USA > Illinois > DuPage County > History of Du Page County, Illinois (Historical, Biographical) > Part 20
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The Naperville Academy, the Illinois In- stitute at Wheaton, and the Warrenville Seminary, were in their full tide of success during that time, as well as a goodly number of district and private schools.
At that date (1855), Rev. Hope Brown, School Commissioner, made a report which showed the number of school districts in the county to be sixty-eight, four of which had
no schoolhouses. The number of pupils was two thousand or more. Twelve hnndred studied arithmetic, 500 studied geography, 250 English grammar, and 100 such higher branches as algebra, physiology and natural philosophy.
Schools were taught from six to eight months each year, but in some of the districts there were no winter schools.
The wages of female teachers were from $8 to $16 per month, besides board; and for male teachers, from $16 to $30 per month.
Five years later, in 1860, the report of Ho- race Barnes, School Commissioner, shows that there were eighty-one schools in the county, and 4,054 children who attended schools, out of a school census showing those between the ages of five and twenty-one of 4,909. Four- teen district libraries were purchased in 1860 -one in Addison Township, six in Bloom- ingdale Township, one in Winfield Town- ship, and three each in Milton and York Townships. The amount raised by direct tax in the county for school purposes that year was $8,885. 74, and the amount raised by the State fund paid to the County Treasurer was $6,480.75, making a total of receipts from county tax and State appropriation, for the year 1860, to be expended for schools, of $15, - 366.29.
The average monthly wages paid to female teachers the same year was $12 per month, and to male teachers, $24.50.
The report of C. W. Richmond, the County Superintendent of Schools, for the year 1870 shows the number of school districts in the county to be eighty-seven; number of persons between the ages of six and twenty-one to be 5,298. The gross receipts for the support of schools for the year were $6,109.50, $5,727. - 15 of which came from school tax direct, $359.55 from interest on school, college and seminary fund, and $23 from fines and for-
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feitures. Added to this was $6,042.63, which should have been paid in from the State tax of 2 mills on the dollar the year before, but, through some informality, did not come. Although it was paid in by the State in 1870, it properly belonged to the fund of 1869.
The same year (1870), female teachers re- ceived from $12 to $70 per month, and male teachers from $30 to $80 per month.
The number of graded schools in the county was seven, three of which were in Winfield Township, two in Milton, one in Downer's Grove and one in Naperville Town- ship.
Said Judge Cody, in a Fourth of July ad- dress at Naperville in 1876: " We have ex- changed the log schoolhouse of 1831 for two magnificent colleges, two theological semi- naries and for high schools and free schools of easy access to every child within our lim- its. "
This expresses the general situation at that date, showing the complete introduction of our school system, which is now in full tide of progress.
The report of H. A. Fischer, County Super- intendent of Schools for 1882, shows the number of graded schools in the county to be six. two of which are in Downer's Grove, two in Milton, one in Winfield and one in Naper- ville.
The number of ungraded schools are seventy-seven, making a total number of schools in the county, exclusive of private schools, to be eighty-three. The total num- ber of persons in the county between the ages of six and twenty-one was 9,116.
Sixteen districts have school libraries, the total value of which is $1,080.
The average monthly wages paid male teachers was $49.15, and female teachers, $32.84.
schools for the year were $46, 122.91, $1,032. - 11 of which was from income of township fund, $6,473.20 from State fund and fines appropriated for the benefit of schools, $37, - SSS.51 from special district taxes, $285 from sale of school property, and $127.64 from various other sources.
Of the six graded schools reported in the county, four are high schools. The distinc- tion between the two grows out of the fact that in high schools a regular course of study is pursued, and pupils who take the full course are entitled to a diploma at gradua- tion.
These schools are located at Naperville, Wheaton. Turner Junction and Hinsdale.
Of the school libraries in the county, Prof. Fisher, in his report, speaks in terms of com- mendation, stating that they are made up of valuable works on history, biography, poetry, science and romance of a high character, and almost exempt from the gushing style of dime novels.
