USA > Illinois > Henry County > Portrait and biographical album of Henry County, Illinois : containing full-page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county > Part 96
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The first official order of the Court was one au- thorizing Charles Atkinson, John P. Hanna and George Tyler to keep a ferry on Rock River at Cleveland, and they "ordered that the tax on the above mentioned ferry be fixed at one dollar and fifty cents." The rate of tax was fixed at one-half of one per cent. on " pleasure carriages," horses, cat- tle, hogs, sheep, wagons and watches. Nothing else was taxed, except a road tax of one dollar and twen- ty cents on each quarter section of land ; and every man of lawful age was required to work five days on the public roads. George Brandenburg paid five dollars for the first license to sell goods, and soon
afterwards a similar license was granted George Ty- ler. These two men carried on business in the same place.
The second day of the Court the county was di- vided into five road districts, as follows : First in- cluded towns 16, 17 and 18 north, and 1 and 2 east ; second, 14, 15 north, 2 and 3 east ; third, 14, 15 west, 4 and 5 east : fourth, 16 and 17 north. The Super- visor of first was John P. Hanna; second, Albert Jagger; third, John F. Willard; fourth, John C. Ward; fifth, Neely Withrow. There were then only about one hundred voters in all the county, and here was quite a big undertaking for those men to build the bridges and make the roads passable.
The first road ordered surveyed and laid out in the county was front Andover to Geneseo, thence to the Rock River road at or near Joshua Browning's. C. K. Bartlett, A. M. Seymour and Joshua Brown- ing were appointed viewers, and the conditions were the road was to be "laid without costs to the county." What would an Illinois Legislature think of such public economy as this? This economical order in reference to roads was kept up till 1838, when a road was ordered located from Andover Mills in the direction of Peoria, at the expense of the county. The first appropriation for bridges was $50, to apply in part upon a bridge across Green River, . on the road via Cleveland and Dayton to Andover. The second bridge appropriation was $10 for a bridge on Camp Creek on the road from Andover to Cleveland.
The justices' districts and election precincts were the same as the road districts. In 1838 the place of holding elections in the first district was named " as
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the town of Dayton " -- that means Brandenburg's house ; in the second district " the Company house ;" in the third, Henry G. Little's house ; fourth, John C. Ward's ; and fifth at Joshua Browning's.
The County Commissioners' Court ordered that until the county seat should be permanently located, the Courts should be held in the town of Dayton.
The first merchant's license was granted to George Tyler, " to keep a store in Cleveland," for which he paid five dollars.
These pioneers were evidently a somewhat martial people. An election for " Major " was held at Day- ton, Aug. 12, 1837. Fifteen votes were cast,-eleven for James M. Allan and four for George Branden- burg. When this great military question was thus settled, the good people of the county had but little occasion to further fear the invasions of the murder- ous and scalping Indians.
At the September term of the County Court, the County Surveyor was instructed to run out the line between Rock Island and Henry Counties. A man had frozen to death about or near the line, and as he was a total stranger and had some money and no heirs, Rock Island claimed the " stiff" and money. Henry County suspected this to be a fraud : hence the survey. Sure enough, the cadaver really be- longed to Henry, and the county sued Rock Island, but never got either the money or the dead man.
A permit was granted Charles Oakley by the Cir- cuit Court, in 1837, to build a dam on the Green River, on the east half of the northeast quarter of section 12, township 17 north, I east, known as Green River Mills. The second permit was to Ithamar Pillsbury, to build a dam across Edwards River, on the northwest corner of section 18, town- ship 14 north, 3 east. Here was soon after erected a saw-mill.
No Circuit Court was held in Henry County until the spring of 1838.
Cleveland was laid out, in April, 1836, by C. At- kinson and J. D. Tabor, on section 31, on the banks of Rock River. The first houses built in Cleveland were George Taylor's and C. Atkinson's ; the carpen- ters doing the work on the buildings were Thomas Glenn and George Brandenburg.
At the March term, 1838, James M. Allan was appointed School Commissioner for the County, and
Luke C. Sheldon, Joshua Harper and George Bran- denburg were appointed trustees of school lands in township 17, range I east; and Roderick R. Stewart, Elisha Cone and John C. Ward were appointed for township 17, range 3 east; James S. Miller, Asa Wisher and Albert Jagger for township 15, range 2 east ; Joseph Goodrich, Sullivan Howard and Robert Coultas for township 15, range 5 east; and Henry G. Little, J. F. Williams and Sylvester Blish for township 14, range 5 east.
