Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of Winnebago County, Volume I, Part 34

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897; Selby, Paul, 1825-1913; Church, Charles A., 1857-
Publication date: 1916
Publisher: Chicago : Munsell Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 724

USA > Illinois > Winnebago County > Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of Winnebago County, Volume I > Part 34

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FLAGG, Gershom, pioneer, was born in Rich- mond, Vt., in 1792, came west in 1816, settling in Madison County, Ill., in 1818, where he was known as an enterprising farmer and a prominent

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and influential citizen. Originally a Whig, he became a zealous Republican on the organization of that party, dying in 1857 .- Willard Cutting (Flagg), son of the preceding, was born in Madi- son County, Ill., Sept 16, 1829, spent his early life on his father's farm and in the common schools; from 1844 to '50 was a pupil in the celebrated high school of Edward Wyman in St. Louis, finally graduating with honors at Yale College, in 1854. During his college course he took a number of literary prizes, and, in his senior year, served as one of the editors of "The Yale Literary Magazine." Returning to Illinois after gradu- ation, he took charge of his father's farm, engaged extensively in fruit-culture and stock-raising, being the first to introduce the Devon breed of . cattle in Madison County in 1859. He was a member of the Republican State Central Com- mittee in 1860; in 1862, by appointment of Gov. Yates, became Enrolling Officer for Madison County ; served as Collector of Internal Revenue for the Twelfth District, 1864-69, and, in 1868, was elected to the State Senate for a term of four years, and, during the last session of his term (1872), took a prominent part in the revision of the school law; was appointed a member of the first Board of Trustees of the Industrial Univer- sity (now the University of Illinois) at Cham- paign, and reappointed in 1875. Mr. Flagg was also prominent in agricultural and horticultural organizations, serving as Secretary of the State Horticultural Society from 1861 to '69, when he became its President. He was one of the origi- nators of the "farmers' movement," served for some time as President of "The State Farmers' Association," wrote voluminously, and delivered addresses in various States on agricultural and horticultural topics, and, in 1875, was elected President of the National Agricultural Congress. In his later years he was a recognized leader in the Granger movement. Died, at Mora, Madison County, Ill., April 5, 1878.

FLEMING, Robert K., pioneer printer, was born in Erie County, Pa., learned the printers' trade in Pittsburg, and, coming west while quite young, worked at his trade in St. Louis, finally removing to Kaskaskia, where he was placed in control of the office of "The Republican Advo- cate," which had been established in 1823, by Elias Kent Kane. The publication of "The Advocate" having been suspended, he revived it in May, 1825, under the name of "The Kaskaskia Recorder," but soon removed it to Vandalia (then the State capital), and, in 1827, began the publi- cation of "The Illinois Corrector," at Edwards-

ville. Two years later he returned to Kaskaskia and resumed the publication of "The Recorder," but, in 1833, was induced to remove his office to Belleville, where he commenced the publication of "The St. Clair Gazette," followed by "The St. Clair Mercury," both of which had a brief exist- ence. About 1843 he returned to the newspaper business as publisher of "The Belleville Advo- cate," which he continued for a number of years. He died, at Belleville, in 1874, leaving two sons who have been prominently identified with the history of journalism in Southern Illinois, at Belleville and elsewhere.

FLETCHER, Job, pioneer and early legislator, was born in Virginia, in 1793, removed to Sanga- mon County, Ill., in 1819; was elected Represent- ative in 1826, and, in 1834, to the State Senate, serving in the latter body six years. He was one of the famous "Long Nine" which represented Sangamon County in the Tenth General Assem- bly. Mr. Fletcher was again a member of the House in 1844-45. Died, in Sangamon County, in 1872.

FLORA, a city in Harter Township, Clay County, on the Baltimore & Ohio Southwestern Railroad, 95 miles east of St. Louis, and 108 miles south-southeast of Springfield; has barrel factory, flouring mills, cold storage and ice plant, three fruit-working factories, two banks, six churches and a weekly newspaper. Population (1890), 1,695; (1900), 2,311; (1910), 2,704.

