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 91

Author: Beckwith, H. W. (Hiram Williams), 1833-1903
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago : H.H. Hill and Co.
Number of Pages: 1180

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 91

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Reuben C. Munger, farmer Chebanse, deserves mention in our pages. He was born in Delaware county, New York, September 15, 1836. He came with his parents to this state, and settled in the town of Roscoe, in 1842. His father (the Rev. Obadialı W. Munger) was a Methodist minister, and brought his sons up to farming, he generally being the possessor of one. In 1843 they moved to Boone county, remaining one year ; then to Kendall county, and leaving there in 1848, moved to a farın of 200 acres that his father purchased further south, living there till 1869. Mr. Munger moved to this township in January, 1869, and has rented and resided on the same place for fifteen years. He has a quarter section of his own, but that not being large enough to suit his ideas of farming, he lets the same, and rents the extensive and beautiful place where he now resides. He was married December 30, 1858, to Miss Lydia A. Jacobs, who was born March 22, 1837. They have been blessed with two children: William W., born November 25, 1859, and Catharine A., Marclı 22, 1862. He was supervisor for the first two years of the organization of the township, and is now treasurer of the board of road commissioners, and is also school trustee. He was the first justice of the peace for one year. He has been a member

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HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY.

in good standing of the Masonic fraternity for sixteen years, and a strict member of the Methodist church for twenty-seven years, and is a Good Templar, as are also his family.

B. W. Gilborne, farmer, Cabery, Ford county, was born in Ireland, on November 1, 1825. Living there till fourteen years of age, he came to America all alone, in 1840. He resided in Mont- goinery county, New York, some ten years, working on a farm and teaching school. In 1850 he went to Schoharie county, New York, living there till 1864, when he enlisted in Co. F, 13th N. Y. heavy artillery, the next year being transferred to Co. A, and after the fall of Richmond, was consolidated with the 7th heavy artillery. He was in the siege service, fighting at Petersburg and Richmond. He, with four others, had charge of the mail-boat Fawn for a short time, on the Dismal Swamp Canal, leading from Elizabeth river via the Great Bridge, Pungo Landing, and Corn Jack. He was on provost- guard and police duty at Norfolk and Portsmouth, and was finally discharged on August 24, 1865. He then returned home, and in 1867 he moved west, stopping at Rogers, Ford county, and two years thereafter, moved to the town of Chebanse, now Milk's Grove

township. He was the first town clerk, serving two terms; has been assessor for five years, justice of the peace for three years, commissioner of highways for two years, and supervisor one year, all of which he still continues to hold. He is also farmer and school- teacher. In fact he has been father and grandfather of the township for the past five years, he having attended to about all the business that has been transacted. He was married on July 25, 1852, to Miss Lodoizker Minard, who was born on January 30, 1830. They have four children : Mary E., now wife of Levi C. Latham; William H., Alice and John ; James D. and Charles, deceased. He has 40 acres which he farms during the summer, and teaches school in the winter, which occupation he has followed for the past thirty years.

William Hipkie, farmer, Herscher, Kankakee county, was born in Bergenhusem, Germany, on March 4, 1841. He remained in the old country till the age of fourteen, then coming to America he went direct to Wisconsin, and lived there four years; then to Illinois in 1861, residing in Lisbon, Kendall county, some nine years ; then to this township, buying his present farm of 160 acres, which is beauti- fully located on rising ground, in the heart of an extensive prairie country, and commanding a fine view of the surrounding scenery. He was married November 12, 1871, to Miss Mary J. Duckworth, who was born in Lisbon, Kendall county, February 5, 1845. Her father, the venerable George Duckworth, is still living at the ad-

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MILK'S GROVE TOWNSHIP.

vanced age of eighty-three years, and residing a portion of the time with her. Mr. Hipkie has held the office of trustee and school direc- tor for three years each. He has accumulated his worldly posses- sions by hard work and perseverance. He has one child, George F., born on March 2, 1873.

J. C. Dunkelberger, farmer, Herscher, Kankakee county, was born in Perry county, Pennsylvania. September 10, 1825. He was raised in Pennsylvania, living there till forty-two years old. On February 20, 1867, he moved his family to Illinois, settling in Liv- ingston county for eight years, and in 1875 came to this county, locating in Milk's Grove township, section 16, having 240 acres. It is all well hedged ; has a fine young orchard, and is under good cul- tivation. He was married March 24, 1853, to Miss Sarah Bear, in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and she was born November 22, 1832, in Perry county, Pennsylvania. They have eight children : William H., Elmira, Charles H., Edward L., Daniel M., James, John O. and Jeremiah C. ; and Franklin, deceased. Mr. Dunkelberger hås been school director for three years, and is a member of the Lutheran denomination.

