USA > Illinois > Lee County > History of Lee County, Illinois, Volume I > Part 14
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In that year, 1837, the Inlet settlement was enjoying a boom notwithstanding the panicky times everywhere present in financial matters. The land was reputed to be of the very best and but little of it had been taken up and "deeded." As a matter of fact when he reached "The Inlet, " not an acre of the country had been thrown into market, but it was expected to come in any day.
Mr. Hillison walked to Bradford township. Almost the first piece of land he looked at. pleased him, and comformably with custom, he proceeded to hedge it about with evidences of a claim, which were respected in those days.
To get some more money, he worked for the settlers in the vicinity for wages which would raise a laugh to repeat at this point, until by saving every penny, he felt himself able to go ahead to make his first erop and abide its harvest.
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His first evidence of establishing a claim was to erect a sod house on the quarter section which he enjoyed as his home until his death in the year 1854. Subsequently he erected a frame house near by which by reason of its elevation was a sort of landmark for the traveler for great distances around.
This house attracted a family named Reinhart, then passing Melugin's Grove further east on the Chicago road and the father drove to it and passed the night with Ommen.
One member of that family, Miss Catherine E. Reinhart, attracted the eye of the young bachelor, and subsequently they were married. In 1850, Henry W. Hillison, was born of that marriage, the first Norwegian child to be born in Lee county. Mr. Hillison lives today not far from the original homestead. And that home- stead is situated just across the road, north from the home farm of Reinhart Aschenbrenner, another son of Mrs. Hillison, by a subse- quent marriage, and Reinhart Aschenbrenner owns the same old homestead today, one of the best pieces of land in Bradford town- ship and in Lee county.
Ommen's glowing accounts written back home attracted other Hardanger friends, especially those from Sofjorden, and they began coming to this country, invariably reaching Ommen's house as an objective point. From ones and twos the numbers increased, in each instance, the Hillison home receiving and directing the strangers into new homes and as the sequel proved, very profitable ones. Not one of them left Lee county, and thus in course of time, Lee county, and later, the village of Lee became the focal point for the Hardanger emigrant and from Lee the younger generation went out into Iowa, Wisconsin, the Dakotas, Minnesota until their number now is legion. Lee is regarded with almost as much vener- ation as the mother country.
Among the party first to come to Lee county, were Lars Larson Risetter, the richest man in the county, when in 1907, he died, Lars Helgeson (Hillison) Maakestad. Helge Helgesen, Ingeborg Helges- datter. a sister of the last named who married Lars Olson Espe, Lars Olson Espe. Sjur Arneson Bly. Torgels Knudson Maakestad, Lars Larson Bly and Gertrude Helgestadder Lonning.
From New York city, this little colony went up the river to Albany in the year 1847 ; by rail they went on to Buffalo: by lake they continued on to Chicago where Ommen Hillison met them and brought them direct to his house in Bradford township, and an ox team from Chicago was the mode of transportation. They stopped over at Norway.
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Subsequently Bly returned to Chicago. Ingeborg returned for awhile to Norway, but subsequently she rejoined the Lee county colony.
From the home of Omnen, these young men scattered, some to go to Sublette township; Lars Larson Risetter was among the number, others to Lee Center township and so on, to any place not far away, to work and earn money with which to take up land. The first ambition was to become a landholder and a home builder. In making the trip from Norway, Lars Larson Risetter became the second Norwegian to enter Lee county and he truly was a remarkable man. With his first money he bought land and built a log cabin on it. This was in Bradford township. Later he sold the place to a German who had come to join the thrifty class of emigrants who had began to settle in Bradford, and he removed over to the East End country, Alto township, to which point he has been followed by almost every Norwegian of Lee county and now Lee is the center of the colony.
With every dollar Risetter got, he bought land, the very best land in the world. At his death he was buried at the Norwegian Lutheran church a mile and a half southwest of Lee. His estate footed up almost three quarters of a million of dollars.
His two sons live at present in Beloit, Wisconsin, but very soon they expect to return to Lee.
Espe who came over with Lars Larson Risetter was a carpenter, and soon after his marriage, he built a frame house, the second to be built by a Norwegian in Lee county.
Lars Larson Risetter's log cabin was the third house to be built by a Norwegian. It was a log cabin and was built in a single day.
