USA > Illinois > Grundy County > History of Grundy County, Illinois > Part 34
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guine expectations have been fully realized. The early days of the Norwegian settle- ment in this country were full of poverty and toil, to which was added the terrible ravages of Asiatie cholera. Happily these days are past, and these difficulties sur- mounted ; those people are now found a wealthy, prosperous and happy people.
" The first Norwegian colony from New York eame to La Salle County in 1834, and ineluded some of the original fifty-three who arrived from Norway in 1825. Since that others have followed from the Father- land, and the members of the original col- . ony have welcomed many of their old neighbors to the land of their adoption. Many of them still adhere to the Lutheran, the national church of Norway, but many are Methodist, and the Mormons have made some eouverts among them." *
The only church in the township is the Honges Meneghed. This is a Norwegian Lutheran church, and was organized about 1876. The society proceeded at once to build a place of worship on the land of H. Osmonson, which was erected that fall at a total cost of about $4,000, inelnding the price of the lot.
* Hist. of La Salle County.
CHAPTER XV .*
WAUPONSEE TOWNSHIP-ITS MATERIAL RESOURCES-EARLY SETTLERS-PIONEER LIFE ON THE PRAIRIE-THE CHURCH AND SCHOOL.
N EAR the center of Grundy County, abutting on the south bank of the Illinois River, lies Wanponsee Township, or in the technical language of the con- gressional survey, township 33 north, range 7, east. The name immortalizes that prosaic warrior, better characterized by the closing tragedy ou the Kankakee River than the sentiment of the "leather stocking " tales, who once made his home near the western line of the township. This name was carly applied to what is now Grundy County, but these extended territorial limits have been curtailed from time to time, until now it contains but lit- tle larger area than that assigned to a reg- ular congressional township, six miles square. The surface, considerably broken in the northwestern corner, is generally a rolling prairie, sloping gradually toward the northwest. The natural drainage is fair, the Mazon River, flowing along the eastern border and taking a short turn westward near the northeastern corner and emptying into the Illinois near the middle part of the town; and the Wanpecan Creek, entering west of the middle of the south- ern line of the township, passing in a northwesterly direction to the northwest corner into the Illinois, affording an outlet for the surplus rain-fall. The out-
line of the highlands, which reach almost to the altitude of bluff's in the northwest corner, gradually reeedes from the course of the Illinois as it proceeds eastward, leav- ing a space of nearly two miles occupied by the first and second bottoms. These are subjeet to annual overflows which are not an unmixed evil. Skiff's owned and kept by farmers at their residences a mile or two away are suggestive of the inconven- ienees of a flood, but the luxuriant erops which are annually produced on these lands give sure token of the blessing which comes in this guise. Occasionally a late flood or one accompanied with floating ice does considerable damage, but on the whole these inundations are not unwelcome to the farmers. Along the bottoms the soil is a rich and most alluvial deposit, fertile and of inexhaustible richness. The first and second rises or " benehes " are marked by a preponderance of sand, forming a pro- ductive loamy soil especially adapted to gardening and certain fruits. The high plateau beyond is more of a clay soil ad- mirably calculated for good results in corn and grass cultivation. Here the timber is principally oak, while in the lower portions of the township black and white walnut, blue ash, hackberry and some maples are found. The original supply of timber was much less than now appears, and dif- ferently distributed. Along the margin of
* By L. W. Claypool.
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HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.
the streams. in the bottom and northern sides of ravines there was a considerable growth of trees, which by judicious hand- ling, and the absence of prairie fires has spread, so that the lack of timber is now ob- servable only to the practiced eye. The na- tive prairie grass is yet to be seen here and there, and is prized for hay equal to the finest timothy. The attention of farmers in this township is chiefly devoted to the eultiva- tion of small fruits and vegetables upon the sand ridges, large numbers of melons being shipped from this point, annually. Else- where the cultivation of corn, with stock raising, and some dairying, absorbs the farmer's efforts, the product finding a ready and profitable market at Chicago.
