USA > Illinois > Kendall County > History of Kendall county, Illinois, from the earliest discoveries to the present time > Part 21
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Joseph H. Cox, prisoner, promoted corporal.
George Russell.
Edward Clark. George B. Lasure.
William Coats.
Charles Lasure.
John H. Cox, died in Little Rock, November 25, 1864. John G. Cromwell, died at Milliken's Bend, March 22, 1863.
Delos Eldredge.
Charles Evans, promoted corporal.
Ichabod Gurney, died in Little Rock, February 5, 1864.
Elijah L. Hardin, promoted sergeant.
Dwight Hawks, died at Camp Sherman, August 29, '64. Wilber F. Hawks.
Joseph Harmon.
James Kinnard, died at Memphis, April 16, 1863.
Henry Lye, died at St. Louis, July 5, 1863.
James H. Mighell, died at Milliken's Bend, March 5, 1863.
George Montague, promoted corporal. John Pritchard.
Sanford Razey.
Hollister M. Rockwell, died at Memphis, July 17, '63. Thomas M. Roberts, promoted corporal.
356
HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
Charles Smith.
William F. Smith, promoted corporal.
William R. Smith. Henry Stone, died at Milliken's Bend, March 28, 1863. Cornelius Vanote.
Aaron H. Velie, promoted corporal. Joel Zeller.
ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-SEVENTH REGIMENT, COMPANY K.
Abram Heavener, sergeant, promoted 1st lieutenant, Second Mississippi Colored Troops.
Benjamin F. Bale, sergeant, wounded, served during the war.
James M. Hiddleson, corporal, prisoner, promoted 1st sergeant.
John S. Howard, died in Andersonville Prison, Novem- ber 3, 1864 ; number of grave, 11,782.
William C. Hiddleson, wounded, promoted sergeant. William Apple.
Yoss Apple, wounded.
William Bishop, prisoner, promoted corporal.
Edward D. Blanchard, died at Jefferson Barracks, Mis- souri, May 7th, 1863.
Royal Butler, died on steamer " City of Memphis," Au- gust 29th, 1863.
Lewis Haddon, prisoner, served during the war.
John Hargan.
Robert Heavener.
Edwin Hoyt, promoted musician. Jerome Kendall. George F. Kilts. John W. Kilts.
WAR RECORD OF KENDALL COUNTY. 357
William Kloft.
John Pettit, served during war.
Leander Pettit, died of wounds, at Memphis, July 31st, 1863.
Eugene Regan, promoted sergeant.
Thomas Sargent, died at Larkinsville, Alabama, Febru- ary 29th, 1864.
Daniel Sullivan, killed at Vicksburg, May 19th, 1863. William White, died at Young's Point, Feb. 11th, 1863. SIXTY-FIFTH REGIMENT, COMPANY K.
Alonzo Vorris.
THIRTEENTH CAVALRY, COMPANY H.
Myron Bennett.
SIXTEENTH CAVALRY, COMPANY H.
Alexander G. West, served during war.
TOWN OF NA-AU-SAY.
ONE HUNDREDTH REGIMENT, COMPANY D. Charles Johnson.
EIGHTY-NINTH REGIMENT, COMPANY H.
Nels Christenson, wounded.
Horace N. Moon, served during war.
HUNDRED TWENTY-SEVENTH REGIMENT, COMPANY A. Alexis E. Gould, wounded.
John Beane, died at Memphis, November 10th, 1863.
TOWN OF SEWARD.
- ONE HUNDREDTH REGIMENT, COMPANY D.
Joseph Platt, died at Nashville, May 1st, 1863. James Platt, prisoner, served during war.
!
358
HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
EIIGHTY-NINTH REGIMENT, COMPANY H.
Frank Estergreen, died of wounds, July 3d, 1864. Ralph Heap.
William Hughes, served during war.
Francis J. Pomeroy, served during war.
Harmon Pomeroy, served during war.
William Platt.
Samuel J. Odell, served during war.
George E. Phipps, killed at Mission Ridge, November 25th, 1863.
NINETY-FIRST REGIMENT, COMPANY D.
John Phipps, served during war.
HUNDRED TWENTY-SEVENTH REGIMENT, COMPANY A.
