USA > Illinois > Stark County > Documents and biography pertaining to the settlement and progress of Stark County, Illinois : containing an authentic summary of records, documents, historical works and newspapers > Part 14
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town to find something to eat for the horses, the fugitive and myself. Meeting Dave Frisby, I did not pretend to notice him; but he recog- mized me and said. HIelo, Fount ; how do you do? Where are you going?' I replied : 'Just down here to find a girl; my wife is not very well.' Dave said : . You don't want a girl; you have a runaway somewhere in the brush, and are now looking for something to eat. I know you, cld fellow : you can't fool this child. Fount How is the wife and babies, anyhow ? I said : . Dave, where have you been ?' He replied that he was in business at Rochester, and, continuing. said : Say, Fount, you've got a fugitive hid somewhere : don't you deny it. Do you see that house over there? I board there with Elias Wycoff, brother to Nehemiah, of Stark county, both sound abolitionists. I said : . Dave, Wycoff may be all right, but you always said it was not right to help the slaves get away from their masters." He replied : " Fount. you know I always said slavery was wrong; then it is right to free them. Here is my hand.' I could tie to Dave."
I turned about and went with Dave. Wyeoff was not at home, but was expected shortly. The horses were cared for. Dave and I went out to the fugitives retreat. I gave the signal and the woman stepped out. We introduced her to the family and Mr. Wycoff. Mr. Wycoff then came and was delighted to help any one out of bondage. Pete and I had supper, and afterwards f informed Wycoff that the lady wished to make some change in her dress. She was shown into a room, I followed after and said, " Pete, take off your dress." Wyeoff said, " Is that a man ?" I replied that it was, that he had on my wife's dress, and that I wished to take it home with me as dresses were not over plenty at my house. Peter slipped out of the dress and stood be- fore ns in a suit of broadeloth. All laughed, the women came, and seeing the joke, also laughed. I waited until late that night. bade Pete and his new friends adieu, and arrived home just before daylight. Ha! ha! ha! You don't hear the crack of the slave-driver's whip now- a-days. Ha ! ha! ha!"
In the histories of West Jersey, Ehnira, Osceola, and other town- ships, many of the conduetors on the Great Southern and Canadian Underground R. R. find proper mention.
In the first pages of this chapter reference is made to the anti- horse-thief and gambler associations. There has always hovered around the frontier of civilization bold, desperate men, who prey upon the unprotected settlers rather than gain a livelihood by honest toil. Theft, robbery and murder were carried on by regularly organized bands in Ogle, Lee, Winnebago and DeKalb counties, who moved through other sections of the State. The leaders of these gangs of cut- throats were among the first settlers of that portion of the State. and consequently had the choice of location. Among the most prominent of the leaders were John Driscoll, William and David. his sons : John Brodie and three of his sons : Samnel Aikens and three of his sons: William K. Bridge and Norton B. Boyce. These were the representa- tive characters, those who planned and controlled the movements of the combination, concealed them when danger threatened, nursed them when sick, rested them when worn by fatigue and forced marches, fur-
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nished hiding places for their stolen booty, shared in the spoils, and, under cover of darkness and intricate and devious ways of travel, known only to themselves and subordinates, transferred stolen horses from station to station : for it came to be known as a well-established fact that they had stations, and agents, and watehmen scattered throughout the country at convenient distances, and signals and pass- words to assist and govern them in all their nefarious transactions.
