USA > Illinois > Winnebago County > Rockford > History of Rockford and Winnebago County, Illinois, from the first settlement in 1834 to the civil war > Part 10
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The pipe organ used in the church was built by H. H. Silsby and his brother. The organist at one time was Rufus Hatch, who subsequently removed to New York, and became one of the most famous operators of Wall street. During his residence in Rockford he was engaged in the dry goods business, on East State street, near the site of Mr. Coyner's drug store. His home was on South Madison street, where Miss Kate O'Connor's residence now stands. Mr. Hatch removed from Rockford about 1856. His house was purchased by Dr. Hale, who lived in it until he built another on the corner, where Mrs. Hale now resides. When Mr. Hatch became wealthy, he presented the pipe organ which is now in use in the present house of worship, to Dr. and Mrs. Goodwin. The Doctor was pastor when this church was dedicated. This splendid gift, which cost about four thou- sand dollars, was Mr. Hatch's personal token of esteem for Dr. Goodwin. Some time later Dr. Goodwin preached a sermon on Music, in which he referred to its high place in Christian wor- ship. At the close of this discourse Dr. Goodwin said that he and Mrs. Goodwin relinquished all claim to the organ. "It is henceforth neither mine nor yours, but the Lord's, to whom I now dedicate it."
Mrs. E. P. Catlin recalls the time when the young people were not so prominent in the devotional meetings as in these later years. Upon this point Mrs. Catlin writes this interesting
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HISTORY OF ROCKFORD AND WINNEBAGO COUNTY.
reminiscence : "The social life of the church was of a very sedate and discreet quality in those days. The prayer-meeting could hardly be called a social function. I heard one of sainted mem- ory liken it to a pole under a sagging clothes-line. It always braced her up at the right point. We young people rarely invaded its sacred precincts, and I recall how we admired the courage of the sisters who dared to say a few words in these meetings. I am sure we could detect a little apprehensive quiver in their voices, lest they receive merited rebuke, but the sweet words of counsel or admonition uttered by Mrs. Mary Potter, Mrs. Mary Penfield and Mrs. Sarah Catlin are among those beautiful early memories. The singing by the church choir was truly a part of the worship, and not a musical entertain - ment merely. Prominent and dignified members of the church were willing to assist in the singing. We can recall the clear soprano of Miss Sill, principal of the seminary, and the deep bass of 'Squire Marsh, whose position as one of the first lawyers did not prevent his giving his services gladly. Thelittle wheezy melodeon contributed its quota when the day of the tuning-fork had passed. In all this the children and very young people had no place. In comparing this social life with the present, nothing is more marked than the absence of young people in the church membership, as well as in its relations. While some of our church entertainments bring and deserve criticism, the younger element is certainly more in evidence now, and adds very materially to our efficiency and enjoyment."
Dr. Loss' pastorate continued until November, 1849. He was a man of ability and thorough education. He went from Rockford to Joliet, where he had charge of a church until 1856. His last pastorate was at Marshalltown, Iowa, where he died. In his last illness he longed to see his old friend and physician, Dr. Lucius Clark, of this city ; and his church sent for the Doctor and paid his traveling expenses.
Dr. Loss was succeeded by the Rev. Henry M. Goodwin, D. D., who perhaps gave to the church its most distinctive pastor- ate. It extended from August, 1850, to January, 1872. This period of more than twenty-one years constitutes fully one- third of its entire history. The interim between the departure of Dr. Loss and Dr. Goodwin's acceptance of a call was sup- plied by Prof. Joseph Emerson, of Beloit college. Dr. Goodwin was a native of Hartford, Connecticut. He was graduated from Yale, and the Rockford church was his first parish. A
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REV. HENRY M. GOODWIN, D. D.
long and close acquaintance with Dr. Goodwin was necessary in order to form a correct estimate of his character. With the reserved quiet of the scholar, he "opened not his heart to each passer-by." His people enjoyed his sermons, and carried thoughts from them through the busy week; thoughts that inspired to high endeavor, and stirred a feeling of reverence toward the pastor. The intellectual quality and literary finish of his sermons did not always insure general appreciation. He did not aspire to be a "popular preacher," in the modern use of the term. Some of his admirers would have been surprised if they had been told that Dr. Goodwin possessed a keen sense of humor, and that he could tell a bright story in a charming way. He was criticised for not always recognizing acquaintances on the street ; yet this same abstracted scholar knew the little ones of the flock by name; and no one could be more tender in his ministrations when sickness and sorrow came into the home.
