USA > Illinois > Kendall County > History of Kendall county, Illinois, from the earliest discoveries to the present time > Part 15
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The winter was also characterized by the excellent
241
PROSPERITY RETURNS.
sleighing, which lasted without intermission from No- vember to April. It set in cold November 18th, while flowers were yet in bloom, and the ice did not break up until April 9th. On April 7th, the river could be crossed on the ice.
CHAPTER XXXV.
THE SLAVE AUCTION.
HE YEAR 1844-the year of the first telegraph between Washington and Baltimore-was marked by a decided return of prosperity. The winter had been severe; the spring mud was something unknown before, and up to the first of June the roads were well nigh impassable for teams. The entire summer was very wet, keeping the roads bad and the streams flooded, yet a larger number of emigrants came through than in any one season during the seven years previous. There is room to mention only those who became permanent set- tlers : In Kendall, Charles Merrick, William Buchanan, William Dunn, James Springer, Mr. Willet; in Lisbon, P. W. Coulthurst, Henry Munson, C. Z. Convis, Mr. Widney, W. J. Jordan, Harry Harford ; in Na-au-say, L. A. Whitlock, Conard Schark, George Schilling, Law- rence Carroll and David Smith. The voting precincts
242
HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
were re-formed that year. Na-au-say had formerly been in the Gary precinct, voting at Oswego, but was made the Aux Sable precinct. In this precinct the local officers were chosen viva voce, and it was discovered at the close, funnily enough, that O. C. Johnson had been elected Justice by mistake, instead of Rollin Wheeler. In Little Rock were Alfred Houghtalen, Sherrill Bird, T. Ryder, John Cox, Henry Hart and Mr. Field. The village of Little Rock was laid out that season, and the above, with L. D. Brady and Abram Crandall, were the purchasers of lots.
In Oswego, Wright Murphy, M. S. Richards, John and William Bertram, Ezekiel Davis, Edwin Hunt, Elias Ladd. In Big Grove, Hiram Scofield, Davis Lord and three sons, Samuel Bingham, Aaron Petty, Ira Scofield, Mr. Drumgool and Ezekiel Howes. Mr. Howes was killed in 1851 by a bucket falling on him while digging a well on Mr. Cassem's place, west side of Big Grove. In Fox, Tunis F. Budd. Among the peculiarities of the times was a rage for
. ACADEMIES.
Perhaps nearly every village in the West has at some period in its history caught the Academy fever, formed an association, either incorporated or otherwise, and perhaps built a house. From this we may draw an indi- cation and a use. It is an indication of the strong love entertained by the early settlers for education, and its use was to supplement the deficiencies of the common school system until that system was able to meet the demands of the people. When that time came the Academies were merged into the common schools. The
243
NEW CHURCHES ORGANIZED.
Lisbon Academy-the present public school building- was built in 1844. Mr. Dewey, Mr. Slade, a son of Gov. Slade, of Massachusetts, Mr. Andrews and Col. Oleson were among the teachers. The Pavilion Academy was originated and carried on to completion by Rev. J. F. Tolman. He rode all over the country soliciting five dollar shares, hailing men at their work and boys at the plow, and so raised the full amount required. The
building was a one-story brick, two rooms. The present school house is built out of the old bricks. E. L. Bart- lett was the first teacher. In Newark two religious societies were formed. One, a Universalist Society, under the preaching of Rev. Messrs. Hall and Manly. It was for a time quite flourishing. The other, a Bap- tist Society, the nucleus of the
NEWARK BAPTIST CHURCH,
organized by the Sailor Preacher, Rev. Morgan Edwards. Mr. Edwards had formerly been a very wild and wicked man. His first serious thought arose from seeing the word "eternity " on a leaf which a fellow sailor was reading. It startled and troubled him. He felt very keenly that he was in no proper state for going into eternity. He procured a Testament as soon as he reached port, and read it, attended the Bethel chapel, and was soon changed by the Spirit of God to a new man. His desire then was to preach the gospel in neglected places, where he should find men situated as he had been. So he came to Chicago and worked his way out among the settlements, finally making Newark his home. Find- ing a number of Baptists, he organized a church in Mr. Gridley's house, March 8th, 1844. The constituent
244
HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
members were Henry, Sarah, Selah, Catherine and Fan- nie Gridley, John Brown, Lot and Elsie Preshur, Mary Doran, Betsy Bond, and Sylvia Tremaine.
