USA > Illinois > McHenry County > History of McHenry County, Illinois : together with sketches of its cities, villages and towns : educational, religious, civil, military, and political history : portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens, also a condensed History of Illinois > Part 32
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87
358
HISTORY OF MO HENRY COUNTY.
Oct. 13, 1882, Frank Gallagher, son of James Gallagher, of Woodstock, fell from a freight train and was killed. He was terri- bly mangled, and the head severed from the body. This accident should serve as a warning to boys who have a propensity to jump on the cars when they have no business there.
Jan. 5, 1882, a man named Forth, of Greenwood, committed suicide by hanging.
April 29, 1883, a brakeman named Thomas Gorman was killed by the cars at Crystal Lake station.
At Algonquin, July 6, 1883, a small boy named Wm. Albright fell from the dam while fishing, and was drowned. .
CHAPTER XII.
FARM DRAINAGE .- HOW TILE ARE MADE.
FARM DRAINAGE.
It would be hardly fitting to close this work without referring to the above subject, for, out of the 384,400 acres of land compris- ing McHenry County, nine per cent., or 34,956 acres, are wet land and totally unfit for cultivation, as shown by the report of the Secre- tary of the State Board of Agriculture. On this land the farmers of this county are paying taxes and yet receive from it no income, while the wet spots stand, a menace to the health of the family and a blotch on the appearance of the farm.
Owners of land in other sections of the country have discovered that this can all be remedied, and unnumbered instances elsewhere show beyond all question that these lands are the most productive and richest, as well as surest to depend on, of any lands found. Experience has demonstrated that when men once see the effects accomplished by thorough drainage they never hesitate about im- proving their lands at once-that all that is needed is for them to post themselves, which they can do in a measure from such articles as we offer here, but more especially from actual observation of the work itself. That this is true is shown by the fact that there was made and used in the State of Illinois in the year 1878 seventy-six per cent. more drain tile than in the year 1877, and 430 per cent. more than in the year 1876, while in the year 1884 their number was more than 700 per cent. greater than in 1878, and nearly 4,000 per cent. greater than in 1876, and yet they are all used and have be- gun and are continuing their work of redeeming thousands of acres of land-making it healthy and productive. There are places scat- tered about in McHenry, Lake and adjoining counties where the results of their use may be seen. The writer had shown him, ad- joining Crystal Lake, on the extensive farm of C. S. Dole, Esq., a large tract of beautiful land, as productive as a garden, upon which his informant assured him that he himself had a few years since speared fish.
(359)
360
HISTORY OF MC HENRY COUNTY.
Another instance is on the farm of Geo. S. Young, Esq., near Harvard, where a pond in which there were fish was drained in 1883 and a fine crop of corn was raised thereon in 1884, despite the idea of many that the soil would be too light to raise anything if it were drained. Other instances might be mentioned but you have doubtlessly noted some in your neighborhood.
Now why is this so essential? and why should the placing of a tile drain add to the value of land? Without water no plant life will flourish, but another thing is as certain-an excess of water is injurious if not fatal to any crop. In any soil except gravelly sub- soil (which often has natural drainage) there is a line of saturation, probably a few inches below the surface, the soil above which is partially drained. That is porous and has air interposed be- tween the particles of moist dirt. This is the soil that grows whatever crop is raised, for the plant roots must have soil in which to grow, when they have both air and water, and they will stop short and will not penetrate the soil below this line of saturation. Again, from this soil the only way in which water is removed, in many instances, is by evaporation, which requires the same amount of heat that is required to " boil away " a like amount of water on a stove, all of which heat is carried away from the soil by this process of evaporation and the soil left cold and sour. Again the rain in falling on such soil usually encounters a hard, dry crust which is the result of the last shower and which is almost abso- lutely impervious to water, and upon striking this the water is held back and carried off on the surface seeking some lower ground and carrying with it all its treasure of gases taken from the air as well as all the washings from the surface of the soil comprising its richest parts. You have noticed after a shower how the air was cleared and purified by the rain drops falling through it, and those same elements, taken from the air by the rain, are among the best stimulants and foods for plant life; and if the ground be provided with underground drains, the drops of the rain-fall percolate through the soil and, leaving in the soil all these gases and plant foods, the water issnes from the drain as crystal spring water, pure and cool, having given off not only its nutriments but its heat also to the soil. Then in a well drained soil the line of saturation is lowered, the water gradually works down to the line of the drain, and the result is that there is a growing soil of from two to three feet into which the roots of the growing crops will extend and from which they will draw
361
HISTORY OF MC HENRY OOUNTY.
