USA > Illinois > Kane County > The past and present of Kane County, Illinois : containing a history of the county a directory war record of its volunteers in the late rebellion statistics history of the Northwest etc., etc > Part 39
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About 1835, Henry Smith and Mr. Freeman located west of Dundee Village, where George Giddings now lives. The Ashbaughs, upon what is now the Mc- Neal place, were likewise among the earliest in this region. On the 28th of June, 1835, Catharine Dempster, afterward Mrs. Malcomb McNeal, now deceased, was born at her father's old homestead, and was the first white child born in Dundee Township. At this time, there was no physician for a circuit of many miles, the man mentioned above as Dr. Parker not being a regular practitioner. His wife, however, had attained some reputation among the pioneers as an accoucheure, and was generally employed in their families.
About 1836, the population of the township was increased by the arrival of the Bucklins, Mr. Manning, George W. Browning, George Hall, Mr. Bangs and the Perrys. John Allison and William Wilburn were in the township, and assisted in building Deweese's mill, the same year. Mr. Welch settled with his large family upon the East Side.
The first death in the township was that of the aged father of Thomas Deweese, in October, 1836. The body was laid at rest on the East Side upon a hill which overlooks the surrounding country, and now forms a part of the Hull estate. A marble slab was raised to mark the spot, and, although no fence protected it and the lot at length became a pasture, the time-blackened stone stood unbroken through the storms and changes of more than forty years until, in 1877, it was removed, with the remains, to the burying ground.
A number of new arrivals, in 1837, rejoiced the earlier squatters with the hope that Dundee might at one day be as populous as the Eastern and Southern homes which they had left. Among these new comers were William Hall, a Scotchman, who founded the fine nursery ; G. Hoxie, who settled in the Fall on a farm now owned by William Lampkin, and T. H. Thompson, who settled on the West Side and was for many years County Commissioner, the first Supervisor, and a man highly honored. The year 1838 witnessed the arrival of C. V. Carpenter, Daniel. his brother. and W. R. Heminway, now Post- master in Dundee Village.
Merci Labor AURORA.
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HISTORY OF KANE COUNTY.
Among the earliest marriages in the township were those of Alexander Gardiner with Sallie Miller (1837), and Capt. Jamison to a daughter of Gen. McClure. The first physician was Dr. John R. Goodnow, from New Hamp- shire, who purchased a claim, embracing about eight hundred acres, of Thomas Deweese, in 1837.
In 1839, G. W. Bullard, from Massachusetts, settled on the East Side. Mr. Dempster states that, of those in the township when he came to the country, scarcely an individual is now living. This genial Scotchman is a brother of the celebrated ballad singer and composer, W. R. Dempster, and many of his townsmen contend that, in his younger days, his voice was fully equal to his more illustrious kinsman's. It was customary, years ago, to call for a song from him on general public occasions, and he invariably elicited the heart-felt applause of the assemblies. Once, he had hurried from home to at- tend a political meeting, forgetful that he was liable to be called upon, and without doffing his farm suit. When it became known that he was present, some merciless granger shouted the name " Dempster !" and it was immedi- ately taken up on all sides, and he was obliged to emerge from his place of con- cealment and go to the front in his old clothes. "He appeared confused, at first," said our informant, "as he commenced to sing ' A Man's a Man for a' That,' but as he came to the line ' Our hodden gray, and a' that,' he raised his head and sung as he had seldom sung before. Clear and full rose his voice, and many an old settler hears the echoes of that song to this day. The man was the man for a' that, and he was a man possessed of all the generous impulses and the high sense of honor peculiar to the true sons of Old Scotia." His fiery temper and impulsive nature often caused him trouble, but he was ever ready to make full reparation for any wrong committed under their influence, and several amusing anecdotes are told illustrative of this disposition.
