USA > Illinois > Will County > History of Will County, Illinois, Volume One > Part 21
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Henry Watkins, father of the pioneer school-teacher, came from New York and settled in New Lenox Township in the fall of 1831, where he lived until his death, about fifteen years ago. Of others who settled on Hickory Creek at a very early period, we may mention Michael and Jared Runyon, Isaac and Samuel
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Pence, Joseph, Alfred and James Johnson, and Henry Higgin- botham. Higginbotham bought out Colonel Sayre in 1834, and the sawmill firm before alluded to became Wheeler & Higgin- botham. The Johnsons settled near the line of Yankee Settle- ment, on Spring Creek. The Pences and Runyons were among the very early settlers. The Pences were in the settlement before the Sac war, but the exact date of their coming is not remembered.
As stated in the beginning of this chapter, settlements were made on Hickory Creek as early as 1829, which were among the first made in Will County, perhaps Plainfield, or Walker's Grove having a little the precedence. As a natural consequence of this early settlement, births, deaths, and marriages occurred here at an early period. The death of Mr. Brown, mentioned as one of the first settlers on the creek, who died in the fall of 1830, was the first death in this township, and is supposed to be the first person who died in Will County. The first white child born in New Lenox Township, and perhaps in the county, was Elizabeth Norman, born in January, 1832, and Margaret Louisa Cooper, nee Francis, was the next child born in the township, and was born the 3d of January, 1834. The first practicing physician in the Hickory Creek Settlement was Dr. Bowen, now of Wilmington, and the first preacher was Father Beggs, or Rev. Mr. Prentiss, who located in Joliet in an early day. We are informed by A. Allen Francis who derived the in- formation from the man himself that Joseph Shoemaker was the first settler in what now comprises Will County, probably arriving in the spring of 1828, in what is now known as Reed's Grove, in the township of Jackson. We have it from Mr. Fran- cis, also, thatt he first marriage in the county was that of Jede- diah Woolley, Jr., of Troy Township, to Betsy Watkins, daugh- ter of Henry Watkins, of New Lenox Township, January, 1832; and that Father Walker preached the first sermon, in 1832, in the fort or blockhouse, and Stephen Beggs, the second.
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The first mill built by Joseph Norman, on Hickory Creek, about 1833 or 1834. Colonel Sayre's mill was built previously, but was just over in Joliet Township. The first bridge was built across Hickory Creek, near John Gougar's. It was built of logs, and was a rough affair.
The Village of New Lenox .- This pretty little village is sit- uated on the banks of Hickory Creek and on the Rock Island & Pacific Railroad, thirty-three miles from Chicago, and about six miles from Joliet. It is surounded by a beautiful grove of timber, and grand old forest-trees shade it in summer and pro- tect it against the storms of winter. The village of New Lenox was laid out in 1858 by George Gaylord, of Lockport, and sur- veyed by A. J. Mathewson, county surveyor. The village is known on the original plat by the name of Tracy, and was given in honor of the general superintendent of the railroad at the time of the laying-out of the village. But with a modesty rarely met with in the present day, he shrank from such no- toriety, and at his urgent request, the name was changed to New Lenox, to correspond with the name of the township. A man of the name of Robinson built the first residence in the village, and Van Horne put up the next one. Both of these were built before the village was laid out.
The village of Spencer is situated on the Cut-off Division of the Michigan Central Railroad, about nine miles from Joliet, and is two miles from New Lenox village. It was surveyed by A. J. Mathewson, county surveyor, for Frank Goodspeed and Albert Mudge, who owned the land on which it is located. It was laid out in 1856, about the time the railroad was built through this section. The first storehouse erected in the place was the one occupied by Russel Kennedy in 1856, the same year the village was laid out. The postoffice was established in 1857, and James Holmes was appointed postmaster. The first grain elevator was built in 1857 by the railroad company,
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and, on its completion, was dedicated by a rousing ball, in which the boys and girls of the surrounding country participated to their entire satisfaction. In 1875, H. S. Carpenter built an- other large elevators, and this, likewise, was similarly dedicated.
