USA > Illinois > Whiteside County > History of Whiteside county, Illinois, from its first settlement to the present time, with numerous Biographical and Family Sketches > Part 66
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The first house of which we have any information was put up by Nicholas Lutyens in the southeast part of the town, in 1852. The first school house was built in July, 1856, in what is known as the Aldrich district, and Orlando Mc- Nickle taught the first school, commencing in the fall of that year. The first minister who held services in the town was Rev. Mr. Pinkney, a Wesleyan Methodist. He preached in the Aldrich school house, Glassburn school house, and also in private dwellings. Rev. Wm. H. Gray, a Protestant Methodist, was the next minister.
The first child born in the town was Emma Aldrich, a daughter of Rufus and Mary A. Aldrich, her birth occurring October 23, 1855. The first death was that of Mrs. Baker, a daughter of Jacob Barney, who died in the summer of 1856. The first marriage dates in 1857, the parties being Mr. Ellery C. Brown and Miss Susan Gray, daughter of Rev. Wm. H. Gray, the ceremony be- ing performed by the father of the bride.
The first travelled road in the town was the one leading from Sterling to Yorktown and Green River. This road branched at J. W. Glassburn's farm, the branches running respectively to Yorktown and Green River. In 1856 a road was legally laid out, running from the burying ground, south of the pres- ent village, to the south line of the township, and in 1858 it was extended north- ward all the way through the town. The second road was laid out in 1859, and commences at the south line of the town, between sections 31 and 32, running north two miles to the north line of sections 29 and 30, and then east three miles to Tampico village.
When the call was made to subscribe to the capital stock of the Grand Trunk Railway, now the Mendota branch of the C. B. & Q. Railway, the town voted to subscribe $20,000. Bonds were issued for the payment of this stock, dated March 10, 1871, to run ten years, payments to be made as follows: the first installment of $4,000 in five years from the date of the bonds. and the bal- ance in yearly installments. The installments, as far as they have become due, have been regularly met.
The town furnished its full complement of soldiers to the Union army dur- ing the late war of the Rebellion. Its quota in the several calls for troops were promptly filled, the quota under the last call being seventeen. Of those who went out, Ansel Brown was killed, Wm. Glasby died of fever in camp, and Jul- ius Brown was wounded in the arm.
The first town meeting after the complete organization of the town was held on Tuesday, April 2d, 1861. The principal officers of the town have been:
Supervisors :- 1861-'63, Daniel Foy; 1864, J. C. Aldrich; 1865, Daniel Foy; 1866-'69, G. A. Stilson; 1870-773, J. C. Aldrich; 1874-775, M. H. Brower; 1876-'77, T. M. Wylie.
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BIOGRAPHICAL.
Town Clerks :- 1861-'63, Eleary C. Brown; 1864, J. M. Vandermark; 1865, G. A. Stilson; 1866-'69, Eleary C. Brown; 1870-'73, M. H. Brewer; 1874- '75, T. M. Wylie; 1876-'77, T. S. Beach.
Assessors :- 1861, Rufus Aldrich; 1862-'64, A. M. Smith; 1865, Charles C. Ring; 1866-'67, A. M. Smith; 1868-'70, A. S. Pratt; 1871-'72, Rufus Ald- rich; 1873, Geo. W. Apley; 1874, Isaac West; 1875-'77, Rufus Aldrich.
Collectors :- 1861, John P. Badgley; 1862, Isaac West; 1863, William Pinkney; 1864, G. T. Marfleet; 1865, John P. Badgley; 1866, J. T. Gray; 1867, Charles A. Lane; 1868-'70, H. L. Denison; 1871, Maurice Fitzgerald; 1872-777, W. L. Gowen.
Justices of the Peace :- 1861, Joseph Rainer, Aaron S. Miller; 1864, Daniel Foy, Eleary C. Brown; 1868, John C. Hunt, George T. Marfleet; 1871, T. H. C. Dow; 1873, J. H. Kane; 1876, Maurice Fitzgerald; 1877, J. F. Leonard, James H. King.
