

Great relief was felt, however, as the war was
expected to lie brought to a close speedilv. The
Confederacy had been cut m two by the march of
Sherman to the sea, at Savannah. Hood*s army
bad been destroyed by the gallant boys under
Genera] Thomas; Grant was holding Lee in death
grasp at Richmond, and at last, in April the news
that Richmond had fallen and the rebel army was
flying in dismay, and later of the surrender of.
Lee*s army was received by the people of the
county with joy. How every heart rejoiced, how
every eye brightened, how every household was
gladdened by the delightful assurance that the
most terrible of all wars was ended, and gloriously
ended, that the last loyal son of De Kalb had fal-
len by rebel bullets, that the husband, the father
the son would soon be home again on a long,
perpetual furlough, that the cankering fear of
the lonely watchers at home, least lie should
come shattered with wounds . or a mangled, loath-
some corpse, had passed away forever. None can
forget the glad rejoicing of that joyous occasion.
Hundreds of the brave boys were among us again
and were received with that glad welcome which
their sufferings and sacrifices deserved. The to-
tal of all men furnished by the different towns
will be given in the township history and the losses
from each town will lie given as far as can be ascer-
tained. With the close of the rebellion came a fall
in the value of gold and a consequent fall in the
prices of farm products. "Wheat fell to seventy cents
a bushel and this was a criterion of the value of
other property. Crops were verv poor and the
summer of 1865 was a wet season. There had

been a drought in the spring but at harvest time
(he Hoods poured down destroying large portions
of the ripened grain and covering the country with
a coating of slimy mud, so deep the reapers could
not operate when tins was attempted in the inter-
vals of the showers. The wet season continued
during the fall. At the autumn elections there
was no opposition for the election of county of-
ficers: General Daniel Dustin as county clerk;
Captain E. A. Smith as treasurer; M. V. Allen,
a wounded soldier of the One Hundred and Fifth,
as superintendent of schools; D. W. Lamb as
surveyor. The only contest was between D. B.
•lames and Hon. E. L. .Mayo. James winning by
a small majority.

Notwithstanding the great loss of life occasion-
ed during the war the county showed a substantial
increase in population. Sycamore, De Kalb and
Somonauk having made the largest increase, the
total population being twenty-one thousand, one
hundred and sixty-eight. When the soldiers re-
turned to their homes and devoted their energies
to civil pursuits they gave new life to all branches
of industries. Many of the newly returned veter-
.ans crowded into villages and cities and filled to
repletion every branch of trade. It was a year of
general prosperity. In anticipation of a decrease
in prices the people had prudently kept out of
debt, paid cash for their purchases, foreseeing and
preparing for a financial storm but all dangers
from its effects were averted. Notwithstanding
the great expenditures of the county during the
war improvements in every line continued.
Some of the elegant churches that remain to this
day were built, notably, the Methodist Episcopal
church at Sycamore, which was considered the
finest house of worship in the county. This year
two hundred Swedish emigrants from the land of
their birth settled about the villages of De Kalb
and Sycamore during the summer, Peter Johnson
being tin' first Swedish settler in the county. They
were a sober, industrious, peaceful, frugal race and
considered a valuable addition to the population.
The German population was considerably in-
creased by emigrants from Germany, who settled
in Genoa. Squaw Grove and other portions of the
county. In August of this year a desolating hail
storm swept through the northern and central por-
tions of the county, beating every species of vege-
tation into the earth. Farmers had commenced

112

PAST AND PRESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

their harvesting, and with the exception of the
grain which stood in the shock every acre was
rendered utterly worthless. Thousands of acres
of corn were beaten to bare stalks. Hail stones
measuring six and seven inches in circumference
fell in millions. Children were knocked senseless,
pigs, fowls and birds were killed by hundreds. The
loss was estimated at more than a quarter of a
million. In the portions of the county where hail
did not fall, drenching rains continued for several
day- and threatened the destruction of the ripened
grain. This year cholera appeared again in the
United State- and was especially contagious in
cities. Feu cases, however, were found in this
county.

The failure of the Sycamore Bank on the 2d of
November, was the cause of a greal deal of embar-
rassment to the people of northern l>e Kalb
county. Hon. James II. Beveridge, its president,
and William J. Hunt, its rice-president, with
B. T. Hunt, its cashier, were the only stockhold-
ers. The people had confidence in the honesty,
skill and integrity of the two former, and all
classes dealt Ereelj with the hank. But. upon the
failure il was discovered that these men owned
Km eighl shares in the institution, while the re-
mainder was in the hands of E. T. Hunt, an ami-
able young man of pleasanl manners, with whom
people liked to do business but whose expensive
habits and reckless management, together with a
number of unfortunate spa illations, had sunk the
capita] of the concern and brought it down to
ruin. Mr. Beveridge had for three years been
abseni at Springfield, in the performance of the
duties of his office ii- state treasurer. A public
meeting of the depositors appointed a committee
to examine its affairs and thej made a full re-
port. They reported its debts at ninety-five
thousand dollars, and assets at less than ten thou-
sand dollars. During the following year a settle-
ment was made with its depositors, by which
they received fifty per cenl of their claims.

The elections of 1866 were held and practically
no opposition appeared to the republican ticket.
William Patten, of Somonauk, was chosen state
senator: Robert Hampton, of Paw Paw. repre-
sentative; Mortis ffolcomb, of Sycamore, sheriff:
Lorenzo Whittemore, of Sycamore, coroner; and
V. D. Miller, of De Kalb, surveyor. The total
this year was three thousand, the smallest

cast for many years. The assessors report for this
year valued the taxable personal property of the
county at seven hundred and fifty-four thousand,
seven hundred and seventy-one dollars. The
total value of all property being three million
sixty-eight thousand dollar-. The county
tax levied was seventy-six thousand, seven
hundred and thirty-three dollars and the entire
tax of the county for all purposes, including its
indebtedness, was two hundred and eight thous-
and and thirty dollars. The interest on this in-
debtedness w^as paying ten per cent, as was also the
interest on the indebtedness of the several town-
ships. The township tax had never been so high
and was not so high for many years afterwards,
and it can he added that this tax, burdensome
though it was. was more easily borne than would
have been a tax of one hundredth that amount
several years previous.

A great many cases of destruction of sheep by
wolves were reported and the supervisors increased
the bounty to twenty dollars upon each animal
killed, with the prudent proviso that as some had
been detected in the profitable business of keeping
tame wolves and raising them for the bounty, no
claim- thus originated should be paid.

The business interests of De Kalb county have
always been to such an extenl agricultural in their
character that upon the abundance of crops and
enlargement of prices all of its pecuniary pros-
perity has directly depended and no record of its
history for 1867 would be complete without men-
tion that this was the third and most fortunate
of years of great prosperity among the fanner-,
and consequently with all classes of population.
With the opening of spring grain commanded
the highesl prices ever known in the county,
spring wheat readily selling at two dollars and
seventy-five cents per bushel, which a few years
previous had been a drug at fifty cents. Corn,
which six years before had been burned for fuel,
was now worth a dollar and twenty cents a
bushel. Cattle and other farm products were
equalh high. Beef, which five years before re-
tailed at five cents per pound now brought twenty
cents. The fanners who since the war had been
expecting a decline in prices had consequently
been very cautious in their dealings, now began to
place higher value upon their lands. During the
war no considerable rise j n the value of real estate

PAST AXI) PliKSKXT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

113

had been accomplished but now there was a ma-
terial advance. Prairies about Malta and Milan
sold readily at twice the prices of three or four
years before. All over the county there was a
similar advance, stimulated by a promising pros-
pect for a very large crop of grain.

HALF SHIRE BILL.

During the spring of 18137 a new method orig-
inated in the brain of sonic of the men interested
in retaining the county seat. (Tpnn the petitions

central portion of the county naturally flowed to
the railroad towns of the northern and southern

ends and that neither De Kalb ■ Sycamore

offered a convenient place for the transaction of
the public business of the southern portion of the
county. One of the most exciting elections ever
held in the county followed. To oppose this
measure the citizens of De Kalb and this vicinity
formed a stock company and contributed nearly
five thousand dollars to establish a newspaper of-
fice in that town. Aaron K. Stiles, a former

THE HALF-SHIRE BILL ILLUSTRATED.

THE COUNTY UNDER THE HALF-SHIEE LAW

of the citizens of Sandwich, which had now be-
come the largest village in the south part of the
county, Senator William Patten had during the
previous winter introduced a bill in the legislature
known as the Half Shire Bill. It provided for
a re-location of the county seat at Sycamore and
Sandwich. The latter place was to be the seat of
justice of the six southern towns of the county
and the former the twelve northern towns. It
was argued in its favor that the business of the
county dividing the thinly settled country in the

county clerk, being one of the stockholders now
became chief editor of the De Kalb County News.
He was a man of remarkable tact, shrewdness
and energy and for a week or two preceeding the
election the paper was issued daily. The people
and the papers at Sandwich supported the move-
ment. Meetings were held at almost every school-
house in the county but the final quietus was given
to the measure by the efforts of a delegation from
the southern sections, composed of Messrs. Beard,
Woodruff. Pritchard. McEwen and Ball, men who

114 PAST AND PRESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

commanded the full confidenci : of i he people, who Genoa «

, . ,, , -i J5\ c3niorc ' * "

traveled through the northern portion ot the Mayfield 20

countv undeterred by storms, which enveloped the Squaw I in >ve 120

, , -, j Somonauk

country in unfathomable seas of mud. and ad-

dressed meetings in every town, beseeching the Total majorities for 1,03

people not to impose this measure upon them. In grains! the bill:

the De Ealb County News we find the following Franklin ji*

naming head lines: "Half Shire Town," "A Big ^^^^^"[^^[""[^"YYYY/.Y. 128

Thing on the Ice," "The County Seat on "Wheels/ 5 Malta 17 '-'

"The Court House on Stilts," "The Caravan of g^gg YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY L73

Countv Officers," "The Traveling Menagerie," Pierce 178

"The 'rw.. corner 'Centers' on a Rampage." "The Aft™ ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;-;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ™

I , r. at Double Header." "The Big Bat in the Meal Shabbona ".'.'. 213

Tub," "More Tax,- Demanded," "Half shire ^^^-yyy.yYY.YYY.YY.YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY. 1"

