USA > Illinois > McHenry County > Biographical directory of the tax-payers and voters of McHenry County : containing also a map of the county, a condensed history of the state of Illinois, an historical sketch of the county, its towns and villages, an abstract of everyday laws of the state, a business directory, officers of societies, lodges and public officers, a department of general information for farmers, dairymen, etc., etc > Part 13
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Mr. Southwood, a Baptist minister, came in 1836 and preached the first ser- mon in the vicinity, and the first death was that of the mother of Calvin Spencer, who died about two weeks after their settlement. Dr. Mason lived till 1847.
111
TOWNSHIP HISTORIES.
This is one of the wealthiest township in the county, containing, as it does, one of the largest villages, which is situated on Sections 35 and 36, and for taste in private residences it is ahead of anything else in the county. Its leading lawyer, A. B. Coon, one of its earliest settlers, is also one of the most prominent men in the county and is counted the best technical lawyer at the bar of our Circuit Court.
This town, too, depends upon the Kishwaukee for its water and its tax for bridge money, the river running eastwardly across Sections 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30, on the east of which it is joined by Rush Creek from the northeast after flowing through Sections 4, 9, 17, 20 and 19; so the town may be said to be well watered.
As to transportation, the Galena Division of the C. & N. W. furnishes all that is necessary, entering the town on the east side and a little south of the middle of the line of Section 36, and running northwesterly till a little below the line between Sections 26 and 35, whence it crosses the township in a direct west course, making about 6} miles of road.
The farmers of Marengo do not appear to have been afflicted with the " milk fever" to an alarming extent, and the town contains no factory for butter or cheese, but contains something that no other township does, and that is a stone quarry on Section 31, which has furnished the stone for the school houses at Marengo and Union, besides one or two smaller buildings of the same class. The nursery business appears to lead all others right about the village, there being two large nurseries · beside several smaller ones.
The'village of Marengo nearly divides the .honors of first settlement with Crystal Lake and Algonquin. It is situated in the southeast corner of the township, hence is about equally accessible as a market for Riley, Coral, Seneca and Marengo. It contains a wind-mill factory, an excellent steam flouring mill, a commodious stone school building, containing seven school rooms and an enrollment of about 350 pupils ; not only these, but her people take much more than ordinary interest in the progress of their school. They have one news- paper, the Republican, six churches, three hotels, one planing mill, two livery stables, three dry goods stores, ten groceries, two banks (one of them National), two boot and shoe stores, two drug stores and six doctors to prescribe the drugs; two jewelry stores, two lumber yards, two lawyers, which certainly speaks well for the town, and four ministers. ' Marengo once had a carriage factory that was carried on quite extensively by one Skinner, and some carriages are still made there.
MCHENRY, TOWNSHIP 45, RANGE 8.
George and John Boone made claims in this township in April, 1836, Will- iam McCollum in July, and J. and H. L. McLean later in the same year. In
1
112
TOWNSHIP HISTORIES.
1837 came Wesley Ladd, Solomon Morey in 1839. Ira Colby in 1840, and John W. Smith in 1843.
Of all the townships in the county, this is the best watered, having, in the northeast, about one-half of Pestaqua Lake, in the southeast a little more than one-half of Lily Lake, with McCollum's Lake near the center. The Fox River, the two branches of Boone Creek, a branch of the Nippersink in the northwest, and the main stream crossing the northeast corner of Section 5, Range 9, beside several smaller creeks, give an abundance of sport to the angler and no little labor for the bridge builder.
This water power is made available at McHenry village by compelling Boone Creek to turn the wheels of two flouring-mills, and drive the machinery of a planing mill, while the river itself, by the means of the steamers it bears upon its bosom, is made to contribute to the amusement of seekers after pleasure during the heat of summer.
The people of this township have seven places of worship, which would seem to be ample for all who choose to attend church. . The M. E. Church at Ringwood is the oldest, having been built in 1855; but the most expensive one is that at Johnsburg, it having cost nearly $40,000, nor is it yet completed. This is for the German Catholies, McHenry having a very large percentage of German in her population. The congregation numbers about 1,200, and the officiating priest is the Rev. H. M. Fugers. The Irish Catholics also have a church, but not so large, and located at McHenry village, where are also a Baptist, Methodist and a Universalist church. M
The Universalists do not pretend to hold regular meetings, while the mem- bership of the other two is not large, but the Catholic Church is well attended.
