History of Cook County, Illinois From the Earliest Period to the Present Time, Part 23

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 23


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).


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+ For a full account of the development of the canal project, and the prog- ress of the work to the lime of its completion, see the article on "Canal," which appears elsewhere in this volume.


: John Kinzie died January 6, 1898.


Wentworth's tavern was on the West Side, and Miller's on the North Side.


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112


HISTORY OF EARLY CHICAGO.


tavern: Log Cabin, near foot of North Dearborn Street: J. B. Beaubien, present site of Illinois C'entral depot.


"Butchers-Archibald Clybourne," North Branch.


"Merchants-George W. Dole t


"James Kinzie and family, William See and family, and Vex. ander Robinson and family, resided near Wentworth's tavern. The old Kinzie house, on the north side of the river and opposite the furt, was then unoccupied and in a dilapidated state. The Government agency-house, known as 'Cobweb Castle,' was left unoccupied by the death of Dr. Wolcott. In its vicinity were small log buildings occupied by the , blacksmith, Mr. McKee, and Billy Callwell, an Indian chief, who was also interpreter for the agency. At this tinte, or soon after, G. Kercheval and Dr. E. Harmon and James Harrington had arrived, and were making claims on the lake shore in the succeeding spring."


List of voters at an election held at Chicago August 2, 1830 ;*


1. Stephen J. Scott, Chicago.


2. John B. Beaubien, Chicago.


3. Ixon Bourassea, Chicago.


4. B. 11. Laughton, six miles southwest (now Riverside).


5. Jesse Walker.t Methodist minister, Plainfield, III., Fox Kiver.


6. Medore B. Beaubien, Chicago; now (1883) lives at Silver Lake, Kan.


7. Jean Baptiste Chevalier, Chicago,


8. James Kinzie, Chicago ; sce sketch of Kinzie family.


9. Kussel E. leacock, Chicago ; see his biography.


10. James Brown, unknown.


11. Joseph Laframboise, Chicago ; Indian chief by marriage.


-


.


MINZIE


10


Dịp


.......


2


CARROLL


- CHICADOC


26


JEFFERSON


CLINTON


28


CANAL


.*


WATCA


MARKET


31


FRANKLIN


32


WELLS


33


LA SALLE


CLARK


DEARBORN


1830


47


46


45


WEST


- 42


-40


3-9


3.8:


37


WASHINGTON


48


49


50


51


3,2


-S3


56


57


58


THOMPSON'S PLAT.


The poll-book used at an election held at the Chicago precinct of Peoria County, at the house of James Kinzie, August 2, 1830, gives additional informa- tion as to the inhabitants of Chicago and the surrounding country, embraced within the precinct of that time. The public are indebted to the Hon. John Wentworth for its publication. It appears in his lecture published in Fergus's Historical Series, No. 7. p. 16. The list em- braces the names of thirty-two voters, some of whom were not residents of Chicago, although living within the limit of the precinct t and sufficiently near to at- tend the election. The list is given below. with resi- dence so far as can be ascertained.


* Ctytmurne's place might be said to be almost outside the limits, it being on the west side of the North Branch, nearly two miles above Wolf Paint, He was, however, the butcher not only fur the garrison but for the citizens, and might thus be counted in. Besides the wife and children of Archibald, his family included his father Jonas, and a half-brother, John K. Clark.


+ The name of George W. Thie is ermmeously inserted in the above list. He did not arrive until May 4, 1839. Src same author, P. 5. # The limits of the precinct (called the first) embraced all that part of Peoria Cuunty cast of the mouth of the Du Page River, where it empties its waters into the Desplaines River. The area was greater than all of Cook County, although not extending to its present western limits.


12. John 1 .. Davis, Chicago ; Welch tailor, afterward went to Milwaukee : lived there in 1882.


13. William See. Chicago ; minister and blacksmith, See biography.


14. John Van Horn, unknown.


15. John Mann, unknown.


16. David Van Eaton, unknown.


17. Stephen Mack, Chicago : clerk of American Fui Company.


18. Jonathan N. Bailey, Chicago (first Postmaster) ; lived in part of old Kinzie house.


19. Alexander McDale, unknown.


20. John S. C. Hogan, Chicago.


et. David Mckee, Chicago ; blacksmith Born in 1800; moved 10 Aurora, 111.


