USA > Illinois > Lee County > Recollections of the pioneers of Lee County [Illinois] > Part 24
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Elijah Dixon, Father Dixon's third son, never had a home here. He went when a young man to establish a stage route between Janesville
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and Milwaukee, in company with Richard Loveland. Not long after this was accomplished he was seized with pneumonia and died at Janesville.
Father Dixon's fourth son, Franklin, died at the early age of sixteen' His memory is enshrined in the name of the pretty "Franklin Creek," which in turn gave the name to Franklin Grove. We learn that Father Dixon found the pretty stream when hunting one day, and not long after proposed to a party of relatives to go with bim to see it. They were greatly pleased with the country and the creek, and when asked for. a name Mrs. Kellogg said it "should be named for Frank."
Mrs. Dixon also lost two children, at Galena, whither she fled for safety during the Blackhawk war, and a beautiful daughter of three and a half years died of scarlet fever at Dr. Everett's farm, when there had been no other case heard of for many months. She was the pet and pride of the household,, and her death was a sad blow to the family. The ice was going out of the river, and the water so high that the little coffin was carried at great risk in a skiff across the river to the cemetery. unattended except by those who rowed the boat. This was the youngest child, but of the large family only two, I believe, survived the mother, and not one was left to mourn the father's death.
Two stories so characteristic of Father and Mother Dixon have recent- ly been told me that I give them here. The first is of a local historian who was "writing up" the Blackhawk war. He read some paragraphs to Father Dixon, which were more high sounding than exact, and quickly roused Father Dixon's spirit. He corrected the statement carefully, as suring the writer that "history should be exact, rather than pleasing, and he would not for one moment allow any such misleading inference to appear in print." But the young writer was so proud of his periods that in due time it came out in a local paper. The next time he met Father Dixon the old gentleman said quietly: "I see you did not make that correction; you can now take your choice: correct it yourself in the next issue of the paper, as much to your own credit as you can, or I shall do so, and if I make the correction it will be in no measured terins." It is needless to add that the correction was made without delay.
It is also said that Mother Dixon at one time entertained three min- isters who did not disclose their calling until they were on the eve of departure-for which she severely reproved them-thus showing that a woman who could preside with such dignity when entertaining Indian chiefs, as to call forth their admiration, could also reprove unhesitating- ly when she felt rebuke was merited. The ministers acknowledged the justice of her reproof, and promised never to do the like again.
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The little house next the one where Mrs. John W. Dixon lived so long (on River street) was occupied for a time by A. T. Marphy, one of the early settlers of the town. Here also lived for many years the old ferry- man, John Neimeyer, bnt in time it became the famous, or infamous "hole in the wall" where there was so much drinking. After serving a better purpose (as a store room for Lorenzo Wood's woolen goods) it was at last pulled down.
We turn from the story of Father Dixon's family to that of their dear friends, Mr. and Mrs. J. T. Little. Mr. Little was one of the first mer- chants in Dixon, and with his amiable wife has been associated with the interests of the town for over fifty years.
- Mr. Little was induced to leave his native place (Castine, Maine) through correspondence with a very dear friend, Joseph A. Wallace (a brother of Gen. Wm. Wallace), who came to Ogle county and was em- ployed as a clerk in the store of J. B. Crist in "Oregon City."
Mr. Wallace wrote such glowing letters about the west, and particular- ly of the Rock river country, that he infected Mr. Little with the western fever, and in 1839 we find him writing to eastern friends in terms equally enthusiastic from "Oregon City." We quote from a letter addressed by him to S. K. Upham, in Castine: "Dixon, or Dixonville (as it is also
called), is a larger place than this, and is a central point. The great Central R. R. through this state passes through (or will pass through) Dixon. It has been in progress at that place, but work is now abandoned for want of funds; will be continued next summer [1839). There is but store there now, of any consequence, and very poor goods. If we get our goods there in any season we shall do well. Our store room is the best in this section of the country, and I think it a much better place to sell goods than Oregon City. There never was a prettier place for a town, and within two years it will be almost a paradise." Mr. Little also says that he shall never forget the beautiful vision of his first glimpse of Dixon as he came down the river in the stage with Leonard Andrus from Grand Detour. He was also delighted to see what he felt sure was a church steeple on the river bank. He had heard Dixon called a "hard place." but here was evidence of another sort, he was sure. Alas! for the truth! What he supposed was a church steeple was the chimney of the old distillery on Water street, and the revulsion of feeling may be better imagined than described.
