History of Cook County, Illinois From the Earliest Period to the Present Time, Part 214

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 214

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Assessors .- Henry Lowe and J. W. Scovillet, 1858; Patrick Shehan, 1859; Abram Manier, 1860; William H. Lunn, and A. B. Kellogg!, 1861; Henry Schureman, 1862 and 1863; A. B. Kellogg, 1864; Henry Schureman, 1865; James Giberson, 1866.

Collectors .- A. B. Kellogg, 1858; David O'Neil, 1859; Henry Coburn, 1860; John H. Franze, 1861; Charles O'Neil. 1862, 1863 and 1864; A. B. Kellogg, 1865; John M. Rice, 1866.

*Appointed October, 185g.

tAppointed April, 1859.

¿Appointed May, 1561.

Clerks .- H. P. Flower and H. P. Crawford," 1858; William Neff, 1859 and 1860; Rollo Pearsoll, 1861 and 1862; Henry Steinbuck and E. G. Hastingst. 1863; John Crawford, 1864 and 1865; John J. Maloney, 1866.

Commissioners of Highways .- Peter Crawford, Jo- seph Kettlestrings and George Scoville, 1858; Henry Schureman, Thomas Cosgrove and H. P. Crawford, 1859; John Davlin, William Lunn and J. H. Franze, 1860; James W. Scoville, Michael McDermott and George Hofmann, 1861; A. B. Kellogg, 1862; George Hofmann, 1863; James W. Scoville, 1864; John McCaf- fery. 1865; Joseph Kettlestrings, 1866; Jacob Miell, 1867.

By a legislative act of February 28, 1867, Cicero was created a special corporation, and the corporate powers vested in a board of five trustees of which the Super- visor, Assessor and Collector then in office were three. Supervisor, George E. Timme; Assessor, James Gib- erson; Collector, John M. Rice, John MeCaffery and John Crawford were elected Trustees to complete the board, and John J. Maloney was elected Clerk. Of this board George E. Timme was Supervisor from April, 1867, to November, 1867. and by re-election to Novem- ber, 1868, and John McC'affery to November, 1869. The Assessors were James Giberson to November, 1867; John M. Rice to November, 1868, and H. P. Crawford to November, 1869; and the Collectors were John M. Rice to November, 1867; H. P. Crawford to November, 1868, and John M. Rice to November, 1869. The other Trustees were John McCaffery and John Crawford to November, 1867; James Campbell and N. M. Bassett to November, 1868; and George E. Timme and J. I .. Campbell to November, 1869. The Clerks were John J. Maloney to November, 1867 ;- Charles B. Weeks, and John J. Maloney; to November, 1868, and George A. Philbrick to November, 1869.

The charter of 1867 was superseded by the present charter, which was approved March 25, 1869, and went into immediate effect. At the same session the i.egis- lature provided for extending the limits of Chicago to the westward, so as to take into the city two miles off the east side of Cicero, except that part south of the Illinois & Michigan Canal. The officers elected in No- vember, 1868, continued under the new charter until November, 1869, except that on April 24, 1869, N. M. Bassett was appointed Trustee in place of J. L Campbell, who had ceased to be a resident of the town, and that on July 3, 1869, H. W. Austin was appointed in place of George E. Timme. Under the present charter the following officers have been elected:

Supervisors .- John McCaffery, in November, 1869, and in November, 1870; C. W. Sherwood, November, 1871; C. E. Crafts, in April, 1873, and 1874; M. C. Niles, 1875; W. H. Wood, 1876; James J. McCarthy 1877 and 1878; John Lewis, 1879 and 1880; James J. McCarthy, 1881, 1882 and 1883.

Assessors,-John M. Rice, 1869; John Crawford, 1870 and 1871; A. O. Butler, April, 1873; O. W. Her- rick, appointed July 14. 1873: Joseph Donnersberger

·Appointed October, 18sB.

+Appointed May, 1864.

$Appointed November 14, 1867.

773

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HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY.

1874 and 1875; Taylor H. Snow, 1876; John Carne, Jr., 1877; George Butters, 1878 to 1883 inclusive.

