The History of Will County, Illinois : containing a history of the county a directory of its real estate owners; portraits of early settlers and prominent men; general and local statistics.history of Illinois history of the Northwest, Part 24

Author:
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: Chicago : Wm. Le Baron, jr. & co.
Number of Pages: 980

USA > Illinois > Will County > The History of Will County, Illinois : containing a history of the county a directory of its real estate owners; portraits of early settlers and prominent men; general and local statistics.history of Illinois history of the Northwest > Part 24

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Mr. Prentiss built a shanty on Oneida street, just under the bluff, where he lived until he got his house finished-a house which still remains, and is the one lately occupied by Mr. Denker, on South Broadway. He was the first set- tled minister in the city, and organized a Presbyterian Church in August, 1835.

The Episcopal (Christ) Church dates its organization a little ahead. This was organized in May of that year, by Bishop Chase, of "Robin's Nest," Peoria. Comstock Hanford, John Griswold, Miles Rice, Orlin Westover, A. W. Bowen, Julia Ann Hanford and Amorette B. Griswold were the original members. Some of these were from Yankee Settlement. All, except Dr. Bowen, were outside of Joliet.

The original members of the Presbyterian Church were : Simon Z. Haven, Stephen Hubbard, Josiah Beaumont and his wife Eliza, Daniel Reed and his wife Cinda, Elias Haven and his wife Emily N., Eliza Prentiss, Delia Butler (Mrs. Prentiss' sister), and others were soon added. Forty-three names are on the original record, from August 12, 1835, to March 31, 1838, when Mr. Pren- tiss left for another field, and the Church soon ceased to have records, Septem- ber 2, 1838, being the last entry. Among these names-the writer will be pardoned for mentioning-were an honored father and mother, Theor and Chloe Woodruff, and a beloved wife, Hannah B. Woodruff. Rodney House, the good, gray old Deacon of the present Central Church, who had settled on the Au Sable in 1833, and moved to Joliet in 1835, was also a member.

Of course, itinerants of the Methodist Episcopal Church were early on the ground, and organized classes at Juliet, as elsewhere in the county. As early as 1836, the Joliet Circuit was established, of which Stephen R. Beggs was first Elder, who at once commenced the work of building the first Methodist Church building, and organized the Church in 1837. 4 That old Methodist Church was, for several years afterward, the blacksmith shop of the Rock Island Railroad. But long, long it had the honor of being the first and only church edifice in Joliet. Long, long, its walls resounded to the eloquence of the early preachers of the Church, and the shouts, amens and happy songs of the brethren, sisters and children. Long, long, quarterly meetings and love feasts there gladdened the hearts of the membership. Many, many, precious souls were there "born into the kingdom," some of whom still fight the good fight of faith ; while many, many, have received the palm of victory, and now shout "amen " to the new song.

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HISTORY OF WILL COUNTY.

1835.

The season of 1835 made many additions to our embryo city, among whom were John L. and Richard L. Wilson, George Higley and family, Levi Jenks and family, Archibald Crowl, Wm. Walters, O. F. Rogers, Rev. J. H. Prentiss and family, Abel Gilbert, Geo. Squire and wife, Rodney House and family, William A. Chatfield and family, S. W. Bowen, Abijah Cagwin and family, a Mr. Boland and his two sons, Abner and Andrew, H. N. Marsh and wife, Elias Haven and sons, David Rattray, James Brodie, Francis Nicholson and wife, W. R. Atwell (our first blacksmith) and wife, Allen Pratt, Dr. Curtis Haven, Barton Smith and two sons and family, Joel George and wife, Sullivan Demmond, Jonathan Barnett, Charles Sayer, J. Beaumont and family, E. M. Daggett, E. C. Fellows, Fenner Aldrich, George Howliston, Alonzo Castle, Asa Rowe, Elias Hyde, Dr. Daniel Reed, David Crozier, Wm. Sheriff, S. B. Hopkins, Walter Seeley, Edson White, O. W. Stillman, John M. Wilson, and a lawyer of the name of Pepper-not a misnomer.

1836.

