History of Bureau County, Illinois, Part 14

Author: Bradsby, Henry C., [from old catalog] ed
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Chicago, World publishing company
Number of Pages: 776

USA > Illinois > Bureau County > History of Bureau County, Illinois > Part 14

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

"There was no trouble with the Indians after we moved here; yet my mother was once badly frightened by them. It being Sunday, all our family but herself and an infant daughter, had gone to church. On going out of doors my mother saw a large body of Indians, some of whom were getting over the fence in the corn-field. In great alarm she went into the house, barred the door, ascended into the loft with her infant and rifle and pulled the ladder by which she reached it up after her, and waited for the fate she was sure was coming, resolving to sell her life as dearly as possible. The attack was delayed longer than she had expected, but still she stayed there until the voice of

my father coming home with his family and asking admittance, convineed her that she could safely descend, and then she learned they were friendly Indians, being removed to their reservation west of the Mississippi, and that their destructive powers were bent upon the roasting ears only.

" Another great danger we had was of get- ting lost, especially at night. I remember one Saturday night a younger brother of mine was sent to take home a cousin of ours, who resided near Dover. Not coming back as soon as expected, and night and a thunder storm both coming on, I was sent to meet him. Failing in doing so, I kept on to my uncle's home, where I found that he had started but had taken the wrong road. The storm over- taking me there, however, I stayed all night. My parents finding that neither of us came home, concluded my brother had not started home before the storm, and they therefore were not alarmed. I proceeded home Sun- day morning to find that my brother had not been home at all. À search by all about the place, together with the neighbors was immediately instituted, and after some time the trail was found and followed. He had turned the seat over during the storm and crawling under it, had let the horse have his own way and had finally gone to sleep. The horse at one time had come near home and then turned directly away. He was found in the afternoon four or five miles away and brought home.

"Being too young to work I was employed to run errands. I was once sent to our neigh- bor, Elijah Smith, to obtain some peas for planting. Furnished with a tin pail I mount- ed a horse and went and obtained them and started on my return. As I liked to ride fast I started in a brisk trot; the peas began to rattle and 'away went John Gilpin'-the harder the horse ran the louder the peas

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rattled-as long as there was one left to rattle, That was a poor pea year at our house.

"Our school was in a log-house in the edge of the timber, near the residence of John Ament, and where the brick now stands north of the Princeton depot. I can see it to-day as it stood long ago, with its stiek chimney, slab seats and writing desk, where we faced the wall when we went to write. But our schoolhouse was up to the time after all, as it had glass windows and a wooden floor, and a pail of water was always in the corner to use if the chimney got on fire. How well I remember the path through the hazel bushes that led to it. The spring where we obtained our water and the hornets' nest between it and the house, where at the boys' recess we clubbed it until they became so enraged that it was almost impossible to pass it going to the spring without being stung. Woe to the girl who came down the path to the spring during the recess, for they generally paid the penalty of our misdeeds until they learned to give it a wide berth. Then there was the opening in the bushes where we had our play-ground, on one side of which ran the Dixon stage road. How we used to run for it when we heard the sound of the stage driver's horn, and what shouts and eager faces greeted it as it passed. Then the nuttings, the strawberryings, the black- berryings we had, marred only by the dread of rattlesnakes and sometimes the thought that we were playing truant.

"Among the many teachers of those days, I have only time to speak of one, who stands out before my mind's eye more prominently than the rest; one who taught me to study for its own sake; from whom I parted with real regret at the close of school and only wished that I was old enough to marry her and be with her always. Many years have passed since then, but bright through the

past and bright through the future will ever shine the fairest and best to me of the teach- ers of the old log schoolhouse-Amelia Smith.

