USA > Illinois > Lee County > Harmon > History of Harmon Township, Lee County, Illinois > Part 1
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JOHN L. PORTER.
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HISTORY OF HARMON TOWNSHIP, LEE COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
By JOHN L. PORTER.
"In May, 1854, Mr. and Mrs. L. M. Rosbrook, David Per- kins and their son, I .H. Perkins of Jefferson, N. H. and Robert Tuttle of Carroll, N. H., with their families started for Illinois. Reaching Chicago, Robert Tuttle with his family took the route to Truro, Knox County, where he proposed to settle. The other families followed the railroads to Rock- ford, its then terminus from which they went down the Rock river road in lumber wagons to Dixon. The Perkins family went at once to the country, rented a farm near the Peru road. L. M. Rosbrook settled his family in Dixon, prefer- ring to work at his trade of blacksmith until he had time to look around at land in the vicinity. He hired out to work for Merritt Cropsey.
Meantime, Mr. Tuttle did not like the section of country in Knox county and he with a friend walked across country to Dixon. The country was sparsely settled, the heat was ex- treme, the drinking water was taken from sloughs and hard- ships were many. Arriving in Dixon, typhoid fever devel- oped and about the second week in July, Mr. Tuttle died.
At about the same time cholera had broken out in Dixon and raged with awful fury. It caused a panic and all who could leave went to the country. L. M. Rosbrook took his family and part of his sister's family, Mrs. Louisa Tuttle, who had come from Knox county to care for her husband and went out on the Peru road to a farm occupied by a.brother- in-law of L. M. Rosbrook, Mr. George Putnam.
John D. Rosbrook, a distant relative, had bought thir- teen eighties of land in the township of Harmon and he in- duced them to look at his land. The prairies, covered with grass and flowers in full bloom, made possible by the hot weather, made the country look like a veritable Garden of
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Eden. The Rosbrook, Perkins and Tuttle families decided to settle there in Harmon township. Louisa Tuttle bought of Liman Rosbrook, through his brother, John D. Rosbrook, four eighties which comprised the north half of section twenty-three now owned by W. D. and Lynn Parker. She sold the west eighty to L. M. Rosbrook and the south half of the east eighty to I. H. Perkins and later the north half of the east eighty to E. A. Balch, retaining the two center eighties.
In the same year, 1854, Louisa Tuttle built the first house in Harmon on her west eighty with lumber hauled from Men- dota by John S. Tuttle and George Putnam. I. H. Perkins and Henry Stoors were the builders, and the house stands today looking much as it did when it was the scene of so many of Harmon's early festivities. It now is known as the Tut- tle house.
L. M. Rosbrook rented a farm from Dr. Charles Gard- ner on the Chicago road that autumn and lived there a year; moved back to Dixon in the fall of 1855, worked at his trade that winter and in the spring of 1856 he moved to Harmon township, or what is Harmon township now. Then no name had been definitely settled upon. Its name was adopted at the first town meeting.
Mr. Rosbrook occupied the large square room in Mrs. Tuttle's house while he was building his own house where Lynn Parker lives now. Mr. Perkins had built his house the same spring and it was located one mile east. The same house was occupied some years ago by W. D. Parker.
John D. Rosbrook built himself a house down by the lake, having lived previously in his granary, the next year after Mrs. Tuttle built and she boarded his carpenters while doing the work. This was known as the Rosbrook settlement.
Austin Balch also from New Hampshire, arrived with his family the next year, 1857 and built about eighty rods north of the house of Mr. Perkins. This house has since been removed.
John D. Rosbrook who settled in 1853 on the west side of what was variously called Rosbrook's, Porter's or Silver Lake, at that time a beautiful body of water, was the first resident of the township. He set out to make a home, doing
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First House in Harmon, Ill.
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the first breaking of prairie that was done in the township. He had, to say the least, a decidedly unique method for doing the work. I remember seeing Barto, one of his boys, driving a string of oxen. I don't remember how many, attached to something which might be taken for a dredge ditcher, but which proved to be an immense breaking plow, moving steadily through tough prairie sod, red roots, willows and anything that came in its way, turning a slab of sod so wide one could hardly step across it; with a good seed bed on top, which was essential for a crop the same year if early enough. I did not see anyone holding the plow. Its only requirement seemed to be propelling power which was fur- nished by the oxen and Bart and his oxen persuader. It did not at all times require the attention of a person to hold it.
Mr. Rosbrook put out crops quite extensively. In 1856 he marketed 3,600 bushels of wheat and raised other crops in proportion. That was one of the good years.
