USA > Illinois > Cook County > History of Cook County, Illinois : being a general survey of Cook County history, including a condensed history of Chicago and special account of districts outside the city limits : from the earliest settlement to the present time, volume I > Part 2
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HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
In 1679 La Salle and a body of Frenchmen passed southward along the western coast of Lake Michigan; visited the Indians on Green Bay; continued past the present Cook county; admired the beauty of the landscape; landed at the mouth of St. Joseph river ; there built Fort Miami, the first in the "Illinois country"; was there joined by the faithful Tonty and more Frenchmen; passed with all up the St. Joseph to about South Bend; then crossed the portage to the Kankakee river, down which they moved, entering the Illinois, and finally built Fort Crevecœur near Peoria, and later Fort St. Louis at Starved Rock. La Salle again came out in 1680 and 1681. The brave and skillful Tonty remained in the "Illinois country." La Salle preferred the St. Joseph-Kankakee route-did not like the Chicago portage recommended by Joliet-called it a ditch. For several years he made Fort Miami a distributing point. A little later it was destroyed by deserters from Fort Crevecœur, but was rebuilt about 1784 by Durantaye, as before stated.
La Salle says in his "Relations" concerning the Chicago portage: "This is an isthmus of land of 41 degrees 50 minutes north latitude at the west of the Islinois (Michigan) lake, which is reached by a . channel (Chicago river) formed by the junction of several rivulets or meadow ditches. It is navigable for about two leagues (nearly five miles) to the edge of the prairie a quarter of a mile westward. There is a little lake (Mud) divided by a causeway made by the beavers, about a league and a half long, from which runs a stream which, after winding about a half league through the rushes, empties into the river Chicagou (Desplaines), and thence into that of the Islinois. This lake is filled by heavy summer rains or spring freshets, and discharges also into the channel which leads to the lake of the Islinois, the level of which is seven feet lower than the prairie, on which is the lake. The river of Checagou (Desplaines) does the same thing in the spring when its channel is full. It empties a part of its waters by this little lake into that of the Islinois, and at this season, Joliet says, forms in the summer time a little channel for a quarter of a league from this lake to the basin which leads to the Islinois by which vessels can enter the Chicagou (Desplaines) and descend to the sea."
Father Zenobius Membre wrote of La Salle's expedition : "On the 21st of December, 1681, I embarked with Sieur de Tonty and a part of our people on Lake Dauphin (Michigan) to go to the Divine river, called by the Indians Checagou (Kankakee and Illinois), in order to make necessary arrangements for a voyage. The Sieur de la Salle joined us here (probably at Fort Miami, on the St. Joseph river ) with the rest of his troop on January 4, 1682, and found that Tonty had had sleighs made to put all on and carry over the Chi- cagou (Kankakee), which was frozen, for though the winter in these parts is only two months long it is notwithstanding very severe. We had to make a portage (near South Bend) to enter the Illinois
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HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
river (Kankakee), which we found also frozen. We made it on the 27th of the same month, and dragging our canoes, baggage and provisions about eighty leagues on the river Seigueley (Illi- nois), which runs into the river Colbert (Mississippi), we passed the great Illinois towns (near Utica) without finding any one there."
St. Cosme wrote in 1699 that on his journey to the Illinois coun- try he passed up the Chicagou river and "put up for the night about two leagues off on a little river which is lost in the prairie." Very likely he put up at the cabin on the South branch of the present Chicago river, perhaps previously occupied by Father Marquette. The next day he "began on the portage, which is about three leagues long (seven and one-fourth miles), when the water is low, and only a quarter of a league in the spring, for the little lake in spring can be used, but not when it is dry, to reach the Des- plaines."
The successes of the Iroquois were not sufficient to extinguish the claims of France to the Illinois country. The Illinois colony, particularly that portion on the Mississippi, continued to receive many desirable settlers from both Canada and Louisiana. The vast grant to La Salle in 1684 presumably included what is now Cook county, the language being that his dominion should extend "from Fort St. Louis, on the Illinois river, into New Biscay (Durango)." This must have meant all included within the colony of Fort St. Louis, and if so, may be said to have embraced Cook county, really an outlayer of that settlement.