On one occasion, while he was busy near his house, a neighbor's horse, which had given him great trouble, came near him and commenced pilfering. Mr. Dempster dropped his axe, and, driving him away, returned again to his work. Raising his head, after a few moments, he beheld the horse returned and again in mischief. Without a moment's thought, he hurled the axe at him. It described a number of curves through the air and, descending, hit the beast, severing the hamstring and entirely ruining him. The unfortunate perpetrator of the deed, who had repented before the helve had left his hand, went immedi- ately to his neighbor and frankly related the whole circumstance, offering to pay for a portion of the horse, as he looked upon the act as accidental. But the provoked neighbor failed to discover the accident, accused him of wilfully destroying his property, and claimed restitution for the full value. Mr. Demp- ster then agreed to pay whatever arbitrators, chosen by each of them, should decide would be right. The men were named, and, having rendered a verdict to the effect that he was holden for the entire cost of the animal, about $125,
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HISTORY OF KANE COUNTY.
he paid it without a murmur. It must be understood that such a sum was enormous to a settler of only limited means.
On another occasion, an ox, belonging to Mr. Russell, had given Mr. Dempster much annoyance, by breaking down his fence and eating his corn. He had repeatedly complained to the owner, and at length told him, that if his ox broke into his field again, he would make beef of the animal. Mr. Russell laughed at him, not thinking, for a moment, that he would put the threat into execution. Mr. Dempster found the ox in the corn field, the next morning, eat- ing, as usual; and without a moment's reflection, seized his rifle and shot him through the body. As in the horse trouble, he went immediately to the owner. and offered to pay all damages; but Mr. Russell was not so easily conciliated. He was a powerful man, while Mr. Dempster was rather beneath the medium height, and he accordingly proposed to take vengeance upon the spot. Mr. Dempster, knowing that he was no match for his angry neighbor, excepting in a foot-race, led him a journey up a neighboring hill, in which the more portly man soon lost breath, and he was able to talk with him in safety. It was then agreed that the ox should be butchered ; that Mr. Dempster should purchase a. quarter of the beef, and that the remainder should be peddled out among the neighbors. In this manner, more than the estimated value was obtained. About half a mile below the village of Dundee, one Davis attempted to build a dam at a very early day-hired a number of men to work for him, and partially dug a mill-race-but possessing no means sufficient to complete it, he suddenly left the country and his debts, and hied him for parts unknown. The township of Dundee was surveyed under the direction of the United States Government, by William Melbourn, in April, 1840 .* Some years after this event, an inci- dent occurred near Dundee Village, which awakened the sympathy of the entire neighborhood. Mr. James Howie was splitting rails near the river, when his son, about 14 years old, entered a boat with a boy about his own age, the son of James Sherrer. Mr. Howie cautioned them, and then continued his work, while the boys rowed to the opposite bank, amused themselves there for a short time, and started to return. When they had nearly reached the land, Mr. Howie's attention was attracted by an unusual splashing. Raising his eyes, he observed the boys tetering the boat in sport, from side to side, and while he yet looked, it capsized .. Neither of the boys could swim; and after a short strug- gle, both of them drowned. The bodies were recovered, and buried with unusual ceremony.
About twenty-four hours after the burial, three medical students from a col- lege which need not be named called upon Dr. Abner Hager, who was living in the village, was well acquainted with the occurrences, but not bound by ties of relationship, or especial friendship to the families of the deceased, and rep- resented to him that they wished his assistance in obtaining the bodies secretly for the dissecting table, as they were in perfect health until the accident occurred,
* From a copy of the Surveyor's field notes, in the possession of Rev. A. Pingree, of Pingree Grove.
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HISTORY OF KANE COUNTY.
and were therefore unusually valuable from a scientific standpoint. Powerful inducements were offered for his cooperation, but to his lasting honor, be it told, he refused, threatening exposure if they made the attempt. They left him with execration, and Mr. Jesse Oatman having been informed of their designs, watched the graves until no further protection was necessary. The doctor is now living in Marengo, McHenry County. The first school in Dundee was taught in 1833, upon the hill on the east side of the river, by Miss Amanda Cochrane, now Mrs. Moses Wanzer, who had come to the township late in the Fall of the previous year, with Marshall Sherman and Cyrus Larkin, who set- tled two and a half miles west of the village. Since then, the township has steadily progressed in its educational facilities. It contains at present twelve school districts, three having been consolidated to build the graded school house in Dundee Village. Three of the school buildings are constructed of stone, two of brick and the remainder of wood. The school tax for the year 1877 was $8,075.
