History of Cook County, Illinois From the Earliest Period to the Present Time, Part 120

Author: Andreas, A. T. (Alfred Theodore), 1839-1900
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Chicago : A.T. Andreas
Number of Pages: 875

USA > Illinois > Cook County > History of Cook County, Illinois From the Earliest Period to the Present Time > Part 120

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).

"W. C. HAZELTON. "14. A. BUDLONG."

This report was unanimously adopted. But those parties interested in and favoring the orgumzation of the town of Norwood Park were determined to per- fect the organization. Application was made to the Legislature to enact a law organizing the town. While this bill was pending. the Board of Trustees of the village of Jefferson, on January 31, 1874, appointed W. P. Gray "to go to Springfield, and use his best en-

denvors to defeat the hill, then pending before the Log- islature, to allow Norwood Park to become a separate organization independent of the village of Jefferson." 1. A. Bndlong was appointed to go with Mr. Gray.

On the 21st of February, 1874, the Board of Trustees of the village uf Jefferson passed a resolu- tion against the passage of laws having for their ob- jeet the disintegration and separation into parts of village organizations and incorporated towns, such laws being then before the Legislature, as being hostile to the interests of the people und to publie improve- ments. The board then appointed a committee con- sisting of M. N. Kimbell. 1 .. A. Budlong, and Theo- dore Selmltz, to which committee W. P. Gray was afterward ulded, "to take sneh action as to them should seem expedient to defeat legislation looking to the dis- integration of towns and villages."

The bill having for its object the establishment of Norwood Park as u new town entirely and indisput- ably independent of Jefferson und Leyden was intro- dneed into the Legislature by the Hon. George Dunlap, member of the House of Representatives from Nor- wood Park. in 1842. It was approved March 20, 1824. It was entitled. " An act to set off from incor- porated villages certain territory which by the County Board has been formed into a new town or part there- of." Taking into consideration the actual .state of farts with reference to the incorporation of "Congres- sional townships," into villages, this law will be seen to have been very shrewdly conceived and expressed. It consisted of one section, as follows: " Be it enveted by the people of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly. that in all cases where a Congressional township has heretofore been incorporated as a village, muler any general or special law of this State, and by action of the County Board of the county in which snch village is situated, u portion of such incorporated village has; together with a portion of an adjoining township, been formed into a new town prior to the passage of this act, such portion of any snch incorporated village so forming a part of any such new town ns aforesaid, slmll be, from and after this act takes effect, set off from such incorporated village as aforesaid, mul form no part of the same."

Opposition to the organization of the town of Nor- wood Park, being now useless, ceased, and at length an agreement was reached between the no longer " pre- tended " town of Norwood Park and the authorities of Jefferson. A meeting of the Supervisors and Assessors of Jefferson and Norwood Park, for the purpose of apportioning the property belonging to the town of Jefferson, between Jefferson and Nor- wood Park, was held at the Jefferson Hotel on the 10th of November. 1875, this meeting being an al- journed one from the 4th of the same mouth. "Accord- ing to the agreement made on the 10th of November with reference to the moneys, rights, eredits, und other personal property lately belonging to and the debts owing by said town of Jefferson, it was understood that the suid town of Jefferson was seized condition- ally of the Town Hall, and real estate on which the same stands, that said town of Jefferson was also seized of the lot in Block 39 in the village of Jefferson and the building thereou used as a police station, also a small building at Bowmanville on leaseil ground used as a police station, and that there is in possession of and due to said town of Jefferson in moneys, rights, and personal property the sum of $13,000, including the value of all the real estate aforesaid.

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HISTORY OF NORWOOD PARK.

