USA > Illinois > Lee County > History of Lee County, Illinois, Volume I > Part 45
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Andrew Breese opened a dry-goods store here in 1852. Of course there were many others coming and going, but those already named were the first ones and about the only ones history has to do with.
Paw Paw always has enjoyed first-class newspapers. Nov. 23, 1877, R. II. Ruggles issued the first number of the Herald. In Jannary. 1878, Ezra G. Cass and J. B. Gardner, took it over, but on February 22, W. M. Geddes took charge of it, and on March 21, 1878, Messrs. Cass and Gardner issued the first number of the Lee County Times. At about the same time these gentlemen started the Lee Monitor and the Compton Record. In August Gardner dropped out of the partnership and Mr. Cass continned. In April, 1880, he started the Earlville Leader.
Ezra Cass was a remarkable man in many ways. When he started the papers in Paw Paw he was but nineteen years old. Not very long after his Earlville venture he died of consumption. Many have said he worked himself to death to win success.
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The Baptist Church was organized at the house of Deacon Orlando Boardman, at South Paw Paw, in February, 1841. There were present at the meeting, Elder Burton Carpenter, from Dixon; Elder Thomas Powell from Vermilion, and Elder Hadley from La Moille. Elder Carpenter preached the organization sermon and Elder Powell preached the second sermon. Thirteen members composed that first organization meeting. Elder Carpenter preached about two months and he was succeeded by Elder Charles Harding, who was the first regularly installed preacher. He resided at Indian Creek and supplied the pulpits at Paw Paw, Ottawa, Dayton, Indian Creek and Paw Paw. Rev. Norman War- riner was the second minister, and he continued for twenty years. In South Paw Paw, a house of worship was erected during the pas- torate of Mr. Warriner, 24x36. Deacon Orlando Boardman con- tributed most of the cost. Towards the close of Mr. Warriner's pastorate another church building, 36x60 was built in 1864 and in 1873 it was moved to Paw Paw and remodeled.
About 1870 the Presbyterian worshipers began holding meet- ings in the schoolhouse and Rev. Alexander S. Peck preached for them regularly every two weeks. In May, 1873, the society was duly organized and in 1875 their new church at a cost of $1,900 was built.
In 1869 the Methodists met at the schoolhouse where Elder Lazenby preached. In the year 1875 under the work of Reverend Pomeroy, their church was built. In 1857 the Cottage ITill or Wyoming Presbyterian Society was organized. In 1858 a building, 20×40 was built. In 1863 to care for the increased numbers, this building was sold and a larger church building 36x60 with a steeple eighty feet high, was built at a cost of $2,000.
The first Sunday school at the grove was instituted by the Rev. Benoni Harris in the little Mead schoolhouse; the second one at the Robert Walker schoolhouse and the third in the frame school- house near the big spring. The first Sunday school pienie was held about the time of the organization of this last one and was attended with much pomp. James Goble was marshal of the day, and Elder O. W. Bryant orator.
The settlers of Wyoming were very much like the settlers of the other settlements and many are the yarns which have been spun about them. To repeat them all would take several volumes.
Jacob D. Rogers came from Pennsylvania and settled at Paw Paw in 1837. He was a powerful man. On one of his trips to Chicago, the merchant of whom he had bought a barrel of salt
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excused himself from assisting to lift it into the wagon. To show his disgust, Rogers lifted the barrel up and tossed it into the wagon. He was a member of the vigilance committee and no member of the banditti ever attempted to become familiar with him or his prop- erty.
At another time he desired his hired men to throw five three- bushel sacks of oats into the wagon. They suggested that the wagon might be driven to the barn for the purpose. Mr. Rogers threw one sack on one shoulder; another sack on the other shoul- der and then had the men add a sack more to each shoulder, and then the fifth was put up as a rider, making a dead weight of 480 pounds. To emphasize his disgust, he remarked, "If either one of you men is too lazy to walk across the road, I will carry him on top, if the other has ambition enough to put him there."
He was a free talker and if he ever had any troubles, they arose from the propensity to criticise whenever it was needed.
He maintained an underground station for the escape of slaves. In those days most of the school teachers were drunken fellows. Mr. Rogers disliked them so cordially that he built a log sehool- house, hired a teacher and joined with others to fill it.
