History of Grundy County, Illinois, Part 31

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

USA > Illinois > Grundy County > History of Grundy County, Illinois > Part 31

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Our township residents of to-day are, as regards place of birth and nationality, thor- onghly mixed. The "Scully prairie " in the southwest, embracing over two thou- sand acres, owned by Win. Scully in Ire- land, is cultivated almost entirely by Danes and Norwegians. The northern and cen- tral parts are generally settled with people from the New England and Middle States.

In the southeast are quite a number of well-to-do Irish families. Every State cast of us to the Atlantic has sons and daughters upon the prairie. They have come from the classic towns of Massachu- setts and the " back woods "'of Ohio, from the malarious bottoms of the Wabash and the Dominion across the lakes, from the White mountains of New Hampshire and the fruitful gardens of little Jersey, from the green hills of Vermont and the historic valley of the Mohawk. Nor is this all: many countries across the sea are repre. sented here. Out of Scandinavian snows they have come, and from the shores of the Baltic; from the busy marts of old England, and Scotland's Grampian hills; from the bogs of the Emerald Isle and the slopes be- yond the Rhine. These are the people that are here to-day. They came with little means-poor in purse but rich in hope. In the bosom of our virgin soil they plowed deep furrows and scattered good seed, and the yield has been " an hundred fold."

In the settlement of cvery new country there is commonly more or less of the "eventful;" some " wonderful adventures " and "hair-breadth cscapes " that enter into the warp and woof of its history, that give spice and aroma to what must otherwise be a dry and insipid literature. Unfortu- nately for the writer, and for the reader who has a taste for tragedy, our chronicles reach not back to the remote past. Our first settlements are within the memory of the middle aged. The cruel wars with the Black Hawk chief and his allies had years been over. The death song of the relent- less savage and thic wail of his helpless victim were forever hushed. The smoke of peace had curled up to heaven, and

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quiet reigned throughout the border. The eouneil fires had gone out upon the shores; the eabins of the red men were in the dust, and their war-cry had faded away in the untrodden West.

The prairie wolves were here, and while no one was ever injured by them, many a belated traveler was badly scared. They howled in the darkness along the lonely pathways, and men of good courage were startled by their unwelcome nearness, and were only too glad to reach home and shut back their noisy company. Plenty of deer were here in the early years, and venison at the farmer's board frequently figured largely in the bill of fare. In those days a drove of a dozen were sometimes seen in elose proximity to the settler's cottage. At night in winter they would seek the groves along the creeks for shelter. C. K. Snyder relates how he and his cousin, a young Wood, hunted them one cold winter's night. A drove was known to come every night to a certain elump of trees for shelter. Wood having had more experience was master of ceremonies. IIe proposed that each elimb a tree, a little dis- tance apart, and keep breathlessly still until the wild ruminants should seek their accus- tomed retreat, when they would fire npon them from their elevated positions. Snyder climbed his tree, fixed himself astride a limb), and Wood passed up his gun, telling him under no consideration must he speak, but if likely to freeze he might whistle. S. found his perch a desperate cold one, but being " gamey " and after game he proposed to wait.

The night being bitter cold and his posi- tion such that he could not move, hie was soon chilled to the bone and thought to

whistle; but he could not, his mouth would not pucker! his lips were mute. His tongue, however, loosened lively! Wood came to his rescue. The deer that were afar off heard his voice and stood well aloof. Mr. S. was often afterward reminded of his tree top experience, and the little episode is still fresh in his memory.

The first mowing machine ever used in Greenfield was made in Ottawa, and was brought by Alexander and Kennedy Brown in the fall of 1852.

