USA > Illinois > Lee County > History of Lee County, Illinois, Volume I > Part 39
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Death claimed many in the early day. Dan Beardsley, 1839; W. W. Bethea's wife and three children : Capt. Stephen Fellows' two daughters, Margaret and Mrs. Allen, who died in 1836; a Mr. McGee.
Private cemeteries prevailed here as in all new settlements. There were two graves on the Powers place at Gap Grove, the second one being that of a stranger who came from Kentucky and his malady was supposed to be asiatic cholera. He died on the night of his arrival.
The first public burying ground was upon the Capt. Stephen Fellows place, on the north side of the road, on the hill east of the barn. But when in 1840 the Gap Grove cemetery was located, most of the scattered bodies were re-interred in it. The first burial in the new cemetery was that of Captain Fellows, Feb. 8, 1840.
In a community exclusively rural, one would expect to find no mamifacturing or mechanical industries. No early day contrariety worked so boldly as this exception right here in Palmyra. Begin- ning with the trapper and Inter, Sales, of Sales' Spring, the milling industry of Lee county made its appearance. He landed there with nothing but a collection of mouths, stretched wide open like young robins. But he was not afraid to work. If he would split one hundred rails, his wage was one bushel of corn. The corn he carried home, bored a hole down the center of a log, over which he fastened a slender pole with an iron wedge inserted in its end. Working this pole up and down, he pulverized the corn ; then sifting it. he used the finer particles for meal; the coarser for hominy. With fish and water and woodfowl and berries and sugar from the maples, the family of good appetite reveled in good living.
In the early days Wilson's mills had a reputation for turning out fine flour which spread all over northern Illinois, and he was a Palmyra man. It saved the northwestern part of the state future hardships of trips to Chicago.
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Joseph Wilson, an old Brandywine miller, and a Quaker, settled on Elkhorn creek, operated his mill on that creek excepting at those times when the creek was dry, then Aurora on Fox river was their milling town. This mill was constructed by the neighbors who turned out in a body and built it, a rough log affair. Winter wheat generally was ground.
After the death by drowning in Elkhorn creek, of Daniel Obrist, while seining, his brother, Abram, built a very much needed saw- mill on Elkhorn creek and here flooring, timbers, door and window frames and siding were sawed out, thus saving the farmers tremen- dous labor. The first siding from this mill was used to build the first frame barn in the township, on the Ben Stewart place. Barn raisings were very common in those days. The entire neighbor- hood turned out invariably; plenty to eat was provided by the women ; plenty of Fred Dutcher's corn whiskey was provided by the men; and when completed, the barn was "baptized" by break- ing another bottle over the plate either by Reuben Eastwood or Abner Moon, whose vigorous lung power had provided them with voices to echo the proper speech.
Blacksmith shops were numerous the country over, especially along the Chicago road which passed through this township. A man named Smith opened the first shop. James Carley followed soon afterwards. The latter's shop stood a little west of Mrs. John Lawrence's house. A very talented but besotted man named Beach was his assistant. John Lord's shop, a little way out from the milk factory, was started in 1841. Twelve years later his son, John L. Lord, succeeded to the business and for years Lord's wagons were scattered all over northern Illinois. Matthias Schick's establishment followed in 1843, at Prairieville. On the north side of the grove Charles Columbia operated one in a log house just opposite Reuben Eastwood's home. This subsequently was moved across Sugar creek to the Columbia farm and was carried on by Dana Columbia, a brother, for many years. Four early shoe shops found their way into Palmyra.
Before passing the subject of manufacturing, I must copy a few words which tell of the man Beach who assisted James Carley : "This Beach belonged to a highly respectable family in the East, and had received an excellent business education. He kept Carley's books, which were models of neatness. He also blew the bellows and fetched the whiskey from Dixon. Old settlers will ever remem- ber this mass of rags and pimples, his head crowned with a dilapi- Vol 1 -25
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dated old stovepipe, always filled with old greasy newspapers, which he greedily devoured when he had leisure."