During this early period the Indians were very friendly. Wau- bansie, a noted chief, and a great friend to Shabbona, was located at the grove when the settlers began to arrive. He was not so susceptible to civilizing influences as Shabbona, neither was he so intelligent. At one time, earlier, he was regarded as a bloodthirsty enemy of the whites and during the Indian Creek massacre of 1832, he undoubtedly knew all about the plan and urged its enactment. But with the conclusion of the war, he was what might be ealled a good Indian.
At one time when those Indians had been started on their migra- tion to their new reservation, 1,000 of them camped around the big spring. They were quiet and made no effort to disturb the set- tlers. So soon as they had been paid off they resumed their jour- ney westward.
I have had occasion to mention the frequency of the taverns along the highways, great and small. Being the great artery connecting the two principal towns in Northern Illinois, the Chi- cago road was dotted along with taverns and it seems at this time as though the Paw Paw's had more than their share.
Over in East Paw Paw a traveler stopped at the Jacob Wirick tavern. When the woman made the beds next morning, she found there a sack or portmanteau of money. It was not disturbed and
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when the guest left, of course he took his money with him. He had been shot as I have been told and a woman came and tended him. Later she left, and then the man. In fact my mother, conversant with the facts, has said so. Subsequent to this the guest was arrested for horse stealing. He sent for his wife and told her he had buried the money near a fence and marked the spot with a notched stick. She tried very hard to locate the money but failed. Of course the affair got noised about and many a search was insti- tuted.
By an accident, almost incredible, Harris Breese noticed a notched stick near a fence one day, and he broke it off and started for the village. Meeting Robert Hampton, he told the latter of his find and asked him to join in digging. Incredulously they began, but soon they dug up the sack which contained in Spanish doub- loons, the equivalent of $900. This was divided equally and it 1
became the foundation of Mr. Hampton's ample fortune.
Caroline, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Russell Town, was the first child born at the grove, April 21, 1836.
The dates of early Wyoming settlements have been put down in other books so many times that it would seem uninteresting to repeat them here. But so long as the books are not accessible, I must set them down without allusion to subsequent careers.
Levi Kelsey, Joel Griggs, David A. Town, Tracy Reeve. the visitor, Oliver P. Johnson, D. A. Town's family (Mrs. Town was Annt Roxy), Rev. Benoni Harris and wife, and eight children, six of whom were married, Edward Butterfield, John Ploss and John Wilcox, the last three of whom were sons-in-law; these all came in 1834.
Butterfield was another Black Hawk war veteran, who, attracted here by the beauty of the country, was instrumental in bringing out the colony.
Isaac or Asahel Balding, Russell Town and five children, Hosea. Harriet, David, Zerah and Elizabeth ; a Mr. Alger, whose grave is said to have been the first made in the grove, all came in 1835.
Job Alcott came in 1836. It is the general impression that he married Madeline Ogee before settling there; when or where nobody can tell. I have written every county clerk in the north half of Illinois, but no marriage license was issued from any of the counties. Charles Morgan came in 1836; so did William Rogers, the first postmaster. He was the man who had charge of the removal of the Indians in 1837 to Council Bhiffs, and it is more than likely that 1836 or 1837 is the date he bought his half of the
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Ogee section. He could not have bought it before because he came here in the year 1836. Subsequently he became an officer in the Mexican war and still later sheriff of the county in which Sacra- mento, California, is situated.
Henry and Medad Comstock came in 1836; they were brothers and blacksmiths. Both were drowned in 1839 while hunting ducks in Iowa. Samuel McDowell, 1836; his marriage with Delilah Har- ris, July 4, 1836, was the first wedding in the grove; Levi Carter came in 1836 and his marriage with Mrs. Gillette was the third.
Jacob D. Rogers came in 1837 from Pennsylvania. James Goble, later came in 1837; William Jenkins and family, 1837; John Sims, 1837, opened a tavern west of David A. Town's.
In 1838 came Rev. Caleb Morris and family, including his daughter, Mrs. Nancy Robinson, a widow, and her seven children, six sons and one daughter. These located south of the grove. Mr. Mead, too, came this year, purchased a claim south of the road of Benjamin Harris, and built on it. Mr. Dunbar, who died soon after, settled at Four Mile Grove in 1838, just over in LaSalle county.
Deacon Orlando Boardman came in 1840, from Pennsylvania and settled on a claim bought from Eber St. John. It is said of Charles Morgan that he told Deacon Boardman, "whether I am an abolitionist or not, my best mares are."
