USA > Illinois > Grundy County > History of Grundy County, Illinois > Part 33
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Ile was a man of an impulsive and deter- mined disposition, and became a leading spirit in this township. He built an early hotel, the first one in the county, and gave its Joeation the name of Dresden. An early stage line made this spot of some impor- tance for a time, but it soon died ont, the withdrawal of the stages giving a final blow to any pretensions it may have had.
Following Mr. Rutherford, eame three families from Delaware County, Ohio, Ilenry Cryder, Zach. Walley, and N. II. Tabler. Mr. Cryder was a native of Vir- ginia and came early to Ohio, from whence he came with Walley and Tabler, his son- in-law, and a family of unmarried children. Their goods were packed on a large wagon drawn by three yoke of oxen, while two two-horse wagons furnished the conveyance for the three families, and with these and eight or ten head of cattle, they made the journey across the country. They were not nnacquainted with the exigencies of frontier life, and made little difficulty in performing the journey. The attractions of the " Au Sable country" were known for miles around, and its praises began to be sonnded as soon as they reached the " Wa- baslı country." Of course one wagon, how- ever large, could bring only the barest household necessities for three families, but among these were the carpenter's tools of Mr. Cryder who was a mechanie. Arriv- ing on the ground the men lost no time in erecting a temporary shelter. Logs were ent and a shed of three sides put up and covered with shakes, while along the open side a huge fire was maintained. These families reached their chosen home in Oc- tober, and though late in the season for such rude accommodations, they found no
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HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.
trouble in making themselves comfortable with leaves for beds and logs for chairs and tables. Cabins were put up at once for cach of the families, Cryder's on the southi- east quarter of seetion eight, Tabler's on the north half of this quarter, and Walley's on section seventeen. This latter location proved unhealthful, and was subsequently changed for a site on the no thwest quar- ter of section eight. These cabins were made in the usual style, with shake roof, puncheon floors and stick and clay ehim- neys. The floor of the loft was made from lumber which had to be procured at, and hauled across the prairie from Plainfield. The furniture was the prodnet of such skill as the men possessed, and the timber of the basswood trees found here. A seetion of a good sized log, smoothed with a broad ax and furnished with a rough back and legs, supplied the absence of chairs. Rude bed- steads with the cords brought from Ohio, and "ticks" filled with leaves made a com- fortable place to sleep. The manufacture of these household belongings occupied the small part of the fall, which remained after the cabins were completed. The winter proved a remarkably mild, open one, and very favorable for the new settlement.
About the same time with these families came John Beard* and settled on section thirty, where he was soon afterward joined by his son-in-law and his family. In the spring of 1834, Rodney House located on the northeast quarter of seetion nine, and in the same year three men by the name of McElroy came from Washington County, Vermont, and located on the southeast quarter of the same seetion. About this
time D. M. Thomas came here from Ohio, and Leander Goss, marrying a daughter of Chester House, settled on the northeast quarter of section thirteen. William Lewis and his brothers were the next settlers, coming very soon after Thomas. Of the three brothers, William was a physician and located his claim on section twenty-five, Joseph on the southeast quarter of seetion thirteen, and Samuel on the southeast quar- ter of seetion fourteen, now owned and oc- enpied by William Walter. In 1835. I. W. Rutherford, a physician, settled on the northeast quarter of seetion twenty-two, and commeneed his improvements in the following year. Samuel Randall was an early settler, coming in with Salmon Ruth- erford as a young man. Ile afterward married and made a home here where he died. Thomas Carl was another settler who came in about 1836. The township was not slow in filling np. The work on the canal attracted a good many to this vieinity, and when the work stopped many withont other resource took up the land which was unoccupied. These were chiefly natives of Ireland who had come from Canada in the employ of a canal contraet- or, and who now hold the political control of the township.
The land here was one literally "flowing with milk and honey." The great sweep of prairie which extended toward the northi- east to the verge of the horizon was tie resort of thousands of deer, chickens, and wolves ; the river furnished fish in abun- dance, and the timber echoed with the lively elatter of the small game to which it gave a precarious shelter. The honey bee, the harbinger of civilization, preceded the early settlers here some six or eight
* His city at the head of the Illinois River is noted in the chapter on Felix township.