their treasures. The drops of rain are loaded with money, for plant food is money, and when it is washed away it is a washing away of money in reality, and when it is left in the soil it is money there to be gathered through the roots of the growing crops. Again, the water line being lowered, air is admitted. You know there is a terrific pressure to the envelope of air that surrounds the earth; you know how hard it is to produce a vac- uum, to keep out this air, and you know, when you stop to think, that this force of atmospheric pressure will drive the particles of air clear down to the water line. And how is this in a dry time? The surface of the soil is left mellow by the showers, where the water is drawn off from below, and there is an entire absence of the dry crust, broken only by cracks, which is so com- monly seen on an undrained soil in a dry time. The water is brought up from below by capillary attraction and air is carried through it, and air that is loaded with moisture, and "dew" is de- posited through the soil as well as on the surface.
Good common sense is at the back of all practical drainage and if you follow that you will not be misled. Almost every farm has a wet patch of ten or twenty acres. Examine the nat- ural outlet and see if it is not crooked and choked up. Dig it ont straight and deep, and if it is to be a permanent open drain, don't be afraid of making the ditch too wide and the slope of the sides gradual. It ought to be about four times as wide as it is deep, and the dirt dug out should be thrown well back from the edge. This will begin the work by taking off the surface water and leave the lands in shape to put in the smaller lateral or branch drains. Dig your ditches for these, after having decided where you need them, and begin if possible at the mouth and work back, digging so that the water will all the time run from you. Get the new tools and find out the new way of doing it and you will be sur- prised to see how little dirt you remove for laying tile. If you have but little fall, then you had better get a surveyor or drain- age engineer to take the level, or get an instrument and take it yourself, or make one with a plumb line or level. If you are new to the business talk it over with some neighbor who has studied into it and put in tile. Read all you can get about it and if you can't get information from any other source handy, go to the nearest tile manufacturer, for it is his business to know and to be ready and willing to tell you, and he will both be posted and glad to tell you if he amounts to anything and is not behind the times.
G
362
HISTORY OF MC HENRY COUNTY.
Remember to make thorough work of whatever you do put in. Don't try to run a drain at one pitch part way and then decrease the pitch; when you think of it you will see its fatal effect. Increase the fall as you go as much as you will, but never decrease it. Don't put in too small tiles. The differ- ence in cost is not great, and you may want to add to them in the future, and have to dig up and replace at large expense be- cause the capacity is not great enough. Remember that the car- rying capacity increases greatly with the size and is pretty nearly as the squares of their diameters, but friction is greater in the smaller. One eight inch will carry as much as two of six inch. The depth of laying and distances apart are approximately shown by the following table from " Haswell:" .
SOILS.
DEPTH OF PIPE.
DIST.
APART.
SOILS.
DEPTH
OF PIPE.
DIST.
APART.
ft in feet.
ft in|feet.
Coarse gravel sand.
4-6
60
Loam with gravel.
3-3
27
Light sand with gravel ..
4-0
50
Sandy loam
3-9
40
Light loam ..
3-6
33
Soft clay.
2-9
21
Loam with clay.
3-2
21
Stiff clay.
2-6
15
Get them well down anyway, even if you do not get them so near as here stated. Remember that, generally speaking, the deeper you place them the wider strip will they drain. Get as good a fall as you can, and not less than one in 500 if you can help it. The following table will give you an approximate idea of how many tile it will take per acre, laying the tile in rows at the dis- tance apart stated:
15 feet apart. . .
2,940 feet.
40 feet apart
1,102 feet.
20
.2,205 "
50
880 4
25
-
.1,760 "
100
=
ت
440 “
30
=
1,470
150
270
So much as to the ditching-now as to the tile. The points of superiority are that they should be smooth, on the inside anyway; straight-not warped in drying or burning; the ends should be at right angles to sides so as to fit well against the end of the next tile; free from cracks and imperfections; and last, but by no means least, of a clay that works to a good body and not in layers, and burns to a hardness so that you cannot cut into it with a knife-can barely scratch it. On this last point you must remember you are putting your tile in to last all time and you want something that will stand.
