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 55
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Failing to obtain assistance from the national government to aid in the im- provement of Rock River, the Legislature of Illinois was invoked, and a spe- cial law passed by that body, about 1845-6, to enable the people of the several counties along the river, from Rock Island to the Wisconsin State line, to vote for or against the assessment of a river improvement tax. The measure car- ried in all the counties, a tax was assessed and collected and the work com- menced.
These undertakings were probably as much inspired by the appearance of a steamboat in Rock River once in a while as by anything else. The steamer Gypsy made a trip up the river in April, 1838; and the memory of that event was revived in July, 1844, by the "puffing" and "snorting" of the Lighter, that ascended the river as far as Janes- ville, Wis. She made two or three trips, mostly es a " freighter." In those days there was a greater volume of water in Rock River than at present, and the people had more to encourage river improvement schemes than in later years, when the volume of water began to grow perceptibly lesa.
484
HISTORY OF OGLE COUNTY.
The records of the Board of County Commissioners, of June 5, 1846, show the following entry :
W. W. Fuller, Esq., Treasurer of the " Board of Commissioners for the Improvement of the Navigation of Rock River," appeared, and filed his hond as such Treasurer.
September 2d, of the same year, Spooner Ruggles resigned his position as a member of the same Board, and was superseded by Silas St. John Mix, of Byron, who was afterward made Superintendent of active operations for the river's improvement near its mouth.
At Rockford, a part of the money collected was expended, in 1846, in attempting to cut a channel through the rapids, where the dam has since been built. Work was also commenced at Sterling, and other points, but was finally abandoned. What money remained on hand was paid back pro rata to the counties from which it had been collected, and public attention generally turned to railroad enterprises. Now the river is dam'd from Milan, near its conflu- ence with the Mississippi, far up into Wisconsin.
CARE OF THE COUNTY POOR.
Ever since the organization of the county, the unfortunate, the infirm and the poor have been generously and humanely provided for by the county authorities. Under the management and direction of the County Commission- ers, the care and sustenance of the unfortunate was secured under contract to the lowest responsible bidder. When the management of county affairs passed under the supervision of a Board of Supervisors, they became agents for the care of the poor of their respective townships, with full power to provide for their wants, supply them with all needed necessaries, etc., the accounts for which were submitted to the full board at stated periods, duly audited and ordered to be paid out of the proper funds.
From time to time, propositions were submitted to the voters for the pur- chase of a poor farm and the erection of necessary buildings, etc., but were always defeated until November, 1877. At that election, the proposition pre- vailed by a majority of 654 votes, and the Board of Supervisors proceeded to purchase of Henry A. Mix a tract of fifty acres of land, one and one-half miles below Oregon City, for the sum of $3,300. To provide for the payment of this purchase money and the erection of buildings, the Board of Supervisors, at their February session, 1878, directed an issue of county bonds to the amount of $13,300, payable in two, four and six years from the 1st day of May, 1878, bearing interest at the rate of seven per cent. per annum. To meet the payment of the principal and interest on these bonds, the following drafts will be made on the county treasury : May 1, 1880, $4,606.68 ; May 1, 1882, $5,166.68 ; May 1, 1884, $7,587.83. Total cost of county farm and infirmary, $17,361.19. Of this amount, $4,061.91 is interest.
The reader and other interested parties should bear in mind that these figures do not include the cost of furnishing the buildings, stocking the farm or numerous other expenses that must be provided for before the farm will be ready for occupancy. It should be borne in mind, also, that the assessed valu- ation of the taxable property of the county is $18,633,943, and that a tax levy of 7.15 cents on each one hundred dollars would have raised the required amount of $13,300 in one year, thus saving to the taxpayers $4,061.19 that will go into the pockets of the " bondholders."
The committee on selection of lands suitable for poor farm were Messrs. C. W. Sammis, W. T. Curry, James D. White, W. J. Braiden, John W. Hitt and
485
HISTORY OF OGLE COUNTY.
D. II. Talbott. This committee reported in favor of the Mix place February 26, 1878. On a motion to adopt the report, the ayes and nays were called. Those voting in the affirmative were Messrs. Bertolet, Bowman, Braiden, Brown, Burch, Clark, Curry, Donaldson, Fearer, Mitchell, Newcomer, Perrine, Rolph, Sammis, Stanberg, Talbott, Trask, White, of Scott, White, of Dement, and Wright-20. Those who voted in the negative were Messrs. Bailey, Good and Young-3.
