USA > Illinois > DuPage County > A history of the County of Du Page, Illinois > Part 11
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We have also a large and commodious hotel, of which Messrs. Alexander & Easterbrooks are the gen- tlemanly proprietors ; a country tavern kept by Michael Hahn; a large boarding house of which W
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DU PAGE COUNTY.
J. Mowry is proprietor; a splendid butcher's shop, owned by Wm. Updike ; a livery stable, by Crum ; a blacksmith shop; carriage shop; two grocery and provision stores ; one tailor's shop; a dress maker and milliner ; a harness shop ; a boot and shoe store ; and eight resident carpenters and joiners.
The railroad companies make this their general wood depot. They also have machine shops; a T rail re- pairing shop, with steam power, etc. To carry on their branch of industry, for officers, agents, mechanics, and common laborers, it requires about a hundred men, and as about forty trains every twenty-four hours pass through this place, it requires four extensive wells to fill the tanks of the tenders. The shipments and transhipments upon the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad at this place, amount to abont a thousand tons per month; of the Galena & Chicago Union Railroad to about fifteen hundred tons per month, and the Chicago, Iowa & Nebraska Railroad rather less.
As literary and professional men, we have Rev. R. A. Watkins, Rev. S. W. Champlain, J. McConnell, M. D., and Dr. Hall.
The best public school house in Du PAGE County was built in this village the present summer. In the summer of 1856 was organized the "First Congrega- tional Church of Turner," and the following named officers elected : Deacons, Dr. J. McConnell and W. R. Currier; Clerk, J. L. Hagadone. A few days after, a body corporate, with power to hold real estate, was formed under the title of "The Congre- gational Church and Society of Turner, Illinois," and the following board of trustees was elected, viz. :
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HISOTRY OF
Deacon J. McConnell, Deacon W. R. Currier and Milo Hawks, Esq. The 'Hon. J. B. Turner, in honor of whom the village was named, being present, donated to the society a splendid lot for a meeting house, and immediate steps were taken to prepare the way for erecting a house of worship upon it. The Rev. S. W. Champlain who is now preaching here, is the first minister employed by the society. There is an interesting Sabbath school in successful opera- tion here, of some fifty pupils, and an intelligent bible class numbering over twenty. The library contains ·about two hundred volumes."
Winfield is a well cultivated farming town. The aggregate value of real estate in 1856, was $160,329, and of personal property $68,007. The town is divided into eight school districts, all of which are provided with good school houses. The school sec- tion was sold in 1840, at ten shillings per acre, and the fund thus derived has been increased to $1,282. The amount paid to teachers in 1857 was $1,126, and for building and repairing $1,785. The whole number of scholars in attendance during 1857, was three hundred and seventy-five.
A company called The Winfield Cavalry, was or- ganized-here in 1855. It has now about forty mem- bers. G. N. Roundy, captain ; and F. G. Kimball, first lieutenant.
The first town meeting was held at the house of Charles Gary, in April, 1850. The following are the names of town officers who have been elected since that time :
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DU PAGE COUNTY.
SUPERVISORS :
1850 - William C. Todd.
1851 -William C. Todd.
1852 - William C. Todd.
1853 -Charles Gary.
1854 - Charles Gary.
1855- Gurdon Roundy,
1856-Truman W. Smith.
1857 - Charles Gary.
TOWN CLERKS :
1850-C. L. Shepherd.
1851-C. L. Shepherd.
1852-L. Reed Warren.
1856-B. L. Harlow.
1853-B. L. Harlow.
1857 -B. L. Harlow.
OVERSEERS OF THE POOR :
1850 - Charles Gary.
1854 - William C. Todd.
1851 - Charles Gary. 1855 - James Brown.
1852 - A. E. Carpenter.
1856 -T. W. Smith.
1853 - A. E. Carpenter.
1857 - Charles Gary.