New Lenox Township contains one village, New Lenox, which is almost in the exact center of the township. Three railroads intersect at this point, the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad, the Wabash Railroad, and the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railroad. This grouping of railroads would in- dicate that the village might have developed more rapidly than it did. It remained stationary up to 1923 when some indica- tions of growth began. The facilities for getting in and out of Chicago over the Rock Island road induced many Chicago people to build homes there. This rapid growth continues at the present time and following the electrification of the Rock Island road commuters have become more common.
The following people operated general stores in the village: Archie Corp, Charles F. Garman, H. H. Sabin. Grocery stores are maintained by George Osmus, and George C. Peterson. William Moore and Son operate a garage. The Garman Broth- ers also operate an oil station which does a good business. The New Lenox State Bank was organized in 1927 and began busi- ness in that year in a commodious bank building. It has had a prosperous year. Hacker and Company established a lumber yard during the summer of 1928.
New Lenox was for many years the mecca of all Methodists in this part of the state because it maintained one of the best camp meetings in the state. The coming of good roads and automobiles together with the rapid spread of daily papers through rural delivery and then finally the coming of the radio made it difficult to secure attendance at the camp meetings. Four years ago the old-fashioned camp meeting was abandoned. Since that time the Methodist organization has maintained the
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Epworth League Institute for young people. This institute is doing good work but does not have a large attendance.
New Lenox has always maintained good school facilities. A new building is just being completed which includes three class rooms and a commodious gymnasium. The people are united in their desire for good schools and support them heartily.
Peotone Township .- In 1850, when the Township of Wilton was formed, Town 33, Range 11 or what is now known as Peo- tone, contained only two voters, and it was, therefore necessary to include it with some other township, and as Wilton was al- ready pretty well settled, it was concluded to embrace within its limits the two Congressional towns. It was not until 1858 that the voting population of this section was considered suffi- ciently strong for separate organization.
During a period embraced between the years 1849 and 1858, about twenty-five families came to the township, most of whom became permanent settlers. Many of these, however, settled during the years 1855 to 1858. The most of the earliest settlers selected the little streams which flows through the township from the northeast to the southwest, and is a branch of Forked Creek.
In 1859, when some settlements had been already made in every adjoining township except Will, this locality was but just beginning to come into notice. The first actual settlers were Daniel B. Booth and James Allen, from Massachusetts. These two men made the first improvements in the township. Both located on the land later owned by Samuel Goodspeed, having entered one-half of Sections 19 and 30, through which, it will be noticed, Forked Creek runs. While Booth remained, he gave most of his attention to butter-making. It had not become generally understood that this land was well adapted for agri-
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cultural purposes, and Booth's idea seems to have been that in pasturage was its principal value; and when he found his dairy business a failure, he resolved to dispose of his interest and remove to a more congenial clime. From here he removed to Joliet, in 1855, and from thence to Texas, where he has since died. Allen seems also to have been dissatisfied with the coun- try, as he stayed but a few years, and returned to the East.
These two men could scarcely be deemed permanent settlers, and are hardly deserving of that credit. The year 1855 is, in reality, the year from which the real prosperity and substan- tial settlement of the township dates. In that year, Ralph Crawford, Samuel Goodspeed, and the Cowing brothers came in and made improvements which have not only proved sub- stantial, but which have increased in number and value. These men, too, have stuck to the township, borne its burdens, and shared in its trials and all of its enterprises.
Crawford had really been in the township the year before, had bought his land, done some breaking, and made other im- provements.
John C. and James H. Cowing were amongst the most sub- stantial inhabitants of this vicinity. They had also been in the state some years, but were originally from New Hampshire.
P. Armstrong, now of Peotone, came with Goodrich as a laborer, and entered some land, but gave it up and removed to the village. The next year, 1856, Arnold, Tobias and Cor- nelius Fahs, Moses Wright, Milton Smith and James F. John- son made their advent. The Fahs brothers were from Mary- land, Wright from New York, and Smith and Johnson from Michigan.
