USA > Illinois > Lee County > History of Lee County, Illinois, Volume I > Part 42
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About 1846 Cummings Noe came to Twin Groves and settled. His first residence, like Thompson's, was a pen. He, Mr. Thomp- son and James Smith entered from the Goverment all of the south grove when it came into market.
The first white man's road marked ont, though never surveyed, was staked out by Erastus Noe, from Twin Groves to Hickory Grove, and used many years. Hogs, running wild, estrays prob- ably, were found in the timber before the settlers made their homes there.
James Smith and Nathan Koons reached there in 1847. Koons settled in the southwest corner, while Smith took up a 300-acre claim or more at Twin Groves. Joseph Barnhardt came in com- pany with them.
In the month of June Shabbona and his Indians paid them a visit, which was enjoyed by the Indians, notwithstanding they nearly froze.
Smith carried to his new home a willow cane which, when start- ing, he had resolved to plant when he reached his new home. After cutting it into four pieces. he planted them and in time he had four trees from which other cuttings were taken by thousands. thus realizing a prophecy that he should realize from his cane thousands of dollars, and which prophecy, by the way, was ridiculed.
During the war a man from Galesburg, named Platt, bought those trees growing in the region, and shipped cuttings in carload lots to all parts of the West, to be used in planting. for hedge fences.
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It took over two years to clean up the trees which originated from Smith's cane.
Jesse Koons from Ohio and A. N. Dow settled here in 1847. Samuel Reese and James Stubbs came in this year or next. A mar- ried brother of Stubbs came too, but he died soon after and James moved to Mendota. About the same time Cyrus and John Goff came and tarried a few years.
Lewis H. Durin and Gilbert Durin, brothers, came from Ver- mont in 1849, and these two men have left an imprint for good on Willow Creek, which never can be effaced. The L. H. Durin and Jacob Fisher estates own the north grove to this day. Later, Gil- bert Durin removed to Steward. The Durins always were doing good while living and it is the same today with their children. Miss Ida Durin of Scarboro, in this township, in the year 1913, built for the school district what is regarded as the only perfect school room and attributes in Lee county. The dedicatory exercises m the summer of 1913 attracted attention from all parts of the state.
Wesson Holton, from Vermont, located northwest of the groves in 1852 and he was another strong man intellectually and every way ; one of the grand old kind.
William L. Smith arrived in 1853 and James A. Harp in 1854. In 1853 the Byrds, from Virginia, settled on the north side of the groves. Louis P. Braithwaite came in 1853 and Louis P. Smith in 1854. This brings Twin Groves down to recent years, compar- atively.
About 1840 Doctor Basswood came to the southeast corner and remained four or five years. Nathaniel Allen and his family came in 1845. His sons were named Harrison, Nathaniel, Chandler, Ephraim and Alonzo. He had four daughters. Benjamin Nettle- ton came in about the same time. Isaac C. Ellsworth, from Ver- mont. settled here in 1846. The year previous his son, Benjamin, . drove a herd of stock out from Ohio.
Christopher Vandeventer, from New York, came in 1848, with a two-horse team and a drove of sheep and cattle. He settled on the southeast quarter of section 24, and at that time there was not a honse between his own and the notorious Brodie's Grove in Ogle county, seventeen miles northorly.
Between 1846 and 1855 there came to this part of the township Mathew, Perry and Amos Atkinson, MeNabb. Richard R. Walker, Andrew Stubbs. Freeman Crocker, Daniel Maxwell, Sylvanus Sta- ples, Prince Stevens, Hugh Wells, George Clark, Richard Clark,
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John Platt and Alonzo Osborne. Jephtha Mittan, in 1850, settled in the southwest corner.
Along up the cast line of the township, John B. Briggs came in 1851, and John H. Bacon and E. E. Bacon about 1854.
The Germans, as in Sublette and Bradford, were conspicuous in the early settlements of Willow Creek, although they were not among the very early settlers.
The first to come was Gottlieb Ilochstrasser, in 1854. About the same time came JJoseph Herrmann. In 1856, Frank Bates, Frank Herrmann, John Herrmann, and in 1857, a second Frank Bates and Erhart Hochstrasser. John Yetter came in 1859 and in 1860 George Erbes came.
Today, dotted all over Willow Creek, you will see farms owned by the descendants and relatives of these men, especially the Herr- manns. There are in Willow Creek, Joseph M., August, Henry. Edward, F. C., and F. X. Herrman, all splendid farmers and all prosperous.
But by far the most numerous are the Norwegians of Willow Creek and neighboring towns, which make up one of the very larg- est Norwegian settlements in the United States. It is about eight or ten miles long and about six miles wide.
