USA > Illinois > McHenry County > History of McHenry County, Illinois, Volume I > Part 37
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About 1853, or possibly a year later, Jaeob A. Davis built a hotel on the site later occupied by the Ryder House, and this was used as a hotel until 1876, when it was destroyed by fire. At that time it was the prop- erty of A. Ryder, who immediately rebuilt and gave the new structure his own name. This and other hotels have been built, served a good purpose and been abandoned, while other more modern hotels have taken their place and serve the traveling public today.
POST OFFICE
The first post office in the vicinity of Marengo was established in 1841, and was kept by Alfred King, at his residenee, one mile west of the present eity of Marengo. David Hammer succeeded King, although for a time the post office was kept at the home of Joseph Deitz, but was then removed to the corner of State and Main streets. Colonel Cornelius Lansing was the third postmaster, and William F. Combs was the fourth, he keeping the office in a store on the site later occupied by the Free Methodist Church. The office was then moved to the southwest corner of State and Main streets, where the postmaster was L. L. Crandall. As the fifth postmaster, Anson Sperry was appointed in 1853, and held the office until 1861, it being in the meanwhile moved to the site later
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occupied by the Marengo Opera House. From 1861 to 1873 Dr. O. S. .Jenks was postmaster and he had his office in a building later used by William C. Stewart as a dry goods store. Mr. Stewart succeeded to the office, was postmaster from 1873 to 1882, and kept the office in the same building as did his predecessor. In 1882 J. Q. Adams was appointed postmaster, and he removed the office to the southwest corner of State and Washington streets. From that date to now it will hardly be of interest to trace the many homes had by this post office. The postmasters since the administration of the above named men have been : J. Q. Adams from 1882 to 1894, F. M. Mead from 1894 to 1898, then he was sueeeeded by J. Q. Adams, and he in turn in 1902 by Charles Scofield. In 1915 came James Cleary and in 1919 Charles Gilkerson. This newly appointed postmaster wisely kept the old clerks, who had been efficient in their places. They are as follows: Miss Bertha Rowe, assistant postmaster, and Miss Lucretia Marshall, elerk. The rural carriers are: L. D. Shel- don, route 1; Mrs. Ina Coonradt, route 2; Lee Grover, route 3; D. E. Echternach, route 4.
The Marengo office sold Thrift Stamps during 1917 to the amount of $31,204.36.
The Marengo office was a second class offiee up to about 1917 when it was set baek to a third elass, when the general cry at Washington was "retrenchment."
COMMUNITY CLUB
In the summer of 1916 E. D. Patrick remodeled the Marengo Opera House Building, and at that time submitted a plan to furnish and fit up on the third floor of this building a hall and elubrooms consisting of a hall 48 by 70 feet with 20-foot ceilings, billiard room, reception rooms, kitehen and dressing rooms with lavatory and toilet fittings, install lights and heat the same for an annual rental of $360.00.
Accordingly, a committee was appointed to organize the Community Club of Marengo, and they perfected such an organization, whose pur- pose it was to furnish clean and healthful entertainment and physical training and exereise to the members and families of the Community Club. The membership fee was fixed at $5 and $6 per year in advance.
The club is managed by a president, vice president, secretary and treasurer and five trustees. Monthly meetings are held by the officers, at which all matters pertaining to the management of the elub are sub- mitted and disposed of. The detail management is carried out through several committees, as: House Committee, Athletic Committee, Ednea-
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tional, Entertainment and Membership Committees, all reporting to business meetings each month, for council and advice, as well as giving suggestions for the betterment of the club. The membership age limit is eighteen years and over. Men are admitted only, however, the ladies use the Ilalland Gym one night each week. The Boy Sconts also are given a place one night each week, at a nominal fee. This club has no connection, whatever, with any religions seet or ereed, and holds no religious services in their hall. The members rather seek to demonstrate the true spirit of Christianity and democracy, in a practical, everyday way. It certainly has filled a common community need in the place, and is growing stronger each month. Members of this elub work in per- feet harmony with the various women's clubs, publie school management and other societies of the city of Marengo. "WE" is the big word with this elub. No cliques or anything of the kind, or polities is allowed to obtain within the elub.
It has come to make the place a better, safer, pleasanter one in which to live and labor for the higher uplift of the general community.