These were the beginnings of Harmon!
The season of breaking which produced the best results was from the time grass had well started in the spring until usually the fore part of July. The faster the grass was grow- ing and thinner it was broken, the quicker the sod would die and be ready to rot by the early fall rains and be in condition for fall plowing and working under the harrow the next spring. In later breaking, quite often the sod was not entirely killed and was a source of annoyance until the wild nature was completely subdued. We had no discs or modern pulver- izing implements. A drag or jointed Scotch harrow were ad- vanced steps in farm machinery. Corn chopped in the sod made a makeshift of a crop for first year's feed. Sometimes it did very well.
The first crop, the first year after breaking was usually flax or spring wheat. The soil was well adapted for wheat. Vines, beans, some kinds of garden truck, sometimes pota- toes flourished on the new sod. Flax was good because it sub- dued the sod and usually did well for a first crop on new breaking.
Another pioneer of Harmon was Thomas Sutton. He was born in 1820 at Wheeling Creek, W. Va., and died in
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Adams County, Neb., in 1901. With his family he landed in Harmon from Ohio October 10, 1854. With him came his father, Joseph Sutton; his brother, William Sutton, and one or two years afterwards, his brother-in-law, Patrick Grogan, and family. The Suttons purchased considerable land one mile north of the southeast corner of the township and built about a mile south of the lake. Their first dwellings were made partly of logs, the lumber of which was hauled from LaSalle. Sutton afterwards sold forty acres from the north- west corner of his farm to C. V. Siefkin, who came about 1857. H. S. Siefkin came at the same time. Mr. Sutton was born Easter Sunday, was married Easter Sunday, always celebrated Easter Sunday, and died Easter Sunday.
Others who came before the organization of the township were Joseph Julien, who settled two and a half miles south- west of the lake; William Hamlin and Henry Brill, one mile west of where the village of Harmon now stands; William L. Smith, three miles southwest; Isaac McManus and Lewis Hullinger, on the west side of the township; Isaac Hopkins and John D. Long, two miles north of the lake.
George G. Rosbrook and Mary Tuttle married and set- tled one mile west. Shortly thereafter there came James Porter, Jr., who purchased from Liman Rosbrook, on east bank of the lake; also A. T. Curtis, Japhet B. Smith, E. R. Frizzell, Alexander Frizzell, Solomon McKeel, William H. Kimball and John Woodman, all previous to 1860. Of course, there were transients, who made no permanent settlement, but after the manner of young people with plenty of time on their hands and plenty of wild oats to sow, they passed on.
TOWNSHIP ORGANIZATION.
The first election was held in the township of Harmon at the house of Mrs. Louisa Tuttle April 7, 1857, pursuant to call issued by County Clerk Thomas W. Eustace, to fill cer- tain offices made under the township organization act. At this election the following voters voted: John D. Rosbrook, Liman Rosbrook, David Perkins, Thomas Sutton, I. H. Per- kins, George W. Stillings, A. Van Horn, George G. Rosbrook, William Hamlin, Samuel Robinson, Benjamin F. Sheldon, L. M. Rosbrook, John S. Tuttle, Isaac McManus, Lewis Hull-
VIANNA TUTTLE-KENT, First School Teacher in Harmon, Ill.
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inger, William L. Smith, Henry Brill, Isaac Hopkins and Patrick Grogan.
The following officers were elected at the election: Supervisor, Isaac McManus; town clerk, L. M. Rosbrook; assessor, William L. Smith; collector, A. Van Horn; road commissioners, Israel H. Perkins, Thomas Sutton, Lewis Hullinger; constables, John S. Tuttle, Liman Rosbrook; jus- tices of the peace, L. M. Rosbrook, William L. Smith; over- seer of the poor, George G. Rosbrook; and path-masters, A. Van Horn and William L. Smith.
OUR SCHOOLS.
The first schoolhouse was built on a knoll on the east eighty of Mrs. Tuttle's land, on the north end of it. The building was put up in as good shape as the new settlers could afford and was occupied as a schoolhouse that summer without either windows or doors, though wooden blinds, movable, were used to keep out the rains. Miss Jane M. Put- nam was the first teacher in the schoolhouse, but a private school had been taught previously by Miss Vianna Tuttle, who subsequently married James W. Kent of Dixon. The large square room of her mother's house was used as a schoolroom. This was the winter of 1856-7. The schoolhouse was built in 1857. It was moved in 1859 from its first location to the knoll east of the highway near Parker's railroad crossing. In two or three years it was moved again to the high ground near where the present J. R. McCormick buildings now stand. In 1870, when the new schoolhouse was built, it was sold to Peter Rhodenbaugh and was moved to his farm west of the village.