As to the discipline of the schools, it may be stated that the moral force of the teachers over the pupils is gathering force, and there is little, if any, danger that it will ever lose its grip-certainly not as long as the stand- ard of teachers is kept up to its present grade. And here the writer cannot forbear to draw a comparison between the teachers of Du Page County schools and the teachers of New York City schools, which schools he has recently visited, and, in justice to home talent, must give it the preference. Here our most es- teemed families are not above letting their sons or daughters teach, but in New York or Brooklyn such is not the case, and the class teachers there have to be taken from ranks in society not always clothed with the dignity of aristocracy in intelligence.
By State authority, a 2-mill tax is collected The entire receipts for the support of on all property and appropriated according
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to the school census of each township, which census enumerates those under twenty-one years of age. Direct taxes for schools in this county are assessed for each school dis- trict, according to their instructions.
THE OLD STAGE COACH.
The old stage coach, mail routes and roads were an institution once in the heyday of their glory in Du Page County, and the old settlers love to think of the good old sociables held in these vehicles, which jostled the passen- gers into good nature with each other, as the Jehu in the box bulldozed his horses through the sloughs.
In 1825, a Mr. Kellogg pioneered his way across the prairie from Peoria to Galena. This was the first road that ever went to the place, although it had been settled a century, but reached by way of the River. Dixon was settled in 1830, and in 1834, a stage line was established to it and Galena from Chicago, through the following points: Lawton's, on the Desplaines; Brush Hill, where Oriente Grant opened a tavern next year; Naper's settlement, where a post office was then es- tablished named Paw Paw; Gray's Crossing, where Mr. Gray lived, at a favorable fording place on the Fox River, two miles below the present site of Aurora; Dixon, on the Rock River, where Mr. Dixon kept a ferry; Apple River, where a fort was built, twenty miles southeast of Galena; thence to Galena, the termination of the line. This was the first legally established road through the county. Joseph Naper was one of the Commissioners to lay it out under State authority, and Col. Warren carried the mail in a lumber wagon from Chicago to Naperville till the stage line was established.
Trade between Galena and Chicago was then a coveted prize, and road places north of the Naper settlement soon began to take
measures to straighten the line between the two places, in order to bring the travel by their own doors.
St. Charles was the first to lead in this, and subscribed $2,000 to lay out and improve a road direct from their place to Chicago, with this end in view, and, in the summer of 1836, a force of men and oxen were at work along the line all the way between Desplaines River and their place, plowing and scraping along the flat lands. This was the origin of what is now well known as the St. Charles road.
Elgin did a similar thing, but little, if any, later, and established what has ever since been known as the Elgin road, passing through Bloomingdale, where Col. Hoit opened a tavern; thence east to the Desplaines, three miles north of the present site of May- wood, where Mr. Sherman kept tavern; thence to the old Whisky Point road run- ning northwest from Chicago, connecting with it at the present site of Jefferson, in Cook County. The old Indian trail that went from the western extremity of Lake Erie to what is now Rock Island was a well-known path in the early days, and from where it in- tersected the Illinois and Indiana State line. a road was laid ont by State authority, pass- ing thenee through Lockport, Naperville, Warrenville, Dundee on Fox River, McHenry, and thence to the Wisconsin line, near Nip- issing Creek. Col. Warren was one of the Commissioners to lay it out.
The first stage line that ever ran through Du Page County was Templeton's line of stages from Chicago to Galena. This line first went through Naperville and Dixon, but subsequently changed its route, when Frink & Walker bought out Templeton, in 1838, and lines were established from Chicago to Galena via Bloomingdale; Chicago to St. Charles by the St. Charles road; and Chica-
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go to Naperville, Aurora and Ottawa. Those three lines continued to pass through Du Page County, all of which carried the mail, till railroads were built, supplanting them. During the winter months, the Government at first suspended the mail to Galena, as it involved too much risk.
GALENA & CHICAGO UNION RAILROAD.
The following is a history of the Galena & Chicago Union Railroad, now the Chicago & North-Western Railroad:
This road was first chartered January 16, 1836, which was two years before Chicago had been chartered as a city, and it enjoys the distinction of being her first railroad. Its primary interest was to advance the price of real estate, and thereby promote the pros- perity of Chicago, which was then a village of 3,820 inhabitants, with room enough to grow larger. The capital stock of the rail- road company was $100,000, with power to increase it to $1,000,000. It was optional with the company to run the road either with horse or steam power. William Bennett, Thomas Drummond. J. C. Goodhue, Peter Semple, John B. Turner and J. B. Thomp- son, Jr., were anthorized to receive subscrip- tions to the stock. By the conditions of their charter, the company were obligated to com- mence work on the road within three years, and within this time the questionable enter- prise was undertaken.
