USA > Illinois > Lee County > Recollections of the pioneers of Lee County [Illinois] > Part 14
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Downing House, then used as a tavern. Olivard, true to his part, called Clarke 'Doctor,' and the landlord caught at the word. 'Are you a doctor' sir?" he asked anxiously. When told that he was he went on to say 'My wife is sick in there, I was just thinking I must send to Dixon for a doc- tor, but this is good luck, you have come and you can see her.' Clarke pronounced the case a mild one, prescribed some simple remedy, and both he and the landlord were relieved the next morning to find the good woman much better and 'quite bright.' Nothing would do but the new doctor must drive out and prescribe for the sick in the neighborhood, and at the landlord's urgent entreaty he promised to consider the place as a possible location.
"After the stone was set at his wife's grave and they were ready to return, Clarke said to his assistant, 'See here, Olivard, if I am going into this business I must understand surgery. I know where a young Indian's body lies, and I am going to get the bones to study.' The bones were secured, placed in a box, and as they came through Franklin heleft them there. Going on to Dover, he settled up his affairs there and returned to Franklin, to the great delight, of the landlord. He boarded at the tavern and his barn stood on a part of what is now Charles Hausen's lawn.
"As Dr. Clarke's practice increased he took Dr. Yager into partner- ship. He married a daughter of Mr. Woodruff of Bradford andmoved to Rockford, thence to Racine. Here he connected himself with a manu- facturing establishment. From here he went to Chicago. He made one more removal-to Iowa, where he was elected State Senator, and held the office at the time of his death. I must add that the bones of the Indian were forgotten, and he sent to his cousin for them, while in Rockford. His cousin opened the box, added a good supply of beef and pork bones and sent them on. History does not tell us whether the science of sur- gery was greatly aided thereby or not."
The "Old Chicago Road" has been mentioned by several writers and is a familiar name to every old settler, as the stage and mail route from the Lake Shore to Galena.
Starting from "the river" as everyone called Chicago in an early day, the ox teams went on to Berry's Point, nine miles; to Brush Hill, twenty; to Naperville thirty: to Aurora, crossing Fox River forty miles out. At Sugar Grove Cyrus Ingham's sign "entertainment" hung out. Then Big Rock ten miles; Little Rock four miles farther and Somananc six. From here to Indian Creek or Ross' Grove ten miles; to East Paw Paw four, where Wirrick's tavern stood; through Melugin's Grove six miles, and Inlet six. Here was David Tripp's tavern-and here the Franklin Grove
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men left the "old road."
Squire Haskell had the postoffice and stage station at Inlet, and at what was Cephas Clapp's place in Lee Centre old Whittaker hung out his "sign." This was three bottles hung between two poles
At Temperance Hill good Mr. and Mrs. Hannum furnished a very different entertainment in their sod house. Next was Dr. Gardner's, then six miles further on was "Dixon's Ferry."
The trips over this road were long or short, as the roads varied; men slept under their wagons, and carried food and fodder from home, as they went over it to sell grain and get the few luxuries they could afford. Often teams had to be "doubled up" to pull through a bad "slough." Wagons must be pried out with fence rails, and sometimes the rails were laid in a corduroy road, over the worst places. Sometimes the wagons were driven into a stream, end boards taken out, and a bridge made over which the grain was carried. Men made little but they spent less, on these trips. An illustration of this is given by Charles Hausen who made his first trip with Otis Timothy, spending one shilling only, for a dinner on what is now South Water Street, Chicago. As old Mod- est Gehant used to say "They conld stand up under a good deal then."
George Yale had a board shanty near the farm of Kincaid Runyan and George O'Connor worked for him. One winter's night in a snow-storm, they heard a cry for help, just as they had settled for the night, and found a family which had strayed from the "old road" and were almost perishing with cold, at their door. They were taken in, a new supper cooked, and everything done to make them comfortable for the night. Just as they were ready for the night a second time a second call was heard, and another party, lost in the same way begged a shelter. So covers were stretched, teams crowded closer, children put to sleep on boxes and trunks, and the fire piled with fresh logs. Another supper was made ready, and as hearty a welcome given as if they had been the first. The one small room was so crowded that the elders could not sleep, so George took his violin and played the rest of the night, while those who could get room enough danced, "till broad daylight."
