USA > Illinois > Cook County > Chicago > Discovery and conquests of the Northwest, with the history of Chicago, Vol. II > Part 39
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Although Gov. Todd's administration began in the early part of the revolutionary war, he seems to have possessed the true American spirit in all his official acts, and his administration was in no wise different from what it would have been under the constitution of the United States, adopted in 1789.
From this period till the occupation of the country by St. Clair, no official records are extant of its govern- ment, and the inference is that during this hiatus no difficulties arose that could not be settled by the priest. It was during this interim that the first American set- tlement in Illinois was made. It was located in the present county of Monroe, and significantly named "New Design." The names of these settlers were James . Moore, Shadrack Bond, James Garrison, Robert Kidd and Larken Rutherford. The two latter were soldiers in Gen. Clark's army. In the summer of 1781 all these, with their families, had crossed the Alleghany mount- ains and embarked from Pittsburg on board of what was
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Illinois.
then called an ark. When the mouth of the Ohio was reached, with many a heavy strain, they urged their ark up the current of the Mississippi to the shore oppo- site this settlement, debarked and set the first perma- nent Anglo-American stakes into the soil of Illinois.
These men were composed of a more inflexible material than the French. There was no sympathy between them and the Indians, and the consequence was that a hostile feeling ultimately grew up between each, which in time made it necessary to build a block- house as a refuge in the event of an outbreak.
On the 5th of October, 1787, Arthur St. Clair, a venerable revolutionary officer, was appointed gov- ernor of the entire country north of the Ohio river, which was designated as the Northwest Territory .* On the 9th of July the next year he arrived at Marietta, a settlement recently made at the mouth of the Mus- kingum river, and set the new machinery of govern- ment in motion. The first county was laid out with dimensions large enough to include all the settlements on the river, and named Washington county. About the 1st of June, 1790, the governor, with the judges of the superior court, descended the Ohio river to Cincinnati, Ohio, and laid out Hamilton county. A few weeks later he, with Winthrop Sargeant, secretary of the ter- ritory, proceeded to Kaskaskia and organized the set- tled portions of the Illinois country into one county, which, in honor of the governor, was named St. Clair county. All former official organizations here had been by authority of the state of Virginia, and had been transient in their character, but now the permanency of national authority had stamped its seal on Illinois soil. A court was established at Cahokia, and justices of the peace appointed for each of the adjacent vil- lages.
In 1795 settlements had increased so as to make
*For details of St. Clair's administration see Vol. I, page 264 and following pages.
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the organization of another county necessary, and Ran- dolph county was laid out, occupying all of the terri- tory south of an east and west line drawn through the New Design settlement from the Mississippi to the Wabash river, St. Clair county occupying the territory north of this line, and Randolph that south of it.
By an act of congress, May 7, 1800, the Northwest Territory was divided, the present limits of the state of Indiana, together with those of Michigan, Wiscon- sin and Illinois, being set off and named Indiana Terri- tory. On the 13th of the same month William Henry Harrison was appointed governor, and John Gibson, the same to whom Logan made his celebrated speech, * was appointed secretary. The seat of government was fixed at Vincennes, at which place Harrison arrived January 10, 1801, and immediately organized the new government.
On the 3d of January, 1805, an election was held by order of Governor Harrison to elect representatives for the assembly at Vincennes. The legislature met July 29, 1805. Shadrack Bond and William Biggs were chosen to represent St. Clair county, and George Fisher Randolph county.
By an act of congress, approved January 11, 1805, Indiana Territory was divided, all that portion of it lying north of a line due east from the southern extremity of Lake Michigan being set off and named Michigan Territory. This only took from the Indiana Territory the portion of Michigan between Lakes Huron and Michigan, that portion of the present state of Michi- gan bordering on Lake Superior having been annexed to the state since that period, to offset for the loss of territory claimed by Ohio on her southern border. On February 3, 1809, Indiana Territory was again divided by setting off the territory of Illinois, embracing its present limits, together with the present limits of Wis- consin and the peninsular portion of Michigan. Ninian
See Vol. I, page 219.
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Edwards was appointed governor, his commission bearing date April 24, 1809. Nathaniel Pope was appointed secretary. The seat of government was fixed at Kaskaskia, at which place Governor Edwards assumed his official duties on the 11th of the following June.
The machinery of the first grade of government was now put in practice. By it the governor and judges constituted the legislature.
By an act of congress May 21, 1812, the territory of Illinois was promoted to the second grade of gov- ernment. Up to this time every county and town officer had been appointed by the governor ; now they were to be elected by the people, but the right of suffrage was extended to those only who had paid a territorial tax.
