USA > Illinois > DeKalb County > Past and present of DeKalb County, Illinois, Volume I > Part 7
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"Sec. 9. The county and circuit courts of said Boone and De Kalb counties shall be held at such place as the county commissioners' courts shall respectively appoint until the county build- ings are erected and the times of holding the circuit courts in the counties hereby created shall be fixed by the circuit judges in whose circuits the counties respectively are situated.
"Sec. 10. And elections shall be held in said Boone and De Kalb counties for county officers in the following manner, viz: In the county of Boone, at the house of Simon P. Doty, on the first Monday in May next, and in the county of De Kalb at the house of Frederick Love, on the first Monday in July next, and shall be required and conducted in the same manner as is pre- scribed in the sixth section of this act when the same is applicable.
"Sec. 11. It shall be the duty of the clerks of the county commissioners courts of the counties hereby organized to give notice at least ten days previous to the elections to be held as is above provided in said counties, and in case there shall be no clerk in said connties it shall be the duty of the clerk of the commissioners' court of Winnebago county to give notice of the elections to be held in the counties of Stephenson and Boone, and for the election to be held in the county of De Kalb notice shall be given in like manner by the clerks of the commissioners' court of Kane county.
"Sec. 12. The citizens of the counties here- by created are entitled in all respects to the same right and privileges as are allowed in general to other counties in this state.
"Sec. 13. The counties of Stephenson and Boone shall continue to form a part of the county of Jo Daviess until organized, and when organized according to this act shall continue attached to the county of Jo Daviess in all general elections until otherwise provided by law. The county of De Kalb shall continue to form a part of the county of Kane until it shall be organized and shall vote with the county of La Salle in all gen- eral elections until otherwise provided by law.
"Sec. 14. The commissioners appointed to lo- cate said county seats shall receive the sum of two dollars per day for each day necessarily spent by them in discharging the duties imposed on them by this act. to be allowed by the county commis-
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sioners and to be paid out of the county treasuries respectively.
"Sec. 15. The judges of elections shall deliver to each officer elected a certificate of his election. The poll books shall be retained by them until the clerk of the county commissioners' court shall be qualified, and then deliver the said poll books to such clerk, who shall make and transmit to the Secretary of State an abstract of the votes given at such election, in the same time, manner and form as is required of clerks of county commis- sioners' courts in elections in other counties in this state.
"Sec. 16. After the election of county officers as herein provided, the persons elected county commissioners are hereby anthorized to administer the oaths of office to each other and they are severally authorized to administer the oaths of office to all other county officers. And said com- missioners shall within ten days after their elec- tion meet together as a court and lay off their county into justices' districts and order elections to be held for justices of the peace and consta- bles at a time to be fixed by them ; and justices of the peace and constables clected and qualified shall hold their offices until others are elected and qualified under the law providing for the election of Justice of the Peace. The clerks of the coun- ty commissioners' courts shall deliver to each per- son elected justice of the peace and constable cer- tificates of such elections ; and each person elected justice of the peace is hereby authorized, upon executing bonds as required by law, to enter upon the duties of his office and to exercise and perform all the duties of justice of the peace as fully as though such person had received a commission from the governor. This act shall be in force from and after its passage.
"Approved 4th of March, 1837."
The year 1837 saw the population of this section now created into a new county double, all alarm from further Indian outbreak had forever passed away. In this section east of the Mississippi north of Florida and new settlers poured into everv county of northern Illinois, all of which, except Carroll. Kendall. Grundy and Lee, were organized
and in running order, and in all cases were still under county organization, showing plainly the New England's township government did not ap- peal to the people, the majority of whom were from southern states or of southern origin.
This year saw many new-cowers from New York and New England and they established private schools in more spacious homes. Religious so- cieties, mainly Methodists, began to be organized a few stores were opened and things began to take on the airs of organized society. All lived along streams in the woods and the great prairie was still unbroken, but all were hopeful and with pa- tience and fortitude awaited a better day.
