USA > Illinois > DeKalb County > Past and present of DeKalb County, Illinois, Volume I > Part 24
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Kingston, offering the natural advantages of timber and water, was early selected as a most de- sirable spot by many of the first residents of the county. Thomas Robb is thought to have been the first to make a settlement and he took up a claim in 1835. Mr. Robb was a soldier of the Black Hawk war and it was during his service in this conflict that he saw the possibilities of this part of the country. He was soon after followed by Harmon and William Miller, John Judd, Isaiah Fairelo. Lyman Judd. Joseph Collier, Nathan Billings, John Friel, Louis Driggs, George H. Hill, James Green, Benjamin Schoonover, Levi Lee and others. These stanch pioneers had come to make De Kalb county their home, and they made the best of the hardships of all kinds that attended the lives of the carly settlers.
George Hill was an early justice of the peace and performed the ceremony that united in mar- riage Zalmon Young and Sarah Brown, October 5, 1832. Theirs was the second license issued in De Kalb county. In the same year William Miller raised ten acres of corn, the largest crop in the county. Mr. Miller continued to live on his farm until 1823. when he removed to De Kalb, and the
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Miller farm is now known far and wide as a most desirable spot for summer picnics and camping parties.
George Il. Hill's home was on the bank of the Kishwaukee, north of the residence where he lived at the time of his death. Finding a knoll suit- able for the location of his home. he erected a log cottage, but in 1836 it was burned down by In- dians and it was then learned that the house was located on an Indian cemetery. The Kingston postoffice was established in 1831 at the residence of llon. Lovi Lee, who lived near the month of Lee's run. flere he had built a mill. and a store had been erected, and for a time this bid fair to make a good inland village. Other mills were lo- cated along the stream in this township, one on the farm now owned by G. W. Ault, known as Stuart mil), and one on the llill farm. known as Gault's mill. and one at the big bend of the river in the edge of Genoa township, known as Gleason's mill. They were all sawmills and the timber suitable for lumber was soon cut off and one by one these mills ceased to operate. A village sprung up known as Stuartsville about a mile west of the present vil- lage of Kingston. and continued its existence until the building of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad in 1826.
The first religious services held in the township of Kingston were in private residences, and Rev. Levi Lee was the first to conduct that service, and it is now supposed that the first service was held in the home of Thomas Robb. These services continued to be held in private houses until the erection of a schoolhouse in the early '40s. near the present site of the graded school. The first school was taught by Harriet Russell and was a private institution, being supported by the citizens of the community and was what was known in that time as a "subscription school." Kingston being well >upplied with timber and water, the settlers soon began to come in and it became one of the most populous townships in the county. The saw- mills gave work to a large number of men. Aside from this there were many springs along the river. and here the early pioneers made their homes. When the settlers first arrived in this township they found that the Indians had an encampment on the low land of the farm now owned by G. W. Ault and a cemelery on the site of Judge Hill's first cabin and one on the farm owned by Ed Stu-
art. The cemetery on Stuart's farm has been one of considerable interest, and many Indian graves have been opened and skeletons and Indian relics have been taken therefrom. Some of these are now in possession of Dr. Hill, of Genoa. Tradi- tion says that the Indian councils, from which Shabbona retired to notify the settlers of an in- tended attack, was held in Kingston township. Levi Lee was for many years one of the prominent citizens of De Kalb county. He was a man that was highly respected and regarded by every one. Ile was one of the first three county commission- ers elected in 1837 and held various official po- sitions in the county. The land which he had taken up became the subject of dispute and finally rost Mr. Lee nearly his whole fortune. He moved to Elkhorn, Wisconsin, in the later '50s. dying there some fifteen years later.
The postoffice was established in north Kingston in the Jater '30s, and Charles W. Branch, for years a prominent citizen of Kingston, was the first postmaster. In the list of old postotrices given by John Wentworth, we find that the in- come of this office was in 1853 six dollars and eighty-four cents and the salary of the Kingston postoffice at the home of Hon. Levi Lee in 1841 was the magnificent sum of four dollars and thirty- one cents.
