USA > Illinois > Vermilion County > History of Vermilion County, Illinois : a tale of its evolution, settlement and progress for nearly a century, Volume I > Part 18
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this number. Mr. Hubbard supplied those of us who had inefficient weapons, or those of us who were without them. He also gave us flour and salt pork. He had lately brought up the Iroquois river, a supply of these articles. We remained at Hubbard's trading house the remainder of the day, cooking rations and supplying our necessities. The next morning we again moved forward, swimming Beaver creek, and crossing Kankakee river at the rapids, just at the head of the island near Momence; pushing along we passed Yellowhead's vil- lage. The old chief, with a few old men and squaws and papooses, were at home; the young men were off on a hunt. Remaining here a little time, we again set out, and going about five miles, we encamped at the point of the tim- ber on Yellow Head's creek. The next morning we again set out crossing a branch of the Calumet to the west of the Blue Island. All the way from Dan- ville we had followed an Indian trail, since known as Hubbard's Trace. There was no signs of roads, the prairies and the whole country was crossed and re- crossed by Indian trails, and we never could have got through but for the knowledge Mr. Hubbard had of the country. It had been raining for some days before we left home, and it rained almost every day on the route. The streams and sloughs were full of water. We swam the former and traveled through the latter, some times almost by the hour. Many of the ponds were so deep that our men dipped up the water to drink as they sat in their saddles.
"Colonel Hubbard, fared better than the rest of us-that is, he did not get his legs wet as often, for he rode a very tall, iron-gray stallion, that Peleg Spencer, Sr., living two miles south of Danville, loaned him. The little In- dian pony Hubbard rode in from the Iroquois, to Spencers, was so used up, as to be unfit for the return journey.
"We reached Chicago about four o'clock on the morning of the fourth day in the midst of the most severe rain storm I ever experienced, accompanied by thunder and vicious lightning. The rain we did not mind; we were without tents and were used to wetting. The water we took within us hurt us more than that which fell upon us, as drinking it made many of us sick. The people of Chicago were very glad to see us. They had been expecting an attack every hour since Colonel Hubbard had left them, and as we approached they did not know whether we were enemies or friends, and when they learned that we were friends, they gave us a shout of welcome. They had organized a company of thirty or fifty men, composed principally of Canadian half-breeds, interspersed with a few Americans, all under command of Captain Beaubien. The Ameri- cans, seeing we were a better-looking crowd, wanted to leave their associates and join our company. This feeling caused quite a row, and the officers finally restored harmony, and the discontented men went back to their old command. The town of Chicago was composed at this time, of six or seven American families, a number of half-breeds, and a lot of idle, vagabond Indians loitering about. I made the acquaintance of Robert and James Kinzie, and their father, John Kinzie. We kept guard day and night, for some eight or ten days, when a runner came in-I think from Green Bay-bringing word that General Cass had concluded a treaty with the Winnebagoes, and we might now disband and go home. The citizens were overjoyed at the news and in their gladness they turned out one barrel of gin, one barrel of brandy and one barrel of whisky,
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knocking the heads of the barrels in. Everybody was invited to take a free drink, and, to tell the truth, everybody did drink.
"The ladies at Fort Dearborn treated us especially well. I say this without disparaging the conduct of the men to us. The ladies gave us all manner of good things to eat; they loaded us with provisions and gave us all those deli- cate attentions that the kindness of a woman's heart would suggest. Some of them, the ladies whom, I understand, were recently from New York, dis- tributed tracts and other reading matter among our company, and interested themselves zealously in our spiritual, as well as our temporal welfare. We started on our return, camping out of nights and reaching home on the third dạy. The only good water we got, going out or coming back, was at a re- markable spring bursting out of the top of a little mound in the midst of a slough a few miles south of the Kankakee. I shall never forget this spring; it was a curiosity, found in the situation I have described.
"In conclusion, let me say, that, under the bounty act of 1852, I received a warrant for eighty acres of land for my service in the campaign above nar- rated."