The " Receipt for Horse Stealing " published in 1886 in the Brim- field News from the pen of W. II. Adams, conveys a good idea of some of the troubles and dangers to which the early settlers were subjected by horse-thieves. Ile introduces his paper by a mention of the Laffertys, Sloem's, Driseolls, George Eckley, Henry McClenahan, James Mont- gomery, lohn Miller, Joe Swalm, Wesley Fraker and others ; follows up the emigration of the Laffertys from Ashland eonnty, Ohio, to Knox county, Illinois, in 1836, and then enters upon the story of horse- stealing in 1838. Three men came to Lafferty's in April. 1838, stating that they were land-buyers, and asking to stay all night. The evening of the next day they returned with all their " land papers " wet, claim- ing that their vehicle upset while crossing the creek. Mr. L. dried the papers. On next morning which was Sunday, one of the young men brought forth a fiddle, when Mrs. Lafferty said, " we have noise and raeket enough on week days, I want a little rest on Sunday." That night her husband's team of " blacks" was stolen, and early on May 2, lohn Lafferty entered upon the pursuit of the thieves. He returned next morning and met John Miller, who lived in what is now Prinee- ville township, Sewel Smith of Mud Run. in Putnam, and Bob Colwell, who lived south of Prince's Mill, on Spoon river, each of whom lost horses. When they heard that two of Lafferty's and two of Fraker's horses were stolen the same night, they proposed that all would return to their homes. get arms and supplies, and give pursuit, appointing Montgomery's honse at Sugar Tree Grove, the starting place. This appointment was kept, and Lafferty, Swahn, Fraker, Colwell, Miller and Smith started in search of the thieves. Meantime, one Roantree of Henderson Grove, arrived at Miller's house with the information that two horses in charge of a boy were at Washburn's Grove. John McCoy was dispatched, identilied the horses, and pushed forward in search of Lafferty and friends, whom he met returning to Washburn's. Arriving there, they relieved the landlord of the horses, and prepared to make preparations for hanging the boy. Meantime, Miller led the boy some distance away, and got a promise from him to give full inform- ation if his life would be spared. Lafferty and Colwell questioned him, and learned that the rendezvous was in the Winnebago swamp. At midnight the party set forth to capture the robbers, Lafferty and Miller leading with the boy between them. Toward morning they arrived near the rendezvous. At daylight all the party got within a few yards of the camp and waited for the robbers to appear, which one did just before sunrise. He was captured by John Miller; two others jumped out of the bush hut and were captured. Then all the horses and saddles were got together and the victors and vanquished proceeded to another grove to try the robbers. The court was organized, the boy's state-
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ments were noted, each of the settlers identified his horses, and the trio were found guilty and hanged. At Spring Creek, on their homeward journey, they were fired upon by friends of thieves, the fire was re- turned briskly and thus ended the adventure of the early days of May, 1838. Lafferty and party merely stated to their friends that " the boy gave a receipt that he would never steal another horse." In June, 1838, Colwell, Joe Drummond and others visited the Winnebago swamp, where they saw three bodies swinging from a tree. Colwell said, " I wonder if them ere injuns were hung by the whites during the Black Hawk War?" Drummond turning to him said, " Dad, you fellers didn't shoot him, you hung him." Colwell replied, " I guess they're dead," and the party left the scene of the tragedy.
"Cattle Driving in Early Days" is the title of a story from the pen of W. II. Adams in the Brimfield News. John Emery, now of Galva, is made the hero. It appears that in about 1844 or 1845, one Therygood Smith, a dealer of Rochester, resolved to change the farmer's notes in his possession into something more tangible, and thus acquired possession of 225 head of cattle. This herd he placed in charge of John Emery of Stark County, with orders to drive them to Chicago. Emerywas assisted on the drive by John P. Pratz. Elias Laf- ferty and Michael Smith, notorious " bull-whackers." At " Nine Mile ITouse," on the Desplaines, he sold a few head and received $200 in gold, then pushed on to Chicago, where the cattle were slaughtered and Emery paid $1,100 in " wildcats " for the quarters, the only parts then weighed in the market. During the days passed at Chicago, he boarded at the City Hotel, corner of State and Lake streets, a mile distant from the old slaughter house. On leaving Chicago, he passed the first night at the " Nine Mile House," and there met Jack and Bill Britts of New Bradford on Green River. Pushing forward with the Britts, Jack remained at Paw Paw while Emery and Bill Britt went forward to Princeton. They had no sooner arrived there than two men, well mounted, appeared. They were robbers on his track. At Princeton he was introduced to a lady and her son from Meadville, Pa., who wished to learn the way to Carson Berfield's home in Stark. He volunteered to accompany them, and next day set out on the jour- ney. Noticing the carriage and the saddled horse. one of the robbers exclaimed: " What ! off so soon ! and rushed in hot haste to the stable for their horses, quickly appearing again, one putting on the bridle and the other with the saddle away up on his horse's shoulders was vainly striving to tighten the surcingle as the horse plunged about. At this juncture the lady and son stepped into the carriage. As soon as seated she requested Mr. Emery to hand her his valise and overcoat, a request which he lost no time in complying with. The landlady had informed almost every guest of the jeopardy that the stalwart looking drover was in, with the solemn admonition not to mention it as they valued their lives. As a matter of course every guest in the house was on deck to see the outcome. Men and women were all in favor of the drive, most particularly the women. When Mr. Emery handed his valise to the occupants of the carriage, one of the robbers said, " What, are you going with them folks ?" "Emery replied, " Yes ; look
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PIONEER ASSOCIATIONS AND REMINISCENCES.
