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 62
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In the Spring of 1839, James B. MeCoy came from Maryland to the Maryland settlement with a view to contracting for the erection of the Semi- nary, and, having obtained the contract, erected the old seminary building in 1839-40. In April, 1841, he married Mrs. Elizabeth Ankeny. Mrs. Ankeny's two children, Nathaniel A. Ankeny and Ann M., now Mrs. William Watts, still reside in this vicinity.
537
HISTORY OF OGLE COUNTY.
In 1839, Mr. McCoy built the first house within the limits of Mt. Morris. in which to board his laborers. This, in 1841, he moved south, near the pres- sent site of Mrs. McCoy's brick residence. The building was again moved, and is at present the fourth house south of Mrs. McCoy's, and is occupied by William Foulke. Mr. McCoy died at his residence January 14, 1871.
The second building (except the Seminary) was erected by Rev. John Sharp, in 1840, as a barn ; but as living room was in great demand, it was partitioned into two rooms and occupied by Rev. Philo Judson and family, in one half, while Frederick Petrie lived in the other portion. This was after- ward finished up and moved to Front street, due east of and on the same block with the store of Lookabaugh & Middour, and has been transformed into the residence of M. T. Rohrer.
In 1841, a post office was established at Mount Morris, and Rev. John Sharp was appointed Postmaster. Previous to this date, the nearest post office was at Oregon. Mr. Sharp was succeeded by his son-in-law, Frederick G. Petrie. After him, followed, for a short time, Hiram Beard; then John Ankeny for many years; he was succeeded by B. G. Stevens, followed by Edward Davis, and then Frederick B. Brayton, who has held that position for seventeen years, and is the present Postmaster.
John Martin built the third house, in 1840, after which the houses sprang up so rapidly that it is impossible to name them in the order of their erection. Mr. Martin's residence was situated on the lot now occupied by Andrew New- comer's store room, in the northeastern part of town.
The state of the village on January 1, 1842, has already been given by the quotations from the Rock River Register, from which it appears that at that time there were twenty-one houses in the town. The second number of that paper invited its patrons to furnish occasional "original communications," saying :
We have among our patrons here, as we have already been informed, in the brief space of our residence in Ogle County, writers who are capable of Hitt-ing off "matters and things in general," in such an interesting manner as to please "all manner" of readers; that we may expect evidence of some very Sharp pens, and that the necessary Artz will not fail us in our efforts to treat our readers handsomely. Upon the whole, we Judge that we can af-Ford our readers complete satisfaction.
The Register had an agent in Washington County, Maryland. S. Cumins, Esq., of Grand Detour, was announced as its agent at that place. Another item among those of the first few numbers which have been preserved by Mr. Knodle's brother, Samuel, is interesting now, when a living deer would be a curiosity in this region :
The extent to which David Mumma, of this neighborhood, shoots down our deer, strikes us as being pretty alarmingly exhausting. While his extraordinary Nimrodian exploits render David our boast, yet we must fear that he is playing havoc with our game.
He has killed seventy deer this season. He has sold deer skins to the amount of $30, besides which he has taken and sold otters' skins and other peltry. He is now taking a load of venison (hind quarters) to Chicago. Here marke his pro-PENCE-City. Besides all this, he has feasted on the fore quarters, and treated his neighbors bountifully to the same luxury.
In one of his hunts, he sent a bullet through the vitals of three deer at once-laying them all low. Who has ever equaled this shot ? We ask who ?
An. item from Col. Wentworth's paper, the Chicago Democrat, speaking of Mount Morris as " one of the most delightful places on earth," is copied in the Register, with extended comments of approval. Another paragraph is as follows :
On the night of January 19 (1842), two miles north of Peru, the mail coach, mail, baggage, four horses and all were lost, except the passengers and driver, in attempting to cross the Little Vermilion River.
538
HISTORY OF OGLE COUNTY.
The copies of the Register from which we quote are probably the only ones now in existence. The issue dated February 5, 1842, speaks of the Rockford Pilot as its nearest neighbor.
The paper dated February 26, 1842, is the last one preserved. It speaks of the severe illness of the editor, and requests some one to send some sage " for the indisposed, sick late Editor of the Register ;" and No. 12, issued in April, announced his death.