Deacon Hallock also came in 1840, and he is authority for the statement that then eighteen families encircled Paw Paw Grove, thirteen of whom were in Wyoming township, besides one White and French Pete, who was Pierre (Peter) Leclerc or LeClair. I must be pardoned in my orthography of this word; it appears in every conceivable form.
Bailey Breese came the same season and bought a claim from William Rogers, which included a good portion of the land on which East Paw Paw is situated. This Mr. Breese was a man highly educated ; public spirited, and commanded great influence in the community.
Peter May came in 1841, May 5th, and bought from George Town nearly all the land on which the town or village of Paw Paw now stands. About the year 1851 he disappeared mysteriously and beyond any question he was murdered. In 1879, when removing an old fence which surrounded his premises, the bones of a human being were found buried beneath it. Undoubtedly they were Peter's bones. The supposition was that in a drunken brawl he
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was killed. He was a blacksmith and built a smithy in 1842 on the south side of the road.
O. W. Bryant came in 1842 and settled at Four Mile Grove, past which the old Princeton road ran. In 1843, Rev. Norman Warriner came here.
Amasa Harrington came in 1844, with his two sons, A. J. and H. H. In 1846 he bought the May property.
TRAGEDIES
With all the appearances and disappearances of horse thieves, in the early day. Wyoming was free from tragedies. They came later.
In 1863, a peculiar tragedy was enacted. The city marshal of Mendota, accompanied by Daniel Mizenbaugh, William Mizen- bangh and another man called up John Britton, during the night with the request for his assistance in overhauling a couple of horse thieves, named Horton and Raymond, who then were driving towards Paw Paw. Britton and his two sons, John and William, joined in the pursuit. Near the then Hosea Town place the thieves were overhauled and the marshal, Mizenbaugh and the older Brit- ton faced the fleeing thieves and demanded a surrender. Horton's reply was a fusillade ot shots at Britton, one ball passing through his hat. At the Four Corners, the robbers' route was lost. The Paw Paw road was selected and at the bridge near the creamery the team was overtaken; it had run astride a sapling. Horton had been hit and was dying. His companion escaped. Immediately Britton and his son, William, surrendered themselves to Squire Colvill at Paw Paw who discharged them.
The horses later, were claimed by a woman from Wisconsin, calling herself Hames. Mr. Britton, the senior, at the next term of court asked the grand jury to indiet him for the act, but that body declined. While at the home of a friend, he was taken ill and died.
The Conant case was one of the most exciting criminal cases of the day, 1866. In the fall. a furious rough and tumble fight occurred between William A. Conant. his father, Elilm C. Conant, and William Barber, his wife, and Christopher Srygley and Rod- erick Kavanaugh. As a matter of fact about all the older Conant did was to look on and do a little bossing while poor William, his son, single-handed, fought the field, and when nearly overpowered and exhausted, he shot Barber, who died nine days later. It was a fearful fight and regarding the trial from this distance it was noth-
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ing short of disgraceful to find him guilty and sentence him to eight years' imprisonment and the father to six years. True, pardons came, one to William in two years and nine months and one to the father in four years and four months. But pray, what compensation is a pardon after a man has been ruined ?
The story is a long one; condensed it was thus: E. C. Conant bonght a farm the previous spring and sold the south half to Wil- liam, and rented him the other on which were located the buildings. Later, notwithstanding the transactions, the old man, against the protestations of the son, rented the premises to a widow named Kavanaugh. At the son's legitimate objections, the old man flew into a rage. Like a decent sort of a son, he confined his protesta- tions to Mrs. Kavanaugh. Barber asked to rent the eighty on which the buildings were located. Conant Sr., promised to lease it to him if he did not dispose of it. Meanwhile Barber and his wife went to board with Mrs. Kavanaugh.
Old man Conant went to O. W. Bryant, a justice, to make the lease to Barber agreeably with his promise, but Barber did not appear and so the deal with the son was consummated.
Without right Barber began fall plowing; he was looking for trouble. William ordered him off, and he in turn put two teams to work and Barber ordered them off. On Nov. 13th, the deeds and papers between the Conants were executed formally at Paw Paw. On the 14th old man Conant served on the widow a notice to vacate. Barber and wife were absent. On the 19th Mrs. Barber was pres- ent, and when Conant, Jr., appeared to serve the notice on Barber, she hurled a volley of billingsgate at the young man.
