USA > Illinois > Ogle County > Mount Morris > Mount Morris: past and present, an illustrated history of the township and the village of Mount Morris, Ogle County, Illinois, in their various stages of development, together with a local biographical directory > Part 1
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KRIS
Gc 977.302 M867ka 1222054
M. L
GENEALOGY COLLECTION
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01071 5636
THE FIRST HOUSE IN MOUNT MORRIS. SEE PAGE 29.
C
I'll: Mount Morris: Past and Present
AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY
OF THE
TOWNSHIP AND THE VILLAGE OF MOUNT MORRIS, OGLE COUNTY, ILLINOIS, IN THEIR VARIOUS STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT
TOGETHER WITH
A LOCAL BIOGRAPHICAL DIRECTORY.
COMPILED AND PUBLISHED BY KABLE BROTHERS.
MOUNT MORRIS. ILL .: MOUNT MORRIS INDEX PRINT. 1900.
1222054
PREFACE.
IT is found by observation and experience that one of the greatest pleasures that a man may enjoy is to return, after an absence of many years, to the place of his nativity, to view the scenes dear to him in days of youth and grasp the hands of old schoolmates, the memory of whose faces has been al- most obliterated by the passage of time. No matter how meagre was his old home, nor how simple his surroundings, still there remains that undying interest in the scenes of his youth which causes him often to sigh for a few hours to roam over these old familiar spots. The poet has truthfully said:
Hard indeed must a man be made By the toil and traffic of gain and trade To love not the spot where a boy he played.
It was therefore thought that if a book could be written and supplied with the necessary illustrations to bring back some of the pleasant memories of the boyhood days of the many old citizens of Mount Morris who have removed to other fields of labor, as well as recall to those remaining, facts and history which may have escaped their memory; to bring back to students of old Rock River Seminary and of Mount Morris College, memories of pleasant hours in class-room and on the campus; and further to perpetuate in tangible form for the present rising generation, the state of affairs and, by many views, the appearance of the town and her most influential citizens, when they too may go forth to other fields of labor, or their memories of their childhood days fade in the dimness of advancing age,-could a book be written to accomplish all this, and further serve to preserve the main facts for their intrinsic historical value, it was thought that a work of the kind would be both appreciated and given the proper support. With this impression of mind the matter in the following pages was prepared and is presented with the hope that it may not prove entirely unsuccessful and that due considera-
vi
PREFACE.
tion may be taken by its readers of this, the first attempt by the publishers, of a work of this kind.
The material herein embodied was gathered from innu- merable sources, and it is reasonable to suppose that some unavoidable mistakes have been made in names, dates, etc. It is not expected to be so perfect that it may be above and be- yond criticism, but it is the publishers' hope that it will be found measurably correct and generally accurate and relia- ble. Much of the information was obtained by personal in- terviews with those possessing the desired information, and also much was gathered from old and time-worn records, scrap-books and newspapers, which were kindly entrusted to us by their owners. Among those to whom we are grateful for aid in this work might be mentioned: Samuel Knodle, Martin T. Rohrer, Hon. R. R. Hitt, Major Chas. Newcomer, Capt. Peter Householder, Jonathan Hiestand, Reuben S. Mar- shall, Henry Sharer, Michael Bovey, Prof. J. G. Royer, Revs. L. L. Lipe, F. W. Nazarene, and D. F. Seyster, N. A. Ank- ney, Chas. H. Sharer, H. G. Newcomer, T. C. Williams, and many others. Our thanks are also due the many people of Mount Morris who have assisted in making the illustrative feature of the book a success.
The photographs reproduced herein have also been gathered from various sources. The old views of Mount Morris are from old photographs which have long been the valued property of our former venerable townsman, Mr. Sam- uel Knodle. The majority of the photographs were taken, however, by Roy Householder, professional photographer, and Roy Jackson, amateur photographer, and some of the older ones by J. M. Hosking, deceased, and J. M. Rinedollar. Prof. W. L. Eikenberry secured the views which illustrate the chapter on " Local Calamities."