F. B. White, farmer, Kempton, Ford county, was born in the state of New York, August 1, 1842. He was raised on a farm till 1862, when he enlisted August 13, in Co. K, 125th N. Y. Vols., Col. Willard commanding. His battle was at Harper's Ferry, where 11,000 soldiers were engaged, and all taken prisoners, being completely hemmed in. They were paroled on the day after, and some 9,000 sent to Chicago; were exchanged, and returned to the field. He participated in ten other battles: Gettysburg, Wilder- ness, Mine Run, Spottsylvania Court-house, Bristol Station, Cedar Mountain, Stony Creek, Manassas Gap and Swamp Wood. He re- ceived a severe wound at Spottsylvania Court-house by the explo- sion of a shell,-an ounce ball entering his right shoulder; also a bayonet lunge in his left leg. On April 1, 1865, he received his discharge and returned home. In 1876 he went to Morris, Grundy county, and in 1877 came to this township, -his present homestead falling into his possession. He has 611 acres, with good house and out-buildings. He was married, March 14, 1877, to Miss Eliza- beth Stone, who was born September 20, 1843. She has five chil- dren bearing the name of her first husband, Mr. John Capen : Hat- tie M., Charles S., Mary E., Carrie A. and Herbert N.

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HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY.

IROQUOIS TOWNSHIP.

Iroquois township is in the central portion of the county, and em- braces the entire congressional township known as T. 27, R. 13 W. of tlie 2d principal meridian. The Iroquois river runs across its north- eastern part for six or seven miles, and Spring creek passes across its western half from near its southwestern corner, in a northeasterly direction to its junction with the Iroquois, on section 15. So large a portion of the township was originally timber (probably one-third of its area) that all the requirements for early settlement were found here. The surface is gently rolling, very little of it being so flat as not to be capable of thorough drainage by the ordinary methods of open ditches or tiles. The eastern half of the township is decidedly sandy, and is easily worked, and capable of producing magnificent crops. Coal has recently been discovered near by the river, on or near section 14; but the general depression in the coal-mining business has prevented the development of what may in the near future be an important interest. The township is wholly within the artesian district ; and many of the wells, which have an average depth of about 100 feet, flow fine streams, and one on the premises of Mrs. Harroun runs a stream strong enough to drive an overshot waterwheel, for churning. Corn has always been the staple crop, but considerable flax is raised, the absence of any mar- ket for the straw being the only serious drawback. Dairying is increas- ing in importance, and the growing of winter wheat has received a strong impetus, owing to the fine crops of the two years last past. Few of the farmers have engaged much in cattle-feeding, or in raising fancy stock or sheep. On nearly every farm is seen a small patch of sorghum growing, and several small mills find steady employment dur- ing the fall in working up the product. The fine flowing wells make dairying an object with many of the farmers, and Holstein cattle are becoming favorites with those who desire a cross which will be supe- rior for milk. The water from these flowing wells is run through the milk-house and cools the milk quickly, keeping it at the uniform temperature at which the cream rises most perfectly, and in the winter prevents freezing, except on some rare occasions of very severe weather.

The hedges are generally in good condition, the buildings good and neat. Few of the farms have been overrun by noxious weeds, and the highways present a condition of perfect grading, which few townships in this prairie country can surpass. Opinions vary considerably as to the real value to the town of the road-grader, which is owned by the town ; but the better opinion is, that at least three times as much earth

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IROQUOIS TOWNSHIP.

is moved by the machine as would be done by the same number of teams with scrapers, though it often fails to deposit the earth where it is most needed, and the road-bed is left too narrow.

The earliest inhabitants migrated from Ohio and Indiana largely. Latterly many came from the counties north and west of here, and the French settlement in the northern part of the county has spread into this township. Very little of the land is held by non-residents, and small farins are the rule.

EARLY SETTLEMENTS AND INCIDENTS.

