USA > Illinois > Lee County > Recollections of the pioneers of Lee County [Illinois] > Part 13
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As the years passed new furniture was added and the new home en- larged but of course it was not done with the ease that such things are done now adays; for Chicago was the nearest market for many years and wheat only fifty cents a bushel, and everything purchased there was high priced.
As new friends were made and her motherly love and sympathy dis- played, she became "Mother" to all who knew her. There is many a young man who, being without friends to care for him, can thank her for nursing him during illness, for it was no uncommon occurrence for Dr. ยท Nash to drive out from Dixon and say to her, "Mother there is a young man sick down in the Grove (or elsewhere) and if you don't take him in and care for him he will die;" and "mother," ever ready to respond to the suffering of others, would inconvenience herself. take him home and nurse him back to life and health again. Yes, many a poor starving heart, that had left home and mother in the east, found motherly love and sympathy in her presence.
After the daughters were married, Harriet to James McKenney, Eliza Ann to Daniel McKenney, and Cornelia to Abram Brown, and grand children began to arrive what a place of pleasure the old house was for "mother"-no grandchild ever called her grandmother-was ever indulg- ent to their whims. Only occasionally some of the oldest grandchildren can remember their pleasure being marred by the appearance of a hunt- ing party of Indians, whose red blankets they thought were covered with
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the blood of their victims, and they fled for safety under "mother's" bed, seeking protection behind the old fashioned valance that hung down to the floor. Another childish horror was an ancient Hibernian who lived not far away, who would put in an appearance now and then, and who seeing the little children clinging to mother's skirts in childish fear would add to it by taking off his cap and repeating some gibberish into it and end by saying that he "had a cellar with two rooms in it where he cut off naughty girls heads and put their head in one room and their bodies in another for the cats to eat." Truly he was a veritable "Bruin" or "Blue- beard" to their childish imaginations; although in reality he was a kind- hearted man, but "mother" saved them, so they thought.
It is one of their childish remembrances, too, that brings up the little bag that hung on the post at the head of her bed for preserving apple seeds when the apple trees began to bear, and which seed was used for enlarging the nursery. So it will be seen that the great nursery that now stands on the old place is a living monument to her industry and forethought. And oh! the cakes and turnovers she made for them, was there ever anything half so delicious since? These and many other child- ish impressions can now be recalled that are pleasant to dwell upon.
Always living on the outskirts of civilization, never realizing what her fondest expectations had hoped for, seeing the accumulations of years swept away from her, she lived an example of heroic fortitude worthy to be followed by the best. Ah, yes, she was of such stuff as generals are made of. She died at the age of seventy-two, beloved and honored by all who knew her.
If I have not written in full of Colonel Whitney it is not through disre- spect or disloyalty, for everyone knows he helped make history, and our county bears evidence of his , abilty. Everyone knows he lived over a century, a grand old man whose life was one long effort to do goods Yes a hundred years of well-doing that was not marred by unjust or evil acts, and nothing that I can say will add anything to its lustre. Men build, but women lay the foundations.
ONE OF "MOTHER" WHITNEY'S GRANDCHILDREN.
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Amos Hussey.
Amos Hussey was one of the early settlers of Lee County and was for more than half a century a valued citizen of Franklin Grove. The tract of land which he purchased from the government, the deed for which was signed by James K. Polk, became one of the finest farms in the township. Mr. Hussey was born in Little York, York County, Pa., in 1806; he was married in 1834 to Jane Fredonia Holly, who was the Arst while child born in Fredonia, New York.
In making honorable mention of Amnos Hussey it is but just that we should equally honor the memory of his noble wife.
Through all the hardships of a pioneer life her cheerful courage never faltered, while her zeal and energy seemed inexhaustible.
Money was scarce in those early days, as well as helpful machinery for the cultivation of their land, and the early settlers used to take their grain to Peru and later to.Chicago with their own teams. What stories of those early experiences we have heard them relate illustrating so viv. idly the constant struggle against adverse circumstances! but their en- ergy, inanstry and patient endurance were rewarded. In time Mr. Hus- sey became the owner of two hundred and forty acres of land, on which he made substantial improvements and enjoyed a pleasant home. He was a man whose strict adherence to principle made him universally trusted and respected. In early life he was politically a Whig and later a staunch supporter of the Republican policy. Religiously he was a Quaker, while his wife was a Presbyterian-one of the organizers of that society in Franklin Grove. ELLA E. HUSSEY.
