History of Chicago. From the earliest period to the present time, Part 43

Author: Andreas, Alfred Theodore
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Chicago, A. T. Andreas
Number of Pages: 1340

USA > Illinois > Cook County > Chicago > History of Chicago. From the earliest period to the present time > Part 43

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July 22, a meeting was held at which the feasibility of connecting the North and South sides by a tunnel under the river was for the first time proposed, dis- cussed, and recommended.

In August the first strike of laborers occurred. Their demand was for a reduction of two hours on the day's labor on each Saturday without reduction of pay. The strike lasted two weeks, during which time work was greatly interfered with, and work generally sus- pended. Their demands were not complied with.

August 9 Knud Iverson was drowned. His death became historic, whether rightfully or not. as a martyr in the cause of truth and honesty.§

August 25, subscriptions began to be received for the relief of yellow fever sufferers at New Orleans. Over $4,000 was collected in one week.

September 5, an attempt was made to assassinate Allan Pinkerton, on Clark Street, near Monroe. He is still (1884) a resident of Chicago.

December 20, an indignation meeting was held to denounce the action of the citizens.of Erie, Penn., who had torn up the tracks in that town, as was alleged, to prevent the establishment of a uniform gauge between the Atlantic and Chicago.

1854 .- This was a most turbulent year of excite- ment. In politics the anti-Nebraska broil was at its height. The financial troubles culminated in the sus- pension or winding-up of several banks.

March 8 and 9, a marine convention was held at the rooms of the Chicago Board of Trade. There were present delegates from the Chambers of Commerce and Boards of Trade of Oswego, Buffalo, Detroit and Mil- waukee. At this meeting the date at which navigation should be declared closed and marine should cease was agreed to be November 30, in each year. A committee was appointed at this meeting to memorialize Congress in favor of the improvement of the St. Clair flats, and

* See Political History.

t Sec History of Banking

$ Sce History of Banking.

§ See Church History, First Norwegian Church.

for national legislation which should make contracts binding between the captains or owners of vessels and their crews.

April 7 occurred a tremendous gale, during which seven vessels were wrecked in the offing of Chicago harbor.

May 17, a "Sabbath Convention" was held in the .city, attended by delegates from nearly every Western State. The work of the convention culminated in the passage of resolutions asking additional legislation to enforce the observance of the Christian Sabbath.

May 18, the corner stone of the first Masonic Temple was laid, " on Dearborn Street, between Wash- ington and Randolph streets." There was a very large Masonic demonstration on the occasion. Addresses were delivered by Dr. J. V. Z. Blaney and Dr. W. B. Herrick.

June 5, the Rock Island Railroad was completed to Chicago. The occasion was celebrated by an excursion over the road. The train bore over one thousand invited guests, including many distinguished men of the country. This marks the first railroad connection between the lakes and the Mississippi River.

From June I to September 1, the cholera raged so malignantly as to seriously interfere with business The deaths from the disease during the year were reported at 1,424 .*

September r, Stephen A. Douglas attempted to speak in defense of the recently enacted Kansas- Nebraska bill. He was prevented by a howling mob, but retired from the scene of disorder undismayed, after vainly essaying to be heard for three hours. t

September 10, an ineffectual attempt was made to arrest a fugitive slave, named Turner, by three persons from Missouri. He escaped, but was fired at by his pursuers. They were arrested, tried for assault with deadly weapons before a Justice, and acquitted for want of evidence.

September 19, George W. Green, a banker, was arrested for the murder of his wife by poison. He was arrested on the complaint of his brother-in-law, F. H. Revell, tried December 19, and subsequently, having been convicted, and awaiting the decisions of the Supreme Court on appeal, committed suicide in jail by poisoning himself, February 18, 1855.

1855 .- The history of the year only records occur- rences of purely local interest. January 25 a most vio- lent snow-storm set in, which, lacking the modern appliances of railroads, caused a complete embargo of railroad traffic until the 7th of February. The great fall of snow stopped the receiving of supplies from the country, and wood, coal not being as yet in use, became so scarce that the Common Council saw fit to take the furnishing of fuel to suffering citizens in charge. On February 15, the city offered wood for sale, " at cost," to families in quantity of not more than one cord at one time to any single family.

The icipal election of March resulted in the total rout of both the known political parties, and the elec- tion of the Know-nothing ticket. The new admistra- tion, as do all new administrations, started in for radical reform. The enforcement of the Sunday law, which had before been a dead letter, was attempted, and a most strenuous crusade inaugurated against the saloons. t Mayor Boone issued a proclamation ordering the saloons closed on Sunday. March r8, they were generally closed in compliance with the proclamation and the city ordi-

. See Sanitary History

+ Sce Political History.

