Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of Winnebago County, Volume I, Part 67

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

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LA SALLE COUNTY, one of the wealthiest counties in the northeastern section, being second in size and in population in the State It was organized in 1831, and has an area of 1,152 square miles; population (1900), 87,776. The history of this region dates back to 1675, when Marquette established a mission at an Indian village on the Illinois River about where Utica now stands, eight miles west of Ottawa. La Salle (for whom the county is named) erected a fort here in 1682, which was, for many years, the headquarters for French missionaries and traders. Later, the Illinois Indians were well-nigh exterminated by starvation, at the same point, which has be- come famous in Western history as "Starved Rock." The surface of the county is undulat- ing and slopes toward the Illinois River. The soil is rich, and timber abounds on the bluffs and

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along the streams. Water is easily procured. Four beds of coal underlie the entire county, and good building stone is quarried at a depth of 150 to 200 feet. Excellent hydraulic cement is made from the calciferous deposit, Utica being espe- cially noted for this industry. The First Ameri- can settlers came about the time of Captain Long's survey of a canal route (1816). The Illinois & Michigan Canal was located by a joint corps of State and National engineers in 1830. (See Illi- nois & Michigan Canal.) During the Black Hawk War, La Salle County was a prominent base of military operations. Pop. (1910), 90,132.

LATHROP, William, lawyer and Congress- man, was born in Genesee County, N. Y., April 17, 1825. His early education was acquired in the common schools. Later he read law and was admitted to the bar, commencing practice in 1851, making his home in Central New York until his removal to Illinois. In 1856 he represented the Rockford District in the lower house of the General Assembly, and, in 1876, was elected, as a Republican, to represent the (then) Fourth Illi- nois District in Congress.

LA VANTUM, the name given, in the latter part of the seventeenth century, to the principal village of the Illinois Indians, situated on the Illinois River, near the present town of Utica, in La Salle County. (See Starved Rock.)

LAWLER, Frank, was born at Rochester, N. Y., June 25, 1842. His first active occupation was as a news-agent on railroads, which business he followed for three years. He learned the trade of a ship-calker, and was elected to the Presidency of the Ship-Carpenters' and Ship- Calkers' Association. While yet a young man he settled in Chicago and, in 1869, was appointed to a clerical position in the postoffice in that city ; later, served as a letter-carrier, and as a member of the City Council (1876-84). In 1884 he was elected to Congress from the Second District, which he represented in that body for three suc- cessive terms. While serving his last year in Congress (1890) he was an unsuccessful candidate on the Democratic ticket for Sheriff of Cook County; in 1893 was an unsuccessful applicant for the Chicago postmastership, was defeated as an Independent-Democrat for Congress in 1894, but, in 1895, was elected Alderman for the Nine- teenth Ward of the city of Chicago. Died, Jan. 17, 1896.

LAWLER, (Gen.) Michael K., soldier, was born in County Kildare, Ireland, Nov. 16, 1814, brought to the United States in 1816, and, in 1819, to Gallatin County, Ill., where his father began

farming. The younger Lawler early evinced a military taste by organizing a military company in 1842, of which he served as Captain three or four years. In 1846 he organized a company for the Mexican War, which was attached to the Third Regiment Illinois Volunteers (Colonel Forman's), and, at the end of its term of enlistment, raised a company of cavalry, with which he served to the end of the war-in all, seeing two and a half years' service. He then resumed the peaceful life of a farmer; but, on the breaking out of the rebellion, again gave proof of his patri- otism by recruiting the Eighteenth Illinois Volun- teer Infantry -- the first regiment organized in the Eighteenth Congressional District-of which he was commissioned Colonel, entering into the three years' service in May, 1861. His regiment took part in most of the early engagements in Western Kentucky and Tennessee, including the capture of Fort Donelson, where it lost heavily, Colonel Lawler himself being severely wounded. Later, he was in command, for some time, at Jackson, Tenn., and, in November, 1862, was com- missioned Brigadier-General "for gallant and meritorious service." He was also an active participant in the operations against Vicksburg, and was thanked on the field by General Grant for his service at the battle of Big Black, pro- nounced by Charles A. Dana (thien Assistant Secretary of War) "one of the most splendid exploits of the war." After the fall of Vicksburg he took part in the siege of Jackson, Miss., and in the campaigns on the Teche and Red River, and in Texas, also being in command, for six months, at Baton Rouge, La. In March, 1865, he was brevetted Major-General, and mustered out, January, 1866, after a service of four years and seven months. He then returned to his Gallatin County farm, where he died, July 26, 1882.

