USA > Illinois > Winnebago County > Rockford > History of Rockford and Winnebago County, Illinois, from the first settlement in 1834 to the civil war > Part 27
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L. F. Warner is a native of Connecticut. He read law with Hon. Reuben Booth, who had been governor of the state. A statute of the commonwealth then required a student to read law three years before admission to the bar. Mr. Warner came to Rockford in November, 1848. Chicago at that time gave no promise of so far outstripping Rockford. The Galena & Chicago Union had built a construction track a few miles from Chicago. In 1848 East Rockford was larger than the West side, and had more wealth. Mr. Warner has always been a Democrat. He was a delegate to the famous convention at Charleston, in 1860, which resulted in a breach in the party, and the nomination of Stephen A. Douglas for the presidency at a later convention. Mr. Warner has served Rockford as city attorney. He is now the senior member of the Rockford bar. In 1898 he completed a full half century of continuous practice in his profession.
Melancthon Starr is an honored name in Rockford history. Mr. Starr was born in Albany, New York, April 14, 1816. In 1840 he went to Tallahassee, as a commission merchant, where he represented several New York houses. His principal business was the purchase of cotton and its shipment in large quantities to the north. Mr. Starr, however, was a lover of freedom, and he became so disgusted with the scenes incident to slavery that he removed north. He became cashier of the banking house of
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MELANCTHON STARR.
Nevins, Townsend & Co., on Wall street, New York. His resi- dence was at Jersey City. Mr. Starr removed to Rockford in 1850. He first conducted a dry goods business on the Second National Bank corner. He was assignee of Charles I. Horsman's bank when it failed. In 1855 Mr. Starr became inter- ested in what was afterward called the Winnebago National Bank. This banking house was founded in 1848 by Thomas D. Robertson and John A. Holland. Later John S. Coleman became a partner, and the firm was Robertson, Coleman & Co. On the death of Mr. Holland, Mr. Starr was admitted to the firm; and after Mr. Coleman's death the firm was Robertson & Starr, which continued until the organization of the Winnebago National Bank, in 1865. By reason of the respective charac- teristics of these gentlemen, the house of Robertson & Starr was sometimes called the firm of the Law and the Gospel. Mr. Rob- ertson was president, ard Mr. Starr was vice-president until his death. In 1857 Mr. Starr sold his homestead on North Main street to Elias Cosper. It was his intention to return east; but the death of Mrs. Starr changed his plans, and he re-purchased his former home, where he spent his last years. Mr. Starr was the beloved patriarch of a large family circle. December 16, 1839, he was married to Lucretia M. Nevins, at Norwich, Con- necticut. Shepossessed literary attainments and great force of character. Their six children are: Harry N., Mrs. John P. Manny, Mrs. C. W. Brown, Chandler, David N., and Miss Lucre- tia. The mother died in 1857. In 1861 Mr. Starr married Ellen M. Townsend, who still resides in Rockford. Mr. Starr was a man of the world in the best sense, and left quite a large estate. He was one of nature's noblemen. It has been said he never left a promise unfulfilled. He treated all men with respect. The poorest man was made to feel in the presence of Melancthon Starr that he was a gentleman, and he always received the same courteous treatment as though he were the possessor of unlimited wealth, and moved in the highest social circles. Mr. Starr was a rare type of that rapidly- departing class, the old-school, Christian gentleman. There was not a grain of cynicism in his nature. The geniality of his disposition was as constant as the stability of his character. A beautiful trait was his sympathy for his old friend, the late Ephraim Wyman, who in his old age was reduced to very mod- erate circumstances. Nearly every Sunday Mr. Starr visited his friend, and cheered his last years with his sympathy and
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HISTORY OF ROCKFORD AND WINNEBAGO COUNTY.
purse. Mr. Starr was a Unitarian. He was a communicant of of that church until its membership disbanded, when he became a regular attendant at the Church of the Christian Union. Mr. Starr died, universally esteemed, November 29, 1885.
