The History of Peoria County, Illinois. Containing a history of the Northwest-history of Illinois-history of the county, its early settlement, growth, development, resources, etc., etc., Part 46

Author: Johnson & co., Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago : Johnson & Company
Number of Pages: 932

USA > Illinois > Peoria County > The History of Peoria County, Illinois. Containing a history of the Northwest-history of Illinois-history of the county, its early settlement, growth, development, resources, etc., etc. > Part 46

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CHICAGO.

FIRST FERRY AND TAVERN LICENSE.

In those days Chicago was a dependency of Peoria, and for permission to keep the first

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HISTORY OF PEORIA COUNTY.

tavern and maintain the first ferry, the pioneer settlers at Fort Dearborn were indebted to the Commissioners of Peoria county. At the June-1829 -term of the Court,

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 ten dollars and execute a bond with security for one hundred dollars. The rates for ferriage to be one-half the sum that John L. Bogardus gets at his ferry at l'eoria. [See Ferry Rates, p. 304.]

At the December term, same year, Archibald Caldwell, blacksmith and constable, was licensed to keep a tavern at Chicago, and to charge the same rates as those already quoted. He was required to pay a tax of eight dollars for the privilege, and to give bonds in the sum of one hundred dollars for a faithful observance of the laws then pre- vailing for the regulation of taverns.

At the June -7th -term, 1830, Rev. William See was authorized to keep a ferry across the " Callimink," at the head of Lake Michigan, now included in South Chicago, for which he was required to pay a tax of ten dollars. He was permitted to charge the following rates:

For each foot passenger = man and horse

121/2 cents. 25

46 wagon or cart drawn by two horses or oxen. 75 .. four horse wagon $1 00

16 carriage or wagon 3772 cents.

Mr. See was a Methodist minister, and was the first clergyman of any denomination, as shown by the records, to perform the marriage ceremony in Chicago. He subse- quently removed to Racine, Wisconsin, where he died.

TURNPIKE AND ELECTION ACCOUNTS.

In June, 1830, the Court allowed Archibald Caldwell five dollars and fifty cents for ironing a turnpike scraper ; and on the 7th of December they allowed Henley Clybourn sixteen dollars "for one day's services as clerk of election, and bringing the election returns to Peoria."

MARRIAGE RECORDS.

The following marriages were solemnized and recorded in Peoria county while the jurisdiction thereof extended north to the Wisconsin State line :

By John Kinzie, Justice of the Peace, Chicago precinct, January 2, 1327, Peter St. Clair and Margaretta Peehe- quetarairi. [The writing on the returns is not very legible, and it may be the correct orthography is Perhequetaroui.] By Rev. Jesse Walker, a regular minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church, May 3, 1828, Velat Vermit to Cornelia Walker. Vermit was a ferryman at Ottawa, and the wedding was at the house of David Walker.

By John Beabien, Justice of the Peace, Chicago precinct, November 5, 1828, Joseph Pothier and Victoria Ma- rauda.

By Rev. Isaac Scarrett, a missionary of the Methodist Episcopal Church, at Holderman's Grove-near Newark, Kendall county-July 21, 1829, Willard Scott and Caroline, daughter of Pierce Hawley. By the same, at the same time and place, John K. Clarke and Permelia, daughter of Stephen J. Scott.

By Rev. William See, Chicago precinct, November 1, 1830, Willis Scott and Louisa B. Caldwell.

JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.

John Kinzie, July 28, 1825.

Billy Caldwell, whose Indian name was Sau - ga - nash, April 18, 1826.

Alexander Wolcott, Indian Agent, December 26, 1827. John B. Beaubien, December 26, 1827.

John S. C. Hogan-afterwards postmaster-October 9, 1830.

Stephen Forbes-first sheriff of Cook county-December 13, 1830.

BILLY CALDWELL.

Billy Caldwell, named above as a justice of the peace, was the son of an Irish officer in the British service by a Pottawatomie Indian woman, and was educated by the Jesuits

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HISTORY OF PEORIA COUNTY.

at Detroit. Hon. John Wentworth is authority for the statement that he was an officer in the British service during and after the war of 1812: and that he styled himself as Captain of the Indian Department, in 1816, at Fort Malden [Amhurstburg]. He mar- ried a sister of the Pottawatomie chief, Yellow Head, by whom he had one child, which died young. At the time of his death, Esquire Billy Caldwell was Head Chief of the combined Pottawatomie, Ottawa and Chippewa Indians.

SHABONEE - AN OLD DOCUMENT.

