USA > Illinois > Lake County > The past and present of Lake County, Illinois, containing a history of the county a biographical directory war record early settlers statistics history of Illinois the Northwest etc., etc > Part 25
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
It has been mentioned that John Robertson was one of the early settlers of this town. He commenced in moderate circumstances, but in time acquired a large property and became a prominent and influential citizen.
On the 8th of September, 1877, a circumstance occurred which resulted in his death by a pistol shot. He was one of the Commissioners of Highways of the town, and had met with the other two at the premises of Peter Davison, in the western part of the town, for the purpose of opening what they claimed was a public road. Besides the Commissioners, there were present a Mr. Allen, who seemed to have been quite conspicuous, Peter Davison, his son Charles and one or two others.
Mr. Davison appeared on the ground to resist the acts of the Commissioners in their attempt to open the road. During the affair Mr. Robertson was shot by a pistol, as is alleged, at the hands of Peter Davison. But as a trial has not been had at the time of this writing, an attempt at a statement of the facts. might be considered unjust, or at least premature ; and as a work of this kind will be expected to contain some extended account of a matter of the impor- tance of this, from the prominence of the parties, there is here subjoined, with- out comment, a statement of the witnesses, as given in evidence before the examining magistrate, before whom Peter Davison was brought on the charge of murder, as the fairest statement of the facts that can be given :
Dr. Charles Butterfield was sworn and testified substantially as follows : " I am a practicing physician and surgeon, and was summoned at the time of the wounding. Death was caused by a ball which entered the lower jaw just under the right of the chin. After entering the chin, it went backward through the center of the so-called Adam's apple, through the gullet, and then to the bone back of the same. The ball struck several vital parts, and caused hemorrhage. which filled the lungs. It was about an hour and a half after the shooting that I reached him, and I found him already black in the face and apparently in the first stages of suffocation. I found that no artery had been severed, only a vein, but the flow of blood was great and impossible to stop. I raised him almost to a standing posture, as he breathed even then with difficulty when in a prostrate condition. I never treated, and have never read or heard of, an exactly similar case before, but I am confident that no treatment could have saved him. The ball had taken a fatal course, and the rushing blood excluded the air. He died about 6 o'clock in the evening."
275
HISTORY OF LAKE COUNTY.
Mr. Jacob Bees, who gave as evidence : "I am a Road Commissioner of Lake County, and have lived in the town of Ela for the last twenty-two years. I was well acquainted with John Robertson a good part of this time. With Mr. Kuikke and one or two others, on last Saturday morning, I went over to Davison's farm on a little road business. When we came to the place where the shooting took place, we saw the son, who, at our bidding, called his father. We had to wait some time for the arrival of the two, and after they did come a discussion arose about the opening of the road through his place. We said we had to open it, and then a long time was wasted in talk about the two roads. We could come to no agreement, and finally started to take down the obstruc- tion, which was a crooked rail fence. There were three fences across the road. On the middle one there sat Mr. Davison, his wife, son and hired man. He was told that we would put a fence through on the south road if time would be given until January 1st, but. it was no go. A break was made for the second fence. One of the men approached Charlie, who swung a club at him. This was soon taken away, and then both the old man and boy drew revolvers. Mr. Robertson immediately said to the former : 'Mr. Davison, we don't want any fuss. We don't want any fighting. If we do not act right, then use the law.' He was answered : ' If you go on, I'll use force enough to stop you.
" At this time, Mr. Davison was standing on the fence with a club in his left hand and a revolver in his right. Mr. Robertson, Mr. Kuikke and a hired man stood near. I was a little way off, beside a buggy. Mr. Davison pointed the revolver at the three men and fired. Mr. Robertson immediately turned around and bent over, and I saw blood dripping. I soon noticed that he was gradually falling to the ground. Mr. Davison immediately walked off toward the barn, while the other three he was with ran toward the orchard near the house. I did not see Mr. Robertson have any weapon, or attempt in any way to strike Mr. Davison during the day. They always seemed to be on good terms. Mr. Allen was not very friendly with Davison, and he was with us a part of the time. He was sent for to obtain his consent to open the road, as he was one of the Commissioners. Allen said, 'Look here, gentlemen ; you have a legal right to the road and you ought to use and hold it.' We decided to go through. We all went in together, but Allen sort of took the lead. He was about four feet from the fence at the time.
