USA > Illinois > Iroquois County > History of Iroquois County, together with Historic notes on the Northwest, gleaned from early authors, old maps and manuscripts, private and official correspondence, and other authentic, though, for the most part, out-of-the-way sources > Part 105
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John Bean was the first settler. He came from Vermilion county in 1832, where he had lived a few years, and took up a claim on or near section 19, in the edge of Bean Grove. He was born in Vir- ginia, and was brought up in Kentucky. He worked a farm and 32
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kept tavern. The nearest mill was at Sugar creek, over in the edge of Indiana, and the only store known around here was at Bunkum. He was before coming here a member of the United Brethren church ; and though there was no church of that connection here, and in fact for a long time none whatever, he maintained his faith to the last. He died here in 1857, and his wife two years later. They had nine children.
There were very few, if any, settlers in this township, except those mentioned as engaged in tavern-keeping, until about 1850. Of course no schools or churches were known. When Mr. Donovan came here to live in 1847, he taught school at Bean's Grove one or more terms, but the rising generation in Bean's Grove were forced to get along with very scant educational advantages.
Joseph Donovan bought the Buckhorn tavern in 1847. He came here from Rockville, Kankakee county, and continued to keep it as a. public-house until his death in 1860. He had some boys who were early inured to work, and with the farm and the stand, business was plenty and they were prospered. Joseph Donovan left three sons : James, who purchased the homestead and tavern stand, and still remains on the place ; and Thomas, who lives on a farm near by. John L. has been largely engaged in business enterprises of various kinds, and now resides in Watseka. He was engaged in mercantile business at Bunkum for some years, and carried on a considerable trade in cattle at the same time. He was thus engaged when the financial crash of 1857 made so many wrecks in business. John L. Donovan laid out the town of Donovan when the railroad was built, and the town of Martinton on the Danville road, and is now engaged in banking at Milford.
Quite a number of Swedes liave settled in this township; have made farms; built two churches, and are now supplied !with preachers in their own language. Most of them are farmers, but some have proved successful business men. The Swede population of Beaver are an educated and industrious class of people ; are alive to all that tends to better their condition, and make excellent citi- zens. Mr. John Nelson is a representative man of that nativity. He has lived here fifteen years ; is well posted ; and has been repeat- edly elected to important official positions. He is engaged in buy- ing grain at Donovan. Before this portion of the country was set- tled up, John White used to keep a large herd of cattle on the prai- ries here. His practice was to gather up three- and four-year-olds ; stall-feed them all winter, and then bring them out here when the grass was well up in the spring, and grass-feed till "fly time."
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While this practice is entirely discontinued now, he mnade a suc- cess of it, and sent east some of the finest cattle that ever left the Iroquois.
M. G. Potter, from Orleans county,; New York, came here in 1853, coming as far as Kankakee by rail. He had entered the land in section 28 (town 28) before. He now has 400 acres in this farm and two other farms.
Mr. Potter commenced raising cattle, and for several years followed raising winter wheat, which at first did very well, but soon had to be abandoned, though late years it has been fairly successful again. Great flocks of cranes used to come down on the growing crops and almost destroy them at times. Mr. Potter kept and grazed a considerable herd of cattle, and then commenced breeding and raising Norman horses. He met some heavy losses in this by a singular disease which carried off a number of tliem.
Mr. Bousher, Mr. Beiseeker and Mr. Young came into the eastern part of the town the same year, and have all been largely identified with the interests of the town. Baldwin Lyman came here to live two years later. He was a stage proprietor in the east, and from the first took great interest in raising horses. He went to Onarga and formed the Importing Company, and went to France to secure the very best Norman horses he could find. He now lives at Onarga.
Artemus Perigo came from Ohio in 1855, and settled just north of Mr. Potter's. He is dead, and his son lives on the place yet. Matthew Shanor came about the same time and settled east. He and all his family are dead.
Foster Moore came into this portion of the country at a very early date. He says he has been assessor here, when his beat covered all eastern Illinois and a part of Indiana, though just how much of Indiana he had, the books do not show. His experience in husking corn down on the Wabash during the years of high water was fearful. "Shucking" ten feet under the ice is a " feat " which no one but a very old settler could successfully accomplish, and calls to mind the experiences of Jonah when he first settled in Nineveh. This was known as Union precinct before township organization. A post-office was established at the "Buckhorn" in 1858, called Donovan. Joseph Donovan was postmaster until he died, then James held the appointment two years ; then M. G. Potter held it for about six years. After that a post-office was established at Beaverville, which was afterward transferred to St. Mary.
