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 29
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106 | Part 107 | Part 108 | Part 109
Fossil Quarry .- From the immense quantity of fossil shells found in the rock quarried there for building the dam at Oregon.
In pursuance of the provisions of section eighteen of the act under which Ogle County was organized, an order was issued by Thomas Ford,
18
300
HISTORY OF OGLE COUNTY.
then judge of the sixth judicial district, for an election to be held on the 24th day of December-the day before Christmas-1836. The election was appointed to be held at the house of John Phelps, a "tavern." The judges were: James V. Gale, George W. Rosecrans and Jonathan W. Jenkins. The clerks were George Chandler and Smith Gilbraith.
Even at that day a rivalry had sprung up between Oregon and Dixon for county seat honors, notwithstanding the commissioners appointed for the purpose by the legislature had located the county seat on the 20th of June, 1836, where Oregon has since been built up. In selecting candidates for county commissioners, partisanism was ignored. Only local influence was considered. The Dixonites selected three citizens for county com- missioners, who were believed to be friendly to Dixon, and who would use their official influence to maintain the county offices at that place. Oregon people were equally zealous, and they, too, selected candidates for county commissioners pledged to their interests. The Dixon candidates were V. A. Bogue, S. Si. John Mix and Cyrus Chamberlain. The Oregon candidates were Isaac Rosecrans, Ezra Bond and W. J. Mix. The contest was animated and excited, and the polls were kept open until midnight. The certificate of the judges of election showed the following vote:
DIXON CANDIDATES.
V. A. Bogue. 98 votes.
S. St. John Mix. 98
Cyrus Chamberlain 95
OREGON CANDIDATES.
Isaac Rosencrans. 89 votes.
Ezra Bond. 90
W. J. Mix 87
The Dixon candidates were elected. For the other county officers the vote was as follows:
Recorder-James V. Gale, 138 votes; B. J. Phelps, 48 votes. Sur- veyor-Joseph Crawford, 119 votes; William Sanderson, 63 votes. Sheriff- W. W. Mudd, 95 votes; Jeremiah Murphy, 93 votes. Coroner-L. H. Evarts, 94 votes; Ira Hill, 96 votes.
Mr. James V. Gale, in his private diary, says of this election:
There was great excitement at this election. All the towns were against Oregon. A large quantity of whisky was drunk, and several fights occurred. Dixon, Grand De Tour, Buffalo Grove, and Bloomingville (now Byron) all combined against Oregon. A great deal of hard feeling grew out of this election that lasted until Lee County was set off and erected into an independent county. One man became so boisterous and pugilistic towards his brother that he was tied with a rope. It was the noisiest, roughest, most exciting elec- tion ever held in the county.
One hundred and eighty-eight votes were cast at this election. A part of the poll-book is still in preservation at the county clerk's office; but much the larger part has either been unintentionally destroyed, lost or carried off, although the records of that department of county affairs are remarkably well preserved and are arranged with admirable system. The papers are all kept in such order that the present incumbent of the office, Mr. George W. Hormell, and his assistant, Mr. John Mack, can place their hands on any desired paper at once. In fact, the office is a model of neat- ness-a pattern which seven out of every ten county clerks in the state might follow with profit and credit.
That part of the poll-book made out in the county, showing a return
301
HISTORY OF OGLE COUNTY.
of the first county election, held on the 24th day of December, A. D. 1836, has the names of the following forty-three voters. We would like to pre- sent the names of the entire 188 sovereign and independent settlers of forty-two years ago, but can not for the reasons already stated. The names preserved are:
*W. A. House,
A. Dickerman, W. W. Mudd,
L. Crandle,
H. Hill,
*D. Brown,
+N. W. Brown,
B. B. Brown, +J. W. Jenkins,
E. Hine,
+J. Snyder, John Boardman,
*J. L. Spaulding,
*S. S. Spaulding,
+S. C. Fuller,
A. Shepherd,
R. Murry,
+Robert Page,
*J. P. Dixon,
P. Cameron,
*David Reed,
J. F. Sanford,
W. Sonthall,
*H. Rosencrans,
D. Javinole, *William Sanderson,
S. Smith,
M. T. Kimball,
*S. Sharer,
G. Angel,
L. S. Huff,
*S. Gilbraith,
Jas. Williams,
A. Rue,
G. Chandler,
I. W. Moss,
J. Rue,
+James V. Gale,
S. Johnson,
C. N. Turner,
*G. Rosencrans,
- Driscoll,
J. Young.
Of the above named voters at the first election, those marked * are known to be dead; those marked + are known to be living. Jonathan W. Jenkins, James V. Gale and Robert Page only are known to have always maintained a residence in the county. Mr. Jenkins is in his seventy- seventh year. James V. Gale is seventy-one years of age.
