USA > Illinois > Whiteside County > History of Whiteside county, Illinois, from its first settlement to the present time, with numerous Biographical and Family Sketches > Part 9
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On the 22d of February, 1840, a special election was held, for the purpose of electing a County Commissioner to fill a vacaney caused by the death of Elijah Worthington. As the result of the canvass of the votes, William Sampson was declared elected, Sterling not having reported her vote when the canvass was made. The right of Mr. Sampson to hold the office was contested by Simeon M. Coe. At their first meeting the Commissioners drew for terms of office, as follows: Hosea Jacobs for the term to expire August 1st, 1840; Wm. Sampson for the term to expire 1st, 1841; and Hiram Harmon for the term to expire August 1st, 1842.
The contested seat case of Coe vs Sampson came up, and evidence therein
6
Fulton.
30
31
31
3
. . ..
27
22
34
2
15
25
Union.
12
15
.
6
17
17
8
IC
17
. .
S
3
. .
..
....
PRECINCTS.
. .
62
HISTORY OF WHITESIDE COUNTY
was directed to be presented to Van J. Adams, Daniel Brooks and A. C Jack- son, Justices of the Peace. The Justices decided in favor of Mr. Coe, and Mr. Guy Ray, the Clerk of the Court, was ordered to issue a certificate of election to him. Mr. Coe thereupon took his seat, his term of office being the same as that drawn by Mr. Sampson.
On the 2d of March, 1840, the Commissioners granted a license to Caleb Clark to run a ferry across the Mississippi river at the town of Fulton, the fee being ten dollars. The rates of toll were fixed at 25 cents for each footman; man and horse, 75 cents; cattle, 25 cents per head; two wheel carriages, $1 .; yoke of oxen and wagon loaded, $1.50; additional ox or horse, 25 cents; hogs and sheep per head, 12} cents; one horse and wagon, $1. L. D. and J. Crandall were licensed to run a ferry across Rock river, on section 19, township 19, range 4 east.
The following financial exhibit of the county was presented to the Com- missioners' Court, on the 4th of March, 1840: To amount of orders issued, and. orders due at this date, $985,87. By taxes assessed in 1839, $585,49, and by cash received for licenses for ferries, groceries, etc., $93.00-total $678.49. Indebtedness of the county, March 4, 1840, $307.38.
The bounty on wolf scalps was placed at this term, at fifty cents each, and the first payments made to C. E. Walker, Charles Wright, and Peter Shuler.
N. G. Reynolds was appointed Marshal to take the census of the county, but afterwards resigned, and Augustine Smith appointed to fill the vacancy.
At the June session of the Court, James McCoy entered a complaint against Daniel Reed, A. M. Wing, and Caleb Clark, for neglect in keeping a ferry boat running across the Mississippi river, at Fulton. On appearance before the Commissioners' Court, the defendants' counsel made a motion to quash for variance between the summons and complaint. The motion was overruled, but after a hearing the case was dismissed. The tax levy, at this term of court, was fixed at fifty cents on each hundred dollars of property assessed in the county. Hiram Harmon was granted a license to run a ferry across Rock river at the Rock River Company's Mills, and D. B. Young was appointed School Commissioner of the county for the year. This appointment made Mr. Young the first School Commissioner of Whiteside county.
At the December session Portland Precinct was ordered to be divided into three Precincts, as follows: All the territory south of Rock river in Whiteside eounty, and cast of the line north and south through the center of township six, cast of the fourth principal meridian, to be known as Rapids Precinct, the place of holding elections to be at the house of Edward Atkins; all the territory south of Rock river and west of Rapids Precinct, lying cast of the center of a certain slough, between Hiram Underhill's and Richard Potter's, on the south line of the county, thence northeasterly along the center of said slough and its outlet into Rock river, to be known as Prophets- town Precinet, and the place of holding elections to be at the house of Asa Crook; and all the territory west of Prophetstown Precinct, and south of Rock river, to remain as Portland Precinct, the place of holding elections to be at the house Ebenezer Seely. Wm. W. Durant, Daniel Brooks and L. H. Wood- worth, were appointed judges of election of Rapids Precinct; Asa Crook, Jabez Warner, and N. G. Reynolds, of Prophetstown Precinct; and Daniel Blasdell, Wmn. S. Crane, and Simeon Fuller, of Portland Preeinct.
