USA > Illinois > Kane County > Elgin > The history of Elgin, Kane County, Illinois, 1835 to 1875 > Part 11
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The first carpenter who wielded the hammer and shoved the plane in Elgin, so far as we are informed, was a man named Barnum, who, in 1836, built a store for Storrs & Bean-the first framed building in the city-on the
97
HISTORY OF ELGIN.
premises now owned by Dr. Whitford, corner of Chicago and Center streets.
Wm. S. Shaw came in the fall of 1836, and was the first carpenter who made Elgin his permanent residence. His first work was to build a store for Vincent Lovell, being the house now occupied by J. B. Newcomb. He also made the first coffin ever required in Elgin, being for the body of Mary Ann Kimball, sister of P. J. Kimball, Jr. In 1837 Mr. J. T. Gifford donated to Mr. Shaw a lot on the northeast corner of Chicago and Center streets, on condition that he would build a house thereon, and he soon after commenced the erection of the "Elgin House," which is still standing on that lot, though very much altered and improved. He also purchased the three lots next east of this, and on one of them erected the first framed barn on the Galena road, west of Chicago. In 1838 Mr. Shaw built for Jason House the dwelling on Center street, now owned by Joseph Hemmens. It was finished off for a store and occupied as such for a year or two by a Mr. Campbell from Aurora.
In this year Abel Walker and Lewis Ray made their appearance here as carpenters, and L. C. Stiles in 1839. After a few years Mr. Walker changed his occupatlon to that of undertaker, and for some time was the principal, if not the only one, in the place. Mr. Stiles has probably spent more years in the business than any other person here. Some of his first work was on the house now occupied by Geo. B. Raymond, which was built in 1839 for James T. Gifford, who, until that time, had occupied a log house, which stood in Prairie street, near the west end of the small triangular park, nearly opposite, and the cellar of which was visible until it was filled up in 1874.
Horace Benham and L. S. Eaton, carpenters, came about 1840 or 1841, but although still residents of the place, neither of them have worked at the business for several years past.
Elgin's first mason was Benjamin Burritt, who arrived here Feb. 12, 1838, and is still a resident of the place, vigorous and active in his eightieth year. One of his first jobs was to build for G. W. Renwick the brick blacksmith shop, which stood on the present site of the Universalist church, and said to be the first of its kind in the county. In 1839 he built a brick residence for Burgess Truesdell, which is still standing on the grounds of Henry Sher- man, and so propitious was the weather that he commenced on the 10th of March, and did not lose but two or three days until it was finished, in July following. In 1844 he laid down the trowel and engaged in other business, and for nearly twenty years next previous to 1874 was an acting justice of the peace.
Other early masons were Ralph Grow, Artemas Hewitt, C. Stevens and Artemas Grow. But the man who has laid more bricks and stones in Elgin than any other is Thomas Martin. He came here in 1843, and with the exception of a year or two spent in Montana, has worked at his trade ever since.
Among the first blacksmiths in Elgin were Jason House, G. W. Ren-
I3
98
HISTORY OF ELGIN.
wick and Samuel Hunting. Mr. House is thought to have had the priority in point of time, though it is possible that one was employed for a short time by the late Samuel J. Kimball before he arrived. At first Mr. House worked in a log shop on the present site of Bank block, so low that he could not stand erect in it at the sides. Subsequently he built a small framed shop on or near the site of Bosworth & Pierce's block, which he occupied until it was burned in 1840, and then erected a brick shop on the property now owned by B. W. Staniforth on Chicago street.
G. W. Renwick built, as early as 1838, the brick blacksmith shop on Center street, before alluded to, which he occupied until about 1843, when he removed to his new stone building on River street, in which the postoffice is now located. For many years he carried on a very extensive business in blacksmithing, wagon and carriage making, etc.
Alfred Hadlock, the first millwright, came in 1839, and worked on some of the first mills erected in Elgin. He afterward engaged quite extensively in the manufacture of threshing machines.