A complete account of the press of Mount Morris may be found in a chapter devoted to that important interest.
Mr. Emanuel Knodle, the first editor of the first paper in this town and county, was a young man of excellent character, highly esteemed by a large circle of friends. His brief editorial career gave promise of a brilliant future, had he lived.
CORPORATION ORGANIZATION.
Prior to 1848, Mount Morris was a precinct of Ogle County. The following notice was the initiatory step toward the organization of the corporation of Mount Morris :
A MEETING
of the inhabitants of the Town of Mount Morris will be held at the Chapel of said Town on Sat- urday, the 8th of January (1848), at 2 o'clock, for the purpose of determining whether we will incorporate said town.
(Signed) MANY CITIZENS.
Mt. Morris, Dec. 28, 1847.
STATE OF ILLINOIS, OGLE COUNTY,
98. I, Daniel Brayton, of Mt. Morris, Ogle County, Ill., do solemnly swear that there was over two hundred inhabitants residing in the town of Mt. Morris, Ogle County, and State of Illinois, on the 28th day of December, 1847, and that on the same day I posted up three notices in three of the most public places in said town. The above notice, signed " Many Citizens," is a true copy of said notice.
(Signed)
DANIEL BRAYTON.
(Signed)
Subscribed and sworn to before me this 20th day of January, 1848. E. WOOD, J. P. [SEAL.]
At the meeting called as above on the 8th day of January, 1848, of the owners of freehold property, and those of lawful age resident in the town six months previous to that date, Daniel Brayton was elected President and F. G. Petrie, Clerk, to whom the following oath was administered :
I, Daniel Brayton, as President, and I, F. G. Petrie, as Clerk, do solemnly swear by the ever living God that we will faithfully discharge the trust reposed in us as President and Clerk of this meeting.
Sworn to and subscribed before me this 8th day of January, 1848. F. G. PETRIE, Clerk.
The meeting then proceeded to vote " viva voce" whether they would be incorporated or not, and there were nineteen in favor and none against.
The Clerk, F. G. Petrie, called a meeting at the chapel of the Rock River Seminary on the 15th day of January, 1848, for the purpose of electing, viva roce, five Trustees. At that meeting, Daniel Brayton presided, F. G. Petrie was clerk and Aaron C. Marston, Andrew Newcomer, James J. Beatty, Jona- than Knodle and William McCune were elected Trustees.
The records do not show the organization of the Board, but A. C. Marston was Clerk at its first meeting, January 22, 1848, when the limits of the corpo- ration were defined by ordinance, as follows : " Commencing at a stake set at the southwest corner of the land owned by the R. R. Seminary, thence on a
539
HISTORY OF OGLE COUNTY.
line due north one mile, thence east one mile, thence south one mile, thence west one mile to the place of beginning.'
The Trustees, at their meeting, prohibited the sale of spirituous or malt liquors in the town, under penalty of five dollars ; but provided that the contra- band articles might be sold for medical and mechanical purposes, under permit from the Board. "Gambling and drunkenness, of whatever class," were de- clared " a nuisance," and all persons guilty of these vices were to be fined five dollars for each offense. All shows, circuses, theaters or exhibitions of that class not having license under the seal of the President were strictly forbidden, under penalty of twenty-five dollars ; also, all " quarreling, fighting, disturbing the quiet and peace of the citizens," under the same penalty. Horse racing. shooting at marks or firing of guns were declared " a nuisance," and a fine not exceeding twenty-five dollars was imposed for cach offense.
At this meeting, various town ordinances were passed, providing for . work on the roads," etc. ; that all trials shall be before the President of the Board, to be conducted " as they are before a Justice : " and forms for legal processes were prescribed.
This was the first and last meeting of the Board of Record. No corporation officers were appointed, and for several years nothing further appears to have been done, at least there are no records of any elections until January 1, 1856. when " F. G. Petrie, Clerk," issned a notice of an election to be held at the house of W. S. Blair on the 15th of January, 1856, for the purpose of electing five Trustees.
At that meeting, Jacob Coffman, F. B. Brayton and D. A. Potter were appointed Judges of Election, to whom were administered the following oath by James M. Webb, Justice of the Peace :
I, -, do solemnly swear that I will perform the duties of Judge according to law and the best of my ability, and that I will studiously endeavor to prevent deceit, fraud and abuse in conducting the same.
