USA > Illinois > Ogle County > The history of Ogle County, Illinois, containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, etc., a biographical directory of its citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late rebellion, general and local statistics history of the Northwest, history of Illinois etc > Part 23
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From February 16, 1827, to December 24, 1836 (the date of the first
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HISTORY OF OGLE COUNTY.
election, although the act organizing the county was approved Jannary 16, 1836), the territory of Ogle County formed a part, and was subjeet to the jurisdiction of Jo Daviess County. During these years the general and local history of the two counties are almost identical, and in order to perfect the history of events transpiring in Ogle County. it will be indispen- sably necessary to follow the history of Jo Daviess County up to the period when Ogle was fully organized as an independent county.
The earliest history and first occupation of the region of country embraced within the limits of Jo Daviess County, as originally organized, are enshronded in almost impenetrable obscurity. After the lapse of more than three quarters of a century, the almost total absence of records, and the fact that the whites who visited or lived in this region prior to 1820 have all passed away, render it impossible now to determine with any degree of certainty the name of him who is entitled to the honor of being recorded as first settler, or who first even temporarily sojourned on the banks of the Sin-sin-ah-wah (the home of the eagle) and the Mah-eah-bee (the fever that blisters), for there the settlement of Northwestern Illinois commenced.
Probably the first explorer of this region was Le Sueur, a French trader, who, on the 25th of August, 1700, while on an expedition to the Sioux on St. Peter's River (now the Minnesota) discovered a small river entering the Mississippi on the right side, which he named " The River of the Mines." He described it as a small river running from the north, but it turns to the northeast, and he further says, that a few miles up this river is a lead mine. Le Suenr was unquestionably the first white man who ever trod the banks of Fever River, and visited the mines then known and prob- ably worked by the natives.
When Julien Dubuque first located near the present town of Dubuque, in 1788, he was accompanied by one D'Bois, who is said to have located on the east bank of the Mississippi, a short distance below the present town of Dunleith, very nearly opposite his companion's location. But nothing further is known of him, and from that time until about 1810 or '11 no definite information can be obtained. It is said that traees of white occupants at a very early period were discovered on the Sinsinawa by the first settlers or miners. It would be strange, indeed, with the knowledge of the immense deposits of lead and the abundance of game in this region, as well as of the mining operations of Dubuque on the west side of the Mississippi, if no adventurers or traders ever visited the Riviere an Feve, now Galena River, or ventured among the Sacs and Foxes on the east side of the Mississippi from 1788 until about 1820. Roving traders and the agents of the American Fur Company could not have overlooked the value of this location as a trading post, even if they made only annnal visits, remaining long enough to dispose of their goods and purchase the lead and peltries aceumulated by the Indians. But thus far no records of such oceupation have been discovered, and the only positive evidence of the occupation of any portion of the territory of Jo Daviess County after D'Bois, and prior to 1819-'20, is the testimony of Captain D. S. Harris, of Galena, the oldest surviving steamboat captain on the Mississippi, and the (oldest known survivor of the immigration of 1823, who says that, about 1811, George E. Jackson, a Missouri miner, had a rude log furnace and smelted lead on an island then existing in the Mississippi River, on the east side of the main channel, a short distance below Dunleith, and nearly
7
Og 250 - 09la Co. hist aux: 25, 1700 Le Sueur French
I have" he said that "a few miles up this swing is a lead mine. Le Sestier was unquestionably with Ist White. wa who ever tried the banks of. fuerRiver and visited the mines theunknown and probably worked by the native."
.it Permanent White settlement et palence existed about 1820
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HISTORY OF OGLE COUNTY.
election, although the act organizing the county was approved January 16, 1836), the territory of Ogle County formed a part, and was subject to the jurisdiction of Jo Daviess County. During these years the general and local history of the two connties are almost identical, and in order to perfect the history of events transpiring in Ogle County, it will be indispen- sably necessary to follow the history of Jo Daviess County up to the period when Ogle was fully organized as an independent county.
