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 106
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Maltby G. Potter, farmer and stock-raiser, Donovan, was born December 11, 1827, in Genesee, New York. His early youth was spent with his parents, attending school and farming. November 15, 1849, he sailed from Boston on board the schooner Ruby around Cape Horn for California, arriving in San Francisco May 6, 1850. After a stay of eight months in California he went to Central America and Cuba, where lie traveled for some time and thien returned to New York, after an absence of two years. May 2, 1852, he married Miss Mahala Griswold, who was born in Rochester, New York, April 4, 1831. In the spring of 1853 he came to Illinois, Iro- quois county, and at once entered the farm on which he now lives, on section 28, town 28, range 11, in Beaver township, and engaged in farming and stock-raising. At the time he settled on this wild prairie, there were but three cabins in sight, and the whole country was inhabited by deer and other wild animals. He has lived here to see the country all settled, a railroad passing over his farm, the village of Donovan built on part of it, and several towns in siglit of his residence. He owns 520 acres of land, all earned by his own in-
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HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY.
dustry and close application to business. He has ten children living : Frederick A., George B., Inez A., Effie L., Jessie A., Minnie G., Lodema, Gertrude, Samuel M. and Edgar C. He has filled the offices of supervisor, four terms ; township clerk, for many years ; and school director since the school district was organized.
Orren G. Smith, dealer in general merchandise, Donovan, was born January 9, 1854, in Iroquois county, Illinois, and is a son of William Smith, one of this county's first settlers and business men. He has lived in this county since his birth, in early youth attending school, finishing his education by a term of one year at Cole's Com- mercial College, at Peoria. He then entered the railroad company's employ at Sheldon, Iroquois county, and remained in their ser- vice six years and three months as brakeman. He then engaged as clerk in a store at Watseka for eight months, and afterward trav- eled in Michigan and Kansas for a short time, and then bought out R. G. Campbell, and located in the village of Donovan and engaged in a general mercantile business. "October 16, 1879, he married Miss Inez A. Potter, who was born in Iroquois county, October 1, 1857. He now owns, besides his store, a farm of 80 acres of land adjoining the incorporation of Sheldon.
Thomas Askew, farmer and stock-raiser, Donovan, was born in Westmoreland, England, in January, 1822. His early youth was spent with his parents, engaged in farming and attending school till May 6, 1846, when he married Miss Isabella Taylor, who was born in Westmoreland, England, November 24, 1825. He then farmed for himself till the fall of 1849, when he left his native country and came to America, and in the spring of 1850 engaged at farm labor in Kankakee county till about 1856, when he removed to what is now Beaver township, Iroquois county, Illinois, and there rented a farm and engaged in farming and stock-raising till March 9, 1859. He then moved into the first house he ever owned, having bought the farm and built the house a short time previous. He is now actively engaged in farming and stock-raising. April 9, 1879, his wife died on the place on which she so long lived and raised most of her family. He has eight children living: Richard G., John T., Dion A., Wellington C., Thomas E., Agnes E., Maud I. and George C. He owns 280 acres of land all earned by his own industry and close application to business. He has filled the office of justice of the peace since 1867, supervisor three years, highway commissioner and school trustee twelve years. He has lived here to see this part of the county pass through a great change. The Cincinnati, Chicago & La Fayette railroad passes within one mile of his house.
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BEAVER TOWNSHIP.
Asa F. Perrigo, farmer and stock-raiser, Donovan, is a native of Seneca county, Ohio, and was born April 16, 1838, and lived there engaged in farming and attending school till the summer of 1856. He then with his parents came to Iroquois county, Illinois, and per- manently located in Beaver township, and engaged in farming and stock-raising, his nearest market for many years being Kankakee city. May 6, 1863, he married Miss Elmira, daughter of Aaron Hill, who is a native of Vermont, and was born December 17, 1848. He has two children : Eugene G. and Sidney L. He now owns 200 acres of land near Donovan station, and a house and four lots in the village of Donovan. His farm is well improved, and reflects credit on its proprietor. He has lived here and grown up with the country.