The date of the first settlements (which were upon Spring creek) was in April, 1835. In the opinion of William Flesher, to whom the writer is under many obligations, and who seems to be a man well calculated to retain an excellent remembrance of facts, the first entries of land were made in June, 1835, by John Flesher and Levi Thomp- son. They entered a half-section each in sections 28 and 29, under the impression that they were getting the timber land, which, in fact, was in sections 20 and 21, upon which they already had claims. They had selected the right numbers and would have entered the land in the latter sections, but parties at the land office deceived them by telling them that the timber was in the other sections. They after- ward entered a portion of the timber land. Mr. Thompson, who lives at Gilman, thinks his father settled here on section 20, where Mr. Calkin lives, in 1832. He has always understood that his parents were driven away from here by the Indians in 1832 or 1833. A very careful sifting of all the evidence at his disposal satisfies the writer that the date fixed by Mr. Thompson is too early by at least two or three years. The Thompson family had lived near Milford before coming here, and there participated in the fright and flight which came from a scare in regard to approaching hostile Indians. The Indians did not come but the pioneers did run. At the time this settlement was made the Indians had removed, but there were a few lingering around their village, which was near the mouth of Spring creek, near the farm so long owned and occupied by H. A. Butzow, Esq., county clerk. These Indians came occasionally to the white man's house for something to eat, but never molested any one. Mr. John Wilson, who did not come to this township to live until three years later, relates that in his absence from his cabin on one of his frequent busi- ness trips some Indians came to his cabin to get salt to season their venison. Wilson, coming home in the night, had not been noticed by these wanderers, and they returned to get salt late at night, and were so frightened (the fright was largely mutual) at finding the cabin occu-

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HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY.

pied, that they ran " like white-heads." They were afterward made to understand that they were welcome to liis house, and during the entire winter supplied him with venison and fish for his table. These are be- lieved to be the only Indian incidents here after the settlement by whites in this township. The next one who came here was Jedediah Darby, who settled just at the west line of the township, near the residence of Mr. Kirby. He and his wife both died and were buried there. This must have been in 1835. Owen Darby came the same spring and . took the claim where Fleslier's burying-ground is, and sold it to John Flesher. Lemuel Flesher, a cousin of John's, took a claim on section 21, which he afterward sold to John, and went to section 30, where Mrs. Harroun now resides, and built a cabin. He afterward owned the place where Kirby lives, and put out the orchard from which Mrs. Kirby now supplies the Gilman market with apples. After selling that he took up and improved the place opposite the Washington school-house, which he sold to Brelsford, and took the place where Davis lives, which he sold to Keene and went farther up stream.

John Flesher, on the other hand, continued to reside on the place he made, and his children still live on the same place, and entertain their friends under the same hospitable roof which he erected in 1837. It was a magnificent house for the times. It was 22×28, with rived clap-board roof. The floor was sawed at Webster's mill, near Milford. The upper-floor joists are 22 feet long, and were all (eleven of them) split out of one log, and hewed so accurately that it is almost impossi- ble to detect any irregularity in them. Mr. Flesher came in one of those old-fashioned Pennsylvania wagons, now entirely gone out of date, and brought some cattle with him. There were many evidences of recent Indian occupation here when he came. The poles which had answered them for tents were still standing, and down at their camp were graves of a peculiar nature,-that is, they were peculiarly marked. There were slabs at the head and foot, and they seemed roofed over with pickets. These remained undisturbed until the fire burned up the wood. They were never desecrated by the relic fiend. There was no mill at this time nearer than Denmark, near Danville, but there was a corn-cracker at Milford. It was a several days' job to go to mill, for besides the distance, it often occurred that one had to wait his turn for several days. Levi Thompson, who was the first comer, made his home on section 20, where Mr. Calkin now resides. He had come from Indiana in 1832. Mr. Thompson died here about 1846. They had nine sons, all of whom grew up to manhood but one, four of them going into the army and giving their aid, and two their lives, to their country. James died at Vicksburg. He was a most estimable

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IROQUOIS TOWNSHIP.

young man, and had already served nearly three years in the 20th reg. William served four years, and is now in Alabama. Levi served in the 113th, and now resides with his mother in Gilman. Newton, who also saw service in the army, died in Michigan. About 1850 Mrs. Thompson married Mr. Harwood, and lived for awhile on the farm Mrs. Harroun now lives on. She now, at the age of seventy-five, resides at Gilman, where some of her children live with her, still strong and liearty after having borne the hardships of pioneer life.