Swindle.'' "Ninety-two Thousand Dollars for a

Court House at. Sandwich" "One Hundred Thou- Total majority against ■^ :::: - V ;;;;;;;; :::: Jg

sand Hollar- for a Courl House at Sycamore." Eor In anot]l( ,,. paper after tne defeat of the bill

the firsl time in the history of political affairs of fl tom t, stone is erected to the memory of Half-

our county the cartoonisl took a hand in the game g}lire wiiii;,,,,. The pall bearers are given as

and we presenl here the cartoon thai appeared in ,y,n,, u>: \ : „ Sedgwick, Stinsbn, Castle, Simmons,

the D< Kalb County News a few days previous ;m( , fiil . Sycamore" R. Ellwood, J. S. Waterman.

to the election. Partridge, C. Ellwood and Dustin. Thus ended

Here we give an illustration of the workings the g; a ]f_Shire mania, which for a time created

of the Half-Shire law. This beautiful engrav- „,,..,, ( . xritl , ,,„.„, all(1 ,„,„,], hard feeling.
ing was made on a shingle by our devil, who. for

the preseni ai ts as Special Artist for the News. We

guarantee it true to life in every particular. To
fully appreciate this illustration you must sup-

th: Half-Shire bill to have become a law, The year 1867 was noted as one in which mami-

and the politicians of Sandwich and Svcamorc faeturing establishments wore first erected in the

to be fattening from the countv crib, as thev will county. The people of Sandwich established a

be sure I Thev have this little seesaw well stock com P a f> "" ,l a ca P lta l i ° f . «™*r-*™

u11 thousand dollars, which in the following year was
to going, and vou ran see lor voursell the plank:

, . increased to one hundred and fattv thousand,

thev ride upon. Ihev smoke and sing a merry . ■ .

1 , , ,.,■„.,. . for the manufacture of agricultural ma-

little song, which goes something like this: As q a ^ ^ ^ ( ^ ^^

Sycamore goes up he repeats "Half-Shire Town of ^ ^.^ ^ Svrai||0ro; , pkning im]1 and

S 3' ca '•''•" ai1,1 as Sandwich goes up he repeats lnanufai . tm . v for doorS; 5ash anrl vdmds at De

"Half-Shire Town of Sandwich. And so thev Kalb an d a large flouring miU at the rapidly grow-

-" ■ ""■■ 3 Town of Sycamore.- "Half- ^g vi Uage of Malta. Public school buildings were

Shire Town of Sandwieh." "Half-Shire Town of r|(Ii! |M 50rne f the villages and were considered

- camore," "Half-Shire Town of Sandwich." .,, ,, |;| , , , il( . pride ,, r lh( , local community of

At the same tin* old De Kalb county has been rid- Cortland and Malta, each erecting a new graded
den until there is no mon gr< ase on his hack bone school building this year, as did also the village of
and the old Half-Shire plank squeaks out taxes! Somonauk and the city of Sandwieh. The plant-
taxes! ! taxes! ! ! ing of hedges for the prairie farmers continued to
Never was such a vote polled in this county. We attract a great deal of attention and over two
will be unable to publish the official returns until hundred miles of osage orange hedge was set out.
next week. The following town- gave majorities Farmers had been troubled considerably with the
for the bill : rail fences, which were continually broken down

PAST AND PRESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

115

and stock would get in the growing grain, doing
considerable damage. The hedge fence was
thought to be the only thing that could protect
crops from the stock. The County Agricultural So-
ciety, which held its fairs at Sycamore, was re-
vived this year and held a nourishing exhibition.
A Farmers' Club was also established and held
weekly meetings of decided interest to the agricul-
tural portions of the community. Some of the
discussions by farmers, well known, appeared in
the old files of the papers and at this date are of
considerable interest.

The county school tax, which in L840 was but a
few hundred dollars, Was now fifty-one thousand,
six hundred and sixty-four dollars.

In the '60s the fair at Sycamore assumed
larger proportions and their annual meetings be-
came exceedingly popular. Instead of holding
their meetings northeast of town, in 18G2 they
purchased land west of the city, which remained
in possession of the Sycamore Fair Association
until that organization ceased its existence in
1888. George Dennison, an attorney, who had
practiced law in De Kalb in 1858, was appointed
naval officer at the port at New York, with a
salary of seven thousand five hundred dollars.
Flax culture was carried on to a large extent,
the crop proving valuable on account of the price
received for flax seed and from profits derived by
the sale of the straw at the flax mills located in
the county. In 1863 there are two hundred and
twenty-three cases on the trial calendar of the cir-
cuit court. Litigation seemed the order of the
day and there were five times as many law suits
at that period of our county's history than we
find on the calendar of today. The planting of
willows continued and in the early '70s many miles
of willow fences might be found in De Kalb
county. These like many other of the soft woods
planted by the early settlers have proved them-
selves a nuisance and have been removed.

Religious discussion was rampant in many sec-
tions of the county. One that deserves especial
notice was between Rev. A. J. Fishback, of the
Universalist church, and 0. I). Mullis, of the
Christian church. The question of "Universal
Salvation" and "Endless Punishment" was dis-
cussed at the court house for a week. They were
largelv attended, people coming for miles around
and listening with ereat interest, and from all

that we learn at the present time we judge that
they were interested, listened intently and came
away with the same views that they had before the
discussion was projected. A similar discussion
took place in De Kalb between a Wesleyan Metho-
dic minister and one of the Adventist denomina-
tion. In the later '60s the attendance at country
churches reached the high mark. Services both
morning and evening were largely attended and
aside from services in the churches many ap-
pointments were held at various school houses
in the county. The early settlers having come
mainly from the eastern and southern states, had
organized the churches they attended in their
earlier homes. In the '70s there began to be a
marked falling off in the attendance of the coun-
try churches, caused by the removal of first set-
tlers to homes farther west, by the retirement of
fanners to cities, who had secured a competency
and by the young people who sought employment
in factories and by young men from the farms
seeking professional careers. Their places were
supplied by foreigners to a large extent, who spoke
different languages and affiliated with the churches
with which they were allied in the fatherland.
Aside from this there seemed to be a general
movement toward the cities, so that at the present
time the majority of the population of Illinois
resides in cities and towns.

PAW PAW.

Paw Paw township forms the southeast corner
of De Kalb county. Having the advantages in
surface and soil of a rolling prairie, it has the
distinction of having the greatest dumber of im-
proved acres of any township in the county. It
has twenfy-four thousand and thirty-two acres
in a high state of cultivation. Yen- little of the
township is too flat for the plow. It also, having
within its borders three valuable and beautiful
woodlands known as Ross Grove, Coon Grove and
Paw Paw Grove, naturally attracted those seek-
ing homes in the west at a very early dav.

Paw Paw township derives its name from one
of the groves, in which are still found some of
the once numerous paw paw trees with their
peculiar and juicy fruit. The Big Indian creek
and its many tributaries, which run through the
township, furnish it with a good supplv of pure.

116

PAST ANT) PRESENT OF 1)K KALB CofNTV.

running water. Along its banks were once the
favorite haunts of the noble red man. Here the
celebrated Shabbona, chief of the Pottowattomies,
with bis tribe, was accustomed to camp when
water and game were scarce in our sister township
which bears this heroic chief's name. Here, too,
dwelt, for a time the chief Wabonsie, whom his-
tory remembers by his daring deeds and bloody
crimes committed while on the warpath, but whom,
rather than be a aeighbor to the "pale face" dis-
appeared toward the setting sun.

Paw Paw township became the permanent home
of the white man in 1834. when David Towne set-
tled on the. southwest quarter of section 19, which
is now the home of Charles M. Smith. Mr. Towne
arriveil late in the autumn and did little that
winter except build a cabin and hunt, the latter
being no great task at that time, as the proves
and creek bottoms afforded an abundant supply
of deer, nrairie wolves, wild cats and an occasional
hear, also wild turkey-, geese, duck-, prairie chick-
en-, etc. Mr. Towne was joined this winter by
his brother Russell Towne. to whom the next
spring he transferred his claim for the considera-
tion of a week's work. David, previous to trans-
ferrins his claim to his brother, entered a claim
in Lee county, near the present site of West Paw
Paw. where he spent the remainder of his life.

The hot days of July, 1835. found another party
of weary pioneers camped near the present site
of Polio. The party was composed of Rev. Benoni
Harris, a Methodist minister, and family: his
son. Benjamin Harris, and family. John Plass
and family; Edward Butterfield and family; Jo-
seph Harris and Louis McDowell, two single men.
They were soon followed 1>\ R. Baldwin and Jo-
seph Ross and family, who first settled near the
grove which now bears the latter's name.

Of the above named, Rev. Benoni Harris, vol-
umes might be written, but space will here permit
only to be said that no community need feel
prouder of its pioneers than doe- Paw Paw town-
ship of this venerable man of God. of whom it
may be truthfullv said: "His soul was spotless.''
He never ceased in the upbuilding of the naked
country, whose fortune was "to be blessed with
such a man." Although seventv years of age when
be settled in this township we find him for the
next ten years preaching to and teaching the good.

the bad, the white and red man alike with untir-
ing energy. His wife, Thankful Harris, the first
on whom death called in this new settlement, was
buried in 1836 on what is now the Atherton farm,
section 19. Mr. Harris traveled but a few more
miles on the rough highway of life and was laid
to rest beside her in 1845. About one hundred
and fifty yards west of the farm house of William
Atlnrton stands side by side two small marble
shafts, one of which bears this inscription: "My
Beloved Wife, Thankful Harris." The other
has Masonic emblems and the name "Benoni Har-
ris. At Rest."

Edward Butterfield continued to reside in this
township until 1852, when he removed to Iowa,
returning two years later. He died in 1854. The
first white child born in this settlement was Caro-
line Towne daughter of Russell and Roxana
Towne, in 1830. S. 1). McDowell, becoming tired
of a lonely life of "single blessedness." married
Miss Delilah Harris, youngest daughter of Rev.
Benoni Harris in 1836. This was the first mar-
riage in the township. To them the following
year was born a daughter. Mary E.. the second
white child born in the county.

Among those who came to the township in 1836
were Asahel Baldwin, William Rogers, Joseph Al-
cot, dob Morgan and T. Bannigan. Asahel Bald-
win was the first tavern keeper and postmaster at
I 'aw Paw Grove. After a few years he removed to
Missouri. William (Bill) Rogers settled on the
present site of East Paw Paw and built the first
house in this village in 1837. He conducted his
house as a tavern, known as the Paw Paw House,
until 1842, when he sold to J. Wirick and went
west. The old Wirick House was for years a
flourishing tavern and many a tired, hungry and
dirty traveler was refreshed under its roof. Jacob
Wirick was proprietor for fourteen years.