Ambrose A. English.
Leonard L. Gaskill, died at Young's Point, Louisiana, February 22nd, 1863.
Howard Dirst.
Thomas F. O'Brien, wounded.
John F. Simmons, served during war.
John Somerville, died in VanBuren hospital, Mississippi, August 20th, 1863.
CHAPTER XLIX.
AR RECORD for 1863-65 .- 1863.
TOWN OF OSWEGO.
EIGHTH CAVALRY, COMPANY K.
Orsamus Beebe. .
FOURTH CAVALRY, COMPANY C. Martin Williams. Michael McGuin.
Samuel H. Walker, promoted sergeant.
Edward English, promoted 1st sergeant.
George M. Lane, promoted corporal.
John Lane, promoted sergeant.
TOWN OF BIG GROVE.
EIGHTH CAVALRY, COMPANY K.
Revellon H. Tremaine.
EIGHTY-NINTH REGIMENT, COMPANY E. John Brown, transferred to 59th Regiment, Company G, and served to end of war.
TWENTIETH REGIMENT, COMPANY K. Luman C. Preston, served to end of war.
TOWN OF BRISTOL.
THIRTY-SIXTH REGIMENT, COMPANY K. William G. Peterson.
360
HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
TOWN OF BIG GROVE-1864.
TWENTIETH REGIMENT, COMPANY K.
Charles Hall. Walter Mott.
George M. Sleezer, died November 13th, 1864.
Fayette Scofield, served to end of war.
THIRTY-SIXTH REGIMENT, COMPANY F. Marshall W. Tremain.
ONE HUNDRED THIRTY-SECOND REGIMENT, CO. C-100 days. Frank Partridge.
ONE HUNDRED FORTY-FIRST REGIMENT, COMPANY F-100 DAYS. Eliphalet Barber, captain.
Nelson L. Sweetland, 2nd lieutenant.
Myron J. Benson, promoted corporal. Michael Donahue, promoted corporal.
William Hargrave. Edwin Havenhill.
Samuel Hannan, promoted corporal. Albert M. Sweetland, promoted sergeant.
Samuel S. Wright.
Jacob B. Huse, promoted corporal.
James B. Tremain,
George C. Van Osdell, promoted corporal.
William H. Badgley.
Alfred Mallory. Charles Tichnor. Melvin C. Brainard, promoted corporal. Samuel Barber, promoted corporal. William H. Vader. William Spencer.
361
WAR RECORD OF KENDALL COUNTY.
Stone Ingermunson. George Haskins.
ONE HUNDRED FORTY-SIXTH REGIMENT, COMPANY D-One year.
Charles Chapin, promoted 1st sergeant.
Alfred L. Browne.
Samuel N. Cady. William H. Fritts.
Azariah Hull.
Benj. F. Morsman.
William H. Morsman.
Sylvester B. Norton.
Narcissus Remlard.
James Ryan. Oscar N. Storey.
John A. Merrill, corporal, promoted 2nd lieutenant 47th Illinois, died of small pox at Cahawba, Alaba- ma, November 25th, 1865.
Horace P. Courtright.
Zenas Hodges.
Horace T. Hoyt.
Henry E. Russell.
EIGHTH CAVALRY, COMPANY K.
George H. Burrell.
TOWN OF FOX.
TENTH REGIMENT, COMPANY H.
Loren Corke.
TWENTIETH REGIMENT, COMPANY K.
Walter O. Landon, died at Camp Butler.
THIRTY-SIXTH REGIMENT, COMPANY F.
William W. Watters, promoted principal musician.
24
362
HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
ONE HUNDRED FORTY-FIRST REGIMENT, COMPANY F-100 days. Jeptha H. Misner.
Franklin E. Tubbs.
James H. Delamatter, musician.
John McMath, musician.
ONE HUNDRED FORTY-SIXTH REGIMENT, COMPANY D-One year. Elijah Gibbons, corporal.
Lemuel C. Thorn, corporal.
Henry Stickney.
Isaac Gruver.
Wesley Hollenback.
Randolph W. Rarick.
EIGHTH CAVALRY, COMPANY K.
James H. Watters.
FIFTEENTH CAVALRY, COMPANY I.