John Jolinson came in 1836, and made his cabin on the place where Mr. Peters lives. He only remained two years, and then moved farther up stream. He devoted his time principally to bee-hunting. He was a Scotchman. He died there. Wm. Huckins came from Springfield, Ohio, in the spring of 1837, and bought land of Flesher on section 21, just east of where the latter resided. He built a house which still stands, near where the Gravellots reside. They had a large family of children. The farm was purchased by the Gra- vellot brothers when they came here from France, in 1854. There were six brothers and a sister in this family. The change, com- ing from the champagne country of France to the howling wilder- ness, for howling it was then, is strongly impressed on their minds, but they never got sick of the country. A nephew who came with them could not stand it, and returned to carry the news to France. Julius, John and Hipered live here still. All are unmarried. The latter served in the 76th reg. during the war. The other brothers went to Kansas. The sister died here. Her husband, Mr. Chappaux, started in 1859 to go to Oregon, but was never heard from after he reached Utah. It is supposed he suffered death at Mountain Meadows. An only daughter lives here with her uncles.

A queer old character by the name of William Mccutcheon, whose name is still known here only as having been given to the slough which winds down through to the creek, came here from Milford in 1837, and took up a claim on S.W. ¿ of section 30, where A. D. Harroun lives. He was an uneasy mortal, never satisfied with his lot or his prospects. Whenever it rained he would complain of being drowned out, and if it did not rain he thought everything was going to burn up. He had no claims to beauty. It is said that the first time Hi. Vennum met him in the road he gave him his hat, remarking as he did so that he believed he (Mccutcheon) was entitled to it by the law of the road. It was the first time Hiram had ever met a homelier man than himself. He had a large family of girls, and the boys thought, as he lived out on the prairie all alone, and had the range of ten coun- ties, that he owned all the land lie could see. In 1844 it rained all

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HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY.

the time, and the slough which bears his honored name was " boom- ing " from early spring till fall, much as some of the later residents remember that it did in 1869. The old man got disgusted, and traded his land to J. F. Wright for a lot of dry goods, and dressed his girls all out gorgeously and started for Missouri in a covered wagon.

The first school was taught by Jacob O'Feather, who was from Indiana, and who settled on section 25 of Douglas township, in 1836, in a house which stood on section 30, probably about 1838. The school was main- tained by subscription, and pupils came from four miles away. They used "Elementary Spelling Book," "English Reader," and whatever book the pupil chanced to have. Mr. Prentiss taught a term in a cabin on the Cavena place, and Miss Mary Peck taught a term in a cabin which stood near where the burying-ground now is. The first district school- house was built near where the bridge crosses the creek, on section 19, about 1845. David Gardner, a mason by trade, afterward a merchant at Middleport, now a capitalist at Chicago, taught the school. Elijah Barton, the Harwoods, the Lawheads, the Fletcher children and the Huckins children, were among those who attended. William Scott, Dan Wright and Alfred Fletcher, also taught school here early.

The first post-office in town was kept by Levi Thompson, at his house on Spring creek. It was established in 1838, and was called Pink-a-Mink, the Indian name of the river. Mr. Wentworth, in his address at the old settlers' reunion, speaks of having the Plato post- office established in 1838. It is supposed that he had confounded the names, and that it is this office which he referred to, as it is certain that the Plato office was not established until two years after that date. This office lasted but a few years.

Dr. Fowler, of Bunkum, was the first to practice medicine here, and Dr. Harwood, of Middleport, was the next. Dr. J. H. Kester was the first to locate in the town. He improved the place where Mr. Mitchell lives, and remained here until 1864, when he sold and went to the western part of the state. Dr. Cunningham was engaged in practice here before the all-pervading quinine was in vogue. He understood human nature better than he did medicine, and he was sharp enough to practice accordingly. J. R. Smith located a land war- rant on one quarter of section 31, and carried on a blacksmith shop there. Frederick Harwood came from Indiana in 1843, and took up land where Mrs. Harroun now lives, on section 30. He died in 1878 at the age of sixty-nine. He was a worthy and exemplary man, and a good neighbor. Mrs. Harwood is still living. They had five boys and two girls, most of whom reside in the county.

