Portrait and biographical album of DeKalb County, Illinois : containing full-page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county, Part 57

Author:
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Chicago : Chapman Bros.
Number of Pages: 888

USA > Illinois > DeKalb County > Portrait and biographical album of DeKalb County, Illinois : containing full-page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county > Part 57

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At a treaty made at Prairie Du Chien, July 29, 1829, Shabbona's old home at the Grove, consisting of two sections, was reserved for him. This consisted of all of section 23, the east half section 26 and the west half of section 25. By direction of Major Langham, then Surveyor-General of Illinois and Missouri, a survey and plat of the reservation was made by a deputy surveyor, and Shabbona fondly hoped that the house which he and his family had occupied for so many years was secured to him and them forever. Upon this subject William Hickling,

in his address upon the life of Shabbona before the Chicago Historical Society, says :

"I believe that in all the other reservations of land granted by the aforementioned treaty, all the parties thereto having such reservations enjoyed them in fee, and only required the consent and signature of the President of the United States, in order to pass a good title to parties purchasing such reserved lands. Why Shabbona's case should differ from all the rest I could never determine. At any rate, when the survey of the public lands, lying north of the old Indian boundary line was ordered by the Land Department to be made, the Deputy Surveyor had instructions to ignore the previous survey of the reservations, and include the lands thereon contained in the regular section lines of the United States sur- vey; and during the absence of poor old Shabbona and his family in Kansas, these lands were sold by public sale at Dixon. The home of the old Chief and his family passed into other hands, strangers to him, and in answer to an appeal made at Washington in Shabbona's behalf, the Commissioner of the General Land Department, in answer, said that Shabbona had forfeited and lost his title to the lands by removing away from them."

In 1837, Shabbona was notified by the Indian Agent, that by the terms of the late treaty, all members of his band, with the exception of those of his own family, must remove to their new reservation in Western Missouri. The parting with so many of those with whom he so long had been associated, he could not endure ; so he resolved, with all his family, to accompany them to their new homes. But no sooner had Shabbona and his family reached their lodges in their new homes than new troubles began. The Sauks and Foxes, unfortunately, had their new reservation in close proximity to that of the Potta- watomies and Ottawas. The well-known hostility, a few years previous, of Shabbona to Black Hawk, and the part which the Ottawas took against him and his followers in the war which followed, were still fresh in the mind of the individual Sauk leader and made enemies of two noted braves. The war- fare against Shabbona and his family resulted in the murder of his eldest son, Pypeogee, and a nephew, Pyps. The old Chief Shabbona narrowly escaped with his life from the vengeance of his foes. This caused him and his family to return to Illinois, in about one year after having left it. From this time until in

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1849, Shabbona and his family, some 20 to 25 in num- ber, lived at the Grove in peace and quietness with the white neighbors surrounding them. By this time, the Pottawatomies and Ottawas had been again re- moved to a new reservation granted them in Kansas, and Shabbona again, with his family, left their old homes in Illinois, to join their red brethren in the new one to be occupied. He remained there with his old friends and tribe some three years, then again with his family retraced their steps back to their old home in the Illinois grove, only to find his village and lands in the possession of strangers; the old home he and his family had occupied for more than 40 years, was lost to him forever! When he fully realized his forlorn situation, it is said that the old warrior, who probably had scarcely ever before shed a tear, here " wept like a child." But his cup of misery was not yet full. An unfeeling brute, the new owner of the land, upon which, on his return, Shabbona and his family encamped, cursed the poor old man for having cut a few lodge poles on what he thought was his own property, and peremptorily ordered him and his family to leave the Grove. This they did, and it is said that Shabbona never visited it again.

Mr. Tracy Scott, an old pioneer of this section, re- lated the following incident of Shabbona, which occurred at this time: He was returning from Aurora, and, coming through Big Rock timber, saw the Indians encamped. Shabbona seemed utterly cast down; and, in reply to Scott's inquiry as to why . he left and where he was going, said he had always been a friend to the whites; that he had treated them well; that his wife and some of his children were buried in the Grove; that he had lived there, and wanted to die there; that he had lost all; was very poor; then he told that, because his band had burned a few sticks of wood, " big white man call me damn Indian! Shabbona never damn white man!" and pointing upwards, while the tears- ran down his old cheeks, he continued, " No big white man-no damn Indian up there-all 'like; all 'like!"