In 1836, the great speculation year, they came in rapidly. It will be imposible to recall all. Among the additions were J. A. Matteson, Orange Chauncey and wife, Albert Shepard, Uri Osgood, James Stout, Thomas, Edward and Bennett Allen, Dr. R. E. W. Adams and family, Mr. De Berard and family, John Currey and family, J. J. Garland and wife, Dr. Comstock and family, Otis Hardy and family, Edmund Wilcox, Thomas R. Hunter, W. J. Heath, David Richards and family, Hugh Henderson, Capt. Amos Fellows, J. C. Newkirk, Hervey Lowe, Richard Doolittle, Wm. Blair, Rufus Colton, Elnathan Bassett, Wm. S. Burgess, Thomas G. Burgess, S. S. Davis, Wm. A. Boardman, Stephen Hubbard, Giles Jackson (late of Ottawa, deceased), Dr. Scholfield, Wm. G. Hubbard, Dr. Wallace A. Little, Henry Fish, M. Worth- ingham, Thomas Culbertson, John Green, Lewis Reed and sons, David L. Roberts and family, Isaac H. Palmer, E. E. Bush and family, Dr. Simon Z. Havens, Henry G. Brown, David Richards, Theor Woodruff and George Woodruff, and our first installment from Germany, George Erhard, John Beltz and Mr. Gritzner.

TWO SIDES TO JULIET.

Of course, from the Spring of 1835, building progressed rapidly on both sides of the river. A brisk rivalry, which sometimes got to be right sharp, sprang up between East and West Juliet ; for rivers, like

" mountains interpos'd Make enemies of nations, who had else, Like kindred drops, been mingled into one."

No sooner did a stranger make his appearance, than he was seized upon by parties interested in selling lots, and the special merits and advantages of the East or West Side (as the case might be) were urged with all the earnestness

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and eloquence of a man running for office. Either side called the other " Canada," and to get the start in any enterprise or public improvement was an object which enlisted the energies of all. Communication between the two sides was difficult and occasionally impossible. For some years, we had to rely on the ford or precarious foot-bridges, and on skiffs, "dug-outs " and rafts. After we organized under our town charter, we had a ferry, the boat for which was built by Otis Hardy ; and the first permanent bridges were built in 1837 (which lost their permanency the next Spring) by the ingenious device of scrip, a kind of "fiat money."

UNCLE BIGE AND THE DUG-OUT.

We gave in that authentic history, "Forty Years Ago," a few incidents connected with this bridgeless period, some comic and some tragic; but we did not tell the story of "Uncle Bige's" experience in dug-outs. It ought to be placed on record. When " Uncle 'Bige" first came to this county, in 1835, he pursued for a while during that Summer the business of a traveling merchant. One time, during a period of high water, he came back to Joliet on the West Side. He left his wagon at some safe place and got some one to take him over in a boat. The landlord of the tavern where he stayed wanted some tea. Uncle Bige had a supply in his wagon, and he thought he saw a good way to pay his board bill, and so undertook to go over and get some. When he came to the river, he found no means of crossing except a dug-out. He had never tried to navigate a dug-out, but he had often seen others-even little Indians and squaws-row them about at will, and it seemed an easy thing to do .. Most people have the same idea, until they try it. So he got into one end of it without much trouble-this was forty-odd years ago, before he became one of our solid men-pointed the other end toward the place where he wanted to land on the West Side, and pushed boldly out. ' The river was booming from recent rains, but the dug-out went all right for a few feet until the prow struck the strong current near the center of the river, when its direction was suddenly changed from west to south. Uncle Bige did not like the change. McKeestown was his destination, and not New Orleans. He at once tried to bring about a return to the original direction. He tried to " larboard," and then he tried to " starboard," but on went the dug-out toward the maelstrom made by McKee's dam. The prospect was not cheering to a man who had not made his will. He began to get a little excited and to doubt his ability to manage a dug-out. To cheer him, the people who had begun to collect on either shore, gave him some very good advice. One cried out, " Put your paddle on t'other side; " and another, " Put your paddle on this side; " and another, " Head her up stream," etc., etc. It is one of our good deeds which affords us great satisfaction in the retrospect, that we offered Uncle Bige some very good advice on this occasion. It may have been the means of saving a future Judge to Will County. Who can tell what great results hang upon the most trifling