In conclusion we wish to again thank all concerned, not only for their support and assistance in the work, but for the confidence which has been imposed in the ability of the pub- lishers to produce a work worthy of their assistance and sup- port.
December, 1900.
HARVEY J. KABLE. HARRY G. KABLE.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER. PAGE.
I. EARLY HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT, 9
II. THE GROWTH OF THE VILLAGE, 33
III. INCORPORATION OF THE VILLAGE, - 57 -
IV. INCORPORATION OF THE TOWNSHIP, 73
V. ROCK RIVER SEMINARY, 81
VI. MOUNT MORRIS COLLEGE,
95
VII. THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS,
118
VIII. THE VILLAGE PRESS.
138
IX. MUSICAL ORGANIZATIONS AND FAMILIES, 144
X. LOCAL CALAMITIES,
152
XI. COMING OF THE RAILROAD, - 167
XII. RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS, 176
XIII. SECRET ORGANIZATIONS,
199
XIV. MISCELLANEOUS HISTORY,
216
XV. MOUNT MORRIS OF TODAY, 226
XVI. TOWNSHIP BIOGRAPHICAL DIRECTORY, 269
MOUNT MORRIS: PAST AND PRESENT.
CHAPTER I.
EARLY HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT.
MORE than three-score years have passed since the hardy immigrants from the eastern states pushed their way across mountains and rivers to what was then the wild frontier of civilization,- the state of Illinois. A company of these pioneers, from Maryland, made the first permanent settlement in the wilderness, which now, under a far different aspect, bears the name of Mount Morris township. Here, where the primeval forest had never been traversed, save by the foot of the red man or by the flight of wild game, they hewed the rough timber for their dwellings, and established themselves in a colony for the purpose of promoting their interests and general welfare. How well they succeeded in laying the foundation of a prosperous community, the beautiful and charming town of Mount Morris today is a testimony.
Were one to ascend the steel structure upon which rests the water supply of our village, and from this point of vantage contemplate the expanse of country spreading out like a panorama for many miles around him, noting the several hundred cozy dwellings of our contented and peace-loving citizens, the substantial mercantile structures, the several institutions of learning, the different church buildings, and, beyond the village precincts, the broad well-tilled acres with their neat farmhouses, the waving grain reflecting the bright rays of the great orb of day, the monotony of which is broken by frequent strips of timber land, the hazy smoke of our sister towns going heavenward far off near the horizon, over all this enchanting scene a spirit of restfulness and contentment resting like a benison from on high,-were one to note all this at the present day, and then, from the same point, view the same area of land as it appeared when the hardy pioneers first trod the virgin soil, what a complete meta- morphosis would greet the eye! All the charming attributes of the fore- going brightly-depicted scene would vanish, and in their places would appear an unbroken expanse of prairie grass, dotted here and there with patches of brilliant wild flowers, but not a shrub or a tree to break the mo- notony of the view. At a distance, where now are pleasant farmhouses, broad areas of well-fenced fields of grain, and miles of graded road, there would appear nothing but alternating expanses of unbroken prairie and trackless forests, neither bearing evidence of ever having been traversed by the foot of man, save, perchance, the slight mark of a trail leading be- tween growths of timber, along which bands of Indians galloped upon
(9)
10
MOUNT MORRIS: PAST AND PRESENT.
their wiry ponies, and where the deer ruminated, their dainty hoofs dyed blood-red by the juice of wild strawberries, ruthlessly trampled under foot.
