USA > Illinois > Cook County > Chicago > Stories and sketches of Chicago; an interesting, entertaining, and instructive sketch history of the wonderful city "by the sea" > Part 3
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Upon entering the village Shab-o-nee was made a pris- oner, and accused of being a friend of the Americans and a spy. He affected great indignation at these charges, and said to Big Foot:
" I was not at the payment, but was told by my braves that you desired us to join the Winnebagoes and make war on the Americans. I think the Winnebagoes have been foolish; alone they cannot succeed. So I come to council with you, hear what you have to say, when I will return to my people and report all you tell me; if they shall then say we will join you I will consent."
After talking nearly all night they agreed to let him go, provided he was accompanied by one of their own number. To this proposal Shab-o-nee readily consented, though it placed him in a dangerous position.
His friend Caldwell was waiting for him in the outskirts of the village, and his presence must not be known, as it would endanger both of their lives.
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THE PIONEER HOME.
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FIRST THINGS.
The brave Shab-o-nee was equal to the emergency.
After leaving, in company with one of Big Foot's braves, as the place of Caldwell's concealment was neared he com- menced complaining in a loud voice of being suspected and made a prisoner, and when quite near said:
" We must have no one with us in going to Chicago. Should we meet any one of your band or any one else, we must tell them to go away; we must go by ourselves, and get to Chicago by noon to-morrow. Kinzie will give us something to eat, and we can go on next day."
Caldwell heard and understood the meaning of this, and started alone by another route. Strategy was still to be used, as Shab-o-nee desired to report; so on nearing Chicago he said to his companion, " If Kinzie sees you he will ask why your band did not assist in putting out the fire? Maybe he has heard news of the war and is angry with Big Foot; let us camp here, for our horses are very tired."
This they did, and after a little the Big Foot brave sug- gested that Shab-o-nee should go to the fort for food and information. This was what he wanted to do, and he lost no time in reporting the result of his expedition, and, pro- curing food, returned to his camp. Starting the next morn- ing with his companion for his own village, on reaching it he called a council of his Indians, who were addressed by Big Foot's emissary; but they declined to take part with the Winnebagoes, advising Big Foot to remain neutral.
On receiving Shab-o-nee's report, the inhabitants of Chi- cago were greatly excited. Fearing an attack, we assembled for consultation, when I suggested sending to the Wabash for assistance, and tendered my services as a messenger.
This was at first objected to, on the ground that a majority of the men at the fort were in my employ, and in case of an attack no one could manage them or enforce their
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STORIES AND SKETCHES OF CHICAGO.
aid but myself. It was, however, decided that I should go, as I knew the route and all the settlers.
An attack would probably not be made until Big Foot's ambassador had returned with his report; this would give at least two week's security, and in that time I could, if successful, make the trip and return.
I started between 4 and 5 p. m., reaching my trading house on the Iroquis River by midnight, where I changed my horse and went on; it was a dark, rainy night.
On reaching Sugar Creek I found the stream swollen out of its banks, and my horse refusing to cross I was obliged to wait till daylight, when I discovered that a large tree had fallen across the trail, making the ford impassable. I swam the stream and went on, reaching my friend Mr. Spencer's house at noon, tired out.
Mr. Spencer started immediately to give the alarm, ask- ing for volunteers to meet at Danville the next evening with five days' rations. By the day following, at the hour ap- pointed, 100 men were organized into a company, and appointing a Mr. Morgan, an old frontier fighter, as their Captain, we immediately started for Chicago, camping that night on the north fork of the Vermillion River.
It rained continually, the trail was very muddy, and we were obliged to swim most of the streams and many of the large sloughs; but we still pushed on, reaching Fort Dear- born the seventh day after my departure, to the great joy of the waiting people.
We reorganized. and had a force of about 150 men, Morgan commanding. At the end of 30 days news came of the defeat of the Winnebagoes and of their treaty with the commanding officer who went from Jefferson Barracks, as before stated. Upon hearing this Morgan disbanded his company, who returned to their homes, leaving Fort Dear- born in charge of the Indian Agent as before.
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FIRST THINGS.
An Army from Danville, Ill., Rushing to the Rescue of Chicago from an Indian Massacre-Incidents by the Way.