And it was further agreed that in consideration of Railway was erected and opened in 1869. For the the agreement of the Supervisors und Assessors of first two months after trains began to stop here, George Dunlap was the only passenger to get on or off the cars at this point. Then came Thomas H. Sey- mour, and they two were the only passengers for some time, and only one train stopped' at the station, the Woodstock Accommodation. Now, there are nine trains running in each direction, which stop at this station, and a daily average of from sixty to seventy passengers, most of them residents of Norwood Park, doing business in Chicago. sail town of Jefferson heretofore expressed that all the real estate heretofore owned by the said town of Jefferson is hereby apportioned to said town of Jefferson us the sole and separate property of said town of Jefferson, und in consideration thereof it is agreed that the sum of $1,000 is hereby apportioned to the town of Norwood Park as its proportion and share of the property heretofore owned, both real and personal, by the town of Jefferson, the said sum of *1,000 to be paid by mid town of Jefferson to said town of Norwood Park with interest thereon at six per cent from the date of the agreement (November 10, 1815), said sum with the interest thereon to be paid on or before the first day of September, 1877; the payment of said $1.000 and interest thereon to be in full payment of all claims and demands of every kind against the town of Jefferson in its cor- porate or village capacity. This agreement was signed by Brockman Hopkins, Supervisor. and hy Frank D. Wulff, Assessor, of the town of Jefferson, and Solo- mon H. Burhans, Supervisor, and Jesse Ball, Assessor. of Norwood Park.

Brockman llopkins, Supervisor of the village of Jefferson. reported to the Trustees on the 24th of December, 18;+, that he had paid the $1,000. leaving the interest which then amounted to $98 unpaid. This smn was paid a short time afterwand and thus the whole matter settled.

NORWOOD PARK VILLAGE.

The first settlement made in Norwood Park with the design of making a village was by George Dunlap in 1869. At this time there were a few ordinary farm houses on the site. At the time of the plotting of the village, hy Lemmel P. Swift, of the firm of Forbes & Swift, there were seven of these houses. . The first house built on the plat of the village was by George Dunlap. It was a two-story frame and stood at the corner of Norwood Court and Circle Avenne. The second was built by John R. Stockwell, and the third by Thomas H. Seymour. The name first selected for this village was Norwood, after the novel " Norwood." by Henry Ward Beccher, but as there was at the time another post-ollice by this name, the word Park was aIded, and the full name thus became Norwood Park. The post-office was established in 1820, with Thomas H. Seymour for Postmaster. He held the otlice until 1881, having as deputies. at first, E. W. Morse. und later, John Commack. A. A. Fox was then appointed Postmaster. and retained the office until December. 1883. F. M. Fox was his deputy and successor in office.

The first store was started in 1871 by E. W. Morse. A few years afterward he sold ont to John Cammack. who in turn sold to F. M. Fox. He sold to A. A. Fox, who left the village in 1883, and the manage- ment of the store to F. M. Fox.

The Norwood Park Hotel was built in 1822, by the Norwood Park Land & Bnikling Association, and sold by them in 1844 to J. F. Eberhart. It is a fine, large, three-story frame building, erected on a brick basement, and cost $10,000. The hotel business in Nor- wood Park has not, as yet. been very profitable. The building is now owned hy Mrs. J. F. Eberhart.