Paw Paw in early days was headquarters for
crimes and dishonorable deeds, which gave the
community an unenviable reputation. This, how-
ever, was no fault of the majority of the in-
habitants, but misdemeanors were committed by
a small band of men supposed to have consisted
of Wyram, better known as "Bogus" Gates. "Bill"
Rogers, John Bryant and others, whose many un-
derhanded and suspicious acts branded them as
members of a horse thieving and counterfeiting

PAST VXD PRESENT OF \>V. k.\I.P, I 01 vn ,

117

gang. They often had large sums of money in
their possession which could be accounted for in
no other way than by their own manufacture. At
one time part of the gang was imprisoned for
horse thieving, the two stolen animals being found
in the Gates barn. They escaped from the peni-
tentiary, however, and lived for many years to
commit deeds of atrocity. As the country became
more thickly settled the marauders lived very un-
comfortable lives and took up the western march
to the newer country, where there were less nu-
merous objections to their way "I gaming a liveli-
hood.

In early days, before banks with their safety
deposit vaults had found their way to De Kalb
county, it sometimes happened that the settlers
accumulated good round sums of money and these
for safe keeping were buried deep in the ground
in some unfrequented spot. Years after the "wild
cat" days had passed a sum of eight hundred dol-
lars was found by Harris* Breese and a companion
buried in a place near where a fence had been
built.

But few settlements were made until 1842, when
settlers came quite rapidly, among the earliest of
whom was Jacob Wirick and family. Of Mr. Wi-
riok's family of ten children but one, Nancy, wife
of H. S.. Dickinson. J. P.. remains in the town-
ship. To Mrs. Dickinson the writer is indebted
fnv the early history of Paw Paw township. She
has been a continued resident of Paw Paw town-
ship for over fifty-six years and recalls the early
history of this township with a vividness as though
it were but a fortnight.

Among those who made Paw Paw township their
home within the next five years were: Marcus
and Eli Bartlett. Alonzo M. La Porte, Dennis
Connell, Thomas, William. James and Bobert Har-
per, James McFarland, Vincent Breese, Almond
Lake and Bobert Hampton. We are indebted also
to Bobert, Hampton for the assistance of his diary
and excellent memory for information regarding
the early history of this township. Although Mr.
Hampton at this writing- is seventv-seven years
of age, he walks with much of the elastic step
which characterized him among the early settlers.
Daily may he be seen astride his favorite horse
going to his nearest postoffice. East Paw Paw. or
more properly called Paw Paw Grove, for his mail.

and cordial is his greeting to all whom In- may
meet.

Up to December, 1846, there had been no
schoolhouse erected. Benjamin Harris, however,
had kept a private school at his home since 1836.
Now all felt the need of better >chool facilities, and
the 1st. day of December, 1840. found the youth
for miles around, with Thomas Burns as master,
assembled in the first schoolhouse built in Paw-
Paw township, on the aorth side of Ross Grove.
This edifice of learning was made of logs split and
set upon end. chinked and plastered. The first
frame Echoolhouse was built in 1850 and is now
a part of the residence of William Stone. East
Paw Paw.

A stock company was organized and built a
seminarv al East Paw Paw in 1855, but the move-
ment did not prove a success that. time, so the
building was sold to the school district. In 1868
a new and better seminary was built and the school
started once more, as the East Paw Paw Teachers'
Institute and Classical Seminarv. In less than
two years this tine building was destroyed by lire
and the district turned the old building over to
the seminary. Tt continued for several years un-
der the above name and no school in this section
of the state has turned out a better class of gradu-
ates. Among those who were fortunate enough
to receive the advantages of this school are clergy-
men, lawyers, editors and teachers, of whom any
community may justly be proud.

The fire that occurred in 1870 put a damper
on the school for a time, but it was not lasting
and in a few years it was better than ever before.
For many years a paper called ''The Students'
Offering" was published in connection with the
school and from its columns and the memory of
some of the old pupils we are enabled to record
many facts of interest, In 1860 D. D. McGibeny,
with his wife, both graduates of Alfred University,
started west for the purpose of establishing a
school. For two years t li -\ followed their chosen
line of work in Wisconsin, but the war had such
a depressing influence that they were forced to
abandon it. Mr. McGibeny took up the insurance
business, and while following this work became
acquainted with William E. Rosette, one of the
trustees of the East Paw Paw graded schools, and
was engaged as teacher, which position he held for
vears. He was about to leave to follow his long

118

PAST AND PRESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

cherished plan, when the idea struck Paw Paw
people that they might build up such an institu-
tion there and retain Professor McGibeny. Hence
the seminary was built through much difficulty and
untold work and planning on the part of Pro-
fessor McGibeny. The building committee con-
sisted of D. D. McGibeny, C. C. Breed, Robert
Bampton, D. R. Fuller and .). 0. Stanton. For
a few years school was beld in the unfinished
building and just as it was completed the hand
of an incendiary reduced it to ashes. From that
time until the close of the life of the institution
school was held in the old building.

The first corps of teachers consisted of Pro-
fessor McGibenj and wife, S. N. Fish. M. D., and
J. 0. Stanton. McGibeny and Stanton did most
of the teaching. Some of the ether early teachers
were Ernest C. Eaton, Mattie J. Fish. Ellen Per-
sons, James W. Shank-. Leroj M. Averill, W. II.
Conn. C. E. Rosette, Leroj S. Norton, Charles
Smolt and W. N". Low. The course of study con-
sisted of Greek, metaphysics, natural sciences.
French, drawing, oil and photograph painting.
Latin, mathematics, German, physiology and the
laws of health, vocal and instrumental music, etc.,
and the common branches of education.

The Philogean society, Philosophian Lyceum, the
Philorhetorian Debating Club and the Natural

History society kept up the social life of the scl I.

The fourth anniversary was held on the Fourth
of July. 1873, and a good program given. An
alumni was kept up for a number of years.

Among the people living in various parts of the

United States who wel'e once students here are

Ellen Gates Rawdon. Palo Alto. California: Lu-
cinda Helm Sherwood, Chicago, [llinois; Celia
Norton Husk. Shabbona, Illinois; Ella Sherwood
Holmes, Shabbona, Illinois; James W. Shanks.
Simpson, Kansas: Eliza Burke Shanks. Simpson.
Kansas; Lucy Peace Boston, Rollo, Illinois; Nancy
Weddell Powers, Polio. Illinois; Charles V. Wed-
dell, Rollo, Illinois: Edwin Gates, Pawpaw, Illi-
nois: Polly Robinson Gates. Pawpaw, Illinois;
Frank Sherwood. Silverton, Colorado; Ezra Helm.
Cedar Rapids. Iowa; A. M. Robbins, Ord, Ne-
braska: Cynthia Haskell Robbins, Ord. Nebraska;
Leroy S. Norton, Jackson. Michigan; Jennie Wa-
ters Norton, Jackson, Michigan; Ira E. Stevens,
Shabbona, Illinois: Murray L. Stevens. Shabbona,
Illinois: Dr. Frank Stevens. Lincoln. Nebraska:

Maggie Kittle Schem erhorn, Hoyt, Kansas; Mary
Miller Steward. Chicago, Illinois; Lizzie Alexan-
der Allen. Aurora. Illinois; Grace Brown Case,
Aurora, Illinois; Ralph Brown. Waterman. Illi-
nois; Judson Persons, Manson, Iowa; Newell Per-
sons, Manson, Iowa; Morton Persons, Manson,
Iowa: Eugene Persons, Chicago. Illinois; Ellen
Persons Adams, Fort Dodge, Iowa; Jabez Adams,
Fort Dodge, Iowa: Amelia Persons Merrill. Rock
Island, Illinois: Rev. Frank Merrill. Rock Island.
Illinois: Frank Olmsted, Shabbona Grove. Illinois;
Lottie Whit ford Young, Ottawa. Kansas: Sarah
Whitford Christie, Omaha. Nebraska: Dr. William
Christie. Omaha. Nebraska: Amelia Dickey, Shab-
bona, Illinois: Frank Barber. Franklin. Nebraska:
i rette Turpening Bennett, Paw Grove. Illinois;
Emma Pierce Barnes, Memphis, Missouri; Orton
A. Barnes, Memphis. Missouri: Philip Pierce.
Paw Grove, Illinois; Lydia Hamilton Dalton,
Pawpaw. Illinois: Ella Smith Swarthout Thomp-
son, Paw Crove. [llinois; Nettie Swarthoui
Thompson. Dixon. Illinois; Libbie Knell Lover-
"i- r . Shabbona, Illinois; Albert. Hinds. Jr.. Chi-
cago. Illinois; William Mercer, Shabbona, Illinois:
Ella Lattin Mercer, Shabbona. [llinois; William
Terry. Portland, Oregon; Sarah Storey Greene.
Scranton, [owa; John J. Quilhot, Shabbona. Illi-
nois: Lewi- Card. Shabbona, [llinois; Martin

G lyear, De Kalb. Illinois; Ella Rosette G 1-

year, De Kalb, [llinois; Jay Clapsaddle, Shabbona,
Illinois; Delos Clapsaddle, Clear Lake. Iowa: Ella
Quinn Terry. Champaign, [llinois; Jessie Morse
Norton. Shabbona. Illinois; Dr. Bayard Holme-.
Chicago, Illinois: Clinton Rosette. De Kalb, [lli-
nois; Alfa l.aClan- Rosette, De Kalb. Illinois:
\iina Taylor Marble. Paw Grove. Illinois; Jennie
Taylor Franz. Paw Grove, Illinois: Bertha Beitel,
Roekford. Illinois: Mattie Fish King. Benson.
Vermont; Frank Rogers. Pawpaw. Illinois; Frank
Bryant, Cottage Grove, Illinois; Belle Miller
Greene, Iowa: Gertrude Town Beggs (deceased),
Denver, Colorado; Gueley Greene, Iowa: Dr. J. O.
Stanton (deceased). Iowa; Mary Buckley Stanton
(deceased). Iowa: Dr. Boardman, Walnut. Illi-
nois: Mila Euestis Boardman. Walnut. Illinois;
Baker Fletcher. Sandwich, [llinois.

A seminary having been built at South Pawpaw
on the In between De Kalb and Lee counties.
and another at West Pawpaw, a few miles distant,
a rivalry sprang up ami they eventually destroyed

METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.