Three new counties, Madison, Gallatin and John- son, were organized, making five in all, and an election was ordered in each to elect five members of the legis- lative council, seven representatives and one delegate to congress. Shadrack Bond was elected to the latter office, being the first one elected by the people for that position.
Illinois was admitted into the Union as a state in 1818, but even at that time, much of the northern por- tion of the state was unsurveyed government lands, the Indian titles to which had not been extinguished. The organization of counties in Illinois, as settlements progressed northwardly, has been recorded in forego- ing portions of this work, and also the removal of the Indians, to various reservations in the west.
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John R. Walsh, whose name is conspicuous on this picture, was then the proprie- tor of a news and periodical store which soon grew into the Western News Company, a large emporium of serial literature, newspapers and books.
Illinois.
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN :
We hereby certify that the plat of the " Original Town of Chicago," as herewith shown in Blanchard's "History of Chicago," is a fac-simile copy of a plat of said Original Town shown on page 13 of our Atlas of the City of Chicago, published September 1, 1884, except the lines, words and figures in red, showing the present dock lines of the Chicago river, which were not shown upon the original plat.
The recorded plat of the Original Town was des- troyed with other records of Cook county, in the great fire of October 9, 1871, and the plat in our Atlas was a correct copy of a plat forming part of an abstract of property in said Original Town, made by Messrs. Handy & Co., abstract makers, and belonging to the estate of the late Isaac N. Arnold.
We were familiar with the said recorded plat, and we believe the plat herewith shown of the Original Town of Chicago to be an accurate copy of said recorded plat, with the exception of the lines, etc., shown in red ink, indicating changes in the margin of the Chicago river.
GREELEY HOWARD COMPANY,
Surveyors and Publishers of Atlases.
Plat of Original Town.
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THE IROQUOIS -THEIR INFLUENCE ON THE UNITED STATES.
Of the three nations who first began the settle- ments of North America, the Spanish was the first ; they settled at St. Augustine in Florida in 1565. The French was the next ; they settled at Port Royal (now Annapolis) on the Bay of Fundy in 1604, also at Quebec on the St. Lawrence river in 1608. The English settled at Jamestown on the James river in 1607, and at Ply- mouth in 1620. Of these nations the Spanish was the only one that disregarded the force and influence of the aborigines of the soil, making no attempt at any political alliance with them ; and it is doubtless due to this hauteur and the intolerant disposition that pro- duced it, that Spain lost all her possessions on this continent soon after she came into juxtaposition with the French or the English colonists. Both of these two latter nations were circumspectful in their demeanor toward the natives, and each took early measures to form alliances with them. Neither of them at first had any knowledge of the vast extent and value of the great interior of North America. Fortunately for the Eng- lish, their interests became identified with the Iroquois confederacy from the first ; and unfortunately for the French, they became the enemies of this confederacy by having allied themselves to the Adirondacks and other tribes of Canada contiguous to their settlements, which tribes were enemies of the Iroquois.
The Dutch exploration of the Hudson river bears the date of 1609, and their first settlement at Fort
(561)
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Influence of the Iroquois on the United States.
Orange (now Albany) the date of 1615. From thence- forward there was an unremitting rivalry in the fur trade between the Dutch of the Hudson river and the French of the St. Lawrence river. When the English, under the duke of York, took possession of New Amsterdam (now New York) in 1664, and of the entire Hudson river country with this conquest, none of the conditions existing between the Iroquois confederacy and the Dutch were changed ; but, on the contrary, commercial relations consisting of an exchange of furs and peltries on one side and firearms and trinkets on the other continued the alliance of their interests, and strengthened their friendship. Pending this increasing friendliness between the English and the Iroquois, the French were almost constantly at war with this powerful confederacy ; sometimes to defend their Canadian allies and sometimes to defend even themselves from Iroquois invasion. One of the first acts of French hostility against the Iroquois had place soon after Champlain had settled Quebec in 1608, at which time he unwittingly consented to lead a party of his allies against their old time foes, the Iroquois, and met them the next year, 1609, on the banks of Lake Champlain, defeating them in battle, the Indian weapons-bows and arrows-being insufficient to match the firearms of the French. Later, in 1615, Champlain, at the head of a small company of French soldiers, joined some Hurons in an expedition against the Sene- cas, one of the five Iroquois nations south of Lake Ontario. Proceeding into the enemy's country to the neighborhood of Lake Canandaigua, he discovered a fort occupied by the enemy, which he attacked after some skirmishes with the enemy outside of its inclos- ure, accompanied with losses in killed and wounded on both sides. The French attack against this fort lasted three hours, and resulted in the wounding of a few French soldiers and more of the Huron allies. Cham- plain himself had received three painful, but not
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Influence of the Iroquois on the United States.
dangerous, wounds, when the French and their allies retreated. This Indian fort was a masterpiece of workmanship for defense, so built as to shield its de- fenders from attack, its barricades being about thirty feet high. As will be seen in the picture of it, here- with presented, the French had built a platform on
M
ABORIGINAL IROQUOIS FORT.
trestle work as high as the fort, and twenty stalwart men carried this platform from where it was built to its walls. From its height, which commanded the inside ground of the fort, sharpshooters were stationed ; but the foes were concealed behind ingenious constructions of woodwork in the fort itself.