Prior to 1712 military law ruled Louisiana, and therefore the Illinois colony, the latter being independent, but attached to the former, which was a dependency of New France, or Canada. Tonty was the first military commandant of the Illinois colony, and as such was both chief constabulary and chief executive. His word was law, but he was accountable to France for his conduct. It is not improbable that French cabins and trading posts more or less continuously occupied the traversed portions of Cook county, par- ticularly at the spot on the South Branch, where stood the La Tau- pine cabin, occupied by Marquette, or at the Calumet portage. Owing mainly to the relentless incursions of the Iroquois, Fort St. Louis was abandoned in 1702, as it had previously been abandoned in 1680 by Tonty. Swine were probably introduced into the Illi- nois colony before 1700; domestic cattle were brought here in 1711. By 1700 scores of Frenchmen and missionaries began to pass be- tween Canada and Louisiana, often by the Chicago route, when it could be done in safety. Hardy French traders and devoted mis- sionaries were at this date living with all the western tribes. The Illinois country began to send down the Mississippi boat loads of flour, meal, pork, beef. hides, furs, etc. Already it was famous in Canada and France for the beautiful scenery, temperate climate, rich soil and velvet plains teeming with wild game.
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HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
After the grant of Louisiana colony to Anthony Crozat, in 1712, the Illinois country became a part of Louisiana and the latter re- mained, as before, a dependency of Canada. The grant was for fifteen years; it lasted but two. Crozat was succeeded as Gov- ernor of Louisiana by Cadillac in 1714, and he by L'Espinay in 1717. From 1712 to 1725 the Illinois country enjoyed a period of pleasing growth and prosperity. Numerous boats with thousands of colonists, traders, voyagers, missionaries and adventurers passed back and forth over the waters between Canada and Louisiana, the Chicago route getting, no doubt, its share of the travel. The building of Fort Chartres in 1720, on the east side of the Missis- sippi below St. Louis by D'Boisbriant rendered the colony safe for women and firmly and permanently established French settlements in the Illinois country. There sprang up immediately in that vicin- ity the happy and prosperous settlements of Prairie de Rocher, St. Philippi and Cahokia. The Sulpetians built at Cahokia a water-mill -saw and flour. The Western Company, which succeeded Crozat in control of Louisiana and therefore of the Illinois colony, con- ducted a large warehouse at Fort Chartres. The fort gave abso- lute security to the inhabitants and blocked any attempt of the English to gain a foothold on the Upper Mississippi. The Western Company took the grant of Louisiana (including the Illinois colony and Cook county) for twenty-five years-1718 to 1742.
At the commencement of the Seven Years' War the French held actual possession of the Mississippi, though the English claimed ownership to its banks at the south and also at the north, in the valley of the Ohio. The French had settlements and forts at St. Joseph, Mich., and along the Wabash, the Illinois and the Missis- sippi, with the impregnable Fort Chartres, just built, to guard the upper courses of the latter. They had also captured Fort Duquesne at Pittsburg, and thus practically held possession of all the terri- tory west of the Appalachians. The English prepared to assault at four quarters along the northern and western borders. In the Illinois country were 300 French soldiers. Captain Villiers, in 1754, was sent from Fort Chartres with a detachment to assist the force at Fort Duquesne, upon which, it was seen, the first blow would fall. War on a large scale and in earnest, with all the accom- paniments of savage barbarity, was now to settle the long and vexatious controversy as to the ownership of American soil, includ- ing what is now Illinois.
In 1757 Governor De Kerlerec, of Louisiana, formulated his de- sign of uniting the tribes of the Mississippi, combining them with available French forces, and marching on the Atlantic colonies, in order to divert them from the projected attack on Canada. It was wisely concluded that while the British forces were engaged else- where, the French could cut the colonies in two down the Potomac valley, and thus, with an attack in their rear, force the English
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HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
from concentrating against Canada; but the French court was too impotent to take advantage of this plan, and accordingly General Wolfe came from the Plains of Abraham with a splendid victory. However, the English, under Braddock, were terribly defeated near Pittsburg, mainly by the French and Indians under Capt. Charles D'Aubrey, of Fort Chartres. Had such success been quickly fol- lowed, as it should have been, by all the French and Indian power of the West, and further been followed by a prompt advance down the Potomac valley, history might have assumed an altogether different finality. The Illinois country might have remained to France, and hence could not have been won by the Colonies in the Revolution. In that case what is now Cook county, Illinois, might have remained a dependency of France. The latter might not have joined the Colonies in their struggle for independence. Indeed, the Colonies might not have won their independence, or, if they had, might not have obtained the western country, including Cook county.