PI"

.RY

_TlltlC.N FOIIM ATION3.

PAST AND PRESENT OE I)E KALB COUNTY.

121

each other. As the patronage was insufficient to
support them they finally became common schools.
The first church was built at Ross Grove in 1861,
the second near the present site of Rollo, and the
third at East Pawpaw.

Pawpaw township sent one hundred and thirty-
seven men to the Civil war. There were but four
townships in De Kalb county which sent more
men to the front. Fifteen of her citizens are
known to have lost their lives during that struggle.
Three of these belong to the Hyde family, a family
still prominent in the affairs of the town. John
Densmore Dole killed at Stone River, a bullet
piercing his brain. He had stooped to relieve a
wounded soldier and while doing this service lost
his life. His grandfather was killed at the battle
of Bunker Hill, while giving a drink to a wounded
comrade. The bod)' was recovered through the
entreaties of his mother to General Rosecrans
and he was buried in the South Pawpaw cemetery.
Pawpaw not only gave one hundred and thirty^
seven men to the Civil war, but sent two to the
war with Mexico : Alonzo LaPort and Peleg Sweet.
If, sent three soldiers to the Spanish-American
war: Clarence Dunton, Benjamin Atherton and
C. Goble.

Hon. Robert Hampton, one of the honored citi-
zens of De Kalb county, came to Pawpaw in the
early '40s. He served his township many years
as supervisor, was elected county treasurer and
member of the state Legislature. His son, R. F.
Hampton, prominent in town affairs, also served
his town four years as supervisor. Other men
prominent in political affairs of Pawpaw were
H. M. Boardman. a sketch of whom appears in
this work; Jesse Cory and his son David, who
were both prominently identified with the affairs of
their town and county. Simeon E. Hyde was
prominent as a financier, was a man well known
in La Salle and De Kalb counties, while his
son, George Hyde, is at present serving his town
as supervisor. Alonzo LaPort, a veteran of the
Mexican war. owning a thousand acres of land in
his town, was one of its early ,pioneers, serving
his town faithfully in many capacities, and is at
present a resident of West Pawpaw. His son.
Frank LaPort, is a large landowner and suc-
cessful business man and is well known throughout
the countv.

The supervisors from this town arc: Pierpont
Edwards, William Shepherdson, Robert Hampton,
A. Dole, N. H. Powers, S. E. Shepherdson, Cor-
nelius W. Quilhot, Henry M. Boardman, John
Harper, Alonzo LaPort, James Harper, David
Cory, Frank Hampton and George Hyde.

SHABBONA.

Although the village of Shabbona has been
founded for twenty-six years, it is of recent origin
when compared with other portions of the town-
ship. At no time in the history of the place
has it had a "boom," but the steady, healthy
growth has brought about changes which seem
marvelous when compared with the condition of
the country as seen by the early inhabitants of
fifty years ago.

Before white people took up their westward
march, what is now known as Shabbona township
was a portion .of fertile land, the northern part
•composed of, ,'Heautiful prairie, while the south-
ern' division waS' covered with heavy timber. Here
Chief Shabbona of the Pottawattomie tribe of In-
dians and about fifty of his followers, many of
them members of his own family, were living
a peaceful life in their wigwams, cultivating small
patches of corn, beans, pumpkins, etc., making
sugar from the maple trees, but depending mainly
upon hunting for their living. A most elaborate
sketch of Chief Shabbona appears in the history
of the county proper.

In 1R40 Shabbona came back to his old reserva-
tion and lived for a time, but the series of wan-
derings had begun which finally broke up the band,
only a few of the immediate family remaining with
the old chief. Finally a few friends purchased
twenty acres of timber land in Grundy county to
be used as a home for Shabbona, and here, in 1859,
at the age of eighty-four years, he died and was
buried in the cemetery at Morris. There is now
a movement on foot to erect a suitable monu-
ment over his last resting place. Nothing is now
left here as a memorial of the chief and his tribe
except a few relics and keepsakes among some
of the oldest families, but a prettv open clearing
on the farm owned by William Husk is pointed
out as a spot where the old Shabbona house stood.
This was a comfortable log house built by David
Norton. John Palm and others under contract

122

PAST AND PBESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

with Wyram Gates, better known by tin- suggestive
title of "Bogus," who agreed to provide this house
in the settlement with the Indians and the gov-
ernment when Mr. Gates bought the large tract
of land claimed by the red men. It was never
occupied by them as a residence, but as a store-
house, they preferring wigwams, and was acci-
dentally burned down several years ago.

The remnant of this tribe so friendly to the
whites is new living on a reservation near Topeka,
Kansas.

The white settlers began in the late '30s to
wend their way from the east. and. bringing all
they possessed in prairie schooners, located at the
various parts of the t<>\\ osbip, to make i heir future
hemes. 'The immi ase tract of high, rolling prairie,
well watered and drained by the Big Indian creek
into the Fox river at the south and the Kishwaukee
at the north, was \er\ attractive t<> the early emi-
grants en aCCOUnt el' the excellence of the land,
it- dry and healthy location, and the quality ami
quantity of timber in the grove. They buill log
houses and ai mice engaged in farming. N"e\i
rear's day. 1836, was celebrated by the erection
el' the first white man's dwelling. Edmund Town
and David Smith, who had lived in the wigwams
which the Indian- had temporarily abandoned,
built tin' iir-i log house of the settlement, which.

afterward grew !■> lie one of the mosl il ishing

in the county. Among the firsl to locati
were . I, .mi- Miller, II. I-:. Allen. William White,
Coleman Olmstead, Sr., Coleman Olmstead, dr..
Lewi- Olmstead, Nathan Olmstead. Mo-,- Poster,
William Marks. Sr., Edmund Town. Ira Park.
Dexter Horton, "Mother" Horton, Miles Horton,
William Olmstead and Jefferson Sturtevant. Rev.
Gammon and many others soon followed. The
first effort outside of the attempt t<> produce
something on their farms and thus supply their
physical necessities was the desire to organize
some form of town government. In pursuance of
this idea. Shabbona became one of the thirteen
towns of the county, and William Marks was
elected to be the first supervisor in the year 1850.
and the other necessary officers were soon after
elected.

By the topography of the township the present
site of the village of Shabbona Grove was natur-
ally selected as an embryo town. Nestling on the
southern edge of the timber, it at once afforded

sngge.-tions of many cozy homes safely sheltered
from the wintry blasts which swept down from
across the bleak prairie. And here also was a
stage station, kept first by L. P. Sanger and
shortly afterward by William Marks, who was
also postmaster. The stage line was owned by a
stock company and was called the Chicago &
Galena line. 1'. \ . Quilhot was one of the drivers,
and the passengers consisted mainly of miners
and those connected with the lead mines of Galena,
which were in a flourishing condition. He was
also a driver on a north and south line in the
\ieimty of Princeton, where the travelers were
office holders on the way to and from Springfield.
George Shaw was also a well known stage driver
of that time. Many other small branches of busi-
ness began to open at this little settlement and as
the wants and means of the people increased busi-
ness became lively. William Marks added a small
stock of general goods. Samuel Curtis opened a
drug and grocery store. Reuben Thailand ran a
blacksmith shop, ami a sawmill was owned and
operated by Olmstead Brothers. The town had a
steady growth in early years, but being late in
securing a railroad lapsed into gradual decay.

The first religious services were held at the
house of Nathan Olmstead. The first Methodist
servile- were held at the house of Coleman Olm-
stead in the fall of 1841. Meetings were held
in tin' house in thi winter and in the barn in
the summer, Rev. Mr. Morrison officiating. The
Methodists erected the first house of worship in
1864 in the village of Shabbona Grove. The first
services held then in were the funeral services of
Mr-. M. V. Allen. September 21, 1864. A Union
church was built about the same time, but the
Methodist Episcopal church was the first dedi-
cated. The first Congregational church of Shab-
bona was organized September 10. 1854, anil until
I si;:, held services in the school house at Shabbona
Grove. Rev. Stephen Battes was the first pastor.
'flic present ( 'on g 1 1 g a i : ,, i i;i 1 church in the village
of Shabbona was dedicated November 6, 1879.
This church is at present the largest religious or-
ganization in the township.

The first school in the township was taught in
the winter of 1842-3, at the house of William
C Olmstead. William Curtis was the teacher.
Me received twelve dollars and fifty cents a month
and hoarded himself. The school was on the-

PAST AND PRESENT OF DE KALI; COUNTY.

123

subscription plan and the Olmstead families fur-
nished the greater number of pupils. The first
schoolhouse was built on the west side of Indian
creek on the north side of the road. It was used
for religious purposes as well until the church
buildings were erected. The house was of logs
and erected in the fall of 1843. Eliza Horton
was the first teacher in this house.

The first cemetery was located near the center
of section 25. Mrs. Lyman was the first interred.
She died in 1840 or 1841. A dozen bodies were
probably buried there. The ground was soon
abandoned. The first regular cemetery was estab-
lished on the farm of David Smith on section 27.
The first decoration of soldiers' graves was con-
ducted by Rev. Fletcher Pomeroy, in June, 1877.

In its best days Shabbona Grove contained three
general stores, a tin shop, a boot and shoe shop,
two hotels and two churches. A large business
was transacted.

The last payment to the Indians in De Kalb
county, and doubtless in the state, was made in
1835 on section 35.

The early settlers of Shabbona, like the pioneers
of other sections, believed whisky to be indispen-
sable in house or barn raisings. When Edmond
Towne's house was raised a flask of whisky was
found secreted near by, supposed to have been
the property of the Indians. It was confiscated
and added zest to the occasion. For the next few
years it was the custom to have a good supply at
such gatherings. This practice was continued until
the raising of Coleman Olmstead's barn (the first
frame barn in the township) in the spring of
1842. Mr. Olmstead refused to furnish whisky,
at which innovation there was a bitter protest.
He substituted a warm supper, with good coffee,
which was voted satisfactory. From that time a
warm meal, with coffee, took the place of whisky
at such gatherings. About two miles west of
the town of Shabbona is what is known as the
English settlement. It was begun in the fall of
1851, when five young Englishmen, Septimus Sto-
rey, Thomas Wright, William Cutts, George Glos-
sop and Joseph Dillans took up government land.
The first house was built by Mr. Glossop, and
here the entire party kept bachelors* hall until
they could build homes of their own. The place
was headquartei-s for the subsequent immigrants
from England and soon quite a colony of their

fellow countrymen had collected, among the first
being Robert Mullin, Reuben Challand, John Ken-
nedy, Thomas Dalton, James Hutton, the descend-
ants of many of whom live on the homestead farms.
The first schoolhouse was built in 1851 ami was
taught by .Mis. Witherspoon. They built a Meth-
odist Episcopal church in the year 1869 and later
a cemetery was established directly east of it.