Mr. Boise in his history says that the year 1837 was noted as the first in the series of the regular septennial wet seasons that have recurred every seven years since that time. From the break- ing up of winter until late in autumn it rained nearly every day. The entire country was flooded and the traveling was almost impossible, and we must remember at this time there were no beaten roads and no bridges, and we can in a degree imag- ine the inconvenience to those who were compelled to do much road work. It had been stated also that the Chief Shabbona had predicted this wet season. He had asserted that as far back as Indian tradition reached, every seventh year had been similarly visited with a superabundance of rain-with almost constant storms and floods and swollen streams. Seven years before, the soldiers at Ft. Dearborn, then the only white inhabitants of the country, had made record of a similar year cf constant storms and floods; and it is certain that on every succeeding seventh year, such sea- sons have recurred. All of those who resided in the county during the succeeding four septennial triades, will testify that in 1844, 1851, 1858 and 1865, were each seasons of extraordinary moist- ure, and noted as wet summers. A wet season in the early days was exceptionally inconvenient and unhealthy. When water fell in large quantities it would lie on the ground until absorbed by the wind and the sun's rays which caused malaria and fevers so common in pioneer days. At that time there were thousands of undrained sloughs and in those sloughs dense growths of vegetable matter, and unfortunate. indeed, was the person whose home was located near one. The same lands that were considered too wet for tillage in those days is sufficiently dry at present, even without drain-
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age. During the dry time- the sod would be broken. the land put under cultivation and the moisture sink rapidly into the earth. Notwith- standing the difficulties encountered by the pio- neers in 1831. several hundred emigrants came from their eastern homes to settle here. Many of them became ill. could secure but little medical assistance, and before the winter set in a large number had died. Added to the inconveniences mentioned the financial crisis swept over the coun- try. which perhaps was as severe as any in our history. After the bill providing for the exten- sion of the charter of the national bank had been vetoed, millions of dollars were drawn therefron: and placed in "pet banks." Money became plenti- ful and the wildest speculations wore indulged in. Lots were laid out in cities and towns which had no inhabitants and were sold at auction at fabulous prices, with the expectation that the tide of emi- gration turned to the westward would till these towns and cities which existed only in the hnagi- nation of the speculators. To add to this scheme the government issued paper money and when the time to pay this interest on the public debts and the revenue nothing but specie would be accepted as payment. People who had sold their eastern homes to make fortunes in the west could not meet their obligations and the financial crash came. "Confidence was now gone, and with it. the beauti- ful castles they had built in the air vanished like the mists of the morning : the brilliant hned bub- bles burst and disappeared." The villages laid out at this time in our country were Orange, now Sycamore. Coltonville. Genoa, and one near Free- land Corners in Somonauk township. Lots had heen laid out in these embryo villages and peo- ple could reside on them for the mere asking. as it was the fond hope of the landowners that their respective village might be made the future county seat. The village of Orange was on the north side of the Kishwaukee about a mile north of Syca- more. A company from New York. C. Sharer & Company. composed of Christian Sharer. capital- ist of New York city. Clark Wright. Evans Whar- ry. and Mark Daniels, built a dam and a large mill race. and commenced a factory for the manu- facture of furniture. The building was finished and a saw mill was operated. Eli J. Jewell had a wagon shop in the grove near the present resi- dence of Fred Van Galder and also kept a little store. Charles and James Waterman also kept
a store in this village. In all there were about a half dozen houses. At Coltonville, Rufus Colton owned a store and there was a blacksmith shop and perhaps four or five other houses. The Colton home was used for many years as a hotel. Both Orange and Coltonville were aspirants for the county seat. On the first day of May. 1837. a vote was taken in Kane county, of which we were then a part. to set off the territory then known as De Kalb county. Geneva was at that time the county seat of Kane. but Aurora looked with jeal- ous eye upon her little neighbor on the north an I had hopes that in the future she might be the capital.
Geneva favored the division with the thought that that would settle the county scat question. The precinets were widely scattered, and the sherif of Kane county was unwilling to post the requisite number of notices in varions precincts, and as the weather was very rainy and the roads almost int- passable, he felt a sigh of relief when Dr. Henry Madden volunteered to post notices in the far off district-, with an eye to business, for in the dis- triets that were unfriendly to the division he saw to it that no notices were posted, but in friendly districts the requisite notices were posted in due season. The vote stood as follows: One hundred and seventy-one for. and eighty-three against, di- vision. The precinct of Somonauk cast her forty- three votes solidly for division, Orange thirty-four for. and eight against division, while in the Kish- waukee district which includes the territory now known as Kingston, Franklin, South Grove and Mayfield polled her vote with two exceptions for division. In due time the county clerk of Kane county is-ned a call for an election to he heid at the residence of Frederick Love. for the pur- pose of choosing three county commissioners. one sheriff, recorder. surveyor and treasurer.
