Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and History of Kane County, Part 139

Author:
Publication date: 1904
Publisher: Chicago: Munsell Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 950

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The first election in Fox River Precinct was held in 1835. Ralph C. Horr was elected Jus- tice of the Peace and B. F. Fridley was chosen Constable. The first election under township organization, which was adopted in 1850, was held on April 2d of that year, and R. C. Mix was elected as the first Supervisor; H. F. Kings- bury, Town Clerk; W. V. Plum, Assessor; I. T. Bevier, Poormaster; S. Richardson, I. M. How- ell and John Douglas, Commissioners of High- ways; John King and W. R. King, Justices;

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C. Pinney and W. D. King, Constables. W. D. King was also chosen Collector.

At the close of 1834 twelve persons appear to have been located at McCarty's Mill, viz .: Jo- seph and Samuel McCarty, Jeffrey Beardsley, Robert Faracre, Stephen A. Aldrich and his wife and two children, Ralph C. Horr, Seth Reed, Zaphne Lake and Hiram Bowen. In 1835 the settlement was reinforced by the arrival of Dr. Daniel Eastman, D. Gorton and George Gorton, Theodore Lake, R. Matthews, John Barker, B. F. Phillips, Winslow Higgins, Elgin Squires, John Livingston, Charles Bates, L. Huntoon, John Holbrook, B. F. Fridley, E. D. Terry, M. D. Cone and probably a few others, a portion of whom had families. Such as desired were per- mitted to "squat" upon Joseph McCarty's claim, and occupy lots which they selected with a view to purchasing when his land should be platted. McCarty prepared a plat of lots and blocks on the east side of the river in the fall of 1835, and Dr. Eastman purchased, at $5 each, the two lots first sold. This plat was first recorded at Ottawa-then the county-seat-and, later, on August 8, 1839, at Geneva, in Volume I., page 160, and the Eastman purchase embraced Lots 5 and 6 in Block 11.

Burr Winton, an old friend of the McCarty's, was persuaded by them to come from down on the Vermilion River, where he was prospecting, and board their hands. He arrived with his family October 9, 1836, after eight days' jour- ney, with his family in a prairie schooner drawn by a yoke of oxen, and leading the indis- pensable cow. The first wheat ground at the McCarty mill was grown, it is said, about where the First Congregational church now stands, at the corner of Main Street and East Park Place. Elias D. Terry and his brother Richard built the first frame hotel at the north- east corner of Main and LaSalle Streets, which was opened January 1, 1837, with a grand New Year dancing party. This doubtless was the first plastered building in the city. The lime was burned from the stone taken out of Mc- Carty's mill race, and the trowel used was fashioned by John King, the first blacksmith and Justice of the Peace in 1850, out of an old broken hand-saw.

Joseph G. Stolp arrived in 1837, and immedi- ately commenced the foundation of the manu- facturing enterprises that have contributed so largely to the immense prosperity of the city. Noah B. Spalding, John Holbrook, W. D. King,

Abram Odell, Anson Pease and William Gard- ner were among those who arrived in 1836 or earlier. William V. Plum, Nathaniel Deniston, Abel Downer, Clark and Roswell Wilder, Wil- liam H. Hawkins and E. D. Huntoon were among those who came in 1837. Among the names of those who came in 1838-39 we find O. D. Day and William B. Plato, well remembered as able lawyers and influential men, besides Griffith Evans, father of the present State Sen- ator H. H. Evans. The first death within the limits of the present city was that of Miss El- mira Graves, in the fall of 1835, and the first within the present township, but not within the city, was that of Mr. Jacob Carpenter, its first settler, which occurred September 20, 1836.

At an election held March 6, 1845, fifty-two votes were cast in favor of incorporating the village of East Aurora. Daniel Cushing pre- sided, Myron Whipple was clerk, and no nega- tive votes were cast. During the same year the following Village Board of officers was elected : Daniel Eastman, President; Daniel McCarty, Perseus Brown, Luke Wheelock and P. J. Wagner, Trustees. The village of West Aurora was organized in 1854 with Myron V. Hall, President, D. B. Waterman, B. Street, George McCollom and Anor Richardson, Trus- tees. The Legislature of 1857 granted a char- ter uniting the two villages, and at the first city election, held March 3, 1857, B. F. Hall was elected Mayor, J. D. Clark and W. V. Plum, Aldermen of the First Ward; Holmes Miller and J. G. Stolp of the Second Ward; William Gardner and R. C. Mix of the Third Ward; and L. Cottrell and S. L. Jackson of the Fourth Ward. In 1887 the special charter was abro- gated and the general charter for the incorpora- tion of cities was adopted. The development of the united corporation, in all desirable lines, has been steady and rapid, and few cities in this great Middle West bear a more desirable reputation than does the beautiful city of Aurora.