The next week at the precinct house, Annis Russel, Cordelia Wright, Solomon Doran, and W. H. VanMeter were received, and repairing to the river, at Milford, Mary Case was baptized by Rev. James Scofield-the first baptism in the river at that point. In June Mr. Edwards was ordained, at a meeting held in the precinct house, and was solemnly sent forward by the church in the eccentric but exceedingly useful career he had so lately begun. He had lived for a time in Big Grove, but for a longer time out near Robert Brown's. His true calling, however, was not to be a pastor, but an evangelist, and in that he made full proof of his minis- try, as hundreds can testify. The meeting house was built in 1848, and the following is the list of pastors : J. F. Tolman, Nathan Card, John Higby, O. E. Clark, N. F. Ravlin, Mr. Jacinsky, John Wilder, P. Taylor, Mr. Brimhall, Mr. Wolfe, W. W. Smith, Thos. Reese, Mr. Negus, G. C. Van Osdel, and E. W. Hicks.
CONSIDERABLE EXCITEMENT
was created during the summer over the Presidential contest. James K. Polk, the Democratic candidate, favored the annexation of Texas, while Henry Clay, the Whig candidate opposed it. Mr. Polk was elected, Texas was annexed, and the Mexican war followed. Nine hun- hundred and eight votes were cast in Kendall county, of which one hundred and forty-two were for Mr. Barney, the anti-slavery candidate.
Much interest was also felt in the Mormon trouble, in
245
INSPECTION FOR THE CANAL.
Hancock county. There was war between the Mormons and the people of the surrounding country. Gov. Ford repaired to Nauvoo to settle the difficulty ; and having arrested Joseph and Hyrum Smith, lodged them in jail at the county seat, where they were assassinated the same afternoon. The matter finally ended by the Mor- mons leaving the country.
In December, B. F. Fridley was, after three ballot- ings, elected by the State Senate, State's Attorney for this judicial circuit. John D. Caton was Circuit Judge. On December 13th, John Davis and W. H. Swift, canal commissioners from New York, on behalf of foreign bond- holders, passed up Fox river on their tour of inspection. Work had ceased on the canal for some time, for want of funds, and no more money could be borrowed, as the State was unable to pay the interest on what had been borrowed. This visit was to thoroughly examine the whole matter and see what more could be done, as it was plain that the bonds already issued would be valueless unless the world-renowned canal could be completed.
The Shonts school, in Little Rock, began in 1844. The early teachers were: Miss Eddy, daughter of Rev. Mr. Eddy, Harriet M. Shonts, Miranda Williams, Sarah Ten- ney, Mary Powers, Isaac Hibbard, J. C. Sherwin, Hannah Dow, Esther Mighell, George Charles, Delano Williams, Miss Libby and Elizabeth Smith.
In the Suydam school, in Na-au-say, Miss Poor, Miss Fitch, Charles Smith and Elijah Barnes, were the first teachers.
The " Marysville," or Foulston school, was the first in Na-au-say. The locality was then called " Tinker-
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HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
246
town." Mrs. Martin, now Mrs. Rev. Hewett, was the first teacher. Then Malvina Ashley, Annie Avery, Ellen Davis and Annie Gleason. The new school house was built in 1853.
In Oswego, Walter Selvey deeded to the county one hundred rods of ground, near Mr. Albee's, for a burying ground. His son, Perry Selvey, twelve years old, was the first one buried there. It contains many graves, but is not now used.
It was about the year 1844 that there was a
NEGRO SOLD AT YORKVILLE,
under the State law providing that any free negro emi- grating to this State might be arrested and tried for the offense, and on conviction sold at auction for a sufficient time to defray the expenses of the suit. Then, if he did not leave, he should be sold again, and so on from time to time. Any Justice was compelled to hear the case and render judgment according to the statute, under penalty of fines. The negro above mentioned, however, was not free, but was a fugitive from slavery who had succeeded, by the help of friends, in getting so far on his way to freedom. He had escaped the dangers of the border, of pursuers and bloodhounds, and rivers and forests, only to be seized as he was coming into York- ville, on a friendly load of wheat, by a gentleman who could not feel for the slave. But in absence of proof of his being a fugitive, he was held as a free negro unlawfully at large, and was lodged in jail and adver- tised to be sold. A great excitement was created, and on the day of sale an immense crowd gathered from all parts of the county. They thronged the store, they
247
FIRST AND ONLY SLAVE AUCTION.
gathered in groups at the street corners, they listened to moving addresses by different speakers. " Shall it be ?" cried one. " They are going to take a brother man from our midst and run him off south and sell him, and will you allow it ?" "No!" came in deep chorus from the multitude. One man went about constantly repeating in a loud voice : "And he that stealeth a man and selleth him, if he be found in his hand he shall surely be put to death"-Ex. 21:16. At least an omin- ous text. Sheriff J. S. Cornell, standing the prisoner on the steps, commenced the sale : " How much for this man ?" The bidding was dull. The feeling was so high that those who had intended to invest in the colored chattel concluded that it would be a profitless investment. He was finally struck down to Dr. Seeley for three dol- lars, the only slave the Doctor ever bought in his life. He was his own for the time, and as he could set him at any work, he decided to set him traveling toward liberty. The dark man was willing, and bidding good- bye to his new acquaintances at the capital of Kendall county, he set out on a successful trip to Canada. And so ended our first and last slave auction.
