USA > Illinois > Lee County > Early Lee County, being some chapters in the history of the early days in Lee County, Illinois > Part 10
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12
126
MENDOTA
of lands already and the tug of war will soon come, and a tng it will be, as Dixon is quite a large place and plenty of money to spend in such business. But the middle and southern portion of the county is getting quite thickly settled and if true to them- selves, will out-vote the influence of Dixon. They had a trial two or three years ago to get it at a little place five miles from here called Lee Center but could not out-vote Dixon influence, but things are different now. I bought the first day I was there one lot on Main Street about 12 or 15 rods from the Depot. I paid $175. for it, bought it second hand, could have taken $200. for it before I left, size of lot 50 feet front 160 back. We went down to Mendota and staid a day. I say down for it is 300 feet lower than Amboy though on pretty much the same kind of land. Well it is one of the places we read of. One year ago there was, I think, not a house in the place, now I should think there was 150 of all shapes and sizes and three taverns. They were all. full and I saw that many slept in cars where the seats had been taken out. I saw a large tent full besides, but I think it must be an unhealthy place and awful muddy. Amboy will be muddy enough for that matter.
The country around both places is much richer than Whiteside County, most too rich for wheat at present, though they raise good spring wheat. Around Dixon it is quite sandy and some of the soil poor. I think I would like a farm here but I do not know but it would come too high. Lands have been offered here or within 5 or 6 miles for $7 and $8 per acre with considerable improvements, but I don't suppose it will be my luck to find any such. Land will be high, very high, within say five years, at least $25 per aere. I did not ride around Amboy as I now wished I had. It lays like this, Binghamton quite a place one mile east on a branch of Green River. It has one flowering mill, school house and a little meeting house. Rockyford is one mile west. Lee Center 5 miles north and the old town of Amboy a few miles northwest. So you will see that the coun- try will soon be thickly settled and now is my time if ever here. Last time, there was in Amboy only two
127
EARLY LEE COUNTY
houses and two barns. This time most of the lots are probably sold. There was several little houses up when I was there, one blacksmith shop, three stores and lots ready to build as soon as the rail- road got in. It is in by this time. When we returned to Amboy we had the refusal of five more lots. For one fortnight I will stay here. We were very for- tunate in coming across a kind of cousin of yours and an own cousin of Chan's. Their names are Clark. Uncle Benj. married their aunt. One of them is boss of the carpenter work and we staid with him while there. Three churches have sites either purchased or given in the place. Now, whether all or half of the things take place is more than I can tell, though all looks well. I do not think it will make so much difference in our business. It is first rate every where I went. In returning we staid one night with A. Powers and went over his farm. He has a good one, 600 acres, worth from $25 to $35 per aere, that's all. The night I was there it rained and when we started next morning the wind blew as no other winds, but these western winds can blow. It was very cold likewise though it had been very warm pre- viously. We rode 40 miles that day and without eat- ing. When we got home we found ourselves pretty badly chilled. I was griped some before we got home. We ate supper and directly after I had an attack of cholic. * *
* I started for home in just one week from the time I had the cholie for I was very anxious about the lots at Amboy as we had not paid for them and we had concluded to go there. At first I thought it would cost so much for building lots that we could not go there, but after calculating I thought it best. Our business lots 160 front and 160 deep cost us $400, half down, the remainder in one year, and so with all of them. These lots lay directly on the railroad and a switch will come in front. The street is 100 feet wide besides. (Father has just stepped into my room with the news that Pelhem, Prescott, Belchertown, Enfield, You-All-Know-Nothings. In Greenwich K. N. 112, Whig 22, Dem. 8 I think F. S. 5.) John Powers carried me to Amboy and I was just on time to save the lots. The next day I started
128
DIFFERENCE IN MARKETS
for home. I got detained twice by brake downs and in my weak state took cold and come home with fever which has completely prostrated me. I am as weak as a child as yet and I write you but a line or two at a time. I mean to sell at any rate if I can. If I cannot I shall hire a man I think and go out as soon as the boys get ready and stay through the season. *
I have any amount of questions I would like to ask you. You I should think by your letter, think that Iowa is the place for farming because the land is cheap and just as good as Ill. though you did not say so. Now I grant that land is as good (doubtful) in Iowa and certainly cheaper than it is in Ill. But now I would like to ask you some questions. What is corn worth as a general thing throughout the state ? What is oats worth and wheat, etc. Perhaps emi- gration just now makes a market there or at least helps it considerable but that will not last long. Now I find a difference between Albany market and Pow- ers market, fifteen cents on wheat per bushel and everything in proportion almost. The east is to be the great market for grains most certainly, and the more central, and certainly the nearest to market, will be the most valuable country.