The poll list at this election was as follows :
William Little, F. B. Brayton, E. M. Cheney, J. D. Hays, Peter Knodle, Jr., Ezra Jones, Hiram Beard, D. A. Potter, Thomas Clems. William Hedges, L. J. Brogunier, D. S. Coffman, Simon H. Coffman, Payton Skinner, B. F. Shyrock, B. R. Thomas, Richard Brown, C. R. Cheney, Thomas Winston, Henry Coggins, Jacob Coffman, J. M. Webb, W. S. Blair, John Winders, Robert O'Neal, J. N. Knodle, J. A. Noel, Jonathan Mumma, E. W. Little, John F. Wallace, B. Cooper, G. W. Harshman, Jesse Mayberry, Jonathan Knodle, Andrew Newcomer, A. H. Bailey .- 36.
The following persons were elected Trustees, viz .: D. A. Potter, H. I. Little, Elias Baker, Jacob Coffman, William Schultz.
January 19, 1856, this Board organized, by choice of D. A. Potter, Presi- dent, and William Schultz, Clerk. Jacob Coffman was elected Treasurer and Peter Knodle, Jr., Constable.
February 1, 1856, a tax of fifty cents on the one hundred dollars was levied for the purpose of making sidewalks and improvements of wards, streets and illeys, and the ordinances passed by the Trustees in 1848 were adopted. Peter Knodle, Jr., was appointed Corporation Collector.
February 22, 1856, another tax of fifty cents on the one hundred dollars on real estate was levied for the use of the corporation, and a special tax of three- fourths of the cost of building sidewalks was also levied. The Collector was directed to proceed to the collection of the general tax in ten days, and the fol- lowing resoltion was adopted :
Resolved, That the American quarter of a dollar be used as the seal of the Corporation.
March 7, 1856, Jacob Coffman was appointed Street Commissioner. April 11th. the Trustees estimated the cost of building a sidewalk for a lot of 66 feet,
83
540
HISTORY OF OGLE COUNTY.
at $13.34. April 28th, Jacob Coffman was "allowed to provide a pound for the use of the coroporation." June 13th all " huckstering" was forbidden in the Seminary Square and streets surrounding the same ; also, the sale or firing of fire crackers.
April 22d, 1857. William Schultz was appointed Assessor and his compensa- tion fixed at $1.50 per day. William L. Coho was appointed Constable and Pound Master.
March 1, 1858, an election was held at the house of W. S. Blair, Jacob Coffman, D. A. Potter and William Schultz, Judges. Forty-five voters were present, and Elias . Baker, D. A. Potter, J. B. McCoy, William Schultz and John MeC. Miller were electen Trustecs.
March 19th, the Board organized by the election of D. A. Potter, President; William Selinltz, Clerk ; J. B. McCoy was elected Treasurer ; H. N. Ryan, Corporation Attorney ; J. S. Nye, Constable and Pound Master ; J. McC. Miller, Street Commissioner ; William Schultz, Assessor. On the 9th of April, Mr. Miller was elected Collector, and Peter Knodle, Jr., Assessor.
March 7, 1859 .- At the annual election, there were eighty-eight votes recorded. Elias Baker, James B. McCoy, Henry Neff, Samuel Knodle and Andrew Newcomer were elected Trustees. The Board organized March 14th. Elias Baker, President ; Samuel Knodle, Clerk ; II. A. Naeff, Treasurer.
1860 .- James B. McCoy, Andrew Newcomer, Samuel Knodle, Henry A. Naeff, James M. Webb, Trustees. Andrew Newcomer, President ; Samuel Knodle, Clerk ; II. A. Naeff, Treasurer.
1861 .- Trustees, A. Newcomer, President ; S. Knodle, Clerk ; H. A. Naeff, Treasurer ; J. M. Webb and J. B. McCoy.
December 7th of this year, the citizens petitioned the Board of Trustees to call a public meeting or take some means for the suppression of the sale of beer. etc. in the village. The petition was signed by R. S. Hitt and twenty-five! others. The Board called a town meeting in the Methodist Church, Wednesday evening, December 11th, but no record of its action appears.