22. Billy Caldwell, Chicago.


23. Joseph Thibeant. Chicago.


. Two other poll lists have been published tsee appendix to second historic lecture of Ifon. John Wentworth, Fergus's Historical Series, No. 7, pp. 54. 55h One is of the voters at a special election for Justice of the Peace at the Chicago precinct, nf Peuris Cosaty, at the house of John Kinzie on Saturday, July 24. (830, which contains fifty-six names; the other is for a special election at John Kinzie « houw for Justice of the Peace, for Peoria County. November 25, 1830, un which twenty-six names appear. At the laiter election Stephen Forbes was elected, receiving eighteen votes, against eight votes cast for Rev. William See. The full particulars of these early elections are recorded in the article on politics in this volume,


+ Superintendent of missionary work from Peoria to Chicago (Hurlbut. p. 597). His family came in s83s (Hurlbut, p. 5oz, note.)


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22


21


20


9


117


-16


- HISTORICAL


ASOCIETY .-


125


SOUTH


WATTA


..


LAKC


AANCOLON


SQUARE


CHICAGO


F.XTH WATER


27


Cornell Level


HALITCO


ETATE


TWELFTH


.hane . Inn Green


William Demzett


William Fithinn


Concor Miten vậy


. .......


19 Canul Land


20


21


Canal Hind at Kset Hilet


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TWENTY SECOND


STREET


WPoger Buckets


30


28


1


STREET


1.


だるさび


THIRTY NINTH


STREEL.


RANGE 14 EAST


NOTE .- The names given on various tracts of land are those of the primary patentees, or persons by whom entry was made, entered or patented between the years 1828 and 1836. The information is taken from " Book of Original Entry." Streets as shown were laid out subsequent to 1830.


TOWNSHIP 39 NORTH


WEITEANT


Grange init


SOUTHWESTERN"


Willietzn ofermtzen


Canest


33 Cimet Land


chimera Herrington


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MAP OF


CHICAGO


1830.


AVE


N


E'nterre by


Trur


G.Hright


Fli Clean


Billie Hyrle


Susan Anderson


CHIOACO


Jaich Clifton


.hierender I'Dole,


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3


7 Canal Land


Elijah Vend wertlos


Colony Are


John Wright


PhiloCuspenter


Trolling Lows


ORIGINAL


IN sin


En Frankosry B&


STRECY


MADISON


AVENUE


AVENUE


Seth Scott


Eluta Filler


Trwmen &Wright


ROAD.


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M


.17


IM


AVENUE


TOWNSHIP 40 NORTH


Canal Land 31



Owen R. Stevend


Land


IK


VORTH


I


ROAD


Daniel Elston


shows


TREET


I


STREET


Land


FULLERTON"-6-


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113


CHICAGO IN 1830-33.


MAKenzie House bruitkan. Y. Bailey


0


G


FORT


1


Gravel


11


MICHIGAN


1


F. HARRISON .JR ..


For the Purpose cl ahuwing .the proposed Harhot Linprovmesss


Fort Cemetery


AKE


THE ORIGINAL


WILLIAM HOWARD,


L


FEBRUARY 24, 1580.


Che


Cultputed Fielet


MAP


witch


Ther Fort


Mouth of Chicago River


114


HISTORY OF EARLY CHICAGO.


24. l'eter Frique, Chicago,


25. Mark Beaubien, Chicago.


26. Laurant Martin, Chicago.


27. Jean Baptiste Secor, unknown.


28. Jeph Bauskey, unknown.


29. Michael Welch, Chicago.


30. Francis Ladusier, Chicago : single, died at Archibald Cly. bourne's.


31. Lewis Ganday, unknown.


32. l'eresh Leclerc, Chicago : Indian interpreter.


The French names are mostly of Indian traders who ever followed the Indian trilw's with whom they had be- come allied, first in the interest of their trade, and later from family or tribal relations which had come from intermarriage. Most of them had Indian wives.