In December, 1839, a Mr. John M. Fish, of Alton, and J. B. Crist, of Oregon, formed a partnership for the transaction of the mercantile busi- ness at Dixon. Mr. Fish went to Alton to purchase dry goods, groceries,
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and sueli other artieles as then made up the stock of a western variety store. These were shipped up the Mississippi river and were to be landed at Savanna, but the weather became so intensely cold that the river froze over and the steamer could go no farther north than Tully, Mo. Here the goods were landed and the steamer returned to Alton.
The boundary war between Iowa and Missouri was in progress, and the Missouri troops being in need of such articles broke into the ware- house and took possession of the goods. Mr. Fish and Mr. Little had bought the goods which Mr. Crist added to the stock of the firm, and had sent them from Oregon to Dixon-taking into their partnership S. G. D. Howard-and assuming the firm name of Fish, Little and Co. Hearing of the seizure of their goods Mr. Fish went at onee to Tully and replev- ined them, taking them back into the country about-forty miles to Sand Hill. Not finding any prospeet of getting them to Dixon before spring he decided to sell what he could where he was.
Messrs. Little and Howard were, meantime, selling the Oregon goods in the Gilbraith store on the corner of Hennepin and River streets, now occupied as a brewery.
The ice went out of the river in February, 1840, with a sudden rise of the water, which left great cakes twenty inches thick all along the bank, flooding the cellars and destroying twenty barrels of salt belonging to Smith Gilbraith in the store just spoken of. Mr. Little, being very anx- ious to learn the state of affairs at Sand Hill, purchased a skiff of- William Peacock, fitted it with a sail, and accompanied by Isaac Robinson (land- lord of the Rock River house, which stood where Paul Lord's wagon shop nrw is) started down the river. They came upon a gorge at Como, where the ice was piled four feet high, so they stopped for the night at a farmi house. They tied their boat to a tree, carrying their baggage to the house. During the night the ice went out, leaving their boat high and dry, hanging to the tree. The remainder of their trip was very pleasant, and they entered the Mississippi at Rockingham, which stood direetly opposite the mouth of Roek river. At Burlington, Iowa, they sold their boat, Mr. Robinson going on to New Orleans and Mr. Little getting pas- sage by stage, wagon or skiff, as best he could, to Sand Hill. Here he found Mr. Fish in a little one-story log "store," where he had his goods arranged in a sort of sutler's style, and where he was also postmaster. They divided the goods and dissolved their partnership, Mr. Little re- turning to Dixon with his share. His partnership with Mr. Howard con- tinued for some time but ended with Mr. Little assuming the whole business and building a large store on River street, which is now a part
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of D. W, McKenney's livery stable. This drew so heavily on his capi- tal that he closed his business and rented the store to Garrett, Seaman & Co., entering their employ as clerk. Mr. Little says: "It might show some of the young men what it cost in labor and sacrifice to develop a new country, to learn that for the rent of my store, the board of the two clerks, and my own services as clerk I received seven hundred dol- lars a year."
Some time after this Mr. Little formed a partnership with J. B. Brooks, of whom he says he was "one of the best business men and one of the best men who ever resided in Dixon"-and adds also "It is due to Mr. Brooks that he be brought to the notice of the readers of this his- tory, for no man has ever done more to build up this town than J. B. Brooks-and no man has better represented the industrious, prudent, liberal, faithful, honest business man in this community than he."
"This generation has no idea how much it is indebted to him that Dixon was enabled to pass, with so little disaster, through the financial embarassments of the state and country." It is the pleasure of many friends to notice that his son, Dr. H. J. Brooks, inherits the traits of his father. -
In October 1840 Mr. Little was married to Eleanor Cobb, of Bangor, Me., and the young couple immediately started for their western home, intending to reach it in time for the groom to cast his first presidential vote for Gen. Wn. Henry Harrison, but the steamer in which they took passage from Buffalo to Chicago encountered a terriffic gale off Thunder Bay and was compelled to return to Detroit, where her passengers awaited the coming of the next boat a week later.
