USA > Illinois > Cook County > Chicago > History of Chicago : historical and commercial statistics, sketches, facts and figures, republished from the "Daily Democratic press" ; What I remember of early Chicago, a lecture, delivered in McCormick's hall, January 23, 1876 (Tribune, January 24th) > Part 4
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In the rear of this building, and in front of the Tremont House, Mr. Dole slaughtered, in the fall of 1833, the first lot of cattle, in all two hundred head, ever packed in Chicago. They were driven from the Wabash Valley, and cost him $2.75 per cwt. He also slaughtered in the same place and packed 350 hogs from the same locality, for which he gave $3 per cwt. Here was the nucleus of the immense "packing" business now done in Chicago. It cannot amount to much less than $1,500,000 per annum, and Chicago beef has obtained the first place in the markets of the world.
Mr. Peck has also shown us his original document for the purchase of Lot 4, Block 18, in the Old Town of Chicago. It is as follows :
CHICAGO, Aug. 15, 1831.
Received of P. F. W. Peck, eighty dol- lars, in full for Lot No. 4, Block 18, in the. plan of the town of Chicago, and in full for all claims to this date.
W. F. WALKER.
This lot is at the southeast corner of South Water and LaSalle streets, fronting 80 feet on South Water and 150 feet on La- Salle street, and entire is now valued in our table at $42,500. Mr. P. retains a part of the lot only, having sold the largest portion of it soon after his purchase. He has also exhibited to us a receipt of his taxes for 1833, signed S. Forbes, Sheriff, amounting to $3.50. The books of the proper officers will show that he has paid, for general and special assessments, for
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HISTORY OF CHICAGO.
the past year, about $5,000. Mr. Peck is but one among a score in our city whose taxes would show as large, and some of them even larger figures.
Early in 1832, Chicago received quite an addition to her citizens. Among those now residents of the city, we remember Dr. Maxwell, G. W. Snow, Philo Carpen- ter, John S. Wright, and Dr. Kimberly.
Going back to 1831, we find that the Commissioners' Court, under the act or- ganizing the county, was opened March 8th of that year. The first record we have is that "Samuel Miller, Gholson Kercheval and James Walker, Commis- sioners for Cook county, were sworn into office by J. S. C. Hogan, Justice of the Peace. William See was appointed Clerk of the Commissioners' Court, who, after being duly sworn and giving bonds 'according to law, the Court proceeded to business.' Archibald Clybourne was appointed County Treasurer, and an order passed that the "S. W. fraction of Sec. 10 in T. 39 N., R. 14 East of the third principal meridian, be entered for County purposes.' At the next meeting, March 9th, the Treasurer is authorized to borrow one hundred dollars, with which to enter the land before mentioned, and he is directed 'not to give more than six per cent. interest.' It is also ordered that Jesse Walker be employed to enter the land, that Jedediah Wooley be nominated to the Governor for County Surveyor, and that there be three precincts in the county of Cook, to wit : 'the Chicago Precinct,' the 'Hickory Creek Precinct,' and the 'Du- page Precinct.' The boundaries of these three precincts were established, Judges of Election appointed, and the times and the places of holding the same. Grand and Petit Jurors were selected, and some other minor business transacted, when the ' Court adjourned until Court in course.'"
April 13th, 1831 .- A special term was held. The record says : "Court was called at the hour of ten o'clock in the morning, and Samuel Miller and Gholson Kercheval being present, formed a quo- rum, and proceeded to business.
" Ordered, That there be a half per cent. levied on the following description
of property, to wit: On town lots, on pleasure carriages, on distilleries, on all horses, mules and neat cattle above the age of three years ; on watches, with their appurtenances, and on all clocks."
Elijah Wentworth and Samuel Miller were licensed to keep a tavern in the town of Chicago, and taxed therefor the sum of $7 and $5 respectively. The fol- lowing financial measure, the second recorded in the history of Chicago, was also adopted, and as one of the "quorum" on this occasion was also one of the pros- pective "tavern keepers," we have a right to presume that the tariff was fairly ad- justed.
" Ordered, That the following rates be allowed to tavern keepers, to wit :
Each half pint of wine, rum or brandy 25 cents.
Each pint do. 3716 66
half pint of gin. 18% 66
pint do 3114
66
66 gill of whisky
half pint do.
