USA > Illinois > DeKalb County > History of DeKalb County, Illinois > Part 1
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GENEALOGY COLLECTION
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 00839 3743
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The Public School at Sycamore.
HISTORY
OF
e Kalb
ounty.
ILLINOIS,
BY
HENRY L. BOIES.
O. P. BASSETT, PRINTER, 95 AND 97 WEST RANDOLPH STREET, CHICAGO. 1868.
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20.00
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1164921 PREFACE.
This work has been prepared at the solicitation of many of the pioneer settlers and prominent citizens of the County. The materials have not proved abundant. So brief has been the existence of our County ; so quiet and uneventful its career ; so little of exciting adventure or unusual experience have the annals of its early settlement afforded, that the task of writing its history has been like that of writing the biogra- phy of some vigorous but common-place country lad who is yet in his teens. Yet, there is much in the early experience of the first settlers of the County that we, their successors and descendants, should not willingly suffer to pass into ob- livion. And, it seemed important that the work of collecting and recording it should be done without delay. For many of the first settlers were fast passing into senility or dropping into the grave, and the interesting story of the toils and trials, the joys and sorrows, the gloomy tragedies and gay comedies that made up their history, lived only in the uncertain memo- ries of the participants,-only in the recollection of a class of men who were rapidly passing away.
The military history of the County,-the story of the ser- vices rendered by its brave boys in blue in defence of the Nation against the Great Rebellion, have been found a mine of historic wealth, so rich, so extensive, that the limits of the work have permitted only a partial exploration. Few knew, or adequately appreciate, the extent of the service that our brave boys rendered in that grand struggle for the preserva- tion of the life of the Nation ; and this, it seemed, must soon pass into obscurity, or live only in the uncertain, perhaps con- tradictory, remembrance of the participants in its stirring scenes.
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PREFACE.
To rescue these facts from an undeserved oblivion; to gather and fix these ephemeral incidents before they were gone forever ; to give our citizens a knowledge of events of interest in its past career and present situation ; to give to the world some information, not only of its history, but of its present resources and future prospects ; to render a fitting tribute to the valor and devotion of its gallant boys in blue who nobly bore its banners upon the bloody battle-field, or, as martyrs to their love of country, bravely died in its defence ; to encourage in our citizens an esprit du corps, a pride in the name and fame of the County in which they have made homes, such has been the purpose of this work; such its object and design. If this shall have been so accomplished as to meet the approval of its people, its author will be more than satis- fied. For its many defects and omissions, he would beg the indulgence of its readers. Those who would view the work with an unkindly critical eye, could hardly appreciate the difficulties of the task of determining exact facts of occur- rences long passed, in the midst of conflicting testimony, or of doing perfect justice to all who have borne a share in the work of reclaiming the County from its native wildness, and building it up to its present state of prosperity and enlighten- ment. The author has striven to make a faithful record, noth- ing extenuating, nor setting down aught in malice. With the hope that its readers may take in its perusal some share of that interest which he has taken in its preparation, it is committed to the candid, and it is hoped, kindly judgment of the people of DeKalb County.
NOTE .- A large number of soldiers of DeKalb County did gallant service in the Sec- ond Illinois Artillery, under General Stolbrand, and Captains J. W. Lowell and H. C. Whittemore; but the history of those batteries, promised in the prospectus of this work, appears to have been lost in the course of transmission by mail, and could not be replaced in time for publication. Numerons irritating typographical errors appear. The author, residing at a distance from the place of publication, was unable to review some portions of the proof. The reader will probably be able to correct most of them, and it is hoped to excuse them; but it may be well to mention that the first line on page 89 should be read as the last; that the last word on page 479 should be Corinth, instead of Lyndon, and that the headings on pages 489 and 491 should be De Kalb in- stead of Sycamore, and on page 289 should be Tenth, instead of Thirteenth Illinois Infantry.
1
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
PART FIRST.
SKETCHES AND INCIDENTS.
CHAPTER I.
Geographical description of the County .. Its geology .. Origin of the prairies. 33
CHAPTER II.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE STATE.
Settled by the French. . New France. . Ceded to Great Britain .. Prov- ince of Quebec. . Conquered by General Clarke. . County of Illinois in the State of Virginia. . Ordinance of 1787. . War of 1812. . The Vinsan Legislatur .. Divided from Indiana .. Admittance as a State. . Kaskas- kia. . Vandalia. . Slavery in Illinois. . The Illinois Canal. . Galena .. The Suckers. . First Black Hawk war. . Second Black Hawk war .. Battle at Stillman's Run .. Dixon. . Massacres .. Battles .. Internal im- provements-County of DeKalb. 43
CHAPTER III.
MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF THE INDIANS.
Their personal appearance. . Characteristics. . Their Villages in this Vicinity . . Burial places. . Corn fields. . Hunting. . Marriage .. Life of Old Shaobona. . Tecumsehs aid. . Black Hawk's enemy. . His services to the Whites. . Smoke. . Pokanoka .. Family discipline .. Shabbona dis- possessed. 53
CHAPTER IV.
LIFE OF BARON DE KALB CHAPTER V. THE CLAIM ASSOCIATIONS.
63
Immigration. . Pre-emption and claims .. Disputes. . Fights. . Division of claims. . Convention of the People. . Constitution and by-laws. . Suits . . Stark and Barron-McLenathan and Mason-Mann of Burlington .. The Lynchers tried.
CHAPTER VI.
THE BANDITTI.
Horse Stealing. . Brodie's Grove. . Worden's discoveries. . Driscoll's Grove .. Gleasons. . Oregon burned. . How to get a verdict. . The Lynching
26
CONTENTS.
club. . Captain Long's Mill burned .. Daggett and Powell. . Captain Campbell's army. . Embassy from Judge Ford .. Gathering of the Ban- dits .. Murder of Campbell .. The country roused .. Capture of the Driscolls. . Trial at White Rock. . The whisky. . Prisoner shot. . Trial of Taylor Driscoll. . Who was the Assassin. 78
CHAPTER VII.
THE RESURRECTIONISTS.
Grave robbing at St. Charles. . James Lovell's discovery. . The watch .. The pursuit ... The robbers arrested. . A vacant grave. . To Richard's Institute. . The lock of golden hair. . Richard's brutality. . The country in arms. . March to St. Charles. . An angry altercation .. Assault on the Institute. . Its Defenders shot. . The building riddled. . No corpses .. A night Conference. . A Retreat. . Raising the body .. It is returned . . Arrests by both parties. 95
PART SECOND.
DEKALB COUNTY IN THE WAR OF THE REBELLION.
INTRODUCTION.
ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTH INFANTRY VOLUNTEERS.
Organization .. In Camp at Dixon .. Field and Staff .. At Chicago .. To Louis- ville .. Great march to Frankfort .. To Shelbyville. . Bowling Green .. Scottsville. . Postage currency .. Changes .. To Nashville .. Pap py Ward. Murder .. March to Lookout .. Lost in a cave. General Hooke .. Battle of Resaca. A rebs letter. To Kingston and Burnt Hickory. A Fight. Death of Surgeon Potter. . Fight at Golgotha. . At Marietta. . Battle of Peach Tree Creek. . Terrible scenes. . How the rebs did'nt gather acorns --- Siege of Atlanta ---- The dead and wounded .. Herman Furnes,' adven- ture. . Atlanta captured. . Colonel Dustin in command of a Division .. Other changes .. Off for Savannah .. Atlanta burned .. Contrabands and Bummers. . Madison and Milledgville. . Railroads destroved. . Fnn and Foraging. . Vinum Antimonia. . Savannah Off again .. Committce of the whole on the State of South Carolina. . Bummers in clover .. Forty days more. . North Carolina. . Battle of Averysboro. . Gallantry of the One Hundred and Fifth. . At Goldsboro .. Richmond Surrenders .. Johnson Surrenders .. On to Richmond and Washington. . Grand Review. . Home again. . Generous Pittsburg. . Shabby Chicago. . The Rester. 113
TIIE EIGHTH ILLINOIS CAVALRY.
Cavalry needed. . Colonel Farnsworth Commissioned. . The rally. . At St. Charles .. To Washington .. Greetings on the route .. Farnsworth's Big Abolition Regiment. . At Meridian Hill. . Grand ' Reviews. . No fight. . Camp Sumner. . Five Hundred Sick .. To Alexandria .. General Montgomery .. How the rebs loved us. . Spring opens. . On to Manassas ---- Wooden Guns. . Scouting. . Back to Alexandria. . Siege of Yorktown .. Williamsburg .. Black Creek Bridge .. Richmond in sight. . Recon- noisances and Picketing. . Fair Oaks .. Captain Farnsworth's dinner party .. Page 220 .. The Seven Days Fight. . Change of base. . The horrors of the retreat. . At Haxal's and Harrison's. . Malvern Hill. . Back to Yorktown and Alexandria. . Fight at Barnsville. . George MI Roe .. Frederick City .. South Mountain. . Boonesboro. .- Antietam -.. The Rebel army escane .. Dash into Shepherdstown .. Memorable march to Martinsburg --- After Jeb Stuart --- Page 230 ---- Markhanı Station
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CONTENTS.