As stated in another chapter concerning the Norwegians of Lee county, Sublette got many Norwegians first. Subsequently they left and most of them came to Willow Creek. The first was Amund Hilleson, who as a single man went to Sublette in 1851. From his first year's wages he bought from the Government, in 1852, the northeast quarter of 15. In the spring of 1855, after hav- ing saved some more money, he settled on that land. In the early part of 1856, Lars Larson Risetter, who too had gone to Sublette, followed Hilleson into Willow Creek and settled on the southwest quarter of 15. When he died, he was one of the richest men in Lee county. He bought land extensively, cheap, and it rose rapidly, and of him it was said. "No man made so rapidly and so fairly as Mr. Risetter."
Other Norwegians coming to Willow Creek were Jacob Ed- wards. Haakon Risetter, Newton Boyd. S. M. Maakestad. T. T. Eide. Thomas Nelson, and Ole J. Prestegaard. the richest Nor- wegian in northern Illinois, who as a poor sailor came to Lee in 1864. Without a possible exception, these Norwegians came from Hardanger. Norway. Last summer, 1913, over two thousand. from all parts of the United States, assembled at Lee. in this town- ship. to hold their second annual fest. It was one of the noted
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events in the history of Lee county. For two days those Hardan- gers visited and sang, and in the great tent just northwest of town, they assembled to bear tidings from one to another and arrange for attendance of the Hardangers at the home coming, back at the old childhood haunts in the fatherland. Without the slightest inconvenience, that vast multitude was cared for in and around the little village of Lee. During the two days' session not one boisterous word was uttered. Not a single police officer was de- tailed to care for the crowd. It was the best behaved crowd that ever met in Lee county.
These Norwegians are industrions, frugal and hard-working. Without exception they are people of means. Not a saloon can be found in this township. At one time a blind pig attempted to foist itself upon the community, but by the time those Norwegians got through with the proprietors, a lesson had been taught which has not been forgotten to this day.
Every Norwegian out here sings beautifully and the concert given the first night of the fest was a rare treat to all.
In 1866 the Norwegian parochial school was established as a part of the Intheran church system, having for its object the teach- ing of the catechism in the native tongue. The Norwegians all teach the children the mother tongue.
First, sessions were held in private houses; next in various schoolhouses during the vacation periods. Alto and Willow Creek townships were divided by the Lutheran church into three districts for select school purposes. Six months' school were held each year, three of them in the spring and three in the fall.
Those in Alto and part of those in the north end of Willow Creek-nine families-constituted the Alto district and held their school in Union District, No. 10.
The third or south district occupied the schoolhouses of dis- triets 5 and 7 and the one in Lee. The school was organized by Rev. C. G. Peterson and while waiting for a teacher, Rasmus Ras- mussen taught for a month. Then Thomas Nelson, the first regular teacher, came. Subsequent teachers have been Messrs. Hendrick- sen, Christopherson, J. Gossendel. Iver Fanebust, E. Teffre, S. W. Weeks, J. J. Maakestad, and another, a student, S. V. Tveit, of Rochester, Minnesota, president of the Hardanger Society, was another teacher. These same scholars are presumed to attend the English public schools.
In 1881, the south district built a private schoolhouse, 18x26, on
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HISTORY OF LEE COUNTY
the southeast corner of section 15, at a cost of $500. Holden Risetter donated half an aere of ground for the purpose.
The present council of Lee is composed of the following mem- bers: S. M. Maakestad, president, or mayor; Barney Jacobsen, George Beels, Sr., Marshall Edwards, L. A. Plant, Oliver Halsne and Robert G. Nowe. Kinnie Ostewig is clerk and F. A. Bach is treasurer.
Lee has its own electric lighting and power plant which gives an all-night service. This independent plant is owned by J. E. Malsberg. Power is generated by a 20-horsepower engine and I am told five gallons of kerosene will run the plant fifteen hours.
T. T. Eide is the oldest merchant of Lee. He has been located in one spot thirty years and has amassed a fortune there.
S. M. Maakestad has a very large general store, a handsome two-story briek of two rooms and filled with a very large stock of goods. Mr. Maakestad enjoys one of the largest business incomes in Lee county.
The opera house is a very commodious room, 60 by 90 feet I should judge. It is well lighted, well ventilated and surrounded by ample exits in case of fire. During the winter season a course of entertainments is always maintained. The merchants guarantee the amounts needed to support them and invariably the people patronize them liberally. In this auditorium the Norwegians held their banquet last September 18th, at their Hardanger Lagets, at which nearly one thousand were fed. This is called the Nelson opera house.
