USA > Illinois > Lee County > Recollections of the pioneers of Lee County [Illinois] > Part 39
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Mr. Charles Martin, an old resident of Gap Grove, now living in Fre- mont, Nebraska, sends the following recollections: "The first, building used for a public school was erected in 1836-37, about where the oak trees in my old orchard stood. Mary Hill was the first teacher, she afterward became the wife of Michacl Fellows. The second building was put up in 1838 or 39, this was never completed. It stood a little north of Mrs. Lennox' home. W. W. Bethea taught there two winters and Mary Hill in the summer. The third structure was also a log structure upon the Page farm-built in 1840 or '41. I think Samuel Fellows was the first teacher. A log house-built for a dwelling-upon Harvey Morgan's place (Dudley Hubbard's) was vacated in a year and used for a school. The frame schoolhouse near the Power's place was built in 1946 or '47. There were also quite a number of private schools before districts were organ- ized. The first teachers at the Gap were Mrs. Mary (Hill) Fellows, in the winter of 1836-'37, Mrs. W . W. (Hubbard) Tilton summer of 1839; Miss Artemesia Hultz, summer 1838; Mrs. Bennett (daughter of Col. Johnson of Dixon), summer '39. I remember that my mother kept silkworms, as did Mrs. Noah Beede also. My father (Wm. Martin) organized the first Sunday school in the town. George and Stephen Fellows and myself are the only ones living who were members of it.
Wiffiam Y. Johnson.
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W ILLIAM Y. JOHNSON was born in Blanford, Mass., September 21st, 1810. When he was eight years old his father moved with his family to Broome County, New York, where he lived until he migrated to the west. In September, 1834, he was married to Louisa Mason of the same county.
Deciding to make a new home for themselves in the west, they left Harpersville for Illinois the last week in August, 1837, intending to make the greater portion of the journey in their own wagon.
The previous summer Mrs. Johnson's father, Col. Leman Mason, had come west with his son Sterne and had bought a farm in Knox County, Illinois, on which there were two log cabins. The following spring he sent his son back for the family. There were two wagons in the con- pany. In one were Mr. and Mrs. Johnson and their baby, who was but nine weeks old, and Mrs. Johnson's sister; in the other were six of the Mason family. They sold all their household property and brought with thiem only one bedstead and table aside from their bedding and personal effects. The wagons were the common spring seat lumber wagons with board tops supported by standards, with curtains on the sides and end.
When they reached Buffalo they took passage on a boat for Cleveland with all their belongings. On this boat they occupied a cabin in company with many other families, most of whom were bound for the west. It was a large cabin with bunks all along the sides. They, however, pre- ferred their own beds, which they spread on their chests aud hung sheets around them to shield them from the view of the other passengers, They also prepared their own meals. not only on the boat, but throughout the entire journey; stipulating for that privilege wherever they stopped for the night; at noon they usually partook of a lunch while the horses were resting and feeding. They met with a little adventure on the boat -where a man was detected In an attempt to break into one of their trunks,
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When they arrived at Cleveland they put their horses in a stable while they were getting out the wagons and loading on the goods. What was their consternation upon going for their team, when all was in read- iness, to find that one of the horses had received a clean deep cut the en- tire width of its shoulders, a cut that could only have been made with a sharp knife. While speculating how it could have possibly occurred and what motive could have prompted such a cruel deed, and mourning that they would be delayed on their journey, a man came up and seeing the condition of the horse, recommended an ointment which would take all soreness from the wound, and even went to a store where he knew it was to be had and got some for them, afterward helping them to dress the leg. This timely assistance enabled them to continne their journey the same day, and that evening they reached Medina, O., where a sister of Mrs. Mason was living, and remained over the Sabbath with her, which allowed both themselves and their horses a most welcome rest. Little of moment occurred during the remainder of their trip, except once when the wagon upset in going over a low wet place where logs had been thrown across the road to prevent teams from becoming mired. At that time Mrs. Johnson's sister had her shoulder dislocated and suffered great pain until they could reach a village many miles farther on, where she conld receive the attention of a physician and have it set. When they reached their destination the second week in October, after six long weeks on the way, they found that Col. Mason had sold his farm. Fearing that he would not be able to obtain a clear title to the land-being located on the military tract-and having been offered a good price for it, he thought best to dispose of it. Fortunately there was not far distant a cabin they were able to rent. It was small and had only an earthen floor, but by going quite a distance they got some lumber and in the course of a couple of weeks a floor was laid. In this cabin the entire family, Johnsons and Masons, lived through the ensuing winter.