Dr. Goodwin was a progressive thinker; and in certain lines he was far in advance of his time. On one occasion he remarked that the name of one of the church papers, the Advance, should be changed to the Retreat. Had the term "higher criticism" been in vogue in his day, he would have been classed with such critics. His broad Christian charity caused some anxiety among his more conservative friends. This fact was illustrated during revival services about 1860, when Dr. Goodwin invited a Unitarian minister, with others, to join in the meetings. The censure thus incurred was not measured or unspoken. One zealous man gave utterance to his amazement and indignation at the service in question. He was allowed free and full expres- sion of his feelings without protest. After he had finished, Dr. Goodwin arose, and in gentle, dignified tones, repeated Leigh Hunt's famous poem, "Abou Ben Adhem"-may his tribe in- crease. Ben Adhem truly loved his fellow men, and so the angel, who came to him by night, recorded his name among the first of those whom the love of God had blest. The moral was obvious; and the silence that followed this recital was of that quality that could be felt. No finer illustration of Dr. Good- win's all-embracing and forgiving charity could have been given.
Dr. Goodwin was an enthusiastic disciple of Dr. Horace Bushnell. In his work, The Vicarious Sacrifice, Dr. Bushnell formulates in a clear and forcible manner the moral influence theory of Christ's atonement. Dr. Bushnell and Dr. Goodwin believed that the substitutionary and the governmental views
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HISTORY OF ROCKFORD AND WINNEBAGO COUNTY.
were inconsistent with an enlightened conception of God. For this position they were not infrequently charged with heresy. Dr. Bushnell's later book, Forgiveness and Law, is believed to contain some modification of his former radical views. But Dr. Goodwin reverently and earnestly preached this doctrine of the divine sacrifice during his entire pastorate; and since his day it has been taught by many progressive thinkers in the Congregational church; and during the last ten years it has gained rapidly in other evangelical bodies. Dr. Goodwin testi- fied to his regard for his illustrious teacher by naming his son Horace Bushnell Goodwin.
Dr. Goodwin's pleasant home while in Rockford was on Kishwaukee street. His lots extended from the corner on First avenue to Col. Lawler's home. The house, which stood near what is now 206 Kishwaukee street, now stands in the rear of the Carpenter Block, and fronts on First avenue. Mrs. Goodwin was an aunt of Mrs. Clara G. Sanford and Miss Blanche Goodall. Before her marriage she was a teacher at the seminary.
Many of the young men and women of that period, whose faces are now turned toward life's setting sun, are sure that of Dr. Goodwin it could be said : "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."
Soon after leaving Rockford, Dr. Goodwin wrote a book entitled Christ and Humanity, which was published by the Harpers. It was dedicated to his friend in these noble words : "To Horace Bushnell, my revered friend and teacher, whose pro- found and sanctified genius has made the world his debtor, and whose eminent services to Christianity in the reconciliation of faith and reason await the verdict of the future ages, these later studies of Christian doctrine are filially and affectionately in- scribed by the author." This work was written while the author was enjoying an extended sojourn in Germany. In 1875 Dr. Goodwin was called to the chair of English literature by the college at Olivet, Michigan, which he filled for several years. His death occurred at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Weld, in Williamstown, Massachusetts, March 1,1893. Dr. Goodwin was seventy-one years of age. His remains were brought to Rock- ford for burial.
CHAPTER XIX.
FIRST PATRIOTIC CELEBRATION .- THE POSTOFFICE .- FIRST COURTS.
T HE patriotism of the little village did not differ essentially from the prevailing type. It necessarily found its expres- sion in more primitive ways than it does at the present time. There was such a display of eloquence and gunpowder as the times afforded ; and the amusements differed somewhat from those of today.