No definite records remain disclosing the sale of the school section, sixteen, but from memoranda and personal recollections it can be said that the probable dates are 1866 and 1867, being at two different sales. These were made at public auction in forty-acre tracts, as required by law, and they brought from $4 to $8 per acre. The proceeds consti- tuted the principal of the common school fund of this township.
Prior to 1861 there was but one schoolhouse in the town- ship, but on April 1, 1861, nine sections were set off from school district one (1) and afterwards eighty rods from the
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north side of sections 22, 23 and 24, and these lands were formed into a new district and numbered three. At first the school was held in the house of A. T. Curtis. Later, a build- ing 14 by 20 was procured and moved to the corner opposite the site of Woodman Hall, which was fitted up for school purposes. The room was used also for spelling schools, lec- tures, entertainments, religious services, revival meetings and public gatherings. Among the religious services were those of the Latter Day Saints. All were welcome.
At first the attendance was not large; many times one scholar was a quorum. In 1869 a new house was built farther north, which answered the purpose until 1879, when it was sold and later became part of the D. D. Considine department store. A new house was built in 1900, but was destroyed by fire and the present up-to-date brick structure was built.
The school districts of the township, in the order of their organization and the location of the schoolhouses, are as follows: Original district 1 is the present No. 14 Lake School, and district 1 Union, Harmon in Lee County and Montmo- rency in Whiteside, is the present 202 Sturtz School in Mont- morency township. District 5, union, Harmon and Montmo- rency, is the present 203 McWharter School in Montmorency. Original district 3 is the present No. 12 Harmon School in Harmon. Old district 2 is present 13, Mannion School in Harmon. Old No. 9, Union Harmon and Nelson, is present No. 10, King School, in Nelson. Old district 4 is present. 11, Kimball School, in Harmon. Old district 4, Union Harmon and Hamilton, is present No. 16, McKeel School, in Hamil- ton. Old 10 is present 15, the Carbaugh School, in Harmon. Old 17, Union Harmon, Hamilton, East Grove and Marion, is present No. 17, Lyons School in Harmon.
The first marriage in Harmon was that of Eliza Jane Perkins to John S. Tuttle in 1857.
The first birth since the township was organized was Ella Tuttle, in 1858. The first birth previously was Emma Rosbrook, in 1856.
BUSINESS.
Business in Harmon was slow in developing. The real boom came with the railroad. In the summer of 1869 the town voted to subscribe $50,000 to the capital stock or bonds
Public School, Harmon, Il1 .- (1917).
L. M. ROSBROOK, Superintendent of First Public School, Harmon, Illinois.
MRS. L. M. ROSBROOK.
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of the Chicago & Rock River Railroad Company. The fol- lowing spring the town voted to reconsider the vote. Early in 1872 trains began to run and business houses began to multiply.
In order to give a connected review of the village of Harmon's development from its organization in 1857 to the present time it would be well to begin with each professional occupation, business and religious or educational interest.
The first Sunday School was held in John D. Rosbrook's corn crib. L. M. Rosbrook was the superintendent and the time was in 1856.
George P. Weeks was first town or school treasurer in 1857; I. H. Perkins was the first carpenter, 1857; I. H. Per- kins, J. S. Tuttle and George Stillings were our first thresh- ers, in 1858; J. L. Porter ran the first sorghum mill, in 1863; L. M. Rosbrook opened the first blacksmith shop in 1864; F. D. Rosbrook was first mail agent on train; E. A. Balch, post- master; C. K. Shelhamer, station agent; E. A. Balch, boots, shoes and repairs; Samuel Boyer, groceries and dry goods; Butler & Edson, hardware, lumber, paints; C. K. Shelhamer, implements and coal; E. W. Dutcher, grain elevator; F. W. Lee, physician and surgeon, 1872; Hempstead & Vanalstine, drugs and groceries; Ackert & Rosbrook, wagon makers and repairs; G. Rosbrook & Shalhamer, stock buyers; C. Knapp, hay press; S. S. Alberts, hotel; Solomon Makeel, corn sheller, 1873; Burns, saloon, 1874; Berlin & Shaffer, meat market, 1875; John Douglass (now of Paw Paw), telegraph operator and station agent, 1876; T. Tripp, restaurant, 1881; W. Rich- ardson, harness, 1881; Jeremiah Berlin, barber and jewelry, 1882; J. Swan, poultry packing plant, 1884; H. E. Boyd, sing- ing and music teacher, 1886; Brill & Connor, well business, 1894; Kugler & Co., bank, 1895.