The Assessor's book of Tampico township for 1877 shows 11,068 acres of improved land, and 11,661 of unimproved. The number of improved lots is 109, and of unimproved 91. The total assessed value of all lands is $205,208. Number of horses, 616; cattle, 1,228; mules and asses, 22; sheep, 30; hogs, 1,535; wagons and carriages, 205; sewing and knitting machines, 109; melodeons, and organs, 33. Value of personal property, $60,414; railroad property, $26,814. Total assessed value of all property, $307,071.
The population of Tampico township in 1870 was 634, of which number 565 were of native birth, and 69 of foreign. The estimated population of the township in 1877, is 800, and of the village 450, making a total of 1,250.
BIOGRAPHICAL.
JOHN W. GLASSBURN is a native of Gallia county, Ohio, and came to Whiteside county in 1856, settling at first on a place near Yorktown where he remained until 1861, when he moved to his present location. His farm then consisted of 160 acres, and included the whole of the present village of Tam- pico. Mr. Glassburn was a successful farmer for years, until the railroad passed through the town, when he bought the interest of Fisher and Thompson, of the firm of Fisher, Thompson & Bryant, grain dealers, and the firm then became Glassburn & Bryant. Soon afterwards this firm erected a large elevator, and entered largely into the purchase, storage and shipping of grain, pork and pro- duce, making Tampico a good and convenient market for the farmers and producers of the surrounding country. The tornado of July 6, 1874, complete- ly demolished this elevator, but Mr. Glassburn with characteristic energy went to work and erected a still larger and more capacious one, which is still stand- ing. Since the death of Mr. Bryant, which occurred some two years ago, Mr. Glassburn has conducted the business individually. He is also a manufacturer of and dealer in harness. . He has been frequently called to fill public positions in the town and village. Indeed, the village in a great measure owes its exist- ence to him. Mr. Glassburn is yet in the prime of life, and is justly regarded as one of the foremost men of Tampico.
JOHN C. ALDRICH came from Bradford county, Pennsylvania, to Tampico, in 1856, and at first purchased a farm in the southeast part of the town. When the village of Tampico sprang into existence he opened a dry goods, clothing, and provision store in the south part, combining with it the sale of farming im- plements, and wagons and carriages. He also entered largely into the real estate business, and now owns lands in different parts of South Tampico, as well as lots in the viliage. He continued in the mercantile business for some time, and at present is a manufacturer of brick, besides being a dealer in wagons and
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HISTORY OF WHITESIDE COUNTY.
carriages, and a farmer. He has frequently been Supervisor of the town, and held other town offices, thus showing the regard in which he is held by the people.
DANIEL FOY was born in 1812, in Napoli, Cattaraugus county, New York, and in 1839 moved to McDonough county, Illinois, remaining there for seven years. In 1846 he moved to Whiteside county and settled in Prophetstown, where he lived, engaged in farming, until 1855, when he purchased a farm on section 29 in the town of Tampico, upon which he has since resided. Mr. Foy is one of the public spirited men of the town, and was elected Supervisor at the first election after the town became fully organized, and held the office during the years 1861, '62 and '63, and again in 1865. He has also been Justice of the Peace, and School Trustee of the town.
RUFUS ALDRICH is one of the early settlers of Tampico, arriving there from Bradford county, Pennsylvania, on the 1st of July, 1855. He purchased a farm in sections 26 and 27 in the southeast part of the town, which he still owns. At present he is conducting the livery business in the village of Tampico, in connection with his son, the firm being, C. R. & R. Aldrich. Mr. Aldrich was first elected Assessor of the town in 1870, and then again in 1872 and 1875, and has held the office from the latter year up to the present.
AARON S. MILLER came from Groton, Tompkins county, N. Y., to Tam- pico in the spring of 1853, and settled in the south part of the township where he still owns a farm, although he is now a dealer in feathers, feather beds, etc., in the village. Mr. Miller has held several public positions in the town.