12%
66
25 For each breakfast and supper dinner. 371% 66
66 horse feed .. 25
Keeping horse one night .. 50
6
Lodging for each man per night 1216 66
614
For cider or beer, one pint. 66 66 quart. 1216 66
The first licensed merchants in Cook county, as appears from the licenses granted at this time, were B. Laughton, Robert A. Kinzie, Samuel Miller; and the first auctioneer, James Kinzie. Russell E. Heacock was licensed to keep a tavern at his residence.
Initiatory steps were taken for the es- tablishment of 'a ferry across both branches of Chicago river, at the forks, over which the people of Cook county, with their " traveling apraties " were to be passed free. Rates of ferriage were speci- fied for outsiders, and a ferry scow was purchased from Samuel Miller for sixty- five dollars. At the next meeting of the Court, Mark Beaubien filed his bond for $200, with James Kinzie as security, and having agreed to pay into the Treasury fifty dollars, and "to ferry all citizens of Cook county free," became the first ferry- man of Chicago.
During vacation of Court, permits to sell goods were obtained from the clerk . by Alexander Robinson, John B. Beaubien
66
66 pint do. 1834 4
25
HISTORY OF CHICAGO.
and Madore Beaubien, thus adding by so many to the number of Cook county merchants.
At the next term of Court, June 6th, Jesse Walker, who had been commissioned to enter the land selected for county pur- poses, reported that he had been refused permission to enter the same, and paid back the money put into his hands for that purpose.
The fees received by the members of the Commissioners' Court during this period were, as appears from appropria- tions made them, at the rate of $1.50 per day, for actual term time, and were paid in county orders. Joseph Leflenboys was added to the list of merchants ; also, Mark Beaubien and O. Newberry.
Certain blocks and lots having been given to the county by the "Canal Com- missioners," it was thought proper to dis- pose of them, with the exception of the Public Square, and accordingly a " sail of lots"-we use the spelling of the record- was advertised to take place on the first Monday in July following. This semi- nautical proceeding was probably the first of the speculative and numerous land sales of which Chicago has since been the theatre. In return, probably, for the liberal donation received from the Canal Commissioners, and, as also perhaps con- sidered the best and only method of ex- tending to them the " hospitalities of the county," it was "ordered that the county pay the Canal Commissioners' ferriage during their stay at Chicago on canal business," all of which ferriage, according to Mark Beaubien's account, afterwards presented and paid, amounted to the enormous sum of seven dollars and thirty- three cents. In these days of paved streets and present and prospective plank roads and railroads, it is also interesting to glance at another order, having in view the opening of the first two highways of which any definite history has come down to us. The first provides for the viewing of a road to the west boundary of the county, in a direction toward the mouth of Fox river, as follows : "From the town of Chicago to the house of B. Laughton, from thence to the house of James Walk-
er on the Dupage river, and so on to the west line of the county, and that Elijah Wentworth, R. E. Heacock and Timothy B. Clark be the viewers." The other is a. road "from the town of Chicago, the near- est and best way to the house of the widow. Brown, on 'Hycory creek,' and that. James Kinzie, Archibald Clybourne and R. E. Heacock be the viewers." What would widow Brown now say were she to count from the cupola of the Tremont House the eighty trains of cars that daily arrive and depart from this city? And for aught we know she may have done so, for it is only twenty-three years since her house was made the terminus of the "original survey" of one of the first ave- nues from Chicago.
The vexed question, whether our pres- ent splendid Court House, with all its roomy and convenient public offices, stands on a " square " or a " skew," is re- solved into a matter of insignificance, when it is remembered at how recent a date, as the archives inform us, the Sher- iff was authorized "to provide, on the best terms in his power, to secure a prison sufficient to hold prisoners for the time: being," or when, as in the present instance, the "court adjourned until court in course, to the house of William See."
The affairs of the county appear to have been managed during these primeval times with commendable prudence, econ- omy and good faith, for we find subse- quently that Jas. Kinzie, having, in his- official capacity, disposed of the lands given to the county by the Canal Com- missioners, was allowed a county order for $14.53ª, being at the rate of 2} per cent. for the first $200, and one per cent. for all over that sum, for his services as " auxineer "-we use the spelling of the record-"in the sail of lots" elsewhere mentioned.
The mercantile corps of Cook county was meanwhile increased by the addition of four new firms, viz .: Brewster, Hogan & Co., Peck, Walker & Co., Joseph Naper and Nicholas Boilvin. . It, per- haps, ought not to be omitted, that Mark Beaubien, who, from all accounts, was not an unworthy pioneer to Chicago enterprise
26
HISTORY OF CHICAGO.
and ambition, not satisfied with being al- ready chief ferryman, as well as a mer- chant, or with having experienced the clemeney of the Court, in the shape of a remittance of a fine of ten dollars, "as- sessed to him for a fracas " with John G. Hall, also applied for and received a license to "keep a tavern," being charged therefor the moderate sum of six dollars. As an offset to these various evidences of favor, he well nigh met with a worse fate than old Charon, for he was " ordered " to ferry the citizens of Cook county " from daylight in the morning until dark, with- out stopping."