BATAVIA TOWNSHIP.

Township 39, covering the half townships of Batavia and Geneva, has ever been in all its material aspects and resources, as attractive and desirable as can well be imagined. The

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soil is deep and very fertile; prairie and wood- land could not be more conveniently alternated; the beautiful river, frequently widening to en- compass many picturesque islands, holds its course almost due southward across its center: many charming spring brooks wind their way through its highly cultivated and thoroughly improved farms; and its artistic suburban lawns extending to the outflowing stream, and exhaustless quarries of the finest building stone in this part of the State, are found in many places along its banks. The main Indian and army trail passed near its eastern border, and it included the opening between the two bodies of heavy timber known as the "head of the Big Woods."

These most desirable natural features, and its proximity to the trail, are the plain reasons why it irresistibly attracted the first settlers, and became the rallying center of the early activities of the county. Its highly cultivated farms, its excellent rural homes and buildings, and its intelligent agricultural enterprise and wealth, have ever kept it in the front rank of the fine farming townships of the county, while its two beautiful cities have been noted for refinement and intellectual culture from their first settlement.

A little more than the south half of Town 39 constitutes the Township of Batavia adjoin- ing Aurora. Its first cabin-perhaps the first in the county-was built by Columbus Payne in the grove bordering the prairie just east of the city of Batavia. It was a most charm- ing and attractive spot, and was probably not more than half a mile south of James Watson Webb's trail, as he approached the river in his perilous journey of 1822. As the pioneer set- tlers came along the old army trail, Payne's near-by cabin became a hospitable shelter while they prospected for desirable locations. Mr. E. K. Town and Harry Boardman, who "put up" at Payne's in 1834, have frequently stated that sixteen guests had spent the night together in that one 16x16 log house; and when some one suggested they were crowding the family, Mrs. Payne told them not to be uneasy about that, as she had lodged twenty-three persons at one time. So this was not only the first house, but also the first tavern in the county; and in it the first wedding occurred, as heretofore stated.

Payne sold his claim to Isaac Wilson, the second County Judge and father of Judge Isaac G. Wilson, who came in 1835. At the first pre-

cinct election held in this house, in 1836, E. S. Town and Ira Minard were elected Justices of the Peace. Here, too, Rev. N. C. Clark preached the first sermon, as heretofore stated, and in Batavia, Dodson Vandeventer was born, October 10, 1834-the first white child born in the coun- ty. In the winter of 1834-5 Mr. Cleghorn taught a school here; Joel McKee opened the first store in 1835, and in 1837 Charles Ballard built the first regular tavern where the "Re- vere House" stands. Joseph W. Churchill, the first lawyer to locate here, came in 1835; also John Churchill, James Rockwell, Horace Town and Dr. D. K. Town, the first physician. John Gregg, the indispensable "village blacksmith," opened a shop east of the village limit near "the trail" in 1834, and it is said that farmers came from west of the Kishwaukee to his shop . for repairs to their plows and tools-thus begin- ning, with good workmanship at his trade, the manufacturing industries that have given Ba- tavia so wide and favorable a reputation. Titus Howe put up the frame for a saw-mill, and be- gan the construction of a dam near the lower end of the island, in 1834; but, before complet- ing either, sold his property and claim in 1835 to William Van Nortwick and his son John, both of whom were educated and experienced engineers familiar with the production and use of water-power, then the only energy in practical use for driving machinery. Associ- ated with eastern capitalists they built the dam at the head of the island. John, while retain- ing his interest here, returned to his engineer- ing work for the State of New York, and at- tended also to the eastern end of the financial business of the partnership. He became a per- manent resident of Batavia in 1848. The firm of Van Nortwick, Barker, House & Co. became the first shippers of Illinois flour to the young city of Chicago, by strict integrity and by man- ufacturing the best product known in their time, establishing the reputation for excellent production that has made Batavia famous, and securing a ready market for its goods.

Col. Joseph Lyon dug the first stone for curb- ing a well in 1834 or '35, and the first regular quarrying of this excellent stone was begun in 1842 by Z. Reynolds. Since then eight or ten different quarries have been operated, and very smooth surfaced blocks, about ten inches thick, and up to nine by twenty feet square, have been shipped in great quantities, beside the usual ir- regular flat building stone,

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HISTORY OF KANE COUNTY.