The first tile draining was done last year by C. K. Snyder, upon the Nason farm S.E. 4, See. 7, and by J. C. Lutz on N. W. 4, same section. Mr. Lutz has laid this season over three miles of drain and will add to it as fast as tile ean be procured. George Goodson will put in two ear loads upon his farm this year; J. S. Small one ear load and Dr. Taxis one ear load each. This is the extent of underdraining in Greenfield up to date; so far as tested it has proven eminently satisfactory; so much so that doubtless hundreds of miles will be laid in the near future. For these low- lands, by nature so poorly drained, stigma- tized " frog ponds" and "mortar beds," de- spised by many and forsaken by few, tile draining is our hope. No enterprise in which our farmers ean engage promises so well. With this well done, we have noth- ing to wish, nothing to fear, no country can bear our laurels. Our fields will blos- som like the rose, and our granaries will be the pride of our commonwealth.

A wolf hunt in which one of the best of our early settlers very nearly lost his life, will be of sufficient interest to warrant its publication here. Although our hero was a little outside of our precinct, we are in

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HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.

possession of the facts which will not likely reach the ears of the other historians, and hence we take the liberty to write them. John Wheeler, with his family, eame to Mazon Precinet from Pennsylvania in 1846 and located in what was, four years later, named Goodfarm,-northeast quarter, sec- tion two, now Goodrich estate. At the time of which we write his place was upon the outskirts of the settlement. To the south there was not a mark of civilization short of the Vermillion River, a distance of twenty-five miles. In December,'47, there having been a fall of snow, Mr. Wheeler and one or two others started out to hunt wolves which were plenty. Being well mounted they struck out boldly to the sonth, across the snowy plain. After go- ing quite a distance they struek a wolf track which they continued to follow for several miles, when all but Wheeler were tired of the chase and turned about and rode home. He, being more determined than the others, rode on in pursuit of his game, but by this time snow was falling thiekly, the tracks were obscured and he, too, thought to return. He was now many miles from home, the winds were sweeping wildly about him and cheerless darkness was coming on apace. Chilled by the cold and storm he alighted from his horse, think- ing to warm a little by walking. The horse was startled at something, and with " a bound pulled the rein through Wheeler's benumbed fingers, and sped away like an arrow through the storm. The unfortunate man following the tracks of his steed,

pressed on as fast as he could through the heavy drifts. However it was to no pur- pose; soon every footprint was obliterated; night elosed in around him her sable pall, and in a desert of shifting snows, he was alone. Through the pitiless storm he plodded his weary way, knowing not whither he was tending. On and on, breasting the huge drifts, until his very vitals seemed frozen within him. Exhaust- ed with ceaseless effort he sank down in the snow. Digging for himself a little pit in the drift, he found the cold was less severe, and getting a little rest he raised himself up and made another struggle for home. Again his chilled and weary limbs sneeumbed; again he pitted his body in the drift. This process was repeated eight or nine times; as the night wore on , the cold increased; at last he could not stand. IIe planted his rifle in the drift, pressing the snow about it, that it might stand ereet, and serve as a guide to those who might come in search. His very blood seemed frozen in his veins, the last ray of hope had fled his breast, and with a prayer for wife and babes upon his mute lips he lay down to die. He did not die; with the morning light he spied the cabin of John Brown, and began erawling toward it. Mrs. Brown was the first to see him; his clothes frozen and covered with snow alarıned her. Mr. B. helped him to the house and when suf- fieiently recovered, to his own home, abont five miles west. Brown lived where H. Jackman does now-center sec. 33, Brace- ville.

CHAPTER XI .*

GARDNER-TOWN PLATTING-NAMING-FIRST BUILDINGS-INHABITANTS-IMPROVE- MENTS-COAL AND MINING INTERESTS-SOCIETIES-SCHOOLS-CHURCHES- BUSINESS FIRMS AND INDIVIDUALS, ETC.