Among the enterprising farmers of this comparatively new township, and to whom it is greatly indebted for the position it now holds among its sister town- ships in the county, are M. H. BREWER, on section 23; G. T. MARFLEET, on section 6; M. LUTZENS, M. PIERCE, on sections 28 and 33; R. R. DENISON, on sec- tion 11; L. H. DENISON, on section 10; E. E. DENISON, on section 11; J. VAN VALKENBURG, on section 13; J. W. MILLER, on section 17; R. M. BULLOCK, on section 32; E. HENDRICK, on sections 25 and 26; J. E. HUB- BARD, on section 1; G. K. ALLEN, on section 22; S. EMMONS, on section 30; W. GIBSON, on section 29; J. S. KIMBALL, on section 22; B. FERRIS, on sections 11 and 12; J. B. HUGHES, on sections 23, 25 and 26.
HISTORY OF THE VILLAGE OF TAMPICO.
The village of Tampico is situated a little north-east of the center of the town, and is built upon a part of the original farm of Mr. John W. Glassburn. The first building put up in the village, besides the residence of Mr. Glassburn, was a frame one by S. B. Winter, in the fall of 1871, and used by him as a residence, store and postoffice. The next was also a frame structure, and was used as a saloon by Levi Renner. During the same fall, Fisher, Thompson & Bryant put up scales, and built a small office. Their principal business was to purchase and crib corn so as to be ready to send it to Chicago as soon as the railroad, then nearly completed, and running through the town, should put on its rolling stock. They cribbed about 35,000 bushels during the fall and winter. On the 10th of March, 1872, the first train reached the village, and from that time its growth has been rapid, until now it boasts of its fine stores, large elevators, elegant dwellings, and handsome churches and public school. The corporate limits include, besides the land formerly belonging to J. W. Glassburn, as men- tioned above, other lands of J. W. Glassburn, and lands owned by J. P. Badg- ley, J. S. Kimball, J. Jacobs, G. Allen, and P. Hagan. Should the village grow as rapidly in the future as it has done within the past few years, the premises of these gentlemen will soon be covered with business houses and residences. It is rarely, even in the West, where a village has sprang into such prominence
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HISTORY OF THE VILLAGE OF TAMPICO.
in so short a period, as Tampico, and more especially if we take into account the vicissitudes through which it has passed. Thrice the fire fiend, and once the strong winds, have laid it low, but it quickly rose again like a Phoenix from the ashes.
The village was organized under the Act of the General Assembly to pro- vide for the incorporation of cities and villages, in force July 1, 1872. The first election took place in February, 1875, and the following gentlemen were elected Trustees: D. McMillan, E. W. High, Alfred Smith, J. W. Glassburn, J. H. Cain, and H. L. Denison.
The Board of Trustees met at the office of D. McMillan, on the 26th of February, 1875, and organized by electing J. W. Glassburn, President, and J. C. Mosshart, Clerk. Trustees, E. W. High, D. MeMillan, and J. H. Cain were ap- pointed a committee on ordinances, and at the meeting held on March 12th, re- ported seven ordinances, all of which were passed. The ordinances were in effeet those usually passed for the government of cities and villages, with the exception of the dog ordinance which provides that every owner of a male dog shall pay an annual tax of one dollar for keeping the canine, and every owner of a female dog, two dollars. At this meeting C. H. Glassburn was appointed, Police Constable, and at a subsequent meeting Eli C. Cain was appointed Street Commissioner.
The first Board of Trustees were only elected for the term between the organization of the village and the time provided by the statute for holding the annual elcetion. This election took place on the third Tuesday of April, 1875, and resulted in the re-election of the first Board of Trustees. J. W. Glassburn was elected President, and B. F. Chase, Clerk. E. C. Cain was appointed Street Commissioner, and C. H. Glassburn, Police Constable. Trustees J. H. Cain, D. MeMillan and A. Smith were appointed a Committee on Salaries. The first two Boards were in favor of licensing the sale of ardent spirits, and about $700 were realized from that source. The licenses were $240 each, per annum.