The first Norwegian to settle in Willow Creek, was Amund Hillison Lonning, the second son of Helge and Ingeleif Amundson, who was born at South Bergen, Stift, Norway, June 20, 1821. At home his first year's wage was five dollars and clothing. He went to work in Sublette township where Lars Larson Risetter's brother-in-law was working, and he entered the employ of Thomas Fessenden at $11 per month. In 1852 he bought for $200 the north- east quarter of section 15 in Willow Creek township, but still hired out for five years after that. In 1855 he began improving his land. In 1857 he married Ingeborg Larson Maland, who in 1855 had emigrated to Sublette. On June 25, 1896, he died. Mrs. Hillison (Lonning) died Dee. 16, 1866.
On the same ship with Mr. Hillison ( Lonning) last mentioned. there came to America, two splendid young Norwegians, named
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Ole Vasvig and Omman Hill. These two young men took land north of Franklin on what subsequently became known as "Nor- wegian Hill," by reason of the tragedy which befell the young men. They lived together in a log cabin. Under the bed they kept their little hoard in a box.
One night men broke into the house and with their own axe killed both the young men in a shockingly brutal fashion. Indi- cations pointed out that one was killed while asleep, but the other awakening and trying to defend himself was struck down dead at last.
Several arrests were made for this shocking murder, along about 1854, but nothing ever came of them. The box was fingered by the bandits, as their bloody finger prints disclosed, but so far as could be ascertained, none of its contents had been taken.
The records which have been preserved, show the emigration from Norway to Lee county to have been as follows:
In 1851, Haldor Nelson Horland, Jacob Olson Rogde, living at Lee today, Haakon L. Risetter, brother of Lars Larson Risetter, Agatha Oldsdatter Espe, sister to L. O. Espe.
In 1854 there arrived Amund O. Kragsvig, Wiglik P. Pederson Akre, Helge Pederson Maakestad, Johannes Pederson, Agatha Maakestad, Jacob Pederson Blve, Helge Blye, Elsa Pedersdatter Blye, Christopher C. Kvalnes (Qualnes).
In 1856 there came Sjur Qualnes, Jens C. Qualnes, Martha Qualnes, Brita Olsdatter Kvaestad, Jolm Johnson Maakestad and Christian Sexe.
In 1857 came Elias O. Espe, Peter O. Espe, Thomas Helgeson Lonning and wife. Synva, Amund Sexe, Halsdur G. Maakestad. Viking Gosendal and Einar Winterton.
In 1858 came Ingeborg Olsdatter Eide, Einar Einarson Buer and wife, Johanna, Lars Salomonson Risetter and wife, Ragnilda, Sven Isberg, Einar Vasvig, Margretha Sandven, Ormond O. Lon- ning and wife, Christie, Hans Strand.
In 1859 came, Ingebrigt Qualnes, Gyrie Qualnes, Sigri Qualnes, Christopher Ingebrigtson Qualnes, Gynie Qualnes and wife, nee Rogde, and Peder Tjoflaat and family. In 1860 came Nels Peder Maakestad.
In 1864 came Ole J. Prestegaard, now one of the richest men in the county, Lars Pederson Maakestad, Jacob Opheim, Arne Opheim, Lars Aga, Ole Aga, Daniel Wignes and Viking Winterton.
In 1865 came Peder P. Hill and Kleng Osmondson.
In 1866 came Conrad Knudson, Peder O. Hill.
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But when I come down later, space forbids further details. Those hardy old pioneers, coming from a country teeming with roses, have made the east end of Lee county blossom as the rose indeed. Most of them are gone now, but the children, who still occupy the old homesteads, keep up the pretty old home customs in their home life.
The Norwegians of Lee county are a very temperate, religious people. Both Willow Creek and Alto are dry towns notwithstand- ing the fact there are two villages in Willow Creek, Lee and Scar- boro. Nearly every Norwegian has a beautiful voice and the set- tlement is musical morning, noon and night.
Off a mile and a half to the southwest, they have built a beautiful church. Just to indicate the musical tendency, in this church, out in the country, a $1,800 pipe organ has been installed. Just now too, the choir consists of fifteen voices; four sopranos, three altos, four tenors, four bass voices.
The cemetery is close at hand and clustered around the church so dearly loved in life, the men and the women who took this country as a wilderness and brought it into a wealthy community, are lying. One noticeable feature of this cemetery is the exquisite care taken of it and the respect shown the memory of the dead by the erection of so many handsome monuments.