A few not shown in the foregoing list were, at that date, living in Chicago, Among them was Stephen Forhes, who taught a private school in what was known as the " Dean house " during the spring months of 1830. He went to Ohio during the summer of that year, returned with a wife in September, and they to- gether re-opened his private school. The following sketch of the Forbes family is taken from Hurlbut's " Chicago Antiquities :"


" STEPHEN FORBES was born in Wilmington, Vt., 26th July. 1797 ; his parents were John and Anna (Sawyer) Forbes, lle married in Newburgh, Ohio, 25th March, 1830, Elvira (born in Moncton, Vt., joth November. 1800), daughter of Noble and Aurilla (Booth) Rates. Mr. Forbes first came to Chicago in the summer of 1829, and returned to Ohio the ensuing fall ; came back to Chicago in the spring of 1830, and taught school three months, and then went to Ohio again, and returned here with Mrs. Forhey in the month uf September, of that year. They lived in the Dean house, so called, just by the outlet of the river. The boats, which unloaded the vessels, turned in there just by this house. The house was a block or timber-built one, being of Ings hewed on two sides, with two main rooms, with an addition of one room. The school was kept in this house, Mrs. Forbes and her class accupy- ing one room, and Mr. F. and The boys the other. Of the chil- dren of this school, a boy and girl came from the garrison; the girl, whose name was Julia Shuttleworth, was the daughter of an En- glishman, a soldier in the fort. The other scholars were mostly French or half-breeds, Late in 1831, Mr. F. removed to where Riverside is now, or near there, where the Laughtons lived, but returned to Chicago in 1832, in consequence of the Indian troubles, David and Bernardus II. Laughton were Indian traders, and a few years before had a store at Hardscrabble, on the Chicago South Branch. The wife of the last-named gentleman was a sister nf Mrs. Forbes. Mr. Forbes returned to live al Laughton's, and when both those gentlemen died within a few weeks of each other; he helped to bury them. Mr. F. was the first Sheriff of Cook County elected by the people, 1832. These items, with others, we received from Mr. F. at an interview on his eighty-first birth- day, July 26, 1878. The aluwe portraits were copied from photo- graphs taken about 1868 ; the autograph signature of Mr. F. is the same as the one which accompanies his letter ; that of Mrs. F. was written in her seventy-second year. Mr. F. had a paralytic attack some years since, but continued to walk out frequently in pleasant weather. He died suddenly of apoplexy. in Chicago, at the house of his son-in-law, Nathan S. Peck, on Tuesday evening. 11th February, 1879."


RELIGIOUS GERMS .- As a whole, the Chicago of 1831 could not have been considered a pious town .* There was no church edifice, and outside the fort, with the exceptions of the ministrations of the Jesttit priests among the Indians, and the visits of McCloy, Scarrett, and Walker on the part of Protest- ant missions, it does not appear that the preaching of the gospel had been an el- ement in the life of the town. Wil. liam See, a Methodist exhorter, occa- sionally essayed to preach. He was a blacksmith, and worked for Mr. McKee. Mrs. Kin- zie heard him preach in the spring of 1831. He preached in what she termed the " little school-house " at Wolf Point. It does not appear, however, that his ministrations were rewarded with a religious awakening . See Religious History.


sufficient to result in an organization of the few devout persons who heard him preach. He was a man of unblem- ished character, and, as a faithful servant of his Master, ilid what he could to prepare the way for the more effi- cient, though not more meritorious, work done by his immediate successors, with whom he contimted to co.op- erate in religious labor after their arrival. He is entitled to the ilistinction of being the first ordained resident preacher of the modern Chicago. "Chicago Mission" was designated in 1831 as a point in the Sangamon District of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and the Rev. Jesse Walker, then living at Plainfield, forty miles distant, was appointed to the charge. He paid his first visit after his appointment in company with Rev. Stephen R. Beggs. Mr. Beggs held his first meeting in Dr. Harmon's room, in the fort, on the evening of June 15, 1831. On the following day he preached in the log school-house at Wolf Point, where William See had occasionally preached before. The meeting resulted in the formation at that time of a Methodist class, and the permanent establishment of the Methodist Episco- pal Church in Chicago, The venerable pioneer of Meth- odism, Mr. Beggs, in an address before the Calumet Club in Chicago, May 27, 1879, forty-eight years after, spoke of the formation of the class and its members as follows :


" My next ( second ) service was in the log school-house north of what is now Washington Street, on the first block west of the


Belick Wentworth


river, upon or near what is now Canal Street, and near Wolf Point. I invited all to come forward who wished to enroll themselves in the Methodist Church. Ten responded. Among Them were: William See, who was made class-leader, who moved to Racine, Wis., and died there ;" Elijah Wentworth, Jr., the first Coroner of


* Hurlbut-sco "Antiquities." P 373-states that See died in koura County, Wis., in alis8.