The report was adopted, and on the 18th day of March, 1878, the contract for the erection of the County Infirmary buildings was awarded to Thomas and Hugh Colwell, of Ottawa, at $9,800, the buildings to be completed by the 1st of September, 1878.
30
486
HISTORY OF OGLE COUNTY.
OREGON CITY.
To Mr. John Phelps, who died on Thursday, the 2d day of April, A. D. 1874, belongs the honor of founding Oregon City. He first visited the Rock River Valley in the Fall of 1829, and returned in the Fall of 1833, and located a claim on the land that, a few years later, was subdivided into town lots by himself and others and christened Oregon City.
In a written sketch read before a meeting of Old Settlers, in 1870, Mr. Phelps submitted a history of his first and second visits to this country, from which the following extracts are collected :
" In the Fall of 1829, I first traveled through the Rock River Valley. Leaving Gratiot's Grove, in the lead mines, I took a southeasterly course and passed not far from where Freeport now stands ; continued down the prairie and passed about one or two miles east of Buffalo Grove; came to the Galena trail about half way from the Grove to Ogee's Ferry, where Dixon now stands. I arrived there about sunset, stayed that night with the Indians, and was treated by them with much kindness. This was my first view of the Rock River Val- ley. I did not at that time have the least idea of settling in this part of the world, yet these beautiful undulating and rich prairies left an impression on my memory that no time could erase.
" In the Summer of 1833, I again visited the lead mines, and during that Fall I came to the conclusion to explore the Rock River country, with the determination that if it pleased me as well as I thought it would, I would make a permanent location for my future home. With this object in view, I hired a Frenchman, who had been a clerk for a fur company in the Rocky Mountains, to accompany me, knowing that he was well suited for such an ex- pedition, as he was acquainted with the Indian character, and a pleasant travel- ing companion. About the 1st of November, 1833, we set out from the lead Mines to descend the Pecatonica River, in a small canoe, supposing we would reach Rock River by that course of travel. In consequence of the meanderings of the Pecatonica and the time we devoted to an examination of the country through which we were passing, we were seven days in reaching Rock River, at Rockton. * * When we arrived about one mile above the pres- ent site of Oregon City, we discovered a tent on the bank of the River, a short distance back from the water's edge, and, supposing it to be an Indian tepee or wigwam, I told my companion du voyage to go up to it and see if we could get something to eat. Ile replied that it was a white man's tent, and upon going up to it I found that my companion's declaration was correct, and was much surprised to meet there my old friend Col. W. S. Hamilton, the son of Alexan- der Hamilton, who was killed in a duel with Aaron Burr. (Col. Hamilton sub- sequently went to California, probably about 1849-50, where he died some years later.) I had not seen him for five years. He seemed surprised to meet me, and asked me what brought me here. I told him I was out exploring, and if I liked the country, I intended to make a location for my permanent home. He replied that if that was my object I need not travel farther, that I was on the right spot. He informed me that he had a Government contract to survey the Rock River country into townships, and that he knew of a location about three miles west of where we were that could not be surpassed in point of beauty, embracing all the advantages that were necessary to make a comfortable and convenient home. He then gave me a note, with directions where to find it. I made my first claim where my present house now stands, according to Col.
487
HISTORY OF OGLE COUNTY.
Hamilton's directions. Before leaving, he had our dinner prepared, and gave us bread and bacon enough to last us a week.
" Being now supplied with one week's provisions, there was nothing to hinder our making a thorough examination of the surrounding country, on both sides of the river; and being fully satisfied that it was susceptible of a good settle- ment, and that a good crossing at the river could be made, I made my next claim where Oregon now stands. We spent a weck here. Our camp was just above the fair grounds. Having accomplished our desires, the weather becom- ing cold and our provisions short, we packed up and steered our course for the lead mines, leaving our canoe and such articles as we could not take with us. We spent part of the first day in hunting in West Grove. During that night, it commenced snowing. We started on our course next morning; struck White Oak Grove, a little west of Forreston ; from that grove we bore north- west, until we reached Cherry Grove (now in Carroll County), a distance of twenty-five miles. It was severely cold, and in crossing streams our clothing would get wet and freeze on us, and we suffered severely. The next day, we reached White Oak Springs, worn out with fatigue.
"Thus ended my first exploring expedition in the valley of Rock River. In the Summer of 1834, I raised a crop and built a house on the farm on which I now live, and in the Spring of 1835, I moved my family into the same, from Schuyler County."