The station belonging to the Chicago & North-Western

The Advent Christian Times was first published as the Voice of the West, in March, 1863, a weekly folio paper, with abont three hundred subscribers, by the Rev. Joshua V. Himes, und edited by him and his sons, John G. L. and William Lloyd Himes, Within a year its circulation increased to over one thousand copies, and it was made over to an organization known as the Western Advent Christian Publishing Association, and its name changed to the Advent Christian Times. The Rev. Joshua V. Himes con- tinned as Imsiness manager, and his son William L. us e:litor, having general charge of all office work. In 1822 the office of publiention was moved to Nor- wool Park, with a business office in Chicago. At this time it had been enlarged to a five-column quarto. the sheet being 27x42 inches, and the cireu- lation had increased to 5,500 weekly, with two steam presses, binding and other machinery. The Associ- ation published o large list of tracts and books, issning at this time about two millions of 12 mo. pages of such publications a veur. Among their books. the most important ones were: "The Doc- trine of Immortality." by the Rev. James H. Whit- more, now a Unitarian clergyman : the "Advent Christian Quarterly." conducted by William Lloyd Himes and J. H. Whitmore ; tracts by L. C. Collins, Henry Constable and many other writers. American and English. Both the Quarterly and Weekly had subscribers in nearly every State in the Union. in Canada and in England. The publications of the Association were devoted to the dissemination of the doctrines held by Advent Christians, viz. : the second advent of Jesus Christ, as an event "at hand." withont nttempt to designate u date; the renewed heavens and earth, the future home of the people of God : the unconscious state of the dead : and the annihilation of the personal existence of the unsaved. These, with practical Christianity, were the subjects mainly treated. At this time there were eighteen State Conferences that recognized the Advent Chris- timi Times as their representative publication, extend- ing from Ohio und Virginia to Arkansas and north to Minnesota.

"The Association met annually and elected a Board of Managers, who were responsible for the condnet of its affairs. Personal dissensions among prominent leaders among Advent Christian people led to divis- ions and contentions. Rev. Joshna V. Himes with- drew from the Association, und his son soon followed. Eller William Sheldon succeeded to the management. of the paper. Personal strifes still continned, and he gave way to Elder Frank Burr. The office of pub- lication was removed to Chicago, where the paper gradually declined in circulation and influence, until it was merged in the Bible Banner, u weekly paper now published in Philadelphia.

Of the former managers and supporters of the paper, Revs. Joshua V. Himes, William Lloyd Himes, Charles E. Barnes, I. F. Cole and T. R. Allen are

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HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY.

Episcopal clergymen ; Revs. William A. Fenn and being one of the days of the August term, 1874, of the C. C. Marston are Bajdisls; Rev. L. C. Collins, Inde- pendent, aml James IL. Whitmore, Unitarian,

'The village of Norwood Park was organized in 1824. The first step was the circulation of a petition umoug the legal voters of the territory, praying that the question as to whether they desiredl the incorpora- tion of Norwood Park as n village, under the net entitled, " An act to provide for the incorporation of cities and villages."" approved April 10, 1822. he submitted to the electors. The petition was pre- sented to Judge Wallace, of the County Court of Cook County. In accordance with this petition. notice was given to the resident legal voters of the territory desired Io be incorporated into a village, that an elertion for the purpose of deciding the ques- tion of such incorporation wonkl be hell at the station of the Chicago & North-Western Railway, July 25. 1844. Cyrus J. Corse. Thomas HI. Seymour aml Jmnes Winship were appointed judges of election. The result of this election was that thirty-two votes were east. thirty-one of which were in favor of the organization. The relurns were canvassed and certi- fied to by Judge M. R. M. Wallace, aml by Noel B. Boyden and Calvin De Wolf, Justices of the Peare. The subjoinel extract from the proceedings of the County Court of Cook County gives a full description of the territory embraced within the original jdal of Norwood Park Village:

"STATE OF ILLINOIS, COUNTY OF COOK, SS. Be it Remembered. That on the fourth day of Angust, A. D. 1874, the same being one of the days of the July terin, 1824, of the County Court of look Coumy, present therent: Hlou. M. R. M. Wallace; Judge; T. M. Bradley, Sheriff; Hermann Lieb, Clerk. The following, among other proceedings, were by and before sail Court had, and entered of record, to wit: Norwood Park Election Returns. The Honorable Martin R. M. Wallace. Judge of the County t'ourt of Cook County, and Noel B. Boyden and Calvin De Wolf, Iwo of the Justices of the Peace In and for said County of Cook, having on the third day of Angust, 1874. canvassed the returns of an election held on the 25th day of July. A. D. 1874, al the station of the Chicago & North-Western Railway Company, in the Village of Norwood Park, in suid county, for and against the organization of the following described territory, to wit : Section ii and the west half of fractional Section 5, Township 40 north, Range 13 east, of the third principal meridian; the south half of the south half frac- Tional Section 31. Township 41 north, Range 13 east, of the third principal meridian; the east half of the east half of See. tion 1, Township 40 north, Range 12 east, of the third prin- cipal meridian ; and the southeast quarter of the sont heast quar- ler of Section 36. Township 41 north, Range 12 east, of the third principal meridian, in the County of Cook and State of Illinois, as a village, under an act entitled, ' An act to pro- vile for the incorporation of cities and villages. approved April 10, A. D. 1872, said village to he known n: Norwood Park,' find that there were cast at said election thirty-one votes ' for village organization under the general law,' and one vote 'against village organization under the general law.' And It is ordered by said Judge that the finding of said Board of ('anvassers be entered of record."