"We used to have our rough-and-tumble fun too in those old days; especially when the big boys came to school in the winter, when the teacher had to go on his muscle, and black eyes and bloody noses were sometimes in fashion. A teacher who did not use his authority by force when the boys got into difficulty, had a hard time to succeed. "Town ball' and ' bull pen' were played with a vim, and when the boys threw a ball they meant to hit. Sometimes these sports were varied by "We are marching onward to Quebec," and the "Needle's eye," but I always noticed that us small boys could march right along to Quebec without molestation and pass the "needle's eye" without fail, while the big boys had great trouble in the matter. We must have sorely tried the patience of our teachers in those days. I remember we were called upon to recite a verse from the Bible each day, and how the book was searched for the shortest verses in it, and "rejoice ever- more," "Jesus wept," and such short verses were repeated many times every day. But at last we reached the end of our rope, for the whole school, from the largest to the smallest, repeated the same verse " And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying." The teachor then drew the line right here and each one of us had to take our seats and get a separate verse before we could go home. Then we had our debating clubs and old fashioned spelling- schools, and I shall always remember the time when they failed to get us spelled down from Webster's Elementary and had to resort to the Bible, or how I went down under the work "Israelite."

"Nor can I forget the singing-school we had in the early times. We went long dis-

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HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY.

tances in those days to attend them; and I have a suspicion that it was not a desire of learning music that brought them all there, but we had a good time nevertheless. Ås usual from out the sea of faces that meet the mind's eye in those singing-schools of long ago, one face and one voice appears more prominent than the rest. For long years her body has rested in the leafy shades of our quiet Oakland; but through all the years I still see that sweet face, and here the sweeter voice of that singer of the olden time-Catha- rine Allen. Among the teachers of music too, there is one we cannot forget. He sleeps also in our fair Oakland, but to many hearts there will come thoughts of pleasure and regret at the mention of the name of our old singing teacher-James Perry."

He then tells briefly of the earliest days of the Underground Railroad, and especially of Clapp Station, etc. etc. He then produced an old account book of Gay & Olds, and for the year 1837 he quoted some of the entries as follows:

SUNDRIES DR. TO GAY & OLDS.

Wm Shepherd, { pound tea. .25

James S. Everett, 8 pounds sugar. 1.00

Micheal Leonard, 320 lbs. salt. 8.00

Obadiah Britt, 5 lbs. nails. . .63

Madison Studyvant. 2 oz madder .06

Jesse Moler, 24 doz. cotton yarı. 4.80

William Elom, tobacco. .13

Joel Doolittle, 1 pr pants. 4.50

Elias Rodgers, 3 yds cassimere

4.50

Stephen Burnham, Sadirons. 1.13

Sett knives and forks. 1.38

Sett spoons. .37

Tea cups. .95 Pair scissors. .37

Maj Joseph Smith, 1 Ib tobacco. .75

James G. Faristol, } Ib tobacco .37

John H. Bryant 1 letter. .25

John Clapp then told how he came to the county in 1834. He told of having a sister that was afraid of the Indians, and could not

handle the rifle, so she made overtures of peace and friendship by offering them pan- fuls of doughnuts; this had a most taming effect on the Indians, and they would some- times swarm about the premises, humble and hungry for more doughnuts.

Micheal Kitterman .- The big-hearted, big- brained, though unlettered old Roman-a superb type of a grand old pioneer, was forced to get up and talk to his old friends, acquaintances and admirers. He said.

"I came to this county in 1828, and looked around and thought the country would suit me pretty well. In 1831, about the 18th of March, I left Indiana and thought I would come out to this country. I came on down here to the Mackinaw; it was high, I couldn't get across. I didn't know what to do. I did not like to lay by. A man told me if I would go up to the Narrows I could cross by swimming my horse. I went there and found it so. A man there showed me over the river and said: 'you can't go through to-day.' I had faith I could; I had a good horse, and mounted and started on a wagon-track and traveled until it was dark, and then I got dowu and sat on my saddle, and held my mare by the bridle all night. It commenced getting cold and snowed a lit- tle, not enough however to cover the wagon track. In the morning I put my saddle on my mare and started. At 4 o'clock that day I struck the rapids above La Salle. I stopped at a house near by-every man kept tav- ern then-they got me something to eat. Next day I came down to Hennepen; there was no way of crossing the river. I hired Jim Willis, for half a dollar to ferry me over to the Hall settlement. I hired out to old Johnny Hall for six months at $9 a month. Every Sunday I would get a chain and ax of him, and I hauled up two or three logs each day and built me a cabin. Then I went

