USA > Illinois > McHenry County > History of McHenry County, Illinois, Volume I > Part 30
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Chemung Township, Mt. Auburn Cemetery in section 1, township 45, range 5, and one in each of sections 27 and 33.
Dunham Township, Oakland Cemetery, and one in each of seetions 7, 19 and 35.
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HISTORY OF MCHENRY COUNTY
Greenwood Township, Greenwood Cemetery, and one in each of sec- tions 20, 22 and 35.
Hebron Township, Parkers Cemetery ; and one in section 26.
Marengo Township, Stewart's burying ground, and Marengo Ceme- tery.
Nunda Township, Mosgrove Cemetery.
Riley Township, Riley Center Cemetery.
Richmond Township, one in the village of Richmond; and one in each of sections 4, 11, 20 and 26, the last being known as Cedar Vale.
Dorr Township, one at "Oakland" and the Catholic Cemetery. "Cal- vary."
Harvard Township, Mt. Auburn, principal one used now.
MeHenry Township, those found in sections 8, 9 and 20.
Grafton Township, one in each of seetions 10 and 23.
Coral Township, one in seetion 5 at the village of Union.
Seneca Township, one in seetion 24.
Hartland Township, one at the village; and one in section 6.
POPULATION
The population of this county at different periods has been as follows : in 1840, 2,578; in 1850, 14,978 ; in 1860, 22,089 ; in 1870, 23,762; in 1880, 24,908; in 1910, 32,509, and in 1920, 33,164.
By townships the population for the years 1890, 1900, 1910 and 1920 was as follows:
1890
1900
1910
1920
Alden Township
1,026
1,015
1,014
964
Algonquin Township
3,675
3,043
2,512
3,528
Algonquin Village
550
642
693
Burton Township
296
400
451
441
Chemung Township
3,057
3,814
4,101
4,421
Harvard City
1,967
2,602
3,008
3,296
Coral Township
1,354
1,451
1,432
1,296
Union Village
322
406
399
Dorr Township
2,796
3,470
5,335
6,408
Woodstock City
1,683
2,502
4,331
5,523
Dunham Township
919
859
849
857
Grafton Township
1,437
1,484
1,589
1,475
Huntley Village
550
606
773
.
1
Bt
aukelly
HISTORY OF McHENRY COUNTY
339
1890
1900
1910
1920
Greenwood Township
889
901
908
858
Ilartland Township
960
874
905
860
Hebron Township
1,167
1,430
1,430
1,363
Ilebron Village
611
644
631
Marengo Township
2,255
2,859
2,702
2,442
Marengo City
1,445
2,005
1,936
1,758
MelIenry Township
2,555
2,673
2,679
2,825
MeHenry Village
979
1,013
1,031
1,146
Nunda Township
1,805
1,963
2,110
2,321
Crystal Lake
1,219
1,554
1,932
2,449
Richmond Township
1,212
1,498
1,472
1,448
Richmond Village
415
776
5544
53
Spring Grove
203
363
Riley Township
830
915
822
717
Seneca Township
1,046
1,105
1,023
940
Union Village
322
432
399
SELECTED NATIVITY-1860
Native.
Foreign.
Born in this State
10,214
British America
382
Ohio
448
England and Wales.
713
New York
4,790
Ireland
1,661
Pennsylvania
560
Scotland
207
Indiana
96
Germany
1,187
Kentucky
24
France
160
Sweden and Norway.
172
Total
16,132
Switzerland
11
Bohemia
90
Holland
11
Denmark
23
Total
4,617
. . .
INTERESTING ITEMS
In 1837 MeHenry County paid its assessor $2 per day ; county com- missioners received $2.50 per day.
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HISTORY OF McHENRY COUNTY
In the summer of 1838 the commissioners fixed the rate of compen- sation for jurors, both grand and petit, at seventy-five cents per day.
In 1838 the total tax in the county, which then included what is now Lake County, was $564.41.