FLOWER, George, early English colonist, was born in Hertfordshire, England, about 1780; came to the United States in 1817, and was associ- ated with Morris Birkbeck in founding the "English Settlement" at Albion, Edwards County, Ill. Being in affluent circumstances, he built an elegant mansion and stocked an exten- sive farm with blooded animals from England and other parts of Europe, but met with reverses which dissipated his wealth. In common with Mr. Birkbeck, he was one of the determined opponents of the attempt to establish slavery in Illinois in 1824, and did much to defeat that measure. He and his wife died on the same day (Jan. 15, 1862), while on a visit to a daughter at Grayville, Ill. A book written by him-"History of the English Settlement in Edwards County, Ill."-and published in 1882, is a valuable contri- bution to the early history of that portion of the State .- Edward Fordhams (Flower), son of the preceding, was born in England, Jan. 31, 1805, but came with his father to Illinois in early life; later he returned to England and spent nearly half a century at Stratford-on-Avon, where he

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was four times chosen Mayor of that borough and entertained many visitors from the United States to Shakespeare's birthplace. Died, March 26, 1883.

FOBES, Philena, educator, born in Onondaga County, N. Y., Sept. 10, 1811; was educated at Albany and at Cortland Seminary, Rochester, N. Y .; in 1838 became a teacher in Monticello Female Seminary, then newly established at Godfrey, Ill., under Rev. Theron Baldwin, Prin- cipal. On the retirement of Mr. Baldwin in 1843, Miss Fobes succeeded to the principalship, remaining until 1866, when she retired. For some years she resided at Rochester, N. Y., and New Haven, Conn., but, in 1886, she removed to Philadelphia, where she afterwards made her home, notwithstanding her advanced age, main- taining a lively interest in educational and benevolent enterprises. Miss Fobes died at Phila- delphia, Nov. 8, 1898, and was buried at New Haven, Conn.

FOLEY, Thomas, Roman Catholic Bishop, born in Baltimore, Md., in 1823; was ordained a priest in 1846, and, two years later, was appointed Chan- cellor of the Diocese, being made Vicar-General in 1867. He was nominated Coadjutor Bishop of the Chicago Diocese in 1869 (Bishop Duggan hav- ing become insane), and, in 1870, was consecrated Bishop. His administration of diocesan work was prudent and eminently successful. As a man and citizen he won the respect of all creeds and classes alike, the State Legislature adopting resolutions of respect and regret upon learning of his death, which occurred at Baltimore, in 1879.

FORBES, Stephen Van Rensselaer, pioneer teacher, was born at Windham, Vt., July 26, 1797; in his youth acquired a knowledge of surveying, and, having removed to Newburg (now South Cleveland), Ohio, began teaching. In 1829 he came west to Chicago, and having joined a sur- veying party, went to Louisiana, returning in the following year to Chicago, which then con- tained only three white families outside of Fort Dearborn. Having been joined by his wife, he took up his abode in what was called the "sut- ler's house" connected with Fort Dearborn; was appointed one of the first Justices of the Peace, and opened the first school ever taught in Chi- cago, all but three of his pupils being either half-breeds or Indians. In 1832 he was elected, as a Whig, the first Sheriff of Cook County; later preempted 160 acres of land where Riverside now stands, subsequently becoming owner of some 1,800 acres, much of which he sold, about

1853, to Dr. W. B. Egan at $20 per acre. In 1849, having been seized with the "gold fever," Mr. Forbes joined in the overland migration to California, but, not being successful, returned two years later by way of the Isthmus, and, hav- ing sold his possessions in Cook County, took up his abode at Newburg, Ohio, and resumed his occupation as a surveyor. About 1878 he again returned to Chicago, but survived only a short time, dying Feb. 17, 1879.

FORD, Thomas, early lawyer, jurist and Gov- ernor, was born in Uniontown, Pa., and, in boy- hood, accompanied his mother (then a widow) to Missouri, in 1804. The family soon after located in Monroe County, Ill. Largely through the efforts and aid of his half-brother, George Forquer, he obtained a professional education, became a successful lawyer, and, early in life, entered the field of politics. . He served as a Judge of the Circuit Court for the northern part of the State from 1835 to 1837, and was again commissioned a Circuit Judge for the Galena circuit in 1839; in 1841 was elevated to the bench of the State Supreme Court, but resigned the following year to accept the nomination of his party (the Democratic) for Governor. He was regarded as upright in his general policy, but he had a number of embarrassing questions to deal with during his administration, one of these being the Mormon troubles, in which he failed to receive the support of his own party. He was author of a valuable "History of Illinois," (pub- lished posthumously). He died, at Peoria, in greatly reduced circumstances, Nov. 3, 1850. The State Legislature of 1895 took steps to erect a monument over his grave.

FORD COUNTY, lies northeast of Springfield, was organized in 1859, being cut off from Vermil- ion. It is shaped like an inverted "T," and has an area of 580 square miles; population (1910), 17,096. The first County Judge was David Pat- ton, and David Davis (afterwards of the United States Supreme Court) presided over the first Circuit Court. The surface of the county is level and the soil fertile, consisting of a loam from one to five feet in depth. There is little timber, nor is there any out-cropping of stone. The county is named in honor of Governor Ford. The county- seat is Paxton, which had a population, in 1890, of · 2,187. Gibson City is a railroad center, and has a population of 1,800.

