USA > Illinois > DuPage County > History of Du Page County, Illinois (Historical, Biographical) > Part 37
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The next morning they resumed their jour- ney, following the trail over which Scott's army had passed eleven months before. It has since been put down on early maps as the Elgin road. It enters the present township of Addison at its extreme southeast corner, and leads thence to the village of Addison, on Salt Creek, and this was the location of the road which the travelers took.
Toiling along their way in this narrow path between two oceans of green, they came to a grave where one of the soldiers who came the year before, under command of Gen. Scott, to defend the country from the Sauks, had found his last resting-place, and the first grave of a white man in Addison Town. ship. Farther along, at Salt Creek, were the tent poles still standing as the army had left them. They crossed the stream and encamped for the night on the prairie, amidst the lul- laby din of reptile life. But soon these soft voices of the night were drowned by the sharp yelp of the numerous wolves that hung around the camp attracted by the scent of strange animal life in their midst, but too formidable for them to attack. Pnshing for- ward the next morning, they reached the settlement which the Meachams had made six months before. Here two men in pursuit of a home met three who had already laid claim to one in the verge of a grove that now bears their name -- Meacham's Grove. Six months' experience in a country, wild as nature could make it, was productive of much practical in- formation. Everything was to be built new, and the problem was how to begin. The Meachams gave the new-comers the benefit of their experience, and the result was that they proceeded back to a grove on Salt Creek,
and, on the 12th of September, selected a lo- cation on the northern verge of a grove, to which the name of Duncklee's Grove has since been given. Mr. Dunckley's claim was on what became Sections 10 and 15 when the country came to be surveyed. It consisted of suitable portions of prairie and timber, as first claims always did till timber lands had all been taken possession of.
The first thing to be done was to build a house. This was no difficult task to accom- plish where there was plenty of timber, and all the tools required were an ax, hammer, saw, and adze to smooth the surface of the floor, which was made of split logs, flat side upward, called puncheons, besides which a frow, with which to rive out clapboards for the roof, was necessary. The whole was fin- ished in two weeks, and occupied by the first freeholder of Addison Township. Mr. Dunck- lee's family arrived the next year, 1834, in August, at the new home, amidst the growing crops that had rewarded the labors of this pioneer farmer. The following June, on the 18th, was born a daughter, Julia A., who, at her maturity, became the wife of Frederick E. Lester. She was the first white child born in Addison, and became the first school- teacher at the place, from which we must in- fer that Addison was rather tardy in estab- lishing schools, or wished to wait till they could grow a teacher on their own soil. Set- ting this down to their love of home talent, if the latter was the case, we will pass on to the next thing done here in a similar direc- tion. This was to plant apple seeds, which Mr. Duncklee did in 1836, and his orchard grew from this seed. as the first school-teacher had grown on the fuitful soil of Addison. Both were a success. Miss Julia taught a good school, and the orchard of Mr. Dunck- lee bore fruitfully, affording a handsome in-
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come for its fruit in a few years after it was planted. In the summer subsequent to Mr. Duncklee's first arrival, there came to the place and settled a Mr. Perin, who took sick and died in a few weeks, his being the first death in Addison, except the unfortunate sol- dier whose grave was seen by Mr. Dunck- lee, as already told.
Early in the summer of the same year 1834, Ebenezer Duncklee, brother to Heze- kiah, came and made a claim adjoining him and Richard Kingston. Thomas H. Thom- son, James Bean, Demerit Hoyt and D. Par- sons, all from the Eastern States, came and made claims, mostly at the southern side of the grove.
Thus far, the settlement was exclusively American, but close upon their heels, or per- haps ere the last of the above-mentioned had settled. there came to the place the vanguard of the German immigration destined to ap- propriate the lands of what, since that time, became Addison Township. This vanguard was William Henry Bosque, Barney H. Fran- zen, Frederick Grane (with his family of five stalwart young men-Dedrick, Frederick, Jr .. Luderwich, Heinrich and August -- and one daughter, Willemine. to help the mother gar- nish the house and the manners of the boys). The main settlement of these Germans was at a small grove, in what is now Section 34, ever since called Graue's Grove; but some of the Grane family settled in what is now York. Willemine was soon married to Frederick Kraige, who also settled near by. Banhard Koeler, who came with Mr. Grane, and Ded- rick Leseman, all came the same year, and Young Germany took deep root at the place. Besides all these, Thomas Williams and E. Lamb. from New York State, came in 1834. The next year. 1835, Edward Lester, with his five sons --- Marshall, John, Daniel, Fred- erick and Lewis --- came to the place from the
State of New York; also two brothers, Charles H. and Hiram Hoit, and George Rouse, came from the Eastern States, and Young America seemed to hold her own with Young Ger- many, but soon again the latter, coming in great force, took the lead. J. H Schmidt, and his son, H. Schmidt, Jr., and Mr. Buch- ols, who was subsequently killed at the rais- ing of Mr. Plagge's log cabin in 1838, all came in 1835, and the next year, Henry D. Fischer, J. L. Franzen, B. Kaler, D. S. Dun- ning, Frederick Stuenkle, the Banum broth- ers, J. Bertram, S. D. Pierce, C. W. Martin, B. F. Fillmore, came to the settlement; and the next year, 1837, Conrad Fischer, father of Henry D., also Frederick J. and Angust, two of his brothers, and William Asche, came to the place.
