USA > Illinois > Lee County > History of Lee County, Illinois, Volume I > Part 30
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Sec. 2. The said company shall have power and be capable of holding, purchasing. improving, selling, and conveying any estate, real or personal, for the use of said corporation ; second, to improve or ereet buildings on the same ; third, to rent, lease, or occupy any or all such lands belonging to said company for a term not exceeding the limits of this charter; Provided, That the real estate, owned by said company, shall not exceed one quarter section of land, except such as may be held as collateral security for debts due said company, or may become the property thereof by virtue of such indebtedness.
A certified copy of this Act will cost $2.50.
Yours truly, Harry Woods, Secretary of State.
Nearly all the names are familiar to Dixon people. I cannot see where this corporation had any lawful right to issue money, vet it will be seen that Nicholas Biddle of the famous United States Bank received money in hits from it. An illustration of one of the pieces which came into the editor's possession is repro- duced in this book.
The panie of 1837 killed it, probably. It would be very inter- esting to know just how this money came to be issued.
The foundation was laid for the Dixon Hotel on ground. sub- stantially, where the Nachusa House stands today.
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And while engaged in picking odds and ends, it may be well to introduce, at this point, a list of all of Dixon's postmasters. No correct list ever before has been presented :
Ogee's Ferry-John M. Gay ( Est.), May 25, 1829; name changed, No. 23, 1833. Dixon's Ferry-John Dixon, Nov. 23, 1833; Smith Gilbraith, Oet. 17, 1837; James P. Dixon, May 18, 1841 : name changed, Ang. 29, 1843. Dixon-James MeKenney, Aug. 29, 1843; Abram Brown, Feb. 14, 1845; David H. Birdsall, April 1, 1846; Anderson T. Murphy, Sept. 19, 1849; Joseph H. Cleaver, Dec. 1, 1852; Eli B. Baker, Sept. 6, 1854; James L. Camp, April 2, 1861; Mary A. Camp, Dee. 20, 1883; James B. Charters, April 5, 1887; Benj. F. Shaw, Dec. 23, 1891: Michael Maloney, Jan. 23, 1896; Benj. F. Shaw, Jan. 29, 1900; Wmn. L. Frye, Dec. 20, 1909.
In Angust, 1849, manufacturing interests were reaching out and we find a petition made to the county commissioners' court asking for a jury to settle on damages to lands upstream to result from the proposed building of a dam across Rock river. This was the first proposal to harness the river. In the fall of 1846 and winter of '47 a tall bridge was built across Rock river on Ottawa street. The March 20th freshet of 1847 took out the north half. During the summer Lorenzo Wood and Luther I. Towner contracted for $2,000 to rebuild the bridge two feet higher than before; and they did. The directors of this Rock River Bridge and Dam Company were John Dement, Oliver Everett, John Dixon, Michael Fellows, Otis A. Eddy, J. B. Brooks, James P. Dixon and Horace Preston. In the spring of 1849 the ice took out the south half of the bridge. Once more the bridge was rebuilt and in 1855 it was taken out again by the ice. Imme- diately another was proposed and it was built by Contractor Zachariah Luckey on Galena street. In 1857 the two north spans of the bridge went out and in 1867 more damage was done by ice. March 7, 1868, the entire bridge was taken ont by ice and the two south spans of the Illinois Central Railroad bridge were swept away by ice. A temporary frame bridge was built and Jan. 21, 1859, the beautiful Truesdell iron bridge was dedicated. On Sunday forenoon at just about the hour the churches had been closed after morning service, there occurred in Dixon a most fearful tragedy. While loaded with people witnessing a public baptism in the river, on its north bank and to the west of the bridge, this Truesdell bridge collapsed and killed ontright Miss Katie Sterling, Miss Melissa Wilhel, Miss Margaret O'Brien,
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THE DIXON (TRUESDALE) BRIDGE, ON THE DAY OF ITS DEDICATION It fell May 4, 1873, killing 43 persons
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Miss Nettie Hill, Miss Ida Vann, Miss Ida Drew, Miss Agnes Nixon, Miss Bessie Rayne, Miss Irene Baker, Miss Emily Dem- ing, Miss Lizzie MacKay, Miss Millie Hoffman ; Mrs. J. W. Latta, Mrs. H. T. Noble, Mrs. Benjamin Gilman, Mrs. W. W. Tooke, Mrs. Carpenter, Mrs. James Goble, Mrs. Elias Hope, Mrs. E. Wallace, Mrs. E. Petersberger and daughter, Allie, Mrs. Thomas Wade, Mrs. Henry Sillman, Mrs. William Merriman, Mrs. C. W. Kentner, two children of Mrs. Hendricks, Misses Clara and Rosa Stackpole, George W. Kent, Frank Hamilton, Edward Doyle, Thomas Haley, Robert Dyke, Jay R. Mason. Those who died very soon from wounds sustained were Mrs. Philip M. Alexander, Mrs. William Vann, Mrs. Charles March and Mrs. W. Wilcox.