" Davison stood on the second board of the fence. Some one raised a plank and struck the fence, and then he fired. Allen was just then standing a few feet distant, and Robertson was near him, neither doing nor saying anything as far as I can remember. If there was any fuss going on, it was between Allen, his hired man, and Davison, but I am not sure that there was any at all."
Mr. August Kuikke next took the stand. He testified as follows: "I am a Road Commissioner, and was at the fuss. I went over with Mr. Robertson and others to put through a road that had been talked about a great deal. It was an old road that we wanted to open for use. Davison had all along op-
276
HISTORY OF LAKE COUNTY.
posed the move. I live near, and am a farmer, and have been acquainted with Mr. Robertson for several years. I saw Mr. Davison reach out his arm and shoot, but there was no previous quarrel between these men to my knowledge. I saw Mr. Allen's hired man strike the fence with a board endwise, and then step back a foot or two, just before the report occurred. At the time, I stood on the east side of the fence and about three feet in front of Mr. Robertson. We were standing back from Mr. Davison, and let the hired man of Mr. Allen begin the tearing down of the fence. Mr. Davison had not said a word to Mr. Robertson during the time, to my knowledge. I told the hired man to tackle a board separate from the one Mr. Davison was sitting upon, and he did so. I saw Charlie Davison sitting on the fence holding a revolver and club. Robert- son's hired man walked toward him with an axe, but I happened to look else- where just then and did not see whether or not the axe was drawn threateningly on Charlie. I do not think Charlie offered to shoot, or do anything else. There were present with the Davison party Mr. and Mrs. Davison, Charlie, and a hired man called Robertson."
August Randolph, the hired man, under questioning, said: "I was present at the shooting, and saw Mr. Davison shoot Mr. Robertson. He was standing on the fence, on the second board from the bottom, and was holding out his right arm, with a pistol in his hand. Charlie drew a revolver on me, because I took a club from him. That was all I had to do with the fuss. I do not remember whether there was any discussion or not. I went over because Mr. Robertson and Mr. Allen told me to go along with them, and I did not know what they did want with me until I got there. I did not say anything that I can remember."
Joseph C. Whitney stated that he lived in Lake County, and had known Mr. Davison more or less for the last twenty-seven years, and was on friendly terms with him. He heard Mr. Davison say, last winter, that he could shoot John Robertson and enjoy the best night's sleep he had ever had. This oc- curred last January, and at his house. He did not know what he was there for now, but that he was at his house. Being asked if he remembered anything else said at the time, he said he did not, but there was some talking done in regard to the road. He did not think at the time that Davison meant any- thing. There was no quarrel between the two men, that he had any knowledge of, and in fact he knew little at the time about the new road trouble. He had not told any one this, except a few who had questioned him on the subject. He tried to keep ignorant in regard to the road trouble.
The testimony closed with this statement, and, as nothing had been ad- duced to show that Charles Davison, the son who had been arrested with the father, was a participant in the fatal shooting, he was discharged from custody. The father, Peter Davison, was recommitted to await criminal trial.
The first town meeting in this town was held at the house of Charles S. Williams, at Russell's Grove, on the first Tuesday in April, 1850. J. A.
277
HISTORY OF LAKE COUNTY.
Halleck was chosen Moderator, and Timothy Bartles, Clerk. The following were the town officers elected: Supervisor, Stephen Bennett ; Town Clerk, J. A. Halleck ; Justices of the Peace, Elisha Lake and Oren Ott; Commis- sioners of Highways, E. Hubbardl, A. Morse and C. R. Logan; Assessor, Henry Morse; Collector, Daniel Walters; Constables, Daniel Walters- and George Proutz ; Overseer of the Poor, John Clark. The number of votes cast at this town meeting for town officers was 114.
The total assessed value of property in this town for 1850, including both real and personal, was $78,503. The amount of tax computed on the same was $1,026.11. The total assessed value of property for the year 1877 was $405,328.
The first school house built in this town was on land now occupied by Peter Davison, about the year 1838; the work being done mostly by his father, who then lived near by. The first school taught in the town was in this house, soon after it was completed, by Lucretia Freeman.
The first religious organization in this town was a class of the Methodist Church, in 1843, with the following members : Charles Fletcher and wife, Al- exander Russell, James Millard, Capt. Turner, William Wenburn, John Clark, Thomas Haggerty and wife, James Haggerty, Jane Haggerty, Cyrus Haggerty and Harvey Haggerty.