BATAVIA VILLAGE PLATTED .- The original site of the village on the east side was platted by Van Nortwick, Barker, House & Co. in 1837, and on the west side by John Van Nortwick in 1844. April 26, 1856, twenty-seven votes were cast in Batavia in favor of village incorpora- tion, and eleven against. At the first election ot village officers, held May 10, 1856, T. C. Moore, one of the most genial and gentlemanly lawyers of the county, served as Moderator and J. C. Pindar as clerk. John Van Nort- wick, Orsamus Wilson, M. N. Lord, D. U. Griffin and George E. Corwin were elected as the first Board of Trustees.

These are a few of the beginnings of the un- usually attractive and prosperous township and city of Batavia-the namesake of the equally beautiful city in New York, from which Gen. Isaac Wilson and others of its first settlers T

came to Illinois.

GENEVA TOWNSHIP.

This twin sister of Batavia embraces the north half of Township 39, and takes its name also, as has been stated, from one of the most beautiful cities of the Empire State. Its fer- tile farms also lie on both banks of the river, the prairie in pioneer days extending in places to the river on the west bank. They are abso- lutely unsurpassed in cultivation and fine im- provements. There is little or no doubt that a distinct and well-worn Indian trail branched westward from the old army trail, and crossed the river at the head of Herrington's Island; and along this trail Daniel S. Haight prospected in 1833, and built his cabin beside the then noble spring on the west bank of the river. In summer the stream could be easily forded: in winter it was solidly ice-bridged, and, in time of freshet, one had to avoid the necessity of crossing it at all.

Like Payne, who at the same time settled a couple of miles below, Haight is said to have been a sober, intelligent, honest man; rough, kind and generous, but a born scout and pio- neer. He soon sold out to James Herrington and disappeared, as has been already told. When Captain Dodson first came here in 1834, he found near Haight's place a man named Corey, another named Crow, and an Andrew Miles (or Mills), whose claim and wretched

shanty, on the east side of the river, he bought. Dodson was then busy with his store and saw- mill at Claiborneville. Edward Trimble, who married Payne's daughter, also had a claim near the edge of the timber on the east side (the Samuel Sterling farm) and their daugh- ter was the first white child born in this town- ship. Miles died in 1836-the first death of an adult in the township-and Crow and Corey soon disappeared. One Frederick Bird's claim covered the Eben Danford farm, just north of the village on the west side. Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Sterling first settled on this place in 1834 or '35, and Mrs. Sterling taught the first school of the township here in the winter of 1835 or '36. They were superior people, each being very energetic, well-educated and refined, and they richly merit far more extended notice than is permitted by the limited scope of this work-but so, also, may be said of many oth- ers. Mr. Sterling built the first dam and bridge across the river, and the first saw-mill; and he and his wife opened the first regular public tavern.

COMING OF THE HERRINGTONS .- In May, 1833, the man and wife who were to be among the leading builders of Geneva brought their fam- ily of six children to Chicago. These were James Clayton and Charity Herrington, who had come to Illinois from Meadville, Penn. Their children were Augustus M., Nathan, James, Fannie, Richard and Thad. Mary, an- other daughter, was born in Chicago and be- came the wife of J. Tuttle. The next daughter, Margaret, was born at Geneva, November 3, 1836, and is said to have been the first white girl baby born in the place. The year that his family lived in Chicago was beyond doubt spent by Mr. Herrington in carefully prospect- ing the surrounding country, and his selection of Haight's claim, in the fall or winter of 1834- 35, is strong proof of its desirability. Herring- ton at once used Haight's "shack" as a store, and built the best double house of hewed logs to be found in the county for a number of years. L. M. Church served him as his first clerk, and then David Dunham, who was elected Recorder in 1836. Crawford Herrington came in 1835; also Arthur Aken, who built a cabin near 'McWayne's Spring." Here, again, "Fa- ther" Clark preached the first sermon in the place at James Herrington's, and, in 1836, Lo- gan Ross opened the first blacksmith shop. Noah B. Spaulding took out the first marriage.

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license and married Miss Angelina Atwater in the fall of this year.

