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 65
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A number of settlers soon entered farms in the valley. Among them were John Armstrong, Samuel Jamison and Stephen H. Howard. When the Black Hawk War began the pioneers hurried their families to the forts for protection.
But they had left crops which must be looked after or lost. One brave man, Stephen H. Howard, determined to return to his farm and risk discovery by the Indians. While he was plowing in the field, he saw a band of Indians approach his house and drive off with four horses which had been left in the barn. He jumped on his only remaining horse and fled to the fort. A body of men were there gathered to follow the thieves, whom they overtook near Waddam's Grove. A severe fight ensued in which Mr. Howard was killed.
Those were indeed dark days of hardships and bitterness to the resolute men who established the beautiful, and now, peaceful homes of Hanover. After peace and confidence had been restored, settlers began to fill up the val- leys more rapidly. In 1835, Wm. R., son of James Craig, opened the first gen- eral store at the village, in a log house, but in the ensuing year he built a store- room, which now forms a part of Nathan Craig's residence. There was no other general store established until that of James W. White in 1845. Mr. Craig kept a public house from the time of his settlement but the first and only regular hotel was not built until 1847, by Joseph E. Milligan. It is called the "Hanover Hotel, " and now owned by George W. Clark. In 1835, Mr. Craig erected a chair factory between the two mills he had already built. He found the water power sufficient to drive the machinery of the three establishments. At this point the river is about 200 feet wide, having a natural fall over a rocky bed of eleven feet. The dam is two hundred and forty feet long and five feet high, securely bolted to the rock, making a head and fall of sixteen feet, with a reservoir or flowage extending nearly ten miles and affording, prob- ably, the best and most secure water power in northwestern Illinois.
Mr. Craig hired a man named Shunk, at twelve dollars per month, to teach school during the winter of 1835, in a rough cabin on the present site of the Hanover Hotel. After four weeks the pupils claimed to have exhausted their resource of instruction and the institution was suspended. The first school house in the township was built during the following year on the claim of Mr. Glisson, in section 21. John Yancey first gave instruction therein. No house was built especially for school purposes until 1848; in this building Miss
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HISTORY OF JO DAVIESS COUNTY.
Phobe Vaughn was the first school teacher. The house, which is a substantial brick building of one story, was built by subscription and is now used for a Town Hall. The present school building was erected in 1863. It is a neat two-story brick structure, with two apartments, accommodating 200 pupils. In this school Mrs. Julius A. Hamilton first taught. Wm. Gardner and Miss Ella Aldrich have management of the two departments.
A minister of Galena, Rev. Aratus Kent, delivered the first sermon ever uttered in Hanover Township at the house of James Craig, which was always open for religious devotion.
Benson Hunt, who was intimately connected with the early history of Galena, settled in the Fall of 1836, with his family, in the extreme southwestern corner of the township.
· This was a good point on the Mississippi for shipping, and the Illinois Cen- tral Railroad Company was then grading a road along its bluffs to Galena, prom- ising another outlet to the markets. Hence Mr. Hunt decided to locate there a village, named Huntsville, which was laid out and platted the following year, by Israel Mitchell. But the sandy soil proved an objection to settlers, and the par- ties who were building the railroad, exhausted their means, and were compelled to dispose of the road to a company who changed its location. Influenced by these facts, Mr. Hunt returned to Galena, leaving his farm under the manage- ment of one Smith, who proved to be a member of a notorious band of thieves which was scattered through this country. This band first disposed of the two teams, which Mr. Hunt had left, and then came with a barge and boldly carried away three thousand bushels of corn. Many similar depredations were committed among the scattered pioneers, and a system for protection was soon organized. The outlaws carried on their operations in a bold, defiant manner for many years, but were finally entrapped in a house at Bellevue, a village in Iowa, on the Mississippi, where seven of them were shot. Many years later, Thomas Parks made an attempt to establish a village on the site of Huntsville, calling it Parksville. He started a ferry there in 1849, and in the ensuing year Charles Jeffries opened a general store, which was followed by the stores of Daniel McIntire and a Mr. Jackson. But, as insufficient support was received, the vil- lage was again depopulated, and at present is devoid of all business interests. The Village of Hanover has been more successful. In 1837 it was laid out on the land of James Craig. Additional stores were opened, and, in 1840, Mr. Craig tore down the old grist mill and erected a large flouring mill, having two stories of stone, surmounted by two and a half stories of wood. The process of building such a mill was, in those days, slow and costly, but it was completed in 1842, and, after running only six weeks, was burned to the ground. Mr. Craig had invested all his means in the mill, and it proved a heavy misfortune, not only to the founder of the village, but to the town itself. The water power was idle until 1845, when James W. White purchased it; built a new dam, saw mill and flouring mill. The saw mill was afterwards torn down. The flouring mill, which was built on the site of the present factory, was a large stone building of four and one half stories, containing five runs of burrs. In 1857, the rear end of the mill fell in, after which all the walls were removed and rebuilt, as it now stands, of stone, three stories in height. At the time the flouring mill was es- tablished, wheat was one of the principal products in this vicinity, but, in 1858, the wheat crop began to fail, and much of it was transported on the railroad to other mills. In 1864, the Hanover Manufacturing Company was organized, with a capital of $60,000, and purchased the water power and mill of Mr. White. Its officers were : J. W. White, Manager, Secretary and Treasurer ; Board. of Directors-Henry Green, President; R. H. McClellan, H. S. Townsend, and James Martin. For the reasons above noted, the company removed a portion of the flouring machinery, and put in two sets of woolen machinery. The capi- tal stock was increased, in 1865, to $80,000. In 1874, the company erected the
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HISTORY OF JO DAVIESS COUNTY.