The first regular preacher in the town was the Rev. J. Nason. A church edifice or house of worship, of the Methodist Episcopal Church, was built at Russell's Grove, in 1850. This was known, to some extent, as the Fairfield Church. Before this church was built, the meetings for religious worship were held at the house of Thomas Haggerty and at the house of Alexander Russell. There is also a German Lutheran Church in this town, having a house of worship near Russell's Grove, which was built in 1864. It has a large con- gregation. There is, likewise, a German Methodist Church in the southern part of the town, in the vicinity of Long Grove.
TOWNSHIP OF FREMONT.
This, as a Congressional Township, is known as Township 44, north Range 10 east. It is bounded on the north by Avon, on the east by Libertyville, on the south by Ela and on the west by Wauconda.
The setlement of what is now the town of Fremont was commenced in 1835. Among the early settlers were Daniel Marsh, William Fenwick, Dr. Bryan, John G. Ragan, Hiram and Elisha Clark, Oliver and Stephen Paine, Nelson and Thomas Darling, Joseph and Samuel L. Wood, Thomas H. Payne, Oliver Booth, Charles Fletcher, P. P. Houghton and Michael Murry.
Daniel Marsh came in the Fall of 1835 and made a claim of land. Early in 1836, he built a house and brought his wife and niece, Ellen Watson, then a little girl.
278
HISTORY OF LAKE COUNTY.
Mr. Marsh's place was near where now stands the German Catholic Church, south of Fremont Center. This part of the country was, for some time there- after, known as Marsh's Settlement.
Other claims of land were made in this town in 1835; but it is not remem- bered that any permanent habitations were erected until early in 1836, except that of William Fenwick, who came and made a claim in 1835, and built a house on the south bank of Diamond Lake, where he continues to reside. This was the first house built in what is now the town of Fremont.
Michael Murry and John G. Ragan came in August, 1836. Mr. Ragan settled on the place where he continues to reside.
In June, 1836, the wife of Oliver Booth, who had remained at the East, joined him, bringing their daughter Helen and his wife's sister, Mrs. Hannah Tucker-Mr. Booth, with Charles Fletcher and P. P. Houghton, having come out previously. They were from the State of Vermont.
This town takes its name from Gen. John C. Fremont, who had then acquired fame in the world as a Western explorer. The matter of selecting a name was referred by the Commissioners to the inhabitants of the town. A sharp contest followed.
An election for an expression of the people was held on January 12, 1850, at the school house near E. P. Penniman's, a short distance south of the present German Catholic Church. Christopher Seeber, Charles Darling and Charles H. Bartlett acted as Judges, and William Clarke as Clerk. Fifty-five votes were cast.
The names voted for were Hale, Gilman, Fort Hill, Seneca, Tickleville and Haddam. There were for Hale, 1 vote; for Gilman, 25; Fort Hill, 9 votes ; Seneca, 1 vote; Tickleville, 2 votes, and Haddam, 17 votes. Those voting for these several names, as appears by the returns of the election, were as follows : For Hale, I. H. Smith ; for Tickleville, T. Raymond and Isaac H. Smith ; for Seneca, Thomas H. Payne; for Fort Hill, William I. Lusk, John Strick- land, Joel B. Sherman, Harvey Taylor, William Austin, Robert Lyons, Daniel Grover, Justus Grover and Christopher Seeber ; for Gilman, B. G. Holley, N. M. Darling, Jacob Smith, Hiram Penniman, James Millard, David Perkins, Daniel Marsh, E. Penniman, William Gould, Arthur Penniman, Christian Thomas, Henry Ames, James C. Price, Milton Schenck, J. B. Thomas, H. S. Trumbull, Levi Price, A. C. Green, Thomas Bryan, Peter C. Schenck, How- ard Horton, Edwin Cruver, William Beach, Charles Darling, Charles H. Bart- lett ; for Haddam, H. Swan, J. H. Swan, James S. Clark, G. S. Brainard, Clark Jones, H. E. Swan, T. F. Swan, William Cook, Alfred Wood, Milton Schenck, R. D. Maynard, A. B. Patridge, S. C. Payne, S. Hurlbut, William Colvin, Francis Bryant, A. N. Parsons.
The returns of this election were submitted to the Commissioners having in charge the duty of dividing the county and giving names to the several towns, then in session at Waukegan, together with the following petition :
279
HISTORY OF LAKE COUNTY.
