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Centennial Book
PALATINE ILLINOIS
1855 1955
THE PALATINE HERALD.
VOL. I. PALATINE, COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS, FRIDAY, MARCH 21, 1873. NO. 13.
PALATINE HERALD PUBLISHTO
Every Friday, IT- Palatine. Cook County, Ilinois.
G. E. Earile, Editor.
F. E. HOLTON, Local Editor. C. E. Bennett Authorized Agent.
Kach Number Contains Some Interesting Illustration.
Two Dollars per Year, in Advance. G. E. EARLIE & CO.
D. B. WOOD.
Adopts this method of informing his old Friends and the Public that he may still be found at his old stand, where may be found a good assort- ment of
Staple Dry Goods,
Motions in Great Variety,
GROCERIES
Boots & Shoes, Crooksery, Eto.,
All of which he will sell at Bottom Prices for Cash. Call and see us.
TENNANT & GRANNIS, DEALERS IN DRY GOODS,
GROCERIES
-AND- General Merchandise.
PARK RIDGE. ILLINOIS.
G. L. S. Stuff. DENTIST,
First door west of School House. All kinds of Artificial Denture Inserted. Teeth extract ed without pain. Sallefaction guaranteed In all cases. Palatine, III.
KOLL, Manufacturer and Dealer Lo Boots & Shoes, JEFFERSON,
. . ILLS. Custom. Work Mede to Order. Repairing Neot. ly and Promptly DoDe 6-18
W. J. LYTLE & co., IBUYERS OF ALL KINDS OF
GRAIN & PRODUCE,
AND DEALERS IN
LUMBER, SHINGLES, LATH, SASH,
DOORS & BLINDS, Coal, Lime, Cement, Stucco, Plastering Hair,
BRICK.
-
CHOICE FAMILY FLOUR.
Highest Market Prices Paid for all Kinds of Grain & Produce.
Proprietors of the "Old Reliable Elevator." OPPOBITE DEPOT.
PALATINE, ILLINOIS.
H. SCHIRDING & CO.,
Dealers In
DRY GOODS, GROCERIES,
BOOTS,
SHOES,
AND
NOTIONS.
-
Corner Brockway & Slade Streets,
PALATINE,
ILLINOIS.
Palatine Nursery.
Osage Orange Hedge Plants, Apple Trees, EARLY RICHMOND CHERRY. Pears, Plums, RASPBERRIES, GRAPE VINES, Transcendent & Hyslop Crab, EVERGREENS, AND A General Nursery Stock FOR Spring of 1873. WILL BE SOLD AT The Lowest Prices.
Call and See.
S. L. KEITH, Proprietor. 1-13
J. CHAPMAN, DEALER IN Saddles, Harness, Trunks, BRIDLES, HALTERS, COLLARS, COMBS, &C .. Horse Blankets, BUFFALO ROBES, SLEIGH BELLS, Corriege Trimming done to order. All kinds of Jobbfug done to order. THE CELEBRATED VACUUM OIL BLACKING Constantly on hand. PALATINE, - ILL ..
W. H. DOBELL.
Carriage Painting AND
TRIMMING
In att tta Departmente. at short notice, sud to the best menner.
Office in Lindsay'e Blacksmith Shop. Brockway Street, Palatine, Il].
S. H. McCrea & Co .. PRODUCE COMMISSION MERCHANTS. 187 East Washington Street, Rooms ) & Liberal Cash Advancements made on Consigu mente. Particular attention paid to purcheeiny Lomber. Latb and Shingles by the Cargo or Ca Loed. Also Grela bonghi end sold on Margine
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2012 with funding from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
http://archive.org/details/palatinecentenni00pala
LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
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ILLINOIS HISTORY SURVEY LIBRARY
PALATINE CENTENNIAL BOOK
History of Palatine, Cook County Illinois
Published by PALATINE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
JULY 1955
COMPILED BY STUART R. PADDOCK MRS. WILFRED MULLER, MRS. EDWARD DAVIS
Subscription Price $2.00
PRINTED BY PADDOCK PUBLICATIONS PALATINE, ILL.
FOREWORD
The publication of this book is part of the Palatine's observance of its Centennial. It was 100 years ago that the Village of Palatine came into being when the railroad pin- pointed a station stop in the center of Palatine township.
This Centennial Book tells the story of the township and the growth of the village from farmland to a young city of 6,500 inhabitants.