While awaiting the appearance of his father the son began picking up odds and ends and piling them up. Mrs. Barber then came at him, ordered him off, tried to push him off and then tried to remove the pitchfork from his hands. Failing, she started to the woods for her husband.
Knowing him to be reckless, Conant crossed to his house, got a revolver and resolved to stand his ground. To see that it was ready, he fired one chamber. The two hired men, Gordon Sanford and Frank Adams, were called from their teams to hear the con- versation as witnesses.
Presently Mrs. Barber and Srygley came without Barber and the hired men were sent back to work. Then old Conant arrived, but the son, desiring to remove him from a scene of possible excite- ment, sent him to haul away the stuff he had piled up.
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Presently Barber and Roderick Kavanaugh, the widow's son, appeared, running their horses. Barber attempted to ride over William. William grabbed the bridle and prevented it, at the same time, displaying his pistol.
Conant, Sr., Mrs. Barber and Srygley all appeared, the woman with a club with which she struck the elder Conant a blow, at the same time saying she would kill him.
When the old man demanded that she be taken away, as he did not want to fight a woman, Srygley drew her away and Barber sent her into the house. Old Conant, talking excitedly, approached. Barber turned on him, pressed him against a wagon wheel and was about to strike when the son drew and threatened to shoot. Barber paused. In the words following, Mrs. Barber stole up behind and struck William's pistol hand, at the same instant Barber sprang on his back. Kavanaugh joined him and the next instant Srygley jumped onto William's head and shoulders. A thousand things happened in an instant. In the midst of it, with three men murder- ously pounding him, William's pistol went off and Barber was shot. Besides imprisonment, the widow got a judgment for $5,000. A change of venue was taken to Whiteside county.
On March 12, 1879, William E. Rosette, over at East Paw Paw, insanely jealous, made a murderous assault on his wife with a potato fork. When the poor woman fell, the husband fled and drowned himself.
CIVIL WAR
Wyoming township was generous with its sons during the Civil war. Company K, Seventy-fifth Illinois Volunteers, was recruited almost exclusively from Wyoming, largely through the instru- mentality of Col. George Ryon and James H. Thompson. In the list of Lee county soldiers, Company K will be found in full.
STORMS AND FLOODS
On Aug. 19, 1851, rain began to fall and contimed without cessation for three days and nights. The frenzied clouds ablaze with lightning led the superstitious to fear that the day of judg- ment had come. Nobody left his house. Provisions ran out. John Britton's invitation to "help yourself to my potato patch," was accepted later. Crops were destroyed. Stocks were a total loss. Creeks were swollen inordinately and became roaring torrents. Fields were submerged for miles and great suffering followed.
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CYCLONE OF 1890
(From Lee County Times, Paw Paw, Friday, June 27, 1890, kind- ness of Ed. F. Guffin, editor.)
This storm eut a swath through Lee county, Friday, June 20th. "The first account of this frightful visitation is from a point twelve to fifteen miles, a little south of west from the village of Sublette, at what is known as the Blackburn Herd, where a num- ber of cattle were killed; from there it took an easterly direc- tion, a little north in a zig-zag course, from twenty to forty rods wide, mowing everything before it.
"Among the buildings destroyed are those of William Shaw, Daniel Haley, William Reeves, William R. Long and John R. Hatch, leading farmers in that section west of the Illinois Central track. No fatalities reported from that section.
"The tempest crossed the Illinois Central at Sublette, tearing down and destroying eight or ten buildings on the outskirts of that village. One old lady, Mrs. Bittner, was killed and fifteen to twenty people were more or less injured.
"From here the course pursued was a little north of east. Some buildings four miles south of West Brooklyn were crushed into kindling wood. Frank Schmitz lost everything in the way of buildings : his family took refuge in the cellar ; but three of the children were blown out of the cellar and tossed about in the whirl ; they were considerably injured, but will recover. The buildings on Valentine Bieser's place near Schmitz were also totally destroyed. The family went into the cellar and escaped unharmed.