Collectors .- H. P. Crawford, 1869; John M. Rice, 1870; A. O. Butler, 1871; Edwin S. Osgood, April, 1873; O. W. Herrick, 1874; W. W. Wilcox, 1875; Rob- ert Hood, 1876; H. C. Hansen, 1877; Walter P. Jones, 1878; A. D. J. Hooper, 1879; H. C. Meina, 1880; Simpson Dunlop, 1881 and 1882; Alonzo W. Pebbles, 1883.

Clerks .- George A. Philbrick, 1869, 1870 and 1871; John Hughes, April, 1873; Edwin S. Osgood, 1874; N. M. Bassett, 1875; Harvey J. Rice, 1876, 1877 and 1878; Joseph Humphreys, 1879; Ed. S. Austin, 1880 to :883 inclusive. The following have been Trustees under the charter of 1869:

Trustees, under the charter of 1869-the year ex- tended from November to November-1869-70, H. W. Austin, E. 11. Graves, Morris Gaugler, N. M. Bassett; 1870-71, E. H. Graves, Morris Gaugler, N. M. Bassett, John Blair: 1871 to April, 1873, N. M. Bassett, Morris Gaugler, John Blair, John MeCaffery; 1873-74, N. M. Bassett, John Blair, A. O. Butler appointed November 10, 1873 : John McCaffery, George Eckart; 1874-75, A. (. Butler, John McCaffery, George Eckart, J. W. Scoville vice Eckart, resigned December 14, 1874), Cragie Sharp; 1875-76, John McCaffery, J. W. Scoville, Cragie Sharp, Elias Wanzer; 1876-77, J. W. Scoville, Cragie Sharp, Elias Wanzer, B. J. Eldridge; 1877-78, Joseph Donnersberger, Gilbert Race, Elias Wanzer, B. J. Eldridge; 1878-79, Joseph Donnersberger, Elias Wanzer, B. J. Eldridge, H. C. Hansen; 1879-80, Joseph Donnersberger, B. J. Eldridge, H. C. Hansen, W. T. Hecox; 1880-81, Joseph Donnersberger, H. C. Hansen, W. T. Hecox, A. J. Holden; 1881-82, H. C. Hansen, W. T. Hecox, A. J. Hoklen, J. Donnersberger; 1882-83. W. T. Hecox, A. J. Hansen, J. Donnersberger, Thomas Kelly, Edwin S. Conway; 1883-84, A. J. Hansen, J. Donnersberger, E. S. Conway, W. T. Hecox.

The following table shows the total valuations for purposes of taxation and annual appropriations for town expenses from 1870 to 1883:

YEAR.

Total Real Es-

tale.

Total Personalty

. R. R. Property.

Total Valuation

Tax extended.

Appropriations.

1370

8431.750

821,807

$453,557

$54.592

1871

1.135,280

13-775

$3,001

1,232,146

60,000

1572

1.70),7St

16.379

65,658

1,852,015

50,000

1873

5.935.338

8.4,880

618.535+ 6,638,753

60,000

1874

4,836,148

96.990

633.940

5.507,078

30,000

:B75

3,779,443

73,140

493,506

4-345.08g

37,000

1676

2,533.768

105,107

354.329

2,993.204

20,000

1677

2,192.068

101,095

326,604

2,620,457

20,000

1578

1,820,143

48,579

302,166

2.179 988

30,000

1870

1.581,293

53.6005

308,008

1.942 vhf

27,600

1880

1.728,081

55,458

254.386

1.783.520

22,000

1891

1.939.852

53.727

300,909

2.043,6000g

28,000

1952

1,637,857

55,4*7

336.555

1,093.274

38,000

1893

1,650,290

61.161

364,614

1.714.477

36,000

Internal Improvements, - The town of Cicero, like most of the territory in the vicinity of Chicago, was originally flat and wet. The soil could be made dry only by ditching. The first assessment for the purpose of ditching was made in 1868, and was $50,000 in amount. The ditches provided for by this assessment were made on the section lines. The second assessment provided for those on the half-section lines. In all, there have been made fifty miles of ditches, at a cost of $100,000. They are twelve feet wide at the top, four *R K, Warrant for this year missing.