The Centennial celebration is being planned as this book goes to press and includes a six day event with many features. They include a Centennial Ball with music by Dick Jurgens, a big parade on Sunday with many bands and floats, a pageant telling the story of Palatine, the dedication of Palatine's new swimming pool, homecoming re- ceptions, pet parade, a Queen contest and the annual Lions-Legion carnival.
The publication of this Centennial Book is a Memorial to the early settlers who had a part in the birth of Palatine and helped it grow down through the years.
A celebration on such a scale as being planned, will require the help of many people, hut. we will only mention here the chairmen of the several Centennial committees :
CENTENNIAL COMMITTEE
HONORARY CHAIRMAN, HOWARD I. OLSEN, MAYOR OF PALATINE GENERAL CHAIRMAN, ROY L. LaLONDE
PALATINE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, FRED KORBER JR., PRESIDENT PALATINE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, MRS. C. E. BURNS, SECRETARY
CENTENNIAL BALL-Mrs. Robert Nelson, Chairman; Mrs. Edward Haseman, Co- chairman; Junior Woman's Club represented by Mrs. William Hodge; Dr. Charles Mankenberg, Dr. William Meek, Mrs. Neal Dean, Sid Page.
CENTENNIAL PAGEANT-Senior Woman's Club, represented by Mrs. I. Brunstrom, Palatine Players, represented by Leon Stevens.
PET PARADE-P.T.A., represented by Mrs. Walter Sundling; Chairman, Jerry Allen. AQUACADE AND DEDICATION OF PARK SWIMMING POOL-Palatine Park Dis- trict, represented by William Mair, Richard Abrahamson.
PARADE AND CENTENNIAL FINALE-Palatine Fire Department, Orville Helms, Chairman.
FINANCE -Fred Rogers, Edward Haseman.
HOMECOMING-G. A. McElroy, Palatine Township High School.
PARKING-Chief of Palatine Police, Frank X. Meyer, Lt. D. Foxworthy, Thomas Rob- inson, Palatine Community Association.
SAFETY-Dr. Carl Starck Jr., Richard Wallace.
BEARD COMMITTEE-John F. Nelson.
WINDOW DECORATIONS-Norman Wipperfurth, Senior Woman's Club.
CENTENNIAL BOOK-Stuart Paddock Sr., Mrs. Edward Davis, Mrs. Wilfred Muller, Mrs. C. E. Burns.
DECORATION-Robert Nelson, Chairman.
RELICS AND ANTIQUES-C. E. Moore, Chairman.
FLAG-Hamilton Olsen, Chairman.
2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER I-Beginning of Palatine
Deer Grove 7
Englishman's Grove 13
Plum Grove
15
Highland Grove
18
Voters Name Township
19
CHAPTER II
Founders Own Story 21
Arrival of Railroad 22
Early Streets, Roads 23
Early Palatine Industries
25
Story of Village Organizations
27
CHAPTER III-Civic Growth
Establishment of Schools 31
Palatine High School 33
Palatine Library
35
Volunteer Fire Department
37
Cemeteries
38
Churches
39
CHAPTER IV-War Services
Civil War
45
World War I
46
World War II
47
CHAPTER V
Personalities, Past and Present - 49
CHAPTER VI-Way Back When
Way Back When 57
P.L.Z&W.
61
Fires and Railroad Wrecks
62
From Newspaper Microfilms 63
Palatine Enterprise
66
CHAPTER-Organizations
Organizations
67
CHAPTER VIII
Businessmen of 1955
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Maps-Chicago Historical Society. Grove Settlements Map-Vernon Irish.
Historical Material-Umbdenstock and Seip families.
Files-Family of A. G. Smith.
Typists-Vera Klopp and Marjorie McWilliams.
All descendants of pioneer settlers and our fellow townsmen who graciously answered questions, supplied biographical ma- terial, pictures and encouragement.
4
CHICAGO & MCHENRY_RJ
VGILMERT
1836
INDIAN
Creek
E
L
VE
R
OIN HALF DAY
....
INDIAN MOUNDS
DEER
4 INDIAN VILLAGES
VELA BUFFALO
PEER TRAIL
& CR.
DEERFIELD
FROM ALBERT SCHARF
.
BUFFALO GROVE COUNTY
LAKE
BARRINGTON
COOK DEER GROVE
COUNTY
WHEELING
ROAD
RIVER
W.J.K.CLARK
WWHEELINGD
RAI GLENCOE
O
WHEELY
N G
A
PALATINE PALATINE
NORTHFIELDA
X
-
WOODSTOCK
PLUM Y AGROVE ,
GROVE PORTAGE
E W TRIE
- HELMS.O
+ GLEN VIEW
+
----
TRAIL -
GROVE
DES PLAINEIS M
1
N
E
TRAIL
-
1
Aaron Miner ELKGROVE
N
E S
SCHAUMBURG -.