present two-story frame flouring mill, and added two more sets of machinery to the woolen mill.
The cloth now manufactured is all of the finer quality of cassimere, and finds ready market among the wholesale houses of Chicago, St. Louis, and other cities.
The present officers are : J. W. White, Manager, Secretary and Treasurer ; Board of Directors-Henry Green, President ; R. H. McClellan, H. S. Town- send and John E. Corwith. Superintendent of Woolen Mill, A. C. Huntington.
In 1839, Craig (W. R.) and Laswell started a distillery one mile and a half east of the village, but soon discontinued it.
In 1875, a company was organized and incorporated for establishing a wood-pulp manufactory, four and a half miles south of the village, on Apple River. The pulp is made from the white portion of the cotton-wood, or aspen tree, and used for making paper, by mixing it with one half to three fourths parts of straw and rag paper.
The manufactory is run by water power, the river being controlled by a dam, ten feet in height and two hundred feet long. The water has a head and fall of eleven feet.
The capital of the company is $16,000. Officers : R. H. McClellan, Presi- dent ; J. W. White, Secretary and Treasurer.
From this brief sketch, it can be seen that the manufacturing interests of Hanover are of prime importance to its prosperity. Indeed, a visitor to the village is much surprised to find, so far from the railroad and outer world, a busy little village, nestled down among the hills, turning out a large quantity of fine cloths such as, but a few years ago, were known only as " English cassi- meres."
CHURCHES AND LODGES.
The Methodist Episcopal Church of Hanover was organized in 1847, by Sam- uel McGrath, John Mckinley, Walter Dean, Myron S. Hill, E. A. Chase and others.
Since that time, Hooper Crews, Richard Haney, C. C. Best, D. Cassidy, W. F. Stewart, R. A. Blanchard, F. A. Reed, W. H. Tibbals, and G. H. Moore (the present incumbent), have served the church in the capacity of elders.
In 1862, the present church building was erected, at a cost of $2,100 ; seats 180 persons. It was dedicated the following year, by Rev. Mr. Eddy, of Chicago. Following is a list of the pastors who have served this church: Thomas North, John F. Hill, P. Judson, John Crummer, S. B. Smith, M. L. Averill, A. M. Ear- ley, C. H. Richie, Wm. Keegan, G. F. Gage, Robt. Brotherton, U. Eberhart, S. G. Havermill, J. A. Hammond, C. M. Webster, S. P. Lilly, M. Goodrell, J. M. Clendenning, A. Cross, M. G. Sheldon, J. J. Tobias, J. H. Soule, G. H. Wells, Z. S. Kellogg, D. W. Linn, J. H. Soule, who is the present incumbent.
The Trustees of the church at present are : A. Chase, Geo. Robinson, J. A. Hammond, J. P. Huntington, J. R. Chapman, Joseph Wiley and C. N. Hammond. Stewards-Walter Dean, Geo. Robinson, J. A. Hammond, J. R. Chapman, and C. N. Hammond. Class Leaders-Joseph E. Milligan and James Parker. Superintendent of Sabbath school-J. P. Huntington.
The Presbyterian Church. of Hanover was organized with twenty-four mem- bers, April 22, 1858, by Rev. Charles Axtel and Elder Thomas Foster-a committee of Rock River Presbytery. Among those who manifested an active interest in the church at this time were John Miller, John Campbell, Andrew Kilpatrick, and George Miller, the first three mentioned being made elders. In July of the same year Rev. Alex. F. Lackey, was secured as pastor, who con- tinued until February 1859, when Rev. Adam Craig assumed charge. In 1860,
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HISTORY OF JO DAVIESS COUNTY.
the church, a frame building, was erected at a cost of $2,000, affording 250 seats. It was dedicated September 23. After Mr. Craig the following min- isters officiated in respective order: Samuel K. Dillon, September, 1865 ; Jared M. Stone, September, 1872 ; Henry Aurand, December, 1873; John Gil- more, who is now pastor.