The question of the organization of the village being thus decided nflirmatively, an election for Trustees was then hekl. on Wednesday, August 26, 1874. Cyrus J. Corse. Thomas Mannhin, and L. C. Collins, Sr., were the judges of election, and D. C. Dunlap mul Frank T. Manalmun, clerks. The votes were canvassed by Judge Wallace, and Calvin De Wolf aml James Wiuship, Justices of the Peace. Each of the Trustees elected roceived thirty-seven votes, except Charles J. De Berard, who received thirty-six. The subjoined extract from the reronds of the County Court of Cook County gives the particulars of this election, except those given above :

"STATE OF ILLINOIS, COUNTY OF COOK, ss Be it Remembered, That on the third day of September. A. D. 1874, the same

County t'ourt of Cook County, present thereat: llon. M. R. M. Wallace, Judge: T. M. Bradley, Sheriff; llermann Lieb, Clerk, the following, among other proceedings, were by aml before said Court had. and entered of record, to wit: Election Returns, Village of Norwood Park. The Honorable Martin R. M. Wallace, Juilge of the County Court of Cook County, and Calvin De Wolf and James Winship, two of the Justices of the Peace in und for said county, having this day canvassed the returns of an election held at the depot of the Chicago & North-Western Railway Company, in the village of Norwood Park, in said county, on the 26th day of Angust, A. D. 18;4, for the election of six Trustees for said village, find (hul at said election the following named persons received a majority of all the votes cast, viz .: James Guilbert, Robert Pollocki, Charles J. De Beraril, Murtin D. Stevens, George Il. Campbell, and Lorin C. Collins, Jr., and It Is declared by said Board of Canvassers that said above named persons are duly elected Village Trustees of said village of Norwood Park. "And in pursuance of the statute, it is ordered by the Judge of this l'ourt that the finding of said Board of Canvassers be entered of record."

On the 5th of September, George II. Campbell was elected President of the Board of Trustees; Cyrus J. Corse was elected Village Clerk, pro fem .; John Cam- mark was elected Treasurer; Thomas Manshan, Street Commissioner ; aml Thomas Orr, Constable. Ou the 11th of September the Street Commissioner's bond was fixed at $200. that of the Treasurer at $4.000, that of the Clerk, $400, and that of the Con- stable at $100. A committee was appointed by the President to draft general ordinances for the village, the committee consisting of Robert Pollock, Lorin C. Collins, Jr., und Cyrus J. Corse. A committee was also appointed to see A. J. Snell, and to enquire of him hy whal anthority he was graveling Norwood Avenne through the village of Norwood Park. This committee consisted of Martin D. Stevens and James Guilbert. A thinl committee was appointed, consisting of Martin D. Stevens, to see John F. Eberhart, and to ascertain by what anthurily he had fenced up and taken possession of the artesian well. On the 14th of September the Committee on Ordinances reported the following ordinances :

1. Against animals running at large.

2. Concerning arrests und recovery of fines.

3. Concerning streets, their use and obstruction. 4. Concerning the establishment of cemeteries.

5. Regulating sulklivisions and platting of lands,

6. In relation to the vending of liquors.

". In relation to the corporate seal.