It cost this county in 1842 $102 for assessing the property. In 1843 the county revenue amounted to $793.14.
The first justices of the peace in Fox precinct, and consequently first in the county, were William H. Buck, and William L. Way, elected July 3, 1837.
In 1918 MeHenry County had assessed 381,521, 38 100 aeres of land, valued at, for assessment purposes, $18,388,027. The value of improve- ments on these lands was $6,762,569.
Number of automobiles in county in 1918 were. Carriages and wagons. 7,067
3,096
The automobiles were assessed at $259.06 each, while the wagons were assessed at $16.37 each.
Of diamonds and jewelry there was. $5,227.00
Horses of all ages 13,890
Cattle of all ages 56,888
Mules and asses 122
Hogs and sheep 9,675
TORNADO OF 1862
From newspaper and personal accounts the following is gleaned :
"On Monday, August 4, 1862, a tornado, which was very destrue- tive to both life and property, passed through the southwestern part of MeHenry County. The storm began at three o'clock in the after- noon, with sheets of rain, heavy thunder and extremely sharp lightning. At the Deitz sehool house in Seneca Township, school was in session, and about eighteen scholars and the teacher, Mary E. Goodrich, were present. The house standing directly in the track of the storm was taken from its foundation and carried several feet, turned half around and torn to pieces leaving only the front end of the building standing. Strange to say, not a single seholar was seriously injured, though all were badly frightened.
"Fences, buildings, stacks and bundles of grain-everything that stood in the way of the terrible storm-was madly seized and torn to pieces. The residence of John E. Green, in Marengo, was blown down.
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HISTORY OF MCHENRY COUNTY
Mr. Green's mother, wife and daughter were in it at the time. The old lady was so badly hurt that she died the next day, and the wife and daughter were seriously injured. Robert Smith's son, John, aged fif- teen years, took shelter in a shock of wheat in the harvest field. He was struck in the side by a board, blown from a neighboring structure, and so injured that he died the next hour. The wife of G. H. Sumner, a tailor, was found among the ruins of the barn, with her neek broken. Edwin Morris was so badly wounded that he died soon afterward. This storm was elosely estimated to have caused a loss of $30,000 worth of property in this county."
CYCLONE OF 1883
MeHenry County has been quite fortunate in not being located in the natural zones of periodical wind-storms, especially the ever-to-be- dreaded cyclone. However, one did pass through the townships of Che- mung and Alden, Friday, May 18, 1883. Three lives were sacrificed in this terrible storm, and an immense amount of damage done to prop -. erty all along its pathway. Strange to relate, its direction was from the southeast moving northwest, and every building in its pathway was removed and swept out of existence. An account given by the local press says that near the Village of Chemung the farm buildings of Henry Baker, occupied by George Conn were utterly demolished. Seven persons were in the house at the time the storm struek. They fled to the eellar for protection. Patriek Corrigan, a hired man, was killed, and Mr. Con injured by a falling timber. Just across the way the buildings of Mr. Downs were also destroyed, the owner rendered un- eonseious, and several members of the family injured. A near neighbor of Mr. Downs, R. J. Williams, lost his barn and a portion of his house. Owen MeGee's buildings were destroyed and large oak trees were up- rooted as if but mere saplings.
The railroad depot at Lawrence, and other buildings were damaged. Patrick Kennedy lost all of his buildings, and his hired man, John Me- Guirk, was killed. J. W. Rogers lost all of his buildings, except his house ; also his horses, sheep, fences, carriages and farming implements.
In Alden Township the barns of James Vick and Mr. Campbell were destroyed, the residence of Fred Bombard damaged and his outbuild- ings ruined.