On one of his trips Charles Hausen sold his wheat so well that on his return he traded one yoke of his oxen for a fine dark bay horse which he called "Bill." In Saumanauc he traded the other yoke for a chestnut called "Old Baldie." Leaving his wagon and yokes he rode the forty miles bareback to Dixon, where he hought a harness of James and Hor- ace Benjamin, and went back for his wagon. When he reached the
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Grove, his team created quite a sensation; James Holly and Charles Har- rison calling out "Why there's Old Barney!" It proved that they had known the horse in Ohio, where Holly had owned him, and often driven him to Harrison's when he was "courting." Among other stories they told how he had once pitched Holly out at the gate, and jumped the fence, drawing the sleigh after him. When Holly got up he was aston- ished to see Barney quietly standing in the yard, apparently waiting for the pretty girl to open the door. At any rate Barney was the only fel- low Holly ever allowed to court his girl, and the old horse worked long and faithfully. Although not an old settler in every sense, he was a pio- neer of 1835.
Adam Vroman bought out Holly and Harrison and they went to Iowa.
"Little Mike" Brewen and O'Connor lived with Mchael McFarland, near Sproul's farm, three jolly old bachelors from Ireland. 'McFarland used to ask "Now what's the news? No News? Faith then, if there's no news it's good news, for there's no bad news."
One old settler remembers that on these trips they sometimes had to eat a frozen lunch, and that Streator used to soak his in whiskey, and brandish it above his head, as he drove along. Another story is of a man who sold his load for twelve dollars, and felt so rich that he got a pair of boots. He had no box on his wagon, only a rack, and as he forded the river near Geneva, the boots got loose and were washed down stream beyond recovery. He says he never shall forget his feelings as he watched them floating down the stream.
John Hartzell once lost his oxen on his way out of Chicago, and sup- posed they were stolen, but unwilling to give up hope, he returned and renewed his search. On this second trip he met a pleasant German girl, to whom he proposed marriage and was accepted. He found his oxen soon after and came back doubly rich,
"Blast it!" says an old settler, "we used to go to Chicago for two shil- lings! But those days are gone by."
Hugh Moore came west from New Hampshire in 1836. In 1837 we hear of him as one of a company formed to protect actual settlers in their claims. His brother Rufus came with him, James in 1835-all three are dead. Hugh was greatly respected in Lee county; was a public- spirited man who did much for the good of the people in an early day His claim was made near Grand Detour; his son James lived just west of Dixon for years. It is related of one of their ancestors that on his voy- age to this country from Scotland, in 1710, food became so scarce that
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at last the company cast lots to decide which one should be sacrificed to save the rest. The lot fell on this ancestor. During the night as he prayed to be prepared to die a son was added to his family and the re- mainder of the company decided not to take the life of a man who would leave a wife and eight helpless children in a new country. They came to land before it was necessary to choose a substitute. The child born that night grew up and reared a large family, some of whom became prominent citizens and took good rank at Yale and Harvard.
My grandfather has often told me the story of how her children took care of her, as they thought, when grandfather. went on his long trips to Chicago or Peru with grain. She was five miles from neighbors, and fearful of Indians, of wolves, of claim jumpers, and much else that was more indefinite. Once when she had kept the children awake as long as possible, for company, after they had one by one dropped off to sleep, she was terribly frightened by a sudden rush and crash at the half-sash win- dow of the cabin. She sat, too frightened to move, for a time, but at last gathered courage to hang a blanket before the opening. Then she waited in fear and trembling till morning-only to see the window sash hung round the neck of her good old cow.
But the children all felt sure that they had saved mother from wild beasts and Indians, and assured their father that each had done his part when he came home. And so they had, dear children! Had they not watched and prayed and then trusted the Good Father, Who did care for her?
MINNIE A. HAUSEN.
A Veteran of the Ministry.
The Rev. Barton Cartwright, being asked for a paragraph, sends us the following, in the trembling hand of a veteran of eighty-three years: " I was born in Auburn, New York, in 1810. I came to Illinois in 1833, and met Black Hawk on his way to Washington prison.
"The first Sunday in May, that year, I held my first meeting in Illi- nois, in Warren county. I formed the first class in April. But you want something of your own field. Rev. James McKean was our first preacher in that part of the country. He preached all through what are now. Ogle, Lee and Whiteside counties.
"I was sent on the circuit in 1837. I went from north of Byron to
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Fulton, then to Dixon, where I preached in a school house, at" Franklin in Edward Morgan's cabin, at Sterling in Brother Bush's house, at Mt. Morris in a small school house, preaching every day but Saturday.