The famous old tavern known as the Buck- horn was opened the same year, by Charles Hoit. It stood on the Galena road, two miles west of Salt Creek. It did a thriving busi- ness, the farmers to the west as far as Rock River being guests at the place on their way to and from Chicago to market their produce. Teams also came from Galena, loaded with lead, a heavy article to pull through the sloughs that intervened between the two places. As prices range now for every kind of supply, a teamster would find his bills payable larger than his bills receivable, if he had lead given to him free, and hauled it to Chicago to sell at the going price, if he paid common hotel fare and allowed the customary rates for the use of his horses and pay for his own time; but conditions were different then. His horses bated on the prairie for rough feed, and ate their allowance of corn or oats from the feed trough attached to the wagon, which was brought from the farm from whence they came. The owner of the team slept in his wagon, except in very cold weather, and brought a portion of his food from home, pat-
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ronizing the tavern for only an occasional meal, or for hay for his horses, when the prairie did not furnish grass, which was from the time of its being burnt over in the fall till the following June.
It was about this time that Salt Creek re- ceived its name. A teamster named John Reid, from Oneida County, N. Y., was em- ployed to haul lead from Galena to Chicago, and on one of his trips, loaded back with salt, and, in crossing this stream, got "stuck " in the mud. The water was high, flooded his load and melted it away ere he could get help to pull it out. The consequence was that the creek ran brine for a few hours, and received a name which is also a memento of the early toils of the teamster.
Everything was cheap then, and a hotel or anything else could be carried on at but tri- fling expense. If the income was small, the outgoes were still smaller. Ten cents for the hay for a horse during the night, and 15 cents or 20 cents for a meal for the teamster, were ordinary charges.
All other charges were proportionate, in- cluding the expense incurred for dispensing the early Gospel. Divine services were held in schoolhouses, or sometimes in private houses.
The Germans who settled this township were Lutherans. Rev. Koschon was their first preacher. Services were sometimes held in the house of Mr. Schmidt. He remained pastor for about two years, when his place was supplied by Francis Hoffman, the same who subsequently opened a bank in Chicago in connection with Mr. Gelpke. He now owns the model farm of the State of Wisconsin. Mr. Hoffman was schoolmaster, as well as preacher, and the old log cabin where he gave the rudiments of science to the young gener- ation of his time stood where the house of Lewis Schmidt now stands, in Addison Vil- lage.
The village of Addison is situated on Sec- tions 21 and 28, on the east side of Salt Creek. Its elevation above Lake Michigan is about one hundred and twenty feet.
It was one of the early settlements of the township, and, as these settlements progressed, became a central point for a village, post office and stores to accommodate them. But the chief elements of a village in the place are its educational institutions, the history of which, together with that of the church, will constitute substantially the history of the village itself.
GERMAN EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH.
The first German settler came to Addison, then known as Duncklee's Grove, in 1834. As long as a public ministry was not estab- lished with them, they would assemble on Sundays for prayer and devotional reading at their own homes, going the rounds in the neighborhood. Later, they had occasional visits of clergymen. In November, 1842, a congregation was organized, about twenty families joining, some of Reformed, some of Lutheran persuasion. Accordingly, they adopted the name of the German Reformed Lutheran Congregation. Forty-eight acres were purchased as a site for a church, parson- age and cemetery. The membership increas- : ing, a Lutheran minister, Rev. E. A. Brauer, was called in November, 1847, and by a unani- mous vote it was resolved no longer to be a mixed, but a truly Lutheran Church. The new name, the German Evangelical-Lutheran Congregation, was adopted. In the follow- ing year, the Reformed members severed their connection and organized a new church, re- ceiving from the Lutheran congregation $170 in return for their former contributions, and $65 for their share of church property.