At the June term, 1838, James M. Allan was ap- pointed " County Treasurer pro tem until the August election."
" Ordered, That the County Clerk be allowed the sum of ten dollars for his services for the year past ; also ten dollars for attending to the military lands ; also five dollars for stationery." It is explained in the order that the salary of $20 is in addition " to what has already been paid him by the day through mistake."
At the August election, 1838, Marcus B. Osborn, John P. Hanna and Sylvester Blish were elected County Commissioners.
April 1, 1839, Milo M. Pollock, Edgar Jacks, John H. Wells, William H. Hubbard and William Mc- Henry were appointed Assessors, and James D. Ta- bor was appointed Collector.
Marcus B. Osborn was appointed agent to receive from the State the money appropriated to the county by the Legislature of 1838-9. This was the noted "hush money " that was given to counties that did not get any of the railroads that were then so grandly voted by the State to build. It was the noted Legis- lature of "internal improvement " celebrity, when Illinois was struck with a craze that at that time looked as though the young State was irreparably ruined.
James M. Allan resigned as School Commissioner in 1839, and Judge Joseph Tillson was appointed to the place.
In 1840 James D. Tabor was appointed Collector of Taxes. Arba M. Seymour was appointed to take the census of the county in 1840.
August, 1840, John Carson was elected one of the County Commissioners, in place of Sylvester Blish, whose term expired.
John Thomas was supported by the county as early as 1840. Probably the first county charge.
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August, 1841, William Ayers and George McHenry were elected County Commissioners, Osborn and Carson retiring. In 1842 James D. Tabor was again Collector, and Joseph Tillson was appointed As- sessor. Charles C. Blish was Surveyor, John C. Ward, Treasurer.
In 1842 Francis Loomis was elected County Com- missioner.
June 7, 1843, the County Court met for the first time at the new county-seat, and made the following order : " Pursvant to adjournment the Court met this day at Sugar Tree Grove, and in consequence of the inclemency of the weather it is ordered that the Court adjourn till to-morrow morning." The next day the weather was no better, and the same order was again made. But the next day (June 9) the weather had improved, and the Court met and went to work to lay off into town lots the town and name it Cambridge.
In 1843 Luke C. Sheldon was elected one of the Commissioners, Marcus B. Osborn, Collector. James M. Allan again elected County Clerk. Alfred W. Perry was Deputy Sheriff in 1843.
August, 1844, Amos B. Cole was elected County Commissioner.
Lewis M. Webber was County Collector and Sheriff.
Francis Loomis was re-elected Commissioner in 1845, and L. M. Webber, Sheriff.
In 1846 a tax of thirty cents on the $100 was laid for county purposes.
Elisha Calkins and William Ayers were Commis- sioners in 1847. James Bernard, Probate Justice.
In 1849 Henry Sleight was County Probate Jus- tice.
By act of the General Assembly of 1850, the County Commissioner's Court was abolished and in lieu thereof the County Court, consisting of a County Judge and two Associate County Judges, was estab- lished.
At the March term of the County Court in 1857 Justus F. Dresser was Sheriff.
Samuel P. Brainard was elected County Clerk in August, 1847.
William H. Blish was elected County Treasurer, Lewis M. Webber re-elected Sheriff, and Champlin Lester elected School Commissioner.
August, 1848, William Miller and Stephen Palmer
were elected Commissioners, and Matthew B. Potter was Collector and Sheriff.
The Probate Court met August 17, 1849, James M. Allan, Judge ; M. B. Potter, Sheriff; and Samuel P. Brainard, Clerk. E. Otis was Deputy Clerk. In 1850, H. G. Reynolds was Deputy County Clerk, William Miller and John Piatt Associate Justices, Henry G. Griffin School Commissioner, W. H. Blish, Treasurer. At the February term, 1851, Joseph Tillson, Judge ; Thomas F. Davenport, Clerk ; and Henry G. Little, Sheriff. December term, 1853, Stephen Palmer was County Judge. September term, 1854, Stephen Palmer, County Judge; John Piatt and Robt. Getty, County Justices; M. B. Pot- ter, Sheriff; Daniel Bonar, Clerk. At the December term, this year, T. F. Davenport, Sheriff.
