USA > Illinois > Jo Daviess County > The History of Jo Daviess County, Illinois, containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, etc., a biographical directory of its citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late rebellion history of the Northwest, history of Illinois Constitution of the United States > Part 19
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Utah
80,056
86,786
375
Washington.
69,944
23,955
North Carolina ..
50,704 1,071,361
1,190
Aggregate of U. S .. 2,915,203 38,555,983
60,852
Kansas.
81,318
364,399
528,349
1,760
Kentucky
37,600
1,321,011
1,123
Louisiana
41,346
726,915
857,039
539
Territories.
Michigan*
56.451 1,184,059
1,334,031 2,235
Hiinois
55,410 2,539,891
5,904
3.529
States.
Alabama .
1870.
1875.
..
...
. ..
1,000,000
218,928
5.9
Quito
70,000
Paraguay.
Asuncion ..
823,138
2,969
277.
Argentine Republic.
1,812,000
1869
871,848
2.1
Buenos Ayres.
177.800
1871
241.4
Belgium.
441.5
165.9
New Grenada.
15.1
Switzerland.
166.9
Peru
5.3
120.9
4.2
1871
Japan.
Great Britain and Ireland. German Empire ..
1,612
Nevada
1870.
1875.
216
MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION
2
POPULATION OF ILLINOIS, BY COUNTIES.
AGGREGATE.
COUNTIES.
1870.
1860.
1850.
1840.
1830.
1820.
Adams
56362
. 41323
26508
I4476
2186
Alexander.
10564
4707
2484
3313
I 390
626
Bond.
13152
9815
6144
5060
3124
2931
Boone
I2942
II678
7624
I705
Brown
I2205
9938
7198
4183
Bureau
32415
26426
884I
3067
Calhoun
6562
5144
323I
1741
1090
Carroll
16705
II733
4586
I023
Cass .
11580
II325
7253
2981
Champaign
32737
14629
2649
1475
Christian
20363
10492
3203
1878
Clark
18719
14987
9532
7453
3940
931
Clay
15875
9336
4289
3228
755
Clinton
16285
1094I
5139
3718
2330
Coles
25235
14203
9335
9616
Cook
349966
144954
43385
IO20I
Crawford
13889
1155I
7135
4422
3117
2999
Cumberland
I2223
8311
3718
De Kalb
23265
I9086
7540
1697
De Witt
14768
10820
5002
3247
Douglas
I3484
7140
Du Page.
16685
I470I
9290
3535
Edgar
21450
16925
10692
8225
4071
Edwards
7565
5454
3524
3070
1649
3444
Effingham
15653
78 16
3799
1675
Fayette
19638
III89
8075
6328
2704
Ford
9103
1979
Franklin
I2652
9393
568I
3682
4083
1763
Fulton.
3829I
33338
22508
13142
1841
Gallatin
III34
8055
5448
10760
7405
3155
Greene
20277
16093
I2429
I195I
7674
Grundy
14938
10379
3023
Hamilton
13014
991.5
6362
3945
2616
Hancock
35935
29061
14652
9946
483
Hardin
5113
3759
2887
1378
Henderson
I2582
950I
4612
Henry
35506
20660
3807
I260
41
Iroquois
25782
12325
4149
1695
Jackson
19634
9589
5862
3566
I828
I542
Jasper
II234
8364
3220
I472
2555
691
Jersey
15054
I2051
7354
4535
Jo Daviess
27820
27325
18604
6180
2III
Johnson
II248
9342
4114
3626
1596
843
Kane.
39091
30062
16703
. 6501
Kankakee.
24352
15412
Kendall
I2399
13074
7730
Knox
39522
28663
13279
7060
274
Lake
21014
18257
I4226
2634
La Salle
60792
48332
17815
9348
Lawrence
I2533
9214
6121
7092
3668
Lee
2717I
17651
5.292
2035
Livingston
3147I
11637
I553
759
Logan
23053
14272
5128
2333
Jefferson
17864
12965
8109
5 762
*23
.