Philo Sylla was not properly a mechanic, but an inventor. His inven- tions naturally connected him with mechanical employments, and we notice him here. He invented an improvement in reaping and mowing machines, by which they could be adapted to uneven ground, and by which the sickle- bar could be raised and lowered. It is said that the first reaping machine in the United States, on the platform of which grain could be bound, was built in Elgin by him. Mr. Sylla came to the vicinity in 1838, to the village in 1842, and died a few years ago respected by all.
We are not sure whether Hon. Augustus Adams was a regular mechanic, but he engaged in mechanical pursuits, and with Hadlock, Sylla and others, made the west side of Fountain Square, where now are some of our best business blocks, a busy place. In their foundries and shops, the hum of industry was heard all day long, and the water of the race, which then passed through their grounds, propelled a great amount of labor-saving machinery. For several years Mr. Adams has been at the head of a large manufacturing establishment at Sandwich, Illinois, and has probably been of greater value to the business interests of that place than any other man.
P. J. Kimball, Jr., the first tailor of Elgin, was here as early as 1837, and worked in a log house near his present residence. This residence, a store on Chicago street and the Kimball house, are mementoes of his labor and enterprise.
Edgar Wait, the first cabinet maker, came about 1838, and built a shop on River street, nearly opposite the woolen factory. In 1840 he removed to Waukegan.
G. W. Kimball came to this place in 1840, and opened on the west side. With the exception of a short time, he has made or sold furniture ever since.
Wm. Barker was not only the first silversmith, but has continued in the business almost uninterruptedly until the present time.
99
HISTORY OF ELGIN.
We state elsewhere that B. Healy was the first harness maker and that he has been longer in business than any other man here.
It has already been intimated that many of the first buildings in Elgin were of brick, and of course there must have been a brick-maker. The honor of being the first manufacturer of these useful materials belongs to a man named E. A. Miltimore, whose yard was near the corner of River and Fulton streets. The gold of California attracted him thither at an early day, but he was killed by the Indians before reaching the Eldorado.
We should be glad to notice scores of other mechanics and the monu- ments of their skill, but want of space forbids. "Their works do praise them."
THE SOLID MEN OF ELGIN
ELEVEN YEARS AGO.
Below we give, as a matter of curiosity and interest, the incomes for 1864, on which the five per cent. special war tax was paid by such of our citizens as were supposed to be liable to it. It will be remembered that $600 of income were exempt from taxation, as well as sundry payments for repairs, taxes, etc., so that the amount set opposite the names is only the excess above exemptions. There were undoubtedly many others whose income rendered them liable to taxation, but who escaped by the neglect of the assessor, or the evasions of themselves :
Joseph Pabst. $ 500
Theo. S. Knox. $ 45
Addison Keys. 120
W. L. Pease. 4,677
Geo. A. Bowers .. . . 1,004
D. F. Barclay. . 675 J. T. Brown .. 240
S. N. Campbell 412
E. W. Cook. 415
E. Cummings. 324
J. H. Davis. 53
R. W. Dawson.
100
O. Davidson. 962
Geo. Douglas. 243
A. B. Fish
200
F. Gifford. 120
540
Wesley Miller. . .
267
W. M. Taylor 360
A. J. Waldron. 1,225
S. Wilcox. 1,297
Hiram Wilson 344
A. D. Wright. 500
W. J. Hunter .....
Joseph Hemmens. 193 Elisha Jones. 92
Chas. A. Connor .. S. McOsker 600
360
E. S. Wilcox 200
J. S. Wilcox. 540
A. J. Joslyn .. 775
E. Merrifield 360
E. Winchester. 360
Patrick Jones 263
J. P. Perkins. 215
John Pruden. $ 419
Joseph Berg 340
Caleb Kipp 300
S. J. Kimball. 539
Anson Root. 1,311
C. D. Sprague. 25
Henry Sherman ... 1,110
Timothy Lynch ... 710
L. A. Littlefield ... 300
430
Geo. Stringer 848
Isaac Stone 109
Geo. D. Sherman .. 240
J. Tefft, Jr. 650
J. Tefft, Sen. 393
Thos. Todd. 300
Frank F. Gilbert ..