The village of Shabbona was surveyed and plat-
ted in 1S72 on section 15. A village had been
platted at the junction of the C. & I. and C, B.
& 0- roads, about a half mile west, tu which was
given the name of Cornton. A temporary depot
had been constructed, John Ray and William Husk
had opened a mercantile business, and others had
been started or were in contemplation. The site
was favorable and the only thing that was required
to make it the regular station of the railroad was — ■
a donation of some of the land to interested rail-
road men. This some of the proprietors refused
to do; therefore a. removal was determined upon
and Cornton was doomed. The first building
erected in tin? present village of Shabbona was
by W. H. Ray. the present editor of the Shabbona
Express. William Husk then removed his store
building from Cornton and opened the first mer-
cantile establishment in the village. A. S. Jackson
removed here from Shabbona Grove and com-
menced business. In 1873 M. V. Allen opened
a drug store. Thomas Padget and J. M. Bean
began business and were the second to represent
tlie mercantile interests of the place. W. F. Heeg
in the winter of 1872-3 opened a stock of fur-
niture and is still in business. The first exclusive
hardware store was started in 1873 by Crapser,
Coleman & Company. Other branches of business
followed from time to time until at, present Shab-
bona has a population of nearly nine hundred.
It has more miles of cement walks than any other
town of its size in flie county, there being but a
half mile of board walk in the town. The presenf
school building was erected in 1876 and occupied
in the fall of that year. S. B. Hallock was prin-
cipal and Miss Viola Thomas assistant.

The land claimed by the early settlers came into
the market in 1843, at Dixon. Illinois. Main
had saved just enough to pay for the claim on
which they had settled. Fearing thai land specu-
lators would be present, they went to Dixon one
hundred and fifty strong, armed with clubs and

124

PAST AND PRESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

pistols, to prevent others from bidding on the
land aside from the two men selected, who were
William Marks and Reuben Allen. Arriving at
Dixon, they found men prepared to purchase their
lands and they arranged to seize any such bidder
and drown him in the Rock river. The resolute
set ni' this body of men overawed all opposi-
tion, and tiny secured their lands at a dollar ami
a quarter an acre.

Shabbona furnished one hundred ami thirty
fin- the preservation of the Union during the
Civil war. and she raised in taxes and bounties
twelve thousand two hundred and ninety-one dol-
lars. A large number <>f the soldiers from Shab-
bona enlisted under the valiant Captain G. W.
Kittell, of the Fifty-eighth Illinois, ami Captain
Thomas Terry, of the I Ine Eundred and Fifth.
Captain Terry had served as a member of the
legislature, had been for years supervisor of the
town and had served in the Mexican war. Cap-
tain Terry died in Earlville in the later "60s.
Captain .Martin V. Allen, who succeeded him, losl
an arm in the service. Upon his return to the
county he was i l© b ■ to the office of count] super-
intended of schools. Sergeanl Thomas E. Ta
of thr same company, a native of Scotland, Losl
his life in the servio , al the age "1' forty-one. D.
\\ . Jackson, of thr same company, died at Bowl-
ing Green, aged twenty. Sergeant J. M. Dobbin,
of the Thirteenth Illinois, died of wound-
ceived at the assault of Vicksburg Sergeant
George C. Harper served honorably I'm- three years
in the One Hundred and Fifth and subsequently
lost his life at Fort Harper, while in the Seventh
Regulars, at the age of twenty-three. John M<-
Farland. of the One Hundred and Fifth, died at
Frankfort, Kentucky. Henry Davis, of the Tenth
Infantry, died at St. Louis. Oliver Pattee, of the
Fifty-second, died at St. Joseph. Lyman Kil-
boura, of the One Hundred and Fifth, dud at
Resaca. Corporal Philip Howe, of the One Hun-
dred and Fifth, died of wounds received at Etesai .1
W. E. Grover. of the One Hundred and Fifth,
was killed at Dallas. Georgia, while carrying off a
wounded comrade from the skirmish line James
M. Round, of the Fifty-eighth Illinois. William
T. Williams, of the Fifty-eighth Illinois. George
Flick. John A. Muzzy. Byron Nichols. Nelson Fil-
kins.

The supervisors of Shabbona were William
Mark-. Isaac Comstock, Thomas S. King. H. E.
Allen. D. D. Stevens, 0. Norton, P. V. Quilhot.
Frederick Ball. Benjamin S. White. Giles M. Alex-
ander. John II. Woodbury, Septimus Storey.
Henry Clapsaddle, R. Youngren, L. C. Burke,
Lewis Olmstead and John Middleton.

MI LAX.

Milan, the infant township of the county, came
into existence in 1857. Previous to this time it
had heen a part of Malta and Shabbona. There
are no natural groves within its border and conse-
quently it was one of the latest to he settled.
Lewis McFwen was the first settler of the town.
He came from New York state originally, had
been to California in search of gold, and came to
Milan township, where he resided until 18G9.
Being the pioneer of the township, coming there
in 1852, he saw the growth of the town. He did
not long remain as the only white inhabitant, for
other claimant- came for settlement — Benjamin
Banfield, Reuben Dodd and Gurdon Hewitt. The
latter hail purchased land warrants for eighty cents
an acre and entered nine sections in one day.
This land he afterward sold at from eight to
thirteen dollars an acre, which made his invest-
ment a most profitable om-. The firs! -dioolhouse
was built in 1855 in the .enter of the town, but
previous to this the educational mean-: of the chil-
dren had been supplied at improvised schoolrooms
in private houses. The township felt the need
of a public building for public meetings and in
the summer of 1868 a two-story frame building
was erected, known as the Milan Town House.
The lower storj is u-r,} for a school room, while
the upper story is used as a town hall and a place
of worship. There are at present nine districts in
the township. Milan did not become thicklv pop-
ulated because there are no villages within its
borders and no railroads nearer than the Xorth-
western. There are no postoffices in the township.
Milan in the early part of its history possessed
much wet land, which was unsuitable for farming
purpose-. About twelve years ago a drainage dis-
trict was organized and the wet portion of the
township was made tillable. Thousands upon
thousands of rods of tile have been laid in this

PAST AND PEESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

125

township, until at the present time Milan possesses
as little wet land as any township of the county.

In 1854 Theodore Berg and Ira Oleson came
into this town, and being of Norwegian birth,
others of that nationality followed, until at pres-
ent they form the larger part of the population of
Milan. Others who followed the two first men-
tioned gentlemen in Milan were the Sandersons,
Oaklands, Grovers, Eames and Kettlesons. The
Norwegian element of Milan is prosperous, thrifty,
generally adherents of the Lutheran faith. They
make a splendid addition to the citizenship of the
county. At the breaking out of the Civil war
Milan, out of a population of two hundred and
fifty, gave thirty-eight soldiers to the Union army
and raised several thousand dollars in taxation
and bounties. Among the men of prominence
who have resided in Milan is Lewis McEwen, god-
father of the town. Captain A. L. AVells. Captain
Howard, George Cox, who served as county clerk,
and S. P. Armstrong, who served his county for
fourteen years in the office of circuit clerk and
recorder and twenty years as county surveyor.
Those who have served the town as supervisors
are: Lewis McEwen, who served eleven years;
John Banfield, A. L. Wells, E. E. Colby, Captain
L. A. Howard, and S. M. Sanderson, who has
served thirteeen years and is still a member of th ■
board in that township.

MALTA.

What has been responsible for Malta's growth
was also responsible for her lack of growth when
other parts of the county were being settled in
the '30s and '40s — her topography. The country
presented a broad expanse of prairie land with
no timber and as the early settlers depended on
the groves for material for their log houses, this
was a consideration not lightly overlooked, and it
was not until the year 1851 that government land
was entered by home seekers. Ezekiel Whitehead
was the first comer and he was followed soon after
by G. C. Shepherd, H. A. Mix, Mark Howard and
others.

The billowy prairie lands which retarded early
settlement formed the most important factor of
growth, for the grain raisers found them very
oroductive. In three years after the first settle-
ment was made the farmers petitioned the Galena

division of the Northwestern road, which by this
time had been built as far west as Dixon, to estab-
lish a station as a shipping point to accommodate
them. The road granted the request and named
the place .Malta.

Previous to this the land had been partially
controlled by De Kalb township, but in 1856 it
was found to have population enough to form a
township itself and the board of supervisors ac-
cordingly organized it under the name of Milton.
which was subsequently changed to Etna and
finally to Malta, the name of its business center
that had sprung up. E. Whitehead represented
his town on the board of supervisors in 185G and
today the men who uphold Malta's interests at
the sessions at the county seat are B. B. Smiley
and T. W. Dodge.

The village of Malta was surveyed and platted
in August, 1856, and the first house was erected
that fall by J. M. Orput, who opened a stock of
staple and fancy groceries and also dealt in lumber,
coal and grain. The following spring he' formed
a partnership with John Atwood, now one of the
leading merchants of De Kalb, and the business
continued until the fall of 1857, under the name
of Orput & Atwood. dry goods Inning beeen added
to the grocery stock. This was the beginning of
the business of Malta, which now occupies a prom-
inent feature of the town.

The postoffice was established in the winter of
185G, with W. F. Shedd as first postmaster. With
a scries of changes, F. D. Pease now has charge,
with Miss Nettie Pease as deputy.

One of the early industries of the place was the
making of flour, etc., from the grains and cereals
raised in such abundance, and as early as the year
1857 a steam grist mill was built by Clement &
Dod.cre. The financial crisis of 1857 affected this
industry as it did business all over the countrv
and the mill failed to meet the expectations of
its proprietors. After four years of existence it
burned and the people felt the need of a substi-
tute and as soon as the war closed a subscription
was taken and another mill erected by Caleb
Peters. For many years it did a good business,
but now elevators take care of the vast amount
of grain brought to the place. Malta is acknowl-
edged to be the best grain market in the county
and regardless of the condition of the roads (in
bad weather the fertile condition of the snil is

126

PAST AND PKESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

just as evident in the highways as it is in the
Farm land a rod distant) grain wagons come from
all directions ami arc unloaded at the elevators.
Until tliis year one elevator, run by J. C. Pierce,
lias had the handling of all grain shipped and un-
like most merchants who have the monopoly of
a business, Mr. Pierce has given the best possible
prices. But the traffic was more than he could
handle, it sometimes being necessary for the farm-
ers to stand in line nearly all day before they
could be waited upon. The old mill was pur-
chased by a Chicago commission firm, Van Wie &
Xoorehead. in 1898, fitted up with all of the latesl
appliances as an elevator, and is now in successful
operation.

