USA > Illinois > Whiteside County > History of Whiteside county, Illinois, from its first settlement to the present time, with numerous Biographical and Family Sketches > Part 1
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GENEALOGY COLLECTION
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RZE
HISTORY
OF
WHITESIDE COUNTY,
ILLINOIS,
FROM ITS FIRST SETTLEMENT TO THE PRESENT TIME;
WITH NUMEROUS
BIOGRAPHICAL AND FAMILY SKETCHES.
EDITED BY CHARLES BENT,
FOR TEN YEARS EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR OF "THE WHITESIDE SENTINEL," OF MORRISON, IL.L.
"TELL YE YOUR CHILDREN OF IT, AND LET YOUR CHILDREN TELL THEIR CHILDREN, AND THEIR CHILDREN ANOTHER GENERATION."
Sc 977. 301 258b
MORRISON, ILLINOIS.
1877.
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1877, by CHARLES BENT, .
In the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.
L. P. ALLEN, PRINTER AND BINDER, CLINTON, IOWA.
To THE PIONEERS, BRAVE MEN AND WOMEN,
WHO HAVE MADE THE PRAIRIES AND FORESTS OF WHITESIDE COUNTY To " BLOSSOM LIKE THE ROSE, " THIS VOLUME IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED.
851229
INTRODUCTORY.
History has an office to perform in the present by truly recording the events of the past, and that Whiteside County has made a history worthy of preservation, all admit. True, as measured by the lapse of years, the County is yet in its in- fancy, but its marvelous development from a wilderness, inhabited only by the savage, to its present "proud estate," is a fitting subject for the chronicler; and especially is it proper that the brave and earnest men and women who dared the perils of field and flood, savage alarums, poverty and hunger, should have their works preserved in printed form. The commonwealth they founded and devel- oped will be their monument, but their trials and triumphs is the province of the historian to detail.
The task of preparing the History of Whiteside County was undertaken after mature deliberation, with a full sense of its importance, and a knowledge that such a work is demanded. A true history can only be written from "actual facts." The time is opportune, as the pioneers are rapidly passing away, and the few lips yet remaining to tell the story of the "times that tried men's souls" will soon be stilled by the Destroyer of young and old. The difficulties to be overcome in the preparation of the work were fully considered, but have proven even more formidable than anticipated. Forty years has warped the memories of the staunchest of the " Oid Settlers"; fire, the ravages of time, and careless- ness, have destroyed many of the records kept in neighboring counties of the very earliest events that occurred in Whiteside before its organization, or when attached to other counties for judicial purposes. The early records of the County proper are but fragmentary, the details of the offices at that time being kept in a skeleton manner, or "carried under the office-holder's hat"-doubtless in those days all that was absolutely necessary.
The archives of the State, at Springfield, were thoroughly examined, and the meagre record of early Whiteside secured; the old books of the counties to which Whiteside was attached previous to its organization, were investigated, and all pertinent matter that had escaped fire and loss, carefully transcribed; the old files of the newspapers of the County have been consulted for historical facts; the official books of the different cities, towns, villages, and townships, have also been examined, and all of general interest embodied in the work; the carly records of churches, incorporations, and benevolent and other societies, were looked through, and many valuable items of history secured. Either my- self or assistants have penetrated every township in the County, and interviewed scores of old settlers, and gleaned many facts and incidents from them. Dates
V
INTRODUCTORY.
and occurrences are presented as accurately as possible, being confirmed by official records, or comparison.
When the paucity of recorded matter, and the fact that so much depends upon the unaided memory of the first settlers, is considered, it is hoped that the History will commend itself to the reader for accuracy and minutiæe. The work is far from being above criticism. Doubtless errors will be discovered, but when the critic and reader properly consider the difficulties under which the History was prepared, their criticism will be mildly given. In the vast array of dates given in the biographies alone, of which nearly five hundred appear in this vol- ume, it would almost be miraculous did not some mistakes occur. All errors of importance that have been discovered previous to the publication and after the printing of the book, are corrected in an "Errata" inserted at the close of this volume, to which the attention of the reader is particularly requested.