Capt. Thomas Sterling, on behalf of the British, took possession of Fort Chartres and the Illinois country on October 10, 1765, and remained in command until Maj. Robert Farmer took charge in December, 1765. The latter was succeeded by Col. Edward Cole in 1766, and he by Colonel Reed in 1768. From September 5, 1768, until March 30, 1772, Lieut. Col. John Wilkins, of the Eighteenth or Royal Regiment (British), was military commandant of the fort and the Illinois country, but at the latter date he was succeeded by acting Maj. Robert Hamilton from Fort Pitt. On June 11, 1772, Hamilton was relieved by Capt. Hugh Lord. The latter had two companies of infantry and three artillerymen and remained in command until May 1, 1776, when he and the most of his troops were recalled to Canada, leaving the Illinois country exposed to the attacks of savages. Called away thus hurriedly Captain Lord turned over the fort, the country and his own family to Phillippe Francais de Rastel, Chevalier de Richeblave, who in the end proved to be the last of the British commandants to govern or control the Illinois country. Rocheblave, without troops money or official authority, acquitted himself with signal distinction until the country was cap- tured by Col. George Rogers Clark, in July, 1778. Doubtless Rocheblave was left in command because he was acceptable to the French residents. He certainly had the confidence of Captain Lord, who left his family with him; nor was that confidence mis- placed. In all the arduous trials of the Revolutionary period Rocheblave, though beset with dangers and enormous expenses, proved faithful to his pledge to Captain Lord and to his office under the British.
From 1765 to 1768 the Illinois country, though included within the jurisdiction of Canada, seems to have had no regular form of government except that of the commandant's court; but on Nov. 12,
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HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
1768, General Gage ordered a change. Commissions equivalent to those of justices of the peace were granted to seven of the residents, French and English, of the Illinois country. They were consti- tuted a court with jurisdiction in all cases of debt, but no jury was provided for. It was called the "Court of Enquiry," and seems to have been dominated by "The Company," a mercantile institution of Kaskaskia. "The Company" was composed of Boynton, Whar- ton and Morgan, the latter of whom was president of the "Court of Enquiry." The proceedings of the court were unsatisfactory to the French inhabitants and a small rebellion resulted. The inhabit- ants wanted the "Court of Enquiry" to be conducted by the military commandant and not by "The Company."
Rocheblave, a Frenchman himself, though satisfactory to the French residents, proved unsatisfactory to the English inhabitants. Though as a whole faithful to the cause of Great Britain, he was partial to the French residents as against the English. Several English traders on the Illinois river, probably at Peoria, petitioned against him to Sir Guy Carleton, commander in chief of Canada. It was declared that he trampled on their liberties, despised the English and their laws, acted as both counsel and judge, traded liquor to the Indians against his own orders, required a servile sub- mission; yet, although these charges were probably true, it cannot be denied that he showed great skill in keeping the savages in sub- jection without troops, meeting the emergencies in his trying posi- tion without money or resources; keeping the Spanish, whose lan- guage and intentions he knew, from taking possession of the coun- try, and outwitting the rebellious colonists until he was captured by Colonel Clark. Generally, his course was satisfactory to the Eng- lish authorities, and his acts were approved. He made his head- quarters at Fort Gage, Kaskaskia. Had Captain Lord and the two 'companies of troops not been sent away at the commencement of the Revolution, Colonel Clark could not have captured the Illinois country. The latter might have had a different fate.