With the large, rich farming community about
if. the village of Malta has substantia] support in
its growth. The town was incorporated in 1869;
the firs! election resulted in making (;. W. Smiley
presidenl of the village board; C. Anderson. .1. \ .
Willrett, James Welch. S. T. Wright, trustee-:
.1. ('. Westgate, police justice ; and W. H. Scofield,
constable. Since that time the town has been a
thriving little plan'.

Among the early settlers who helped to make
Malta what she now i-. were: P. Pendegrass,
S. T. Wright, Chauncey Eooker, now dead. .1. ( '.
1'ieree. 1». A. Smith, now in Nebraska, W. S.
Wolston, living at preseni in Iowa. D. F. Pease.
Henry Claxton, one of the oldesl residents of
Malta at present, T. S. and G. A. Ingersoll, Cap-
tain John Sergeant, Captain 0. W. Corbett, Henry
Madden, Mrs. Francisco and a number of others.
While these were some of the prominent peopli
>>i early days their usefulness in many instances
is not yet a thing of the past, for several are in
business there now.

But it is the farmers round about Malta who
now play an important part in her every day life.
Among the principal farmers who own or work
farms are P. F. Delhridge. M. Eedmond. Charles
Doane, J. E. Doane, August Anderson, Mrs. C. W.
Smiley. William Malia. H. IT. Harrington. L.
Farley, Joseph Greek. Thomas Delbridge, T. .T.
Tindall and scores of others, having farms ranging
from sixty to one hundred and sixty acres.

Mr. Mames Orpul built the first house in the
village of Malta in tin' fall of 1856 ami carried a
stock of groceries. He also dealt in lumber, coal
and grain, buying the first grain shipped from this

station. Shedd & Fuller erected a warehouse in

1856. The present, hotel was built in 1858. The
first hardware store was started by J. R. Evans in
1858. Henry Madden was the first druggist. The
first blacksmith was John Schultz ; the first wagon
maker was Walter Tenia : the first furniture dealer
was William Lebrant; the first shoemaker was
John Swanson, and the first harness maker was
J. 0. Westgate. The first sehoolhouse was built in

1857, and in 18T3 the present building was erected
at a cost of six thousand dollars.

The Baptists. Methodists ami Congregationalists
have built churches, which still have regular ser-
vices. The Episcopalian and Uuiversalist churches
have ceased to hold service.

Those who have served a- supervisors of this
town are George W. Smiley. G. A. Ingersoll, Dan
F. Pease, Albert McCrea, Alfred Ball. Jacob V.
Willret, Charles W. Ilaish. B. W. Smiley. Frank
I'ease. Edward Bone, Ben F. Hurt. Those who
have served a- supervisors from the township are
E. E. Whitehead, T. ('. Wetmore, Dr. Henry Mad-
den, M. C. Dedrick, who served more than twenty
years. G. W. Smiley, William IT. Wollston. Daniel
['ease. A. W. Townsend and T. W. Dodge.

Malta sent ninety-four men to serve in the Civil
wa i'.

Tin' village of Malta wa- visited in 1ST2 by a
destructive fire in the business portions. This
pan of the village was again rebuilt of wood and
remained intact until the fire of 1894, when the
business portion of Malta sull'ered heavy loss.
The lire started at half pasl ten and the nighl
being dark and threatening, few people were on
the streets. The fire started in the store of Mr.
Haish by an explosion of a kerosene lamp. The
fire spread rapidly and in less than two hours thir-
teen buildings were consumed and the loss esti-
mated at one hundred and fifty thousand dollars.

The buildings consumed were ('. W. llai-h's
double store, the Hopkins buildings, occupied by
Oscar Scott. W. L. Stevens' store, Samuel Veale's
store, occupied by Badgley & Jacobs, druggists,
W. E. Harp's, John Ball's, F. Barker's, George
Burke',-, the Wright building and the D. F. Tease
-tori'. Messages were sen! to De Kalb for assist-
ance, but upon the arrival of the De Kalb firemen
they found the De Kalb engine would not fit the
engine house connections and it was impossible
to get any water from that source. The fire fight-

PAST AND PEESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

127

ing was kept up by the bucket brigade. A drench-
ing rain set in. which helped stop the spread of
the fire, but caused great loss to parties having
good? uncovered. The town was rapidly rebuilt
with brick structures, and mi the whole the [ire,
which was considered at the time a great catastro-
phe, has proved a benefit to the village.

SOUTH GEOVE.

South Grove was na «l Driscoll's Grove be-
fore the township organization of the county in
1850. It was then .ailed Vernon, and finally
South Grove, as it was the firsi grove south of
the large woods along the Kishwaukee in the
north part of the county. 'Die first settlers of
tlie large woods along the Kishwaukee in the
north part of the county. The first settlers of
this township were Solomon Wells, Nathaniel
Hatch and William Driscoll. David Driscoll took
up a claim in 1836. The farm occupied by Wil-
liam Driscoll is now owned by his son Decatur.
The farm of Solomon Wells, which was bought
of the Driscolls, is now owned by George Adee.
The Nathaniel Hatch farm is the one now owned
by William Masterson. Benjamin Worden settled
on his homestead about 1838. The Orputs settled
Orput's Grove in 1839, where are now the James
Gibson and Robert Byers homesteads. Barnabas
Hatch and Dexter Beeman came in 1810. In 18 11
James Byers, Sr., came with his wife and family
of three sons and two daughters from Delaware
county. New York. They located on the farm
which is now owned by William Byers. The next
war came Jesse Tindall and family, in 1843 Jon-
athan Adee. and in 1844 Matthew Thompson
with their large families settled on farms now
owned by their descendants. Henry and Oliver
Safford came from Massachusetts in 1845 and
located where John Masterson now lives. Oliver
went to California and Henry afterward owned
the farm which is now James Casey's. John S.
Brown came from Michigan in 1846, and located
on what is now the Asa Byers homestead, .lames
Gibson and wife came from Scotland in 1848 and
purchased the Orpttt farm some years later. In
1851 James and Thomas Renwick worked for
•lames Byers. Sr., and a few years later bought
of Henry Mix, a land speculator, the land now

owned In .lame- 1,'enwiek. Daniel McMurchy and
Robert Hutchinson.

The land was unsurveyed when first settled and
a "claim" was held by staking out the land and
plowing a i'linou around it. or by blazing in the
grove. The Driscolls claimed about three hun-
dred acres of the grove and later settlers respected
their claim and purchased of them ••claim rights,"
and in addition paid the governmenl on.' dollar
and a quarter per acre after the land was sur-
veyed. James Byers, Sr.. bought of them for
three hundred dollars the right to seventy acres of
timber and as much prairie as lie chose to plow
around.

In 1842 or 1843 the governmeni survey was
made and the land put in the market. The land
office was located at Dixon. John Dement was re-
ceiver. It was a very anxious time for the set-
tlers who had no money to pay for their land, so
they banded together against would-be purchasers
and agreed to protect each others" rights from ttie
"land sharks," who would rob them of their homes.
There was no "ciaim jumping'" in South Grove,
so the argument of fists, firearm- and tar were not
used here, as in some localities.

Alter the .Mexican war land warrants wi'i-c is-
sued, giving each soldier otic hundred and sixty
neie- ol' bind to lie located wherever he chose.
These could at one time be bought in the market
for oil" hundred and twelve dollars, making land
very cheap, seventy cents an acre. The first set-
tlers came in their wagons. The journey from
New York took four weeks, the family walking
m iieh of the way to spare the horses.

Tin' Frink and Walker line of four-horse stages
ran from Chicago to Galena daily, the lead mines
being then a craze. These stages brought the
mail to the postoffice at the home of James Byers,
Sr.. who was first postmaster. His first year's sal-
ary was the magnificent sum of two dollars and
sixty-four cents. The office supplied the country
for fifteen miles around. The papers that came
were the Chicago Democrat, edited 1>\ John Went-
worth, Greeley's New York Tribune, and the only
magazine was Godey's Lady's Book. The post-
master's children read everything that came to the
office, except the letters, and the penwritten post-
marks of these served a- lessons in geography, but
letters were few. for the postage was twenty-five
cents.

128

PAST AND PRESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

The first religious services in the town were
held by Rev. Isaac Norton, a Freewill Baptist min-
ister. For tin- sum <>f thirty-five dollars Mr. Nor-
ton agreed to hold services twice a month fur one
war. commencing in the 'all of 1842. Levi Lee,

who has been menti id prominently in the county

history; was the first Methodist preacher to hold
religious services in South Grove. The class was
organized in 1842, which continues in existence.
Services wi re held I'm- a time in the South Grove
schoolhouse and tor the last few years at Clare
Methodist Episcopal church. This church organi-
zation is made up of four smaller congregations —
the Mayfield Town Hall charge, the South Grove

„e. the one of the Clark schoolhouse, ate
Episcopalian appointment held at the Clare school.
Tli. -. constitute one excellent church society,
which everts a splendid influence over the circuit.

The first school was taught in the winter of
1841-2 by -lame- By< rs, Sr., in a small room in his
cabin. The pupils came from distances of five or
sis miles. The text-1 ks used were tic Elemen-
tal spelling book, Daboll's arithmetic. English
reader, geography and a copj book and any other
text-books the} happened i" have. They paid tui-
tion in corn, potatoes and pork. In 1842-3 the in-
habitants clubbed together and built a log school-
house by voluntary labor in the center of the grovi
Mr. Byer's salarj original!; was in !»■ ten dollars
a month and hoard himself, and ow ing to the gn at
scarcity <•< rnonej took In- paj a- above stated.
The young men ami women about the Grove will
never forget thai school — ho^ the kind, genial
voice of the teacher, softening down its rugged
Scotch, cheered them over the frightful alps of -a.
h. al.." and -tun limes one are two." — how the
eyes were always blind to any fun anil the laugh
was ever a- long and loud as that of the merriest
urchin. No wonder thai those boys and girls, a
portion of them, "played the mischief with some
of the teachers who succeeded this model one.