Diy zelty Google


115


CHICAGO IN 1830-33.


Cook County, who died al Galesburg, III., on the 18th of November, 1875 : his mother, Lucy (Walker) Wentworth, who died al Chi- cago, of cholera, July, 22, 1849, and his two sisters, Mrs. Charles Sweel, now of St. Joseph, Mich., and Mrs. Elijah Estes, of Milwaukee, Wis., whose daughter is now the wife of Rev. Isaac Lineburger, at Dixon, in this Stale. This same log school- house afterwards served as chapel and parsonage for the itinerant clergyman. Here were his kitchen and parlor. Al the Methodist Conference held at Indianapolis the 4th of October. 1831, I was ap- pointed 10 Chicago, and held my first quarterly meeting in January, 1832, being the first ever held here, and there was also the first Meth- odist communion service. T. B. Clark, of Plainfield, carried pro- visions on an ox-sled to sustain the people through the quarterly meeting."


Mrs. Zebiah (Wentworth) Estes is still living ( 1883 ) at Bay View, near Milwaukee, and is believed to be the only surviving member of the class. Her sister, Mrs. Susan ( Wentworth ) Sweet, died at St. Joseph, Mich., March 25, 1882.


No other efforts to establish stated religious services in Chicago were made until the following year. As auxiliary to the religious movement above mentioned, weekly prayer meetings were begun in the fall, at the house of Mark Noble, Sen. (the old Kinzie house). Mr. Noble, his two daughters, and Mrs. R. J. Hamilton, all Methodists, were the originators and zealous supporters of this first Christian prayer meeting of Chicago.


THE FIRST POST-OFFICE was established at the town of Chicago in the spring of 1831, and Jonathan N. Bailey appointed Postmaster. He was, at that time, living in the old Kinzie house, opposite the fort. It is probable that the mails were first opened and distrib- uted at his dwelling. The mail facilities at the time the post-office was established were not of the best, There were no post-roads, The mail was received once in two weeks from Niles, that being the nearest distribut- ing post-office.


The village did not grow rapidly during the first year after the survey was made. A few men came in to swell the permanent population, but not sufficient to give it any decided certainty of being the leading city of the West. The sale of lots by the land commissioners was made largely to speculators or to the few residents who took a local interest in the embryo town. The prices real- ized were by no means extravagant when compared with those of to-day. As showing the first market value of city lots in Chicago, the following partial list of pur- chasers of 1830, and the prices paid or promised to be paid, is given :


PARTIAL. LIST OF PURCITASES OF CANAL LOTS AND LAND SUR- VEVED AND BROUGHT INTO MARKET IN 1830.


INAME.


DESCRIPTION.


PRICE, ETC.


J. B. Beaubien


Lots I and z, block 17 ....


$100


Mark Beaubien ..


L.ols 3 and 4, block 31 ....


102


William Belcher


Lots 5 and 6, block 29 ....


10g


Wilson A. Bell


Lois 4 and 5, block 34 --.


48


Lyon Bourissa.


Lois 1 and 2, block 44.


114


Archibald Clybourne.


I.ofs 4 and 5, block 5. ..


42


Charles Dunn.


fot 1, block 16


75


John Evans.


1.01 5. block 33


21


Clement A. Finley.


Lois 5 and 6, block 31


101


Amos Foster


Some 26 lots ..


Thomas Hartzell.


Lot 1, block 20


50


Also 80 acres wesi half of northeast quarter Section (g?).


1.55 per


John S. C. Hogan.


Lots 1, 2, 5 and 6, block __


116


Clark Hollenbeck ..


Lo1 7. block 8


11


William Jewell ..