Those who followed and consecutively were: Henry Parsons, carpenter; Swan Bros., general merchandise; Swan & Berlin, general merchandise; Spaulding & Berlin, general merchandise; J. Bevins, general merchandise; G. W. Hill, general merchandise; O. Burns, general merchandise; A. Berlin, general merchandise; A. J. Curtis, general merchan- dise; Swan & Rosbrook, general merchandise; H. E. Vroman, meat market; McKevitt Bros., L. Johnson, F. Tarr, Swartz
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Bros., W. Franklin, all general merchandise; Hickok, general merchandise and farm implements; D. D. Considine, general merchandise and meats; L. M. Rosbrook, sorghum mill. The following were engaged in elevator and grain business: Jaques & McIntire, J. M. Jaques, O. E. McIntire, S. T. Zeller, A. E. Hutchinson, Zeller & Hutchinson, Neola Company, F. Hettinger and the Farmers' Company. Blacksmiths: J. Backus, J. Dauntler, S. Ackert and J. Sale. Barber: W. Mellinger. Shoe repairing: J. Coberstine. Hardware, coal and lumber: J. M. Jaques, Dennis McCoy, Charles J. Ros- brook, Hill & Micksell, A. J. A. Zeller, S. T. Zeller, Zeller & Long, Thomas P. Long and Long & Durr, who carried tile, too. Millinery and dressmaking: Miss Baker and Jansen & Miller. Physicians and surgeons: William Henry, Abbott, Duvall & Parker. Hotels: S. Alberts, T. Oleson, M. Clock, H. E. Boyd and Richard Long, Sr. Threshers and corn shell- ers: Eakle Bros. and W. Shaffer. Hay press: A. T. Curtis, Welsons & Slaybaugh, H. F. Keigwin and J. M. Jaques. Stock buyer: A. E. Hills. Saloon: D. Leonard.
This brings us down to present business houses: The Harmon Bank, organized November 9, 1905, which from a small beginning has grown to have a deposit of over $100,000. F. H. Kugler is president and W. H. Kugler is cashier. Its directors are F. H. Kugler, W. H. Kugler, C. J. Durr, L. D. Thorp, Christian Smith and George E. Ross. J. M. Lund, physician; W. H. Kugler, general merchandise, carpets, rugs, etc .; F. H. Kugler, general merchandise, shoes; H. M. Ostrander, general merchandise, shoes, meat; Thomas P. Long, implements and wagons; D. D. Considine, hardware, cutlery and harness; three contractors and builders, N. R. Perkins, J. Rhodenbaugh and John Behrend; blacksmith, E. Kelchner; well outfitting, Connor & Brill; stock buying, J. Scanlan; poultry, S. Manning; elevator, lumber, coal, the Neola Company and Farmer's elevator; restaurants, Mary Leonard, Ed. McCormick; barber, E. A. Mack; threshers, cornshellers, etc., A. A. Mekeel, F. Shaffer, H. Deitz, S. Henry; wines and liquors, D. D. Leonard, Edward Long and B. Farley.
In the spring of 1881 Swan & Berlin opened a creamery, buying the cream and distributing groceries. In 1883 Berlin withdrew and started an independent creamery in the south
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part of the township, called Maple Grove Creamery, which continued until 1885. Swan continued until 1886, when he sold to John and Henry McKevitt, who ran it until 1891, when Kugler Bros. took it over. Then the system was changed to buying milk at so much per quarterly price and continued until 1902. In that period they manufactured nearly 2,000,000 pounds of butter. This Harmon butter was so highly re- garded that it brought 2 cents per pound above the Elgin market. From the Chicago Produce Company, in open com- petition with the State of Illinois, a gold medal was awarded it for butter scoring highest in month of August, 1895.
In 1898 the Farmer's Telephone Company was estab- lished, which later was absorbed by the Green River Tele- phone Company, and this was incorporated January 1, 1907, with a capital stock of $2,000. It has 180 miles of wire and 150 'phones. Value of plant now is $7,000.
The Harmon Grain and Coal Company was incorporated in 1904 with a capital stock of $6,000. Its officers are: Presi- dent, E. J. Mannion; secretary, James Frank. Its directors are E. J. Mannion, Jarmes Frank, D. D. Considine, with J. W. Andrews manager. Harmon today may be classed a million-bushel town, marketing the largest amount of grain of any village or city in Lee County.