here-here is one thousand dollars in paper (reaching into his vest pocket and pulling ont the wallet)." Replacing this, he reached into his trousers pocket and withdrew the gold, saying: " Here is two hun- dred dollars in gold; } would like to see you get it. As soon as you approached me last evening I knew what your business was, and who set you dirty, contemptible, thieving skunks on my track. You can come and go with me if you think it will be healthy, or you can go back to Paw Paw Grove and tell Jack Britt that you didn't get my money -or you can go to h-1." As Mr. Emery swung himself into the saddle and rode away, he was observed by all eyes.
Hundreds of stories, more or less of this character, are current, some of which are briefly tokl in the pages devoted to township and personal history.
J. Blanchard, writing from Burrton, Kas., to Captain Brown, in 1883. recites the following reminiscences: "In the fall of 1841 the writer married one of the fair daughters of Osceola. Soon after the ceremony, which was performed by the venerable Square Parks, } took my bride to our cabin away out on the prairie, even before the windows and doors were adjusted. But, contrary to the present custom of wedding tours, we went to work fixing things and getting ready for real housekeeping. Our household then consisted of my wife and I and my bachelor brother. At the commencement we laid in a tolerable supply of groceries and provisions, and things went on swimmingly. yes lovingly, for a time. "But near the end of the next summer our stores run alarmingly low, and we were reduced to ยท pumpkins and potatoes.' In those days there were no water-mills nearer than the Kickapoo or Mackinaw rivers except an old log mill on Jack creek, known as Parker's mill. But at that time there was no water behind, and the only way to get a little corn cracked was for two or three men to get on the water-wheel and tread it out. But about this time Lemuel Dorrance built a saw and grist mill on Spoon river, about one mile distant. And a year or two previous to 1841 the steam mill was put in operation at Wethersfield. So I tramped out some smutty spring wheat with my oxen and started to the latter place to mill. And though it was but seven or eight miles on a bee line (for there were no farms in the way) from Myrtle G. Brace's to Wethersfield. vet I was three days making the round trip. While I was there, a gaunt-looking man from Victoria came in, having on a very long face, and he said. . Pherris, when can you grind my grist ? We have eaten the last pumpkin.' .Don't know,' said Pherris, the miller. . Perhaps in two or three days.' . Why, God bless you! my family will starve in that time,' exclaimed the gaunt man. . I can't help it,' replied the miller. But if the bottom had not dropped out of the well at the steam mill the water had, and we had to haul water from a spring near Squire Blish's, and pour it into the well. How- ever, in the course of two or three days, we all got our grists, and went on our way rejoicing. And the flour was soon kneaded, set on the coals in the big stove or sod fire-place (for we had no quick meal stoves in those days), but it came out a real short cake or light biscuit. Not long after we set up housekeeping, we had a kind of infair, and,
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our cabin not being finished, I delayed putting on the wedding gar- ments until the guests had arrived. I asked Mrs. B. where I should change my clothes. Mrs. Oliver Whitaker being present, and always ready for a joke, said, . Why, Blanchard, go up-stairs.' But, lo and behold! there was nothing up there but sleepers and rafters. So I resorted to the haystack, and soon came back as good as new."
James B. Witter, writing to Oliver Whitaker, from Fairmont. Neb .. in 1883, says: "When I received your card of invitation, instantly my mind ran back over the years when I first came to Stark county. It was in the fall of 1839 that I first came into the county ; it gave me an opportunity to see the growth of that little county up to 1809. The first few years of my residence there, the places of almost every man were familiar. I passed over almost every road that was used in the county, knew almost every house and the names of the persons residing in it. But what a change in thirty years; still more in forty. The settlements were first made along the streams and near the timber, and in passing from one settlement to another it was often a lonely tramp, not hearing a sound except the birds that were used to a prairie country, or perhaps some wild animal would jump up and dash away and would soon be out of sight in the tall grass. But those things have long since disappeared, and now appear cultivated fields, fine houses, with herds of different kinds of stock, which serve to enrich the farmer and to give life and activity to the people of the county. I would further say that my wife came to Illinois in the year 1835, and her father came to Stark county in 1837. We were married in 1842, and together we toiled through those hard years which followed the early settling of Stark county.