COMMISSIONERS OF HIGHWAYS :
1850-James Brown, J. A. Smith,
Israel Mather.
1851-James Brown,
J. A. Smith, Israel Mather. 1852-James Brown, J. A. Smith, . Israel Mather. 1853-M. M. Kemp, John Fairbank, G. N. Roundy.
1854-M. M. Kemp, John Fairbank, Luther Chandler. 1855-Ira Woodman, Luther. Chandler, C W. G. Seargent. 1856-Walter Germain, E. Manville, W. G. Seargent.
1857- Walter Germain, Charles Bradley, H. L. Brown.
CONSTABLES :
1850 - A. C. Graves, Thomas M. Griswold. 1851 -A. C. Graves, S. B. Kimball. S. B. Kimball.
1852-A. C. Graves, S. B. Kimball. 1853 -A. C. Graves,
1854-B. L. Harlow.
1855-B. L. Harlow.
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HISTORY OF
CONSTABLES -CONTINUED :
1854 -A. C. Graves, S. B. Kimball. 1855 -S. B. Kimball, T. W. Smith.
1856 -S. B. Kimball, T. W. Smith. 1857 - Reuben Austin.
COLLECTORS :
. 1850- Harvey Higby. 1851- A. C. Graves.
1852- A. C. Graves. ..
1853 -S. B. Kimball.
1854 - S. B. Kimball.
1855 -S. B. Kimball.
1856 - James Fairbank.
1857 -B. L. Harlow.
ASSESSORS :
1850 - Harvy Higby.
1851 - A. C. Graves. 1855-
1852 - Joseph Hudson.
1853 - Joseph Hudson.
1854-G. N. Roundy.
1856 - Daniel . Wilson.
1857 - James Fairbank.
JUSTICES OF THE PEACE :
1853 - Walter Germain.
1854 -Charles Gary, B. L. Harlow.
1856 - Charles Gary. B. L Harlow. 1857 - Charles Gary.
1855 - Charles Gary. B. L. Harlow.
B. L. Harlow.
₹
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DU PAGE COUNTY.
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF WAYNE.
THIS town is in the northwest part of the county. It was first settled in May, 1834. The first family here was that of John Laughlin. Several families set- tled in different parts of the town during 1834 and the following year. Among these were Capt. W. Ham- mond, R. Benjamin, Ezra Gilbert, J. V. King, W. Farnsworth, James Davis, Mr. Guild, Joseph McMillen, Isaac Nash, Daniel Dunham, and Ira Albro. The first post-office in the town was at McMillen's Grove. Here, also, the first dwelling and the first school-house were erected.' There were but few settlers in the town at the time when the first building was put up, and the owners of it anticipated some trouble in procuring help at the raising. They however, obviated all dif -. ficulty on that score by sending for a barrel of whis- key, which, with the subordinate services of only three men, performed the work in an expeditious and satis- factory manner.
No incidents occurred in the early settlement of this town but such as are common to the settlement of all new countries. But little more grain was raised during the first two years than enough to satisfy the demand at home. Prices were extremely low for all kinds of produce, and market was a great way off. The proceeds of a load of corn taken to Chicago were hardly sufficient to defray the expenses of the trip. One of the first settlers informs us, however, that he
S
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HISTORY OF
did realize three dollars and twelve and a half cents from the sale of one load of forty bushels, which he took to Chicago in 1836, after using twenty-five cents for necessary expenses. There were no difficulties re- specting claims in this town, and every claimant re- ceived his full quantity of land at the time of the land sale.
The surface of the town is generally uneven, con- sisting of rolling prairie. Wheat, oats, and corn are the chief agricultural staples. Probably no town in the county is better adapted to the culture of grain.