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Influence of the Iroquois on the United States.
The most characteristic name ever given to the Iroquois confederacy was the "Romans of the New World."
This confederacy first consisted of the Mohawks, the Onondagas, the Senecas, the Oneidas, the Cayugas. In 1715 the Tuscaroras, a tribe from North Carolina who spoke the same language, were admitted into the confederacy. How this tribe, who were evidently of Iroquois stock, had wandered to that place is not known, but it is known that they had been hard pressed by the neighboring tribes in that vicinity, and naturally drifted toward their kinsfolk, the Iroquois, for protec- tion. They were admitted into the league as a con- stituent tribe on terms of equality and independence, except that they were not allowed to be represented in the general council of sachems.
POLITICAL ORGANIZATION.
The Six Nations of the Iroquois, including the Tuscaroras, were subdivided into tribes, which were arranged in two divisions, and named as follows :
Wolf, Bear, Beaver, Turtle.
Deer, Snipe, Heron, Hawk.
The Senecas had eight tribes, the Cayugas eight, the Tuscaroras seven, the Onondagas eight, the Oneidas three and the Mohawks three. By the original laws of the league, neither of these tribes could intermarry. Either of the first four tribes could intermarry with either of the last four. When a young man went to another tribe for a wife, the mothers of the lovers respectively must negotiate for the marriage. These laws made a still stronger bond in the league. Under them the husband and wife were of different tribes. The children always followed the tribe of the mother, who inherited the property of her deceased husband, and the value of this property, however small, must necessarily be entailed to a different tribe from that to which the deceased husband belonged. The son could not inherit his father's sachemship or wampum. These
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Influence of the Iroquois on the United States.
laws of heredity strengthened the socialistic ties of the different tribes. They were strictly obeyed and could not be deviated from except under penalty of social ostracism. Divorces were seldom desired, but if any inharmony existed between married couples, the mothers of each party were expected to settle such differences. In case they could not be settled amicably either party was at liberty to break the marriage rela- tion without censure.
In their religion they had no word in their lan- guage which could express profanity to the Great Spirit (their deity), whom every one revered with pious adoration.
According to the best traditionary testimony, the Iroquois League or Ho-de-no-sau-nee was formulated by Da-gä-no-we-da, one of the wise men of the Onon- daga Nation. Under his eloquent tutelage he induced the wise men and chiefs of the Iroquois Nations to hold a "Council Fire " on the northern shore of Onon- daga lake, where after grave consultation the celebrated League was entered into. The object of this League was for mutual protection against other tribes. The principle involved aimed at an empire, wherewith to hold the "balance of power," not essentially different from the doctrine of the balance of power question which has prevailed for more than a century in Europe. At the formation of the League fifty men noted for their wisdom were appointed sachems (each tribe being rep- resented), with authority to make all political laws for the government of the entire Iroquois Nation. The sachemship was made hereditary, as well as the indi- vidual title. The ratification of the general council of all the sachems was necessary at the ceremony of in- vesting each with his title and confirming his authority. The sachems were of equal rank, but, like our own rep- resentative men in congress, their influence was com- mensurate with their political sagacity and eloquence. The power of the sachems was found insufficient to
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Influence of the Iroquois on the United States.
answer the wants of the Nation, and some years after the founding of the League the office of "Chiefs" was instituted, whose authority was given them by the pop- ular voice according to merit, deserved for some act of bravery or for wise counsel. To the chiefs were assigned military expeditions and council in civil mat- ters when occasion required it. The council of sachems, at the "raising up of a chief," substituted a new name for his original name, appropriate to his qualifications. The orator "Red Jacket," when made a chief, was given the name "Sa-go-ye-wat-ha"-"Keeper Awake," in appreciation of his powers of eloquence, instead of his original name, "O-te-ti-än-i" -"Always Ready." The foregoing tribal relations to the entire League resemble the political status of the United States- the different tribes in their respective localities repre- senting the different states of the American Union, subject to congress and the United States senate. The states are governed by the constitution, which has to be guarded with tenacity to prevent infringement upon its provisions. An unwritten law among the Iroquois was their safeguard against the violation of their un- written constitution by tribes or individuals.