Now as to going on to a farm not improved I can- not see much gain, especially to a man who has some means. If a man gets a farm in Ill. with a little snug house and barn and say 160 acres of land with 40 or 50 acres improved, he can break up the re- mainder when it suits his convenience and fence it at odd jobs. Fencing actually costs $1.00 per rod in my opinion everything counted. Iowa market may be good but it can never equal Ill. in my opinion. Many have been out from Ill. to Iowa and have come back satisfied that land is as high, and most say higher than in Ill., with not as good privileges. I am inclined to think so myself.
There are other things. Society in Ill. is improv- ing rapidly and I will tell you now eastern people are coming in with means to buy and the wondering un- easy half civilized population are going west. This
129
EARLY LEE COUNTY
is a real fact, it is not imagination. There are many emigrants going from Ind. I do not know how many I asked in my travels where they were from and where going. The answer in every case but one was from Ind. Where bound "To Iowa City." Further than that they did not know. The secret is the Yan- kees are coming in with money and have bought them out. The same thing is taking place in Illinois slowly. The poorest of emigration does not stop in Illinois much now.
Now as far as your business as concerned, that is money-getting, I do not doubt that Iowa is the place, and if you can get the right place (and there are places enough) you can do better than farming no doubt, and I advise you to go into it, now is your time. Almost any where, one if rightly situated can get rich with your means. I mean in the western country.
I must close this long letter for I am pretty tired and I guess you will be by the time you wade through it. Write me a good long letter and I will write as long a one in return.
Yours, &c., R. H. MELLEN.
THE GENESIS OF LEE COUNTY.
Claiming jurisdiction by right of conquest, Virginia, upon the fifth of October, 1778, passed "An Act for establishing the County of Illinois, and for the more ef- fectual protection and. defense thereof," which enacted "that all the citizens of this commonwealth who are already settled, or shall hereafter settle on the western side of the Ohio river, shall be included in a distinct county which shall be called Illinois County."
When St. Clair county, our first county, was formed, April, 1790, by the proclamation of Arthur St. Clair, Governor of the Territory of the United States North- west of the River Ohio, it included all the country be- tween the Illinois, Mississippi and Ohio rivers and a line drawn from the Illinois at the mouth of the Little Macki- naw, a few miles below Pekin, to the Ohio at the mouth of a small stream a short distance above Fort Massac which stood at the eastern edge of Metropolis City. (St. Clair Papers.)
Knox county, now entirely within Indiana, was estab- lished the twentieth of the following June and embraced, with parts of Indiana, Ohio and Michigan, all the terri- tory in our state east of St. Clair and the Illinois river to the confluence of the Kankakee and Des Plaines and a line due north from that point. (St. Clair Papers.)
Randolph was created by proclamation October 5th, 1795, and included all the territory south of a line drawn from the Mississippi through Cove Spring (near Water- loo) to the Knox county line; thence along Knox to the Ohio. (St. Clair Papers.)
On August 25, 1796, Governor St. Clair created the Wayne county that is now wholly within Ohio, giving it, with other territory, all of Illinois north and east of a line running from Fort Wayne, Indiana, "westnortherly to the most southern part of Lake Michigan; thence along
131
EARLY LEE COUNTY
the western shore of the same to the northwest part thereof (including the lands upon the streams emptying into said lake) ; thence by a due north line to the terri- torial boundary in Lake Superior." (Douglass' History of Wayne County, Ohio.)