The earliest history and first occupation of the region of country embraced within the limits of Jo Daviess County, as originally organized, are enshrouded in almost impenetrable obscurity. After the lapse of more than three quarters of a century, the almost total absence of records, and the fact that the whites who visited or lived in this region prior to 1820 have all passed away, render it impossible now to determine with any degree of certainty the name of him who is entitled to the honor of being recorded as first settler, or who first even temporarily sojourned on the banks of the Sin-sin-ah-wah (the home of the eagle) and the Mah-cah-bee (the fever that blisters), for there the settlement of Northwestern Illinois commenced.
Probably the first explorer of this region was Le Suenr, a French trader, who, on the 25th of August, 1700, while on an expedition to the Sioux on St. Peter's River (now the Minnesota) discovered a small river entering the Mississippi on the right side, which he named " The River of the Mines." He described it as a small river running from the north, but it turns to the northeast, and he further says, that a few miles up this river is a lead mine. Le Sneur was unquestionably the first white man who ever trod the banks of Fever River, and visited the mines then known and prob- ably worked by the natives.
When Julien Dubuque first located near the present town of Dubuque, in 178S, he was accompanied by one D'Bois, who is said to have located on the east bank of the Mississippi, a short distance below the present town of Dunleith, very nearly opposite his companion's location. But nothing further is known of him, and from that time until about 1810 or '11 no definite information can be obtained. It is said that traces of white ocenpants at a very early period were discovered on the Sinsinawa by the first settlers or miners. It would be strange, indeed, with the knowledge of the immense deposits of lead and the abundance of game in this region, as well as of the mining operations of Dubuque on the west side of the Mississippi, if no adventurers or traders ever visited the Riviere au Feve, now Galena River, or ventured among the Sacs and Foxes on the cast side of the Mississippi from 178S until about 1820. Roving traders and the agents of the American Fur Company could not have overlooked the value of this location as a trading post, even if they made only annnal visits, remaining long enough to dispose of their goods and purchase the lead and peltries accumulated by the Indians. But thus far no records of such occupation have been discovered, and the only positive evidence of the occupation of any portion of the territory of Jo Daviess County after D'Bois, and prior to 1819-'20, is the testimony of Captain D. S. Harris, of Galena, the oldest surviving steamboat captain on the Mississippi, and the oldest known survivor of the immigration of 1823, who says that, about 1811, George E. Jackson, a Missouri miner, had a rude log furnace and smelted lead on an island then existing in the Mississippi River, on the east side of the main channel, a short distance below Dunleith, and nearly
7
Monday night
Hello everyone,
Barb and aa couple of her friends are upstairs wokking on some home ec project tonight. Glad they are working together as this has been quite a weekend. The girls in their class who found out over a year ago that she had cancer died last Saturday and the funeral was today. Needless to say, it haa been hard on everyone. Barb had had a letter from Debbie just last Monday or Tuesday. She had been in the hospital , but at the time she wrote she was home. Am so thankful she didn't have to be in the hospital for very long. She was such a lovely girl. This is the second girl in this class who has died with polio. Barh never knew the other girl as she died the first year we were here.
I am in the process of refinishing the woodwork in the downstarr's bathroomn. : Want to get it done before they come to work on the kitchen. On the walls needs some work done on it so thought we would get it done while the carpenters are here. We are going to have a closet made off the landing in the back ataris for the sweeper, dust mop and what have you. Think we'll have the walls fixed in there while we are at it. We will put a floor in there-extend it out over the stairs. Wewill have a cupboard built in the back stairs from the kitchen.
Tom had a walker put on his cast Saturday and seems to be getting along fine. He won't be going to work until next week. He went down tonight, but it hurt a little . Don't know what would have happened had he gone out for football this year. I shudder to think about it. 0
Rather enjoyeed working at the office last week, but still don't know how woren work and keep up everything at home. Glad I don't have to do it while the children are home.
Had aome grapes given to me this past week so made some jam. However, at the rate we are using it it will be all gone hy the time you get here in November, Crampy. I hadn't made any jam or jelly for so long so it must have been a real treat for the family.
Maathe started to make some alacks the other day and she had quite a time as the macine kept tearing(twice) the material. I cleaned it with a brush and the sweeper and then oiled it so am anxious to see if that will take care of the problem. If it doens*t think I'll take the machine to Creaton to the Singer store to have them look at it. Hate for it to be giving trouble when the girls like to sew so well.