Silas S. Austin.
David B. Clark.
Willett G. Young.
James Tripp.
Edmund H. Young.
Nahum Robin on, died at Mound City, Illinois, April 13th, 1865.
SECOND ARTILLERY, BATTERY 1. Theodore Limberg, died November 26th, 1864.
TOWN OF KENDALL.
THIRTY-SIXTH REGIMENT, COMPANY E.
Michael Devine, died of wounds, at Nashville, December 1st, 1864.
Willis Olmstead, musician. George McHugh. Joseph Jenkinson. Edwin E. Dyer.
363
WAR RECORD OF KENDALL COUNTY.
James C. Stokes. Henry Webber. Henry Mehlke.
FIFTY-THIRD REGIMENT, COMPANY A.
Thomas O'Leary.
FIFTY-THIRD REGIMENT, COMPANY K.
William Allen.
Pat. J. McArthur.
HUNDRED THIRTY-SECOND REGIMENT, COMPANY C-100 days. Atwood Morley.
Merritt Covell.
John O'Reilly.
FIFTEENTH CAVALRY, COMPANY I.
Christopher Collman.
Washington Needham.
SIXTEENTH CAVALRY, COMPANY G.
Conrad Bergman.
FOURTH CAVALRY, COMPANY D. Hiram Thomas.
TOWN OF BRISTOL.
THIRTY-SIXTH REGIMENT, COMPANY D.
William P. Boyd.
John P. Clegg.
William Manton.
William G. Peterson, transferred to V. R. C.
Ross Seeley.
Myron C. Skinner, wounded.
Ira M. Scofield, died at Shelbyville, Tennesse, April 7th, 1864.
HUNDRED THIRTY-SECOND REGIMENT, COMPANY C-100 days. L. E. Johnson, sergeant. Levi Dunbar.
Lester C. Hunt, sergeant.
364
HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
Otto Grooch. John Byrne, corporal. Frank Mase. William Owen.
Cyril Dussell. Henry Smith. H. A. Cook. Henry Dolph.
John Eccles
Nicholas Hanni.
FIFTEENTH CAVALRY, COMPANY I.
William Venande.
Charles A. Jordan.
James Green. Emmett S. Arnold.
FOURTH CAVALRY, COMPANY C, James Snowball, promoted sergeant.
TOWN OF OSWEGO.
FOURTH CAVALRY, COMPANY C.
Samuel Buell, promoted sergeant.
Charles E. Fox, died at Naperville, August 16th, 1865. Benjamin F. Carnes. Patrick Devany. Joseph M. Hinchman. Lovell S. Hastings, died. Brien Ruddy. James Ruen. Stephen H. Woodworth, promoted corporal. George W. Wormley, wagoner. Edgar Zimmerman, blacksmith. Charles Gray.
365
WAR RECORD OF KENDALL COUNTY.
Charles Riley.
John B. Sage, promoted corporal.
William E. Darby.
William H. Marion, died of wounds at Natchez, Missis- sippi, July 22nd, 1864.
William Rowan, saddler, promoted sergeant.
Norman J. Ladieu.
Samuel Smith.
Henry A. Brokaw, died at Natchez, August 18th, 1864. John S. Starkweather, promoted corporal.
Franklin W. Clark.
Finley Pool, promoted corporal. EIGHTH CAVALRY, COMPANY K.
Henry W. Hubbard.
THIRTY-SIXTH REGIMENT, COMPANY I.
Jared E. Thomas, promoted corporal. FIFTY-THIRD REGIMENT, COMPANY K.
Robert Day. Lewis Williams.
ONE HUNDRED THIRTY-SECOND REGIMENT, COMPANY C-100 days. William Elliott.
Rush J. Walker.
Frank Dano.
Joseph Beltram. Samuel Roberts.
James B. Lockwood, corporal. Henry Minard.
Moses Cherry, corporal.
ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-SEVENTH REGIMENT, COMPANY A. Thomas W. Mullenix.
Wilson Briggs. Joseph Dorne.
ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-SEVENTH REGIMENT, COMPANY K. Wells Brown.
366
HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
TOWN OF SEWARD.