Fruit is cultivated to a considerable extent in this town, especially the more hardy kinds. Apple trees grow well ; but the fruit is rendered an uncertain crop on account of the severity of our winters. Frequent attempts have been made to raise pears, peaches, plums and cherries, without much success. The red English cherry, being the most hardy, does better than any of its class. Mr. Luther Bartlett, of this town, has been more persevering in his efforts to in- troduce choice kinds of fruit than any other person in this part of the county. . Some four years since he procured, at great expense, from eastern nurseries and by importation from Europe, about five hundred dwarf pear trees, and set themn out on his farm. The first two years the trees did well, and gave promise of com- ing fruitfulness ; but during the summer of 1856, whichi followed an unusually hard winter, for this latitude, they began to exhibit signs of decay. The cold wea- ther of the past winter was also unfavorable, and gave an impetus to the work of destruction commenced by the former season, which has almost desolated the
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DU PAGE COUNTY.
field. There are now scarcely a dozen trees living of the five hundred planted four years ago. We think the experiment of Mr. Bartlett fully determines that this region is not adapted to the raising of choice kinds of fruit.
This town is not well supplied with wood and tim- ber from its own resources. The "Little Woods," just over the line in Kane County, are chiefly owned by the inhabitants of this town, and afford convenient supplies of both fuel and timber. Good water is abundant. The west branch of the Du Page runs through the east part of the town. Streams of less note and many living springs of pure water are found in all parts of the town.
The attention of the farmers has been of late directed to the introduction of " blooded" stock. Wool is be- coming an important article among agriculturalists. Several large flocks of fine wool sheep are owned here, among which is that of Luther Bartlett, which has numbered over 1,000. The farms throughout the town present unmistakable evidence of thrift and in- dustry ; the dwellings display neatness and taste; and the barns are constructed on a scale commensurate with the great and growing demands of the harvest fields. Mr. Daniel Dunham, of this town, erected a barn in 1856, the dimensions of which are fifty by one hundred feet. It has sufficient capacity for 100 head of cattle and 300 tons of hay. It cost about $4,000, and is probably the largest and best arranged barn in northern Illinois. Land in this town is worth from $30 to $40 per acre. The farms range from two to five hundred acres. Among the best farms in the
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HISTORY OF
north part of the town are those of Messrs. L. Bartlett, -
W. Hammond, and L. Pierce ; and in the south, those of Messrs. D. Dunham and Ira Albro.
There are seven school districts in the town, in all of which schools are sustained. The whole number of scholars who attended the different schools during the winter of 1857, was 218. The school section . was mostly occupied by settlers before it came into market, and by an agreement among the pioneers of the town, that all who chanced to settle upon it should obtain their lands at government price, it was sold at ten shillings per acre. The school fund thus obtained has increased to about $1,300.
The Congregational Church is the only organized religious body in this town. This society was formed in 1842, or thereabouts, and worshipped in the school house at the centre, until 1849, when it united with the school district in erecting a building suitable for a church and school-house. From some dissatisfaction arising from joint occupancy or ownership, the society soon after bought out the interest of the district, and became vested with the sole ownership. By the aid of the. Home Missionary Society, the pulpit has been regularly supplied by a settled minister. The Rev. Mr. Foot was the first pastor. After his dismissal,
the Rev. Mr. Parker became pastor ; and he was suc- ceeded by the Rev. Mr. Sykes, the present pastor, who lias served the society acceptably for several years. The Sabbath school connected with this church has between forty and fifty scholars. Several other denon- inations hold meetings in different parts of the town.
The first settlement at the Centre, alias, "Gimlet-
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DU PAGE COUNTY.
ville," alias, Orangeville, was made in 1836, by Mr. Guild. Mr. A. Guild is the post-master at this place. It is a small settlement, containing one church, one store, and a few dwelling houses. There is a small settlement at the railroad station, consisting of two stores, one hotel, a post-office, station house, and several dwellings. The station is thirty-three miles west of Chicago. S. Dunham was the first settler at this place.
There are no manufacturing establishments in the town, if we exclude the manufacture of brooms, which has been carried on pretty extensively át Wayne Centre. The present population is about 1,100. The town is peaceable and healthful, being cursed by neither lawyers nor doctors.
