USA > Illinois > McHenry County > History of McHenry County, Illinois, Volume I > Part 31
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In this county the "drive" was on only from May 18 to May 25.
HOME BUREAU
During the late World War the women of this county organized what is styled the Home Bureau, the aim of which is to better look after the domestie and home side of life. In a meeting held in the City Sehool building in Woodstock, July 7, 1919, the women from all parts of the county were present with reports of the work accomplished during the past year. Miss Bunch, of the University of Illinois, and Mrs. Dunlap, of Champaign, were present and made addresses. The following officers were re-elected for the ensuing year: Mrs. A. E. Seward, Marengo, president ; Mrs. G. A. Miller, Pleasant Valley, vice-president ; Mrs. Fred McConnell, Woodstock, secretary; Mrs. Will Hoy, Huntley, treas- urer. The executive committee consisted of the following: Mrs. E. G. Turner, Richmond ; Mrs. Fred Baier, Harvard; Mrs. Will Dyke, Crystal Lake; Mrs. J. C. Furlong, Spring Grove; Mrs. A. J. Gafke, Woodstock.
Work was begun by this society in July, 1918, with 272 members enrolled. During the year work was carried on to the best interests of housekeeping and home-making; how to use better methods, and adopt better equipment to save time and energy in daily household tasks.
During the year, 129 meetings were held in MeHenry County; eighty-seven of which were demonstrations at which the women were
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taught the preparation of war foods, canning of fruits, vegetables and meats and the remodeling of old clothing, forty-two lectures were given on better kitchen arrangement, labor-saving devices, poultry-raising, gardening, planning of meals and feeding of children. The total attendance at these meetings was 11,956. Miss Blair, in charge of the work, travelled during the year 2,737 miles by rail and 1,457 by car, holding meetings in every township in the county. As a result of the work, hot hinches were installed in three country schools. Twenty-four women are making a special study of the planning of meals, keeping ree- ords of the time, expense and amount of food used. Twenty-nine women are keeping records of their gardens; thirty-seven are making special study of the poultry business. Six townships are studying the care and feeding of children. A week's sewing school has been conducted. Three days' instruction in poultry raising were given by a specialist with an attendance of 153. Besides all this much food was canned and dried, especially vegetables and meats and much wool saved by the re-making of clothes. This is an exeellent innovation.
CIVIL WAR RELICS
In the summer of 1919, at Woodstock, druggist A. S. Wright had on exhibition in his show-window on the south side of the public square, a collection of valuable and highly interesting Civil War relies belong- ing to Col. William Avery. Colonel Avery's daughter, M. Ella Avery, in disposing of her household goods, tendered these war relies of her father's as trophies to the Memorial Hall in Chicago, which offer was aceepted. This consists of revolver, saber, box of bullets; the bullet which wounded the colonel; shoulder straps from the rank of captain to colonel; well preserved piece of "hard-tack" (soldier's bread) now over fifty years old, still in good condition. Colonel Avery was county clerk of MeHenry County for a period of twelve years. The Grand Army men took special delight in looking at these relies which reminded them of the days of their young manhood.
INSTALLING A NEW TYPESETTING MACHINE
Editor Seott, of the Richmond local newspaper, had troubles of his own according to the following paragraphs written by him after the battle was over in the month of August, 1915. It appears he had purchased a new linotype machine and upon unpacking it found it
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had been smashed up badly in a railroad wreck and a new one had to be sent for :
"Anyhow the expert linotype man, who knows bushels of things about printing machines, looked with some scorn on the mashed up machine and declared the "thing" was no good at all. Another was ordered and there was indigo atmosphere which lingered in the print shop all last week. The chief editor wouldn't even go fishing !
"The news editor was going tramping over the hills; going fishing and listening to the wind-waves in the trees and watch the shadows grow long when the sun was low.
"It rained there; there was no sunshine; there was no wind; and the fish wouldn't bite. The news editor was obliged to spend part of the time in a darkened room because of a vacation head aehe, which was doubtless a just penance for planning to be a genuine gypsy for a whole week."
"There are several other chapters to this vacation story, but they are of the same color as those already described, hence we decline to enter further details. What's the use? The perfect linotype has ar- rived and is being installed and the glint of sunshine fills the office all around and back again."