1863 .- Seventy-nine voters recorded. Trustees, James Clark, President ; A. Q. Allen, Clerk ; William H. Atchinson, Treasurer ; H. I. Little, F. B. Brayton.
1865 .- Twenty-three votes recorded. Trustees, James B. McCoy, Presi- dent ; A. N. Newcomer, Clerk ; Henry I. Little, Treasurer ; F. B. Brayton, J. McC. Miller. .
1866 .- Twenty-nine votes recorded. Trustees, F. B. Brayton, President ; A. Newcomer, Clerk ; Henry I. Little, Treasurer; M. T. Rohrer, J. McC. Miller.
1867 .- Twenty-four votes recorded. Trustees, F. B. Brayton, President ; A. Newcomer, Clerk ; Henry I. Little, Treasurer ; J. McC. Miller, M. T. Rohrer.
1868 .- Forty-seven votes recorded. Trustees, Elias Williams, Samuel Knodle, Morris Gaffin, John Sprecher, Henry Middlekauff. There is no record that these gentlemen took the oath of office.
1869 .- Twenty votes recorded. Trustees, F. B. Brayton, President ; M. T. Rohrer, Clerk ; HI. I. Little, Treasurer ; J. McClelland Miller, A Newcomer.
1870 .- Eighty-two votes recorded. Trustees, F. B. Brayton, President M. T. Rohrer, Clerk ; H. I. Little, Treasurer ; A. Newcomer, Samne Lookabaugh.
541
HISTORY OF OGLE COUNTY.
This board, on the 27th of April, passed a stringent ordinance " relating to the sale and traffic in wine, rum, gin, brandy, whisky, beer, cider and other intoxicating liquors."
1871 .- Eighty-eight votes recorded. Trustees, Samuel Knodle, President: Ezra Toms, Clerk ; Upton Miller, Treasurer ; M. Stroh, S. H. Cheney.
1872 .- Seventy-six votes recorded. Trustees, Henry Sharer, President ; Jonathan Knodle, Clerk ; Henry H. Clevidence, Treasurer ; Henry H. New- comer, John Startzman.
1873 .- Fifty-seven votes recorded. Trustees, Martin S. Rohrer, President : Samuel Lookabaugh, Clerk ; H. H. Clevidence, Treasurer ; Oliver H. Swing- ley, John French.
1874 .- Seventy votes recorded. Trustees, Samuel Lookabaugh, President ; Samuel Mumma, Clerk ; H. H. Clevidence, Treasurer ; J. A. Knodle, Henry Sharer.
February 26, 1875, a petition to the Board of Trustees, signed by H. I. Little and thirty-seven others, asking that a meeting be called for an election to vote for or against village organization under the general law, was received; the Board ordered an election to be held on the 27th day of March, 1875, and appointed H. I. Little, Elijah Lott and John Sharer, Judges, and Peter House- holder and A. W. Little, Clerks of the election. At that meeting, 35 ballots were east, 34 for organization and one against.
VILLAGE ORGANIZATION.
1875 .- One hundred and ten votes recorded. Trustees, A. Newcomer, President; Isaae II. Allen, Henry I. Little, H. H. Clevidence, Peter House- holder, J. M. Piper ; Village Clerk, M. T. Rohrer ; Police Magistrate, M. T. Rohrer.
1876 .- Trustees, H. 1. Little, President ; John H. Swingley, Henry H. Clevidence, J. A. Knodle, Joseph M. Piper, Charles Miles ; Village Clerk, M. T. Rohrer.
1877 .- Trustees, Benjamin G. Stephens, President ; John H. Swingley, Samuel Mumma, Jacob A. Knodle, Henry Clevidence, Thomas Williams ; Village Clerk, John Sharer.
TOWNSHIP OF MOUNT MORRIS.
This township was organized in 1850. With the valuable assistance of Martin T. Rohrer, Esq., the following list of Supervisors and Clerks is com- piled :
Township officers of the Town of Mt. Morris, Ogle County, from the time of the adoption of Township Organization to 1874.