John Edwards was born at Acton, Massachusetts, August 18, 1800. He was in business in Lowell before his removal to the west. Mr. Edwards was living at Alton, Illinois, during the excitement which resulted in the death of Rev. Elijah P. Love- joy, America's martyr to free soil and free speech. On that occasion Mr. Edwards took an honorable and decided position in favor of the freedom of the press; and stood on guard at Mr. Lovejoy's bed, with a loaded musket in his hand, the night before that brave Abolitionist was murdered by the pro- slavery mob. Mr. Edwards came to Rockford in 1850. He was the first dealer in pine lumber in the city. His first yard was near Peter Sames' wagon factory, near the Northwestern railroad track. Most of his lumber at this yard came by team from St. Charles, and the amount of stock on hand at one time was from ten to twelve thousand feet. His second yard was on the northwest corner of Church and State streets, and the lumber was hauled from Elgin. At times he had difficulty in getting the lumber from the terminus of the railroad at Elgin. The teamsters who hauled wheat to that place would throw off a portion of the load when stalled in the mud at Pigeon Woods, and leave it there. Mr. Edwards encouraged the development of the Rockford water-power; was interested in the work of the semi- nary, and during his last years he was its agent. Mr. Edwards was an upright, worthy gentleman, of New England stock. His home was the present residence of George R. Forbes. His death occurred June 14, 1871. Mrs. Edwards was a woman of fine presence and force of character. She spent her last years with her daughter in Chicago, and died at about ninety years of age. Their three children are : Mrs. A. L. Chetlain, of Chicago, form- erly Mrs. Melancthon Smith; Mrs. Julia Clemens, of Rockford ; and the Rev. John Edwards, a retired Presbyterian clergyman. His wife was a sister of the late Melancthon Starr.
CHAPTER LIV.
DEPARTURE OF MR. HAIGHT .- LOCAL STATISTICS .- OTHER NOTES.
D ANIEL S. HAIGHT, the founder of East Rockford, like his West side rival, did not remain in Rockford to see the fru- ition of his early settlement. Mr. Haight removed from the village in the winter of 1847-48, and settled in Texas, near Shreveport, Louisiana. He revisited Rockford in 1857. The date of liis death is unknown to his old friends in Rockford. There is a tradition, which is commonly accepted, that he was a soldier in the Confederate army, and that he died after the civil war at Fort Worth, Texas. No worthy record of his life and work has been preserved; but next to Mr. Kent, his name is most prominent in early history.
In the autumn of 1845 an eccentric character, who gloried in the name of Julius P. Bolivar McCabe, made his appearance in Rockford. He prepared a historical sketch of the village, which was published in the Forum of December 3, 1845, which gave a statistical resume of Rockford, which the writer called "one of the most tastefully built towns in Illinois." There were six congregations : Baptists, Congregationalists, Episcopalians, Methodists, Universalists and Unitarians; a branch of the American Bible Society ; one classical and three select schools, with one hundred and fifty-eight pupils ; eleven dry goods stores, with a winter stock which aggregated sixty-five thousand dol- lars; a printing office ; three hotels; fourteen lawyers ; six phy- sicians ; three justices of the peace ; two drug stores ; two jewelry stores; two harness shops; one iron foundry; two sawmills ; one fanning-mill factory ; one furnace and machine shop; a dis- tinguished portrait and landscape painter; two land agencies ; two wagon shops ; three groceries; one edge-tool maker; two dentists ; two meat markets; four tailor shops; one bakery ; five shoe shops ; two cabinet shops; one copper and tinsmith shop ; five blacksmith shops ; two cooper shops ; two paint shops ; one livery stable, and one fashionable barber shop. The popu- lation of the East side was six hundred and eighty ; West side, five hundred and ninety-eight; total in village, twelve hundred and seventy-eight. Of this population, four hundred and seventy
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HISTORY OF ROCKFORD AND WINNEBAGO COUNTY.
were natives of New York; two hundred and thirty-seven of the six New England states; one hundred and sixty-two of Illinois, including one hundred and nineteen who were born in Rockford. Luther Miller, father of Anson S. and Cyrus F. Miller, then in his seventy-fifth year, was the oldest man in the village. Mrs. Elizabeth Mckinney, aged seventy-six years, was the oldest woman. There were only two colored persons in the town. On the East side there were one hundred and fifty-one houses ; on the West side, one hundred and twenty-six; total, two hundred and seventy-seven. In describing the court house, this statistician said: "It is crowned with a beautiful and well-proportioned cupola, which rises fifteen feet above the roof of the building."