The election was held on Monday, July 3. 1832. The two parties which is as well-known are in- dispensable to every well arranged and conducted election, went by the name of Claim Jumpers and Anti-Claim Jumpers and divided on the question of sustaining or abolishing the claim associa- tion which had been organized the previous year. The people came from all parts of the county and in large numbers. With their wagons and horses distributed over a large space. they pre- sented the appearance of an animated eamp meet-
CHARLES G. CULVER.
DR. HENRY MADDEN.
MRS. HENRY MADDEN.
E. M. KNAPP.
₼
THE NEW PUBLICLILLAF.
ASTOR, LENOX TILDEN FOUNDATIONA.
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PAST AND PRESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.
ing. After the usual amount of log rolling, caucus- ing and liquoring, the polls were opened, the votes cast and counted, and a majority of two to one were found to be in favor of the Anti-Claim Jumpers ticket, which was: County commis- sioners, Rufus Colton. Robert Sterrett, Levi Lec; sheriff. Joseph C. Lander ; recorder, Jesse C. Kel- logg; surveyor, Eli Barnes; and treasurer, Lysan- der Darling.
"They were a most able and honorable body of officials and laid well the foundation work for thei: successors. Rufus Colton was an active, stirring, shrewd New Englander, formerly editor of a Ver- mont paper-a warm friend and a fair, unconi- promising enemy. R. Sterrett of Somonauk was of Pennsylvania origin, always a decided democrat -honest, reliable, true man. Levi Lee, of King- ston, was a shrewd, intelligent man, active in the temperance canse. He filled many public offices, and was of late, a member of the legislature of Wisconsin. Jesse C. Kellogg, the recorder, was of Vermont Puritan stock. has been for thirty- three years, and still is one of the worthiest citi- zens of De Kalb county, active in every good work, the uncompromising foe of all wrong and oppres- sion. Captain Barnes, for over thirty years a venerated citizen of this county, died in 1867, leav- ing a large family of descendants here. Sheriff Lander, an honest, pleasant old Indianian, had all of the peculiarities of speech and dialect of the Hoosier race. Lysander Darling was a pleasant. kind-hearted, honest popular citizen, said to be the first settler in Sycamore."
At these early elections no printed tickets were used as at present. Ira Douglas tells us that he appeared at the polls, announced his name, and then stated orally his preferences for the different offices to be filled. He belonged to the Anti- Claims Association and voted for the ticket elected by having a mark placed after the name of each candidate.
At the close of these events it was thought prop- er that the birth of the new county and the elec- tion of its first roster of county officers should be celebrated on the glorious 4th, and accordingly on the 61st anniversary of Amerian independence some three or four hundred early settlers assembled at the house of Ephraim Hall, who had erected a new house, which at that time was one of the very best in the county and still stands as a mark of
the good old days, where the honorable Levi Le?, a local preacher and proprietor of Lee's mill de- livered the oration, which for force, eloquence and patriotism was considered well worthy of the oc- casion. At this celebration we must remember that all the accompanying nuisances of the pres- ent day celebration were wholly absent. People came from many miles around, brought their baskets well filled with luncheon and had a great picnic dinner in the grove. It is probable that at this time, 1907, no one lives in the county who was present at this celebration.
Matters moved rapidly in those days and on the 11th of July the first regular session of the coun- ty commissioners' court was held at the house of Rufus Colton. This was rather a more spacious house than the ones usually occupied by the early settlers; it being eighteen by twenty-four feet, made of hewn logs and furnished with doors and a window and chinked up with pure mortar. The day of their meeting being fair it was held out doors and the sheriff, Joseph C. Lander, made proclamation and they at once proceeded to busi- ness. An old merchant's ledger was used as the sole book of record and is still in possession of the county clerk at the court house. The first duty performed was to lay the county off in five election precincts and justices' districts. They were:
First, Kingston district and precinct, commenc- ing at the northwest corner of the county running sonth twelve miles, thence northeast crossing the Sycamore river so as to include Benjamin Stephen's land, and then north to the county line.