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CHAPTER XXXVI.
A
THE COUNTY SEAT.
LTHOUGH Peter Lott was, in 1845, a member of the Legislature from Adams county, our representative was George W. Armstrong, and no less than four several petitions were sent in by him, praying for an addition to Kendall county from the bor- ders of DeKalb and LaSalle. Our people felt it to be unfair that these two counties should have fifty townships between them while Kendall had but nine. Nor could it be said that the inhabitants of the territory proposed to be annexed were altogether averse. for one of the petitions was from the coveted township in DeKalb, and another was signed by sixty-nine voters in LaSalle. The addition would have given us Sandwich and Somonauk, and the towns of Northville and Mission. But the petitions were denied, and as a consequence the dwellers just over the line in LaSalle are twice as far from their own county seat as they are from ours. The committee probably thought that overgrown county, with its one hundred and fifty-six miles of coast line, would not cut up well if only thirty townships were left to it. But it is well-moderate sized families are generally the
249
THE LATTER DAY SAINTS.
happiest. And then there are thirteen counties in the State still smaller than Kendall, and two, Gallatin and DuPage, the same size. Hardin and Putnam are but about one-half as large. Eighteen hundred and forty- five is the limit usually assigned to the privilege of being an old settler. The following are prominent per- sons who came in that year : In Na-au-say, L. M. and HI. P. Whitlock, Mr. Smith, Christopher Stryker. In Fox. Ransom Whiner, John Thomas. In Lisbon, F. O. Alford. In Bristol, John Smith. In Oswego, F. Coffin, Preston Burr, Martin Hinchman, G. Danford, John B. Hunt, Daniel Hunt, William and Dwight Ladd, Laures- ton and Seth Walker. In Big Grove, Henry Bingham, S. C. Sleezer, Isaac and Peter S. Lott, C. C. Thune- man, David and Simeon Brown. The latter settled on the shore of the beautiful Chatauqua Lake in New York in 1817, when the country was a wilderness, and lived there twenty-eight years. They thus have been twice pioneers, and have helped settle two new countries. At Newark, William O. Clark, a Latter Day Saints preacher from Ottawa, held meetings in the precinct-house every evening for four weeks, and a society of thirty-nine members was formed, bidding fair to become a strong church ; but emigration set in, and nearly all removed to homes further west. There was yet, however, miles and miles of unbroken prairie in our county, and some of it is still government land. In Newark all was prai- rie sod east of D. C. Cleveland's, and after passing Big Grove, going towards Plainfield for ten miles, there was not a house or fence. Seth Sleezer in crossing that
17
250
HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
prairie caught seven young wolves, and brought them to town for exhibition.
During the season Titus Howe built the Yorkville dam. It was a favorable time, as the summer was very warm and dry, and the river low. There was no rain in this vicinity from May to December. It was thus a direct contrast to the preceding summer which had been a time of heavy floods. Yet there was water enough to drown, for that season William Bidmead and a companion were drowned in the river at Bristol.
Pearce's graveyard, a mile east of town, was estab- lished in 1845. The first one buried was Josephine, a little daughter of Henry A. Clarke.
Doud's burying ground, two miles from town opened about the same time- Mrs. Daniel Hubbard was the first buried there.
The Holderman school, Big Grove, began about 1845. The early teachers were Frank Barber, William Cody, Mr. Carpenter, Mr. Allison, Mary and Eliza Knox.
The Davis school house, in Oswego, was built in 1845, and following is a list of the teachers : Messrs. Charles Smith, Scott, Derby, E. W. Barnes, N. Gaylord, Shib- ley, Vinson, Updyke, J. Burnet, and Misses Andrews, Drew, M. and S. Flanders, Rich, Wood, Houser, Miles, and Murray.
An effort was made to have regular preaching in the school house in town, where also court was held. A pub- lic meeting was called, but after long talking they could not agree, and the project failed. Most of those who put their names on the subscription list, signed three dollars each-a larger sum in those days than it is now.
251
INTRODUCTION OF REAPERS.