Very sorry were they that they had parted with all their household furniture, for with the exception of the bed and table above mentioned they had none. "Mother wit," however, supplied them with the former, which were all arranged in the back part of the cabin, there being just room enough to allow two beds placed lengthwise and one crosswise, in between the others, with curtains of sheets to seperate them. When nearing the terminus of their journey, in passing through one or two vil- lages, they tried in vain to purchase some chairs, so they were forced for a time to nse three-legged stools of their own construction. It was not very long before they were enabled to get a supply of the much-needed
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articles from a man who manufactured the splint-bottomed chairs. In the spring they moved to Monmouth, where they remained a year. The following autumn Mr. Johnson's parents, a brother and his wife, a sister (then a bride) and her husband, Eben H. Johnson, joined them. Leaving the women there all the men started off to look up some land in the Rock river country, of which they had heard much praise. Arriving in Pal- myra they found a squatter's claim belonging to the father of William Myres (more familiarly known as Prophet) which could be bought for a thousand dollars. As it was near the timber they considered it a desira- ble place to settle, so purchased it, afterward paying the government price of one dollar and a quarter per acre.
It is erroneously stated in the Lee County History of 1881 that Eben Johnson bought this claim, when in reality it was a joint investment of the party of five (two Masons and three Jolinsons), each taking twenty acres.
The spring of 1839 the remainder of the family left Monmouth in their wagons for Palmyra. With the exception of the verv perilous fording of Green river, in which they narrowly escaped being capsized, they encountered nothing worthy of comment upon their trip. There were two log cabins on the Myres place, in which they all lived together for a time, then William Johnson with his family took possession of what was known as the "jumped claim," living there a year and a half. Later he bought or traded for some land .near where the church now stands. It was on this place my husband's eyes were first opened to the light of day.
They had bought some cattle while at Monmouth, and Mrs. Johnson supplied several customers with butter, which at that time was very scarce and brought a high price, as there were but few cattle in the country. They had been obliged to leave their business at, Monmouth in an unsettled condition, and when Mr. Johnson returned to collect some accounts due him, he had to take in part payment a yoke of oxen, a large wooden rocking-chair, and a standard gridiron. In those days they were often forced to take whatever they could get in payment of a debt when the money was not forthcoming The rocking-chair, however, was a very welcome addition to their store. These articles of furniture were highly prized on account of their scarcity, and were considered so great a luxury that less fortunate neighbors, in times of illness, came to ask the loan of them. How strange that appears to us in these days of ease and plenty. Mr. Johnson taught school the winters of 1841 and 1844. As this has been alluded to'in another paper I will give it only this brief mention.
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The latter part of the year 1842 death reaped a rich harvest in the family, four of its members being called to their rest between August and De- cember. The fall of 1846 Mr. Johnson bought the farm in China town- ship afterward owned by Mr. Morris. Here they lived seven years. Mrs. Johnson tells me they lived a somewhat monotonous existance, the days being passed in sewing, spinning, knitting and the performance of mani- fold household duties, the evenings mainly devoted to reading.
Mr. Johnson was for several years an agent of the American Tract Society, and in 1853 moved with his family to Chicago to take the posi- tion of general agent for the northwest for that society. He was or- dained a minister of the Episcopal church in 1858, and continued in this good work until the time of his death in 1873. His wife is still living and at the age of eighty-two is a remarkably active woman, both in body and mind. '
GRACE EVERETT JOHNSON.