February 23, 1844, Charles Latimer, a former lawyer and well known citizen of Rockford, was shot at Potoski, Wisconsin. A few days previous to the fatal affray, Latimer became involved in a quarrel with a Mr. Gloster and another gentleman, which arose from a discussion of the right of foreigners to vote. It was proposed to settle the difficulty by a duel; but by theinter- position of friends, it was thought that the matter had been amicably adjusted. On Friday morning, however, as Gloster was passing along the street, Latimer accosted him, drew a pistol and fired. The wadding lodged on Gloster's breast, but the ball passed over his shoulder. So heavy was the charge that the stock of the pistol was shattered by the discharge. Gloster immediately retreated, but was followed by Latimer, who had armed himself with two loaded pistols and a bowie- knife. As Latimer advanced to Gloster, he said: "Are you ready ? One or the other of us must die today" Gloster replied that he was not, and went to procure a double-barreled shotgun loaded with shot. On Latimer's approach Gloster warned him to keep back ; but Latimer still advanced, and raised his pistol, which missed fire. At this juncture Gloster fired, and most of the charge took effect in Latimer's breast. As he fell, he tried to fire again, but failed. He expired almost instantly. Gloster immediately delivered himself to the authorities, and after a preliminary hearing he was discharged. Mr. Latimer, who had been rather intemperate in his habits, was said to have been perfectly sober at the time of the affray.
At the April term of the circuit court, in 1844, a case was tried which involved the liability of stage proprietors. Samuel
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THE FORTY-NINERS.
B. Hall recovered against Messrs. Frink, Walker & Co. a verdiet for one hundred and seventy-five dollars, for a trunk which was stolen from a stage belonging to the defendants, in which the plaintiff had taken passage. It appeared conclusively that the plaintiff was a passenger in defendant's stage while enroute from Rockford to Chicago, and put his trunk on board, and that the same was stolen before it arrived at Newburg, without any fault or negligence of the defendants. The jury, however, were satisfied that they were liable as common carriers, with- out any default.
February 17, 1846, a convention of physicians of northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin was held in Rockford, when the organization of the Rock River Medical Association was perfected. Its object was mutual protection and improvement in professional knowledge. Dr. Goodhue was elected president ; G. Hulett and George Haskell, vice-presidents; S. G. Armor, secretary and treasurer ; censors, Lucius Clark, A. M. Catlin, A. Thomas. The first annual meeting of the society was held in Rockford the 19th of May following.
The gold excitement drew many to California in 1849-50. Among those who went from Rockford were Giles C. Hard, A. C. Spafford, D. K. Lyon, H. B. Potter, Dexter Clark, William Hamilton, H. H. Silsby, Isaac Rowley, Obadiah E. Lamb, a Mr. Smith, a Mr. Lewis, Sylvester Robinson, and Henry L. Simpson. Mr. Robinson died at Mud Springs, forty-five miles east of Sac- ramento, a few days after his arrival. Mr. Robinson was a native of Connecticut, and came to Rockford in 1847. He was father of Mrs. E. P. Catlin and H. H. and N. S. Robinson. Mr. Simpson died while on his return home, at Peru, Illinois, in March, 1851. His remains were brought to Rockford for bur- ial. Mr. Simpson was father of E. L. Simpson and Mrs. Z. B. Sturtevant. He came to Rockford about 1839. He built a brick house which still stands on Leonard Schmauss' lot on North Second street; and part of another brick house on the southwest corner of First and Market streets. Mr. Simpson was engaged in the business of blacksmith. He owned a one-half interest in a grist mill at Cherry Valley, and property in Rock- ford. Mr. Lamb died in California. As in all similar ventures, some were successful ; while others received no adequate returns for their journey into the far country.
CHAPTER LV.
EMMANUEL CHURCH. (EPISCOPAL.)
T HERE are no early official records of this church; and the writer is indebted to Levi Moulthrop, one of the oldest resi- dent churchmen, for the facts given in this chapter. The Rt. Rev. Philander Chase, D. D., first bishop of the diocese of Illinois, made his first episcopal visitation to Rockford, August 28, 1841. Prior to this time there had been no public services of the Episcopal church held in the county. There had been only a very few families of the faith who had settled in Rockford. Levi Moulthrop, M. D., was the first churchman who came into this county. Dr. Moulthrop arrived in the autumn of 1835. He brought the first American Prayer Book, which is now in the possession of his son, Levi Moulthrop, the dry goods merchant.
The first church family who settled in the county was that of Sampson George, who came from Yorkshire, England. They arrived in the settlement of Rockford September 24, 1836. The family consisted of Mr. George, his wife, Ann, and five children, two daughters and three sons. The children had received baptism in England. Mr. George brought a letter from their parish priest, commending the family to the spiritual care of any clergyman of the American church into whose jurisdiction they might come. They also brought two English Prayer Books. The death of Mr. George occurred five weeks after the arrival of the family in Rockford. There was no priest nearer than the missionary at Galena, and he could not be definitely located, owing to the extent of territory under his charge. Thus the first churchman was buried without the offices of the church.