Following is the confession of faith of the congregation, as contained in Section 2 of its
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HISTORY OF DU PAGE COUNTY.
constitution: "As such (a Lutheran Church) the congregation professes the holy and di- vine word of the Old and the New Testa- ments, as the doctrine of the same is laid down in the public confessions of the Evan- gelical Lutheran Church, viz., the three ec- umenical symbols, the unaltered Augsburg confession, the apology of the latter, the Smalcaldian Articles, the two catechisms of Luther, and the Formula of Concord. By the rule of these confessions, since they are taken from the Word of God, all doctrinal and religious disputes that may arise in our inidst shall be decided."
The congregation now owns a large brick church, 42×85 feet, steeple 150 feet high, which was dedicated to its sacred purposes December 11, 1861. It was built, furnished and provided with pipe organ at an expense of about $12,000. Adjoining the church is a spacious parsonage, valued at nearly $4,000.
The members are scattered over a district fourteen miles long and twelve miles wide. The congregation is subdivided into four dis- tricts, three of which support one school each, and one two schools, one of the latter graded into three classes. All expenses for support of church and schools are provided for by voluntary contributions of the individual members, now numbering over two hundred families.
The pastors in charge from 1847 were: Rev. E. A. Branor, till 1856, when he accept- ed the call of the Lutheran congregation at Pittsburgh, Penn .; Rev. A. G. G. Francke, till January 3, 1879, when he was called off by death; Rev. T. I. Grosse, who is still pastor at present.
The congregation strictly insists on having the children of its fold instructed and edu- cated in the parochial schools of the four dis- tricts, presided over by six male teachers and one female teacher. The number of pupils
at present is about three hundred and fifty- five. Both the English and the German lan- guages are means of instruction, it being the earnest desire of the congregation that their children, whilst retaining their mother tongue, should master the ruling language of the country. The teachers now in charge of the schools are: West District, Mr. H. Bart- ling (since 1849), Mr. C. Greve, Miss B. Heidemann, Mr. A. Meder; East District, Mr. H. Cluever; North District, Mr. E. Rosen; South District (Elmhurst), Mr. A. Bader .- H. BARTLING.
GERMAN EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN TEACHERS' SEM-
INARY.
The German Evangelical Lutheran Teach- ers' Seminary at Addison, Du Page Co., Ill., is an institution for educating Evangelical Lutheran parochial teachers. In the year 1855, several Lutheran pastors and teachers in Milwaukee privately opened this normal school there. Two years later, they offered the institution to the German Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio and other States. The offer was accepted, and the sem- inary next located at Fort Wayne, Ind., in close connection with the Concordia College, another of the several institutions of the synod. A Professor was appointed by the synod, who became at the same time Director of the Seminary Department, and who was assisted in his special work by the Professors of the college. In 1861, a second Professor for the seminary was called. In 1863, it was thought expedient to accept an invitation from the German Evangelical Lutheran Con- gregation at Addison, Ill., to permanently locate the seminary in their midst. One year after this, the necessary buildings for sixty scholars and two Professors, with their fami- lies, were erected, viz., a main building, 64x- 40 feet, containing basement, two stories,
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and a high and airy dormitory, and, north and south from it, two wings, each 32x15 feet, built of brick, and at a cost of upward of $16,000. Later, as the number of stu- dents increased, two other large wings were added, first one to the north and then one to the south, each at the cost of about $10,000. The entire length of the building is now about 208 feet. The faculty at present con- sists of six regular Professors-E. A. W. Krauss, C. A. T. Selle, Karl Brauer, C. Hentzschel, Th. Brohm and E. Homann- two of whom teach almost exclusively music -singing, violin, piano, organ. Two of the six have their dwellings in the main build- ings; here, also, the Steward, Mr. V. von Dissen, resides, who has to provide the stu- dents with their hoard. Four Professors are supplied with spacious and comfortable frame houses. The present number of students is about one hundred and thirty, all males. In the course of five years, they are taught all the branches necessary to qualify them to become teachers, both in the German and English languages, and. besides, such branches as are requisite for a good general education. The parochial school, which is quite near, affords them the necessary oppor- tunity for practical exercises in teaching. By the liberality of the synod, they receive their tuition and lodgings gratuitously; the members of the congregation supply them with clean linen, and for board they have to pay but very little, since numerous friends from far and near send large quantities of provisions to the seminary kitchen. The annual number of alumni varies from twelve to twenty-five. As they did come here from all parts of the Union, not to speak of those that came directly from Germany, so they re- ceive calls from almost all parts of the United States, and many more are wanted than the institution can furnish. The Board of Su-
pervisors for the seminary consists at present of Revs. T. J. Grosse and H. Wunder, and Messrs. E. H. W. Leeseberg, Henry Oehler- king and T. C. Diener .- C. A. T. SELLE.