A description of the region around Mount Morris as it appeared in the days of old is most fascinating to the younger generation when they have the privilege of hearing it direct from the lips of the old pioneers. The present site of Mount Morris, as stated before, was an open prairie, with not a tree or a shrub to be found. What is now the college campus was then the crest of a hill of considerable size, the country sloping from it in all directions. The early settlers say that before the view was ob- structed by buildings and trees, the altitude of the hill was very percepti- ble. The prairie grass was very rank. In fact, in some places it grew so luxuriantly that it was almost impassable. Most of the ravines and hol- lows were in a wet, boggy state; and the streams and ponds retained the water from rains much longer than now, because of the absence of tiling in the lowlands. There abounded hundreds of springs, which have long since ceased to flow, owing to the rapid drainage now effected by the work of tiling and the development of the soil.
The patch of prairie in the midst, or rather on the crest, of which Mount Morris was founded, contained probably less than ten square miles. The margin of timber approached on the north to about the present loca- tion of George Windle's residence; on the east, to John T. Kanode's farm; on the south, to the Barnhizer and Shaw farms; on the southwest, to N. A. Watts'; on the west, to William Lohafer's; and on the northwest, to the present timber known as Hitt's woods. The margin, of course, was irregular, affording many "bays" of the prairie along the skirts of the timber. In these little coves, hidden just within the edge of the woods, the first settlers built their rude log-cabins, invariably near some of the many fine springs, so that pure fresh water could be readily obtained. None of the first settlers ventured out upon the prairie to build, probably because of the extra labor involved in getting logs for building, and in ob- taining fuel and fence-rails.
The log-cabins built at that time were of the most primitive character. They were generally one-story structures, made of round logs, which were sometimes not even "scutched down." The roof was made of clapboards, which consisted of thin slabs, called " shakes," about three or four feet long, split from logs. In the absence of nails, the tiers of these rude shingles were held down by lodge-poles .. If there was more than one room, it was, in all probability, a shed addition built on one side. If there was an upstairs to the house, it was reached by a rough ladder, made from a conveniently-sized sapling, through which holes were bored at desired intervals, and then the pole was split in half. For rounds, the smaller undergrowth of hickory, oak or ash was next brought into use, cut to the proper length and the ends dressed down, so as to fit the holes in the side- pieces of the ladder. This ladder would be erected in one corner of the room, or put up side of the chimney on the exterior of the house. In the latter case, a hole was cut through the outer wall of logs, which would
11
EARLY HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT.
furnish admission to the attic. The floor of the dwelling was often of nothing but the bare ground, and the furniture was of the most meager sort. Three-legged stools were used for chairs; and tables were often made from rough slabs split from logs, dressed down with a broad-axe to a proper thickness, then fastened together by a cross-piece underneath, which was held in place by wooden pins. In each corner a hole was bored into which a leg was fitted. Bedsteads were made as follows: A hole was bored at the proper height in one of the logs of the side of the building, about four feet from the corner. About six feet from the wall, a post was driven into the ground. One end of the side-rail of the bed would be fit- ted in the auger-hole, and the other end fastened to the post. The foot- rail was then provided for in the same way. The slats were next fastened from the side-rail to the side of the house, and the bed was done. In the case of hotels these bedsteads were often made so that by placing one above the other, a single bed-post would support as many as six beds. If the occupants of the house consisted of both sexes, or if, as was often the case, several families occupied the same room, the beds would be sepa- rated by curtains of deer-skins or of some other material, or else the light was put out before retiring. This was done by covering up or throw- ing water upon the embers in the fire-place. If, by accident, the fire was extinguished, it was rekindled by striking flints and catching sparks on " tinder, there being no matches in those days.
As mentioned before, the first settlers built their houses along the margin of the timber. Later arrivals, however, began to realize the value of the prairie land, and started to take up claims there. Probably the prairie sod in this vicinity was first turned during the year 1836, but many years passed before the entire prairie was brought into the present state of cultivation.
