USA > Illinois > Whiteside County > History of Whiteside county, Illinois, from its first settlement to the present time, with numerous Biographical and Family Sketches > Part 18
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WILLIAM W. DURANT is a native of Thomaston, State of Maine, and was born May 27, 1803. Mr. Durant was married to his first wife, Miss Susanna L. Marsh, at Roxbury, Massachusetts, June 1, 1827. She died at Rock Falls, in this county, in October, 1839. In December, 1840, Mr. Durant married his second wife, Miss Emily M. Martin. The children by the first wife were E. W., S. L., and W. W .; and by the second wife, Charles A., Helen Maria, Alfred H., and Augusta. E. W. Durant resides at Stillwater, Minnesota, and the rest at Albany, Illinois. All are living except Helen M., wife of Joseph S. Green, who died at Albany in April, 1876. Mr. Durant came first to Whiteside in June, 1838, and settled at Rock Falls, where he remained until August, 1844, when he moved to and settled in Albany, and has since resided at that place. The first few years of his residence in Whiteside was devoted to farming, and since then he has been engaged in merchandizing. He was one of the first Assessors appointed for the precincts by the County Commissioners, his district compris- ing Rapids precinct. He has also been Justice of the Peace, and since 1863 Postmaster at Albany.
IVY BUCK was born at Nassau, Rensselaer county, New York, March 22, 1801, and went at an early age to Ellicottville, Cattaraugus county, New York, where he remained until 1837, when he moved to Albany, in this county, and continued to reside there until his death which occurred a few years ago. Mr. Buck married Miss Mary Pindar, a native of Scoharie, New York, at Worcester, Otsego county, New York, June 6, 1827. She is also dead. The children of this marriage are Melinda, born at Franklinville, N. Y., March 17, 1828; Stephen, born at Franklinville, N. Y., November 28, 1838, and Edwin H. born at Albany, Illinois, October 9, 1844. Melinda married Stephen B. Slo- cumb, and resides in Newton, Whiteside county; Stephen married Mary Mitchell and resides at Clinton, Iowa, and Edwin H., married Ella M. Rexroad, and re- sides at Fulton, Whiteside county. Mr. Buck was a captain of a militia company, and held various town offices in Ellicottville, N. Y., and after moving to Albany was elected a Justice of the Peace and served in that capacity about eighteen years. He was a mason by trade, and put up quite a number of buildings in Albany. He also kept a store for several years, and at one time owned the ferry across the Mississippi river, between Albany and Camanche, and ran a steam ferry boat. During his residence in Whiteside he took an active part in advancing the interests of the county.
LYMAN BENNETT was born at Springfield, Mass., November 8, 1802, and
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came to Whiteside county in the fall of 1835. His route to the West was by way of Lake Erie from Buffalo to Detroit, and thence by team to Rock River Valley, where he lived for three months with John Stakes, near Prophetstown, and then took a claim one mile below Portland, upon which he remained three years. In the spring of 1839 he moved to Newton, and selecting a farm near Kingsbury lived upon it until February, 1854, when he became a resident of Albany where he has since made his home. His wife was Miss Susan Lathrom, a native of Norwich, Connecticut. Their marriage took place at Cazenovia, N. Y., October 31, 1827. The children are Elizabeth, Helen, and Emily, born in Cazenovia, N. Y., and Jane, Harriet, Lewis, Sophronia, Alice, and Irene, born in Whiteside county. Elizabeth married Charles H. Slocumb, and lives in Newton; Helen married D. C. Hanks, and lives in Albany; Emily married S. B. Hanks, and lives in Albany; Jane married A. T. Jenks, and died some years ago; Harriet married A. T. Jenks, and lives in Albany; Lewis married Amy Chandler, and is a resident of Anamosa, Iowa; Sophronia married Dr. Robert Hill, and lives at Dubuque, Iowa; Alice married J. T. Happer, and lives at Albany, and Irene married Charles Paddock, and lives at Albany. Mr. Bennett has followed the occupation of a farmer during his lifetime.
