History of Lee County, together with biographical matter, statistics, etc., Part 79

Author: Hill, H.H. (Chicago) pbl
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, H.H. Hill
Number of Pages: 910

USA > Illinois > Lee County > History of Lee County, together with biographical matter, statistics, etc. > Part 79

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Stevens and Prestegard built a hardware store on Main street in 1875, and B. H. Skoyles began the grist-mill, finishing it the next year. In 1879 Christopher & Jorgens remodeled their elevator and put in a stationary engine and wood-working machinery. The present year (1881) Sardis Vosburgh erected a handsome brick store on the northeast corner of Main and B streets. This is the first brick struct- ure raised in Lee.

The village was incorporated in 1874, and the first board of trus- tees, consisting of James G. Boardman, Arthur McLane, William R. Baumbach, A. B. Trask, and W. H. Bryant, held their first meeting

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August 11. McLane was chosen president, and John Johnson clerk of the board. The trustees for the current year are P. P. Hill, president ; William W. Hallett, elerk ; W. H. Emmett, T. P. Dalton, H. W. Johnson, and K. O. Ostewig. This town, no more exempt than others from annoyance, has been, like them, plagued with the saloon nuisance. In the spring of 1878 the party opposed to licensing the sale of liquors came into power, and have since that time been in the ascendancy. This good achievement was originally due to the revival efforts of Mrs. Trego, from Ohio, a temperance lecturer who came and held meetings two weeks.

The first school was opened in December 1874, in the Dyas build- ing, with W. H. Emmett as teacher. In the summer of 1875 Miss Eva Bryant taught the school in the Midnes building, and the follow- ing winter it was kept in the same place by Henry W. Davidson. In the spring of 1876 Miss Margarett Edsall taught a term in the shop she had formerly occupied in the millinery business ; and that summer the district built the present school-house. In this building Miss Hampton kept the first term; J. L. Johnson then had the school two years, and the later teachers have been Miss Mary Griffin, J. W. Shanks, William H. Hallet, and Mrs. George Lattin. This is a union district, and Henry E. Daniels, Charles Childs and A. B. Trask were the first directors.

A converted Jew, calling himself Prof. Ryder, delivered the first public discourse in the fall of 1874, in the Dyas building, which had been used for a saloon. The room was not yet cleared of the rubbish of the ungodly traffic, and the seats were made by laying planks upon the empty beer kegs found on the premises. The same day a union Sabbath-school was organized in this house, and W. H. Emmett was elected superintendent. Preaching was now begun here by the Rev. Nicholson, of Shabbona, for the Methodists, and the Rev. Clouse, of the same place, for the Baptists. The next summer the public and the Sabbath schools, and the religious meetings, were removed to the Midnes building, where each was regularly held until the school-house was erected, in 1876. The two denominations held alternate services up to the time that the Methodists built their church, in 1877, when the Baptists discontinued their meetings about a year. They have since used the Methodist church every other Sabbath. Elder Clouse preached until January 1, 1879, and the Rev. E. W. Hicks since that date. The Methodist ministers after the first have been Pomeroy, one year ; A. B. Metler, two years ; Dickens, one year, and W. H. Records, one year. The Sabbath-school has always been a union one. W. H. Emmett was the first superintendent, for two years, the school then lapsed the same length of time and was revived with Samuel Hender-

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son for superintendent. He was followed after the second year by J. W. Shanks for one year ; then W. H. Emmett returned to the position six months, and now T. P. Dalton has it.

The Methodist church, built in 1877 and dedicated December 30, cost nearly $2,000. In the following April the steeple was struck by lightning, causing a damage of $125. The house is a gothic, 28×42, durably constructed, with a chaste exterior, and surinounted by a neat spire. It stands in De Kalb county.