217
MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION.
POPULATION OF ILLINOIS-CONCLUDED.
COUNTIES.
1870.
1860.
1850.
1840.
1830.
1820.
Macon
26481
13738
3988
3039
II22
Macoupin
32726
24602
I2355
7926
1990
Madison
4413I
3125I
20441
I4433
. 6221
I3550
Marion
20622
I2739
6720
4742
2125
Marshall
16950
I3437
5180
1849
Mason
16184
10931
5921
Massac
9581
6213
4092
McDonough
26509
20069
7616
5308
(b)
McHenry
23762
22089
14978
2578
McLean
53988
28772
10163
6565
Menard
II735
9584
6349
443I
Mercer
18769
15042
5246
2352
26
Monroe
I2982
I2832
7679
4481
2000
1516
Montgomery
25314
13979
6277
4490
2953
Morgan.
28463
22112
16064
19547
I2714
Moultrie.
10385
6385
3234
Ogle
27492
22888
10020
3479
Peoria
47540
36601
17547
6153
(c)
Perry
I3723
9552
5278
3222
1215
Piatt
10953
6127
1606
Pike
30768
27249
18819
II728
2396
Pope
II437
6742
3975
4094
3316
2610
Pulaski
8752
3943
2265
Putnam
6280
5587
3924
2131
CI310
Randolph
20859
17205
II079
7944
4429
3492
Rock Island
29783
21005
6937
2610
Saline
I2714
933I
5588
Sangamon
46352
32274
19228
14716
12960
Schuyler
17419
I4684
10573
6972
b2959
Scott
10530
9069
7914
6215
2972
Stark
1075I
9004
3710
I573
St. Clair
51068
37694
20180
13631
7078
5248
Stephenson.
30608
25112
II666
2800
Tazewell
27903
21470
I2052
722I
4716
Union
16518
III8I
7615
5524
3239
2362
Vermilion
30388
19800
II492
9303
5836
Wabash
8841
7313
4690
4240
2710
Warren
23174
18336
8176
6739
308
Washington
17599
I3731
6953
4810
1675
1517
Wayne
19758
I2223
6825
5133
2553
III4
White
I6846
I2403
8925
7919
6091
4828
Whitesides
27503
18737
5361
2514
Will
43013
29321
16703
10167
Williamson
17329
I2205
7216
4457
Winnebago
2930I
24491
11773
4609
Woodford
18956
I3282
4415
*49
Total.
2539891
1711951
851470
476183
157445
55162
Richland
I2803
97II
4012
Shelby
25476
14613
7807
6659
*5
AGGREGATE,
*21
PRODUCTIONS OF AGRICULTURE, STATE OF ILLINOIS, BY COUNTIES .- 1870.
Improved Land.
Other un -
Spring Wheat.
Winter Wheat.
Rye.
Indian Corn.
Oats.
COUNTIES.
Number.
Number. Number.
Bushels.
Bushels.
Bushels.
Bushels.
Bushels.
Total.
19.329.952 5,061.578 |1.491.331 /10.133.207|19.995,198 2.456.578|129,921.395 42.780.851
Adams
287,926
112,576|
19,370
16,191
947.616|
20,989
1,452,905|
759,074
Alexander
13,836
17,761
42,658
30
244,220
21,627
Bond.
145,045
42,613
1,915
700
368.625
6,240
1,064,052
461,097
Boone .
137,307
29,886
2.658
241,042
599
35,871
466,985
579,127
Brown.
57,062
35,491
25.608
13,276
117,502
4,742
337,769
70,852
Bureau.
398,611
41,866
15,803
465,236
724
43,811
3,030,404
987,426
Vaihoun
37,684
63.443
2,754
75
221,298
186
234,041
26,234
Carroll.
186,864
29,793
33,302
418,073
260
25,721
1,367.965
775,100
Cass ...