A. Gulick. 355
E. Gifford 360
Lansing Morgan .. Thos. Mitchell. . . P. Heelan ..
500 357 37
Wm. G. Hubbard.
240 200 M. McNeil. 300 R. M. Martin.
500
Robt. Stringer ... 206
J. A. Stringer. 156
O. F. Lawrence. . .
B. F. Lawrence. 6,097
C. H. Larkin. 305
Amasa Lord. 637
David Lynch .. 240
M. Mallery. 954
F. L. McClure .... 513
W. H. Wilcox. 240
H. E. Perkins. 215
G. Rosenkrans. 273
F. Kothe. 244
Wm. F. Lynch. 540
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HISTORY OF ELGIN.
THE BUSINESS MEN OF ELGIN,
TWENTY YEARS AGO.
In 1855, when the population of Elgin was about 3,000, a map of the city was published by Thomas Doran, to which the names and employments of those subscribing for it were appended. The list embraces a large share of the then prominent business men of Elgin, and we republish it for the grat- ification of our older citizens, who will remember them. The list shows how rapidly the business men of a place are changed by death, removal, or retire- ment. It contains 140 names, of whom only about fifty now reside here, and of these only about fifteen are in the same business that they were twenty years ago.
The map is embellished with cuts of six of the best buildings then in the place, viz. : the Elgin Academy, or College, as it was called, the Waverly house, the Kimball house, the woolen factory, the old Baptist church, and one of the old three-story blocks on the south side of Chicago street, in which was the store of J. J. White and the daguerrean rooms of R. W. Padelford. The city was then quite circumscribed, compared with its present dimensions, and much of what is now occupied by beautiful resi- dences, was then farming or pasture land. This was especially the case with the region around the watch factory and fair grounds, the farm of L. Mudge (since John Webb's), and the Lovell farm on the east side, and those since owned by the heirs of S. J. Kimball and Homer Hendee, on the west side.
The subscribers for the map, with their occupations, were as follows :
H. B. Annis, produce merchant; Hon. A. Adams, farmer and merchant ; Thomas Avery, miller; Dr. G. S. Abbott ; D. W. Bangs, nurseryman ; I. N. Buck, auctioneer ; D. F. Barclay, tinsmith ; B. Burritt, street commissioner ; A. Barrows, architect and builder; Peter Burritt, farmer, Hanover, Cook county ; J. W. Brewster, farmer; John Bowlin, farmer ; Lyman Black ; H. A. Chase, Waverly House ; City Council; Cornell, Wilder & Co., City Gem ; Alvah Chandler, machinist; C. A. Clark, cloth fiuisher ; S. A. Call, archi- tect; James H. Crawford, carpenter and joiner; Geo. Clarkson; E. K. W. Cornell, City Gem ; D. M. Cole, boot and shoe store ; John Connor, black- smith ; Charles S. Clark, hardware merchant; Martin Coney, millwright ; Demarcus Clark, merchant; E. F. Colby, attorney-at-law and vender of real estate ; S. Newton Dexter, proprietor woolen factory ; Dexter & Co., leather manufacturers ; Alex. Denis, carpenter and joiner ; Michael Dougherty, farmer and produce merchant; L. S. Eaton ; A. B. Fish & Co., merchants ; J. Force, machinist; G. W. French, farmer; John Forlarcher, carpenter and joiner ; Miss Harriet E. Gifford ; S. A. Gregory, carriage and wagon manufacturer; James H. Gifford, produce merchant; P. H. Graves, saleratus and baking powder manufacturer; Daniel Gahan, tanner; Joseph
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HISTORY OF ELGIN.