The early manufacturing efforts made in Palmyra must not be dismissed without reverting to E. B. Bush's efforts. He was the most impractical man in the world. He built a saw mill. Had he paused there, all might have been well, but he proposed too much. He also built an oil mill for the manufacture of castor and linseed oil. To obtain grist for the latter he induced the farmers to raise large areas of castor-oil beans and flaxseed, promising a dollar a bushel for them. The crop was tremendous. There was not money enough in the county to pay for it. The then manner of threshing was not adapted for flax. When the horses were put on to trample the straw, the seed was crushed and spoiled and the straw invariably coiled itself into ropes and tethered the horses into a stationary position. This the flax and oil branch of the business failed utterly. When the bean crop came on, Bush had no money and the crop rotted. Thus early the manufacturing languished. Subsequently Bush sold a claim, invested his money in medical books; tried to become a doctor, killed most of his patients and disappeared.
Of the Palmyra boys, many reached fame and fortune. Of the munber, the Page boys, sons of John H., undoubtedly lead.
George H. Page was born May 16, 1836, in Palmyra township. Soon after the outbreak of the war he obtained a clerkship in the War Department at Washington. Charles A. Page was born in Palmyra, May 22, 1838. He attained a clerkship in the Fifth Auditor's office. Later in the war he became the New York Tribune's war correspondent. In 1866, George H., Charles A. and David S. Page went to Switzerland and established a con- densed milk factory. They profited enormously. Later George H. returned to Dixon, bought the beautiful Governor Charters estate of Hazelwood, the Doctor Everett, Big Elm farm and the Wood- ruff farm up the river. Through his instrumentality a system of good roads was built. ITe built the immense Anglo-Swiss condensed milk factory, now the Borden's, and arranged all his affairs to live again in Dixon, where all the scenes of his childhood were enacted. But while in New York city he caught a bad cold ; pneumonia set in and he died. Over in the old Palmyra cemetery beside the graves of father and mother and all his brothers, he was laid to rest close to those childhood scenes which he had hoped to enjoy so much. His plans for the future of Dixon were many. His
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death cut them off. Mrs. Page and son, Fred, still live, spending most of their time in Europe where they have large interests.
While not a Palmyra "boy," yet Charles H. Hughes came from Palmyra, and Charles H. Hughes was one of the biggest men ever produced in Lee county. While mayor of Dixon, the system of pub- lie improvements was commenced which are going forward to this day almost as he would have made them. He bought the Hazelwood estate and while it was his, he brought it to a very high degree of beauty. Later he was made a Representative in the Legislature; then a Senator, and that position he held at his death. He was a man of commanding ability. His plans for civic im- provement were comprehensive and practical. He conceived big things ; he accomplished big things, and he became the biggest man among men. After a day's work nothing refreshed him so much as to retire for the evening to his log cabin on beautiful Hazelwood and by the blazing knot fire plan out something more for Hazel- wood and Dixon. Now he, too, is a neighbor of the Page boys in the same cemetery over in Palmyra.
Solomon Hicks Bethea, son of William W. Bethea, became a lawyer, a legislator in the Illinois General Assembly, a United States attorney and a judge of the United States District Court for Chicago.
CHAPTER XXXIII
REYNOLDS TOWNSHIP.
Leaving the township of Alto, one enters to the immediate west, the township of Reynolds, a beautiful body of land peopled by a splendid class of farmers. Here one is in old Inlet still. By this time, the vastness of old Inlet should be fully comprehended and the troubles of many of the people in traveling so far to vote must also be comprehended by this time, although in Reynolds nobody vet had settled when this territory was a part of Inlet. Reynolds like Ashton and Alto, being off the thoroughfares, did not settle until along in the fifties. At first Reynolds was part of Brooklyn. At the present time every inch of this township is under cultiva- tion, with the possible exception of the stone quarries of fine stone lying just a little to the east of the west line of the township. Here, in the early day, the builder was compensated for the lack of tim- ber from which to build a cabin, by the presence of stone which he was permitted to quarry and carry away without thought of com- pensation. Later, however, when its value became better known and stone became in demand, large quantities of it were sold and considerable quantities of it were shipped. After cement began to be used for building purposes, and the demand for stone fell off, the stone became useless and once again this stone may be had for the asking almost. Thus does the staple become the refuse and thus does the good of one day fluctuate and decline into useless- ness! Robert M. Peile, one of the old settlers, owned this stone quarry. At another time the Illinois Central railroad sent experts to it to test its qualities for building piers and abutments ; but after careful experimenting, its quality was found to lack the ingredi- ents wanted for great durability.