Supervisors .- James B. McCoy, 1850 ; Benjamin T. Ilendrick, 1851; Andrew Newcomer, 1852; Joel R. CarIl, 1853 ; Samuel Garber and Henry Heistand * appointed 1854 : Elias Baker, 1855, '56, '57; Daniel Sprecher, 1858; Francis A. McNeill, 1859, '60; John W. Hitt, 1861 ; Benj. T. Hendrick, 1862 '63, '64, '65, '66, '67, '68; John W. litt, 1869 : Charles Newcomer, 1870, '71, '72 ; John W. Hitt, 1873, '74.
Town Clerks .- A. Q. Allen, 1850; John F Grosh, 1851 ; Lyman S. CarlI, 1852, '53 ; William Schultz, 1854 ; Benj. K. Shyrock, 1855; Wm. Schultz, 1856 ; A. Q. Allen, 1857; Simon II. C'off- man, 1858 ; Samuel Knodle, 1859, '60; Geo. W. Marshall, 1861, '62 ; James W. Webb, 1863, '64: Martin T. Rohrer, 1865, '66, '67, '68 ; Frederick B. Brayton, 1869, '70; Henry H. Clevidence, 1871 ; Joseph W. Piper, 1872; Henry H. Clevidence, 1873, '74.
SCHOOLS.
The First School .- The Maryland colonists who first settled at Mount Mor- ris were determined that their children should not want for educational priv- ileges, and a school house was as necessary as a "cabin." When Samuel M.
* Samuel Garber, who was elected, was a Dunkard preacher; his church was unwilling that he should serve in any civil capacity, and he resigned on the spot and Henry Heistand was appointed to fill vacancy.
542
HISTORY OF OGLE COUNTY.
Hitt and Nathaniel Swingley returned from Maryland with their families, in 1838, accompanied by a number of others who desired to become members of their new colony in the Far West, they engaged Mr. A. Quimby Allen to ac- company them as a teacher, and soon after their arrival he opened a school in a small log cabin then standing in the grove about 80 rods southwest of Prof. D. J. Pinckney's present residence and about a mile southwest of the Seminary. This pioneer school house has since been removed to the roadside about a mile west of the town, where it still remains. an interesting monument of the olden time, when old men and women of the present day attended school within its rough walls, while their parents built their first cabins on the beautiful prairie in the neighborhood. This was the first school in this section of the country. It was named "The Pine Creek Grammar School," and under this somewhat pretentious title it was the first step leading to the foundation of the Rock River Seminary within a year from that time.
The school numbered twenty-six pupils, and a record of their names, so far as they are now remembered by Mr. Allen. will be interesting to their descend- ants in the present and in the future. Among this little group were Margaret C. Hitt (now Mrs. D. J. Pinckney), John W. Hitt (now an influential citizen of Mount Morris, and for several years past Supervisor of the town), George Hitt (since dead), Andrew M. Hitt, Joseph Hitt, John Hlitt (now Deputy Collector of Customs, Chicago), Robert S. Hitt (of Chicago), Robert R. Hitt (now Sec- retary of Legation at Paris), Martin R. M. Wallace (Judge Wallace of Chicago), Elizabeth Reynolds, Caroline M. Reynolds, Ann E. Swingley (Mrs. Phelps), Urilla Swingley, John H. Swingley, Upton Swingley, Nathaniel A. Ankeny, Augustus H. Ankeny (afterward a leading citizen of Clinton, Iowa), Ann M. Ankeny (Mrs. Wm. Watts), Clinton Helm (an eminent physician at Rockford), James C. T. Phelps (now of Rochelle on the farm his father made), James Rey- nolds, Peter Householder, the Worden boys, and Richard McClain's children.
Rock River Seminary was located here in the Spring of 1839, under the aus- piees of the Methodist Church, and the first term commeneed in November, 1840. A more extended sketch of this important institution will be found on page 468. Mr. Allen taught school in the school house above mentioned during that Spring and Summer.
In the Summer of 1840, before the seminary building was ready for occupa- tion, Prof. Joseph N. Waggoner, its first Principal, taught school in the log school house occupied by Mr. Allen in 1838-9. He was employed by the Trus- tees of the Seminary.