" We, whose names are underwritten, were not present at the election on Saturday, the 12th inst., and as there was no choice of a name for town- ship (44) forty-four, range (10) ten, would give our preference to the name of Haddam (as the name of our town) over every other voted for at said election."
To this petition were subscribed the following names : H. Payne, Thomas P. Harrington, Alfred Payne, L. Abbot, Whiting S. Shepherd, Edward S. Chapman, Charles Stebbings, S. B. Madole, Duning Gibbons, William Cauph- lan, Robert Granger, Gideon Wenbon, W. W. Bement, George Wells, Daniel Harvey, A. B. Cook, James Wade, Jarlin Wisner, Samuel H. Swan, A. M. Wisner.
Christopher Seeber, one of the Judges of the election and a prominent citi- zen of. the town at that time, in transmitting to the Commissioners the returns of the election, submitted the following well-written and candid communication :
" FORT HILL, Jan. 14, 1850.
" To Col. J. Molton, E. M. Haines, Esq., and M. Dulanty, Esq., Commis- sioners :
" Gentlemen-By referring to the 'poll book ' herewith inclosed, you will perceive that 'Gilmer' has the greatest number of votes, but not a majority over all the rest. An attempt was made early in the day of election to unite on a name, but it was soon found to be impossible. The election was held one and a half miles south of the center of the town, and in the very heart of the neigh- borhood of the friends to the name of ' Gilmer,' and still they failed to carry the name over all the rest. The name of 'Haddam,' which you will perceive is the next highest, was not introduced until after 1 o'clock, and still it received seventeen votes. After the polls were closed, an attempt was made to unite upon a name, but without effect.
"If either of the names running highest are adopted, the majority of our voters will be dissatisfied ; and under the existing circumstances, permit me to suggest a new name which, in my opinion, will be satisfactory to all. I will suggest the name of ' Herkimer,' and beg you to take it under your most serious ' advisement.'
" The Board recommend that our first election be held at the school house, near E. P. Penniman's.
"And I recommend that the place of holding our caucus (if you act on it) be at the house of John Strickland, it being the most central, taking the actual settlement into consideration. Your most obedient servant,
" CHRISTOPHER SEEBER."
Delegations of citizens, representing the names of Gilmer and Haddam, ap- peared before the Commissioners and urged the names of their choice.
The party in favor of Gilmer was headed by John G. Ragan, while that in favor of Haddam was headed by James S. Clark.
280
HISTORY OF LAKE COUNTY.
A post office had been established in the township in 1844, called Gilmer, and John G. Ragan appointed Postmaster. It was so named in honor of Thomas W. Gilmer, Secretary of the Navy under President Tyler, who was killed by the bursting of a gun on board of the United States Steamer Princeton, February 28, 1844. Mr. Ragan, as might well be supposed, became greatly attached to this name, and urged it with much earnestness.
Mr. Clark was a native of Haddam, in the State of Connecticut, as were many of his neighbors. This induced his wishes in that direction and gave strength to that name.
But for reasons disclosed by Mr. Seeber's communication, the Commission- ers. were not inclined to adopt either of the names thus presented, not being able to determine from the proceedings what were the wishes of the inhabitants.
At that time, the name of Fremont was on everybody's lips as the great Western explorer, and to fall upon such a name was an easy matter. This name was suggested by some one present, whereupon a compromise was effected and this was adopted as the name of the town.
That elevation of ground, or considerable sized mound, known as Fort Hill, which rises in the prairie in the northern part of the town, is a matter justly worthy of a passing notice. Thomas H. Payne, Joseph Wood and Joel H. Johnson were probably the first white persons who ever set foot upon this spot of ground, which was in the month of January, 1837, when they gave to it, at the suggestion of Mr. Payne, the name of Fort Hill, in consequence of its com- manding position over the surrounding country.
The settlement which they commenced in the Spring following, in the vicinity of this mound, was for a long time thereafter known as the "Fort Hill Settlement." In the Spring of 1838, a post office was established, by the name of Fort Hill, about a mile southwest from the hill, at the house of Joseph Wood, who was appointed Postmaster.
As has already been stated in this history, under the head of the county at large, before township organization, under the subdivision of the county into precincts, there was a precinct or election district, comprising this part of the county, called Fort Hill Precinct. It became known as the Fort Hill country. Its superior advantages, after they became known, attracted general attention, and settlers came in very rapidly.