HUNDRED THIRTY-EIGHTH REGIMENT, COMPANY H-100 days. John W. Vanzant, corporal.
Charles Coop.
James A. Hutter, died at Fort Leavenworth, August 20, 1864.
TWENTIETH REGIMENT, COMPANY A.
Marion Ashton.
Henry Shures.
Peter Stauffer.
HUNDRED TWENTY-SEVENTH REGIMENT, COMPANY A. Joseph Fleury.
EIGHTH CAVALRY, COMPANY I.
David McCargar.
FOURTH CAVALRY, COMPANY D.
Charles S. Wright.
SECOND ARTILLERY, BATTERY I.
Corydon E. Rogers.
TOWN OF LISBON.
NINETY-FIRST REGIMENT, COMPANY E.
Benjamin Reeves.
TWENTIETH REGIMENT, COMPANY A. Joseph Piard.
HUNDRED THIRTY-SECOND REGIMENT, COMPANY C-100 days. Thomas Thompson.
HUNDRED THIRTY-EIGHTH REGIMENT, COMPANY H-100 days. Jacob M. Burgess, sergeant.
FOURTH CAVALRY, COMPANY D.
Samuel Trenton.
TOWN OF NA-AU-SAY.
FIFTY-THIRD REGIMENT, COMPANY K.
Charles Cooney. Charles Grant.
367
WAR RECORD OF KENDALL COUNTY.
TWENTIETH REGIMENT, COMPANY A.
Isaac Riley.
HUNDRED TWENTY-SEVENTH REGIMENT, COMPANY A. George Oscar Briggs.
John Burke.
John Blake.
FOURTH CAVALRY, COMPANY D.
Allen E. Kingsley.
SECOND ARTILLERY, BATTERY I. Obadiah Jackson.
TOWN OF LITTLE ROCK.
HUNDRED TWENTY-SEVENTH CAVALRY, COMPANY M. Gilbert K. Beck.
James Beck.
Julius Thompson.
FIFTEENTH CAVALRY, COMPANY I.
Levi H. Woodford, died at Little Rock, Arkansas, April 1st, 1865.
Henry Hart.
HUNDRED TWENTY-SEVENTH REGIMENT, COMPANY K.
Enos S. Ovitt, transferred to Company B, 55th Regi- ment. THIRTY-SIXTH REGIMENT, COMPANY E. Ethan Keck, promoted sergeant.
TOWN OF KENDALL-1865.
TWENTIETH REGIMENT, COMPANY K.
Theodore Austin, died at Parkersville, Virginia, June 17th, 1865. Thomas Collman.
Thomas Smith.
Thomas Barman.
ONE HUNDRED FIFTY-SIXTH REGIMENT, COMPANY A-One year. Reuben B. Johnson, 2nd lieutenant, promoted 1st lieut.
368
HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
John Byrne, corporal, promoted quartermaster sergeant. William Dyer, sergeant.
Henry Chappel.
Alvin H. Eastman.
William Edwards.
Nicholas Hanni.
Frank Howard.
Horatio Nichols.
John Roberts.
John Riley.
Joseph Sanford.
NINTH CAVALRY, COMPANY A.
Henry Adamson.
Job M. Tobias.
TOWN OF FOX.
FORTY-SEVENTH REGIMENT, COMPANY K.
Austin Willett, died at Demopolis, Ala., July 26, 1865. Robert M. Todd.
Stephen Pratz.
James Campbell.
Tobias Moats.
TOWN OF BIG GROVE.
TWENTIETH REGIMENT, COMPANY A.
Thomas Erwin.
ONE HUNDRED FORTY-SEVENTH REGIMENT, COM'Y A-One year. Byron W. Barnard, quartermaster sergeant.
ONE HUNDRED FORTY-SEVENTH REGIMENT, COMPANY C. Judson O. Moore, commissary sergeant.
TOWN OF LISBON.
TWENTIETH REGIMENT, COMPANY A. John Schneider.
369
WAR RECORD OF KENDALL COUNTY.
NINETY-FIRST REGIMENT, COMPANY D.
James Davis. William H. Hubbard.
Joel Parkhurst.
William Shaw.
NINETY-FIRST REGIMENT, COMPANY K.
