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HISTORY . .
OF
GRUNDY COUNTY
ILLINOIS.
Containing a History from the earliest settlement to the present time, embracing its topographical, geological, physical and climatic features ; its agricultural, railroad interests, etc .; giving an account of its aboriginal inhabitants, early settlement by the whites, pioneer incidents, its growth, its improvements, organization of the County, the judicial history, the business and industries, churches, schools, etc .; Biographical Sketches ; Portraits of some of the Early Settlers, Prominent Men, etc.
ILLUSTRATED.
CHICAGO : O. L. BASKIN & CO., HISTORICAL, PUBLISHERS, 1 LAKESIDE BUILDING. 1882.
F547 FISH6
.
PREFACE.
16232
TY this volume the publishers present the results of their efforts to secure a ereditable com- pilation of the History of Grundy County. In recounting the " short and simple annals " of a community founded in the " piping times of peace." and more in the midst than on the front- ier of new settlements, there is little material for a thrilling narrative or a record of interesting exploits, but the authors of this enterprise believe that the essential facts of the early history are here set forth with substantial accuracy. No effort has been made to draw upon the imagina- tion to embellish the story, but as it has been found, it has been given, in a plain, unvarnished tale. The historical matter has been revised by L. W. Claypool, Esq., whose thorough knowl- edge of the history and wide acquaintance with the people of the county assures its accuracy, and has largely contributed to its completeness, and the publishers take this occasion to acknowledge their indebtedness to him for his valuable assistance in the prosecution of this enterprise. The chapters on Morris were contributed by the Hon. P. A. Armstrong, with whom the undertaking was largely a labor of love, and to his cordial indorsement of the work and interesting contri- butions to its pages is due much of its success. The chapters on Gardner were contributed by Dr. C. M. Easton, to whom the publishers and patrons are greatly indebted for the intelligent and persevering zeal with which he has discharged the duty imposed upon him. The publishers also desire to thank the people everywhere in the county for the uniform courtesy and assistance tendered our corps of writers, and trust the general accuracy of the work will in some part re- pay the favors they have shown.
O. L. BASKIN & CO.
Publishers.
RC-2047 Rev
CHICAGO :
CULVER, PAGE, HOYNE & CO., PRINTERS, 118 AND 120 MONROE STREET.
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 1898. CITY OF WASHINGTON.
CONTENTS.
PART I.
HISTORICAL. PAGE. The Northwest Territory I Early History of Illinois. 67
GRUNDY COUNTY.
CHAPTER I .- Topography-Post-Tertiary Formations-Rock- Formations-Carboniferous Foesila-Economio Genlogy ... 100
CHAPTER II .- Pre-historic Races-Earliest Traces of Man- Mound-Builders and their Remains-Indian Tribes-Re- lations with the Whites-Wauponsee-Shabbona-Nuc- quette ..... I13
CHAPTER III .- Early Freoch Settlements-Frontler Settle- ments in La Salle and Grundy Counties-Civilized Life In a New Country-Political Organization-Formation of Grundy County-County Buildings .. 132
CHAPTER IV .- Social Development-Early Society-Rise of Church and School-Indian Trails and Early Roads --- Railroada and the Canal-The Newspapers ........ 148
CHAPTER V .- Grundy County's Share in the War of the Re- bellion-Tha Loyalty of Her Men-The Devotion of Her Women-The Representatives In the Field .. 164
CHAPTER VI .- Morris City-Introductory-Ita Location- First Beginnings Origin of Name-County Honors- Early Community-Biographical. 183
CHAPTER VII .- Morris City-The Second Period-Growth of the Corporation-Official Records-Internal Improve- menta-1842 to 1850. 203
CHAPTER VIII .- Morria Township-Its Organization, Bonn- darlee and Changes The New Court Houes-Schools of Morris-Early Teachera-The Board of Education ........... 222
CHAPTER IX .- Morria City-Churches-Early Ministere- The Legal Profession-Business-Pioneere-Secret Fra- ternitles 248
CHAPTER X .- Greenfield Township-Surface-Streame-Tim- her-Origin of Name-Township Organization-Going to Mill-Firet Settlers-Incidents-Wolf and Deer Hunting
ΡΔΟΕ.
-Elections - Officere - Improvements and Prospacta-
What We ara To-day, etc., etc ....
264
CHAPTER XI .- Gardner-Town Platting - Neming - First Buildings-Inhabitants-Improvements-Coal and Min- Ing Interests-Societies -Schools - Churches-Business Firme and Individuals, etc ... 275
CHAPTER XII .- Nettle Creek Township-First Settlers-Life
ID a Prairie Country-Schoola, etc ...
