USA > Illinois > Livingston County > The History of Livingston County, Illinois : containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c. > Part 55
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Date.
Supervisor.
Town Clerk.
Assessor.
Collector.
1859
John Gower.
J. S. Cummings ...
T. F. Norton
Isaac Ames.
1860
John Gower
J. S. Cummings
T. F. Norton ..
Wm. Hopkins.
1861.
Isaac Ames
J. S. Cummings ...
John Gower.
Geo. H. Blakeslee.
1862
H. H. Brower
J. S. Cummings ...
Asa S. Blakeslee ... T. Roe.
1863
John Gower
E. Weeks.
Asa S. Blakeslee ... T. Roe.
1864
Isaac Ames
Wm. M. Hopkins.
Asa S. Blakeslee, .. |M. W. Gammon.
1865
T. F. Norton
Geo. H. Blakeslee. R. F. Norton.
C. D. Gammon.
1866.
B. A. Gower.
Geo. H. Blakeslee. H. R. Hamilton.
T. Roe.
1867
R. G. Morton
Geo. II. Blakeslee. R. F. Norton.
J. Naugle.
1868.
H. H. Brower
Geo. H. Blakeslee.
Asa S. Blakeslee.
T. La Vell.
1869.
B. A. Gower.
H. J. Oaks.
E. Corey.
J. Norton.
1870.
M. Tombaugh
R. F. Norton.
Asa S. Blakeslee ...
A. K. Brower.
1871.
A. K. Brower.
A. Corbin.
Asa S. Blakeslee ... Pat Ruddy.
1872.
A. K. Brower
G. W. Thatcher.
John Gower
Pat Ruddy.
1873.
A. K. Brower
Geo. H. Blakeslee. Asa S. Blakeslee ...
N. Longnecker.
1874.
J. O. Corey.
Geo. H. Blakeslee. John Green.
Pat Ruddy.
1875.
I. O. Corey.
Geo. H. Blakeslee. A. Corbin
M. J. Bosworth.
1876.
J. O. Corey.
Geo. H. Blakeslee. A. Corbin.
Jas. Ruddy.
1877.
Julius Smith
Geo. H. Blakeslee. T. La Vell.
Jas. Ruddy.
The officers elect of the township are : H. H. Kent, Supervisor ; George H. Blakeslee, Clerk ; Bernard Demsey, Collector ; Thomas La Vell, Assessor ; Samuel B. Norton and M. J. Bosworth, Justices of the Peace ; W. B. Hamil-
561
HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
ton and Jas. Gordon, Constables ; John Brooker, Jas. Nichols and Pat Ruddy, Commissioners of Highways.
At the last election it was found that the number of voters had increased to 209.
During the "late unpleasantness," this township bore a very considerable part. Quite a number of the young men of this vicinity enlisted in the various regiments raised in this portion of the State. Several who thus exchanged home and family comforts for the hardships and suffering of the camp and field, in addition, sacrificed their lives for the principles which they loved better than fireside, and better even than existence. Some were killed outright in the affray ; some received wounds of which they died after a lingering illness ; and others, though never receiving a saber cut or a musket shot, received the seeds of disease, contracted from exposure and hardships, which finally terminated their existence. All honor to the townships which they represented; and in an especial manner, all honor to the brave representatives who proved their love of country by their valor.
VILLAGE OF BLACKSTONE.
Blackstone is situated on the western extension of the Chicago & Alton Railroad, nearly midway between Streator and Dwight, being ten miles from the former and thirteen from the latter. It is a neat little town of nearly two hundred inhabitants ; and, in the amount of business transacted, is not exceeded by any town of its size in the county.
The land which constitutes its site, originally belonged to R. B. Hamilton. About the time when the line of railroad was completed through this section, the land was purchased by Wm. Shepard, of Jersey County, Illinois, and for him the village was laid out by A. C. Huetson, on January 6, 1870. The original plat consisted of eighty acres of Section 7, lying on the north side of the railroad track.
The town was called Blackstone in honor of the President of the road ; and much of the plat being property of the officers of the road, the town is natu- rally looked upon as being a favored point.
The first house within the limits of the place antedates the village or the road, having been built years ago by R. B. Hamilton. As soon as the survey had been made, Frank McIntosh built a store, and this was the first building of the kind erected here. As soon as it was completed, he put into it a stock of general merchandise, and has continued in the business ever since. About the same time, R. B. Hamilton erected a warehouse and commenced buying grain. This warehouse is now idle, the whole grain business having been absorbed by the Kent Brothers, who built an elevator here a few years later. They handle about 400,000 bushels of grain per year, mostly corn.
