USA > Illinois > Bureau County > Reminiscences of Bureau county [Illinois] in two parts > Part 14
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Mr. Moseley marked out his claim, cutting the initials
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of his name on witness trees, and contracting with Mr. Perkins to furnish him, on the land, some boards and slabs for a shanty, after which he returned to Naples to report his discovery.
The three families, with their household goods, were put on board of a keel boat at Naples, and ascended the river as far as the mouth of Bureau creek. Soon after their arrival on Bureau, they were all taken down sick with the intermittent fever, one not being able to assist the other. Although strangers in a strange land, they found those who acted the part of the good Samaritan. James G. Forristall, although living twelve miles distant, was a neighbor to them, spending days and even weeks in administering to their wants. Daniel Smith, father of Daniel P. and Dwight Smith, of Ohio town, found shelter for his family in a shanty constructed of split puncheons, which stood on the Doolittle farm. Here Mr. Smith died a few weeks after his arrival, and he was the first white man buried within the limits of Bureau county. The widow of Daniel Smith, being left with three small children, in a strange country, and with limited means, experienced many of the hardships common to a new settlement. She made a claim where Edward Bryant now lives, and with the assistance of friends, built a cabin and made a farm.
Mr. Moseley and Mr. Musgrove were men of industry and enterprise, improving well their claims, and lived on them until their death. 8
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SETTLEMENT EAST OF THE RIVER -- FIRST STEAMBOAT.
In the spring of 1827, James W. Willis and brother made a claim on the Ox Bow prairie, built a cabin, broke ten acres of land, and planted it in corn. On account of the trouble with the Winnebago Indians. which occurred that summer, they fled from the country, but returned in the fall to find a good crop of corn which had matured, without fencing or cultivating. In September, 1826, Capt. Wm. Haws explored the country east of the river, and selected a claim near the present site of Magnolia. Sometime afterwards, Capt. Haws settled on this claim, where he continued to live. and he is regarded the oldest settler now living in Putnam county. Other pioneers came to that section of country a year or two later. among whom were J. Strawn, David Boyle. Daniel Gunn. Hilderbrans. Wilsons and others.
In 1828, Thomas Hartzell an Indian trader, occupied a cabin on the east bank of the river, a short distance below the mouth of Bureau creek. Three years after- wards, he established himself in Hennepin, and had an extensive trade with the Indians as late as the spring of 1836, when he retired from business after accumu- lating a fortune.
In the spring of 1831, Hooper Warren was appointed by Judge Young, clerk of the court, and he came to Hennepin to assist in organizing the county. For a
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number of years, Mr. Warren was clerk of the circuit court, county clerk, recorder, judge of probate, and justice of the peace, all of which he held at one time. In 1819, Hooper Warren was editor of Edwards Spectator, one of the two papers then published in Illinois, and through it he carried on a warfare against the introduction of slavery, which was at that time contemplated.
In 1829, Smiley and Nelson Shephard. James Dunlavey. Thomas Galleher, John E. Wornock, John Leeper, Samuel D. Laughlin, and others, settled at Union Grove, and in the vicinity of Florid. In Sep- tember, 1831, James and Williamson Durley opened a store in a log cabin opposite the mouth of Burean creek ; afterwards they built the first house in Hennepin. and moved their store thither. In the summer of 1828. Smiley Shephard. then a young man, explored the country along the Illinois river, and made a claim three miles east of the mouth of Bureau creek, where he now lives. His location is a romantic one, occupying a high knoll at the side of the grove, and overlooking the beautiful prairie which skirts the great bend in the Illinois river, and where its windings can be seen for fourteen miles. After making his claim Mr. Shephard returned to his home in Ohio, married a wife, and the nest smumer came back to Illinois, with the intention of making it his future home. Frof St. Louis the emigrants ascended the Illinois river in a keol boat as far as l'eoria, and from there to the mouth of Bureau
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creek, in a small Indian trading boat. At that time no steamboat had ever ascended the Illinois river above Beardstown, and some believed that twenty years or more would elapse before they would be required on the upper Illinois. But two years had scarcely elapsed, when on a bright May morning in 1831, Mr. Shephard and his neighbors were surprised to hear the puffing of a steamboat, and for many miles they could see the smoke from her chimneys as she followed around the great bend of the river. This was the steamer Caroline, the first boat that ever came above Peoria. The Caroline ascended the river as far as Crozier's trading house, at the mouth of Big Vermillion, and from that day the landing was called Shipmansport. After cutting and taking some wood on board, and piloted by Mr. Crozier, who was well acquainted with the channel. the boat ascended the river to Ottawa. In September following, the steamboat Traveler came up the river as far as Crozier's landing, and from that time steamboats would occasionally ascend the river.