Lois 1 and 2, block 19 .... Lots 5 and 6, block 28.


75


Benjamin Kercheval ..


80 acres, west half of north- west quarter.


1.25 per


- F .. Roberts.


Edward Keyes


Lots 5 and 6, block 8. 47


NAME.


DESCRIPTION.


PRICE, ETC.


Paul Kingston


Lol 7, block 20


27


James Kinzie.


Lots 5, 6, 7 and 8, block ..


John H. Kinzie .


Lot 2, block 2 .


William Lee (See ?)


Lots 3, 4 and 5, block 23 ..


Stephen Mack


I.ols 7 and 8, block. 43 --


David Mckee.


Lol 7. block 49


130


Peler Menard, Jr.


Lois 4. block 29


100


F .. Roberts


George Miller


Lots 5 and 6, block 36


63


Jonathan H. Pugh


Lol I, block 18


24


Alexander Robeson. .


Lois : and 2, block 29.


138


James Walker.


Lot 4, block 10.


20


John P. Wilburn


Lol I, block 1


60


Alexander Wolcott


Elght lots in block 1, also


cast half of northeast


quarter, Section 9, Town


39. Range 14, 80 acres ..


Jedediah Woolsey, Jr. Lot 9, block 44


1.62% per acre 50


The changes in the resident population during 1831' mentioned by the early chroniclers, were as follows :


The troops in garrison were removed in June to Green Bay, and the Government property left in charge of Indian Agent Colonel T. J. V. Owen, assisted by his brother-in-law, Gholson Kercheval.


Among those who became citizens of the town were : Colonel R. J. Hamilton, who came April 9 ; George W. Dole, May 4 ; P. F. W. Peck, who brought with him a small stock of goods in the schooner " Telegraph," which arrived in July ; Rev. Stephen R. Beggs, June, 1831 ; R. N. Murray, July, 1831 ; J. W. Pool, October, 1831 ; Mark Noble and family, August, 1831; Dr. Elijah D. Harmon, who came in 1831, as appears in Mrs. Kinzie's "Waubun," p. 205. He lived in the fort, but is entitled to a place among the early settlers of Chicago. Of him Mrs. Kinzie wrote :


"When we chose the path across the prairle toward the south, we generally passed a newcomer. Dr. Harmon, superintending the construction of a sod fence, at a spol he had chosen, near the shore of the lake. In this Inclusure, as the season advanced, he occu- pied himself in planting fruit siones of all descriptions, lo make ready a garden and orchard for future enjoymeni. We usually stopped lo have a little chat. The two favorite schemes of the Doctor were horticulture and the certain future importance of Chicago."


The accounts are quite unanimous in the statement that many emigrants were temporary sojourners in the fort, and the buildings surrounding, during the summer and fall, but it does not appear that many of them remained permanently. Most of them went beyond to the Fox and Rock River countries and made settlements there.


Colbert, p. 5, states : " The same vessel (the "Tele- graph ') brought a number of families who, however, did not settle here, Emigration set in largely in the fall, and by September the fort was filled with emigrant families, the occupants numbering some four hundred souls."


Governor Bross, " History of Chicago," p. 18, says:


" The Telegraph," which arrived in July, and the ' Maren- go,' were the only arrivals during the season, except the one that transported the troops to Green Bay." The principal part of the population of Chicago during the winter of 1831-32 occupied the quarters in the garrison. and were ministered lo, in the way of creature comforis, by our estimable citizen George W. Dole, who was the only merchant then in Chicago, except Mr. R. A. Kinzie, at Wolf l'oint."


· The " Napolego," Captain Hinckley.


Digitized by Google


14 ..


110


Edmund Roberts


Lot 2, block 18


45


Thomas Ryan.


Lot z, block 14


42


Jalın Wellmaker.


Lots 1 and 2, block 14.


54


Samuel Miller.


Los 3, 4. 5 and 6, block


76 for 4 lots 37 64


acre


Gurdon S. Hubbard ..


21


acre


116


HISTORY OF EARLY CHICAGO.