This village was incorporated February 22, 1901. April 3, 1905, a portion of the original plat was detached from the corporation boundaries. It has a system of waterworks which are a credit to the village. Its entire plant was in- stalled at an aggregate cost of about $9,000. Height of tower is 90 feet; tank capacity, 30,000 gallons; length of mains, 42,600 feet; and 11 hydrants, with hose sufficient to reach all except extreme outside spots. Source of water is derived from a well 550 feet in depth, and furnishes an endless supply. It is elevated by a 14-horsepower engine. The village has well graveled and graded streets and 380 rods of cement sidewalk. Its business men keep abreast of the times, stocked up well with big stocks.
The Peoria branch of the C. & N. W. Railway was built through the west part of Harmon in 1901 and a station and post office were located near the southwest corner of the town
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which was named Van Petten. An extensive business is car- ried on there by E. H. Hess, general merchandise, coal, lum- ber, tile, hardware, implements, automobiles. It is a good grain market.
In 1873 there was organized in Harmon a subordinate grange of patrons of husbandry. It was No. 7 or the 7th in the state. A large share of the farmers in the vicinity joined. It prospered for many years. It furnished a place and op- portunity for members to get together, visit, a sort of oasis in their somewhat restricted territory. But getting together and having a good time was not the whole purpose of the grange organization. Its influence was felt in legislation, as laws passed subsequently for farmers abundantly testify. The Harmon Grange in connection with others, put in operation a grange store at Dixon for the purpose of handling implements, or a farmer's general supply store. It was a stock company with $10 shares. There was considerable enthusiasm among the stockholders, and the business was soon under headway. For a while all went well and a large business was done. Af- ter a few years the business began to fall off and whether from lack of support or other cause it gave up the ghost and what salvage if any, was received, is unknown. Harmon Grange kept up a spasmodic existence for a while and then it too dropped out. At a special election held March 3, 1865 it was voted to levy a tax of $772 for soldiers' bounties, to be extended on tax of 1865.
HARMON'S RELIGIOUS INTERESTS.
In a religious way Harmon can show first class church buildings and big congregations. The first regular Protes- tant church service held in the town was under the auspices of the Wesleyan Methodist church, Harmon and other neigh- boring points being in the Bureau circuit. They were held in the Lake school house. But previous to its building, they were held in what was called the Boston house. This con- tinued until 1862 when a new circuit was formed of five sta- tions, to-wit: Palestine Grove, Harmon, Montmorency, Hume and Fairfield, called the Como circuit. The name was changed the following year to Hume which continued until 1870 when Harmon was set off as a station by itself.
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The first minister in Harmon was Rev. John Pinckney, a godly, selfsacrificing man, who put in an appearance at his stated appointments, having little regard for weather, going conditions or pecuniary reward which in those primitive days consisted of few and scant free will offerings, thus ex- emplifying the fact that the itinerant minister, the old time circuit riders were in the first rank of those who willingly sacrificed themselves working for the good of others and a righteous cause.
In conversation one day with a stranger, in the wilds of Palestine Grove who inquired his business, Mr. Pinckney replied, "I am hunting lost sheep," nor were his labors fruit- less. The Rev. John Pinckney planted a vine that is bear- ing fruit today in Harmon. A sheaf from his sowing where he had first blazed the trail. Other ministers followed.
In 1868 a movement was started for the building of a new church and in the summer of 1869 the cornerstone was laid with appropriate ceremonies. The stone was placed in position by Rev. Francis Smith; the sermon was preached by Mrs. H. E. Hayden; the music was furnished by a select choir. The building was well built with a seating capacity of about 300. Its dedication was held in September 1870. The dedicatory sermon was preached by Rev. Crook of Syra- cuse, N. Y., editor of their denominational organ. Services were held for a few years, but most of the church members moved away; some died until there were not enough left to support an active organization and as the building was not fully paid for, it was allowed to go back to the mortgagee and for a number of years was known as Woodmen Hall which in 1914 was burned. The W. M. conference gave a quit claim deed to the cemetery which passed into the hands of an as- sociation under the title of Harmon Greenwood Cemetery Association and this was incorporated September 25, 1896.
Thus the interests of the Wesleyan Methodist connection which was the only Protestant organization in Harmon for over twenty-five years were wound up. It is but proper to say that during this time as a church, individual members faithfully performed the duties intrusted to them though in the midst of unfavorable circumstances and leaving at the close a clear record of faithful service.
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