USA > Illinois > Marshall County > Records of the olden time; or, Fifty years on the prairies. Embracing sketches of the discovery, exploration and settlement of the country, the organization of the counties of Putnam and Marshall, biographies of citizens, portraits and illustrations > Part 21
USA > Illinois > Putnam County > Records of the olden time; or, Fifty years on the prairies. Embracing sketches of the discovery, exploration and settlement of the country, the organization of the counties of Putnam and Marshall, biographies of citizens, portraits and illustrations > Part 21
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Dent, while not fancying the entertainment prepared for him by his neighbors, would not have seriously objected to their performances if they had been brought to a final close the first night; but he well knew that the continuance of them through three consecutive nights was the work of Hawes, and done in spiteful retaliation for what he had himself
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done, and he became so vexed with his old and oft-tried friend that he would not speak to him for several months. But finally these asperities became softened, and on a certain occasion, meeting with mutual friends, they shook hands and became as good friends and as warmly attached as ever.
STEALING A SQUAW.
In 1832 a Frenchman stole a squaw from some friendly Indians near Hennepin. Some time after a couple of Indians of the band to which she belonged came past the Frenchman's cabin, and recognizing the squaw, seized her and forcibly conveyed her home. The Frenchman on returning followed the party until discovering Indian signs, he procured the aid of a number of white men, and went in pursuit. He was dangerously valiant, and begged as a personal favor that the crowd would let him "chaw up the Indians" who stole his wife as soon as caught.
On their way the party met an Indian on a pony at a creek. The In- dian was apparently peaceably inclined, so they rode over in "Indian file," the last man to cross being the Frenchman. The Indian waited until he was about to enter the creek, and then seized him, exclaiming, "Bad white man! steal Indian's squaw -eh ? and come back to steal she again -not much-eh!" And he pitched into the Frenchman and gave him a good "licking." The valorous gentleman from Paris covered his face with his hands and shouted, "Sacaree! Ouch! Ze blodee Ingeon! By gar, he too mooch gouge moine eye-ouchee ! Mur-r-r-dar!" But never a blow did he strike, while his white companions looked on from across the creek in a high state of merriment.
When the Indian had satisfied himself, he rode away, leaving the ter- rified and well-pounded woman-stealer in a sad state. As soon as the Indian had gone the Frenchman waxed blood-thirsty again.
At Hartzell's trading house they met a large number of Indians, in anything but a friendly mood. Among the white men was a young man named Cummins, a model of physical strengte and courage. He, by com- mon consent, acted as spokesman for the party. The Indians accused him of having come after the squaw, while Cummins denied it. The Indian who seemed to lead the party was ugly, and only wanted a pretext to be- gin a row. He challenged Cummins to wrestle, which, however, meant to fight. Cummins had two pistols, which he kept concealed, and where his antagonist could not reach them. Mr. Reed, one of the white men,
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WRESTLING WITH AN INDIAN-INDIAN NEIGHBORS.
stood over the two as they scuffled, determined to see fair play. The match was nearly even. The Indian was the superior in strength, but Cummins excelled in agility, and was something of a scientific wrestler. It was thought if the Indian had got Cummins under, he would have knifed him; but Cummins repeatedly threw his adversary, so finally the Indian feeling convinced of Cummings' superiority, was glad to call it a tie. The boys got the Indians mellow on whisky, and gladly stole away.
INDIAN NEIGHBORS.
The Indians were numerous when the prairie was first settled by the whites. They lived on the bottoms near the Illinois River, in two camps about equi-distant from Strawn's settlement. The lower camps were occu- pied by two or three hundred Kickapoos, while the other, three miles above, consisted of a fragment of Shaubena's Pottawatomie Indians. Both tribes were on the most friendly terms with the settlers, and each race found a positive advantage in trading with the other. The Indians brought the white people meat and honey in exchange for corn, flour and tobacco. They would beg for corn out of the crib in winter, and standing in the snow, eat it raw, like squirrels. They never entered a house where there was a fire, except for a few moments, and when near the heat made signs as if suffocated by it.
Shaubena's camp of Indians was small-from twenty-five to one hun- dred people. They were a roving set, hunting at Bureau, Ottawa, or elsewhere, and never many at a time in camp, while Shick-shack's tribe were more inclined to remain at home. Shaubena's Indians were given to drinking whiskey, while the others rarely touched it.