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HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY.
CHURCHES, SOCIETIES, ETC.
. The Christian church was organized about 1859, at Bean Grove, by Silas Johnson and Nathan Calcanberry. Services were held there with more or less regularity from that time until Donovan was laid out. Mr. Thomas Askew, the Weygandts, Mr. Hobbs and others were interested in maintaining the services. Elder J. P. Holloway, of Morocco, preached for a long time, and others occasionally. In 1875 the church was built at Donovan, 30×50, at a cost of about $1,800, with a baptistry. It is incomplete yet. The membership is 75. A Sabbath school was organized in 1876, with Elder Poole as superintendent ; E. F. Harris is the present superintendent. The average attendance is about 50.
The Methodist church was organized in 1875. It belongs to the Iroquois circuit. W. H. Smith is present pastor. Meetings were held first in the hall, but latterly in school-house. T. J. Donovan is class leader ; preaching every alternate week; about 20 members. Sabbath school is maintained ; average attendance about 40.
The Beaver Swedish M. E. church was built in 1860 and 1861, on the northeast corner of section 12, at a cost of $1,600. It is 36×50, a plain, neat structure. It was afterward removed to south- east corner of section 14, to make it more central. Jonas Grant has been trustee and class leader for many years. There are about 100 members. A Sabbath school was organized in 1865.
The Swedish Lutheran church was built on the northeast corner of section 23 in 1872. It is 30×46, plain, and cost $800.
The St. Mary Roman Catholic church was built about 1857 or 1858. A deed had been given, about 1850, to the Bishop of Vin- cennes, who then held clerical jurisdiction here, of 10 acres of land in the northeast quarter of section 5, for the purpose of building a church there, but it was never used for that purpose, and was deeded back. Services were held for a time in the residence of E. W. Myers, who lived a mile east of St. Mary. The building is 40×60, sur- mounted by an iron cross. Father Cota was the first priest. Until the building of the church at Papineau, all on this side of the Iro- quois river attended here. Now there are about 60 families who are in the habit of worshiping here.
The Firmus Lodge, No. 626, I.O.O.F., was instituted November 1, 1876, by J. McClain, of Iroquois. The charter members were C. W. Poole, N.G .; J. W. Johnson, V.G .; C. A. Searight, secretary ; R. G. Campbell, permanent secretary; M. G. Potter, treasurer. The present officers are M. F. Campbell, N.G .; George Duesler, V.G .; M. G. Potter, treasurer ; R. G. Campbell, secretary ; M. G. Potter,
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lodge deputy. There are eight members ; the lodge meets Friday night.
The Temperance League, a joint-stock company for the purpose, as its title indicates, of operating against intemperance and illegal selling of liquor, was organized October, 1879; C. A. Searight, president ; E. F. Harris, vice-president ; L. T. Hutchins, secretary ; R. G. Campbell, treasurer, with an executive committee of five, through which the league institutes all prosecutions. Their mode of action is to enforce the law, and assessments are made upon members for the "sinews of war." It has been largely successful.
The land in this town sheds in all directions from an elevation through its center. A large portion of land in town 28 is in the hands of Swedes, who came here in large numbers some years ago, and appear to be still coming, and nearly all of it is owned by resi- dents here. In town 29 considerable is owned by non-residents. Mr. Hogue, of Morris, Grundy county, has three sections, which is being used largely for pasture. The Messrs. Barton & Peck, of Kankakee, large cattle-dealers, own 1,000 acres in sections 25 and 26, upon which they keep cattle.
The Cincinnati, La Fayette & Chicago railroad was built across the township in 1872, by which route good connections are made with the Ohio river country, and with Chicago. Through rates east are secured, giving to the citizens of Beaver the best markets in the country. Grain is sent in either direction, and low freights are given on hay to the Ohio.