The present session consists of John Miller, John Campbell, Wm. David- son and John I. Miller.
Trustees-John Dawson, W. N. Miller and R. H. Campbell. There is a membership of fifty-five.
The Sabbath school was commenced soon after the church organization. Its present officers are : Superintendent-W. N. Miller ; Treasurer-George Jeffers ; Secretary-J. I. Miller; Librarian-Thomas Cobine.
The United Presbyterian denomination was constituted in 1858. by union of the " Associate Presbyterian," with the " Associate Reformed Presbyterian ' denomination, hence, the present denominational name of this church.
The First United Presbyterian congregation of Hanover, was constituted by the merging together in a somewhat informal manner, of the "Associate Presbyterian Congregation of Apple River," organized in September, 1841, and a part of the "Associate Presbyterian Congregation of Galena," organized November, 1845.
The prime movers in securing the organization of the " Apple River " Church, were Mr. Charles Moore, Mr. John Miller, and Mr. Woods.
The first officers of the " Galena " organization, were Charles Moore, Janies · Gamble and Robert Henry, Elders; James Gamble, Session Clerk.
The first officers of the Apple River Church, were James Gray and John Miller, Elders ; James Gray, Session Clerk.
The present officers of the First United Presbyterian Church, are : Elders, James Gray, Thompson Weir, John Nesbitt, Daniel Gamble, Robert Wright, and James R. Speer ; Session Clerk, John Nesbitt ; Treasurer, Daniel Gamble; Superintendent of the Sabbath school, James Moore.
The following pastors have officiated during the years attached : Rev. Thomas Ferrier, 1841-'53; Rev. Wm. Willet Harsha, 1846-'54; Rev. Robert Atchison, 1857-'58 ; Rev. Walter Pinkerton Currie, 1858-'66; Rev. Jas. D. Smith, 1870 to the present time (1878). The membership numbers 124.
The church buildings are two : one of logs, erected in 1839, in the south- west part of Elizabeth Township, and the other of brick, in the Village of Hanover, 34 by 44 feet in size, which was erected in 1851-'52.
Hanover Lodge, No. 300, A. F.and A. M., was organized October 30, 1858. Its first officers were :
Wm. O. Smith, W. M .; Stephen Jeffers, S. W .; Jas. Stewart, J. W .; Samuel Clements, Treasurer; B. F. Fowler, Secretary.
Present Officers .- A. B. White, W. M .; Stephen Jeffers, S. W .; Abram Rey- nolds, J. W .; Thomas E. Moore, Treasurer. H. N. Upson, Secretary ; A. C. Huntington, S. D .; J. L. Phillips, J. D .; J. White, Jr., Tyler.
Present membership, 23. Meet first and third Saturdays of each month.
The Village of Hanover was laid out and platted on October 25, 1836, on the land of James Craig, being located on the south half of section 9, township 26 north, range 2 east of the fourth principal meridian. It was at that time called " Wapello " and a post-office established under that name, which was changed in 1849 to Hanover. Two additions have been made by White and Jeffers.
A petition was made to the Board of Supervisors April 9, 1877, for the privilege of incorporation. On the 28th day of the same month a meeting was held at the town hall to ascertain the wishes of the people on that issue, which resulted in fifty-seven votes being cast for, and three against, incorporation. June 9, the following trustees were elected : J. W. White, President ; S. Jeffers,
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HISTORY OF JO DAVIESS COUNTY.
Henry Chapman, Robert Dawson, Abram Reynolds and L. J. Phillips; Clerk, A. B. White.
In 1860, Hanover Township had a population of 969, and in 1870, 1,191. At its first organization Wm. J. Robinson was elected Supervisor. The present officers are :
Supervisor, Charles Spear; Town Clerk, Joseph Limage; Assessor, Julius Hammond ; Collector, Augustus Chase ; Commissioners of Highways, Cyrus Steele, Kelso White and Charles Hammond.
COUNCIL HILL.
The hill from which this township and village are named, received its appel- lation from the Indian Councils which were held there in olden times. The land is high, rolling, and, in some parts, very broken. Being within the mining region, it was inhabited by white men at a very early date. Much difficulty has been experienced in securing accurate and reliable information concerning the scattered inhabitants before the year 1828.