ULES
-- Trail_
.
MILWAUKEE-
DES PLAINES
THE PALATINE AREA SHOWING PREHISTORIC FEATURES EXISTING IN 1804
...
1
.... INDIAN TRAILS
B
A LAKE ZURICH
IL, 1837.
ROAD
+ SIGNAL STATIONS
19
-
--
TRAIL
LITTLE FORT TRATE
KIEMMARSH
1
1 N
LAKEZURICH RATRAIL
Courtesy of the Chicago Historical Society
-
CHICAGO DUNDEE ROAD ELK
Så Diamond Lake
YANKE TAVERN
1 VYDUNDEEV
Introduction
Our story starts back in the year 1810. At that time most of the mid-western area of the United States was woods and wilderness.
Around that time the land was being divided into states. The original boundaries for Wisconsin were to where the northern boundaries are now and then south to the southern tip of Lake Michigan and across to the Mississippi River. But by a mistake a sur- veyor made, the land from the tip of Lake Michigan and about 50 miles north went to the state of Illinois. The mistake was not noticed till it was too late to do anything about it.
Illinois was entered in the union as a state on December 3, 1818.
Later counties were formed. Cook County was formed in 1831.
In general, the first settlers around here were New Englanders who couldn't make a living on the New England soil. If you have ever been to New England you could see that the land is very rocky.
When they first came they had to go around Lake Michigan to get up here. Therefore, they had to pass through Chicago or go around it.
At that time Chicago was a large swamp. The settlers called Chicago a "pest." The Indians called it a "skunk." The Indians named Chicago which is the Indian word for skunk.
When George Ela and the others took certain sections of Deer Grove for their own about 1835, it was quite evident to them that this had been an im- portant Indian culture center. Stories told to them by the Pottawatomies, who occasionally came this way to visit neighboring burial mounds, were sub- stantiated by the trails and relics in the surrounding forests.
Trails made by the Indians were invaluable to the first inhabitants, and the "Indian Tree Trail Markers" led more than one worried traveler to the safety of his home. "Every winding or diagonal road was in all probability originally an Indian trail. The red man was not governed by the surveyor's compass, and made his way from one village to an- other by following the streams or the most conven- ient trails. Where the trail might be difficult to fol- low, he bent a sapling and fastened its upper end in the ground. As the sapling grew it formed a pe-
culiar horizontal "z" that pointed to the next village or point of interest."1
The frontispiece map2 shows Lake Zurich and Woodstock Trails, which are now known as Rand and Algonquin roads; Indian villages, signal sta- tions, and burial mounds. "When an Indian died he might be buried in the ground, on the ground, or in the air. If he had been a chief, he was probably placed in a sitting position on some mound. A wall for protection was then built around his body. At regular times members of the tribe came to wor- ship and to mourn. At the end of seven years his bones were buried in the ground with a mound raised over them."3
This explanation helps us to understand why John Wilson's son, Ray, remembered in later years having seen a band of Pottawatomies gathered a- round the house as his mother prepared the evening meal. The Indians expressed friendliness and told the Wilsons that they were on their way to visit a burial mound in Plum Grove. It is not at all un- reasonable to suppose that the Wilsons watched them depart with a great sigh of relief.
The last time Indians were seen in a group in Palatine was Sept. 24, 1920. That day had been set as American Indian Day by the legislature for ap- propriate exercises in commemoration of the Amer- ican Indian. One of the features was a real Indian camp in Deer Grove. Indian chiefs from surround- ing states representing all the tribes which former- ly roamed Illinois pitched their tepees near Camp Reinberg, and held their various ceremonies and dances for three days.+
One may speculate as to whether settlers, whose graves have not yet been located, lived in Palatine before 1835. Remains of a fort were found south of Old Plum Grove bridge. Was this used for pro- tection against marauding Indians whose attacks were successful, or did some early Plum Grove set- tlers take what proved to be a tragic refuge in Fort Dearborn? Be that as it may, the recorded history of Palatine begins about 1835.