Beaver has never had a "ferry war" on hand to arouse its fight- ing propensities, or railroad bonds to litigate so that it is not popular browsing grounds for the lawyers ; but a little "special act" in 1865 stirred up a firm protest. Under the loose system of legisla- tion in vogue before the constitution of 1870 was adopted, nearly all law making was by special act, i.e. laws were passed to apply to only this or that county, township or school district, or some individual. As by the theory of our state government a legislature may do any- thing which is not prohibited in the constitution, our law-makers found warrant for many fearful freaks. In 1865 an act was actually passed requiring Beaver and Papineau townships to lay a tax to help build a bridge in Kankakee county. This act was certified to the board of supervisors. They consulted their attorney and promptly enjoined the levy of the tax, and our Kankakee neighbors have never attempted to enforce it thus far. The township was organized in 1857, by the election of W. B. Lyman, supervisor ; M. G. Potter, clerk ; Stephen Jessup, assessor ; J. Beisecker, collector ; L. Bousher and Thomas Barnes, justices of the peace. The pres-
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HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY.
ent officers are R. G. Campbell, supervisor ; L. T. Hutchins, clerk ; John Nelson, assessor; E. J. Barnland, collector; and E. Clark and Charles Lamb, justices of the peace. The voting population has increased from 35 in 1857 to about 250 in 1880.
The voting aid to railroads appears from the record to have been as follows : Three special town meetings, held in 1868, voted on vari- ous projects. May 28: The proposition voted for was to give $20,000 to the Chicago, Danville & Vincennes Railroad Company, and a like "amount [to the Muscatine, Kewanee & Eastern railroad. The vote resulted in 4 for, to 111 against the scheme. At the meeting August 6, to vote on a proposed donation of $15,000 to the Musca- tine, Kewanee & Eastern railroad, on condition that the road be built within three years, and be built through on a line within half a inile of the center of the township, the vote was 43 for, to 24 against the proposed donation. September 12: The vote at a special meeting in regard to donating $6,000 to the Chicago, Danville & Vincennes railroad, on condition the road should pass through the township, and a depot be built and maintained on either sections 27, 28, 33 or 34, resulted affirmatively. As neither one of these three separate propositions was ever consummated, Beaver township was neyer called on to issue any bonds, and has no railroad debt.
DONOVAN.
John L. Donovan laid out the village in 1872 on sections 28 and 29, about 40 acres in all, and later an addition on the east. Robb & Morton began buying grain ; J. W. Johnson and E. J. Barnland began the mercantile business; John Nelson began the grain trade and mercantile trade in 1873 with Johnson ; Thomas Detrick also engaged in buying grain; and J. M. Kinney engaged in keeping store. Mr. Johnson built the first dwelling. The first fire was the Barnland store, occupied by Gillaspie in the spring of 1875. A. Mar- shall built the elevator in 1874. It is now occupied by Capen & Co., who are also engaged in the grain trade in other places in the county. Risser & Daggett built an elevator in 1879. Thomas Hutchins was the first postmaster ; then J. W. Johnson for several years; and L. T. Hutchins is now postmaster and express agent. The location of Donovan is beautiful as well as historical. It stands on the high ground where the great highway of travel divided : one road lead- ing direct to Chicago, and the other was traveled by that great and increasing line of " movers," who were seeking homes in Wisconsin, northern Illinois and Iowa. The buildings of the little village are neat and pleasant. The business men, as the writer is ready to
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acknowledge, are affable, courteous, and exceedingly busy. An utter stranger, he was accorded most generous attention and assistance from all to whom he applied for information.
ST. MARY.
St. Mary is located on the township line, between Beaver and Papineau townships, being a portion of it, including its post-office, church and depot, on section 31 of the former and a portion of sec- tion 36 of the latter. As has been previously stated, the old Beaver- ville post-office had been in this vicinity for some years, and the locating of the French church here naturally made it a center ; and Heliadore Du Faut started a store here, which induced the transfer of the post-office in 1867, and called in some other business. The post-office has since been held by Edward Urch, W. H. Godfrey, Paul E. Gros, Levi Matthews and Godfrey Caillouette. Joseph Cail- louette built the house (now occupied by his son Godfrey) in 1857, which was the first one built in the village. Joseph Gorman also built a log house on lot 5, block 4, where the store now stands. Mr. Ducharme had erected the two houses before alluded to on his farms ; and two or three years later E. W. Myers commenced keeping store. Mr. W. H. Godfrey, for many years a justice of the peace of this township, opened up a grocery and notion store, where he now resides. For some years past he has carried on the undertaker's business. The railroad was built in 1871, and new business enter- prises begin to take form. Oscar Kinney commenced the grain trade and continued it some years.