At a special term of the County Court, March 17, 1856, the county, through its agent, contracted to the Winnebago Swamp Land Company the swamp lands belonging to the county. The company agreed to drain the lands at once " as far as the same may be practical," and to pay the county $70,000 in ten years, five per cent. interest.
Dec. 1, 1856, Justus F. Dresser gave bonds for the faithful discharge of " the duties of Collector of Taxes for the year 1856."
County Seats.
OUNTY legal affairs were by law, at one time and another, transacted at five differ- ent places in the county. First at Day- ton, then Richmond, Geneseo, Morristown and Cambridge. The county seat proper was "located " three times; twice by Com- missioners and once by the Legislature; the third and last time on a petition of a majority of the people.
Under the act of the Legislature the Commission- ers to locate the county seat were sworn into office Oct. 3, 1837, by William McMurtry, of Henderson, Knox County, a Justice of the Peace. This man was afterward Lieutenant Governor of the State.
Andover had just sprung into vigorous existence, under the auspices of New York capitalists, and was a prominent candidate. Geneseo, with more justice probably in her claim, was also pushing her rights.
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Morristown put in a vigorous claim also, backed with her great wealth. A little place on Spring Creek, known as " Ford Town," also bravely put in its shovel, and the chronicler of the day says that in addition to the above,-" and James M. Allan was there."
RICHMOND.
It seems that Mr. Allan as early as 1836 saw that there would be in the near future need for a town or location for a county seat, and his idea was that some eligible spot would be near the geographical center of the county. He mounted his horse and rode until he found an established corner in Sugar Tree Grove, and from that point, guided by a pocket compass, rode due north, counting the steps of his horse, till he reached, as he supposed, section 17, township 16 north, 3 east, about five miles from where he started, and this led him into a rise in the middle of a beau- tiful prairie as may be found anywhere. He had made no error in his measurement, and he afterwards entered the southeast quarter of section 17, and staked out a town, and named it Richmond, and the town was henceforth a standing candidate for county seat.
The law organizing the county required the Com- missioners to meet at the house of Dr. Baker, and proceed to select a site. Another requirement was that, pari passu, they should select Government land.
The Commissioners met as required, and there was a large delegation from Andover. At Brandenburg's they met Major Allan, and proceeded to Geneseo ; then the cavalcade rode out in the bald prairie to Al- lantown-Richmond, and upon the highest ground they halted and surveyed the wide landscape o'er. Not a house nor a tree was within miles of the group of town-hunters, but there was a wide and extended view, and the rich rolling prairies lay spreading its broad acres at their feet. The county map was un- rolled before them, and this was unquestionably nearly in the center.
Mr. Allan prevailed. His offer rather overwhelmed other bidders. He made a deed to the county for I20 acres of his quarter section, and reserved only 40 acres for himself. The entire tract was laid out in lots 4 x 8 rods-streets six rods wide. Each party had a public square. " Three choice lots " were do- nated to George Harris upon condition that he would
build a public house of entertainment " by the first of next June." This house was soon up and the town started on its brilliant and brief career. A sale of lots was advertised in the Peoria, Galena, Chicago and Canton papers "to come off the first Wednesday in June." In the interval choice lots were ordered sold at private sale for $50, second choice for $25, one-third cash. Proposals were pub- lished for building a court-house, 18 x 24 feet, story and a half high ; and at the December term, 1837, the clerk was ordered to let the work to the lowest bidder. George Harris secured the contract for the building, and so he pushed the work on his own house and the court-house towards completion the next year. His public house mentioned above was 36 x 40 feet, two stories. So far, this was by far the most extensive and pretentious building ever erected in the county.
At the June term, 1838, the Court pledged the faith of the county that all purchase money paid for lots should be returned in the event the county seat was removed from Richmond. This was official no- tice that it would possibly soon move.
At the August election, 1838, the new County Commissioners elected were Marcus B. Osborn, Syl- vester Blish and John P. Hanna, and by act of the Legislature of the preceding winter;the new Commis- sioners had to draw lots. In the drawing, Osborn re- tained his office three years, Blish two and Hanna one.