Statements made above come from
1. Winslow-Indians of the Chicago Region, Chicago, Ill. Charles S. Winslow, 1946, page 118.
2. Scharf, credit Chicago Historical Society.
3. Winslow, page 108.
4. Journal Illinois State Historical Society v. 13 1920-21.
5
PALATINE TOWNSHIP AS OF 1835-1850 SHOWING
APPROXIMATE LOCATION OF 1ST CLAIM HOLDERS
AND THE
EXISTING ROADS-WATERCOURSES
Courtesy of the Chicago Historical Society
V. IRISH
D.
BOYNTON
ALEXAND. DEER
GROVE
CEM
HILL SIDE R D.
1
+
5
4
1
EDW CASTLE
LOREN
JOHN . ROBERTSON
GEORGE ELA
ASAHEL GROVE
MARSH
HARRIS
HARRIS BENNETT DUNDEE RD
RUSSELL ANDRUS
WEBSTE
LYMAN STAPLES
MASON D SUTHERLAND
R' D.
C. BO MORRIS
B. ELFRINK
· SALEM EVAN SAW 1CEM MILL
ASÃ
7
TA 8
9 DUNTON
10
-
+
CEM.
CADY
EZEKIEL CADY
CEM.
THOS' F. :
A. R.
WILSON'S .
BALDWIN
R D.O .OBALDWIN
J GO
BALDWIN
MILTON FOSKET
- C. & NW.
RY ..
D
17
16
1.5
14
13.
THOS. BRADWELL
JOHN
+
FOSKE
ENGLISHMANS DTOM GROVE ATKINSON
WEST FORK JOHN! KITSON
DARIUS -WOOD
PALATINE RD.
THOMAS SWICK
SALT CREEK
OLD
+
GERMAN CEM.
i
19
ARCHIBALD
0
ATKINSON
RALPH ATKINSON
ELA
HICKS RD
R D.
ORRIN FORD
LOJUSTUS ৳ WHITCOMB
-
0
E .D.WOOD
D
29
28
27
26
25
BRADWELL |||THOMAS
O KENT
S CLARK
RD .-
BAILEY
BORDEN
CLARK
QWICKLIFFE
E
MOORE
A
PLUM
POPLAR CREEK
MISSIONARY ( HIGHLAND) GROVE
ST JOHN'S CEM. ,
CHEESE FACTORY
GROVE
BENSON WHITCOMB
JOHN CARSON
31
32
33
INDIAN 3 MOUND
4
0
MARK
ISRAEL
LABAN PUTNAM
SAWYER
SALT CREEK
SMITH
E CHURCH
0
SAM
SMITH
P ĽÚM GROVE
AMOS
JOHN
LUMAN
QUENTINS RD.
ASALEM
....
t
BENJAMIN M PORTER
WILKE RD.
RD
SAW
FORT?
MILL
35)
SCHOOL
36
D
1
- ROSELLE
PLUM GROVE
ROHLWING RD.
24
L
C JOHN SLADET
.- 23
O
21
KIRCHOFF RD.
C
$18
0
CITY LIMITS
INDIAN
MARSH
LAKE
,5
ELISHA PRATT
SIDNEY SUTHERLAND D
ZURICH
1 H. ELFRINK
PALMER WEBSTER
12
0
JOHN CLAY
JOEL WOOD
22
30
D
MORGAN S. OHNSON;
ALGONQUIN
LINCOL!
.MOSES TOURKEE
EAST \FORK
EDGERTON
2 SIL.AS D SUTHERLAND
A
L
STAPLES
CHAPTER I
BEGINNING OF PALATINE
More than a century ago, the territory comprising Palatine Township in the northwest part of Cook County, was largely prairie; dotted with several prominent groves: Deer Grove, in the northwest part of the township, which is now a county forest preserve; Englishman's Grove, Plum Grove, and Highland Grove.
The gently-rolling countryside and the cool shade of wooded groves seemed like home to the newcomers who had left green hills and fertile river valleys to begin this adventure in the west. The stretches of soil showed such promise that neigh- bors and relatives "back east" were sent for; and the cleared sections began to make a pattern on the prairie.
Little settlements grew up in the four wooded areas of the township. The first chapters in this Centennial book tell the stories of their settlement and short sketches of some of the families.
DEER GROVE
Perhaps George Ela was the first white man to locate in this area. About 1835 he built a cabin and cleared a field in Deer Grove, one of the several groves of this region. This grove is believed to have been named before the coming of the white settlers. Early county histories indicate that Ela moved just across the county line into Lake County and became the first postmaster of the town of Ela, so named be- cause of his prominence as a state representative. In the same year, Russell Andrus settled just to the south of Ela. Asahel Harris brought his wife and two infants and settled southeast of Andrus.