We give below a list of town officers, who have been elected since the town of Wayne was organized :
SUPERVISORS :
1850 -- Luther Pieree. 1854 - Luther Bartlett.
1851 -
1853 - Luther Pieree.
1852 -
1856 - Ira Albro.
1853 - Luther Bartlett.
1857 - Charles Adans. .
.
TOWN CLERKS :
2
1850 - Ira Albro.
1854 - S. W. Moffatt.
1851 - Charles Smith.
1855- 66
1852 - ·
1856 - J. Q. Adamıs.
1853 .-
1857 -
OVERSEERS OF POOR :
1850 -Charles Smith. 1854 - Ira Green.
1851- H. Sherman.
1855- W. K. Guild.
1852 - Ira Green.
1856 - Joel Wiant.
1853 - Samuel Adams.
1857 - Charles Adams.
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HISTORY OF
ASSESSORS :
1850 -S. W. Moffatt.
1854-J. Clisbee.
1851- Charles'Adams.
1855-C. Adams.
1852 -
1856 -John Glos.
1853-
1837 - Charles Smith.
COMMISSIONERS OF HIGHWAYS :
1850 -Charles Adams, Myron 1854- A. D. Moffatt, Ira Green, Smith, Henry Sherman. . D. Dunham. 1851-Joel Wiant, S. W. Mof- 1855-S. Adams, G. Reed, H. V. fatt, L. Bartlett. Sayer.
1852-D. Sterns, J. Clisbee, J. - 1856- H. V. Sayer, A. Fairbank, Wiant. J. O. Haviland. 1853-J. Clisbee, D. L. Whe- 1857-W. H. Moffatt, W. K. lock, D. Dunham. Guild, S. Adams.
JUSTICES OF THE PEACE:
1850 - E. L. Guild, S. McNitt. 1854 - Charles Smith, John Glos. 1851-E. L. Guild, John Glos. 1855- 66 66
1852- 66 1856 -
1853-L. F. Sanderson, John 1857- Samuel Adams, Charles Glos. Smith.
CONSTABLES :
1850-D. C. Nash. 1851 -H. Ford.
1854-S. Adams.
1855-E. C. Guild.
1852- 1856 -Geo. Rinchart. 1853- 1857 -
COLLECTORS :
1850 - D. C. Nash. 1854 -S. Adams. 1851 -H. Ford. 1855 - Geo. Rinelart. 1852 - 1856-M. J. Hammond.
1853- Ira Green.
1857 - Lyman Flower.
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DU PAGE COUNTY.
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF DOWNER'S GROVE.
THE following sketch, as far as quoted, has been kindly furnished us by the Hon. Walter Blanchard.
"THIS town is in the southeast corner of Du PAGE County, and embraces nearly one and one third town- ships of land. It was first settled in 1832, by Pierce Downer (not by Wells and Grant, as stated in our table) who emigrated to Illinois from Jefferson county, New York.
"He was at that time a man of unusual physical powers, energetic, and capable of great endurance. He is still living at the advanced age of seventy-five years, and although his bodily health is somewhat impaired, more by the weight of years than by disease, yet his mind retains the full vigor of youth. His habits are temperate, industrious and studious. In order to impart a correct understanding of the early settlement of this part of the county, it may be as well to state that Downer's grove, proper, is a body of tim- ber, containing about one section, and lies mostly on sections six and seven of township 38. N. of R. 11. E. It derived its name from the first settler who made his clain in and near it. Subsequently the whole township received the same name. Mr. Downer's settlement was followed the next year by his son Stephen, Mr. Wells and Mr. Cooley. The claim made by Mr. Downer was on the north side of the grove; that of his son was on the east side; and that
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HISTORY OF
of Messrs. Wells and Cooley was at the southeast extremity of the large prairie which stretches away some three miles toward the north, five miles toward the south, and three miles toward the west. An im- portant object of the first settlers was to secure a large amount of good timber, hence we find most of our pioneers made their claims on the borders of the groves and forests.