Barb is taking home ec(second year) and is suppose to start sewing'next week. Will have to see if we can find a pattern and sore material which she likes.Am glad BArb is taking home ec as think she'll learn quite a bit in there.
Jack and Tom are watching a football game on TV downstairs so will finish tis letter on my typewriter upstairs. Am glad to see the football season start so that Jack ill take some time to sit down -. and watch it on TV.
Found the enclosed contion in the page as thoughl. you might get in chuckle out ofit Can't
find it mo
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HISTORY OF OGLE COUNTY.
opposite the mouth of Catfish Creek. Here the first smelting now known to have been done by white men, within the limits of Jo Daviess County, was done. Jackson built a flat boat to carry his lead to St. Louis, and had inneh trouble with the Indians on his way down the river. "He was joined," says Capt. Harris, " probably about 1812 or '13, by John S. Miller, but soon after the island was abandoned. Jackson went to Missouri, and Miller went down the river and built the first eabin and blacksmith shop on the present site of Hannibal, Mo." It is also said that in 1818, Miller, with George W. Ash and another man, ascended the Mississippi with a boat load of merchandise as far as Dubuque's mines, trading with the Indians, and he probably visited La Pointe and may have spent some time there. Both Jackson and Miller returned to Fever River in 1823. The island has now nearly disappeared, but in the Fall of 1823 two keel-boat loads of scoriæ and partially burned mineral were taken from the site of Jackson's old furnace, by Moses Meeker, and carried to his furnace on Fever River and smelted.
The first- permanent settlements by the whites in all Northwestern Illinois, of which any record or reliable knowledge now remains, existed about 1820 on the banks of the river now known as the Galena. This river was then known as Feve or Bean River. There is a tradition that the river took its name from one La Fevre, a Frenchman, who first visited that locality, but there is no evidence to confirm it. The Indian name for the river was-Mah-eau-bee-Macaubee, which translated, means " fever," or, more literally, " fever that blisters," the Indian term for small pox. They gave it this name, it is said, because, in the early history of this country, when the extreme western frontier of the white settlements was many hundred miles eastward, some of the warriors from the populous Indian villages then existing on the present site of Galena, and on the banks of a small creek a little way southward, went to the assistance of their eastern brethren. On their return they brought with them the loathsome disease for which they had no other name than Mah-can-bee, the fever that blisters. The larger one they ealled " Moshuek-Macaubec-Sepo," Big Small Pox River, and the smaller " Cosh-a-nensh-Macaubee-Sepo," Little Small Pox River. Hundreds of the natives died and the Indians named both streams Macaubee. The smaller one is still ealled Small Pox Creek, but the larger was changed by the whites to the rather more pleasant name of Fever, and the little frontier hamlet was known as " Fever River Settlement," or La Pointe, until 1826-'7, when the name of Galena was substituted. The name " Bean," which was sometimes applied to Fever River in early days, came from the faet that the early French traders and adventurers, who were evi- dently familiar with this locality long before 1820, had changed the Indian name to " Riviere an Feve," which translated into English, means river of the bean;" hence the name " Bean River,""applied to it in the early
* Since this was written some additional light has been thrown upon the origin of the names " B .an " and " Fever." Mr. B. C. St. Cyr, one of the carly merchants of Gilena, on the authority of his uncle, who traded among the Indians in this region, more than a hundred years ago, states that the stream was then called by the French Fielle from an old Indian chief, bearing that name, then living on its banks. This name, Fielle, signifying gall, was afterward corrupted by later French visitors, or by the Indians themselves, to Feve, signifving bein, the pronunciation being somewhat similar. From Feve the transi- tion was easy to Fevre-Fever. The origin of the Indian name Macaubee appears to be more moleern. In 1535, Win. H. Sny ler, Esq., of Galena, spent some time with Col. Geo. Davenport. Mr. Say ler hul then recently opened one of the ancient mounds on the bluff near the Portage, and found an immense quantity of human bones, evidently of quite modern
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HISTORY OF OGLE COUNTY.
gazetteers. This is but another indication pointing to the occupation of La Pointe, prior to the date of its first settlement, as now fixed by some historians. Certainly the names of the men who were first there, and applied the name " Riviere an Feve," have passed into oblivion.