Guy Ray, Clerk of the Court, was allowed $7.80 for returning votes of August election for Representative to Jo Daviess county. On the same day Lyndon township was authorized to organize into a school district, and Edward S. Gage licensed to run a ferry across Rock river at Prophetstown.
63
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS' COURT.
At the March session a writ of ad quad damnum was issued upon applica- tion of Jason Hopkins, Esq., of Como, for calling a jury on Elkhorn ereek, at Como, "to appraise the damage that may be sustained by all persons owning lands that may be flowed by the erection of a dam on said creek at Como." The tax levy for 1841, was fixed at fifty cents on each hundred dollars worth of property assessed. It was also ordered that each man liable to road labor be taxed one day's labor, and that a property tax of ten cents be assessed for road purposes on each hundred dollars assessed in the county. John Scott was licensed to run a ferry across Rock river at Como.
Guy Ray tendered his resignation as Clerk of the Court, at the April session, which was reluctantly accepted, and Theodore Winn appointed Clerk pro tem. Mr. Winn qualified the next day, April 9th, before Benj. Coburn, Justice of the Peace.
The first session of the County Commissioners' Court, at Sterling, com- meneed June 8, 1841, with Simeon M. Coe and Hosea Jacobs present as Com- missioners. The greater part of this session, as had been the case with those of several of the previous ones, was taken up with county seat matters. Royal Jacobs was allowed three additional months to complete the horse ferry boats in progress of construction, at Fulton, and Nelson Mason allowed $38 for sery- ing notices on grand and petit jurors, and for five day's attendance at Cireuit Court.
Hosea Jacobs and Daniel Blasdell were the Commissioners present at the September session of the Court, Mr. Blasdell having been elected at the August election. Mr. John Roy presented his oath of office, with required bond, and assumed the position as Clerk of the Court. The Commissioners appointed Jacob Whipple, Porter L. Chapman and Van J. Adams, trustees of school lands in township twenty-one, range seven east fourth principal meridian, and Wat- son Parish, Ezra B. Hewitt, and Ivory Colcord, trustees of school lands in town- ship twenty-two north, range 6 cast of the fourth principal meridian.
At the December session A. R. Thomas, P. M. Dodge and James Knox were appointed trustees of school lands in township twenty-one, range five east of the fourth principal meridian; D. B. Young, J. T. Atkinson and Alfred Brown in township twenty-four, range four east; S. M. Kilgour, David Parker and Isaac Crosby, in township twenty-one west, range three cast; Samuel Mitch- ell, Stephen B. Sloeumb and G. Buckingham in township twenty-one west, range two cast; Robert Booth, J. Humphrey and James McCoy, in township twenty- two west, range three east, and Allan Graves. Jesse Johnson and W. E. Graham, in township twenty-two west, range four east. J. Mclemore was allowed $3 for shackles, and $12.50 for boarding a prisoner named Dolan and his guard from Lee County. Col. Johnson was licensed to keep a grocery in Sterling upon payment of $25 and giving proper bond. At the same session it was ascer- tained that Chas. R. Rood, County Surveyor. had been absent from the State a sufficient length of time to make him a non-resident. The office of Surveyor was, therefore, declared vaeant, and a new election ordered. The Clerk was authorized to issue grocery licenses in conformity with law to any person requesting them until next session of Court.
At the March session in 1842, an order was made changing the place of holding elections in Union Precinct, from the house of Jonathan Haines to the school house in Unionville. The first bill for medical attendance on pauper, was allowed at this session, Dr. John Bates being the happy recipient of $4 for visits, medicine and attendance on Stephen O'Connell, a pauper.
The September session allowed a writ to summons twelve men to appraise damages that any person might sustain by the erection of a mill dam, on
64
HISTORY OF WHITESIDE COUNTY.