Before harvest, Murray and Bullard introduced the first
MC CORMICK REAPER
into the county, and it did good work, but was hard on man and beast. It was a heavy load for four horses, and that without the driver riding, for with the first machines, the one who raked off was obliged to walk. About the same time, the Woodward reaper, pushed before the team, was also used. The appearance of these im- proved and costly machines was evidence that the keen edge of the hard times was turned. The travel was immense, both of emigrants passing through and of farmers going to the lake with their grain. At Platt's tavern, one morning, forty wagons were counted-part going west, but more going to Chicago. Farmers came with their produce from a hundred miles below. Such long journeys, however, were expensive, and though tav- ern rates were but from fifty cents to one dollar a night for man and team, yet often the farmer had little left when he reached home. Another sort of travel was going on briskly, too-that of the
UNDERGROUND RAILROAD,
which ran on top of the ground. An intensely interest- ing volume might be written on this subject. The fugi- tives came mostly from the southwestern States, by St. Louis and the Missouri border, and having once found a friend on the Illinois side, they were taken from point to point to Chicago and the lake ports, and from there by friendly captains around the lakes to Canada. Edward Wright, living at Lisbon, hitched up his team and took a slave, through the night, to Joliet, taking care to leave
252
HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
before the neighbors were up, lest the "depot " should be suspected. Two panting fugitives came to Yorkville. They had hired as hands on a boat from St. Louis up the Illinois river, and at Peru made their escape. They were pursued by two men, who arrested them at Yorkville, and would have them held until a warrant could arrive from Newark-for it seems there was a Newark Justice inhu- man enough to lend himself to the business. But before the process could be served, the slaves were gone. A wagon was waiting on the edge of the town to take them beyond Bristol, from whence they were taken to St. Charles, and so on to freedom. Loud and bitter curses and a law suit followed, but it came to nothing. Another fugitive was brought from New Orleans by a Cincinnati merchant, and was covered with scars. He learned to read the Bible during the little while he was on the way.
Petitions praying a repeal of
THE NEGRO LAWS
continued to pour into the Legislature ; one from Chi- cago was several feet long and had eight hundred signa- tures. When they first began to come, they were quietly laid on the table, or postponed "until the Fourth of July," but still they came, and a special committee was appointed to take charge of them. The majority of the committee recommended a modification of the laws, but the report was not accepted. A minority report was accepted and printed. It begins with saying :
" The various petitions, though they do not precisely agree in phraseology, are all intended to accomplish the same object, which is to remove all distinctions in law and civil society between the white population of our
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253
COUNTY SEAT REMOVAL.
own State and the African race. The motions of the petitioners may be dictated by the purest benevolence and the most patriotic feelings, but the undersigned are firmly impressed with the belief that they are governed by erro- neous views and false notions of philanthropy.
By nature, education and association, it is believed that the negro is inferior to the white man, physically, mor- ally and intellectually ; whether this be true to the ful- lest extent, matters not, when we take into consideration the fact that such is the opinion of the vast majority of our citizens !"
The date of this State paper is not B. C. 800, but February 21, 1845.
Probably, however, the most exciting issue in Kendall county during the year was concerning the
REMOVAL OF THE COUNTY SEAT
from Yorkville to Oswego. The subject had been agi- tated for some time, and in January a petition with one hundred and seventy-five signatures was sent to the Leg- islature, praying for the removal. This number was increased in a few days to three hundred and sixty-five names, and was followed two weeks after by another petition to the same effect, with sixty-seven signatures. The energy thus displayed resulted in the passage of " a bill for the permanent location of the seat of justice in Kendall county," allowing it to go before the people on the first Monday in August. It was a busy time with farmers, yet such another election had never been held here. Each side exerted their utmost strength. Oswego, with the highest generosity, set a free table, in the stone building above the depot, and kept fifty teams
254
HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
running all day carrying voters. A second election was required, however, and then Oswego won. Their first court was held in the old National Hotel, Judge Caton presiding.
Kendall county in 1845 raised ninety bushels of wheat and one hundred bushels of corn to every man, woman and child in the county. The population was 5,400.
CHAPTER XXXVII.
THE MEXICAN WAR.
