USA > Illinois > Lee County > Recollections of the pioneers of Lee County [Illinois] > Part 26
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Miss Ophelia Loveland, (Mrs. J. B. Brooks) taught the school during the summer of 1843, while the school house stood on the lot now oc- cupied by the residence of D. W. McKenney, which was its stopping place at the time of its nocturnal journey. The district then included both sides of the river, and extended up the river as far as Mr. Fuller's place, and yet the school numbered but about twenty-five pupils. Among these were Miss Helen Williams (now Mrs. Mulkins), and Miss Elizabeth . and Master James Ayres. One boy, still well known in this city, was punished severely for swearing, but his after habits plainly demonstrated that corporal punishment, at least one dose, is not a complete cure for profanity. An amusing incident occurred that summer among the little boys. Frank Dixon, son of John W. Dixon, on his way to school one morning, found a small piece of tobacco which he carefully deposited in his pocket and took with him. At recess he called all the boys around him and told them he had something good which he would divide with them. He accordingly did so, giving a small piece of the treasure to each one of the boys except his little brother Elijah, telling them the men said it was good, and instructing them to chew it well, and swallow all the juice. The little fellows followed his example and advice closely, and very soon after recess began to ask to go home, complaining that they were very sick and didn't know what made them so. The truth was finally ascertained from Little Elijah Dixon, who alone was able to give a clear statement, and the sick ones were sent home for medical treatment. Frank, the leader of the enterprise, has never since found it to his advantage to use tobacco. During these years the school was frequently taught by ladies. I have obtained the names of Miss Elizabeth Johnson, (Mrs. J. R. Nash), and a Miss Curtis, sister of Mr. Seavy, of Sugar Grove, and Mrs. L. A. Ramsay.
During the winter of 1843-4 the school was taught by Lorenzo Wood, (Judge Wood, of this city.) There were in attendance at the school that
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winter a very interesting class of young people, several coming in from the country around, so that this winter's school is rembered with much satisfaction by many of our citizens, because of its pleasant asso- eiations and the thorough instructions given by the teacher. Among the pupils names are found those of Miss Sybil Van Arnam, (Mrs. E. B. Stiles), and Mrs. A. R. Whitney, of Franklin Grove.
Between the years 1346 and 1849, the school was taught by Mr. Cross and Mr. James Lumm. Of the former I have been able to learn but little; he taught a portion of the time in the publie schools. He was somewhat deformed, his hands being somewhat drawn out of shape by rheumatism' and the universal testimony of the boys was that his fingers were apt to become so bady entangled in their hair that it was not only very difficult but very painful to disengage them. His school was fair, however, con- sidering the convenienees, or rather inconveniences by which he was sur- rounded. In 1847 James Lumm took charge of the school. He was very rigid in his discipline, and in his efforts to bring the school up to his standard in point of order and efficiency he met with much opposition and many complaints were made to the directors, but the general feeling of the community was largely in favor of the school, and the interest in school matters seemed, during Mr. Lumm's administration, to increase steadily. He was an amateur in natural history, and during his stay in Dixon devoted considerable time and labor to the preparation of speci- mens in the various departnients of this science. Dr. Everett, of our city, whose collections of Geological, Botanical and Ornithological speci- mens is among the best private collections in the state, was assisted by Mr. Lumm in its preparation. When Mr. Lumm removed to Oregon, on leaving Dixon, and while pursuing other business, he still eoutinued his pastime. Several years after he had gone west, one of his old friends from Dixon sought to visit him at his home in Oregon. After making many inquiries concerning him, he was directed to a humble cabin in an obscure place, to a man who spent most of his time among bugs, birds and animals. He went there and found his old friend surrounded by his gathered specimens, embracing the various species from the tiniest in- sect to the huge grizzly bear. This collection Mr. Lumm afterwards took to California and sold for thirty thousand dollars. During these years, from 1842, Mr. O. F. Ayres and Dr. Nash were elected and re- elected year after year to the office of school directors and bore the burden and labors attendant upon the oversight of schools in a new country, in a praiseworthy manner.