Johnson's creek, full account of which will be found in the history of Fulton township. Wm. Nevitt, School Commissioner, was allowed $20 for ten days time taken in going to, and returning from Springfield, for school funds. Constables were allowed one dollar per day for attendance at court. An order was also made "that the next December term of the County Commissioners' Court and the next May term of the Circuit Court, be holden at Lyndon, and all future courts until otherwise ordered.'
The December session was accordingly held at Lyndon, commencing December 7, 1842, with Daniel Blasdell, David Mitchell and Henry Boyer, Commissioners, present, county seat matters as usual occupying most of the time of the court. The County Treasurer was instructed to demand of R. L. Wilson, Clerk of the Circuit Court, the docket and jury fees, according to an act in the session laws of 1835. The County Collector, J. W. McLemore, presented the Treasurer's receipt for $505, in full for the taxes collected for 1841.
The sessions of the court during 1843 were almost wholly devoted to matters pertaining to the county seat, and county buildings. On the first day of the August session in 1844, the clerk was directed to notify the Clerk of the Circuit Court that an office was prepared for him at Lyndon, but two days there- after an order was entered "that the terms of the Circuit Court be holden hereafter at the county building in Sterling, until otherwise ordered, and that the Clerk and Sheriff be notified of the same." At this session James A. Sweet was eredited with $638,22 for taxes collected.
At the December session, 1844, a new precinct was ordered to be formed from Lyndon and Albany Precincts, to be called Eric Precinct, and bounded as follows: commencing at the southeast corner of section 34, in township 20, range 4 east of the 4th principal meridian, running thence north to the northeast corner of section 15; thence west to the northwest corner of section 14, town- ship 20, range 4 east; thence south to the town line; thence west to the county line; thence on said county line to Roek river, and thence up Rock river to the place of beginning.
A special session of the court was held at Lyndon in February, 1845, for the purpose of appointing a School Commissioner to serve until the following August election. Charles S. Deming was appointed. At the regular March term, 1845, it was ordered that a poor tax of five cents on every $100 worth of taxable property be assessed. It was also ordered: "that the clerk send to the Auditor of Public Accounts for the portion of money to which the county is entitled under the 15th provision of the 18th seetion of an act to establish and maintain a general system of internal improvements of the State of Illinois, in force February, 1837."
In April, 1845, the court ordered that four mills on every dollar's worth of property assessed, be levied for county revenue, and 73 mills levied upon every dollar's worth of personal property assessed in the precincts of Sterling, Rapids, Round Grove, Lyndon, Prophetstown and Portland, for the purpose of improving the navigation of Roek river. At that time it was confidently be- lieved that Rock river could be made navigable to a point a considerable distance above Sterling, by means of improving the channel of the river, and where that could not be done to a sufficient extent, by canal around the shallow parts. The effort, however, proved futile, and the stream is now used to drive the great wheels which furnish motive power to the manufactories that line its banks, a much better purpose than being navigated by boats.
At the June session John Roy, Clerk of the Court, was instructed to cor- respond with Judge Logan, of Springfield, as to the prospect of getting the pro- portion due the county of the $200,000 set apart by the Legislature of the
65
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS' COURT.
State to the several counties which were not benefitted by the internal im- provement system of the State, and if in his opinion the money could be obtained, he was authorized to prosecute its collection in the name of the county.
At the March term, 1846, the tax to be levied upon property assessed, was made the same as in 1845. It was also ordered that one-half mill be assessed for the support of the poor. In 1848 Henry Ustick was allowed $138 for assessing the property of the county. In 1849 the Court appointed Commis- sioners to divide the county into townships.
The County Commissioners held their last meeting in December, 1849, when the County Court transacted county business until the Board of Super- visors took control in September, 1852. The first meeting of the County Court to transact county business was held in March, 1850, with N. G. Reynolds County Judge and W. S. Wilkinson and Thos. Brewer associate justices, pres- ent. W. S. Wilkinson resigned in 1851, and J. B. Harding filled the vacancy.