LAWLER, Thomas G., soldier and Com- mander-in-Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, was born in Liverpool, Eng., April 7, 1844; was brought to Illinois by his parents in childhood, and, at 17 years of age, enlisted in the Nineteenth Illinois Volunteers, serv- ing first as a private, then as Sergeant, later being elected First Lieutenant, and (although not mustered in, for two months) during the Atlanta campaign being in command of his com- pany, and placed on the roll of honor by order of General Rosecrans. He participated in every battle in which his regiment was engaged, and, at the battle of Missionary Ridge, was the first man of his command over the enemy's works. After the war he became prominent as an officer

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of the Illinois National Guard, organizing the Rockford Rifles, in 1876, and serving as Colonel of the Third Regiment for seven years; was ap- pointed Postmaster at Rockford by President Hayes, but removed by Cleveland in 1885; re- appointed by Harrison, again displaced on the accession of Cleveland, reinstated by Mckinley and continued in office under President Roose- velt. He was one of the organizers of G. L. Nevius Post, G. A. R., served as Commander thirty-nine years, and, in 1894, was elected Commander-in-Chief, serving one year.

LAWRENCE, Charles B., jurist, was born at Vergennes, Vt., Dec. 17, 1820. After two years spent at Middlebury College, he entered the junior class at Union College, graduating from the latter in 1841. He devoted two years .to teaching in Alabama, and began reading law at Cincinnati in 1843, completing his studies at St. Louis, where he was admitted to the bar and began practice in 1844. The following year he removed to Quincy, Ill., where he was a promi- nent practitioner for ten years. The years 1856-58 he spent in foreign travel, with the pri- mary object of restoring his impaired health. On his return home he began farming in Warren County, with the same end in view. In 1861 he accepted a nomination to the Circuit Court bench and was elected without opposition. Before the expiration of his term, in 1864, he was elected a Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court for the Northern Grand Division, and, in 1870, became Chief Justice. At this time his home was at Galesburg. Failing of a re-election in 1873, he removed to Chicago, and at once became one of the leaders of the Cook County bar. Although persistently urged by personal and political friends, to permit his name to be used in connec- tion with a vacancy on the bench of the United States Supreme Court, he steadfastly declined. In 1877 he received the votes of the Republicans in the State Legislature for United States Senator against David Davis, who was elected. Dicd, at Decatur, Ala., April 9, 1883.

LAWRENCE COUNTY, one of the eastern counties in the "southern tier," originally a part of Edwards, but separated from the latter in 1821, and named for Commodore Lawrence. In 1910 its area was 362 square miles, and its popu- lation 22,661. The first Enghsh-speaking settlers seem to have emigrated from the colony at Vin- cennes, Ind. St. Francisville, in the southeast- ern portion, and Allison prairie, in the northeast, were favored by the American pioneers. Settle- ment was more or less desultory until after the

War of 1812. Game was abundant and the soil productive. About a dozen negro families found homes, in 1819, near Lawrenceville, and a Shaker colony was established about Charlottesville the same year. Among the best remembered pio- neers are the families of Lautermann, Chubb, Kincaid, Buchanan and Laus-the latter having come from South Carolina. Toussaint Dubois, a Frenchman and father of Jesse K. Dubois, State Auditor (1857-64), was a large land proprietor at an early day, and his house was first utilized as a court house. The county is richer in historic associations than in populous towns. Lawrence- ville, the county-seat, was credited with 865 inhabitants by the census of 1890. St. Francis- ville and Sumner are flourishing towns.

LAWRENCEVILLE, the county-seat of Law- rence County, is situated on the Embarras River, at the intersection of the Baltimore & Ohio Southwestern and the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis Railways, 9 miles west of Vincennes, Ind., and 139 miles east of St. Louis. It has a courthouse, four churches, a graded school and two weekly newspapers. Population (1890), 865; (1900), 1,300; (1910), 3,235.

LAWSON, Victor F., journalist and newspaper proprietor, was born in Chicago, of Scandinavian parentage, Sept. 9, 1850. After graduating at the Chicago High School, he prosecuted his studies at Phillips Academy, Andover, Mass., and at Harvard University. In August, 1876, he pur- chased an interest in "The Chicago Daily News," being for some time a partner of Melville E. Stone, but became sole proprietor in 1888, pub- lishing morning and evening editions. He reduced the price of the morning edition to one cent, and changed its name to "The Chicago Record." He has always taken a deep interest in the cause of popular education, and, in 1888, established a fund to provide for the distribution of medals among public school children of Chi- cago, the award to be made upon the basis of comparative excellence in the preparation of essays upon topics connected with American history.