A few friends realizing the destitute situation in which the poor old Chief and his family were placed, purchased for him a small tract of 20 acres of timber land on the Illinois River, being the north half of the northwest quarter of the southeast quarter of section 20, township 33 north, range 6 east of the 3d

Principal Meridian (Norman Township), Grundy Co., Ill. The title of this land was vested in the Judge of the Circuit Court of La Salle County, Ill., for the use of Shabbona and his heirs. Here, in a semi-state of poverty and wretchedness, the old Chief and part of his family lived, most of the time in wigwams, or tents, using the house for storage purposes and as a barn. Shabbona died at his wig- wam, July 17, 1859, aged about 84 years. He was buried in the cemetery at Morris ; and be it said to the shame of the white men, no memorial stone, nothing but a piece of board stuck in the ground, shows the spot where lies the remains of the best and truest Indian friend which the early settlers of Northern Illinois had in the day of their tribulation!

Shabbona's first wife was buried at the Grove. His second wife, Pokanoka, a large and decrepid old woman, weighing some 400 pounds, and two of her daughters, came back to their old home at Shabbona Grove, July 5, 1864, took quiet possession of a thicket near their old home and remained three days. Soon after this, Nov. 30, 1864, while crossing Mazon Creek, Grundy County, with her grandchild, they were · thrown from her wagon and drowned in about six inches of water, and both were buried by the side of Shabbona.

Shabbona was not by birth an hereditary chief, and in fact only became one over his band by their tacit consent, after the death of his first wife's father. In his personal appearance, he was a model of phys- ical strength,-one of the finest specimens of the American Indian. Tall in stature, straight as an arrow, large head and face, with pleasant features and an agreeable expression of countenance. He was 'not much of an orator, yet his words of wisdom always had their weight in council deliberations. Until quite late in life (after his return from the West in 1838), he was remarkably temperate in his habits, scarcely ever tasting of the " fire-water," that great enemy of his race. No doubt his long association with Tecumseh, who also was remarkably temperate in his habits, had its influence upon the mind and char- acter of Shabbona.

The name and memory of Shabbona should be ever dear to the old settlers of this section of the West; the prompt action he took to thwart the schemes of that wily old savage, Black Hawk, and save from his savage fury the lives of so many of our early pio-

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neers, many of whom would certainly have been sacrificed had it not been for his disinterested efforts in their behalf, deserve greatest praise from the whites.

Shabbona's name is variously spelled. In a cer- tificate of character given him by Billy Caldwell, Aug. 1, 1816, and which is now in the archives of the Chicago Historical Society, it is spelled Cham- blee. . Others in early time spelled it Chab-o-neh and Shau-be-na. John H. Kinzie and G. S. Hubbard, both of whom knew him, spelled his name with a "C" instead of " S." Even at present it is frequently spelled as follows: Shabonee, Shau-be-nay and Shab-eh-ney. The meaning of his name is, "head and shoulders like a bear."

The portrait of Shabbona which we present in connection with this sketch was made from a portrait by F. B. Young, of Rome, N. Y., painted about 1840. By those who knew Shabbona personally, it is pro- nounced a splendid likeness of the good old Chief.

ev. William Brown, farmer, resident on section II, Milan Township, was born March 13, 1831, in County Donegal, Ire- land. John Brown, his father, was also a native of Ireland, of Scotch extraction and ancestry, belonging to the race known as Scotch-Irish, and was an active and zealous member of society and of the Presbyterian Church. Mary (Johnson) Brown, the mother was born in Ireland, of English parentage, and was a member of the Church of Eng- land, as was her parents before her, and in whose tenets she was brought up. They had five sons and a single daughter. Nathaniel is a farmer in the township of Milan. John is a Presbyterian minister in the South of Ireland, at a military station com- manding the entrance to Waterford Harbor. James studied for the ministry, but owing to failing health abandoned his intentions in that direction, and is now a farmer on the family homestead. William is the next in order of birth. Thomas died when nine years of age. Elizabeth married Mr. Campbell and lives in Ireland. It was the ambition of the father that his sons should enter the ministry, and Mr. Brown was taught at home with that end in view.

The latter had from his boyhood an overwhelming conviction of the attractions and merits of the New

World, and when he was about 19 years of age he came to the United States, settling at first near Sandusky, Ohio; after a tarry there of four years he returned to his native land, finding home and its in- mates as he had left them. In 1855 he returned to the United States, accompanied by his sister and old- est brother. After some prospecting they settled near Sycamore, De Kalb Co., Ill., fixing their resi dence there, May 1, 1855. The oldest brother and sister soon returned to Ireland, where the former re- mained until the next year, when he came back to De Kalb County and located in Milan Township.