Mathew Haigh, farmer, Beaverville, is a native of England, and was born December 3, 1836. His youth, till about the age of twenty years, was spent with his parents attending school. His father was a weaver by occupation, and Mathew learned the trade, which he followed until he came to America. Soon after coming to this country he joined the army, and became a member of Co. H, 113th Ill. Vol. Inf., and served his adopted country three years in the war of the rebellion. After being discharged he returned to Iroquois county, Illinois, bought a farm of 160 acres in Sec. 9, T: 28, R. 11, in Beaver township, and engaged in farming and stock- raising. His farm is well improved, reflecting much credit on its proprietor, and is the result of his own hard labor, industry and close attention to business.
Andrew Johnson, farmer and stock-raiser, Donovan, was born in Sweden, October 22, 1821. Till about the age of eighteen years his time was spent at home with his parents, engaged in farming and attending school. Being of a mechanical turn of mind, he engaged at the carpenter and wheelwright business, and continued in that till about the age of thirty-two. He then came to America and set- tled in Tippecanoe county, Indiana, where he remained four years. On June 10, 1857, he removed to Beaver township, Iroquois county, Illinois. He bought a farm, and permanently located and engaged in farming and stock-raising, in which business he still remains, having been very successful. He now owns 540 acres of land, all earned by his own industry and careful management. June 23, 1853, he married Miss Sophia Johnson, who is a native of Sweden. He has three children : Emma M., Jolin W. and Ida C. His son is now attending college. When Mr. Johnson came to his present home the country was very new and unimproved. He has lived
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HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY.
here to see the surrounding country all improved with railroads, and towns built up in all directions.
William McMahon, farmer and stock-raiser, Beaverville, was born in Warren county, Ohio, April 21, 1821. He lived with his parents till about the age of twenty-three years, engaged in farming and at- tending school. He then went into the clock trade for himself in the state of Indiana, and followed the business about fifteen years, and was very successful. On February 12, 1851, he married Miss Mary J. Rinker, a native of Indiana. He bought a farm of 320 acres, and farmed and raised stock about seven years. He then rented his farm and removed to Beaver township, Iroquois county, Illinois, where he bought his present home-farm, and actively engaged in farming ands tock-raising, making it a success not equaled by many in the county. He now owns 1,192 acres of land, all except $500 earned by his own industry and close attention to business. He is now raising and dealing largely in stock. He has five children living : Warren L., Lua Ellen, Ross, Franklin and Cora. He has never taken any interest in politics, and has been strictly temperate from youth.
William H. Godfrey, Esq., justice and collection agent, Beaverville, is a native of Connecticut, and was born August 7, 1827. His early youth was spent withi liis parents, farming and attending school till the age of sixteen years. He then began the carpenter business as an apprentice in New York, but completed his apprenticeship in Reading, Connecticut, and continued the business there till the age of twenty-five years,-the last two years being at the head of a gang of carpenters as superintendent. He then went to South Norwalk, Connecticut, and engaged in carpenter work for about three years ; and then went west and worked at Cold Water, Michigan, Joliet and other places in Illinois. February 6, 1860, he married Miss Octavia Dubuque, who is a native of the province of Quebec, Canada, and was born July 5, 1831. August 2, 1862, he abandoned the carpenter business, and enlisted as private in Co. A, 129th reg. Ill. Vol. Inf .; January 13, 1863, he was appointed first sergeant. He participated in many battles and skirmishes, the most important of which was at Peach Tree creek, where he was hotly engaged about five hours. He was with Gen. Sherman on his memorable march to the sea in the fall of 1864, and was honorably discharged, June 8, 1865, at Wash- ington, D. C. He thenreturned to Illinois, and located at St. Mary, Iroquois county, and engaged again at his trade of carpenter. He - has four children living : Ada Aun, James H., Edmarica O., and May F. He has filled the office of school trustee six years ; school
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PAPINEAU TOWNSHIP,
treasurer for several years prior to his being elected trustee; and justice of the peace.
PAPINEAU TOWNSHIP.