"Once I rapped at a cabin door just as the mother was regretting their coming so far from religious privileges, and the father cheerfully answering 'the preachers will be here soon.'
"In the winter of 1836-7 I went to New York in a "jumper," through Canada, Rochester and Syracuse.
"On the circuit I generally went on horseback, and often swam the Rock or the Mississippi by the side of a skiff, to reach my appointments. April 9, 1839, I went to conclude a very pleasant engagement with Miss Benedict, in the presence of Rev. Thomas Hitt, at the home of her step- father, James Clark.
"As I came through Warren county a man joined me, and rode by my side as far as Dixon. When I reached Mr. Clark's Col. Sealey and a constable from Portland were just behind, and I might have been arrested for being in the company of a counterfeiter, if I had not been well known. As the man had been seen with me, they thought he might still be near. They caught him at Inlet, and I was able to take my part in the wedding ceremony without interruption.
"Once when I arrived at a house quite late, the owner gave me a bed on the floor, and grudgingly told me he 'had an uncle who was eaten out of house and home by Methodist preachers.' 'Ah,' said I, they must have had sharp teeth. What is my hill?' 'One dollar.'
"Strange to say, I had the money and paid it, though it was a very rare thing to find anyone willing to take pay from a preacher. Two years after the man wanted some office and that dollar seemed to be in his way. He wanted to return it to me, but I told him to 'send it to his poor uncle.' "
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Sifas P. Tofman.
Silas P. Tolman, in the fall of 1837, left New York state with his family enroute for the undeveloped west.
After a journey of about eight weeks with three horse-teams, one to convey the family, the other two the household goods, he arrived at a point in Illinois now known as Inlet Grove.
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Probably the distance traveled, which at that time required eight weeks, could with present facilities be covered in about twenty-four hours.
The family remained at this point (Inlet Grove) during the winter, but early in the spring of '38 resumed their journey and pitched their tent upon the present site of the village of Franklin Grove. After pur- chasing a claim of three hundred and twenty acres the subject of this sketch proceeded to make a home for himself and loved ones.
He first built a log house or cabin for temporary use but soon there- after erected a more substantial dwelling, the second frame house built in Franklin Grove. This same house, with some modern improvements, is at the present time occupied by his son, A. W. Tolman.
During the war of 1812 our subject served as drummer-boy.
LUCY B. TOLMAN-COOK.
Pioneering Westward.
The old schooner "Saunup" hove to, and a small boat put off over the blue waves of the Narragansett for the city of Providence. In the boat was a hoy charged with the task of bringing his mother and five younger children from Maine to the far off prairies of Illinois. He was a well- built, energetic lad-the short history of his sixteen years is soon told. His father, Charles Hausen Sr., had moved from the old homestead at Bristol, in Maine, with his wife and older children-Henry, Harrison, Harriet, Charles, Jane and Sylvanus-to "Old Dutton," later Glenburn, near Bangor, where he hoped to purchase and improve a large tract of land for his sons.
Here he built the house (about 1825) which is still standing.
Finding that his friends who had emigrated west found ample farms unencumbered by stone, tree or hill, Mr. Hausen decided to come also. Several neighbors having located near Dixon's Ferry, the two older sons, Henry and Harrison, started in 1838 with Philip Stahl to secure land. They were twenty-two and twenty respectively, and made the long trip with that brave spirit which characterized the early pioneers.
Having sold the farm, two years later, the summer of 1840, the father came to prepare a home, leaving the boy Charles to bring the family of younger children later.
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In September they started, the mother grieving to leave the ancient landmarks of her life, the grave of her little daughter, and the friends of youth and womanhood. From the Penobscot they shipped in the schooner "Sanup,"and anchoring in Narragansett Bay for supplies from Providence, we find the pioneer boy accompanying the sailors to land. The voyage had been pleasant after the seasickness had worn off. The remembrance of good Capt. Parker's stories, the songs of the sailors and their shouts in the rigging, the kindness of the burly negro cook, who made special bowls of soup for the seasick lad, filled his heart to over- flowing. Never in the long years after did he find, it seemed to him, such sincere friends as those on this trip from the old home to the new.
At New York City they took a steamboat to Albany. From Albany to Buffalo the voyage was made in the tedious canalboat, their experience in being bumped out of bunk at night being anything but pleasant.