Maurice Kirby, an Irisliman, who came to America in 1829, and

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IROQUOIS TOWNSHIP.

worked on public works in various places, came over from Indiana about 1840, to spy out the land and see if he could not get a piece of land which he could own. He seems to have been, in his younger days at least, much given to placing great confidence in what those, whom he thought his friends, told him. When looking for land, some one told him that the finest land in this whole country was along White Woman's creek (Langham creek), and that the delay of a single day might deprive him of it, for Cassady (then famous as a land speculator at Danville) was going to enter the whole batch of it right off. All that was necessary in those days to make land "go off like hot cakes," was to circulate a report that Cassady or Dr. Fithian was after it. Away went Maurice to Danville on the wings of the wind, or as near as he could to that style, and entered the first quarter he could get hold of. After this was secured, and Maurice was happy over his possessions, the registrar entered into a friendly conversation with him : "Maurice," said he, "you've made a poor selection ; the land, it is true, is of very superior quality ; but the wolves, man,-the wolves are that bad that no inan, most especially an Irishman, can stand it for a single night. They'd tear the tender members of your family,-the childer', man ; and it's more than an even chance if they would not even devour the old ones, to say nothing of the snakes that are in it." Maurice was seeking a country, it is true, but it was not exactly that kind of a neghborhood that he wanted. He determined to abandon his pur- chase, and started back to Indiana, at a good lope, wishing at every step that Cassady had the land. In 1844 he came to where he now resides, and bought of Lemuel Flesher. The wolves and snakes could hardly have been worse on "White Woman's creek" than they were here at first. He had to keep his door bolted after dark to keep the children in and the wolves out.

Alfred Fletcher came here with his father in 1849 and bought a farm in section 30. He taught school for a while, for $20 per month and board. He " boarded round," as the term was, and was always sure to make the longest stay where the girls were plentiest and prettiest. He was the first clerk of the township and has frequently performed the duties of the various offices.

L. D. Northrup laid out the town of Point Pleasant in 1836, on the east side of Spring creek, about eighty rods from the Iroquois river. It was a great time for laying out towns, and there were not many men who had a river front, who did not have at least a town plat in anticipation. This place was also a candidate for the county- seat. James Smith, who was a noted surveyor of that day on the upper Spring creek, did the surveying. There was an Indian burying-

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HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY.

ground here, and at the time the village was laid out the graves were marked by puncheons on them, laid in the shape of a roof.

The next settlement which was made, in point of time, and the first in point of prospective importance, was that at Plato, by what was known as the Plato company. This company was composed of a number of business men, who purchased the land now owned and occupied by John Wilson, in 1835 or 1836, and laid out a town with all the customary expectations and paraphernalia of that day. The plat which was taken east to make the lots sell was beautifully done. The broad, deep-blue river, with snorting steamboats trying to find room to tie up at its wharves, would remind one of the Danube instead of the Iroquois. The plat was on the south and west of the river. It was the expectation of the proprietors to secure the location of the county-seat here, and was freely advertised in New York and Boston as " one of the liandsomest locations for a city in the world," as indeed it was. A sale of lots was made, and some of the lots sold for more than those did in Chicago. It was the "head of navigation " on the Iroquois river, and the prospective capital of a rich and fertile country. The notes which were given for the lots were by their terms to become due when the steam-mill in contemplation was com- pleted. The failure to secure the county-seat made it undesirable to go on with work on the mill, and it was never completed.

The story of this county-seat strife is interesting. The Plato com- pany believed that they had the best chance, and that the inducements they offered would be sufficient to secure it, but a little accident interfered to spoil their plans. Lieut .- Gov. John Moore, of McLean county, Gen. Whitesides, and Capt. Covel, of Bloomington, were the com- missioners to select a county-seat. They were to meet here on the ground in May, 1837. The two former came, but Covel's sickness prevented his attendance. The members of the company were on hand and made their proposition. Moore and Whitesides thought favorably of it, and had Covel been present would have accepted the offer made,-that of donating fifty lots in consideration of the location of the county-seat; but they adjourned the matter for a few weeks. At their second meeting all commissioners were present, but the pro- prietors were absent. The financial storm which was sweeping over the country was seriously threatening every branch of trade. These men were engaged in business, and though they were notified to be present, each had so much on his hands to take care of his own busi- ness affairs that he would not give his time to it. Mr. Flesher nearly killed two horses riding to get them to attend the meeting of the commission. Their offer was made, and the Middleport party knew

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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 91

Author: Beckwith, H. W. (Hiram Williams), 1833-1903 Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Chicago : H.H. Hill and Co. Number of Pages: 1180

Author: Beckwith, H. W. (Hiram Williams), 1833-1903
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago : H.H. Hill and Co.
Number of Pages: 1180