George Reynolds and William W. Kelly settled here in 1857, the former coming from New York and the latter from Boston. Both Reynolds and Kelly have since removed to Chicago. The above, with Thomas Lockey, Smith Shaw and William P. Benn, are all that are now remembered, who became permanent resi-
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dents before 1858, at which date the village of Peotone com- menced to grow. From that date, for a number of years, the township settled rapidly. Indeed, at that date, nearly all of the land not held by the Illinois Central Railroad had been occu- pied by actual settlers or bought by speculators. It was at that date that a move was made looking toward the separate organization of the eastern half of Wilton Precinct into a sep- arate township. The usual formalities of signing and present- ing a petition to the county board having been observed, and an order from that body having been obtained, the first annual township meeting was appointed for April 6, 1858. At this meeting, Samuel Goodspeed was elected moderator, and George Reynolds, clerk pro tem. The oath was administered to the officers in charge of the election by Richard Constable, a justice of the peace, of Wilton. The result of the ballot was the elec- tion of Moses Wright, supervisor; George Reynolds, clerk; Moses Wright, assessor; William W. Kelly, collector; James H. Cowing, overseer of the poor; Milton Smith, James F. Johnson and John C. Cowing, commissioners of highways; Cornelius Fahs and Ralph Crawford, justices of the peace; and James Fahs and James H. Cowing, constables. At that date there were in the township 25 voters.
In 1858, every township in Will County had established schools except Peotone. This was, previous to that date, en- tirely destitute of schol accommodations. There were a few children sent to the township of Wilton, where schools had been in operation for eight or ten years; but the distance was so great that only during the finest weather could they be made available. A year after the organization of the town- ship, however, a movement was made toward putting in op- eration the means for establishing schools in the midst of the settlements within the bounds of the Peotone Township. On the 28th of February, 1859, the voters of the township met at the house of J. F. Johnson and elected Samuel Goodspeed, A. H.
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Fahs and Tobias Fahs, school trustees; and by the trustees, Ralph Crawford was elected treasurer, which office he held for the next fourteen years. At the meeting just mentioned, the trustees divided the township into four school districts. Two of these, the one in the Goodspeed neighborhood, and the other at the station, which was then attracting settlers, built houses and opened school the same year. The next year, the Third, and the next, the Fourth Districts established schools and built houses. Both of the first schoolhouses are still in use-the one for the purpose for which it was erected, the other, with some additions, doing duty as a church. By 1866, the number of dis- tricts were increased to six, and in all except one were school- buildings. At that time, which was seven years after the first steps were taken to establish the system in the township, there were 453 persons under 21 years of age, 301 of whom were entitled to the benefits of the common-school system, being be- tween the ages of 6 and 21 years. Of these, 248 were reported as having attended school the previous year. The people of the township were at that time making up for lost time, 246 per- sons out of 301 being a large proportion for a newly-formed township. Another seven years, we find, increased the number of schools to 9, and the number of enrolled scholars to 366, out of 398, entitled to school privileges.
The Township of Peotone did not receive settlers early. It was prairie land which did not yield readily to the plows which the farmers had at that time. Water for the stock as well as for families' use was not easy to obtain. Therefore people were slow to take up the land. However at this time the town- ship is one of the leading ones in the county. The farm land had been well drained where it was necessary by the organiza- tion of drainage districts which made it a community project. These waterways are kept in good condition and serve their purpose very well. Much of the farming is given over to the
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STREET SCENE, PEOTONE, ILL.
HIGH SCHOOL, PEOTONE, ILL.
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raising of grain. The land is fertile and yields good crops. During the last four years dairying has become more impor- tant because the trucks gather the milk and thus furnish an easy market. Good roads are coming into the township rapidly and this will help in this development.