The first settlement of the county was made in this township, in 1828, by Wm. Marquis. He came across the country in a wagon from the vicinity of the Wabash. Ile was of French extraction, of a roving disposition, and being something of a trader, was probably attracted hither by the advertisement of the canal lands and the near location of the Indians. What- ever the reason, he came here and halted his wagon on the south fraction of section 2, 33, 7. Here he erected a building near the banks of the river, of such timber as he could handle, aided only by his wife, children and team. Ile was more trader than farmer, and made very slight improve- ments. He enltivated the acquaintance of the Indians that lived and hunted through the contiguous country, and through them some stories of Marquis have come down to a later day. It is said, in dealing on one occasion with Wauponsee for some wild geese feathers, Marquis insisted on paying him in pumpkins, at the rate of pound for
pound. This was too much for even the indolent credulity of an Indian, and the enraged old chief drove him into his cabin, smashing the pumpkins after him. Mar- quis threatened to report his actions to the whites-with whom the chief was not in good repute -- but the Indian, undaunted, replied, " Whites like Indian more than he like Marquis; he talk nice and smooth, but he d-d rascal." This is said to be not an unfair estimate of his dealings with the In- dians, by whom he was not greatly liked. The whites who came to the township sub- sequently, found in him a good neighbor, but a ennning and dangerous opponent. Ilere he lived for several years completely isolated, trusting for subsistence upon his own resources alone. The story of the death of his son, about twelve years old, in the winter of 1834-5, and the funeral, gives some idea of the early privations. The father, after placing the body of his child on a scaffold out of doors where it would be safe from the attack of maranding ani- mals, left his family sick in the cabin and walked several miles to get help from the neighbors for the burial. Three of them responded, Jacob and Perry Claypool and William Robb. For a burial case they ent off' an old canoe, closing the open end with a piece of board, dressed the body in a clean shirt, and placing it in the extemporized collin, covered it with a board. To remove it to the place of burial, in the absence of any sort of vehicle, a yoke of oxen was at- tached to the affair, and the pioneer cortege proceeded in this uneeremonions manner through the snow to a ridge at some dis- tanee, where the grave had been prepared. The young team, not impressed with the solemnity of the occasion, made a nearly
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HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.
successful attempt to run away, and though the burial was accomplished without any unseemly accident, there was painfully laeking that careful tenderness which so mitigates the pain of the funeral ceremony. This was the first white man's funeral in Grundy County, and is typical of the pri- vations of frontier life-an experience rigor- ous enough with health and good fortune to support it, but sad beyond expression when sickness and death are added to its miseries. In 1835 Marquis sold out to A. Holderman and removed to the mouth of the Au Sable, where he bought some land and lived a number of years. Ile subsequently lost the principal part of his property, and left for Texas in 1850.
In 1833 Col. Sayers came from the lower settlements to Wauponsee, and made a claim on the east half of the northeast quar- ter of section 14, building his cabin near the present residence of J. HI. Pattison. Ile never came here to live or to make fur- ther improvements, but sold the claim to W. A. Holloway, who moved into the cal)- in in March of the following year. The latter was not a long resident of this town- ship, selling his place next year aud buying land in what is now Felix township, where he was the first settler.
Mr. S. Crook, who succeeded Holloway in the Sayers cabin in 1835, was a New York merchant. The notoriety which the " canal lands" got through the State agents was such as to create the belief in many minds that there were fine opportunities here for successful speculation in lands, and attracted many who found themselves mis- taken, and soon moved elsewhere. Among this number, perhaps, should be placed Mr. Crook. He brought with him several
trunks filled with goods, with which to trade with the natives. He never forma'ly opened a store here, but found ready access to his goods when an occasion offered op- portunity for trade. Ile left Wanponsee ju the following year, and established a store at Ottawa, where he continued in business for a long time.
The next family to join its fortunes with the little colony in this township was that of Jacob Claypool. He was a Virginian by birth, and moved with his father to Ohio, settling near Chillicothe, in 1799. In the war of 1812 he served in a rifle company which was a part of the first regiment, and in a diary, now in the possession of his son, L. W. Claypool, has left an interesting his- tory of the movements and experiences of that part of the army to which he was at- tached. He was in the campaign about Detroit, was captured with Gen. IIull and paroled. Ilis observation of the Lake re- gion made a deep impression upon his mind; and when the canal lands were ad- vertised he became possessed with a desire to make his home near the lake on these lands. Mr. Claypool had something of the true spirit of the pioneer, and preferred the isolation and freedom of the frontier to the crowded settlements. On arriving at his majority his first move was to go, with others, to the east fork of the Miami River, in Brown County, Ohio, to establish a new settlement. He was therefore, in 1833, anxious to leave his farm and go further west, and determined, whether he sold his place or not, to go to the lake region; and started this year for the northern part of the State of Ohio. IIe was forced to re- turn, however, after getting to Dayton, by the sickness of his horse. In the follow-
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HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.