WAR WAGED ON CANADA THISTLES
The state law concerning Canada thistles and other objectionable weeds is being rigidly enforeed in the county at this time. The en- croaehment of late of the Canada thistle is something fearful to behold. The county has its regular thistle commissioners and they in turn have been authorized to engage scores of assistants to aid in doing away with these pests. June, July and August are the three available months in which to try to annihilate the thistles. The report shows that there were 743 different strips of Canada thistles on farms in Dunham Township alone, of which twenty-four were in the highways. The eom- missioners are provided with an outline map which they are supposed to fill in as fast as the thistle seetions are discovered. When a farmer elaims his farm is not in the thistle belt, the commissioner simply pulls out his map or plat and shows him that he is mistaken and that unless he gets busy and removes the pests at once that the county will hire a person to remove the same and add the expense, which is usually from $3 to $4 per day, to his next tax bill.
In Hartland Township there is a ten-acre tract, where the pests
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have grown to an alarming extent. Mowing machines have been em- ployed to cut them down.
Many of the worst tracts are on farms which are rented out and the owners live so far away that they seldom visit the place, hence the thistles have grown almost beyond control of anyone.
In Chemung Township, the commissioner declared, "There is one farm in my distriet in this township that has sufficient Canada thistles, if permitted to ripen, to supply enough seed to cover all of the great State of Texas." One commissioner, Mr. Daey, walks over his territory, going many days as much as twenty miles.
There is no escape from assuming the thistle obligation. If the land owner refuses to ent them down at the lawful time, the commis- sioner simply hires a man to do the work and reports the transaction and makes a bill which is placed against the land at the coming tax paying season.
WORLD'S FAIR CORN EXHIBITS
During the great Columbian Fair at Chicago, in 1893, Mellenry County had a large and complete assortment of corn grown from her rich soil. The men who under director James Crow, of Crystal Lake, furnished sueh eorn exhibit were worthy a record in the annals of their county, henee find the list here annexed.
Smith Brothers, Ringwood; George Lewis, Cary Station; James Stewart, Cary Station; F. B. Peck, MeHenry; Dr. Warren Chase, Chemung; S. M. Wardlow, Hebron; C. Loekwood, Ridgefield; Prentice Smith, Cary Station; James Brennon, Huntley; Henry Leesberg, Al- gonquin ; C. Teehler, Algonquin ; Calvin Davis, Ridgefield; James R Jackman, Crystal Lake; C. Pinnow, Crystal Lake; Nels Ackerson, Crystal Lake; Louis Cammine, Crystal Lake; William Peet, Crystal Lake; E. D. Barnard, Greenwood; O. MeCollum, Numda; O. N. Brass, Seneca ; John Duggan, Hartland ; A. Walkup, Nunda; George L. Bryant, Nunda; Peter Berger, Hebron; M. C. Morris, Crystal Lake; R. Rowley, Nunda ; Chet Burgett, Richmond ; James Burgett, Richmond; Fred Ker- now, Riley; C. N. Webber, Seneca; Franklin Morris, Crystal Lake; James Whiston, Ridgefield.
SPRING GROVE FISH HATCHERY
The State has a fish-hatehery located at the village of Spring Grove. in Burton Township, this county, and reports show that in May, 1916,
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many visitors present saw 50,000 rainbow trout, all four months old and at the same date there were 30,000,000 pike eggs just hatching out, also 25,000 brook trout two months old. Most of these young trout were to be planted in the spring-fed streams of MeHenry County. In 1915, 350,000 black bass and 12,000,000 pike-perch were planted in the water courses and lakes of the county by the State Fish Commission.
CHAPTER XXIII
ALDEN TOWNSHIP
BOUNDARIES-ORIGIN OF NAME-TOPOGRAPHY-FIRST SETTLEMENT-PIO- NEER EVENTS-BURIAL PLACES-FIRST SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES-POST OFFICE-ALDEN VILLAGE-POPULATION-OFFICIALS.
BOUNDARIES
Alden Township is bounded on the north by the State of Wisconsin ; on the east by Ilebron Township; on the south by Hartland Township; and on the west by Chemung Township. It comprises all of congressional township 46, range 6.
ORIGIN OF NAME
Like many other townships, Alden took its name from its first post office. Originally, the post office was named Wedgewood, but on account of another in Illinois by the same name it was changed to Alden after Alden, N. Y., from which place several early settlers to this township had emigrated.
FIRST SETTLEMENT
The very first settlers in Alden Township were Nathan and Darius Disbrow, who came here in the fall of 1836, and built cabins in the following spring. They located on seetion 15, which later was destined to become the site of the village of Alden. Miles Booty, a native of England, was the third to locate in Alden Township, he arriving during the summer of 1837, settling on what later became the Capron farm, east of the village. Ashael Disbrow, with his wife and eleven children, eame here from Greene County, N. Y., about the same time. Another settler, John Alberty, from the same location, came in 1838, and Dennis Ryder of York State arrived about that same year.