A cheese factory was erected in the Spring of 1877 by Sidney Wanzer, two miles and a half from the village, on the West Side. It is a good wooden build- ing and has a fair patronage. Another was built in the same year and on the same side of the river, four miles from the village, by J. T. Mason. It is a large wood and stone structure and is doing an extensive business. Milk is purchased of the patrons. The year 1877 seems to have been unusually pro- ductive for cheese factories, and on the 1st of May one built by Jesse Oatman & Sons commenced operations on the West Side, nearly opposite Carpentersville. It is 28x44 feet in dimensions, exclusive of the engine room, and has a capacity for 10,000 pounds of milk per diem. The proprietors purchase of the farmers. Dundee is one of the best dairy townships in the United States, and further statistics of the vast quantities of milk manufactured and shipped from its depot will be found in connection with the village history. Many of the farms are excellent, and one owned by Mr. William Sutfin has taken the premium as the best kept farm in the county.
Passing up the east bank of the river from Carpentersville, the tramp will behold a peculiar building, among the trees, upon the opposite side. The dome which comprises the entire structure is covered with tin, which, glistening in the sunlight, renders it visible for a long distance. It was built in 1856 as a Spirit- ual church, under the direction of a medium. E. W. Austin, Leister Woodard and Henry Petrie were the Trustees. It cost about $1,000; was built by sub- scription, but never successfully used for the purpose for which it was designed, and is now a dwelling.
The township is the most northeasterly in the county, is crossed by the Fox River Branch of the Chicago and North-Western railroad, is bounded on the north by McHenry County, on the east by Cook, on the south by Elgin Town- ship, and on the west by Rutland, and contained, by the census of 1870, 2,079 inhabitants.
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HISTORY OF KANE COUNTY.
DUNDEE VILLAGE
was laid out in 1836, for John Oatman and sons, Thomas Deweese and Thomas L. Shields, by Mark W. Fletcher, County Surveyor. Oatman and Shields had come from McLean County, Ill., in the same year, the former being the father- in-law of both Deweese and Shields. Joseph Russell was the first settler in the village. In the Spring of 1836, Thomas Deweese commenced the erection of the Spring Mills, which are still in successful operation. The motive power was obtained from several large springs upon the East Side, a much cheaper mill site than the river bank, as the power in that stream at this point is not good. The Spring Brook, however, tumbles down a height of forty feet, fur- nishing excellent facilities for moving an overshot wheel, and thousands of bush- els of grain have been ground there since operations were first commenced in the old building. The settlers hailed its establishment with rejoicing, for no other institution was as much needed. It passed from Deweese's possession into the hands of Isaac Rice, since which time it has been owned by various proprie- tors, and is now operated by Charles Nolte, who uses steam power during a part of the year.
The Oatman family was one of the most prominent among the carly settlers in this region. They came, originally, from Kentucky, and at the time of their immigration to Dundee, consisted of John Oatman and wife, sons Joseph, Har- din, Clement, Jesse, Ira, William, James, John, Jr., Pleasant and three daugh- ters. The family, with the exception of Jesse, removed, in company with Deweese and Shields, to Texas in 1849, where John, Sr., died November 29, 1877, near Austin, at the age of 90. Joseph, also, has been in his grave for many years. Clement is a clergyman in Texas ; Hardin is a physician in Mis- souri, and John, Jr., a farmer in the same State. Jesse, who came to the village in 1837, is a merchant in Dundee, and the traveler may wander the country through without finding a more genial gentleman or one more generally respected in his town. He was a soldier in the Black Hawk war, and assisted in burying the mutilated victims of the Indian Creek massacre in what is now Freedom Township, La Salle County. Ira Oatman is now an eminent physi- cian in Sacramento, Cal. ; William is practicing the same profession in Austin, Texas, and Pleasant is a resident of Denver, Colo. Solomon Acres and Seth Green were among the settlers whom they found in Dundee Township at the time of their arrival. The Oatmans brought a small stock of goods to the place, when they came, which they offered for sale in the first building erected upon the West Side, or Dundee proper. This house was a frame one, no log cabin having been built, at any time, within the limits of that village. It stood on the northeast corner of Block 12, across the street from where the Baptist Church now stands. It changed proprietors several times, and finally burned, L. N Bucks being the last owner.
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HISTORY OF KANE COUNTY.