In 1848 Mr. Kay was employed to teach; he was a man of singular com-
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position and imparted considerable of his singularity to his school. He was finely cducatcd and possessed a remarkable power of illustration, making difficult points very clear to his pupils, while on the other hand he was extremely visionary and impratctical in many things. His success as a teacher was not remarkable, as bis eccentricies predominatcd and exhibited themselves very prominently in his administration of school affairs. He sometimes left the school to go down town for business or pleasure, locking the children in, and as may be imagined, the school- room presented a scene highly gratifying to lovers of fun. Once when a boy made his appearance at school with a cigar in his mouth, Mr. Mc- Kay very cooly appropriated the contraband weed to his own private use, and composedly smoked it in the presence of the owner and the rest of his pupils.
During the years 1851 and 1852 the school was under the charge of Col. II. T. Noble; he was employed most of the time on a salary of forty dol- lars a month. Even as late as that time the public sentiment concerning school matters was very loose, and the material and conveniences for a school extremely crude. The old school house has been abandoned and a new stone bullding erected in the rear of the Nachusa house, since re- placed by Mrs. Burke's residence. The school house was very loosely built and being heated by a fireplace in oncend it was very cold in winter, and one lady still remembers with great distinctness that she frozc her heel in that school room one cold day. But with all these disadvantages, though the energy and tact of Col. Noble, the school was by no means inefficient, and the recollection of those days brings pleasant memories to many now residing in this city. Among the older pupils at this time were Mrs. H. T. Noble, Mrs. Soule, Mrs. Hollenback and Mrs. B. F. Shaw. The loose idcas prevalent in the community concerning school discipline rendered it very difficult to maintain anything like proper order. A refusal, on the part of the teacher to allow the pupil to roam about the schoolrom ad libitum or sit with such of his schoolmates as he might choosc, was considered sufficient cause for leaving school, and in very many cases the parents upheld the child in this spirit of insubordination.
The school becoming somewhat too large for the small room in which it was held, a primary department was started in the spring of 1852 in the court house, under the charge of Miss Jane Ann Herrick. During Col. Noble's administration the location of the Illinois Central R. R. through Dixon was decided upon and great excitement prevailcd through- out the town and vicinity. Col. Noble, in his enthusiasm, went to his school-room and in a stirring speech announced the glorious event to his
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pupils and in the height of his anticipations promised them all a ride on the R. R. "clear through to Mobile." Many of the pupils are still awaiting the ride anxiously.
Another little incident occurred that seems worthy of record. John Gilbrath, thien quite a lad, frequently obtained permission from his mother to return home at three o'clock, but one day she refused to give his usual written note to the teacher. and on his way to school he ap- plied to J. B. Brooks, then a merchant in the place, for one. Mr. Brooks being busy, Mr. Alexander, then a clerk in the store, said he would write it for him. He did so, and handed the note neatly folded to Master John who, with a light heart and smiling face, tripped into the school-room and presented it to his teacher. Mr. Noble read it carefully and burst into a loud laugh. "John," said he, "do you know what this is?" "Yes sir, it is a request for me to be dismissed at three o'clock." I think you are mistaken. It says: 'Here is a boy who needs a flogging-and if you don't give it to him I will.'" Johnnie "slid."
C. N. Levanway, then a young law student, taught the school in the years 1852 and '53, continuing still in the old stone building, the school remaining much the same in the character of the instruction and num- ber of pupils, as during the preceding years. Mr. Levanway afterward settled in this city as a lawyer, and so continued until the breaking out of the rebellion, when he enlisted in the 34th Illinois Regiment. He was elected Major and served nobly the cause he loved, and was killed while ordering his regiment to advance, at the battle of Pittsburg Landing.
F. A. Soule succeeded him in the principalship of the school, still teaching in the old stone building, with nothing special in the character of the school to distinguish it from that of the few previous years.