G ARDNER was laid out immediately

T after the completion of the Chicago & Alton railway in 1854. The first town plat covered an area of 160 aeres, namely : The southeast quarter of section four, Greenfield. The original town site belong- ed to Ilenry A. Gardner, J. C. Spencer and C. H. Goold. Gardner was chief engineer of the C. & A. railroad company during the construction of their line. He did the surveying of the original town, and for him the village was named. Gardner did a great deal of engineering afterward upon lines running in and out of Chicago; died some five years since. Goold and Spencer, who was also a railroad engineer, were then dealing in lands and town lots; the former is still a resident of the county, residing in Morris. The territory first platted was di- vided into bloeks, twenty-seven in number; but owing to the railroad running diago- nally across the site, they were not uniform in shape nor size. Abont ten years later the town had reached such proportions that more room was in demand, and a part of the north half of seetion nine was laid ont in lots and deseribed as Price's first and second addition, Peek's addition, Ily- att's addition and Finley's addition. The east part of the sonthwest quarter of seetion four was quite early platted and is known

as Willis' addition to Gardner. The south half of sec. 4 and the north half of 9 -- one mile square, is the territory now incorpo- rated.

Gardner was incorporated in February, 1867, containing at that time about four linndred inhabitants. The first village trustees were John II. Coles. Amos Clover, W. W. MeMann, F. Lathrop and Louis Germain. George Milner, the village school master, was the first elerk of the board, and J. II. Coles the first president, and also first police magistrate.

The first dwelling house built in town was the home of the " section boss " on the east side of the C. & A. traek. The house has undergone some repairs and still serves the purpose for which erected. The build- ing in the north part of town, known as the " barraeks," was the second house in order of construction. It was built by Absalom Gleason, the first postmaster, and served as the first post-office. It has served the town as post-office, store, dwelling and boarding house, paint shop, ete. The old house still stands, but tenantless; the marks of advancing years are clear, and speedy decay is sure. Gleason is now living in Rose County, Kansas.

The first hotel was the "Eagle," 18x36, a story and a half high, built by G. R. Taxis and Seott Armitage during the sum- mer of 1855. While building, the earpen-

* By Dr. C. M. Easton.

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HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.

ters slept on shavings in a box ear, on the C. & A. side track; this was the best the young town could give. During the night they were bunted hither and thither by passing trains; never knowing when retir- ing, where they would find themselves in the morning. The builders, Taxis and Armitage, have laid away the jack plane and hammer-the former is now eireuit elerk, and the latter for many years has served the U. S. Express company as their Gardner agent. George Allen, for whom the little tavern was built, and who pro- vided the first menu, now lives in Che- banse, Iroquois County. Allen, as eaterer, was sneceeded by J. W. Hull, he by Chas. Royal, and he by S. N. Underwood, who condneted the business for many years. Four or five years ago the hotel was remod- eled and more than doubled in size; the name was changed to the " Gardner House " and James Cook entered as proprietor. Mr. and Mrs. C. still provide the " bill of fare."

The first store was kept by Chas. & Wm. Royal, opened in 1855, in a little building on the West side, where O. P. Stumph's building now stands. The store room was a diminutive affair and the stoek of goods never exceeded the capacity ; upon nail kegs and shoe boxes were seated a number of the "first settlers," who in point of gossip have not been outdone in these later years. The Royals are now living near Portland, Oregon. They were succeeded in the store by Chas. E. Gardner, who looked after the trade for a number of years, and was finally elected sheriff of the county. He died at his home in Gardner in 1866. I. F. Ben- son was one of our first merchants, coming here and going into business in the fall of 1856. Ile commanded quite a trade here

for several years, but financially was not successful. During his last years he spec- ulated considerably in coal lands. He died suddenly two years ago in Chicago, in the bath-room of his hotel. He put up the brown building on the West side, which is known as the "Benson store." The first warehouse built in town was put up by Charles Bootlı, east side of C. & A. track, where Atkinson's elevator lately stood. It was built in 1857, Taxis & Armitage doing the earpenter work as usual. A. V. Ever soll bought the building and moved it np the track to where it now stands. It was afterward fitted up for a grist-mill, and for a few years did considerable grinding. Corn is still ground there in considerable quantities. A few years since it was gen- erally overhauled and converted into an ele- vator, while the milling apparatus was improved. It is now owned by Snyder & Son, who are running it to a good purpose.