Among the carly settlers who came were the Fosters. Captain J. W. Foster enlisted in the Forty-second Illinois Infantry and at the time of receiving the wound which caused his retirement from the service was holding the position of cap- tain of Company C. When he came to Kingston he remembers well the Indian burial places and states that the bodies of about a half dozen pa- pooses were wrapped in bark and suspended in trees. The settlers of this community were com- pelled to go to Ottawa to mill and to take their produce to Chicago, and during the early history of the county many were the hardships endured by these pioneers. A little incident occurred in the early '40s which illustrates to what straits the early inhabitants were reduced and what hard- ships the early pioneers were compelled to endure. The neighborhood in which Mr. Joseph Arbuckle lived ran short of flour and some of the neighbors. with Mr. and Mrs. Foster. held a counsel and talked the situation over, and as the nearest mill was at St. Charles and Mr. Arbuckle was the only
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one that had a team, it was decided that he should take the grist to mill for the neighborhood, but they found he had no pants suitable to wear, as the weather was decidedly cold. Mrs. Foster had some wool, and the women of the neighborhood gathered and picked and carded it, and as fast as it was carded there neighbors brought it to Mrs. Arbuckle to spin, which was in the neighborhood of a mile from the Foster residence. After the cloth had been spun into rolls it was again re- turned to Mrs. Foster to do the weaving, and they began in the early morning to cut the cloth and sew the pieces together for the garment, and when early morning came. Mr. Arbuckle, equipped with a warm pair of trousers, made his way to St. Charles, waited for his grist and returned after an absence of over three days, but the neighbor- hood had plenty of flour from that time on till spring.
On another occasion George Hill and the Fos- ters were visiting at the home of Arbuckles, and as was the custom of the carly settlers when visit- ing, they started to get supper for the guests, but finding that the corn meal had run low and that some dried corn was in the oven ready to be shelled and taken to mill, the men resolved to pre- pare the meal necessary for the Johnny cake at once, so one party shelled the corn, another turned the coffee mill, and in about thirty minutes enough corn meal flour was had for the necessary Johnny cake, and those who partook of that re- past state that they never enjoyed an evening meal better.
The winter of 1842 caused considerable suffer- ing among the early inhabitants of Kingston. Snow came early in the fall and remained until spring, except the period of the January thaw. The people had plenty of provision, as game was driven to the barnyard for food, and during that year many of the deer, that were then so plentiful in that section of the country, were killed, and from that time on deer was a rare game in this locality.
The timber along the stream furnished many sites for the early camp meeting and for the Sun- day-school picnics. In that early day before churches were numerous the camp meeting was a necessity, and they would Jast sometimes for over four weeks, at which time thousands of people would come from different parts of the country.
Many of the early settlers were converted at these meetings and allied themselves with the different churches. The writer well remembers the Sun- day-school picnics held in Poust's woods in the later '60s and early 40s, and remembers the great numbers who were present on those occasions.
George H. Ilill, aside from being one of the early justices, served his town as supervisor for many years previous to the organization of the board of supervisors, was one of the county com- missioners and was elected county judge in 1852 and served two terms. lle also served a term as county treasurer. He was elected a delegate to the constitutional convention of 1848. Judge Hill was a man of splendid ability, was a stalwart re- publican, was known through the county for his candor, intelligence and integrity, and at the time that he was in the full strength of his manhood no citizen of De Kalb county would wiekl a wider influence in her political councils. He was very patriotic and during the war made great efforts for the enlistment of troops and was one of the organizers of the Home Guard. ne died at an advanced age, in 1890, on the farm he had taken from the government in 1835.
Some time in the '50s a large distillery was built by the Ball brothers in the east part of the township, north of the creek, in heavy timber. For a time this institution employed a large num- ber of men and manufactured considerable liquor and fed hundreds of cattle, but in the early '60s it was presumed that a murder was committed there and trouble was made for the authorities. Some were arrested, but upon examination no guilt was proven, the institution was closed and stood for many years until torn down lately. In 1863 Kishwaukee lodge, A. F. & A. M., No. 402, was instituted and held forth in the Wyllys build- ing in Stuartville until Kingston was started, when the building was moved to that town. This lodge had for many years jurisdiction of all the town- ship of Kingston and the township of Franklin, part of South Grove and Mayfield, and was ex- ceedingly prosperous and had about eighty mein- bers, when in 1891 the Kirkland lodge was or- ganized. which took away more than half of its jurisdiction. In 1884 Gilbert Barnes post, No. 395. G. A. R., was organized, with twelve mem- bers. The charter members were J. W. Foster, S. S. Russell, James Mackey, S. D. Whitney, B. P.