In 1853 William Barge assumed control of the schools, and continued in charge until 1859. Under his direction and excellent management, the school took the form, character and efficiency of a graded school. He taught a portion of the time in the same old stone building, but that was finally abandoned and the school transferred to a building known as the "Land Office," now used by S. A. Vann as a residence. The old stone building having become wholly unsuitable for school purposes, the school directors were compelled to rent such rooms as they could find, and some of the time they were unable to find any. Under these circumstances it became necessary to provide a larger and better school hous. [Several pub- lic meetings were held and after fully discussing the matter it was decided to go forward and build, and the result was the erection of the "Uuion School Building" on Peoria street, in 1855, at a cost of $6,000. The place
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now occupied by J. C. Ayres' house. This building, through the presist- ence of Mr. Barge, was furnished with Chase's patent school seats, be- lieved to be about the first patent school furniture ever introduced into the state, the old wouden desks then being in use in Chicago. The schools now, owing to the better accommodations furnished, and the improved methods of teaching adopted, made such marked progress that they merited and received the cordial support of the community. To Mr. Barge must be accorded the honor of organizing the first graded school ever taught in our city. As soon as the new building was ready for occu- pancy it was filled, and the school was recommenced with a new impetus. In 1858 a high school department was established in the Methodist church building and A. H. Fitch was elected principal.
A, M. Gow, in 1859, was employed as superintendent of schools, and James Gow was principal of the high school. The school then consisted of five departments and had an enrollment of about four hundred. These gentlemen continued in charge of the school until 1862, when the writer was elected to act, at once as superintendent of schools and principal of the high school, in which capacity he has labored twenty-one years. There has been a constant increase in the number of pupils since 1864 and the buildings owned and occupied by the district being found too small, for two or three years rooms were rented in various parts of the city to accommodate the new departments which it was found necessary to form.
In 1867, however, it was determined to erect a new school building which should be suited to the wants of the school in size, plan and ap- pearance. By a vote so nearly unanimous as to show the general feeling in the community in favor of good public schools, the directors were authorized to borrow money on the bonds of the school district to the amount of thirty thousand dollars, to be appropriated to the erection of a good school house, and in September, 1869, we were permitted to enter our new and elegant building Very great credit should be awarded to the gentlemen then composing the Board of School Directors, Messrs. J. A. Hawley, H. D. Dement and David Welty, for the faithful manner in which they performed their duties, especially for the economy which they practiced in extending the funds in the erection of the building. I have traveled considerably through the state, have examined many of the best school buildings, and am convinced that we may challenge the state in having the best buildings, for the money, within her borders.
The later history of our schools is sufficiently familiar to make it un necessary to record it here. The schools on the north side are of too re- cent date to be numbered among the pioneers.
E. C. SMITHI.
The Township of Harmon.
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1
Recollections of Harmon.
H ARMON, in the southwest part of Lee County, was settled in 1853, and while to the elder residents of their parts of the county it would seem absurd to call this an early day, to those who partici- pated in that event it was a grim, hard reality, savoring much of heroism, and bringing out the stern qualities of human nature that are character -. istic of the homesteader and early settler.
Permit me to say that the homestead laws of our country developed a class somewhat like the gypsies. Homesteading was simply done for gain. A man was John Smith in Nebraska and Tom Brown in Kansas, and as soon as the real settler followed and bought him out he "moved on," simply "squatting" for gain, devoid of the homing instinct.
Lee County was settled before the enactment of the homestead laws by people who came west to obtain lands to live on and make homes of. These people were sturdy and law-abiding, bringing their religious and coscientious practices of right and wrong with them. Both the early settler and the homesteader are great civilizers, and endure hardships of which those who follow later have no conception. Such people are the "salt of the earth."
In 1853, John D .. Rosbrook, with three sons, came from Niagara County, New York, and settled at the "Lake," a clear body of sparkling water covering nearly forty acres on quite a rise of ground in what has since been known as Harmon Township. For nearly a year they "kept bach" in a small house. There was not a habitation in sight, the nearest dwelling was eight miles away, and for years this Rosbrook place at the lake was known as the center of the settlement, and the points mentioned diverge from there.
The following spring the two remaining sons came. At that time there were no traveled highways, but simply a trail across the prairie, crooked and deviating as it wound around the sloughs.
A mile to the northeast of the lake there was & large sand hill where the wolves used to congregate, brought there by the dead bodies of ani-
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mals that had been hauled there from the places where they had died. Their fighting and weird, mournful howling in the cold winter nights was appalling, and to a boy eight years old, lying awake shivering in the star- light and gazing from a chamber window across the snow towards this nightly visitation of grim and grizzled prowlers, it was a source of lone- some homesickness; and a fervid prayer for redemption from such a scene of desolation, together with a flow of tears of pure wretchedness, were usually the last things of consciousness before slumber.
