USA > Illinois > Whiteside County > History of Whiteside county, Illinois, from its first settlement to the present time, with numerous Biographical and Family Sketches > Part 12
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By the law of 1871-'72 County Courts in addition to their probate powers, have concurrent jurisdiction with the Circuit Courts in all classes of cases wherein Justices of the Peace have jurisdiction, where the amount claimed, or the value of property in controversy, shall not exceed $500, and in all crim- inal offenses and misdemeanors where the punishment is not imprisonment in the penitentiary, or death. No appeals, however, are allowed from Justices of the Peace to the County Courts. The term of the court for probate matters commences on the third Monday in each month, except the months provided for holding law terms, which by the law of the last General Assembly were fixed for Whiteside County, to be held on the second Monday of January, May and October, in each year.
EARLY LIFE OF PIONEERS, AND INCIDENTS.
The hardships, toils and privations endured by the early settlers of White- side County cannot be written in a chapter. Not that our pioneers encountered more difficulties than usually fall to the lot of those who first push forward into new sections of the country, but because words fail to adequately describe all that these brave people are compelled to pass through in the establishment of their homes in an unbroken and uncultivated land, let it be where it may. Many of Whiteside's pioneers had been brought up where abundance prevailed, and where every article of luxury, to say nothing of necessity, could be had almost within the stretch of a hand. Markets were convenient. help plenty, and money easy of attainment. They knew nothing of the embarrassments of isolation. All around them were cities, villages and hamlets. In distress there were neighbors to assist; in prosperity hundreds came to congratulate them. When they needed medicine the man of pills and potions could be found "right around the corner," and when they got into a bad fix a learned counsellor could
83
EARLY LIFE OF PIONEERS, AND INCIDENTS.
be retained by going up "the very next stairs." The pastor was handy for a marriage, and always at home for a funeral. Societies for raising money for the conversion of the Hottentot and Hindoo, and for retailing neighborhood gossip, met weekly at some good sister's house where spiced eake and strong tea were dispensed. In short they were surrounded by all the elements of an advanced civilization, and gloried in the fact that the land of their birth was a land over- flowing with eorn and wine, and where every man was a friend to his neighbor and the "rest of mankind." But when they came to the broad prairies of the West they found everything changed. For miles there was not a human habitation. The great plains spread all around blooming in the spring time with the beautiful prairie flowers, and swept in the autumn and winter by the fieree winds which found no obstaele in their onward path save the dying grass. To be sure the rains deseended as they did at their old homes, and the soft moan of the summer breeze sounded as familiarly as it did on the New England Hills, or in the valleys of the Middle States, but all else was new, lonesome and desolate. With brave hearts, however, they built their little cabins, and plunged the shining share into the unbroken glebe, and that sueeess crowned their labors is well attested by the broad and fertile fields, and beautiful farm houses, thrifty orchards, and flourishing cities and towns, which now make Whiteside County one of the wealthiest and most prosperous in the State.
When the earliest settlers eame to Whiteside the methods of travel were of the most primitive kind, and the way encountered with difficulties and dangers. The great lines of railway which now, interseet almost every nook and corner of our great State, were unknown. In faet there were but few known roads, and those but seldom traveled. Trails led here and there, and these were followed as far as possible, and when one could not be found, the sun during the day, and the north star at night, guided the pioneer toward his destination.
The first work of the settler, after making a claim, was to ereet a shelter for himself and family. These habitations were rude, but answered the purpose until the advancing years brought the means to build others of ampler room, and more imposing exteriors, yet we have it from those who now own their almost palatial residenees, that the happiest years of their western life were passed in the prairie cabins. The hard work was to "break the prairie," for after that was done the deep loose soil, was easily tilled, and produced abundantly. The trouble then was not in raising erops, but to find a market for them. For a number of years grain had to be taken to Chicago before it could be sold, and then the prices paid were very low, the entire proceeds of a load being hardly sufficient to purchase the actual "store goods" needed by the settler's family.