A wooden Howe truss bridge was built at a cost of $18,000 and the present iron affair succeeded that.
On July 27. 1848, Dixon Lodge, I. O. O. F., was organized in the attic of the Murphy building, and it is one of the many prosperous lodges in the city. I have thought many times that Dixon was "lodged" to death. The Elks, however, seem to be so strongly intrenched in the affections of the members that no rivalry can reduce its membership, now nearly 500. A club house costing $35,000 has been built of briek on the old Doctor Everett lot, the northeast corner of Second street and Ottawa avenue.
The Knights of Columbus is the youngest lodge; it has a very large membership, and so does the Woodmen lodge.
When the year 1850 is reached, we find the population of Lee county to have increased to 5,289. On Feb. 19, 1849, the Legislature had provided us with a township organization law and in 1850 Paw Paw or Wyoming, Brooklyn, Harmon, Lee Cen- ter, Bradford, Fremont (now China), Amboy. Hamilton, Dixon and Palmyra had been organized.
On May 1, 1851, The Dixon Telegraph and Lee County Herald, the first printed paper in Lee county, appeared. Charles R. Fisk was the publisher, Benjamin F. Shaw was the editor and James C. Mead, Henry K. Strong and John Moore were compositors. Off and on for varying periods, Mr. Shaw was with the paper until his death, and the same Telegraph. under the ownership and management of Mrs. E. E. Shaw and the edi- torship of George Shaw, a grandson, is issued today, daily and semi-weekly. A great many papers have come and gone since that far away date ; suffice it to say. we have today The Telegraph,
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The Daily News, both republican: The Weekly Citizen, demo- cratic; and but lately. The Daily Leader, a progressive paper, has acquired a plant and very soon will issue a daily.
In 1854 the cholera swept over the county and took from this community thirty-four between June 20 and Angust 7.
During this period lots in Dixon were selling at fabulous figures. A first-class boom was doing its work. A telegraph office had been established and real railroads were promised. In 1859 a city charter was adopted.
On Jan. 10, 1836, the Galena & Chicago Union Railroad Company was incorporated. To seeure money the first meeting was held in Rockford Nov. 28, 1845. Then it was the design to run from Chicago to Galena. In September, 1847, the engi- neers were put to work, and the eastern part of the new road was run along the Chicago and Dixon road to the Des Plaines. Strap rails were used between Elgin and Chicago. December 15, 1848. the road was finished to the Des Plaines, ten miles.
The Pioneer had been purchased March 5, 1849. On Sept. 1, 1853, forty-five miles of the Dixon & Towa Central had been built. On Dec. 4, 1854, the Dixon Air Line had been built into Dixon, sixty-eight miles from Turner Junction. At approximately the same time the Illinois Central was built into Dixon. In 1880 this road forwarded 3,668 cars and received 1,208. Its ticket sales were $33,170.10. For the year just past over $100,000 were collected here for passenger tickets and over $400,000 for freight charges; the best record on the road. The freight collections show in the year an increase of $100,000 for the year.