Alexander H. McClure, who had settled at the west side of Deer Grove in 1837, later surveyed the first road leading from this grove to Chicago. Four Elfrink brothers settled to the south of McClure near an old Indian burial mound. Asa Dunton lived just north of that mound. One of his sons, William H. Dunton, located several miles to the southeast of Deer Grove and the town of Arlington Heights had its beginning on his farm. The town was called Dunton Station until 1874. Others in the neighbor- hood included Loren Edgerton, David Boynton and John Robertson, whose daughter, Lydia, later mar- ried William Hicks of Lake County. Of these earliest settlers little is known but scattered names and dates. Those who followed left a more legible track.
Until trees could be felled for a log or frame home, the original dwelling places were often just sod houses; but each was furnished with a few precious possessions that could be accommodated in a covered wagon or on a lake barge. Lack of suit- able buildings was no deterrent to holding regular school sessions and church services. There were no luxuries and the old rules of trade and barter were used to obtain the necessities for which money was not usually available.
Women made their own soap and candles. Wool for clothing, socks and blankets had to be sheared, carded, spun and woven at home. Even the little girls-so young that we would consider them almost babies-learned to knit. In order to save many men an arduous four day journey, each man took his turn in driving the produce from all families into Chi- cago. The other men at home would take care of the absent farmer's chores until he returned with salt, powder, lead, whiskey, bars of iron, light cloth, boots and occasionally boards.
A spirit of neighborliness drew all these people
together on many occasions. Men and women alike looked forward to corn huskings, chimney settings and religious services, since the social contact which these occasions provided, more than compensated for the hours spent in preparing food which was set out on long, rough wooden tables. The ladies wore their prettiest gowns and the men made certain that the rifle sights were clean for after the work was done, there usually was a chance to dance and men and boys could show their prowess in the shooting and wrestling matches.
The first white child born in what later became Palatine Township, was Clarinda Cady. The year was 1838. Her parents, Ezekiel Cady, his wife, Adaline, and their children started their journey with horses, a wagon and a cow from Central New York State to seek their fortune in the far west. When they got as far as Lake Michigan, they traded their horses for two yoke of oxen and arrived at Deer Grove in June 1837, settling on 240 acres in the southwest part of the grove.
They lived in their covered wagon for several weeks before building a house. Mr. Cady, anticipat- ing a journey to Chicago, built a shack of logs and bark to shelter his wife until his return. The flint lock gun, important to pioneers for lighting a fire as well as for protection, naturally accompanied Mr. Cady on his trip. During the first night of his ab- sence, a severe storm blew up and Adaline stood all night wrapped in her husband's big cape to keep the precious fire from going out. Her frightened chil- dren had to console themselves as best they could in the cabin. There were nine children in the Cady family :
Arad, who died in the Civil war; Fannie, who married Milton Fosket; Wilbert, John, Madison, Thursey Ann, who married Beala Abbott; Jane, who married Homer Galpin; William Benton and Nelson.
In 1853, Clarinda married Morton L. Pinney who came to Palatine with the railroad and worked as superintendent of grading between Palatine and the Fox River. They had five children. One son, Mor- ton, was killed on the railroad in Palatine. A daugh- ter, Addie, lived with her parents and died in 1954 at the age of 97 at the Methodist Home on Foster Avenue in Chicago. A reminiscent interview with Mrs. Clarinda Pinney in 1922 follows :
"The nearest neighbors to the Cadys when they first settled were at Lake Zurich, Long Grove and
7
1875
Here are two views of N. Brockway st., taken from Slade st. 10 years a- part, says F. F. Danielsen, who re- members the lower picture because he is one of the boys on the cultivator. With him are Bill Mundhenke and Frank Knigge.
Identified business place in lower picture: At the left Loges and Schultz Blacksmith Shop, Kublank Market, Wilson's restaurant (Ander- mann residence at corner) At the right: Matthei's Store, residence and jewelry shop, Richardson Drugs, Mundhenke Tavern. Stores and side- walks are elevated due to lack of drainage.
HARNESSSHOP
1885
ACHINERY
RE PLOW. PLOWS IMPLEMENTS
Wickliffe (near Dundee). The Elfrink families came the next year and settled north of the present viaduct. Other early settlers were the Palmer Web- sters, McClure and Ela families, all New Yorkers. There were few Germans here in those early days. The first barn in this part of the country was built by Mr. Cady and received a lot of attention.