As early as 1822, this extreme western frontier settlement had become sufficiently well known to have a place in the literature of that day. A rare copy of " The Gazetteer of Illinois and Missouri" (now many years ont of print), published in 1822, and at present in the possession of William Hempstead, Esq., of Galena, contains the following :-
" BEAN RIVER (Riviere au Feve, Fr.,) a navigable stream of Pike County, emptying into the Mississippi three miles below Catfish Creek, twenty miles below Dubuque's mines and about seventy above Rock River. Nine miles up this stream, a small creek empties into it from the west. The banks of this creek, and the hills which bound its alluvian, are filled with lead ore of the best quality. Three miles below this on the banks of Bean River is the Traders Village, consisting of ten or twelve houses or cabins. At this place the ore procured from the Indians is smelled and then sent in boats either to *Canada or New Orleans. The mines are at present extensively worked by Col. Johnson, of Kentucky, who during the last session of Congres (winter of 1821-2) obtained the exclusive right of working them for three years. The lands on this stream are poor, and are only valuable on account of the immense quantities of mineral which they contain."
In the same work Chicago is simply mentioned as " a village of Pike County, containing twelve or fifteen houses, and about sixty or seventy inhabitants." It is very evident that there was a " Traders Village " on or near the present site of Galena in 1822, and that it was a point of more importance, commercially, than Chicago, at that time. The statement of the gazetteer is confirmed by a letter from Capt. M. Marston, then Com- mander at Fort Edwards, to Amos Farrar, Fever River, dated April 12, 1822. in which oceurs the following :- " The Johnsons of Kentucky have leased the Fever River lead mines and are about sending np a large number of men. It is also said that some soldiers will be stationed there. If this is all true, the Foxes, and all the trading establishments now there, must remove."
In 1803, when the United States purchased the province of Louisiana from Napoleon, of France, the existence of lead mines in that region was known. In 1807 Congress enacted that these mines should be reserved from sale, and held in fee simple, under the exclusive control of the govern- ment. Leases of three to five years were issued to various individuals to work them as tenants of the United States, but until about 1823, the most of the work being done in Missouri, the mining operations appear to have been carried on without much system. Miners throughout all the lead mining districts paid but slight attention to Congressional enactments. Lessees were not properly supported in their rights, and of course became constantly involved in disputes with elaimants and trespassers, which often proved ruinous to their undertakings.
In November, 1821, when the charge of the lead mines was transferred from the General Land Office to the War Department, no mines were known to be worked in any of the mining distriets, under leases or legal
date. Mentioning the circumstance to Col. Divenport, that gentleman said that the Indians living on the streams now called Fever River and Small Pox Creek had taken the small pox, and died in large numbers, the survivors fled, but while he (Davenport) lived at Portage, about 1816, they returned, gathered up the remains of the victims, and buried them in the mound Snyder had opened. From that time the Indians called both streams " Maeaubee," " the fever that blisters," hence the name Fever; the smaller stream being still called Small Pox.
* By way of Wisconsin River to the portage, then down the Fox River to Green Bay.
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HISTORY OF OGLE COUNTY.
anthority, although many were known to be worked without authority, especially in Missonri.
Mr. Seymour, in his history of "Galena Mines," ete., published in 1848-'49 states, on the authority of Jesse W. Shull, that previous to 1819 " the Sacs and Foxes, noted as warlike and dangerous tribes, had already killed several traders who had attempted to traffie among them," and adds: " It was a current report among the settlers at Prairie du Chien, that a trader was murdered in 1813, at the month of the Sinsinawa. Ilis wife, a squaw, had warned him to leave the country, as the Indians meditated taking his life. Disregarding her friendly warnings, he remained, and was murdered the same night."
In 1816, by a treaty made at St. Louis with various tribes to settle the disputes that had arisen under the treaty of 1804, by which the Saes and Foxes had ceded to the United States all the lands lying between the Illi- nois and Wisconsin River east of the Mississippi, all the lands north of a line running west from the southern extremity of Lake Michigan to the Mississippi River, were relinquished to the Indians, except a tract one league square at the mouth of the Wisconsin, and another traet five leagues square on the Mississippi River, of which Fever River was about the centre. These reservations were intended to be sufficient to embrace the lead mines known to be worked by the squaws, and presumed to be valuable, although their location was not known to the government.