The response to Col. Hubbard's visit to Danville for Chi- cago's safety from the Indians is shown by H. W. Beck- with, Esq., which he condensed from notes taken at several lengthy interviews with Mr. Hezekiah Cunningham:
In the night time, about the 15th or 20th of July, 1827, I was awakened by my brother-in-law, Alexander McDon- ald, telling me that Mr. Hubbard had just come in from Chicago with the word that the Indians were about to mas- sacre the people there, and that men were wanted for their protection at once. The inhabitants of the county capable of bearing arms had been enrolled under the militia laws of the State, and organized as "The Vermilion County Bat- talion," in which I held a commission as Captain.
I dressed myself and started forthwith to notify all the men belonging to my company to meet at Butler's Point, (six miles southwest of Danville), the place where the county business was then conducted and where the militia met to muster. The captains of the other companies were notified the same as myself, and they warned out their respective companies the same as I did mine. I rode the remainder of the night at this work, up and down the Lit- tle Vermilion.
At noon the next day, the Battalion were at Butler's Point; most of the men lived on the Little Vermilion River, and had to ride or walk from six to twelve miles to the place of rendezvous. Volunteers were called for, and in a little while fifty men, the required number, were raised. Those who agreed to go, then held an election of their officers for the campaign, choosing Achilles Morgan, Cap- tain; Major Bayles, First Lieutenant; and Col. Isaac R. Moores, as second. The names of the private men, as far as I now remember them are as follows: George M. Beck-
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STORIES AND SKETCHES OF CHICAGO.
with, John Beasley, myself (Hezekiah Cunningham), Ju- lian Ellis, Seaman Cox, James Dixan, Asa Elliot, Francis Foley, William Foley, a Mr. Hammers, Jacob Heater, a Mr. Davis, Evin Morgan, Isaac Goen, Jonathan Phelps, Joshua Parish, William Reed, John Myers (" Little Vermilion John"), John Saulsbury, a Mr. Kirkman, Anthony Swisher, George Swisher, Joseph Price, George Weir, John Vaughn, Newton Wright, and Abel Williams.
Many of the men were without horses, and the neighbors who had horses and did not go, loaned their animals to those who did; still there were five men who started afoot, as there were no horses to be had for them. We disband- ed, after we were mustered in, and went home to cook five days' rations, and were ordered to be at Danville the next day.
The men all had a pint of whisky, believing it essential to mix a little of it with the slough water we were to drink on our route.
We arrived at the Vermilion River about noon on Sun- day, the day after assembling at Butler's Point. The river was up, running bank full, about a hundred yards wide, with a strong current. Our men and saddles were taken over in a canoe. We undertook to swim our horses, and as they were driven into the water the current would strike them and they would swim in a circle and return to the shore a few rods below. Mr. Hubbard, provoked at this delay, threw off his coat and said, "Give me old Charley," meaning a large, steady-going horse, owned by James But- ler and loaned to Jacob Heater. Mr. Hubbard, mounting this horse, boldly dashed into the stream, and the other horses quickly crowded after him.
The water was so swift that "old Charley " became un- manageable, when Mr. Hubbard dismounted on the upper side and seized the horse by the mane, near the animal's
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FIRST THINGS.
head, and, swimming with his left arm, guided the horse in the direction of the opposite shore. We were afraid he would be washed under the horse or struck by his feet and be drowned; but he got over without damage, except the wetting of his broadcloth pants and moccasins. These he had to dry on his person, as we pursued our journey.
I will here say that a better man than Mr. Hubbard could not have been sent to our people. He was well known to all the settlers. His generosity, his quiet and determined courage, and his integrity, were so well known and appreciated that he had the confidence and good-will of everybody, and was a well-recognized leader among us pioneers.
At this time there were no persons living on the north bank of the Vermilion River near Danville, except Robert Trickle and George Weir, up near the present woolen factory, and William Reed and Dan Beckwith; the latter had a little log cabin on the bluff of the Vermilion near the present highway bridge, or rather on the edge of the hill east of the highway some rods. Here he kept store, in addition to his official duties as Constable and County Surveyor. The store contained a small assortment of such articles as were suitable for barter with the Indians, who were the principal customers. We called it "The Saddle- Bags Store," because the supplies were brought from Terre Haute in saddle-bags, that indispensable accompaniment of every rider in those days before highways were provided for the use of vehicles.