The Alden Sentinel correspondent, at the date of the storm wrote as follows: "A few minutes after six o'clock the storm struck the
342
HISTORY OF McHENRY COUNTY
residence of Fred Bottlemy. The family consisted of himself and wife, and four small children and one hired man. Mr. Bottlemy says they did not even have time to deseend into the eellar; he reached for the two children to take them below, and the next he remembers anything about, he was lying upon the ground. The building was strewn to the four winds, the house in atoms, not one stick left upon another, even the stones composing the foundation were seattered for rods around. The scene beggars deseription. Parts of bedding and other elothing were found in the tops of tall trees fully a quarter of a mile away. Huge oaks were torn up by the roots and carried along for many rods to be lodged against the house where were the family. The hired man, a German named Soule, thirty-two years of age, was found dead in front of the house; he seems to have been killed by being thrown violently against some sharp pointed grubs that were sticking out of the ground at that spot. His skull was pierced in several places; the body was removed to the residence of Casper Bottlemy, one mile distant.
"Mr. Bottlemy was seriously injured aeross the lungs and bruised about the head. The small children were unhurt. Mrs. Bottlemy was found with her back firmly planted against a tree, her left arm broken below the elbow, her right arm dislocated at the shoulder. Her case is very eritieal. The oldest child, a girl of twelve summers, was badly bruised about the head and shoulders. These were all taken to the residenee of Fred Bombard where they were kindly eared for. Dr. Barringer, of Alden, was sent for as soon as possible and arrived on the terrible scene about 6:30 P. M. Dr. Brigham arrived about mid- night. The sufferers were all properly eared for. An inquest was held Saturday on the body of the hired man, and a verdict rendered in accordance with the above facts.
"Mr. Bottlemy's sheds and barns were leveled to the earth, one horse being killed. The next building struck was the schoolhouse, a good frame structure which was actually swept from existenee, not a single vistage remaining. The storm happily occurred two hours after school elosed for the day, or the consequences would have been terrible indeed.
"A few rods east is the residence of C. L. Kingsley, a large square house with a cupola. The whole roof was torn off and carried away. The barn, over sixty feet long, in which twenty-five eattle were stand- ing, was flattened to the earth, the fragments were strewn for a mile around. There were also three persons in the barn at the time it was
343
HISTORY OF McHENRY COUNTY
struck, none of whom were seriously injured. That they escaped seems almost incredible. A cow and horse were killed, and one double buggy and a single carriage are entirely missing. The next place visited was that of Fred Mode, a quarter of a mile further on. The barns were all destroyed; the houses were saved, although the porch was torn off. Still further to the east, the barn belonging to Mrs. M. A. Weter was destroyed. The storm was very severe further along toward the east, and much damage was done.
"From Alden, the cyclone passed over the line into Wisconsin, and just north of Hebron station, destroyed Levi Nichol's house, barn, etc. His hired man was killed outright. His father's barn was also wrecked. At Racine, eight persons were killed, a large number in- jured, and one hundred and fifty buildings destroyed."
UNUSUAL AND UNFORTUNATE OCCURRENCES
These peculiar and unfortunate incidents have all taken place within this county :
A snow storm in December, 1856, blocked up roads and the new railroad so effectually that travel by any method was impossible for days at a time. On the railroad running through Woodstock several trains were snowed in between stations.
In the Fremont political campaign in 1856, this county was won by the Republicans, and in ratifying the news what was styled as the "Woodstock Cannon" was used. By some mismanagement it was pre- maturely discharged, thereby badly injuring Orson Bates so as to re- quire the amputation of his right arm, and the left hand above the wrist.
Sunday, August 28, 1859, James Ashe, a prisoner confined in the jail for beating his wife, probably through remorse, hung himself and he was found dead.
In the spring of 1859 a young man named Deming, son of Jedediah Deming, of Harvard, started for Pike's Peak as a gold seeker. When near there he was taken ill and being almost overcome by hardship and exposure, he turned back; but being joined on the Missouri River by his brother John, concluded to start for California. He was sick enroute most of the trip, but upon getting through was much improved. On January 20, 1860, he went out hunting, and not returning when expected, his brother went out to search for him. Seeing tracks of
1
344
HISTORY OF McHENRY COUNTY
Indians he at once concluded that John had been foully dealt with, and went to the neighboring miners for aid. The body was found shot through the head. While the brother of the murdered man was absent from his cabin, the Indians raided it, carrying off whatever they fancied. They were not pursued.