92.902
33,493
6,604
12,165
127,054
2.772
1,146,980
168,784
Champaign
419,368
16,789
58,502
102,577
123,091
45,752
3,924,720
721,375
Christian
241,472
19,803
19,173
18,360
504,041
10,722
1,883,336
383,821
Clark
118,594
102,201
5,420
195.118
7,308
614,582
212.628
Clay.
146,9221 150,177|
80,612
5,225
1,894
85,737
3,221
1,019,994 813.257
446,324
Coles ..
208,337
45,214
3,274
2,651
154,485
8,825
2,133,111
315,954
Cook ..
348.824
19,635
17,337
144,296
4,904
20,171
570,427
Crawford.
105,505
78,350
27,185
60
212,924
15,497
581,964
Cum beriand
75,342
40,334
5,604
550
84,697
14,798
403,075
DeKalb
334,502
17,722
6,551
398,059
190
21,018
1,023,849
1,087,074
De Witt.
168,539
29,548
17,633
106,493
11,695
11 540
1,311,635
216,756
Douglas
147,633|
11,897
7,316
7,683
65,461
9,017
1,680,225
225,074
DuPage.
164,874
17,243
3.851
106,096
693
7,532
331,981
860,809
Edgar.
265,458
66,803
14,282
13,283
247,360
37,508
2,107,615
290,679
Edwards.
58,912
57,585
830
122,703
352,371
Effingham.
120,343
56,330
26,206
77
351,310
25,328
962,525
497,395
Ford
141,228
2,996
63,976
42,571
1,008
11,577
565,671
154,589
Frankiin
80,749
3,994
86,710
365
111.324
5.195
653,209
222,426
Fuiton
228,132
123,823
4,076
193,669
223,930
131,711
1,508,763
261,390
Gallatin.
68,750
2,565
83,093
512
509,491
27,164
Greene ..
175,408
93,242
29.653
577,400
415
1,051,313
64,029
Grundy ...
193,999
4,505
21,700
150
4,930
295,971
269,332
Hamliton.
88,996
93,878
3,343
129
92,347
11.672
735,252
Hancock
43,385
18.480
181,378
232,750
133,533
Hardin
44,771
107
13
32,306
865
Henderson. Henry
12,620
31,459
462,379
445
35,766
2,541,683
668,367
Iroquols.
22,478
63,498
57,160
10,480
23,259
430,746
Jackson
78,548
5,991
890
329,036 524
611,951
Jasper
90,867
12,250
87.808
9,165
461,345
149,214
Jefferson
118,951
94,888
778
100,553
5,934
887,981
285,949
Jersey
94,147
1,363
558,367
519,120
71,770
JoDaviess.
82,076
282,758
555
7.185
1,286,326
874,016
Johnson.
57,820
3
79,141
92,191
2,468
343,298
Kane ...
240,120
34,646
399
188,826
325
23.618 674,333
785,608
Kankakee.
10,978
10,598
103,466
480
12,935
637,399
772,408
Kendail.
164.004
2,283
90,681
1,249
5,163
681,267
468,890
Knox.
330,829
25.155
267,764
7,654
113,547
2,708,319
787,952
Lake
207,779
24,399
168,914
221
5,87€ 48,308
3,077,028
1,509,642
87,828
72,738
264,134
1,121
656,363
Lee.
322,212
7,409
450,793
2,260
14,829
1,656,978
Livingston
377,505
41,788
1,339
26,163
1,182,696
Logan.
321,709
17,394
408
198,056
40,963
37,232
4,221,640
490,226
Macon.
205,259
9,115
55,239 160
196,613
29,223
2,214,468
454,648
Macoupin
81,224
7,343
861,398
2,404
1,051,544
475,252
Marlon.
173,081
4,142
178,652
14,517
1,034,057
389,446
Marshall.
166,05?
2,976
106,129
900
36,135
1,182,903
362,604
Mason
209,453
31,013
73,261
49,182
2,648,726
Massac
25,151
33,396
30
72,316
544
133,126
22,097
McDonough
52,547
14,035
273,871
52,401
1,362,490
McHenry
230,566
53,293
401,790
29,264
1,145,005
910.397
McLean
494.978
40,366
49,087
211,801
10,955
39,824
3,723,379
911,127
Menard
134.173
34.931
13,952
36,152
45,793
4,283
1,973.880
235,091
222.809
45,977
22,588
289,291
13,203
40,778
2,054,962
452,889
Monroe.