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1
Glimpses of Frontier Life.
On the twenty-sixth day of December, 1834, Dr. John Roe and family, consisting of a wife and five boys, crossed the Illinois river enroute for the Rock river valley. The first stopping place was Knox's Grove, which they reached at ten o'clock at night. The Vermilion river was frozen, and altogether the journey was one of extreme difficulty. Little Uriah, ten years of age, drove five pigs. He walked, having the only pair of shoes among the children. These were rough and clumsy, made by a shoemaker who came to their house, and the soles cut from the skirts of a saddle. The other four boys, Frank, John, Bolivar and Matthew, had their feet wrapped in rags, and huddled close in the bedding to keep warm.
The next stopping place was Bliss' Grove, and starting from thence next morning, facing a northwestern storm, the boy cried that he could drive the pigs no further. He was freezing and they were obliged to re- turn and lay over at the cabin in Bliss' Grove two or three days. They came up to the present site of Washington Grove, making their un- guided way as best they could. There was no other way except the Kel- loge's trail and Bole's trail, which ran too far to the west.
There were three families living thereabouts, those of Smith, Fay and Blackmore. This was the early winter of 1835 and the family stopped at Blackmoor's, as they had pre-arranged. The cabin was sixteen feet square, with a blanket for a door, no floor, and not a nail in it. The Roe family numbered seven and the Blackmore nine-there were sixteen persons in the sixteen feet square cabin. Mrs. Blackmore, the grand- mother, died in 1835 at an advanced age.
Their neighbor Fay had a cabin near the spring on the Paddock farm, and had dug a winding passage from his cabin for a hundred feet to a covert, from which he hoped to escape in case of an Indian attack.
In the spring the doctor sold one yoke of oxen. The hogs were turned in the woods to fatten on the acorns, when killed they readily sold at twenty-one dollars a hundred. Corn cost two and a half dollars a bushel.
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He made one hundred sugar troughs and tapped sugar maples in the center of the grove about the twentieth of February. From this labor he secured one thousand pounds of sugar, one barrel of molasses and two barrels of vinegar, made by letting the sap sour in the sum.
He built a cabin and later added another, making it double, near the route between Dixon and Rockford: It soon began to be known through the settlement that the house on the hill where there was always a light burning at night was the Doctor's house, and toward it they came from all directions.
This was the origin of the name Lighthouse, which clings to the neigh- borhood yet. Another way to distinguish their cabin in summer was the brown leaves and dead branches of four acres of "girdled" trees which surrounded it. A great tree near was also a signal of the way to the cabin. For years and years, early and late, through winter and sum- mer, the doctor rode over the region around, administering medicine, advice and good cheer, indeed, like his Master, he went about doing good.
Speaking of the rarity of the atmosphere Dr. U. C. Roe says on a clear, cold morning from their elevated location they could plainly see the smoke curl up from the cabins in Franklin Grove, and distinguish the tall trees near Melugin's Grove. Their cabin was twenty feet square, with roof of shakes four feet long, held on with logs. There was not a nail in it. The fireplace was of stone broken out of the ledge, a stick- chimney, daubed with mud. The walls were all chinked with mud. The boys sleeping up in the loft sometimes were covered with six inches of snow which drifted in, in the night.
In the summer of 1835-36 Miss Chloe Benedict, a daughter of Mrs. James Clark and afterwards wife of Rev. Barton Cartwright, taught school in a log-house. In the winter of 1836-37 Mr. John Colyier taught. In 1837-38 an Irishman, a Mr. Graham, taught a large school of some forty pupils in the Roe cabin. Mr. Graham was a very capable teacher who sharpened quills into satisfactory pens, smoked constantly and was an excellent penman. One class was Uriah Roe and Mina Wood, now Mrs. John R. Chapman of Franklin Grove. They read in "The History of Christ."
To this school came, beside the five Roe children, Mina Wood; Har- low, Rielly and Bradford, Daniel Mckinney's children; Clinton, John McKinney's son; Richard, Morton, Theodore and Hutchinson, Richard Mckinney's children; John Whitson, Cyrus Brown, Almeda Brown (later Mrs. U. C. Roe), Parker and Elizabeth Plantz, Henry and James Martin, Rufus and Emily Wood (later Mrs. George H. Taylor of Franklin Grove.)