Gardner, sea captain ; Edm'd Gifford, Esq., attorney and solicitor, general land agent, notary public, commissioner for Iowa, etc .; Geo. P. Harvey, produce merchant; W. Holloway, merchant ; John H. Harris, merchant ; George Hassan, drayman and carrier ; A. S. Harpending, livery stables ; A. Hadlock, threshing machine manufacturer; Wm. G. Hubbard, merchant; .A. Hoagland, lumber merchant ; J. W. Hoagland, lumber merchant ; Joseph Hutchinson, mason and builder; A. Hewitt, mason and builder; C. S. Hadlock, machinist; S. H. Hamilton, merchant; A. B. Hinsdell, farmer ; Ezra Hanson, farmer; Rev. A. J. Joslyn, pastor Baptist church ; E. S. Joslyn, attorney at law ; Wm. C. Kimball, merchant and vender of real estate ; P. J. Kimball, Jr., vender of real estate ; P. J. Kimball, Sr., farmer ; S. J. Kimball, farmer ; G. W. Kimball, cabinet and chair manufacturer ; J. C. Kennedy, hardware merchant; Dr. Thos. Kerr, physician and surgeon ; James. Knott, merchant; B. F. Lawrence, distiller; Seth Lobdell, machinist ; Timothy Lynch, merchant and leather manufacturer ; J. Lyman, printer and publisher Kane County Journal; G. W. Morse, machinist ; Wm. F. Munay, cloth finisher ; R. G. Morgan, civil engineer ; John Mann, car- penter and joiner ; A. J. Messenger, wagon and plow shop ; G. H. Merrill, agent Galena & Chicago Union railroad ; Wm. W. Merrill, butcher ; John McDowell, blacksmith ; T. McBride, produce and lumber merchant ; S. Mc- Osker, merchant tailor ; John D. Meehan, merchant tailor; Manning & Barnum, merchants; R. O. Old, book and news depot, east end bridge; Daniel O'Brien ; E. Owen, editor; R. W. Padelford, daguerrean artist ; Phelps & Tichenor, furniture warerooms; John J. Paris, miller; C. K. Patterson, fruit gardener ; J. E. Phelps, proprietor livery stables ; L. T. Pembec, mechanic ; E. F. Reeves, mason and builder ; Milo Smith, chief engineer and superintendent Fox River Valley railroad; L. C. Stiles, machinist ; J. B. Smith, hardware merchant ; George Smith, weaver ; John B. Smith, engineer ; Philo Sylla, manufacturer reapers and mowers; T. Schoonhoven, farmer; S. B. Sexton, proprietor livery and sale stable ; M. Strausell, proprietor Fox River House; Isaac Stoddard, carriage and black- smith shop ; C. C. Stiles, farmer and builder; Fred. Seitz, merchant tailor ; M. D. Seward; Wm. Saunders, grocer and provision dealer ; R. Smith, merchant; James S. Taylor, Esq., justice of the peace ; J. F. Taylor, boot and shoe dealer, east end bridge ; B. Truesdell, proprietor Elgin nursery and garden ; Dr. A. Turner, physician and surgeon; Charles Tazewell, brewer ; M. C. Town, banker ; James Todd, lumber merchant and farmer ; Wm. G. Todd, merchant and proprietor planing mill and sash factory ; C. C. Theirs, merchant ; Wm. M. Taylor, law student ; R. S. Tickner, lumber merchant ; J. N. Truesdell, carpenter and joiner; P. Van Nostrand, pro- duce merchant ; W. S. Vescelius, tanner; S. Wilcox, attorney at law ; Paul R. Wright, attorney at law; A. J. Waldron, attorney at law and secretary Fox River Valley railroad ; F. W. Wright, machinist; E. S. Wilcox, post- master ; John Watkins, produce merchant; D. O. Wilkie, carpenter; G.
.