The morning of July 4, 1837, was welcomed with the boom of all available artillery. William Penfield's blacksmith's anvil did heroic service. The "boys" spent a long time in drilling a hole for priming. One held a drill down with a lever, while another drilled. (The subsequent owner of the anvil would not allow the patriots to use it in later years for salutes ; but they took it, nevertheless, and made it ring.) A hickory liberty-pole was raised near what is now 310 East State street. Patriotic exer- cises were held in Mr. Haight's barn, which stood in the grove near the intersection of State and Third streets. The bay was floored for the speakers, and the threshing-floor was occupied by the ladies. Charles I. Horsman read the Declaration of Independence, and Hon. John C. Kemble was the orator of the day. Dinner was served in the old Rockford House, by the proprietor, Henry Thurston. The main part of the building had been covered with a roof, and was sided to the first-story windows. Loose boards were laid for a floor, tables were arranged, and, in the absence of crockery, the cold meat was served on shingles. The tickets for this dinner were sold at one dollar each, and this feature of the celebration was a financial success. J. Ambrose Wight, in a letter written many years later, referred to the celebration in this wise: "The seventeen- year locusts were on hand and gave us such music as they had ; sufficient at least in quantity. And in seventeen years again they were on hand in the same vicinity ; that is, their successors were. After the celebration there was a dinner with toasts given
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HISTORY OF ROCKFORD AND WINNEBAGO COUNTY.
and liquors swallowed. But a temperance society was organ- ized in the barn during the afternoon. The elder Mr. Potter, Eleazer or Herman, I forget which-but who lived near by in the grove, was the leader in the movement."
The celebration was concluded with a public ball, the first in the county, given in Mr. Haight's barn. John H. Thurston, in referring to this event, says: "Some shirting was tacked to the studding about one room for a ladies' dressing-room." The orchestra consisted of three pieces. In this day they would be called violins ; but sixty-three years ago they were simply com- mon fiddles. The leader, Mr. Thurston says, was "old Jake Miller, whose only dancing tune was 'Zip Coon.' " Thus passed the first celebration of the national holiday in Rockford.
This observance of the day, however, was not the first in the county. July 4, 1836, when Belvidere was in Winnebago county, the citizens of that village let loose their patriotism in quite unconventional fashion. Dr. Daniel H. Whitney hasgiven this vivid pen-picture of the day: "Young Morn shook from her purple wings as glorious a Fourth as ever kissed Aurora's cheek when she unbarred the gates of light, and no more patri- otic and grateful hearts beat in American bosoms on that glorious day than did those of the citizens of Boone, as with all available material at our command, an old rifle, a tolerable shot-gun and a pocket pistol, the old settlers took their position on the mound, raised a liberty-pole, from which fluttered in the breeze a pocket handkerchief having the portraits of the presi- dents around its border, and being the nearest approach to a national flag of anything in these 'diggings.' We read the Dec- laration of Independence, fired a national salute, gave three times three that frightened the Indian from his wigwam, and the red deer from his covert."
The first postmaster was Daniel S. Haight, who served from August 31, 1837, to June 26, 1840. The first mail arrived about September 15th. Previous to this time the small pack- ages of mail had been brought from Chicago by parties who made trips to that city for supplies. An order for mail upon the postmaster at that office, to which each man attached his name, was left at Mr. Haight's house. The first mail was brought on horseback, the second by a carrier, and the third by open wagon with two horses. After the postoffice had been established, the contract for carrying the mail was made with
.
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ARRIVAL OF THE FIRST MAIL.
John D. Winters. About this time Winters became associated with Frink, Walker & Co. Still later Winters was on the line west from Rockford, and finally Frink, Walker & Co. carried the mail on the through line. Previous to January, 1838, the mail arrived from Chicago once a week. In 1839-40 the mails arrived from the west and east each three times a week. The northern and the southern mails came once a week; the mail from Mineral Point arrived on Saturday, and the mail from Coltonville came on Wednesday.
The first mail, in September, arrived with no key, and it was returned unopened. When the second mail arrived a key had been provided, but the postmaster was not equal to the combination, and he turned it over to Giles C. Hard, who solved the problem. Its contents, about a hatful, were received with a general handshaking. The postage was twenty-five cents for each letter, and stamps were unknown. That amount of money then represented the highest respectability ; the mail-bags were therefore lean, while the letters were plump. These missives were read and re-read until they were almost committed to memory. They came from loved ones far away, and were regarded with a degree of sanctity. Letters from the east were from fifteen to thirty days in transit. Should the postmaster find that letters had been written to several persons, and enclosed in one envel- ope as a measure of economy in postage, he was supposed to collect twenty-five cents from each person so receiving a letter. Mr. Haight erected a small building sixteen by twenty-six feet, one and a half story, in the summer of 1837, for a postoffice, near 107 South Madison street. There were about twenty-five boxes. This building was used until the following year, when Mr. Haight erected a more commodious structure, near 312 East State street, with ante-room and boxes. This building was used for this purpose during several administrations.