Abraham Thompson.
TOWN OF BRISTOL.
THIRTY-SIXTH REGIMENT, COMPANY K.
James B. Lowry.
George Lowry.
TWENTY-THIRD REGIMENT, COMPANY I.
Nathaniel A. Lowry.
TOWN OF NA-AU-SAY.
ONE HUNDRED FIFTY-SIXTH REGIMENT, COMPANY A-One year. George K. Olt, sergeant.
THIRD CAVALRY, COMPANY A.
James T. Jarvis.
Capt. Bullock's new company (One Hundred Twenty- third Regiment, Company I), was the last one formed here. Following are the names of those who went from this county-most of them from Little Rock. Organ- ized in March, 1865.
Jerry K. Bullock, captain.
Guy C. Clark, 1st lieutenant.
William H. Black, corporal.
William Lasure, corporal. John Guy Vasser, corporal.
James W. Edinbourne, corporal. William Bradley, musician. Ira Smith, musician.
370
HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
Elam B. Black.
Frank Lord.
Ralph W. Black.
Gilbert Lasure.
Joseph Boyle.
John McNiff.
Luke H. Blackmer.
George McMahon.
Mengo Bennett.
David Powell.
Charles Clark.
David Powell, Jr.
Ira Darling.
Samuel Schutt.
George R. Davenport.
David Stahle.
Nathan Darling.
Charles Tripp.
Charles Doty.
Frank Willey.
Alexis Griffin,
James Hillard.
Thomas Hunter.
Edward Kelley.
Erastus Kilburn.
John C. Staley.
CHAPTER L.
ACCIDENTS AND IMPROVEMENTS.
N Kendall County we have two tanneries. The Yorkville tannery, now owned by Wel- lington Mason, is the oldest, and does a good business. The Plano tannery was built by Mr. Gardner, of Yorkville, in 1864, where the present one was built by Lewis Steward. B. F. Jacobs became the superintendent in 1868. It contains forty vats, consumes six hundred tons of tan bark, dresses three thousand hides a year, and has capacity for much more. The object in tanning is to unite the tannic acid
371
PROCESS OF TANNING.
in bark with the gelatine of the hide, thus making firm leather. The process of tanning a hide is, briefly : First, put to soak in water ; second, flesh it; third, put in lime water; fourth, unhair it; fifth, mill it through a mill with pegs; sixth, put in water and guano, to work the lime out; seventh, put in the wheel and colored with hemlock liquor; eighth, changed from weaker to stronger liquor until tanned, occupying from two to six months, according to the thickness of the skin ; ninth, prepared, skyved, scoured, dried, greased, &c. The finished hide gains in value a little more than double.
The Martin school, Seward, dates from 1864. The first teachers were: Artie Stolp, Mary Williams, and Emma Teed. The Sunday school, held in the school - house, was commenced in 1873. John Jordan, Jackson Conklin, and Henry Bamford have been the superin- tendents.
May 7th, 1864, the "Kendall County Record" was established by J. R. Marshall. Five hundred subscrib- ers were all that was asked for, and it was two years before they came; but since then the circulation has grown to nearly three times that number.
IN 1865
the proposition to incorporate the village of Yorkville was voted down. Also the proposition to annex the town of Somonauk, DeKalb county.
The bridge across the river at Millington was built by public subscription.
The County Bible Society donated eighty-eight dol- lars' worth of Bibles to the public schools of the county,
372
HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
and they were read every morning, by direction of school Superintendent, W. S. Coy.
The Harvey school house, Oswego, was built this year. The first teachers were: Miss Pettit, Miss Hoyt, Miss Frankle, and Miss Swarthout.
IN 1866,
under the head of Accidents, we may mention :
Steward's flouring mill and Gardner's tannery, Plano, burned July 29th. Loss, $15,000.
R. M. Merritt's store, Bristol Station, burned. Loss, $5,000.
John Boyen's wagon shop, Newark, burned. Loss, $1,000.
Dwelling of Mrs. C. P. Sage, Oswego, burned.
Dwelling of H. J. Wilcox, Big Grove, burned July 4.
George Hassel and team drowned at Millington, below the dam, June 1st. He drove into a deep hole. Left wife and one child.