The plan and arrangement of the work can easily be ascertained by refer- ence to the table of contents immediately following this introductory. Matter of general interest relating to the early history of the County is first introduced, and arranged under appropriate heads. The general history of the County is followed by a particular history of the several townships in alphabetical order. A great advantage will be gained by at least one perusal, in course, of the entire History. Many interesting occurrences therein recorded, might, without such perusal, never come to the knowledge of the reader. A condensed history of the State, and an abstract of laws of general interest to the people, immediately follow the history of townships. Since the writing and printing of the precinct history of Whiteside during its connection with Ogle county, and that of the Old Settler's Association, facts have been secured in reference to them which was then thought impossible to obtain, and will be found incorporated in this work in a supplementary form, as will also the address of Hon. E. B. WASH- BURNE, in October last, on the occasion of presenting to the County a portrait of the "Prophet," a chief of renown during the Indian occupation of the County, the address containing so much of historical interest that it is deemed advisable to preserve it in this manner. As will be seen, biographical and genealogical sketches form a prominent feature of this History. They will generally be found in the historical sketches of the towns in which their subjects respective- ly resided, or now reside. It has been the aim to give the biographies of those who settled in the county before 1840, where it has been possible to secure the facts from which to prepare them. If any have been omitted it has been from this cause, or from the fact that it has not come to my knowledge that they were settlers prior to that date. In a few instances, in townships not settled at that time, or if so by but two or three inhabitants, the biographies of those prominent in developing the towns are given. It was found necessary to limit these sketches to those who made settlement previons to 1840, as the influx of population from and after that date was so extensive that to include those for any number of years subsequent would have made it impossible to keep the History within the prescribed limits. The Chapter on Geology, Mineralogy,
VI
INTRODUCTORY.
Natural History, Botany, etc., was written by a highly educated and scholarly gentleman, who, from his intimate and practical knowledge of these matters, is eminently fitted for the task. The facts contained in that part of Chapter II referring to Antiquities and Pre-historic Man, were furnished by persons specially qualified to give correct and valuable information in relation to the subjects therein treated. The part of the same Chapter relating to Indian History, and the Chapter pertaining to the Civil War and History of Regiments, were com- piled from the official records, and particular pains taken to make them accurate and detail the County's glorious share in the struggle of 1861-65. Especial care has also been taken to make Chapter IV, which relates to the history of Whiteside as a County, reliable and accurate.
Col. R. L. WILSON, of Sterling, an old settler, and well known in the County, had for some years intended to publish a history of Whiteside. Of this I was not aware until after I presented my prospectus to the public in March last. Soon afterwards Col. WILSON and myself harmonized matters, and an ar- rangement was perfected whereby he was to furnish what historical matter he had prepared, and devote himself to the interests of this work. He has fur- nished the facts and biographical data from which were written the histories of Genesee and Jordan; a portion of the facts and biographical data from which were written the histories of Hopkins, Lyndon and Sterling; the biographical data incorporated in the history of Coloma, and a part of the biographical data included in the histories of Clyde, Hume, and Mt. Pleasant. In this connection it is but just to accord credit to FRANK CUSHING, Esq., of Portland, for provid- ing the facts and biographical data from which were written the histories of Portland and Prophetstown. Grateful acknowledgements are due to GEORGE TERWILLIGER, Esq., formerly editor of the Sterling Gazette, and Fulton Jour- mal, and to DR. W. H. BOALS, late local editor of the Whiteside Sentinel, for their special and valuable aid in the preparation of this History. For the kind- ness and consideration met with from the many to whom I have applied for in- formation and material to engraft in the work, no words of mine can duly com- pensate. Upon all sides I have been greeted with well wishes and hopes for success. If success has been attained, the greater part of it is owing to this generous aid and appreciation.
I thank the citizens of the County for their generous patronage thus far bestowed, and trust merit enough may be found within the book to repay them for their confidence and support. Hoping that it will prove all that is ex- pected, and that errors from circumstance will be overlooked, I remain,
Respectfully, CHAS. BENT.
CONTENTS:
CHAPTER I.
Geology-Limestones-Peat- Mineral Springs-Artesian Wells-Mineralogy-Economical Geology- Notes -- Natural History-Botany ...
y
CHAPTER II.
Antiquities and Pre-historic Man -- Indian History 31
CHAPTER III.
Civil War of 1861-65-History of Regiments-Sth Cavalry-13th Infantry-34th Infantry-46th Infan- try-52d Infantry-75th Infantry-93d Infantry-140th Infantry-147th Infantry-156th Infantry ... 40
CHAPTER IV.
Name of County-Geographical Description-Early Organization-Precincts-Early Records-First Officers-County Commissioners' Court-Township Organization-Board of Supervisors-County Scat Affairs-County Buildings-Circuit Court-Probate and County Courts-Early Life of Pion- eers, and Incidents-Annexation to Wisconsin-Marriage Licenses-First Instruments Recorded- Early Votes-Railroads-Claim Societies and their Objects-The Tornado of 1860-Swamp Land Matters-Agricultural Societies-Whiteside County Grange -- Old Settlers' Association-Caledo- nian Club-County Bible Society-Sunday School Association-Congressional Districts-Senato- rial and Representative Districts-List of County Officers-Statistics, Population, Etc-Public School Affairs-Vote of 1876. 53
CHAPTER V.