Their first fifty miles out of Chicago was made in a four-horse coach, but after being duly "sloughed," the passengers were transferred to at wo- horse lumber wagon, in which Mr. and Mrs. Little rode on a carpenter's tool-chest. At Oregon they were again placed in a coach and had a more comfortable ride the last part of the journey, through scenery as de- lightful as that romantic route still affords. They went first to the old "Western Hotel," (now ',Huntly House," on Hennepin street,) then kept by Geo. A. Hawley, from Baffalo, N. Y. Mrs. Little's room was directly over the bar-room, and heated by the pipe from the bar-room stove; we may imagine it was far from pleasant, so that she prized the more, the kindness of "Mother Dixon," who took the young stranger to her home whenever Mr. Little was absent on business, and by every charm of her warm motherly heart strove to dispel the loneliness which might else have been hard to bear. There were other dear and kind
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friends, too, for says one who has told us much of that time: "Dixon in its early settlement was favored with the society of many refined, cultivated families, many devout, active, christian men and women," and another adds: "It seems to me that the porportion of such was larger than it is now."
It was no doubt largely due to the influence of "Mother Dixon" that Mr. and Mrs. Little became members of the Baptist church in 1841, in which communion they have been devout and faithful members ever since. Mr. Little says: "All the various religious services were held in the same old school house at that time, but there were grand sermons, fervent, effectual paryers, and sweet songs of Zion that, have echoed in the heart of many an old settler ever since."
After a time Mr. and Mrs. Little commenced housekeeping in a little house of one quite large roon, a bedroom so small that it was impossible to shut the door without getting behind it, a pantry, and a hole beneatlı 1 which did duty as a cellar. This house stood on the corner of what is now Galena avenue and Second street, where Mrs. Lewis' milliner's store is. In this small compass they lived and boarded the two gentlemen who aided Mr. Little in the store, P. M. Alexander and Mr. Howard, and no one can doubt the testimony of an eye-witness that it was "tidy, home- like, and comfortable."
Their next home was a part of the large building, comprising both store and house, on Water street, referred to before. Here Mrs. Barge remembers going to see Mrs. Little's first baby and the delight with which such arrivals were always hailed. At this home, too, first entered Dixon society another familiar personage as a member of Mrs. Little's family, whose lasting devotion to them is but one of the many evidences of a noble character-Adam Schiere; but we leave a "story" of Adam to another pen.
In 1841, too, Mr. Little entered into an agreement which we copy for the benefit of young men who feel that their services are not duly appreciated or remunerated or consider success a consequence of a large salary. It states that "The said Little agrees to pay the said Alexander one hundred dollars in such merchandise as he may want, at twelve and a half per cent advance from cost, and the remainder of the hundred dollars over and above the amount in goods he may want, the said Little agrees to pay him in good par money. The said Little agrees also to board the said Alexander and pay for his washing. And the said Alexander on the other part agrees to discharge the duties of clerk in the store of said Little, to devote his time to the said Little's interest, and to do all
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that may be required of him by the said Little, which may be reasonable as clerk in his store for one year from the first day of September, 1841," duly signed by J. T. Little and P. M. Alexander. Of Mr. Little's business connections at a later date we have already written. He spent some years in the nursery business when the confinement of a store told upon his health, but is now living in town again. Age has silvered his hair and enfeebled his steps. Mrs. Little's sweet face is touched by the same gentle artist, but their hearts are still warm with affection for the home of their adoption. Mr. Little says: "I am now an old man, and have seen Dixon become a thriving manufacturing city, with first-class educa- tionol facilities, superior church privileges, and a thriving, energetic population, and though I myself have suffered many reverses of fortune and am, consequently, unable to help pecuniarily in building up the city, I still feel deeply interested in its prosperity and bid it 'God speed' in every laudable enterprise."
There was little choice of labor in those days, but there was no aris- tocracy but that of worth-so "labor and capital" were not the vexed questions they are now. P. M. Alexander worked for Father Dixon sev- eral months when he first came-on his farm. Then he came back to town and he and Richard Loveland were employed by Mr. Gilbraith to cut timber on the island, which they sold for $1.25 per cord. They also sawed and split some of it for Dr. Everett for fifty cents per cord.