The Indian braves scorned to do manual labor. They would catch fish and leave them in their canoes to rot in the sun if the squaws were not near to carry them to the wigwams and dress them. They would kill .deer and hang them up in the woods, come to the camp, and send the squaws and ponies long distances to find them and bring home the meat, half putrid sometimes before it was skinned and ready for use! They could, if absolutely necessary, very expeditiously skin a deer, but they looked upon all labor as degrading, and made the squaws do the drudgery.
Shick-Shack, the Indian, and his band lived at the mouth of Clear Creek. He was a large, active and intelligent old man, respected by the whites and venerated by his tribe. He was honest and punctual in
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RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME.
all his dealings, and withal possessed considerable ability. He inclined read- - ily toward the ways of civilized life, and probably was the first Indian in this region to avail himself of the Yankee breaking plow to open up the soil for cultivation. He raised good crops of corn, and had a sensible idea of the relative value of the different articles of barter. He cared little for trinkets and gew-gaws, and frequently reproved his men for buying bits of colored glass or brass ornaments.
He was for peace, when Black Hawk plunged the country into war. Foreseeing that the natural and lasting animosities which it had kindled between the two races would prevent them from dwelling together, he deemed it better they should separate; therefore, bowing to the inevitable and unalterable decree of fate, went westward with his tribe in 1833, after which no Indians, or at least but a few stragglers were ever seen on this side of the Mississippi.
AN INDIAN SIGN OF PEACE.
When Captain Hawes moved to Magnolia, he brought with him from Sangamon County a few hogs, as up to that date (1826) there were none in the country. He permitted his pigs to run at large, and the woods being filled with "mast," the swine fattened and increased, and he seemed to have lost all right of property in them. The Indians lived upon them, and new settlers shot them whenever they wanted pork. They became wild, but never dangerous.
One fall, in about 1832, Captain Hawes concluded to assert ownership over these wandering porkers, and obtaining an Indian guide, started on a hunt. After traveling all day they became pretty hungry, and shot a wild turkey, which was dressed, roasted and eaten. They slept upon the ground under a tree. The Indian before lying down drew forth his butcher knife and plunged it into the soil up to the hilt, the Indian sign of peace. The Captain took the other side, taking care to leave a respect- able space between its sharp edge and his ribs!
WANTING TO MARRY.
A desire to wed is a pardonable ambition in Eve's daughters the world over, and Jeremiah Strawn states a well remembered incident that befel him.
Once when on his way from Ohio, he stopped over night at a log
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A GIRL WHO WANTED TO MARRY.
house on the Sangamon River, and was waited upon at table by a 200- pound girl with rosy cheeks and bright eyes, who questioned him about the people of the settlement, and when told that wives were in demand, begged him to take her along, saying with a sigh that she "had lived six months on the Sangamo Bottom without seeing a young man," and added that "she could never get married at that rate." Mr. Strawn told her to hope on, but she insisted, with tears in her eyes, that there was no hope while she staid there, and begged to be taken along, which S., in view of her weight and the fact that his pony was small, the distance great, and a wife and children already to look out for, declined to do.
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RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME.
CHAPTER XXIX.
OX BOW PRAIRIE.
ETWEEN Little Sandy and Clear Creek, a couple of streams which enter the Illinois River, flowing from the east, in Putnam County, near Henry, there is a beautiful, irregu- larly shaped farming region, about five miles in length from east to west, and varying from one to two and a half miles in width, from north to south. This is known as Ox Bow Prairie. The name comes from a real or fancied resem- blance of the lines of timber around this prairie to an ox bow which the settlers used upon their patient animals for draft purposes. The likeness, however, is greatly exaggerated, as that region now appears, though perhaps before the present growth of younger tim- ber had appeared and the original marginal lines of the environing woods, as yet unmarred by the axe of the settler, were clear and distinct, the resemblance to an ox bow might have justly warranted the title.
With the exception of a narrow neck at the eastern extremity, where the projecting ends of the fancied bow do not join, the prairie is surounded by timber, gradually widening the lines of its boundary till near the western limits, where they gracefully form into a circle, and meeting, form the outlines of the tolerably perfect base of the mammoth bow.
The timber growing near the two streams named comprises all the more valuable kinds and varieties of trees found in this State. In these woods there is an abundance of excellent water. There are numerous springs, which add their generous contributions to the creeks, ravines and gullies, and are reached under the surface of the prairie by wells varying from twenty to thirty-five feet in depth. In this way unfailing quanti- ties of pure water are obtained and at trifling expense.
