History of Grundy County, Illinois, Part 23

Author:
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Chicago, O. L. Baskin
Number of Pages: 506

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HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.

stoek of goods or that of Col. Wm. L. Perce, was the first brought to Morris. They were both opened in 1845 and were mere supply stores for the accommodation of the canal hands.

COL. WILLIAM L. PERCE took the con- tract of building the aqueduct aeross Net- tle Creek on the west side of the city, and came here with his family in 1845, ocenpy- ing a frame house built by Geo. H. Kiersted where the residence of John F. Hamilton now stands. He was an elderly man of considerable means and large experience as a contractor. With him came Charles H. Goold, now president of the Grundy County National Bank, as book-keeper, and Alex- ander Morrison, now a member of the State Senate of Michigan and a leading capitalist of that State, as foreman. The stone for this aqueduet was quarried some seven miles below Morris, near the river bank and hanled by teams. It was a red- dish sandstone of inferior quality and dis- integrated so that the aquednet had to be rebuilt. Col. Peree opened a stoek of dry goods in a room in the American House, with C. H. Goold as manager, in the fall

of 1845, which was probably the first store in Morris. IIe left here when the canal was finished and has been dead many years. Passionately fond of enchre he was a good partner if you understood his signs, and a dangerous rival in a four-handed game. He was bald headed and had large ears, which he could move forward or backward at will, and by means of his ears he could indicate to his partner whether he had one or more trumps, and in case the dealer turned down the trump card he told his partner what he desired for trump, by the motion of his ears. To those who did not know of this peculiarity his playing and luck were marvelous, ELIJAH WALKER opened a boot and shoe shop in a log cabin where Alex Miller's residence now stands, . in 1841. IIe was the first president of the board of trustees, under the special charter of the town of Morris in 1853, and served one term as sheriff of the county and was supervisor of the town in the county board. Defeated for re-election as sheriff, by John Galloway, in 1856, he became disgusted with polities and went to Iowa.

CHAPTER VII .*

MORRIS CITY-THE SECOND PERIOD-GROWTII OF THE CORPORATION-OFFICIAL RECORDS- INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS-1842 TO 1850.

F TROM April 12, 1842, to Angust 15, 1850, Morris was a kind of go-as-you- please town organization, under general aet and special eharter. As before shown, the county seat of Grundy County was lo- eated and named April 12, 1843. It re- mained without being incorporated into a municipality a little over thirteen years. On the 15th of August, 1850, an election in conformity with chapter 25 of the stat- nte then in force, was held at the old court honse in Morris, to vote upon the question of incorporation, under the scetion of the statute referred to: " the free white male residents of lawful age, * who may have resided six mouths in said proposed incorporation, as a freeholder therein," were entitled to vote provided that said town or village contained 150 inhabitants. At this election L. P. Lott was chairman or president, and P. A. Armstrong, elerk of said election, who certify that " there were in favor of incorporation forty-nine votes, and against it no vote; a beggarly vote for a eity, but it was all that were east. On the 22d day of that month an election was held for five trustees, with the same elee- tion board, when there were seventy-six votes east. As party lines were drawn at this election, this vote was very nearly a full one. Orville Cane, Ezra P. Seeley, Win.

S. Woolsey, Jacob Jacoby and Robert Kel- ley were the snecessful ones, each receiving abont fifty votes, while their opponents re- ceived only about half that number.

On the 2d of September of that year, the first village conneil met and organized by the election of E. P. Seeley, President of the Board of Trustees, and Henry Storr, Clerk. Beyond being sworn in and organ- izing the board, and defining the boundaries as follows: "Ordered that the jurisdiction be extended over and embrace the follow- ing territory, viz .: The southwest quarter of seetion 3; S. E. ¿ of See. 4; N. fr. of N. E. ¿ See. 9; N. fr. N. W. ¿ Sec. 10, in town 33, R. 7 east, 3d P. M., and also that por- tion of the Illinois River lying opposite to the N. fr. N. E. { See. 9, and the N. fr. N. W. # Sec. 10 as aforesaid, and extending fonr rods on the margin of the south bank of said river, to be measured from the top of the bank," no business was transacted at this first meeting of the Town Couneil of Morris.

Of these five trustees Mr. Cane only sur- vives. Old, yet hale and hearty. Ile has retired from business and is spending his time in reading and conversing with his olden time friends. An old settler of the county, he was its second sheriff, and has lived on his farm, a few miles west of the city, for many years past, and returned to Morris some two years ago.