Three blacksmith shops do a thriving business in Lee ; they are owned and run by Lars H. JJordal. John Mahnsberg and John Tonch.
The garage and machine shops of Swan Ostewig & Co. are the largest of the kind in Lee county. In all the country round, this is the only shop in which welding can be done and in vulcanizing, Mr. Ostewig does all of it for neighboring cities and villages. His welding apparatus generates 6,300° of heat. In the immediate vicinity of Lee, over 150 automobiles are owned by farmers and citizens.
The Lee State Bank runs its deposits up over $200,000. It was organized Nov. 14, 1903. Its capital stock is $25,000 and its loans now aggregate $175.000. The officers are Henry Johnson, presi- dent : O. A. Johnson, vice president : F. A. Bach, cashier. The directors are Ole J. Prestegaard. O. A. Johnson. H. W. Johnson,
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J. E. Johnson, T. O. Berg, J. M. Herrmann, H. L. Risetter and W. E. Prichard.
G. P. Peters is proprietor of the large harness shop.
William Brown, Olaf C. Brown and Thomas G. Brown com- pose the firm Brown Decorating Company, which does a heavy business for twenty miles around.
Nels G. Johnson does an extensive paper hanging business.
Robert G. Nowe has one of the largest hardware stores in Lee county. I doubt if there is a larger one in the county. He issues handsome annual catalogues and does a large mail order business.
Charles B. Wrigley is the present postmaster. Besides his postoffice he keeps a stock of groceries.
Lee does an enormous grain business and the men who in the past have bought grain in Lee had made independent fortunes. Six hundred thousand bushels were marketed this year of short crops by the Neola elevator and that of Mr. J. E. Johnson. This Mr. Johnson buys live stock extensively, too. William Minnehan rums the local meat market.
George Edwards and A. A. Colby operate restaurants, and R. C. Flint and son operate the hotel.
A. R. Rogde, now eighty-five years old, is the only member left of the old first guard of Norwegians who came to Willow Creek in the '50s. He lives today on the same farm on which he settled. It lies partly within the village of Lee.
This village has a splendid volunteer fire company, of which Henry Eide is the chief.
Lee was incorporated about the year 1875.
The Norwegians of this big Norwegian settlement educate their children. The public schools of Lee are of the very best and after the children have finished the high school, they are sent to the university. In one family, three brothers are professors : one at Yale, one at Northwestern, and another in the East, I have for- gotten where.
The Lutheran church called the Southwest, has a pipe organ which cost nearly two thousand dollars. Rev. D. J. Borge is the pastor. Twenty voices comprise the choir, out of which a glee «lub has been organized. This church has a membership of 300. The Lutheran Church Northwest, though not quite so large as the other, exerts just as commanding an influence in the community and its musical exercises command the same talent and the same numerical strength. The Norwegians of this colony are a temper- ate, happy, industrious and prosperous people and the settlement
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is said to be the largest in the United States. Gradually extending, it has reached over into Shabbona and Milan townships of DeKalb county and over into Alto and Wyoming of Lee county.
And only think ! A few years before, these Norwegians were so scattered that no more than four church services could be held in the year!
The first school of the township was held at Allen's Grove in 1848 and was taught by Miss Martha Vandeventer, sister of Christopher Vandeventer, in one of Israel Shoudy's log houses. Shoudy had several log houses and was a tavern keeper at the time. A little later Miss Nettleton and Miss Laura Brace kept school in the same place.
In the spring of 1849, a frame schoolhouse was built by sub- scription on nearly the site of a later one-Shondy donated the land -and the next winter Miss Clara Price taught there. Miss Smith of Shabbona Grove was an early teacher in this school and so was John Colvill, later of Paw Paw.
Over at Twin Groves the first school ever taught was in a log cabin belonging to James Thompson. The first teacher is thought to have been a widow named Mrs. Stubbs, who was an early teacher in those parts. Miss Maria A. Holton, later. Mrs. B. F. Ellsworth, taught here in the summer of 1853. The Twin Groves schoolhouse was built in 1854, by subscription, and in the fall of 1857 was bought by the district at auction. In the winter of 1863-64, it was burned down : another was built the following sum- mer and Miss Mary J. Fisher taught in it the first term. Now the beautiful school building built by Miss Ida Durin is used at this point,-Scarboro.
The Ellsworth school was built in the spring of 1855, and Mrs. Ellsworth taught the same that summer. The finished lumber and shingles used in its construction were hauled from Earlville by Joseph MeCoy. Religions exercises were held here regularly.
The Vroman schoolhouse was built about the year 1855, and Miss Helen Vroman was a teacher there for several terms.
