USA > Illinois > DeKalb County > Past and present of DeKalb County, Illinois, Volume I > Part 17
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In 1865 another call for troops was made and shows the following: Afton fifteen : Clinton twen- ty: De Kalb twenty-seven: Franklin sixteen : Ge- noa sixteen ; Kingston fourteen ; Mayfield thirteen ; Milan three: Malta seven : Pampas twenty-three : Paw Paw twenty-six: Pierce seventeen : Sycamore one; South Grove sixteen: Squaw Grove nine- teen : Somonauk forty-six: Shabbona twenty-two; Victor seventeen. Most of the towns since the call was made had partially filled their numbers by enlistments of citizens and raised funds by tax- ation to produce substitutes in the cities and else- where. Sycamore had raised money and put into the service twelve men, which was eleven more than its quota. From four hundred to six hun- dred dollars was usually paid each recruit. In several towns. however, a draft became necessary and some of the drafted men paid nearly one
DE KALB ABOUT 1860.
THE NEW YORK. PUBLIC LIBRARY
: CYCH, LENCX TILDE' EC NDATIONS.
111
PAST AND PRESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.
thousand dollars for substitutes. To meet the ex- pense caused by taxation for procuring these men the taxes levied this year were enormous, the per- centage levied in several towns of the county for all purposes being as follows: Paw Paw ten per cent : Shabbona seven per cent ; Milan six and a half per cent : Malta four and a half per cent; South Grove six and a half per cent : Franklin five and a half per cent: Victor six and a half per cent ; Clinton ten and a half per cent; Afton six per cent ; De Kalb seven and a half per cent ; May- field six per cent : Kingston six per cent: Somon- ank, seven per cent; Squaw Grove six and a half per cent : Pierce seven per cent : Cortland six and a half per cent: Sycamore eight and a half per cent ; Genoa six per cent.
been a drought in the spring but at harvest time the floods poured down destroying large portions of the ripened grain and covering the country with a coating of slimy mud, so deep the reapers could not operate when this was attempted in the inter- vals of the showers. The wet season continued during the fall. At the autumn elections there was no opposition for the election of county of- ficers: General Daniel Dustin as county clerk; Captain R. A. Smith as treasurer; M. V. Allen, a wounded soldier of the One Hundred and Fifth, as superintendent of schools: D. W. Lamb as surveyor. The only contest was between D. B. James and llon. E. L. Mayo, James winning by a small majority.
Notwithstanding the great loss of life occasion- Great relief was felt, however, as the war was expected to be brought to a close speedily. The Confederacy had been out in two by the march of Sherman to the sea, at Savannah. Hood's army had been destroyed by the gallant boys under General Thomas; Grant was holding Lee in death grasp at Richmond, and at last, in April the news that Richmond had fallen and the rebel army was ed during the war the county showed a substantial increase in population, Sycamore, De Kalb and Somonauk having made the largest increase, the total population being twenty-one thousand, one hundred and sixty-eight. When the soldiers re- turned to their homes and devoted their energies to civil pursuits they gave new life to all branches of industries. Many of the newly returned veter- flying in dismay, and later of the surrender of. . ans crowded into villages and cities and filled to Lee's army was received by the people of the repletion every branch of trade. It was a year of general prosperity. In anticipation of a decrease in prices the people had prudently kept out of debt, paid eash for their purchases, foreseeing and preparing for a financial storm but all dangers from its effects were averted. Notwithstanding the great expenditures of the county during the war improvements in every line continued. Some of the elegant churches that remain to this day were built, notably, the Methodist Episcopal church at Sycamore, which was considered the finest house of worship in the county. This year two hundred Swedish emigrants from the land of their birth settled about the villages of De Kalb and Sycamore during the summer. Peter Johnson being the first Swedish settler in the county. They were a sober, industrious, peaceful, frugal race and considered a valuable addition to the population. The German population was considerably in- creased by emigrants from Germany, who settled in Genoa, Squaw Grove and other portions of the county. In August of this year a desolating hail storm swept through the northern and central por- tions of the county, beating every species of vege- tation into the earth. Farmers had commenced county with joy. How every heart rejoiced. how every eye brightened, how every household was gladdened by the delightful assurance that the most terrible of all wars was ended, and gloriously ended, that the last loyal son of De Kalb had fal- len by rebel bullets, that the husband, the father the son would soon be home again on a long, perpetual furlough, that the cankering fear of the lonely watchers at home. least he should come shattered with wounds . or a mangled, loath- some corpse, had passed away forever. None can forget the glad rejoicing of that joyous occasion. Hundreds of the brave boys were among us again and were received with that glad welcome which their sufferings and sacrifices deserved. The to- tal of all men furnished by the different towns will be given in the township history and the losses from each town will be given as far as can be ascer- tained. With the close of the rebellion came a fall in the value of gold and a consequent fall in the prices of farm products. Wheat fell to seventy cents a bushel and this was a criterion of the value of other property. Crops were very poor and the summer of 1865 was a wet season. There had
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PAST AND PRESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.