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FRANK KREUTZER
MRS. FRANK KREUTZER
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HISTORY OF McHENRY COUNTY
TOPOGRAPHY
Alden Township is a prairie township, although originally some traets of very fine timber were found growing within its borders. There are to be seen considerable artificial timber planted by the hands of the hardy pioneers, which trees have come to tower up some twenty, thirty and even forty feet, providing shade in the heated seasons and a wind- break in winter. Nippersink Creek is the principal water course, it rising from Mud Creek, and from it flow Kiswaukee Creek and Piskasaw Creek.
PIONEER EVENTS
Timothy M. Eller and Esther Disbrow were married on January 7, 1839, by Wesley Diggins, a justice of the peace, and this was the first wedding celebrated in the township, although in 1838, Darius Disbrow, who lived in Alden Township, was married in Milwaukee, to Sarah Cross, a resident of Hebron Township. Their child, Lorain J. Disbrow was the first white child born in the township, the date of his birth being in 1839. Twin daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Timothy M. Fuller, were the next white children born in the township.
BURIAL PLACES
The first burial in Alden Township took place near Mud Lake, it being that of a child who died at the home of Ashael Disbrow. This infant belonged to the family who were going on further west to settle. The first cemetery, however, was that located in 1846, and A. Broughton was the first to be buried there. This traet originally had two aeres set off as a cemetery. In 1847 a graveyard was platted to the east of the village of Alden, and there repose the remains of scores of pioneers, but later this tract was abandoned, and the bodies were transferred to' other cemeteries, chiefly to the one originally laid out as above noted.
FIRST SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES
Miss Clarissa Nelson of Geneva Lake taught the first school in Alden Township, in the spring of 1841, in the first schoolhouse which was built of logs.
Rev. Leander Walker held the first religious services in the township
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in the fall of 1838, at the home of Ashael Disbrow, and there he organized a Methodist society, which held meetings until 1845, when it was dis- banded.
POST OFFICES
The first post office was established in 1843 at the home of Franeis Wedgewood, and he continued as postmaster until 1847, when the office was transferred to the railroad station. In 1849, P. W. Lake was made postmaster, and he was followed by N. M. Capron in 1850. In 1858 Mr. Capron died, and he was succeeded by George B. Andrews, and in 1881, E. S. Smith was appointed. The later postmasters are generally well recalled by the present patrons of the office.
ALDEN VILLAGE
The village of Alden was laid out in 1848 by Franeis Wedgewood, and John Brink of Crystal Lake made the survey. Nathan Disbrow built the first house at that point ; and the first store was opened by P. W. Lake, in 1847, prior to the platting of the village. The first wagon shop was run by C. N. Jiles ; J. Wood was the first blacksmith and M. D. Hoy was the first shoemaker. Other early business and professional men ineluded these : J. C. Brewer, barber ; Ferris & Son and Julian Brothers, butter and cheese factory ; Copeland & Manning, operators of a creamery ; John Snell, wagon maker; Edward Wright, earpenter; C. II. Bennett, harness maker ; T. J. Disbrow proprietor of the hotel: Thomas Rushton, lawyer; E. S. Smith, merchant ; and Dr. G. R. Barringer, physician.
The village has never grown to any considerable extent, and now there are a few stores and small shops for the accommodation of the surrounding rich farming community. Alden Township has many beauti- ful and valuable farms and fine herds of excellent milch cows, the milk from which is sold at the station of Alden where a large collecting station is conducted by one of the great milk companies mentioned in the chapter on dairying. In 1877 Alden had a cheese factory, built in 1870, and used the milk of 500 eows, but it has been long discontinued.
The early settlers from New York being great fruit lovers demanded fruit trees in this new country and a Mr. Easton in 1848 planted out a good sized nursery from which the farmers were soon able to get trees. The first apple seeds were planted by Sidney Disbrow, in 1838, and these trees thus started, come to be excellent bearing trees within a few years.
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The Alden Mutual Fire Insurance Company was organized at the village of Alden, in 1874, but since then it has enlarged its seope and takes in the townships of Alden, Hebron, Richmond, Burton and Me- Henry.
It now has in force 500 policies, with insurance amounting to $1,800,000. The rate for insurance is a trifle more than one per cent for a five year period.
The officers are: James H. Turner, Hebron, President; Arthur D. Cornue, of Alden, Vice-President ; A. G. Diekerson, Hebron, Secretary ; The board of directors are: HI. E. Street, Hebron, Arthur D. Cornue, E. G. Kingsley, H. G. Durkee, Alden ; E. G. Turner, Spring Grove; J. B. Richardson, Richmond.