When Mr. John Phelps moved his family up from Schuyler County, in the Spring of 1835, he was accompanied by two brothers, B. T. Phelps and G. W. Phelps, and a hired man named Johnston. In the Summer of that year, Fletcher Hitt, a surveyor, was employed to subdivide the land embraced in Phelps' second claim into town lots, and the prospective town was christened Oregon City. The town site was regularly laid out in 1836.
The first house erected on the town plat was built by Jonathan W. Jenkins, in July or August, 1836. The site of that house is now included in the lot occupied by the Reporter printing office buildings. It was a log structure, 18x22 feet, and about one and a half stories high. It was used as a family dwelling, hotel, boarding house, "meeting house," etc., as occasion required. The first sermon ever preached in Oregon City was preached in that building ; the preacher was John Baker, a so-called "Hard Shell Baptist," and one of two brothers who came up from Schuyler County about the same time Mr. Phelps brought his family. Time of the sermon, during the Summer of 1837.
There were neither lumber nor saw-mills in all this region of country when Jenkins built the first house in Oregon City. The floors were made of puncheons split out of large trees. The under side of the puncheons were dressed down at the cnds, so they would rest evenly on the sleepers. The upper sides were also dressed off with the broad-axe. If the floor was not smooth, it was at least substantial. The roofing was made of clapboards or "shakes," and the doors were made from the same kind of material used for flooring. Strong arms, chopping axes, broad axes, cross-cut saws, hand saws, mauls, iron wedges, "gluts," or large wooden wedges, and a hammer or wooden mallet were about all the tools used by the pioneers in the erection of the first cabins in the Rock River Valley, and with such tools the first cabin erected in Oregon City was fashioned and finished.
The second house was commenced by John Phelps in the Summer of 1836, and finished that Fall. It was a double log house of two stories, built of hewed logs, and, in its " day and generation," was famous throughout the Rock River
488
IHISTORY OF OGLE COUNTY.
Valley. Its finish was a little more elaborate than the Jenkins cabin, from the fact that the Phelps saw-mill on Pine Creek, which had been commeneed in the Spring of 1836, had been completed and was in operation, which furnished lumber for the floors, doors, etc. That house was built on the corner lot of the bloek now occupied by the cheese factory of George A. Mix. The old house was torn down about 1845 or 1846, and moved away by the party to whom its logs had been sold.
John Harris commenced and completed another house on the ground now owned by Edward F. Dutcher, about the time Phelps commenced building. When a better class of buildings began to be erected, the Harris house was torn down, the logs hauled away and re-erected on a farm a short distance below town. As soon as Harris had completed this house, being a blacksmith, he erected a shop near by, which long since gave way, and its place is also included in the grounds of Major Dutcher.
The first frame barn in Oregon was built by Mr. Phelps in 1838. It was erected on the west side of Third street, a short distance north of the double log house just mentioned.
In 1835, Mr. Phelps also established the first ferry at Oregon City. The lumber used in the construction of the ferry-boat was sawed out by hand with a whip saw, by himself and his brother, George W. Phelps. After the boat was completed and ready for use, it was managed for some time by Jonathan W. Jenkins.
The first trading place was opened by Messrs. Mudd & Brown in 1836. They kept a small stock of groceries, whisky, eatables, etc., in a small building which they erected very near, if not included in, the grounds now occupied by the stone residence of Henry Burchell.
The first dry goods store was opened in 1836, by Harvey Moss, in a small frame building not far from the site occupied by the Mix cheese factory. The building was afterward removed and now stands on Third street, a little south of Washington, and is occupied as a harness shop by Samuel Roat.
The early schools of Oregon were subscription schools, the first of which was taught in the Winter of 1837-8, in a small building on the Jenkins lot (before mentioned as the site of the first house built on the town plat), by Dr. Adams, a young disciple of Esculapins.
In the Summer and Fall of 1839, the first school house was built, and occu- pied a site on the west side of Fifth street, between Washington and Jefferson streets. The building was long since abandoned as a school house, and is now included in the residence building of Jonas Seyster. Alfred Marks was the first teacher in the new school house.
In 1836, Edward S. Leland, now Judge Leland, of Ottawa, came to Oregon, and hung out his " shingle " as " Attorney and Counselor at Law." To the best knowledge and belief of the " oldest inhabitant," Mr. Leland was the first " lawyer " to claim Oregon as a field for the practice of his profession.