Patrick Hogan, who had been engaged in mercantile business at St. Louis, came to the lead mines in 1825, and laid out a claim near Council Hill Dig- gings, which had then been known for many years to the Indians and a few white miners. In 1826, Ezekiel Lockwood built there a furnace-the first one in the township. Mr. Lockwood afterwards (1828) engaged in business at Galena with his brother, J. H., going from there to Dubuque.
Being near Galena, Council Hill had very few permanent settlers until 1835. It is inferred from a review of the Miners' Journal of 1828-'9, that the miners went there for mining purposes but still considered Galena as their head- quarters. Among these earlier inhabitants were Jonathan Hilliard, William Williams, Hiram Garrett, John Bowles, - Barrows, and - Hughes. There were many others, but this list embraces nearly all who remained to become permanent settlers.
Before the Black Hawk War Mr. Bowles had built a cabin at Horse Shoe Bend (on the Galena River), just below the present Millbrig Mill. At the same time he erected a saw mill on the Sinall Pox River, on land that is now included in Rice Township. In 1832, but three cabins stood on the site of Council Hill Village. Mr. Hilliard and Mr. Hughes first established saloons where Council Hill now stands, soon after the Black Hawk War. At this time saloons seem to have been very profitable investments. Mr. Barrows added one to the number, and in 1838, Mr. Brenton and Richard Arthur opened saloons, in connection with which some other goods were sold, but no regular store was operated until 1849, when Simon Alderson established a store, which was purchased in 1856 and is still continued at the same place by William Har- vey. For some years after purchasing it, Mr. Harvey had a partner-Wm. Birkbeck. In 1837, Richard Arthur came with D. Harris, but they did not locate there for some time after. In the meantime (1838) George Redfern arrived. He still remains at Council Hill-the earliest, living permanent settler.
The chief mines of this township are the Council Hill, Grant Hill and Drummond Diggings. These have in the past been very prolific, but are not in a very prosperous condition at present. Nearly twenty million pounds of mineral have been taken from them.
The Village of Council Fill was laid off and platted on October 22, 1853, by J. C. Gardner, on the southeast and southwest quarters of section twenty-four and the northeast and northwest quarters of section twenty-five, township 29, N. R. E. The owners of the land were William Williams and Simon Alderson. There was but one street -- " Mineral," running north 32 degrees west. The village was never incorporated.
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HISTORY OF JO DAVIESS COUNTY.
The first, and only regular hotel, dates from 1840. It has always been kept by members of the Brenton family. The present school-house of Council Hill was erected in 1856 and enlarged in 1867. It is now a two-story building, containing two departments which are taught by G. W. Hickman and wife. Previous to the erection of this building and just south of the present site, stood for many years a little log school-house, in which church was also held. 'There is no one now resident at the village who is able to tell the date of erection of this house, although it within for fifteen or twenty years.
Church services were held in 1841 by Rev. W. Woods, followed by Revs. Pillsbury, E. Springer, J. Searles, J. W. Putnam and by John L. Williams, un- der whose pastorate the first and only church was built, in 1849. It is of brick, 30 by 40 feet in size. Since that time the following ministers have officiated: E. S. Grumley, William Summersides, James Lawson, S. G. Havermill, Z. S. Kellogg, John L. Williams, H. Ely, A. H. Ellis, G. L. Wiley, C. Perkins, Sam- uel Ambrose, A. Newton, Wm. Cross, F. Maston, W. S. Young, S. Cates, A. Perry, Z. S. Kellogg, George Wells and H. W. Record, who is the present min- ister.
The Sabbath school was organized in 1845. It now has a membership of 118. Present Superintendent, B. J. Ewing.
Simon Alderson was first made postmaster at the village, followed in. 1856 by John McAllister. The present officer is William Harvey.
John Beatty, whose wife still lives at Council Hill Station, was one of the early settlers, not yet mentioned. In 1832, under his supervision, lead was smelted in a " blast furnace" for about the first time in America. Log and ash furnaces had been used prior to this time, but only fifty per cent of lead was extracted from the ore with them, while the ore, when smelted in a blast fur- nace, yielded seventy to eighty per cent. In 1833, a company was organized, with " Uncle John " Beatty, as he was called, at the head, who started four blast furnaces, as follows : One on East Fork, in Council Hill Township ; one near Platteville, Wis .; one at Mineral Point, Wis. ; and one at Catfish, near Dubuque, Iowa. The company, which afterwards divided into four associations, consisted of John Beatty, Major Legate, Daniel Wann, Robt. Shaw, Robt. Waller, Richard Waller, Richard Bonson, Robt. Bonson, Major J. H. Rountree, George Snowden, Henry Snowden and - Snowden.