Shabonee (French pronunciation Chamblee) was well known to many of the early settlers at Peoria. He was born on the Ohio river, and was a chief of the Ottawa tribe of Indians. In the war of 1812 he joined Tecumseh, and was a member of Caldwell's band or company of Indians in that conflict. A short time before his death Shabonee visited and remained over night with William Hiekling, now living in Chicago, but then and for many years a resident of Ottawa. At that visit he gave Mr. Hickling the original manuseript of the following paper, which is evidence that Billy Caldwell was neither an ignorant man nor a mere pretender :

" This is to certify that the bearer of this name, Chamblee, was a faithful companion to me during the late war with the United States. The bearer joined the lale warrior, Tecumthe [Tecumseh], of the Shawnee nation, in the year 1807, on the Wabash river, and remained with the above warrior from the commencement of the hostilities with the United States until our defeat at Moravian Town, on the Thames, October 5, 1513. I also have been witness to his intrepidity and courageous warfare on many occasions, and he showed a great deal of humanity to those unfortunate sons of Mars who fell into his hands. B. CALDWELL, Captain I. D.

" Amhurstburg, August 1, 1816."

" This document," continues Mr. Wentworth, who saw it, " was written on a half sheet of old-fashioned English foolscap paper, plainly water-marked . C. & S., 1813.'" Shabonee assured Mr. Hickling when he presented the paper to him that he had always worn it on his person. This certificate of character was undoubtedly given to the old chief to assist him with the British government, but as he afterwards became a good In- dian, and highly esteemed by the early settlers of that part of Illinois in which he lived, it was of little benefit to him in the way intended.

CHAPTER X.

THE COUNTY SEAT.

Pre-empting the Land -Survey of the Town Site - Streets and Alleys - Sale of Town Lots - County Court Orders and Wlusky Securing the l'itle - The Military Tract - Fractional Sections - French Clanns - Tale Secured. PERSONAL . Wilham S. Hamilton - Barney Norris.

The law under which Peoria county was organized gave the County Commissioner's Court the control and management of the quarter-section of land on which it was pro- vided the county seat should be located. The first action by the court in regard to it was taken on the 12th of March, 1825, when it was "ordered that Nathan Dillon, one of the commissioners, be authorized to make application to the register of the landl office at Springfield for the right to pre-empt the said quarter-section, for the purpose of estab- Jishing the County Seat of Peoria county, according to the act of Congress of 1823."

The pre-emption was secured, and on the 7th day of June, 1825, the commissioners being in session, the following record was made :

Ordered, That William Holland be authorized to employ some suitable person to survey lots on the northeast quarter of section nine, township eight north, and range eight east of the fourth principal meridian, said lots to be

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HISTORY OF PEORIA COUNTY.

one hundred feet in length, including eight feet to be deducted from each lot for an alley, and eighty feet wide. The street on the shore of the lake to he one hundred and ten feet in width, and all the other streets to be one hundred feet wide.

At the September session the subject again came up, and in answer to the request of William Holland and others that a town may be laid out as the County Seat of Peoria county, having an eye to the present and future convenience of the citizens, the court ordered :

I. That the streets run to the cardinal points.

2. That the squares shall be 360 feet, containing ten lots each.

3. That lots shall be seventy-two feet in front and ISo feet in rear.

4. The public square shall contain four square blocks.

5. Water street shall be 110 feet wide, commencing on the edge or break of the bank and running back IIO feet.

6. Water street shall run parallel with the bank of the lake, so that the blocks fronting the same may be the same distance from the break of the bank, that is, Tro feet.

7. All the streets, except Water street, shall be one hundred feet wide, and extend to low water mark, where the fraction on which the town is situated, will admit.

8. From the edge of the bank, to low water mark, shall be considered as town property, and be disposed of as water lots.

9. Fractional lots and blocks fronting on Water street are considered as exceptions to the above, and to be laid off in the same size as the others, where the angles will admit.

IO. A sufficient space shall be reserved on the water lots for a market place, when the same shall be deemed necessary.