The journey to Chicago and return at that time for a Whiteside farmer, took about twelve days. Horses and mules were not very plenty then in "this neck of the woods," so the patient ox had to be yoked, and goaded on to the city on the lake. The settler would start when the earliest beams of the coming day streaked the horizon, and travel with all the rapidity he could until dark- ness elosed in when he would be obliged to camp. This would be done by tethering his team, preparing his meal which he had brought from home, and then making his bed on the load, or if the ground was dry enough, under the wagon. The roads, or rather the trails, were in many places indistinct, and the passage, especially across the sloughs and streams, very laborious. In many in- stances the wagons would get mired in these sloughs, and the unlucky person owning them, or having them in charge, be obliged to wait until help came be- fore they could be extricated from their imbedment, unless several settlers went in company, when they could help each other. These occurrences were very
84
HISTORY OF WHITESIDE COUNTY.
frequent, and occasioned a great deal of inconvenience and loss, but what could the settler do? He had a family to provide for, and the only way of procuring some of the actual necessaries of life was by selling his wheat, and that wheat could only find a market in Chicago. The price of wheat varied at that time from twenty-five to sixty cents per bushel, so that the load, generally about fifty bushels, would scarcely bring enough to purchase the dry goods and gro- ceries needed for the family. The nights on the journey home were usually passed in the same manner as those going in, as the surplus cash after the purchases were made was very small in amount. The way-side inns were in most cases of necessity passed by, much to the regret no doubt of the rubicund hosts.
The prairies and groves, however, were full of game, so that when the meat barrel got low, the table could be bountifully supplied with venison, and prairie chicken. In lieu of cloth hides of deer were sometimes dried, and made into breeches and coats and the raccoon furnished oil for the lamps, and fur for caps. The Indians were somewhat numerous at first, but as a general thing were peaceable. They remained only a few years after the settlement of the county, and then departed for their reservations at the far west. The peaceful disposition of these Indians saves us recounting any of the fearful scenes of border life which occurred in other localities.
Added to the other privations of the early settlers was the want of the church and school. Most of them came from localities where the privileges of both were abundant, and the utter lack of them at their new homes was a de- privation which was very severely felt. But with the energy charactistic of the pioneer they set themselves at work as early as possible to secure the services of the teacher and minister. Where they were not able to erect even a rude school house, or ruder church structure, the cabin of the settler was thrown open for both religious and educational purposes. The determination was strong that the children should not grow up in ignorance, nor want the benefit of moral and religious training. For quite a time religious services were con- ducted by some pious settler when a minister could not be obtained, and the school kept by a man or woman of the neighborhood who had received a good education at the schools of his or her early home. Educational and religious matters were conducted in this way for several years, much to the advantage of both the older and younger people. Now there are schools and churches all over the county, and almost at the very doors of its citizens.
The wants of the early inhabitants of the county were few and simple as compared with those of the present day. The coffee was neither Java, Rio nor Mocha, nor even chicory, but a substitute made from wheat, rye, potatoes or burnt bread, and when carefully manipulated by the superior cooks of those times, who were the wives and mothers of the household, and not the irrepres- sible hired girl of this period, the compound was claimed to be but little inferior to the genuine article. Substitutes of this kind became a necessity, as the prices of wheat, corn and pork ran very low, and money was scarce and difficult to procure. Men's wages were only from 373 to 50 cents per day, and women's from 50 cents to $1 per week.
Many persons at that day followed transportation as an occupation, and it is represented that those were the most successful who substituted oxen for horses. It was desirable for both farmer and transportation men to have as many teams go together as possible, as difficulties would often occur between different parties, and might was right when beyond the reach of a Justice of the Peace, and a Constable. Parties engaged in hauling wheat to Chicago charged from twenty to twenty-five cents a bushel, and loaded back with salt, iron, nails, leather, and sometimes dry goods and groceries, for which they made a separate
85
EARLY LIFE OF PIONEERS, AND INCIDENTS.
charge. A horse team would make from twenty to twenty-five miles a day, and an ox team from ten to fifteen miles.
Almost every State had its representatives in Whiteside in the early days, as well as at the present, but it was found more difficult to fraternize then than now. In new countries it takes a little time for persons brought up under dif- ferent religious, social and political organizations, to freely associate with each other, but being poor alike, and their needs of the same class, they soon became accustomed to one another. As a rule our early settlers were intelligent, moral and law abiding. For the first twelve years of our history the records of the Circuit Court show that not a single person was convicted before it who had committed a crime in the county. Social intercourse early became unrestrained, the only tests being intelligence and moral honesty. If any were in distress their wants were immediately relieved. In the spring and summer a favorite amusement of those who lived in the vicinity of the rivers and creeks, was fish- ing with spears by a light made by burning hickory bark, and in the fall and winter all turned out to hunt the deer and chase the prairie wolf.