On October 22, 1859, William Dalzell, while bricking up a thirty- foot well, on a farm a mile or so northeast of MeHenry, was buried alive by being covered by the caving in of the walls to a depth of eighteen feet. When his body was recovered it was found that his head and face had been horribly mangled and that probably he met death instantly. A man named Babcock was drowned in the Nippersink, near Spring Grove, while fishing with a seine, May 19, 1860. He was thirty-five years of age and had recently come from the East.
A. C. Wilson, twenty years old, was killed at Harvard, July 20, 1860, while attending to his duties as a railroad employe, in trying to get cars on the track that had accidentally backed off.
In July, 1861, Andrew Austin, a young farmer, of Greenwood, was killed by being thrown from a horse.
At Harvard, June 6, 1862, a man named Cutter, a railway employe, was instantly killed by the cars.
March 7, 1862, Solomon West, in Seneca, committed suicide by tak- ing poison. He was comparatively a stranger.
On Monday, May 5, 1862, Jolm E. Burr, of Greenwood, met his death by accidentally falling from a tree. He was twenty-three years of age.
On October, 1863, Mrs. Bridget Lee was killed while attempting to cross in front of a freight train.
Adam Schneider, a very worthy farmer, was killed near Green- wood, October, 1863, while at work in his field. His team became frightened and ran over him.
John Steffer, working near Ringwood, April, 1863, ate wild parsnips and was killed by the same.
In March, 1864, Willard Joslyn, was killed on the farm near Har- vard, while trying to turn a somersault over a pole.
In April, 1865, while celebrating the fall of Richmond, an anvil which they were fixing exploded, and a large piece struck H. G. Otis, who died two hours later.
On June 16, 1865, John Dolan, of Woodstock, nineteen years old, was shot and killed while trying to enter the house of Rutledge Harris, near Crystal Lake, He with a companion, both drunk, went to Harris's
345
HISTORY OF MCHENRY COUNTY
house to see a girl and were denied admission. While trying to force an entrance Dolan was killed.
In June, 1865, while boating at Crystal Lake, two young ladies, Addie Deitz and Lucy Adams, both of prominent families, were drowned.
In August, 1867, Michael Dwyer, of Woodstock, aged seventeen, was accidentally drowned while bathing in Crystal Lake. The next day efforts were made to recover his body and the old eannon from Wood- stock was brought into use. The second time it was discharged, it exploded and so injured the drowned boy's father that it was thought he would die; it also injured several others.
In May, 1868, a boy named Ira Clason, eighteen years old, was struck by lightning, while plowing on a farm six miles south of Marengo. The team he was driving at the time were also killed.
Henry Jackson, twenty-three years of age, was drowned in Crystal Lake while fishing, August 15, 1869.
T. J. Hobart was instantly killed in October, 1869, by the falling in upon him as he was digging, a cellar under a building. This was on the MelIenry road six miles east of Woodstock.
In October, 1869, a four year old girl belonging to Patrick Crowley, of Marengo, was so badly burned by her clothes catching fire, that she died ten days later.
In Angust, 1870, at Woodstock, while moving a building, a timber fell in such a manner, that Bela Darrell was strangled to death.
Jeremiah IIalesley was killed near Harvard by a railroad train. He was riding a horse and had erossed the traek, but the horse had become frightened and ran back with its rider, who was thrown in front of the oncoming train and killed.
In January, 1873, a boiler exploded in the steam mill at Huntley, killing the engineer and injuring others about the flouring mill.
In August, 1873, Watson Heath, of Dunham, had both legs and an arm ent off in a mowing machine, and died soon after. He had lived in this county sixty-four years, and was a popular man and a good citizen.