MANUFACTURING
It would be insufferably tedions to go back and insert the many little items which showed our efforts to build up mamfar- turing plants. Col. John Dement, one of the most enterprising men Dixon ever had, began in the early '50s the manufacture of plows. He also joined Moses Jerome in the manufacture of flax bagging and until Congress removed the tariff on jute Inin- dreds of boys and girls were given employment by the flax mills. Maj. O. J. Downing was the pioneer in flax bagging, entering a partnership with Jerome as Jerome & Downing: then the firm became Jerome & Dement and then John Dement. Henry D. Dement and Jacob Spielman opened another on the north side
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of the race. Wood Brothers operated for a long time a woolen mill and then a flouring mill. The mills of Becker & Under- wood turned out flour that sold from coast to coast, but an explosion put them out of business two or three times, the last time forever. William Uhl was an old-time miller, too.
Now we have no flouring mills, but over on the north side, in Swissville, we have the greatest milk factory in the world, owned by the Bordens. This splendid plant was built by George H. Page in 1888 for the Anglo-Swiss condensed milk factory. He built the best plant in the world then, fully expecting to return to his boyhood home to spend the rest of his life: but pneumonia took him off and later when the two big companies made their trades of certain interests, this plant went to the Bordens. Con- densed milk and candy are made here for the general trade. Ralph W. Church is superintendent. Two hundred and fifty people are employed here. The milk of 5,500 cows is consumed every day and the amount of money paid out approximately in Dixon every year is $400,000. Thirty thousand tin boxes are used to box this product. From three to four million pounds of caramels are shipped annually. The Central Machine Shops here make all the machinery for all other plants and the Central Can Shops make all the cans for the other shops.
The cement plant occupies the biggest place in our affairs. W. E. Wuerth is the superintendent and there is not a single ingredient or a single cogwheel needed in the manufacture of his product but he knows all about it the instant his attention is called to the same. It is reported that he is the best cement man in the world, and in all his vast plant, if called upon to go in the dark to repair a break, he can do it. The name of this concern is the Sandusky Portland Cement Co. (of Sandusky, Ohio). I believe the Medusa brand is the specialty of this plant. About 300 men are kept working here all the time. The plant runs twenty-four hours per day and 365 days in the year. During the past year 1.730 cars of coal were burned, which will approximate 86,000 tons. Four thousand nine hundred and forty cars of products were shipped last year to Iowa, Dakota, Wisconsin and Minnesota. But most of it goes to Illinois. To give an idea of the enormous business which this great concern does, let me state that it paid our two railroads last year the enormous sum of $89,000 for freight on coal alone. The total coal bill was $165,000. The annual pay roll is $310,000. In 1906 the company started to build. In the fall of 1907 it started its
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furnaces. For the large tract of land owned by the company $300 per acre was paid. It lies along the cast bank of Rock river and only a few days ago Fuller's Cave, known far and wide, was blasted. To load the stone upon trains, five steam shovels, monsters, are used and five locomotives are used to pull those trains ;- all outside work.
The buildings occupy at least 1,000 feet square of ground. They are the most modern in the world. During the year past the company increased its capacity 25 per cent and its output more. Another vast expenditure is for plaster. Over 5,000 tons per year are used at a cost of $13,000. It is a beauti- ful sight at night, when the dozen or more stacks are spouting fire. Asked if the company had enough rock in sight to feed such vast appetites, Mr. Wuerth gave the assurance, "for five hun- dred years."
But recently the Brown Shoe Company has taken over the old Henderson plant and they are increasing their force all the time.
The old Grand Detour Plow Company, organized in 1837, is one of the reliable institutions of Dixon. Col. W. B. Brinton,. the president, runs summer and winter and during many of the years of drought that plow company was the only thing in Dixon besides the milk and cement plants that gave any employment to labor.