The town was platted that year on the land of Charles Arceneau, in section 31. He was required to deed each alternate lot to the rail- road company's president, Adams Earl, in order to secure a depot. Since that the railroad addition has been laid out on the same sec- tion, and Du Faut's and Gorman's addition in section 36. F. X. Frasier's store was burned in 1872. As there seemed to be no way to stop the illegal sale of spirituous liquors, and no way to license such sale, it was decided in 1872 to incorporate the village. The records are not very complete, but from them it would seemn that the incor- poration was previous to July 1, 1872, as there are of record no minutes to show that the incorporation was under the authority of the county court. H. Du Faut was the first president ; F. X. Frasier, treasurer ; and Godfrey Caillouette, J. M. Kinney and Oscar Kinney, with them, the trustees. The present board is : O. Gorman, president ; H. Lambert, treasurer ; J. H. Gorman, clerk; and E. Francoeur, B. Regnier and F. Besse the other trustees.
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HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY.
BIOGRAPHICAL.
Vermillion Bean, retired farmer, Donovan, is a son of John Bean, and was born in Vermilion county, Illinois, in 1829. At about three years of age, he came with his parents to what is now Beaver township, Iroquois county, Illinois. At the time he came here there were but two houses in this part of the county, one where Kankakee city now is, and the trading house of Hubbard & Le Vasseur at Bunkum. He has witnessed the county pass through a great change, as it is now all under cultivation, a railroad passing within three-quarters of a mile of his farm. Growing up in this county when there were no schools, his education was of a neces- sity entirely neglected in his youth. He was engaged in teaming from Chicago to Bunkum. He was in Chicago when there were but a few business houses there, it being little larger than Bunkum, and not so old. August 9, 1856, he married Miss Lutheria M. Lee, a native of New York ; she died January 26, 1876. He again mar- ried, this time Mrs. Diantha (Shaw) Merley, who was born in Indiana. He has two children: Charles E., by his first wife ; and Olla Arnetta, by his last wife. He owns 300 acres of land in sec- tions 29 and 30, T. 28, R. 11, and his home residence in Donovan, where he now lives. His farm is managed by lis son.
George W. Moore, farmer and stock-raiser, Beaverville, is a son of Foster Moore, one of Iroquois county's early pioneers, and was born January 7, 1839, in Iroquois county, Illinois. His early youth till the age of twenty was spent with his parents ; he then engaged in working out at farm labor till July 24, 1862. He then volun- teered his service to his country, and joined Co. A, 76th Ill. Vol. Inf. He was at the siege of Vicksburg, and other hard-fought battles, and was severely wounded at the charge on Fort Blakeley, near Mobile, Alabama. He was then sent to the hospital, where he remained under surgical treatment until August 18, 1865, when he was discharged and returned home, where he suffered very severely with his wound for thirteen years. The government is rewarding him for his misfortune with $18 per month pension. October 21, 1866, he married Miss Hester A. Decker, who was a native of Indiana, and died August 5, 1868. April 18, 1869, le married his second wife, Miss Emily Denton, who is a native of Indiana, and was born August 23, 1849. He has three children living : Minnie A., by his first wife ; and Henry L. and George B. by his last wife. He now owns 160 acres of land, three and a half miles east of St. Mary, and is engaged in farming and stock-raising.
Thomas J. Donovan, farmer, Donovan, is a son of Joseph A.
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Donovan. He was born in Mason county, Kentucky, February 1, 1827. When eight years of age he came with his parents to Illinois, and they settled in Vermilion county. There and in Clark and Will counties he lived till 1847, when he came with his parents to Iroquois county, and settled in Beaver township, being among the very first settlers in that part of the county, where he has since lived, engaged in farming and stock-raising. He says that when he came to Beaver township immense herds of deer and other wild animals roamed over the vast unbroken prairies, there being but one other settler's cabin in that part of the country, about four miles distant from where his father settled. October 24, 1856, he married Miss Mary Lyons, who was born in Vermilion county, Illinois, and died February 14, 1866. He has two children living: John L. and Charles W. October 26, 1868, he married for his second wife Miss Emma Hall, a native of North Carolina. She was born January 2, 1848. They have one child : Joseph A. On August 11, 1862, le volunteered liis services to his country, and became a member of Co. E, 76th Ill. Vol. Inf., where he served three years, participating in all the movements of his regiment, except while in hospital three months at Jackson, Ten- nessee. He was honorably discharged. He has witnessed a great improvement in the county. His farm, containing 120 acres of land, is adjoining the village of Donovan.