The following communication, in the columns of a paper published in Chi- cago in 1844, in June of that year, called the Gem of the Prairie, under the head of "Fort Hill," seems to give us a pretty fair idea of this portion of country at that date and the progress it was making. The writer, one of the early settlers, says :
"This is the name of a beautiful and fertile tract of country situated in the western part of Lake County, Ill., containing about sixty-four square miles.
281
HISTORY OF LAKE COUNTY.
Its superior advantages as a farming country have been, until a few years back, but little known abroad.
" In the Spring of 1836, while seeking a location in the western country upon which to spend the remainder of my days, I was by chance led upon the tract in question. I immediately saw the numerous advantages which it pos- sessed over the surrounding country, having about an equal quantity of prairie and timber, and both of the best quality, being also well watered by streams and small lakes, so that nearly every farm could be accommodated by living water ; and knowing that my neighbors, if civilization should ever reach me, would possess equal advantages with myself, as far as location of a farm was con- cerned, I resolved to settle myself here and go no further. The country was at this time but a wilderness, and not a mark of civilization was to be found within the distance of several miles, and many an immigrant passed on to Big Foot, Rock River and other places of note, thinking and making it as an objec- tion that this part of the country would always be in the background. And another reason why immigrants passed was that this was not a part of the country which they had ever heard of before, and imagined, therefore, that if it were superior to other parts around it, its name would certainly have gone abroad.
" Let us now take a view of the country at the present date-but mark the change! The progress of eight years has wrought a change which I had not expected to see short of the space of twenty. The country has become thickly populated, nearly as much so as the Eastern States, from which most of the settlers have immigrated. Public roads have been established in every direc- tion and well improved. The prairies are in a high state of cultivation and covered with fields of grain; and, in short, Fort Hill is now acknowledged to be the richest and most flourishing part of the country.
" A town, which bids fair to be a place of importance, has been commenced upon Lake Michigan, which is about twelve miles distant, where our farmers are taking most of their produce. There are many who, seven years ago, shunned this part of the country and settled fifty miles to the west, who are now returning and paying from three to five dollars per acre for wild land, for the purpose of settling nearer to a market."
The first post office established in this township was in 1839, on the road from Half Day to McHenry, about a mile or so north of the town line, called Darlington, and Charles Darling appointed Postmaster. It existed about three years, when it was discontinued. It was succeeded by the establishment of Gilmer, in 1844, as before related. The original name suggested for the Gil- man post office, when petitioned for, was Wentworth, in honor of John Went- worth, then a Representative in Congress from the district in which Lake County was comprised. The petition was sent to Mr. Wentworth, at Wash- ington, for his aid in procuring the office. Fearing that he might not succeed, and desiring to serve his friends in that neighborhood-of which Mr. Ragan was
282
HISTORY OF LAKE COUNTY.
the acknowledged leader-Mr. Wentworth erased his own name from the peti- tion and inserted that of Gilmer, knowing that the Postmaster General had been much attached to Mr. Gilmer, late Secretary of the Navy, whose sad fate had cast a gloom over the whole country.
On presenting the petition to the Postmaster General, thus amendcd, the office was established without objection.
There was afterward a post office established near the center of the town, called Fremont Center, and subsequently another, on Section 23, called Dean's Corners. A small village has grown up at the latter place, and it has become quite a center of trade for the surrounding country. The name of the place has recently been changed to Ivanhoe.
The first road laid out in what is now the town of Fremont was a road running from Bangs' Lake (now Wauconda), to Half Day. This part of the country being at that time attached to Cook County, for judicial purposes and management of county affairs, the petition was granted by the County Com- missioners of Cook County, who appointed John Gridley, Seth Washburn and Daniel Marsh, Viewers.
The old Yankee Tavern was built on this road, by Erastus Houghton, who came in the Fall of 1836, of which mention has been made in the history of the town of Ela. This was in the Fall of 1836.
The next road laid out was from the Milwaukee road, near Buffalo Grove, to Mc Henry, on Fox River, and became known as the McHenry and Chicago road. This road also passed by the Yankee Tavern. The Viewers to locate the road were John G. Ragan, Joseph Wood and Mr. Goodnow. They were appointed by the County Commissioners' Court of McHenry County, by authority of which the road was established. It was surveyed by John A. Mills, Surveyor, and laid out and established in 1837.
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.