* By Hon. P. A. Armstrong.

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HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.

The second meeting of the Board of Trustees was held at the court house Janu- ary 13, 1851, when they passed an ordi- nance establishing the boundaries of the board as in the previous order, and fixed the regular meeting of the board for second Monday of each month at 6 p. M., creating the appointive officers of the board as fol- lows: One constable, ponnd master, street commissioner, fire warden, clerk and treasurer, defining their duties, and then appointed George Gillett, constable, Charles L. P. Ilogan, street commissioner, A. W. Newell, treasurer, and Robert Peacock, fire warden. At this meeting they passed a general code of ordinances for the police regulations of the town, many of which are still in force with but little alteration, and ordered them published by posting up three copies in public places in Morris. The next meeting of this board was held at the court honse February 10th, 1851, when Capt. Charles L. Starbuck was elected clerk of the board, to fill the va- cancy of Henry Storr, resigned.

Under the impression that the charter granted by the Legislature to the late Wm. E. Armstrong, February 27, 1841, to estab- lishi a ferry across the Illinois River on sec- tion seven or nine, T. 33, R. 7, and grant- ing him, his heirs and assigns the exclusive right to cross said river within a mile of the point where he may establish said ferry for ten years, was either inoperative or had expired, the board passed an impracti- cable, long ordinance to license and regu- late the running of a ferry across the river here. There are seven sections in this or- dinance prescribing the duties of ferrymen, and the running of the boats, their kind and size, and giving precedence to physi-

cians, surgeons and midwives, prescribing fines and penalties for the violation of any provisions of said ordinance.

Upon the passage of this ordinance, Col. Engene Stanberry, Byron Stanberry and George H. Kiersted, submitted to the incip- ient city fathers a proposition to pay into the town treasury for a license to run a ferry across the river at Morris during the period of three years, $305, viz .: for the first year $100, second $101, and third $104, subject to the terms and conditions of the ordinance on that subject. For the consideration of this proposition a special meeting of the trustees was held March 1, 1851, when the offer was accepted, and peti- tioners executed and delivered to the board a $500 bond for the faithful observance of the ordinance and performance of the duties therein prescribed. Big with expec- tation of golden rewards from this ferry li- cense, Col. Stanberry ordered La Salle County's popular rope maker, Ole Johnson. to make him a ferry rope, some 700 feet in length, at a large cost, purchased an old flat boat and started his ferry. They kept it running just three days when they dis- covered that they had one lawsuit on their hands with a fine prospect for several oth- ers. Geo. W. Armstrong as the adminis- trator of Wm. E. Armstrong, brought suit against the firm of Stanberry & Kiersted, for damages for intruding upon his " 'tater patch," and received judgment; while several parties whom the company had ferried over and charged the regular rates of toll allowed under the Armstrong char- ter, when the license only allowed them to charge one fifth of that toll, were threat- ening to bring snit for extortion. Indeed, the Colonel came to the conclusion that

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HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.

five cents for ferrying a double team and wagon, and taking them back free on the same or succeeding day, was rather too sınall a business to ever be remunerative. IIc and his company became sad, melan- eholy, disheartened and abandoned it. Thus was Morris robbed of the services of three Charons, and the ferry license was " consigned to the tomb of the Capulets." It died of negleet and was buried without a mourner, and the Board of Trustees never after attempted to run a ferry.

At the April meeting of the board sev- eral licenses to vend spirituous and vinons liquors were granted, the price being $25 per year, with a $500 bond. Four saloons were granted licenses at this meeting. An election for trustees was held August 22, 1851. At the meeting of the board August 11, each member of the board had been paid three dollars for his services as trustee for one year preceding. An exceedingly modest board was this. At this election the old board (except that James B. Jones was eleeted in place of Mr. Kelley) was re- elected, and Mr. Seeley was elected presi- dent. The treasurer's report for the pre- ceding year showed the sum of $160 eol- lected as grocery and circus license, and 874.30 paid out as the expenses of running the "eity government " per year. A cor- poration tax of fifteen cents on each $100 worth of taxable property was Jevicd at their meeting Sept. 8, 1851, " for establish- ing a grade of the town and defraying the other expenses of the corporation." Oliver S. Newell was re-appointed treasurer on bond of $200. Dr. Newell died a few days later, and L. P. Lott was appointed his successor Nov. 10th, and the bond raised to $300. The board did not meet again