In May, Lewis Rickard found a piece of solid copper weighing eighty-four pounds, and worth thirty dollars, on the river bank three miles above Bristol. Other pieces are reported to have been found in the county before.
Oswego and Newark voted "No license." Newark clung to it, but Oswego the year following was unable to say "No."
September 1st, by a vote of two hundred and twenty to fifty-one, Oswego voted to take $25,000 in stock in the projected F. R. V. Railroad.
Mansfield post-office was abolished, the name being changed to Millbrook. P. S. Lott was the first postmaster.
373
BLACK HAWK CAVE BLOWN UP.
Elmwood Cemetery Association, Bristol, and Kendall County Protective Association were formed.
A notable event of the year was the blowing up of Black Hawk's cave by Mr. Post, to get stone to build his new dam. The cave was in the limestone in the river bank, and was a crooked hole three feet high, four feet wide and thirty feet long. It owed its fame to the tra- dition that Black Hawk and his followers had hidden there. Mr. Post exploded twenty-six kegs of powder in it, but only cracked the top. The operation was wit- nessed by more than one thousand people from all parts, who were disappointed in not seeing more terrific dam- age done. A man was then kept at work all winter with drill and blast, preparing for another charge. Twelve kegs of powder were used, and the historic cave was entirely demolished.
FEBRUARY 9TH, 1867,
a great fire broke out in Oswego, which consumed a business block and a hotel, and burned up the town and corpora- tion records. Loss, $12,000. Plans for rebuilding were at once begun. During the season, six stone and brick fronts were erected, a cheese factory opened, and the new iron bridge built.
Improvement was the order of the day at Millington. Hon. B. C. Cook had obtained an order from the gov- ernment for the survey of Fox river, with a view to make it navigable by locks and dams, and a meeting was held May 25th to consider the subject. S. L. Rowe, Jacob Budd, Lewis Steward, J. S. Seeley and Enoch Spradling were appointed a standing committee. The government surveyor passed up the river in the fall,
374
HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
arriving at Yorkville September 21st. It was found that Oswego was one hundred and forty-five feet higher than Ottawa, and that Fox river fell fifty-eight feet in the sixteen miles between Oswego and Millington.
A young Mr. Serrine was carried over the dam in a boat at Millington, and drowned.
At the Latter Day Saints' publishing house, in Plano, an edition of five thousand copies of the Book of Mor- mon was printed. Joseph Smith, Ebenezer Robinson and Israel L. Rogers were the publishing committee.
The Chapman cemetery, Seward, was opened at the same time with the new school house. Bodies were taken up from the old ground and removed into the new. The opening of
THE YEAR 1868
was signalized by another great freshet. The Oswego bridge was damaged, the Bristol bridge damaged, and Black's dam partially washed out, at a loss of two thou- sand dollars. Post's bridge was entirely carried away, and three spans of the new Millington bridge were taken. This introduced the year that seemed to be unusual for its accidents.
In March, Wm. Hunter, an old settler, was killed by the cars at Plano.
The same month an incendiary fire at Newark con- sumed Manchester's drug store, Winchell's hardware store, Bingham's shoe store, and Hanchett's art gallery. Loss, $8,000.
In April, another incendiary fire was started, but dis- covered and put out.
375
SUSPENDED MANUFACTURES.
In June, John Grees, a German, was drowned in Little Rock creek while bathing-on Sunday.
In July, two men were drowned in the river two miles below Millington, while fishing.
In August, John Hayes, of Plattville, while stand- ing behind his team, pushing back his load of lumber, was run over and killed.
The Congregational church at Plano, and the
MILLINGTON WOOLEN FACTORY
were built during the year ; the latter by a stock com- pany. It is thirty-six by fifty feet, four stories high, and cost $25,000. It commenced running in 1868, with Dwight Curtis as superintendent. The machinery is from Worcester, Massachusetts; of the best make, and is adapted for the manufacture of every quality of goods from yarn and flannels to fine doeskin.
