USA > Illinois > Whiteside County > History of Whiteside county, Illinois, from its first settlement to the present time, with numerous Biographical and Family Sketches > Part 8
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The highest lands in the county are in the north-eastern part and probably attain an elevation of at least 800 feet above the level of the sea. The Mis- sissippi bluffs are from 90 to 150 feet above the river.
The soil of the county is in general highly fertile, and corn, oats, rye, barley potatoes, and all kinds of vegetables are grown, and yield large crops. Wheat is raised, but the yield is not large, nor is it a certain crop. Strawberries and raspberries thrive, but apples, pears and other fruits bear irregularly and seldom produce large crops. Hogs are raised in great numbers, and much attention is given to rearing cattle and horses, some parts of the county being especially well fitted for pasturage. There are some extensive areas of sandy land, on which the soil is thin, and when it is once broken through the tract becomes a waste of drifting sand, spreading from year to year, and carrying ruin beyond its original bounds. In Fulton, Garden Plain, Albany, Newton, Erie and Prophetstown, these sandy wastes are found, their only products Euphorbia- spurge of several species, and sand burs.
The climate is very variable, the thermometer ranging from 90° to 100 ° Fahrenheit in the shade in summer, and to 30° and even 40° below zero in winter-an extreme range of 140 ° . The winter winds are sharp and piereing. Snow falls very irregularly, but the ground is seldom covered long at one time. Occa- sionally there are heavy snow storms which are usually accompanied by strong winds which drift it into huge piles rendering roads impassable and leaving a part of the surface bare. In summer there is seldom a perfect calm, that oppressive furnace-like heat and perfect stillness so often experienced farther
55
EARLY ORGANIZATION.
east being almost unknown. Even in the warmest weather the evenings and mornings are cool and pleasant. The summers are usually somewhat dry after the middle of July. The annual rainfall is about 42 inches, but it is very irregularly distributed. Fierce storms occasionally sweep over the county, the region from Albany east being the favorite theater for their exhibition. The great tornado of 1860, one confined to a narrow area in Union Grove in 1869, the Tampico tornado of 1874, and the storm of June, 1877, are probably remem- bered by many. The climate is healthy, the death rate low, and cases of acute diseases uncommon and more generally arising from exposure and carelessness than peculiarities of climate. -
EARLY ORGANIZATION.
Previous to 1825 the whole northern part of the State, extending for a considerable distance south of Peoria, was included in the county of Tazewell, but on the 13th day of January, 1825, an act was passed setting off Peoria County, which extended some distance south of the present city of Peoria, then known as Fort Clark, and north to the northern boundary of the State. This territory included the present large number of rich counties in Northwestern Illinois, among them Whiteside. On the 17th of February, 1827, Jo Daviess County was formed, and included within its boundaries the territory constitu- ting the present county of Whiteside, where it remained until January 16, 1836, with the exception of that portion of the territory embraced in the present townships of Portland and Prophetstown, which had been set off to Henry County by the Act organizing that county in 1836. That part of the act of January 16, 1836, fixing and establishing the present boundaries of White- side, is as follows:
" SECTION 6. All that tract of country within the following boundary, to-wit: commencing at the southeast corner of township numbered nineteen north of range seven east of the fourth principal meridian; thence west with the said township line to Rock river; thence down along the middle of Rock river to the middle of the Meredosia with the line of Rock Island County to the Mississippi river; thence along the middle of the main channel of the Mis- sissippi river to the point where the north line of township twenty-two inter- sects the same; thence east with said last mentioned township line to the south- cast corner of township twenty-three; thence south with the line between ranges seven and eight to the point of beginning, shall constitute a county to be called Whiteside.
"SEC. 16. The county of Whiteside shall continue to form a part of the county of Jo Daviess until it shall be organized according to this act, and be attached tosaid county in all general elections, until otherwise provided by law, and that after the organization of Ogle County, the county of Whiteside shall be attached to said county of Ogle for all judicial and county purposes, until it shall be organized."