The reason for this stringent order, as given by Dr. Kimberly, was, that Mark at the time kept two race horses, and he had such a passion for the sports of the turf that he would, every day, if possible, get up a race with some of the Indian " bloods," and sadly negleet his duty to ferry the good citizens of Cook county free, according to the law in such case made and provided,
An incident in the history of the Beau- bien family should be duly recorded. The military commandant of the State gave orders in 1834 that the militia of Cook county should be duly organized and officers elected. Like the immortal Fal- staff, there were some gentlemen who did not fancy that kind of company. As usual, there were several aspirants who, if eleeted, would carry out the law ; but over all these it was determined to eleet John B., Colonel. The election was to be held in the house of a Mr. Laughton, who kept tavern near where Lyonsville now stands, on the southwestern plank road. The town turned out . en masse, taking with them a keg of brandy, four packages of loaf sugar and six dozen of lemons. John was elected over all opposition, and it was determined, of course, to have "a time." At the base of the bluff, near the house, is a fine spring. A dam was made across the outlet, and the brandy, lemons and sugar were all emptied into it, and being duly stirred up, each one drank till he could drink no more from this novel "PUNCH BOWL." Colonel Beaubien was entirely satisfied with the "the honor "
conferred upon him, and never called out his forces. He is the first, and still is the highest officer of the Cook county militia.
The first mention we find of the Circuit Court is contained in the minutes of September 6th, 1831, providing that it be held in "Fort Dearborn, in the brick house, and in the lower room of said house."
It is worthy of remark, that notwith- standing the low state of the county finan- ces during this period, the sick or disabled strangers and travelers, or unfortunate residents, were uniformly provided with proper nourishment, medicine, and care- ful attendance at the public expense. Several instances are on record of appro- priations from the treasury for these and like purposes. It is equally in evidence, that amid all the impositions and irregu- larities attending the first years of a new settlement, the administration of public affairs rested in the hands of cool and im- partial offieers, who were not to be easily deceived or imposed upon, and who had a single eye to the general good. As an in- stance, we notice that when the first road was located from the Public Square to the west county line, it appears that some or all of the viewers were influenced by some selfish purpose, and hence we find that their "report is rejected, and the viewers shall have no pay for their ser- vices."
The population and business of the town steadily increased from month to month, and with it many changes oe- curred which it is beyond our limits to notiee.
Richard J. Hamilton was appointed Clerk of the Court, in place of William See, resigned, and entered upon the duties of his office on the second day of April, 1832. Mueh business of more or less importance was transacted at this special term. More roads and streets were authorized, and Commissioners ap- pointed to decide their location; election precincts and magistrate districts were set apart, described and named ; judges of elections appointed, ete., etc. From a statement returned by the Sheriff of Cook county, April 4th, 1832, it is shown that
27
HISTORY OF CHICAGO.
the amount of the tax list on real and personal property, for the year ending March 1st, 1832, was $148.29; and that the non-resident delinquent tax list amounted to $10.50. Of this amount there had been paid into the treasury $142.28. The Treasurer's report for the same period shows that the amount received from licenses "to keep taveran," sell goods, etc., was $225.50; taxes paid in, as per Sheriff's report, were $132.28-total, $357.78. To balance this amount, the Treasurer reports, license tax delinquencies to the amount of $88.50. Paid out for County Orders, $252.35-leaving balance in the treasury of $15.93.
Thus stands the account current of Cook county in the spring of 1833, only twenty-two years ago! The total receipts of taxes and moneys from all other sources, is the enormous sum of $357.78 ! How stands the account now ? The total amount of moneys collected by the City Treasurerfor the year 1853, is $135,752.03; and by the County Treasurer, $245,057.07 -making the total amount of taxes col- lected last year in Cook county, $380,809.10. Those who have leisure may "'cypher up" the ratio of increase in the short space of twenty-two years.