In 1853, during his first stay in America, Mr. Brown bought 353 acres of land on section 11, Milan Township, which was in an entirely uncultivated and unimproved condition. He accumulated sufficient means during the four years referred to, to make his title secure. After his marriage he took possession of his estate where he has since pursued the career of a skilled and prosperous farmer. He his at pres- ent the owner of 560 acres of finely located and valu- able land, all under the plow, and the place in point of management and equipments is one of the most valuable in the township. .

Mr. Brown was one of the pioneer preachers of Methodism in Malta, and he has been active in the interest of that denomination since 1856. He has been also actively interested in educational matters. He is a zealous adherent of the Republican party.

Dec. 18, 1859, he was united in marriage, in Jeffer- son Township, Hillsdale Co., Mich., to Sarah, daugh- ter of Theron B. and Sarah (Edgerly) Seely. The former was of Irish descent, and the latter was of German lineage. They were pioneers of Hillsdale Co., Mich., and were among the first permanent settlers of Pittsford Township in that county. They removed later to Jefferson, where they became exten- sive landholders. The mother died there in October, 1878; the father in January, 1879. Mrs. Brown is the seventh child and fourth daughter in a family of nine children. She was educated in the common schools, and has reared her five children in a credit- able manner. Theron is a teacher at Morgan Park, near Chicago; Grace M. is an accomplished musician, and is engaged in teaching instrumental music; Sarah E. has finished a preparatory teachers' course at Aurora, Ill .; William J: and Pearl A. are the youngest.

The parents of Mr. Brown died in their native

THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

Elijah Curliş

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land, after long and useful lives. The demise of his father occurred in June, 1859; that of his mother, Jan. 26, 1865.

lijah Curtis, farmer, section 8, Afton Township, was born in Douglass, Worces- ter Co., Mass., Nov. 23, 1836. His father, Bryant Curtis, was born in the same county, Dec. 4, 1803, and died in Afton Township, Dec. 8, 1880. His mother, Patience, nee Powers, was born June 11, 1803, in Croydon, Sullivan Co., N. H., and died March 12, 1876, in Afton Township, this county. She was twice married, the issue of her first marriage being one son, and of her second, four sons and four daughters. Her first son was Harvey Powers Robbins. The names of her other children are Joanna Maria, Mary E., Elijah, Sarah, Martha- A., Stephen, David B. and Nathan S.

Elijah Curtis, subject of this notice, was reared on a farm in Worcester Co., Mass. He assisted in the farm labors and attended the common schools until the age of 19 years, then came to this county, arriv- ing here in 1856. He engaged in farm labor by the month, and continued in that vocation until 1859. He then began working land on shares and followed that until 1861.

At this period in his life's history, the nation be- came imperiled, and he went forth to aid in her de- fense. He enlisted in Co. C, 58th Ill. Vol. Inf .; Capt. G. W. Kittell and Col. W. F. Lynch, of the 16th Corps, 2d Division. His regiment was in ac- tive service at Fort Donelson. He also participated in the battle of Shiloh, and was wounded, April 6, 1862. He then came home on a furlough, the hos- pital being full, and spent three months, after which he returned to his regiment at Camp Danville, Miss. He was in the battle of Corinth and received a wound in the right ankle Oct. 4, 1862. The wound was made by what was supposed to be a sharp- shooter's ball, a piece of which was found in his stocking. He was taken to the hospital, where he remained two weeks, and was then sent to the hos- pital at St. Louis ; was there a month, received a furlough, came home and remained two months, then went to the hospital at Chicago and was there four months, when he returned to his regiment at Spring-

field, Ill. His regiment was recruiting at Springfield, and two months later moved to Cairo, Ill., where it was encamped during the fall and winter of 1863-4. The regiment then joined Sherman's army at Vicks- burg, and participated in a raid through Mississippi, after which it returned to Vicksburg. He then par- ticipated in the Red River expedition and during the same was wounded in the left thigh, May 18, 1863, and was sent to Jefferson Barracks, Mo. He remained there two months, received a furlough for a month and then joined his regiment at Jefferson Barracks. The regiment " were after" Price and had a battle with him near Kansas City, after which it returned to St. Louis and shipped on board a steamer for Nashville to join Gen. Thomas in time to participate in the bat- tle of Nashville. The regiment then went to Eastport, Tenn. Mr. Curtis then left the regiment to be mus- tered out, his time having expired, and was dis- charged Feb. 7, 1865, at Chicago. He enlisted as a private, and at the time of his muster out he was Sergeant.