The first physician to preseribe eures for the ills of the people of Oregon and vicinity was Dr. William J. Mix, who commenced compounding medicines in 1836.
The first white male child born in Oregon was Lamoil T. Jenkins, son of Jonathan W. and Rebecca Jenkins, who was born in July, 1837. Lamoil died in California in 1865, from the effects of a pistol shot wound received in Mon- tana soon after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, the trouble growing out of a difference of political opinion between himself and others by whom he was surrounded.
489
HISTORY OF OGLE COUNTY.
The first female child born in what is now Oregon Township was Martha E. Mix (daughter of William J. Mix). who was born on the 28th day of November, 1836. When Martha grew to womanhood, she was given in marriage to G. M. Mckinney, and is now his widow. She has always lived in the county, and now lives within three or four rods of the site occupied by the cabin in which her eyes first saw the light of day.
The first death occurred in the family of George Rosecrans, July 13, 1837, when his youngest child, aged one year, three months and three days, was beckoned away to the presence of Him who said, "Suffer little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of heaven."
The first adult death occurred in 1838-Miss Mary Ann Fuller, a nicce of Mrs. James V. Gale, who died in August of that year.
The post office was established early in 1837, with Harvey Moss as Post- master. The mail was supplied once a week (Saturday) from Buffalo, on the Galena and Dixon mail route. Jackson Jenkins, now of Shelby County (III.), then a boy of twelve or thirteen years, was the mail carrier.
Such were some of the first events in the history of Oregon City, now a town of 2,000 inhabitants, with four handsome church edifices, an excellent union school building, many handsome and elegant residences, broad streets and avenues, handsomely shaded grounds, and numerous stores, shops and manufacturing establishments, railroads, telegraph offices, etc., etc. The people are refined, intelligent, sociable and hospitable, and, as they have reason to be, proud of their homes and their surroundings.
February 19, 1847. the population of Oregon City was only 225, including men, women and children, as follows:
HEADS OF FAMILIES.
No. HEADS OF FAMILIES. No.
HEADS OF FAMILIES. No.
Saul Petersen
4 Mix's Office
2 E. J. Potter
8
John Keefers
3 T. Potwin
3 |B. Phelps
6
Samuel Roat.
10 R. Phelps
S. N. Sampsell 7
5
James V. Gale
7 E. Bond
7 E. J. Reiman
5
John Wilkinson
6 C. Lehman
6 | Allen Foot
3
John Copper
6 Wm. Russell
6 C. B. Artz
B
C. Williamson
6 M. C llill
4 S. B. Lighthizer
1
P. R. Bennett
5 J. Schneider
5 Samuel Chany
3
H. A. Mix.
6 Widow Forbush
5
R. Davis
6
John Hinkle.
2 A. Lacey
9 |C. F. Emerson
Jno. Culbertson
2 Allen Malkins.
7 M. T. Crowell
7
Harry Roberts
5 Jas. Harpham
6 Schoolmaster
1
N. J. Stroh
10 Jno. Smith
4 | Jno. Russell
1
Wm. Moore.
8 . Jno. Beard
5
A. Morton.
3 | Jno. Chaney
1 Total
2225
I. S. Wooley
7
City Organization .- The City of Oregon first organized under an act of the General Assembly of the State of Illinois, entitled " An Act to incorporate the City of Oregon" (approved April 1st, 1869), by an election held on the 21st day of March, 1870.
Hon. James V. Gale was chosen Mayor, and Christian Lehman, W. W. Ben- nett, George M. Dwight and George P. Jacobs were elected as Aldermen. The first meeting of the Council was held under a call of Mayor Gale on the even- ing of the 10th of May, 1870. The Council .was called to order by the Mayor, after which, on motion, the Aldermen proceeded to draw for terms, as provided in the charter, with the following result :
490
HISTORY OF OGLE COUNTY.
First Ward-Long term-George M. Dwight. Short term-George P. Jacobs.
Second Ward-Long term-W. W. Bennett. Short term-Christian Lelıman.
The organization being fully perfected, Mayor Gale submitted his inaugural address, which was ordered to be spread upon the Council's journal of proceed- ings, and, being the first and last address (to date) of an Oregon City Mayor, we transcribe it to these pages :
" Gentlemen of the City Council :
" According to the provisions of Sec. 3 of Art. 4 of the City Charter, it becomes my duty as Mayor of the City of Oregon, to make to you such sug- gestions and recommendations as seem to me calculated to promote the pros- perity of our new city.