His business connection with Mr. Little, which was the beginning of his mercantile life and the foundation of his success as a merchant, was spoken of a few pages back. In 1847 Mr. Alexander brought his bride to Dixon-Eliza Howell, a sister of the late G. L. Howell. She is said to have been a very quiet, retiring person, yet a delightful companion to those who were privileged to know her intimately, and a devoted chris- tian. She brought with her the first piano in the town (the one at Haz- elwood being, probably, the only other one then in the country), and we can well imagine that her musical ability was fully appreciated in the little community. She was a woman, too, of rare self-possession and moral courage, as a single instance will show. At one time her husband had been ill for many weeks, his disease baffling Dr. Everett's skill to such an exent that he told the young wife that the remedy he was about to prescribe was his last hope. If that failed there was no chance for her husband's life. Instead of yielding to tears or faintness she returned to the sick room with such a serene face that her very presence inspired hope and so cheered her husband that his recovery dated fromn that hour. Mr. and Mrs. Alexander spent nearly nine years in Mrs. Brooks' home,
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then built a house on Water street (then the principal street of the town). They lived to enjoy the fruits of their patience and perseverence in their beautiful home in North Dixon for many years, but Mrs. Alexander's life went out with so many others in the terrible "bridge disaster" of 1873. Mr. Alexander is still among us-honored and esteemed. His story is a good lesson to the young men of the present day.
Judge Heaton, whose name has been referred to several times in these pages, lived early in the "forties" on East First street. His wife was a most amiable woman, and one whose memory the few surviving women of that time cherish with great affection. She was thrown from her carriage and killed at the steps of the old Methodist church (now J. W. Kent's home on Second street), her babe, Mary, being saved and cared for for some time by Mrs. Everett.
Judge Heaton later married Mrs. Lucinda McComsey, who survived him several years. She was a most motherly, kind-hearted woman, beloved by all her associates and remembered in many a Dixon home for her thoughtful kindnesses and her cordial hospitality. Her home was in the house now occupied by Dr. Garrison, but either at their marriage or soon after Judge and Mrs. Heaton moved to the pretty cottage on Third street so long associated with their names and faces, where they made a happy home for their group of children, and a pleasant assembly point for their young associates.
The first blacksmith's shop was on Main street, and the first smith lived in a part of the same building. In 1839 he was succeeded in business by Horace Preston, a brother-in-law of Judge Wood, and long a well- known citizen of Dixon. He worked at his trade here for fourteen years, then went to his farm near town. His daughters are still living here, but he and his gentle wife (a sister of Judge Wood) have joined the great multitude beyond. He built the brick house still standing on Peoria avenue near the corner of Main street where Col. and Mrs. Cyrus Aldrich lived for a time, afterwards in a house near the Main street arch, built and occupied for many years by Judge Wood. The Colonel was in the land office here and widely interested in the sale and settlement of lands about Dixon. Mrs. Aldrich was a woman of superior rank, cultivated and re- fined, and one who entertained most delightfully. I well remember the delights of her hospitable home, and the childish awe with which I lis- tened to her conversation with people who were to me almost too great to venture to address in any ordinary manner, chief among them Bayard Taylor. They removed to Minneapolis, where the Colonel died some years ago, and where Mrs, Aldrich is still living. In the house where
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they first lived there lived in after years another couple of whom some mention should be made, though they are not strictly old settlers of Dixon-Mr. and Mrs. W. W. Harsha. They were Illinois pioneers and well-known all through the northwest part of the state. Mr. Harsha was the first pastor of the Presbyterian church in Dixon, and with his noble wife, is still remembered and loved by many both in and out of that con- munion. His interesting contribution to our book makes this reference an entirely proper one, and their pioneer experiences as missionaries to Northwestern Illinois would add greatly to the interest of our book if Lee county could claim them all.
Another house long associated with the history of Dixon stood on Galena avenue, near where Mr. J. H. Todd's store now is, and was occupied by J. B. Brooks, and here many of the old settlers boarded for years.