Although apparently so well adapted to the milk business, there is but little done in that line beyond shipping milk to Chicago. Considerable attention is given to sheep raising.
Like Algonquin and Nunda, McHenry has one-third of Range 9, making 48 sections, and giving the township the greatest variety of soil to be found in the county. Although she can boast of no large prairie, she has plenty of timber.
The village of McHenry, from 1837 to 1844, had the honor of being the shire town of McHenry County, and when Lake was set off it was the in- fluence of this little burg that procured the line to be run so as to retain the west half of Range 9, in order that she might still be the " Hub" of the county, but
" The best laid schemes of mice and men
Gang aft agleg."
So, although having the advantage of a possible water power that might make her a second Lowell, the voters consulted their own convenience only. in making their selection.
113
TOWNSHIP HISTORIES.
Boone Creek divides the village into two parts, called Old McHenry and Gagetown, the latter of which, having the depot and the railroad, has outgrown the town by the river, as seems to have been the case elsewhere.
Two years ago, Gagetown built a pickle factory, which is the only one in the county that pulled through 1875, without closing according to law.
The Old Town has a fine brick school house.
Being convenient to the Fox River lakes by steamer and to Chicago by rail, it has become a great resort for pleasure and fishing parties during the summer, spring and autumn. A drive of four miles lands you at Pistaqua Lake, or a steamer takes you there by water, and the fisherman or hunter who, in the proper season, cannot enjoy himself there must be hard to suit. Its citizens are American, Germans and Irish or their descendants. It has five dry goods stores, three groceries, one machine shop, three hardware and two drug stores, one lumber yard, three hotels, one jeweler, three doctors, six saloons, two implement warehouses, one brick yard, where bricks of the best quality are made by machinery, one furniture store, two livery stables, three harness shops, and will soon have the third flouring mill in operation. Here also was located for several years the wagon factory of Hon. Richard Bishop, which, from a small beginning, grew till the Bishop wagon was known all over the West, but, in the height of his prosperity, the fire closed him out in 1874. The wagon shop has not been rebuilt, but the building erected on the ruins is used by Mr. Bishop's son as a depot of agricultural implements.
NUNDA, TOWNSHIP 44, RANGE 8 AND } OF 9.
The first settler in Nunda was Benjamin McOmber, who, in 1836, built his house on Section 6, where he lived until his death. Cameron Goff came in 1837, and still resides upon the land first taken up by him. George Stickney, Samuel Terwilliger, George T. Beckley and others settled in the northwest part of the township, and in the southeast Abram Vincent, Dewitt Brady and others.
Near the center of Section 18, a little west of C. Goff's, in 1838, the first log school house was built, and Amanda McOmber first opened school within its walls, having five pupils in charge.
This township was without a place of worship till 1867, when the Methodist Church at Crystal Lake was taken down and moved to Nunda, where it was occupied till 1874, when a new one was built at an estimated cost of $3,000. The name of the first pastor was Tilton. In 1863, Elder Lovelace organized a society of Disciples at the village.
In 1844, James and Samuel McMillan, seeing a demand for a saw-mill, and having the necessary water power, erected one on Section 22, and sawed logs till 1863, when it was turned into a grist-mill at an expense of $6,000 to $7,000, and is still running.
114
TOWNSHIP HISTORIES.
A carding-mill was built, in 1846, in the north part of the town, by Mr. Truesdell, on Boone Creek, but not paying, was discontinued after two years.
The first flouring-mill was put up by T. J. Ferguson, in 1856, costing, prob- ably, $6,000.
The only manufactory in the town is the Crystal Lake Pickling and Can- ning Works, started in 1872, by William Archdeacon. This establishment carried on a large business and, under the stimulus thus given it, the popnla- tion of Nunda village doubled in two years. In 1874, it was turned into a stock company, with a capital of $300,000, and owing, probably, to the general de- pression in business in 1875, it went into the hands of a receiver, but, having done a small business the present season, it is probable that the enterprise which promised so much for that region will not be abandoned.
Nunda has two railroads, both of them having been built through the town in the same year. The Chicago & North-Western Railway enters the township near the southwest corner of Section 33, running in a northwesterly direction, and passing out near the middle of the west side of Section 30. The Elgin & State Line crosses the township line a few rods west of the former, traverses Sections 33, 28, 21, 16, 9, a corner of 10, and in its exit cuts the north line of Section 3 about 100 rods west of its east line, this and the Chicago & North- Western together having about nine miles of main track in the township, and one depot common to both at Crystal Lake Crossing.