THE BOSTON COLONY .- In 1837 came the first families of that colony of educated Bostonians who, for so many years, gave the society of Geneva an atmosphere of culture and refine- ment that was distinctly felt throughout the county. Among them were Scotto and Samuel Clark, Charles Patten, Peter Sears and C. A. Buckingham-the latter the first lawyer and a young man of very brilliant promise. The ac- complished daughters of Mr. Scotto Clark be- came the wives of Charles Patten, Judge Isaac G. Wilson and Major Davis of Ausable. Charles Patten opened a store in 1837, and was a lead- ing merchant of the place until his death in 1887. Then there were Marshall and "Aunt Maria" Clark, George Patten, Dr. Henry Mad- den, Julius Alexander, Abram Clark, Samuel Nye Clark and others, including Miss Susan Sophia Carr.

There was an elegant graciousness and quiet energy in the lives of these ladies of the early days at Geneva, that lingers like a halo of lov- ing righteousness about their memories, exalt- ing and ennobling all who came within its benign influence. Charity Herrington and Mrs. Julius Alexander were the very best types of helpful, brave pioneer women. When some ten years later the cholera broke out in the first Swede colony here, and many people fled in terror, "Aunt Polly" Clark ministered like a mother to the stricken ones; and it is rever- ently told of one poor woman dying, clasping her beloved bible in one hand and with the other clinging to the ministering hand of Mrs. Clark. The large number of Swedish people at Geneva still gratefully cherish in love her memory. In those early days came also Isaac Claypool, Mark Daniels, Hendrick Miller and, following close after, many other most excel- lent people like the Rev. Augustus Conant, Dr. William LeBaron, for some time State Ento- mologist, Luther Dearborn and a host of others whom we would gladly mention.

MANUFACTURES .- The first mowers and reap- ers, invented about 1850 by Eben Danford, sur- passed in excellence the McCormick and other machines displayed at the fairs in this and other counties, and almost invariably bore the blue ribbon of superiority. Many people famil- iar with the development of the county believe that, if this excellent man of fine inventive genius had been given a little more financial

encouragement, Geneva would have become one of the great manufacturing centers of the country.

BIG ROCK TOWNSHIP.

This is the southwest corner township of the county, in Range No. 6, Town 38, and its lands came into market June 6, 1842. It is one of the very best agricultural townships in the county, and along Big Rock Creek is found the most picturesque scenery in the county. The south- west and the northeast portions of the town- ship consist of beautiful rolling prairie lands with deep fertile soil, doubtless of ancient alluv- ial formation, while traversing it diagonally from the northwest to the southeast cor- ner, along the branches of the Big Rock Creek, are fine bodies of heavy timber. The two branches of Welch Creek flow from the Kane- ville line, nearly south through the eastern half of the township to their intersection on Sec- tion 24, a mile or two north of its junction with the Big Rock. The old Chicago and Galena stage road passes through the center of the township from east to west. It will be readily observed that this natural distribution of prairie and timber lands, with an indispensable water supply and the accessibility of this re- gion over the stage road, would strongly attract the early settlers. Undoubtedly the first family taking up a claim on land within the township, was that of Santy Cook, who was found living in a tent pitched about a mile south of the present Big Rock village in 1834 or '35. Cook was from Kentucky and doubt- less brought his family down the Ohio or the Cumberland to the "Illinois Country." But lit- tle is known of his history. He must have staked out an immense claim, as it is recorded that he sold a thousand acres of it at one sale. Justice E. Ament located about a mile north of the village in the fall of 1835, and says that the Cooks and Matthew H. Perry's family were the only settlers then in the township. John Pierce, Joseph Summers, Robert Nash, James W. Swan, Percy Taylor, Robert Fisher, Alexis Hall and J. W, Whiddon came in 1836. A waif called "Indian Jim" was also there at that date. In 1837, among others, came James and Isaac Hatch, Edward Whiddon, Mr. Rex- ford, L. D. and Jesse Brady and a Mr. Matlock, who settled at a sharp bend in the creek still

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HISTORY OF KANE COUNTY.

called "Matlock's Point;" also, James Dundee who came from Ireland and, it is claimed, orig- inated the principal ideas of the riding-culti- vator.

L. J. Lamson, who came from "York State" in 1837, tells an interesting incident suggestive of the conditions of pioneer days. He says he took the stage at Chicago for Big Rock Creek, of which he had received very favorable ac- counts, and was put down at the creek-crossing just before dark. The driver at once splashed his team through the water and drove on west. Looking about him he could discover no indi- cation of human presence, save the wagon tracks through the grass, and following them until night fall, he saw a light through the darkness. Approaching it he found a miser-, able cabin almost destitute of the ordinary comforts of life. Its occupants were asleep upon the floor except one very large man, who hospitably welcomed him and said he might have his place upon the floor, as his tooth ached so that he could not sleep. As the people un- rolled from their blankets next morning he discovered that he had nested with the whole Cook family, men and women, who were all fully grown and unusually large.