Papineau is situated in the northern part of the county, having Kankakee county for its northern, Beaver its eastern, Martinton the southern and Iroquois river for its western boundary. It is four miles wide by eight and a half long, containing all of town 29, range 12 which lies in this county, and that portion of town 29, range 13, which is in this county and east of the Iroquois river. Beaver creek, here a considerable stream, runs through its center from east to west, affording an abundance of water. Like all the towns in the northern portion of the county artesian water is reached, but the wells are seldom flowing ones. It was originally either covered with timber or had groves scattered over it, so that there was no scarcity of timber for all purposes which the early settler stood in need of. The soil is sandy, and is not so strong generally as that found in the western and southern portions of the county. The Chicago & Eastern Illinois, and the Cincinnati, La Fayette & Chicago railroads run across its eastern half, having the station of Papineau on the former, and St. Mary, upon its eastern border, on the latter. The peculiar advantage in reference to freight rates, with two such routes which cannot combine against the farmer's interests, is apparent. The former road gives direct communication to Chicago, and the latter to Cincinnati, Philadelphia and the east. Though grain purchasers are careful not to put up the price on one another, there must frequently be times when the demands of trade at the different great centers will offer to producers so sitnated advantages superior to others.
Points along Beaver creek early attracted the attention of the pio- neer looking for a western home, where the grateful shelter of tiniber should protect him and his herds from the fearful wintry winds which now seem almost to have gone out of date in this region, or have migrated with the popular wave to Kansas. George Roush, though not the first settler in the western part of the town, was the first to establish any business there. About 1840 he began " keeping store " on section 26, just north of the Beaver. The store was one of the kind known to the early settler, and the only kind known where "dry-goods" and "wet groceries" were kept in magnificent confusion, solely for the convenience of the neighbors. The display of " store goods" was not very grand, but such staple articles of prime necessity, as tobacco,
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HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY.
molasses, codfish, hickory, shirting, powder and lead, Kentucky jeans, knitting needles, Godfrey's cordial, nails and Brandreth's pills were always in stock. It was a famous place for " the boys" to collect on Saturdays to try the speed of their horses and the effects of the only anti-rattle-snake-bite specific then known in this neck of timber.
A little incident is remembered, which it is surmised that Frank Brady was partially responsible for. It was before false faces of papier mache were so well known in the woods as to be readily recognized at a distance, that some one brought one from Chicago, and taking Mr. Goupil into training, turning his coat wrong-side-out, and fixing a good sized hump under it, with bells on his feet instead of spurs, it only re- quired a steeple hat above the false face to convert the innocent Goupil into a hideous circus clown. When the crowd was in good cheer at the store the " stranger" made his appearance, marching up the road by zig-zags, evidently uncertain whether to come to the " meeting." Tom Wilson, an African by descent, but at that day contraband as to citi- zenship, rolled his eyes in wonder, and was sent out by the boys as an advance guard to find out who the stranger was. With true African superstition running through him, lie failed to get near enough to the stranger to learn anything more than that he looked like a fellow he had once seen in a circus, and lie reported accordingly. He was sent back, and this time learned that liis view of the matter was correct, and that it was none other than Brown, whose wonderful feats had moved the African's mind to wonder, and that his visit here was to buy a horse. The boys told Tom to sell him his. Acting on the suggestion lie led out his prancer, and, bragging every minute of his wonderful proper- ties, helped the stranger to mount, and keeping up his continual boast- ing sent him on the road to try him. As soon as " the clown " was seated lie took "Frenchi leave," and the idea soon penetrated the thick brain of Tom Wilson that a horse-thief had outwitted liim. It now became necessary to let the crowd around the store into the secret to keep them from shooting Goupil, and they all united in urging Tom to rescue his horse before it was everlastingly too late. Every fellow had a fresh suggestion to make, and Wilson, who fron that time went by the name of Tom Brown, found that the divided counsels of his neighbors did not help him much about overtaking the " thief." After the fun and clase had gone far enough, and the darkey had been led a fearful chase, Goupil returned and uncovered, but Wilson never heard the last of Tom Brown.
The sports of those days were such as were peculiar to the age and surroundings. Hunting, of course,-which has come to be known as sport, in name at least,-was as much an occupation as a sport in those
HENRY
NĘŞ
LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
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PAPINEAU TOWNSHIP.
times ; but it was not common even then to class horse-stealing among the sports.