92,810
83,369
666
651,767
1,425
543,718
276,682
47,804
8,495
59
744,891
3,296
1,527,898
293,450
60,217
1,376
18,196
357,523
5,535
3,198,835
Moultrie
144,220
13,112
17,128
196,436
6,670
1,753.141
316,883
43,643
14,913
497,038
5,580
157,504
1,787,066
170,729
48,666
2,516
92,361
31,843
99,502
969,224
93,754
220
350,446
1,016
384,446
Piatt.
94,454|
13,897
26,382
39,762
9.248
1,029,725
130,610
Pike
233.785
128,953
9,302
1.057,497
25,303
1,399,188
Pope ..
55.980
87,754 12,516
44,922
222
195,735
Putnam
37,271
17,184
4,174
7,707
334,259
Randolph
140,764
162,274 50,618
2.025
150,268
3,401
482,594
204,634
Rock Island.
155.214
31,239
20,755
2.279
20,003
1,459,653
276,575
Saline.
72,309
70,393
809
83,011
568
531,516
421.748
51,085
19,932
247.658
23,073
4,388, 763
Schuyler.
96,195 85,331
62,477 44,633
1,610 9,314
15,526
452,015
23,686
2,082,578
Stark.
138,129
12,375
2,783
2,550
2.118
135,362
1,615,679
960,620
Tazewell
229,126 75,832
45,268 83,606 53,078
31,122
249,558
52,476
2,818,027
436,051
110,793
Warren.
266.187
27,294
14,583
186,290
5,712
72,212
2,982,853
601.054
Washington.
177.592
55,852
1.931
672,486
2,576
Wayne.
147.352
10,486
266
164,689
8,665
836,115 1,179,291 870,521
119.653
Whitesides.
299,809
21.823
37.310
457.455
264
31.658
2,162,943
880.838
Will ...
419,442.
24,261
6,335
195,286
1,996
8,030
1.131,458 655,710
180,986
Winnebago.
241,373
15,237
408,606
2,468
137,985
1,237,406
868,903
Woodford
225,504
23,135
178,139
108,307
20,426
2,154,185
744,581
1,868.682
Williamson
128,448
1,648
176
170,787
6,228
1,423.121
476,851
Stephenson
254,857
13,701
132,417
72,410
59,027
2,062,053
505,841
5,300
180,231
1,737
679,753
124,473
Vermillon.
360,251
54,063
37,558
509
202.201
421,361
533,398
White.
92,398
78,167
869
184,321
418
440,975 752,771
13,462 637.812
Shelby
310,179
74,908
124,630
30.534
1,149.878
St. Clair.
231,117
2,016
1,562.621
1,008
315,958
Pulaskl.
19,319
1,170
450
1,031,022
3,235
510,080
86,519 414,487
Richland.
75,079
69,793 397,718
119.359
Scott
18
266,105
930
ogle ...
141,540
Peoria.
334,892
338,760
Perry
68,470 5,978
130
70,457
2,309
16,511
28,137
796
243,541
200
Sangamon.
89.304
21,294
56,221
165.724
20,841
517,353
699,069
LaSalle
533,724
2,356 3,273
271,181
2,193
96,430
1,712,901
229,286
140,954
34,705
14,243
161,112
69,062
19,759
620,247
386,073
Fayette.
187,196
93,460
16,786
500
610,888
1,619
Clinton
48,868
8,722
1,584,225 136,255 171,880
203,464
311,517
1,510,401 172,651
579,599
28,117|
26,991
265,904
322,510
87,642
149,931
156,517
45,779
74,525
312,182
21,072 48,117
Lawrence
12,071 12,462
120,206
659,300
Madison
257,032
89,450
13,675
550
1,207,181
3,685 2.127,549
28,260 31,739
125,628
261,635
280,717
152,251
Montgomery
668,424
Morgan.