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HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY.

back for a woman, and when I got her and came back there was a man living in my cabin. This was on Section 16. I had not a dollar in the world. I drove down to where I now live and have lived there ever since. I cut a log about four feet long and put some coals in it and burned a mortar; perhaps I was a week doing it of nights. I got my mortar dug out and got me a pestle, and every night I pounded meal enough to do me next day. I never enjoyed myself so much in my life as I did then. When the mills were built I went up to the Fox River and got a grist. When I wanted salt I had to go to Chicago. It would take me eight days to go up and eight days to come back. I took my food along; when I was there once I wanted some whisky; I went all over Chicago for it. I could get whisky. but nothing to put it in. Well, I went into a saloon and the keeper said: 'I've got a five-gallon jug.' Well. what will you fill it for? Says he: 'I'll put in the five gallons and give you the jug for a dollar.' I took it. I lived under the wagon as I came home, and had all the whisky I wanted to drink. I believe I have split enough rails at 50 cents a hundred to fence in the township. I have split 500 rails a day at $S a month."

Mr. Kitterman was born in Franklin County, Va., near Rockmount, the county seat, about the beginning of the year 1800. He found his way to Indiana an orphan boy, and stopped in Harrison County August 18, 1826. He married Miss Lydia Clark in Perry County, Ind., a native of Nel- son County, Ky., born September 15, 1810.

[For family genealogy see biography in the biographical part of this work. ED.]

He came West in 1828 to look at the country, and, as he says, he liked it, and in 1830, with a saddle horse and just $4 in the world. He left wife and two

babies and came to where he now lives to prepare a home. In his own language he tells how he hired to Hall for $9 a month, and during the six months thus engaged he would "rest on Sunday " by getting out a few logs, and thus patiently the young man built his cabin. After a long and arduous trip he reached here with his wife and babes with not a dollar in his pocket. He drove to his cabin and there found "Curt" Williams in pos- session-had " jumped" his claim and would neither give it up nor agree to pay a cent for it. Without wasting time or words upon this rather unneighborly man Mr. Kitterman proceeded to the spot where he now lives and unloaded his wagon, and from that hour to this he has stayed there on the lookout for "jumpers." And there is no doubt, as he says, that in his " whole life these were my [his ] happiest days." A nature so full of the sweet sunshine of life richly deserves the long and prosperous voyage, the rich endow- ment in worldly goods, the green old age, the large and respectable families of children and grandchildren, and the troops of friends that surround the walk in life and cheer and solace the declining years of Micheal Kitter- man, and "his woman," as he styles his good old lady who has now for fifty-eight years, through storms and through sunshine stood bravely by his side, a truly noble com- panion and worthy helpmeet. To visit and talk with this venerable old couple is a rare treat. Their days have been spared and blessed until they have been long in the land, and to look at them cheerful, happy and con- tented, vigorous, hale and hearty as they are, their greatest delight being in recounting the reminiscences of the past in which the true charity of heart has forgotten the little of the mean of life that crossed their pathway, is to behold a picture of a worthy couple into whose lives has come all the sweetness of

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sunshine that makes the world wholesome, pleasant and good.