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The seats and school apparatus were very scanty or altogether want- ing, but one scholar affirms it was one of the best schools he ever at- tended.
In the winter of 1837-38 C. B. Farwell, now the Chicago millionaire, taught the first term in the "Red School House."
In February, '36, a man came to Dr. Roe's cabin asking for help. He had started from Rockford for Prophetstown, following the Indian trail, and while fording Kite creek his oxen had been caught in the ice and his wagon box had floated off with his wife, children, and a chest in which was concealed a pocketbook containing five hundred dollars in "Joe Smith's currency."
He had freed the oxen and they were probably on their way to their home. The wagon box had lodged at an island. To this the Doctor swam again and again until the woman and children were safe on dry land, but the chest had burst open, the pocketbook fallen into the water, and could not be found.
The family were kindly cared for at the Roe cabin, and. next morning little Uriah was sent to tell the story of the disaster to the stranger's brother. It was quite an undertaking for a boy of eleven to go so far alone, but he trudged along till he came to the battle-field at Stillman's Run, and then in the long grass, partially covered with snow, he saw skulls and bones which wolves and badgers had dug up. Scared at the awful sight, the story of the battle fresh in his mind, as he says his "hair fairly stood up on his head."
But he did not turn back, and reached his journey's end in time to eat supper with the bachelor brother of the stranger, in the only house in what is now the city of Rockford.
The supper was of "johnny cake," cucumbers and salt, and was, he said, the "best supper he ever ate in his life." The pleasure of seeing a living man, added to a boy's keen appetite, made it so-and then, too, while he had had corn bread and pork for his lunch on the way, this was johnny cake, so there was the sauce of variety.
The oxen were there as soon as he, and they brought them and the boy to Dr. Roe's.
About a vear after a fisherman found the lost pocketbook in the creek.
With great care the soaked bills were put together, so that they were redeemed, the man found and the money restored to him.
That he was grateful to Dr. Roe for such kindnesses goes without saying.
Mrs. Roe had at one time a pretty pet deer, of which she was very
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fond, and which was always very gentle. She made a red collar for it, that it might not be injured by hunters, as it ran in the grove.
One day she had invited quite a large tea party of ladies, gentlemen and children. She had spent considerable time in preparing for the great event, and set her table in the space between the cabins, to have ample accommodation.
Just as they were ready to take their place, the pet deer came bound- ing up, frightened by some boys, seeking Mrs. Roe's protection.
It sprang to her side across the table, scattering the feast in every di- rection, breaking the dishes, and almost spoiling the supper.
But I presume, like Mrs. Ingalls, she soon had another ready, which was eaten with even better appetite than the first would have been.
According to the best data Cummings Noe built the first cabin in China township, in 1835 or '36.
This cabin, called the "Noe House," stood about eighty rods north of where W. H. Hausen now lives. Col. Whitney came here in 1835, and there were no houses, but in 1836 he found Mr. Noe's cabin, and those of James Holly and his father-in-law, Charles Harrison. The Noe family, eight in number, came from Ohio.
Mrs. Sanders says she remembers hearing her mother, Mrs. Edward Morgan, tell of his kindness to her family in pioneer days and that he was an excellent man. They moved to Willow Creek, near Twin Groves, in 1846.
Lorenzo Whiting taught school about 1840 near Tolman's timber, a short distance from the present site of Franklin Grove. He moved to Bradford, near an old friend, Thomas Doe, and from here was elected to the State Legislature, and long known as the "farmer senator." .
Miss Sarah Edmonds, afterward Mrs. James Nettleton of Franklin Grove, was also an early teacher in China township. She taught at the school house east of Amos Hussey's homestead, and boarded there. Je- rome Hussey was one of the primary scholars, and Sam Conner another- but Sam used to go to sleep over his lessons, while Jerome never did. She was a faithful worker in the W. C. T. U., Band of Hope, and Junior League, in which the writer had the privilege of assisting her. Her presence was like a ray of sunlight, cheering, invigorating, helpful and restful. Marion Edmonds Roe, speaking of her, says: "In many a hum- ble home she seemed God's angel to the sad and poor, and those whose need was greatest found the kindest welcome at her door." She died in 1891.
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William Clark Robinson came to Franklin in 1843 and bought the farm now owned by his son George. Henry S. Buckman and his brother, Ira Robinson, lived with him two or three years, then they divided the property.