G
HISTORY OF MO HENRY COUNTY.
A line of tile will carry water from as many acres as the square of the diameter of the tile in inches, thus: A two-inch tile will serve as a main to carry the water which flows from four acres; a three- inch from nine acres, etc. In many instances you can carry off the cold water from hill-side springs by tile and thus easily save quite a patch of land made wet and cold by the seepage of the spring. If the whole length of the ditch is opened, begin laying tile at the upper end, the opposite from where you begin to dig, then if you get a shower before you get through your tile are not clogged. When you start your drain put a round stone against the end to keep out the dirt, and when you stop laying at night, put a stone against the end to keep anything fromn crawling up. Be careful to fix a good opening where your tile emptics into the open ditch, brick it up and make it substantial, and have it above the water so it won't fill up, and have it protected so nothing can get into it.
If you order tile shipped the following table will give you the number of the different sizes, constituting a car load of ten tons, so that the actual car load will be from this amount to double the same according to the capacity of the car.
INSIDE DIAM- ETER OF TILES. INCHES.
NO. OF FT. TO A CAR LOAD.
INSIDE DIAM- ETER OF TILES. INCHES.
NO. OF FT. TO A CAR LOAD.
212 .5,000
3
4,000
17 1,325
4
3,000
8 1,000
5
2,000
10
.800
Briefly enumerated the benefits of tile drainage are:
1. It greatly lessens the effect of drought and by condensation supplies moisture.
2. It carries into the soil a larger supply of fertilizing gases, such as carbonic acid and ammonia.
3. It warms the lower portions of the soil.
4. It lessens the cooling of the soil by evaporation.
5. It chemically benefits the soil and improves its mechanical structure for plant life.
6. It tends to prevent grass lands running out.
7. It decpens the surface soil by lowering the line of saturation.
8. It renders soils earlier in spring and later in fall.
9. It prevents the throwing out of grain in winter by frost. 23
363
6 .1,500
364
HISTORY OF MC HENRY COUNTY.
10. It enables one to work much sooner after a rain.
11. It prevents land from becoming sour.
12. It lessens the formation of crusts on the surface of the soil after rains.
13. It prevents the washing off a fertile soil.
Our Legislature has passed and is now enacting good laws upon this subject, not alone as to drainage districts, but to apply to the reclaiming of land for agricultural purposes, by draining over the land of another, and all this accomplished, too, without expensive or vexatious litigation, so that with the laws so framed, if you have tile of good quality, manufactured within a reasonable distance, so that you will not be eaten up with freight charges, you are in a proper condition to wonderfully improve your land and to add materially to your income.
HOW TILE ARE MADE.
Having recently had occasion to examine some of the drain tile manufactured at the Spring Valley Tile Works, which are located between Crystal Lake and McHenry, at the new station of "Terra Cotta," on the C. & N. W. R. R., the writer hereof can but con- gratulate the people of the vicinity upon the excellent quality of the product sent out from these works. The proprietor, Wm. D. Gates, known in the community from his boyhood, experi- mented upon the clay found here for a long time before beginning the actual work of putting in machinery, and then, having fully satisfied himself on every point, began pushing the work with all possible speed. He had become enthusiastic over the clay found and carried his enthusiasm into the line of making the works a study and a pet, wishing them to be among the very best in the land. To this end he has studied other factories and found what was best in each, and, profiting by their experience, and by using the new and most improved forms, he is able to better handle his materials and produce better results than older factories with old- fashioned appliances.
The clay is carried direct from the bank in small dumping cars, over a miniature railroad, directly into the factory and dumped into a tempering bin by the side of the machinery. Here, after being properly tempered, it is shoveled into the crusher, from which it falls into the tile machine proper. From this it emerges in a steady stream of tile.
365
HISTORY OF MC HENRY COUNTY.
These are cut into lengths and placed upon an elevator running to the drying floors above where the tile are set out to dry.