THE GERMAN EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN ORPHAN ASYLUM.
This asylum is situated in the immediate vicinity of the German Evangelical Lutheran Teachers' Seminary, and of one of the paro- chial schools of the German Evangelical Lu- theran Congregation of Addison. It is the joint property of twenty-three Lutheran con- gregations and societies in Northern Illinois, eight of which large congregations are in Chicago. This association commits the gen- eral management of its business to a board of seven persons, elected for a term of three years. The members now constituting the board are: Rev. T. J. Grosse, of Addison, President; Prof. C. A. T. Selle, of Addison, Vice President; Rev. F. M. Grosse, of Har- lem, Secretary; Mr. H. Bartling, of Addison, Cashier; Mr. E. H. W. Leeseberg, of Addi- son; H. C. Zuttermeister, of Chicago; I. O. Piepenbrink, of Crete, Ill., Trustees. The orphan house is under the superintendence of Mr. and Mrs. John Harmening, assisted by Mrs. Nickel, one baker and five servants.
According to its constitution, the Orphan House Association proposes to provide for and to educate orphans and half orphans that are intrusted to the same to such purpose by - their guardians or by surviving parent, or that God sends by other ways. The association educates the children in the full truth of the Divine Word, as this truth is intrusted to the Lutheran Church, and thus endeavors to lead them to the Lord Christ and to heaven; but it is also earnestly solicited to prepare its wards for a blessed and hopeful life in this world, that may redound to the honor of our I own great God. In order that this purpose
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HISTORY OF DU PAGE COUNTY.
may be accomplished as far as possible, chil- dren must be committed to the care of the as- sociation till they are eighteen years of age. Up to the time when they are confirmed, they stay in the orphan house, and after confir- mation, the association, through its officers, provides suitable situations for them-to work as servants, to learn a trade, to pursue studies with the view to serving the church, it being understood, however, that the asso- ciation retains the exclusive control of the children up to the completion of their eight- eenth year. Whenever it is necessary and practicable, the assoication provides for the support of its wards also, after this period. Orphans are received irrespective of previous creed of parents, or of creed of surviving parent. (Constitution, Section 4.)
In 1873, forty acres were bought for $4,- 425. A little house on this property was oc- cupied as a temporary home by the Superin- tendent and six orphans, and was dedicated October 11, 1873. In 1874, the east wing of the present home (one and a half stories high, 65x38 feet, extension 30x28 feet) was erected, at a cost of $6,814.27. It was ded- icated October 28, and, at that date, harbored eighteen orphans. In 1878, the main build- ing, 50x50, two stories, was built, and was dedicated November 7. This part cost $5,- 122.25.
From October 11, 1873, when the home was opened, till June 28, 1882, 154 children were received, of which 106 are still in the institution; five died, ten were returned to their relatives, twenty-nine serve on farms and in families, and four are now preparing for service in the church-two at the Addison Teachers' Seminary, two at Concordia Col- lege, Fort Wayne, Ind.
The orphans attend the graded school (three classes) of the German Evangelical Lutheran Congregation. Here they are instructed in
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the Lutheran faith, German and English lan- guages, and in all common branches.
Funds and endowments there are none. The institution depends for its support on voluntary contributions. The cash amount of these was, in 1873, $3,070.06; in 1874, $6,095.03; in 1875, $2,870.24, in 1876, $3,- 367.82; in 1877, $3,893.85: in 1878, $5,815 .- 23; in 1879, $5,090.39; in 1880, $4,762.19; in 1881, $4,808.60. The many donations of clothing, provisions, etc., are an essential source of income. -- H. BARTLING.
IMMANUEL'S CHURCH.
The Immanuel's Church of the German Evangelical Synod was founded in Addison in 1859, under the pastoral charge of Rev. C. Braemer. He has been succeeded by Revs. C. F. Warth, Phillip Albert and Gus- tavus Lambrecht, the latter being the pres- ent pastor. The present membership of this church is ninety families.
The following are the professional and business men of Addison:
Rotermund & Weber, general store.
