USA > Illinois > Lake County > Historical and Statistical Sketches, of Lake County, State of Illinois > Part 5
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The following season, Robert Carroll was employed by the Company to extend the road 21/2 miles further, which was accomplished about the first of November 1851, making the whole distance of the road now completed, 15 miles atja probable cost of about $2,000 per Inile.
At the Session of the Legislature for 1851, the Association obtained the following enact- Inent. "That the Lake and McHenry Plank Road Association shall have the right to extend their road from its present termination thro' the Counties of Lake, McHenry and Boone, infsuch direction as the said Company may choose, on obtaining the consent of the Board of Supervisors of the respective Counties through which said road shall pass ; and may make a good turnpike road without plank wherever the nature of the ground will admit, and for this purpose the time of completing the road shall be extended to the first day of July, A. D. 1860, and they may at all times exercise and possess all rights and priviliges over the road as far as it is constructed, as fully as they would be were the read fully completed.
"The capital stock of said Company may be increased to $150,000."
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02 GENERAL OBSERVATIONS.
This road has three toll gates established upon it, for the collecting of toll ; one about » mile west of Waukegan, one at the residence of John Gage, and one at Hainesville.
The roud has thus far paid a good interest upon the capital invested.
All must acknowledge, that this roud has given a great impulse to the business affairs of Waukegan, and while it has done this, it has greatly enhanced the value of property throughout the County, especially;through the central portion of it.
At the election for County officers for 1849 which had now been changed by the new Constitution, to the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of each year, a vote was taken in pursuance of law, for or against township organization, which resulted as fol- lows :
For township organization, 1092
Aguinst do. do. 3
The following is the result at this election for County officers :
Judge of the Court, Wm. A. Boardman.
S E. S. Ingalls,
Associates, Peter Mills.
County Clerk, Amos S. Waterman. Treasurer, John A. Tyrrell.
School Commissioner, Lyman Sprague.
The election having resulted in favor of township organization, it become the duty of the Board sitting for the transaction of Coun- ty business on the first Monday in December following to appoint three Commissioners to divide the County into Towns and affix their names. The County Judge and his Associ- ntes not having received their commissions from the Governor on the first Monday in December, the old Board of County Commis:
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GENERAL OBSERVATIONS.
sioners proceeded to hold the term of Court, at which they appointed Col. J. Moulton, Mi- chael Dulanty and Elijah M. Haines, as the Commissioners to divide the County of Lake into Towns, under the law establishing township organization, who upon being qual- ified according to luw, entered upon their duties in the month of January following, when the County was divided into Towns as follows. Each Congressional Township in the County was set off as a Town for organ- ization, except fractional Township 46, Range 9, being 4 miles in width, which was attached te Township 46, Range 10; the name of Benton was apphed to Township 46, Range 12. The name of Newport was appli- ed to Township 46, Range 11. The name of Antioch was applied to Town 46, Range 10 and 9 ; taking the name from the Village of Antioch therein. The name of Goodale was applied to Township 45, Range 9, in honor of Deveraux Goodale, Esq., one of the early and enterprising settlers of the Township. The name of Avon was applied to Township 45, Range 10. The name of Warren was ap- plied to Township 45, Range Il. The name of Waukegan was applied to Township 45, Range 12, taking its name of course from the Village of Waukegan therein. The name of Shields was applied to Township 44, Range 12, in honor of Gen. James Shields, now of the United StatesSenate. The name of Lib- ertyville was applied to Township 44, Range 11, taking its name from the Village of Liber- tyville therein. The name of Freemont was applied to Township 44, Range 10,! in honor of Col. J. C.Freemont of California. The name of Wauconda was applied to Township 44, Range 9, taking its name from the Village of Wauconda therein, situated upon Bangs'
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64 GENERAL OBSERVATIONS.
Lake. The name of Troy was applied to Township 43, Range 9, but subsequently changed however by the Board of Supervi- sors to Cuba. The name of Ela was applied to Township 43, Range 10, in honor of Hon. George Ela, one of the early and enterprising settlers of the Township, and formerly a Re- presentative in the State Legislature from this County. The name of Vernon was ap- plied to Township 43, Range 11, and the name of Deerfield was applied to Township 43. Range 12.
On the first Tuesday in April following (1850) the first Town Meeting was held in euch Town for the election of Town officers, and the transaction of Town business, the result of which will be given in its proper or- der in part second.
The first Board of Supervisors convened in the County of Lake, was convened in Special Session at the Court House on the 22d day of April 1850. The following members appear- ed and took their seats :
Harrison P. Nelson from the Town of Antioel. John Gage, Avon.