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HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.
vears, and had made the river bluff's famous for the stores of sweetness found in hollow trees along the streams. The Indians were very fond of this delieaey, and never failed to rifle a bee tree of its contents when they discovered it, but from the lack of proper facilities or the number and industry of the bees, vast stores of honey were accumul- lated to garnish the homely fare of the pioneer.
The winter of 1833-4 was very mild, and in January the weather came off warm and spring-like during the day, but with sharp cool weather at night. The bees deluded by the inviting warmth of the sun sallied from their hives, and becoming chilled, fell dead upon the light covering of snow which lay upon the ground. The new-comers were not at loss to read the meaning of this sign, and the Cryder settlement alone found thir- ty-three trees and secured their contents. There was, of course, nothing about the e pioneer establishments in which to store this vast amount of honey, and great bass- wood tronghs were made for the pur- pose and filled. While this raid did not exterminate the bees of this section, the continned ravages of the settlers soon made these "rich finds" much less frequent, and those who enjoyed the sport united pleasure and profit in bee-hunting. An experienced hunter would go out in bright warm day in winter or late fall, and burn some honey- comb, which seldom failed to attract the game to the honey which was provided for them. Loading up with this, the bee would rise circling into the air and then fly straight to its tree, and it was the hunter's business to follow the fleet-winged inseet closely and thus discover its seeret. To do this requir- ed an expert, and there were but few who
were marked for their success. Sometimes a number of bees from a single tree are at- tracted, and the going to and from the bait by these insects makes the line plain enough to be easily followed, but this is rare. In o'her eases, the best that can be done is to discover the direction of the bee's flight, and taking this-against the sun if possible -to stumble along with upturned gaze, scanning every tree for the tell-tale knot- hole or erack in the tree. But when the tree was found, the battle was but half won. The tree must be felled and the oeenpants were often found to be no feeble folk. When the hollow of the tree extended down to the point where the ax must penetrate it, the hunter was often obliged to decamp in hot haste as soon as the blows had aroused the swarm. David Bunch, of Norman, was noted for his snecess as a bee-hunter, and was greatly assisted by a dog which, in some incomprehensible way, had learned the se- eret of bee-hunting. Indeed, so keen was the animal's interest in the sport, that he occasionally found a tree entirely alone call- ing his master to the spot by his barking.
The bee was easily domesticated, and many of the settlers captured swarms, placed them in a seetion of a hollow tree, and in a short time had a constant sonree of supply for the table and the market. In many cases this was the principal re- source for the sweetening used in the euli- mary work of the cabin, and was the basis ot a favorite drink. " Metheglin" was made of steeped honey comb and honey ferment- ed. It was connted an excellent drink and much preferred to cider, and when strength- ened by age, became a powerful intoxicant. This, however, has passed away with many other of the homely joys of pioneer days.
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HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.
The bees, too, have suffered by the advance of the civilization which they seem every- where to nsher in. The destruction of the prairie flowers and the ravages of the bee moth have almost resulted in their annihi lation, and it is only by the strictest care that domestic swarms can be profitably maintained.
The earliest settlers in Au Sable found themselves completely isolated, and though in a country abonnding in the richest pro- vision of nature, found it necessary to go long distances for such things as the coun- try did not provide. Their first flour was secured at Reed's Grove. A small settle- ment had been made here a year or two be- fore, and flour had been brought from the Wabash country. Here the Cryder settle- ment sent for the winter's supply. For their stock they bought some thirty bushels of corn of Marquis, but the open winter allowed the cattle to feed on the prairie most of the season. There was a fall of snow which lay on the ground from early in January to the 10th of February. The cattle had found a choice piece of pasture south of the ox-how bend of the Au Sable Creek, which they refused of their own will to leave during this snow. They were driven up to the cabins and fed some corn, with the hope that this would reconcile them to the prairie hay which had been provided the previous fall, but in the morn- ing they were found again at their old fecd- ing ground. A considerable band of Indians was encamped at the mouth of the An Sa- ble, and the cattle feeding in the track of their Indian ponies found plenty to cat where they had pawed off the snow. About 1835 or '6, a log flouring mill was put up on the Desplaines River, near Channahon.
The buhrs were made from " nigger-heads" and turned out very acceptable Hour.