The whole assessed value of the per- sonal property of the city for the past year is $2,711,154 ; real estate, $13,841,831 -total, $16,841,831. The entire valuation for Cook county is, personal property, $4,450,630 ; real estate, $18,487,627-total, $22,937,657. Every one knows that the assessed does not represent one-fourth of the real value of the property in the county. It is entirely safe to set down the value of the personal and real property of Cook county at the lowest estimate at ONE HUNDRED MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
. It will be noticed by the above that several of the tavern keepers or merchants failed to pay for their licenses, and it was accordingly ordered by the Court that hereafter all taxes for license "shall be paid before the issuing thereof." The tax of one-half per cent. was extended to include all personal property of whatever kind or description, and other measures suggested by time and experience were
adopted. Archibald Clybourne was reap- pointed Treasurer for the ensuing year. The Sheriff was authorized to procure a room or rooms for the April term of the Circuit Court at the house of James Kin- zie, provided it can be done at a cost of not more than ten dollars.
We find several "items" upon the record, among which we notice that John R. Clark was the first Coroner. The first inquest was held "over the body of a dead Indian." The second was on " William Jewett, a passenger who was found dead."
The first street leading to Lake Michi- gan was laid out April 25th, 1832. This street commenced at what was then called the east end of Water street, and is de- scribed by Jedediah Wooley, the surveyor, as follows : "From the east end of Water street, in the town of Chicago, to Lake Michigan. Direction of said road is south 88₺ degrees east from the street to the Lake, 18 chains, 50 links." Said street was laid out fifty feet wide. The viewers on this occasion "also believe that said road is of public utility, and a convenient passage from the town to the Lake."
The first public building of which any mention is made, was an "Estray Pen," erected on the southwestern corner of the public square. The lowest bid for the contract-$20-was put in by Samuel Mil- ler, but upon the completion of the edifice, the Treasurer was directed to pay there- for but $12, on account of its not being finished "according to contract."
At the March term, 1833, the Road Com- missioners reported their survey of a State road leading from Chicago to the left bank of the Wabash river, opposite Vin- cennes. Various other roads in different directions were surveyed and laid out dur- ing the spring and summer of 1833.
The next public building erected after the "Estray Pen," was the Jail. The first contractors failed to fulfill their contract,. and a suit for damages was instituted against them. The-Jail was finally built in the fall of 1833, " of logs well bolted together," on the northwest corner of the public square. It stood there till last year, when the new Court House and Jail having been completed, it was torn down,
/
28
HISTORY OF CHICAGO.
and no vestige remains to tell where once stood " this terror of evil doers."
The minutes of the first meeting of the citizens of Chicago, without date upon the records, are as follows :
"At a meeting of the citizens of Chicago, convened pursuant to public notice given according to the statute for incorporating Towns, T. J. V. Owen was chosen President, and E. S. Kimberly was chosen Clerk. The oaths were then administered by Russell E. Heacock, a Jus- tice of the Peace for Cook county, when the following vote was taken on the pro- priety of incorporating the Town of Chi- cago, County of Cook, State of Illinois :
For Incorporation-John S. C. Hogan, C. A. Ballard, G. W. Snow, R. J. Hamil- ton, J. T. Temple, John Wright, G. W. Dole, Hiram Pearsons, Alanson Sweet, E. S. Kimberly, T. J. V. Owen, Mark Beau- bien-12.
Against Incorporation-Russell E. Hea- cock-1.
We certify the above poll to be correct.
[Signed] T. J. V. OWEN, President. ED. S. KIMBERLY, Clerk."
Dr. Kimberly informs us that the meet- ing was held some twenty days before the election which followed.
The first election for five Trustees of the Town of Chicago was held at the house of Mark Beaubien, on the 10th of August, 1833, at 11 o'clock in the forenoon, and the polls were closed at 1 o'clock. The following are the names of the voters, and those elected on that occasion :
Voters-E. S. Kimberly, J. B. Beaubien, Mark Beaubien, T. J. V. Owen, William Ninson, Hiram Pearsons, Philo Carpenter, George Chapman, John Wright, John T. Temple, Matthias Smith, David Carver, James Kinzie, Charles Taylor, John S. C. Hogan, Eli A. Rider, Dexter J. Hapgood, George W. Snow, Madore Beaubien, Ghol- son Kercheval, Geo. W. Dole, R. J. Ham- ilton, Stephen F. Gale, Enoch Darling, W. H. Adams, C. A. Ballard, John Wat- kins, James Gilbert.
T. J. V. Owen received 26 votes.
Geo. W. Dole
26
Madore Beaubien " 23 66
John Miller received 20 votes. E. S. Kimberly 20
And so were elected Trustees of the Town of Chicago.