tFarol Åsakcent under present law.

feet deep, and two and a half feet wide at the bottom, and as the soil is a stiff clay they are very permanent, except where they run through ridges of sand. They have been of immense value to real estate, increasing its value many fold. The effect has been the same as if the whole township had been elevated as many feet above the previous water level, the ditches having caused the water to settle below that level. In 1869 the highest price paid for land in Section 22 was two hundred dollars per acre. In a short time after the ditches were dug, three thousand dollars per acre was refused for some of the same land. A great deal of money has also been expended on the improvement of the highways. Ogden Avenue, which runs from Lyons through the township, a distance of four and a half miles, was graded and graveled at a cost of about $8,000 per mile. Riverside Park Way was macadam- ized and graveled in 1850. It has a road-bed of almost fifty feet in width, two ditches on each side and side roads, and is altogether one of the finest roads in Illinois. It has a length of four miles in Cicero. Twelfth Street was graded and graveled to a distance of two and a half miles, Madison Street was graded, graveled and macadamized through the township, four miles, and Lake Street was put in excellent condition to Ridge- land. Between Ridgeland and Oak Park, a distance of about half a mile, James W. Scoville improved Lake Street at his own expense. Central Avenue was grav. eled to a distance of three miles, and Hyman Avenue, or Forty-eighthi Street, the same distance. Ridgeland Avenue has a box sewer from Ridgeland to Mud Lake, constructed at a cost of about $40,000. Center Avenue has a covered sewer one mile long, one-half of it con- crete, the other half box. The road work cost about 88,000 per mile, except Riverside Park Way, which cost about $125,000. Of open ditches there are about fifty miles, costing about $150,000.

'There are four artesian wells in the township; one at Brighton, sunk to supply the cotton mill; one on Section 21, bored by Mr. Hyman; one on Section 17, by Colonel Kneiseley, and one at Ridgeland, by James W. Scoville.

The School Fund -The school section of the town (Section 16) was offered for sale in 1857, all except about one hundred and sixty acres lying south of the line of the projected St. Charles Air Line Railroad. The north three-fourths of the section that were offered were nearly all sold, and realized $28,000. This por- tion had been divided up into lots of froin one and a half to two acres. Numbers of those who purchased lots at the sale of 1857 failed to pay for them, and those lots not paid for reverted to the Trustees. . In 1869. 1870 and 1871 a re-sale of the forfeited lots was held. A portion of the proceeds of these re-sales was devoted to graveling the streets bounding the section, and to ditching it. The net proceeds of these sales, added to the school fund already on hand, increased it to $86,- 543-10, and the amount devoted to improvements by special assessments was a little over $20,000. Sixty- nine two-acre lots of the north three-fourths of the sec- tion remain unsold, and also the south portion, consist- ing of one hundred and sixty-one acres. The estimated vahle of the real estate, notes and mortgages held by the school trustees now amounts to $228.543.10. The total income from the school fund for the year ending July 1, 1882, was $9,815.06, and the total receipts of the district school fund from all sources for the same year were $87,262.16. 'T'he total expenses for the same time were 864,852.86. There are a number of fine district school-houses in the town. That at Clyde cost $15,. ooo ; that at Crawford, a magnificent brick building,

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HISTORY OF CICERO.