Of the first county officers, so far as known, the following still survive the ravages and cares of time:
James V. Gale, recorder, still lives in Oregon, where he has always maintained an excellent name. He filled the office of recorder for eleven years. He was also elected as the first justice of the peace in Oregon Pre- cinct, and held that office four years. He was likewise appointed as the first public administrator in the county by Governor Duncan, and held that office eight years. During the war period he served his county as repre- sentative in the State Legislature, and has served Oregon Township about ten years as supervisor. He is now a prominent stockholder and director and vice president of the First National Bank of Oregon. Besides these positions, he held the post-office of Oregon two years, being appointed under President Harrison in 1841, but was removed in 1843 because he wouldn't Tylerize. When Orgeon was incorporated as a city, in 1870, he was elected the first mayor, in which position he served two years.
Virgil A. Bogue, one of the county commissioners, died at Buffalo Grove in 1869, where he had accumulated a handsome property. He also served one or two terms as probate judge, and as justice of the peace of his precinct-Buffalo Grove.
S. St. John Mix, another one of the commissioners, is still a resident of the county and of Byron, from which place he was elected-Byron then being called Bloomingville. He is now nearly eighty years of age, and still engaged in active business pursuits.
Cyrus Chamberlain, the third commissioner, is now between eighty- three and eighty-four years of age, and a resident of Grand de Tour. He has always maintained a residence in the county, and at one time had acquired a valuable property.
-
302
HISTORY OF OGLE COUNTY.
The three Oregon candidates for county commissioners, Isaac Rosen- crans, Ezra Bond and William J. Mix, are all dead.
Joseph Crawford, surveyor, who lived near Grand de Tour at the time of his election, accumulated a handsome competency and subsequently removed to Dixon, where he became a prominent politician and representa- tive man. He is now president of one of the national banks of that city.
W. W. Mudd, sheriff, removed from the county soon after the expira- tion of his official services, and all knowledge of him is lost.
Ira Hill, coroner, also removed from the county a number of years ago, and, like Sheriff Mudd, has become lost to the knowledge of Ogle County people.
Smith Gilbraith, county clerk, was appointed from Dixon, where, as the county settled up and Dixon began to assume some importance, he became a conspicnous character in public affairs. He died at Dixon a number of years since.
Of the judges of the election at which the above named gentlemen were chosen to office, James V. Gale is still a resident of the county and of Oregon, as elsewhere noted. George W. Rosencrans died in Utah some three or four years ago, where he was engaged in mining, etc. Jonathan W. Jenkins is still living and a resident of Oregon, as already mentioned.
The first session of the County Commissioners Court was held at the house of John Phelps, in Oregon City, Jannary 3, 1837. Present, Virgil A. Bogue and S. St. John Mix. The first order entered was the appoint- ment of Smith Gilbraith as clerk of the County Commissioners Court. He was required to give bond in the sum of one thousand dollars for a faithful discharge of the duties of the office. O. W. Kellogg and James P. Dixon were his bondsmen.
James V. Gale appeared and qualified as county recorder.
The court then ordered that " the precincts in Ogle County remain the same as established by the Commissioners of Jo Daviess County until the next session, and then adjourned until the first Monday in March, to meet at the house of F. Cushman in Buffalo Grove Township."
March 6 the commissioners met at the house of Mr. Cushman, Buffalo Grove Precinct, pursuant to adjournment. At this session, Joseph Craw- ford, the other commissioner, appeared, took the prescribed oath and entered upon the duties of commissioner.
At this session Oliver W. Kellogg was appointed county treasurer, and entered into bonds in the sum of $3,000 for a faithful discharge of the duties of the office. E. W. Covell and James P. Dixon, both of. Dixon, were his bondsmen.
License was granted to E. W. Covell, of Dixon, to sell goods, wares, merchandise, etc., for one year, upon consideration of the payment of ten dollars to the county treasurer. This was the first money paid into the connty treasury.