On the third of February, 1801, Governor William H. Harrison of Indiana Territory fixed Randolph's bound- aries by a line beginning "on the Ohio river at a place called the Great Cave, below the Saline Liek; thence by a direct north line until it interseets an east and west line running from the Mississippi through the Sink Hole Spring; thence along said line to the Mississippi; thence down the Mississippi to the mouth of the Ohio, and up the Ohio to the place of beginning." (Ind. His. Soc. Pub. 3, p. 98.) The Great Cave is in Hardin county, and is now known as Cave-in-Rock. The Sink Hole Spring was nearly on the present Randolph-St. Clair line. (Beck- with, History of Vermilion County.)
January 24, 1803, Governor Harrison, by proclama- tion, created the Wayne county that is now wholly within Michigan, and placed in it all that part of Illinois north and east of lines drawn "through the southerly extreme" and "the most westerly bend of" Lake Michigan. (Ind. His. Soc. Pub. vol. 3, p. 115.)
On March 25, 1803, he fixed the line between Randolph and St. Clair at one drawn from the Mississippi "four miles and thirty-two chains south of the point where the present division line intersects the Mississippi bottom; thence by a direct line to the Sink Hole Springs; thence by a line north, sixty degrees east, until it intersects a north line running from the Great Cave on the Ohio." This order, however, was not to be effective until the first of the following May. (Ind. His. Soc. Pub. 3, p. 118.)
This line was adopted and confirmed by an order of Nathaniel Pope, Secretary and Acting Governor of Illi-
132
EDWARDS COUNTY
nois Territory, April 28, 1809. (Ill. St. His. Library Pub. 3, pp. 3, 4.)
On the 14th of September, 1812, Governor Ninian Edwards of Illinois Territory issued a proclamation cre- ating three new counties, Madison, Gallatin and Johnson. Madison was given all the territory north of the "second township line above Cahokia," its present south line and its extension east to Indiana.
The first county formed by legislation in the Territory of Illinois is Edwards, and it was created by "An Act for the division of Gallatin county," passed November 28, 1814, which provides "that all that tract of land within the following boundaries (to wit) beginning at the mouth of the Bompas creek on the Big Wabash and run- ning thence due west to the meridian line which runs due north from the mouth of the Ohio river; thence with said meridian line and due north 'till it strikes the line of Upper Canada ; thence with the line of Upper Canada to the line that separates this territory from the Indiana Territory; and thence with the said dividing line to the beginning shall constitute a separate county to be called Edwards." The south line of Edwards has been short- ened, but not changed otherwise.
The "Aet for the division of Edwards county," in force December 31, 1816, created Crawford and gave it that part of Edwards north of a line beginning at the mouth of Embarrass river, and running with said river to the intersection of the line dividing townships three and four north, range eleven west of the second principal meridian; thence west with the township line to the meridian.
The "Act forming a new county out of the county of Madison," approved January 4, 1817, created Bond and gave it the territory north of the St. Clair-Madison line extended to the third principal meridian that is west of
133
EARLY LEE COUNTY
the meridian and east of the Mason-Logan line extended from Wisconsin to the southeast corner of Madison.
That part of Crawford lying north of the line dividing townships eight and nine north was cut off by the "Act forming a new county out of the county of Crawford," approved March 22, 1819, and formed into the county of Clark.
The "Act establishing the County of Greene," ap- proved January 20, 1821, gave that county the country in the present Greene and Jersey, and attached to it the territory within a line running from the southwest corner of the present Macoupin to the southeast corner of Macoupin; thence north to the northeast corner of that county ; thence west twelve miles ; thence along the prairie between the waters of the Mauvaise Terre and the San- gamon to the head of Balance creek, and down that creek and the Illinois to Greene and along its northern and eastern boundaries to the place of beginning.
The "Act establishing the County of Sangamon," ap- proved January 30, 1821, gave that county the territory north of township twelve, north, bounded by the Illinois, the third principal meridian and Greene's attached terri- tory.
The greater part of the territory south of a line from the Mississippi at the southwest corner of Rock Island County east on the north line of township fifteen, fourth principal meridian, to the Illinois river, near DePue, was set aside for entry under land warrants given to the veterans of our wars, and this circumstance fastened upon it the name of the "Military Tract," or "Bounty Land," which it still bears.