Ogle County was also organized under this aet, and fully completed its organization in December, 1836, at which time Whiteside became attached to it for judicial and county purposes as provided by the act.
PRECINCTS.
It was our intention to have given the names and boundaries officially of the different precinets which were wholly or partly in Whiteside County after the passage of the above act, and prior to the complete organization of the county, but owing to the destruction by fire of the records in the County Clerk's office of Ogle County, we find it impossible to do so with certainty. We believe,
56
HISTORY OF WHITESIDE COUNTY.
however, we have them as correct as they possibly can be given without the aid of the official records.
Three election districts were defined by the County Commissioners' Court of Jo Daviess County, in the spring of 1836, which included within their respective boundaries all the territory now embraced in Whiteside County, as follows:
The present township of Jordan was attached to Elkhorn Grove Precinct, which comprised several townships in Ogle, Lee and Carroll Counties. Election to be held at Humphrey's in Ogle county. John Ankeny, Isaac Chambers and S. Humphrey, appointed Judges.
Harrisburg Precinct comprised the present townships of Sterling. Coloma, Montmorency, Hahnaman, and the east half of Hopkins, Hume and Tampico. Election to be held at the house of Hezekiah Brink. in Harrisburgh, as it was then called, now Sterling, and Hezekiah Brink and Col. Wm. Kirkpatrick, appointed Judges.
Crow Creek Precinct comprised all the rest of the county. Election to be held at Wm. D. Dudley's, in Lyndon. Wm. D. Dudley, A. R. Hamilton, and Jonathan Haines, appointed Judges.
The election of Representative to the General Assembly of the State, on the first Monday of August, 1836, resulted as follows in the above named precincts:
Harrisburg Precinct, J. Craig, 24 votes; E. Charles, 14; J. Tierney, 13; L. H. Bowen, 15.
Crow Creek Precinct, J. Craig, 18 votes; E. Charles, 19; J. Tierney, 10; L. H. Bowen, 5; P. H. Hamburg, 4.
Elkhorn Grove Precinct, J. Craig, 36 votes; L. H. Bowen, 35; E. Charles, 1.
On the 6th of September of the same year, the County Commissioners' Court of Jo Daviess County entered the following order of record: "Ordered, that all that portion of the County of Whiteside lying south of township line between towns 19 and 20, and west of line between ranges 4 and 5, be laid off into an Election Precinct, to be called Burke's Precinct. Election to be held at Horace Burke's, and Joy H. Avery, Horace Burke, and Lewis D. Crandall, appointed Judges." At the Presidential Election held in November, 1836, thirty votes were cast in this precinct, embracing the present towns of Portland and Erie, of which 27 were given to Van Buren, the Democratic candidate, and 3 to Harrison, the Whig candidate. On account of the records of the election being missing it is impossible to give the number of votes cast for Presidental candidates this year in other precincts in the county.
In 1837, the authorities of Ogle County, upon petition of different parties in Whiteside County divided it into several precincts, and these so far as we can learn, were as follows :
Van Buren Precinct included that portion of the county, now the town- ships of Fulton, Garden Plain, Albany, Newton, Erie and the western part of Ustick, Union Grove, and Fenton, the bluffs in Ustick, and the Cattail in Union Grove and Fenton being its eastern boundary.
Union Grove Precinct comprised that part of what is now Ustick, east of the bluffs, Union Grove, east of the Cattail, and all of Clyde and Mt. Pleasant.
Little Rock Precinct included what is now Lyndon, and the greater part of Fenton.
Elkhorn Precinct comprised the present townships of Genesee, Jordan, Hopkins and Sterling.
Portland Precinct embraced all of the territory in the county lying south of Rock river.
57
EARLY RECORDS.