CHAPTER VI.
HISTORY OF COLOMA TOWNSHIP-BIOGRAPHICAL-HISTORY OF ROCK FALLS - NURSERIES - MANUFACTURING ESTABLISHMENTS - NEWSPAPERS CHURCHES AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS.
HISTORY OF COLOMA TOWNSHIP.
The township of Coloma lies south of Rock river, being a part of Con- gressional township 21 north, range seven east of the fourth Principal Mer- idian. It contains about 6,040 acres, embracing five entire and eight fractional sections. The surface is diversified by irregular sand ridges and hills, and the soil is a sandy loam -- in some parts almost entirely sand. Along the river it is somewhat broken. The southern part is very level and originally abounded in sloughs, most of which have been drained, and now produce great quantities of grass. It has few creeks-a small one in the eastern, and a somewhat larger one in the western part, both flowing north into Rock river. It has only a small tract of timbered land lying along the river. The soil is light, and not highly productive, but all the grains and fruits grown in this section of the State are produced, and it is well adapted to gardening and nursery culture. It has an abundance of limestone along the river, but it is overlain by about twelve feet of sand, and six feet of coarse glacial gravel, and the upper beds are soft and. worthless; after removing some twenty feet of material several strata of excellent stone, making altogether a thickness of about six feet, are obtained, when water prevents further working. There is also an extensive deposit of Peroxide of iron-Hemetite-which is largely used in the man- ufacture of paint by the Sterling Mineral Paint Company. This substance crops out in the river bank for a considerable distance, and as it softens quite rapidly when exposed to the air, forming a tenacious red clay, the bank looks as if drenched with blood.
The first permanent settlement in the territory now embraced in Coloma township was made by Edward Atkins, a native of Ireland, and Isaac Merrill, a native of Connecticut, early in 1837-Mr. Merrill being the prior settler. Before the close of the year they were joined by Noah Merrill and Daniel Brooks, and Atkins, who was an energetic, enterprising man, had begun the erection of a large frame house intended for a hotel. November 6, 1838, a son-Nelson B., now a resident of Sterling- was born to Noah Merrill, be- lieved to have been the first white child who began existence in Coloma. In February, 1839, there were living in what is now Coloma township, Edward Atkins, Isaac Merrill, Noah Merrill, Daniel Brooks, Ira Sillaman, Zerah M. Chapman, A. B. Wheeler, W. W. Durant, now of Albany, Samuel B. Cushing, John J. Cushing and Frank Cushing. Herman Emmons and L. H. Woodworth came into the settlement this year. W. W. Durant had a small store, the first in this vicinity. In 1837 Edward Atkins, A. B.Wheeler, Isaac Merrill and Daniel Brooks laid out the town of Rapids City on a scale commensurate with its imagin- ary future grandeur, hopes never to be realized. It was a mile square, occupying
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HISTORY OF COLOMA TOWNSHIP.