Under date of December 8, 1825, the following entry appears:

WHEREAS, By an act of Congress there has been granted to each county the preference in purchase of one- quarter-section of land, in case the seat of justice for the same should be located on public land, and the General Assembly of this State, in pursuance thereof, at their last session, passed an act establishing the county of Peoria, and fixing the County Seat of justice therefor on public land, and on the northeast quarter of section nine ; and,

WHEREAS, At a late session of this court it was ordered that said fraction be laid off as a town, which order has been carried into effect, and a number of inhabitants having settled and made improvements on said fraction ; and,

WHEREAS, It is deemed that the value of the lots thereof will be enhanced, and the interest of the county pro- moted by the encouragement of settlements on the same ; therefore, be it

Ordered, That all such lots so laid off on the said fraction as are now, or shall have been built on previous to the public sales as contemplated by this court, and also one lot for every house built on said fraction previous to the survey of the same as a town, and which in said survey, have fallen in the streets, to be selected by the owners of said house, to be reserved from sale ; and it is further

Ordered, That the owner or owners of all such houses or buildings shall have the preference in the purchase of the lots so reserved, at the average value of the lots sold according to situation, said value to be ascertained by this court, by reference to the actual sales at the public sales as above ; and be it further

Ordered, That no preference shall be allowed as above, for any improvement that may hereafter be made on any of the following lots, that is to say : Beginning at the northeast end of Front street, on lots No. 1, 2 and 3, 5, 6 and 7, and so on alternately through its whole length, except such as are now claimed as above, in which case the lot adjoin- ing shall be reserved from the privilege of redemption ; and on all the other streets leading north and south, the lots I and 2, 4 and 5, and so on alternately through the whole length of each street, shall be reserved from the privilege of pre-emption commencing at the north end of the street ; provided, that it is hereby expressly understood that this court does not bind itself to guaranty the above specified preferences of purchase in any case, should the said court not acquire for the use of the county, as aforesaid, the legal right in fee simple to the fraction above described ; and, provided, also, that the above right of preference is in no case to be executed to any but actual settlers on said lots.

On the 6th of March, 1826, Mr. Dixon, the Clerk to the County Commissioners' Court, was authorized in behalf of the court to make application, officially, to the Register and Receiver of the Land Office at Springfield, for a written statement of the obstacles and objections, (if any exist, ) which prevented the entry of the quarter section of land upon which the Legislature designated the county seat should be located, as it was anticipated that some objections might arise on account of the exact quantity of land not being known. After securing this information from the land office and the objections, if there were any, Mr. Dixon was directed to proceed to St. Louis and apply to the surveyor general for a plat of the survey of this particular quarter section, and if no such plat could be furnished without a resurvey, to contract with the surveyor general for that purpose, at the expense of the county, for a speedy completion of such resurvey, and to request that a plat be made immediately, properly authenticated and forwarded to the

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HISTORY OF PEORIA COUNTY.

There seems to have been some objections or obstacles in the way of the entry, al- though no report of such objections or obstacles appear of record, for, at the July session (1826) the treasurer was " ordered to pay John Dixon thirty-four dollars and eighty-five cents for going to St. Louis, by order of the Court, and for postage, clerk hire," etc.

Whatever difficulties and objections may have at first existed as to the purchase of this quarter section, they seem to have been fully overcome, for at a special term of the court, on the 2d of May. 1826, it was

Ordered, That John Dixon be and he is hereby authorized to borrow, on the credit of the county of Peoria, one hundred and eighty-four dollars, sixty-two and one-half cents, by him to be paid to the receiver of the land office at Springfield, in payment for the northeast fractional quarter of section number nine, town eight north, range eight east of the fourth principal meridian, and that he he authorized to issue orders on the treasury to such person as shall loan the said county the above money. at any interest not exceeding twenty-five per cent. per annum until paid.

Arrangements were made with William Holland, one of the Commissioners. under which that gentleman agreed to advance the money necessary to pay for the county seat quarter, but if it was paid over to the County Clerk it was never used for that purpose, as before the obstacles in the way of purchase were removed, there were funds enough in the treasury to pay for the land without borrowing.

At the same time a resurvey of the town site was ordered. it was also ordered that the streets should run parallel with the river, that Front (or Water) street should remain the same width as previously established, and that all the other streets should be one hundred feet in width, and the lots and blocks as before quoted. It was also " ordered that the Clerk advertise a sale of lots on the tenth day of July. 1826, on the following terms: Ten per cent. of the purchase money eash in hand, and the balance in three equal payments at six, twelve and eighteen months, by purchasers giving their notes. In case of failure on the part of the purchasers to meet the deferred payments, then the ten per cent. cash payment was forfeited to the county."

July 8. two days before the day advertised for the sale of town lots, the Court being in session, it was ordered that " Joseph Smith -one of the Commissioners - be author- ized to employ an auctioneer and furnish whisky for the sale of lots in Peoria."