The act establishing the county had provided that until public buildings should be erected, the circuit courts should be held at the house of Mr. Kent or Mr. Haight, as the county commissioners should direct. At the first session of this conrt it was ordered that, pending the location of the county seat, the circuit courts should be held at the house of Mr. Haight. An examination at the circuit clerk's office reveals the almost incredible fact that no records of this court previous to 1854, except the simple dockets of the judge, have been preserved.
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HISTORY OF ROCKFORD AND WINNEBAGO COUNTY.
The conclusion must be drawn that this docket was the only record made at the time. Memoranda kept by individuals have given facts upon which the official records are silent.
The first circuit court convened at the house of Daniel S. Haight, October 6, 1837. This is the frame building which stood on the northeast corner of Madison and State streets, and a part of which is now on the northeast corner of Second and Walnut streets. At that time there was no elective judic- iary. Under the old constitution, the justices of the supreme court and the judges of the inferior courts were appointed by joint ballot of both branches of the general assembly. Un- der this same fundamental law, these courts appointed their own clerks. The state's attorney was also appointed. The statute of 1835 provided that the general assembly, on joint ballot, at that session, and every two years thereafter, should choose one state's attorney for each judicial circuit.
At this first court Hon. Dan. Stone, of Galena, was the pre- siding judge. Seth B. Farwell was appointed state's attorney pro tem; and James Mitchell, then of Jo Daviess county, clerk. Mr. Mitchell held this position until 1846, when he was chosen superintendent of the lead mines. He was succeeded as clerk by Jason Marsh, who was appointed by Judge Thomas C. Brown. The offices of circuit clerk and recorder were separate until the second constitution went into effect, when they were united, and this officer was made elective.
The petit jurors on duty at the first term were: Edward Cating, James B. Martyn, Joel Pike, William Pepper, Richard Montague, Isaac N. Cunningham, Thatcher Blake, Henry Thurston, Charles I. Horsman, David Goodrich, James Jack- son, and Cyrus C. Jenks. There were buttwo trials by jury, and these were of very little importance.
The sessions of May, 1838, and April 18, 1839, were also held at Mr. Haight's house; although, for convenience, a room in the Rockford House, on the corner west, was actually used when more room was required. The first grand jury wasimpan- eled at the May term, 1838. The names of this jury were : Anson Barnum, Lyman Amsden, Isaac Jolinson, James Sayre, H. M. Wattles, Asa Daggett, H. W. Gleason. Samuel Gregory, Asa Crosby, Daniel Beers, Walter Earle, Isaac Hance, Benjamin T. Lee, E. H. Potter, Paul D. Taylor, Lyman B. Carrier, Aaron Felts, Cyrus C. Jenks, James B. Martyn, Livingston Robbins, Henry Enoch, and Luman Pettibone. Anson Barnum was
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EMINENT BARRISTERS.
appointed foreman. At this term the usual order was reversed, in that the judge occupied one of the few chairs in the house, while the jury "sat on the bench."
The first building erected for the use of courts and religious meetings was built by Mr. Haight, in the summer of 1838, on the southeast corner of Madison and Market streets, on the site of the American House. Itwas a frame structure, about sixteen by thirty-two feet, with one story. This house, with additions, is now the residence of William G. Conick. In this building were probably held the sessions of November, 1839, and April, 1840. Several of the lawyers who attended the courts in those days attained distinction in their profession. Among these may be mentioned Judge Drummond, then of Galena, who removed to Chicago and became a judge of a federal court; Thompson Campbell, of Galena; Joel Wells, who canvassed the district for congress; Norman B. Judd, of Chicago; and Seth B. Farwell and Martin P. Sweet, of Freeport. The famous John Went- worth, "Long John," made his maiden speech in Rockford, as attorney in a case that promised to bring him prominently before the public. Mr. Wentworth made frequent visits to Rockford in later years; and for several terms he represented the Belvidere district in congress.