The first depot was shipped from Chicago, ready-made, on a flat car, in 1856, and set carefully down near where the two roads crossed. . At that time, Nunda village was not thought of. This depot was for the accommodation of the railroads and, not being very well ballasted, it was feared that the prairie winds might blow it away, to prevent which, it was stayed with guy-ropes fas- tened to stakes driven into the ground. The Fox River Valley Railroad built a substantial depot near the center of Section 16, but finally removed it.
Nunda has two cheese and butter factories and one for cheese alone, alto- gether using the milk of six to seven hundred cows. The village of Nunda is the only one in the township, and one Reed opened a store there in 1855. The log building first erected for a school house, however, had the honor of being the first store in the township, which was owned by E. M. Sever.
This township is the best watered of any in the county except McHenry, being traversed from north to south, in its eastern half, by Fox River, contain- ing two lakes-Griswold's and Lake Defiance-and half of Lily Lake, besides numerous small creeks, of which the largest is Stickney's Run, which furnishes water-power for two grist-mills. It is well adapted to grain or stock, and, con- taining all of Township 44, Range 8 and one-third of Range 9; has forty-eight squaremiles. Hanley Creek crosses the northwest corner of the township in a northeasterly course.
115
TOWNSHIP HISTORIES.
RICHMOND, TOWNSHIP 46, RANGE 8.
It was during Martin Van Buren's terin, on the 15th of May, 1837, that Mr. A. McConnell and Charles A. Noyes pitched their tents upon the soil of Richmond, with the intention of becoming citizens of Illinois; then came John Purdy, who bought part of Noyes' claim. Alexander, David and William Gardner followed, settling the next year on Section 26, and began the march of improvement by putting up a saw-mill on the Nippersink. In 1839, Stephen Pardee, Briggs Thomas and Jonathan Ineson made their claims and the Gard- ners sold a part of their water power, on the Nippersink, to Henry White and his son, John W., who, in 1840, erected the first flouring-mill in the county. These settlers, having come from a land of school houses, in the summer of 1839, built one of logs on the claim of William A. McConnell and called it Montalona school house, after the name of their first post office, whose Post- master, William A. McConnell, received his commission from Amos Kendall, Van Buren's Postmaster General from 1837 to 1840. 'The second school house was built at Solon, in October, 1842, and Charles Knapp managed forty pupils the first year.
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Richmond village has the honor of constructing the first house of worship, which was a union affair between the Methodists and Congregationalists, Rev. N. Jewett being the first Pastor. The date of this building is unknown, nor how long it was so used, but the town now has four church buildings, owned respectively by the Catholics, Methodists, Baptists and Congregationalists; none of them being very strong in numbers. The aggregate cost of these buildings is, probably, $10,000.
The saw-mill, above mentioned as built by the Gardners, who were assisted by the Mansfield brothers, finally fell into the hands of the Whites, who found that it was not in the right place, so it had to be moved to the north side of the crock, and the same parties, in 1840, built a flouring-mill at Solon, which is said to have been the first grist-mill in the county. In 1844, C. G. Cotting and John Purdy, under the firm name of Cotting & Purdy, at an expense of $6,000, put up the mill at Richmond, now owned by Cole, Cooley & Co. Cotting & Purdy, after seven years, dissolved partnership, the business being continued by Cotting for thirteen years more, when it was bought by James Bacon & Son. This mill is now worth $20,000. They have recently put in : a steam engine, so as to run the mill independent of the creek, if necessary. : Robert S. Turner is now engaged in the erection of a third flouring-mill in the
town and will soon be ready for business.
Two railroads cross this township, the Rockford & Kenosha crossing Sec- tion 6 in a northeast and southwest direction. The Elgin & State Line was built to Richmond in 1855. It enters the south side of the township, parallel
116
TOWNSHIP HISTORIES.
to and almost identical with but a little west of the line between Sections 32 and 33, thence to Richmond village, whence it bears to the west, leaving the State about one-third of a mile west of the east line of Section 5. This town has about seven and a half miles of railroad. The first train was run across the Nippersink, to where the depot now stands, on the 26th of November, 1855. That depot was rather a diminutive affair and was long since replaced by the present building. Hon. William A. McConnell is one of the Directors of this road.
One-half mile west of the village may be found the pioneer cheese factory of McHenry County, which was built by Wm. A. McConnell. It is of wood, 30x112 feet, two stories high, is still running and making more cheese than any other in the county. At Spring Grove, near the east line of the town, is another similar structure ; in fact, the dairy business is the leading interest of the town.