As they have to stand until dry, a large amount of space is needed for this purpose, and large new buildings have been built. When dry the tile are wheeled to a kiln, which is a large structure of fire brick banded by heavy bands of iron and shaped not un- like an old-fashioned bee-hive. Each kiln holds about 10,000 tile, and as soon as filled is sealed up and the fires started. The heat has to be raised very slowly, constant attention being requisite, or all will be spoiled. About a week is required to burn a kiln and cool off, consuming about nine tons of coal in the oper- ation. The heat generated is very intense, fusing iron easily, so that all the exposed parts have to be of the very best fire brick.
The works are provided with a fine fire protection separate and entirely distinct from the steam-power. This is a strong rotary pump, operated direct from the water-power, and thus always ready at a moment's notice, and by means of thorough piping, throws three powerful streams of water throngh lengths of hose constantly attached at different parts of the buildings.
Mr. Gates has manufactured some very fine red and white brick and has also made a new departure in building material, having made a quantity of square hollow tile for use in building walls of houses by means of which the wall has a double air space. He has already started a residence for himself at the works out of this material which we advise every one to see.
We confidently predict a good market for his pressed brick in Chicago, as well as for his Terra Cotta for ornamenting the exte- rior and interior of buildings, for which latter purpose he intends to push his works, producing ornaments, mantels, friezes, etc.
The manufactured products intended for shipment are loaded on cars at the factory, by means of a railroad track connecting with the railroad proper at the new station "Terra Cotta," about a mile from the works.
While all useless labor has been left out of the work, still great care has been exercised that nothing should be done that would in any way impair the quality of the goods, as quality is deemed by him the first consideration. The texture of the product itself is a guarantee of excellence, and we confidently predict that farmers laying these tile will never be troubled with having to dig up and relay their drains on account of defective tile.
366 HISTORY OF MO HENRY COUNTY.
We are glad to see that the proprietor intends manufacturing his clays, instead of shipping the crude article, as he has had op- portunities for doing, as by this means he is using home labor and building on a sure and prosperous foundation.
The goods manufactured have stood the severest test of frost, and we would advise any one intending laying tile especially, to thoroughly investigate the product of these works before buying, as we are satisfied they will get a very superior quality of product and honest and fair treatment as well.
---
CHAPTER XIII
ALDEN TOWNSHIP.
ORIGIN OF NAME .- FIRST SETTLERS .- SETTLED IN 1836 .- LOCATION. -- A PRAIRIE TOWNSHIP .- NIPPERSINK CREEK .- FIRST HAPPEN- INGS .- CEMETERIES .- EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS. - RELIGIOUS INTER- ESTS .- POSTOFFICE .- DAIRY INTERESTS .- TOWNSHIP OFFICERS .- ALDEN VILLAGE .- BUSINESS MEN .- BIOGRAPHICAL.
NAME.
This township was not named for some time after the first set- tlers came in. The postoffice was called Wedgwood for a short time, when it was discovered that another postoffice by the same name was already established in the State. It was then changed to Alden by the Wards, Bordwells and Bennetts, who came from Alden, N. Y. When the township was christened, some time afterward, it received the same name.
FIRST SETTLERS.
Nathan and Darius Disbrow were the first men who settled in this township; they came in the fall of 1836, and erected their dwellings the following spring. They settled on section 15, where the village of Alden is now situated. They came from New York State. Darius made Alden Township his home only about five years, when he moved to Milwaukee, where he died in 1849. Na- thaniel is still a resident of the township, about three-quarters of a mile south of Alden Village.
Next came into the township Miles Booty, an Englishman, from Canada. He located on what is known now as the Capron farm, east of Alden Village one and a half miles. He came in the sum- mer of 1837, and remained in the township till about the year 1841, when he moved to Woodstock, where he engaged in business a short time, and then moved West.
The next settler was Asahel Disbrow, who came from Greene County, N. Y., with a wife and family of eleven children. At
(367)
1
368
HISTORY OF MC HENRY COUNTY.
present there are four of his sons residents of the township, names as follows-Nathan, Orin, Sydney and Lucas. Asahel Disbrow died in 1854, and his wife in 1859. John Alberty, a son-in-law of Asahel Disbrow, came in 1838 from Greene County, N. Y. Den- nis Ryder also came from New York State, locating here in 1838.
James Owen and family came in 1838 and settled in the south- west corner of township; Zadoc Clark came at the same time- both from Vermont. About the same time came H. Bushford, Ransom Parish and T. B. Wakeman, all from Greene County, N. Y.