198,724
24,783
263,992
161,419 67,886
231.059
459,417
61,579
57.998
270
Mercer.
14,244
41,566
131,386
903,197
18,153
272,660
36,146
799,810
67,023
51,427
195,716
528
129,152
49,572
6,256
116,949 37,238 25,217
14,846
Union.
76,591 43.167
527,394
44,806
Wabash.
404,482
146,794
316.726
269,945
Woodl'nd improved
Grov. Gordon .
GALENA
THE LINA-27 OF THE
HISTORY OF JO DAVIESS COUNTY.
GENERAL HISTORY.
When the thirteen American colonies declared their independence of British rule, July 4, 1776, the magnificent valley of the Mississippi and its tributaries was under the jurisdiction of European powers. France had ceded to Great Britain that portion of the Province of Louisiana lying on the east side of the " Father of Waters." The first British Governor, Cap- tain Sterling, took formal possession of Illinois and raised the English flag at Fort Chartres, ten years after the treaty of cession in October, 1765, and in 1766, by an act of Parliament known as the Quebec bill, the Illinois coun- try was annexed to Canada, and this region remained under Canadian jurisdiction until 1778-a period of fourteen years.
In 1778, Col. George Rogers Clarke, a native of Virginia, who had won military fame in conflicts with the Indians of Kentucky, Ohio and elsewhere, conceived the idea of an expedition to capture tlie British posts in the Illinois country. Patrick Henry, then Governor of Virginia, favored the enterprise, and aided by the advice of Thomas Jefferson, George Mason and George Wytliie, directed the expedition. Col. Clarke raised four com- panies of Virginians, and throngli his wonderful skill and heroism the expedition was completely successful. The Virginia Legislature voted the thanks of the people to Col. Clarke, his officers and men, for their brilliant achievements, and in October, 1778, by act of the House of Burgesses, established the country of Illinois, embracing all the territory northwest of the Ohio River, and making Col. John Todd, Jr., its civil commandant. " Thus," says Mr. Miller, " Patrick Henry became the first American Gover- nor of Illinois." The. proclamation to its inliabitants is dated June 15, 1779.
At the close of the Revolutionary War, Great Britain formally ceded to the United States all her territory east of the Mississipi River, and in 1784 Virginia ceded to the Federal Government all the territory northwest of the Ohio River, her claim to the Illinois country being through a grant from James I. of England, and by virtue of conquest in 1778.
By the ordinance of 1787, all this vast region was organized as the North- western Territory. General Arthur St. Clair was made its Governor, with the capital at Marietta, afterwards at Chillicothe, and in 1795, at Cincin- nati ; but from 1784 until 1790, when Gov. St. Clair organized the first county in Illinois (St. Clair), there was no executive, no legislature and no judicial authority exercised in the county. The people were a law unto themselves, and during these six years it is said that remarkable good feel- ing, harmony and fidelity to agreements prevailed. Previous to the division of the Northwest Territory, in 1800, there had been but one term of court having criminal jurisdiction in the three western counties of the territory, viz., Knox County, now in Indiana, and St. Clair and Randolph Counties, Illinois.
The ordinance of 1787 provided that not less than three nor more than five states were to be erected out of the territory northwest of the Ohio River. Three states were to include the whole territory, and these states
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were to be bounded on the north by the British possessions; but Congress reserved the right, if it should be found expedient, to form two more states of that part of the territory which lies north of an east and west line drawn through the southern extremity of Lake Michigan.