It was ordered that elections be held in this pre- cinet at the residence of Levi Lee. George H. Hill, John Whitney and Jones Hait were ap- pointed judges.
The second was Sycamore precinct, including the northeast corner of the county, and extending as far south as Charter Grove, but not including the present village of Sycamore. The elections were to be held at a school house near Lysander Darling's, and William A. Miller, James A. Arm- strong and Samuel Cory were made its judges.
The third was named Orange district, and com- prised the territory south of the Sycamore district as far as Lost Grove, in the present town of Cort- land. Elections for this district were ordered at
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PAST AND PRESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.
Rufus Colton's house, and Frederic Love, James Root and Eli Barnes were made judges.
The fourth was named Somonauk district, and comprised the territory south of Orange district. ten miles in width, and about twenty in length to the south line of the county. Elections were ordered to be held at the house of Woodruff and Lane; William Davis, Frederic 1. Witherspoon and Simon Price were made judges.
The fifth district was called Paw Paw. and com- prised the southwest portion of the county. No recorded provision was made for elections in this district, and it was subsequently abolished, but afterward, upon the indignant protest of some of its people, was re-established.
In October the commissioners that had been ap- pointed by the legislature to fix the county seat. met at the house of Frederic Love as directed by the law of organization. The home of the Honor- able Frederie Love was at that time a log build- ing on the site of which today stands the resi- dence of his grandson, Frederic Love. They were received by the citizens representing the three com- peting points with all of that cordiality that was to be expected toward mon upon whose decision important interests depended. Escorted by a large number of residents of the county. and men who were interested in the decision of the question. they spent most of three days in riding about the region, viewing the country and comparing the advantages of the rival locations. There seemed to be little io choose between them. One of the com- missioners, Mr. Walker of Plainfield. had been a member of the legislature with Mr. Madden. Ho was also an intimate friend of Mr. Harvey Max- field, who had recently visited this section of the country and came back with a glowing account of its attractions, and of the advantages of the pres- ent location for a county seat. He had also re- ported to Walker a remark said to have been made by Madden to the effect that he had seenred Walker's appointment as commissioner. and ex- pected to control him so far as to induce him to locate the county seat upon his own claim at Brush Point. This naturally aroused opposition in the mind of Mr. Walker.
Much to Madden's chagrin. he found his friend prejudiced against his own point and unable to see its advantages. The inhabitants of the little col- lection of log houses on the bank of the Kishwall-
kee north of the present county seat where the village had been laid out, had become convinced that their village was upon ground too low to secure its location as the seat of justice, and they combined to assure the commissioners that the place where they intended the village should be, was on the higher ground upon the other side of the stream.
In the contest which followed we will give the reminiscences of Major Evans Wharry who partici- pated in the notable event and was the person more than any other one who is responsible for the present location of the city of Sycamore and the site upon which the court house now stands.
MAJOR EVANS WHARRY'S REMINISENCE.
The following reminiscence was given by Major Evans Wharry to V. Ilix, in March, 1849, and by the latter prepared for the "City Weekly." Leav- ing ont the introductory clause, we copy as fol- low>: The Major and a Mr. Sharer, both mem- bers of the New York Land Company, came here in 1836, with the view of taking up a large fract of land in the interest of the company. They landed in Chicago in May, 1836. and after remain- ing in that city for a couple of weeks started for Galena, by way of Rockford. Reaching this local- ity. they met with Dr. Madden, formerly a resi- dent of Brush Point. Mayfield, and at that time a member of the Illinois general assembly. The project of the formation of De Kalb county, then a part of Kane county, was being talked up, and the Doctor, being favorably impressed with the Major and the mission upon which he was bent. prevailed upon him to stop here and assist him in a scheme which he had in view, which was no less than to locate a shire town for the new coun- ty. The Major. thinking favorably of the project. consented, but did not think the selection of a site for the new county seat which the Doctor made. a good one. The site in question was what is now the Thomas Wood farm, half a mile north of the river bridge. and formerly well known as the Clark Wright place. The land there is comparatively low and level, and as the Major's eyes took in the elevated situation south of the river, and upon which the city of Sycamore now stands, he was at once of the opinion that it should have been se- lected. But the Doctor was allowed to have his
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PAST AND PRESENT OF DE KALB COUNTY.