"The country about the grove had not then been sur- veyed, and the settlers marked their claims in divers ways; some by sticking stakes; some by plowing a - furrow around them; while others, more greedy, were like Franklin's philosopher, anxious to grasp more than they could hold, and claimed all the eye could survey, at one long look, in each direction. From this, inordinate development of acquisitiveness, many quarrels originated respecting claims. With all the broad extent of unoccupied territory around them, it would seem impossible that men, in order to protect their rights, should have been obliged to make a display of squatter sovereignty ; but so it was. The first trouble about claims in this town was between Mr. Downer and Messrs Cooley and Wells, and here is Mr. Downer's version of the matter.
""'I went to Chicago one day to buy some pro- visions, and on returning, thought I saw some one working near the northeast corner of the grove. I went home and deposited my cargo (a back load), and although very tired, went out to reconnoitre my premises. To my great surprise I found Wells and Cooley had commenced erecting a cabin on my claim. I went to a thicket close by and cut a hickory gad,
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DU PAGE COUNTY.
but found I had no power to use it, for I was so mad that it took my strength all away. So I sat down and tried to cool off a little, but my excitement only cooled from a sort of violent passion to deep and downright indignation. To think that my claim should be invaded, and that too, by the only two white men besides myself then at the grove, made the vessel of my wrath to simmer like a pent sea over a burning volcano. I could sit still no longer. So I got up and advanced towards them, and the nearer I approached the higher rose the. temperature of my anger, which, by the time I got to them, was flush up to the boiling point. I said nothing, but pitched into them, shelalah in hand, and for about five minutes did pretty good execution. But becom- ing exhausted and being no longer able to keep them at bay, they grappled with me, threw me on the ground, and after holding me down a short time, they seemed to come to the conclusion that 'discretion was the better part of valor' and let me up, when they ran one way and I the other, no doubt leaving blood enough upon the field of action to induce a stray prairie wolf to stop and take a passing snuff as he went that way. But, sir, they did'nt come again to jump my claim.'
"The Grove at an early day was one of the favorite camping grounds of an Indian chief of the Potawatto- mies, called Waubansie. Here he used to come with his warriors and remain for several days together, and always continued on the most friendly terms with the settlers.
"The first impression of emigrants to this region was
*8
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HISTORY OF
that it could never be generally settled on account of the scarcity of timber, and up to 1836, only eight or ten families had settled at the grove. In 1835, Mr. I. P. Blodgett one of the first settlers at the east branch in Lisle, sold out his claim there, and bought that of Jumper Wells in this town.
" Mr. Blodgett was a blacksmith by trade, a most worthy man and really a great accession to the settle- ment, not only as a mechanic, but as a correct and upright man. He was formerly from Massachusetts, and possessed New England habits of industry, morals and economy, which did much for the improvement of society in the new settlement. Here Mr. Blodgett built a shop, and, at that time, made the best plows to be found in the country. We would not be under- stood to mean by this remark that they were better than the modern productions of Messrs. Vaughan and Peck, but those who know the difficulties which were encountered before the scouring plows were intro- duced, can properly appreciate the good qualities of the plows made by Mr. Blodgett. It is true that the operation was something like plowing with a hemlock limb, yet they were the best plows we had, and so we used them. To one who has never held a plow that would not scour, all this may be uninteresting, but ask an old settler, What would be the severest test of human endurance? and he will no doubt answer, ' Being obliged to use a plow that will not clear itself.' If a man can do that guiltless of profanity he is unquestionably an upright person.
"Of the second class of settlers who came in between 1836 and 1839, may be named, Asa Carpenter, Dexter
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DU PAGE COUNTY.