was built for $15,000, a comparatively small sum when the value of the building is taken into account ; that at Ridgeland $10,000 ; that at Oak Park $30,000, and that at Central Park, in District No. 3, $40,000. The pres- ent value of the district school property in the town is $189,000, of the district school libraries $1,200, and of the school apparatus $2,025. The present school trus- tees are (). D). Ahen, of Oak Park, N. M. Bassett, of Austin, and John Dolese of Brighton Park. The pres- ent township and school treasurer is George A. Phil- brick, of Austin. The principal of the schools at Brighton Park is Anthony Lenon . his first assistant Miss Anna M. Wilson, and the primary teachers are Miss Esther Shottenfels and Mary E. Sullivan, At Crawford, John Crawford is principal and Miss Hetta H. Norris assistant, and at Clyde P. A. Downey is prin- cipal and Miss Laura Trumble assistant, In 1869 when the east two miles of the town of Cicero were taken into the city of Chicago, there were eight school dis- tricts within its limits. Districts No. 5 and 6, lay within the territory absorbed by the city, and since then there have been but six districts, Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 7 and 8 respectively., For the year ending June 30, 1882, the total number of males under twenty-one years of age was one thousand six hundred and fifty seven ; of females, one thousand six hundred and seventy; of males between six and twenty-one years of age, one thousand and twenty-one, of females, one thousand one hundred and two.

AUSTIN.

Austin is situated on the Galena Division of the Chicago & North-Western Railroad, six and seven-tenths miles from Chicago. It is a prosperous, growing village, with a population of three thousand. Its many advan- tages and improvements must cause it to become one of the most attractive suburbs of Chicago. It is two and one-fourth miles from Central Park, and two miles west of the limits of the city. It is on the extension of Lake Street, where the "Six-Mile House " known to early Chicago was located. It has an elevation of thirty-six feet above Chicago, and has a gradual fall or descent from its northern boundary on Chicago Avenue to Mad- ison Street, which descent extends to Ogden ditch. These grades, with a fine clay subsoil, make its natural facilities for draining the best in the county. Central Avenue laid out on a section line through the center of the village has a large sewer with twenty-six feet fall. A permanent supply of good water is found at a depth of fifteen feet through the clay which protects from surface water and sewerage. This vein of water has received considerable notoriety from the fact of its pres- sure or head, which forces it up some feet when it is reached in digging wells. East of the ridge, which ex- tends along its entire eastern boundary and a part of its southern boundary, and which is elevated nine feet above the surrounding prairie, the water rises to the surface and in some instances the wells are flowing ones. The soil is a rich prairie loam and makes excellent gar- dens and lawns, and without fertilizing, luxuriantly sup- ports shrubbery and trees.

The village was founded by Henry W. Austin in 1866. Owing to his liberal donations to the United States Clock Manufacturing Company, that business enterprise was located here, and this in connection with his successful efforts in other directions, and in connec- tion with the railroad company, it was decided to name the village in his honor. Hle has made and added to the village six subdivisions, embracing two hundred and

eighty acres. In his first subdivision, which was recorded May 12, 1866, he was joined by C. C. Merrick. Besides the eighty acres added by Mr. Merrick, C. E. Crafts added thirty-six and one-fourth acres; Henry Waller added forty-three and three-fourths acres, and the estate of John Frink has since added seventy-two and a half acres. The village includes a territory one mile square, bounded on the north by Chicago Avenue, on the east by Robinson Avenue, on the south by Madison Street, and on the west by Austin Avenue.

Craft's addition was made in 1871, Bridges's addition was made in 1872, as also were Waller's, and Wilson & St. Clair's. The Adank farm was bought by Crafts & Snow, divided into lots and sold to various parties. This division lies north of Chicago Avenue and west of Central Avenue. During this same year Owen & Mathew's subdivision was made, as also was Stephen's. Oglesbay's sullivision was made under the management of E. A. Cummings in 1883. All of those who have made additions to subdivisions of Austin have been quite liberal in the way of improvements, having planted trees on most or all of the streets, but none ex- cept Mr. Austin have followed the plan of planting trees in the middle of the street.

In common with all the villages in the township of Cicero, Austin is governed by one set of officers, whose offices are located in the Cicero Town Hall at Austin, which stands in a beautiful park of five acres, donated for the purpose and improved by Mr. Austin, The two hundred and eighty acres of land embraced in Austin's subdivisions were entered for Henry I .. DeKoven from the Government June 26, 1835, and sold to Mr. Austin November 144, 1865. The title is thus clear and indis- putable. The subdivisions are on a liberal plan, most of the streets being wide with double driveways and parks in the center which are planted with evergreens and nut-bearing trees, while the street rows are planted with elm trees, making twenty-seven miles of street rows besides a park extending through the center of the vil- lage on both sides of the railroad, and planted with trees. Special mention of this planting was made in the New York Independent by the Hon. B. G. Nor- throp, Commissioner of Forestry in Connecticut, during his visit in the West, early in 1883, who stated that the railroad planting exceeded anything he had seen in the West.