285
CHAPTER XIII .- Au Sable Township-Location and Physical Characteristics-Its Early Settlement-Its Natural At- tractione-Dresden-Minooka-Churches and Schools ..... 250
CHAPTER XIV .- Saratoga Township - Physical Featurea-
The Early Settlers-The Norwegian Emigration-The
Honges Meneghed.
297
CHAPTER XV .- Wauponsee Townshlp-Ita Material Resources
-Early Settlers-Pioneer Life on the Prairie-The Church
and School
302
CHAPTER XVI .- Felix Township-Its Topographical Feat-
ures - Pioneers-Floods-Sickness-Jung-Town-The Si-
lent City
312
CHAPTER XVII .- Erienna-Township 33 North, Range 6 East
-Changes of Boundaries-Early Settlement-Horrom
City-Clarkson-Norman-Surface Features-Pioneers-
Churches and Schools.
321
CHAPTER XVIII .- Mazon Township-Early Topographical
Features-Ita Pioneers-Growth and Development of the
Settlement-New Mazon-Churches and Schools ...
328
CHAPTER XIX .- Vienna Township-Pioneers of the Prairie
.- The Changes of Fifty Years-Illinois City-Verona-
The Church and School ..
340
CHAPTER XX .- Braceville Township-Coal Steasures-Early
Settlement-The Open Prairie .....
346
CHAPTER XXI .- Goodfarm Townabip-"The Lay of the
Land"-Early Settlement-Pioneer Experiences-Schools
-Churches ....
354
CHAPTER XXII .- Highland Township-Topographical Char-
acteristics-Prairie Bandite-Lawlese Law-Settlement
of the Township-The Catholic Church.
395
vi
CONTENTS.
PART II.
PAGE.
Highland Township ..... ..... 151
Goodfarm Township ...
154
Morris City and Township .......
3
Au Sable Towoship.
41
Mazoo Township.
62
Wauponsee Township ..
76
Greenfield Township.
82
Braceville Township
105
Felix Towaship. 122
Saratoga Township, 124
Nettlo Creek Township.
132
J. N. Reading
225
Erieana Township.
134
Dr. C. M. Easton
261
Norman Township.
136
Vlenna Township.
139
William Stephen
333
S. B. Thomas. 45
81
L. W. Claypool
P. A. Armstrong 117
J. O. Lurtz. 153
O. J. Booth 189
G. P. Augustine. 297
BIOGRAPHICAL.
PAOL.
PORTRAITS.
THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY,
INCLUDING A BRIEF
HISTORY OF ILLINOIS.
GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION.
W HEN the Northwestern Territory was ceded to the United States by Virginia in 1784, it embraced only the terri- tory lying between the Ohio and the Missis- sippi Rivers, and north to the northern lim- its of the United States. It eoineided with the area now embraced in the States of Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, and that portion of Minnesota lying on the east side of the Mississippi River. The United States itself at that period extended no farther west than the Mississippi River; but by the purchase of Louisiana in 1803, the western boundary of the United States was extended to the Rocky Mountains and the Northern Pacific Ocean. The new territory thus added to the National do- main, and subsequently opened to settle- ment, has been called the "New Northi- west," in contradistinetion from the old " Northwestern Territory."
In comparison with the old Northwest this is a territory of vast magnitude. It includes an area of 1,887,850 square miles; being greater in extent than the united areas of all the Middle and Southern States, ineluding Texas. Out of this magnificent
territory have been ereeted eleven sovereign States and eight Territories, with an aggre- gate population, at the present time, of 13,000,000 inhabitants, or nearly one-third of the entire population of the United States.
Its lakes are fresh-water seas, and the larger rivers of the continent flow for a thousand miles through its rich alluvial val- leys and far-stretching prairies, more aeres of which are arable and productive of the highest percentage of the eereals than of any other area of like extent on the globe.
For the last twenty years the increase of population in the Northwest has been about as three to one in any other portion of the United States.
..
EARLY EXPLORATIONS.
In the year 1541, De Soto first saw the Great West in the New World. He, how- ever, penetrated no farther north than the 35th parallel of latitude. The expedition resulted in his death and that of more than half his army, the remainder of whom found their way to Cuba, thenee to Spain, in a famished and demoralized condition. De Soto founded no settlements, produced no results, and left no traees, unless it were
12
THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY.
that he awakened the hostility of the red man against the white man, and disheart- ened such as might desire to follow up the career of discovery for better purposes. The French nation were eager and ready to seize upon any news from this extensive domain, and were the first to profit by De Soto's defeat. Yet it was more than a century before any adventurer took advan- tage of these discoveries.