Unlike many sections of Illinois, Mount Morris was entirely free from tragedies with the Indians; in fact, the warlike tribes had been driven westward before this part of the country became settled. This county was originally a part of the hunting-grounds of the Winnebagoes and Pottawattomies, and their trails from one grove to another were easily dis- cernible, while hundreds of their arrow-heads and other weapons have been and are still being found in all parts of the township. In 1832 oc- curred the terrible Black Hawk War, and as a result all of the red men, except a few dozen peaceful families, were driven westward. At that early day no settlers had yet stopped here and consequently the trouble was all over when civilization began to dawn in this vicinity. The only sight which the early settlers ever got of these swarthy aborigines was an occasional band crossing the plains in quest of game or begging. These were the most quiet and peaceful of the Indian tribes of the country, but they, too, finally became dissatisfied with the restrictions of their treaty with the whites, and followed their more warlike brethren to the wilder- ness west of the Mississippi, leaving their former lands free to the onward march of civilization.
Settlements were made at a number of points in the county before
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MOUNT MORRIS: PAST AND PRESENT.
any claims were taken up in Mount Morris township. Kett's History of Ogle County says: "Isaac Chambers passed through the county limits early in the summer of 1827, en route for Galena, and was so favorably im- pressed with the beauty of the country and the richness of the soil, that he determined to make it his future home, which determination he carried out in 1829. John Ankney came up from the southern part of the state, in the spring of 1829, and located a claim at Buffalo Grove (west of Polo), near where the old Galena road crossed Buffalo creek. After making his claim, he returned for his family; and, while he was absent on that mis- sion, Isaac Chambers returned from Galena with his family, and stopped at White Oak Grove, a small growth or patch of timber about a half-mile west of the present village of Forreston. But, not altogether suited, he remained there only a short time. He reasoned that the timbered parts of the country would become more valuable than the prairie land, because of the superabundance of the latter and the comparative scarcity of the former. After prospecting around for a while and examining different lo- calities, he finally settled at Buffalo Grove, about ten miles south of his first stopping place at White Oak Grove. He removed his family there and commenced to make arrangements to build a home. . . . As it hap- pened, Mr. Chambers had taken the claim previously selected by Mr. Ankney; and, while he was perfecting his plans and arrangements for opening a road and erecting his house, Mr. Ankney came back with his family, and was somewhat surprised to find that his claim had been ' jumped,' or taken, by Mr. Chambers, while the latter was no less sur- prised at the appearance of the former." Mr. Ankney was compelled to make a new claim farther down the creek. The History continues: "After their houses were built, Chambers and Ankney proceeded to establish the dividing line between their claims. Other boundary lines were unneces- sary, for there were no other claimants in all the country; and, if they so willed it, one of them could claim Rock river for his eastern line, and the other one, the Mississippi for his western line. They were, for the time, 'monarchs of all they surveyed.' One clear star-light night, when the moon did not shine, and when there were no clouds floating across the sky, they went together to the south side of the grove; and, from a red-oak stump, they started toward the North Star, hacking the trees which stood in their way, the marked trees being the line between them."
From the most reliable information it appears that John Phelps was the original pioneer in this township, having visited the county and taken up a claim about two and one-half miles east of Mount Morris as early as 1835. It would be interesting to know who was the first white man to set foot within the present corporate limits of the village or even the town- ship, but information upon this subject cannot be ascertained with any degree of accuracy. Possibly Chambers or Ankney may have made a trip over from Buffalo Grove, or some trapper or hunter may have wandered over this part of the prairie. Possibly Phelps may have been the first, as late as 1834, when he came into the county; but certain it is that Phelps was the first permanent settler in the township. In the summer of 1836
13
EARLY HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT.