The first public schoolhouse was erected in the
grove. It was of Logs, hut nicely built, and con-
sidered quite a capacious one; though it was. after
a lime, pretty well filled with its sixty scholars. It
was twenty by twenty-two feet and well lighted,
having a window live or six panes in width and two
in height at each end of the building. Mr. H. C.
Beard and Mr. T. K. Waite of Sycamore were
anion" the successful teachers in the loo- school-

house. The second schoolhouse was built on a
line sile donated to the district by Mr. James
Bvers, Sr.. in 1854, and in 1868 another — a very
pleasant and commodious one, the former having
been destroyed by fire — was erected in the same
place.

The first building was of logs, made without
nails, doors of ""shakes" pinned together and were
opened with latch strings hanging from the wooden
latch. The chinks were stopped with clay. The
first dwellings had puncheon floor.- hut the school-
bouse floor was of boards. These were obtained
by drawing loos to Levi Lee's sawmill on the Ki-h-
waukee, near Kingston, eighteen miles, where they
were -awed into hoards. Half the board- were
paid for sawing. The shake shingles were made
with an ax. wedge and throw; they were held in
phue on the roof by poles. The -eats were slabs
with sticks lor legs. There was a window on each
sidi of the house. The chimneys were then made
of two boxes, the smaller inside and the space be-
tween Idled with mud. When the mud was dry
and hard the inside box was burned and the chim-
ney was complete. The first comers used a fire-
place, very apt to smoke, but the schoolhouse was
warmed by a box-shaped iron stove.

The girls wore dresses of linsey woolsey and
looked as pretty as their granddaughters do in
their silk-. One girl's best dress was made of
white sheeting, colored with black walnut hark.
I i dye was not a success ami the children made
fun of it. The boys' suits were of a cheap gray

cotton E Is called ■"bard times cloth." Their

coats were ••W.IIIIIMU--I -." a loose blouse affair,
coming well over the hips and belted around the
waist. The feet w.ae dressed with moccasins made
of sole leather. Sylvester Sutton made them.
Some wore shoes made by the traveling cobbler.
Hats were home made of coon or rabbit skin or
cloth.

The evening entertainments were the spelling
schools, in which contests the girls usually won.
hut they took no part in the debates on the ques-
tion whether fire or water was the stronger ele-
ment, or whether there was more pleasure in an-
ticipation or in participation. The judges chosen
to decide the "weight of argument'"' were William
T. Adee. John Orput, William Byers and others
of the older boys. There were singing schools, too.
ami after houses were large enough, parties. The

PAST AND PRESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

L29

schoolhouse served also as a place for religious
meetings, and the Rev. Mr. Norton of honored
memory was the first minister. The first funeral
in town was that of the little daughter of James
Byers, Sr. The funeral sermon was preached by
Rev. Levi Lee. The interment was on the east
side of the grove and the land was afterward do-
nated to the town for a cemetery by James Byers.
Sr. Many years afterward the South Grove church
was built at Dustin and it has since served as the
place of worship for people of all denominations.

The food for the settlers' first year was mostly
cornmeal, pork and potatoes. A pound of tea
lasted a family a year. The next year wheat was
raised. It was ground at St. Charles, thirty miles
distant. The fruits found in the woods were crab-
apples, plums and gooseberries.

The wheat was cut with a cradle and tramped
out by horses on a cleared place on the prairie and
was cleaned from chaff by pouring in the wind.
It was drawn to Chicago, a round trip of five
days. A load of forty bushels sold for forty cents
a bushel, half cash and half trade. The hotel
charges were fifty cents for supper, breakfast and
lodging and hay for two horses, dinner a shilling,
so that the farmer could at best bring home not
more than five or six dollars in cash and cheap
cloth, leather for shoes, salt and a few groceries.

The first hotel in town was kept by Solomon
Wells, later by Jonathan Adee on the now George
Adee farm. There were no taxes on land until it
was surveyed, and only a small tax on personal
property. Money was scarce; labor, grain, pork
and potatoes served instead. The wages in harvest
were two bushels of wheat a day, or about fifty
cents. When wheat became a cash article there
was money to pay the government for land.

The first plows used were made by C. W.
Branch, father of Hiram Branch, of Kingston.
The mold board was made of straps of iron about
two inches wide with spaces of the same, width.
The woodwork was made by Nathaniel Hatch,
who hewed the timber for a beam and carefully
selected crooked sticks in the grove for handles.
Four yoke, of cattle were used to break the tough
prairie sod. The first reaper was a McCormick
bought by John S. Brown and James Byers, Sr.,
for one hundred and thirty dollars, in 1847 or
1848.

In 1853, when it was rumored that a railroad
would lie built through the town, speculators pur-
chased nearly all (if the government land left, but
the railroad failed to materialize. The purchasers
entered with land warrants and bought for eighty
cents pei- acre land now worth sixty and sixty-five
dollars per acre.

In is.")! Ichabod Richmond, an erratic, enter-
prising genius, built a sawmill and grist mill on
Owen's creek, section 26, but a quantity id' water
sufficient to operate it was not found, except in
case of a freshet. A similar experiment was made
by Barnaby Hatch further down the stream.

The history of this fertile region is interwoven
with many romantic and even tragic incidents. It
is said that "Brodie's Grove," situated near the
west line of what is now the town of Dement, was
the rendezvous of an organized band of bandits.
Benjamin Worden lias related that about the year
1840 he had a fine team of horses, considered in
those days very valuable property, and nightly
slept in his stable, much against his will, in order
to protect himself from horse thieves. "< >ld Brodie"
had taken a fancy to Worden, and hearing of this
practice inquired the reason why. Worden respond-
ed that there were many thieves about and he feared
that his horses would be stolen, whereupon the old
man informed Ben that lie need have no fears, as
his property was safe. "Uncle Ben" did not doubt
Ins sincerity. However, walking across the prairie
one day he discovered a cavity carefully dug out
and covered with boards and nicely arranged sods.
so that no trace of a cave could be found. Its
nearness to this lonely grove, together with the
foregoing incident, proved to his mind conclu-
sively that this was a place of concealment for the
booty of those daring marauders, who as history
further states, "roamed the billowy prairies in
those early days as pirates rove the seas." This
and other stories and a record of the tragic fate of
many will he found on the pages of current history.

Many incidents are cited which show the skill,
daring and courage of the pioneer women, amid
prairie fires and attacks from wolves and the red
man, for at that time the howl of the wolf was
nightly heard and the Indian trail was here found,
the chief Big Thunder, with his braves, making the
surjounding woodland the place 'of temporary
abode.

Kio

PAST AXD PRESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

To those who are as yet unfamiliar with the
many beauties of their own county, and especially
this favored spot, the picturesque town of South
Grove will offer a pleasing panorama. The land
is pleasantly undulating; the undersoil seems
adapted for the drainage of the surface and vege-
tation i- early and of rapid growth. There is
scarcely an acre of waste land within its borders.
More n heat is grown here than in any other town-
ship except Pierce. The highest point of land be-
tween Chicago and the Mississippi river is in the
southern part of South Grove. Owen's creek, a
beautiful stream of water, i rosses the entire length
of the town on its way to the Kishwaukee, through
prairie, woodland and meadow. In it- course the
stream widens several times, forming small lakes,
and mimic harbors, its clear water contrasting
beautifully with the darl green foliage, and is not
only a delight to him who finds "tongues in trees
and books in running brooks," but also to the devo-
tee of [saak Walton. In the grove wild fruits and
Hi. wer> of all kinds abound : the plum, thorn apple,
gooseberry, tin violet, spring beauty, mandrake
ami maidenhair fern.

The township was organized in l s -">o and John
s. Brown was elected first supervisor, lie was fol-
lowed by William M. Byers, ami some descendant
of this gentleman has filled the office at intervals
up i" tin' present time. A great camp meeting
was held at tlir grove in I860, at which leading
ministers from abroad addressed vast audiences,
ami much religious interest was aroused. At a
much earlier day there were occasional religious
revivals, which were remarkable for the great
earnestness exhibited by the converts among that
primitive population, and. it may be added, by
extraordinary and exciting scenes in their meet-
ings. ViiiuTig mam aneedutes -till related with
great gusto is the following: A very worthy but
previously profane convert rising to his feet to
urge hi- hearers to greater zeal and earnestness in
religious duty, fell, unconsciously, into his old
mode of expression and exclaimed: "Brethren, I
like to see a man. if he pretends to be a num. to
be a h — 11 of a man: and if be pretends to be a
Christian to be a h — 11 of a Christian."'

Hotels are things of the past, but they were "in-
stitutions" in their day when the St. Charles and
Oregon State Road, running through South Grove

nearly at its center, was the great highway of the
region and traveled by teams heavily loaded with
grain, even from so far west as the Mississippi
river. One of the hotels, that which stands on the
farm of Mr. Masterson, and occupied by him as a
dwelling house, was kept for a while by Mr. Bee-
man. It is still in a good state of preservation.
especially the hall, which was dedicated to the
goddess Terpsichore; and many a resident of De
Kalb county will remember as long as he lives the
pleasant gatherings at Beeman's when what was
wanting in elegance was made up in merriment.
The other was kept by Mr. Adee near the grove,
and it is imi to be wondered at that that gentle-
man i- 11- ■ w so well off in life when it is remem-
bered how exorbitant were his charge- — fort] or
forty-five cents being required for only supper.
lodging, breakfast ami hay fur a span of horses or
a yoke of oxen.

But while the hotels Wile so Well ] iat I'l illizeil il

was a hard time for the farmers. Again and again
the teamster- who had taken tin' leads of grain —
the product of the whole season's hard toil- over
that long, weary way to Chicago, Mould not bring
back money enough even to pay their trifling bills
— a few groceries, a little bundle of cloth, perhaps
a pair or two of cheap shoes, besides food for their
families, being all the avails of a year's hard smug-
glings. But the men and women of this region
put their shoulders to the wheel and called upon
the gods, and by and by Hercules came in the form
of a railroad.

During the rebellion South Grove furnished one
hundred and three volunteers and raised for the
war eleven thousand, one hundred and twenty-
seven dollars. Mr. John S. Brown, in 1862,
raised a company of soldiers for the Fifty-second
Regiment. He was made captain. The Safford
brothers both enlisted in the One Hundred and
Fifth, both were wounded ami both made cap-
tains. Henry was afterward elected sheriff of this
county, in 1868. While these officers served their
country in a more public capacity than did the
privates, their services are remembered with no
more gratitude than is due the boys in blue in the
common ranks.