Mr. Kitterman's broad and charitable mind is aptly illustrated in his statement of the loss of his claim and hard-earned cabin by the " jumper." And when the war had frightened Williams away, and as he did not return as soon as the other settlers, Mr. Arthur Bryant, supposing he had abandoned it, com- menced to work upon the claim and fix and improve the house and prepare it for his home. But Williams did return, and biding his time, he waited until Bryant had improved it considerably and then, one night he moved in and thus really "jumped" it the second time. Mr. Bryant went to Kitterman and wanted to consult him and probably strength- en his title by getting him to release his claim to him. The two talked the matter over and it appearing that Williams would leave for $20, Mr. Kitterman advised Bryant to pay this and get rid of him. His advice was followed.

When visiting Mr. Kitterman, the writer reminded the old gentleman that he had heard some amusing anecdotes of him, and wanted to know if they were authentic.

"They tell a great many stories on me," he replied, "but they are only jokes. Some of them, I expect, I made up and told my- self, just to tell a story, you know. What is your story ?"

The writer related Boyd's story about the Assessor and dogs. How the Assessor had called, and Kitterman, being warned just before by Boyd that he was assessing the dogs, and that he would soon be there, etc., whereupon he called his dogs and shut them in the cellar. In a little while the Assessor, Payne, arrived. Soon the property was gone over and assessed, and then he said he had to assess the dogs. He looked around and could see none, and Kitterman remarked that

he believed his boys claimed one or two trifling curs that hang around the place, and made some remark about boys and dogs gen- erally. Thus the dog subject was tided over, and as they sat on the porch, the apples and hard cider were at hand, the tax books were closed and all joined in a pleasant social chat, eating apples and drinking cider. Boyd had stayed, and the party were enjoying them- selves, and chatting and joking in great glee. Finally the pitcher was emptied, and Mr. Kitterman ordered one of his boys to fill the pitcher. The lad obeyed, but knowing noth- ing of the dogs being in the cellar, he threw open the cellar door and out came thirteen dogs in a rnsh for the open air and frisking about the men and wagging their tails and barking their joy to their master and his guests for their liberty.

The men looked at each other and finally all joined in a hearty laugh. No words were equal to the occasion. The joke was too good, and no dogs were charged to either Kitterman or his boys that year.

Mr. Kitterman laughed heartily at the story and said, just as he expected, "There was no truth in it."

"Indeed there is," said Mrs. Kitterman; " it is all true, but a good deal stronger than you told it. I tell you to put it in your book and make it as strong as you can, and then it won't be half enough."

The Kitterman family consisting of six sons and four daughters living, is one of the lead- ing, wealthy and influential families of Bu- reau County. They are surrounded by their sons and sons-in-law, and the people of the county all join in wishing the cheery old conple to be spared many days yet in the land.

Mr. Kitterman is an open-hearted, fearless, outspoken, manly man. The opposite every way of the braggart and the loud-canting

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HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY.

Pharisee. A man of worthy deeds, strong sense and no pretensions. A self-made man; the architect wholly of his own fortune, who has builded wisely and well. He is the old- est living settler in Bureau County-now the surviving link between the present and the past. Living or dead we would transmit his noble deeds and good name untarnished to the remotest generation, inseparably linked with the history of Bureau County.

At the old settlers' meeting, August 15, 1878, John H. Bryant was elected presiding officer, and E. S. Phelps. Secretary. The meeting was commenced with prayer by George Hammer, an old settler of 1834, who came with his uncle. John Hammer. John Clapp, C. P. Mason and R. B. Frary were appointed a committee to select officers for the coming year. President Cole gave an ac- count of the Black Hawk war. Officers for the ensuing year were elected as follows: Arthur Bryant, President; J. Benedict and H. Moore, Vice-Presidents; John Walters, T. Nichols. Alanson Benson, Directors; Stephen G. Paddock, Secretary. H. B. Lee- per talked to the old settlers, and amused them for some time. John Walters gave some amusing facts about his tailoring in Princeton from 1837 to 1840. R. B. Frary told the particulars of three families living in one house 14x16, and how the broom-maker and the basket-maker, in addition, carried on their trades in the same room, and how there was room enough and to spare.