In 1616, four years before the pilgrims " moored their bark on the wild New Eng- land shore," Le Caron, a French Franeisean, had penetrated through the Iroquois and and Wyandots (Hurons) to the streams which run into Lake Huron; and in 1634, two Jesuit missionaries founded the first mission among the lake tribes. It was just one linndred years from the discovery of the Mississippi by De Soto (1541) until the Canadian envoys met the savage nations of the Northwest at the Falls of St. Mary, be- low the outlet of Lake Superior. This visit led to no permanent result, yet it was not until 1639 that any of the adventurous for traders attempted to spend a winter in the frozen wilds about the great lakes, nor was it until 1660 that a station was estab- lished upon their borders by Mesnard, who perished in the woods a few months after. In 1665, Clande Allonez built the earliest lasting habitation of the white man among the Indians of the Northwest. In 1668, Claude Dablon and James Marquette founded the mission of Sault Ste. Marie at the Falls of St. Mary, and two years after- ward, Nicholas Perrot, as agent for M. Talon, Governor General of Canada, ex- plored Lake Illinois (Michigan) as far south as the present City of Chicago, and invited the Indian nations to meet him at
a grand conneil at Sault Ste. Marie the following spring, where they were taken under the protection of the king, and formal possession was taken of the Northwest. This same year Marquette established a mission at Point St. Ignatins, where was founded the old town of town of Miehilli- mackinac.
During M. Talon's explorations and Mar- quette's residence at St. Ignatius, they learned of a great river away to the west, and fancied-as all others did then-that. upon its fertile banks whole tribes of God's children resided, to whom the sound of the Gospel had never come. Filled with a wish to go and preach to them, and in com- pliance with a request of M. Talon, who earnestly desired to extend the domain of his king, and to ascertain whether the river flowed into the Gulf of Mexico or the Pacific Ocean. Marquette with Joliet, as commander of the expedition, prepared for the undertaking.
On the 13th of May, 1673, the explorers, accompanied by five assistant French Can- adians, set out from Mackinaw on their daring voyage of discovery. The Indians, who gathered to witness their departure, were astonished at the boldness of the undertaking, and endeavored to dissuade them from their purpose by representing the tribes on the Mississippi as exceedingly savage and eruel, and the river itself as full of all sorts of frightful monsters ready to swallow them and their canoes together. But, nothing dannted by these terrifie de- scriptions, Marquette told them he was willing not only to encounter all the per- ils of the unknown region they were about to explore, but to lay down his life in a cause in which the salvation of souls was
:
13
THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY.
involved; and having prayed together they separated. Coasting along the northern shore of Lake Michigan, the adventurers entered Green Bay, and pas-ed thence up the Fox River and Lake Winnebago to a village of the Miamis and Kiekapoos. Ilere Marquette was delighted to find a beautiful eross planted in the middle of the town, ornamented with white skins, red gir- dles and bows and arrows, which these good people had offered to the great Man- iton, or God, to thank him for the pity he had bestowed on them during the winter in giving them an abundant " chase." This was the farthest outpost to which Dablon and Allouez had extended their missionary la- bors the year previons. Here Marquette drank mineral waters and was instructed in the secret of a root which eures the bite of the venomous rattlesnake. IIe assembled the chiefs and old men of the village, and, pointing to Joliet, said: " My friend is au envoy of France, to discover new eoun- tries, and I am an ambassador from God to enlighten them with the truths of the Gos- pel." Two Miami guides were here for- nished to conduct them to the Wisconsin River, and they set ont from the Indian village on the 10th of June, amidst a great crowd of natives who had assembled to witness their departure into a region where no white man had ever yet ventured. The guides, having condneted them across the portage, returned. The explorers launelied their canoes upon the Wisconsin which they deseended to the Mississippi and pro- ceeded down its unknown waters. What emotions must have swelled their breasts as they struek out into the broadening eur- rent and became eonscions that they were now npon the bosom of the Father of Wa-
ters. The mystery was about to be lifted from the long-sought river. The scenery in that locality is beautiful, and on that delightful seventeenth of June must have been elad in all its primeval loveliness as it Ind been adorned by the hand of Nature. Drifting rapidly, it is said that the bold bluff's on either hand "reminded them of the castled shores of their own beautiful rivers of France." By-and-by, as they dri.teil along, great herds of buffalo ap- peared on the banks. On going to the heads of the valley they could see a coun- try of the greatest beauty and fertility, ap- parently destitute of inhabitants yet pre- senting the appearance of extensive man- ors, under the fastidious cultivation of lordly proprietors.