"In Brooklyn township about four miles south of Compton, John Faulk and Daniel Miller lost each a barn. Leonard Blass' house and barn were both destroyed; Fred Baelman's orchard was completely demolished, but his house escaped with a few shingles torn off. The course of the storm from Faulk's to Bach- man's was northeast, but it then went due east nearly two miles following the road. John Palitsche's farm was the first reached ; here the force seemed concentrated, and utter destruction fol- lowed; the large house and barn are gone, with only here and there a splinter to tell the tale. Mr. Palitsche saw the approach- ing wrath and with his family went into the cellar. He says the house raised up, moved north and was lost to sight; he did not see it go to pieces; for the moment, there was so much debris flying that he did not dare move from the wall. None of the fam-
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ily were injured. East of the Palitsche house on the same road stood a schoolhouse; all that remains of its wreck are a half dozen flooring boards; school had been dismissed a few minutes and the building was empty; on the same road, east of the school- house, stood the buildings of George Palitsche; they were as completely destroyed and scattered as were his brother John's buildings; but here the inmates of the house did not escape. Miss Rice, the teacher of the school, with several pupils, were near this house when the storm overtook them and entered for shel- ter: in a moment they were scattered in every direction, and everyone more or less injured, some seriously-one, a child of Mr. Palitsche, died that night, and Mrs. Palitsche is thought to be fatally injured; one of Peter Eich's children had his jaw broken, and was otherwise badly bruised and cut ; it is feared that he will die. Miss Rice was not seriously injured, and went to work at once to find and assist the wounded children. A rider went swiftly to Compton for aid and it was not long till a mimber of citizens were present, caring for the hurt. They were all taken to the house of Philip Schlessinger, and a count showed four- teen badly wounded. Doctor Chandler was with the Compton peo- ple, and put in the night with the injured. Mr. Palitsche was in Compton during the storm and was notified by the messenger that went there for help. East of Palitsche's, on the south side of the road. Louis Knauer's house, occupied by Henry Arndt, was destroyed; no serious injury to any of the family-further east Henry Englehart's barn and orchard were demolished; next G. W. Keen, cast of Englehart's was visited ; his orchard was torn up, but his buildings escaped with but little damage.
"The cyclone now moved in a northeasterly direction, and reached the premises of James Blee. Mr. Blee and Henry Potter saw the funnel coming: Blee started for the house, and Potter dropped to the ground by the side of a large double cor crib. Blee with his family took refuge in the cellar; the large house was removed and smashed into kindling. Mrs. Blee received injuries which are quite serions : his mother who was visiting him. was unhurt. Potter escaped injury : the corn erib was not blown away; his team, hitched to a wagon, was in the driveway of the crib, but became frightened, got ont and started to run away: they became entangled in a wire fenee which held them, and Potter found the rig in this condition after the storm. The next home invaded was that of Newton Woods, about two and one-quarter miles northeast. Here the house was torn to pieces and swept
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away, with the exception of one room, a sitting room, occupied by the family; the covering of the room was removed, and nothing but the sides remained; the family escaped without injury. About thirty rods north of Woods stood what was known as the Field's schoolhouse; this seems to have stood directly in the path of the howling demon of destruction and here occurred the most distress- ing and appalling calamity, and one that for dire havoc and destruction of life is unparalleled in the history of death-dealing storms.
"Miss Maggie McBride, of this place, was teaching here; school had been dismissed-it was about 4:30 P. M. As it was raining but few of the pupils had left the house. Some parents had sent for their children, and one or two had started out in the storm; seven remained with the teacher, awaiting an abatement of the rain; they must have heard the hissing and howling of the tempest as it approached. Undoubtedly they saw the whirling, snorting, snaking demon as it bounded over the fields towards them, and huddled about their devoted teacher who attempted to quiet their fears-but one moment of this awful suspense, and eight souls were hurled into eternity. Anxious, agonizing parents, who lived near the line of the storm and in sight of the school- house, whose hearts yearned for the safety of their little ones, hurried towards the scene the moment the tornado had passed; but alas! the schoolhouse was not to be seen, and their dear ones answered not to their distracted eries.
"The grim destroyer did not pause a moment to witness the devastation wrought, but hurried on across the fields; the road running south from Paw Paw was crossed just south of Frank McBride's, whose barn, east of his house, was shattered ; the east and west road to South Paw Paw was crossed between Jack Reams' and the bridge over the railroad. The Reams house seems to have been on the extreme western edge of the storm's track ; an addition on the east side of the house was wrecked, and the main building moved six to eight feet south ; further east stood the George Kelly house, occupied by B. T. Searcy's family; this was smashed, the family escaping injury save Mr. Searcy's mother, who had a fractured limb and two broken ribs.
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