History of La Salle County, Illinois, Part 11

Author: Hoffman, U. J. (Urias John), b. 1855
Publication date: 1906
Publisher: Chicago : S.J. Clarke Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1286

USA > Illinois > LaSalle County > History of La Salle County, Illinois > Part 11

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

WILLIAM P. WARREN.

REMINISCENCES OF JUDGE M. E. HOLLISTER.

Here we get an idea of the heat of the political discussion in the early days. "The Democracy of the early time and particularly during the con- struction of the canal, were of a peculiar type. and during seasons of political strife, were apt to become somewhat fiery and fierce. It hap- pened that while I held the office of Justice of the Peace a convention of the party was held in the courthouse, and the struggle became intensely bitter between the friends of the several candi- dates, for at that time a Democratic nomination was equivalent to an election. Charles Hayward. a bold, uncompromising, but honest partisan, was the champion on one side. and Simon P. Shope, a hot-headed, passionate man. took sides against him. After exhausting their arguments they came to blows. I was an earnest sympathizer with Hayward, while others of the poorer. if not the baser sort, were equally zealous for Shope, and the partisans of each, as many as could, were mounted on a table and vociferously cheering on their champions. When it came to blows, how- ever, I thought it time to magnify my office, and accordingly ordered the belligerents to keep the peace. No sooner had I done this, than I was dealt a blow on the back of the neck by some one behind me, when I found myself on the floor. some feet from the table, a conquered and meek official, and convinced that a Democratic con -. vention was not a proper field in which to exer- cise official authority.

"When I was holding the office of Postmaster, it was considered as rank treason to the party. to harbor or countenance in any way. an abolition- ist. As was well known in those days, my house

COURT HOUSE, OTTAWA, 1875.

PAST AND PRESENT OF LA SALLE COUNTY.

was understood to be a minister's tavern. I al- ways opened my doors to men of the cloth. It happened that the Rev. Mr. Cross, a noted aboli- tion lecturer, put up at my house one night, which fact became known through the town, a crime not to be tolerated in a Democratic official. A meeting was called at the old Mansion House, and I was invited to attend ; a series of questions had been prepared which I was required to an- swer, but the chairman, Ward B. Burnett, find- ing they very seriously interfered with the rights of hospitality, very adroitly managed to give them the go by, and the meeting adjourned. The next morning I met Abram R. Dodge, who had rep- resented us in the Legislature, and who had taken an active part in the proceedings, when I quietly told him that had they attempted, as they had pro- posed, to eject Mr. Cross from my house by force, they would have had to settle a little pre- liminary matter with me before they reached my guest. He apologized, and the matter dropped."

Of his personal habits, Judge Hollister says : "I have not used tobacco in any form, or indulged in strong drink for more than forty years, and was never addicted to the latter. In 1839, myself and wife became members of the Congregational Church."

Thomas Basnett, from England, came here in 1835 ; kept a drug store; his first wife was Ma- tilda Buchanan ; his second was Sarah Champlin.

NORWEGIAN SETTLEMENT.

Many of the inhabitants of La Salle County are Scandanavians, principally Norwegians and as a class they are among the most thrifty and substantial citizens, mostly farmers. They are distinguished from other foreigners in this, that they become Americanized more rapidly. The story of their coming is most interesting.

THE NORWEGIAN MAYFLOWER.

In 1807 there was war between Denmark and England. On a ship captured by the English there was employed a Norwegian by the name of Lars Larson. He was taken to England and kept seven years as a prisoner of war. When released in 1814 he spent a year in London in the employ of a Quaker lady, Mrs. Margaret Allen. He and several of his companions became con- verts to the Quaker faith. Returning to his na- tive city, Stavanger, he became the founder of a Quaker church.

At that time there was a strong movement by dissenters from the State Lutheran Church led by Hans Nielson Hauge. The state church in the estimation of the Haugians had become a

political institution strongly tending toward in- fidelity. Nielson Hauge, being an unschooled peasant but a powerful preacher, gained a large following among the peasant class. The state resorted to persecution. Nielson Hauge was, like Bunyan, imprisoned for ten years. The wrath of the authorities fell upon the Quakers even more than upon the Haugians. On com- plaint of the state priest, the sheriff would take the children of the Quakers and have them baptized. Parents were compelled to have their children confirmed. Even the dead were dug up and reburied according to the ritual of the State Church.