When John Hall, William Hoskins, and others, living near the Illinois river, heard the puffing of the steamer Caroline, it caused great rejoicing among them, regarding it a harbinger of commerce and civilization.
A party of Indians were encamped on Negro creek. about one mile above its mouth, when the Caroline ascended the river, and on hearing the puffiing the squaws and pappooses were greatly alarmed, never having seen or heard a steamboat before. Some of the
WILLIAM HOSKINS.
THE NEW YORK PUBLICLIBRARY
ASTCH. L TILDEN E
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PUTNAM COUNTY ORGANIZED.
Indians mounted their ponies, and put them at the top of their speed to learn the cause of the strange noise, and for some distance they galloped their ponies along the bank of the river, in order to get a good view of the monster. An Indian boy was the first to return to camp after seeing the steamboat, when the squaw's gathered around him for an explanation of the strange noise which they had heard. The boy, who was much excited, said to them that the Great Spirit had gone up the river in a big canoe. This big canoe, he said, was on fire, and the puffing which they heard was caused by the Great Spirit being out of breath paddling it so fast up stream.
PUTNAM COUNTY ORGANIZED.
In the spring of 1831, Putnam county was organized, in accordance with an act of the legislature passed in January previous. By this act new boundaries were given to Putnam, which made it include territory on the east side of the river, that formerly belonged to Tazewell county.
At the time Putnam county was organized, all the country north and west of Bureau settlement, was a wild, unsettled country, without a permanent resident. except the miners about Galena. At that time Chicago was spoken of as a trading post, in the northeast part of Putnam county, and contained nothing but a garrison and a few Indian traders. With the exception of the Peoria and Galena road, there was not a mail route
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throughout the country : all other roads were scarcely more than Indian trails, and not passable for wagons. The only commerce of the country was carried on by Indian traders, who were located at various places along the principal streams. Bureau post office, at Henry Thomas', was the only one in the new county, but a few weeks after the county was organized, David Boyle, of Ox Bow prairie, obtained a grant and opened a post office.
In accordance with the provisions of the legislature. an election was held on the first Monday of March, at the house of William Haws, near the present site of Magnolia, to elect county officers, at which only twenty- four votes were cast. Thomas Galleher. George Ish. and John M. Gay, were elected county commissioners ; Ira Ladd, sheriff; Aaron Paine, coroner; Dr. N. Cham- berlain was afterwards appointed school commissioner. Mr. Gay and Dr. Chamberlain were residents of Bureau settlement.
The act of the legislature for laying off Putnam county, provided that the county seat should be located on the Illinois river, and called Hennepin. In May. the three commissioners appointed by the legislature met, and after examining a number of places along the river, located the county seat at Hennepin, where it still remains. It is said that the town site of Henry was first selected, but through the influence of settlers on the east side of the river. it was changed to the present site.
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ORGANIZATION OF PUTNAM COUNTY.
The first commissioners' court was held in Hartzell's trading house, a short distance above the present site of Hennepin. One of the first acts of the commissioners was to borrow two hundred dollars, on the credit of the county, and send a man to Springfield to enter the land where Hennepin is located. But the land not being in market. it was not entered until some years afterwards. At the first meeting of the commissioners they passed a license act, fixing the tariff on the different kinds of business. among which were the following: License for merchant or peddler. from six to sixteen dollars: for tavern keeper, from three to five dollars, and they were restricted to the following charges: For keeping a horse over night, twenty-five cents: one full feed. twelve and one-half cents: one meal for a man. eighteen and three-fourth cents; one night's lodging, six and one-fourth cents; half pint of whisky, twelve and one- half cents : one gill, six and one-fourth cents.