The Second State Bank of Illinois was winding up its business, and its notes were very much depreciated. The only good paper was a small supply of the bills of the State Bank of Missouri. The bank stock of the State was the Illinois State bonds, and they had run down to twenty cents on the dollar. Shortly afterwards the General Assembly passed a law creating a system of free banking, called the safety fund system, following the example of New York. The bonds of the Southern and Western States were used as the banking capital, and the result was a very unsafe instead of a sufe system. Money became plenty. Every individual or corporation that could, purchased State bonds, as they were abundant and cheap, and issued promises to pay thereon. Watering stock became as common among statesmen and bankers, as watering milk among dairymen. Banks grew up all over the State, like Jonah's gourd, in a night. No one knew or appeared to care whether the money was good or bad. This pernicious inflation resulted in inflating prices. Wages advanced over one hun- dred per cent., and everything else in proportion. Money became so plenty, and of such doubtful value, that to get rid of the shinplasters, as they were ealled, land, merchandise, produce, in fact everything that would sell, ran up to over double the former value. This state of things prevailed until a wiser sys- tem of legislation was adopted, and banks compelled to base their issue upon a sound capital.
The settlers prior to 1840 had the pick of the land. All around them then extended the broad prairies, and a claim could be made on the choicest sections. These claims were generally "staked out," and some improvement made upon them, in order that they might be held until the Government placed the land in market, when some one or more of the claim owners were selected to go to Dixon or Galena and bid in such parts as were wanted, or means could be raised to pay for. Attempts were made in many instances to "jump" these claims by parties who came afterwards, and the frequency and boldness with which this was done, led to the organization of societies by the legitimate claimants for protection against these second hand men. These claim fights, as they were called, will be found fully described further along in this chapter. It is reported that many selected their claims by going on an eminence and looking over the surrounding prairie. When the eyes of one had fallen upon a point that suited him he would say, "as for me and my house, I will dwell there," and in due time the little rude cabin was erected, and the heavy sod broken and made to produce a " sod erop."
The fame of Rock River Valley as an unsurpassed agricultural district
86
HISTORY OF WHITESIDE COUNTY
became known at quite an early day, the river itself being then a navigable stream for boats of light draft. The first steamboat which plied the river as far as Sterling, was the Pioneer, commanded by D. S. Harris, and came up in 1836. The N. P. Hawks, Gypsey and other steamers followed soon after. They made landings at every point were there was the semblance of a town. In 1844 the Lighter went up as far as Janesville, Wisconsin. The boats were mostly freighted with dry goods and groceries from St. Louis. About 1851 a schooner, built at Kishwaukee, ran down the river and cut all the ferry ropes. The master was proseented at several places, but defeated his prosecutors on the ground that Rock river was a navigable stream.
By the act of the General Assembly, approved February 27, 1837, entitled " an act to establish and maintain a general system of internal improvement," $100,000 was appropriated for the improvement of Roek river, and at the ses- sion of 1838, $50,000 was additionally appropriated, and operations actually commenced, but owing to the hard times at that period, and the unskillful man- agement of the publie funds by those who had them in charge, the great system of internal improvements which had been inaugurated in the State, collapsed before the work on any single portion, with the exception of the Illinois and Michigan Canal, had progressed far. Evidences of the work under this system can be seen in this county on the south bank of Rock river from Roek Falls up around the rapids, in the shape now of a half filled canal. The design was to have boats go around these rapids by way of the canal. This matter of internal improvement, so far as it relates to Whiteside County, will be found more fully sketched in the history of Coloma township. The idea of making Rock river navigable, however, vanished long ago, and the waters of the stream are now used for a much more profitable purpose.
While these schemes for the improvement of the navigation of the river were going on, the valley was being rapidly settled, and a thriving and intelli- gent people improving farms which now have no superior in beauty and fertility in Northwestern Illinois. The great Father of Waters washing the western boundary of the county also early attracted settlers, in fact the earliest settler, John Baker, established himself on its banks in 1833, as will be seen by reference to the history of Fulton township. The high bluffs along the river for most of the distance on the county line present a bar to agricultural industry to any ex- tent, but back of them extend the same rich prairies that are found in other portions of the county. Before the era of railroads the Mississippi river was the great thoroughfare for commerce and travel north and south, and along its banks sprung up thriving towns. Fulton and Albany, in this county, are among the earliest towns that grew up on the upper river. But with the advent of railroads the latter especially has suffered heavily, yet retains a good share of trade.