The clock manufacturing company referred to above did not succeed, and the village was built up by active business men and residents of Chicago. Seth P. War- ner was the first to erect a fine and costly residence, and has been followed by W. C. Heacox, George A. Philbrick, T. Sherwood, T. A. Snow, I., R. Erskine, Hon. C. E. Crafts, Charles Hitchcock, George M. Doris, Fred L. Phillips, E. A. Osgood, A. Lindsay, E. J. Whitehead, Lewis Husted, W. W. McFarland, Charles Vandercook, M. B. Crafts, J. J. McCarthy, Captain W. M. Meredith, Thomas Carroll, George E. Plumb and many others, whose homes are models of architectural beauty, in which elegance is combined with comfort and convenience. During the past two years the village has improved very fast, about two hundred residences hav- ing been built during that time. The citizens of Aus- tin are proud of the non-existence of saloons within the limits of their village, and a drunken man is seldom seen in the streets. A portion of the credit for this con- dition of affairs is due to Edward Church, now residing in Waterbury, Conn.

The Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian and Episcopal churches, whose histories are appended, are well sus- tained.

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HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY.

The public school, one of the best of the county, is 187g. He was succeeded hy the Rev. S. Baker, Jr., who still remains pastor.

in charge of Professor Warren Wilkie. The school has in connection with it a high school department, has two buildings and thirteen teachers, and is attended by an average of sixty pupils.

Educational,-The first school-house in Anstin was linilt at a very early date and stood between the sites of the present North school and the Methodist church. School was continued in this building until 1871, when the main portion of the present North school was erected. It is a two-story-and-basement brick house, with four rooms, and cost $20,000. The South school was built in 1879. This is a two-story brick, with base- ment for heating apparatus, and when finished will cost about $9,000. The Amerson school was erected in 1881, at a cost of 83.000. It is a two-story framc. A brick addition to the North school was erected in 1882, at a cost of $10,000. This addition contains four rooms. The schools were graded in 1871, upon the first ocupation of the North buikling. The first prin- cipal was Homer Bevans, who remained from 1871 to 1874. He was followed by Professor C. B. Charles, who remained one year; by J. K. Wheeler, who remained two years; by D. L. Buzzell, who likewise re- mained two years, and by the present superintendent, Professor Warren Wilkie, who entered upon his duties here in 1879. Professor Wilkie is assisted by Mrs. A. W. Shaffer, Miss Mice Kent, Miss Elizabeth Waters, Miss I.ncy C. Johnson, Miss Mattie Kent. Miss Ada Miller, Miss Rosa J. Carroll, Mrs. E. S. Robinson, Miss Emna Ditto, Miss Flora G. Garette, Miss Kittie Garrison and Miss Emma Baxter. The number of scholars in attendance at the high school is sixty-four, and the to- tal number of attendance at the present time |February 1. 1884 is five hundred and sixty-one. The number of different pupils since September 1, 1883, is about six hundred, The present directors are George E. Swinscoc, Hon. Clayton E. Crafts and Edwin S. Osgood. The board of directors are doing a commendable work in supplying the schools with all necessary educational appliances and apparatus for teaching. Charts of his- tory, music, reading and physiology, apparatus for kin- dergarten work, to illustrate the principles of natural philosophy and chemistry, and an excellent library, are in constant usc. The library contains one thousand volumes. There are also in the schools one piano and nine cabinet organs, The work of the teachers is thoroughly systematized and supervised by Professor Wilkie, who meets them cach week to study systems of instruction, and to discuss the best methods. Good results have been obtained in drawing and music, which are taught in each department.