The point at which Salmon Rutherford settled early took on the importance and name of a village, though there was little to warrant these pretensions. His log honse was very early replaced by a large framed structure, and Rutherford took ont the first license for keeping an inn. The stage line which ran in opposition to Frink & Walker's line made this a point for changing horses, and gave Dresden the prestige of a post-office and an occasion- al glimpse of the outside world. The sharp competition between the rival stage lines, however, diverted the route to a shorter line further north, and the final withdrawal of the stage altogether, left this point with a hotel and a name only. During the con- struction of the canal, a few temporary buildings gathered about the old hotel and kept it company for awhile, but these passed away with the laborers, and the place lapsed into its original rural simplicity. The building of the Rock Island & Pacific railroad confirmed this decree of fortune, and built up a substitute in the northeast corner of the town.
The village of Minooka was laid out by Ransom Gardner in 1852. He owned some five hundred acres of land at this point, and labored assiduously to secure the location of the line near his property. The little town grew slowly for a year or two, and business was not attracted here until about 1858. Three years previous to this Christopher Tucker put up a store build- ing and brought in a stoek of general mer- chandise, but the venture proved a losing one, and he left the place in the following spring. The most convenient place for
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HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.
making purchases at this time was Channa- hon, and when, in the fall of 1856, Joseph Lewis rented the old Tucker store, he found the people numerons and willing enough to make a profitable business. In the spring of 1857, Leander Smith, a brother- in-law of Gardner's, came to Minooka and erected the second store in the village. This was located on the corner and is now veeupied by Martin Kaffer. In the follow- ing year C. V. Ilamilton put up a number of business buildings which are now owned by George Comertord and occupied by Wheeler & Saddler, and Barker & Stanffer. Hamilton at the same time erected the first hotel which was known for some time as the Hamilton Honse, but is now owned by Thomas Sheiek. In 1858 a grist-mill was also ereeted, Gardner & Heiner origi- nating the enterprise. This was a good strneture with three run of stone, and proved a great convenience to the farmers abont, who gave it a liberal patronage. It stood until 1866 when it was destroyed by fire, and its site subsequently occupied by the elevator which is now the chief business attraction of the place. The first elevator was built in 1868 by Knapp & Griswold, which was burned down in 1880. In the following year A. K. Knapp built the present fine struetnre, which has a ca- paeity of 100,000 bushels, at a cost of $15,- 000. Its dimensions are 36 by 70 feet foundation, with an altitude of seventy feet; has a ear shed and is provided with all the modern improvements. It is now leased by Henry McEwen, of Morris, who has handled upward of 450,000 bushels of grain. In connection with this business, Mr. MeEwen carries on a lumber yard where he has sold some 500,000 feet of
lumber in the past year. Connected with the lumber yard is a planing mill, built in 1873 by A. K. Knapp & Griswold, run by MeEwen. A hay press is also run by the power of the in'll, where about a thousand tons of hay have been handled in a single season. This combination of en- terprises makes Minooka a busy little town in the proper seasons, and makes a con- venient market for a good many miles around. The village was incorporated De- eember 14, 1869, and now elaims about six hundred inhabitants. In the fall of 1870 a considerable fire destroyed fonr or five business buildings which were replaced during the following winter and spring, improving the appearance of the business quarter. Minooka bears a quiet air of prosperity, which betokens a steady and profitable patronage, if not a large one. The business part of the town is consider- ably diversified, and numbers three general stores, a drug store, grocery, market, bar- ber shop, pump shop, two blacksmith shops, two wagon shops and two church edifices.
The Catholic church of St. Mary's par- ish is the stronger organization in Minooka. It was early organized at Dresden where a building was erected and services held for some years. In 1862, the elinreh decided to follow the tendency of business and pub- lie interests and removed to Minooka. The Comerfords, Kinsellars and George T. Smith were the leading members who took an active part in the re-establishment of the church. The membership at that time was abont fifty, which has since been nearly doubled. The church edifice is a neat wooden structure 40 by 100 feet foundation, with an altitude of 100 feet, and was erected at a cost of about $6,000.
HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.
The first Methodist Episcopal Church was organized in 1856 with some nineteen members. Among these were J. G. Smith, Henry Pendleton, S. and A. C. Worthing, Michael Keteham and their wives. The first sermon was preached in Ferguson's store by Rev. T. L. Olmstead. After this, meetings were held in the school-house until the present place of worship was erected. Mr. Henry Pendleton was an aetive worker in seeuring the new ehureh home, which is a pleasant wooden building, 26 by 56 feet. The Sunday school was early established and is still maintained the year round, and has an average attend- ance of fifty pupils. The church now num- bers some fifty members.