The first problem was how to get a found- ation through the spongy slough that inter- vened between the then mushroom town of Chicago and terra firma, on the ridge now occupied by Oak Park. It was theu deemed impossible to find bottom in these shaky lands, and piles were resorted to, with lon- gitudinal stringers, to secure support from one to another. Thus the work began along Madison street, but was soon abandoned
as premature, and no farther attempts to prosecute it were made till 1846, when William B. Ogden, John B. Turner and Stephon F. Gale purchased the charter of Messrs. Townsend & Mather, of New York, who, up to this time, held it, with the assets of the company. Ten thousand dollars in stock was to be paid down, and $10,000 on its completion to Fox River. A preliminary survey was made, and the work put in charge of Richard P. Morgan, a gentleman from Boston, who had earned a reputation for rail- road building in Massachusetts.
The next year, on the 5th of April, a Board of Directors was appointed, and books were soon opened for subscription to the stock.
Hero fresh difficulties came up. Many thought the road would injure the retail trade of Chicago (which was all she then had, by facilitating the transportation of goods to country merchants, and the latter feared their trade would suffer such quick and easy access to Chicago as the road would give to the farmers. Despite these difficul- ties, through the efforts of Benjamin W. Raymond and John B. Turner, in their suc- cess in negotiating loans in New York, and the reluctant home subscriptions to the stock, the road was finally completed to Harlem, ten miles from Chicago, December 30, 1848, to which place its rickety old second-hand en- gine and. cars ran, on a slipshod foundation of wooden stringers, faced with bar iron.
During the autumn of the same year, its track was laid to Elgin, and the cars were running to the place January 23, 1850. for which the company owe a lasting obligation to Edward W. Brewster, now a citizen of Wheaton. He was then living on his farm, at the Little Woods three miles below Elgin, and he not only gave the company the right of way through his land, but gave them lib- erty to cut ties from his grove, without which
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privilege the road could not have been fin- ished before another summer, for navigation was about to close, and ties could not have been procured from any other source. "One good turn deserves another." So Mr. Brew- ster gave the company the necessary gronnd for grading the road when filling was want- ed, but on conditions that he and his family should ride free on the road as long as he lived. Little did they then know what they were bargaining for. Mr. Brewster still lives, though ninety years old, and when he comes for his annual pass, the company pleasantly tell him, " Yes, Father Brewster, we are will- ing to carry you as long as you live, but we did not expect you were going to live so long."
Out of this humble beginning, this com- pany has grown into gigantic proportions, co-equal with the increase of wealth in the country through which it and its various di- visions pass. These are the Galena Division. 313.14 miles; Iowa Division, 622.53 miles; Northern Iowa Division, 292.43 miles; Wis- consin Division, 555.26 miles; Peninsular Division, 290.10 miles; Madison Division, 461.79 miles; Winona & St. Peter's Railroad and Branch, 406.10 miles; Dakota Division, 342.99 miles: total, 3,284.54 miles.
Lines under construction: Volga to Ab- beyville, Dakota, 24.50; Watertown, D. T., to Redfield, 65; Sioux Rapids to Ireton, Iowa, 68; Narenta to Felch Mountains, North- ern Michigan, 36.40; total miles under con- struction, 193.96; grand total, 3,478.44.
This company achieved its first success partly in Du Page County, and through its center, on this road, passes much freight from the Pacific Coast to Europe. Its entrance into the business heart of Chicago is direct and without detention, affording its business men easy access to rural homes in Du Page County, the eastern portions of which its
fast trains reach in forty-five minutes, the central portions in fifty-eight minutes, and the western portions in one hour and fifteen minutes, thereby bringing the towns of this county within as quick time to the business center of Chicago as the remote but already thickly settled streets in the outskirts of this city, to and from which the horse cars are uncomfortably crowded constantly, and it is an unsolved problem why the thousands who have already availed themselves of these con- ditions to secure rural luxuries are not mul- tiplied, till the whole line of the road is a continuous village. This would quickly be the case if every citizen of Chicago knew by experience the advantages of life among the gardens.