# Sce Political History.

----

158

HISTORY OF CHICAGO.

nance. Such as violated the law, some twenty saloon- keepers, were arrested on the following day.

March 26, the Common Council increased the license for selling liquor to $300 per annum-no license, even at that high rate, to run longer than to July 1.

April 4, an organization was effected of those opposed to prohibition and high license.

April 21, the day appointed for the trial of those arrested for violation of the Sabbatarian law and for violation of other temperance ordinances, occurred a serious riot, which resulted in the death of one or more of the rioters, and the wounding of several policemen. T'he rioters were subdued and peace restored under the law .*

April 24, a meeting of citizens was held at which resolutions were passed commending the civil authori- ties for their successful efforts in the interests of law and order during the " late disturbance."

May 30, the railroad to Burlington, Iowa, was opened, and trains took excursionists from Chicago to that town. June 13, a large party of excursionists from Burlington visited Chicago, and were publicly welcomed by the Mayor.

June 4, the vote on prohibition of the liquor traffic, in Chicago was: For prohibition 2,784; against, 4,093. In Cook County the vote was: For prohibition, 3,807; against, 5,182.

September 11, a committee was appointed in every ward of the city to collect donations for the yellow- fever sufferers of Portsmouth and Norfolk, Va. The amount collected and forwarded was over $5,000.

September 18, in the equinoctial storm the brig "Tuscarora" was wrecked off the harbor. The crew were rescued by two life-boats manned by volunteers and commanded by Captain J. A. Napier.

October 9, the State Agricultural Fair was held, for the first time, in Chicago. The grounds were near Blue Island Avenue and Rucker Street, and were bor- dered by the canal. The principal conveyance to the grounds was by canal boats.

October 22, an Old Settlers' Society was organized. On November 3, the by-laws of the society were pub- lished. As finally adopted, persons were eligible to mem- bership who resided in Chicago prior to January, 1837. The male children of members, born in Chicago prior to 1837, were also eligible on reaching the age of twenty-one years. Semi-annual meetings were to be held on the third Tuesdays of each November and May, and an annual festival held on the second Tuesday of December. It was also obligatory on members to attend the funerals of fellow-members, and a fund was provided for such as were indigent or distressed. The first officers, as announced in the Democratic Press of November 21, were: President, John H. Kinzie; Vice- President, Colonel R. J. Hamilton; Treasurer, J. Y. Scammon; Secretary, George T. Pearson; committee for annual festival, Gurdon S. Hubbard, John S. Wright, John C. Haines.

December 13, efforts to drive out of circulation the Georgia and Tennessee banks were noted in the papers. t

During December, the date not being known, Flavel Mosely made a public bequest of $1,000, the interest of which was to be devoted to the purchase of school- books for indigent children attending the public schools.

1856 .- The year was one of extreme business activi- ty and political excitement.

January 7, a Kansas aid meeting was held at which * See Political History.

t See Article on Banking.

liberal donations were made to aid the free State settlers. May 31, was held on Court Square one of the most memorable and important political meetings ever held in the city .* At this meeting over $15,coo was subscribed for Kansas. The political excitement culminated in the presidential election which occurred November 4, when the political complexion of the vote of the city was com- pletely revolutionized, the Republicans carrying the city by a good majority. The vote was: Fremont, 6,370; Buchanan, 4,913; Fillmore, 332-total, 11,615. The vote cast was more than double than of four years before.

At this time the fact had been clearly demonstrated that Chicago was destined to become an immense city -the commercial emporium of the great Northwest. The natural level of the grade of the streets was decided to be too low for the permanence of the city or its efficient drainage. Accordingly the level had been estab- lished several feet above that of the old streets as at first laid out. This virtually involved the necessity of raising the structures of the entire city to the established level, and the filling up of many streets to the estab- lished grade. May 26, many land owners opposed to the high grade established on Lake Street, applied to Judge Caton for an injunction, which he refused to grant. The right of the city to change or establish the grade was thus established, and thenceforth the labor of raising the whole builded city began. The work was completed before 1858.+

The local annals of the city were as follows :

In May, steam-tugs first began to ply up and down the river and to tow vessels into the harbor.

June 24 the Masonic Temple was dedicated.

August 13, a most destructive fire occurred by which the freight depots of the Michigan Southern and Rock Island railroads were destroyed, together with some twenty freight cars, a large quantity of disembarked freight, and several factories and dwellings adjacent. The loss was estimated at $150,000.