As soon as the town had been certainly established, the post office of Sunbury was removed to the station, and Charles A. Holton installed as Postmaster, which position he still retains.
562
HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
Among the others who manifested their confidence in the future of the place by settling here at its beginning, were J. L. Colier, Enoch Sherick, R. D. Gregg and J. A. Fout. The last named was a blacksmith ; and the first was a carpenter, who built nearly all of the houses that have been put up in the town.
There are no organized churches here; but religious services are held by several denominations, who occupy the school house for that purpose by turns. A Sunday school, in which all of the citizens take a deep interest, is conducted under the superintendence of M. F. Waters.
The public school is under the charge of A. H. Johnson, a competent and successful teacher.
FAYETTE TOWNSHIP.
This is a fractional town and lies in the southern tier of townships, between Belle Prairie and Germantown, with Forrest on the north and Ford County on the south. It is mostly rolling prairie, but with a few sections that are low and flat, and is wholly devoid of native timber. The latter defect, however, has been supplied by the planting and cultivation of trees : and many beautiful groves are to be seen in every part of the township. It is intersected by the Chicago & Paducah Railroad, which enters the town through Section 4, and crosses Sections 3, 10 and 15, in almost a southerly direction. Fayette is known as Town 25 north, Range 7 east of the Third Principal Meridian.
The first settlement within the present limits of Fayette was made by Rees Morgan, on Section 16, in June, 1863. He is a native of Pennsylvania, and came to Illinois in 1829, and to this neighborhood as stated above. His settlement was made on the School Section, with the expectation of long enjoy- ing the entire section ; but the town developed more rapidly than anticipated, and he was only permitted to occupy it about seven years, when it was sold according to law, for school purposes. Mr. Morgan, now well advanced in years, lives in the village of Strawn, a highly-respected citizen and honored among his fellow-men. He was a soldier in the Black Hawk war of 1832, and was with Col. Stillman in his memorable defeat at Pawpaw Grove, which occurred on the 14th day of May of that year. Possessing fine conversational powers, his de- scription of the Black Hawk campaign is graphic and entertaining.
At that early period, military organizations were in their embryonic state, and the authority of a militia Major extended over an entire county. Four companies, he states, were raised in Peoria, Tazewell and McLean Counties, and he volunteered in Tazewell, under command of Captain Adams. These troops were ordered to rendezvous at Dixon, and await the arrival of the Com- mander-in-Chief, Governor Reynolds, and his forces. A dispute arose among Majors Stillman, Bailey and Johnson, as to which of them belonged the right to command the entire forces from this section. On the arrival of Governor Reynolds, Stillman was appointed Colonel of the forces from the counties
565
HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
already named, on account of the seniority of his appointment as Major. Jealousy on the part of the other two followed as a natural consequence at the high honor conferred on Stillman, each feeling that his own peculiar fitness for the position had been wholly disregarded, and they were quite willing to encompass him with defeat, and compromise him or any one else in order to gratify an envious disposition.
On the arrival of the Governor and his forces at Dixon, Col. Stillman was sent with his command on a scouting expedition. His force numbered 200 men, while Black Hawk's was not far short of 450 warriors. Army regu- lations in the far West were not as strict then as at the present day, and each soldier was allowed a pint of whisky as a part of his daily rations. In drawing their supplies for a three-days scout, they were careful to obtain three square pints of whisky each, to the utter neglect of the more substantial necessaries. Their frequent imbibitions on the second day of their march resulted in dire con- fusion, and each man became his own commander. Not the slightest attention was paid to the commands of the officers, and they raced over the broad prairies, spoiling for a hand-to-hand fight with the "redskins." Near the close of the day's march (if march it could be called), Indians were seen in the distance, and immediately the whites charged pell-mell toward them. On arriving on the spot where the Indians had been seen, what was their consternation to find themselves flanked on the right and left. A "V " had been formed by the wily chieftain-a trap had been set, and into it they had ridden at full speed. And now came the time for retreat. Mr. Morgan says, if they "rode fast in coming up to the Indians, they certainly attempted to make double-fast time in coming away." The running away was as promiscuous as the advance had been, and some of the troops did not reach Dixon for two or three days, though distant but thirty miles from the scene of disaster. Stillman was defeated and disgraced. and Johnson, who succeeded to the command, correspondingly grati- fied. This little notice of a war with which all are familiar seems so appro- priate in the history of Mr. Morgan, the first settler in this township. that we deem no excuse necessary for giving place to it.