The Au Sable Methodist Episcopal Church, whose place of worship is situated on section seven, is really the older organ- ization of the two Methodist churches. It was early organized by Rev. John Devore, an itinerant from the Fox River Mission, at the residence of Henry Cryder. Meet- ings were held at first in private houses, and later in the school-house as soon as it was built. In 187S the neat wooden struet- ure on the northern line of section seven was erected at a cost of some $2,500. It is a little ont of the ordinary style of rural church architecture, has stained glass win- dows, and is in every way a credit to the organization to which it belongs. Some of the early members were Henry Cryder, Z. Walley, and their wives, John Craig, D. M. Thomas and others. The church now has a membership of some seventy mem- bers.
The first school-house was built about 1837, on section eight, for which the community was largely indebted to Henry
Cryder's energy. The first session was taught by a daughter of Rev. Mr. Ashley, from Plainfield. This suffieed for the de- mands of the little community for some eight or ten years, when a second school house was erected on land belonging to Israel Cryder. This was a log building, and served as a meeting house for some time.
Minooka Lodge of F. and A. Masons, No. 528, was organized in the winter of 1867, and worked under dispensation until the fall of 1868, when the lodge was char- tered, with G. Dahlem, A. K. Knapp, G. C. Griswold, Jno. T. Van Dolfson, G. S. Cor- rell, Sam'l Adams, W. H. Smith, E. W. Weese, Jacob Gedelman, John Colleps, Phaley Gedleman, J. E. McClure, C. V. IIamilton and W. A. Jordon as charter members. The first officers were G. Dall- em, W. M .; A. K. Knapp, S. W .; G. C. Gris- wold, J. W., etc. The lodge is now in a flourishing condition, and hokls its meet- ings on the first and third Wednesdays of each month, in their hall in the third story of Comerford's block.
An effort was made in the fall of 1881 to organize the temperance sentiment of the township for effective work against what was felt to be a growing evil. William Walley was prominent in this movement, and is president of the organization. Mem- bers were not required to be residents of the township, and many from Saratoga joined the movement. Since its inaugu- ration, however, the society has taken on a political character, and become pledged to the prohibition party. This organization holds regular meetings in the Methodist meeting house, and numbers about 120 members.
G.P. Augustine.
CHAPTER XIV .*
SARATOGA TOWNSHIP-PHYSICAL FEATURES-THE EARLY SETTLERS-THE NORWEGIAN EMIGRATION-THE HOUGES MENEGHED.
TT was Montesquieu who declared that nation happy whose annals were tire- some; but while this speaks for the peace- ful prosperity of a people it furnishes no glowing periods to the historian nor patri- otic panegyries for the citizen. This is es- pecially true in the case of Saratoga. Timber lands were originally very little found here, and Nettle Creek on the west and Au Sable on the east, with pleasant union of timber and prairie, attracted the carlier settlements. Later, as the original location proved unhealthful, or as nearer settlers failed to find eligible timber sites, the prairie land of Saratoga was invaded from either side. The country embraced within the limits of this township was of the most attractive character. Save a spur of timber on the elbow of Au Sable Creek, which crosses the castern border of Saratoga, and that on Nettle Creek in the southwestern corner of the township, the eye met only a broad expanse of undulat- ing prairie which ended only with the line of the horizon in the north. Through the central portion the Saratoga Creek flowed an casterly course through the township, and the east fork of Nettle Creek, draining the southwestern part, joined the main stream in Morris. There is but little low land here, the most of the township lying
north of the second " bench." The south- eastern corner, however, is characterized by the low lands which are found between the first and second rises from the Illinois River. The diagonal road which enters the township near the middle of the east- ern line of Saratoga, follows upon the mar- gin of the second bench, leaving it at the Concklin road. From this point the line of high ground continues the same general southwesterly direction, deflecting slightly to the west, and passing the southern line of the township about a mile east of Net- tle Creek. The rest of the township is admirably situated, and one would expect to find a dry friable soil were it not of prairie origin. As it is, the township is noted for its bad roads, resulting chiefly from the character of the soil, which seems to have a special affinity for water, and the highways, piked never so high, become in the rainy season one quaking bog of im- passable mud. This question of roads is a very serious one throughout the county. Considerable expense is annually laid out in " piking " and ditching, but the charac- ter of the soil renders these expedients but partially successful even for a twelve- month. There is plenty of accessible limestone which could probably be used profitably in making permanent improve- ment upon the highways, but the tax- payers have not yet learned that the an-
* By J. H. Battle.