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actions ! Uncle Bige tried to follow all this good advice, and was, no doubt, very much encouraged by the interest manifested in his welfare. But the plaguy dug-out obstinately refused to mind the helm ; whichever side he put the paddle seemed to make no difference-on, on she went toward New Orleans. His mind underwent a change in respect to dug-outs. He wished he was on shore where he could read up in the art of navigation. He thought about his wife and children way back in York State, and, perhaps, of some other things. McKee's old dam and the maelstrom seemed to be moving up toward him at a fearful rate. He was fully convinced now that he did not know how to manage a dug-out, and, seeing not far off, just above the dam, a couple of " staddles" that had been left standing, he thought he would rather trust them than it, and concluded to go overboard. This was not a difficult thing to do. The dug-out spilled him easily-as easily as falling off a log, and very much like it. He very soon found the bottom of the Des Planes, and partly by his own efforts, a la crab, and partly by the force of the current, he succeeded in seizing one of the staddles and showing his head above the surface, snorting like a porpoise. The dug-out went on, bottom side up. He did not care for the ship, but he did want to save the cargo. The staddle was now his only hope; clinging to that with a deathlike grasp, he rested and calmly surveyed the situation. After a while relief came to him in the shape of a rope thrown from the East Side. By the help of this he at last made port. It was not the one for which he had first " bent his venturous prow, " but it gave him real estate security, and that was what he most wanted. He did not get the tea, but he had taken a valuable lesson in the navigation of dug-outs, with which he has remained content. He has never thought he could manage one since. It would take two at least to hold him now !

JULIET POST OFFICE.

As we have elsewhere said, when the settlement was first made here, our nearest postoffice was at Uncle Billy Gougar's, and this was called the Juliet postoffice. The mail route-per Indian pony express-was from Danville to Chicago, and passed by Gougar's, through Yankee Settlement. Dr. Bowen, who was well known at the Postoffice Department at Washington, not only officially (having held the office of Postmaster in the place from which he came), but personally, succeeded in getting the route changed to go from Gougar's to Plainfield via Juliet, and soon after a stage mail route was established from Chicago to Ottawa by way of Plainfield and Joliet, which in a little while was run directly from Ottawa to Chicago via Joliet, leaving Plainfield out in the cold. He was appointed Postmaster in 1835, as we have elsewhere stated.

SPECIAL MENTION.

Now there are a great many of the persons named in the above lists, of whom we should like to make special mention, and respecting whom we should like to record some incidents. But the amount of paper we are consuming admon-

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ishes us that we must restrain our inclinations in this regard. Some of these persons are well known ; they have lived long and still live among us, and how- ever pleased we might be to write their obituaries, we cannot do so while they persist in keeping hale and hearty. It would not suit our ideas of good taste. George West was a Methodist preacher, but out of health for some time, and soon left.

M. H. Demmond, the proprietor of "West Juliet," was originally from Massachusetts. For several years he was a merchant in Oneida and Herkimer Counties, N. Y., where he accumulated a considerable property by diligent attention and fair dealing. In 1834, he thought he would come West, where he could invest his gains to better advantage. Circumstances have justified his course. He died of cholera in 1854, leaving a handsome property to his wife and his wife's niece, afterward Mrs. Bartleson. Mr. Demmond was never a member of a church, but he was always the most liberal supporter of such religious and educational efforts as secured his confidence and respect. He was the first to welcome Mr. Prentiss, and was his most liberal supporter and friend. And it is but just to say that in this respect his widow, who still lives among us, follows the same course. He was also noted for his honorable and upright dealing, and had the confidence of all.

Abijah Cagwin, "Uncle Bige"-we beg his pardon-Judge Cagwin, be- came our County Judge from 1839 to 1842-four years. "Uncle Bige" still flourishes, like one of the sturdy oaks of fifty years ago, which the woodman has spared. "Uncle Bige," we mean Judge Cagwin, once built a saw-mill on Hick- ory Creek, below the Red mill. He built several dams successively which the high water carried away each Spring, until at last he gave the creek a final dam- ming (with an n in it) and left it to the Joliet Woolen Factory Company.