The next settlement in Fayette was made by B. F. Brandon in the Spring of 1864. He settled on Section 8, where he remained several years, and then sold out and removed to La Salle County. John and Thomas Brownlee came from Knox County, but were originally from Scotland. They settled in Fayette Township in 1865, but recently Thomas has removed into the village of Strawn and John removed to Kansas. Among other early settlers, we may notice George Seaton, Charles Wilson, James, Benjamin and Robert Turner, William Walker, John and Daniel Parsley and the McCormicks. Seaton came from New York in 1867, and when he settled in Fayette, his was the fourth house in the township. Charles Wilson was from Kendall County, and settled |here in 1866, when he broke the farm and built the house where Seaton now lives. Wilson removed to Forrest when Seaton came in. and now lives in
566
HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
Hoopeston. The Turners were from near Ottawa, and settled here in 1867, where they still reside. Walker came from Galena, and the Parsleys from La Salle County, and settled here in 1867, and still live in the township. The McCormicks were also from La Salle County, and settled here in 1865.
The first birth in Fayette Township was Rose McCormick, a daughter of James and Jane McCormick, who was born December 15, 1865. The first death was that of a young man of the name of Eaton, and occurred at the resi- dence of John Brownlee about the 1st of August, 1867. The first marriage which took place in the township was that of Moses K. McDowell and Mary Morgan ; and the second, that of D. R. Morgan, a brother to the first bride, and Jennie McDowell, a sister of the first bridegroom, on the principle, we pre- sume, that " a fair exchange is no robbery." Since the occurrence of the two marriages above recorded, Frank C. McDowell and Laura Morgan have been united in holy wedlock, thus forming a triple alliance between the McDowell and Morgan families. The first physician was Stacy Stephens, who located in the village of Strawn soon after it was laid out. Dr. G. S. Harvey has recently located there, and both practice their profession in the village and township. The first Justice of the Peace in the town was H. McCormick, who was elected in 1869, and held over on the separation of Fayette from Belle Prairie Township in 1871.
It seems appropriate that some mention should be made in the history of Fayette Township of the " Burr Oak Farm," the largest farm in the world, perhaps, owned and controlled by a single individual. The Burr Oak Farm of M. L. Sullivant embraces nearly 40,000 acres, eight sections of which lie in Fayette Township and four sections in Germantown, while the remainder of it is in Ford County. People who have never visited the great West, and in whose eyes a farm of two or three hundred acres is large, have very little con- ception of the magnificent scale on which farming operations are carried on in the regions of the prairie country. Notwithstanding the vast area of this gigantic plantation, its management is reduced to so perfect a system that every- thing moves on with as much harmony as though but a few hundred acres were embraced in it. In 1871, the Harpers sent out a special artist and reporter to visit "Burr Oak Farm," as Mr. Sullivant's place is called, and to write a description of it, with illustrations. An issue of their Illustrated Weekly in September, 1871, contained about three columns, descriptive of this great farm and the mammoth establishment of Sullivant's, accompanied by some dozen engravings of different scenes and occupations. Among the illustrations we noticed the following: First, a striking portrait of M. L. Sullivant, the pro- prietor of Burr Oak Farm; "The Homestead, Burr Oak," "Evening in the Burr Oak Grove," "Planting Corn," "Ditching Plow," "Cultivating Corn," " Hedge Gang," "Breaking Raw Prairie," "Farm Gang," "Harvesting," "Mr. Sullivant and his Captains at Evening," "Sunday in Burr Oak Grove," etc. The system observed on this place is equal to military discipline. Sullivant
567
HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
was Commander in Chief, then an Adjutant under him, who assisted him in the management and saw that all orders were obcyed; next, there were twelve Cap- tains, each of whom had three Lieutenants under him, and each Lieutenant had charge of a gang of six to ten hands. The farm was laid of into stations, and each station was in charge of a Captain, whose duty it was to report every day's business to the Commander in Chief at night. A bookkeeper was employed and an account opened with every station, and in this account was entered everything done on that station each day, viz., how many men were employed, how many horses, mules and oxen, together with what kind of labor each had performed.
The following table will show for one day's work :
Date.
Men.
Horses. 7.060
Oxen.
One month.
4,9793
1,987
ONE DAY.
Men.
Horses.
Overseeing generally.
45
90
Errands and chores
31
58
Harness shop.
8
...