their harvesting, and with the exception of the grain which stood in the shock every acre was rendered utterly worthless. Thousands of acres of corn were beaten to bare stalks. Hail stones measuring six and seven inches in circumference fell in millions. Children were knocked senseless, pigs, fowls and birds were killed by hundreds. The loss was estimated at more than a quarter of a million. In the portions of the county where hail did not fall, drenching rains continued for several days and threatened the destruction of the ripened grain. This year cholera appeared again in the United States and was especially contagious in cities. Few cases, however, were found in this county.
The failure of the Syeamore Bank on the 2d of November, was the cause of a great deal of embar- rassment to the people of northern De Kalb county. llon. James H. Beveridge. its president, and William JJ. llunt, its vice-president. with E. T. llunt, its cashier, were the only stoekhold- ers. The people had confidence in the honesty, skill and integrity of the two former, and all classes dealt freely with the bank. But upon the failure it was discovered that these men owned but eight shares in the institution, while the re- mainder was in the hands of E. T. Hunt. an ami- able young man of pleasant manners, with whom people liked to do business but whose expensive habits and rockless management. together with a number of unfortunate speculations, had sunk the capital of the concern and brought it down to ruin. Mr. Beveridge had for three years been absent at Springfield, in the performance of the duties of his office as state treasurer. A public meeting of the depositors appointed a committee to examine its affairs and they made a full re- port. They reported its debts at ninety-five thousand dollars, and assets at less than ten thou- sand dollars. During the following year a settle- ment was made with its depositors, by which they received fifty per cent of their claims.
The elections of 1866 were held and practically no opposition appeared to the republican ticket. William Patten, of Somonauk, was chosen state senator: Robert Hampton, of Paw Paw, repre- sentative: Morris Holcomb, of Sycamore. sheriff : Lorenzo Whittemore, of Sycamore, coroner: and V. D. Miller, of De Kalb, surveyor. The total vote this year was three thousand. the smallest
east for many years. The assessors report for this year valued the taxable personal property of the county at seven hundred and fifty-four thousand, seven hundred and seventy-one dollars. The total value of all property being three million sixty-eight thousand dollars. The county tax levied was seventy-six thousand, seven hundred and thirty-three dollars and the entire tax of the county for all purposes, including its indebtedness, was two hundred and eight thous- and and thirty dollars. The interest on this in- debtedness was paying ten per cent, as was also the interest on the indebtedness of the several town- ships. The township tax had never been so high and was not so high for many years afterwards, and it can be added that this tax, burdensome though it was, was more easily borne than would have been a tax of one hundredth that amonnt several years previous.
A great many cases of destruction of sheep by wolves were reported and the supervisors increased the bounty to twenty dollars upon each animal killed, with the prudent proviso that as some had been detected in the profitable business of keeping tame wolves and raising them for the bounty, no claims thus originated should be paid.
The business interests of De Kalb county have always been to such an extent agricultural in their character that upon the abundance of crops and enlargement of prices all of its pecuniary pros- perity has directly depended and no record of its history for 186% would be complete without men- tion that this was the third and most fortunate of years of great prosperity among the farmers, and consequently with all classes of population. With the opening of spring grain commanded the highest prices ever known in the county, spring wheat readily selling at two dollars and seventy-five cents per bushel. which a few years previous had been a drug at fifty cents. Corn, which six years before had been burned for fuel. was now worth a dollar and twenty cents a bushel. Cattle and other farm products were equally high. Beef, which five years before re- tailed at five cents per pound now brought twenty cents. The farmers who since the war had been expecting a decline in prices had consequently been very cautions in their dealings, now began to place higher value upon their lands. During the war no considerable rise in the value of real estate
PAST AND PRESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.