Although Whiteside was not an unhealthy county even at an early day, yet the disciples of Esculapius were around in fair numbers, and dosed out jalop and ealomel with an unsparing hand. Several bills of a physician practising in Portland in 1838 have been resurrected, showing how medicine was dealt out to the pioneers. One of the bills is dated November 1, 1838, and is as follows:
Benj. Smith to Dr. Wm. Price. DR.
July 15, To cathartic pills.
$ 25
16, “ two visits, cathartic pills, emetic, Dover's powders, etc .. 1.50
17, " visit, oil, pills, etc .. 1.00
19, calomel, jalop, and oil. 50
22, " 15 grains quinine and phial 1.00
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EARLY LIFE OF PIONEERS, AND INCIDENTS.
24, “ calomel and medicine. 50
25, calomel and medicine, Dover's powders and oil. 50
26, oil and Dover's powders .... 50
27, " visit, oil, Dover's powders, and calomel.
50
27, "
calomel, oil ..
25
28, “ calomel, oil and pills
50
Aug. 28, 29, calomel and sulphur.
visit at night, calomel, jalop and laudanum 1.00
25
Sept. I,
visit, pills and advice.
75
2, " calomel, jalop, pills, laudanum, etc.
75
66 6, visit at night, calomel, oil and jalop. 1.00
8, 4 three portions jalop and cream tartar. 50
The bill shows that the doses were large, the medicine strong, and the prices low, yet we think our readers would infinitely prefer the higher charges and milder doses of the present day, rather than the heroic doses and smaller prices of early times.
Annexation to Wisconsin.
One of the leading questions which agitated the people of the county as early as 1841, was that of setting off to the then Territory of Wisconsin that portion of the State of Illinois north of a line drawn from the southern bend or extremity of Lake Michigan due west to the Mississippi river. It was held that by the fifth article of the ordinance of Congress entitled: "An ordinanee for the government of the Northwestern Territory," the southern boundary line of the State which should be formed must be on the line above mentioned, and that it could not be changed without the consent of the original States, and of the people in the Northwest Territory. The line, however, had been changed by act of Congress to where it now is without any such consent. Meetings were held in all parts of Northwestern Illinois in favor of the line as originally established by the ordinance, and means taken so far as the same were possible to have Congress repeal the act fixing the northern boundary line of the State of Illinois so far above it.
The feeling in favor of this change was intensified by the fact that a corrupt and profligate Legislature was at the time entailing upon the people a debt of millions upon millions of dollars by means of wild and extravagant leg- islation, known as internal improvements. The debt of the State of Illinois was then about eighteen millions of dollars, with the State paper worth only fifteen cents on the dollar. Under these circumstances it is no wonder that the people desired to get out of the State, and the question of properly estab- lishing the northern boundary line afforded a good opportunity for making the application. But thanks to the moral courage and honesty of the people of the whole State, a new constitution was framed and adopted, which entirely changed the constitutional powers of the Legislature, and closed the doors to the entire horde of publie plunderers. Means were also provided for an honest payment of the public debt, thus doing away with these reasons for desiring to become connected with another commonwealth. At the time of the agitation of the question, however, there was apparently no chance for the accomplishment of so worthy and honorable an object. Wheat was worth only twenty-five cents per bushel, and pork from fifty cents to one dollar per hundred, at that time, and these prices could only be obtained after a tedious voyage to Chicago with an ox-team. Groaning under a heavy State debt, and almost unable to raise money for their produce wherewith to pay for their land, and supply themselves with actual necessaries of life, the people felt like adopting any method which looked toward relief.
3, visit at night, laudanum and oil .. 1.00
88
HISTORY OF WHITESIDE COUNTY.
Elections were called in the different counties which would be affected by the change of the State line, for the purpose of allowing the people to express their sentiment upon the matter at the ballot box. The election in Whiteside was held in the year 1841, and resulted as follows as appears from the official record of the County Commissioners' Court :
Precincts.
For being set off.
Against.
Fulton.
4I
Lyndon
69
I
Portland
49
..
Union Grove.
46
I
Prophetstown
46
I
Total
308
3
The returns of the vote in the precincts of Round Grove, Rapids, Genesee Grove and Sterling do not appear.