The first circuit court of Putnam county was held in May. 1831, at the house of Thomas Hartzell. R. M. Young was judge, and Thomas Ford, afterwards Gov- ernor, state's attorney. The judicial district at that time, extended from the mouth of the Illinois river to the northern boundary of the State, including Galena and Chicago. The records show that most of the early settlers on Bureau served either as grand or petit jurors at this term of court. The grand jury held its session on a log, under the shade of a tree, and the only indict- ment found was against a man for bigamy. The jury
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regarded it unfair for a man to have two wives, while most of them were without any. There was no civil business before the court, and it adjourned, after being in session one day.
Putnam county was divided into four precincts, two on the east side of the river, named Hennepin and Sandy, and two on the west side of the river, named Spoon River and Bureau. Bureau precinct included all that part of the county west of the Illinois river. and north of a direct line drawn from the head of Crow Meadow prairie to Six Mile Grove, thence northwest to the county line. This territory included all of Bureau, and part of Putnam, Stark, and Marshall counties. The first general election, after the organi- zation of the county, was held at the house of Elijah Epperson, on the 18th of Angust, 1831, when nineteen votes were cast, whose names were as follows: Henry Thomas, Elijah Epperson, Mason Dimmick, Leonard Roth, John M. Gay, Samuel Glason, Curtiss Williams, Justus and John L. Ament, J. W. Hall, Henry Harri- son, Abram Stratton, Ezekiel Thomas, Hezekiah and Anthony Epperson, E. H. Hall, Adam Taylor, Daniel Dimmick, and Thomas Washburn.
At this election, John M. Gay and Daniel Dimmick were elected justices of the peace; the latter did not qualify, but the former, John M. Gay, was the only acting justice of the peace on the west side of the river, for a number of years after the organization of the county.
CHAPTER VI.
PEORIA AND GALENA STATE ROAD.
This great thoroughfare of early times, had its origin in the spring of 1827, and for some years it was known as Kellogg's trail. The road which formerly connected the lead mines with the settled part of the state, passed by Rock Island until the spring of 1827, Mr. Kellogg. with three wagons and a drove of cattle, went direct through the country from Peoria to Galena, a distance of one hundred and sixty miles. Other travelers followed Kellogg's trail, and soon it became a beaten track. Charles S. Boyd passed over this road, on horseback, a few days after it was made, and he did not see a white man, after leaving the lead mines, until he came within twenty miles of Peoria. At the time of the Winnebago war, in the summer of 1827. Col. Neale. with six hundred volunteers from the southern part of the State, passed over this road, and as no springs were then found on the route, the troops were obliged to drink out of sloughs or ponds along the way.
9
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Soon after this road was opened, droves of cattle and hogs, with emigrant and mining wagons, as well as a daily mail coach, passed over it, which made it one of the great thoroughfares of the west. For a number of years after this road was opened. only six cabins were built along its entire length, and these stood fifteen or twenty miles apart, so as to entertain travelers. Besides these six cabins, no marks of civilization could be seen between Peoria and Galena, and the country through which it passed was still in the possession of Indians.
This road originally passed through the head of Boyd's Grove, over the town site of Providence, a few rods west of Wyanet, and by Red Oak Grove. After- ward it was changed to pass through Dad Joe Grove. and in 1833 it was made to pass through Tiskilwa and Princeton.
In the spring of 1831, Dad Joe received a large. sealed package, wrapped around with red tape, and inscribed, "Official Documents." On opening it. an order was found from the commissioner's court of Jo Daviess county, notifying him that he was appointed overseer of highways, and fixing his district from the north line of Peoria county to Rock river, a distance of sixty-five miles. In this district Dad Joe could only tind four men, besides himself, to work on this sixty- tive miles of road.
In 1833, an act passed the legislature to survey and permanently locate the Peoria and Galena road, and appointed Charles S. Boyd, J. B. Merrideth, and Dad
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Joe, commissioners for that purpose. Although this road had been traveled for six years, it had never been surveyed or legally established, and with the exception of bridging one or two sloughs, no work had been done on it. The commissioners met at Peoria for the purpose of commencing their work, and at the ferry, now Front street, they drove the first stake. A large crowd of people had collected on that occasion, as the location of the road was to them a matter of some consequence. Dad Joe, mounted on old Pat, appeared to be the center of attraction, as he was well known by every one about Peoria. Eight years previously, he was a resident of Peoria, and while acting as one of the county commissioners, he had located the county seat there, and by him the name of the place was changed from Fort Clark to Peoria.