Charles H. Becker.
F we could have foreseen that the incidents in the lives of the pioneer families of Palmyra would be of special interest, more pains would have been taken to preserve letters and papers relating to their early life in this vicinity. My account will necessarily be rather meager and unsatisfactory, as the time to gather material is so limited.
My father, Charles A. Becker, was born in Nordhausen, Prussia, Ger- many, Jan. 7th, 1810-the fortified city to which Martin Luther once fled to escape his enemies. My father was educated there and learned the watchmaking and jewelry business under his father, John Becker, jew- eler. On attaining his majority he came to America and located in Reading, Penn. While there he became acquainted with my mother, Miss Mary Kessler. They were married in 1833, Two years after they moved to Cleveland, Ohio, where business was very flourishing until the panic of '37, when banks failed, merchants broke up, and business being in a very depressed condition my parents resolved to seek their fortune farther west; my father was a heavy loser by the Mormons, Here I must digress a little in order to tell how they happened to make this part of the west their destination. Father had become acquainted with a num- ber of Polish exiles who had been officers in the Polish army, were taken prisoners and given the choice of being exiled to Siberia or America. Naturally they chose the latter: when they landed in America the U. S. government gave each of them a home of eighty acres near Rockford, Ill. Through them and others (Bishop Chase among them) my parents heard glowing accounts of this "paradise of the west." I would like to give in detail some of the interesting events which happened on their six weeks' journey in a covered wagon to Chicago, but fear it will take too much space, however, one or two little incidents may not come amiss. At Fort Detlance, Ind., they had the opportunity of seeing several hun- dred Indians assembled there. At that time the Indian still had some claim to the title of "noble red man," among them some magnificent
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specimens of Indian manhood, their limbs showing to good advantage as they stalked majestically around in almost an entire state of nature. Then as our travelers journeyed through the Maumee swamps, lost their way, stopped to hunt deer, of which they saw a number and only suc- ceeded in shooting one, after a long but in the main enjoyable journey, with various mishaps, they reached Chicago, then a town of about seven thousand inhabitants Some prominent business men tried to induce my father to locate there, as there was a very good opening for a watch- maker, and offered him several lots for two hundred dollars a lot on Clark street, one of the main thoroughfares in Chicago. Seeing that he was determined to push on they advised him to go to Dixon instead of Rockford, as he had intended, as at the former place there was no watch- maker and the land much more desirable, which he accordingly-did, as it was his idea to take up some land as well as follow his business. The morning following his arrival in Dixon-having moved into the store just vacated by Mr. Bowman on Water street, the business street of Dixon at that time-he had hardly put up his sign before people began to flock in, when he did a brisk business in repairing and selling clocks, watches and jewelry. He had brought a large supply of goods along and had no trouble in disposing of it. People came from thirty and forty miles to get work done, and friendships formed at that time have lasted to the present day; at that time all within a radius of twelve and fifteen miles were considered neighbors.
My parents had pictured to themselves just the kind of place they would like to settle on and make their home; after having looked around for some time in vain they by accident heard of the place on which my mother still lives, six miles west of Dixon. On her first glimpse of the place she said, "This shall be my home," and has never had reason to be dissatisfied with her choice, albeit at that time it had only its beautiful situation overlooking the river and fertile ground to recommend it, with the exception of a small log house with a solitary cat for an occupant, there were no improvements on the place-if one can call a miost lone- some cat an improvement-and yet in a manner it was, as it gave them a very warm welcome and at once made the place seem like home. My father bought the claim of Mr. Lunt, a nephew of Mrs. Sigourney the . poetess. They moved out as soon as the necesary arrangements were made, but for two years my father still kept his business in Dixon. At the end of that time when he spoke of removing entirely to his farm Father Dixon made him a very generous offer; he wanted to make my father a present of a lot if he would only build on it and stay there. He
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did not avail himself of the kind offer, however, as he thought his health was better on the farm. My parents enjoyed their home very much after being unsettled for so long, never tiring of rambling along the shores of the ever beautiful Rock river-especially so then, as its waters were so crystal clear and the scenery along its banks so varied and charming. From the house one could command an extensive view of the beautiful stream, dotted here and there with well wooded islands. On the rise whereon stood the house were many very large and noble oak trees, which much to my regret were mostly cut down in those early years, being so convenient for firewood. They did not stop to think that such magnifi- cent oaks could not be replaced in their lifetime. But to proceed. They put up a log addition and were soon settled in their very comfortable though unpretending abode Had it not been for my father's business it would have been a much more serious affair, making ends meet; as it was, they were in very straightened circumstances, there being almost no money to be had. My parents understanding very little of farming did not immediately make it a success, although the soil needed very little encouragement to produce the most astonishing results; immense crops were raised with very little labor. It was in truth a genuine paradise in almost every respect. The greatest drawback was the distance to market and the lack of schools-which latter as the years rolled by troubled my parents not a little.