· James McKee was a Kentuckian, a marked character, well informed, a great reader, a strong temperance man and Abolitionist, honest but stubborn, a great man to discuss moral and political questions, and hospitable. He was elected a Justice of the Peace and greatly magnified his office. He took the view that his official oath required him to take notice of every infringement of the statute, and he did not wait for a complaint to be made, but at once ordered the arrest of any person whom he saw disorderly. This gave rise to some amusing scenes. The lessees of his saw-mill used to run it on Sunday, and McKee would have them arrested on Monday and fine them.

The name Haven has occurred frequently in the preceding lists, and something more ought to be said respecting this family, once so prominent among us. Elias, Simon Z., Curtis and Samuel Haven were brothers, who came here about the same. time from the State of New York. Philo A., Orlando H. and James were sons of Elias Haven, of Joliet, and Dr. Rush Haven (now of Chicago), Carlos Haven (late of Chicago, deceased) and Dwight Haven, of New Lenox (School Commissioner of our county from 1865 of 1868, inclusive), are sons of Samuel Haven, of the Hickory Creek settlement. O. H. Haven, a young man

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HISTORY OF WILL COUNTY.

who was once a well-known and prominent citizen of Joliet, and represented this district in the General Assembly of 1849, died of cholera in 1854. In 1839, he, with Philo A., built the saw and grist mill which once stood below town, and the dam across the river, which still remains. The California excitement took James and Philo A. from us, and they have never returned to stay. Dr. Rush and Carlos also went there, but came back again, with more or less of the root of all evil. Simon Z. Haven, a physician, returned to New York, and Curtis Haven was many years a physician in Joliet and died here. Elias was one of the founders of the First Presbyterian Church, in 1835. Dwight Haven is now, we believe, the only male representative of this once large fam- ily in Will County. His brother Carlos died in Chicago in 1862, having taken high rank as a lawyer. Mrs. James Goodspeed is a daughter of Samuel Haven. He died in March, 1866, at the age of 67.

Hugh Henderson came from Norway, Herkimer Co., N. Y., in 1835, and was one of our best known and ablest lawyers. He was a member of the firm of Hender- son & Boardman, and afterward of Wilson & Henderson. He was elected Judge of Probate in 1837, and Circuit Judge in 1839. He was also a member of the State Constitutional Convention of 1847. He had an eminently judicial mind, and his legal opinion always carried great weight. Although he was an ardent poli- tician, he numbered many of his political opponents among his warmest friends. Frank and courteous in manner, and pure and spotless in character and repu- tation, his early death was deeply regretted. He was taken sick while on a visit to his native place, and died there in October, 1854.

We told one story of Dr. Comstock in "Forty Years Ago," and must put another on record, for the Doctor was one of our characters, one of the best of the early day. He was an able preacher as well as a good doctor. He was at home wherever he went. It was a common thing for a woman on going into her parlor to find the Doctor stretched out upon the lounge, reading, or perhaps fast asleep. It was the "old Doctor," and nobody thought of taking offense. On one occasion, he had visited a patient late in the evening, and, wishing to leave an appointment with another doctor (who, for convenience sake, we will call Dr. B.) for a council next day, he walked, according to his custom, into the house (those were the primitive days when we did not lock every door), and and knowing that the Doctor was not in, opened the door of what he supposed to be the bedroom occupied by Dr. B.'s wife, and proceeded to make known his errand, as he supposed, to her. It happened that the room was occupied by a " (then) unmarried sister of Dr. B.'s wife. She was not a little frightened, at first, to see in the dim light a strange man of somewhat singular appearance unceremoniously enter her bedroom (the Doctor wore a shawl wrapped around his neck and shoulders long before men's shawls came into fashion). But she soon discovered that the intruder had no evil intent, and listened quietly to his statement, after making which the Doctor withdrew. Dr. Comstock found out, the next day, the blunder he had made, and felt that an apology was due

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the young lady. He accordingly called and made his apology by walking through the room where Dr. B.'s wife and her sister were both sitting, and say- ing: "In the morning behold it was Leah!" On another occasion, when he visited a lady patient whose disease seemed to baffle his remedies, he entered her room with the abrupt remark, "Desperate diseases require desperate remedies," and forthwith administered a kiss to his astonished patient.