8. In relation to dogs running at large. * *

14. Concerning the election, appointment and duties of officers.

All of these were adopteil. and on the 5th of October an ordinance was passed, providing for the issnance of bonds to the amount of $2,000, said bouds to bear ilate November 1, 1844, to be payable tive years from date, and to bear ten per cent semi-annual interest. A levy of $600 per annum for five years was provided for to meet the principal and interest of the bouds. aml the proceeds of the bonds were to be applied to making " certain necessary and imperative improvements and repairs in and ahont the streets and public highways, an I'for the ordinary current munici- pal expenses of said village."

The ordinance against the vending of liquors is worthy of note, in this connection. Section 1'of this ordinanec, which is still in force, prohibits the selling. hartering, exchanging, or giving away of any kind of malt or spiritnons liquors in less piantity thun four gallons at any one time, under a penalty of not less than $5 nor more than $50 for each offense, und Sec-

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HISTORY OF NORWOOD PARK.

tion 2 prohibits the keeping open of any bar or place for the selling of any such liquors, under a similar penalty. Section 3 excepts druggists und apothe- caries from the provisions of the ordinance. In addi- tion to this ordinance, a condition is inserted in each deed for the sale of real estate made by the Norwood Park Land & Building Association, that no malt or spirituous liquors shall be sold upon the property sold. The consequence of these precautions is thut there has been no saloon opened in Norwood Park.

On the 21st of September, 1824. J. F. Eberhart said, in answer to the inquiries of the Board of Trus- tees with reference to his fencing up the artesian well, that he hu'l purchased the lot upon which the artesian well was dug, and, therefore, considered himself the rightful owner of the well, but was willing the village should have water therefrom. On the same day Charles Walters was elected Pound Master; D. C. Dunlap, Village Engineer and Surveyor ; and L. C. Collins, Jr., was appointed Village Attorney. On the 19th of October, the Attorney reported that A. J. Snell had no right to collect toll on the graveled road, and, in accordance with this opinion, Mr. Suell was notified to remove his toll-gate. "On the 1st of March. 1825. Mr. Stevens reported to the Board of Trustees that Mr. Snell was willing to remove his toll-gate. if the board wished, or he would make a gravel road. sixteen feet wide, with culverts, ete., and have it done by July 1, 1825. Mr. Snell was then granted permis- sion to gravel the road through the village of Norwood Park, according to certain specifications, and accord- iug to the condition as to the time of completion named by him.

The following is a list of the officers of the village of Norwood Park, since those elected in 18:4, given above :

Trustees .- 18:5-J. F. Eberhart, T. H. Seymour. Lonis B. Shipherd, S. H. Burhans, J. F. Fargo and Henry W. Neiman : 18;4-J. F. Eberhart, S. 11. Burhans. T. H. Seymour, George Dunlap, Robert W. Robinson and F. A, Winchell : 1877 -- S. H. Burhans. M. D. Stevens, T. H. Seymour. Alexander Ellison, F. A. Winchell, and George Dunlap: 1828 -- T. H. Sey- mour, A. G. Low. S. H. Burimus, M. D. Stevens, F. A. Winchell and Henry Moisley : 1829 -- George Dunlap, M. D. Stevens, C. J. De Berard, H. C. Rutter. H. Alli- son and W. Neiman ; 1880-C. J. De Berard, Henry Allison, S. H. Burhans, William Orr. Ezra B. Sherwin und James Guilbert : 1881 -- Ezra B. Sherwin, S. 11. Burhans, William Orr: 1882-F. M. Fox, H. A. Ward and N. H. Bates: 1883-C. J. De Berard, E. B. Sherwin and M. D. Stevens,

Clerks .- James Winship, 1815: E. JA. Cannaack, 1876 to 1829; Horace C. Rutter, 1880-81 ; Cyrus J. Corse, in 1882-84.