On June 25th, they went ashore and found some fresh traces of men upon the sand. and a path which led to the prairie. The men remained in the boat, and Marquette and Joliet followed the path till they dis- covered a village on the banks of a river, and two other villages on a hill, within a half league of the first, inhabited by Indians. They were received most hospitably by these natives, who had never before seen a white person. After remaining a few days they re-embarked and descended the river to about latitude 33º, where they found a village of the Arkansas, and being satisfied that the river flowed into the Gulf of Mexico, turned their conrse up the river, and ascending the stream to the month of the Illinois, rowed np that stream to its source, and procured guides from that point to the lakes. "No where on this journey," says Marquette, " did we see sueli grounds, meadows, woods, stags, buffaloes, deer, wildcats, bustards, swans, ducks, par-
1 4
THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY.
roquets, and even beavers, as on the Illinois River." The party, without loss or injury, reached Green Bay in September, and re- ported their discovery-one of the most important of the age, but of which no record was preserved save Marquette's, Joliet losing his by the upsetting of his canoe on his way to Quebec. Afterward Marquette returned to the Illinois Indians by their request, and ministered to them until 1675. On the 18th of May, in that year, as he was passing the mouth of a stream-going with his boatmen up Lake Michigan-he asked to land at its month and celebrate mass. Leaving his men with the canoe, he retired a shore distance and began his devotions. As much time passed and he did not return, his men went in search of him, and found him upon his knees, dead. He had peacefully passed away while at prayer. Ile was buried at this spot. Charlevoix, who visited the place fifty years after, found the waters had retreated from the grave, leaving the be- loved missionary to repose in peace. The river has since been called Marquette.
While Marquette and his companions were pursuing their labors in the West, two men, differing widely from him and each other, were preparing to follow in his footsteps and perfeet the discoveries so well begun by him. These were Robert de La Salle and Louis Hennepin.
After La Salle's return from the discovery of the Ohio River (see the narrative else- where), he established himself again among the French trading posts in Canada. Here he mused long upon the pet project of those ages-a short way to China and the East, and was busily planning an expedi- tion up the great lakes, and so across
the continent to the Pacific, when Mar- quette returned from the Mississippi. At once the vigorous mind of La Salle received from his and his companions' stories the idea that by following the Great River northward, or by turning up some of the numerous western tributaries, the object could easily be gained. He applied to Frontenac, Governor General of Canada, and laid before him the plan, dim but gigantic. Frontenac entered warmly into his plans, and saw that La Salle's idea to connect the great lakes by a chain of forts with the Gulf of Mexico would bind the country so wonderfully together, give un- measured power to France, and glory to himself, under whose administration he earnestly hoped all would be realized.
La Salle now repaired to France, laid his plans before the King, who warmly ap- proved of them, and made him a Chevalier. Ile also received from all the noblemen the warmest wishes for his success. The Chev- alier returned to Canada, and busily en- tered upon his work. He at onee rebuilt Fort Frontenac and constructed the first ship to sail on these fresh-water seas. On the 7th of August, 1679, having been joined by Hennepin, he began his voyage in the Griffin up Lake Erie. Ile passed over this lake, through the straits beyond, up Lake St. Clair and into Huron. In this lake they encountered heavy storms. They were some time at Michillimackinae, where La Salle founded a fort, and passed on to Green Bay, the " Baie des Puans " of the French, where he found a large quantity of furs collected for him. Ile loaded the Gritlin with these, and placing her under the care of a pilot and fourteen sailors, started her on her retarn voyage. The ves-
15
THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY.
sel was never afterward heard of. He re- mained about these parts until early in the winter, when, hearing nothing from the Griffin, he collected all his men-thirty working men and three monks-and started again upon his great undertaking.