After the Seven Years' war the territory east of the Mississippi was never again called Louisiana. Before that war ended France, perceiving that she might· lose all her American possessions unless Spain joined her, entered into a secret agreement with her, called the "Family Compact," whereby the latter, should she lose the Floridas or Cuba to England as a result of the alliance, would be recompensed by the transfer to her of Louisiana. But, as a result of the war, France having lost to England that part of Louisiana east of the Mississippi, and Spain having lost Cuba and Florida. therefore that part of Louisiana west of the Mississippi was ceded by France to Spain. Thus what is now Cook county, Illinois, passed from France to England as the result of this war.
Upon the conclusion of peace at the end of the Seven Years' war the English as soon as practicable took possession of all the French
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HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
posts east of the Mississippi. Many Frenchmen, unwilling to be- come English subjects, crossed the Mississippi to Spanish territory. Taking possession proved a difficult step, owing to the open hos- tility of the Indians and the repugnance and opposition of the French inhabitants. In order to establish British authority, it was found necessary to displace all French civil officers with English ones, and this was done. But the Jesuits had so much influence over the Indians and the French inhabitants that the hostility to everything English continued. Therefore, as a last act, to establish British rule and authority, all the Jesuits were expelled from what may be called British Louisiana-that east of the Mississippi, which included the present Cook county, Illinois. Under the British the country east of the Mississippi and north of the 31st degree of north latitude con- tinued to be called Illinois.
Soon after the accession of the Western country by Great Britain she proceeded to divide Florida into two sections-East and West- and provided each with a suitable government. The northern boundary of West Florida was, in 1764, extended up to the mouth of the Yazoo river. The Illinois country seems to have been left without a provincial government-seems to have been under the con- trol of Maj. Arthur Loftus, Governor of West Florida, or his sub- ordinate at Fort Chartres. The following extract taken from the Annual Register (English), Vol. VI., explains the status of the English possessions north of the Yazoo and east of the Mississippi, and of course included the Illinois country and what is now Cook county :
"The readers will observe, and possibly with some surprise, that in this distribution much of the largest and perhaps the most val- uable part of our conquests does not fall into any of these govern- ments; that the environs of the Great Lakes, the fine countries on the whole course of the Ohio and Ouabache (Wabash) and almost all that tract of Louisiana which lies in the hither branch of the Mississippi, are none of them comprehended in the distribution. The government of West Florida extends in no part much above half a degree from the sea. Many reasons may be assigned for this apparent omission. A consideration of the Indians was, we pre- sume, the principal, because it might have given a sensible alarm to that people if they had seen us formally cantoning out their whole country in regular establishments." The writer complained that all the territory recently acquired north of the Floridas had not been included in either East or West Florida, nor in any of the colonies to the east.
In the Revolution the Colonies sought to gain their independence and as much territory as possible. England owned all east of the Mississippi and Spain all west of that stream. Both had the right to navigate its whole course. France had been mourning in sack- cloth and ashes ever since the Seven Years' war, for the loss of her
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HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
American possessions, and hated England with intense and undying bitterness. She was ready for any step to humiliate her enemy, wound her in a vulnerable part, or win back what had been lost in the Seven Years' war. Even before the revolt of the English col- onies, France had intimated that she would assist them to gain their independence; and after the struggle had begun she openly helped them with money, munitions and encouragement. She form- ally joined the Colonies by treaty of alliance dated Feb. 6, 1778. She repeatedly urged Spain to join against Great Britain, and that country would have done so had not conflicting interests in America arisen. Spain soon had a different object in view. She owned the right bank of the Mississippi from its source to the Gulf. Above all things, she wanted to secure the Floridas, in which case she would own both banks of the Lower Mississippi, and therefore believed she could control the navigation of that stream. She also wanted the territory east of the Upper Mississippi-the same that France had owned before the Seven Years' war-which included the Illinois country and what is now Cook county. Owning both banks of the Mississippi throughout its course, and owning both of the Floridas and the remainder of the Gulf coast, she would have not only un- doubted and absolute control of the navigation of that river, but could declare the whole Gulf a mare clausem or closed sea- could shut all other countries out of both river and Gulf. As the war progressed, it became evident that the Colonies would probably secure not only their independence, but all the country east of the Mississippi as well. When this eventuality became evident Spain perceived that her American colonial designs were certain to con- flict with those of the Colonies after the war. She therefore re- frained from joining the Colonies against Great Britain. In fact, on May 8, 1779, she declared war against Great Britain, but did not form an alliance with the Colonies. She was forced to take this step, in order to forestall the Colonies in capturing the Floridas and the Western country and to take advantage of England while she was busy with her rebellious colonies, and while the Colonies themselves were unable to interfere.