It is not necessary to trace the various changes of territorial jurisdic- tion to which Illinois, and especially its northwestern portion, was subjected, until the admission of the state into the Union in 1818. During all that time this section of the country was inhabited only by Indians, and this whole region was claimed by them. In. 1804, the Sacs and Foxes, then a powerful tribe, by treaty made at St. Louis with Gen. Harrison, then Gov- ernor of the Territory of Indiana, ceded to the United States all their lands lying east of the Mississippi ; but Black Hawk and other chiefs who were not present at St. Louis, refused to be bound by it. All the territory north of the line drawn west from the southern extremity of Lake Michigan to the Mississippi was in the undisputed possession of the native tribes, wlien the state was erected, in 1818, except a tract five leagues square on the Mississippi, of which Fever River was about the centre, which, by treaty with various tribes in 1816, the United States Government had reserved ostensibly for a military post, but really to control the lead mines. The Government had had knowledge for many years of the existence of lead mines here, but their location was not known, and it was thought that all would be included within the limits of the reservation. The Government designed to own and hold exclusive control of these mines.
In January, 1818, the Territorial Legislature of Illinois, assembled at Kaskaskia, petitioned Congress for the admission of the territory as a sovereign state with a population of 40,000.
The petition was sent to Nathaniel Pope, the territorial delegate, by whom it was promptly presented, and it was referred to the proper com- mittee, which instructed Mr. Pope to prepare and report a bill in accordance with its prayer. The bill, as drawn in 'accordance with these instructions, did not embrace the present area of Illinois, and when it was reported to Congress, certain amendments proposed by Mr. Pope were reported with it. It was generally supposed that the line established by the ordinance of 1787, namely, the line drawn through the southern part of Lake Michigan, west to the Mississippi, was to be the northern boundary of the new state.
But this, if adopted, would have left the port of Chicago in the Territory of Michigan, as well as all the territory now embraced within the limits of fourteen rich and populous counties in northern Illinois. A critical exami- nation of the ordinance, however, convinced Mr. Pope that Congress had the power and could rightfully extend the northern boundary of the state as far beyond the line provided in 1787 as it pleased. The principal amend- ments proposed by Mr. Pope, therefore, were, first, that the northern boundary of the new state should be extended to the parallel of 42 deg. 30 min. north latitude-this would give a good harbor on Lake Michigan; and secondly, more important than the boundary line, to apply the three per cent fund arising from the sale of public lands to educational purposes, instead of making roads, as had been the case in Ohio and Indiana. These amendments were adopted without serious opposition, and Illinois was declared an independent state.
These important changes in the original bill, says Mr. Ford in his History of Illinois, " were proposed and carried through both Houses of Congress by Mr. Pope on his own responsibility. The Territorial Legisla- ture had not petitioned for them-no one had suggested them, but they met
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the general approval of the people." The change of the boundary line, however, suggested to Mr. Pope-from the fact that the bonndary as defined by the ordinance of 1787, would have left Illinois without a harbor as Lake Michigan-did not meet the unqualified approval of the people in the north- western part of the new state. For many years the northern boundary of the state was not definitely known, and the settlers in the northern tier of counties did not know whether they were in Illinois or Michigan Territory. Under the provisions of the ordinance of 1787, Wisconsin at one time laid claim to a portion of northern Illinois, "including," says Mr. Ford, writing in 1847, " fourteen counties embracing the richest and most populous part of the state." October 27, 1827, nine years after the admission of the state, Dr. Horatio Newhall, who had then recently arrived at the Fever River Set- tlement, wrote to liis brother as follows :- " It is uncertain whether I am in the boundary of Illinois or Michigan, but direct your letters to Fever River, Ill., and they will come safely." In October. 