This prairie in olden times was one of the best known localities in Northern Illinois, and in priority of date of its settlement by white peo- ple, takes rank with the first made between Peoria and the Wisconsin " line.
In early days Ox Bow Prairie was as well known as Galena, Chicago,
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THE SETTLEMENT OF OX BOW PRAIRIE.
Peoria or any point in the State. This section, by reason of its geographi- . cal position, the wonderful fertility of its soil, its fine drainage, its superior supply of water, and especially because it was surrounded by heavy tim- ber, seemed a very Garden of Eden to the immigrant from the wooded countries of the East. 1
In consequence of its peculiar location its settlement was rapid, and long ago it was so completely improved that not a foot of its soil was left unoccupied.
OX BOW SETTLERS.
1
Lyman Horram was one of the earliest settlers on Ox Bow Prairie, having located there in October, 1830, selecting a place near where Cale- donia was originally laid out. Soon other settlers came in, and he found himself surrounded by such neighbors as Capt. William Hawes, John . Dent, George H. Shaw, Ephraim Smith, Maj. Elias Thompson, Samuel Glenn, Isaac Glenn, Hiram Allen, John Lloyd, Mr. McCaleb, William Kincaid, Hartwell Haley, Asahel Hannum, George Hildebrand, Isaac Hildebrand, Townley Fyffe and John Boyle and family. Besides these there were no other permanent settlers there until about 1832.
He made his first visit to the West in 1827, and during his meander- ings stood upon Starved Rock, in La Salle County, in the summer of that year. This was three years before any white persons had made a settlement anywhere in that region of country. Dr. Walker, an esteemed and well known missionary among the Indians, had established a school for instructing Indian children near where Ottawa now stands. There were no settlers anywhere along the Illinois River between Dr. Walker's mission school and Peoria.
. These Ox Bow Prairie settlers built a fort for defensive purposes on a corner of Lyman Horram's farm. It was a well built stockade, en- closing about one-fourth of an acre of land, and had bastions at the diagonal corners, from which those on the inside could protect the fortification from attack by raking fires along the outer walls. The settlers, from fear of danger, occupied their fort at night for about six weeks, leaving it in the daytime, to attend to their respective duties. Mr. Horram, however, made use of its sheltering walls for but one night only, preferring to take his chances while attending more assiduously to the care of his growing crops and his stock. One of his fields extended
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RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME.
on two sides of the fort, in which he had a splendid crop of growing oats. When they were being harvested signs were discovered which indicated that they had afforded shelter to prowling Indians, who had come within easy range of the fort for reconnoitering purposes. If they had ever really intended to attack the settlers their plans were abandoned when they learned of the to them disastrous termination of the war which had been carried on by Black Hawk.
Among the few remaining dwellers on Ox Bow Prairie is Abner Boyle, son of David Boyle, who came to the country in 1829, and with his sons built a cabin and raised twenty acres of corn, yielding fifty and sixty bushels to the acre. This they got ground at the mills on the Mackinaw River, fifty miles away, and with a plentiful supply of venison, made a comfortable "live " of it through the winter. Times were hard, but their wants were few, and the average of enjoyment compared favorably with to-day.
My. Boyle's cabin was a model of simplicity, being simply a pen of loosely laid up logs covered with shakes. The spaces between the logs never having been " chinked," windows were not required, and as cooking was done out of doors, neither fire-place nor chimney were needed. In 1830 he was commissioned post master by Gen. Jackson, and the office named Ox Bow; but people had little time to write letters in those times, and it cost twenty-five cents to get a letter from the East, so that com- missions were not sufficient to pay for the labor of opening and examin- ing the mails, and he resigned.
TIGHT TIMES.
During the terribly severe winter of 1830-31 the Ox Bow settlers were in danger of suffering from want of sufficient food. By adhering to a rigid economy, and taking the greatest care of their stocks of provisions, they were enabled to pull through, the more needy and destitute having their wants supplied by those who were better off.
In 1831 a hand grist mill was put in operation by Mr. Z. Shugart, by which the people were enabled to have their corn converted into meal and hominy.
Dr. David Ritchie acted as physician to nearly all the settlers on Ox Bow, having begun the practice of medicine there in 1831.
Rev. William Royal, a Presbyterian minister, looked after their
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INDIAN SCARES- AMUSING EPISODES.
spiritual wants, performed the marriage service for lovers, christened the children and buried the dead. Church festivals and donation parties were not in vogue in those primitive days.