In 1844 he married Harriet Hausen, then a successful teacher. He had a drug store in town for a number of years, but retired to his/son's farm in his later years and died in 1891, aged 74 years.
In 1835 Lockwood Miner came from New York, the third of the first three men at Franklin Grove - Col. Nathan Whitney the first, Cyrus Chamberlain second.
In 1836 his father, Cyrus R. Miner came.
Lockwood located on a claim of eighty acres, now known as the Joe Lahman farm, but owned by David and John Inagy. Until his father came with the rest of the family in December he stopped with the Mor- gan family in their double log cabin north of the Grove. This cabin is . still standing, and in a good state of preservation, on Ezra Withey's land, opposite Conrad Durkes' house.
Edward Stoddard, who married Willa Morgan, moved it there, and "It is just as it was when I ate dinner in it in 1840" says an old settler.
In January, 1837, the Miners moved to a small cabin, without doors or windows, built on the present site of the "Gabriel Miller" home, and owned by James Nettleton.
He afterwards built the western part of the old "Bishop Hughes' Ho- tel," but now owned and named by Isaac Downing the "Downing House." One of the settlers says- "He was Christian, honest, strict, set in his ways, and tenacious of his creed and politics." He was a class leader in 1840 when the Rev. Jas. Mckean was a missionary in the Rock River District and the class met at his house. He was born in 1782, in Massa- chusetts, was married three times-Timothy Lockwood was the only is- sue of the first marriage; and Sarah, the good wife of Otis Timothy, Albert, Daniel and David of the second; and Elsie of the third. Daniel died in 1852 on his way to California, Lockwood in Missouri 1870. Mr. Miner closed a long and useful life in 1846.
"Father Withey" is an old settler and with his aged wife has lived in China township nearly forty-seven years. He came here in 1847, and in 1850 bought one of the first, if not the first threshing machine in the country. He threshed for the settlers all about, taking one-tenth of the grain in payment, which he hauled to market and sometimes sold for twenty-five cents a bushel, but with care and good management he has secured a pleasant ahd comfortable home.
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In 1843 Christian Lahman, with his family and his father-in-law, Mr. Emmett, came from Pennsylvania and located north of Franklin Grove, on the land now occupied by his son David. Mr. Lahman and Mr. Em- mett were both Dunkard preachers, and as others of their faith took de- grees there were in time twelve preachers who, at different times, led their simple earnest services Mr. Lahman and his wife have reared a large family of children, of whom several are settled near the Grove. Joseph, a minister in his father's church, lived a little west of town-of David we have spoken already. Maggie, now Mrs. Alex Miller, has gone west; Joshua lives south of our town; John is president of the Franklin Grove Bank and lives in town; William lives in Chicago. The family is of German descent and have shown their native perseverence and energy as well as integrity and upright character, and as a consequence are all well off, not only in this world's goods, but in the esteemn of their fellow citizens.
In the fall of 1838 Philip Stahl came from Maine, with W. H. and Harrison Hausen. They stopped at Cold Water, Michigan, to work for a time. Here they met a family named Bridgeman, with a son-in-law, Wm. Church, wife and child. They hired these men to take their chests of clothing on their wagons, paying them enough for their board and passage to aid them materially in keeping up supplies.
Mrs. Bridgeman was a brave, sensible woman, who made the best of their difficulties and was always cheerful, but her daughter, Mrs. Church, was much more timid and despondent.
They bought supplies at the towns on the way, cooked by a camp fire, and came on as fast as they could. When they reached the Inlet the party separated, the three men going to Franklin to keep bachelor's hall in the "Noe house" till spring, the rest going to Palestine Grove. They worked in the timber all winter, carrying their frozen buckwheat cakes for lunch, but they were hale and hearty and it did not affect their strength or appetite.
A family by the name of Cooper lived for several years on land now included in the farm of Samuel Lahman. Harry Cooper and his wife were well educated and great readers; he is said to have been sharp in business and she very ladylike. Their daughter Reform married Harry Godger, who taught school here about 1840.
"Old Harry," as the father-in-law was called, rather objected to the match. Taking an immense pewter plate in his hand, he astonished the wedding guests by saying, "Here, Reform!" "Why father, what shall. I do with it?" said the bride. "Melt it up, and run it into Harry's head for
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brains!" was the brusque reply.