William Rakestraw, who lived on section 19, north of the Beaver, was long postmaster of the Democrat office. For some reason, which is not easily explained, the office was not kept at Roush's store, the most natural place for it. It is the suggestion of a neighbor that Roush did not like the name, which was understood to have been con- ferred on the office by Mr. Wentworth, who at that time was not only a democrat politically, but editor and proprietor of the Chicago " Dem- ocrat" newspaper. Allen Rakestraw (his brother) kept the tavern which stood on the Joliet road where it crossed the Beaver creek. When William sold out, about 1850, and removed to Aroma, Peter Lowe was appointed postmaster and kept the office some years, when he sold to Mr. Benjamin and moved away. 'About 1857 or 1858 Ezra David kept the store and the post-office, when the name was changed, and Democrat as a post-office name disappeared.
Henry Jones was the earliest permanent settler in this part of the township. He must have settled here about 1837. He had quite a large family. Four of his sons live in the town yet : William, Philip, Henry and H. C. W. H. Griffin lived, at an early date, ou the creek in the northeast part of the town. His father, who was one of the pio- neers, died there about 1851. His family now lives in Martinton. During the year 1855 occurred the terrible scourge of cholera which swept over this part of the country with fearful fatality. In this town- ship nearly half of the settlers were taken away. Henry Jones' family suffered the most severely. Mr. Jones was obliged to make the coffins and bury part of his own family. Bradford Clark came to Beaver Creek in the eastern part of the town, where he still resides, about 1850.ª His brother (William P.) came at the same time, and Abram Otis settled on section 22 about the same time.
There was nothing like a general settlement of the township until the French Canadians began coming in, about 1850. The old settle- ment at Bourbonnais Grove, started under the pioneer, Noel Le Vas- seur, twenty years earlier, began to spread into this county before the Central railroad had given " Kankakee city " a local habitation. Peter Spink was pushing his land and emigration enterprises, which seemed to him so profitable for a time, and which really resulted in success to his followers, into the rich country where L'Erable now is; and others, attracted from their Canadian home, came in on this side of the river in considerable numbers. Immigration was stimulated by the building of the Central, and still more by the building of the roads which pass through Papineau. From this fact came the naming of the township. 33
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HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY.
These French people did not like the name of Weygandt. It was too decidedly Dutchy. The pronunciation of words ending in ndt was impossible to French lips. Papineau was a leader of the rebellion in Canada against the English government in 1837, and as such is looked upon by the French citizens as a hero not unlike old John Brown. That he was not successful does not deprive him of the veneration of those he attempted to lead. It is remembered of him that he rode through some of the principal towns of Canada, carrying a flag and calling on those who would be free from the English yoke to follow his flag. For this treason he barely escaped the gallows. Papineau was born October, 1786, and died September 23, 1871. The people who reside here, some of whom were admirers of the leader, decided to name this town after him. This rebellion in 1837 and 1838, through being aided by certain citizens of the United States, became the source of belligerent talk between the governments of Great Britain and this country. The destruction of the Caroline, by the murder of her passengers and firing and sending over Niagara Falls, followed by the arrest of McLeod for the crime, his defense by the attorney-general of the United States, and his acquittal, make one of the most exciting chapters in our country's history. (See Benton's "Thirty-Years , View.")
One of the first, as well as one of the most influential, of these Call- adian immigrants was Anthony Lottinville. With his family, consist- ing of wife and seven small children, he took passage on the ill-fated steamer Atlantic, for Detroit, in the summer of 1851. He had sold his farm there, and had with him his all, except some that was coming from deferred payments on his land, which fortunately he was not able to realize on. The steamer had some 600 passengers on board, and in the night, while all were in bed and nearly all asleep, a terrible col- lision occurred, and in twenty minutes the steamer went down, carry- ing all but 120 of her passengers. The scene during that twenty minutes of agony can never be described. The shrieks, the prayers, the moanings, and the hurrying to and fro of those hoping to escape impending death, can be faintly imagined. Women and children were partially saved by the ropes in the hands of strong men who stood upon the propeller which at once came to the rescue, only to drop into the water before they could reach the deck. In the panic and fright, unaccountably to himself, Mr. Lottinville succeeded in rescuing all his family, and in the thankfulness of his heart hardly mourned the loss of all his earthly possessions. He came forward to Bourbonnais, where the open aid of Noel Le Vasseur, and his ever-ready purse, aided the rescued family in a strange land to get a comfortable start. It is said
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PAPINEAU TOWNSHIP.