James H. Sweeney, farmer and stock-raiser, Donovan, came from Putnam county, Indiana, where he was born January 24, 1840. He lived with his parents till about the age of eighteen years, engaged in farming. He began for himself by working out at farming till June 4, 1861, when he enlisted in Co. F, 25th Ill. Inf. He participated in all the movements of his regiment till honorably discharged, Sep- tember 5, 1864. Having bought a farm while in the aminy, he now engaged in farming and stock-raising, which business he now suc- cessfully carries on. November 16, 1867, he married Harriet Rich- ardson, who was born in Indiana. She died August 7, 1875; and April 19, 1877, he married for his second wife Mrs. Rachel M. (Lyman) Calkins. She is a native of Ohio; born December 11, 1843. He now owns 154 acres of land three miles southwest of Donovan station, all earned by his own industry and close attention to business. He has three children : John H. and Luther G. by his first wife ; and Peter A. by his present wife. At the time he came to this township it was a vast unsettled wilderness, and deer and other wild animals roamed undisturbed. He now sees the fields of golden grain, the cars passing every day, and several towns in sight of his home.
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HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY.
Evlan Clark, farmer and stock-raiser, Beaverville, is a son of Quartus Clark, one of the early settlers in Beaver township, and its first school-teacher, and was born August 18, 1838, near Niles, Mich- igan. In 1850, with his parents, he came to what is now Beaver town- ship, Iroquois county, Illinois, at that time there being but four families living in the township. His early education was of a neces- sity very much neglected, but he has by the aid of his parents acquired a fair education. In 1851 his 'father died, and on him devolved the responsibility of taking care of the family, which he did till he reached the age of twenty-two. December 9, 1860, he married Miss Clarissa E. Watkins, a native of Indiana, and born August 9, 1843. In 1862 he enlisted in Co. E, 76th Ill. Inf., and was engaged at the siege of Vicksburg and many other battles, including the charge on Fort Blakeley, near Mobile, Alabama. During his service he was appointed first sergeant, and was honorably discharged August 5, 1865. He then returned home and engaged in farming on section 10, town 28, range 11, and the carpenter business. In the spring of 1868 he moved to the farm he had previously bought, and actively engaged in farming and stock-raising, which business he still follows. He now owns 240 acres of land, all earned by his own careful management and industry. He has three children : Albert, Charles R. and Mary. He has filled the position of collector of taxes seven years, assessor two years, township school treasurer five . years, justice of the peace one term, and school director many years.
Ephraim Pray, farmer and stock-raiser, Beaverville, was born in St. Lawrence county, New York, July 20, 1825, where he lived till the age of twenty-two years with his parents. He came to Illinois in 1847, traveled in this state and Wisconsin and Michigan, working in the three states till on July 14, 1850, he married Miss Mary D. Franceour, a native of Canada, and in 1852 came to Iroquois county, and permanently located in Beaver township, on section 32, town 29, range 11, and engaged in farming and stock-raising, in which busi- ness he is now engaged. At the time he settled here the country was a vast unsettled wilderness, his nearest market then being Chicago, by team over the old Hubbard trace, which passed within a few rods of his house. He has lived here to see a great change The railroad passes over an adjoining section, and a town lies about two miles from his place. He has ten children, all living : William, Charles, Apollien, Mary, Alexander, Albert, Thomas, Emily, Liddie and Lucy. He has filled the position of school trustee for many years, and is now highway commissioner.
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Jonas Grant, farmer and stock-raiser, Donovan, was born in Sweden, November 29, 1811. His early youth, till the age of fifteen, was spent at home with his parents, engaged in farming. He then begun for himself, by working out as a farm hand, and so continued till September 29, 1837, when he married Miss Johanna Johnson, who is also a native of Sweden, and was born April 23, 1812. He then engaged in farming, renting a farm at first, but finally bought a farm on which he lived till August 30, 1852, and on that day sailed from Sweden for Boston, where he arrived all safe after thirty-days sail, and the following October he went to La Fayette, Indiana, but in the spring of 1853 came to his present home, in what is now Beaver township. He permanently located on section 12, town 28, range 11, and engaged in farming and stock-raising, in which busi- ness he is now successfully employed. At the time he came here the country was unsettled but by two families. Deer and other wild animals roamed undisturbed formerly, where now are vast fields of golden grain, and where the whistle of the locomotive can now be heard daily. He aided largely in building the M. E. church, and has done much in the way of education and improvement, being the safe counselor and adviser of the people. He has now five children living : John H., Swan W., Charlotte, Charles J. and Sophia. His two oldest sons served their adopted country in the late war, both being inembers of Indiana regiments. The daughters both married ministers.
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