The second annual election was held on the 20th of April, 1876, and re- sulted in favor of the anti-license ticket, the following gentlemen being eleeted trustees: D. McMillan, John C. Aldrich, J. W. Hixon, J. F. Leonard, M. A. Myers, Jr., and J. H. Cain. At the first meeting of the Board, D. MeMillan was elected President, and A. W. Bastian, Clerk. James Varian was appointed Street Commissioner; B. F. Chase, Police Magistrate; T. S. Beach, Treasurer, and Fred Smith, Police Constable. The first act of the Board was to repeal the license ordinance, and pass one that $300 be raised by general taxation. On the 2d of May the Board of Trustees declared the office of Police Magistrate vacant, and on the 15th of June ordered a special election to fill the vacaney and also to eleet a Trustee in place of J. H. Cain resigned. The election was held on July 18th, 1876, and resulted in elceting T. H. C. Dow, Police Magis- trate, and H. L. Denison, Trustee.
At the third annual election D. McMillan, J. F. Leonard, J. W. Hixon, J. C. Aldrich, H. L. Denison and J. W. Glassburn were elected trustees, and S. W. Sheldon, Police Magistrate. This was also an anti-lieense Board. At the meeting on April 24th, 1877, D. McMillan was elected President, and A. W. Bastian, Clerk. Robert Collins was appointed Police Constable; T. S. Beach, Treasurer; Owen Lloyd, Street Commissioner; T. O. Steadman, Pound Master. At the meeting on August 7th, 1877, an Ordinance was passed that $200 be raised for village expenses during the year, a decrease of $100 from the tax of the previous year.
The Postoffice in Tampico was established September 1, 1871, Mr. J. S. Kimball being commissioned as the first Postmaster. Previous to the establish-
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HISTORY OF WHITESIDE COUNTY.
ment of the Postoffice John W. Glassburn ran a private mail between Sterling and Yorktown for the convenience of those on the route, having secured a priv- ilege therefor from the United States Government. In 1869, the Government established a post route between Sterling and Yorktown, and Chauncy Dow ob- tained the contract to carry the mail. He retained the contract for one year, and then gave it up, and Oliver Mckenzie secured it. Mr. Mckenzie carried the mail until the Postoffice was established at Tampico. Mr. Kimball was Postmaster only a short time, and then resigned, and was succeeded by S. B. Winters. The Postmasters since Mr. Winter's time have been J. W. Mosshart, and Albert Berry, the latter now acting for Uncle Sam. A Postoffice furnishes probably a better criterion of the growth and advancement of a place than any other agency, and judging from the increase of business at the Tampico Post- office, one is forcibly reminded of the rapid growth of the town. At the close of the year 1871, the business of the Tampico office did not show an amount exceeding $60 per annum. Now it amounts to over $600.
The business places of the village of Tampico at present are: two elevators, the proprietors of which deal in stock, flour, lime, coal, salt, etc .; five dry goods, grocery, and general mercantile stores; two hardware and agricultural imple- ment stores; two drug and medicine stores, one of which deals in school books etc .; two dealers in wagons and buggies; one manufacturer and dealer in har- ness; one dealer in flour, feed, etc .; one dealer in furniture; one dealer in watches and jewelry; two restaurants; one barber; one livery stable; one butcher; two milliners and dress makers; two milliners and dealers in fancy goods; two black- smiths; one wagon maker; one dealer in feathers, etc .; three hotels; two attor- neys at law; two physicians and surgeons; two lumber dealers; and last, though not least, one newspaper.
Probably no village of its age, since the foundation of the world, ever suf- fered so much from the elements, as Tampico, and it is certain that no village ever displayed such energy and promptness in rehabilitating itself and starting again in business. The ashes from her fires had hardly got cold, and the winds of her tornado hardly died away, before the plane, the hammer, and the trowel were at work. Yesterday as it were she was in ruins; to-day beautiful stores and residences cover the space, and obliterate every mark of the destroyer. Too much credit cannot be given to the people of Tampico for the courage and en- terprise exhibited under the most trying circumstances. The blow that would have struck many others to the carth in a helpless condition, only staggered them for an instant. The next moment they recovered, and went on with their business avocations as though fire and tempest never had raged within their bor- ders.