The same unanimity of feeling in favor of becoming a part of Wisconsin, prevailed in the other counties, but notwithstanding it, and the active co-oper- ation of the people and authorities of Wisconsin, the object failed of being accomplished. Had the boundary line been drawn as desired, the southern line of Whiteside County would have formed a part of the southern line of the State of Wisconsin. At this day there are but few in our county who know anything of this project to sever its connection with the great State of Illinois, and become a part of our neighboring State on the north.
Marriage Licenses.
The first marriage license issued under the county organization bears the date of June 13, 1839, the certificate reading as follows : "State of Illinois, Whiteside County, ss : Simeon Fuller, Esq., certifies by his certificate that he joined in marriage Sanford C. March with Lucinda C. Smith. Guy Ray, Clerk County Commissioners' Court. Recorded July 1, 1839." Eleven marriages were recorded in 1839, one being that of Harvey Breston of Grant County, Wiscon- sin Territory, and Jane Hall, of Genesee Grove, Whiteside County, Illinois. In 1840 twenty-six licenses were recorded, signed Guy Ray, Clerk of County Com- missioners' Court, by A. Smith, Deputy. In 1841 twenty-three licenses were recorded, a portion of them this year being signed John Roy, Clerk, by J. A. Reynolds, Deputy. Twenty-five were recorded in 1842, signed John Roy, Clerk, by J. E. Roy, Deputy, the latter gentleman now a prominent minister of Chi- cago. In 1843 only seventeen were recorded; in 1844, twenty-six; in 1845, thirty-nine; in 1846, thirty-three; in 1847, thirty-seven; in 1848, fifty-six; in 1849, fifty-two; in 1850, fifty-six, the records of the marriages this year being signed by numerous Justices of the Peace, clergymen and by N. G. Reynolds, Judge of the County Court.
From 1851 to January, 1877 inclusive the number of licenses issued each year are as follows : In 1851, 60; 1852, 72; 1853, 63; 1854, 114; 1855, 140; 1856, 190; 1857, 146; 1858, 194; 1859, 154; 1860, 161; 1861, 175; 1862, 152; 1863, 145; 1864, 203; 1865, 224: 1866, 297; 1867, 248; 1868, 254; 1869, 273; 1870, 264; 1871, 250; 1872, 239; 1073, 259; 1874, 270; 1875, 274; 1876, 287.
First Instruments Recorded.
The first indenture recorded was executed on the 24th of September, 1838, between Alfred Bergen and Samuel Mitchell, of Albany, Whiteside County, the former in consideration of $2,000 conveying his undivided interest in the Steam Saw Mill at Albany, on the Mississippi river, built in 1837 by Chas. S.
89
EARLY LIFE OF PIONEERS, AND INCIDENTS.
Dorsey and Alfred Bergen. The indenture was to secure a promissory note given by Bergen to Mitchell in 1837.
The following bond was recorded in October, 1839, being the first one of the kind on record : "Know all men by these presents, that we Alfred Slocumb, Wm. Nevitt, Gilbert Buckingham and Lewis Spurlock, of Whiteside County, are held and firmly bound to Mathew Chambers and Pariah Owen, of Knox County, and Erasmus D. Rice, of Fulton County, in the sum of $10,000 to be paid to said parties. Whereas the above bounden obligors have agreed to enter at the land office in Galena, the fractions of land upon which is situated the town of Albany, for the benefit and in trust for the above named obligees. The condition of the above obligation is such that if the above bounden Alfred Slo- cumb, Wm. Nevitt, Gilbert Buckingham and Lewis Spurlock, shall use all and every lawful endeavor to buy and obtain in their names at the land sale in Galena, on Monday, October 21, 1839, the southeast and southwest fractional quarters of section 24, township 21 north, range 2 east, and after the said Alfred Slo- cumb et al. purchase the said fractions, then they shall make good deeds of general warrantee to each of the above persons for their respective lots, ( des- cribed in the instrument) all in Albany, the deeds to be made and delivered as soon as possible. Now, if the said Alfred Slocumb et al. shall deed all the lots as heretofore described to the persons aforesaid, then this obligation to be null and void; but if the said A. Slocumb et al. or either of them shall refuse to deed as aforesaid after being paid as aforesaid, then this obligation to be in full force and virtue. Alfred Slocumb, Wm. Nevitt, Gilbert Buckingham, Lewis Spurlock. Dated October 17, 1839."
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