REMINISCENCES ACCOUNT OF MARENGO
The subjoined is a sketch made up from reeolleetions of that sturdy pioneer, Calvin Spencer, who dietated these "carly-day notes" to his daughter who wrote them down at the time he gave them, henee may be relied upon as authentie history :
The first settler in what is now known as Marengo was Calvin Speneer who arrived here with his ox-teams November 17, 1835. The previous year he had been here and ent logs for a cabin, also eut and put up staeks of hay with a scythe. The seythe needing grinding he walked about eighteen miles further west to Big Thunder Mills on the trail to Galena. Mr. Speneer recalled seeing the body of Big Thunder sitting upright, facing the east in a pen built by the Indians to keep the animals away. It so remained there until the skull dropped off.
Mr. Spencer built on present site of the Gault Building, where he eondueted a publie house or tavern as then ealled. A large part of land was ineluded in what is now the city of Marengo. The first post office was kept by Alfred King, who kept the office one mile west of the Spencer tavern. The post office was ealled Pleasant Grove, but finding another post office by that name, it was changed to Marengo, so named by Thomas Thorne. The first store was by Moody Bailey, on the site of the present Ellison garage. Fink & Walker Stage line covered the road
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to Galena up to the building of the railroad in 1851. It was the Galena & Chicago Union Railroad. Miss Spencer, daughter of Calvin Spencer, now has a way-bill dated Chicago, March 11, 1852, for lumber shipped to her father and which was used in enlarging her present house, which he had erected in 1844. This building stands some three blocks east of the central corners, on the road to Chicago.
The first justice of the peace was Moses Spencer, father of Calvin, who died in 1861 in his eighty-first year.
The first marriage was that of William Sponsable and Rachael Chat- field, both of whom were life-long residents of Marengo.
The first sermon was preached at the Calvin Spencer home in 1836, by Elder Southworth, an itinerant, the text being: "And he sat down and talked to the people."
The first medieal doctor of Marengo was Dr. Burley Mason.
The first birth was Dr. Mason's son William, who died an infant.
The first school was taught in the summer of 1837 by Caroline Cobb, who became the wife of Spencer Flanders and she spent her life near Franklinville. The school in the fall of 1838 was taught by O. P. Rogers, who died only a few years ago. For many years he was a partner of L. Woodward in the nursery business.
The first newspaper at Marengo was the Marengo Journal in 1856, owned by Edward Burnside. The issues for the first few years ending in 1861 are now in possession of Miss Spencer in a bound volume.
The first water-mill was the Kishwaukee mill-it being on that stream ; it was eondneted by Smith Bros.
The first cemetery was a part of the present one which was later enlarged to the north side of the railroad. The first body buried there in the new part being George House, who died June, 1861.
The first Sunday school was condneted in the present Speneer residence.
Botsford & Howe operated the first steam-mill. Early merchants were Mr. Vawter, Kasson & Safford, Mr. Ilyde and others.
Mr. Speneer was born in Cayuga County, N. Y., October 6, 1807, and died April 17, 1898. He was the son of Moses and Esther (Albee) Spencer. Calvin Spencer arrived at Marengo, with ox teams November 17, 1835. Ilis parents also eame west about that date, but the mother was taken ill en route and died the tenth of that month before reaching their destination. His brother-in-law Joseph Brayton, and wife, and a couple of young men came at the same time. The fear of Indians so
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worked on the mind of Mrs. Brayton that they could not be induced to remain in the country and they went back to La Porte, Ind.
Mr. Spencer was always an active man till well passed eighty years and retained his mentality and physical vigor up to near his death. His wife was born in 1810 and died in 1875.
Politically, he was identified with the Republican party. Originally he voted with the Whig party, and east his first vote in 1828 against Andrew Jackson. He never missed an election. lIe heard the great debate between Lincoln and Douglas in Chieago, in 1856. In church affiliations he was of the Baptist denomination.
Of the seven children of Mr. and Mrs. Spencer, the survivors are: Orson, of Washington County, III., and Mary, widow of John Lambden, who was born February 25, 1841, in the old tavern at Marengo, still lives at the old homestead; and Edna Sophronia, born in the present Speneer house, May 27, 1849. She is known as a great lover of home and a zealous worker in the Baptist Church, and a liberal contributor to benevolent causes.
FIFTY YEARS AND MORE AMONG THE BEES
"As busy as a bee" certainly applies to Dr. C. C. Miller, the vener- able gentleman of Marengo, who is now eighty-six years of age, and who has had to do with honey bees and flowers for almost three score years and has been associate editor of the well-known publieation the "American Bee Journal" for many years. Doetor Miller was among the pioneer physicians of Marengo and vieinity, but about Civil war days abandoned his medical practice, and since then has been an aetive student and busy worker among the honey-bee hives, and oeeupied in imparting his knowledge by tongue and pen concerning the keeping of bees and the best methods of producing honey. His is no small, stinted knowledge of that most ingenious and wonderful of God's creatures, the honey bee. To be brief, in the introduction of this talented and universally respected veteran of the bee and honey industry, we will simply quote a short biography of him found a few years sinee in the biographical dietionary of notable persons in the United States, "Who's Who in America."