C. W. Brandon, commonly known as Deacon Brandon, was our first stone mason and stone cutter, and built the Wilson store (soon to be mentioned), and Barker's stone cottage, long the most costly dwelling in Joliet, now meta- morphosed. He was also the proprietor of the city of Palmyra. We do not refer to the Palmyra built by Solomon, and known as Tadmor in the desert, but the Palmyra of Will County, built in 1836. If the reader does not know its history or location, let him look upon the county records, where he will find all its noble avenues, its splendid palaces and its grand temples recorded by the same skillful hand that is now writing this history-and you will find them nowhere else. If you have the curiosity to look upon the ground where it stood, and to dig among its ruins, ask Prof. Palmer to point out the spot to you. He married one of the Deacon's comely daughters, and lives in the vicinity ; and if the city has left any bumps he will know where they are, for he is great on bumps. And while searching for ruins, you might also look up those of Romeo, Lunenburg, West Lockport, Williamsburg, Middletown, Vienna, Carlysle, Chelsea, New Rochester, and New Buffalo, all once flourish- ing cities of Will County ; but now the gopher burrows unscared amid their ruins. We suggest to the next Fourth of July orator that, instead of asking, " Where are Thebes and Babylon ?" etc., he should vary the question and ask, " Where are Lunenburg ?" etc. Mr. Brandon died in 1871.

E. E. Bush was some time mine host of the old " American," and had the honor at one time of feeding J. C. Newkirk, John M. Wilson, Charles Clement, and this deponent, and others not equally celebrated. Bush was a son-in-law of Lyman Hawley, and consequently the Hawley girls used to be at the American a good deal, which did not hurt it any ; did it, Charley ? Bush moved to Lockport, and was long Postmaster there, where he died many years ago.

John L. and Richard L., and a younger brother who came a little later, Charles L. Wilson, were the sons of Judge Quartus Wilson, of Albany, N. Y. They were some time residents here, engaged in merchandising, canal contracting, etc. They afterward removed to Chicago. Richard L. was Postmaster there, under Taylor. The Wilsons founded the Chicago Journal. We don't know whether Chicago feels it or not, but she is greatly indebted to Will County for men as well as for stone and gravel and coal. The list of men we have allowed to go there would be a long one, embracing some of her best lawyers, physicians, judges, merchants, capitalists, and public men, editors, etc., and thus we have helped to raise her out of the mud in more senses than one.

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HISTORY OF WILL COUNTY.

Everybody knows David Richards, and how his farm is now one of the finest portions of the city, and Richards street, a fashionable avenue. We do not suppose that when David set his stakes there he anticipated becoming part of the city.

Lewis Reed had a blacksmith's shop under the bluff, just north of Exchange street, where a'bold and frowning bluff, with a lime-kiln below, stood where now we make the easy ascent. Could those who want the hill cut down have seen it then, they would be forced to own that it had already been cut some. One of Mr. Reed's sons is the Rev. Francis Reed, a Methodist preacher, now at Mendota.