Over to the northwest, another Norwegian Lutheran church has been built, and like the other to the southwest, it is crowded with worshippers every Sunday. Eight voices compose the choir in this beautiful church.
Another very noticeable feature of this Norwegian settlement is making itself felt and that is the universal enstom of sending all the children to school, then to the college or the university. In one family, I found three sons, all college professors, one in Harvard, one at Northwestern. Evanston, and the other at another noted college which for the moment I have forgotten.
The bank at Lee is owned largely by the Norwegians around the place : they control it. Its cashier, Mr. F. A. Bach, told me that they held a majority of its stock. It was organized so late as Nov. 14, 1903. Now its deposits are above $200.000.
At the present moment. Lee is under village government. Mr. S. M. Maakestad is the mayor, and a very efficient one too. The aldermen are Barney Jacobsen. George Beels, Sr., Marshall Edwards. L. A. Plant, Oliver Halsue and Robert G. Nowe. The treasurer is F. A. Bach and the clerk is Kinnie A. Ostewig, who
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has contributed much about the history of the east end of Lee county for this book.
The merchants largely are Norwegians and they enjoy a won- derful prosperity.
Lee believes in municipal ownership to a large extent. The village owns its own water plant and it has the very best of fire pro- tection. Hydrants have been placed all over the city limits and a village fire department, of which Henry Eide is chief, has kept the damage done by fires down to a trifle ever since the system was installed.
In the year 1902 the place was visited by a devastating fire; it burned down the best part of the town. But with characteristic spirit the merchants replaced those burned, with splendid new brick buildings, and today Lee owns the best buildings of any of the smaller villages in Lee county.
It has a splendid electric light service, day and night up to mid- night. Every inch of town lot space has a neat cement walk in front of it. The streets are kept with exquisite cleanliness.
One unusual condition exists in Lee-the county line runs right through the middle of the main street so that the west and larger part of the place is in Lee county and the eastern part is in DeKalb county. And for all these commendable conditions, the Norwegians of Lee county are to be thanked.
In this day of the motor car. Lee is nothing behind. There are 150 machines tributary to Lee and Lee contains the largest garage and machine shops for repairing antos, in the county. Its proprietor, Swan Ostewig, draws trade in welding and vulcanizing, from a distance of thirty miles.
I have taken considerable space to mention the village of Lee, because it is an unusual place, surrounded by an umisual people.
There are of course some big farmers, Americans and Germans, notably, J. M. Herrmann, a director of the bank at Lee, but the Norwegian very large preponderates in the east end of Lee county.
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THE DINON BAR IN ISGS
CHAPTER XI
THE BENCH AND THE BAR OF OLD LEE COUNTY
It is with emotions of pleasure I take my typewriter in hand to begin the story of the legal fraternity of Lee county.
Nearly all of my young life was spent, as deputy circuit clerk, in close touch with the lawyers of Lee county. And what a glori- ous flood of recollections sweeps over me the moment I try to select the first one to mention! They almost kill themselves in the stam- pede to find expression first.
Lee county always has had a strong bar. From Edward South- wick, the first lawyer, down to the present moment, the lawyers of Lee have been known all over the state as men of great ability.
The lawyers of Lee have been a fearless lot of men too. How ' well do I remember the day the late Bernard H. Trusdell made a speech to a jury which was one of the most remarkable on record.
A certain community which he represented had been over-rid- den by a lawless lot of hoodlums. They had terrorized the com- munity until quiet, law abiding citizens became desperate and they called upon Bernard H. Trusdell to bring the culprits to justice. Mr. Trusdell secured the indictment of certain members of the gang who had been especially vicious and Mr. Trusdell followed the case into association with the states attorney to give the prosecu- tion the benefit of his legal mind as well as the benefits of his per- sonal feelings in the case.
When he came to conclude the arguments for the prosecution, did he appeal to those jurors to do their duty ? Did he approach those twelve men in meekness, begging them to bestow a favor on the community ? Did his words indicate that small favors might be accepted from that jury by way of compromise in case of a possible disagreement ? Never! In conclusion, he raised a clenched fist; his eyes were aflame with indignation at the law-
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lessness of the defendants and he told that jury something like this: "The members of this commity were presented with two ways to treat this case. One was a proseention in court; the other was to administer the law themselves. They have chosen the for- mer and now we expect you to do your duty as jurors. If you don't then I'll be one to shoulder a musket and with others, to settle it the other way."