I02
HISTORY OF ELGIN.
Works, machinist; Abel Walker, undertaker; J. M. Wilber, carpenter, joiner and contractor; D. E. Winchester, physician and surgeon ; J. J. White, dry goods, wholesale and retail ; L. H. Yarwood & Co., duggists ; R. L. Yarwood, merchant and woolen cloth manufacturer ; J. R. Yarwood, clerk ; H. Yarwood, druggist.
ELGIN AS IT WAS
TWENTY-FOUR YEARS AGO.
The following letter, written by one of the publishers of this history, for the Kenosha Telegraph, in 1851, will give some idea of Elgin as it appeared to a visitor when it was sixteen years old :
" KANE COUNTY VILLAGES.
" MR. EDITOR: The river which rises a few miles northwest of Mil- waukee, and flows so tardily to the state line, and through McHenry county, Illinois, begins, as it approaches the line of Kane county, to move more rapidly onward. Its haste to reach its destination continues through nearly the entire length of the county, affording water power which already pro- pels a large amount of machinery, and may be made to propel much more. The river passes in nearly a straight course from north to south through the eastern part of the county, lined on each side by a narrow strip of woods, beyond which the high, rolling prairie, dotted as it is by well cultivated farms and comfortable dwellings, presents an appearance which beauty's self might envy. Six of the numerous mill-seats on the river are the nuclei of as many villages, distant from each other, on an average, less than five miles. With such a water power within them, and such a beautiful and fertile country around them, it is not strange that Kane county has reason to be proud of its villages. All of them are within about thirty-five miles of Chicago. All but one are connected with that city by railroad, and thus have daily or semi-daily communication with it. Four of them have news- papers-a larger number, probably, than are issued in any other county in the state, with the exception of the one embracing Chicago.
"The most northern of the Kane county villages, on Fox river, is Dundee, which, as its name would indicate, has a large sprinkling of Scotch inhabitants in and around it. It lacks that appearance of thrift and enter- prise which mark its sister villages further south-and as the iron horse is not to visit it, its future prospects are not the brightest. Its present popula- tion is about 800, with the usual proportion of churches, schools, etc. .
"Five miles further down is Elgin, containing about 2,000 inhabitants. . One of the first settlers and principal founders of this place was James T. Gifford, whose lamented death occurred last summer. To no man is Elgin
103
HISTORY OF ELGIN.
more indebted, and long will her citizens regret their loss. Mr. Gifford lived to see a beautiful village of 2,000 inhabitants on a spot which, when first visited by him, some fifteen years since, had just been vacated by the wild Indian. He also lived to realize that much depends upon the influence exerted on an embryo village, and to have cause for gratulation that the influence which he and his co-pioneers brought to bear on Elgin while society was in its forming state there, was christian. Few places can boast of better society than this village. The number and strength of its evan- gelical churches-the number of houses erected for the worship of Jehovah, . and the interest felt in the subject of education which, whatever may be said to the contrary, are the true indices of the state of society, speak an unequivocal language in favor of Elgin. The scarcity of grog-shops pro- claim as unequivocally that here King Alcohol is not an absolute monarch.
"The Congregationalists, Calvanistic Baptists, Free Will Baptists, Meth- odists and Unitarians, each have church edifices-all of them respectable in appearance, and some of them large and attractive.
"For several years there was published at this place a religious paper called The Western Christian, and designed to be the organ of the anti-slavery Baptists. This has recently been removed to Utica, New York, where it is now published. It is succeeded by The Elgin Gazette, a paper not denomina- tional nor exclusively religious, but which, nevertheless, exerts a good moral influence.
" A large two-story brick school house indicates the interest taken in the subject of education here. In addition to this an effort was made some two years since, by the Free Will Baptists, to establish a college at this place, and some $5,000 was subscribed by the citizens toward the erection of a building. A noble structure has been commenced, but the work has been suspended in consequence of a lack of funds, and the building seems likely for the present to remain in statu quo.