LEBANON, a city in St. Clair County, situated on Silver Creek, and on the Baltimore & Ohio Southwestern Railroad, 11 miles northeast of Belleville and 24 miles east of St. Louis; is lo- cated in an agricultural and coal-mining region. Its manufacturing interests are limited, a flour- ing mill being the chief industry of this charac- ter. The city has electric lights and electric trolley line connecting with Belleville and St. Louis; also has a bank, eight churches, one

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weekly paperand is an important educational center, being the seat of McKendree College, founded in 1828. Pop. (1900), 1,812; (1910), 1,907.

LEE COUNTY, one of the third tier of counties south of the Wisconsin State line; named for Richard Henry Lee of Revolutionary fame; area, 728 square miles; population (1910), 27,750. It was cut off from Ogle County, and separately organized in 1839. In 1840 the population was but little over 2,000. Charles F. Ingals, Nathan R. Whitney and James P. Dixon were the first County-Commissioners. Agriculture is the prin- cipal pursuit, although stone quarries are found here and there, notably at Ashton. The county- seat is Dixon, where, in 1828, one Ogee, a half- breed, built a cabin and established a ferry across the Rock River. In 1830, John Dixon, of New York, purchased Ogee's interest for $1,800. Set- tlement and progress were greatly retarded by the Black Hawk War, but immigration fairly set in in 1838. The first court house was built in 1840, and the same year the United States Land Office was removed from Galena to Dixon, Col. John Dement, an early pioneer, being appointed Receiver. Dixon was incorporated as a city in 1859, and, in 1910, had a population of 7,216.

LEGISLATIVE APPORTIONMENT. (See Apportionment, Legislative.)

LEGISLATURE. (See General Assemblies.)

LELAND, a village of La Salle County, on the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railway, 29 miles southwest of Aurora. Population (1910), 545.

LELAND, Edwin S., lawyer and Judge, was born at Dennysville, Me., August 28, 1812, and admitted to the bar at Dedham, Mass., in 1834. In 1835 he removed to Ottawa, Ill., and, in 1839, to Oregon, Ogle County, where he practiced for four years. Returning to Ottawa in 1843, he rapidly rose in his profession, until, in 1852, he was elected to the Circuit Court bench to fill the unexpired term of Judge T. Lyle Dickey, who had resigned. In 1866 Governor Oglesby ap- pointed him Circuit Judge to fill the unexpired term of Judge Hollister. He was elected by popular vote in 1867, and re-elected in 1873, being assigned to the Appellate Court of the Second District in 1877. He was prominently identified with the genesis of the Republican party, whose tenets he zealously championed. He was also prominent in local affairs, having been elected the first Republican Mayor of Ottawa (1856), President of the Board of Education and County Treasurer. Died, June, 24, 1889.

LEMEN, James, Sr., pioneer, was born in Berk- eley County, Va., Nov. 20, 1760; served as a soldier

in the War of the Revolution, being present at the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown in 1781; in 1786 came to Illinois, settling at the village of New Design, near the present site of Waterloo, in Monroe County. He was a man of enterprise and sterling integrity, and ultimately became the head of one of the most prominent and influential families in Southern Illinois. He is said to have been the first person admitted to the Baptist Church by immersion in Illinois, finally becoming a minister of that denomination. Of a family of eight children, four of his sons became ministers. Mr. Lemen's prominence was indicated by the fact that he was approached by Aaron Burr, with offers of large rewards for his influence in found- ing that ambitious schemer's projected South- western Empire, but the proposals were indignantly rejected and the scheme denounced. Died, at Waterloo, Jan. 8, 1822 .- Robert (Lemen), oldest son of the preceding, was born in Berkeley County, Va., Sept. 25, 1783; came with his father to Illinois, and, after his marriage, settled in St. Clair County. He held a commission as magis- trate and, for a time, was United States Marshal for Illinois under the administration of John Quincy Adams. Died in Ridge Prairie, St. Clair County, August 24, 1860 .- Rev. Joseph (Lemen), the second son, was born in Berkeley County, Va., Sept. 8, 1785, brought to Illinois in 1786, and, on reaching manhood, married Mary Kinney, a daughter of Rev. William Kinney, who after- wards became Lieutenant-Governor of the State. Joseph Lemen settled in Ridge Prairie, in the northern part of St. Clair County, and for many years supplied the pulpit of the Bethel Baptist church, which had been founded in 1809 on the principle of opposition to human slavery. His death occurred at his home, June 29, 1861 .- Rev. James (Lemen), Jr., the third son, was born in Monroe County, Ill., Oct. 8, 1787; early united with the Baptist Church and became a minister -assisting in the ordination of his father, whose sketch stands at the head of this article. · He served as a Delegate from St. Clair County in the first State Constitutional Convention (1818). and as Senator in the Second, Fourth and Fifth General Assemblies. He also preached extensively in Illinois, Missouri, and Kentucky, and assisted in the organization of many churches, although his labors were chiefly within his own. Mr. Lemen was the second child of American parents born in Illinois-Enoch Moore being the first. Died, Feb. 8, 1870 .- William (Lemen), the fourth son, born in Monroe County, Ill., in 1791; served as a soldier in the Black Hawk War. Died in Monroe