the tract on which Rock Falls now stands. The State had entered upon an extensive but insane system of internal improvements by which canals and railroads were to be built to every hamlet, and under which paper towns mul- tiplied almost as rapidly as frogs in Egypt. Every man began to consider his humble cabin the nucleus of a great commercial emporium, and in his dreams he saw the day when extensive warehouses and vast manufactories should crowd each other along the banks of the neighboring brook, when some yet to be built canal should bear on its bosom the wealth of an empire, and when over the projected lines of railroad should be borne a mighty tide of traffic. It was not for a moment considered that an uninhabited country could not in the nature of things require a large amount of articles from abroad, and that it could produce very little to send away. The wild schemes daily increased in number. A reckless system of finance based on nothing, and professing to create values where none existed, was relied on to raise funds and provide for the expense of these needless constructions, until at last the end came- bankruptcy-casily forescen by prudence and moderate sagacity. This part of the State was to share in the blessings of free communication with the rest of the world, and as, if the rapids were removed, something that courtesy might consent to call a boat might navigate Rock river as far as Dixon, and as such obstructions were easily turned by a canal, and as, moreover, a canal besides being a good thing gave a chance for fat contracts, it was resolved to construct one around the rapids at this point. The contract was let in 1839 to Ethan Nichols. Mr. Nichols dying the same year his brother and Sanger and Gal- breath, who had been contractors on the Illinois and Michigan Canal, took charge of the contract. L. H. Woodworth, who came in 1839, was engineer in charge, having previously practiced his profession in the East. Work was commenced. Sanger and Nichols opened a large store, and for a time all went well and the desert seemed to be about to "bud and blossom as the rose." About $40,000 was expended-a large sum for those times. The store did a heavy business. The canal was nearly half completed, and the future seemed radiant with hope, when the gaudy bubble burst and rudely dissipated the gorgeous mirage. The State was bankrupt, loaded with debts of which the most sanguine could not see a possibility of payment. Work ceased, and the only memorials of the project are its history, an unsightly ditch, and some heaps of broken stone.
In October 1839 death made his first visit to the settlement, bearing beyond the dark river Mrs. W. W. Durant. A marriage had been solemnized previous to this time, William Hawkins and Luna Brooks being the contracting parties.
In 1844 Mr. Richard Arey came to Coloma and took charge of the property formerly owned by Atkins, whose interest had been purchased by James E. Cooley, of New York, in 1843. This property included an undivided interest in the valuable water front on which the manufactories of Rock Falls are now located. With the bursting of the internal improvement bubble, and the wide- spread ruin consequent thereon, business stagnation and hard times eame, stores were closed, public works suspended, and for a time but little progress was made; when prosperity again visited the banks of Rock river, business en- throned herself on the north side of the stream. During the winter of 1844 about thirty Winnebago Indians camped'in the vicinity. They are described as very filthy, and most persevering beggars. The next spring they went north, never to return, the last of the red men who made this pleasant land their home, and since that time Indians have seldom visited this region. From this date neither a store nor shop of any kind was found within the borders of Coloma until 1867. Until 1857 there was no way of crossing the river except by ford- ing, although several attempts had been made to establish a ferry above the
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rapids which had resulted in failure. In 1845 the first school was taught. In 1846 the first school house was fitted up, funds being raised by subscription; it was used for the next ten years. In 1856 a new school house was finished, and a bridge built by subscription nearly completed, a few plank being left out to prevent its use until paid for. As some of the subscriptions were payable only on its completion, they could not be collected, and it being carried away by a freshet in February, 1857, it was never opened for travel. In the same year, after the destruction of the bridge. B. G. Wheeler, a banker of Sterling, started a ferry above the rapids, but as it was not adequate to the wants of the public, being frequently out of order from the breaking of the chain by which it was driven, James A. Patterson started another below the rapids. By act of the Legislature dated February 12, 1857, Whiteside county was empowered to bor- row $2,000 to replace bridges over Rock river lost by floods or which might be carried away during the present or next ensuing month. This was intended to aid in replacing this bridge, but the money was never raised. No bridge was again built until 1863, when the Sterling Bridge Co. erected one under a Legis- lative charter. In 1868 the Roek river attempted to declare its independence, and carried away a part of the bridge, which was soon replaced. A Post Office, called Rapids, was established about 1847, with Artemus Worthington as post- master, and a mail route on the south side of the river from Dixon to Prophets- town was also established, but after a short time it was discontinued.