Cotting & Purdy built the first store at Richmond, in 1844, which they rented to the firm of Hale, Lee & Lay, of Kenosha, Wis., who put in a large stock, in charge of Edwin A. Lay. They traded here seven years, then went to Chicago. Previous to this time, in May, 1842, R. R. Crosby opened a store at Solon, Leverett Steele being afterward associated with him. This Steele was the first Postmaster at Solon.
The village of Richmond was laid out by Cotting & Purdy in 1844, and Solon about the same time. The former has a very fine school library, of four hundred volumes, which is well cared for, and shows that it is useful as well as ornamental.
At the time of the settlement, game, consisting of geese, ducks, grouse and deer, was abundant, while the Nippersink furnished plenty of fish to those who loved the rod. The north and the south branches of this creek unite near the center of Section 27, a little southwest of Solon, whence it flows nearly east into Burton, thence southeast into the northeast corner of McHenry, finally finding its way into Fox River.
This town is well adapted to stock, and the creek affords a fine water power.
John Purdy was the first Justice of the Peace, who was succeeded by R. R. Crosby.
The village of Richmond has a graded school, of three rooms, and its repu- tation is good.
Elder Joel Wheeler, now of McHenry, preached the first sermon in the township, in July, 1838, and, in October following, L. S. Walker came from the M. E. Church Conference and formed the first Methodist class.
The first birth occurred in the family of John Purdy, on July 4, 1838, and was a girl. The first death was in the same family and the second son, who died August 19, 1839, aged 21 years.
117
TOWNSHIP HISTORIES.
RILEY, TOWNSHIP 43, RANGE 5.
This township was settled from 1836 to 1843 by T. W. Cobb, Roswell Bates, N. E. Barnes, Jenkins Underwood and Osborn, and, in 1845, they built on the north part of the town a frame school house, showing that these settlers, too, came from a land where education was deemed as necessary as dollars.
Having plenty of facilities in adjoining townships, they have erected no church within their limits ; the population being almost equally divided between the Methodist and Congregationalist denominations, who hold their meetings in the various school houses, of which at present there are eight.
The dairy business forms quite an item in the industries of this town, about thirty of its farmers being engaged in some branch of the milk business, and the town has one cheese factory.
Riley has many good orchards that produce an abundance of apples and cherries, but there are no nurseries in the township, Marengo being able to supply all wants of that kind.
In early times, Riley had a store kept by H. G. Hastings, but now Marengo is handy enough for all practical purposes.
This township is well adapted to either grain or stock, and several of the large farmers have turned their attention to fattening steers for the Chicago market.
About three-fourths of her soil is prairie and one-fourth timber.
Riley possesses one improvement that she can boast of, but manifests no dis- position to do so, and that is a Town House. The other towns do their busi- ness on election days in school houses and halls.
Though not so well watered as some of the towns, it possesses one stream of water called Coon Creek, the two branches of which unite on Section 22, near the Town House and cheese factory, thence flowing northwest and passing out into Boone County about the middle of the west line of Section 6.
SENECA, TOWNSHIP 44, RANGE 6.
Wm. Deitz, Mr. Dickerson, Spencer Flanders, Jasper Havens, Levi Morsey and Joseph Hanna, from Virginia, made claims in and about Franklin- ville in 1835-36, and that same fall the settlers put up a frame school house a little west of the site of the present one in that hamlet. Mr. Albro was the first settler of Franklinville in 1836.
The school house, in 1845, was followed by the church, the Methodists erecting the house in 1849 which now stands a little north of the corners, and the next year the first funeral was held there upon the death of Mrs. Ellis, the mother of Mrs. Geo. T. Kasson. No other denomination has a house of wor- ship in this township or holds regular meetings.
I
118
TOWNSHIP HISTORIES.
In 1839, a Mr. Lockwood opened a store at the corners, and the ensuing year exchanged with Mr. Robinson, of Geneva. Robinson was succeeded by Harley Wayne in 1843, who, after about six months, took in Geo. T. Kasson. This firm continued about a year, when Kasson sold out to his partner, and in company with Mr. U. T. Hyde, opened the second store, which was soon sold out to Mr. Allen, when Kasson and Hyde put up a third store building. Franklinville, at that time, giving promise of a lively town.