FORMAN, (Col.) Ferris, lawyer and soldier, was born in Tioga County, N. Y., August 25, 1811; graduated at Union College in 1832, studied law and was admitted to the bar in New York in

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1835, and in the United States Supreme Court in 1836; the latter year came west and settled at Vandalia, Ill., where he began practice; in 1844 was elected to the State Senate for the district composed of Fayette, Effingham, Clay and Rich- land Counties, serving two years; before the expiration of his term (1846) enlisted for the Mexican War, and was commissioned Colonel of the Third Regiment Illinois Volunteers, and, after participating in a number of the most important engagements of the campaign, was mustered out at New Orleans, in May, 1847. Re- turning from the Mexican War, he brought with him and presented to the State of Illinois a six-pound cannon, which had been captured by Illinois troops on the battlefield of Cerro Gordo, and is now in the State Arsenal at Springfield. In 1848 Colonel Forman was chosen Presidential Elector for the State-at-large on the Democratic ticket; in 1849 went to California, where he prac- ticed his profession until 1853, meanwhile serving as Postmaster of Sacramento City by appointment of President Pierce, and later as Secretary of State during the administration of Gov. John B. Weller (1858-60); in 1861 officiated, by appoint- ment of the California Legislature, as Commis- sioner on the part of the State in fixing the boundary between California and the Territory of Utah. After the discharge of this duty, he was offered the colonelcy of the Fourth California Volunteer Infantry, which he accepted, serving about twenty months, when he resigned. In 1866 he resumed his residence at Vandalia, and served as a Delegate for Fayette and Effingham Counties in the Constitutional Convention of 1869-70, also for several years thereafter held the office of State's Attorney for Fayette County. Later he returned to California, and, at the latest date, was a resident of Stockton, in that State. Died Feb. 11, 1901.

FORMAN, William S., ex-Congressman, was born at Natchez, Miss., Jan. 20, 1847. When he was four years old, his father's family removed to Illinois, settling in Washington County, where he has lived ever since. By profession he is a lawyer, and he takes a deep interest in politics, local, State and National. He represented his Senatorial District in the State Senate in the Thirty-fourth and Thirty-fifth General Assem- blies, and, in 1888, was elected, as a Democrat, to represent the Eighteenth Illinois District in the Fifty-first Congress, being re-elected in 1890, and again in '92, but was defeated in 1894 for renomi- nation by John J. Higgins, who was defeated at the election of the same year by Everett J. Mur-

phy. In 1896 Mr. Forman was candidate of the "Gold Democracy" for Governor of Illinois, receiving 8,100 votes.

FORQUER, George, early State officer, was born near Brownsville, Pa., in 1794-was the son of a Revolutionary soldier, and older half-brother of Gov. Thomas Ford. He settled, with his mother (then a widow), at New Design, Ill., in 1804. After learning, and, for several years, following the carpenter's trade at St. Louis, he returned to Illinois and purchased the tract whereon Waterloo now stands. Subsequently he projected the town of Bridgewater, on the Mis- sissippi. For a time he was a partner in trade of Daniel P. Cook. Being unsuccessful in business, he took up the study of law, in which he attained marked success. In 1824 he was elected to repre- sent Monroe County in the House of Represent- atives, but resigned in January of the following year to accept the position of Secretary of State, to which he was appointed by Governor Coles, as successor to Morris Birkbeck, whom the Senate had refused to confirm. One ground for the friendship between him and Coles, no doubt, was the fact that they had been united in their opposition to the scheme to make Illinois a slave State. In 1828 he was a candidate for Congress, but was defeated by Joseph Duncan, afterwards Governor. At the close of the year he resigned the office of Secretary of State, but, a few weeks later (January, 1829), he was elected by the Legislature Attorney-General. This position he held until January, 1833, when he resigned, hav- ing, as it appears, at the previous election, been chosen State Senator from Sangamon County, serving in the Eighth and Ninth General Assem- blies. Before the close of his term as Senator (1835), he received the appointment of Register of the Land Office at Springfield, which appears to have been the last office held by him, as he died, at Cincinnati, in 1837. Mr. Forquer was a man of recognized ability and influence, an elo- quent orator and capable writer, but, in common with some of the ablest lawyers of that time, seems to have been much embarrassed by the smallness of his income, in spite of his ability and the fact that he was almost continually in office.