On receiving his discharge from the army, Mr. Curtis came to this county and engaged in farm la- bor by the month, which he followed for a year, and then traded 40 acres of land for an 80-acre tract in Clinton Twonship, on which he moved.

Mr. Curtis was first married July 2, 1865, to Miss Candace E. Bovee. She was a daughter of Richard and Orpha (Parks) Bovee, and was born in Erie Co., N. Y., Sept. 14, 1836, and died June 22, 1875. She was the mother of one child, David G., born Feb. 9, 1868. He was married a second time, April 3, 1879, to Miss Juliette E. Hurd, a daughter of Alanson and Jerusha A. (Springer) Hurd, both natives of " York." State, the former born April 4, 1812, and the latter Dec. 25, 1820. Both her parents are living in Dakota, and their children comprised five sons and four daughters, namely : Robert F., Juliette E., Susan P., Harriet M., Mary S., Durfy S., Millie M. and Samuel A. By the last marriage of Mr. Curtis there are two children, namely : Hortense, born Sept. 9, 1880, died Oct. 10, 1884, and Sarah E., born Jan. 10, 1883.

The grandfather of Mr. Curtis was a Revolutionary soldier and participated in the capture of Burgoyne's army ; and Mr. Curtis still retains in his possession the old musket that his grandfather used during those dark days. The family of Mr. Curtis, his father's family, and his grandfather's family all lived on a piece of land that was deeded to his great-

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grandfather, Beriah Curtis, by the King of England. Mr. Curtis also has in his possession a cutlass his great-grandfather captured at Cape Town, West In- dies. The mother of our subject had four uncles who participated in the battle of Bunker Hill, and were among the fortunate ones to escape unhurt. A brother of Mr. Curtis died in a rebel prison at Dan- ville, Vt., and a brother of Mrs. Curtis died in a hos- pital at Helena, Ark

Mrs. Curtis, present wife of the subject of this notice, was born in Marion Co., Ind. Aug. 14, 1844. Her parents were farmers and of German descent.

Mr. Curtis added 80 acres to his original 80, and in 1873 exchanged the 160 for his present farm of 200 acres. He is at present Highway Commissioner and Town Clerk, and also a member of the Board of School Directors, of which he is Clerk. Politically he is a Republican. Socially, he is a member of Merritt Simonds Post, No. 283, G. A. R., of which he is Sergeant Major.

The subject of the foregoing biographical notice being a representative man and a prominent citizen of De Kalb County, the publishers place a portrait of his features in this work.

arshall Miller, of Squaw Grove Township, has been a resident therein since the fall of 1836, having come here when about 18 months old. His parents, Samuel and Gil- ley M. (Sebree) Miller, were natives of Kentucky and Indiana, and on coming to Illinois settled in Squaw Grove Township. Their only child at that time is the subject of this sketch. They passed their after lives in and near the village of Hinckley. The death of the mother occurred about 1849; that of the father took place Feb. 2, 1880. Mr. Miller had five brothers and sisters,-John, William, Charles, Melissa and Augusta.

Mr. Miller obtained a common-school education of the kind common to pioneers. He was an inmate of the paternal homestead until he was 27 years of age, when he married and settled down to an independent career. He is now the owner of 110 acres of land, the chief proportion of which is under tillage.

He was married Dec. 31, 1860, to Maria L., daugh- ter of Alexander and Miranda (Nichol) Coster, in

Milan Township, De Kalb County. Her parents re- moved from New York, their native State, to Milan Township, De Kalb County, in the spring of 1855. Her mother died Dec. 28, 1866, and her father is now a resident of Sandwich. Their nine children were named Millicent B., Philander C., Rachel E., Maria L., Richard L., John B., Emily N., Cornelia A. and Peter E. Mrs. Miller was born June 25, 1840, in Erie Co., Pa., and was about 15 years of age when her parents removed to De Kalb County. Two children have been born of her marriage,-Alice L. and Sammy E. The daughter died Dec. 20, 1881.

ohn Wedlake, farmer, section 2, Milan Township, was born May 10, 1828, in Somersetshire, England. Henry Wedlake. his father, was an English farm laborer, and was born, lived and died in the native shire of' his son. His death occurred in April, 1879. Betty (Pierce) Wedlake, the wife and mother, was also a native of the same place, where she died, in June, 1876.