The "Act to form a new county on the bounty lands," approved January 31, 1821, created Pike and gave it a boundary line beginning at the mouth of the Illinois river and running thence up that river to its forks; and thence up the south fork to the Indiana line; along that to the
134
FAYETTE COUNTY
northern boundary of our state, and on that to the west line of the state; and thence down that line to the place of beginning.
"An act forming a new county out of the parts of counties therein contained," approved February 14, 1821, created Fayette and gave it all of the state north of township two, north, in range one, west, and ranges one, two, three, four, five and six east of the third principal meridian. This gave Fayette the area north of the Madison-St. Clair line extended that is east of the Bond- Fayette line extended and west of the Shelby-Coles line extended.
Beck's Gazetteer of Illinois and Missouri (1821) com- ments on the fact that by the terms of this statute Fay- ette bisects Pike, but concluding that this was an error, shows Pike as a whole, extending entirely across the state.
In his article on thé "Counties of Illinois," in the Illinois Blue Book for 1905, Stephen L. Spear contends that Fayette did not extend north of the Illinois river, and that its west line north of township twelve, was the meridian, and his map supports his contention. His argument is that if this were not so, then Fayette would bisect Pike and take range one, west, north of township twelve, from Sangamon, where it had been placed a short time before, and this could not have been intended.
The answer is, that the statute is a valid expression of the will of the legislature; it is clear and precise in its language and as it merely expresses what the legislature could and might have intended, Fayette must be consid- ered as extending, its entire width, through Pike to the state line. There are other instances in which our coun- ties were composed of disconnected tracts, but that did irot invalidate the statutes creating such conditions.
The "Act defining the boundaries of Pike county, and for other purposes," approved December 30, 1822, pro-
135
EARLY LEE COUNTY
vides that the county shall be bounded as follows: On the north by the base line; on the east by the Illinois river ; and on the west by the Mississippi and all the rest and remainder of the territory composing the county of Pike, before the passing of this act, shall be attached to and form a part of said county until otherwise disposed of by the General Assembly.
Edgar was created by the "Act forming a new county out of part of Clark," approved January 3, 1823, with its present boundary line, and there was attached to it all the country west of it that was not attached to any other county (and there was none so attached until Fay- ette was reached), and all the territory north of it "to Lake Michigan."
The first section of the "Act forming a new county out of the attached portion of the county of Pike," approved January 28, 1823, reads thus : "The territory within the following bounds, beginning at the point where the fourth principal meridian intersects the Illinois river; thence up the middle of said river to where the line between ranges five and six east strikes the said river; thence north with the range line to the line between townships nine and ten north; thence west with the said line to the said fourth principal meridian; thenee south with said line to the place of beginning, shall constitute a separate county to be called Fulton." The Act attached to Fulton all of Pike lying north and east of the new county.
The "Act forming new counties out of Pike and Ful- ton, and the attached parts thereof," approved January 13, 1825, created Schuyler, Adams, Hancock, Warren, Mercer, Henry, Putnam and Knox. Mercer was given all that part of the state north of the present south line of that county. Knox was given its present area, except the north tier of towns which was put in Henry with all the country north of that tier. Hancock and Adams were given their present areas. Warren had its present area
136
LUDLOW COUNTY
and all of Henderson. Schuyler took its present area with that of Brown. The territory now forming Mc- Donough was overlooked and not put in any county, but in the next year it was formed into MeDonough.
Putnam was given the country north of the present Peoria and north of the Illinois and Kankakee rivers, and this included Lee.
The "Act to form a new county in the vicinity of Fort Clark," approved January 13, 1825, created Peoria with the territory it has today, except for a slight change in the west line that was made necessary by errors in the original surveys. This act attached to Peoria a large area east of the Illinois river, and all the country north of the new Peoria and north of the Illinois and Kankakee rivers, thus attaching Putnam to Peoria.