113
had been accomplished but now there was a ma- terial advance. Prairies about Malta and Milan sold readily at twice the prices of three or four years before. All over the county there was a similar advance, stimulated by a promising pros- peet for a very large crop of grain.
HALF SHIRE BILL.
During the spring of 1867 a new method orig- inated in the brain of some of the men interested in retaining the county seat. Upon the petitions
central portion of the county naturally flowed to the railroad towns of the northern and southern ends and that neither De Kalb nor Sycamore offered a convenient place for the transaction of the public business of the southern portion of the county. One of the most exciting elections ever held in the county followed. To oppose this measure the citizens of De Kalb and this vicinity formed a stock company and contributed nearly five thousand dollars to establish a newspaper of- fice in that town. Aaron K. Stiles, a former
THE HALF-SHIRE BILL ILLUSTRATED. THE COUNTY UNDER THE HALF-SHIRE LAW
SKOAMORE
-
S.
SANDWICH
DE KALB COUNTY.
of the citizens of Sandwich, which had now be- come the largest village in the south part of the county, Senator William Patten had during the previous winter introduced a bill in the legislature known as the Half Shire Bill. It provided for a re-location of the county seat at Sycamore and Sandwich. The latter place was to be the seat of justice of the six southern towns of the county and the former the twelve northern towns. It was argued in its favor that the business of the county dividing the thinly settled country in the
county clerk, being one of the stockholders now became chief editor of the De Kalb County News. He was a man of remarkable tact, shrewdness and energy and for a week or two preceeding the election the paper was issued daily. The people and the papers at Sandwich supported the move- ment. Meetings were held at almost every school- house in the county but the final quietus was given to the measure by the efforts of a delegation from the southern sections, composed of Messrs. Beard. Woodruff, Pritchard, MeEwen and Ball, men who
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PAST AND PRESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.
commanded the full confidence of the people, who traveled through the northern portion of the county undeterred by storms, which enveloped the country in unfathomable seas of mud. and ad- dressed meetings in every town, beseeching the people not to impose this measure upon them. In the De Kalb County News we find the following flaming head lines: "Half Shire Town." "A Big Thing on the Ice." "The County Seat on Wheels." "The Court House on Stilts," "The Caravan of County Officers." "The Traveling Menagerie," "The Two Corner 'Centers' on a Rampage." "The Great Double Header." "The Big Rat in the Meal Tub." "More Taxes Demanded." "Half Shire Swindle." "Ninety-two Thousand Dollars for a Court House at Sandwich." "One Hundred Thou- sand Dollars for a Court House at Sycamore." For the first time in the history of political affairs of our county the cartoonist took a hand in the game and we present here the cartoon that appeared in the De Kalb County News a few days previous to the election.
Here we give an illustration of the workings of the Half-Shire law. This beautiful engrav- ing was made on a shingle by our devil, who. for the present acts as Special Artist for the News. We guarantee it true to life in every particular. To fully appreciate this illustration you must sup- pose the Half-Shire bill to have become a law. and the politicians of Sandwich and Sycamore to be fattening from the county crib, as they will be sure to do. They have this little seesaw well to going. and you can see for yourself the plank they ride upon. They smoke and sing a merry little song, which goes something like this: As Sycamore goes up he repeats "Half-Shire Town of Sycamore," and as Sandwich goes up he repeats "Half-Shire Town of Sandwich." And so they go: "Half-Shire Town of Sycamore." "Half- Shire Town of Sandwich." "Half-Shire Town of Sycamore." "Ilalf-Shire Town of Sandwich." At the same time old De Kalb county has been rid- den until there is no more grease on his back bone and the old Half-Shire plank squeaks out taxes! taxes ! ! taxes ! ! !