The first visitation by fire was in the spring of 1872 when the village had hardly cast off its swaddling clothes. At that time the frame hotel of Maurice Fitzgerald, and a portion of the store belonging to Mr. Cain, were burned, the former's loss alone being $4,250, and the whole loss over $5,000. Mr. Fitzger- ald immediately afterwards commenced building the present Tampico House, and before the summer was half over had it ready for the reception of guests.
The second fire occurred on the 5th of January, 1874, and destroyed E. W. High's dry goods and grocery store; P. Burke's grocery store and residence; A. W. Bastian's store building in which were Case & Davis, clothiers; and James Conroy's dry goods and grocery store. The total loss was about $35,000. In thirty days afterwards Mr. Burke had a new building erected, and goods in his store, and by the middle of the following June the entire site of the fire was covered with buildings again.
The village had hardly recovered from this fire before another and a more
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destructive agency came whirling through the town, leaving ruin in its path. This was the dreadful tornado of June 6, 1874, which struck the place about eleven o'clock in the evening of that day (Saturday). It raged but a short time, but within that space thousands of dollars worth of property was destroyed, and many persons injured. Such a tornado had not visited this section of the coun- try since the terrible one of June 3, 1860. The following were the losses of property as given at the time, and published in the Whiteside Sentinel: "The large grain warehouse and elevator of Glassburn & Bryant, containing 20,000 bushels of grain, completely wrecked, loss $10,000; T. S. Beach's elevator, then recently erected at a cost of $3,000, and having two thousand bushels of grain in store, entirely demolished; G. T. Piersol, damage to dwelling, loss $500; J. G. Banes, dwelling house wrecked, loss $1,000; Ira Humphrey, damage to dwel- ling house, loss $1,000; T. H. C. Dow, damage to dwelling house and furniture, loss $200; Timothy Guegnian, dwelling house demolished, loss $1,000; Milton Hixon, shoe shop wrecked, loss $200; Payson Williams, saloon damaged, loss $100; Geo. Dee, store and Tampico Hall damaged, loss $1,500; Crampton & Kemp, carpenter shop demolished, loss $300; Col. Crampton, dwelling house destroyed, loss $500 ;. D. McMillan, two dwelling houses destroyed, loss $1,500; Frank Williams, damage to dwelling house, $1,000; John Van Valkenburg, dam- age to dwelling, $1,500; Eli Cain, damage to dwelling, $1,500; Peter Burke, damage to dwelling, $1,000; James Cain, damage to paint and wagon shop, $700; Chas. Luther, damage to dwelling, $100; S. B. Winters, damage to store, $50; Messrs. Robert Collins, M. R. Jones, James Varian, H. H. Seymour, and sev- cral others, sustained damages ranging from $25 to $200. The M. E. Church, built about two years before, at a cost of $1,300, was blown to fragments, the organ being carried a distance of one hundred and fifty feet. The railroad build- ings were also damaged to the extent of $500." Although the storm came as a breath of destruction, and in a few moments was gone, yet scores of hair breadth escapes were made, and many are the thrilling narratives yet related by the citi- zens. Chas. Glassburn had a sleeping room in the office of Glassburn & Bryant's elevator, and when he heard the storm approaching, closed the window, just as several pieces of scantling came crashing through the windows opposite. In another moment the office was filled with flying debris from the elevator adjoin- ing. Young Glassburn clung to the safe, and was saved as by a miracle. Wil- bur Piersol sprang into a cellar when the gale came, and cut his leg badly. The building was carried a distance of over fifty feet, but Mr. Piersol happily did not sustain any other damage. Mrs. D. Olmstead, who was confined to her bed by sickness, leaped to the floor when she heard the roaring of the approaching storm; her husband forced her into the bed again, and by enveloping her with the bed coverings, protected her from the timbers that crashed through the building. The most remarkable incident of the scene was narrated at the time by Mr. Dow and Mr. Olmstead. Eleven persons, composing two families, were residing in the same building, and all the members, soon after the blow, were found, with the exception of an infant child of Mr. Dow. The neighbors finally tore away the ruins of the edifice, and amid the rubbish, protected from the timbers by a large box and a sewing machine, the little one was found, unin- jured. Altogether, eight persons were injured seriously, and a much larger number slightly bruised. The following are the names of the persons most dangerously injured, with the nature of their injuries: Mrs. Maria Banes, head dangerously wounded: T. H. C. Dow, injured in the breast; Wilber Piersol, leg and face badly hurt; Mrs. J. B. Gates, collar bone broken; J. G. Banes, serious wounds of the side and foot; Mrs. J. G. Banes, leg broken; Mrs. W. Piersol, face and breast badly bruised; Granville Connor, head and breast badly hurt.