until January 27, 1852, when the only business transacted was the drawing of the per diem of the board and town officers, amounting to $17. This was rather a cheap town board. The next meeting was held April 7th, when printed hand-bills were or- dered to the value of $1.50, " cautioning all persons against the danger of small-pox at the Franklin Honse in Morris." Only this and nothing more was done.' The first sidewalk ordinance was passed April 17, 1852. At this meeting Mr. Kiersted made a written proposal " to establish grades on all the streets and alleys of the town of Morris, and additions placing stones of grade at the intersection of the several streets, and making profiles and a map of the same for $50." The record says:

"After mature consideration the above proposition was accepted and a contract entered into," ete., and an order was drawn on the treasurer in favor of Mr. Kiersted, as an advance payment, for $6. But as Mr. K. was rather backward in coming forward with his grade, this contraet was rescinded August 9, 1852. At this meeting the salaries of the town officers for the past six months were ordered paid, amounting to the sum of $13. Thus the total expense of the municipal government of Morris for one year was just $30. The clerk of the board received 87 for his year's salary, whilst the street commissioner and fire warden were paid by the honor conferred by the title. The election for a new board was held Ans. 23, when George Fisher, Eugene Stanberry, llenry Benjamin, Orville Cane and James Barrett were elected trustees-a new board except Mr. Cane. Mr. Fisher was made President, and Wells F. Stevens, Clerk. We do not now remember what were the 1

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IHISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.

issues in this election, but from the elean sweep of the old board, there must have been some eause of complaint. Some po- litieal petard or bomb which over-slanghed and retired them to private life. This new board held its first meeting Sept. 21. 1852, and appointed a committee, consisting of Messrs. Fisher, Cane and Stanberry, “ to prepare and report an amendment to the eharter more fully defining the limits of the corporation of the Town of Morris." Messrs. Fisher. Stanberry, Cane and Bar- rett were appointed as a committee to pro- cure a " buring " ground. The latter com- mittee reported an ordinance for the pur- chase of the E. ¿ , S. W. }, Sec. 27, T. 34, R. 7, on Sept. 27, which was passed. At this meeting Geo. Parmelee was appointed fire warden, and John Galloway, town constable; and a tax of fifteen eents on each $100 of taxable property for municipal purposes was levied. The treasurer's report submitted and approved, showed $180.28 received the past year from all sourecs, and $31.50 paid ont on orders drawn. Surely these were economieal times. Up to this date not a dollar had been expended to en- foree police regulations or for assessing or collecting revenue.

At a special meeting of the board, Oct. 2, 1852, James Jacoby in company with the street commissioner and town constable were appointed to kill and destroy all dogs running at large contrary to the form and effect of this ordinance. This committee were probably inefficient, as no pay was provided for their services, nor were the kind of dogs to 'be " killed and destroyed " very clearly defined-whether biped or quadruped. On the 23d of October Thomas Reynolds was appointed street com .nis-

sioner, and it was "ordered that the fees of the street commissioner be the same as those of town constable for like service." Now what similarity there could be between the duties of street commissioner and con- stable we will not attempt to point out. If it is meant to apply to the amount of fees or salary paid to the town constable then the whole thing " is elear as mud," for from Sept. 13, 1850, to the date of this meeting the town constable worked for nothing and boarded himself so far as drawing any money from the town treasury is concerned. At this meeting the town elerk's salary was fixed at one dollar per meeting for record- ing the proceedings and ordinances. At a special meeting, Dee. 13, 1852, Engene Stanberry was appointed street commis- sioner (Mr. Reynolds not qualifying), and was paid by an order of the treasurer $15 for services, eleaning streets, etc. This was the first money paid by the board for work on the streets of Morris. At this meeting the land purchased for a cemetery (being what is known as the Old Catholie Cemetery, north of Morris) was ordered sold and $29 was appropriated toward a hook and ladder for the Fire Company. In February, 1853, there was a mad dog seare, and a proclamation issued on that subject. This appears to have been the first scare of that kind. Liquor lieenses were raised to $50 at the March meeting of the board, 1853, and four lieenses granted. On Feb- ruary 12, 1853, a special charter, incorpo- rating the town of Morris, was passed, sub- mitting the same to the people of Morris for adoption. This election was held May 2, 1853, and the record says "Eugene Stanberry was Juge, and W. F. Stevens, Clerk," who certify that there were 141

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HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.