By a short portage they passed to the Il- linois or Kankakee, called by the Indians, " Theakeke," wolf, because of the tribes of Indians called by that name, commonly known as the Mahingans, dwelling there. The French pronounced it Kiakiki, which became corrupted to Kankakee. " Falling down the said river by easy journeys, the better to observe the country," about the last of December they reached a village of the Illinois Indians, containing some five hundred cabins, but at that moment no in- habitants. The Seur de La Salle being in want of some breadstuffs, took advantage of the absence of the Indians to help him- self to a sufficiency of maize, large quanti- ties of which he found concealed in holes under the wigwams. This village was sit- uated near the present village of Utica in La Salle County, Illinois. The corn being securely stored, the voyagers again betook themselves to the stream, and toward even- ing on the 4th day of January, 1680, they came into a lake, which must have been the lake of Peoria. This was called by the Indians Pim-i-te-wi, that is a place where there are many fat beasts. Here the na- tives were met with in large numbers, but they were gentle and kind, and having spent some time with them, La Salle deter- mined to creet another fort in that place, for he had heard rumors that some of the adjoining tribes were trying to disturb the good feeling which existed, and some of his men were disposed to complain, owing
to the hardships and perils of the travel. He called this fort " Crevecœur " (broken - heart), a name expressive of the very nat- ural sorrow and anxiety which the pretty certain loss of his ship, Griffin, and his con- sequent impoverishment, the danger of hostility on the part of the Indians, and of mutiny among his own men, might well cause him. His fears were not entirely groundless. At one time poison was placed in his food, but fortunately was discovered.
While building this fort, the winter wore away, the prairies began to look green, and La Salle, despairing of any rein- forcements, coneluded to return to Canada, raise new means and new men, and embark anew in the enterprise. For this purpose he made Hennepin the leader of a party to explore the head waters of the Mississippi, and he set ont on his journey. This jour- ney was accomplished with the aid of a few persons, and was successfully made. though over an almost unknown route, and in a bad season of the year. He safely reached Canada, and set out again for the object of his search.
Hennepin and his party left Fort Creve- cœur on the last of February, 1680. When La Salle reached this place on his return ex- pedition, he found the fort entirely desert- ed, and he was obliged to return again to Canada. He embarked the third time, and sneceeded. Seven days after leaving the fort, Hennepin reached the Mississippi, and paddling up the icy stream as best he could, reached no higher than the Wis- consin River by the 11th of April. Here he and his followers were taken prisoners by a band of Northern Indians, who treat- ed them with great kindness. Hennepin's comrades were Anthony Auguel and Mi-
-
16
THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY.
chael Ako. On this voyage they found sev- eral beautiful lakes, and " saw some charm- ing prairies." Their eaptors were the Isante or Sintenrs, Chippewas, a tribe of the Sioux nation, who took them up the river until about the first of May, when they reached some falls, which IIeu- nepin christened Falls of St. Anthony in honor of his patron saint. Here they took the land, and traveling nearly two hundred miles to the northwest, brought them to their villages. Here they were kept about three months, were treated kind- ly by their captors, and at the end of that time, were met by a band of Frenchinen, headed by one Senr de Inth, who, in pur- snit of trade and game, had penetrated thus far by the route of Lake Superior; and with these fellow-countrymen Hennepin and his companions were allowed to return to the borders of civilized life in November, 1680, just after La Salle had returned to the wilderness on his second trip. IIen- nepin soon after went to France, where he published an account of his adven- tures.
The Mississippi was first discovered by De Soto in April, 1541, in his vain endeav- or to find gold and precious gems. In the following spring, De Soto, weary with hope long deferred, and worn ont with his wan- derings, fell a victim to disease, and on the 21st of May, died. His followers, re- duced by fatigue and disease to less than three hundred men, wandered about the country nearly a year, in the vain endeavor to resene themselves by land, and finally constructed seven small vessels, called brig- antines, in which they embarked, and de- scending the river, supposing it would lead them to the sea, in July they came to
the sea (Gulf of Mexico), and by Septem- ber reached the Island of Cuba.
They were the first to see the great ont- let of the Mississippi; but, being so weary and discouraged, mnade no attempt to claim the country, and hardly had an intelligent idea of what they had passed through.
To La Sulle, the intrepid explorer, belongs the honor of giving the first account of the mouths of the river. ILis great desire was to possess this entire country for his king, and in January, 1682, he and his band of explorers left the shores of Lake Michigan on their third attempt, crossed the portage, passed down the Illinois Riv- er, and on the 6th of February, reached the banks of the Mississippi.
On the 13th they commenced their down- ward course, which they pursned with but one interruption, until upon the 6th of March they discovered the three great pas- sages by which the river discharges its waters into the gulf. La Sa.le thus narrates the event:
" We landed on the bank of the most western channel, about three leagues (nine miles) from its mouth. On the seventh, M. de La Salle went to reconnoiter the shores of the neighboring sea, and M. de Tonti meanwhile examined the great middle chan- nel. They found the main ontlets bean- tiful, large and deep. On the Sth we reas- cended the river, a little above its confu- ence with the sea, to find a dry place be- yond the reach of innndations. The el- cvation of the North Pole was here about twenty-seven degrees. Here we prepared a column and a cross, and to the column were affixed the arms of France with this inscription :
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