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Penney, H. M. Stark, Henry Bacon, O. II. Taplin, A. J. Miller and A. II, Clark. While the number of members has decreased at the present time, still this is one of the most enthusiastic posts in the county and exercises a patriotic influence over the rising generation. Kingston sent one hundred and five men to the Civil war. Among those who attained prominence in the service were Colonel Lorenzo H. Whitney, Lieutenant William Whit- ney, both of the Eighth Illinois Cavalry : Lieuten- ant William Hill, of the Ninety-titth Infantry; Lieutenant John Heckman, of the Ninety-fifth Illinois Infantry; Captain J. W. Foster, of the Forty-second Infantry. Hle was desperately wounded and reported dead, but survived to suffer the horrors of a rebel prison. Stories of his im- prisonment. escape, recapture and final flight to the Union lines is of thrilling interest. Lieuten- ant Gilbert Barnes, of the Forty-second Ilinois. lost his life early in the service. He was a young man of considerable prominence, well educated, and had a bright future. His death occurring early in the war created a deep impression. Barnes post is named in his honor. Of the one hundred and five who entered the service twenty- nine lost their lives. Three of them were sons of John Russell, namely: Wesley D., of the Thirteenth Infantry: Richard W., of the Forty-second Illinois, and David of the Ninety-fifth Infantry. John Russell fur- nished five sons to the Union cause, losing three on the field of battle, while one was desperately wounded. The loss of three bright young men in the flower of young manhood caused the prema- ture death of their patriotic mother. Richard W. Atwood, of the One Hundred and Fifth, lost an arm and leg at Dalton, Georgia, dying two weeks later. Ira G. Bnrzell, of the Eighth Illinois Cav- alry, was drowned in the Mississippi. and Aiba Lankton, of the Ninety-fifth, died in the hospital at Vicksburg. The others from this township who lost their lives in the service were John Swanson, David Bear, Levi Sherman, Lieutenant Gilbert Barnes, Abner Westbrook, James Collier, Frank Arntz, J. B. Blake, Abner Dalby, Anson Brainerd, llenry Potter, William H. Branch, E. H. Branch, William Davis, Lewis Miller, William Middleton. Andrew Raymond, George Ayers, Thomas Burch- field. C. M. Brown. Isaac Kettle, George Palmer, and Frank McMahon.
In 1860 the Pleasant Hill church was built on the south line of the township, which has been mentioned in the history of Mayfield. In 1816, upon the platting of the village of Kingston, Ly- man and James Stuart paid for the removal of the church to its present site in Kingston. In the later '80s a Baptist church was organized and an edifice erected. In 1881 the Kingston grade school building was erected at a cost of three thonsand three hundred dollars. J. G. Lucas, now county superintendent of Boone county, was its first principal. The schoolhouse was burned in 1895 and the present beautiful edifice erected. The Kingston school has an alumni that has fur- nished many teachers, professional and business men to this part of the country.