Before the Catholic church was built in Lee, people of that faith had to travel long distances to attend mass; the nearest was at Twin Groves on the west, where services are held but once a month. It was thirteen miles to Rochelle, eighteen to De Kalb, and twenty to Sand- wich. In view of the needs in this matter, in the spring of 1878 M. P. Harris, John Kennedy, James Kirby and Bernard Malloy started the scheme for building a church in this place. Kirby was designated by them as treasurer, and Harris acted as secretary. These men went to the Catholics living in the adjoining country, and from those who would give to the object they took good notes, bearing ten per cent inter- est, and in three days raised $3,000. John Kennedy, James Kirby and Stephen Kirby divided the notes equally among themselves as col- lateral, and each advanced $1,000. The men first named now went forward and built the church. John Kennedy gave one acre of ground where the building stands, and this, with his cash contribution, amounted to $500, the largest sum donated by any person. The house cost $3,200. It occupies a sightly location in the west part of the vil- lage, and is 40×60 feet on the main foundation, with an extension in the rear running back eighteen feet. It was dedicated in the autumn of 1878 by Father Verdin, vice-president of the St. Ignatius College, Chicago. Father Edwards, of Rochelle, was the priest in charge when it was built. Mass is celebrated every other Sabbath by the Rev. Father Tracy, of the same place.

BIOGRAPHICAL.

ROBERT SMITH, farmer and stock raiser, Paw Paw Grove, son of John and Jane (Colvill) Smith, was born in Argyleshire, Scotland, June 22, 1822. Emigrating with his parents in 1837, he reached Ottawa in July, and the next month arrived at Smith's Grove, so named from his father, the first settler. This designation was given by the government surveyors. Prior to this the place had borne the name of Dry Grove, for the reason that it was watered by no stream, and two claimants had been in possession, namely, Cameron, who sold to James Armour and he in turn to John Smith. The claim included all the woodland except a scattering growth, and lines called for no attention at this period, for

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none had yet been established by survey. Neither house nor cabin had been built and only a few logs cut. The family located on Sec. 35, Willow Creek township, and erected a cabin on or near the present site of David Smith's house. In December they were rendered houseless by fire, but the loss of house was the smallest damage, for with plenty of timber at hand that could speedily be replaced, but not so with the gold and silver coin lost in the ruins, and the clothing, and bedding, and fine large library of books dissipated in smoke and air. This was the

second house built in this neighborhood and the first burned in these parts. A second cabin was erected by the Smiths a few rods east of the first, and soon they had relapsed into routine ways, with too many frontier cares for time to contemplate sadly their diminished wardrobe and furniture, but it was no easy matter for a reading family to become reconciled to the loss of their books. Besides the subject of this sketch the Smith children were John, Alexander, Martha, and Jane. Alexander was born on arrival at Ottawa, and John died in August, immediately after the settlement at Smith's Grove. This was the first death in Willow Creek township. The family remained together until Martha's marriage to William Hopp, about 1840. Mr. Smith's present farm is a part of the original claim. He made entries of land at different times directly from the government. The first pieces were the S. E. { and the N.W. ¿ of S.W. ¿ Sec. 35. He owns 290 acres, in the highest state of im- provement, hedged with willow and osage orange, containing valuable orchards, and a beautiful two-story residence, with arcade in front and elegantly furnished throughout. This place, known all over the country as Willow Farm, has a high reputation for the natural beauty of its location and a variety of cultivated attractions, which denote the rare taste of its possessor. In an article upon this delightful country seat the " Amboy Times " says : " The Willow Farm, the residence of Robert Smith, two and one-half miles north of West Paw Paw, is an exhibition of art and nature combined, to show what could be done to harmonize discordant elements and to grow into symmetry a beautiful home- residence in this great State of Illinois. Mr. Smith's father came to this country in an early day and selected this choice spot now matured into a paradise. . . . All in all this impresses one with a love for a country home." Mr. Smith was united in marriage with Miss Harriet M. Baisley, daughter of John H. and Jane M. (Low) Baisley, of Wayne county, Pennsylvania, December 26, 1856. Mr. Baisley was reared in Philadelphia and Mrs. Baisley was a lady of French extraction, from whom, doubtless, Mrs. Smith inherited her exquisite love of the beautiful. Three children have blessed their union and inspirited their home with the sunshine and gladness of domestic joy : Ella G., a graduate from the Jennings Seminary, at Aurora, whose accomplish- .