One can imagine there were very few luxuries in those times, but they never (as do the people in the far west now) had to suffer for food-they had that in abundance, game of all kinds was plenty. I have often heard my mother tell-as an instance of the ease with which game was secured -how my father went out to a small grove just east of the house in the morning before starting for town and shot eighteen prairie chickens, the ignorant birds merely flying from tree to tree to escape him. The poor things, alas! have since learned greater caution, and it would take more than one morning's work to secure much less than half that number. A beautiful and now impossible sight was seeing the most graceful of all wild creatures, the deer, come bounding down across the prairie to drink at the river, and the ease with which they cleared the high rail fences used in those days. Even as late as '53 and later deer still inhabited' the woods a mile from their place. My mother has told us how amused she was one day at her son Charlie, then a boy of about sixteen years, and a young German by the name of Boehma, who was staying here at the time. Mr. Boelima went out hunting one morning and came back after a few hours proudly displaying a deer as the result of his good marks-
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manship. Brother Charlie said very unconcernedly, "I am going to get one also," and started out. He had been gone but a short time when he returned triumphantly carrying the deer he had shot. Of course no one had thought he would get one.
Within my recollection small bands of Indians still roamed through the country and I well remember how frightened we children were one time when a dozen or so Indians, men, women and children came up from . the river to our home on a begging expedition. The young Indians of about ten years of age carried bows and arrows; they asked if they might shoot a chicken or two. On being given permission they soon knocked over several, being very expert with their primitive weapons. These bands of Indians were harmless excepting for their thieving propensi- ties. We still find many perfect specimens of their handicraft, one of my nephews finding a very fine sharp stone hatchet such as I have never seen in any collection of Indian relics.
In those first years the lack of certain things was sadly felt. One time when my parents felt the need of coffee particularly and had for some time been without, they received a most acceptable present of a large package of coffee from one of their nearest neighbors, one of the mem- bers of whose family had been to New Orleans and brought back a fifty- pound sack of the precious stimulant, which they very generously shared with their neighbors. Such open handed generosity was proverbial among the early settlers, each and all sharing in a most liberal manner. Some Kentuckians who were living here when my parents came, brought venison and other things a number of times, and would have felt insulted had they been offered pay. Although Dixon and vicinity had rather a hard name at that time, on account of horse thieves and other desperate characters, there was no petty thieving done, doors were left unlocked and clothes hanging out over night with perfect safety, the floating pop- ulation being intent on larger game, and would have scorned to steal trifles. The people who came to take up land and settle were all of the most respectable class and a great many of thein cultivated and refined.