Maurice Price and many others came in this year. Calista Ann Ament, the first white child, was born November 13, 1837. Coon and Massy built the first saw-mill on the creek during this year. The first marriage was that of Thomas W. Glasspool and Katie Cook, a daughter of the settler first mentioned. Edward Pierce was born in 1836, soon after his father's arrival, and his was the first birth in the township. Joseph Summers kept the first tavern on the old State road. William Coon opened the first blacksmith shop and a Mr. Welby the first store. The first school house, of rough logs, with door, desk, seats and floor made of slabs, was raised by a "bee" of settlers in 1841, upon the claim of Joshua F. Rhodes, and in it the first school was taught by Colin Ament. J. F. Rhodes, Thomas Meredith and Ira Hodges were the commissioners who located the State road from Aurora westerly through the county.

Among the old settlers of Big Rock and their descendants will be found both men and women who are among the most prominent and useful in the county. The shape of the farms and location of the highways of this rich agricul- tural township, as shown upon the map, most

forcibly indicates the eager desire of the early settlers to attach wood and water to their home- steads.

BLACKBERRY TOWNSHIP.

This is Township 39 North, Range 7 East, and is another rich agricultural township. Bald Mound, near the center of Section 23, and Johnson's Mound on the northwest quarter of Section 5, are said to be the highest points of land in the county, and have ever been con- spicuous land-marks, noted for the exceeding beauty of the landscape visible from their sum- mits. Nelson's Lake-now nearly dry-lies partly in Blackberry and partly in Batavia Township. Lake Run, the outlet of Nelson's Lake and its tributary streams in the south- easterly part of the township. and Blackberry Creek, with its numerous branches in the west- erly part, have ever furnished an abundance of running water for its fine grain and stock farms. The land in this township is the most undulating or rolling, perhaps, in the county; and it is one of the townships in which the groves, woodlands and prairie are so favorably mingled, although along the line of Blackberry Creek, from Elburn station in the northwest corner of the township, south to Sugar Grove, there was heavy timber in the early days. The lowa Division of the North-Western Railroad passes through its northern tier of sections across the entire township, with the busy sta- tion of La Fox and the fine, growing village of Elburn, affording excellent shipping facili- ties for its people and their products. Its splen- did farms are devoted to grain and stock-rais- ing, and feeding and dairying, and its land- owners are highly prosperous.

A NOTABLE PIONEER .- The first settler in this township was a remarkable man; and within the years of his eventful life occurred the most momentous and far-reaching movements and events in man's history. William Lance was born April 8, 1771, in Hunterdon County, New Jersey Colony, a subject of King George III. He was five years old when the immortal Dec- laration of Independence was adopted, and twelve at the close of the Revolutionary War. He well remembered many incidents of the his- toric struggle, and had frequently seen

Washington and other famous characters

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HISTORY OF KANE COUNTY.

of the first years of the Republic. Many of the Indian struggles on the Atlantic coast, the War of 1812, the Mexican War, and the awful conflict of the great Re- bellion were not altogether history to him, but incidents in his country's development within his own observation. He lived during the ad- ministration of all the great historic Presidents of the Republic. Possessing much of the pio- neer spirit, he was living in Indiana in 1833 and resolved to push still farther westward. Early in the spring of 1834, which was an unus- ually mild and early season, he started with his adult children John and Mary and a much younger son, Charles, driving, it is said, eight yoke of cattle, and, on the trail in what is now Du Page County, they picked up a man named Isaac Walthrop. They camped for a few days at the head of the Big Woods, probably near Christopher Payne's cabin, and John prospected the west side of the river. He found a loca- tion near the southeast part of the heaviest body of timber on Blackberry Creek near the present northwest corner of Section 28, which he thought (and truthfully) one of the most delightful spots on earth; and, returning, pi- loted the family to the place. There on May 2, 1834, they located the first claim in all that portion of Kane County, and there Mr. Lance resided until his death, September 7, 1873, aged 102 years, four months and twenty-nine days.

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Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and History of Kane County, Part 139

Author: Publication date: 1904 Publisher: Chicago: Munsell Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 950

Author:
Publication date: 1904
Publisher: Chicago: Munsell Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 950