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HISTORY OF LEE COUNTY.

ments in the fine arts are of a high order, is the wife of Teal Swarthout, of West Paw Paw. Bertha B., now Mrs. William Crompton, living near Chatsworth, Livingston county, displayed at a very early age a delicate poetic taste and power, which suggests at once a recollection of those fairies of verse, the Davidson sisters. When fifteen years old her poems, appearing under the name of "Bertie," were admired and received appreciative comment. One piece, written when she was fourteen, entitled "Would that I were a Child Again," leads the reader to think of the writer as one of mature years. Clyde W., the youngest child, is living at home. He has been about two years in attendance at the Classical Seminary at East Paw Paw, and this season will enter the Chicago University to fit himself for the practice of the law. Mr. Smith is a republican in politics. He has held township office and was the first supervisor of Willow Creek township.

DAVID SMITH, farmer and stock raiser, Paw Paw Grove, son of John and brother to Robert Smith, was born in Argyleshire, Scotland, July 16, 1831. His father was thoroughly educated for the ministry in the Presbyterian church, but abandoned his purpose to become a farmer. In 1837 he came to America and located with the rest of the family at Smith's Grove, which received its name from his father, as the original settler at that point. In December after arrival the cabin which they had erected was burned down, and nearly all their effects, including a large and valuable library, were lost. His father in trying to remove a trunk containing all the coin they had and other articles of value was burned in the face by ignited tallow streaming down from overhead, and was obliged to drop the trunk and leave it to be de- stroyed with its contents. This misfortune made him destitute, and he had to buy corn on credit at $1 per bushel. It was seven years be- fore he could pay for it, and the same time elapsed before he was able to save $50 to buy forty acres of land. He gave for his claim in the first place $150. While struggling in the midst of straits and difficul- ties a cousin in Scotland sent him $100, which seemed at that time like a special providence in the form of a small fortune. To raise the $50 mentioned he sold cows at $7 apiece and a very fine young mare at $35. At that time three-year-old steers would bring but $11. People hauled pork to Chicago and sold it for $1.50 to $2.50 per hun- dred. Potatoes delivered there brought thirty cents, and wheat fre- quently no more than forty cents per bushel. At the Farmers' Hotel, in that city, a man could get supper, lodging and breakfast, and hay for his team, all for fifty cents. When Mr. Smith's father died, in 1860, he had three hundred acres of land as the reward of his industry, pri- vations and self-denyings. The mother did not survive long after their arrival in Illinois, but died in 1840. Deer abounded here in great

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numbers, and wolves were so numerous that the repeated attempts at sheep husbandry were aggravating failures. Young Smith embraced such opportunities as there were for schooling, and obtained a fair edu- cation by attending winters until he was of age. His earliest teacher was Robert Walker, who taught first on the town place, and to whom he went six terms. Another of his instructors was a man named Smith. His school was on the west side of Peru street north of the depot in West Paw Paw. Mr. Smith is the owner of several choice tracts of farming land. In his homestead on Sec. 35 are 110 acres and across the road in Wyoming in Secs. 1 and 2 and 330 acres more. In Sec. 3 of Wyoming and Sec. 34 of Willow creek are 112 acres, and in the latter township in Sec. 26 are 120, and Sec. 33 still another piece of 80 acres. On the death of their mother, about 1864, Mr. Smith received into his family nine nephews and nieces over whom he has exerted a truly benevolent and fatherly care. Three have died, three are doing for themselves, and the others are still at home. None of his nieces have married. To each of the boys he gave $1,000 when twenty-one. Since reaching manhood Mr. Smith has been most of the time in office. He was assessor several terms, and school trustee and treasurer fourteen years.