The House of the Fifth General Assembly, January 15, 1827, on motion of Jonathan H. Pugh of Sanga- mon, adopted a resolution for the appointment of a committee to inquire into and report upon the expediency of establishing a new county on Fever river, and made Pugh, Alfred W. Cavarly of Greene, Henry J. Ross of Pike, David Prickett of Madison and Charles Ives of Clark the members of that committee. They reported a bill for "An Act establishing Ludlow county." After the first reading the bill was amended in committee of the whole and sent to a select committee composed of Pugh, Henry I. Mills of Edwards and John C. Alexander of Crawford who reported it, with some amendments, whereupon it was sent to a committee consisting of Pugh, Cavarly and John Leeper of Morgan, who reported it with amendments, some of which were adopted, while others were rejected. After defeating the motion of John Reynolds of St. Clair that the bill be laid on the table "until the fourth of July next," the bill was sent back to the last committee. It was again reported with amend- ments, some of which were lost and some adopted. Upon motion of Cavarly, February 8, the bill was laid on the
137
EARLY LEE COUNTY
table "until the fourth of July next." The difficulties encountered seem to have grown out of the provisions for holding the circuit court and the payment of the judge's salary. The bill still remains on file, endorsed "An Act establishing Ludlow county." The boundary line pro- posed began at the northwest corner of the state, ran east on the northern line of the state to the northwest corner of the township in range ten, east of the fourth principal meridian, thence south (on the Stephenson-Winnebago line and its extension) to the north line of the military tract, thence west to the Mississippi and up that river to the place of beginning.
A few days later, on motion of John Reynolds, the House took from the table a bill entitled "An Act estab- lishing Jo Daviess county," though we find no mention in the journal of such a bill until this occurrence, and sent it to a committee composed of Reynolds, Charles Slade of Washington and Francis Prince of Gallatin, who reported the bill with amendments that were adopted. It was read the third time and sent to another committee,-Prince, Conrad Will of Jackson, and John Reynolds, who re- ported it with amendments that were adopted and the bill passed, the title being "An Act establishing Jo Daviess county." It was approved February 17, 1827, and gave the new county a boundary beginning at the northwest corner of the State, running thence down the Mississippi to the northern line of the military tract, thence east on that line to the Illinois, thence north to the northern boundary of the state, thence west to the place of begin- ning. In those days many bills went without any title until the final reading, except that noted by the clerk in making up the journal, and he changed that at his pleas- ure, so it is quite probable that the bill Reynolds called up from the table was the Ludlow bill as amended. A plat accompanying the Report of the General Land Office, 1835-6, makes the north line of the Military Tract touch
138
PINCKNEY COUNTY
the Illinois in range ten, east, a little west of the present DePue.
In the sixth General Assembly, 1828-1829, Peter Cart- wright of Sangamon introduced in the House a bill with- out a title, but to which the clerk has given the title of "An Act forming the Counties of Chicago, Pinckney and Brown." After the second reading the bill was sent to the committee of the whole, amended, and then laid upon the table on motion of Jonathan H. Pugh of Sangamon, and there it is today.
Section one of the bill would have created a county with a boundary line beginning at the northeast corner of township thirty-five north, range four (4), east of the third principal meridian (a point six miles south of the north line, and six miles west of the east line of the present La Salle county ) ; thence "easterly" (an error ; it should be westerly) along "the north line of the sur- veys to the northwest corner of fractional township eighteen (18) north, range ten (10), east of the fourth principal meridian" (southwest corner of the town of May) ; thence south on the line between ranges nine and ten (the Stephenson-Winnebago line extended) to the southwest corner of "fractional township" thirteen (13) north, range ten (10) "west aforesaid"; thence east to the main channel of the Illinois river and down the river to the "southwest angle" of fractional township twenty- eight (28) north, range four (4) west of the third prin- cipal meridian; thence east on the line between town- ships twenty-seven (27) and twenty-eight (28) (a line six miles south of the north line of Woodford) to the south- east corner of township twenty-eight (28) north, range four (4) east of the third principal meridian ; thence north on the line between ranges four (4) and five (5) to the place of beginning. The name given is Pinckney. It would have included Bureau, Putnam, Marshall, the greater part of La Salle, with some of Livingston and Woodford.
139
EARLY LEE COUNTY
Section two of this Act provided for a county to be called Brown, and gave it the country bounded on the north by an extension of the north line of La Salle, on the west by an extension of the east line of Boone, on the south by an extension of the north line of Woodford, and on the east by a line six miles east of an extension of the east line of Kane.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.