Harrison L.Putnam, Benton.
Philetus Beverly, 66
Cuba.
Caleb Cadwell,
Deerfield.
Stephen Bennet, Ela.
Hurlbut Swan, u
Freemont.
Chester Hamilton,
Goodale.
William Crane,
Libertyville,
John Reid,
Newport.
MichaelC.McGuire, Shields.
James Moore, Vernon.
Peter Mills,
Wauconda.
H. Whitney,
Warren.
Jas. B. Gorton,
Waukegan.
About the first of August 1849, the publi-
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cation of the Waukegan Free Democrat was commenced by John Henderson as Publisher, under the Editorial supervision of N. W. Ful- ler, formerly publisher of the Porcupine, the publication of which was continued only for about six months
The general election for County officers for. 1850 carne off with the following result: Hurlbut Swan was elected Representative to the State Legislature ; Lyman Sprague, She- riff; K. M. Hutchinson, Treasurer ;. Leroy D. Gage, School Commissioner ; and f. Bangs, Coroner.
In the month of October 1850, was com- menced the publication of the Waukegan Gazette by N. C. Geer, which for extent of circulation, has thus far exceeded any news- paper ever published in the County. It is a spirited advocate of Whig principles, and has. alone much to restore the position of the party in Lake County.
The November election for 1851 for County officers, came off with the following result :. K. M. Hutchinson, Esq., was elected Treasu- rer ; O. M. Burke, School Commissioner ; and George Hale, County Surveyor.
The Legislature at its Session in 1851 passed an Act to incorporate a Company for. constructing a Rail Road from Chicago to the State line in the direction of Milwaukee, by way of Waukegan. A sufficient amount of Stock has already been subscribed to enable the Company to consumate its organization by the election of Directors ; and it is now made certain that the work of the road will be commenced by the opening of the coming spring, and speedily completed. The route to pursue from Chicago to Waukegan is now in agitation ; liberal propositions we under- stand have been made to the Company, at
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GENERAL OBSERVATIONS. different points, but as yet the matter remains undecided.
The Company however seem willing and inclined in the location of the road to take into consideration the interest of the public at large, and especially that of the inhabitants of the County, every citizen of the County being more or less interested in the enterprize, for the work when completed will render Lake County in advantages and facilities, nearly equal to any County in the State. Let every ane therefore show his good will. END OF PART I.
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TOWN OF ANTIOCH.
Having concluded our general observa- tions of the County, we now proceed to give a brief review of each Township in its order, and in doing so the writer has been, perhaps, more minute than may be thought proper, or necessary to interest the reader at the present day, but the time will come when a produc - tien of this kind will be sought for and read with interest, and the more minute it is in its character, the more interes it will contain for the reader,
PART II. TOWN OF ANTIOCH.
This Town is composed of Township 46, north, Range 10 east, and that part of Town- ship 46, north, Range 9, lying on the west, belonging to Lake County, being four miles in width, making the whole length of the Town 10 miles by 6 in width. It is bounded on the north by Wisconsin, on the east by New port, on the south by Avon, and on the west by McHenry County.
This Town has within its borders, 18 Lakes, as follows : Dunn Lake, Stevens Lake, Grass Lake, Lake Maria, Channel Lake, Lake Catharine, Silver Lake, Loon Lake, Deer Lake, Crapo Lake, Crooked Lake, Deep Lake, Sun Lake, Cedar Lake, Petite Lake, Handkerchief Lake, Bluff Lake, and Hastinge Lake.
There are also 4 other Lakes, which Le 5*
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partly in other Towns, as follows : Overton Lake, Cross Lake, Fox Lake, and Hurlburt Lake ; most of the Lakes in this Town are equally beautiful with those of the other Towns in the County, and their average size is about the same.
In addition to the foregoing Lakes, this Town is watered by Fox river, Otter creek, Sequoit creek, North brauch of Mill creek, Hastings creek, and Petite creek. Upon Se- quoit creek, there is an excellent saw mill, situated in the Village of Antioch, which was built by Mr. Hiram Butrick in 1839.
The first permanent claims of Government Lands made in this Town, were made in the month of December 1836, by D. B. Gage, Thomas Q. Gage, and Thomas Warner. The first house built within the limits of the Town, was built in April 1837, by D. B. and Thomas Q. Gage, near Sequoit creek, on the present site of the Village of Antioch. The second was built by Thomas Warner, near Loon Lake, in the month of June of the same year, These gentlemen had located themselves temporarily at Walker's bridge, on the Des Plains river. in Cook County. In December 1837 they followed up the river upon an In- dian trail, to Mill creek, from whence they proceeded westward to Loon Lake, where they madethem a claim and put up a log cabin, from whence, after a few days they proceeded on their return, by way of the Maquonago trail, which was a trail divirging from the great Milwaukee trail at a point near the mouth of Indian creek, where formerly had been an Indian Village, and running from thence north-westerly to an Indian Vil- lage in Wisconsin, called Maquonago.