Miller, Charles C., apiarist, writer; born in Ligonier, Pennsylvania, June 10, 1831, son of Johnson J. and Phoebe Miller; A. B., Union Col- lege, Schenectady, N. Y., 1853; M. D., Medieal Department University of Michigan, 1856; married Miss Helen M. White of Marengo, Illinois,
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August 12, 1857 (died 1880) ; married Miss Sidney J. Wilson of Marengo, Illinois, November 15, 1881. Began keeping bees at Marengo, 1861; and at one time four hundred colonies of bees, now fourteen, and pro- duced many tons of honey; extensive writer for bee and agricultural journals ; department editor of Gleanings in Bee Culture, 1890; associate editor American Bee Journal, 1894; Prohibitionist, Presbyterian, Mem- ber National Bee Keepers Union (twiee president). Member Beta Kappa. Author: "A Book by P. Benson," 1874; "A Year Among Bees," 1886, "Forty Years Among the Bees," 1902; "Fifty Years Among the Bees," 1911. Editor "Apiary Terms" in Standard Dietionary ; home, Marengo, MeHenry County, Illinois.
His chosen profession, medical doetor, was too trying on his sensitive nature; it worried and chafed him, and for this reason he was content in withdrawing from that profession for which he had well fitted him- self, and for a time he was a musical instructor in the old "Marengo Collegiate Institute" whose existence is now but a faint memory among the older members of MeHenry County society. He has knowingly re- marked in recent years that his "ehair" there netted him $50 and some old lumber.
For a time Doctor Miller taught school and gave piano lessons and eondueted singing school. He is full of musie and at one time was a regular contributor of both words and musie to the famous "Song Messenger." He was the efficient chorister in the Moody Church of Chicago and even in his old age still may be classed among the "sweet singers.".
His great achievements have been in that of an expert apiarist. At one time he had 400 colonies of bees and a careful estimate places the amount of honey he eaused to be produced by these bees to be in round numbers 100 tons.
His writings on the honey bee, its habits, eustoms, and value have found their way into the Country Gentleman, Youth's Companion, Gleanings In Bee Culture, and every book of importanee on bees in this country, and he has drawn from his knowledge of bees in his productions. He was editor of the department on bees in the Standard Dietionary, and his writings have been translated into the French, German, Swiss, Italian, Russian and Japanese publications. Doetor Miller is known far and wide, and by the bee publieations in Texas, he is styled the "Sage of Marengo."
Doetor Miller is a religious man, and has been a ruling elder in the Presbyterian Church of Marengo sinee 1857. Through his religion,
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he sees the hand of the Creator in Nature. The sunshine, wind, rain, the grass and the flowers all appeal to his religious nature and in these elements he recognizes sublime beauty. Even the modest daisy is not too insignifieant to be noticed, examined and talked about. So well is he acquainted with flowers that he was elected secretary of the Northern Illinois Hortienltural Society, and still later was its presi- dent. He is truly a many-sided man. Whether one views him from the standpoint of scholarship, seience, art, composition, Christian manly virtues, a home-lover and home-maker, or as the plain, everyday, hard- working enthusiast over bees and the production of the extract of all sweetness-"honey and the honey-comb," it matters not, he stands out in the open, high above and far removed, from but few, if any, in the varions roles in life, in which he has been so conspienons a figure for more than a half century in one place, MeHenry County, III.
CHAPTER XXXV
MCHENRY TOWNSHIP
BOUNDARIES-EARLY SETTLERS-PIONEER EVENTS-CEMETERIES-INDIAN FORD-VILLAGE OF MC HENRY-FACTORIES-BUSINESS FACTORS IN 1885- INCORPORATION-PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS-POST OFFICF-HOTELS-WEST MC HENRY-JOIINSBURG-RINGWOOD-SPECIAL FEATURES-POPULATION -TOWNSHIP OFFICIALS.