With the coming of the railroad, or its near
prospect, there was a rush of settlers, the Curriers,
McClellans, Beckers, Rickards, Masons. Doanes,

PAST AND PRESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

131

McKenzies and Christmans were among the num-
ber who came and most of their descendants still
own property in town. Mrs. S. S. Currier, who,
with her husband, came to South Grove in 1S53
from New Hampshire, was for many years promi-
nently connected with the literature of New Eng-
land, furnishing many articles of the best publi-
cations of her day. She was the author of "Alice
Tracey, or Through the Wilderness," "By the
Sea" and "The Trapper's Niece." She died in
1895. Hugh McQueen came from Scotland in
1868. He was a true type of the Scotch Presby-
terian Christian, one of the type that has made
"Old Scotia loved at home, revered abroad."

Although in early days there was a prospect of
a railroad, it was not until 1887 that it became a
Teality. It was then built by the Chicago & Great
Western Company and passed from east to west
through South Grove. A station was established
near its western border named Esmond, and the
postofnees of Deerfield, Prairie and Dustin were
merged into the Esmond postoffice, with Martin
Kennedy as postmaster. He held the office until
the republicans came into power, when he was
succeeded by William McKenzie, the present in-
cumbent. Kennedy Brothers, Messrs. Daniel and
Martin, opened the first store and until very re-
cently continued as proprietors. They have now-
sold their stock of goods and Will McKenzie is the
only merchant in the town. Kennedy Brothers
.started the first elevator and are successfully op-
erating the same. A very pretty church was
built two years ago and the population of the
little town has now grown to about a hundred
people, making their livelihood through deals with
the farmers who have made South Grove one of
the most prosperous farming communities of the
county. The I. I. & M. Railroad runs through a
section of South Grove.

The first supervisor of the town was John S.
Brown, in 1850; William M. Byers, 1851-2; Jesse
Tindall, 1853-4; John S. Brown, 1855-6; James
Byers, Jr., 1857-8; John S. Brown, 1859; W. T.
Adee, 1860-1 ; William M. Byers, 1862-3 ; George
A. Gilis, 1864-5; James Byers, Jr., 1866-7; A. C.
Thompson, 1868-71; William M. Byers, 1872-5;
James Gibson, 1876; Henry Christman, 1877-8;
James Byers, 1879-1904; M. McMurchy, 1904-07.

FRANKLIN.

Franklin, the northwest township of the county,
has more streams of running water and more
timber than any other township of the county.
The townships of Franklin, Kingston and Genoa,
that of the northern tier of the count}', was in-
eluded in the Polish survey and put on the mar-
ket several years earlier than the twelve towns
south of it. This accounts for the fact that the
survey of lands do not coincide with those of the
towns below it. The settlement of Franklin be-
gan in 1836 and it is now believed that the first
settlers of Franklin were Andrew and William
Miles and Samuel Corey. When they came to
Franklin that part of the township known now
as the Suter fami was still occupied by a small
settlement of Pottowattomie Indians. Here they
ground their corn and had their place of worship.
They had a totem pole surmounted by an idol,
where they had their religious offices. This idol
was in the possession of Ebe Lucas' family for
many years. The other settlers that came into the
town this year and the year following were Daniel
Gilchrist, T. H. Humphrey, Theophilus- Watkins,
Samuel, Charles and Henry nicks, Andrew Brown,
Harry Holmes. Allen Gardner, W. T. Kirk, a Mr.
Owen, from whom Owen creek takes its name, B,
M. Dean, John McDowell, Alvah and James Ben-
nett, Daniel Cronkhite, Martin M. Mack, Spence
Myers, Ira Dibble and Squire J. M. Riddle. In
1837 the Hicks brothers built a mill near what
was known afterward as the Hicks ford and later
this locality is spoken of as the Hicks' Mill coun-
try. In 1837 those who came suffered from the
financial depression that was general over the
country and when that land came into the market
they were unable to pay the dollar and a quarter,
an acre, so their claims were purchased by Dr.
Hobert in 1842. Around Hicks' Mill sprang up
quite a village. There were stores and blacksmith
shops and it bid fair to be one of the thriving
burgs of the county. Dr. Hobert at the time of
the purchase of the Hicks' claim was a man of
considerable wealth. He was president of the
Claims Association of that locality and was promi-
nent in town and county affairs. Thoroughly edu-
cated and enthusiastic in the practice of his pro-
fession, he was a man of fine appearance, possessed
great ambition and acquired a large amount of

132

PAST AND PRESENT OF DE KALE COUNTY.

property, bill to the surprise of ;ill who knew him
died of delirium tremens in the earlj '50s. Eicks'
Mil] postoffice was instituted in 1841, with Samuel
Hick- ,i- postmaster, and the receipts of that office
for that year were seven dollars and seventy-two
cents. Blood's Point was also an early postoffice,
a place well known over the country, as it was
just across the line in the county of Boone, and
many of the settlers had that as their place of
business. Lacey postoffice was established on the
east side of tin- town and remained quite a village
until the building of the railway in 1876. The
Lacey postoffice the B.rs1 year of its existence shows
an income of a dollar and twenty-four cents.

The first marriages recorded in this locality were
• Ion,- Abernethy ami Betsey Rand, Miles Abern-
etby and Lucy Hatch. Daniel Hatch ami Miss
Abernethy. The firsl school was taught by Bi

Hand in a lot; scl Ihouse on - ction 20, in 1842,

and tin- has long since been replaced by a more
pretenl ious building.

Thomas W. Humphrey, who came to this town
at an early day. was a prominent citizen and
lawyer and a man of education and refinement.
He died at nn early age in 1844. His eldest son,
General T. W. Humphrey, was at thai tunc eighl
win- of age. Martin M. Mack was the county
commissioner and a man well known throughout
the county. \V. T. Kirk was one of the large
land-owners of this township and at one time
had in his possession fifteen hundred acres, lie
served In- town many years as supervisor. The

people in the neighborh 1 of Sicks' Mill were

generally from the southern states, especially Ken-
tucky and Tennessee, while those who came at a
later day were from the New- England ami middle
-tat-. Dr. Basset! was the first physician, lie
subsequently removed to Sycamore ami was one
of the early physicians of that township.

The tornado of Is:,:; -truck the township of
Franklin, passing through Kingston. It picked
up the housi ol John Young, first lifted it up.
shattered it. and it was carried off in pieces which
were never found. Mrs. Young was instantly
killed. It next struck the residence of Ira Dean,
and a lady relative visiting there had her hack
broken and died soon afterward. Two boys at
the house were Mown out of tin' window, but
were nut -, • r i o 1 1 - 1 v hurt. Many other houses and
barns were unroofed and destroyed. A similar

storm passed through the town in I860, striking
Franklin near the Kishwaukee river. When the
tornado struck the river it scooped the water out,
leaving its bed dry for an instant. It then pass d
through the timber and took everything before it.
making a roadway of ruin about twenty rods in
width.

The village of Kirkland was platted in lsOi anil
has grown to he one of the thriving towns of the
county. It has a population of between eight or
nine hundred, has a splendid graded school, of
which Professor I. F. Conover i- superintendent.
The first church was built in this village in 1S85.
The Methodist church service was held in the
public school building until L886, when the pres-
ent edifice was completed. The Swedish Lutheran
church was built in 1888, and the Congregational
church bought this >i\ years later. The hotel is
owned and operated by J. 1>. Morris, present coro-
ner of the county. Aside from being a well built
town. Kirkland can boas! of the largest sheep
-'nil- on the Milwaukee road between Chicago
and the mountains. They are owned and operated
by John McQueen, and have a capacity of one hun-
dred thousand -keep. The town i- well supplied
with stores of everj nature and ha- been -nice i t -«
organization a prominent railroad center.

Pairdale, formerly known as Fielding, was
platted in 1876 ami for a time was much larger
ami more prosperous than Kirkland. The first
building in this town was ere, ted by Lewis Keith
and he carried a line of general merchandise. L.
W. King started the first drug store. Henry
O'Rourke built the first building. The Methodist
church, which stood about three miles west of the
village, was moved into Fairdale soon after it was
-tailed nml a new building now replaces tin- old
one and is one of the most spacious Methodist
churches in the county. After Kirkland became
a coaling and watering station, where all trains
stopped, it grew rapidly, outstripping Fairdale on
the west, anil owing to its splendid railroad service
does a freight business and the percentage of busi-
ness i- of greater proportions than many town-
four time- it- size.

Franklin furnished ninety-nine men for the na-
tion during the Civil strife, and of the number
entering the service quite a number became promi-
nent. Among that number was Thomas W. Hum-
phrey, who. being left an orphan at the age of

.rtv-flvr miles
,n<l morning he

X0N31 'HOJ. S y'

were no1 si
barns were u«

PAST AND PBESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.

135

eight years, struggled with the hardships of fron-
tier life and began at a very young age to operate
the farm owned by his mother. lie acquired an
excellent education for Ins circumstances, worked
his way through the Beloit College, became deputy
circuit clerk of De Kalb county, married at twen-
ty-one, and during the same year purchased the
Humphrey homestead. He was always a bold,
brave, venturesome youth, whose integrity and
manliness of character made every one his friend.
For years he taught country school during the
winter and in 1861 crossed the plains to California
and on the expedition heroically rescued an emi-
grant and his family from a tribe of hostile In-
dians. Eeturning in 1862, he raised a company
of volunteers from the borders of De Kalb, Boone
and McHenry counties. Many of the boys enlist-
ing in his regiment had been his students in the
country school. This company was made a part
of the Ninety-fifth Illinois Infantry and Mr.
Humphrey was elected major. He devoted himself
with energy and ardor to the profession of arms
and soon held a commanding position in the regi-
ment. He was promoted to the position of lieu-
tenant-colonel for meritorious service and upon
the resignation of Colonel Avery was made colo-
nel. He took part in 1 1 1 < ■ stunning of Vicksburg
on the 19th and 22d of May, 1863, was wounded
on the first day, but continued at the head of the
regiment. On the 22d lie was ordered to lead his
regiment across a bridge in the face of an enfilad-
ing fire from the enemy. He put himself at the
head of the regiment and was one of the three who
finally passed over. He took refuge behind a
hill and while here was stunned by the explosion
of a shell and was reported killed, but during the
night crawled back to camp. Horace Greeley in
his valuable work, "A Great American Conflict." in
giving his report of the disastrous battle of Gun-
town, where Colonel Hu