Ho-dé-no-sau-nee (People of the Long House) be- sides the People of the Confederacy, was a term with the Iroquois Nation that had a similar significance to the Iroquis Nation that the term Uncle Sam has to the people of the United States. Between the Hudson river on the east and the Niagara river on the west, and from the St. Lawrence on the north to the Susque- hanna on the south, the Long House, or the domains of the Iroquois tribes, was spread out and constituted the fairest portions of the entire country, as it was known in colonial times. The Onondaga Nation, being situated in central position, were made the keepers of both the council brand and of the wampum, by which the structure and principles of their government, and their laws and treaties were memorized (a retentive
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memory was a requisite necessary in the sachem ap- pointed as keeper of the wampum). At stated periods, usually in the autumn of each year, the sachems of the League assembled in council, at Onondaga, to legis- late for the common welfare. Exigencies of a public or domestic character often led to summoning of their council at other seasons; but the place of session was not confined to Onondaga. It could be held in the territory of either of the Nations, under established usages.
Though the Iroquois brought the Delawares and other tribes to the south under temporary allegiance, yet their greatest force was employed to subjugate tribes to the west of them, especially the Illinois tribes, who had felt the weight of their avenging hand before the French came to their rescue. La Salle, in 1682, had persuaded the Senecas, by dint of much flattery and many presents, to allow him to build a vessel at the eastern extremity of Lake Erie, wherewith to convey men and goods to the Illinois country. The same year Tonty, his lieutenant, built a fort on Starved Rock, for defense of both the French and the Illinois tribes against Iroquois invasion, which gave the Illinois tribes a respite from the visitation of their enemies; but the French never succeeded in establishing uninterrupted communication between Canada and the west suffi- ciently to prevent the English from getting the lion's share of the western fur trade through Iroquois inter- vention and protection. The ambition of the French during these and following years was to possess and control the St. Lawrence valley, the Mississippi valley and the region of the Great Lakes. The English, on their part, held the Atlantic seaboard and the Hudson river country with a firm grip. Their alliance with the Iroquois made them invulnerable, but this same alliance rendered French possessions precarious. This uncer- tainty prevailed till the French and Indian war began in 1755. It raged seven years. The French had in
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Influence of the Iroquois on the United States.
their alliance the entire Indian tribes of Canada and the valley of the Mississippi, while the English relied upon the faithful Iroquois to help fight their battles. For years the issue trembled in the balance, till at last the conquest of Quebec, by General Wolfe, settled this stupendous question, and substantially gave the entire country to the English in 1760.
At the close of this war there was a strong effort made in the British cabinet to leave the French in possession of Canada and the Mississippi valley, assert- ing that the French power left here would be a con- stant menace to the English colonists; thereby insuring their loyalty to the mother country, in order to protect themselves from French aggression. Pitt, the great English statesman, would not listen to this unnecessary and timid policy, as he termed it, and insisted on driv- ing the French entirely out of North America, and establishing English colonial rule in its place.
During this eventful war, had the Iroquois fought in favor of the French instead of the English, the whole interior of the continent, embracing the coun- tries along the St. Lawrence river, the great chain of lakes and the Mississippi valley, including the Ohio river valley, must have remained in the hands of the French and remained indefinitely under French laws. Under this regime there could have been no revolt of the thirteen American colonies, at least for a cen- tury. There could have been no United States, no Great Republic to stimulate invention and introduce the re- forms which have startled the world during the last century. There would have been no WASHINGTON, no FRANKLIN and no LINCOLN.
WALTER L. NEWBERRY.
THE NEWBERRY LIBRARY.
The Newberry Library owes its existence to the public spirit and philanthropy of Mr. Walter L. New- berry, one of the earlier settlers of Chicago.
Mr. Newberry came of old New England stock, his earliest New England ancestor being Thomas New- berry, who came from Devonshire, England, and located in Dorchester, Mass., in 1630. After the death of Thomas Newberry, the surviving members of his family removed to Windsor, Conn., where they remained for several generations. Mr. Walter L. Newberry, the founder of the library, was born in East Windsor, Conn., September 18, 1804. He was educated at Clinton, N. Y., where he fitted for admission to the Military Academy at West Point, to which he was appointed by President Andrew Jackson. At the time for passing his exam- inations, however, he was ill for several months. After recovering his health he was offered a position with his brother, Oliver Newberry, in a mercantile house at Buffalo, which he accepted, thereby surrendering his West Point commission. In 1828 he located in Detroit, Mich., and established a dry goods business there. Four or five years afterward, having in the meantime been reasonably successful in business, he made a trip around the Great Lakes with Gen. Lewis Cass and Will- iam B. Astor, in company with whom he purchased lands at several points in the western country, but especially in and around the small village of Chicago, to which he removed in 1833, and where he spent the remainder of his long, active and honorable life. He
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