Many of the old settlers will recollect old Pat, Dad Joe's favorite horse, which was rode or drove by him for more than twenty years, and he became almost as well known in the settlement as his noted master. He was a dark sorrel horse, with foxy ears, a star in the forehead. a scar on the flank, and was always fat and sleek. It was this horse that young Joe rode when he carried the Governor's dispatch from Dixon's ferry to Fort Wilburn, as previously stated.
Among the crowd that had collected around the commissioners, on this occasion, was John Winter, a mail contractor, and owner of the stage line between Peoria and Galena. Many stories of early times were
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told by those present, funny jokes passed, and all were enjoying the fun, when Winter offered to stake the choice of his stage horses against old Pat, that he could throw Dad Joe down. Now Dad Joe was no gambler, and would not have exchanged old Pat for all of Winter's horses; but being fond of fun, and while shaking all over with laughter, he said in his loud tone of voice, which could have been heard for half a mile. " Winter, I'll be blessed if I don't take that bet." Dad Joe was a thick, heavy-set man, of remarkable physical power, and wore at the time a long hunting shirt with a large rope tied around his waist. Winter was a spare, active man, a great champion in wrestling, and wore a pair of fine cloth pantaloons, made tight in accordance with the fashion of the day. When all the preliminaries were arranged, and the parties taken hold, Winter sang out, " Dad, are you ready ?" to which Dad replied, " All ready, Winter, God bless you." Winter. as quick as thought, attempted to knock his adversary's feet from under him, but instead of doing so, he was raised off the ground, and held there by the strong arms of Dad Joe. Winter kicked and struggled to regain his footing, but all to no purpose; at the same time his tight pantaloons burst open, exposing his person to the gaze of the laughing crowd. At last he said, "Dad. for God's sake let me down, and you shall have the best horse in my barn." Dad Joe released his hold, Winter again reached terra firma, and old Pat was safe.
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MARRIAGES UNDER DIFFICULTIES.
The first wedding celebrated within the limits of Bureau county, took place in the summer of 1830. and the parties were Leonard Roth and Nancy Perkins, a daughter of Timothy Perkins. The license was obtained at the county clerk's office in Peoria, and the parties were married by Elijah Epperson. There were some doubts about Mr. Epperson's authority to administer the marriage rite, as it was obtained through his church relation some years before, while living in Kentucky. but there was no authorized person, at that time, living within fifty miles of them, and the legality of the marriage was never questioned.
For a few years after Putnam county was organized, John M. Gay, as justice of the peace, was the only person on the west side of the Illinois river authorized to administer the marriage rite. Abram Stratton and Miss Sarah Baggs deferred their wedding two weeks, waiting for Mr. Gay to obtain his commission, so he could marry them. Squire Gay was sent for to marry a couple at Perkins' Grove, whose names were Peter Harmon and Rebecca Perkins, a daughter of Timothy Perkins. On the day appointed for the wedding. Gay's horse having strayed off on the prairie, could not be found until after noon, and the wedding party, being disappointed by his non-appearance, started in search of him. The groom, mounted on a horse, with the bride behind him, and the groomsman, also on horseback. with the bridesmaid behind him, and in this way they started for Gay's residence, twenty miles distant. After
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going about six miles, they met Gay, accompanied by Hezekiah Epperson, on their way to the marriage feast. and it was agreed that the wedding should take place then and there. Near by stood a vacant shanty, which had been built in order to hold a claim. This shanty was without door or floor, and was very filthy, having been a resort for deer and cattle, but it answered the purpose of breaking off the wind, which was blowing hard at the time. Into this shanty the wedding party went, and here the marriage service was performed. When the wedding was over, the happy couple, with their attendants, again mounted their horses, in the same order as they came, and started on their wedding tour, while Squire Gay returned home with a two dollar marriage fee in his pocket.
DAVE JONES.