In 1837, a blast furnace was erected by Stahl, Leakley & Co., near the township line, between Vinegar Hill and Council Hill. This they continued to use until 1860, and in the meantime a settlement grew around it, part of which is in each township. In 1862, a large, four-story stone grist mill, containing three runs of stones, was built there, by Wm. Bell, Thos. B. Leakley, Nicholas and Frederic Stahl. This mill is run by water power from the Galena River, from which a head and fall of seventeen feet are secured.
In 1853, there was built, beside the cemetery on the hill, the Primitive Church, and in 1870 a second church (Methodist Episcopal) was erected in the valley below-both, however, in Council Hill Township.
In 1873, the narrow-guage railroad was laid through the settlement, past the mill, and a side track built, though there is no regular station.
In 1877, the post-office was first established in the mill, with William Bell as postmaster.
When the Illinois Central Railroad was built through the township, in 1854, a station was established one and one half miles south of Council Hill Village, which has received the name of Council Hill Station. There is much confusion caused by the similarity of the names of the two villages.
Andrew Conway opened a store at the station soon after the railroad was built, but at the present time there is none, although a few goods are kept at private houses. Anthony Roe at one time kept a public house, but the patron- age did not justify its continuance.
1
Mm Passmore.
COUNCIL HILL
THE LIBRARY OF THE
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HISTORY OF JO DAVIESS COUNTY.
A small frame school-house was built in 1857, which was torn down and a new one built in 1875.
The first postmaster was Simon Alderson, soon after the station was estab- lished. It is at present kept by Wm. Passmore. The church there wasbuilt in 1860; repaired and re-opened in 1877.
The station was laid off and platted by J. C. Gardner, on December 6, 1855, on the northwest quarter and a small portion of the southwest quarter of section 31, on the land of Wm. Williams, Simon Alderson, John Bethel and John Alston. It has never been incorporated.
At the township organization, in 1853, the territory of this township was incorporated in Scales Mound and Mann (now Vinegar Hill) Townships, the dividing line being Fever (now Galena) River.
At the June meeting (1854) of the Board of Supervisors, the Township of Council Hill was created, bounded as follows :
"Commencing at the northeast corner of section 17, on the state line in township 29 N., R. 2 E .; thence west along state line five miles, to the north- west corner of section 15, township 29 N., R. I E. ; thence due south on section line to the southwest corner of section 34, township 29 N., R. I E. ; thence due east along township line five miles to southeast corner of section 32, township 29. N., R. 2 E .; thence due north on section line to state line or place of begin- ning."
The population of Council Hill Township was, in 1850 (then a precinct) 628; in 1860, 850, and in 1870, 725.
After the township organization in 1853, an election was held at Rocky Point school-house, where Mark Leakley was elected Supervisor ; Robert Shaw and John McAllister, Justices of the Peace, and Wm. Harvey, Township Clerk.
The present officers are :
Supervisor, Wm. Passmore ; Town Clerk, Wm. Harvey; Assessor, Wm. Bell ; Collector, Charles W. Leakley ; Commissioners of Highways, Charles Smart, Wm. Lupton and Henry Goodbern ; Justices of Peace, B. J. Ewing (at village), and R. T. James (at station).
DERINDA.
Robert Campbell made the first claim known in the Township of Derinda, in January, 1836, on section 7. Mr. Campbell had come to Illinois from Scot- land by the unusual route of Hudson's Bay and the Red River of the North, having become an employe of the Hudson's Bay Company, at the Selkirk Set- tlement. After making his claim, Mr. Campbell returned to Galena until 1838, when he removed with his family to his land. In the meantime other settlers had been attracted to that vicinity by the fertile valleys and rolling prairies along Big and Little Rush Creeks. In the Spring of 1836, William and Thomas Oliver entered claims on the western border of the township, but built their houses across the line, in Hanover Township, so that the first house built in Derinda Township, except a cabin of Mr. Cook on section I, was by Samuel McGrath, who came, with his family, in October of the same year. Jonathan Hendershot, Absalom Roberts, Jacob Handel and others soon followed.
In 1836, David Barr purchased the claim of Mr. Cook, to eighty acres, forming the northeast corner of the township, and, as the farms began to de- velop, he started a store. Mr. Barr * was one of the first justices of the town-
* At an election held for the purpose of choosing a name for the township, the votes were very nearly tied between the name of "New Germany," and Rush. This name, however, had been already taken by another township, so that it was reported back to the officer of this township-Mr. Barr. He decided the matter by reporting the name of his wife, " Derinda," which name was accepted.
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