Four years ago Dixon began to mend. Something like a dozen beautiful brick buildings were erected. The present year the Dixon National Bank is finishing its beautiful five-story pressed brick building. In March they expect to occupy it.
The greatest prize that ever came to Dixon, however, was the location recently of the State Colony for Epilepties, which the Board of Administration located on the north side of Rock river. beginning with the F. E. Stevens tract upstream and coming down to include the A. C. Warner tract. The first expenditure is to be $1,500,000. For this piece of rare good fortune we may thank om present mayor, Col. W. B. Brinton. On Thursday night, February 19, 1914, a banquet was tendered him in the Elks club by over five hundred citizens and friends. The beautiful homes of Dixon have been sung in story ever since 1837, when William Cullen Bryant came over to visit Gov. Charters. Space cannot be spared to enumerate them. But the beauty spot of all bean- tiful Rock river was the river front tract just obtained by the State and how fortunate it is that the poor sufferers may eujoy the brighest charms nature ever gave to man.
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THE CHURCHES
The Baptist church was legally organized Jan. 13, 1841, and here may as well follow the short church sketches.
The nature of this work compels me to send to each locality a statement of each of the churches in Lee county.
The history of the progress of the Lee county religious bodies is interesting. The earliest settlers of the county held strong religious convictions and it needed but the presence of the church and the pulpit to attract them to church services, many times at tremendous sacrifices. Ministers of the Gospel in the carly day received almost nothing for their services, vet it was expected of them to support themselves and the family.
When Peter Cartwright received fifty dollars for his second year's stated salary, he remarked that he considered he had made quite a rise in the world. If percentages were used to form an infallible judgment on the question of salary raises, then Mr. Cartwright got an enormous raise, one hundred per cent. But when considered from fact instead of figure, he only received a raise of $25, as $25 was his first year's emolumment for the first year of Illinois service.
The early preachers came and went; they were on the move all the time. In fair and in foul weather, it was all the same; they traveled the circuit, sometimes on foot, sometimes on horse- back. Sometimes they had food and shelter and more times they had not, yet in the face of hardships almost unendurable those pioneer men of God pushed forward with an enthusiasm almost inconceivable at this distance.
Sometimes exposure prostrated them with long sicknesses and instances like the one noticed in Lee Center are remembered where death cruelly snatched them away, in a strange land, far from friends and family ; so very far that it was found impossible to secure the presence of relatives at the funeral. Hardship but increased the fervor of those men. At first it was the enstom for two or more communities to group themselves together, as for instance the first religious services for Dixon were held at Bnf- falo Grove by residents of Dixon's Ferry and Buffalo Grove. By resolution adopted at the first meeting, held in Buffalo Grove May 28, 1838, the name of this first church was named "The Reg- ular Baptist Church of Dixon and Buffalo Grove."
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At that meeting, Elder Thomas Powell was chosen moderator and Howland H. Bicknell was chosen clerk pro tem. Those who formed themselves into that church society were Rebecca Dixon, Sarah Kellogg, Elizabeth Bellows, Martha Parks, Jerusha Ham- mond, Ann Carley and H. H. Bicknell. Sixteen articles of faith were submitted and adopted and Mr. Bicknell was appointed clerk of the church. Rev. Thomas Powell preached for the church, holding meetings in Dixon and Buffalo Grove until May, 1840, and during that time he baptized about fifty members. On June 28, 1840, Barton B. Carpenter was appointed clerk, caused by removal of Bicknell, and on the same day he was presented to the church by a council consisting of Elders Powell of Vermillion- ville, Headly of Greenfield and B. Carpenter of Lyndon, and Brethren Andrew Moffatt of Greenfield, Zenas Aplington of Bnf- falo Grove, John W. Dixon and Elizabeth Dixon, both of Dixon, for ordination. He was examined, approved and ordained, and requested to serve the church as pastor, commencing his labors from the first of May. He served this congregation until its sep- aration into two distinct bodies, Dixon and Buffalo Grove, by mutual consent on April 16, 1842. On the separation, Mr. Car- penter continued to serve the Dixon church as pastor. By 1841, Dixon having gained on Buffalo Grove very rapidly, on Jan. 13, 1841, the Dixon elmurch had become known as the "First Baptist Church of Dixon." The last surviving member of the original church was Mrs. Martha Parks of Palmyra township, who died Sept. 2. 1898.