During the next few years several other families of the church settled in the county. Among these were Jonathan Weldon, Chauncy Ray, and John W. Taylor. The former two settled on farms about six miles southwest of the town, and the latter remained in the village, and engaged in the dry goods business.
At the Bishop's first visitation the services were held in the old court house building on North First street, which served a similar purpose for other households of the faith. The holy
285
FIRST CELEBRATION OF THE EUCHARIST.
eucharist was celebrated for the first time in the county, and holy baptism administered. The Bishop preached. John Wad- leigh Taylor, infant son of John W. and Jane P. Taylor, was baptized.
August 4, 1842, the Bishop made a second visitation to Rock- ford. The services morning and afternoon were held in the same building as in the preceding year. The sacraments of the holy eucharist, baptism and confirmation were administered. One of the baptisms was that of Levi, infant son of Mrs. Margaret Moulthrop. Those who received confirmation were Miss M. E. Weldon, Mrs. Margaret Moulthrop, Salmon R. and Spencer S. Weldon. The Bishop preached two sermons. Aside from these yearly visitations by the Bishop, the few church families in and around Rockford were without the sacraments of the church, except an occasional service by some missionary priest from a distant point.
In 1845 the Rev. Alfred Lauderback, of New York state, was appointed by the domestic board of missions to the missionary field of northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin, with Belvidere and Rockford as chief points of location. This fact meant more regular and frequent services for Rockford. The new mission- ary's first service was held August 10, 1845. Father Lauder- back ministered in this section two years, when he was sent to take charge of the parish which had been recently organized at Galena, Illinois. From this time for several years occasional services were held in the village by the Rev. Dudley Chase, a son of the Bishop, and the Revs. Humphrey and Millett, of Beloit, Wisconsin; Pulford, of Belvidere; Johnston, of Pekin, and Miller, of Bonus, Illinois, the father of Orrin Miller, an early Rockford attorney. Services were generally held in the new court house.
The present parish was organized May 1, 1849. A meeting of the parishioners, both men and women, was convened, at which the Rev. Dudley Chase presided ; and the parochial organ- ization was effected in accordance with the prescribed canonical form. The articles of association were signed by Chauncy Ray, Jonathan Weldon, Horace Starkey, Duncan J. Stewart, John Conrad, S. R. Weldon, and Spencer S. Weldon. Upon the organ- ization of the parish, the parishioners proceeded to the election of a vestry. Those elected were: senior warden, Horace Star- key; junior warden, Chauncy Ray; vestrymen, John Conrad, Duncan J. Stewart, S. R. Weldon.
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HISTORY OF ROCKFORD AND WINNEBAGO COUNTY.
The Rev. Dudley Chase was called to be the first rector. He accepted the call, but afterward declined, as he preferred to accept a charge in Chicago, where he organized the parish of the Atonement on the West side, which was afterward merged into the cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul.
November 15, 1852, the Rev. Charles Reighley, of Chicago, was called to the rectorship of the parish. With the consent of the new bishop, Rt. Rev. Henry John Whitehouse, the call was accepted, and the first rector entered at once upon his work. Bishop Chase had died September 27, 1852, and had been suc- ceeded by Bishop Whitehouse. A lot was purchased on the corner of North Church and North streets, for two hundred dollars, and a church building erected at a cost of nineteen hundred dollars. The new church was consecrated by Bishop Whitehouse, August 23, 1853, "by the name of Emmanuel Church, Rockford."
Succeeding the Rev. Charles Reighley have been the follow- ing rectors in the order named: Revs. Anson Clark, Michael Schofield, William T. Smithett, Thomas Smith, S. B. Duffield, J. E. Walton, S. D. Day, C. S. Percival, F. W. Adams, A. W. Snyder, D. C. Peabody, Wyllys Rede, and N. B. Clinch.
The Rev. D. C. Peabody became rector March 1, 1886. Dur- ing his rectorship the present rectory was purchased, and the Fairfield Memorial Parish House erected, at a cost of forty thousand dollars. The latter was the gift of one parishioner, Mrs. Eleanor G. Fairfield, and was erected as a memorial to her late husband, W. W. Fairfield. An additional thirty feet of land adjoining the church lot on the west was purchased, at a cost of sixteen hundred dollars, and many other permanent improvements made in the parish.