The old lake boat "Gen. Wayne" brought them to Toledo. At Toledo they landed, taking the little corduroy railroad thirty miles to Adrian, Michigan, a stage ride of seven miles further bringing them "to the woods" where the Sears family lived, who had been near neighbors for years in Glenburn. Here they rented a house of a man named Batchelor and unpacking what goods were needed, the mother and little folks re- cuperated from the long journey.
The day before they arrived a son of Mr. Batchelor had died and shortly after they moved in his "house he came over and gave the boy Charles work at "girdling.' Taking him to the very tree where his son had last worked he told him of his own boy. The "girdlings" were trees "girdled" to kill them, and at these tough old forest monarchs he spent the next six weeks, getting fifty cents a day. This small sum meant much to the family moving so far into a new settlement. His hands blistered and swelled, but what of that, had not his father trusted him to bring out the mother and children? He must take a man's part in life.
After a time Mr. Penfield, of Inlet, Lee county, Illinois, arrived, sent by the father at Franklin Grove for them. Part of the goods were packed in the tightest possible manner, the rest sold, and the family took up the journey again.
It was fall and quite cold, but the greatest difficulty was that but one wagon had come. In this. Mrs. Hausen, her little girls Faustina and Kate, aged twelve and ten years, and her little boy Norman, of eight, rode; Sylvanus walking part and Charles all the way from Adrian to the Franklin Creek.
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It was December and the early snows fell thickly; the wolves howled afar off around the taverns; the way was long and weary, but their faces were steadfastly toward the new west.
'These gardens of the desert, The unshorn fields, boundless and beautiful, For which the speech of England has no name- The prairies."
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Arriving at Inlet Mr. Penfield put up at his own home for the night, the family going on to their friend's-Russel Lynn's. But for our boy? He had come nearly forty miles that day, but only seven miles off were father, brother, home! He and Sylvanus pushed forward, leaving mother and sisters to rest. It was dark when they reached the frame house of Col. Nathan Whitney, now the vinegar house at A. R. Whitney's nurs- ery, and the kind old man arose from the supper table to direct thefn. Going part way down the hill he pointed to the light in the window of Yales' house, saying "Follow the light, boys, and you will get there all right."
On reaching Yale's cabin, which stood near where Ferris Ramsdell's orchard is, they crossed the creek and came to the "Noe house" vacated the winter before by Amos Hussey and occupied by the father and sons while looking over the land and deciding on a location. This house stood about a mile and a quarter west of the present site of the railroad depot in the village and a quarter of a mile north of W. H. Hausen's present residence on his "Grove Stock Farm."
Tired, but satisfied, they lay down to rest too weary to talk. The boy's task was accomplished when the team brought the family and goods the next morning. The house was made of logs with puncheon floor, door and furniture. A fireplace answered for stove, a cross-leg puncheon bench for table, puncheon benches three feet long for chairs, bunks against the walls for beds. Pegs along the wall were the only staircase to the loft overhead, but the beds the mother brought were warm. Young blood flowed swiftly and life was all before them.
On Monday morning the pioneer boy began work for Col. Whitney, doing his first day's work in Illinois in the barn still standing opposite the vinegar house. He helped set out the orchard and shade trees in the northern part of the nursery. The good colonel's wife said no one cut her such neat, measured sticks of wood as Charles did. Her quiet manners, little kindnesses and gentle praise won his boyish heart, and placed her high in his lifelong esteem.
The two talked together as they worked-the man with the rich ex-
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perience in army and civil life, and the boy with his first, fresh impres- sions and ardent hopefulness-and as, they planted the trees thoughts and principles springing from the sage councils took root in the boy's heart, to bring fruitage in manhood.
The father of the family purchased the land now owned by S. C. Hau- sen and built a commodious frame house two or three years later. The boards for it were sawn in Whipple's mill near where "Whipple's Cave" is and were of oak and walnut, the shingles being as long as barrel staves.
W. H. Hausen, the oldest son, took the land lying east and has passed his life there. Besides improving and importing his herd of stock he cultivated his fruit trees until in September, 1872, he was able to ship ninety-seven varieties of apples and fifteen varieties of pears to the Iowa State Fair.
Harrison took the land lying west of his father's and resides still at the same place, and as fast as the other sons became of age they pur- chased land lying near, until nearly all that lying west of the village of Franklin Grove for three miles and including large portions of adjoining timber has become their property.