"In the year 1852 a catastrophe occurred in this township, which cost the lives of three young men. Ruel Layton, William Hicks and Doras Hol- lenbeck, at Stuart's mill, Kingston. When the river was high there was a heavy flow of water over the top of the dam, and at such times there was a swirling movement of the waters, where the overflow struck the water below the dam that made it impossible for a small boat to eross the disturbed part of the water without being swamped. Such were the conditions on the 3d of February. 1852. when the young men under- took to cross the river in a small boat and were drowned. Ruel Layton was in the employ of Hiram Stuart in the mill, and a part of his duty was to take people across the river in the time of high water, as there was no bridge near and that was the only means of crossing at such times. His parents lived near, and with them boarded Seymour Hicks. a brother of William Hicks. Ili- ram Stuart resided on the south side of the river, and with him boarded William licks, a shoe- maker by trade, who in the previous year had built a shop a mile south of the mill, and with his brother. Seymour Hicks, working with him, began business there. He had been away for a few days on a visit to an uncle, who lived near Waukegan. and had just returned before William was drowned. William had gone almost immediately to his shop and Seymour had stopped at his father's over night in order to acquaint his people with the incidents of his visit. Doras Hollenbeck lived with his parents one mile west and three- quarters of a mile north of the mill and had been
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at the shoe shop to see about a pair of boots and was on his way home, accompanied by William Hicks as far as Mt. Stuart's, where, finding Mr. Stuart's people absent it is presumed he went along with Layton to ferry Hollenbeck across the river. Mr. Stuart's people not being at home at just that time, no one heard the talk of the young men or knew of their plans. All three were seen by Layton's mother on the way from Stuart's house to the boat. No one saw them in the boat and their absence was not noted until the next morning, when Seymour Hicks went from his father's house to the shop, some three miles away, and found the door locked. Hlis fears were aroused and he went to Stuart and found him very angry on account of the absence of Layton and the morn- ing's work not done. Then he went to Mr. Lay- ton's, but he learned nothing more than that Mrs. Layton had seen the three going toward the boat the evening before. The boat was gone and it was also reported that the three young men were missing. Then came the report that a boat had been found three-quarters of a mile down the river turned bottom side up. By this time there was quite a gathering of people, a general alarm was given, and soon many from miles away hurried to the place, all anxious to aid in the recovery of the bodies. By the next morning there were hun- dreds of people lining the banks of each side of the river. searching for the bodies. That day, February 5, the body of William Hicks was found some forty rods below the dam at a bend in the river, caught in some brush and one boot showing partly above the surface. The water had been slowly falling, which had exposed a portion of the foot. On the 6th the body of Hollenbeck was found some distance farther down the river. and it was not until the Eth that the body of Ruel Layton was recovered about a mile below the dam. The prevailing opinion seemed to be that Layton in managing the boat steered across, or too close to, a portion of the swirling water and that the boat was capsized, throwing them into the most dangerous part, where, hampered by their heavy winter clothing, their bodies were hurled and tossed until life was extinct. Layton had taken several people across the river during the day and had said to some of them that he could take the boat across the swirling water safely, but had been prevented from doing so. It was from the
talk he had with those whom he had taken across during the high water that the opinion was formed that the dreadful accident had happened as given above. The young men were good swimmers and had the boat been overturned below the swirl of the water it would seem as though they would have been able to save themselves by swimming ashore. The sad ending of the lives of these three young men cast a heavy gloom over the com- munity and the bereaved families had the sincere sympathy of all."
In 1853 a tornado passed over the townships of Franklin and Kingston, doing an immense amount of damage. This tornado caused a severe loss of property to the settlers, who had just built their new homes. In 1860 a tornado of much greater force swept over the town. It was first seen as a black cloud in funnel shape sweeping along at the rate of a mile a minute. Huge trees were taken up in the air and carried off like straws. A house belonging to Isaac McCoy was torn in fragments and not a stick of it was left in its former posi- tion. Even the stones of its cellar were carried off. It had been occupied by a Mr. Weaver, but fortunately was not occupied at that time. The earth in the course of the tornado was swept and hollowed ont so that it resembled the bed of a rapid river. Large stumps were torn out by the roots. Mr. Like Penwell, seeing its approach, ran to avoid it, but being caught seized a sapling, to which he clung with the energy of despair, while the wind whipped his legs around his head with great violence.
Some time in the later '80s lhe Illinois Central passed through this township, and along its line is the little village of Colvin Park, which makes an excellent shipping station for the farmers in the northern part of this township. The Sinart family came to this township in 1839, bringing with them some property, and became some of the most substantial business men of that section. James and Lyman Stuart platted the village of Kingston in 1876 and built the first house there and organized the first business enterprise. Their competing point was started at Chaplinville and a splendid two-story brick building and a large mill with four buhrs were erected, this costing forty thousand dollars.