Being late in December, the weather had become severely cold and boisterous. They
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TOWN OF ANTIOCH.
found the trail much obstructed by fallen trees, and being unacquainted with the route, their progress was slow, in consequence of which they came near freezing to death, but finally succeeded in reaching the house of Willard Jones, at Jones' point which was about 13 miles from Loon Lake.
The Village of Antioch-a thriving place --- is situated in the northern part of this Town, on Sequoit creek. It was commenced in 1840, and contains at the present time about 300 in- habitants. It affords two good stores, a tav- ern and such mechanics as are needed in an agricultural country. It has also two lawyers, E. S. Ingalls and Win. L. Stevens, as well as two excellent physicians, Doctors L. D. Gage and Daniel Lewis.
In 1840 the writer was present and partici- pated at the first fourth of July celebration held at this place, and it was such an occa- sion as he will ever delight to hold in pleas- ing remembrance, and no less can probably be said by all who participated. A good band of martial music was in attendance to give life and spirit to the cocasion. Freeman Bridge acted as Martial of the day, and ac- quitted himself nobly. The Declaration of Independence was read by Hiram Butrick, and an excellent oration was delivered by Harrison P. Nelson, Esq.
The original proprietors of this place were D. B. Gage, F. F. & P. Munson, and E. S. Ingalls.
The first stock of goods opened at this place, we believe, was by F. F. Munson. The first tavern or house of entertainment was by D. B. Gage, and the first blacksmith shop was by E. F. Ingalls.
The early settlers of this Town were D. B. Gage, Thomas Warner, Thomas Q. Gage,
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TOWN OF ANTIOCH.
Henry Rector, William Fagher, Rob. er, E. F. Ingalls, Loami Piersons; E. Falls, H. P. Nelson, H. Nichols, Cha McClellen, F. F. Munson, Parnell Mt I.eland Cook and Hiram Butrick.
The Guges, Warner and Rector, were from. the State of New York; Fagher and Stalker. we believe, were natives from the Isle of Man ; the Ingalls, Pearsons, Nelson and Me - Clellen, were from New Hampshire.
The first election held within the present limits of this Town, wes in October 1839, un - der the old Precinct arrangement, which was for the purpose of electing officers for Bristol Precinct. This election was held at the house of Thomas Warner at Loon Lake, at which there were 16 votes cast-all told .- The fol . lowing is a list of the voters. Thos. Q. Gage, D. B. Gage, E. F. Ingalls, Henty Rector; H. P. Nelson, Miles Shepard. Laomi Pearson, Chas. O. McClellen, Thos. McClellen, Oren Parker, George Rae, Thos. Warner, Hiram Butrick, J. B. Rice, F. F. Munson and Horace Butrick. -Laomi Pearsons & Oren Parker were elect- cd Justices of the Peace, and John B. Rice and George Pne were elected Constables;
The first Town meeting, in this Town, un . der the present Township organization was held at the tavern of D. B. Gage, in the Vil- Inge of Antioch. Dr. [., D. Gage was chosen moderator, and Eli S. Derby, clerk. The following is a list of the Town officers elected at this meeting : Harrison P. Nelson, Super- visor ; Eli Gage, Townclerk ; Thomas Webb, Assessor ; John H. Elliott, Collector ; Chas. Webb and Robert K. Colts, Justices of the Peace ; Ira Webb, A. B. Paddock and E. C. Stephens, Commissioners ot Highways ; Rob- ert Pollock, Overseer of Poor ; John II. Elli- ott and Albert Webb, Constables. The m m-
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bet of votes cast at this Town meeting was 145.
The present Town officers of the Town, ars as follows : Supervisors, Charles Webb ; Az- sessor, Geo. Hale; Townclerk, Delos S. Cook ; Collector, S. S. Drum ; Commissioners of Highways, Myron Emmons, Il Lincoln and. Chester Ames ; Overseer of the Poor, John R. Arnold ; Justices of the Pence, Chas. Webb, L. D. Gage, and E. S. Ingalls, ( Associate Jus- tice of the County Court) ; Constubles, John H. Elliott and S. S. Drum. The present County Surveyor, George Ilale, resides in this Town. The number of votes cast at the last Town meeting was 169.