Votes cast at said election, of which 101 were for and 40 against said charter.

This new charter did not change the name or style of the corporation, but in- creased the number of trustees to six instead of five, and cut off their per diem. It divided the town into three wards. All south of Washington street constituted the First; north of Washington and west of Liberty, the Second; and north of Wash- ington and east of Liberty, the Third ward; each ward to have two trustees, the presi- dent to be elected on general ticket; so the council would consist of seven instead of five members. Under this charter the treas- urer and town constable were elected by the people. The treasurer was ex-officio assessor, and the town constable was col- lector. The old board, however, remained in office nntil Sept. 26, 1853, when they eanvassed the votes cast at an election held Sept. 24th under the new charter, and de- clared Elijah Walker elected president, Geo. E. Parmelee, treasurer and assessor; James B. Jones, constable and collector; L. P. Lott and George Turner, trustees of the 1st ward; Geo. W. Lane and Charles H. Goold of the 2nd; David LeRoy and John Antis of the 3rd. The retiring board, not one of whom had been re-elected, audited their own accounts for services for the past year at $5 each, and a like sumn to their clerk for his year's services. The record book of the board of trustees, in which were kept the proceedings and ordi- nances of the board for three years, was a two-quire paper-back ledger, costing as per price mark 75 cents, and the record covers 42 pages, while the entire cost of running the municipal government for the three years was less than $100, all told. One of the

last official acts of this old board reads as follows: "Ordered, that an order for three and 75 dollars be drawn in favor of L. P. Lott for paper and candles furnished the board." This was before the days of kero- sene or gas, or indeed of camphene, and yet but twenty-nine years have elapsed.

At the first election under the new char- ter there were only 136 votes cast, all of which Mr. Walker received. Indeed there was little or no opposition to those elected from president to constable. The new board met at the office of C. H. Goold Sept. 27, 1853, and elected Nathan B. Dod- son, clerk, and Messrs. Lott, Lane and Goold were appointed a committee on "Rules of Order." Messrs. Goold, Lott and Lane were appointed as a committee to receive the books and papers of the former board, examine the same, and make a condensed report thereon." Their first regular meet- ing should have been held Oct. 10, 1853, but there was not a quorum present, and they adjourned to Oct. 15th to mcet at the office of Drs. Hand & LeRoy. No quorum present at that time, and adjourned to the 17th, when a full board were present, when Mr. Lott, from committee on rules of order, reported a series containing twenty-four rules of order, which was adopted. Messrs. Lott and Lane, from the committee to receive and examine the books of the late board of trustees, submitted a report accompanied with a resolution, which was also adopted. Among the suggestions of this report they say, "We carefully inspected said books, etc., and find nothing contained therein that will need any action of this board for the present. The books and papers have been kept in a somewhat careless and loose manner," etc. Mr. Lott, as late treasurer,

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HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.

submitted his report of receipts and dis- bursements, showing total receipts from Jannary 15, 1852, to Sept. 28, 1853, to be $473.71, with the sum of $420.61 paid out, leaving a balance of $53.10. He also re- ports the receipt of notes from Patrick Terry (now Dean Terry, of Chicago) amounting to $162.59, for sale of forty acres of cemetery land sold him. and a note for $25 given by Dominic Henry for liquor license. Here the old board was very obliging to the liquor vender, granting a license "on tick." At a meeting of the board Nov. 28th an ordinance was passed selling the west half of the southwest } of township 27, 3, 4, and 7, to Patrick Terry, for $300, and the money to be derived there- from was appropriated to the purchase of a Potter's field to bury the poor in the Morris cemetery. They also passed two other ordinances at this meeting, the one entitled "Hogs," the other "Dogs."