The City of Peotone is the most prosperous perhaps out- side of Joliet. The merchants are energetic and up to date in every way. The general merchandise stores are maintained by H. A. Frahm, Arnold Harken & Company, Harry Conrad, Duwe and Schroeder. A confectionery store is operated by Cavallini and Parenti. John Conrad's Sons maintain a hard- ware store which is as good as any in the county with a com- plete stock which is always up to date. Two grain companies are in the city-the Farmers' Grain Company and Esson & Barbour. The Continental Bridge Company is the only manu- facturing establishment in the city. It is a prosperous concern employing sixty men. Two banks are maintained, the Bank of Peotone and the Citizens' State Bank. Both of these insti- tutions are prosperous and have the confidence of the people. Dr. F. B. Daugherty is the dentist who has an office in the city. Dr. Frank A. Holzhauer looks after the health of the people and D. V. Knowlton sells drugs.
The schools in Peotone have kept faith constantly with the improvement of the city. They have maintained a good grade school system and a four-year high school which is attended by large numbers from the rural schools around the city. In March, 1928, the school building was destroyed by fire just be- fore the Board of Education was ready to accept the addition to the high school. After the fire it was found that they could salvage more than half of the new addition. The board imme- diately took steps to rebuild, changing the plans so that the grade school part is adjusted to the high school building. The entire new building will be ready for use about November,
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1928. It is modern in every detail and provides the latest equipment for both grades and high school. Mr. A. R. Evans is the superintendent in charge.
The churches of the community have been maintained through the years. The attendance is good and the support in a financial way is always liberal.
For a number of years the city and the surrounding country have maintained a fair for exhibiting live stock, machinery, and the various products of the farm. The premium list is liberal and covers all details. It is always well attended and is an established institution which does much to upbuild the agri- culture of the surrounding territory.
This interesting account of "Way Back" is contributed by the Peotone Vedette for February 23, 1928:
"One September morning in 1861 an elderly man in a top- buggy, who for more than twenty years was a resident of West Peotone, and the writer then a boy of about nine years, left the hamlet of Bloom (only a hamlet then, Chicago Heights now), and drove south through Crete and down over the prairie east of Monee Grove looking for a station on the I. C. Railway called 'Peotone.' We failed to discover it either on the prairie or on the horizon. However, over to the west we could see a string of little freight cars of all colors, red, yellow, green, etc., being drawn southward by an engine with a funnel shaped smokestack. By and by the smoke rose straight up near what looked like it might be a grain elevator. It was. When we came nearer we could see six or eight buildings strung along the railroad about half a mile from north to south. The Laidaw place at the north end and D. L. Christian's place at the south, and in between was the two story station house on the west side of the tract (not tracks), the store of V. L. Morey, the shanty saloon of Johnny Higgins, then a block away another Morey brother lived in a house where Mrs. Lockie now lives, and across the road from that west the two story smithshop
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where 'Col.' Fahs blacksmithed, and lived upstairs. He looked the part of the 'Village Blacksmith' (all but the spreading chestnut tree), being a brawny man with a big gray beard, and he did everything in ironwork. The schoolhouse on the lot it now occupies, completes the picture.
"From the east the open prairie came to the railroad track. Wagon trails led off easterly in various directions. West of the railroad the prarie came right up to the store and the houses which have been mentioned. Towards the west two or three trails led off in different directions. The first house to the southwest was the Robert Rains place three miles out. The next, two or three miles further. Northwest the Beards, the Palmers and the two or three settlers were a bit nearer. The only schoolhouse in West Peotone was five miles out, and was called the Ralph Crawford school and he lived a half mile away. That schoolhouse was 14x28, not plastered but lined with thin matched boards. The coal house was over by the hedge and had neither roof, sides nor floor. Some of the chil- dren came two and three miles.
"The station house at Peotone was a combined passenger, freight house and residence. The telegraph instrument re- corded the messages on a paper tape. In the winter of 1861-62 the building burned down. The agent was a nice young fellow. He had brought a bride from Louisville, Ky., not long before. The writer was vastly concerned to hear that all her silverware had been melted down with the house. She was a lovely young lady and certainly shone while she remained at Peotone, but she did not let her young man stay there long. She gave the writer's mother the first egg plants he ever saw and full direc- tions for preparing them for the table, but they did not make a hit with him.
"In 1861 the deer and the wolves were not all gone. The first deer I ever saw was a doe about eighty rods distant, with two fawns trailing after her and I did not know what they.