FORREST, a village in Livingston County, at the intersection of the Toledo, Peoria & Western and the Wabash Railways, 75 miles east of Peoria and 16 miles southeast of Pontiac. Considerable grain is shipped from this point to the Chicago market. The village has several churches and a graded school. Population (1900), 952; (1910), 967.

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FORREST, Joseph K. C., journalist, was born in Cork, Ireland, Nov. 26, 1820; came to Chicago in 1840, soon after securing employment as a writer on "The Evening Journal," and, later on, "The Gem of the Prairies," the predecessor of "The Tribune," being associated with the latter at the date of its establishment, in June, 1847. During the early years of his residence in Chi- cago, Mr. Forrest spent some time as a teacher. On retiring from "The Tribune," he became the associate of John Wentworth in the management of "The Chicago Democrat," a relation which was broken up by the consolidation of the latter with "The Tribune," in 1861. He then became the Springfield correspondent of "The Tribune," also holding a position on the staff of Governor Yates, and still later represented "The St. Louis Democrat" and "Chicago Times, " as Washington correspondent ; assisted in founding "The Chicago Republican" (now "Inter Ocean"), in 1865, and, some years later, became a leading writer upon the same. He served one term as Clerk of the city of Chicago, but, in his later years, and up to the period of his death, was a leading contributor to the columns of "The Chicago Evening News" over the signatures of "An Old Timer" and "Now or Never." Died, in Chicago, June 23, 1896.

FORRESTON, a village in Ogle County, the terminus of the Chicago and Iowa branch of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, and point of intersection of the Illinois Central and the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railways; 107 miles west by north from Chicago, and 12 miles south of Freeport; founded in 1854, incorporated by special charter in 1868, and, under the general law, in 1888. Farming and stock-raising are the principal industries. The village has a bank, water-works, electric light plant, creamery, vil- lage hall, seven churches, a graded school, and a newspaper. Pop. (1900), 1,047; (1910), 870.

FORSYTHE, Albert P., ex-Congressman, was born at New Richmond, Ohio, May 24, 1830; received his early education in the common schools, and at Asbury University. He was reared upon a farm and followed farming as his life-work. During the War of the Rebellion he served in the Union army as Lieutenant. In politics he early became an ardent Nationalist, and was chosen President of the Illinois State Grange of the Patrons of Industry, in December, 1875, and again in January, 1878. In 1878 he was elected to Congress as a Nationalist, but, in 1880, though receiving the nominations of the com- bined Republican and Greenback parties, was defeated by Samuel W. Moulton, Democrat.

FORT, Greenbury L., soldier and Congress- man, was born in Ohio, Oct. 17, 1825, and, in 1834, removed with his parents to Illinois. In 1850 he was elected Sheriff of Putnam County; in 1852, Clerk of the Circuit Court, and, having mean- while been admitted to the bar at Lacon, became County Judge in 1857, serving until 1861. In April of the latter year he enlisted under the first call for troops, by re-enlistments serving till March 24, 1866. Beginning as Quartermaster of his regiment, he served as Chief Quartermaster of the Fifteenth Army Corps on the "March to the Sea," and was mustered out with the rank of Colonel and Brevet Brigadier-General. On his return from the field, he was elected to the State Senate, serving in the Twenty-fifth and Twenty- sixth General Assemblies, and, from 1873 to 1881, as Representative in Congress. He died, at Lacon, June 13, 1883.

FORT CHARTRES, a strong fortification erected by the French .in 1718, on the American Bottom, 16 miles northwest from Kaskaskia. The soil on which it stood was alluvial, and the limestone of which its walls were built was quarried from an adjacent bluff. In form it was an irregular quadrangle, surrounded on three sides by a wall two feet two inches thick, and on the fourth by a ravine, which, during the spring- time, was full of water. During the period of French ascendency in Illinois, Fort Chartres was the seat of government. About four miles east soon sprang up the village of Prairie du Rocher (or Rock Prairie). (See Prairie du Rocher.) At the outbreak of the French and Indian War (1756), the original fortification was repaired and virtually rebuilt. Its cost at that time is esti- mated to have amounted to 1,000,000 French crowns. After the occupation of Illinois by the British, Fort Chartres still remained the seat of government until 1772, when one side of the fortification was washed away by a freshet, and headquarters were transferred to Kaskaskia. The first common law court ever held in the Mis- sissippi Valley was established here, in 1768, by the order of Colonel Wilkins of the English army. The ruins of the old fort, situated in the northwest corner of Randolph County, once con- stituted an object of no little interest to anti- quarians, but the site has disappeared during the past generation by the encroachments of the Mississippi.