Religious,-The First Baptist Church of Austin was organized June 14, 1871, with fifteen members: Mrs. Sarah Maywood, Mrs. Charles Hitchcock, Mrs. Eliza- beth Phillips, Mr. and Mrs. Lyman Bridges, Mrs. E. H. Bryan, Mrs. M. P. Thomas, Mr. and Mrs. Edwin S. Osgood, George A. Philbrick, Miss Jennie Maywood, Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Smith and the Rev. and Mrs. Alexander Blackburn. Services were first hekl in a stall hall on Willow Avenue about a year, then in the school-house during nearly the same length of time. A church edifice was erected, and occupied for the first time Sunday December 29, 1872. It stands on l'ine Avenue, opposite Chestnut Street. It is a frame one- story structure and cost, with the lot, about $7,000. The Rev. Mexander Blackburn remained pastor until September, 1877, when J. K. Wheeler, already a ment- ber of the Church, became pastor, and remained until

The Sunday-school was organized about the same time with the Church. Its first superintendent was Thomas A. Hall. Then followed in succession H. R. Husted, Anthony Smith, J. K. Wheeler, Rev. S. Baker, Jr., and Edwin S. Osgood, present superintendent. 'T'he school contains one hundred and fifty scholars, five of- ficers, seventeen teachers and a library of nearly three hundred volumes. The present membership of the Church is about one hundred, and it is in a flourishing financial condition, The amount raised during the last ycar for benevolent purposes and the ordinary expenses of the Church was twenty-four hundred dollars.

St. Paul's Episcopal Church was started in the win- ter of 1877-78 by three individuals-William Nether- cot, Albert Kidder and C. H. Potts. The first service was held on Easter Day, being conducted by the Rev. H. C. Kinney. In 1880 a lot 100x150 fect was donated to the society by H. W. Austin, the lot being located at the corner of Chapel and Waller streets. A frame church building was commenced October 14, 1880, and when approaching completion was entirely demolished by a tornado June zg, 1881. Work on a new edifice was hegun November 27, 1881, which when approaching completion was entirely destroyed hy a fire supposedly incendiary. A third building was commenced July 19. 1882, in the Sunday-school room, in which services were first held on the 8th of November following. After completion it was dedicated December 23, 1883, the sermon being delivered by Bishop William E. Mclaren. The cost of this last church was $5,000. It is a frame building 30x65 feet in size, and is one of the neatest church edifices in any Chicago suburban town, being interiorly elegantly finished. It has stained glass win- dows which, with the exception of five memorial win- dows, were furnished by the children of the Sunday- school. One of the five memorial windows having in it a full sized figure of St. Paul, was furnished by Kin- sella & Haywood, of whom the glass for all the win- dows was obtained. The Sunday-school consists of fifty scholars. William Nethercot was the first superintenel- ent, and F. L. Phillips has been superintendent most of the time since. There are ten teachers in the Sun- day-school, and the library contains about two hundred and fifty volumes.

The Austin Presbyterian Church was organized in 1871, with eight members, as follows: Seth Warner, J. W. Smull and wife, John H. Rice and wife, Mr. Gould and wife, and Mr. Blackaly. The Rev. F .. N. Barrett, who organized the Church, remained with it as pastor seven years, when he was succeeded by the Rev. David Clark, who remained six years. In November, 1883. the pres- ent, pastor Rev. Frank O. Ballard, hecame connected with the Church. The first services of this Church were held in the old frame school.house. They were then transferred to the Town Hall, where they were continued until 1881, when a frame church was erected capable of seating two hundred people, and the value including the lot is $35,000. The lot was donated by Messrs. W. T. Hecox and J. W. Bennett. The membership is now eighty. The salary paid the minister is $1,400 per annum. The Sunday-school now numbers one hundred and fifty scholars, and besides the superintendent, has eleven teachers. The first superintendent was the Rev. E. M. Barrett, who was followed by J. W. Smull, E. B. Moore. W. P. Freeman, Stewart Campbell, T. A. Snow, and Stewart Campbell, who now is in Kansas City studying for the ministry. Hle resigned bis superintend-

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History of Cook County, Illinois From the Earliest Period to the Present Time, Part 214

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