LOCATION.
Alden Township is numbered 46 in range 6. It is one of the northern townships, joining the State of Wisconsin on the north. Chemung Township lies directly west of it, Hebron joins it on the east and Hartland on the north.
A PRAIRIE TOWNSHIP.
This township is principally prairie, though it is by no means destitute of timber. It is well adapted to farming and dairying, both avocations being extensively carried on.
NIPPERSINK CREEK.
From a small sheet of water situated in sections 14 and 15, called Mud Creek, flows the famous Nippersink Creek. The head waters of the Nippersink have three small inlets. In this township, on sections 23 and 26, the Kishwaukee Creek also has its rise as well as the Piskasaw in the west side of the township.
FIRST HAPPENINGS.
The first marriage took place on the 7th day of January, 1839. Timothy M. Fuller to Esther Disbrow. They were married by Wesley Diggens, Justice. In 1838 Darius Disbrow, a resident of Alden, and Sarah Cross, a resident of Hebron, were united in mar- riage in Milwaukee.
The first white child born in the township, was Lorain J., son of Darius Disbrow. When this child was small his father died, and he went with his mother to New York, her native State, and it is not known where he is or whether he is living. Twin daughters born to Mr. and Mrs. T. M. Fuller are known to be the second birth in the township.
James Burgett
G
369
HISTORY OF MO HENRY COUNTY.
The first death was that of a child belonging to a family who were passing through the country to find a home in the far West. The most of the family were sick and stopped a while at the house of Asahel Disbrow, where the child died. It was buried in the vicinity of Mud Lake.
CEMETERIES.
There are in the township two cemeteries. The one lying north of the village about eighty rods was laid out for burial purposes in 1846. Mr. A. Broughton was the first person buried here. The grounds contain about two acres, and are kept in fine condition. About the year 1847 a grave yard was laid out east of Alden village three-quarters of a mile, and was used for many years, but is now abandoned, and bodies are being removed elsewhere, princi- pally to the cemetery spoken of north of the village. The last mentioned grounds were originally the private property of Joel Brandaw. Their daughter was the first person buried there, and there lie the bodies of both Mr. and Mrs. Brandaw.
EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS.
The first school was taught in 1841, by Miss Clarissa Nelson, of Geneva Lake. The school was taught in the first school-house built in the township. It was a log structure and located near where the railroad station now stands. This building was erected in the spring of 1841, and its dimensions were only 12 x 14 feet, but plenty large enough to accommodate the little band of nine students. The following present school statistics show quite an increase since then. There are now in the township nine school- houses and 313 children of a school age. A salary of $1,430.99 is annually paid teachers, and the school property is valued at $3,340.
RELIGIOUS INTERESTS.
The first religious services were held in the fall of 1838, at the house of Mr. Asahel Disbrow, by Rev. Leander S. Walker. At this meeting Rev. Walker organized the Methodist society, which continued as a band of worshipers till about 1845, when they be- came disorganized and scattered. The first break in their ranks was the event of their class-leader taking up with the Millerite doctrine. He left this region for the purpose of proclaiming to the world his new-found belief, and took with him the records of the Methodist society, and they have never been returned.
370
HISTORY OF MO HENRY COUNTY.
Methodist Episcopal Church .-- In 1861 the Methodist society reorganized, and with a larger membership and under more favor- able circumstances than at their first organization, and has proven much more successful. At this date, 1861, they built a house of worship, at a cost of about $2,000, which still stands, and is the only church in the township. While this building was in process of erection a wind storm blew down the frame, scattering the tim- bers in every direction. This accident ran the expense of building up to several hundred dollars more than was subscribed for the purpose. This debt was liquidated, however, by the means of a railroad excursion to Rockford, instituted for that purpose.
Presbyterian Church .- In 1861 a society of Presbyterians was formed by Prof. Holton, who afterward became an associate editor of a religious paper in Boston, where he died several years ago. The church never became strong enough to build a house of wor- ship, and only remained as an organized body till 1874, when, through the death and removals of many members, the remaining ones found it impossible to carry on the duties required of them, and disbanded. Their membership never exceeded twenty. Prof. Holton was their pastor two years. Then Rev. L. Clark two years. Rev. M. Willis preached two years. The church was then supplied by students four years.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.