This Town is divided into 11 school dis- driets. The amount of township school fund for Town 46, Range 10, is $1,400.
The post offices in this Town are Antioch, Hickory and Milburn. The office at Antioch was established in 1846, and Dr. L. D. Gago, appointed Postmaster. The office at Hickory was established, February 3d, 1848, and Ches- ter Ames appointed Postmaster, who still continues in office. The office at Milburn was established, February 10th, 1848, and. Robert Strong appointed Postmaster, who still continues in office.
The inhabitants of this Town are mostly from the states of New York and New Hamp. shire and are characterized for their industri- ous and temperate habits
This Town, for the rearing of stock proba- bly possesses advantages over any other 'Township in the County-being so remarka- bly well watered, and at the same [time pos- sessing an unsurpassed quality of soil. The size of farms ranges fromn 40 to 320 acres.
The assessment value of property in this 'Town for 1850, including both real and per ..
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72 TOWN OF AVON. son was $88,904 00. The amount of tax &# the same was $1,744 51.
TOWN OF AVON.
This, as a Congressional Township in known as Township 45, north, Range 10, east of the 3d P. M. It has within its limits 9 Lakes, as follows : Gray's Lake, Cranberry Lake, Taylor's Lake, Round Lake, Sand Lake, Slough Lake, the 3d and 4th of Gage's Lakes, and part of the 2d and a small portion of Long Lake.
Grays . Lake takes its name from Willian. Gray, who lived for several years upon its borders, and was one of the early settlers of this Township. This Lake is about ore half mile in length and one fourth of a mile in width, and lies in section 27 and 34.
Cranberry Lake is but a small pond upor: the north-east quarter of section 28, which is nearly surrounded by a marsh, affording yearly an abundance of cranberries.
While this marsh was in possession or Mr. Samuel Gunwood. it is said that he usually gathered from it, annually about 200 bushels of cranberries.
Taylor's Lake takes its name from an indi- vidual of this name, who was the first settler in its vicinity, and we believe, the first in the Township. In 1835 he made a claim of land upon the north side of this Lake, where he built a log house, and continued in posses- sion till 1837, when the premises passed into the hands of Leonard Gage, where he contin- nes to reside at the present time. This Lake is about half a mile long and about one hun- dred rods in width, in section 21 and 22.
Round Lake, the third of this chain, is sc named from its round and regular form. This
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TOWN OF AVON.
Lako is about three-fourths of a mile across it, and is one of the most beautiful Lakes in the County.
Sand Lake lies near the north -ine of the Township, mostly in section two. It i" near- ly one half mile in Jength, and about one, fourth of a mile in width. It is so named from its sandy shores.
Slough Lake is but a small pond, lying in the south-east quarter of section three, and is no named from its being mostly surrounded by a marsh or slough.
Gage's Lakes are co called from the Gage brothers, who were the first claimants of land in the vicinity. This is a very beautiful' chain of Lakos ot four in number. 'The fourth is the largest of the chain, being something over a mile in length and varying in width, from one-fourth to three-fourths of a mile. It lie s mostly upon section 11. The third Lake lies in sections 13 and 24, and is about eighty rods across it; its form being nearly round. About one half of the second Lake lies in this Township on section 24.
In addition to the foregoing Lakes, this Township is watered by Squaw or Deer creek, which passes through the south-western por- tion of the Township, and also by the South branch of Mill creek, which meses through the castern portion, upon with first men- tioned stream there is one of the best saw- mills in the County, owned by Mr. Nahum White, situated in the western part of the Township.
Probably no other Township in the County, which possesses an equally good quality of Jand in other respects, with the exception of Antioch, is as well and conveniently watered as this. The Lakes mostly have benutiful gravel shores, and are so interspersed through
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74 TOWN OF AVON.
the Township as to afford an abundance of water for every neighborhood.
The early settlers of this Township. wera Noah Potter and sons, Churchill Edwards, Delazan E. Haines, Harley H. Hendee, David Hendee, David Rich, Levi Marble, George Thompson, Thos. Renehan, Leonard Gage, Thomas Welsh, A. T. Miltimore, Lawrence Forvor, Freeman Bridge, Nathaniel King and William Gray ; most of these individuals are still residents of the Township. Noah Potter and David Hendee have since died, and Mr Haines and Bridge have removed to other States. Mr. Potter and sons emigrated from Penn'a. ; Edwards, Haines, Hendees, Rich, Gage, Bridge, King and Gray, were from the State of N. Y .; Marble, Thompson aud For. vor, were from Ohio, and Renehan and Welsh were from Ireland.