Mr. Reed had been elected Sheriff the previous March, receiving fifty-seven out of the eighty votes that were cast at the election, and which represented about the entire voting population of the county at that time. Both Reed and Dan wanted to go with us, and after a warm contro- versy between them, as it was impossible for them both to
.
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STORIES AND SKETCHES OF CHICAGO.
leave, it was agreed that Reed should go and that Beckwith would look after the affairs of both until Reed's return. Amos Williams was building his house at Danville at this time; the sale of lots having taken place the previous April.
Crossing the North Fork at Denmark, three miles north of Danville, we passed the cabin of Seymour Treat. He was building a mill at that place; and his house was the last one in which a family was living until we reached Hubbard's Trading Post, on the north bank of the Iroquois River, near what has since been known as the town of Bun- combe; and from this trading house there was no other habitation, Indian wigwams excepted, on the line of our march until we reached Fort Dearborn!
It was a wilderness of prairie all the way, except a little timber we passed through near Sugar Creek, and at the Iroquois.
Late in the afternoon we halted at the last crossing of the North Fork, at Bicknell's Point, a little north of the present town of Rossville. Here three of the footmen turned back, as the condition of the streams rendered it impossible for them to continue longer with us. Two men who had horses also left us. After a hasty lunch we struck across the eighteen-mile prairie, the men stringing out on the trail Indian file, reaching Sugar Creek late in the night, where we went into camp on the south bank, near the pres- ent town of Milford.
The next day, before noon, we arrived at Hubbard's Trading House, which was on the north bank of the Iro- quois, about a quarter of a mile from the river. A lot of Indians, some of them half naked, were lying and lounging about the river bank and Trading House; and when it was proposed to swim our horses over, in advance of passing the men in boats, the men objected, fearing the Indians would take their horses, or stampede them, or do us some other
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FIRST THINGS.
mischief. Mr. Hubbard assured us that those Indians were friendly, and we afterward learned that they were Pottawa- tomies, known as " Hubbard's Band," from the fact that he had long traded with and had a very great influence over them.
It is proper to state that we were deficient in arms. We gathered up squirrel rifles, flint-locks, old muskets, or any- tliing like a gun that we may have had about our houses. Some of us had no fire-arms at all. I, myself, was among this number. Mr. Hubbard supplied those of us who had inefficient weapons, or those of us who were without them. He also gave us flour and salt pork. He had lately brought up the Iroquois River a supply of these articles. We re- mained at Hubbard's Trading House the remainder of the day, cooking rations and supplying our necessities.
The next morning we again moved forward, swimming Beaver Creek and crossing the Kankakee River at the Rapids, just at the head of the island near Momence; push- ing along we passed Yellowhead's Village. The old chief, with a few old men and the squaws and pappooses, were at home. The young men were off on a hunt.
Remaining here a little time, we again set out, and going about five miles encamped at the point of the timber on Yellowhead's Creek. The next morning we again set out, crossing a branch of the Calumet to the west of the Blue Island. All the way from Danville we had followed an Indian trail, since known as "Hubbard's trace;" there was no sign of roads; the prairies and whole country was crossed and recrossed by Indian trails, and we never could have got through but for the knowledge which Mr. Hubbard had of the country. It had been raining for some days before we left home, and it rained almost every day on the route. The streams and sloughs were full of water. We swam the
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STORIES AND SKETCHES OF CHICAGO.
former and traveled through the latter, sometimes almost by the hour.
Many of the ponds were so deep that our men dipped up the water to drink as they sat in their saddles. Col. Hub- bard fared better than the rest of us; that is, he did not get his legs wet so often, for he rode a very tall, iron-gray stallion that Peleg Spencer, Sr., living two miles south of Danville, loaned him. The little Indian pony which Hub- bard rode in from Iroquois to Spencer's was so used up as to be unfit for the return journey.
We reached Chicago about four o'clock on the evening of the fourth day, in the midst of one of the most severe rain-storms I ever experienced, accompanied by thunder and vicious lightning. The rain we did not mind-we were without tents and were used to wetting. The water we took within us hurt us more than that which fell upon us, as drinking it made many of us sick.
The people of Chicago were very glad to see us. They were expecting an attack every hour since Col. Hubbard · had left them; and as we approached they did not know whether we were enemies or friends, and when they learned that we were friends they gave us a shout of welcome.