On the 9th of February, 1850, Henry Ustick, P. Bacchus Besse and W. W. Gilbert, Commissioners appointed by the Court to divide the county of White- side into townships in pursuance of an act of the General Assembly of the State of Illinois, entitled an act to provide for township and county organiza- tion, etc., made the following report:
Salem township to include all of township 22 north, range 4 cast of the 4th principal meridian; Fulton, all of fractional township 22 north, range 3 east; Garden Plain, all of fractional township 21 north, range 3 east; Albany, all of fractional township 21 north, range 2 east, and all of township 20 north, range 2 east, in Whiteside County; Greenfield, all of township 20 north, range 3 east; Eden. all of township 20 north, range 4 east, lying north of Rock river, also part of township 19 north, range 4 east, lying north of Rock river in the northeast corner of said township, and all of said township 19 north, range 5 east, north of Rock river, lying within the southeast corner of said township, is attached to the township of Eden for judicial purposes; Union Grore, all of township 21 north, range 4 east; Mt. Pleasant, all of township 21 north, range 5 east; Genesec, all of township 22 north, range 6 east; Waterford, all of township 22 north, range 5 east; Jordan, all of township 22 north, range 7 east; Sterling, all the part of township 21 north, range 7 east, lying north and west of Rock river, commencing on the east side of said township where the river enters it, thence down the channel of said river so as to include Can- trall's Island, and all the islands in said township, thence down the north chan- nel of said river to where it enters township 21 north, range 6 cast; Rapids, all of that part of township 21 north, range 7 east, south and east of Rock river, commencing where the river enters said township on the east side, thence down the south channel of said river to the lower end of Cantrall's Island, thenec down the north channel of said river to where it enters township 21 north, range 6 cast, including all islands in the river below Cantrall's Island in said county; Montmorency, all of township 20 north. range 7 east, the township to be attached to Rapids for the time being; Hahnaman, all of township 19 north, range 7 east; Jackson, all of township 20 north, range 6 east, lying south of Rock river; Tampico, all of township 19 north, range 6 east; Hopkins, all of township 21 north, range 6 east, the township of Hahnaman, and the east half of Tampico to be attached to Hopkins for judicial purposes for the time being; Homer, all of township 20 north, range 6 east, north of Rock river, divided on the north and south line of half section line of seetion 4 of said township of Homer, the east half to be attached to Hopkins for judicial purposes, and all west of said line to be attached to Lyndon for judicial purposes for the time being; Lyndon,
[G-8.]
66
HISTORY OF WHITESIDE COUNTY.
all of township 20 north, range 5 east, north of Rock river; Prophetstown, all of township 20 north, range 5 east, north of Rock river; Washington, all of township 19 north, range 5 east, south of Rock river, the town of Washington, west half of Tampico, and west half of Jackson to be attached to Prophetstown for judicial purposes for the time being; Jeffer- son, all of township 19 north, range 4 east, south of Rock river, also all of township 19 north, range 3 east, south of Rock river, and all of township 20 north, range 4 east, south of Rock river; Erie, all of township 19 north, range 4 cast, north of Rock river, also all of township 19 north, range 3 east, north of Rock river.
At the March session, 1850, M. S. Henry, attorney for the county, was directed to sue for and recover from W. W. Fuller or his representatives, or the Rock River Commissioners, or in whose hands the same may be, the sum or sums of money, or other property, to which the county was entitled by virtue of the improvement act. It was also ordered that the court room be occupied alternately on Sundays for regular preaching by the Presbyterian and Metho- dist societies. L. D. Crandall, Collector of Revenue for the county for 1849, made his report at this session as follows:
For County purposes
$2,102.09
For Road
525.51
For Poor
131.37
$2,758.97
CREDIT.
By Treasurer's Receipts
$1,625.45
By Percentage.
67.46
Delinquent Road Tax
6.71
Treasurer's receipts for poor orders.