[5$-C.]
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HISTORY OF WHITESIDE COUNTY.
Geo. Banes was struck with a piece of flying timber, but escaped serious injury; Luther Piersol was considerably bruised. That no lives were lost seems almost miraculous, considering the widespread destruction and the great number of buildings blown down, all occupied. During the prevalence of the tornado the groans of the wounded, and the cries of those almost bereft of reason by fright, gave a touch of horror to the picture, revealed as it was by the flashes of light- ning which followed each other in rapid succession. The storm came from a southwesterly direction, following the railroad, and veered in its course slightly to the northeast. The damage outside of the village was slight. The scene on Sunday morning, June 7, 1874, was one which the people of the village of Tam- pico do not desire to look upon again. As soon as possible after the storm, a committee, consisting of E. W. High, T. M. Wiley, A. Smith, Wm. Camper, and J. S. Kimball, was appointed to receive all moneys and supplies for the suffer- ers, and it is but due to the people of the county to say that the appeal made to them for this purpose was promptly and generously responded to. It was not long before stores and residences again sprang up, and all evidence of the awful tempest was blotted from sight.
Scarce two years, however, had passed away, before fire again desolated Tampico. This time it came early on Wednesday morning of May 17, 1876. The flames were first discovered between the stores of Peter Burke and E. W. High, and the Tampico Tornado at that time describes them as leaping up the sides of the buildings, as if kerosene or other inflammable substance had been used to facilitate their spread. Six buildings fell a prey to the devouring ele- ment before it could be subdued. The first building on the south side limits of the fire was owned by James Conroy, and used as a residence and grocery store; loss $2,000. Nelson Maxson's store came next; loss on goods and building es- timated at $6,600. Next in line northward was Peter Burke's grocery store; loss on building and goods, $3,600. Adjoining was the building owned by Geo. Dee, the lower part of which was occupied by E. W. High as a store, and the upper part by the Tornado office, and J. H. Melvin, as a law office; the building was valued at $2,500. Mr. High had about $8,000 worth of goods on hand, a portion of which were saved, but in a badly damaged condition; Mr. Melvin lost his entire law library and office furniture, valued at $600, a large number of book accounts, notes and mortgages being also destroyed; the press and type of the Tornado were not in the office at that time, so the loss was confined to books, papers, etc. John Paice's building, used as a residence and butcher shop, stood next; loss on the whole, $2,300. Case & Adams' billiard hall was the last build- ing on the block destroyed; loss $1,500. Piersol's blacksmith shop, standing in the alley between Case & Adams' and Taggart & Fitzgerald's, was torn down, and the store of the latter was severely scorched. The fire spread so rapidly that the store keepers on the opposite side of the street from where it was rag- ing, removed their goods. It was a severe blow to the business men who suf- fered by it, as most of them had been sufferers by the other fires, as well as by the tornado. Their courage, however, did not desert them, some immediately renting other buildings in which to open their business, and others commencing the erection of new buildings. Peter Burke at once laid the foundation for a brick building, which he hastened rapidly to completion, and soon had the pres- ent fine store of Burke & Forward stocked with goods, ready for his customers; among the active business men of Tampico, Mr. Burke stands prominent. Since this fire Tampico has not been disturbed by the elements, and she is rapidly pro- gressing in all that adds to the growth, wealth, and prosperity of a town.
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