This township was organized in 1852. The first town meeting and election to perfect the organization was held April 6, 1852, at the house of Richard Arey. A hog law was enacted condemning these much coveted yet very troublesome brutes to close confinement, and $5.00 was voted for incidental expenses. In 1854 it was voted that a fence to be lawful must be four and one-half feet high. In 1855 $50 was voted for incidental expenses, and $300 for highways. In 1856 the railroad was completed from Chicago to Sterling, thus rendering the country more accessible, In 1857 the plat of Rapids City was entirely vacated. The township did not, however, settle up rapidly, the county map of 1858 giving the names of but thirty-one residents, and showing the sites of two school houses. The location of roads was much the same as at present. Nothing of special interest appears in the records for the next three or four ensuing years. The discussions at the annual town meetings were not very fully reported, or were very short and confined to few topics. There is plenty of evidence that cattle were becoming more numerous, and also that hogs, sheep, horses and mules constituted a part of the worldly goods of the people, and that they were not a little troublesome. The pound and the pound master were early established institutions and required a vast amount of legis- lation, and entailed some expense on the community, The location of the pound appears to have been a very difficult task, as it was often moved, and we should say that it was a very perishable structure as it required an almost yearly appropriation to repair it or to build a new one. We are happy to say that no charges of bribery or corruption in connection with it have come to our knowl- edge, but newspapers were scarce in those days and lawyers not plenty, which may account for this want of social enterprise. In 1856 $25 was voted for town expenses, and neat cattle were' declared not "legal commoners" after December 1st; sheep not at any time. In 1859 a fence "shall be considered a lawful fence that shall be judged by the fence viewers to be sufficient to protect the growing crops;" $50 was voted for town expenses. In 1862 but twenty- three votes were polled. Through the war Coloma bore her share of the bur- dens and many of her sons were among those who rose up to defend the Union, and jeopardized their lives in the high places of the field. In 1865 it was voted
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BIOGRAPHICAL.
to raise a tax for paying the bounties to volunteers, by a vote of 24 to 5. In 1867 a new era dawned upon Coloma. A. P. Smith moved into the township, purchased lands, laid out the town of Rock Falls, built a race, and awakened a spirit of progress and improvement which has since built up a thriving village on this long neglected site. July 26, 1869, at a special town meeting it was voted to subscribe $50.000 to the capital stock of the Chicago & Rock River Railroad Co., by a vote of 123 to 4. This year $80 was voted for township expenses, and J. A. Patterson, K. Woodford and L. H. Woodworth were appointed a committee to purchase grounds for a cemetery. The previous year $200 had been appropriated for the purpose. They were instructed to purchase two acres of a certain lot if the title should prove good. In 1872 the Chicago & Rock River Railroad was completed, and it virtually passed into the hands of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Co., which now operates it as a branch line. This year there were three tickets for township officers in the field, and a heavy vote was polled-172 ballots being east. In 1873 it was charged that township bonds in aid of the Chicago & Rock River Railroad had been unlawfully issued, and a committee was appointed to fight the claims. At the annual meeting in 1874 the committee reported that they had engaged Messrs. Bennett & Sackett to attend to the case on the part of the town; $380 was voted for township expenses at this meeting. January 28, 1875, a special town meeting was held to consider the railroad bond matter, and it was resolved to enjoin the tax for the payment of the bonds. At the annual town meeting for 1875, $950 was voted for township expenses,-$300 of which was appro- priated to fight the bondholders with. The question of compromising the bond cases was considered, and steps instituted in that direction. At a special town meeting January 21, 1876, the Supervisor and Town Clerk were instructed to sign an indemnifying bond and procure an injunction on railroad bond tax. At the annual meeting in 1876, $1,000 was voted with which to carry on the bond cases. September 11, 1876, at a special town meeting it was resolved by a vote of 251 to 1, to issue $25,000 worth of bonds running until 1886 and bearing ten per cent. interest, to raise money to pay interest on railway bonds, and costs. These bonds were issued and sold, and the township had then outstanding: Railroad bonds to amount of $47.500, township bonds to amount of $25,000 -- total indebtedness, $72.500. The total expense of the bond cases was reported as $1,169.30.
This township was originally a part of Portland precinet. It was then in- cluded in Rapids precinct, and was known by that name until organized as a town in 1852. For the name Coloma no reason can be assigned. It was suggested by a gentleman who had been to California and returned.