After a time, the factory was rented to other parties, who failed to make it a success, and finally went away, leaving behind them so large an indebtedness that noth- ing has been done there since. Everything in the build- ing remains as it was left when the work ceased, five or six years ago. Even the oil jug and the oil of vitrol case and the nitric acid bottle still are there, with their contents untouched. The sack of fuller's clay, scarcely begun on, leans up against the pillar, and the box of teasels, used for raising the nap on fine cloth, is but half emptied. The teasel frame, or gig mill, the fulling ma- chine and the other finishing machines, wait . in their places. The belts are yet on the wheels, and the race- water can be heard wasting its power down below, as it rushes through the grated gate and through the buckets
376
HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
of the great turbine Up stairs, the shuttles are hanging on the looms, and baskets of bobbins are ranged along the wall. On the third floor are the carding machines ; on the long spinning-jenny the spindles are as bright as if new from the shop, and some of the parti-colored yarn is not yet unwound from the spools. On the fourth floor are the wool cleaners and pickers. The rafters above the " blower" are still hung with the shreds of wool, as if the operatives had but stopped for dinner. In a small building adjoining is the empty tub and dye vat. Deso- lation reigns around, and, as if to make it more impres- sive, on the brow of the hill in front, five forsaken burial mounds overlook the forsaken factory,-the shadows of the dim past and enterprise of the bustling present meet together. But should better times come, the factory may be utilized and made profitable.
Another silent factory is
BLACK'S PAPER MILL,
at Yorkville. It was running up to the end of 1876, and will open again so soon as the paper market improves. It is a supplement to the woolen factory, or rather to the cotton factory, as it uses only cotton rags. The bales of rags are first elevated to the second story, where they pass through the hands of the pickers, and are then sent down to the bleach tubs to be boiled and bleached. These are three huge tubs elevated above one's head, and entered by steam pipes from the boiler in the boiler room. The steam discharges the colors. From there they go into four rag engines, holding three hundred pounds each, and are ground up into pulp; passing from thence into four drainers-deep vats dug in the
377
RAILROAD BOND QUESTION.
ground-and are bleached with chloride of lime ; return- ing to another grinding in the engines. The white pulp then begins its travels among the heated cylinders of a machine six feet wide and sixty feet long, coming out at the other end firm, white, print paper. The mill is driven by six water wheels. E. A. Black, a settler of 1846, is the proprietor.
CHAPTER LI.
THE MILL AND CANAL.
HE chief excitement in 1869 was over the railroad bond question. At an election held March 30th, Kendall county voted one thousand and seven- ty-four to eight hundred and five to take $50,000 stock in the F. R. V. Railroad. The majorities were ob- tained in the towns along the river. Lisbon gave but one vote for it, and Seward none at all, while the town of Kendall gave but one against. The feeling ran very
high. May 4th, the town of Kendall voted an addi- tional $25,000 ; Oswego did the same-making $50,000 for that township, and the town of Fox voted $15,000. These issues were intended to be in bonds of one thous- and dollars each, one falling due every six months until 25
378
HISTORY OF KENDALL COUNTY.
all were paid. Besides these, the sum of $15,000 was subscribed by private individuals of Kendall, and $18,- 000 of private subscriptions from Oswego, making a total of nearly $175,000 county aid to the proposed railroad-nearly $10,000 a mile for all that part of it which would be located in the county. Thus, of the four separate lines of railway then being agitated, the Fox River Valley line had the lead.
The second, the Chicago, Plainfield, Pekin and South- western, was to run diagonally through the county, striking Plattville and Lisbon, and much of the line was graded, and remains so.
The third, the Joliet, Newark and Mendota, would intersect the other at right angles, crossing the county on the opposite diagonal. Dr. W. M. Sweetland, of Newark, was President of this company.
The fourth, the Chicago and Rock River, was to run from Lockport to Amboy, via Yorkville. Nearly all the towns along the line had voted the necessary stock, and were confidently expecting it to be put immediately through. Bristol voted $30,000, October 27th, 1869. By this magnificent net-work of roads, Yorkville, Platt- ville and Newark would have been railroad junctions, and every township in the county would have a railroad running through some part of it. O! wonderful day dreams, why did ye not come true ? Happy the far off day of the mercantile millenium, when every man can enjoy the sight of the world on wheels passing through his field, without the discomfort of losing his railroad stock by swindling directors, or his live stock by passing trains.
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