Allusion has been made once or twice to the beautiful school- house built at Scarboro by Miss Ida Durin. While upon the subject of Willow Creek schools, I might just as well tell all about this famous school. At this moment, it is the only school denomi- nated "perfect" or. technically speaking, "superior," in the county, and at its dedication it was the third in the state to receive from the state educational department a diploma. On Saturday. the 17th day of May, last, with a splendid program, this beautiful
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building was dedicated by Mr. U. J. Hoffman, a representative from the state superintendent's office. Mr. L. W. Miller, superin- tendent of Lee county's schools, was present too, and it may be said in this connection that he has done a vast amount of work in bring- ing to their present high standard the schools of Lee county.
This Searboro school cost $2,200. It contains a distinct library room, and it is filled with useful books. Its lavatory is conveniently arranged with reference to the two wardrooms and its mountings are of the best niekel.
The schoolroom is about 25 by 40. The seats are graduated with reference to the size and ages of children from the primary to the eighth grades. Cement sidewalks lead from the street to the doors of the school opening to the east. The very latest model of heating apparatus has been placed on the first floor. Mrs. Maria Ellsworth, the first teacher to teach school in that district, in 1852, was present and told the story of the first school already men- tioned, and for her services she received the sum of $1.25 per week and boarded 'round. How beautifully she contrasted the perfect school in which she was seated to the little affair way back in the fifties!
The program for this momentous occasion was as follows: Vocal duet, Misses Mishler and McCosh ; male quartette; invoca- tion, Reverend Schweitzer ; vocal solo, Misses Mishler and MeCoslı, Miss Newcomer, pianist: reading, Miss Olive Yetter; address of welcome, Prof. L. W. Miller, county superintendent : vocal solo, Misses Mishler and McCosh, Miss Newcomer, pianist : address and presentation of tablet and diploma, U. J. Hoffman; vocal duet. Misses Mishler and McCosh, Miss Newcomer, pianist; History of the School District, George T. Noe; Experiences of an Early Teacher, Mrs. Maria Ellsworth. And this was a rare treat.
Male quarette, "Illinois."
Placing "Superior" doorplate on the front of the building and photographing the new building.
Refreshments were served in the open air to a very large number who were present to witness the interesting services.
If I remember rightly. Mrs. Ellsworth said that her first school. taught in 1852, burned down in 1868 or 1869. About two years afterwards a more pretentious affair replaced it, which by the bye, is used to this day in the village of Scarboro in the form of a store. The present is the third. I had almost forgotten to mention that the lighting arrangements proceed from the rear and left of the
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PUBLIC SCHOOL. SCARBORO, WILLOW CREEK TOWNSHIP
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HISTORY OF LEE COUNTY
pupils, and in order to secure the most possible of sunshine and daylight, the windows bow somewhat.
Miss Ennice Fisher, daughter of Jacob Fisher, is the present teacher in charge. Besides manual training which Miss Fisher teaches, sewing is taught by her.
Willow Creek had two country postoffices before Lee and Sear- boro were platted. The first was the Willow Creek postoffice called by the people "Twin Grove," where it was established about 1849. The early maps, however, designate this as Willow Creek post- office. Robert Blair was the first postmaster. He moved away, however, at the time and never handled any mail. It was actually established at the house of one of the Goffs, who had it for a short while, and until Blair removed in 1850. Gilbert E. Durin took it then and kept it until 1853, when it passed into the hands of Wil- liam L. Smith. After keeping it for a while, he deputized a man named Beckwith to run it, who went wrong and then Mr. Smith took it back to his own house. James Harp followed and Ira Durin followed him. William Moore, B. F. Ellsworth, A. H. Knapp and Adam Miller successively followed.
The South Willow Creek postoffice was established in the sixties sometime, on section 34, and was kept until about 1873, by Hiram J. Abrams, when it was abolished.
The first preacher we can locate was Elder Baker, an itinerant Presbyterian, who held meetings at Allen's Grove in the Shoudy house. Reverend Canfield and Elder Wood from Earlville came occasionally. An exhorter named Olmstead is said to have preached in the various settlements of Willow Creek even before Baker preached there. Rev. James Price also preached there in the early day.
The first sermon at Twin Groves was preached by a Methodist minister from Rochelle. Rev. Richard Haney was the first cir- cuit rider who came there with any sort of regularity. It has been said of Mr. Haney that he delighted to join in the wolf hunts and that upon one occasion he dug from the ground seven wolves. Rev- erends Davids and Roberts also preached there prior to 1860.
In 1855 Willow Creek was taken from Wyoming and made a township and to it the present township of Alto was joined.