Charles Johnson, a tinner, from Ken- tueky, built the first sidewalk in Gardner, on the north end of Liberty street. Joseph Ilall built the first garden fenee, and Vir- ginia M. Hawley planted the first flowers, on Washington avenue, where Henry Don- aldson now lives.

The country being sparsely settled, the growth of the town was slow up to the time of the sinking of the Gardner coal shaft in 1864, when it started up with new life. At that time Morgan & Hart put up a store on the West side, now owned by John Allison, ocenpied by Trnesdell & Wylic, and put in quite an extensive stoek of gen- eral merchandise. Business was entirely confined to the West side until the spring of 1867, when Intz & Foote opened up a general store on the East side, in the build-

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HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.

ing now occupied by H. C. Guold as a drug store.

The first brick building put up in town was ver. Me Mann's drug store in 1869. The Commercial Ilouse, 50 by 60, three stories, was begun August 2d of the same year and completed the winter following. R. R. Stone was the first landlord. He was sue- ceeded by Win. Smith, John Southeomb, A. K. Stiles, Rowland Price, James Wilson and one or two others. Mrs. Nancy A. Wilson, widow of James Wilson, is now owner of the property and provider of the menu. The hotel was built, and for some time owned by A. K. Stiles and Rowland Price. No. 3 Commercial block was built a year later. In 1872 the brick row, num- bers 4, 5, 6, 7 and S Commercial block was built by Jones, Price, MeClure and Kloft. The five stores were destroyed by fire Christmas night, 187S. This was the most destructive fire the town has known; be- sides the loss of building, the destruction of goods amounted to many thousands of dol- lars. The losers on stocks were: O. P. Stumph, No. 4, drugs; R. B. Huss, No. 5, dry goods and groceries; C. E. Parker, clothing, and T. F. Lippengood, boots and shoes, No. 6; Pratt, Martin & Phelps, dry goods and groceries, No. 7; Wm. Kloft, saloon fixtures, No. S.

The "city hall" was built by A. S. Mar- tin and Louis Germain in 1868, and was first occupied by Lebrecht, a Jew, with boots, shoes and groceries. The elevator in front of the Commercial House was built in 1869 by E. W. Cole, of Chicago, and is one of the best buildings of its kind in this part of the country. It is now owned and operated by Lutz & Germain. The brown elevator, which is now being

moved to the north part of town onto the line of the K. & S. railroad, owned and operated by Robert Atkinson, was built in the winter of 1872-73 by R. Turner.

RAILROADS.

Gardner has two railroads, the Chicago, Alton & St. Louis and the Kankakee & Seneea. The first was built in 1853-54, the first passenger train over the line, pass- ing through Gardner upon the morning of the 24th of August, 1854. The line through here is double tracked; runs five passen- ger trains each way daily and takes rank with the best thoroughfares in the State. The second was built last year, 1881, and the first regular trains were put on the 1st of February of this year. The K. & S. is a short line connecting the Cincinnati, Indianapolis & Chicago, with the Chicago & Rock Island. It is a well constructed road, now running two trains daily each way. The people of Gardner and imme- diate vicinity gave 83,000 for right of way. C. K. Snyder was the first ticket agent of the Chicago & Alton at this station, receiv- ing his appointment about two weeks after the completion of the road. The company provided no building for an office, but gave Snyder a tin trunk in which to carry his tickets, books and valuable papers. Gard- ner was then a " town withont houses " and the agent boarded with his unele, two miles south. Going home at night after the "eleven o'clock train," on foot and alone, wading through wet grass breast high, hear- ing the bark of the prairie wolves almost within reach of a walking stick, was the experience of the "first agent." B. N. Haslett was the first agent of the Kankakee & Seneca road.