The first history of Reynolds has been neglected sadly. We know who some of the first settlers were, but the dates of their set-
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tlement never have been recorded and so in a general way only, can the history of this township be given.
Sewell Reynolds, Thomas Minier, Jonathan Whitehead, John Herrington, Dudley C. Whitehead, Daniel Brink, Jr., and Charles Gooch were among the older settlers and most of them moved to other parts before their deaths. However, Sewell Reynolds, who afterwards moved to Rochelle, was the first settler, locating in what was known as Brush Grove, about the only grove in the town- ship and in his honor the township was named. Simeon Reynolds was the first child born in the township and Nelson Morgan's was the first death.
On April 5th, 1859, the voters of the township met at the school- house in district No. 1 and organized by choosing Peter Mills as moderator and Robert M. Peile, clerk. At this meeting, Thomas Minier was elected supervisor ; John C. Piper, town clerk ; Thomas Minier, assessor; Dudley C. Whitehead, collector; Daniel Brink, Jr., overseer of the poor, and E. F. Gatten. John Whitehead and David Douthett, highway commissioners. The constables were Dudley C. Whitehead and John C. Piper. The justices of the peace were Peter Mills and Robert M. Peile. At this same meet- ing the voters then appointed E. F. Gatten, John Herrington and John C. Piper a committee to divide the town into road districts.
This meeting was held in a little cabin, 12x16, 6 feet high, built and owned by Horace Stearns for a residence; it stood for many years thereafter on section 10 and was used as a cornerib and then as a pig pen. There were not many persons present at that meeting : the names known today are J. C. Piper, R. M. Peile, C. N. Reynolds, Simeon Reynolds, Silas Shippee, W. M. Hawkins.
The low ground, for many years a part of the great Inlet swamp, was not cultivated, but with the big ditches dug since that time, that land is of the very richest. It is known as the Flats.
Previous to the building of a Methodist church, a meeting for organization was held in the house of C. W. Ament, in the autumn of 1875, with the following attendance: C. W. Ament, F. F. Farm- low. C. F. Van Patten, John A. Edgar, Daniel C. Miller and B. F. Parker who were elected a building committee. Very soon there- after the church at the Flats was built, a building 32x42, 16 feet high to the caves with a seating capacity of 200, was made ready for use.
In my haste however to erect this church building in Reynolds, I must not forget to state that that first meeting was opened with prayer, after which resolutions were passed for the organization
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proposed. F. F. Farmlow was chosen chairman and C. W. Ament secretary. C. W. Ament was made clerk and treasurer and he, with F. F. Farmlow, C. F. Van Patten, John A. Edgar, Daniel C. Miller and B. F. Parker were elected a building committee. Soon after the building was occupied, A. N. Dow was chosen treasurer, C. F. Van Patten, secretary, and John A. Edgar, C. W. Ament, A. N. Dow, C. F. Van Patten and B. F. Parker, were elected trustees. Sunday school was held there every other Sunday for many years; as many as forty members attended regularly.
Another very strong church in Reynolds is the Emanuel church, German, situated about a mile east of the Bradford line and four miles south of the Ogle county line. On January 5th, 1872, a meet- ing was held in the schoolhouse for district 4, for the purpose of organizing a church. C. Gagstetter was made chairman of the meeting and Ernst Wiener, secretary. At the same place the com- mittee appointed, met on Jan. 20, 1872, and reported favorably. A building committee was then appointed consisting of John Ker- sten, George Sandrock, George Boley, Martin Wagner and Ernst Wiener. At this meeting the following trustees were elected: Ernst Wiener, George Kersten, John Neuman, George Sandrock and George Boley, Mr. Wiener was made treasurer, George Boley was made secretary of the building committee. The building built was 34x50, 18 feet to the eaves, with a steeple about 18 feet high and a bell. The seating capacity is 400. The cost was about $4,000. Since erecting, the building has been remodeled somewhat and improvements to the value of at least another one thousand dol- lars were added. On Oct. 13, 1872, the church was dedicated, clear of debt, the sum of $1,100.82 being raised at the time. Unto this day, this church is in a flourishing condition.