Mr. Colbert chronicles the arrival of P F. W. Peck on the " Telegraph," "with a small stock of goods," and states that "he built a small log store near the fort," thus making an important addition to the trade of Chi- cago. If the statement is correct, Mr. Peck doubtless took his share of the trade with Messrs. Kinzie and Dole .*


There is no mention of any building being done during the year, except the store of Peck, before men- tioned.


CHICAGO BECOMES A COUNTY SEAT. - The act creating Cook County was passed by the General As- sembly of Illinois, and approved January 15, 183t. By the same act the town of Chicago was made the county seat. Section { of the act read as follows:


" Be it enacted by the people of the State of Illinois, repre. sented in the General Assembly. That all that tract of country, Io wit: commencing al The boundary line between the states of Indiana. Illinois, at the dividing line between towns thirty-three and thirty- four, north; thence west to the southwest corner of lown thirty-four north, of range nine, east; then due north to the northern boundary line of the State; thence east with said line to the northeast corner of the State; thence southwardly with the line of the State to the place of beginning,-shall constitute a county to be called Cook, + and the county seal therenf is hereby declared to be permanently established at the town of Chicago, as the same has been laid out and defined by the land commissioners."


Section 8 directs that an election be held "at Chi- cago, in Cook County, on the first Monday in March next, for one sheriff, one coroner, and three county com- missioners."


Section to locates the public buildings at Chicago "on the public square, as laid off by the Canal Com- missioners, on the south side of the Chicago River," and in the succeeding section the County Commissioners were authorized "to sell the same whenever they may think it best, and apply the proceeds thereof to the erec- tion of a court-house and jail."


Section 1 3 established a ferry at the " seat of justice." The County Commissioners were without delay to pro- vide a suitable hoat, or other water craft, and hire a ferry- man at their discretion as to terms. The ferry was to be free to the inhabitants of the county; others to he ferried at such rates as should be reasonable and just.


In March, 1831, Cook County was organized. It then embraced, besides its present limits, all of what are now the counties of Lake, McHenry, DuPage, and Will. The only voting place in the county was Chi- cago, at the first election. No general election was held until the following year, before which time the county had been divided into three precincts. The first commissioners were Samuel Miller, Gholson Kerche- val, and James Walker, who, on March 8, held their first court in Chicago, and took the oath of office be- fore Justice of the Peace J. S. C. Hogan, William See was appointed Clerk and Archibald Clybourne, Treas- urer. With the exception of Walker, who lived on the DuPage River, the governing power of Cook County was vested in residents of Chicago. During the first session of the court, which lasted two days, the follow- ing proceedings were made matter of record:


" An order was passed that the southwestern fraction of Sec- tion 10, Township 9, Range 1.4, cast, be entered for county pur- poses. The Treasurer was authorized to borrow one hundred dollars with which to make the entry, at a rate of interest not to exceed six per cent. Jesse Walker was appointed as agent to enter the land in behalf of the county. ;


. Robert A. Kinzie, Samuel Miller, Alexander Robinson, John B. Brag- bien, Madure B. Heaubien, and Mark Beaubien hail all been licensed to sell gunds at this time, Perhaps the five last mentirmed traded exclusively with Indians. +The county was named in honor of Hon. Daniel H. P. Cook, who as a mem- ber of Congress, had been chiefly instrumental in procuring the passage of the canal hill and land grant of rias.


: The project failed Mr. Walker al a subsequent meeting ( June 6) re- ported that he had been refused permission to make the entry, and returned the money.


" Jedediah Wooley was nominated for appointment by the Gov. crhor as County Surveyor.


" Three voting precincts were established and their boundaries defined, designated as the Chicago precinct, the Hickory Creek precinct and the Dul'age precinct.


"Grand and petit jurors were selected, and other unimportant business transacted afier which, as was recorded, 'the court ad- journed until court in course.'"


April 13. 1831, a special term of the Court of County Commissioners was held in Chicago-present, Samuel Miller and Gholson Kercheval, the two Chicago members. At this session considerable business was transacted relating especially to the history of Chicago.


It was ordered that a tax of one-half per cent be 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."


The first two tavern licenses were granted by Cook County to Chicago landlords-Elijah Wentworth, for 87, and Samuel Miller, for $5.


Following the granting of these licenses, the records show that it was-




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