In 1882 the old settlers met at the fair grounds. President, T. W. Nichols. Prayer by Elder Andrew Ross. An address was delivered by the President. 'Cyrus Colton, R. B. Frary and J. H. Bryant appointed a committee to select officers for ensuing year. Reported following: President, Milo Ken- dall; Secretary and Treasurer, H. B. Lee- per; Executive Committee, Milo Kendall,

George B. Cushing, C. T. Wiggins. Then R. F. Frary presented an address on the life of John Clapp. G. M. Radcliffe gave sketches of Charles S. Boyd, Mrs. Austin Bryant, Mrs. J. V. Thompson, Mrs. Fanny Moseley and Edward R. Bryant. Milo Kendall read an interesting paper on John Elliott, and O. G. Lovejoy read a poem by John H. Bryant. Zebinah Eastman gave an account of the Hampshire Colony.

Old settlers met at the fair grounds, Sep- tember 6, 1883. President, T. W. Nich- ols; Secretary, H. B. Leeper. Prayer by Rev. T. L. Pomeroy. Committee to nomi- nate officers: T. L. Pomeroy, George Ham- mer and George Phelps; and John Walters was chosen President; Vice-Presidents, Andrew Ross and L. D. Whiting; Secretary, Ro- mane Hodgeman. Roll-call of the deceased of the past year was as follows: Mrs. Lucy Cook, Mrs. Jacob Bettz, Dr. Joseph Jones, Dr. Avery, Mrs. Elliott, Arthur Bry- ant, Mrs. A. Boyd, Mrs. David Wells, Dea- con Asahel Wood, William Frankeberger, John Proutz, Alby Colton, Charles Faley, Mrs. Sarah Musgrove, Mrs. Brookbanks, Walter Durham, Mrs. R. T. Templeton, George Brown, Sarina Clapp, and Mrs. H. R. Pom- eroy. Appropriate eulogies were pronounced on each.

August 30, 1884, a meeting of the old set- tlers convened at the fair grounds. Presi- dent, John Walters; Secretary, H. B. Leeper; commenced with prayer by Dr. R. Edwards; singing led by Streator; and John H. Bry- ant, Cyrus Colton and George Phelps ap- pointed a committee to select officers for the ensuing year. H. C. Bradsby delivered an address, when the society adjourned for din- ner. After dinner the amphitheatre was again filled and short and interesting addresses were made by John H. Bryant, Rev. T. L. Pomeroy, Dr. William Mercer, L. D. Whiting,

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G. M. Radcliffe. Deacon Henry Wells, George W. Hammer, J. E. Dorr, Nicholas Smith, Rev. J. Coles and A. W. Bacon. These speeches were short, stirring and deeply in- teresting and elicited much applause. Rev. T. L. Pomeroy said that in coming to Illinois in 1837, he arrived at Chicago, and then took the stage for Hennepin. This was a small coach that started out every morning, and at that time furnished all the transportation the country lying west of Chicago needed. Mr. Hammer said he came in 1834, with his unele, John Hammer. He graphically de- scribed some of the straits the family were subjected to in the way of getting something to eat; how he had carried corn on his shoul- der to mill, and then with his own hands ground it and carried it baek; how, when his uncle had gone on a three weeks' trip to a mill about 100 miles east of the Illinois River, he had informed his aunt that he suspected the bushel of sweet potatoes his uncle had brought and holed up so carefully for seed in the spring, were frozen, and how he got her consent to examine them and, sure enough, they were as hard as rocks, and they there- fore ate them; and this and scant corn meal and meat was the only variety the family had to eat during the winter; thus again proving that it is an ill wind that blows nobody any good.

The roll-call of the deceased of the society since the last meeting, gave the following list: Edward Mercer, James Winsor, James Garvin, James Swan and A. S. Lathrop.