1828, a petition was sent to Congress from the people of that part of Illinois lying north of the line established by the ordinance of 1787, and that part of the Territory of Michigan west of Lake Michigan and comprehending the mining district known as the Fever River Lead Mines, praying for the formation of a new territory. A bill had been introduced at the previous session of Congress for the establishment of a new territory north of the State of Illinois, to be called "Huron Territory," upon which report had been made, in part, favor- able to the wishes of the petitioners, but they asked for the re-establishment of the line as ordained by Congress in 1787. They declared "that the people, inhabiting the territory northwest of the Ohio, had a right to expect that the country lying north of an east and west line passing through the southernmost end of Lake Michigan, to the Mississippi River, and between said lake, the Mississippi and the Canada line, would REMAIN TOGETHER " as a territory and state. They claimed that this was a part of the compact, unchangeably granted by the people of the original states to the people who should inhabit the "territory northwest of the Ohio." They declared that the change of the chartered limits, when Illinois was made a state, was open invasion of their rights in a body when they were unrepresented in either territory; that "an unrepresented people, without their knowledge or consent, have been transferred from one sovereignty to another." They urged that the present "division of the miners by an ideal line, separating into different governments individuals intimately connected in similar pursuits, is embarrassing." They asked for "even-handed justice," and the restoration of their "chartered limits." The .Miners' Journal, of October 25, 1828, which contains the full text of the petition, says: "We do not fully agree with the memorialists in petitioning Congress again to dispose of that tract of country which has once been granted to Illi- nois; but we think -that it would be for the interest of the miners to be erected, together with the adjoining county above, into a separate territory. And we firmly believe, too, that Congress departed from the clear and express terms of their own ordinance passed in the year 1787, when they granted to the State of Illinois nearly a degree and a half of latitude of the CHARTERED LIMITS of this country. Whether Congress will annex this tract to the new territory we much doubt, but we believe the nltimate decision of the United States Court will be, that the northern boundary line of the State of Illinois shall commence at the southernmost end of Lake Michigan." The petition was unavailing, and the northern line of Illinois remains un- changed, but the agitation of the subject by the people of this region
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continued. In 1840 the people of the counties north of the ordinance line sent delegates to a convention held at Rockford to take action in relation to the annexation of the tract north of that line to Wisconsin Territory, and it is said the scheme then discussed embraced an effort to make Galena the capital of the territory. Charles S. Hempstead and Frederick Stahl were delegates to the convention for Galena. At that convention, speeches were made by Messrs. Charles S. Hempstead, Martin P. Sweet, Jason P. Marslı, and perhaps others. Resolutions were adopted requesting the senators and representatives in Congress for Illinois to exert their influence in favor of the project. The labors of the convention produced no results, but until the admission of Wisconsin as a state, there was a strong feeling among the people of northwestern Illinois that they rightfully belonged to Wisconsin, and there was a strong desire to be restored to their chartered limits. Perhaps the heavy debt with which Illinois was burdened at that time may have had some influence in causing the feeling.
St. Clair County, organized April 28, 1809, included the whole territory of Illinois and Wisconsin, to the line of Upper Canada, north of Randolph County, these two being the only counties in the territory.
Madison County was erected from the St. Clair, September 14, 1812, and comprised all the territory north of the second township line south, to the line of Upper Canada. County seat, Edwardsville.
Bond County was organized out of part of Madison, January 4, 1817, and extended in a strip about 30 miles wide on each side of the third principal meridian to the northern boundary of the territory.
Pike County was erected January 31, 1821, from Madison, Bond, and other counties, and embraced all the territory north of the Illinois River and its south fork, now Kankakee River. This was the first county erected by the State of Illinois which embraced the present territory of Jo Daviess County. A Gazetteer of Illinois and Wisconsin, published about 1822, says that the county "included a part of the lands appropriated by Congress for the payment of military bounties. The lands constituting that tract, are included within the peninsula of the Illinois and Mississippi, and ex- tend on the meridian line passing through the mouth of the Illinois, one hundred and sixty-two miles north. Pike County will no doubt be divided into several counties; some of whichi will become very wealthy and impor- tant. It is probable that the section about Fort Clark (now Peoria) will be the most thickly settled. On the Mississippi River, above Rock River, lead ore is found in abundance. Pike County contains between 700 and 800 inhabitants. It is attached to the first judicial circuit, sends one inem- ber to the House of Representatives and, with Greene, one to the Senate. The county seat is Colesgrove, a post town. It was laid out in 1821, and is situated in township 11 south, in range 2 west of the fourth principal meridian. Very little improvement has yet been made in this place or the vicinity. The situation is higli and healthy, and it bids fair to become a place of some importance." This is all that is known of the Town of Coles- grove, the county seat of all this region in 1821.
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