Between this date and May 6, 1839, when the county elected its first officers, and completed its organization, thereby severing its connection with Ogle County, several changes were made in precinct names and territory, as we find in the record book of the first County Commissioners' Court, now in the office of the County Clerk, at Morrison, the names of the following pre- cincts recorded : Albany, Elkhorn, Fulton, Genesee, Little Rock, Portland, and Union Grove.
EARLY RECORDS.
Before proceeding farther in the direct chain of the history of Whiteside County, we take occasion to mention a few items of interest in reference to the early times when we formed a part of Jo Daviess County.
The County Commissioners' Court of that county on the 6th of March. 1835, ordered that "all hands within ten miles of the road from Plum river, to Prophetstown Village, on Rock river, perform labor on the Galena road." L. C. Melhouse was appointed Supervisor. It also caused an order to be entered upon the same day "that each able bodied person residing wherein there is any road district in this county, over twenty-one and under fifty years of age, shall perform five days labor on the public highways in the district in which he resides."
It was thought necessary, as early as September 7, 1832, to confine tavern keepers within reasonable bounds as to charges. The CountyCommissioners' Court, therefore, ordered that on and after that date the rates for the bonifaces should be as follows: For each meal of victuals, 25 cents; each horse feed. 25 cents; each horse per day and night, 50 cents; each lodging. 123 cents; each half pint of brandy, wine, Jamaica spirits, or Holland gin, 25 cents; each pint of whiskey 12₺ cents; each quart of cider, porter, or ale, 25 cents. On the 11th of March, 1836, these rates are somewhat changed, and tavern keepers allowed to charge for each meal of victuals, 37} cents; each lodging, 12} cents; each horse feed, 25 cents; each horse per day, 75 cents; each pint of whiskey, 12} cents; each pint of rum, gin, brandy or wine, 25 cents; each quart of cider, beer, porter or ale, 25 cents.
On the 16th of March, 1836, the same court ordered "that a tax of one- half per cent. be levied on the following described property for county purposes. to-wit: on slaves; indentured and registered negro or mulatto servants; pleasure and all other wheeled carriages, and sleighs; distilleries; all horses, mares. mules and asses and neat cattle above three years old; watches and append- ages; clocks and household furniture, and all other property."
By this it will be see that even as late as 1836, slaves, and indentured and registered negro and mulatto servants, were recognized as personal property, and liable to tax as such, in the State of Illinois, notwithstanding the celebrated Ordinance of 1787, adopted at the time of the cession of the Northwest Terri- tory to the United States by Virginia, prohibiting slavery and involuntary servitude within such Territory. This fact will be new to many at this day, and shows what a hold the system of slavery had upon the people and the laws up to 1836. and we may add for some years later.
The County Commissioners' Court in early days did almost all kinds of business, as the following record, JJune 22, 1835, shows: "Thomas and Polly Bruce came into court and acknowledged the execution of a deed conveying a certain tract of land lying and being in the State of Missouri, in the county of Pike, all of which is described in said deed from said Thomas and Polly Bruce to DeWitt Bruce, of the State of Missouri, Pike county." The record shows that this was the only judicial act of the court on that day.
[F-7]
58
HISTORY OF WHITESIDE COUNTY.
FIRST STATE ROADS.
The first State road running through the county of Whiteside was located under an Act of the General Assembly of the State, approved March 11, 1837, although several trails had been extensively used prior to that time, the most noted of which was the Lewiston trail leading from Peoria and other southern settlements to Galena, and crossing Rock river a little above Prophetstown. Under this act A. H. Seymour, of Henry County, Asa Crook, of Whiteside County, Israel Mitchell, of Jo Daviess County, Russell Toncray, of Schuyler County, and G. A. Charles, of Kane County, were appointed Commissioners to view, mark and locate a State Road leading from Galena, in the county of Jo Daviess, by the way of Wappal's on Apple river, Savanna at the mouth of Plum river, Prophetstown on Rock river, via Henderson and Knoxville in Knox County, and Rushville in Schuyler County, to Beardstown on the Illinois river. The Commissioners met at Galena in June, 1837, and proceeded to locate the road in the manner pointed out by the act, and filed with the Clerk of the County Commissioners' Court of each county through which the road passed, a report and complete map of the road, which by the terms of the act were to be preserved, and form a part of the record of the Court. In due time the road was completed, and made a public highway.