They had organized a company of thirty or fifty men, composed mostly of Canadian half-breeds, interspersed with a few Americans, all under command of Capt. Beaubien. The Americans, seeing that we were a better-looking crowd, wanted to leave their associates and join our company. This feeling caused quite a row, and the officers finally restored harmony, and the discontented men went back to their old command.
The town of Chicago was composed at this time of six or seven American families, a number of half-breeds and a lot of idle, vagabond Indians loitering about. I made the ac-
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FIRST THINGS.
quaintance of Robert and James Kinzie, and their father, John Kinzie.
We kept guard day and night for some eight or ten days, when a runner came in-I think from Green Bay-bringing word that Gen. Cass had concluded a treaty with the Win- nebagoes, and that we might now disband and go home.
The citizens were overjoyed at the news, and in their gladness they turned out one barrel of gin, one barrel of brandy, one barrel of whisky, knocking the heads of the barrels in. Everybody was invited to take a free drink, and, to tell the plain truth, everybody did drink.
The ladies at Fort Dearborn treated us especially well. I say this without disparaging the good and cordial conduct of the men toward us. The ladies gave us all manner of good things to eat. They loaded us with provisions, and gave us all those delicate attentions that the kindness of woman's heart would suggest. Some of them-three ladies whom I understood were recently from New York-distributed tracts and other reading matter among our company, and interested themselves zealously in our spiritual as well as temporal welfare.
We started on our return, camping out of nights, and reached home on the evening of the third day.
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STORIES AND SKETCHES OF CHICAGO.
The First Hotel in Chicago.
Chicago, now so justly proud of her many magnificent hotels, some of which are the finest in the world, opened her "first tavern" in 1829, under the following official cast-iron stipulations: County Commissioners' Court, Peoria County, December 8, 1829. Present: Francis Thomas, George Sharp, and Isaac Egman.
Ordered: That a license be granted to Archibald Cald- well to keep a tavern at Chicago, and that he pay a tax of eight dollars, and be allowed the following rates, and give a bond with security for one hundred dollars:
Each half pint of wine, rum, or brandy. 25 cts.
pint 66 66 37% "
half-pint gin 183 "
pint ‹.
31% "
gill of whisky
61 "
half-pint "
122
6 pint 183 «
66 breakfast, dinner, or supper 25
night's lodging 124
Keeping horse over night on grain and hay .. 25
The same as above, 24 hours. 37층 " Horse feed . 122 "
This paternal Chicago tavern was located on the west side of the North Branch, a few rods from the junction of the rivers. There were but two houses in that "region of country " at that time, one the residence of Che-che-pin- gua (Alexander Robinson), and the other the store of James Kinzie.
[61]
CHICACO IN 1833
FIRST HOTEL IN CHICAGO,
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STORIES AND SKETCHES OF CHICAGO.
Hunting Wolves Around Chicago-An Exciting Instance in Which a Herd Take to the Ice in the Harbor.
One of our early amusements (says an old settler) was that of wolf-hunting. Experienced Indian ponies were plenty in our city.
The last hunt I remember had for its object the driving of as large a number of wolves as possible up to the ice upon the lake shore, and as near the mouth of the harbor as could be done. There was to be no shooting until the wolves had got upon the ice. No person was to fire unless his aim was entirely over ice, and then to the eastward.
Two parties started early in the morning, one following the lake shore south, and the other the river, to meet at a common center not far from Blue Island. Then they were to spread themselves out, cover as much territory as possi- ble, and drive the wolves before them.
About 4 o'clock in the afternoon a wolf made his ap- pearance in the outskirts of the city. The news was spread, and our people turned out on foot, keeping along the mar- gin of the river, so as to drive the wolves upon the ice of the lake shore. One wolf after another made his appear- ance, and soon we saw the horsemen. The number of wolves was about the same as that of Samson's foxes.
The men were so eager to get the first fire at a wolf that the tramp of their horses broke the ice; and, as the wind was rather brisk, it broke away from the shore, with the wolves upon it, and drifted northeasterly, very much in the same direction as that taken by the recent unfortunate bal- loon. But the wolves, unlike the man in the balloon, took no reporter on board.
Men, women, and children lined the bank of the lake, expecting to see the ice break in pieces and the wolves swim ashore. But it did not do so. Our people watched the ice, and could see the wolves running from side to side,
[63]
A WOLF HUNT IN THE EARLY DAYS.