August 25, the schooner " Dean Richmond," from Chicago, left Quebec for a voyage across the Atlantic Ocean with the first cargo of grain from that far western point.

September 19, a most lamentable accident occurred, The Lake House ferry boat, overloaded with passen- gers, capsized, and twelve to fifteen laborers were drowned. The verdict of the coroner's jury was that the victims came to their death from the " imprudence of the people, in rushing in too great numbers upon an unseaworthy boat and taking it from the control of the man in charge of the ferry." The crowd was made up of laborers living on the North Side, hastening to their work on the other side of the river.

October 18, Hough's packing-house, with its con- tents, was destroyed by fire. The loss was over $100,000.

November 21, a tornado passed over the city result- ing in the death of two men and the destruction of prop- erty valued at $50,000.

November 28, the first wooden pavement was laid on Wells Street, between Lake and South Water streets.

December 2, a severe storm occurred. The schooner "Charles Howard " was driven ashore off Lake View. The crew was rescued by a volunteer company in the yawl boat of the " Mohawk," manned by Captain Graw, N. K. Fairbanks, Isaac Walker and Captain Moore.

* Sce Political History.

t See Corporate History.

159

ANNALS OF CHICAGO-1837-1857.

1857 .- This year witnessed a pause in the progress of the city, the curtailment of business, and a general breaking up in common with every other commercial community in the country. Several banks suspended, and a score of the leading merchants of the city failed. The specific historic events as chronicled in the news- papers of the day, were as follows :

February 8, there was a big freshet and there were general apprehensions of another flood like that of 1849. The river overflowed its banks, and many parts of the city were submerged.

March 3, at the polls there was much disorder. At the precinct on the corner of Sedgwick and Division streets, Charles Seifurth was killed, and at another pre- cinct George Armour was badly wounded.

April 1, a severe gale occurred in which six vessels were wrecked in the vicinity of Chicago, and fifteen seamen lost their lives:

At the April term of the Recorder's court, four negroes who had been indicted for stealing poultry, entered through their counsel, the apparently legal and logical demurrer, that under the Dred Scott decision they were not individuals, were merely chattels having no rights which white men were bound to respect, and that they were consequently not amenable to the law. The demurrer was overruled and the colored chicken stealers were obliged to submit to the penalty for their derelictions prescribed for white men.

April 20, in a moral spasm a mob tore down nine buildings, and burned six others, thereby breaking up, what were termed in the papers the "Dens on the Sands."

May 4, the " high grade " was finally established on the South Side by a city ordinance.

June 17, city orders were protested for non-payment, as is recorded in the Chicago Tribune of June 18.

June 19, William Jackson was executed on Reuben Street (now Ashland Avenue) for the murder of Ronan Morris, near Libertyville, Lake County.

July 3, the private banking house of E. R. Hinckly & Co. closed.

August 3, there was a run on Hoffman's Bank.

September 29, the banking house of R. K. Swift, Brother & Co. closed its doors.

November 7, the Cherokee Banking and Insurance Company, having a large circulation in Chicago, sus- pended.

November 16, Walker, Bronson & Co., one of the heaviest produce firms in the city, suspended. The announcement of their failure in the paper was accom- panied with the statement that "for one hundred and eighty days previous to their failure their sales had averaged $100,000 per day."

In November, soon after the failure of Walker, Bronson & Co., the business demoralization became general, and the year closed with no business life and only the unconquerable hope peculiar to Chicago left. As the first year of Chicago's municipal life saw her bowed down by the financial disasters of 1837, so the close of 1857 saw her again bowing to a financial storm which, sweeping the whole country, left not a shred of speculative wealth behind.

In addition to the financial and business troubles, to crown the disasters of the year there occurred a most disastrous fire on October 19. It broke out on October 19 in the large brick store 109 and 111 South Water Street. Property was destroyed on South Water and Lake streets valued at $500,000. Thirteen persons lost their lives in the conflagration.

The end of the first two decades of Chicago's city life showed the most marvelous advance ever shown in the development of a community or the aggregation of a resident population ever known in the history of the world. In twenty years the city grew in population from an over estimate of 4,000 inhabitants to not less than 90,000.

At the close of the year 1857 Chicago was the largest city in the Northwest and the acknowledged metropolis of an area of country larger than that of the whole original thirteen States.

As closing the annals of Chicago to 1858, the follow- ing table, showing the increase in population, is an index of its growth in other departments:

POPULATION OF CHICAGO (Colbert's table).

Those marked thus * are estimates.