The sale came off as advertised, and under the terms and conditions of ten per cent. cash, etc., the cash receipts were one hundred and thirty-nine dollars and thirty-eight cents. In settling up the expenses ineident to the sale, the following orders appear of record :

Ordered, 'That the treasurer pay William Clark three dollars for crying the sale of lots in the town of Peoria. Ordered, That the treasurer pay John llamlin three dollars and fifty cents for whisky and paper furnished for the sale of lots in Peoria.

W. S. Hamilton was allowed fifty-eight dollars and seventy-five eents for making the survey. A. C. Ballard was a chain carrier, and was allowed two dollars. Henry Neely assisted in the survey and was allowed four dollars. William Clark for cash and services was allowed ten dollars and fifty cents.

December 4, 1826, an order was entered retaining W. S. Hamilton, as counsel in behalf of the County Commissioners for obtaining the title to the county seat quarter. What is known as the Military Tract, within which Peoria county is included, was appropriated by Congress for the benefit of the soldiers of the war of 1812. This tract commenced at. the mouth of the Illinois river, extended north one hundred and sixty-two miles to a line running east from the Mississippi to the Illinois river, and included all the land between that line and the two rivers. Its area was 8,640 square miles. or 5,529,600 acres. The full sections were granted to the soldiers, for whose benefit the land was intended, while the fractionsl seetions along the Mississippi and Illinois were subject to the same laws as other public lands. The law under which Peoria was organized designated a part of one

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HISTORY OF PEORIA COUNTY.

of these fractional sections as a site for the county seat. The commissioners, as already shown, took steps to secure the right of pre-emption thereto, with a view to an early purchase of the same; and, although they made repeated efforts in that direction, they failed of their object until December, 1834.

Under an act of Congress approved May 15, 1820, entitled "An act for the relief of the inhabitants of the village of Peoria, in the State of Illinois," and a subsequent act approved March 3, 1823, entitled "An act to confirm certain claims to lots in the village of Peoria, in the State of Illinois," certain French claims came to pester the authorities and hinder the purchase of the land.

Between the last session of the Court in 1826, which was held in the month of De- cember, and the beginning of the year 1830, numerous orders were entered of record in regard to securing the title, and different agents were appointed to visit the Register and Receiver of the U. S. Land Office, to urge the claim of the Commissioners, but without avail. In the early Spring of 1830, the Commissioners had some encouragement, and on Wednesday, the 3d day of March, of that year, they declared that "whereas it was un- derstood there was a probability that the county of Peoria would shortly obtain the title to the land whereon to fix their county seat; and that as certain persons were desirous of making improvements at said county seat, etc., that any such person making improve- ments to the amount of twenty-five dollars on any of the lots, not exceeding two, should be entitled to the refusal of them at such price as might be fixed upon them by appraisers to be appointed by the Court."

At the same session Stephen Stillman was appointed a " special agent on the part of the county of Peoria for the purpose of obtaining for the use of the county the right of soil to the north-east fractional quarter of section number nine, town eight north, range eight east, with full power to act for the county," etc. The commissioners, on the part of the county, bound themselves to accept any part of said quarter section, be it more or less, that might remain after deducting that which was appropriated by a law of Congress for " Peoria Claims," in lieu of a full quarter allowed by Congress to each new county seat. They also recommended that a special act of Congress be passed granting to the county of Peoria the remaining part of the fractional quarter section after deducting the " Peoria Claims," as aforesaid.

There is no record to show what Stillman accomplished, but from the fact that his appointment as agent was revoked at the March session, 1831, it is fair to presume his acts were not satisfactory. Abner Eads was appointed to succeed Stillman, and was authorized to make a tender of money to the Register and Receiver of the Land Office at Springfield for the county seat quarter, at the rate of one dollar and twenty-five cents an acre, and to obtain a certificate of entry therefor. He was also directed to assure the Register and Receiver that they -the Commissioners -were willing to accept what was left of the quarter section after the "Peoria Claims" were satisfied. On April 6, 1832, the Court ordered a sale of lots to take place, on the 10th day of May following, and during the sitting of the Spring term of the Circuit Court The sale was ordered to be advertised in the Vandalia Whig, Illinois Intelligencer, Sangamon Journal and Missouri Republican. Terms of sale : One-fourth cash in hand and the balance in three equal payments. At the same time a value was fixed upon certain lots which were numbered and registered.