At this election there were in all twenty- eight voters in the "TOWN OF CHICAGO" on the 10th day of August, 1833. “Can- vassing" at elections did not require quite so much labor, and there was far less money spent then than there is now. Two of the first Trustees, Dr. Kimberly and G. W. Dole, Esq., are still residents of the city. The "Town of Chicago" has not, therefore; arrived at the fullage of twenty- one years. To those who havenot become familiar with such facts, they are more wonderful than the wildest dreams of a "poetic fancy." They are, however, plain sober history-such history, how- ever, as can only be found in the annals of the American people.
The Trustees held. their first meeting at the Clerk's office on the 12th day of August, 1833. The limits of the corpora- tion were defined as follows: Beginning at the intersection of Jackson and Jeffor- son streets; thence north to Cook street, and through that street to its eastern ex- tremity in Wabansia ; thence on a direct. line to Ohio street in Kinzie's Addition; thence eastwardly to the Lake shore ; thence south with the line of beach to the northern U. S. pier ; thence northwardly along said pier to its termination; thence to the channel of the Chicago river ; thence along said channel until it intersects tlie eastern boundary line of the Town of Chicago, as laid out by the Canal Com- missioners ; thence southwardly with said line until it meets Jackson street ; thence westwardly along Jackson street until it reaches the place of beginning.
The 26th of September, 1833, is a mem- orable day in the history of Chicago. The Pottawatomie Indians, to the number of 7,000, had been gathered here for the pur- pose of making a treaty with the United States. On that day the treaty was signed on the part of the United States by T. J. V. Owen, G. B. Porter and Wm. Weather- ford, and by a large number of Indian chiefs, by which the Indians ceded to the United States all their territory in North-
29
HISTORY OF CHICAGO.
ern Illinois and Wisconsin, amounting to about twenty million acres. The treaty was made in a large tent on the North Side, a little north of the Lake House. The largest part of the Indians were en- camped in the woods on the North Side. Two bands from Coldwater, Mich., en- camped under a large cottonwood tree, which then stood in the rear of I. Speer's Jewelry store, near the corner of Lake and State streets. There were a large number of speculators and others present, and there were scenes enacted which it would be no credit to humanity to narrate. Quite a large number of our present citi- zens were here at the time of the treaty.
On the 26th of November, 1833, the first newspaper ever printed in Chicago, or Northern Illinois, was published by our friend, John Calhoun, Esq. The bound volumes of that paper for two years are before us. The perusal of its pages has filled up some of the most in- teresting hours in our study of the "an- cient history " of Chicago. It has since fallen into other hands, and merits no notice from us. In this first number, Mr. Calhoun strongly urges "the commence- ment and completion of the long-con- templated canal to connect the waters of Lake Michigan with the Illinois river," and adds, that "even with the present limited facilities of navigation, goods have been transported from New York to St. Louis in the short space of twenty- three days !" Thanks to our railroads, goods can now be sent through by express in three days !
The second number of Mr. Calhoun's paper, issued on the 3rd of December, 1833, contains the names of the following persons as advertisers, who are still resi- dents of Chicago : S. B. Cobb, John S. Wright, Walter Kimball, Philo Carpen- ter, P. F. W. Peck, R. M. Sweet, A. Cly- bourne, John Bates, Jr., G. W. Dole, B. Jones, Star Foote, C. Harmon, E. S. Kim- berly, John H. Kinzie, S. D. Pierce, and R. J. Hamilton. We think this fact is worthy of notice by those who have been led to believe that Chicago is an un- healthy city. Never was there a more gratuitous or unfounded assertion.
During the summer of 1833, Chicago, as has already been intimated, grew rap- idly. Attention had been called to the place by an appropriation of $30,000, made in the spring of that year by Con- gress, to build a harbor here to accommo- date the commerce of Lake Michigan. The harbor was pushed forward rapidly during the summer, and in the following spring there was a great freshet, which carried out the sand from between the piers, and opened the harbor to the Lake commerce.
So late as 1834, only twenty years ago, there was but one mail per week from Niles, Michigan, to Chicago, and that was carried on horseback. On the 11th of January of that year, a large public meeting of the citizens of Chicago was held at the house of Mark Beaubien, at which, of course, "speeches were made," and a memorial was drawn up and sent to the Postmaster General, stating the grievances under which the citizens la- bored, and the pressing necessity there was for increased mail facilities. The contrast presented by the present post- office business is truly astonishing. The Chicago post-office is now sending out and receiving fourteen daily mails, besides several weekly and tri-weekly. The re- ceipts of the office for the quarter ending Jan. 1st, 1854, were over $130,000.
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