Emmanuel church, like the Episcopal church in America, has calmly pursued the even tenor of its way. Centuries ago the forefathers, in iconoclastic zeal, discarded the beauty and sub- limity of her ritual. With a sort of reversion to type instinct, non-conformist churches have from time to time since then incorporated portions of her ritual into their service. Like air and sunshine, it appeals to the great universal, and will ever maintain its place in public worship. Four of the greatest spiritual forces of the centuries, Frederick W. Robertson, Fran- ces Ridley Havergal, Phillips Brooks and Archdeacon Farrar, have found in this venerable church a congenial atmosphere for the highest development of the religious nature.
CHAPTER LVI.
ROCKFORD FEMALE SEMINARY .- ANNA P. SILL .- ARATUS KENT.
T HE subject of higher education received attention at an early date in this section. As early as 1836 or '37 a joint stock company was formed at Belvidere, for the purpose of building and maintaining an institution to be known as Newton academy. March 4, 1838, an instrument of writing issued from Boone county, by Dr. Whitney, commissioner of sales for the county, conveying to John S. King, Hiram Waterman, A. D. Bishop, William Dresser and F. W. Crosby, trustes of Newton academy, and their successors in office, for the use of the academy, block twenty in the original town of Belvidere. This tract of ground cornered with the southeast corner of the public square, and is now occupied bp the residence of H. C. De Dunn. The building was commenced, and so far completed as to be tenantable, and Prof. Seth S. Whitman taught a school therein. He was suc- ceeded by another teacher whose name has been forgotten. In August, 1843, the academy, grounds and franchises passed from the association, and became the property of John Wal- worth, in trust, to be used by him for educational purposes, and none other. In the same month Mr. Walworth conveyed the property to Arthur Fuller, a brother of the famous Margaret Fuller, subject to all the conditions named in the conveyance to Walworth. Miss Fuller went to Belvidere in person, and bought the property, and had the deed executed to her brother. Mr. Fuller occupied the academy as a teacher about two years, when he conveyed the property to John K. Towner and Eben Conant, subject to the same conditions. Mr. Conant was father of Rev. A. H. Conant, who was pastor of the Unitarian church of Rockford. The son used the academy as a school room and house of worship. His doctrines did not meet the approval of the membership of the other churches, and neither his school nor his church met with special success; and in January, 1852, Messrs. Towner and Conant conveyed the property to the Rev. Charles Hill Roe, a Baptist clergyman. From that time, for many years, the academy was used as a private residence ; then as a barn, and was finally destroyed by fire.
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HISTORY OF ROCKFORD AND WINNEBAGO COUNTY.
About 1839 a seminary was founded at Mt. Morris, in Ogle county. The attempt to establish a school at Kishwaukee was noted in a preceding chapter.
As early as 1843 there was some discussion of the need of a college for the upper Rock river valley. A general convention of the churches of the northwest was held at Cleveland, Ohio, in June, 1844, at which education received much attention. It was decided that a college and a female seminary should be founded in southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois, respect- ively. A resolution was adopted that the "exigencies of Wis- consin and northern Illinois require that those sections should unite in establishing a college and a female seminary of the highest order-one in Wisconsin, near to Illinois, and the other in Illinois, near to Wisconsin." The delegates, upon their return, called a convention at Beloit in August, 1844. Three subsequent conventions were held at Beloit, because it was believed from the first that the college should be located at that place. The resolution of the first convention, affirming the need of both college and seminary, was re-affirmed in thesesub- sequent conventions, representing especially the Presbyterian and Congregational ministry and churches in all the region. The union of these two churches in this movement may be attributed to the fact that each was weak as it stood alone, and only in union was there strength. At the fourth conven- tion, held at Beloit in October, 1845, Beloit was selected as the seat of the college, and a board of trustees was elected, to whom was committed the development of both institutions. The first meeting of the trustees was held the same month. Upon the original board were Rev. Aratus Kent and Hon. Wait Talcott. The charter for Beloit college was approved by the governor of the territory of Wisconsin, February 2, 1846. Middle college, the first building, was begun in the autumn of that year.
Then began the discussion of a site for the seminary. Rock- ton and Rockford were rivals. But Beloit had been selected for the college; and from the Puritanical point of view of those days, Rockton was considered not a desirable distance' for a college for young ladies. Thus Rockford was given the prefer- ence. The Rockford Forum of October 29, 1845, published a call for a meeting at the Methodist church, on Monday evening, November 3d, to consider the location of the seminary. This call was signed by thirty-four citizens, led by T. D. Robertson.
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