CHICAGO, BURLINGTON & QUINCY RAILROAD.
The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad passes through the southern tier of towns in Du Page County, affording facilities for easy access to Chicago, and offering good induce- ments for business men to make quiet homes along its line. The first beginning or nu- cleus of this road was the Aurora Branch Railroad, a line of road constructed in pur- suance of an act of the General Assembly of the State of Illinois, approved February 12, 1849.
The Aurora Branch Railroad extended from Aurora, Kane County, about thirteen miles to a point on the Galena & Chicago Union Rail- road, now named Turner Junction. The first locomotive was purchased February 20, 1852.
The original charter was amended June 22, 1852, and the name of the company changed to the Chicago & Aurora Railroad Company. On January 26, 1853, the charter was again amended, and the name of the company be- came the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Rail- road Company, a name formally accepted by the stockholders February 14, 1855.
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HISTORY OF DU PAGE COUNTY.
At a meeting of the Board of Directors held February 11, 1862, an act of the Gen- eral Assembly, authorizing the construction of a branch from Aurora to Chicago, by way of the village of Naperville, was formally ac- cepted by the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company. At the annual meeting of the stockholders held June 20, 1862, it was resolved to authorize the building of the road from Aurora to Chicago. This road was completed in 1864, at which time it only went to the Mississippi River, but now Northern Missouri, the State of Kansas, Southern Iowa and Southern Nebraska are directly on its lines, and besides these, it claims a share in the Colorado and Pacific trade. It had 2,- 924 miles of railroad in operation Jannary 1. 1882.
CHICAGO & PACIFIC RAILROAD.
The Chicago & Pacific Railroad was organ- . ized by R. M. Hough in December, 1877. The charter bears date previous to 1878, since which time the railroad was built, under the supervision of R. M. Hough, who was Pres- ident of the road. The Directors of the road were Thomas S. Dobson (who was also Vice President), Walter Pearce, John L. Wilcox, George S. Bowen, George Young and Will- iam Howard. John L. Wilson was Solicitor, and William T. Hewes, Secretary. Fifteen thousand dollars was paid to William How- ard for the charter. An ordinance was passed in the Council to give the right of way for the road into Chicago in May, 1872. In June following, work was commenced on the road, and it was finished to Elgin in the summer of 1873. This road is now owned by the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Rail- road.
DU PAGE COUNTY BIBLE SOCIETY.
In giving a history of this society, we are somewhat embarrassed, as we find no record of its first meeting. At whose suggestion it
was called, in what month it was held, by whom the meeting was called to order, or who participated in its organization, we are not informed; we are assured, however, that the first meeting was held in Naperville. The minutes of the first anniversary indicate that Rev. John H. Prentiss was the first Pres- ident, and leave us to infer who were his as- sociates in the organization:
NAPERVILLE, February 5, 1841.
The society met at the office of Esquire Hosmer, and was opened with prayer by Rev. John H. Pren- tiss, President. The annual meeting having failed. the following were appointed officers of the society for the ensuing year, viz .: Rev. Orange Lyman, President; Rev. Caleb Lamb, Hart L. Cobb, E. Tbayer, Eli Nosheram and T. Paxton, Vice Presi- dents; John H. Prentiss, Secretary: Aylmer Keith, Treasurer: Lewis Ellsworth, Depository ; J. H. Prentiss, A. Keith, Pomeroy Goodrich, Isaac Clark and Alexander Underwood, Executive Committee. At the second annual meeting the following resolu- tion was passed: "Resolved, That the first article of the constitution be so altered that the name of the society shall he the Du Page County Bible Society," thereby indicating that it formerly had a local name. At this meeting, we find the first report of the Treasurer, as follows: " There is now in the treas- ury $8 cash, and, as far as can be ascertained, $15.80 worth of books." In 1843, the Treasurer reported eight Bibles and three Testaments on hand, valued at $11.72, also cash $6 ($3 of which is counterfeit). We may charitably hope this spurious money found its way into the Lord's treasury by mistake. The first fifteen years, the society held its annual meet- ings at Naperville; the sixteenth anniversary at "Wheaton Station," from thence it went to Bloom- ingdale, returning by the way of Danby to Wheaton. After visiting Lombard and Prospect Park, called again at Wheaton on its way to Turner Junction, Elmhurst being the next stopping place, from which we return to Naperville to greet onr old friends of forty years ago; old friends, did we say? Were we to call the roll of those who, forty years ago were active in Bible cause, how few would respond ! Opposite the names of nearly all we write gone- dead. The memories of other years crowd upon us. The recollection of, and association with, many now living, as well as those gone before, during a resi- idence of forty-four years in the county, is pleasant.