The court next proceeded to lay off and establish election precincts, as follows:
Bloomingville .- Commencing on the north line of Ogle County on the line between ranges of townships 9 and 10; thence sonth to the center of township 24; thence east to the line between 10 and 11; thence sonth to the north line of township 23; thence east to the east line of the county through the center of townsship forty-one, one and two, east of the third principal meridian; thence north and west along said county lines to the place of beginning.
303
HISTORY OF OGLE COUNTY.
Joseph Sanford, Miner M. York and Asa G. Spaulding were appointed judges of elections in this precinct, and the elections were appointed to be held at the sehool-house.
Oregon City Precinct .- Beginning at the center of township 24, range 9 east of the 4th principal meridian, and running south to the center of township 23, same range; then east to the line between 9 and 10; then south one mile; then east to Rock River; then down said river to the line between towns 22 and 23; thenee east to the line between 10 and 11; then south to the north line of 21; then east to the east line of said county; then north along said line to the center of town 41; thenee west along the line of Bloomingville precinct to the place of beginning.
William J. Mix, James Clark and John Phelps were appointed judges of elections. Elections were appointed to be held at the house of John Phelps.
Grand de Tour .- (Americanized Grand Detour.) Beginning at town- ship 23, north range 9, east of the 4th principal meridian, and running east to town line ; then south one mile ; then east to Roek River ; then down said river to the north line of town 22 north; then east to the line between 10 and 11; then south to the north line of town 20; then west to the west line of range 10; then north to the north line of town 21; then west two miles; then north three miles; then west to Roek River; then up the river until it strikes the line between 4 and 5; then north to the town line; then east one mile; then north to the place of beginning.
John Chamberlain, Spooner Ruggles and Ira Hill were named as judges of elections, and elections were ordered to be held at House & Co.'s store.
Buffalo Grove .- Commencing at the northwest corner of the county and running east to line of township between 9 and 10; then south to the eenter of township 24, north; thenee west to the center of town 24, range 9, east; then south to the north line of town 22; then west to the county line; then north on said line to the place of beginning.
Stephen Hull, John D. Stephenson and Frederick Cushman were appointed judges of elections, and the elections were appointed to be held at the house of Mr. Cushman.
Dixon .- Commencing on the west line of the county on township line between 22 and 23, running east eight miles; then south to Roek River; down Roek River to the south line of seetion 17; then east two miles; then south three miles on line between sections 34 and 35; then east to town line; then south to the north line of town 20; then west to county line; then north to place of beginning.
William P. Burrows, James P. Dixon and William Martin were appointed judges of eleetions, and the house of E. W. Covell was named as the voting place.
Inlet .- Bounded as follows: On the north by Dixon, Grand de Tour and Oregon City Precincts; on the east, by the county line, and on the south and west, by the lines of said county.
Z. Mellugin, Thomas Dexter and Charles West were appointed judges of elections, and the elections were appointed to be held at the house of Corydon Dewey.
The court next divided the county into road districts, nine in number, appointed a supervisor for each district, etc.
At that time Whiteside County, for reasons already suggested, was within the jurisdiction of Ogle County, and the territory defined by the
304
HISTORY OF OGLE COUNTY.
law creating Whiteside County (passed at the same time Ogle was erected) was divided into four election precincts, and each precinct was declared to be a road district.
March 7th, Adolphus Bliss and others presented a road petition asking for a view of a certain ronte defined in the petition. The petitioners were required to deposit $5 with the county clerk to cover expenses, etc., in the event the viewers did not report favorably. If the report was favorable, the deposit was ordered to be returned to the depositors. This was the practice in all new counties. John Dixon, Corydon Dewey and Z. Mellu- gin were appointed viewers.
[Adolphus Bliss and Corydon Dewey will be made to figure somewhat conspicuously, if not creditably, in another department of this history, and it may not be out of place to remark that this first road was intended to open up a highway of travel to and past Bliss' "Traveller's Home," a " log tavern " familiarly known to the early settlers as a rendezvous or head- quarters for the outlaws, horse-thieves, counterfeiters, etc., that infested this county from 1835 to 1845, when the gang was finally broken up by the honest, sturdy settlers whom they had so repeatedly outraged.]
The same day, Leonard Andrus presented a road petition looking to the opening up of a legal highway to Bloomingville (now Byron), and, after making the conditional deposit, M. M. York, J. P. Dixon and E. Hubbell were appointed viewers.