In the Spring of 1841, the town school was conducted under the manage- ment of the Rock River Seminary, as the Primary Department of the Institu- tion, and was in charge of Mrs. Fanny Russell. This department was diseon- tinued in 1843, and private schools continued in several residences. In the Winter of 1845-6, A. Q. Allen taught a select school in the house now occupied hy Mrs. Cross, on Short street, west of Seminary Square.
In 1851-2, Mr. Allen again taught in the new district school building, which had been erected on the corner of Main and Clark streets. This was a long frame building, having two rooms. In this taught at various times A. Q. Allen, Mr. Streeter, Mr. Shultnee. Mr. Cross, John Page, with Miss Hannah Cheney (who subsequently married Mr. Page) as Assistant, Holly Allen. Enoch Coffman, James Allen, Francis Hoverland (now Mrs. Crawford), with her sister Florence (now Mrs. B. G. Stevens) as Assistant. Miss Sybil Sammis (now Mrs. Andrew Hitt, of Chicago) was. also. at one time an Assistant in this school. . During the term the Misses Hoverland were in charge of the school,
543
HISTORY OF OGLE COUNTY.
the present large two-story stone school building was erected, and the Misses Hoverland first taught therein.
The school house is located on Block 5 of the Botanical Addition to Mount Morris, fronting on Short street. It was built in 1868, at a cost of $10,000, and has four school departments.
Miss Hoverland was followed by J. M. Piper, as Principal, who, in turn, was succeeded, in 1876, by the present Principal, Horace G. Kauffmann. The other teachers at present are, grammar room, Holly C. Clark ; intermediate room, Mrs. Becca B. Kauffman ; primary, Miss Lottie E. Waggoner. There are now two hundred pupils enrolled. There is a high school course of but one year, as facilities for higher education are better afforded in the Seminary.
RELIGIOUS.
Methodist Episcopal Church .- The first Sabbath after his arrival, Rev. Thomas S. Hitt preached at a small school house in Oregon. Thereafter he preached occasionally ; joined the Illinois Conference, and was appointed Agent of the Seminary.
The first regular pastor who was established here was Rev. Barton Cart- wright, in 1838. He preached two successive days in the primitive school house in which Mr. Allen taught school. Families came from about twenty miles, and were entertained at the house of Rev. Mr. Hitt. Among those remembered were Mr. and Mrs. Morgan, of Franklin Grove ; Mr. and Mrs. John Ankeny, of Elkhorn Grove ; Mr. and Mrs. Abraham Juneval, of Byron ; Mr. and Mrs. F. G. Petrie, of Leaf River. Rev. Mr. Worthington succeeded Mr. Cartwright for one year.
In the Fall of 1838, Rev. Mr. Cartwright came over from Washington Grove to the residence of Rev. Thomas S. Hitt, and requested him to accom- pany him to that grove and assist in settling a question of claims. Mr. Hitt considered that somewhat foreign to his line of business until he was informed that the claim was that of marriage between Rev. Cartwright and Miss Chloe Bennett. Mr. and Mrs. Hitt accompanied Mr. Cartwright, and the pioneer of Methodism in Ogle County was wedded on that evening, after the usual relig- ious services.
When the seminary was completed, the north portion of the basement was finished for religious purposes. Methodist services were held here until the erection of the new Seminary, when the east end of the two lower stories of that building was fitted up as a chapel. This was then considered to be a very elegant church room for a Western village. It was dedicated by Rev. J. V. Watson, assisted by Rev. Mr. Hinman.
As no records can be obtained regarding the succeeding Pastors of this charge, it is impossible to give a complete list in their proper order. The fol- lowing, however, were among them : Revs. McMurtry, Jonathan Snow, Lean- der S. Walker, Wager, Nathan Jewett, Philo Judson, J. L. Stuff, Sanford, Cone, Winslow, Wm. Keegan, J. C. Stoughton, W. A. Smith, Milton Haney, John H. Vincent, Blanchard L. Anderson, J. B. Strout, Cornelius Ford, J. H. Moore, S. H. Adams. Lewis Kurtz, Edward Battis, E. W. Adams, coneluding with the present Pastor, Rev. A. T. Needham.
For many years, the headquarters of the Rock River District were located here, and, consequently, Revs. John Clark. Philo Judson, Hooper Crews and others resided here.
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