That jury gave the defendants the limit and never more was that community molested by that or any other gang of law breakers.
And what red letter days were those when Mr. B. H. Trusdell locked horns with his brother, Abram K. Trusdell, today the patriarch of Lee county's lawyers! Brilliant, profound, fearless, tactful, forceful, by the time these two giants had finished their case, nothing had been overlooked ; not a single question of fact; not a line of law had been forgotten. They gave and took. Some- times they rested on the verdict, but more often, the case was followed until the court of last resort had declared for one or the other.
I have heard the old proseentor, MeCartney. of Sterling, say that when the Messrs. Trusdell were arraved on opposite sides of a case, that that case was the best tried case he ever had heard and for one, he derived great profit in listening to the trial.
I dwell upon the names of these two gentlemen, not because they were so gentle and kind to me, who as a boy was charged with responsibilities which if neglected, would rightly subject me to severe criticisms, but because they were grand lawyers.
How many times have I seen them peep over my shoulder in a pleasant, friendly way, to see if my summonses and writs were issued correctly! Not in a critical, pretentious, pedantic sort of way to rattle me and then open on me with a battery of verbal artillery they knew so well how to level at an opponent, but as friends. The okler, Mr. B. Il., was a man of magnificent physique; of commanding appearance and yet with me, his gentle ways always were suggestive, accompanied with his laying his arm lightly across my shoulders ; he never was impatient with me. And for the other, Mr. Abram K., what cannot I say? My preceptor! How faith- fully he tutored me! How pleasantly he corrected my atrocious answers to hypothetical questions! How patiently too he guided my hand through the intricacies of instructions and other docu- ments! And then there came the day when I must go to Ottawa for the bar examination ! With the same fatherly interest, although
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pressed for time, he left business to go with ine to Ottawa and dress up my courage at critical times. And all for me, a boy of trifling abilities, heedless, inappreciative and slovenly. And too, he never credited that important trip as one designed for my benefit. The rather, he made the remark casually that he too must go to Ottawa to make some motions. It is true he made many motions before the Supreme court on that momentous day, but the trip was made for my benefit; to see me through and he never left my presence until the ordeal was passed and we had returned home.
Those were the men who made the Lee county bar famous. Such men gave it a name that must remain imperishable. Men afraid of no odds in a legal controversy, and yet in the midst of a battle who could say to a little boy : " May I trouble you just a minute to hand me the files in this case?" How too would those older Lee connty lawyers play jokes on one another : like boys almost. I can remember one occasion when John Stevens, the writer's father, was compelled to go to Springfield on a case pending before the Supreme court. Edward Southwick was of the party. Southwick was very dark. Southwick and Stevens were partners at the time too, but when Mendota had been reached, and the passengers had gone into the dining room for dinner, Stevens whispered in the ear of the landlord that a separate table should be provided for Southwick. No specific reason was given more than to nod and make a remark about his complexion. When Southwick attempted to take a chair with his companions, the landlord took him by the arm and very gently hinted that he had provided a separate table for his colored guests. How the profanity did fly from Lawyer Southwick!
Perhaps I'd better not repeat the story of the bet John Stevens made with E. B. Stiles at a banquet. to the effect that he. Stevens, could eat Stiles' oysters. Nor had I better tell the reason why he was able to win. I may say, however, that Stevens won his bet and ate Stiles' oysters.
Even the good old circuit judges knew how to laugh. Can any- one ever forget the trial of that same E. B. Stiles for maintaining a nuisance in the form of a hog pen on Third street, right in the midst of a dense population ? For reasons best known to himself, ยท Stiles defended himself without the assistance of counsel. IIe appeared armed with a very exhaustive brief from which he quoted when he wished to emphasize a point. That famous brief was writ- ten by that prince of wits, Benjamin F. Shaw.
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A man named Tooke, a nice old gentleman, had the habit of asking for so many favors for his "Dixon Seminary" that he had made himself tiresome to many. Stiles, when he had reached a particularly strong point, affirmed his flight of oratory by opening his brief with great dignity and begging permission to refer to "Tooke on Bores."
Did Judge Heaton fine the defendant for contempt ? Never! Like any other human being he laughed a good old-fashioned laugh that nearly split his fat sides. Aaron L. Porter, twice or thrice sheriff, once had an experience with a wheelbarrow, and right under the observation of that same Judge Heaton, and later in the trial when Stiles had a particularly obstinate bit of law to overcome, he opened up his brief again and asked the court to refer to "Porter on Barrows." Verily, never did court or counsel or defendant present a day of such delicious humor as the celebrated Stiles Hog Case, in which the jury acquitted the defendant and at the same time presented him with a purse of a dozen pennies with which to hire a lawyer for the next offense.