own way, and the Major at once commenced im provements on the quarter section chosen, a por. tion of which the Doctor was to have for his in- fluence in the legislation needed to locate the eapi- tal town of the county. In fact, the Doctor and Major were mutually interested, and both hoped to realize handsomely out of their venture in a pecuniary way. The Doctor. by agreement between the two, was to have fifty of the one hundred and sixty aeres. He returned to Springfield to see to the appointment of a board of commissioners to locate the county seat, and the Major went to work in the interests of the new town, and had the same platted and placed on record at Geneva. He pur- chased Norwegian Grove, lying a little to the east, paying for the same the sum of four hundred do !- lars, and removed Dr. Norbo, a Norwegian. who gave the name to the grove. to Geneva : purchased two or three teams of oxen. erected a store on the premises now owned by Roswell Dow. He also bridged the river, constructed a dam. cut a mill race from a point near the southwest corner of Norwegian Grove. through the lowlands just north of the river bridge, traces of which remain to this day, and erected a sawmill, and sought to make the place a prominent one for those days. At that time the old state road, running west from Gen- eva to the Mississippi, ran along the north side of Norwegian Grove, and this fact may have had something to do with the selection of Dr. Madden as a member of the legislature.
While the Doctor was busy in the legislature the Major was busy at home. Commissioners favor- able had been selected by Madden and things promised a happy termination. The Doctor. how- ever. had a deeper purpose in view than the Major had at first suspected, but which soon showed itself. Madden came back in advance of the com- missioners and insisted that he must have more than the fifty acres at first agreed upon. At this the Major was taken somewhat aback, but finally consented to increase the number of acres to sev- enty-five. the amount of land the Doctor thought he ought to have. This would have been willingly acquiesced in by the Major. but just upon the eve of the selection of the site by the commissioners the Doctor became still more greedy and demanded one hundred acres. Then the Major's ire was thoroughly aroused. and in the height of his in- dignation he vehemently told the Doctor to go to
gehenna ; that he would never give him that amount of land. The two were now at sword's points, and the Doctor at once set ahont to secure the location of the county seat at Brush Point.
Apprised of his purpose. the Major quietly but actively began to bestir himself to defeat the Doc- tor, and at once hired riders to traverso the county to enlist the citizens in his behalf. The commis- sioners came, two of them, and one hundred and fifty men from all parts of the county met them upon their arrival. The place of meeting was at the Major's store. The day was spent in consulta- tion. There were several parties in this part of the county who had a location for the county seat in view, among them Captain Eli Barnes, who then owned what is now the John Burke farm, on the De Kalb road. There was where the Captain wanted it located. Then there was Mr. Calvin Col- ton, of Coltonville, who desired its location at his place. And it was wanted by a party from Genoa.
On the next day, the interest increasing, there were two hundred men assembled at the Major's headquarters. The party was mounted on horses, and finally, in company with the commissioners. they all started out to inspect the different compet- ing localities for the county seat. They crossed the river and halted first upon the site the Major had all the time favored and which. after his quar- rel with Madden, he determined to secure, if pos- sible, and that was where the city now stands. Here the Major pointed out in eloquent terms the natural advantages of the place. after which the party took up the line of march. It was a jolly crowd and a jolly occasion. There was running of horses, whooping and all manner of fun afloat. Reaching the Captain Barnes place they listened to a stump speech from the redoubtable individ- ual and then struck for Coltonville. This loeality was soon inspected and away they broke for Brush Point. After reaching there the Major invited the party to ride to the west for a distance of about sixty rods, which was done, and they found then :- selves in the middle of a large flat covered with water. This, the Major said, was the place the Doctor had selected for the county seat. for the reason that it would never lack a supply of water. Then a derisive shout went up at the expense of the Doctor and the party took up the line of march for Genoa. From Genoa they finished the circuit by bringing up at the Major's store. Here
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