On December 7, 1872, the night watchman, Jacob Hurst, at the Woodstock brewery, met his death in a singular manner. A bin of malt above him broke through the floor, and he was buried in it and smothered to death.
On June 9, 1874, a very sweeping storm cansed heavy damage in this county as well as adjoining counties. Trees, houses, barns and fences suffered severely. The damage was especially great at Harvard,
346
HISTORY OF MCHENRY COUNTY
MeHenry, Union and Richmond. At Harvard the new engine house of the Chicago & North Western Railroad was destroyed and much other property damaged.
On August 24, 1874, the ten-months' old child of Wm. HI. Howe and wife was drowned in a pail of milk.
On October 12, 1874, a ten-year old son of Issae Mussey, of Seneea, went to the pasture to eateh a horse. While returning home his hands got cold, and to warm them he tied the rope by which he was leading the horse, about his body. The horse, taking fright at something, ran, and the boy was dragged until killed.
On December 15, 1874, on the farm of J. E. Nourse, two miles west of McHenry, William Grant, aged twenty-four years, was buried in a well, sixty feet deep. Eleven feet of earth caved in from the top and fell upon him. It required the work of two men for a day to recover his body.
On October 30, 1875, two miles from Woodstock, on the Austin Frame farm, George Schneider was struck by lightning and instantly killed. Ile and his wife were sorting potatoes in the cellar at the time, and she was uninjured.
In March, 1876, a man named Sweet, at Harvard, while sawing wood with a horse-power, was caught by the coat in the machinery and killed by being drawn into the saw frame.
In August, 1878, a German named Christian Beir, six miles west of Huntley, was standing on top of a threshing machine and slipped down into the cylinder while it was at full speed. His body was horribly mangled, too shocking for deseription. Ile lived an hour, being conseious to the end.
FROZEN TO DEATH
Under the above heading the Woodstock Sentinel of January 18, 1877, has the following :
"On last Sabbath afternoon the lifeless form of John Burk, of the town of Greenwood, was found in Mellenry Township, near the old residenee of Hon. H. MeLean. The cireumstanees connected with this sad affair are substantially as follows: Mr. Burk left his house on Friday morning for MeHenry with a load of oats, and not returning that night, his mother, who lived with him, notified his brothers of the faet on Saturday afternoon, and Sunday morning they started out to find him. They went directly to MeHenry and were informed
Marian. E. Anapf
y a. 12: afp
347
IIISTORY OF McHENRY COUNTY
that John was there Friday afternoon and left for home in the evening. They also learned that there was a sleigh, from which the horses were detached, near the railroad track north of the village. On examination, it was soon found that on leaving MeHenry Mr. Burk took the rail- road track instead of the wagon road, driving over cattle-guards, ete., until he came to the outlet of Lake McCollum; and at this point it seems the horses refused to cross the bridge, left the track and undertook to eross the stream on the ice, but it gave way, precipitating horses and sleigh into the water. It appears that Mr. Burk left the sleigh and sueeeeded in detaching the horses therefrom, removed the fence and started to cross the slough, but ran into a soft place or spring and here the horses left him, he traveling in one direction and they in another. Mr. Burk went but a short distance from where the team left him, took shelter under some bushes on the shores of the lake, where he was found by his brothers, frozen to death. Ilis clothes were wet nearly to his waist, which proves he had been in the water. John has been in the habit of drinking strong drink too freely for several years, and no doubt but this was the case on Friday night, eansing him to lose his way and bringing about his untimely death."
AN EARLY TEMPERANCE SOCIETY MEETING
It is not the province of this work to diseuss the Prohibition and liquor questions of the long ago years in this eounty, as doubtless it is best to eover old John Barleycorn's putrid eorpse with a mantle of charity. He no longer lives here, enough mean things have been spoken and written of him in the last seventy-five years to damn him for ever and a day, and we cannot find a record of authority showing that he had any saving traits of character, so let him rest where he fell, at the hand of the people of America in 1919.