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STORIES AND SKETCHES OF CHICAGO.
until they faded away from view. When I took my last look they appeared about the size of mice.
About two weeks afterward a letter appeared in a Detroit paper containing an account of some farm settlements on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan being attacked by a large body of hungry wolves. They destroyed fowls and cattle, and for several days spread terror through the neigh- borhood.
We always supposed that these were our wolves, but our hunters never laid any claim to them, as the news of their arrival was so long in reaching here.
Judge Caton's First Night in Chicago-His " Boarding-House," And What Be- came of the Landlady's Daughter!
The first night I slept in Chicago (says the Judge) was in a "log-tavern" (the name they went by then), west of the junction of the rivers, kept by W. W. Wattles.
The next day I learned that the best entertainment was to be had at the crack boarding-house of the place, kept by Dexter Graves, at five dollars per week. It was a log-house near the middle of the square just north of the present Tre- mont House. If it was a log-house, I assure you we had good fare and a right merry time, too.
There were seven beds in the attic in which fourteen of us slept that summer, and I fear we sometimes disturbed the family with our carryings on o' nights.
I know of but one of those fourteen boarders besides my- self now living. Edward H. Haddock knows who slept with me in that attic.
Haddock was a sly fellow then; for before one of us sus- pected what he was at he made sure of the flower of the family-and a real gem of priceless value she was-who still
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FIRST THINGS.
survives to promote the happiness of those around her. Young ladies were in demand here in those days.
The First Ferry.
The official record of the first Chicago ferry, dated June 2, 1829, is as follows:
Ordered: That Archibald Clybourn and Samuel Miller be authorized to keep a ferry across the Chicago River, at the lower forks, near Wolf's Point, crossing the river below the Northeast Branch, and to land on either side of both branches, to suit the convenience of persons wishing to cross. And that said Clybourn and Miller pay a tax of two dollars, and execute a bond with security for one hun- dred dollars. The rates for ferriage to be one-half the sum that John L. Bogardus gets at his ferry at Peoria.
Ordered: That the following rates be, and they are hereby, allowed to be charged and received by the different ferries, by their respective owners, in this county, to wit: For each foot passenger 64cts.
man and horse 12} "
Dearborn sulkey chair with springs. 50
one-horse wagon. 25
four-wheeled carriage, drawn by two oxen or horses. 37% « cart with two oxen. 377 "
head of neat cattle or mules 10
hog, sheep, or goat. . 3 6.
hundred-weight of goods, wares, and
merchandise, each bushel of grain
or other article sold by the bushel And all other articles in equal and just proportion.
5
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STORIES AND SKETCHES OF CHICAGO.
First School-Teacher in Chicago-He Opens in a Little Barn Twelve Feet Square -His Own Sketch of His Early Labors.
Mr. John Watkins was Chicago's first school-teacher. In describing his early labors he says: I arrived in Chi- cago in May, 1832, and always had the reputation of being its first school-teacher. I never heard my claim disputed.
I commenced teaching in the fall, after the Black Hawk war, 1832. My first school-house was situated on the North Side, about half-way between the lake and the forks of the river, then known as Wolf Point. The building was owned by Col. Richard J. Hamilton, was erected for a horse stable, and had been used as such. It was twelve feet square.
My benches and desks were made of oldstore boxes. The school was started by private subscription. Thirty scholars were subscribed for. But many subscribed who had no children. So it was a sort of free-school, there not being thirty children in town.
During my first quarter I had but twelve scholars, and only four of them were white. The others were quarter, half, and three-quarter Indians. After the first quarter I moved my school into a double log-house on the West Side. It was owned by Rev. Jesse Walker, a Methodist minister. and was located near the bank of the river where the north and south branches meet. He resided in one end of the building, and I taught in the other. On Sundays Father Walker preached in the room where I taught.
In the winter of 1832-3, Billy Caldwell, a half-breed chief of the Pottawatomie Indians, better known as Sau- ganash, offered to pay the tuition and buy books for all In- dian children who would attend school, if they would dress like the Americans, and he would also pay for their clothes. But not a single one would accept the proposition condi- tioned upon the change of apparel.
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FIRST THINGS.
When I first went to Chicago there was but one frame building there, and it was a store owned by Robert A. Kin- zie. The rest of the houses were made of logs. There were no bridges. The river was crossed by canoes!
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