In 1839 the General Assembly passed another act locating a State Road which runs through a part of Whiteside. Under this act Neely Withrow and Rufus Hubbard, of Henry County, and A. Slocumb, of Whiteside County, were appointed Commissioners to view, survey and locate a State Road commencing at New Albany, thence to Penny's Ferry on Rock river, near the west side of range three east of the 4th Principal Meridian; thence taking the county road to a bridge on Green river, and from thence to intersect the State Road leading from Galena to Beardstown. The Commissioners met at Geneseo, and com- pleted their duties under the act.
During the same year the State Road from Galena to Beardstown was re-surveyed and re-located for a short distance near Prophetstown, under the supervision of John C. Pratt, John W. Stakes, and Lyman J. Rynders, Com- missioners appointed for that purpose by an act of the General Assembly.
FIRST OFFICERS.
As we have stated Whiteside County elected its officers, and thereby com- pleted its organization, May 6, 1839. At that election the following officers were chosen: Nathaniel G. Reynolds, Elijah Worthington, and John B. Dodge, County Commissioners; James C. Woodburn, Sheriff; Daniel B. Young, Probate Justice; David Mitchell, County Treasurer; Charles R. Rood, County Surveyor; Augustine W. Newhall, Recorder; Ivory Colcord, Coroner; Guy Ray, Clerk of County Commissioners' Court.
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS' COURT.
The first meeting of the County Commissioners Court was held on the 16th of May, 1839, at the house of Wm. D. Dudley, in Lyndon. Guy Ray appeared as Clerk, and upon giving bond to the satisfaction of the Commissioners, took the oath of office. The Sheriff and Treasurer elect, appeared, and were duly qualified, the former by receiving certificate from A. R. Hamilton and C. G. Woodruff, and the latter before John B. Dodge, Justice of the Peace.
The Commissioners met the next day at the school house near Wm. D. Dudley's, and proceeded first to lay out road districts, and appoint Supervisors, as follows:
"Road District No. 1 to comprise that portion of the county south of Rock
59
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS' COURT.
river, and east of township line between ranges 5 and 6 east. Wm. W. Durant to be Supervisor.
Road District No. 2 to comprise that portion of the county south of Rock river, east of the west line of section 35, township 19 north, range 4 east, to line of range 5 east. Erastus G. Nichols to be Supervisor.
Road District No. 3 to comprise all the territory south of Rock river, west of section 35, township 19 north, range 4 east. James Row to be Supervisor.
Road District No. 4 to comprise all that part of Elkhorn Precinct north of township line running east and west between townships 21 and 22. Joseph Nelson to be Supervisor.
Road District No. 5 to comprise all that portion of Elkhorn Precinct lying south of the east and west line between townships 21 and 22 north. Nelson Mason to be Supervisor.
Road District No. 6 to comprise all that part called Genesee Precinct. Ivory Colcord to be Supervisor.
Road District No. 7 to comprise all the territory east of the center of township 20 north, range 4 cast. David Hazard to be Supervisor.
Road District No. 8 to comprise all the territory west of the east line of range 4 east. Arthur Putney to be Supervisor.
Road District No. 9 to comprise all the territory in Union Precinct. John W. Stakes to be Supervisor.
Road District No. 10 to comprise all the territory in Fulton Precinct. John Baker to be Supervisor.
Road District No. 11 to comprise all the territory in Albany Precinct. Gil- bert Buckingham to be Supervisor."
All persons were required to labor on the roads five days each, who were subject to road labor.
The following gentlemen were appointed Assessors of the different pre- cincts: Union, Henry Boyer; Portland, Ebenezer Secly; Elkhorn, John W. McLemore; Genesce, Wm. Wick; Fulton, Hosea Jacobs; Albany, Lewis Spur- lock; Little Rock, Chauncey G. Woodruff.