Lars Larson turned his face toward America. He secured the co-operation of six heads of families. With the money they contributed ($1,800), they bought a small sloop and cargo and named her The Restaurationen (the Resto- ration ). On July 4, 1825, they set sail, fifty-two people on board. They were tossed about on the waves for fourteen weeks. Landing in New York they created a sensation by having sailed with so large a cargo in so small a boat. The custom house officers seized the cargo and arrested the captain for violating the law in so heavily loading the little boat.

The Quakers in New York took a deep interest in their brethren from Norway just arrived. Lars Larson spoke English well, so had no difficulty in conferring with them. They not only cared for them in the city but raised money to pay their transportation to the town of Ken- dall, in Orleans County, New York, where they meant to buy land and settle. This was the first settlement of Norwegians in America.

THE NORWEGIAN MILES STANDISH.

A most interesting character is Kleng Peer- son. He was not a Quaker himself but was a dissenter from the State Church and sympathized with the Quakers of Stavanger. He and Knud Eide were sent to America in 1821, by Lars Lar- son, to learn what they could of the country and to report. They came to New York and spent three years, supporting themselves at doing any kind of work that came to hand and in the mean- time keeping their eyes open to learn all they could.

In 1824 they returned to Norway and their reports regarding the country, religious freedom and opportunity to earn a livelihood were such as to greatly interest the Quakers under the leadership of Lars Larson. The result was the fitting out of the Restoration. Kleng Peerson seems to have returned to New York and it was his influence which had prepared the Quakers

PAST AND PRESENT OF LA SALLE COUNTY.

to receive the sloopers when they arrived. He was also instrumental in securing the land in Kendall. But Kleng was a restless fellow. He was unfortunate in his family relation, having abandoned his wife, being a rich widow much older than himself, at the time of their marriage, He was a carpenter but worked only when driven to it by necessity. When that necessity was re- lieved and he had money left, he gave it freely to assist others. He seems to have had no interest except to travel, to find the best land and places to live, and then helping his countrymen to these, keeping nothing for himself. He could speak English, French, German and his own language, was a great observer and a good talker. It is not strange that one so capable interesting and big-hearted should find a welcome in every household.

We have seen how he led the sloopers to America and to Kendall. We next hear of him going on foot from Boston, Massachusetts, to Kendall in 1833 and from there to explore the west. In his wanderings he arrived in La Salle County near where the village of Norway is now situated.

KLENG PEERSON'S DREAM.

R. B. Anderson in his history of Norwegian immigration tells of Kleng's dream.

"Kleng stated that in 1833 he was exploring the country afterwards occupied by his country- men in La Salle County, becoming weary one day he lay down under a tree to rest. He slept and dreamed, and in his dream he saw the wild prairie changed into a cultivated region, teeming with all kinds of grain and fruit most beautiful to behold ; that splendid houses and barns stood all over the land, occupied by a rich, prosperous and happy people. Alongside the fields of way- ing grain large herds of cattle were feeding. Kieng interpreted this as a vision and as a token from Almighty God that his countrymen should come here and settle. He forgot his pain and hunger and thanked God that he had permitted his eyes to behold this beautiful region and he decided to advise his countrymen to come west and settle there. He thought of Moses, who. from the mountain, had looked into the land of promise. Refreshed and nerved anew by his dream, he went back to Kendall and persuaded his friends to emigrate to La Salle County, Illi- nois. Kleng's dream may have been dreamed awake, but it has been fully realized. The early days of this Norwegian settlement were days of poverty and toil and they repeatedly suffered ter- ribly by Asiatic cholera, saying nothing of the fever and ague of the early days, but they have

surmounted their trials and as I saw them in the summer of 1894 they were as wealthy, prosperous and happy as when they were seen in Kleng's dream, and I shall never forget that generous hospitality with which I was received at every hand. Those were happy days indeed that ! spent in this old Norwegian settlement ! I have the account of Kleng Peerson's dream or vision from Knud Langland, from Christopher Daniel- son, of Sheridan, Illinois, from his niece. Mrs. Fellows, in Ottawa, Illinois, and also from sev- eral others to whom he told the story, so there is no doubt that Kleng related it as a fact."