It thus came to pass that Spain actually conquered the Floridas from Great Britain and later claimed to have conquered all the upper country east of the Mississippi, including the Illinois country and what is now Cook county. But the latter claim was not allowed by the United States after the Revolution, partly because George Rogers Clark during the war captured the Illinois and Wabash valleys in the interest of the Colonies. What Spain really did in the upper country, while the Colonies were struggling in the Revo- lution, was to take possession of Natchez, establish posts at Walnut Hills (Vicksburg), and Chickasaw Bluffs (Memphis), strengthen the posts and the settlements in the Wabash and the Illinois country, take possession of the left bank of the Mississippi opposite Arkan-
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HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
sas post and capture St. Joseph, Michigan, and the Illinois country by an expedition from St. Louis. In all of these movements, the real object of Spain was to gain the Floridas, and both banks of the Mississippi. While the struggling colonies were in their sorest straits near the close of the long and crushing war, Spain coolly and unhesitatingly told the Colonies that the only obstacle in the way of her joining them against England was their absolute surrender of the right to navigate the Mississippi. France pointedly and persistently urged the Colonies to grant this demand. In this dire extremity, when the Colonies were hardest pressed, when it seemed that another supreme effort would win independence, and when it was believed that Spain could supplement that supreme effort, the Continental authorities came within an inch of surrendering their prized and invaluable right to navigate the Mississippi. They knew that if they won their independence, their domain would extend to the Mississippi above the 31st degree north latitude, and that by virtue of the English right to navigate the lower course of that stream, secured by the treaty of Fontainebleau, they would be enti- tled to navigate the lower course. In the absence of railroads the Mississippi was the only outlet to the ocean the Western people possessed ; they, therefore, vehemently declared that the surrender of their rights to navigate the Mississippi would be followed by their withdrawal from the Union. The opposition of the Western people and the selfish attitude of Spain- grasping, unfriendly, nar- row-minded and treacherous-at last roused the Continental Con- gress to the importance of immediate and specific action, and there- upon they passed a resolution never to surrender the rights of the United States to navigate the whole course of the Mississippi.
Upon the conclusion of peace in 1783, England ceded to Spain the Floridas, but ceded to the United States all the upper country- all north of West Florida and east of the Mississippi. It required a half dozen years before Spain relinquished her claim to the upper country east of the river (including the Illinois country and Cook county) ; and it required an even score of years before the absolute right of the United States to navigate the whole course of the Miss- issippi was finally settled. It will thus be seen that the treaty of 1783 permanently transferred the Illinois country and Cook county to the United States.
After the revolution, much truer than before, the right to navi- gate the Mississippi was, in the absence of railways, all important to the Western people. The Illinois country grew rapidly and im- mensely. The project of shutting out the Americans from the lower Mississippi, or of surrendering for twenty-five years, as was pro- posed, the right to navigate that course was declared sufficient, if carried into effect, to cause the Western people to set up an inde- pendent government. Their rights were not interfered with except temporarily.
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HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
The treaty of October 27, 1795, between Spain and the United States established the southern boundary of the latter on the 31st parallel of the north latitude, located the western boundary in the middle of the Mississippi, extended to the United States the right to navigate the whole course of that stream, and gave the latter the right to deposit merchandise at New Orleans for three years, or an equivalent establishment elsewhere, if not at New Orleans after that date. This treaty rendered the settlement and prosperity of the Western country both certain and rapid. The interdiction of the merchandise deposits at New Orleans in October, 1802, and the failure of Spain to assign an "equivalent establishment elsewhere" again roused the Western people; but the transfer of Louisiana by Napoleon, in 1803, to the United States forever made the Missis- sippi exclusively the property of the latter and thus removed all clouds from the commercial sky of the Illinois country and Cook county.
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