1829

30*

1844.

S,000*

1831 . .

60*

18.45.

12,OSS

IS32

600

18.16.

. 14, 169

IS33.

350*

18.47.

16,559

IS34

1.800*

1848

.20,023

IS35.

3.265

18.49.

23,047

IS36

4,000*

1850.

. 25,269

1837.

4,179

1851

34,000*

IS3S

4,000*

1852.

.38,734

IS39.

4,200*

IS53

60,662

IS40.

4.470

1854.

65.872

IS41.

5,500*

IS55

$0, 023

IS.42.

6,590*

IS56.

S6,000*

IS43

7,580

1857

93,000*

There may be some discrepancies in the above table discovered by captious critics, but, leaving out all esti- mates of population, and considering only the state- ments based on actual enumeration, it is quite certain that Chicago increased in population from 4,000 in 1837 to nearly 90,000 in 1857. The Federal census of 1860 gave the city a population of 109,263.

LATE THREADS OF FORT DEARBORN HISTORY.

Subsequent to the evacuation of Fort Dearborn as a military post, in 1836, the land contained in the military reservation and the old buildings remained Government property and was in charge of the Government officers who were directing the improvement of Chicago harbor under the acts which made appropriations for that pur- pose. There was after the final evacuation as a military post in 1836, little moveable property left ; but the build- ings of the old fort, and a most valuable tract of land remained, lying along the lake front from the south side of the new mouth of the river and harbor. The title to this tract has long ago passed from the Government ; how and when, is told by John Wentworth, LL. D., in his oration delivered May 21, 1881, on the occasion of unveiling of the tablet which marks the site of the old block-house, gave a most valuable history of the whole matter. He said : "On the 28th of May, 1835, Chicago had a sensation and I am sorry that I was not here to enjoy it. But many now living were here. I have enjoyed almost every one since. Chicago has ever been noted for its sensations, and that is one of the reasons why I have never liked to leave it. You can not find any other place that has so many of them. Why travel about when there is so much of interest transpiring at home ? On that day, General John B. Beaubien went to the public land-office, and purchased, for ninety-four dollars and sixty-one cents, the entire Fort Dearborn Reservation. He derived his military title from an election by the people, not from any conspicuous mili- tary talents, but because he had the most friends of any one in town, and he kept them to the day of his death. The State, at that time, was divided into military dis- tricts, and the people elected the Generals. He had lived upon the reservation many years, and he had found some law which satisfied our land-officers that he was entitled to make the purchase, the same as many others have found laws under which they could purchase our lake front ever since. The news spread, Every- body was a daily paper in those days. We had but two newspapers then, and both were weeklies. The people assembled in squads and discussed the situation. The question was raised : Did General Beaubien buy the fort with the land ? What were the officers to do ? There was no telegraph in those days. General Beaubien was con- gratulated. He had an entire fort of his own. A con- fict between the United States troops and the State militia might ensue. General Beaubien, himself was in command of the militia. Would he use them to dis- possess the United States forces ? Fancy yourselves here at that time, and remember that the men of that day were the substratum of our present society, and you can appreciate how great a day that of May 28, 1835, was. The receiver of public moneys, at that time, was Hon. Edmund D. Taylor, now residing at Mendota, in this State, and for many years a resident of this city.

" Nothing serious happened, however, as a case was agreed upon and submitted, in 1836, to Judge Thomas Ford, of the Cook County Circuit Court, at the October term, in the shape of an action of ejectment, and entitled John Jackson ex dem. Murray McConnell 7. De Lafay- ette Wilcox.

ward gained such a splendid reputation as our Canal- Governor, and as historian of our State, was when, in November, 1836, he called at my office and left his written opinion to be published in my Chicago Democrat. His opinion was very elaborate, and just as favorable to the plaintiff as it possibly could be, whilst he decided against him. He thought General Beaubien's purchase was en- tirely legal, but that his title could not be enforced until he had procured his patent from Washington ; which one thing needful he was never to procure. The suit was appealed to the State Supreme Court, where Justice Theophilus W. Smith, in behalf of a majority of the court, gave a long and exhaustive opinion, very valuable to this day as a historical document, reversing the decision of the court below .* Justice Smith was a resident of this City, father-in-law of ex-Mayor Levi D. Boone. He was a warm, personal friend of General Beau- bien, and his learned opinion was the work of both heart and head. I have often met him at the General's entertainments. The suit was then taken to the United States Supreme Court, where another very elaborate opinion, and one very valuable as a historical document to this day, was given ; which effectually wiped out every pretense to a claim that General Beaubien had. On December 18, 1840, he was glad to call at the land- office and receive his money back, without interest.t