NATHANIEL A. NETTLETON, deceased, was born in Ireland, Septem- ber 30, 1829. About 1843 his parents, Benjamin and Maria (English) Nettleton, with their family came to Sterling, Illinois, and in 1845 re- moved from thence to Smith's Grove, in this county, where they bought a farm in Sec. 35, Willow Creek township. This is now owned by Philip Pierce. After Nathaniel became of age he worked out, rented farms on shares, and traveled according as circumstances favored his so doing. On December 28, 1858, he was married to Miss Jane Smith, daughter of John and Jane (Colvill) Smith. Shortly after this event he bought the Bishop farm, adjoining the home-place on the west. In . February, 1865, he enlisted in Co. I, 15th Ill. Inf., and was taken sick while in camp in Chicago. He was furloughed to come home and re- cruit his health, and three weeks later died at his residence, of inflam- mation of the lungs, contracted by exposure in the barracks. A sud- den change in the weather found the soldiers without an adequate supply of blankets. Mr. Nettleton was interred in the Ellsworth burying-ground. His widow, thus bereft, had the sole care and train- ing of three small children fall to her lot, but by judicious manage- ment she has been able to keep her family together and to save her home. All the children are still with their mother. These are Cora, Harley, and Arthur. The eldest is twenty-one and the youngest nearly eighteen. Mr. Nettleton's father was a carpenter, and not in very easy circumstances when he came to this state.

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HISTORY OF LEE COUNTY.

LEWIS M. FAIRCHILD, farmer and stock raiser, Paw Paw Grove, was born in New York, June 22, 1831. When he was five years old his parents, Samuel P. and Willmot (Ogden) Fairchild, moved to Canada, where they resided eighteen years. Early in 1850 our subject apprenticed himself to the blacksmith trade at Mount Pleasant, learn- ing it in three years, together with carriage ironing and all kinds of work appertaining to this business. In the spring of 1853 he came to Lee Center, this county, and worked one year; after that he was em- ployed at West Paw Paw by James Symonds and made the first stir- ring and breaking plows and corn cultivators ever manufactured in the place. He was married here December 3, 1854, to Elizabeth, daughter of Oliver Edmonds, of Shabbona, De Kalb county. Her father was an early settler near Washington Grove, in Ogle county, to which place he came in 1838 and made a elaim of 160 acres, which he sold to John Edwards. In 1855 Mr. Fairchild removed to Amboy and the follow- ing spring went by ox-train overland to California, making the jour- ney in three months. He was on the Pacific coast less than four months and returned via Nicaraugua and Graytown. Early next year he located at Shabbona Grove and worked at his trade two years. In 1859 he bought 120 acres in Sec. 33, Willow Creek township, where he now resides, and to this subsequently added a tract of eighty acres. In 1862 Mr. Fairchild enlisted in the 75th Ill. Inf. He fought at Perry- ville, where he was three times struek with bullets; one was stopped by the brass on his belt and another lodged in his pocket-book. At Stone River he was captured by the enemy and escaped, but was re- taken the next day. He had been in their hands but two hours the second time when Col. Brownlow led a cavalry charge on the Mur- freesboro pike and reseued the prisoners, including Mr. Fairchild. During Mr. Fairchild's absence his wife, quite as heroic as any soldier in the field, remained on the farm plying her lonely cares and waiting with fortitude for her husband's return. From December, 1864, till the next September James Pike, of the 1st Tenn. reg. (rebel), was the hand in charge of the place. He was a prisoner and enlisted in our navy, but by reason of a wound was rejected and Mr. Fairchild got permission to send him to work on his farm. The subject of this sketch had three brothers in the 13th Ill. Inf. He is a republican and a Mason, and belongs to the Methodist church, of which Mrs. Fair- child is also a member.