Stanley, Levi C. Aldrich, Garry Smith, Samuel Cur- tis, J. R. Adams, David Page, Henry Carpenter, Walter Blanchard, J. W. Walker and Horace Aldrich. The county at this time was being settled very fast by new comers, and the interests of the settlers began to clash. The claims extended around the entire grove. No questions arose respecting prairie claims, for it was the timber that all were after. Mr. Horace Aldrich had come in from Jefferson county, New York, and Mr. Downer had selected a claim of timber and prairie for him. It was not long before he discovered that Asa Carpenter was intruding (we dare not say tres- passing) upon his timber claim. Mr. Carpenter was cutting timber for fencing, and swore he would persist in doing so, for he had as good a right there as any other man. The neighbors advised with him, but it was of no use. They remonstrated, but the effect was the same. They finally threatened, but this only made the old man swear like the army in Flanders. The neighbors then held a consultation among themselves, and decided to apply squatter sovereignty to the old man's case. Accordingly they met at a stated time, and went to the place where they found him busily engaged getting out rails. They requested him to leave the claim, but the old man swore positively that he would do no such thing. One of the settlers pro- ceeded to cut a long hickory gad, and the powerful hand that had wielded the same persuasive argument on a former occasion, was again called into requisition. After about a dozen blows had been industriously applied to his back and legs, Carpenter proposed a brief cessation of hostilities, that he might argue tlie
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HISTORY OF
question with them. . The request was complied with, but the conversation soon waxed warm, and the hick- ory was again applied with redoubled vigor. This was too much for poor human nature to bear, and Carpenter, putting every power of pedestrianism which he had, in operation, left the crowd without even thank- ing them for this first practical lesson in squatter sov- reignty.
"This 'effectually settled the claim difficulty, al- though some legal proceedings grew out of the affair.
"These were the only instances where personal vio- lence was employed to settle claim feuds. Claim pro- tecting societies were formed similar to those already noticed in another part of this book; agreements were entered into to deed and re-deed, and when the lands were surveyed and came into market, each settler received all he had justly claimed.
" The first school in this town was started in 1839, and taught by Norman G. Hurd. It was kept in the back part of a log house, owned by Mr. Samuel Curtis. This was a private enterprise, and by shifting from one old building to another, the school was kept going from five to six months during the year, for some four years.
"In 1844 a school-house was built, and is yet occu- pied by the district. For a full description of this building we refer the reader to a report of Rev. Hope Brown, while commissioner, by which its reputation suffered some, but since the Reverend gentleman lias left the county, the old house stands fair.
" What has been said relates more particularly to the settlement of Downer's grove proper, than to the town- ship of that name, for the reason that all, excepting
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DU PAGE COUNTY.
five or six sections of the township, was upon the old Indian survey, and not subject to the difficulties which attended the settlement of the unsurveyed portion of it.
" It may be said, and truthfully, that, in a moral and physical point of view, the inhabitants of this town- ship stand on high vantage ground ; and yet they claim to be no better, and no smarter than their neighbors. In concluding our chapter on this town, we propose to sketch some of the incidents and practices, more com- mon at an early day than now.
"Until within a few years, this part of the county was infested with wolves, which were a source of great annoyance to the whole community. - The farmers, however, were the principal sufferers by their depre- dations; for sometimes whole flocks were destroyed and scattered by them in a single night. To rid the country of these mischievous animals, it was the cus- tom for all who were able to "bear arms," to rally once every year for a wolf hunt, which was usually a scene of much amusement, and oftentimes of the most intense excitement. These expeditions were con- ducted in various ways. The general hunt, which was perhaps the most common, was conducted upon the following plan :
"Notice of the time of starting, the extent of coun- try to be traveled over, and of the place of meeting, which was usually at the common centre of the circle of territory to be traversed, was first given to all the participants in the hunt. At an early hour on the morning of the day appointed, the hunters assembled and chose a captain for each company, whose duty it was to station members of the company at short intervals
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