" The Elgin woolen factory is a large establishment of the kind, which adds materially to the business and to the appearance of the place. Near this establishment a splendid brick store 75 or 100 feet long, has been erected during the past season, and during the coming season a block containing eight or ten others of like dimensions is to be erected in proximity to it. Some idea may be formed from these facts of the growth of the place. The rapidity of its present growth may be attributed in a great measure to the passage through it of the Chicage & Galena railroad.
"Elgin, like other Fox river villages in the county, is divided by the stream, and each of its sections is striving for the ascendant. The railroad was at first constructed to east Elgin, with the expectation that if it did not cross there it would cross at some point above. The directors have, however, since decided to leave the present track some distance east of the village and cross two or three miles below. The road will then be con- structed to the section of the village lying west of the river, where a depot
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HISTORY OF ELGIN.
will be erected. This will probably cause the road between east Elgin and the Junction to be unused, and will transfer much of the business of the place from the east to the west side of the stream. A natural consequence of the location of the depot, is an increase in the value of village lots on the west side."
ELGIN'S BLOODY SACRIFICE.
We are indebted to J. B. Newcomb, Esq. (who spent about ten days in procuring the information), for the following list of residents of our city and township who died while in military service during the war of the rebel- lion. The list embraces the names of sixty-six persons, who, but for this unjustifiable rebellion, might now be honored and useful citizens; and the loss of these men is only part of our sacrifice. God grant that we may never have another civil war, or, indeed, any other one :
The names of those who are buried in Elgin are preceded by a *.
SEVENTH INFANTRY.
Name. Co. Date of Death,
John Bradford .. A ... March 31, 1862
Corp. John C. Day. A ... March 14, 1862 *Eri H. Densmore A .. .. June 1, 1861
*George P. Gilbert .. A. . Feb. 4, 1862
Henry C. Hassan
A
. Oct. 5, 1864
Sergt. James R. Kinney. A.
.. 1863
Capt. Sam G. Ward ..
.A.
... April 6, 1862
*Wm. H. Wheeler ... A ...: Aug. 16, 1861
SEVENTEENTH INFANTRY.
*Corp. Edm'd V. Barker .. G ..... April 6, 1862 NINETEENTH INFANTRY.
*Henry E. Gates. D. Jan. 23, 1862 THIRTY-SIXTH INFANTRY.
Albert Andrews. A. .Oct. 10, 1862
*1st Lt. Edw'd S. Chappel .. A . Oct. 16, 1861 Corp. Cyrus F. Deane .... A. .Jan. 15, 1863 Alex F. Henderson .. A. .Jan. 16, 1863 Chas. Olszceski. A. .1865 Sergt. Alex Robertson .. A ..... May 27, 1864
FIFTY-SECOND INFANTRY. Walter Ahle. Aug. 27, 1864 *1st Sergt. Sam Anderson.I ...... April 6, 1862 *1st Sergt. James S. Ellis.K ..... Feb. 23, 1862 *James B. Hoagland ...... K .... April 30, 1862 Daniel L. Holgate. .G .. .. . April 6, 1862
Michael Ketsell. K. .. April 6, 1862 Col-Sergt. John Murray . K .. .. Oct. 3, 1862
FIFTY-FIFTH INFANTRY.
Corp. Jacob Flatro .. .E .. . Sept., 1862 Corp. Joseph Lightfoot .. E .... March 6, 1863 John Smith E ... .. June 22, 1863
Sergt. Wm. Short .. E. Dec. 28, 1862 FIFTY-EIGHTH INFANTRY.
Kelly Bartholomew A .. .Feb. 15, 1862 David Bradley I .. .Dec. 29, 1864 A. B. Foster H .Feb. 28, 1863
Michael Gartland. I. . March, 1862 Wm. Hamilton. B .July 21, 1865
Sergt. James Heffernan.I. . April 6, 1862 John Jones .. T Dec. 4, 1862 *Thos. Rosney I Jan. 3, 1863
Name. Co. Date of Death.