The first annual town meeting was held at Twin Groves school- house. District 3, on April 3, 1855. Tra S. Durin was made chair- man of the meeting: A. N. Dow was made moderator, and G. Bishop, clerk; and E. Woodbridge, justice of the peace, swore them in.
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HISTORY OF LEE COUNTY
In 1861, Willow Creek was reduced to the regulation Govern- ment township, six miles square, by the organization of Alto.
Until 1860, the elections were held at the Twin Groves school- house. The next two or three meetings, including two special meet- ings, were held at the Vroman schoolhouse. After that they were held at Allen's Grove. In 1865, they were moved back to Twin Groves. In 1867 and 1868 the Vroman house was used for the polling place and in 1869, the Center schoolhouse; for the next two years, the polling place went back to Vroman place and in 1872, to the Center house. In 1874, the election was held at the red school- house and the next year at Adam Miller's. At the town meeting in 1874, C. M. Bacon presented a resolution instructing the town board to take initiatory steps towards buying a lot in the center of the township and building thereon a town hall. It was adopted. John Yetter, supervisor, L. G. Durin, assessor, Dwight Davenport, town clerk, and Robert Thompson and H. G. Howlett, justices of the peace, reported that one acre in the southeast corner of section 16 could be bought for $150 and that a building 24x34, with 12-foot posts, would cost about eight hundred dollars. A vote on the pro- posal to build was carried, fifty to forty-seven. That same season the building was erected and the total cost was about one thousand, one hundred dollars.
On Oct. 16, 1869, a vote was taken on the proposition to bond the township to aid the proposed Rock River railroad, but it was voted down, twenty-four to one. On March 26, 1870, another elec- tion was held to vote on the proposal of bonding the township in aid of the Chicago & Iowa railroad, for $50,000, on condition the com- pany should run within one mile of the center of the township, and that was carried by seventy-five to fifty-one. But the road ran through the corner of the town in 1871, and so no bonds were issued.
The first supervisor was Robert Smith ; the first town clerk was G. E. Durin ; first assessor, Prince Stevens: first collector, William Byrd.
When during the Civil war it was feared Illinois might be invaded, a Union League was organized with a membership of about seventy, of which Nathaniel Nettleton was captain-president. and Andrew Stubbs was marshal. The organization met at Allen's Grove and the Vroman schoolhouse and was drilled by John Edwards, of Paw Paw. a Mexican war veteran.
When towards the end of the war recruits enlisted slowly. Willow Creek voted a bounty of $600 to every volunteer who should
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enlist and be credited to Willow Creek township after that date. No draft followed.
This little rural community did its full duty in the long struggle.
As near as may be learned, the following is a list of those boys who enlisted from Willow Creek township :
N. Chandler Allen, Alonzo Allen, Harrison Allen, who was in the Mexican war as well; David Anderson, Dewitt Abrams, Deval- son Abrams, Sylvester Bidwell, John Baisley, George Baisley, William Baisley, G. S. Briggs, Adin Briggs, Jolm Britton, Alphens Beemer, Charles Bennett, Reuben Bactil, Joseph Barnhard, Bige- low Barnhard, Lewis P. Boyd, Orin Cisco, Levi Cashner, Robert Donaldson, Alexander Donaldson, Frederick Erbes, John Edgar, John Ellsworth, Lewis M. Fairchild, George W. Girard, Ehrhart Gehrig, James C. Howlett, George Hollenback, Edward Hollen- back, Charles E. Hall, Moore Hess, Santee Hess, Edmund W. Holton, Densla Holton, Chandler G. Holton, George Hochstrasser, Orlando Jones, Andrew Jackson, Sivert Johnson, Morris Johnson, Joseph Kengular (or James Keghtlinger), Zephaniah Kengular, Nelson Larson, S. S. Linton, Jonathan F. Linton, F. C. Mason, Peter Mittan, Chauncey Mittan, JJames Miller, William Miller, Merritt Miller, Clement Miller, Frank Mills, Francis Mills, Wil- liam Mills, Amos Noe, William Noe, Hamilton Nichols, Thomas Nickelson, William Nettleton, Benjamin Nettleton, Nathaniel Nettleton, Jacob Schwab, Alexander Schwab, Jacob Smock, Charles Steinbrook, George Seymour, William Steele, Thomas Steele, John Shondy, John Smith, James B. Smith, Bayard Smith, Alexander Smith, John Unger, David Vroman, Robert Vroman, Abram Van Patten, Irwin Vandeventer, William Vandeventer, Christopher C. Vandeventer, Jr., and Robert Wells.
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