Louisa, another daughter, taught school at Whipple's Cave about 1839, and is supposed to have been one of the first teachers here. She married Mr. Warnsley and lived near Troy Grove. The family went to LaSalle in 1843.
When I asked Mrs. Sanders about her family she showed me the old "Family Record" in her "Testament and Psalms" and said "These were the first children at the Grove." Her father, Edward Morgan, built a rude shanty near Marcus Wingert's present home, and good Mrs. Roe, seeing the smoke from the chimney as she stood in her own cabin door miles away, exclaimed "Praise the Lord! We have neighbors." They came from Ohio, their little daughter Willa riding most of the way on horseback beside the wagon. There were three other children besides Baby Rachel-now Mrs. Sanders. As they came in May, 1836, they were probably the first family at the Grove, after Cummins Noe's. Hischildren were born before he came west, so Mrs. Sanders thinks her brother, John Wesley Morgan, born in 1837, was the first one at the Grove. He mar- ried Caroline Bremmer in 1863, and lives in the west.
School was kept alternate weeks at Mr. Morgan's double log cabin, and at Whipple's Cave. "Two days' meetings" were also held here, for Mr, and Mrs. Morgan were Christian pioneers.
A man who worked for them says that when the mother would swing the kettle of mush from the fireplace for their supper, the children scrambling about her, tired with play and eager with hunger, never failed to hush their voices and bow their heads while the father offered thanks for the simple meal. Mr. Morgan died in 1847, his wife in 1863.
"Squire" Jeremiah Whipple located near the "Cave" which bears his name in 1837 with his family of wife and four children.
He had been out the year before, and agreed with Jesse Holly, to bring out machinery for a saw mill, which they were to run in partner- ship. The sites of the house, the saw mill, and the dam are still to be seen, though the buildings are gone.
For many years Joseph Whipple lived with them.
Almost all the boards used in the houses of the vicinity were sawn at that mill and paid for often in labor and commodities.
Joseph was an old line Whig, and Jerry a strong Democrat, both well read in politics, so they made the double log cabin ring with party argu- nients.
Most of the lawsuits of the day were tried by Squire Whipple, who had been a Justice of the Peace in New York and was an able man.
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Here, too, people of all religious names gathered on Sundays for "meetings," singing as heartily, praying as fervently, and worshipping as devoutly, as in a more pretentious building.
The Whipple, Cooper and Hausen families leaned to Universalism; the Morgan, Minor and Chamberlain families were Methodist; the Tol- man, Hussey, Holly, Ayerhart, Howland, Chilson, O'Connor, Brenen, Mc- Farland, Yale, Johns, Whitney and Nichols families were of various de- nominations, but here they all united as one.
The meeting over, little knots of friends shook hands, chatted over the news, and then drove away with their ox teams.
Emily Whipple married a Mr. Tompkins, and Isabelle, Decatur Far- rows; both went to Iowa, thence to Pike's Peak.
Cyrus Chamberlain has been so fully mentioned in another paper that I will not add more than to say, in the words of an old settler, that he "was an intelligent, large-hearted man."
A kind old gentleman whose modesty prevents my giving his name told me the following story:
"Perhaps you would like to hear about the first doctor at Franklin Grove, and as he was a cousin of mine I can tell you about him. It was in 1844 or '45 that Rufus B. Clarke came to Wisconsin with his wife and daughter. He was an excellent mechanic, so made a good living and all went well until he lost his wife. Soon after, hearing that a family named Nichols whom he knew lived at Dover, this state, he drove to that place with his daughter, and here he was married a second time. The lady whom he married was in the last stages of consumption, and the doctor told Clarke it was of no use for him to attend her, as he, Clarke, could prepare and administer the quieting remedies which were all she could use. So he loaned Clarke several medical books, which he studied diligently. His wife soon died, and he decided to attempt mar- ble work, at least long enough to get stones for the graves of his wives. Having secured them, he prepared to make the journey to Wisconsin where the first wife lay. A young fellow named Olivard was to go with him, and as his means were limited he hit upon a plan for defraying ex- penses of which the reader may judge for himself. 'Olivard,' said he, 'times will be hard between here and there, and I have hit upon a scheme. You just act as my waiter, take care of the horse and call me 'doctor' and I guarantee we'll come out all right.'
"So putting in his books and case of medicine they started, reaching Franklin Grove (called at that time both "Fremont' and 'Chaplain') the first night. They put up at the Miner House, now standing south of the
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