James Hamrick was a native of Lancaster County, Ohio, born February 3, 1815; was a son of John and Elizabeth (Spenny) Ham- rick, who had come from Virginia. Four of their children out of eleven, are now living. The family came in 1839, and settled at Cen- ter Grove.

The name of Henry Thomas occurs fre-

quently in the history of the county. He was among, if not the first settler in the county.

Of his family now living are: Austin C. Thomas, now in Oregon; Laura, wife of John Stuchel, now in Peoria. There are many facts that go to show that she was the first born white child in Bureau, or, perhaps it was Mary Ho- bart (Thomas), who was born January 15, 1830, and now lives in Dover. As Mrs. Ho- bart is yet a citizen of the county, and can show days and dates, we incline to give her the blue ribbon among the first born in the county. Other children of Henry Thomas are Emily Jackson, of Bureau Township, Sarah Lumry, of Kansas, and Electa Martin, now in the county.

Ezekiel Thomas' family are: Ruth J. Frankeberger, a widow, of Wyanet; Sarah Ballard, of same place; Matilda Fisher, of Princeton; Harvey Thomas, same place; John, of Oregon; Mary Walker, same; Malinda Honk, of Princeton; Hartzel, of Peoria; Will- iam and Nora Epperson, of Oregon.

William Hoskins was a native of Kentucky; lived many years in Indiana, and came here in 1831, and settled in Selby. His wife was Rebecca Kellums. They had five boys and one girl. The boys: Thomas, James, Wesley, Jesse H. and William W .; Lucinda married James Hosier. This family are all either dead or removed from the State. Judge Hoskins died in Missouri, 1849. He had improved four farms in this county.

Rev. William Martin was one of the earliest ministers here. He was a native of Virginia. He was President of the first Conference in Chicago. He took his dog "Penny " with him, and when he got there a committee met him for a reception, and as he mingled in the crowd he lost sight of "Penny," and the ceremony was at once stopped while the President started down

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street calling, "Here Penny! Here Penny! Here Penny! " as loud as he was in the habit of calling hogs from the woods in Bureau. In fact his voice rang out all over the city, and Penny soon heard the familiar sounds, and master and dog were soon together and the grand ceremonies of the Conference then proceeded. It is said by eye witnesses that the large committee of aristocratic la- dies that stood waiting the good man's pleas. ure and his yells for Penny, was about as amusing a sight as was ever witnessed at a Church Conference. The Rev. Mr. Johnson was in company with Mr. Martin, and he says he tried to stop the man in his yells for his dog, and told him that he was now in the city, and he must not act so; that those were very aristocratic ladies. Martin replied, in the highest key, "What do I care- Here Penny !- for the aristocratic-Here Penny !- ladies or anybody else? Here Pen- ny! Here Penny !! Here! Here !! Here Penny !!! "

Stephen Perkins was born March 31, 1798, in Grayson County, Va .; died in this county, September 14, 1867. He was a son of Tim- othy and Tabitha (Anderson) Perkins. The grandfather of Stephen was a soldier in the Revolution. Stephen married Margaret Woods, of Wythe County, Va., who was born in 1802. She was the daughter of John Banham. The Perkinses crossed the river in 1834, and wintered in a log cabin three miles northwest of Hennepin, where Stephen Perkins settled, and it was called Perkins' Grove, which had been staked out by Will- iam Perkins in 1833. The grove was named after Timothy Perkins, who made and sold claims from the mouth of Bureau to Perkins' Grove. He went finally to Missouri where he died in Gentry County. He was of a roving disposition; reared a large and re- spectable family. Jabeth Perkins and his

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History of Bureau County, Illinois, Part 14

Author: Bradsby, Henry C., [from old catalog] ed Publication date: 1885 Publisher: Chicago, World publishing company Number of Pages: 776

Author: Bradsby, Henry C., [from old catalog] ed
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Chicago, World publishing company
Number of Pages: 776