Water hauling.
27}
274
Blacksmith shop.
114
...
Stables.
191
160
Kitchens
273
...
Implements
82
1
Masonry
793
18
Hedges.
3833
2143
This is but a fragment of the list, but shows the system adopted. Nor was the Commander idle. Seldom a day passed but either he or his Adju- tant was in every field on the entire plantation ; so that if a Captain had attempted a false report it would have been detected at once. The following extract is from Harpers' Weekly, of the date already alluded to: "The machinery in use at Burr Oak would handsomely stock two or three agricultural implement stores : 150 steel plows, of different kinds ; 75 breaking plows ; 142 cultivators, of several descriptions ; 45 corn planters ; 25 gang harrows, etc. The ditching plow, a huge affair of 18 feet in length, with a share of 11 feet by 2 feet 10 inches, is worked by 68 oxen and eight men. These finish from three to three and a half miles of excellent ditch each day's work.
There is 300 miles of hedge, 6 miles of board fence for stock, and 150 miles of ditching to drain the wet places. The stock of Burr Oak at present is 300 mules, 50 horses and 50 yoke of cattle. There may be 1,000 or 1,200 hogs and a magnificent herd of milch cows-mostly Durhams-and very valuable. An entire section of land is devoted to raising produce for feeding stock and hands. There are 2,500 acres of tame grass, which will cut an average of a ton and a half to the acre; besides this, much wild grass is cut." But any- thing like an accurate and complete description of this immense farm would occupy more space than we can give it in these pages, and, therefore, we must let it pass with this meager notice.
568
HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
The first school in Fayette Township was taught by Rebecca Morgan, in 1868, in a small shanty on Section 6, located on the present site of the school building near the residence of William Walker. In 1873, there were eighty-five children in the township entitled to school privileges, and seventy- six reported as attending school. Two schools were reported, with one male teacher and four female teachers. School fund, $10,803. The treasurer's last report shows the following :
Number of males in township under 21 years. 192
Number of females in township under 21 years
165
Total. 357
Number of males between 6 and 21 years.
93
Number of females between 6 and 21 years
103
Tota
196
Number of males attending school ..
69
Number of females attending school.
73
Total 142
Estimated value of school property. $1,965 00
Principal of township fund 2,078 47
Highest monthly wages paid male teachers 40 00
Lowest monthly wages paid any teacher. 30 00
Whole amount paid teachers. 665 43
There are four school districts in the town and four good, substantial school houses, in which first-class schools are maintained for the usual period each year.
The building of the Chicago & Paducah Railroad through this township has been the means of developing it, and has been a great convenience to the peo- ple, particularly to those who have business occasionally at the seat of justice. The road received their hearty support and they have always been friendly toward it.
As previously stated, Fayette was a part of Belle Prairie until 1871, when it was set off by act of the Board of Supervisors. The present officers of the township are as follows, viz .: J. W. Ebersol and M. M. Gatchel, Justices of the Peace ; William McCormick, Assessor; Adam Kopp, Collector ; John Hopkins, Town Clerk, and D. A. Morgan, Supervisor.
The color of Fayette politics is about half and half; that is to say, it is about evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans. At least, it has been so for some time past; but it is not easy to say just what effect the Green- backers will have in the township. The war record is given in the histories of other sections of the county, as there were no settlements made here until very near the close of the war.
THE VILLAGE OF STRAWN.
Strawn is situated on the Chicago & Paducah Railroad. about ten miles south of Fairbury. and was laid out June 6, 1873. It was surveyed by Alfred
1
569
HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
C. Huetson, County Surveyor, for David Strawn, the original proprietor, and for whom the village was named. The original plat contained 30.09 acres, in Section 3, of Town 25 north, etc., and has since, we believe, had some addi- tions made to it. In order to induce settlers to locate in the village, and in building it up, Mr. Strawn adopted the plan of giving every alternate lot to such as would erect houses, under certain specifications, by the 1st of September fol- owing its laying-out. The houses might be as large as the proprietors chose to build, but must not fall below certain dimensions. No shanties, either as busi- ness or dwelling houses, were to be erected. The first business house inclosed in the village was that of E. H. Roberts, who selected the first lot, on the day the village was laid out. The business houses of H. McCormick, T. H. Aaron and Brownlee Brothers were under process of erection at the same time. The first dwelling was erected by John Colfer, now owned by Hampton McCormick, and operated as an hotel. About the same time, dwellings were put up by L. L. Graves, James Stevenson and a Mr. Welch.