Two or three claims of Government lands were inade in this Township in 1835, but no improvements of any consequence were made, except the log house or cabin of Mr. Taylor, until the summer of 1337, when the settle- ment at the Township may be said to have fairly commenced,
The Village of Hainesville is within this Township, about a mile and a half south fromn the centre, on the Lake and Mellenry plank rond. The history of this place is probably familiar to nearly every inhabitant of the County ; the writer has therefore thought it annecessary to be very lengthy in his re- marks upon its rise and progress. The first house upon the ground of the present Vil. lage plot was built in the fall of 1839, which in 1844 was converted into a tavern house. Iu February 1846 a post office was established here under the name of Hainesville and Eli- jah M. Haines appointed Postmaster. The
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TOWN OF AYON.
following spring the Village plot was survey- ed out and recorded, which may be consider- ed as the date of the commencement of the Town.
Among the first inhabitants of this Village, were Elijah M. Haines, the original proprie- tor, Jacob T. De Voe, Banjamin Welch, Dr P. Dickinson, Isaac A. De Voe, Harvey Whitney. Abner Fox, Daniel Ingalls, Robert D. Gordon, and Alvin Truesdell. The place at this time affords a large and commodious public house; two stores, and various mechanics, such as are usually found in a country Village.
There is a Masonic Lodge in this Village of about 35 members and a flourishing Divi. sion of Sons of l'emperauce of at ut 40 men- bers. The post offices in this Town are Huinesville, Angola, Guge's Lakes and Fox Lake.
There are inany independent and forehand . ed farmers in this Town, who are at this time turning their attention to the rearing of stock and culture of fruit. The most extensive farm, is that of John Gage, situated in the south-east part of the Town. The most ex- tensive dealers in stock are Leonard Gage and Churchill Edwards.
The large and extensive fruit nursery of Levi Mia E-q., is a matter also worthy of notice ; it contains abont 50.000 trees of tho various kinds of fruit and of choice varieties.
The first Town meeting in this Town way convened at the Hotel in the Village of Hainesville. Nabum White was chosen mod- erator, and Leonard Gage, clerk, at which the following persons were eh cted Town officers: John Gage, Supervisor; Orville Slusser. Town Clerk ; James Kapple, Overseer of Poor ; Caleb Aruold, Leonard Gage and Robert Carroll Commissioners of Highways ; Levi
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76 TOWN OF BENTON.
Marble and W, B. Dodge, Justices of the Peace ; John Salisbury, Collector ; John Sal- isbury and Robert D. Gordon, Constables ; Freeman Bridge, Assessor. The number of votes cast at this Town meeting was 128.
The Town meeting for 1852 was held at Gage's school house ; S. L. Emery was cho- sen moderator. The following persons were chosen Town officers : Supervisor, Orville Slusser : Town Clerk, S. L. Emery ; Assessor, Aaron F. Miltimore ; Collector, Samuel J. Avery ; Overseer of the Poor, E. W. Avery ; Commissioners of Highways, David HIall, Pe- ter Wright and Nahum White.
The assessment value of property in this Town for 1850, including both real and per- ronal, was $20.266 00. The amount of tax on the same was 81,037 23.
This Town has five entire school districts, and five fractional districts. The amount of the Township school fund is $1614 75 which is loaned at 10 per cent.
TOWN OF BENTON.
Benton is a fractional Township and lies in the north-east corner of the County and State, and is boanded on the north by Wisconsin, on the east by Lake Michigan, on the south by Waukegan, and on the west by Newport.
There are no Lakes within this Township ; it is entered however by several small durable ereeks or brooks, of pure water, made up from springs, which flow from the Prairies cast- ward, and empty into Lake Michigan.
There is a very beautiful Prairie in the the north-west part of this Town, known as North Prairie. It is about 8 miles in cir- rumference, and for fertility of soil, show of improvement, and beauty of scenery, is prob-
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TOWN OY BENTON.
ably unsurpassed by any Prairie in the Ceuntyf being undulating and beautifully skirted with fine groves of timber upon all sides.
The superior advantages of this Town renders it exceedingly attractive for agricultu- ral pursuits, and in fact, probably, no other Town in the County, has its resources and advantages better developed in an agricultural point of view, than the Town of Benton. Taking every thing into consideration, it may perhapsjustly be styled, the "Garden" of the County. Like Antioch and Avon, it is well supplied with timber ; having a fair share of' woodland in proportion to the Prairie .- The groves abound in various kinds of wild fruit, such as plums, cherries, goose-berries and the like ; whilst the Prairies produce an abund- ant supply of strawberries and wild flowers.
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