Kleng Peerson returned to Kendall enthusias- tic over the "promised land" of his dream. Be- ing absolutely honest and unselfish, his country- men had perfect confidence in what he said, that they could get land for $1.25 an acre, that there were no forests to clear, that all that was neces- sary was to plow the land and raise a crop, seemed incredible, but they believed Kleng. He soon got together a company and started west- ward arriving in what is known as the Fox River settlement in Mission township. Mrs. Sarah A. Peterson, a niece of Kleng's and the wife of a Morman bishop in Utah says :

"Uncle Kleng sold my mother's and his own land in Kendall. My father being dead, Uncle Kleng did all the business, bought land for all the money and gave us eighty acres each. This was not all we should have had, but Uncle be- lieved in dividing the land among the newcomers and the poor. He never reserved an acre for

himself. He was the most unselfish person I ever saw. He was always finding land for the immigrants, and used all his means for the com- fort of others.

"He spent all his time in trying to do good to the strangers that came, and was always colon- izing and finding homes for orphans. I have known him to carry children on his back for miles to get good places for them. If he got a place for them and they were not treated well he took them away again. In this way he made

both friends and enemies. He was not a man that worked. He traveled and kept busy trying to do good to others for but very little thanks."

It is told of him that he never worked. In-

deed he had no need to do so. His wants were few for his life was simple and he had no ambi- tion except to do good to others. When he came to visit a family he would take up the housewife's knitting, lie down on the bed and ask for a cup of coffee. There he would lie for hours knitting, drinking coffee, and telling the story of his travels. One can imagine that away off in the lonely prairie cabin in the far West

PAST AND PRESENT OF LA SALLE COUNTY.

that his knitting and his wonderful stories that were always true, were ample pay for board and lodging. It is said that the coming of Kleng in a settlement meant a holiday. All would gather to see him and hear him talk.

The people who came with Kleng in 1834 were Endre Dahl, Jacob Anderson Slogvig, Gudmund Hougaas, Nels Thompson, Thorstein Olson Bjaadland. They selected their land and waited until the next year to buy it when it came into market.

Kleng Peerson bought a good deal of land but kept none himself, but turned it over to his rela- tives and friends. The west half of the south- west quarter of section 33, township 35, range 5. he bought for his sister, Widow Kari Nelson. She moved to this in 1836 and built on it a log cabin which is still standing, though it has been covered with weatherboards and a frame addition has been added. This is the first house built by a Norwegian west of the Great Lakes and probably the only house built in that year now standing in La Salle County. It is the second house on the left on the road which leads south- west out of the village of Norway. His coun- trymen would do well to erect a monument here to the intrepid Kleng as suggested by R. B. Anderson.

This was the beginning of Norwegian immi- gration to America which has brought a class of citizens whose influence is so strongly for good. In La Salle County they are numerous in Mission, Miller, Adams, Earl and Freedom townships. They came in large numbers to Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and the Dakotas.

It is pleasing to note that the large exodus from their country set the statesmen there to thinking. And that has resulted in a change of laws so that in that country men are just as free to worship as they please as in America itself.

Kleng Peerson founded settlements in Mis- souri, in Iowa and in Texas, where he died in I 865. Before his death he owned 320 acres of land and a few cows. He gave all his property to O. Colwick, who agreed to care for him the rest of his days. In a letter to R. B. Anderson, O. Canuteson says :

"The last years of his life he had his home with O. Colwick (Kjolvig), but would, of course, go around among the neighbors, where he was always welcome and felt at home. H died December 16, 1865. One of his neighbors and I were with him the last hours of his life. I closed his eyes in the long sleep of death. He was buried in the Lutheran cemetery opposite the Norwegian church near Norse P. O. in Bosque County, and the Norwegians in Texas

afterwards put a small stone monument on his grave with the following inscription written both in Norwegian and in English :

" 'Cleng Peerson, The first Norwegian Immigrant to American. Came to America in 1821. Born in Norway, Europe, May 17, 1782, Died in Texas, December 16, 1865. Grateful Countrymen in Texas Erected This Monument to his Memory.'"

It is interesting to note the religious history of these early Norwegian immigrants. As stated before, the first who came were Quakers, the Haugian. Lutherans came later. When one has changed his religious views once, he is ready to do so again. The dissenting Quakers and Haugians became Methodists, Bap- tists. Congregationalists and Latter Day Saints, or Mormons. Kleng Peerson though sympa- thizing with the Quakers never became a Quaker, but became more and more a doubter until he became the rankest Freethinker.

The Mormons living then at Nauvoo, Illinois, were being persecuted, whether it was righteous- ness' sake is a question. Their missionaries found ready listeners among the dissenting Norwegians who had themselves been so recently persecuted. One of their converts, Ole Heier. became an elder and a bishop in the Church of Latter Day Saints, was a powerful preacher, made many con- verts, but later visited Nauvoo and became con- vinced of the evil practices of the church, left it; and became a Baptist. Canute Peterson who married a daughter of Kari Nelson became a con- vert to Mormonism, moved to Utah, became a bishop and as missionary to Norway brought thousands of his countrymen to Utah. The change from the hard conditions in Norway to the freedom of America and the prosperity of Utah satisfied them that they had indeed reached Zion, the new Jerusalem.