The first hotel upon the same side of the river was opened by Hardin Oat- man about 1838, who was succeeded by Henry Townsend. About 1840, a hotel was opened on the opposite side by David Hammer.
In 1838, Increase Bosworth opened a store, and subsequently forming a partnership with Mr. Edwards, sold a large amount of goods during the following years. The first bridge at Dundee was built in the Winter of the same year. It was a wood structure, and, having been carried off in a freshet, was replaced by one which was at length removed for the iron one which still spans the stream. A grocery and liquor shop was opened by David Hammer, near the Spring Mills, about the time that the hands were engaged in building the latter. About this time it became apparent to the few settlers in and about Dundee that the place might, at some future day, need a name. A meeting was accord- ingly called for the partial purpose of determining what it should be. Various ones were suggested, but when at length a young Scotchman, named Alexander Gardiner, a laborer upon the mill, suggested " Dundee," the name of the place that from whence he came, it received a majority of votes. It was on this occasion the building was erected afterward converted into a hotel, and kept for many years by Jesse Oatman. Among the settlers who came while the mill was in process of completion was one who hired as a day laborer, pretending to no special skill of any kind. It was soon discovered, however, that he was an educated man and a good physician. His name was Goodnow, already mentioned as the first physician in the town. He was elected one of the first Justices of the Peace, presided over many claim trials, and was long well known in the northern part of the county. Seth Green was also a Justice of the Peace as early as 1837. About 1838, Rev. D. W. Elmore, from Fayville, preached the first sermon in the village, in Messrs. Oatman's'store. The first teacher has already been mentioned. The second was a Mr. Burbank, who came to the place with Dr. Goodnow, and is now Dr. Burbank, of Chicago. In the Spring of 1839, several of the settlers clubbed together and built the first school house in the village. The next building of the kind was constructed of brick, and built upon the land now occupied by the residence of George H. Bullard, the builder being A. C. Kibby, who still lives in Dundee. It was put up by a tax upon the district, and used until the erection of the elegant Union School, which is now the pride of the town, and was the result of a combination for building purposes of Districts 5, 8 and 9, or East and West Dundee and Carpentersville. It was built in 1872-3, stands in the north part of the village, on the west side of the river, cost $20,000, is well graded, and under the management of Prof. M. Quackenbush.
The last claim-fight in this township, so noted at an early day, for difficulties of the kind occurred early in 1839, when Eaton Walker, from one of the New England States, settled on a fractional eighty on the East Side, lying partially within the present village limits, and previously claimed by Thomas Deweese. There had been no improvements upon the land, and Mr. Deweese had not the
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HISTORY OF KANE COUNTY.
slightest right to it. After Walker had commenced the foundation of a house, he was visited by the man who claimed the greater part of the township, and informed that he was trespassing upon his property, and advised him to leave it. Walker replied that his own right was superior, as he had made the first im- provement and held possession. A short time elapsed, when David Hammers appeared upon the scene, claiming that Deweese had deeded the property to him, and ordering Walker to leave. But the unterrified Yankee continued his labors, assisted by his brother-in-law, Mr. Hemenway. Threats and maledic- tions were poured upon him, but in vain; and the cellar of the house had been nearly completed, when a gang of men, with teams and rails, came on from the country and commenced fencing the field. Thomas Deweese headed them, and they were well supplied with liquor and exceedingly noisy. Mr. Walker repaired to Elgin and procured the assistance of a young Constable, John Lovell. but the rioters only laughed at him and proceeded with the fence. It was about 9 o'clock in the morning when they commenced-there were between fifteen and twenty of them-and they continued their operations, meanwhile reviling Walker and Hemenway until about 2 in the afternoon, when the former, who was a man of few words, told them to " quit." As no notice was taken of this order, Mr. Lovell was requested to perform the duties of his office, in which he signally failed, being shoved back with contempt by the mob, while Sol Acres and Sam Hammers commenced making warlike demonstrations toward Walker, Deweese standing near, meanwhile, and urging them on. Walker defended himself with ease, for he was one of the most powerful and athletic men in that region, when Hammers picked up the limb of a tree and broke it over his arm, and Acres joined in the attack without further hesitation. Deweese had been approaching Hemenway during this time, and now, having reached a favorable position behind him, dealt him a blow upon the cheek which knocked out one of his teeth and laid him senseless upon the ground. Just as he fell, he states that he saw Walker, who was still struggling against the two brawny assailants, draw a knife from his pocket and plunge it into Acres' neck. A stream of blood gushed from the wound, and he dropped without another blow. Walker raised the knife again to deal a quietus to Hammers, but that worthy, thinking that " discretion was the better part of valor," wisely withdrew. Not so with 'Deweese, however. He was as bold a man as the country afforded, terrible in a fight, and accordingly he seized a rail and would have leveled Walker to the ground had he not rushed toward him and caught it as it was descending, and stabbed him twice upon the head. Deweese was then content to stand back, with threats that he would kill Walker and assurances that he was not afraid of him. Walker assured him that he would not leave a breath in the body of the next man who approached him with malicious intentions. The rioters took their wounded from the place, and he was left in possession of the field. An attempt was afterward made to indict Walker for assault with murderous weapons. Deweese was one of the Grand Jury, but was excused from taking part in the
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HISTORY OF KANE COUNTY.