Never was such a vote polled in this county. We will be unable to publish the official returns until next week. The following towns gave majorities for the bill :
Genoa
Sycamore
526
Mayfield
20
Squaw Grove 123
Somonauk
Total majorities for
1,031
Against the bill :
Franklin 118
Kingston 100
South Grove 123
Malta 179
408
Cortland
Pierce 17%
139
Milan
105
Shabbona
213
Clinton
135
Paw Paw
105
Total majorities against 2,098
Total majority against bill
1,067
In another paper after the defeat of the bill a tombstone is erected to the memory of Half- Shire William. The pall bearers are given as follows: Ahol Sedgwick. Stinson. Castle, Simmons, and for Sycamore. R. Ellwood, J. S. Waterman, Partridge. C. Ellwood and Dustin. Thus ended the Half-Shire mania, which for a time created great excitement and much hard feeling.
The year 186: was noted as one in which manu- facturing establishments were first erected in the county. The people of Sandwich established a stock company, with a capital of seventy-five thousand dollars, which in the following year was increased to one hundred and fifty thousand.
for the manufacture of agricultural ma- chinery. A flax mill. foundry and cheese factory were started at Sycamore: a planing mill and manufactory for doors. sash and blinds at De Kalb and a largo flouring mill at the rapidly grow- ing village of Malta. Public school buildings were erected in some of the villages and were considered at that time the pride of the local community of Cortland and Malta, each erecting a new graded school building this year. as did also the village of Somonauk and the city of Sandwich. The plant- ing of hedges for the prairie farmers continued to attract a great deal of attention and over two hundred miles of osage orange hedge was set out. Farmers had been troubled considerably with the rail fenees. which were continually broken down
De Kalb
173
Afton
115
PAST AND PRESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.
and stock would get in the growing grain, doing considerable damage. The hedge fence was thought to be the only thing that could protect crops from the stock. The County Agricultural So- ciety, which held its fairs at Sycamore, was re- vived this year and held a flourishing exhibition. A Farmers' Club was also established and held weekly meetings of decided interest to the agricul- tural portions of the community. Some of the discussions by farmers. well known, appeared in the old files of the papers and at this date are of considerable interest.
The county school tax, which in 1840 was but a few hundred dollars, was now fifty-one thousand, six hundred and sixty-four dollars.
In the `Gos the fair at Sycamore assumed larger proportions and their annnal meetings be- came exceedingly popular. Instead of holding their meetings northeast of town, in 1862 they purchased land west of the city, which remained in possession of the Sycamore Fair Association until that organization ceased its existence in 1888. George Dennison, an attorney, who had practiced law in De Kalb in 1858, was appointed naval officer at the port at New York, with a salary of seven thousand five hundred dollars. Flax culture was carried on to a large extent. the crop proving valuable on account of the price received for flax seed and from profits derived by the sale of the straw at the flax mills located in the county. In 1863 there are two hundred and twenty-three cases on the trial calendar of the cir- enit court. Litigation seemed the order of the day and there were five times as many law snits at that period of our county's history than we find on the calendar of today. The planting of willows continued and in the carly "Os many miles of willow fences might be found in De Kalb county. These like many other of the soft woods planted by the carly settlers have proved them- selves a nuisance and have been removed.
Religious discussion was rampant in many sec- tions of the county. One that deserves especial notice was between Rev. A. J. Fishback, of the Universalist church, and G. D. Mullis, of the Christian church. The question of "Universal Salvation" and "Endless Punishment" was dis- cussed at the court honse for a week. They were largely attended, people coming for miles around and listening with great interest. and from all
that we learn at the present time we judge that they were interested, listened intently and came away with the same views that they had before the discussion was projected. A similar discussion took place in De Kalb between a Wesleyan Metho- dist minister and one of the Adventist denomina- tion. In the later '60s the attendance at country churches reached the high mark. Services both morning and evening were largely attended and aside from serviees in the churches many ap- pointments were held at various school houses in the county. The early settlers having come mainly from the eastern and southern states, had organized the churches they attended in their earlier homes. In the '20s there began to be a marked falling off in the attendance of the coun- try churches, caused by the removal of first set- tlers to homes farther west, by the retirement of farmers to cities, who had secured a competency and by the young people who sought employment in factories and by young men from the farms seeking professional careers. Their places were supplied by foreigners to a large extent, who spoke different languages and affiliated with the churches with which they were allied in the fatherland. Aside from this there seemed to be a general movement toward the cities, so that at the present time the majority of the population of Illinois resides in cities and towns.
PAW PAW.