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HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.

COAL INTERESTS, SHAFTS, ETC.

In 1862 the Gardner people began to take interest in the coal product, with which the town and vicinity were thought to be under-laid, and by subscriptions, money was raised and drill tests made. These were satisfactory, but it was some time before arrangements could be made for sinking a shaft. December 1, 1863, James Congdon and Win. H. Odell leased of HI. A. Gardner, J. C. Spencer, J. R. Reese, T. C. Meyer and C. H. Goold, the north part of the village plat, namely: Blocks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 25, also lots 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 in block 26, for mining purposes. By the terms of this lease, Congdon and Odell were to have what coal they could raise during the first seven years free, after which they were to pay a royalty of six cents per ton. The Gardner people raised $2,000 by subscriptions for Congdon and Odell, as an inducement to undertake the enterprise. The work of sinking the shaft was begun about the first of January, 1864, bnt owing to some mismanagement, when down sixty feet, the sides eaved in, the hole was abandoned and another begun. The work went on slowly, Congdon sell- ing out his interest to Odell before the coal was reached, which was in the fall of 1864. July 1, 1865, Odell sold to Wm. A. Steel and Thomas Kerr. December 1st, of the same year, Steel sold one half of his inter- est to D. G. Wells for $7,000. On the 22d day of January, 1867, Steel, Kerr and Wells sold out to Aaron K. Stiles for $25,000. Stiles sold out to the Gardner Coal Company April 17, 1872: it soon after fell into the hands of the C., W. & V. Company, who continued to operate it

until the summer of 1874, when they elosed it up. The quality of the coal mined at this shaft was pronounced by experts to be fully equal to any in the State.

While Stiles had control of the shaft he started the manufacture of brick out of the fire elay, giving employment to quite a number of men. The most of the brick buildings in town now were made from the briek there and then molded. They were generally rough, but for "staying " quali- ties they were excellent. The life of this shaft was ten years. The distance from the surface to the top of the coal 180 feet. Thousands of tons of the "dusky diamonds" were brought to the surface and sent to Chicago and other markets. The mining gave employment to lots of hands, and business of all kinds was brisk. An acei- dent at the shaft which cost the lives of two employes, will be of sufficient interest to justify its record. E. L. Sutton, Alex. Mc- Kinzie, Win. Harwood and Harry Watts had just stepped upon the cage to go be- low when the rope broke and all went crash- ing to the bottom, a distance of two hun- dred feet from the landing where they started. It was in the evening, dark and gloomy, but the knowledge of the accident soon spread through the village, and soon quite a number had gathered at the top of the fatal pit. It was some time before things could be fixed, so the unfortunate men could be hauled up. Those that were at the top were appalled at the moans of distress that exme up through the darkness from the helpless vietims below. Harwood received internal injuries, from which he died that night; Watts had his spine lacer- ated; lived twenty days; Sutton got a badly fractured leg, and MeKinzie received a dis-

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HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.

located ankle and other injuries. Sutton and MeKinzie recovered with slight lame- ness.

In 1865 a company was organized, ealled the "Joint Stock Coal Mining Company of Gardner," and on the 8th of June began the sinking of a shaft a little southwest of town, on the line of the C. & A. railway. They got down only forty or fifty feet when they strnek a powerful vein of water, and after spending all the means at command, in the vain endeavor to get rid of it, that enterprise was abandoned. In 1974 the rail- way company laid a pipe under ground from this shatt to their tank in town, sinee which the iron horses have never wanted for drink. Last fall Taylor Williams, of Ster- ling, commenced sinking a shaft a mile east of town, was very much delayed by the water, and did not get down until this spring, and when the work was completed all were dismayed in learning that there was no eoał there. After spending a large amount of money it, too, was abandoned, and the buildings moved south to near the eenter of section ten, where, at this writing a shaft is being lowered. We have good reasons for believing that this shatt will not be lowered in vain. Five drill tests have been made near by, showing, at a deptlı from 156 to 200 feet, a coal vein from two feet eight inches to six feet in thickness.