BOUNDARIES
McHenry Township is bounded on the north by Richmond and Burton Townships; on the east by Lake County; on the south by Nunda Township : and on the west by Greenwood Township, and it is congres- sional township 45, range 8. The Fox River traverses it from north to south, and it contains half of Pistaqua Lake, which is in the north- eastern part ; one-half of Lilly Lake, which is in the southeastern part ; and MeCollum's Lake, which is near the center of the township; while two branches of Boone Creek which is the main stream of the Nipper- sink, as well as many smaller water courses supply ample water and drainage. It is one of the most fertile and productive townships of Me- Henry County, which has long had the reputation of being one of the leading agricultural sections of the state. McHenry County is one of the oldest settled townships in the county, and in it the county seat was located not only before Lake County was separated from Mefleury, but for some time thereafter, as is given in another chapter.
EARLY SETTLERS
The first settler of MeHenry Township was Dr. Christy G. Wheeler, who came here in 1836, and opened a small store. He was a brother of Elder Wheeler, who lived to attain the distinction of being the oldest living pioneer of MeHenry Township. Dr. Wheeler was a medical prac- titioner and also a local preacher, and alternated between his mercan- tile pursuits and his two professions. llis health was very frail, he
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in fact having come to Illinois in the hope that the change would prove beneficial, but he did not improve, and at length died only a few years after his settlement here. Some of the other pioncers were as follows: Henry and John McLean; Louis and John Boone, William and David MeCullum, Wesley Ladd, Samuel Walker, Allen and Freeman Harvey, B. B. Brown, Jonathan and Mike Sutton, Rev. Joel Wheeler, William II. Hankins, and his aunt Mrs. Valentine and her son, and also a man by the name of Teabout. The Harkins party came to MeHenry Township in September, 1837, having made the journey in an emigrant wagon, which they used as a shelter until their cabin was erected. In December, 1837, Yonng Valentine fell from a tree and was instantly killed. Mr. Teabout lost his life while hunting not long thereafter through the accidental discharge of his gun.
PIONEER EVENTS
Rev. Joel Wheeler performed the first marriage ceremony in MeHenry Township in November, 1839, when he united Joseph Fellows and Christ- iana Robinanlt, that is recorded. The first child born in the township was Christy Wheeler.
The first death was that of William Herriek. He was crossing the Fox River on the ice, his horse broke through, and in some way his rifle was accidentally discharged. causing his death. IIis body was interred on the banks of the river, and there remained for many years, but in the early eighties, when a cellar was being dug on the site of his grave, his remains were disinterred and laid to a final rest in the Me- Henry Cemetery.
CEMETERIES
The "silent cities" of the township, the cemeteries, are numerous.
At first the dead were buried near the old mill-dam, one mile to the north of the village of McHenry, but as other cemeteries were opened up, the bodies were removed from it and placed where the graves would receive better attention. Among the township's burying grounds are these : Thompson's Burying Ground, the Ringwood Cemetery; one located just west of Ringwood; and others both public, and church- burying grounds. The Catholics have a large cemetery near their church at Johnsburg; the Woodland Cemetery is at McHenry village. This
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last named was laid out in 1858, and is a Protestant cemetery, while the Catholics have another one located near the village of MeHenry also.
INDIAN FORD
At the point on the Fox River where the city of MeHenry now stands, in the days long before the white man set his foot on MeHenry County soil, the Indians built a ford of broad, flat, square-cut stones of sandstone, which were regularly laid and secured by other stones in such manner that the swift current of the stream would not dislodge them. The pioneer white men removed these stones and used them for hearth-stones, and some of them are still to be found. It has never been ascertained the sonree from which the Indians obtained these stones, as no similar formation has been found anywhere in this locality.
THE VILLAGE OF MC HENRY
The Village of Meffenry is distinguished as having been the county seat for so many years, and also as being the first town that was organ- ized in MeHenry County. It was laid out by a Chicago surveyor, named Bradley, in 1837, through the efforts of Henry McLean, and the latter built the first house in the place, a log one, 12x16, near the site of what later was known as the Riverside House. For several months after this little building was erected it served as a gathering place for the settlers and a wayside tavern. Dr. Christy Wheeler opened and con- ducted the first store. The first wagonmaker was Richard Bishop, who opened his shop in 1840. Nathan Haight was the first blacksmith. The first saw-mill was built in 1837 by a man named Barnum, who later sold it to H. O. Owen and James Salisbury who completed the work of construction, John McOmber doing the actual work. Mr. McOmber afterwards built himself a house from the first lumber sawed by this mill. Not long after this mill was completed, James Salisbury went below to correct some error with reference to its action, and not having notified the millman, he had scarcely placed himself in the machinery, than the gate was hoisted, the mill put in motion, and Mr. Salisbury was crushed and killed almost instantly. He was buried by Rev. Joel Wheeler in the first cemetery by the mill dam.