---- Re-enlisting ----- The Furlough ---- Giesborough Point ---- Early's ad- vanee ---- Fights at Middletown, Monococy, Urbana ---- Guarding Wash- ington ---- After Mosby ---- Pursuing the assassins ---- St. George and St. St. Marys ---- To St. Louis ---- A Wreeked Steamer ---- To Chicago and home -Roster. 205
THE SEVENTEENTH ILLINOIS CAVALRY.
Recruiting ---- Company C ---- Its Officers ---- Field and Staff ---- To St. Lonis and Alton ---- Regiment divided ---- To St. Joseph ---- Guerrillas attacked ----- Dashing Phil McRae ----- Jefferson City ---- Rolla ---- Cuba ---- General Ewing ---- Race for the Capitol --- The Price raid -- - Defence of the Cap- itol ---- Honor and danger ---- Price's Retreat ---- After him ---- Boonesville ---- Mine Creek ---- Fifty-six hours in the Saddle ---- Six Hundred horses lost ---- Jaek Houghton ---- Price Eseapes ---- Cape Girardeau ---- Jeff. Thompson surrenders ---- To Kansas City ---- Fort Larned ---- Fort Leavenworth ---- Trouble in Camp ---- Roster. 252
TIIE FIFTY-EIGHTH INFANTRY.
Organization ---- At the Capture of Donelson ---- Fort Henry ---- Corinth ---- Shiloh --- Half the Regiment killed and captured ----- Captain Rutisthauser ---- Lieutenant Moxom ---- Sergeant Wheaton's adventure ---- The Union Brigade -- Cape Kittell- -- Battle of Corinth ---- Sergeant J. C. Wright ---- To Springfield ----- To Vicksburg ----- Raid on Meridian ----- Capture of Fort DeRussey ..- Up Red River. . Sabine Cross Roads. . Pleas- ant Hill. . The Fifty-eighth save the army. . Still retreating. . Damming Red river. . Yellow Bayou. . Desperate charges. . One hundred and ten men killed and wounded. . Re-enlisted. . Fight at Columbia. . Fight with Forest at Tupello. . To Missouri. . The Price raid. . To Northville and Eastport -.. New Orleans -. . Mobile -. . Montgomery -. . Home again -.. Roster. 268
THE TENTH CAVALRY.
Captain Carr's company. . The first company raised in Illinois. . To Cairo .. Fortifying and garrison duty. . Re-organized for three years. . Raid in Kentucky. . Sykesville. . Birds Point. . Captain Carr killed. . Island No. 10. . Siege of Corinth .. Booneville. . Fighting our way to Nash- ville. . Besieged. . No rations. . Built Fort Negley .. Campaign through Alabama and Mississippi. . Wheeler's cavalry . . Mission Ridge. . Pursu- ing Hardee. . A midwinter march without blankets, shoes or tents .. to Chattanooga. . Rossville. . Veteranized --- To Atlanta .. Grand march to the Sea. . Crossing the Salkehatchie. . Forty men lost. . Gallantry at Edisto .. To Columbia, Cheraw, Fayetteville and Goldsboro .. Bat- tle of Bentonville. . Hardee whipped .. Sixty men lost. . To Raleigh, Richmond, and the grand review. 284
THE THIRTEENTH INFANTRY.
Enlistments discouraged. . Sandwich and Sycamore companies accepted --- Premiums for places --- Gray uniforms --- Banner presented --- At Dixon --- To Rolla --- March to Springfield --- Fremont's Flying Infantry --- Baek to Rolla --- Jesting and death --- To Pea Ridge --- Indian corpses --- Terrible mareh to Helena --- Assault upon Vicksburg --- Death of General Wy- man --- Arkansas Post --- Jackson --- Siege of Vieksburg --- On Chattanooga --- Capture of Lookout Mountain --- Ringold Gap --- Pat Riley --- Death of Major Bushnell and Captain Blanchard. . Meridian Station. . Sixty- six men captured. . Resume. . Roster. 292
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CONTENTS.
THE FOURTEENTH CAVALRY.