The present Latter Day Saints' Church in Mil- ler township does not belong to the Utah Mormon Church, but to the reorganized church whose leader was Joseph Smith, a son of the Prophet. They are a people whose life is examplary and are excellent citizens.

SHABBONA.

The people of La Salle County are not likely to allow the name of Shabbona to be forgotten. As the years go by affection for him and sym- pathy for his misfortunes and sorrows increase.

PAST AND PRESENT OF LA SALLE COUNTY.

In our practical age we are inclined to dis- in 1795. Shabbona married a daughter of a count the flights of the poetic imagination. As we know the Indian today we can hardly repress a sneer at the mention of the "noble red man." The few who still remain with us who knew him are, however, unanimous in the statement that Shabbona was one of nature's noblemen.

Shabbona was the product of heredity and en- vironment. In the former he was fortunate, be- ing the son of a line of chiefs, a blood relation of the great Pontiac. Civilized environment in youth would have placed him in the ranks of great men. As it was he became a leader of the children of the prairie and the wooded streams. Yet he had to pay the price of the prophets of the dawning of a better day, the great purpose of his life not understood, an outcast among his own people, a man of sorrow and disappoint- ment. All along the course of his primitive life we find evidence of superiority of mind and the loftiness of a great soul. The instincts of no- bility are ever in evidence, sincerity, truthfulness courage and a readiness to sacrifice all for integ- rity. Expediency he consulted only in the inter- ests of what was right, never to gain an unworthy end.

Shabbona, when in his prime, was five feet, nine inches tall and weighed about two hundred pounds. He was broad-shouldered, deep-chested and long-bodied. His erect and well proportioned figure and long body made him appear taller and larger than he really was. Shabbona means "built like a bear." His figure shows the ap- propriateness of the name. His head was large and well formed. His face was expressive and pleasing. His manner was agreeable and straight- forward. He readily won the confidence, respect and good will of all who had intercourse with him.

Hon. Perry Armstrong, in his History of the Black Hawk war, says Shabbona was born in Canada, Mr. N. Matson, in his Memoirs of Shab- bona says he was born in 1775 or 1776 on the Kankakee near where Joliet now stands. He claims to have this from Shabbona's own state- ment. The fact that Shabbona failed to secure a pension from England for his services in the War of 1812 from which he had a discharge, is strong evidence that he never was a British sub- ject. In his infancy he was taken by his parents to Canada, where they lived a few years, but re- turned to their village on the Kankakee. This, no doubt, led some to assume that he was born in Canada, for he often spoke of coming from Canada when a child.

His father was an Ottawa war chief and rep- resented his tribe in the treaty made with Wayne

chief of the Pottowatomies, thus becoming a mem- ber of that nation. His superior mental and physical endowments, his courage and integrity, soon gave him standing in his adopted nation. When the chief, his father-in-law, died Shab- bona became the war chief. Because of the prevalence of sickness in the village the band removed from the Kankakee to the grove at the head of Indian Creek in DeKalb County, where the village of Shabbona Grove is now located. Here was a good spring, a fine grove, a sugar camp, good corn fields, game was plentiful and the region was healthful. Here the band lived for over fifty years.

Shabbona was always devoutly religious. His convictions and religious feelings were so deeply grounded that he never changed. When he be- came acquainted with the white man's religion, he was charmingly tolerant and respectful and while he made no effort to dissuade others he adhered affectionately to the religion of his fathers. While yet a young man he traveled with two Ottawa prophets over much of the Western Country, assisting them in teaching their faith. This gave him an extensive knowledge of the Western Country and its Indian inhabitants. So late as 1849, when people were interested in these things, because they were going overland to Cal- ifornia, he was able to draw a good map and lo- cate the "good" Indians, the "bad" Indians and tell the emigrants where the Indians used "white" money and "yellow" money.

TECUMSEH VISITS SHABBONA.