The other important Indian war affected Vermilion County no more di- rectly. It was what is known in history as the Black Hawk war, and bears date of 1832, five years after that of the Winnebago war. The vast extent of ter- ritory in the northern part of Illinois was owned by the Saux and Fox In- dians up to the time of the treaty of 1830. A treaty was made with them as early as 1804, by which they, for $2,000, and an annuity of $1,000, ceded to the United States large tracts of land on the Mississippi and Illinois rivers. At this time these Indians were mostly west of the Mississippi, 140 leagues above St. Louis, and they numbered 1,200. In the war of 1812, three hundred warriors joined the British at Malden, and took part in the attack on Sandusky. This was the time, it must be remembered, of the massacre at Fort Dearborn, and the subsequent raids against the Indians by the Illinois Rangers. Keokuk, one of their chiefs, with a part of the tribe, remained friendly, then and afterward. In 1815 they made a treaty of peace but one band of Saux (or Sacs, as they were frequently called), long continued to be called the British Band.
By the terms of the treaty of 1824 and that of 1830 which virtually ratified the former, the Indians agreed to go across the Mississippi and open up the land on the east side to the white man. This treaty was recognized by the most of the Indians and was satisfactory to the great chief, Keokuk, but was not considered binding by the equally as great chief, Black Hawk. He claimed that neither himself nor any one representing his band was present when either treaty was made. An agreement was at last effected between the Indian and the white man that provided for a joint ownership of the land, but which, by the nature of conditions, could not stand. Black Hawk and his band grew more and more annoying-the white settlers retaliated by tearing down fences and letting their cattle in to destroy the corn the squaws had planted. The troops, both State and National, were sent into that section and drove Black Hawk's band across the Mississippi. This was in 1831. Black Hawk had been an ally of the British and his band was yet called the British Band and the Americans were suspicious of him, so that when he, the following year, came with his
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entire band, including the squaws and papooses, and cooking utensils, with the avowed intention that, if his squaws were not allowed to plant corn on their old fields he would accept the invitation of the Winnebagoes and plant corn near some of their villages, his motives in coming were seriously questioned. His coming caused great alarm and Governor Reynolds called out the militia and forced the position, on the part of Black Hawk, to make war upon the whites. A council with Black Hawk would, without doubt, have resulted in a submission without bloodshed. At least this seems to be the correct reading of history. The details of the Black Hawk war are out of place here other than to the extent that Vermilion County was effected by them.
The first knowledge the people had of this war was at the Sunday ser- vices being conducted by Rey, Kingsbury. These services were in the second story of a store building. The terrible fear of being captured by the Indians had sent the scattered inhabitants of the Fox River country from their homes to the southward, always with the cry "The Indians!" "The Indians!" Three of these terrified white men had made their way to Danville, and on that quiet bright Lord's Day, all breathless with fear and fatigue, had alarmed the town by rushing into service with this cry of terror and the appaling stories they had to tell. Rumors of distress grew, and sympathy increased until a call for volunteers to go to the relief of the white men in peril resulted in the enlist- ment, in less than two hours, of thirty-one men ready to march out to save the settlers. Provision was hastily prepared, firearms were secured, an election of officers resulted in the choice of Dan Beckwith for Captain, and by three o'clock in the afternoon this company was on the way to Joliet. They reached Beck- nell's crossing of the North Fork by nightfall, where they went into camp. The next morning they went out on the great prairie and pushed between the path of the families coming south and what they supposed were the pursuing Indians. However, they could not find any Indians in pursuit; in fact, they only found some friendly Pottowatomies who were known to the officers of the company. A story of possible danger which was not mnet by this company was a tale current for some time afterward, but in reality, there was no incident rc- corded, either going or coming to excite their alarm. The one incident to which reference is made, was this-one evening they were near the "twelve mile grove" and camped for the night. Dr. Fithian and George Beckwith were sent out to reconnoitre this grove as spies. As they approached this grove their horses were seized with an unaccountable fright and their riders lost control of them. As the dusk was settling down, the men decided it would hardly be safe for them to proceed, so they went to camp, learning later that Black Hawk's men were secreted in the grove. While these volunteers were away, Colonel Isaac J. Moores had been officially notified by Governor Reynolds to have his regiment included in the Vermilion County militia in readiness in case their services were needed. Immediately on the alarm, the volunteers got in readi- ness, and Colonel Hubbard furnished several four-horse wagons, loaded with provision, for their sustenance. This force consisted of four hundred mounted men. Every part of the county was represented by its best citizens. Colonel Moores was in command with John Murphy, acting as his aide. The next morning as they reached the prairie they met the company which had gone to
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the 1elief of the settlers returning. The most of them went back to the seat of war with Colonel Moores' regiment and the others went on to Danville to spend a few days with families and to return a little later. Captain Morgan L. Payne and his company were sent some thirty miles up the Du Page river from Joliet with instructions to build a block-house and protect the property which had been abandoned in their flight. Colonel Moores also commenced a fortification at Joliet when his command was ordered to Ottawa, the head- quarters of General Atkinson, and his command discharged, and, with the ex- ception of Captain Payne's company, allowed to immediately return home.