Breaking prairie was of the first importance. Five yoke of large oxen were hooked to a plow sixteen feet iong, turning three feet of sod - two rounds a mile long making an acre. The driver of the oxen walked beside the team in the prairie grass, with a long gad or pole with a short lash, a very convenient whip to reach any laggard in the string. George Ros- , brook held the plow that turned the first sod in Harmon township. Snakes of all kinds would crawl up on the newly turned sod to lie in the sun. At the approach of the breaking team they would scurry away through the grass, and the driver was often tripped up by blue racers, five feet long, coiling around his bare ankles. One day six large rattlesnakes were killed by the driver of that breaking team. Corn, potatoes and melons grew in abundance on the newly turned sod, without cultivation.
Robert Tuttle came with his family from New Hampshire in 1853. He settled in Knox County, about two hundred miles south. He was a large, strong, stalwart man and had followed the life of a lumberman in the pineries. Leaving his family in Knox County he started afoot toward the pine woods of the north. He came on foot to Dixon, Ill., where he was taken sick and after a very short illness died. Henry Stores, a resi- dent of Lee County, drove with a pair of horses to Knox County after Mrs. Tuttle, and she arrived at the bedside of her husband just previous to his death. Mrs. Tuttle was a sister of Mitchell Rosbrook, and in 1854 she, with her family of five children, settled in Harmon township, build- ing quite a good house for that early day.
Afterwards, by the persistent efforts of this estimable lady, a private school was kept in this house, and the writer has seen deer shot at from the window of that school room as they were feeding on the prairie a short distance away. Some of the grandest dances of the early days were held there. Oliver Wagner often furnished the music, and fre- quently rapping his violin with the bow to call attention, like an auto- crat he would order all to their places, and after soundly berating them, personally and collectively, for mistakes, and again cautioning the boys to "dance on their toes," would command, "All forward again."
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In the same year came Thomas Sutton with a large family from the State of Ohio, who settled one mile to the south of the Lake. There were nineteen children in this frmily, and Sutton has often been heard lamenting that there were not an even twenty. One child, Pat, died at the age of eight years, and the wails of anguish and despair that went up from the stricken household were heartrending. Shortly after the death of this boy a circus came to Amboy, and Sutton with the whole family on a hay-rack started for the town. When asked if he was going to the show he replied, "Yaas, the youngsters might die and never see a sarcus." They stayed to both afternoon and evening performance. Some of the older Sutton boys had been flirting with "corn juice" during the day, and as the evening show was a repetition of that of the afternoon, they hilar- iously entertained the audience by proclaiming before each act what it was to consist of, and to "watch sharp now and see this yer lady jump through that yer hoop."
In later years the male portion of the Sutton household imbibed freely, and one night at eleven o'clock two of the boys brought up at the home domicile with a lumber wagon, to which were hitched a pair of reeking horses, the boys having lashed them in a fury most of the way from town. Sutton took them in hand and gave them a great lecture on the evil of their wavs. He told them they ought to be ashamed of themselves, that they were bringing their father's gray hairs-he was gray at thirty- down with sorrow to the grave. He scolded them off to bed, and ordered two smaller boys' who had gotten up during the din. to put away the horses and bring "that yer." "That" proved to be a gallon jug, and two hours later, when Sutton called the two sodden boys from their beds to fiddle for him while he danced- and dance he did till sunrise-he humbly begged their pardon for having scored them so. Corn was one of the flourishing products of the soil, and we are thankful that under its exhil- arating influence a feeling of forgiveness, if not"of consistency, was re- sultant.
In 1854 Mitchell Rosbrook came from New Hampshire with a wife and six children. They were typical of those Yankees who have been successful in preserving the new England accent, very little of the flat,
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Western enunciation being noticeable in their speech, even at the pres- ent time. This Mitchell Rosbrook was a devout man and founded the first Sunday School in Harmon, it being very successfully conducted in John D. Rosbrook's granary.