The letter of II. C. Henderson, dated Marshalltown, lowa. August 25, 1883, is a model pioneer letter, such a one as every old settler should write. It was addressed to Dr. Henry M. Hall. then secretary of the Old Settlers Association, and from it the following extract is made : " I think of the broad, uncultivated prairies of old Stark, of the beauti- ful hills and valleys, the woodlands and streams, that delighted my boyish faney. when the young blood coursed freely through a frame quivering with strong, happy life. I remember well the woods and prairies decked with many-hned flowers, and carpeted with native grass. I remember the waving fields and golden harvest. I recall the summer's heat, the smoky autumn, with its foliage of fire and gold : I think of snowy winters and ice-bound streams, of the cabin and barn. of the log-cabin school house, of fun and frolie, of work and play ; how I used to go barefoot, and often was compelled to do so; of the thread- bare clothes and sometimes scanty fare at the family board; of the spelling-schools, of the singing-schools, and, after awhile, of the Sunday- school, in the organization and direction of which your venerable father took an active part; of the campmeetings and celebrations; of the elections and the courts. Well I remember the first county meeting at Major MeClenahan's to organize the county ; and the first conrts held in my father's old cabin, when all the county were our guests. How lonesome it used to be in the old cabin after court, or the meeting of the county commissioners, composed of Jonathan Hodges, Calvin
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Winslow and Jefferson Trickle. or William Ogle (I forgot which now). with Augustus Dun as sheriff and Oliver Whitaker county clerk. As I glance back at those times how those venerable forms come up before me. I remember when the county seat was located at Toulon, and Carson Berfield staked out the lots through the hazel and pln thiekets, so dense that a way had to be ent with brush scythes to enable them to carry the chain and point the compass. I recall also the old court house built by Elder Mott, who, it was said, painted it with buttermilk. How well I remember when Ben Turner opened up a hotel in the northwest corner of the public square, and Mr. Whitaker kept boarders in the northwestern part of the town ; when Dr. Hall moved his old eccentric cabin from Osceola to town, and rebuilt it with its quaint angles and odd proportions, on the hillside south east of the court house. In those days I knew nearly everybody in the county. and had at one time and another been at nearly all their cabins. I could now almost name them all: Wesley Miner, William Bowen, William Mahany, Major MeClenahan and Stephen G. Worley on the west and south sides and Andrew Swartz, Minot Silliman, William Ogle, Adam Perry, and "old man Leak," on the east side, composed the entire settlement on Indian creek above the old town of Moulton, not now known to the younger generations. At Wyoming, with only one house in it, I think, resided General Thomas and his family, the Butlers and Whitney Smith. Above them. east of Spoon river, Elijah McClenahan, Syl. Moore. Jesse Heath, James Holgate, Lemuel Dor- rance and Mr. Breese made up nearly the entire settlement east of Spoon river between the Osceola and Wyoming settlements, and the Winslows, Buswells, Sturms, Myrtle G. Brace and the Lyle brothers made most of the settlement on upper Spoon river. The Woods. Adam Day, Essex, Chaffees, Coxes, Smiths, Boardmans and Trickles were nearly all the inhabitants of the southeast part of the county. I might mention many others whom I remember with pleasure, who then, or shortly after, resided there-the Olivers. Fullers, Turnbulls, and many others whom I have neither the time nor space to mention now. I knew them all well for a number of years and have heard of them often since, and always with pleasure. They laid the foundations of society deep and strong, and fifty years have rolled away since, but the in- fluence of these good fathers and mothers is still felt, and their works follow them in the prosperity and glory of the present time."
S. Il. Henderson, of Ilastings, Neb., writes: " More than forty- seven years ago (July 2, 1>36) on a rainy day, my, father, with his family, and the family of Mrs. Jane Elliott arrived at the place selected for our home on Indian Creek, just one mile south of Toulon. Not one of the Elliott family remains, and the descendants of the widow are scattered far and wide. And my dear father and mother are long since passed away. Their children are remembered for their sakes. Many who are regarded as old settlers in Stark county settled there. after our family emigrated to Iowa in 1845. nearly thirty-eight years ago. I regret exceedingly that I cannot be with you. For a quarter of a century I have been an itinerant preacher in the Methodist Episcopal church, and in that time I have missed roll-call but twice, and then I
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HISTORY OF STARK COUNTY.
was in the service of my country, helping to put down the great rebellion."