In those days the county commissioners granted license to parties desirons of keeping tavern, and as almost every man who had a cabin aspired to be a " tavern-keeper," the income from this source was not inconsider- able, and was the means of meeting some of the first expenses, such as stationery, etc., etc. Grocers, merchants, etc., were also required to take out license, as were ferrymen and the like. The first tavern license was granted to Joseph Sawyer, and the second to Adolphus Bliss, each of whom was required to pay to the county treasurer the sum of $10. Messrs. Wales, Hunn & Co. were licensed to sell "goods, wares and merchandise " upon the payment of $12. J. D. Stephenson & Co. were charged $12 for the privilege of selling goods at Buffalo Grove.
The county commissioners were also vested with power to fix the rate of charges for " tavern keepers " and ferry men, and among the "orders " entered up at this session of the county commissioners court were the fol- lowing, copied verbatim from the record :
TAVERN RATES.
For each meal of vituals
3712 Cents.
keeping each horse one knight to hay and grain
.50
each lodging-
25 66
" drink of spirituous liquors 1212
ROCK RIVER FERRY RATES.
For each yoke of oxen and wagon
75
Cents.
additional yoke of oxen.
25
two horses and wagon.
75
each additional horse.
121%
two horse pleasure carriage.
$1 00
man and horse.
25
66 footman
1212
=
one horse and wagon
3712
each horse and gig
50
¥
or ass.
1216
head of cattle
64
=
= " sheep or hogs
305
HISTORY OF OGLE COUNTY.
Among other business transacted at this term of the court, it was
Ordered, That, on the second Monday in June next, such portion of the section of land on which the county stake is stuck, he sold at public auction for the benefit of Ogle County ; the portion to be sold to be hereafter designated by the county commissioners. Adjourned March 8, 1837.
At this session of the commissioners, the court ordered an election to be held in each of the precincts in Ogle County, on the 12th day of April, to fill vacancies in the county offices. An examination of the poll-books fails to show the election of any officers but justices of the peace and con- stables. The Oregon City Precinct election resulted as follows :
Justices of the Peace -- James H. Stephenson received 58 votes ; Isaac W. Moss received 44 votes ; Lester H. Everts received 35 votes. Consta- bles-Isaac DeMott received 71 votes, and John S. Lord received 74 votes.
In Buffalo Grove Precinct the election resulted as follows :
Justices of the Peace-John D. Stevenson received 3 votes, and Virgil A. Bogne received 13 votes. Constables-Charles Cushman received 13 votes ; Benajah Beardsley received 14 votes, and Isaac Every received 3 votes. › Dixon Precinct voted for two constables. Benjamin H. Steward received 30 votes, and John Morse received 29 votes.
Inlet Precinct made the following return :
Justice of the Peace-Daniel M. Dewey received 17 votes. Consta- ble-Charles West received 17 votes.
Justice Dewey, Constable West, Adolphus Bliss (of the old "Travel- lers' Home"), his wife, Hannah, and a few others of their gang, because of their " close " connection and secret and suspicious ways of transacting public and private business, came to be known to the pioneers as " Dewey, West & Co." To this wing of the Driscoll gang a distinct section of this history will be devoted.
In Bloomingville (now Byron), the sovereign voters made the follow- ing return :
Justices of the Peace-James Scott received 23 votes ; Lucins Read received 15 votes, and Asa G. Spalding received 11 votes. Constables- James Scott received 23 votes ; Andrew Shepherd received 15 votes, and Hiram Maynard received 8 votes.
Elkhorn Precinct rendered the following certificate :
Justices of the Peace-John W. Chapman received 12 votes ; Elijah Worthington received 10 votes, and Von J. Adams received 2 votes. Con- stables-John McLemore received 5 votes ; Nelson Mason received 11 votes, and Isaac H. Albertson received 8 votes.
In Grand de Tour Precinct twenty-seven votes were cast. Erastus Hubbell and Cyrus Chamberlain were elected justices, and Calvin Turner and Jeremiah Murphy were chosen as constables.
The next session of the county commissioners court was ordered to be held at Grand de Tour, where it convened on the 6th of June, 1837, when Leonard Andrus was authorized to keep a ferry at Grand de Tour, upon the payment of a license fee of $10. The clerk was also authorized to issue . a license for a ferry at Van Buren, on the payment of $20, and - San- ford was authorized to keep a ferry at Bloomingville on the payment of $5.
Leonard Andrus was appointed school commissioner-the first in the county.
Ordered, That Oregon City precinct be divided by Rock River, and that that part of it on the south side be called Washington precinct; and that James Clark, Richard B.