Captain Payne built a block-house and a fort not far from Naperville. The inhabitants of Naperville had all fled in great haste. After the fort was com- pleted some seventy women and children who had escaped to Chicago when the Indians first made their attack were brought back here for safety from the cholera when it broke out.
It was not long after the discharge of Colonel Moores' regiment that Cap- tain Payne's command was also relieved and they returned home. There was but one life lost in this campaign. The one man killed was William Brown. He went to Butterfield's pasture to get some clapboards which had been left there before the Indian disturbances and was killed by the enemy in ambush. Brown, a young fellow himself, was accompanied by a lad of about fifteen who escaped injury, and returned to their camp near Napersville. The Indians took the horses from the wagon and led them away, while they run the wagon against the tree and destroyed it.
CHAPTER XVII.
THE THIRTIES IN VERMILION COUNTY.
THE PERMANENT COURT HOUSE-WILLIAM MILLIKANS' CARDING MILL BUILT- FIRST LOG MEETING HOUSE BUILT-OPENING OF A ROAD FROM FORT CLARK- NEWCOMERS TO VERMILION COUNTY IN 1830-REVIVAL IN THE INTERESTS OF MORMANISM- LAND OFFICE-CONGRESS PETITIONED TO GRANT STRIP OF LAND BETWEEN CHICAGO AND VINCENNES FOR RAILROAD-NEWCOMERS TO VER- MILION COUNTY IN 1831-PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE BUILT-FIRST NEWSPAPER STARTED IN VERMILION COUNTY-GOSHEN BAPTIST CHURCH ORGANIZED-POS- TAL ROUTE ESTABLISHED FROM CHICAGO TO VINCENNES-NEWCOMERS TO VER- MILION COUNTY IN 1832-BRADY BRANCH CORNCRACKER-NEWCOMERS IN 1837-EXODUS TO WISCONSIN LEAD MINES-NEWCOMER IN 1834-CHARTER FOR C. & V. R. R .- CHARTER SECURED FOR NORTH CROSS R. R .- NEWCOMERS IN 1835-KIRKPATRICK'S MILL ON STONY CREEK-KYGER'S MILL BUILT-STATE BANK CHARTERED-NEWCOMERS IN 1836-AMOS WILLIAM'S MILL-SAWMILL -FIRST STEAM SAWMILL-R. R. GRADED THROUGH VANCE TOWNSHIP-POSTAL ROUTE FROM DANVILLE TO SPRINGFIELD VIA DECATUR --- POSTAL ROUTE FROM DANVILLE TO OTTAWA-POSTAL ROUTE FROM INDIANAPOLIS TO DANVILLE --- NEWCOMERS IN 1837-GRADING ROADBED FROM CHAMPAIGN COUNTY EAST- SHEPHERD'S MILL-VERMILION. RAPIDS PLATTED-NEWCOMERS IN 1838-SAW- MILL NORTHWEST OF ALVAN-NEWTOWN LAID OUT -- CHRISTMAN MILL-NEW- COMERS OF 1839.