109.83
Per centage on same. 4.60
Delinquent poor tax uncollectable. 2.15
$1,845.88
At the September session, 1850, M. S. Henry, attorney for the county, reported $94.34 as collected for the county from the Rock River Commission- ers, and $10 to be collected from Wm. Pollock. he owing that amount to the Rock River Commissioners. The precinct formerly called Round Grove was changed to Como. At the December session $18 was ordered to be placed in the hands of N. J. Nichols to be sold for the purpose of raising $13.50 in par money to purchase a record book. The county tax for 1851 was fixed at four mills on the dollar, road tax at three-fourths of a mill on the dollar, and poor tax at one-fourth of a mill on the dollar.
The next session of the County Commissioners' Court of Whiteside County, was held in June, 1851, when $150 was ordered to be paid to W. C. Snyder, John A. Robertson, A. C. Jackson, D. Kier and Henry Boyer, to build a bridge across Rock creek, near Robertson's mill. The whole cost of the bridge ($236) was ordered to be raised by assessment in the county.
TOWNSHIP ORGANIZATION.
An election was held in 1849 in the different precincts of the county for the purpose of allowing the electors to vote for or against township organiza- tion. The vote cast was largely in favor of it, and townships were laid off as previously mentioned. But it was soon ascertained that there was some illegal- ity in the matter which rendered the action taken void. In June, 1851, another election was ordered for the same purpose, which was held November 4, 1851, and resulted as follows:
Taxes uncollectable .. 29.68
67
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.
Precinct.
Whole No. Votes Cast.
For.
Against.
Sterling,
56
34
22
Albany.
59
19
39
Portland,
32
21
II
Como,
46
34
3
Union Grove,
85
So
5
Prophetstown,.
67
52
14
Erie,.
31
II
17
Fulton,
45
27
17
Lyndon, .
84
79
...
Genesee Grove,
38
19
19
543
376
144
L. D. Crandall, L. H. Woodworth, and Wm. Pollock were appointed commissioners to divide the county into townships, and to give each its name and boundaries, under the township organization law which had been adopted at the election of November 4, 1851.
On the 24th of February, 1852, the commissioners reported the following townships: Fulton, Ustick, Clyde, Genesee, Jordan, Sterling, Montmorency, Coloma, Hahnaman, Hume, (formerly Jackson) Como, (formerly Homer) Hopkins, Tampico, Volney, (formerly Washington, Prophetstown, Portland, Erie, Fenton, (formerly Eden) Lyndon, Mt. Pleasant, Union Grove, Garden Plain, Albany, and Newton (formerly Greenfield), twenty-four in all. Como and Volney were afterwards dropped, the territory of the former being added to Hopkins, and the latter to Prophetstown.
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.
The first town meeting under the township organization law, was held on the first Tuesday of April, 1852, in the following towns: Albany, Coloma, Clyde, Erie, Fenton, Fulton, Garden Plain, Genesee, Hopkins. Jordan, Lyndon, Mt. Pleasant, Newton, Prophetstown, Portland, Sterling, Union Grove, and Ustick. Election was not held in Montmorency, Hahanaman, Hume, and Tampico, as they were not fully organized at the time. Through the kind- ness of Dr. W. C. Snyder, now of Fulton, who was the first Supervisor from Union Grove, we are enabled to add the ages, occupations, and places of birth, to the names of the first Supervisors elected. These were taken by Dr. Snyder per- sonally at the first meeting of the Board; the table is as follows:
Town.
Name.
Age.
Occupation.
Nativity.
Albany,
W. S. Barnes,
44
Hotel Keeper, Farmer,
Vermont.
Coloma,
Richard Arey,
42
Mass.
Clyde,
W. P. Iliddleson,
3.5
Erie,
Chas. R. Coburn,
45
New York.
Fenton,
Jas. M. Pratt,
30
New York.
Fulton,
Wilson S. Wright.
36
Hotel Keeper, Farmer,
Penn.
Genesee,
Ivory Colcord,
33
Mass.
Jordan,
J. Talbot,
51
=
Penn.
Lyndon,
R. G. Clendenin,
40
Penn.