September 12, 1840, the county purchased the abandoned building on North First street, which had been commenced by the First Congregational church two years before. The considera- tion was six hundred dollars. The deed was executed by H. B. Potter, E. H. Potter and S. D. Preston. Since the building had been abandoned by the Congregationalist people it had been used as a carpenter's shop. When the county obtained posses- sion the building was partially finished so that the courts could be held there. The session of September 10, 1840, and subse- quent sessions were held at this place, until the transfer of the court house to the West side.
CHAPTER XX.
THE STAGE COACH .- EARLY HOTELS .- VILLAGE PLATS.
T HE state roads naturally prepared the way for the stage coach. The railroad had not then reached this western region, and the only common carrier was "the coach and four." Stage lines were then running from Chicago in several direc- tions. They carried mails, passengers and light parcels. Frink, Walker & Co. became famous throughout this region as the proprietors of the one stage line which connected Chicago with Rockford. It is impossible to determine the precise date when the stage coach began to make regular trips on this line as far west as Rockford. It is certain that it had thus become an established institution not later than January 1, 1838. On that day the arrival of the stage coach in Rockford attracted the attention of the people of the village, and large numbers came from the surrounding country to witness the spectacle. The stage office in Chicago was for a long time at 123 Lake street, and later at the southwest corner of Lake and Dearborn.
Frink, Walker & Co. first ran their stage lines only from Chicago to Rockford. The coaches were always drawn by four horses. In 1840 the schedule time from Chicago to Rockford was advertised to be twenty-four hours. Horses were changed at intervals of fifteen miles, at stations built for this purpose. Frink, Walker & Co.'s stage barn in Rockford was the well known barn near the intersection of State and Third streets, and faced north and south. It was built in 1836 for Mr. Haight by Sidney Twogood and Thomas Lake. Few buildings in the county have served more diverse uses. It was there the first patriotic exercises were held ; there the First Congregational people first held public services on the East side. When Frink, Walker & Co. purchased the building, it was moved a few rods west, and turned to face east and west. There the first quar- terly meeting of the First Methodist church was held in the summer of 1838.
Coaches left the main office in Chicago every Sunday, Tues- day and Thursday, and returned on alternate days. The fare from Chicago to Rockford was five dollars. Mrs. Charles H.
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THE FIRST TAVERNS.
Spafford writes as follows of her first journey : "From Chicago I traveled by stage, one of the old 'Frink & Walker's,' stopping at night in one of the extremely primitive wayside inns of that early period. The accommodations were not extensive nor luxurious in these little hostleries. I was awakened in the night by a light in my room, and saw a man at the foot of my bed, busy with two large mail bags. It was the postmaster chang- ing the mail. Remembering the limitations of the place, I immediately took in the situation, and made no outcry. It was a dreary ride from Chicago to Rockford in the old stage, and I was very glad to arrive at the end of my journey, where my brother was waiting for me at the Rockford House."
From Rockford to Galena the stage line was conducted for a time by John D. Winters, of Elizabeth, a little town south of Galena. The route first passed through Elizabeth, but subse- quently the more direct route was by way of Freeport. The first stopping-place west of Rockford was Twelve-Mile Grove. Mr. Winters retired from the business after a time, and then Frink, Walker & Co. had the entire line from Chicago to Galena. William Cunningham, who still resides in this city, was in the employ of this firm at one time as a driver between Twelve-Mile Grove and Freeport.
The first hotel in Rockford was the Rockford House. The early public houses were more generally called taverns. Before the Rockford House was built, Mr. Kent and a number of the other settlers had entertained strangers, but not as regular hotel-keepers. The Rockford House was built by Daniel S. Haight and Charles S. Oliver. Itstood on the site of the Young Men's Christian Association building. The wing was finished in the autumn of 1837, when the house was opened by Henry Thurs- ton. The third story, which was divided into two rooms, was reached by a ladder, which was made by slats nailed to two pieces of the studding, in the first story of the main building. The proprietor's son John was an important functionary. He made the beds and escorted the guests up the ladder when they retired. He was admonished by his sire not to drop the melted tallow from the dip upon his guests. Mr. Thurston's successors as landlord were Lathrop Johnson, Daniel Howell, Andrew Brown, J. Schaeffer, Abel Campbell, E. Radcliff, Major John Williamson.
The second hotel, the Washington House, was built in 1838 by two brothers, Jacob B. and Thomas Miller, and opened to
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HISTORY OF ROCKFORD AND WINNEBAGO COUNTY.
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