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were. I have seen a wolf gnawing at a dead horse in broad daylight in a swail about twenty rods west of where the resi- dence of the late M. Collins stood later. Mr. Collins had not yet arrived to become the station agent. Timber wolves came down from Monee Grove and the woods of Northern Indiana. I know, for I have shot at them, big fellows, the size of a police dog, and they were not like the cowardly prairie wolf. They continued to come occasionally for several years. They were not panicky when shot at but just loped away like it was a matter of no consequence.
"The rattlesnakes were not all gone either and now and then we killed one in the school yard.
"Morey's store was the city emporium. Upstairs Freddie tinkled away on the only piano in these parts. Freddie was a nice, pretty boy and afterwards went to Germany to study music and finally came back a handsome hard boiled young man.
"Out west of 'town' a couple of miles Layton Palmer had a flock of several hundred sheep. He pastured them on the prairie this side of the creek. A big boy was sheep herder by day, and a tight board fence enclosed the yard just this side the creek, and by it a pole 16 or 20 feet high with a seat at the top was for a man to sit on with a gun to watch by night. The pole was there a long time after the sheep and the yard had gone. Palmer had a great fancy for a trotting horse. Sitting in a high wheel sulky, his whiskers waving in the summer breeze he would push a gray 'hoss' around a track he had laid out on the prairie not far from the sheep yard, with all the en- thusiasm of a veteran trainer. He was a good old sport but the I. C. Express finally got him at a town crossing.
"In the summer in those first years the prairie was like a flower garden. Sweet Williams, buttercups in the low grounds, star flowers, shoestring lavender plumes, many varieties of sun- flowers large and small, bluebells, two kinds of tall rosin stalks
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with spikes of yellow flowers, red tufts of flowers on a rather coarse plant, and hidden down under the long grasses little modest blossoms white and cheerful looking, wild roses every- where, water lilies and other flowering plants in the ponds, scarlet blooms that blazed out of the pools in the creeks and many other flowers whose very names I have forgotten gave color and charm to the landscape. Only the wild roses in some unswept corner of the fields or by some neglected road- side and now and then a bluebell in the shelter of a hedge or some little flower that has escaped the civilizing plow of man, still continue to lift their sunny faces to those who once de- lighted in the glory of them and their sisters. Where Peotone now stands in urban pride the soft airs of the summer evening once wafted the faint perfumes of God's broad fields of beauty. Now the scent of the lowly cabbage boiling in the kitchen din- ner pot welcomes the laborer as he treks homeward from his day's toil. Such is civilization.
"Bird life on the prairie was abundant. In the fall clouds of ducks would rise from the cornfields with a thunderous boom. In the spring the hopeful sound of the crowing prairie chickens filled the early morning air. Some wise fellows have claimed that the prairie rooster did not 'drum' with his feet as did some species of partridge. But sitting on horseback I have seen them strutting about with their head plumage erected, take a little run, drum the ground with their feet, stretch out their necks and crow, all in one performance, the whole flock only a few rods away. I have had a prairie hen stick to her nest as I plowed past her up and down the field until I had to turn the plow out to avoid running over her. How they preserved their lives on the open prairie, with their little ones, from predatory animals, only the Creator who made them scentless and inconspicuous at such times could be fully cognizant.
"Christmas time, 1863, a fierce blizzard swept over the whole West. Cattle froze to death in the half protected yards. Men
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froze on the prairie. Children stayed all night in the country school. Our soldier boys down south suffered severely. It lasted a week. The following August we had a tremendous rainstorm one afternoon and night which flooded the streams and swept every bridge away. Out southwest of town the farmers' cattle were caught on the wrong side of the river-like creek. Next morning a bunch of farmers sat on their horses looking across the stream and wondering how they were going to get their cows home. By and by, a ten-year-old Scotch girl came riding down the road on a gray stallion work horse, rode him straight into the water, swam across the twenty-five or thirty rods of it, drove the cows in and brought them across while the farmers sat on their horses and looked at her do it. She learned to swim in old Scotland on the North Sea and was not afraid of water. When she grew up the writer married her."-Auldays.
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