Otis Eddy lived just above this place, about where the "Round Corner Block" is now, in a house which was moved to Hennepin street, and owned for many years by Hiram S. Mead. Indeed the "residence portion" of the town was clustered about the corner of Main and Galena streets, while the business street was on the river bank. When Mr. O. F. Ayres built the stone store, which has since been replaced by the Schuler block, many thought him very unwise to build so far out of town, and ladies dreaded to walk down across the slough to see Mrs. Heaton because pigs and fleas were so numerous in the warm sand of that quarter.
Judge Wilkeson also lived on Galena street, but further down, quite near the corner of River street. His family are spoken of as evincing refinement, intelligence and culture, as well as more wealth than most pioneers. He was a son of Judge Wilkeson, of Buffalo, a very able man' and one of the original stockholders of the town-five in number. The others were Col. Wight, of Galena, Father Dixon, Smith Gilbraith and James Boyd, of Princeton.
It is very greatly to be regretted that the name of the streets in North Dixon, given them in honor of these early and prominent settlers, should have been changed-thus, in time, effacing them from the memory of the town.
Judge Wilkeson built the first saw-mill in the county, at the foot of Peoria street, but it was'used for this purpose but a short time, being soon converted into a distillery, the chimney of which so deceived Mr. Little on his approach to the town.
The first brick business building was put up by James and Horace
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1
Benjamin in 1346, just where Horton's drug store is now. They built one- half and A. T. Murphy the other.
D. B. Mckinney built another soon after, nearly opposite.
Nearly opposite the Brooks home, on Galena street, stood a neat and (then) roomy brick cottage, the home of E. W. Hine, who was a tailor. but afterward studied law and was for a long time Recorder of Deeds and J. P. Many of us still remember the house, standing in the oncom- ing rush of business blocks, like an estrayed and frightened child in a street parade. Mrs. Hine is spoken of as a very lovely woman. She, with her husband. son and daughter slipped so quietly away to the beyond, that they might have been forgotten by the next generation had they not written their names with such as Rockefeller's and Peabody's as public benefactors. The names are in smaller capitals to our eyes, but to Him who "sees not as man seeth" who can say their gift was less than the largest, since it was their all? They gave their home to St. Luke's church, and a fine business block (occupied by J. H. Morris & Son) has taken the place of the old house, bringing a valuable addition to the income of the church.
There is a record in the county histories to the effect that an Episcopal church was organized here in 1837, but it seems impossible to add to this any particulars, and difficult to trace even this to a firm foundation. But from a document yellow with age, entitled "A Record of the Proceedings . of St. Peter's Parish in Grand Detour," we learn that on April 8th, 1847, at six o'clock p. m., a meeting was held at the house of S. M. Harris, where forty-four persons, whose names are given, signed an agreement to "associate themselves together under the name of and style of St. Peter's church." And there is no reason to doubt, as an old settler tells us, that the corner stone of the Episcopal church in these parts was the faithful devotion of Mr. and Mrs. House. With their names we find associated those of Paine, Harris, Cotton, Cumins, Bosworth, Pank- hurst, Andine, and others, and they should be honored by some nobler record than these simple lines, yet are they "writ on high." Of those who met on that memorable evening only one is still among us; a "mother in Israel" beloved and honored by all the church-Mrs. Laura C. Paine. Some are gone to other homes, some swell the ranks of the Church Triumphant and some alas! have forgotten their pledge.
The Rev. James DePui, an Episcopal minister, came to Dixon 1837, and both Father and Mother Dixon were so anxious that some minister should settle here, and became so warmly attached to Mr. DePci that they offered him his choice of a lot, if he would stay.
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He chose to locate in North Dixôn, and built a house (now owned by Mr. Kitchen) on the block where Mr. Parsons now lives. When the town was laid out, the street line came so near his house and well that Father Dixon made his block four hundred feet instead of three hundred. The people were evidently much gratified by Mr. DePui's decision, for Mrs. Dixon says the first donation party ever given in the county was made for him soon after he moved into the house, before it was entirely com- pleted. Mrs. Dixon, then Miss Sherwood, and her future sister-in-law, Mary Dixon, came over to stay all day, and help Mrs. DePui with the dinner. The people came from far and near, through the whole day, bringing with them gifts of such as they had, all cheerfully given and all acceptable.
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