Seven children were born to Henry and Betty Wedlake, John being the oldest. The first important event in his life was his marriage. He was born to poverty, and according to the customs of the class to which his parents belonged was early made acquain- ted with labor. He was compelled to work when only six years of age, receiving for his remuneration six cents a day, which was increased to eight cents daily when he became eight years old. His marriage to Harriet Orchett took place April 5, 1851. She was the daughter of George and Mary (Bardford) Orchett, and her parents lived in the same house in which they were born in Somersetshire, and where three families of three successive generations had lived before them. Mrs. Wedlake was born Sept. 14, 1827. She was in service until she was married. She has been the mother of two children,-Henry and George. The latter died in England when four years of age. Some years after marriage Mr. Wed- lake determined to seek the promised opportunities of the New World, and leaving his family in comfort he set out alone to examine the feasibility of the claims of which such glowing accounts came across the sea to the homes of the English peasantry. He

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located for a time in Onondaga Co., N. Y., where he operated as a common laborer on a farm. After two years he had accumulated sufficient means to return for his wife and only child, one having died. They returned to Onondaga County and remained there two years. In 1861 they came to the township of Milan, and were tenants on the farm of James Mc- Carroll, which he worked one summer and then rented of William Brown six years. In 1868 Mr. Wedlake bought 80 acres of land, to which he after- ward added extensively by purchase, and is now the owner of 240 acres, which he has finely improved and augmented in value. Politically he is a Repub- lican. He is a zealous member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, as is also his wife.

Charles Hallam, retired farmer, at Shab- bona village, was born in Nottingham, England, Sept. 14, 1836, and is a son of William and Mary (Burton) Hallam. He received an academic education, and by pro- fession became an accountant.

He emigrated to America in May, 1855, and was first engaged as an accountant in New York city for nine years; then spent about two years in various States, and finally settled down on a farm, in 1866, on section 28, Shabbona Township, where he con- tinued farming until January, 1885, when he removed to his present residence in Shabbona village. He still retains possession of his farm, which consists of 160 acres. Since coming to this country, Mr. Hal- lam has visited his native land five times, and thus has crossed the Atlantic Ocean II times.

He was first married Jan. 7, 1864, in New York city, to Miss Emily Millington, and Nov. 16 follow- ing they had a daughter, Emily E. Mrs. H. died April 16, 1865, and Mr. Hallam was again married July 28, 1866, at Jacksonville, Ill., to Miss Elizabeth Challand, daughter of Reuben and Rebecca Chal- land. She was born in England, Aug. 11, 1845, and was brought by her parents to America in 1851. By this marriage there have been one son and two daughters, namely: Charles P., born Jan. 29, 1877 ; Winnie L., Feb. 26, 1879, and Millie R., Dec. 15, 1883.

Mr. Hallam, in his political action, votes the Democratic ticket.

HOE arvey L. Fuller, farmer, section 9, Clinton Township, is a native of New York. His parents, Norman and Sophronia (Buck) Fuller, were also natives of that State, and came to Kane Co., Ill., in 185 1, where he, the father, died in September, 1854. They had five children, namely : Harvey L., Rosetta L., Mary, - Antoinette, Edwin A. and Adelbert U.

The eldest, the subject of this sketch, was born in Orleans Co., N .. Y., Sept. 22, 1835, and came with his father to Kane Co., Ill., in 185 1, and the spring of 1855 to this county. He has since lived here, and now owns 400 acres of land, most of which is, good farming land. Politically, he is identified with the Republican party, and he has held several positions of public trust.

Mr. Fuller was married in Rochester, N. Y., Oct. 15, 1863, to Sarah Brady, daughter of Stephen and Lydia (Gordon) Brady. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Fuller are five in number, namely: Carrie L. was born July 15, 1864; Lewis G., July 4, 1868; Dwight A., April 4, 1870; Mary E., April 1, 1875 ; and James G., Sept. 12, 1880.

A dolphus G. Smith, Supervisor of Pierce Township, and a farmer on section 23, was born in the township of Lykins, Crawford Co., Ohio, Sept. 2, 1842. His parents, John Fred- erick and Christlieba (Lippman) Smith, were both born in Germany. They had come early in life from their native land and remained all their subsequent lives in Ohio. The mother died in 1848, and the husband married again not long after her death.

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Portrait and biographical album of DeKalb County, Illinois : containing full-page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county, Part 57

Author: Publication date: 1885 Publisher: Chicago : Chapman Bros. Number of Pages: 888

Author:
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Chicago : Chapman Bros.
Number of Pages: 888