Recruiting. . Consolidation of three Regiments. . At Peoria. . The officers .. To Glasgow. . Skirmishing at Celina. . Camp Boyle. . Pursuit of Colonel Hamilton. . We capture John Morgan. . Twenty-one hundred miles ride. . Join Burnside. . Surrender of Cumberland Gap. . Guarding Railroads. . Fight at Zollicoffer. . At Blountville. . Dog-tents. . Siege of Knoxville. . Driven. . Bean Station. . Dandridge. . Thomas' Legion. . Death of Horace Capron. . Cittico. . General Stoneman. . On Atlanta. . The Great Stoneman Raid. . Seven days and nights in the Saddle .. Massacred asleep. . The Regiment destroyed. . Major Davidson. . Fight- ing Forest. . Pursuit of Bragg. . Mustered out. 208
THE FORTY-SECOND INFANTRY.
Company K. . Roster. . To Tipton. . Terrible march to Springfield. . Two hundred men disabled ... Winter at Smithton. . To St. Charles. . Fort Holt. . Columbus. . Island No. 10. . Siege of Corinth. . Booneville .. Captain Butts. . Battle of Farmington ... of Columbia. . Stone River .. 223 men lost. . The Chattanooga campaign. . Chickamauga. . 184 men lost. . Mission Ridge, 45 men lost. . East Tennessee campaign. . Veter- anized. . Home .. Atlanta campaign. . Ten battles, 116 men lost. . To Bridgeport, Chattanooga, Athens and Pulaski. . Fight at Spring Hill and Franklin, 169 men lost. . Battle of Nashville. . To Decatur, Blue Springs, Johnsonville, Texas, Port Lavaca. . Mustered out January 30, 1866. . Roster. 318
THE FIFTY-SECOND INFANTRY.
Organized. . At Geneva .. To St. Louis and St. Joseph. . Exhausting march to Quincy : To Kentucky. . Colonel Sweeney. . Fort Donaldson . . Guarding prisoners. . Shiloh . . Major Stark. . Death of Captain Knapp .. One-third of the Regiment lost. . Siege of Corinth. . Sickness and sufferings. . Battle of Corinth. . To Iuka and Burnsville. . Corinth .. Gallautry of the Fifty-second. . Hard marches. . Bear Creek. . After Forrest .. Exhausting marches ... To Pulaski. . Veteranized and home .. To Nashville and Chattanooga. . Siege of Atlanta. . To Savannah. . South Carolina. . Fall of Richmond. . Surrender of Johnson. . Wash- ington, Louisville, Chicago. . Roster. 398
THE ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-SECOND.
Company F, its Officers. . To Paducah. . Guarding communications .. The campaign ended. . Home again. . Roster. 343
THE ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-SIXTH.
Company H, its Officers. . To Paducah. . Guarding communications. . The Rebellion ended. . Home. . Roster. 345
PART THIRD.
ANNALS OF DEKALB COUNTY.
1832 ---- March of General Scott ----- Encampment at Kingston -- - Battle of Stillman's Run ---- Encampment at Paw Paw. 318
1833 ----- Exploration into Southern Portion of the Territory- --- Indians hostile. 349
1834 ---- Explorations ---- Holleuback ---- Claims at Squaw Grove and Pampas -First house ---- Mail route to Dixon ---- Sebrees. 349
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CONTENTS.