In 1843, through the efforts of John Wentworth (Long John) then Congress- man from this district, the place was named Belden, and had a post office, Syl- vester Mead being the first Postmaster. The name for the post office came about in this way : A law of Congress had established a mail route from Marengo to Woodstock, via John Belden's, who lived near the south branch of the Kish- waukee, and Long John coming to Franklinville, saw the germ of a future city and said to the crowd in the store, " Why, you ought to have a post office here." That was not disputed, but the route, by way of Belden's, seemed to be in the way. Wentworth cut the Gordian knot by the remark, "Why not call this Belden Post Office ?" The thing was done, and Franklinville had a Postmaster till about 1866, when it was discontinued. The name Franklinville was given to the town in honor of Mr. Franklin Stringer. As Postmaster, Mead was suc- ceeded by H. Wayne, and he by G. T. Kasson.
A Mr. White and family came into this township, from one of the Car- olinas, in 1835 or '36, and settled on Section 29, where soon after White & Son put up a saw-mill at the confluence of the middle and north branches of the Kishwaukee. It is not now in operation ; but shortly afterward, Geo. Smith & Son erected a flour and saw-mill on the main stream of the same creek, on Section 30, which is still . doing a good business under the name of Geo. Smith & Co. Another saw-mill was built at Anderson's, by -- Graves, in 1844. It was a kind of partnership concern, by which A. W. Anderson furnished the site and the engine, Graves building the mill.
Dairying is a leading business. in this township, the first cheese factory hav- ing been built by Jackson & -, at Franklinville, in 1868-since moved a little south, and now owned by Dr. Stone, of Richmond. About one year ago, a feed store was put in, and the concern now makes butter, cheese and grinds feed. The next year, Bigelow put up the second factory on his farm, about a mile west of Franklinville, and after doing business a few years, leased the farm and factory to I. Boies, of Marengo. It has, for the past two years, been managed by his two nephews as a butter factory, exclusively. Beside these two there are several private daries, among the largest of which are those of H. Foote, on Section 25, and C. G. Perkins, on Section 24.
Seneca, in literary matters, takes no second place, the ladies having, several years since, organized themselves into a Literary Society that meets semi- monthly at the house of one of its members, the object of the society being to
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119
STATISTICS OF AGRICULTURE.
procure good reading as cheaply as may be. There are now in their library 152 volumes, but they have had many more, it being their custom to sell off the old books at auction, when they are no longer in demand by the members, and thus get money for a new supply. School District No. 2 also has a library of eighty-five volumes.
As an illustration of the difference in prices between that time, 1836 to 1850, and this, it is said, by those who dealt at Franklinville (whose surname, for a long time, was Snarltown), that Wayne could buy all the eggs and butter he wanted at five cents a dozen for the former and ten cents a pound for the latter, in trade, while corn brought but twelve and a half cents a bushel, in barter.
In putting down the rebellion, Seneca took an active part, one family, named Penmen, within the limits of the township, sending every member, to wit : father, mother, four sons, daughter and son-in-law. What is still more wonderful, they all returned in safety. But the crowning glory of the town took place on the Fourth of July, 1876, when Mayor Donnelly, having offered a flag to the town- ship bringing in the largest delegation to the Woodstock celebration, Seneca brought in nearly eight hundred and captured the prize.
STATISTICS OF AGRICULTURE, U. S. CENSUS, 1870.
TOWNSHIPS.
Improved Lands.
Value of Farms and Farming Implements.
Value of Live Stock.
Value of all Productions
Indian Corn.
Acre ..
Dollars.
Dollars.
Dollars.
Bushels.
Alden
6,058
337,560
61,550
104,955
33,820
Algonquin .
17.045
1,274,634
202,929
326,082
85,084
Chemung
8,455
509,665
73,519
111,372
42,000
Coral.
20,704
543,508
145,909
209,795
64,775
Dorr.
13,850
758,742
128,298
155,414
45,217
Dunham
10,466
652,399
95,987
147,473
46,295
Grafton.
15,571
686,349
130,765
184,535
45,540
Greenwood
11,657
729,813
112,566
172,301
48,744
Hartland
8,538
522,905
94,530
161,286
48,145
Hebron
17,033
815,518
136,529
257,759
102,150
Marengo
20,592
933,763
150,282
220,411
78,884
McHenry
13,602
992,337
142,680
313,355
167,305
Nunda ...
17,266
1,128,264
178,709
273,083
83,731
Richmond.
10,313
727,033
105,417
188,335
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