ing year, having an opportunity to sell his Ohio farm, he started for the canal lands in Illinois, taking his son, L. W. Claypool, with him, on a prospecting tour. llis de- sign was to follow the Illinois River by boat to Pern, and thence to walk to Chicago, the' aim of his journey. At Cincinnati they took a boat " bound for the linois River," on which they made the journey to Beards- town, where the boat endel its trip. Dis- appointed, but undannted, the two started out on foot, and made their way finally to the residence of James Galloway, near Mar- seilles. IIere Mr. Claypool rested for the night, and was advised in the morning to go to Holloway's cabin. Here, tired with his journey and pleased with the prospect, he selected the southwest quarter of section 20 as his future home, and with his son then struck out for home, following the course of the river, determined to take the first boat they could get. They were for- tunate enough to find one at Pekin, on which they made the trip to Cincinnati. Mr. Claypool set abont preparing for the removal, and in making up a party to ac- company him.
In the fall of this year (1834) Mr. Clay- pool returned with his goods on wagons, accompanied by his family, James Robb and his family, Wm. Brown and family, John Snowhill and Win. Eubanks. The little company came over the country, and getting into the Chicago trail, Mr. Clay- pool was then anxious to go to Chicago, notwithstanding he had selected another place. At the point where the road branched off toward Wanponsee the cara- van was brought to a halt, and the question of going to the lake was put to a vote, and Mr. Claypool being in the minority,
came with the rest to his chosen spot. James Robb located on the southeast quarter, section 18, but subsequently sold ont, moved ont of the township, and later returned to his homestead on section 28. William Brown erected his cabin on the northwest quarter, section 30, 33, 8, but in 1842 he sold this place, moved to section 13, 33, 7, where he died.
In 1835, Richard Griggs settled on the southeast quarter, section 33, built his cabin and fenced a few acres, but soon sold out and left for parts unknown. In the same year the oldest son of Jacob Claypool, Perry A. Claypool, put up a cabin on the cast half of northeast quarter, section 28. He had returned the previous year to Ohio to consummate his marriage to Miss Mary Hollsted, and then brought his bride to Wauponsee to begin life upon the Illinois prairie. The year following, Geo. W. Armstrong, an early settler of La Salle County, and of a very prominent family there, came to Wauponsee, and erected a eabin on the sontheast quarter of section 18, and began immediately afterward to ereet a saw-mill on the Waupecan Creek, finishing it the next year. He added to this business a few pieces of dry goods and a stock of groceries, which constituted the first regularly opened store in the town- ship, and probably the first in the county. There was but little business in so sparse a settlement, and the venture probably did not yield great returns. The searcity of timber operated unfavorably to the interests of the mill, though it undoubtedly proved a great convenience to the settlers, who otherwise were forced to split and hew out puncheons as a substitute for boards. The mill changed hands several times, and
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HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.
finally so completely disappeared as to leave no trace by which its actual site ean be identified. Mr. Armstrong did not stay long in Wanpousee, returning to his former home in the adjoining county, in a year or two.
Ezekiel Warren, who came to La Salle County in 1832, and where he took part in the Black Hawk War, moved into Arm- strong's cabin in 1839. Here he lived two or three years, and then located on the east half of the southeast quarter, seetion 17, 33, 7. James Thompson and James Berry came into the township about 1841. Both were Irishmen, brought here by interests of the eanal, and have proven a valuable acquisition to the growth of the town- ship.