At a special term, October, 1838, George Branden- burg was allowed $12 for "furnishing a court-room one term." At the December term, of this year, it was ordered that at the general elections all voters should vote at the county seat. Probably the cause of this action was that at the election in 1837 there were just seven votes cast in Richmond. This act was repealed the same year, and people did not have all to go to the county seat to vote. At this time the Court informed the members of the Legislature that the county of Henry was seriously suffering, be- cause there had been no session of the Circuit Court in the county. This appeal to the Legislature did bring the Circuit Court, as the next spring term con- vened there. There were, notwithstanding the long delay of the Court's coming, only ten cases on the docket at this first term.
One was a criminal case-counterfeiting. This
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criminal had to be guarded day and night. This suggested the necessity to the County Court to order published proposals for building a jail. On the Ist of January, 1839, a contract was made with George Harris to build a jail, to be completed by the next September.
The first Circuit Court was in April, 1839. Thomas Ford, afterwards Governor, was the presiding Judge; James M. Allan, Clerk. The only criminal, a coun- terfeiter, took a change of venue to Ogle County. Soon after the Court adjourned another prisoner was run in, and the two were being guarded at Harris' house. The house took fire, and when discovered the flames were beyond control; and as the Court- house was close by it too was burned to the ground. In the excitement, the two prisoners went to the wood-pile and relieved themselves of their shackles, and then went to work with a might and main to put out the fire, and, failing in this, removing property and saving it. The counterfeiter, Porter, was a small man, and he saw clothes hanging on the wall ; he at- tempted to take them down, but was not tall enough, except by tearing them, so he rushed back and got a stool to stand on ; but when he retured the. clothes were in a blaze. He looked for something else to save, and noticed a small stand and carried that to a place of safety. There was a drawer in this stand, and in the drawer was an indictment on which a jury afterwards sent Porter to the penitentiary.
Harris had not completed the Court-house when it burned, and he wanted pay for his work. He and the Court could not agree; so, finally the matter was submitted to a vote of the people, and he was paid $30 in addition to what he had received, and the contracts were canceled. This last mentioned elec- tion was on July, 9, 1839.
But to return to the subject. The fire had swept from the earth the entire city of Richmond-except a straw covered stable. All was gone, and appear- ances indicated had gone away to stay. Every one in the county was agreed that new county buildings should be speedily erected; but just where they should be put up was another and more serious question. The old bidders for the county seat, with new friends, enlisted in hot haste and again entered the field, proclaiming the superior merits of the goods and wares they had to offer the county.
Meetings were called and the war of words and
quiet investigation went on. At a meeting in a school- house at Rock River, it was "resolved," in italics and big caps, "that we are in favor of removing the county seat from its present location." Then a petition was circulated, addressed to the County Court, praying for a call of a convention of the peo- ple to take action on this momentous question.
The last resolution in the series passed by this meeting was as follows :
" It is further resolved at this meeting, by an unanimous vote, that we concur with a majority of the legal voters of the county (when they shall be taken), for the re-location of the county seat of said county. And we further disapprove of the minority remonstrating against any location that may be made by the majority." This was signed by George Col- bert, Chairman, and George Tyler, Secretary, and dated June 1, 1839.
About the same time a meeting was held at An- dover, which petitioned the Court to call a conven- tion of the people, " to take the sense of the county on several topics of importance, among which are : Ist. The Revenue law. 2d. The Internal Improve- ment of the State. 3d. Adjusting the accounts of G. W. Harris. 4th. The removal of the county seat. On the last named subject we suggest the following consideratins in favor of a removal. Ist. There have been strong objections from the first, to the present location, that it is remote from timber ; that it is des- titute of water power; of facilities for steam power ; * * that it is not on the direct route of travel; *
the difficulty of obtaining suitable persons to hold office at the town of Richmond." This last propo- sition will sound strange to readers of the present day and age. " Difficulty of obtaining suitable per- sons to hold office !" Think of it, reader ! when for every office now, from Path Master to President, there are clamorous applicants by the hundreds, sometimes by the thousands, for every place there is to fill !
This memorial was signed by 15 citizens. Among those 15 were William Ayers, Joseph Tillson and I. Pillsbury.