But it may not be out of place to give the reader of this volume an account of a meeting of the "Ladies Temperance Association of MeHenry County," held at Marengo in 1855. We give it as written up by a delegate from Elgin, who attended it and wrote her report in the Elgin Palladium of January 18, 1855:
"First in the order of events, after leaving Elgin depot, was the de- mand by the conduetor for our fare, and we were greatly surprised at his unwillingness to accord to our party the courtesy, which in every in- stance heretofore has been shown ladies of this Association, in their frequent interchange of kindly regard and sympathy by attending the
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HISTORY OF MCHENRY COUNTY
meetings of the different societies; by allowing them passage at the half fare usual rate. And still more were we surprised when upon repre- sentation of these facts to the superintendent, who chanced to be on board. he also refused the customary tribute to the cause of temperance. Sorry we are to record such an ungallant act. We felt indignant at such ungentlemanly treatment, but not sufficient to disturb our equanimity, and we arrived at Marengo in good spirits-were received by the ladies of that place with great cordiality-partook of their cheer and repaired to the Presbyterian meeting-house, where after the transaction of busi- ness, we listened to an entertaining address from Mrs. Randall of Bel- videre; after this resolutions were discussed, one being with regard to the rightfulness of mob force if necessary, for the restraint of the traf- fie in ardent spirits. It elicited a spirited discussion from Mrs. Safford, Mrs. Lindsey, and Mrs. Misick of Marengo, Mrs. Randall of Belvidere, Mrs. Hubbard of Huntley, and Mrs. Wright, Mrs. Waldron and Mrs. Tefft of Elgin, and was put to the house and lost. A number of resolu- tions to the effect that the rumseller is equally guilty and alike deserv- ing of condemnation with the rum-drinker; and that they withdraw all patronage from all those who deal in intoxicating drinks we adopted unanimously. If lived up to this eannot fail to be of great good and it should enlist the energies and zeal of all temperance people. There seems to be a great amount of talent among the ladies of Marengo, com- pared to their numbers, some few noble-minded women, who are willing to hazard much in the canse they have espoused, and to 'hope on and hope ever,' until they see that accomplished for which they have been swelling the number of petitions to our state legislature, a prohibitory law similar to the Maine Law."
(Signed.)
ONE OF THE LADIES.
CENTENARY DRIVE
The Centenary Celebration, or the 100th anniversary of the sending the first church missionary from the Methodist Episcopal church, was celebrated in 1919, and among other plans in this great movement, started by the Methodist denomination, and carried out by most of the Protestant denominations, for the betterment of the world's people, was the raising of an immense fund to carry on the missionary, home and foreign, cause. The Methodist Church alone asked for subscriptions for $105,000,000, to be paid in five equal annual payments. A stagger- ing amount, seemingly, to confront a war-ridden people who have been
349
HISTORY OF MCHENRY COUNTY
subseribing such large sums to support the government in time of war, and to help European countries. Yet, through the force of good financial management on the part of the leaders of the church, this amount was subscribed and considerable more, too.
MeHenry County "went over the top" in this, as well as in Liberty Loans. The exact figures are not at hand, but in the single case of the local Methodist Episcopal Church at Woodstock, it may be stated that its allotment was $15,850 for the five year period, and this amount was oversubseribed by about $1,000, enough to make up all shrinkage.
Among the logical arguments used in appealing to the church-going people here was one, that Woodstock expended on an average of $20,000 a year for pieture shows, and only $25,000 for all her churches. And going outside, it was shown that the United States spends $320,000,000 a year for soda and other light drinks and $1,000,000,000 for tobacco. These and like arguments, properly presented, brought the subscribers to see that it was only their Christian duty to spend, at least $105,000- 000 for trying to help answer the Lord's Prayer "Thy Kingdom Come."
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