This individual became so notorious in the early settlement of the county, and figures so much in its history, that a further account of him may interest the reader. Dave Jones, or Devil Jones, as he was gene- rally called, was a small, well-built man, with very dark skin, hair and eyes as black as a raven, and he had a wild, savage appearance. He was strong and active, a good wrestler and fighter, and but few men could compete with him. For a number of years he was a terror to the settlement, being feared both by whites and Indians. Jones came to the country in the spring
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of 1831. and built a cabin on the present site of Tis- kilwa, but getting into trouble with the Indians, he traded his claim to Mr. McCormis for an old mare, valued at ten dollars, and two gallons of whisky. He next built a cabin near where Lomax's mill now stands ; a year or two later. he went to Dimmick's Grove, and in 1835 he moved to Indiana, where he was hung by a inob soon after his arrival. Many remarkable feats of Jones are still remembered by old settlers, some of which are worth preserving.
In the spring of 1832, a dead Indian was found in the creek, near the present site of the Bureau Valley mills, with a bullet hole in his back, showing that he came to his death from a rifle shot. The corpse was taken out of the water by Indians, buried in the sand near by, and the affair was soon forgotten. Jones said while hunting deer in the creek bottom, he saw this Indian setting on a log over the water, fishing, when all of a sudden he jumped up as though he was about to draw out a big fish, and pitched headlong into the water, and was drowned when he came up to him. Two other Indians disappeared mysteriously about the same time, who were supposed to have been murdered, and on that account, it is said, the Indians contemplated taking revenge on the settlers.
One warm afternoon, Jones, with a jug in one hand, came cantering his old mare up to the Hennepin ferry, saying that his wife was very sick. and would certainly die if she did not get some whisky soon. In great
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haste Jones was taken across the river, and on landing on the Hennepin side, he put his old mare on a gallop up the bluff to Durley's store, where he filled his jug with whisky. Meeting with some old chums, he soon became intoxicated, forgot about his wife's sickness, and spent the afternoon and evening in wrestling, dancing "Jim Crow," and having a fight with some of his friends.
It was long after dark when Jones started for home, but on arriving at the ferry he found the boat locked up, and the ferryman in bed. Jones wrapped at the door of the ferryman's house, swearing if he did not get up and take him across, he would pull the house down, and whip him besides. But all his threats were in vain; the ferryman could not be moved. Jones went down to the river, took off the bridle reins, with which he tied the jug of whisky on his back, then drove his old mare into the river, and holding on to her tail, was ferried across the river, as he afterwards expressed it, without costing him a cent.
One afternoon, while Dave Jones was engaged in cutting out a road from Hennepin ferry through the bottom timber, his coat, which laid by the wayside, was stolen. Although the value of the old coat did not exceed two dollars, it was all the one Jones had, and he searched for it throughout the settlement. At last Jones found his coat on the back of the thief, whom he arrested and took to Hennepin for trial. The thief was at work in Mr. Hays' field, immediately west of
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Princeton, when Jones presented his rifle at his breast. ordering him to take up his line of march for Hennepin, and if he deviated from the direct course, he would blow his brains out. The culprit, shaking in his boots, started on his journey, while Jones, with his rifle on his shoulder, walked about three paces behind. On arriving at Hennepin, the thief plead guilty, being more afraid of Jones than the penalties of the law, and was there- fore put in jail. After Jones had delivered up his prisoner, he got drunk, was engaged in several fights, and he, too, was arrested and put in jail. At that time the Hennepin jail consisted of only one room, being a log structure, twelve feet square, and Jones being put in with the thief, commenced beating him. Seeing that they could not live together, the thief was libe- rated and Jones retained. At this turn of affairs, Jones became penitent, agreed to go home and behave himself, if they would let him out. Accordingly, the sheriff took him across the river, and set him at liberty ; but Jones swore he would not go home until he had whipped every person in Hennepin, so he returned to carry out his threats, but was again arrested and put in jail.
A short time after the establishing of the Hennepin ferry, Dave Jones was on the Hennepin side of the river, with a wild yoke of cattle, and wished to cross over, but was unwilling to pay the ferriage. He swore before he would pay the ferryman's extravagant price. he would swim the river, saying that he had frequently 10
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