This mutual fire insurance company has been of great benefit to the farming community of North MeHenry County.
POPULATION
The population of Alden Township in 1890 was 1,026; in 1900 it was 1,015; in 1910, 1,014 and in 1920, 964.
OFFICIALS
The following are serving as the township officials of Alden Town- ship : supervisor, H. G. Durkee; assessor, J. L. Baldoek; clerk, E. M. Fink; highway commissioner, E. C. Hammond; justices of the peace, A. L. Disbrow and William W. Fleming; constable, J. H. Carbrey.
CHAPTER XXIV
ALGONQUIN TOWNSHIP
BOUNDARIES-ORIGIN OF NAME-TOPOGRAPHY-EARLY SETTLERS-PIONEER EVENTS-POPULATION-ALGONQUIN VILLAGE-POST OFFICE-MUNICIPAL HISTORY-PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS-CITY OF CRYSTAL LAKE-POST OFFICE -MUNICIPAL HISTORY-CITY OFFICIALS BY YEARS-PUBLIC IMPROVE- MENTS-VILLAGE OF CARY-BUSINESS INTERESTS-TOWNSHIP OFFICIALS.
BOUNDARIES
In the southeastern part of MeHenry County is found Algonquin Township ; it is bounded on the north by Nunda Township; on the east by Lake County ; on the south by Kane County, and on the west by Grafton Township.
ORIGIN OF NAME
Before the adoption of the township organization, this section of the county was known as Fox Township. When a name was required for this new township, Samuel Edwards, formerly of Philadelphia, suggested the name Algonquin. In his youth he had been a sailor on a boat by that name, and he desired to thus commemorate a happy period of his life. The name met with the approval of all who had charge of such naming, and it was adopted.
TOPOGRAPITY
Algonquin Township is more broken than any other township within the county, there being many bluffs and hills in the region of Algonquin village and in fact all along the Fox River. The land is about equally divided between prairie and timber. It is adapted to both small grain and pasture lands and is used for sneh purposes. Crystal Lake lies in section 6 of this township, and runs over into a portion of Grafton Township. From it flows the outlet of the lake that joins the Fox River
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at the village of Algonquin. Big Spring Creek is another water course found within the township.
EARLY SETTLERS
The first settler to locate in this county ehose Algonquin Township for his new home. Ile was Samuel Gillian, and he located in section 23, on the west bank of Fox River, November 18, 1834. John Gillian came soon thereafter, and he settled on the east bank of Fox River. Levi Seeberi arrived in 1837; Hosca Throop was a settler of 1839; and New- man Crabtree, Simon Chandler, Thomas Chunn, Beman Crandall, William King, Isaac Denney, Edwin Powell, Major Beardsley, John Kern, Isaac King, Wesley Hickox, Dr. Plumleigh, Dr. Cornish and John Brink with possibly others made up the first. settlements.
PIONEER EVENTS
The first white child to be born in this township was William Beards- ley, son of Abner Beardsley and wife, who came into the world in 1837. Franklin Wallace and Ilannah S. Beardsley were married by Benjamin Crandall, a justice of the peace, in 1839, and theirs was the first marriage in Algonquin township. The first person to die in the township was Delia, daughter of Samuel Gillian and wife, when she was about fifteen years old, August 26, 1835.
The first saw-mill was built on Crystal Lake outlet by Benjamin Douglas and Colonel Hoffman in 1839; and the second one was built in 1842. by A. Dawson, who located at Algonquin in 1848. This last was completed in 1849 by Henry Petrie. A brick-mill was built in the village in 1850 by Dr. Plumleigh.
The schools and churches are all treated in special chapters on these topies in this volume.
POPULATION
In 1890 the population of this township was 3,675; in 1900 it was 3.043 ; in 1910 it was 2,512; and in 1920 it was 3,528.
ALGONQUIN VILLAGE
This is the oldest village in this county, having been first laid out in 1836 by Dawson & Powell, the platting being accepted and recorded
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HISTORY OF MCHENRY COUNTY
in 1844. Prior to the laying out of the place Mr. Powell had erected a residence on the present site of the village. The first store was con- dueted in 1837 by Dr. Cornish. Henry Tubbs was the first wagonmaker ; Henry Benthusean, was the first blacksmith ; and O. Leach the first shoe- maker, while William Clark was the first tailor. At one time William Powell owned all of the original site of Algonquin and he built the first hotel in 1840. It was a log structure, to which he added a frame build- ing, in 1850. In 1858, the whole building was torn down and a new one erected by James Dixon and John Gillian, and later it became the prop- erty of Charles Pingrce.