OuMitchell Rosbrook and his wife, above mentioned, George Stillings and the Tuttles, were all born and raised at Lancaster, a wild part of New England within the shadow of the White Mountains, so they had been hardy pioneers before their advent to this country. Mitchell Ros. brook built the first house ever built on Mt. Washington. It was built for a hotel in the "Notch" of the White Mountains, and all of the wood material in its construction was "packed" on the back of mules up a steep and devious trail along the mountain side. They would take a few boards and strap them on to each side of the mule with the rear ends of the boards just touching the ground, and in this way carried the lumber for miles up the mountain. It was a herculean task and required much labor and even suffering on the part of Rosbrook and his wife. Tourists visited the top of the mountain every summer and stopped at this mountain house to get dinner. Mary Tuttle, now the wife of George Rosbrook, then a girl of seventeen years, was cook at this hotel. In one day she cooked one hundred dinners. Since that time several magnificent hotels have been erected at this point and it has become a great summer resort, but the old Rosbrook house still stands and is pointed to as a landmark of the pioneer days.
Mitchell Rosbrook and his family lived for two years on the farm of Dr. Gardner after they came west, and then settled in Harmon. Mrs. Rosbrock assisted in making the wedding outfit for a daughter of Dr. Gardner, the present Mrs. James A. Hawley. Thirty-one years later Mrs. Rosbrook assisted in making some of the wedding apparel for the daughter of the bride she had helped to robe before, the present Mrs. Powell of Council Bluffs, the daughter of James A. and Mrs. Hawley. So Lee County can point with pride to Mrs. Mitchell Rosbrook as one of the pioneer women of this country, both before and after her advent here. She still lives and is much respected by all who know her, and is known far and wide as "Aunt Mary."
The first two elections of officers of the township were held at the house of Mitchell Rosbrook. Jim McManus was elected supervisor, Ros- brook town clerk and George Stillings constable. The crowd gathered in the morning and wrestled or pitched quoits until night. Election day in Harmon has always been a day of festivities. The second year there was opposition to Rosbrook by Geo. P. Weeks also running for town clerk.
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Mrs. Rosbrook cooked and gave a free dinner that day to all that came and was rewarded by her husband being defeated for the office he was. so anxious to obtain. When the votes were counted at night Rosbrook informed the crowd, with no inconsiderable anger, that they could after that date hold their election elsewhere.
, In the winter of 1856-57, Austin Balch with his wife and two children came from New. Hampshire. John D. Rosbrook and two sons were in Dixon that day with a team, and the Balch family were taken out to their relative, Israel Perkinss. On the way they became lost in a snow- storm and brought up at the house of Reuben Trowbridge near Eldena. Mr. Trowdridge had but recently married, and the kindness shown to tile careworn, homesick and heartsick Mrs. Balch and her colicky boy of three years, by his sweet-faced young wife, will never fade from memory.
It was no uncommon thing to get lost on the prairies; indeed, it was quite a feat to avoid it, and required much skill and no small amount of practice to ride or drive five or ten miles in the night across a trackless prairie and not get bewildered. One wet, foggy, Christmas night along about in "60," a party of young people started to go to Mrs. Brill's to an oyster supper. On the way another party of young people were overtaken who were going to the same place. At once there was a horse race, both drivers lashing their horses furiously. Presently one team ran out into a large slough and mired down. The boys were obliged to wade out in the water and broken ice to unhook the horses and let them plunge out as best they could. Then they all pushed and pulled at the wagon in con- cert but could not move it. Then the girls were carried ashore-all but one; she was very heavy and no one dared to attempt to carry her. A council was held on the shore, while our teeth cracked together and our clothing stiffened in the wintry air. Finally Henry Bremer, the strong- est young man in the party, averred that he could carry her. He waded in, seized her and struck out. When about two rods from the shore he slipped on a piece of floating ice and, realizing that he would fall, at- tempted to throw her ashore-of course she "lit" in the water. The wagon box was then taken off and towed ashore, the wheels taken off and . the wagon taken ashore in pieces. When a start was made all were be- wildered and lost and at midnight they found themselves back where they started from. A fresh team was hitched to the wagon and at two o'clock in the morning they arrived at Brill's. Mrs. Brill had been rec- ommended as a fine cook of oysters. She certainly did cook them well- she began boiling them at nine o'clock in the evening and cooked them until we came.
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