The next meeting of the Commissioners was held June 4, 1839. John Wick was appointed Assessor in Genesee Precinct, in place of Wm. Wick who declined to serve. At this meeting the citizens of Round Grove and vicinity petitioned that an Election Precinct may be established called Round Grove, bounded on the east by Elkhorn river, on the north and west by the north and west line of township twenty-one, range six cast, and the west line of township twenty, range six east to Rock river, and on the south by Rock river. Also that the elections may be held at the school house in Round Grove. The peti- tion was signed by R. J. Jenks, Chas. C. JJenks, Wm. Pilgrim. N. P. Thompson, Joel Harvey, Caleb Plumber, Win. Il. MeLemore, John Washy. Levi Gaston, Joseph Jones, Samuel Higley, Thos. Mathews, E. A. Somers, Geo. Higley, W. Morrison, John Van Tassel, F. Simonson and C. D. Nance. The petition was granted after changing a part of the boundary so as to read " the precinct shall be bounded by the east line of township twenty-one, range six cast, and Elkhorn creek." Geo. G. Dennis was appointed Constable, and commissioned pro tem
60
HISTORY OF WHITESIDE COUNTY.
for the special purpose of serving all orders and notices issued during the sit- ting of the County Commissioners' Court at its June term, A. D., 1839.
The next day, June 5th, it was ordered that the first Circuit Court in Whiteside County be held at Dr. Stickle's house in Lyndon. The same day the first rates of toll for a ferry in Whiteside County, were fixed-the ferry being across Roek river, and were as follows: one person, 123 cents; wagon or car- riage drawn by two horses, 75 cents; for every additional ox or horse, 12} cents; wagon drawn by one horse, 37} cents; cart drawn by oxen or horses, 50 cents; cattle, hogs and goats each, 6} cents; sheep, each 3 cents. The ferry was to be free for all citizens of Whiteside County. It was afterwards ordered that the county pay William Knox $40 for the ferriage of citizens of Whiteside County during the season.
At the adjourned Commissioners' Court, held July 2, 1839, a number of road petitions were presented, the first being for a road from Albany and Kings- bury to Crandall's ferry, L. D. Crandall guaranteeing that the viewers should locate the road without expense to the county. Gilbert Buckingham, James Early and James Hamilton were appointed viewers. The second petition asked for a road from Fulton to Lyndon via Delhi. John Baker, C. G. Woodruff and Wm. Farrington were appointed viewers; and the third asked for a road from Fulton to Genesee Mills. John Baker, Hugh Hollinshead and John Wick were appointed viewers. Several other petitions were presented, and accepted on the condition that the viewers perform their duties gratis.
The Court ordered that the county taxes for 1839 be laid at fifty cents on every hundred dollars assessed upon the property in the county, and that twenty cents be levied upon the assessment for State taxes. John W. MeLemore was appointed collector of taxes for the year 1839. At the next day's session Augustine W. Newhall appeared and took the oath of office as Recorder of Whiteside County.
The following are the names of the petit jurors drawn to serve at the first Circuit Court of Whiteside County, to be held at Lyndon on the second Monday of September, 1839: Isaac H. Albertson, Jacob Whipple, Luther Bush, Geo. W. Woodburn, Daniel Brooks, Nathaniel Norton, Horace Burke, Marvin Frary, Reu- ben Amidon, Samuel Johnson, C. S. Deming, Wm. L. Clark, James Coburn, Henry Boyer, James J. Thomas, H. H. Holbrook, Anthony Hollinshead, Joel Harvey, Duty Buck, Lewis Spurlock, Robert Booth, Wm. Ross, John W. Baker, P. Bachus Besse.