" Your first duty will be to ordain and publish such ordinances and regula- tions as are contemplated by the charter, and as will secure for us a simple, economical city government.
" The legislative powers of your body are somewhat extensive and cover a variety of subjects, but they need not all be exercised immediately.
" It would seem to be the part of wisdom not to proceed too rashly, but only to adopt such ordinances as seem absolutely indispensable to the carrying on of the city government, and in this way, time and experience will indicate to you more clearly what further legislation is needed ; and you will be better able to adapt it to our necessities and wants.
" The power of taxation is limited by the charter to one-half of one per cent., but it is not expected by our citizens that this provision should be construed to mean that this amount shall be levied, nor that it shall be regarded the mini- mum as well as the maximum.
"The aggregate of taxation which our citizens are compelled to pay has become a serious burden, and it behooves us, the representatives of this new city government, not to exercise it unnecessarily. Let us set the example to those who may come after us, of having accomplished something substantial, without having resorted to burdensome taxation.
"I would recommend, in order to do away with all jealousy, that whatever money is raised for the improvement of the city, should be expended equally in each ward, as far as practicable.
" It is also necessary, among your first acts, to establish a grade of our streets, so that those who are about erecting buildings can conform to it.
" It is understood, and is the fact, that the charter absolutely prohibits the sale of rum, gin, brandy, wine, whisky, or spirituous or mixed liquors, within the city limits, in less quantities than five gallons, except for mechanical or medicinal purposes ; so that the City Council has been left no power to deal with the licensing for the retail of such liquors as a beverage.
" The charter seems to contemplate that licensing shall be granted for the sale of ale and beer. You, gentlemen, are to fix the amount of the same, to such persons as you think proper.
" A city like Oregon, whose attractive site was the admiration of the earli- est settlers of the country, and for which nature has done so much for the encouragement of human enterprise-a city nestled in the midst of a most beautiful landscape, with the results of successful agriculture on every side, and one of the most beautiful rivers of the earth generously offering to become the strong right arm of her prosperity and power-can ask for nothing more save
491
HISTORY OF OGLE COUNTY.
energy, enterprise and unity on the part of her citizens. With these, her future history must be all that the most ambitious among us can desire.
" It will be my pleasure, as well as duty, to co-operate with you in putting into operation a good city government, and making it in all respects promotive of the interests and prosperity of the citizens.
" From time to time, as experience and observation may become necessary, I may make such further or other suggestions and recommendations as may be JAMES V. GALE."
deemed proper and beneficial.
After the reading of this address, the Council proceeded to the considera- tion of further business, and
On motion of Alderman Bennett, a committee of three was appointed by the Mayor, on sidewalks, viz., Aldermen Bennett, Jacobs and Lehman.
On motion of Alderman Jacobs, a committee of three was appointed on grades. The Mayor appointed Aldermen Lehman, Dwight and Jacobs said committee.
On motion of Alderman Dwight, the regular meeting of the Council was fixed for the first Tuesday of each month.
John Rutledge was the first Clerk of the City Council, and continued to fill the position for five years.
The city was re-organized on the 29th of March, 1873, under an act of the General Assembly, entitled, "An act to provide for the incorporation of cities and villages," approved April 10, 1872, which organization continues in force. A full and complete list of city officers, from the date of its organization to the date of this writing (April 5, 1878), compiled from the official records, is here- with submitted :
Mayors. - 1870, James V. Gale: 1872, George W. Phelps ; 1873, James H. Cartwright ; 1875, Alonzo L. Ettinger; 1877, James H. Cartwright.
Aldermen. - First Ward: 1870, George P. Jacobs; 1870, George M. Dwight; 1871, John Matmiller ; 1872, C. H. Horwell; 1873, John Mat- miller ; 1873, Henry A. Mix. Second Ward: 1870, Christian Lehman ; 1870, William W. Bennett; 1871, George W. Reiman ; 1873, George M. Howell ; 1873, William H. Guilford; 1874, Jonas Seyster; 1875, John W. Mack ; 1876, Charles T. Marsh ; 1877, L. N. Page. Third Ward: 1873, Joseph E. Hitt ; 1873, Frederick Jones ; 1874, Frederick Jones ; 1874, John T. Gantz; 1875, Frederick Jones: 1876, John T., Gantz; 1877, Jonas Seyster.
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