SCHOOLS AND SCHOOL-HOUSES.

The first Gardner sehool was taught in a shanty east of the "section house," by Liz- zie Russell ; the next was in a little house west of the mill, by a Mrs. Brown; after that, school was tanght in a little shanty west. across the street from where the Bap- tist church now stands. Stephen Gray

moved the shanty down near the stoek yards, and lived there for many years.

The first school-house proper, 22 by 36, was built by Taxis and Armitage on the site where J. O. Edmunds now lives, in 1857. J. II. Armitage taught first sehool; he was succeeded by David Bookwalter, and he by Virginia M. Hawley, who a lit- tle later became the wife of Dr. J. B. Tax- is. In 1867 a new school-house was built on the east side of town, 28 by 60, two stories, the town having outgrown the first -Peter Hyatt, builder. By 1872 this was found too small and a two story addition, 28 by 44 was put on the rear by J. F. Peek. In February, 1875, the building eaught fire from the furnace, and burned to the ground. That summer, the present sehool building, 52 by 1872, two story briek was erected at a cost, exelusive of furniture, of $8.044. J. F. Peek, arehiteet and build- er. Five teachers are now employed, and about 236 pupils enrolled. Miss Elizabeth Baumgardner is principal; Misses Mary A. Bush, Lettie J. Smiley, Mary E. Parker and Belle Overman, assistants.

SECRET SOCIETIES.

Gardner Lodge No. 573, A. F. and A. M. was organized May 24, 1866; received its charter Oct. 6, 1868. The first mem- bers were I. F. Benson, W. II. Schoomaker, Ed. Crane, J. W. Hull, Amos Clover, W. W. MeMann, Wm. Hart, A. DeNormandie, Henry Elliott and HI. V. Whalen. Its present membership is 58, with the fol- lowing officers: W. M., II. V. Whalen; S. W., Henry Leah; J. W., C. G. Collins; S. D., J. F. Peek; J. D., F. A. Pagle; Treas .. James Savage; Sec'y, John McGinnis; Ty- ler, J. W. Hull. Meetings every alternate

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HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.

Saturday evening; hall over Dr. McMann's drug store.

Gardner Lodge No. 515, I. O. of O. F., organized Oct. 15 h, 1873; meetings every Wednesday evening in hall, Jones building. Present membership, 50; officers: N. G., F. P. Sickels; V. G., F. A. Pagle; Sec'y, R. O. Wood; Treas., C. H. Cotton.

METHODIST CHURCH.

The first preachers in these parts were Methodists, and held services at private houses fifteen years before Gardner was known. Charles Roe was a Methodist preacher; lived on the southeast corner of section 15, where C. II. Cotton now lives. IIe used to have meetings at his own house and at Daniel Abbot's on the west side of See. 5, where Benjamin Bookwalter now lives. Abbot was a Methodist preacher also; he would some- times preach at home and sometimes at Cotton's. Those who attended these ser- vices beside the families of the ministers, were the Bradfields, McCartneys, Browns and J. W. Hull. Abbot moved from here to Iowa, and Roe went back to New York where he died. The Gardner M. E. society was organized in the spring of 1858, and attached to the Mazon eireuit, of which Rev. Thomas Watson was minister in charge. The first members were Win. B. Royal and wite; J. II. Coles and wife; Win. Ilart and wife; Robt. Glass and wife; Joseph Hall and wife, and Mrs. Cynthia W. Ilastings. Win. Ilart was appointed the first leader. The pastors in order of suc- cession after Watson, were: John Grundy, J. B. Dillie, A. E. Day, John Cosler, Sam- uel Hart, H. Tiffany, Wm. M. Collins, D. II. Cridler, A. C. Price, Matthew Evans,

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History of Grundy County, Illinois, Part 31

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