1835. . Immigrants pour in ---- Indians. . Mode of traveling ---- Mode of life. . Making claims. . First houses. . Hope and Ambition ... The Claim As-o- ciation ---- First Justices -- - Part of La Salle County. . Religious services established. . Winter of 13 5. . Shaboona Grove. . Peter Lamois and the Whisky trade. 350
1836. . A year of gloom. . Provisions scarce. . Clothing worn out. . Sick- ness. . Election of Madden. .. Chicago. . Kane and DeKalb. . towns started. 358
1837. . Act, creating De Kalb County .. Septennial wet season. . The finan- cial crash. . What Shabbona says. . The new Villages. . C. Sharer &Co. Coltonville. . How the County was set off from Kane. . The first Elec- tion. . Officers chosen. . The County Court. . Its first acts. . Precincts created. . The County Seat located. . The struggle. . Why Orange was selected. 360
1838. . First Circuit Court at Coltonville. . Names of Jurors. . Tavern licenses. . Regulation of prices. . The first County tax .. Election of Commissioners. . Attractions of Coltonville. . Captain Barnes' Enter- prise. . Madden and Colton. . Act for removal passed. . Courting and the County Seat. . Removal voted down. . The first Criminal. . County Town Surveyed. . Cou t proceedings. . Deer Stalking. 374
1839. . Sickly season. . New Court House built. . The Mansion House .. Removal of Court .. Elections. . The Polish grant. . Another act for Removal of the Seat of Justice. . Carried. . Kellogg arrested. . Taxes raised. 383
1840. . Increase of population. . Poverty of the People. . Life at Squaw Grove. . Thieves and counterfeiters. . The Nunnery. . Election of Har- rison. . The Courts. . County Seat voted back again. . Winthrop Love- lace. . Boarders and prisoners. 335
1841 .. The first Lawyer. . Elections. . State road. . Terrible winter. . Six months good Sleighing. . Starvation. . 500 Deer killed. 390
1842. . First steel plows. . E. L. Mayo. . The County Town. . Three years Taxes. . The State and County bankrupt. . Rich Recorders. . Elections .. Courts. 391
1843. . County financiering. . Land comes in market. . Claim wars. . The County Town. . New State roads. . Genoa. 394
1844. . The regular seven years flood. . Harvesting in the water. . County Elections. . County orders. 308
1845. . Slow progress in settlement. . Debt and repudiation. . Claim wars . . No money; 399
1846. . War with Mexico. . Captain Shepherds company. . Shabbona pre- cinct. . Financial situation. . County Officers and Justices elected. . First brick dwellings built. 400
1847. . Improvement in finances. . Immigration .. Poverty .. The taverns crowded. . Elections. . Paupers.
1848. . New Constitution. . Squaw Grove precinct created. . Wooster pre- cinct. . The old Court House. . A new one demanded. 402
1849. . Contract for new Court House. . Size. . Donations to be paid back .. The Subscribers. . Off for California. . Officers elected. . Township Organization. . Salaries of Officers. . Division of the County into Towns. . The original thirteen. . County tax. 403
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CONTENTS.
1850. . Town Government established. . First Board of Supervisors .. Names changed and why. . Court House completed. 406
1851. . Inauguration ball. . The Septennial flood. . Two feet of snow [in April. . Poisonous wheat. . Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad. . St. Charles plank road. 407
1852. . Assessment. . Only 20,000 acres not entered. . Politics .. Combina- tions. . County Offices become valuable. . Elections. . St. Charles & Mississippi Air Line. . First Agricultural Society. 408
1853. . History of St. Charles & Mississippi Air Line. . The Dixon Rail- road. . Purchase of County Poor Farm. . Buena Vista Village. 409
1834. . First Newspaper published . The Maine Liquor Law issue. . Vote of the County. . Lands all entered. . Newark Station. . Political Mass Meeting. . Organization of the Republican party .. County Fair .. Elections. . Assessments. . Swamp Land Grant. . DeKalb Village .. County tax. . Afton. 413
1855. . The County property. . Population of the towns and villages. 416 1856 .. A year of prosperity .. Expansion. . County Jail built .. Swamp Lands. . Malta ... taxation .. Terrible stormn. 417
1857. . Commercial convulsion. . General bankruptcy .. Election . . Milan .. Newspapers. 419
1858. . Papers in the County. . Hard times. . A meteor. . Taxes. . The Septennial flood. . Sycamore & Cortland Railroad. . Teachers Institute Hard times. . Taxes suspended. . Tornado. . Meteor. 421
1859. Hard times. Drought. Debt. Suits. Paupers. Dow vs Ellwood. 425
1860. . A notable year. . Bountiful crops. . Presidential Election .. Great Mass Meeting. . Wide-awakes .. Exciting political contest. 426
1861. . The Great War. . Patriotic devotion .. Union of Parties. . Stump- tail currency. . Census. 428
1862. . Gloom and depression. . Enrollment for draft .. Assessment. . Elec- tion. . Swamp Land Grant sold. . History of the grant. 430
1863. . Pecuniary prosperity. . Fire proof County Offices. . Beautiful School Houses. . 600,000 troops called out. . Volunteers enough. . Bounty Legislation . . Jurisdiction of the County Court. . Sorghum culture. 435
1864. . The great January storm. . Return of the veterans. . H. W. Fay .. William Young .. Destruction of shade trees. . Money abundant. . The Wheat crop destroyed. . More troops called. . County bounties. . The draft comes at last. . Quotas filled. . Elections. . Union League. . Rail- road monopolies. . First foreign appointment. 435
1835. . The County Seat contest. . Quotas of towns demanded. . The draft. . Heavy taxation. . Peace at last. . Men furnished by each town .. Fall in gold. . Wet season. . Elections. . Census. 438
1866 .. Prosperity .. Elegant churches built .. Desolating hail storm .. Cholera. . Failure of Sycamore Bank. . Election. . Taxation. . Bounties on wolves. 441
1867. . Great prices for produce. . Rise in lands. . The Half Shire. . Man- ufactories. . Election . . Burglars. . Taxation. 444
1868. . Statistics .. Election .. Conclusion. 447
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CONTENTS.