Ilistory of Albany Township, and Village-Societies-Biographical 109
CHAPTER VI.
Ilistory of Coloma Township-Biographical-History of Rock Falls-Nurseries-Manufacturing Es- tablishments-Newspapers-Churches and other Organizations 126
CHAPTER VII.
Ilistory of Clyde Township-Biographical. 140
CHAPTER VIII.
History of Erie Township-Biographical-History of Erie Village-Churches and Societies .. 147
CHAPTER IX.
History of Fulton Township-History of the City of Fulton-Newspapers-Churches and other Or- ganizations-Biographical 150
CHAPTER X.
History of Fenton Township -- Pratt-Fenton Center -- Biographical 193
CHAPTER XI.
History of Garden Plain Township-Biographical 205
CHAPTER XII.
History of Genesee Township-Biographical-Coleta .. 217
CHAPTER XIII.
Ilistory of Hahnaman Township -- Deer Grove-Biographical .. 232
CHAPTER XIV.
History of Ilume Township-Biographical. 237
CHAPTER XV.
History of Hopkins Township -- Como-Galt-Empire-Biographical. 243
CHAPTER XVI.
History of Jordan Township -- Biographical . . 257
VIII
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER XVII.
History of Lyndon Township -- Biographical -- Village of Lyndon. .. .... .... 205
CHAPTER XVIII.
History of Mt. Pleasant Township -- Biographical-History of the City of Morrison-Newspapers -- Churches and other Organizations -- Biographical. 201
CHAPTER XIX.
History of Montmorency Township -- Biographical ... . .. 326
CHAPTER XX.
History ot Newton Township -- Biographical
333
History of Portland Township -- Biographical
CHAPTER XXI. . . ... . 341
CHAPTER XXII.
History of Prophetstown Township-History of the Town of Prophetstown -- Newspapers -- Churches and Societies -- Biographical. 363
CHAPTER XXIII.
History of Sterling Township -- Biographical -- History of the City of Sterling-Newspapers-Manu- facturing Establishments-Churches and other Organizations -- Biographical . 390
CHAPTER XXIV.
History of Tampico Township -- Biographical -- History of the Village of Tampico -- Newspapers- Churches and other Organizations .. ..... 451
CHAPTER XXV.
History of Ustick Township-Biographical ...... 462
CHAPTER XXVI.
History of Union Grove Township-Biographical. 473
CHAPTER XXVII.
History of the State of Illinois
4S7
CHAPTER XXVIII.
Bill of Rights-Descent of Property-Exemption Law -- Limitation Law-Organization of Corpor- ations-Fence Law -- Estray Law-Lost Goods, Money, Etc-Weights and Measures-Marketing Products-Game Law-Fish Law. 501
SUPPLEMENT TO HISTORY.
Precinct Organization -- Old Settlers' Association-Presentation by Hon. E. B. Washburne of the Por trait of the Indian Chief " Prophet" to Whiteside County .. 509
ERRATA and ADDENDA 533
INDEX
535
e
HISTORY OF WHITESIDE COUNTY.
CHAPTER I.
GEOLOGY -LIMESTONES-PEAT-MINERAL SPRINGS-ARTESIAN WELLS- MINERALOGY-NATURAL HISTORY-BOTANY.
GEOLOGY.
No history can be complete without a notice of the geography and geology of the region in which the events transpire. The occupation of a people, the growth and prosperity of a community, the development of institutions all depend in no small degree on the soil, climate and mineral resources of the country. A country possessing neither coal, nor water-power, will be very un- likely to become a center of manufacturing industry. A land possessing a sterile soil will not attract a colony of farmers. We may safely predict with- out fear of being charged with a claim to the gift of prophecy that the Desert of Sahara will never be the seat of empire. The movement of armies, the location of fortresses, the direction of great lines of travel, are all more or less influenced by the position of mountain chains, rivers and plains, and not infre- quently these form the dividing line between different nationalities.