From the best information now accessible, it appears that the point of land lying between Fever River and the creek now known as " Meeker's Branch," at the junction of these streams, was called " January's Point," when the "first settlers " came in 1819 or '20. John Lorrain, in his History of Jo Daviess County, published in 1876, says: " In 1820 Jesse Shull and Samuel C. Muir opened a trading post near the present site of the City of Galena, then called "January's Point," and by this name it was known to the early settlers, as well as by the French name La Pointe- The Point-by which it was generally called by the traders and miners for years afterwards, until a Frenchman named Frederie Gros Clande settled near the site of January's old post, and then it was sometimes called Fred- eric's Point. The presumption is that Thomas II. January, a Pennsylvan- ian, occupied The Point as a smelter and trader long enough before the arrival of Shall and others to give his name to it, or " La Pointe," the name given to it by the French traders, familiar with the location and friendly with the Indians, perhaps, even before January located there. Captain Harris, previously quoted, however, thinks that January, who was from Pittsburgh, was not permanently located here until about 1821 or 1822.
In the Spring of 1848, the Louisville Courier stated that one Henry Shreeve came up Fever River and obtained lead in 1810.
In February, 1810, Nicholas Boilvin, then agent for the Winnebagoes at Prairie du Chien, passed through this region on foot from Roek Island, with Indians for guides, and by them was shown a lead mine, which, from his memoranda, written in the French language, was near Fever River, and was probably what was afterward known to the early settlers as " the old Buek lead.""
The veteran Capt. Harris says, that unquestionably Julien Dubuque operated on both sides of the Mississippi, and mined on Apple River, near the present village of Elizabeth, worked the old Buck and Hog leads, near Fever River, the Cave diggings, in what is now Vinegar Hill Townshiv,
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HISTORY OF OGLE COUNTY.
Jo Daviess County, and others, as early as 1805, and very probably at a still earlier date. The Indians were on very friendly terms with Dubuque, and when they reported a discovery to him he sent his assistants, Canadian Frenchmen and half breeds, to prove them, and in some cases to work them. All over that region, when Capt. II. came to Fever River, a lad of fifteen, in 1823, traces of old mining operations existed, which were evidently not the work of the Indians. At what was called the Allenwrath diggings, at Ottawa, about two miles from the present City of Galena, a heavy sledge hammer was found under the ashes of one of these primitive furnaces, in 1826. This furnace had been worked long before the date generally assigned to the first white settlement in this region. This ancient hammer, weighing from fifteen to twenty pounds, is still preserved by Mr. Houghton, for many years the leading editor of the Northwest. The Indians never used such au implement, and it was unquestionably left, where it was found in 1826, by some of Dubuque's miners.
All these important considerations, in connection with the fact that the Mississippi River was the great highway of the pioneers of that day- that Prairie du Chien was a thriving French village, and had been a French military post as early as 1755, long before Dubuque located above the month of Catfish Creek-that a military and trading post existed at Fort Armstrong (Rock Island) previous to the later "first settlements" on the east side of the Mississippi, now Jo Daviess County, lead almost irresist- ibly to the conclusion that "La Pointe" was well known to the earlier Indian traders, and that the lead mining region around Riviere an Feve had been visited and occupied, temporarily at least, by white men for many years prior to 1819-'20 But by whom? History is silent, and those hardy pioneers have left no footprints on the ever shifting sands of time.
It must be considered as reasonably certain, as previously stated, that the lead mining district now lying in both Jo Daviess County and in Wis- consin, was more or less occupied by Dubuque's men before any permanent settlements were made in the territory. Dubnque, by his wonderful mag- netic power, had obtained great influence among the Indians, then occupy- ing this entire region. They believed him to be almost the equal of the Great Spirit, and they feared him nearly as much. They implicitly obeyed him, and it is not a mere chimera to presume that they reported to him the existence of leads on the east, as well as on the west, side of the Father of Waters, and it is reasonable to suppose when such reports were made to him, that he verified them by actual observations made by himself or his men. From the remembrances of the oldest residents of Jo Daviess County now surviving, and the traces of mining done by whites long before any per- manent settlements were made, it seems more than probable that Dubuque and his men were the first whites who occupied the Fever River lead mining district, in common with the aboriginal inhabitants.
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