Treasurers, -John Cammack, 18;5 to 1881 ; A. JA. Fox. 1882-84.

Street Commissioners, -John R. Stockwell, 1875 to 1884.

Attorneys, -- James Winship, in 1875; L. C. Collins, Jr .. 1826 to 1884.

Engineers .- D. C. Dunlap, 1825 to 1884.

Pound Masters .- Robert Orr, 18;5-46; J. R. Stock- well. 18;1: Robert Orr, 1828 to 1884.

The report of the Treasurer of the Board of Trus- tees, for the years given, is as follows: For 1876 -- receipts, *1,521. 74 : expenditures. $967.32. For 1881 -- receipts, *2.472.91 : expenditures. $1,523.30. For 1882 -- receipts. $2,144.12 : expenditures. $1,864.82. For 1883-receipts, $4,543.64 ; expenditures, $2,121.69.

The bond of the Treasurer has been changed from time to time. In 1874 it was fixed at $4.000; in 1875 it was $2,000; in 1877 it was fixed at $2,000, at which figure it still remains. The bonds of the other officers have nudergone very little change, and range from $100 to $5no.

The village of Norwood Park is one of the most pleasant suburbs of Chicago, ten miles therefrom, on the Wisconsin Division of the Chicago & North-West- ern Railway, and contains about four hundred inhabi- tants.

COOK COUNTY INFIRMARY AND INSANE ASYLUM.

These institutions, devoted to the care and treat- ment of those most unfortunate of all people, panpers and the insane, are situated on the County Poor Farm, in the town of Norwood Park, about twelve miles distant from the city. The Farm, which con- sists of nearly 160 acres of finely improved land, is located on the southeast quarter of Section 18. It was formerly owned by Peter Ludby, who settled on it in 1839. Until two years ago. the nearest railway station, at which one could take the cars to or from the County Farm, was at the village of Jefferson, tiro miles away, on the Wisconsin Division of the Chicago & North-Western Railroad. At that time, however. the commissioners, seeing the necessity of having railway communications direct from the city to the Asylum and Infirmary, effected an arrangement with the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Ruilway, by which to run trains from the Madison-street depot, in the city, direct to the county institution. In order to accomplish this, the county built some three miles of line, running from the Poor Farm in a sontherly direction across the east side of Sections 19, 30 and 31, in the town of Jefferson, and intersecting the main line of the St. Paul road at Galewood. This was done, and the first train from the city to the County Farm was started on the 11th of September, 1882. This arrangement has proved to be most satis- factory ; and, in addition to the conveniences it affords in trausporting people, both visitors and patients, to and from the Asylum and Infirmary, it is of no less service in conveying supplies such as coal, flour, etc., of which, in the course of a year, these institu- tions consume an immense quantity. The county has also erected, at its terminus of the line, a handsome depot building, at a cost of $2,100, and the station here has been named Dunning. in honor of one of the oldest and wealthiest settlers in the vicinity. Taken in connection with the county buildings, Dunning has already the appearance of being quite a little village, having now a store, restaurant, and post-office, while a portion has also been platted, to be sold as resident sites.

The Infirmary .- The plans for this institution were drawn by John G. Cochrane, the well-known archi- tect, of Chicago, and the designs submitted by hin were adopted by the county board on the 22d of September, 1881. The contract for the erection of the buildings was awarded in June, 1882, to Messrs. MeGraw & Downey, who completed their part of the work in time for the institution to receive inmates by June of the following year. The plan of the buildings is original, and reflects no little credit on the architect, who,

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History of Cook County, Illinois From the Earliest Period to the Present Time, Part 120

Author: Andreas, A. T. (Alfred Theodore), 1839-1900 Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Chicago : A.T. Andreas Number of Pages: 875

Author: Andreas, A. T. (Alfred Theodore), 1839-1900
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Chicago : A.T. Andreas
Number of Pages: 875