From the very beginning of things, the services of Lee county lawyers were sought to go great distances to fight desperate cases. When the old Indian chief, Shabbona, found himself helpless to combat the plots and counter plots of Bogus Gates and his coterie of experts, it was Edward Southwick whose services were sought by the old chief. And Southwick went over to Shabbona's home in DeKalb county and cleaned out the Gates crowd so effectually that no member of it ever dared annoy Shabbona thereafter.
While William Smith, brother of the Mormon prophet, resided in Lee county, he had been quick to perceive the abilities of the lawyers of Lee county, so that when Joseph and Hyrum Smith were thrown into the Carthage jail, S. G. Patrick and Edward South- wiek, were sent for, post-haste, to defend them. Of course it is well known that the Smiths were shot without a trial, and before Patrick and Southwick could reach Carthage; but the point is illustrated when the fact has been stated that Lee county lawyers were sought, when what might have been the biggest case of the state's history, was likely to be tried.
For a time, I was unable to determine who the first lawyer was to locate in Lee county. Until the September term. 1842. when attorneys appeared for clients, the clerk did not name them ; but at that time, when a new penmanship appeared on the records. the record writer began the custom of writing his records thus: "And now comes the plaintiff by --- , his attorney."
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Nevertheless, at the first term of the circuit court, begun on the third Monday of April, 1840, quite unintentionally perhaps, I found the name of Edward Southwick, associated with W. W. Ful- ler, attorneys for the defendant sheriff in the case of Charles H. Capman versus Aaron Wakelee. I. N. Balestier was attorney for the plaintiff. The latter was a Peoria lawyer, Fuller was an Ore- gon lawyer and Southwick was a Dixon lawyer. This led me to believe Southwick was the first lawyer. Just when he came to Dixon is unknown, but it must have been about the year 1836, because he was admitted to the bar of Illinois Nov. 25, 1836. Sub- sequent correspondence proves incontestibly that he was Lee county's first lawyer.
On Nov. 4, 1840, Edward Southwick appeared in court, and on his motion, William W. Heaton was admitted to practice, and so was Walter Merriman, who does not seem to be known as a Lee county lawyer. This would make hin the second lawyer. Shepard G. Patrick was admitted to practice, on the records of the clerk of the Supreme court, March 29, 1842, and the first time I found his name on the Lee county records, was under date May 4, 1843, when as senior member of the firm Patrick & Noble, he appeared in the Lee circuit court.
In the records for May 6, 1843, I find the name of Cyrus Cham- berlain, as master in chancery of Lee county. If he was a lawyer he would come next to Southwick, but no evidence exists that he ever practiced. Lorenzo Wood, who was admitted in Michigan, came to Dixon in 1842. Although his name always was included as a member of the bar, he never practiced. The same may be said of Roberts, of Roberts and Mackay. On Sept. 11, 1843. I find also that Edward Southwick appeared in court and on his motion, John V. Eustace was admitted to practice.
Southwick seems to have led in practice from the beginning, his name appearing in four-fifths of all the cases, as attorney for one side or the other. Other names, most of them unfamiliar, are Edwin R. Mason, S. A. Mason, Chase (was it George or Charles ?), May, Kellogg, Fraser, Wallace, Evans. Wells, states attorney. From the appearance of the dockets, one must decide that litigation was common. I found one case whose term number was 111.
But, to begin with, the first term of court, held in the school- house on the third Monday of April, 1840, was presided over by Judge Dan Stone, of Galena. He will be remembered as the mem- ber of the Legislature, who with Lincoln, signed what was designed to be a protest against a slavery resolution, passed by the lower
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House. Aaron Wakelee, was sheriff; Shelton L. Hall, circuit attorney and George W. Chase, clerk. The grand and petit jurors, selceted by the county commissioners and mentioned in another place, with few exceptions, appeared and were sworn in. Those of the grand jury panel, who did not appear, were Noah Bedee, David H. Birdsall and Peter T. Scott, and Judge Stone entered a rule on them to show cause why they should not be fined for con- tempt. I cannot find where they were fined, which makes it proba- ble that they purged themselves.
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