The first school house that was built was located near Caledonia, and Dr. Ashley was the first teacher who undertook to instruct the young people therein.
INDIAN ALARMS.
During the Black Hawk war, Ox Bow Prairie was the scene of fre- quent alarms. The red marauders had been seen skulking on the edge of the timber, and in the dense brush along the creeks. They had killed cattle belonging to Horram and Mr. Glenn, near their owners' houses, be- · sides committing other depredations, and the people were justly in a state of constant fear for their personal safety.
Shick-Shack brought word that the Indians talked of coming in force to drive the whites away, and their daily appearance was feared. While the stockade was being built a number of families stayed at Enoch Dent's through the day and hid in the bushes at night. Mr. James T. Hunt, of Wenona, remembers being sent aloft to watch while his mother prepared the dinner below. The savory odor of victuals coming up the chimney was more than the boy could stand, so he deserted his post and came down, and was bolting a piece of pork when the door opened, and all unbidden in stalked a tall Indian. "Not the least obeisance made he," but he said in the best pigeon English he could command that he wanted something to eat. The boy's hair "straight uprose," while Mrs. Dent jumped beneath the bed. He was given the best in the house, and departed.
1
On another occasion a number of women had met at the house of Enoch Dent, when a squad of Indians came past on their ponies. Some children, Mrs. Jas. S. Dent among the number, saw them coming, and gave the alarm. Mrs. Hawes ran up stairs, and the others scattered off into the bushes. Mrs. Dent ran into the yard and hid under the scant foliage of some wild gooseberry bushes, which only covered her back and should- ers, leaving her head and feet exposed to the view of the Indians, who, pointing to her as they passed, laughed immoderately.
WILD GAME.
In 1826, and until the deep snow of 1830-31, Ox Bow Prairie and the timber around abounded with deer, wolves, prairie chickens, quails,
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RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME.
blackbirds, crows, wild pigeons, snipe, etc. In the fall and spring numer- ous water fowl, such as ducks, geese and brant, covered the lakes and ponds, and sandhill cranes, for years a stranger to this section, were plen- tiful. There were many squirrels, a few rabbits, 'grey foxes, wild- cats, coons, pole-cats, woodchucks, but no pheasants, and but few opossums. A few swans were seen at times. That year was very fatal, and they were never so plentiful afterward.
Captain Hawes says the wild hogs found here sprang from tame ani- mals brought in by the settlers, and allowed to run wild. Hogs that were allowed to run out a single season got very "scary," and a few years would give them all the characteristics of the wild hogs of Europe.
David Stateler states that prairie chickens were never so numerous be- fore as that winter and the next season. They scratched holes in the snow to the ground, and roosted in those holes safe from all foes. In walking through the fields, these places could be seen by hundreds, and the chickens would not fly out until you almost looked down upon them. But the quail and wild turkeys perished, and nearly all the deer, and for several years after that fatal winter but few of either were to be seen.
Besides the wild-cat, or lynx, which the settlers frequently met with, they were outrageously annoyed by wolves, which abounded in great numbers. They prowled around in close proximity to the settlement in such numbers as to defy the dogs usually found as appendages to every well regulated pioneer's family. Pigs, sheep and poultry were particularly enticing to them, and upon which they levied heavy tribute. A pack of twenty or thirty hungry wolves were too formidable for a few dogs to attack, and when they attempted it they usually came off second best. When they became too annoying, neighborhood hunts were organ- ized, at which many were killed. The Hon. John O. Dent, of Wenona, describes one that came off in an early day, the centre of which was about a mile south-east of Mount Pleasant, which corralled 250 deer and seventy or eighty wolves. Thirty wolves and fifty-one deer were killed.
THE DEVIL TURNED INFORMER.
One evening in 1829 Captain Hawes and his family attended meeting at the Hollenback cabin, and listened to a discourse by the Rev. Father Walker. At the conclusion of the services, Adam Payne was called on to pray, and having a good opinion of his oratorical powers, "laid himself
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SINGULAR WARNING OF A FIRE.
out," as the phrase is, for an unusual effort. He prayed for everybody, from Adam down, and seemingly for every thing, at last winding up, after exhausting the patience of all his hearers, including the minister. Father Walker spent the night with Captain Hawes, and on their way home said to the latter, "Brother Hawes, while Brother Payne was making that long prayer the devil whispered in my ear that your house was on fire, but as he is such an unconscionable old liar, I did not think he told the truth !" Captain Hawes was surprised at the strange apparent intimacy between the devil and a good old Christian minister, but made no reply. They jogged along without increasing their speed, until coming in sight, the house was discovered ablaze around the chimney, and enveloped in smoke! They arrived just in time to save the establishment, which, be- ing built of hard wood, had burned very slowly.