Samuel M. Hitt and Nathaniel Swingley came to the township and found him living in a cabin two and one-half miles east of the present site of Mount Morris; Larkin Baker had a cabin and a claim about four miles southeast, subsequently owned by Daniel Price; David Worden lived one and one-half miles southwest; and probably one or two others had settled along the edge of the timber. Hitt and Swingley, however, went out upon the prairie, then left free from the encroachment of civilization, and made several claims, including the present site of Mount Morris. They remained here during the summer, but at autumn returned to Maryland and hired a number of men to settle with them in the new country, prom- ising to pay them one dollar per day for service in building houses, split- ting rails and building fence, breaking the prairie and harvesting the crops. Among those thus engaged were Michael Bovey, Adam, Daniel and John Stover, Balka Niehoff, Samuel Grove, Eli Householder, William McDannel, Abram and Jonathan Myers, and Fred Finkbohnar. This party started for their new homes in the west in the spring of 1837. Householder, McDannel, and Daniel Stover were accompanied by their wives: Mrs. Elizabeth Ankney, with her little son Albertus and her daugh- ter Mrs. William Watts, was also a member of the party. They traveled by wagons to Wheeling, West Virginia, by boat on the Ohio, Mississippi, and Illinois rivers to Peru, and the remaining distance by wagon. Early in the spring they arrived at a vacant cabin in Fridley's grove, east of the present site of Mount Morris. This cabin had been built and occupied by Judge Ford, afterward governor of the state. Here the first Maryland colony, as these settlers were afterward termed, remained for two weeks, while the men-folks proceeded to erect their cabins. The first one built by them, which was also the first in the township, was a double log- cabin, on the claim of Mrs. Ankney, about three-quarters of a mile south- west of the present village of Mount Morris. Half of this house was moved, at a later day, down into the grove near a spring, and was finally torn down. The other half stood in the field a few rods east of the pres- ent residence of N. A. Watts, and was used as an implement house until a a year or so ago, when it, too, shared the fate of its partner and was torn down for fuel. Unfortunately, no photograph was ever taken of this his- toric old building, but probably the majority of our citizens can yet re- member its appearance as it stood isolated, a rude monument to the toils and hardships of our pioneer fathers. In the two small rooms of this cabin lived four families,-those of Mrs. Ankney and Eli Householder in one part, and Messrs. Stover and McDannel in the other.
While this cabin was being completed, the entire party remained in the Ford cabin. A bakeoven, constructed by Mrs. Ankney, was used in preparing their food, and at night they slept on " wagoner beds," which consisted of plain mattresses, rolled up during the day and spread out on the garret floor at night. Several other cabins were soon completed, how- ever, and the members of the colony became more comfortably located. Mr. Swingley kept the men whom he had brought along busily engaged in cutting down trees in the timber, splitting rails and building fences, and
14
MOUNT MORRIS: PAST AND PRESENT.
cultivating several small fields of grain, for which prairie sod had been broken in the spring. Mr. Bovey worked with these men during the entire summer and following winter, and tells many interesting tales of their ex- periences. With three companions he went up near Forreston, one week in harvest, and worked six days cradling a field of oats. During the first night their horses trampled their provisions and left them with nothing to eat. Luckily a man, who was bound eastward toward Swingley's cabin, came along, and through him they got word to their employer. After a day with nothing to eat but several small potatoes, they were relieved with a new supply of provisions. Mr. Bovey also relates an incident of that winter, when with several of the men of the colony he got lost on the prairie during a bit- ter cold night; and the party drove over the snow-covered ground for many hours in a fruitless search for their cabin. Daylight finally righted them and they then reached home in safety.
Of these settlers most of them remained in the county. Mr. Bovey took up a claim northwest of town and lived there until old age compelled him to retire, when he took up his abode with his daughter, Mrs. Josiah Avey. He is one of perhaps less than a dozen of the very early settlers of the town- ship who survive. Eli House- holder lived here two years and then moved six miles south, where he died in 1896. Mr. Stover also died in this vicinity. MICHAEL BOVEY. Mr. McDannel. after living many years on his farm in Pine Creek, moved to Iowa, where he died. Fred. Finkbohnar moved north to Adeline, where his relatives still live. 'Squire Samuel M. Hitt built a log- cabin on one of his claims, about three miles west of town, later known as the Zumdahl property. There with his family, including Margaret, Andrew, Robert, George, John W., and Joseph, he lived until his death in 1859. In 1858 he began the erection of the fine stone residence, now owned and occupied by Christian Zumdahl, and, although it was not quite com- pleted, he was living in it at the time of his death. The new house stands very near the foundation of the old log-cabin. Captain Nathaniel Swingley took up the claim of the farm, subsequently owned by Jacob
15
EARLY HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT.