The pioneers who thus formed the little colony that early gathered in this township were familiar with the isolation, and inured to the hardships and privations of frontier life. But with all this, the open prairie presented difficulties to which they had hitherto been strangers. From this point of view, when the adaptability of the prairies has been so abundantly proven, it seems unfortunate that the early ex- perienees of these pioneers led them to eling to the timbered portions of the land, where foul water and miasma aggravated the inevitable diseomforts of frontier life. The cabin built, many turned their attention at onee to building tight, ex- pensive fenees. The Claypools enclosed eighty aeres with a stout Virginia fenee, " staked and ridered," and others feneed similar fields, but they soon learned that this was an unnecessary expense here. Most of the settlers brought in horses and cows, but the former pretty generally gave
way to oxen for working purposes, and boys were soon introdneed from the older settle- ments on the lower part of the river, as the most available way to supply the table.
These preliminaries accomplished, the most urgent necessity was to seeure a erop. The plows were erude affairs, strong and serviceable, but requiring great team power and considerable mechanical skill in the plowman. The sod was found tough, not easily " tamed," and very uneertain in pro- dueing a first erop. So tenacious was it, that the furrow turned out one unbroken strip of sod, and oeeasionally, when not especially careful, the plowman had the dis- appointment of seeing yards of this leath- ery soil turn back to its natural position, necessitating the tedious operation of turn- ing it all baek by hand. The result of all this labor was generally well repaid the first year, if the sod became thoroughly rotted, though it prodneed but a small erop. Oftentimes the second and third plowing showed the soil still stubborn and unkind. Few, even among farmers, know much of the labor involved in " breaking prairie," unless they have experienced its obstaeles and overcome them. Corn was the only crop planted at first, and this furnished food for man and beast, and a few years later it was a mark of unusual prosperity to be able to furnish wheat bread to especial guests. When these difficulties had been surmounted; when rude barns and staeks of grain began to mark the home of the thriving frontier farmer, his very prosperity made him the readier victim of the desolation that stalked abroad in the prairie fire. Against this evil there was at that time no sure defense, but eternal vigilance. Mr. Baldwin, who
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HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.
has deseribed this so well in his history of La Salle County, says: "From the time the grass would burn, which was soon after the first frost, usually about the first of October, till the surrounding prairie was all burnt over, or if not all burnt, till the green grass in the spring had grown suf- ficiently to prevent the rapid progress of the fire, the early settlers were continually on the watch, and as they usually expressed the idea, 'slept with one eye open.' When the ground was covered with snow, or dnr- ing rainy weather. the apprehension was quieted, and both eyes could be safely closed. A statute law forbade setting the prairie on fire, and one doing so was sub- jeet to a penalty, and liable in an action of trespass, for the damage aceruing; but convictions were seldom effected, as proof was difficult to obtain, though there were frequent fires. These, started on the lee- ward side of an improvement, while very dangerous to property to the leeward, were not so to the windward, as fire progressing against the wind is easily extinguished. The apprehension, therefore, of a frontier farmer may be readily imagined. Alone, in a strange land, he has made a comfort- able home for his family; has raised and stored his eorn, wheat, oats, and fodder for his stoek, and sees about these, stretehring away for miles in every direction, a vast sea of standing grass, dry as tinder, waving in threatening movement as the fieree prairie wind howls a dismal requiem, as over fair hopes doomed to destruetion.
" Various means were resorted to for protection. A common one was to plow several furrows around a strip, several rods wide, outside the improvements, and then burn out the strip; or to wait until the
prairie was on fire and then set fire outside of this furrowing, reserving the inner strip for a late burn, i. e., until the following summer, and in July burn both old grass and new. The grass would start immedi- ately, and the cattle would feed it elose in preference to the older grass, so that the fire would not pass over it the following autumn. This process repeated would soon, or in a few years, run out the prairie grass, and in time would be replaced by blue grass, which will never burn to any extent. But all this took time and labor, and the crowd of business on the hands of a new settler, of which a novice lias no conception, would prevent him doing what would now seem a small matter; and all sueli effort was often futile. A prairie fire driven by a high wind would often leap such barriers and seem to put human effort at defiance. " A prairie fire when first started goes straight forward with a velocity propor- tioned to the force of the wind, widening as it goes, but the center keeping ahead; it spreads sideways, but burning laterally, it makes but comparatively slow progress, and if the wind is moderate and steady, this spreading fire is not difficult to man- age; but if the wind veers a point or two, first one way and then the other, it sends this side fire beyond control. The head fire in dry grass and a head wind is a fear- ful thing, and pretty sure to have its own way unless there is some defensible point from which to meet it. A contest with such a fire requires such skill and taet as can be learned only by experience, and a neighborhood of settlers ealled out by such an exigeney at onee put themselves under the direction of the oldest and most ex- perieneed of their number, and go to work
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HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.
with the alaerity and energy of men de- fending their homes and property from destruetion.