Mr. Peile of this township was one of the first, and probably the very first man to introduce the herding of cattle in Lee county. He commenced by herding something like 900. Subsequently he had 2,700 under his care at one time. At this time it is almost in- conceivable how such vast herds could be cared for, yet they were cared for comfortably and Mr. Peile never sustained a loss out- side of the June tornado of 1860 mentioned in Willow Creek and Lee Center histories. During that fearful hurricane, many cattle and other stock were killed outright.
Mr. Peile seemed to have incurred the enmity of windstorms because in the year 1880 and the month of June too, his large barn, 50x100 was blown down. Nowhere can I find the date of Mr. Peile's arrival in Reynolds, but by calculating from 1850 when he
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landed in this country, adding a stay in the East; two years teach- ing near Mendota, he could not have settled in Reynolds before 1853. At the time of his settlement, the township was called Brook- lyn township.
Martin Wagner, located first at Lee Center in 1854 where he entered business as a tailor. Seven years later he moved to Reyn- olds. John Trotter settled here in 1860. While Ernst Wiener came to Lee Center, then Bradford as early as 1858, he did not reach Reynolds until 1864.
Thus it will be noticed that most of the first to settle in this beautiful township, settled first in nearby townships, and Reynolds was almost the last township to attract permanent settlers in numbers. But at this moment, Reynolds contains farms as high priced as any in the county. It was not so very long ago that Michael Sullivan sold his farm for over $200 per acre and bought another for almost $300 per acre.
Reynolds is peopled today very largely by the descendants of those rugged old pioneer Germans who settled in Bradford and China at first and then when the prices of their lands advanced, they crossed over into Reynolds and by remaining, they have been made rich to the last man. From the inquiries I have made con- cerning Reynolds I find that every person there is rich in worlds goods.
CHAPTER XXXIV
SOUTH DIXON TOWNSHIP
In the treatment of the township of Dixon, manifestly, little can be said of the olden day because for most of its history, the township was included within the township of Dixon, and most of the old time history pertained to Dixon and has been told already. However, this chapter cannot be dismissed with any such expla- nation as that. Since its separation from the present township of Dixon, much has happened in South Dixon which deserves close attention from the historian.
If no more than the old red brick schoolhouse were to be treated, that historian would have his hands full for a considerable period of time. Nine-tenths of the boys and girls of Dixon who have amounted to anything in the world have taught school in the old red brick. The old debates there have attracted the very best there was in all the countryside and in Dixon to thresh out a decision. The flights of eloquence which have battered those sacred old walls would have annihilated any built less formidable.
Who is there of half a century ago who does not remember the bursts of rhetoric supplied by Ephraim H. Groh? Who that ever has seen and heard him can forget Abram Brown, one of the most delightful gentleman that ever entered the borders of Lee county ? To possess those two gentlemen and to honor them will lend to Sonth Dixon a history worth while.
The old red brick stands today as modestly as it stood the day it was built; I wish I could find out just when it was built. Mod- estly I say, vet valiantly, when Mr. Brown wrote his brief his- torical sketch of this township, he very modestly omitted the schoolhouse and its debating society. This debating society was organized in the year 1858, under the title, The Edsonville Literary and Debating Society. Its first meeting was in this old brick school-
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house, so that it was standing then. The "corners" were called Edsonville. Mr. Brown who was a member of it from its birth until his death, was its first honored president.
Never was there a political campaign during the old days but the red brick was used week after week, and from the little ros- trum, Elihu B. Washburne, Horatio C. Burchard, Tom Turner, James L. Camp, Col. John Dement, and Shelby M. Cullom have spoken.
Today those same corners are called St. James and a church opposite the old red brick has been built, taking the name per- haps from the name of the church, "St. James Lutheran." At one time the attendance at this school was 120, more than at any other school in the county outside the cities of Amboy and Dixon.