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County, in 1857 .- Rev. Josiah (Lemen), the fifth son, born in Monroe County, Ill., August 15, 1794; was a Baptist preacher. Died near Du- quoin, July 11, 1867 .- Rev. Moses (Lemen), the sixth son, born in Monroe County, Ill., in 1797; became a Baptist minister early in life, served as Representative in the Sixth General Assembly (1828-30) for Monroe County. Died, in Montgom- ery County, Ill., March 5, 1859.

LEMONT, a city in Cook County, 25 miles southwest of Chicago, on the Des Plaines River and the Chicago & Alton Railroad. A thick vein of Silurian limestone (Athens marble) is extensively quarried here, constituting the chief industry. Owing to the number of industrial enterprises, Lemont is at times the temporary home of a large number of workmen. The city has a bank, electric lights, six churches, two papers, five public and four private schools, one business college, aluminum and concrete works. Population of the township (1900), 4,441; of the city (1910), 2,284.

LE MOYNE, John V., ex-Congressman, was born in Washington County, Pa., in 1828, and graduated from Washington College, Pa., in 1847. He studied law at Pittsburg, where he was admitted to the bar in 1852. He at once removed to Chicago, where he continued a permanent resident and active practitioner. In 1872 he was a candidate for Congress on the Liberal Repub- lican ticket, but was defeated by Charles B. Far- well, Republican. In 1874 he was again a candidate against Mr. Farwell. Both claimed the election, and a contest ensued which was decided by the House in favor of Mr. Le Moyne.

LENA, a village in Stephenson County, on the Illinois Central Railroad, 13 miles northwest of Freeport and 38 miles east of Galena. It is in a farming and dairying district, but has some manufactures, the making of caskets being the principal industry in this line. There are six churches, two banks, and one newspaper. Popu- tation (1890), 1,270; (1900), 1,252; (1910), 1,168.

LEONARD, Edward F., Railway President, was born in Connecticut in 1836; graduated from Union College, N. Y., was admitted to the bar and came to Springfield, Ill., in 1858; served for several years as clerk in the office of the State Auditor, was afterwards connected with the con- struction of the "St. Louis Short Line" (now a part of the Illinois Central Railway), and was private secretary of Governor Cullom during his first term. For several years he has been Presi- dent of the Toledo, Peoria & Western Railroad, with headquarters at Peoria.

LEROY, a city in McLean County, 15 miles south west of Bloomington; has two banks, sev- eral churches, a graded school and a plow factory. Two weekly papers are published there. Popu- lation (1890), 1,258; (1900); 1,629; (1910), 1,702.

LEVERETT, Washington and Warren, edu- cators and twin-brothers, whose careers were strikingly similar; born at Brookline, Mass., Dec. 19, 1805, and passed their boyhood on a farm; in 1827 began a preparatory course of study under an elder brother at Roxbury, Mass., entered Brown University as freshmen, the next year, and graduated in 1832. Warren, being in bad health, spent the following winter in South Carolina, afterwards engaging in teaching, for a time, and in study in Newton Theological Seminary, while Washington served as tutor two years in his Alma Mater and in Columbian College in Wash- ington, D. C., then took a course at Newton, graduating there in 1836. The same year he accepted the chair of Mathematics in Shurtleff College at Upper Alton, remaining, with slight interruption, until 1868. Warren, after suffering from hemorrhage of the lungs, came west in the fall of 1837, and, after teaching for a few months at Greenville, Bond County, in 1839 joined his brother at Shurtleff College as Principal of the preparatory department, subsequently being advanced to the chair of Ancient Languages, which he continued to occupy until June, 1868, when he retired in the same year with his brother. After resigning he established himself in the book business, which was continued until his death, Nov. 8, 1872. Washington, the surviving brother, continued to be a member of the Board of Trus- tees of Shurtleff College, and to discharge the duties of Librarian and Treasurer of the institu- tion. Died, Dec. 13, 1889.