LEWIS E. DURIN, farmer and stock raiser, Steward, was born in Newfane, Windham county, Vermont, March 8, 1820. His parents, Ethan and Mary (Gates) Durin, were of English descent. When our subjeet was fifteen his father moved to Franklin county, Vermont, where he owned a farm. Lewis stayed at home till he was twenty-one,

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and his health having become impaired he spent his twenty-second year at Saratoga Springs. The next seven years he worked most of the time as a laborer. In 1849 he came to Rockton, Winnebago county, Illinois. In the autumn of 1850 his brother Gilbert arrived from the east, and the two together entered, in Secs. 5, 6, 7 and 8, pieces of land aggregating half a section. In 1853 the parents also came west, and from that time until their death, in 1865, they had their home with Lewis. The mother died February 23 and the father April 11. On February 8, 1854, Mr. Durin was married to Miss Margaret Rees, daughter of Thomas and Margaret Rees, of Virginia. They have had four children : Martha died in 1861, at the age of six and a half years ; Ida M. lives at home; Ada E. is the wife of W. W. Brittain, and Will- iam G. is at home. Mr. Durin has made a number of changes in his farm, by selling off and buying again, to bring it to that standard which his fancy approves, and now it is one mile square and contains many pleasing and valuable improvements. The grove is a feature that can- not fail at once to attract notice. It covers four acres, one half is white ash, the other European larch and a few soft maples, the whole regu- larly arranged in rows. The value of his land is much enhanced by the fine buildings which it contains. There are seven principal ones. His beautiful residence stands near the site of his old house. Two barns are each 30×50, one is 30×68, the hay barn is 30×40, the corn barn 24x50, the carriage-house 20×30, and the granary 16×24. Mr. Durin is a republican in politics. He has been four times elected assessor. His brother, Ira S. Durin, for some ten years justice of the peace of Willow Creek township, will be remembered as prominent in the early history.

E. W. HOLTON, farmer, Paw Paw Grove, son of Wesson and Hepsi- beth (Durin) Holton, was born in Vergennes, Vermont, May 21, 1839. His father was a millwright. In 1853 he moved west and settled at Twin Grove, where he still resides. Edmund lived with his grand- . father Holton at Dummerston, in his native state, until the next year after his father's departure, when he ran away, and by the aid of a lit- tle money given him by an uncle reached Chicago. Arriving on Sun- day he asked for entertainment at the first house he saw, and was kept till Monday. The man being a workman in a machine shop he accom- panied him to his work in the hope of getting something to do for money to continue his journey, but his entertainer was generous enough to raise $5 for him and he went on his way with gratitude in his heart. He came directly to Twin Grove, knowing that here he should find his father and the Durins. He worked the first year for his uncle, Ira Durin, and after that was at home with his father till his majority. Beginning in the autumn of 1860 he worked by the month for nine

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HISTORY OF LEE COUNTY.

months at Prophetstown, Whitesides county. In August, 1861, he volunteered in Co. B, 34th Ill. Inf., and the first engagement in which this command participated was at Corinth. Mr. Holton was taken seriously ill at Nashville and was discharged on surgeon's certificate. This sickness disqualified him for labor during the first year at home. On December 25, 1862, he was united in marriage with Miss Cordelia Mittan, danghter of Jeptha Mittan. In the fall of 1863 he took his father's farm and worked it twelve years, and in October, 1875, bought his present home, an improved farm of eighty-six acres, on Sec. 20. Mr. Holton is a republican. His four children are Elmer D., Arthur R., Wesson, and Larilla. His grandfather, Wranslow Holton, is living, at the advanced age of ninety-two.