W. J. Heath, above named, is the man who has been so long known in Joliet as Justice Heath, and sometimes, by way of eminence, as Chief Justice Heath. He has worn the justicial ermine many years ; but he is still extant, and we shall not, therefore, write his obituary, but must leave that pleasing task to some future historian. But we have a little story to tell of him. Mr. Heath did not arrive at the dignity of being Chief Justice of Joliet at one jump, but went through the preliminary steps of Constable, Deputy Sheriff, etc, It so hap- pened at an early day, when the Kankakee River formed the boundary line between Will and Iroquois Counties, that he had given him some papers to serve on a couple of men who resided on the Kankakee. So he set out to hunt them up. After a long and lonesome ride, he arrived at the banks of that stream, and found, living near the ford, one of the men of whom he was in search, on whom he served his process in due form. But here he learned to his chagrin, that the other man lived just across the river. Although he was not yet a justice learned in the law, he even then knew that a process from a Will County Court would not have any force on the other side of the river. Here was a quandary. He did not like to lose his fees and mileage on this paper-it was half of his day's wages -and the whole was little enough reward for his long ride. A brilliant idea struck him. He had often heard it said that everything was fair in war and in love, and he was already enough of a politician to have learned that everything was fair in politics. Then why not in law. He at once resolved on a strategic movement. He crossed over, and, riding up to the man's house, found him with his horse just ready to go away. Mr. Heath told the man that he was happy to find him and with his horse all ready, as he wished very much for a man to go over to the other side to witness the execution of a paper. Would he be kind enough to take that trouble ? The man readily complied. When they had got safely on the Will County side, Mr. Heath asked the man his name. The man told him it was Beebee. " Beebee," exclaimed Mr. Heath. " Ah, I . believe I have got a process to serve on you," and accordingly he proceeded to read to the astonished squatter the document with which he was armed. The man was so astonished at the cheeky procedure that for a inoment he was speech- less ; but he soon recovered his voice and proceeded to tell Heath what he thought of him, in language more forcible than elegant. But Heath had saved

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his fees and mileage, and cared little for the man's private opinion. Whether in this case the end was large enough to justify the means is a problem in casuistry which we submit to the Joliet Philosophical Debating Club.

BLACK HAWK WAR.

As will be seen from the preceding pages, there had begun to be a consider- able immigration into this and other parts of the Northwest as early as 1830 and 1831. This immigration was interrupted in the Spring of 1832, by the Black Hawk war-so called from the noted chief who was its prominent insti- gator. Although the seat of the war was principally to the west and north, on Rock River, and, although the Pottawatomie Indians of this region were sup- posed to be friendly, yet great alarm was felt by the settlers in this vicinity. It was at once feared that the tide of war would sweep this way, and that a general war of extermination had been resolved upon by the Indians, and that the efforts which it was known Black Hawk was making to draw in all the In- dians of the Northwest, would be successful. There was abundant reason to justify their fears. On the 21st of May, a frightful massacre had been perpe- trated on Indian Creek, about fifteen miles above Ottawa, within thirty miles of Joliet, in which fifteen settlers, men-women and children-had been suddenly surrounded and massacred, with the usual barbarities of Indian war- fare. One boy alone had escaped from the settlement and carried the news to Ottawa. Two girls named Sylvia and Rachel Hall, of the ages of 15 and 17 respectively, had been carried off as prisoners, and held for ransom. As we have elsewhere noted, this event is closely connected with the history of Joliet. The news of this and other atrocities might well arrest further immi- gration and drive out many already here. The settlers at Walker's Grove, with some who had fled from Fox River, to the number of 125 in all, collected at the house of Father Beggs, on Section 16, which seemed most favorably located for defense. This they hastily fortified, by pulling down all the surrounding outbuildings and fences, and forming outer barricades of the material. The question arose whether they would escape to Ottawa or remain at the fort. Mrs. Flagg, the wife of Azariah Flagg, a woman of great decision and judgment, threw the weight of her influence in favor of staying, and presented so many and so strong arguments for this course that the settlers finally determined to stay. It was afterward ascertained that this course saved their lives, and that' the party who had committed the outrage at Indian Creek were laying in wait, expecting them. Indeed, one person, the old Dunkard preacher, of the name of Payne, refused to stay, and, trusting to his sacred character, put out for Ottawa and met his fate a little way from the fort. They chose James Walker for their commander, and resolved upon a vigorous defense. They collected all the guns, hoes, scythes, axes, pitchforks, etc., of the neighborhood, and melted up their pewter spoons for bullets. Here they waited a few days, and no In- dians making their appearance, and, as they had but four guns, they thought

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The History of Will County, Illinois : containing a history of the county a directory of its real estate owners; portraits of early settlers and prominent men; general and local statistics.history of Illinois history of the Northwest, Part 24

Author: Publication date: 1878 Publisher: Chicago : Wm. Le Baron, jr. & co. Number of Pages: 980

Author:
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: Chicago : Wm. Le Baron, jr. & co.
Number of Pages: 980