A Catholic church was also built by Mr. Chap- man and a store by Mr. Aurner, but the village of
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Kingston had its depot about a half mile west and Genoa being two and a half miles east, its business enterprise soon died out and at present nothing remains but the buildings to tell of its past glory. William Miller, one of the pioneers of the county, came in 1836, llarman Miller preceding him one year. He became the owner of about thirteen hun- dred aeres of land, which is now in possession of Mrs. 1. L. Ellwood, his daughter. In 1837 Mr. Miller planted ten acres of corn. which up to that time was the largest field in corn. He was promi- nent in political affairs of Kingston and on his farm was held the first election in the township. The stump which served as a table in this pre- cinct was pointed out until about twenty-five years ago. Since that time the land has been cleared. He built a mill known as Miller's sawmill south of his residence and for years did a thriving lum- ber business. The following named persons have served as supervisors of this township: John Sheeley, one year : C. W. Branch, one year ; Wil- liam Miller. one year: Judge Hill, four years ; George Ellwood, one year ; Dr. James McAllister. two years; Philip Heckman, two years; Judge Hill, one year; Charles W. Brauch. six years ; Jolın L. Hoag, two years: Sylvester Mead, two years; Leroy Benson. two years; Aaron Clark, four years; . II. H. Miller, seven years; J. D. Brown. two years; M. W. Cole, four years ; Hiram Branch, four years, and D. B. Arbuckle, who is serving at the present time. Nearly all of the old settlers and their descendants have died or moved to other localities, and the majority of the farms are now owned by those who came at a later day. In the later "Os the Germans began to settle the timbered portion in the north part of the county and now form a progressive part of that population. In 1888 they built the German Evangelical church. Of those who have been quite prominent in local affairs of this community are Michael Schandelmeier. William Aves, William Puls, George Sexauer, L. A. Koeller.
SANDWICH AND SOMONAUK.
The history of Somonauk township is in some respects the earliest history of the county. Old settlers who rely largely upon memory do not agree as to the first settlement of the county, but preponderance of evidence is in favor of the fact that the first temporary abode by white man in
what is now De Kalb county was on Somonauk creek near the site of the present U. P. church, while the first permanent settlement was in Squaw Grove township. Reuben Root was the first per- manent settler in what is now Somonauk township and he lived in the shack built by a Mr. Robinson in 1834. The early history of the township of Sandwich and Somonauk especially the earlier half century is given in the reminiscences of the Hon. M. B. Castle, which we give here. The reminiscences are not given verbatim, as Mr. Castle touches frequently upon the story of other town- ships. but all matter pertaining to Somonauk township and its early settlers is given verbatim. .As frequently happens. when two cities are near each other so that they become rivals in trade, they watch each other with jealous eyes. Especially is this true when the two cities belong to the same political unit. Two of the townships of this county which are thus situated have not always had harmonious internal political relations. The trouble in Franklin between Fairdale and Kirk- land was settled by giving Fairdale a separate election precinct. Somonauk had maintained its election precinct for years, but the strife grew out of the division of the political fund of the town- ship, and the distribution of the funds raised by taxation. After numerous petitions and counter petitions and legal entanglements. out of the township of Somonauk were carved two political townships, in Somonauk retaining the old name, while the new was given the name of Sandwich. county which are thus situated have not always The early history of these two townships is indent- ical up to the period of division. After the build- ing of the C., B. & Q. railroad, Somonauk was established and grew rapidly. The organization of the churches has been given in a previous chap- ter, but in the early '90s the Baptist, Presbyterian and Methodist churches consolidated under the name of the Union Congregational church. and built a beautiful and commodious church edifice. The Lutheran and Evangelical societies were or- ganized and maintain church services to the pres- ont time. A Catholic society was organized in the later '50s by a priest from Naperville, who held services in private houses or in the hotel of the village. where the Catholics would assemble to do their daily duty, have their children baptized and receive the sacrament of the church. In 1863 they
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purchased a hall and in 1866 built a frame church forty by eighty. This building was destroyed by fire in 1868. This was replaced by a building of brick of the same dimensions, and at a later period an addition was built to the church. Rev. C. J. luth was the first resident priest of Somonank, and remained there for sixteen years. Father Huth was popular not only with the members of his congregation, but with the whole community, and when he was transferred from this appoint- ment the Protestants had a public meeting and made him a valuable present.
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