"Mrs. Pinney was born in a log cabin which af- terward was used as the first schoolhouse in this part of the country. The first teacher was Nancy Boynton and pupils came from as far away as Lake Zurich.
"The Cady cemetery originated in the early for- ties when Mrs. Pinney's brother, Wilbert, died. There was no cemetery in existence and Mr. Cady buried his son upon a little knoll on the north side of his farm. When other families needed burial lots they came to the same place.
"The villages of Palatine and Barrington did not exist in those early days and Mrs. Pinney says that the first depot of the railroad, 'Illinois & Wisconsin', was located at Deer Grove. But as Mr. Elfrink was not willing to donate sufficient land, the station was moved to the place where Barrington now stands.
"When people were sick in those early days, there was no doctor, but Mrs. Cady used herbs for medicine and was always willing to give what she could to the sick of the neighborhood. In later years Doctor Hale of Dundee was the nearest doctor.
"A circuit rider held Methodist church services in the log schoolhouse every third Sunday, but Sun- day School was held every week. Deer Grove got its name correctly. There were many deer there, who would fearlessly come to the cabin to eat with the cattle.
"If a friend in New York wanted to address a letter to the Cadys it read "Salt Creek Precinct, Chi- cago." Three times a week a stage would go to Dun- dee leaving the letters for the Deer Grove settlers at the Diekman farm, then called Wickliffe."
Following in the footsteps of Cady, John Fosket started from Arcadia, N. Y., by way of the lakes to Toledo. From there he drove a team and wagon to Cook County where he located just south of the Cadys. His log cabin was finished in two weeks with logs loaned by Mr. Cady. His son, Milton, staked a claim nearby. There were three other sons, Azel H., J. Henry, and Ransom B .; the latter died in Palatine. Mr. Fosket died on a trip east with Milton in 1842 at the time of the Harrison cam- paign. His grave was added to the Cady cemetery.
Milton Fosket married his neighbor, Fannie Cady, and three of their grandchildren now live in Palatine. Mortimer and Gilbert Fosket are sons of Charles Fosket and Zelda Daniels Bennett is a daughter of Belle Fosket Daniels. Mrs. Bennett has one of their original land grants in her possession.
Other New Yorkers, Edward Castle and a young- er brother, Lester, came with their parents, Phineas and Jerusha, to Deer Grove in 1843. Lester was graduated from Waukegan Academy and taught school ten winters to secure funds for the purchase of half the old homestead. The Castle names appear often in village records of later years.
That first school teacher, Nancy Boynton, came from Meredith, N. H., with her brother-in-law, Mr. Hill, in the fall of 1838. They joined her brother, David Boynton, who had settled in Deer Grove the previous spring. He had one of the best log houses
in this section. The floor was made of sawed logs and it had a shingle roof. Miss Boynton had taught school at Bangs Lake, northwest of Deer Grove, be- fore coming to the Cady cabin. Her wages were $1 a week and she "boarded 'round." In 1843 she mar- ried one of the Vermont boys, Mason Sutherland. Mason and his oldest brother, Aldridge, came to Deer Grove in 1837, but Aldridge became homesick in a short time and went back east. Later he re- turned to the frontier and located in the old neigh- borhood. After farming many years, Mr. Suther- land moved to a home in the village on the corner of Benton and Slade streets, and his three daughters married Palatine boys. Jane married Warren Bissell whose son, A. D., was killed in the Klondike gold rush; Emily married William Wilson, the son of Andrew and Jane Wilson; Laura married George Sawyer.
The names, Silas and Sidney Sutherland, ap- pear of'en in early township records. They were brothers of Mason and Aldridge.
In 1849 the California gold craze struck the set- tlement. Mason, Sidney and Silas Sutherland, Will- iam White, Joe Webster, brother of Harris and Seth, and Charles Hecocks, a cousin of the Sutherlands, started overland to California. They nearly died of starvation on the way and became so hungry at one time that Mason walked back three miles to an old camp where he found some bones which had been thrown away. They were boiled over and their hun- ger was appeased for a time.
Hecocks died in California. Mason and Silas re- turned as soon as possible. Eight years later Silas started back to California by water. He was put off the ship at a gulf port and his money was kept by the crew. He was refused shelter in Mexico and began the homeward journey on horseback. The horse died from exhaustion and Silas continued on foot, returning home several months later after hav- ing been given up as dead by his wife and other relatives.
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