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We write their history to-day, who will write ours forty years hence ?
Eleven venerable men have presided over the de- liberations of the society, and eight Secretaries recorded its doings.
We are unable to give correctly the financial his- tory of the society, but, from the best sources at our command, it has received and disbursed at least $15,000, the smallest sum reported in any one year being $6.25, the largest $949.13.
L. W. MILLS, Secretary.
REMOVAL OF THE COUNTY SEAT.
As stated in foregoing pages, at the organ- ization of Du Page County it was anticipated to take in the three ranges of sections on its southern limit, but this plan miscarried, and left Naperville at the extreme southern verge of the county, which had the effect to jeop- ardize her prerogative, and ultimately to disinherit her from a right that she, by vir- tue of age, numbers and wealth, tenaciously claimed, which was to be the seat of justice of the county. Albeit her remoteness from the center of the county afforded a pretext for other ambitions to come to the front and assert their claims. .
This rivalry began to take legal action in the winter of 1857, when the Legislature of the State passed an act authorizing an elec- tion to be held on the first Monday of May, the same year, to decide the question of the removal of the county seat to Wheaton.
The election was held, but it went against removal, setting the matter at rest for ten years, when, through the Wheaten interest, the Legislature again authorized an election for the same purpose. It was held in June, 1868, and this time gave a small majority for removal -- not without the "inside grip" (best known by politicians) being practiced on both sides to their utmost limit. They made a very interesting polemic out of the campaign, which must ever stand as a monu- ment of Du Page County grit, but both sides
were so nearly matched in handling their forces that neither gained any advantage, and it was the few extra votes that gave Wheaton the victory, and not her superior skill.
After the election, it was many months before the court confirmed the decision; this done, the Board of Supervisors selected a site for the court house, which was donated to the county, and the building erected that now convenes the court sessions and places crimi- nals on the proper side of iron grates. The records were removed early one winter morn- ing, and, unfortunately, a few of them were lost, but not any portion of them that are es- sential to show a good chain of title to lands. In the summer of 1879, a fire-proof building was erected on the north side of the court house grounds, with vault and offices for Clerks and Treasurer.
DU PAGE COUNTY AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL SOCIETY.
Fairs had their origin as far back as the first Olympiad, 600 years B. C., when kings ran foot races with "news boys," whose occupa- tions of turning an honest penny, selling the Naperville Clarion or the Wheaton Illinoisian, was no bar to their social equality with a crowned head, at least at the Olympic games. When both were stripped, perhaps the "news boy " could show the best muscle, and that was what counted. These were exhibitions of strength, but nowadays men plume them- selves more on a big pumpkin and on the muscle of their horses, so they always had a race-course for the latter to ventilate his fine points on and a place in which to show the pumpkins, and then in these days of female culture, the best room in the building is al- lotted to the display of needle work and crayon work of the girls, and sometimes a few loaves of bread from a matronly hand. Du Page County, animated with a laudable
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ambition to stimulate her industries and in- genuity, took steps in this direction by call- ing a public meeting at Naperville. October 19, 1853, of which E. O. Hills, of Blooming- dale, was Chairman, and James G. Wright, of Naperville, Secretary. The society was or- ganized with a constitution and by-laws, with 183 members, Lewis Ellsworth, President; J. G. Wright, Secretary. The first fair was held at Naperville October 11 and 12, 1854. The third annual fair was held at Wheaton September 17 and 18, 1856. A charter was obtained in February, 1857, soon after which fifteen acres of ground were donated to the society by J. C. and W. L. Wheaton, for a permanent place for holding their fairs. By the conditions of the donation, the grounds are to revert back to the original owners if the society neglects to hold their fairs for three successive years. Fairs have been held each year at the place ever since, with a good showing of the best things in the county. Mr. Albert D. Kelly, the present Secretary, furnished the above statistics for the work.
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