The Baptist church in Dixon is a prosperous congregation in Dixon today, but in Buffalo Grove it disintegrated about 1848 of 1850.
Early pastors occupying the pulpit have been, first of course, Mr. Carpenter, June, 1840, to October, 1844; Barton Carpenter, from December, 1844, to March, 1845; William Gates ocenpied the pulpit occasionally and William Walker about four months between March, 1844, and April, 1847, when E. T. Manning became pastor for a year; S. S. Martin became pastor in 1849 for a year; G. W. Benton supplied the pulpit for about six months between Martin's pastorate and Angust, 1851, when John E. Ball became pastor for about four years: Anson Tucker took charge in May. 1855. and served eleven months: W. R. Webb followed in June, 1856, and served over four years: William G. Pratt followed in March. 1861, for a year: W. S. Goodnow followed in September. 1862, for two years: J. IT. Pratt became pastor in October. 1864,
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and served over nine years. D. F. Carnahan followed in August. 1874, and O. P. Bestor in August, 1877.
The first record of a Baptist church building is May 5, 1849: "The Baptist Meeting House was this day dedicated to Almighty God ; sermon by Rev. JJacob Knall, of Rockford."
This building stood on the west side of Ottawa avenne, facing east, between First street and the alley running through the block. It was used by the Baptists until 1870, when the new and present structure on Second street was built and dedicated.
In the summer of 1845 a correspondent, writing for a Rock- ford paper, made the statement that at that time there were four congregations in Dixon, Methodist, Baptist, Episcopal and Con- gregational, and one church structure, that of the Methodists. h the summer of 1843 this first Methodist church building was dedi- cated by Rev. John T. Mitchell. presiding elder. Its cost was $4,000 and the board of trustees were O. F. Avres, J. P. Dixon, C. Edson, L. G. Wynkoop. Thomas MeCabe. J. Brierton and Samuel M. Bowman.
The building is standing to this day upon its original site on Second street between Galena and Ottawa avennes, and is ocen- pied as the residence of Dr. Marian White.
For many years after the Methodists had moved to their second church building on Peoria avenne, the old first church building was used as the high and grammar schools, the high school above and the grammar school in the basement.
Soon after the dedication of this Methodist church in 1843, a Union Sunday school was organized in the church, July 15, 1843, which had a membership of eight teachers and sixty scholars. A library of ninety volumes was collected. Of this Sunday school O. F. Ayres was superintendent, Thaddeus D. Boardman was secretary and JJ. W. Clute was librarian.
During the year 1854 the second church building was begun and work was carried forward on the same until it was finished.
The first parsonage, 24x30, brick, was built on Third street not far from the then Illinois Central depot.
The original cost of the second church was $15,000. When finished in 1857 it was dedicated by Bishop Bowman. In 1870, '71 and '76 improvements were made costing $2.700.
Among the old-time clergymen have been in the order named. Robert Dunlap, Barton Cartwright, Isaac Pool, Riley Hill, Luke Hitchcock, Richard Blanchard and Philo Judson. In 1842. Ang. 3d. Melugin's Grove and Inlet were added to the Dixon circuit.
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HISTORY OF LEE COUNTY
which already embraced Washington Grove, Light House Point, Jefferson Grove, Daysville and Paine's Point. Philo Judson and W. H. Cooley were appointed circuit riders. Then came W. Wilcox, David Brooks, S. P. Keys, Milton Haney, R. W. H. Brent, R. P. Lawton, William Palmer, Thomas North, James Baune, J. W. Agard, Wilbur MeKaig, N. P. Heath, L. A. Sau- ford, S. G. Lathrop, O. B. Thayer, W. H. Smith, G. L. S. Stubb, T. C. Clenning, George E. Strowbridge, J. H. Brown, John Wil- liamson, Isaac Linebarger, G. R. Van Horne and A. W. Patton. Rev. F. D. Stone is the present pastor.