Though a body politic, the town of Morris had no official seal until the spring of 1854. Nor did the Board of Trustees have a finance committee until Jan'y, 1854. Messrs. Lott, Antis and Le Roy being the first. It would seem that absentecism in the board was becoming a serious question about this time, and at a meeting Jan'y 12 the record says: " Mr. Lane offered his excuse for absence at last meeting; Mr. Goold came in; Mr. Turner was, by order of the president, summoned to appear bc- fore the board immediately; John Antis was deputized to serve the summons." At this meeting an ordinance entitled " Com- pensation of Town Officers " was passed containing nine sections. Messrs. Goold, Lott and Lane were also appointed to suggest amendments to the charter. At the next

meeting Feb'y 13, this committee reported " that they had taken legal advice, and got Col. Bennett to draw up a code of amend- ments, and submitted the same to our member, Captain Starbuck, who had re- quested to have the whole matter left to him." This report was adopted and com- mittee discharged. At this meeting one " Henry Fay applied for a license to sell liquor by the small, which was unanimously refused." The clerk presented his bill for services, $38.53-a sum larger than any previous year's entire expenses of the offi- cers of the corporation. At the March meeting, on motion of Mr. Lane, the board purchased blocks nine and twelve, in the Morris Cemetery for the sum of $200 for " burial purposes." J. M. Goold was paid "fifty cents for killing a dog." Mr. Le Roy moved that the president and clerk be authorized to provide a supper to be given to the present board, and the new members elected at the coming election, and that an order be drawn on the treasurer for the cost thereof." But the board sat down on the motion instead of sitting down to the supper.

On the 1st of March, 1854, the charter of the town of Morris was amended by the General Assembly, fixing the time of elec- tion on the first Monday in April. At this election the following were elected: B. M. Atherton, president; Levi Hills, assessor and treasurer; Alban Bennett, police magistrate; John Galloway, constable and collector; N. B. Dodson, clerk; and the old aldermen, Lott, Turner, Lane, Goold, LeRoy, and Antis. At a meeting of the board April 10th, for the organization of the new board, six standing committees were appointed as follows: Finance and claims,

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HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.

L. P. Lott; Fire department, G. W. Lane; Streets and alleys, George Turner; Health, David Le Roy; Judiciary, C. H. Goold; License, John Antis.

These were the first set of standing com- mittees in the town council of Morris. There were one hundred and sixty-nine votes east at this election, and in the 3d ward David Le Roy and E. P. Seeley each received thirty-two votes for alderman. Instead of deciding which was elected, by drawing ents, it was referred to the board, and by the board referred to its president. At the second meeting of this new board April 17, 1854, the record says: "The president issned an order for the attendance of Antis, Turner and Goold, served by E. Stanberry, who reported Mr. Goold sick, Mr. Turner absent from town, and Mr. Antis present, which formed a quorum." Whether this order was a summons, notice, attachment, or capias ad respondendum, the record fails to show. At this meeting President Ather- ton submitted a long report upon the tie vote between Messrs. Le Roy and Seeley, finding in favor of Le Roy on the ground of a failure to elect his successor. This re- port was laid on the table on motion of Mr. Lott, and no further action seems to have been taken on the subject. Mr. Le Roy continued in the council during the year. At this meeting C. R. Parmelee, Patrick Hynds and H. P. Gillett were elected street commissioners, and P. A. Armstrong, city surveyor. This was a somewhat noted board in the introduction and pas- sage of ordinances, and then enforeing or suspending them by resolution, they were never excelled if equaled. Indeed, this board assumed legislative jurisdiction over everything animate or inanimate within

the limits of the corporation, and put on more style, " than a country school ma'm." Let us give a little copy from their record, viz .: "Mr. Le Roy asked leave to present a bill. On mnotion of Mr. Lott the bill was read by its title, and referred to the last named committee. The committee ap- pointed to draft an ordinance on revenue reported with a bill which was read for the first time. On motion, the second reading was by its title. The bill was then referred

to a committee of the whole, and made the order of to-morrow." We suppose to- morrow meant the next regular meeting of the board, but ean only guess atit. It was a monster ordinance covering 21 sections, and was passed April 24, 1854. At a special meeting April 29, the board by a vote of five to one refused to grant liquor licenses; what was the effect of that aetion ire do not remember, but are inclined to the belief that whisky was about as free as nsual that year. At the May meeting the record says: "It was ordered by the board that Mr. Turner be fined for absence at the meeting of May 6th; Mr. Turner came in quarter to nine o'clock." But we are giv- ing too much in detail, and must hurry along with our chronicle. A corporate seal was not adopted until May 29, 1854. The revenue collected this year was $1,274.97. The city surveyor completed a general system of trade, and an ordinance establish- ing the same was passed July 10, 1854.

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History of Grundy County, Illinois, Part 23

Author: Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Chicago, O. L. Baskin Number of Pages: 506

Author:
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Chicago, O. L. Baskin
Number of Pages: 506