Geology describes the structure of our globe, the material of which it is composed, the manner of its arrangement, and the causes which have operated to give it its present form. It also embraces a description of the minerals found and of the organic remains entombed in the various strata. In the language of geology not only hard material such as sandstone and limestone are called rocks, but also clay, loose sand and gravel; hence the word rock must not be understood to imply hardness or density of any certain degree. The surface of our globe is composed of a great variety of material, but by far the largest part of it in Whiteside County is referable to one of three types, viz: sandstone, limestone and clay, and indeed nearly all of the rocks of the globe, however different their appearance, may be arranged under these three heads. The limestones are often called calcareous rocks, the sandstones or those containing much sandy or silicious matter arenaceons rocks, and those composed largely of clay, or alumina. argillaceous rocks.
Rocks are divided into two great classes-stratified and nustratified, or those found in layers or beds and those which occur in masses with no appear- ance of beds. These layers or beds are called strata. The true unstratified rocks are of voleanie origin, but in some cases immense masses of stratified rocks have been changed by pressure and heat and have lost all traces of their original stratification, Rocks are further divided into fossiliferous-containing
10
HISTORY OF WHITESIDE COUNTY.
fossils, remains of animals and plants imbedded in them and more or less per- fectly preserved; unfossiliferous-containing no fossils. The rocks are grouped into "ages," "periods" and " epochs," distinguished from each other by the fossils which they contain, for the different strata differ very greatly one from another in the character of these "Medals of Creation." The following table gives the names of the ages, periods and epochs, and the most prominent charac- teristics of each, as given by Prof. J. D. Dana, in his Manual of Geology, second edition, p. 142, the nomenclature being in the main that of the New York State Natural History and Geological Survey:
Ages.
Periods.
Epochs
Characteristics.
Represented in Whiteside.
Archcan.
Archean.
Mostly crystalline rocks- § Of these strata there are 1 no outcrops in Illinois. granite, gneiss, &c.
Lower Silurian Age or Age of Invertebrates. Upper Silurian.
Primordial, or Cambrian.
{ Acadian. Potsdamn.
( Calciferous.
| Canadian.
Quebec. ( Chazy.
Arenaceous limestone. ( These strata vary in character sometimes being limestones, at others sandstones.
[ At Utica, La Salle Co. St. Peter's Sandstone.
Present.
Trenton.
Trenton. Utica. ( Cincinnati.
Limestone. Shale.
Shaly limestones.
S At the bottom of Dr. Pen- nington's Quarry, Jordan.
( Medina.
Sandstone in New York.
Niagara.
Clinton.
..
Present.
( Niagara.
Limestone and shale.
Salina.
Salina.
Sandstone.
Lower Helder- berg.
Lower Helder- berg.
Limestone.
Wanting.
Oriskany.
Oriskany.
Sandstone.
( Caudi Galli Grit. Sandstone.
Corniferous.
Schoharie. ( Corniferous.
Limestone.
of Fishes.
Hamilton.
( Marcellus. Hamilton. Genesee.
Shale.
black.
All Wanting.
Chemung.
Portage.
66
[ Catskill.
Catskill.
Sandstones and Shales.
Carboniferous
Age.
Carboniferous.
Permian.
( Lower Coal Measures. Upper Permian.
Reptilian
Age.
Triassic. Jurassic.
The epochs of these periods are of no interest to the general reader.
Cretaccous.
Largely developed west of the Mississippi, in Texas and Northern Alabama and Mississippi.
{ All Wanting.
Age of
Eocenc.
Mam- mals.
Tertiary.
Miocene. ( Pliocenc.
Age of § Man.
Quarternary.
Glacial. Champlain. ( Terrace.
Present.
66
Chemung.
Sub Carbonif- crous.
Lower. Upper. Millstone Grit.
Present.
Devonian Age or Age
Sandstone.
Silurian.
11
GEOLOGY.
It will be seen from the above table that only a small part of the geological series is represented in this county, and that the members present do not follow one another closely in the order of time, but are separated by wide intervals- mighty ehasms of which we have no record. In no part of the earth is the series complete. In some regions one part is fully developed, in others another. Thus in New York the oldest formations up to the carboniferous are well rep- resented; in Florida only the last or newest strata appear; in Illinois but small tracts are found of anything newer than the carboniferous. Why should this be? At present deposits are going on only along the eoasts of the continents and some islands, and especially at the mouths of rivers and in the basins of lakes. It is now known that in the depths of the ocean only a very thin deposit is forming, and that of a very peculiar character, such in fact as the rocks of the globe show very little resemblance to. Sandstones are in all cases as far as we know found in shallow water, bays, or on coasts where the sea deepens very slowly. Limestones of the common type seem to be restricted to a depth not exceeding 100 feet, while the work of calcareous sponges is probably never actively prosecuted at depths of 1000 feet. Clays were probably in gen- eral comparatively deep water formations; that is, formed at depths of 200 to 500 feet.