DWIGHT DAVENPORT, farmer and stock raiser, Paw Paw Grove, son of Erastus and Pamelia (Dayton) Davenport, was born in Delaware county, New York, June 15, 1829. His father was a farmer in good circumstances, who had cleven children. At the age of ten our subject went to live with his uncle, Charles Davenport, a merchant at Angelica, Alleghany county, New York. Here he attended school at the Alle- ghany Academy four years, and was graduated in the class of 1850. The remainder of the time he was clerking in his uncle's store, until 1859, when he came west and settled in Willow Creek township, buying 120 acres of wild land in Sec. 27, on which he is still residing. On January 31, 1854, he was married to Miss Margaret Hickman, daughter of Abram and Esther (Searles) Hickman, of Lansing, Tompkins county, New York. They have reared one son, Charles T., who married Miss Mary, daughter of Andrew Stubbs, an adjoining neighbor. In 1881 Mr. Davenport erected a fine new house on his premises, which is 18×34 in the main part, with a wing 18×22, two stories and a base- ment. Politically he is a republican.

ALBERT GLASSPOOLE, farmer, Paw Paw Grove, was born in the county of Norfolk, England, October 14, 1834. His father, who died when Albert was but ten years old, was commander in the Honorable East India Company service. Albert was educated first at the Yarmonth Grammar School, and then at a naval school, in the city of Yarmouth. At sixteen years of age, as midshipman, he made his first voyage to Melbourne, Australia, in the government service, taking out one hun- dred and fifty distressed needle-women from the port of London. From Melbourne, with a cargo of smoked mutton-hams, he sailed to Hong- Kong, China, and thence, with teas and silks, returned to London. His second voyage was from the port of Yarmouth to Constantinople, with a general cargo, in his uncle's schooner, a pleasure trip described by the sailor phrase, " In everybody's mess and nobody's watch." In 1853 he was appointed to the Royal Mail Steam Packet service, as fifth officer,

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and for nineteen months was stationed out at the Island of St. Thomas. During this stay the ship encountered one of the most fearful hurri- canes on record. It was about this time that Gen. Santa Anna made his final escape from Mexico, and young Glasspoole thus describes his connection with that affair : " Having run into Havana on our return voyage word came to us through the Spanish pilot that we would find Gen. Santa Anna in the Bahama channel on board the Spanish man-of- war, and he would like to have us stop and take him to St. Thomas. Accordingly I was sent off in charge of a boat to get him. On going aboard the Spanish steamer I was introduced to the general's wife and told her I was ready to take them aboard. After taking the general and his wife aboard I returned with two boats for his money and his suites. The money was in silver bars; there were two good boat loads of that." While "lying to" at Greytown, on the isthmus, Glasspoole saw that whole town burned to ashes by American men-of-war. Failing in an attempt to bombard it down the men went ashore and fired it with tar and kerosene. Glasspoole assisted in taking the refugees off to an island. It may be of interest to mention that the last ship to which he was appointed in this service was the Trent, afterward so noted in the Mason and Slidell case. Mr. Glasspoole received a very complimentary letter from the court of directors, dated May 10, 1856. We quote just enough to indicate its character : " Conveying expression of their satisfaction at the praiseworthy conduct displayed by you on the night of the 30th ult., and also at the high character given you by Capt. Abbott." Shortly after receiving this letter, as a further mark of esteem, he was honored with a very gratifying promotion. In 1857 Mr. Glasspoole emigrated to America. At Batavia, Illinois, he was married to Miss Laura Carr, daughter of Capt. Carr, of the U. S. Mer- chant service. His first years of western farming were spent on rented land in Kane county. Here his change from sailor life was attended with some curious and somewhat expensive experience. He was wont to say, " Yes, I am naturalized, at a cost of $2,000." About 1866 he came to Willow Creek township and bought 160 acres. He has a good farm all paid for. He has one son, who has crossed the Atlantic twice and is now a student at East Paw Paw; also a brother is colonel in the Queen's service.

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History of Lee County, together with biographical matter, statistics, etc., Part 79

Author: Hill, H.H. (Chicago) pbl Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Chicago, H.H. Hill Number of Pages: 910

Author: Hill, H.H. (Chicago) pbl
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, H.H. Hill
Number of Pages: 910