to have been only characteristic of the old pioneer, whose recent death has called forth many expressions of remembrance of kindly acts on the part of the old man toward those in need. Mr. Lottinville came soon after to section 22, range 12, on the creek, where he took up half a section of land and built a frame house, the lumber for which he hauled from Chicago, fording streams swollen by the continual rains of that season. He hired forty acres broken, then with all his family " took the ague,"-a regular standby with new settlers in those days, -- which shook them up for a year. This was one of the rainy seasons, which all pioneers recollect as occurring regularly each seventh year. For sev- eral years after Mr. Lottinville came here wheat was a good crop, and the demand for it was good from those then coming into the country. The acorns in the woods served the hogs well, and hogs always brouglit cash once a year, so that farming prospects were good, but there was no school for ten years. His children had had but slight opportuni- ties, the older ones in schools in Canada, and that only in French- speaking ones. Here they never got a day's schooling except in the rough school of pioneer drudgery. That the five sons, who are known throughout the county as the Lottinville boys, are everywhere recog- nized as among the best educated and most correct business men in this portion of the county is due alone to their own native strength of character and versatile tact. They have for years been entrusted with the official business of the township, and, as will be seen by the record, of the village, and have been continually the business men of the place ; and in conversation show a breadth of acquaintance with general history and affairs of the country which marks them as educated men. The aged parents died about 1866. They had been the parents of six- teen children, several of whom, however, died during their childhood. Three of the brothers married sisters, two of wliom have already pre- sented twins to doting fathers. The value to a new country of such a family, as settlers, is difficult to estimate with the data at hand.
Joseph Delude came here about 1850, and built a log cabin on the bank of the creek. He was deluded with the notion that the Beaver would make a very valuable water privilege. He dammed the creek and built a saw-inill on it. It was one of those old-fashioned gate saws, that go up in the spring and come down with the fall freshets. He soon damned the stream and mill both, with a slight variation in the spelling and accent, and sold out to Moses Langellier, who still resides there, and returned to Bourbonnais.
In 1857 Mr. Ducharme came from Bourbonnais and bought two farms in the southeastern quarter of section 36, range 12. He built log liouses on the farms, and his sons came here to live.
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HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY.
The Methodist church, known as the Boucher or Switzer church, was commenced in 1867 and dedicated in 1871. It is about 30 x 50, and cost about $3,300. In 1873 it was removed from its foundation by a hurricane, but otherwise was but little damaged. It was replaced . at a cost of $350. John Switzer was class-leader, and after him M. E. Posson. The present membership is eighteen. At the time of the organization of this township the name of Weygandt was given to it, receiving its name from a numerous family of that name living liere. Martinton was cut off in 1858, and the name was changed to Papineau in 1863. The first supervisor of Papinean was Thomas Maggee; clerk, E. M. Hammond; assessor, A. Bender; collector, Williamn Thompson ; magistrates, S. S. Green and S. S. White. The present officers are : William Jones, supervisor ; C. F. Lottinville, clerk and collector; George Ducharme, assessor; and W. F. Risley and Joseph Langellier, magistrates.
In 1856 thirty-three votes were cast in favor of calling the town Pike Creek. In 1858, by reason of a division of the township, and the principal officers residing in the southern portion of the township, there was no election held, and the board of supervisors appointed at its next meeting the township officers. August 25, 1868, a special town meeting voted, by 47 to none, in favor of a tax for the Chicago, Dan- ville & Vincennes Railroad. August 8, 1870, a special town meeting voted 67 to 34 in favor of donating $6,350 in bonds to the same rail- road, on condition that a depot should be located and permanently maintained in the town. The bonds were issued, and have since been litigated, and the payment of the interest on thiem enjoined in conse- ' quence of a decision of the supreme court on a case which was so similar as to warrant the belief that the same rule would apply to this case.
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