A Unitarian church of society was organized in 1850. In 1855 through the efforts of JJudge John V. Eustace, Dr. Oliver Everett, George L. Herrick and the pastor, Rev. Kelsey, built a handsome frame building in 1855. The congregation did not grow and very soon the building was torn down.
On Sept. 29, 1854, the Congregationalists organized a church society in Exchange Hall. There were the following members : Mr. and Mrs. S. K. Upham, G. W. Bartlett, B. J. Bartlett, Noah Brooks, George D. Cox, Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Gilman and Mr. and Mrs. W. W. Curtis. Rev. S. D. Peet was the first minister and remained until April, 1855. Others who served were D. Temple and H. Hesley. B. D. Gay, S. K. Upham and Benjamin Gilman were deacons. The congregation worshiped in Exchange Hall until 1856, when they removed to a brick church abandoned by the Methodists when the latter occupied their new church building. The Congregational Society did not survive long, dis- banding in 1858, when most of its members joined the Presbyte- rian church.
In the year 1854 the Catholic church was organized in Dixon by Father Mark Antony, with abont twenty-five members. For the first few months church services were held in the courthouse, but later in the same year in the first church, a frame building, still standing on Fifth street. The pastors in this church, begin- ning with Father Antony, have been Fathers Fitzgerald, Tierney, Ford, Dr. Lightner, Kennedy, MeDermott, Thomas P. Hodnott. Rev. Michael Foley is the present priest and Father Donohe is the assistant.
The present beautiful church building was built in the year 1872-3 and was dedicated in the latter year.
Later the building was damaged badly by fire, but in the same year it was rebuilt.
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HISTORY OF LEE COUNTY
From the congregation of twenty-five of the year 1854, St. Patrick's church, Dixon, under the spiritual guidance of Father Michael Foley, has grown to be by far the largest congregation in Lee county.
This new building, built on Seventh street on a lot donated by John Reilly, cost over thirty thousand dollars. The bell, weigh- ing 2,500 pounds, cost $900.
St. Paul's Lutheran church of Dixon was organized August 20, 1848. Rev. J. H. Burket was the first pastor and the first meet- ing was held in his barn in Dixon township. The following is the roll of pastors and their term of service to date:
*Revs. J. H. Burket, 1848 to 1850; * Ephraim Miller, D. D., 1850 to 1852; #Charles Young, 1852 to 1853; * William Uhl, 1853 to 1855 and 1856 to 1858; #David Harbaugh, 1855 to 1856; * J. L. Guard, 1858 to 1861; * J. R. Keiser, 1862 to 1865; * A. A. Trimper, 1865 to 1870; N. W. Lilly, 1870 to 1874; S. S. Waltz, D. D., 1874 to 1879; L. L. Lipe, 1879 to 1885; * J. M. Ruthrauff, D. D., 1885 to 1895; T. F. Dornblaser, D. D., 1895 to 1903; W. L. Rutherford, 1904 to 1910; Frank D. Altman, D. D., 1910 .-
The first church was built in 1855 during the pastorate of Rev. Wm. Uhl.
The second church was erected on present location in 1868 under Pastor Rev. A. A. Trimper, and dedicated in January, 1869. The cost of the building was about fifteen thousand dollars.
The present parsonage was erected in 1876, during the minis- try of Rev. S. S. Waltz, D. D. Improvements were made to the church building in 1898 under the direction of Rev. T. F. Dorn- blaser, D. D., pastor. The semi-centennial jubilee was held December 16-19, 1898. The Sixteenth Biennial Convention of the Woman's Home and Foreign Missionary Society of the Gen- eral Synod in the United States was held in the church May 25- 28, 1909.
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