Many reminiscences might be introduced here; but as innumerable references to pioneer days are found throughout this work, more particularly in the pages devoted to township history and biography. the writer selected the foregoing as a fair resume of pioneer history for the country's pioneer circle.
CHAPTER VI.
ORGANIZATION AND COMMISSIONERS' COURT.
N the organization of Illinois Territory in 1809, it was divided into the counties of Randolph and St. Clair. In 1818 the whole northwest part of the state belonged to Madison as set off from St. Clair on the establishment of state government. In 1821 Pike county was founded, and in 1823 Fulton county was organized. When this (Fulton) county was established and for over two years thereafter, it extended east and west from the Illinois to the Mississippi rivers, and from the base line near where Rushville, Schuy- ler county, now stands, to the northern boundary of the state, including the country where Rock Island, Galena, Peoria, JJoliet and Chicago now are. It was indeed a large county, and embraced what is now the wealthiest and most populous portion of the great West. The great lead mines of Galena had not yet been discovered, and Chicago was only a trading and military post. In 1825 the Legislature created Peoria county and attached to it for all county purposes all the country lying north of it within this state on both sides of the Illinois river as far east as the third principal
meridian. The Commissioners' Court of that county convened for the first time March 8, 1825. In this year also, Schuyler county was es- tablished, and the same year the counties of Adams, Hancock, MeDon- ough, Warren, Mercer, Knox, Henry and Putnam were set off from Fulton. In 1839 Stark county was formed out of six congressional townships of Putnam and two of Knox county. On April 2, 1831, Putnam was divided into four precinets, one of which, Spoon River, ineluded all the county south of the direct line from the head of Crow Prairie to Six Mile Grove, thence northwest to the original county line: Bureau precinct. all the present county of that name and parts of Stark and Marshall counties, with nineteen voters. The voters in the Spoon River precinct of Putnam county, August 1, 1831, were W. D. Grant, Sewell Smith, John B. Dodge, Sylvanus Moore, Benjamin Essex, Thomas Essex, Thomas Essex, Jr., Daniel Cooper, Harris W.
BOND-CHANDLER,CHI-
PONTIAC-CHIEF OF THE OTTAWAS.
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ORGANIZATION AND COMMISSIONERS' COURT.
Miner, Isaae B. Essex, Greenleaf Smith, Win. North, Benjamin Smith. John C. Owings.
In September, 1831, a road from Hennepin to Smith's Ford on Spoon River, was ordered to be re-surveyed and marked.
During the Black Hawk war, in May. 1832, the military companies known as Eads', Barnes' and Baughman's, with a detachment of United States infantry under Col. Zach. Taylor, and Lients. Jeff Davis and Sidney Johnson, camped at Boyd's Grove. It is related that many of the Spoon River voters ultimately " were taken with the war fever " and entered the ranks, but of this the writer has no authority, beyond the rosters given in the military chapter.
In March, 1834, the commissioners of Putnam laid off the county into road distriets. All the settlements in the Spoon river neighbor- hood formed No. 17. with Sylvanus Moore, supervisor. At this time James Holgate, Samuel Merrill and James MeClenahan were appointed fenee-viewers for township 13 north, range 6 east.
In June, 1834, Benjamin Smith, James Holgate and Elijah McClen- ahan were appointed judges of election in the Spoon River precinct. The first election after organization was held Angust 1. 1834. when the following named voters were recorded in Spoon River precinet : W. D. Garrett, Sewell Smith, John B. Dodge, Sylvanus Moore, Benjamin Essex, Thomas Essex. Thomas Essex. Ir .. David Cooper, Harris W. Miner. Isaac B. Essex, Greenleaf Smith, B. Smith, William Smith. Benjamin Smith and John C. Owings. The judges of election were William and Greenleaf Smith and W. B. Essex, with John C. Owings and Benjamin Smith clerks. The meeting was held at Benjamin Smith's house.
Little or nothing was accomplished in the way of public improve- ments in Spoon River preeinet. The towns of Wyoming, Osceola. Moulton, Massillon and Lafayette were platted in 1836-7, Int beyond this public enterprise did not lead.
The bribery act of 1837, granting millions of dollars to public works which were never completed, and loans of money made to counties, so as to win the people's approval, resulted in Putnam receiving 810,000 as her share of the public plunder. Ammon Moon, who was then county treasurer, loaned this sum without proper security, and thus Putnam lost her spoils. Stark, however, received the portion of this fund to which she was entitled.
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