The court yielded to these petitions of the people, and at the June term, 1839, ordered a convention to meet at Geneseo, " to compare views and consult on such matters of immediate importance to the county as may be then and there proposed."
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HENRY COUNTY.
The convention met at Geneseo on July 9, and the next day the County Court met at the same place. These proceedings were had in Geneseo be- cause there was nothing left in Richmond but the stable, and the population of the "fallen Babylon " were housed in said stable. In this stable the County Court held one meeting and then took up its bed and walked over the land of Nod-Geneseo, and held its sessions here, waiting the settlement of the great questions before the people. It remained there only a short time, until the question of removal of the county seat was again strongly agitated, and steps accordingly taken toward changing its location.
At the December term,- 1839, the Court petitioned the Legislature to legalize its acts in holding sessions at Geneseo, that officers of the county might be permitted to hold their offices at their respective homes.
MORRISTOWN.
At the session of the Legislature, 1839, an act was passed re-locating the county seat; and Alexander Turnbull, of Warren County, W. W. Conway, Rock Island, and Harmon Brown, Knox County, were ap- pointed Commissioners to locate and name the new county town.
The earnest competitors now for the county capital were Geneseo and Morristown. The former apparently had every advantage, and this fact, prob- ably, made the people of that place over-confident. At any rate, when the Commissioners to locate met and opened the bids there was practically no contest at all. Morristown carried off the prize easily. Her bid was overwhelming, compared with Geneseo's. Geneseo, it is said, offered the county a fair and liberal portion of the town, while Morristown, or Charles Oakley and Joshua Harper, offered an entire quarter-section for town lots and $1,000 in cash. This settled the matter at once, and Morristown be- came the seat of justice for Henry County. Gene- seo was seriously disappointed ; it was a blow under the belt. For some years her people con- tended they had really made the most liberal offer, while her enemies said the big end of her liberality was only manifested after the question had been set- tled. Then another wheel within this wheel was a statement made current that one of the Commission- ers to locate, Turnbull, had been a candidate for the
Legislature and Geneseo had voted against him, and, therefore, he was " fernenst " her.
Among the provisions for the new county seat, Morristown, was one that a public house should be built out of the fund; and that within a certain time (one year) each of the colonists should erect a house upon his land. A good-sized building was erected out of the general fund, and three or four dwelling houses were erected by different parties. The town plat was one mile square. In the center was a pub- lic square, 440 feet each way. Lots, 45 feet front and 135 to 240 deep.
Thus, under promising prospects, was started the new town. It was thought the county-seat question had been about permanently settled, and a permanent population was expected to flow into the place. Mr. Crocker had entered Crocker's Grove (sometimes called Brown's), as well as a large tract adjoining. He had intended making an extensive farm and ex- pected wide range for years for his cattle. He re- gretted that Morristown had been located so near him, as it would cramp his grazing range.
The above named public house and three or four dwellings constituted the point of greatness and growth at which the embryo city of the plains seemed to halt in its strides to greatness. Murmurs at the place began to be heard ; the good people complained that the selection was bad, very incon- venient and not in the center of the county. In short, the most " knowinsomest " old settlers soon saw the the question of a new county seat would have to be all fought over again. The terms of the Circuit Court were held in Geneseo after the burning of Richmond, until the fall of 1841. The first Circuit Court held in Morristown was in May, 1842, and the last in May, 1844.
The public house in Morristown was duly con- veyed to the county and a contract for improving it was made with David Gove and Nathaniel Walters, for which work an order was issued to them for the sum of $70. June 28, 1841, a contract was made with Thomas W. Carey and George Brandenburg for the erection of a " commodious court-house, 18 by 24 feet, one and a half stories high," and also for building a jail. Brandenburg and Carey rented the public house for a term of two years, to pay $100 rent, and to " furnish suitable court-room for the use of all courts in the county." The court-house was
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built, and this was the building that, being trans- ported finally to Cambridge on wagons, gave the county seat the reputation of being on wheels.
As said, the dissatisfaction with Morristown con- tinued to grow. The people were determined to re- locate the county seat, and they were determined no longer to trust "commissioners to locate." They had many reasons for mistrusting commissioners. Sinister influences too often were the weightier con- siderations, and for such good reasons the people, when they determined to found a new county-town, at the same time determined to fix that location them- selves.
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