Life was hard in those days, but it meant much. Privations were patiently borne, schools were poor and the term short. The nearest doc- tor was that good old man, Dr. Gardner. For preaching they were dependent on the itinerants who with Bible and saddle-bags made infre- quent but welcome visits.
Yet life had its joys as the years came and went-spelling schools, singing schools, "bees," parties and sleigh rides in "bob-sleds."
Every new pioneer was welcome to the best any house or cabin con- tained, and among those surroundings the pioneer boy of Maine grew up into sturdy, vigorous manhood.
MINNIE A. HAUSEN.
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E. G. Thomas.
E. C. Thomas, of Franklin Grove, Illinois, was born at Batavia, New York, Novembor 9, 1813. His mother was Rebecca Campbell, of Scotch descent. His father, Silas Thomas, was of Puritan stock. When yet a babe, he moved with his parents to East and West Bloomfield, New York. In 1823 he moved to Porter, Niagara county, New York, and in 1835 mar-
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ried Mary Ann Nichols, of Wilson, Niagara county, New York.
In 1836, with his wife, he started for Michigan going via canal from Lockport to Buffalo, and steamer to Detroit, settling in Oakland county, Michigan. They remained here three years, Mr. Thomas working for $13.00 a month. During this time they were visited by John Nichols, father of Mrs. Thomas, who went to Illinois and reported so favorably of the country, that Mr. Thomas and wife concluded to move there, and, purchasing a team and wagon they, with their two children, Mary and William Henry, started for Illinois in 1839. On their way they passed through Chicago which was then a small town built in a low marshy place and they stopped in the vicinity of what is now Franklin Grove. Their first night in this vicinity was spent in Whipple's cave, and the next day they moved into a shanty twelve feet square, built by Mr. Nichols. In building the shanty a fallen tree was used as one side of the building. The roof consisted of split hollow logs. The next spring they moved into a house built near the old homestead.
In August, 1842, Mary Ann Thomas, wife of E. C. Thomas, died leav- ing a babe, Ruby Thomas, and the two children before mentioned. Soon after her death Mary Duncan, sister of Mr. Thomas, took the three child- ren to McHenry county, Illinois, and cared for them.
The sickness of Mrs. Thomas completely exhausted the resources of Mr. Thomas, and as a result the sheriff levied on and sold his property to satisfy the doctor's bill.
In the winter of 1842 Mr. Thomas went to the lead mines near Galena, Illinois, where for some time he worked at fifty cents a day in order to get money to make another start. He brought back to his for- mer home $30 in silver with which he purchased a yoke of three-year-old steers and a sled. In October, 1845, Mr. Thomas married Harriet A. Whitmore and again commenced farming with his oxen and sled. At that time there were only about fi ve wagons in that part of the state.
As a result of this union there were ten children, of whom all are now living except Ella Josephine, who died at the age of two and one-half years.
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas, among many hardships and privations, lived and prospered. Mr. Thomas had the misfortune to lose his beloved wife in October, 1867. Thereafter he devoted himself to his children and at the age of 79 years is remarkably active and well.
MARY C. THOMAS.
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"Mother" Bradstreet.
Mrs Bradstreet, formerly Clarissa Todd, was born in Litchfield, Con- necticut, April 27,'1800. She was the tenth child of Samuel and Mary (Dudley) Todd. Her father served seven years in the Revolutionary war, returning uninjured. She received her early education from her grand- father Dudley, who had been a school-master for years. Six of her brothers and sisters taught the pioneer schools in New York. Being very energetic and faithful she cared for her parents with marked tenderness and thrift until September 10, 1820, when she was married to Daniel Moore Bradstreet. In 1831 she was converted, and united with the M. E. Church in the spring of that year. The mother of twelve children, she buried seven in New York, and in 1844 came to Illinois to rear her remaining five. Hers was the rough lake voyage and long jaunt over the prairie in a wagon from Chicago to Hugh Moore's cabin, near what is now Grand Detour. Her husband entered a claim at Dixon and moved his family to "Hoosier Hill." In 1864 the family moved to Franklin Grove, where her life was pleasantly passed. She died August 25, 1889. Her funeral sermon was preached from her chosen text, II Timothy 4, 7, 8, by Rev. E. D. Hull of Kingston, assisted by Rev. G. M. Bassett, her pastor. She rests in peace.
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