"The usual way of meeting an ad- vaneing fire was to begin the defense where the head of the fire would strike, which is calculated by the smoke and ashes brought by the wind long in advance of the fire. A road, cattle path or furrow is of great value at such a place; if there is none such, a strip of the grass is wetted down if water can be procured, which is, how- ever, a rather scarce article at the time of the annual fires. On the side nearest to the coming fire, of such road or path, the grass is set on fire, which burns slowly against the wind until it meets the coming conflagration, which stops of course for want of fuel, provided there has been suf- ficient time to burn a strip that will not be leaped by the head fire as it comes in. This is called back-firing; but in this method, great care must be exercised to prevent the fire getting over the furrow path, or whatever is used as a base of oper- ations. If it gets over and once under way, there is no remedy but to fall back to a more defensible position. The head of the fire successfully checked, the forces divide, part going to the right and part to the left, and the back-firing continued to meet the side fires as they come up. This must be continued until the fire is checked along the entire front of the premises endangered, and the sides secured.
"Various implements were used to put out a side or back fire, or even the head of a fire in a moderate wind. A fence board, four to six feet long, with one end shaved down for a handle, was very effective when struck flat upon the narrow strip of fire.
A bundle of hazel brush, a spade or shovel were often used with effect. The women frequently lent their aid and dexterously wielded the mop, which, when thoroughly wet, proved a very efficient weipon, espe- cially in extinguishing a fire in the fence. When the fire overcame all opposition, and seemed bound to sweep over the settlement. a fear of personal loss would paralyze, for the moment, every faculty, and as soon as that danger seemed imminent, united effort ceased, and each one hastened to defend his own as best he could. It is due to histor- ical truth to say that the actual losses were much less than might have been expected, though frequently quite severe. The phys- ical efforts made in extinguishing a dan- gerous fire, and in protecting one's home from this devouring element were of the most trying nature, resulting fatally in more than one instance.
"The premises about the residences and yards being trampled down by the family and domestic animals, after a year or two became tolerably safe from fire, but the fences, corn and stubble fields were fre- quently burned over. When the prairie was all fenced and under cultivation, so that prairie fires were a thing of the past, the denizens of the prairie were happily re- leased from the constant fear and appre- hension which for years had rested like a. nightmare on their quiet and happiness, disturbing their peace by night, and eans- ing anxiety by day. The early settlers will ever have a vivid recollection of the grand illuminations nightly exhibited in dry weather, from early fall to late spring, by numberless prairie fires. The whole horizon would be lighted up around its en- tire circuit. A heavy fire six or seven
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miles away, would afford sufficient light on a dark night to enable one to read fine print. When a fire had passed through the prairie, leaving the long lines of side fires like two armies facing each other, at night the sight was grand ; and if one's premises were seenrely protected and he could enjoy the fine exhibition without apprehension, it was an awe-inspiring sight well worth going far to see."
The isolation of the Wanponsee commn- nity, while not that of many a frontier col- ony, was such as to command the greatest respeet for the patient endurance of the pioneers of this county. The nearest post- office was at Ottawa, while the only " grist- mill" was that of a Mr. Green at Dayton. Here the farmers took a wagon load of corn or a year's supply of wheat and often waited a week for their turn, camping out in the vieinity in the meanwhile. This lack of milling facilities led to the adoption of many substitutes, such as grating the corn on a perforated tin or iron, parching and grinding in a coffee mill, or more com- monly pulverizing it with a huge wooden mortar and pestle. Sometimes a conven- iently placed stump furnished the material for the mortar, otherwise a section of log was hollowed out to form a bowl-like recep- tacle in which the corn was placed and plied with a heavy wooden pestle. The finest of the prodnet was used for the " corn pone" or "słapjaek," while the coarser part furnished forth the characteristic "hon- iny."
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