FORT DEARBORN, the name of a United States military post, established at the mouth of the Chicago River in 1803 or 1804, on a tract of land six miles square conveyed by the Indians in

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the treaty of Greenville, concluded by General Wayne in'1795. It originally consisted of two block houses located at opposite angles (north- west and southeast) of a strong wooden stockade, with the Commandant's quarters on the east side of the quadrangle, soldiers' barracks on the south, officers' barracks on the west, and magazine, contractor's (sutler's) store and general store- house on the north-all the buildings being con- structed of logs, and all, except the block-houses, being entirely within the enclosure. Its arma- ment consisted of three light pieces of artillery. Its builder and first commander was Capt. John Whistler, a native of Ireland who had surrendered with Burgoyne, at Saratoga,, N. Y., and who subsequently became an American citizen, and served with distinction throughout the War of 1812. He was succeeded, in 1810, by Capt. Nathan Heald. . As early as 1806 the Indians around the fort manifested signs of disquietude, Tecumseh, a few years later, heading an open armed revolt. In 1810 a council of Pottawato- mies, Ottawas and Chippewas was held at St. Joseph, Mich., at which it was decided not to join the confederacy proposed by Chief Tecumseh. In 1811 hostilities were precipitated by an attack upon the United States troops under Gen. William Henry Harrison at Tippecanoe. In April, 1812, hostile bands of Winnebagos appeared in the vicinity of Fort Dearborn, terrifying the settlers by their atrocities. Many of the whites sought refuge within the stockade. Within two months after the declaration of war against England, in 1812, orders were issued for the evacuation of Fort Dearborn and the transfer of the garrison to Detroit. The garrison at that time numbered about 70, including officers, a large number of the troops being ill. Almost simultaneously with the order for evacuation appeared bands of Indians clamoring for a dis- tribution of the goods, to which they claimed they were entitled under treaty stipulations. Knowing that he had but about forty men able to fight and that his march would be sadly hindered by the care of about a dozen women and twenty children, the commandant hesitated. The Pottawatomies, through whose country he would have to pass, liad always been friendly, and he waited. Within six days a force of 500 or 600 savage warriors had assembled around the fort. Among the leaders were the Pottawatomie chiefs, Black Partridge, Winnemeg and Topenebe. Of these, Winnemeg was friendly. It was he who had brought General Hull's orders to evacuate, and, as the crisis grew more and more dangerous,

he offered sound advice. He urged instantaneous departure before the Indians had time to agree upon a line of action. But Captain Heald decided to distribute the stores among the sav- ages, and thereby secure from them a friendly escort to Fort Wayne. To this the aborigines readily assented, believing that thereby all the whisky and ammunition which they knew to be within the enclosure, would fall into their hands. Meanwhile Capt. William Wells, Indian Agent at Fort Wayne, had arrived at Fort Dearborn with a friendly force of Miamis to act as an escort. He convinced Captain Heald that it would be the height of folly to give the Indians liquor and gun- powder. Accordingly the commandant emptied the former into the lake and destroyed the latter. This was the signal for war. Black Partridge claimed he could no longer restrain his young braves, and at a council of the aborigines it was resolved to massacre the garrison and settlers. On the fifteenth of August the gates of the fort were opened and the evacuation began. A band of Pottawatomies accompanied the whites under the guise of a friendly escort. They soon deserted and, within a mile and a half from the fort, began the sickening scene of carnage known as the "Fort Dearborn Massacre." Nearly 500 Indians participated, their loss being less than twenty. The Miami escort fled at the first exchange of shots. With but four exceptions the wounded white prisoners were dispatched with savage ferocity and promptitude. Those not wounded were scattered among various tribes. The next day the fort with its stockade was burned. In 1816 (after the treaty of St. Louis) the fort was rebuilt upon a more elaborate scale. The second Fort Dearborn contained, besides bar- racks and officers' quarters, a magazine and provision-store, was enclosed by a square stock- ade, and protected by bastions at two of its angles. It was again evacuated in 1823 and re-garrisoned in 1828. The troops were once more withdrawn in 1831, to return the following year during the Black Hawk War. The final evacuation occurred in 1836.

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Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of Winnebago County, Volume I, Part 34

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897; Selby, Paul, 1825-1913; Church, Charles A., 1857- Publication date: 1916 Publisher: Chicago : Munsell Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 724

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897; Selby, Paul, 1825-1913; Church, Charles A., 1857-
Publication date: 1916
Publisher: Chicago : Munsell Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 724