Joseph Cortright was the first permanent settler. In 1839 he died and after that, the widow and her son, Richard removed to Dixon to live. Before that date, however, a young man whose name has not been left behind, settled in 1836. He staked out a claim near the three mile branch on the Chicago road. Shortly afterwards Peter MeKenney and his good wife, Aunty Rhoda came along and through some misunderstanding, they jumped the young man's claim. Uncle Peter was about as hard headed as most men and when his head "was sot" as he termed it himself, he was as immovable as the rocks of Gibraltar. When told that he had jumped the young man's claim he refused to yield to the demands of the "Claim Jumper's Society." and that body proceeded at once to make him move. When a delegation reached the place Uncle Peter was smoking his pipe peacefully in the shade of his shack while Aunt Rhoda was getting dinner. Two of the delega- tion took Uncle Peter by the arm and without much resistance, le was led over the boundary of the claim. But witteimplicit faith in his better half, he sent back the rallying ery, "Keep possession, Rhody; keep possession. They can't get ns out if you keep pos- session." But in spite of Uncle Peter's faith in Aunt Rhoda's ability to keep possession, Uncle Peter's cabin was loaded on a big wagon and wheeled away and the MeKenneys tried no more to secure the claim.
The second permanent settler was Charles Edson, who came with his family, of wife and sons and daughters, in 1839, from Pennsylvania. That family increased to five sons and three daughters.
These people were remarkably intelligent. They were just as benevolent and cheerful; just the people for pioneers and to this
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very day the Edsons are remembered for their many virtues. Mr. . Brown tells a very amusing story about Mrs. Edson after she had her teeth drawn. Her chin, like Mother Hubbard's turned upward toward the nose and upon meeting her one day, Mr. Brown said jocularly, "Your nose and chin will have a meeting some day." "Indeed," she answered quickly, "I'm not certain but they will ; many words have passed between them already."
I feel it my duty to repeat Mr. Brown's words concerning this delightful family, not because they are relatives of my family's relatives, but because they so truly and so nobly represented the pioneer spirit.
"Mrs. Edson was of that cheerful, mirthful disposition that attracted the grave as well as the gay, while her lovely character bound in the ties of a warm esteem, all who were thus attracted.
"Mrs. Edson was left a widow before her children were fully grown, but their training was begun right and it was her pride to say in her old age that 'not one of them ever caused her a moment's pain or shame by any wrong-doing.' They were all worthy men and women, noble in nature, honored by their fellow citizens and be- loved by those who knew them best. To the day of her death in ad- vanced age they showed the tenderest solicitude for their mother, and this slight tribute to her inestimable worth will find an echo in their hearts as well as in many others.
"The oldest daughter, Harriet, married Otis Eddy, but was soon bereft of her husband and infant daughter. She became a very tower of strength to all the family thereafter, and is to this day an ideal woman-practical, unostentatious, but noble in every sense. She went with her brothers across the plains to California when the gold fever broke out. Returning, after a few years, she again accompanied them to Pike's Peak on a summer trip, made in the same way. When a younger brother lay at the point of death in a southern hospital during the war, it was Harriet who went to him, cared for him, and brought him home:
"The family went to California and prospered. Their home lies at the foot of Mt. Shasta, and Mrs. Eddy was the first woman who ever ascended that beautiful peak. She made the ascent about the year 1854, and ten years later she repeated the feat with her youngest sister, Libbie.
"The other sister, Lucy, is well remembered as a talented musi- cian. Though a sufferer from a fracture of the hip joint which made a crutch necessary from childhood. she was as ready and
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cheerful as any, and no more delightful evenings ever were spent by the young people than when they gathered at 'the Edsons.'
"They built the house and barn now owned by the writer-one of the few of the original farm homes left on the prairies. They afterwards removed to the place near the Brick School House, which is often spoken of by their name. Their house is still stand- ing though no longer used as a dwelling.
"Here Mr. Edson died, and here the sweet youngest daughter, bibbie was born. As soon as their first home was habitable, Mrs. Edson gave up her largest room for a school. This was the first in the vicinity. The teacher was a Miss Robinson, later a pre- ceptress in Mt. Morris Seminary. She married Judge Fuller of Ogle county, and after his death, Bowman Bacon, a nephew of Mrs. Joseph Crawford.
"Among the scholars beside Mrs. Edson's children, were Mary Augusta Gardner, now Mrs. James A. Hawley; William W. De- Wolf, the genial judge of later years; his brother Erastus; Well- ington Davis and Hannah Casterline, later the wife of Mr. Davis.
"The superior schools in that district at a very early day were largely due to the influence of the Edson family, some of whom were its best teachers. Mr. Edson helped to build the first Metho- dist church of Dixon." [Note: He also helped build the Brick School House and was its first teacher: Editor.]
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