The Captain has ever since been puzzled with the question: "What could have been the object of his brimstonic majesty in notifying Father Walker of the impending catastrophe ? Was it because he was wincing under the telling blows the devout Payne was raining upon him, and therefore desired to close the meeting?" To this day it is an unsolved riddle with the Captain, and he can't understand the intimacy between the parson and his satanic majesty.
MISPLACED CONFIDENCE IN A WOLF.
George Hannum, when a lad of sixteen, shot a half-grown wolf which approached too near where he was feeding his cattle, and impaling the animal on a pitchfork, strung the young cub across his shoulder and started for home. But the animal was neither dead nor asleep, as his captor too confidently supposed, and tiring of this mode of conveyance, reached down and caught the boy by the seat of his pants, including a goodly portion of the young man's person. The astonished, not to say terrified youth, uttering a Comanche-like yell of surprise and pain, jumped . about six feet, and dropping his lively burden, sped for home, one hand grasping the wounded "seat of honor," and the other frantically clutch- ing at space in general, and yelling for help! The boys came to his relief, and the wolf was again made captive, but any reference to the adventure, or casual mention of a "fire in the rear," was ever afterward sure to pro- voke his ire. To this day it is said the mention of a wolf will involunta- . rily cause him to grasp the seat of his pantaloons.
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RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME.
CHAPTER XXX.
OLD MILLS OF MAGNOLIA AND VICINITY.
HE first mill in the neighborhood of Magnolia for grinding corn was put up by Mr. Hollenback in 1830, on Little Sandy Creek, near the village. The burrs were a species of blue granite found along the Creek, dressed by himself. The work of shaping and finishing was long and tedious, but when finished theywere very creditable specimens of Mr. Hollenback's skill and patience. They were used for many years. The mill at first was run by hand power, the cus- tomer contributing his personal strength to the work while his grist was being ground.
Captain Hawes, one of the Lewis brothers and Mr. Knox once ground three bushels of corn upon it, devoting to the job nearly half a day's hard labor! The bolting was done at home, each patron taking his grist there when ground, and the women and boys removed the bran by means of a seive.
Jolm Dent had a small hand mill on his place in 1833, on Little Sandy.
In 1842 Amos Harney built a woolen mill in Magnolia, or else added carding machinery to a flouring mill already built. About 1843 Basore & Simonton removed the machinery from Kestor's mill on Sandy and set it up here.
In 1835 Geo. Griffith had a saw mill on Clear Creek, and in 1837 con- verted it into a flouring mill.
In 1839 Aaron Bascom built a saw mill on Clear Creek, half a mile from the river road.
In 1850 Mr. Gaylord set up a steam mill in Magnolia, which subse- quently fell into the hands of Mr. Bowers.
Dwellers in this land of plenty can hardly realize the inconveniences to which the early settlers were subjected in the matter of food. In 1831- 31 the stock of flour and corn-meal ran so low that an expedition was fitted out to go to "the Wabash" for flour. It consisted of five teams, .
GEO. S. PARK. MAGNOLIA, ILL.
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REMINISCENCES OF THE GREAT SNOW.
the leader being Captain Hawes. They were absent four weeks, and re- turned loaded with provisions, to the great joy of their families.
THE FIRST ORCHARD.
The first orchard on the prairie was planted by Captain Hawes, in 1827, from seeds obtained in the American bottom. Although more than fifty years old, some of them are still standing and bear fruit. , Many procured fruit trees from Peoria, and others brought them from the older States.
THE GREAT SNOW.
Innumerable are the incidents connected with the deep snow of 1830- 31. Travel was suspended except in cases of necessity. Along the roads paths were beaten down, which could be traveled, but a horse or ox that got outside was apt to get fast.
One day a man came to Knox's mill, with an old crowbate horse, for a sack of meal. The beast was poor and weak, and staggering beneath its load, fell into the snow and could not be extricated. The man took the load on his back and started home for help. While gone the wolves attacked the horse and ate large pieces out of its hams; yet the animal was alive the next morning, and gave a grateful neigh of recognition.
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