Mt. Pleasant,
A. C. Jackson,
52
Penn. New Jersey.
Newton,
Joseph Miller,
50
Prophetstown,
O. W. Gage,
39
Portland,
P. B. Besse,
39
New York.
Sterling,
Jesse Penrose,
49
Penn.
Union Grove,
W. C. Snyder,
31
Physician,
New Jersey.
Ustick,
John Mackenzie,
45
Stone Mason,
Scotland.
New York.
Garden Plain,
S. M. Kilgour.
60
Maine.
Hopkins,
Simeon Sampson,
40
Vermont.
Penn.
68
HISTORY OF WHITESIDE COUNTY.
The first annual meeting of the Board was held at Sterling, September 13, 1852. On the ballot for Chairman W. S. Barnes received 9 votes, Simeon Sampson 3, and S. C. 'Kilgour 1. Mr. Barnes was declared duly elected Chair- man of the Board. Messrs W. C. Snyder, R. G Clendenin, and S. Sampson were appointed a committee to ascertain the indebtedness of the county.
At the June term, 1853, Messrs W. Y. Wetzell, J. M. Pratt, and W. C. Snyder were appointed a committee to enquire into the expediency of purchasing a farm, and erecting suitable buidings thereon, for the purpose of aiding and maintaining the county paupers.
At the September term, 1853, the Board ordered that all orders issued by the county prior to 1846, must be presented before September 1, 1854, otherwise they would not be received for taxes. The proceedings of the Board were first ordered to be published at the February term, 1855, the Sterling Times, and the Whiteside Investigator being made the official papers.
W. Pollock was appointed Drainage Commissioner at the March term of the Board, 1855, and the prices of swamp lands fixed as follows: For first quality, $3 per acre; second quality, $1.50 per acre, and third quality, 50 cents per acre. At the same meeting it was resolved that all the swamp lands lying north and west of Rock river, all of township 21 north, of range 7 east, and also of township 20 north, of range 7 east, be offered for sale on the second Monday of October, 1855. The terms of sale were as follows: 1st, 25 per cent. cash on all sales; 2d, a credit of one year to be given on all sales under $100, with personal security; 3d, a credit of five years to be given on all sales over $100, the security to be real estate mortgage; and 4th, the rate of interest to be ten per cent. per annum, payable in advance. The Board also passed a resolution ordering the Drainage Commissioner to pay over to the School Com- missioner of the county, all moneys arising from the sale of swamp lands, after defraying all necessary expenses, the moneys so paid to the School Com- missioner to be loaned by him, and the interest applied as other school funds. At this meeting the indebtedness of the county for 1854 was reported to the Board to be $1,829.24.
At the December term, 1855, the Sheriff was authorized "to make a diligent search, and bring to justice all felons, murderers, and other convicts, and pursue them asfar as his judgment shall dictate," and present his bill for such services to the Board of Supervisors. The School Commissioner was instructed to loan the school fund to citizens of the county, in amounts not to exceed $500.
In 1856 the Board of Supervisors of Ogle county was asked to grant leave for the withdrawal of the records and plats of roads, and to obtain certified copies of deeds and conveyances in the Recorder's office of that county, belong- ing to Whiteside. The Committee on Poor Farm reported that owing to the construction of a line of public works through the county, the pauper population was large and on the increase. Under the present system, they said, the cost of the paupers to the county was from $1,000 to $2,000 per annum, but that by the purchase of a farm, and erecting suitable buildings, these persons could be cared for in a better, more systematic, and cheaper manner. They further reported that after viewing the location of swamp lands belonging to the county, and noticing their manifest disadvantages in point of location, etc., they had come to the conclusion to select a farm in Union Grove township, consisting of 240 acres, of which 120 acres were enclosed and under tillage. On the farm were a good stone house, barn and out buildings, never failing springs, etc. The land was prairie, with the exception of 30 acres of savanna, and 7 or 8 acres of passable timber. The price was $25 per acre, the payments to be one-half cash, and the balance in equal payments at one and two years
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