The following is a list of township officers :
Supervisor :- 1852, Richard Arey; 1853, L. H. Woodworth; 1854. 1. W. Worthington; 1855-'57, Sidney Barber; 1858-59, Frank Cushing; 1860-67 L. L. Emmons; 1868, Jas. A. Patterson; 1869-'70, L. L. Emmons; 1871-73. M. R. Adams; 1874-'77, H. F. Batcheller.
Town Clerks :- 1852, A. W. Worthington; 1853, D. F. Batcheller; 1854, A. W. Worthington; 1855-'57, Herman Bassett; $1858-'67, JJ. D. Arey; 1868, Richard Arey; 1869-'70, A. S. Goodell; 1871, J. D. Davis; 1872-73. James McDonald; 1874, C. E. Doty; 1875-77, Henry P. Price.
Assessors :- 1852, L. H. Woodworth; 1853, D. F. Batcheller; 1854-'55, Richard Arey; 1856-'59, L. L. Emmons; 1860, Herman Bassett; 1861-64, 1. H. Woodworth; 1865, J. M. Wilbur; 1866-'67, J. W. Nims; 1868. John Ender- ton; 1869, J. W. Nims; 1870-'71. A. C. Hapgood; 1872, L. H. Woodworth; 1873. J. W. Nims; 1874, C. H. Payson; 1875-77, J. W. Nims,
[16-N.]
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HISTORY OF WHITESIDE COUNTY.
Collectors :- 1852, A. F. R. Emmons; 1853, Sidney Barber; 1854, Samuel Emmons; 1855, John Enderton; 1856-'57, Henry Aument; 1858, E. H. Barber; 1859, H. F. Batcheller; 1860-'62, Richard Arey; 1863-'65, J. W. Nims; 1866, Richard Arey; 1867-'68, N. C. Sturtevant; 1869-'70, Julius Smith; 1871, Chas. Labrun; 1872, John D. Davis; 1873-'76, Theo. P. Lukens; 1877, Timothy Bur- dick.
Justices of the Peace :- 1852, Frank Cushing, Samuel Emmons; 1853, Rich- ard Arey; 1854, Josiah Sturtevant; 1856, C. C. King; 1857, L. H. Woodworth; 1858, Alonzo Golder; 1859, Samuel Emmons; 1860, L. H. Woodworth; Frank Cushing; 1863, G. W. Hall, Richard Arey; 1864, L. H. Woodworth; 1865, Richard Arcy; 1866, J. M. Wilbur, L. H. Woodworth; 1867, J. D. Arey; 1867 J. D. Arey. L. H. Woodworth: 1869, J. D. Arey; 1870, J. M. Scott, H. P. Price; 1872, C. G. Glenn, T. C. Loomis; 1873, J. D. Davis, A. S. Goodell; 1874, R. L. Hamilton; 1876, James Pettigrew; 1877, J. A. Kline, James Pettigrew.
The Assessor's books of Coloma township, for 1877, show 6,118 acres of improved land, and 130 of unimproved. The total assessed value of all lands is $280,630. The number of improved lots is 253, and unimproved, 78. Number of horses, 362; cattle, 650; mules and asses, 21; hogs, 1212; carriages and wagons, 191; sewing and knitting machines, 158; piano fortes, 9; melodeons and organs, 50. Value of personal property, $184,101. Railroad property, $5,002. Assessed value of all property, $812,570.
The population of Coloma township outside of the village of Rock Falls, in 1870, was 386, of which 334 were of native birth, and 51 of foreign birth. The estimated population of the township, outside of Rock Falls, in 1877, is 540.
BIOGRAPHICAL.