The Grand Jurors drawn to serve at the same term of court, were: Jason Hopkins, Wiatt Cantrall, Henry Burlingame, Jacob Sells, James Talbot, Jere- miah Johnson, James Row, Hiram Harmon, Jabez Warner, W. F. Van Norman, A. W. Newhall, Brainard Orton, John C. Pratt, Jonathan Haines, D. B. Young, Wm. Wick, J. H. Carr, Nehemiah Rice, P. B. Vannest, David Mitchell, Hosea Jacobs, Daniel Reed, Edmund Cowdrey, C. G. Woodruff.
The County Commissioners, Clerk of Commissioners' Court, Treasurer, Recorder, Coroner, Probate Justice and Surveyor, elected at the first election held in the county, May, 6th, 1839, served only until the regular county election in August of that year, when the following officers were elected: Hosea Jacobs, Elijah Worthington, Hiram Harmon, County Commissioners; Guy Ray, Clerk of Commissioners' Court; David Mitchell, Treasurer; W. W. Gilbert, Recorder; Ivory Colcord, Coroner; Daniel B. Young, Probate Justice, and Charles R. Rood, Surveyor. We append the returns of this election that the people may contrast the vote of 1839, with that of the present time:
61
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS' COURT.
Clerk County Commissioners. Com'r's. Court.
Probate Justice.
Treas
Coroner.
Recorder.
Sur- veyor.
Hiram Harmon, .....
Ethan S. Nichols ....
Elijah Worthington ..
Hosea Jacobs ..
J. B. Dodge ..
Guy Ray .
G. Buckingham
David Hazard.
D. B. Young.
David Mitchell
N. G. Reynolds ..
Ivory Colcord ..
A. W. Newhall.
w. W. Gilbert.
Benj. Burrell.
C. R. Rood ..
S. R. Cushing.
Portland
65
30
16
21
52
86
4
66
15
73
4
74
7
16
60
Lyndon ..
50
4
I
57
3
47
16
33
IS
37
41
Elkhorn.
69
54
65
54
5
56
63
..
60
61
45
21
Round Grove ..
2
15
17
16
1
2
15
17
3
16
1
3
14
Genesee
9
9
19
I7
31
19
33
28
28
25
1
29
26
Albany
30
25
52
51
27
21
49
50
41
2
3
49
46 ..
Total.
191
178
207
227
72
293
62
117
214
314
16
ISS
11I
140
104
205
At the term of the Commissioners' Court, held December 3, 1839, orders were entered of record as follows: "that the Clerk call on Jonathan Haines by letter, to make a seal for the court of copper, if no copper, of brass, if no brass, then to make it of silver;" "that Augustine Smith be paid $5 for the use of his house to hold court in;" "that the county pay Simon S. Page $30, and Edward P. Gage $65, for the use of ferry for the season past, and Wm. Knox $20 in addition to what was agreed to be paid to him for use of ferry;" "that Edward S. Gage pay the county $10 for ferry license;" "that the Collector remit the money he received of persons having paid on mill property on government lands, and that the same be allowed him in the settlement with him at the June term;" "that each and every person who by law, is subject to road labor, shall work upon the highways three days in each year." The first public house license in the county was granted at that term of court, to Caleb Clark, to keep a publie house in Fulton, the fee being $25, to be paid into the Clerk's office.
The following bills rendered to the Court show the expense of assessing property in 1839: John W. Mclemore, for five days service assessing in Elkhorn Precinct, $10; Henry Boyer, three days in Union Precinct, $6; John Wick, three and three-fourths days in Genesee Precinct, $7.50; Ebenezer Seely, five days in Portland Precinct, $10; Hosea Jacobs, four days in Fulton Precinct, $8; C. G. Woodruff, four and a half days in Lyndon Precinct, $9; Samuel Mitchell, two and a half days in Albany Precinct, $5.
The first movement against granting license for the sale of intoxicating liquor by the drink, was inaugurated by some of the citizens of Fulton in 1839, by a petition to the County Commissioners' Court, praying that no license for that purpose be granted in that Precinct. The petition is set forth in full, in the history of Fulton township.
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