July 3, 1832, John Coyle and Aquila Wren were authorized to draw two hundred dollars from the County treasury to pay for the land, and twenty-five dollars for ex- penses, and proceed to Springfield and make tender of payment. Their mission, if they went, was fruitless of results, for on the 5th of October following. John Coyle, one of the Commissioners, was authorized to take two hundred dollars from the County treasury and proceed to Springfield and pay for the county-seat quarter, if the necessary papers had been furnished from the Surveyor General's office at St. Louis ; if not, then to pro-

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HISTORY OF PEORIA COUNTY.

ceed there and procure the papers necessary to enable the matter to be settled. But even yet the question remained to vex the Court and retard building improvements. Diffi- eulties remained in the way until removed by a special act of Congress approved March 2. 1833. At a special session of the Court, July 13, 1833, it was

Ordered, That under the provisions of an act of Congress passed on the 2d day of March last, entitled " An act to authorize the County Commissioners of the County of Peoria, State of Illinois, to enter a fractional quarter sec- tion of land for a seat of justice and for other purposes," we, the undersigned, County Commissioners of the county aforesaid, do hereby authorize John Coyle to enter the northeast fractional quarter of section nine, in town eighf north of the base line, in range eight east of the fourth principal meridian, for the purposes aforesaid under the pro- visions of the above recited act of Congress, and insiruet him to make payment therefor, and at the same time to de- posit with the land officers at Springfield, Illinois, a copy of this order to be transmitted to the General Land office. And we do hereby, in behalf of said county. in the name of ourselves and successors in office. state and declare that, in making the said entry under the provisions of the said act of Congress, we do exclude from said entry any lands or lots lawfully belonging to any person or persons whatever. Signed

A. WREN, JOHN COYLE, Commissioners. E. S. JONES.

ISAAC WATERS, Clerk.

This was the last commission appointed to visit the land office, and on the 16th day of December. 1834, a patent issued to the County Commissioners for one hundred and forty-seven acres and fifteen hundredths of an acre of land whereon the Legislature had declared the county-seat should be located.

PERSONAL.

The original town site was surveyed by William S. Hamilton, a son of Alexander Hamilton, who was killed in a duel with Aaron Burr in 1804. He was afterwards en- gaged as one of the government surveyors. probably as a contractor, in the Rock river country, and in 1832 had a smelting furnace in the edge of Wisconsin, a few miles north- east from Galena. In the Black Hawk war a fort was erected at his " diggings" and called Fort Hamilton, which was under command of Captain George W. Harrison. Captain Harrison, after trying in vain to get a cannon at Galena, had some leaden pieces cast at Hamilton's furnace to resemble cannon, and mounted them at the fort as a terror to the Indians, who always had a dread of " big guns." At the beginning of the war Colonel Hamilton mustered two hundred and thirty Indians, mostly Sioux, with some Menominees and Winnebagoes, and reported at Galena with them on the 8th of June. 1832. There was bad blood between the Sioux and Menominees and the Sacs and Foxes. The Sioux especially were eager for the affray and anxious for Sac and Fox scalps. Colonel Hamilton was a brave and fearless man as well as officer, and did valuable service during the Black Hawk war.

NOTE .- Alexander Hamilton was born at Nevis, West Indies, in 1757. While a student al Columbia College, at the age of seventeen years, he published several essays concerning the rights of the colonies which were marked by vigor and maturity of style, as well as by soundness of argument. He entered the American army before he was nineteen, with the rank of captain of artillery, and by the time he was twenty. the commander-in-chief made him his aid-de-camp, with the rank of lieutenant colonel, was his almost inseparable companion, and was consulted by General Washington on all important army matters. After the war he studied law. In 1782 he was elected a men- ber of Congress from New York, and snon acquired great influence in that body. He contributed largely to the favorable reception of the constitution by the essays he wrote in conjunction with Madison, and which were pub. lished in the Federalist. On the organization of the Federal government in 1789, he was appointed secretary of the treasury, and in the five years he held that position, he raised the public credit from the lowest depression to a height altogether unprecedented in the history of the country. In 1795. when the French invasion was threatened, and a provisional called into the field his public services, he again responded, and on the death of Washington, December 14. 1799. he succeeded to the chief commind. When the army was disbanded he returned to the practice of law. In the Summer of 1804. a quarrel arose between him and Aaron Burr, which resulted in a duel at Hohoken, on the tith of July. Hamilton fell mortally wounded at the first fire. His eldest son was killed in a duel on the same ground some years previous .- Z. E.I.L.

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The History of Peoria County, Illinois. Containing a history of the Northwest-history of Illinois-history of the county, its early settlement, growth, development, resources, etc., etc., Part 46

Author: Johnson & co., Chicago, pub Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Chicago : Johnson & Company Number of Pages: 932

Author: Johnson & co., Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago : Johnson & Company
Number of Pages: 932