In 1853 my father, whose health began to fail, made a visit liome to Germany. He remained a short time in New York before taking passage for his journey across the ocean, with relatives of my mother, John Roeb- ling, the engineer that built the suspension bridge across the Niagara river and afterward the famous Brooklyn suspension bridge. The Roeb- ling family and other relatives showed my father every attention and made his visit with them very enjoyable. After being away five months he returned home and commenced the erection of a stone home just west
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of the log house. I have forgotten to mention that he spent three winters previous to this time in Chicago, working at his business of watchmaking. Chicago had grown so rapidly and he was offered such inducements to go into business there, that he embraced the opportunity of making more money than he could in this vicinity, and which he greatly needed, as he had a growing family to support, and the farm did not bring in a very large income, there being very little sale for farm produce; butter and eggs were a drug on the market, one egg in the winter of '93 in Dixon bringing more than a dozen in those days, as my mother frequently sold eggs for two cents a dozen, or at that rate, as she took thread in payment. My mother and aunt had some experiences that will never have their counterpart again, it is to be hoped. My father at one time having quite a siege with the fever and ague, which was very prevalent at that time; the supply of wheat ran out, consequently bread was an absent quality, and at last my mother and her sister becom- ing desperate attempted to thresh some unbeknown to my father. The threshing in those primitive times was done by means of horses treading it out. They worked hard all day and succeeded in getting seven bush- els, which on the following day they took to Wilson's mill, fourteen miles distant, on Buffalo creek. My father was much distressed when he learned how they had worked, but was powerless to remedy it, and they all enjoyed the bread that was very literally "earned by the sweat of the brow. They moved into the new house in the fall of '54. My father went out of the business of watch making then and devoted the time- when he felt well enough-to gardening, which . he greatly enjoyed and was very successful with, the market begun to improve and pears sold readily for two dollars a bushel and currants at four dollars a bushel, the size and amount of fruit would be unbelievable in these days, bushels of immense and luscious peaches went to waste, strange as it may appear, they not selling as well as did currants and apples, probably because more people raised them. As time went on my father's health failed rapidly, he having injured his knee, bone consumption set in. He suffered great agony at times. Having heard of a renowned physician in Chicago-Vol- enta by name-a Hungarian, he went to that city and stayed several months, but the doctor gave him no bope. They formed a warm friend- ship, and Dr. Volenta came to Dixon to see my father, more as a friend than physician, and it did him much good to see him. The neighbors- always kind-and during my father's illness doubly so-came in many times to help wile away the time; and especially were they inebted to one, William Graham, for making many an otherwise weary hour pass
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pleasantly, he had such a store of amusing anecdotes to relate and bad traveled quite extensively, so it wes a never failing pleasure to see him. And Dr. Everett, dear to all the hearts in the community, came to cheer my parents in their trouble, his very presence brought healing to mind as well as body. In '59 my father was relieved from his suffering, and ny mother was left to care for a large family. She has told us many times of the unfailing kindness of neighbors and friends in helping her. The dif- ferent merchants in Dixon also, never hurried her for payments that she found hard to meet, they favored her in many ways and were unfailingly kind and considerate in their dealings with her. Time has dealt very gently with her and she has lived to a good old age and takes much pleasure in recalling old times. She never became wealthy, but has a good, comfortable home, free from encumberance, and her children and friends hope to have her with them many years yet. Thus ends my, at best, very incomplete occount of my parents' early life in Palmyra.
PAULINE BECKER.
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The Township of South Dix 1X012
South Dixon.
T HE earliest permanent settler of the present township was Joseph Cartwright, who came in 1838. I knew the man well, but knew little of his family till after his death in 1839. His wife and son, Richard, went to Dixon in an early day, and are now living in Iowa, I understand.
Before that, in 1836, a young man staked ont a claim for himself near the three mile branch on the old Chicago road about where Mr. Young now lives. Soon after Uncle Peter and Aunt Rhoda McKenney, through some misunderstanding probably, jumped his claim, built on it a small shanty and set up housekeeping.
The young man made complaint to the "Claim Society" (organized for the protection of the settlers) and the members at once rallied to restore him to his rights. They found Uncle Peter peacefully smoking his pipe in the shade of the cabin, and Aunt Rhoda getting dinner. Two of them," to induce Uncle Peter to give peaceable possession, led him gently but firmly over the boundary line of the claim, he calling all the time to his wife "Keep possession, Rhoda! keep possession! They can't get us out if you keep possession!"
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