306
HISTORY OF OGLE COUNTY.
Aiken and Jehiel Day be, and they hereby are, appointed judges of elections, and that elections shall be held at the house of Jehiel Day.
Ordered, That the clerk commence suit, in the name of the County Commissioners, against the Sheriff of Ogle County, in each and every case for omission of duty.
Smith Gilbraith presented his account for official services to date, $8.87; also, for expenses for records, stationery, etc., $8.50-$17.50; the first account filed against the county. The account was allowed and an order directed to be issued against the treasury for the same.
An order for one dollar each was directed to be issued to the several judges and clerks at the December election.
The commissioners next passed upon their own claims against the county: V. A. Bogue, $6; C. Chamberlain, $6; S. St. John Mix, $7.50. Sheriff Mudd was allowed $3 for attendance upon the conrt.
Adjourned June 7, 1837.
June 20, 1836, Charles Reed and James L. Kirkpatrick, two of the commissioners appointed to locate a permanent seat of Justice for Ogle County, proceeded to discharge that duty. The report was in these words:
We, the undersigned commissioners appointed by an act of the Legislature, entitled " an act to establish certain counties," approved January 16, 1836, for the purpose of fixing the permanent seat of justice for Ogle County, report, that we did, on the 15th day of June, 1836, meet at the house of O. W. Kellogg, in the county of Ogle, and having been first duly sworn before J. C. Owings, Esq., justice of the Peace in, and for Jo Daviess County, agree- ably to the provisions of said act, proceeded to view, select, locate and establish the seat of justice for said county ; we, the commissioners, believe, that iu making the location for said seat of justice, that they have complied with the letter of the law in that respect. We have selected a point which we consider the most eligible. We have fixed the location with a view to the convenience of the people, the situation of the settlement, and also, with a view to the future population of said county, and to the general advantage and convenience of the people. We, the commissioners, having the above objects in view, and being governed in the matter by the best judgment that we are able to form respecting the same, having deter- mined on, fixed and selected the following place or location for the permanent seat of justice for the County of Ogle, to wit: the southeast quarter of section four (4), township twenty- three north, range ten, east of the fourth principal meridian, upon which quarter we, the commissioners, have set a stake this day, the 20th of June, 1836, the said quarter being claimed by John Phelps & Co., of Ogle County. "Signed,
" CHARLES REED, "J. L. KIRKPATRICK."
[The point on which the stake was planted was on the high point of ground just north of and adjoining the grounds occupied by the present Union school house.]
This report was dated June 20, 1836, but does not appear of record until the 4th of September, A. D. 1838, when the County Commissioners Court being in session it was ordered to be accepted and entered upon the records of the court. When the locating commissioners "stuck " the county seat stake on the 20th of June, 1836, the lands had not been sub- divided into sections, half sections, etc. Only the township lines had been established, and, as subsequent developments proved, the site selected was on the southwest corner of the northwest quarter of section three. This error was occasioned by a misapprehension as to the true location of the line (north and sonth) between sections three and four-that line and the half- section line east and west, crossing on the high point or mound, where the stake was planted. The fault originated with a local surveyor, who had been employed by parties interested, to run temporary section lines from the east and north lines of township twenty-three. When the govern- ment surveyors come to subdivide the township in 1837, they fixed the sec- tion line between sections three and four, a few rods west of the line marked ont by the temporary survey, which left the spot selected by the locating
OB Stiles ROCHELLE
309
HISTORY OF OGLE COUNTY.
commissioners as the "permanent seat of justice in Ogle County," in the extreme northeast corner of the southeast quarter of section four.
When this error was fully established, the county commissioners, un- der authority of an act of congress, approved Feb. 5, 1829, granting 160 acres of government land for county seat purposes, sought to hold the northwest quarter of section three, by causing the following entry to be made on their record:
Ordered, That the clerk cause three written notices to be posted in Oregon City, for- bidding all persons trespassing, or in any way taking possession of any portion of the north- west quarter of section number three, in township number twenty-three north, range ten, east of the fourth principal meridian, the quarter section on which the stake designating the location of the county scat was planted.
The mistake or error of the locating commissioners, and the action of the county commissioners, resulted in a long contest between the county authorities and Mr. John Phelps, which was carried before the Commis- sioner of the General Land Office, at Washington City, for final arbitra- ment and decision. The nature of this contest will be more fully noticed under the incidents of 1838, and the years following until permanently set- tled.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.