In 1851 E. M. Owen and his brothers HI. A. and O. W. Owen, built a grist-mill at MeHenry that was for a long time the best in the county. They ran it in partnership until 1858, when E. M. Owen bought the
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interests of his brothers, and sold it to R. Bishop for $20,000.00. Mr. Bishop immediately added the roller process at a cost of $10,000.00, and for a number of years this mill was one of the leading industries of Me- Henry.
The old mill site is pointed out by the old settler as one of the impor- tant land-marks of by-gone days. The race that conveys the water to the mill is still overflowing and the water wastes itself away from day to day, but its utility seems forever gone for milling purposes. In fact there are but few of the early mills in use anywhere, on account of the milling center for flour making has long since changed and it is conducted on a different plan, perhaps a better plan, at least the farmer sells his wheat and buys his supply of flour now!
FACTORIES
There was a day when Mellenry bid fair to become a place of much manufacturing interest, in fact it is related that the village had an opportunity during the early sixties to secure what is now known the world over, as the Elgin Wateh Factory, but business men did not pull together in harmony, and they let the prize slip away to Elgin, which made eoneessions and some sacrifices in order to build up that great plant when its stock holders most needed aid.
In the early eighties a piekle factory was established at MeHenry. It was founded by that well-remembered pioneer and excellent citizen, Richard Bishop, who for many years operated this factory with profit to himself and the surrounding country, but in time this business shifted to large city centers, Pittsburg, Cineinnati, Chicago, ete., and the small town plants were put out of commission. However at this time there are hundreds of aeres of land in and around MeHenry, Richmond. Spring Grove and other eastern MeHenry County points which pro- duce cucumbers which are placed in salting plants near where they are grown and later in the season, are shipped to Chicago, where they are made into pickles. It has come to be a large industry.
In 1868 George Gribbler built a brewery at MelIenry. Ile com- menced in a small way but eventually possessed a large paying plant where lager beer was prodneed in great quantities. It had a large local and a fairly large shipping sale.
One of MeHenry's earliest industries was the wagon factory of Rieh- ard Bishop, whose well equipped plant was totally destroyed by fire in 1878, but was rebuilt upon a much larger seale, with improved
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machinery for turning out farm and light wagons. But this, too, like other small town factory interests, had to succumb to the inevitable and in time gave way to the great wagon factories in the country, with which small places were unable to compete, hence had to close down.
BUSINESS FACTORS IN 1885
By reference to old publications, paper files, etc., it is learned that the following constituted the majority of business men, firms and professions in MelIenry from 1880 to 1885:
Richard Bishop, E. M. Owen & Son, Amos D. Whiting, Francis A. IIerbard, Isaac Wentworth, Charles B. Curtiss, Gottlieb Boley, Nord- quist & Weber, Barbeau Brothers, L. D. Lincoln, John B. Blake, Henry Madden, William M. Yager, E. M. Howe, Mathias Englen, O. W. Owen, J. P. Smith, II. E. Wrightman, Perry & Owen, Mayers & Bartlett, Edwin Lawless, Henry Colby, Dr. II. T. Brown, Dr. C. II. Fegers, I. E. Benett, John Karges, E. G. Smith, George Dimmel, Anton Engelen, J. J. Gillis, John Ileimer and Thomas Knox. Many of the above named business factors had been residents of MeHenry prior to and during the Civil war period, and bore well their part in sustaining the Union at that time.
INCORPORATION
It was incorporated August 10, 1872, with the following officers: Richard Bishop, president ; J. B. Perry, J. M. MeComber, HI. C. Smith, John King, and Frank K. Granger, trustees; and Michel Keller, elerk."
The subjoined have served as presidents of MeHenry village from date of its incorporation : 1872-R. Bishop, 1873-J. B. Perry, 1874- C. B. Curtis, R. Bishop, F. K. Granger, R. Bishop. Smith Searles, R. Bishop, Anthony Webber, Rollin Howard, R. Bishop, B. Gilbert, F. K. Granger, Rollin Howard, J. Van Slyke, Simon Stoffel, J. Van Slyke, (1891), (No record for several years), 1897-John I. Story, 1898-W. A. Christy, John Evanson, P. J. Freund, F. J. Wattles, John H. Miller, Simon Stoffel, D. J. Wells, R. G. Chamberlain, John Olson, and Simon Stoffel.
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