IGHTEEN hundred and forty-six was the year of the invention of the sewing machine, by Elias Howe, of Connecti- cut ; the year of the admission of Wis- consin ; of the battle of Nauvoo, in Han- cock county, and the first year of the Mexican war. There was much sickness during the summer, so that in some localities it is still remembered as " the sickly season." Among those who
died in this county were John Matlock, Rulief Duryea, and Moses Booth-three of our oldest pioneers. In the spring, the first piece of strap iron was laid on the line of the Galena & Chicago Union R. R., the pioneer road of Northern Illinois. The difficulty of getting produce to market kept prices low, and could only be overcome by
255
PRICES OF COUNTRY PRODUCE.
railroads. In the autumn of 1846, in Chicago, prices were as follows : Wheat, 50 cents ; oats, 17 cents ; corn, 23 cents ; pork, $1.50; beef, $2.25; lard, 4 cents ; butter, 9 cents; cheese, 6 cents ; potatoes, 31 cents ; wood, $3.50 ; turkeys, 50 cents ; salt, $1.87. The canal was nearly completed, and was expected to afford much relief. A smaller canal was in anticipation, as a feeder, from Fox river across Kendall county to the Illinois ; but though the route was surveyed, the work was never begun.
On May 16th, the
OSWEGO CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
was organized by Rev. Hope Brown. The constituent members were Josiah Walker, Seth Walker, Orlando Walker and wife, E. Jackman, Paulina Richmond and Mary G. Fenton. The pastors have been : J. W. Brown, E. B. Coleman, Russell Whiting, J. Van Anthrup, Rob- ert Budd, Robert Brown, Mr. Wilhelm, D. J. Baldwin, J. A. Cruzan, Jonathan Waddams and H. D. Wiard. The meeting house was built in 1847.
The celebrated
UNION SCHOOL
of Na-au-say, dates from this year. The house was built by subscription, and was undoubtedly the best school building in the county. The early teachers were: William B. Richardson, Jas. G. Andrews, Sarah A. Andrews, H. S. Towne, A. S. Westcott, Miss Gleason, Theodore L. De Land, Deborah Shepard and Frances A. Whiting.
The well known "Na-au-say Invincibles" debating society was organized here in 1872. S. J. Van Dor-
256
HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
ston, A. R. Thompson and brother, and Guy C. Wheeler were among the prime originators and supporters of it, and their unswerving energy has demonstrated what can in this line be done in a purely farming community.
MILLBROOK SCHOOL.
In 1840, Royal Bullard built a little house on his place and rented it to Mr. See, an Englishman, who occupied it one year. In 1841, Mr. Bullard taught school in it. J. S. and R. K. Bibbins and Levi Brain- ard were among the scholars. The next year Maria Lester taught the school. In 1846 the school house was built at Millbrook, and George and Daniel Ross, Miss A. Ingalls, Miss Carlton, James Ward and Sarah Ball were among the early teachers.
THE OSWEGO CEMETERY
was laid off and donated to the village about 1835, by Morris Gray, L. B. Judson and L. F. Arnold, who owned the land. It was where the Baptist Church now stands. About 1846 it was included in Loucks' and Judson's addition to Oswego, when Mr. Judson opened another burying ground in his grove, which is now used. The remains in the old yard were gradually transferred to the new one, until it was vacated. In 1876, M. J. Richards, who had bought Mr. Judson's farm, conveyed the cemetery to the Oswego Cemetery Association, which had just been formed, and a considerable amount has already been expended in fencing and clearing up. They now propose to add gravel walks.
The officers are: President, Rev. Henry Minard ; Vice President, C. L. Roberts ; Secretary, L. N. Hall ; Treasurer, David Hall.
257
ELECTION ON STATE CONSTITUTION.
The Plano cemetery was platted February 5th, 1846, by Almon Ives. The first burial was a son of William Ryan. Mr. Favor was buried about the same time. But that was seven years before Plano was founded.
FEDERAL OFFICERS.
The county postmasters in 1846 were: Oswego, W. D. Parke; Bristol, James Noble ; Penfield, Josiah Lehman ; Little Rock, L. D. Brady ; Newark, Walter Stowell ; Lisbon, Thomas J. Cody ; Aux Sable, Alanson Milks.
August 16th, 1846, an election was held for or against a new State constitution. There was a large majority for it throughout the State, but this county went against it five hundred to four hundred and forty-six. The entire population of the county at the time was about fifty-six hundred, of whom three were colored, and there were two hundred more men than women. Their sawing and grinding was done by fourteen saw and grist mills. The Millington grist mill was built in 1845 by J. P. Black and Samuel Jackson.
THE MEXICAN WAR
commenced early in 1846. A call was issued for fifty thousand volunteers to serve for one year, and thereupon a mass meeting was called in the school house, used for a court house, in Oswego. A. R. Dodge and A. B. Smith spoke, but not many enlisted at first. During the following days, however, some fifty volunteers were obtained, and were known as " Capt. Dodge's Company." The neighbors volunteered to take them by team to Peoria, from which point they went by boat to Alton, where the company was made up to its full number and
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