F. Triechler, general store.
H. Overcamp, blacksmith.
Charles Harloff, wagon-maker.
J. G. Franke, M. D. Charles Shulle, meat market. Henry Schneider, hotel.
Charles Strauchild, harness-maker.
John Giehls, custom tailor.
W. Golterman, custom tailor.
W. Licht, boot and shoe maker.
F. Tuon, wood-turner.
W. Holstein, carpenter and builder.
H. Hoefener, mason and plasterer.
Louis Stuenkel, cheese factory-7,000 to 8,000 pounds of milk daily.
Rev. J. Grosse, Evangelical Lutheran Church.
H. Bartling, Postmaster and school teacher.
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ADDISON TOWNSHIP.
Cristian Grerie, school-teacher.
C. Kraus, Director of Addison Seminary.
C. Hantchell. Professor of Addison Semi- mary.
E. Sella, Professor of Addison Seminary.
C. Braner, Professor of Addison Seminary. Th. Brolum, Professor of Addison Seminary. E. Homann, Professor of Addison Seminary.
J. Harmening, Orphan Father-110 or- phans there at present.
WV. Leseberg, Justice of the Peace and Notary Public.
Itasca is a pleasant village on the Chicago & St. Paul Railroad, at its crossing of a frib- utary to Salt Creek. Here Dr. Elijah Smith settled in 1841, and still lives at the place. He platted the town May 14, 1874. The banks of the stream that passes through it are firm. and graduate upward from it on both sides. Its elevation above Lake Mich- igan is 170 feet. Dr. Smith gave the rail- road the right of way to build the road through the place, and $400 toward building the depot.
There are two theories as to the origin of the name Itasca. If it has an Indian deriva- tion, it is from the Ogibwa dialect-Ia, to be; totash, the female breast; hence, the lake from which the Mississippi draws its first source is called Itasca. and this town is named after it.
Another theory gives the name a Latin or- igin-Veritas caput, true head, Itas, in the first word, and ca, in the last, being used to signify that Itasca Lake is the true head of the Mississippi River. Which of these is the true root of the word the writer is unable to determine.
The following are the business men of Itasca:
Elijah Smith, physician.
A. G. Chessman, steam power for grain elevator, cheese box and tub factory.
Henry F. Lawrence, general store. A. G. Chesman, Postmaster.
Chessman & Cramer, carpenters and build- ers.
Henry Ahlenstorf, boots and shoes.
Ernst Schroeder, blacksmith and wagon- maker.
Lewis Magers, grain elevator, coal and lumber.
William Baruth, general store.
Henry Dragermuller, blacksmith and wag- on-maker.
August Hartman, meat market.
Hendricks Bros., proprietors of cheese and butter factory; 5,000 gallons of milk used daily; 200 pounds of butter and 400 pounds of cheese, daily production.
Henry Senne, agricultural implements.
John Holland, mason.
Haberstich Godleib, flax-dresser.
M. & W. Browne, depot masters.
Salt Creek, or Lester's, is a station on the Chicago & St. Paul Railroad, at its crossing of Salt Creek. It is yet very new, and has but one store, which is kept by F. E. Lester, who is Postmaster at the place.
It has a cheese factory, owned by Mr. Lester.
BENSENVILLE-BY HERMAN H. KORTHAUER.
The present site of Bensenville, located in Sections 13, 14 and 23, was purchased by Dedrich Struckmann, T. R. Dobbins and Col. Roselle M. Hough, of John Lemarche, in 1872; shortly after, Hough's interest (one- fourth) was purchased by Frederick Hener and Henry Korthauer.
The purchase was subdivided in 1874, two years after the Chicago & Pacific Railroad was built, and a post office obtained, Henry A. Glos being appointed Postmaster. It had already become an incorporated village, its plat recorded bearing date of October 10, 1873.
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HISTORY OF DU PAGE COUNTY.
In 1879, the Chicago & Pacific Company becoming insolvent, the road was purchased by the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Rail- road, a change greatly beneficial to the north- ern portion of the county; new steel rails were substituted for the old track, the road- bed raised, new buildings erected and in- creased facilities given.
The water supply being insufficient, the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Company contracted with W. H. Gray, of Jefferson, Cook Co., Ill., a professional borer of arte- sian wells, for an artesian well. Work was commenced August 1, 1881, and, after five months' continuous labor, day and night, and · an expense of $5,000, it was sunk to the depth of 21,198 feet 8 inches, the greater portion of the distance being through solid rock.
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