NOAH MERRILL was born in Smithfield, Connecticut, June 8, 1809. His early life was passed in New York and Ohio. In 1837 he settled near Rock Falls, south of the river and opposite Eagle Island. He built a cabin 12x15 feet, covered with bark and provided with a puncheon floor. Mr. Merrill and his family first lived with Mr. Dan. Brooks who then resided where the portion of Rock Falls, now called "Gopher Town" is. The united families numbered eleven souls, and one bed and the floor furnished sleeping accommodations for all. As the women were sisters the families lived upon peaceable terms. In 1838 Mr. Merrill and family settled in their own cabin and broke several acres of prairie. The same land had been claimed by Elijah Worthington of Harrisburg, his claim having been made made by plowing around the land. The anti-claim jump- ers association upon the north side of the river through a committee notified Mr. Merrill that he must abandon the claim under penalty of having his cabin, himself and family thrown into the river. This gentle demand Mr. M. decided to resist and in company with Mr. Dan. Brooks secured arms and awaited the visitors, but they came not. Mr. Merrill sold his claim and afterwards owned several farms in the neighborhood and worked at his trade in Harrisburg until 1850, when he went to California, and suffered great hardships. After a stay of four years on the Pacific coast he returned to Sterling where he now resides. Mr. Merrill was married to Miss Amanda Lewis in New York, September 5, 1829. Children : Almanza, born June 11, 1831; Seth R., born December 19, 1832; Zelemma born October 24, 1835; Nelson B., born November 6, 1838. Mr. Merrill died December 22, 1873, aged 63 years.
L. H. WOODWORTH was born in Norwich, Vermont, October 20, 1806. He resided in that State until he reached his majority, and attended the military, scientific and literary school at Middletown, Connecticut. After completing his studies he was a teacher in the military school at Perth Amboy, New Jersey.
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BIOGRAPHICAL.
He was afterwards Assistant Professor of Mathematics in Jefferson College, Mississippi. In the meantime he studied law. Failing eyesight precluded the pursuit of his profession as he desired. He spent two years in the employ of the State of New York as resident engineer upon the Black River Canal. In the spring of 1839 he removed to the west, and settled at the Upper Rapids on the south side of Rock river, and bought the claim of Isaac Merrell, upon which he now lives, at Rock Falls. He had charge as engineer of the contract to build the canal, which was let in 1839. The work was commenced in 1840 by Nichols, Sanger & Galbreath. Mr. Woodworth has divided a portion of his real estate into lots, now embraced in the flourishing town of Rock Falls. He and Dan. Brooks were the two first Justices of the Peace in Rapids Precinct. He was also Swamp Land Commissioner, County Surveyor and Supervisor. He married Parmelia Parks, May 14, 1834, in Saratoga county, New York. Mrs. Woodworth died December 1, 1844. Children: Leonard H., born June 12, 1836; George L., born December 1, 1841. Leonard H. married Miss Hattie Jenkins, and resides in Sterling. Geo. L. Woodworth enlisted in Company A., 34th Illinois Regiment, and was killed at Stone river, December 31, 1852. Mr. Woodworth married Mrs. Alice H. Goodell, October 24, 1845. Two children: Clarence C., born October 22, 1853; Alice S., born June 12, 1859.
ASA F. R. EMMONS was born in Kingston, Canada. His boyhood and early manhood were passed in Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and New York City. In the latter place he worked at the carpenter's trade. In 1839 he settled at Sterling, making a claim in Coloma township, to which he moved in 1840, and has been a resident of the county since then. Mr. Emmons has been engaged in building almost continually, his taste not inelining him to farming. He was married to Elizabeth Ann Bartlett, December 25, 1835, in Pennsylvania. She died July 21, 1842. Mr. Emmons was married to Nancy A. Booth, January 31, 1843. Children: Harriet M., born April 1, 1838-she is the wife of Theo. H. Mack, Wm. Il., born May 10, 1840-died in infancy. Ida U. D., born March 31, 1845-she married Chas. H. Hewitt. Samuel, born November 11, 1848- died in infancy. Lucinda, born December 13, 1851-died in infancy. Wm. L., born September 24, 1855. Nancy Cora, born April 3, 1858.
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