LEWIS INSTITUTE, an educational institu- tion based upon a bequest of Allen C. Lewis, in the city of Chicago, established in 1895. It main- tains departments in law, the classics, prepara- tory studies and manual training, and owns property valued at $1,600,000, with funds and endowment amounting to $1,100,000. No report 'is made of the number of pupils.

LEWIS, John H., ex-Congressman, was born in Tompkins County, N. Y., July 21, 1830. When six years old he accompanied his parents to Knox County, Ill., where he attended the public schools, read law, and was admitted to the bar in 1860. The same year he was elected Clerk of the Circuit Court of Knox County. In 1874 he was elected to the lower house of the General Assembly, and, in 1880, was the successful Repub-

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lican candidate for Congress from the old Ninth District. In 1882, he was a candidate for re- election from the same district (then the Tenth), but was defeated by Nicholas E. Worthington, his Democratic opponent.

LEWISTOWN, the county-seat of Fulton County, located on two lines of railway, fifty miles southwest of Peoria and sixty miles north- west of Springfield. It contains flour and saw- mills, carriage and wagon, can-making, duplex-scales and evener factories; is in a farming, live-stock and coal-mining district; has several churches, one daily and three weekly newspapers, also excellent public schools. Pop. (1900), 2,504; (1910), 2,312.

LEXINGTON, a city in McLean County, on the Chicago & Alton Railroad, 110 miles south of Chicago and 16 miles northeast of Bloomington. The surrounding region is agricultural and stock- raising, and the town has a flourishing trade in horses and other live-stock. Tile is manufac- tured here, and the town has two banks, five churches, a high school and one weekly paper. Pop. (1890), 1,187; (1900), 1,415; (1910), 1,318.

LIBERTYVILLE, a village of Lake County, on the main line of the Chicago & Madison Division of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway, 35 miles north-northwest of Chicago. The region is agricultural and dairying. The town has some manufactures, two banks and a weekly paper. Pop. (1890), 550; (1900), 864; (1910), 1,724.

LIBRARIES. (STATISTICAL. )-A report of the Commissioner of Education for 1895-96, on the subject of "Public, Society and School Libraries in the United States," presents some approximate statistics of libraries in the several States, based upon the reports of librarians, so far as they could be obtained in reply to inquiries sent out from the Bureau of Education in Washington. As shown by the statistical tables embodied in this report, there were 348 libraries in Illinois reporting 300 volumes and over, of which 134 belonged to the smallest class noted,or those con- taining less than 1,000 volumes. The remaining 214 were divided into the following classes:

Containing 300,000 and less than 500,000 volumes 1

100,000

300,000

50,000

100,000

25,000

66 50,000

10,000

1,000

66 5,000

66 144

A general classification of libraries of 1,000 volumes and over, as to character, divides them into, General, 91; School, 36; College, 42; College Society, 7; Law, 3; Theological, 7; State, 2; Asy-

lum and Reformatory, 4; Young Men's Christian Association, 2; Scientific, 6; Historical, 3; Soci- ety, 8; Medical, Odd Fellows and Social, 1 each. The total number of volumes belonging to the class of 1,000 volumes and over was 1,822,580 with 447,168 pamphlets; and, of the class between 300 and 1,000 volumes, 66,992 -- making a grand total of 1,889,572 volumes. The library belonging to the largest (or 300,000) class, is that of the University of Chicago, reporting 305,000 volumes, with 180,000 pamphlets, while the Chicago Public Library and the Newberry Library belong to the second class, reporting, respectively, 217,065 vol- umes with 42,000 pamphlets, and 135,244 volumes and 35,654 pamphlets. (The report of the Cli- cago Public Library for 1898 shows a total, for that year, of 235,385 volumes and 44,069 pam- phlets.)

As to sources of support or method of adminis- tration, 42 of the class reporting 1,000 volumes and over, are supported by taxation; 27, by appro- priations by State, County or City; 20, from endowment funds; 54, from membership fees and dues; 16, from book-rents; 26, from donations, leaving 53 to be supported from sources not stated. The total income of 131 reporting on this subject is $787,262; the aggregate endowment of 17 of this class is $2,283,197, and the value of buildings belonging to 36 is estimated at $2,981,- 575. Of the 214 libraries reporting 1,000 volumes and over, 88 are free, 28 are reference, and 158 are both circulating and reference.

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Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of Winnebago County, Volume I, Part 67

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