In the fall of 1810 Tecumseh came to northern Illinois in the hope of enlisting the Indians in his confederacy, the purpose of which was to keep the white man out of the Western Country. With three chiefs he arrived at Shabbona's vil- lage. They were made welcome and after a dog feast Shabbona accompanied them to the vil- lages on the Fox and the Illinois rivers. From here they ascended Rock River, visiting the Winnebagoes in Wisconsin, the Menomonees on Green Bay. From Prairie du Chien they as- cended the Mississippi to the Island of Rock Island, the village of Black Hawk and Wapello. From here Shabbona returned to his village and Tecumseh continued down the Missisippi.

In the summer of 1811 Shabbona was with Tecumseh at Vincennes in council with General Harrison. It resulted in nothing, as neither would make concessions. Shabbona accompanied Tecumseh south, visiting the Creeks, Cherokees and Choctaw nations in the southern states.

PAST AND PRESENT OF LA SALLE COUNTY.

The eloquence of Tecumseh was effective with the southern Indians and they prepared to wage war against the whites under Tecumseh's lead- ership. Returning north Tecumseh and Shab- bona arrived at Prophetstown on the Tippecanoe in Indiana and learned of the signal defeat that General Harrison had administered to Tecumseh's band at the battle of Tippecanoe.

This frustrated Tecumseh's scheme of uniting the Indian nations in a combined movement against the whites. But in the summer of 1812 runners from Tecumseh visited Shabbona's and other villages in northern Illinois, announcing the war between England and the United States. They wished to raise a large band of warriors and capture Fort Dearborn before it could be reinforced. Shabbona wished to take no part in the war, but when he learned that a large number of other villages and some of his own had gone to Chicago, he mounted his pony and hastened to Fort Dearborn. A few hours after the massacre he arrived on the battle-field.

IN THE WAR OF 1812.

Late in the fall after the massacre of Fort Dearborn, Shabbona and his band were leaving to go southward on their winter hunt, when a half-breed and a petty chief arrived as messen- gers from Tecumseh. They brought presents for the squaws and wampum for Shabbona, in- viting him to join his forces to fight with the English against the Americans. In return for his services he was promised large quantities of British gold. These emissaries said that Potto- watomies all along the river had pledged their support. This was false, none of the chiefs had done so. Shabbona afterward said that he would not have joined Tecumseh had he known that the others would not.

With twenty-two warriors Shabbona started for the seat of war. They overtook Black Hawk and his warriors from the Sacs and Foxes. They were present at the battles of Fort Meigs and Fort Stephenson on the Maumee River in Ohio. They were badly beaten and Black Hawk became dis- couraged and returned home. This was Black Hawk's first experience in fighting the white men. He did not like fighting where there was so great a chance of getting killed. But Shab- bona remained with the British army.

In September, 1813, he was with the army in Canada when General Harrison landed from Per- ry's fleet on his way to Fort Malden. - Tecumseh and Shabbona, from a distant hill, watched the disembarking of the Americans while Proctor. the British commander, and the army were in

rapid retreat. They were able to report the strength of the Americans.

DEATH OF TECUMSEH.

Shabbona was aid to the great chief. This is the story of his death as told by Shabbona. On the morning of the battle of Thames, Tecumseh, Billy Caldwell and he were sitting on a log near the camp fire when a messenger to Tecumseh from General Proctor arrived requesting him to come to his headquarters at once. When Te- cumseh returned he seemed in low spirits. Billy Caldwell inquired, "Father, what are we to do? Shall we fight the Americans?" "Yes, my son, before sunset we will be in their smoke, as they are now marching on us. But the Gen- eral wants you to go, my son. I shall never see you again." Tecumseh felt that this would be his last battle.

Tecumseh's warriors were in the woods flank- ing the British army, awaiting the attack of the Americans. The battle was soon on. The Ameri- can ranks were being rapidly thinned out when a body of cavalry was seen coming on. The horse- men rode rapidly up to the Indian line of battle. A hand to hand contest ensued. Great numbers were falling on both sides. Tecumseh had fired his rifle and was about to tomahawk the com- mander, Colonel Richard M. Johnson, but the colonel was too quick for him, fired his pistol and Tecumseh fell, shot through the heart. Shab- bona was at Tecumseh's side when the fatal shot was fired. He sprang forward to tomahawk the commander but at that moment the horse reared and fell, Colonel Johnson severely wounded. The Indians no longer hearing the war whoop of the great chief fled from the field.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of La Salle County, Illinois, Part 11

Author: Hoffman, U. J. (Urias John), b. 1855 Publication date: 1906 Publisher: Chicago : S.J. Clarke Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1286

Author: Hoffman, U. J. (Urias John), b. 1855
Publication date: 1906
Publisher: Chicago : S.J. Clarke Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1286