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HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.
nual mud blockade costs the people at large enough to maeadamize every princi- pally traveled road in the county.
Saratoga was originally settled ty emi- grants from New York, who crystallized the memories of their old home in the name which the township bears. The first settle- ment in this precinet was made by Joshua Collins, in the spring of 1844. His father came from Oneida County, New York, in 1834, following the lead of the Walleys, Tablers and Cryders to Au Sable town- ship. Here he lived and died. His son Joshua married a daughter of Mr. Cryder, and in the following spring set up a home of his own, where his widow now lives. In the same year Phillip Collins came to Saratoga, and Alexander Peacock. The latter was an Englishman, and made his elaim on section 33, ineluding in his selec- tion the present Fair Grounds, which he bought some time later. In the southern part also came another Englishman, II. M. Davidson, about the same year. James Cronin, an Irishman, whom the canal work brought to this region, was associated with Peacock on seetion 33, in the year of 1844. In the northeastern corner a considerable tract of land was secured as early as 1842 or '3, by John B. More, whose eabin, how- ever, was built north of the Grundy County line. Early in 1844, Carpenter Coneklin, in whose honor the central road of the township was named, took up a claim on section 9, and was followed very soon by Elias Bartlett, who knew the Coneklin family in the State of New York. Bartlett was an unmarried man, and followed school teaching very early. Concklin's daughter had remained behind her father's family engaged in teaching, and after being here
a short time, Bartlett, struck by the sim- ilarity of their tastes, went to New York and brought back Miss Concklin as his wife. They subsequently engaged in teach- ing, and for a time condneted the Seminary at Ottawa. Daniel Johnson was another early settler, as was Gersham Hunt.
About 1847 or'S, the immigration of Nor- wegians began to appear in this township. The first came from La Salle County, with one or two from other seetions. They were in poor finaneial circumstances, but they brought hardy constitutions and zabun- dant energy, and were not long in getting npon an equal footing with their more favored neighbors. Their native tastes inclined them to prefer the timber lands, and here and there, where they could buy an aere or two of timber, their sheepskin eoats and ealfskin vests could be seen all through the northern and middle part of the county.
"The first emigration from Norway to the United States was in 1825. Cling Pearson, of Hesthamer, in Norway, came over in 1822, and on his return to his native coun- try. gave a glowing picture of America. Ile found the people of Starvinger, a small town in his neighborhood, dissatisfied with their minister appointed by the govern- ment, and desirous of changing their loca- tion, and soon persuaded them to emigrate to the new country. They purchased a small vessel, a two-masted fishing sloop, for $1,800, and fifty-two emigrants set sail in their little craft for the Western Continent. They sailed through the North Sea and English Channel to Madeira, where, get- ting short of provisions, they picked up a pipe of wine, and laid in a stock of supplies. They left Norway July 4th, reached
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Funchal August 18th, and New York on the last day of October, 1823, their number hav- ing received one aecession on the journey. " In New York they sold the vessel for 8400. and the company divided, twenty- eight going with Cling Pearson, who had secured for them a free passage to Orleans County, New York. Ilere the colony bought land and formed a settlement, thie first Norwegian community in America. But the leader of this hegira was a restless spirit, and soon set off to explore the far West. He reached Illinois and struck with its attractions, fixed upon La Salle County as the site for a new settlement of his fellow- countrymen. Cling said that when explor- ing the country afterward occupied by the Norwegians, that he laid down under a tree to sleep, and in his dreams saw the wild prairie changed to a cultivated region, teeming with all kinds of grain and fruits ; comfortable houses and spacious barns dotted the land, which was oeenpied by a rich, prosperous and happy people. He woke refreshed, and with renewed enthusi- asın returned to his countrymen in New York, and persuaded them to emigrate to Illinois. The dream was a natural one and might have been conceived when awake, but however it originated, its most san-
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