E. H. Roberts, now of the firm of Aaron, Roberts & Co., sold the first goods in the village. His store was opened about the 1st of July, 1873. At the present time, there are eight stores in Strawn, also harness shops, black- smith shops, shoe shops, grain firms and one saloon. Indeed, the village seems to have completely risen above the swamps and marshes, where it languished when a poet of the period evoked the muses and thus described its condition :
The frogs are hatching their spawn
In the streets of the village of Strawn ; And their music down there
Fills the ambient air From the falling of night till the dawn.
The post office was established October 6, 1873, and E. H. Roberts was appointed Postmaster, which position he still holds. The first freight received at Strawn station was July 1, 1873, and was a barrel of meat for S. K. Mitchell, who kept a boarding house. The first shipment of freight was a car- load of hogs, and was made by Walter D. Strawn, July 7, 1873. The freight shipments for the six months ending July 1, from Strawn, were as follows :
Forwarded-Number of car loads of grain, stock, etc 195
Way freights in lbs. 32,000
Freight received in tons. 810
Ticket sales, six months to July 1, 1878 $485.70
The amount of grain shipped from this point during the year is not far short of 250,000 bushels. The first corn bought here for shipment was by W. Reed, agent for Hoyt & Beebe, of Forrest.
The first school was taught in Strawn by Sarah Hanagan, of Ottawa, in the Summer of 1874, and a temporary school house built the same year. The village at present supports a good school, which is well patronized and main_ tained about eight months in the year. At the last election, a tax of $1,800 -
was voted for the purpose of erecting a suitable school building, and soon the
570
HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
clangor of the seminary bell will be heard in the village, morning, noon and night.
The Methodist society was organized in the village in the Summer of 1874, - under the ministerial care of Rev. R. D. Russell. The membership at the date of organization did not exceed eight persons, and the church now numbers on its roll some twenty active members, and is in a flourishing condition.
Strawn, like hundreds of other railroad towns and villages, has sprung up in the last few years like a hot-house plant. It is, however, a flourishing little place, full of energy and enterprise, and does a large amount of business. It is increasing in importance each year, and will soon overtake some of its elder neighbors, unless they rub off the rust of years, and, like Dickens' Little Joe, "move on."
GERMANTOWN TOWNSHIP.
O sprecht ! warum zogt ihr von dannen ? Das Neckarthal hat Wein und Korn ; .
Der Schwarzwald stoht voll finstrer Tannen, Im Spessart klingt des Alplers Horn.
Wie wird es in den fremden Waldern Euch nach der Heimathberge Grun, Nach Deutschlands gelden Weizenfeldern, Nach seinen Rebenhugeln ziehn !
Wie wird das Bild der alten Tage Durch eure Traume glauzend wehn !
Gleich einer stillen, frommen Sage Wird es euch vor der Seele stehn.
Der Bootsmann winkt !- Zieht hin in Frieder Gott schutz' eucli, Mann und Weib und Greis !
Sei Freude eurer Brust beschieden, Und euren Feldern Reis und Mais !
This township is very appropriately named. It is strictly a German town. Three-fourths of its population, perhaps, are from the "Faderland," and have sought the prairies of the New World, and homes where all are free and all are equal. No more honest and enterprising farmers, or quiet and peaceable citizens exist in Livingston County, than these hard-working Germans of the township heading this chapter. They move on in the "even tenor of their way " without ostentation or display, quietly enjoying their pipes and their lager beer, and very rarely interfering, to their credit be it said, in the affairs of others. Germantown occupies the extreme southeast corner of the county, and is described as Township 25 north, Range 8 east of the Third Principal Meridian. It is a fractional town, and is almost entirely prairie, with but very little native timber, and a small quantity of what was in the earlier days of settlement, termed "swamp lands." Until 1867, Germantown was included in Chatsworth Township, as noticed in that part of this work. At the meeting of the Board
571
HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
of Supervisors that year, Germantown petitioned to be set off, and thus became an independent town.
Thomas Y. Brown made the first actual settlement in Germantown Town- ship in 1855. He came from Jefferson County, N. Y., and located as noticed . above, in Germantown, where he lived until a few years ago when he retired from active business and removed to the village of Chatsworth. He still owns his farm in Germantown, which is cultivated by tenants, while he resides in the village enjoying the competence his life of industry and perseverance in busi- ness has won for him. A son of Mr. Brown's is engaged in the banking busi- ness at Chatsworth, and is one of the honorable business men of the place.
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