consideration of the case, and a verdict of no cause of action was the result. This was the most sanguinary claim fight which ever occurred in Kane County. Walker died at his home in the village in the Fall of 1876, and Deweese has slept in a Texan grave for years. His family still reside in Texas, and one of his sons was a Captain in the Confederate army. Mr. Hemenway is Postmaster in the office which was established in the village upon its removal from McClure's Grove. When past 50 years of age, he enlisted and served throughout the late war without losing a day in the hospital.
Company I, of the Fifty-second Illinois, organized in Geneva, was composed, to a great extent, of Dundee men, who did gallant service for their country in her life struggle.
A Congregational Church was organized in the place about 1839, followed a little later by one of the Baptist denomination. In 1841, the former had become sufficiently strong to build a house of worship, which was abandoned for a new brick building, erected in 1853. There were but eleven members at the time of the organization. Now there are about one hundred. The Baptists formed a church early, and built a frame edifice in the same year as the Congre- gationalists, but have rebuilt since the war. The Methodist Episcopal Society erected a cheap building about 1844, and in 1856 replaced it by the frame church still used. As early as 1848, the Episcopalians held their first religious services in Dundee, Rev. Mr. Philo officiating ; but it was not until 1864 that regular services were commenced by Rev. Peter Arvedson, in the Congregational Church. When the Baptists left their building, it was purchased by this society for $450, and repaired. There are now about twenty communicants. The Rector from Elgin officiates. The German Methodist Episcopal organization purchased, in 1874, a church built years before by the Scotch Presbyterians, a society which had been but short lived. At the time of the purchase, the Ger- man society had been in existence in the place a number of years. Rev. F. Mertin was the first preacher. . There were now about twenty members, the number having remained nearly unchanged since the organization. The German Lutheran Society was established some two years previous to the above denomination, and held the first preaching in the school house on the East Side, the first clergyman being Rev. Henry Serfling. In 1864, a house of worship was built of the beautiful brick for which the town is so justly noted, and the church has probably the largest membership of any in Dundee. The same society erected a school house in 1874, on the East Side, in which instruction is given in the German language, by two teachers, to about seventy-five pupils. Among the first Germans who came to the village were Henry Havercampf, Henry Bartling, Anton Bummelman, John Bauman and Charles Rover. At present, the East Side is settled mainly by the Teutonic race. The Dundee people claim that they cannot support a lawyer, and the facts seem to justify the statement. It is a village where peace and harmony prevail; still in the years which have passed several gentlemen of the legal profession have made
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HISTORY OF KANE COUNTY.
their homes there. And whether the town was more prone to iniquity then, or whether their presence rendered it less so, doth not appear. The first of these gentlemen was C. B. Wells, about 1841, and since then C. C. Hewitt and E. W. Vining have successively taken his place for limited periods. The first cooper was Allan Pinkerton, whose fame as a detective has since spread to every hamlet and house from Nova Scotia to Texas. At the time of his arrival in Dundee, his goods were left at the hotel, about a block from Oatman's corner, where his shop stood, and he had not sufficient money to hire them carted, but took them to their destination on a wheelbarrow.
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