"Upon April 23, 1839, Hon. Joel R. Poinsett, Sec- retary of War, appointed Hon. Matthew Burchard, then Solicitor of the General Land-Office, the agent of the department, to come to Chicago and sell the reserva- tion. Judge Burchard caused the land to be surveyed and platted as Fort Dearborn Addition to Chicago. His survey made the reservation contain 5374 acres ; being 314 acres less than the quantity marked upon the original official plat, the quantity having been dimin- ished, it was supposed, by abrasions caused by the action of the water of the lake. All was sold except what was needed for the occupants of the public build- ings, and there was realized from the sale what was considered at that time the great sum of $106,042.1

" At this time Chicago had another sensation. Gen- eral Beaubien had subdivided the land and sold, or given away his interest in a great many lots. The owners of such rights undertook to shape a public sentiment so as to prevent any one from bidding against them at the time of the sale. The very numerous friends of General Beaubien and his family sympathized with such a move- ment. It would be difficult to mention any man of any official prominence or aspirations, from the Judge of our Supreme ""rt to the humblest citizen, who did not favor non-intervention. Politics also were running very high. The next year President Martin VanBuren would seek a re-election, and many interested and sym- pathizing were his political supporters, and they argued that it would injure the party if the poor people of the West were to be outbid by Eastern speculators. Threats of personal violence were not unfrequently made. Out of the party clamor grew the dedication of Dearborn Park. It was thought a great thing to give so large a

. See Scammon's Reports, Vol. i.

t See Peter-'s United States Reports, Vol. viii.

$ A detailed account of this gde, with names of purchasers, may be found

" The first time I ever saw Thomas Ford, who after- ' in No. 2 of Fergus's Historical Series-Chicago Directory for 1839, page 47.

160

161

LATE THREADS OF FORT DEARBORN HISTORY.

tract for a public park. We had nothing of the kind then. It was thought, by the Democratic party-leaders, a measure that would greatly benefit the administration in this region. Yet Judge Burchard dared not have an open sale; and resolved to advertise for sealed bids for a portion of the lots daily, with a determination to re- ject bids which he thought too low, and stop the sale if he found the people were influenced by intimidation. Everything proceeded satisfactorily until the lots upon which General Beaubien lived were to be offered. He was expected to procure his homestead for a nominal sum merely, and violent threats were made against any man who dared bid against him. But there was one man, James H. Collins, and I think the only man in the city who dared do this; who had denounced the whole transaction from the beginning in every place he had an opportunity. He had denounced the land- officers and the Judges of the Courts. He was one of the earliest abolitionists in our State, and would shelter fugitive slaves, and would travel any distance to defend one when captured, or defend a man who was arrested for assisting one to his freedom. He was a man of ability and integrity, and took great delight in defying popular clamor. He took an average of the price at previous sales and put in his sealed bid, thereby securing all the land which General Beaubien desired, being the land upon the east side of Michigan Avenue, in Block 5, between South Water Street and the lots reserved, where the Marine Hospital afterward was, except the corner lot, known as Lot r1, for which General Beaubien paid $225. Mr. Collins bid $1,049 for the next five lots, 10, 9 8, 7, and 6, where Beaubien's house, out-buildings, and garden were. His life was threatened. He was burnt in effigy. Many indignities were put upon him. To all this he bid defiance, asserting that the friends of General Beaubien might possibly take his life, but they could never have his land. He was one of Chicago's ablest lawyers, the candidate of the early abolitionists for Congress, and far the ablest man in their organiza- tion. Had he lived a few years longer, he, unquestion- ably, would have been assigned to some one of the highest positions in the country. Thus General Beaubien lost his old homestead, except this one lot which he soon sold as insufficient for him ; and not one who claimed under him was successful in procuring a lot. If you wish to find the traditional residence of General Jean Baptiste Beaubien, after he moved from what was before known as the John-Dean house, go east upon South Water Street until you come to the northeast corner of South Water Street and Michigan Avenue, and you will find it. General Beaubien subsequently moved to near what is now River Park, on the Desplaines River, in this county, near the reservation of Alex. Robinson, the Indian chief. The General died at Naperville, Du Page County, January 5, 1863.

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History of Chicago. From the earliest period to the present time, Part 43

Author: Andreas, Alfred Theodore Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Chicago, A. T. Andreas Number of Pages: 1340

Author: Andreas, Alfred Theodore
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Chicago, A. T. Andreas
Number of Pages: 1340