Paw Paw township forms the southeast corner of De Kalb county. Having the advantages in surface and soil of a rolling prairie, it has the distinction of having the greatest number of im- proved acres of any township in the county. It has twenty-four thousand and thirty-two aeres in a high state of cultivation. Very little of the township is too flat for the plow. It also, having within its borders three valuable and beautiful woodlands known as Ross Grove, Coon Grove and Paw Paw Grove, naturally attracted those seek- ing homes in the west at a very early day.
Paw Paw township derives its name from one of the groves, in which are still found some of the once numerous paw paw trees with their peculiar and juicy fruit. The Big Indian creek and its many tributaries, which run through the township, furnish it with a good supply of pure,
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PAST AND PRESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.
running water. Along its banks were once the favorite haunts of the noble red man. Here the celebrated Shabbona, chief of the Pottowattomies, with his tribe, was accustomed to camp when water and game were scarce in our sister township which bears this heroic chief's name. Here. too, dwelt. for a time the chief Wabonsie, whom his- tory remembers by his daring deeds and bloody crimes committed while on the warpath. but whom, rather than be a neighbor to the "'pale face" dis- appeared toward the setting sun.
Paw Paw township became the permanent home of the white man in 1834. when David Towne set- tled on the southwest quarter of section 19, which is now the home of Charles M. Smith. Mr. Towne arrived late in the autumn and did little that winter except build a cabin and hunt. the latter being no great task at that time, as the groves and creek bottoms afforded an abundant supply of deer, prairie wolves, wild cats and an occasional bear, also wild turkeys, geese, ducks, prairie chick- ens, etc. Mr. Towne was joined this winter by his brother Russell Towne, to whom the next spring he transferred his claim for the considera- tion of a week's work. David, previous to trans- ferring his claim to his brother, entered a claim in Lee county, near the present site of West Paw Paw, where he spent the remainder of his life.
The hot days of July, 1835. found another party of weary pioneers camped near the present site of Rollo. The party was composed of Rev. Benoni ITarris. a Methodist minister, and family: his son. Benjamin Harris, and family; John Plass and family: Edward Butterfield and family ; Jo- soph Harris and Louis MeDowell, two single men. They were soon followed by R. Baldwin and Jo- seph Ross and family, who first. settled near the grove which now bears the latter's name.
Of the above named, Rev. Benoni Harris, vol- umes might be written, but space will here. permit only to be said that no community need feel prouder of its pioneers than does Paw Paw town- ship of this venerable man of God. of whom it may be truthfully said: "His soul was spotless." He never ceased in the upbuilding of the naked country, whose fortune was "to be blessed with such a man." Although seventy years of age when be settled in this township we find him for the next ten years preaching to and teaching the good.
the bad. the white and red man alike with untir- ing energy. His wife, Thankful Harris, the first on whom death called in this new settlement, was buried in 1836 on what is now the Atherton farm. section 19. Mr. Harris traveled but a few more miles on the rough highway of life and was laid to rest beside her in 1845. About one hundred and fifty yards west of the farm house of William Atherton stands side by side two small marble shafts, one of which bears this inscription: "My Beloved Wife. Thankful Harris." The other has Masonic emblems and the name "Benoni Har- ris. At Rest."
Edward Butterfield continued to reside in this township until 1852, when he removed to Fowa. returning two years later. He died in 1854. The first white child born in this settlement was Caro- line Towne daughter of Russell and Roxana Towne. in 1836. S. D. McDowell, becoming tired of a lonely life of "single blessedness," married Miss Delilah Harris, youngest daughter of Rev. Benoni IFarris in 1836. This was the first mar- riage in the township. To them the following year was born a daughter, Mary E., the second white child born in the county.
Among those who came to the township in 1836 wore Asahel Baldwin, William Rogers, Joseph Al- cot. Job Morgan and T. Bannigan. Asahel Bald- win was the first tavern keeper and postmaster at Paw Paw Grove. After a few years he removed to Missouri. William (Bill) Rogers settled on the present site of East. Paw Paw and built the first house in this village in 1837. He conducted his house as a tavern. known as the Paw Paw House. until 1842. when he sold to .J. Wirick and went west. The old Wirick House was for years a flourishing tavern and many a tired, hungry and dirty traveler was refreshed under its roof. Jacob Wirick was proprietor for fourteen years.
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