POST OFFICE
A post office was established at this point in 1836, and it was the first in the township. Dr. Cornish was the first to serve as postmaster. Hle was suceccded by the following : Isaac Denney, John Peter (deputy), John Sears, Charles Chunn, Eli Henderson, Peter Potter, Samuel Fineh, Col. William Henry, C. C. Chunn, John Adamak, C. C. Chunn, John T. Kalahan, Nettie Threadgold (many years) with present postmaster John T. Kalahan.
This is a third-elass post office and has one rural free delivery route extending to the surrounding country. To show that this is an early post office it only need be stated that the office was established under President Andrew Jackson.
PRESENT OFFICIALS
The following are the present officials of Algonquin : president, Willis T. Peter; clerk, George Dewitt Keyes; treasurer, Louis J. Lehky; magistrate, Harvey J. Weir; marshal, John Dvorak, Jr .; attorney, Charles T. Allen ; trustees, Clarence Franke, Frank Dvorak, Ernest Reimer, Fred Duensing, Albert Wilbrandt and Herman Mertens.
The enterprising little eity in 1907 erected a fine two-story brick city building at a cost of $10,000. This provides a home and protection for all the eity property, fire department, city offiees and jail. In the western portion of the village is found a niee publie park. Nature has made the spot charming and a gushing spring of pure water offers an appreciated refreshment.
PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS
In 1896 the eity installed its first and really its present system of water works which consists of piping from the business part of the town
WILLIAMS STREET, LOOKING SOUTH. CRYSTAL LAKE
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HISTORY OF MCHENRY COUNTY
to a distance of seventy-three feet above the river-bed, to a point on the hillside where was discovered a strong spring of the best drinking water to be had anywhere in Illinois. For fire purposes other lines of piping extend further on up the hill to a distance of 147 feet, where was erected a basin in which sufficient water is forced to meet any de- mand in case of fire. This whole system is "natural dircet pressure" and affords a splendid water system, such as is seldom found in prairie sections. The common pressure is about eighty pounds per square inch.
The fire company is the ordinary volunteer company of fifteen men, with Peter Serrs as present chief. The eity has two hose carts, each having 800 feet of good hose; a chemical engine holding forty-five gal- lons ; hook and ladders, and other appliances.
CITY OF CRYSTAL LAKE
What was first known as the village of Crystal Lake is now a city and governed by a board of aldermen and a mayor. This place was platted by Benjamin Donglas and others in Angust, 1837, but not recorded until 1840. From an old county directory it is learned that in 1877 the village then had three general stores. Hill, Fitch & Marlow and Buckholtz & Dydeman were early business firms. T. G. Ashton eon- ducted a hotel. It will be understood that a part of present Crystal Lake city was once within the incorporation of Nunda village and its carly history will be treated in the history of Nunda Township.
Aside from the above named business interests it should be stated in this connection that for many years the ice taken from the lake near Crystal Lake has been cut and shipped to Chicago, where the name sells the produet, while it is said, however, that much sold under this catchy name came from some dirty pond much nearer Chicago. The land containing this beautiful lake has been the subject of much recent litigation, and the question of ownership is still in the courts.
Three miles distant from the eity of Crystal Lake is located the celebrated Terra Cotta plant, where sometimes 300 men are employed, although during the World War the number was cut down materially. Where this plant stands is known on railroad maps as Terra Cotta.
The great bottling plant of the Bowman Dairy Company is located right in the town and handles all the vast amount of milk produced in the surrounding country, instead of it being shipped direet to the city. At this plant are bottled and shipped to Chicago four carloads of bottled milk daily.
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HISTORY OF McHENRY COUNTY
POST OFFICE
An exact list of postmasters at this office cannot be now obtained with any degree of certainty, but it is known to be an old post office and Mrs. De Grushe was in charge of the office inany years ago. It was probably about 1840 when the office was established. Among the post- masters recalled by present settlers were: Mrs. De Grushe, E. G. MeCollum. A. S. Corl. John Me Whorter and present postmaster, Henry Shales. The office is now of the third class. At one time it had three rural free deliveries but of late only two routes are provided by the department.
MUNICIPAL HISTORY
From the revised ordinanee book of the City of Crystal Lake, pub- lished in 1915 the following historie fact> have been gleaned. The history of certain incorporations, under the name of Nunda, North Crystal Lake and Crystal Lake, make the understanding to present-day people quite difficult, but the following will serve to make all clear. The names and dates ean he relied upon, coming from authority of mayor and councilmen.
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