The claim that "biography is the only true history" holds good at least in the telling of the story of a new country. Up to 1830 the history of Vermilion County is recorded in the biographies of the men and women who came into the wilderness to make new homes. Events in these years were little less than direct expressions of individual tastes and desires. Men controlled events in a greater degree than they could after there were a larger number together with more diversified interests and ideas of life. Each man was more a factor in the events than was the case when a larger number made a community of interests a necessity. So it is that by the time of the "thirties," the individual man was recording the history of the county in a series of events which more or less de- termined his own history more than he was making it as a story of single lives. A man could come to this section in the twenties and develop a farm here and there to his credit, tracing the way to some other rude cabin when he felt the need of companionship ; but as others came and demanded rights to comfortable
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homes he must divert his efforts to that which would add to the comfort of the many; he must divide his space, and where the old trace had sufficed his needs, a road must be laid out, and one notes many changes marking events. The county was growing and new conditions were arising. The county seat had been little more than a name for two or three years. Court had been little better housed than before the location of the county seat had been made at Danville. The first court was held at Butler's Point, and so was the second term. The first was at the home of James Butler and the second at the home of Asa Elliott. The next term of court was held at the home of Amos Will- iams, in Danville. But after this there was a temporary building that stood on the west side of the public square south of Main street for a court house. This was the log house built by Mr. Reed, which the county bought with an idea of fitting it up for public use. This was the first court house. It did not stand on the corner of the plaza where the bank is now, but on the lot just west of this, where the Woodbury stores have been for more than a half century.
This building was one story high with a space for a loft above, was about six- teen feet square, and made out of heavy logs, hewn inside and out. The county sold this property, lot and all, to Hezekiah Cunningham, who agreed to provide them with a place to hold court, etc., in the upper story of the large frame build- ing he and Murphy were erecting on the southwest corner of the square. This building was on the lot now used by the Illinois Traction system. The build- ing which the county first used for a court house, the first court house of Ver- milion County, was removed after Mr. Cunningham bought it to a lot on the corner of North and Hazel streets, where, in after years, it was weather- boarded and formed the main building to which Mr. Parmer put wings. It re- mained here until June, 1876, when it burned. At the December term cf court, 1830, the county board ordered notice to be given for the reception of plans and bids for a permanent court house. Nothing, however, was done until the following December, when notice was again given declaring that at the next term of court bids would be received. A new departure was made in the carding mill built by William Millikan in 1820. It was a primitive affair run by treadmill. But as it was the first carding mill in the county, it was patronized by many. Its patrons were always kept waiting until the oxen which, run in the bush, could be found.
This mill was located within Georgetown township, and to those living north in the other part of the county, it was a great undertaking to attempt to get any carding done. It was in the same year that the first floor, other than one made of puncheons, was put into Dr. Fithian's house. This house was the wonder of all, it being the first "planed floor" ever known in the county. The carpenter was prevailed upon to let some of the leaders among the young people have a dance in the new house before he turned it over to Dr. Fithian. This was fortunate, as the stern man would not have chosen such a mad frolic as a house warming, and it would have been too bad to have missed such a floor for dancing. The roads of the county had been a concern from the time of its or- ganization. The destination of the most of these roads was the salt works, and every road that did not go directly to this destination was intercepted at some point where it would turn in that direction.
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An important road was opened from the Fork Clark road in 1830. This was opened from the Fort Clark road, where it crosses the west line of section 25, T. 20 west R. IIW.
There were many newcomers to Vermilion County in 1830. Among them are numbered Dennis Olehy. He was born and reared in Portsmouth, Ohio. He married and settled there. In 1830 he determined to go west and journeyed with a team to Vermilion County, Illinois. At that time much of the land was yet in the hands of the government. Mr. Olehy entered a claim to land, which later was within Danville township. When he first came he put up a pole shanty for temporary shelter until he could build a log cabin. His wife's father, John Glaze, is supposed to have come with him. Dennis Olehy and Elizabeth (Glaze), his wife, were the parents of seven children and after her death in 1845, he married Sarah Ann Jones and became the father of ten more children.
His was an honorable place among the pioneers of the county, and he lived to an advanced age. He died March 2, 1877. Robert Price was another one who came to Vermilion County in 1830. He was a native of Lexington, Ken- tucky, whose parents came from England to Ohio. Robert Price died in 1850. He was the father of but four children, only one of whom lived to maturity.
John Pugh was from Pennsylvania when he came to Vermilion County in 1830. His ancestors were born and reared in the faith of the Society of Friends for many generations back. John Pugh came with his family to Vermilion County, Illinois, settling on the Little Vermilion in Carroll township. In 1836 he changed his residence to Elwood township, where he spent the remainder of his days. He died at the old home in 1847 and his wife lived until 1884.