The lowest and oldest rocks exposed in Whiteside County belong to the Trenton Period. It consists of 1st, the Trenton Epoch ; 2d, the Utica Epoch ; and 3d, the Cincinnati, formerly called the Hudson River, Epoch. The Tren- ton limestone is the equivalent of the Galena beds of the Illinois Geological survey, and is slightly developed in the extreme northern part of Genesee and Jordan Townships. There are some exposures of it, we are informed, but it possesses little interest for us. The Cincinnati Group appears at the base of the Rock River bluffs at Sterling, in the bed of the river, and in the banks of some ravines and streams. Its most noted exposure is on the premises of Dr. L. S. Pennington, section 32, Jordan, about four miles north of Sterling. Here about twelve feet of soil and clay cover these beds, followed by some three feet of soft, much broken, thin bedded rock. Below these the beds are thicker, but generally not exceeding a few inehes-six to nine-and make splendid flag- ging, it being possible to procure sheets of any size that can be handled. Passing through about twelve feet of these beds we come upon a stratum of dark col- ored, very cellular, hard and heavy limestone, partially crystalline in structure, and the cavities lined with small, amber colored crystals, probably a colored calcite. This is about one foot thick. There is also a layer containing multi- tudes of small cavities, the inside of which are an iron rust red or ferrous color, while the rock itself is a light buff. Below these is a blue shaly rock, the ('in- cinnati shales, rich in fossils, being almost entirely made up of strophomena, orthis, chatetes, &c. The upper beds in some of the strata abound in sea-weeds or fucoids, but contain no other fossils. These fucoids seem to be of one spe- cies, but our examination was very superficial and there may be several species represented. The Trenton Limestone is not known to be exposed except in the northeast part of Jordan. It is said to contain few fossils. We visited none of its outerops. There is a quarry on section 3, Hopkins, also owned by Dr. Pennington, in the Cincinnati rocks. The shales are of course of no value, as they soon crumble into a shapeless mass when exposed to the action of the at- mosphere.
The Niagara limestone is well exposed on sections 5, 8, 7, 13. Ustick, in the Mississippi bluffs, and through this township, Garden Plain and Albany to the Marais de Ogee; in Fulton on sections 21, 27 and 28; in Newton on sections 22 and 25; in Mt. Pleasant on seetion 7; in Union Grove on section 12; in
12
HISTORY OF WHITESIDE COUNTY.
Clyde on section 13: in Genesee on section 34, at Lyndon and below Erie, on Rock River. It also underlies in all probability the whole south eastern part of the County; in Ustick, at Robertson's and Martindale's quarries, section 13. and at other points in these townships, and also at Sterling in the banks of Rock River, and on seetion 17, Portland, on the farm of Chas. Atwood. It consists of two members: 1st, a thin-bedded, dark-colored, coarse-grained, im- pure limestone, exposed at Albany, at the steamboat landing, and abounding in the heads of crinoids of several species; 2d, a thick-bedded, buff-colored, fine- grained, hard. cellular limestone, in parts abounding in corals, pentameri and remains of erinoids, but much of it is entirely made up of undistinguishable fragments of shells and corals, closely resembling the coral reef rock of the Pacific Islands now in process of formation. There are many local differences. In some places the strata are very cherty or flinty, as in Newton, a half mile south of Center school-house; very white, as at a point two miles southeast of Center school-house; thin-bedded and much broken, as in Mt. Pleasant; soft and yellow, as in places on section 5, Ustick, and at Albany. On sec. 12, Union Grove, and sec. 7, Mt. Pleasant, there is a band of shaly rock that may be capable of being manufactured into water-lime, but the stratum is too thin to be valu- able. These rocks generally occupy a nearly horizontal position, the beds being of a nearly uniform thickness, and differing over considerable areas in color, structure and composition but slightly. It will be seen in our synopsis of the strata given above that the Niagara Period is composed of three members- epochs-the Medina, Clinton and Niagara; but these have not been satisfactorily made out in the Mississippi Valley. In New York, the Medina is a peculiar sandstone, the Clinton, sandstone and shales, and the Niagara a thick, dark- colored limestone, well developed at Lockport, Niagara Falls and other points. The distinction between these strata does not seem to exist in our territory, and there is some reason to believe that between the Trenton Period and the Niagara there was a time when the surface of our County was dry land. But it may be that the conditions which gave origin to the differences noted in the strata of New York did not exist here, and that the work of forming strata went on continuously, or it may be that the record has not been as carefully studied as it should be, and that more rigorous examination may reveal some facts not yet noted that will enable us to mark out the limits of each epoch here.
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