John Sheedy. B ..... May 25, 1864 Sergt. Fred Schultz .. .D ..... April 6, 1862
EIGHTY-NINTH INFANTRY.
Thomas Rogers. .K .. Oct. 25, 1863 ONE HUNDRED & TWENTY SEVENTH INFANTRY.
Sergt. Henry T. Adams.I .... Sept. 11, 1864 James H. Bartlett ....... C .. .July 7, 1863
*Musician Jos. E. Corby .. I.
.. Jan. 25, 1864
Wm. D. Daggett ...
.C ..... June 29, 1863
Col-Sergt. Alex Dennis .. C ...
July 28, 1864
Sergt. Ora B. Douglas ... I ....
.. July 28, 1863
Robert A. Duck .. C. .July 16, 1864
Corp. Benjamin Hewitt.C. . Dec. 3, 1863 *Theo. N. Hoagland. .C. .. Jan. 22, 1863
Albert Inglesby C .. .. Sept. 15, 1864 Alfred Johnson. C. . April 8, 1863 Wm. Nicholson. C .Sept. 22, 1863
*Thos. Parkin. C .. .Aug. 30, 1863
Corp. Julius C. Pratt. .. I .. .July 19, 1863 Hercules P. Rice. . C ... .Feb. 22, 1863 Capt. John S. Riddle C .July 18, 1862 John Saunders C .. .. Sept. 1, 1863
Corp. Charles Schroeder.I Sept. 25, 1863
*Charles Seidel.
I.
.Sept. 30, 1862
Fred Sother.
I.
.Feb. 22, 1863
John Taylor C ...... Dec. 4, 1862
ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY-FIRST INFANTRY.
John Batterman ... .C .... Sept. 18, 1864 *Benjamin F. Webster ... C ..... July 20, 1864 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-THIRD INFANTRY.
*Albert S. Force ... ...... C ..... Sept. 18, 1865 TWELFTH CAVALRY. Erastus Roberts. H ..... Oct. 15, 1863 FIFTEENTH CAVALRY.
*Joseph M. Corron ....... A ... March 1S, 1862 Corp. Charles B. Prindle.G .... . Dec. 3, 1863 FIRST LIGHT ARTILLERY.
Samuel Hadlock ..
A ..... July 20, 1864
105
HISTORY OF ELGIN.
THE FOX RIVER.
In Waukesha county, Wisconsin, a few miles southwest of Milwaukee, one may step across a rivulet, which unites with others, and flowing south- ward the blended streams become known as Fox river. Continuing its southward course, the river unites with the Illinois at Ottawa, and the latter with the Mississippi a few miles above Alton ; so that the rivulets and rivers referred to finally mingle with the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, while those rising but a few miles from their source find their way to the Gulf of St. Lawrence. But our noble Fox river is able to perform much valuable serv- ice before it reaches the Illinois, and this is the reason why its banks are so thickly studded with beautiful villages and thriving cities-the reason why Elgin is where it is and the reason why our readers are where they are, if citizens of the place. The beautiful Fox meanders but a few miles from Waukesha county before it is compelled to " work its passage," and thence- forward, almost to its mouth, it encounters mill-dams and water-wheels in rapid succession. Wherever these have been erected a village or city has sprung up, in which are heard the hum of machinery and the voices of busy people. In each of these places are one or more flouring mills, and in some of them woolen factories, paper mills, foundries, machine shops, etc., etc. We can only name them in the order in which they are found in passing southward, viz. : Waterford, Rochester, Burlington, McHenry, Algonquin, Carpenterville, Dundee, Elgin, Clintonville or South Elgin, St. Charles, Geneva, Batavia, Aurora, Montgomery, Oswego, Bristol and Yorkville (on opposite side of the river), and Millington.
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