Nathaniel Langley came from Kentucky to Vermilion County in 1830, com- ing in wagons. He located in Danville township, buying seventy acres of timber land on section 27. He built a log house and lived therein for three years. Then he sold that place and bought over 200 acres on sections 26 and 27, same township where he lived the remainder of his life.
Dr. William Fithian came to Vermilion County in 1830. locating at Dan- ville. The surrounding country was but sparsely settled; the land being yet largely owned by the government and for sale at $1.25 per acre. Dr. Fithian entered upon a great practice covering a large area that even extended to Chi- cago. He entered land to such an extent that he acquired a fortune. Dr. Fithian was a politician and served in the legislature as well as holding more local offices. Dr. Fithian was married four times and became the father of four children.
Luke Dillon was a native of Guilford County, N. C., and came to Ohio when seventeen years old and began farming. In the fall of 1830 he canie to Ver- milion County and bought a farm one mile north of Georgetown, when it was a wild country. This was a large farm and he built a log house on it which had one room and a kitchen added. Luke Dillon was the father of ten children, all of whom grew to manhood and womanhood. One of these children was killed in the army.
In 1830 Osborne Hilleary, with his family, emigrated from Ohio to Illinois and settled on section 30, Blount township. They made the journey overland in a covered wagon or a prairie schooner, as it was called. When they reached
BARKER HOUSE BUILT IN 1830
---
WILLIAM BANDY HOUSE ON EAST NORTH STREET
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their destination he entered eighty acres of land from the government and he also bought a tract of timber land from a settler, all of which he, with the help of his boys, cleared. His first home was in a log cabin with a puncheon floor and a fireplace along one end. The family raised their own sheep which they sheared, and they then spun and wove the wool into cloth from which were made the garments of the family. Osborne Hilleary was the father of nine chil- dren, all of whom lived to maturity. He and his wife both lived in Blount township the remainder of their days. Thomas W. Douglas was born on the Penobscot river in Maine and came to Dearborn County, Indiana, settling near Rising Sun. He married Delilah Payne, of New York, and they were the parents of twelve children, ten of whom reached mature life. On coming to Illinois Mr. Douglass drove through the black swamps of Indiana when the wheels would sink to the hubs in the mud. Several families came together. Mr. Douglass entered 240 acres of land on the section on which the county farm is located.
The Douglas family lived in the double log house for thirty years. This was the one he built when he first came here. It had a stick and clay chimney, and the fire was lighted with punk gathered in the timber and ignited by means of flint and tow. Camp meetings were held where the home-made tallow can- dles furnished light and the girls of the household went, carrying their shoes with them, until they were near to the place of worship and removing them before they started for home. Thomas W. Douglass died in the village of Cat- lin in October, 1865.
John Thompson was born in Erie County, Pennsylvania, in 1797. He was a well informed man and taught school some of the time. He came west, and in about 1823 he was married in Dearborn County, Indiana, to Esther Payne, and in 1830 they came to Vermilion County, settling near Danville where Mr. Thompson became the owner of three hundred acres of land, a part of which he obtained from the government. His efforts developed this into a valuable farm. The first house was a log cabin which they occupied until 1844 when they built a two story frame house. John Thompson was a man of more than ordinary ability and he took an active part in affairs of the county. He acquired consid- erable property. He served at one time as county commissioner. He was one of the charter members of the Danville Lodge of Masons and filled many of- fices therein. He died in 1861 at the age of sixty-five years. His wife survived him until 1899, when she died at the advanced age of ninety-three. Both were buried in Spring Hill cemetery.
Thomas Short came to Vermilion County in 1830. He was not married when he came, but his future wife arrived here about the same time. They were both natives of Virginia. He was a very well educated man and was en- gaged in teaching school at near Maneely's Mill for some time. Mr. Short was elected the second county clerk of Vermilion County. He filled that office for twelve years, after which he turned his attention to farming. He was struck by lightning, which disabled him for business for several years before his death in 1877. His family included six sons and three daughters.
Wallace Sperry came from Connecticut to Warren County, Ohio, where he remained a short time, and in 1830 he went on further west coming to Ver-
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