Keedy and later by his son, Ed- ward Keedy, and still later by William Koontz. Mr. Swingley lived there only until 1850, when he became affected by the gold- fever craze and started for the gold-fields in California. After three years in California, he re- turned to Ogle county, and located at Creston, Dement township, where he died.
In this first emigration were a number of children who ac- companied their parents on the long overland journey, shared with them the inconveniences of settling in an undeveloped country, and grew up to man- hood and womanhood amid the rough surroundings of their homes in the wilderness. These should therefore be classed along with the earliest settlers
CAPT. PETER HOUSEHOLDER.
ALBERTUS ANKNEY.
of the township. Among those who came here in early child- hood were Anna and Albertus Ankney, children of Mrs. Eliza- beth Ankney (who afterward married James McCoy, Sr.), and Peter Householder. Of these, Anna Ankney married William Watts, Sr., and lived on the old Watts homestead until the time of her death in 1898. Her broth- er Albertus and Peter House- holder are now living, and are respected residents of our vil- lage. These last two were aged respectively four and two years when brought from the east, and they have literally grown up with the country. Both are yet in their sixties, and bid fair to witness many more years of the steady advancement and the healthful growth of Illinois.
16
MOUNT MORRIS: PAST AND PRESENT.
Solon Crowell, father of the present State's Attorney of Ogle county, S. W. Crowell, was a very early settler in the township, having occupied a claim a mile north of town, and this claim is now included in the farms of S. F. Stonebraker and I. W. Marshall. During the year 1837, in which the body of settlers already described as the first Maryland colony came to the township, there also came the Rev. T. S. Hitt, Jacob Rice, Sr., and John Wagner, whose families have been among the most substantial and promi- nent citizens of this community. Rev. Hitt and wife left Ohio in a car- riage in the fall of 1837, to examine the new country of which his brother Samuel had written such favorable accounts. He was a Methodist.minis- ter, and expected to continue his work in the new country. On arrival here, in September, he occupied a house which Martin Reynolds, a brother- in-law, was then completing on the site of William Lohafer's present resi- dence, west of town. Later he invested in a tract of land two and one-half miles south of town. This tract embraced one thousand acres, one hun- dred of which was broken. The price paid Mr. Painter for the same was twenty-five hundred dollars. Rev. Hitt, however, soon moved to a claim which his brother Samuel had reserved for him. This claim consisted of what is now the Railroad Addition to the village and the farm immedi- ately northeast, now owned by R. R. Hitt and cutlivated by Gera Watts. Here Rev. Hitt lived until his death, September 23, 1872. He had eight children, as follows: Hon. R. R. Hitt, Mrs. Margaret Newcomer and Mrs. Charles Newcomer, of this place; John, who has been Deputy Collector of Customs in Chicago over thirty years; Emery, Morris and Henry P. Hitt, and Mrs. Elizabeth Wagner, all living in the vicinity of Tyndall, South Dakota. Of this family the most widely known is the first mentioned .- Congressman Robert R. Hitt. Mr. Hitt was but three years of age when his father emigrated from the east in 1837, and has a full knowledge of the early pioneer days of Ogle county. For sixty-three years he has been a resident of Mount Morris, during which time he has steadily mounted the arduous ladder leading to the temple of fame until his name and the pres- tige of his statesmanship have become known not only in this country but also in foreign lands. Mount Morris is proud of the fact that he grew to manhood in this community, and that he continues to make the village his place of residence. As one of the early settlers of the township his por- trait is inserted in this chapter, along with the other pioneers who survive. However, a more complete history of his eventful life will be found in the biographical directory in the rear of this book.
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