PART FOURTH.
TOWN HISTORIES.
GENOA .. Its attractions. . First settlers. . Thieves and counterfeiters. . E. P. Gleason's history. . Mass meeting in 1838 .. Origin of the name .. Largest Village in the County. . Population. . Genoa in the war .. Her martyred dead. . Supervisors. 450
KINGSTON. . The Indians. . First white settlers. . Poverty of early times . . How they lived. . Population. . Fearful tornado .. Luke Penwell. . George Magenety killed. . Her soldier boys. . The dead. . Numerous officers. . Supervisors. 455
FRANKLIN. . Woods, streams and quarries. . First settlers. . Hicks' Mills .. Kishwaukee City .. Poverty .. Dr. Hobart. . Land in market in 1838. . General Tom Humphrey. . Other officers. . Dead of the Rebellion .. Tornado. . The killed. . Indian idol. . Population. . Supervisors. 463
MAYFIELD. . Its natural attractions. . First settlers. . Coltonville. . Indian village. . Dr. Madden. . A distillery. . Sarpents and other game. . Claim wars. . Population. . Boys in Blue. . The roll of IIonor. . First religious meetings. . Supervisors. 463
SOUTH GROVE. . Its soil and surface. . Owens' Creek. . Indian trail. . Orput's and Driscoll's Grove. . Mills. . Its inhabitants. . The Driscolls .. First settlers. . Schoolmaster Byers. . Schools now. . How to build School Houses cheaply. . Churches. . Camp meeting. . Hell ofa Christ- ian. . Post Office. . Hotels .. Profits of farming. . Hercules helps. . Fine houses. . Noble farms. . Favorite crops. . Population. . Its men in the Army. . Its Supervisors. 467
SYCAMORE. . Timber and streams. . Norbo. . Charters. . The New York Company .. Bursted bubbles .. The old Town of Sycamore. . Captain Barnes. . Sycamore in 1840. . Churches. . Lawyers. . Population .. Syca- more in 1855. . James' Block. . Sycamore & Cortland Railroad. . Lead- ing citizens. . Supervisors .. . Incorporation of the village. 475
CORTLAND. . Indian village. . The prisoners. . Ohio Grove. . Palatial Hotel Luce's Corners. . The railroad village. . The population. . Richland . .. Pampas. . Public schools ; the first and the last. . Her soldiers. . The roll of her martyrs. . Captain R. A. Smith. . Supervisors. 482
DEKALB. . Woodland and streams. . First settlers. . Troops in camp .. Jenks & Co .... Russell Huntley's claims. . First Election. . Hard times .. DeKalb for sale cheap. . Town organized. . First called Orange .. The life giving Railroad. . Magical growth. . 1857. . Agricultural Society grounds. . School Houses. . Churches. . Newspapers. . Lawyers. . Bank .. Leading citizens. . Supervisors. . Soldiers. . Population 486
MALTA. . Settled in 1851. . Station established in 1854. . Milton. . Etna. . Storm of 1857. . Steam Mill. . Recent rapid growth. . Future prospects .. Census. . Soldiers. . Supervisors. 492
MILAN. . The youngest town. . Lewis McEwen. . Deer and wolves .. Rapid settlement. . Advance in the price of lands. . School Section and Schools. . Town Hall. . Norwegians. . The willows. . Population. . As- sesment of property . . Its Soldiers. 494
AFTON .. The first emigrants mistake. . Sweet Afton .. First settlers .. Organization as a town .. First town officers. . Its uniformly Noble Supervisors. . Its Schools. . Its Churches. . Its Elections. . Its Population ... Its war record. . Its dead of the war. 496
32
CONTENTS.
CLINTON. . Its grove and streams. . First Inhabitants. . Its territory .. Selection of a name. . Population. . Schools. . Churches. . Claim wars .. Hard times. . Its martyred dead. . Captain Pritchard. . The Marsh Brothers and the Marsh Harvester. . The Supervisors. 499
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